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KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – At 10 p.m. on Aug. 1, 2016, with his wife and daughter by his side at home, the world lost a great man. Juan Erquiaga, 86, slipped away peacefully in his sleep with a set of driving lines in his hands.
Juan was born in Denio, Nev., on Feb. 5, 1930, to Modesto and Mollie Erquiaga.
He attended Palo Alto Military Academy as a boy and later moved to Lake County with his mother, graduating from Kelseyville High School in 1949. He joined the Air Force and was stationed in Las Vegas for the next 4 years.
In 1955, Juan married Mary Carol Innes of Lakeport and they moved to his ranch in Kelseyville. He attended Santa Rosa Junior College, later obtained his General Engineering Contractor License and started his business in heavy equipment earth moving construction.
Horses were always his passion. He was a beloved friend and mentor to countless people in the horse community.
Juan is survived by his wife, Carol; sister, Alice (Richard) Baumsteiger; son, Mark (Jeanine) Erquiaga; daughter, Kate Erquiaga; grandsons, Justin (Misty) Newton, Marcus Erquiaga, Johnathon (Dreamer) Newton, Ryan Erquiaga and Kenny Henninger; great grandsons, Justin Newton Jr., Connor Newton and one more on the way.
A memorial service will be held at Cole Creek Equestrian Center (Narley Dude Ranch) at 4965 Steelhead Lane in Kelseyville at 11 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 6.
Donations can be made in Juan's memory to the Lake County Passion Play, c/o Father Ryan, 2955 Bell Hill Road, Kelseyville, CA 95451.
For further information please contact Chapel of the Lakes Mortuary at 707-263-0357 or 707-994-5611 or visit www.chapelofthelakes.com .
CLEARLAKE, Calif. – Lake County Campus of Woodland Community College in Clearlake is offering advanced water distribution and advanced water treatment classes for the fall semester starting on Aug. 15.
These classes are part of the Water/Wastewater Certificate program offered at the college, and are designed for students that have taken the entry level classes. There will be an advanced wastewater treatment course offered for the spring semester as well.
If you are interested in working for a water or wastewater utility, and have been wondering how to break into the field, all six classes for the certificate course will be offered again with beginner classes in the fall semester of 2017 and advanced classes in the spring of 2017.
If you have questions please contact program instruct John Hamner at
For more information about Lake County Campus of Woodland Community College visit http://lcc.yccd.edu .
KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – A Middletown man died Wednesday as the result of a head-on vehicle crash that authorities said occurred after his car crossed into the path of a pickup.
Andrew Kramen, 30, died of his injuries following the wreck, which occurred at approximately 2:33 p.m. Wednesday in the Clear Lake Riviera, according to the California Highway Patrol's Clear Lake Area office.
The CHP said Kramen was driving his 1996 Volvo 850 northbound on Highway 281/Soda Bay Road south of Point Lakeview Drive while Alvin D. Reed Jr., 45, of Clearlake was driving a 2006 Ford F-350 Performance Mechanical pickup truck southbound.
For reasons that investigators are still working to determine, Kramen allowed his vehicle to veer across the northbound lane and enter the southbound lane, into Reed's path, with the car and the truck colliding head-on, the CHP said.
The two vehicles came to rest in the southbound lane, blocking traffic, the CHP said.
Riding with Andrew Kramen was his 7-year-old son, Lucas Kramen, according to the CHP.
The CHP said Lucas Kramen was seated in the vehicle's right front seat and was wearing a lap and safety belt.
The child sustained major injuries – including lacerations and a possible broken wrist – and was transported by REACH air ambulance to UC Davis Medical Center, the CHP said.
Andrew Kramen, who the CHP said appeared to have not been wearing his seat belt at the time of the collision, died of his injuries not long after the wreck occurred.
Reed, who was wearing his seat belt, was transported to St. Helena Hospital Clear Lake with major injuries, including facial lacerations and a possible broken nose, according to the CHP’s report.
“It's been a rough day,” said Phil Harris, owner of Performance Mechanical, a company based in Clearlake that offers sales and service of heating and cooling systems.
Harris said Reed, one of his technicians, was heading to a job site in Buckingham to pick up some paperwork when the crash occurred.
“He had almost no time to react,” said Harris, explaining that by the time Reed realized that Kramen's Volvo was colliding with the pickup, the air bags had deployed.
A bleeding Reed jumped out of his work truck, extinguished the fire in the Volvo's vehicle compartment and then helped get the child out of the car, Harris said.
Harris said Reed was home by Wednesday evening. He was OK, but Harris added, “He's beat up.”
CHP Officer Kory Reynolds said no drugs or alcohol were involved in the crash.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation, led by Officer John Geer, the CHP said.
Editor's note: This story has been updated with information about the relationship between the Kramens and statement from Officer Reynolds that no alcohol or drugs were involved.
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LAKEPORT, Calif. – Hundreds of community members came out to the city of Lakeport's annual “National Night Out” event on Tuesday, which was a chance for police and city officials to connect in a fun and informal atmosphere with area residents.
Several blocks of N. Main Street north of 16th Street, in one of the city's most picturesque neighborhoods, were closed to traffic in order to host the block party.
Joining the city of Lakeport staff and Lakeport Police were the Lakeport Fire Department, California Highway Patrol, local ham radio operators and the Boy Scouts, with the Lakeport Kiwanis Club barbecuing hot dogs – the supplies of which ran out twice – and handing out sno-cones, popcorn and water.
McGruff the Crime Dog and Chipper from the CHP mingled with visitors of all ages, while children lined up for face painting as well as balloon sculptures from Fill-Up the Clown, and played games at various booths.
There was a bike rodeo and decorating contest for children, and raffles for children and adults. Two youngsters won brand new bikes and helmets donated by Main Street Bicycles.
Lakeport Police Chief Brad Rasmussen said he was very pleased with Tuesday's turnout.
He estimated that about 200 people – possibly more – enjoyed the evening's festivities.
National Night Out has been part of the Lakeport Police's continuing community policing work, which includes connecting and creating relationships with city residents.
Several of Rasmussen's officers and staff, as well as the agency's intern, were on hand to meet with visitors.
As part of the event, Rasmussen held a brief swearing-in for the department's newest police officer, Mark Steele.
The Tuesday event was the third National Night Out that the city of Lakeport has hosted.
The city began holding the events in 2013. The last event was in 2014, as the 2015 event had to be canceled due to last summer's wildland fires.
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LOWER LAKE, Calif. – A Clearlake man sustained major injuries in a solo-vehicle wreck on Monday and later was arrested for driving under the influence.
Isidoro Diaz-Garcia, 57, was involved in the incident, which occurred Monday afternoon, according to the California Highway Patrol's Clear Lake Area office.
The CHP said Diaz-Garcia was driving his 1993 Ford Explorer southbound on Highway 29 just north of Hofacker Lane at 1:40 p.m. Monday, when he allowed the Explorer to travel off the right side of the roadway, where it hit a road sign.
Diaz-Garcia's Explorer then veered back onto the roadway and crossed into the southbound lane of Highway 29, the CHP said.
The vehicle rolled multiple times before coming to rest in the southbound lane, blocking traffic, according to the report.
Diaz-Garcia, who was wearing his seat belt, suffered major injuries, the CHP said.
The CHP said alcohol appeared to be a factor in the crash and Diaz-Garcia was arrested on suspicion of misdemeanor driving under the influence of alcohol.
After his arrest, the CHP said Diaz-Garcia was transported by Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital. Radio reports indicated he was taken by a REACH air ambulance.
The highway was temporarily blocked as a result of the crash, and was reopened about an hour after the wreck occurred, according to reports from the scene.
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KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – A Sonoma County man was arrested over the weekend for failing to register as a sex offender after he moved to Kelseyville and began working there.
John David Heglin, 57, of Santa Rosa was taken into custody on Saturday by Det. Todd Dunia, according to Lt. Steve Brooks of the Lake County Sheriff's Office.
Last Wednesday, Dunia received information that a reported sex offender from Sonoma County was working at a grocery store in Kelseyville. The person providing the information identified the subject as Heglin, Brooks said.
Brooks said Dunia was able to confirm that Heglin was a registered sex offender and that he was on Post Release Community Supervision in Sonoma County with specific probation terms.
Dunia also confirmed that Heglin was employed as a cashier at the grocery store and had been working there for approximately one month, Brooks said.
On Friday, Dunia contacted the Sonoma County Probation Department, which was not aware that Heglin was working in Lake County, according to Brooks.
Brooks said the Sonoma County Probation Department advised that Heglin had violated the terms of his probation by failing to report his employment within three business days and for obtaining employment in Kelseyville, which is more than 50 miles from his residence and requires prior approval.
On Saturday, Dunia contacted Heglin during a traffic stop in the Lakeport area, informing Heglin that he was in violation of his probation by not reporting his employment to his probation officer and for not obtaining prior approval to be more than 50 miles from his residence, Brooks said.
Dunia conducted a search of Heglin’s vehicle based on the terms of his probation, and in the process he located and seized a smart phone in Heglin’s possession and an “application for delivery of mail through agent,” Brooks said.
Brooks said Dunia knew from reviewing Heglin’s probation terms that he was not allowed to use a post office box or be in possession of a smartphone.
Heglin was arrested for failing to register as a sex offender and for violating the terms of his probation, and transported to the Lake County Hill Road Correctional Facility and booked, Brooks said.
On Tuesday, Heglin remained in custody on a no-bail hold, according to jail records.
Heglin was sentenced in 2011 to 19 years in prison after being convicted by a Sonoma County jury of 15 counts related to engaging in sexual acts with three teenage girls to whom he furnished drugs including marijuana, methamphetamine and cocaine, according to court records.
In March of 2013 an appeals court overturned two of the drug-related charges, which led to Heglin's shortened prison sentence, Brooks said.