Lake County’s December 2007 unemployment rate was 9.0 percent, up 0.8 percent from last month and 1.8 percent above the year-ago, December 2006 rate, reported Dennis Mullins of the Employment Development Department's Labor Market Information Division for the North Coast Region.

According to previous Employment Development Department reports, Lake County's 2007 unemployment numbers were consistently higher than those in 2006.

Mullins reported that Lake County's rate compares to a seasonally unadjusted rate of 5.9 percent for California and 4.8 percent for the U.S.

The county's December 9.0 percent unemployment rate tied it with Lassen County for 38^th place statewide, according to Employment Development Department statistics.

Some surrounding county rates included 6.5 percent for Mendocino, and 4.7 percent for Sonoma, Mullins reported.

Marin had the lowest rate in the State with 3.9 percent, according to Mullins, while Colusa and Imperial Counties had the highest at 17.9 percent.

Lake County's civilian workforce reached 26,950 in December, up 10 from November and 820 more than December 2006, state statistics showed.

Total industry employment increased 560 jobs (3.9 percent) between December 2006 and December 2007, ending the year-over period with 14,970.

Year-over job growth occurred in farm; manufacturing; trade, transportation and utilities; information; private educational and health services; and government, Mullins reported.

Mullins added that year-over job losses occurred in natural resources, mining, and construction; financial activities; professional and business services; and other services. Leisure and hospitality had no change over the year.

The farm sector led industry gainers adding 390 jobs over the year, Mullins reported. Government was up 140; private educational and health services, and trade, transportation and utilities gained 70 and 50 respectively. Manufacturing and information were up 10 jobs each.

Natural resources, mining and construction led decliners dropping 60 jobs, according to Mullins. Financial activities was down 30; professional and business services, and other services were down 10 jobs each for the period.

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Jesse Raymond Heilig, 25, was arrested on two felony warrants for violations of probation on Thursday morning, according to a report from Lt. Kurt Smallcomb of the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office.

A Mendocino County Sheriff's sergeant – assigned to the Sexual Assault Felony Enforcement Team (also known as SAFE) – arrested Heilig at an East Stanley Street address, Smallcomb reported.

Heilig was transported to the county jail, said Smallcomb, where bail was set at a no-bail status.

Heilig is a registered sex offender, and is listed on the Megan's Law Web site because of his conviction for rape of a drugged victim.

The SAFE Program is funded by a grant and allows local sheriff's offices to spend more time investigating sex offenders that may be out of compliance with the 290 PC (sexual offenders registration law) requirements, Smallcomb reported.

Lake County also participates in the SAFE Program, as Lake County News has reported.

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Lake County and Sacramento fans poured in to support Faded At Four Sunday night during the Bodog Battle of the Bands at the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco. Pictured is lead singer Jon Foutch. Audience votes determine if they move on to the finals. The top prize is $1 million and a recording contract. Photo by Suzette Cook-Mankins.

LAKE COUNTY – For an intrepid band of Lake County musicians, stardom could be just around the corner.

For the last seven months, Faded At Four has been among thousands of bands across the United States, Canada and Europe battling to win a $1 million recording contract.

Band members include guitarists Brian Kenner of Lakeport and Chris Murphy of Kelseyville, bass guitarist Martin Scheel of Lower Lake, drummer Chris “Pencil” Sanders of Clearlake, and lead singer and Upper Lake native Jon Foutch.

Foutch said the band got into the Bodog Battle of the Bands last June, a competition that he said started with 4,500 bands.

Faded At Four submitted a profile, a picture and a single to join the competition, much of which has taken place through Internet voting, he explained.

In the San Francisco region, where Faded At Four is competing, Internet voting quickly took the band to a No. 1 ranking.

“We were absolutely floored,” said Foutch.

The band, which has an “aggressive” rock/metal sound, soon finished third nationwide in the online voting, said Foutch.

The competition then moved into live performances. During the third round of the competition, held Sunday at San Francisco's Great American Music Hall for the western region, Faded At Four placed second overall, said Foutch.

The performance was witnessed by three busloads of fans who made the trip to San Francisco, said Foutch.

“The energy level was through the roof,” he said.

It's been a year of hard work and success for Faded At Four, whose original members joined forces five years ago, said Foutch. The band in its current form has been together for two years.

Foutch, who attended American River College and Sonoma State, met Scheel while in college.

Eventually, they decided that they wanted to form a band.

“I'd figured out at some point after I'd gotten out of school that I could sing,” said Foutch, who was born and raised in Lake County and works as the facility administrator of the local dialysis clinic.

Besides singing he played drums for the band in the beginning. “It wasn't pretty,” he laughed.

Then the band met up at a party with Sanders, who joined as their drummer.

Last summer, opportunities began coming together for Faded At Four, which had been playing at Konocti Harbor Resort and Spa, said Foutch.

After regular appearances at the resort – playing in its clubs, showroom and amphitheater – Faded At Four was asked to open for Kid Rock during X.S. Weekend, an important accomplishment for the band, Foutch said.

Faded At Four is one of 48 U.S. bands now poised for the next round in the Bodog Battle of the Bands competition, which Foutch said will be televised on the Fuse Network.

On March 12, the band is set to compete with other 11 West Coast bands at The Avalon Club in Hollywood, said Foutch. From that performance, one winning band will emerge.

The West Coast winner will then advance to a final round of 10 bands – one from each of the four U.S. regions – based in San Francisco, Oklahoma, Denver and New York – plus five bands chosen from Europe and Canada.

There also will be one wild card spot. The 44 U.S. bands that are left after the top four are chosen will compete for that spot through online voting, said Foutch.

The competition – which he said has been likened to “Survivor” for bands – will then move into a reality television format.

“It's getting unbelievably competitive,” he said, adding that there are many great bands in the competition.

Faded At Four's members practice individually all the time, and get together twice a week to practice together, Foutch said.

Besides the hard work and talent, the band credits its network of fans and supporters for helping it advance this far.

“The fans have been so important to us,” said Foutch.

They're hoping to organize a trip for fans to Hollywood for March's phase of the competition, he said.

The farther along they advance, the more real it all gets, said Foutch. “This can really, really happen.”

Winning, he added, isn't necessary to benefit from the competition. The visibility it generates brings with it other chances. “It affords us a really, really good opportunity.”

Most of the band members have wives and children, and Foutch – a dad himself – said the decision to compete and take a shot at fame wasn't made lightly.

Ultimately, he said, they want to offer better lives for their families.

Foutch said friends of the band are joking about someday being able to say they “knew them when.” But for Foutch, Lake County will always be home.

“There's no place that I'd rather live than I live right now,” said Foutch, who lives in a home built by his ancestors.

If fame comes his way, Foutch said, “You take anybody and everyone you love with you.”

To learn more about Faded At Four, how to support the group in the Bodog Battle of the Bands or to hear the band's music, visit www.fadedatfour.com. You can also visit the band's MySpace page at www.myspace.com/fadedatfour.

E-mail Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Bass guitarist Martin Scheel during the Sunday performance in San Francisco. Photo by Suzette Cook-Mankins.

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After a high of 69 degrees on Saturday in Lakeport according to a personal weather station on the Weather Underground Web site, the National Weather Service in Sacramento is forecasting that a weather system from the Gulf of Alaska will move over the county Sunday night, lowering temperatures and bringing a chance of rain and snow.

Beginning tonight and into early next week, the National Weather Service expects this cold weather system will bring below normal temperatures and precipitation, with snow levels around 1,500 feet by Monday morning with the possibility of dropping below 1,000 feet by Tuesday morning.

Daytime highs today are expected to reach the upper 40s, the National Weather Service reported, with lows around 30 degrees and a chance of rain mixed with snow.

The forecast for Monday is for daytime highs near 45 with a 30-percent chance of precipitation and a low of 28, according to the National Weather Service.

The sun should return on Tuesday, the weather service reported, with highs near 48 and lows in the mid 20s.

The National Weather Service reminds Lake County motorists to expect winter driving conditions and cold temperatures until Tuesday.

E-mail Terre Logsdon at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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Mendocino College officials are looking seriously at 31-acre parcel located at 2565 Parallel Drive in Lakeport and owned by Tom Adamson, a Scottsdale, Ariz.-based developer who has proposed building a 130-lot subdivision on the site, as Lake County News as reported.

Measure W, a 67.5 million passed by voters in November 2006, sets aside $15 million for the college to purchase land, and begin improvements and building, college President and Superintendent Kathy Lehner told Lake County News in the fall.

The college Board of Trustees, at its Jan. 9 meeting, indicated its desire to move forward with the purchase, said Lehner.

As soon as the appraisal is completed – which she said should be within the next few weeks – “We are going to move forward with making that offer,” said Lehner.

Lehner said this week that buying land for a new center wouldn't be possible without the bond, especially in the current state fiscal crisis.

This week Lehner also had to meet with state officials to assess the college's fiscal situation.

“This is worse than last year,” said Lehner, comparing the current situation to five years ago.

It's still too early to be entirely certain of how Mendocino College will be affected, Lehner said.

That's largely because there are months of budget haggling to go through between the Legislature and the governor.

If cuts proposed in the current draft of the governor's budget went through, Lehner said financial aid, CalWORKS – which offers temporary financial support to families with minor children – and programs for students needing academic help and for single mothers would suffer.

She added that the college can anticipate no cost of living increase next year, a challenge as the college's expenses continue to rise.

An example: the college's health insurance costs have historically risen 13 percent a year, Lehner explained.

One way of giving themselves some breathing room is by not immediately filling vacant jobs, said Lehner.

College officials are scheduled to meet with staff Friday morning in Ukiah to discuss the fiscal challenges ahead.

Lehner suggested the year ahead isn't going to be an easy one, fiscally speaking. “It's not going to be pretty.”

E-mail Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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The California Victim Compensation Board and Government Claims Board has released its annual report compiling various statistics regarding victims throughout California.

Also contained in the report is a tally of claims submitted by all 58 counties regarding victims of violent crime.

Lake County ranks 28th of all 58 counties for applications received from the District Attorney's Victim-Witness Division, which submitted 358 for fiscal year 2006-07, according to the report.

Napa ranked 26th, submitting 223; Mendocino ranked 41st with 136 applications; and Sonoma was listed at 14th, with 860 applications, the report noted.

Claims are submitted through local Victim-Witness centers for crimes including child abuse, elder abuse, domestic violence, drunk driving with injuries and any crime committed against a person.

Applicants submit claims to receive reimbursement from the Restitution Fund that defendants are ordered to pay into upon any conviction.

“Restitution fines are ordered for all defendants upon conviction of a misdemeanor or felony and vary in amount – the limit being $10,000 for felonies, $1,000 for misdemeanors,” explained Lake County Victim-Witness Director Sam Laird in a statement from his office. “This is not ‘taxpayers' dollars’ in the traditional sense of the word.”

Reimbursements to victims include costs associated with medical/dental bills, mental health therapy and relocation, Laird explained.

“I know our staff is doing everything possible to make sure that all victims are offered compensation through the board, some counties are just not as active as Lake because of lack of funding or staff,” said Laird. “The support we receive from our District Attorney and all members of the DA’s Office and local law enforcement makes this possible.”

The number is just a small fraction of the new victims that Lake County Victim-Witness helps, said Laird.

Laird says the office helps between 1,000 and 1,300 new victims annually. When Laird joined Victim-Witness in 2001, he said the office was serving between 800 and 1,000 victims annually.

Not all victims qualify for the program and some decline to apply, he added.

In the 2006-07 fiscal year, $299,026 was reimbursed to people who were victimized in Lake County, Laird reported. In comparison, victim reimbursement was $186,282 in 2005-06; $93,614 for2004-05; and $181,813 for 2003-04.

“I am very pleased with the report,” said District Attorney Jon Hopkins. “Our Victim-Witness Division is so active, doing everything possible to ensure that victims are not left behind or fall through the cracks of the criminal justice system, and our entire office is organized to maximize the benefits to the victims.”

For more information about the Victim Compensation Board and Government Claims Board visit www.boc.ca.gov.

E-mail Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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The Lake County Marketing and Economic Development Program reported Friday that Harpo Productions filmed a segment on location at Brassfield Estate in High Valley earlier this month.

The one-day shoot included a sweeping aerial shot with panoramic views of hillsides, according to Debra Sommerfield, the county’s deputy administrative officer for Economic Development.

Dozens of children from East Lake Elementary School in Clearlake Oaks participated in the production, as well as children from three schools in the Sacramento area: Michael J. Castori Elementary School, Northwood Elementary School and Hagginwood Elementary School, Sommerfield reported.

The segment is scheduled to be part of a tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., slated to air on The Oprah Winfrey Show on Monday, Jan. 21, on stations KCRA-3 Sacramento at 4 p.m. and KGO-7 San Francisco at 4 p.m.

“We are extremely honored that Harpo Productions chose a location in Lake County to film a segment of The Oprah Winfrey Show,” said Kelly Cox, Lake County's chief administrative officer. “We have been working diligently to make something like this happen here.”

Sommerfield said it was an exciting project that generated a tremendous amount of community support.

“The team at Brassfield Estate has been so gracious and so willing to work to make this happen,” she said. “The principal, teachers and staff at East Lake School, the school district and the Lake County Office of Education all have been extremely supportive, even working through the holidays to coordinate many of the logistics.”

Members of the Lake County Marketing and Economic Development Program worked with a location scout and the production team at Harpo Productions to suggest potential locations in Lake County for the segment, Sommerfield reported.

As part of its ongoing economic development efforts, the Lake County Marketing and Economic Development Program has been reaching out to the motion picture and television industry to attract film and TV production to the area as a means of showcasing the beauty of Lake County and to foster the economic vitality that often comes with movie and television production.

“It is so rewarding to see a community pull together and to see the community pride that comes from being part of a project like this,” Sommerfield said.

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At a Jan. 16 parole hearing at California State Prison, Solano – located in Vacaville – the Board of Parole Hearings denied 67-year-old Oreno Baddie parole for the third time, according to Lake County's Chief Deputy District Attorney Richard Hinchcliff.

On May 14, 1989, Baddie shot and killed Cesario P. Martinez in Clearlake, Hinchcliff reported.

Investigation reports by the Clearlake Police Department revealed that two days prior to the murder, Martinez obtained a stereo from Baddie that resulted in a disagreement over ownership of the stereo, and Baddie began threatening to kill Martinez, according to Hinchcliff's report.

Martinez, who was warned of the threats by an officer, did not take the threats seriously and attempted to contact Baddie to resolve the dispute and calm him down, said Hinchcliff.

When Martinez knocked on Baddie’s door to speak to him, Baddie retrieved a gun and confronted Martinez who was standing outside and was unarmed, Hinchcliff reported.

Baddie told Martinez he was under citizen’s arrest and ordered him to lie on the ground, Hinchcliff explained. When Martinez refused to lie down, Baddie shot him five times in the chest, lower back, thigh, forearm and wrist. Martinez died that day at the hospital.

According to Hinchcliff, Baddie later told investigators that he shot Martinez because he was afraid he would get away. It was reported that Baddie had been heavily using drugs and alcohol in the days preceding the shooting.

Baddie was convicted by a jury of second-degree murder and personal use of a firearm on Jan. 8, 1990, and on Oct. 26, 1990 was sentenced by Superior Court Judge John J. Golden to a term of 17 years to life.

The Jan. 16 hearing was the third for Baddie, who Hinchcliff had previously been denied parole at hearings in 2001 and 2004.

Hinchcliff has appeared before the Parole Board at all of Baddie's hearings to argue against his release.

On Jan. 16 Hinchcliff traveled to Vacaville for the hour-and-a-half-long “lifer hearing.”

He said he asked the Parole Board of Hearing commissioners to once again deny Baddie parole because he had not attended any drug and alcohol rehabilitation classes during his 17 years in prison, and still presented an unreasonable danger to the public if released on parole.

The commissioners agreed and denied Baddie parole, stating that the crime was committed for a trivial reason, was committed in a callous manner, that Baddie had not made sufficient programming efforts in prison and that he still presented a danger to the public if released at this time, said Hinchcliff.

Baddie’s next parole hearing will be in 2010, Hinchcliff said.

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Jes Shoaf, 36, of Lucerne and Grant Murray, 73, of Upper Lake were hurt in the crash, according to California Highway Patrol Officer Adam Garcia.

Garcia said that Shoaf was walking from south to north across Highway 20 at the intersection with the Nice-Lucerne Cutoff at 5:49 p.m. when he was hit by a 2002 Harley Davidson motorcycle driven by Murray, who was traveling westbound.

Murray – who was ejected from the motorcycle and sustained moderate injuries – was transported to Sutter Lakeside Hospital by Northshore Fire Protection District's Nice ambulance, Garcia reported.

Northshore Fire personnel also transported Shoaf to Sutter Lakeside, said Garcia. Shoaf sustained major injuries.

Garcia said Shoaf is believed to have been under the influence of alcohol at the time of collision.

Officer Mark Barnes is investigating the incident, Garcia reported.

E-mail Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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The outage began at 12:04 p.m., said Susan Simon, a spokesperson for Pacific Gas and Electric Co.

Initially, 13,000 customers in Lakeport and Kelseyville were affected, said Simon.

The power outage appeared to reach as far as Cobb, where a resident reported to Lake County News that the power also was out at his home Friday afternoon.

Within about an hour, according to Simon, all but 3,000 customers had their power restored.

By 5:30 p.m., there still remained 1,300 customers without power, said Simon, with the last part of the outage centered around Kelseyville.

Somewhere between 6 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. the last of the customers had the power go back on in their homes, Simon said.

The cause, said Simon, was a squirrel.

“A squirrel came in contact with a piece of equipment and as a result of that we lost power to three separate substations,” said Simon.

Simon did not have specifics on where it was precisely that the fatal meeting between squirrel and power equipment took place.

E-mail Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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Fritz Ward, marketing director for United Way of Sonoma-Mendocino-Lake, said the organization is seeking funding proposals for projects in four “focused funding” areas from nonprofits in its three service counties.

Those focus areas include after-school and summer programs focused on youth in grades four through eight; parenting and social-skills training for parents; emergency food and shelter, transitional and permanent supportive housing programs; and senior food and mental-health programs, according to Chanda Zirkelbach, vice president of the agency's Community Impact division.

Ward said United Way wants to find the best partner agencies doing the best work in their communities.

A volunteer group reviews applications and conducts site visits, he said.

The selection process, Ward added, is based strictly on merit.

“There's almost always more need than money,” he added.

Those groups who do receive funding have their performance monitored, Ward said.

Last year, Catholic Charities-Lake County Rural Food Project received $14,000 and the Redwood Coast Seniors-Meals on Wheels/Mental Health Outreach program received $90,000, Zirkelbach reported.

Ward said the United Way believes it's more important to give more money to one program that is doing great work than break that funding up to try to cover many smaller efforts.

Applications became available Jan. 15, with the submission deadline set for Feb. 25.

For information on how to apply or to learn how to access United Way's online application, contact Zirkelbach at 707-528-4485, Extension 110, or e-mail at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

There will be an applicant orientation Feb. 1 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Santa Rosa Transit Department Training Room 103, located at 45 Stony Point Road, Santa Rosa.

E-mail Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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The Clearlake Oaks Community Town Hall meeting will take place beginning at 4 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 20 at the Clearlake Oaks Moose Lodge, 15900 E. Highway 20 (near the intersection of Highway 20 and 53).

County staff will provide updates on the redevelopment process; local projects, including The Plaza, community parks, Clark's Island and progress on the trail system; and other issues.

The agenda includes an open forum to discuss issues of interest to the community of Clearlake Oaks.

Rushing also will deliver the a “State of the County” report for District 3.

Free tables will be set up for local groups, businesses or organizations wishing to distribute informational literature.

Parking at the Moose lodge is limited, so carpooling is encouraged.

Many thanks to the moose lodge for donating the space for this community meeting!

Upcoming town halls along the Northshore are scheduled for 4 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 27, at Pine Acres Resort in Blue Lakes; and 1 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 9, at the Lucerne Alpine Senior Center.

For more information contact District 3 Supervisor Denise Rushing, telephone 263-2368 or e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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