How to resolve AdBlock issue? 
News
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – In Tuesday's election, Clearlake voters rejected a second attempt at a sales tax measure for roads and code enforcement, and school board and special district seats in several parts of the county were decided.
Measure H – which would have instituted a 1-percent sales tax to generate an estimated $1.4 million annually to improve Clearlake's roads and fully restore its code enforcement services – failed to get the necessary supermajority of 66 percent, according to the Lake County Registrar of Voters Office.
The measure received 979 yes votes or 61.2 percent, compared to 621 no votes, or 38.8 percent, based on Tuesday night's returns.
Altogether, only 26.6 percent of Clearlake's registered voters participated in the election.
Measure H followed by a year a similar sales tax proposal, Measure G, which also needed a supermajority but fell several percentage points short.
In the race for the Lake County Board of Education Area No. 3 seat, incumbent Patricia Hicks was reelected with 52 percent, or 543 votes, with challenger Dawn Binns receiving 48 percent, or 502 votes.
In a big field seeking three seats on the Upper Lake Elementary School Board, Diane Tomkins Plante led the field with 20.8 percent, or 252 votes, to win a seat, along with Joanne Breton, with 16.2 percent or 196 votes, and Don Meri, 14.6 percent or 177 votes. Alisa Bloom received 13.8 percent, 167 votes; Kelly Palmer Burns, 12.5 percent, 151 votes; Marie Henry, 12.2 percent, 148 votes; and Katy Swaney, 9.9 percent, 120 votes.
In the Lakeport Unified School District Board race, where two seats were available, incumbents Dennis Darling and Tom Powers were reelected to the board. Darling took 38.9 percent of the vote, or 846 votes, while Powers received 36.2 percent, or 788 votes. Challenger Beth Ackermann finished third with 24.9 percent or 541 votes.
The Hidden Valley Lake Community Services District Board had two seats available. Linda Herndon received 380 votes or 38.7 percent of the vote, to win one of the seats, while Judy Mirbegian won the second seat with 34.6 percent or 339 votes. Richard Pritchard came in third with 26.7 percent or 262 votes.
The Registrar of Voters Office now must turn to the work of certifying the election's final results.
Elections officials will conduct a manual tally of ballots from randomly selected precincts from Tuesday's election beginning at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 19, at the Registrar of Voters Office, Room 209 on the second floor of the Lake County Courthouse, 255 N. Forbes St. in Lakeport. Observers are welcome.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – The service of a search warrant by the Sheriff’s Narcotics Task Force last weekend resulted in one arrest and the seizure of approximately half an ounce of methamphetamine.
Manuel Vincent Sotelo, 48, of Kelseyville was arrested for possession of a controlled substance for sale, conspiracy to commit a crime and driving on a suspended license, according to Lt. Steve Brooks.
Last Friday, Nov. 1, narcotics detectives secured a search warrant for Sotelo's person, home and vehicle, Brooks said.
This past Sunday, Nov. 3, at approximately 3:30 p.m., detectives observed Sotelo get into his vehicle and drive onto Cypress Avenue. Brooks said two detectives conducted an enforcement stop of Sotelo’s vehicle while additional detectives served the warrant at Sotelo’s residence, which is located in the 3400 block of Cypress Avenue in Kelseyville.
As detectives entered the residence they detained Kelseyville residents Robert Nathaniel Harris, 36, and 28-year-old Ashley Nicole Saxon, who had attempted to leave the residence through the back door, Brooks said.
Detectives seized a glass meth pipe from Saxon, which was heavily coated with white and brown residue. Brooks said narcotic detectives were able to detain both of them without further incident. The detectives, who had conducted the enforcement stop, escorted Sotelo back to the residence.
During the search detectives located a digital gram scale and various containers of marijuana in the bedroom, Brooks said. Detectives located a black case on the kitchen floor, which Sotelo admitted was his.
They opened the case and located 15.68 grams of methamphetamine, which they seized as evidence. Brooks said narcotics detectives also located $907 in Sotelo’s wallet, which the seized pending asset forfeiture proceedings.
Sotelo was arrested and transported to the Lake County Hill Road Correctional Facility, where he was booked. Bail was set at $25,000, and jail records indicated he later posted the required portion of bail and was released.
Detectives did not arrest Saxon on Sunday. Brooks said they are requesting the District Attorney’s Office review the arrest report for a complaint against Saxon for conspiracy to possess methamphetamine for sales and possession of drug paraphernalia. Harris was released from the scene.
The Sheriff’s Narcotics Task Force can be reached through its anonymous tip line at 707-263-3663.
In an effort to curb motor vehicle fatalities and injuries caused by aggressive driving and speeding – California’s No. 1 contributor to collisions – the California Highway Patrol has launched an enforcement and public education campaign to “help prevent unsafe driving and deadly collisions.”
According to the CHP’s Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS), approximately one third of all fatal and injury collisions in California are a direct result of unsafe speed.
With the support of a federal traffic safety grant, “Reduce Aggressive Driving Incidents and Tactically Enforce Speed (RADIATES) II,” the CHP is determined to educate motorists about the dangers of aggressive driving and take appropriate enforcement action.
“Through this grant-funded education and enforcement campaign, the CHP will target motorists who speed and display aggressive behavior behind the wheel to help prevent dangerous driving and deadly collisions,” said CHP Commissioner Joe Farrow.
Preliminary SWITRS data for 2011 shows more than 48,600 total collisions attributed to unsafe speed. Improper turning led to more than 22,100 collisions, while driving on the wrong side of the road resulted in more than 5,700 crashes.
These aggressive driving behaviors contributed to the more than 1,100 people killed and an additional 106,494 others injured.
The primary goal of this grant is to reduce by 5 percent the number of fatal and injury traffic collisions where speed, improper turning, and driving on the wrong side of the road are primary collision factors.
To achieve this goal the CHP will combine an active public awareness campaign with enhanced enforcement.
“We are dedicated to saving lives throughout the state,” added Commissioner Farrow. “This grant will help reinforce our traffic safety efforts through additional education and enforcement statewide.”
Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
The mission of the California Highway Patrol is to provide the highest level of Safety, Service, and Security to the people of California.
LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lake County Trowel & Trellis Garden Club’s annual chrysanthemum show will be held this year on Friday, Nov. 8.
The show will be held from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the Lakeport Yacht Club, 15 Fifth St.
This will be the sixth consecutive year the club has organized this “no admission” show and anyone interested in the art of arranging or in growing their own chrysanthemums is encouraged to attend.
“This show is really one of our gifts to the community; it is an opportunity for our members to share their incredible talents of gardening and world-class flower arranging,” said LCT&TGC’s President Carol Dobusch.
This year's theme will be “Show Time For Mum,” and each member will create a named arrangement pertaining to the theme.
Many different types of arranging styles will be shown including Ikebana, Synergistic and Spatial Thrust, in addition to simple arrangements in classic containers.
Many arrangements will feature creative hand-made containers and background props. Every arrangement-no matter how exquisite, charming, or humorous, will have one thing in common, though- the glorious colors of fall’s favorite flower.
Additionally, individual specimens of myriad types of mums will be available for viewing by attendees (and perhaps to take notes about what gorgeous choices to add to their own yards!).
The LCT&TGC Chrysanthemum show began decades ago and was originally a “grand affair,” according to long-time club member and Chrysanthemum Show Chairperson Shirley Estrem.
“I first attended the show in 1963; back then it was held at the fairgrounds and it was a Standard Flower Show with accredited judges and a formal ‘Silver Tea’ put on by the members,” said Estrem. “The first show was held years before that at the home of local Chrysanthemum grower and Charter Garden Club Member Carol Kesey. Eventually, the show became too large and time-consuming for us to organize, and the decision was made to present a show every year just for fun and enjoyment.”
For many years Charter Member Carol Kesey grew many varieties of chrysanthemums in her yard for club members to utilize for the show; now that project has been taken on by Leanne and and Jim Harvey of Lakeport.
The Lake County Trowel & Trellis Garden Club members are committed to learning and sharing gardening knowledge through fun and friendly meetings and events, and to donating their time and talents to community-based beautification and enrichment programs.
Anyone interested in joining the club is encouraged to attend a meeting, held the third Tuesday of every month except July and August at noon at the Scotts Valley Woman’s Clubhouse, 2298 Hendricks Road, Lakeport.
For more information go to the Web site at www.CLTTGC.org .
CLT&TGC is a member of the Mendo-Lake District, California Garden Club Inc., Pacific Region and National Garden Clubs Inc.
KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – The driver and a child in a small school bus received minor injuries when the vehicle went off of Highway 29 and overturned on Tuesday afternoon.
The crash involving the Lake County Office of Education bus occurred just before 3 p.m., according to the California Highway Patrol.
The CHP said school bus driver Martin Hernandez, 63, of Clearlake was driving the small bus northbound on Highway 29 at Highway 281 at 50 to 55 miles per hour when he made an unsafe turning movement.
That movement allowed the bus to veer off the roadway and hit an embankment, the CHP said.
The school bus continued in a northerly direction, overturned on its right side, went down a ravine and hit a tree, according to the report.
Hernandez and one student, 8-year-old Elijah Fragoso, sustained minor injuries. The CHP said Hernandez complained of head pain and the child had ankle pain.
Another student on the bus, 11-year-old Connor Oswalt, and a second adult, Kimberly Shaw, 42, of Lakeport, were not injured, the CHP said.
Editor's note: This story replaces an early version based on a report from a first responder which incorrectly identified the injured and the number of people on the bus.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
NORTH COAST, Calif. – The Family Service Agency of Marin’s North Bay Suicide Prevention (NBSP) Project and the Bay Area Suicide and Crisis Intervention Alliance (BASCIA) will host a day-long set of suicide prevention trainings on Wednesday, Nov. 6, in Ukiah.
Among the resources offered will be:
• Training for educators, clergy, cultural, ethnic and LGBTQ counselors, law enforcement and other first responders to learn practical tools to use when working with individuals who are suicidal.
• Workshops for educators, survivor families, the Native American community and a discussion group focused on self-harm, wellness and recovery.
• Ongoing support for organizations to implement suicide prevention strategies locally.
"We want to reach people on the front lines of suicide prevention and give them the best, most current information needed to help people in crisis,” said Amy Faulstich, NBSP project coordinator.
The program, called “Strengthen Your Role in Suicide Prevention,” is one way the voter-approved Mental Health Services Act (Prop. 63) is equipping communities to meet Californians’ mental health needs.
The meeting will convene at the Ukiah Valley Conference Center, 200 S. School St., from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Registration is online at www.bascia.org .
“Broad community support is key to the Strengthen Your Role in Suicide Prevention program,” said Paul Muller of BASCIA.
With a suicide in the Mendocino and Lake County area every 10 days, the program has attracted interest from a number of community agencies.
Co-sponsors for the event include Mendocino County Behavioral Health Department, Lake County Behavioral Health Department, Mendocino County Office of Education, Circle of Native Minds Wellness Center, Manzanita Services, Redwood Children's Services, the city of Ukiah, Mendocino College Foster and Kin Care Education Program and Mendocino County Youth Project.
In addition, regional and national organizations working to prevent suicide will offer perspectives on best practices.
Expected to participate are the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, Bridge Rail Foundation, Veterans Administration and others.
This meeting is part of a quarterly series of gatherings that rotate through a 14 county region that stretches from Mendocino, through the entire Bay Area and south to Monterey. The program will continue through June 2014.
BASCIA is offering the Strengthen Your Role in Suicide Prevention Program in partnership with the California Mental Health Services Authority (CalMHSA), an organization of county governments working to improve mental health outcomes for individuals, families and communities.
CalMHSA’s Suicide Prevention program is funded by Prop. 63 and is one of the agency’s several Prevention and Early Intervention Initiatives. CalMHSA operates services and education programs on a statewide, regional and local basis.
For more information, visit www.calmhsa.org .