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With the Thanksgiving holiday just around the corner, Cal Fire is reminding Californians about the dangers that lurk during the holiday season.
When most people think about Thanksgiving, they envision turkey, pumpkin pie and time spent with their loved ones. Who thinks of fire at this time?
“During the holidays we tend to have multiple items cooking on the stove while we are visiting with friends and family,” said Chief Ken Pimlott, CAL FIRE director. “It is critical to not get distracted and to always stand next to what you are cooking. Thanksgiving Day is often one of our busier days responding to home cooking fires; we would like to reduce that number by practicing a little extra fire safety. Hopefully, together we can prevent cooking fires and you can enjoy your Thanksgiving with family and friends.”
According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), three times as many home cooking fires occur on Thanksgiving as on a typical day.
NFPA’s latest cooking estimates show that there were 1,550 cooking fires on Thanksgiving in 2013, reflecting a 230-percent increase over the daily average.
Home cooking fires also spike on other major U.S. holidays, including Christmas Day, Christmas Eve and Memorial Day weekend.
“Unattended cooking is the leading cause of home cooking fires,” said Chief Tonya Hoover, State Fire Marshal. “That is why it is so important to 'keep an eye on what you fry' and stay in the kitchen when preparing your holiday meal so it isn’t left unattended. One more safety measure is to ensure you have working smoke alarms installed throughout your home. It’s an added measure to protect you from fires in your home. ”
To help reduce the chance of fire and injuries associated with holiday cooking fires, Cal Fire offers the following tips:
– Remain in the kitchen while you’re cooking, and keep a close eye on what you fry. Always stay in the kitchen while frying, grilling or broiling food. If you have to leave the kitchen for even a short period of time, turn off the stove. Regularly check on food that’s simmering, baking or roasting, and use a timer to remind you that you’re cooking.
– Turn pot handles toward the back of the stove. Someone walking by is less likely to bump them or pull them over.
– When using a turkey fryer, be sure to follow instructions closely. Don’t exceed the recommended oil level and only use the device outdoors!
– Make sure a fire extinguisher is handy at all times. Never use water to put out a grease fire.
– Ensure you have working smoke alarms installed in your home.
For more tips on cooking fire safety visit www.fire.ca.gov .
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The deadline for Lake County wildfire survivors to register with Federal Emergency Management Agency has passed, but officials said various forms of disaster assistance remain available.
Survivors who registered with the FEMA are urged to stay in touch with the agency.
“Even though the Disaster Recovery Centers are closed, FEMA remains in California to work with the state and local governments to provide assistance with recovery,” said Tim Scranton, federal coordinating official for this disaster. “FEMA will remain as long as needed.”
Charles Rabamad, the deputy state coordinating officer added: “Recovery is ongoing, all this work could not be done without our federal, state and local partnerships. California Office of Emergency Services continues to support and assist these communities in the rebuilding and redeveloping efforts.”
Applicants can track their claims and should notify FEMA of changes to their mailing addresses, phone numbers, email addresses and if they receive insurance settlements or discover additional damages.
How to reach FEMA:
• Go online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or www.fema.gov ;
• Dial the FEMA Helpline 800-621-3362 or (TTY) 800-462-7585;
• For those who use 711 Relay or Video Relay Services, call 800-621-3362;
• The toll-free numbers are operated from 6 a.m. to midnight daily.
• Multilingual phone operators are available on the FEMA helpline. Choose Option 2 for Spanish and Option 3 for other languages.
Although the Disaster Recovery Centers are closed, the U.S. Small Business Administration will operate a Disaster Loan Outreach Center at the Middletown Senior Center, 21256 Washington St. Hours are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
At the Disaster Loan Outreach Center disaster loan applications, started before Nov. 23, can be finalized. The facility will remain open until further notice.
For more information, contact the SBA’s Disaster Assistance Customer Service Center by calling 800-659-2955, emailing
The Disaster Loan Outreach Center will be closed from Thanksgiving Day through the weekend, reopening Monday, Nov. 30.
Other services available to survivors include:
• Crisis counseling is a service provided through your county Mental Health Department. Services, for children and adults, help survivors deal with the emotional affects of going through a crisis. Call the Lake County Mental Health Crisis Hotline is 800-900-2075.
• Legal services is provided to survivors for free through the Young Lawyers Division of the American Bar Association. Legal advice is limited to cases that will not produce a fee including assistance with insurance claims, advice on landlord/tenant problems, home repair contracts and contractors, mortgage-foreclosure problems, assisting in consumer protection matters, remedies and procedures and replacement of wills and other important legal documents. Survivors unable to pay for legal services may call 800-657-0479 between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. Monday through Friday. For TTY: call 711.
NICE, Calif. – A Northshore man is facing charges including attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon after authorities say he stabbed his neighbor during a Sunday fight.
James Fredrick Ledesma, 40, of Nice was arrested by sheriff's deputies shortly after the incident, which occurred late on Sunday morning, according to Lt. Steve Brooks of the Lake County Sheriff's Office.
Just before noon on Sunday sheriff's deputies responded to a residence located in the 6000 block of Crump Avenue in Nice for a report of an assault, Brooks said.
When the deputies arrived on scene they located a male stabbing victim on the residence's front porch, according to Brooks.
Brooks said the man appeared to have been stabbed multiple times and was bleeding profusely. Deputies administered first aid to the victim until medical personnel arrived and took over his medical care.
The victim told deputies that Ledesma had become angry and stabbed him because he had alluded to Ledesma being a thief, Brooks reported.
According to the victim's account, Ledesma walked over to his residence and they began to argue. Brooks said the two began to fight and during the altercation Ledesma stabbed him three times.
An air ambulance responded to a landing zone set up near Sentry Market to transport the victim. Brooks said the man was taken to an out-of-county trauma center.
Brooks said Tuesday that the latest information he had on the victim's condition is that he remained in intensive care but is doing well.
“It appears he will recover,” Brooks said.
Deputies located a surveillance system at the victim's residence which appeared to have recorded the entire incident, Brooks said.
Brooks said deputies were able to rewind the system and watch as the victim walked out onto the porch and talked to someone off camera. Ledesma appeared within view of the camera and removed a knife from his pocket as they continued to argue.
The victim kicked at Ledesma and they began to physically fight. Brooks said the surveillance system showed Ledesma stabbing the victim multiple times.
Brooks said the video also showed witnesses break up the fight and law enforcement arriving on scene.
Deputies subsequently arrested Ledesma on Sunday afternoon and transported him to the Lake County Jail, Brooks said.
Brooks said Ledesma is a sex offender registrant who the sheriff's office has come in contact with due to compliance checks. He said he had no record of other local criminal cases involving Ledesma.
The Megan's Law Web site showed that Ledesma lives at an address in the same block as where the fight took place.
District Attorney Don Anderson said Ledesma was arraigned in Lake County Superior Court on Tuesday.
During his Tuesday court appearance, Ledesma was assigned a defense attorney and his bail was raised from the $200,000 set at booking to $1 million at the request of the prosecution, Anderson said.
Anderson said his office is charging Ledesma with attempted murder; assault with a deadly weapon – in this case, a knife; a special allegation of being armed with a knife; and a prior prison term for his September 2000 rape and sodomy conviction in Sonoma County.
Ledesma is due to return to court on Dec. 1 for entry of plea in the case, Anderson said.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Three defendants in a 2014 double homicide case have reached plea agreements with the District Attorney's Office, with one of them facing life in prison and the other two released from custody.
Conrad Joseph Velez, 43, of Lakeport, is facing 50 years to life in prison, while his son, 21-year-old Dakota Joseph Velez of Kelseyville, is being placed on formal probation.
Conrad Velez's girlfriend at the time of the murders, Dahnna Phyllis Burrows, 28, of Lakeport, already has served the time required for the sentence she's expected to receive early next month.
The three were arrested and charged in connection with the January 2014 murders of 54-year-old William Frank Busch of Lakeport and Edward Harry Morgan, 46, of Kelseyville.
The body of Busch, who Borg said died of skull fractures but also suffered numerous stab wounds – was found in a burning building on Highland Springs Road in Lakeport late on the night of Jan. 27, 2014, with a vehicle that belonged to him found burning in a field on Soda Bay Road the following morning.
On the afternoon of Jan. 28, 2014, deputies and firefighters were dispatched to the area of Robin Hill Drive and Lakeshore Boulevard near Lakeport on the report of an assault victim found Morgan with stab wounds, with the Velezes and Burrows having left in his white Chevy Tahoe. He died at the scene shortly after deputies and firefighters arrived.
Conrad Velez and Burrows were arrested at a relative's home in the city of Napa on Jan. 28, 2014. Dakota Velez was arrested at a family member's home in Hopland the following evening.
The plea agreements for each of the defendants was reached early last week, according to District Attorney Don Anderson.
Senior Deputy District Attorney Ed Borg – who has led the prosecution of the case, with assistance from Anderson – said that while the pleas all occurred at the same time, it wasn't a “global” offer, which would have required that all of them take the deals.
“We never discussed it that way, it just all sort of happened at the same time,” he said.
The most serious charges – two counts of first-degree murder – were placed against Conrad Velez, who has a violent criminal history including three previous strikes, Anderson said.
Prosecutors asserted that Conrad Velez was responsible for killing both Bush and Morgan. “They were very physical murders. They were very brutal,” said Borg.
Anderson said that as a result of the plea, Conrad Velez got two 25-years-to-life sentences, which are consecutive. As such, he has to serve the 50 years of the determinate sentence before he starts the life sentence.
At the time of the killings, Conrad Velez was a parolee at large, and had only gotten out of state prison weeks beforehand.
“We hope he’s going to remain in prison for the rest of his natural life,” said Borg.
Barry Melton, Velez's attorney, did not respond to a request for comment on the case.
Earlier this year, the District Attorney's Office had concluded – after consulting with the victims' families – that the death penalty would not be sought in the case against the Velezes, as Lake County News has reported.
Borg said Burrows pleaded to two counts of being an accessory – one for each victim – and the theft of Morgan's vehicle, which was recovered at the time of her arrest in Napa. When she was arrested, she was in possession of the keys, Borg said.
Although Burrows originally had faced murder charges, “Her charges were greatly reduced at preliminary hearing,” said her attorney, Angela Carter.
Burrows, who had no prior criminal record, was looking at a maximum prison time of three years, Anderson said.
When she returns for her sentencing on Dec. 7, Burrows will receive time served, Carter said.
Burrows had been in jail since her January 2014 arrest, but has now been released, as has Dakota Velez. “The plea agreement provided for their release on their own recognizance,” said Carter.
Borg said Dakota Velez pleaded to arson of a structure and assault with a deadly weapon on Morgan. He will be sentenced on Jan. 4.
Dakota Velez's plea agreement allows for him to be on five years' formal probation, Anderson said. He had to waive his time served credits – which would have been close to a total of four years' time – which means if he violates his probation he could do six years in state prison.
Anderson said the two charges Dakota Velez pleaded to as part of the agreement are strikes. If he were ever to commit and be convicted of a third strike offense, he could potentially face life in prison.
While Dakota Velez's sentence may seem light, “This is as much as we could prove of his involvement,” said Anderson, adding that at the time of the murders the younger Velez was only 18. “He had no prior record.”
Anderson said Conrad Velez coerced his son to commit the arson through threats. “Conrad was the type of person who would carry out those threats.”
While that's not a justification, Anderson said a jury would have been able to consider that coercion had the case gone to trial.
Mitch Hauptman, Dakota Velez's attorney, declined to comment on the case at this point in the proceedings.
As for what led to the murders, “We can’t say definitively what the motive was,” said Anderson.
He said that Conrad Velez and Busch had some dealings with each other relating to controlled substances, but “we don’t know to what extent.”
They also haven't found out what occurred with Morgan, who had given the three a ride. “We don't even know where they were going. That never came out,” said Anderson.
“Somewhere along the way, something went wrong,” said Anderson, noting that Conrad Velez may have been angered by something or it may have been a carjacking.
What prosecutors do know is that Conrad Velez – who was seated in the back seat of Morgan's Chevy Tahoe – started stabbing Morgan, throwing him out of the vehicle.
Borg said he doesn't know why Busch and Morgan were targeted, explaining that “most murders are, by their nature, completely pointless.”
He added, “There’s no way to look at this and have it make any sense that someone would do these things to other people.”
Only the people who were present know what was at the root of the incident, “And they’ve never really told us,” Borg said.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Thanksgiving weekend, traditionally one of the busiest travel times in America, can also be one of the deadliest.
The California Highway Patrol (CHP) will have all available officers on patrol during a maximum enforcement period to help avoid tragedies for California motorists.
In 2014, over the Thanksgiving weekend, 45 people died in collisions on California roadways – a 36-percent increase from the same period in 2013.
In addition, the CHP arrested almost 1,000 people for driving under the influence.
“Having a safe Thanksgiving drive this year – and being here to enjoy next Thanksgiving – can be as simple as buckling up,” CHP Commissioner Joe Farrow said. “Nearly half the people who died in the CHP’s jurisdiction over Thanksgiving last year were not wearing a seat belt at the time of the collision.”
The maximum enforcement period will begin at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 25, and continue through 11:59 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 29.
During the maximum enforcement period, CHP officers will not only be enforcing the law, but also assisting motorists.
“Buckling up, avoiding distracted driving, traveling at a safe speed, designating a sober driver – all are especially important during the holidays,” Commissioner Farrow said. “During the maximum enforcement period, our officers will emphasize education and enforcement throughout the state to ensure everyone can enjoy their holiday.”
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, or NHTSA, urges “Buckle Up America – Every Trip. Every Time.”
Nationwide, more than half the drivers and passengers killed in crashes are not wearing seat belts.
NHTSA estimates that nationally, seat belts saved the lives of 12,854 passenger vehicle occupants in 2013.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps is working hard with volunteers from Lake County to receive, sort and redistribute donations to those affected by the Valley Fire as well as other distribution centers countywide.
The AmeriCorps NCCC team, Gold 2 is made up of 13 members ranging in age from 18 to 24. They have come from across the country to Lake County from Nov. 7 to Dec. 18 to help with post fire relief.
The county of Lake requested the team serve in the area two months after the Valley fire destroyed nearly 2,000 structures, including more than 1,300 homes. It is ranked the third most damaging fire in California history.
“In any community the effects of natural disasters can be monumental, but in Lake County – where the businesses and lands used for farming and ecotourism were so greatly affected – the recovery process is going to require a lot of support now and in the future,” said Jennifer Zaplitny, team leader for AmeriCorps NCCC team, Gold 2.
Working closely with Ted Mandrones, the community liaison for Lake County, as well as the dedicated volunteers who spearheaded the distribution sit, Gene and Lori Thornton and their daughter-in-law Sharon, the AmeriCorps NCCC team hopes to sort all of the donations at the warehouse on Work Right Circle in Lakeport as well as the many trucks still coming in from counties away.
“We started Monday after the fire and we’re here for the long haul,” said Lori Thornton.
While many of the local distribution sites have ceased operations, Work Right Circle Valley Fire Relief Distribution Center, located at 4615 Work Right Circle in Lakeport, continues to accept donations. The greatest needs in the coming months are for winter coats, boots, kitchen appliances and furniture as people get settled into their homes.
The AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps and its FEMA Corps units engage 2,800 young Americans in a full-time, 10-month commitment to service each year.
AmeriCorps NCCC members address critical needs related to natural and other disasters, infrastructure improvement, environmental stewardship and conservation, and urban and rural development; FEMA Corps members are solely dedicated to disaster preparedness, mitigation, response and recovery work.
The programs are administered by the Corporation for National and Community Service, the federal agency that engages more than five million Americans in service through its AmeriCorps, Senior Corps, Social Innovation Fund and Volunteer Generation Fund programs, and leads the president's national call to service initiative, United We Serve. For more information, visit www.NationalService.gov .