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CLEARLAKE, Calif. – Two Clearlake residents have been arrested on drugs and weapons charges following a search warrant service.
Ronald James Cook, 38, and Virginia Lynn Cinollo, 60, were arrested over the weekend, according to Sgt. Nick Bennett of the Clearlake Police Department.
On Sunday, Clearlake Police Officer Chris Reagan conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle operated by Cook, who was driving without a driver’s license. Bennett said Cook was detained while being issued a citation and his vehicle was being impounded.
During an inventory search of the vehicle, marijuana was found. That, along with other evidence located in the vehicle and on Cook gave Officer Reagan cause to believe Cook may be involved in the trafficking of narcotics, Bennett said.
Officer Mike Carpenter, who is assigned to the Clearlake K-9 unit, prepared a search warrant for Cook’s residence and presented it to a Lake County Superior Court Judge for review and signature, according to Bennett.
Once the warrant was signed, officers served it at 3682 Koloko St. in the city of Clearlake, Bennett said.
Bennett said that during the execution of the search warrant officers located a quarter pound of crystal methamphetamine, more than 9 pounds of processed marijuana broken down into numerous bags for sales and a .40-caliber Smith and Wesson semi-automatic handgun with the serial numbers removed.
Also found was as a digital scale and more than $7,000 in US currency, which Bennett said is pending an asset forfeiture case.
Cook and Cinollo, who both live at the Koloko Street address, were arrested and charged with possession of marijuana for sale, possession of controlled substance for sale, possession of firearm by prohibited person and possession of firearm with serial numbers removed, Bennett said.
Both subjects were booked into Lake County Jail. Bail for Cinollo was set at $15,000, with Cook's bail set at $20,000. Jail records indicated they later posted the required percentage of bail and were released.
Anyone with additional information concerning this case is encouraged to contact Officer Chris Reagan at the Clearlake Police Department, telephone 707-994-8251, Extension 506.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – After a long dry spell, rain arrived in Lake County on Monday night, and weather forecasters are predicting the possibility of more rain as the week continues.
The National Weather Service issued a special weather statement for parts of Northern California, including Lake County, that predicts rain will continue through Thursday across the region.
Rainfall amounts of as much as 1 to 2 inches are expected across the North State, with some snow expected in the Sierras, according to the forecast.
Lake County's specific forecast includes a prediction of up to half an inch of rain Tuesday, with another quarter of an inch possible Tuesday evening, accompanied by light winds.
Forecasters say more showers are likely on Wednesday, with the possibility of thunderstorms during the day and more rain Wednesday night.
The skies are forecast to clear up on Thursday, with sunny and clear conditions to remain through the weekend.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
One hundred and 50 years ago today, President Abraham Lincoln gave one of the most famous speeches in United States history.
On Nov. 19, 1863, Lincoln was at the dedication of the new cemetery for the Union soldiers who had died in the Battle of Gettysburg, which had occurred in July of that year.
During the three-day battle, the Union Army repelled the Confederacy's Army of Northern Virginia as it made a second invasion attempt of the north.
But that Union victory came at a high price; historians estimate there was a total of 51,000 casualties between the two armies. Some of those men were laid to rest in graves not far from where they fell on the battlefield, leading to the decision to institute a cemetery there.
David Wills, the man credited with being the driving force behind the cemetery's establishment, personally invited the president to come and speak at the dedication ceremony and “formally set apart these grounds to their sacred use by a few appropriate remarks.”
Lincoln accepted, and made the trip to Pennsylvania.
Following a two-hour speech by orator Edward Everett, Lincoln would speak for just two minutes.
“Fourscore and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.
“Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation or any nation so conceived and so dedicated can long endure.
“We are met on a great battlefield of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field as a final resting-place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.
“But in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate, we cannot consecrate, we cannot hallow this ground. The brave men, living and dead who struggled here have consecrated it far above our poor power to add or detract.
“The world will little note nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here.
“It is for us the living rather to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced.
“It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us – that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion – that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain, that this nation under God shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the earth.”
For more on the address and how it evolved, visit http://www.google.com/culturalinstitute/entity/%2Fm%2F037yx?v.filter=exhibits .
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – People who help others and work to make Lake County a better place to live were honored for their efforts at the Stars of Lake County Awards ceremony on Saturday night.
The 16th annual celebration this year was held for the first time at the Soper-Reese Community Theatre in Lakeport.
Tickets were sold out for this year's event, organizers reported.
The event once again featured the music of David Neft during the reception hour, with Tony Barthel of Featherbed Railroad providing music during the awards ceremony and the video of nominees.
Congressman Mike Thompson was on hand for the 16th year in a row, presenting every award recipient with a special certificate from him acknowledging their accomplishments.
Two of the Stars recipients had very recently died, and so family accepted the awards in their memories.
Nani Phillips-Blair accepted the Arts Amateur Star Award for Joshua Phillips-Blair, her 21 year old husband who died unexpectedly. She was accompanied on stage to accept her husband's award by their 2-year-old daughter Olive Ruth.
Dana Jefferson accepted the Agricultural Award for her father Ken Fountain, who also died unexpectedly in October.
Lake County Chamber Chief Executive Officer Melissa Fulton said the organization is very proud to have initiated the Stars Awards 16 years ago.
“We feel honored to have acknowledged over 1,600 nominees and presented 319 Stars Awards during this time,” she said. “None of this would have been possible without the residents of Lake County sending us their nominations through the years. Looking over the names for the 16 years of Stars, there are many people that were unknown to the Chamber and the community at large until the nominations were received.”
Fulton said the Stars Selection Committee, which has the task of determining who the recipients will be each year, has the toughest assignment of all.
The chamber offered special thanks to the Soper-Reese Community Theatre; Jackie Hansen of Lakeport Grocery Outlet, who sang a tribute to all the Stars nominees; sponsors; and community members who sent in the nominations.
Congratulations to all the nominees and award recipients.
2013 STARS OF LAKE COUNTY RECIPIENTS
- Humanitarian of the Year: Michael Vandiver
- Senior of the Year: Linda Burton
- Volunteer of the Year: Esther Stone
- Female Student of the Year: Michelle Page
- Male Student of the Year: Erick Pelayo-Moreno
- Youth Advocate of the Year – Volunteer: Roscoe Thomas
- Youth Advocate of the Year – Professional: Franklin D. Gudmundson
- Agriculture (posthumously): Ken Fountain
- Organization of the Year – Nonprofit: Veterans Affairs Outpatient Clinic
- Organization of the Year – Volunteer: South Lake Fire Sirens
- Environmental Award: Greg Dills
- New Business of the Year: Cheese’s Main Street Pizza
- Small Business of the Year: Middletown Florist
- Large Business of the Year: Twin Pine Casino & Hotel/Middletown Rancheria of Pomo Indians
- Best Idea of the Year: Bountiful Gift Baskets/Lake County Hunger Task Force
- Local Hero of the Year: Tim Biasotti
- Arts Award of the Year – Amateur (posthumously): Joshua Dylan Blair
- Arts Award of the Year – Professional: Amber Sheridan
- Woman of the Year: Jennifer Strong
- Man of the Year: Wally Holbrook
- Female Lifetime Achievement: Beverly McVey
- Male Lifetime Achievement: Griff Ratterree
- Spirit of Lake County: Mark Cooper
SOUTH LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – A local group is asking for the community's assistance in raising money and collecting gifts for a holiday giveaway to benefit struggling families.
Spirit of the Season provides south Lake County families in need with the components of a complete Christmas dinner – including turkey and all the fixings – plus gifts for children up to high school age.
The goal is to make sure no one goes hungry on Christmas day and to ensure that children receive a specific “wish” gift to open on Christmas morning, according to Spirit of the Season Coordinator Hedy Montoya.
Montoya said volunteers are working to prepare for the distribution of food boxes and gifts on Saturday, Dec. 21.
Spirit of the Season is expected to assist 130 families this year. Montoya said it costs $100 per family.
“Wish trees” also are up in parts of the south county to assist with collecting gifts for children, she said. Wishes have been limited to $25 or less.
Montoya said Spirit of the Season shops locally to support the county's merchants. The group also affiliates with local churches, including Middletown Community United Methodist Church, the First Baptist Church in Middletown and St. Joseph’s Catholic Church; the latter allows Spirit of the Season to offer a tax deduction for donations.
To support Spirit of the Season, donations can be sent to P. O. Box 1468, Middletown, CA 95461.
For more information contact Montoya at 707-322-5080.
UPPER LAKE, Calif. – A Kelseyville man who led narcotics detectives on a high speed chase through Upper Lake last week was arrested on a number of charges related to drugs and evasion, with authorities also seizing an ounce and a half of methamphetamine.
Jeremy Wayne Griffin, 33, was arrested following the late night pursuit, according to Lt. Steve Brooks of the Lake County Sheriff's Office.
At 10:20 p.m. last Wednesday, Nov. 13, narcotics detectives observed a red Porsche 944 coupe with a shattered windshield enter the parking lot of Three Brothers Chevron in Upper Lake, said Brooks.
Brooks said they identified the driver as Griffin, who drove completely around the parking lot and then accelerated eastbound on Highway 20, well over the posted speed limit.
Narcotics detectives activated their emergency lights and siren to conduct an enforcement stop, which Griffin ignored. Detectives reported Griffin was traveling in excess of 90 miles per hour as he passed the Running Creek Casino, which was open for business and has a pedestrian crosswalk across Highway 20, Brooks said.
Griffin attempted to turn left onto Old Lucerne Road, but lost control and went into a sideways skid toward a power pole at the intersection. Brooks said the vehicle came to a stop on the dirt embankment on the northeast side of the intersection.
Griffin accelerated rapidly, causing the rear tires to break traction as he completed a sliding u-turn around the detective vehicle, continuing northbound onto Old Lucerne Road, Brooks said.
Detectives followed as Griffin accelerated to speeds in excess of 70 miles per hour in a residential area. Brooks said Griffin eventually turned onto Elliot Street, which is a short dead end residential street.
The detectives said Griffin was traveling with his door open as the street came to an end and he entered an unpaved driveway, according to Brooks.
Griffin stopped the vehicle as the driveway ended, jumped out and started running westbound through residential yards. Brooks said detectives chased Griffin as he climbed over a fence and attempted to conceal himself by crawling into a large section of blackberry bushes. Detectives ordered Griffin to crawl out of the bushes and he complied.
Detectives retraced the foot pursuit and located a quart size plastic bag on the ground where Griffin climbed the fence, Brooks said.
The bag contained a large quantity of white semi-translucent crystals, which the detectives recognized as crystal methamphetamine. Brooks said the bag was later weighed and determined to contain 40.8 grams, which has a street value of over $4,000.
During a search of Griffin’s vehicle detectives also located a glass pipe, which is commonly used to smoke methamphetamine, inside the driver’s side door pocket, Brooks said.
Griffin was arrested for possession of a controlled substance for sale, transportation of a controlled substance, evading a peace officer with willful or wanton disregard for the safety of persons or property, destroying or concealing evidence, resisting arrest and driving while license is suspended. He was transported to the Lake County Hill Road Correctional Facility and booked, Brooks said.
Bail was set at $35,000, with jail records indicating Griffin later posted the required percentage of bail and was released.
The Sheriff’s Narcotics Task Force can be reached through its anonymous tip line at 707-263-3663.