LUCERNE, Calif. – The Lucerne Alpine Senior Center was one of several locations around Lucerne targeted by vandals this past weekend.

What appeared to be a large gang-related graffiti tag that referred to the “11th St. Villains” was painted on the side of the center.

Center Executive Director Rae Eby-Carl discovered the graffiti earlier this week, concluding it had occurred during the weekend.

She subsequently reported the vandalism to the Lake County Sheriff's Office.

Eby-Carl said the center's tagging incident is believed to have been done by the same vandals who hit elsewhere in town, painting on signs on Highway 20 and tagging the back of the Lake County Visitor Center, as well as several empty storefronts along the highway corridor.

Eby-Carl said center staff was disappointed that the center – which is both a community resource and a historical site – was disfigured.

“The programs here are on a limited budget so it is sad to have to use labor and resources to repair this damage,” she said.
 
Nevertheless, volunteers got right to work removing the graffiti, which stretched about 8 feet along the side of the center facing 10th Avenue.

On Tuesday morning, center volunteer Oliver Wells put on the first cover coat, with longtime volunteer and new center board member Dave Templeton adding another coat in the afternoon.

The center has previously been the target of vandalism, with the most recent case a few years ago also involving what appeared to be gang graffiti.

If anyone has any information on the recent vandalism case, they are asked to call the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, 707-262-4200.

Lucerne Alpine Senior Center is requesting community volunteers to assist with programs and upkeep of the building. Call 707-274-8779 if you would like to assist.

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.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – A Tuesday afternoon crash involving a pickup and a power pole has led to a temporary road closure on 11th Street due to the pole needing to be replaced.

Lt. Jason Ferguson of the Lakeport Police Department said officers and Lakeport Fire Protection District personnel were dispatched to the area of 11th and Pool streets at approximately 1:37 p.m. on the report of a single vehicle crash with a power pole.

He said when the officers arrived on scene they immediately closed 11th Street from North Street to the entrance of Round Table Pizza to divert traffic as Pacific Gas and Electric crews worked on the damaged pole.

Officers contacted James Knox, 76, of Lakeport and learned that he was driving his Toyota Tacoma truck eastbound on 11th Street when he fell asleep, causing the pickup to drift onto Pool Street and strike the power pole, Ferguson reported.

Ferguson said Knox was not injured in the crash.

The wreck caused severe damage to the power pole, which required additional PG&E personnel and equipment, Ferguson said.

Due to the extent of the damage, PG&E will be working through the night to repair the power pole, he said.

PG&E was reporting only three customers being affected initially by the crash.

Road closures on 11th Street between North Street and the entrance to Round Table Pizza are expected to be in effect until midnight, Ferguson said.

Motorists are encouraged to use alternative routes as workers will be on scene, according to police.

For further information contact the Lakeport Police Department, 707-264-5491.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – As the nation prepares to celebrate Independence Day, the California Highway Patrol reminds everyone to plan ahead for a safe holiday for you and your family.

This year the holiday falls on a Thursday; for many, it could turn into a four-day weekend full of celebration and good times.

In conjunction with the Independence Day holiday, the CHP will engage in a maximum enforcement period, or MEP.

Officers will be focusing enforcement out on the road during the long holiday break, looking for motorists who are a danger to themselves or others on our state’s highways.

The MEP begins Wednesday, July 3, at 6 p.m. and continues through Sunday, July 7, at 11:59 p.m.

“We want the public to enjoy their family, friends, food and fireworks,” said CHP Commissioner Joe Farrow. “However, that fun should not come at the expense of someone’s personal safety and the safety of those on the road with them.”

Last year’s Fourth of July MEP was only 30 hours long, but tragically resulted in nine people being killed in California.

In addition, CHP officers made 479 arrests for driving under the influence during that same time period.

The CHP encourages motorists to put a plan in place to save lives on the road this Independence Day. A great start to a safe and enjoyable holiday begins by following a few helpful tips.

• If your Independence Day celebration includes drinking alcohol, arrange for a friend or family member who will not be drinking to be the “designated driver.”
• Always wear your seat belt. Make sure all passengers, adults and children, are also buckled up.
• Watch your speed. Stay at or below the limit, depending upon road conditions.
• Plan ahead if you will drive long distances. Add extra time to your trip so you will not feel rushed and take a break every hour or so to get refreshed.

MENDOCINO NATIONAL FOREST, Calif. – The employees of the Mendocino National Forest want to remind visitors to have a safe July 4 holiday, especially while recreating in the forest.

With hot temperatures and increasingly dry fuel conditions, visitors are asked to be careful with fire in the National Forest, including campfires, gas stoves and lanterns.

Fireworks, including sparklers, are prohibited on the Mendocino National Forest, officials said.

The forest is currently under fire restrictions. Under the restrictions, fires, campfires, charcoal fires or stoves are prohibited on the National Forest except in a few designated campgrounds.

A list of campgrounds and a copy of the restrictions is available on the forest Web site, www.fs.usda.gov/mendocino .  

In all other areas of the forest, lanterns or portable stoves using gas, jellied petroleum or pressurized liquid fuel will be allowed as long as the person has a current California Campfire Permit with them.

California Campfire Permits may be obtained at any Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management or CAL FIRE office in California, as well as from most Forest Service field employees. They may also be obtained online at www.fs.usda.gov/main/mendocino/passes-permits/recreation .

Nighttime temperatures are generally cooler in the mountains, and even during summer there is the possibility of storms in the mountains.

Visitors should be prepared for changing conditions. Bring layered clothing and plenty of food and water on your outdoor adventure. Tell someone where you are planning on going, which routes you plan on taking and when you plan on being back.

“We want everyone to have a safe and memorable Fourth of July weekend, especially those enjoying the Forest,” said Forest Supervisor Sherry Tune. “We appreciate everyone’s cooperation in helping us reduce the risk of wildfire by being careful during their visit.”

All Mendocino National Forest offices will be closed Thursday, July 4, in observance of the holiday.

For more information, please contact the Mendocino National Forest at 530-934-3316 or visit www.fs.usda.gov/mendocino .

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – A traffic stop in Clearlake last week led to one man's arrest, and the seizure of thousands of dollars' worth of methamphetamine and marijuana.

Eric Lee Nevarez, 36, of Finley was arrested as a result of the stop, according to Lt. Steve Brooks of the Lake County Sheriff's Office.

Brooks said that at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 25, narcotics detectives conducted a vehicle stop in the area of Highway 53 and 18th Avenue in Clearlake.

During the stop, they contacted Nevarez, who was a passenger in the vehicle. Brooks said detectives knew from previous contacts that Nevarez was on felony probation with a search clause.

As detectives were contacting Nevarez, he said “Whatever you find in there isn’t mine,” according to Brooks' report.

Detectives searched Nevarez and located a glass pipe in his pants pocket. The pipe was of the type commonly used to smoke methamphetamine, Brooks said.

He said the detectives also conducted a search of the vehicle where Nevarez was sitting. They located a plastic bag containing approximately 5 ounces of methamphetamine partially hidden in the seat where Nevarez was sitting and a plastic bag containing approximately two pounds of marijuana.

Nevarez admitted that the methamphetamine and marijuana belonged to him. He also said the other occupants of the vehicle did not know he had the illegal items in his possession, Brooks reported.

Nevarez was arrested for possession of a controlled substance for sale, transportation of a controlled substance, possession of marijuana for sale, sales of marijuana and possession of controlled substance paraphernalia. He was transported to the Lake County Hill Road Correctional Facility and booked. Jail records indicated he has since been released from custody.

Detectives weighed and tested the suspected methamphetamine using a NIK test. The test flashed blue indicating presumptive positive for methamphetamine and had an approximate weight of 149.4 grams, Brooks said.

He said detectives estimated the approximate street value of the methamphetamine to be $14,250. The bag of marijuana had an approximate weight of 1 pound, 12 ounces.

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

California Attorney General Kamala D. Harris has released the first report detailing the 131 data breaches reported to her office in 2012, showing that 2.5 million Californians had personal information put at risk through an electronic data breach.

The report found that 1.4 million Californians would have been protected if companies had encrypted data when moving or sending the data out of the company’s network.

“Data breaches are a serious threat to individuals' privacy, finances and even personal security,” Attorney General Harris said. “Companies and government agencies must do more to protect people by protecting data.”

In 2003, California was the first state to pass a law (AB 700, Simitian) mandating data breach notification, which requires businesses and state agencies to notify Californians when their personal information is compromised in security breach.

In 2012, companies and state agencies subject to the law were required for the first time to report any breach that involved more than 500 Californians to the Attorney General’s Office under SB 24 (Simitian).

While not required by law, Attorney General Harris is issuing this report that analyses the data breach notices reported in 2012, provides information to the public about those breaches, and makes recommendations to companies, law enforcement agencies, and the legislature about how data security could be improved.

Those recommendations include practices that would decrease the number of data breaches, make it easier for consumers to recover from the loss or theft of their personal information, and call for law enforcement agencies to more aggressively target breaches involving unencrypted personal information.

First, companies should encrypt digital personal information when moving or sending it out of their secure network.

In 2012, encryption would have prevented reporting companies and agencies from putting over 1.4 million Californians at risk.

The Attorney General’s Office will make it an enforcement priority to investigate breaches involving unencrypted personal information.

In addition, companies should review and tighten their security controls on personal information, including training employees and contractors.

Companies should make the breach notices they send easier to read. The report found that the average reading level of the notices submitted in 2012 was 14th grade, much higher than the average U.S. Reading level of eighth grade. Recipients need to be able to understand the notices so that they can take appropriate action to protect their information.

Finally, the report recommends that legislators consider expanding the law to require notification of breaches involving passwords.

Attorney General Harris is supporting legislation, SB 46 by Sen. Ellen Corbett, which would require notification of a breach involving a user name or email address, in combination with a password or security question and answer that would permit access to an online account.

Additional key findings of the report include:

• The average (mean) breach incident involved the information of 22,500 individuals. The median breach size was 2,500 affected individuals, with five breaches of 100,000 or more individuals’ personal information.
• More than 1.4 million Californians would not have been put at risk, and 28 percent of the data breaches would not have required notification, if the data had been encrypted.
• The retail industry reported the most data breaches in 2012: 34 (26 percent of the total reported breaches), followed by finance and insurance with 30 (23 percent).
• More than half of the breaches (56 percent) involved Social Security numbers, which pose the greatest risk of the most serious types of identity theft.
• More than half of the breaches (55 percent) were the result of intentional intrusions by outsiders or by unauthorized insiders. The other 45 percent were largely the result of failures to adopt or carry out appropriate security measures.

Attorney General Harris established the Privacy Enforcement and Protection Unit in 2012 to enforce federal and state privacy laws regulating the collection, retention, disclosure, and destruction of private or sensitive information by individuals, organizations, and the government.

This includes California’s Online Privacy Protection Act, as well as laws relating to cyber privacy, health and financial privacy, identity theft, government records and data breaches.

In October 2012, Attorney General Harris announced a settlement with Anthem Blue over allegations the company breached its members’ personal data by failing to protect their Social Security Numbers.

To learn more about the Attorney General’s privacy work, visit http://oag.ca.gov/privacy.

List of 2012 Breaches Reported to AG

Attorney General Breach Report 2012

The California Department of Boating and Waterways reminds boaters to use caution on the water this July 4.

DBW’s boating accident data shows that more boating accidents occur during this holiday than any other.

Waterways are crowded and people boat in groups or with many people aboard their vessels. Distractions are numerous.

“Operator inattention is the number one cause of boating accidents,” said DBW’s Acting Director Sylvia Ortega Hunter. “Designating another person on board to act as an additional lookout for other boats, obstacles, or people in the water, can give the operator more reaction time to avoid an accident.”

The following are other tips that can greatly decrease the chances of a boater being involved in a boating accident:

• Avoid alcohol. Everyone who drinks alcohol on board--not just the operator--is at risk. Intoxicated passengers can easily fall overboard, swim near the propeller, or cause the vessel to capsize.
• Wear a life jacket. There must be a properly-fitted life jacket on the vessel for each person. Children under the age of 13, all personal watercraft riders, paddle-boarders, and anyone being towed behind a boat are required by law to wear a lifejacket.
• Know some basic rules of the road. Steer to the right when approaching another vessel head on, and remember that in a crossing situation involving two power-driven boats, the boater on the right has the right-of-way.
• Operate your boat at a reasonable speed. Boats do not have brakes. Operators need to allow for adequate stopping distances to avoid accidents.
• Properly use water ski flags when skiers, wakeboarders or tubers are down. Improper use of flags can be dangerous not only to the person in the water, but to passing boats as well. A ski line entangled in the propeller of a passing boat can result in a deadly accident.

State law requires boaters involved in accidents to file a written report with DBW when a person dies, disappears or requires medical attention beyond first aid.

A report also is required when an accident results in damage to a vessel or other property exceeding $500 or there is a complete loss of a vessel.

For more safety tips or to view California’s boating laws, please visit www.BoatResponsibly.com .

Remember, “If it’s your boat, it’s your responsibility.”

LAKEPORT, Calif. – A Lakeport care facility is moving forward with an appeal of a state citation and fine it received in May for the 2011 death of a patient.

The California Department of Public Health gave Evergreen Lakeport Healthcare the most severe penalty under state law, a Class “AA” citation, and the highest fine, $100,000, following the completion of its investigation into the August 2011 death of an elderly female patient, as Lake County News has reported.

A nurse accidentally gave the woman pain medication – in this case, methadone – meant for another patient, according to the investigation.

Rather than take the woman to the hospital or give her a reversal agent, facility staff monitored her vital signs and gave her oxygen. Her condition worsened and she died several hours later, the investigative report said.

Irvine attorney Kippy Wroten, who represents Evergreen Lakeport Healthcare, said the facility “respectfully, yet strongly” disagreed with the citation, believing it was inconsistent with the evidence of the facility nursing staff's diligent care and treatment.

She said her office filed a notice with the California Department of Public Health informing the agency that Evergreen Lakeport Healthcare will appeal the decision.

Pursuant to administrative rules, the appeal will be filed this month, Wroten said.

Corey Egel, a spokesman for the California Department of Public Health, told Lake County News that the vast majority of facilities receiving “AA” citations appeal them.

He said facilities are rarely successful in court in overturning that level of citation.

Evergreen Lakeport Healthcare previously received a “AA” citation and an $80,000 fine for the death of a 44-year-old woman in June 2007.

The investigative report in that incident faulted the facility for lack of proper care and inadequate staff training in emergency care and cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

Egel said Evergreen Lakeport Healthcare appealed in that case and a settlement was reached for $70,000.

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 CALIFORIA – The California Department of Fish and Wildlife has announced it is extending the commercial Dungeness crab season to Aug. 14.

Pursuant to Fish and Game Code (FGC) Section 8277, Director Charlton H. Bonham extended the season off the coasts of Mendocino, Humboldt and Del Norte counties (Districts 6, 7, 8 and 9).  

This extended season coincides with the Oregon commercial Dungeness crab season closing date.

The season extension will provide added fishing opportunity to make up for the delayed start to the season and to take advantage of what appears to be another late molt as industry reports confirm that crabs are still in good condition at this time.    

FGC Section 8277(c) authorizes the director to close the season at any time during the extension period if it is determined that continued fishing will damage the crab resource.

The start of the 2012-13 Dungeness crab season was delayed six weeks due to soft-shell late onset of molting.

More information on Dungeness crab can be found here: http://www.dfg.ca.gov/marine/invertebrate/management_com.asp#crab .

LOWER LAKE, Calif. – The Lake County Sheriff's Office has reported that an attempted home invasion robbery Sunday resulted in gunshots being fired by a resident of the home.

No one was injured in the shooting, according to sheriff's Lt. Steve Brooks.

One suspect, 36-year-old Thomas Lee Sargent of Clearlake, also was taken into custody in connection to the incident, Brooks said.

According to sheriff's office, deputies responded to a residence on Arrowpoint Road in Lower Lake at around 6:45 a.m. Sunday for a home invasion robbery.

Occupants of the home reportedly told deputies that they had head what sounded like someone gaining entry into the house through the dog door, Brooks said.

A male resident then armed himself and went to investigate the noise finding a male subject crawling through the dog door into the residence, Brooks reported.

The resident of the home was holding what appeared to be a firearm, according to Brooks' report.

At that point the resident questioned the would-be robber, who began lifting the firearm towards the home invasion victim. Brooks said the resident then fired twice.

The alleged robber immediately retreated from the dog door and ran from the residence, Brooks said. The resident then noticed a second suspect in the middle of the yard.

According to the report the second suspect began raising what the resident thought to be a weapon and the resident responded by firing two more times causing the second suspect to flee on foot.

A set of keys found in the backyard fit an unfamiliar vehicle found parked at a nearby residence, and while searching that vehicle deputies discovered Sargent's wallet.

On Monday, the Sheriff's Major Crimes Unit located Sargent and arrested him for burglary and conspiracy to commit a felony based upon his statements and evidence found at the scene.

Sargent was booked into Lake County Hill Road Correctional Facility, with bail set at $30,000. Jail records indicated he remained in custody early Wednesday.

This investigation is ongoing and anyone with information about this crime is encouraged to contact the Lake County Sheriff’s Office Major Crimes Unit at 707-263-2690.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Lake Transit strike will enter its second and final day on Tuesday, with transit workers and their employer expected to reenter negotiations later this month.

The strike, which started Monday, followed a break in negotiations that occurred last week between Paratransit Services, the Washington-based nonprofit that holds the contract for Lake Transit Authority operations, and Teamsters Local 665, which represents most of the company's local employees.

Randy Grove, director of operations and human resources for Paratransit Services, said it's Paratransit Services' understanding that the union intends to continue the strike through Tuesday evening and that employees will return to regular work schedules beginning Wednesday.

Lake Transit has scaled back services over the two-day strike, and also has delayed expanding services which it said it was implementing due to need in the community.

Don Staler, Local 665 shop steward, said employees picketed at three locations on Monday and would do so again on Tuesday: Ray's Food Place Clearlake, Lake Transit's headquarters in Lower Lake and the county bus yard in Lakeport.

“It was hot, but I think he was hotter for Lake Transit,” said Staler.

Staler estimated that most of the company's three dozen union-represented employees are participating in the strike. Strike support came from across the employee spectrum and included drivers, mechanics and dispatchers.

He also estimated that ridership was extremely low based on his observations. “We're looking at it as community support at this point,” Staler said.

Mark Wall, Lake Transit Authority's general manager, said things went “relatively well” on Monday.

He said buses were running on time on Routes 5 and 6 in Clearlake and Lower Lake, and Clearlake Dial-A-Ride and Lakeport Dial-A-Ride operated normally.

“We do have some customers that are unable to travel between Clearlake and Lakeport using the reduced schedules, and we have customers who have been stranded in Ukiah because they are unable to make connections from Amtrak to Lake County,” Wall said in an email message. “Still other customers who learned about the strike ahead of time have made alternate plans to travel to the Bay Area and elsewhere.”

The California Highway Patrol reported receiving a report from a member of the Teamsters about drivers who were not properly licensed being used to run the routes on Monday.

Wall said Paratransit Services has on file the records and credentials of all drivers, and all drivers are properly licensed and fully qualified. He said the drivers working on Monday consisted of several Lake Transit drivers who chose to work, supervisors and experienced drivers from other Paratransit Services locations in Northern California.

He also suggested that the report by Teamsters to CHP was “possibly a tactic to disrupt service, or it was a misunderstanding about the use of driver trainees as helpers on board buses.”

According to Wall, driver trainees were assisting passengers – particularly those who are elderly or have disabilities – with boarding the bus, loading groceries and other tasks. He said that assistance also was helping keep the buses running on time.

Staler alleged that the drivers who were driving the routes were driving too fast and not meeting appropriate standards. He also said that one striking Lake Transit employee was bumped by a bus driven by one of the replacement drivers, with law enforcement responding. He said the man was not injured.

The union and Paratransit Services are scheduled to hold another contract negotiations meeting on Wednesday, July 17, Grove said. At that point he said they are scheduled to meet with a federal mediator.

Scaled-back services to be offered on Tuesday, mirroring those on Monday, include: Clear Lake / Lakeport Dial-a-Ride (DAR) will operate from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Routes 5 and 6 will run from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Route 4 westbound will operate at 7:05 a.m. and 1 p.m.; Route 1 eastbound will operate at 8:31 a.m. and 2:21 p.m.

For more information call Lake Transit at 707-994-3334 or visit www.laketransit.org .

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.

LOWER LAKE, Calif. – “Star Chain,” the 42nd quilt block on the Lake County Quilt Trail has been placed on the Community Care building at 8050 B Lake St. in Lower Lake.

“The special connection to this quilt block is that it represents our community,” said Sandy Richards, MSN, RN at the Community Care center.

The block colors are blue, yellow, orange, purple, turquoise, red and white.

The colors were chosen for the quilt block to represent life, healing, sun, nature, art, harmony and spirit.

The “Star Chain” quilt is an important way to remember and honor the lives of ones lost to AIDS.

CCHAP is a home and place of healing and support for those who have contracted the disease. CCHAP staff and clients provide outreach activities to educate the public about the disease.

Quilting and AIDS have an important relationship, remembering people who have died and people who can be saved in the future.

The original site of this location is adorned by 400 to 500 year old oaks and was a resort in the 1950s.

CCHAP’s building resembles the false front of a western building. In the fall of 2011, the building was purchased by Community Care to serve two programs, the Community Care HIV AIDS Program and the Multipurpose Senior Service Program.

Both programs provide services to low income people so they may continue to live in their homes.

The GPS location of “Star Chain” is Latitude: 38.02, Longitude: -122.61.

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

The 8-foot by 8-foot quilt block was drawn and painted by the Lake County Quilt Trail team, a group of dedicated quilters, graphic artists, painters, writers, carpenters and a videographer.

For more information about the Lake County Quilt Trail, visit www.lakecountyquilttrail.com or go to the Lake County Quilt Trail Facebook page.