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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – As firing operations continue on the Mendocino Complex on Tuesday, the incident’s acreage gain was held down while containment rolled back.

Cal Fire said the Mendocino Complex reached 406,532 acres on Tuesday night. Containment dropped to 74 percent.

The Ranch fire, the active portion of the complex, grew 6,055 acres over 24 hours to reach 357,612 acres, with containment at 67 percent, Cal Fire said.

Officials said the fire grew primarily in the area northeast of Lake Pillsbury and continued its push into the western edge of Glenn County.

Cal Fire said the Ranch fire continues to burn in steep, rugged terrain in the north and northeastern areas of the fire area.

Fire activity is expected to decrease overnight due to increased humidity and lower temperatures, Cal Fire said.

To date, the Mendocino Complex has destroyed 157 residences and 120 other structures while 1,050 structures remain threatened.

Email John Jensen at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
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The “Johnny Around the Corner” quilt block in Kelseyville, Calif. Courtesy photo.

KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – One of the newest quilt blocks joining the Lake County Quilt Trail is named “Johnny Around the Corner.”

It is located at 3850 Main Street in Kelseyville, on the side of Paul Borgesani’s Solar & Suns and Jim Warren’s Art/Photography right next door to John’s Market at 3860 Main St.

This brings the total of quilt blocks in Lake County well into the 100s.

This quilt block is in honor of the memory of John Puccetti, longtime Kelseyville resident and businessman.

It was donated by his dear friends, Juan and Marta Huerta, owners of this property.

Puccetti, who owned Affordable Travel and John’s Market, helped many in Lake County with their travel plans.

He also helped for many years as treasurer for the Kelseyville Pear Festival.

The Lake County Quilt Trail is an agricultural and tourism project designed to promote community pride.

The 4-foot by 4-foot quilt block was drawn and painted by the Lake County Quilt Trail team, a group of dedicated volunteer quilters, graphic artists, painters, writers and carpenters.

For more information about the Lake County Quilt Trail visit www.lakecountyquilttrail.com or visit its Facebook page.
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LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lakeport City Council this week will consider appointing two council members running uncontested for reelection to new terms and will get an update on an effort to start a Lakeport Police Department canine program.

The council will meet in closed session at 5:15 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 21, to discuss property negotiations for 910 Bevins St. and labor negotiations with unrepresented management before the public portion of the meeting begins at 6 p.m. in the council chambers at Lakeport City Hall, 225 Park St.

At the start of the meeting, a moment of silence will be observed in memory of Draper City Fire Department Battalion Chief Matthew Burchett, who lost his life while on the fire lines of the Mendocino Complex Aug. 13.

The council also will offer thanks to city staff for their efforts during the Mendocino Complex fire incident, meet new reserve Police Officer Gerardo Gonzalez, get a donation for the city’s annual fireworks display from the Lakeport Main Street Association, and hear an update from members of the Lakeport Economic Development Advisory Committee on their business site visits as well as the results of their business survey.

In council business, the council will consider appointing Mayor Mireya Turner and Councilwoman Stacey Mattina to new terms after the two women were the only ones to file to run for the offices this fall. Election code allows for appointments, rather than election, when there are not more candidates than seats. Appointing rather than election is expected to save the city $4,000, according to City Clerk Kelly Buendia.

Council members also will look at approving a resolution approving the delegation of claims administration and authorizing the Redwood Empire Municipal Insurance Fund, or REMIF, and the third party administrator on behalf of REMIF to accept or reject claims filed against the city of Lakeport.

Lakeport Police Chief Brad Rasmussen will update the council on his department partnering with a forming nonprofit to raise funds to start a police dog program and ask for the council to provide direction for the mayor to appoint one council member to sit on the board of directors for the nonprofit foundation.

Public Works Director Doug Grider also will present the bid award and seek the council’s awe of a construction contract in the amount of $206,701.98. to Darren Taylor Construction Inc. for the Lakeshore Blvd Roadway Repair Project.

On the consent agenda – items considered noncontroversial and usually accepted as a slate on one vote – are ordinances; minutes of the council’s regular meetings on July 17 and Aug. 13, and the emergency meeting on July 30; the Aug. 16 warrant register; approval of Application 2018-023, with staff recommendations, for the 2018 Halloween Parade, to be held Oct. 31; approval of Application 2018-025, with staff recommendations, for the 2018 Sponsoring Survivorship Walk/Run, to be held Oct. 6; approval of Application 2019-001, with staff recommendations, for the 2019 Home Wine and Beer Makers Festival, to be held June 15, 2019; rejection of Claim No. 18-19-001, filed by Joseph Young, as recommended by REMIF; adoption of a resolution approving a memorandum of understanding with the
Lakeport Police Officers’ Association for the period of July 1, 2018, through June 30, 2022, and approve the necessary budget adjustment for the year ended June 30; approval of a resolution rescinding Resolution 2672 (2018) and revising the Master Pay Schedule in conformance with California Code of Regulations, Title 2, Section 570.5; approval of the designated temporary disabled parking on C and D Streets, between South Forbes Street and the respective fairgrounds entrance gates from 4 p.m. Aug. 30 to midnight on Sunday, Sept. 2, and approval of the lease for fair parking at 902 Bevins Court with the 49th District Agricultural Association and authorize the city manager to execute the lease; confirm the continuing existence of a local emergency in the city of Lakeport; and approval of the participation of the city of Lakeport in the rescheduled National Night Out event, with street closures and the Gazebo reserved for the event.

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.

082118 Lakeport City Council agenda packet by LakeCoNews on Scribd

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This story has been updated regarding the motorcyclist’s safety equipment.

FINLEY, Calif. – A motorcyclist died on Tuesday afternoon from injuries he suffered in a crash with a pickup truck.

The California Highway Patrol’s Clear Lake Area office said the 66-year-old Finley man died at the scene of the wreck, which occurred on Stone Drive East off of East Finley Road.

The CHP did not release the man’s name later on Tuesday afternoon, as they said his family is still being notified.

The report on the wreck said that at approximately 12:38 p.m. 73-year-old Kenneth Lee Barr of Kelseyville was driving his 2016 Ford F250 pickup westbound on Stone Drive East in Finley, while the motorcyclist, on a 2016 Harley Davidson, was traveling eastbound.

The CHP said Barr made a left hand turn toward a private driveway, traveling into the motorcyclist’s path.

The motorcyclist hit the pickup head-on, the CHP said.

Kelseyville Fire and Lakeport Fire were dispatched to the scene and initially requested an air ambulance to fly the crash victim out of county, according to radio reports.

However, a short time later they canceled the air ambulance as they attempted to revive the man. Just before 1 p.m., the fire chief at the scene requested the coroner respond.

The CHP separately confirmed that the motorcyclist died of his injuries at the scene.

Barr, who was wearing his seat belt, was uninjured in the crash. The motorcyclist also was using safety equipment, according to an updated CHP report.

The report said driving under the influence is not believed to be a factor in the crash.

The CHP reminded motorists to share the road and look twice for motorcyclists.

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.
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CLEARLAKE, Calif. – Clearlake Animal Control has a group of new dogs waiting for their new homes.

The available dogs are Earl, Gianna, Lady, Randy, Valentina, Yang and Ying.

To meet the animals, call Clearlake Animal Control at 707-994-8201 and speak to Marcia at Extension 103 Monday through Thursday, or leave a message at any other time.

“Earl.” Courtesy photo.

‘Earl’

“Earl is a male hound mix.

He has a short brown coat with white markings, and has been neutered.

“Gianna.” Courtesy photo.

‘Gianna’

“Gianna” is a female pit bull mix.

She has a short brown coat with white markings.

“Lady.” Courtesy photo.

‘Lady’

“Lady” is a female German Shepherd.

She has a short black and tan coat.

Lady has been spayed.

“Randy.” Courtesy photo.

‘Randy’

“Randy” is a male hound mix.

He has a short brown coat with black and white markings.

Randy has been neutered.

“Valentina.” Courtesy photo.

‘Valentina’

“Valentina” is female pit bull mix.

She has a short brown and white coat.

“Yang.” Courtesy photo.

‘Yang’

“Yang” is a male Chihuahua mix.

He has a short black coat with a white ruff.

“Ying.” Courtesy photo.

‘Ying’

“Ying” is a male Chihuahua mix.

He has a short all-white coat.

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.
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LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Board of Supervisors this week will receive bids to purchase the historic Lucerne Hotel and consider continuing several local emergency proclamations.

The board will meet beginning at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 21, in the board chambers on the first floor of the Lake County Courthouse, 255 N. Forbes St., Lakeport.

The meeting can be watched live on Channel 8 and online at https://countyoflake.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx . Accompanying board documents, the agenda and archived board meeting videos also are available at that link.

In an item time for 10 a.m., the board will hold a public bid opening and consider bids submitted to purchase the Lucerne Hotel, which the county has owned since 2010.

The 90-year-old building has a minimum bid requirement for $2.5 million, according to county documents.

The board voted July 24 to declare the building surplus property and put it up for sale.

Also on Tuesday, the board will consider continuing proclamations for local emergencies for the Mendocino Complex, Pawnee fire, Sulphur fire, Clayton fire and the atmospheric river storm, and will get an update from staff on the Mendocino complex response and recovery. Those items are time for between 9:11 and 9:15 a.m.

In other business, in an untimed item, the board will consider a resolution adopting the position of the county of Lake regarding the future of Lake Pillsbury and the Potter Valley Project on the Eel River. Pacific Gas and Electric announced earlier this year that it plans to put the project up for auction.

The full agenda follows.

CONSENT AGENDA

6.1: Approve increase to the salary of Staff Services Analyst II Nathan Spangler during his temporary assignment as recovery coordinator for the River/Ranch fires by 10 percent, (or two steps above his normal rate).

6.2: Sitting as the Lake County Watershed Protection District Board of Directors award of Bid No. WR 18-01 for Levee Patrol Road Gravel Repair Project, Upper Lake, Calif., in the amount of $62,884 and authorize the Water Resources director to execute the agreement and notice of award.

6.3: Approve Encroachment Permit No. 18-26, temporary closure of a portion of Clear Lake between Library Park and Skylark Shores Resort from Sept. 6 through Sept. 9, 2018, for the 2018 Splash-In Seaplane Show.

TIMED ITEMS

7.2, 9:06 a.m.: Sitting as the Lake County Housing Commission, consideration of resolution to authorize the executive director of Lake County Housing Authority to sign the conciliation agreement/voluntary compliance agreement between U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and Delfina Gonzales and Lake County Housing Commission.

7.3, 9:09 a.m.: Consideration of continuing a proclamation of a local health emergency by the Lake County health officer due to the Pawnee fire incident .

7.4, 9:10 a.m.: Consideration of continuing a proclamation of a local health emergency by the Lake County health officer due to the Mendocino Complex fire.

7.5, 9:11 a.m.: (a) Consideration of continuing a proclamation of a local emergency due to the Mendocino Complex fire incident (River and Ranch fires); and (b) update and discussion on the Mendocino Complex - River and Ranch fires response and recovery.

7.6, 9:12 a.m.: Consideration of continuing a proclamation of a local emergency due to the Pawnee fire incident.

7.7, 9:13 a.m.: Consideration of continuing a proclamation of a local emergency due to the Sulphur fire incident.

7.8, 9:14 a.m.: Consideration of continuing a proclamation of a local emergency due to Clayton fire.

7.9, 9:15 a.m.: Consideration of continuing a proclamation of a local emergency due to the atmospheric river storm.

7.10, 9:30 a.m.: Continued from Aug. 7, consideration of resolution declaring the results of the majority protest proceedings and establishing the Lake County Tourism Improvement District (THIS ITEM WILL BE CONTINUED TO SEPT. 18, 2018 @ 9:30 A.M.)

7.11, 9:31 a.m.: Discussion and consideration of draft for right to geothermal exploration and development ordinance.

7.12, 9:45 a.m.: Public hearing, consideration of application for funding for the Cobb Area Water District Improvements to water systems to improve water quality and fire suppression capacity, known as Hill 9&10, Branding Iron Systems Improvements and Summit Area Improvements, under the 2016 Butte and Valley Wildfire Recovery Disaster Notice of Funding Availability.

7.13, 10 a.m.: Public bid opening, continued from Aug. 14, consideration of bids to purchase the property known as the Lucerne Hotel, located at 3700 Country Club Drive, Lucerne, CA (APN’S 034-182-030 & 040, AND 034-867-010 through 070) pursuant to Government Code Section 25520 et seq.

UNTIMED ITEMS

8.2: Consideration of a resolution adopting the position of the county of Lake regarding the future of Lake Pillsbury and the Potter Valley Project on the Eel River.

8.3: Consideration of argument in favor of a cannabis business tax ballot measure for the November 4, 2018 election.

8.4: Consideration of an urgency interim ordinance authorizing a temporary deferral of certain provisions of Section 21-27.3, Subdivision (P) due to the Pawnee, River and Ranch fires.

8.5: Second reading, consideration of an ordinance amending certain sections of Chapter 13 to establish administrative fines for violations of the Lake County Code relating to the failure to obtain and/or maintain any permit related to cannabis operations.

8.6: Consideration of findings of fact and final decision in the appeal of Patrick Smythe of the Planning Commission's approval of Deviation DV 16-01 for Parcel Map PM 15-03 (AB 18-01).

8.7: Consideration of (a) the submission of the FY18 Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program application in the amount of $14,255, to provide funding for an extra help employee to assist with forensic processing and data collection services; and (b) authorize the county administrative officer to sign all grant documents for the FY17 and FY18 JAG grants.

CLOSED SESSION

9.1: Public employee appointment pursuant to Gov. Code Section 54957(b)(1): Interviews of interim public health officer.

9.2: Conference with legal counsel: Decision whether to initiate litigation pursuant to Government Code section 54956.9(d)(4): County of Lake v. United States, Department of Interior.

9.3: Conference with legal counsel: Existing litigation pursuant to Gov. Code section 54956.9(d)(1): Navarro v. County of Lake, et al.

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.
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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Federal officials are opening a disaster recovery center this week to assist Lake County residents impacted by the Mendocino Complex, a development aided by the lobbying efforts of California’s members of Congress.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency will operate the center, which will be open daily beginning Tuesday, Aug. 21, at 9460 Main St. in Upper Lake, where the Habematolel Pomo of Upper Lake Tribal Community Center is headquartered.

Hours will be 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.

FEMA disaster assistance for individuals in Lake County became available last week when President Trump approved an amendment to the presidential disaster declaration of Aug. 4, made at the request of Gov. Jerry Brown.

That amendment added Lake County to the declaration, previously approved for Shasta County, which has been hit hard by the Carr and other fires.

Now at more than 400,000 acres, the Mendocino Complex is the largest wildland fire incident in state history, according to Cal Fire.

Getting the disaster declaration and the accompanying assistance was assisted by a bipartisan effort that included members of California’s Congressional delegation.

On Aug. 7, 2018, Congressman Mike Thompson and Congressman John Garamendi, who represent Lake County in the House of Representatives, along with Rep. Jared Huffman led a bipartisan group in sending a letter to President Trump asking him to immediately grant California’s request for a major disaster declaration for the destructive wildfires that hit Lake, Mendocino and Napa counties over the previous two weeks.

Twenty-six members of the California delegation – both Republicans and Democrats – signed the letter, including Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy and Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi.

“These catastrophic fires are a disaster of major scope and consequence. Therefore, we strongly support the State of California’s request for a major disaster declaration for these communities,” the letter said.

Some of the factors considered in determining eligibility for federal disaster assistance include localized impacts, insurance coverage in force, hazard mitigation and recent multiple disasters within a 12-month period, according to federal guidelines.

On its own, Lake County may not have met the federal threshold for assistance as had been the case with the 2015 Valley fire, officials said.

Instead, the group approached its request by linking the Mendocino Complex to other wildland fires around the region.

“The Mendocino Complex fire was part of a larger fire event,” Thompson told Lake County News.

“The nexus between the different fires was the weather system that really caused these fires to get out of control so quickly and burn so much,” he said.

Still it was a challenge getting Lake County added into the declaration. “We lobbied hard,” Thompson said.

He said local officials provided the data they needed. “We had to make our case to the administration,” he said. “It took longer than a lot of us thought it should.”

While individual assistance is now in hand, there’s another piece pending, Thompson said.

“We still have to get the administration to approve our request for public assistance. I think that will be forthcoming,” he said, noting that it’s also a threshold issue.

Public assistance will help local governments address costs incurred during the disaster as well as make repairs to facilities and infrastructure, he said.

“We sustained quite a cost,” said Thompson.

He said every person associated with local or county government was out working on the fire to keep people safe. In addition, the inmates in the Lake County Jail has to be evacuated and housed out-of-county.

And just what the total cost will be to Lake County isn’t yet known, as the fire is still actively burning.

“The public assistance part is going to be very important,” said Thompson, noting it’s a grant not a loan.

In the meantime, residents and business owners in Lake County who suffered damage or losses from the Mendocino Complex can register for disaster assistance with FEMA either at the disaster assistance center, online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or by phone at 800-621-3362 or (TTY) 800-462-7585. Applicants who use 711 or Video Relay Service may call 800-621-3362.

The toll-free numbers are open 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week.

Thompson’s office has created a resource guide with information for individuals and businesses to apply for assistance. Find it here.

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.
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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Mendocino Complex on Monday showed no sign of slowing down, breaking the 400,000-acre mark, while in Utah the firefighter killed on the fire lines last week was laid to rest.

Cal Fire reported on Monday evening that the complex – now far and away the largest wildland fire incident in California history – has now burned 400,477 acres, with containment unchanged over the course of the last 36 hours at 79 percent.

The complex turned deadly on Aug. 13, when it claimed the life of veteran Utah firefighter Matthew Burchett, 42, a battalion chief with Draper City Fire Department.

Burchett, who had arrived in California earlier this month as part of a five-person crew, died after he was hit by a falling tree near Lake Pillsbury, in an area where the fire was proving particularly dangerous and challenging for fire crews.

He died a short time later after being airlifted to Ukiah Valley Medical Center.

Last week, he was returned home to his family, his body escorted in procession from Ukiah to Santa Rosa, and then flown to Salt Lake City. Draper City, with a population of about 42,000, is located to the south of the Utah capital.

On Monday, Burchett’s funeral took place in West Valley City, where hundreds gathered to remember his sacrifice, his decades of service and his dedication to protecting others.

His flag-draped coffin was preceded by a group of bagpipers and drummers in full Scottish ceremonial regalia.

Following his body were his family and friends. Immediately behind him was his wife and his young son, holding his helmet.

Walking behind them were fellow firefighters carrying his fire line gear, including tools and turnouts, along with his backpack and boots, stained bright red with fire retardant.

Lake County Sheriff Martin and Mendocino County Sheriff Tom Allman were in attendance at the Monday funeral, representing their North Coast communities.

Burchett is one of more than half a dozen first responders killed this fire season around California.

Fire continues to burn thousands of acres daily

After more than three weeks of burning, the Mendocino Complex shows no signs of slowing down, and appears to be headed through more National Forest land toward Lake County’s northern border.

Even so, Cal Fire said it’s still on target to be fully contained by Sept. 1.

More than 3,600 firefighters – including men and women from Australia and New Zealand – and several hundred pieces of equipment remain assigned to he complex in order to fully control it.

In the past 24 hours, the fire has grown by just over 10,500 acres. It has roughly averaged that amount of new acreage on a daily basis for the last few weeks, according to Cal Fire statistics.

The active portion of the incident is the Ranch fire, now at 351,557 acres and 74-percent containment, Cal Fire reported. The River fire was fully contained Aug. 13 at 48,920 acres.

The number of destroyed structures remains at 277 (157 residences, 120 other structures). Damaged buildings total 37 (13 residences, 24 other structures).

Cal Fire said 1,050 structure remain threatened.

Firefighters continue to be challenged by the steep, rugged terrain in the north and northeastern areas of the fire, according to Cal Fire, which said crews are constructing containment lines with hand crews and dozers in the northern areas of the fire.

Fire activity is expected to decrease in the evenings due to increasing humidity, Cal Fire said.

Some firing operations occurred on Monday, allowing further containment progress, and Cal Fire said firing operations will continue through this evening as weather conditions allow.

The southern portion of the fire remains in patrol status as crews continue with suppression repair and mop up, Cal Fire said.

Late Sunday, as the Ranch fire advanced further into its fourth county, Glenn, the Glenn County Sheriff’s Office issued an alert restating its mandatory evacuation order of Aug. 14 for the area north of the Glenn-Colusa County line, east of the Glenn-Lake County line, south of County Road 308 and Forest Route 24N02, and west of County Road 306.

Last week, the Ranch fire had first moved into the southwestern border of Glenn County. Fire mapping shows that overnight the fire pushed north in Lake County, deeper into the Mendocino National Forest, then circled around into Glenn County a few miles to the north of its original entry point.

On Tuesday morning the Glenn County Board of Supervisors is to consider ratifying Sheriff Rich Warren’s proclamation for a local emergency due to the fire.

In addition to the Glenn County area described above, areas still under mandatory evacuation due to the fire are as follows:

• Lake County: East of the Lake-Mendocino County line, south of the Lake-Mendocino-Glenn County line, west of the Lake-Colusa County line, north of the fire perimeter and the Mendocino National Forest boundary.

• Mendocino County: South and East of Eel River Road, west of the Mendocino-Lake County line, north of the 16000 block of Mid Mountain Road.

• Colusa County: Areas south of the Colusa-Glenn County line, east of the Colusa-Lake County line, north of Goat Mountain Road extending to Sullivan Ridge and west of the Mendocino National Forest boundary including Fouts Springs Road (Forest Road M10).

Evacuation advisories/warnings are as follows:

• Mendocino County: North of Pine Ave, South of the 16000 block of Mid Mountain Road, west of the Mendocino National Forest boundary, and east of Eastside Potter Valley/Eel River Roads.

• Colusa County: All areas east of the Mendocino National Forest boundary and west of the East Park reservoir between the Glenn County line and Lodoga.

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.
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A stamp commemorating the Lincoln-Douglas debates of 1858. Public domain photo.

Aug. 21, 1858, brought the first of the famous three-hour long debates between Stephen Douglas and Abraham Lincoln.

Agreeing to seven public debates throughout the state of Illinois, these two men might have only been vying for a U.S. Senate seat, but the topics touched on during their encounters were ones being asked throughout the country.

The debates themselves centered on the question of whether slavery should be allowed to expand into U.S. territories – a burning question in light of the new territories popping up west of the Missouri River.

Douglas, the incumbent, had authored the famous Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854, which repealed the ban on slavery in territories north of 36˚30’ latitude.

In place of the outright ban, Douglas’ bill offered popular sovereignty, a doctrine that allowed the actual settlers of the territories to vote on whether slavery be allowed in their territory.

This bill set off a flurry of migrants to Kansas and Nebraska, ideological immigrants who travelled to the territories to secure a vote one way or the other.

The Kansas-Nebraska Act also spurred the creation of the Republican Party, which formed largely to keep slavery out of the western territories.

When Lincoln received the Republican Party’s nomination to run against Douglas, he said in his acceptance speech that “A house divided cannot stand” and that “this government cannot endure permanently half slave and half free.” Bold words in face of an opponent who literally wrote the opposing doctrine.

Recognizing the significance of the upcoming debates, newspapers across the country sent reporters to Illinois in droves.

The first of the debates was to be held in Ottawa, Illinois. The rules had already been agreed to by both candidates.

In each debate, either Lincoln or Douglas would open with an hour-long address. The other would speak for an hour and a half. The first then had 30 minutes of rebuttal.

As the incumbent, Douglas spoke first that August afternoon. When he stepped up to the podium, he faced between 10,000 and 12,000 onlookers, who had crowded to the scene of the debate hours before it had started.

In his opening speech, Douglas began a line of attack he maintained for the rest of the seven debates. Lincoln, Douglas argued, was a radical abolitionist whose extremist ideas would undermine the stability of the country.

When Lincoln stepped up after Douglas’ initial address, he was met with a protracted cheer from fully two-thirds of those in attendance – this was Lincoln territory and the audience let him know it.

After waiting for the crowd to die down, Lincoln spent much of his time defending against the absurd charges brought against him. Towards the end of his hour and a half address, Lincoln laid out what would become the moral foundation of his argument against slavery:

“Now … one more word and I am done. Henry Clay … once said of a class of men who would repress all tendencies to liberty and ultimate emancipation, that they must, if they would do this, go back to the era of our Independence, and muzzle the cannon which thunders its annual joyous return; they must blow out the moral lights around us; they must penetrate the human soul, and eradicate there the love of liberty; and then, and not till then, could they perpetuate slavery in this country!”

At this, the crowd erupted in wild cheers. Ottawa definitely was for Lincoln.

Over the course of the next two months, the two opponents faced each other time and again. During his final debate, Lincoln distilled the essence of the confrontation between himself and Senator Douglas:

“That is the issue that will continue in this country when these poor tongues of Judge Douglas and myself shall be silent. It is the eternal struggle between these two principles-right and wrong-throughout the world. They are the two principles that have stood face to face from the beginning of time; and will ever continue to struggle. The one is the common right of humanity and the other the divine right of kings. It is the same principle in whatever shape it develops itself. It is the same spirit that says, "You work and toil and earn bread, and I'll eat it." No matter in what shape it comes, whether from the mouth of a king who seeks to bestride the people of his own nation and live by the fruit of their labor, or from one race of men as an apology for enslaving another race, it is the same tyrannical principle.”

Although he would go on to lose to Douglas in the senatorial election, the seven debates he had with Stephen Douglas in the fall of 1858 set Abraham Lincoln onto the national stage and well on his way to the White House.

Antone Pierucci is curator of history at the Riverside County Park and Open Space District and a freelance writer whose work has been featured in such magazines as Archaeology and Wild West as well as regional California newspapers.


Stephen Douglas. Public domain photo.
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Joshua Robert Beavers, 29, of Clearlake, Calif., was sentenced on Monday, August 20, 2018, to life in prison for a shooting in Clearlake in September 2013 that left one man dead and two other people injured. Lake County Jail photo.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – Thirteen months after his conviction and with his motion for a new trial denied, a Clearlake man has been sentenced to life in prison for killing one man and wounding two other people in a September 2013 shooting.

On Monday, Judge Andrew Blum sentenced Joshua Robert Beavers, 29, to a prison term that includes two life sentences plus nearly a century more for the murder of David Ferrell and shooting and wounding Paul Cressy and Rachel Patterson, according to Chief Deputy District Attorney Richard Hinchcliff.

Beavers’ trial began at the start of June 2017. A month later, at the trial’s conclusion, the jury deliberated for four and a half hours before convicting Beavers of second-degree murder for the point-blank shooting of Ferrell, a 29-year-old husband and father of four, in front of Ferrell’s home on Sept. 8, 2013.

The jury also convicted Beavers of the attempted murder of Cressy and Patterson; assault with a firearm on Ferrell, Patterson and Cressy; discharge of a firearm in a grossly negligent manner; unlawfully carrying a loaded firearm on one’s person or in a vehicle; unlawfully possessing a short-barreled shotgun; and numerous special allegations attached to the main charges including firearm use and inflicting great bodily injury, as Lake County News has reported.

Hinchcliff said Beavers was sentenced to 15 years to life for Ferrell’s murder plus a 25-years-to-life enhancement for use of a gun causing great bodily injury; a life term for the attempted murder with premeditation for the shooting of Cressy, along with 25 years to life for use of a gun causing great bodily injury; a life term for the attempted murder with premeditation for the shooting of Patterson plus 20 years for use of a gun not causing great bodily injury; and three additional years for possession of a sawed-off shotgun.

All terms total about 102 years to life, Hinchcliff said, while defense attorney Andrea Sullivan calculated the basic prison time at 88 years.

At the heart of the shootings was escalating animosity between Beavers and his one-time friend Cameron Fallis, whose parents became close friends with Beavers.

Beavers accused Fallis of failing to perform his duties as a growing in a marijuana operation.

On the morning of the shooting, Beavers – accompanied by Fallis’ mother, Angel Esquivel, and her husband, Orlando Esquivel Sr. – confronted and assaulted Fallis near Ray’s Food Place in Clearlake.

What followed was a series of phone calls between Beavers, Fallis and Ferrell. Afterward, according to trial testimony, Beavers went to the Esquivels’ home where he retrieved a .22-caliber Ruger handgun that he put in his waistband and a sawed-off shotgun that he gave to his friend, David Cunningham, who testified at trial.

Beavers, Cunningham and another man, Brenden Alicea, along with the Esquivels then went to Ferrell’s home. Ferrell had told Beavers and Fallis that he wanted them to deal with their issues one on one.

However, following a brief discussion in front of Ferrell’s home at 19th and Gardner, Fallis testified that Beavers pulled out the handgun and shot Ferrell once in the face. At trial, a medical examiner said Ferrell died almost instantly.

Ed Savin and Sullivan represented Beavers in the case.

The prosecution maintained Ferrell was unarmed, while the defense argued he had a weight bar in his hand.

“Several percipient witnesses to the shootings that led to the prosecution initially stated David Ferrell had a barbell-type weapon in his hands before the shooting,” Sullivan told Lake County News. “However at jury trial those witnesses changed their statements to either there was no weapon in Mr. Ferrell’s hands Or they could not remember if there was a weapon in Mr. Ferrell’s hands. This change in statements significantly damaged Mr. Beavers’ defense.”

Once he had shot Ferrell, Beavers ran back to the Esquivels’ van, continuing to shoot as he fled. Cressy was hit in the elbow by a bullet while Patterson had a minor wound to her side, according to testimony.

Hinchcliff said it took a year for the defense to investigate the case further and file a motion for a new trial.

That motion was heard two weeks ago and denied, Hinchcliff said.

Before sentencing on Monday, Sullivan said Hinchcliff argued that Beavers participated in gang activity and the shooting of Ferrell was an intentional and willful act. Savin argued that the shooting of Ferrell was a split-second reaction and not intentional.

“It was also pointed out that nowhere in the charges was Mr. Beavers alleged to have participated in gang activity during the incident that led to his arrest in this case,” Sullivan said.

Because of a change in law, use of a firearm enhancements may be eliminated by a judge at sentencing, Sullivan said.

While Judge Blum chose to impose use of firearm enhancements in this case, Sullivan said many of the charges and enhancements were stayed because many of the charges revolved around the same set of operative facts.

Sullivan noted that Beavers’ actual sentence would have been several hundred years if all of the charges and enhancements were to run consecutive.

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.
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First Lutheran Food Cupboard will open Wednesday from 1 to 2 p.m.

LUCERNE, Calif. – First Lutheran Church in Lucerne will continue to respond to community need by opening the Food Cupboard Wednesday from 1 to 2 p.m.

The cupboard has food, clothing, toiletries and cleaning supplies available inside for those in need. 

Beginning at 10 a.m., pet food will be distributed from the parking lot. Much of the donated animal food comes from Orphan Dog, a Lake County-based animal rescue group.

When residents returned from evacuation, many discovered that pet food supplies had been ruined by ants and smoke.

"We care for all of God's creation," Pastor Chris DelCol Monday said while explaining that in addition to human needs, cat and dog food along with pet treats will be distributed.

Donations help provide for this need human and animal needs donations have come from areas outside the county. Monetary donations can be made to First Lutheran by visiting www.flclucerne.org.

First Lutheran Church is located at 3863 Country Club Drive, Lucerne.






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LAKEPORT, Calif. – After having to cancel its July performances due to the Mendocino Complex, Shakespeare at the Lake has announced that it has rescheduled its presentation of “As You Like It” and has secured a new venue.

The free performances will take place at 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 14, and 2 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 16, at the Soper Reese Theatre, 275 S. Main St., Lakeport.

The performances are presented by Mendocino College Lake Center and the Lake County Theatre Co. in cooperation with the Lake County Friends of Mendocino College and the city of Lakeport.

Now in its third year, Shakespeare at the Lake this year is presenting the comedy “As You Like It,” which follows lovers Orlando and Rosalind, who find themselves exiled in the Forest of Arden.

The backdrop for the production is the 1960s, with psychedelic scene design, music from that decade plus period clothing.

The play is completely free of charge.

Open seating is offered on a first-come, first-served basis.

Concession sales and donations will support student scholarships and defray production expenses.

For more information, call 707-263-0577.

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