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On Christmas Eve, Gov. Edmund G. Brown Jr. announced that he granted 79 pardons.
The individuals granted pardons all completed their sentences and have been released from custody for more than a decade without further criminal activity.
Among those pardoned were David James Buttke, convicted in Lake County Superior Court in October 1989 for drunk driving causing injury. He served seven months in prison and one year on parole, and was discharged in July 1991.
Also pardoned from the North Coast region were Michael Crutcher, convicted in 1982 in Mendocino County for sale and transportation of marijuana; Larry Krebs, convicted in May 1977 in Napa County for inducing a minor to buy/sell/use marijuana; and Robert Lloyd Nielsen, convicted in Napa County in January 1984 of transportation of a controlled substance.
Individuals who have been convicted of a crime in California may apply to the governor for a pardon.
A gubernatorial pardon may be granted to people who have demonstrated exemplary behavior following their conviction.
A pardon will not be granted unless it has been earned. Obtaining a pardon is a distinct achievement based upon proof of a productive and law-abiding life following conviction.
When a pardon is granted, the California Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation are notified so that they may update their records on the applicant.
The pardon is filed with the Secretary of State and Legislature, and is a public record.
Copies of all 79 gubernatorial pardons can be seen below.
NASA has named the site where twin gravity probes hit the Moon earlier this month in honor of the late astronaut, Sally K. Ride, who was America’s first woman in space and a member of the probes’ mission team.
On Dec. 14, Ebb and Flow, the two spacecraft of NASA’s GRAIL (Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory) mission, were commanded to descend into a lower orbit and target a mountain near the Moon’s north pole.
The formation-flying duo hit the lunar surface as planned at 5:28:51 p.m. EST and 5:29:21 p.m. EST on Dec. 17 at a speed of 3,760 mph.
The location of the Sally K. Ride Impact Site is on the southern face of an approximately 1.5 mile-tall mountain near a crater named Goldschmidt.
“Sally Ride worked tirelessly throughout her life to remind all of us, especially girls, to keep questioning and learning,” said Sen. Barbara Mikulski of Maryland. “Today her passion for making students part of NASA’s science is honored by naming the impact site for her.”
The impact marked a successful end to the GRAIL mission, which was NASA’s first planetary mission to carry cameras fully dedicated to education and public outreach.
Ride, who died in July after a 17-month battle with pancreatic cancer, led GRAIL’s MoonKAM (Moon Knowledge Acquired by Middle School Students) Program through her company, Sally Ride Science, in San Diego.
Along with its primary science instrument, each spacecraft carried a MoonKAM camera that took more than 115,000 total images of the lunar surface.
Imaging targets were proposed by middle school students from across the country and the resulting images returned for them to study. The names of the spacecraft were selected by Ride and the mission team from student submissions in a nationwide contest.
“Sally was all about getting the job done, whether it be in exploring space, inspiring the next generation, or helping make the GRAIL mission the resounding success it is today,” said GRAIL principal investigator Maria Zuber of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. “We are proud we can honor Sally Ride’s contributions by naming this corner of the Moon after her.”
Fifty minutes prior to impact, the spacecraft fired their engines until the propellant was depleted. The maneuver was designed to determine precisely the amount of fuel remaining in the tanks. This will help NASA engineers validate computer models to improve predictions of fuel needs for future missions.
“Ebb fired its engines for 4 minutes, 3 seconds and Flow fired its for 5 minutes, 7 seconds,” said GRAIL project manager David Lehman of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, Calif. “It was one final important set of data from a mission that was filled with great science and engineering data.”
The mission team deduced that much each spacecraft was broken up during the impacts. Most of what remains probably is buried in shallow craters. The craters’ size may be determined when NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter returns images of the area in several weeks.
Launched in September 2011, Ebb and Flow had been orbiting the moon since Jan. 1, 2012. The probes intentionally were sent into the lunar surface because they did not have sufficient altitude or fuel to continue science operations.
Their successful prime and extended science missions generated the highest resolution gravity field map of any celestial body.
The map will provide a better understanding of how Earth and other rocky planets in the solar system formed and evolved.
“We will miss our lunar twins, but the scientists tell me it will take years to analyze all the great data they got, and that is why we came to the moon in the first place,” Lehman said. “So long, Ebb and Flow, and we thank you.”
Dr. Tony Phillips works for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Officials are continuing to search for a young woman whose family reported her missing on Sunday night.
Kimberly Marie Hazelwood, 23, of Nice, was the focus of the search, which has so far involved local, regional and state agencies.
Sgt. Steve Brooks of the Lake County Sheriff’s Office said deputies responded to an address located in the 10000 block of Rancheria Road in Upper Lake at 9:15 p.m. Sunday on the report of a missing person.
Hazelwood’s family said she had walked away from the residence, and told deputies that she was upset earlier in the evening and appeared to be depressed, Brooks reported.
Family members had searched the area around the residence and located some property and articles of clothing belonging to Hazelwood, according to Brooks.
He said Lake County Search and Rescue immediately responded to the location and started a search.
Early Monday morning Lake County Search and Rescue was assisted by Mendocino County Search and Rescue, Willits Fire Department Swift Water Rescue Team, a California National Guard helicopter and aircrew from Mather Field and the California Department of Fish and Game, Brooks said.
An extensive search of the area was conducted without locating Hazelwood at the time of the sheriff’s office report, released midafternoon.
Hazelwood is 5 feet 3 inches tall, weighs 160 pounds, has brown eyes and long brown hair which goes to the middle of her back, according to a description provided by her family and the sheriff’s office.
She also was described as being emotionally distraught and may be suffering from depression.
Fliers circulated by Hazelwood’s family and friends on Monday explained that Hazelwood is in need of medical attention, as she is battling cancer. She may be frightened to be approached.
Brooks said the Lake County Sheriff’s Office and Lake County Search and Rescue will continue search efforts in locating Hazelwood.
If anyone has information regarding the whereabouts of Kimberly Hazelwood, immediately contact the Lake County Sheriff’s Office at 707-263-2690.
UPPER LAKE, Calif. – Officials are continuing to conduct rescue searches based on reports that came in on Sunday night regarding two different missing individuals, each reported to have gone into local creeks.
Northshore Fire Protection District firefighters were dispatched to the 9100 block of Bridge Arbor Road near Upper Lake shortly before 9 p.m. Sunday on the report of a male subject n the water. Radio reports said he had either fallen or jumped into the creek.
Fire Chief Jay Beristianos said they searched the area from Middle Creek and Upper Lake down to the Rodman Slough Sunday night.
Parts of the area are inaccessible on foot, so they called in a REACH helicopter to do a search from the air using spotlights, Beristianos said.
“We were unable to find anybody,” he said.
While REACH was flying, Beristianos said they received a report of another person, a female, getting into the water in the area of Rancheria Road.
He said they also were unable to locate that female subject.
Family and friends have identified the young missing woman as 23-year-old Kimberly Hazelwood.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue had taken the operation over by Monday morning, Beristianos said.
Teams were reported to have been searching the banks of the creeks on Monday morning.
Beristianos said the search and rescue operation continuing on Monday was using a National Guard helicopter.
Additional details will be posted as they become available.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake County is feeling the warmth of energy savings this holiday season.
The county used federal stimulus funds to install energy efficient heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems.
More than 20 HVAC systems were retrofitted at government-owned buildings, including Juvenile Hall, the Mental Health Department, Probation Department Annex, and the Lake County Courthouse.
The new HVAC units replaced older, less efficient equipment and enable the county to save on heating energy costs.
Additionally, 15 HVAC controls and 180 sensors were installed, allowing operators to control building temperature and humidity.
The project is estimated to save Lake County 67,722 kilowatt hours or the equivalent of $10,360 in annual energy costs.
Reduction of greenhouse gas emissions is estimated at 35,486 pounds per year.
Completed in March, the HVAC project was funded by a $160,000 grant from the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) program of the U.S. Department of Energy under the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA).
Administered by the California Energy Commission, these federal grants contribute to the energy efficiency goals of small cities and counties.
Federal stimulus funds to small cities and counties awarded under the ARRA's Energy Efficiency Conservation Block Grants (EECBG) and administered by the Energy Commission are providing more than $32 million to more than 270 eligible localities throughout California.
Large cities and counties are receiving funding directly from the US Department of Energy.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The county’s animal shelter has five cats ready for adoption this Christmas week.
There is a kitten, several young cats and even a more mature fellow ready for new homes.
All of this week’s featured cats have been altered and vaccinated.
In addition to spaying or neutering, cats that are adopted from Lake County Animal Care and Control are microchipped before being released to their new owner. License fees do not apply to residents of the cities of Lakeport or Clearlake.
If you're looking for a new companion, visit the shelter. There are many great pets there, hoping you'll choose them.
The following cats at the Lake County Animal Care and Control shelter have been cleared for adoption (other cats pictured on the animal control Web site that are not listed here are still “on hold”).
Female tortie
This female domestic short hair is 2 years old.
She has green eyes, a coat with dilute tortie calico coloring, and she’s had her shots and been spayed.
Find her in cat room kennel No. 13, ID No. 35059.
Brown female tabby kitten
This little brown tabby is 9 weeks old.
She has green eyes, a short brown striped coat and she’s been spayed.
Find her in cat room kennel No. 46c, ID No. 35102.
Black male domestic short hair
This black male domestic short hair mix is 3 years old.
He looks short in his all-black outfit, and he’s already neutered and has had his shots.
Visit him in cat room kennel No. 81, ID No. 35041.
Female domestic short hair mix
This female domestic short hair mix is 2 years old.
She has green eyes and a short gray tabby coat, and weighs 9 pounds. She has been spayed.
She’s in cat room kennel No. 88, ID No. 34940.
Male domestic long hair
This male domestic long hair mix is 7 years old.
He weighs nearly 10 pounds, has a long gray coat and has been neutered.
He can be found in cat room kennel No. 90, ID No. 35016.
Adoptable cats also can be seen at http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Animal_Care_And_Control/Adopt/Cats_and_Kittens.htm or at www.petfinder.com .
Please note: Cats listed at the shelter's Web page that are said to be “on hold” are not yet cleared for adoption.
To fill out an adoption application online visit http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Animal_Care_And_Control/Adopt/Dog___Cat_Adoption_Application.htm .
Lake County Animal Care and Control is located at 4949 Helbush in Lakeport, next to the Hill Road Correctional Facility.
Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday. The shelter is open from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and on Saturday from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Visit the shelter online at http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Animal_Care_And_Control.htm .
For more information call Lake County Animal Care and Control at 707-263-0278.
Email Elizabeth Larson at