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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – While a connection to blue-green algae has not been confirmed, the recent illness and euthanization of a dog earlier this week has prompted local officials to remind residents and visitors to take precautions while recreating in and around Clear Lake.
The dog was euthanized following a brief severe illness that began one day after swimming in the Konocti Bay area, according to county health officials.
Although the cause of the illness is still being evaluated, Lake County Water Resources has obtained samples for testing of the water in the area where the dog and its owners were recreating.
Lake County Public Health has arranged for specialized testing at the California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory in Davis in order to determine if the illness was caused by cyanotoxins.
Although this was not the first time the family and dog contacted lake water in the Konocti Bay area, and the overall water conditions appeared improved compared to previous years, the dog did enter an area usually avoided because of swampier conditions with plants and possible clumps of blue-green algae.
Symptoms in the pet included vomiting, diarrhea and lethargy. Humans recreating nearby have not reported illness.
There has never been a laboratory documented case of cyanotoxin-related illness in Lake County, although this case is an indication that caution might be needed even when algal accumulations do not appear as severe as in previous years.
Accumulations of blue-green algae are a common and familiar sight in freshwater lakes, ponds and streams throughout the country, including Clear Lake.
Most frequently visible as green, soup-like water, oily-appearing surface scum or foamy mats, cyanobacteria tend to flourish or collect in sunny areas where water is shallow and undisturbed, or in locations where wind and currents cause surface blooms to collect.
Some blue-green algae produce toxins that can pose a range of health risks to people and animals when they are exposed to them in large enough quantities.
Pets, such as dogs, are particularly at risk because they are not deterred by the disagreeable odors of decaying algal mats, they are prone to swallowing water while swimming, and they can ingest cyanobacteria while self-cleaning their coat following contact with the lake.
County officials urge the community to use appropriate precautions while this scientific testing is completed to determine if any potential health risks associated with cyanobacteria exist.
Regardless of any eventual findings in the dog's case, Scott De Leon, director of Lake County Water Resources and Karen Tait, MD, Lake County health officer, urged the public to observe important safeguards to avoid harmful effects of cyanobacteria.
These include:
- Avoid contact with water in areas with surface foam, scum, or a pea soup appearance. This is particularly important for small children and pets.
- Avoid generating aerosols (water skiing, jet skiing, etc.) in areas of the lake where there are signs of blue-green algae.
- After swimming, towel off promptly. Even better, shower with fresh water. After pets swim, rinse with fresh water and towel them dry to prevent them from ingesting the blue-green algae while self-cleaning.
- Never drink untreated lake or other surface water. Boiling water does not guarantee that it is safe to drink.
- If unexplained illness develops following direct exposure to water in a lake, pond, or stream, see a doctor (or bring your pet to a veterinarian) promptly and be sure to mention the exposure that occurred.
For more information, see http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Environmental_Health/Blue-Green_Algae.htm or http://www.cdph.ca.gov/healthinfo/environhealth/water/pages/bluegreenalgae.aspx .
KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – The Lake County Sheriff's Office is on the lookout for a Kelseyville man who is alleged to have set a woman on fire on Friday, later leading deputies on a high speed chase.
Kevin Ray Parker, 54, is wanted in connection to the assault and subsequent chase that occurred early Friday morning, according to Lt. Steve Brooks.
At 6:25 a.m. Friday sheriff’s patrol deputies responded to the 6300 block of Soda Bay Road in Kelseyville for a report of a female screaming for help, Brooks said.
When the deputies arrived they contacted the female victim who said Parker had physically assaulted her, sprayed her with a flammable liquid and then set her on fire, according to Brooks.
As the victim was screaming in pain, Parker extinguished the fire and then said he would kill her later, Brooks said. The victim said when Parker stepped outside to get something from his motorcycle, she was able to escape the residence and contact a neighbor who called 911.
Parker reportedly left the residence on a motorcycle prior to deputies arriving at the residence. The victim told deputies that Parker may also be armed with a handgun, Brooks said.
The deputies noticed that some of the victim’s hair had been burned off the right side of her head and the house smelled of burned hair and lighter fluid. Brooks said the victim also had what appeared to be burns on the side of her neck. Deputies located additional evidence which supported the victim’s statement.
Deputies requested that Central Dispatch put out a description of Parker, his motorcycle and the possibility he may be armed to the surrounding law enforcement agencies, according to Brooks.
A short time later, a Lakeport Police officer who was in the area to assist located a motorcycle and rider who fit the description of Parker. Brooks said when the officer attempted to conduct an enforcement stop on the motorcycle, a pursuit ensued through downtown Kelseyville, eventually leading to Highway 29.
The motorcyclist continued south on Highway 29 at a high rate of speed. As they approached Red Hills Road the motorcycle turned onto a dirt road in the 7700 block of Highway 29 and continued, Brooks said.
As the pursuing officers continued down the dirt road they located the motorcycle parked next to some trees. Brooks said they also located several pieces of paperwork with Parker's name and address on them.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office along with the Lakeport Police and the California Highway Patrol attempted to locate Parker, but were unsuccessful, Brooks said.
Anyone who sees Parker is asked to contact 911 immediately and not approach him. Brooks said Parker is considered armed and dangerous.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – After six years of working its way through the courts, the case against a Lake County man who was accused of having sex with a teenage girl was dismissed on Friday in Marin County Superior Court.
The California Attorney General's Office dropped its case against Derik Dion Navarro, 41, due to lack of evidence, according to Navarro's attorney, Mitchell Hauptman of Lakeport.
Navarro was prosecuted for allegedly having sex with a minor over the course of a year, beginning when she was 14 years old in 2005.
The decision not to continue pursuing the case came nearly a month after the jury deadlocked on all 16 counts, which had included lewd and lascivious acts with a minor, sodomy and having sex with a minor under age 16.
Attorney General's Office spokesperson Lynda Gledhill confirmed on Friday that the case had been dropped.
Gledhill said that with half the jurors having decided Navarro was not guilty, the Attorney General's Office – which continued to believe the case had merit – decided not to retry it.
Navarro was arrested in April 2007, a week after he was fired from his job as a Lake County Sheriff's deputy.
After Don Anderson took office as Lake County's district attorney at the start of January 2011, the case was taken over by the Attorney General's Office.
Anderson, before his election, had represented Navarro in an administrative hearing regarding his sheriff’s office employment, giving rise to a conflict of interest that necessitated moving it out of the District Attorney's Office.
The case encountered continual delays but in December 2011 appeared to have neared a conclusion when the Attorney General's Office reached a plea agreement with Navarro.
The agreement required Navarro to plead guilty to one count of felony unlawful intercourse with a child under age 16.
While the agreement had the blessing of the alleged victim – now in her early 20s – and her family, Sheriff Frank Rivero publicly denounced it, putting out a press release in which he called it a “travesty of justice” and asking the Attorney General's Office to withdraw the deal.
Rivero also had a sealed letter left on Judge Andrew Blum's desk in chambers at the time the judge was considering whether or not to accept the plea agreement. Such ex parte communications with judges about ongoing cases are strictly forbidden.
Blum ultimately rejected the plea agreement in January 2012, saying the three-month jail sentence Navarro would have received – with no requirement to register as a sex offender – was “ridiculously lenient.”
As the result of an April 2012 change of venue motion – which the Attorney General's Office did not oppose – Navarro's case was moved to Marin County, where his trial began this past June.
Hauptman said at the time that the change of venue was necessary due to concerns that Navarro could not get a fair trial in Lake County, a circumstance the defense said resulted from Rivero politicizing the matter.
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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake County Vector Control District said Friday that 11 more mosquito samples and one dead bird have tested positive for West Nile Virus this week, with incidences of the virus being detected in the county earlier this year than last.
The mosquitoes were collected in Lakeport, Kelseyville, Clearlake Oaks, Anderson Marsh and Upper Lake, while the dead bird was a tree swallow found in Lower Lake, Lake County Vector Control reported.
As of Aug. 1, a total of 24 mosquito samples, two dead birds and one sentinel chicken in Lake County have tested positive for the virus this year, according to Jamesina Scott, Ph.D., district manager and research director of Lake County Vector Control District.
“West Nile Virus activity nearly doubled in the last week,” said Scott. “In previous years, peak activity in Lake County has been in mid-August to mid-September, and that’s still two weeks away. I expect to see a lot more West Nile Virus this year.”
West Nile Virus has been detected in 33 California counties so far this year, mainly in mosquitoes and dead birds. Four human cases have been reported, including one fatal human case in Sacramento County, health officials reported.
Birds are the reservoir for West Nile Virus. Scott said people can become infected when a mosquito bites a bird and then a person.
Symptoms of the mild form of West Nile Virus include fever, headache, tiredness, body aches and swollen lymph glands. While the illness can last only a few days, even healthy people have reported being sick for several weeks, officials said. The severe form of West Nile Virus can be fatal.
Residents are encouraged to bring along mosquito repellant if they attend an outdoor event after 5 p.m., Scott said.
“Evenings are a very pleasant time to be outside right now – both for us and for the mosquitoes,” she said. “The mosquitoes that carry the virus are most active near sunset, and using a repellant will help protect you from mosquito bites.”
In recent years, several new repellants have been registered with the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). “There is a repellant for nearly every need now,” said Scott.
She recommends looking at the small box on the label where the active ingredients are listed. “There are five different active ingredients in mosquito repellants that are proven effective and registered with the US EPA: DEET, Picaridin, Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus, IR3535, and para-menthane-diol,” Scott explained. “But they only work if you apply them. And always read the label and follow the directions.”
It only takes one bite to get West Nile Virus from an infected mosquito and anyone of any age can get this disease. Contracting the virus is largely preventable by taking simple, but very important precautions.
There is no specific treatment for the virus, so Scott said the best approach is to avoid exposure to mosquito bites by following these guidelines:
- Dump or drain standing water. Mosquitoes cannot begin their life without water.
- Defend yourself against mosquitoes using repellents containing DEET, Picaridin, Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus, IR3535, or para-menthane-diol. For more information about effective mosquito repellants, visit the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) at http://www.cdc.gov/westnile/faq/repellent.html .
- Avoid being outdoors when mosquitoes are present, typically dawn and dusk.
- Report neglected swimming pools by calling 707-263-4770 or visiting www.lcvcd.org . Anonymous calls are accepted. Just one neglected pool can produce more than one million mosquitoes and affect people up to five miles away.
Since 2004, four people in Lake County have been diagnosed with West Nile Virus. Recent studies have shown that the majority of cases are not diagnosed and grossly underreported, according to Scott.
The Lake County Vector Control District, an independent special district and public health agency, is located at 410 Esplanade in Lakeport.
Call the District to report mosquito problems at 707-263-4770 or visit their office weekdays between 7:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. get free mosquitofish for ornamental ponds, horse troughs or neglected swimming pools. Residents can also request service online at www.lcvcd.org .
For more information about West Nile Virus, visit http://www.westnile.ca.gov/ .
CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The efforts of determined county landfill employees led on Wednesday to the arrest of a Clearlake man on allegations that he stole property from the landfill and tampered with a county vehicle.
David Palmer Jepson, 34, was arrested on Wednesday morning, according to Sgt. Rodd Joseph of the Clearlake Police Department.
Still wanted in connection to the case is 66-year-old Clearlake resident Robert Crince, Joseph said.
Eastlake Landfill Supervisor Kris Byrd told Lake County News that for the last three to four months, the landfill's recycling center on Davis Avenue has been burglarized repeatedly.
He said the suspects took aluminum cans, plastic bottles, batteries, electronics and, recently, three of the walls off the center's swamp cooler.
Landfill employees have been investigating the thefts but haven't come up with any leads, Byrd said.
That is, until earlier this week.
Sometime on Tuesday night or early Wednesday morning, the suspects cut through the recycling center fence, drove in on a Rascal scooter with a trailer on it, siphoned about 100 gallons of fuel from a water truck and stole the truck's four batteries, Byrd said.
Byrd said the thieves left some noticeable clues thanks to the area's dirt roads.
On Wednesday morning, Byrd and two landfill staffers, Ben Noble and Kevin Perry, followed the scooter's tracks along the dirt roads, with the tracks leading to a house where they located Jepson.
“It was great,” Byrd said.
At about 8:30 a.m. Wednesday Clearlake Police officers responded to the 16100 block of 35th Avenue on a report of a theft at the landfill and recycling center, Joseph said.
Officers arrived at the address and met with Byrd and his staff, who related that they had followed tire tracks to the address and found a small scooter and trailer, as well as several full gas cans adjacent to the scooter containing red dye diesel fuel, which the landfill reported had been stolen, according to Joseph.
At the residence they found Jepson, who Byrd said confessed to stealing the materials and told them that Crince had been an accomplice.
Joseph said the investigation led officers to an address in the 16200 block of 27th Avenue where additional stolen property was located.
Some of the stolen property located was from the Tuesday night burglary as well as from several burglaries and thefts at the recycling center over the past several months, Joseph said.
Byrd said they found the swamp cooler parts, batteries and stolen computer parts at the second location.
While they were there, one of Byrd's employees pointed out that the home's electrical panel had jumper cables attached to it. A further look revealed a makeshift connection to a nearby power pole. He said the hookup was used to steal electricity.
There also were about 28 sick cats found at the home that were confiscated by animal control officials, Byrd said.
“It ended up being a pretty big bust,” he said.
Joseph said not all of the property stolen from the landfill has been located, but during the course of the investigation officers identified Crince as another person of interest in the series of thefts and burglaries.
At that second house, Byrd said officials spoke to a woman who had Crince's phone number. When they attempted to call him, he claimed to be on a bus to a VA medical facility in Santa Rosa, although an eyewitness saw him that day in Clearlake.
Joseph confirmed that Jepson admitted to being involved in the theft at the landfill on Tuesday night, and he was arrested for burglary, possession of stolen property, tampering with a vehicle petty theft, conspiracy and two outstanding arrest warrants.
Jepson was booked into the Lake County Jail, with bail set at $50,000. He remained in custody on early Friday; he's also scheduled to appear in court on Friday, according to his booking sheet.
Joseph said officers are trying to locate Crince, whose whereabouts weren't known on Thursday.
He said the case is being forwarded to the Lake County District Attorney’s Office for charges.
Byrd credited his staff for doing good work and helping track down the suspects.
“Patience was a virtue for us for sure,” he said.
Joseph said anyone with information on this case is asked to contact Officer Michael Carpenter at 707-994-8251.
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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Striking transit drivers and their representatives from Teamsters local 665 will gather on Friday to formally call on Lake Transit Authority to enforce the performance clause of its agreement with its operator Paratransit Services.
Teamsters Local 665, which represents more than 30 local transit workers, said the gathering will take place beginning at noon Friday at Clearlake City Hall, 14050 Olympic Drive.
Paratransit Services is a Washington-based nonprofit that since 2007 has held the contract to operate Lake Transit.
The nonprofit and Teamsters Local 665 – which represents more than 30 Paratransit Services personnel – have failed to reach an agreement on a new three-year contract.
As a result, last Sunday Teamsters members rejected a 2.2-percent wage increase and voted to go out on an indefinite strike until the contract was settled, as Lake County news has reported.
In the days since then, bus services and hours of operations have been seriously curtailed, making it difficult for Lake Transit's many riders to get to work, appointments and other commitments, according to feedback riders have given Lake County News.
“Lake Transit’s operator, Paratransit, knew full well that a strike would occur if a fair offer was not presented to the drivers,” said Mark Gleason, secretary-treasurer of Teamsters Local 665.
“It has become crystal clear that Lake Transit buses will not be operating in full capacity for weeks, if not months, it this strike continues,” Gleason said. “The LTA should stop covering up this fact and invoke the performance clause so that a fair deal can be presented to these hard working drivers and, as important, so that the residents of Lake County can benefit from a fully operational transit system, immediately.”
The union said the drivers have effectively had a pay freeze for the past three years.
Paratransit Services notified the union on Tuesday that intends to continue its operations and will be hiring permanent replacements for striking workers.