MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – A threat aimed at Middletown High School students that was posted on social media led to an investigation by authorities and caused hundreds of concerned parents to keep their children home from school on Halloween day.

Middletown Unified Superintendent Catherine Stone said a former Middletown High student made the threat against the school over the weekend.

The threat, a copy of which Lake County News obtained, was posted on Instagram on Saturday. In it, the former student threatened that he was coming back “to murder all of you.”

“Another student saw it on social media and notified the school staff,” Stone said.

Stone said Middletown High Principal Bill Roderick was notified of the issue, and he then contacted her. After discussing it, Stone said they immediately contacted the Lake County Sheriff's Office.

The Lake County Sheriff's Office worked with a police department in Sonoma County where the former student now lives to make contact with the teen and evaluate him, said Lt. Steve Brooks.

Police concluded that the teen’s posting was not a credible threat, Brooks said.

Just before 11 a.m. on Sunday, parents received the following message via phone and email from the Middletown High School administration:

“Late Saturday night a threat was posted towards students at Middletown High School on a social media website. Although not specific, law enforcement was immediately notified. At 4 a.m. Sunday morning, law enforcement notified administration that the threat had been addressed. We take all of these situations very seriously, and student safety is and always will be our top priority. With this, please be advised that students are not to wear any masks to school on Halloween.”

A followup message sent to parents Sunday afternoon stated, “At the request of the Lake County Sheriff's Office, please do not contact dispatch with questions regarding student safety in regards to the social media threat, they are aware of the situation. School is in regular session on Monday morning and the safety of our students is the highest priority.”

After families were notified of the situation on Sunday, discussions that appeared on Facebook amongst parents indicated that they felt they had not been given enough information, and many didn't believe that school was a safe place for their children to be on Monday.

To help ease fears about the situation, Brooks said Undersheriff Chris Macedo, along with a lieutenant and a deputy, were on campus on Monday.

On his Facebook page, Sheriff Brian Martin also answered questions from community members about the threat, reassuring them that law enforcement would be on hand for Monday’s school session and adding that his office was not recommending keeping students out of school.

However, because of the concerns the threat raised, a large number of students stayed away from school on Halloween day, said Stone.

She said 170 of Middletown High's 450 students were not at school on Monday. Other school sites did not see large absences because they had not been targeted by the threat.

A parent who spoke to Lake County News but did not want to be named publicly said she chose to keep her child home because the message from the high school was so vague that it raised more questions. She questioned why school wasn't simply canceled altogether for the day, as the district has emergency days banked.

Additionally, she said she and other parents were concerned because of reports circulating that the former student who had made the threat had been seen in Middletown on Sunday.

She said she would have had a different view of the situation had the school communicated on Sunday that there would be a law enforcement presence on campus, and if the school had offered more details about the steps taken to protect students.

Stone said some parents had called “but not that many.”

She added, “We've been very assertively communicating with parents about what we knew and what concerns we had,” with the goal of giving parents every opportunity to make the best decisions for their families.

For the students who were at the high school on Monday and in costume, they had to observe a “no masks” policy that has been in effect for some time and is common in other districts, said Stone.

“Especially in the recent era of threats toward high schools, you always want to be able to see people's face,” she said.

The only new thing added this year, said Stone, was a “no clowns” policy due to stories circulating around the country over the last several months regarding a spike in creepy clown sightings.

As for what steps are being taken going forward with regard to this recent incident, “The former student was advised to stay away from the high school campus,” said Stone.

Brooks added that it was his understanding that Middletown High School was seeking a restraining order against the former student who had made the threat.

Stone said that there is no school on Tuesday, which already had been planned as a school holiday for students and an in-service day for teachers.

In responding to criticism of how the situation was handled, officials indicated they were trying to strike the difficult balance between informing concerned parents and observing privacy rules that protect juveniles.

Both Stone and Brooks acknowledged that many details about the threat and investigation couldn't be detailed publicly because they involve a juvenile, who has confidentiality protections under the law.

“We'll share what we can but there's a limit on it,” said Stone, adding that the district is both diligent and careful in handling such delicate situations while addressing parents’ concerns.

She expects students to be back in school as usual on Wednesday.

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. – Lake County's Long-Term Recovery Task Force will meet on Wednesday, Nov. 2, at 6 p.m.

This public meeting will be held in the second floor auditorium at the Lower Lake Schoolhouse Museum, 16435 Main St.

District 5 Supervisor Rob Brown, and County Administrative Officer Carol Huchingson, co-coordinators for the county's Clayton fire recovery effort, encourage fire survivors to attend and hear recovery updates first-hand.

The task force is a partnership of local, state and community representatives working together to provide comprehensive services to aid in the recovery of Clayton fire survivors and the rebuilding of Lower Lake.

Meetings provide an opportunity for fire survivors to share any concerns and ask questions of members of the task force.

Task force meetings are broadcast live (and available for later viewing) on the Lake County OES Facebook Page at https://www.facebook.com/LakeCountyOES/ .

Meetings also are posted in advance in the calendar at www.LakeCountyRecovers.com .

MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – Middletown residents had a chance to hear from the two candidates in the District 4 Assembly race at the Middletown Area Town Hall's October meeting.

Charlie Schaupp and Cecilia Aguiar-Curry spoke to the group for just under an hour Oct. 13. The forum for the two Assembly candidates begins at the 13:00 minute mark in the video above.

Schaupp and Aguiar-Curry are running to succeed Assemblyman Bill Dodd, who after one term in the Assembly is now running for State Senate.

Schaupp, a Republican, is from the farm town of Esparto in Yolo County, where his family began farming in the 1880s. His family's 3,600-acre farm depends on water from Clear Lake and Indian Valley Reservoir.

He went to Yuba College, where he got to know many people from Lake County, before going on to get two degrees – in agricultural business and agronomy – at California State University, Chico.

Schaupp then went on to join the US Marine Corp, serving 28 years total on both active duty and as a reservist. He's a veteran of Desert Storm and the Battle of Fallujah, retiring in 2009 at the rank of lieutenant colonel.

“I'm not a professional politician,” he told the group, explaining that he will tell people the truth, not just what they want to hear.

He said there are “huge differences” between he and Aguiar-Curry, a Democrat and the mayor of Winters, and he would seek to emphasize those during the question and answer session.

Aguiar-Curry recounted experience that includes working on her local planning commission, chairing housing and resource commissions, and involvement in bringing more than $200 million in economic development to Winters, a city of 7,000 surrounded by valley farmlands.

Part of that economic development success was in helping bring a $75 million Pacific Gas and Electric training facility to the Winters area. “It's revitalizing my downtown,” she said, noting there are now two new hotels being constructed there, with new restaurants also bringing in more service jobs.

Like Schaupp, she said she's not a politician, but someone who cares about the community.

The first question asked of them at the meeting related to water and what they would do to help safeguard Lake County's water resources.

Aguiar-Curry touted the state's new sustainable groundwater management plan as a way to give Lake County residents control over their own water. She also said she wanted to find out why there can't be a project to protect Clear Lake like the “Keep Tahoe Blue” project.

Additionally, she said she wants to work with local and state agencies, and get them to sit at the table and work together on solving water issues. She added that she will go to the state capitol and find out who is running the shop on water, and will be a voice for the entire region and state.

Noting that he studied water in college, Schaupp said he supports building new dams and reservoirs in order to prevent the water in rivers from running out into the ocean.

He said 20 percent of the water in the Colorado River goes to the Pacific Ocean, while 80 percent of the Sacramento River's water runs to the ocean.

The Sites Reservoir, which is planned to be built in Colusa County, will provide more water for Yolo County and take some of the pressure off of Clear Lake, Schaupp said.

Schaupp said water rights need to be protected, and new sources of water found for the Central Valley and Southern California. That's because the amount of water available used to total an acre foot per family. It's now half that, he said.

He said he would fight to protect the watershed and criticized Aguiar-Curry for her support of the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument because he said it gave control of the water to the federal government.

The candidates were then asked about cannabis, and whether it offered a threat, an opportunity, or both.

Schaupp said he's not voting for this November's Proposition 64, which would legalize recreational use of marijuana. He  explained that there is a 20-acre marijuana farm next to his where there are pit bulls, fences, people in tents and the overwhelming smell of pot.

“Why would we want to legalize something that the federal government still considers on the narcotics list?” he asked, adding he's concerned about children and what kind of society they'll live in as a result.

Aguiar-Curry said she will honor whatever the voters say. “Do I have concerns? Absolutely.”

She said that if Proposition 64 passes, she expects to see “a lot of cleanup” being done at the Assembly, adding that she is worried about public safety issues like driving under the influence.

Asked about how they would bring in revenue to communities in need, Aguiar-Curry said she would work with local officials to focus in on local needs, and emphasized the availability of the Internet to everyone as a way to help the economy.

Schaupp said he has a different way of doing things, and would let the county do the supervising when it came to determining its needs.

“What my job will be is to go to the Assembly and get the money down to your supervisors,” he said, adding that local control is always the best.

Regarding their priority issues if elected to the Assembly, Schaupp said he wanted to put people back in charge and have transparency in government; improve fire and public safety services, and public education; and increase fiscal responsibility, adding that on the latter restrictions need to be taken off of farmers and businesses.

Aguiar-Curry said she's traveled to Lake County some 40 times over the past year, and some of the key concerns brought to her attention include housing, transportation and infrastructure issues, jail issues, homelessness and veterans' needs.

One of the questions asked the candidates was if sustainable groundwater management looks at future water needs while assessing business needs.

Aguiar-Curry said farmers need to be given credit for using water the best way possible. “If they can find a better, smarter way to do it, they do it.”

She said California doesn't monitor groundwater use and that data on water use is needed.

Schaupp said the push on groundwater sustainability comes from the Democrats and the governor, who he said want to control water above and below ground. “I believe your local county needs to do what's best,” he said.

He added, “It's not good government to come in and control what you've got left.”

They also were questioned about their campaign financing.

Aguiar-Curry said that in all of her years serving as a Winters City Council member, she had only raised $800.

However, in running for the State Assembly, independent expenditures came into play. She explained that independent expenditures are not under her control, and those funds paid for a commercial about her that she knew nothing about until it was aired.

On her own she said she's raised $138,000 through approaching farmers, her family and friends, and thanks to a Mother's Day letter she sent out requesting donations.

Schaupp said about $2.2 million was spent through independent expenditures in the Assembly campaign by those wanting to control the agenda and make sure the candidate endorsed by the state Democratic Party – Dan Wolk – got pushed out.

He said no such funding has been spent on him, and he would have told them to “pound sand” had they tried it, noting he's ran his campaign on $17,000 through the primary.

MATH Chair Fletcher Thornton then asked Aguiar-Curry what she was going to do to change the direction the state is going, pointing out that Democrats have been in charge of the state for 46 of the last 52 years.

Aguiar-Curry said she considers herself a moderate, fiscally conservative Democrat who has worked to help Winters weather rough fiscal times in a responsible manner.

She raised the issue of the state's unfunded liabilities – such as pensions – and said she plans to work across the aisle to solve such problems.

At the same time, she said many people feel left out and underrepresented, and they need to be at the table and have their voices heard. “I work with people,” she said.

Whoever is elected, she said, will need a bigger budget, more money and representation to help Lake County address its needs.

Schaupp, who wanted a chance to respond, said he chose to become a Republican because it fits with his values and beliefs about local control, limited government and personal accountability.

He said he can work with anyone, and again guaranteed community members, “I'll always  tell you the truth.”

In her closing comments, Aguiar-Curry told the group, “I'm here for you,” and cited her many local endorsements, as well as her endorsement from Dodd.

She said she welcomes people to the table, and said she will want to draw on the help of community members and their knowledge if elected.

Schaupp emphasized the need for political “nonsense” to stop.

He said people need to be able to get back to work so they can buy homes and prosper.

To learn more about the candidates, visit their Web sites, http://charlieschaupp.com/ and http://www.ceciliaforassembly.com/ .

The MATH Assembly candidates' forum was followed by another forum for District 1 supervisor, which can be seen beginning at the 1:08:05 mark in the video.

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.

MENDOCINO NATIONAL FOREST, Calif. – Mendocino National Forest officials are conducting public outreach to fill committee member seats for Resource Advisory Committees, or RACs, within Lake and Mendocino counties.

RACs were established as a provision of the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000.

By law the four-year term, 15-member committee is composed of a wide representation of National Forest interests organized into three categories. 

Each RAC shall have 15 members with balanced and broad representation of interests in three categories, specified in Section 205 (d)(2) of the Act:

– Five people who represent organized labor or non-timber forest product harvester groups; developed outdoor recreation, off highway vehicle users, or commercial recreation activities; energy and mineral development interests; or commercial or recreational fishing interests; the commercial timber industry; or hold federal grazing or other land use permits, or represent nonindustrial private forest landowners, within the area for which the committee is organized.

– Five people who represent nationally recognized environmental organizations; regionally or locally recognized environmental organizations; dispersed recreational activities; archaeological and historical interests; or nationally or regionally recognized wild horse and burro interest groups, wildlife or hunting organizations, or watershed associations.

– Five people who hold state elected office (or a designee); hold county or local elected office; represent American Indian tribes within or adjacent to the area for which the committee is organized; are school officials or teachers; or represent the affected public at large.
 
Members shall reside within the state in which the committee has jurisdiction and, to the extent practicable, provide local representation in each category. 

An additional member is also appointed as a replacement should a committee member leave for any reason.

“RACs are extremely beneficial to both the Forest and local communities. They allow for public participation in the review and recommendation of resource projects that benefit public lands,” said Forest Supervisor Ann Carlson.

For further information regarding RAC membership, please contact the Designated Federal Official, District Ranger Frank Aebly at 707-275-1401.

To apply to be a RAC committee member, applicants must complete a cover letter, interest form and FBI background check form prior to being considered for the committee.

An interest form is available on the Mendocino National Forest Web site at http://tinyurl.com/hvpnk8v .

To apply for Lake or Mendocino County RACs, please address your correspondence to RAC Coordinator Deborah McIntosh, 10025 Elk Mountain Rd., Upper Lake, CA 95485 or call 707-275-1407 for more information. Applications must be received on or before Feb 3, 2017.

For additional information about the Secure Rural Schools legislation, including Titles I, II and III, please visit the SRS Web site at www.fs.fed.us/srs .

LAKEPORT, Calif. – A suspected gang member from Upper Lake was arrested early Sunday on charges including possession of a concealed handgun, and three people with him also were taken into custody after they attempted to flee from police in a vehicle.

Octavio Raul Martinez, 36, of Upper Lake was arrested, along with his three associates, Kelseyville residents Arrmando Perez Fernandez, 31, and Rachel Eunice Ponce, 30, and Latasha Jasmine Hasegawa, 25, of Stockton, according to Lakeport Police Chief Brad Rasmussen.

Shortly after midnight early Sunday morning, two uniformed Lakeport Police officers were conducting a bar check at the Clearlake Club on Main Street in Lakeport when one of the officers spotted Martinez, who Rasmussen said is a known convicted felon and suspected criminal street gang member.

Rasmussen said the officer noticed that Martinez also saw him. The officer monitored Martinez and watched him exit the bar and walk to a sport utility vehicle outside, where he opened the driver’s door and appeared to remove something from his clothing near his waist before closing the door and locked the vehicle. 

The officer walked by the vehicle and used his flashlight to look inside, where he saw a Glock handgun partially covered with a bandanna lying on the driver’s seat, Rasmussen said.

Before being able to secure the handgun, officers had to immediately initiate a felony arrest of Martinez at gunpoint at which time the three associates of Martinez – later identified as Fernandez, Hasegawa and Ponce – approached the officers and became hostile toward them, according to Rasmussen.

Rasmussen said the officers, who were then assisted by a Lake County Sheriff’s deputy, had to give them repeated commands to back away while they completed the arrest of Martinez. 

During Martinez’s arrest, Fernandez, Hasegawa and Ponce then went to the same SUV and fled the scene, traveling south bound on Main Street at a rapid speed, Rasmussen said.

Rasmussen said the second officer and the deputy went after the vehicle which blacked out all of its lights in the area of Esplanade Street.

Officers overtook the vehicle in the area of South Main Street near Lakeport Boulevard, conducted a felony traffic stop and detained Fernandez, Hasegawa and Ponce and then searched the vehicle for the handgun but did not locate it, Rasmussen said.

He said officers on foot conducted a search of the area and the handgun was located, loaded, on the west sidewalk of Main Street, between the scene of the stop and the location where the vehicle had been blacked out.

Fernandez, Hasegawa and Ponce were all arrested for being accessories to a felony and destruction of evidence and booked into the Lake County Jail with bail set at $15,000 each, according to Rasmussen.

Martinez was arrested for felony charges of being a felon in possession of a firearm, possession of a loaded and concealed firearm by a known suspected criminal street gang member, and possession of an unregistered firearm along with ammunition. He was booked into the Lake County Jail with bail set at $100,000 based on an increase approved by a Lake County Superior Court judge, Rasmussen said.

At the time of his arrest, Rasmussen said Martinez also was in possession of approximately $6,000 cash, which was seized because officers believed it was criminally obtained. 

Rasmussen said Martinez has prior arrests for resisting and evading officers, battery with serious bodily injury, possession of a dangerous weapon and terrorist threats, and has served a prison term for battery resulting in serious bodily injury and mayhem. 

As of Sunday, all suspects had posted the required bail and were released from custody, Rasmussen said.

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – Police arrested a Clearlake man on Friday in a trespassing case, with the man attempting to take an officer's handgun during the arrest.

Erik Joseph Preader, 42, was taken into custody following the incident, according to Clearlake Police Sgt. Rodd Joseph.

Shortly before noon on Friday Clearlake Police officers responded to Rite-Aid, located at 15025 Olympic Drive, on a report of a subject trespassing inside the store, Joseph said.

Joseph said officers arrived and contacted Preader inside the business, and Preader left the business at the request of store management without incident.

Shortly after 2:30 p.m., Rite-Aid employees called the Clearlake Police Department to report that Preader was back at the business causing a disturbance. Joseph said Rite-Aid management requested an officer respond to provide a trespass admonishment to Preader. 

Joseph said a trespass admonishment is a warning given to an individual that they can be arrested if they return to the place they have received a trespass admonishment from, which in this case was Rite-Aid. 

A Clearlake Police officer contacted Preader and provided him with the trespass admonishment. Again, Preader left the business without incident, Joseph said.

Approximately 15 minutes later, Preader again returned to Rite-Aid and Joseph said Rite-Aid management requested a private person’s arrest on Preader for trespassing. 

Joseph said two Clearlake Police officers responded to Rite-Aid and located Preader back inside the business.

Because of the earlier trespass admonishment, Preader’s refusal to stay away from the business, and the management’s request to have Preader arrested, officers decided to arrest Preader for a simple trespass violation. Joseph said this misdemeanor violation would normally result in the violator receiving a citation with a date to appear in court.

During the arrest, Preader became combative and threatened to “head butt” one of the arresting officers and also threatened to kick one of the officers in the genitals, Joseph said.

To prevent any violence against the officers, Joseph said Preader was pinned up against the side of the patrol car where he was handcuffed.

At that point, Preader reached back towards the arresting officer’s duty belt and managed to get one of the officer’s handgun holster security features unlocked, Joseph said.

Feeling this threat from Preader, the officer forcibly took Preader to the ground. Joseph said Preader suffered a minor head injury in the incident and was taken to St. Helena Hospital Clear Lake for medical treatment. 

After being treated for his injury, Preader was booked into the Lake County Jail for misdemeanor violations of trespassing and attempting to remove and officer’s handgun, and a felony violation of resisting with violence, Joseph said.

Joseph said neither officer was injured in the assault.

The case will be forwarded to the Lake County District Attorney’s Office for filing, Joseph said.