News 10/15/12

DUI CRASH KILLS ONE JH 10/15/12

A SAN FRANCISCO MAN WAS ARRESTED ON SUSPICION OF DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE AND GROSS VEHICULAR MANSLAUGHTER AFTER AN ACCIDENT THAT KILLED HIS LITTLE SISTER.

32 YEAR OLD RYAN J WALLIS WAS DRIVING EASTBOUND ON HIGHWAY 128 EARLY FRIDAY MORNING, WHEN, DUE TO HIS LEVEL OF INTOXICATION, HE LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. ACCORDING TO CHP, THE TRUCK SPUN OFF THE ROAD AND HIT A TREE. THE IMPACT CAUSED FATAL INJURIES TO THE 20 YEAR OLD RIGHT FRONT PASSENGER. TWO PASSENGERS IN THE BACK SEATS SUFFERED MINOR INJORIES AND WERE TREATED AT THE MENDOCINO COAST HOSPITAL IN FORT BRAGG. WALLIS WAS TREATED FOR MINOR INJURIES AND TRANSPORTED TO THE MENDOCINO COUNTY JAIL.

LUCERNE MAN IN CRITICAL CONDITION AFTER MORORCYCLE CRASH JH 10/15/12

A LUCERNE MAN IS IN CRITICAL CONDITION AFTER HE CRASHED HIS MOTORCYCLE SATURDAY EVENING.

39 YEAR OLD RAMSEY WADE MILKS WAS RIDING HIS MOTORCYCLE ON NORTHBOUND HIGHWAY 29 WHEN HE EXITED AT THE NICE LUCERNE CUTOFF. HE ILLEGALLY PASSED A VEHICLE ON THE LEFT WHILE RUNNING THE STOP SIGN AT THE BASE OF THE OFF RAMP. ACCORDING TO CHP, MILKS CONTINUED RIDING RECKLESSLY AND LOST CONTROL OF HIS BIKE IN THE SOFT DIRT ON THE ROADS SHOULDER. THE BIKE HIT A POWER POLE AND THREW MILKS INTO THE POLE. HE WAS AIRLIFTED TO SANTA ROSA MEMORIAL HOSPITAL’S INTENSIVE CARE UNIT, WHERE HE WAS BEING TREATED FOR A SKULL FRACTURE AND BRAIN SWELLING.

MAN INJURED IN ASSAULT AND DOG ATTACK JH 10/15/12

A MAN WAS HOSPITALIZED AFTER BEING ATTACKED BY TWO PEOPLE AND A PIT BULL NEAR WALMART.

UKIAH POLICE RESPONDED TO THE TALMAGE OVERPASS OVER HIGHWAY 101 FOR REPORTS OF A WOMAN WALKING ON THE OVERPASS AND YELLING FOR HELP. UPON ARRIVAL, OFFICERS FOUND THE WOMAN IN A FIELD JUST SOUTH OF TALMAGE ROAD AND THE HIGHWAY 101 INTERSECTION. SHE WAS KNEELING OVER AN UNCONSCIOUS MAN THAT APPEARED TO HAVE BEEN VIOLENTLY ASSAULTED. OFFICERS DETERMINED HE HAD BEEN REPEATEDLY KICKED IN THE FACE AND ATTACKED ON THE ARM BY A PIT BULL. OFFICERS LOCATED TWO SUSPECTS NEAR THE SCENE, IDENTIFIED AS 38 YEAR OLD WILLIAM LEONARD OF NEW ORLEANS, AND 30 YEAR OLD CYNTHIA RATTEY OF MONTANA. BASED ON EVEDENCE AND WITNESS STATEMENTS, BOTH LEONARD AND RATTEY WERE ARRESTED AND BOOKED INTO MENDOCINO COUNTY JAIL. THE DOG WAS TRANSPORTED TO THE ANIMAL SHELTER. ANYONE WITH INFORMATION ABOUT THE ATTACK IS ASKED TO CALL THE UKIAH POLICE AT 463-6262.

WATER SKI ACCIDENT JH 10/15/12

A WOMAN INJURED IN A WATER SKIING ACCIDENT WAS HOSPITALIZED SUNDAY MORNING.

THE UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN LOST CONSCIOUSNESS WHEN SHE FELL WHILE SKIING AND HIT HER HEAD ON THE WATER SKI. SHE WAS PULLED FROM THE WATER AND TRANSPORTED TO A HOME ON LAKESHORE BOULEVARD. ACCORDING TO AUTHORITIES, HER INJURY WAS SERIOUS ENOUGH SHE WAS THEN AIRLIFTED TO AN OUT OF THE AREA TRAUMA CENTER.

CAR ACCIDENT IN LAKEPORT JH 10/15/12

TWO DRIVERS SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES AFTER A COLLISION IN LAKEPORT.

AROUND 12:45 FRIDAY AFTERNOON, THE DRIVER OF A SUBARU WAS ENTERING THE INTERSECTION HEADING WESTBOUND ON 16TH STREET, WHEN HE WAS HIT BY CHEVY MALIBU. THE FORCE OF THE CRASH CAUSED THE SUBARU TO ROLLOVER AND COME TO REST ON ITS ROOF. BOTH DRIVERS NAMES WERE UNAVAILABLE. THEY BOTH SUFFERED MINOR INJURIES AND WERE TREATED ON SCENE BY THE LAKEPORT FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT. CAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT IS UNDER INVESTIGATION.

ROAD CLOSURE IN WILLITS JH 10/15/12

CENTRAL STREET AND BARBARA LANE WILL BE CLOSED ALL WEEK.

CONTRACTORS ARE EXCAVATING AND REPAVING THE STREETS. ACCESS TO AREA BUSINESSES WILL BE MAINTAINED AND A VERY LIMITED AMOUNT OF TRAFFIC WILL BE ALLOWED THROUGH MONDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. THURSDAY AND FRIDAY, NO TRAFFIC WILL BE ALLOWED THROUGH. MOTORISTS ARE ADVISED TO USE ALTERNATIVE ROUTES.

NORTH PASS FIRE REPORT SUBMIT JH 10/15/12

THE NORTH PASS FIRE BURNED AREA EMERGENCY RESPONSE (BAER) REPORT AND FUNDING REQUEST WAS RECENTLY SUBMITTED TO THE FOREST SERVICE PACIFIC SOUTHWEST REGIONAL OFFICE IN VALLEJO FOR APPROVAL.

THE NORTH PASS FIRE STARTED SATURDAY, AUG. 18 AND CONSUMED APPROXIMATELY 41,983 ACRES NORTH COVELO. THE FUNDING REQUEST FOR THE NORTH PASS FIRE IS $148,907. THIS MONEY WILL GO TO IMPROVING ROADS THAT WERE BURNED OVER, TRAIL STABILIZATION AND REPAIR, INVASIVE PLANT DETECTION AND HAZARDOUS TREE REMOVAL.

UKIAH GETS ANOTHER REJECTION LETTER FROM STATE JH 10/15/12

THE CITY OF UKIAH GOT ANOTHER LETTER FROM THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA TELLING IT THAT SOME MAJOR PROJECTS THE CITY HAD PLANNED TO SPEND REDEVELOPMENT MONEY ON ARE NOT GOING TO BE APPROVED.

AMONG THEM IS ABOUT $6 MILLION DOLLARS WHICH THE CITY SPENT OR IS PLANNING TO SPEND ON LAND AND ROAD IMPROVEMENTS TO BRING A COSTCO TO TOWN, AND ABOUT $2.5 MILLION DOLLARS IN FUNDING FOR DOWNTOWN PROJECTS AND THE UKIAH DEPOT AREA. ALSO REJECTED WERE TENS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN STAFF EXPENSES ON REDEVELOPMENT WORK. IN THE MEANTIME, THE CITY HAS ALSO BEGUN A PARALLEL PROCESS THE STATE HAS PUT IN PLACE POST REDEVELOPMENT, WHICH ALLOWS CITIES TO GET SPECIAL REVIEWS OF THEIR DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS WITH AN EYE TO COMING UP WITH A MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR THE PROJECT WHICH WOULD ALLOW IT TO CONTINUE EVEN WITHOUT REDEVELOPMENT. THE CITY IS USING THIS PROCESS IN THE CASE OF THE COSTCO PROJECT. THE PROCESS SHOULD BE COMPLETE IN THE FIRST QUARTER OF 2013.

MEMORIAL FOR JUDGE BROWN JH 10/15/12

A MEMORIAL SERVICE FOR MENDOCINO COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT JUDGE RON BROWN IS PLANNED FOR NOVEMBER.

BROWN SERVED AS A JUDGE LOCALLY FOR MORE THAN 14 YEARS FROM HIS ELECTION IN 1996 UNTIL HE RETIRED FOR HEALTH REASONS IN JANUARY 2011. BEFORE TAKING THE BENCH, BROWN SERVED MENDOCINO COUNTY AS BOTH A DEPUTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY AND AS PUBLIC DEFENDER. HE DIED AUG. 30. THE MENDOCINO COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT, MENDOCINO COUNTY BAR ASSOCIATION AND BROWN’S FAMILY WILL HOST THE MEMORIAL SERVICE AT 5 P.M. NOV. 2 AT THE SPACE THEATER, AT 508 W. PERKINS ST. IN UKIAH. ALL INTERESTED PERSONS ARE INVITED TO ATTEND TO HONOR AND CELEBRATE BROWN’S LIFE.