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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
The three-vehicle wreck was first reported shortly before 4:15 p.m. in front of Blue Lakes Lodge, according to radio reports.
Northshore Fire and Lakeport Fire sent units to the wreck, where two of the vehicles were found to be blocking the westbound lane, scanner reports indicated.
The reports indicated that two of the vehicles involved were a Ram pickup and a Toyota pickup. Dispatch said the Toyota had been reported before the crash as possibly involving a drunk driver.
Incident command requested an air ambulance respond to fly out a critically injured driver, but the air ambulance would not fly due to the rainy weather conditions, based on radio reports.
In addition to the one person with major injuries, there were four other vehicle occupants involved who were not injured, according to incident command.
Scanner traffic indicated the injured driver was transported by ambulance to a local hospital.
Radio reports said that Caltrans responded to the scene to assist with traffic control, with a tow company responding to remove all vehicles.
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- Written by: LAKE COUNTY NEWS REPORTS
LAKEPORT, Calif. – A Sacramento man was arrested early Sunday on suspicion of driving under the influence after police officers stopped him for driving with a missing tire.
Martin Diaz Barajas Jr. was taken into custody following a traffic stop that took place just before 1 a.m. Sunday, according to the Lakeport Police Department.
The agency reported that officers observed a 2018 Red Ford Ecosport traveling eastbound on 11th Street with severe right front end damage and a missing right front tire.
The officers conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle as it turned northbound on Pool Street and contacted the driver, Diaz Barajas, police said.
Diaz Barajas told officers that he had just crashed his vehicle prior to taking the 11th Street exit from Highway 29 northbound and that he was aware that his tire was missing but he believed that he would be able to drive home on the rim, according to the Lakeport Police Department.
The department said officers suspected that Diaz Barajas was driving under the influence and conducted field sobriety tests.
In the end, Diaz Barajas complied with a preliminary alcohol screening test – or breathalyzer – and his results showed a blood alcohol content of .082% and .085 in the field, police said.
Police said Diaz Barajas was placed under arrest and later transported to the Lake County Jail where he was booked for driving under the influence.
Jail records indicate he has since been released.
The Lakeport Police Department reported that it is committed to keeping impaired drivers off of the roadways and keeping our community safe.
“If you see someone you suspect is driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol please call 9-1-1,” the agency said.
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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
The following cats at the shelter have been cleared for adoption.
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.
‘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’
“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.
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.
‘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’
“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.
Visit the shelter online at http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Animal_Care_And_Control.htm.
For more information call Lake County Animal Care and Control at 707-263-0278.
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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Thanks to a state grant, the Lake County Land Trust is in the midst of finalizing its largest property purchase to date, one which is meant to preserve a key area of Clear Lake’s wetlands.
The state Wildlife Conservation Board approved a $675,000 grant for the 200-acre Wright property purchase at its Nov. 21 meeting.
“It’s really exciting. It’s a keystone project for us, so we’re thrilled,” said Land Trust President Valerie Nixon, who noted that the Land Trust has been interested in the property for at least 15 years.
That grant was among a total of $28.7 million in grant funding the board approved at that time.
The Wildlife Conservation Board reported that funding for the projects comes from a combination of sources including the Habitat Conservation Fund and bond measures approved by voters to help preserve and protect California's natural resources.
The Land Trust’s Wright property project is located at the southwestern shore of Clear Lake, behind the Lakeport movie drive-in. It includes parts of the original Manning Creek channel, Nixon said.
The project is meant to protect shoreline freshwater wetlands, riparian woodlands and wet meadow habitats that support the state-threatened Clear Lake hitch along with the western pond turtle, a state species of special concern. The land also is home to everything from deer to waterfowl, and otter, mink, turkey and raptors. A key goal is to provide future wildlife-oriented, public-use opportunities.
The Land Trust reported that the Wright property is “as close to original shoreline as you can get.”
The Land Trust previously received a $110,000 Wildlife Conservation Board grant for its purchase of what is known as the Melo property, a 34-acre parcel also located in the Big Valley wetland areas, located on Clipper Lane off Soda Bay Road. The total purchase price was $215,000, with that purchase completed in October 2016.
Nixon said the Land Trust is grateful to the Wright family for offering the property and being willing to wait through the process, as well as the community for its support.
Nixon offered special recognition to Bernie and Lynne Butcher, owners of the Tallman Hotel and Blue Wing Saloon, who put up the initial $40,000 match for the property purchase, noting they’ve been fantastic supporters of the Land Trust and the community at large.
“Without the local support, we just couldn’t move forward,” Nixon said.
Nixon said the Big Valley wetlands is the No. 1 area in the Land Trust’s conservation priority plan.
The Land Trust first developed its conservation priority plan in 2007 with public workshops that involved state and local land use and natural resources experts identifying and ranking Lake County’s unique areas and ecosystems in order to prioritize the organization’s conservation efforts.
The Land Trust reported that the Wright property was identified by community stakeholders as a priority for saving and preserving because of the special qualities found there.
The Big Valley wetlands area, which stretches from Clear Lake State Park to Lakeport, also is part of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Big Valley Conceptual Area Plan. The wetlands are prioritized for preservation because of their impacts on Clear Lake watershed’s health.
The process to purchase the Wright property began a few years ago, Nixon said.
The Wright property is the largest that the Land Trust has purchased, and Nixon said it’s a very special place. The first time she went out to visit, she saw a prairie falcon – rare in Lake County – and a large number of pelicans.
The goal is to allow public use and access so people can see the wetlands and the wildlife, Nixon said.
The land currently isn’t heavily used but is still grazed. Nixon said the Land Trust may continue to allow grazing to keep the grasses down.
Nixon said the next step is to close escrow. She said they’ve received the grant, done the match and are now making sure the land is clear of liens. Helping on that process is Land Trust Executive Director Tom Smythe, a retired county of Lake employee whose expertise on lands has been key to the group’s work on the purchase.
Once escrow is complete, the Land Trust will begin working on the next, more extensive aspect, which is stewardship, including how to allow safe public access.
Nixon said the Wright property is just part of what the group would like to acquire in the Big Valley wetlands area. “As easements or other properties come up, we will be looking to purchase those,” Nixon said.
There are other areas in the county where they are interested in acquisitions, including property near a development at Langtry Estate and any land protecting oak woodlands, Nixon said.
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