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Bradley Holt, 29, and his girlfriend, Bonnie Denham, 27, were arrested by Lake County Sheriff's Narcotics Task Force members in Lakeport, Calif., on Tuesday, May 17, 2011, on drug-related charges. Lake County Jail photos.





LAKEPORT, Calif. – The service of a search warrant by the Sheriff’s Narcotics Task Force in Lakeport Tuesday afternoon has resulted in two arrests and seizure of methamphetamine and narcotics paraphernalia.


Arrested were 29-year-old Bradley Steven Holt and his girlfriend, 27-year-old Bonnie Raeshelle Denham, both of Lakeport, according to Capt. James Bauman of the Lake County Sheriff's Office.


On May 13, narcotics detectives secured a search warrant for the person, home and vehicles belonging to Holt of Lakeport. On Tuesday, May 17, at approximately 2:20 p.m., detectives served the search warrant at Holt’s Brush Street home, Bauman said.


Narcotics detectives located Holt and Denham, outside of the home. Bauman said both were detained without incident as officers with the Lakeport Police Department arrived to assist.


Both Holt and Denham were determined to be under the influence of a controlled substance and arrested, Bauman said.


When detectives searched the home, they located and seized methamphetamine and illicit narcotic medications from a bedroom shared by Holt and Denham. Bauman said detectives also located live ammunition in Holt’s pickup truck, which was unlawful for him to possess as a convicted felon. A search of Denham’s clothing revealed a glass “meth” pipe she had concealed beneath her clothing.


Both Holt and Denham were transported to the Lake County Hill Road Correctional Facility for booking. During the booking process, correctional officers recovered more methamphetamine that Denham had concealed in her bra, and another “meth” pipe concealed beneath her pants, Bauman said.


Holt was booked for possession of a controlled substance, being under the influence of a controlled substance, and being a felon in possession of live ammunition, Bauman said. Denham was booked for possession of a controlled substance, bringing a controlled substance into a jail, possession of narcotics paraphernalia, and being under the influence of a controlled substance.


Anyone with information that can assist the Sheriff’s Narcotics Task Force in its effort to eradicate illicit narcotics is encouraged to call the anonymous tip line at 707-263-3663.


Follow Lake County News on Twitter at http://twitter.com/LakeCoNews , on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lake-County-News/143156775604?ref=mf and on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/user/LakeCoNews.






 




 




















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A yellow Ford Mustang nearly went into Clear Lake near Lucerne, Calif., after the car's driver lost control and went off the road on Monday, May 16, 2011. Photo by Gary McAuley.


 




LUCERNE, Calif. – A yellow Ford Mustang ended up perched on rocks on the Clear Lake shoreline Monday evening after its driver lost control and went off the highway.


The single vehicle crash occurred shortly before 7 p.m. Monday on Highway 20 near Pepperwood Cove east of Lucerne, according to the California Highway Patrol.


The male driver, said to be in his 20s, suffered no injuries, the CHP said.


The vehicle had reportedly been heading eastbound when the driver exited a lefthand turn, the rear of the vehicle lost traction and the Mustang went off the roadway. Reports at the scene indicated a tree stopped the car from going into the lake.


The driver reported he was driving 45 miles per hour when he went through the curve, according to reports from the scene. He was able to get out of the vehicle on his own.


Two CHP officers were on scene for traffic control, a Northshore Fire medic unit and a tow truck responded, according to incident reports.


Radio traffic indicated no fuel got into the lake as a result of the crash.


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Follow Lake County News on Twitter at http://twitter.com/LakeCoNews , on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lake-County-News/143156775604?ref=mf and on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/user/LakeCoNews .

 

 

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Highway 20 near Lucerne, Calif., was partially blocked while a tow truck pulled the vehicle from the Clear Lake shoreline on Monday, May 16, 2011. Photo by Gary McAuley.
 

 

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Robert Baer IV of Ventura, Calif., won the adult division of the Clearlake Oaks-Glenhaven Catfish Derby on Sunday, May 15, 2011, with a 23.04-pound catfish. Courtesy photo.


 



CLEARLAKE OAKS, Calif. – Despite rain and cooler temperatures over the weekend, the people and the catfish came out in strong numbers for the annual Clearlake Oaks-Glenhaven Catfish Derby.


The 28th annual event – billed as the largest catfish derby west of the Mississippi – was held Friday, May 13, through Sunday, May 15.


Dennis Locke – a member of the Clearlake Oaks-Glenhaven Business Association, which sponsors the derby – said 491 adults and 112 children were entered this year.


He said attendance was down slightly from last year, which he suggested may have been a result of the inclement weather and higher fuel costs.


Out-of-county residents accounted for 61 percent of entrants, while local residents comprised 39 percent of the entries. More local residents were entered this year than last, Locke noted.


Not lacking in numbers were the fish, which Locke said the weather didn't appear to deter.


“During the derby, contestants weighed 190 fish, easily the most in any derby for the last 10 years,” he said.


Locke said a total of $8,500 in prizes in cash and merchandise were awarded.

 

 

 

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Marcia Hatanaka of Clearlake, Calif., won second place in the adult division of the Clearlake Oaks-Glenhaven Catfish Derby on Sunday, May 15, 2011, with a 19.96-pound catfish. Courtesy photo.
 

 

 

 

This was the first year that a cash prize – $4,000 – was given to the adult contestant catching the largest fish, an addition that Locke said appeared to be well received.


This year Robert Baer IV of Ventura caught the tournament's largest fish, which was taken on Saturday and weighed in at 23.04 pounds. Second place went to Marcia Hatanaka of Clearlake with a 19.96-pound catfish, caught on Saturday, and Samuel Reynolds of Lower Lake, whose 18.93-pounder was taken on Saturday as well.


In addition to the award for the largest fish, 19 other adult contestants received cash prices, Locke said.


For the children, he said prizes included a Nintendo Wii for the winner, and bicycles, fishing poles and cash going to others.


Among the children's competitors, Max Lane of Hood River, Ore., won with a 16.86 pound catfish, caught on Sunday.


Andre Kouckekey of Palo Alto caught a 16.22-pounder on Saturday to take second place, followed by Noah Lane of Hood River with a 15.40-pound fish, caught Sunday.

 

 

 

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Max Lane of Hood River, Ore., won the children's division of the Clearlake Oaks-Glenhaven Catfish Derby on Sunday, May 15, 2011, with a 16.86 pound catfish. Courtesy photo.
 

 

 

 


Also a first this year for the derby – results were sent out via text message and the Clearlake Oaks-Glenhaven Business Association's Twitter account, http://twitter.com/#!/clogba.


Locke said the most popular fishing spots reported included Cache Creek, Indian Island, Rattlesnake Island, Rodman Slough and the state park areas. He said a lot of fish came into the Clearlake Keys to escape the wind.


All proceeds from the Catfish Derby go back into the community to fund events like the Maxine Sherman Memorial Annual Fireworks display at Wigeon Bay in Clearlake Oaks on July 4, and donations to local organizations and scholarships.


Locke said more information and photos will be posted on Monday to the Clearlake Oaks-Glenhaven Business Association Web site, www.clearlakeoaks.org.


E-mail Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow Lake County News on Twitter at http://twitter.com/LakeCoNews , on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lake-County-News/143156775604?ref=mf and on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/user/LakeCoNews .

 

 

 

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Andre Kouckekey of Palo Alto caught a 16.22-pounder on Saturday, May 14, 2011, to win second place in the children's division of the Clearlake Oaks-Glenhaven Catfish Derby. Courtesy photo.
 

SACRAMENTO – The California Department of Food and Agriculture said Tuesday that several cases of equine herpes myeloencephalopathy have been detected around the state, and horse owners area urged to be on the lookout for signs of the illness.


Equine herpes myeloencephalopathy, or EHM, is caused by equine herpes virus (EHV-1), officials reported.


The illness has been confirmed in 10 horses in California, in Kern, Placer, Stanislaus, Amador and Napa counties, according to the Tuesday report.


The California Department of Food and Agriculture said one horse in Kern County was euthanized after showing severe neurologic signs often associated with the disease.


This disease outbreak is evolving and CDFA will continue to investigate cases and provide updated information.


All of the infected horses recently attended the National Cutting Horse Association’s Western National Championships in Odgen, Utah, held April 30-May 8, 2011, where officials believe the horses were most likely exposed to the virus.


All California horses that have been in contact with an infected horse and show signs of disease or test positive for EHM will be placed under a California Department of Food and Agriculture quarantine in order to limit spread.


The California Department of Food and Agriculture reported that it has contacted all 54 exhibitors from California who participated in the Utah event and asked them to isolate and monitor their horses for clinical signs of EHV-1.


A rectal temperature in excess of 102 Fahrenheit commonly precedes other clinical signs. Officials urged horse owners with potentially exposed horses are urged to take temperatures on each individual horse twice a day. If a temperature above 102 Fahrenheit is detected, the horse’s private veterinarian should be contacted immediately for evaluation and laboratory testing.


Equine herpes virus is a contagious disease and may spread quickly among horse populations, the state reported.


EHV-1 is not transmissible to humans. Horse-to-horse contact, aerosol transmission, and contaminated hands, equipment, tack and feed all play a role in disease spread, the California Department of Food and Agriculture said.


Horses infected with the neurologic strain of EHV-1 may show any of the following clinical signs: nasal discharge, lack of coordination, hind-end weakness, lethargy, urine dribbling and diminished tail tone.


There is no specific treatment for EHM, the state said. Treatment may include intravenous fluids, anti-inflammatory drugs and other appropriate supportive treatment. Immediate separation and isolation of identified suspect cases and implementation of appropriate biosecurity measures are key elements for disease control.


The agency said that, currently, there is no equine vaccine that has a label claim for protection against the neurologic strain of this virus.


Follow Lake County News on Twitter at http://twitter.com/LakeCoNews , on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lake-County-News/143156775604?ref=mf and on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/user/LakeCoNews .

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – Police were busy with a series of incidents in the city of Clearlake on Monday night, including a reported shooting and high speed pursuit that led to a crash.


Shortly before 11 p.m. fire and police were dispatched to the area of Boyles for a report of a victim with a gunshot wound to the head.


The victim was later reported to have been transported to St. Helena Hospital Clearlake. Radio traffic indicated issues locating a helicopter to fly the victim out of county.


A short time later, a Clearlake Police patrol vehicle was involved in a crash that resulted in major injuries at 18th Avenue and Phillips shortly after 11:30 p.m., according to the California Highway Patrol. The CHP said the crash was the result of a pursuit.


It was not clear based on radio traffic if those incidents were related to each other and to the police's search for a silver Honda with three occupants.


The car reportedly had front- and rear-end damage, appeared to two blown out tires and was last seen in the area of Seigler Canyon Road passing toward Perini Road.


That vehicle had reportedly been at the scene of what a dispatcher described as a drive-by shooting. A be on the lookout for officer safety relating to the vehicle was put out shortly before midnight. The car's occupants were believed to be armed and dangerous.


Clearlake Police were not available for comment early Tuesday morning.


Follow Lake County News on Twitter at http://twitter.com/LakeCoNews , on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lake-County-News/143156775604?ref=mf and on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/user/LakeCoNews .

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – On the last last official “frost date” for Lake County – Sunday, May 15 – most areas reported rain, below-average temperatures, bursts of hail and thunder, with some higher-elevation areas recording snow.


The National Weather Service in Sacramento issued a hazardous weather outlook for Lake County and all of interior Northern California on Sunday.


The alert called for gusty winds with periods of heavy rains, hail, thunderstorms and the possibility of snow down to 2,500 foot elevation – all of which occurred on Sunday throughout Lake County.


There is more rain in the forecast early this week, according to the National Weather Service.


Rain is expected to increase again during the day on Monday, with temperatures well below average as another storm system takes aim at Lake County, forecasters said.


Widespread rain is expected to fall throughout the morning on Tuesday then becoming drier, but according to the Western Weather Group, frost and near-freezing temperatures will remain possible for low-lying areas for the remainder of the week in the mornings.


Daytime highs today and Tuesday are predicted to only reach the low 50s, warming more on Wednesday and barely reaching into the 70s by Thursday.


Because of the unsettled weather and possible near-freezing overnight temperatures, cold weather protection for people, livestock and pets, as well as frost and freeze protection for newly-planted gardens are recommended until late this week.


For up-to-the minute weather information, please visit the Lake County News homepage.


E-mail Terre Logsdon at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow Lake County News on Twitter at http://twitter.com/LakeCoNews , on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lake-County-News/143156775604?ref=mf and on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/user/LakeCoNews .

NORTH COAST, Calif. – A 3.7-magnitude earthquake was reported Tuesday morning near Ukiah.


The US Geological Survey said the quake occurred at 8:20 a.m. and was centered six miles north northeast of Ukiah, seven miles north of Talmage and 15 miles west northwest of Upper Lake, at a depth of 4.9 miles.


The survey reported receiving 251 shake reports from 12 zip codes around the North Coast and the Bay Area, with residents in Lakeport and Upper Lake among them.


E-mail Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow Lake County News on Twitter at http://twitter.com/LakeCoNews , on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lake-County-News/143156775604?ref=mf and on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/user/LakeCoNews .

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Dr. Douglas Houston has been named the new chancellor of the Yuba Community College District, headquartered in Marysville, Calif. He takes over the job on July 1, 2011. Courtesy photo.



LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Yuba Community College District has a new chancellor.


On Monday the district's board of trustees announced the selection of Dr. Douglas B. Houston as the next chancellor, effective July 1.


The board is scheduled to hold a special meeting at 5:30 p.m., Wednesday, May 18, at the district's board room in Marysville, at which time they're expected to formally appoint Houston.


He now will head a district with a presence in eight counties – including Lake, which is home to the Clear Lake Campus – as well as colleges in Marysville and Woodland, outreach operations at Beale Air Force Base and in Williams, and another planned for Sutter County.


Houston will succeed Dr. Nicki Harrington, who in January had announced she was retiring at the end of the academic year, as Lake County News has reported.


Houston currently is superintendent/president of Lassen Community College District, based in Susanville. He previously held administrative positions at Butte College in Oroville and at Barstow College in Southern California.


He holds a doctorate in educational leadership from Pepperdine University. Previous to that, he earned his master's and bachelor's of science degrees in physics from the University of Florida, Gainesville.


District officials said they conducted a nationwide, beginning in February, to find Harrington's successor. The Association of Community College Trustees assisted the governing board in the search.


The district started the search process with campus forums Feb. 22-23 to collect public input for the purpose of developing a chancellor profile, officials reported.


Applications and nominations came in through mid-April, a search committee selected interview candidates and the field was narrowed to three: Houston; Dr. Ron Erickson, president of Hocking College in Ohio; and Dr. Jim Riggs, interim doctoral program director at California State University, Stanislaus.


The district had hosted public forums at its campuses May 9-10 to introduce the three finalists to the community, and allow students, administration and the public at large to ask questions.


“The hard work of the search committee, chaired by YCCD Board Vice-Chair Brent Hastey, is to be commended,” said district board Chairman Xavier Tafoya stated. “The committee worked tirelessly over several months and forwarded to the board three exceptionally well-qualified final candidates for the board’s consideration.”


Tafoya said it was after the open public forums and final interviews by the board of trustees that Houston was selected as the district's next chancellor.


E-mail Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow Lake County News on Twitter at http://twitter.com/LakeCoNews , on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lake-County-News/143156775604?ref=mf and on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/user/LakeCoNews .

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Nutritious chard's brightly colored stalks add a pop of color to the plate, shown here in red, yellow and white. Photo by Esther Oertel.
 

 






Chard’s deep green leaves are exquisitely laced with colorful veins, as though the fronds were crafted by a skilled artisan.


Each ruffled leaf – tasting similar to spinach, but with a tangy, earthy flavor – is a veritable fount of nutrition and the bright stems of some cultivars add a pop of color to the plate.


If not a colored variety, chard has silvery white celery-like stalks. Ruby and rhubarb chard have red stems and veins. Rainbow chard comes in an endless variety of colors, including yellow, pink, orange, red, purple and a number of striped versions. Another colorful chard goes by the name bright lights.


In general, colored chard is slightly less tender than those with white stems.


If you like to garden, colorful chard varieties make wonderful landscaping plants with the added bonus that they may be harvested for eating.


Chard goes by a number of aliases, including Swiss chard (a moniker designed to provide differentiation from its French spinach cousins in 19th century seed catalogs), silverbeet, perpetual spinach, spinach beet, crab beet, seakale beet and mangold.


Along with modern day garden beets, chard is one of the cultivated descendants of the sea beet, also known as wild spinach, a vegetable that grew naturally along European shorelines. The family resemblance between chard and beets is apparent in that they share similar foliage and coloration; one can see that they share a common ancestor.


Though, as its nickname implies, chard is grown in northern European countries such as Switzerland, it has its roots in the Mediterranean region. The French, Italians, Spaniards, Greeks and the Arabs of North Africa have made the most of this vegetable in their cuisines.


Chard’s history in cuisine is long; it goes back before the Roman and Greek civilizations to ancient Babylon.


The Greek philosopher Aristotle wrote about chard in the fourth century B.C. and both the Greeks and Romans prized the vegetable for its medicinal qualities.


As to nutrition, according to the “World’s Healthiest Foods” Web site (www.whfoods.org), chard is an excellent source of bone-building vitamin K, manganese, and magnesium; antioxidant vitamin A, vitamin C, and vitamin E; heart-healthy potassium and dietary fiber; and energy-producing iron.


It’s a very good source of bone-healthy copper and calcium; energy-producing vitamin B2 and vitamin B6; and muscle-building protein. In addition, chard is a good source of energy-producing phosphorus, vitamin B1, vitamin B5, biotin, and niacin; immune supportive zinc; and heart-healthy folate.


One can understand why the Greeks and Romans thought it to be powerful medicinally!


Chard is ready to harvest in late spring or early summer and will continue to produce stalks until November or the first hard frost. In areas with mild winters, chard produces its best growth and highest yields during those months.


Chard that is harvested while young and tender may be added raw to salad greens. As the leaves mature, they become tougher and develop a somewhat bitter taste, which is neutralized through cooking.


The stems are tougher than the leaves and require a longer cooking time, so they should be added first to the sauté pan or soup pot. For example, if adding to a soup or stew, allow 10 minutes to cook the stems and five to cook the leaves.


If using stems and leaves in separate applications, the stems may be prepared and used like asparagus and the leaves like spinach.


Chard is best stored in a loosely sealed plastic bag in the fridge where it will keep well for three to five days. Shake off any excess water from supermarket sprays prior to storing.


When shopping for chard, look for stems that are crisp, not limp, and for leaves with a glossy shine.

 

 

 

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The red veins in this chard leaf contrast beautifully with the deep green of the foliage. Photo by Esther Oertel.
 

 

 


Chard makes a wonderful component for quiche, especially when paired with cheeses such as Fontina, Gruyere or Parmesan.


I especially enjoy it sautéed in a simple fashion with olive oil, onions and garlic until tender, cooking the diced stems first with the onions and adding the chopped leaves later with the garlic.


Chef Rick Bayless, owner of two fine dining Mexican restaurants in Chicago, pairs chard with poblano peppers to make a creative take on tacos with creamy braised chard.


British chef, author and television personality, Jamie Oliver, uses chard atop pizza, as well as pairing it with lamp chops and creamy cannelloni beans for a main dish.


Beans and lentils are a good match for chard, whether served side by side as Chef Oliver does, or added to a soup or stew.


The recipe I offer today is one by Deborah Madison, founding chef of Greens, a popular vegetarian restaurant in San Francisco. It’s from her book “Local Flavors,” which features recipes using seasonal farmers’ market produce.


I shared this recipe with students in a cooking class last year using local produce. It was a lot of fun to make, impressive to serve and we all thought it tasted good. I hope you enjoy it.


Chard and cilantro soup with noodle nests


The noodle nests


2 eggs, separated

3 ounces (1 ¾ cups) fine egg noodles, such as capellini, uncooked

1/3 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

Sea salt

Peanut oil for frying


Beat the egg whites until they hold firm peaks, then stir in the yolks, noodles, cheese, and cilantro. Season with a few pinches of salt, then really work the mixture with your hands or a wooden spoon so that it’s more or less homogenous. It will look impossibly dry and stiff.


Heat enough oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat to float the noodles, at least 1/3 inch. When the oil’s hot, drop the batter into it, dividing the batter into 4 or 6 portions by eye.


Fry until golden, about 1 minute, then turn and fry the second side another minute. Set aside on paper towels. These can be made hours ahead of time.


The soup


1 tablespoons olive oil

2 bunches scallions, including an inch or 2 of the greens, finely chopped

1 celery rib, diced

1 cup finely chopped cilantro stems and leaves, packed

Leaves from 1 bunch chard, green or rainbow, about 6 cups, packed

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

6 cups vegetable stock, chicken stock or water

Cilantro sprigs for garnish


Warm the oil in a soup pot. Add the scallions and celery and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. After a few minutes, add the cilantro and ½ cup water so that the vegetables stew rather than fry. Add the chard leaves, sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt, then cover and cook until the chard has wilted down. Add the stock or water.


Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and add the noodle nests to the pot. Simmer until the chard is tender, about 10 minutes. Taste for salt and season with pepper.


Ladle the soup into soup plates or bowls, include a noodle nest in each bowl, and serve garnished with a sprig of cilantro.


Esther Oertel, the “Veggie Girl,” is a culinary coach and educator and is passionate about local produce. Oertel teaches culinary classes at Chic Le Chef in Hidden Valley Lake, Calif., and The Kitchen Gallery in Lakeport, Calif., and gives private cooking lessons. She welcomes your questions and comments; e-mail her at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..


Follow Lake County News on Twitter at http://twitter.com/LakeCoNews , on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lake-County-News/143156775604?ref=mf and on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/user/LakeCoNews .

THIS STORY HAS BEEN UPDATED WITH ADDITIONAL DETAILS.


HIDDEN VALLEY LAKE, Calif. – Officials are investigating the circumstances behind a Tuesday morning house fire in Hidden Valley Lake, with a juvenile male in custody who may have been responsible for setting the fire.


The fire did serious damage to a home at 19407 Deer Hill Road, which was fully engulfed in flames when firefighters arrived on scene shortly after 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, according to South Lake County Fire Battalion Chief Scott Upton.


Later in the morning, Lake County Sheriff's deputies detained a 17-year-old male, whose name has not been released because of his minor status, according to Capt. James Bauman.


The incident was initially reported just after 8 a.m., when a woman who lived at the home called to report that her son attempted to set the home's bathroom on fire, had spread lighter fluid throughout the house and broke things inside the residence before leaving on foot, Bauman said.


About five minutes later, at approximately 8:12 a.m., another call came in reporting the home was on fire, Bauman said. A deputy who arrived in the area a few minutes later began looking for the teen.


Upton said eight fire units responded to the fire, located in a 2,500-square-foot, split-level home.


“We got pretty quick knockdown on it,” Upton said, adding that they contained the fire to the second floor, where it appeared to have originated.


By the time firefighters arrived, everyone in the home was outside, Upton said. No residents or firefighters were injured in the incident.


Shortly after 8:30 a.m., as firefighters were working on extinguishing the blaze, the Lake County Sheriff's Office put out an alert on the Nixle system, seeking information on the whereabouts of the teen.


The message said the teenager was “suspected of starting a fire at a house and throwing rocks at passing cars,” and described him as a white male, 5 feet 6 inches tall, with thin or shaved blonde hair, wearing a dark blue shirt, baggy pants and tennis shoes.


Bauman said the teen's mother reported that he might be heading to his stepfather’s home on Horseshoe Drive.


Deputies located the teenager at around 8:40 a.m. in the 18000 block of Horseshoe Drive, in front of the stepfather's home, Bauman said. A Google map indicated the location is about a half-hour's walk from the burned home.


As deputies approached the juvenile, the boy retrieved a large rock from the front yard and threw it through the front window of his stepfather’s home. Bauman said the juvenile was then detained without further incident.


A followup Nixle report announcing the teen's arrest went out shortly before 9 a.m.


Bauman said the teenager's mother told deputies that earlier in the morning her son had just finished taking a shower when she heard a loud noise in the bathroom. When she asked the boy if he was alright, he told her he had broken a shelf and then went into the garage, presumably to get something to fix the shelf.


When he returned from the garage, he had a bottle of lighter fluid and began spreading the fluid throughout the house, Bauman said.


When the woman took the lighter fluid away from the boy, he began breaking items in the home, according to Bauman. While the woman called 911 for help, the boy reportedly went into her bedroom, spread toilet paper throughout the room, and started the fire before fleeing from the home on foot.


Bauman said deputies arrested the teenager and transported him to St. Helena Hospital Clearlake for a medical and mental health clearance. He was then taken to the Lake County Juvenile Hall and booked on several arson-related charges.


When firefighters responded to the incident, they weren't aware that the fire may have been intentionally set, Upton said.


Upton said sheriff's personnel arrived at the scene about an hour after the fire to let him know what was going up. Later, some sheriff's detectives visited the scene.


Investigators were working the scene Tuesday to try to determine the cause, Upton said.


“We just brought in one of the Cal Fire prevention officers and we've activated the Lake County Arson Task Force,” he said.


Upton estimated the home's value to be at about $300,000, with the property saved valued at half that amount.


“It has a severe amount of damage to the inside of the home,” Upton said.


E-mail Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow Lake County News on Twitter at http://twitter.com/LakeCoNews , on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lake-County-News/143156775604?ref=mf and on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/user/LakeCoNews .

Gov. Jerry Brown released his May state budget revision on Monday, a document that proposes additional cuts and budget balancing measures but which Republican leaders said went too far on taxes and not far enough on reforms.


The May revise, unveiled Monday morning, proposes to reduce the amount of taxes needed to balance the budget by $3 billion, improve debt management, offers tax incentives to spur job creation and would pay off most of the state's $34.7 billion debt that has accumulated over the last decade, according to Brown.


“California’s economy is growing, but we still face a $10 billion structural deficit and a wall of debt for years to come,” said Brown. “California’s finances were plunged into turmoil by the Great Recession and a decade of short-term fixes and fiscal gimmicks. This is not the time to delay or evade. This is the time to put our finances in order.”


As part of the revisions, Brown is planning to further downsize state government, proposing the elimination of 43 boards, commissions, task forces, offices and departments, among them the Departments of Mental Health and Alcohol and Drug Programs, which Brown said will be cut as services are returned to the local level. He also proposes to merge the Healthy Families Program into the Medi-Cal program.


Brown is proposing to sell off “underutilized” state-owned properties such as the Los Angeles Coliseum, the Montclair Golf Course in Oakland, the Capital Area Development Authority in Sacramento and the Ramirez Canyon property in Southern California.


The governor also said he intends to restore honesty to the budget process by addressing revenue shortfalls in departments such as the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation and Department of Mental Health, which he said were underfunded last year by $465 million.


Brown said he plans to spur job creation through a number of tax incentives, including restrictions on enterprise zone credits to create new jobs only, reduced sales tax on equipment purchases to encourage manufacturing jobs and a revamped hiring tax credit.


He said the revised budget also will increase funding to public schools by $3 billion, but the state still owes schools billions . Brown said the state has spent years shortchanging schools, which resulted in schools having to borrow to balance their budgets.


Brown's budget received a mixture of praise and criticism.


Senate Republican Leader Bob Dutton (Rancho Cucamonga) and Senate Budget Vice Chair Bob Huff (R-Diamond Bar) said in a joint statement that Senate Republicans believe Brown is moving in the right direction by making education and law enforcement funding a top priority, and they also credited Brown for embracing what they said were Republican proposals of paying down state debt and providing some job-creation incentives.


“But the May Revise goes too far on taxes and not far enough on reforms,” they said.


They said that Brown didn't curb government spending in the May revise, which they said still “still sets the state on a course of excessive spending growth in the future – spending that relies on tax increases.”


Republicans also said it's “ridiculous” to ask voters for five years of new taxes with an estimated $6.6 billion in new revenues.


Instead, they called for a hard spending cap, pension reform and business-regulation relief.


California Chamber of Commerce President and Chief Executive Officer Allan Zaremberg weighed in, saying, “The only path out of this on-going crisis is a bi-partisan, comprehensive budget solution that solves both short and long term budget issues.” Such a solution, he added, needs to “recognize and correct the costly impact that our regulatory climate has on jobs here.”


State Controller John Chiang appeared optimistic that the May budget revision was heading in the right direction.


“The test of a budget’s soundness involves looking at its sustainability, honesty, and whether it positions California for lasting economic prosperity,” Chiang said in a Monday statement. “While the particulars will be ironed out in the days ahead, I commend Governor Brown for presenting a plan that appears to avoid one-time gimmicks, begins reigning in the state’s borrowing, and offers fundamental and cost-effective reforms for the delivery of local and state services.”


California Community Colleges Chancellor Jack Scott called Brown's budget “a fiscally responsible, balanced approach to lead the state in the right direction.”


Scott commended Brown for allocating $350 million to reduce the colleges' present deferral funding of $961 million, following nearly $1 billion in cuts over a three-year period. He said the funds will give colleges badly needed resources in this difficult year and will assist them to provide both job training and the first two years of a college education.


“We hope that Californians can vote on a tax extension that could provide education for thousands of students,” said Scott.


At the same time the California Federation of Teachers, which pointed out that even with the additional funds public education's proposed spending in 2011-12 will be $7 billion less than it was in 2007-08, suggested that increasing taxes by 1 percent on the wealthiest 1 percent of Californians would raise $2.5 billion for education and services.


Some of the harshest criticism came from a coalition of redevelopment supporters, who said that Brown's continued plans to eliminate redevelopment – which they said were illegal according to the by California Legislative Counsel and numerous constitutional and redevelopment experts – will harm local job creation and the economy.


“The governor has repeatedly claimed he wants to end the gimmicks and wants honest budgeting,” said Chris McKenzie, executive director, League of California Cities. “But his proposal to eliminate redevelopment will result in more of the same. It is illegal, will not provide the State any budgetary relief and, by destroying local economic growth, will actually reduce State and local revenues.”


Rather than supporting redevelopment's total elimination, the groups are backing SB 450 (Sen. Alan Lowenthal) and SB 286 (Sen. Roderick Wright), which the group said would implement reforms, increase accountability and allow redevelopment agencies to voluntarily and legally contribute $2.7 billion to schools over 10 years to help offset state general fund obligations.


“We’re confident legislators will reject the Governor’s illegal proposal and instead act to reform redevelopment to preserve this critical local job-creating tool for future generations,” said John Shirey, executive director, California Redevelopment Association.


On the other end of the spectrum, Jean Ross, executive director of the California Budget Project, a nonpartisan public policy research group, said Brown's approach remained “the only credible path” to a balanced budget, but regretted his decision to retain the Enterprise Zone Program while proposing to close parks and cut services to vulnerable members of society.

 

The May Revision can be found at www.ebudget.ca.gov/.


E-mail Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow Lake County News on Twitter at http://twitter.com/LakeCoNews , on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lake-County-News/143156775604?ref=mf and on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/user/LakeCoNews .

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Civil War veteran William Morris posed for this portrait on his 85th birthday, May 3, 1926, in Lakeport. A note on the back reads

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