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NORTH COAST, Calif. – Two Clearlake residents were arrested last weekend on drug charges following a traffic stop in Willits.
Thomas Parks and Kim Williams, both age 41, were arrested following an early morning traffic stop on Saturday, June 21, according to Capt. Greg Van Patten of the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office.
At 2 a.m. that day Mendocino County Sheriff's deputies initiated a traffic stop in the 21000 block of Meadowbrook Drive in Willits for a minor traffic violation, Van Patten said.
Van Patten said Parks was driving the vehicle, with Williams riding as his passenger.
During the contact Deputies noticed the subjects were displaying signs of drug influence. Further investigation revealed the subjects were under the influence of a controlled substance suspected to be methamphetamine, Van Patten said.
Parks and Williams were arrested for being under the influence of a controlled substance. Van Patten said a search of the vehicle revealed a usable quantity of methamphetamine, with Parks and Williams subsequently being arrested for possession of a controlled substance.
Van Patten said Parks and Williams were arrested and booked into the Mendocino County Jail and held in lieu of $25,000 bail.
In the wake of recent shootings in Portland, Las Vegas, and Santa Barbara, Representatives Carol Shea-Porter (NH-01), a member of the House’s Gun Violence Prevention Task Force, and Task Force Chairman Mike Thompson (CA-05) led in sending a letter to Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) signed by 163 Members of Congress demanding a vote on substantive legislation to address gun violence.
“Our nation has suffered at least 74 school shootings since the Sandy Hook massacre,” Shea-Porter, Thompson, and 161 of their colleagues wrote. “The factors allowing these rampages are no mystery: loopholes in the background check laws, straw purchases, restrictions on law enforcement, and gaps in our mental health system. Dozens of legislative proposals that address these factors have been introduced and await consideration. But despite wake-up call after wake-up call, a shameful tradition of Congressional inaction continues.”
“Moments of silence on the floor of the House are not enough. The last thing these victims and their families need is further silence from this Congress. They deserve a vote,” they continued.
Recently on the floor of the House of Representatives, Shea-Porter called on Speaker Boehner to allow a vote on legislation to help prevent more deaths from senseless gun violence.
The Gun Violence Prevention Task Force, which is chaired by Thompson, released a comprehensive set of policy principles that will reduce gun violence and respect the Second Amendment.
Of those recommendations, one of the most important pieces is H.R. 1565, bipartisan legislation written by Reps. Thompson and Peter King (R-NY) and cosponsored by Rep. Shea-Porter, to strengthen and expand background checks. This legislation bolsters the Second Amendment rights of lawful gun owners and helps keep guns from criminals, terrorists, and the dangerously mentally ill.
Right now, a criminal in many states can buy a firearm at a gun show, over the internet, or through a newspaper ad because those sales don’t require a background check.
H.R. 1565 requires comprehensive and enforceable background checks on all commercial gun sales, including those at gun shows, over the Internet, or through classified ads, while providing reasonable exceptions for family and friends.
Background checks would be conducted though a licensed dealer in the same manner as they have been for more than 40 years.
The Thompson-King bill bans the creation of a federal registry and makes the misuse of records a felony, punishable by up to 15 years in prison.
“Congressional silence is not a sign of respect, but rather an institutional indictment. We must right this wrong. You must allow a vote on substantive legislation to address gun violence,” Shea-Porter, Thompson and others concluded in their letter.
The full text of the letter to Speaker John Boehner is below.
June 26, 2014
Speaker John Boehner
Office of the Speaker
H-232, US Capitol
Washington, DC 20515
Dear Mr. Speaker:
We agree with you that we must honor the victims of the recent shootings in Portland, Las Vegas and Santa Barbara. But moments of silence on the floor of the House are not enough. The last thing these victims and their families need is further silence from this Congress. They deserve a vote.
Our nation has suffered at least 74 school shootings since the Sandy Hook massacre. The factors allowing these rampages are no mystery: loopholes in the background check laws, straw purchases, restrictions on law enforcement, and gaps in our mental health system. Dozens of legislative proposals that address these factors have been introduced and await consideration. But despite wake-up call after wake-up call, a shameful tradition of Congressional inaction continues.
Gun violence has affected constituents in every Congressional district, and as their representatives, Members of Congress deserve the opportunity to vote on bills that would address this epidemic.
Congressional silence is not a sign of respect, but rather an institutional indictment. We must right this wrong. You must allow a vote on substantive legislation to address gun violence.
LAKEPORT, Calif. – A Wednesday morning wreck in north Lakeport caused a power outage and an extended road closure, and led to the arrest of a Northshore man on suspicion of driving under the influence.
Stephen Grammer, 67, was arrested following the crash, which occurred at 7:45 a.m. Wednesday, according to Officer Kory Reynolds of the California Highway Patrol's Clear Lake Area office.
Grammer was driving a 1996 Chevrolet pickup southbound on Lakeshore Boulevard, north of Hill Road, when he ran off the roadway and hit a speed limit sign and then a power pole, Reynolds said.
Reynolds said it was not clear from the information he had available whether Grammer then hit a second power pole or if the first pole was responsible for knocking down the second.
In all, two poles were knocked down and the roadway was closed, he said.
Grammer had complaints of pain to his back, neck and head, and was taken to Sutter Lakeside Hospital, Reynolds said. The pickup had major front end damage.
Reynolds said Grammer was arrested for driving under the influence following the wreck.
Lori Price of the Lake County Public Works Department said county crews were on scene for an extended time to assist with traffic control, with Pacific Gas and Electric also providing staffing.
PG&E had reported early Thursday that it anticipated having power restored to all customers by about 3 a.m.
Price said all traffic control was released at 5 a.m. Thursday.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
CLEARLAKE, Calif. – During a special Wednesday afternoon meeting the Konocti County Water District Board and staff asked customers to cut back on water use in the face of looming emergency and conservation measures.
About 20 community members crowded into the small board room at the district's headquarters on 35th Avenue for the hourlong meeting.
Also in attendance were county Supervisor Jeff Smith, Clearlake City Manager Joan Phillipe, and California Department of Public Health Drinking Water Field Operations Branch district engineer Michelle Frederick and associate sanitary engineer Sheri Miller.
General Manager Frank Costner explained that the district is having a supply and demand issue in serving its estimated 4,300 customers. He said the district has 2,000 connections, of which about 1,750 are active.
“There's a lot of people using a lot of water, and it's more than normal,” he said, estimating that usage is up by about 10 percent.
July and August, he noted, tend to be the months of maximum usage in the district. However, the district now is reaching maximum daily production. He said the system has a top capacity of between 500,000 and 700,000 gallons daily.
“Normally our plant would be able to keep up with that,” he said, but the lake's low water level and the condition of the algae – which this year has been more difficult to treat – are giving the district unforeseen challenges.
Costner said the Wednesday afternoon special meeting was the first step in the process to implement a districtwide emergency and mandatory water restrictions, with high monetary penalties for overuse.
The district is working with the County Counsel's Office to draft an ordinance for a water conservation plan, he said.
County Counsel Anita Grant, reached by Lake County News for comment after the meeting, said she couldn't talk about specifics of what her office is doing for the district, which is not under county jurisdiction, and so their interactions are protected by attorney-client privilege.
However, Grant said the district operates under state water code that lays out steps for dealing with water emergencies and implementing conservation measures.
Those steps include publishing notice of a public hearing, which must precede a board decision on an emergency. The district's governing board also must adopt regulations and restrictions to “conserve the water supply for the greatest public benefit with particular regard to domestic use, sanitation, and fire protection.” Any ordinance or resolution the board adopts also must be legally advertised.
Costner said the board originally had wanted to adopt emergency measures at the Wednesday meeting, but the County Counsel's Office said they couldn't as the district still has to complete several requirements before doing so.
Potential conservation measures considered
Costner said that conservation measures the district anticipates putting into effect include no outside watering for lawns or gardens.
“That's going to be a big issue and we're going to need help from people in the community on enforcing those restrictions,” he said.
Costner said the district has been doing a rate and usage study which will help them determine how much usage to allow under the new restrictions.
He said the average customer currently uses about 600 cubic feet – or 4,400 gallons – per month. Initially the district is looking at doubling rates over 600 cubic feet, with anything over 3,000 cubic feet getting a $500 fine.
“It's not set in stone yet,” Costner said.
Costner added, “If we don't make it strict enough, no one is going to conserve water.”
Board Chair Walter Cole said that of all the water districts on the lake, Konocti is the closest to the Cache Creek Dam.
“We're the first ones to see the stress,” said Cole, who has lived in Lake County more than 50 years.
He said the current dry conditions are part of a natural pattern – he referred to similar situations in the 1880s, 1920s and 1970s – that he estimated occurs every 35 years or so.
Costner said water conservation will be a big issue for the district. He said there is only a 15-percent loss through leaks, as the district has been aggressive in updating and maintaining its distribution system.
The district is looking at a water conservation plan to help customers save water. Costner said it will include suggestions about lowering home use. Gray water use, which was suggested by a community member at the meeting, can be included in the plan, he said.
As for preparing for emergency fire situations, Costner said he is meeting on Thursday morning with Highlands Mutual Water Co. and Golden State Water, the neighboring districts, to formulate plans for mutual assistance.
Last week, Highlands was able to supply Konocti with several thousand gallons of water a day through an intertie system. Costner said Highlands and Golden Gate also have interties, so they can help each other.
On Wednesday, Supervisor Jeff Smith offered the county's assistance to the district, and encouraged them to look at lowering the threshold for fines and conservation based on Costner's current estimates. Smith felt that 750 cubic feet, versus 3,000, was a better place to start when issuing fines.
Costner also was questioned about the potential for cyanotoxins in drinking water if the district is no longer able to keep up with the demand for potable water.
California Department of Public Health Drinking Water Field Operations Branch district engineer Michelle Frederick said that issue would have to be assessed if it came to pass that the district couldn't treat enough water.
However, Frederick added that in the cyanotoxins testing she has done around the lake, she has so far never found them in local drinking water.
She added that cyanotoxins currently are not a regulated contaminant in California, although the Environmental Protection Agency has them on a potential contaminants list.
Another issue raised during the meeting is concerns over water theft.
Costner reported during the meeting that 1,000 gallons of water were stolen from a metered hydrant over the weekend.
He said local water delivery companies have been cut off from taking water from the system, and no one currently has permission to take any water from the district's hydrants.
District officials asked that members of the public who witness theft from hydrants take down license plate numbers and report them to the district at 707-994-2561.
Costner told Lake County News after the meeting that the district board is expected to meet again in about two weeks with the necessary emergency ordinance or resolution.
“During that time, the word needs to go out that people really need to start conserving,” he said.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – The South Lake County Volunteer Firefighter Association reported that its third annual dinner and auction fundraiser – held last Friday at Twin Pine Casino – proved to be a very successful event.
South Lake County Fire Protection District Captain Tony Allegra, who also is president of the South Lake County Volunteer Firefighter Association, said they raised $11,000 at the dinner.
The funds will go toward several purposes, Allegra said, including the district's scholarship program at Santa Rosa Junior College and Mendocino College, and the Field of Dreams program for special needs children and veterans.
The association also has used funds from the event to help purchase much-needed equipment, according to Allegra.
Visit the South Lake County Fire Protection District Web site at https://www.facebook.com/southlakefire .
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Corvettes of Lake County club has once again shown support for a fund to remember the life of a local businesswoman.
This past Memorial Day weekend the Corvettes club shined and showed cars, won awards, had 52 cars in attendance and made a $1,500 donation to Lake Family Resource Center through the Barbara LaForge Memorial Fund.
For the past six years the Corvettes of Lake County has made generous donations to the LaForge Memorial Fund, which benefits Lake Family Resource Center's Freedom House domestic violence shelter in Kelseyville.
The fund – the motto of which is “It's never too late to be remembered” – started with one raffle ticket, according to memorial fund founder and Corvettes of Lake County member Gail Salituri.
“That one ticket grew into raffles and auctions and the 'Charity of Choice' by the Corvettes of Lake County,” Salituri said.
LaForge's frame shop shared space with Salituri's Inspirations Gallery in downtown Lakeport. In October 2002 LaForge was fatally shot in the frame shop. Her murder remains unsolved.
Over the years the Corvettes of Lake County has helped to furnish rooms in the shelter, build rain gutters, provided funds for the rape crisis center and helped build a playground for the children, and now is supplying fences to secure the outdoor playground.
“We have raised over $15,500 for Lake Family Resource Center and I am as always grateful for the generosity of the Corvettes of Lake County,” Salituri said.