News 3/29/12

MCGINTY SENTENCE JKB 3/29/12

• 52 YEAR OLD NANCY JO MCGINTY OF WILLITS WAS SENTENCED TO 13 YEARS IN STATE PRISON YESTERDAY FOR SETTING FIRE TO HER HOME IN A FAILED MURDER SUICIDE ATTEMPT TO KILL HERSELF AND HER ADULT QUADRIPLEGIC SON.

MCGINTY PLEADED GUILTY IN NOVEMBER TO CHARGES OF ARSON OF AN INHABITED BUILDING AND ATTEMPTED VOLUNTARY MANSLAUGHTER. SHE CLAIMED SHE WAS SUFFERING FROM MENTAL AND PHYSICAL EXHAUSTION AFTER FOUR YEARS OF BEING THE SOLE CARE PROVIDER FOR HER 35 YEAR OLD DISABLED SON, MICHAEL FAUSTINA. SHE RIGGED THE HOME WITH OPEN OXYGEN AND PROPANE TANKS, TRIGGERING AN EXPLOSION AND FIRE IN DECEMBER OF 2010. A NEIGHBOR RESCUED FAUSTINA FROM THE BURNING HOME. MCGINTY WASNT FOUND UNTIL THE NEXT DAY. FIREFIGHTERS TESTIFIED THAT SHE WAS NOT IN THE HOUSE AT THE TIME OF THE FIRE. DISTRICT ATTORNEY DAVID EYSTER SAID THAT HE BELIEVED THE SENTENCE WAS JUST, AS MCGINTYS ACTIONS PLACED HER SON, THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY IN WHICH SHE LIVED AND FIREFIGHTERS AT GREAT RISK.

METH LABS FOUND AT LANDFILL JKB 3/29/12

• THE LAKE COUNTY NARCOTICS TASK FORCE LOCATED FOUR METHAMPHETAMINE LABS AT THE EASTLAKE LANDFILL IN CLEARLAKE LAST WEEK.

AGENTS WERE CALLED TO THE LANDFILL MARCH 22 BY MEMBERS OF THE COUNTY HAZMAT TEAM, WHO WERE CALLED OUT WHEN A LARGE VISIBLE CHEMICAL GAS CLOUD EMERGED AFTER A BULLDOZER OPERATOR RAN OVER A BLACK PLASTIC GARBAGE BAG. NARCOTICS DETECTIVES FOUND SEVERAL TWO-LITER BOTTLES CONTAINING BOTH SOLID AND LIQUID MATERIALS USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF METHAMPHETAMINE. SO FAR, THEY HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO DETERMINE WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE LABS. ANYONE WITH INFORMATION ABOUT THIS CASE IS ASKED TO CONTACT THE LAKE COUNTY SHERIFFS DEPARTMENT.

HIGH SPEED CHASE IN UKIAH JKB 3/29/12

• A WANTED PAROLEE WAS ARRESTED AFTER LEADING POLICE ON A HIGH SPEED CHASE AND FOOT PURSUIT THROUGH UKIAH MONDAY.

OFFICERS ATTEMPTED TO STOP 22 YEAR OLD LYDELL WILLIAMS ON WEST MILL STREET FOR A ROUTINE TRAFFIC VIOLATION AT 12:40 PM. HE DROVE AWAY AND SPED DOWN SOUTH DORA STREET, TRAVELING THROUGH SEVERAL STOP SIGNS AT SPEEDS OF MORE THAN 70 MILES AN HOUR. HE EVENTUALLY ABANDONED THE CAR WHILE IT WAS STILL MOVING AT AN APARTMENT COMPLEX ON WABASH AVENUE. THE VEHICLE ROLLED INTO A FENCE AND STOPPED. WILLIAMS THEN JUMPED OVER A FENCE AND RAN THOUGH A PARKING LOT BEFORE BEING CAUGHT BY PURSUING OFFICERS. HE WAS BOOKED INTO THE COUNTY JAIL ON AN ACTIVE ARREST WARRANT AND A NUMBER OF OTHER OFFENSES. A PASSENGER IN HIS VEHICLE AND ANOTHER WANTED PAROLEE, 29 YEAR OLD DANIEL MILLER WAS ARRESTED AFTER BEING TAKEN TO THE UKIAH VALLEY MEDICAL CENTER FOR TREATMENT OF MINOR INJURIES.

CAR HITS BANK SIGN JKB 3/29/12

• A CAR CRASHED INTO THE WESTAMERICA BANK SIGN YESTERDAY MORNING, AFTER IT WAS HIT BY ANOTHER CAR WHILE TRAVELING ON EAST PERKINS STREET.

ACCORDING TO WITNESSES THE CAR WAS TRAVELING EASTBOUND ON PERKINS WHEN A VEHICLE MAKING A LEFT TURN ONTO PERKINS FROM LESLIE STREET COLLIDED WITH IT. THE IMPACT SPUN THE FIRST VEHICLE AROUND AND IT CRASHED INTO THE SIGN. THERE WERE NO REPORTED INJURIES OR ARRESTS.

MUDSLIDE CLEARED JKB 3/29/12

• THE MUDSLIDE THAT BLOCKED ONE LANE OF SOUTHBOUND HIGHWAY 101 NEAR CALPELLA WAS CLEARED AND THE ROADWAY RE-OPENED YESTERDAY AFTERNOON.

ACCORDING TO CAL TRANS OFFICIALS, THE MUD, CAUSED BY ALMOST 3 INCHES OF RAIN THAT FELL TUESDAY, SLID DOWN THE HILLSIDE AND PLUGGED UP THE DOWN DRAIN. CAL TRANS WORKERS CLEARED THE SLIDE YESTERDAY AND ARE CONTINUING TO MONITOR THE SITE TO KEEP IT STABILIZED.

WILLITS BYPASS FUNDING UP FOR VOTE JKB 3/29/12

• THE CALIFORNIA TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION IS SET TO VOTE TODAY ON WHETHER OR NOT THEY WILL PUT UP THE MONEY TO FUND CONSTRUCTION OF THE PROPOSED WILLITS BYPASS.

CAL TRANS IS ASKING FOR MORE THAN $135 AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS FOR THE BYPASS PROJECT TO BE INCLUDED IN THE 2010-2011 BUDGET YEAR AND AN EXTENSION OF THE PROJECT DEADLINE TO FIVE YEARS. THE REQUEST INCLUDES A $3 MILLION DOLLAR INCREASE IN THE REGIONAL FUNDING SHARE AND A NET CUT BY THE STATE OF MORE THAN $31.7 MILLION DOLLARS FROM THE 2010 PROGRAM YEAR, TO BE PUSHED INTO FUTURE FUNDING YEARS TOWARD RELATED PROJECTS.

ABALONE SEASON OPENS THIS WEEKEND JKB 3/29/12

• ABALONE SEASON ALONG THE MENDOCINO COAST OPENS SUNDAY APRIL 1ST HOWEVER CONDITIONS ARE NOT GOING TO BE ALL THAT FAVORABLE FOR ABALONE HUNTING.

THE WEATHER FORECAST FOR SUNDAY IS CALLING FOR 13 TO 15 FOOT SWELLS, LEADING TO ROUGH CONDITIONS THAT ARE DANGEROUS FOR DIVING, AND COULD SLOW OR PREVENT ANY POTENTIAL RESCUE EFFORTS. THE COMBINATION OF COLD WATER, WAVE ACTION AND THE ROCKY COASTLINE CREATE A DANGEROUS ENVIRONMENT. THE U.S COAST GUARD IS ADVISING ANYONE WHO PLANS TO DIVE OR ROCK-PICK FOR ABALONE TO KEEP A SHARP EYE ON THE FORECASTED WEATHER AND OCEAN CONDITIONS. ALL DIVERS ARE ALSO ENCOURAGED TO KNOW THEIR LIMITS AND ABILITIES, USE THE BUDDY SYSTEM WHEN DIVING, AND ONLY GO FOR ABALONE IF THEY ARE SURE OF THE CONDITIONS.

RECENT RAINFALL A RECORD JKB 3/29/12

• UKIAH SET A NEW RAINFALL RECORD ON TUESDAY WITH 2.81 INCHES OF RAIN.

THAT ECLIPSED A RECORD OF 2.16 INCHES IN A DAY SET BACK IN 1963. THE RECENT RAINFALL HAS ALSO DRAMATICALLY HELPED WATER STORAGE IN LAKE MENDOCINO, WHICH HAS INCREASED ALMOST 17,000 ACRE FEET DURING THE MONTH OF MARCH, RAISING THE LAKE LEVEL A FULL EIGHT FEET. AS OF THIS MORNING LAKE MENDOCINO CONTAINED 78,298 ACRE FEET OF WATER.