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- Written by: Lake County News Reports
The three small brush fires were reported shortly before 6:30 p.m. on Highway 29 north of 11th Street, according to the California Highway Patrol.
Lakeport Fire Protection District responded and contained the fires, according to reports from the scene. Cal Fire reported that it did not send a response to the scene.
Over the last week several fires have occurred in that area, including three fires that burned 22 acres on July 8 and another fire on July 11, as Lake County News has reported.
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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
Lynda Walker, 53, and Thomas Sperry, 50, both of Stockton, were hospitalized after the crash, which occurred on Highway 20 at Harvey Street in Clearlake Oaks at approximately 6:14 p.m. Saturday, as Lake County News has reported.
Alexandra Meagan Drew, 21, of Santa Rosa was driving her 2005 Honda Civic westbound on Highway 20 at 40 miles per hour, according to the California Highway Patrol.
Drew, who the CHP alleges was intoxicated at the time, let her vehicle drift onto the roadway's right shoulder, overcorrected and traveled across both traffic lanes while rotating counter clockwise.
Sperry and Walker were coming the opposite direction on Highway 20, riding a 2004 Harley Davidson motorcycle at 40 miles per hour, the CHP report stated.
Sperry, who was driving the motorcycle, hit the passenger side door of Drew's vehicle as it spun in front of him, according to the CHP report.
Both Sperry and Walker were ejected from the motorcycle. The CHP said Sperry suffered a compound fracture to his lower leg and Walker suffered major internal injuries.
CHP Officer Kory Reynolds arrested Drew at the scene about 45 minutes after the crash on a felony charge of driving under the influence of alcohol. Her booking sheet also showed a misdemeanor charge DUI charge, with bail set at $10,000. She posted bail later that day and was released.
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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
Late last month, with no state budget in sight, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger directed all state agencies to add a third furlough day each month for all state employees beginning July 1.
In December, Schwarzenegger had ordered two furlough days per month for employees as he tried to conserve the state's dwindling cash. Those furloughs started in February.
In response to the latest furlough order, Caltrans reported that their offices will be closed three Fridays per month. That went into effect on July 10.
Caltrans spokesman Phil Frisbie reported that highway construction projects will continue on furlough days and will not be impacted, but Caltrans highway maintenance staff will be furloughed on
these days.
Similar to weekends and holidays, staff will be on call to respond to emergency situations, he added.
“The furlough days are decreasing the number of hours our highway maintenance staff can work each month, which will reduce the amount of work they can accomplish,” he told Lake County News. “They will continue to prioritize their work load to ensure that the most important work is completed.”
State legislators' offices also are feeling the pinch.
David Miller, spokesman for Sen. Pat Wiggins, said that, effective July 1, all Senate staff had their vision and dental benefits reduced. In addition, all Senate staff earning $50,000 or more also had their pay reduced 5 percent via one furlough day per month.
How those furlough days might affect Senate staffs' workload isn't known yet; Miller said they won't being taking the furloughs until after the budget agreement is signed.
Miller said Wiggins already cut her own pay 5 percent, cut her per diem by 18 percent and gave up her car allowance.
He said Wiggins' offices are getting a steady volume of constituent visits and calls advocating one budget approach or another – for example, more cuts or more taxes. They're also getting requests for assistance. Many people also have called to thank Wiggins for giving up some of her financial benefits.
Miller said he expects few people will be happy with the budget agreement that eventually is passed and signed, so they'll likely have more calls then, too.
Andrew Bird, spokesman for Assemblyman Wes Chesbro's office, said the Assembly has approached the budget issues different than the Senate.
“The Assembly is not doing furlough days at this time,” Bird said.
The reason, he explained, is that, several months ago, the Assembly slashed its budget 10 percent.
Also maintaining regular working hours is the California Highway Patrol.
Jaime Coffee, a spokesperson for the CHP's Sacramento office, said that, due to the agency's “mission of public safety and the critical nature of every CHP employee,” it will maintain normal working hours, and that means remaining open during the furloughs on the first, second and third Friday of every month.
Uniform personnel are exempt from the state's furlough program, said Coffee, and there will be no reduction in patrol services or response time to public calls for service.
The CHP, Coffee added, is funded by the Motor Vehicle Account, not the state's general fund.
Still, nonuniform employees will adhere to the furlough directive, but schedules will be arranged so that it doesn't affect opening hours, Coffee said.
E-mail Elizabeth Larson at
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- Written by: Lake County News Reports
The Mendocino County Sheriff's Office reported that a body was discovered early Saturday morning at Hendy Woods State Park in Boonville.
The body has been identified as that of Salvadore Alfonso Aguilar, 20, of Fort Bragg.
On Saturday, the same day as Aguilar's body was discovered, Mendocino Sheriff's Dispatch received a phone call from one of his relatives, who stated that she had been contacted by another family member who told her that the victim had shot himself and friends took him to a park and dropped him off.
Detectives contacted the family member in Fort Bragg and learned the victim had been dropped off in the park by his girlfriend and two others.
The detectives were able to contact the girlfriend and the two males. After interviews detectives were able to determine that Aguilar had been working in a marijuana garden in a remote part of Fishrock Road, Yorkville.
Aguilar was said to be despondent over a breakup with his girlfriend. He had walked off when the other four subjects heard a gunshot and found him dead.
They carried the victim up to Fishrock Road where they were met and transported Aguilar to the area where he was found.
Detectives are attempting to identify the location of the marijuana garden crime scene and recover a firearm.
The case remains under investigation the victim's family has been notified.
The cause of death will be determined by autopsy.