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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Lake County Registrar of Voters Office said the last day to register to vote for the June 3 Statewide Direct Primary Election is Monday, May 19.
The Elections Office said new residents of Lake County, and registered voters who have moved to a new address, changed their mailing address within the county or changed their name may need to reregister in order to be eligible to vote in the upcoming primary election.
The completed voter registration form must be either personally delivered to the Registrar of Voters Office on or before May 19; or postmarked on or before May 19 and received by mail by the Registrar of Voters Office.
Pursuant to Section 2101 of the California Elections Code: “A person entitled to register to vote shall be a United States citizen, a resident of California, not in prison or on parole for the conviction of a felony, and at least 18 years of age at the time of the next election”.
Residents may register to vote at the Lake County Registrar of Voters Office, Room 209 on the second floor of the Lake County Courthouse, 255 N. Forbes St. in Lakeport, telephone 707-263-2372, or register to vote online by visiting http://registertovote.ca.gov/ .
Registration forms also are available at most local post offices, libraries, city offices, and chamber of commerce offices.
LOWER LAKE, Calif. – The service of a search warrant last week led to the arrest of a Lower Lake man and the seizure of methamphetamine, psilocybin mushrooms and LSD.
Narcotics detectives arrested Philip Donald Marcelino, 43, during the warrant service, according to Lt. Steve Brooks of the Lake County Sheriff's Office.
Brooks said narcotics detectives secured a search warrant for a residence located in the 11000 block of Spruce Grove Road in Lower Lake on April 21, serving it just before 1:30 p.m. last Thursday, May 1.
When detectives entered the residence, they located and detained Marcelino without incident. Brooks said Marcelino was located in the bathroom with a water pipe used to smoke methamphetamine, a propane torch and a lighter.
During the search, detectives located 14.3 grams of methamphetamine sitting on top of the living room coffee table in plain view, Brooks said.
Also located on the coffee table was a digital gram scale, a metal spoon coated with methamphetamine, 46.4 grams of processed marijuana and a stun gun. Brooks said all of the items were seized as evidence.
Detectives also located $200 sitting on the coffee table, which was seized pending asset forfeiture proceedings, Brooks said.
Detectives noticed a pair of pants draped over the living room couch with a glass meth pipe protruding from one of the pockets. Under the couch cushions detectives located .2 grams of methamphetamine which was prepackaged and another glass meth pipe, which were seized as evidence, according to Brooks.
In the dining room detectives located and seized a scanner which was actively monitoring the sheriff’s office primary law enforcement channel. Brooks said detectives also located and seized 4.5 grams of psilocybin mushrooms, which were located on the kitchen counter.
During a search of the garage detectives located and seized a sheet of suspected lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), containing 93 dosage units. Brooks said the suspected LSD will be sent to the California Department of Justice for further testing.
Marcelino was arrested for possession of a controlled substance for sale, possession of controlled substance paraphernalia, possession of a stun gun by a convicted felon and possession of marijuana, Brooks said.
He was transported to the Lake County Hill Road Correctional Facility and booked. Jail records indicated that Marcelino's bail was set at $25,000, and he later posted the required percentage and was released from custody.
The Sheriff’s Narcotics Task Force can be reached through its anonymous tip line at 707-263-3663.
California Attorney General Kamala Harris on Wednesday announced the arrest of 51 individuals associated with a Central Valley-based gang and narcotics trafficking organization and the seizure of methamphetamine, ecstasy, cocaine, marijuana and firearms.
“Drug traffickers have built sophisticated alliances and distribution networks that stretch across state and national borders that require a coordinated law enforcement response,” Harris said. “This seizure highlights the importance of cross agency collaboration and the need to support the state task forces that make this work happen. I thank our local, state and federal partners for their ongoing commitment to fighting this serious threat.”
The 51 defendants are charged with conspiracy, weapons violations, gang enhancements, and possession, transportation, distribution and sale of methamphetamine.
Today, over 200 agents executed arrest and search warrants in Merced County and, at the time of this release, made 41 arrests and seized 17 firearms, 300 ecstasy pills, 1.5 pounds of methamphetamine, 1.5 pounds of cocaine, 10.5 pounds of processed marijuana, 841 marijuana plants, 11 vehicles and $83,000 U.S. currency.
Over the course of the entire investigation, agents have now made 51 arrests, seized a total of 72.5 pounds of methamphetamine, 6 pounds of cocaine, 300 ecstasy pills, 10 marijuana growing operations, 20 firearms and $98,400 in U.S. currency.
“Today, through the incredible talent and effort of local, state and federal law enforcement personnel, we dealt a significant body blow to an organized crime cartel that has been trafficking substantial quantities of methamphetamine and cocaine throughout the Central Valley and across several states,” Merced County District Attorney Morse said. “Today’s raids and arrests will put a serious dent in the structure and activities of Norteño gangsters in Merced County operating with the Nuestra Familia Prison Gang. We will never relent in our efforts to destroy the revenue sources for these violent criminal street gangs that are such a plague in our communities.”
The United States Attorney's Office, Eastern District of California will prosecute the seven federal defendants who are in the custody of the United States Marshall's Office.
The Merced County District Attorney’s Office will prosecute defendants facing state charges, who were booked into Merced County Jail and are currently being held on bail ranging from $1 million to $150,000.
Agents from the California Department of Justice’s Special Operations Unit (SOU) conducted an investigation into the Norteño criminal street gang in Merced County for distributing crystal methamphetamine and collecting taxes on behalf of the Nuestra Familia Prison Gang.
Separately, in September 2013, agents with the California Department of Justice’s Merced Multi-Agency Narcotic Task Force (MMNTF) began an investigation into the Luis Tejada-Hurtado drug trafficking organization (DTO) that initially resulted in the seizure of approximately 30 pounds of methamphetamine and two kilograms of cocaine from a vehicle with a hidden compartment and a storage locker used by the DTO.
From that seizure, agents obtained additional information about several other associates of Hurtado, including Raul Recio and Larry Duncan.
Agents recently seized 20 pounds of methamphetamine from Recio immediately after crossing the U.S.-Mexico border. Duncan is a known member of the criminal street gang “The Get Money Boys/Green Guys,” which operates out of Blytheville, Arkansas, and Merced County.
In February, SOU and MMNTF agents joined their investigations after they confirmed a link between the Hurtado DTO and Norteño gang.
The investigation uncovered that members of the Hurtado DTO were directly supplying methamphetamine to the Norteño gangs in Merced County and Memphis, Tennessee.
Additional agencies and task forces that participated in today’s operation include: The California Department of Justice-Bureau of Investigation regional offices and task forces, Central Valley High Intensity Drug Trafficking task forces, Merced County Gang Task Force, Merced Police Department Gang Violence Suppression Unit, Merced County Sheriff’s Department, Merced County District Attorney’s Office, Atwater Police Department, Los Banos Police Department, Madera Special Investigations Unit, Kings County Gang Task Force, California Highway Patrol, Drug Enforcement Administration, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, United States Marshall’s Service and United States Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of California.
A March 2014 report issued by Attorney General Harris called the trafficking of methamphetamine from Mexico into California a growing threat to the state and a top priority for law enforcement.
The report, “Gangs Beyond Borders: California and the Fight Against Transnational Organized Crime,” is the first comprehensive report analyzing the current state of transnational criminal organizations in California and the threats they pose to the state’s public safety and economy.
The report also outlined recommendations to address this problem, which include increased funding for state anti-narcotics trafficking task forces and additional coordination between federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies in combatting transnational criminal organizations. The report is available here: https://oag.ca.gov/transnational-organized-crime .
Following the release of this report, Attorney General Harris led a delegation of state attorneys general to Mexico to strengthen working relationships between the governments of both countries and enhance efforts to combat transnational crime.
The delegation met with Mexican state attorneys general and federal officials to discuss the issues of drug, human and firearms trafficking, money laundering and high-tech crime.
Harris and the four other state attorneys general also signed a letter of intent with the National Banking and Securities Commission of Mexico to establish a bi-national working group on money laundering enforcement.
UPPER LAKE, Calif. – Two structures were lost and a third damaged in an early morning fire on Wednesday.
The fire, first reported shortly before 12:30 a.m., occurred in the area of 1413 W. Highway 20 off of Hicks Trail, as Lake County News has reported.
Firefighters and a deputy arriving at scene initially reported as many of four structures were damaged, according to radio reports.
However, Northshore Fire Chief Jay Beristianos said Wednesday afternoon that based on the assessment of the scene a total of two structures were destroyed, with a third sustaining damage.
Northshore Fire, Lakeport Fire and Cal Fire worked the incident, Beristianos said.
The buildings that burned included a large, two-story home and a storage outbuilding, said Beristianos. A garage sustained 25-percent damage.
There also was about a half-acre of vegetation that burned on the property, Beristianos said.
Cal Fire put in a defense line around the fire. Beristianos said that, while the grass was green, the undergrowth was dry and so it burned very well. “We were fortunate that it was pretty much surrounded by roads.”
The main house was unoccupied, he said. “Apparently nobody has lived in it for about a year.”
During that time, transients had been in and out of the building and are believed to have damaged the house, according to Beristianos.
Power lines were down at the back of the property but did not contribute to the fire, Beristianos said.
He said the fire was well under way by the time firefighters were called. When he arrived, the second story of the house was ready to collapse.
Fire units remained on scene until around noon Wednesday while investigators worked to evaluate the cause, Beristianos said.
As of Wednesday afternoon, Beristianos did not have a dollar estimate for total damage to the property.
“Because the damage was so extensive there's not much to work with,” he said, adding the investigators are trying to get a history on the house and conduct interviews.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
UPPER LAKE, Calif. – The Mendocino National Forest's Upper Lake District celebrated its 80th birthday last year, and this past weekend it marked the opening of a new and up-to-date ranger station.
The recently constructed building is the result of a two-year wait, with demolition of the former facility having begun in the late spring of 2011 and groundbreaking for the new structure in fall of that same year.
November 2013 saw the significantly modernized Upper Lake District Ranger Station completed and the move-in began.
Last Saturday, May 3, was the open house, complete with ribbon cutting ceremony, guided tour and refreshments. About 50 people were in attendance.
“This is an opportunity for other agencies and the public to see the finished product and learn about their local Forest Service,” said Frank Aebly, the Upper Lake Ranger District’s temporary acting ranger.
The former station’s offices were comprised of three main and two utility structures that were built in the 1930s by the California Conservation Corps, or CCC, under President Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal.
Being three independent buildings “made communication difficult between the various departments,” Aebly said.
When asked if personnel were excited to move in, Aebly said, “It was tough because everyone lost about 40 percent office space and we had to figure out what stayed and what didn’t.”
The new and open floor plan has everyone under the same roof in one building with two wings. Though office space shrank, “total square footage increased to 5,000 square feet,” explained Debbie McIntosh, supportive services specialist, “with the addition of a large break room with kitchen, a computer control and communications room, a conference room with movable partition, a dedicated union office, large bathrooms with showers, and several storage rooms.”
The station has central heat and air, energy efficient lighting with motion controls, and wireless Internet. Additionally, located outside and in between the building’s two wings is a courtyard with benches and pergolas for shade.
McIntosh said there had been a large Redwood tree in proximity to where the courtyard presently sits, but was removed out of necessity and that a firefighter had made several pieces of furniture from its wood.
The district has nearly 50 full-time, year-around personnel distributed throughout the four departments of recreation, planning, law enforcement and fire, and is the westside headquarters for both Upper Lake and Covelo Districts. That number increases to around 100 as seasonal recreation and fire personnel are hired for spring and summer.
The Upper Lake station issues approximately 7,000 permits annually for campfires, Christmas trees, personal use firewood cutting and a host of other permits. “But that figure doesn’t accurately represent total public usage,” said McIntosh, “because not everyone’s forest activities requires a permit, so the figure is probably much higher.”
Mendocino National Forest is comprised of three districts within two geographic divisions. Grindstone District oversees the entire “eastside” with headquarters for the entire forest located in Willows. The “westside” has Covelo District to the north and Upper Lake District in the south.
The forest now has more than one million acres that run approximately 65 miles in length from north to south, and 35 miles east to west. Recently, a large, privately owned parcel of approximately 73,000 acres was willed and deeded over to the forest; the new land is located in the northeastern area of the forest, but was already located within the forest’s boundary.
The forest covers portions of the six counties of Lake, Glenn, Mendocino, Tehama, Trinity, and Colusa, as well as the sovereign nations of 21 individual indigenous tribes.
Aebly’s tenure will conclude at the end of this month. Formerly he was hired and joined the district as a hydrologist in the planning department. After an 11-month stint with Sierra National Forest in Fresno, Aebly returned to Upper Lake, he said, “Because I missed Lake County.”
He was later promoted to planner, overseeing the planning department. Aebly has been acting ranger since February, after the previous ranger left, and has “thoroughly enjoyed a more comprehensive involvement in affairs at the forest and district levels,” he said.
Furthermore, he expressed a passion for public awareness and interaction, stressing, “There is a lot more to forestry than recreation and fire prevention and suppression.”
Aebly added, “I want school children to know that there are so many different careers available working in the forest.”
He will return to the planning department soon, but hopes to see the Forest Services’ involvement with local schools and the community at large, continue to grow.
EDITOR'S NOTE: This story has been expanded; the earlier version of the story had incorrectly stated that the new building replaced two earlier ones, when in fact, it replaces three buildings that had been on the site, and that the district had celebrated 70 years, when in fact it celebrated 80 years.
Email Gary McAuley at
LAKEPORT, Calif. – Firefighters responded early Wednesday morning to a fire involving multiple structures near Upper Lake.
Northshore Fire personnel were first dispatched to the area of 1413 W. Highway 20 at Hicks Trail at 12:24 a.m., according to fire traffic. A short time later, mutual aid was requested from Lakeport Fire.
A deputy arriving on scene ahead of the firefighters reported that three structures were involved, wildland was threatened and fuel tanks were nearby, based on scanner reports.
The first firefighters to arrive said a fourth building was catching fire, with additional buildings threatened and a half-acre of wildland burning, scanner reports indicated.
A full wildland dispatch of engines and equipment subsequently was requested from Cal Fire, with the Northshore Support Team dispatched just before 1 a.m.
The buildings that were on fire were reported to have burned to the ground, according to firefighters at the scene. Power lines were reported to have fallen, with Pacific Gas and Electric requested to respond.
Firefighters reported the fire was contained just after 2 a.m., with reports indicating that crews were to remain on scene for several hours to work on overhaul.
Additional details will be posted as they become available.
Email Elizabeth Larson at