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MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – The Lake Evacuation and Animal Protection group will hold its next meeting on Sunday, March 30.
The group will meet from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at South Lake County Fire Protection District's Main Station 60, 21095 State Highway 175 in Middletown.
LEAP, as the group is known, is composed of fully trained volunteers who work under the auspices of Lake County Animal Care and Control to assist with animal evacuations during fires and other disasters.
The group worked to evacuate pets and livestock from Spring Valley during the August 2012 Wye Fire, as Lake County News has reported.
Animal Care and Control Director Bill Davidson said they are looking for additional volunteers and hoping to add new members to LEAP's board.
He said volunteers go through training in order to have the necessary skills – as well as the needed certificates to satisfy liability issues – when emergencies occur.
For more information contact Animal Care and Control at 707-263-0278.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – Department of Water Resources surveyors will head back up the mountain on Tuesday, April 1, for their monthly on-the-ground snow survey with an expectation of finding growth in the snowpack due to this week’s storms throughout much of California.
However, the first significant precipitation in weeks likely will be too little and too late to have much impact on this year’s severe drought, according to state water officials.
Snowpack and rain measurements are so far below normal for this time of year that even sustained rainfall over the next several days, as is predicted, won’t end the drought.
Thursday's snowpack water equivalent as measured electronically by 99 sensors in the Northern, Central and Southern Sierra Nevada range is 7.1 inches, only 25 percent of the date’s average of 28.3 inches.
Rain measurements show the same pattern. Average rainfall at eight monitoring stations in Northern California is just 55 percent of the average for this date, and the average at five stations in the San Joaquin watershed is even less – 43 percent of their average.
Northern California reservoirs – Shasta, Trinity and Folsom (Bureau of Reclamation facilities) and Oroville (State Water Project) – are well below their historic storage levels for this date at 58, 68, 67 and 61 percent respectively.
DWR Director Mark Cowin said this week’s storms are providing some short-term gains, but the drought is far from being broken.
“It’s as important as ever for Californians to conserve water,” he said. “We can do that by allowing Mother Nature to water lawns and landscapes and by turning off our automatic sprinklers to save water.”
Governor Jerry Brown declared a state of drought emergency on Jan. 17 and called on local water suppliers and municipalities to implement their water shortage contingency plans.
He also directed state officials to respond to the state’s drought conditions by taking all necessary actions, including facilitating water transfers and reducing water use at government facilities.
Visit www.Drought.CA.Gov to learn more about how California is dealing with the effects of the drought.
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – This week, Congressmen John Garamendi (D-CA-03) and Doug LaMalfa (R-CA-01) officially introduced H.R. 4300, the Sacramento Valley Water Storage and Restoration Act of 2014.
The bill would authorize construction of Sites Reservoir in Colusa County upon completion of the feasibility study.
“Construction of Sites Reservoir would bring California one major step closer to a drought-proof water system. It has support across the aisle and across the state. I will continue to work with Doug and local stakeholders to move this project across the finish line,” said Congressman Garamendi, a former Deputy Secretary of the Department of Interior.
“We know that Sites Reservoir is needed to allow our California’s economy to continue to grow, to ensure that our cities have a secure water supply and to keep our agricultural sector strong. This project’s merits are recognized by lawmakers of both parties, water suppliers, cities, agriculture and environmental groups, and our drought would not be as dire had it already been built,” said Congressman LaMalfa.
The bill sets a deadline for the completion of the feasibility study and if deemed feasible, authorizes construction of the storage reservoir. The bill also creates a process by which a non-federal sponsor could develop the project.
Once completed, Sites Reservoir would provide 1.9 million acre feet of water storage capacity for Northern California and would help residents prepare for droughts like the one currently hurting the state.
Congressman LaMalfa is the lead sponsor and Congressman Garamendi is the original co-sponsor of the legislation.
The congressmen jointly developed the bill with local stakeholders, primarily the Sites Joint Powers Authority, a regional consortium of local water agencies and counties who joined together in 2010 to advocate for the project.
The project promotes state goals of regional self-sufficiency in water use. Storage is a key component of Congressman Garamendi’s “Water Plan for All of California,” which can be read at www.garamendi.house.gov/water .
For continually updated information on H.R. 4300, including bill status and cosponsors, go to http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.uscongress/legislation.113hr4300 .
CLEARLAKE, Calif. – A Hidden Valley Lake man was arrested on charges including burglary, theft and possession of stolen property following a Wednesday night traffic stop during which he was found to be in possession of a woman's wallet and debit cards.
Cesar Alejandro Rodriguez, 22, was arrested Wednesday in Clearlake, according to Lt. Steve Brooks of the Lake County Sheriff's Office.
Just before 11 p.m. Wednesday a patrol deputy was traveling southbound on Old Highway 53 in Clearlake when he noticed a vehicle make an illegal U-turn in the intersection of Old Highway 53 and Lakeview Drive and then fail to stop at the posted stop sign at the same intersection, according to Brooks.
The deputy conducted an enforcement stop of the vehicle on Old Highway 53 near Airport Boulevard, Brooks said.
The deputy contacted the driver, who he identified as Rodriguez. Brooks said that Rodriguez explained that he had just left Walmart and was headed to a bank to use the ATM, when he changed his mind and decided to drive home.
Rodriguez denied having anything illegal and gave the deputy permission to search both him and his vehicle, Brooks said.
During the pat down search, the deputy felt what he believed to be a large, thick stack of paper currency which was folded in half inside Rodriguez's right front pocket.
Brooks said that during a search of the vehicle, the deputy located a black backpack on the front passenger’s seat. The backpack contained a women’s wallet which had a driver’s license belonging to a female. The backpack also contained a school binder and items belonging to Rodriguez.
The deputy asked Rodriguez who the wallet belonged to and he said that he had found it, Brooks said. Rodriguez explained that he had started working at Twin Pine Casino in Middletown a couple of weeks ago.
At 1 a.m. Tuesday Rodriguez was cleaning the floors in the bar area of the casino and found the wallet. Rodriguez said he picked up the wallet, placed it into his pocket and continued cleaning the floors, according to Brooks.
Rodriguez told the deputy that he forgot to turn in the wallet and went home after his shift. He went on to say that he was not scheduled to go back to work until Monday, March 31, which was when he intended to turn in the wallet, Brooks said.
Rodriguez denied taking anything out of the wallet but said he did look through it to see what was inside of it. He eventually told the deputy that earlier in the day, he drove to McDonald’s in Clearlake to see of the debit cards were good, Brooks said.
Brooks said Rodriguez admitted to using one of the debit cards to purchase an ice cream cone and it was accepted. He then went to Walmart and purchased additional items using the debit card.
Rodriguez said he drove to a bank in Clearlake to try and use the debit card in an ATM. Using the victim’s year of birth which was on her driver’s license, as well as her pin number which was inside the wallet, he was able to access her account, Brooks reported.
Rodriguez checked the balance of the account and saw it contained $914. Brooks said Rodriguez told the deputy that he withdrew money from three separate transactions totaling $880, and then was unable to remove anymore.
A second deputy arrived to assist and located a debit card with the same victim’s name on the ground approximately 6 feet from where Rodriguez was standing. Rodriguez admitted to tossing the card on the ground as the second deputy arrived, Brooks said.
Rodriguez had $880 in $20 bills. Brooks said the money was located in Rodriguez’s right front pants pocket and left sock. He also had three $100 bills, receipts detailing the use of the ATM cards and the victim’s ATM cards in his wallet. The deputy said Rodriguez had drained the victims account down to $3.43.
Rodriguez was arrested for burglary, possession of stolen property, misappropriation of lost property, theft, using an access card without the card holder’s consent, and destroying or concealing evidence, Brooks said.
Rodriguez was transported to the Lake County Hill Road Correctional Facility and booked early Thursday morning. Bail was set at $15,000, and jail records indicated he later posted bail and was released.
Twin Pine Casino contacted Lake County News to report that Rodriguez did not work for the casino, but for one of its vendor companies.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Clear Lake Area California Highway Patrol will offer a free “Start Smart” traffic safety class for teenage drivers and their parents/guardians.
The class will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, May 14, at the CHP office in Kelseyville, located at 5700 Live Oak Drive, at the corner of Live Oak Drive and Highway 29.
The leading cause of death for Americans 15 to 20 years old is motor vehicle collisions, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
The CHP's goal is to reduce the death rate among teenagers as the result of these collisions.
“The CHP wants to make our resources available to parents and teens when they have questions or issues about new driver development. We want to make ourselves available to the public to allow them to call or come down to talk face to face regarding any issue,” said Lt Greg Baarts, commander of the Clear Lake Area. “This is a valuable program for parents and their newly licensed or soon to be licensed teen.”
The CHP’s “Start Smart” program is aimed at helping newly licensed and future licensed teenage drivers understand the critical responsibilities of driving and to understand that accidents happen, but collisions are 100 percent preventable.
The program is designed to provide teens and their parents/guardians with an interactive safe driving awareness class which will illustrate how poor choices behind the wheel of a car can affect the lives of numerous people.
“Start Smart” also focuses on responsibilities of newly licensed drivers, responsibilities of parents/guardians and, collision avoidance techniques.
Space is limited for this class and the Clear Lake Area CHP will be providing more classes throughout the year.
For more information or reservations, call Officer Kory Reynolds at the CHP office at 707-279-0103.
KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – The investigation into the theft of a wedding ring has resulted in the arrest of a Kelseyville man.
Cesar Chaves Barba, 34, was arrested Monday for theft of an elder due to the fact the victim was over the age of 65, and grand theft, according to Lt. Steve Brooks of the Lake County Sheriff's Office.
On Saturday, March 15, at approximately 9 p.m., deputies responded to a residence located in the 3000 block of Live Oak Drive in Kelseyville for a reported theft of a ring, Brooks said.
The victim told deputies that he noticed his wife’s wedding ring was missing from the residence. He explained that he took possession of his wife’s wedding ring about six weeks ago, after she was admitted to the hospital, according to Brooks.
The victim said he placed the ring on a shelf in the kitchen and last remembered seeing it approximately three weeks ago. He noticed the ring was missing when his wife asked him to bring it to the hospital, so she could wear it home after getting discharged from the hospital, Brooks said.
Brooks said the man described his wife’s ring as being made of platinum with three diamonds. He told deputies that he purchased the ring approximately 60 years ago for $1,000 and believes it is now worth eight to 10 times the amount he paid for it.
The victim said the only people who have been at his house are his grandchildren and a person who works for him part-time named Cesar. Brooks said the victim did not know Cesar’s last name, but said he lived down the street.
The man remembered having Cesar complete some work in his kitchen, which was where the ring was last seen. Brooks said the victim was able to provide the deputy with a contact telephone number Cesar.
The deputy conducted a search in the sheriff’s office computer system and located Barba, Brooks said.
Brooks said the deputy noticed that the telephone number listed in the computer system for Barba was the same contact number the victim had provided.
A further search of the computer system revealed that Barba was reported to have pawned a ring on March 6, according to Brooks.
On Tuesday, March 18, the deputy was able to locate the original pawn slip from when Barba had pawned a ring for $30. Brooks said the pawn slip also contained Barba’s thumb print, his driver’s license number and his date of birth.
The deputy contacted the pawn shop and asked for a hold to be placed on the ring until further identification could be made, according to Brooks.
Brooks said the deputy contacted the victim and showed him a picture of the ring, which was supplied by the pawn shop. He positively identified the ring as the one he purchased 60 years ago for his wife. The deputy seized the ring and gave it back to the victim.
On Monday at approximately 10:45 a.m., deputies contacted Barba. Brooks said the deputy showed Barba a picture of the ring obtained from the pawn shop and asked if he recognized it, which he denied.
Barba then admitted to finding a ring in the victim’s driveway, which he pawned. He told the deputy that he was under the influence of alcohol when he found the ring and admitted to pawning it for $30, Brooks said.
Brooks said Barba was arrested, transported to the Lake County Hill Road Correctional Facility and booked. Brooks said Barba remained in custody on Tuesday evening, with bail set at $15,000.