LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Lake County Rodeo Association is looking for young ladies interested in competing for the titles of queen and princess for this year's rodeo.

To compete for the Miss Lake County Rodeo title, contestants must be 16 to 24 years of age.

They also are looking for younger ladies 9 to 15 years old to compete for the title of Lake County Rodeo Princess.

The contestants will compete in horsemanship, poise, personality and rodeo knowledge.

Miss Lake County Rodeo will receive a saddle, jeweled tiara and other awards.

The Lake County Rodeo Princess will receive awards including a custom breast collar and jeweled tiara.

There also will be horsemanship awards and participation gifts to all the contestants.

Contestants must reside in one of the following counties: Lake, Mendocino, Sonoma, Napa or Colusa.

Anyone interested in participating should contact Rodeo Director Greg Scott at 707-263-5350.

A full contestants package is available at www.lakecountyrodeo.com .

The actual competition will be held on Saturday, June 28, at the Cole Creek Equestrian Center, 4965 Steelhead Drive, Kelseyville.

Winners of the competition will be announced on Friday evening, July 11, at the 85th annual Lake County Rodeo.

Each year in California, more than one million school pupils are transported to and from school, or school-related activities.

Keeping these children safe as they travel our roads is a top priority for the California Highway Patrol (CHP) and its efforts have not gone unnoticed.

On Thursday, May 8, CHP Commissioner Joe Farrow accepted the 2014 California State Child Safety Award on behalf of the state law enforcement agency.

The award from the Child Safety Network was presented at the 115th annual California State PTA convention in Los Angeles and is considered the highest state honor for excellence in the protection of children and youth.

“The men and women of the California Highway Patrol share my enthusiasm for saving lives, in particular, the lives of our children and youth,” said Commissioner Farrow. “We take great pride in the fact that the CHP’s School Bus Program is designed to ensure the highest level of safety for California’s students.”

California is the only state that has a Special Driver Certificate Program. Certification is accomplished through an intense qualification and testing process administered by the CHP, along with the Department of Education and the Department of Motor Vehicles.

Because of this process, only the most qualified drivers are issued the required school bus driver certificate. Currently, there are approximately 33,000 certified school bus drivers in California.

In addition to ensuring the highest level of safety for California’s school bus drivers through a certification program, the CHP is responsible for the annual inspection and certification of more than 23,000 school buses in California.

“As a result of the strong emphasis placed on school bus safety, coupled with the continued dedication and professionalism of school bus drivers throughout the state, California has not experienced a pupil passenger fatality on a school bus since 1995,” added Commissioner Farrow.

The mission of the California Highway Patrol is to provide the highest level of safety, service, and security to the people of California.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – Authorities are investigating the death of a Lake County Jail inmate that occurred Saturday morning.

The identity of the male inmate was not released in a Saturday evening report from Lt. Steve Brooks of the Lake County Sheriff's Office.

At approximately 9:05 a.m. Saturday a correctional officer conducting routine cell checks inside a housing unit at the facility noticed something was wrong with the inmate and contacted medical staff, who immediately responded to the location, Brooks said.

An assessment conducted by medical staff determined that the male subject was not breathing and did not have any vital signs. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation was started by medical and correctional staff, Brooks said.

Brooks said Central Dispatch notified the Lakeport Fire Department, which responded to the facility with rescue personnel.

Rescue personnel continued CPR for several minutes, but were unable to revive the subject or detect any signs of life. CPR was discontinued at approximately 9:30 am., Brooks said.

Brooks said Lake County Sheriff’s detectives and an investigator from the Lake County District Attorney’s Office were called out to the scene, along with members of the sheriff’s command staff.

Both the sheriff's office and District Attorney's Office are conducting parallel investigations as to the circumstances leading up to the death, including the cause, Brooks said.

District Attorney Don Anderson confirmed to Lake County News that his office was involved in examining the case, noting that he had two investigators at the jail for much of the day Saturday.

Brooks said the inmate was housed alone and foul play does not appear to be a factor in the cause of death.

The exact cause of death is still under investigation and pending the results of an autopsy, which will be scheduled for early next week, Brooks said.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake County Animal Care and Control has several new cats plus a group of new kittens available for adoption this week.

The felines range in age from 10-week-old kittens to 6-year-old cats, with short, medium and long coats.

In addition to spaying or neutering, cats that are adopted from Lake County Animal Care and Control are microchipped before being released to their new owner. License fees do not apply to residents of the cities of Lakeport or Clearlake.

If you're looking for a new companion, visit the shelter. There are many great pets there, hoping you'll choose them.

In addition to the animals featured here, all adoptable animals in Lake County can be seen here: http://bit.ly/Z6xHMb .

The following cats at the Lake County Animal Care and Control shelter have been cleared for adoption (other cats pictured on the animal control Web site that are not listed here are still “on hold”).

Male domestic long hair mix

This male domestic long hair mix is 6 years old.

He has a long black coat, weighs 11 pounds and has been neutered.

Find him in cat room kennel No. 39, ID No. 39576.

Domestic medium hair mix

This female domestic medium hair mix cat is 2 years old.

She has a gray coat and has not yet been spayed.

She's in cat room kennel No. 62, ID No. 39667.

Domestic short hair mix

This fellow with the cool, all-black coat is 7 months old.

He has a short coat and green eyes, weighs 5 pounds and has been neutered.

Find him in cat room kennel No. 77, ID No. 39575.

Female domestic short hair mix kitten

This female domestic short hair mix kitten is 10 weeks old.

She has a gray tabby coat with white markings, weighs 2 pounds and has been spayed.

You can meet her in cat room kennel No. 95a, ID No. 39627.

Male gray tabby kitten

This male gray tabby kitten is 10 weeks old.

He has a short coat, weighs 2 pounds and has been neutered.

He's in cat room kennel No. 95b, ID No. 39628.

Gray tabby kitten

This male gray tabby kitten is 10 weeks old.

He weighs 2 pounds, has a short coat and has been neutered.

Find him in cat room kennel No. 95c, ID No. 39629.

Adoptable cats also can be seen at http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Animal_Care_And_Control/Adopt/Cats_and_Kittens.htm or at www.petfinder.com .

Please note: Cats listed at the shelter's Web page that are said to be “on hold” are not yet cleared for adoption.

To fill out an adoption application online visit http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Animal_Care_And_Control/Adopt/Dog___Cat_Adoption_Application.htm .

Lake County Animal Care and Control is located at 4949 Helbush in Lakeport, next to the Hill Road Correctional Facility.

Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday. The shelter is open from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and on Saturday from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Visit the shelter online at http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Animal_Care_And_Control.htm .

For more information call Lake County Animal Care and Control at 707-263-0278.

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.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The planet Mars is prominent in the May skies, and we’ll devote some space to this mysterious red planet.

Mars is the fourth planet from the sun, and next to Mercury, the smallest.

With a diameter of 4,163 miles, Mars is about half the size of our Earth.

It has two tiny moons, Phobos and Deimos.

Mars is reddish in color, thanks to the prevalence of iron oxide on its surface.

In ancient times, Mars was known as the Roman God of War.

Interest in Mars peaked in the late 1800s when an Italian astronomer, Schiaperalli, observed polar caps and faint lines on the planet’s surface he called “canali.”

This led to speculation that Mars was populated by intelligent beings who built canals to carry water from the polar caps to the planet’s equatorial region.

To find Mars in the May skies, look to the south – Mars is unmistakable, riding high in the sky with its red glow (refer to the star chart above).

Aside from Mars, the constellation Bootes is prominent in the east.

In Greek mythology, Bootes is a herdsman.

Bootes has the brightest star in the northern hemisphere, Arcturas.

Arcturas is a giant orange star many times the size of our Sun.

John Zimmerman is a resident of Lake County and has been an amateur astronomer for more than 50 years. For more information about astronomy and local resources, visit his Web site at www.lakecountyskies.com .

MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – Paloma Colacion, graduating senior at Middletown High School, has been recognized as a member of the National Hispanic Recognition Program.

The National Hispanic Recognition Program, or NHRP, identifies academically outstanding Hispanic/Latino high school students.

Each year, the NHRP honors more than 5,000 of the highest-scoring students from over 250,000 Hispanic/Latino juniors who take the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test.

These students are from the United States, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, the Mariana Islands and the Marshall Islands, as well as U.S. citizens attending schools abroad.

Approximately 200 of the top-scoring Prueba de Aptitud Académica, or PAA, students from Puerto Rico are also included.

Although the NHRP does not provide a financial award, being named is an important academic recognition.

Colacion will be attending the University of Arizona on a full ride academic scholarship. She will be studying engineering in the honors program.

Middletown High School Principal Bill Roderick said Colacion's recognition is “a big deal” for her and her family, as well as for the school.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Here in Lake County we are blessed with an abundance of healthy choices for our outdoor activities, be they boating, walking, horseback riding or hiking.

There are no less than 30 parks to choose from. By selecting to walk in the woods, all of your senses are engaged. Upon entrance to the wild woods colors in every shade of green greet you, and are ever-changing due to the play of sunlight versus shade.

Next, a breeze may envelop your olfactory nerves with mossy and woody forest fragrances and earthy leaf mold scents. This may call up a contemplative mood, beckoning you to further exploration.

Writer David Rains Wallace says, “Smells lie deeper than our remembering, thinking neocortex, in the olfactory lobe we inherited from vertebrates. Yet smells are related to thought in profound ways because our nocturnal ancestors, the early mammals lived by smell.”

Various periodicals such as Horticulture Magazine, and Cosmos: the Science of Everything further tout the benefits of being outdoors in nature.

The scenery itself is uplifting and can even be meditative. But the soil surrounding us has been found to have a certain beneficial strain of bacterium, Mycobacterium vaccae, that facilitates a pleasant mood, causing anxiety levels to decline due to the release of seratonin.

Scientists believe the bacterium may even improve cognitive function. What more excuse could one want to get out in the garden or take a hike?

While enjoying a forest walk you may encounter a banana slug, a native of the Northwest, which is a sign of a healthy ecosystem.

According to the Society of Malacologists, or those who study mollusks such as snails, slugs and squid- banana slugs are solitary creatures who are found in moist, dark forests.

They may be bright yellow, or greenish with dark spots just like an over-ripe banana, hence its name.

The slug's color depends on its diet. Banana slugs are known as “natures decomposers.” They are herbavores and consume mushrooms, fallen leaves and animal droppings.

Banana slugs can grow quite large, reaching up to 9 inches or more. These slimy creatures are interesting to observe as they move only 6 ½ inches per minute.

They have two sets of retractable tentacles – two are eyestalks and two are chemical-detectors.

Albert Einstein said, “The joy of looking and comprehending is nature's most beautiful gift.”

Kathleen Scavone, M.A., is an educator, potter, writer and author of “Anderson Marsh State Historic Park: A Walking History, Prehistory, Flora, and Fauna Tour of a California State Park” and “Native Americans of Lake County.” She also writes for NASA and JPL as one of their “Solar System Ambassadors.” She was selected “Lake County Teacher of the Year, 1998-99” by the Lake County Office of Education, and chosen as one of 10 state finalists the same year by the California Department of Education.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake County Animal Care and Control has a new group of big and little dogs waiting for homes.

Breeds including mixes of heeler, terrier, Chihuahua, pit bull, American Eskimo dog, beagle, pugs, hound, Shar Pei and Labrador Retriever are represented in this week's roundup of available dogs.

Dogs that are adopted from Lake County Animal Care and Control are either neutered or spayed, microchipped and, if old enough, given a rabies shot and county license before being released to their new owner. License fees do not apply to residents of the cities of Lakeport or Clearlake.

If you're looking for a new companion, visit the shelter. There are many great pets hoping you'll choose them.

In addition to the animals featured here, all adoptable animals in Lake County can be seen here: http://bit.ly/Z6xHMb .

The following dogs at the Lake County Animal Care and Control shelter have been cleared for adoption (additional dogs on the animal control Web site not listed are still “on hold”).

Male Chihuahua mix

This male Chihuahua mix is 2 years old.

He has a short coat and brown eyes, and has been neutered.

Find him in kennel No. 2, ID No. 39500.

'Chocolate'

“Chocolate” is a 1-year-old beagle-fox terrier mix.

He has a short brown and white spotted coat, weighs 31 pounds and has been neutered.

He's in kennel No. 3, ID No. 39610.

Beagle-pug mix

This female beagle-pug mix is of undetermined age.

She weighs 32 pounds, has a curly white and brown coat, and has been spayed.

Find her in kennel No. 6, ID No. 39493.

Labrador Retriever-Shar Pei mix

This male Labrador Retriever-Shar Pei is 7 months old.

He has a short black coat and brown eyes, and has been neutered.

Find him in kennel No. 7, ID No. 39540.

Hound mix puppy

This male hound mix puppy is 13 weeks old.

He has a short chocolate and white coat, and has been neutered.

He's in kennel No. 24, ID No. 39567.

Hound-Shar Pei mix

This female hound-Shar Pei mix puppy is 14 weeks old.

She has a short red coat and has been spayed.

She's in kennel No. 25a, ID No. 39408.

Hound-Shar Pei mix

This male hound-Shar Pei mix puppy is 14 weeks old.

He has a short chocolate-colored coat and has been neutered.

Find him in kennel No. 26, ID No. 39407.

'Midnight'

“Midnight” is a 6-year-old male Labrador Retriever mix.

He has a short black coat, weighs 62 pounds and has been neutered.

Find him in kennel No. 28, ID No. 39579.

Manchester Terrier mix

This female Manchester Terrier mix is 2 years old.

She weigh 13 pounds and has a short black coat. Shelter staff did not report if she has been spayed.

She's in kennel No. 29a, ID No. 39632.

Female red heeler

This female red heeler is 3 years old.

She has a short red and white coat, and weighs nearly 39 pounds. Shelter staff did not report if she has been spayed.

Find her in kennel No. 29b, ID No. 39633.

Female pit bull mix

This female pit bull terrier mix is 3 years old.

She has a short blue coat and cropped ears, and has not been spayed.

She's in kennel No. 30, ID No. 39675.

'Nemo'

“Nemo” is an 8-month-old male Eskimo dog mix.

He has a short white coat and has not been neutered.

Find him in kennel No. 34, ID No. 39671.

'Sparky'

“Sparky is an 8-month-old male Eskimo dog mix.

He has a short white and tan coat, and has not been altered.

He's in kennel No. 34, ID No. 39670.

To fill out an adoption application online visit http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Animal_Care_And_Control/Adopt/Dog___Cat_Adoption_Application.htm .

Lake County Animal Care and Control is located at 4949 Helbush in Lakeport, next to the Hill Road Correctional Facility.

Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday. The shelter is open from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and on Saturday from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Visit the shelter online at http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Animal_Care_And_Control.htm .

For more information call Lake County Animal Care and Control at 707-263-0278.

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.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – A Kelseyville man arrested last month in connection to a cannabis oil lab pleaded guilty to hazardous waste-related charges this week.

On Tuesday, John Joseph Darnell, 27, pleaded guilty to manufacturing a controlled substance and unlawful treatment or storage of hazardous waste, both felonies, according to District Attorney Don Anderson.

Darnell was arrested on April 25, along with Paige Polley of Kelseyville and Charles Knipp of Chico during a sheriff's office search warrant service at a Kelseyville residence, as Lake County News has reported ( http://bit.ly/1iwZDm8 ).

The three were alleged to have been manufacturing cannabis oil, more commonly known as honey oil, from a processing station inside the residence, officials reported.

Honey oil is a thick sticky substance derived from cooking marijuana using cylinders, filters and butane, Anderson said.

This kind of honey oil processing operation is very dangerous and has caused numerous fires and explosions, Anderson said. Frequently, people including children, are injured or have died due to the process of manufacturing honey oil.

Anderson said the defendants had processed 1 pound and 5 ounces of the honey oil with a street value of $29,700. The defendants also had in their possession 216 marijuana plants.

Darnell's case is being handled according to the District Attorney’s Office policy of strict enforcement of environmental crimes related to marijuana and drug crimes, Anderson said.

Anderson said his office is making every effort to prosecute environmental crimes, especially related to marijuana grows and illegal drug manufacturing, with the resources available. He said Darnell's case is being handled accordingly.

Darnell's sentencing is scheduled for June 2. Anderson said the maximum sentencing for these crimes is eight years in prison and a minimum fine of $5,000.

NORTH COAST, Calif. – A Lakeport man was arrested on Thursday for assault with a deadly weapon and other charges following a standoff with law enforcement.

William Henry Reeves, 20, was taken into custody on Thursday, May 8, according to a report from Capt. Greg Van Patten of the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office.

Van Patten said that at 1 p.m. May 8 a Mendocino County Sheriff’s deputy and two Fish and Wildlife wardens were dispatched to a residence in the 25000 block of Barnes Lane in Covelo regarding a reported domestic dispute, Van Patten said.

Upon arrival the deputy contacted a female adult victim who stated that Reeves, her ex-boyfriend, had been visiting her and that during that visit an argument occurred, according to Van Patten.

Van Patten said the victim told Reeves he needed to leave, at which time he accused her of stealing his digital music. When she denied stealing the music, they got into an argument and then he grabbed her and threw her to the ground.

The victim got up and went outside the house to call 9-1-1. While calling 9-1-1 on her cell phone Reeves threw a rock at her, missing her, and then walked up behind her and punched her in the back of her head while she was speaking to a 9-1-1 operator, Van Patten said.

The victim in the case suffered only minor injuries, according to Van Patten.

While speaking to the female adult victim the deputy and the wardens saw Reeves walk out of the house, Van Patten said. When they called out to him to come speak to them, he ran back into the house.

The deputy and the wardens then gave chase. Once in the house Reeves ran into a room and told the law enforcement officials that he had a gun. Van Patten said the deputy and the wardens backed out of the house awaiting additional law enforcement personnel.

While barricaded inside the residence, Reeves told the deputy and the two wardens that they would have to shoot him and that he was going to burn the house down, Van Patten said.

During the incident Reeves started a small fire in the residence and he stated that he wanted law enforcement personnel to shoot him, according to Van Patten.

Additional personnel from the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office arrived, Van Patten said, including members of the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office Crisis Negotiation Team and the Special Weapons and Tactics Team (SWAT).

Following approximately six hours of negotiating with Reeves he voluntarily walked out of the house and was arrested peacefully, Van Patten said.

Reeves was arrested for assault with a deadly weapon, intimidation of a witness, felony vandalism, arson to an inhabited structure, obstructing or delaying a peace officer and for having an outstanding arrest warrant (obstructing or delaying a peace officer), Van Patten said.

Reeves was to be held at the Mendocino County Jail in lieu of $100,000 bail.

The head of NASA's Meteoroid Environment Office, Dr. Bill Cooke, often lets cameras do his sky watching for him.  

He and his colleagues operate a nationwide network of automated fireball observatories that capture anything that burns into Earth’s atmosphere.

On the morning of May 24, however, he plans to go out in person.

“There could be a new meteor shower, and I want to see it with my own eyes,” said Cooke.

The shower is the May Camelopardalids, caused by dust from periodic comet 209P/LINEAR.  

No one has ever seen it before, but this year the Camelopardalids could put on a display that rivals the well-known Perseids of August.

“Some forecasters have predicted more than 200 meteors per hour,” said Cooke.

Comet 209P/LINEAR was discovered in February 2004 by the Lincoln Near-Earth Asteroid Research project, a cooperative effort of NASA, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Lincoln Laboratory, and the US Air Force.

It is a relatively dim comet that dips inside the orbit of Earth once every five years as it loops around the sun.

Two years ago, meteor experts Esko Lyytinen of Finland and Peter Jenniskens at NASA Ames Research Center announced that Earth was due for an encounter with debris from Comet 209P/LINEAR.  

Streams of dust ejected by the comet mainly back in the 1800s would cross Earth's orbit on May 24. The result, they said, could be a significant meteor outburst.

Other experts agreed, in part. There is a broad consensus among forecasters that Earth will indeed pass through the debris streams on May 24.

However, no one is sure how much debris is waiting. It all depends on how active the comet was more a century ago when the debris streams were laid down.

“We have no idea what the comet was doing in the 1800s,” said Cooke.

As a result of the uncertainty, “there could be a great meteor shower – or a complete dud.”

The best time to look is during the hours between 11 p.m. May 23 and 1 a.m. May 24. That's when an ensemble of forecast models say Earth is most likely to encounter the comet's debris.  

North Americans are favored because, for them, the peak occurs during nighttime hours while the radiant is high in the sky.

“We expect these meteors to radiate from a point in Camelopardalis, also known as 'the giraffe', a faint constellation near the North Star,” he continued. “It will be up all night long for anyone who wishes to watch throughout the night.”

Indeed, that might be a good idea. Because this is a new meteor shower, surprises are possible. Outbursts could occur hours before or after the forecasted peak.

In case of a dud, there is a consolation prize.  

On May 24 the crescent Moon and Venus are converging for a tight conjunction the next morning, May 25. Look for them rising together just ahead of the sun in the eastern sky at dawn.

“That's a nice way to start the day,” said Cooke, “meteors or not.”

Dr. Tony Phillips works for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – During the past week the Lake County Sheriff’s Office – with the assistance of the U.S. Marshal’s Service and State Parole – was able to locate and arrest three sex offenders who were in violation of their sex registration requirements.

Sheriff's Lt. Steve Brooks said 43-year-old Aaron Abner Ludtke of Cobb, 42-year-old Flash Blanton of Lucerne and Monty Willis Timmons, 34, were taken into custody.

On May 1, the sheriff's office had requested assistance from the public locating Blanton and Timmons, as Lake County News has reported.

On Tuesday, detectives from the Sheriff’s Major Crimes Unit contacted Ludtke at his residence in Cobb, taking him into custody for failing to register as a sex offender, Brooks said.

Brooks said Ludtke was on parole for a 2012 conviction out of Lake County for violating his registration requirements.

On Friday Ludtke remained in custody at the Hill Road Correctional Facility on a no-bail parole hold and for failing to complete his annual registration, with bail for the second charge set at $25,000, Brooks said.

On Wednesday, Blanton turned himself in at the Hill Road Correctional Facility and was booked into custody. Brooks said Blanton currently is being held on a no bail warrant for violation of probation and failing to notify law enforcement of a move, with the second charge carrying a bail of $15,000.

On Thursday, sheriff’s deputies and detectives from the Major Crimes Unit along with several U.S. Marshals located Timmons at a residence on Collier Avenue in Nice, Brooks said. Timmons was taken into custody without incident.

Brooks said Timmons was booked into custody at the Hill Road Correctional Facility on a no bail parole hold and for failing to complete annual registration. Bail for the second charges is $115,000.