News

LAKEPORT, Calif. – A Lakeport Police officer used a Taser to subdue a suspected gang member who resisted arrest and was found to be in possession of a sawed-off shotgun and a meth pipe.

Oscar Javier Arevalo, 22, was arrested Thursday afternoon, according to a report from Lakeport Police Chief Brad Rasmussen.

At approximately 2:17 p.m. Thursday a Lakeport Police officer patrolling the area of Armstrong and Polk streets noticed a suspicious subject carrying a backpack in the 100 block of S. Polk Street, Rasmussen said.

Rasmussen said the officer noticed that the subject – later identified as Arevalo – began walking rapidly and turned to watch the patrol vehicle. As the officer turned around to further watch Arevalo, he noticed that Arevalo walked into the driveway and carport of a residence.

Arevalo then walked out of the driveway with the backpack on and continued walking north on S. Polk Street. Rasmussen said the officer got out of his vehicle to contact Arevalo and noticed that he took the backpack off and placed it behind a garbage can.

The officer contacted Arevalo and noticed that he was very nervous. Rasmussen said the officer determined that Arevalo did not live at or know anyone at the residence and attempted to detain him until he could conduct further investigation and check the residence.

Arevalo resisted and then fled on foot. The officer gave chase and caught up to Arevalo, who continued to resist, Rasmussen said.

The officer fired his Taser, striking Arevalo, who fell to the ground but continued to resist. Rasmussen said the officer was able to take control of Arevalo and handcuff him. Arevalo received minor injuries during the incident.

The backpack was recovered and searched, and a loaded sawed-off .410 shotgun, methamphetamine smoking pipe and what is believed to be a face cover crafted from a black t-shirt were located, Rasmussen said.

Arevalo was arrested for possession of a sawed-off shotgun, carrying a loaded firearm in public as a suspected gang member, carrying a concealed firearm in public as a suspected gang member, resisting arrest and possession of a controlled substance smoking pipe, according to Rasmussen.

Arevalo was transported to Sutter Lakeside Hospital for medical clearance and then booked into the Lake County Jail, Rasmussen said.

Rasmussen said Arevalo has a prior arrest in Sonoma County for possession or manufacture of a dangerous weapon and participating in a criminal street gang, and a prior arrest and conviction in Lake County for manufacture or possession of a dangerous weapon.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Lake County Office of Education is offering two upcoming community information sessions to provide a general overview of new education initiatives.

The sessions, set for March, will cover the Local Control Funding Formula, Common Core State Standards, Smarter Balance Assessment System and Local Control Accountability Plan.

The sessions will be presented by Superintendent of Schools Wally Holbrook; Tim Gill, senior director of Educational Services; Brock Falkenberg, senior director of Human Resources and Student Programs; Stephanie Wayment, educational specialist; and Shelly Mascari, director of communication.

“In the coming months, we will be experiencing some of the most significant changes in education funding and practice in the past three decades,” said Holbrook. “The implementation of the Local Control Funding Formula and passage of proposition 30 will see funding funneled more to the local level and slowly restore education funding levels similar to five years ago. These sessions are intended to help community members gain a better understanding of these changes.”

The Lake County Office of Education is offering two opportunities for community members to attend.

The first will be held from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 11, at the Lake County Office of Education offices, 1152 South Main St., Lakeport. The building is located on the corner of the three-way stop at Main Street, K Street and Lakeport Boulevard. Park and enter in back.

The second session will be from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Thursday, March 13, at the Clearlake Creativity School, 6945 Old Highway 53, Clearlake. Traveling on Highway 29 from Lower Lake, turn left on Old Highway 53 and travel 0.4 miles. The Clearlake Creativity School is on the left, just past Lakeview Terrace Apartments.

No reservations are required to attend the sessions.

For more information, visit www.lakecoe.org or contact Shelly Mascari at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Sutter Lakeside Hospital Foundation reported that donors in Lake County and the surrounding area surpassed the $85,000 Heart Health matching grant goal by raising more than $113,000 in 2013.

Funds were raised over a 12-month period and will be matched with an $85,000 grant from Sutter Health.

Sutter Health’s matching grant program allows each affiliate to choose a program or a piece of technology to fund through charitable gifts.

If the hospital can raise funds through philanthropy for half the cost of the equipment or program within a year, Sutter Health will match these donations dollar-for-dollar.

Sutter Lakeside Hospital decided to focus its 2013 fundraising efforts on heart health; specifically, the foundation chose to replace the hospital’s decade-old echocardiogram.

The County Health Status Profiles 2013, published by the California Department of Public Health and California Conference of Local Health Officers, reports that Lake County ranks fourth in the state for deaths due to coronary heart disease.

The new echocardiogram allows technicians to perform more than 35 inpatient and outpatient diagnostic tests using 3D digital color images.

These images can be stored and retrieved to appear alongside current test results so that cardiologists can note any changes in a patient’s condition.

“The foundation exists to add value to the patient experience at Sutter Lakeside,” said Foundation Board Chair Dr. Mark Buehnerkemper. “Our little hospital does a fantastic job of offering a depth of services and technologies that most people expect to find in bigger cities. We are honored that so many people in our community actively invest philanthropic dollars to support quality health care right here at home.”

“We’re humbled, as we not only met our goal of $85,000, but we exceeded it by over 25 percent,” said Sutter Lakeside Hospital Chief Administrative Officer Siri Nelson. “I know that Lake County is an economically-challenged community, but our donors are committed to ensuring that our patients have access to the equipment that they need. This is one of the things that sets Lake County apart and it’s one of the reasons that I’m proud to work at Sutter Lakeside.”

The new Philips IE33 echocardiogram and the latest software will arrive at Sutter Lakeside Hospital this spring.

To find out how to give to Sutter Lakeside Hospital, visit www.sutterlakeside.org/giving .

With California experiencing its worst water shortage crisis in modern history, Gov. Edmund G. Brown Jr. on Wednesday joined Senate President pro Tem Darrell Steinberg and Assembly Speaker John A. Pérez to announce legislation to immediately help communities deal with the devastating dry conditions affecting our state and provide funding to increase local water supplies.

“This is a call to action. We must all do our part to conserve in this drought,” said Gov. Brown. “The state is doing its part by providing immediate funding for drinking water, food, housing and assistance for water-conserving technologies.”

The legislation provides $687.4 million to support drought relief, including money for housing and food for workers directly impacted by the drought, bond funds for projects to help local communities more efficiently capture and manage water and funding for securing emergency drinking water supplies for drought-impacted communities.

In addition, the legislation increases funding for state and local conservation corps to assist communities with efficiency upgrades and reduce fire fuels in fire risk areas, and includes $1 million for the Save Our Water public awareness campaign – which will enhance its mission to inform Californians how they can do their part to conserve water.

“Without enough rain and snow this winter, we need to capture as much water as we can through any means possible. Water agencies around the state have projects ready to go to capture and distribute more of the water that’s now lost to evaporation or simply flowing out to the ocean. They simply need money to get those projects done,” said Senate President pro Tem Steinberg. “We don’t have to ignore environmental protections, raise fees or get bogged down in political arguments over projects that will take many years to produce a single drop of water. It’s time to focus on what we can do right now.”

“By making smart use of these funds, we can alleviate and prevent some of the worst impacts of the drought and, at the same time, make badly needed improvements to our water system that will benefit California for years to come,” Speaker Pérez said. “These targeted responses will have tangible results, but the solution requires more than legislation and investment. Every Californian needs to be a part of the solution, and we strongly urge every person in our state to take action to conserve water.”

In addition to the funding provided by the legislation, the bill calls for the California Department of Public Health (DPH) to adopt new groundwater replenishment regulations by July 1, 2014, and for the State Water Resources Control Board and the DPH to work on additional measures to allow for the use of recycled water and storm water capture for increasing water supply availability.

The bill also makes statutory changes to ensure existing water rights laws are followed, including streamlined authority to enforce water rights laws and increased penalties for illegally diverting water during drought conditions.

The bill also provides the California Department of Housing and Community Development with the greatest flexibility to maximize migrant housing units.

Several of the proposals included in this package were proposed in the Governor’s January budget, but will now be expedited.

Highlights of the legislation include the following.

Enhancing water conservation and improving water supplies

• $549 million from the accelerated expenditure of voter-approved bonds, Proposition 84 and Proposition 1E, in the form of infrastructure grants for local and regional projects that are already planned or partially completed to increase local reliability, including recapturing of storm water, expand the use and distribution of recycled water, enhance the management and recharging of groundwater storage and strengthen water conservation.
• $20 million transferred from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund to the Department of Water Resources (DWR) for direct expenditures and grants to state and local agencies to improve water use efficiency, save energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions from state and local water transportation and management systems.
• $14 million for groundwater management across the state, including assistance to disadvantaged communities with groundwater contamination exacerbated by the drought.
• $10 million transferred from the Greenhouse Gas Emissions Fund for the California Department of Food and Agriculture to invest in irrigation and water pumping systems that reduce water use, energy use and greenhouse gas emissions.
• $10 million transferred from the Greenhouse Gas Emissions Fund for the DWR to establish a grant program for state and local agencies to implement residential, commercial or institutional water efficiency projects that reduce water and energy use.
• $15 million from the General Fund for Emergency Drinking Water Fund to address emergency water shortages due to drought.
• $13 million from the General Fund to augment the California Conservation Corps and local community conservation corps to expand water use efficiency and conservation activities and to reduce fuel loads to prevent catastrophic fires.

Assisting Californians disproportionately impacted by the drought

• $25.3 million from the General Fund for food assistance, which will be structured to maximize the potential federal drought assistance that can be provided to provide food assistance to those impacted by the drought.
• $21 million from the general fund and federal funds for housing related assistance for individuals impacted by the drought.

With California facing one of the most severe droughts on record, Gov. Brown declared a drought State of Emergency last month and directed state officials to take all necessary actions to prepare for water shortages.

Gov. Brown met with President Obama about crucial federal support during the ongoing drought last week, and the state continues to work with federal partners to ensure a coordinated drought response.

Brown and the administration have also expressed support for federal legislation introduced by Senators Feinstein and Boxer and Representatives Jim Costa, Tony Cárdenas and Sam Farr.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lakeport Police Department said it has received reports of additional gas thefts that have occurred in the city this week.

Since Sunday night, 11 separate gas theft cases have been reported in the Lakeport city limits, according to police.

Just before 5 p.m. Wednesday Lakeport Police officers were dispatched to the 800 block of Third Street to investigate the report of fuel thefts from three vehicles in that area, according to Police Chief Brad Rasmussen.

Rasmussen said an estimated 60 gallons of gasoline were taken from those three vehicles.

Based on the investigation so far, police believe the fuel thefts on Third Street occurred early Tuesday morning, according to Rasmussen.

He said officers believe these newly reported thefts are related to the eight gas thefts reported on Sunday and Monday nights in the area of Del Lago, 15th Street and the 1800 block of S. Main Street.

A white Ford Ranger with passenger side fender and bumper damage was spotted at the scene of a gasoline theft in the 1800 block of S. Main Street, Rasmussen said.

Witnesses also have reported seeing two male subjects associated with the pickup at the S. Main Street theft site, according to police.

Rasmussen said the driver was described as a white male adult, 19 to 23 years old, with a thin build and short hair, and wearing a flat bill cap.

The second suspect, for whom there is not a detailed description, is believed to have been casing the area or acting as a lookout, and was left behind when the driver fled the scene, Rasmussen said.

Citizens are advised to continue to watch for and immediately report suspicious activity to police.

Anyone with information on any of the fuel thefts is asked to contact the Lakeport Police Department at 707-263-5491 or by private Facebook message at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lakeport-Police-Department/176101292414821?ref=stream .

If a theft is seen in progress, call 911.

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – A man sought for vehicle theft was arrested on Tuesday evening and his girlfriend was taken into custody after she allegedly pushed an officer and kicked out a patrol car window.

Clearlake Police officers arrested 22-year-old Lloyd Ryan Lewis and Candace Marie Conzet, 25, both of Clearlake, according to a report from Sgt. Tim Hobbs.

At 7:30 p.m. Tuesday Clearlake Police officers responded to a residence in the 3000 block of 10th Street to locate and arrest Lewis, who Hobbs said had just been identified as the suspect in a case involving a 1966 Ford Mustang that was reported stolen on Monday.

Upon arriving at the residence, Officer Elvis Cook and his canine partner Max went to the rear of the residence in case Lewis fled out the back door or a window, Hobbs said.

Hobbs said he contacted Conzet in front of the residence, and she stated that Lewis had left the home on foot about 15 minutes earlier.

Conzet agreed to walk Hobbs through the residence to verify Lewis was not there. As Hobbs was approaching the front door, he saw Lewis through a window walking quickly toward the rear of the residence.

Hobbs said he yelled for Lewis to stop and Lewis ran to the door, opened it and went outside. Once Lewis was outside, Cook yelled for Lewis to stop or he would deploy his K9. Lewis ignored the warning and ran away from Cook.

As Lewis ran around the rear corner of the residence and out of Cook’s view, Cook released Max, who apprehended Lewis a short distance away, Hobbs said.

While Cook was securing Max and Hobbs was attempting to place Lewis in handcuffs, Conzet was yelling and screaming at officers. Hobbs said Conzet approached Cook and tried to push him away from Lewis several times.

Once Lewis was placed into handcuffs, Conzet started running away and ran out to the street. Hobbs said Conzet was caught and arrested for resisting arrest and battery on a peace officer, and placed into the rear seat of a patrol vehicle.

Hobbs said that once Conzet was in the vehicle, she kicked one of the rear windows out of the window frame. As a result, she was additionally charged with vandalism.

Lewis was arrested for vehicle theft, possession of stolen property and resisting arrest. Hobbs said Lewis was briefly treated by medical personnel from the Lake County Fire Protection District at the scene prior to being transported to St. Helena Hospital Clear Lake for further treatment.

After Lewis was medically cleared for incarceration, both he and Conzet were transported to the Lake County Jail, Hobbs said.

Lewis' bail was set at $15,000, with Conzet's set at $5,000, according to jail records. Both were booked early Wednesday morning.