U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer takes the oath of office in a reenactment ceremony in the Old Senate Chamber with Vice President Joe Biden and her husband, Stewart Boxer, on Wednesday, January 5, 2011. Photo courtesy of U.S. Senate Photo Studio.

LAKE COUNTY NEWS REPORTS – On Wednesday U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) was sworn in for her fourth term as a United States senator.

Boxer took the oath of office at noon on the U.S. Senate floor.

Sen. Boxer later participated in a reenactment ceremony in the Old Senate Chamber with Vice President Joe Biden and her husband, Stewart Boxer.

She won reelection last year after a long and contentious campaign in which she battled with Republican senatorial nominee Carly Fiorina.

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Forty-six-year-old Samuel Campos of Oakland, Calif., was arrested for murder Monday for allegedly shooting his girlfriend to death while trying to kill their dog. Mendocino County Jail booking photo.

WILLITS, Calif. – Mendocino County officials arrested an Oakland man on Monday on suspicion of the killing his girlfriend while attempting to shoot their dog.

Samuel DeJesus Campos, 46, was arrested for murder following interviews with investigators, according to Capt. Kurt Smallcomb of the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office.

Smallcomb said authorities weren't releasing the name of the 40-year-old San Leandro woman who was the victim, pending the notification of next of kin.

The investigation began Monday morning when the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office received a report of a possible homicide that had taken place the night before at a residence north of Willits in the 29800 block of N. Highway 101, Smallcomb said.

Sheriff's deputies, along with Willits Police officers, responded to the location and found inside the residence a deceased woman who had suffered a gunshot injury, according to Smallcomb.

On Monday afternoon, sheriff's detectives and deputies, with the assistance of newly elected Mendocino County District Attorney David Eyster and personnel from his office, continued the

investigation into the shooting, Smallcomb said.

Smallcomb explained that law enforcement officials learned that Campos and the victim had been living together in a 40-foot camp trailer north of Willits.

At some point on Sunday evening Campos allegedly obtained a firearm and fired at least one round, which Smallcomb said struck the victim in the upper torso.

When sheriff's detectives and district attorney's personnel interviewed Campos on Monday, he stated that during the day on Sunday he and the victim had been involved in a domestic verbal argument regarding their dog accidentally being injured while Campos was playing with it, Smallcomb said.

Campos reportedly told detectives that the woman was lying in bed while holding the small injured dog on Sunday night. He allegedly decided to shoot and kill the dog and retrieved a handgun, according to Smallcomb.

While the victim was still holding the dog, Campos allegedly fired one shot, missing the animal. Smallcomb said Campos stated that he fired a second shot fatally, striking the victim.

Smallcomb said Mendocino County Sheriff's detectives are continuing the investigation into the incident.

Campos is being held in the Mendocino County Jail, with his bail set at $500,000, Smallcomb said.

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“I am deeply humbled by the trust you have placed in me and I will never forget it is you, the people of California, whom I serve,” Harris said.

The oath was administered by Chief Justice of California Tani Cantil-Sakauye at the California Museum for History, Women and the Arts.

The inauguration ceremony included an invocation by Bishop T. Larry Kirkland Sr. of the African Methodist Episcopal Church and a performance by classical Indian dancer Vidya Sundaram.

Sgt. Gerald D'Arcy of the San Francisco Police Department sang the national anthem and the Presentation of Colors was given by the Department of Justice Color Guard and the Sacramento Area Firefighters.

Attorney General Harris stressed in her inaugural address that she will seek innovative new approaches in tackling the state's toughest problems.

“It is often said that a good prosecutor wins convictions. But a great prosecutor has convictions,” she said. “In the coming four years, and in the continuing work of the Attorney General's Office, we are going to do whatever it takes in the cause of protecting and defending the lives and livelihoods of all Californians, by moving beyond the status quo.

“To do this, we are going to need to get smart on crime – tougher and smarter – about making California the undisputed national leader in innovation in crime fighting,” Harris said.

As chief law enforcement officer for the state, Harris plans to focus on reducing recidivism and on reforming the state's revolving door prison system.

A major priority of her office will be to lead a renewed collaborative effort against transnational gangs and organized crime.

In her role representing the interests of the people of California, Harris is deeply committed to protecting consumers from mortgage fraud and other scams, as well as to preserving the state's natural resources.

Harris is the first woman, and the first African American and the first South Asian American, to hold the office of attorney general in the history of California.

She served two terms as district attorney in San Francisco. First elected in 2003, Harris drew on nearly 20 years of experience as a courtroom prosecutor to fight violent crime. Her office said that, during her tenure, the city increased conviction rates for serious and violent offenses, expanded services to victims of crime and their families, created new prosecution divisions focused on child assault, public integrity and environmental crimes, and launched effective programs to keep parolees from reoffending.

To combat one of San Francisco's biggest challenges, gun violence, she created a gun specialist team and implemented tough gun charging policies.

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The victim in the shooting was 41-year-old Josephine Navarro, who was listed as a transient but had previously been listed as being from San Leandro, according to Capt. Kurt Smallcomb of the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office.

Navarro's boyfriend, 46-year-old Samuel DeJesus Campos, was taken into custody on Monday after he told investigators that he shot Navarro as she was lying in bed in their travel trailer holding their small dog, Smallcomb said.

Campos, a transient with previous connections to Oakland, said he had meant to shoot and kill the small, injured dog but hit Navarro instead, according to Smallcomb's report.

Smallcomb said the investigation into the Navarro's death is continuing.

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However, county Road Superintendent Steve Stangland said Monday that things over the weekend went “great,” with his staff able to respond quickly to the situation the weather created.

“We came through it really well,” Stangland said.

Several of his road staff came in on New Year's Day, giving up their holiday to work on clearing the roads.

“I can't thank those guys enough,” Stangland said. “They did an excellent job.”

Stangland said the area of the county hit hardest by snowfall was Cobb, where there were two snowfalls of 6 to 10 inches each, he said.

That left Bottle Rock Road, Gifford Springs and Loch Lomond Road covered with snow. Stangland said Monday snow was still present in the Cobb area.

Along with Cobb, most of the county's snow-related road issues occurred in Kelseyville south of Mt. Konocti, the Clear Lake Riviera and Lower Lake, Stangland said.

Road crews plowed the Clear Lake Riviera, where Stangland reported about 4 inches of snow fell.

“We take care of the major roads first, then work our way into the subdivisions,” he said.

He added that sometimes people don't understand the order of clearing the roads, but he explained that it doesn't do much good to clear roads in front of homes when major roads aren't open.

Stangland said he has staffers from all three road division yards starting early, 4 a.m. shifts in order to clear the roads ahead of the commuter traffic.

Over the snowy holiday weekend, Stangland's road crews were able to help out partner agencies, such as Caltrans, and the city of Clearlake, where they kept the road open up to St. Helena Hospital Clearlake.

He said some of his staff spent Monday wrapping up their sanding of Cobb-area roads.

All three county road yards also spent the day stocking up on more sand, which Stangland said will be important to have on hand if the roads refreeze.

“Even though it's not raining or snowing, we still have to be out there,” he said.

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John Bass, 50, was located Monday morning not far from Fort Bragg, according to Capt. Kurt Smallcomb of the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office.

Smallcomb said the sheriff's office was contacted at 7 p.m. Dec. 31 by Bass' family, who said he and his brother went to the Jackson State Forest off of Highway 20 near Chamberlin Creek at around 1:30 p.m. and began picking mushrooms in several locations, but later became separated.

Over the next three days a multiagency effort was launched to find Bass, Smallcomb said.

Numerous Search and Rescue teams from Contra Costa, Humboldt, Lake, Marin, Mendocino, Napa and Sonoma counties, along with personnel from the California Department of Forestry, California Highway Patrol, California Emergency Services and various fire departments took part in the search, aided by Bass' family and friends, according to Smallcomb.

Smallcomb said that at one time more than 180 people were involved in the search effort.

At 9 a.m. Monday they found Bass in an area near the Two Log Logging Road. Smallcomb said Bass was verbally responsive, but he didn't have current information on his medical condition.

Smallcomb said the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office and its Search and Rescue Team thanked all of the agencies and citizens who assisted in the large search effort.

He said the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office wanted to remind mushroom hunters to take safety precautions – as well as warm clothes, a flashlight, extra food and water – when visiting the county's forests.

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Robby Alan Beasley, 30, and Elijah Bae McKay, 28, both former Maine residents, appeared separately before Lake County Superior Court Judge Stephen Hedstrom Tuesday afternoon, at which time they entered their not guilty pleas, according to Senior Deputy District Attorney Art Grothe.

Beasley and McKay are each charged with two counts of murder for the slayings last January of Yvette and Frank Maddox of Maine, who investigators said came to Lake County to work for Beasley in a marijuana growing operation.

The couple's bodies were found in early March off of Morgan Valley Road in Lower Lake.

Beasley and McKay also are facing special allegations of committing multiple murders in the first or second degree, committing the offenses with the intent to inflict great bodily injury on the victims and using a 9 millimeter firearm, with an additional special allegation that Beasley had a prior 2007 felony conviction in Maine for criminal threatening with a firearm.

Ukiah attorney Richard Petersen is McKay's attorney, while attorney Stephen Carter is representing Beasley.

Carter said Beasley is set for preliminary hearing on the morning of Jan. 18.

He said he is expecting a “longer than usual” preliminary hearing, with estimates in court on Tuesday putting the proceeding at between four and five days.

Grothe said McKay will appear April 5 for the setting of his preliminary hearing. McKay agreed to waive his time, while Beasley did not, which means Beasley's case will be expedited, Grothe explained.

In court last month, Grothe stated that, as currently charged, the men could face the death penalty or life without the possibility of parole if convicted.

He said Tuesday that the decision on how to pursue the case – either as capital murder or life in prison – will come later, likely after Beasley's preliminary hearing later this month.

Grothe also wants to confer on the case with new District Attorney Don Anderson, who was officially sworn in on Tuesday morning, before making that final determination.

Beasley and McKay remain in the Lake County Jail.

On Monday, the Kennebec Journal obtained a copy of an e-mail Beasley sent his grandmother, Charlotte Beasley, which it shared with Lake County News.

In the message, Beasley told his grandmother and his father that he was to be in court on Tuesday, and that “the charges should get dropped that day.”

He wrote, “I was in court a few weeks ago, some guy was here for 15 months and my lawyer got his charges dropped and he went home. I'm not stressed out about it and you should not worry. I'm innocent. This place falsely charges a lot of innocent people with out (sic) proof.”

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Maria Felix Prado, 48, pleaded no contest to vehicular manslaughter and was sentenced on Nov. 8 to 10 days in jail, 80 hours of work service, three years' probation, standard fines and restitution to the estate of Sandra K. Thomas, according to Deputy District Attorney John Langan.

Prado's attorney, Jesse Chrisp of Lower Lake, said Prado had the option of doing alternate work service rather than jail time, and was almost done with her sentence. He said he had no other comment on the case.

Thomas, of Noblesville, Ind., died last April 9 when the vehicle she was riding in was hit by a Dodge Caravan driven by Prado, who had drifted off of Highway 20 outside of Nice and overcorrected, crossing into the oncoming lane of traffic, as Lake County News has reported.

Thomas and her husband, James, had traveled to Ukiah last spring to visit their daughter, Sarah Noguera. The collision occurred as Noguera, her husband and two small children were driving the Thomases to the airport in Sacramento.

The California Highway Patrol's investigation concluded that Prado made an “unsafe turning movement” and went off the highway at 55 miles per hour before losing control, according to court documents.

Prado told the CHP at the scene that she was on the way to a doctor's appointment in Upper Lake and that she couldn't remember what happened because it took place so fast.

However, several days later she contacted a CHP officer to say another car had been tailgating her. The other parties involved did not corroborate that statement, according to the investigation documents.

Noguera, who along with her father was seriously injured in the crash, told investigators she looked over in Prado's direction, saw dust and heard the Caravan's motor revving before it “suddenly cut across the road and hit them.”

Prado, who had a previous conviction for use of a cell phone while driving, wasn't using her phone at the time of the crash, based on cell phone records, the CHP investigation indicated.

The CHP found no mechanical issues with Prado's vehicle, and Langan said she was charged with a single count of misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter.

Langan said he checked with the court early on in the case, with the court indicating that Prado would have received a maximum of 20 days in jail if convicted since she had no real prior record.

While he believed he could have prevailed at trial, Langan said the time and expense to get 10 days more was not an effective use of taxpayer dollars.

During the course of the proceedings, court records noted that Prado missed an Aug. 16 hearing and Judge Andrew Blum issued a $50,000 bench warrant for her, which was recalled in October. However, she missed a second court appearance on Oct. 25 and Blum issued a second, no-bail bench warrant, which he recalled at her Nov. 8 sentencing.

Langan said the alternative work program “technically is jail time,” and it's up to the Lake County Sheriff's Office whether or not it will allow individuals to use it. In this case, the agency verified with Langan and the court that a misdemeanor manslaughter sentence would qualify.

Prado had six weeks following the sentencing to arrange the alternative work service, said Langan. “If she doesn't complete it, it converts to a jail sentence.”

Court documents indicated that Prado was required by Dec. 13 to show proof of enrollment in the program, and she must return to court on June 7 with written proof of completion.

Langan noted that a civil case has been filed as a result of the crash. Details of that case – which did not show up in a search of Lake County court records – were not immediately available.

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Jose Quintero of Lakeport, Calif., died Sunday, January 2, 2011, after his Chevrolet Camaro hit a fence near Upper Lake, Calif. The collision took out about 65 feet of fence, with the vehicle just missing a telephone pole. Quintero's passenger, Rafael Blancas, was uninjured. Photo by Gary McAuley.

Jose Pepe Quintero, 38, was pronounced dead at Sutter Lakeside Hospital in Lakeport following the collision, which occurred at 4:35 p.m. Sunday on Upper Lake Lucerne Road north of Highway 20, according to the California Highway Patrol.

Quintero's passenger, 41-year-old Upper Lake resident Rafael Cordell Blancas, was uninjured, the CHP said.

The CHP report, by Officer Nick Powell, explained that Quintero was driving northbound at an unknown rate of speed when his 2001 Chevrolet Camaro drifted to the left and hit a wooden fence.

The California Highway Patrol took statements from the witnesses who were first to respond to the scene of a crash on Upper Lake Lucerne Road near Upper Lake, Calif., on Sunday, January 2, 2011. Photo by Gary McAuley.

Quintero's Camaro hit several fence posts and 2-inch by 6-inch cross members during the collision, with one of the cross members going through the driver's side windshield and striking Quintero in the face, Powell's report said.

A large piece of wood also was stuck in the front of the car below the passenger-side headlights, according to photographs of the crash.

Five CHP units, two Lake County Sheriff's units and Northshore Fire Protection District – with two engines, two medic units, a battalion chief and Chief Jim Robbins – responded, according to reports from the scene.

The CHP reported that Quintero was placed under arrest for suspicion of driving under the influence before he was picked up for transport by REACH air ambulance.

CHP reports indicated that Quintero originally was being flown out of county to medical care, but that he went into full arrest and so REACH was diverted to Sutter Lakeside, where several of Quintero's family members had gathered.

Quintero was pronounced dead just after 6 p.m., Powell reported.

Powell's report said Quintero was wearing his seat belt, but it was unknown if Blancas was wearing his.

Lake County News correspondent Gary McAuley contributed to this report.

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A piece of the fence was lodged in the front of the crash, which occurred on Sunday, Jan. 2, 2011, near Upper Lake, Calif. Photo by Gary McAuley.

A REACH air ambulance lands on the Wetmore property near Upper Lake, Calif., on Sunday, Jan. 2, 2011. The helicopter transported Jose Quintero to nearby Sutter Lakeside Hospital in Lakeport, Calif., where he succumbed to his injuries in an afternoon car crash. Photo by Gary McAuley.

Christopher Sorenson Jr., 20, was struck by a vehicle traveling southbound on Highway 53 shortly after 2:30 p.m., according to a report from Clearlake Police Sgt. Tim Celli.

Clearlake Police investigating the crash found that Sorenson had apparently exited another vehicle near the intersection of Highway 53 and Dam Road after he saw a Ray's Food Place employee chasing an alleged shoplifter, Celli said.

Sorenson had decided to join the foot chase, Celli said. As Sorenson crossed the highway, he was struck by a Nissan SUV driven by 37-year-old Clearlake resident Shanti Gallon, who was traveling at about 40 miles per hour.

Celli said Highway 53's southbound lanes near the intersection were shut down for approximately an hour as the investigation took place.

Sorenson was transported to St. Helena Hospital Clearlake where he was treated for his injuries. Celli reported that Sorenson was in stable condition Tuesday evening.

The alleged shoplifting suspect that was being chased was not captured and has not bee identified, Celli said.

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SACRAMENTO – Two decades after he left the governor's office, Edmund “Jerry” Brown was once again taking the oath to lead the state, vowing to take on the state's troubled budget and get the state back on its feet.

Brown took the oath in a Monday ceremony at the State Capitol Building as state leaders past and present – among them outgoing Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger as well as former Gov. Gray Davis – looked on.

He said the year ahead will “demand courage and sacrifice,” and will require that elected officials rise above partisan politics. “There is no other way forward. In this crisis, we simply have to learn to work together as Californians first, members of a political party second.”

He promised to be guided by three principles: Speak the truth, no new taxes unless the people vote for them and return decisions and authority to cities, counties and schools as much as possible.

The budget Brown said he will present next week will be painful but honest, he said.

“My goal is to achieve greater accountability and reduce the historic shifting of responsibility back and forth from one level of government to another,” he said. “The plan represents my best understanding of our real dilemmas and possibilities. It is a tough budget for tough times.”

Recalling his family's own pioneer history, Brown said California's people have not lost their pioneering spirit or their capacity to meet life’s challenges.

“Even in the midst of this recession, Californians this year will produce almost $2 trillion of new wealth as measured by our state’s domestic product,” he said.

“The innovations of Silicon Valley, the original thinking coming out of our colleges and universities, the skill of our farmers, the creative imagination of Hollywood, the Internet and the grit and determination of small businesses everywhere – all give hope for an even more abundant future,” Brown said. “And so do our teachers, our nurses, our firefighters, our police and correctional officers, our engineers, and all manner of public servants who faithfully carry out our common undertakings.”

In the coming year the state will confront many problems – education, crime, budgets, water – but, offering perspective, Brown said, “Many of these issues have confronted California one way or another for decades, certainly since the time of Governor Earl Warren.”

He concluded, “California here I come, right back where I started from.”

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The Lower Lake Schoolhouse Museum in Lower Lake, Calif., looked majestic in its New Year's snow mantle on Saturday, January 1, 2011. Photo by Dwain Goforth.

The California Highway Patrol on Saturday had numerous reports of stranded vehicles or cars off roadways, snow and ice making it unsafe to travel.

Trouble spots included Highway 175 near Cobb, some parts of Highway 29 in the south county near Middletown and at the Glasgow Grade outside of Lower Lake, and Bottle Rock Road and Western Mine Road.

Late Saturday evening there was a report of a woman whose vehicle was stuck in the snow on Fairway Drive in the Clear Lake Riviera, the CHP reported.

The snow was heavy in Hidden Valley Lake, Calif., on Saturday, January 1, 2011. Photo by Doug Woods.

The Hopland Grade was being cleared by a snow plow late Saturday night, according to a report received by Lake County News.

Meanwhile, readers from around the county shared their pictures of the county coated in white, from Hidden Valley Lake, Middletown, Lower Lake and Cobb, to Clearlake, Glenhaven, Clearlake Oaks and Kelseyville.

The National Weather Service reported Saturday night that another low pressure system was approaching the California coast and expected to move over the North Coast on Sunday.

Mike Hardy photographed Clearlake Oaks, Calif., and the snowy surrounds on Saturday, January 1, 2011.

Snow levels were expected to become heavy early Sunday morning at and above the 2,500 foot level, where 2 to 4 inches were expected, while 4 to 8 inches could fall above 3,00 feet, the National Weather Service said.

While snow showers over Lake County are expected to decrease Sunday morning, forecasters said snow is expected to continue over the Sierras through Sunday night.

The National Weather Service said rain is likely in Lake County on Sunday, with the weather clearing throughout the rest of the week.

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Krystle Ipsen of Hidden Valley Lake, Calif., took this artistic shot of a winter moment on Saturday, January 1, 2011.

Rosemary Martin snapped this picture from her deck overlooking the Clear Lake Riviera near Kelseyville on Saturday, January 1, 2011.

A snowman with a taste for wine was photographed near Cobb, Calif., on Saturday, January 1, 2011, by Mike Markov.

Esther Oertel of Hidden Valley Lake, Calif., shot the picture of this snow-covered tree on Saturday, January 1, 2011.

Spring Valley Lakes, Calif., also was coated in snow by the New Year's storm on Saturday, January 1, 2011. Photo by James Hershey.

The Cobb area had plenty of snow on Saturday, January 1, 2011. Photo by Mike Markov.

A snowman hangs out at the Clearlake Skate Park on Saturday, January 1, 2011, in Clearlake, Calif. Photo by Ricky Bush.