NORTH COAST, Calif. – Two Clearlake residents were arrested last weekend on drug charges following a traffic stop in Willits.

Thomas Parks and Kim Williams, both age 41, were arrested following an early morning traffic stop on Saturday, June 21, according to Capt. Greg Van Patten of the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office.

At 2 a.m. that day Mendocino County Sheriff's deputies initiated a traffic stop in the 21000 block of Meadowbrook Drive in Willits for a minor traffic violation, Van Patten said.

Van Patten said Parks was driving the vehicle, with Williams riding as his passenger.

During the contact Deputies noticed the subjects were displaying signs of drug influence. Further investigation revealed the subjects were under the influence of a controlled substance suspected to be methamphetamine, Van Patten said.

Parks and Williams were arrested for being under the influence of a controlled substance. Van Patten said a search of the vehicle revealed a usable quantity of methamphetamine, with Parks and Williams subsequently being arrested for possession of a controlled substance.

Van Patten said Parks and Williams were arrested and booked into the Mendocino County Jail and held in lieu of $25,000 bail.

MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – The South Lake County Volunteer Firefighter Association reported that its third annual dinner and auction fundraiser – held last Friday at Twin Pine Casino – proved to be a very successful event.

South Lake County Fire Protection District Captain Tony Allegra, who also is president of the South Lake County Volunteer Firefighter Association, said they raised $11,000 at the dinner.

The funds will go toward several purposes, Allegra said, including the district's scholarship program at Santa Rosa Junior College and Mendocino College, and the Field of Dreams program for special needs children and veterans.

The association also has used funds from the event to help purchase much-needed equipment, according to Allegra.

Visit the South Lake County Fire Protection District Web site at https://www.facebook.com/southlakefire .

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Rodeo is for all ages and this year's Lake County Rodeo will once again invite children to participate in special contests just for them.

The 85th annual Lake County Rodeo will be held Friday, July 11, and Saturday, July 12, at the Lake County Fairgrounds, 401 Martin St. in Lakeport.

Events for the children this year include the traditional favorites, the “Cutest Lil Cowpoke” and “mutton bustin'.”

The Cutest Cowpoke Competition takes place between 6 and 7 p.m. July 11 at the fairgrounds. The contest is open to boys and girls, ages 3 to 8, and there is no limit on the number of entries.   

The Clear Lake Junior Horsemen – which will perform routines on both nights of the rodeo – and the Scotts Valley 4H Swine Group sponsor the Cutest Cowpoke Competition.

Applications are available online at www.lakecountyrodeo.com or at CJS Ranch Supply in Middletown, Barreda’s Lower Lake Feed, Rainbow Ag in Lakeport and the Lake County Chamber of Commerce at Vista Point in Lakeport.  

The deadline to enter is 5:30 p.m. Friday, July 11. All participants should arrive on Friday no later than 5:15 p.m. to check in at the rodeo office.

Admission is free this year for children age 12 and under when accompanied by a paid adult admission.  There is no contest entry fee.

Children are encouraged to dress in “rodeo style,” but no live props are allowed.

The winning boy and girl will each be awarded a special Silver Buckle for their prize.

For more information please call 707-245-7431.

For those children whose dream it is to compete in the rodeo itself, there is the mutton bustin' competition.

The competition will take place each evening between 6 and 7 p.m. Contestants should check in at the Rodeo Office no later than 5:15 p.m. on the day of their ride.  

Boys and girls between 4 and 8 years of age, who weigh in on those dates at no more than 50 pounds, can have the thrill of their life seeing how long they can ride a sheep.

The entry fee is $10 per child; rodeo admission is free for 12 and under when accompanied by a paid adult admission.

Contestants should dress in long-sleeved shirts and jeans, wear sturdy boots or shoes, and have a properly sized helmet.

The winner receives a silver buckle and every rider will be presented with an authentic mutton bustin' t-shirt.

Winner's buckles, sponsored by CJS Ranch Supply, will be awarded Friday and Saturday night to the youngsters who have the longest ride of the night.

This event fills up fast and contestants (or their moms and dads) should get signed up early.  

The applications are available at www.lakecountyrodeo.com , just click on “Rodeo Forms.”

The applications also will be available at CJS Ranch Supply in Middletown, Barreda’s Lower Lake Feed, Rainbow Ag in Lakeport and the Lake County Chamber of Commerce at Vista Point in Lakeport.    

The rodeo thanked CJS Ranch Supply, Fred Robinson who supplies the sheep, mutton bustin’ Chair Angel Purdy and all the rodeo directors who bring the event to the arena each night.  

For questions concerning the Mutton Bustin' competition, please contact Chair Angel Purdy at 707-349-1991.

In the wake of recent shootings in Portland, Las Vegas, and Santa Barbara, Representatives Carol Shea-Porter (NH-01), a member of the House’s Gun Violence Prevention Task Force, and Task Force Chairman Mike Thompson (CA-05) led in sending a letter to Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) signed by 163 Members of Congress demanding a vote on substantive legislation to address gun violence.

“Our nation has suffered at least 74 school shootings since the Sandy Hook massacre,” Shea-Porter, Thompson, and 161 of their colleagues wrote. “The factors allowing these rampages are no mystery: loopholes in the background check laws, straw purchases, restrictions on law enforcement, and gaps in our mental health system. Dozens of legislative proposals that address these factors have been introduced and await consideration. But despite wake-up call after wake-up call, a shameful tradition of Congressional inaction continues.”

“Moments of silence on the floor of the House are not enough. The last thing these victims and their families need is further silence from this Congress. They deserve a vote,” they continued.

Recently on the floor of the House of Representatives, Shea-Porter called on Speaker Boehner to allow a vote on legislation to help prevent more deaths from senseless gun violence.

The Gun Violence Prevention Task Force, which is chaired by Thompson, released a comprehensive set of policy principles that will reduce gun violence and respect the Second Amendment.

Of those recommendations, one of the most important pieces is H.R. 1565, bipartisan legislation written by Reps. Thompson and Peter King (R-NY) and cosponsored by Rep. Shea-Porter, to strengthen and expand background checks. This legislation bolsters the Second Amendment rights of lawful gun owners and helps keep guns from criminals, terrorists, and the dangerously mentally ill.

Right now, a criminal in many states can buy a firearm at a gun show, over the internet, or through a newspaper ad because those sales don’t require a background check.

H.R. 1565 requires comprehensive and enforceable background checks on all commercial gun sales, including those at gun shows, over the Internet, or through classified ads, while providing reasonable exceptions for family and friends.

Background checks would be conducted though a licensed dealer in the same manner as they have been for more than 40 years.

The Thompson-King bill bans the creation of a federal registry and makes the misuse of records a felony, punishable by up to 15 years in prison.

“Congressional silence is not a sign of respect, but rather an institutional indictment. We must right this wrong. You must allow a vote on substantive legislation to address gun violence,” Shea-Porter, Thompson and others concluded in their letter.

The full text of the letter to Speaker John Boehner is below.

June 26, 2014

Speaker John Boehner
Office of the Speaker
H-232, US Capitol
Washington, DC 20515

Dear Mr. Speaker:

We agree with you that we must honor the victims of the recent shootings in Portland, Las Vegas and Santa Barbara. But moments of silence on the floor of the House are not enough. The last thing these victims and their families need is further silence from this Congress. They deserve a vote.

Our nation has suffered at least 74 school shootings since the Sandy Hook massacre. The factors allowing these rampages are no mystery: loopholes in the background check laws, straw purchases, restrictions on law enforcement, and gaps in our mental health system. Dozens of legislative proposals that address these factors have been introduced and await consideration. But despite wake-up call after wake-up call, a shameful tradition of Congressional inaction continues.

Gun violence has affected constituents in every Congressional district, and as their representatives, Members of Congress deserve the opportunity to vote on bills that would address this epidemic.

Congressional silence is not a sign of respect, but rather an institutional indictment. We must right this wrong. You must allow a vote on substantive legislation to address gun violence.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Corvettes of Lake County club has once again shown support for a fund to remember the life of a local businesswoman.

This past Memorial Day weekend the Corvettes club shined and showed cars, won awards, had 52 cars in attendance and made a $1,500 donation to Lake Family Resource Center through the Barbara LaForge Memorial Fund.

For the past six years the Corvettes of Lake County has made generous donations to the LaForge Memorial Fund, which benefits Lake Family Resource Center's Freedom House domestic violence shelter in Kelseyville.

The fund – the motto of which is “It's never too late to be remembered” – started with one raffle ticket, according to memorial fund founder and Corvettes of Lake County member Gail Salituri.

“That one ticket grew into raffles and auctions and the 'Charity of Choice' by the Corvettes of Lake County,” Salituri said.

LaForge's frame shop shared space with Salituri's Inspirations Gallery in downtown Lakeport. In October 2002 LaForge was fatally shot in the frame shop. Her murder remains unsolved.

Over the years the Corvettes of Lake County has helped to furnish rooms in the shelter, build rain gutters, provided funds for the rape crisis center and helped build a playground for the children, and now is supplying fences to secure the outdoor playground.

“We have raised over $15,500 for Lake Family Resource Center and I am as always grateful for the generosity of the Corvettes of Lake County,” Salituri said.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – The Glenn County Sheriff's Office is investigating the discovery of human remains along a stretch of the Sacramento River over the weekend.

Glenn County Sheriff Larry Jones said the discovery was made on Sunday near County Road 23, south of Hamilton City.

He said off-duty state Fish and Wildlife Warden Steve Martignoni, who was kayaking on the Sacramento River south of Hamilton City with his son, located what appeared to be human skeletal remains on the west bank, in shallow water.

Sheriff’s Sgt. Travis Goodwin and Deputy Sheriff Jon Owens responded in a four-wheel-drive patrol unit and met with Martignoni and his son, Jones said.

Martignoni related that he and his son had decided to take a break and paddled to the west shoreline.  His son noticed something in the shallows that attracted his attention and he informed his father. Upon closer inspection, the article of attraction appeared to be skeletal remains of a human, according to Jones.

While waiting for deputies to arrive, Martignoni said he explored the shoreline north and south of the location of the remains in an effort to locate further evidence of remains but found nothing, Jones said.

Jones said the skeletal remains were found in about 10 inches of clear water. The scene was processed, and the remains were packaged and removed to a mortuary.

The remains are those of a lower body extremity and there are indicators that show this is not a native artifact, which are sometimes located along the banks of the river, Jones explained.

Jones said the partial bones of a human body will be examined by the sheriff’s contract forensic pathologist and the Chico State University Human Identification Laboratory in an effort to positively discern whether they are those of a male or female, adult or juvenile, and perhaps an approximate age and race.    

The information gained, Jones added, will be matched against those descriptions of known missing person reports.

At this point early on in this investigation, Jones said it is not known how long the remains may have been in the river, nor their origin, or a cause of death.

He said the area in which the remains were located will be thoroughly searched and processed.   

The last human skeletal remains located in Glenn County along the Sacramento River were near the Ord Bend Park on July 27, 2012, as Lake County News has reported.

In October of 2012, those remains were identified by DNA verification as those of Heidi Joanne Ring, who had been reported as an at risk missing person in June of 2005. The investigation into the disappearance and death of Heidi Ring, like the current discovery of skeletal remains, is ongoing.

Anyone who believes they may have pertinent information regarding this recent case is asked to contact the Glenn County Sheriff-Coroner’s Office at 530-934-6441.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – A Wednesday morning wreck in north Lakeport caused a power outage and an extended road closure, and led to the arrest of a Northshore man on suspicion of driving under the influence.

Stephen Grammer, 67, was arrested following the crash, which occurred at 7:45 a.m. Wednesday, according to Officer Kory Reynolds of the California Highway Patrol's Clear Lake Area office.

Grammer was driving a 1996 Chevrolet pickup southbound on Lakeshore Boulevard, north of Hill Road, when he ran off the roadway and hit a speed limit sign and then a power pole, Reynolds said.

Reynolds said it was not clear from the information he had available whether Grammer then hit a second power pole or if the first pole was responsible for knocking down the second.

In all, two poles were knocked down and the roadway was closed, he said.

Grammer had complaints of pain to his back, neck and head, and was taken to Sutter Lakeside Hospital, Reynolds said. The pickup had major front end damage.

Reynolds said Grammer was arrested for driving under the influence following the wreck.

Lori Price of the Lake County Public Works Department said county crews were on scene for an extended time to assist with traffic control, with Pacific Gas and Electric also providing staffing.

PG&E had reported early Thursday that it anticipated having power restored to all customers by about 3 a.m.

Price said all traffic control was released at 5 a.m. Thursday.

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.

LUCERNE, Calif. – Swiss National Radio and Television company is looking for families from Lucerne who would like to “swap lives” for one week with a family from their twin town in Switzerland.

The casting is for the Swiss show, “Family Swap.”

Apart from swapping homes, the families will have the opportunity to experience each others' jobs, schools, culture, interests and the best of what their host city has to offer.

If you and your family are available for one week in August 2014 and would like further details about this all expenses paid trip and unforgettable adventure, please contact Melanie Ansley at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or apply directly on www.srf.ch/familyswap .

MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – A Middletown woman was arrested over the weekend for allegedly having sex with a 13-year-old boy and giving him and other teens alcohol.

Tracy Ann Beverlin, 34, was arrested following an investigation conducted by Lake County Sheriff's deputies, according to Lt. Steve Brooks.

Last Friday, June 20, deputies responded to a report of lewd and lascivious acts with a child in Middletown, Brooks said.

At approximately 9:15 p.m. they contacted the parents of two 13-year-old juveniles, who Brooks said reported that their children had recently spent the night at a residence belonging to Beverlin.

One of the parents overheard his son talking to friends about the overnight stay at Beverlin’s, which consisted of drinking alcoholic beverages and sexual intercourse. When confronted, Brooks said the boy admitted Beverlin was supplying him with alcohol and that he was having ongoing sexual relations with Beverlin at her home.

The second juvenile explained he also had spent the night at Beverlin’s and she had provided alcohol for them to drink. He also said that Beverlin consumed alcohol with him and two other juveniles, Brooks said.

Brooks said the deputies were able to seize evidence which corroborated the statements provided by both of the juveniles.

At 9 p.m. last Saturday, June 21, deputies contacted Beverlin at her residence. Brooks said Beverlin denied all allegations and said she would never provide alcohol to underage kids.

Beverlin was arrested for felonies including unlawful sex with a minor who is more than three years younger, unlawful sex with a minor under 16 years of age while being over 21 years of age, distribution of lewd material to a minor, oral copulation with a minor under 14 years of age and more than 10 year younger, lewd act on a child and a misdemeanor charge of contributing to the delinquency of a minor, Brooks said.

She was transported to the Lake County Hill Road Correctional Facility and booked, Brooks said.

Her bail was set at $20,000 and jail records indicated that Beverlin, a stay-at-home mother, later was released from custody.

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – During a special Wednesday afternoon meeting the Konocti County Water District Board and staff asked customers to cut back on water use in the face of looming emergency and conservation measures.

About 20 community members crowded into the small board room at the district's headquarters on 35th Avenue for the hourlong meeting.

Also in attendance were county Supervisor Jeff Smith, Clearlake City Manager Joan Phillipe, and  California Department of Public Health Drinking Water Field Operations Branch district engineer Michelle Frederick and associate sanitary engineer Sheri Miller.

General Manager Frank Costner explained that the district is having a supply and demand issue in serving its estimated 4,300 customers. He said the district has 2,000 connections, of which about 1,750 are active.

“There's a lot of people using a lot of water, and it's more than normal,” he said, estimating that usage is up by about 10 percent.

July and August, he noted, tend to be the months of maximum usage in the district. However, the district now is reaching maximum daily production. He said the system has a top capacity of between 500,000 and 700,000 gallons daily.

“Normally our plant would be able to keep up with that,” he said, but the lake's low water level and the condition of the algae – which this year has been more difficult to treat – are giving the district unforeseen challenges.

Costner said the Wednesday afternoon special meeting was the first step in the process to implement a districtwide emergency and mandatory water restrictions, with high monetary penalties for overuse.

The district is working with the County Counsel's Office to draft an ordinance for a water conservation plan, he said.

County Counsel Anita Grant, reached by Lake County News for comment after the meeting, said she couldn't talk about specifics of what her office is doing for the district, which is not under county jurisdiction, and so their interactions are protected by attorney-client privilege.

However, Grant said the district operates under state water code that lays out steps for dealing with water emergencies and implementing conservation measures.

Those steps include publishing notice of a public hearing, which must precede a board decision on an emergency. The district's governing board also must adopt regulations and restrictions to “conserve the water supply for the greatest public benefit with particular regard to domestic use, sanitation, and fire protection.” Any ordinance or resolution the board adopts also must be legally advertised.

Costner said the board originally had wanted to adopt emergency measures at the Wednesday meeting, but the County Counsel's Office said they couldn't as the district still has to complete several requirements before doing so.

Potential conservation measures considered

Costner said that conservation measures the district anticipates putting into effect include no outside watering for lawns or gardens.

“That's going to be a big issue and we're going to need help from people in the community on enforcing those restrictions,” he said.

Costner said the district has been doing a rate and usage study which will help them determine how much usage to allow under the new restrictions.

He said the average customer currently uses about 600 cubic feet – or 4,400 gallons – per month. Initially the district is looking at doubling rates over 600 cubic feet, with anything over 3,000 cubic feet getting a $500 fine.

“It's not set in stone yet,” Costner said.

Costner added, “If we don't make it strict enough, no one is going to conserve water.”

Board Chair Walter Cole said that of all the water districts on the lake, Konocti is the closest to the Cache Creek Dam.

“We're the first ones to see the stress,” said Cole, who has lived in Lake County more than 50 years.

He said the current dry conditions are part of a natural pattern – he referred to similar situations in the 1880s, 1920s and 1970s – that he estimated occurs every 35 years or so.

Costner said water conservation will be a big issue for the district. He said there is only a 15-percent loss through leaks, as the district has been aggressive in updating and maintaining its distribution system.

The district is looking at a water conservation plan to help customers save water. Costner said it will include suggestions about lowering home use. Gray water use, which was suggested by a community member at the meeting, can be included in the plan, he said.

As for preparing for emergency fire situations, Costner said he is meeting on Thursday morning with Highlands Mutual Water Co. and Golden State Water, the neighboring districts, to formulate plans for mutual assistance.

Last week, Highlands was able to supply Konocti with several thousand gallons of water a day through an intertie system. Costner said Highlands and Golden Gate also have interties, so they can help each other.

On Wednesday, Supervisor Jeff Smith offered the county's assistance to the district, and encouraged them to look at lowering the threshold for fines and conservation based on Costner's current estimates. Smith felt that 750 cubic feet, versus 3,000, was a better place to start when issuing fines.

Costner also was questioned about the potential for cyanotoxins in drinking water if the district is no longer able to keep up with the demand for potable water.

California Department of Public Health Drinking Water Field Operations Branch district engineer Michelle Frederick said that issue would have to be assessed if it came to pass that the district couldn't treat enough water.

However, Frederick added that in the cyanotoxins testing she has done around the lake, she has so far never found them in local drinking water.

She added that cyanotoxins currently are not a regulated contaminant in California, although the Environmental Protection Agency has them on a potential contaminants list.

Another issue raised during the meeting is concerns over water theft.

Costner reported during the meeting that 1,000 gallons of water were stolen from a metered hydrant over the weekend.

He said local water delivery companies have been cut off from taking water from the system, and no one currently has permission to take any water from the district's hydrants.

District officials asked that members of the public who witness theft from hydrants take down license plate numbers and report them to the district at 707-994-2561.

Costner told Lake County News after the meeting that the district board is expected to meet again in about two weeks with the necessary emergency ordinance or resolution.

“During that time, the word needs to go out that people really need to start conserving,” he said.

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.

LUCERNE, Calif. – A Redwood Valley woman was injured Tuesday morning in a single-vehicle crash on Highway 20 east of Lucerne.

Kristen Jahn, 63, suffered moderate injuries in the wreck, which occurred just after 10 a.m. on Highway 20 west of Bruner Drive, according to the California Highway Patrol's Clear Lake Area office.

Jahn was driving a 2005 Honda Pilot westbound at approximately 35 miles per hour when she allowed the vehicle to go off the roadway and onto the north shoulder, the CHP reported.

The Honda hit a 35 mile per hour sign before crashing into a dirt embankment and rolling over, the CHP said.

The CHP said Jahn's Honda came to rest on its wheels, in the center of the roadway, facing eastbound.

Northshore Fire and CHP responded to the scene, with Jahn transported to Lucerne Alpine Park where REACH 6 picked her up and flew her to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital, according to reports from the scene.

Alcohol was not a contributing factor in the crash, which the CHP said remains under investigation.

The CHP said Jahn was wearing her seat belt.

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.

KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – The Kelseyville Unified School District is set to open its first charter school this fall, and is now accepting applications from prospective students.

The Intermountain STEM Academy Charter School, or ISACS for short, is a public charter school under the authority of the Kelseyville Unified School District which opens in the 2014-15 school year.

The district said it will eventually serve students from kindergarten through eighth grade, however, when it opens its doors in the fall ISACS will begin with fifth- through eighth-grade enrollment.

Kindergarten and the other grades, along with an additional classroom, are to be added beginning in the 2016-17 school year, at which time it's expected the charter will have 60 K-8 students, according to the charter school application.

District staffer Barbara Green said the school will be located at 13412 Bottle Rock Road in Cobb, at the location of what formerly was a necessary small high school that has since closed.

Initially, the charter school will have one teacher and one classroom, and enrollment will be limited to 20 students, Green said.

“Anyone is welcome to apply,” Green said, adding, “We do have to give first preference to our district students.”

Any spots that are left after district students have been admitted would be open on a first-come, first-served basis to other students, Green said.

She said the deadline application is Aug. 1.

The overriding goal for ISACS is to provide an exceptional academic alternative program that emphasizes “STEM” – science, technology, engineering and mathematics – education for Lake County families, according to the district.

The STEM mission seeks to inspire achievement “through rigorous, innovative and authentic experiences” in order to prepare students “to be productive and successful citizens by developing a strong work ethic and higher-level critical thinking skills needed for college, career, and citizenship in the 21st century.”

The district said ISACS' educational program is designed so that children of various learning styles and abilities will thrive in a child-centered, experiential and active learning environment that embraces the whole child.

Green said Superintendent Dave McQueen believed there is a need for the new charter school.

She said the Kelseyville Unified School Board held a public hearing on the charter school petition at a special April 8 meeting, approved the petition at a regular board meeting on April 29 and subsequently mailed the document to the state. The necessary documents are expected to go into effect in July.

Green said the 81-page petition the district submitted to the state is posted on the district's Web site. It can be found on the home page under the “important information” heading.”

Applications are available on the Kelseyville Unified School District Web site, www.kvusd.org , or at the Kelseyville District Office, located at 4410 Konocti Road.

Applications may be submitted in person at 4410 Konocti Road or by mail.

For more information about enrollment for the 2014-15 school year, please contact the Kelseyville Unified School District Office at 707-279-1511.

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.