News

LAKEPORT, Calif. – Police took a Kmart employee into custody on Tuesday night after he fought with other employees and customers and assaulted a police officer.

Travis Ashlyn Salminen, 18, of Kelseyville, was arrested for battery on a peace officer, resisting an executive officer by force, obstructing/resisting arrest, and assault and battery, according to the Lakeport Police Department.

Just before 6:15 p.m. Tuesday two of Lakeport Police’s newest officers, Kaylene Strugnell and Casey Debolt, responded to Kmart on a report of a physical altercation inside the store, according to a report from Lt. Jason Ferguson.

When they arrived, Strugnell and Debolt were contacted by an employee outside the store who alerted them to another employee, identified as Salminen, who was involved in the physical altercation and was inside the store, Ferguson said.

Ferguson said Officer Strugnell entered the store and located Salminen with his shirt off, walking near the men’s clothing aisle.

Officer Strugnell repeatedly told Salminen to come to her but he refused and continued to walk toward the front of the store. After further attempts to contact Salminen he quickly ran towards the front doors, refusing to obey Officer Strugnell’s orders to stop, according to Ferguson.

Ferguson said Strugnell and Debolt pursued Salminen on foot as he continued to run through the parking lot and toward O’Reilly Auto Parts on S. Main Street.

As Officer Debolt caught up to Salminen and got within arm’s reach, Salminen turned around, cellphone in hand, and punched Debolt in the face with his fist, which was holding the cellphone, Ferguson said.

As the struggle went to the ground, Salminen repeatedly struck Officer Debolt in the back of his head with his fists. Ferguson said while Debolt was trying to subdue Salminen, Salminen bit Debolt’s left hand, causing injury.

Salminen was eventually taken into custody by Strugnell after Taser deployment, Ferguson said.

Salminen was transported to the Hill Road Jail where he was booked, with bail set at $15,000. Booking records showed he remained in custody on Wednesday evening. He’s scheduled to be arraigned on Monday.

Officer Debolt was taken to Sutter Lakeside Hospital on Tuesday and treated for his injuries. He was released a short time later, Ferguson said.

During the course of the investigation, Ferguson said officers learned Salminen was a loss prevention officer at Kmart at the time of the incident, was being verbally disrespectful toward another employee and throwing items on the ground.

When confronted by a customer, both Salminen and the customer became engaged in a physical altercation. As fellow employees attempted to break up the fight, they were assaulted by Salminen, Ferguson said.

The investigation is ongoing and anyone with information is asked to contact the Lakeport Police Department at 707-263-5491.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – A major new fundraising effort has been launched by the Friends of the Lake County Library.

The group is seeking to raise $10,000 for the library by Jan. 31.

Donations will be matched, dollar for dollar, up to $5,000 by the Friends of the Library.

All funds raised will go to the library for the purchase of books and materials.

State funding for libraries over the last several years has been at an all-time low, leaving the Lake County Library to rely on the funding it receives from the small portion of county property taxes dedicated to the library.

Over the years, the Friends organization has worked to raise money to supplement the library budget with membership drives, book sales and donations.

With the loss of state funding and the pressure on property taxes due to recent fires, this mission has become more critical and led to this fundraising idea.

With its branches in Clearlake (Redbud), Middletown, Upper Lake and Lakeport, the Lake County Library system is a community asset that enriches the entire county.

Along with parks, schools, museums, arts organizations and local media, the library system provides the educational opportunities and cultural enjoyment that make Lake County a desirable place to live.

To help the Friends make this a successful fundraiser, send checks payable to the Friends of the Lake County Library (a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization) to 1425 N. High St., Lakeport, CA 95453.

NORTH COAST, Calif. – Federal, state and local law enforcement are working to apprehend a Hells Angels member for racketeering, assault and other charges, with a community organization offering a reward to assist with getting an arrest in the case.

The FBI San Francisco Division, Santa Rosa Police Department, California Highway Patrol and the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office are requesting the public’s assistance in locating Russell Allen Lyles Jr., aka “J.R.”, 36, of Windsor.

The Sonoma County Alliance is offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to Lyles’ arrest and conviction as part of its “Take Back Our Community” program.

Lyles was indicted by a federal grand jury on Oct. 10 on charges of racketeer influenced and corrupt organizations – or RICO – conspiracy, maiming in aid of racketeering, and assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering. These charges were unsealed on Nov. 20.

Lyles is a known member of the Sonoma County Hells Angels Motorcycle Club, authorities said.

Lyles lives and owns a business in Windsor, and also has a home in Healdsburg. Law enforcement believes that Lyles may be traveling with his pregnant fiancee, who is not a fugitive from the law.

Lyles has ties to and may be traveling in Lake County, Mendocino County and Sonoma County. He also has ties to the Lake Sonoma area.

The public should not try to approach Lyles, and should instead contact law enforcement immediately.

If you have any information on his location, please contact the FBI San Francisco Division at 415-553-7400 or http://tips.fbi.gov or contact the Santa Rosa Police Department at 707-528-5222. Tips can remain anonymous.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Employment Development Department announced that individuals whose jobs were affected by the October wildfires now have until Dec. 18 to file for federal Disaster Unemployment Assistance, or DUA.

The previous deadline was Nov. 16.

“We encourage anyone whose employment was affected by the devastating wildfires to apply for unemployment assistance as soon as possible,” said EDD Director Patrick W. Henning. “These benefits provide financial support in a time of need.”

As announced by Gov. Jerry Brown on Oct. 17, DUA provides temporary unemployment benefits to jobless workers and self-employed people whose jobs or work hour losses are a direct result of the fires.

The EDD will first check to see if applicants can qualify for regular state unemployment benefits, and if not, process the claim for federal disaster benefits.

Business owners or self-employed individuals who are ineligible for state unemployment benefits may qualify for DUA.

Those whose unemployment benefits have run out, but are still unemployed due to the disaster, may also file a claim for DUA.

DUA applies to losses beginning the week of Oct. 15, for qualifying individuals in Butte, Lake, Mendocino, Napa, Nevada, Orange, Sonoma and Yuba counties.

Eligible workers can receive benefits of up to $450 a week for a maximum period of 26 weeks.

Workers who are potentially eligible for DUA benefits meet one or more of the following criteria:

– Worked or were self-employed, or were scheduled to begin work or self-employment, in the disaster area.
– Cannot reach work because of the disaster or can no longer work or perform services because of physical damage or destruction to the place of employment as a direct result of the disaster.
– Can establish that the work or self-employment they can no longer perform was their primary source of income.
– Cannot perform work or self-employment because of an injury as a direct result of the disaster.
– Became the head of their households because of a death caused by the disaster.
– Have applied for and used all regular unemployment benefits from any state, or who do not qualify for unemployment benefits.

President Trump’s federal disaster declaration of Oct. 10 opened the way for DUA benefits.

To receive DUA benefits, all required documentation must be submitted within 21 days from the day the DUA application is filed.

Required documentation includes a Social Security number and a copy of the most recent federal income tax form or check stubs, or documentation to support that the individuals were working or self-employed when the disaster occurred.

Such documentation for the self-employed can be obtained from banks or government entities, or affidavits from individuals having knowledge of their business.

The fastest and easiest way for people to apply for DUA is to use EDD’s online application, "eApply4UI”, which is available in both English and Spanish.

Claimants also can file for DUA by phone between 8 a.m. and noon, Monday through Friday:

– English: 1-800-300-5616;
– Spanish: 1-800-326-8937;
– Chinese (Cantonese): 1-800-547-3506;
– Chinese (Mandarin): 1-866-303-0706;
– Vietnamese: 1-800-547-2058.

The EDD administers the federal disaster-benefits program in California for the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration, on behalf of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

AccuWeather reports rain may slow travel for a time in part of the east coast of the United States, while significant travel delays are likely in the Northwest and near the Great Lakes leading up to Thanksgiving.

Tuesday, Wednesday and Thanksgiving Day represent some of the busiest travel days of the year for all means of transportation, according to the American Automobile Association.

While the weather will cooperate for a large portion of the nation, there will be some areas of concern for holiday travel.

Rain to hug Atlantic coast

In lieu of a major storm, a weak storm is likely to brush part of the Atlantic Seaboard prior to Thanksgiving Day.

Wet weather is in store over much of Florida into Tuesday night. Rain is forecast to brush the coastal areas of the Carolinas and the mid-Atlantic coast late Tuesday night and then coastal New England on Wednesday.

The greatest impact will be to motorists.

Wet road surfaces and blowing spray may require lower speeds.

"The combination of rain and a low cloud ceiling may also be enough to lead to airline delays in Boston and perhaps New York City for a time on Wednesday," according to AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist Elliot Abrams.

How far west the rain extends will depend on how close to the coast the storm tracks. At this time any long-duration rain is not likely to occur west of Interstate 95 in the mid-Atlantic region. Areas right along the mid-Atlantic coast may get a few hours of light rain.

Drenching rain is mostly likely to occur in southeastern New England and eastern Long Island

A brief period of rain and snow may occur on the back side of the storm over the central and northern Appalachians and eastern Great Lakes from Tuesday night to early Wednesday.

"Regardless of the amount of rain and/or snow showers, gusty winds are likely to herald the return of the cold air on Wednesday," Abrams said. "Winds may pose a problem as the massive balloons are inflated ahead of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City."

Another storm is forecast to bring more rain to parts of Florida on Thanksgiving Day, according to AccuWeather Meteorologist Fait Eherts.

Snowy, windy episodes to pester Upper Midwest

A new burst of cold air and a weak storm are forecast to produce spotty snow for the northern tier of the Midwest into Thanksgiving Day.

The fresh batch of cold air will be accompanied by gusty winds over much of the North Central states. Winds may be strong enough to lead to airline delays even in the absence of any snow showers into Wednesday.

As a pocket of arctic air races southeastward, it will briefly renew lake-effect snow from northern Michigan to northern and western New York, western Pennsylvania and northeastern West Virginia into midweek.

Motorists should be prepared for sudden snow showers and rapidly changing road conditions on their travels in these areas.

From late Wednesday to early Thanksgiving Day, a brief period of snow and/or freezing drizzle will develop over the northern Plains and slice southeastward across the Great Lakes.

While only a small amount of wintry precipitation is anticipated, even a thin coating of snow or ice can cause great difficulty for motorists on crowded highways.

Throughout the Midwest, there will be a couple of episodes of gusty winds that may lead to minor airline delays and tricky crosswinds on the highways.



Storms to harass travelers in northwestern US

By far, poor travel conditions will be the most consistent in coastal areas of Washington and Oregon through Thanksgiving Day.

Motorists venturing along the Interstate 5 corridor in the Northwest can expect rounds of drenching rain and periods of fog, according to AccuWeather Meteorologist Kyle Elliot.

Lesser rain is forecast east of the Cascades.

Snow levels are forecast to rise slowly into Thanksgiving Day.

Motorists may encounter slushy and slippery conditions into Tuesday over Snoqualmie Pass along I-90 in Washington. Milder conditions will allow plain rain to fall from Tuesday night to Thursday. However, fog may accompany the milder air over the mountains, where snow remains on the ground.

The milder air will allow rain to fall or a mixture of rain and snow to occur at most intermediate elevations of the northern Rockies, including many of the major passes.

Major weather-related travel disruptions unlikely over rest of US

It is possible that flights originating from the Northwest, coastal Northeast and Upper Midwest may cause minor delays elsewhere across the nation into Thanksgiving Day.

However, a large portion of the Southwest, South-Central and interior Southeast can expect good travel conditions.

Showers are forecast to retreat to the Gulf of Mexico along the Texas and Louisiana coasts beyond Tuesday night.

Alex Sosnowski is a senior meteorologist for www.AccuWeather.com.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – A Clearlake man has reached a plea agreement with the District Attorney’s Office in a case involving the death of another man in February.

James Laurence Mongi, 47, was arrested in February for the fatal stabbing of 55-year-old Richard Garner Jr. of Clearlake, as Lake County News has reported.

On Friday, during trial assignment proceedings, Mongi pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter, according to Senior Deputy District Attorney Ed Borg.

“We hadn’t really discussed settling the case up until two weeks ago,” said Borg.

He said that’s when defense attorney Tracy Gatlin brought forward a proposal for the lesser plea.

“I’m grateful for the plea agreement. I think it adequately reflects the status of the evidence in the case,” Gatlin told Lake County News.

Borg said the investigation revealed that Garner had stolen some heroin from a third party, a person known to the DA’s Office but who Borg did not name because he wasn’t charged in the case. The man from whom the heroin had been stolen was looking for Garner.

Early on the morning of Feb. 4, Mongi showed up at a residence in the 14000 block of Walnut Avenue in Clearlake where Garner was. “We believe there was a confrontation and Mr. Mongi was involved and it resulted in Mr. Garner’s death,” Borg said.

While there were other people in the home, Borg said there were only two people in the room – Mongi and Garner – when the confrontation took place, so it was hard to say exactly what happened.

“It was primarily a circumstantial case,” he said.

Mongi was seen leaving the home, and a short time later authorities located Garner in a back bedroom in the house, bleeding from a stab wound to the neck. The stabbing nicked an artery, which caused Garner to bleed to death. Borg said Garner was declared dead at Adventist Health Clear Lake Hospital.

Gatlin said Mongi has remained in jail since his February arrest.

She said Mongi claims to have witnessed the events that led to Garner’s death. “It was a bad situation for everyone.”

While he’s maintained his innocence, she said Mongi “made the mature decision to take responsibility for having been there.”

Mongi also decided to take a determinate sentence rather than risk going to trial and possibly receiving a life sentence, Gatlin explained. “It could have gone either way.”

Gatlin said Mongi will be sentenced at 1:30 p.m. Dec. 18.

Borg said Mongi is looking at seven years in prison, and must serve 85 percent of the sentence. The term will be served in state prison rather than the county jail because it is a violent felony and a strike.

Prior to this case, Mongi had some theft-related and felony convictions – including unlawful possession of a weapon – more than a decade ago, Borg said,

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.