NORTH COAST, Calif. – A Lucerne man was among those injured in a two-vehicle crash on Highway 101 near Ukiah on Tuesday.

Swan Johnson, 67, sustained major injuries in the wreck, which occurred at 6:10 p.m. on northbound Highway 101 north of the Pomo undercrossing, according to the California Highway Patrol's Ukiah area office.

Johnson was riding in the front passenger seat of a 1989 Toyota 4Runner driven by 49-year-old Jerry Weinhold Jr. of Potter Valley, who also suffered major injuries due to the crash, the CHP said.

The CHP said 22-year-old Gabriela Gallegos of Redwood Valley was traveling northbound in her 1984 Datsun 300zx behind Weinhold, who was in the No. 2 lane, the report explained.

According to multiple witness statements, prior to the collision Gallegos was seen driving recklessly. The CHP said she passed a vehicle that was traveling in the No. 1 lane, merged into the No. 1 lane and then attempted to pass Weinhold's Toyota.

The two vehicles side-swiped, which caused both to lose control. The CHP said the Toyota traveled sideways and subsequently rolled over. The Datsun traveled across the center median and came to rest in a drainage ditch.

The CHP said Weinhold and Johnson were transported to Santa Rosa Memorial. Gallegos was uninjured.

Gallegos, Johnson and Weinhold were all wearing their seat belts, the CHP said.

The collision remains under investigation. The CHP said alcohol does not appear to be a factor.

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 California Highway Patrol said Wednesday morning that a portion of Highway 175 over the Hopland Grade is closed due to a fallen tree and live utility lines  in the roadway.

The CHP said Highway 175 is closed at the Highway 101 junction in Hopland, and traffic is being turned around at Highway 175 on the Lake County side near the Granite Construction site, located outside of Lakeport.

Later in the morning, one-way traffic control was reported to be in effect, with big rigs being restricted from using Highway 175.

Officials said they do not know when the highway is set to reopen.

Additional details will be posted as they become available.

MENDOCINO NATIONAL FOREST, Calif. – The Mendocino National Forest Upper Lake Ranger District is continuing to gather feedback on the Pine Mountain Late-Successional Reserve Habitat Protection and Enhancement Project, with comments closing next week.

The project emphasizes fuel reduction activities and habitat management for the protection and enhancement of late-successional species, forest officials reported.

Approximately 7,830 acres are proposed for treatment, with around 5,690 acres in the Pine Mountain Late-Successional Reserve, according to a forest report.

The Mendocino National Forest reported that the project area was chosen for treatment based on past fire history and the existing conditions that pose a threat to late-successional habitat.

Forest spokeswoman Tamara Schmidt said an open house on the project held in Upper Lake on May 30 had very low turnout, with only three people attending.

She said comments are being accepted until June 19.

A draft environmental impact statement is expected for the project this August, with a final document expected in December.

Those wanting to submit comments on the scope of the project can contact Frank Aebly at 707-275-2361, or by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – A Napa man died in a single-vehicle crash on the Napa County side of Mount St. Helena Wednesday afternoon.

Vincent Garaventa, 75, died at the scene of the crash, which occurred at 1:35 p.m. on Highway 29, six and a half miles north of Tubbs Lane, according to the California Highway Patrol's Napa office.

Judith Garaventa, 74, riding as a passenger in the pickup, suffered minor injuries in the crash, the CHP reported.

The CHP said Garaventa was driving his 2013 Toyota pickup southbound on Highway 29 at an estimated speed of 40 miles per hour when, for reasons still under investigation, his pickup veered over to the right, in a westerly manner.

The pickup went up the embankment then back down and across the highway, crossing the opposing lane of traffic, the CHP said.

Garaventa's Toyota then left the roadway, traveling down the embankment and hitting a tree, causing moderate front end damage to the vehicle, according to the CHP report.

Vincent Garaventa died at the scene. Judith Garaventa was transported by ambulance to Queen of the Valley Hospital for treatment, the CHP said.

One-way traffic control had been in effect for several hours after the crash while the incident was investigated, according reports from the scene.

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 county program to help veterans receive their high school diplomas will celebrate its latest graduation next week.

The Operation Recognition Program will hold its graduation ceremony at 3 p.m. Wednesday, June 18, in the Kesey Room at the Lake County Office of Education, 1152 S. Main St. in Lakeport.

The Lake County Office of Education launched the program in 2012 to help qualifying veterans and Japanese American World War II internees complete their high school educations. It's modeled after a successful program in Sacramento County.

County officials said many people in Lake County were unable to graduate with their high school class due to military service in World War II, which lasted from Dec. 7, 1941, to Dec. 31, 1946; the Korean War, June 25, 1950, to Jan. 31, 1955; the Vietnam War, Feb. 28, 1961, to May 7, 1975; or because they were interned in WWII relocation centers for Japanese Americans.  

In June 2013, three graduates – Vietnam vets Michael Dondero and James Sparks Jr., and Korean War vet Lee Woodberry Sr. – received their long-delayed diplomas thanks to the program.

Lake County Office of Education spokeswoman Shelly Mascari said the June 18 graduation will celebrate six graduates – veterans who served during World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War.

The community is invited to attend and celebrate the veterans as they receive their diplomas.

For more information on the Operation Recognition Program, visit www.lakecoe.org and type “Operation Recognition” in the Search option, or contact Lake County Office of Education Human Resources at 707-262-4151.

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 Southern California man who moved to Lakeport and opened a sushi restaurant is facing the possibility of prison time for failing to register as a sex offender due to a 2000 child molestation conviction.

Christopher David Beavers, 33, is in custody in the Lake County Jail. He's being held on $130,000 bail in the local case against him, as well as $250,000 for an out-of-county felony warrant, according to jail records.

In October 2000 Beavers was convicted in Riverside of lewd and lascivious acts with a child under age 14, which required that he register as a sex offender, according to Deputy District Attorney Ed Borg.

Borg said Beavers is charged with two felonies, including failing to register with the Lakeport Police Department within five days of moving to the city.

That first felony charge covers the period from Nov. 1, 2013, through this past April 24, when Beavers was first arrested in the local registration case, Borg said.

Since moving to Lakeport, Beavers also failed to fulfill the annual requirements that include re-registering with authorities within five days of his birthday, which is in January. That registration failure resulted in the second felony count against Beavers, Borg said.

The third charge against Beavers, a misdemeanor, is for giving a false name to a peace officer when contacted by sheriff's detective in April. While Beavers failed to register in Lakeport, the case is being investigated by the sheriff's office, according to Borg.

Borg said a previous strike conviction for the 2000 lewd and lascivious case also is alleged in the case.

Investigators believe that Beavers has not registered since 2009. That year, he was featured in an article about the launch of a San Bernardino County “Offender Watch” Web site to track sex offenders. The article gave Beavers as an example of an unregistered and convicted sex offender.

Law enforcement also believes that Beavers – after he stopped registering – lived in other parts of the state before settling in Lakeport, Borg said.

Borg called Beavers' case “fairly egregious” for factors including the length of time he's failed to register and – while breaking those registration requirements – for putting himself into a very public position by opening a new local business.

After arriving in Lake County, Beavers opened “The Sushi Guy” restaurant on S. Main Street in Lakeport. The eatery received good feedback on its Facebook page.

However, since Beavers was last taken into custody on June 3, the restaurant has been closed, Borg said.

A preliminary hearing in Beavers' case was to have taken place on Monday morning, but he waived his right to the hearing, Borg said.

Borg said that means that the District Attorney's Office will prepare to file the case against Beavers for trial.

As for what's next, “We did make an offer,” Borg said.

The prosecution is offering Beavers the middle term of two years on one of the two felony charges, as well as the admission of the previous strike, which Borg said would double the prison time exposure to a total of four years, with a 20-percent time credit.

Borg said Beavers has until his scheduled June 24 arraignment in Lake County Superior Court to accept the agreement.

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. – Wine competitions offer a valuable gauge for measuring wines.

There are a multitude of competitions held in the United States each year with a dizzying array of entries submitted and medals awarded. So what is the essence of a wine competition?

Lake County wines are being put to the test this week with medals hanging in the balance at the 2014 Lake County Wine Competition.

The public will be invited to taste the competition’s winning wines at the 2014 People’s Choice Wine Tasting on Saturday, June 14.

This year’s event will be held at the scenic Langtry Estate and Vineyard, 21000 Butts Canyon Road, Middletown, and will feature wines from 18 Lake County wineries, live music by The Special Guests band, food trucks and sweet treats.

For tickets and information, visit www.lakecountywineries.org/choice .

The 2014 Lake County Wine Competition is being held at Brassfield Estate in Clearlake Oaks with a total of 150 wines to be judged.

Bob Fraser, well known director for the San Francisco Chronicle Competition and the Sonoma Harvest Fair, is this year’s Director for the Competition.

A hand-selected panel of professionals from the wine industry, retail and academia arrived on Tuesday to serve as this year’s judging panel. Fraser brought an experienced team with him to run the mechanics of the Competition.

The “West Coast style” of professional wine judging is being used in this competition. This system employs five-member panels consisting of a winemaker, a wine trade representative, a wine writer or wine media professional, a wine educator, and a culinary or tourism professional.

Wines are poured in a “back room” staffed by professional wine volunteers who bring the wines into the judging area in flight boxes, glasses numbered to correspond with the individual numbered wine bottles.

The judges come to a consensus for individual awards through discussion facilitated by a professional panel coordinator.

This year’s panel includes Jim Gordon, a 30-year veteran of the wine industry, and recently selected to review and report on Lake County wines for the Wine Enthusiast. John Buechsenstein, wine educator and consultant, and Bob Ecker, wine writer and freelance photographer served on the 2013 judging panel and returned again this year.

New judges to the Lake County Wine Competition include John Giannini, Fresno State Winery winemaker and enology lecturer; Sue Straight, freelance writer and wine judge; Christopher Sawyer,  Sommelier, Carneros Bistro & Wine Bar; Richard Mercer, owner/president of Experience Italy: Rich Fraga, wine education/hospitality at Martinelli Winery; Ken Landis, chef/owner of Landis Shores Oceanfront Inn; and Tom Simoneau, the Wine Guy at KSRO radio & owner of Simoneau Vineyards.

The back room coordinator and judging panel coordinators play a key role in running a successful wine competition. Anne Vercelli is the backroom coordinator. She has been associated with Bob and the Cloverdale Citrus Fair/San Francisco Wine Competition since 1987. She also works with Bob at the Sonoma County Harvest Fair as the Wine Backroom Coordinator.

Bob Fraser states, "Anne Vercelli is my right arm when it comes to planning, organizing and implementing these wine competitions. We work seamlessly and she is my sounding board in raising the bar for excellence from year to year."

Mark and Kelly Klaver are facilitators for the judging panels. They have years of experience in wine competitions dating back to 1990.

Their role is to enable collaboration within the judging panel to achieve consensus on the wines and record the final award decisions.

Judging results will be posted on the Lake County Wine Awards Web site, www.lakecowineawards.org , by Monday, June 16.

This highly anticipated professional judging event exclusively showcases wine crafted of grapes grown and cultivated in Lake County.

The competition is open to wines that contain at least 75 percent Lake County winegrapes and bear a Lake County appellation on the label.

Special thanks to the sponsors and many volunteers for making this event possible. Sponsors for this year’s Competition and other Lake County Winery Association activities include Brassfield Estate, Gregory Graham Wines, Shannon Ridge Family of Wines, County of Lake, Lake County Winegrape Commission, Sutter Lakeside Hospital, American Ag Credit, Twin Pine Casino and Hotel, AXA Equitable AgriFinance, Beckstoffer Vineyards and Pacini Wines.

THE GEYSERS, Calif. – A moderately sized earthquake was reported late Tuesday afternoon near The Geysers geothermal steamfield.

The 3.0-magnitude quake was reported at 4:59 p.m. three miles northwest of The Geysers and 13 miles southwest of Clearlake, according to a preliminary report from the US Geological Survey.

The survey said the quake was reported at a depth of 1.9 miles.

One shake report on the quake from Santa Rosa was filed with the US Geological Survey.

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. – On Saturday, May 31, Anderson Marsh Interpretive Association (AMIA) held a celebration of its 30th anniversary and the 150th anniversary of California State Parks at Anderson Marsh State Historic Park near Lower Lake.

The event included a nature walk, music, a chance to tour the historic Ranch House, historical re-enactments, exhibits and several speeches.

Jeff Tyrrell, representing State Sen. Noreen Evans, presented a framed resolution to AMIA in recognition of the work the association has done to assist the State Parks Department in keeping Anderson Marsh State Historic Park open to the public.

Miles Standish, a retired state park ranger was on hand to portray one of the first “guardians,” of California’s State Parks, Galen Clark, and to explain to those attending the significance of Yosemite National Park and the State Park System.

This year marks the 150th anniversary of the California State Park system, which actually started with the acquisition of Yosemite, which is now a National Park.

Presenting informative talks were AMIA President Roberta Lyons, who discussed the history of the association, and board member Gordon Haggitt, who also is a descendant of the original Anderson family who settled on the now State Park property in 1875. Haggitt is the great grand-son of John Still Anderson.

“Thanks to all who attended and everyone who has supported AMIA over the years. If you are not a member of AMIA, please consider joining our effort to keep Anderson Marsh State Historic Park open and thriving,” said Lyons.

For more information about the park, go to www.andersonmarsh.org or “like” AMIA on Facebook.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – A fatal crash on the Napa County side of Highway 29 over Mount St. Helena is necessitating traffic control, with the possibility of an extended lane closure.

The California Highway Patrol reported that the crash occurred shortly after 1:30 p.m. Wednesday near Robert Louis Stevenson State Park.

Reports from the scene indicated it was about four miles south of the Lake-Napa County line.

A vehicle was reported to have swerved, rolled over and gone down the embankment and into trees, the CHP said. An exact description of the vehicle's make and model was not immediately available.

One-way traffic was established through the crash area, with the CHP reporting than an extended closure was expected.

Officials did not report when the highway may be fully reopened.

Additional details will be posted as they become available.

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.

Legislation authored by U.S. Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-5) to improve the security at American embassies passed the U.S. House of Representatives as part of H.R. 4681, the Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Years 2014 and 2015.

Studies since the Benghazi attack in 2012 have identified the need for security personnel at U.S. diplomatic posts to receive threat information from the Intelligence Community in a timely manner so that they can request and receive security enhancements as needed.

Thompson’s legislation will address this need by helping enhance information sharing.

“We have a responsibility to protect all Americans serving our country overseas,” said Thompson. “Since the Benghazi attack in 2012, we’ve spent far too much time playing politics and creating scandals, and far too little time discussing what needs to be done to help make our embassies safer. Studies have shown we need to improve communication between our Intelligence Community and our diplomatic outposts, and this amendment will help us do just that.”

Making sure security personnel at U.S. diplomatic posts receive threat information from the Intelligence Community in a timely manner requires excellent information sharing and communication between the Intelligence and Diplomatic Security communities.

Thompson’s legislation directs the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) to provide an assessment of the status of threat information sharing between the Intelligence Community and diplomatic security personnel, and to propose remedial action to help make sure security personnel at U.S. embassies can request and receive security enhancements in a timely manner.

The classified report from the DNI will be submitted to the House and Senate Intelligence Committees.

H.R. 4681 passed the House by a bipartisan vote of 345-59. It now goes to the Senate for their consideration.

Thompson represents California’s Fifth Congressional District, which includes all or part of Contra Costa, Lake, Napa, Solano and Sonoma counties.

UPPER LAKE, Calif. – An Upper Lake man was arrested early Saturday after it was alleged that he shot at two juveniles who he believed were on his property.

Salvador Zenadia Estrada, 56, was arrested on a felony charge of willfully discharging a firearm in a negligent manner, according to Lt. Steve Brooks of the Lake County Sheriff's Office.

Brooks said deputies also seized two firearms – a 9 millimeter handgun and a 9 millimeter carbine – at the time of the arrest.

Just before 12:30 a.m. Saturday deputies were dispatched to a residence located in the 300 block of Maddocks Court in Upper Lake for a reported shooting. Brooks said Central Dispatch advised that Estrada had shot at three trespassers on his property.

Deputies contacted Estrada at his residence. Brooks said Estrada explained that he has a security system and while looking at his security monitor, he saw three people walking on his property.

Estrada said he grabbed his 9 millimeter handgun and walked to the front door of his residence, where he could hear people walking slowly in front of his home. Estrada believed they were walking toward his vehicle and were going to steal it, according to Brooks' report.

Brooks said Estrada told the deputies that he fired his handgun twice through his front window at the unknown people. He said he shot over the suspects in an attempt to scare them away.

Estrada explained that he was the victim of an attempted home invasion robbery approximately one year ago, where unknown suspects attempted to steal marijuana he was growing in his backyard, Brooks said.

The deputy located the window Estrada admitted shooting through and found what appeared to be two bullet holes in the glass, according to Brooks' report.

Brooks said the deputy noticed that one of the bullets had a clear downward angle. The bullet went through the window and down through the air conditioner which was mounted in the same window.

The deputy was able to locate both of the 9 millimeter casings, which Brooks said were seized as evidence.

Deputies canvassed the neighborhood in an attempt to contact witnesses and locate any additional evidence. Brooks said they contacted a neighbor who lives next door and shares a driveway with Estrada. The neighbor’s house is located approximately 25 yards from Estrada’s residence.

The neighbor said his 12-year-old grandson was walking in the area with his friend, who also is 12 years old, at the time of the shooting. He said his grandson and his grandson’s friend stepped out of the house to get some air, because it was extremely hot inside, Brooks reported.

Deputies contacted both of the juveniles, who said they stepped outside to get some air and walked down the driveway. Brooks said the boys denied walking on Estrada’s property and said they had turned around and were walking back when they heard two gunshots come from Estrada’s house.

One of the juveniles said he thought he felt one of the bullets go over his head. Both of the juveniles denied walking near Estrada’s vehicle, Brooks said.

The deputy seized Estrada's firearms and booked them into evidence. Brooks said Estrada was arrested and transported to the Lake County Hill Road Correctional Facility, where he was booked.

Bail was set at $15,000. Jail records indicated that Estrada posted the required percentage of bail and was released.