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Glenn County Sheriff Larry Jones reported Tuesday that the uninhabited residence – located at 6260 County Road 25 west of Interstate 5 and south of Orland – burned Sunday evening. It was owned by District 5 Supervisor Leigh McDaniel, 55.
At about 7:40 p.m. Sunday, Melvin Yancy, 67, who resides in the 6000 block of County Road 23, reported to the Glenn County Sheriff’s Office that there was a very large fire, south of his residence, according to Jones.
Sheriff’s deputies and the Orland Fire Department were dispatched. Emergency responders found an unoccupied home, approximately 2,800 square feet in size, fully involved. Jones said that Orland Fire Department, supported by the Artois Fire Department, provided an aggressive initial attack; however the dwelling was a total loss, with an estimated value of $150,000.
As the fire was suspicious in nature, the Glenn County Arson/Bomb Task Force was contacted and the on-call team, led by Team Leader Det. Kelly Knight of the Glenn County Sheriff’s Office, responded, Jones said.
When the fire had been suppressed to the point of allowing investigators into the burned rubble for an initial assessment, Jones said the charred remains of an adult human were located in an area in or near what would have been the living room portion of the dwelling.
The entire area of the fire and the farm it is part of, was cordoned off. Jones and Lt. Richard Warren were notified of the situation, and deputies and fire personnel provided crime scene security throughout the night.
At daylight, additional sheriff’s detectives, assisted by California Department of Justice crime scene technicians and criminalists, and forensic pathologist Thomas Resk, M.D. commenced their investigation. Jones said they would be supported later in the morning by arson investigators from Cal-Fire.
Orland Fire Department personnel returned to the scene to cool hot spots so investigators could complete the arduous task of methodically sifting through the burnt out rubble, Jones said.
The human remains were found to be that of an adult male in his mid-thirties. A charred identification card was located; however a positive identification by dental records will be necessary by a forensic odontologist. An autopsy has been scheduled for Thursday, Jones said.
Members of the Glenn County Sheriff’s Posse were called to guard the entrances to the ranch and crime scene and maintained security throughout the night.
Investigators returned to the scene Tuesday morning to continue sifting through ashes and debris, said Jones. Detectives from the Sheriff’s Major Crimes Unit continued their investigation.
Jones said McDaniel related that he has owned the property since 1999 and maintained a farming operation there. He has not rented the home for the past two years and has allowed the home to remain vacant and unfurnished.
McDaniel told investigators that the home had been burglarized two years ago this month. Thieves had ripped out walls and removed copper electrical wiring and copper plumbing. An estimated $500 worth of copper had been removed and an estimated $9,500 worth of damage was done, this according to McDaniel’s report, which the sheriff’s office responded to on April 12, 2008.
According to Jones, McDaniel stated that he had maintained electrical service to an outside breaker box which, to his knowledge, was in the off position, thus disallowing electricity to the interior of the residence. Damaged water pipe had not been repaired, so there was no water supply to the home. McDaniel also indicated there was no propane or natural gas being supplied to the home.
He said that, to the best of his knowledge, the residence was locked and secured.
McDaniel had no idea of the identity of the victim, Jones said.
The Glenn County Sheriff’s Office is asking that anyone who may have been in the area of County Road 25 on the evening of the fire, or who may have any information regarding the possible homicide, call the Sheriff’s Office at 707-934-6431 or the Secret Witness Line at 707-934-6627.
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LAKE COUNTY – Census Day – April 1 – has come and gone, but the US Census Bureau said it's not too late to send the forms in by mail.
An estimated 134 million households will receive the forms this year.
As of April 5, the national participation rate in the 2010 Census was 60 percent, the agency reported.
In California, the participation rate was 58 percent on April 5, while Lake County's rate was 48 percent, compared to neighboring counties Napa (62 percent), Yolo (61 percent) Glenn (60 percent), Sonoma (59 percent), Colusa (57 percent) and Mendocino (54 percent).
Inyo County has the highest rate in the state so far, 64 percent, while Alpine County had 18 percent.
The Census Bureau will continue to accept 2010 Census questionnaires by mail through mid-April.
Beginning May 1, census workers will begin going door to door to households that failed to mail back their forms – a massive operation that costs taxpayers an average of $57 per household versus the 42 cents it takes to get a response back by mail.
"The Census Bureau and I would like to thank everyone who has already taken 10 minutes to fill out and mail back the 2010 Census," Census Bureau Director Robert Groves said. "For those who have not yet had a chance to send it back, I'd like to reiterate that it's not too late to participate and doing so will save a lot of taxpayer money."
Census Day serves as the point-in-time benchmark for the nation's population count for the next 10 years.
April 1 has been designated by law as Census Day since 1930. Before that, the decennial population count's reference date fell on different days, such as Aug. 7 in 1820, June 1 in 1880, and April 15 in 1910.
Severe weather conditions during the 1920 Census, which had a Census Day of Jan. 2, led to the April 1 date when weather would be temperate enough to allow census takers to travel within their assignment areas.
The Census Bureau is urging communities nationwide to take charge of their 2010 Census mail participation rates, which are posted at 1:00 p.m. Pacific Standard Time each day.
Anyone can visit the 2010 Census Web site at http://2010.census.gov/2010census/take10map/ to track how well their state, county or neighborhood is doing in mailing in their forms.
From the same interactive rate map, anyone can also embed a Participation Rate Tracker "widget" on their Web site that will display an area's latest participation rates.
The 2010 Census is a count of everyone living in the United States and is mandated by the U.S. Constitution. Census data are used to apportion congressional seats to states, to distribute more than $400 billion in federal funds to tribal, state and local governments each year and to make decisions about what community services to provide.
The 2010 Census form is one of the shortest in U.S. history, consisting of 10 questions, taking about 10 minutes to complete.
Strict confidentiality laws protect the respondents and the information they provide.
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CLEAR LAKE STATE PARK – The Clear Lake State Park Interpretive Association (CLSPIA) will once again present its delicious Wildflower Brunch as part of the Heron Festival on Saturday, April 24.
The tradition will continue from 9 a.m. to noon at the Clear Lake State Park located at 5300 Soda Bay Road in Kelseyville.
The Wildflower Brunch is a long-standing tradition of CLSPIA, with proceeds going to the interpretive association which actively supports many Clear Lake State Park projects, including funding the construction of the new education pavilion at the park.
The brunch is a tasty “create your own omelet” affair, held outdoors adjacent to the festival activities. A wide array of fillings is offered so individuals can design their own perfect omelet.
Fresh fruit and pastries round out the menu. The brunch is over-seen by local chef and caterer Madelene Lyon, who also happens to be president of CLSPIA. Cost of the Wildflower Brunch is just $15 per person and reservations in advance are encouraged.
Heron Festival weekend, April 24 and April 25, promises an array of fun and interesting nature-oriented activities at Clear Lake State Park.
In addition to the Wildflower Brunch, there will be pontoon boat rides on Clear Lake (advance reservations recommended), nature booths, bird walks, speakers, children’s activities and more.
All activities, except for the brunch and pontoon boat rides, are free of charge.
To purchase tickets for the brunch or pontoon boat rides or to get a complete listing of festival activities, go to www.heronfestival.org or call 707-263-8030.
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District 3 Supervisor Denise Rushing will host the events, which will take place beginning at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 7, at the Moose Lodge – located at the junction of Highways 20 and 53 in Clearlake Oaks – and 5:30 p.m. Thursday, April 29, at the Upper Lake High School Cafeteria, 675 Clover Valley Road.
The agenda for each meeting will include updates on county issues, redevelopment agency projects and other issues of local interest as well as an open forum to discuss issues of interest to the community and local announcements.
Tables are available for local businesses and community organizations wishing to provide literature.
For more information contact Rushing at 707-263-2368 or
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The National Weather Service issued an “urgent winter storm warning” for the county Sunday morning that predicted up to 10 inches of snow overnight in elevations about 2,000 feet.
That warning was pulled later in the day and replaced with a winter weather advisory predicting scattered rain and snow showers – with snow at 1,700 feet – throughout the night, with little or no snow accumulation expected.
On Monday, rain and snow showers are likely in the morning, with a 70 percent chance of rain throughout the day and wind gusts up to 21 miles per hour, the National Weather Service reported.
The forecast calls for the rain to return next weekend, after a week of days ranging from partly cloudy to mostly sunny.
Following a wet weekend, the news for the county's water supply is good.
Late Sunday, the US Geological Survey gauge for Clear Lake showed the lake's level at 7.20 feet Rumsey, the special measure used for Clear Lake.
A full lake is 7.56 feet Rumsey, according to Lake County's Water Resources Division.
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KELSEYVILLE – In the coming week, the Hartman family of Kelseyville will make one of the hardest journeys any family could.
They will fly to Washington, DC, and from there trek to Arlington National Cemetery, where this Wednesday, April 7, Sgt. 1st Class David Hartman – their son, brother, grandson and nephew – will be buried will all of the military honors his country can bestow on him.
The 27-year-old Hartman, a young man who had served close to a decade in the military and planned to make it his career, was killed in Pakistan on Feb. 3, along with two military colleagues, as Lake County News has reported.
Hartman and his fellow soldiers were riding in a SUV, on the way to the opening of a girls school, which had been rebuilt with US government funds set aside for the purpose, when their vehicle hit a roadside bomb. His family said he had recently moved into civil affairs, a division of US Special Forces.
He was on a humanitarian mission in Pakistan, although his family said he couldn't – and didn't – say much about his activities and where they occurred.
Just what happened that day is supposed to be contained in a US Army report that Greg Hartman, David's father and a local minister and contractor, is supposed to receive at its completion.
The family said they've heard many different stories about that final day in David Hartman's life, which was shrouded in secrecy. Initially, Greg Hartman said his son was said to be a journalist, not a member of the US military.
David Hartman received the Bronze Star and Purple Heart posthumously, Greg Hartman said.
Since David Hartman's death, his family has experienced what they can only call an “overwhelming” outpouring of emotional, spiritual and financial support from the community.
“You don't know how many good people are out there until something like this happens,” said his sister, Ladona Hartman.
The Lake County community has stepped up to try to help alleviate the family's financial needs when it comes making the trip to the East Coast for the funeral.
The week after David Hartman's death, Operation Tango Mike – a local group that offers support to troops overseas and their families here at home – began a fundraising effort to assist the family with travel.
OTM's founder, Ginny Craven, said she set a goal of $5,000 which, considering the current economic times, she said she felt was lofty.
All told, Craven said the family has received just over $10,000. She said OTM helped raised around $9,000 through general fundraising and a a pancake breakfast late last month that, all by itself, raised about $2,400.
The family received about $1,000 more directly. Umpqua Bank set up an account to take funds directly from community members who wanted to walk in with donations, Craven said.
Craven said it's the first time OTM has raised so much money for one fundraising effort. “It's the first time we've had this kind of need,” she said, noting the need was immediate.
She added that the community's generosity “was just amazing to me.”
That generosity will allow seven extended family members to make the trip along with the immediate family, said the Hartmans, who all agreed in calling Craven “amazing” for her help.
Lake County embraces family
The Hartmans are a family of music – most play and sing some kind of instrument – as well as ministry, which is what brought them to Lake County beginning about 15 years ago.
Alvin and Ladona Hartman, David Hartman's grandparents, were the first members of the family to arrive in Lake County. They pastored a church in Finley for 14 years before retiring last June.
Greg Hartman and his wife, Kate, arrived about 12 years ago to work with a ministry, Freedom Worship and Education Center in the Clear Lake Riviera, www.fwec.net/ .
David's sister Ladona later came to visit, liked it and stayed. She works as a phlebotomist at Sutter Lakeside Hospital, and noted that her employer and co-workers have been incredibly generous – in donating vacation time and money – to help her out following her brother's death.
David and Ladona Hartman lived with their mother and stepfather, who was in the military, on Okinawa, where the two young Hartmans went to high school. His future wife, Cherise, also went to school there. That school is naming its new ROTC building after David Hartman, Ladona Hartman said.
Immediately after graduating from high school, David Hartman – influenced by his stepfather – joined the military, entering on June 22, 2000, his sister explained.
He would serve tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, and last year he changed tested to move into civil affairs, where he would make a better living for his wife and children and be able to help people more, he told his family.
Despite the dangerous places where he served, “He always told us he was safe,” said father, Greg Hartman. At one point David Hartman told his family that no US soldiers had been killed in Pakistan, so they shouldn't worry.
David Hartman visited Lake County and enjoyed fishing and playing golf. He was in Lake County last summer, one of his last visits home, his family said.
“I knew when I hugged him I wasn't going to see him again,” said grandfather, Alvin Hartman, who shed tears at the memory.
When he left for duty this past fall, David Hartman had grown a beard to blend in more with the citizenry, was speaking the language and acted as a liaison between the people and the military.
Earlier this year, his mother, Mikail Bacon, who now lives in Wisconsin, had traveled to Los Banos, where David Hartman spent part of his childhood, to visit with her elderly parents. The day David Hartman died they were able to talk to him via Skype, as he was getting ready to leave.
Greg Hartman was at work when the military showed up to his door to give him the news. His younger daughter, Bethany, called him on his cell phone, and as he was heading home, daughter Ladona called after getting the news from her mother.
Greg Hartman went to Dover Air Force Base in Dover, Delaware, in the days after his son's death for the dignified transfer of his body to the United States. In April 2009, President Barack Obama had ordered the military to take any families who wanted to be present for the dignified transfer of their loved ones' bodies to Dover, Hartman explained.
“That was the hardest thing I've ever had to do,” he said.
When David Hartman's body was transferred south to Los Banos for his Feb. 17 funeral, his family said the Army and Patriot Guard Riders worked with the California Highway Patrol and other law enforcement agencies for an unforgettable procession. Riding along to honor the young soldier were CHP and San Jose Police officers on motorcycles and in cars.
As they passed through San Francisco, the on ramps to the freeway were blocked to let the hearse pass, Hartman's family said.
Since David Hartman's death occurred, the family has been receiving condolence cards from all over the world, including notes of condolence from the chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and President Obama.
Assemblyman Wes Chesbro sent the family a copy of a resolution that names Highway 53 a Veterans Memorial Highway, and which mentions David Hartman.
Then the military offered to have David Hartman buried at Arlington National Cemetery and Cherise Hartman accepted, wanting him to have all the honors afforded him.
The cemetery, overlooking the Potomac River, is one of the most sacred military burial sites in the United States.
The land once belonged to the descendants of Martha Custis Washington, wife of George Washington. Eventually, the land came to belong to Mary Anna Custis Lee, wife of Gen. Robert E. Lee, the leading general of the Confederacy, according to a cemetery history.
The land was confiscated by the federal government for unpaid taxes, sold at auction in 1864 and purchased for government use, with the cemetery established later that year.
Greg Hartman said he's received a lot of praise for his son from officers of higher rank in the military. David Hartman was a sergeant first class about 10 years ahead of most. “My son was doing really well in the military,” he said. “He was making a good impression on his superiors.”
David Hartman and his wife were married May 17, 2007. Together they have a young son together, Mikey – who turned 1 year old three days after his father's death. A baby daughter, Catherine Isis, is due this July 1.
The couple had built a home together in Rayford, North Carolina, where Cherise Hartman plans to stay for awhile so that her children can grow up in the home their father built for them.
“She's having a real hard time,” said Greg Hartman.
Looking for good amidst tragedy
David Hartman was a grown man, off on his own in the world, and his family didn't see him everyday. However, for them, one of the great heartaches is knowing the quiet, serious young man won't be coming for visits, and they can't tell him they love him.
“God has to be the fixer,” said Alvin Hartman.
It's already providing opportunities to touch lives. “I'm finding I'm ministering to a lot more people because of this,” said Greg Hartman.
He added, “It's amazing how much this really touches people.”
David Hartman's sister, Ladona, will miss calling her older brother for advice, and spending time together, like they did when he visited Lake County last summer, when she was able to take several weeks off to visit.
“David loved his family,” his father remembered.
They explained that when they talk to people about David Hartman, many people start to cry.
David Hartman's family also is convinced that God will bring good out of this tragedy.
The family plans to give more of its time to helping Operation Tango Mike and Craven. David Hartman's grandmother, Ladona, and sister said they plan to assist with OTM packing parties, and grandfather Alvin Hartman has offered his services as a chaplain.
The family said they could never offer the community enough thanks for its kindness.
A memorial Facebook page for David Hartman, created by his 14-year-old sister Bethany, can be found at www.facebook.com/pages/Lake-County-News/143156775604?ref=ts#!/pages/In-Memory-of-Sergeant-1st-Class-David-James-Hartman/295594093994?ref=ts .
E-mail Elizabeth Larson at