News

NORTH COAST, Calif. – The Sonoma County Sheriff's Office's helicopter is back in the air.

Award-winning pilot Paul Bradley is back and taking to the skies above Sonoma County again in the agency's copter, known as Henry-1.

Bradley had left last year to take a job in Redding but decided to return to Sonoma County. Wednesday was his first day back and he was ready to go, the sheriff's office reported.

And he was back on the job just in time. At about 5:15 p.m. that day, Sonoma County Sheriff’s dispatchers received a request from Santa Rosa Fire Department to assist them with a rescue in Taylor Mountain Regional Park.

A 46-year-old hiker had slipped and fallen down a steep, rocky trail, officials reported. The only way to get her out to treat her injuries would be by carrying her or ATV. These methods weren’t reasonable as her injuries were such that it risked her suffering tremendous pain. So, they called for Henry-1.

The crew quickly assembled at flew to the scene. The sheriff's office said Bradley was able to land within about 30 yards of the patient. The paramedic assessed her and the team carried her to the helicopter.

She was loaded aboard and, since they were so close, she was flown directly to the hospital. Everyone involved was grateful to have Henry-1 as a resource again, the sheriff's office said.

Henry-1, a Bell 407, was grounded without a pilot, but over the past few months some residents may have seen it in the air, as Bradley worked a few shifts over the weekends, providing the citizens of the county service from above.

“His commitment to the sheriff’s office drew him back home and we are very pleased to be back in full operation,” the agency said.

The sheriff's office said Bradley is an extremely talented pilot and enjoys the multi-faceted versatility that he is afforded by working with the Henry-1 crew.

Henry-1 provides law enforcement functions, fire support and long line rescues for people here in Sonoma County but also agencies in other counties, including Lake.

The Henry-1 crew consists of a pilot, deputy sheriff/EMT and a paramedic, all highly trained in these very technical skillsets.

“On behalf of the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office and the people of Sonoma County, welcome back Paul and Henry-1,” the sheriff's office said.

For more information about the helicopter program visit http://www.sonomasheriff.org/about-helicopter-unit/ or follow https://www.facebook.com/friendsofh1/ .

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. –The California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery, or CalRecycle, reported that it has completed the first phase of Valley fire debris removal operations in Lake County.

The Debris Removal Operations Center at 21297 Calistoga Road in Middletown will close to the public at 1 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 30, CalRecycle Reported.

At that time, Lake County’s Department of Environmental Health will become the main point of contact for the Valley fire debris removal operations.

Lake County Environmental Health is located at 922 Bevins Court in Lakeport, telephone 707-263-1164.

Phase two of the Valley fire debris removal operation is expected to begin in late March or early April, depending on the weather, officials said.

At that time, CalRecycle crews will complete debris removal at approximately 30 sites that are currently not accessible due to weather-related issues.

Also at that time, CalRecycle will look to address debris removal for additional sites identified by Lake County where owners have not signed up for debris removal and have not begun the cleanup process.

Since CalRecycle started cleanup operations on Oct. 3, 2015, teams have completed debris removal at 1,130 sites.

CalRecycle spokesman Lance Klug told Lake County News that the cleanup has included some commercial sites.

“We have cleaned commercial sites where there was a danger to the public,” such as those close to schools, he said.

In the coming days and weeks, CalRecycle contractors will continue to install erosion control measures and hydro-seeding on cleared sites.

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – Police have arrested a Clearlake man who they say is responsible for having shot another city resident on Wednesday night.

William Mitchell, 57, was arrested at his home on Thursday morning, according to Sgt. Martin Snyder of the Clearlake Police Department.

Just before 10:30 p.m. Wednesday, Clearlake Police officers were dispatched to the area of 15th Street and Country Club Drive for a report of three gunshots heard in the area with unknown subjects yelling for medical assistance, Snyder said.

Snyder said the officers arrived on scene and located a residence in the 3200 block of 15th Street where the shooting was reported to have occurred. However, they were unable to locate a victim at that time.

While the officers were on scene it was reported to them that a victim of an apparent gunshot wound had been dropped off at St. Helena Hospital Clear Lake, Snyder said.

The victim, who later was identified as 24-year-old Anthony Monize of Clearlake, had an apparent gunshot wound to his torso. Snyder said Monize was transported out-of-county via an air ambulance for medical treatment.

Based upon witnesses statements, Mitchell was identified as the suspect in the case, Snyder said.

An argument took place between Monize and Mitchell at the 15th Street residence, according to Snyder.

After the altercation, Mitchell went to his residence on Ninth Street in Clearlake and retrieved a firearm. Snyder said Mitchell returned several minutes later and shot numerous rounds, striking Monize.

Mitchell fled the scene prior to the arrival of police on scene. However, Snyder said officers took Mitchell into custody without incident at his home on Thursday morning.

Snyder said Mitchell later was transported and booked into the Lake County Jail on charges of attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon.

His booking sheet had not yet been posted on the sheriff's Web site early Thursday night.

As of Thursday evening, Monize was in stable condition and expected to recover from his injuries, Snyder said.

CLEARLAKE OAKS, Calif. – In 1994, Navy veteran James Evans retired to Clearlake Oaks to enjoy the outdoor opportunities Lake County has to offer.

Evans enlisted in the Navy at age 17 and served three years as an aircraft mechanic before entering the private sector as a high precision camera mechanic. 

When he and his wife moved to Lake County, it was with the intention of remaining here indefinitely. 

However, without the means to keep up with the maintenance of his home, there was concern as to what the future would hold.

That was when Evans reached out to Habitat for Humanity Lake County.

Last summer, Habitat for Humanity Lake County received its third grant – totaling about $200,000 – from the Home Depot Foundation Veterans Home Repair Initiative, as Lake County News has reported.

Thanks to that Home Depot grant program aimed at helping veterans, Habitat for Humanity Lake County was able to provide much-needed repairs that have improved the livability of Evans' home. 

“It’s nice to be able to sit on the porch without getting wet or worrying about getting hurt, and the new floors in my bathrooms and washroom are a blessing,” Evans said. “Getting the door fixed makes us feel safer.”

He added, “The Habitat crew did good work; we appreciate everything they did for us.”

If you are a low-income homeowner who has owned and lived in your home for at least five years and are in need of repair services, Habitat for Humanity Lake County may be able to help. 

For more information about available services, call the Habitat for Humanity office at 707-994-1100, stop by the office at 16285 A Main St. in Lower Lake or visit www.lakehabitat.org .

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – For those who continue to need assistance in recovering from last year's devastating wildland fires, teams from World Renew are now working in Lake County and available to offer help.

If you – or a friend or neighbor – have suffered losses in the Valley, Rocky or Jerusalem fires, and were uninsured, underinsured or are financially disadvantaged, then Harry and Phyllis Kuipers of World Renew, a faith-based disaster response service from Grand Rapids, Mich., would like to meet you and learn about your as-of-yet unmet needs.

The Kuiperses, along with five more teams, have come to Lake County at the request of the community-based long-term recovery group called Team Lake County, or TLC, to assess the unmet needs of the fire victims – whether they are construction, household, emotional or financial needs.

The Kuipers and the other team members of World Renew will be here until Feb. 5 to take your application, which will be placed in a priority list for TLC's case managers to review.

TLC coordinates the collaboration of all the faith-based and nonprofit agencies dedicated to providing relief for the fire victims.

“It's important for people to get into the system,” Harry Kuipers pointed out. “We try to give these people a little ray of hope, and let people know there are people who care about what they've been going through. Sometimes people going through this feel depressed, lonely and rejected. How do you know how they feel unless you've 'put their shoes on' for awhile."

His wife, Phyllis, said, “The more people come in for applications and interviews, the more they'll tell others. That's how it works – by word of mouth.”

The Kuiperses, who are retirees – as are many World Renew volunteers – aren't restricted in their missionary work as they would be if they had full-time jobs.

Like a lot of retirees, they enjoy traveling to various parts of the United States to learn more about their country and its people. By doing humanitarian work, they have a much better chance to meet people.

“Wow, there are really good people that we have the opportunity to meet,” Harry Kuipers said. “We go to different parts of the country and talk with the people and get a feel for the places in which they live.”

After completing outreach work earlier this week at several sites around the lake where displaced fire victims are presently residing, World Renew will return on Friday, Jan. 29, to their office space in the activity room next to the Middletown Library at 21256 Washington St.

They will remain there to finish their work until the following Friday, Feb. 5.

From Monday through Fridays they'll work from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. On Saturdays they'll only work from 9 a.m. until noon. Sundays are their day of rest.

Dennis Purcell is a member of Team Lake County.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) will receive the federal share of nearly $143 million in two grants from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for reimbursement of costs for the Butte and Valley wildfires that occurred between Sept. 9 and Oct. 30, 2015, in California.

These awards provide federal funding for CalRecycle for the Public Assistance (PA) program for FEMA-DR-4240-CA, the Butte and Valley fires disaster.

This funding is being provided under authority of Section 407 of the Robert T. Stafford Act. The two grants include:

• $84,899,091 in private property debris removal for the Butte Fire in Calaveras County. The Federal share is $63,674,318.25.

• $57,770,898 in private property debris removal for the Valley Fire in Lake County. The Federal share is $43,328,173.50.

FEMA reimburses 75 percent of the total costs through its PA program. The state of California will cover the remaining 25 percent of the nearly $143 million total cost.

FEMA’s PA program includes grants for the repair and rebuilding of public infrastructure, such as bridges, roads, schools, hospitals and sewer treatment facilities.

The program also provides reimbursement for eligible debris removal and emergency protective measures, such as search and rescue operations, temporary roads and overtime for emergency workers, police and firefighters.

Eligible applicants include state and local governments, tribal governments and certain private nonprofits. FEMA obligates funding for these projects directly to the state.

It is the state's responsibility to ensure that the eligible sub-recipients receive these awards. Following the state's review process and upon receipt of appropriate documentation, they will provide funds to the sub-recipients on a reimbursable basis.