At around noon on Thursday an individual discovered a sprinkler or water alarm lying in a ditch along Clark Drive, according to Officer Kory Reynolds of the California Highway Patrol.

Reynolds said the alarm, which he guessed likely fell off the back of a truck, was a piece of PVC pipe with wires coming out of it.

The device also was emitting a high-pitched sound, he said.

The CHP closed the street for about 30 minutes while they investigated the device, Reynolds said.

At the same time, they asked schools to announce to parents that Clark Drive was closed, he said.

Reynolds said schools are on a minimum day today, and with the school bus normally passing through that area on its route the CHP asked the Kelseyville Unified School District to reroute the school bus.

Once CHP determined the device was harmless the road was reopened, Reynolds 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 Tumblr at www.lakeconews.tumblr.com, on Google+, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/pages/Lake-County-News/143156775604?ref=mf and on YouTube at www.youtube.com/user/LakeCoNews .

The Governor’s Office said the package is part of Brown’s ongoing efforts to spur job creation, streamline regulations and boost renewable energy.

“These reforms will fast-track key projects that put Californians to work,” said Governor Brown. “Like California, CEQA must be more nimble.”

The package of CEQA reforms was released Wednesday by the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research and provide the regulatory changes necessary to implement SB 226 (Simitian), which the governor signed last October.

Once these draft reforms are finalized, the Governor’s Office said they will simplify the approval process for infill projects by eliminating repetitive studies of environmental effects already addressed in other planning documents, such as general plans and zoning codes.

That will reportedly help reduce the time and cost often associated with infill projects, while also allowing cities to focus on new or unique projects that help create jobs, revitalize cities and promote transit.

SB 226 also removes hurdles to harnessing solar energy and growing green-collar jobs by exempting solar projects located on existing rooftops and parking lots.

Earlier this month, Gov. Brown issued proposed implementation guidelines for AB 900 (Buchanan), signed last September.

AB 900 sends CEQA litigation for certain large projects directly to the Court of Appeal and requires a decision on the merits in a short timeframe. The law also offers immediate help to projects that provide California with the most economic and environmental benefit.

Together, CEQA reforms in SB 226 and AB 900 will reduce repetitive documentation and expedite litigation timelines while preserving informed decision-making and mitigation of environmental harm, according to the Governor’s Office.

The SB 226 guidelines, released today, can be found at www.opr.ca.gov/s_sb266.php.

The AB 900 guidelines, released last month, can be found at http://opr.ca.gov/s_californiajobs.php.

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

“Greater awareness of the disease, more rapid diagnosis and treatment, and increased vaccination rates contributed to saving the lives of infants,” said Dr. Ron Chapman, director of the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and the state public health officer. “I thank our public health and medical communities for working together and being especially vigilant following the 2010 epidemic.”

In Lake County last year there were three pediatric pertussis cases, all in young infants, according to Lake County Health Officer Dr. Karen Tait.

She said all three babies were hospitalized and recovered.

In 2010, 9,000 Californians were diagnosed with pertussis and 10 infants died from the disease, CDPH said.

In response, CDPH partnered with local health departments and health care providers across the state implementing disease control strategies and informational alerts. The state also offered free vaccines to hospitals, allowing convenient vaccination for new parents to prevent transmission of the disease to newborns.

Last fall, a new state law required students in seventh through 12th grades for the first time to get a Tdap booster shot. The new school law will apply to all students entering seventh grade in 2012 and beyond.

While whooping cough remained high at more than 3,000 cases in 2011, there have been no deaths since Oct. 13, 2010, according to the report.

The last time California had 3,000 cases of whooping cough was 2005. That year, eight infants died, the state said. In 1991, there were only 249 reported pertussis cases in California.

Young infants are the most vulnerable to serious whooping cough complications. Of 575 whooping cough cases among infants 3 months of age or younger reported during 2011, 244 (42 percent) were hospitalized. CDPH said that’s a significant drop since 2010 when 59 percent of infected infants in that age group were hospitalized.

Immunity gained from pertussis vaccine wanes over time, so a booster shot is needed. The new school immunization law is intended to further protect communities by ensuring that adolescents, who may no longer be immune to whooping cough, are vaccinated. CDPH produced public service announcements in English and Spanish and partnered with the California Broadcasters Association to encourage media outlets to air the ads aimed at raising awareness about pertussis and the new California law.

Adults, especially those who live or work with infants, are also strongly encouraged to get a Tdap shot, CDPH said.

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

An estimated 219 workers at Calpine's geothermal plant at The Geysers are eligible to vote in the election, which will decide whether they will join the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 1245.

The election, which began Wednesday, will have three more polling times at two locations on Calpine property on Thursday, according to Mike Farmer, a member of the Calpine Workers Organizing Committee.

Following the close of polling at 8 p.m. Thursday, the ballots will be counted at the Calpine Visitor Center in Middletown, Farmer said.

The union needs 50 percent plus one of the vote to win the secret ballot election.

Farmer, who was a polling observer on Wednesday night, estimated that 70 to 85 percent of the Calpine workers eligible to vote cast ballots on the election’s first day.

“I think a lot of people are anxious to get this over and see where we go from here,” he said.

In support of the effort, the organizing committee launched www.calpineworkerstogether.com.

The union drive has strong opposition from some employees.

Tim Janke, a power plant operator who has worked for Calpine for six years, agrees with Farmer that employees want the matter to be settled, but that’s one of the few opinions they share when it comes to union-related matters.

Janke launched a Web site, www.calpineunionfree.com, last month in an effort to provide the anti-union perspective.

The site has the signatures of 76 anti-union supporters, and highlights concerns about potential financial impacts for the workers.

“The 76 people on that union-free list are taking a lot of risk,” said Janke, adding, “We’re just out there by ourselves.”

Janke, who used to be in a union, says a union adds another layer of bureaucracy, and that fighting unionization is a risk worth taking for those who oppose IBEW coming in.

According to his calculations, Janke said some Calpine employees stand to lose up to $40,000 a year in stocks, yearly bonuses and other incentives if the vote goes in the union's favor. He said anti-union workers just want to keep what they have.

Asked for comment about the election, Norma Dunn, Calpine’s vice president of corporate communications, said Calpine greatly values its employees, and works hard to to maintain good, safe working conditions, competitive compensation and one of the best benefits packages in our industry.

“Calpine also respects our employees’ right to consider unionization as provided under the National Labor Relations Act in a process which assures employees make an informed decision,” Dunn said in a written statement.

Dunn added that Calpine, working directly with its employees, has provided and remains committed to providing industry-leading compensation, benefits, equity, career progression and safety programs.

A divisive process

Farmer, a 27-year Geysers employee – 12 years at Calpine, and 15 years for Pacific Gas and Electric before that – said that the effort to unionize began last summer, with the first general meeting held Sept. 1.

IBEW Local 1245 was the union that represented PG&E employees at The Geysers before Calpine came on the scene, and the union also represents workers at Northern California Power Agency’s operations at The Geyser, Farmer said.

“They’re just a natural fit,” he said. “They know the business. They know the issues.”

There had been a previous attempt to unionize with IBEW Local 1245, both Janke and Farmer said.

Janke said the union backed out; Farmer said employees circulated a petition not to hold an election after a new Calpine chief executive officer took over, with staff deciding to give him a chance.

Farmer said the most recent push to unionize grew out of concerns that the company can do whatever it wants, with no repercussions.

“We have no way of countering anything that they decide they want to do or take away,” he said.

For Farmer, it was a human resources investigation last year – in which he alleges that several people were railroaded – that led him to decide union representation was needed. He said his boss was demoted, another manager was relocated, and some rank and file employees were disciplined based on hearsay.

“It just made me realize how little protections we have without some representation,” he said.

Farmer said there also are inequities in wages and benefits that union representation would help work out. He said the pro-union workers “just want to stop the bleeding at this point.”

He said that three weeks ago the effort to unionize wasn’t looking so good, but since then there has been an increase in support.

“At this point I’m feeling extremely optimistic about it,” he said, adding that he feels the results will be close.

If the campaign has gained momentum, it is likely in part due to IBEW’s ability to gain the ear of Gov. Jerry Brown last month as well as that of former U.S. Labor Secretary Robert Reich, who met with Calpine workers in Cobb Jan. 12 to urge them to unionize, as Lake County News has reported.

Farmer said he and other Calpine organizing committee members met with the governor for about 20 minutes, discussing with him their concerns that they were not being allowed a free and fair union election.

He said that anti-union consultants were brought in by Calpine in late October and staffers have been required to meet with them for 10 to 20 minutes once a week. Farmer said the consultants have told employees that unions are bad and are “just trying to stir up fear in people.”

Janke said the consultants are experts on unions, and said reports of intimidation are unfounded. The union-free team members “are just defending what we have.”

He and Farmer also have very different perceptions of the impact of the unionization effort on employee morale.

Farmer said there is tension, but it’s not widespread, and overall the moon has been civil. He said a small group is to blame for the tension that does exist.

Janke said the impact has been noticeably negative, with relationships between coworkers strained.

“It’s bad,” he said. “It’s not a good situation.”

He said three of the Calpine power plant workers with whom he works most closely are pro-union, but the divisions aren’t affecting their work.

“We’re professional and we don’t really even talk about it,” he said.

Janke worries that “all the emotions and distractions are going to get worse” if the union gets the votes it needs.

Farmer is hopeful that workers will continue to have positive relationships, however the vote goes.

“No matter how it turns out, we’re hoping that people can still be productive and respectful,” he 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 Tumblr at www.lakeconews.tumblr.com, on Google+, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/pages/Lake-County-News/143156775604?ref=mf and on YouTube at www.youtube.com/user/LakeCoNews .

Up for election this year are the seats for Supervisorial Districts 1, 4 and 5, currently held by Jim Comstock, Anthony Farrington and Rob Brown, respectively.

Also on the ballot are the seats for the four Lake County Superior Court judges, according to the Lake County Registrar of Voters.

At this time community members can take out a candidate intention statement, or Form 501, required by the Fair Political Practices Commission. The form must be filed with the Registrar of Voters Office before candidates solicit or receive contributions, and before they make candidacy-related expenditures.

They also can file petitions to submit signatures in lieu of filing fees.

For judicial candidates, the in-lieu petitions can be filed through Feb. 8, with the judicial period for filing declaration of intention paperwork running from Jan. 30 through Feb. 8.

Candidates for the other county elected offices have until Feb. 23 to submit in-lieu petitions, with the time frame for declaration of candidacy and nomination papers taking place from Feb. 13 through March 9, according to a Registrar of Voters elections calendar.

In District 1 – which covers a portion of southern Lake County, including Middletown, Hidden Valley Lake and Lower Lake, as well as a portion of Cobb – Comstock has taken out a Form 501 and the in-lieu petition, the Elections Office reported.

Challenging Comstock, who is nearing the completion of his first term, is Lower Lake resident and environmental advocate Victoria Brandon, who has pulled the same paperwork, according to election records.

For District 4, which covers the Lakeport area, Farrington has taken out a Form 501 but not an in-lieu petition, records show.

Taking out the necessary paperwork to run against him is Lakeport resident Fred Langston, owner of Lake County Martial Arts.

In District 5, which predominantly covers Kelseyville and a portion of Cobb, Rob Brown also is seeking reelection and has taken out the Form 501 and in-lieu petition. Election records show he’ll be challenged by Joan Moss of Cobb.

For the judicial seats, so far only one – that of Judge David Herrick in Lake County Superior Court Department 1 – is contested. Herrick told Lake County News earlier this month that he was not intending to seek reelection this year.

Beginning the process to run for Herrick’s seat are attorneys Michael Friel of Kelseyville and Michael Lunas of Lakeport, and Deputy District Attorney Susan Krones of Lakeport, the Elections Office reported.

For the judicial seats in Lake County Superior Court Departments 2, 3 and 4 – held by Richard Martin, Andrew Blum and Stephen Hedstrom, respectively – so far only the incumbents have taken out the Form 501 and the in-lieu petitions, elections records showed.

Regarding state races, Assemblymember Mariko Yamada (D-Davis) said she will seek office for the newly drawn Assembly District Four, which will represent all or part of Lake, Colusa, Napa, Solano, Sonoma and Yolo counties.

Assemblyman Wes Chesbro, who currently represents Lake County in the Legislature, will run for the new Second Assembly District.

In the new Third Congressional District, which represents the upper two-thirds of Lake County, a six-member field has formed. It includes Tony Carlos, Timothy Core, John Garamendi, Charlie Schaupp, Rick Tubbs and Kim Dolbow Vann, as Lake County News has reported.

Congressman Mike Thompson – who has represented all of Lake County for many years in the House of Representatives – will run for reelection in the new Fifth Congressional District, which covers the lower third of Lake County.

So far no opponents have filed to run against him, according to the Federal Election Commission.

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 Tumblr at www.lakeconews.tumblr.com, on Google+, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/pages/Lake-County-News/143156775604?ref=mf and on YouTube at www.youtube.com/user/LakeCoNews .

An Oregon gray wolf which crossed the California border Dec. 28 continues to be closely monitored by state wildlife officials.

Updates on the position and progress of OR7, as the 2-and-a-half-year-old male is known, is available at a new Web site, www.dfg.ca.gov/wolf/.

OR7 currently is reported to be in Lassen County, where he’s remained for approximately one week, the Department of Fish and Game said.

Lassen County also happens to be the location where the last wild gray wolf in California was killed in 1924, the Department of Fish and Game said.

Originally part of the Imnaha wolf pack, located in northeastern Oregon, the wolf has traveled more than 300 miles into California, officials reported.

He’s reportedly being monitored through various means, including a global positioning system device that periodically transmits its location.

His behavior, called “dispersal,” is not atypical of a male wolf his age and may be a result of natural competition among the males in the pack, seeking out a mate or better mating status in another pack, or seeking out a new food source if the original pack has overbred or there is limited amount of prey in the area, the Department of Fish and Game reported.

While OR7 is the only documented wolf in California, any wild gray wolf that returns to California is protected under the Federal Endangered Species Act, administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

The federal law generally prohibits the harassment, harm, pursuit, hunting, shooting, wounding, killing, trapping, capture or collection of wolves in California, or the attempt to engage in any such conduct, officials said. Penalties include fines up to $100,000 and one-year imprisonment.

Though many sightings have been reported, all other recent “wolf” sightings that have been investigated in California have been found to be something else, such as a coyote, a dog or a hybrid wolf-dog. Despite reports to the contrary, the Department of Fish and Game is not aware of confirmed sightings of other wolves in California since 1924.

A helpful graphic to help distinguish a wolf from a coyote is available at

http://fwp.mt.gov/fishAndWildlife/management/wolf/wolfCoyote.html.

Concerns about human safety are largely based on folklore and are unsubstantiated, the agency said.

In recent years there was one human mortality in Canada caused either by wolves or bears and one confirmed human mortality in Alaska by wolves, according to the state. Based on experience from states where substantial wolf populations now exist, wolves pose little risk to humans.

However, the Department of Fish and Game recommends that people never approach a wolf, or otherwise interact with or feed a wolf.

Farmers and ranchers can reduce the likelihood of attracting wolves and other predators by removing potential sources of food and other attractants from their land such as discarded animal carcasses, bone piles, etc.

More about how to avoid human-wildlife interactions can be found on the Department of Fish and Game’s Web site at www.dfg.ca.gov/keepmewild/ or www.dfg.ca.gov/wolf/.

The Department of Fish and Game has been following the recovery and migration of gray wolves in Western states with the expectation that at some point they will likely reach California.

The available historic information on wolves in California suggests that while they were widely distributed, they were not abundant.

More information about wolves in California can be found at

www.dfg.ca.gov/wildlife/nongame/wolf/docs/Gray_Wolf_Report_2012.pdf.

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

Jose Carlos Iniguez, 39, of Nice, Calif., was arrested following a high-speed vehicle pursuit on Tuesday, January 24, 2012. Lake County Jail photo.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – An early morning pursuit on Tuesday ended with the arrest of a man, after he lost control of his vehicle.

Jose Carlos Iniguez, 39, of Nice, was arrested following the rollover crash on Westlake Drive according to Sgt. Steve Brooks of the Lake County Sheriff’s Office.

At 2 a.m. Tuesday deputies were responding to a report of a home invasion robbery in Upper Lake. It was reported that the suspects involved in the robbery left in a vehicle, but the victim did not see the vehicle and was unable to provide a description, Brooks said.

Lake County Sheriff’s Sgt. Andy Davidson, who was responding to the robbery, noticed a vehicle traveling southbound on Lakeshore Boulevard at a high rate of speed. Brooks said Davidson temporarily lost site of the vehicle and believed it had pulled off on a side street.

Davidson began searching the area with the assistance of the Lakeport Police Department. As he was traveling northbound on Lakeshore Boulevard near Miramonte Way, he relocated the vehicle ahead of him, Brooks said.

The vehicle was identified as a silver Chevy Impala. As Davidson caught up to the vehicle it crossed over the double yellow line and was traveling approximately 60 miles per hour in a 45 mile per hour zone, according to Brooks.

Davidson activated his emergency lights and attempted an enforcement stop near the Hill Road East Intersection. Brooks said the vehicle slowed, but continued northbound on Lakeshore Boulevard.

He said the vehicle then accelerated to approximately 80 miles per hour, ran the stop sign at the Nice-Lucerne Cutoff and crossed onto Westlake Drive.

The driver turned off all of the vehicle’s lights and accelerated to approximately 90 miles per hour, driving in the opposite lane of traffic through a left turn, Brooks said.

The driver then lost control of the vehicle and drove off the right side of the roadway, Brooks said. The vehicle left the road, went up an embankment and rolled end over end, landing upside down on the roadway.

The driver, later identified as Iniguez, exited the passenger side door and started running southbound on Westlake Drive, Brooks said. Davidson took Iniguez into custody moments later.

Iniguez was booked at the Lake County Jail for felony evading a peace officer, a felony parole violation, and misdemeanor charges of driving while under the influence, driving without a license and obstructing an officer. He was being held without bail due to the alleged parole violation, according to jail records.

Brooks said the California Highway Patrol is conducting the collision investigation.

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

The president's annual State of the Union address laid out an ambitious set of goals to create jobs, stabilize the economy and rebuild the national spirit, and gained praised from Lake County's congressman.

President Barack Obama’s optimistic Tuesday night address to Congress and the nation called for all Americans to work together to keep the country moving forward.

“I thought it might have been one of the best State of the Union addresses that I’ve heard,” Congressman Mike Thompson (D-St. Helena) told Lake County News afterward. “He said things tonight that every American knows and feels.”

Thompson said Obama outlined the country’s challenges, reminded Americans of how working together is what made America great and spoke to specifics here at home, including increasing manufacturing jobs.

The president also “had some pretty tough lines in here,” said Thompson, noting, “He was not bashful on calling Congress out.”

Sen. Barbara Boxer said the president laid out a blueprint “for building an economy that works for every American.”

Obama's “eloquent optimism,” said Boxer, “stands in marked contrast to the angry tone Americans have been hearing on the campaign trail from his opponents.”

In his 65-minute address Obama called for a number of measures to reinvigorate the economy, create jobs and rebuild the nation’s crumbling infrastructure.

“There’s never been a better time to build,” he said.

Obama also promised to get rid of useless regulations, establish a financial fraud unit and wanted to stop a tax hike on 150 million Americans while the recovery is still fragile.

He urged Congress to make the tax code fairer to the lower and middle classes, noting that the country can’t keep taxes on the rich low while investing in important programs and paying down the debt.

Obama also called on Congress to address the “corrosive” power of money in politics by banning insider trading and preventing legislators from holding stocks in industries they impact.

He said the temperature in Washington needed to be lowered, and must be an end to the idea that Republicans and Democrats have to be locked in a campaign of perpetual destruction.

Obama said the country can continue making progress. “And I can do a whole lot more with your help,” he said, adding that when it’s people are working together, there is nothing the United States can’t achieve.

Anyone who says America’s influence has waned “doesn’t know what they’re talking about,” said Obama, explaining that America remains indispensable in world affairs.

Recalling the day Osama bin Laden was killed last year, Obama said in the situation room were people of all political affiliations, yet “all that mattered that day was the mission.”

He added, “No one thought about politics. No one thought about themselves.”

Obama said if the country maintained a common resolve it can continue moving forward, ending with the declaration that the state of the union remains strong.

Following the speech, Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels delivered the Republican Party’s response, saying the “loyal opposition” saluted Obama for pursuing the murderers of Sept. 11 and addressing needed changes to public education.

But Daniels said that while Obama didn’t cause the nation’s economic crisis, he had failed to fix it, and argued that Obama’s policies had in fact made the situation worse.

The Republicans promoted a simpler tax code, ridding the nation of expensive new regulations and uniting to save and repair the “safety net” – Medicare and Social Security, Daniels said.

Daniels also said it wasn’t fair of Obama to accuse Republicans of creating obstacles in Congress, and accused Obama of “constant efforts to divide us, to curry favor with some Americans by castigating others.”

“As in previous moments of national danger, we Americans are all in the same boat,” Daniels said. “If we drift, quarreling and paralyzed, over a Niagara of debt, we will all suffer, regardless of income, race, gender, or other category. If we fail to shift to a pro-jobs, pro-growth economic policy, there will never be enough public revenue to pay for our safety net, national security, or whatever size government we decide to have.”

Boxer said she welcomed Obama's call to action “for us to work together to strengthen the middle class, create clean energy jobs, help responsible homeowners stay in their homes, protect the environment from toxins such as mercury and rebuild America’s infrastructure.”

She added, “I will do everything I can to bridge the partisan divide and we can start right away by passing a bipartisan surface transportation bill that saves or creates millions of jobs.”

Thompson said Obama's call for rebuilding of infrastructure would provide jobs in Lake County.

The improvements needed on Highway 29 in Lake County alone could produce 900 jobs, he said, and the call for building a new economy based on energy outlines the importance of the county’s geothermal industry.

Thompson said it was important for Obama to discuss the mortgage crisis; if the nation doesn’t deal with it, it will take forever to get the economy back in shape.

Last week Thompson and Democratic members of the California Congressional Delegation sent Obama a letter asking him to immediately address the foreclosure crisis, as Lake County News has reported.

“This is not our first bite of the apple on the mortgage issue with the administration,” said Thompson.

In the address Obama had mentioned a plan to allow homeowners to refinance at current, lower interest rates, which Thompson said is the right thing to do and is estimated to put an additional $3,000 in qualifying homeowners' pockets each year.

Obama’s significant goals, such as tax code changes, will require Congress to work together, he said.

As for whether Obama can accomplish his goals in the deeply partisan atmosphere – and in the midst of an election year – Thompson said he’s the eternal optimist.

He said he’s going to continue to work as hard as he can to make sure some of the president’s goals can be accomplished.

Thompson said he hopes the address ultimately will mean more than just pomp and circumstance.

“The truth is, it’s up to all of us to make it happen,” he 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 Tumblr at www.lakeconews.tumblr.com, on Google+, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/pages/Lake-County-News/143156775604?ref=mf and on YouTube at www.youtube.com/user/LakeCoNews .

Lake County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a home on Main Street in Upper Lake at 2 a.m. Tuesday on the report of a home invasion robbery, according to Sgt. Steve Brooks.

He said the victim heard a loud noise coming from the living room area and went to investigate, and was confronted in the living room by three or four armed Hispanic male adults.

The suspects wanted to know where the victim kept his marijuana, money and firearms, Brooks said.

Taken from the residence was approximately 20 pounds of marijuana, $1,500 in cash and a firearm, according to Brooks.

The suspects tied the victims’ hands and feet prior to leaving the residence. Brooks said the man eventually was able to free himself and dial 911 to report the crime.

The Lake County Sheriff’s Major Crimes Unit, as well as crime scene investigators, responded to the location. They processed the scene for evidence and continued the investigation into the robbery, Brooks said.

On Jan. 17, two home invasion robberies were reported, one in Upper Lake and one in Loch Lomond, as Lake County News has reported.

The three men alleged to have been involved in the Upper Lake robbery, also allegedly seeking marijuana, led deputies on a high speed chase on Highway 29. Two of them were captured outside of Lakeport, while the third man eluded capture following a lengthy search.

No arrests have so far been reported with the respect to the robbery in Loch Lomond, with the suspects in that case also reportedly looking for marijuana.

Upper Lake community members also have reported to Lake County News that a home invasion robbery occurred in the town late in December.

When Lake County News requested information on that incident, the sheriff’s office said it was an ongoing investigation and therefore would not release any details of what occurred.

If anyone has information pertinent to the investigation of the Tuesday incident, please contact the Lake County Sheriff’s Major Crimes Unit at 707-262-4200.

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

Attorney General Kamala Harris made the announcement on Wednesday.

That backlog had reportedly affected law enforcement agencies across the state, including here in Lake County, as criminal cases rely on the state’s testing services.

"DNA testing is a powerful law enforcement resource – a smart on crime tool that we're using in cutting edge ways in California," Harris said. "Public safety is too important not to embrace innovation and adopt technology where needed. Crime scene evidence is too important to sit unanalyzed for months, while the victims await justice."

Harris made DNA testing a priority in 2011, because of the direct link between timely investigations and successful prosecutions.

Along with committing resources and encouraging Department of Justice labs to improve their procedures, the attorney general introduced new technology that dramatically increased the speed with which cases are analyzed.

Using robotics, an extraction method in sexual assault evidence analysis that once took two days now takes just two hours.

As a result of these efficiencies, state forensic analysts – for the first time ever – eliminated the backlog of untested evidence.

In 2011, the Department's Bureau of Forensic Services analyzed 5,400 evidence samples – an increase of 11 percent from 2010 (4,800) and 24 percent from 2009 (4,100).

As part of the DNA analysis, evidence samples are run through the CAL-DNA Data Bank. A "hit" occurs when DNA evidence from an unsolved crime sample matches a DNA profile from evidence in another case or the DNA profile of an offender or arrestee in the data bank.

The Bureau of Forensic Services operates 13 regional laboratories, seven of which perform DNA testing of biological evidence to assist local agencies in solving sexual assault cases and other crimes of violence.

The seven DNA labs are located in Ripon (near Modesto), Fresno, Redding, Riverside, Sacramento, Santa Barbara and Richmond. The Bureau serves 47 of California's 58 counties.

The CAL-DNA Data Bank contains the DNA profiles of 1.8 million offenders and arrestees in California, as well as crime scene evidence. It is the largest working DNA data bank in the United States and the fourth largest in the world.

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

The response was a coordinated effort of Lake County Public Health, Lake County Office of Education, Clearlake Family Health Center and a variety of other local health providers.

Health officials said 61 close contacts were identified and referred for treatment.

Particular assistance was provided from the local health care community, including but not limited to Dr. Luis Diaz and Clearlake Family Health Center, Lake Pharmacy and North Lake Pharmacy.

The Lake County Office of Education worked closely with Lake County Public Health to address the issue.

The Pomo Early Connection preschool closed on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday to enable employees and children to receive the recommended preventive treatment and for thorough disinfection of the facility, according to the two agencies.

According to Lake County Health Officer Dr. Karen Tait, the response showed remarkable multi-agency cooperation and assistance from the health care community, which was crucial to a timely and effective intervention.

“It is gratifying to know that our community is so ready to assist, particularly as personnel resources are shrinking,” she said. “It makes our public-private partnerships more important than ever. We are wishing a speedy recovery for the child who fell ill and are crossing our fingers that there will be no additional cases. With the success we had in rapidly getting preventive treatment to the close contacts, I’m feeling optimistic. ”

Meningococcal disease is a bacterial infection that strikes approximately 1,000 people in the United States each year, health officials said.

Many people carry the bacteria in the nose and throat. The bacteria can spread by exchanging respiratory and/or throat secretions. However, only rarely do the bacteria invade the bloodstream to cause serious infection, which can include meningitis, according to the report.

When infection occurs, it is serious and can be deadly, especially if antibiotic treatment is not started quickly. It starts with flu-like symptoms such as fever and headache, later progressing to a rash, stiff neck and confusion.

Why some people develop illness and others do not is not well understood. Health officials said seasonal variations in the disease occur, with more activity in the winter months. The annual number of cases reported in California in recent years varies between 120 and 200 cases.

Meningococcal disease most frequently occurs in children under age 5 years and in late adolescence/early adulthood.

A vaccine is available for protection against about half of the types of meningococcal disease that are identified. It is generally recommended for children starting at age 11-12 years. Although it is not routinely recommended for younger age groups, it is given to some children who are unusually susceptible to infections.

Meningococcal disease can result in outbreaks, particularly in congregate facilities, such as dormitories and daycare settings, the county health department said.

When one or more cases of this infection occur, measures are taken to prevent additional infections in close contacts who may have been exposed to the saliva or respiratory secretions of the sick individual. The preventive treatment usually consists of a single dose of antibiotic.

People who have had close contact with someone sick with meningococcal disease often ask whether it is necessary or helpful for their own family and friends to receive the preventive treatment. Health officials don’t recommend preventive treatment of people who did not have direct exposure to the ill person’s saliva or respiratory secretions during the infectious period.

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

A U.S. Geological Survey map shows an earthquake that occurred near Clearlake Oaks, Calif., early on Tuesday, January 24, 2012.

CLEARLAKE OAKS, Calif. – Residents around the county reported feeling an early morning earthquake that was centered near Clearlake Oaks.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the 3.8-magnitude quake occurred at 4:11 a.m. at a depth of 1.9 miles.

It was centered four miles south southwest of Clearlake Oaks, four miles west northwest of Clearlake and six miles northwest of Lower Lake, the agency reported.

Several residents around the lake – from Clearlake Oaks to Kelseyville – reported feeling the quake, which was said to have lasted about five seconds.

By 9 a.m. the U.S. Geological Survey had received 233 shake reports from eight zip codes around Northern California, including Clearlake, Clearlake Oaks, Kelseyville, Lakeport, Lower Lake, Middletown, Hidden Valley Lake and Campbell. It also received a report from Sun Valley, Nev.

A 1.9-magnitude quake – originally reported as 2.0-magnitude temblor – was reported in the same spot at 4:29 a.m., according to U.S. Geological Record reports.

Regarding that second, smaller quake, a total of 19 shake reports were submitted from Clearlake, Clearlake Oaks, Kelseyville and Lower Lake, survey records showed.

Lake County is seismically active, although most of the earthquake action is reported on Cobb Mountain near The Geysers geothermal steamfield, where increased earthquake activity has been attributed to wastewater injection.

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 Tumblr at www.lakeconews.tumblr.com, on Google+, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/pages/Lake-County-News/143156775604?ref=mf and on YouTube at www.youtube.com/user/LakeCoNews .