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NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – Progress continues to be made on Northern California’s fires, which already have burned vast areas of acreage in the summer so far.
The Spring 2 fire, which began on Monday afternoon on Pawnee Trail north of the Spring Valley Lakes subdivision northeast of Clearlake Oaks in Lake County, remained at 80 acres on Tuesday night, with containment up to 80 percent, Cal Fire said.
Reports from the scene stated that one structure had been burned by the fire, which moved into the Pawnee fire burn area.
The incident may have been sparked by a rock strike involving equipment, based on scanner reports.
In Yolo and Napa counties, Cal Fire said the County fire, burning since June 30, remained at 90,288 acres with containment up to 83 percent on Tuesday night.
The total number of structures destroyed remains at 20, with damaged structures totaling three, according to the Cal Fire report.
Resources have continued to be rolled back on the incident. Personnel totaled 1,606, along with 65 engines, 22 water tenders, 16 helicopters, 27 hand crews and 30 dozers, Cal Fire said.
Cal Fire reported that firefighters are aggressively working to strengthen perimeter control lines, mop up and tactically patrol.
Unburned pockets of fuel continue to burn within the interior of the fire, and fire suppression repair teams are actively engaged working around the fire perimeter and affected areas, according to the report.
To the north, in Siskiyou County, the Klamathon fire, which began July 5, remains at 36,500 acres on Tuesday night, with containment up to 55 percent.
The fire has killed one, injured three and destroyed 82 structures, officials reported.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – The Middletown Area Town Hall this week will get updates on the Hardester’s Market rebuilding and the proposal for a Dollar General store.
MATH will meet at 7 p.m. Thursday, July 12, at the Middletown Community Center, 21256 Washington St.
Meetings are open to the community, and offer the opportunity for additional public input on items not included on the agenda.
On the agenda is an update on Hardester’s Market from co-owner Ross Hardester.
A fire destroyed the family’s Middletown store on Memorial Day, as Lake County News has reported.
Brian Bottari of Pacific Gas and Electric also will be on hand for a presentation.
There also will be a discussion about the proposed Dollar General store, to be built at 20900 Highway 29.
The MATH Board includes Chair Joseph Sullivan, Vice Chair Courtney Van Leuven, Secretary Marlene Elder, and members-at member Lisa Kaplan, and alternates Mike Tabacchi and Claude Brown.
MATH – established by resolution of the Lake County Board of Supervisors on Dec. 12, 2006 – is a municipal advisory council serving the residents of Anderson Springs, Cobb, Coyote Valley (including Hidden Valley Lake), Long Valley and Middletown.
Meetings are subject to videotaping.
For more information emailThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
Email Elizabeth Larson atThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
MATH will meet at 7 p.m. Thursday, July 12, at the Middletown Community Center, 21256 Washington St.
Meetings are open to the community, and offer the opportunity for additional public input on items not included on the agenda.
On the agenda is an update on Hardester’s Market from co-owner Ross Hardester.
A fire destroyed the family’s Middletown store on Memorial Day, as Lake County News has reported.
Brian Bottari of Pacific Gas and Electric also will be on hand for a presentation.
There also will be a discussion about the proposed Dollar General store, to be built at 20900 Highway 29.
The MATH Board includes Chair Joseph Sullivan, Vice Chair Courtney Van Leuven, Secretary Marlene Elder, and members-at member Lisa Kaplan, and alternates Mike Tabacchi and Claude Brown.
MATH – established by resolution of the Lake County Board of Supervisors on Dec. 12, 2006 – is a municipal advisory council serving the residents of Anderson Springs, Cobb, Coyote Valley (including Hidden Valley Lake), Long Valley and Middletown.
Meetings are subject to videotaping.
For more information email
Email Elizabeth Larson at
CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The city of Clearlake has received a new grant that will help it move forward with cleaning up blighted properties.
In August of 2017, the city of Clearlake applied for a Solid Waste Disposal and Codisposal Site Cleanup Grant in the amount of $214,030 to clean up multiple sites throughout the city, according to City Manager Greg Folsom.
Folsom said CalRecycle offers grant funds to cities to help clean up blighted properties where the responsible party is unwilling or unable to clean up.
Once the blighted property has been cleaned up, a lien is placed on the property for the cost of the clean-up and CalRecycle is reimbursed out of the sale proceeds, he said.
Unfortunately, Folsom said that before CalRecycle was able to award the 2017 grants the North Bay Wildfires of Oct. 9 hit and CalRecycle personnel were assigned to assist with recovery efforts.
However, Folsom said the city of Clearlake received notification last week that CalRecycle recently awarded the city $214,030 in grant funds to be used for abating up to 18 properties within the city limits.
“This is a great program that we have used in the past to remediate blighted properties and we put a lot of effort into last year’s application so we are very excited to be notified that we were awarded the full amount requested in our application,” said Folsom. “These funds will go a long way toward helping achieve our goal of making Clearlake a cleaner city.”
In August of 2017, the city of Clearlake applied for a Solid Waste Disposal and Codisposal Site Cleanup Grant in the amount of $214,030 to clean up multiple sites throughout the city, according to City Manager Greg Folsom.
Folsom said CalRecycle offers grant funds to cities to help clean up blighted properties where the responsible party is unwilling or unable to clean up.
Once the blighted property has been cleaned up, a lien is placed on the property for the cost of the clean-up and CalRecycle is reimbursed out of the sale proceeds, he said.
Unfortunately, Folsom said that before CalRecycle was able to award the 2017 grants the North Bay Wildfires of Oct. 9 hit and CalRecycle personnel were assigned to assist with recovery efforts.
However, Folsom said the city of Clearlake received notification last week that CalRecycle recently awarded the city $214,030 in grant funds to be used for abating up to 18 properties within the city limits.
“This is a great program that we have used in the past to remediate blighted properties and we put a lot of effort into last year’s application so we are very excited to be notified that we were awarded the full amount requested in our application,” said Folsom. “These funds will go a long way toward helping achieve our goal of making Clearlake a cleaner city.”
CLEARLAKE, Calif. – Clearlake Police officers on Tuesday arrested a man they say was sending threatening text messages and who resisted arrest while wielding a billy club.
Donald Michael Steele, 44, was taken into custody on Tuesday afternoon, according to the Clearlake Police Department.
On Tuesday, Sgt. Elvis Cook said he was investigating criminal threats from a unknown source.
He said an unknown subject was sending out random text messages to several citizens. The messages were violent in nature and caused several people concern for their safety.
Cook obtained information that the person responsible was "Don," with a possible address on Vista Street in Clearlake. That led to Cook locating Steele, who lived on Vista Street.
Sgt. Cook and Det. Leonardo Flores responded to Steele's address to contact him regarding the messages.
Initially Steele would not come to the door and officers started to leave. Cook said Steele exited his house holding a brown wooden billy club, which was strapped to his right wrist. Also next to Steele was a homemade weapon, which consisted of two saw blades attached to a long wooden handle.
Steele was advised to drop the weapon, which he refused to do. Cook said Steele was told several more times to drop the weapon and he was advised that it was illegal for him to possess. Steele still refused to follow orders.
Cook said that, after a lengthy period of time, Steele placed the billy club down by his feet. However, as Cook and Flores started to approach Steele, he grabbed the weapon.
The officers quickly reacted and tackled Steele, knocking the weapon away from him, Cook said. Steele continued to resist officers until they were able to place him into handcuffs.
During contact with the officers, Steele said he was not aware of whose phone numbers he was texting as they were numbers he had prior or had located somehow, Cook said.
Cook said Steele’s threats were not directed toward a single person, and it appeared he would send out the same random messages to several phone numbers for some type of personal motive.
Cook said Steele was transported to the Lake County Jail where he was charged for being in possession of an illegal weapon, resisting arrest, and annoying phone calls/text messages.
His bail was set at $15,000 and he remained in custody early Wednesday.
Steele is tentatively scheduled for arraignment on July 12.
CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The city of Clearlake has named its next chief of police.
Andrew White, 33, who serves as commander and second-in-charge at the Suisun City Police Department, has been hired for the role, according to City Manager Greg Folsom.
“I’m thrilled to join the department,” White told Lake County News, adding that he’s also looking forward to being part of the community.
“Commander White brings a number of skills and 16 years of law enforcement experience to the department that will be a tremendous asset, including supervision experience in animal control and code enforcement and has been the technology go-to person in his current agency,” Folsom told Lake County News. “I am looking forward to having Andrew on board and continuing the positive improvements that we have made under Interim Chief Tim Celli in reducing crime in Clearlake.”
White said he and his family – including his wife and 8-year-old daughter – will live in Clearlake; he was busy this weekend with the move. White also has a 17-year-old stepson who just entered the Marine Corps.
The Whites already have connections to Lake County; he said his wife’s grandmother has lived in Clearlake for more than 50 years and his in-laws live in Kelseyville.
“So I was familiar with the area,” he said.
At its meeting on Thursday the Clearlake City Council will consider authorizing Folsom to appoint White and execute an employment contract.
The proposed employment contract between the city and White calls for a three-year initial term, with three months’ notice prior to its end by the city manager regarding whether the city will extend or end the contract.
The agreement can be extended in two-year increments upon mutual written agreement by the city and White. He will receive six months’ severance pay for termination without cause.
White will receive an annual salary of $130,000, and will be eligible for 5-percent POST Executive Certificate incentive pay after two years on the job.
He also will have use of a vehicle, a cell phone allowance and a one-time relocation expense of $5,000, and the city will pay dues and expenses for his professional development.
Law enforcement career began early
White began his law enforcement career at age 17, starting out as a cadet with Suisun City Police when he was in college. Because he couldn’t be a cadet and a staffer with Suisun City at the same time, he began work as a police dispatcher at the Napa Police Department, where he worked from 2002 to 2004.
In 2004, when he was 19, he started as a full-time officer with Suisun City Police. His assignments ranged from patrol to school resource officer and recruit training officer. He supervised patrol, investigations, code enforcement and marine patrol. White also chairs the Solano County Law Enforcement Commanders Association.
For a brief time, beginning in November 2013, White went into the private sector to work for a computer software firm. He said he continued working part-time for Suisun City Police as a reserve officer, returning to full-time police work in May 2015 when he was hired as the agency’s commander.
White has a bachelor’s degree in organizational management/IT from Union Institute and University. He has attended the California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training, more commonly known as POST, and has five POST certificates – basic, intermediate, advanced, supervisory and management.
He has experience in law enforcement technology, is his agency’s primary media contact, is commander for the Solano County Mobile Field Force and a member of the California Police Chiefs Association Technology Committee.
Folsom said White has a passion for teaching and has been an instructor at the Napa Valley College Police Academy for more than a decade.
With Clearlake Police also supervising the city’s animal control services, White brings more key experience thanks to having chaired the Solano County Animal Control Authority.
The selection process
The selection of White resulted from a hiring process that began earlier this year, as Lake County News has reported.
In December, city officials announced the retirement of Chief Craig Clausen, who had been off for two years due to an injury with Lt. Tim Celli as acting chief since December 2015.
The council then appointed Celli interim chief and in February hired Ralph Andersen & Associates to lead the executive search process for the new chief, which included a public meeting later that month to gather community input.
The city’s hiring brochures said the next chief needed to be “experienced, well qualified, and possess exceptional skills to be a leader – not just an administrator.”
It listed the ideal candidate as “confident, experienced, and hard-working,” with an unwavering, positive attitude, the ability to motivate and build strong team culture, the ability to work in the field, be a fixture in the community and “be authentic, of the highest integrity, and possess
a good moral compass.”
“At all times, the Chief of Police must set the bar high for ethical conduct, professionalism, and the advocacy of Clearlake. The Chief must be of impeccable character, and a role model for both members of the Department and the community,” the brochure said.
White said that when he was considering applying for the job, he and his family came for a visit in order to check out the community.
They liked it and he decided to move forward with applying, explaining that there are a lot of similarities between Clearlake and Suisun City in terms of challenges and opportunities.
White said it also seemed like a good time to get closer to his wife’s family and to change to a less-urban area; Suisun City has 28,000 people in a five-square-mile area, about twice Clearlake’s population.
He said he has a solid background in code enforcement – an area in which he knew the city was looking for experience – plus Suisun City, like Clearlake, is a community where water plays an important role.
Folsom said the recruiting firm received 22 applications for the police chief’s job and telephone screened all of them.
The screening narrowed the applicants to a group recommended to be interviewed by a community panel, Folsom said.
From that panel interview, the three top candidates were recommended for a final interview with a panel consisting of Folsom and the city council.
Last month, Folsom confirmed to Lake County News that the top candidate had been selected and that the city was in the final steps of doing an in-depth background that took several weeks to complete.
The result of that background was to confirm that White is “an officer of the highest character,” coming highly recommended by his current chief at Suisun City, his fellow officers, and past and present Solano County chiefs, according to Folsom’s report for the council meeting.
Folsom said all of the associates interviewed by the background investigator called White “highly intelligent, ethical and an outstanding candidate for chief,” with excellent annual evaluations and no negatives in his personnel file.
“By all accounts he is exceptionally intelligent, has a calm demeanor and is an excellent communicator,” Folsom told Lake County News Monday.
Celli also had applied for the chief’s job. A longtime member of the department, Celli has been successful at getting the department much-needed new equipment and keeping staffing levels up.
He said in a previous interview that he’s looking forward “to working with a new chief with some fresh ideas.”
White said that when he starts work, he wants to look at the organization and see how things are done, explaining that he knows there are heavy service demands on the department.
“There’s a lot of opportunities,” he said.
At the same time, asked about priorities, he said, “I think, clearly, recruitment and retention are important,” because if they don’t have the staff, they can’t do the job, which impacts the community.
The Clearlake Police Department has 23.5 sworn officer positions and 10.5 full-time equivalent positions for professional support staff, and a $4 million budget.
White said that in speaking with Celli he understands the department now has four unfilled officer positions.
Across the spectrum in law enforcement, recruitment is a challenge, particularly in smaller cities, White said.
In the face of its challenges, White said there have been a lot of good things that have happened at the Clearlake Police Department, and he’ll work with staff to continue to make improvements, and to help them become more efficient and responsive.
Folsom said White will be sworn in at the council’s July 26 meeting, with a reception to follow.
White, who has a few weeks left with Suisun City Police, said his first official day on the job as Clearlake Police’s chief will be Monday, July 30.
Email Elizabeth Larson atThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
Andrew White, 33, who serves as commander and second-in-charge at the Suisun City Police Department, has been hired for the role, according to City Manager Greg Folsom.
“I’m thrilled to join the department,” White told Lake County News, adding that he’s also looking forward to being part of the community.
“Commander White brings a number of skills and 16 years of law enforcement experience to the department that will be a tremendous asset, including supervision experience in animal control and code enforcement and has been the technology go-to person in his current agency,” Folsom told Lake County News. “I am looking forward to having Andrew on board and continuing the positive improvements that we have made under Interim Chief Tim Celli in reducing crime in Clearlake.”
White said he and his family – including his wife and 8-year-old daughter – will live in Clearlake; he was busy this weekend with the move. White also has a 17-year-old stepson who just entered the Marine Corps.
The Whites already have connections to Lake County; he said his wife’s grandmother has lived in Clearlake for more than 50 years and his in-laws live in Kelseyville.
“So I was familiar with the area,” he said.
At its meeting on Thursday the Clearlake City Council will consider authorizing Folsom to appoint White and execute an employment contract.
The proposed employment contract between the city and White calls for a three-year initial term, with three months’ notice prior to its end by the city manager regarding whether the city will extend or end the contract.
The agreement can be extended in two-year increments upon mutual written agreement by the city and White. He will receive six months’ severance pay for termination without cause.
White will receive an annual salary of $130,000, and will be eligible for 5-percent POST Executive Certificate incentive pay after two years on the job.
He also will have use of a vehicle, a cell phone allowance and a one-time relocation expense of $5,000, and the city will pay dues and expenses for his professional development.
Law enforcement career began early
White began his law enforcement career at age 17, starting out as a cadet with Suisun City Police when he was in college. Because he couldn’t be a cadet and a staffer with Suisun City at the same time, he began work as a police dispatcher at the Napa Police Department, where he worked from 2002 to 2004.
In 2004, when he was 19, he started as a full-time officer with Suisun City Police. His assignments ranged from patrol to school resource officer and recruit training officer. He supervised patrol, investigations, code enforcement and marine patrol. White also chairs the Solano County Law Enforcement Commanders Association.
For a brief time, beginning in November 2013, White went into the private sector to work for a computer software firm. He said he continued working part-time for Suisun City Police as a reserve officer, returning to full-time police work in May 2015 when he was hired as the agency’s commander.
White has a bachelor’s degree in organizational management/IT from Union Institute and University. He has attended the California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training, more commonly known as POST, and has five POST certificates – basic, intermediate, advanced, supervisory and management.
He has experience in law enforcement technology, is his agency’s primary media contact, is commander for the Solano County Mobile Field Force and a member of the California Police Chiefs Association Technology Committee.
Folsom said White has a passion for teaching and has been an instructor at the Napa Valley College Police Academy for more than a decade.
With Clearlake Police also supervising the city’s animal control services, White brings more key experience thanks to having chaired the Solano County Animal Control Authority.
The selection process
The selection of White resulted from a hiring process that began earlier this year, as Lake County News has reported.
In December, city officials announced the retirement of Chief Craig Clausen, who had been off for two years due to an injury with Lt. Tim Celli as acting chief since December 2015.
The council then appointed Celli interim chief and in February hired Ralph Andersen & Associates to lead the executive search process for the new chief, which included a public meeting later that month to gather community input.
The city’s hiring brochures said the next chief needed to be “experienced, well qualified, and possess exceptional skills to be a leader – not just an administrator.”
It listed the ideal candidate as “confident, experienced, and hard-working,” with an unwavering, positive attitude, the ability to motivate and build strong team culture, the ability to work in the field, be a fixture in the community and “be authentic, of the highest integrity, and possess
a good moral compass.”
“At all times, the Chief of Police must set the bar high for ethical conduct, professionalism, and the advocacy of Clearlake. The Chief must be of impeccable character, and a role model for both members of the Department and the community,” the brochure said.
White said that when he was considering applying for the job, he and his family came for a visit in order to check out the community.
They liked it and he decided to move forward with applying, explaining that there are a lot of similarities between Clearlake and Suisun City in terms of challenges and opportunities.
White said it also seemed like a good time to get closer to his wife’s family and to change to a less-urban area; Suisun City has 28,000 people in a five-square-mile area, about twice Clearlake’s population.
He said he has a solid background in code enforcement – an area in which he knew the city was looking for experience – plus Suisun City, like Clearlake, is a community where water plays an important role.
Folsom said the recruiting firm received 22 applications for the police chief’s job and telephone screened all of them.
The screening narrowed the applicants to a group recommended to be interviewed by a community panel, Folsom said.
From that panel interview, the three top candidates were recommended for a final interview with a panel consisting of Folsom and the city council.
Last month, Folsom confirmed to Lake County News that the top candidate had been selected and that the city was in the final steps of doing an in-depth background that took several weeks to complete.
The result of that background was to confirm that White is “an officer of the highest character,” coming highly recommended by his current chief at Suisun City, his fellow officers, and past and present Solano County chiefs, according to Folsom’s report for the council meeting.
Folsom said all of the associates interviewed by the background investigator called White “highly intelligent, ethical and an outstanding candidate for chief,” with excellent annual evaluations and no negatives in his personnel file.
“By all accounts he is exceptionally intelligent, has a calm demeanor and is an excellent communicator,” Folsom told Lake County News Monday.
Celli also had applied for the chief’s job. A longtime member of the department, Celli has been successful at getting the department much-needed new equipment and keeping staffing levels up.
He said in a previous interview that he’s looking forward “to working with a new chief with some fresh ideas.”
White said that when he starts work, he wants to look at the organization and see how things are done, explaining that he knows there are heavy service demands on the department.
“There’s a lot of opportunities,” he said.
At the same time, asked about priorities, he said, “I think, clearly, recruitment and retention are important,” because if they don’t have the staff, they can’t do the job, which impacts the community.
The Clearlake Police Department has 23.5 sworn officer positions and 10.5 full-time equivalent positions for professional support staff, and a $4 million budget.
White said that in speaking with Celli he understands the department now has four unfilled officer positions.
Across the spectrum in law enforcement, recruitment is a challenge, particularly in smaller cities, White said.
In the face of its challenges, White said there have been a lot of good things that have happened at the Clearlake Police Department, and he’ll work with staff to continue to make improvements, and to help them become more efficient and responsive.
Folsom said White will be sworn in at the council’s July 26 meeting, with a reception to follow.
White, who has a few weeks left with Suisun City Police, said his first official day on the job as Clearlake Police’s chief will be Monday, July 30.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Authorities are investigating the discovery of a body in Cache Creek over the weekend.
A kayaker reported finding the body of a man in the water on Sunday afternoon.
Lt. Corey Paulich of the Lake County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that the remains of a deceased male were recovered from Cache Creek approximately a half mile from the dam, on the west or lake side of the dam.
“The identity and cause of death are pending autopsy later this week,” Paulich said.
He added, “We do not have any reported missing persons that match the description of the deceased.”
Paulich said the agency also is waiting for the autopsy to determine the individual’s race.
Email Elizabeth Larson atThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
A kayaker reported finding the body of a man in the water on Sunday afternoon.
Lt. Corey Paulich of the Lake County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that the remains of a deceased male were recovered from Cache Creek approximately a half mile from the dam, on the west or lake side of the dam.
“The identity and cause of death are pending autopsy later this week,” Paulich said.
He added, “We do not have any reported missing persons that match the description of the deceased.”
Paulich said the agency also is waiting for the autopsy to determine the individual’s race.
Email Elizabeth Larson at