LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – On Wednesday night, Lake County’s nighttime sky was graced not just by a big, beautiful moon, but by a moon with a halo.

County resident Dwain Goforth captured this picture of a lunar halo and the moon, with the planet Jupiter pictured up to the right of it.

According to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the halo occurs when light refracts through tiny, hexagonal-shaped ice crystals contained in thin, high altitude clouds.

The light refracts 22 degrees, which NASA said corresponds to the moon halo’s radius.

The effect is not uncommon, NASA reported.

The Farmer’s Almanac said weather lore holds that lunar halos are a precursor of stormy weather, noting that cirrus and cirrostratus clouds – which contain the tiny crystals – often come before storms.

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A Pacific Gas & Electric crew works on installing new electrical equipment on Country Club Drive in Lucerne, Calif., on Wednesday, January 4, 2011. Photo by John Jensen.

LUCERNE, Calif. – Pacific Gas & Electric crews were working in Lucerne on Wednesday to upgrade equipment.

The company reported that it was installing new overhead equipment in the town.

The work required planned outages in some areas of Lucerne from 8 a.m. to about 4 p.m., with affected residents receiving notices of the outages beforehand.

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Richard Mills, 40, was injured when his vehicle rolled over at around 3:30 p.m. on Highway 175 at the southern entrance to Wildcat Road, the California Highway Patrol reported.

A California Fish and Game warden was among the first to arrive at the scene, finding Mills conscious and alert but with multiple fractures, according to radio reports.

Kelseyville Fire and CHP also responded to the site, where both lanes of traffic were reportedly blocked by the crash.

Firefighters transported Mills to a landing zone at Kit’s Corner, the intersection of Highway 29 and Highway 281, where a REACH air ambulance met them.

REACH 6 lifted off with Mills en route to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital at about 4:20 p.m., according to radio reports.

Highway 175 at Wildcat Road was reopened at approximately 4:13 p.m., the CHP reported.

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A fire at Anderson Marsh in Clearlake, Calif., was reported on Wednesday, January 4, 2012. Photo courtesy of Cool Ghoul Tattoo in Clearlake.

The fire, located on Anderson Marsh’s “North Flat,” was reported shortly before 3:30 p.m., according to radio reports.

Witnesses in the area reported seeing thick black smoke rising from the fire.

Cal Fire and Lake County Fire engines responded to the blaze, which initially was reported to be between three to five acres, although Lake County News received information that it may have reached seven acres in size.

Firefighters accessed the fire from Lakeview Way, according to radio reports.

A Cal Fire helicopter that was called was canceled because firefighters on the ground were able to handle the blaze, but radio calls indicated at least one bull dozer was sent in.

Information on the fire’s cause wasn’t immediately available on Wednesday.

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The lack of precipitation across the state has led to one of the driest winters on record. According to the Department of Water Resources, the statewide water content is at 19 percent of normal.

Despite the fact that many areas of the state are experiencing cooler temperatures, the drier than normal conditions, coupled with wind events and low humidity, have frequently increased the fire danger over the past month, officials reported.

Cal Fire said its crews responded to an increased number of wildfires for a typical December.

“Fire activity in Northern California during winter is very rare, where snow-covered mountains and rain-soaked hillsides typically keep the fire danger relatively low,” said Chief Ken Pimlott, Cal Fire’s director. “We will be monitoring the rain levels over the next couple months, as it will be an indicator of the type of fire activity spring and summer will bring.”

In response to the above-normal fire activity, Cal Fire has been able to increase its staffing using its 4,700 permanent employees with the help of Cal Fire inmate fire crews.

In many areas Cal Fire has canceled burn days or even banned debris burning. The public is asked to be extra cautious due to the dry conditions, especially on windy days.

For more fire safety tips visit www.ReadyForWildfire.org or www.fire.ca.gov.

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Beginning in late November, businesses, Library Park and even schools have been damaged by graffiti or other vandalism, as Lake County News has reported.

In one case late last month, police reported that several windows at Terrace Middle School were shot out by a BB or pellet gun.

With the arrival of the new year, the focus appears to be switching from buildings to vehicles.

From Sunday through Tuesday the Lakeport Police Department took five reports involving vehicles that had been vandalized during nighttime hours, according to Sgt. Kevin Odom.

At this point the new cases do not appear to be related to previous instances of graffiti, “But we’re still investigating,” Odom said.

In the recent cases, Odom said the vandals primarily are using a large ink pen to write on cars in different locations around the city.

All of the earlier cases remain under investigation, Odom said.

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The Clearlake Police Department reported that on Wednesday Officer Andrew Jones, a member of the department who also works as a school resource officer for Konocti Unified School District, was requested at Lower Lake Elementary School.

The school reported that a juvenile student had furnished marijuana laced pastries to three other juvenile students, one of whom had become ill, according to the police report.

As a result of Jones’ investigation, police said a 14-year-old female student was arrested for a violation of Health and Safety Code 11360(B), furnishing or giving away marijuana, which is a cite-only offense.

Jones cited the girl and released her to the custody of her family pending a later court date, police said.

The source of the pastries is not yet know, however the investigation is continuing, according to police.

Persons with information about this case is asked to contact School Resource Officer Jones at 707-994-8251.

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Kevin Andrew Hoffert, 31, of Nice, Calif., was arrested on Monday, January 2, 2012, for assaulting another man with an aluminum baseball bat. Lake County Jail booking photo.

NICE, Calif. – A Northshore man has been arrested for assaulting another man with an aluminum baseball bat in a Monday evening altercation.

Arrested in the case was 31-year-old Kevin Andrew Hoffert of Nice.

Hoffert was booked for felony assault with a deadly weapon other than a firearm with great bodily injury likely and a felony parole violation on Monday night, according to his Lake County Jail booking sheet.

Lake County News had attempted on Monday and again on Tuesday to confirm with sheriff’s officials that his arrest was for the assault, but official confirmation did not come until Wednesday afternoon.

On Monday evening sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to an address on Manzanita Drive in Nice in response to a report of an assault with a deadly weapon, according to Sgt. Steve Brooks of the Lake County Sheriff’s Office.

When deputies arrived they contacted the adult male victim, who Brooks said was was being attended to by medical personnel from Northshore Fire’s Station 85 for injuries to his head.

The victim was transported by a Northshore Fire ambulance to Sentry Market, where a REACH air ambulance picked him up and took him to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital for treatment, as Lake County News has reported.

Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital told Lake County News late Tuesday that the male victim in the case was treated and released from the hospital.

During their investigation deputies learned there had been an altercation in the street involving the victim and four other individuals, Brooks said.

The victim was in a vehicle traveling on Manzanita Drive when the four individuals – which included three females and one male – started throwing rocks at the vehicle, according to Brooks’ report.

He said the male victim exited the vehicle and asked what was going on. Two of the females began punching the victim, who put his arms in front of his face in an attempt to protect himself.

The male who was walking with the three females – who later was identified as Hoffert – allegedly struck the victim in the head with a baseball bat. The victim fell to the ground and Hoffert reportedly struck the victim on the head a second time with the bat, Brooks said.

Hoffert was later located at an address on Dawes Street in Nice, where Deputy Shawn Nimau arrested him on the charges, according to Brooks and jail records.

Hoffert was booked into the Lake County Jail and placed on a no-bail hold because of the alleged parole violation, jail records indicated.

Hoffert made his first court appearance in the case on Wednesday, at which time Chief Deputy District Attorney Richard Hinchcliff charged with him with felony assault with a deadly weapon for allegedly using the aluminum baseball bat in the Monday night incident.

Hinchcliff told Lake County News that Hoffert is scheduled to return to court next Monday, Jan. 9.

Hoffert’s bail has been set at $100,000, Hinchcliff said.

Jail records show Hoffert was arrested last July for a felony parole violation and a misdemeanor drug charge, and arrested again on a felony parole violation in November.

Anyone who may have information regarding this case is encouraged to contact the Lake County Sheriff’s Office Major Crimes Unit at 707-262-4200.

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Jose G. Madrid, 45, was the man found unresponsive just after 1 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 31, by Mendocino County Sheriff’s deputies dispatched to the scene of a physical fight, according to Capt. Kurt Smallcomb of the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office.

Glenn Hughes, 52, of Fort Bragg, allegedly was found standing over Hughes’ body. Eyewitnesses told deputies that they saw Hughes beating Madrid.

Hughes was arrested and booked into the Mendocino County Jail for murder, the sheriff’s office reported.

An autopsy on Madrid was scheduled for Monday, Smallcomb said. No results were announced.

Anyone who may have information in regards to this incident is urged to call Det. Dustin Lorenzo at 707-961-2692.

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Richard Mills II, 40, sustained major injuries in the crash, as Lake County News has reported.

The California Highway Patrol said Mills was driving his 2001 Chevrolet S-10 pickup southbound on Highway 175 in Cobb at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday at an unknown speed when he failed to negotiate a left curve in the roadway.

The CHP said Mills lost control of the pickup, went off the east shoulder of the roadway and sideswiped a tree before he hit a second tree head-on.

Mills was arrested at the scene for driving under the influence, the CHP said.

Mills sustained major injuries and was flown to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital by REACH air ambulance, according to the CHP.

The CHP said no update has been available on Mills’ condition.

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Charles Peter Lamb, 30, of Lakeport, Calif., was arrested on Monday, January 2, 2012, for allegedly raping a female acquaintance. Lake County Jail photo.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – Police have arrested a local man for allegedly raping a female acquaintance.

Charles Peter Lamb, 30, of Lakeport was arrested at 8:30 a.m. Monday by Lakeport Police Officer Joe Eastham, according to Lake County Jail records.

Lamb’s booking records show he was booked on a felony count of rape by force or fear of injury.

Sgt. Kevin Odom said that on Sunday at 9 p.m. Eastham was dispatched to St. Helena Hospital Clearlake on the report of a female who was being treated there for a sexual assault that occurred in the city of Lakeport.

Eastham responded to the hospital and contacted the alleged victim, a local woman in her 20s, who identified Lamb as her attacker, Odom said.

Odom said Eastham investigated the case and arrested Lamb the morning after the initial interview with the alleged victim.

Police aren’t offering many details on the circumstances surrounding the alleged rape.

Asked about how Lamb and the woman knew each other, Odom would only say that they were acquainted.

Lamb’s bail was set at $100,000. He remained in the Lake County Jail on Tuesday.

Odom said Lamb is expected to be arraigned in Lake County Superior Court on Wednesday.

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Manual and electronic readings on Tuesday record the snowpack’s statewide water content at 19 percent of the Jan. 3 average. That is only 7 percent of the average April 1 measurement, when the snowpack is normally at its peak before the spring melt, according to the California Department of Water Resources.

Despite the dry conditions, water managers remain cautiously optimistic about this year’s water supply.

“Fortunately, we have most of winter ahead of us, and our reservoir storage is good,” said Department of Water Resources Director Mark Cowin.

Electronic readings indicate that water content in the northern mountains is 21 percent of normal for the date and 8 percent of the April 1 seasonal average; 13 percent of normal for the date and 5 percent of the April 1 average for the central Sierra; and the southern Sierra’s results are 26 percent of average for the date and 9 percent of the April 1 average.

Statewide, the snowpack water content is 19 percent of normal for today’s date and 7 percent of April 1, the agency reported.

The Department of Water Resources cooperating agencies conduct manual snow surveys around the first of the month from January to May. The manual surveys supplement and check the accuracy of real-time electronic readings from sensors up and down the state.

The agency’s initial estimate is that the State Water Project (SWP) will be able to deliver 60 percent of the slightly more than 4 million acre-feet of water requested by the 29 public agencies that supply more than 25 million Californians and nearly a million acres of irrigated farmland.

The 60 percent delivery estimate is largely based on the known quantify of carryover reservoir storage. Unknown is how much snow and rain the state will get the rest of this winter, the state said.

Calendar year 2011 illustrates how weather-driven water supply conditions can dramatically change. The initial 2011 estimate was that the SWP would be able to deliver 25 percent of the slightly more than 4 million acre-feet requested. As winter took hold and storms swept the state, a near-record snowpack and heavy rains resulted in deliveries of 80 percent of requests in 2011. The final allocation was 50 percent in 2010, 40 percent in 2009, 35 percent in 2008, and 60 percent in 2007.

The last 100 percent allocation – difficult to achieve even in wet years because of Delta pumping restrictions to protect threatened and endangered fish – was in 2006, officials reported.

Lake Oroville in Butte County, the SWP’s principal storage reservoir with a capacity of 3.5 million acre-feet, is still 72 percent full thanks to last winter’s heavy storms. That is 114 percent of average for the date.

Lake Shasta north of Redding, the federal Central Valley Project’s (CVP) largest reservoir with a capacity of 4.5 million acre-feet, is 68 percent full (106 percent of average).

San Luis Reservoir in Merced County, an important reservoir south of the Delta, is 95 percent full (137 percent of average for the date). San Luis, with a capacity of 2, 027,840 acre-feet, is an important source of water for both the SWP and the CVP when pumping from the Delta is restricted or interrupted.

An acre-foot is 325,851 gallons, enough to cover one acre to a depth of one foot.

Mountain snow that melts into reservoirs, streams and aquifers in the spring and summer provides approximately one-third of the water for California’s households, farms and industries.

Statewide snowpack water content readings are available at http://cdec.water.ca.gov/cgi-progs/snow/DLYSWEQ.

Electronic reservoir level readings may be found at http://cdec4gov.water.ca.gov/cdecapp/resapp/getResGraphsMain.action.

Historic readings from snowpack sensors are posted at these sites:

http://cdec.water.ca.gov/cgi-progs/rpts1/DLYSWEQ

http://cdec.water.ca.gov/cgi-progs/rpts_archived1/DLYSWEQ

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