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Joey Len Gunter, 36, was arrested for burglary, possession of stolen property, vandalism and being a felon in possession of a firearm, according to a report from Capt. Kurt Smallcomb of the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office.
On Sunday at 7:45 p.m. a 55-year-old woman returned to her cabin, located 13 miles out Spy Rock Road near Laytonville, in a very remote and inaccessible area of the county accessed through several locked gates, Smallcomb said. When she arrived she found a man she had never met before inside the cabin.
The woman confronted the trespasser – later identified as Gunter – and demanded he leave her house, Smallcomb said, but Gunter allegedly refused to leave and advanced aggressively toward her.
Smallcomb said the woman fired one warning shot into the air with a handgun, but the shot made no impression on Gunter, who continued to advance toward her.
The woman, who was accompanied by a male cousin, fled the area and contacted the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office. Smallcomb said the woman advised deputies that the subject who had taken over her home had been strangely aggressive and that he had access to firearms and ammunition inside the home.
Mendocino County Sheriff's deputies, assisted by a California Highway Patrol officer, responded to the cabin at approximately 10 p.m. Sunday, Smallcomb said. Due to the danger of confronting the potentially armed subject inside the home, a Mendocino County Sheriff's K-9 was sent into the home to apprehend the suspect.
MCSO K-9 "Dutch" apprehended the suspect in a bedroom, pulling the armed suspect to the ground, enabling officers to take Gunter into custody without a more serious use of force, Smallcomb said.
Gunter allegedly had armed himself with a .38 caliber revolver from the home, worn in a holster. Within arm's reach were a .30-.30 rifle and short-barreled 12-gauge shotgun. Smallcomb said all three weapons were loaded.
Deputies transported Gunter to the Mendocino County Jail, where he was booked on several felonies involving theft, vandalism, possession of stolen property and weapons violations.
The 12-gauge shotgun and a Yamaha four-wheel ATV found at the scene appeared to have been the product of other recent burglaries in the Spy Rock area, Smallcomb said. The suspect allegedly admitted to stealing from seven homes and seasonal-use cabins in the Spy Rock area over the last few months.
Anyone who has been the victim of a recent theft in that area or who has additional information regarding these crimes is asked to contact Deputy Clint Wyant of the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office at 707-459-7833.
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Napa County Fire Marshal Pete Muñoa reported that the fire was reported at 3:30 a.m. Monday at 445 Sky Oaks in Angwin.
Units and firefighters from Angwin and Pope Valley from the Napa County Fire Department and Cal Fire responded to the incident, which Muñoa said caused moderate damage to the second story family room.
He said smoke detectors were not installed in the home.
Three family members safely evacuated the residence while the tenant from the first floor used a garden hose to knock down the fire, Muñoa said.
The fire was reported extinguished at 4:14 a.m., but units remained at scene until 9 a.m. Muñoa said no injuries were reported.
He reported than an investigator from the Napa County Fire Marshal’s Office has been assigned to the incident.
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The quake was reported at 4:26 a.m., according to the US Geological Survey.
The agency reported that the quake was recorded two miles east southeast of The Geysers, four miles southwest of Cobb and four miles west of Anderson Springs at a depth of 2.7 miles.
The US Geological Survey received 76 shake reports from around California and one from Carson City, Nev.
Kelseyville, Middletown and Hidden Valley Lake residents reported feeling the quake, as did people in Humboldt and Napa counties. The most responses came from Healdsburg, in Sonoma County.
Reports also came from the Bay Area, including San Francisco, and as far away as Turlock and McKinleyville.
The 3.8-quake was followed by 12 smaller quakes – ranging in size from 1.0 to 2.0 in magnitude – in The Geysers and Cobb areas over the rest of the day.
A 3.7-magnitude earthquake was reported in The Geysers area on Nov. 24, as Lake County News has reported.
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LAKEPORT – Local firefighters put to work a ladder truck last week as they worked to help a man who suffered a seizure.
A Sunday report from Lakeport Fire Protection District explained that the rescue occurred on Monday, Dec. 14.
Shortly before noon on that day, Lakeport Fire Protection District responded to a reported diabetic emergency on the roof of the Sutter Lakeside Hospital Administration building, according to firefighter Brian Hajik of Lakeport Fire.
Lake County Fire Protection District Battalion Chief Willie Sapeta, who already was inside the building when the emergency occurred, reportedly made initial contact with the patient.
The man had been servicing the building's HVAC units when he experienced a full body seizure. Sapeta found the patient unresponsive but breathing, and began assessing the patient before transferring care to ambulance staff, according to the report.
Advanced Life Support (ALS) interventions were begun in the event the man experienced additional seizures, and extrication options were discussed between paramedics and the incident commander, Hajik said.
Access to the patient was only possible via a scuttle hatch, and with roof being nearly 40 feet above the street, the decision was made to utilize truck 5011’s 75-foot aerial ladder to safely lower the patient to the ground.
Under the direction of Fire Captain Bob Holbrook, the patient was secured to a stokes basket after spinal immobilization, said Hajik. Using a series of ropes and specialized lowering hardware, the patient was brought to the ground by sliding the basket along the rails of the ladder with the attending paramedic.
Lakeport Fire reported that the patient had no additional seizures during the rescue operation and had regained full consciousness during the short transport to Sutter Lakeside emergency room.
The incident was terminated at 12:47 p.m., exactly an hour after it began, Hajik reported.
Lakeport Fire Protection District responded with one ALS ambulance, one ALS engine company and one truck company.
No injuries to emergency responders were reported. Hajik said they didn't have an update on the patient's status.
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UKIAH – Channing Cornell, of Redwood Valley, is the newly elected president of the Mendocino College Foundation Board of Directors.
The Mendocino College Foundation consists of 22 directors, all volunteers from throughout the Mendocino-Lake Community College District.
The foundation supports the college students by providing student scholarships and funds to enhance educational programs and staff development.
Cornell, who previously served as vice president of the foundation board, was unanimously chosen by the directors at the December meeting of the board. Rhonada Clausen, of Ukiah, was elected to serve as vice president. Mendocino College Superintendent/President Kathy Lehner, also of Ukiah, serves as secretary/treasurer of the board and was re-elected to that position for 2010.
Accepting the gavel from Tom Herman of Willits, president for the past two years, Cornell thanked the directors and gave special recognition to Herman.
“Tom has been very conscientious in guiding this board in its fiduciary responsibility,” said Cornell. “You’ve done a wonderful job,” he said, directing his comments to Herman. “We appreciate everything you’ve done (as president) over the last two years.”
Cornell then conducted the remainder of the board meeting, including the scheduling of meeting dates, times, and locations for 2010, and election of committee chairs and members.
The president heads the Foundation’s Executive Committee. Members of the committee are vice president Clausen, secretary/treasurer Lehner who is also chair of the Fundraising Committee, immediate past president Herman, and committee chairs Tommy Thornhill (Scholarship Committee), John Bogner (Land Committee), Gary Smith (Finance Committee) and Richard Cooper (Special Events Committee), all of Ukiah, and Wilda Shock (Marketing Committee) of Lakeport.
Additional foundation board members are Kristi Barrington, John Behnke, Donna Berry, Harry Bistrin, Paul Conrado, Jerilyn Harris, Neelam Salmen, Joan Schlienger, all of Ukiah; Peggy Campbell-DeBolt, Lakeport; Leroy Chase and Christy Scollin, Redwood Valley; David Geck, Kelseyville; and Tod Kong, Hopland.
Regular meetings of the foundation’s board of directors for 2010 are scheduled for Tuesdays, March 2 at the Ukiah campus, MacMillan Hall, 1000 Hensley Creek Road; June 1 at the Lake Center, 105 Parallel Drive, Lakeport; Sept. 7 at the Ukiah campus, and Dec. 7 at the Ukiah campus. Meetings start at noon and are open to the public.
Marketing Committee meetings immediately follow the board meetings on each of the scheduled dates. The Foundation’s Finance Committee will meet Thursdays, Jan. 14, April 8, July 8 and Oct. 14, starting at 3:30 p.m., at the President’s Office in MacMillan Hall. Other committee meetings are listed on the Mendocino College Foundation Web site, http://foundation.mendocino.edu .
For additional information about the Mendocino College Foundation and the efforts of the board of directors, call the Foundation Office at 707.467.1018, visit the Web site at http://foundation.mendocino.edu , or send an email to Kerry McMullen, Foundation support specialist, at
The California Employment Development Department's monthly report showed that Lake County's unemployment rate hit the 17.7 percent mark, a jump from its adjusted 16.4 percent rate in October.
Lake County's November unemployment rate is the highest reported since 1990, as far back as the Employment Development Department's online records extend.
The state's overall unemployment saw a small drop in November, from 12.5 percent in October to 12.3 percent in November, but up from 8.3 percent in November 2008, according to the report.
The U.S. unemployment rate was 10 percent in November, down from 10.2 percent in October but up from the 6.8 percent rate in November 2008, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Lake County's jump in November is likely the result of last month's closure of Konocti Harbor Resort & Spa, which was estimated to have taken away as many as 700 jobs, although at this time of year the resort usually had a seasonal reduction in its labor force.
The November numbers show only an increase of 190 unemployed people over October.
However, the report also showed that Lake County's overall labor force in November was reported at 24,750, down from October, when there were reported to be 25,600 people in the local labor force. In October, 4,200 people in Lake County were reported to be out of work, while in November there were 4,390 unemployed.
Within the county itself, the following unemployment rates were reported: Clearlake Oaks, 25.8 percent; Nice, 24.6 percent; city of Clearlake, 24.3 percent; Middletown, 21.6 percent; Lucerne, 18.5 percent; Kelseyville, 17.3 percent; city of Lakeport, 16 percent; north Lakeport, 15.6 percent; Cobb, 14. 6 percent; Hidden Valley Lake, 14.4 percent; Lower Lake, 14.1 percent; Upper Lake, 7.2 percent.
Six of California's 58 counties had higher unemployment rates than Lake: Yuba, 17.9 percent; Merced, 18.3 percent; Trinity, 19.1 percent; Sutter, 19.4 percent; Colusa, 22.6 percent; and Imperial, 29.2 percent.
The lowest unemployment in the state was in Marin, which had an 8 percent rate.
Lake's neighboring counties registered the following unemployment rates: Colusa, 22.6 percent; Glenn, 14.6 percent; Mendocino, 11.2 percent; Napa, 10 percent; Sonoma, 10.1 percent; and Yolo, 13.2 percent.
California's nonfarm payroll jobs totaled 14,194,200 in November, a net loss of 10,200 jobs since the October survey. This followed a gain of 31,100 jobs – as revised – in October, the Employment Development Department reported. Those numbers are based on a survey of 42,000 California businesses.
The year-over-year change – November 2008 to November 2009 – showed a decrease of 617,600 jobs, down 4.2 percent, according to the report.
A federal survey of 5,500 households showed an increase in the number of employed people, according to the report. That federal survey estimated the number of Californians holding jobs in November was 16,067,000, an increase of 26,000 from October, but down 931,000 from the employment total in November of last year.
The number of people unemployed in California in November was estimated at 2,254,000 – down by 45,000 from October – but up significantly from the 716,000 unemployed that were reported in November of last year.
The Employment Development Department reported that there were 781,449 people receiving regular
unemployment insurance benefits during the November survey week, compared with 740,272 in October and 593,670 in November 2008.
New claims for unemployment insurance were 84,738 in November, up slightly from 83,475 in
October and 80,920 in November of last year, the agency reported.
The Employment Development Department reported that five categories – mining and logging; construction; information; professional and business services; and other services – added jobs over the month, gaining 13,500 jobs. Professional and business services posted the largest increase over the month, adding 8,000 jobs.
At the same time, six categories reported job declines in November, down 23,700 jobs. They included manufacturing; trade, transportation and utilities; financial activities; educational and health services; leisure and hospitality; and government. Trade, transportation and utilities posted the largest decline over the month, down by 8,200 jobs.
The report showed that one industry division, educational and health services, posted job gains over the year, adding 18,900 jobs, a 1.1-percent increase.
Ten 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 636,500 jobs, the report explained.
Trade, transportation and utilities employment showed the largest decline on a numerical basis, down by 135,400 jobs, a decline of 4.9 percent. The report said that construction posted the largest decline on a percentage basis, down by 16.1 percent, a decrease of 118,200 jobs.
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