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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
LAKEPORT, Calif. — A Lucerne man arrested last year in connection with the fentanyl death of a teenager has been sentenced to state prison.
Joe Nathan Boggs Jr., 28, was in court on Friday for sentencing before Judge J. David Markham.
Boggs was arrested in June of 2024 for what officials said at the time was Lake County’s first charged fentanyl homicide case for the death of 17-year-old Illeanna Makena Frease of Lakeport.
Frease died Nov. 10, 2023, after authorities said Boggs furnished her with fentanyl.
The District Attorney’s Office originally filed four felony counts against Boggs: second-degree murder; an adult using a minor as an agent to violate controlled substance law; sale, distribution or transportation of a controlled substance; and possession for sale of a controlled substance, as Lake County News has reported.
Boggs, who has remained in the Lake County Jail since his arrest, was set for trial to begin on Sept. 17, according to court records.
However, he reached an agreement with the District Attorney’s Office and entered a plea in the case on Aug. 8, court records show.
Chief Deputy District Attorney Rich Watson told Lake County News that Boggs pleaded no contest to furnishing a controlled substance to a minor and involuntary manslaughter.
Judge Markham sentenced Boggs to 10 years in state prison, Watson said.
Frease was a member of the Elem Colony of Pomo. At the time of her death, her mother, Michaela John, went public with allegations that Boggs — who also is Indigenous — had trafficked her daughter.
John also said that Boggs, who has a lengthy criminal history, “operated both on and off tribal lands openly, with no regard for the damage he was causing. Without accountability.”
Frease’s family attended one of Boggs’ early court appearances wearing red t-shirts with Frease’s picture on them.
A year after Boggs’ arrest, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office made its second fentanyl homicide arrest when it took Ryan John Stahl, 40, of Lucerne, into custody for the February death of Carissa Morton, 28, of Nice.
Stahl, who also remains in custody in the Lake County Jail, was held to answer in the case after his Aug. 28 preliminary hearing and is scheduled for trial in December.
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- Written by: LAKE COUNTY NEWS REPORTS
CLEARLAKE, Calif. — The Clearlake Police Department is asking for the community’s help in locating a missing teenager.
Mayaa Alexis Perez, 15, was last seen on Olympic Drive in Clearlake on Tuesday.
She is described as 5 feet 4 inches tall and 150 pounds, with red shoulder length hair and wearing a black shirt, black pants, and silver or grey shoes.
If you have any information on her whereabouts, please call the Clearlake Police Department at 707-994-8251, Extension 1.
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- Written by: LAKE COUNTY NEWS REPORTS
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — Congressman Mike Thompson will host a virtual town hall this week to discuss the economy.
The event will take place via Zoom beginning at 6 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 18.
During the Thursday event, Thompson will host author and economic commentator, Kyla Scanlon.
Together, they will discuss the state of the nation’s economy and answer questions about how current economic and trade policies are affecting the community.
To RSVP for Zoom, visit this link.
The town hall also may be watched on Thompson’s Facebook page.
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- Written by: LAKE COUNTY NEWS REPORTS
On Wednesday, Gov. Gavin Newsom of California, Gov. Tina Kotek of Oregon, Gov. Bob Ferguson of Washington and Gov. Josh Green of Hawaii announced coordinated winter virus vaccination recommendations through the West Coast Health Alliance, or WCHA.
These recommendations include the 2025–26 COVID-19, influenza, and RSV vaccines.
In addition, Gov. Newsom signed AB 144, authorizing California to base future immunization guidance on credible, independent medical organizations rather than the CDC’s increasingly politicized Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.
“Our states are united in putting science, safety, and transparency first — and in protecting families with clear, credible vaccine guidance. The West Coast Health Alliance stands united in protecting public health and always putting safety before politics,” the governors said in a joint statement.
Vaccination is safe, effective and the best protection available against respiratory viruses like COVID-19, influenza and RSV.
Seasonal vaccination is also a critical public health tool to reduce serious illness, community transmission, and strain on hospitals.
“We want the people who live and work in our states to know that there is a strong public health, healthcare & scientific community that will continue to stand together to provide and use the data and evidence needed for you to make healthy choices, and we are here to protect our communities,” said Dr. Erica Pan, director of the California Department of Public Health
"As a physician, I swore an oath to do no harm — and we know vaccines are among the most powerful tools to prevent illness and save lives. As a new mother, I want the same protection for my newborn that every Oregon family deserves. At a time when Washington is undermining our most basic public health safeguards, Oregon is charting a different course. Our actions today affirm that here, public health is about protecting people, not playing politics—and that every family who wants protection this respiratory virus season should be able to get it simply, safely, and affordably,” said Dr. Sejal Hathi, MD, MBA, director of the Oregon Health Authority.
“Vaccines protect more than just ourselves — they help safeguard our families, neighbors, and communities. By staying up to date, Washingtonians can reduce the spread of illness and keep our state strong this season. The Alliance’s recommendations are rooted in science, giving our communities confidence in the guidance we provide,” said Washington State Secretary of Health Dennis Worsham.
“The effectiveness of public health institutions depends on the public’s trust. We understand our responsibility to earn that trust by helping people protect themselves, their families and their community. These recommendations represent a collaborative effort, done with humility and based on science, to meet our responsibilities to our communities and the public at large,” said Kenneth S. Fink, MD, MGA, MPH, director, Hawaiʻi Department of Health.
Truth under assault
In recent weeks, Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. has aggressively weaponized the CDC by purging its vaccine advisory committee, firing all 17 members and replacing them with cherry-picked appointees who include vaccine skeptics.
He’s forced out the CDC director, triggered high-level and career-staff resignations, and scheduled expedited meetings where this reshaped panel will vote on critical recommendations that guide national vaccine policy and insurance coverage.
Public health leaders warn these moves dismantle independent, science-based oversight and inject politics into decisions that protect Americans’ health — undermining the CDC’s credibility at a moment when trust and clarity are most needed.
States stepping in
Alliance states are fighting back against the Trump administration’s assault on science — sharing a commitment to ensuring that health recommendations are guided by safety, efficacy, transparency, access, and trust.
To develop these recommendations, health officers, who are all medical doctors, and subject matter experts from each of the WCHA states reviewed guidelines from credible national medical organizations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the American Academy of Family Physicians.
Alliance members believe that all clinically recommended vaccinations should be accessible to the people of our states.
In its Wednesday statement, the WCHA said it will continue to build its structure, evaluate new evidence and recommendations as they become available, and determine how to ensure the review process is transparent.
“WCHA is committed to sharing any updated assessments with our communities,” the statement said.
To learn more about these updated recommendations, click here.