The catch is that these schools, though part of local school districts, are on stateside bases and 94 percent of their students are military children.

There are 160 public schools on stateside bases, evidence of a bygone era when the only way to send military children to racially integrated schools was to build them on base. Other public schools are on bases because local communities lacked means to ensure military kids got a quality education.

All of these public schools on base were at one time under control of the Department of Education.

Twenty are still “owned” by the Department of Education even though all are run now by local school districts, explained Robert Gordon, deputy assistant secretary of defense for military community and family policy.

The feeling on Capitol Hill is that military families suffer enough stress, with multiple war deployments of parents, that they shouldn’t have to watch public-run schools on base deteriorate because local school budgets have been hit hard by a deep recession and slow economic recovery.

So as part of the fiscal 2011 defense appropriations bill, Congress took the unprecedented step of adding a quarter of a billion dollars to be used to repair, renovate or replace schools previously thought to be the sole responsibility of local school systems and local taxpayers.

Working with local education agencies, the $250 million will be aimed at 30 or fewer schools whose facilities are rated by DoD engineering teams as “failing” due to rundown conditions or inadequate capacity, or as “poor” both in physical condition and in limited space, Gordon said.

More than half of schools found to be in most need of renovation are on rural Army bases including Fort Sill, Okla., Fort Bliss, Texas, Fort Polk, La., and Fort Riley, Kan. Public schools in need also are on Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash., Naval Support Activity, Norfolk, Va., Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., and Wheeler/Schofield Army Airfield, Hawaii and other bases.

Here’s a link to a full list of the schools, where red and yellow bars indicate facility conditions of “failing” or “poor” and over capacity greater than 30 percent or 16 percent: http://cs.mhf.dod.mil/content/dav/mhf/QOL-Library/Project%20Documents/MilitaryHOMEFRONT/Leadership/Public%20Schools%20on%20Military%20Installations%20Priority%20List.pdf.

An assessment that place base schools into lower tiers of disrepair is concerning but not surprising, said Candace Wheeler, deputy director of government relations for the National Military Family Association. A lot of public schools on base are just very old, she said.

“Although many need upgrading or renovating, that doesn’t speak to the quality of education going on inside,” Wheeler added. “Many of them are doing an excellent job of educating our military children.”

Gordon said quality of education in these schools varies by district, as is true across the country. A point he preferred to emphasize is that every school on a military base is safe to attend, even those rated as failing.

“We don’t put our kids in unsafe schools,” Gordon said.

Wheeler said NMFA feel it’s time for public schools on base to be a “shared responsibility” of DoD and local districts. They are, after all, “on their installations [and] educating military children.”

In setting aside $250 million, Congress made “a very good start,” she said. NMFA hopes that isn’t viewed as a one-and-done appropriation.

DoD did not seek money to repair public schools on base and doesn’t plan to, Gordon suggested. But the $250 million is now “part of a larger strategic blueprint to increase quality education for our military children.”

He doesn’t know how far the money will go to address needed repairs. Defense officials won’t start allocating cash to projects until they meet with school districts to learn more about school needs.

“I can tell you that on the list of 160 schools, almost 50 percent of them are in good condition and have no capacity issues,” Gordon said.

When we noted that half of the schools were not in good shape, Gordon acknowledged that the condition of facilities could impact learning. But more important factors, he said, are “are good teachers, good curriculum, good principals [and] good superintendents.”

Wheeler made a similar point.

More than a million of 1.2 million military school-age children are educated off base, mostly in public schools, and unaffected by these plans.

The House Appropriations Committee first sounded an alarm on physically deteriorating schools for military children in 2008, focusing then on 195 schools operated by the Department of Defense Education Activity. DoDEA schools educate 86,000 military children in 12 foreign countries, seven states and the U.S. territories of Puerto Rica and Guam.

DoD teams rating the physical conditions at DoDEA schools gave a “failing” grade to 40 percent and an “under-maintained” rating to another 39 percent. Those statistics were shared with Defense Secretary Leon Panetta in a July letter from a dozen U.S. senators who urged him to work with Congress to help give military children the schools they deserve.

Defense officials say they are in the second year now of a six-year plan to repair or replace 134 DoDEA schools in poor or failing physical condition. The fiscal 2012 budget request seeks $550 million to “recapitalize” 15 schools, a figure that hints at how far $250 million might go toward reviving 30 or so public schools on base.

Those are schools with “urgent” needs, Gordon said.

“We do take this seriously,” Gordon said about conditions at these schools. “But we feel our kids are getting [a good] education.”

Meanwhile, DoD continues to assess the quality of education at DoDEA schools, reviewing curriculums to measure strength of studies in technology, mathematics and language skills, and weighing the effect of frequent deployments by parents on their children’s education, Gordon said.

To comment, send e-mail to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or write to Military Update, P.O. Box 231111, Centreville, VA, 20120-1111.

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Watermelon is a nutritious summer favorite. Photo courtesy of the National Watermelon Promotion Board.

Since watermelon is a big player at summer picnics and backyard barbecues, it seems the perfect topic for Labor Day weekend.

No doubt many readers will enjoy its pink, juicy fleshiness during summer’s last hurrah, and I’ll be among them.

The watermelons of my childhood in the 1960s and 1970s were a different animal than most seen in today’s markets.

The huge and heavy deep green beauties of days gone by were only available in the summer and were chock full of slippery black seeds. The seeds were so plentiful, in fact, that they might’ve hindered one’s enjoyment of the sweet flesh, had they not been so fun to spit.

My first memory of eating watermelon was during a summer picnic in upstate New York when I was about 4 or 5 years old. The blissful juiciness of that experience landed watermelon on the top of my list of favorite foods for years afterward. It almost eclipsed the pony rides at the picnic, but not quite.

Today there are more than 1,200 varieties of watermelon, ranging in weight from less than a pound to more than 200 pounds, with flesh in colors that range from pink to red to orange, yellow or white. More and more seedless varieties appear on the market each year.

The world record weight for a watermelon is a bulky 262 pounds, grown by a Tennessee farmer in 1990. Extra large watermelons at 200 pounds resemble the bodies of mid-sized pigs. At 60 pounds plus that, it would seem granddaddy hog entered the room.

The always-clever Japanese have devised a way to create square watermelons by growing them in glass boxes, where the fruits naturally assume that shape. They may be convenient for stacking on supermarket shelves, but the hefty price tag – about the equivalent of $83 in U.S. dollars in Japan – keeps most consumers away. They’re typically bought as a novelty.

Pyramid-shaped watermelons have also been developed, and any polyhedron (a geometric shape with flat faces and straight edges) may be used to fashion them as they grow.

While they’re not polyhedrons, I’ve seen photos of heart-shaped watermelons in Japanese stores.

The shape, bright skin, thick rind and beautiful flesh of these melons make them perfect for artful carving, and the intricacies of the craft are amazing. From baskets for melon balls to exquisite details in complex floral patterns, the handiwork is available for viewing via a Google search online.

Watermelon is thought to be native to southern Africa, and famed Victorian era explorer David Livingstone reported that watermelon grew abundantly in the Kalahari Desert of that region.

In a land named for its lack of water (Kalahari is derived from Tswana words meaning “great thirst” and “waterless place”), the 92 percent water content in watermelon becomes a life-giving boon for denizens of that arid land.

Watermelon reaches maximum genetic density in southern Africa, with all its forms, sweet, bland and bitter, found growing in the wild there.

It was first cultivated on the opposite end of the African continent, in the north, where the fertile Nile valley was home to the watermelon farms of ancient Egypt.

Records indicate that watermelons were cultivated there from at least as early as the second millennium B.C. It was a popular fruit in that culture, evidenced by the watermelon seeds found in Pharaoh Tutankhamun’s tomb.

Watermelons have reportedly been grown in the U.S. since the 1500s, when French explorers saw American Indians cultivating them in Mississippi. Others put the first watermelon arrival in the U.S. about 100 years later, when they were brought by boat to Massachusetts.

However and whenever they got here, they were brought to our shores by European explorers, as well as African slaves.

They arrived in Europe via the Moor invasion in the 1200s, with the word “watermelon” making its way into English dictionaries by the year 1615, and they’ve been cultivated in Asia since the 9th century A.D.

Pickled watermelon rind is a tradition in the southern U.S., but it's also been popular in Chinese cuisine for centuries, where it's used in appetizers and stir fried dishes.

Choosing a good watermelon can be a mysterious process, as one can’t choose “by nose” as with other melons. They don’t emit a smell when ripe, nor do they ripen off the vine, as cantaloupes do. Here are some tips:

First, look for a symmetrical watermelon free of bruises or cuts.

Second, lift it. If it feels heavy for its size, that’s good.

Third, turn it over and check for the “ground spot.” The bottom should reveal a creamy yellow spot from where it sat on the ground and ripened in the sun. The more yellow the spot, the longer it was allowed to ripen in the field. If there is no spot, or if it’s white or pale green, it was picked prior to maturity.

Some people thump on melons to check for a hollow sound, which they claim indicates a ripe melon. It’s an unproven method, but I do it anyway, maybe just because I like hearing the differing tonal thumps and knocks of makeshift watermelon drums.

Watermelons are in season and stacked high in local stores now. I’d suggest bringing home a couple of them, one to slice and eat fresh, and the other to experiment with in the kitchen. From salsas and salads to main dishes and desserts, there are some very creative ways to use them.

I’ll share some ideas of my own, but if you’d like other inspiration, visit www.watermelon.org, the National Watermelon Promotion Board.

Freeze watermelon balls or squares, then puree for instant sorbet.

Blend watermelon with cantaloupe and kiwi, and then swirl in a little plain or vanilla yogurt for a refreshing summer soup.

Watermelon is routinely served with feta cheese in the Mediterranean region. Mix it with thinly sliced red onion, feta cheese, salt, pepper and a drizzle of olive oil for an interesting salad. Or leave out the cheese and olive oil and enjoy the contrast of the melon and onions on their own.

Make a “fire and ice” salsa by mixing finely cubed watermelon and green pepper. Add some fresh lime juice, cilantro, scallions and jalapeño pepper to taste.

Grill watermelon wedges till caramelized and grill marks appear. Sprinkle a little sugar – or drizzle a little honey – on them first and finish with a variety of dressings, like basil-mint or cilantro-lime. They can be marinated in white balsamic vinegar first to enhance the sweet-sour taste.

Add a little watermelon to black bean or corn salad.

Skewer watermelon with seafood like shrimp or scallops to make kebobs.

Make watermelon “crackers and cheese” by stacking thin slices of it with Havarti cheese.

Try it spread with fresh goat cheese and sprinkled with dill.

Blend watermelon with lime, honey and mint and mix with club soda.

If watermelon’s sliced or cubed and stored sealed in the fridge, it retains its nutritional content for up to nine days, a nice thing to know if you’re preparing things ahead of time.

Watermelon is extremely nutritious, with high stores of vitamins C and A, as well as energy-producing vitamins B6 and B1. It contains very powerful antioxidants and is a good source of beta-carotene if the flesh is pink.

Like tomatoes, it’s rich in lycopene, which is known to be a cancer preventative, and its high antioxidant contents helps prevent macular degeneration.

In addition, it helps squelch the inflammation that contributes to conditions like asthma, atherosclerosis, diabetes, colon cancer, and arthritis.

Today’s recipe is a salad that includes watermelon, fresh mozzarella cheese, and purple basil; in other words, a combination of some of my favorite tastes. If purple basil is difficult to find, substitute a more easily found variety, such as Genovese basil, the type that’s typically stocked on supermarket shelves or sold at farmers’ markets. Enjoy!

Fresh mozzarella watermelon salad with purple basil

2 cups seeded watermelon balls

2 cups fresh mozzarella pieces

1 cup fresh basil (purple or green)

1 bunch scallions, trimmed and chopped

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 pinch salt

Pepper to taste

A drizzle of balsamic vinegar to taste

Toss together the watermelon, mozzarella, basil, scallions and oil.

Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve over a bed of baby greens with crostini on the side.

Drizzle balsamic vinegar over to taste.

Serves six to eight.

Recipe courtesy of www.watermelon.org, the National Watermelon Promotion Board.

Esther’s notes: A pinch of something denotes 1/8 teaspoon, the amount typically able to be pinched between two fingers.

The creamy texture of fresh mozzarella is very different from that of the shrink-wrapped balls of mozzarella used in lasagna or on pizza and is a beautiful contrast to bright, fresh watermelon. Tubs of fresh mozzarella can sometimes be found among the artisan cheeses in the supermarket. If formed into small balls, they’re packaged suspended in water so they hold their shape.

Esther Oertel, the “Veggie Girl,” is a culinary coach and educator and is passionate about local produce. Oertel teaches culinary classes at Chic Le Chef in Hidden Valley Lake, Calif., and The Kitchen Gallery in Lakeport, Calif., and gives private cooking lessons. She welcomes your questions and comments; e-mail her at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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At this very moment one of the fastest spacecraft ever launched – NASA's New Horizons – is hurtling through the void at nearly one million miles per day.

Launched in 2006, it has been in flight longer than some missions last, and still has four more years of travel to go.

New Horizons headed for the lonely world of Pluto on the outer edge of the solar system.

Although astronomers now call Pluto a dwarf planet.

“It's actually a large place, about 5,000 miles around at the equator," said Alan Stern, principal investigator for the mission. “And it's never been explored.”

Indeed, no spacecraft has ever visited Pluto or any dwarf planet.

“This is a whole new class of worlds,” said Stern. “To understand the solar system, we need to understand worlds like Pluto.”

Pluto is a resident of the Kuiper Belt, a vast region beyond the orbit of Neptune.

“The Kuiper Belt contains a thousand dwarf planets or more – a whole zoo of them!,” said Stern. “Dwarf planets are, in fact, the most numerous class of planets in the solar system, and probably in the whole universe."

Pluto is a world of mysteries.

For one thing, Stern wonders, what are the molasses-colored patches on Pluto’s surface seen by the Hubble Space Telescope?

Some scientists think they could be deposits of primordial organic matter. “New Horizon's spectrometers will help us identify the kinds of organic molecules on Pluto. We expect to find something pretty interesting,” Stern said.

Hubble recently contributed more intrigue by spotting a new moon circling Pluto – bringing the total to four.

Composite Hubble images of Pluto now resemble a miniature planetary system. New Horizons will hunt for even more moons as it approaches the dwarf planet.

The probe is primed for detective work – equipped with instruments capable of “knocking the socks off anything Voyager carried.”

In addition to state of the art spectrometers, New Horizons wields one of the largest and highest resolution interplanetary telescopes ever flown. It's called LORRI, short for Long-Range Reconnaissance Imager.

“At closest approach to Pluto – about 10,000 km up – LORRI can resolve details almost as well as a spy camera. The view will be incredible. If we flew this instrument over Earth at that altitude, we could see individual buildings and their shapes,” Stern said.

What will we see on Pluto?

Some researchers say we could spot icy geysers. Some say we could see those surface deposits of organic material. Stern said simply, “There could be all kinds of surprises! It's a first exploration of a new kind of planet.”

Heading far from home, “New Horizons is like Noah's Ark – our ship has two of everything, for backup,” said Stern. “Two heaters, two computer systems, two of everything except the scientific instruments. And even those have capabilities to back each other up.”

When New Horizons reaches Pluto it will have traveled nine and a half years – longer than any spacecraft has ever flown to reach its main target. To save power and reduce wear and tear, it hibernates3 much of the time. But all systems will be ready to spring into action upon arrival in 2015.

Mark your calendar.

Dauna Coulter works for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

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The fire was reported at 3395 Old Highway 53 at about 1:15 a.m., according to radio reports.

Firefighters arriving on scene minutes later reported finding the structure fully involved, with the occupants out of the home.

The fire was reported to be controlled at 1:30 p.m., with mop up set to continue for another hour, according to radio reports.

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Arone Schnebly, 35, at left, was arrested on Saturday, September 3, 2011, by Mendocino County Sheriff's detectives in Willits, Calif. He is facing a murder charge for the July 20, 2011, shooting of Joseph Litteral. Still at large in the case is William Crocker, right. Photos courtesy of the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office.

MENDOCINO COUNTY, Calif. – A suspect in the July murder of a Willits man has been arrested.

Arone Schnebly, 35, was arrested Saturday evening, according to Capt. Kurt Smallcomb of the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office.

Schnebly is facing charges for the murder of 40-year-old Joseph Litteral of Willits at the Bu Shay Campground in Willits on July 20. A second man also was shot and seriously injured.

At 5 p.m. Saturday law enforcement learned from a source that Schnebly was in the Willits area and was likely in a vehicle, Smallcomb said.

Willits Police made a vehicle stop and found Schnebly inside the vehicle. Smallcomb said Mendocino County Sheriff's Office detectives subsequently arrested and booked Schnebly at the Mendocino County Jail.

Smallcomb said a second suspect in the murder, 30-year-old William Hale Crocker, is still at large.

Anyone with information on Crocker is encouraged to contact the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office at 707-463-4086.

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Visitors sit under the tent at a previous Old Time Bluegrass Festival. Courtesy photo.

LOWER LAKE, Calif. – After nine months of planning, the transformation of the area around the Anderson Marsh Ranch House into a comfortable and pleasant place to have a great bluegrass experience is almost complete.

An enormous cargo parachute is hung between the huge trees in front of the Ranch House stage, creating a gigantic shady area for the audience as well as the picnic tables. There are two stages so the music is non-stop.

The sixth annual Old Time Bluegrass Festival is being held from 9:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 10, at Anderson Marsh State Historic Park.

The festival is a fundraiser for the nonprofit Anderson Marsh Interpretive Association (AMIA) and supports AMIA’s educational and preservation work at the Park .

The musical lineup is spectacular, with the opportunity to see headliners twice – once between 12 p.m. and 3 p.m., and again between 3:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.

Enjoy Laurie Lewis & the Right Hands (two sets: 1:20 p.m. and 5 p.m.), The Stairwell Sisters (two sets: 2:30 p.m. and a dance set at 6 p.m.), and Pat Ikes and Bound to Ride (two sets: 12:40 p.m. and 3:40 p.m.).

Also performing are Mighty Chiplings (one set at noon), Fur Dixon & Steve Werner (4:20 p.m.), Three Deep (12:40 p.m.) and the Two Rock Ramblers (3:10 p.m.), plus local favorites The Cobb Stompers, The Konocti Fiddle Club and The Clear Lake Clikkers.

There are also areas created for musician’s workshops, children’s activities, food and craft vendors, a wine and beer garden, and art displays.

Local Explorer Scouts help with parking. Community volunteers welcome you at the entrance, take your ticket and staff booths. Students from Carle High School keep the grounds clean during the event, as well as assist with set-up and breakdown. Kiwanis Club of Clearlake volunteers at the beer and wine garden. Local law enforcement and emergency rescue is ready to assist if needed.

“The regional support for producing this event has been outstanding,” said Henry Bornstein, event coordinator. “We really appreciate the time and commitment put in by all of our volunteers that will help insure everybody has a great time. Come on out and join us.”

Advanced tickets can be purchased from one of the following businesses/organizations: in Clearlake at Marie’s Lakeshore Feed, Bob’s Vacuum and Highlands Senior Center; in Middletown at Earth Goods (formerly Moontide); in Lucerne at Lakeview Supermarket & Deli; in Lakeport at Strings & Things, The Band Box, Watershed Books and the Lakeport Senior Center; in Ukiah at Dig! Music; in Sebastopol at People’s Music and in Santa Rosa at The Last Record Store.

Seniors (60+) can get 20 percent off ($12 for each ticket) if purchasing advance tickets from either the Lakeport Senior Center, Lakeport, the Highlands Senior Center, Clearlake or from the Lakeview Supermarket & Deli in Lucerne.

To get advance tickets on line, go to www.andersonmarsh.org and follow the bluegrass link to purchase tickets.

If ordering advance tickets by mail, be sure to include your mailing address and phone number and send your check made out to AMIA to PO Box 672, Lower Lake, CA 95457. There is an additional $3 service charge (per total order) if tickets are purchased on-line or by mail.

Tickets ordered the last week will be held at will-call at the entrance.

More information about the Old Time Bluegrass Festival at www.andersonmarsh.org or call 707-995-2658 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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LAKEPORT, Calif. – With a total of 253 lots, the Lake County Fair Junior Livestock Auction on Saturday afternoon set a new record for total sale proceeds, and has likely set new records in most categories of sales as well, fair officials said.

After years of flirting with the barrier of $300,000, the total proceeds finally broke through to a total sale worth $300,660.75.

Steers, lambs, hogs, meat goats, turkeys, rabbits and chickens were offered during the auction, with grand champion winners crossing the auction block at the start of the program.

Tom Powers, owner of Lake County Electric Supply in Lakeport, purchased the first lot. The grand champion 4-H market hog was shown and sold by 4-Her Wyatt Smith of Lakeport. The prize pig weighed 260 pounds and sold for $11.50 per pound.

“It's a real indication that the community supports youth programs like 4-H and the Future Farmers of America,” said Fair Chief Executive Office Richard Persons. “Those programs teach kids about agriculture, which is Lake County's largest economic sector, and also about teamwork, sportsmanship, honor, and responsibility.”

Persons added, “We're proud of the community efforts to support these programs. Many of these kids save the money they make for college or other educational efforts, and eventually return to Lake County to become farmers and ranchers, so in the long run the whole community benefits.”

In recent years, the sale has been split into two sales rings which operate at the same time, making for a total sale length of around three and a half hours and providing buyers with plenty of time to visit the rest of the Lake County Fair, Persons reported Saturday.

Persons said other popular activities on Saturday included the racing pigs, the amateur talent competition and the 4x4 truck pulls.

The fair marks its last day on Sunday, with a full day of attractions, including Sunday's main event, the California State Finals of the WGAS Motorsports tuff truck, ATV and buggy races in the main grandstand. In its 12th year, the popular show will start at 7:30 p.m.

Regular admission prices for the 2011 Lake County Fair are $10 for a regular ticket, $6 for a senior over age 60, and $6 for children ages 6 through 11. Children under 6 years old are admitted free.

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From left, Thomas Joseph Peterson, 32, of Cobb and Kelseyville residents Keith Henry Lemler, 53, and Alex Paul Martinez, 20, were arrested in connection with a Kelseyville burglary in August 2011. Lake County Jail photos.

KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – A quick and thorough investigation by a sheriff's deputy and sergeant has led to the arrests and charging of three local men for a late August home burglary.

Thomas Joseph Peterson, 32, of Cobb and Kelseyville resident Keith Henry Lemler, 53, were arrested by Deputy Joe Dutra on Sunday, Aug. 21, with Dutra taking 20-year-old Alex Paul Martinez of Kelseyville into custody shortly after midnight on Monday, Aug. 22, according to arrest records and court documents.

On Aug. 23, the District Attorney's Office filed charges against the men that included first degree burglary, possession of stolen property and vandalism, with Peterson charged with a special allegation of a prior prison term, according to Chief Deputy District Attorney Richard Hinchcliff.

Court records showed that Peterson served state prison time for a 2003 conviction for possession of a controlled substance as well as a 2004 jail escape.

All three of the suspects appeared in Lake County Superior Court on Friday morning, where they pleaded not guilty to the charges, Hinchcliff said.

If convicted each could face up to six years in state prison, with Peterson facing an extra year if convicted of the special allegation, according to Hinchcliff.

They all remain in the Lake County Jail, with bail for Peterson set at $40,000, and Lemler and Martinez each being held on $30,000 bail.

The Lake County Sheriff's Office would not provide additional information on the case despite repeated requests from Lake County News.

A Public Records Act request to inspect the case documents submitted in person by this reporter on Friday was denied by sheriff's Lt. Chris Macedo, who cited “pending adjudication” of the case as a reason for withholding the information.

However, investigative reports obtained as part of the court record showed that Dutra and Sgt. Corey Paulich conducted an investigation into the burglary of a Kelseyville home that led them to the three suspects.

The residents had reportedly been on vacation and returned to find the home burglarized, reporting it on Aug. 21, the documents showed.

Dutra and Paulich arrived and began the investigation, taking a report on the stolen property. A vehicle parked at the home also had been vandalized, with its driver's side window broken out, based on the investigation.

The case came together quickly, with documents showing that Dutra and Paulich connected the dots, identifying and speaking with the suspects, and recovering the property they allegedly stole, which the burglary victims identified.

Hinchcliff said Dutra and Paulich did good investigative work on the case.

The result was that all three of the suspects had been taken into custody by the morning following the report of the burglary, according to the case chronology.

Hinchcliff said Peterson, Lemler and Martinez are set to appear for a preliminary hearing on Monday, Sept. 19.

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The grant funding will be used for Habitat’s Jobs-For-Homes Project, the organization reported.

The project will repair homes for low-income homeowners who cannot afford to pay for the needed work on their residence.

In addition, the project also is designed to hire and train local unemployed individuals to do the repair work.

“This is a win-win for Lake County, putting people to work and helping to improve the living conditions of our local citizens,” said Habitat for Humanity Lake County President Richard Birk.

Birk said the project will be augmented with the group's energy conservation Weatherization Pilot Program.”

Recently, Habitat for Humanity Lake County has embarked on several programs to help existing homeowners through its home repair program while at the same time maintaining its traditional self-help core mission of building new homes for families in need of a decent place to live.

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The Deer fire was contained at 3 a.m. Saturday at less than a half acre. Containment means there is a line around the fire and it is no longer spreading, while control means the fire is extinguished.

Control was expected by 3 p.m. Saturday.

The fire started in the Deer Valley Campground, which is located on the southwest side of the Upper Lake Ranger District, as Lake County News has reported.

Forest officials said the cause is still under investigation.

Resources working on the fire this morning include a 20-person California Conservation Corp crew, two engines and one water tender.

The Mendocino National Forest entered into fire restrictions on Saturday morning. Under these restrictions, fires, campfires, charcoal fires or stoves are prohibited on the national forest unless in approved designated recreation sites, which includes Deer Valley Campground.

“This summer the Mendocino National Forest has been very fortunate when it comes to wildland fire,” said Acting Forest Supervisor Lee Johnson. “We would like Forest visitors to help us continue this by being safe when using fires in designated areas, complying with fire restrictions and reporting smoke when they see it. By being aware we can all help protect the Forest’s resources from human-caused wildfires.”

Fire season typically ends in late fall following a series of drenching, measurable rains in the mountains.

As a reminder, the following activities are also prohibited as part of the fire restrictions:

• Smoking except within an enclosed vehicle or in the designated recreation sites listed above.

• Welding or operating an acetylene or other torch with an open flame.

• Using explosives.

• Possessing, discharging or using any kind of fireworks.

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

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The fire at the Deer Valley Campground – located 12 miles north of Upper Lake, off of Forest Road M1 and Deer Valley Road – was first reported at about 1:15 a.m. Saturday, and required a short-term evacuation of some campers, according to radio traffic.

When firefighters arrived they reported some campers already were leaving.

Reports from the scene indicated firefighters received information that the fire may have been caused by fireworks.

The fire, measured at a quarter acre, burned in manzanita, heavy brush and timber, according to radio reports.

The US Forest Service responded to the scene along with Northshore Fire, officials reported.

The fire was declared contained just after 3 a.m., at which time campers were allowed to return, the reports noted.

Extensive mop up was required, with the incident commander anticipating firefighters would have to remain on scene for several hours.

The US Forest Service took over command of the first shortly after 3:30 a.m., according to radio reports.

E-mail Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow Lake County News on Twitter at http://twitter.com/LakeCoNews, on Tumblr at www.lakeconews.tumblr.com, on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lake-County-News/143156775604?ref=mf and on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/user/LakeCoNews.