News 9/22/10

FATAL ID JKB 9/22/10

• A WOMAN WHO WAS KILLED IN A HEAD ON COLLISION ON HIGHWAY 101 NORTH OF WILLITS SUNDAY HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED AS 21 YEAR OLD ROBERTA LYNN GAULT OF WILLITS.

GAULT WAS ON HER WAY HOME FORM THE EARTHDANCE FESTIVAL IN LAYTONVILLE WHEN, FOR UNKNOWN REASONS, CROSSED THE CENTERLINE AND DROVE DIRECTLY INTO THE PATH OF AN SUV, DRIVEN BY 37 YEAR OLD DANA FRONEBERGER OF UKIAH AT AROUND 7 PM. GAULT DIED AT THE SCENE. FRONEBERGER SUFFERED MODERATE INJURIES AND WAS TAKEN TO HOWARD MEMORIAL HOSPITAL.

SINGLE VEHICLE ACCIDENT JKB 9/22/10

• A CALPELLA MAN WAS INJURED WHEN HE COLLIDED WITH A TREE OFF HIGHWAY 175 YESTERDAY MORNING.

ACCORDING TO THE CHP, 75 YEAR OLD HARRY BROWN WAS TRAVELING WESTBOUND WHEN HIS CAR LEFT THE ROADWAY FOR UNKNOWN REASONS AND HIT THE TREE JUST AFTER 6 AM. HE WAS TAKEN TO SANTA ROSA MEMORIAL HOSPITAL FOR TREATMENT OF MODERATE INJURIES. THE CAUSE OF THE CRASH IS STILL UNDER INVESTIGATION.

3 INJURED IN COLLISION JKB 9/22/10

• THREE PEOPLE WERE INJURED IN A HEAD ON COLLISION ON HIGHWAY 20 NEAR NICE LAST NIGHT.

INVESTIGATORS SAY A PICK UP TRUCK HEADING WESTBOUND AND TOWING A SMALL TRAILER PULLED DIRECTLY INTO THE PATH OF AN EASTBOUND TOYOTA LANDCRUISER WHILE TRYING TO MAKE A LEFT TURN ONTO LAKESHORE BLVD. AT AROUND 6:30 PM. ONE PERSON FROM THE LAND CRUISER WAS AIRLIFTED TO SANTA ROSA MEMORIAL HOSPITAL WITH MAJOR INJURIES. ANOTHER PERSON IN THE SAME VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO SUTTER LAKESIDE HOSPITAL. ONE PERSON FROM THE PICK UP TRUCK WAS ALSO TAKEN TO SUTTER LAKESIDE. A 4TH PERSON REFUSED MEDICAL TREATMENT. THE NAMES OF THE PEOPLE INVOLVED HAVE NOT BEEN RELEASED.

MENDO BOARD HONORS ALLMAN JKB 9/22/10

• THE MENDOCINO COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS HONORED SHERIFF TOM ALLMAN AT THEIR MEETING YESTERDAY, CALLING HIM A HERO FOR AN ACT OF BRAVERY.

THE BOARD UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED A PROCLAMATION COMMENDING SHERIFF ALLMAN FOR AN ACT OF HEROISM IN HIS ATTEMPTS TO PULL 36 YEAR OLD JENNIFER AIKMAN FROM HER BURNING VEHICLE ON AUGUST 11TH OF LAST YEAR. AIKMAN LATER DIED OF HER INJURIES, WHILE ALLMAN SUFFERED 2ND DEGREE BURNS TO HIS HANDS AND ARMS. HEIDI DICKERSON OF CONGRESSMAN MIKE THOMPSONS OFFICE ALSO PRESENTED HIM WITH A CERTIFICATE OF SPECIAL CONGRESSIONAL RECOGNITION FOR OUTSTANDING AND INVALUABLE SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY. ALLMAN HAS BEEN CHOSEN TO RECEIVE THE GOVERNORS PUBLIC SAFETY MEDAL OF VALOR AT A CEREMONY IN SACRAMENTO NEXT WEEK, AND THE MEDAL OF VALOR FROM THE CALIFORNIA STATE FIREMANS ASSOCIATION NEXT MONTH.

TWO NEW VESSELS FOR LAKE COUNTY SHERIFFS JKB 9/22/10

• LAKE COUNTY SHERIFF RODNEY MITCHELL ANNOUNCED YESTERDAY THE ADDITION OF TWO NEW VESSELS TO THE SHERIFFS DEPARTMENT MARINE PATROL FLEET.

THE NEW VESSELS ARE A 2009 YAMAHA VX 1100 PERSONAL WATERCRAFT, AND A 2011 ALUMAWELD STERNDRIVE BOAT WITH AN 8.2 LITER MOTOR. THE VESSELS, ALONG WITH TRAILERS WERE PURCHASED WITH $91,500 IN GRANT FUNDING AWARDED BY THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF BOATING AND WATERWAYS. THE WATERCRAFT WILL BE USED TO PATROL CLEARLAKE, LAKE PILLSBURY, BLUE LAKES, AND THE NAVIGABLE AREAS OF CACHE CREEK.

LAKE COUNTY BOS APPROVE PURCHASE OF LUCERNE HOTEL JKB 9/22/10

• THE LAKE COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED THE PURCHASE OF THE HISTORIC LUCERNE HOTEL AT THEIR MEETING YESTERDAY.

THE BOARD, SITTING AS THE COUNTYS REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY, APPROVED THE $1.35 MILLION DOLLAR PURCHASE PRICE FROM CASTLEPOINT MINISTRIES, WHICH HAS USED THE PROPERTY FOR A CHRISTIAN YOUTH CAMP AND RETREAT. THE BUILDING HAS SAT MOSTLY EMPTY SINCE IT WAS PUT UP FOR SALE IN 2008. THE 81 YEAR OLD, 75,000 SQUARE FOOT HISTORIC HOTEL NEEDS APPROXIMATELY $367,000 IN IMMEDIATE REPAIRS, MOST OF WHICH WILL GO TO REPLACE ABOUT HALF OF THE ROOF. THE REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY BUDGET INCLUDES $300,000 FOR RENOVATIONS, WITH THE ADDITIONAL $67,000 EXPECTED TO COME FROM A FUND FOR OTHER REDEVELOPMENT PROPERTY ACQUISITIONS. ACCORDING TO COUNTY OFFICIALS, THE PURCHASE OF THE HOTEL HAD WIDESPREAD COMMUNITY SUPPORT.

POTENTIAL STIES FOR NEW COURTHOUSE ANNOUNCED JKB 9/22/10

• THE ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE OF THE COURTS ANNOUNCED YESTERDAY THAT THEY HAVE NARROWED THE POSSIBLE LOCATION OF THE NEW UKIAH COURTHOUSE DOWN TO TWO POTENTIAL SITES.

ONE POSSIBLE SITE IS THE RAILROAD DEPOT ON WEST PERKINS STREET THE OTHER IS A SITE NEAR THE LIBRARY, BORDERED BY PERKINS, MAIN AND MASON STREETS. THE TWO POTENTIAL SITES WERE NARROWED DOWN FROM A FIELD OF 16 POSSIBLE LOCATIONS CONSIDERED. THE PROPOSED COURT HOUSE PROJECT WILL HOUSE 9 COURTROOMS AND COST JUST SHORT OF $120 MILLION DOLLARS TO BUILD.

SC SCHOOL TO REOPEN AFTER THREAT JKB 9/22/10

• SOCASTEE HIGH SCHOOL NEAR MYRTLE BEACH, SOUTH CAROLINA WILL REOPEN TODAY, A DAY AFTER A STUDENT OPENED FIRE ON A SCHOOL POLICE OFFICER AND BOMB SQUADS DISMANTLED AN UNSPECIFIED NUMBER OF POSSIBLY EXPLOSIVE DEVICES.

THE SCHOOL WAS EVACUATED DURING THE INCIDENT AND THE DEVICES WERE FOUND SEVERAL HOURS AFTER THE SHOOTING. AN UNIDENTIFIED MALE STUDENT OPENED FIRE WITH A HANDGUN WHILE IN THE OFFICE OF THE SCHOOL POLICE OFFICER AT AROUND 2 PM EASTERN TIME. THE OFFICER SUFFERED MINOR INJURIES FROM SHRAPNEL WHEN THE BULLET STRUCK A WALL. THE STUDENT WAS ARRESTED. BOMB DETECTING K-9 UNITS WERE USED TO FIND SUSPICIOUS DEVICES IN THE SCHOOL. INVESTIGATORS ARE LOOKING INTO A TWITTER ACCOUNT CONTAINING SUSPICIOUS POSTS. NO OTHER DETAILS ABOUT THE INCIDENT HAVE BEEN RELEASED.

11 YEAR OLD BABY SITTER CHARGED WITH MURDER JKB 9/22/10

• AN 11 YEAR OLD BABY SITTER IN SUBURBAN ATLANTA, GEORGIA HAS BEEN CHARGED WITH MURDER IN THE DEATH OF A 2 YEAR OLD CHILD THAT WAS IN HER CARE.

ACCORDING TO POLICE, THE BABY SITTER IS THE DAUGHTER OF A CO-WORKER OF THE VICTIMS MOTHER. THE MOTHER OF THE 2 YEAR OLD CALLED 911 FROM THE BABY SITTERS HOME AFTER RETURNING TO PICK UP THE CHILD ON SATURDAY. AN AUTOPSY INDICATED THE TODDLER SUFFERED BLUNT FORCE TRAUMA TO HER HEAD, TORSO, AND BUTTOCKS. THE 11 YEAR OLD TOLD AUTHORITIES THE CHILD HAD FALLEN OUT OF BED. SHE WAS TAKEN INTO CUSTODY YESTERDAY AND CHARGED. IT IS UNCLEAR IF THE CASE WILL BE HANDLED BY JUVENILE AUTHORITIES.

MURKOWSKI TO LOOSE POST JKB 9/22/10

• AFTER LOSING TO A REPUBLICAN RIVAL IN LAST WEEKS PRIMARY, SENATE REPUBLICANS ARE EXPECTED TO STRIP ALASKA SENATOR LISA MURKOWSKI OF HER POST AS RANKING REPUBLICAN ON THE SENATE ENERGY COMMITTEE.

THEY WILL ALSO VOTE TO ELECT A REPLACEMENT FOR HER IN THE LEADERSHIP. SHE RESIGNED FRIDAY AS VICE CHAIR OF THE SENATE GOP CONFERENCE. MURKOWSKI HAS VOWED TO RUN AS A WRITE IN CANDIDATE IN NOVEMBER AGAINST HER REPUBLICAN RIVAL JOE MILLER AND DEMOCRATIC NOMINEE SCOTT MCADAMS.

9 KILLED IN TERRORIST ATTACK IN IRAN JKB 9/22/10

• NINE PEOPLE WERE KILLED AND MORE THAN 20 WOUNDED IN WHAT IRANIAN AUTHORITIES ARE CALLING A TERRORIST ATTACK IN THE NORTHWESTER CITY MAHABAD WEDNESDAY.

AN EXPLOSION TOOK PLACE AT THE SCENE OF A MILITARY PARADE AND ALMOST ALL OF THE VICTIMS WERE WOMEN AND CHILDREN. THE PARADE WAS IN HONOR OF THE ANNIVERSARY OF THE BEGINNING OF THE COUNTYS WAR WITH IRAQ IN 1980 THAT LASTED 8 YEARS AND CLAIMED A HALF MILLION LIVES. NO GROUP HAS YET CLAIMED RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ATTACK.