NORTH LAKEPORT, Calif. – A small wildland fire burned in the north Lakeport area on Thursday afternoon.

The fire was dispatched just before 3 p.m. in the 2700 block of Scotts Creek Road, according to Cal Fire Battalion Chief Greg Bertelli.

Shortly after 3:30 p.m., Bertelli said the fire was at about three acres and 50 percent contained.

Two hand crews, two engines, two dozers, Copter 101 – which had earlier been on a fire incident in the Morgan Valley area near Lower Lake – and an engine and water tender from Lakeport responded, Bertelli said.

Bertelli said early indications are that the fire may have started from debris burning.

He urged people to be particularly cautious with burns because of the dry conditions.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.

MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – Deputies responded to a residence in Middletown on Thursday morning to conduct a welfare check of an elderly woman, and later took her son into custody after he refused to allow them entry and a standoff ensued.

Wesley Wayne Tolleson, 49, of Lower Lake was arrested following a standoff that began when he refused to let deputies into his mother's home, according to Lt. Steve Brooks.

At 11:10 a.m. Thursday, Central Dispatch received a telephone call from an employee with Lake County Adult Protective Services, Brooks said.

Brooks said the employee attempted to conduct a welfare check of a Middletown woman, due to receiving a report that the woman was not receiving proper medical care and was malnourished.

The Adult Protective Services employee had attempted to check the condition of the woman, but her son, who was later identified as Tolleson, would not let him inside the home, according to Brooks.

Lake County Adult Protective Services was requesting assistance from the sheriff’s office in checking the woman’s condition. They also advised that that Tolleson had several firearms scattered throughout the residence, Brooks said.

Deputies responded to the residence which was located in the 15000 block of Armstrong Street in Middletown. They knocked on the door, but Tolleson refused to let the deputies inside, Brooks said.

Tolleson said they would have to bring several more deputies with them, before they would be able to get inside the house, Brooks said.

The deputies were able to set up a perimeter around the residence and requested that the Sheriff’s Special Weapons and Tactics Team (SWAT) respond, according to Brooks.

The Lake County International Charter School, which was within close proximity of the residence was notified of the incident and placed on lockdown. Brooks said three other schools in the area decided to lock down their campuses after receiving information about the incident.

A line of communication was set up with Tolleson and he gave up peacefully at approximately 2:15 p.m., Brooks said.

Brooks said a welfare check was conducted on Tolleson’s mother and she was transported to the hospital by ambulance so she could receive proper medical attention.

Tolleson was arrested for resisting or obstructing a peace officer in the performance of his or her duties. He was transported to the Lake County Hill Road Correctional Facility and booked, Brooks said.

The State Water Resources Control Board this week approved new low-interest financing terms for water recycling projects to help California produce an additional 150,000 acre-feet of recycled water annually, one of several actions Gov. Brown called for in his Drought State of Emergency.

Beginning immediately, the State Water Board’s Division of Financial Assistance is offering $800 million in 1 percent loans – approximately half the current interest rate – for water recycling projects that can be completed within three years of the governor’s Jan. 17 declaration.

Applications for funding must be submitted by Dec. 2, 2015.

Water recycling is the use of treated municipal wastewater for beneficial purposes, such as agricultural and landscape irrigation, industrial processes, and replenishing ground water basins.

Among the projects that will be eligible for funding are recycled water treatment, distribution and storage facilities.

“The governor’s drought proclamation directs us to accelerate funding for water supply enhancement projects that can break ground soon,” said State Water Board Chair Felicia Marcus. “Offering very low interest financing will provide an immediate incentive to construct more water recycling projects. And when coupled with the longer term financing option we approved late last year, this action will accelerate the production of nearly 150,000 acre-feet annually of new water for beneficial use when these projects reach completion. Californians will feel the benefit of this additional drought-proof water, year after year, for decades to come."

“Better yet,” she added, “these projects will continue to improve California’s water quality and provide drought relief now and year after year for future generations.”

While the enhanced incentives come in response to California’s current drought, they will have future benefits as climate change is expected to lead to changing precipitation patterns and more intense droughts.

The funding is available through the State Water Board’s Division of Financial Assistance Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) program. The existing program is still available to finance a variety of water quality improvement projects and already offers 30-year extended term financing for eligible projects.

To assess the level of funding incentive necessary to move projects to construction, Division of Financial Assistance staff collaborated with stakeholders throughout the state to survey the needs of agencies with near-term recycled water projects.

Applications for CWSRF financing are accepted continuously. The Financial Assistance Application, instructions, forms and video tutorials are available at www.waterboards.ca.gov/water_issues/programs/grants_loans/srf/srf_forms.shtml .

Since 1977, the State Water Board has provided water recycling funding to plan, design, and construct water recycling facilities.  

Between January 2011 and January 2014, the Water Recycling Funding Program has awarded nearly $400 million to fund water recycling planning and construction projects.

Visit www.Drought.CA.Gov to learn more about how California is dealing with the effects of the drought, and for more water conservation ideas, visit www.SaveOurH2O.org .

LAKEPORT, Calif. – A hit-and-run vehicle crash on Wednesday led to a Clearlake woman's arrest for driving under the influence.

Amber Saldana, 35, was arrested following the crash, according to Lt. Jason Ferguson of the Lakeport Police Department.

Ferguson said that shortly before 2 p.m. Wednesday Lakeport Police officers were dispatched to a parking lot in the 800 block of N. Main Street.

He said a witness reported that a vehicle involved in an earlier hit-and-run accident to a stop sign at 11th Street and Main Street was located with the driver’s door open.

Lakeport Police officers responded and contacted a female seated in the driver seat identified as Saldana. Ferguson said an officer made contact with Saldana and learned that she was driving the vehicle but denied hitting the stop sign.

Saldana told the officer the stop sign was already on the ground when she arrived at the intersection of 11th and Main streets. Ferguson said the officer examined the exterior of the vehicle and determined there was sufficient evidence to support that Saldana’s vehicle was involved in the accident.

While speaking to Saldana the officer noted she was exhibiting signs of being under the influence, Ferguson said. Saldana told the officer she was currently taking three separate types of prescribed medication and pulled over because she wasn’t feeling well.

Ferguson said the officer conducted a series of field sobriety tests and determined that Saldana was under the influence of a prescribed controlled medication and unable to operate the vehicle in a safe
manner.

Saldana was placed under arrest for driving while under the influence and transported to Sutter Lakeside Hospital for clearance, Ferguson said.

While at the hospital, due to her condition, Saldana was issued a citation for DUI and released to hospital staff, according to Ferguson.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – Lake County Public Health will be hosting an upcoming workshop to help local health care volunteers sharpen disaster response skills.

The workshop will take place from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, April 25, at Konocti Vista Casino, 2755 Mission Rancheria Road in Lakeport.

Registration is required by April 11; visit http://health.co.lake.ca.us/Emergency_Preparedness.htm for the workshop registration form.

County officials hope that in offering the workshop there will be increased interest among local health care workers and support staff to join Lake County’s Medical Reserve Corps.

The Medical Reserve Corps is organized under Lake County Public Health and consists of volunteers whose credentials are verified and who agree to participate in periodic training activities.

The Lake County Medical Reserve Corps volunteers represent a range of disciplines including
physicians, nurses, veterinarians, first responders, EMT/paramedics and ham radio operators. Pharmacists, dentists, nursing and medical assistants and non-licensed support staff also are welcome to join.

The Lake County Medical Reserve Corps is nationally accredited and has been in existence since 2007.

The group enjoys a high level of camaraderie as the result of supporting a wide range of public health activities, including mass vaccination clinics, training on responding to large foodborne illness outbreaks, and a community-wide survey regarding household emergency preparedness.

In addition, some of the members and staff have participated in larger training events that bring Medical Reserve Corps volunteers together on a regional basis.

A full-scale training exercise hosted by Ventura County Medical Reserve Corps held May 3 to 5, 2013, was attended by more than 130 Medical Reserve Corps volunteers from various local, regional and state agencies.

The exercise was held at a remote 200 acre ranch located outside of Ojai. This remote location had no cell phone reception or Internet which demonstrated how Medical Reserve Corps volunteers would respond to medical deployment without access to modern technology in the field.

This type of rural setting is similar to Lake County and was excellent training ground for local Medical Reserve Corps volunteers that helped increase the education and skills of our local volunteers to support a disaster or emergency response in Lake County.

For more information on the Disaster Medical Skills Workshop, visit http://health.co.lake.ca.us/Emergency_Preparedness.htm .

LAKEPORT, Calif. – A fire destroyed a travel trailer at Big Valley Rancheria Tuesday evening.

The fire was first dispatched at approximately 8:48 p.m. in the area of Mission Way and Mission Rancheria Road, according to Lakeport Fire Chief Ken Wells.

He said the travel trailer's occupant reported that he had just returned from having dinner at the nearby Konocti Vista Casino when he saw flames coming from the trailer and went to a neighbor's to call for help.

Wells said Lakeport and Kelseyville Fire districts sent a total of two engines and seven firefighters. A Kelseyville Fire battalion chief and Wells also were on scene.

There were no injuries and the trailer didn't endanger any other structures, which Wells estimated were about 40 feet away.

Radio traffic indicated the fire was controlled just after 9:20 p.m., with 20 minutes of mop up required.

Wells said the trailer was a total loss.

As to the cause, while it hasn't been finally determined, “I don't think it's suspicious at all,” Wells said.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – Two Corning residents were arrested on drug charges Wednesday following a verbal altercation in Lakeport.

Anthony Joseph Moron, 24, and Cynthia Leann Fox, 23, were taken into custody, according to Lt. Jason Ferguson.

Just after noon on Wednesday Lakeport Police officers contacted Moron and Fox in the 800 block of N. Main street. Ferguson said they were arguing over a cell phone.

During the contact with the officers, Fox advised them that she had marijuana and a pipe in her purse. A search of her purse revealed a glass pipe with suspected methamphetamine and a plastic bag containing processed marijuana, Ferguson said.

As a result, Ferguson said Fox was placed under arrest for possession of a controlled substance, possession of paraphernalia and possession of less than one ounce of marijuana.

During the contact with Moron, an officer obtained consent to search his person and located a plastic baggie with a white crystal substance which officers believed was methamphetamine, Ferguson said.

Ferguson said Moron was arrested for possession of a controlled substance.

Both Moron and Fox were transported to the Hill Road Jail, where they were booked. Bail for each was set at $15,000, Ferguson said.

SACRAMENTO – Caltrans has announced that the condition of the pavement on California’s highways is at its healthiest level in more than a decade, according to the recently released 2013 State of the Pavement Report.

“It’s important to maintain and preserve the existing transportation system first and foremost before making other improvements,” said Caltrans Director Malcolm Dougherty. “This improvement in our pavement proves that we are committed to doing just that.”

Caltrans reported that the percent of healthy pavement on the state highway system increased from 75 to 84 percent from 2011 to 2013 – an increase of 4,500 lane miles of smoother pavement.

Caltrans maintains its aging state highway system even while it carries nearly 35 million vehicles. Each year, the department surveys the condition of its pavement to determine how much of the system needs maintenance.

Annual maintenance needs far outpace dependable funding, but Caltrans uses high-tech strategies, recycling, and innovative treatments to make pavement last longer, to stretch every dollar and to preserve the environment.

Cold-in-place recycling allows Caltrans to recycle and reprocess existing pavement without leaving the construction site.

That method, and using rubberized hot-mix asphalt and warm-mix asphalt, has reduced more than 61,000 tons of greenhouse gas emissions.

Caltrans used one-time funds from the 2006 Proposition 1B transportation bond and the 2009 Recovery Act to help pay for nearly $4 billion in pavement projects on nearly 18,000 lane miles in the last four years.

Continued improvement of pavement health is contingent on a stable funding source for road rehabilitation and repair.

Caltrans reported on pavement health and other road maintenance conditions earlier this year in its publication Mile Marker, a plain language and clearly written report on how Caltrans is performing and the current state of the California transportation system.

Mile Marker is available online at http://www.dot.ca.gov/ .

The 2013 State of the Pavement Report can be seen below.

2013 State of the Pavement

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Redbud Audubon Society has announced that its popular nature event, Heron Days, will be on hiatus for 2014 because of the low level of Clear Lake.

Cancellation was based on concerns about the quality of the birding educational experience and boating safety.

With boats unable to enter the shallows of Anderson Marsh and Shirley Slough at Corinthian Bay, guests cannot get close views of the heron rookeries and abundant bird life in these areas.

Audubon’s expert bird guides felt strongly that the educational purpose of the boat tours would be compromised, and guests would be disappointed.

The low water levels along the shoreline and in the channels also pose danger of boat damage from submerged objects.

Local boat owners generously volunteer their boats and their time to make possible these tours, and Audubon cannot risk harm to passengers or boats from these unusual lake conditions.

“This was a difficult decision because these tours are eagerly anticipated each year, said Audubon president Marilyn Waits. “We hope that next year will bring sufficient rain to raise the lake to normal levels, and we can again resume these popular nature boat tours.”

As California's fire prevention fee continues to be implemented, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire, is providing property owners multiple resources to answer their questions about the fee.

Officials said billing is set to begin March 25 through April 1 in Lake, Lassen and Los Angeles counties.

The state's outreach effort on the fire fee is being implemented as a result of Assembly Bill X1 29, which was signed into law July 7, 2011 establishing a fee for fire prevention services in the 31 million acres of State Responsibility Area (SRA).

The revenue generated from the fee pays for vital fire prevention services within the SRA, according to Cal Fire.

Fire prevention services funded by the fee include strategic fuel reduction activities, defensible space inspections, fire prevention engineering, emergency evacuation planning, fire prevention education, fire hazard severity mapping, implementation of the State’s and local Fire Plans ( http://cdfdata.fire.ca.gov/fire_er/fpp_planning_cafireplan ), and fire related law enforcement activities such as fire cause determination and arson investigation.

Cal Fire has established a Web site, www.FirePreventionFee.org , which contains comprehensive information about the fee and helpful links to maps, the law language, and answers frequently asked questions.

Additionally, a customer service call center is staffed Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (except holidays) to further aid homeowners that have questions about the fire prevention fee. The call center number is 1-888-310-6447.

Under the law, the Board of Equalization (BOE) is responsible for collecting the fee. The bills scheduled for mailing this spring are for Fiscal Year 2013-14, which includes July 1, 2013, through June 30, 2014.

The fee applies to the homeowner of record as of July 1, 2013, for all habitable structures within the SRA.

The BOE began mailing the bills alphabetically by county on March 3.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – The open enrollment deadline to sign up for health coverage through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is Monday, March 31.

To assist constituents over the remaining days in the current enrollment period, Assemblymember Mariko Yamada (D-Davis) has compiled a list of organizations and events in the Fourth Assembly District where information regarding health coverage is available.

“Medical bills are the No. 1 cause of bankruptcies in the United States, but now, affordable health coverage is attainable,” Yamada said. “To be sure you get the right information; I encourage you to contact one of these local organizations to enroll in the health care plan that’s best for you and your family. Over one million Californians already have.”

Individuals who qualify for Medi-Cal must also enroll by March 31 to avoid incurring a penalty next year during tax season. Certain exceptions exist.

Many organizations have become certified to help individuals and families navigate health plan options.

A list of organizations with Certified Enrollment Counselors serving Colusa, Lake, Napa, Solano, Sonoma and Yolo Counties is available on Assemblymember Yamada’s Web site at www.asm.ca.gov/yamada .  

A full list of organizations may be found at Covered California’s Web site, www.coveredca.com .

ACCUWEATHER GLOBAL WEATHER CENTER – AccuWeather.com reports the first day of spring will arrive unabated throughout the nation on Thursday, and milder weather will be in place for the start of the season for some.

Spring officially arrives on Thursday at 9:57 a.m. Pacific Daylight Time.

With the exception of the northern tier states, the Great Lakes and the interior Northeast, temperatures on Thursday will reach or exceed seasonable levels for March 20.

Highs are forecast to reach the 50s F in Boston, New York City, Washington, D.C., Cincinnati, Kansas City, Mo., and Portland Ore. Sixty-degree temperatures are in the offing from Richmond, Va., to Nashville, St. Louis, Denver, Salt Lake City and San Francisco.

However, chilly conditions with some snow will occur over northern New England, upstate New York and the Great Lakes, as well as the northern Rockies. Highs are projected to be in the 30s F from Caribou, Maine, to Buffalo, N.Y., and Minneapolis. Temperatures will peak in the 40s F in Detroit, Chicago, Fargo, N.D., Great Falls, Mont., and Seattle.

Temperatures are likely to climb from the central Plains to the Ohio Valley and Northeast late this week into the first part of the weekend. In many areas, temperatures may be 10 degrees higher Friday or Saturday compared to the day before.

As has been the case during much of the second half of the winter, cold air will fight back into next week.

According to AccuWeather.com Long Range Weather Expert Mark Paquette, “It is almost unthinkable, but it appears that a flow of air straight from the Arctic will develop again soon.”

A large area of high pressure is forecast to move southward from the North Pole and across the Canada Prairies.

“The cold outbreak looks to enter the North Central United States in two shots; one moves in this weekend, then a bigger blast will follow later next week,” Paquette said.

The arctic air is likely to penetrate as far south as the central Plains and the interior Southeast.

High temperatures could be held to the 20s F or lower over the northern tier states from parts of Montana to North Dakota, Minnesota, Michigan, upstate New York and northern New England. Temperatures may struggle to reach 32 F on one or more days from parts of the central Plains to the Midwest and Northeast.

In between the two pushes of cold air, there is the chance of some sort of snow event pushing eastward from the Central states to the Atlantic coast. Whether that event is a nuisance snowfall or a major snowstorm for some locations is uncertain at this time.

This winter has delivered well above-average snowfall for a number of locations from the North Central states to much of the East. Many cities are ranking in their top 10 snowiest winters ever.

Alex Sosnowski is an expert senior meteorologist for www.AccuWeather.com .