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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
A local horse was found to be carrying the disease this week, though specifics on the animal's location have not been released, said Dr. Jamie Scott, Lake County Vector Control District district manager and research director. Scott confirmed the find to Lake County News on Wednesday.
The state's West Nile Virus Web site reports that the equine case was one of two reported across the state this week, with the other being in Riverside.
The state reported that this week's equine cases brings the total statewide to eight horses in six counties – in addition to Lake and Riverside, Orange, Sacramento, San Diego and Fresno also have reported infected horses.
Also on Wednesday, the first dead bird found in Lake County with the virus was confirmed, Scott said.
The bird in question was an American crow collected in Lakeport on Aug. 21, said Scott.
Approximately 1,658 dead birds infected with West Nile Virus have been found in California this year, according to state officials. That's nearly double the tally at this time last year of 878.
Scott provided Lake County News with a summary of West Nile Virus activity since 2003, which shows the disease's activity is down across all categories this year as compared to last with the exception of equine cases. There were none in 2007.
The first human West Nile case was discovered in the county in 2004, with two others in 2006, and none reported since then.
Statewide, this year human cases total 132, compared to 199 in 2007, according to state officials.
West Nile Virus cases are down this year in horses, according to state statistics. There have been eight equine cases this year, compared with 19 at this time in 2007.
Mosquito samples also are up statewide, totaling 1,244 so far in 2008 compared to 771 at this time last year.
Three Lake County mosquito samples – two from Lakeport and one from Upper Lake – tested positive for West Nile Virus last month, as Lake County News has reported. Last year there were eight local mosquito samples that tested positive.
No sentinel chickens or squirrels have tested positive for West Nile locally this year, Scott reported. Statewide there have been 134 sentinel chickens and 13 squirrels reported to be infected.
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James Roland Pagan, 32, of Hidden Valley Lake was in court Wednesday for a preliminary hearing.
He's charged with murder for the March 21 stabbing death of 10-year-old Tessa Faith Walker. He's also facing an attempted murder charge for stabbing Tessa's sister, 14-year-old Kristen.
The girls reportedly were on their way home from school when they were attacked, as Lake County News has reported.
Pagan has pleaded not guilty to those allegations as well as charges of willful cruelty to a child and force causing great bodily injury.
He's being defended by attorney Ken Roush, who Lake County News was unable to contact late Wednesday.
Wednesday's preliminary hearing was a fairly quick one, lasting about an hour and a half. “We just put on a bare bones case,” said Chief Deputy District Attorney Richard Hinchcliff, adding that not all of the evidence was put forward at the hearing.
Hinchcliff said he couldn't publicly discuss the prosecution's theory about Pagan's alleged part in the attack.
Pagan is scheduled to return to court for an arraignment on Oct. 6, said Hinchcliff. At some point after that, a trial date should be set.
Hinchcliff said he anticipated that Pagan will go on trial next year.
Pagan remains in the Lake County Jail without bail.
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The fire, dispatched just after 11 p.m., was located on Highway 20 west of Saratoga Springs, according to Cal Fire.
Officials reported the fire was about 100 feet off the road. Local firefighters responded along with Cal Fire, which sent a five-engine wildland fire response team.
Cal Fire said the blaze burned less than half an acre. The cause was not known.
The scene had been cleared and the fire contained before 1 a.m. Thursday, according to Cal Fire.
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Gary Hoertkorn of Kelseyville is credited with pulling 18-year-old Charles Barron from a Jeep that caught on fire after a single-vehicle collision, according to California Highway Patrol Officer Adam Garcia.
Just after 3:30 p.m. Monday 18-year-old Arturo Cerna of Lower Lake was driving a 1993 Jeep northbound on Highway 29 north of Honey Cut Lane when his vehicle drifted onto the east shoulder, Garcia said. Barron was riding as a passenger in the Jeep.
Cerna attempted to correct the Jeep's path, which caused it to spin out of control. Garcia said the Jeep traveled across the southbound lane and off the west shoulder, rolling over as it traveled down a dirt embankment and collided with an oak tree.
The Jeep caught fire shortly after the collision, said Garcia.
That's when Hoertkorn came upon the collision and removed the severely injured Barron from the burning vehicle, Garcia said.
Garcia said the Jeep fire caused a small wildfire that was quickly put out by personnel from Kelseyville Fire Protection and Cal Fire.
Cerna was taken by ground ambulance to Sutter Lakeside Hospital where he was treated for moderate injuries, said Garcia, while Barron was taken to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital by REACH air ambulance with major life-threatening injuries.
Garcia said it's unknown at this point if either Cerna or Barron was wearing their seatbelt.
The Jeep crash resulted in a temporary closure of Highway 29, as Lake County News has reported.
While traffic was stopped, another crash occurred, this one involving a motorcycle, said Garcia.
At 3:50 p.m. 65-year-old Everette Weller, riding a 2006 Harley Davidson northbound, came upon the stopped traffic. Garcia said Weller "aggressively attempted" to stop but was unable to avoid a collision.
Weller's motorcycle sideswiped a silver BMW driven by 66-year-old Steve Allison of Cobb and then collided with a 1988 Ford Ranger driven by 58-year-old Jerry Jones of Middletown, Garcia reported.
According to Garcia, Weller was then thrown to the pavement where he sustained major life-threatening injuries and was taken to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital by REACH air ambulance.
Middletown resident Wendell Langford, who witnessed the crash along with his family, said he's concerned that authorities on the scene didn't have traffic control or flares in place, which may have prevented Weller's motorcycle crash.
Langford said traffic was stopped around a blind corner, which he said he had warned CHP and sheriff's deputies on the scene about before the crash occurred.
"This guy should have never been in this accident," Langford said.
Langford's concerns about the case have been sent to Officer Nick Powell, who Garcia said is investigating Weller's collision. Officer Steve Curtis is investigating the Jeep crash.
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