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MENDOCINO COUNTY, Calif. – Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office is investigating an early morning shooting in Covelo on Thursday that left one man dead after he and another man allegedly broke into a home to steal marijuana.

Capt. Kurt Smallcomb said the incident was reported to the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office via a cell phone call at 5:40 a.m. Thursday.

He said 22-year-old Covelo resident Joey Long called the agency stating that someone had forcibly entered his residence and he had shot them.

Mendocino County Sheriffs deputies and medical personnel responded to Long's residence. They found the dead man lying just outside a broken sliding glass door. Smallcomb said evidence showed the man had been stricken with a single gunshot injury to his upper chest.

Long advised deputies and detectives, that he had been asleep in bed with his wife and young child when he heard his sliding glass window break inside the residence. He got a 357-caliber handgun when he observed two suspects inside his residence, according to Smallcomb.

Long said he observed one of the suspects holding something in his handm which he believed was a possible weapon. At that time Long fired several rounds from his handgun until it was empty. He then retrieved a second handgun from the closet and fired two more rounds towards the suspects, Smallcomb said.

One of the suspects fell to the ground just outside the broken sliding glass door and a second suspect ran from the residence, got into a white Chevy Cobalt-type sedan then fled the scene, Smallcomb reported. Long then contacted 911 via his cellular telephone and summoned assistance.

Detectives learned that Long had approximately 100 pounds of processed marijuana inside and around the residence property. Smallcomb said it appeared that the suspects were attempting to steal Long's marijuana.

Smallcomb said detectives are continuing the investigation and attempting to positively identify the decedent so they can contact his next of kin. Once his family is notified, law enforcement can release his name to the public.

A forensic autopsy will be conducted on Friday, Smallcomb said.

He added that Mendocino County Sheriff’s detectives will eventually forward the case to the district attorney for review.

Anyone with information in regards to this incident is encouraged to contact the Mendocino County Sheriffs Office at 707-467-9159. Callers can remain anonymous.

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At left, 23-year-old Nathaniel Lawrence Nowlin, formerly of Saybrook, Ill., was arrested at an apartment in Clearlake Oaks, Calif., on Monday, November 14, 2011, for allegedly being part of an interstate drug operation. At right, 19-year-old Brandon Eugene Frieburg, also formerly of Saybrook, Ill., was at Nowlin

KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – The woman who introduced a healthy and delicious approach to feeding Kelseyville Unified School District’s students was featured on a nationwide news program this week.

Michelle Malm, head of the district’s food program, was profiled by CBS Early Show reporter Erica Hill as part of an ongoing series spotlighting people who represent the American spirit.

Under Malm’s leadership, Kelseyville Unified’s food program went from being $70,000 in debt and serving up boxed, unhealthy food, to being profitable and filled with fresh fruits and vegetables grown locally.

The school also participates in the Farm to School Program, the goals of which include not just bringing healthy foods to school cafeterias but also supporting local farmers.

Also featured in the profile was Upper Lake’s Colleen Seely Rentsch, one of the local farmers whose produce makes its way onto Kelseyville students’ plates.

Best of all, the students appear to enjoy eating the healthier, more wholesome foods. They also participate in growing some of the food in school gardens.

The five-minute profile can be viewed above.

HIDDEN VALLEY LAKE, Calif. – In the course of saving a south Lake County home from a fire earlier this week, local firefighters also rescued several pets during the incident.

South Lake County Fire Protection District and Cal Fire responded to a house fire at 15630 Eagle Rock Road in Hidden Valley Lake just after noon on Monday, Nov. 14, according to a Cal Fire report.

When firefighters arrived, they found the house filled with smoke and flames were visible in one wall of the structure. Cal Fire said firefighters were able to quickly knock down the fire and extinguish the flames.

Two dogs and a cat were trapped, unconscious in the home. A nearby Hidden Valley Lake security officer was able to remove one of the dogs while firefighters battled the flames. Cal Fire said firefighters rescued the second dog and a cat.

The cat succumbed to its injuries at the scene of the fire but rescue personnel performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation on the dogs using special animal oxygen masks carried on their paramedic unit, Cal Fire said.

Firefighters were able to revive both the dogs, which were then transported by Lake County Animal Control to a local veterinarian's office, Cal Fire said.

Despite quick attention by emergency personnel and veterinarian staff, one of the dogs later died from its injuries, officials reported.

The home sustained moderate smoke damage but the structure and its contents were saved by firefighters. Cal Fire said the cause is under investigation; however, investigators are looking at combustible materials placed too close to a free standing propane fueled fireplace as a possible cause.

"We'd like to remind residents that any combustible materials should be placed a minimum distance of at least three feet away from any heat source," said Cal Fire Battalion Chief Scott Upton.

Three South Lake County Fire Protection District/CAL FIRE engines, one paramedic unit, one battalion chief and one volunteer company responded to the fire, Cal Fire reported.

In connection with the fifth anniversary of its Campaign to Eliminate Drunk Driving, Mothers Against Drunk Driving is unveiling a Report to the Nation, which rates each state on its progress toward eliminating drunk driving.

Based on an average of these state ratings, the nation received a three-star rating on a five-star scale.

Also included in the report are updated figures showing that drunk driving costs the United States more than $132 billion annually, according to data compiled by the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation.

“While we’ve made substantial progress with the campaign over the past five years, the ratings earned by each state show that there is still much work to be done,” said MADD National President Jan Withers. “During this time of year, when drunk driving crashes are most prevalent, we are reminded that the goal of the campaign is to have no more drunk driving victims. MADD calls on the nation to rededicate itself to efforts to save lives, prevent injuries and eliminate this primary threat on our nation’s roadways.”

The states earning a five-star rating include Arizona, Illinois, Kansas, Nebraska and Utah, while Montana, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and South Dakota each earned one star.

California received four stars, according to the report.

The ratings are an indication of states passing effective laws and employing effective drunk driving countermeasures, and are independent of a state’s fatality numbers.

Each state’s rating was determined by adoption of the following proven drunk driving countermeasures, including requiring ignition interlocks for all convicted drunk drivers, conducting sobriety checkpoints, creating enhanced penalties for those who drive drunk with children in the vehicle, participating in “no-refusal” activities for those suspected of drunk driving and utilizing administrative license revocation for drunk driving offenders.

“MADD urges states to adopt these important laws and countermeasures to save lives and support the campaign,” Withers said.

Withers said the campaign’s founding components include:high-visibility law enforcement such as sobriety checkpoints, ignition interlocks for all convicted drunk drivers, and advanced and seamless in-vehicle technology to stop drunk drivers from getting on the road.

“While we have made great strides over the last 30 years, drunk driving is still the deadliest epidemic on America's roads, killing approximately 11,000 people every year,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. “That's why the U.S. Department of Transportation is so committed to working with Mothers Against Drunk Driving to save lives by promoting strong anti-drunk driving laws, enforcement strategies and public awareness efforts.”

The Report to the Nation also outlines the $132 billion annual cost of drunk driving in America, which consists of monetary and quality-of-life costs to victims of drunk driving, along with costs to both the government and employers.

Those costs include $61 billion in monetary costs and $71 billion in quality-of-life losses stemming from all drunk driving crashes.

The federal government paid $4.5 billion of this bill, while state and local governments paid $3.2 billion. Employers paid $10.7 billion, including $3.7 billion related to crashes involving work trips and $7 billion due to crashes outside of work involving employees and benefit-eligible dependents.

Since MADD’s Campaign to Eliminate Drunk Driving was launched in 2006, there has been substantial progress on its three components:

– Increased attention for high-visibility law enforcement efforts, such as sobriety checkpoints, along with support for national awareness campaigns, such as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over.”

– A change in the national conversation about ignition interlocks, with more than double the number of interlocks in use now than in 2006. In addition, the number of states requiring ignition interlocks for all drunk driving offenders has increased from one to 15 and the number of states requiring interlocks for some type of first-time offender has increased from four to 32.

– The Driver Alcohol Detection System for Safety (DADSS) program has recently announced the beginning of Phase II in the ambitious research effort to develop an inexpensive, unobtrusive, reliable and hassle-free technology that will make a vehicle inoperable by a drunk driver (.08 blood alcohol concentration, or greater). This phase of the program is expected to produce a drivable test vehicle in two years, with a goal of having the technology available for voluntary installation in production vehicles in eight to 10 years.

“Today, there is no longer a debate on the effectiveness of ignition interlocks – we’ve seen the lifesaving results – and every state should require these devices for all convicted drunk drivers. Along with broad support for high-visibility law enforcement and the DADSS program, the nation is truly on a path toward the elimination of drunk driving,” concluded Withers.

To view MADD’s Report to the Nation, see below or visit visit www.madd.org/reporttothenation. MADD is the sole author of the report, which is based on 31 years of experience working on lifesaving legislation, along with data from various respected government, research and public safety organization sources.

For more information about MADD’s Campaign to Eliminate Drunk Driving, visit www.madd.org/campaign.

MADD State Report 2011

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – Clearlake officials are upping the enforcement on animal-related issues in the city.

The Clearlake Police Department reported that on Saturday, Nov. 12, police officers assisted Clearlake Animal Control in performing a special animal control-related enforcement.

Officers cited animal owners who have chosen to deliberately disobey the city’s mandatory spay/neuter law, haven’t had the required rabies vaccinations for their animals or disregarded city code requirements that all dogs be licensed.

In all, officers performed compliance checks at 38 locations, issuing 15 citations for 24 animals, according to the report.

The animal owners were cited for 38 separate violations which included failure to spay/neuter, failure to vaccinate for rabies and/or failure to license their dog.

Police said the special enforcement was very successful and there are plans for scheduling another in the near future.

Animal owners need to know that they will be cited if they choose not to follow the laws when it comes to being a responsible pet owner, police reported.

While citations were issued for no rabies vaccination and/or not having a dog license, the main focus of this special enforcement was the city’s mandatory spay/neuter law, in effect since June of 2006.

The city of Clearlake and the county as a whole have an abundantnce of dogs and cats which are not spayed or neutered. As a direct result, many animals end up on the streets, in a shelter or sent to a rescue agency. Police said that primarily due to a lack of responsible pet owners, this problem becomes a huge burden to the community, local animal control agencies and rescue groups.

The city of Clearlake Animal Control and Clearlake Police Department have pledged to have a “no tolerance policy” for dog and cat owners in the city who choose not to follow the law. If your pet is not spayed/neutered, vaccinated for the rabies virus and/or if your dog is not licensed, you will be issued a citation.

Following the law and becoming a responsible pet owner is not only the right thing to do, it is also the more affordable choice, according to the Clearlake Police Department. If you are cited for having an animal which is not spayed/neutered, the fine could be as much as $435 per animal, while the fine for violating the required rabies vaccination ordinance is $245 per animal and for having a dog which is not licensed the fine is $125. In addition to these fine amounts, owners will still be required to comply with the law.

To have your pet spayed/neutered and/or vaccinated for the rabies virus, contact your local veterinarian. The Animal Coalition of Lake County as well as the SPCA of Clearlake offer low cost spay/neuter vouchers and clinics.

To contact the Animal Coalition, visit them at 14104 Lakeshore Drive on Wednesdays from 10 am to noon. To contact the SPCA of Clearlake, call 707-279-1400.

The city of Clearlake Animal Control is hosting a low cost rabies vaccination clinic on Wednesday, Dec. 14, from 10 a.m. to noon at Clearlake City Hall, 14050 Olympic Drive.

The cost of rabies vaccination is $6 per animal; DHPP vaccinations for $14 and licensing for dogs will also be available. The clinic is for Clearlake residents only.

Bring to the clinic proof of physical address and prior rabies vaccination records if the animal has been previously vaccinated. Cash, check or money orders will be accepted.

Dogs must be leashed at all times and all cats must be contained in a type of carrier at all times at the clinic. Animals must remain under control at all times.

For more information regarding the low cost rabies vaccination clinic, call 707-994-8201, Extension 115.

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