PM News 05-31-18

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The first Urchin Cleanup Day happening in Ocean Cove. The Watermen’s Alliance organized the clean-up over Memorial Day weekend to help kelp and abalone. Nearly 80 registered divers showed up for the event Saturday and Sunday. They came from Mendocino, Sonoma, the Bay Area and even further away to try to gather as many urchins as possible. The Waterman’s Alliance says they did it to save the abalone season. The state dept. of Fish and Wildlife was also there monitoring the urchins as they were brought out. There were other agencies on hand too, including the Landscape Partnership for Research and Resilience for kelp recovery. As you probably know abalone need kelp, it’s their food source.

The Mendocino County Juvenile Hall another step closer to closure and outsourcing the service. The Mendocino County Grand Jury’s latest report showed the county’s proposing only $1.1 million for juvenile detention this fiscal year 2018-19 which would result in a closure. So another $1.2 million would mean it could stay open. Candidates running for Fifth District supervisor are lining up to try to save the center, saying if they’re electing, they’d make sure it stayed open. And other supervisors say they’re exploring several options ahead of any closure.

News 05-31-18

A man from Clearlake Park has been sent to prison for the rest of his life for killing a man and shooting and injuring a woman. Javier Martinez Cachu reached a deal with the D-A for the murder of Luis Pimentel Arroyo and the attempted murder of Evalia Prado in Dec. of 2015. He was also sentenced for special allegations of using a firearm and got 90-years-to-life. He may be up for parole at some point because of a new law offering parole to those committing crimes as young adults. He was 25 years old at the time of the crime. Court papers say the motivation behind the murder was drugs and insurance money because Prado and Pimentel Arroyo’s house burned down in the Valley Fire in Middletown.

State Senator Mike McGuire’s announced a grant for Lake County’s emergency preparedness. The $50,000 grant for the Lake Area Rotary Club for the county’s evacuation shelter comes from Tipping Point Community. The Senator says Lake County has been impacted by five major fires the last three years and it’s become clear the emergency shelter system needed improving and upgrading. The money from the nonprofit whose been donating to a lot of the North Bay fire recovery effort will go to the Clearlake Community Senior Center, which is used as an emergency facility during times of crisis. The money with other grants to buy a new generator so there’s no power outage. There will also be portable shower/bathroom facilities, a storage room for emergency supplies, and a trailer to move the bathroom if needed.

A man from San Francisco has been arrested on drug charges in Clearlake. Police say Malik Zado Sohan was found at the Burns Valley Mall after dropping a baggie on the ground, then kicking it aside. A patrol cop saw that, and found the baggie with drugs inside. The officer then attempted to approach Sohan who took off running. Turns out that baggie had about 11 grams of crack cocaine, 4 grams of cocaine and 1 gram of heroin inside. The man’s arrested for resisting arrest, and possession of a narcotic controlled substance for sale with bail set at $30,000.

A man in Lakeport acting erratic and paranoid, died in an ambulance on the way to the hospital. Emergency workers tried to save the man, identified as Anthony Cortez, to no avail. He was pronounced dead at the hospital. It comes after reports he was wandering shirtless, banging on a business door, then flailing on the ground. Cops say he was waving his arms around acting paranoid, so they handcuffed him, then sat him down, but he kept acting paranoid. Cops now asking the Lake County DA’s Office to investigate Cortez’s death.

Enough money’s been raised by the community to finally get new playground equipment at Frank Zeek Elementary. The play structure should include a slide, climbing boards, and other climbing structures and should be ready for installation this summer. The principal of the school says the idea for the fundraising and new equipment after the old structure was removed for safety reasons. Apparently it was a challenge to raise the money, but the booster club helped. The Ukiah Unified School District is also donating money to the cause, raising $19,000 thru a walkathon and other yearly fundraising events.

The Governor makes a surprise visit to the Anderson Marsh State Historic Park. Governor Brown there with tribal advisor and executive secretary for the Native American Heritage Commission Christina Snider, both invited by Koi tribal executive officer Dino Beltran who all met with archaeologist Dr. John Parker. They discussed staffing and security at the Marsh which doesn’t make enough money and has been understaffed. There are several archaeological sites at the Marsh too. The governor reportedly showing support to preserve cultural sites at the Marsh and wanted it open to the public more often.

Two people from Covelo found guilty of creating damage to the environment for illegal marijuana grows. The Mendocino County D-A reports Eugene Lincoln got 6 months in jail and 5 years of supervised probation. He had gotten three years in prison, but had that suspended if he meets the terms of his probation, if not, it’s off to prison. The sentencing for illegal grows and environmental violations, using a stream and lining it with plastic to divert water. He also had ammunition on him. His co-defendant and sister, Sonya found guilty of illegally growing weed and environmental violations, getting 3 year’s summary probation, 60 days in jail suspended though unless she violates her probation.

Amazon admits Alexa somehow eavesdropped on a couple in Portland, OR. The couple says the device recorded a private conversation they were having, then randomly sent it to someone on their contact list. The woman telling a local TV station, the couple got a phone call from an employee of her husband’s telling them to unplug their Alexa devices because they were hacked. Amazon’s engineers told the couple they were sorry and it was something the company needed to fix…

Playlist 6/1/18

ANNE-MARIE – FRIENDS
SHAWN MENDES – IN MY BLOOD
BAZZI – MINE
ARIANA GRANDE – NO TEARS LEFT TO CRY
POST MALONE – PSYCHO
MAROON 5 – WAIT
HALSEY – ALONE
SELENA GOMEZ – BACK TO YOU
TAYLOR SWIFT – DELICATE
CHARLIE PUTH – DONE FOR ME
LOGIC – EVERYDAY
LAUV – I LIKE ME BETTER
DUA LIPA – IDGAF
ZAYN – LET ME
DRAKE – NICE FOR WHAT
CALVIN HARRIS – ONE KISS
FOSTER THE PEOPLE – SIT NEXT TO ME
BIG BOI – ALL NIGHT
BACKSTREET BOYS – DON’T GO BREAKING MY HEART
LIAM PAYNE – FAMILIAR
KHALID – LOVE LIES
ENRIQUE IGLESIAS – MOVE TO MIAMI
G-EAZY – SOBER
IN REAL LIFE – TATTOO
RUDIMENTAL – THESE DAYS
BRYCE VINE – DREW BERRYMORE
MADISON BEER – HOME WITH YOU
TOM WALKER – LEAVE A LIGHT ON
SAM SMITH – PRAY
NICKY JAM & J BALVIN – X (EQUIS)

PM News #2 05-30-18

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The Lake County D-A has his findings on a January shooting by a Clearlake Police Officer at a couple of people the officer suspected may be connected to a string of stolen cars. The DA’s office says Officer Jared Nixon was investigating the crimes and found two people in a car that drove toward the officer at a high rate of speed, so he fired, fearing for his life. The car took off toward the officer who jumped into some bushes. The D-A says they’re not sure anyone was hit by the officers shots, but that he was justified in acting in self defense. The area where it happened known as a high crime area where cars are stripped down. No arrests have been made in connection to the incident.

The Mendocino County Clerk Recorders Office is in need of poll workers in Ukiah and Fort Bragg. The office sending out an alert looking for help next Tuesday, election day. The office says they had several poll workers cancel due to unforeseen circumstances, and they have been able to replace most of them, but are still in need of more citizens to help. Please call the Mendocino County Clerk Recorders office if you’re interested.

PLEASE CALL OUR OFFICE at 707 234-6808.

PM News-05-30-18

A man from Covelo’s been arrested after a traffic stop on Highway 162. The Sheriff’s Dept. reports Eugene WinterHawk Lincoln was found to be on probation and had a felony arrest warrant for violating his supervision terms. He was arrested and taken to jail with no bail.

The Humboldt County Planning and Building inspector has been arrested after a months long bribery investigation. The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office reportedly getting complaints regarding Inspector Patrick Mctigue of Fortuna that he was getting money from some so they could get expedited permit approval on building and grading projects. Several people apparently came forward saying they were scammed by Mctigue who the sheriff’s department says they think has pocketed about $100,000 or more from victims. He was arrested yesterday in Eureka and booked on commercial bribery, grand theft and state official asking for or receiving a bribe.

News-05-30-18

A man from Ukiah is recovering after falling off the second floor balcony of a hotel. The Ukiah Valley Fire Authority reports getting a call to the Economy Inn on South State Street Monday afternoon, finding a man had some sort of medical issue then fell off the balcony. They report the man in his 30s, was found by other hotel guests and they called for help. The Fire Authority reports the man had moderate injuries, with a head injury. He was taken to a trauma center in Santa Rosa.

The latest report by the Mendocino County grand jury finds there’s still more work to do for the In-Home Supportive Services program for elderly and disabled residents. Nearly 1,800 people in the county, by last count, use the service. But the report finds the public doesn’t really know the program’s benefits because it can’t be easily found online. The website said to be poorly written or with info that’s too vague for a site visitor to understand. Also, the program is apparently rated last in the state’s 58 counties for not filing reports on time. The report also finds there are many positions left unfilled in the department, for instance, no nurse case managers at all. And the pay is not great either.

A man in Covelo’s been arrested after reports of shots fired last week. Sheriff’s deputies get a call last Wednesday morning finding two men were in a car trying to leave a neighborhood when another car approached, the driver was id’d as Antone Downey, who the occupants of the first car say, pointed a gun at them. They say he also yelled profanities at them and fired a round their way. They were not hurt, took off and say he chased them. The two men went home and called the Sheriff’s office. Deputies and Round Valley Tribal Police picked Downey up and arrested him for suspicion of assault with a firearm and held him on $40,000 bail.

A man in Covelo’s been arrested after a probation search turns up a handgun and ammo. Probation officers went to Byron Peters house last Tuesday. They took the gun and ammo from him, then arrested Peters for violating his probation. He was booked into jail on no bail.

Work will continue once again on Washington Avenue, Luce Avenue and Observatory Avenue. Final grinding work on the roads, new base rock and paving will finally be finished up starting next Tuesday after the contractor stopped work to help with rebuilds after last October’s fires in Mendocino and Sonoma counties. The work on Luce from Helen to South State Street will last 3 days, then on Observatory Avenue from Helen Avenue to South State Street and Washington Avenue from South Dora Street to South State Street will go six days, from June 7-13. Access will be allowed for those who live in the area, but it will be intermittent.

The owners of Hardesters in Middletown say they’re definitely going to rebuild after a fire gutted the building this past weekend. The co-owner, Ross Hardester says it’s gonna take some time to cleanup but they’re confident they’ll rebuild. The market has been a mainstay in town since 1943 and has expanded into Cobb and Hidden Valley. 100 people work at the Middletown location. A CHP officer helping at the market when he saw smoke coming out and controlled traffic and helped a Cal Fire firefighter he saw engulfed in flames, as we reported yesterday. The firefighter had second and third-degree burns and was taken to UC Davis Medical Center, but was said to be in good spirits. No other injuries were reported. The fire reportedly broke out in the refrigeration area of the market.

A new report on last October’s fires shows Pacific Gas and Electric Co. power lines too close to trees caused at least three of the fires. Cal Fire investigators say there were also violations of state law in Butte and Nevada counties. The fires across Northern Calif and investigations have been done in Butte County and Nevada County showing the utility didn’t take out trees or have enough clearance space between trees and power lines. More than 170 fires broke out, blackening more than 245,000 acres in Northern California. PG& E says they’ll review the findings carefully, but say they think overall programs met the state’s high standards.

The state of California is looking to have its own net neutrality rules. The state Senate is voting on a bill after the FCC voted to repeal the rules set in place during the Obama administration. The idea to treat all internet traffic equally. The U-S Senate did vote to overturn the repeal but it has to go to the House and then the president, where it’s unlikely to be totally overturned. The bill in the state Senate would prohibit internet service providers from blocking or throttling internet traffic, and would not allow internet providers to exempt certain content, sites and services from data caps. The bill to be voted on before the end of the week.

Forty animal rights activists have been arrested in Petaluma. The Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office says they got a call about trespassers at Sunrise Egg Farms. The sheriff’s office says there were reports the protestors had stormed on to the property, broke doors to chicken coops and take chickens. Deputies reported finding as many as 200 people protesting, demanding they be able to get onto the property so they could videotape sick or improperly cared for chickens. The managers at the farm said the organizer could view the animals, but then negotiations broke down. Those arrested charged with trespassing.

A bill that could help underinsured wildfire survivors who lost their homes has passed in the state Senate. Bill Dodd authored the bill and it’s been sponsored by the state Insurance Commissioner too. It seeks to assist wildfire survivors and homeowners. The Insurance Commissioner says Dodd’s bill will start the rebuilding and economic recovery process. It looks to give fire survivors the option to supplement coverages within their homeowner policy so they’re not underinsured replacing their primary dwelling. It would work if there was a total loss after a declared disaster.

The Cal Fire firefighter injured in the Hardesters Market fire has been identified. Lake Co News reports Justin Costa working in the South Lake County Fire Protection District and a Cal Fire employee was burned on his back. He was flown to UC Davis Medical Center’s burn center. Cal Fire reports he had second- and third-degree burns, and is in fair condition, alert and talking. As we reported another firefighter and a CHP officer helped Costa. The CHP officer had minor injuries, including first-degree burns. A Serious Accident Review Team is investigating the injury.

The U.S. Geological Survey tweeting, no, it’s not wise to roast marshmallows at the erupting Hawaiian volcano. Not sure if it was in jest or not, but a twitter user was asking if it was safe to roast marshmallows over volcanic vents?, with quote, “Assuming you had a long enough stick, that is? Or would the resulting marshmallows be poisonous?” The USGS responded: “Erm, We’re going to have to say no, that’s not safe. (Please don’t try!)” Plus they add, they’d taste really bad too.

PM News-05-29-18

A powerful pesticide’s been found on illegal marijuana farms in the state. A researcher tells the Associated Press 30 percent of the plants have this pesticide on it, Carbofuran. About 72 percent of illegal grows to be exact. Federal prosecutors say the weed’s mostly headed to Midwestern and Eastern states so they’re now targeting the illegal grows, using as much as $2.5 million in federal money to do it. The use of the pesticide was up last year by 15 percent compared to 2012. The U- S Attorney for Calif. continues enforcing federal law, saying his office will target illicit grows on public land working with the California attorney general and the state’s National Guard.

Police in Crescent City with the help of their police dog Kai, finding some illegal drugs in a routine traffic stop. The police dept. reports stopping the car last Friday and Kai alerted to the presence of drugs in the car. There, cops find 4.5 pounds of pot, 3.5 grams of meth, a meth pipe, shotgun shells and a loaded handgun. So the driver Aharon Hook has been arrested and charged with several crimes including possession of a controlled substance, carrying a loaded firearm in public, being a felon in possession of a firearm and possessing more than an ounce of marijuana. He was being held on $100,000 bail.

A bill in a state Assembly committee has advanced to allow marijuana to be sold and consumed at special events on local fairgrounds. Only two members voted against the measure in the Assembly Appropriations Committee Friday. It would mean the Bureau of Cannabis Control could give temporary licenses for those wanting to sell at special events where jurisdictions allow it. Events like Cannifest which was held set for the Humboldt County Fairgrounds had to be canceled because there were no policies like this in place. Assembly Jim Wood drafted the bill.

News-05-29-18

A grocery store in Middletown that survived the 2015 summer of devastating fires has burned in a fire over the long holiday weekend. Hardester’s Market burned yesterday and a Calfire firefighter was injured in the fire. The fire took down the market just before they prepared for their 75th anniversary. The owner says they will rebuild and is looking for the community for help. As many as 100 people work at the market which also has locations in Cobb Mountain and Hidden Valley Lake. There were apparently customers in the store at the time the fire started yesterday afternoon. Some say an alarm went off and the flames were quickly visible. Calfire says the cause is under investigation. A CHP officer on break saw a firefighter engulfed in flames and he and another firefighter pulled that guy out. The CHP officer also had first-degree burns on one hand and smoke inhalation. He was treated and released.

A fire in the Kneeland area brought out several firefighters from regional departments. The fire yesterday afternoon. The fire reportedly started in vegetation then the home caught fire. It was seriously damaged. The fire moved down an embankment and the driver of a water tender followed and caused minor injuries to its driver.

Three infant warmers have been donated to Mendocino Coast District Hospital. The hospital’s foundation reports the donation, called the Resuscitaire warmer. The warmers are used to help maintain newborn babies body temperature to reduce cold stress, which can lead to hypoglycemia, respiratory distress, hypoxia, acidosis and other issues. It also supplies oxygenated air to the newborn. Different than an incubator, the warmer has a small bed, heating element with radiant heat, sensors, controls, timers, and alarms. The warmer goes on the baby’s belly.

The City of Lakeport will invite the public to peak at its surface water treatment plant. The first open house at the plant which was built nearly 40 years ago and had a big renovation in 2000. The plant helps to keep Clear Lake water potable. The Lakeport Utilities Superintendent says they’re having the open house to give their customers a bird’s eye view of how they produce clean drinking water, using the alternative filtration system known as Trident. The plant supplies Lakeport with most of its water. The plant is open for viewing tomorrow from 4 – 7 p.m.

Several new computers have been installed at libraries around Lake County. The county librarian says there are 31 new computers which are high speed with fast internet thru the library’s free public WiFi. The public is invited to use the computers for free when signing in with a library card. The computers are Windows 10 compatible. For more info visit the library’s website library.lakecountyca.gov and Facebook page facebook.com/LakeCountyLibrary.

A man from Upper Lake indicted in the murder of his girlfriend is pleading not guilty by reason of insanity. Willy Tujays Timmons accused in the death of Vanessa Niko and is further indicted for torture, mayhem and spousal abuse. But Timmons is not allowing an evaluation for his sanity for possible trial. At a hearing ahead of a possible jury trial, a motion was filed to try to dismiss all or part of the complaint against Timmons, the response to the motion is due in court June 15th. The prosecution says Timmons beat Niko to death with a rock as they argued. The D-A then brought the case to the Grand Jury instead of going for a preliminary hearing. The case continued to June 26th.

A new board member’s been chosen in the Kelseyville Unified School District. Dr. Joseph Richardson joins the board after the death of a longtime member, Dr. Peter Quartarolo. Lake Co News reports Dr. Richardson has lived in Kelseyville since 2006. He calls Kelseyville a place where “neighbors don’t just know each other by name, but they welcome you and look after each other.” The news site says the doctor has a strong passion for education and has been a clinical instructor at several universities for nurses, medical students and residents, who are young physicians in training.

Firefighters on their toes on Memorial Day with several fires, the worst at Hardesters Market. But firefighters also responded to other calls, near Indian Valley Reservoir east of Clearlake Oaks. The fire reported two or three miles west of Indian Valley Reservoir. Several departments on the scene with Calfire, including the US Forest Service, Lake County Fire and Northshore Fire. It blackened five acres. Then there was an alert sent to residents in Clearlake as a power pole went down, but no fire started there after a crash. Another fire reported in Glenn County, dubbed the Chrome Fire which was 25% contained last night, the fire along Highway 162 and Forest Highway 7.

As much as $13 million dollars in grants from the Wildlife Conservation Board for restoration and protection of fish and wildlife in the state. There are about a dozen projects that have been approved so far, including some endangered species protections, and more to provide public access for important natural resources. Some of the projects include, nearly $200,000 for the Morongo Basin, near Joshua Tree, $600,000 for the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Conservancy, about 2 and a half million dollars to protect critical cold water aquatic habitat including Soho salmon, and about 4 and a half million for native forest habitat protection across the state in partnership with Calfire.

Digital license plates are finally here. The license can also host changeable messages, using the same computer technology as a Kindle eBook readers. They’re equipped with computer chips and batteries. Those who decide to buy the plates, can register electronically and won’t have to use stickers on their plates. And another bonus, if a car with the technology’s stolen, the owner and police will immediately be notified where the license plate is, and if it’s still on the car, where exactly the stolen car is too. Right now the license plates are only a pilot project in the Bay Area.

A man busted in Boulder, CO after breaking into a barbershop. Cops say the guy broke in, stripped down naked, then attempted to cut his own hair, but flooded the shop. Jeffrey Palmer busted at a Great clips shop last Friday morning after reports of a break in. Cops respond with guns drawn and find the guy naked so they arrested him. He had to be taken to a hospital for treatment. The man also had shaved part of his head and left hair around the business. He’s charged with suspicion of burglary, felony criminal mischief and criminal tampering.

Two people who work at a flight school in Northern California have been arrested in connection to the kidnapping of a student pilot. Police say Jonathan McConkey, the general manager at IASCO Flight Training, and his assistant, Kelsi Hoser, have been arrested after it was found the trainee, Tianshu Shi, who’s on a student visa in the U-S from China had minor injuries during the alleged kidnapping Thursday. The two accused of telling Shi, he was being shipped back to China. Shi recorded audio when the two came to get him to supposedly send him back to China and beat him up. His brother in China knew he had been threatened and called police in Redding who found the three at Redding Municipal Airport where the two employees told cops he was being sent back because his English wasn’t strong enough to safely communicate with the air traffic control tower. The two face charges including conspiracy and kidnapping,.

News-05-25-18

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A man from Willits is going to state prison for the sexual abuse of a child. 40 year old Nicholas Blake got 16 years behind bars after pleading guilty to two separate felony counts of continuous sexual abuse of a child under the age of 14 years, one for a female sexually abused when she was between 11 and 13. The other for her sister who was sexually abused when she was between 12 and 13. The victim’s mom spoke about the crimes in court and one of the victims also prepared an impact statement that the District Attorney read in open court. The crimes were called violent and mean Blake has to serve at least 85% of his sentence and he has to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.

A man in Fort Bragg’s been arrested after reports of a missing child. The child’s father reported them missing May 19th, then the next day the dad reported the child was found. But police say the child reported being raped by a male friend of hers, also a minor, the day she went missing. The victim told police a couple days before that a relative of the juvenile suspect also performed sex acts on her at his home. He’s been identified as 35 year old Daniel Alonso, of Fort Bragg. Both of the suspects were arrested this past Tuesday and now it’s up to the Mendocino County DA’s Office to decide if they’ll prosecute.

The only used book store in Ukiah is up for sale. The Daily Journal reports Village Books lease will expire in January and the owner, Jerry Karp, of Boonville is ready to move on. Karp tells the paper the store needs someone who lives in Ukiah who can run it and own it. He has owned the store since January of 2011 when it was known as the Village Book Exchange and Gifts. Karp spent some time cleaning up and getting rid of books too damaged to sell. He’s got everything from self help, to addiction and recovery, coffee table books, ghost stories, men’s issues, chick lit and a whole children’s section. The store’s going for $40,000, an amount Karp says is undervalued, because the books are worth at least twice as much.

Recognition for Mendocino College. The school wins the California Community Colleges’ Strong Workforce Stars recognition. The recognition for the school’s success in its career development department. Strong Workforce Stars is something that comes up each year for career education programs, or career technical education in Community Colleges; with graduates who improve significantly, with higher earnings, getting that living wage and finding a job closely matchingtheir field of study.

A U-S House committee has approved a water bill with provisions for Lake Mendocino. Congressman Jared Huffman authored some priorities in the bill unanimously approved by the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee for the Water Resources and Development Act of 2018. The bill authorizes the Army Corps of Engineers activities across the country, with the two provisions Huffman added, one would be to raise the Coyote Valley Dam at Lake Mendocino, and the other for improved reservoir operations using modern science and weather forecasting. If it goes all the way it would mean the feasibility study to raise the dam would move forward and the Army Corp could potentially start pre-construction activities.

A man from Lucerne is going to prison for a dozen years for a carjacking and robbery case from 2 years ago. Jason Michael Arreaga was sentenced to 12 years for the assault and robbery of a man Arreaga met in Cloverdale that day. Then he and another man took the victim’s car. The victim and Arreaga had been negotiating the sale of the victim’s car for cash and weed, then when Arreaga asked for a ride to Lake County, the victim was carjacked. The two suspects went to do drugs and beat the victim who ran away, ending up at a campground covered in blood. He had to get 30 staples in his head and his finger is permanently injured. Arreaga and his co-conspirator ended up in jail charged with several crimes including attempted murder, carjacking and robbery. Arreaga was acquitted of the attempted murder charge.

Beefed up patrols by the CHP of Clear Lake ahead of the long holiday weekend. The CHP is conducting DUI and driver license safety checkpoints Sunday, but they haven’t said where. They’re trying to keep roads safe and say they’ll be on roads where there is a history of intoxicated or unlicensed drivers. They say this is a proven way to make sure the roads are safe. They say it’s to send a message to those who may think about driving on booze or drugs or to go out in a car without a license. The campaign is funded thru a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Another black bear has been hit and killed as it wandered along Lake County roads at night. The CHP reports the latest crash happened early yesterday, a pickup truck hit the animal on Highway 20 near Walker Ridge Road, which was 15 miles east of Clearlake Oaks. A young bear was hit last week outside Lower Lake on Spruce Grove Road, but no drivers were injured in either crash. The Press Democrat reports the California Department of Fish and Wildlife estimating as many as 35,000 black bears roam the state, most looking for food after hibernating. Last week one was spotted in Healdsburg, in the center of town.

A man who was threatening to jump off the roof of a home in Graton has been rescued by a helicopter. The Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office reports helping the man down off the roof Wednesday night after his mom called to report he was having mental health issues and wanted to die. She says he took muscle relaxers and anti-seizure meds and was also drinking alcohol, then climbed onto the roof of their three-story home. A Hostage Negotiation Team went to the home to speak to the man and after about three hours, the man partially lost consciousness, so the helicopter swooped in and took the man. He was taken to a hospital and placed on a 72 hour mental-health hold.

A man in Boyes Hot Springs who called 911 to say he thinks he may have killed his wife appears in court. The man, 73 year old Steven Rothschild had a preliminary hearing to see if there was enough evidence he planned to kill his wife Juanita or if he strangled her in the heat of the moment. The Press Democrat reports there was no suspected motive brought to the proceedings by prosecutors. The hearing to determine if there was enough evidence to pursue first degree murder charges against the man. A pathologist testified the wife had injuries consistent with being beaten and strangled to death.

A young man who nobody knew, has finally come forward after he helped folks during the Tubbs Fire and they couldn’t thank him right away. 19 year old Miles Blakesley used his Subaru Forester October 9th, saying he was going to help, after driving friends home from a world folk concert in Petaluma. Blakesley tells the Press Democrat he saw flames off Highway 101, dropped his friends off, and headed toward one of the hardest hit neighborhoods in Santa Rosa, Fountaingrove. He spent six hours driving thru the neighborhood and others in Rohnert Park, Bennett Valley, Kenwood and Cotati, thru heavy smoke and gutted homes, saying what he saw was terrifying. He picked up a couple and their neighbor in Bennett Ridge where 100 homes were lost. But it’s not until now that the trio of fire victims and their savior met again. They all connected thru Facebook.

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PM News-05-24-18

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Background check fees for those who want a Lake County Commercial Cannabis permit are going up. The fee is now $17.00 more because the sheriff’s office is finishing coordinating nationwide FBI background checks and California only checks. So after someone applies, the Sheriff’s office can do an FBI check if warranted. They say in order to not delay the process, they’re applying the rate. Anyone who’s previously had a fingerprint check doesn’t have to pay the increased fee. But if you have to come back for a fingerprint check, the fee will be applied. Right now a Calif. Permit fee is $32.00, so you’d add another $17.00 to FBI on top of that, fingerprints are $20.00 and the processing fee for clearance check, research, and return of approval or denial is $100.

Mendocino Rebuilding our Community or M-ROC is getting more grants out to fire survivors. The group helping with new home rebuilds and various other recovery issues. Their M-ROC Resource Room has applications now for its Animal Habitat Fund to help replace lost livestock and domesticated animal related infrastructure like chicken coops, dog runs, water troughs, sheep fencing, etc; the Senior Respite Fund is for seniors 60 and over to get respite care that covers a broad range of issues, the Septic Inspection Fund to pay for septic inspection; the Kids Activity Fund to replace lost sports equipment, art supplies, or even pay for a camp or class; the Mendocino Council Art Fund for those who lost art supplies or music equipment in the fire; the Critical Needs Grant for housing or lost income; and House in a Box, a program thru St. Vincent De Paul for renters and homeowners still without basic household items like beds, dining room tables, dressers, etc. For more info:

Mendocino County help line for fire survivors for over-excavated land: (707) 234-6076. Leave a message with your name, address, and issue and Cal OES will come and assess the damage to the property and if they determine there was over-excavation, they will fill in excess dirt.

Mendocino-ROC Resource Room
Ukiah Valley Conference Center 200 S School Street, Ukiah, CA 95482
Hours: Mon-Thurs 10 am – 2pm
Phone: 621-8817
Email: MendoRecovery

To learn more about Mendocino-ROC, or to get involved, visit www.mendocino-roc.com.