LAKEPORT, Calif. – Three people charged with taking part in two homicides that occurred in Lakeport earlier this week have been arrested thanks to the efforts of law enforcement in Lake, Mendocino and Napa counties.

Dahnna Phyllis Burrows, 26, and Conrad Joseph Velez, 41, both of Lakeport, were arrested on Tuesday after being located in Napa County, and 19-year-old Dakota Joseph Velez of Kelseyville was arrested on Wednesday evening in Mendocino County, according to Lt. Steve Brooks of the Lake County Sheriff's Office.

Brooks identified the homicide victims as 54-year-old William Frank Busch of Lakeport and Edward Harry Morgan, 46, of Kelseyville.

Determinations as to the causes of death for both Busch and Morgan are pending autopsies scheduled for this Friday, Brooks said.

Burrows is charged with murder, carjacking and assault with a deadly weapon other than a firearm with great bodily injury, with bail set at $1 million, based on her booking sheet.

Conrad Velez is being held on a parole violation, with jail records also indicating he is charged with assault with a deadly weapon other than a firearm with great bodily injury. He is in custody on a no-bail hold.

Dakota Velez also is facing a murder charge, Brooks said.

Brooks said Burrows and Conrad Velez may also face additional charges once the investigation concludes.

The first homicide occurred Monday night in the 3800 block of Highland Springs Road near Lakeport, according to Brooks.

Firefighters from three local fire districts responded to a fire at the home that was dispatched just before 10:30 p.m., as Lake County News has reported.

Radio reports indicated neighbors heard loud popping sounds shortly before the fire broke out.

Once firefighters had controlled the fire outside and moved to the building's interior, they found the body of a male subject, according to Lakeport Fire Chief Ken Wells.

Wells said the Lake County Arson Task Force and the Lake County Sheriff's Office were called to investigate the discovery.

Brooks said members of the Lake County Sheriff’s Office Major Crimes Unit, which included crime scene investigators, responded to the scene and identified Busch as the victim.

Detectives reported that Busch had sustained injuries which were suspicious in nature and they believed he may have been the victim of homicide, Brooks said.

The following morning at 8:05 a.m. Central Dispatch received a report of a vehicle on fire in a field in the 900 block of Soda Bay Road in Lakeport, Brooks said. Lakeport Fire responded and extinguished the blaze.

Brooks said Central Dispatch conducted a records check of the vehicle and discovered it was registered to Busch. Detectives and crime scene investigators responded and processed the vehicle for evidence.

During the course of the investigation, detectives were able to develop several leads, identifying Conrad Velez, Dakota Velez and Burrows as persons of interest, Brooks said.

Then on Tuesday afternoon just before 2:30 p.m. deputies and firefighters were dispatched to the area of Robin Hill Drive and Lakeshore Boulevard near Lakeport on the report of an assault victim, he said.

Brooks said the information law enforcement received was that an adult male had been thrown out of an older white SUV before being run over. A male suspect then got out of the vehicle and used an unknown weapon to assault the victim before getting back into the vehicle and leaving the scene.

Initially the vehicle was described as possibly being an older white Chevy Suburban. Brooks said the caller was unable to provide any additional identifying information as to the occupants or the vehicle.

He said multiple deputies responded and arrived on scene within approximately three minutes of being dispatched.

The victim, identified as Morgan, died at the scene shortly after the deputies arrived, Brooks said.

Brooks said Central Dispatch immediately broadcast the vehicle's description and sheriff's personnel, California Highway Patrol and Lakeport Police officers began searching the area in an attempt to locate it. At the same time, detectives and crime scene investigators were responding to the scene.

Sheriff's detectives located a vehicle title in Morgan’s possession for a Chevy Tahoe, which also was reported to be white in color. A description of Morgan’s vehicle was immediately broadcast, Brooks said.

At 7:30 p.m. Tuesday Central Dispatch received a telephone call from the Napa Police Department, which advised that its officers responded to an unrelated family disturbance and detained Conrad Velez and Burrows, Brooks said.

Brooks said Napa Police officers also had located the Chevy Tahoe belonging to Morgan in close proximity to where Conrad Velez and Burrows were contacted.

Lake County Sheriff’s Office personnel responded and took custody of both Conrad Velez and Burrows, transporting them back to Lake County, where Brooks said they were interviewed.

Burrows and Conrad Velez subsequently were arrested and transported to the Lake County Hill Road Correctional Facility, where they were booked. Brooks said detectives anticipate charging both with additional crimes as the investigation continues.

At 5:20 p.m. Wednesday, Dakota Velez was arrested by the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office after he was located with the assistance of the Lake County Sheriff’s Major Crimes Unit, Brooks said.

Brooks said Lake County Sheriff’s detectives subsequently transported Dakota Velez to the Lake County Hill Road Correctional Facility, where he was booked for murder.

Chief Deputy District Attorney Richard Hinchcliff said the only previous cases Burrows has had in the local courts were misdemeanors for driving under the influence and petty theft, which she pleaded no contest to in March 2010 and April 2013, respectively.

Conrad Velez was paroled from state prison just within the last few weeks, Hinchcliff said.

Additional information on Conrad Velez's prison term and on Dakota Velez's criminal history was not immediately available.

Hinchcliff said he didn't yet have the case files, which he expected to receive Thursday.

He said Burrows is set to be arraigned on Thursday at 1:15 p.m.

Anyone with additional information regarding this case is asked to call the Lake County Sheriff’s Office at 707-263-2690.

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.

As winter slips away, the Department of Water Resources expects to find far less snow that normal for the date when it conducts its second snow survey of the winter on Thursday.

California’s stubborn drought, pushing into its third year, has left the Sierra largely bare of snow and the state’s reservoirs low.

Storms finally breaking through a coastal high pressure ridge largely blamed for dry conditions are expected to bring some snow to higher elevations before Thursday’s snow survey, but not enough to dent the drought.  

Still, conditions may be better than on Jan. 3 when the first survey of the season found more bare ground than snow.

Manual and electronic readings on Jan. 3 measured water content in the statewide snowpack at only about 20 percent of average for the date and a scant 7 percent of the April 1 average when it’s normally at its peak.

On Tuesday, before the anticipated moderate storms, electronic readings indicate that statewide, snowpack water content has dropped to 10 percent of normal for the date and 6 percent of the April 1 seasonal average.

The snowpack normally provides about a third of the water used by the state’s farms and cities.

California faces a triple threat of mostly dry forecasts, almost no mountain snow and low reservoirs.

“While we can only hope for wet weather,” said DWR Director Mark Cowin, “we can act positively to conserve as much water as possible.  Water conservation today is an absolute must.”

The reservoir storage from winter 2012 storms that got most of California through last year’s record dry weather is depleted, with each day reducing the odds that this winter will bring drought-ending precipitation.

Lake Oroville in Butte County, the State Water Project’s (SWP) principal reservoir, is only at 36 percent of its 3.5 million acre-foot capacity (54 percent of its historical average for the date).

Shasta Lake north of Redding, California’s and the federal Central Valley Project’s (CVP) largest reservoir, also is at 36 percent of its 4.5 million acre-foot capacity and 54 percent of its historical average for this time of year.  

San Luis Reservoir, a critical south-of-Delta pool for both the SWP and CVP, is at a mere 31 percent of its 2 million acre-foot capacity (39 percent of normal for the date).

On Jan. 17, Gov. Edmund G. Brown Jr. declared a state of drought emergency and called on local water suppliers and municipalities to implement their water shortage contingency plans.

He also directed state officials to respond to the state’s drought conditions by taking all necessary actions, including facilitating water transfers and reducing water use at government facilities.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – Firefighters battling a late-night house fire near Lakeport discovered a body as they were working on the interior of the structure.

The fire in the 3800 block of Highland Springs Road was dispatched just before 10:30 p.m. Monday, according to radio traffic.

Lakeport Fire Chief Ken Wells said firefighters arrived to find the roughly 900-square-foot stick-built home fully involved.

The home had an attached carport and a few outbuildings that also burned, Wells said.

“The house was destroyed,” he said.

Firefighters got the fire on the exterior of the residence controlled and went inside to continue their work. That's when they found the body, according to Wells.

He declined to say where exactly in the home the body was located. No identification has yet been made, he added.

The Lake County Sheriff's Office and Lake County Arson Task Force will be involved in the investigation, which Wells expected would start at daybreak Tuesday.

“My units are going to remain on scene until the investigation starts,” he said early Tuesday.

Radio reports indicated it was just before 11:45 p.m. when the fire was contained in the structures and wildland.

The tall oak trees around the home also caught fire, and Wells said it was a challenge to get the flames knocked out due to the trees' height.

Wells said Lakeport Fire had three engines and a water tender on scene, with an engine and a water tender from Kelseyville Fire and Northshore Fire also sending a water tender and an engine. Pacific Gas and Electric also responded.

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. – Law enforcement's pursuit of a suspect on Wednesday morning led to a brief lockdown at Riviera Elementary School.

The school, located at 10505 Fairway Drive, was notified by Lake County Central Dispatch at 11:15 a.m. that a foot pursuit was taking place near the campus, according to school Principal Diana Davidson.

Davidson said the school's lockdown protocol was immediately implemented and the campus was secured in about 45 seconds.

She said the campus remained in lockdown briefly, estimating it lasted only about two to three minutes.

Shortly afterward, Central Dispatch called the school to say the person who deputies had been chasing was apprehended, Davidson said.

Davidson said the lockdown protocols were followed quickly by students, staff, parents and substitute teachers.

“It was very impressive,” she said.

The Lake County Sheriff's Office did not immediately respond to a request from Lake County News for information about the incident.

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.

NORTH COAST, Calif. – The cause of death for a Roseville businessman whose body was found in the ocean near Gualala last November has been classified “undetermined,” Mendocino County Sheriff's Officials said Tuesday.

Stephen Clark Pease, 57, the owner of several Sacramento-area businesses, was found in the ocean nearly a month after he was reported missing at the end of October, as Lake County News has reported.

The investigation into his disappearance revealed that he had checked out of a Fort Bragg area motel on Nov. 3. His body was found 20 days later, 50 to 60 miles from that hotel, authorities said.

Capt. Greg Van Patten reported that on Jan. 15 the Mendocino County chief deputy coroner classified Pease's death as being due to undetermined causes.

Van Patten said authorities have yet to locate the rental car Pease was driving, a silver 2014 Chevrolet Captiva with Oregon license plate 500GKN.

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – A community celebration of Black History Month will take place on Saturday, Feb. 15, in Clearlake.

The event will take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the City Plaza Mall, located at 14090 Olympic Drive.

This year's event will have guest speakers ranging from community leaders to local pastors, and will include a potluck. For the children there will be a free bouncy house.

Black History Month, commemorated since 1976, offers a chance to discuss the country's past as well as its future.

In February 1976, President Gerald Ford urged Americans to mark the month in recognition of the long struggle of black Americans for equality and in recognition of their accomplishments.

“We can seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history,” President Ford said.

The Clearlake event is presented by Hair by Mz C in conjunction with the ColeTrain Transformation Foundation.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – President Barack Obama laid out priorities, challenges and opportunities in his annual State of the Union address on Tuesday night.

President Obama said he believes the United States is poised for opportunity after five years of struggling through the Great Recession.

He discussed expanding opportunity to middle class families, creating more jobs, making college more affordable, tapping into available energy resources, fixing the broken immigration system, equal pay for women and raising the federal minimum wage to $10.10 an hour.

Obama also took on climate change, noting, “The debate is settled. Climate change is a fact. And when our children’s children look us in the eye and ask if we did all we could to leave them a safer, more stable world, with new sources of energy, I want us to be able to say yes, we did.”

One of the evening's most notable moments was when Obama paid tribute to Army Ranger Cory Remsburg, who he had met at Omaha Beach on the 65th anniversary of D-Day. Months later, Remsburg – while on his 10th deployment – was nearly killed by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan.

Remsburg – who was found with shrapnel in his brain – has struggled with numerous surgeries, struggles with his left side and is blind in one eye.

He was present for the speech, and he received a two-minute standing ovation. A smiling Remsburg was helped to his feet by his father, and gave a thumbs up to the president.

“My fellow Americans, men and women like Cory remind us that America has never come easy. Our freedom, our democracy, has never been easy. Sometimes we stumble; we make mistakes; we get frustrated or discouraged. But for more than two hundred years, we have put those things aside and placed our collective shoulder to the wheel of progress – to create and build and expand the possibilities of individual achievement; to free other nations from tyranny and fear; to promote justice, and fairness, and equality under the law, so that the words set to paper by our founders are made real for every citizen,” Obama said.

“The America we want for our kids – a rising America where honest work is plentiful and communities are strong; where prosperity is widely shared and opportunity for all lets us go as far as our dreams and toil will take us – none of it is easy. But if we work together; if we summon what is best in us, with our feet planted firmly in today but our eyes cast towards tomorrow – I know it’s within our reach.”

The president's full address can be seen at http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2014/01/28/president-barack-obamas-state-union-address . The speech also can be viewed above.

Cathy McMorris Rodgers of Washington, chair of the Republican Conference, delivered the Republican response.

She said Republicans and the president want to improve the lives of Americans, but they part ways on how that should happen.

Instead, she offered a vision emphasizing free markets that she said will protect families while making Washington, DC play by the same rules as the rest of America.

She blamed the Obama Administration for opportunity gaps and allowing for too many people to fall further behind. “The president’s policies are making people’s lives harder,” through unprecedented spending, higher taxes and fewer jobs, McMorris Rodgers said.

McMorris Rodgers also took the opportunity to fault the Affordable Care Act, another administration policy the Republicans believe is creating hardships not opportunities.

The members of Congress who represent Lake County gave Obama high marks for the agenda he presented.

“The president spoke to almost every concern, hope and aspiration of the American people. It was a humble speech because he really credited the American people for how far we’ve come from the depths of the Great Recession,” said U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA).

“Tonight the President laid out a clear agenda to expand economic opportunities, create jobs and strengthen the middle class. Many of the steps being taken by President will further this agenda, and as the President said, these actions must be met by a year of action from Congress,” said Congressman Mike Thompson (D-St. Helena)

“Right now, people across our country feel like no matter how hard they work, they can’t get ahead,” he said. “Though our economy continues to recover, the middle class has seen their wages stall and their bills soar. When these hard working families look to Washington for answers, all they see is partisan fighting.”

Like Obama, Thompson called for an end to partisan gridlock in Congress. “We need to work across the aisle to raise the minimum wage, pass immigration reform, expand affordable educational opportunities, and make job-creating investments in infrastructure, manufacturing and renewable energy. By taking these actions we can strengthen our middle class, lower our deficit and grow our economy.”

Thompson also wants to see more done to protect against gun violence, noting that since the shooting at Newtown, Conn., in December 2012, more than 12,000 people have been killed by someone using a gun. “Too many lives are being cut short and Congress is doing nothing.”

He added, “America has always been place where, if you work hard and play by the rules, you get a job, buy a house, send your kids to college and save for retirement. That’s the American Dream, and our top goal must be to make sure everyone has an equal opportunity to achieve that dream, no matter on what side of the aisle we sit.”

Congressman John Garamendi (D-Fairfield, CA) said he was pleased that the president is focused on shaping an economy that creates more opportunity for hardworking Americans.

“Today, President Obama touched on three key themes that should resonate with every American: opportunity, action, and optimism,” Congressman Garamendi said.

“Opportunity: we must provide ladders of mobility to the middle class. Action: Congress and the Administration should work together on behalf of the American people. Optimism: Since the Great Recession, we’ve been through a rough patch in our country, but America’s best days are still to come,” Garamendi said.

“I still believe that there is nothing wrong with America that can’t be fixed by what is right with America, and I will do all I can to work with the president and my colleagues to build the middle class,” 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.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – Authorities are at the scene of a Tuesday afternoon assault that turned deadly outside of Lakeport.

Shortly before 2:30 p.m. deputies and firefighters were dispatched to the area of Robin Hill Drive and Lakeshore Boulevard on the report of a male assault victim.

Witnesses said the male victim was thrown from an older white SUV and run over, with a white male getting out of the vehicle and also assaulting the victim, according to radio reports.

The victim suffered stab wounds to the neck and chest, head lacerations and a compound leg fracture, and lost consciousness, based on reports from dispatch.

REACH and CalStar air ambulances both declined to transport the victim due to concerns over the weather, with fire units canceling a short time later after it was determined the man had died, according to reports from the scene.

Central Dispatch issued two “be on the lookouts” to law enforcement for the suspect vehicle, which was described as a white 1997 Chevrolet Tahoe SUV with damage to the passenger side. It was last seen heading toward Lakeshore Boulevard at approximately 2:20 p.m.

It was unknown how many occupants were in the vehicle besides the white male adult who, according to radio reports, had been seen assaulting the victim.

However, multiple subjects are believed to be involved, with one described as wearing a white sweatshirt with blue jeans, based on information from Central Dispatch.

Lake County Public Works confirmed that it was closing a portion of Robin Hill Drive at Lakeshore Boulevard based on a request from the sheriff's office to close the road while detectives work at the crime scene, and a Public Works truck was at the scene.

Public Works said the road closure will be in place until further notice, with a detour around the closure currently in place. If weather conditions worsen, the detour may not be accessible.

The Lake County Sheriff's Office has numerous units on scene as well as its mobile emergency operations center and a number of unmarked vehicles.

The California Highway Patrol confirmed that it is assisting with traffic control, and helping direct residents around the scene.

Sheriff's officials have not responded to requests for information on the incident.

Additional information will be posted as it becomes 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.

As California experiences one of the driest winters on record, the California Natural Resources Agency, the California Environmental Protection Agency, and the California Department of Food and Agriculture released the final California Water Action Plan, laying out goals and vision for the next five years.

The plan will guide state efforts to enhance water supply reliability, restore damaged and destroyed ecosystems, and improve the resilience of the state's infrastructure.

At the direction of Gov. Edmund G. Brown Jr., a collaborative effort of state agencies, and nearly 100 substantive public and stakeholder comments formed a plan to set direction for a host of near- and long-term actions on water issues for the state.

“It is a tall order. But it is what we must do to get through this drought and prepare for the next,” said Gov. Brown in his 2014 State of the State address last week.

The governor’s proposed 2014-15 budget lays a solid fiscal foundation for implementing near-term actions for the plan, recommending $618.7 million in funding for water efficiency projects, wetland and watershed restoration, groundwater programs, conservation, flood control and integrated water management.

“As we work on emergency actions to manage through one of the driest winters on record, we are also taking proactive, long-term steps to prepare California for future droughts and flood,” said Secretary for Natural Resources John Laird. “Each decade brings improvements, but also significantly highlights what we can do better. The California Water Action Plan gives us clear focus and vision for the next five years.”

Final revisions to the draft plan, released in October, include an expanded section on drought response and a new effort focused on better management of Sierra Nevada headwaters that helps water storage and quality, and ecosystems.

Public comment on the draft plan made it clear that California must better understand the economic and ecological harm of sustained dry weather.

The governor’s proposed budget would provide $472.5 million in Proposition 84 funds to the Department of Water Resources (DWR) for integrated regional water management.

The bond funds would leverage local and federal investment in projects that reduce demand, build supply, and offer additional benefits such as wildlife habitat and flood management.

The budget also placed immediate emphasis on water and energy use efficiency and wetlands and coastal watershed restoration to further support the resiliency of water supply and ecosystems during this dry weather period.  

The governor's budget also would allow DWR to better monitor the groundwater resources that provide more than one-third of California's supplies in dry years, and supports the development of a state backstop for sustainable groundwater management practices by the State Water Resources Control Board, should local efforts to do so not materialize.

“Together, the governor’s proposed budget and this finalized plan provide the state with practical solutions to the state’s most critical problems; the proposals on groundwater are a good example,” said Cal/EPA Secretary Matt Rodriquez. “Data collection and monitoring are crucial to sustainable management of our unseen but incredibly important aquifers.”

All of the near-and long-term actions in the plan center on sustaining supplies of water for people, the environment, industry and agriculture. This year’s severe dry conditions highlight the stakes.

Drought threatens to force the fallowing of hundreds of thousands of acres of farmland, throw thousands of people out of work, and potentially raise supermarket food prices.

“Our severe dry conditions are alarming for California’s agricultural industry,” said California Department of Food and Agriculture Secretary Karen Ross. “In the near term, we must do all we can to keep our fields productive. In the long term, we have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to make the investments that will allow us to stay productive in the face of a changing climate.”

Key actions identified in the plan include:

• Make conservation a California way of life.
• Increase regional self-reliance and integrated water management across all levels of government.
• Achieve the co-equal goals for the Delta.
• Protect and restore important ecosystems.
• Manage and prepare for dry periods.
• Expand water storage capacity and improve groundwater management.
• Provide safe water for all communities.
• Increase flood protection.
• Increase operational and regulatory efficiency.
• Identify sustainable and integrated financing opportunities.

The final plan can be seen below.

Final California Water Action Plan

With unseasonably high temperatures, limited rainfall and moisture levels resembling the state’s peak fire season, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire, announced that it has hired 125 supplemental firefighters in Northern California and extended seasonal firefighting forces in Southern California due to dry winter conditions.

The announcement follows Gov. Edmund G. Brown Jr.’s drought State of Emergency earlier this month.

“In order to maintain a sufficient depth of resources to address the prolonged, elevated threat of wildfire due to drought, we have staffed 25 additional fire engines and have retained  aerial firefighting assets at five air attack bases that would normally be closed this time of year,” said Chief Ken Pimlott,  director of Cal Fire.

“We have a well exercised mechanism for addressing short term elevations in the threat of wildfire, but these prolonged conditions warrant an even more aggressive action in order for us to be prepared to protect the people, property and natural resources of California,” Pimlott said.

In Northern California, Cal Fire is adding two additional fire engines in each of the 12 northern administrative units plus a third fire engine in the Shasta-Trinity Unit. In addition, the Chico Air Attack Base has been reopened with two fixed wing aircraft.

The additional firefighters have been assigned to the following areas: Amador-El Dorado Unit, 10; Butte Unit, 12; San Mateo-Santa Cruz Unit, 12; Humboldt Unit, 10; Lassen-Modoc, 10; Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit, five; Mendocino Unit, 10; Nevada-Yuba-Placer Unit, 12; Santa Clara Unit, 12; Shasta-Trinity Unit, 10; Siskiyou Unit, 10; Tehama-Glenn Unit, 12.

In Southern California, aircraft and staffing at Hemet (Riverside County), Ramona (San Diego County) Hollister (San Benito County) and Paso Robles (San Luis Obispo County) air attack bases have been kept on allowing for eight air tankers, and four air tactical planes to be immediately available.

The governor’s drought state of emergency directed Cal Fire to “hire additional seasonal firefighters to suppress wildfires and take other needed actions to protect public safety during this time of elevated fire risk.”

The increased staffing levels follow a series of actions from the administration to ensure that California is prepared for record dry conditions.

Earlier this week, the California Natural Resources Agency, the California Environmental Protection Agency and the California Department of Food and Agriculture released the California Water Action Plan, which will guide state efforts to enhance water supply reliability, restore damaged and destroyed ecosystems and improve the resilience of our infrastructure.

Gov. Brown has called on all Californians to reduce their water usage by 20 percent and last week, the Save Our Water campaign announced four new public service announcements that encourage residents to conserve.

Last December, the governor formed a Drought Task Force to review expected water allocations and California’s preparedness for water scarcity.

In May 2013, Gov. Brown issued an executive order to direct state water officials to expedite the review and processing of voluntary transfers of water and water rights.

Cal Fire is asking everyone to be extra cautious during the heightened fire danger period in order to prevent wildfires. One less spark means one less wildfire.

For more fire prevention tips visit www.PreventWildfireCA.org and for evacuation tips visit www.ReadyForWildfire.org .

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – An investigation into a reported auto burglary last weekend led police to a Clearlake home where they made three arrests on various charges – including child endangerment – and discovered drugs and weapons.

Middletown resident Franklin O. Rockwell, 35, and Clearlake residents Eddie Mario Duran, 28, and 31-year-old Sean Michael Brooks were arrested in the case, according to Sgt. Tim Hobbs of the Clearlake Police Department.

At 8 a.m. Sunday Clearlake Police officers responded to the 14800 block of Palmer Avenue for a report of a male subject trying to steal parts from a parked vehicle, according to Hobbs.

Upon the officers' arrival, Rockwell – who was standing by the parked vehicle – ran from officers. Hobbs said officers lost sight of Rockwell on Pearl Avenue, directly behind a residence in the 14600 block of Uhl Avenue that was easily accessible from Pearl Avenue.  

Officers had knowledge this residence was occupied by Christina Poplin, who is on active searchable felony probation out of Lake County, Hobbs said.

Hobbs said officers responded to the residence to conduct a probation search after confirming Poplin’s probation status through dispatch. Once inside the residence, officers located nine subjects, one of them being Rockwell.

Rockwell was arrested and found to be in possession of methamphetamine, Hobbs said. He was charged with felony possession of a controlled substance and misdemeanor resisting arrest.

Duran was one of the other subjects located in the residence, Hobbs said, and he was found to have an outstanding warrant for his arrest.

Poplin, the homeowner, stated she was the only person that lived in the residence and the rest of the subjects were visiting her, Hobbs said.

During a protective sweep of the residence, Brooks and his 9-year-old daughter were located in an unlocked bedroom. Hobbs said officers located a 12-gauge shotgun inside the room while looking into an open access area to the attic. Brooks is a convicted felon and is prohibited from owning or possessing firearms.  

It was then determined that Brooks and his daughter were the only ones who had access to the bedroom and that Brooks actually lived in the room, Hobbs said. Due to this reason and Brooks not being on probation or parole, officers secured the residence in anticipation of a search warrant being obtained for the bedroom.

A detective was called in to assist and then prepared and obtained a search warrant for Brooks' bedroom, Hobbs said.

During the service of the search warrant, officers located the following items in Brooks bedroom, according to Hobbs: One 12-gauge shotgun, one .357 revolver, 40 grams of methamphetamine, several pounds of processed marijuana, a large amount of narcotic prescription medication, approximately $800 in currency, packaging material and a digital scale.  

Hobbs said Brooks' daughter had the ability to access some of the marijuana and crystal methamphetamine because of where it was located.

Brooks was arrested for felony possession of a controlled substance for sales, possession of marijuana for sales, possession of a narcotic controlled substance for sales, felon in possession of a firearm, felon in possession of ammunition and child endangerment, misdemeanor possession of controlled substance paraphernalia and two misdemeanor bench warrants.

Brooks' bail was set at $75,000 and he remained in custody on Tuesday, according to jail records.

Bail for Rockwell was set at $15,000, and he also remained in custody on Tuesday. Jail records indicated that Duran, whose bail was $5,000, later posted the required percentage and was released.

NASA scientists say 2013 tied with 2009 and 2006 for the seventh warmest year since 1880, continuing a long-term trend of rising global temperatures.

With the exception of 1998, the 10 warmest years in the 134-year record all have occurred since 2000, with 2010 and 2005 ranking as the warmest years on record.

NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) in New York, which analyzes global surface temperatures on an ongoing basis, released an updated report Jan. 21 on temperatures around the globe in 2013.

The comparison shows how Earth continues to experience temperatures warmer than those measured several decades ago.

"Long-term trends in surface temperatures are unusual and 2013 adds to the evidence for ongoing climate change," GISS climatologist Gavin Schmidt said. "While one year or one season can be affected by random weather events, this analysis shows the necessity for continued, long-term monitoring."

The average temperature in 2013 was 58.3 degrees Fahrenheit (14.6 Celsius), which is 1.1 F (0.6 C) warmer than the mid-20th century baseline.

The average global temperature has risen about 1.4 degrees F (0.8 C) since 1880, according to the new analysis. Exact rankings for individual years are sensitive to data inputs and analysis methods.

Scientists emphasize that weather patterns always will cause fluctuations in average temperatures from year to year, but the continued increases in greenhouse gas levels in Earth's atmosphere are driving a long-term rise in global temperatures.

Each successive year will not necessarily be warmer than the year before, but with the current level of greenhouse gas emissions, scientists expect each successive decade to be warmer than the previous.

Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas that traps heat and plays a major role in controlling changes to Earth's climate. It occurs naturally and also is emitted by the burning of fossil fuels for energy.

Driven by increasing manmade emissions, the level of carbon dioxide in Earth's atmosphere presently is higher than at any time in the last 800,000 years.

The carbon dioxide level in the atmosphere was about 285 parts per million in 1880, the first year in the GISS temperature record.

By 1960, the atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration, measured at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii, was about 315 parts per million. This measurement peaked last year at more than 400 parts per million.

While the world experienced relatively warm temperatures in 2013, the continental United States experienced the 42nd warmest year on record, according to GISS analysis. For some other countries, such as Australia, 2013 was the hottest year on record.

The temperature analysis produced at GISS is compiled from weather data from more than 1,000 meteorological stations around the world, satellite observations of sea-surface temperature, and Antarctic research station measurements, taking into account station history and urban heat island effects.

Software is used to calculate the difference between surface temperature in a given month and the average temperature for the same place from 1951 to 1980.

This three-decade period functions as a baseline for the analysis. It has been 38 years since the recording of a year of cooler than average temperatures.

The GISS temperature record is one of several global temperature analyses, along with those produced by the Met Office Hadley Centre in the United Kingdom and NOAA's National Climatic Data Center in Asheville, N.C.

These three primary records use slightly different methods, but overall, their trends show close agreement.

Dr. Tony Phillips works for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.