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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – A Wednesday vehicle stop led to a search warrant service at a Clearlake dispensary, the seizure of approximately 49 pounds of processed marijuana and two arrests, with one of those arrested being the owner.
On Wednesday sheriff's deputies arrested 33-year-old Jason Daniel Jones of Hidden Valley Lake and Brandon Keith Givens, 21, of Clearlake, according to a report from Lt. Steve Brooks of the Lake County Sheriff's Office.
At 9:20 a.m. Wednesday a patrol deputy working the Lower Lake area was stopped at the intersection of Spruce Grove Road and Highway 29 when he noticed a Chevy pickup traveling northbound on Highway 29 without a front license plate and illegal window tinting. Brooks said the deputy also noticed the pickup was following too close to a vehicle in front of it.
The deputy conducted an enforcement stop and as he was walking up to the vehicle, he smelled the odor of marijuana. He contacted driver, who was identified as Jones, and explained the reason for the vehicle stop. Brooks said when the deputy mentioned the window tinting, Jones said he has argued this issue before, so he was not worried about it.
The deputy returned to his patrol car in order to check Jones’ driving status through Central Dispatch. A K9 unit arrived to assist and deployed his canine partner to conduct a sniff of the vehicle, Brooks said.
As the dog approached the passenger’s door of the vehicle, she produced a positive alert, indicating there was the odor of a controlled substance present. Brooks said the deputy conducted a search of the vehicle and located a black plastic garbage bag, which contained four individually packaged clear plastic bags containing marijuana.
Jones told the deputies the garbage bag contained approximately 4 pounds of marijuana, which was his and he was transporting it to sell through the D&M Compassion Center in Clearlake, Brooks said.
Brooks said Jones explained he is the owner of the business and buys marijuana at this time of the year, so he can sell it back to his members the following year. Jones said he has approximately 3,000 members for his collective/compassion center, and he admitted to possessing the marijuana to sell for $2,500 per pound.
The Sheriff’s Narcotics Task Force Detectives secured the store front, which is located in the 14000 block of Olympic Drive in Clearlake, while obtaining a search warrant. Shortly after, a search warrant was obtained and served at the business, according to Brooks.
Detectives contacted an employee, identified as Givens, who Brooks said was in direct possession of five 1-pound bags of processed marijuana which he admitted was possessed for sale.
A total of approximately 49 pounds of packaged, processed marijuana and approximately 30 growing marijuana plants were located within the business, Brooks said. Additionally, several business ledgers were located showing detailed for profit sales were occurring at the location.
While conducting the search, detectives encountered several subjects arriving at the marijuana store to either sell marijuana they possessed or to collect money Jones owed them for previous marijuana sales. Jones, who said he was running a collective, was purchasing marijuana from nonmembers to sell, Brooks said.
The additional subjects were identified as 35-year-old Jamil Usman of Lower Lake, and Clearlake residents Joel Zeigler, 41; Christopher Begley, 36, and 50-year-old Michael Edward Bergin. Brooks said a criminal complaint for the additional subjects will be sought for violations of possessing marijuana for sale and the transportation of marijuana.
Narcotics detectives determined that Jones was working outside state law and making a profit. He told detectives that he would purchase the marijuana for $1,000 to $1,800 a pound and then sell it back to his members for $2,500 per pound, according to Brooks.
As a result of this investigation, Brooks said Jones was arrested for the possession of marijuana for sale and the transportation of marijuana. Givens was arrested for the possession of marijuana for sale. Both Jones and Givens were transported to the Lake County Hill Road Correctional Facility and booked.
The Sheriff’s Narcotics Task Force can be reached through its anonymous tip line at 707-263-3663.
LAKEPORT, Calif. – People who work to make Lake County a better place will be celebrated during the Stars of Lake County celebration this Saturday, Nov. 16.
On Saturday evening the red carpet rolls out at the Soper-Reese Community Theater in Lakeport to welcome nominees, their guests, members of the public and the generous sponsors who make this event possible.
The Lake County Chamber of Commerce extends its gratitude to all the many wonderful people who took time to send nominations for the 2013 Stars of Lake County Community Awards Program.
They received a total of 94 nominations in more than 20 categories. At this time the event is sold out, with all 300 seats taken.
The chamber reported that it's pleased to have been able to accommodate all the nominees who wanted to attend with one free ticket.
Chamber staff will be checking guests in at the lobby reception desk. All nominees will receive a certificate acknowledging their nominations.
For nominees not in attendance, the certificates will be mailed. Chamber volunteers are escorting guests to their reserved seats and also providing the bar service.
David Neft will be playing for the reception hour and Tony Barthel of the Featherbed Railroad B&B has created the video of our nominee photos and list of sponsors which will play during that hour.
Barthel also provides music tailored to the various category recipients as they are announced during the evening. Substantial appetizers prepared by Bellissimo! Wine Country Catering will be served during the reception.
The reception hour begins at 5 p.m., sponsored by Calpine Corp. Theater sponsor is St. Helena Hospital Clear Lake and decorations sponsor is Lake Event Design.
Category sponsors include Lake County Record-Bee, Cliff and Nancy Ruzicka, WestAmerica Bank, Marymount California University, Mendo Mill Lumber & Home Center, Disney Trophies & Awards, Sutter Lakeside Hospital, SERVPRO, Twin Pine Casino/Middletown Rancheria of Pomo Indians, Savings Bank of Mendocino, Mendo Lake Credit Union, Calpine Corp., Foods, Etc., Konocti Vista Casino, Bruno’s Shop Smart, Kathy Fowler Auto Center, Congressman Mike Thompson, John Tomkins, North Lake Medical Pharmacy, Strong Financial Network and Tom’s AutoDynamics.
KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – Authorities have arrested a Kelseyville teenager on suspicion of driving under the influence after he hit a power pole with a pickup on Wednesday night.
The 17-year-old from Kelseyville, whose name was not released due to his age, suffered major injuries in the crash, according to the California Highway Patrol.
At 10:05 p.m. the teen was driving a 1995 Chevy pickup southbound on Highway 29 north of the Kit's Corner intersection at Highway 281 at a high rate of speed, the CHP report explained.
The CHP said that as the driver was exiting a sweeping left turn the pickup's forward momentum carried it from the southbound lane into the northbound lane.
As the pickup entered the northbound lane, the CHP said the driver abruptly turned the wheel back to the right, causing the vehicle to spin out of control, leaving the roadway and hitting a power pole.
The CHP said the pickup hitting the pole knocked out power to the Kelseyville and Cobb Mountain areas. Power was restored to most of the more than 2,800 affected customers within a few hours, according to Pacific Gas and Electric.
After the pickup hit the pole, it rolled several times before coming to rest on its roof, trapping the driver inside, the CHP said.
The CHP said Kelseyville Fire Protection District firefighters extricated the teen from the pickup and transported him to a landing zone at Kit's Corner.
The teenager was transported by a CalStar air ambulance to UC Davis Medical Center for treatment, according to the CHP.
The Thursday report from the CHP said investigators suspected alcohol was a factor in the crash and the driver was arrested for DUI.
The driver was wearing his seat belt, the report noted.
CHP Officer Glen Thomas is handling the investigation.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – A Wednesday night vehicle crash involving a power pole seriously injured the driver and left thousands of residents without power for a few hours.
The wreck occurred shortly after 10 p.m. half a mile north of the Kit's Corner intersection near Kelseyville, according to reports from the scene.
A deputy arriving at the crash found the overturned vehicle badly damaged and the pole sheared, with the male driver – the vehicle's lone occupant – needing to be extricated, scanner reports indicated.
The power in the area went out immediately, with first responders reporting that the signal lights at the intersections at Kit's Corner and at Highway 29 and Live Oak Drive were out.
Central Dispatch received numerous calls from residents around Kelseyville and Cobb reporting their power was off. Pacific Gas & Electric's initial assessment was that 2,848 customers were without power.
The driver was extricated from the vehicle and taken by ambulance to a landing zone at Kit's Corner, where a CalStar air ambulance picked him up and transported him to UC Davis Medical Center for treatment of major injuries, reports from the scene stated.
Traffic control was established temporarily around the crash as firefighters and PG&E worked at the scene, according to radio reports.
PG&E crews arrived shortly before 11 p.m. and within the next few hours many area residents reported power was restored.
The California Highway Patrol reported that the roadway was reopened at around midnight.
As of 1:30 a.m., the power was back on for all but 34 customers, with their power expected to be restored by 8 a.m. Thursday, according to PG&E.
Additional information about the crash was not immediately available.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
COBB, Calif. – A 3.3-magnitude earthquake was reported near The Geysers geothermal steamfield early Thursday morning.
The quake occurred at 12:47 a.m., according to the US Geological Survey.
It was recorded at a depth of just over a mile, and was located just north northwest of The Geysers and 13 miles south southwest of Clearlake, the survey reported.
By 1:15 a.m., the survey had received shake reports from Kelseyville, Lower Lake and Rohnert Park.
A 3.3-magnitude quake was reported southeast of The Geysers on Oct. 27, as Lake County News has reported.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
HIDDEN VALLEY LAKE, Calif. – Coyote Valley Elementary School is featured in a national competition that could win the school a large cash prize.
The school currently is ranked 54th in U.S. Cellular’s Calling All Communities campaign, now in its fifth year.
As part of the campaign, U.S. Cellular is giving communities the opportunity to help improve the education of students at 20 schools by challenging them to rally community support for the chance to win a share of $500,000.
The top 20 schools that earn the most votes each receive $25,000 to use however they choose.
Voting began on Monday, Nov. 4, and continues through 11:59 p.m. Central Standard Time on Monday, Nov. 25.
As of Thursday morning, 3,715 schools in 22 states have received votes.
Calling All Communities is open to all K-12 schools — big or small, public or private in the U.S. Cellular footprint. Voting takes place online so all you need is internet access and an email address to vote.
Community members can visit www.uscellular.com to cast a vote for their favorite school. Voters can then check back daily to track their school’s ranking and share school spirit on their social media networks to garner attention. With only one vote per person, it is important to get entire communities involved.
The top 100 school list is updated daily at www.uscellular.com , so the school’s progress can be tracked.
“Calling All Communities gives schools the opportunity to earn the funding they need to invest in the areas most critical to their students’ learning experiences,” said Erryn Andersen, director of sales in the Northwest market for U.S. Cellular. “We are active members of our communities where we live and work and we believe this campaign is a great way to bring people together to work towards a common goal.”
Since the program began in 2008, U.S. Cellular has awarded $4 million to 56 schools across the country for them to use however they see fit to impact the education of students.
Past Calling All Communities champions have used their winnings in a variety of ways to strengthen the learning experience for thousands of students.
Many winning schools outfitted their classrooms with new computers, improved outdated infrastructure and renovated gymnasiums, kitchens and science labs as well as provided scholarships to graduating students.
In 2010, Kalmiopsis Elementary School in Brookings, Ore., won $100,000 through this contest.
The official rules for the campaign are located at www.uscellular.com/callingallcommunities .