CLEARLAKE, Calif. – Two men were pulled from Clear Lake Monday after their boat capsized.

Lake County Fire Protection District Chief Willie Sapeta said firefighters were dispatched early Monday afternoon to a report of two people in the water.

He said the Northshore Fire Protection District fire boat out of Clearlake Oaks and the Lake County Sheriff's Marine Patrol also were dispatched.

The two men, in their early 50s, had gone out in a canoe, Sapeta said.

The lake on Monday was very rough, and Sapeta said he had been surprised anyone would have gone out on the lake in such choppy conditions.

Clearlake resident Tony Parra watched the rescue take place from his backyard.

Parra reported that the canoe had flipped over.

Sapeta said firefighters got help in reaching the two men before the fire or sheriff's boats could arrive.

“We were able to commandeer a boat from a local fisherman,” he said, explaining that one of his battalion chiefs had waved down a bass boat.

Fire personnel found the two men about 300 to 400 yards offshore of Galaxy Resort, which is on Highway 53, Sapeta said.

They were able to pull the men from the water and take them to shore at the Galaxy Resort, transporting them from there to St. Helena Hospital Clear Lake, according to Sapeta.

He said the two men were treated for hypothermia and released.

The sheriff's Marine Patrol had planned to go out to find the canoe on Wednesday, Sapeta 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.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – A two-vehicle crash on Highway 29 in Napa County Monday evening injured three people, including a Clearlake Oaks man who was flown to a regional trauma center.

Daniel Graham, 25, was taken by REACH air ambulance to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital with major injuries following the wreck, which occurred just south of the Lake County line at 6:35 p.m. Monday, according to the California Highway Patrol's Napa Area office.

The CHP said Graham, driving a 1991 Mazda Miata northbound on Highway 29, was approaching a sweeping left curve in the roadway when he failed to maintain his lane.

Graham's Mazda crossed into the southbound lane and into the path of Kevin Lee, 56, of Santa Rosa, who was driving a 2001 GMC Yukon, the CHP.

The front of Lee's GMC hit the Mazda's passenger side. The CHP said the crash resulted in major damage to the Mazda and moderate damage to the GMC.

Kevin Lee and his passenger, 54-year-old Cindy Lee, also of Santa Rosa, both suffered minor injuries, the CHP said. A 3-year-old female in the GMC with the Lees was not injured.

All three of the GMC's occupants were transported by AMR ground ambulance to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital, according to the report.

The CHP said all four individuals in the two vehicles were wearing their seat belts.

The roadway was closed for just under three hours while the collision investigation took place, the CHP 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.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The National Weather Service in Sacramento has issued a wind advisory for Lake County due to a cold storm that's moving over California this week.

The biggest impact of this week's storm will be strong north winds that peak on Tuesday, according to forecasters.

The advisory period is from 6 a.m. Tuesday to noon on Wednesday.

It warns of winds from the northeast between 15 and 30 miles per hour, with gusts ranging between 40 and 50 miles per hour.

Forecasters predict the strongest winds will occur during the day Tuesday and into Tuesday evening.

The winds are expected to create difficult driving conditions with possible tree damage and power outages. 

Trees remain drought-stressed and may be more susceptible to being toppled than normal and drivers are urged to use particular caution.

The forecast calls for breezy winds to continue into New Year's Eve on Wednesday.

Some showers may occur across the region, with forecasters predicting a few inches of snow accumulation possible for the Sierra and a few flurries into the foothills.

For information about Lake County road conditions, visit the Lake County Department of Public Works at http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Public_Works/Roads.htm or find them on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/groups/Lakecountydpw/ . 

Pacific Gas & Electric cautions residents that if you see a downed power line, assume it is energized and keep yourself and others away. 

Call 911 immediately to report the location of the downed line then 1-800-743-5002, PG&E's 24-Hour Emergency and Customer Service Line. 

During and after a storm, keep away from flooded areas and downed trees, as these areas could be hiding an energized power line.  

For additional storm, power outage and power line safety information, visit http://www.pge.com/en/safety/naturaldisaster/stormsoutagessafety/index.page .

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Cheerleaders hailing from Lake County squads will perform in the halftime show during the Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl on New Year's Day.

The game, which pits Minnesota against Missouri, begins at 10 a.m. on KGO Channel 7 (San Francisco).

The halftime show will feature top high school cheerleaders who were selected for participation during summer cheer camps and clinics.

Lower Lake High School cheerleaders Johanna Anderson, Haylee Wade, Gladys Lopez and Dallas Kuckowicz, and Linda Ralosky of the Lake County Diamonds Cheer Team will be among those performing during the halftime show.

Lower Lake High School cheer instructor Angie Wade traveled with the girls to Orlando, Fla., for the performance.

She said they planned to visit Walt Disney World and Universal Studios during their trip. 

Email Denise Rockenstein at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – Human remains found in Clearlake in late November have been determined to be those of a Hidden Valley Lake man reported missing the previous month, with police now investigating the case as a homicide.

Clearlake Police Sgt. Nick Bennett said the remains have been identified as 36-year-old Guillermo Figueroa, who was reported as a missing person from Hidden Valley Lake on Oct. 27.

Authorities said Figueroa, a husband and father of three, had been visiting a friend in Clearlake and telephoned his wife to say he was coming home but never arrived, as Lake County News has previously reported.

Clearlake Police officers later found an abandoned car registered in Figueroa’s name in the vicinity of Burns Valley Road. They also had pinged his cell phone and tracked it to a general area in Clearlake, but couldn't get an exact location at that time.

Just before 10:20 p.m. Nov. 28 Clearlake Police received a call from a resident on the 2700 block of Oleander Street reporting he had found a human skull in his yard, police reported.

During a search the following day a canine from the Contra Costa County-based California Rescue Dog Association discovered partial remains of a deceased person about 100 yards north of the residence where the skull had been found, according to the police report.

Bennett said autopsy and DNA results matched the skull and remains as belonging to the same person – Figueroa.

A joint investigation into Figueroa's disappearance has been ongoing between the Clearlake Police Department and the Lake County Sheriff’s Office. Bennett said the case is now being investigated as a homicide.

Anyone with information in relation to this case is encouraged to contact Det. Tomas Riley at the Clearlake Police Department at 707-994-8251, Extension 315.

The U.S. Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has released data showing a historic low in traffic deaths was reached in 2013.

The 2013 Fatality Analysis Reporting System, or FARS, data that shows a 3.1-percent decrease from the previous year and a nearly 25 percent decline in overall highway deaths since 2004.

In 2013, 32,719 people died in traffic crashes. The estimated number of people injured in crashes also declined by 2.1 percent.

“With the holidays upon us, I give thanks that more of our friends and family are with us this year because of the broad partnership of safety-driven individuals and organizations who have joined us in making our roads safer for everyone,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. “Safety truly is a shared responsibility and we’ve all got more work to do in the New Year to keep more families together – that’s my resolution to the American people.”

Earlier this year, Secretary Foxx announced grants totaling approximately $1.6 million for public education and enforcement initiatives to improve pedestrian safety as part of the Department’s “Everyone Is a Pedestrian” campaign to help communities combat the rising number of pedestrian deaths and injuries that have occurred from 2009 through 2012.

Earlier this week, the department kicked off the annual “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” holiday crackdown on drunk driving by unveiling a new mobile app to help people who have been drinking get a safe ride home.

The more than 3-percent decline in traffic fatalities continues a long-term downward trend leading to the fatality rate matching a historic low – 1.10 deaths per 100 million vehicle miles traveled in 2013, down from 1.14 deaths per 100 million vehicle miles traveled in 2012.

Other key statistics include:

– The number of passenger vehicle occupants killed in crashes declined by 3 percent to 21,132 – the lowest number on record dating back to 1975. Passenger vehicles include passenger cars, SUVs, minivans and pickup trucks.
– Large truck occupant (0.9 percent) and motorcyclist (6.4 percent) fatalities declined for the first time since 2009.
– Pedestrian fatalities declined by 1.7 percent to 4,735, but remains 15 percent higher than the record low of 4,109 pedestrian fatalities in 2009.
– Pedal cyclist fatalities increased by 1.2 percent, the highest since 2006.
– The estimated number of people injured in crashes decreased across all person types in 2013 when compared to 2012, with declines among passenger vehicle occupants (2.2 percent), large truck occupants (4 percent), motorcyclists (5.4 percent), pedestrians (13 percent), and pedalcyclists (2 percent).
– The number of people killed in distraction-affected crashes fell to 3,154 in 2013 from 3,380 in 2012, a 6.7 percent decrease. However, the estimated number of people injured in distraction-affected crashes (424,000) increased by 1 percent compared to 2012.

“Almost 90 people on average lose their lives each day – and more than 250 are injured every hour – due to drunk driving, not wearing a seatbelt, and the many other factors associated with traffic crashes,” said Deputy Administrator David Friedman of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, or NHTSA. “As we work each day at NHTSA, these are tragic reminders of the importance of our efforts and how we must build on our many successes and continue to work even harder to protect the American public.”

Alcohol-impaired-driving fatalities decreased by 2.5 percent in 2013 to 10,076, accounting for 31 percent of the overall fatalities in 2013.

Thirty-four states experienced reductions in overall traffic fatalities, led by Ohio (132 fewer fatalities), Kentucky (108 fewer), Pennsylvania (102 fewer), South Carolina (96 fewer) and Arkansas (77 fewer).

The Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) contains data for a census of fatal traffic crashes within the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.

To be included in FARS, a crash must involve a motor vehicle traveling on a trafficway customarily open to the public and must result in the death of at least one person (occupant of a vehicle or a non-motorist) within 30 days of the crash.

FARS was conceived, designed, and developed in 1975 by NHTSA’s National Center for Statistics and Analysis to provide an overall measure of highway safety, to help identify traffic safety problems, to suggest solutions, and to help provide an objective basis to evaluate the effectiveness of motor vehicle safety standards and highway safety programs.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – The first manual snow survey of the Sierra snowpack this winter found more snow than last year at this time, but the snow water equivalent as measured statewide remains far below average for this date.

The Department of Water Resources conducted the survey Tuesday at Phillips Station, located about 90 miles east of Sacramento on a plot along Highway 50 near Echo Summit.

Snow covered the ground there to a depth of 21.3 inches, according to DWR’s Frank Gehrke, chief of the California Cooperative Snow Surveys Program, who conducted the survey.

The snow water equivalent was 4 inches at that particular snow course, or 33 percent of average.

Statewide, 105 electronic sensors in the Sierra detected a snow water equivalent of 4.8 inches, 50 percent of the multi-year average for Dec. 30.

That compares favorably with last winter’s first survey, when the snow water equivalent statewide was only 20 percent of normal, which tied with 2012 as the driest readings on record.

“Although this year’s survey shows a deeper snowpack than last year, California needs much more rain and snow than we’ve experienced over the past two years to end the drought in 2015,” said DWR Director Mark Cowin. “The department encourages Californians to continue their water conservation practices.”

Cowin said the state’s surface and groundwater reservoirs have been severely depleted during the drought, which now is in its fourth consecutive year.

He said a snowpack built up significantly during the winter months would be needed to recharge the reservoirs to their historical averages as the snow melts during the late spring and summer months. 

Generally, California’s snowpack supplies about a third of the water needed by the state’s residents, agriculture and industry as it melts in the late spring and summer.

Tuesday's electronic readings indicate that water content in the northern mountains is 57 percent of normal for the date and 20 percent of the average on April 1, when the snowpack normally is at its peak before the spring melt.

Electronic readings in the central Sierra show 45 percent of normal for the date and 16 percent of the April 1 average.

The numbers for the southern Sierra are 48 percent of average for the date and 15 percent of the April 1 average.

DWR and cooperating agencies conduct manual snow surveys around the first of the month from January to May. The manual measurements supplement and check the accuracy of real-time electronic readings.

The average Jan. 1 snowpack water content at Phillips Station is about 12 inches; the April 1 average 27.6 inches. Phillips had its lowest early-January water content reading of 0.1 inch in 2012, in a snow depth of only 0.6 inches.

On Jan. 3, 2014, Phillips had 2.3 inches of water content in 9.3 inches of snow. Besides that reading and the similar one in 2012, the driest January readings at Phillips were in 1987 (0.9 inches of snowpack water content), 1981 (2 inches), 1976 (2.7 inches) and 2000 (3 inches). Records at Phillips go back 50 years.

DWR currently estimates it will be able to deliver only 10 percent of the slightly more than four million acre-feet of State Water Project water requested for calendar year 2015 by the 29 public agencies that collectively supply more than 25 million Californians and nearly a million acres of irrigated farmland. It is hoped the initial 10 percent delivery estimate will increase as winter storms develop.

The final State Water Project allocation for calendar year 2014 was 5 percent of the slightly more than 4 million acre-feet requested. In 2013, it was 35 percent, and in 2012, the final allocation was 65 percent. It was 80 percent in 2011, up dramatically from an initial allocation of 25 percent.

The final allocation was 50 percent in 2010, 40 percent in 2009, 35 percent in 2008, and 60 percent in 2007.

The last 100-percent allocation – difficult to achieve even in wet years because of Delta pumping restrictions to protect threatened and endangered fish – was in 2006.

DWR weather watchers note that it’s early in the season with plenty of time for the snowpack to build.

The concern, however, is that irrigation-dependent San Joaquin Valley farms and some other areas will be hard hit if Water Year 2015 ends as the fourth full year of drought. Storage in key reservoirs has increased due to heavy December rainfall but is still far below normal levels for the date.

Lake Oroville in Butte County, the State Water Project’s principal reservoir, on Tuesday was at only 38 percent of its 3.5 million acre-foot capacity (61 percent of its historical average for the date).

Shasta Lake north of Redding, California’s and the federal Central Valley Project’s largest reservoir, is at 41 percent of its 4.5 million acre-feet capacity (66 percent of average for the date).

San Luis Reservoir, a critical south-of-Delta reservoir for both the State Water Project and Central Valley Project, is a mere 39 percent of its 2 million acre-foot capacity (58 percent of average for the date) due both to dry weather and Delta pumping restrictions to protect salmon and Delta smelt.

Delta water is pumped into the off-stream reservoir in winter and early spring for summer use in the Bay Area, San Joaquin Valley, Central Coast and Southern California.

Continuing dry weather prompted Director Cowin on Dec. 13, 2013, to mobilize DWR’s drought management team “to offset potentially devastating impacts to citizen health, well-being and our economy.”

Gov. Jerry Brown declared a drought emergency on Jan. 17.

In October, DWR announced the award of more than $200 million in grants to reduce drought impacts on local communities and improve access to water supplies. Lake County Special Districts received $2.6 million of that funding for several projects, as Lake County News has reported.

Electronic snowpack readings are available at http://cdec.water.ca.gov/cdecapp/snowapp/sweq.action .

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – A crash on Highway 29 at the Lake and Napa County line on Monday evening resulted in major injuries.

The crash occurred shortly after 6:30 p.m. just inside Napa County, according to reports from the scene.

The California Highway Patrol reported that the vehicles involved were a Mazda Miata and a GMC Yukon Denali.

One person had to be extricated and had major injuries, radio reports indicated.

A REACH air ambulance responded to a nearby landing zone and flew the patient out to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital, according to an online report from the CHP.

Additional details will be published as they become available.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.

A new report released by the U.S. Commerce Department's Economics and Statistics Administration, or ESA, examines, for the first time, competition at the full range of speeds of Internet service in the U.S.

The ESA report, titled “Competition Among U.S. Broadband Service Providers,” finds that far more competition exists at slower speeds than at higher speeds.

“This report gives policymakers a deeper understanding of what is occurring in the ISP marketplace," says U.S. Commerce Department Chief Economist Sue Helper. “We know that competition typically drives down prices. And we also know that increasingly, higher Internet speeds are required for optimal functionality of popular, high-bandwidth computing applications. As more and more commerce and information move online, we risk further widening the digital divide if access to affordable, higher speed Internet doesn’t keep pace.”    

Specifically, at download speeds of 3 megabits per second (Mbps), 98 percent of the U.S. population had a choice of at least two mobile ISPs, and 88 percent had two or more fixed ISPs available to them.

However, when multiple household members consume video streaming services, music streaming and online games, 3 Mbps can quickly become inadequate.

To understand download speed at 3 Mbps, it takes approximately 2.25 hours to download a 6 gigabyte movie. The same movie would take only 16 minutes to download at 25 Mbps.

At somewhat higher speeds, such as 10 Mbps, the typical person is able to choose among two fixed ISPs. They also have the option of subscribing to any of three mobile ISPs at 10 Mbps.

Because fixed and mobile service is imperfect substitutes, the report analyzes them separately.

At speeds greater than 10 Mbps, the number of providers decreases further.

For example, only 37 percent of the population had a choice of two or more fixed-service providers at speeds of 25 Mbps or greater; only 9 percent had three or more choices.

The report also found that four out of 10 Americans did not live where very-high-speed broadband service – 100 Mbps or greater – is available.

Of those with access to fixed broadband service at this speed, only 8 percent of the population had access to two or more providers, and 1 percent had access to three or more.

Only 3 percent of the population had 1 Gbps or greater available, and none had two or more ISPs at that speed. Mobile service is virtually nonexistent at download speeds of 25 Mbps or greater.

Competition Among Us Broadband Service Providers by LakeCoNews

AccuWeather reports those headed out to celebrate New Year's Eve may want to bundle up as arctic air affects much of the nation.

The worst of the cold will focus on the Rocky Mountains and northern Plains, but temperatures are forecast to dip below freezing across a majority of the nation on Wednesday night.

Folks headed to outdoor venues to ring in the new year will want to dress warm to stay protected from the cold weather.

Wearing gloves, hats, and multiple layers of clothing are suggested to stay warm when spending extended periods of time in the outdoors.

Sosnowski warns, "that while the consumption of alcohol can make you feel warmer, it can sharply lower your core body temperature."

Despite dealing with the cold, many people should not have to worry about rain or snow hindering their celebrations.

However, a low pressure system will cause disruptions across much of the Southwest.

Southern California should avoid the worst of the storm with showers on Wednesday clearing out for overnight celebrations.

If you are traveling across this region on New Year's Eve or New Year's Day, you should prepare for delays and allow for extra time to reach your destination.

Dry weather and below-normal temperatures are forecast to continue for much of the country heading into New Year's Day.

Texas will be one of the few exceptions to this as rain, drizzle, and even a bit of ice, will spread over the state.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The California Highway Patrol is urging motorists to start the new year on the right path by celebrating responsibly. 

If the night’s events include alcohol, make the smart choice and designate a driver before the celebrating begins. 

The CHP will be ringing in the new year on the roadway with motorists as part of a maximum enforcement period, or MEP, which begins at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 31, and continues through 11:59 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 4.

“New Year’s Eve is celebrated around the world, signifying the beginning of a new year,” said CHP Commissioner Joe Farrow. “Start the new year by doing the right thing: designate a sober driver or have a plan in place for a sober ride before the celebration starts.”

During 2013's New Year’s MEP, 14 people were killed in collisions statewide. In addition, CHP officers arrested more than 450 people for driving under the influence throughout the 30-hour traffic safety effort.

This holiday season, the CHP joins with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for its “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” education and enforcement campaign. 

In addition, the public is encouraged to call 9-1-1 if they suspect another driver of being under the influence. 

Be prepared to provide the dispatcher with the location, make, model, and license plate number of the vehicle, and any other pertinent information.

“The focused enforcement period is aimed at reducing the number of tragedies on our roadways over the holiday weekend,” added Commissioner Farrow. “With all the available transportation methods to choose from on New Year’s Eve, there is no excuse to drive under the influence behind the wheel of a vehicle. Designate a sober driver, take a taxi, or use public transportation to make it a safe night for everyone on the road.”

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake County Animal Care and Control is once again offering two cats for adoption this week.

The two adult cats are domestic short hair mixes, one female and one male.

In addition to spaying or neutering, cats that are adopted from Lake County Animal Care and Control are microchipped before being released to their new owner. License fees do not apply to residents of the cities of Lakeport or Clearlake.

If you're looking for a new companion, visit the shelter. There are many great pets there, hoping you'll choose them.

In addition to the animals featured here, all adoptable animals in Lake County can be seen here: http://bit.ly/Z6xHMb .

The following cats at the Lake County Animal Care and Control shelter have been cleared for adoption (other cats pictured on the animal control Web site that are not listed here are still “on hold”).

Domestic short hair

This female domestic short hair mix has a coat with white and brown tabby markings.

She's in cat room kennel No. 73, ID No. 1316.

Domestic short hair mix

This male adult short hair mix cat has a coat with brown and white markings.

He's in cat room kennel No. 48, ID No. 1364.

Adoptable cats also can be seen at http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Animal_Care_And_Control/Adopt/Cats_and_Kittens.htm or at www.petfinder.com .

Please note: Cats listed at the shelter's Web page that are said to be “on hold” are not yet cleared for adoption.

To fill out an adoption application online visit http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Animal_Care_And_Control/Adopt/Dog___Cat_Adoption_Application.htm .

Lake County Animal Care and Control is located at 4949 Helbush in Lakeport, next to the Hill Road Correctional Facility.

Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday. The shelter is open from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and on Saturday from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Visit the shelter online at http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Animal_Care_And_Control.htm .

For more information call Lake County Animal Care and Control at 707-263-0278.

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.