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UPPER LAKE, Calif. – Late last week authorities eradicated nearly 14,000 marijuana plants discovered at an Upper Lake property.

Lake County Sheriff's Lt. Steve Brooks said the plants were eradicated following a search warrant service on Friday.

At 9 a.m. that day the Lake County Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Unit served a search warrant on property located in the 2900 block of Valley View Road, Brooks said.

During the service of the search warrant, detectives located and eradicated approximately 13,816 marijuana plants, according to Brooks.

He said detectives reported that it appeared that four subjects were living in the grow area, based on evidence located at the scene. However, they were unable to locate anyone in the marijuana grow at the time they served the search warrant.

During a search of the area, detectives located ammunition, but were unable to locate any firearms, Brooks said.

Detectives said this is the third time in three years they have eradicated marijuana from the same parcel of property. They also said the grow site is associated with a private residence in the area and the investigation is ongoing, Brooks said.

Brooks said the marijuana was located during a routine overflight mission, based on the detectives' report. The service of the search warrant was supported by the California National Guard Counterdrug Team, who assisted with the eradication.

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The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) Law Enforcement Division recently certified five new K-9s and their handlers.

These teams completed the extensive law enforcement K-9 training academy over the past few months in Tehama County.
 
Four of the teams are handlers and dogs that are both new to CDFW's K-9 program, while the fifth team is veteran wildlife officer and handler Brian Boyd and his new K-9 "Champ."

Boyd and his previous and soon to be retired K-9 "Phebe" were both featured extensively on the National Geographic TV show Wild Justice.
 
"The value of K-9s is greatly recognized in their ability to use scent to locate evidence, especially items that have been intentionally concealed," said CDFW Assistant Chief Christy Wurster who leads the K-9 program. "These dogs can locate evidence in a fraction of the time it would take officers. Our dogs have proven to be a significant deterrent to suspect resistance, reducing assaults on our officers. This alone makes them an immeasurable asset."
 
All five teams are certified to track and locate people and detect certain odors and evidence. Depending upon their assigned work locations, individual teams are trained to detect numerous items including bear, deer, abalone, invasive quagga mussels and firearms, at a minimum.

Four of the new K-9 teams are also certified to protect officers and apprehend suspects.
 
The K-9 teams have proven invaluable to CDFW's Law Enforcement Division. Studies show that one well-trained dog can save approximately 800 personnel hours per year, which greatly boosts the wildlife officer's efficiency and effectiveness.

Some estimates place the scenting capabilities of a dog at up to 1 million times greater than a human, which allows them to quickly find concealed evidence and items.
 
The five new teams include:  Warden Aaron Galwey and K-9 "Rango" (Shasta County), Warden Brian Patrick and K-9 "Karma" (Sacramento County), Warden Timothy Bolla and K-9 "Luna" (Yolo County), Warden Nick Buckler and K-9 "Indy" (Lassen County), and Warden Brian Boyd and K-9 "Champ" (Shasta County).
 
CDFW's K-9 program has functioned in its current capacity consistently since 2008 with 10 working teams in the field.

These five new teams will strengthen the value of the program and assure its viability for years to come. 
 
For more information about CDFW K-9 program please visit www.wildlife.ca.gov/Enforcement/K9#30481342-about .

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KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – Kelseyville's popular summertime “Kickin' in the Country” street dances begin this season on Thursday, June 16.

The Kelseyville Business Association will host the free event with live music from 7 to 10 p.m. on Main Street.

This week's featured band is Beatz Werkin', a lively bunch that plays many fun and popular dance tunes from the 1970s.

The lineup for the monthly dances is as follows:

– July 21: The Funky Dozen.
– Aug. 18: The Hip Replacements.
– Sept. 15: The Prather Brothers.

Then on Oct. 15 there will be the Kelseyville Beer, Wine & Swine Bacon Festival.

For more information contact the Kelseyville Business Association at 707-279-9022, or visit the association's Web site at http://www.visitkelseyville.com/ or its Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/visitKelseyville .

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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – On Wednesday, June 15, the Federal Emergency Management Agency will conduct the last in a series of multistate tests of the new “National Periodic Test” Emergency Alerting System, or EAS, event code.

This test will involve more than 3,000 broadcast outlets in nine states from FEMA Regions VIII, IX and X, according to a report from the Lake County Sheriff's Office.

Starting at 1:20 p.m. Pacific Time Wednesday – subject to a minute or two of propagation delay through EAS relay networks – broadcasters will sound the usual EAS tones followed by this message text:

“This is a National test of the Emergency Alert System. This is only a test. Broadcast and cable operators in your area have developed this system in voluntary cooperation with FEMA, the FCC and local authorities to keep you informed in the event of an emergency. If this had been an actual emergency an official message would have followed the alert tone. This concludes this National test of the Emergency Alert System.”

The sheriff's office reported that this text was crafted by FEMA to make this event sound as much like a regular required monthly test as possible.

All of this is in preparation for the next full National EAS Test, currently slated for late September. Officials said no action is required either by agencies or by the public.

In prior regional tests FEMA has canceled the broadcast in states where there were ongoing events that might be confused with the test. As such, officials said it is possible the test may not occur as scheduled.

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KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – Finch Gardens will host its monthly organic seed planting workshop on Saturday, June 18.

The workshop will take place beginning at 10 a.m. at 6565 Live Oak Drive,just past the EV Free Church. 

This month they will be planting broccoli, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts.  Containers, organic seed and soil will be provided.

Participants will take home 12 4-inch starts or three six packs. The cost is $10 per person. 

For more information call Helen Finch at 707-279-9400 or visit our www.finchgardens.com .

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SACRAMENTO – The California Community Colleges has expanded its guaranteed transfer agreement with historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) to include an additional 12 schools.

In March 2015, the California Community Colleges Board of Governors signed the initial agreement with the leaders of nine HBCUs, guaranteeing admission for California community college students who meet certain academic criteria admission.

The California Community Colleges is the only statewide community college system to have a transfer agreement of this kind with HBCUs.

“The expansion of this historic agreement creates a tremendous opportunity for our students,” said California Community Colleges Interim Chancellor Erik E. Skinner. “HBCUs have a reputation for being among the finest and most culturally diverse institutions of higher learning in the nation. We’re thrilled we can expand the pathway for students to embrace all these historic schools have to offer.”

The new HBCUs participating in the agreement are:

• Bethune-Cookman University in Daytona Beach, Fla.
• Central State University in Wilberforce, Ohio.
• Clark Atlanta University in Atlanta, Ga.
• Edward Waters College in Jacksonville, Fla.
• Florida Memorial University in Miami Gardens, Fla.
• Grambling State University in Grambling, La.
• Huston-Tillotson University  in Austin, Texas.
• Kentucky State University in Frankfort, Ky.
• Lane College in Jackson, Tenn.
• Lincoln University of Pennsylvania in Oxford, Penn.
• Tougaloo College in Tougaloo, Miss.
• West Virginia State University in Institute, W.Va.

Under the agreement, students who apply to the schools and obtain a transfer-level associate degree with a GPA of 2.5 or higher and complete either the Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (accepted at both the University of California and California State University), or the California State University General Education Breadth pattern, will be guaranteed admission with junior standing.

Students are also guaranteed admission by earning an Associate Degree for Transfer or by completing 30 or more CSU or UC transferrable units with a GPA of 2.5 or higher.

HBCUs were founded to serve the higher education needs of African-American students, though they are open to all students. They are located mostly in the South and East Coast regions.

The nine HBCUs included in the inaugural agreement are:

• Bennett College in Greensboro, N.C.
• Dillard University in New Orleans, La.
• Fisk University in Nashville, Tenn.
• Lincoln University of Missouri in Jefferson City, Mo.
• Philander Smith College in Little Rock, Ark.
• Stillman  College in Tuscaloosa, Ala.
• Talladega College in Talladega, Ala.
• Tuskegee University in Tuskegee, Ala.
•  Wiley College in Marshall, Texas.

For more information on the guaranteed transfer agreement and all of the participating colleges and universities, please visit www.cccco.edu/HBCUTransfer ,

The California Community Colleges is the largest system of higher education in the nation composed of 72 districts and 113 colleges serving 2.1 million students per year.

For more information about the community colleges, please visit http://californiacommunitycolleges.cccco.edu/ , https://www.facebook.com/CACommColleges or https://twitter.com/CalCommColleges .

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NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – Cal Fire's Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit will be conducting two prescribed burns at Berryessa Knoxville Road at East Side Road in Napa County later this week.

The agency said the prescribed burns will take place on Wednesday, June 15, and Thursday, June 16, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Prescribed vegetation management burns are carefully planned and must meet strict criteria for ecological benefit, weather parameters, smoke management and fire safety guidelines, Cal Fire said.

Cal Fire said that when all conditions are met, trained wildland firefighters conduct the burn, while monitoring the set criteria, fire behavior, and designated fire control lines.  

Benefits of low-intensity fire in the natural environment include:

– Cleansing of wildland debris. Excessive dead and down branches, brush, and small trees are burned, converting fuels that are hazards in the summer into rich soil nutrients.
– Controlling invasive species. Invasive species such as medusahead and yellow starthistle can be effectively controlled using prescribed fire, allowing native grass species to recolonize their natural habitat. Native grasses are important food and habitat for a wide range of animals.
– Ecosystem health. Low intensity fire helps eliminate and control diseased plants and trees.
– New growth. Prescribed burning encourages the healthy growth of new plants, especially those that are dependent on fire for renewal or seed dispersion.
– Reduced opportunity for destructive fires. Prescribed burns can decrease the size and frequency of large, uncontrolled destructive wildfires.

For more information about fire safety or prescribed fire and its benefits, visit the Cal Fire Web site
www.fire.ca.gov or call your local Cal Fire facility.

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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – A young woman who grew up in Lake County has advanced another step in her military career.

Stevie Rhodes has been promoted to sergeant in the United States Air Force.

Rhodes is one of the emergency managers for the 19th Civil Engineer Squadron stationed at Little Rock Air Force Base. 

She recently returned from a tour of duty in an undisclosed location in Southwest Asia.

Rhodes graduated from Kelseyville High School a few years ago. She will be returning sometime the week of June 12 to attend her sister Scarlett Rhodes' graduation.

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061316kjfire1CLEARLAKE, Calif. – Firefighters quickly contained a small wildland fire in Clearlake that burned close to structures, caused a power outage and led to the evacuation of a nearby school.

The fire was first reported shortly before 1 p.m. on Arrowhead Road near Ukiah Street in the city of Clearlake, according to radio reports.

Cal Fire Division Chief Greg Bertelli said the fire was less than an acre, adding, “It was in really close proximity to several structures.”

Bertelli said the fire occurred in the “mutual threat zone,” which led to a combined response from Cal Fire and Lake County Fire Protection District, with the two agencies initially holding unified command on the incident.

“We both respond together to make sure we get enough resources,” Bertelli said.

In addition to engines and crews from Lake County Fire, Bertelli said Cal Fire sent a full wildland dispatch that included three air tankers, one helicopter, one air attack, five engines, two dozers and hand crews.

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Clearlake Police officers also were on scene, with Bertelli reporting that they did an excellent job of quickly setting up roadblocks and preparing for evacuations if necessary, he said.

The fire led to the cancellation of the remainder of the first day of summer school at nearby Pomo Elementary School, according to Konocti Unified School District Superintendent Donna Becnel.

“We decided to go ahead and relocate the kids because at one point we lost power,” Becnel said.

Becnel said at 1 p.m. the district began notifying parents and shifting the children whose parents they couldn't contact over to Burns Valley School.

Some of the children are only on campus for a half day, so they already were headed home by the time the fire occurred, Becnel said.

Once they decided to end school for the day, “We didn't go ahead and move anybody back to the school,” Becnel added.

The Clearlake Police Department set out a Nixle alert just after 1 p.m. suggesting that residents of Burns Valley Road between Woodland and Ciwa could evacuate but it was not mandatory.

The agency followed up just before 1:30 p.m. to report that residents could return home but asking people to stay out of the area of Burns Valley Road, Ukiah Street and Arrowhead Road for the duration of the incident.

Burns Valley Road between Pomo and Woodland still remained closed at around 1:30 p.m., police said.

Bertelli said it took up to 25 minutes to contain the fire, which had some moderate but erratic winds hitting it.

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He said they wanted to make sure they had good line all the way around the fire before calling it fully contained.

Bertelli said resources were being released from the scene as early as 2:30 p.m., with a few engines expected to stay on later in the day for monitoring.

Radio reports indicated that the incident command was terminated just before 3 p.m.

Bertelli said the cause remains under investigation. What appeared to be a power line came down during the incident, but he said it was a guy wire, not an energized line.

Pacific Gas and Electric reported that its crews also were at the scene Monday afternoon working to restore power to a small number of customers impacted by the outage the fire caused.

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.

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KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – The Lake County Horse Council will host its Stay Safe 2016 event on Saturday, June 18.

The meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m. at the Kelseyville Senior Center, 5245 Third St.

The format this year will include one main speaker at the event.

Dana Shackelton, DVM of the Middletown Animal Hospital will give a talk and presentation on “Lessons learned from the Valley fire.”

The Middletown Animal Hospital was activated by the California Office of Emergency Services State Operations Center and provided relief for animals from the burned areas, organizing and coordinating care for a large number of animals.

During the Valley fire almost every domestic species was treated including cats, dogs, horses, sheep, goats, chicken, cows, pigs and even some rescued koi.

Many surgeries and procedures were performed during that time addressing a huge range of needs and problems.

Dr. Smith and his associate veterinarians, Dr. Holtz and Dr. Shackelton and staff were assisted by many other animal hospitals and vet clinics from surrounding counties including UC Davis.

During the fire they were contacted and responded to hundreds of request to visit people's properties and check on their animals. They also responded to reports and requests from Cal Fire, Pacific Gas and Electric and other public entities within the burn area.

Dr. Shacklton's presentation will give information on how to prepare and pre-defend your space. She also will give helpful information on how to prepare for evacuation, prepare for the worst case scenario and develop means to transporting and confining your animals.

There will be a question and answer period after the presentation.

Water, sodas, and juice will be provided by the Lake County Horse Council.

Visit the council online at www.lakecountyhorsecouncil.com .

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The tragic event which occurred in Orlando, Fla., this past weekend reminds us of the monumental task yet to be accomplished.

That monumental task is the teaching of tolerance, of love, of respect, of understanding, of compassion and of the right to choose who to be with.

Choosing to be a heterosexual or a same sex couple should be the decision of those involved.

Whether we choose to be a couple from the same ethnic origin or different ethnic origins should also be the decision of those involved.

Changing a person's heart, mind, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, et al. will never be accomplished with force, coercion, intimidation, threats or death.

We, the Lake County Unit of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, offer our sincerest condolences to the families and loved ones of all affected by the tragic events that occurred in Orlando.

Let us take a lesson from this event – all life is precious, is important, and all life matters!

Rick Mayo is a member of the NAACP's Lake County Unit. He lives in Clearlake, Calif.

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KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – The body of a man who went missing from his sailboat last week on Clear Lake has been recovered.

Michael Eugene Haberski, 59, of Sebastopol had gone missing on the evening of Tuesday, June 7, in Konocti Bay, as Lake County News has reported.

His body was found at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, close to where he had last been seen, according to according to Lt. Steve Brooks. 

On the night he disappeared witnesses reported seeing a man go into the water without a life jacket, according to reports from the scene.

Northshore Fire's fire boat and the Sheriff's Marine Patrol responded to find Haberski's sailboat 300 yards offshore in the middle of Konocti Bay, based on radio reports.

The search that followed primarily used side scan sonar, as visibility issues prevented the use of divers, Brooks said.

Officials with the Lake County Sheriff's Office Marine Patrol had brought in search K9s from out of county to assist with the search on Saturday, and they were preparing to deploy the dogs when Haberski's body was found, having surfaced in the search area, according to Brooks.

Brooks said authorities are still investigating why Haberski went into the lake.

An autopsy is scheduled that will give Haberski's cause of death and will document any injuries, said Brooks, adding it will take at least a few days to get those preliminary results.

Haberski was a retired Petaluma firefighter who also had taught fire technology at Santa Rosa Junior College, according to his Linked In profile.

He was the third person to have died in Clear Lake in about a week and a half, as Lake County News has reported.

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.

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