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Leopoldo Bravo, 26, of Kelseyville, California, was arrested on weapons charges and a felony warrant on Thursday, September 26, 2019. Lake County Jail photo.


NICE, Calif. – Authorities arrested a Kelseyville man early Thursday morning after finding he was wanted on a felony arrest warrant and that he was in possession of a stolen firearm.

Leopoldo Bravo, 26, was arrested shortly after 1 a.m. Thursday, according to Lt. Corey Paulich.

Paulich said a Lake County Sheriff’s deputy responded to Robinson Rancheria Casino in Nice for an unrelated call and, while at the casino, the deputy contacted Bravo, Paulich said.

Paulich said a records check of Bravo was conducted and it was determined that he was on searchable probation and had a felony warrant for his arrest out of Los Angeles County related to narcotics. The deputy subsequently arrested Bravo.

Bravo directed deputies to his vehicle that was in the parking lot. Paulich said it was later determined that this vehicle was not associated with Bravo.

After reviewing surveillance video from the casino, deputies were able to locate a red Dodge pickup that Bravo had driven to the casino. Paulich said Bravo also had the key to the Dodge truck in his possession when he was arrested.

Deputies searched the Dodge truck and located a loaded .38-caliber semiautomatic handgun. The handgun had previously been reported stolen out of Lake County, Paulich said.

Paulich said Bravo admitted driving the Dodge truck to the casino, but claimed he did not know the gun was in the truck.

Bravo is a validated gang member with a history of weapons and narcotics violations, Paulich said.

Paulich said Bravo was booked into the Lake County Jail on charges of felon in possession of a firearm, carrying a loaded firearm in public, and an active participant in a criminal street gang carrying loaded a firearm in public.

He remains in custody with bail set at $25,000 and is due to appear in Lake County Superior Court for arraignment on Friday, according to jail records.

Bravo was arrested by a Lakeport Police officer in May following a traffic stop, with a search of his car yielding the discovery of an ounce of cocaine, 100 opioid tablets and approximately $1,968 in cash, as Lake County News has reported.

A stolen .38-caliber semiautomatic handgun found in Leopoldo Bravo’s vehicle on Thursday, September 26, 2019. Lake County Sheriff’s Office photo.
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State Controller Betty T. Yee has published the 2018 self-reported payroll data for the University of California, California Community College districts, and superior courts on the Government Compensation in California Web site.

The data cover 449,358 positions and a total of nearly $21.42 billion in 2018 wages.

Users of the site can view compensation levels on maps and search by region; narrow results by name of the entity or by job title; and export raw data or custom reports.

The newly published data were reported by 11 UC institutions (306,007 employees), 51 CCC districts (122,826 employees), and 56 superior courts (20,525 employees).

California law requires cities, counties, and special districts to annually report compensation data to the state controller.

The state controller also maintains and publishes state and California State University salary data. No such statutory requirement exists for UC, CCC, superior courts, fairs and expositions, First 5 commissions, or K-12 education providers; their reporting is voluntary.

A list of entities that did not file or filed incomplete reports is available here. They include the Mendocino-Lake Community College District.

Since the Web site launched in 2010, it has registered more than 11 million pageviews. The site contains pay and benefit information on more than two million government jobs in California, as reported annually by each entity.
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MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – A Hidden Valley Lake woman suffered moderate injuries on Monday night in a solo-vehicle wreck near Middletown and later was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence.

Jennifer Legrand, 45, was involved in the crash, which occurred at approximately 8:46 p.m. Monday, according to the California Highway Patrol’s Clear Lake Area office.

The CHP said Legrand was driving her 2013 BMW eastbound on Hartmann Road east of Highway 29 when her vehicle veered off the south side of the roadway.

The BMW went down an embankment and hit multiple large rocks before coming to a stop in a grass field, the CHP said.

Legrand sustained facial injuries and was airlifted to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital for treatment, according to the CHP report.

The CHP said Legrand was arrested on suspicion of DUI following the crash.

The cause of the crash is still under investigation, 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.
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Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a package of bills on Thursday today to confront the national crisis of homelessness and assist city and county governments by removing regulatory barriers to fight homelessness.

The bills build on the historic $1 billion investment made in the budget and new legal authority that make it easier for cities and counties to build emergency shelters.

The governor signed legislation that provides a California Environmental Quality Act, or CEQA, exemption for supportive housing and shelters in the city of Los Angeles.

The new laws announced on Thursday will also give Alameda County, Orange County, the cities within those counties, and San Jose, the ability to expedite the construction of emergency shelters upon declaring a shelter crisis.

“Homelessness is a national emergency that demands more than just words, it demands action," said Gov. Newsom. "State government is now doing more than ever before to help local governments fight homelessness, expand proven programs and speed up rehousing. And just this month, the Legislature passed the strongest package of statewide renter and anti-eviction protections in the country – a top priority for this Administration that will protect Californians from unfair evictions and rent gouging that have contributed to this crisis.”

He added, “I am pleased to sign these bills that give local governments even more tools to confront this crisis.”

Ahead of the meeting tomorrow of the Governor’s Council of Regional Homeless Advisors, the governor sent a letter to the council members urging them to focus their attention on chronic street homelessness, and to identify action steps for how local governments can more quickly distribute the historic funding provided through the budget.

“The council must identify public policy changes and best practices for local communities to spend the major infusion of state dollars to address the problem of street homelessness by providing immediate emergency shelter and services,” Gov. Newsom wrote in his letter. “This should be the focus of the task force over the next three months.”

The governor continued: “I ask you to spend your remaining meetings focusing on developing concrete short-term actions and longer-term recommendations for the state to partner with local communities and the private sector to: 1) end street homelessness, 2) break down barriers to building more housing, and 3) get more people into treatment. These three challenges demand our collective focus as the council proceeds in its work.”

The governor’s 2019-2020 budget included:

– $650 million to local governments for homelessness emergency aid;
– $120 million for expanded Whole Person Care services;
– $150 million for strategies to address the shortage of mental health professionals in the public mental health system;
– $25 million for Supplemental Security Income advocacy;
– $40 million for student rapid rehousing and basic needs initiatives for students in the University of California and California State University systems;
– $20 million in legal assistance for eviction prevention;
– More than $400 million to increase grants to families in the CalWORKs program;
– The budget more than doubles the investment in the Cal-EITC Working Families Tax Credit to $1 billion, which will increase the number of participating households from two million to three million, lifting some out of poverty.

Through the budget process, the governor also supported and signed a number of new laws that speed up shelter construction and make it easier for cities and counties to act.

The governor signed the following bills into law:

AB 58 (Rivas) – This bill requires the governor to appoint a representative from the California Department of Education, or CDE, to the Homeless Coordinating and Financing Council. Under the federal McKinney-Vento Act, which is implemented by CDE, schools are the first points of contact to identify, interface with, and assist homeless students and their families.

AB 139 (Quirk-Silva) – This bill updates the requirements of local governments’ housing plans to address the needs of the homeless crisis, specifically by changing the criterion for assessing the need for emergency shelters and housing to a regional level, and requiring that to be accounted for as part of the housing element of a city or county’s general plan.

AB 143 (Quirk-Silva) – This bill adds Alameda County, Orange County, all of the cities within those counties, and the city of San Jose to the list of jurisdictions authorized to declare a shelter crisis, which permits the suspension of state health, planning and zoning, and safety standards; those jurisdictions must then adopt a local ordinance for the design and operation of homeless shelters, which must be approved by HCD. The bill also requires these jurisdictions to develop plans to address the shelter crisis, including how to transition residents from homeless shelters to permanent supportive housing.

AB 728 (Santiago) – Previous legislation gave counties the authority to create multidisciplinary personnel teams for homeless adults and families to facilitate the expedited identification, assessment, and linkage of homeless individuals to housing and supportive services, and allow provider agencies to share confidential information for those purposes to ensure continuity of care. This bill creates a five-year pilot program in the following counties (Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, Santa Clara and Ventura) to expand the scope of a multidisciplinary personnel teams to include serving individuals who are at risk of homelessness. The program would sunset on Jan. 1, 2025.

AB 761 (Nazarian) – This bill allows, at the sole discretion of the adjutant general, the use of any armory deemed vacant by the California Military Department throughout the year by the county or city in which the armory is located for the purpose of providing temporary shelter from hazardous weather conditions for homeless persons.

AB 1188 (Gabriel) – This bill creates a legal framework allowing a tenant, with the written approval of the owner or landlord, to take in a person who is at risk of homelessness. It includes a number of protections for both the landlord and tenant, including the ability for the tenant to remove the person at risk of homelessness on short notice.

AB 1197 (Santiago) – This bill provides a CEQA exemption for supportive housing and shelters in the city of Los Angeles.

AB 1235 (Chu) – This bill renames the runaway and homeless youth shelters run by the Department of Social Services as “youth homelessness and prevention centers,” expands the categories of youth for which the centers are required to provide services to also include youth at risk of homelessness and youth exhibiting status offender behavior, and expands the time a youth can stay in the center from 21 to 90 days.

AB 1745 (Kalra) – Earlier legislation authorized San Jose to build and operate emergency bridge housing for the homeless during a declared shelter crisis, and required that each person housed in the bridge housing be placed in an affordable housing unit. This bill extends the sunset date from Jan. 1, 2022, to Jan. 1, 2025, for San Jose to meet these obligations.

SB 211 (Beall) – This bill authorizes Caltrans to lease its property to local governments for the purpose of an emergency shelter or feeding program for $1 per month plus administrative fees.

SB 450 (Umberg) – This bill provides a CEQA exemption until January 2025 for hotels converted to supportive housing.

SB 687 (Rubio) – This bill requires the governor to appoint a representative of the state public higher education system to the Homeless Coordinating and Financing Council.

SB 744 (Caballero) – This bill provides a CEQA exemption for supportive housing and No Place Like Home projects.
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A southern sea otter settles down to rest in a small patch of Egregia (feather boa kelp). Photo by Lilian Carswell/USFWS.

Southern sea otter numbers have declined off the coast of California since their most recent high in 2016.

According to data just released by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and U.S. Geological Survey, the three-year average population index this year dropped to 2,962, which is 166 sea otters fewer than the 2018 survey.

Southern sea otters are a protected species under the federal Endangered Species Act and Marine Mammal Protection Act and listed as a fully protected species under California law.

Sea otters play a critical role in the nearshore marine ecosystem, serve as indicators of ocean health, and keep important elements of coastal ecosystems, like kelp forests and seagrass beds, in balance.

This year’s surveys found that the population of sea otters was largest in the central part of the species’ range, which is between Seaside and Cayucos, and that the five-year trend for this portion of the range remains positive.

The specific areas where the population trends are most negative, from Pigeon Point to north Monterey Bay and most areas south of Cayucos, coincide with the areas known for high shark bite mortality.

“One factor likely contributing to the positive trend in the central range is the recent increase in sea otter prey availability: sea urchins and mussels,” said Mike Harris, senior environmental scientist with CDFW.

Last year’s numbers were significant in that they marked the third consecutive year the three-year average of the population index had exceeded 3,090 – which is a condition of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s, or USFWS, Southern Sea Otter Recovery Plan to consider the species for delisting under the Endangered Species Act.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is currently reviewing the status of the southern sea otter, gathering the best available scientific and commercial data regarding the species, including population trends, distribution, demographics, genetics, habitat conditions, threats and conservation measures.

“By thoroughly reviewing the best available data, we’ll have a better understanding of all factors influencing the sustainability of the southern sea otters in the wild,” said Lilian Carswell, southern sea otter recovery coordinator for the USFWS. “These remarkable marine mammals continue to encounter hurdles, like shark bite mortality, that limit their ability to expand into areas where they historically thrived.”

Scientists from the CDFW, USGS, and Monterey Bay Aquarium have conducted a range-wide census of southern sea otter populations annually since the 1980s. Researchers compute the annual population index and evaluate population trends, providing the USFWS and other resource agencies with insight into southern sea otter abundance and distribution.

In addition to the sea otter population along the mainland California coast, which stretches from about Point Año Nuevo in San Mateo County to Gaviota State Beach in Santa Barbara County, USGS and partners also survey the sea otters at San Nicolas Island in the Southern California Bight.

This population, established by introducing sea otters back into the area in the late 1980s, struggled at low numbers through the 1990s. However, over the last decade, the population has grown rapidly at an average rate of about 10 percent per year.

The five-year average trend in the range-wide index, including both the mainland range and the San Nicolas Island populations, was flat at 0.12 percent growth per year.

The northern range was not calculated because of limitations in survey resources required to survey areas north of the range from the previous year (2018); however, the southern range expanded slightly by 0.5 kilometer, where a negligible trend in sea otter counts (0.55 percent growth per year) corresponded to the lack of meaningful population range expansion at the southern periphery.

“The total raw count of sea otters along the mainland coast was lower this year even though the survey was conducted under more favorable viewing conditions this year than the previous two years,” said Brian Hatfield, USGS wildlife biologist.

The sea otter survey and stranding programs are one part of a larger research program investigating sea otters and their role as predators in coastal ecosystems.

USGS researchers monitor changes in the kelp forest ecosystems that provide sea otters with suitable resting and feeding habitat and collaborates with CDFW, and the Monterey Bay Aquarium, The Marine Mammal Center, and others in implementing a sea otter stranding network.

These efforts inform and support effective management of sea otter populations, helping to guide them toward recovery.

Sea otters often rest in groups called “rafts.” Photo by Lilian Carswell/USFWS.

Survey methodology

• The annual population index is calculated from visual surveys conducted via telescope observations from shore and via low-flying aircraft along the California coastline by researchers, students and volunteers from CDFW’s Office of Spill Prevention and Response, Monterey Bay Aquarium, USGS and USFWS.

• This year, the surveyed coastline spanned from Pigeon Point in San Mateo County, south to the Santa Barbara Harbor and included San Nicolas Island.

About the sea otter

• Sea otters were presumed extinct in California after the fur trade years. Although a small group of sea otters near Point Sur was known to locals and state employees when the state of California granted them “fully protected” status in 1913, they were rediscovered by the public in the late 1930s, when up to 150 animals were documented near Bixby Creek north of Big Sur.

• Sea otters are considered a keystone species of rocky subtidal ecosystems because they prey on sea urchins, which if left unchecked can decimate kelp beds, eliminating the habitat for the many species and systems that rely on them.

• Sea otters help to maintain the biodiversity of Pacific nearshore ecosystems, which support diverse wildlife species and provide economic support for coastal communities.

• Sea otters can give scientists clues on the state of nearshore ecosystems, since they feed and live near the coast and often are the first predators exposed to pollutants and pathogens washed down from coastlands.

• Southern sea otters are listed as a threatened species under the Federal Endangered Species Act and are also protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, which prohibits harassing, hunting, capturing or killing marine mammals. Approaching a sea otter so closely that it changes its behavior may constitute a violation of these laws and adds stress by causing responses that deplete critical energy reserves.

• The public can report sightings of stranded sea otters to institutions listed on this webpage.
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The California Department of Food and Agriculture announced the availability of the new Farmer Resource Portal designed to assist farmers and ranchers by increasing access to information to help farming operations.

The portal is available here.

This webpage is a “one-stop shop” for farmers and ranchers to find information about available grants and loans including programs that prioritize funding for socially disadvantaged farmers, beginning farmers, female farmers, veteran farmers, and urban farmers.

Additionally, there is a list of quick links to information to help farmers and ranchers better understand CDFA regulations and policies.

“It is my hope that this site will be utilized by farmers, ranchers and the groups that work with them,” said CDFA secretary Karen Ross. “Most of the information was already available, but this portal makes it simple and easy to navigate, and it keeps all of the key information in one place.”

The Farmer Resource portal was developed under the tenets of Assembly Bill 1348, the Farmer Equity Act of 2017, written by Assemblywoman Cecilia Aguiar-Curry, Lake County’s Assembly representative.

This law requires CDFA to ensure the inclusion of socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers in the development, adoption, implementation, and enforcement of food and agriculture laws, regulations, policies and programs.

The Farmer Equity Act defines a socially-disadvantaged group as one composed of individuals that have been subjected to racial, ethnic, or gender prejudice because of their identity as members of a group without regard to their individual qualities.

There are a growing number of socially-disadvantaged farmers and ranchers in rural and urban areas, and CDFA’s Farmer Equity Advisor is working to ensure that these farmers have a voice in policies and programs that affect their livelihoods, as well as increased access to information and resources for their farm operations.

The webpage includes links to new Spanish-language CDFA social media handles, press releases in English and Spanish, and in the future will also have an interactive California map of technical assistance providers who can assist farmers, including assistance in various languages. This will be a valuable resource for farmers who need assistance in languages other than English.

This webpage is just one way that the Farmer Equity Act is being implemented at CDFA. In January 2020, CDFA will submit a report to the Governor and Legislature on efforts to serve socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers and female farmers and ranchers in California.

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CLEARLAKE, Calif. – Racers of all ages took turns speeding down Dam Road Extension on Saturday morning as part of Clearlake's newest – and speediest – event.

The inaugural Soap Box Derby offered a fun, creative and competitive outlet for racers and the community members who came to watch them.

The races got under way shortly after 9 a.m., with District 2 Supervisor Bruno Sabatier acting as the event announcer.

There were several divisions: the Little Turtles, ages 7 to 12; Turbo Teens, 13 to 17 years of age; Awesome Adults,18 years and older. In addition, there was a nonracing arts division for most creative car.

There were trophies for first, second and third places, and medals for all participants, who brought to the race, creative contraptions also built for speed.

In this inaugural event, adults outnumbered children, and by the end of the morning's races city officials said they already were hearing of others who planned to take part next year, either building cars for their children or themselves.

Hay bales provided by Rainbow Ag lined the race course and served as barriers beyond the finish line for those whose brakes didn’t stop them immediately. The racers controlled their cars well enough that no one crashed into the bales while coming through the course.

“I'm so happy,” City Manager Alan Flora said about the event afterward.

He said the work to create the derby started more than six months ago. However, the idea for the races came before that; When the Dam Road Extension grand opening took place in October someone noted that it would be a great soap box race track.

Alan Flora, front right, outpaces John Moretz in one of the final heats of the Awesome Adults Division at the inaugural Soap Box Derby in Clearlake, Calif., on Saturday, September 21, 2019. Photo by Elizabeth Larson/Lake County News.


Flora said he and his predecessor, then-City Manager Greg Folsom, looked at each other and said, “Let's do it.”

Folsom has since gone on to take the Suisun City city manager's job, but keeps a home in Clearlake. Folsom and his wife, Georgianna, were on hand for the day's races and said it turned out great.

“I hope people stick with it,” said Flora of the event.

Flora himself got into the competitive spirit, working for the last few months to build his bright yellow car, a replica of the Marmon Wasp – the winning car in the inaugural Indianapolis 500 in 1911, driven by Ray Harroun – which he documented on his personal Facebook page.

He went full geek on the details: The mini Marmon Wasp Flora ran also featured a rearview mirror, hearkening to the original car which was the first race car to have one mounted on it.

As it turned out, Flora would take top honors in the “Awesome Adults” division, putting in the winning time of 28.44 seconds in his finals heat.

When Flora got his trophy and wreath, city staffer Tina Viramontes handed him a carton of milk.

“This is the way we win in Indiana!” Flora yelled before pouring milk over his own head as well-known race flagger Johnny Miskill looked on with amusement, waving a checkered flag over Flora’s head.

Josh Harris was the winner – and sole racer – in the Turbo Teens division, running a car that was built to resemble a grave, with astroturf, a headstone and plastic flowers.

The big winner in the children's division was 7-year-old Elizabeth Cook, who flew to victory in her sparkly unicorn car.

“They're my favorite,” she said of unicorns, her inspiration.

She was aided by her parents, including dad, Elvis, a police sergeant who was proudly donning unicorn gear during the event, and family friends such as Jacqueline Snyder who helped her adorn the car with its unicorn hair. The car, she added, took a few weeks to build.

Elizabeth came away with two large trophies – which were nearly as tall as she is – and a winner's wreath for winning not just the Little Turtles division for but also taking top honors for the art division.

Until Saturday, she hadn't driven the course – none of the competitors had – but afterward the first grader said she already had ideas for how to improve her car for next year.

Mayor Russ Cremer served as one of the judges along with Clear Lake Chamber President Denise Loustalot and Clearlake Police Chief Andrew White

Cremer said, “I think it went very well,” with fellow council member, Dirk Slooten adding, “For the first time.”

“I hope to see more things like this” said Cremer.

He and other city leaders are looking forward to what’s ahead for the city, including seeing the Austin Park plan becoming a reality next year.

He said the redeveloped park – with a band shell venue, trails and other offerings – will be the “jewel of Clearlake” and part of what he hopes will be a return to the spirit of the community in decades gone by when it was a popular resort area, filled with activities and known as “the place to be.”

After winning the 1911 Indianapolis 500, Ray Harroun never raced again. Flora said he's contemplating also retiring from the competition after his winning debut, but Cremer told him he couldn't.

The results are published below.

Marca Carmichael, in front, races in the Awesome Adults Division at the inaugural Soap Box Derby in Clearlake, Calif., on Saturday, September 21, 2019. Carmichael took third place in the division. Photo by Elizabeth Larson/Lake County News


2019 Soap Box Derby final results

Little Turtles

1. Elizabeth Cook: 13.03 seconds

2. Brayden Weeks: 13.94 seconds

3. Ryder White Eagle: 26.90 seconds

4. Logan Sutch: 32.65 seconds

Turbo Teens

1. Josh Harris: 36.81 seconds

Awesome Adults

1. Alan Flora: 28.44 seconds

2. Daniel Constancio: 29.31 seconds

3. Marca Carmichael: 29.68 seconds

4. John Moretz: 31.28 seconds

Arts Division

1. Elizabeth Cook

2. Alan Flora

3. Elliott Naess

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.
Elizabeth Cook, right, with fellow Little Turtles racers Brayden Weeks, Ryder White Eagle and Logan Sutch at the inaugural Soap Box Derby in Clearlake, Calif., on Saturday, September 21, 2019. Photo by Elizabeth Larson/Lake County News.
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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake County’s August unemployment rate tied for the second-lowest jobless number in nearly 30 years thanks to a summertime increase in farm jobs, according to the latest Employment Development Department report.

The report showed that Lake County had a 4.5-percent unemployment rate in August, down from 5.1 percent in July. Over the past 29 years of state employment records, the August rate is second only to the 4.2-percent rate registered in May.

California’s unemployment rate was a record low 4.1 percent in August, the same as July 2019 and August 2018, the report said.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics said the nationwide jobless rate in August was 3.7 percent, the same rate for three months straight. The August 2018 rate was 3.8 percent.

In Lake County, the improvement in the employment picture was largely thanks to the agriculture industry having a 35.9-percent job increase in August, a month that is a peak harvest time for key crops including pears.

That increase in farming activity added 460 jobs, while the total nonfarm category increased by 3.3 percent, or 520 jobs, according to state data.

Lake County’s civilian labor force numbered 29,970 individuals in August, compared to 29,030 in July and 29,270 in August 2018, based on state data.

At the same time, in August there were 1,340 unemployed Lake County residents, compared to 1,430 in July and 1,480 in August 2018, the state said.

Lake County was ranked No. 33 statewide for its July unemployment rate. Neighboring county jobless rates and rankings are Colusa, 8.5 percent, No. 56; Glenn, 6.1 percent, No. 50; Mendocino, 3.6 percent, No. 17; Napa, 2.7 percent, No. 5; Sonoma, 2.7 percent, No. 5; and Yolo, 3.9 percent, No. 24, the report said.

The statewide employment picture

California’s employers added 34,500 nonfarm payroll jobs in August, contributing to a record job expansion in California of 114 months, surpassing the expansion of the 1960s. Gains were mostly in the government, educational and health services, and leisure and hospitality industry sectors.

California has gained 3,330,100 jobs since the job expansion began in February 2010, accounting for more than 15 percent of the nation’s job gains over the expansion, the state said.

The report said California payroll jobs totaled 17,519,700 in August 2019, up 34,500 from July 2019 and up 314,200 from August of last year. That’s compared to the U.S. annual gain of 2,074,000 jobs.

The number of Californians holding jobs in August was 18,589,300, an increase of 5,500 from July and down 34,500 from the employment total in August of last year, the report said.

The report said the number of unemployed Californians was 790,800 in August, a decrease of 13,200 over the month and down by 7,000 compared with August of last year.

As was the case in Lake County, the state saw an overall increase in farming jobs in August.

The Employment Development Department said the number of jobs in California’s agriculture industry increased by 1,700 jobs from July to 427,600. The agricultural industry has added 3,600 farm jobs since August 2018.

In related data, the Employment Development Department said there were 309,691 people receiving Unemployment Insurance benefits during the survey week in August compared to 308,212 in July and 306,175 people in August 2018. Concurrently, 34,775 people filed new claims in August which was a month-over decrease of 4,715.

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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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Pacific Gas and Electric Co. said Tuesday night that Lake County is not among seven counties across the North Bay and Sierra Foothills that will be part of a second public safety power shutoff scheduled to begin early Wednesday morning because of fire weather conditions.

The company said it has been monitoring weather forecasts hourly and has determined a second public safety power shutoff is necessary for approximately 48,200 customers in the North Bay and Sierra Foothill regions due to continued hot, dry and windy weather conditions.

Wednesday’s public safety power shutoff event will include customers in portions of seven counties: Butte, Napa, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Sonoma and Yuba.

For this second shutoff event over a two-day period, based on elevated weather conditions – including potential fire risk – PG&E will be turning off the power for safety at approximately 2:30 a.m. in the Sierra Foothills, and in the North Bay at approximately 4:30 a.m., both Wednesday.

Windy weather conditions are expected to last until noon on Wednesday.

Affected customers are as follows:

– 22,836 in Butte County, in Bangor, Berry Creek, Brush Creek, Butte Meadows, Chico, Feather Falls, Forbestown, Forest Ranch, Magalia, Oroville, Palermo, Paradise, Stirling City and Yankee Hill;

– 708 in Napa County, in Calistoga, Lake Berryessa, Napa;

– 16,506 in Nevada County, in Cedar Ridge, Chicago Park, Grass Valley, Nevada City, Penn Valley and Rough and Ready;

– 2,633 in Placer County, in Auburn and Foresthill;

– Four in Plumas County, in Storrie;

– 711 in Sonoma County, in Santa Rosa;

– and 4,833 in Yuba County, in Browns Valley, Brownsville, Camptonville, Challenge, Dobbins, Loma Rica, Marysville, Oregon House, Rackerby and Smartville.

At 5 p.m. Monday PG&E initiated a public safety power shutoff impacting approximately 24,000 customers, as Lake County News has reported.

PG&E said that essentially all customers included in Monday’s shutoff event were restored by 6 p.m. Tuesday.

During the inspection process, four incidents of weather-related equipment damage were identified, PG&E said.

The company said its personnel and aerial resources are standing by and ready to respond for inspections, repairs and restoration once the weather subsides. Those same crews conducted safety patrols on Monday following the first shutoff event.

After the dry and windy weather has passed and it is safe to do so, PG&E said its crews will work to visually inspect each mile of our power lines to ensure they are free from damage and safe to energize.

Inspections will take place during daylight hours and, in most cases, the company said it expects to be able to restore power within 24 to 48 hours after the dry and windy weather has passed.

However, depending on weather conditions or if any repairs are needed, outages – the weather event plus restoration time – could last longer than 48 hours.
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LAKEPORT, Calif. – Members of the Lakeport Police Department invite residents and business owners and managers to join them for coffee and conversation on Wednesday, Oct. 2, which is National Coffee with a Cop Day.

The event will take place from 7 to 10 a.m. at Renee’s Café, 1005 N. Main St., Lakeport.

The mission of Coffee with a Cop is to break down barriers between police officers and the citizens they serve by removing agendas and allowing opportunities to ask questions and voice concerns.

Join them to get to know the officers in your neighborhood.

For more information contact Chief Brad Rasmussen at 707-263-5491 or visit the event’s Facebook page.
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CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The Clearlake City Council this week will discuss whether to restart the city’s rental inspection housing program, which has been inactive for more than a decade.

The council will meet beginning at 6 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 26, in the council chambers at Clearlake City Hall, 14050 Olympic Drive.

At the start of the meeting, Clearlake Animal Control will present adoptable dogs for September.

On Thursday the council will discuss and give possible direction to staff regarding the city’s rental housing unit inspection ordinance.

Police Chief Andrew White’s report to the council explains that the city enacted a rental housing unit inspection and registration ordinance in 2001 in response to dilapidated dwelling units throughout the city.

“It was intended to force landlords to improve their housing stock to meet requirements of City codes along with uniform codes, such as the Uniform Fire Code, State Housing Law and others,” White’s report explained.

He said the program requires all units offered for rent or lease to be inspected and registered, and provides a decreasing rate of inspections for compliant properties and an increasing rate of inspections for noncompliant properties.

“The ordinance provides for an opportunity to correct violations along with penalty provisions for non-compliance through administrative citations, condemnation and other remedies,” White said.

He said the council suspended the program in 2005 during a budget workshop based on the recommendation of the interim city administrator. “Since that time, although the ordinance has
remained in the Municipal Code, the program has been unfunded and not enforced.”

White is asking for the council to discuss the program and consider reimplementation.

“If the Council desires to re-implement the program, they are requested to provide direction to staff regarding amendments to the ordinance,” White wrote.

White said the cost to restart the program isn’t currently known “and will be impacted by any
changes to the existing program that may be proposed during the discussion and direction.”

He said improving the city’s rental housing stock would support the council’s adopted goals of making Clearlake a visibly cleaner city, and updating policies and procedures to current government standards and city policies to support economic development.

Other business on the agenda is the council’s consideration of appeals in response to several abatement orders for properties located at 5539 Vallejo Ave., 6056 Armijo Ave. and 3539 Madrone St. In each of the cases, abatement orders were issued due to illegal outdoor cannabis cultivation, according to the staff report.

The council also will discuss a memorandum of understanding between the city of Clearlake and the Clearlake Police Officers Association for the period July 1, 2019 to June 30, 2021.

On the consent agenda – items considered noncontroversial and usually accepted as a slate on one vote – are warrant registers; consideration of disposal of surplus vehicles, Resolution No. 2019-39; authorization of the city manager to execute a contract with Adams Ashby Group for
Community Development Block Grant Grant administration services including grant writing, administration and labor compliance services for a not to exceed amount of $34,884; adoption of updated records retention policies, Resolution No. 2019-43; authorization of response and concurrence letters for the 2018-19 Lake County Civil Grand Jury Final Report; approval of Resolution No. 2019-44 to use informal bidding procedures under the uniform public construction cost accounting act and submit to the State Controller’s Office.

There also will be a closed session after the open portion of the meeting to discuss labor negotiations with the Clearlake Management/Confidential Employees, Clearlake Police Officer Association, Clearlake Municipal Employees Association and Clearlake Middle Management Association; conference with legal counsel regarding existing cases of litigation against Pacific Gas and Electric and the case Wang v. City of Clearlake; the liability claim of Becerra; and performance evaluation of City Manager Alan Flora.

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.

092619 Clearlake City Council meeting agenda packet by LakeCoNews on Scribd

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Damin Anthony Pashilk, 43, center, listens as his attorney, Mitchell Hauptman, right, speaks during his sentencing hearing on Monday, September 23, 2019, in Lakeport, Calif. Pashilk reached a plea agreement over the summer that had him plead no contest to setting the Clayton fire and three other fires. Photo by Elizabeth Larson/Lake County News.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Clearlake resident originally charged with setting more than a dozen others around Lake County in 2015 and 2016 has been sentenced to prison for four of them – including the August 2016 Clayton fire that devastated Lower Lake.

Damin Anthony Pashilk, 43, was in Lake County Superior Court for sentencing on Monday afternoon.

Visiting Judge Thomas Maddock, a retired member of the Contra Costa County bench, presided over the hearing and handed down a sentence of more than 15 years in state prison.

The hourlong hearing included several impact statements from Clayton fire victims, sharing their stories of fleeing from their homes, losing a lifetime of memories and beloved pets, and how that some of them have yet to find a comfortable place to rebuild their lives.

Based on the terms of the plea agreement, Pashilk pleaded no contest to four fires: the Western fire on July 23, 2016, near Middletown; the North Branch fire on July 29, 2016, near Clearlake; the Canyon fire on Aug. 9, 2016, near Lower Lake; and the Clayton fire on Aug. 13, 2016.

Maddock accepted those terms, sentencing Pashilk to an aggregate state prison sentence of 15 years, four months, with 1,135 days credited for time served since Pashilk’s August 2016 arrest and another 170 days for good behavior, for a total of 1,305 days.

Pashilk’s time in state prison could be further reduced by another 15 percent for work time, plus a new legislative reduction that totals 5 percent, which Maddock noted was not his sentence.

At the request of defense attorney Mitchell Hauptman, Judge Maddock agreed to waive a $10,000 restitution fine, but Pashilk is still subject to the outcome of a restitution hearing that will take place early next year.

Judge Maddock said he had spent a week considering the case and the proposed plea agreement.

While Maddock said he had told both Chief Deputy District Attorney Richard Hinchliff and defense attorney Mitchell Hauptman ahead of the sentencing that he had concerns about the plea deal, he said that after weighing all the factors – including there being no guarantee of a conviction at trial and putting victims through a stressful trial process – he ultimately decided to accept the plea agreement.

Before the hearing, Pashilk – wearing a red and white jail jumpsuit – had sat in the jury box by himself, reading through case documents. He then joined Hauptman at the defense table for the sentencing.

In addition to law enforcement officials and bailiffs, there was a small number of Clayton fire victims and District Attorney’s Office Victim-Witness advocates in the audience. District Attorney Susan Krones also was on hand for the hearing.

Pashilk has been in custody since August 2016, arrested just a few days after the Clayton fire ripped through Lower Lake.

It emerged that Pashilk had been under surveillance by Cal Fire investigators for more than a year, and he ultimately was charged with 23 counts for setting the Clayton fire and 15 other fires between July of 2015 and August of 2016, plus an attempted start of a 17th fire that self-extinguished.

In March, at the end of a lengthy preliminary hearing that had begun in February, Judge Andrew Blum ordered Pashilk to stand trial on 22 charges for the series of fires, with charges for one of the fires dropped, as Lake County News has reported.

In July, the Lake County District Attorney’s Office reached the plea agreement with Pashilk and since then Victim-Witness and Probation Department officials had encouraged the victims of the fires to submit their statements.

Victims share their stories

Victim-Witness advocates read three statements to the court on behalf of three women who were not in attendance – Carrie Johnson, Rhonda Straub and Suzanne Abel.

After surviving the 2014 and 2015 wildfires, Johnson recounted losing her home and business on Main Street in Lower Lake to the Clayton Fire. She remembered struggling to evacuate her husband, who has COPD and other health issues, her terminally ill daughter and her elderly German Shepherd.

“We never dreamed that an intentionally set fire would destroy our home and our town,” she said, explaining that her husband lost 20 collectors cars and a lifetime of tools, she lost family pictures including those documenting the childhood of their six children.

Her daughter ended her life in an extended stay hotel, wondering why she couldn’t go home. And the family’s dog had to be put down due to its failing health.

Straub’s statement told of her worsening health issues because of the fire, including continuing nosebleeds and sinus infections, and post traumatic stress disorder.

Abel said the propane tanks in her Copsey Creek neighborhood exploded like bombs, causing her roommate to lose his hearing. It took them seven months to secure housing, and her roommate has since had two surgeries to try to save his life. Both suffer from crippling PTSD.

She said they provided a forever home for 26 rescue animals, which she said she misses every day. Abel also alleged that there was no fire in her neighborhood until she watched a Cal Fire helicopter land in a nearby field and she saw fire appear in the shape of its landing gear.

Another woman rose from the audience to say she came to “ream” Pashilk but added that she believed he didn’t care. She said she hoped he burns in hell before she walked back to the audience, where she sat sobbing.

Lower Lake resident Wes Baker thanked Maddock for the opportunity to share his story, adding in a voice trembling with emotion, “It’s not easy.”

Baker said he lost his home, property, and cherished pets and livestock, recounting how he couldn’t get one of his horses to load into a trailer to escape.

He called the setting of the Clayton fire “an unthinkable act,” and questioned why anyone would want to do it.

Addressing Pashilk directly, Baker said, “This is what you did, your worst thing” – setting a fire in a populated area of a rural county.

Baker urged Pashilk to get mental help, noting that he believed he suffers from pyromania, an impulse control disorder that leads individuals to set fires. He said he wanted Pashilk to get help so he has “a real hope of some happiness in what time will be left of your life upon release.”

He continued, “Get help, real help at this time, use all your time wisely. Ask others for help and keep asking always. Don't keep secrets and don't believe your own lies anymore.”

Baker said he can and will forgive Pashilk, a commitment not easy for him. “I too am hurt, but I’m up to it,” adding that his forgiveness of Pashilk’s crime is foundational upon him cooperating with authorities and caregivers.

He ended by telling Pashilk, “I pray the one who recovers is you.”

Prosecutor addresses concerns about plea agreement

Hinchcliff himself offered a statement to the court that responded to concerns he’d seen raised by community members – including posts on social media and two phone calls from local residents who didn’t feel the stipulated agreement was tough enough.

If considering only financial losses and emotional trauma, as well as people’s desire for justice, “then the sentence is not enough. There is no question about that,” said Hinchcliff.

“I have great sympathy and understanding for anyone who feels that way,” he said.

If those were the only factors considered when handling a case, then Hinchcliff said neither life in prison nor the death penalty would be sufficient.

However, he said prosecutors have to take many other things into consideration. In this case, had there been a jury trial, there was no guarantee of a guilty verdict on the main charges or lesser convictions. In the case of a hung jury, Pashilk would have received no sentence.

Hinchcliff said the District Attorney’s Office isn’t immune to concerns about fire survivors, as many of its members have been evacuated during the wildland fires, and some have lost their homes. Hinchcliff said his daughter lost her home in the Tubbs fire.

Ultimately, he said they had to make decisions on how to best handle the case based on evidence and training. “Emotions alone won't get a conviction or make the case stronger.”

After the end of Pashilk’s preliminary hearing, Hinchcliff said he, Krones, a District Attorney’s Office investigator and two Cal Fire investigators began to consider the case and discussed the evidence at length.

They looked at Pashilk’s potential defenses, took into consideration the risks of not getting a conviction or a lesser conviction and, based on those factors, felt the plea agreement was the correct disposition, he explained.

Hinchcliff said the state government also is currently in the process of reducing sentences of murder and arson.

He referred to a child molestation case several years ago in which a plea agreement was reached and rejected by a judge, and a hung jury resulted in the man accused going free.

Hinchcliff asked for Pashilk to be sentenced in accordance with the plea agreement, requesting a future date for a restitution hearing.

Hauptman also asked for the court to follow the sentencing agreement. He added that Pashilk is far from indifferent to the suffering of the people in the county. “All he can do at this point is extend that sympathy.”

Judge Thomas Maddock speaks during the sentencing hearing of Damin Anthony Pashilk on Monday, September 23, 2019, in Lakeport, Calif. Photo by Elizabeth Larson/Lake County News.

Judge explains decision

Maddock would do as both the prosecution and defense asked, accepting the plea agreement and sentencing Pashilk accordingly.

“There's no way any sentence that I impose can restore our victims to where they were before this terrible thing occurred, and that troubles me,” Maddock said.

He said he appreciated each of the victim impact statements. “You have my sympathies and my sorrow for what you had to endure and what you have to continue to endure.”

Noting the county’s high risk for fire, Maddock said setting a fire “is essentially an act of terrorism.”

Based on his own experience with such cases, Maddock noted there are no guarantees with a jury trial, and that there are additional sentencing constraints in the law.

He acknowledged that he had been initially troubled by the agreement, but after considering the case and the victims’ impact statements, “I am prepared to follow the agreement as it was made because I think in the big picture it's the best solution to this case.”

Hauptman objected to a $10,000 restitution fine because Pashilk has no money, assets or income, and so no ability to pay.

Maddock ultimately agreed to waive that fine but set a Feb. 25 hearing to present restitution requests from victims, with a restitution hearing to be set at that time.

Hauptman also asked for the Chrysler Sebring that Pashilk had been driving at the time of the Clayton fire – and which had been seized – be released as it belongs to another individual.

Pashilk, who is due to be transported to state prison, waived his right to be present at the February hearing.

Maddock also informed him that he has 60 days to file an appeal of the sentence.

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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