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On Monday, Congressman John Garamendi (D-Fairfield, Davis, Yuba City), a member of the House Armed Services Committee, announced a series of efforts to protect nearly 10,000 soldiers from attempts by the Department of Defense to reclaim the enlistment bonuses they were paid upon reenlisting during our nation’s wars Iraq and Afghanistan.
“These brave men and women signed up to serve our country, and believed that the country would have their back in return,” said Garamendi. “It is beyond my comprehension that our veterans are being forced to repay the bonuses that they have relied on. I will do everything in my power to require the Department of Defense and the California National Guard to allow our veterans to keep the money they were promised. If the Pentagon says this requires a change to the law, then let’s change the law.”
He continued, “Bottom line: our veterans should not pay the price for mistakes that were made by recruiters. I am authoring legislation today to prevent the Department of Defense from seeking to force our veterans to pay back these bonuses, and I am publicly urging the National Guard Bureau, the Department of Defense, and Office of Management and Budget to get a head start by granting waivers on any erroneously paid enlistment bonuses that fall within their authority.”
The Department of Defense claims that they are required by law to seek to reclaim bonuses that were paid in error or through misrepresentation.
Garamendi's first legislative fix involves amending the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017 as follows: "None of the funds authorized to be appropriated in this act may be used to recoup any monetary incentive or associated interest issued for the purpose of recruitment or reenlistment given to any member of the National Guard of any state between January 1, 2006 and December 31, 2008."
This language would put a halt to the recoupment of incentive payments until a permanent solution can be implemented.
Garamendi is continuing to investigate the legal barriers and mechanisms which led to this misguided policy and will pursue every avenue to ensure that guardsmen are better protected in such matters going forward.
NORTH COAST, Calif. – An Amber Alert was issued Monday afternoon for a baby boy abducted from Guerneville.
Authorities said that 7-month-old Henry Massey was abducted on Sunday, with the suspect believed to be his mother, 35-year-old Hannah Ruth Ashley.
The Sonoma County Sheriff's Office reported that at about 8:30 a.m. Sunday a woman in Guerneville called to report that her baby grandson was taken from a crib in her home. She believed her daughter, Ashley, had come into her home and took her child.
There has never been a threat of violence towards the child and the child is not believed to be in danger, however the grandmother has legal custody, the agency said.
Authorities reported that during recent child visitations it was reported that Ashley made threats to take her child back.
The Sonoma County Sheriff's Office put out a “be on the lookout” for Ashley, who drives a silver 2005 Subaru Forrester with a California license plate number 5JKZ255.
Ashley is described as a white female, standing 5 feet, 6 inches tall and weighing 125 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes.
The baby is a white male, 26 inches long and weighing 15 pounds, with brown hair and gray eyes, authorities said.
Anyone who sees Ashley is asked to contact the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office at 707-565-2121 or call or 911.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Forecasters are predicting a rainy week ahead for Lake County and much of the rest of Northern California.
The National Weather Service issued a special weather statement that predicted breezy and wet weather through this week and into the weekend due to an approaching storm system.
The specific Lake County forecast calls for rain to begin on Monday, with as much as three-quarters of an inch predicted during the day and another half an inch on Monday night.
Rain is forecast to continue through Tuesday night, with a break expected during the day on Wednesday.
The forecast predicts chances of precipitation from Wednesday night into Sunday morning.
Total rain in Lake County from Monday through Wednesday is expected to range between 1 inch in the center and southern portions of Lake County and as much as 2 inches in the northern third of the county and in the county's southwest area.
Snow is expected in higher elevations across Northern California this week, forecasters said.
Another weather concern this week is gusty winds. Wind gusts into the low 20s are forecast on Monday, with gusts of up to 9 miles per hour expected on Tuesday night, the forecast said.
Daytime temperatures this week are forecast to be in the high 50s most days, peaking in the low 60s on Wednesday during the expected rain break, and ranging down into the high 40s at night.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – Kelseyville Presbyterian Church will host a community meeting on Thursday, Oct. 27, to discuss the local homeless issue.
The meeting will begin at 5 p.m. in the church's Friendship Hall, located at 5340 Third St.
This is the first meeting the church is hosting to discuss both short- and long-term solutions to the homeless issue facing the community.
They invite anyone interested in discussing positive ways to address homelessness to join them.
Churches in Kelseyville, county officials and the Kelseyville Business Association have been invited to attend.
For more information, please call the church at 707-279-1104.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Home sale prices continue to look strong in Lake County, according to the latest report from the Lake County Association of Realtors.
LCAOR reported that year-over-year median sales prices for single family residences continued to increase when comparing 2016 monthly sales to 2015 monthly sales. This is a trend that has been virtually ongoing since 2012.
The median sales price in September 2016 was $235,000, which LCAOR said was up more than 11 percent from the September 2015 median sales price of $211,500.
On a month-to-month basis the median sales price in September increased by 2.3 percent over the August 2016 median sales price of $229,750, LCAOR said. The number of sales for the same time period dipped from 100 sales in August to 61 sales in September.
“It is common to see the number of sales dip in September,” said 2016 LCAOR President Erin Woodward. “The year-over-year statistics give a longer term view of the market which shows increasing prices but less sales.”
Just over 31 percent of the sales were financed with cash, a percentage that has been relatively common for the last couple of years. Conventional loans were used in almost 33 percent of the transactions and FHA financing was used in 18 percent of the deals, according to LCAOR's report.
The California Association of Realtors reported that statewide existing single family home sales totaled 425,680 in September, up 1.3 percent from August and 0.8 percent from September 2015.
September’s statewide median home price was $514,320, down 2.3 percent from August and up 6.1 percent from September 2015, CAR said.
Current home prices in the state are still 13.5 percent below their previous peak, though most parts of the San Francisco Bay Area have already reached new all-time highs, according to CAR.
LAKE COUNTY NUMBERS AT A GLANCE
September 2016
Median price: $235,000
Median days to sell: 91
Units sold: 61
August 2016
Median price: $229,750
Median days to sell: 92
Units sold: 100
September 2015
Median price: $211,500
Median days to sell: 91
Units sold: 65
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake County Animal Care and Control still has one remaining Clayton fire cat needing a home, plus several new cats and kittens.
In addition to spaying or neutering, cats that are adopted from Lake County Animal Care and Control are microchipped before being released to their new owner. License fees do not apply to residents of the cities of Lakeport or Clearlake.
If you're looking for a new companion, visit the shelter. There are many great pets there, hoping you'll choose them.
In addition to the animals featured here, all adoptable animals in Lake County can be seen at http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Animal_Care_And_Control/Shelter_Animal_Search.htm .
The following cats at the Lake County Animal Care and Control shelter have been cleared for adoption (other cats pictured on the animal control Web site that are not listed here are still “on hold”).
Remaining Clayton fire cat
This domestic medium hair cat has a gray and white coat, and is recovering from injuries suffered during the Clayton fire.
Shelter staff said the cat was found in the Lower Lake area on Aug. 18 and is still waiting for a home after having been nursed back to health by the clinic's veterinarian.
The cat is in the Animal Care and Control clinic, ID No. 5856.
Domestic long hair kitten
This female domestic long hair kitten has a brown tabby and white coat, with green eyes.
She's in cat room kennel No. 38, ID No. 6290.
Orange tabby
This female adult orange tabby has a long coat and green eyes.
Shelter staff said she already has been spayed.
She's in cat room kennel No. 39, ID No. 6310.
Domestic short hair
This female adult domestic short hair has a gray tabby coat and green eyes.
She's in cat room kennel No. 56, ID No. 6239.
Domestic short hair kitten
This male gray tabby kitten has a short coat and green eyes.
He's in cat room kennel No. 120b, ID No. 6168.
Domestic long hair
This adult female domestic long hair cat has a calico coat.
She already has been spayed.
She's in cat room kennel No. 133, ID No. 6268.
Domestic short hair mix kitten
This male domestic short hair kitten has an all-black coat and green eyes.
He's in cat room kennel No. 146a, ID No. 6257.
To fill out an adoption application online visit http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Animal_Care_And_Control/Adopt/Dog___Cat_Adoption_Application.htm .
Lake County Animal Care and Control is located at 4949 Helbush in Lakeport, next to the Hill Road Correctional Facility.
Office hours are Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday. The shelter is open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Visit the shelter online at http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Animal_Care_And_Control.htm .
For more information call Lake County Animal Care and Control at 707-263-0278.
Email Elizabeth Larson at