CLEARLAKE OAKS, Calif. – Clearlake Oaks’ annual Catfish Derby wrapped up on Sunday, with this year’s event drawing more competitors than ever before and showcasing the talent of young competitors.

The Clearlake Oaks-Glenhaven Business Association hosts the derby, the largest catfish tournament west of the Mississippi.

The event drew another record turnout, with 895 adults and 137 children competition, according to Dennis Locke, a member of the organizing team.

Locke said 62 percent of the entries were from outside of Lake County, including visitors from all over California, as well as from Georgia, Florida, Illinois, Texas, Colorado, Idaho, Utah, Nevada, Hawaii and Oregon.

“Weather and lake conditions couldn’t have been better, with warm temperatures and calm winds throughout the derby,” said Locke. “Fishing was generally slower than usual, with only 97 fish weighed, half the number seen in most years.”

The adult division was won by 11-year-old Tanner Castillo from Sutter, with a fish weighing 28.81 pounds. Tanner was awarded $4,000 cash and received a trophy as the adult division winner, Locke said.

Locke said Tanner was fishing in the adult division, which children are allowed to do under the derby rules if they pay the adult division entry fee.

While it’s not unusual for children to be fishing in the adult division in the derby – Locke said they usually have four to five young competitors fishing with the adults each year – this is the first time a child has won a major prize.

Tanner’s father Derek, who placed 14th in the adult division, said that the prize money will be applied to Tanner’s college fund, according to Locke’s report.

In the two divisions for children, girls topped the fields.

The kids division for ages 11 to 15 years was won by Ivy Bain from Gerber, with a fish weighing 17.76 pounds. Locke said Ivy received a $100 cash prize and a fishing rod donated by Warrior Cat Rods.

The kids division for ages to 10 years was won by Kaia Calhoun from Kelseyville. Kaia received a $100 cash prize and a fishing from donated by Warrior Cat Rods, Locke said.

Locke said more than 60 volunteers led by derby chairperson Gail Jonas worked more than 700 hours during the four days of the derby.

The catfish derby is the major fundraiser for the Clearlake Oaks-Glenhaven Business Association.

All proceeds are put to work in the community in the form of donations, scholarships, grants and funding for the July 4th Maxine Sherman Memorial Annual Fireworks display.

For more information about the organization visit http://www.clearlakeoaks.org .

Full results are published below.

Adult division

1. Tanner Castillo, Sutter, May 21, 7:50 a.m., 28.81 pounds

2. Victor Rojas, Stockton, May 19, 11:02 p.m., 26.76 pounds.

3. Garin Brown, Sacramento, May 19, 1:33 p.m., 23.92 pounds.

4. Zack Becker, Rio Linda, May 20, 7:28 a.m., 23.76 pounds.

5. Keith Foy, Clearlake, May 20, 11:18 a.m., 23.44 pounds.

6. Steven Kohn, Sacramento, May 19, 4:41 p.m., 22.77 pounds.

7. Eric Mecum, Sacramento, May 20, 3:26 p.m., 22.62 pounds.

8. Steven Gordon, Gilroy, May 19, 7:34 p.m., 22.36 pounds.

9. Bryan van Lingon, Lucerne, May 21, 9:51 a.m., 21.87 pounds.

10. Jack Scott, Gerber, May 19, 4:57 p.m., 20.85 pounds.

11. Sergio Rodriquez, Merced, May 21, 6:38 a.m., 20.81 pounds.

12. Lance Collard, Lakeport, May 20, 9:28 a.m., 20.51 pounds.

13. Arlie Lane, Hood River, May 21, 7:36 a.m., 20.39 pounds.

14. Derek Castillo, Sutter, May 21, 7:58 a.m., 20.34 pounds.

15. Donald Manion, Laytonville, May 19, 3:49 p.m., 20.28 pounds.

16. Steve Huffacker, Camptonville, May 19, 5:32 p.m., 19.90 pounds.

17. Donald Hall Jr., San Jose, May 20, 9:10 p.m., 19.87 pounds.

18. Mikel Tome, Sacramento, May 19, 4:21 p.m., 19.85 pounds.

19. Ritchie O'Brien, Rocklin, May 20, 2:51 p.m., 19.66 pounds.

20. Ethan Hansard, Orangevale, May 21, 7:44 a.m., 19.63 pounds.

Children – Up to 10 years of age

1. Kaia Calhoun, Kelseyville, May 19, 7:36 p.m., 16.92 pounds.

2. Andre Zhdanov, Sacramento, May 21, 6:39 a.m., 15.82 pounds.

3. Corvin Beckett, Pollack Pines, May 20, 1:36 p.m., 15.31 pounds.

4. Wyatt Bain, Gerber, May 20, 2:47 p.m., 12.78 pounds.

5. Arturo Gudino, Clearlake, May 20, 9:50 p.m., 4.81 pounds.

Children – 11 to 15 years of age

1. Ivy Bain, Gerber, May 21, 11:38 a.m., 17.76 pounds.

2. Pierce Linville, Willits, May 21, 10:56 a.m., 17.08 pounds.

3. Justin Gentle, Kelseyville, May 21, 7:36 a.m., 16.62 pounds.

4. Cody Redmond, Browns Valley, May 19, 7:40 p.m., 15.23 pounds.

5. Maurtell Williams, Antioch, May 21, 10:41 a.m., 12.58 pounds.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – The search for a Santa Rosa woman missing since Friday ended on Tuesday afternoon with the discovery of her body.

The Sonoma County Sheriff’s volunteer search and rescue team found the body of 54-year-old Catherine Huberty at about 2:25 p.m. Tuesday in a steep area along Redwood Hill Road, according to Sgt. Spencer Crum.

Huberty, who had mental health and mobility issues, had been reported missing on Saturday, according to Crum.

Crum said that during the investigation authorities found that she had been captured by a video surveillance system walking uphill in the 2200 block of Mark West Springs Road on Friday evening.

The search and rescue team, which had been actively looking for Huberty since she was reported missing, located her body about 150 feet down a steep ravine in the 2000 block of Redwood Hill Road, Crum said.

Due to the difficult terrain, Huberty’s body had to be flown out by the sheriff’s helicopter, Crum said.

Crum said initial indications are that Huberty slipped and fell. 

He offered the agency’s condolences to her friends and family.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – April home sales in Lake County in April showed gains in terms of volume and price, according to a new report.

The Lake County Association of Realtors, or LCAOR, reported that the median sales price and the number of sales in April exceeded the March sales numbers.

The April median sales price was $235,000, which is the highest monthly median sales price since November 2016 when LCAOR reported a median of $255,000.

The 81 sales reported in April was the highest number of monthly sales since August of 2016 when 100 sales were recorded.

The April median sales price was 11.9 percent higher than the March 2017 median price of $210,000, and the 81 sales in April was 14.1 percent higher than the 71 sales in March.

On a year-over-year basis, April 2017 sales were 28.6 percent higher than the 63 sales in April 2016, the report showed. The April median price was 3.3 percent higher than the April 2016 median of $227,500.

“After a relatively slow start to 2017 activity is on the upswing,” said LCAOR President Bobby Dutcher. “Preliminary numbers in May are looking strong and we expect a lot of activity in June when LCAOR will be holding our countywide Open House Extravaganza.”

The extravaganza will take place on June 10. Dutcher encouraged prospective buyers will want to check www.lcaor.com to see what houses will be featured on that day.

LCAOR said financing mixes remained relatively the same from March to April, with conventional and FHA loans being used in 53 percent of the transactions and cash only financing being used on 26 percent of the deals.

Inventory levels remained below normal at 4.7 months of inventory. The normal level is considered to be 6.0 months of inventory, LCAOR said.

The California Association of Realtors, or CAR, reported that statewide sales in April totaled 406,300, down 2.4 percent from March and down 1.6 percent from April 2016.

However, California’s median home price in April was $536,750, up 3.7 percent from March and up 5.4 percent from April 2016. The April median was the highest statewide median since August of 2007.

Mortgage rates have fallen since early this year. The 30-year, fixed-mortgage interest rate averaged 4.05 percent in April, down from 4.20 percent in March but up from 3.69 percent in April 2016, according to Freddie Mac, CAR said.

The five-year, adjustable-rate mortgage interest rates dipped in April to an average of 3.15 percent, from 3.21 percent in March but was up from 2.90 percent in April 2016, according to the CAR report.

LAKE COUNTY NUMBERS AT A GLANCE

April 2017

Median price: $235,000

Median days to sell: 57

Units sold: 81

March 2017

Median price: $210,000

Median days to sell: 57

Units sold: 71

April 2016

Median price: $227,500

Median days to sell: 60

Units sold: 63

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – The Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office is looking for a woman missing since last week.

The search for 54-year-old Catherine Huberty is continuing in the 2200 block of Mark West Springs Road, according to Sgt. Spencer Crum.

Crum said a video surveillance system captured Huberty walking uphill on a dead-end road at about 6:45 p.m. on Friday and she hasn't been seen since.

Huberty was wearing a black dress with a white shawl and she was pulling an orange-bristled push-broom up the hill with her, Crum said.

Crum said Huberty has mental health issues and is mobility impaired.

If anyone has seen a woman in that area over the weekend, or maybe picked up a hitchhiker that matches her description, please call Sonoma County Sheriff's Office Dispatch at 707-565-2121.

Huberty is described as a Caucasian woman, 5 feet 6 inches tall, 115 pounds, brown hair and blue eyes.

Crum said the area of her disappearance is very steep, mountainous terrain. They aren't seeking any volunteers at this time to assist in the search as the area is physically limiting where she could have possibly gone.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Temperatures will soar across the western United States early this week, surpassing even late-summer heat levels.
 
The recent period of dry weather in many Western cities will make it easier for heat to build in the region.

"A large area of high pressure will transport some of the warmest air since last summer across the West Coast early this week," AccuWeather Meteorologist Brett Rathbun said. "Records will be challenged from Washington to California."

Rathbun said higher temperatures are expected from Seattle – which could have its first day above 80 F since last August – south to Sacramento.

"Portland, Oregon, could break 90 F for the first time since August," Rathbun said. The city will challenge Monday's record high of 95 F from 2001.

Even in late July and August, normal temperatures only peak in the middle and upper 70s in Seattle and the lower 80s in Portland.

Monday's record high to beat is 100 F in Sacramento, California; the forecast high in the upper 90s will come close.

Residents looking to beat the heat can head to the beaches, where a cooling effect from the Pacific Ocean will prevent temperatures from significantly soaring.

While the century mark is not uncommon in the Central Valley of California in the summertime, these conditions will be the hottest of the season thus far.

Residents must take precautions to enjoy the heat and sunshine responsibly.

The sun angle is currently similar to that of late July, making for a very high UV index and increased threat of sunburns.

Reapplying sunscreen regularly, wearing protective clothing and limiting time spent in direct sunlight can greatly decrease the chances of a bad sunburn.

Heat exhaustion is also a dangerous side-effect of the upcoming weather pattern.

"Anyone doing strenuous outdoor activities across central California should take frequent breaks and drink plenty of water," Rathbun said.

While the heat will be most extreme in the lower elevations, the unusual warmth will lead to rapid snowmelt in the mountains, according to AccuWeather Meteorologist Jim Andrews.

"The melting snow will cause rivers flowing out of the Sierra Nevada to rise," Andrews said. "The Walker River near Mason, Nev., is expected to reach major flood stage later this week."

For those looking to dip into the streams and rivers to beat the heat should find other means of cooling down.

"Most rivers flowing out of the Sierra and across the Pacific Northwest are either flowing too fast due to melting snow or are too cold to enter," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Kristina Pydynowski said. "There is a risk of cold water shock."

The heat is expected to break after only a few days, providing relief to the baking West Coast.

"A storm will begin to cool the West down by the middle of the week, especially across the Pacific Northwest," Andrews said.

Faith Eherts is a meteorologist for www.AccuWeather.com .