NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – Assemblyman Bill Dodd (D-Napa), Assemblyman Evan Low (D-Silicon Valley) and State Sen. Jerry Hill (D-San Mateo and Santa Clara) have introduced AB 2888 in response to the six-month sentence given to Brock Turner by Judge Aaron Persky in the recent Stanford rape case.

The bill will ensure that anyone convicted of sexual assault in California cannot be sentenced to probation.

The legislators worked with Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeff Rosen in crafting the proposal.

“We need to send the message that sexually assaulting vulnerable victims who are intoxicated or unconscious is a serious crime,” said Dodd, who represents Lake County in the California Assembly. “Letting a rapist off with probation and little jail time re-victimizes the victim, dissuades other victims from coming forward and sends the message that sexual assault is no big deal. Like many people across the nation, I was deeply disturbed by the sentence in the Brock Turner case. Our bill will help ensure that such lax sentencing doesn’t happen again.”

Under current law, not all forms of sexual assault involving penetration are included in the list of offenses that would trigger a mandatory denial of probation.

Current law clarifies that a defendant’s use of force triggers a mandatory prison sentence. However, when a victim is unconscious or severely intoxicated, the victim is unable to resist, and the perpetrator does not have to use force.

For example, a perpetrator at a college party who chooses to forcibly rape a conscious victim will go to prison. However, a different perpetrator at the same party who chooses to watch and wait for a victim to pass out from intoxication before sexually assaulting her may get probation.

“Rapists like Brock Turner shouldn’t be let off with a slap on the wrist,” said Low. “Judge Persky’s ruling was unjustifiable and morally wrong, however, under current state law it was within his discretion. Current law actually incentivizes rapists to get their victims intoxicated before assaulting them. While we can’t go back and change what happened, we can make sure it never happens again.” 

“Sexual assault cases can be among the most troubling situations that law enforcement officials have to deal with. I believe perpetrators of sexual assault should receive sentences that the reflect the severity of their crimes,” said Napa County Sheriff John Robertson. “I applaud Assemblymember Dodd for introducing common sense legislation that will better serve our community and provide better justice for victims of sexual assault.”

In March 2015, Brock Turner, a Stanford University student, was convicted on three felony counts of sexual assault of an intoxicated and unconscious woman.

Despite the fact that the defendant was eligible for a sentence of up to 14 years in prison, Judge Aaron Persky sentenced the defendant to six months in jail and three years’ probation.

The sentence has been criticized by many as unethically lenient, given the horrific nature of the crime.

“We need to change the law to protect the next Emily Doe from the next Brock Turner,”’ District Attorney Rosen said during a news event announcing the proposed legislation outside of the Palo Alto courthouse where Turner was tried and convicted. “Let's give the next campus sexual assault victim no reason to fear that her attacker will end up walking around free after spending less time in jail than it takes to finish a single college semester.”

CLEARLAKE OAKS, Calif. – A pilot flying solo on Tuesday night survived a plane crash in the hills above Clearlake Oaks.

The crash was first dispatched shortly after 9:30 p.m. on Morine Ranch Road, according to radio and California Highway Patrol reports.

Based on radio reports, the crash involving the Cessna two-seater plane sparked a small wildland fire, with some damage to nearby power lines reported.

Northshore Fire and Cal Fire responded to the crash, along with sheriff's deputies and a California Highway Patrol helicopter, according to scanner reports.

Radio traffic between Lake County Central Dispatch and responding firefighters indicated that the pilot was able to get out of the plane on his own, called 911 on his cell phone and walked part of the way from the scene where he met first responders.

Northshore Fire Chief Jay Beristianos said firefighters had difficulty accessing the plane and the injured pilot. Fire trucks were getting stuck while trying to get up the narrow vineyard trails leading to the crash site.

Radio reports indicated that a vineyard worker finally helped authorities locate the pilot close to 10:30 p.m. The plane was reported at Morine Ranch Road at Red Rock Road under power lines.

The pilot was transported by a sheriff's deputy down to medic units, which took him to a landing zone at Orchard Shores. There, a REACH air ambulance picked up the pilot and lifted off for Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital at around 11 p.m., according to radio reports.

Fire units at the scene had reported that the vegetation that burned as a result of the crash measured about 15 feet by 15 feet, and had been knocked down quickly after firefighters arrived at about 10:30 p.m. At that point they estimated they would be on scene for a few hours mopping up.

Pacific Gas and Electric also was asked to respond to the scene to assess damage to power lines, according to fire traffic.

Beristianos, who remained on scene after the majority of other units cleared, said Cal Fire cut a line around the fire area. He said some power lines also were down.

Based on what firefighters had encountered at the scene, Beristianos said it appeared that the pilot made a hard landing in the brush.

He called the man “very lucky.”

Beristianos – who would clear the scene just after midnight – said the incident was being overseen by the Lake County Sheriff's Office, with deputies to wait on scene for Federal Aviation Administration investigators to arrive.

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.

As wildfires burn across California, new estimates on the number of dead trees in California have been announced, prompting continued concern for California’s forest health and wildfire danger.

On Wednesday, the US Forest Service released the outcome of its latest aerial surveys over California forestland, finding that more than 66 million trees have now died due to drought and bark beetles since 2010.

That number is up from 29 million dead trees in 2015 and 3.3 million in 2014.

“The sheer number of dead trees is hard to imagine, but it’s real and what we have been anticipating for some time now,” said Chief Ken Pimlott, Cal Fire director and state forester. “We must continue our work to remove dead trees around roadways and critical infrastructure, while homeowners remove dead trees around their homes.”

In October 2015 Gov. Jerry Brown signed an executive order due to the tree mortality, which created the state’s Tree Mortality Task Force.

More than 80 local, state and federal agencies, as well as utilities and various stakeholders make up the task force, whose efforts have continued to focus on the coordinated response.

The task force has been working to provide for public health and safety, as the dead trees pose a serious public safety and wildfire threat.

A coordinated effort has been under way to remove dead trees in the 10 counties identified to have the highest hazard. The 10 counties span from Placer County down through the Central Sierra to Kern County. 

While county public works crews have been removing trees along county roads, Caltrans has been hard at work focusing on state highways.

Pacific Gas and Electric, Southern California Edison and other utility companies have been removing hazardous trees around their power lines, all while Cal Fire and US Forest Service crews continue building fuel breaks and assisting the counties in their efforts.

“The recently released estimates show the voraciousness with which the tree mortality epidemic is gripping California,” said Kevin Cann, Rural County Representatives of California (RCRC) Board member, Mariposa County supervisor, and member of the Governor’s Task Force on Tree Mortality.

“The situation is dire, not just to those living in rural communities directly dealing with the effects, but to all Californians impacted by the threat wildfires pose to the State’s resources,” said Cann. “The partnerships which have evolved between the impacted counties, CAL FIRE, Caltrans, PG&E, and many others while dealing with this emergency to quickly remove dead trees efficiently have been vital to the success of this response.”

Officials are urging the public to do their part as well as remove the dead trees around their homes in order to reduce their wildfire threat.

“It’s critical now that we are in fire season that everyone living in these high risk areas be prepared to evacuate before a wildfire breaks out,” Chief Pimlott added. “If a wildfire burns in an area with high tree mortality we know that it will burn faster than many residents may be ready for.”

In February 2016, Cal Fire awarded nearly two million dollars in local fire prevention grants for local projects focused on the removal of dead and dying trees in order to reduce the wildfire threat around homes.

Cal Fire, CAL OES, along with the Tree Mortality Task Force members, continues to coordinate additional assistance to help the public remove trees on their property.

For more information on how to be ready for wildfire and to learn how to make your trees healthy and prepared for bark beetles, visit www.ReadyForWildfire.org .

LAKEPORT, Calif. – Members of the Westside Community Park Committee are preparing for the seventh annual “Grillin’ on the Green” fundraiser, and are putting out the call for grilling aficionados to participate in the barbecue cookoff.

This year’s Grillin’ on the Green – an afternoon event featuring a friendly barbecue competition with plenty of food, drink, and entertainment for all ages – is scheduled for 5 to 8 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 6.

The event takes place at Westside Community Park, 1401 Westside Park Road in Lakeport, and is a fundraiser for development of the park.

Grillers and sponsors are encouraged to sign up soon. Call Cindy Ustrud, 707-263-7091, or Dennis Rollins, 707-349-0969, for information.

Local organizations, individuals and professionals go head-to-head in the cookoff, preparing their best barbecue recipes for attendees who then cast People’s Choice votes for their favorites.

A group of celebrity judges will select their favorite as well. This year’s celebrity judges are Record-Bee Editor Dave Faries and retired Superior Court Judge David Herrick. They will be joined by a third judge to be named later.

The first teams to sign up for this year’s competition are last year’s “Rookie of the Year” competitor, Fresh and Bangin’ Eatery; last year’s third place finisher, the Bru Crew; the Lakeport Lions; the Nor Cal BBQ Team; Delta Iota Tau; and Passion for Food, said Rollins.

He announced that some financial support is available to individual grillers this year, thanks to the Kiwanis Club of Lakeport and others.

Attendees enjoy a full dinner with fixings to accompany the barbecue dishes, said Rollins. Past years’ Grillin’ attendees have called the fare the “best barbecue around,” he added.

Information about the event can be found on the park’s Web site, www.westsidecommunitypark.org , or on Westside Community Park’s Facebook page.

Sponsors of the event are sought and will be recognized at the Grillin’ on the Green event. Levels of sponsor recognition are $100, $300, $500 to $1,000.

Contributions of any amount may be sent to 1350 Berry St., Lakeport, and made payable to Westside Community Park Committee.

The Keeling-Barnes Family Foundation is for the seventh year offering a sponsorship match. The Foundation will match up to $4,000. Sutter Lakeside Hospital has pledged a sponsorship of $2,500. Representatives of the hospital and foundation challenge the community to match and exceed the combined $6,500 amount.

Westside Community Park is a regional recreational facility that is operated by the city of Lakeport and the Westside Community Park Committee. It has been in development for 17 years.

The nonprofit park committee is developing the park in conjunction with the city of Lakeport, volunteers, and numerous contributions by individuals and businesses dedicated to constructing a recreational facility for the youth and adults of Lake County.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The organizers of “Taste of Lakeport” said they are changing the name of the popular event to “Taste of Lake County.”

This year's “Taste of Lake County” will be held Saturday, Aug. 27, from 5 to 10 p.m. on Main Street.

The Lakeport Main Street Association sponsors the event, now it is 20th year.

The association reported that it decided that it is time to thank the award-winning local wineries and members of the food industry by expanding the name of the event that represents them.

Visitors this year will have the opportunity to taste local wines and beer, and enjoy delicious hors d'oeuvres from local restaurants.

There will be a street dance at 8 p.m. featuring the music of Jimmy Z.

New this year, the Lakeport Main Street Association will present a People’s Choice Award to a winery and restaurant chosen by visitors. 

For more information email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 707-263-8843.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Authorities are investigating what led to a pilot crashing a small plane into a vineyard in Clearlake Oaks on Tuesday night.

The male pilot survived the crash and was able to walk away from it, but later was transported to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital for treatment of his injuries, as Lake County News has reported.

The name of the pilot has not been released, and neither local nor federal authorities had information on the man's condition on Wednesday.

Ian Gregor, spokesman for the FAA Pacific Division, said the student pilot was flying a single-engine Cessna 152 when he declared an emergency and crashed under unknown circumstances about 15 miles east of Lampson Field Airport at 9:30 p.m. Tuesday.

The plane is registered to a San Jose resident, but authorities would not confirm if the owner was the same individual as the pilot.

The Lake County Sheriff's Office, Northshore Fire, Cal Fire and the California Highway Patrol responded to the report of the downed plane off of Morine Ranch Road and Red Rock Road, based on reports from the scene.

Lake County Sheriff's Lt. Steve Brooks said the two-seater Cessna hit power lines in the Shannon Ridge Vineyards before going down.

Brooks said the plane was en route to San Jose when the pilot became lost over Lake County. 

The plane then had engine trouble, which caused the pilot to fly into power lines before he landed the Cessna in thick brush, Brooks said.

The pilot was able to get out of the plane and a deputy assisted with getting him to medics, Brooks said.

Radio reports indicated Northshore Fire medics took the pilot to a landing zone set up at Orchard Shores in Clearlake Oaks, where a REACH 6 air ambulance picked him up for the flight to the trauma center.

A small vegetation fire was reported at the crash scene, with firefighters quickly knocking it down.
Northshore Fire Chief Jay Beristianos said that after mop up firefighters cleared the scene while sheriff's deputies waited for federal investigators to arrive.

At about the same time as the crash there were reports of brief power outages in parts of the county. However, on Wednesday Pacific Gas and Electric wasn't able to confirm a possible connection between the outages and the crash.

Gregor said the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board will handle the accident investigation.

The Tuesday incident was the third plane crash in seven years in the county, based on a review of local records.

Two men were killed in a crash involving a glider and a tow plane in Middletown in November 2009, and a Bay Area man was seriously injured after crashing his single-engine plane into a vineyard outside of Lakeport in September 2011, as Lake County News has reported.

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.