Friday, 29 March 2024

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CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The lead investigator in a fatal June 18 shooting took the stand on Wednesday as the preliminary for the three suspects in the case moved into its fourth day.

Kevin Ray Stone, 29, of Clearlake, and Paul William Braden, 21, and Orlando Joseph Lopez, 23, returned to Judge Stephen Hedstrom's Clearlake courtroom on Wednesday for the proceedings, during which District Attorney Don Anderson called Clearlake Police Det. Tom Clements to the stand.

Stone, Braden and Lopez are facing charges of murder, mayhem, numerous counts of attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon, and many special allegations for the June 18 shooting at a Lakeshore Drive apartment that killed 4-year-old Skyler Rapp; wounded his mother, Desiree Kirby; her boyfriend, Ross Sparks and his brother, Andrew Sparks; and friends Ian Griffith and Joseph Armijo.

Clements' testimony focused primarily on his interviews with Stone, Braden and Lopez, as well as evidence relating to the weapons allegedly used in the fatal shooting.

In previous testimony, Kirby, the Sparks brothers, their cousin Josh Gamble and Griffith – whose testimony finished Wednesday morning before Clements was called – all said they heard different kinds of gunfire, with Gamble stating he saw someone shooting a handgun.

While police received information that a handgun and a shotgun with the butt sawed off were used in the shooting, Clements said neither weapon was located.

The only evidence of that altered shotgun was what appeared to be a bolt sawed from a shotgun handle and a hacksaw with metal shavings in its teeth, which Clements said were recovered from the home of a Clearlake woman whose granddaughter dates Lopez's younger brother Leonardo.

Police did find a shotgun in the apartment of Stone's girlfriend, and a .22 rifle left under a motorhome in a yard along a route the men allegedly used to leave the scene of the shooting, Clements said.

Two types of ammunition – lead double ought buckshot and smaller steel duck shot – were used in the incident. Three spent shotgun shells were found at the scene and one unexpended shell was discovered in a van Stone allegedly crashed while fleeing, Clements said.

Clements said he first contacted Braden in the early morning hours of June 20, when he considered Braden a “person of interest” and not yet a suspect.

Clearlake Police had been in Middletown following up on leads on another suspect when a policy dispatcher received an anonymous tip that Braden was bragging about doing the shooting, according to Clements.

Clements said Braden was taken into custody on a parole hold and interviewed at the Clearlake Police Department, where he stated that on June 18 he had been at the 16th Avenue home of Leonardo Lopez's girlfriend and her grandmother.

Braden claimed he was picked up by his father that night at about 10 p.m., returning to his father's Clearlake Oaks home. Clements said Braden denied knowing Stone, and said he wasn't involved in any shooting.

While Braden insisted his father had given him a ride home on the night of June 18, his father, Richard Braden, said in a Sept. 21 interview that while he received a text from his son at about 10:56 p.m. that night, he didn't pick him up because he had taken medications and couldn't drive, Clements said.

Clements said he and fellow Clearlake Police Det. Tim Alvarado went to the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office early on the morning of July 1 to interview Stone, who had been arrested in Sonoma County.

Prior to beginning the interview, Clements said he advised Stone of his Miranda rights, and Stone said there were certain things he didn't want to talk to them about without an attorney present.

Stone's attorney, Komnith Moth, objected to Clements' testimony, arguing to the court that Stone had effectively asserted his right to have an attorney present during the interrogation.

Braden's attorney, Doug Rhoades, and Lopez's attorney, Stephen Carter, joined the objection, raising separate issues about the admissibility of the statements and how they would affect their clients.

The hearing, which had only at that point been convened for a little over an hour, recessed for an hour and 15 minutes while Hedstrom and the attorneys went to study the issues further.

After the research recess, Hedstrom said it wasn't clear whether Stone's Miranda rights had been violated. He said he wanted to hear the testimony, ultimately ruling that he would allow it and deal with the motion of its admissibility later, once he knew its content and context.

The hours before the shooting

Clements explained that Stone told him that on June 18 he got a call from Lopez and Braden asked for a ride to go pick up some drugs. When Stone picked them up at the 16th Avenue residence, he said both were wearing black.

Stone and girlfriend Leighann Painchaud picked the men up in a red van owned by a relative of Painchaud. They drove back to Painchaud's apartment on Old Highway 53, where Stone and Painchaud went inside while Braden and Lopez remained in vehicle, Clements said.

Clearlake Police officers later served a search warrant on Painchaud's apartment, where a Browning semiautomatic shotgun was found stashed in between mattresses in a bedroom, Clements said.

When Clements asked Stone about that shotgun and if he had taken it out of the apartment, Stone allegedly said he didn't, that it was inoperable and then made a spontaneous statement that if he took a gun out of the apartment it would have been a .22.

According to the account Stone gave Clements, Stone left the apartment, where Painchaud stayed, and went back to the van driving to a home near the police department.

Clements said at that point in the interview Stone said he didn't want to talk about that part without an attorney. Stone then allegedly made another spontaneous statement: “If I was there Paul Braden was doing the shooting. I would stand up all day and point at him.”

After the shooting, Stone had driven from the scene, crashing at a nearby intersection. Stone told Clements that if he crashed the van, “It was because of all the crazy s**t that happened.”

Clements said he interviewed Lopez twice, once on June 20 and the second time on June 28. Lopez was under arrest both times; he had been arrested and later released, only to be rearrested and charged in the case.

According to Clements, Lopez gave more than one account of what occurred June 18.

Lopez told Clements he and Braden were at the home on 16th Avenue when they called Stone asking for a ride. Stone and Painchaud came by, picked them up, and they drove back to Painchaud's apartment.

Stone left the two men in the vehicle and went into the apartment with Painchaud, only to emerge alone about five minutes later with what appeared to be a shotgun in his jacket, according to Lopez's statement to Clements.

With Lopez in the front passenger seat and Braden in the back seat, Stone – who Lopez said was drunk – was “driving crazy” on the way to the home of Ross Sparks, Lopez told Clements.

Stone parked the van by a house not far from the Clearlake Police Department, and Stone and Braden then allegedly got out of the van – one of them had a weapon, Lopez couldn't specify who – and headed off toward a home, according to Clements.

Lopez told Clements he remained in the vehicle and heard three to four shots before Stone and Braden came running back to the van, which Stone crashed a few blocks from the scene after taking off.

Lopez's other account of the events had him getting out of the van and going with Braden and Stone into the backyard of Curtis Eeds – Sparks' and Kirby's neighbor – with Braden allegedly armed with a shotgun with a sawed off handle.

Lopez told Clements that both Stone and Braden had shotguns, and alleged that Braden ran up to the fence that separated the properties and shot through an opening where boards were missing – where shooting victims have testified to seeing muzzle blasts – and also had shot over the fence.

“After the shots were fired they all ran back to the van,” Clements said.

Stone drove east on Lupoyoma Street, crashing the van into a tree and rock at the intersection with Koloko Street. After the crash, Lopez said he ran to the home of James Jordan – known as “Goofy,” who had been seen drinking beer and hanging out in Sparks' yard shortly before the shooting – and told Clements he hadn't seen Stone or Braden since that night.

In still another story, Lopez offered three versions of how a black pump shotgun was dropped off at the 16th Avenue home – by someone in a van, by a woman in a light green van and by an older man in a pickup said to be Braden's uncle, who he and Stone walked down 18th Avenue to meet.

Lopez told Braden sawed the butt off the shotgun and wrapped the pistol grip in duct tape before calling Stone for a ride, ending up at Eeds' home, with Braden shooting through the fence.

On the way from Painchaud's apartment to the shooting site, Lopez told Clements that Braden talked about wanting to shoot somebody and wanting to shoot up Ross Sparks' home. Lopez also said Braden had an argument with Sparks on Lopez's cell phone.

After the shooting, the three men escaped in the van, which Stone crashed, with Lopez telling Clements that he ran down Koloko Street to Woodland Drive, followed by Stone and Braden, until they ended up in Clearlake Park.

Lopez told Clements that Braden's mother drove from Clearlake Oaks to pick them up, but Braden's mother said she had picked them up a night earlier.

Clements said the .22 rifle police recovered in early July was found by a child underneath a motorhome at the corner of Koloko and Woodland, five blocks from Sparks' home. Clements said it was found on a route consistent with Lopez's story of the men running from the scene.

Testimony will resume at 8:15 a.m. Thursday.

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

CLEARLAKE PARK, Calif. – An apparent pipe bomb discovered by a child earlier this week was destroyed without incident, according to a Tuesday report.


Sgt. Tim Celli reported that the incident took place on Monday afternoon.


He said that at about 2 p.m. Monday the Clearlake Police Department was contacted by a citizen who reported a suspicious device at the north end of 12th Street in Clearlake Park.


The man who told police about the device said his juvenile son had discovered it, according to Celli.


Officers responded to the area, which was an apparent dried up pond that was previously attached to Borax Lake, Celli said.


Officers visually inspected the device, which appeared to be a possible pipe bomb. Celli said the device was made of a metal pipe and had wires protruding from one of the capped ends.


With coordination through the Lake County Office of Emergency Services, the Napa County Bomb Squad was subsequently dispatched to the scene, Celli said.


He said the device was examined and eventually destroyed without incident by the bomb squad.


Personnel from the Napa County Bomb squad reported that the device contained gun powder and a 9 volt battery that was connected to the wires, Celli said.


Celli said it appeared the device may have been in this dried up pond area for a long period of time.


The Clearlake Police Department thanked the citizen and his son who reported the suspicious device and also reminded parents to talk with their children about what to do if they were to find suspicious items such as this.


In addition, the Clearlake Police Department thanked the Office of Emergency services and the Napa County Bomb Squad for their assistance.


Anyone with information about this explosive device is asked to call the Clearlake Police Department, 707-994-8251.


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SACRAMENTO – A 37-year-old man and an 86-year-old man, both from Kern County, are the first reported fatalities from West Nile virus this year, the California Department of Public Health reported Monday.


“These unfortunate deaths remind us of the potential danger from mosquito bites and West Nile Virus,”

said Dr. Ron Chapman, director of the California Department of Public Health.


To date in 2011, 88 human cases of West Nile Virus from 18 California counties have been reported, the agency said.


Last year 111 cases and six fatalities were reported, according to California Department of Public Health numbers.


Health officials said West Nile Virus is most commonly transmitted to humans and animals through a mosquito bite.


The risk of serious illness to most people is low. However, some individuals – less than 1 percent – will develop serious neurologic illness such as encephalitis or meningitis.


Individuals 50 years of age and older have a higher chance of getting sick and are more likely to develop serious symptoms. Studies also show that those with diabetes and/or hypertension are at greatest risk for serious illness.


Chapman said that the most effective way for individuals to prevent exposure to mosquito bites and West Nile virus is to remember the “Four D’s”:


  • DEET – Apply insect repellent containing DEET, picaradin, oil of lemon eucalyptus or IR3535 according to label instructions. Repellents keep the mosquitoes from biting you. DEET can be used safely on infants and children 2 months of age and older.

  • DRESS – Wear clothing that reduces the risk of skin exposure to mosquito bites.

  • DAWN AND DUSK – Mosquitoes that carry WNV bite in the early morning and evening so it is important to wear repellent at this time. Make sure that your doors and windows have tight-fitting screens to keep out mosquitoes. Repair or replace screens with tears or holes.

  • DRAIN – Mosquitoes lay their eggs on standing water. Eliminate all sources of standing water on your property, including flower pots, old car tires, rain gutters and pet bowls. If you have a pond, use mosquito fish (available from your local mosquito and vector control agency) or commercially available products to eliminate mosquito larvae.


California’s West Nile virus website includes the latest information on West Nile virus activity in the state.


Californians are encouraged to report all dead birds and dead tree squirrels on the Web site or by calling toll-free 1-877-WNV-BIRD (968-2473).


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SACRAMENTO – Illegal tobacco sales to minors have fallen to their lowest level on record in California, according to a report from the California Department of Public Health.


The 2011 Youth Tobacco Purchase Survey found that tobacco sales to minors at retail outlets occurred at a rate of 5.6 percent – the lowest rate in the survey’s 16-year history.


“It is important to protect our youth from using tobacco which is deadly and addictive,” said California Department of Public Health Dr. Ron Chapman. “We are proud that fewer retailers are selling cigarettes to minors, but we have more work to do to guarantee that all kids in California grow up tobacco-free.”


When the state first started monitoring illegal sales of tobacco in 1995, teens participating in the survey were able to buy tobacco products during 37 percent of tobacco purchase attempts.


It has steadily gone down in recent years from 8.6 percent in 2009 to 7.7 percent in 2010 and 5.6 percent this year.


Although the illegal sales rate to minors was lower than previous years, there are still store types with high illegal sales rates.


Stores that are considered non-traditional tobacco retailers, including donut shops, discount stores, deli/meat markets, gift stores and produce markets, have a higher illegal sale rate (9.8 percent average).


Non-traditional stores with the highest rates are deli/meat markets (11.6 percent) and discount/gift stores (8.3 percent). This is about twice as high as traditional tobacco retailers, which include liquor stores, convenience stores with and without gas, supermarkets, drug stores/pharmacy, gas stations and tobacco shops, which average 4.8 percent.


Traditional retailers with the lowest illegal sales rates included liquor stores (1.3 percent), convenience stores with and without gas (5.3 and 4.9 percent) and tobacco shops (6.5 percent).


The state’s adult smoking prevalence rate is 11.9 percent, second lowest in the nation. Since 1989, California’s tobacco control efforts have saved 1 million lives and an estimated $86 billion in health care and other costs to society.


This annual survey of illegal sales of cigarettes to minors is conducted to gauge the rate of illegal tobacco sales across California and to comply with the Stop Tobacco Access to Kids Enforcement (STAKE) Act (B & P Code 22950-22963).


All U.S. states and territories are required to assess their rate of illegal sales of tobacco to youth pursuant to the Federal Synar Amendment. California retailers caught selling tobacco products to minors are subject to fines ranging from $200 to $6,000.


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NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – The North Coast's congressman is concerned about the possible negative impacts that could result from the new Bay Delta Conservation Plan.


Congressman Mike Thompson (D-St. Helena) on Tuesday again voiced his concerns with a plan that would take water away from the Delta region.


Joined by Representatives George Miller, Doris Matsui, Jerry McNerney and John Garamendi, Thompson met with Jerry Meral, the deputy secretary of the California Natural Resource Agency, to express his grave concern over any Bay Delta Conservation Plan (BDCP) that could adversely affect the Delta Region. Meral is the senior state official who oversees the BDCP.


“Needlessly rushing the scientific review of the Bay Delta Conservation Plan is simply irresponsible, and that is what I told the Bay Delta Conservation Plan officials today,” said Thompson.


“We know all too well the consequences of bad water policy combined with impractical deadlines,” Thompson said. “In Humboldt and Del Norte counties, expedited review of the Klamath River project resulted in the death of 68,000 Chinook Salmon. Are we really considering walking down the same road again? We need sound, science-based solutions that don't harm our wildlife or environment."


The year 2009 saw the lowest return of Sacramento fall-run Chinook on record – less than 40,000 adult fish, a decline of over 90 percent from the historical average of 450,000, according to Thompson's office.


Low returns have resulted in the closure of the salmon fishery and the loss of thousands of jobs and billions of dollars in the fishing industry.


Beyond its importance for fish, keeping enough water flowing through the Delta is also essential to maintain habitat used by millions of migratory birds along the Pacific Flyway and the associated economies which generate billions of dollars for the state each year, Thompson's office reported.


This excessive water diversion harms the wildlife and ecology of Delta and the economies that it drives.


“I will continue to be a strong advocate for the people of the entire Delta region to ensure that the water resources we need remain in place,” said Congressman McNerney. “Steps must be taken now to ensure that the BDCP serves the best interests of our region, and insisted that the voice of the Delta be heard.”


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Sixty-six percent of the most seriously wounded soldiers returning from Afghanistan and Iraq have “invisible” injuries of brain trauma or post-traumatic stress, which their families and society will be dealing with at great cost for decades, said Gen. Peter W. Chiarelli, the Army’s vice chief of staff.


“The truth is, because we don’t see these injuries … they don’t receive the same level of attention as amputations, burns, shrapnel injuries,” Chiarelli said. “There is simply a bias – and I really mean that – there is a bias either conscious or subconscious toward invisible wounds and injuries … It exists everywhere including in the medical community.”


Chiarelli made his remarks Sept. 26 at Defense Forum Washington, a one-day conference on support for wounded warriors and families as they struggle to heal and regain stable lives.


The annual event is co-sponsored by U.S. Naval Institute and Military Officers Association of American.


Before Chiarelli spoke, April Marcum, wife of retired Air Force Sgt. Tom Marcum, described for attendees how her husband saw that bias from the medical community when he returned wounded from Iraq in 2008.


A combat arms training and maintenance specialist with 12 years in service, Tom Marcum had been in charge of an armory on Ali Air Base Iraq when a mortar round fired by insurgents exploded 35 yards away, knocking him unconscious.


When he could, Tom called April to say that, except for a headache, he was OK. A medic told him he should rest a couple of days before returning to duty. But when Tom’s tour ended several weeks later and he returned to Moody Air Force Base, Ga., April could tell he wasn’t himself.


“He still had the same headache. He was confused at simple things. He had short-term memory loss. The last straw for me was the day he called me on his way from work … and said, ‘I can’t remember how to get home,’ ” April recalled, tearing up. Tom, at her side, let April speak for the family.


“The local medical community, including the Air Force medical clinic doctor, seemed to be reluctant to help,” April continued. “Tom’s primary care doctor implied Tom was trying to get out of work. This was a slap in the face to both of us” considering that, with two boys to raise, neither Marcum had ever complained during any Tom’s various deployments.


“Then the doctor made this statement: ‘I’ll write you a prescription for Motrin but you really need to suck it up and go back to work,’ ” April said.


They pressed for an appointment with the medical group commander. Eventually Tom got a thorough evaluation at the poly-trauma unit of the VA Medical Center in Tampa, Fla.


Doctors diagnosed traumatic brain injury with an orbital wall blowout fracture behind an eye. A shoulder required surgery. Tom also had hearing loss, vision deficit and post-traumatic stress disorder.


He spent months in Tampa and “received outstanding medical treatment,” April said. He was medically retired from the Air Force in May 2010.


Three years after returning from war, Tom Marcum remains on the temporary duty retirement list awaiting word on whether the Air Force will retire him permanently. April said she had to quit her teaching job to care for her husband and raise their sons.


While living on 70-percent disability payment from the Air Force, and Social Security Disability Insurance, the Marcums have exhausted their life savings, she said.


Chiarelli, after his own remarks, took a question from April about how the Army conducted some tests on her husband and the Air Force later would not accept the results because they appeared on an Army evaluation form.


“I honestly believe it relates back to the stigma” tied to these invisible wounds of war, Chiarelli told her. “The medical community is as much stigmatized by these injuries as anybody.”


For example, Chiarelli said, he believes post-traumatic stress “is a no-kidding injury. But if you were to get 10 psychiatrists and psychologists over here you would have maybe six … who agree with me and the other four would say, ‘General you’re nuts. How dare you even say that if you haven’t studied this as long and hard as we have.’ The stigma is everywhere. It’s throughout the service … It’s throughout civilian [life].”


As vice chief, Chiarelli said, his top priority “is the health and well-being of the force,” which explains his focus on “the signature” wounds from Iraq and Afghanistan. Many soldiers and veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injuries aren’t yet receiving care because their injuries haven’t been diagnosed and might not be discovered for years.


The National Institute of Health, he said, has estimated that the average length of time in this country between when an incident occurs that causes post-traumatic stress and the illness gets diagnosed is 12 years.


“And lots of bad stuff happens in that 12-year period,” he said, which can have lasting impact on individuals, their families and their careers.


Symptoms of both post-traumatic stress and traumatic brain injury can include difficulty concentrating, irritability, personality changes and memory impairment.


Yet the physiology behind these types of injuries still is not well understood, Chiarelli said. Advocates at the forum said oftentimes only a family member can spot symptoms and arrange needed medical help.


“The reality is that we as a department and as a nation will be dealing with the symptoms and effects of these injuries for decades to come. And make no mistake, this is where your money will be spent,” Chiarelli said.


About 20,000 soldiers are going through Army’s disability evaluation process, which takes on average 373 days. Another 20,000 are non-deployable for medical reasons. That 40,000 soldiers are removed from Army active end strength at any given time is “what happens when you have one percent of the population fight a 10-year war,” the vice chief said.


Fortunately, he said, much has been achieved from studying invisible injuries from these wars toward more timely diagnoses and treatment. For example, researchers are perhaps just a year away from developing a biomarker to detect conclusively whether a patient has suffered a concussion, using a device similar to what diabetics use to test blood sugar.


“Do you know how huge that will be?” Chiarelli asked.


Yes. Many in this audience, comprised mostly of wounded warrior caregivers and advocates, did indeed know.


To comment, e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., write to Military Update, P.O. Box 231111, Centreville, VA, 20120-1111 or visit: www.militaryupdate.com.


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NORTH COAST, Calif. – The abalone fishery along the California coast of Sonoma County is officially closed effective immediately, state officials said Wednesday.


The abalone season remains open in the rest of the Northern California coastal counties – Marin, Mendocino, Humboldt and Del Norte – according to the California Department of Fish and Game.

 

On Oct. 4, the Office of Administrative Law approved the emergency regulations for an abalone closure on the Sonoma County coast. The regulations became effective upon filing with the Secretary of State at 2:42 p.m. Wednesday.

 

On Sept. 15, the California Fish and Game Commission voted to close the fishery. This action was taken in the wake of confirmed reports of dead red abalone and other invertebrates on beaches and inside coves along the coast in these areas.

 

Data continue to be collected that shows an abalone die-off along the Sonoma coast beginning Aug. 27.


According to Department of Fish and Game biologists, these abalone deaths coincided with a local red tide bloom and calm ocean conditions.


Although the exact reasons for the abalone deaths are not known, invertebrate die-offs have occurred in the past along the Northern California coast due to lack of oxygen and/or poisoning when similar weather and bloom conditions existed but not at the magnitude of this event.

 

Reports of dead abalone and a variety of other invertebrates have come from Bodega Bay, Russian Gulch, Fort Ross, Timber Cove and Salt Point State Park in Sonoma County and as far north as Anchor Bay in Mendocino County.


Other Department of Fish and Game biologists and game wardens have been collecting abalone, mussels and water samples since the problem started and are continuing to document reports from the public


The public is encouraged to report the location, date, and number of dead or dying abalone to Ian Taniguchi at 562-342-7182 or by e-mail at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

 

Divers are encouraged to avoid diving in the affected areas and cannot take abalone. Take is defined in Section 86 of the Fish and Game Code as “hunt, pursue, catch, capture, or kill, or attempt to hunt, pursue, catch, capture, or kill.”

 

Abalone fishermen are advised to contact a physician immediately if they become sick, and to report symptoms to the local county health department (www.sonomacounty.org/health/about/publichealth.asp).


The latest red tide updates from the California Department of Public Health are also posted online at www.cdph.ca.gov/programs/Pages/DDWEM.aspx.


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CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The ongoing economic recession that first surfaced a few years ago served as the catalyst to further invigorate a long standing collaborative relationship between the Yuba Community College District, its Clear Lake Campus and Konocti Unified School District, officials with the college and district reported this week.


A Monday report said the relationship has always stemmed from the sincere interest of all parties to best serve the educational needs of the students and the Clearlake community, and has typically taken the shape of articulation of programs. During recent years that relationship has grown further.


In the 2009-10 academic year KUSD was faced with the tough decision of what to do in the wake of millions of dollars in budget cuts.


Ultimately, one of the decisions that were made was to close Oak Hill Middle School, which was adjacent to the Clear Lake Campus, and make the local elementary schools into K-8 institutions, creating an immediate cost savings, as Lake County News has reported.


As a result of that decision, property at the former middle school, including the bus barn, were now available. With the Clear Lake Campus looking at options of where to place its future buildings, a new partnership opportunity was created.


The KUSD Board of Trustees approved a purchase agreement at their June 2, 2010, meeting which was subsequently approved by the YCCD Governing Board on June 9, 2010.


The agreement was for YCCD to acquire a 3.17 acre parcel of property adjacent to CLC on 15850 Dam Road Extension in Clearlake, CA for $475,000.


The acquisition of the property will enable the Clear Lake Campus to add three new permanent facilities to the campus – a student services center, a science building and a culinary arts facility.


The land acquisition will also provide the Clear Lake Campus direct frontage to Dam Road Extension and greater visibility and access to the general public from State Highway 53. These three new buildings, which comprise 29,000 square feet, will be the first permanent buildings at the Clear Lake Campus.


The property acquisition and construction of the buildings constitute a $19 million project which is a part of the Proposition 39 Measure J facilities bond program passed by District voters in November 2006.


Construction has started on the new facilities with a groundbreaking ceremony being held on Sept. 7.


"This project will transform the campus, and will make it much more visible to the community,” said Clear Lake Campus Executive Dean Bryon Bell. “No longer will people drive down a narrow access road to discover what they've described as a 'hidden gem' in our community. I anticipate this project, along with our work in strengthening partnerships with KUSD and other local entities will provide long-term benefits to students in Lake County."


Also on Sept. 7, Lower Lake High School had a groundbreaking for its new auto shop facility. This state of the art facility is another example of how YCCD’s and KUSD’s partnership has made public dollars go further.


Four years ago a grant was written and received that would pay for one-half of the facility. While these funds were frozen due to the current financial crisis, the dollars garnered from the land sale helped secure the other half of the construction monies needed. Additionally, as part of the sale agreement, YCCD paid to improve the access road to the upper field at Highlands.


When the auto building is completed later this school-year, it will be filled with equipment and a new paint booth purchased through collaboration with local agencies and businesses.


“Clear Lake Campus students will be able to use the auto facilities and LLHS students will benefit tremendously from the new facilities at the college,” said Konocti Unified Superintendent Dr. William MacDougall. “This is a wonderful story about how through collaboration we can accomplish a great deal, stretch our dollars, and move forward during these tough financial times.”


Lower Lake High School's auto shop instructor will teach both high school and college classes. The Clear Lake Campus hopes to offer a small engine repair certificate in the near future as well as other types of automotive programs to accommodate both student demand and local workforce needs.


“This is truly a new era for the Clear Lake Campus,” said YCCD Chancellor Dr. Douglas Houston. “The future is bright and will continue to be so as long as we sustain the strong partnerships that we have built with our local school districts, businesses and community.”


The Yuba Community College District spans eight counties and nearly 4,200 square miles of territory in rural, north central California. It has colleges in Marysville and Woodland, an educational center in Clearlake, outreach operations at Beale Air Force Base and in Williams, and will be adding an outreach facility in Sutter County as part of the Measure J facilities bond.


For more information about YCCD visit www.yccd.edu.


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Image
Members of the Corvettes of Lake and Mendocino Counties gather with the Lake Family Resource Center Board of Directors and Executive Director Gloria Flaherty (center, holding check) on Thursday, September 29, 2011. Photo by John Yde.





KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – Thanks to the generosity of local Corvette enthusiasts, children at Lake County's domestic violence shelter will have a place to play.


On Thursday, Sept. 29, members of the Corvettes of Lake and Mendocino Counties presented a check for $3,000 to Lake Family Resource Center Executive Director Gloria Flaherty.


The gift will help build a new playground for children at Freedom House.


The donation was a surprise for Flaherty, who had been in an orientation meeting for new board members at Lake Family Resource Center's business office, located at 5350 Main St. in Kelseyville, on the same property as the shelter.


Flaherty was asked to step out into the parking lot, where several newer Corvettes, as well as a vintage Corvette owned by John Yde, were parked.


Members of the club then presented Flaherty with the check for $3,000 to support her plans for the playground.


Flaherty, who was caught off guard by the gift, was brought to tears.


“I'm so excited,” she said.


A playground for Freedom House's children had been at the top of Flaherty's wish list. She said children who are housed at the shelter haven't had a place to go outside and play.


Before the Corvette club's donation, she had begun exploring grants and funding to make it happen. The total estimated cost is $7,500, and the $3,000 gift will lay the groundwork for raising the remainder of the playground funds through matching grants and other donations.


Corvette club members noted that supporting the playground was a natural fit for them, as they're all kids at heart.


This isn't the first sizable donation from the club to Lake Family Resource Center.


In June 2010, the club gave a $3,000 gift to the Barbara LaForge Memorial Fund, which supports Freedom House, as Lake County News has reported.


Support from groups like the Corvette club are integral to fulfilling Lake Family Resource Center's mission of offering support to those in need, according to Flaherty.


“We live and die on our relationships in the community,” she said.


Community members can make tax-deductible donations to support the playground project. Donations can be sent to Lake Family Resource Center at 5350 Main St., Kelseyville, 95451.


For more information call 888-775-8336 or visit www.lakefrc.com.


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

LAKEPORT, Calif. – A free community disaster preparedness expo will be held Saturday, Oct. 15, in Lakeport.


The expo will be held between 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Mendo Mill Home Center and Lumber Co. at

2465 S. Main St.


The focus of the expo is to provide local residents with information on ways to prepare for a disaster should such an event ever occur.


Representatives from a number of city, county and state public service agencies, along with representatives from private business, will staff booths to motivate residents on how to prepare for potential disasters by providing information and educational materials and sharing resources.


The objective is to inform and motivate the public on how to become and stay prepared, develop a plan and build an emergency resource kit for any local disaster that might affect them.


Recent disasters around the country, including floods, wildland fires, tornadoes, hazardous materials spills, earthquakes and acts of terrorism, have underscored the need for citizens to be prepared at all

times.


Studies show that most Californians, including people in our local area, are not adequately prepared for a significant disaster that could occur close to their home or work.


Free hot dogs and bottled water will be available for the first 200 expo attendees.


The expo is co-hosted by Mendo Mill Home Center and Lumber Co. and the city of Lakeport, and is supported by the Lake County Chamber of Commerce and Bruno’s Shop Smart.


Agencies, organizations and businesses confirmed for the event include Cal Fire, California Highway Patrol, Lake County Public and Environmental Health, Lake County Vector Control District, Vietnam Veterans of American Chapter 951, Lincoln-Leavitt Insurance, LEAF, Pacific Gas & Electric, Lake County Fire Safe Council, American Red Cross, Timberline Land Management, Ukiah Oxygen Company, DFM Car Stereo & Cellular, Lakeport County Fire District, City of Lakeport, Lakeport Police Department and Dennis Fordham, attorney at law.


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

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Brian Thomas Pearson, 44, of Clearlake, Calif., was arrested on Saturday, October 1, 2011, for drug-related charges following a probation search. Lake County Jail photo.

 

 



CLEARLAKE, Calif. – A Clearlake man was arrested on Saturday after he allegedly was found in possession of drugs and syringes in violation of his probation terms.


Brian Thomas Pearson, 44, was arrested for misdemeanor possession of crystal methamphetamine, felony possession of hypodermic syringes and violation of his felony probation.


Sgt. Tim Hobbs said that on Saturday Clearlake Police officers responded to a residence in the 14000 block of Austin Drive to conduct a probation search at Pearson’s residence.


He said officers assigned to the community oriented policing beat in which Pearson's home is located have received ongoing reports of suspected illegal activity at the residence.


During the search Pearson was found to be in possession of crystal methamphetamine and hypodermic syringes, Hobbs said.


He was arrested and booked into the Lake County Jail, where he remained on Sunday night on a no-bail hold due to the probation violation, according to jail records.


Hobbs said Clearlake Police officers had previously arrested Pearson at his home on Aug. 27 for possession of a controlled substance and violation of his felony probation.

 

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

Upcoming Calendar

30Mar
03.30.2024 9:00 am - 2:00 pm
Lakeport Community Cleanup Day
30Mar
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Lake County poet laureate inauguration
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