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Capt. James Bauman of the Lake County Sheriff's Office said sheriff's deputies responded to the Store 24 convenience store on Highway 29 in Middletown at about 5:30 a.m. Sunday on a reported robbery in progress. The suspect had left the area prior to the deputies’ arrival.
Employees told deputies that an unknown white male adult had entered the store, pointed his finger at the clerk simulating a handgun, and demanded all the money in the cash register, Bauman said.
No actual weapon was seen, however Bauman reported that the clerk gave more than $200 in currency to the suspect before he fled on foot from the store. There was one patron in the store at the time of the robbery and he was ordered on his knees while the crime was committed.
The suspect was described as a white male adult with dark-colored eyes and a medium build.
Bauman said the suspect was wearing a black jacket with a camouflage hood, black or dark-colored denim pants, black gloves and white athletic shoes. He was last seen fleeing on foot to the east of the store.
Anyone with information relating to the robbery should contact the Sheriff’s Major Crimes Unit at 707-262-4200.
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On April 12 Joel Calzada-Morales, 52, pleaded no contest to illegal spotlighting. Judge Richard Martin then sentenced Calzada-Morales to three years probation, ordered him to pay a fine of $1,150 and revoked his hunting privilege for three years, according to a report from the Lake County District Attorney's Office.
In addition numerous items seized by game wardens were ordered forfeited to the state, including two spotlights, four gun cases, a Benelli M1 12-gauge shotgun, a Savage .17 caliber rifle, a Remington 30-06 rifle and a Henry .22 caliber rifle.
Chief Deputy District Attorney Richard Hinchcliff, who prosecutes Fish and Game violations in Lake County, filed charges against Calzada-Morales and another co-defendant charging them with spotlighting and unlawful possession of deer parts.
Spotlighting is the unlawful use of artificial lights to assist in the taking of a game animal, and is committed when the rays of an artificial light are intentionally cast or directed in an area inhabited by wild animals while the person is in possession of a firearm or weapon that could be used to kill an animal.
It is not necessary that an animal actually be killed in order to be a violation of the spotlighting statute, officials reported.
According to investigation reports, on Nov. 24, 2009, Fish and Game wardens were patrolling the Mendocino National Forest using aircraft spotters and wardens on the ground.
At approximately 9 p.m. wardens observed a vehicle moving through the forest shining spotlights out of the vehicle and into the surrounding hillsides, including in the State Game Refuge.
At approximately 11:20 p.m. wardens were able to catch up to and contact the occupants of the vehicle, including Calzada-Morales.
In the bed of the pickup Wardens Loren Freeman and Mike Pascoe found fresh blood and hair that they suspected belonged to an illegally taken deer, although the animal itself was not found.
The suspects claimed the blood and hair was from a jack rabbit. Inside the vehicle wardens located guns and spotlights.
Samples from the bed of the truck were sent to the Department of Fish and Game Forensics Laboratory in Rancho Cordova for testing. The forensic test determined the blood and hair was from a deer.
Hinchcliff, who has prosecuted poaching cases for the last 10 years, told Lake County News on Tuesday that he's seeing fewer poaching cases coming for prosecution.
However, that's not necessarily because there is less poaching. Rather, he said there have been significant cuts to Department of Fish and Game resources in recent years, meaning fewer wardens with less time in the woods.
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KELSEYVILLE – Lake County’s first Wildfire Safety Expo will debut in May, offering community members and homeowners information on how to prepare for wildfire danger.
The free event will be held on Sunday, May 2, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Kelseyville Lumber Home Improvement Center, 3505 Merritt Road in Kelseyville.
“This event marks the beginning of Wildfire Awareness Week in California,” said Linda Juntunen, the expo's project coordinator. “We hope to provide helpful information so citizens will be better prepared in the event of wildfire. We have a few demonstrations planned that will be entertaining, but will also be valuable education tools. Some of our vendors will be doing live-fire demonstrations of their products, and I think the public will find them very interesting.”
Presented by the Lake County Fire Safe Council, partners for this event include the Kelseyville, Lake County, Lake Pillsbury, Lakeport, Northshore and South Lake Fire Protection Districts; the Lake County Fire Chiefs’ Association; Cal Fire; the Bureau of Land Management; and U. S. Forest Service.
A vendor fair will focus on fuel reduction methods, new fire-resistant building materials, home fire safety information and fire safe landscaping tips. Home fire protection products like Thermo gel and Barricade will be demonstrated.
Representatives from Lake County’s Building Department, the Air Quality Management District and Animal Care and Control will be on hand to answer homeowners' questions.
The Master Gardeners and PG&E will have tips on fire safe landscaping
Smokey Bear and Sparky the Fire Dog will be on hand for the kids, along with the Kid’s Fire Safety House.
Live fire demonstrations will be conducted and various pieces of equipment will be on display throughout the day, along with antique fire engines. The Forest Service also will demonstrate fire fighting methods and techniques.
“This event is a first for Lake County and will provide ‘one stop shopping’ for homeowners to take responsibility for their own safety and protection during the upcoming fire season,” said Jeff Tunnell, fire mitigation and education specialist for the Bureau of Land Management. “One of our themes is ‘Help them (firefighters) help you.’ Make it possible for the fire agencies to protect your homes safely and effectively.”
Take responsibility by learning how to protect your home and create the defensible space. Be fire wise and fire safe this season – attend the Wildfire Safety Expo.
Contact Linda Juntunen, project coordinator, at 707-263-4180, Extension 16, for additional information, or see the event flier at www.co.lake.ca.us/Assets/Public+Information+Releases/wildfire.pdf.
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SACRAMENTO – The California Community Colleges and California State University have worked together to create what is considered to be one of the most significant pieces of legislation for California students, which goes to the state's Senate Education Committee on Wednesday.
Senate Bill 1440, authored by state Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Pacoima), will simplify the transfer process between the two systems, increase efficiency and generate approximately $160 million annually in cost savings.
The savings would in turn provide access to roughly 40,000 additional community college students and nearly 14,000 California State University students annually for the same amount of money allocated in each system’s respective budget, according to the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office.
The bill will go before the California Senate Education Committee beginning at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday.
The proposed bill, for the first time in California history, promises community college students a clear pathway for transfer, state education officials reported. When they complete an associate degree they are guaranteed admission to the California State University system at junior status.
“The need to widen the transfer pipeline is essential as many jobs in today’s economy require either an associate or bachelor’s degree,” said Sen. Padilla. “Complexities of the current transfer process between the two systems are causing a bottleneck. This initiative will help break the cycle and increase graduation rates. It is a brilliant idea and I’m excited to be carrying this bill.”
According to a report from the California Legislative Analyst’s Office, community college students transferring to a California State University graduated with an average of 162 units when the minimum requirement is 120 units.
A new study by the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office finds roughly 50,000 community college students transfer annually to the California State University system. They do so with an average of 80 semester units when only 60 semester units are required.
Similarly, when these students arrive at the California State University, they take excess units to make up for courses that did not transfer from their community college.
“I came to California from Florida 13 years ago,” said California State University Chancellor Charles Reed. “One of my goals when I came here was to make the process of transfer from community colleges to the universities as simple as it was in Florida. The Florida transfer system is called the perfect 2+2 system. Up until now I have not been successful but I’m optimistic that now is the time transfer reform will pass in California. Chancellor Scott and I have talked about this for the last 10 years.”
In education reform states such as Oregon and Florida, transfer is made seamless. Enactment of transfer reform legislation in Florida resulted in students completing their bachelor’s degree with only 138 units.
California students and taxpayers can benefit from transfer reform, education officials reported, because many transfer students take up to a full year of classes beyond the semester units required for a bachelor’s degree. These extra units cost the public millions of dollars each year.
“Students attending our colleges often express concerns about the complex and confusing transfer process,” said the California Community Colleges Chancellor Jack Scott. “This transfer initiative will put an end to the confusion and serve as a student passport to the California State University system.
“The reform measure will provide great savings for students in that it will save them time and money. It will provide great savings for the state in that we can educate more students for the same amount of money. This is a nationwide imperative. We have got to produce more college graduates by 2020 as part of President Obama’s goal to make the United States the most educated workforce in the world once again,” Scott stated.
Community colleges have experienced a surge in enrollment during this economic recession. More students understand the reality of the job market and the need to secure a college degree.
Senate Bill 1440 recognizes the considerable work a student has completed when preparing to transfer to a four-year college or university and allows community colleges to grant an associate degree for transfer in the student’s field of study.
Preparing students to transfer to a four-year university is a core mission of the California Community Colleges. The Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) projects the state will face a shortage of a million bachelor’s degree holders for the workforce by 2025.
PPIC also states that, in conjunction with gradually increasing college attendance rates and California State University graduation rates, increasing transfer rates by 20 percent in the next 15 years will close that one million degree gap dramatically.
“Based upon projections made by the Public Policy Institute of California, Senate Bill 1440 will put California on the right path to begin meeting our state’s need,” said The Campaign for College Opportunity Executive Director Michele Siqueiros.
The California Community Colleges is the largest system of higher education in the nation composed of 72 districts and 112 colleges serving 2.9 million students per year. Community colleges supply workforce training and basic skills education and prepare students for transfer to four-year institutions.
The Chancellor’s Office provides leadership, advocacy and support under the direction of the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges.
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John Mark Haun, 39, was arrested following the multiagency search, according to a report from the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office.
At 6:30 a.m. Tuesday Sonoma County Sheriff's deputies were dispatched to a residence in the 200 block of Brey Road in Santa Rosa, adjacent to Spring Lake Park, for an in-progress residential home invasion robbery, according to the report.
As deputies converged on the scene, an alert witness informed patrol personnel that the suspect had fled the victim's residence and was last seen running toward a neighboring creek that runs east-west between Channel Drive and Montgomery Drive and is located a few hundred yards from the victim's residence.
Deputies immediately established a perimeter along both sides of the creek, which was heavily wooded.
A massive manhunt ensued with the assistance of the sheriff's helicopter and two K-9 teams – one from Santa Rosa Police Department and the other from Petaluma Police Department.
After approximately three hours of searching, the suspect, later identified as Haun, was located hiding amongst the brush along the creek. With the assistance of one of the K-9 teams, Haun was taken into custody.
A black nylon pouch was found in close proximity to where Haun was hiding. A black semi-automatic handgun was found in the nylon pouch. The handgun was later determined to be stolen.
Haun was booked into the Sonoma County Main Adult Detention Facility on charges of robbery, possession of stolen property, convicted felon in possession of a firearm, using a firearm in commission of a felony and resisting arrest.
Haun's bail is currently set at $40.000.
The Sonoma County Sheriff's Office asks that anyone with information regarding this incident contact Det. Jim Naugle at 707-565-2185.
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The California Employment Development Department reported on Friday that Lake County's March unemployment rate was 19.5 percent, up slightly from the adjusted February rate of 19.4 percent but down from 19.8 percent in January. Lake County's March 2009 unemployment rate was 15.6 percent.
Statewide, unemployment in California increased in March to 12.6 percent, up from 12.5 percent in February. The Employment Development Department reported that the state's March 2009 unemployment rate was 10.6 percent.
The number of people unemployed in California was 2,308,000 – up by 31,000 over the month, and up by 362,000 compared with March of last year, the agency reported.
In Lake County, the 25,500-member labor force saw 4,980 people out of work in March. Employment Development Department statistics showed that the county's labor force had grown by about 130 people over February, when 4,930 people were unemployed.
Nationwide, March unemployment was 9.7 percent, which was unchanged from February, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. The March 2009 nationwide unemployment rate was 8.6 percent.
Lake County is currently ranked No. 50 out of California's 58 counties when it comes to unemployment, based on the Friday report.
The Employment Development Department report noted that the lowest unemployment in the state was found in Mono County, which had an 8.1 percent unemployment rate, while Imperial County, with 27 percent unemployment, had the highest rate.
Lake's neighboring counties posted the following rates and state rankings: Glenn, 18.1 percent, No. 42; Mendocino, 12.9 percent, No. 21; Napa, 10.7 percent, No. 9; Sonoma, 11.3 percent, No. 12; and Yolo, 14.7 percent, No. 28. Of those counties, Napa and Yolo showed slight improvements by percentage, and Sonoma showed no change from February.
In specific areas of Lake County, the lowest unemployment was reported in Upper Lake, at 10.3 percent, with the highest rate – 28.4 percent – found in Clearlake Oaks, the Employment Development Department reported.
The following unemployment rates were reported for other areas of the county: Nice, 27.9 percent; city of Clearlake, 27.5 percent; Lucerne, 20.5 percent; Kelseyville, 19.9 percent; Middletown, 19.8; city of Lakeport, 18.8 percent; Cobb, 17.5 percent; Lower Lake, 16.5 percent; Hidden Valley Lake, 16.2 percent; and north Lakeport, 15.6 percent.
The Employment Development Department said that nonfarm payroll jobs increased by 4,200 in March, based on data from two separate surveys.
The agency said California has gained jobs in each of the first three months of 2010, with gains over the period totaling 32,400 jobs. Nonfarm jobs in California totaled 13,842,000 in March, an increase of 4,200 over the month, according to a survey of businesses that is larger and less variable statistically.
The year-over-year change – March 2009 to March 2010 – showed a decrease of 458,400 jobs, down 3.2 percent, according to the report.
One of the two surveys used, a federal study done with a smaller sample than the state's survey of employers, showed an increase in the number of employed people during the month. It estimated the number of Californians holding jobs in March was 15,938,000, an increase of 53,000 from February, but down 463,000 from the employment total in March of last year.
The Employment Development Department report on payroll employment in the nonfarm industries of
California totaled 13,842,000 in March, a net gain of 4,200 jobs since the February survey. This followed a gain of 2,800 jobs, as revised, in February.
The report noted that five categories – mining and logging; manufacturing; educational and health services; leisure and hospitality; and other services – added jobs over the month, gaining 13,400 jobs. Educational and health services posted the largest increase over the month, adding 6,100 jobs.
Meanwhile, five categories – construction; information; financial activities; professional and business services; and government – reported job declines this month, down 9,200 jobs.
Information posted the largest decline over the month, down by 2,600 jobs. One sector – trade, transportation and utilities – recorded no change. One industry division, educational and health services, posted job gains over the year, adding 26,400 jobs (a 1.5 percent increase).
The Friday report said 10 categories – mining and logging; construction; manufacturing; trade, transportation and utilities; information; financial activities; professional and business services; leisure
and hospitality; other services; and government – posted job declines over the year, down 484,800 jobs.
The report noted that the largest decline both numerically and based on percentage was found in construction employment, down by 108,300 jobs – a decline of 16.3 percent.
In related data, the EDD reported that there were 768,583 people receiving regular unemployment insurance benefits during the March survey week. When federal unemployment insurance extensions are included, the total is 1,659,358 people receiving benefits. That's compared with 714,145 in February and 858,778 last year.
At the same time, the agency said new claims for unemployment insurance were 70,450 in March, compared with 63,766 in February and 79,979 in March of last year.
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