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California Gov. Edmund G. Brown Jr. announced on Christmas Eve that he has granted 91 pardons.
The individuals granted pardons all completed their sentences and have been released from custody for more than a decade without further criminal activity.
Individuals who have been convicted of a crime in California may apply to the governor for a pardon.
All applicants for a pardon who were eligible obtained a certificate of rehabilitation, which is an order from a superior court declaring that a person convicted of a crime is now rehabilitated.
A gubernatorial pardon may be granted to people who have demonstrated exemplary behavior and have lived productive and law-abiding lives following their conviction.
Pardons are not granted unless they are earned.
When a pardon is granted, the California Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation are notified so that they may update their records on the applicant.
The pardon is filed with the Secretary of State's Office and the Legislature, and it is a public record.
The majority of the cases involved drug-related convictions. Other crimes for which pardons were granted included burglary, robbery, driving under the influence causing injury, grand theft, manslaughter, vandalism, arson, kidnapping, receiving stolen property, conspiracy, carjacking, possession of a firearm or ammunition by a felon, carrying a concealed weapon, being an accessory after the fact, writing insufficient funds checks, forgery, vehicle theft, having a fraudulent ID, assault with a deadly weapon, bribery, perjury, attempted voluntary manslaughter, possession or manufacturing a dangerous weapon, making fraudulent insurance claims and violation of securities law.
Among the individuals to receive pardons this year was actor Robert Downey Jr., who was sentenced in November 1996 in Los Angeles Superior Court for possession of a controlled substance, carrying a concealed weapon in a vehicle with a prior conviction, driving under the influence with priors, and use or being under the influence of a controlled substance.
He served two years and eight months on probation, one year and three months in prison and two years on parole, and was discharged in December 2002. He returned to acting and since that time has enjoyed a successful career in the industry.
No former or current Lake County residents were included in this round of Christmas pardons, however, several cases from neighboring counties and other parts of Northern California did make the list:
– Napa: Dwight Castimore, now a resident of Minnesota, sentenced on Jan. 31, 1991, in Napa County Superior Court for driving under the influence causing bodily injury. He served eight months in prison and 11 months on parole.
– Robert Mahoney, who still lives in California, was sentenced in December 1999 in Tehama County Superior Court for arson of a structure or forest land and causing fire of a structure or forest land. Case information said Mahoney was present while another man set grass fires. He served 180 days in jail and five years' probation.
– David McBath, who still lives in California, was sentenced in May 1991 in Tehama County Superior Court for the crime of possession of a controlled substance for sale. He served 120 days in jail and three years' probation.
– Jeffrey Swank of California was sentenced in April 1995 in Napa County Superior Court for possession of a controlled substance. He served 190 days in jail and three years' probation.
– James Taylor of California was sentenced in Butte County Superior Court in August 1999 for driving under the influence with injury. He served nine months in prison and three years' parole.
– David Theissen of California was sentenced in Siskiyou County Superior Court in August 1978 for assault with a deadly weapon on a peace officer. A police officer was called to settle a family dispute and Thiessen's gun discharged into the ground while he was speaking with the officer. He served 10 days in jail and two years' probation.
– William Wylie, now living in Washington state, was sentenced in Sonoma County Superior Court in June 1965 for forgery. He altered an $8 money order and cashed it for $80. He served one year and six months in prison, and one year and six months on parole.
“It is possible for any man, by good deeds, to enshrine himself as a Saint in the hearts of the people.” – L. Frank Baum, The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus
“In all this world there is nothing so beautiful as a happy child.” – L. Frank Baum
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – I wonder which holiday traditions our Lake County pioneers, such as the Andersons, who once resided in the ranch house at our own Anderson Marsh State Historic Park would have practiced?
The Andersons would have seen lots of mistletoe in the oaks surrounding their house.
The tradition of placing mistletoe in a strategic spot under which lovers were lured to kiss goes back to ancient times when, according to Norse mythology, it was drawn upon as a sign of friendship.
The Druids told of mistletoe's mystical luck-bringing powers and was used to keep evil spirits at bay.
Mistletoe, a parasite that requires water and nutrients from its host, is also poisonous. That being said, there is a variety of mistletoe which has been used medicinally for many purposes.
Holly and California holly, two different species, are both evergreen and produce red berries.
Holly is popular at Christmas time since the thorny leaves stand for the circlet Jesus wore upon his head at the crucifixion. The holly berries signify the blood he shed due to the thorny crown.
A plant found all over Lake County, and a California native, is toyon. Toyon is also known as California holly and produces a berry favored by birds.
Since toyon, or California holly once grew in abundance in the Los Angeles hills, the name Hollywood was born.
The candy canes we see at this time of year go back more than 250 years. First, the sweet treats were long sugar sticks given to assuage wiggly children at prolonged Christmas nativity services.
The shape of the candy cane into a “J” or hook came later, and is said to have come from the first letter of Jesus' name or possibly as the shape of a shepherd's hook.
In 1920 an American from Georgia, Bob McCormack, started Bob's Candies, who produced candy canes, and in 2005 the company was purchased by Farley and Sathers, who still make candy canes today.
wreaths can include pine boughs, pine cones, flowers, fruits or bay laurel. A wreath has been used for many cultural events around the world. There are maypole wreaths, crown wreaths and memorial wreaths.
Christmas wreaths made of evergreens are thought to represent strength, since they last so long. In Sweden decorations, such as wreaths, are placed beginning on the first day of Advent, and many Western traditions include a “hanging of the greens” ceremony.
It is believed that the tradition of a Christmas tree was taken from a pagan tradition around winter solstice, which utilized evergreen boughs.
Then, in 1835 the words “Christmas tree” were taken from the German language and commonly used around the world.
The German tradition of the Christmas tree has been around since the 18th century, however. Some argue that Martin Luther started the tradition in the 16th century.
Another popular holiday tradition is the baking of gingerbread cookies. The gingerbread cookie tradition goes back to early America when gingerbread cakes were baked.
Children then were said to have loved gingerbread cookies the most of all the pastries. Gingerbread was hearty fare then, and could withstand lots of handling as it was baked in both brick ovens and cook stoves.
In Europe honey was added to the batch of gingerbread dough, while American cooks used molasses to create the charming, browned cookies.
Kathleen Scavone, M.A., is an educator, potter, writer and author of “Anderson Marsh State Historic Park: A Walking History, Prehistory, Flora, and Fauna Tour of a California State Park” and “Native Americans of Lake County.” She also writes for NASA and JPL as one of their “Solar System Ambassadors.” She was selected “Lake County Teacher of the Year, 1998-99” by the Lake County Office of Education, and chosen as one of 10 state finalists the same year by the California Department of Education.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The National Weather Service has issued a winter weather advisory for all of Lake County and other parts of Northern California due to concerns for heavy rains and winds, and the potential for snow.
The winter weather advisory went into effect at 10 p.m. Wednesday and continues until 10 p.m. Thursday.
The National Weather Service said a cold, quick-hitting winter storm is expected to bring low elevation snow through the region into Thursday night, with heaviest storm conditions expected from midnight through Thursday afternoon.
The forecast calls for snow falling as low as 1,500 feet elevation, with accumulations of 4 to 8 inches above 2,500 feet and up to a foot possible on higher peaks.
In Lake County, the National Weather Service anticipates that if snow falls there could between 1 and 2 inches in lower elevations and 12 inches in the mountains.
Roads across the region expected to be impacted by the anticipated snowfall include Highway 20 west of Upper Lake, Highway 175 over Cobb Mountain, Highway 162/Mendocino Pass Road, Interstate 5 north of Redding, and Highway 299 west of Redding over Buckhorn Summit and east of Redding over Hatchet Mountain Pass.
While snow is a possibility, Lake County's specific forecast calls primarily for heavy rainstorms with up to half an inch of rain possible in the day and up to a tenth of inch at night, and wind gusts up to 23 miles per hour. Nighttime lows will be in the low 30s and daytime highs in the mid 40s.
There also is a chance of rain on Christmas day, with sunny conditions during the day Saturday. Chances of showers are forecast to return on Sunday and will run into the middle of next week.
Those who will be on the road for the Christmas holiday are urged to plan ahead and be prepared for travel delays and stormy conditions. Those traveling through higher elevations should have chains on hand.
Call 1-800-427-7623 (ROAD) for road conditions or visit Caltrans' Web page at http://quickmap.dot.ca.gov/ to check out current road closures and chain control requirements.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
LAKEPORT, Calif. – A Lakeport woman arrested Sunday for intentionally causing a crash that injured two people made her first court appearance this week.
Dana Marie Lindsey, 37, was arraigned in Lake County Superior Court on Tuesday, according to Chief Deputy District Attorney Richard Hinchcliff.
Hinchcliff said he has charged Lindsey with two counts of attempted murder, two counts of assault with a vehicle, driving under the influence causing bodily injury and mayhem.
Her bail remains set at $1 million, Hinchcliff said.
Lakeport Police said Lindsey's husband called law enforcement early Sunday morning to report that Lindsey said she was going to kill herself by running her car into another vehicle.
Police chased Lindsey southbound on Highway 29 from Lakeport Boulevard. She made two attempts to crash into other vehicles before she continued on and managed to hit a 2009 Toyota Corolla just south of the intersection of Highways 29 and 175 Hopland.
The 28-year-old driver suffered minor injuries and her 24-year-old male passenger was seriously injured and flown to an out-of-area trauma center, with Lindsey treated for minor injuries at Sutter Lakeside Hospital and released to officers, according to the Lakeport Police report.
At the time of the incident, officers suspected Lindsey of being under the influence of methamphetamine and ecstasy, police said.
Hinchcliff said the man injured in the crash was reported to be in serious condition, but he didn't have an updated status.
By the time of Lindsey's court appearance, Hinchcliff said he had received limited investigative reports from police.
The Lakeport Police Department had reported earlier this week that the investigation was continuing with the assistance of the California Highway Patrol, and that officers were interviewing and seeking witnesses.
“The charges may chance down the road,” as more of the case documents are submitted, Hinchcliff said.
He said Lindsey has no prior criminal cases that he is aware of in Lake County.
At her Tuesday appearance, Hinchcliff said the court appointed attorney Mitch Hauptman to represent Lindsey.
Hinchcliff said Lindsey will return to court for the appearance of her counsel on Jan. 5.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
UPPER LAKE, Calif. – Upper Lake High School is one of 425 school districts in the U.S. and Canada being honored by the College Board with placement on the sixth annual AP District Honor Roll.
Upper Lake High received the honor for increasing access to AP course work while simultaneously maintaining or increasing the percentage of students earning scores of 3 or higher on AP Exams.
Reaching these goals indicates that a district is successfully identifying motivated, academically prepared students who are ready for the opportunity of AP.
To be included on the sixth annual Honor Roll, Upper Lake High had to, since 2013, increase the number of students participating in AP while also increasing or maintaining the number of students earning AP Exam scores of 3 or higher
National data from 2015 show that among black, Hispanic and American Indian students with a high degree of readiness for AP, only about half of students are participating.
The first step to delivering the opportunity of AP to students is providing access by ensuring courses are available, that gatekeeping stops, and that the doors are equitably opened so these students can participate.
Upper Lake Union High School District is committed to expanding the availability of AP courses among prepared and motivated students of all backgrounds.
“That the committed teachers and administrators in this district have both expanded AP access and also helped their students achieve high levels of performance on AP Exams shows they’re delivering opportunity in their schools and classrooms, and it is a real testament to their belief that a more diverse population of young people is ready for the challenge of college,” said Trevor Packer, the College Board’s senior vice president of AP and Instruction. “Congratulations to these teachers and administrators, and to their hard-working students.”
Helping more students learn at a higher level and earn higher AP scores is an objective of all members of the AP community, from AP teachers to district and school administrators to college professors.
Many districts are experimenting with a variety of initiatives and strategies to determine how to simultaneously expand access and improve student performance.
In 2015, more than 3,800 colleges and universities around the world received AP scores for college credit, advanced placement, and/or consideration in the admission process, with many colleges and universities in the United States offering credit in one or more subjects for qualifying AP scores.
Inclusion on the sixth annual AP District Honor Roll is based on the examination of three years of AP data, from 2013 to 2015, looking across 34 AP Exams, including world language and culture.
The following criteria were used. Districts must:
– Increase participation/access to AP by at least 4 percent in large districts, at least 6 percent in medium
districts, and at least 11 percent in small districts;
– Increase or maintain the percentage of exams taken by black/African American, Hispanic/Latino and
American Indian/Alaska Native students; and
– Improve or maintain performance levels when comparing the 2015 percentage of students scoring a 3 or higher to the 2013 percentage, unless the district has already attained a performance level at which more than 70 percent of its AP students are scoring a 3 or higher.
Pacific Gas and Electric Co.’s property taxes in California increased sharply this year as the utility continued to make significant investments in its gas and electric infrastructure to improve safety and reliability for its customers.
PG&E recently paid property taxes of nearly $193 million to 50 California counties. These payments cover the period from July 1 to Dec. 31, 2015.
The payment to the county of Lake was for $694,533, according to PG&E.
Total payments for the tax year of July 1, 2015, to June 30, 2016, will be nearly $385 million – an increase of $40 million over the prior fiscal year, or 11 percent.
“Property tax payments are one of the important ways PG&E helps contribute to the local economies, supporting essential public services like education and public safety for the 16 million Californians we serve. This year’s higher payments reflect the substantial local investments we are making in our gas and electric infrastructure to create one of the safest and most reliable utility systems in the country” said Kent Harvey, senior vice president and chief financial officer for PG&E.
PG&E invested more than $5 billion this year to maintain and upgrade its gas and electrical infrastructure across Northern and Central California.
One such investment is the recently completed $40 million state-of-the-art electric distribution control center in Concord.
PG&E opened a $28.5 million-control center in Fresno last year and expects to open another control center in Rocklin in early 2016. PG&E also recently broke ground to construct a $75 million-gas operations technical training center in Winters.
These investments will result in additional property tax revenues in future years.
The amounts for each of the county follows.
FIRST INSTALLMENT PROPERTY TAX PAYMENTS ON DEC. 10, 2015
ALAMEDA: $19,658,015
ALPINE: $59,283
AMADOR: $955,868
BUTTE: $3,320,701
CALAVERAS: $807,581
COLUSA: $4,213,442
CONTRA COSTA: $16,748,589
EL DORADO: $1,242,561
FRESNO: $14,431,766
GLENN: $673,957
HUMBOLDT: $2,635,236
KERN: $6,305,061
KINGS: $1,354,491
LAKE: $694,533
LASSEN: $34,176
MADERA: $1,948,970
MARIN: $2,751,855
MARIPOSA: $223,617
MENDOCINO: $1,354,151
MERCED: $2,748,132
MODOC: $237,069
MONTEREY: $3,041,742
NAPA: $1,995,743
NEVADA: $1,024,106
PLACER: $4,280,135
PLUMAS: $2,092,493
SACRAMENTO: $4,262,535
SAN BENITO: $596,308
SAN BERNARDINO: $1,070,988
SAN DIEGO: $9,596
SAN FRANCISCO: $11,304,100
SAN JOAQUIN: $8,910,801
SAN LUIS OBISPO: $14,126,226
SAN MATEO: $10,182,039
SANTA BARBARA: $909,345
SANTA CLARA: $21,907,530
SANTA CRUZ: $1,477,645
SHASTA: $4,567,520
SIERRA: $110,634
SISKIYOU: $112,143
SOLANO: $4,683,627
SONOMA: $5,481,752
STANISLAUS: $1,793,334
SUTTER: $1,107,174
TEHAMA: $1,041,243
TRINITY: $109,639
TULARE: $511,830
TUOLUMNE: $752,515
YOLO: $1,998,803
YUBA: $1,070,477
Total Payments: $192,931,076