LOWER LAKE, Calif. – Upper Lake High School edged out longtime rival Lower Lake High to win the county's Academic Decathlon competition on Saturday.

The 18^th annual event, held over two days and culminating with the Super Quiz competition Saturday afternoon, featured seven teams and dozens of students who, along with their coaches, have spent months preparing for the competition, which this year focused on the Great Depression.

Upper Lake High School Team Two will advance to the California State Academic Decathlon in Sacramento March 11 through 14.

Advancing for Mendocino County is Willits High School's team and Williams High School will represent Colusa County at the state event.

This was the first year that the competition was a regional one, according to Lake County Superintendent of Schools Wally Holbrook, who welcomed the large crowd of parents, grandparents, siblings, and superintendents, principals and board of education trustees.

As the crowd gathered and waited for the students to emerge from their second Saturday in a row of testing, the Lower Lake High School Blue Notes entertained and mini bios of each of the students flashed across a screen.

The students' career aspirations covered a variety of fields – molecular biologist, cardiologist, brain doctor, robotic engineer, environmental, politician, actress and U.S. Marshal.

They also shared their reasons for joining the team, including word-of-mouth recommendations from friends, interesting topics and improving study skills. One student, Tyler Warren of Upper Lake High School, replied, “My mom forced me.”

Organizing the event this year was Jamey Gill, Academic Decathlon regional coordinator for Lake, Mendocino and Colusa counties. She was assisted in the task by Tammy Serpa, Cheryl Graves and Tim Gill, and about 45 other community volunteers.

Lower Lake High School Principal Jeff Dixon hosted the Super Quiz, which included 45 questions focusing mostly on geology, and earth and planetary sciences.

First up were the Varsity students, who have grade point averages of 2.99 and below.

At the end of their three rounds, Williams led with six points, followed by Upper Lake High School Team One and Willits tied with five points, Lower Lake High School and Upper Lake High School Team Two tied with four points, and Middletown with two points. Clear Lake High School did not get on the board in those rounds.

Next were the three rounds for Scholastic students, with GPAs of between 3.0 and 3.74.

Upper Lake High School Team Two pulled to the front with 11 points, followed by Upper Lake High School Team One and Williams with 10 points each, Lower Lake with eight points, Willits with seven points, and Middletown and Clear Lake High tied with five points each.

Last were the Honors students, who have GPA of between 3.75 and 4.0.

By the end of the three Honors rounds, Upper Lake High School Team Two has 19 points, Upper Lake High School Team One and Williams were tied with 15 points, Lower Lake had 13 points, Willits had 12 points, Clear Lake had 10 points and Middletown had nine points.

Top medal winners included Upper Lake's Sarah Barnes with seven, followed by fellow Upper Lake students Christine Randall and Rebecca Swaney, each with five, Clear Lake High School's Shao-Jia Chang, also with five, and David Stansberry of Willits with four medals.

With Saturday night's win, Ana Sabalone – Upper Lake's coach and herself a former Upper Lake academic decathlete – celebrated her third win in three years coaching.

The challenge this year, said Sabalone, was the lack of students who were competition veterans.

“We only have five returners,” she said amidst hugs and congratulations after the competition.

She said that, traditionally, she has not sought out freshmen or sophomores for the team, but she's changed that outlook and now believes it's now good to begin training competitors earlier.

This year Upper Lake's first team had as a member Ian Seevers, the school's only freshman. The slender, red-haired Seevers pointed out he's also the only football player on either of the teams.

Justine Moran, one of the members of Upper Lake Team One, told Lake County News in an e-mail message late Saturday, “In the midst of all the excitement we didn't get a chance to thank our past coach Steve Harness.”

She said Harness, who was ill, was a huge help over the past few years and it wasn't the same with out him.

“We are very proud to have him be a part of our legacy,” she said. “This win was for him. We hope he gets well soon.”

The full results of the competition are listed below.

2011 ACADEMIC DECATHLON RESULTS

INDIVIDUAL MEDALS

Essay

First place: Jordan Austin, Upper Lake High School Team Two.

Second place: Tie – Elsa Mora, Williams High School; Christine Randall, Upper Lake High School Team One.

Third place: Sarah Barnes, Upper Lake High School Team Two.

Speech

First place: Rebecca Swaney, Upper Lake High School Team Two.

Second place: Jordan Austin, Upper Lake High School Team Two.

Third place: Tie – Miguel Medina, Willits High School; Sarah Barnes, Upper Lake High School Team Two.

Interview

First place: Jose Ruiz, Upper Lake High School Team Two.

Second place: Joshua Buttke, Upper Lake High School Team Two.

Third place: Josue Ramirez, Willits High School.

Language and Literature

First place: David Stansberry, Willits High School.

Second place: Sarah Barnes, Upper Lake High School Team Two.

Third place: Christine Randall, Upper Lake High School Team One.

Arts

First place: Ian Weber, Upper Lake High School Team Two.

Second place: Rebecca Swaney, Upper Lake High School Team Two.

Third place: Tie – Sarah Barnes, Upper Lake High School Team Two; Maria Vega, Williams High School.

Social Sciences

First place: Spence Haddan, Lower Lake High School.

Second place: Roy Hankins, Upper Lake High School Team Two.

Third place: Tie – David Stansberry, Willits High School; Elizabeth Perkins, Lower Lake High School.

Mathematics

First place: Oliver Leighton, Clear Lake High School.

Second place: Stephanie Rasmussen, Clear Lake High School.

Third place: Shao-Jia Chang, Clear Lake High School.

Music

First place: Tie – Shao-Jia Chang, Clear Lake High School; Christine Randall, Upper Lake High School Team One.

Second place: Corey Cherrington, Lower Lake High School.

Third place: Sarah Barnes, Upper Lake High School Team Two.

Economics

First place: Shao-Jia Chang, Clear Lake High School.

Second place: Joshua Buttke, Upper Lake High School Team Two.

Third place: Josue Ramirez, Willits High School.

Super Quiz

First place: Christine Randall, Upper Lake High School Team One.

Second place: Ian Weber, Upper Lake High School Team Two.

Third place: Tie – Rebecca Swaney, Upper Lake High School Team Two; Oscar Nieves, Upper Lake High School Team One.

Top three Varsity-level students

First place: Christine Randall, Upper Lake High School Team One.

Second place: David Stansberry, Willits High School.

Third place: Roy Hankins, Upper Lake High School Team Two.

Top three Scholastic-level students

First place: Rebecca Swaney, Upper Lake High School Team Two.

Second place: Sarah Barnes, Upper Lake High School Team Two.

Third place: Corey Cherrington, Lower Lake High School.

Top three Honors-level students

First place: Shao-Jia Chang, Clear Lake High School.

Second place: Elizabeth Perkins, Lower Lake High School.

Third place: Jordan Austin, Upper Lake High School Team Two.

Students with second-highest point totals for their school

Clear Lake High School: Oliver Leighton.

Lower Lake High School: Corey Cherrington.

Middletown High School: Nika Gibbs.

Upper Lake High School: Sarah Barnes.

Williams High School: Juanita Hernandez.

Willits High School: Siarra Bergmann.

Students with top point totals for their school

(Each student from Lake and Mendocino counties received a $250 scholarship from the Lodge at Blue Lakes; the Williams student received a $250 scholarship from a separate fund.)

Clear Lake High School: Shao-Jia Chang.

Upper Lake High School: Rebecca Swaney.

Willits High School: David Stansberry.

Middletown High School: Francisco Sandoval.

Lower Lake High School: Elizabeth Perkins.

Williams High School: Elsa Mora.

Poetry contest (new this year; not counted toward competition scores)

First place: Naomi Walker, Willits High School.

Second place: Elsa Mora, Williams High School.

Third place: Corey Cherrington, Lower Lake High School.

Poster contest (new this year; not counted toward competition scores)

First place: Cheyenne Hoffman, Lower Lake High School.

Second place: Bianey Madrigal, Lower Lake High School.

Third place: Hector Landeros, Lower Lake High School.

THE TEAMS

Listed in alphabetical order.

Clear Lake High School

Principal: Steve Gentry

Coach: Jim Rogers

The team: Shao-Jia Chang, Alice Crockett, Alyssa Hauptman, Asia Jones, Rabacca Lambert, Oliver Leighton, Philip Leighton, Stephanie Rasmussen.

Lower Lake High School

Principal: Jeff Dixon

Coach: Nancy Harby

The team: Corey Cherrington, Sara Fred, Raj Gandhi, James Haddan, Spence Haddan, Cheyenne Hoffman, Hector Landeros, Bianey Madrigal, Shawn McAlister, Elijah Orlando, Elizabeth Perkins, Carina Ruedas, Sara Sanders and Teodora Toshich

Middletown High School

Principal: Bill Roderick

Coaches: Patti Jimenez, Jennifer Pyzer and Robin Cara

The team: Donald Albright, Destiny Foxworthy, Nika Gibbs, Cole Rockwell, Francisco Sandoval and Ashley Thompson

Upper Lake High School

Principal: Patrick Iaccino

Coaches: Ana Sabalone, Angel Hayenga

Team One: Ivan Lopez, Jesus Martinez, Justine Moran, Oscar Nieves, Christine Randall, Ian Seevers, Homan Su, Mark Umalin, Daniel VanMeter and Tyler Warren.

Team Two: Jordan Austin, Sarah Barnes, Joshua Buttke, Jaqueline Estrada, Roy Hankins, Alexander Mairs, Jose Ruiz, Rebecca Swaney, Ian Weber and Shayla Wyman.

Williams High School

Principal and coach: Dan Flanigan

The team: Aron Ashbury, Samantha Coombs, Sandra Cruz, Juanita Hernandez, Erik Knight, Erica Leos, Rocio Martinez, Elsa Mora, Anna Ramirez, Maria Vega and Lisa White.

Willits High School

Principal: Gordon Oslund

Coach: Jeff Bergmann

The team: Joanna Bennett, Siarra Bergmann, Jay Hansen, Cristobel Lopez, Miguel Medina, Josue Ramirez, Aaron Ramirez, Bonnie Smith, David Stansberry and Naomi Walker.

E-mail Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow Lake County News on Twitter at http://twitter.com/LakeCoNews , on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lake-County-News/143156775604?ref=mf and on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/user/LakeCoNews .

President Ronald Reagan, photographed at the White House on August 17, 1984. Photo courtesy of Ronald Reagan Presidential Library.

SACRAMENTO – On Saturday Gov. Jerry Brown issued a proclamation declaring Sunday, Feb. 6, as “Ronald Reagan Centennial Day” in the state of California.

Sunday marks the 100^th anniversary of the birth of the nation's 40^th president, born in 1911 in Tampico, Illinois, to a family “of modest means,” Brown's proclamation notes.

Reagan “served his country with honor and distinction as the 33rd governor of California and as the 40th president of the United States of America,” according to Brown's weekend statement.

The proclamation continued, “Having risen from humble Midwestern beginnings to the towering heights of our democracy, Ronald Reagan embodied the American dream.

“As California’s governor, he worked with members of the Legislature from across the political spectrum to advance this state’s fiscal future, thereby elevating collaboration above ideology whenever the common good was at stake.

“As President of the United States, his enduring legacy is likewise defined by his eschewal of political dogmatism when confronted with the practical needs of the Nation. To that end, he took bold steps to reduce the threat of nuclear war and worked with members of Congress from both parties to enact pragmatic fiscal reforms.

“On February 6th, I ask that all Californians celebrate Ronald Reagan’s legacy on the centennial anniversary of his birth. His buoyant optimism and deep faith in America are as inspiring today as they were when he served the Nation as our President.”

The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Library in Simi Valley is planning a number of celebratory events, including a Sunday celebration that will includes a 21-gun salute, a F-18 flyover, keynote remarks by former Secretary of State James Baker and the official laying of the presidential wreath on President Reagan’s memorial site.

The event will be streamed live at www.reaganfoundation.org/live-webcasts.aspx.

The National Football League also is planning to honor Reagan Sunday during Super Bowl XLV.

To find out more about the Reagan Centennial, visit the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Library online, www.reagancentennial.com/#/Home .

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LAKEPORT, Calif. – A Southern California resident accused of shooting a local man entered pleas in the case this week.

Raymundo Catalan, 32, of Hollywood, is accused of shooting Lakeport resident Marshall Wisterman on Jan. 4, 2010.

This week Catalan's attorney, Jacob Zamora, entered guilty pleas to charges of first degree burglary and assault with a firearm.

In exchange for the pleas Chief Deputy District Attorney Richard Hinchcliff agreed to drop several other charges, including attempted murder, under a Harvey waiver, meaning they can be considered during sentencing.

Hinchcliff said the two charges Catalan pleaded to are strikes, and he already has a previous strike.

Catalan will get six years prison pursuant to a sentencing agreement, Hinchcliff said, adding that the time is the maximum Catalan can get for the charges to which he pleaded.

When Catalan appeared before Judge Andrew Blum on Monday, Blum noted that Catalan – who is on an immigration hold – also faces deportation.

Hinchcliff said it's believed that Catalan sold Wisterman a camera, and then came to his home several days in a row looking for Wisterman.

On the day of the shooting, Catalan was alleged to have shown up to Wisterman's home, where Wisterman's wife watched as Catalan entered the residence and went into the bathroom with her husband, Hinchcliff said.

Hinchcliff said Wisterman's wife reported that she saw Catalan with a gun before the two men went outside and the shooting occurred.

The challenge was that nobody saw who actually saw Wisterman – except Wisterman himself, and Hinchcliff said he wasn't cooperating.

Hinchcliff said Wisterman was facing a criminal case of his own – including felony domestic violence – and was concerned about going to prison and getting attacked as a snitch.

In the course of working on both cases, Hinchcliff said he thought the right thing to do was offer Wisterman a domestic violence charge reduced to a misdemeanor and some driving on a suspended license charges, which would have meant about a year and a half in county jail.

“I assumed he would jump on this,” Hinchcliff said of the offer.

But Wisterman didn't, and demanded more. At that point, Hinchcliff said he felt he was being blackmailed and the offer was dropped.

“He was trying to use this case as a way to get all the charges against him dismissed and I wouldn’t do it, because I didn't think that was right or ethical,” Hinchcliff said.

Wisterman has since pleaded guilty to the felony domestic violence charge and is facing prison, Hinchcliff said.

Wisterman's attorney, Tom Quinn, confirmed the guilty plea but could not offer more details in the interest of protecting his client's privacy.

Catalan's sentencing is still several weeks away. Zamora had requested immediate sentencing but Judge Blum said a probation report and recommendation first needed to be prepared, as is common before sentencings.

E-mail Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow Lake County News on Twitter at http://twitter.com/LakeCoNews , on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lake-County-News/143156775604?ref=mf and on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/user/LakeCoNews .

Firefighters remove a woman injured in a crash on Friday, February 4, 2011, from the wreckage of her vehicle. The collision occurred near Nice, Calif. Photo by Gary McAuley.

NICE, Calif. – A wreck that occurred late Friday afternoon sent one woman to the hospital with minor injuries and resulted in the arrest of the second driver for driving under the influence.

The California Highway Patrol said the head-on collision occurred shortly after 4 p.m. on the Nice-Lucerne Cutoff at the Rodman Slough.

A tan Pontiac Sunfire and a black Mitsubishi SUV collided, with the SUV going off the road, the CHP said.

Northshore Fire and Lakeport Fire both responded, as the crash scene was close to the boundary between the two districts, according to reports from the scene.

The Pontiac's elderly female driver was placed on a stretcher and transported by ambulance to Sutter Lakeside Hospital. The CHP said she suffered minor injuries.

The driver of the SUV, 58-year-old Anthony Michael Barnes of Glenhaven, was transported to St. Helena Hospital Clearlake for a forced blood draw, the CHP said.

The Clearlake Police Department was called to assist with the blood draw, and a Clearlake Police officer arrested Barnes for driving under the influence.

E-mail Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow Lake County News on Twitter at http://twitter.com/LakeCoNews , on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lake-County-News/143156775604?ref=mf and on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/user/LakeCoNews .

Anthony Barnes' Mitsubishi SUV ended up off the road following a crash on the afternoon of Friday, February 4, 2011. Photo by Gary McAuley.

In a 96-1 vote, the US Senate on Thursday passed an amendment that would crack down on individuals who shine laser pointers at aircraft – an action which can temporarily blind pilots and put passengers at risk.

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Kentucky) was the lone voter against the amendment, introduced by Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and co-sponsored by Senator Mark Kirk (R-IL) and Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA).

The legislation would make it a crime to knowingly aim a laser pointer at an aircraft, and subject violators to fines or imprisonment for up to five years.

“By setting tough penalties for those who try to disrupt and blind pilots with laser pointers, we are taking a major step toward improving the safety of pilots and airline passengers nationwide,” Boxer said.

“Shining lasers at airplanes is not a game and places passengers and crew at risk,” Whitehouse said. “With the increasing occurrence of these types of incidents, prosecutors must have strong tools to punish and deter this dangerous conduct.”

“This bipartisan effort is a simple solution to a life-threatening game of targeting airplanes with lasers, which continues to be on the rise,” Kirk said. “I hope this amendment serves as a wake-up call to violators and curbs this dangerous practice.”

In 2010, Los Angeles International Airport had the highest number of laser events of any airport with 102 reported incidents, Boxer's office reported.

Including LAX, California had seven airports in the Top 20 of airports nationwide in terms of reported laser pointer incidents: San Jose (80 incidents), Oakland (55), San Francisco (39), Ontario (32), Burbank (31) and Orange County (31).

According to the Federal Aviation Administration, the number of reports of lasers being pointed at airplanes nearly doubled in 2010 – to more than 2,800.

The measure, which was passed as an amendment to the FAA Reauthorization Act, exempts those using lasers for legitimate aviation purposes such as research and development, training or emergency signaling. A vote on the FAA bill is expected in the Senate later this month.

The amendment also was co-sponsored by Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) and Senators Daniel Inouye (D-HI), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Bob Menendez (D-NJ), and Bob Casey (D-PA).

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Waiting for launch, R2 regards the Vehicle Assembly Building at KSC. Photo credit: Joe Bibby.

NASA's Robonaut 2 is primed and ready for launch aboard space shuttle Discovery in February. R2 is so ready, in fact, that it's going up ahead of its legs, which will follow on a later launch.

“The robot's legs aren't ready yet,” said Rob Ambrose of NASA's Johnson Space Center. “We're still testing them. But there will be plenty for R2 to do while waiting for its lower extremities.”

R2 – developed jointly by NASA and General Motors – will be the first humanoid robot to travel and work in space, so it'll be training for some big responsibilities.

“This robot will eventually become the space station crew's right-hand 'it,'” said Ambrose, who noted that R2 is neither male nor female.

Thanks to the legs and a few other upgrades, “it” has a bright future. In fact the ultimate goal is for R2 to help the astronauts with EVAs. But first, like a student in school, the robot must progress stepwise as new features – like legs – are added and it acquires new abilities.

“For its first training sessions, R2 will be placed on a fixed pedestal for lessons on a task board,” Ambrose said. “The board has switches, knobs, and connectors like the ones astronauts operate, and the crew will mock up chores for R2 to master.”

Once the legs are added, the trainee will be able to move around inside the station, wiping handrails, vacuuming air filters, and doing other mundane tasks for the crew.

“Much like those of us down here on Earth, space station astronauts spend their Saturday mornings cleaning,” said Ambrose. “R2's legs will give the crew their Saturday mornings back! It's all about making efficient use of the astronauts' time. They don't need to waste time doing simple stuff R2 can do.”

The legs have special toes that plug into the space station walls so R2 can learn to climb without using its hands.

“The hands must be free to carry cleaning supplies and tools,” explained Ambrose. “Remember, robots don't have pockets to put things in.”

But there's another reason for the climbing lessons. R2 must become an expert “no hands spiderman” before it can graduate to its most critical duties: performing EVAs.

Robonaut 2, a dexterous, humanoid astronaut helper, will fly to the International Space Station aboard space shuttle Discovery on the STS-133 mission. Photo courtesy of NASA.

“R2 will practice indoors first because if it falls off inside an astronaut can pick it back up for another try,” said Ambrose. “With a misstep outside, R2 could end up dangling helplessly out in space on a tether.”

Once the robot is climbing well, a new computer upgraded with software enhancements will be sent to station.

The crew will exchange it with the one now in the R2's chest. The ground team is also working on a battery for R2. At present, the humanoid has to plug in like a lowly toaster.

“We want to give R2 more and more freedom, so we're eliminating the need for cords and cables,” Ambrose said.

After all these upgrades, the robot will be able to set up EVA worksites. R2 even has “eyes” (two video cameras that give it three-dimensional vision) for viewing an external worksite before the crew heads out to tackle a job.

“If the crew sees a need for certain tools or for 'fine tuning' the work station, they can direct R2 to make the changes and lay it out just like they like it,” Ambrose said. “It's kind of like a nurse setting up for a surgeon. The crew can then come in and do the job quickly, and complete multiple jobs in less time.”

And in the event of an emergency, R2 can be a first responder.

“It can get outside in a hurry to check out a problem,” Ambrose said. “Astronauts have to suit up and then depressurize in the airlock for hours before venturing out.”

While they're depressurizing, the crew can view the problem through R2's “eyes” and determine the approach and tools they'll need to resolve the emergency.

“Also, R2 can stay outside working as long as necessary, while humans can stay only a limited time,” Ambrose said.

What other adventures are in store for R2?

“There are so many possibilities for the future,” said Ambrose. “For instance, we could add wheels so R2 could scout a potential landing site on a planet or an asteroid or set up a workstation or habitat there. Someday R2 may even get a jetpack! But we have to crawl before we can fly.”

Visit Robonaut 2's home page at http://robonaut.jsc.nasa.gov/default.asp .

Dauna Coulter works for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

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Robonaut 2 is now tweeting at www.twitter.com/AstroRobonaut. Photo courtesy of NASA.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Ever wonder what to do with used carpet? Compact fluorescent light bulbs? Used motor oil or vegetable cooking oil?

You want to do the right thing – recycle used oil, take materials to the monthly HazMobile events, put beverage containers in your blue cart, and more – but on occasion, you’re just not sure whether something can be recycled or must go in the trash.

Fortunately, the Integrated Waste Management Division of the Lake County Public Services Department announced that the recycling website with information specific to Lake County, www.recycling.co.lake.ca.us has now been updated.

The Web site is divided into five main sections including “Curbside Service,” “Facilities,” “Hours & Fees” “Recycling & Composting,” “HazMobile” and “What can I do with ...?”

Curbside Service describes services available to residents and businesses of Lake County, and which services are specific to residents in the cities of Clearlake and Lakeport.

The Facilities, Hours & Fees section lists recycling centers, the landfill and more.

The Recycling & Composting section shows residents where to drop-off recycling and e-waste, as well as recycling buy-back center locations.

There are tips on how to compost and where to purchase it, a list of thrift stores, and locations to recycle used motor, oil filters, and cooking oil.

A section also has been created for household hazardous waste (HazMobile) events, including the schedule.

A comprehensive list also has been created in the “What can I do with… ?” section, which covers everything from aerosol cans to yard waste and what to do with those items.

For information on all recycling and disposal programs in Lake County, such as the monthly HazMobile event, Bulky Item Pick-Up, or to receive a copy of the current Recycling Handbook, please call the Recycling Hotline at 263-1980 or visit the new and improved Web site at www.recycling.co.lake.ca.us .

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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Homeowners in Lake and 15 other California counties are now invited to apply for a 3-percent fixed interest rate 15- year loan to make energy efficiency improvements to their home as part of an energy retrofit program.

Applications are being accepted in Plumas, Butte, Sierra, Colusa, Sutter, Yuba, Nevada, Placer, El Dorado, Napa, Amador, Alpine, Calaveras, Tuolumne, Mariposa and Merced counties for the California Rural Home Mortgage Finance Authority Homebuyers Fund (CHF) Residential Energy Retrofit Program.

The energy efficiency program is funded through a $16.5 million grant awarded to CHF by the California Energy Commission State Energy Program as part of the federal stimulus American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, as Lake County News has reported.

CHF is contributing an additional $2 million of its own funds to the program, which is structured to create new jobs for local construction, and energy efficiency measure installation and verification trades.

The program includes an additional grant of 15 percent of the cost of the improvements, up to a maximum of $1,250 per home, on top of current utility rebates and tax credits, to further reduce the cost to the homeowner.

The grants and loans from CHF can be used for a variety of home needs, from caulking and sealing, insulation, new windows, water heaters, heating and air conditioning systems, even new roofing and full solar systems.

“The energy savings coupled with the low interest rate CHF loan and grants can make upgrading one’s home within reach for many homeowners,” says CHF Vice President Craig Ferguson.

Qualifications are fairly simple and include verification that the homeowner is current on the mortgage, property taxes and have a current source of income within the Program limits. In addition, there are no minimum credit score or appraisal requirements.

“The process is simple,” says Rick Wylie, President of Advanced Comfort and Energy Systems, a CHF Approved Contractor for the Program. “First we perform a comprehensive home energy evaluation to measure the current energy efficiency of all of your home’s functions. Then we provide you with a customized package of improvements that are best for your home and the energy savings you can expect to receive.”

The home assessment and verification after the project is completed are both provided at no charge to the homeowner, by way of the program funds. Interested homeowners are directed to contact CHF or a CHF Approved Contractor for complete program guidelines and/or to obtain an application.

“This is one of the most attractive programs we have ever been able to offer,” said Carolyn Holmes, CHF marketing director. “We have set aside over $9 million for loans, and $4 million for grants. That seems like a lot of money, but with applications coming in frequently, these funds won’t last long.”

CRHMFA (California Rural Home Mortgage Finance Authority) Homebuyers Fund – or CHF – is a California government entity with 30 member counties who are also members of the nonprofit Regional Council of Rural Counties (RCRC).

CHF has supported affordable home ownership in California for almost two decades, and has helped nearly 37,000 families and individuals to purchase homes.

For more information or to apply, please contact CHF toll-free at 855-740-8422 or visit www.chfloan.org.

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THE USGS HAS DOWNGRADED THIS QUAKE FROM 3.1 TO 3.0. 

ANDERSON SPRINGS, Calif. – A 3.0-magnitude earthquake was reported near Anderson Springs Friday evening.

The quake was reported at 8:05 p.m. according to the US Geological Survey.

It was a poorly constrained quake immediately below the earth's surface and centered two miles southwest of Anderson Springs, five miles west of Middletown and six miles east southeast of The Geysers, US Geological Survey data showed.

The US Geological Survey received a total of four shake reports from areas including Clearlake Oaks, Middletown, Oakland and San Jose.

A 3.1-magnitude earthquake was reported in The Geysers area on Dec. 28, as Lake County News has reported.

E-mail Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow Lake County News on Twitter at http://twitter.com/LakeCoNews , on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lake-County-News/143156775604?ref=mf and on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/user/LakeCoNews .

The longer the administration of a deceased person’s estate takes the greater the chance that a surviving beneficiary might die before receiving his or her full inheritance.

In that case, what happens to the deceased beneficiary’s undistributed inheritance?

The answer depends on a variety of factors. Let’s consider, for example, a hypothetical trust established by a mother with two children including a daughter who survives her parent but dies before receiving all of her inheritance.

If the deceased parent’s estate is held in a trust then the trust itself might hold the answer.

That is, the trust might say that the undistributed inheritance passes in any of the following ways: to the deceased daughter’s estate, as is usually the case; to an alternative beneficiary named in the parent’s trust; or to alternative beneficiaries named by the deceased daughter if allowed by the mother’s trust instrument. If the trust is silent then the remaining inheritance goes to the daughter’s estate.

What do these different possibilities mean?

First, if the remaining inheritance passes to the deceased daughters estate then a probate will be required if the gross amount exceeds $100,000. Eventually the remaining inheritance will pass to the daughter’s beneficiaries named in her will, if any.

Otherwise, if no will exists then the inheritance passes to the daughter’s heirs at law, who may or may not be persons that either the parent or the daughter wished to benefit. Naturally, in all events, the daughter’s inheritance is subject to claims by her own creditors.

Second, the trust might name an alternative beneficiary of the parent’s own choosing to receive the daughter’s undistributed inheritance.

For example, the parent’s trust might say that any undistributed amount goes to the daughter’s siblings. This would prevent the daughter from controlling who inherits her remaining share.

In the facts of the 2010 Weinberger v. Morris California appellate court decision, a mother left her entire trust estate to her surviving daughter and completely disinherited her son.

During the four year, very protracted trust administration following the mother’s death, the daughter as successor trustee neglected to distribute the assets to herself before she too died.

The mother’s trust, however, named her daughter’s fiancé as both the alternative successor trustee and the alternative beneficiary of any undistributed inheritance.

As alternative trustee the fiancé distributed everything to himself. The disinherited son naturally sued the fiancé on the basis that had the daughter distributed the trust assets to herself in a timely manner (and not unreasonably procrastinated) then he would have inherited as the heir of his sister’s own estate.

The court ruled in favor of the fiancé, however, because the trust expressly provided that if the daughter died prior to receiving her full inheritance that the undistributed assets would go to the fiancé. Otherwise, the assets would have belonged to her estate and ultimately passed to the otherwise disinherited son.

Third, the mother’s trust might give the daughter the power to designate alternative beneficiaries of her own choosing by means of a so-called “power of appointment.” Such a power would be exercisable in the manner required by the trust, typically the power holder’s will.

If the deceased parent’s estate was in probate (instead of in a trust) then the undistributed estate would have passed to the daughter’s own estate, and from there in turn to the daughter’s beneficiaries; either persons named in his will or else her heirs at law.

The lesson here is that contingency planning is necessary lest distributions go awry when a named beneficiary dies prior to the full settlement of the estate.

Dennis A. Fordham, attorney (LL.M. tax studies), is a State Bar Certified Specialist in Estate Planning, Probate and Trust Law. His office is at 55 First St., Lakeport, California. Dennis can be reached by e-mail at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or by phone at 707-263-3235.

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CLEARLAKE, Calif. – A Lower Lake man charged with a hit-and-run collision last fall that took the life of a well-known Kelseyville restaurateur entered pleas in the case Wednesday.

Appearing before Judge Stephen Hedstrom on Wednesday morning, James Walter Nightingale, 31, pleaded no contest to felony hit-and-run resulting in death or great bodily injury, misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter and driving on a suspended license, according to Deputy District Attorney John Langan.

Langan said Nightingale admitted violating his probation for a driving under the influence case and also violating his probation in a separate case of driving on a suspended license.

Jacob Zamora, Nightingale's defense attorney, did not respond to e-mail and phone messages seeking comment on the case.

Nightingale was charged in connection with the Sept. 24 hit-and-run that mortally injured 57-year-old Zino Mezoui, who was riding his motorcycle along Highway 29 near Siegler Canyon Road, as Lake County News has reported.

The District Attorney's Office alleged that Nightingale hit Mezoui with his Chevrolet Suburban before fleeing the scene and ditching the vehicle a short time later. He turned himself in Sept. 29 and has remained in custody since that time.

Nightingale's trial had been scheduled to start next Monday, Feb. 7.

However Zamora had filed a motion for a 60-day continuance earlier this week, citing the inability to get expert witnesses lined up and the need to assign a new investigator. Rather than go forward with the continuance, Nightingale entered the plea.

Mezoui's widow, Jan, was in court on Wednesday for the plea, accompanied by a Victim-Witness advocate.

“I'm actually kind of sick about the whole thing, but I knew their hands were tied about what they could do,” Jan Mezoui told Lake County News later in the day.

Nightingale is supposed to appear before Hedstrom again at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 1, at which time both Langan and Zamora will submit their arguments about the appropriate sentence.

Jan Mezoui said she plans to be in court for the March 1 sentencing.

“I will be there and I will make a statement to the court and I will also read a couple of statements from his sons,” she said.

Langan said Nightingale could face as much as seven years in a combination of prison and jail time if Hedstrom gives him concurrent terms, although Langan said about five years is more likely.

The main charge, felony hit and run, carries probation or two-, three- or four-year terms. The lesser offenses each carry about a year in county jail, Langan said.

Another case pending against Nightingale for violation of probation for a DUI conviction could be dismissed, Langan said.

“There was no agreement or plea bargain in this case,” said Langan, adding that there is a “full range of possibilities” for sentencing as a result.

Following the plea entry, Nightingale was remanded into custody without bail, said Langan.

Langan said Nightingale could have faced as much as 11 years in prison had he been convicted of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence and an accompanying special enhancement.

However, Langan said the District Attorney's Office didn't believe that it could prove that charge against Nightingale beyond a reasonable doubt.

“It's frustrating, but that's what the evidence showed,” said Langan.

He said he, District Attorney Don Anderson, Chief Deputy District Attorney Rich Hinchcliff and Investigator Ed Bean sat down with Jan Mezoui to discuss the state of the evidence previous to the Wednesday plea.

Langan said Jan Mezoui was frustrated with the news, and noted, “It was frustrating for us to have to tell her this.”

That meeting, which Jan Mezoui said happened several weeks ago, “was kind of overwhelming.” She said she went alone to meet with the District Attorney's Office representatives, not knowing what was happening when they called her in for the discussion.

Without being able to prove Nightingale was drinking at the time of the crash, Mezoui said officials told her they couldn't pursue the charge of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence.

Noting that the outcome of a trial could have been the same as what took place Wednesday, Mezoui said the District Attorney's Office did everything it could do, and that she's received great support from the office's Victim-Witness Division.

Langan emphasized that had the District Attorney's Office had the evidence to push forward with the vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence charge, the office would have done so.

“This was not a case where we were going to bargain or trade favors,” Langan said.

Mezoui said her family has struggled since her husband's death.

“We're all just kinda hanging in here. I guess that's all we can do,” she said.

Along with coping with his loss they're working hard to keep his restaurant, Zino's Ristorante and Inn in Kelseyville, open and thriving.

“So far the public has been wonderful, just absolutely wonderful,” she said, also acknowledging the support she's received from friends and family.

E-mail Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow Lake County News on Twitter at http://twitter.com/LakeCoNews , on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lake-County-News/143156775604?ref=mf and on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/user/LakeCoNews .