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LAKEPORT, Calif. – A vehicle crash in Lakeport on Thursday night left one person seriously injured, with officials reporting that a road closure was in effect in the incident area as the investigation took place.
The crash occurred on South Main Street between the Kmart entrance and Grace Lane shortly after 8:30 p.m. Thursday, according to radio reports.
The Lakeport Police Department said the wreck involved two vehicles and a scooter.
The scooter’s operator suffered critical injuries, police said.
Reports from the scene indicated that the crash victim was transported via Lakeport Fire ambulance to Lampson Field, and from there was flown to an out-of-county hospital by a REACH air ambulance.
Shortly before 11 p.m., the Lakeport Police Department said street closures in the area of the crash on South Main Street were expected to be in place for at least a couple of hours.
Multiple departments and agencies are involved with the response and investigation, according to the police department.
The drivers of the two vehicles are expected to be charged with intoxicated driving, one on felony charges for causing injury, police said.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Lakeport Police Department at 707-263-5491 or contact the agency at its Facebook page.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – Health care is one of the hottest topics in the country right now.
How much do you know about the various options? Do you know the difference between "single payer,” the "public option,” “universal health care" or "guaranteed care"?
What about comparisons of overhead costs among the various systems? Which system provides the best services? Which system provides the lowest premiums? Which system provides the most comprehensive coverage?
To learn all this and more, come to the Kelseyville Senior Center at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, April 20.
Guest speaker Melissa Johnson Camacho from the California Nurses Association will moderate a special presentation from the Healthy California Campaign.
Guest speaker Susan Cameron will provide information about the new chapter of HealthCareForAll that just opened here in Lake County.
Bring your questions and be prepared to take notes.
Lake County Progressives are a group combining chartered chapters of Our Revolution (Lake County) and the Progressive Democrats of America (Lake County).
They meet on the third Thursdays of each month. Meetings are open to the public and membership is open to all, regardless of party affiliation (or lack of affiliation).
The meetings take place at 6:30 p.m. at the Kelseyville Senior Center, 5245 3rd St.
For more information, visit www.RuralValues.org or contact 707-275-9234.
KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – After devoting tens of thousands of hours of service, the California Highway Patrol’s local senior volunteer force continues to be a critical source of support and assistance for the agency’s busy officers and staff.
On Wednesday, the CHP’s Clear Lake Area office in Kelseyville office held its 15th annual senior volunteer appreciation luncheon to underscore the value of the volunteers’ contributions.
Lt. Hector Paredes, the Clear Lake Area commander, presented a plaque honoring the group to Ed McDonald, who has been a member of the program since its inception and is president of the volunteers.
In awarding the recognition, Paredes noted the 25,000 hours of work the group has given to the CHP over the past 15 years of service.
In addition to McDonald, the volunteer crew includes Jessean Boone, John Wiskirchen, Al Reynolds, Claude Meade, Dennis Van Meter, and two retired CHP officers who worked here in Lake County, Larry Caravario and Mike Humble.
The senior volunteer program at the Clear Lake Area office in Kelseyville began its recruitment in November 2001, under then-Commander Dane Hayward, with a notice in the newspaper, seeking community members interested in participating.
Key qualifications include having no felony convictions, being available to volunteer during office hours, the willingness to perform various duties, the ability to work with minimal supervision in an office-type setting and working with officers in the field.
The senior volunteers had their first academy and graduation over five days in February 2002, with instructor officers Mary Bosserman, who has since retired as a CHP officer, and Officer Erich Paarsch, who now is a sergeant with the agency.
The academy covered topics including duties, grooming and equipment, conduct, regulations, ethics and incompatible activities, field duties, first aid and CPR, and a driving course, according to a copy of the original academy outline McDonald provided to Lake County News.
The week after that first academy, the volunteers held their first meeting, with members at that time selecting the name the “Flying Wheel Club” for the group, which also is known as Konocti 151 Senior Volunteers.
The original group of volunteers included, in addition to McDonald, Bob O’Neil, Chris Jewell, Dave Boone, Don Stewart, Betty Votaw, and well-known Pearl Harbor survivor Walt Urmann, based on meeting notes McDonald also provided.
Officer Kory Reynolds said the volunteers are put through background checks similar to those required for state employees, although they’re not as extensive as what would be required of a CHP officer.
He said the volunteers offer a valuable service, taking on all manner of duties that allow the sworn officers to stay on the road.
Reynolds, whose father is among the volunteers, said they help with a variety of tasks, including offering support to personnel on major incidents, transporting vehicles for maintenance to out-of-county locations, taking evidence to the Department of Justice, making trips to CHP headquarters and other locations on important errands, assisting with local parades, putting out the radar trailer, monitoring traffic complaints and clerical duties.
McDonald worked for 38 years managing parking facilities in San Francisco. During that time, he would come up to Lake County and work on ski boat races.
When he retired in 1991, he returned to Lake County and made it his permanent home.
When the volunteer opportunity came up with the CHP 10 years later, he jumped at it, and has been doing it ever since.
McDonald estimates that he averages between 40 and 60 hours a month, with the other volunteers averaging around 30 hours a month.
“It keeps me busy,” and not sitting around the house, said McDonald, who will turn 83 this year and is known for his volunteering with other community causes as well.
In addition to the duties Reynolds outlined, McDonald has an extra role at the agency – portraying “Chipper” the CHP mascot.
Chipper attends school and community events and is popular with the children. “They like Chipper,” McDonald said.
Besides making good use of his time, McDonald said the volunteering is a way of giving back to the community.
And, he added, “I’m learning something every day.”
Community members interested in joining the volunteer corps at the Clear Lake CHP can call the Kelseyville office at 707-279-0103.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
NICE, Calif. – According to Patricia Gross, she has always been nice, but now she gets to become the Nice postmaster.
On Friday, April 21, at 2:30 p.m., Gross will raise her right hand to be sworn in as the new postmaster at the Nice Post Office, 3964 East Highway 20.
Manager of Post Office Operations Bobbie Riley will administer the official oath of office at the Friday ceremony.
Gross will follow a proud tradition that goes back to 1930 when Max Maiereder was the first postmaster.
Gross started her postal career in 1994 as a rural carrier and transferred to the Upper Lake Post Office in 1996 as a rural carrier. She became a clerk at the Lucerne Post Office in 2000.
She started her management track as an officer-in-charge at the Covelo and Laytonville Post Offices. Her first postmaster position was in Glenhaven in 2008, the position she held until being selected as the Nice postmaster.
“It is an honor to work for the Postal Service, said Gross. “I want to provide the community with excellent customer service and show the community what a great company the Postal Service is.”
Gross, 55, enjoys camping and spending time with family, friends and spoiling her grandchildren. Her son, Kevin and daughter-in-law, Angela, have three children, Dominic, 12, Ethan, 5, and Wyatt, 18 months. Gross resides in Bachelor Valley.
Gross believes in community service and participates in community activities and school functions.
As postmaster, Gross manages all postal operations at the Nice Post Office with two employees who process and deliver an average of 2,150 pieces of mail daily to 1,832 PO boxes and one highway contract route with 313 delivery stops.
CLEARLAKE, Calif. – Austin Park in Clearlake will be the site this Saturday for events to celebrate Earth Day and the community’s skatepark.
The Lake Community Pride Foundation will host the 11th annual “Andy Day” skate park event from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and the Earth Day Festival from noon to 3 p.m.
Andy Day is a celebration of Andy Johnson who died 11 years ago on April 18 as the result of a vehicle crash.
He was a young teenager when he started his skatepark activism. Without his dedication and charisma to bring the community together, the skate park would never have been built.
The park, named after Johnson, celebrates his life and his legacy each and every year around the time that he passed away.
There will be live music from The Lyricist, As All Else Fails, Fetti Rich and a Path of Exile.
Next to the skate park, those who love to play basketball can come and take part in a communitywide basketball tournament. Build your teams for a 2 on 2 and get your team to the top spot. Come ride and feel the rhythms as the community and youth are celebrated.
Earth Day is a celebration of our planet, our environment and mostly our community. Hosted by Lake Community Pride Foundation in coordination with Citizens Caring 4 Clearlake, this event will offer fun for all ages, including a bouncy house, youth activities and live music. Cactus Grill will have a food booth.
The Earth Day festival starts directly after annual Clearlake Clean Up Day. Celebrate the good deed of cleaning the community and learning new ways to continue to make Clearlake a cleaner city for everyone.
Lake Community Pride Foundation is a nonprofit 501(c)3 that manages the Lake County Safe House and the official sponsor of the Power to the Youth events that are organized throughout the year.
Austin Park is located at 14077 Lakeshore Drive.
LOWER LAKE, Calif. – The Norcal High School Cycling League is bringing a local high school mountain bike race to Lower Lake on Saturday, April 29, and Sunday, April 30.
The “Six Sigma Slinger” race will take place beginning at 9 a.m. both days at Six Sigma Ranch, Vineyard and Winery, 13372 Spruce Grove Road.
Lake County High School racers from Middletown, Lakeport and Kelseyville will be among the athletes competing.
The North Conference racing will take place on Saturday, and the South Conference racing on Sunday.
The race is free to spectators.
For more information visit https://www.norcalmtb.org/upcoming-events/ .