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NORTH COAST, Calif. – A Hopland woman who formerly was a volunteer firefighter was arrested over the weekend for vandalizing a Hopland Fire Department station and several fire vehicles, with authorities reporting that the motive appeared to be revenge.

Rachael Diane Seivertson, 29, was taken into custody on Sunday, according to the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office.

On Sunday at 7:30 a.m. the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office was dispatched to the Hopland Fire Department regarding a vandalism in which one of their fire trucks which was following the vehicle of the responsible subject on Feliz Creek Road, according to Sgt. Scott Poma.

Poma said responding deputies arrived in the 4600 block of Feliz Creek Road and observed a responsible subject run out from the back of the residence and into the surrounding hills. Deputies observed a baseball bat in the front seat of the vehicle left at location. The bat was covered in glass particles.

Once back at Hopland Fire Department further investigation revealed that windows had been broken in the firehouse and that two emergency vehicles parked outside had their tires slashed and numerous windows of both vehicles broken out, Poma said.

An estimated $10,000 in damage had been sustained to the firehouse and the emergency response vehicles, according to Poma’s report.

Poma said deputies learned during the scene investigation that the Hopland Cal Fire Station on US Highway 101 in Hopland had vehicles damaged in excess of $8,000 on Jan. 10. That investigation is being handled by the California Highway Patrol.

A short time later deputies were advised the suspect, identified as being Rachael Seivertson, was back at the residence where she had fled from earlier in the day, Poma said.

Deputies along with the Deputy Jeremy Mason's K-9 partner Leo arrived at the residence, where Poma said Seivertson was subsequently placed under arrest after being located hiding in the loft of the residence.  

While at the residence, deputies located a bat and knife inside of the vehicle Seivertson had been driving earlier in the day, Poma said.

Poma said Seivertson was transported to the Mendocino County Jail where she kicked a corrections deputy during the intake process.

Seivertson was booked into the jail and was to be held in lieu of $30,000 bail, Poma said.

During the investigation, Poma said deputies established probable cause to connect Seivertson to the vandalism at the Hopland Fire Department and the Hopland Cal Fire Station.  

The motive for the acts of vandalism appeared to be acts of revenge for no justified reason, Poma said.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Lake County Sheriff’s Office said it has located an Upper Lake teen reported missing by her family last week.

Avril Wright, 15, was found and is safe, authorities said.

The teen was reported to have run away on Thursday. She also was reported to have run away in December before she was returned home.

The sheriff’s office thanked the community for its assistance in the case.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – With numerous local offices coming up for election this year, candidates are filing the required paperwork and fields are forming across several races.

As of Friday, candidates or incumbents had filed paperwork in the races for assessor-recorder, county clerk-auditor, district attorney, sheriff-coroner, superintendent of schools, District 2 and 3 county supervisor, and treasurer-tax collector, as well as for the three Lake County Superior Court judicial seats that are up for election, according to the Registrar of Voters Office.

The registrar’s office said that so far five county incumbents have filed and are unopposed: Assessor-Recorder Richard Ford, County Clerk-Auditor Cathy Saderlund, Sheriff-Coroner Brian Martin, Superintendent of Schools Brock Falkenberg and Treasurer-Tax Collector Barbara Ringen.

For the office of district attorney, local attorney Steven Brown and Senior Deputy District Attorney Susan Krones have joined the race so far, according to campaign documents. Current District Attorney Don Anderson intends to run for a judge’s seat rather than seek a third term.

For the District 2 supervisorial race, incumbent Jeff Smith has announced his plans not to seek reelection. So far, the only candidate to file paperwork is Bruno Sabatier, the city of Clearlake’s mayor.

In the District 3 supervisorial race, one-term incumbent Jim Steele has filed paperwork, and has two challengers: Eddie J. Crandell, the tribal chair of Robinson Rancheria and the District 3 county planning commissioner, and businesswoman and former Clearlake Mayor Denise Loustalot.

All of the candidates have filed Form 501 paperwork, which allows them to begin to take contributions. As of Friday, with the exception of Loustalot, all of them also had taken out in-lieu petitions to collect signatures to reduce filing fees.

In the judicial races, Judge Michael Lunas and Judge Andrew Blum have both signaled their intentions to seek reelection by taking out papers.

Judge Stephen Hedstrom will not seek reelection, and so the race for his seat is forming. District Attorney Don Anderson and Deputy County Counsel Shanda Harry have both joined the race to succeed him, the Registrar of Voters Office reported.

In addition to filing in-lieu petitions and Form 501s, judicial races require an extra step of filing a declaration of intention from Jan. 29 to Feb. 7, unless no incumbent has filed, in which case the filing period is extended to between Feb. 8 and 12, according to the local election calendar.

The fourth seat on the Lake County Superior Court bench will not be back on the ballot until 2020; last month, Gov. Jerry Brown appointed J. David Markham to succeed Judge Richard Martin, who retired in May, as Lake County News has reported.

The Registrar of Voters Office reported that it’s still early in the season for candidates.

The period to submit an in-lieu filing fee petition began Dec. 14 and ends Feb. 7.

The nomination period for all candidates, in which they must file their declaration of candidacy forms and nomination papers is from Feb. 12 to March 9, unless no incumbent files in a race, in which case the period is extended from March 10 to March 14.

All of the winning candidates in this year’s races will take office on Jan. 7, 2019, and be sworn the following day, the Registrar of Voters Office reported.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – On Tuesday, Jan. 23, the Lake County Continuum of Care will hold a point-in-time count to count the sheltered and unsheltered homeless individuals and families in Lake County.

The point-in-time, or PIT, count will help the Continuum of Care obtain a better understanding of homelessness in our community and needed services and resources. It will also make Lake County eligible for funding for homeless services.

In addition to mobile teams canvassing the county, survey sites will be open on Jan. 23 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in locations throughout the county:

– Clearlake: Youth Center in Redbud Park, 4750 Golf Ave.
– Clearlake Oaks: Methodist Church Youth Center, 12487 The Plaza.
– Kelseyville: Presbyterian Church, 5340 Third St.
– Lakeport: Veterans Service Office, 285 N. Main St.
– Lucerne: Community Church, 5870 Highway 20.
– Middletown: Methodist Church Fellowship Hall, corner of Washington and Armstrong streets.

The sites will offer flu shots, HIV/Hepatitis C testing, dog food and supplies, sandwiches and water.

Each person who is homeless and completes the confidential survey will be given a first aid kit, solar-powered flashlight/phone charger and other items.

“The point-in-time survey is an essential element in our ability to serve our local homeless individuals with appropriate resources and programs,” said Marylin Wakefield, PhD, MSW, PIT Committee chair. “If you know someone who is homeless, please encourage them to visit with a member of our survey team at one of the many locations.”

The federal Department of Housing and Urban Development, or HUD, requires all homeless continuums to conduct a point-in-time count of homeless individuals/families on a single date in January.

These counts provide an overview of the state of homelessness in the region and offer the information needed to direct services, funding and resources provided by the Continuum of Care.

The 2017 PIT Count identified 401 people who met HUD’s description of homeless. These results enabled Lake County to be competitive in applying for grant funding to provide rapid-rehousing and permanent housing for those who are homeless in Lake County. With the monies obtained from HUD, 26 people who were homeless have been housed since February of 2017.

Local private and public agencies partner through the Continuum of Care to improve services for those in the community who are homeless or are at risk of losing their housing.

HUD describes a Continuum of Care as “a community plan to organize and deliver housing and services to meet the specific needs of people who are homeless as they move to stable housing and maximize self-sufficiency. It includes action steps to end homelessness and prevent a return to homelessness.”

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Measure Z Advisory Committee will hold its next meeting to discuss oversight of sales tax funds on Wednesday, Jan. 17.

The committee will meet beginning at 5:30 p.m. in the council chambers at Lakeport City Hall, 225 Park St.

Measure Z is the one-cent sales tax that city residents approved last November

On the agenda is the midyear budget review – which the Lakeport City Council will hear the night before – as it pertains to Measure Z funds.

The committee’s citizen members include Annette Hopkins, Susan King, Dennis Rollins, Nathan Speed and Tim Wynacht, and staffers, City Manager Margaret Silveira, Finance Director Nick Walker and City Clerk/Secretary Kelly Buendia.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.

  011718 Measure Z Advisory Committee agenda packet by LakeCoNews on Scribd

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The National Weather Service’s updated forecast for Lake County says that there could be rain every day through Monday.

The forecast says two winter storms are bringing the potential for steady rain all through the week.

Possible breaks in the rain are expected on Tuesday night, and during the day on Saturday and Sunday, the National Weather Service said.

Nighttime temperatures this week are expected to dip into the high 30s and range into the low 40s, with daytime temperatures from the low 40s into the high 50s.

Rainfall on Monday night through early Tuesday proved heavier than originally forecast in some parts of the county

Rainfall totals at National Weather Service stations reported the following totals, in inches, through 2 a.m. Tuesday:

– Cache Creek near Lower Lake: 0.01.
– High Glade Lookout: 0.32.
– High Valley Road alert station: 0.18.
– Indian Valley Reservoir: 0.15.
– Kelseyville: 0.25.
– Lakeport: 0.24.
– Mira Vista Road in the Sulphur fire area: 0.15.
– Soda Creek: 0.19.
– Upper Lake: 0.20.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.