LOWER LAKE, Calif. – The Board of Supervisors is set to hold a special workshop this week with county department heads.
The meeting will begin at 9 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 22, at the Lower Lake Town Hall, 16195 Main St.
According to a memo to the board from County Administrative Officer Carol Huchingson, at the Jan. 7 board meeting the supervisors approved an addition to the 2020 meeting calendar which included this board workshop with department heads on revenue generation and economic development for future sustainability.
Because the meeting is a special workshop, no action will be taken, Huchingson’s memo 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.
Authorities from numerous agencies were involved with a standoff in Mendocino County, California, on Sunday, January 19, 2020, with an airman who had fled court-martial proceedings in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Friday, January 17, 2020. Photo courtesy of the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office.
NORTH COAST, Calif. – An Air Force serviceman who fled court-martial proceedings last week in Las Vegas was found dead by Mendocino County authorities on Sunday from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound following a vehicle pursuit and a standoff with authorities.
The Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office did not release the name of the 32-year-old airman in its Sunday night report on the incident pending notification of next of kin.
Capt. Gregory Van Patten of the Mendocino County Sheriff’s said that at 7:30 a.m. Sunday deputies were detailed to assist the United States Air Force in the 8000 block of Reeves Canyon Road in Redwood Valley.
Deputies contacted Air Force special agents from the Office of Special Investigations stationed at Beale Air Force Base near Marysville, Van Patten said.
Van Patten said the deputies learned a 32-year-old Air Force serviceman had been the subject of a court-martial on Friday at Nellis Air Force Base in Las Vegas.
Prior to being sentenced, that same day, the airman absconded from the court proceedings. Based upon the desertion, an arrest warrant was issued for the serviceman, Van Patten said.
On Saturday at 4 p.m., Van Patten said an officer from the California Highway Patrol attempted a traffic stop on the wanted serviceman’s 2018 Jeep Wrangler south of Ukiah.
This attempted traffic stop resulted in a vehicular pursuit northbound on Highway 101 until the Jeep Wrangler turned onto Reeves Canyon Road, with the driver subsequently eluding apprehension, Van Patten said.
The Air Force Special agents were notified of the attempted apprehension and responded to Reeves Canyon Road where Van Patten said they conducted overnight surveillance of the roadway at the intersection of Highway 101.
At daylight on Sunday the Air Force Special Agents began a search of Reeves Canyon Road in an attempt to locate the Jeep Wrangler, Van Patten said.
Van Patten said they discovered the Jeep Wrangler parked on a secluded fire trail road in the 8000 block of Reeves Canyon Road, approximately 8 miles from the intersection of Highway 101.
At this point, deputies began to develop a plan to approach the Jeep Wrangler, Van Patten said.
During this planning process, Van Patten said the deputies learned the wanted airman had communicated suicidal statements with a friend after his desertion.
Because of the potentially dangerous circumstances, deputies asked for the assistance of the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office unmanned aerial vehicle, or UAV, which is used in connection with search and rescue operations, Van Patten said.
Van Patten said the UAV was deployed and conducted an aerial viewing of the Jeep Wrangler but the operator was unable to see – with the attached video transmitting camera – inside the vehicle as its windows were foggy. The UAV had to return to the staging area because the UAV's battery was almost exhausted.
A short time later the UAV was redeployed and a further viewing of the Jeep Wrangler was conducted. This time there was an object, similar to a person, noted inside the vehicle, Van Patten said.
Sometime thereafter a single shot from a firearm was heard in the immediate area and the UAV had to return to the staging area because the UAV's battery was almost exhausted, according to Van Patten’s report.
Based upon this new information, Van Patten said the Mendocino County Multi-Agency SWAT Team was requested.
On Sunday at 1:30 p.m. the Multi-Agency SWAT Team used the citizen rescue vehicle to approach the Jeep Wrangler, Van Patten said.
During this time, Van Patten said the airman was located deceased approximately 30 yards away from the vehicle in an elevated position on the hillside adjacent to the vehicle.
Initial scene investigation suggested the airman had killed himself with a high-powered rifle, Van Patten said.
A forensic autopsy is scheduled for Wednesday. Van Patten said there is no official manner or cause of death pending the results of the forensic autopsy.
The Mendocino County Sheriff's Office thanked the Mendocino County Search & Rescue, CalFire, Department of Fish & Wildlife, Ukiah Police Department, Willits Police Department, Fort Bragg Police Department, Medstar Ambulance, Redwood Valley Fire Department and Air Force Office of Special Investigations for their assistance.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake County Animal Care and Control as a big new group of cats and kittens waiting for new homes.
The following cats at the shelter have been cleared for adoption.
This female domestic short hair is in cat room kennel No. 4, ID No. 13387. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Female domestic short hair
This female domestic short hair has a calico coat with gold eyes.
She is in cat room kennel No. 4, ID No. 13387.
This male domestic medium hair kitten is in cat room kennel No. 6b, ID No. 13390. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Male domestic medium hair kitten
This male domestic medium hair kitten has a gray coat.
She is in cat room kennel No. 6b, ID No. 13390.
This female domestic medium hair kitten is in cat room kennel No. 6c, ID No. 13391. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Female domestic medium hair kitten
This female domestic medium hair kitten has a gray coat.
She is in cat room kennel No. 6c, ID No. 13391.
This female domestic medium hair kitten is in cat room kennel No. 6d, ID No. 13392. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Female domestic medium hair kitten
This female domestic medium hair kitten has a gray coat.
She is in cat room kennel No. 6d, ID No. 13392.
This female domestic medium hair kitten is in cat room kennel No. 6e, ID No. 13393. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Female domestic medium hair kitten
This female domestic medium hair kitten has an orange tabby coat.
She is in cat room kennel No. 6e, ID No. 13393.
This female domestic short hair cat is in cat room kennel No. 7, ID No. 13435. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Female domestic short hair cat
This female domestic short hair cat has a tuxedo coat.
She is a feral found as a stray in Lakeport.
She is in cat room kennel No. 7, ID No. 13435.
“Isabella” is a female domestic short hair in cat room kennel No. 15a, ID No. 13413. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. ‘Isabella’
“Isabella” is a female domestic short hair cat with a chocolate point coat and blue eyes.
She has been spayed.
She is in cat room kennel No. 15a, ID No. 13413.
“Delilah” is a female brown tabby in cat room kennel No. 15b, ID No. 13414. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. ‘Delilah’
“Delilah” is a female brown tabby with a short coat and blue eyes.
She has been spayed.
She’s in cat room kennel No. 15b, ID No. 13414.
This male domestic long hair kitten is in kennel No. 22, ID No. 13322. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Male domestic long hair kitten
This male domestic long hair kitten has a seal point coat and blue eyes.
He is in kennel No. 22, ID No. 13322.
This male domestic short hair cat is in kennel No. 46, ID No. 13455. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Male domestic short hair cat
This male domestic short hair cat has a black and white coat and green eyes.
He is in kennel No. 46, ID No. 13455.
This male domestic short hair in cat room kennel No. V70, ID No. 13398. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Male domestic short hair
This male domestic short hair has a brown tabby coat and gold eyes.
He is in cat room kennel No. V70, ID No. 13398.
“Cheetos” is a female domestic short hair mix in kennel No. 96, ID No. 13451. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. ‘Cheetos’
“Cheetos” is a female domestic short hair mix with an orange and white coat.
She is in kennel No. 96, ID No. 13451.
“Ishta” is a female domestic medium hair in cat room kennel No. V105, ID No. 13411. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. ‘Ishta’
“Ishta” is a female domestic medium hair cat with a seal point coat and blue eyes.
She has been spayed.
She’s in cat room kennel No. V105, ID No. 13411.
“Mama” is a female domestic medium hair in cat room kennel No. 134, ID No. 13388. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. ‘Mama’
“Mama” is a female domestic medium hair with a dilute tortoiseshell coat and green eyes.
She is in cat room kennel No. 134, ID No. 13388.
Lake County Animal Care and Control is located at 4949 Helbush in Lakeport, next to the Hill Road Correctional Facility.
Office hours are Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday. The shelter is open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
For more information call Lake County Animal Care and Control at 707-263-0278.
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.
A valley oak tree, standing in Lake County, California, for well over 100 years finally succumbed in November 2019 to the effects of years of irresponsible and destructive target shooting. Photo by Bill Grabert. NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – There are an estimated 2.5 million gun owners in California.
For those in urban areas, indoor shooting ranges are often the only place one can legally target shoot. For those who live in less-populated parts of the state, public lands represent a free alternative location to practice target shooting.
With access to public lands also comes a responsibility to leave them in as good or better condition as we found them.
Many people have seen the impact on public lands of irresponsible shooting. Refrigerators, microwaves, even cars can be found in conditions that make them resemble Swiss cheese more than appliances. Spent shell casings, broken glass, and other trash can often be found at popular shooting areas on public lands.
It doesn’t have to be this way. By taking the lead in how one treats the land while shooting, everyone can continue to enjoy this use of public property.
Regardless of one’s individual beliefs about the shooting sports, it is a use that occurs on public lands and when it occurs, it should be done with the same level of respect and responsibility as any recreational activity.
When recreational target shooting, there are a number of rules and guidelines to follow:
On Bureau of Land Management and US Forest Service lands, first make sure the land is open for recreational target shooting. The rules can be different for hunting.
In general, more areas are open for hunting than target shooting, so be sure you know you are in the correct location for the activity you’ve chosen.
For the BLM, consult both the website and Resource Area Management Plans for the BLM district you will be visiting. For the Forest Service, refer to the website and forest plan for the National Forest.
Within the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument, BLM lands that are open to target shooting are the public lands along Walker Ridge.
Within the Mendocino National Forest parts of the monument, recreational shooting can take place so long as you follow the following regulations:
– You are at least 150 yards from a residence, building, campsite, developed recreation area or occupied area.
– You are not shooting across or on a National Forest System Road or an adjacent body of water.
– You are not shooting into or within a cave.
– You are not shooting in any manner or place where any person, property or resource is exposed to injury or damage as a result of such discharge.
– You are not firing any tracer bullet or incendiary ammunition.
During times of high fire danger, the BLM and Forest Service may close the public lands to recreational shooting. This is because sparks from bullets hitting metal targets or rocks can ignite dry grass or leaf litter. Even soft lead bullets can start fires if they embed into a rotten log, as the heat they generate upon impact can start smoldering in the decaying wood.
One should always shoot at paper or metal targets that they bring, and never shoot at rocks, trees, or other natural features. Trash, glass, and appliances should never be brought onto public lands for use as targets.
If you are looking for space to shoot outside of a designated public shooting area it is best to find an already disturbed area that is well away from a road. This can include areas that have been logged recently, an area with mine tailings, or a fire break, on which to set up targets.
Always be aware of what is beyond your shooting area. Bullets can travel well over a mile, so a solid earth backstop is critical to shooting safely on public lands.
Cleaning up after recreational shooting is an important part of good stewardship, as well as the law. Leaving an area littered with shell casings, trash, and broken targets is a quick way to get an area closed to recreational shooting.
Brass centerfire shell casings can be reloaded, so each one left on the ground is money left behind. A few minutes scavenging brass at one shooting area left me with hundreds of casings that I then reloaded and continue to use again and again.
All hunting in California now requires the use of lead-free ammunition. Target shooting does not, but lead can still find its way into wildlife if lead-based bullets aren’t used in a responsible manner. Never shoot lead bullets or lead shot into water or in wetland areas, as waterfowl can ingest the shot while foraging along the shoreline or in shallow waters.
More lead-free ammunition is becoming available, but it can spark more than lead when hitting metal, so again, be aware of fire risk and restrictions before shooting on public lands.
Binary targets, which are created by mixing two chemicals that explode when hit by high-velocity rifle bullets, are not legal to use in California or on public lands.
If you still want the excitement of an explosion, but without the legal risk, there are products that allow you to fill empty two-liter plastic bottles with compressed air. The bottles then give a loud boom when hit.
Be sure to clean up the area and remove the bottles after use. The bottles split on impact, rather than disintegrate, so they are easy to clean up after use. A homemade version can be made by taking the valve from a used bike inner tube, drilling a hole in the cap of a two-liter soda bottle, inserting the valve from the bottom, and screwing the lid tight on the bottle. Then inflate the bottle with a bicycle pump and you have a target that will make a nice ‘pop’ upon impact!
Target shooting on public lands can be a great way to enjoy the outside, develop marksmanship skills, and spend time with friends and family. By practicing responsible target shooting on our public lands, these lands will remain open into the future.
Andrew Fulks is a founder of Tuleyome and Yolohiker.org and he is the current Board Secretary of Tuleyome. Tuleyome is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit conservation organization based in Woodland, California. For more information visit www.tuleyome.org.
CLEARLAKE, Calif. – As the US Census prepares to roll out its 2020 count, Lake County residents are urged to keep an eye out for notices and to respond to the questionnaire, which will help determine governmental representation and funding available to communities.
Albert Lerma, a partnership specialist for US Census Bureau, gave an update on the count to the Clearlake City Council earlier this month.
Lerma explained that the Census matters because population numbers translate to political representation. In particular, population numbers are used to reapportion congressional seats.
“For the first time ever, we may lose a seat or two in California,” Lerma said.
Lerma said the Census also is used for redistricting for state and local seats, including the Board of Supervisors.
In addition to political representation, Lerma said the Census helps determine what funding is available to communities.
He said more than $675 billion is allocated annually based on Census and population numbers. Such funding includes Community Development Block Grant funds, as well as assistance for food, transportation and children.
Starting March 12, there will be the new ability to respond to the Census via Internet or phone, in addition to the traditional form. Lerma said the online form will be available online in English and 12 other languages.
He said that Census data is confidential as required by law, and there is the possibility of prosecution for wrongful disclosure.
Lerma said 95 percent of people will get a postcard in the mail around March 12. The expectation is that most people will fill out their forms online.
For those who don’t have regular addresses or who have post office boxes, forms will be dropped off at their homes, Lerma said.
Lerma said the US Census Bureau will dispatch teams to enumerate people who are homeless or have transitory living situations.
The paper ballot that some people will receive will be available in both English and Spanish, Lerma said. The online form is available in English and 12 other languages, and there are an additional 59 guides in other languages, Lerma said.
Lerma said partners such as local governments, nonprofits and housing agencies are critical in helping to put out the word about the census and get everyone counted.
The US Census Bureau also is hiring. Lerma said more information is available on the Census website.
Lerma also reported that April 1 is National Census Day.
He said the Census form takes between 10 and 20 minutes to fill out.
The US Census Bureau has done a lot of testing of its technology over the last two years. Lerma said the Census Bureau is asking libraries, senior centers and other locations to make computers available so people can fill out the form online.
They’re also conducting a program called Census in Schools to integrate it into the curriculum. Lerma said that was directed by the state superintendent of schools.
Clearlake Mayor Russ Cremer said the Census is very important and it’s easy to do.
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.
Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-05), Rep. Jared Huffman (CA-02) and 38 Members of Congress from both parties wrote to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA, asking it to drop its claim to funding in the settlement fund set up for survivors of the 2017 and 2018 Northern California wildfires.
The fund was established by Pacific Gas and Electric to help the thousands still rebuilding since the fires.
Thompson, Huffman, and the signers believe FEMA should not be asking to receive those funds as they are first and foremost owed to those survivors still trying to rebuild their lives.
The letter was signed by Representatives Maxine Waters (CA-43), Anna G. Eshoo (CA-18), Lucille Roybal-Allard (CA-40), Zoe Lofgren (CA-19), Brad Sherman (CA-30), Grace F. Napolitano (CA-32), Susan A. Davis (CA-53), Adam B. Schiff (CA-28), Linda T. Sánchez (CA-38), Jim Costa (CA-16), Doris O. Matsui (CA-06), Jerry McNerney (CA-09), Jackie Speier (CA-14), Tom McClintock (CA-04), Judy Chu (CA-27), John Garamendi (CA-03), Ami Bera (CA-07), Julia Brownley (CA-26), Tony Cárdenas (CA-29), Doug LaMalfa (CA-01), Alan Lowenthal (CA-47), Scott H. Peters (CA-52), Eric Swalwell (CA-15), Mark Takano (CA-41), Juan Vargas (CA-51), Pete Aguilar (CA-31), Mark DeSaulnier (CA-11), Ted Lieu (CA-33), Norma J. Torres (CA-35), Salud O. Carbajal (CA-24), J. Luis Correa (CA-46), Ro Khanna (CA-17), Jimmy Panetta (CA-20), Gilbert R. Cisneros, Jr. (CA-39), T.J. Cox (CA-21), Mike Levin (CA-49), Katie Porter (CA-45), and Harley Rouda (CA-48), and a copy is below.
January 10, 2019
The Honorable Peter Gaynor Acting Administrator Federal Emergency Management Agency Federal Center Plaza 500 C St, SW Washington, DC 20472
Dear Acting Administrator Gaynor:
We write to you with great dismay and concern as the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) moves forward with its decision to litigate claims to the settlement fund for wildfire victims established by PG&E in their ongoing bankruptcy case. We believe this decision by FEMA jeopardizes the intended purpose of the fund, which was established to provide some measure of justice and restitution to thousands of households victimized by wildfires in Northern California in 2017 and 2018.
This claim by FEMA in the federal bankruptcy court puts at risk the possibility that the thousands of families still struggling to rebuild their lives will not receive the restitution they deserve. The inequity of this situation is evident, as we are told by victims that they were reassured by FEMA that they would not face additional costs when accepting federal offers of debris removal. Not only does this reversal by FEMA betray these promises, it will serve to undermine any future effort to coordinate rebuilding and debris removal in response to future natural disasters as FEMA’s reputation as an honest and fair partner will be diminished.
This decision by FEMA has the potential to undermine FEMA’s reputation as an honest and fair partner. We ask that you reconsider your decision to pursue a claim in federal bankruptcy court, based on law and regulation, or administrative and other decisions. Additionally, we request a meeting as soon as possible to understand the reasonings behind this claim. Given the February 11th hearing scheduled in the federal bankruptcy court, time is of the essence for FEMA to reconsider this approach. We look forward to your response.
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