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CLEARLAKE, Calif. – City of Clearlake officials are pressing forward with their goal of getting the county of Lake to address the thousands of tax-defaulted properties that need to be put up for auction in order to claim millions of dollars in proceeds owed to local governments.

At Thursday evening’s Clearlake City Council meeting, City Manager Alan Flora gave the councilmembers an update on the discussion regarding the Treasurer-Tax Collector’s Office at the Board of Supervisors’ Jan. 14 meeting.

Beginning last year, Flora began to raise issue with Treasurer-Tax Collector Barbara Ringen’s failure to hold regular tax-defaulted property sales.

The problem is particularly serious for Clearlake, where Flora said 25 percent of all properties are at some level of tax delinquency.

In November the Clearlake City Council voted to send letters to the Board of Supervisors, the Lake County Civil Grand Jury, the California State Controller, California State Treasurer, California Board of Equalization and the California Attorney General’s Office asking that Ringen be investigated, as Lake County News has reported.

During the Jan. 14 meeting, the supervisors responded to the city’s November letter, with board members stating they were committed to solutions.

However, on Thursday night, Flora told the council that he found the discussion at the Board of Supervisors “particularly frustrating.”

He said he felt the BOS was giving the matter very little serious consideration and, at the meeting, Ringen didn’t offer any response to the concerns.

Flora also said the county has no adequate plan for addressing the large number of tax-defaulted properties or the need for tax sales. He said there were supposed to be 300 such properties offered for sale in March. Now, that planned sale has been pushed back to May, with 240 properties to be offered.

“It's just the same thing that's happened for years,” he said.

Flora said the county’s civil grand jury, which had issued a report on the matter a few years ago, responded to the city’s November letter asking for an investigation to say that it felt that report was adequate.

However, after corresponding with the grand jury, Flora said it agreed to take more information and possibly do another investigation. He and Mayor Russell Cremer are set to meet with the grand jury next week.

Flora said he’s also received an inquiry from the State Controller's Office in response to a letter from the city.

He’s exchanged some calls with that agency. “They are actively looking at this case,” he said, noting the State Controller's Office is in the determination phase regarding whether to open an official investigation into the treasurer-tax collector.

Vice Mayor Dirk Slooten said he had attended a League of California Cities meeting, where one of the organization’s experts know about the county’s tax-default problem.

“We need to continue to bring this to the forefront,” Slooten said, noting that tax-defaulted properties also are abandoned and neglected, creating blight and all kinds of problems.

Slooten said the city needed to keep the pressure on to keep the county and treasurer-tax collector accountable.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Board of Supervisors has given its support to a regional transportation hub proposed for Clearlake and has agreed to sell a portion of county-owned property to Lake Transit for the project.

At its Jan. 14 meeting, the board unanimously approved a resolution declaring a county property surplus for land at 7175 South Center Drive and authorizing the sale of a portion of the property to the Lake County Transit Authority, and also agreed to send a letter in support of the project for a grant application.

The current bus depot is located in the parking lot between Big 5 and Walmart and is not a safe or adequate bus depot to meet the needs of Lake Transit Authority, according to a report to the board from Supervisor Bruno Sabatier and Supervisor Moke Simon.

The report said the county has surveyed and split off the portion of the property that Lake Transit Authority for the development of a bus depot. The assessor's office is in the process of creating a new APN number for the parcel.

“This conversation’s been happening for a while,” said Sabatier.

He said Lake Transit was, at that point, working on a grant application, with a Jan. 17 deadline, for funds to begin construction of the bus depot.

The Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program grant would fund a regional transit center as well as expanded infrastructure and services linking Lake Transit to out-of-county urban areas, based on the draft support letter.

Sabatier said that, to have access to the grant, Lake Transit needed a letter of intent for the sale of the property from the county.

He said the grant was to address greenhouse gas emissions, with public transit seen as a solution. Sabatier said the chances of Lake Transit receiving the grant look good.

Not many rural areas are building these types of facilities, said Sabatier, noting that there are plans that would enable trips from Lake County to Shasta County and to San Francisco.

“This is an interregional Northern California transit center, which would be really beneficial for us as a whole,” he said.

The new transit center is in the highest density residential area in the entire county – known as the Chapman Track or the Avenues – where about 5,000 people live. Sabatier said the area has access to the courthouse, schools – including Woodland Community College’s Lake County Campus – and the shopping center.

Sabatier pointed out that, during the county’s emergencies, Lake Transit offered rides for free to evacuees. He said the organization has been a good partner with the city of Clearlake and the county of Lake.

To get the project to that point, Sabatier said it had taken the efforts of several county departments, the city of Clearlake and Lake Transit.

In addition to the bus depot, there will be office space for Lake Transit and park and ride spots, Sabatier said.

Many security measures have been added as Konocti Education Center and Woodland Community College don’t want it to attract nuisances for staff and studies. Sabatier said those measures include lighting and security cameras, and there are talks about having a security guard there at least during the day.

Simon said the project will help ease the traffic that flows in the area and is a “good step forward,” especially as the transit company continues to grow.

Sabatier said plans also include seeking to add electric and hydrogen buses to Lake Transit’s fleet.

The board unanimously approved the resolution declaring surplus property and sending the letter of support. Sabatier asked to get the letter and resolution signed that same day in order to make the Jan. 17 grant deadline.

Editor’s note: A previous version of this story stated that the property was city-owned, which of course it is not, because the Board of Supervisors voted to sell a portion of it. The error was inadvertent and has been corrected.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.

NORTH COAST, Calif. – The Mendocino County Sheriff-Coroner's Office is seeking help from the public in identifying a young man who was hit and killed by a motor vehicle earlier this week.

Lt. Shannon Barney said that shortly before 11 p.m. Sunday a pedestrian was struck and killed by a motor vehicle on Highway 101 between ReTech and Ukiah.

The decedent is believed to be a Hispanic male, estimated to be between 18 and 25 years, approximately 5 feet 2 inches to 5 feet 5 inches tall, weighing approximately 140 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes, Barney said.

Barney said the man was wearing black Nike low top tennis shoes, black jogger-style pants, a two-toned gray Reebok hooded sweatshirt and a light gray short-sleeved shirt with a pink flamingo print. He had no identification on his person.

Officials are asking anyone who might recognize the description or who might have information to please contact the Mendocino County Sheriff's Dispatch at 707-463-4086 or the Mendocino County Coroner's Office at 707-463-4421.

Barney said the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office would like to be able to contact and notify the decedent's next of kin and return his remains to his family.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – State officials said that an airtanker that crashed Thursday while battling Australia’s devastating wildland fires had been involved in suppressing California’s fires last year as part of the state’s C-130 airtanker program.

While working in the Snowy Monaro Area in southern New South Wales, Australia, the large Lockheed C-130 Hercules airtanker (N134CG) owned by Portland, Oregon-based Coulson Aviation crashed, killing all three crew members.

Coulson Aviation identified the three crew members who died as Capt. Ian H. McBeth, 44, of Great Falls, Montana; First Officer Paul Clyde Hudson, 42, of Buckeye Arizona; and Flight Engineer Rick A. DeMorgan Jr., 43, of Navarre, Florida.

The airtanker, built in 1981 according to Federal Aviation Administration records, had departed Richmond in New South Wales with a load of retardant and was on a firebombing mission when it hit terrain and burst into flames near Cooma, according to a crash narrative.

State officials reported that the tanker was operating on contract with Australia’s Rural Fire Service. Australian authorities are investigating the incident.

“Jennifer and I are heartbroken to learn of the air tanker crash in Australia that claimed the lives of three heroic American firefighters,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a Thursday statement. “We extend our sincere condolences to the families of the crew, their friends and loved ones, and our own Cal Fire family who worked, fought fires, and trained with the crew of Tanker 134. This tragic accident reminds us all of the too-high cost of the scourge of wildfires, as well as the sacrifice of first responders from around the world. California and Australia, already united by the deadly threat of wildfires, now grieve this tragic loss together.”

This C-130 Hercules was the same one seen at McClellan Air Force Base during an event Gov. Newsom hosted with former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger Aug. 1, 2019 to highlight the state’s new firefighting equipment.

This C-130 was used as a training platform in 2019 for future pilots of the Cal Fire C-130 program, and was instrumental in 2019 as part of the aviation resources used to battle the devastating wildfires across California, including the Kincade fire in Sonoma County, which was the largest wildfire in California last year, state officials said.

“Our heartfelt condolences go out to the family, friends, and colleagues of the crew from Tanker 134 that were lost during a tragic crash while battling the devastating Australia fires. Cal Fire stands with you during this difficult time,” said Cal Fire Chief Porter.

McBeth was a highly qualified and respected C-130 pilot with many years fighting fires, both in the military and with Coulson Aviation. He has spent his entire career flying C-130s and was a qualified instructor and evaluator pilot. McBeth earned his Initial Attack qualification for Coulson in 2018.

He served with the Wyoming Air National Guard and was still a member of the Montana Air National Guard.

He leaves behind his wife, Bowdie; children, Abigail, Calvin and Ella; as well as his parents and siblings.

Hudson graduated from the Naval Academy in 1999 and spent the next 20 years serving in the
United States Marine Corp in a number of positions including C-130 pilot. He retired as a lieutenant colonel and received many decorations during his career. He earned master’s degrees in both business administration and information technology management from the Naval Postgraduate School.

He is survived by his wife, Noreen.

DeMorgan served in the United States Air Force with 18 years as a flight engineer on the C-130. He had more than 4,000 hours as a flight engineer with nearly 2,000 hours in a combat
environment. His passion was always flying and his children.

He is survived by his two children, Lucas and Logan, his parents and sister.

“At Coulson Aviation, we have the incredible job of fighting fires around the world and we take pride in this responsibility,” the company said in a Thursday statement. “Right now, our hearts are with the crew’s family and friends and our Coulson Family suffering in the loss of these three remarkable and well-respected crewmembers. We as a company are committed to supporting the families of our fallen heroes through this tragedy.”

Coulson Aviation said its crews on the other aircraft “will be returning to work in the very near future as they are dedicated to the job we are required to do. We must continue to work with emergency services to protect local communities.”

The statement added, “The aviation industry and emergency service sector is a small community both in Australia and around the world. This will be deeply felt by all. We honor the amazing crews who do incredible things in dangerous circumstances supported by world-class operations. We are incredibly moved by the outpouring and support from those in Australia and around the world. Thank you for recognizing the work that our crews do and for expressing your condolences and grief for the families of our fallen heroes.”

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – A Lakeport man arrested for the November murder of a Northshore resident has had the charges against him dropped.

District Attorney Susan Krones said that charges were dropped on Wednesday against 49-year-old Daniel Wayne Ford for the murder of Lucerne resident Nicky Dale Smith.

Ford is the second suspect in the case to have charges dropped against him.

However, Krones said that, depending on the findings of the ongoing investigation, new charges could be brought at a future time.

Smith, 70, was found murdered on the morning of Nov. 23 in the 4550 block of Scotts Valley Road in Lakeport, as Lake County News has reported.

Later that same day, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office arrested both Ford and 35-year-old Michael Sean Shaffer of Upper Lake for the murder.

In court filings made against Ford and Shaffer, the Lake County District Attorney’s Office said Smith was killed on Nov. 22, the day before his body was found.

The sheriff’s office said Smith’s autopsy concluded that he died of blunt force trauma and gunshot wounds. Court filings said he was killed by being beaten with a flashlight and shot with a handgun, both of which initially were believed to have been wielded by Ford.

Smith’s dark green Toyota Tundra pickup went missing at the time of his killing but was found on Dec. 9 in a remote location in the Scotts Valley/Eickhoff Road area, according to Lt. Corey Paulich.

Krones said materials that were found in the pickup are undergoing forensic testing.

While Krones said the initial investigation indicated Shaffer and Ford were the prime suspects, she has since decided to drop the charges against the men.

In mid-December, Krones decided not to pursue charges against Shaffer, citing new evidence as part of the ongoing investigation, including additional witness statements, but charges remained in place against Ford.

Krones said investigators have gotten more information since the arrests, with a lot of leads, people to interview and evidence to collect.

As a result, “I decided that at this time we don’t have sufficient evidence to go forward,” she said Thursday, the day after the charges against Ford were dropped.

Krones said she wants to wait for the results of the forensic testing to come back and reevaluate them. In the meantime, she doesn’t want to keep charges in place or file new charges until she has the results of that testing in hand.

“The forensics are going to tell us a lot, hopefully, but that takes time to get back,” she said.

The California Department of Justice is handling the testing. Krones said the most significant evidentiary items were sent first.

The hope is that results will be returned in a timeframe of between one and three months, but Krones said she didn’t know when that testing might be complete.

“It’s so hard to say,” she said. “They’re overworked, too.”

Krones said it’s possible that new charges could be filed in the case. Referring to Shaffer and Ford, she said, “These individuals were not just plucked off the street. There was some connection with this case, either as witnesses or defendants.”

She added that, if not charged, they could still be witnesses in the case.

Krones said there is a third individual who is being investigated as a possible suspect.

That man is in prison on other charges. “He’s not going to be going anywhere for at least a year,” she said.

What’s still isn’t clear is why Smith was targeted. Krones said she can only speculate at this point.

However, she did offer that what she termed as “common motivations” – such as theft and carjacking – could have been in play, as so far she has had no information that anyone wanted to kill him.

“All motivations are possibilities at this point,” she said. “But I think it was probably theft-related.”

In particular, she pointed to his stolen pickup, found more than two weeks after his death, which she said may have been the target.

“That’s the main suspected motivation,” she said.

It’s not yet clear what might have been taken from the truck. However, Krones said it appeared to still be drivable and wasn’t stripped.

While the charges in the Smith murder case have been dropped against Ford, he is remaining in custody to serve time in a misdemeanor battery case for which he was sentenced to jail time last year, said Krones, who also had handled that case.

She said Ford had been set to turn himself in to serve his time in that case on Nov. 26 but was picked up three days earlier on the Smith murder. He’s set to remain in jail until sometime in February.

“Even though he’s been in all this time, he would have been in any way on this sentence he had to serve,” she said.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Officials said recent testing has indicated improved conditions in Blue Lakes, which in December tested positive for anatoxin.

The county of Lake reported that followup testing after the initial detection has been negative, so all caution signs have been removed and any restrictions have been lifted.

Initial testing in December demonstrated a low level of anatoxin (0.17 µg/l) and “Caution” signs were posted.

Further tests were conducted on Dec. 16 and Jan. 7, and both specimens showed no signs of toxin, the county reported.

Per the state’s protocol, when two consecutive tests come back negative, warning signs can be removed and usual activity can be resumed.

Conditions can change at any time, so county officials recommend continuing to watch for algae blooms, avoid contact, and report changes to Water Resources at 707-263-2344 or to Environmental Health at 707-263-1090.

The Clear Lake cyanobacteria monitoring program run by the Big Valley Band of Pomo Indians and Elem Indian Colony funded the analysis.

Their program has been routinely collecting a water sample at the Upper Blue Lakes as part of their monitoring program. Further testing will be performed in order to monitor ongoing risk.

County officials said the program has been highly beneficial to the health of our community.

For more information, the Water Board posts information about the bloom on the State Water Boards Twitter page.

For current cyanotoxin lab results, please visit the Big Valley Band of Pomo Indians cyanotoxin monitoring website.

For more information and resources, visit the County’s cyanobacteria pages at http://www.lakecountyca.gov/cyanobacteria/ or http://www.lakecountyca.gov/cyanohealth/.