Friday, 29 March 2024

News

MENDOCINO COUNTY – This week a Mendocino County jury convicted a Covelo man of driving under the influence of marijuana.


On Tuesday, following a two-day trial and 30 minutes of deliberation, a nine-woman, three-man jury found 28-year-old Lawrence Nye Jr. guilty of driving under the influence of marijuana, according to a report from Mendocino County District Attorney Meredith Lintott.


The jury also found true a special allegation of a prior conviction for driving under the influence, Lintott's office reported.


Judge Ronald Brown sentenced Nye to five years probation, 15 days in the Mendocino County Jail, fines and fees of $2,410, and the second offender driving under the influence class. In addition, Nye’s license will be suspended for two years.


Nye allegedly was seen smoking marijuana in his pickup as he drove north on Highway 101 near Ukiah. Lintott's report said another motorist called 911 and reported a driver who was smoking marijuana and who was all over the road.


California Highway Patrol dispatch put out an alert that included a description of the pickup and its license number, and a CHP unit responded from the scales at Ridgewood Summit and parked at the base of the grade a couple of miles south of Willits.


About 10 minutes later Nye drove by at over 70 miles per hour and the CHP followed him. Nye allegedly continued at more than 70 miles an hour as the road narrowed to two lanes and the speed limit changed from 65 mph to 55 mph.


Nye did not appear to see the CHP parked in plain sight next to the roadway as he went by, he did not see it pull in behind him and he did not see the red lights when the attempted to pull him over. It was only when all of the emergency lights were turned on that he noticed them. Nye yielded very suddenly, stopping from 70 miles an hour in only 200 feet.


When CHP officers contacted Nye there was a strong odor of burned marijuana in the pickup and on his breath. He failed the field sobriety tests and was arrested. An evaluation by a drug recognition expert confirmed that Nye was under the influence and too impaired to drive safely.


Lintott's office reported that marijuana DUI cases are more difficult than alcohol cases because scientific evidence has not been developed to show impairment based solely on certain levels of Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) – the main psychoactive substance found in the marijuana plant – in the human body the way it can be proved with alcohol.


While a person with .08 percent of alcohol in their blood is presumed to be under the influence, there is no comparable standard for marijuana, according to the report.


Proof of impairment depends on objective symptoms and the driver’s behavior. A doctor's prescription or a medical marijuana recommendations is not a defense to driving under the influence – driving while impaired by any drug is against the law and it does not matter that the drug was approved by a doctor, according to the report.


The statement from Lintott's office said impaired drivers present a tremendous hazard to everyone, endangering other drivers, pedestrians and bicyclists, to name a few.


Lintott said her office is committed to keeping impaired drivers off the road and prosecuting anyone who drives while under the influence, and it does not matter if it is marijuana, alcohol or any other drug.


 

She said that this verdict proves that Mendocino County jurors likewise see the danger that impaired drivers present and drivers impaired by marijuana are no less dangerous than drivers impaired by alcohol or any other drug.

 

Deputy District Attorney Brian Newman prosecuted the case, while Deputy Public Defender Jessyca Hoagland represented Nye.


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SACRAMENTO – Updated fire and building codes developed to increase fire resistance in buildings and homes across California will take effect this month.


The new codes, which will be enforced by Cal Fire's Office of the State Fire Marshal (OSFM) and fire and building departments throughout the state, bring California in line with the 2009 International Building, Fire, and Residential Code.


The new codes were adopted by the California Building Standards Commission.


“Providing an enhanced fire safe environment is important as we promote a sustainable living and working environment,” said Acting State Fire Marshal Tonya Hoover. “The reduction of fire not only protects our residents but also enhances our environment and business community. These standards will increase fire safety and awareness in communities throughout California.”


Each year wildfires char thousands of acres and destroy hundreds, even thousands, of homes in California. A portion of the newly adopted codes focus on regulations for homes built in the wildland-urban interface in order to make them more ember resistant, increasing structure survivability.


Additional amendments relate to tire storage, dry cleaning, and automatic extinguishing systems.


A key component in the 2010 code adoption is the addition of residential fire sprinklers in all new one and two family and town-home construction.


For many years, installation of fire sprinkler systems has only been required in office buildings and multi-family dwellings like apartments. These sprinkler systems are proven to save lives and extinguish fires. More than 100 jurisdictions in California already have a local residential fire sprinkler ordinance.


For more information about fire and building codes in your community, contact your local fire department or building department.


Information concerning fire and panic safety can also be obtained by visiting the Cal Fire-OSFM Web site, http://osfm.fire.ca.gov .


To review all of the new codes to take effect in 2011, visit www.bsc.ca.gov .


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LAKEPORT – Harsh winter weather and the flu season heighten the need for blood donations and Lakeport Fire Protection District is helping to fill the void.


The Blood Bank of the Redwoods is running its fourth annual Bucket Brigade. The blood bank supports Lake, Mendocino, Sonoma, Napa and Marin counties.


Lakeport Fire will host their very first blood drive this Saturday, Jan. 16, right in their truck bay at 445 N. Main St. in Lakeport from 10:30 am to 2:30 pm. Middletown Fire Department’s drive was on Dec. 12.


Last year, Geyserville Fire Department won the Bucket Brigade trophy, but this year Brian Hirscher, vice president of the Lakeport Volunteer Firefighter's Association, hopes to change that.


Hirscher feels the community can come through with more than 102 donors, which is how many Geyserville Fire recruited to win last year’s contest.


“Fire departments are very competitive, in a good way,” he said. “This is something that benefits the community greatly.”


Hirscher encouraged people to register for the donation, even though walk-ins will be happily accepted. There have been times where the community has had such a positive response that the drive was overwhelmed with willing donors, he said.


To register, donors may pay a visit to the station, call Blood Bank of the Redwoods at 707-545-1222, Extension 163, or visit the blood bank’s Web site, www.bbr.org .


Donors at Lakeport Fire will receive a light barbecue lunch and a free event T-shirt.


Last year 1,155 people donated blood during the Bucket Brigade from 40 different fire departments through 34 blood drives between the months of November 2008 and January 2009, according to blood bank officials.


“The amount of donors has gone up every year,” said Andrea Casson, account coordinator for Blood Bank of the Redwoods. “The blood is priceless because each unit can help up to three patients, but that’s not where the relief ends. It also affects the lives of those patients’ friends and family.”


A person should only donate one unit, or about one pint, of whole blood each visit, according to the American Association of Bloods Banks. The average person contains 10 pints of blood in his or her body according to their Web site, www.aabb.org .


The American Association of Bloods Banks estimated that about 9.5 million people donate blood every year. The average daily national need for blood is approximately 40,000 units.


Although the Bucket Brigade does generate a lot of blood during the winter flu season, winter is not the only time blood is needed.


When high school and college students go out of town for the summer, the need increases, as they're important contributors, said Casson.


But students don’t hold out when blood is needed. High school students alone contribute 20 percent of the blood supply overall, said Kent Corley, fund development manager and Blood Bank of the Redwoods spokesman.


Corley said the blood is used for various reasons including acute blood loss and surgery, gastrointestinal bleeds and oncology.


According to Blood Bank of the Redwoods' Web site, 37 percent of the US population is eligible to donate – yet only 5 percent do on a yearly basis.


Blood Bank of the Redwoods sends people to Lakeport every two to three weeks to conduct blood drives. The most recent was Sunday and was hosted by Wal-Mart in Clearlake. The next drive after the Bucket Brigade is over will be at Grocery Outlet in Lakeport on Jan. 25 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

 

The American Association of Bloods Banks recommends that donors be 16 years of age and at least 110 pounds. All donors must also pass physical and health history examinations before being able to donate. Donors should expect to spend more than an hour donating blood.


Only whole blood is being collected at the different fire departments and will be broken down into its three components for storage at the laboratory. An eligible donor can give one pint of blood, which weighs almost a pound, every 56 days, according to the American Association of Bloods Banks.


The blood supplies and demands vary due to unpredictable events and emergencies. Typically blood centers store enough blood for three days and most donations are available 48 hours after being donated, the American Association of Bloods Banks reported.


“When usage is down, we decrease the number of blood drives, so all drives are important,” said Corley. “When the need increases, we add drives. It is a constant balancing act.”


E-mail Tera deVroede 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 and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lake-County-News/143156775604?ref=mf .

NORTH COAST – With the devastation and death toll mounting in Haiti due a 7.0-magnitude earthquake that hit its capita, Port-Au-Prince, on Tuesday, organizations around the country and the North Coast are reaching out to help the stricken country.


The death toll in Haiti is estimated to reach as high as 50,000, based on numerous press reports, and the American Red Cross is reporting that as many as three million people may be affected by the quake.


Aftershocks triggered by the huge Tuesday earthquake have continued to hit the region. By early Friday morning, approximately 43 quakes, ranging in size from 4.4 to 5.9 in magnitude, had occurred since Tuesday, according to the US Geological Survey.


On Thursday President Barack Obama pledged $100 million in US aid and announced that he had deployed members of the US Armed Forces to help support recovery efforts.


Included in that deployment are several Coast Guard cutters providing basic services, members of the Army's 82nd Airborne Division, a Marine Expeditionary Unit, the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson and the Navy's hospital ship, the Comfort, the White House reported on Thursday.


Assisting with the recovery efforts are a number of humanitarian organizations such as Doctors Without Borders, Oxfam America and the American Red Cross.


Doctors Without Borders medical teams have reportedly given medical care to more than 1,000 earthquake victims in the four tented facilities that the organization set up,and are trying to get an operator theater or a major hospital opened.


On Thursday, Doctors Without Borders said one of its inflatable field hospitals, complete with two operating theaters, was expected to arrive in Haiti, and doctors and other medical personnel were on the way.


American Red Cross Disaster management specialists were set to arrive Thursday from the United States, Peru and Mexico to join local Red Cross staff already on the ground in Haiti's disaster zone. The International Committee of the Red Cross already head deployed medical supplies and medical staff.


Blood and blood products to help the injured already were shipped to Guantanamo Bay to help Haitian evacuees and patients, and other supplies are prepared for shipping once airports can receive relief shipments, the Red Cross reported.


The Red Cross said Thursday it has released $10 million so far to help Haiti, and was leading a text message campaign to draw donations.


The group said priority needs are food, water, temporary shelter, medical services and emotional support.


Donna Neu with the Yolo and Lake County Red Cross chapter, said they're primarily collecting financial donations for the effort.


“We're not sending any volunteers,” Neu said. “They are not asking for any at this time.”


They ask that contributions be mailed to the Red Cross office at 401 Martin St. in Lakeport, with a notation that the money be sent directly to the Red Cross International Response Fund.


Neu said people can make donations online at the Red Cross' Web site, www.redcross.org . The Red Cross also can be reached at 1-800-REDCROSS (1-800-733-2767).


People also can donate money through their cell phones. Neu said they can text “Haiti” to 90999, which will send a $10 donation. The Red Cross reported that the mobile donations raised more than $3 million by Thursday morning.


Ellen Maremont Silver of the Sonoma and Mendocino County Red Cross chapter reported Thursday that their phones haven't stopped ringing.


That day, she said she sat with a propane tank installer as he counted out more than $127 – mostly in change – from his private piggy bank. “People's hearts are large,” she said.


The American Red Cross has seen an outpouring of support and concern from the public, both locally in Sonoma and Mendocino Counties and around the country, Silver said.


So far, more than $8,000 from more than 90 people has been donated through the Sonoma and Mendocino County Red Cross chapter, with people continuing to call, donate online, mail in donations and bring contributions directly to the Santa Rosa headquarters, Silver said. Residents of those counties also can donate online at www.arcsm.org/donate .


Other groups accepting donations include Doctors Without Borders, http://doctorswithoutborders.org/, Oxfam America, https://secure.oxfamamerica.org/site/SPageServer?pagename=main_donate_go and Yéle Haiti, www.yele.org/.


For those trying to contact friends and family in Haiti, they are urged to call the U.S. Department of State, Office of Overseas Citizens Services at 1-888-407-4747 or 202-647-5225.


As the efforts continue, California Attorney General Jerry Brown on Thursday encouraged Californians to make charitable donations for victims of the devastating earthquake in Haiti, but warned them to avoid scam artists who may prey on the goodwill of California donors.


“After every tragedy, a wave of scam artists take advantage of generous individuals who want to help the victims of a tragedy,” Brown said. “It's important to thoroughly research charitable organizations before you write a check.”


He urged people to donate to charities they know and make sure they're in the Attorney General's Registry of Charitable Trusts at http://ag.ca.gov/charities.php . For additional tips on charitable giving, go to http://ag.ca.gov/charities/charit_giving.php .


Information on national charities is available from the Better Business Bureau's Wise Giving Alliance at 800-575-4483 or www.give.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 and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lake-County-News/143156775604?ref=mf .

BLUE LAKES – A young Lakeport man lost his life and three others were injured in an early morning crash that occurred near Blue Lakes.


Jared Templeton, 21, was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash after being trapped underwater in a vehicle that went into Blue Lakes at about 2:20 a.m. Wednesday, according to the California Highway Patrol.


CHP Officer Steve Tanguay said Heather Thompson, 22, of Lakeport was driving her 1988 Ford Thunderbird westbound on Highway 20, just west of Blue Lakes Road, with Templeton, 23-year-old Zachary Walston of Lakeport and 21-year-old Kathleen Riley of Kelseyville riding in the car with her.


The CHP reported that there was a light rain occurring at the time of the crash.


As Thompson's vehicle was coming out of a righthand curve in the roadway, she lost control of the Thunderbird, which veered to the left and went off of the roadway and struck a tree south of the roadway, according to the report. The vehicle continued out of control to the south and went into Blue Lakes.


As the vehicle began to submerge into the lake, Thompson, Walston and Riley – all of whom were wearing seat belts – were able to get out of the vehicle and made it safely to the shore, Tanguay reported.


However, for an unknown reason, Templeton – who was sitting in the front right seat of the vehicle and also was belted into his seat – couldn't escape, officials reported.


Walston and Riley attempted to dive down to the vehicle to get Templeton out, but due to the depth and temperature of the water, they were unsuccessful, Tanguay said.


Northshore Fire Protection District, assisted by Lakeport Fire, sent a large number of resources to the scene, according to Northshore Fire Battalion Chief Pat Brown.


He said the agency responded to the scene with its dive rescue team, three engines from its Upper Lake and Lucerne stations, three advanced life support ambulances from Upper Lake, Nice and Lucerne, a rope/extrication rescue from Clearlake Oaks and two battalion chiefs. Lakeport Fire also sent a medic unit, for a total of 16 rescue personnel on scene.


Brown said when the rescue teams arrived, the vehicle was submerged 15 feet below the surface of the water, just before the narrow section of Upper Blue Lakes.


Northshore Fire crews conducted a low angle rope system down the embankment, which required using chainsaws to remove trees and brush and establish lights, Brown said.


The Northshore Dive Team got into the water and reached the vehicle at 3:30 a.m., said Brown. The CHP's report on the collision stated that rescuers couldn't reach Templeton's body while the car was submerged.


Brown said dive team members attached tow cables and begun the process of removing the vehicle. A tow truck was used to pull the Thunderbird up out of the lake, Tanguay said.


Fire officials pronounced Templeton dead at the scene, according to the report.


Brown said Northshore Fire transported Thompson, Walston and Riley to Sutter Lakeside Hospital by Upper Lake Fire ambulance for minor to moderate injuries sustained in the collision.


Tanguay said alcohol is not considered to be a factor in the crash.


Northshore Fire Incident Command contacted the state Department of Fish and Game, Lake County Environmental Health, the Office of Emergency Services and worked with the Lake County Sheriff's Office for a possible hazardous materials spill into Blue Lakes, Brown said.


The Lake County Sheriff's Patrol and booms were ready if a film was present at daylight, he said.


The Department of Fish and Game, which took the lead on the hazmat operation, cleared Northshore Fire at 7:15 a.m., Brown reported.


CHP Officer Josh Dye is investigating the collision, according to the report.


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 and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lake-County-News/143156775604?ref=mf .

WILLITS – Officials are warning about a telephone scam hitting the city of Willits.


On Jan. 8, the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office received several complaints of a telephone scam occurring at local businesses in and around the city of Willits, according to sheriff's Capt. Kurt Smallcomb.


A male caller was telephoning local businesses and advising the owner/management that he was a deputy with the "sheriff's office" and that one of their employee's had been arrested or was in the hospital, Smallcomb said.


The caller would purposely be vague when describing the employee and would wait for the owner/manager to volunteer information, Smallcomb explained.


The caller would then request that the owner/manager send between $300-$1,000, via Western Union, to assist the employee, according to the report.


The Mendocino County Sheriff's Office does not attempt to elicit money for or from anyone, Smallcomb said. Anytime an unknown person requests that you send money, via Western Union, then you should be suspicious of that person and contact your local law enforcement.


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UKIAH – A Redwood Valley man was arrested on Tuesday for allegedly committing a hate crime against a Ukiah man.


Joseph Anthony Frank, 63, was arrested shortly before 3 p.m. Tuesday, according to Lt. Rusty Noe of the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office.


On Tuesday sheriff's deputies were dispatched to Jensen's Truck Stop at 1460 Lover's Lane in Ukiah on a reported assault, Noe said.


When the deputies arrived they learned that Frank had entered the business and began making comments about the race of the victim, a 23-year-old employee, according to Noe. Frank then told the victim that he was going to kill him.


Noe said Frank allegedly removed his jacket and hit the victim in the side of the face. Frank then left in his truck.


The victim advised Frank's actions seemed to be purely motivated by the victim's race. Noe said the man also told deputies that the incident was captured on the stores video surveillance system.


Deputies issued a “be on the look out” for Frank's truck, and Noe said a California Highway Patrol officer located Frank in his truck on Kuki Lane.


The CHP subsequently placed Frank under arrest for drunk driving, Noe said. Once Frank arrived at the Mendocino County Jail, he was booked for the hate crime charge, with bail set at $20,000.


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BLUE LAKES – An early morning collision near Blue Lakes early Wednesday morning has resulted in a fatality.


Officer Steve Tanguay of the Clear Lake Office of the California Highway Patrol confirmed that a death had resulted from the crash, which was reported shortly after 2:45 a.m. Wednesday.


A vehicle was reported off the roadway, with two subjects reportedly coming out of it, according to the CHP's initial reports.


Names of those involved was not yet available shortly before 10 a.m.


Traffic was blocked in both directions and Caltrans put a highway closure in place, according to the CHP.


A blood draw was conducted on one individual who was taken to Sutter Lakeside Hospital for treatment, the report stated.


Tow companies were called to tow vehicles for evidence, officials said.


Tanguay said the CHP will issue a full account of the crash shortly.


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NORTH COAST – In the wake of a large earthquake that occurred off the North Coast Saturday afternoon, numerous smaller quakes continued throughout Sunday.


Saturday's 6.5 quake, reported shortly before 4:30 p.m. 27 miles west of Ferndale in Humboldt County, has appeared to trigger a series of ongoing smaller aftershocks, which began immediately afterward, according to US Geological Survey records.


Those continued when, on Sunday at 3:48 a.m., a 3.9-magnitude quake was reported 23 miles west northwest of Ferndale at a depth of 5.1 miles in the ocean floor, the agency reported.


The US Geological Survey received 37 responses from 18 zip codes around Northern California from people who felt that quake, the power of which was reported at moderate around Eureka and stronger east of the city.


Smaller quakes continued on that west northwest line, moving closer to shore, over the next several hours.


A 2.6-magnitude quake followed at 4:05 a.m. Sunday, 21 miles west northwest of Ferndale, with the epicenter located 9.4 miles down, according to the US Geological Survey. At 8:49 a.m., a 2.7-magnitude quake was reported 18 miles west northwest of Ferndale. That quake was 7.8 miles deep.


Another set of smaller quakes occurred between 20 and 30 miles on a western line from Ferndale, varying between shallower depths of 2.2 miles and deeper, to more than eight miles, based on the geological reports.


Then, at 10:44 p.m., a 4.2-magnitude quake occurred 37 miles west of Ferndale, with a 6-mile-deep epicenter, the US Geological Survey reported. Despite its distance from shore, about half a dozen people from Humboldt County and as far away as Mountain View reported feeling the quake.


The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center reported late Sunday that the 4.2-magnitude smaller earthquake would not generate a tsunami. The previous day, it had reported that the 6.5-magnitude quake wasn't expected to generate one of the massive waves.


In other earthquake news, a 3.0-magnitude quake was reported at 7:36 a.m. Sunday at The Geysers, five miles west southwest of Cobb and seven miles west northwest of Anderson Springs.


The quake – which was centered 2.3 miles deep – was felt in Lakeport and Kelseyville, and as far away as Placerville, Chico and Redding, the US Geological Survey reported.


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 and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lake-County-News/143156775604?ref=mf .

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A home, located on Hamilton Street in Nice, was destroyed in a fire on the afternoon of Wednesday, January 13, 2010. Photo by Tera DeVroede.





NICE – A lit cigarette is believed to have caused a fire that destroyed a home in Nice on Wednesday.


The fire was reported in the older doublewide modular home on Hamilton Street shortly before 3 p.m., according to Northshore Fire Protection District Chief Jim Robbins.


The fire was accessed from Pyle Road, off of Highway 20, according to reports from the scene.


A young woman who was renting the home fell asleep while smoking, Robbins said. The cigarette caught a Christmas tree in the home on fire.


The woman awoke to a lot of heat and smoke, and she tried to throw water on the fire to put it out, said Robbins. However, by that time, the fire had moved to smaller couch.


Robbins said the woman then escaped from the home uninjured.


The call initially came in as a smoke check in the area. Robbins said as he drove to Nice from Lucerne with one engine, he could see a pillar of black smoke.


By the time firefighters arrived, the fire already was well under way, he said.


Older modulars burn quickly, Robbins said. “All they need is about 10 minutes.”


The trailer had a secondary roof built over it. “That caused us a lot of problems with collapsing,” said Robbins.


Three engines and 12 personnel from Northshore Fire's Nice, Lucerne and Upper Lake stations responded, Robbins said. By 5 p.m. they had extinguished the fire and mopped up the scene.


Robbins said the lost property is valued at about $80,000.


“It's a total loss,” said Robbins. “She lost everything she had in there.”


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 and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lake-County-News/143156775604?ref=mf .

 

 

 

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The fire gave off a column of black smoke that could be seen from a distance. Photo by Tera DeVroede.
 

ST. HELENA – Firefighters were able to save a St. Helena home that caught fire Tuesday morning.


The fire was reported at 7:34 a.m. Tuesday in the 300 block of Zinfandel Lane in St. Helena, according to Pete Muñoa, Cal Fire battalion chief and Napa County fire marshal.


The 2,800-square-foot home was undergoing renovation, Muñoa said. An electrician who came to work on the residence discovered the fire and called 911.


Muñoa said units and firefighters from St. Helena City Fire, Napa County Fire, Cal Fire and Calistoga Fire Departments responded to the incident.


The fire was contained at 9:40 a.m. but Muñoa said units remained at scene until 12:30 p.m.


He said the fire is believed to have originated in the subfloor beneath the hallway and bathroom area. The home was not occupied due to the construction work and no injuries were reported.


Muñoa said that damage is estimated at $250,000 with an estimated structural save of $1,000,000.


Investigators from the Napa County Fire Marshal’s Office are working on determining the cause.


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LAKE COUNTY – The county of Lake is encouraging all residents to be counted in the 2010 US Census.


Census Day is April 1, 2010.


The information gathered by the US Census – a national population count that occurs every 10 years – is used to determine levels of state and federal funding that come to local government, schools and nonprofit organizations.


The data also is very useful to numerous businesses.


If Lake County's population is undercounted, the county will be in jeopardy of not receiving its fair share of funding for public services such as emergency services, roads, schools, hospitals and job training, officials reported. The census population count also is important in that it determines electoral districts.


Census questionnaires will be delivered or mailed to households in March.


With only 10 questions, the 2010 Census questionnaire is one of the shortest census questionnaires in history and takes just 10 minutes to complete.


All information provided on the questionnaires is kept confidential, protected and safe.


County officials said they're doing their part to spread the message of the importance of the 2010 Census.


They have created a Complete Count Committee made up of local representatives to assist the county in achieving as complete a count as possible and to build local awareness for the 2010 Census.


Local agencies are encouraged to become involved in building this local awareness through the sharing and publicizing of census information.


More information about the US Census can be found at the following Web sites: www.2010Census.gov , www.census.ca.gov or www.californiacompletecount.org .


Contact the Lake County Administrative Office at 707-263-2580 if you would like more information and to become a part of building awareness for the 2010 Census.


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

Upcoming Calendar

30Mar
03.30.2024 9:00 am - 2:00 pm
Lakeport Community Cleanup Day
30Mar
03.30.2024 9:00 am - 11:00 am
Second annual Bunny Brunch
30Mar
03.30.2024 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Lake County poet laureate inauguration
31Mar
03.31.2024
Easter Sunday
31Mar
03.31.2024 1:15 pm - 1:45 pm
Lakeport Rotary Club Easter Egg Hunt
1Apr
04.01.2024
Easter Monday
1Apr
10Apr
15Apr
04.15.2024
Tax Day

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