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LAKEPORT, Calif. – Lakeport Police arrested a Lucerne man on Tuesday after an incident in a grocery store parking lot in which he allegedly sexually battered a woman.
John William Wright, 24, was arrested for sexual battery, criminal threats, burglary and petty theft following the incident in the Safeway Parking lot, according to Chief Brad Rasmussen.
Shortly after 3 p.m. Tuesday Lakeport Police responded to the area of the US Post Office on 11th St. regarding a male caller reporting his wife was assaulted by male subject, Rasmussen said. The suspect in the case had reportedly left the area and walked up 11th St. pushing a shopping cart.
Upon arriving in the area, Lt. Jason Ferguson located the male subject, identified as Wright, pushing the shopping cart on 11th St. near the entrance to the northbound onramp of Highway 29, Rasmussen said.
Rasmussen said Wright was in possession of nearly $350 worth of groceries from Safeway in the shopping cart for which he could not provide a receipt.
During the investigation officers learned that Wright made contact with a woman standing in the parking lot near the Mendo Lake Credit Union. Rasmussen said Wright is alleged to have made sexual advances toward the woman and offered her drugs in exchange for sexual favors.
After the woman refused Wright’s advances, Wright grabbed her breast at least three separate times and then told her he would kill her if she told anyone, Rasmussen said.
After Wright left the area, the woman drove home and advised her husband of the incident and they both returned and called the police, Rasmussen said.
Wright was placed under arrest after he was positively identified by the woman at the scene. Rasmussen said representatives from Safeway responded to claim the stolen items, which totaled $347.29.
Wright, whose occupation is listed as landscaper on his booking sheet, was booked at the Hill Road Jail on Wednesday morning. Jail records showed that his bail was set at $15,000.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – In the American Lung Association’s new “State of the Air 2013” report, Lake County continues its tradition of clean air, taking top honors.
The 14th annual report, which can be found at www.lungusa.org , is a national air quality “report card.” It uses the most recent quality assured air pollution data, compiled by the EPA, in 2009, 2010 and 2011.
The report grades counties and ranks cities and counties based on their scores for ozone, year-round particle pollution and short-term particle pollution levels.
Lake County was ranked No. 1 among the Top 25 cleanest counties for year-round particle pollution, an improvement over its No. 8 ranking in 2012 and a No. 6 rating in 2011.
Other California counties making that group this year included Siskiyou, No. 15; Shasta, No. 17; and San Benito, No. 20.
Lake also was among 14 California counties ranked as having low short-term particle pollution and was one of only nine California counties to be listed for cleanest counties for ozone air pollution. It received “A” grades for both categories of air pollution.
Nationwide, the report finds significant progress in the reduction of year-round particle pollution (soot) across the nation, but many cities that ranked among the most polluted had more unhealthy days of high ozone (smog) and short-term particle pollution than in the 2012 report.
Despite that uptick, “State of the Air 2013” shows that the air quality nationwide continues the long-term trend to much healthier air.
“We are happy to report that the state of our air is much cleaner today than when we started the ‘State of the Air’ report 14 years ago,” said Harold Wimmer, national president and chief executive officer of the American Lung Association.
“Even in parts of the country that experienced increases in unhealthy days of high ozone and short-term particle pollution, they still have better air quality compared to a decade ago,” Wimmer added. “But the work is not done, and the Environmental Protection Agency must continue the work necessary to achieve the promise of the Clean Air Act; healthy air that is safe for all to breathe.”
The new report found that more than 131.8 million people in the United States, which equates to 42 percent of the U.S. population, live in counties that have unhealthy levels of either ozone or particle pollution.
Nearly 24.8 million people – or 8 percent – in the United States live in counties that have unhealthy levels of all three: ozone and short-term and year-round particle pollution.
Eighteen cities had lower year-round levels of particle pollution, including 16 cities with their lowest levels recorded.
The report also noted that more cities – four – made the list of the “cleanest cities” than in any previous “State of the Air” report: Bismarck, N.D.; Cape Coral-Fort Myers, Fla.; Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, Fla.; and Rapid City, S.D. To make this list, the cities had to have no days with unhealthy levels of ozone or particle pollution and had to be among the 25 cities with the lowest year-round particle levels.
This year’s report reveals that many places made strong progress, particularly in lower year-round levels of particle pollution, compared to last year’s report.
The American Lung Association said lower particle pollution levels are a direct result of emissions reductions from the transition to cleaner diesel fuels and engines and coal-fired power plants, especially in the eastern United States.
Although year-round average levels for particles are steadily dropping, the reverse is true for short-term spikes in days with high particle counts.
“State of the Air 2013” found that six cities had their worst year ever for short-term pollution spikes since the data started to be collected. Periods of unhealthy particle levels often occur in the winter, as has recently been the case in Fairbanks, Alaska, and Salt Lake City.
In some cities, the particle pollution spikes come from increased burning of wood and other fuels for heat, often from highly polluting indoor wood stoves or outdoor wood boilers.
Ozone is the most common air pollutant Americans breathe, and it has proven to be one of the hardest to reduce.
Most cities with the worst ozone problems made progress with fewer high ozone days, while several places recorded more unhealthy ozone days on average than in 2008-2010.
Los Angeles reported its fewest unhealthy ozone days since the “State of the Air” reports began, but it remains the city with the worst ozone pollution problem. Warmer weather during 2009-2011 may have contributed to the increase.
The nation’s most polluted cities for short-term particle pollution, from one to 10, are: Bakersfield-Delano, Calif.; Fresno-Madera, Calif.; Hanford-Corcoran, Calif.; Los Angeles-Long Beach-Riverside, Calif.; Modesto, Calif.; Salt Lake City-Ogden-Clearfield, Utah; Pittsburgh-New Castle, Pa.; Merced, Calif.; Fairbanks, Alaska; Logan, Utah-Idaho.
Most polluted cities by year-round particle pollution, from one to 10, are: Bakersfield-Delano, Calif.; Merced, Calif.; Fresno-Madera, Calif.; Hanford-Corcoran, Calif.; Los Angeles-Long Beach-Riverside, Calif.; Modesto, Calif.; Visalia-Porterville, Calif.; Pittsburgh-New Castle, Pa.; El Centro, Calif.; Cincinnati-Middletown-Wilmington, Ohio-Ky.-Ind.
Top 10 most ozone-polluted cities, from one to 10, are: Los Angeles-Long Beach-Riverside, Calif.; Visalia-Porterville, Calif.; Bakersfield-Delano, Calif.; Fresno-Madera, Calif.; Hanford-Corcoran, Calif.; Sacramento-Arden-Arcade-Yuba City, Calif.-Nev.; Houston-Baytown-Huntsville, Texas; Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas; Washington-Baltimore-Northern Virginia, District of Columbia-Md.-Va.-W.Va.; and El Centro, Calif.
The report suggests several actions to improve air quality, including cleaning up gasoline and car emissions, funding work to provide healthy air, cleaning up coal-fired power plants and strengthening outdated ozone standards.
LUCERNE, Calif. – The Lucerne Alpine Senior Center is holding a celebration barbecue and information day on Saturday, May 4.
The event will take place from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the center, located at 10th and Country Club.
The center is emerging from a difficult two months in which it faced the loss of its nutrition contract, then welcomed new leadership, filed an appeal and won the ability to continue providing Meals on Wheels and daily lunches.
Executive Director Rae Eby-Carl, who took over the center’s leadership at the start of March, said the event is meant to honor all of the volunteers who work so hard to keep the center open and provide lunches and Meals on Wheels to the Northshore communities.
Information will be available on lunches served weekdays at the center and delivered by Meals on Wheels. The community is invited to come check out the monthly menu.
On site May 4 will be a chicken barbecue with coleslaw, beans and French bread. available at $6.50 a plate (those aged 10 and under are served for $4.50). All profits go to center and its operations.
Applications for new volunteers will be available at the event. Board of Director recruitment is now under way for June appointments.
They are seeking applicants for all volunteer positions: board, Meals on Wheels drivers, cooks, kitchen and dining room help, maintenance, landscaping, thrift store stocking and sales, office help and marketing.
The Thrift Store recently was remodeled and revamped, and is open Monday through Saturday. Its profits also go to help run Lucerne Alpine Senior Center.
“Come and look for treasures for your home and economical clothes,” said Ted Shimizu, Board of Directors chair.
Earlier, from 8 a.m. through noon, the Big Breakfast fundraiser is open, as it is every Saturday. Menu selections include biscuits and gravy, various omelets, eggs to order French toast, pancakes and more with all the trimmings like bacon, sausage, juice and coffee.
The public is welcome to come, eat breakfast and lunch, or look around and pick up information.
Eby-Carl reported that all staff and current volunteers want to share their pride in Lucerne Alpine Senior Center’s facilities and programs.
The center continues to deliver nutritious and delicious meals to homebound throughout the north shore. Lunch meals also are served on site at 3985 Country Club Drive in Lucerne. The dining room is open from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. for the whole community. All age diners are welcome to partake of this very affordable hot meal.
“Come on down May 4. You can bring the whole family. It’s a great way to find out about volunteer opportunities and services while sharing our celebration of great volunteers,” said Eby-Carl.
Eby-Carl said the center is looking to expand services with more activities and encourages community groups to contact her or staff to make arrangements to use the facility for a very reasonable fee.
Starting April 30, there will be a Qi Gong class every Tuesday and Thursday from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. at no charge.
“Lucerne Alpine Senior Center is here for the whole Northshore community,” Eby-Carl said. “We are looking forward to good times together, come share a meal with us.”
Call 707-274-8779 for more information if you can’t make it to the barbecue celebration on May 4.
MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – A Middletown cleanup day will be held this Saturday, April 27.
Community members are invited to help tidy up the town from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m.
Participants should meet at the intersection of Calistoga and Young streets, near the Cowpoke Café, and are asked to bring brooms, hoes, dust busters, weed eaters and other cleaning tools.
The plan is to clean storefronts, sidewalks and weed the earth around the trees and or planter boxes.
Doughnuts and bottled water will be available.
There is no need to register; community members are invited to simply show up.
For more information contact Michelle with Mormon Helping Hands at
Cleanup efforts also are taking place that day in other parts of the county.
In Clearlake, the cleanup will be held from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., at Austin Park, 14077 Lakeshore Drive. Call City Clerk Melissa Swanson at 707-994-8201, Extension 106
In Lakeport, citizens will work on the cleanup from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m., meeting beforehand at Angelina’s Bakery, 365 N. Main St. Call the Lakeport Main Street Association at 707-263-8843.
CLEARLAKE, Calif. – A man was arrested during a special enforcement operation last week targeting people who purchase alcohol for minors.
Calvin Canida, 21, was arrested for furnishing alcohol to a minor during the “shoulder tap” operation conducted on Thursday, April 18, according to Officer Michael Carpenter of the Clearlake Police Department.
Carpenter said the operation was conducted by Clearlake Police officers and agents from Alcoholic Beverage Control at ABC-licensed businesses in Clearlake.
A “shoulder tap” operation is an enforcement program that ABC and local law enforcement agencies use to deter and detect activity in which minors ask adults to purchase alcohol for them, according to law enforcement officials.
Carpenter said that during an enforcement operation, a minor decoy, under the direct supervision of law enforcement officers, solicits adults outside ABC-licensed businesses to purchase alcoholic beverages for them.
During last week’s operation, several people were contacted at the businesses by the decoy, Carpenter said.
Only one person, Canida, was arrested during the operation, Carpenter said. Canida later was released on a citation.
This project is part of the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control’s Minor Decoy/Shoulder Tap Grant Project, funded by the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
LAKEPORT, Calif. – The popular local radio and theater production “Lake County Live!” returns to the Soper-Reese Community Theatre on Sunday, April 28, at 6 p.m.
The show presents music and comedy for the live audience, and is broadcast live on Lake County Community Radio KPFZ 88.1 FM and streamed live on the Internet at www.kpfz.org .
“I am so pleased that our local community has enjoyed our efforts in the comedy we write for each show, as well as the ability to showcase local musical talent for all to see and hear,” said show creator and producer Doug Rhoades.
This month’s program features music by In Voice, who performed in January of this year featuring folk standards.
Bill Bordisso and Doug Harris, along with Keith and Libby Larson provide the music and vocals.
Also performing is Konocti Junction, featuring Tom Nixon, Scott Sommer and Janet Berrian.
Rounding out the show will be returning favorites Three Deep, displaying the musicianship and vocals of Jill Shaul, Anna McAtee and Sarah Tichava.
The program will also feature the return of Ladies of the Lake, and the usual cast of ongoing characters.
Tickets are available at the theater box office on Friday from 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., at the Travel Center at 1265 S. Main St. in Lakeport and online at www.soperreesetheatre.com .
The program is presented and airs the last Sunday of each month at 6 p.m.
