LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – A vehicle stop conducted Thursday night resulted in two arrests and the seizure of marijuana, concentrated cannabis and methamphetamine.

A Lake County Sheriff's deputy arrested 30-year-old Tiffany Anne Correia of Middletown and Tyson Loren Blakeley, 31, of Calistoga, according to Lt. Steve Brooks.

Shortly after 7:45 p.m. Thursday a patrol deputy noticed a white Ford sedan traveling southbound on Highway 29 near the intersection of Highway 53 in Lower Lake with a broken driver’s side tail light and conducted an enforcement stop on the vehicle, according to Brooks.

Brooks said the vehicle pulled into the Shell gas station in Lower Lake. As the deputy approached the vehicle, both the driver and passenger got out. The deputy attempted to order both occupants back inside, but they had locked their keys inside the vehicle.

The deputy contacted the driver, who was identified as Correia, and Blakeley, who was the passenger, Brooks said.

While speaking to Blakeley, the deputy could smell the odor of marijuana emitting from inside the vehicle due to the passenger side window being rolled down about one inch. Brooks said both Correia and Blakeley denied the deputy consent to search the vehicle and were adamant there was no marijuana in the vehicle.

The deputy believed there was marijuana inside the vehicle, but wanted to solidify the probable cause since he would probably have to force entry into the vehicle, so he requested that a drug detection K9 unit respond to his location to conduct a sniff of the vehicle, Brooks said.

Brooks said Correia and Blakeley told the deputy that they were going to leave the vehicle and walk away from it. The deputy informed them that they were both detained and not free to leave.

While waiting for the K9 unit to arrive, Correia was able to unlock the door of the vehicle with a windshield wiper. Brooks said the deputy opened the passenger side door and the odor of marijuana intensified.

Correia became upset and started swearing at the deputy and again told him that there was no marijuana in the vehicle, according to Brooks.

The deputy located a sunglass case sitting on the front passenger seat and discovered it contained processed marijuana and a glass pipe. He informed both subjects of what he had found and told them he was going to continue his search, Brooks reported.

The deputy located a glass container on the front floorboard of the vehicle which contained concentrated cannabis. Brooks said the deputy also located what appeared to be two small baseball bats on the back seat, one of which was sharpened at one end.

A second deputy arrived to assist with the search and located a black bag in the passenger area which contained what Brooks said appeared to be 1 pound of processed marijuana. Both subjects denied ownership or knowledge of the marijuana.

During a search of the trunk area, deputies located a black plastic bag. Inside the bag were four individual bags, each containing approximately 1 pound of processed marijuana, Brooks said.

Deputies also located a black duffel bag in the trunk which contained men’s clothing and indicia belonging to Blakeley, Brooks reported.

Also inside the duffel bag were numerous hypodermic needles, packaging material, digital scale and a spoon. The spoon contained a white crystalline substance which was determined to be methamphetamine. Brooks said the duffel bag also contained several smaller bags containing methamphetamine.

During the search of the trunk, deputies located a cylindrical container with magnets taped to the side so it could be hidden. Inside the container were numerous hypodermic syringes. Brooks said one of the syringes had 30 milliliters of a clear liquid substance, which was later determined to be methamphetamine.

Blakeley admitted that the methamphetamine was his and told the deputy that he had a drug problem and needed help, Brooks said.

The deputies seized a total of 5 pounds of processed marijuana, 10 grams of concentrated cannabis and 2 grams of methamphetamine, according to Brooks.

Brooks said Correia was arrested for possession of marijuana for sale, possession of concentrated cannabis for sale and possession of the billy clubs.

Tyson Blakeley was arrested for possession of marijuana for sale, possession of a controlled substance, possession of concentrated cannabis for sale, possession of concentrated cannabis, possession of the billy clubs and possession of hypodermic needles, Brooks said.

Both were transported to the Lake County Hill Road Correctional Facility, with bail for each set at $20,000. Jail records indicated both later posted the required percentage of bail and were released.

The Sheriff’s Narcotics Task Force can be reached through its anonymous tip line at 707-263-3663.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lakeport Unified School District Board of Trustees on Thursday decided to seek applications from the community in order to fill a vacancy resulting from a board member's resignation.

During the half-hour-long special meeting, board members Dennis Darling, Lori Holmes and Phil Kirby voted to seek out interested community members rather than spend thousands of dollars on a special election to decide the successor for board member Wally Cox. Board member Tom Powers was absent.

Cox submitted a brief, one-sentence letter to Superintendent Erin Smith-Hagberg on March 17, saying his resignation was effective that same day. As a result, he was not at the Thursday meeting.

District officials said Cox cited personal reasons for the decision to resign.

Smith-Hagberg said that, according to state education code, the district has 60 days to fill Cox's seat, which gives them a May 17 deadline. Cox's term runs through December 2015.

The district's two options were a provisional appointment and a special election, she explained.

In the case of the provisional appointment, “You have to follow several steps,” Smith-Hagberg said.

The steps include advertising the open position in the local media; convening a committee of two board members – it's required that the committee number less than the board majority – to review qualifications; hold interviews of applicants; appoint a new board member by a majority vote; and post notices in the local newspaper and a public place that the vacancy has been filled.

Smith-Hagberg did not have a specific estimate on how much an election could cost, but noted that the last school board election cost $16,000.

“The provisional (election) seems more cost-effective and more timely,” Holmes noted.

Kirby added that the district can find out immediately if there is interest in the position, rather than waiting for an election.

“The practical part of it would be to advertise, to call out, and to see what kind of a response we get,” he said.

Darling said he shared Kirby's opinion.

He said that, generally, he advocates for allowing constituents to decide, but based on past elections there has not been a lot of interest in the board seats.

“Sixteen thousand bucks is a lot of money,” Darling said.

Smith-Hagberg said she wasn't sure that was the accurate amount for what a special election would cost.

“It's a lot. It's going to be a lot,” he said.

Darling moved to go forward with the provisional appointment process, with Holmes seconding. The vote was 3-0.

The board also set the timetable for the steps to accomplish a provisional appointment.

Resumes from interested community members are due to the district office by April 14.

Smith-Hagberg said the qualifications are that applicants must be registered voters and must live in the school district.

Kirby and Holmes will meet April 17 at the district office to review resumes and the qualifications of applicants.

The board will then conduct public interviews of the applicants at its regular May 8 meeting, at which point they also are expected to choose Cox's successor.

Smith-Hagberg said those interested in applying for the open position can submit resumes in person at the district office, 2508 Howard Ave.; via fax, 707-263-7332; or via email to Janine Smith-Citron, the superintendent's secretary, at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

For more information, contact the Lakeport Unified District Office at 707-262-3000.

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.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – This week, Congressmen John Garamendi (D-CA-03) and Doug LaMalfa (R-CA-01) officially introduced H.R. 4300, the Sacramento Valley Water Storage and Restoration Act of 2014.

The bill would authorize construction of Sites Reservoir in Colusa County upon completion of the feasibility study.

“Construction of Sites Reservoir would bring California one major step closer to a drought-proof water system. It has support across the aisle and across the state. I will continue to work with Doug and local stakeholders to move this project across the finish line,” said Congressman Garamendi, a former Deputy Secretary of the Department of Interior.

“We know that Sites Reservoir is needed to allow our California’s economy to continue to grow, to ensure that our cities have a secure water supply and to keep our agricultural sector strong. This project’s merits are recognized by lawmakers of both parties, water suppliers, cities, agriculture and environmental groups, and our drought would not be as dire had it already been built,” said Congressman LaMalfa.

The bill sets a deadline for the completion of the feasibility study and if deemed feasible, authorizes construction of the storage reservoir. The bill also creates a process by which a non-federal sponsor could develop the project.

Once completed, Sites Reservoir would provide 1.9 million acre feet of water storage capacity for Northern California and would help residents prepare for droughts like the one currently hurting the state.

Congressman LaMalfa is the lead sponsor and Congressman Garamendi is the original co-sponsor of the legislation.

The congressmen jointly developed the bill with local stakeholders, primarily the Sites Joint Powers Authority, a regional consortium of local water agencies and counties who joined together in 2010 to advocate for the project.

The project promotes state goals of regional self-sufficiency in water use. Storage is a key component of Congressman Garamendi’s “Water Plan for All of California,” which can be read at www.garamendi.house.gov/water .

For continually updated information on H.R. 4300, including bill status and cosponsors, go to http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.uscongress/legislation.113hr4300 .

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – Despite recent rainfall, Cal Fire continues to respond to a significant increase in wildfires across much of California.

While March rain totals were higher than this winter, the rain has done little to combat drought conditions.

Starting Monday, March 31, Cal Fire will begin hiring additional seasonal firefighters in Central California, the Bay Area region and the Sacramento foothills.

“Even with rain in March, our fire activity has remained 200 percent more over average statewide,” said Chief Ken Pimlott, Cal Fire director. “The rain has been great, but it has not been enough to make up for our dry winter and California’s drought.

Monday's move includes the hiring of additional seasonal firefighters and the opening of many remote seasonal fire stations.

The staffing increase comes after several months of Cal Fire staffing equipment with permanent and seasonal firefighters several months earlier than normal.

The increase includes Cal Fire’s move to peak staffing levels in San Diego, Riverside and San Bernardino counties.

“This week’s rainfall has stayed relatively in the North, but the medium and heavy brush and timber along the Central Coast and Southern end of the state remain critically dry,” said Chief Thom Porter, Cal Fire assistant southern region chief. “A recent fire in Monterey County charred 400 acres with extreme intensity, despite the humidity being above 80 percent.”

Between January 1 and March 22, Cal Fire has responded to more than 800 wildfires that have charred nearly 2,300 acres.

In an average year for the same time period, Cal Fire would typically respond to under 275 wildfires for approximately 1,000 acres.

Cal Fire continues to ask homeowners to ensure that they are prepared for wildfires by maintaining 100 feet of defensible space.

For more information on preparing for wildfires and defensible space visit www.ReadyForWildfire.org .

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

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lakeport Unified School District Board on Thursday approved a contract with a consulting firm that will conduct soil tests around the Westshore Pool to ascertain the facility's ground stability.

The board voted 3-0 to approve the contract with SHN Consulting Engineers and Geologists of Willits during the special Thursday evening meeting.

Dave Norris – the school district’s director of maintenance, operations and transportation – presented the contract to the board.

He explained that the district had used SHN previously for testing bolts and other parts of the solar array in the district's elementary school parking lot. “They're a very reputable company.”

Earlier this year, Lakeport Unified decided to hold off on plans to reopen the pool for the competitive swimming season after Superintendent Erin Smith-Hagberg discovered a 10-year-old letter in the district's files from the Division of the State Architect that raised issues about the pool's accessibility and structural safety, as Lake County News has reported.

In the decade since the letter was sent, the issues have not been addressed, the Division of the State Architect confirmed to Lake County News.

Last month, Division of the State Architect staffers met with representatives of the county, city, the district and the Channel Cats swim team to discuss the pool, with options including getting the pool certified by the state, which is the route the district now appears to be pursuing.

Engineer Cliff Ruzicka of Lakeport, owner of Ruzicka Associates and the designer of the Westshore Pool, offered his services to help upgrade the pool for free.

Norris said at the Thursday meeting that Ruzicka went into his archives and pulled out the original plans and gave them to the district to help in the effort.

In a letter dated March 19 that introduced the project proposal, SHN Principal-Regional Manager Thomas Herman wrote to the school district, in care of Ruzicka, noting that, “the results of the investigation will be used to provide an analysis of the slope stability along the slope northeast of the pool.”

The results of the investigation and analysis will be sent to the California Geological Survey for review and verification, Herman noted.

The scope of work includes performing a literature and map review, and a brief geological reconnaissance of the site and vicinity to assess existing conditions; drilling two borings extending to about 25 feet in depth on the northeast side of the pool, and a boring to 15 feet at the toe of the ascending slope on the southwest side of the pool; testing of the soil samples collected from the borings; and geological/geotechnical engineering analyses in order to provide conclusions and recommendations regarding code-based seismic ground motion criteria and stability of the pool site and northeast descending slope.

Herman estimated the total fee for the scope of work would be $14,200.

“However, we would like to provide a 25 percent courtesy discount which will reduce the total fee to $10,650,” Herman wrote. “SHN recognizes the importance of this project to the Lake County community and this discount is intended as a gesture of support.”

He said the reduced total fee will cover hard costs – such as the drilling contractor – and the raw labor costs.

Norris said that if the SHN study finds the pool needs additional stability, the district may have to hire a design team, but he said the district can cross that bridge later.

He also noted that Ruzicka has worked with SHN before, he believes Ruzicka's relationship with the firm helped influence that discount.

Once SHN's work is done, Norris said the district can go back to Ruzicka to see if he can help them out at that point.

“It sure seems like the district owes him a 'thank you' for his help,” Board member Dennis Darling said of Ruzicka, and Norris agreed.

Darling moved to approve the contract with SHN, with Board member Lori Holmes seconding, with Board President Phil Kirby joining them in a 3-0 vote. Board member Tom Powers was absent, and Board member Wally Cox resigned March 17.

Kirby agreed that it was appropriate for the district to send Ruzicka a note of thanks, joking they could take one of the 25-foot coring samples and bronze it as a gift.

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.

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – A Hidden Valley Lake man was arrested on charges including burglary, theft and possession of stolen property following a Wednesday night traffic stop during which he was found to be in possession of a woman's wallet and debit cards.

Cesar Alejandro Rodriguez, 22, was arrested Wednesday in Clearlake, according to Lt. Steve Brooks of the Lake County Sheriff's Office.

Just before 11 p.m. Wednesday a patrol deputy was traveling southbound on Old Highway 53 in Clearlake when he noticed a vehicle make an illegal U-turn in the intersection of Old Highway 53 and Lakeview Drive and then fail to stop at the posted stop sign at the same intersection, according to Brooks.

The deputy conducted an enforcement stop of the vehicle on Old Highway 53 near Airport Boulevard, Brooks said.

The deputy contacted the driver, who he identified as Rodriguez. Brooks said that Rodriguez explained that he had just left Walmart and was headed to a bank to use the ATM, when he changed his mind and decided to drive home.

Rodriguez denied having anything illegal and gave the deputy permission to search both him and his vehicle, Brooks said.

During the pat down search, the deputy felt what he believed to be a large, thick stack of paper currency which was folded in half inside Rodriguez's right front pocket.

Brooks said that during a search of the vehicle, the deputy located a black backpack on the front passenger’s seat. The backpack contained a women’s wallet which had a driver’s license belonging to a female. The backpack also contained a school binder and items belonging to Rodriguez.

The deputy asked Rodriguez who the wallet belonged to and he said that he had found it, Brooks said. Rodriguez explained that he had started working at Twin Pine Casino in Middletown a couple of weeks ago.

At 1 a.m. Tuesday Rodriguez was cleaning the floors in the bar area of the casino and found the wallet. Rodriguez said he picked up the wallet, placed it into his pocket and continued cleaning the floors, according to Brooks.

Rodriguez told the deputy that he forgot to turn in the wallet and went home after his shift. He went on to say that he was not scheduled to go back to work until Monday, March 31, which was when he intended to turn in the wallet, Brooks said.

Rodriguez denied taking anything out of the wallet but said he did look through it to see what was inside of it. He eventually told the deputy that earlier in the day, he drove to McDonald’s in Clearlake to see of the debit cards were good, Brooks said.

Brooks said Rodriguez admitted to using one of the debit cards to purchase an ice cream cone and it was accepted. He then went to Walmart and purchased additional items using the debit card.

Rodriguez said he drove to a bank in Clearlake to try and use the debit card in an ATM. Using the victim’s year of birth which was on her driver’s license, as well as her pin number which was inside the wallet, he was able to access her account, Brooks reported.

Rodriguez checked the balance of the account and saw it contained $914. Brooks said Rodriguez told the deputy that he withdrew money from three separate transactions totaling $880, and then was unable to remove anymore.

A second deputy arrived to assist and located a debit card with the same victim’s name on the ground approximately 6 feet from where Rodriguez was standing. Rodriguez admitted to tossing the card on the ground as the second deputy arrived, Brooks said.

Rodriguez had $880 in $20 bills. Brooks said the money was located in Rodriguez’s right front pants pocket and left sock. He also had three $100 bills, receipts detailing the use of the ATM cards and the victim’s ATM cards in his wallet. The deputy said Rodriguez had drained the victims account down to $3.43.

Rodriguez was arrested for burglary, possession of stolen property, misappropriation of lost property, theft, using an access card without the card holder’s consent, and destroying or concealing evidence, Brooks said.

Rodriguez was transported to the Lake County Hill Road Correctional Facility and booked early Thursday morning. Bail was set at $15,000, and jail records indicated he later posted bail and was released.

Twin Pine Casino contacted Lake County News to report that Rodriguez did not work for the casino, but for one of its vendor companies.

State health officials said Friday that the number of measles cases confirmed in California this year is now more than 10 times the cases reported last year.

The California Department of Public Health said it has received reports of 49 confirmed measles cases in California residents so far this year.

This time last year, only four measles cases had been reported, the agency said.

“This dramatic jump in the number of measles cases is a reminder to get fully vaccinated,” said Dr. Ron Chapman, CDPH director and state health officer. “Being fully vaccinated against measles does more than just protect the person who receives the vaccination – it also protects their family and friends, including children who may be too young to be vaccinated.”

The measles cases have been reported in: Alameda (1), Contra Costa (4), Los Angeles (10) Orange (21), Riverside (5), San Diego (4), San Mateo (3) and Santa Clara (1) counties.

Among these 49 cases, 11 patients had traveled outside of North or South America, including to parts of the world where outbreaks are actively occurring or where measles is widespread.

Of the patients without international travel, 30 had contact with known measles cases, three had contact with international travelers and five are under investigation to identify potential sources.

High immunization rates in California have kept preventable childhood diseases, such as measles, at record lows during the past 20 years, CDPH reported.

Since 2000, when measles was declared eliminated in the United States, the number of cases in California each year has ranged from four to 40 cases. In that time, almost all measles cases in the United States have been linked to travel to parts of the world where measles still circulates.

Measles is a highly contagious viral disease that is spread through the air through a cough or a sneeze by someone who is ill with the disease.

Symptoms begin with a fever that lasts for a couple of days, followed by a cough, runny nose, red, watery eyes and rash. The rash typically appears first on the face, along the hairline, and behind the ears and then affects the rest of the body.

Infected people are usually contagious for about eight days – four days before their rash starts and four days after. Complications can include diarrhea, ear infections and pneumonia. In severe cases death can occur. Infants, pregnant women and people with impaired immune systems are more susceptible to complications from measles.
                                                                                          
Children are recommended to get their first dose of MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine at 12 to 15 months. The second dose of MMR is usually administered before children start kindergarten at 4 to 6 years.

Immunized adults do not need boosters. However, anyone born since 1957 who has not had two doses of vaccine may still be vulnerable to measles and should ask their doctor about getting immunized, especially if they are traveling overseas.

Unvaccinated Californians who are traveling outside of North or South America should receive MMR vaccine before they go. Infants who are traveling can be vaccinated as young as six months of age (though they should also have the two standard doses of MMR vaccine after their first birthday).

People getting ready to travel abroad can find helpful information about travel vaccines on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Web site, http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/list .

MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – The Lake Evacuation and Animal Protection group will hold its next meeting on Sunday, March 30.

The group will meet from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at South Lake County Fire Protection District's Main Station 60, 21095 State Highway 175 in Middletown.

LEAP, as the group is known, is composed of fully trained volunteers who work under the auspices of Lake County Animal Care and Control to assist with animal evacuations during fires and other disasters.

The group worked to evacuate pets and livestock from Spring Valley during the August 2012 Wye Fire, as Lake County News has reported.

Animal Care and Control Director Bill Davidson said they are looking for additional volunteers and hoping to add new members to LEAP's board.

He said volunteers go through training in order to have the necessary skills – as well as the needed certificates to satisfy liability issues – when emergencies occur.

For more information contact 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 Clear Lake Area California Highway Patrol will offer a free “Start Smart” traffic safety class for teenage drivers and their parents/guardians.

The class will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, May 14, at the CHP office in Kelseyville, located at 5700 Live Oak Drive, at the corner of Live Oak Drive and Highway 29.

The leading cause of death for Americans 15 to 20 years old is motor vehicle collisions, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The CHP's goal is to reduce the death rate among teenagers as the result of these collisions.  

“The CHP wants to make our resources available to parents and teens when they have questions or issues about new driver development. We want to make ourselves available to the public to allow them to call or come down to talk face to face regarding any issue,” said Lt Greg Baarts, commander of the Clear Lake Area. “This is a valuable program for parents and their newly licensed or soon to be licensed teen.”

The CHP’s “Start Smart” program is aimed at helping newly licensed and future licensed teenage drivers understand the critical responsibilities of driving and to understand that accidents happen, but collisions are 100 percent preventable.  

The program is designed to provide teens and their parents/guardians with an interactive safe driving awareness class which will illustrate how poor choices behind the wheel of a car can affect the lives of numerous people.  

“Start Smart” also focuses on responsibilities of newly licensed drivers, responsibilities of parents/guardians and, collision avoidance techniques.  

Space is limited for this class and the Clear Lake Area CHP will be providing more classes throughout the year.

For more information or reservations, call Officer Kory Reynolds at the CHP office at 707-279-0103.

Scientists, using cameras aboard NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO), have created the largest high resolution mosaic of our moon's north polar region.

The six-and-a-half feet (two-meters)-per-pixel images cover an area equal to more than one-quarter of the United States.

Web viewers can zoom in and out, and pan around an area; to view the image with zoom and pan capability, visit http://lroc.sese.asu.edu/gigapan .

Constructed from 10,581 pictures, the mosaic provides enough detail to see textures and subtle shading of the lunar terrain. Consistent lighting throughout the images makes it easy to compare different regions.

“This unique image is a tremendous resource for scientists and the public alike,” said John Keller, LRO project scientist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. “It's the latest example of the exciting insights and data products LRO has been providing for nearly five years.”

The images making up the mosaic were taken by the two LRO Narrow Angle Cameras, which are part of the instrument suite known as the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera (LROC). The cameras can record a tremendous dynamic range of lit and shadowed areas.

“Creation of this giant mosaic took four years and a huge team effort across the LRO project,” said Mark Robinson, principal investigator for the LROC at Arizona State University in Tempe. “We now have a nearly uniform map to unravel key science questions and find the best landing spots for future exploration.”

The entire image measures 931,070 pixels square – nearly 867 billion pixels total. A complete printout at 300 dots per inch – considered crisp resolution for printed publications – would require a square sheet of paper wider than a professional U.S. football field and almost as long.

If the complete mosaic were processed as a single file, it would require approximately 3.3 terabytes of storage space. Instead, the processed mosaic was divided into millions of small, compressed files, making it manageable for users to view and navigate around the image using a web browser.

LRO entered lunar orbit in June 2009 equipped with seven instrument suites to map the surface, probe the radiation environment, investigate water and key mineral resources, and gather geological clues about the moon's evolution.

Researchers used additional information about the moon's topography from LRO's Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter, as well as gravity information from NASA's Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) mission, to assemble the mosaic.

Launched in September 2011, the GRAIL mission, employing twin spacecraft named Ebb and Flow, generated a gravity field map of the moon – the highest resolution gravity field map of any celestial body.

To access the complete collection of LROC images, visit http://lroc.sese.asu.edu/ .

LRO is managed by Goddard for the Science Mission Directorate (SMD) at NASA Headquarters in Washington. LROC was designed and built by Malin Space Science Systems and is operated by the University of Arizona. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., managed the GRAIL mission for SMD.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – Department of Water Resources surveyors will head back up the mountain on Tuesday, April 1, for their monthly on-the-ground snow survey with an expectation of finding growth in the snowpack due to this week’s storms throughout much of California.

However, the first significant precipitation in weeks likely will be too little and too late to have much impact on this year’s severe drought, according to state water officials.

Snowpack and rain measurements are so far below normal for this time of year that even sustained rainfall over the next several days, as is predicted, won’t end the drought.

Thursday's snowpack water equivalent as measured electronically by 99 sensors in the Northern, Central and Southern Sierra Nevada range is 7.1 inches, only 25 percent of the date’s average of 28.3 inches.

Rain measurements show the same pattern. Average rainfall at eight monitoring stations in Northern California is just 55 percent of the average for this date, and the average at five stations in the San Joaquin watershed is even less – 43 percent of their average.

Northern California reservoirs – Shasta, Trinity and Folsom (Bureau of Reclamation facilities) and Oroville (State Water Project) – are well below their historic storage levels for this date at 58, 68, 67 and 61 percent respectively.

DWR Director Mark Cowin said this week’s storms are providing some short-term gains, but the drought is far from being broken.

“It’s as important as ever for Californians to conserve water,” he said. “We can do that by allowing Mother Nature to water lawns and landscapes and by turning off our automatic sprinklers to save water.”

Governor Jerry Brown declared a state of drought emergency on Jan. 17 and called on local water suppliers and municipalities to implement their water shortage contingency plans.

He also directed state officials to respond to the state’s drought conditions by taking all necessary actions, including facilitating water transfers and reducing water use at government facilities.

Visit www.Drought.CA.Gov to learn more about how California is dealing with the effects of the drought.

KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – The investigation into the theft of a wedding ring has resulted in the arrest of a Kelseyville man.

Cesar Chaves Barba, 34, was arrested Monday for theft of an elder due to the fact the victim was over the age of 65, and grand theft, according to Lt. Steve Brooks of the Lake County Sheriff's Office.

On Saturday, March 15, at approximately 9 p.m., deputies responded to a residence located in the 3000 block of Live Oak Drive in Kelseyville for a reported theft of a ring, Brooks said.

The victim told deputies that he noticed his wife’s wedding ring was missing from the residence. He explained that he took possession of his wife’s wedding ring about six weeks ago, after she was admitted to the hospital, according to Brooks.

The victim said he placed the ring on a shelf in the kitchen and last remembered seeing it approximately three weeks ago. He noticed the ring was missing when his wife asked him to bring it to the hospital, so she could wear it home after getting discharged from the hospital, Brooks said.

Brooks said the man described his wife’s ring as being made of platinum with three diamonds. He told deputies that he purchased the ring approximately 60 years ago for $1,000 and believes it is now worth eight to 10 times the amount he paid for it.

The victim said the only people who have been at his house are his grandchildren and a person who works for him part-time named Cesar. Brooks said the victim did not know Cesar’s last name, but said he lived down the street.

The man remembered having Cesar complete some work in his kitchen, which was where the ring was last seen. Brooks said the victim was able to provide the deputy with a contact telephone number Cesar.

The deputy conducted a search in the sheriff’s office computer system and located Barba, Brooks said.

Brooks said the deputy noticed that the telephone number listed in the computer system for Barba was the same contact number the victim had provided.

A further search of the computer system revealed that Barba was reported to have pawned a ring on March 6, according to Brooks.

On Tuesday, March 18, the deputy was able to locate the original pawn slip from when Barba had pawned a ring for $30. Brooks said the pawn slip also contained Barba’s thumb print, his driver’s license number and his date of birth.

The deputy contacted the pawn shop and asked for a hold to be placed on the ring until further identification could be made, according to Brooks.

Brooks said the deputy contacted the victim and showed him a picture of the ring, which was supplied by the pawn shop. He positively identified the ring as the one he purchased 60 years ago for his wife. The deputy seized the ring and gave it back to the victim.

On Monday at approximately 10:45 a.m., deputies contacted Barba. Brooks said the deputy showed Barba a picture of the ring obtained from the pawn shop and asked if he recognized it, which he denied.

Barba then admitted to finding a ring in the victim’s driveway, which he pawned. He told the deputy that he was under the influence of alcohol when he found the ring and admitted to pawning it for $30, Brooks said.

Brooks said Barba was arrested, transported to the Lake County Hill Road Correctional Facility and booked. Brooks said Barba remained in custody on Tuesday evening, with bail set at $15,000.