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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – On Monday, Congressman Mike Thompson (CA-05) formally announced Ginny Craven as this year’s Woman of the Year in Lake County.
Thompson accepted nominations in February from across the Fifth Congressional District for his annual awards honoring women who make exceptional impacts in our community.
“Ginny has truly improved the lives of thousands, working hard to serve our men and women in uniform when they are deployed and when they come home,” said Thompson. “A member of numerous organizations that serve military members, veterans, and their families, she is also the founder of Operation Tango Mike, which has provided more than 20,000 care packages to men and women in uniform overseas. Ginny is a true testament to the difference one person in public service can make and I am honored to present her with this award.”
This is the fourth annual Woman of the Year Awards, started in honor of Women’s History Month.
Each year, Thompson selects one woman from each of the counties in our district to be recognized for her service to our community.
A complete list of the 2018 winners includes:
– Tamara Jones, Napa County;
– Detective Connie Van Putten, Contra Costa County;
– Ginny Craven, Lake County;
– Sharon McGriff Payne, Solano County;
– Susan Moore, Sonoma County;
– Dr. Jennifer Gonzalez, special posthumous award presented to her family;
– Dr. Jennifer Golick, special posthumous award presented to her family;
– Christine M. Loeber, special posthumous award presented to her family.
Thompson represents California’s Fifth Congressional District, which includes all or part of Contra Costa, Lake, Napa, Solano and Sonoma counties.
CLEARLAKE OAKS, Calif. – Authorities are investigating a Friday fire that may have been the result of a butane honey oil lab that injured a local man.
On Saturday afternoon, just after 4:10 p.m., Northshore Fire Protection District firefighters were dispatched to a fire in the 10500 block of E. Highway 20 in Clearlake Oaks on the report of a structure fire.
Arriving firefighters found a fire in a small cabin and quickly contained it. They reported over the radio that a male victim had severe second-degree burns to his arms and face and he later was flown by air ambulance to UC Davis for treatment.
Michael James Hoisington, 34, of Clearlake Oaks was identified as the man injured due to the explosion and fire, according to Lt. Corey Paulich of the Lake County Sheriff’s Office.
Paulich said that at 4:40 p.m. fire personnel requested Lake County Sheriff’s deputies respond to the scene to assist with the fire investigation.
He said fire personnel believed the fire at the location may have been caused from a butane concentrated cannabis extraction lab – commonly known as butane honey oil lab – that was being used inside the residence.
When deputies arrived they were directed to the kitchen area where Paulich said they observed that a fire and small explosion had occurred.
The deputies found a plastic bottle with marijuana inside, a can of butane and a shattered glass dish with sticky substance that appeared to be concentrated cannabis, Paulich said.
Detectives from the Sheriff’s Narcotics Unit responded to assist with the investigation. Paulich said that, based on the items located, it was determined that butane was being used to extract concentrated cannabis from marijuana inside the residence.
Paulich said detectives are submitting a case to the District Attorney’s Office requesting a felony charge of chemical extraction of a controlled substance against hoisington.
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.
On Saturday afternoon, just after 4:10 p.m., Northshore Fire Protection District firefighters were dispatched to a fire in the 10500 block of E. Highway 20 in Clearlake Oaks on the report of a structure fire.
Arriving firefighters found a fire in a small cabin and quickly contained it. They reported over the radio that a male victim had severe second-degree burns to his arms and face and he later was flown by air ambulance to UC Davis for treatment.
Michael James Hoisington, 34, of Clearlake Oaks was identified as the man injured due to the explosion and fire, according to Lt. Corey Paulich of the Lake County Sheriff’s Office.
Paulich said that at 4:40 p.m. fire personnel requested Lake County Sheriff’s deputies respond to the scene to assist with the fire investigation.
He said fire personnel believed the fire at the location may have been caused from a butane concentrated cannabis extraction lab – commonly known as butane honey oil lab – that was being used inside the residence.
When deputies arrived they were directed to the kitchen area where Paulich said they observed that a fire and small explosion had occurred.
The deputies found a plastic bottle with marijuana inside, a can of butane and a shattered glass dish with sticky substance that appeared to be concentrated cannabis, Paulich said.
Detectives from the Sheriff’s Narcotics Unit responded to assist with the investigation. Paulich said that, based on the items located, it was determined that butane was being used to extract concentrated cannabis from marijuana inside the residence.
Paulich said detectives are submitting a case to the District Attorney’s Office requesting a felony charge of chemical extraction of a controlled substance against hoisington.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The Clearlake City Council is planning a strategic plan review this week before its regular meeting, in which it will consider selecting a new planning commission.
The council will meet at 5 p.m. Thursday, April 26, for a strategic plan review before the regular meeting begins at 6 p.m. in the council chambers at Clearlake City Hall, 14050 Olympic Drive.
The regular meeting will feature a presentation on the Sulphur fire update.
Under business, the council will consider appointing a new planning commissioner.
The seat, the term of which doesn’t expire until March 2021, was left vacant last month when Russell Cremer was selected to fill the council seat vacated by Russ Perdock in February, as Lake County News has reported.
Applicants for the commission seat are Courtney Beyer, Robert Coker, Kathryn Fitts, Janie Ultsch-Frizell and Michael Vandiver.
The council also will consider a resolution to adopt a list of approved projects for submission to the California Transportation Committee for funding pursuant to SB 1.
Items on the consent agenda – items considered noncontroversial and usually accepted as a slate on one vote – are warrant registers; and minutes of the meetings on Feb. 8, 22 and 26, and March 8, 22 and 27.
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.
The council will meet at 5 p.m. Thursday, April 26, for a strategic plan review before the regular meeting begins at 6 p.m. in the council chambers at Clearlake City Hall, 14050 Olympic Drive.
The regular meeting will feature a presentation on the Sulphur fire update.
Under business, the council will consider appointing a new planning commissioner.
The seat, the term of which doesn’t expire until March 2021, was left vacant last month when Russell Cremer was selected to fill the council seat vacated by Russ Perdock in February, as Lake County News has reported.
Applicants for the commission seat are Courtney Beyer, Robert Coker, Kathryn Fitts, Janie Ultsch-Frizell and Michael Vandiver.
The council also will consider a resolution to adopt a list of approved projects for submission to the California Transportation Committee for funding pursuant to SB 1.
Items on the consent agenda – items considered noncontroversial and usually accepted as a slate on one vote – are warrant registers; and minutes of the meetings on Feb. 8, 22 and 26, and March 8, 22 and 27.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
NORTH COAST, Calif. – Sonoma County Sheriff’s detectives are sharing new information and are asking for the public’s assistance with a homicide case that occurred in Sebastopol on Saturday.
The victim in the case is 19-year-old Cory Alan Vaughn, the sheriff’s office reported.
At about 12:30 p.m. Saturday, Vaughn was with friends at a house party near the intersection of Bodega Ave and Pleasant Hill Rd in Sebastopol.
Authorities said the suspect, 18-year-old Anthony William Ibach, arrived in his 2001 burgundy colored BMW and parked in the nearby business parking lot of the Gravenstein Grill. Ibach and Vaughn had some issues that detectives are still sorting out. Witness accounts have varied about their unresolved issues.
Vaughn’s friends told Vaughn that Ibach was in the parking lot next door wanting to talk to him, the sheriff’s office said. Vaughn left the party and met with Ibach, which ultimately resulted in a fight.
During the fight, authorities said Ibach pulled out a cutting instrument and hit Vaughn several times with it. One deep slashing wound was delivered to Vaughn’s upper chest which ended the fight.
There were many witnesses to this fight and several friends rendered first aid but Vaughn succumbed to his injuries, authorities said.
The sheriff’s office said Ibach fled the scene in his burgundy BMW. A law enforcement poster was sent to agencies and Ibach was spotted by San Rafael Police and detained as he was walking in the 500 block of Francisco Boulevard. Ibach originally gave a false name but his identity was later confirmed.
Ibach has been arrested and was booked into the Sonoma County Jail on one count of murder and is being held without bail, according to the report.
Detectives are still looking for Ibach’s vehicle which is described as a 2001 burgundy BMW 325i with custom rims. The vehicle has a California License Plate of 4SVW467. The front license plate was not attached to the car, but was placed on the dashboard.
If anyone spots this vehicle they are being asked to immediately notify Sonoma County Sheriff’s detectives at 707-565-2121.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake County’s March unemployment rate showed a slight improvement over February’s, while the rates for California and the nation held steady.
The California Employment Development Department said Lake County’s March unemployment rate was 5.5 percent.
That’s down from a revised 5.7 percent in February and below the year-ago estimate of 6.4 percent, the agency reported.
At the same time, California’s unemployment rate remained steady at 4.3 percent in March – tying the record low set in February in a series dating back to the beginning of 1976 – although the state’s employers lost 7,200 nonfarm payroll jobs, according to the Employment Development Department report, which was based on two surveys.
In March 2017, the state’s unemployment rate was 5.0 percent. The unemployment rate is derived from a federal survey of 5,100 California households.
The report showed that California has also now gained a total of 2,856,200 jobs since the economic expansion began in February 2010.
The U.S. unemployment rate was unchanged in March. The Bureau of Labor Statistics said nationwide unemployment in March was 4.1 percent for the sixth month in a row; at the same time, the nation’s employers added 103,000 nonfarm payroll jobs.
The report showed that nonfarm payroll jobs in California totaled 17,045,800 in March, based on a survey of businesses that is larger and less variable statistically.
The survey of 71,000 California businesses measures jobs in the economy. The year-over change, March 2017 to March 2018, shows an increase of 321,000 jobs, up 1.9 percent.
The federal household survey, done with a smaller sample than the survey of employers, showed an increase in the number of employed Californians over the month and the year.
That survey estimated that the number of Californians holding jobs in March was 18,552,000, an increase of 2,000 from February, and up 290,000 from the employment total in March of last year.
The number of unemployed Californians was 827,000 in March – down by 16,000 over the month, and down by 142,000 compared with March of last year, the report said.
Lake County’s total farm employment category in March was up 1.2 percent from February and total nonfarm rose by 0.1 percent.
The top five total nonfarm subcategories that showed growth in March included state government, 5.9 percent; nondurable goods, 5 percent; mining, logging and construction, 4.3 percent; other services, 3.8 percent; and financial activities, 2.8 percent, according to Employment Development Department data.
Areas where jobs were lost included durable goods, -6.7 percent; leisure and hospitality, -4.2 percent; educational and health services, -1 percent; private service producing, -0.5 percent; and total private, -0.3 percent, the report said.
Lake County’s March unemployment rate earned it a No. 32 rating out of the state’s 58 counties.
The latest report said March unemployment rankings for neighboring counties are as follows: Colusa, 18.9 percent, No. 58; Glenn, 7.5 percent, No. 45; Mendocino, 4.3 percent, No. 25; Napa, 3.2 percent, No. 10; Sonoma, 2.8 percent, No. 5; and Yolo, 4.8 percent, No. 29.
In related data, the EDD reported that there were 403,184 people receiving regular Unemployment Insurance benefits during the March survey week, compared with 396,030 in February and 420,505 in March of last year.
At the same time, the EDD said new claims for Unemployment Insurance were 39,330 in March, compared with 31,291 in February and 42,939 in March of 2017.
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.
The California Employment Development Department said Lake County’s March unemployment rate was 5.5 percent.
That’s down from a revised 5.7 percent in February and below the year-ago estimate of 6.4 percent, the agency reported.
At the same time, California’s unemployment rate remained steady at 4.3 percent in March – tying the record low set in February in a series dating back to the beginning of 1976 – although the state’s employers lost 7,200 nonfarm payroll jobs, according to the Employment Development Department report, which was based on two surveys.
In March 2017, the state’s unemployment rate was 5.0 percent. The unemployment rate is derived from a federal survey of 5,100 California households.
The report showed that California has also now gained a total of 2,856,200 jobs since the economic expansion began in February 2010.
The U.S. unemployment rate was unchanged in March. The Bureau of Labor Statistics said nationwide unemployment in March was 4.1 percent for the sixth month in a row; at the same time, the nation’s employers added 103,000 nonfarm payroll jobs.
The report showed that nonfarm payroll jobs in California totaled 17,045,800 in March, based on a survey of businesses that is larger and less variable statistically.
The survey of 71,000 California businesses measures jobs in the economy. The year-over change, March 2017 to March 2018, shows an increase of 321,000 jobs, up 1.9 percent.
The federal household survey, done with a smaller sample than the survey of employers, showed an increase in the number of employed Californians over the month and the year.
That survey estimated that the number of Californians holding jobs in March was 18,552,000, an increase of 2,000 from February, and up 290,000 from the employment total in March of last year.
The number of unemployed Californians was 827,000 in March – down by 16,000 over the month, and down by 142,000 compared with March of last year, the report said.
Lake County’s total farm employment category in March was up 1.2 percent from February and total nonfarm rose by 0.1 percent.
The top five total nonfarm subcategories that showed growth in March included state government, 5.9 percent; nondurable goods, 5 percent; mining, logging and construction, 4.3 percent; other services, 3.8 percent; and financial activities, 2.8 percent, according to Employment Development Department data.
Areas where jobs were lost included durable goods, -6.7 percent; leisure and hospitality, -4.2 percent; educational and health services, -1 percent; private service producing, -0.5 percent; and total private, -0.3 percent, the report said.
Lake County’s March unemployment rate earned it a No. 32 rating out of the state’s 58 counties.
The latest report said March unemployment rankings for neighboring counties are as follows: Colusa, 18.9 percent, No. 58; Glenn, 7.5 percent, No. 45; Mendocino, 4.3 percent, No. 25; Napa, 3.2 percent, No. 10; Sonoma, 2.8 percent, No. 5; and Yolo, 4.8 percent, No. 29.
In related data, the EDD reported that there were 403,184 people receiving regular Unemployment Insurance benefits during the March survey week, compared with 396,030 in February and 420,505 in March of last year.
At the same time, the EDD said new claims for Unemployment Insurance were 39,330 in March, compared with 31,291 in February and 42,939 in March of 2017.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
CLEARLAKE, Calif. – A Clearlake man who police said assaulted his wife was taken into custody last week with the aid of a police K9.
Carmelo Zepeda Hernandez, 36, was arrested on the night of April 15, according to a report from Sgt. Elvis Cook of the Clearlake Police Department.
Just after 10 p.m. on that date Officer Mark Harden responded to a report of a domestic violence in the 3900 block of Vista Robles Way, in the city of Clearlake, Cook said.
Once on scene, Officer Harden conducted his investigation and concluded a male, later identified as Zepeda Hernandez, had physically assaulted and injured his wife, according to Cook.
Cook said that, prior to officers arriving on scene, Zepeda Hernandez fled the area.
At approximately 1:30 a.m. April 16, Zepeda Hernandez was reported to be back at the residence, attempting to break the front door down, Cook said.
Cook said Officer Harden along with additional Clearlake Police officers arrived on scene and established a perimeter around the residence. When officers arrived, Zepeda Hernandez went to flee the scene again.
Zepeda Hernandez was reported to be violent, and was possibly armed with a knife, Cook said.
Officer Harden gave several police canine announcements to Zepeda Hernandez to provide him the opportunity to surrender without incident. However, Cook said Zepeda Hernandez would not comply as ordered by Officer Harden.
Due to the inherent officer safety risk of this type of crime, Cook said Harden deployed his Police K9 Partner “Zip” to apprehend Zepeda Hernandez.
After being apprehended by Zip, Zepeda Hernandez continued to resist and was taken into custody with the assistance of several officers, Cook said.
After being medically cleared at Adventist Health Hospital Clear Lake, Carmelo was transported to the Lake County Jail, where Cook said he was booked on charges of felony domestic violence and resisting arrest.
Jail records showed that Zepeda Hernandez’s bail was set at $25,000. He later posted the required percentage of bail and was released.
Anyone with information in regard to this investigation is asked to contact Officer Harden at the Clearlake Police Department at 707-994-8251, or through email at