News

On Wednesday, Congressman Mike Thompson (CA-1) successfully offered an amendment to H.R. 2584, the Interior-Appropriations bill for Fiscal Year 2012, that will preserve essential federal protections for America’s endangered and threatened species.

Specifically, Rep. Thompson’s amendment removed language – known as the Extinction Rider – that would have prevented the Fish and Wildlife Service from spending any funding to list new plants and animals under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).

“We’ve been trying to get more species off the endangered species list for years, and the majority party is leading the way,” said Rep. Thompson. “Unfortunately, their strategy is to prevent endangered species from being listed as endangered in the first place. The Extinction Rider is so ridiculous that it would be comical, but for the dangerous effect it would have on imperiled species that are struggling to survive.”

“It is our responsibility to be good stewards of this earth and prevent the extinction of wildlife, plants, and fish,” Rep. Thompson added. “The sad truth is that once we lose a species we will never get it back. That is why we need to allow for science-based policies and recovery plans for imperiled species instead of allowing politics to drive listing decisions and activities.”

Congressman Thompson co-authored his amendment to remove the Extinction Rider from H.R. 2584 with Reps. Norm Dicks (D-WA), Michael Fitzpatrick (R-PA), and Colleen Hanabusa (D-HI). 37 Republicans joined Congressman Thompson and over 180 of his Democratic colleagues in supporting the amendment, which was approved by the House in a 224-202 vote.

“I applaud my colleagues, particularly the Republicans, for joining me to fight this misguided legislation,” Rep. Thompson said. “Many of my colleagues are truly invested in saving our natural resources, and I was impressed by their impassioned remarks in support of my amendment. Their efforts will ensure that our endangered and threatened species are protected for the future.”

If the Extinction Rider had been in effect 44 years ago, the American bald eagle, our national bird, would be extinct. In the 1960s, there were less than 450 nesting pairs of bald eagles. But thanks to the Endangered Species Act, this national symbol was removed from the endangered species list in 2007 and now there are nearly 10,000 nesting pairs of bald eagles.

A more local example of the ESA’s positive impact is the Aleutian goose. In 1967, there were no more than a few hundred of these birds left in the wild. ESA protections allowed the Aleutian goose population to rebound, to a population of more than 100,000 birds in 2008. In fact, the ESA recovery effort was so successful that the Aleutian goose was delisted in 2001 and is today being hunted in Humboldt and Del Norte counties.

In addition to the Extinction Rider, H.R. 2584 contains nearly 40 other anti-environment policy riders, including provisions that would:

Block protections for more than 1 million acres of land around the Grand Canyon, leaving them open to toxic uranium mining.
Prohibit the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from implementing the just-finalized Cross-State Pollution Rule, which protects communities from dangerous pollution from power plants upwind of them.
Indefinitely stop long-overdue standards to control toxic mercury air pollution from power plants, endangering pregnant women, infants and children.
Block EPA from moving forward with standards for new vehicles after 2016 that would reduce our foreign oil imports and cut pollution.
Allow oil companies to pollute more when drilling offshore by weakening the Clean Air Act and exempting polluting support vessels from regulation.

Thompson represents California’s 1st Congressional District, which includes Del Norte, Humboldt, Lake, Mendocino, Napa, and portions of Sonoma and Yolo counties. He is a senior member of the House Ways and Means Committee and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. Rep. Thompson is also a member of the fiscally conservative Blue Dog Coalition and Co-Chair of the bipartisan, bicameral Congressional Wine Caucus.

Follow Lake County News on Twitter at http://twitter.com/LakeCoNews, on Tumblr at www.lakeconews.tumblr.com, on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lake-County-News/143156775604?ref=mf and on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/user/LakeCoNews.

This week the US Postal Service released a list of post offices around the nation that may face closure as the agency assesses how to cut costs.

The list so far does not include any Lake County post offices, although there are several around Northern California may be shuttered – including those in San Gregorio, Camp Meeker, Artois, Paskenta and Yountville.

US Postal Service officials said that, as more customers choose to conduct their postal business online, on their smart phones and at their favorite shopping destinations, the need for the agency to maintain its nearly 32,000 retail offices – the largest retail network in the country — diminishes.

“Today, more than 35 percent of the Postal Service’s retail revenue comes from expanded access locations such as grocery stores, drug stores, office supply stores, retail chains, self-service kiosks, ATMs and www.usps.com, open 24/7,” said Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe. “Our customer’s habits have made it clear that they no longer require a physical post office to conduct most of their postal business.”

As a result, the US Postal Service said it will take the next step in right-sizing its expansive retail network by conducting studies of approximately 3,700 retail offices to determine customer needs.

As part of this effort, the Postal Service also introduced a retail-replacement option for affected communities around the nation.

For communities currently without a postal retail office and for communities affected by these retail optimization efforts, the Postal Service introduced the Village Post Office as a potential replacement option. Village Post Offices would be operated by local businesses, such as pharmacies, grocery stores and other appropriate retailers, and would offer popular postal products and services such as stamps and flat-rate packaging.

“By working with third-party retailers, we’re creating easier, more convenient access to our products and services when and where our customers want them,” Donahoe said. “The Village Post Office will offer another way for us to meet our customers’ needs.”

With 32,000 postal retail offices and more than 70,000 third-party retailers — Approved Postal Providers — selling postage stamps and providing expanded access to other postal products and services, customers today have about 100,000 locations across the nation where they can do business with the Postal Service.

“The Postal Service of the future will be smaller, leaner and more competitive and it will continue to drive commerce, serve communities and deliver value,” Donahoe added.

The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses, and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.

The list of California post offices being considered for closure follows.

OFFICE – CITY – ZIP

Blocksburg – Blocksburg – 95514

Downtown Davis – Davis – 95616

Honeydew – Honeydew – 95545

Neeland – Kneeland – 95549

Korbel – Korbel – 95550

Phillipsville – Phillipsville – 95559

Redcrest – Redcrest – 95569

Samoa – Samoa – 95564

Veterans Home – Yountville – 94599

Weott – Weott – 95571

Ryde – Ryde – 95680

Colma – Daly City – 94014

Linden – South San Francisco – 94080

Loma Mar – Loma Mar – 94021

San Gregorio – San Gregorio – 94074

Colonnade – San Jose – 95112

Chinese Camp – Chinese Camp – 95309

Fish Camp – Fish Camp – 93623

Hornitos – Hornitos – 95325

Moccasin – Moccasin – 95347

Yosemite Lodge – Yosemite National Park – 95389

Artois – Artois – 95913

Big Bar – Big Bar – 96010

Callahan – Callahan – 96014

Castella – Castella – 96017

Challenge – Challenge – 95925

Forks Of Salmon – Forks Of Salmon – 96031

Grimes – Grimes – 95950

Hat Creek – Hat Creek – 96040

Old Station – Old Station – 96071

Paskenta – Paskenta – 96074

Stirling City – Stirling City – 95978

Zamora – Zamora – 95698

Zenia – Zenia – 95595

East Bakersfield – Bakersfield – 93305

Helm – Helm – 93627

Big Creek – Big Creek – 93605

Posey – Posey – 93260

Yettem – Yettem – 93670

Darwin – Darwin – 93522

Fellows – Fellows – 93224

Tupman – Tupman – 93276

Victoria Court – Santa Barbara – 93101

Tecopa – Tecopa – 92389

Topaz – Topaz – 96133

Antelope – Citrus Heights – 95621

Eastgate – Beverly Hills – 90211

Veterans Administration – Los Angeles – 90073

Westside Pavilion – Los Angeles – 90064

Baldwin Hills/Crenshaw Finan – Los Angeles – 90008

Hollywood Pavilion – Los Angeles – 90028

Arcade – Los Angeles – 90013

Arco – Los Angeles – 90071

Bandini Station – Bell – 90201

Bunker Retail Postal Store – Los Angeles – 90071

Cudahy – Cudahy – 90201

Federal Finance Station LA – Los Angeles – 90012

Lugo – Los Angeles – 90023

Market – Los Angeles – 90021

Maywood – Maywood – 90270

Soto – Huntington Park – 90255

State Street – Huntington Park – 90255

Broadway Manchester – Los Angeles – 90003

Crenshaw Imperial – Inglewood – 90303

Morningside Park – Inglewood – 90305

North Inglewood – Inglewood – 90302

Alla Vista – Los Angeles – 90066

Del Amo – Torrance – 90503

Lennox – Inglewood – 90304

Hub City – Compton – 90220

North Long Beach – Long Beach – 90805

Willowbrook – Compton – 90222

City Of Industry – La Puente – 91744

Firestone – South Gate – 90280

Hollydale – South Gate – 90280

Alleghany – Alleghany – 95910

Canyon Dam – Canyon Dam – 95923

Clipper Mills – Clipper Mills – 95930

Davis Creek – Davis Creek – 96108

Eagleville – Eagleville – 96110

Fort Bidwell – Fort Bidwell – 96112

Gold Run – Gold Run – 95717

Goodyears Bar – Goodyears Bar – 95944

Kyburz – Kyburz – 95720

Likely – Likely – 96116

Lookout – Lookout – 96054

Milford – Milford – 96121

Nubieber – Nubieber – 96068

Ravendale – Ravendale – 96123

Sierraville – Sierraville – 96126

Twain – Twain – 95984

Twin Bridges – Twin Bridges – 95735

Washington – Washington – 95986

Olive – Orange – 92857

Plaza Orange – Orange – 92856

Downtown Ontario – Ontario – 91762

San Bernardino Mo Windows – San Bernardino – 92403

Center Ave – Huntington Beach – 92605

Midway City – Midway City – 92655

Trade Center – Long Beach – 90831

Laguna Woods Mobile Unit – Laguna Woods – 92637

Pala Vista Annex – Vista – 92084

Marine Corps Recruit Depot – San Diego – 92140

Camp Meeker – Camp Meeker – 95419

Villa Grande – Villa Grande – 95486

Bayview – San Francisco – 94124

Civic Center P O Box Unit – San Francisco – 94102

Federal Building San Francisco – San Francisco – 94102

Mclaren Station – San Francisco – 94134

Visitacion Station – San Francisco – 94134

Byron Rumford – Oakland – 94612

Eastmont – Oakland – 94605

THIS STORY HAS BEEN UPDATED WITH ADDITIONAL DETAILS ON THE EMERGENCY RESPONSE.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – Officials are investigating a collision between a vehicle and a child that occurred on Soda Bay Road early Wednesday afternoon and later was reported to have resulted in the child's death.

The California Highway Patrol's online reports noted that it received a report of the crash – which occurred on Soda Bay Road at Osprey, near the Big Valley Rancheria – shortly after 12:30 p.m.

Radio reports indicated a 3-year-old child had been hit by the vehicle.

Lakeport Fire Chief Ken Wells told Lake County News that when his agency got the call the child had been transported to the Fastop convenience store at the intersection of Soda Bay Road and Highway 175.

“CHP was attending to the child,” he said.

Firefighters then took over and transported the child to Sutter Lakeside Hospital, Wells said.

Numerous CHP, Lakeport Fire, Lakeport Police and sheriff's units responded to the scene, according to the CHP and Wells.

A REACH air ambulance was summoned to pick up the child at Lampson Field, but then later rerouted to Sutter Lakeside Hospital, according to reports from the scene.

The CHP reports indicated just before 1 p.m. that the crash was fatal, but additional information was not immediately available, with CHP units still out at the scene and fire officials still involved with transport to the hospital.

The vehicle involved was towed for evidence, according to the initial CHP report.

CLEARLAKE PARK, Calif. – A Clearlake woman died Tuesday when her vehicle went off the road and rolled down an embankment.

Pamela Bernal, 65, was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash, which occurred off of San Joaquin Drive, according to Sgt. Martin Snyder of the Clearlake Police Department.

Shortly after 4 p.m. Clearlake Police officers received two reports of a possible intoxicated driver in the Clearlake Park area, Snyder said.

Snyder said the reporting parties told police that the driver, later identified as Bernal, had hit a stop sign at the intersection of Arrowhead and San Joaquin. They then lost sight of the vehicle near San Joaquin and Carter Lane.

Police officers responded to the area and conducted a search, which Snyder said was necessary due to the area's steep terrain.

During the search Snyder said officers found a silver Ford that had gone off San Joaquin and traveled approximately 110 feet down the hillside.

He said the vehicle – which appeared to have rolled several times – had major damage as a result of the crash.

When officers got down to the vehicle they found Bernal inside. Snyder said they administered cardiopulmonary resuscitation until Lake County Fire Protection District paramedics arrived and pronounced her deceased.

Bernal's cause of death is pending a full autopsy, Snyder said.

UPPER LAKE, Calif. – A big rig crash closed down a portion of Highway 29 for several hours on Tuesday.

The California Highway Patrol reported that crash involving a Eagle Distributing Co. truck occurred shortly after 2:30 p.m. on Highway 29 north of Mockingbird Lane and south of the intersection with Highway 20.

The truck – which was empty – reportedly went over onto its side, blocking both lanes of traffic and trapping the driver.

The collision also knocked out a utility pole, which left wires down across the roadway, the CHP said.

Along with the CHP and firefighters, Caltrans responded to the scene to help reroute traffic around the crash, using Mockingbird Lane and sending vehicles around through Nice, according to reports from the scene.

The CHP reported that the highway was reopened shortly before 6 p.m.

The extent of the driver's injuries weren't immediately available.

Currency, methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia were allegedly found at the Kelseyville, Calif., home of David Gale Wheeler on Saturday, July 23, 2011. Photo courtesy of the Lake County Sheriff's Office.

KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – The service of a search warrant by the Sheriff’s Narcotics Task Force on Saturday morning has resulted in one arrest and the seizure of nearly half an ounce of methamphetamine, controlled substance sales paraphernalia and more than $2,000 in currency for asset forfeiture.

David Gale Wheeler, 47, of Kelseyville was arrested as a result of the operation, according to Capt. James Bauman of the Lake County Sheriff's Office.

On Thursday, July 14, narcotics detectives secured a search warrant for Gale's home and person, Bauman said.

At 7 a.m. Saturday, July 23, detectives served the warrant at Wheeler’s home with the assistance of officers from the California Highway Patrol, according to Bauman.

David Gale Wheeler, 47, of Kelseyville, Calif., was arrested on Saturday, July 23, 2011, after detectives found methamphetamine and other paraphernalia at his home. Lake County Jail photo.

After announcing themselves repeatedly at the front door, narcotics detectives received no response from inside and forced entry into the home, Bauman said. Detectives located Wheeler lying in bed in the master bedroom and while he initially refused to obey their commands, he was subsequently detained without incident.

During a search of the home, detectives located in Wheeler's bed a small handbag containing nearly half an ounce of methamphetamine individually packaged for sales, a digital scale, $2,000 in currency and other packaging materials, Bauman said.

Another baggie of methamphetamine was found concealed in a bedroom dresser drawer and a glass “meth” pipe was located on a nightstand. Bauman said detectives seized additional currency from Wheeler’s wallet, and all of the currency found in the home was seized as the suspected profits of drug trafficking.

Wheeler was arrested and transported to the Lake County Hill Road Correctional Facility. He was booked for possession of a controlled substance for sales and possession of narcotics paraphernalia, Bauman said.

Jail records showed that Wheeler's bail was set at $10,000. He remained in custody on Tuesday.

The Sheriff’s Narcotics Task Force can be contacted through its anonymous tip line at 707-263-3663.

News

Community

Public Safety

Education

Health

Business

Obituaries

Opinion & Letters

Veterans

Recreation

Religion

Arts & Life

Government & Politics

Legals