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HIDDEN VALLEY LAKE, Calif. – The body of a Hidden Valley Lake man who disappeared while fishing last week has been found.
Lt. Steve Brooks of the Lake County Sheriff's Office said the body of 42-year-old Jerred William Kathan was located at 7:30 p.m. Sunday in the Hidden Valley Lake reservoir.
Brooks said Kathan was reported missing on March 31 when he did not return home from fishing and kayaking on Hidden Valley Lake.
Lake County Search and Rescue immediately responded to the lake after Kathan was reported missing and started searching the area, Brooks said. Personnel from several different agencies assisted with the multiday search.
Sheriff Brian Martin offered his gratitude to the following agencies for their resolve and unwavering dedication to locating Kathan and providing his family with some closure: California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Cal Fire, California Highway Patrol, California Rescue Dog Association, Hidden Valley Lake Security, Lake County Search and Rescue, Marin County Dive Team, Napa County Sheriff’s Office, North Shore Dive Team, Santa Clara County Dive Team and the Wilderness Finders Search Dog Teams.
Martin also thanked Brandon Holleran of Hidden Valley Lake, who assisted searchers with his personal equipment.
CLEARLAKE OAKS, Calif. – A Berkeley woman died Sunday evening as a result of injuries she suffered when the car she was riding in went off Highway 20 and into Clear Lake.
Francis Strassman, 79, died at UC Davis Medical Center, where she had been flown following the crash, according to a report from the California Highway Patrol's Clear Lake Area office.
The CHP said Strassman was riding with Susan Marie Suarez, 57, of Cobb in Suarez's 2008 Toyota Yaris on Highway 20 when the crash occurred just before 11:30 a.m. Sunday.
Suarez was driving eastbound, just east of Hillside Lane near Clearlake Oaks, at an unknown speed when she lost control on the wet roadway and went off the highway's south edge and into Clear Lake, with the car becoming submerged, the CHP said.
A passerby stopped and helped to pull the women from the car, which by that time had been submerged for an unknown period of time, according to the CHP.
The CHP said Strassman was unconscious at the scene, with radio reports indicating Northshore Fire paramedics were doing CPR on her as they transported her to St. Helena Hospital Clear Lake.
Strassman was flown from Clearlake to UC Davis Medical Center, where the CHP said she was pronounced dead at 5:30 p.m. Sunday.
Suarez suffered minor injuries, with complaints of pain to her back and neck. The CHP said she was taken to St. Helena Hospital Clear Lake, where she was treated and released.
The CHP said both women were using their safety equipment, and alcohol and drugs do not appear to be contributing factors in the crash.
CHP Officer Mark Crutcher is the crash's investigator.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Looking for a personable cat companion?
Visit Lake County Animal Care and Control this week and meet a gray tabby waiting to make your acquaintance.
If you decide to take him home, he'll be vaccinated and neutered so he's ready to go.
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 here: http://bit.ly/Z6xHMb .
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”).
Male domestic short hair mix
This male domestic short hair mix has a gray tabby coat and a curious personality.
He's in cat room kennel No. 32, ID No. 1997.
Adoptable cats also can be seen at http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Animal_Care_And_Control/Adopt/Cats_and_Kittens.htm or at www.petfinder.com .
Please note: Cats listed at the shelter's Web page that are said to be “on hold” are not yet cleared for adoption.
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
“Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience.”– Ralph Waldo Emerson
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – A secretive, elusive inhabitant of Lake County's densely tangled slopes, canyons and forests, the mountain lion makes its presence known from time to time.
Most recently, a mountain lion was sighted in the treeline off Highway 29 in south Lake County, as you are leaving Middletown.
Also called cougars or pumas, these majestic creatures are following a trend in evolving wildlife patterns which are being studied in our state and elsewhere.
Crucial questions beg being asked of wildlife experts, such as what is the mountain lion count in Lake County? How are mountain lions, and for that matter, other wildlife affected by the drought?
If knowing that you are neighbors with such a wild creature unnerves you, take comfort in the fact that the mountain lion's preference is to steer clear of humans.
Wildlife researchers say that a person is more likely to be struck by lightning than to be mauled by a mountain lion.
According to Bay Nature Magazine, there was a rare mountain lion attack in the Santa Cruz mountains in 2014.
The mountain lion was caught and killed, and a study was undertaken to ascertain the health of the young lion.
Prior to that attack, the last assault on a human being in the Bay Area was in 1909. In that case, the aggressive mountain lion was rabid.
Mountain lions range all across North and South America, where they are native.
These cats prefer rocky outcrops to ambush their prey, and nearly impenetrable underbrush in which to hide.
That being said, they also can adapt to open areas. They have adapted to reside in the cold Yukon in the north, all of the way to the Andes in South America.
Mountain lions belong to the family Felinae, and are both solitary and secretive, making a sighting a very rare occurrence.
Their diet here in Lake County includes deer and sometimes elk, along with mice, rats, gophers and other rodents. Sometimes they consume insects. In other regions they have been known to dine on cattle, and other livestock, as well as bighorn sheep.
These cats are known to be territorial, but it is difficult to determine how large their territories are, as the terrain determines the size of a cat's territory.
For more information about these fascinating creatures, along with safety tips, visit the Department of Fish and Wildlife's Web site, http://www.dfg.ca.gov/keepmewild/lion.html , and watch the video above.
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. – For the past few months the night skies have been dominated by two brilliant planets, Jupiter and Venus.
Jupiter is high in the night sky when you look toward the south. It is by far the brightest object in that portion of the sky.
In previous articles we have discussed various features of Jupiter. New information suggests some of Jupiter’s 60-plus moons may contain water.
Europa and Ganymede are two of Jupiter’s largest moons and the most likely source of water.
Europa has a craggy ice crust that suggests the existence of water underneath. There is also some evidence of ice geysers shooting from the surface.
Ganymede is the largest moon in our solar system. It’s even bigger than the planet Mercury. Beneath its 100-mile-thick ice surface astronomers suspect there is a warm, salty ocean.
Venus is the other bright planet, hovering above the western horizon.
Thanks to an atmosphere of nearly 97-percent carbon dioxide, it is the hottest planet in our solar system – even hotter than Mercury, the closest planet to the Sun.
When viewed through a telescope, Venus displays phases just like our Moon (quarter, half, etc.).
Aside from these two bright planets, April skies display the constellation Leo the Lion at its best.
High in the southern sky, this constellation represents the Nemean lion from Greek mythology. Subduing Leo was the first of 12 labors performed by Hercules.
Within Leo is the “Leo Triplet,” three galaxies visible through a telescope of moderate size.
John Zimmerman is a resident of Lake County, Calif., and has been an amateur astronomer for more than 50 years. For more information about astronomy and local resources, visit his Web site at www.lakecountyskies.com .
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake County Animal Care and Control's kennels are filled this week with dogs seeking to start off the spring with new homes.
The dogs available this week for adoption mixes of Akita, Australian Shepherd, chow chow, English Bulldog, Labrador Retriever, Maltese, pit bull, Rhodesian Ridgeback, shepherd and terrier.
Low adoption fees are offered for some of the dogs.
Dogs that are adopted from Lake County Animal Care and Control are either neutered or spayed, microchipped and, if old enough, given a rabies shot and county license 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 hoping you'll choose them.
In addition to the animals featured here, all adoptable animals in Lake County can be seen here: http://bit.ly/Z6xHMb .
The following dogs at the Lake County Animal Care and Control shelter have been cleared for adoption (additional dogs on the animal control Web site not listed are still “on hold”).
Female terrier mix
This 2-year-old female terrier mix has a short tan and black coat.
Shelter staff said she was found in the Safeway parking lot in Lakeport, and initially was very scared but now is warming up.
She's in kennel No. 2, ID No. 1969.
Female terrier mix
This little female terrier mix is about 2 years old, and has a short brown coat.
Shelter staff said she was found wandering Bell Hill Road in Kelseyville.
She's very spunky, and loves to jump and play.
She's in kennel No. 6, ID No. 1986.
Maltese mix
This female Maltese mix is about 12 years old and has a curly white coat.
She's described as lovable and sweet, and in need of a home that will give her the love and attention she deserves in her final years. Shelter staff said she may be blind.
She's in kennel No. 7, ID No. 1990.
Male pit bull mix
This male pit bull terrier mix is about 1 year old.
He's shy and needs some training, but loves to play and have his belly rubbed.
He's in kennel No. 17, ID No. 1991.
Female Australian Shepherd mix
This 6-month-old female Australian Shepherd mix has had a rough start.
She came into the shelter, the victim of neglect. Shelter staff said she currently is being treated for mange, and is doing well and already looking much better.
The pup is super sweet and needs a loving home.
She's in kennel No. 24, ID No. 1321.
'Bella'
“Bella” is a young female pit bull terrier mix, estimated to be about 6 months old.
Shelter staff said she is a very loving little girl that just wants to be petted and held.
She's in kennel No. 24, ID No. 1971.
Female pit bull mix
This 2-year-old female pit bull terrier mix has a short tan and white coat.
She was found in Clearlake Oaks, and shelter staff thinks her name may be “Layla.”
They said she loves treats and knows how to sit on command.
She's in kennel No. 25, ID No. 1977.
'Lucky'
“Lucky” is a male pit bull terrier mix with a short gray coat.
Shelter staff said he's great with other dogs and is very people-friendly. However, he would be best in a home with no cats or chickens.
He's in kennel No. 26, ID No. 1973.
Chow chow mix
This chow chow mix has a long brown coat.
The dog's gender is undetermined.
He's in kennel No. 28, ID No. 1960.
'Bear'
“Bear” is a male English Bulldog mix.
He has a short tan and white coat.
Shelter staff said he is great with other dogs and very social with people.
He's in kennel No. 29, ID No. 1972.
'Roxie'
“Roxie” is a female Labrador Retriever mix who came into the shelter along with Max.
She is 4 years old, weighs 69 pounds and already is spayed, so she is available for a low adoption fee.
Roxie also is leash trained and knows basic commands, and has beautiful big brown eyes.
Roxie is in kennel No. 30, ID No. 1771.
Akita mix
This 5-year-old male Akita mix has a short tan and white coat.
He knows basic commands and his housebroken, and needs some leash training.
Shelter staff said he likes toys and they're looking for an owner for him who would love to spend time taking him for walks.
He is mellow and would be great with kids, but they recommend no cats.
He's in kennel No. 31, ID No. 1938.
Female pit bull terrier mix
This female pit bull terrier mix is about a year and a half old.
Shelter staff said she was found on Lakeshore Boulevard in Lakeport taking a stroll.
She weighs 42 pounds and is very friendly.
She's in kennel No. 32, ID No. 1986.
'Sunny'
“Sunny” is a high-energy 8-year-old male Labrador Retriever mix.
He has a short black coat and is neutered.
Shelter staff said he is a really good boy who needs to be in a home with a secure fenced-in yard, as he does like to wander.
Sunny could use some leash training, but otherwise shelter staff said he would make a great family dog.
Sunny is in kennel No. 33, ID No. 1705.
Rhodesian Ridgeback mix
This 4-year-old male Rhodesian Ridgeback mix gets along well with cats; his tail wagged as he watched them play.
Anyone who is interested in adopting him and who has dogs already is asked to submit an application and introduce bring their dogs in for an introduction.
He is slightly shy but with some training he could be a wonderful addition to your family or for an individual.
He's in kennel No. 34, ID No. 1762.
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