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MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – This week several young men were celebrated for completing the South Lake County Fire Protection District Fire Academy, setting them on the path to firefighting careers.
The graduation was held Tuesday evening at the district's Station 60 in Middletown.
Seven volunteers graduated from the six-month, 300-hour academy which began in January, according to Tony Allegra, a paid call fire captain for the district and president of the South Lake County Volunteer Firefighters Association, which has 24 active members.
The graduates are Alex Davis, Chris Edwards, Jon Henry, Rich Hoberg, Saul Preciado, Russell Rosenthal and Andrew Welter, Allegra said.
Allegra said the academy selection process began eight months ago.
He said each of the recruits was required to take a special physical agility test, which they had to travel to Livermore or Sacramento to take at their own expense. To be hired and accepted into the academy, each applicant had to be at least 18 years of age.
Over the last six months, Allegra said the academy class met twice weekly, going over a variety of specialties including confined space training, emergency medical responder tasks, emergency vehicle operations, hazardous materials, low angle rescue and ropes, vehicle extrication, and wildland and structure firefighting.
The district has been running the academies about every two years, said Allegra, with another group already lining up for the training.
In addition to the seven new firefighters, the district also promoted three men from firefighter to engine operator, which Allegra said means they can operate fire engines within the district.
Allegra said the new engine operators are Robert Taylor, Byran Atkins and Matt McCabe.
After a year, if engine operators don't have any major incidents, they are reevaluated and moved up to engineer, Allegra said.
Allegra explained that the district's paid positions are provided by Cal Fire, and that while they're called “volunteers,” the district does pay volunteers to respond to calls.
Also on Tuesday, two Middletown High School students – Rich Hoberg and Hunter Duncan – each were awarded $500 scholarships at the ceremony, according to Allegra.
“I couldn't think of anyone more deserving of this scholarship money,” Allegra said.
Allegra said this is the first year in some time that the scholarship has been offered. “We need to give back to the community.”
The scholarship required that applicants carried at least a 3.2 grade point average, were involved in the community and are planning a career in the fire service or a related field, he said.
He said Hoberg and Duncan worked hard on their applications and did very well in their interviews.
The South Lake County Volunteer Firefighter Association's annual dinner and auction fundraiser – which brings in funds for district needs, like equipment, as well as the Field of Dreams group that provides trips and events for special needs children and veterans– also helped fund the scholarship, Allegra said.
This year's third annual fundraiser takes place Friday from 5 to 10 p.m. at Twin Pine Casino in Middletown.
Dinner includes hand-carved Angus prime rib or and salmon fillet, raffles, door prizes and a live auction. The cost is $40 per person, with 100-percent of proceeds going directly to the association.
Tickets can be purchased at the Middletown Fire Department, 21095 Highway 175, telephone 707-987-3089; through firefighters; or at the door.
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CLEARLAKE OAKS, Calif. – The Clearlake Oaks County Water District is pursuing federal loans and grants in an effort to upgrade its aging water and sewer systems.
General Manager Matt Bassett said that, altogether, the district is aiming at $7.7 million in low interest loans from the US Department of Agriculture Rural Development for projects on both the water and sewer sides.
USDA Rural Development offers a variety of funding opportunities for upgrading water systems like Clearlake Oaks'. The city of Lakeport also has received several million dollars in grants and loans for its water and sewer systems, as Lake County News has reported.
Bassett said the district has completed environmental and preliminary engineering reports for its application.
USDA gave preliminary approval to the district's funding application, and now the district board needs to make some decisions in order to finish up the application process, Bassett said.
That includes finalizing a list of projects and deciding the final amount that will need to be borrowed, as well as exploring what grants the district could get, he said.
Some of the projects up for consideration include a water clarifier for the sewer system and replacing the district's original, 1960s-era redwood water tanks, according to Bassett.
In order to prepare for the next steps in the process, at its regular Thursday afternoon meeting the district's board unanimously voted to begin negotiations with MC Engineering of Sacramento to handle all engineering for the USDA loan projects.
The board will hold a special meeting at 10 a.m. Tuesday, July 1, in the board meeting room at the district headquarters, 12952 Highway 20, to discuss the capital improvement projects – and their estimated costs – to include in the USDA application.
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LAKEPORT, Calif. – Local blues band Twice As Good, which regularly tours throughout the United States, will headline the Lake County News Stage at 8 p.m. Friday, June 20, opening night of the new Lake County Spring Fair.
The Hip Replacements will perform several sets on the same stage Friday afternoon, and the Mark Weston Band will perform on the Mediacom Gazebo Stage.
Twice As Good is the professional name of the music duo formed by Paul Steward and his father, Richard Steward, who are from Clearlake Oaks, and are members of the Elem Indian Colony.
Richard Steward has grown up around music all his life, mostly admiring blues & soul music. When Paul Steward was a young teenager, Richard taught him to play guitar. Paul, was inspired by B.B. King and began imitating the electric blues guitar he heard on the radio and also learned to sing lead vocals.
In May 2003 they debuted as "Twice As Good, and since then they have been all over the the USA, released four award-winning albums, shared the stage with many legends and famous artists, and continue to garner success and praise from many corners of the musical world.
The name “Twice As Good” isn't a claim of status. To the Stewards it is a dedication to hard work and quality of craft.
They were once told, “You can't make it in the music business, you got to be twice as good.” So they replied, “Well all right then. We will be, Twice As Good.”
The Lake County News Stage will also host the Fargo Brothers on Saturday, and the Cherry Road Gang on Sunday, with several sets each day.
The Mediacom Gazebo Stage will host the Snake Alley Band on Saturday, and Sunday.
In addition to the musical acts, Fill-up the Clown will be strolling the grounds performing magic tricks, creating balloon animals, and generally creating laughter. A face painter will be active near the carnival entrance from the grandstands area.
Lake County's new Spring Fair opens for its second year this Friday, June 20, and runs through Sunday, June 22.
The Lake County Spring Fair includes a Butler Amusements carnival, commercial exhibits, a car show, and vocational education exhibits. Other attractions include a variety of fair food, two stages of local entertainment, motorized grandstand activities, and a laser tag building.
Events in the grandstand arena include mud bogs on Friday evening, tuff truck and buggy and ATV races on Saturday evening, and stock car races on Sunday evening. All grandstand shows start at 7:30 pm. Local participants are also encouraged all three nights.
Spring Fair gates open all three days at 2 p.m., and admission is $5 per person for ages 6 and older. Children under age 6 may attend for free.
Carnival unlimited ride wristbands will be $25 each at the fair. Parking is $5 per car, and benefits the Kelseyville High School softball program.
More information about the Lake County Spring Fair can be found at www.lakecountyfair.com or https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lake-County-Fair/138978582794813 .
LAKEPORT, Calif. – It's that time again – when masters of duct tape will assemble creations to race on Clear Lake during the city of Lakeport's Independence Day celebration.
The Lakeport Yacht Club will once again sponsor the annual Cardboard and Duct Tape Regatta on Friday, July 4.
The sixth annual event will be held at Library Park near the Third Street launch ramp in the swimming beach across from TNT on the Lake restaurant.
Sign up starts at 9:30 a.m., with the races beginning at 11 a.m.
Rules require that the boats – which may be of any design, size or shape – be made using only cardboard and duct tape. Paddles may be of any material.
For the boats to qualify at the end of the races, the participants must be in them.
Life jackets are required for all participants. Unruly pirates will walk the plank.
There are three age groups: ages 6 to 11 (parents may assist but not propel the boat); 12 to 19; and 20 and above.
Trophies will be awarded to first, second and third place in each age group.
This year the Yacht Club also will award a trophy for the crowd favorite boat.
This is an entirely free event to thank Lake County residents and city staff and to start the July 4 celebration.
For more information, contact Larry Wiggins at 707-263-4601 or Brandy Cubbage at 432-614-7707.
California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) Director Ken Pimlott issued an order to suspend open burning across 31 million acres of State Responsibility Area in California.
The suspended burning order is part of Cal Fire’s continued efforts to mitigate the increased threat of wildfire due to the state’s drought emergency.
“The increase in fire activity this year, coupled with record-setting drought conditions, requires us to take every step possible to prevent new wildfires from starting,” said Chief Ken Pimlott, Cal Fire director. “In support of the Governor’s Drought State of Emergency, I am ordering each of the 21 unit chiefs and six contract county chiefs to issue local proclamations suspending burning on State Responsibility Area lands in their respective jurisdictions, effective no later than July 1, 2014.”
The process of geographically specific burn bans will allow for greater flexibility to cancel individual bans locally during the fall months if conditions warrant.
The localized proclamations will include suspension of all residential burn permits, forest management, hazard abatement, and other industrial-type permitted burning. Campfires may still be allowed in designated campsites.
For information, visit your nearest Cal Fire station – http://calfire.ca.gov/contacts/index.php .
Cal Fire has already responded to 2,118 fires this year, a nearly 70-percent increase in the average number of fires for the same time period.
Residents are urged to visit www.ReadyForWildfire.org for tips on how to prepare their homes and family for wildfire. The Web site also links to important water saving tips, a resource critical to the control of wildfires.
LAKEPORT, Calif. – A crash this past weekend injured a Clearlake woman and resulted in the arrest of the vehicle's driver on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol.
Sara Coughlin, 26, of Nice was arrested after she left the scene of the crash that injured 26-year-old Alicia Staub, according to the California Highway Patrol.
The CHP's report, issued Thursday, said the crash occurred at 12:25 a.m. Sunday, June 15.
Coughlin was driving a silver 1996 Volvo 850 northbound on Lakeshore Boulevard at Robin Hill Road in the north Lakeport area, with Staub as the right front passenger. For unknown reasons, Coughlin allowed the Volvo to leave the road, the report said.
The Volvo hit a small dirt embankment, with both air bags deploying, the CHP said.
The CHP said Staub suffered moderate injuries including a possible broken jaw and lacerations to her face, arms and legs. Coughlin sustained minor injuries, which included cuts on her arms, legs and face.
Coughlin attempted to flee the scene in the Volvo but was unable to drive away from the embankment, the CHP said.
Prior to the arrival of the CHP and emergency personnel, Coughlin fled the scene on foot and subsequently was located in Nice, according to the report.
The CHP said Coughlin was arrested for felony DUI causing injury and felony hit and run causing injury.
The Lakeport Fire Protection District transported Staub to Sutter Lakeside Hospital for treatment of her injuries, the CHP reported.
Both Coughlin and Staub were wearing their seat belts at the time of the crash, which the CHP said is being investigated by CHP Officer Glen Thomas.
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