Shane Hutchins died after being shot by a Mendocino County Sheriff's deputy on Wednesday, November 10, 2010. Photo courtesy of the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office.

MENDOCINO COUNTY, Calif. – The search for a wanted parolee ended on Wednesday after the man was shot by a Mendocino County Sheriff's deputy.

Thirty-two-year-old Shane Hutchins, a transient that officials said had been on the run for several months, died following the shooting on Wednesday night, according to Capt. Kurt Smallcomb.

Smallcomb said Hutchins was wanted on numerous felony charges and had been reported or observed to be in possession of both firearms and knives.

On Wednesday deputies, Ukiah Police officers, Major Crimes Task Force agents and California State Parole officers were continuing their search for Hutchins when they received information from several sources that he was in a residence in the 18900 block of Lahmon Lane, located just east of Fort Bragg and off of Highway 20, Smallcomb said.

Deputies and Major Crimes Task Force agents proceeded to the residence and established a perimeter, and just before 9 p.m. Wednesday they entered the residence in an attempt to apprehend Hutchins, according to Smallcomb.

Smallcomb said Hutchins fled the residence and went into the brush, where the deputies and officers pursued him.

One of the deputies confronted Hutchins and shot him, Smallcomb said.

Emergency medical aid was summoned, but by the time they arrived Hutchins had died, Smallcomb said.

Smallcomb said the deputy who shot Hutchins has been placed on administrative leave.

The California State Department of Justice is investigating the incident, said Smallcomb.

He said an autopsy of Hutchins is pending.

Smallcomb said additional information directly about the shooting will be released from the California Department of Justice Bureau of Investigations Unit.

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Beginning in August, the district assembled a committee tasked with preparing for the 2011-12 school year by looking at potential school reconfigurations, as Lake County News has reported.

At that time, the school district had wanted to have a decision made by the end of the year because, as Board President Rick Winer explained Tuesday night, if schools or campuses were to be closed, portables moved or other reconfigurations taken, the district needed the approval of state officials.

But after district Director of Services Kyle Reams laid out five scenarios before the board and about 50 community members, Winer and his colleagues on the board – John DeChaine, Peter Quartarolo, Gary Olson and Chris Irwin – were unanimous in their opposition to closing any schools.

At the beginning of the meeting – at which no formal action was agendized, only discussion – district Chief Financial Officer Tiffany Kemp went over the district's declining enrollment, as well as its declining state revenue sources, noting the districts is “in some economic distress.”

Kemp explained that the state's recently approved budget has “some major dangerous assumptions” built into it, including a growth in expected revenues and several billion in cuts.

“Bottom line, it's going to continue to impact education, as we're one of the top three line items in the budget,” she said.

Beginning in the 2008-09 fiscal year, the district began to sustain a round of deep state budget cuts that, coupled with declining enrollment, has put the district into a deficit spending position, with only about $1.5 million expected to remain in the bank at the end of the 2010-11 year, Kemp said.

Enrollment for the district, Kemp said, is going to continue, with the district already down 20 students from the 2009-10 school year.

It was that kind of outlook that led to the reconfiguration discussion, and Reams, acting as the spokesman for the district configuration committee, explained the five scenarios.

In forming those five options, the committee – which Reams said met at least twice a month – explored ongoing financial savings and maximum program potential, as well as the impact on students, the community and businesses.

The scenarios

The first scenario would have created two K-6 schools – one at Kelseyville Elementary, one at Riviera Elementary – and Kelseyville High would have taken seventh through 12^th grades. Mountain Vista Middle School would be closed as part of that option.

Total estimated savings with changes in staffing, utilities and maintenance totaled $178,727, said Reams.

Scenario two proposed combining Kelseyville Elementary and Mountain Vista Middle School to create a K-8 “super campus,” with Riviera Elementary closing.

Potential savings for the option was the greatest, at $412,284, Reams said.

However, it also brought with it a number of considerations that didn't have a price tag, from the roomful of concerned parents to committee findings that included a mixing of grade and maturity levels that Reams said “could be a dangerous thing for some kids.”

Riviera Elementary also is the only school in the district scoring above 800 in the state's Academic Performance Index. “The committee felt very strongly about that,” Reams said.

Reams said scenario three would create two K-8 sites, one at Kelseyville Elementary, one at Riviera Elementary, and close Mountain Vista Middle School, for a total estimated savings of $127,009.

In scenario four, there would be no campus configuration changes, said Reams. However, the district could consider leasing or selling other facilities, such as Gard Street, the historic Hells Bend School or the Main Street property across from the Two Jacks market, where the district already has a longterm lease with Lake Family Resource Center.

If Gard Street was sold, Reams said the educational programs located there would have to be move, as would the transportation bus yard and sports facilities. Overall, it offered the community and students the least upheaval.

However, Reams said just how much financial benefit is unclear without good appraisals, and estimates for how much lease income could result at Gard Street range between $10,000 and $200,000 annually, depending on how much of the property is leased out and for what.

The final and fifth scenario has no change whatsoever to any of the sites, with no sales or leasing of properties, although it could consider alternative uses for unused facilities, he said.

“The committee realizes the difficult decision facing the board,” said Reams, who thanked everyone for their efforts.

Winer said it was evident that a “tremendous amount of work” went into the report, and he commended the committee, leading the group in a round of applause.

The board responds

Winer first asked fellow board members if they had comments or questions.

Quartarolo also thanked the committee for doing “a heck of a job.”

He went on to say, “Unfortunately, this process, I think, generated a lot of unneeded concern amongst a lot of people in the public.”

Quartarolo said he had no interest in closing down Riviera Elementary, which drew a round of applause.

After being approached by many people concerned that the school might be closed, Quartarolo said, “I just want to let everybody know, that is the last thing I plan on approving.”

DeChaine said that without full projections for the state's situation, “We're not playing with a full set of facts.”

He echoed Quartarolo's sentiments about the concern and rumors generated about a proposal to close Riviera Elementary, which he said have been circulating in one form or another for some time.

DeChaine said it was important that the district had done a lot of work. “We have gathered the facts, we have put the details in place. It's something that we've been able to responsibly explore.”

Closing schools means disrupting families, businesses and the lives of children, who DeChaine said are supposed to feel as safe as possible. He said he doesn't support closing sites at this time.

Winer, an educator who has always worked in small districts, said they have before them a number of facts, but what can't be measured is the impact of taking away a community's schools. Looking at how student populations would balloon at some of the district's campuses, Winer said he can't support school closures.

“I don't see an urgency in closing any schools and disrupting both the students and the community, but I do see it was important that we went through this process,” he said.

Olson said he didn't want to formulate strong opinions before hearing from the community, but he believed that exploring the options was an important exercise because of the district's serious budget consequences.

“I obviously think we hit a nerve out in the Riviera community,” he said, noting he was there the day ground broke on the school.

Irwin said it was good to have the information and see the figures.

“This is just the beginning of a conversation,” said Irwin.

He said the community needs to address the budget challenge sooner or later if its schools are going to continue providing good product.

District Superintendent Dave McQueen said he appreciated the candor. “I think it's a really positive meeting tonight.”

No one has every really taken a look at the numbers that would accompany reconfiguration efforts, he said. “We are challenged, we are facing some pretty big deficits.”

McQueen said he believed that the board and community can come together to come up with conclusions that will be good for everyone.

Community greets board stance with relief

During public comment, Don Solomon, Riviera Elementary's teacher in charge, told the board, “I was very, very concerned about what was possibly going to occur tonight.”

He said closing schools would have bad effects, and he came prepared with a notepad filled with concerns and a willingness to rant and rave.

“Now I don't have to do it,” he said, acknowledging, “There was a lot of emotional turmoil out in that Riviera.”

Parent Rebecca Dierssen echoed Irwin's sentiments that sooner or later the board will have to look at some kind of cuts. “When is that sooner or later going to be?” she asked, inquiring if the scenarios were to be tabled.

Winer said they weren't going to be tabled, but that the board would take action on them at its regular board meeting Nov. 16.

“And then we're done,” until such a time as the district needs to revisit the options, Winer said.

Lake County Superintendent of Schools Wally Holbrook told the board, “The thing that is always common is that this community comes together around its students.”

He said the budget situation that districts are in won't be solved this fiscal year, and he urged them to keep option four open – selling or leasing properties – as he believed it could offer potential revenue if the timing is right.

Holbrook urged the district to look at sharing services with other districts – such as food service, maintenance and grounds – because he saw savings potential.

He also suggested that all districts look at health benefits and costs. “That's not an easy thing to do.”

Danielle Aragon, whose children attend both Riviera Elementary and Mountain Vista Middle School, said she felt compelled to get up and thank the board, pointing out that she doesn't hold back when pointing out negatives.

Aragon's voice broke as she thanked the district for the amount of work that went into exploring the options, saying she had no idea about the costs until seeing some of the figures.

She's left meetings previously feeling worried about Riviera Elementary, and said the Tuesday night meeting would have been a lot different if more people didn't feel positive.

She said of Riviera. “It's a place that we cherish.”

Irwin urged everyone to keep coming up with ideas to help the district address the “giant fiscal train” coming at it.

“We still have some real challenges ahead of us, so please stay involved,” he said.

Solomon said after the meeting that parents have been approaching him throughout the last month with their concerns that Riviera Elementary might close.

“I think these guys really cleared it up,” he said of the board, adding that he believes it will be a relief to the community.

The configuration reports can be found online at http://www.kusd.lake.k12.ca.us/#!/District/130233-Untitled.html .

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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Vietnam veterans around the nation affected by Agent Orange have won another battle in the ongoing effort to get recognition for the numerous maladies resulting from their exposure to the herbicide.

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) reported that it has begun distributing disability benefits to Vietnam veterans who qualify for compensation under recently liberalized rules for Agent Orange exposure.

Coverage has now been expanded to include B-cell (or hairy-cell) leukemia, Parkinson's disease and ischemic heart disease.

The changes took effect Oct. 30.

“The joint efforts of Congress and VA demonstrate a commitment to provide Vietnam veterans with treatment and compensation for the long-term health effects of herbicide exposure,” VA Secretary Eric Shinseki said in a written statement.

The US military used Agent Orange – along with a host of other, similar dioxin-based herbicides – to defoliate the jungles in Vietnam in order to take away the cover used by enemy forces in the country. It was sprayed in a variety of ways, including by aircraft and people on the ground.

The VA said that up to 200,000 Vietnam veterans are potentially eligible to receive VA disability compensation for medical conditions recently associated with Agent Orange because of the rule change.

The three new conditions have been added to a list of other recognized illnesses under the VA's Agent Orange “presumption” rule.

“Agent Orange itself is not a claim, it's not a disability,” said Lake County Veterans Service Officer Jim Brown.

The presumptive rule means that it's assumed that if a Vietnam veteran has any of the conditions that they resulted from exposure to Agent Orange, and the VA will grant service-connected disability ratings, said Brown.

The other illnesses previously included in the presumptive rule include acute and subacute transient peripheral neuropathy, which is a nervous system condition resulting in motor weakness, numbness and tingling; the skin condition chloracne, which resembles other types of acne seen more commonly in teens; and chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

There's also diabetes mellitus (Type 2); Hodgkin's Disease; multiple myeloma, a cancer that affects white blood cells in bone marrow; Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma; porphyria cutanea tarda, which officials said is characterized by liver dysfunction, hair thinning and blistering of skin in sun-exposed areas; and AL Amyloidosis.

The herbicide also is presumed to have caused a host of different types of cancers, including prostate cancer; respiratory cancers; and soft tissue sarcoma, a group of cancers other than osteosarcoma, chondrosarcoma, Kaposi's sarcoma or mesothelioma.

Based on interactions with local veterans services, Brown estimated that about 200 local veterans are dealing with Agent Orange-related health issues.

With the new health conditions added, “I'm sure that's going to increase,” he said.

Brown said he expects that more veterans will come in under ischemic heart disease, which is a condition that is characterized by chest pain, resulting from a reducing blood supply to the heart. He said he knows of local vets who have previously sought benefits due to the condition but were turned down.

Dean Gotham, president of the local chapter of the Vietnam Veterans of America, said most of the veterans he knows who would be affected by the Agent Orange rule changes already are 100-percent disabled due to other causes.

Veterans advocate for more studies, more help

The VA reported that Agent Orange was the most commonly sprayed herbicide in Vietnam. Altogether, 19 million gallons of herbicide were used in that country. Studies were done that linked it to birth defects and deaths among the Vietnamese population.

During the Vietnam era many veterans offshore also were exposed to chemical testing such as in the “Big Tom” Navy test and Project SHAD, as Lake County News has reported.

Getting recognition for Agent Orange-affected veterans has been a long and often difficult process.

While the VA gave special access to health care to veterans exposed to Agent Orange beginning in 1978, it took until 1981 to offer such vets priority medical care.

Veterans with medical problems related to the herbicide began to receive disability compensation from the VA in 1985.

In 1991, Congress passed the Agent Orange Act, which established an initial list of diseases presumed associated with exposure to the herbicide agents.

Gotham said the national Vietnam Veterans of American leadership is heading up the work to gain additional recognitions and assistance for Agent Orange-related conditions.

In June, the organization issued a statement in which it said that Vietnam veterans are more than twice as likely to develop Type 2 diabetes as the rest of the population, and the same was true for other presumptive conditions, including prostate cancer.

“This points, yet again, to the need for federal funding of additional research into the adverse health impacts on Vietnam veterans, on our children, and on our grandchildren, by respected independent scientific entities outside of the VA,” the organization stated.

The statement continued, “The clear need for such research is even more pressing today, given the number of Vietnam veterans who have died well before their time in the last 20 years, and the number who are continuing to die early because of the ravages resulting from exposure to Agent Orange/dioxin in Southeast Asia.”

Gotham said it's those “intergenerational effects” on the children and grandchildren of Vietnam veterans that still need to be studied.

“It turns out Agent Orange causes genetic damage,” he said.

Because Agent Orange causes sterility issues and can result in damaged sperm, “There's a whole lost generation that people don't even know about,” Gotham said.

He said a study was done on children in Vietnam and how they were affected but a study so far hasn't been done in the United States on the children of veterans. “It pisses us off,” Gotham said.

Because of an anticipated surge in Agent Orange-related claims, the VA has launched new initiatives to modernize processes and handle claims through automation and operational improvements, the agency reported.

The VA reported that survivors' benefits may be available for spouses, children and dependent parents of Vietnam veterans exposed to Agent Orange.

While providing initial payments or payment increases to the 200,000 veterans who will qualify under the new rules will take several months, the VA nevertheless encouraged veterans to apply for help if they qualify.

Veterans interested in applying for disability compensation under one of the three new Agent Orange presumptives should go to www.fasttrack.va.gov or call 1-800-827-1000.

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Officials investigate the scene of a single-vehicle collision on Highway 20 near Lucerne, Calif., on Wednesday, November 10, 2010. Photo by Gary McAuley.

LUCERNE, Calif. – A woman whose vehicle rolled over on Highway 20 Wednesday was arrested on charges of driving under the influence.

The crash occurred at about 6:45 p.m. on Highway 20 just west of Foothill Drive in Lucerne, according to initial reports from the California Highway Patrol.

The woman, whose name was not immediately available, was driving a newer model pickup when she was involved in a single-vehicle crash that rolled the pickup over, according to Northshore Fire Battalion Chief Steve Hart, who was pulled from a rescue on the hills above Lucerne to respond to the crash.

Hart said the woman was uninjured.

She was accompanied by three dogs, who also appeared uninjured and were removed from the scene by Lake County Animal Care and Control, Hart said.

Hart said the roadway was blocked for about 10 minutes. CHP and Lake County Sheriff's officials responded to the scene along with Northshore Fire, which sent a total of four units.

The woman was determined to have been driving under the influence of prescription drugs, according to reports from the scene. The CHP arrested her after she failed a sobriety test.

CHP reported the roadway was cleared just before 8 p.m.

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The single-vehicle rollover crash on Highway 20 near Lucerne, Calif., on Wednesday, November 10, 2010, closed the roadway for a brief time. Photo by Gary McAuley.

LUCERNE, Calif. – Two Lucerne residents were arrested last week on felony drug charges.

Stephen Michael Poppe, 26, and Joshua Timothy Colcleaser, 24, were arrested Nov. 5 by the Lake County Sheriff's Narcotics Task Force following the service of a search warrant, according to Capt. James Bauman.

Bauman said that Lake County Superior Court Judge Arthur Mann signed a search warrant for the Country Club Drive home of 25-year-old William Mueller on Oct. 29, following a two-month investigation into the suspected sales of controlled substances.

As detectives approached Mueller's residence at about 12:20 p.m. Nov. 5, Colcleaser started to exit the house from a kitchen door but then ran back in and slammed the door when he saw the detectives, Bauman said.

Detectives forced entry into the kitchen and pursued him into the house where he was arrested without further incident, according to Bauman.

Detectives also located Poppe sitting in an adjacent living room and he was detained in handcuffs without incident, Bauman said.

Poppe had been arrested in Clearlake Oaks on Oct. 20 by the Narcotics Task Force after he was found in possession of methamphetamine, narcotics paraphernalia and cash during a traffic stop, as Lake County News has reported.

Bauman said Mueller was not found in the Lucerne home. However, a search of the home led to the seizure of various small amounts of suspected methamphetamine, marijuana, items of narcotics paraphernalia and other evidence of narcotics sales.

He said detectives recovered just under 2 grams of suspected methamphetamine and more than 4 pounds of processed marijuana, which was found in various stages of packaging. Scales, smoking pipes, and other paraphernalia were recovered as well.

Both men were booked at the Lake County Jail on felony charges of possessing controlled substances and marijuana for sales and misdemeanor possession of narcotics paraphernalia, Bauman said.

Colcleaser was charged with resisting arrest as well. Both men posted $10,000 bail each and were released later that night.

While William Mueller was the subject of the initial investigation, he is not actively wanted by the sheriff’s office but he is expected to face narcotics charges as they are filed with the District Attorney’s Office, Bauman said.

Joshua Colcleaser is not to be confused with his cousin Johnny Colcleaser, the man who was the subject of a daylong manhunt in Lucerne on Sept. 24.

Johnny Colcleaser threatened Joshua Colcleaser, which kicked off the search that ended with Johnny Colcleaser's arrest on the night of Sept. 24.

Johnny Colcleaser remains in the Lake County Jail on felony charge of vehicle theft, being a felon in possession of a weapon and a parole violation, as well as a misdemeanor charge of resisting or obstructing an officer.

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LAKEPORT, Calif. – A longtime county employee was arrested over the weekend on allegations of felony vandalism.

Sandra Rose Thompson, 57, of Lakeport was taken into custody by Lakeport Police just after 12 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 6, according to Lake County Jail records.

Thompson works in the Lake County Recorder's Office. County records indicate she has worked for the county for 29 years.

Lakeport Police Department's acting Chief Brad Rasmussen said that two units were dispatched to an address on Lupoyoma Heights just after 11 p.m. Friday on the report of a vandalism.

When they arrived they met with a witness who reported seeing Thompson out in the street yelling, said Rasmussen.

A Lakeport Police log entry stated that the reporting party said Thompson was seen carrying a bat or golf club.

Rasmussen said Thompson allegedly smashed out the front and back passenger windows of a pickup owned by her boyfriend.

The boyfriend was not at the residence when the incident is alleged to have happened, Rasmussen said.

Thompson was reportedly still at the scene when officers initially contacted her. Rasmussen said she was arrested for felony vandalism after further investigation.

Vandalism is charged as a felony when the damage is in excess of $400. Rasmussen said further investigation is needed to determine the actual cost of the damage Thompson is alleged to have done to the pickup.

Rasmussen said the matter will be sent to the District Attorney's Office for further review.

Bail was set at $10,000 and jail records indicate Thompson later posted bail and was released.

Thompson is to appear in court on Tuesday, according to jail records.

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Nineteen-year-old Jeremy Michael King climbed up the 60-foot face of Castle Rock – located on the west side of Lucerne near Roland Drive – Wednesday afternoon, according to a report from Sgt. Dave Thompson of the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office, which assisted with the rescue.

King was on the rock about two hours and when evening arrived and it got dark he panicked, Thompson said.

Northshore Fire Battalion Chief Steve Hart said the district received the call at around 6 p.m.

Hart said he, Chief Jim Robbins and Battalion Chief Pat Brown responded, along with medic and heavy rescue units, an attack vehicle, a light unit and a utility vehicle.

Reports from the scene indicated fire officials were concerned about endangering personnel and equipment in trying to get to King. They noted that the ground was wet due to recent rains.

So Hart said the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office's Henry-1 helicopter was called in to conduct a long line rescue.

Firefighters at the scene reportedly helped light up the rock where the climber was located in an effort to help guide the helicopter in.

Once the helicopter arrived, Hart said it took about five minutes to rescue King.

Thompson said a trained Henry-1 crew member rescued the teen using a “horse-collar” rescue “strop.” King was then flown with the rescuer via the 100-foot long-line to awaiting fire crew members. He was uninjured.

Thompson said the Henry-1 is equipped with state-of-the-art night vision goggles and a 50-million candle-power Night Sun spotlight.

That equipment, plus ample nocturnal rescue training, enables the Henry-1 crew to be available to perform these nighttime long-line rescues, which are generally not conducted elsewhere throughout the nation, Thompson said.

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The California Highway Patrol reported that the crash occurred just before 1 p.m. at Soda Bay Road at Park Drive.

A vehicle crashed into a pole, which reportedly fell across the vehicle's hood and dropped power lines on the road, the CHP reported.

Officials also reported that a power transformer was knocked off the power pole and was lying in the roadway.

The Lake County Department of Public Works Roads Division issued an alert just before 3 p.m. warning that Soda Bay Road, west of Cal Packing Road, was closed to all traffic, with vehicles being detoured down Stone Drive to Big Valley Road to Cal Packing Road.

At the time it was not known when the road would be reopened, with officials offering estimating anywhere from four to 10 hours.

Crews continued to work at the scene until late into the night, according to the CHP.

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James Porter, 32, was arrested for burglary on Nov. 5, according to Capt. Kurt Smallcomb of the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office.

Smallcomb said the burglaries Porter is alleged to have committed occurred on the mornings of Nov. 1 and Nov. 4 at PG&E offices and a storage facility on N. State Street in Ukiah.

Porter, along with possible additional suspects, is alleged to have cut fences and padlocks to get into the properties, removing large caches of copper wiring, along with numerous work tools from the location, Smallcomb said.

The approximate loss was in excess of $5,000, according to Smallcomb.

On Nov. 5 Mendocino County Sheriff's deputies received information that Porter attempted to sell the stolen property at a location in Willits. Smallcomb said Porter was subsequently arrested.

Deputies later learned where the stolen property was located, recovered it and released it back to PG&E, Smallcomb said.

Smallcomb said Porter admitted to both burglaries, as well as previous thefts he had conducted at the PG&E offices.

Porter was subsequently transported and booked into the Mendocino County Jail on the listed charge. His bail was set at $15,000. Smallcomb said Porter also was on probation at the time of the thefts.

The investigation is continuing into a possible second suspect who assisted Porter in the thefts, Smallcomb said.

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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Lake County Sheriff's Office has issued a warning to the public that an ATM “skimming” scam has been discovered in the county.

Capt. James Bauman reported that on Nov. 7 a Lake County man stopped at a gas station in a south Lake County community to get gas. The man used his ATM card at the gas pumps, and upon using his card, he saw that the ATM screen on the pump was blank.

The man assumed that there must have been a problem with the computer equipment, so he chose another gas pump to get his fuel. The man thought little of what initially appeared to be nothing more than a case of faulty equipment but what he man didn’t know, is that he had just been the victim of a type of theft that is becoming more frequent, referred to as “bank card skimming,” Bauman said.

The practice of bank card skimming occurs when would-be thieves purchase a credit card or ATM card scanner called a “skimmer,” Bauman said.

An Internet search using the phrase “ATM card skimmer” will provide a long list of stories and information on this emerging practice of fraud and theft. The device is placed at locations where unsuspecting people use their ATM card, he said.

Such locations can include gas pumps, phony ATM machines, legitimate ATM machines, restaurants, stores, or anywhere else where debit and credit cards are accepted. Bauman said the device captures information from the magnetic strip on the card and reveals the information to the person who placed the device. This allows access to a person’s financial accounts until the crime is detected.

In the case of the Lake County man at the gas station, thieves were able to make five withdrawals in a matter of one minute. Each of those withdrawals was in the amount of $90. The man had $450 stolen from his account before he knew what happened, Bauman said.

Luckily for the man, his bank detected the unusual activity and immediately notified him so that action could be taken to prevent any further loss. Bauman said it is easy to imagine a situation where the man wouldn’t have been available to be contacted by his bank and further losses could have occurred. By the time the man figured out that he had been victimized, the device had already been removed from the machine.

ATM and credit card fraud has evolved with technological advances over the years. Bauman said there was once a time, when carbon copies of credit card receipts were susceptible to theft by people who would make counterfeit cards.

Somewhere along the way, magnetic strips were added and PIN numbers were issued. Would-be thieves took to peering over the shoulders of people to retrieve their PIN numbers, or simply robbing people at ATM machines, according to Bauman.

There have been numerous other methods of theft and fraud implemented by criminals over the years. We are now at a point in time where technology has made the art of stealing information, data, and money a relatively easy, inexpensive and easily concealable crime to commit, he said.

Bauman said that, while ATM skimming is not a new crime, it is becoming more common and the effects are beginning to be felt here in Lake County.

According to the California Department of Justice, Bureau of Investigation and Intelligence report to the Legislature on Organized Crime in California: “Two of the most common … financial frauds are credit card/identity thefts and automated teller machine (ATM) or point-of-sale (POS) credit card skimming. According to law enforcement sources, it is very difficult to stop this type of activity once account information has been compromised. Suspects are able to create and use new cards with existing account information before the victim notices the unauthorized credit account activity” (source: http://ag.ca.gov/publications/org_crime2007_08.pdf).

Certain precautionary measures can be taken to protect yourself from having credit or bank accounts accessed, Bauman said.

Be aware of your surroundings when using ATM machines, he said. Look for suspicious people and vehicles. If the bushes around the ATM machine are overgrown, ask the business to trim them back. Choose well-lit and public ATM locations.

Consider bringing a trusted friend with you to the ATM machine, Bauman said. When you use your credit/debit card and something unusual occurs, like the scenario outlined above, notify someone at the business. The people who work around the equipment day in and day out are more likely to be able to identify any equipment that doesn’t belong there.

When dining out and paying with a credit or debit card, consider bringing your card to the cashier instead of handing it over to your server. Bauman said the overwhelming majority of workers are honest, hardworking people making a living, but it only takes one unscrupulous person to cause you some long-lasting headaches and financial woes.

Check with your bank or financial institution to see what their policies and practices are with regards to unauthorized transactions, Bauman suggested. These practices can vary from institution to institution and you may find through a little research, what your rights as a consumer and a victim are.

The Lake County Sheriff’s Department is currently investigating the theft at the gas station, Bauman said.

Anyone with information on the incident is asked to call the Lake County Sheriff’s Department at 707-262-4200.

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UKIAH, Calif. – The Mendocino County Sheriff's Office is trying to recover rifles and shotguns stolen from a Yorkville home late last month.

Capt. Kurt Smallcomb said the guns were stolen during a robbery that occurred in a home on Highway 128.

Two suspects have been arrested in the case, according to Smallcomb – Ukiah residents James Paul Miller, 23 and David Mathew Andrews, 25.

He said the burglary was discovered on the afternoon of Nov. 4. The suspects allegedly made entry into the residence by breaking a window next to the front door. Once inside, they destroyed a closet door with a hatchet and removed several rifles, shotguns, and two handguns that were secured inside.

Deputies were called to investigate the burglary and learned painters had recently been in the residence doing work, Smallcomb said.

Several days later Ukiah Police officers contacted sheriff's deputies and advised they had recovered two handguns from Andrews during a search at a local hotel. Smallcomb said the handguns were registered to the victim of this burglary, and were later determined to be stolen during this burglary.

Deputies interviewed Andrews, who was in custody in the Mendocino County Jail, and he advised them he had committed the burglary and had received information about the residence in Yorkville from his longtime friend, Miller, who is employed as a painter and had recently worked at the Yorkville residence.

Andrews and Miller allegedly went to the residence and Andrews burglarized it for the guns. Smallcomb said Andrews is alleged to have kept the handguns and Miller took the rifles and shotguns.

Smallcomb said deputies responded to Miller's residence and placed him under arrest. Deputies located a .22 caliber rifle at Miller's residence that was not related to the Yorkville burglary, but Miller is currently prohibited from possessing firearms due to a previous battery conviction.

Both Andrews and Miller were booked on burglary and conspiracy charges. Smallcomb said Miller was booked on the additional charge of being a Prohibited person in possession of firearms.

Miller is being held on $105,000 bail, Smallcomb said, with Andrews' bail set at $35,000.

Although the two handguns were recovered, the rifles and shotguns are still outstanding, Smallcomb said.

Anyone with information regarding this burglary is requested to contact the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office at 707-463-4086.

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This blast by Kiley Agapoff made it into the goal and gave Middletown a 2-1 lead on Saturday, November 6, 2010, in Middletown, Calif. Photo by Ed Oswalt.

MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – It could not have been a closer game – or more confusing – for the players, the coaches, the crowd, even the referees.

With the scored tied 3-3 at the end of regulation, the Middletown Mustangs girls soccer team needed two sets of overtime penalty shootouts to narrowly defeat the Clear Lake Cardinals 4-2 (on the second set of penalty kicks) and advance to the quarterfinals of the North Coast Section Division III tournament.

The Clear Lake loss to the Mustangs drops the Lady Cards out of the single-elimination NCS playoff tournament and ends their season with a devastating defeat.

“Our girls played with heart,” a visibly upset Clear Lake head coach Paul Larrea said after the loss, “just like they have all season.”

Fifth-year Mustangs head coach Louise Owens acknowledged, “That’s the most exciting game I’ve ever been involved in,” moments before being doused with Silly String by a hard-charging pack of her Middletown players.

Mustangs Maddie Kucer (left) and Hanna Diaz (right) chase Telia Paskaly of the Clear Lake Cardinals for a loose ball during the North Coast Section Division III tournament in Middletown, Calif., on Saturday, November 6, 2010. Photo by Ed Oswalt.

The first score of the game came off of lightning-fast Midfielder Hanna Diaz’s foot from close in at 13:15, and the Mustang’s took the lead 1-0.

Of her freshman captain, Owens said, “Hanna Diaz is just a standout player. She does a great job controlling the ball, and other teams have been keying in on her, and she manages to get around them anyway.”

Four minutes later, however, Clear Lake defender Nadine Bradley made a long pass into a crowd in front of Middletown goalkeeper Cheyenne Snow, and Briana Dutcher netted it for the Cardinals to tie the score at 1-1.

The Mustangs kept up the pressure against the Lady Cards, and scored their second goal of the game with 16:04 remaining in the first half off a Diaz pass assist to Middletown forward Kiley Agapoff.

Clear Lake goalkeeper Darian Ottolini makes a save on a shot by Middltown's Kiley Agapoff in the second half of the North Coast Section playoff game on Saturday, November 6, 2010, in Middletown, Calif. Photo by Ed Oswalt.

But again, four minutes later, Clear Lake answered. Forward Kristy Hayes drove a header into the Mustangs’ net off a pass assist from Savannah De Keyser to tie the score at 2-2, where it remained until halftime.

“This is a very different team than we played earlier in the season,” Owens said about the Cardinals. “These girls came out hungry, and I’ve got to give a lot of credit to Clear Lake. It made for a very exciting game!”

Middletown scored within the first minute of the second half to regain the lead at 3-2 after Mustangs captain Taylor Sloan netted a rebound from a Kimmi Klewe goal attempt, but the Cardinals tied it up midway through on a beautiful bending free kick from 30-plus yards by Nadine Bradley into an upper corner of Middletown’s goal.

With the game tied at 3-all, and after two 10-minute sudden-death overtime periods didn’t change that score, the game went into its first penalty shootout, and that’s when the confusion began.

Diaz and Agapoff scored on their penalty kicks for Middletown, but Telia Paskaly’s shot bounced off the post, and Jen Hayes kicked it wide for Clear Lake.

Middletown defender captain Katy August scored to give Middletown a short-lived 3-goal lead in the first shootout during the North Coast Section Division III tournament in Middletown, Calif., on Saturday, November 6, 2010. Photo by Ed Oswalt.

When Mustang captain Katy August put her penalty shot in the goal, Middletown erupted in victorious celebration, the referees walked off the field and the coaches exchanged end-of-game handshakes.

It wasn’t until several minutes later, when a fan in the stands ran onto the field and frantically talked to Coach Larrea that it was determined Clear Lake still had a chance to tie the game in the best-of-five shot penalty kick shootout.

The referees retook the field, the players filed back to midfield to watch, and the highly unlikely happened: the Cardinals made their final three penalty kicks and the Mustangs missed their last two, leaving the shootout tied at 3-all.

Owens said of the confusion, “It would help if the refs understood the overtime policies first, prior to it coming, but we figured it out.”

The second penalty kickoff began with forward Brittany Cash scoring for Middletown, and when the Cardinal’s Kristy Hayes had her penalty shot blocked by goalkeeper Ashley Lescher, the Mustangs erupted in celebration for a second time, piling on each other at midfield.

That merriment was short-lived when it was realized the second shootout was also a best-of-five contest.

Emily Reed, Michelle Hill and Maddie Kucer netted their penalty kicks for the Mustangs, and Emily Norwood and Nadia Tipton made theirs for the Cardinals, but when Savananah De Keyser missed her shot, Clear Lake trailed by an insurmountable 4-2 in the second kickoff, and the game was over.

Again the Mustangs began to rejoice in victory, but skepticism had set in, and when a Middletown player shouted, “Are we sure we won?” it was enough to stop the celebration temporarily, until Clear Lake’s Amber Poff approached for her penalty shot and the referees called the match officially over.

Now the Mustangs – for the fourth time that night – could celebrate, this time for real.

“It just seemed like we had to have too many celebrations before they (the referees) figured it out,” Owens said after the win.

“I have nothing to say,” Larrea said after the devastating loss. “My parents told me not to say anything if I’ve got nothing nice to say.”

“Well, he’s a very passionate man,” Owens said about her opposing coach. “He loves the sport, he’s been around a long time, and I have the utmost respect for him.”

With the win the Mustangs advance to the quarterfinals of the NCS Division III playoff tournament, putting their 16-1-2 season record on the line when they play St. Vincent de Paul on Wednesday, Nov. 10, at Rancho Cotate High School in Rohnert Park.

The Lady Cards finished their season with a 12-11-3 overall record.

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The Middletown girls celebrated victory prematurely, but did ultimately prevail in a second shootout shootout during the North Coast Section Division III tournament in Middletown, Calif., on Saturday, November 6, 2010. Photo by Ed Oswalt.