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NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – State Sen. Mike McGuire announced that the Capital Fellows Program is now open for Northern California applicants.
McGuire currently has a Capital Fellow in his office, Chris Nielsen, who is from Novato.
The program features a select group of graduate-level students from across the country who participate in a ten month program, working daily on issues critical to the state’s legislative, executive, and judicial branches.
McGuire's office is encouraging Lake County students to apply.
“Our Senate office is proud to participate in the Fellows program and we truly enjoy working with these students on legislative and policy issues,” said McGuire.
Each year the program accepts just 18 representatives for the fellowship programs in the State Senate.
The programs start this October, and runs through the summer of 2016.
Fellows experience a broad range of activities including researching public policy issues, developing legislative proposals, analyzing and staffing legislation, assisting with constituent services and participating in meetings as the senator’s representative.
Anyone with a bachelor's degree by Sept. 1, 2015, and a demonstrated interest in state government and public service is eligible to apply. Applicants must be 20 years of age by Sept. 1, 2015. Graduate, postgraduate and mid-career applicants are welcome.
Prospective applicants can obtain information about the California Senate Fellows program online at www.csus.edu/calst/senate .
The program application period for 2015-2016 is currently open and closes on Feb. 9.
To find more information and apply, please go to http://www.csus.edu/calst/capital_fellows_programs_overview.html .
For more information or questions, please contact Jason Liles, chief of staff, at 916-651-4002 or at 707-570-7070, or email him at
McGuire’s Senate District runs the span of the entire North Coast and includes all of Del Norte, Humboldt, Mendocino, Trinity, Lake and Marin counties, and the majority of Sonoma County communities.
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – On Wednesday, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency released its annual Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) report that showed that the majority of toxic chemicals managed at industrial facilities in the U.S. were not released into the environment.
Nationally in 2013, approximately 84 percent of the 26 billion pounds of toxic chemicals were managed through the use of preferred practices such as recycling.
The 2013 TRI National Analysis report, including long-term trends and localized analyses, can be found at www.epa.gov/tri/nationalanalysis .
Of the 4 billion pounds that were disposed of or otherwise released to the environment, 66 percent went to land, 19 percent to air, 5 percent to water, and 10 percent was transferred to other facilities. Individual fact sheets for the Pacific Southwest Region states and territories also were made available.
"We all have a right to know what toxic chemicals are being used and released into our environment, and what progress companies are making to reduce, recycle or prevent waste from being generated in the first place,” said Jared Blumenfeld, EPA’s Regional Administrator for the Pacific Southwest. “This year, our online database known as the TRI Explorer is more robust than ever, and we encourage the public to make use of the extensive information available there.”
In the TRI, a "release" generally refers to a chemical that is emitted to the air, water, or placed in some type of land disposal unit. Most of these releases are subject to a variety of regulatory requirements designed to limit human and environmental harm.
TRI data is submitted annually to EPA, states, and tribes by facilities in industry sectors such as manufacturing, metal mining, electric utilities, and commercial hazardous waste.
Under the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA), by July 1 of each year facilities must report their toxic chemical releases for the prior year.
The Pollution Prevention Act of 1990 also requires facilities to submit information on pollution prevention and other waste management activities related to TRI chemicals.
The report showed that a total of 1,263 California facilities reported a 42.9 million pounds of toxic chemical releases during 2013.
California’s total reported on-site and off-site releases increased when compared to the 32 million pounds reported in 2012. Clean Harbors Buttonwillow, a hazardous waste facility and the Mesquite Mine were the top two facilities for total on-site and off-site releases.
The report does not show any TRI facilities in Lake County. However, there are such facilities in neighboring counties.
The counties, number of facilities, total pounds of releases and top releasing facilities are as follows:
– Colusa, Three facilities; 100,539 pounds; top facility for releases, Adams Vegetable Oils, 58,888 pounds.
– Glenn: Two facilities; 24,472 pounds; top facility for releases, Land O'Lakes, 24,451 pounds.
– Mendocino: Three sites; 15 pounds; top facility for releases, All Weather Wood LLC, 15 pounds.
– Napa: One site, Boral Stone Products LLC, 404 pounds.
– Sonoma: Nine facilities; 301 pounds; top facility for releases, Stero, 255 pounds.
– Yolo: Seven facilities; 115,022 pounds; top facility for releases, Truck Accessories Group DBA Tag West.
For detailed California information and the list of the top facilities, visit http://iaspub.epa.gov/triexplorer/tri_factsheet.factsheet_forstate?&pstate=CA&pyear=2013&pDataSet=TRIQ1 .
Other Pacific Southwest state and territory highlights are as follows.
ARIZONA
A total of 257 Arizona facilities reported 70.1 million pounds of toxic chemical releases during 2013. Freeport-McMoran Miami, a metal mine, and the Asarco LLC Ray Complex/Hayden Smelter were the top two facilities for total on-site and off-site releases.
Arizona’s total reported on-site and off-site releases decreased when compared to the 86 million pounds reported in 2012.
For detailed Arizona information and the list of the top facilities, visit http://iaspub.epa.gov/triexplorer/tri_factsheet.factsheet_forstate?&pstate=AZ&pyear=2013&pDataSet=TRIQ1 .
HAWAII
A total of 35 facilities reported 3 million pounds of toxic chemical releases during 2013. Hawaii’s total reported on-site and off-site releases increased when compared to the 2.7 million pounds reported in 2012.
AES Hawaii Inc., and Hawaiian Electric Co.’s Kahe Generating Station, both electric generation utilities, were the top two facilities for total on-site and off-site releases.
For detailed Hawaii information and the list of the top facilities, visit http://iaspub.epa.gov/triexplorer/tri_factsheet.factsheet_forstate?&pstate=HI&pyear=2013&pDataSet=TRIQ1 .
NEVADA
A total of 133 Nevada facilities reported 370 million pounds of toxic chemical releases during 2013.
Nevada’s total reported on-site and off-site releases increased when compared to the 286 million pounds reported in 2012.
Newmont Mining Corp’s Twin Creeks mine and their Copper Canyon Facility Clean were the top two facilities for total on-site and off-site releases.
For detailed Nevada information and the list of the top facilities, visit http://iaspub.epa.gov/triexplorer/tri_factsheet.factsheet_forstate?&pstate=NV&pyear=2013&pDataSet=TRIQ1 .
AMERICAN SAMOA
In 2013, American Samoa total releases were 25 pounds from one facility, Star Kist Samoa Co facility’s air releases of ammonia.
For detailed American Samoa information visit http://iaspub.epa.gov/triexplorer/tri_factsheet.factsheet_forstate?&pstate=AS&pyear=2013&pDataSet=TRIQ1 .
COMMONWEALTH OF NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS
A total of eight facilities reported 15,370 pounds of toxic chemical releases during 2013, a decrease in total reported on-site and off-site releases when compared to 2012 data.
The Commonwealth Utilities Corp, an electric generation utility and the Mariana Acquisition Corp’s Saipan Terminal, a petroleum bulk terminal were the top two facilities for total on-site and off-site releases.
For detailed CNMI information and the top facilities, visit http://iaspub.epa.gov/triexplorer/tri_factsheet.factsheet_forstate?&pstate=MP&pyear=2013&pDataSet=TRIQ1 .
GUAM
A total of 12 facilities reported 517,157 pounds of toxic chemical releases during 2013.
Guam’s total reported on-site and off-site releases decreased when compared to the 572,000 pounds reported in 2012.
Guam Power Authority, an electric generation utility and the Naval Base Guam’s Apra Harbor wastewater plant were the top two facilities for total on-site and off-site releases.
For detailed Guam information and the list of the top facilities, visit http://iaspub.epa.gov/triexplorer/tri_factsheet.factsheet_forstate?&pstate=GU&pyear=2013&pDataSet=TRIQ1 .
LAKEPORT, Calif. – The District Attorney's Office will not seek the death penalty against a father and son who are being prosecuted for killing two men in January 2014.
Going before Judge Andrew Blum on Tuesday, Senior Deputy District Attorney Ed Borg informed the court that following a review of the case, the District Attorney's Office had concluded that it would not pursue a capital case against 42-year-old Conrad Joseph Velez of Lakeport and his son, 20-year-old Dakota Joseph Velez of Kelseyville.
The men are being charged with murder, robbery, carjacking and assault with a deadly weapon in the deaths of 54-year-old William Frank Busch of Lakeport and Edward Harry Morgan, 46, of Kelseyville.
Rather than the death penalty, Borg said the District Attorney's Office will pursue life without the possibility of parole for the men.
He said the decision was made in consultation with the families of the victims, who agreed that seeking life sentences was more appropriate.
The preliminary hearing for the father and son was held Dec. 3 through 5, with both being ordered to stand trial, said Borg.
The Velezes' codefendant in the case, Dahnna Phyllis Burrows, 27, of Lakeport – who was Conrad Velez' girlfriend – had her preliminary hearing at the same time, Borg said.
However, Burrows – who also had been charged with murder, robbery, carjacking, assault with a deadly weapon as well as being an accessory after the fact in the death – was only held to answer on two counts of vehicle theft and two counts of accessory to assault, according to her defense attorney, Angela Carter.
“Those charges are considerably less than what she was facing when the complaint was originally filed by the District Attorney's Office,” Carter said.
If convicted, Burrows could face a maximum of five years in prison, rather than life in prison, which had been the previous possibility, according to Carter.
Carter said she also succeeded in getting Burrows' bail reduced from $1 million to $25,000 on Tuesday as a result in the reduction in charges.
Barry Melton, representing Conrad Velez, told Lake County News that he couldn't discuss the facts of the case at this time. A message left for Mitchell Hauptman, representing Dakota Velez, wasn't immediately returned.
The facts of the case
Borg called the murders of Busch and Morgan “extremely brutal crimes,” the motivations for which still aren't clear.
Late on the night of Jan. 27, 2014, firefighters responded to the 3800 block of Highland Springs Road near Lakeport for a structure fire, finding inside of the building the body of a man, later identified as Busch.
Borg said it later would be determined that Busch had been stabbed numerous times. However, what killed him were the five skull fractures his autopsy found. It appeared that he had been beaten with a blunt object.
On the morning of Jan. 28 a vehicle belonging to Busch was found burning in a field in the 900 block of Soda Bay Road in Lakeport.
Later that same day, deputies and firefighters were dispatched to the area of Robin Hill Drive and Lakeshore Boulevard near Lakeport on the report of an assault victim, arriving to find Morgan badly injured, with the assailants having left the scene in his white Chevy Tahoe. He died at the scene shortly after their arrival.
In the case of Morgan, Borg believes the motive may have been the carjacking, adding, “They didn't need to kill him.”
Morgan died from multiple stab wounds, most of which he suffered while still inside the vehicle, Borg said.
After he was stabbed, Morgan was pushed from the vehicle, which ran him over, causing a compound leg fracture. Borg said it's not clear if anyone was actually at the wheel of the vehicle at that point. However, one of the men got out and stabbed Morgan again while he was on the ground.
Borg said a sheriff's detective found vehicle registration paperwork in Morgan's pocket, with information about the vehicle subsequently broadcast as a “be on the lookout” to local and regional law enforcement.
It was a Napa Police officer who spotted Morgan's Chevy Tahoe, left at a city park after it was closed. Borg said the officer found the vehicle identification number and determined that it was being sought by local authorities.
“Napa city police did some pretty good work on that,” said Borg.
Subsequently, Conrad Velez – who Borg said had a long and violent criminal history, had been released from prison just weeks before the murders and was a parolee at large – was arrested along with Burrows in the city of Napa at a relative's home on Jan. 28 after an unrelated domestic disturbance report, Borg said.
On Jan. 30, after discovering that Dakota Velez was at a relative's home in Hopland, Mendocino County Sheriff's deputies surrounded the residence and took him into custody, as Lake County News has reported.
Since then, Burrows and the Velezes have remained in the Lake County Jail.
Conrad Velez's bail is set at $3 million. His booking sheet also shows additional charges of assault on a custodial officer. Dakota Velez's bail is set at $1 million, according to jail records.
After her bail reduction, Burrows was still in custody on Tuesday, night, according to jail records.
Reasons for not pursuing the death penalty
After the early December preliminary hearing, with the Velezes held to answer for the murders, an arraignment followed on Dec. 16, Borg said.
Due to scheduling issues, the arraignment was put over to Tuesday, when Burrows' bail setting hearing and a determination on whether to pursue the death penalty also scheduled at that time, according to Borg.
The death penalty issue had to be dealt with at this point, said Borg, because it “kicks a lot of different things into effect.”
For one, Borg said the defense attorneys would be entitled to additional co-counsel, and both Hauptman and Melton had asked for that assistance.
With Borg noting that both of those two public defender contract attorneys are the only ones qualified to handle capital cases, the court wanted to know if the death penalty would be sought, as efforts would be needed to find additional counsel outside of the contract.
So, over the last couple of weeks, the District Attorney's Office examined the case factors to determine what was appropriate in order to give the court an answer, Borg said.
In explaining the District Attorney's Office's approach to the case, Borg said, “Not every homicide case is a death penalty case.”
State law lays out a number of special circumstances that must exist to pursue the death penalty in a first-degree murder case, he said.
“When we charged this case, there were two special circumstances,” said Borg.
One was multiple victims, he said; the second was that Morgan's murder occurred during a carjacking.
District Attorney Don Anderson, Borg and other staffers weighed the options, including talking to the family of the victims and speaking to the investigating officers, Borg said.
Borg said Anderson was very clear about his concern that Dakota Velez was 19 at the time of the murders, and he's not in favor of the death penalty for teenagers.
“It was very unlikely we were ever going to seek death against him,” Borg said of Dakota Velez.
However, another important factor was that the victims' family members didn't want to pursue the death penalty, expressing their belief that life without the possibility of parole was the more appropriate maximum sentence.
“They were on board with the decision,” which Borg said was finalized on Monday.
The Velezes and Burrows all are due to return to court on Feb. 3, at which time Borg said a trial date is to be discussed.
However, he believes a trial is still some time off, as there is forensic evidence from the arson at Busch's house that is still being processed by the Department of Justice, which has an extensive evidence backlog.
The defense attorneys also may want to reinterview witnesses and conduct other investigations of their own, he said.
However, Borg suggested that Judge Blum would not be happy if the trial date is set too far out. As such, he expects a trial late in late summer to be the most realistic.
“I don't expect anything earlier than that because there's a lot of material to go through and a lot of different ramifications,” Borg said.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lake County Arts Council will present its all-star MusicFest at the Soper Reese Theatre on Saturday, Jan. 24.
Performances will begin at 7 p.m. at the theater, located at 275 S. Main St.
The show is comprised of the best talent from Lake County, including the Renaissance a Capella, all-female singing group, My Divas; and the Mendo-Lake Singers, who specialize in barber shop harmony.
Special guest is Dr. Michael S. Brophy, president of Marymount California University in Rancho Palos Verdes, who will be performing on the piano.
The evening’s program also includes songs and music by such well known local performers as Kay Ashley, Barbara Clark, Saro and Reikor Deacon, Bert Hutt, David Neft, Travis Rinker and Andy Rossoff.
MusicFest tickets are $15 each, open seating, and are available online at www.SoperReeseTheatre.com ; at the theater box office, 275 S. Main St., Lakeport on Fridays from 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., or up to two hours before the show; and at The Travel Center, 1265 S. Main, Lakeport, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
U.S. Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-5), has been reappointed to serve on the House Committee on Ways and Means in the 114th Congress.
The Committee on Ways and Means is the chief tax-writing committee in the House of Representatives.
The committee has jurisdiction over revenue, tariffs, trade agreements and the nation’s bonded debt.
It also oversees the revenue-related aspects of the Social Security system, Medicare and social services programs.
“It’s an honor to once again be appointed to serve on the Ways and Means Committee,” said Thompson. “This Congress, the focus of our committee must be on making sure all Americans who work hard and play by the rules have a fair opportunity to get ahead and succeed. To achieve this goal we need to reform our tax code in a way that will support small businesses, grow our economy, and strengthen our middle class.”
He added, “We need to pass laws that encourage companies to keep jobs at home instead of shipping them overseas. We need to continue improving the health care reform law so that all Americans can afford insurance. And, we need to make sure any trade deals support and help create good American jobs. I look forward to working with my Ways and Means colleagues as we address these important issues.”
In the 114th Congress, Thompson will serve on the Health and Select Revenue Subcommittees.
The jurisdiction of the Subcommittee on Health includes legislation that relates to programs providing payments for health care, health delivery systems, or health research.
More specifically, the jurisdiction of the Subcommittee on Health includes bills and matters that relate to the health care programs of the Social Security Act. Additionally, the subcommittee has jurisdiction over tax credit and deduction provisions of the Internal Revenue Code dealing with health insurance premiums and health care costs.
The jurisdiction of the Subcommittee on Select Revenue Measures consists of revenue measures that are referred to subcommittee specifically by the Chairman of the full committee.
The Committee on Ways and Means is the oldest committee of the United States Congress. Eight presidents and eight vice presidents have served on Ways and Means, as have 21 speakers of the House of Representatives, and four justices of the Supreme Court.
Thompson represents California’s Fifth Congressional District, which includes all or part of Contra Costa, Lake, Napa, Solano and Sonoma counties.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The work to total up the damages to the county following a heavy early December rainstorm has been completed as part of the process of seeking a state emergency declaration.
The rainstorm, which hit the region on Dec. 11, dumped several inches of rain and ended up flooding a number of roadways around Lake County, resulting in closures and damage.
The cities of Clearlake and Lakeport, and the county of Lake all issued local emergency declarations on the day of the storm.
Lake County's state legislators, Sen. Mike McGuire and Assemblyman Bill Dodd, subsequently asked Gov. Jerry Brown for a disaster declaration for the county, as Lake County News has reported.
However, to qualify for the state disaster declaration, officials said damage estimates had to be submitted to the state.
Lake County Office of Emergency Services Manager Marisa Chilafoe said Monday that the damage assessments have been completed.
“Our preliminary numbers were approximately $4 million,” she said.
That number is for the entire county operational area – including both cities, Chilafoe said.
Most of that $4 million was road damage – including cleanup response and debris removal – in addition to the more serious damage done on stretches of Soda Bay Road and Bartlett Springs Road, according to Chilafoe.
While city and county agencies are expecting to have to deal with much of the road damage, Chilafoe said there were about a dozen homeowners – with damages totaling about $5,000 each – who submitted reports.
Those totals, she said, weren't enough to trigger assistance for individual homeowners.
“This was certainly not an emergency that would bring any individual assistance in. I think we knew that going in by we wanted to collect that information,” Chilafoe said.
The county has made requests to the state for funding assistance with some of the road repair projects. Chilafoe said they won't know the status of those requests for a few weeks.
She said county representatives met last week with members of Cal OES.
Cal OES told Lake County News that Assistant Director of Recovery Charles Rabamad visited Lake County last Thursday.
Officials said Rabamad is to make recommendations to the governor on the declaration.
Chilafoe said local and state representatives discussed the request for an emergency declaration from the governor during that visit.
However, she said there was no indication about which way the request would go.
The county should know the results of its request later this month, Chilafoe said.
In late December, Gov. Jerry Brown issued emergency declarations due to the storm in Marin, Mendocino, San Mateo and Ventura counties.
Email Elizabeth Larson at