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CLEARLAKE OAKS, Calif. – A Clearlake Oaks man was arrested late last week for allegedly stabbing another man he had accused of being involved with his ex-girlfriend.
Daryl Eugene Ney, 51, was arrested following the stabbing, which occurred on the night of Thursday, Sept. 20, according to Sgt. Steve Brooks of the Lake County Sheriff’s Office.
Brooks said Lake County Sheriff’s deputies responded to an address in the 12000 block of Oak Grove Avenue in Clearlake Oaks shortly before 10 p.m. Sept. 20 on a report of a male subject who had been stabbed.
When deputies arrived they contacted the victim, who said Ney had stabbed him, Brooks said.
Brooks said the victim told deputies that he had been at Ney’s residence that evening, socializing with Ney and two additional occupants of the residence.
Ney left the residence to go to the store and returned a short time later, Brooks reported. When Ney entered the residence he noticed his ex-girlfriend was standing in the bathroom with the victim, and he accused them of having a sexual relationship.
Brooks said Ney became upset and starting fighting with the victim inside the residence. As the victim was attempting to leave the residence, Ney allegedly picked up two kitchen knives and told the victim that he was going to kill him.
Ney allegedly chased the victim who was attempting to escape the yard area and stabbed him once in the abdomen, Brooks said. According to witnesses, they could hear the victim yelling that he was hurt. Ney returned to the residence and allegedly was overheard saying that he had just stabbed the victim.
The victim was treated on scene by medical personnel from Northshore Fire Protection District’s Station 75. Brooks said the man later was transported out of county by air ambulance due to the seriousness of his injury.
The victim, who underwent surgery for his injuries, was reported to be recovering and was expected to be released from the hospital in a few days, Brooks said.
Ney was arrested for attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon, Brooks said.
He said Ney was transported to the Lake County Hill Road Correctional Facility and booked.
Jail records showed the Ney remained in custody on Monday, with bail set at $200,000. He was scheduled to be arraigned on Monday in Lake County Superior Court.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake County Animal Care and Control is offering several young cats as well as some older cats for adoption this week.
The cats range in age from 4 months to 4 years old, with coats of varying color and length.
Cats that are adopted from Lake County Animal Care and Control are either neutered or spayed and 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”).
Gray male tabby
This gray male tabby is 2 years old.
He has a medium-length coat, weighs nearly 9 pounds and is not yet neutered.
Find him in cat room kennel No. 11a, ID No. 34357.
Domestic medium hair mix
This female domestic medium hair mix is 2 years old.
She has a black coat, weighs 6 pounds and is not yet spayed.
She’s in cat room kennel No. 11b, ID, No. 34358.
Orange male tabby
This male orange tabby is 5 months old.
He weighs 4 pounds, has a short coat and has been neutered.
He’s in cat room kennel No. 15a, ID No. 34145.
Male orange tabby
This male orange tabby is 5 months old.
He is not yet altered, weighs 3.5 pounds and has a short coat.
He’s in cat room kennel 15b, ID No. 34146.
Domestic short hair mix
This female domestic short hair mix is of undetermined age.
She has a short coat and is not yet spayed.
Find her in cat room kennel No. 15c, ID No. 34147.
Siamese tortie
This female Siamese tortie is 4 years old.
She has blue eyes and a short coat, weighs nearly 9 pounds and has been spayed.
She is in cat room kennel No. 31, ID No. 34313.
Domestic short hair mix
This female domestic short hair mix is of undetermined age.
She has blues eyes and a short white coat, and is not yet spayed.
Find her in cat room kennel No. 46, ID No. 34385.
Female gray tabby
This female gray tabby is 4 months old.
She has a short coat and is not yet spayed.
She’s in cat room kennel No. 49a, ID No. 34381.
Domestic short hair mix
This male domestic short hair mix is 4 months old.
He has a white coat and is not yet neutered.
Find him in cat room kennel No. 49b, ID No. 34382.
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
A new report from the National Snow and Ice Data Center shows that as of this month arctic sea ice has dropped to what appears to be its lowest level in decades.
The findings, as of Sept. 16, showed that the sea ice extent dropped to 1.32 million square miles, the lowest seasonal minimum extent in the satellite record since 1979.
Officials said the findings reinforce the long-term downward trend in Arctic ice extent.
In response to the setting sun and falling temperatures, ice extent will now climb through autumn and winter. However, a shift in wind patterns or a period of late season melt could still push the ice extent lower.
The minimum extent was reached three days later than the 1979 to 2000 average minimum date of Sept. 13.
This year’s minimum was 293,000 square miles below the previous record minimum extent in the satellite record, which occurred on Sept. 18, 2007. This is an area about the size of the state of Texas.
The September 2012 minimum was in turn 1.27 million square miles below the 1979 to 2000 average minimum, representing an area nearly twice the size of the state of Alaska. This year’s minimum is 18 percent below 2007 and 49 percent below the 1979 to 2000 average.
Overall there was a loss of 4.57 million square miles of ice since the maximum extent occurred on March 20, 2012, which is the largest summer ice extent loss in the satellite record, more than one million square kilometers greater than in any previous year.
The six lowest seasonal minimum ice extents in the satellite record have all occurred in the last six years (2007 to 2012), the National Snow and Ice Data Center reported.
In contrast to 2007, when climatic conditions – winds, clouds, air temperatures – favored summer ice loss, this year’s conditions were not as extreme.
Summer temperatures across the Arctic were warmer than average, but cooler than in 2007. The most notable event was a very strong storm centered over the central Arctic Ocean in early August.
It is likely that the primary reason for the large loss of ice this summer is that the ice cover has continued to thin and become more dominated by seasonal ice. This thinner ice was more prone to be broken up and melted by weather events, such as the strong low pressure system just mentioned. The storm sped up the loss of the thin ice that appears to have been already on the verge of melting completely.
The spatial pattern of ice extent at this year’s seasonal minimum is different than that observed for 2007. This year the ice is more extensive in some parts of the central Arctic Ocean.
However, the ice is less extensive this year compared to 2007 in the Beaufort Sea, the western Laptev Sea, the East Greenland Sea, and parts of the Canadian Archipelago.
The Northern Sea Route opened around mid August this year, compared to 2007 when a tongue of ice extended to the coast, blocking the route throughout the summer.
I have fallen in love with a new flavor, one whose name belies its wicked deliciousness. Roasted sunflower butter is the culprit that has stolen my affection.
Full of nutrition, it does live up to that healthy-sounding name, but watch out, as it’s also sinfully flavorful and extravagant.
As a fan of all kinds of nut and seed butters – peanut, almond, cashew, sesame, you name it – I was a bit surprised that (at least for me) roasted sunflower butter eclipses each of them, and by a wide margin.
It’s so good that I’m actually salivating as I write. Believe me, if its creamy goodness were in the house, I’d be penning this with an oozing spoonful in my hand.
Nut butter aside, I simply love sunflowers just as flowers. Those big optimistic heads, the mad fringe of bright yellow, the towering stalks, the awkward weighty presence – all of this just does something to me.
In my mind they’re the dolphins of the plant world – here to remind us to lighten up a bit, to cultivate joy, to walk on the sunny side of life.
They spend the day following the sun after all, their heads turning to the warmth and light of our marvelous day star, and if that’s not a metaphor for living, I don’t know what is.
Acres of them are cultivated a county or two over along the I-5 corridor, and I always enjoy seeing their bright, bobbing heads stretch out over the fields as I trek up or down that otherwise monotonous stretch of highway. (To be honest, I feel rather disappointed if they’re out of season and unable to brighten my journey.)
This charmingly sanguine flora grows in many temperate regions of the world, including in North America, where the American Indians enjoyed them as a significant part of their diet for at least 3,000 (and possibly as many as 5,000) years. Not only did they use the seeds as a food and oil source, the flowers, roots, and stems were employed for varied purposes, including as a dye.
Sunflowers are thought to have originated in Mexico and Peru, and were one of the first plants cultivated in the United States.
They’re now beloved throughout the world, popular in areas as varied as the Middle East, Asia, the Mediterranean region, and Eastern Europe.
The world’s largest consumer of sunflower seeds is – surprisingly – Russia, mainly because of their love of sunflower oil, which is the cooking medium of choice in that country.
Sunflower seeds are between 20 – 50 percent oil, with the higher range belonging to seeds with black husks, known as black oil sunflower seeds. Sunflower varieties with these oil-rich seeds are also referred to as oilseed sunflower crops, as they’re typically grown for oil production.
Another 20 percent of the make-up of sunflower seeds is a high-quality protein, a benefit to us when we snack on them. When the seeds are pressed for oil, the by-product, a protein-rich meal, is used as livestock feed.
Sunflower seeds with striped husks are used primarily for food and therefore are called “confectionary” sunflower seeds.
They’re a great snack roasted or raw, and are also a wonderful addition to all kinds of baked goods, with my favorite sunflower-enhanced product being hearty whole grain bread.
My second favorite may be granola cereal or bars, as both benefit from the addition of these nutty seeds.
Sunflower seeds are great to have on hand to toss on salads and soups, as are gangly sunflower sprouts, which add heightened nutrition to food because of chemical changes that take place during the sprouting process. (Powerful enzymes are activated when plants sprout, and vitamin content is increased, in some cases fivefold or higher.)
There are a variety of other ways to add them creatively to foods. Toss them in pasta, over pizza, or into the filling for stuffed bell peppers. They’re great with strongly flavored cheeses and Greek-inspired flavorings.
Roll bite-sized soft cheese balls in them for a fun appetizer, or encrust meats such as lamb with the seeds.
In our house we toss them on all kinds of things – chili, baked potatoes, salads, soups.
A friend makes an immensely tasty salad dressing using sunflower butter, tossing it with apple cider vinegar and a pinch of sea salt and freshly ground pepper. It’s that simple, and it tastes fantastic on greens.
The fun thing about sunflowers seeds is that they may be harvested from flowers grown in your backyard. There are all types of sunflower plants, and though most develop a single large head atop a tall stalk, there are multi-headed and short stature varieties, too. Some have faces more than a foot across.
Seeds should be harvested when the flower heads have turned brown in back, the petals are dry, and the seeds are plump and mature. Allowing the sunflower heads to dry on the stalk is one option, but if you’re concerned that squirrels or birds will do a little harvesting themselves, you might consider cutting the heads off (with about 12 inches of stalk attached) and drying them in a garage or shed.
Another cure for unwelcome munching is to cover sunflower heads with a paper bag or cheesecloth. A paper bag may also be employed for catching seeds if drying upside down off the stalk.
After the harvest, seeds should be soaked in a salt water solution prior to roasting.
I found a great instructional video online about the logistics of harvesting and enjoying a backyard sunflower crop, and I’ve posted it below. If you’re considering growing your own sunflowers, the video should help a great deal with some harvesting and roasting basics.
It’s good to know there are very few insects that attack sunflowers, making them very easy to grow organically. They thrive almost anywhere that has sufficient sun and reasonable soil, making them an easy project for the home garden.
You’ll have access to other edible parts of sunflowers if growing them yourself. For example, their oversized flower buds may be steamed like artichokes and the petals can be used like calendula or chrysanthemum petals. (Try tossing them in salads.)
Sunflowers are so high in vitamin E that a one ounce handful provides a whopping 76 percent of our daily requirement. Vitamin E is an important antioxidant that assists in preventing the build-up of plaque in our arteries.
The same serving provides access to needed minerals (25 percent of our requirement for copper and 20 percent of pantothenic acid, for example), as well as good stores of folate, vitamin B6, iron, zinc, and selenium.
As with other nuts and seeds, storage in an airtight container in the fridge is best, as high fat content can promote rancidity. Sunflower seeds (raw or roasted) may be frozen for up to a year.
If you’ve got raw hulled seeds and wish to roast them, the oven method works well. Spread them in a single layer on a baking sheet and roast for five to seven minutes in a 375 degree Fahrenheit oven until slightly browned with a nutty aroma.
Today I offer two recipes, both from a lovely-sounding organization called the National Sunflower Association. The first, a muffin recipe, features carrots, golden raisins, and the heady flavor of cardamom as companions to sunflower seeds. Sunflower oil is also used in the recipe.
The second, caramelized sunflower kernels, makes a tasty treat to eat out of hand, but can be sprinkled over other foods, such as sweet potatoes or delicate acorn squash. My recommendation is to double or triple this recipe!
I’ll leave you with a quote from Helen Keller: “Keep your face to the sunshine and you can never see the shadow. It’s what sunflowers do.”
Enjoy, and happy Sunday!
Carrot-cardamom muffins
Sunflower oil for oiling muffin tins
1 cup all-purpose flour
½ cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup cugar
½ teaspoon cardamom
½ cup golden raisins
¾ cup orange juice
1 cup finely grated carrots
1 egg
1 tablespoon sunflower oil
½ cup dry roasted, lightly salted sunflower kernels
Lightly coat muffin pan with sunflower oil and preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
Combine dry ingredients and raisins. Mix together orange juice, carrots, egg, and oil; gently stir wet ingredients into dry. Add sunflower kernels gradually, being careful not to over mix.
Bake for 15 to 17 minutes or until golden. Let cool in pan about 10 minutes, then remove to cooling rack.
Makes 12 muffins when using a standard muffin pan.
Caramelized sunflower kernels
1/3 cup sunflower kernels
2 tablespoons brown sugar
Heat sunflower kernels in a non-stick skillet about 3 minutes over medium heat.
Stir in the brown sugar, stirring constantly until melted and kernels are coated.
Turn out onto waxed paper to cool.
Use as a snack or sprinkle on salads, fruit, sweet potatoes, or winter squash.
Makes four servings.
Esther Oertel, a freelance writer, cooking teacher, and speaker, is passionate about local produce and all foods in the vegetable kingdom. She welcomes your questions and comments and may be reached at
KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – Lake Family Resource Center has named a new manager for its domestic violence shelter, Freedom House.
Sheri Young was promoted to the position in late July and took over over all responsibilities in August.
Center officials said Young is providing new energy and attention to Freedom House Domestic Violence Shelter and staff and clients are benefiting from having a shelter manager on site.
“Though Young is new to working in the field of domestic violence, her passion and interests run deep,” said Lake Family Resource Center Executive Director Gloria Flaherty.
Freedom House shelters up to 42 people escaping the disaster of domestic abuse. It accepts men and women with their children up to age 18 or older if still in school.
Last year, Freedom House sheltered 118 domestic violence victims and their children providing them with advocacy, accompaniment and support.
“Domestic violence became the major focus of my career path after losing a family friend to it 10 years ago,” said Young. “I realized that I have a deep passion for helping victims become survivors. After extensive training and learning in the law enforcement and advocacy world, I finally found my niche and became a domestic violence advocate; it is one of the best things that I’ve ever done.”
In her past, Young had the opportunity to develop her dedication and people relationship skills and now those are in use with the eight staff she supervises and supports.
She brings diverse experience including having received her POST Certificate for Law Enforcement. Young is well known in the community due to her involvement in activities and a local art gallery.
If you wish more information on Freedom House, its many domestic violence services, or other Lake FRC programs, 707-279-0563 and ask for Shelter Manager Sheri Young, or Extension 181.
LAKEPORT, Calif. – Lake County Live! Once again takes the stage at the Soper-Reese Community Theatre on Sunday, September 30, for its ninth show of the year.
Musical guests include the Hip Replacements, featuring Larry “Mojo” Platz, Jim Williams, Jon Hopkins and Tom Aiken.
Also on the program a special “surprise” appearance by the Konocti Mountain Boys.
The show is presently live in the theater and broadcast simultaneously on Lake County Community Radio KPFZ 88.1 FM and streamed live on the internet at www.kpfz.org .
This month’s show also features and “outdoor” theme, with sketches on hunting, fishing and the Kelseyville Pear Festival.
“Each show stands on its own and good entertainment for all ages, and the comedy improves with each show,” said show creator and host Doug Rhoades.
Lake County Live! is also now being carried on Lake County PEG television, cable Channel 8. The show airs Fridays at 8 p.m. with repeats on Thursdays at 10 a.m.
“Tune in to Channel 8 and see why we’re on radio instead of TV,” Rhoades added.
Join the performers in the theatre at 6 p.m. on Sept. 30.
Tickets are $5 per person, and are available at the theatre box office at 275 S. Main St. in Lakeport on Fridays 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 .