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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – On Jan. 24, 2017, after a courageous battle with cancer, Paul Whitaker passed away peacefully in his home, surrounded by his family.
Paul enjoyed most of all his great-grandchildren, gardening, canning, and his work at Riviera Foods and Bruno's.
Paul was preceded in death by his son, Kenneth Whitaker, and his parents, Fred and Ruth Whitaker.
He is survived by his wife of 52 years, Carol; daughters, Kim (Jim) Bradley and Kari (Bob) Holt; grandchildren, Justin (Jamie) Holt, Derek (Chelsey) Holt, Brandon (Trina) Holt, Mike Bradley, Amanda Bradley and Bryan Holt; the loves of his life, his great-grandchildren, Walker, Addison, Knox, Gaige and one more on the way. Also his sister, Carolyn, and brothers, Sheldon, Ralph, Lindsey and Evan, and all of their loving families.
Funeral service will be held on Monday, Jan. 30, at noon, at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on 16th Street in Lakeport for anyone who would like to attend.
For further information, please contact Chapel of the Lakes Mortuary at 707-263-0357 or 707-994-5611, or visit www.chapelofthelakes.com .
THE GEYSERS, Calif. – A 3.9-magnitude quake occurred near The Geysers geothermal steamfield on Friday morning.
The US Geological Survey said the quake, which was just inside the Sonoma County border, took place at 11:08 a.m. Friday.
Its epicenter was just north of The Geysers, 13 miles south southwest of Clearlake and 13 miles north northeast of Healdsburg, at a depth of just over one mile, according to the survey records.
The US Geological Survey's original report put the quake's magnitude at 3.8. It was later upgraded to 4.2 and then downgraded early Friday afternoon to 3.9.
As of 2 p.m. Friday, the US Geological Survey had received 84 shake reports from 22 zip codes, including several around Lake County, Sonoma and Napa counties, and as far away as Clovis.
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CLEARLAKE, Calif. – Police have arrested a Clearlake man for setting an early Thursday morning fire at the care facility where he is a resident.
Anthony Wayne Conley, 29, was arrested for attempted murder, arson of an inhabited structure and vandalism for the fire at the San Sousee adult care facility, according to Clearlake Police Sgt. Tim Hobbs.
Firefighters were first dispatched to the fire in the two-story, six-bedroom structure at 3:55 a.m. Thursday, according to Lake County Fire Chief Willie Sapeta.
Hobbs said the Clearlake Police Department initially received a call of an alarm sounding at a residence in the 14100 block of Konocti Street.
While officers were en route to the call, Hobbs said dispatch advised them that there was a fire at the residence.
He said that when the officers arrived on scene they began checking to ensure the occupants were out of the facility. Once all the occupants were out, officers began interviewing them. Hobbs did not say how many people evacuated the home.
Sapeta said the facility's manager had moved all of the residents out of the house and to a neighbor's home nearby.
Meantime, Lake County Fire Protection District personnel arrived on scene to find the structure fully involved, according to reports from the scene. Incoming units were warned that power lines were down on Konocti Street.
Hobbs said the firefighters began protecting the surrounding residences due to the large size of the fire, and started extinguishing the blaze once the additional resources from other local fire agencies had arrived.
“We had it under control in about an hour, but it was another two hours of overhaul,” said Sapeta.
Sapeta said mutual aid came from Cal Fire, Kelseyville Fire, Northshore Fire and South Lake County Fire. Pacific Gas and Electric also asked to respond.
He said there were a total of five engines, one water tender, two medic units, plus Sapeta himself and a battalion chief responded.
As for overall damage, “The entire second story was lost,” said Sapeta, with smoke and water damage to the first story.
Sapeta said Red Cross responded and helped arrange for short-term housing for the displaced residents, and the facility owner also is working with Red Cross for longer-term accommodations.
He said the incident could have ended up with loss of life. “They were lucky to get out,” he said of the residents and staff.
During the investigation, Hobbs said officers discovered that Conley, who lived in the residence, had intentionally started the fire, knowing other people were inside the residence.
Hobbs said officers subsequently arrested Conley on the felony charges and transported him to the Lake County Jail.
Conley's booking sheet showed he was arrested shortly after the fire, and booked later in the morning.
He was booked on four charges of attempted murder, two charges of arson of an inhabited structure and one count of vandalism.
His bail on Thursday was set at $800,000, and he's tentatively scheduled to appear in Lake County Superior Court for arraignment on Friday, according to jail records.
San Sousee is an adult residential facility for ages 18 through 59 that's licensed with the California Department of Social Services.
State records showed that the facility was licensed in April of 2009, with a capacity of six residents.
Based on the California Department of Social Services records, during its history the facility has had a total of 23 Type A citations for immediate risk violations and 21 Type B citations for violations that could become immediate risks if not remedied.
The state said citations for these violations will always be issued even if the violation is corrected on the spot. Some of those citations may have been corrected or may be under appeal.
The state last visited San Sousee in August, at which time it received a Type A violation regarding necessary supervision after a resident walked away from the facility. Last February, the facility received two Type B citations regarding storage of client medications and the necessity to conduct disaster drills at least once every six months.
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KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – Dani Dirth Ayers, age 60, of Kelseyville passed away Nov. 2, 2016, at 12:55 p.m. while in ICU at Sutter Lakeside Hospital with her daughter and stepson by her side.
She is survived by her daughter, Suzette (Suzie) Dirth Ayers of Kelseyville.
Dani was born in Missouri on Sept. 17, 1956, to George Powers Dirth and Joan Wilken Campbell.
She was married to Philip Oden Ayers for 23 years until he passed in January 2010.
Dani had been self employed for over 30 years as an Enrolled Agent.
She was the type of person to become friends with everyone around her and her smile radiated across any room. Dani had been a resident of Lake County for the past 30 years.
A celebration of life has not been scheduled but the public will be made aware when and where it will be held in the future.
NORTH COAST, Calif. – The Board of Directors of Savings Bank of Mendocino County has announced the promotion of Senior Lending Officer Stacy Starkey to senior vice president.
“Savings Bank has a long history of supporting our community and I am honored to be a part of such a successful organization,” said Starkey.
Starkey began her career with Savings Bank in 1994. She graduated from Ukiah High School and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in finance from the University of Southern California.
In September of this year, Starkey graduated from Pacific Coast Banking School. Pacific Coast Banking School requires a three-year commitment and is the nation’s premier masters-level extension program for senior officers in the banking industry.
Savings Bank of Mendocino County provides the dependability of a local community bank for families and businesses in Lake and Mendocino counties.
NORTH COAST, Calif. – Caltrans reports that the following road projects will be taking place around Lake County and the North Coast during the coming week.
Included are Mendocino County projects that may impact Lake County commuters.
LAKE COUNTY
Highway 20
– Caltrans will perform routine maintenance from Rosemont Drive to Bruner Drive through Friday, Jan. 27. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.
Highway 175
– Valley fire recovery work from the junction of Routes 29/175 in Middletown to Loch Lomond will continue. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.
MENDOCINO COUNTY
Highway 1
– PG&E has been granted a Caltrans Encroachment Permit for utility repairs near Fish Rock Road on Friday, Jan. 27. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.
– PG&E has been granted a Caltrans Encroachment Permit for utility repairs from Haven Neck Drive to Old Stageroad Drive beginning Thursday, Jan. 26. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. weekdays. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.
– Repairs at the Albion River Bridge will continue through Friday, Jan. 27. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.
– PG&E has been granted a Caltrans Encroachment Permit for utility repairs from Albion Little River Road to the Little River Bridge through Friday, January 27. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. weekdays. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.
– Emergency slide removal near Leggett will continue. One-way traffic control with STOP signs will be in effect 24 hours per day, seven days per week. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.
Highway 20
– Pavement repairs from the Russian River Overhead to marina Drive will continue through Friday, Jan. 27. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays. Motorists should anticipate 20-minute delays.
Highway 101
– Routine maintenance near Frog Woman Rock will continue. Northbound traffic will be restricted to one lane 24 hours per day, seven days per week. Motorists should anticipate minor traffic slowdowns.
– Emergency slide repairs on the westbound Route 20 to southbound Route 101 connector ramp will continue. Full intermittent closures will be in effect from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., seven days per week. Motorists should anticipate 10-minute delays.
– Emergency slide repairs just south of Standish-Hickey State Park will continue. One-way traffic control with a temporary signal will be in effect 24 hours per day, seven days per week. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.
– Emergency slide removal near Piercy will continue. Traffic will be reduced to one lane in both directions 24 hours per day, seven days per week. Motorists should anticipate minor traffic slowdowns.
Highway 128
– PG&E has been granted a Caltrans Encroachment Permit for tree trimming from Nash Mill Road to Philo through Friday, Jan. 27. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. weekdays. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.
Highway 175
– Emergency storm damage repairs from Harrison Street to Wooldridge Ranch Road will continue. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.
The Caltrans Traffic Operations Office has reviewed each project and determined that individual project delays are expected to be less than the statewide policy maximum of 30 minutes, unless noted otherwise above.
For information pertaining to emergency roadwork or for updates to scheduled roadwork, please contact the California Highway Information Network (CHIN) at 1-800-GAS-ROAD (1-800-427-7623).