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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – This week, the federal government announced it is making available more than $491 million in assistance grants for major 2018 California wildland fires and wind events, including last year’s Mendocino Complex fires.

The award for California was part of nearly $1.5 billion in funding awarded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to support seven states in their recovery from major disasters that occurred last year, from Hurricane Michael and Hurricane Florence, to California’s devastating wildland fires, among them, the Camp, Carr and Mendocino Complex.

HUD said the funds are provided through its Community Development Block Grant – Disaster Recovery Program and will address seriously damaged housing, businesses and infrastructure in hard-hit areas of these states.

The agency said the program requires grantees to develop “thoughtful recovery plans informed by local residents.”

“Last year’s disasters left damaged homes, businesses and infrastructure in their wake,” said HUD Secretary Ben Carson. “These recovery dollars will help the hardest-hit communities in these states and allow for residents to put their lives back together again.”

California received approximately $491,816,000 for two separately declared disasters.

The first related to wildfires and high winds that occurred between July 23 and Sept. 19 in Lake and Shasta counties, with the major disaster declaration issued on Aug. 4.

That time period covers the Mendocino Complex, made up of the Ranch and River fires, which burned 459,123 acres in Lake, Mendocino, Colusa and Glenn counties from July 27 to Sept. 19.

It claimed the life of one firefighter, destroyed 280 structures and displaced tens of thousands of Lake County residents in late July and early August.

The declaration also covers the Carr fire, which burned from July 23 to Aug. 30 in Redding in Shasta County. The Carr fire killed three firefighters, destroyed about 1,600 structures – more than 1,000 of them homes – and burned 229,651 acres.

Separate from the HUD assistance, the Federal Emergency Management Agency reported that it received 496 applications for individual assistance, with approximately $7,953,959.51 approved. It has also obligated $76,078,556.54 in total public assistance grants for the two counties.

The second allocation for California is for the wildland fires in Butte, Los Angeles and Ventura counties from Nov. 8 to 25, with a major disaster declaration issued on Nov. 12.

The major fire in that group was the Camp fire, the deadliest wildland fire in California history.

It devastated Paradise, killing 85 people, burning 153,336 acres and destroying 18,804 structures.

FEMA said it has received 7,967 individual assistance applications for those three counties, with $85,077,809.73 approved and another $9,170,138.82 obligated for public assistance grants.

On Oct. 5, President Donald Trump signed Public Law 115-254, which provides $1.68 billion in Community Development Block Grant – Disaster Recovery Program funding for “disaster relief, long-term recovery, restoration of infrastructure and housing, and economic revitalization in the most impacted and distressed areas resulting from a major disaster declared in 2018.”

In addition to California, other states receiving recovery assistance include:

– Florida: Hurricane Michael, $448,023,000.
– Georgia: Hurricane Michael, $34,884,000.
– Hawaii: Severe storms, flooding, landslides and mudslides, and Kilauea volcanic eruption and earthquakes, $66,890,000.
– North Carolina: Hurricane Florence, $336,521,000.
– South Carolina: Hurricane Florence, $47,775,000.
– Texas: Severe storms and flooding, $46,400,000.

In addition to those funds, HUD said it will allocate an additional $205 million later in the year following a comprehensive analysis of the recovery needs in American Samoa and the Northern Marianas.

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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NORTH COAST, Calif. – Whether you drive on a scenic highway or a congested freeway, motorcycles are all around.

As such, motorcycle-involved crashes in California continue to be a major concern for the California Highway Patrol.

From January 2017 through May 2019, provisional statistical data revealed there were three fatal traffic collisions involving motorcycles in the CHP Ukiah Area jurisdiction.

In an effort to reduce the number of motorcycle incidents or collisions resulting from unsafe speed, following too closely, unsafe lane changes, improper turning and other primary collision factor violations by motorcyclists and other drivers, the CHP Ukiah Area will deploy additional officers in Mendocino County.

The operation will commence on May 25.

To assist the CHP in this traffic safety effort, the Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, has awarded a grant titled “Get Educated and Ride Safe.”

With the grant funding, the Ukiah Area CHP will continue to deploy additional enforcement efforts through Sept. 30.
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CLEARLAKE, Calif. – Clearlake Animal Control is at capacity this week and has dogs that immediately need new homes.

“Friends, our shelter is currently at maximum capacity,” Clearlake Animal Control reported on its Facebook page on Wednesday. “If you are missing a dog, interested in adopting or interested in fostering, we urge you to please come by the shelter. We are over flowing with amazing dogs who need loving homes or rescue.”

To find the lost/found pet section, click here.

The following dogs are ready for adoption.

“Cadbury.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control.

‘Cadbury’

“Cadbury” is a female Staffordshire Bull Terrier mix with a smooth medium-length beige coat.

She is No. 1215.

“Chico.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control.

‘Chico’

“Chico” is a male Chihuahua with a short tan and white coat.

He is No. 1943.

“Jason.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control.

‘Jason’

“Jason” is a male pit bull mix with a short blond and white coat.

He is No. 1663.

“Snowflake.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control.

‘Snowflake’

“Snowflake” is a male Chihuahua with a white coat.

He is No. 1864.

“Tyson.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control.

‘Tyson’

“Tyson” is a male American Staffordshire Terrier mix with a short gray and white coat.

He is No. 1863.

“Wynn.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control.

‘Wynn’

“Wynn” is a male American Staffordshire Terrier with a short brindle coat.

Staff said he has been at the shelter for a few months. He loves affection and is available for adoption or through the foster to adopt program.

He’s believed to be about 6 to 7 years old.

He is No. 969.

Clearlake Animal Control’s shelter is located at 6820 Old Highway 53, off Airport Road.

Hours of operation area noon to 3 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. The shelter is closed Sundays, Mondays and major holidays.

Call Clearlake Animal Control at 707-994-8251, Extension 1, or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to inquire about adoptions.

Visit Clearlake Animal Control on Facebook or at the city’s Web site.

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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LAKEPORT, Calif. – As it waits for the final count on its Measure M fire parcel tax, the Lakeport Fire Protection District Board this week took steps to ensure it can meet its budget needs through the end of the fiscal year and discussed concerns about a fire dispatch contract with Cal Fire.

The board met Tuesday evening at Station 50 in downtown Lakeport.

On May 7, the district held a special all-mail ballot for Measure M, forecast to bring in a beginning total of $1.2 million annually.

The district decided to move forward with the measure after having to lay off three full-time firefighters as part of the current fiscal year budget, accepted in September, as Lake County News has reported.

The early Measure M election returns, which included a tally of nearly 1,900 ballots, showed the measure receiving 74 percent of the vote. It needs a supermajority of 66.7 percent to go into effect.

Last week, an update from the Registrar of Voters Office said it has 438 ballots yet to count, including those which had been postmarked by the election date and arrived at the Registrar of Voters Office by last Friday.

The Registrar of Voters Office has 30 days from the election to conduct the official canvass, at the end of which it will certify the election results.

District Board Chair John Whitehead thanked firefighters’ union members for their efforts to advocate for Measure M.

Firefighter/paramedic Spencer Johnson said the result is a “big weight off of everyone's shoulders.”

“The level of support apparently shown by the community speaks a lot and I think you guys should be proud of that,” District Board member Alan Flora told the firefighters, noting that Measure M had higher numbers in support of it than fire measures in other parts of the county in recent years.

Engineer Dan Kane said the firefighters were humbled by that support.

While the results so far look promising for the district, if the measure does pass, it will be nearly a year before the proceeds begin to arrive. In the meantime, there are budgeting needs for the current fiscal year that have to be addressed while district board members prepare to consider the new fiscal year budget at the meeting next month.

On Tuesday, in an effort to make sure the district can meet its obligations, the board passed a resolution authorizing the appropriation of up to $200,000 from a reserve fund in order to close out the end of the fiscal year, which runs through June 30.

Mandi Huff, the district’s administrative assistant, said much of the anticipated expenditures are to cover overtime and staffing, as well as the dispatch contract with Cal Fire.

The district has some other possibilities to help its financial picture, including a federal grant that could help it rehire laid-off firefighters.

Chief Rich Bergem said Linda Hedstrom, who wrote the grant for the district, has followed up with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which told her that the district remains in the running for the grant. Announcements are expected in early July.

One potential action that the district board discussed again and once more decided to table was the possible sale of the Finley fire station. It hasn’t been used as a fire station in decades and currently houses the operations of the Clearlake Gleaners’ food bank.

The district’s considerations have included keeping the building and making it a volunteer-staffed station, with an engine stationed there, which Bergem said would lower insurance rates for businesses in Finley and at the nearby Lampson Field airport.

Whitehead restated his opposition to selling the Finley station, noting he would be willing to reconsider it in the future of the district got a new fire station.

Flora said that, at some point, the district board needs to have a discussion about all of the stations, explaining that they have three but only use one.

He said he’s not supportive of letting the building sit and have maintenance costs pile up, adding he thought it is a win-win to use it as a volunteer station.

Board members agreed with Bergem that with Measure M’s apparent passage, it takes the pressure off to make a decision about the station.

Bergem said that if Measure M does indeed pass, he wants to create a five-year plan for the district, and that he would like to see investment in Station 52, located in north Lakeport.

Firefighters raise concerns about dispatch contract

Another main item of discussion on Tuesday was the dispatch contract which Lake County fire districts as a group hold with Cal Fire.

Johnson and Kane both told the board during the meeting about their many concerns with Cal Fire’s performance, with Johnson adding that they’ve not been impressed with the contract since it began last year.

Bergem said he’s been part of meetings with Cal Fire in which an agency representative said they wanted to resolve the issues on the contract, which is in effect until June 2020.

“It's out there that we are dissatisfied,” said Bergem.

Bergem said he has met with Sheriff Brian Martin and County Administrative Officer Carol Huchingson about the option of returning to a contract with the Lake County Sheriff’s Office Central Dispatch. He said he had a positive reception. “They would like to have us back.”

Some of the problems mentioned at Tuesday’s meeting by firefighting personnel include being sent to the wrong locations. In one instance, Kane said they were dispatched to Beach Lane in Lakeport for a medical call.

When they received no answer at the door, Kane said he was preparing to break in when Cal Fire canceled Lakeport Fire’s response because the actual location was Beach Lane in Nice.

Kane said such misdirected dispatches have happened time and again, and it “really scares me to death.” He said they never had such issues with Central Dispatch.

Bergem said Sheriff Martin gave a rough estimate of $60,000 to take on dispatch for Lakeport Fire, which is close to what it previously cost the district.

Huff told Lake County News that the Cal Fire contract cost is determined on a per-call basis, and runs about $15,000 a quarter. She said it’s possible the district could save some money if it went back to the county.

Flora pointed out that Lakeport Fire needs to give Cal Fire a one-year written notice – due by July 1 – if it wants to pull out of the contract.

Whitehead said he wanted Bergem to contact other chiefs about the concerns. Flora said the district needed to document its problems in order to take them to Cal Fire and make a decision.

Flora said he also didn’t want to upset other districts by pulling out, explaining that a lot of them have been picking up the slack for Lakeport Fire due to its staffing issues.

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, @LakeCoN
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Lake County students from the Class of 2019, who have been accepted to four-year universities, were honored at a reception held at Kelseyville High School in Kelseyville, Calif., on Monday, May 13, 2019. Photo courtesy of the Lake County Office of Education.

KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – Nearly 300 Lake County high school students, parents, school administrators and counselors packed the Thomas Aikens Student Center at Kelseyville High School on Monday for the University Admittance Reception.

This was the 14th year the Lake County Office of Education has hosted the event.

Ninety Lake County students were recognized for their acceptance into four-year universities for the 2019-2020 school year.

Lake County Superintendent of Schools Brock Falkenberg opened the evening, proclaiming, “Lake County has some of the brightest students in the country.”

Almost 70 percent of college-bound Lake County students will attend a California State University in the 2019-2020 school year.

Nearly 25 percent of college-bound Lake County students will attend UC campuses, including UC campuses at Berkeley, Davis, Los Angeles, Merced, Santa Barbara and Santa Cruz.

The remaining college-bound Lake County students will attend universities in different states across the nation including New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, Tennessee, Idaho, Utah, Arizona, Oregon, Washington and Hawaii.

Students from Clear Lake High School are traveling the furthest to attend college. Nicabec Casido

will be attending Princeton University in New Jersey, and Seth Mix will be studying at the Aux Marseille Université in southern France.

Jacquelyn Ross, assistant director of admissions at UC Davis, and Gina Geck, director of student outreach and recruitment at Sonoma State, were on hand to congratulate the soon-to-be graduates.

They presented each senior with a gold cord to honor their achievement. The students were encouraged to wear this cord at their individual high school graduations.

Two former Lake County students returned as keynote speakers.

Shao-Ji Chang, CLHS Class of 2013, is currently a constituent services and field representative for Congressman Mike Thompson.

Charles Crockett, CLHS Class of 2015, will be graduating from St. Mary’s College of California in a few weeks.

Both Lake County students offered advice based on their own college experiences.

Beth Hampson, education specialist from the Lake County Office of Education, organized the event.

Hampson closed out the evening with a heartfelt thank you to those who helped coordinate and sponsor the event including Kelseyville Lumber; Michelle Borghesani, director of food services at Kelseyville Unified School District; and Kelseyville Unified School District for providing the facility.
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NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – Cal Fire said Wednesday that its investigators have determined that November’s Camp fire – which devastated the town of Paradise in Butte County, killing dozens of people and destroying thousands of structures – was caused by power transmission lines.

The Camp fire started the morning of Nov. 8 and burned a total of 153,336 acres, destroying 18,804 structures and resulting in 85 civilian fatalities and several firefighter injuries.

It is the deadliest and most destructive fire in California history.

Cal Fire said its investigators were immediately dispatched to the Camp fire and began working to determine the origin and cause of the fire.

After a very meticulous and thorough investigation, Cal Fire said it has determined that the Camp fire was caused by electrical transmission lines owned and operated by Pacific Gas and Electric.

Cal Fire said the fire started in the early morning hours near the community of Pulga in Butte County.

The tinder dry vegetation and red flag conditions consisting of strong winds, low humidity and warm temperatures promoted this fire and caused extreme rates of spread, rapidly burning into Pulga to the east and west into Concow, Paradise, Magalia and the outskirts of east Chico, Cal Fire said.

The investigation identified a second ignition sight near the intersection of Concow Road and Rim Road. Cal Fire said the cause of the second fire was determined to be vegetation into electrical distribution lines owned and operated by PG&E. This fire was consumed by the original fire which started earlier near Pulga.

During 2018 there were more than 7,571 wildfires that burned more than 1.8 million acres within the state of California, Cal Fire said. Nearly a third of that acreage was burned in the Mendocino Complex, which burned in Lake, Mendocino, Colusa and Glenn counties.

Cal Fire said the Camp fire investigative report has been forwarded to the Butte County District Attorney Mike Ramsey.

PG&E’s equipment also has been identified as the source of numerous other fires around Northern California, including the Sulphur fire that burned in Clearlake and Clearlake Oaks in October 2017.

A number of local governments, including the city of Clearlake and the county of Lake, have filed suit against PG&E over those fires, but PG&E has since filed bankruptcy, which makes the future of those suits unclear.
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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The National Weather Service said another weather system due to arrive this weekend will bring still more rain into the middle of next week.

The short range forecast explained that a low pressure system moving over the West will allow for unsettled weather and chilly temperatures to continue.

Lake County already this week has received a significant amount of rain.

Based on the National Weather Service’s local observation stations, the 72-hour rainfall totals in inches as of 12 a.m. Friday are as follows:

Bartlett Springs: 2.49.
Boggs Mountain: 4.46 (among the highest totals in California).
Cache Creek: 2.24.
High Glade Lookout (above Upper Lake): 1.61.
Indian Valley Reservoir: 1.18.
Jerusalem Grade: 2.03.
Knoxville Creek: 1.71.
Lake Pillsbury: 2.47.
Lakeport: 1.52.
Lyons Valley: 2.11.
Portable station south of Lake Pillsbury: 3.82.
Whispering Pines: 3.88.

The National Weather Service said the current weather system bringing rain now to Lake County and the rest of the West Coast, as well as snow in the higher elevations, is forecast to approach the Great Plains by the weekend.

Another system, moving in from the eastern Pacific, is forecast to arrive on the West Coast on Saturday, with more rain forecast into Wednesday, the National Weather Service said.

The Lake County forecast calls for rain to continue with an anticipated break on Saturday, with showers to continue through the weekend.

Chances of weather are forecast through Wednesday, clearing by Wednesday night, with partly cloudy conditions predicted to begin on Thursday.

There also is a chance of thunderstorms on Sunday, the National Weather Service said.

Wind also remains in the forecast, with gusts into the low 20s predicted on Saturday.

Nighttime temperatures will continue to hover in the low 40s, with daytime temperatures rising into the low 50s, the forecast 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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LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lakeport City Council heard the latest on the potential for electrical shutoffs during the coming fire season from Pacific Gas and Electric last week.

The council received the update on the Community Wildfire Safety Program from PG&E representative Herman Hernandez at the May 7 meeting.

Hernandez discussed the company’s real-time monitoring efforts, new and enhanced safety measures, and system hardening and resilience.

He presented a map that showed that Lakeport and other communities ringing the lake are in a lower fire risk category. However, much of Lake County is in the “Tier 2,” or elevated fire risk, category, while some areas in the south county are “Tier 3,” rated for extreme fire danger.

The Public Safety Power Shutoff Program, which debuted last year, primarily sought to shut off power in the Tier 3 extreme fire risk areas, particularly during red flag weather conditions consisting of low humidity, and high winds and hot temperatures, Hernandez said.

PG&E conducted one power shutoff in October, which impacted thousands of Lake County customers, and Hernandez said the company nearly did a second in early November.

“Last year, the scope was limited,” said Hernandez, explaining that the shutoff focused on areas with 70,000 volts and lower.

This year, the most significant change is they have put everything on the table, with up to 500,000 volt transmission lines now up for consideration for such shutoffs. At that level, it could deenergize an entire service area, which Hernandez said is “pretty significant.”

He added, “That is a worse case scenario.” As a result, the company is telling everyone to develop a plan.

Hernandez said PG&E researched what other areas – like Australia, which also has had extreme fires – are doing to deal with wildfire danger.

PG&E has created a wildfire safety operations center, which is open around the clock during wildland fire season, and also is sometimes activated for floods and big storms, he said.

They’re also installing new weather systems. More than 1,300 are slated to be installed across PG&E’s service area. Hernandez said that, so far, Lake County has four – one in Clearlake, one in Kelseyville and the others in Middletown. Four more are expected to be installed in Lake County this year.

Hernandez said they’re also installing high definition cameras to help with monitoring. There are plans for 600 such cameras systemwide by 2022. Nine were installed last year – one is in Lake County – with another 100 to be installed this year.

PG&E is expanding and enhancing its vegetation management, which is being done on top of its routine work. Hernandez said it includes inspecting and making sure that trees and vegetation are at least 12 feet away from power lines.

In December, PG&E started wildfire safety inspections, which include looking at power facility structures, and lines and arms, with issues fixed immediately or scheduled if they’re not an emergency, Hernandez said. Inspections are completed in a variety of ways – using people, drones and helicopters.

Hernandez said PG&E has completed a beta project in Sonoma County, undergrounding half a mile of transmission lines, which cost $1 million.

He said PG&E is putting everything on the table as it tries to figure out how to address fires.

Other measures the utility company is taking include installing stronger and more resilient poles and covered power lines, work Hernandez said is taking place in Lake County. Overall, the company is replacing 7,100 miles of lines in high fire risk areas.

The company also is focusing on new resilience zones, reconfiguring the grids to power important locations like fire and police departments and city halls during power shutoffs, and installing circuit breakers and reclosers, he said.

Hernandez then discussed what triggers shutoffs.

In 2018, the first year the power safety shutoffs were used by PG&E, the trigger was a red flag warning, which includes low humidity levels, constant winds of 25 miles per hour or more and gusts up to 45 miles per hour, he said.

PG&E’s weather stations and high definition videos will help them identify dry fuel, as will personnel on the ground, he said.

One of the biggest challenges during the first power shutoff was communication with local emergency personnel. Hernandez said that because of Sheriff Brian Martin's leadership, the company was able to improve that communication.

He said PG&E's goal, which it didn’t meet last year, is that when it sees a concerning weather system, that it calls a potential public safety power shutoff within 48 hours of the system occurring in order to warn customers and local governments.

PG&E called for two shutoffs – one that occurred and one that it canceled – within 36 hours last year, he said.

After a shutoff occurs, Hernandez said PG&E has to wait until the weather system moves through before sending out crews to begin inspecting lines. That’s why it takes a lot longer to reenergize in summer as compared to winter.

The process includes getting the weather all clear, patrolling and inspecting, isolating and repairing damage, restoring power and notifying customers, he said

Hernandez said that during the October power shutoff, there was some weather-caused damage to power infrastructure, but he couldn’t say if it would have started a fire.

“We're not saying this is going to prevent fires but we're saying it's going to keep your community safer,” he said.

City Manager Margaret Silveira asked if there were any Tier 2 or 3 areas in the city limits. Hernandez said there were small slivers. Silveira responded that there are transmission lines to those areas going through the city, which means Lakeport could be impacted.

PG&E is working to improve services and notifications to medical baseline customers during power shutoffs, but doesn’t yet have a program in place to assist small businesses, Hernandez said.

He said the company’s engineers reconfigured the power grid after October’s power shutoff, which lessened the number of customers that would be impacted in a followup event.

What they don’t yet know, and what is a big concern, is what will happen if a fire starts during a public safety power shutoff, Hernandez said.

Sheriff Martin, who attended the meeting, urged community members to have a plan because he doesn’t think Lake County will make it through this fire season without a public safety power shutoff.

A countywide public safety power shutoff is of particular concern, as Martin said the county doesn’t have sheltering capabilities beyond the most fragile populations, and 48 hours’ notice isn’t enough time to come up with a plan.

Silveira told the council that city staff is working on information to send to city residents about preparation.

PG&E customers can get more information at www.pge.com/wildfiresafety or www.prepareforpowerdown.com .

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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Volunteers getting ready for the May 2019 Catfish Derby in Clearlake Oaks, Calif.

CLEARLAKE OAKS, Calif. – All decked out in his derby t-shirt, at 4 months Henry St. Clair is the newest member of the Catfish Derby organizing team.

Making his debut at a recent work meeting, Henry represents a new generation of anglers.

“I can’t wait to take him fishing,” said his dad, Matthew St. Clair. “In the meantime we’re getting him acclimated to what we do as volunteers to get everything ready for the crowd of anglers that will come in from all over California and the United States.”

Henry’s mom, Stacy St. Clair, agrees. “We want him to appreciate the value of community and to look forward to being a part of a long-standing tradition that brings people together in a wholesome, encouraging family environment.”

The Catfish Derby is on May 17, 18 and 19. It culminates on Sunday with winners announced and an old-fashioned barbecue held at the Northshore Fire Station on 12655 State Highway 20 in Clearlake Oaks. Everyone is welcome.

Catfish Derby Chairman Dennis Locke said ideally 60 volunteers are needed for the three-day fishing event. “We had about 30 of our core volunteers show up at the North Shore fire station to help out last week.”

Each year volunteers gather several times before the derby begins to stuff and mail about 1,000 forms to former participants and then to prepare the individual registration packets for the kids and adults that pre-register.

“It’s a lot of work but with the support of our community volunteers, we’re always ready. This year will be no exception,” Locke said.

Along with additional supporters the core volunteers will join up again at the derby, this time to check everybody in, sell derby t-shirts, raffle tickets, weigh fish, enter data and attend to the many details that make the derby a success.

“We are blessed with a strong community of volunteers but we can always use a few more hands on deck,” Locke said.

Hailed as the biggest Catfish Derby west of the Mississippi and arguably the best-attended event of its kind in North America, the derby attracts anglers, their families and friends as well as hundreds more spectators who enjoy the family-oriented sport.

Locke said another big crowd is expected this year. “Most, about 65 percent, come from outside of Lake County,” he said. “Many are local, and many return year after year, like long time volunteer Barbara Higman. Her family has been fishing in the Derby for years.”

Higman said the derby is a tradition with her family. “My husband, Mike, loves the derby and is a past winner. Our son, Mike Jr., comes in from Lincoln every year to fish the derby. We usually have grandkids entered every year, too. For us and many others, it’s a family affair.”

Henry and parents, Matthew and Stacy St. Clair, with Dennis and Helen Locke, big fans of the family. Courtesy photo.

The former owner of Euphoria in Clearlake Oaks, Higman appreciates the economic boost the county enjoys at derby time.

“Each year we publish a newsletter filled with ads and information that help our out-of-town guests get around,” she said. “We also hand out Lake County’s Destination Magazine and fishing regulations. It’s wonderful to see the hotels, resorts and campgrounds fill up; sales at our bait and tackle shops increase; people enjoying boating on the lake; and the restaurants, casinos and growing number of wine tasting venues get a boost from our annual tradition. Makes us feel real proud to know we’re contributing to our economy.”

Sponsored by the Clearlake Oaks-Glenhaven Business Association, President Camille Gouldberg said the money raised goes back into the community.

“We give scholarships, help our young people cover expenses for various educational endeavors, support our football and baseball teams, help seniors, donate to our local senior center and more,” she said.

For the anglers, there’s more than $10,000 in prize money awarded to the derby winners.

First place prize is $4,000; second place is $1,000 and third is $800. A total of 20 anglers will place in the adult category with prizes scaling down to $40.

There are also two categories for children, up to 10 years and 11 to 15 years of age. The kid prizes start at $100 and scale down to $10.

In addition, another $2,500 is given out in raffle prizes.

Locke said the Derby is a broad-based community effort, three days of gathering with friends from around the lake, returning families from near and far and new faces trying out the derby for the first time.

This year a celebrity weigh-in is planned with a few local celebs. District Attorney Susan Krones, Sheriff Brian Martin and District 3 Supervisor E.J. Crandell will join in on the fun.

“The derby is a big deal in our little town. It takes a town of volunteers to put on, but we love it,” Locke said.

To help out at this year’s derby or for more information, contact Locke on the derby line, 707-596-0248 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Also visit www.clearlakeoaks.org/derby and find the derby on Facebook: Catfish Derby at the Oaks.

Matthew St. Clair with his son, Henry, the newest member of the Catfish Derby organizing team. Courtesy photo.
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A man wrongfully convicted in a 2002 shooting has had his conviction reversed based on newly discovered evidence, uncovered by the Northern California Innocence Project and the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office, about a crucial eyewitness identification.

On April 2, 2002, a young man was gunned down in a drive-by shooting in front of his younger brother.

While he was recovering from severe injuries in the hospital, the victim identified 22-year-old Lionel Rubalcava as the shooter from a photo lineup.

The brother also identified Rubalcava, who was in the lineup for being at the wrong place at the wrong time:he had stopped in front of the victim’s house two days after the shooting.

At the three-day trial, Rubalcava provided powerful alibi evidence and testified to his innocence. But the victim and his brother both pointed to Rubalcava as the shooter.

The jury, which deliberated for longer than the trial lasted, found Rubalcava guilty of attempted murder. He was sentenced to life in prison based solely on the two eyewitness identifications.

NCIP teamed up with investigators Dre McEwen and Grant Fine and pro bono partners at Simpson Thacher to investigate Rubalcava’s case.

The team put together information showing the eyewitness identifications were unreliable and that Rubalcava should never have been convicted.

NCIP presented the case to the Conviction Integrity Unit in Santa Clara District Attorney’s Office, a special unit devoted to correcting wrongful convictions in the county.

Assistant District Attorneys David Angel and Stacey Capps immediately saw the need to investigate the case further.

Among the new information the DA’s office found was the stunning admission by the victim, who was paralyzed and has worked hard to overcome what he has been through, that he had never been completely sure of his identification.

He told them that he had only seen a tiny portion of the shooter’s face – and only for a brief moment before he was shot.

“The more we all dug, the more evidence of innocence we found. Every person we spoke to, every tape we transcribed, every new document we uncovered pointed to Lionel’s innocence,” said NCIP’s attorney on this case, Paige Kaneb.

The District Attorney’s Office said the new evidence was pivotal, “Had we known this at the time, we would not have filed the case.”

Rubalcava’s ability to get his conviction reversed hinged on the passage of a new law that NCIP helped get passed on Sept. 30, 2016.

That law, Senate Bill 1134 authored by Senators Leno and Anderson, loosened laws that had
previously made it virtually impossible for wrongfully convicted people to get a new trial based on new evidence.

Instead of the new evidence needing to “point unerringly to innocence”, the new law requires only that – had the new evidence been available at the original trial – there would “more likely than not” have been a different outcome.

As the District Attorney’s Office noted when it joined NCIP in asking the court to reverse Rubalcava’s conviction, “The foundation of our democracy and criminal justice system is the presumption of innocence.”

This bill was sponsored by the California Innocence Coalition that includes NCIP, the California Innocence Project in San Diego, and Loyola Project for the Innocent in Los Angeles.

On April 24, 17 years and 16 days after Rubalcava was arrested, his conviction was reversed by Judge Daniel Nishigaya in the Santa Clara County Superior Court.

On Wednesday, the charges against Rubalcava, who has been residing in Pleasant Valley State Prison, were dropped and he was freed.

The Northern California Innocence Project is a non-profit clinical program of Santa Clara University School of Law whose mission is to promote a fair, effective, and compassionate criminal justice system and protect the rights of the innocent.

Since its inception in 2001, NCIP has processed more than 10,000 requests for inmate assistance, investigated hundreds of cases, pursued litigation or collaborative resolution in dozens, and obtained the freedom of 26 wrongfully convicted individuals.
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CLEARLAKE, Calif. – With the resignation of Mayor Nick Bennett on May 9, the Clearlake City Council is seeking applications from residents of the city of Clearlake to fill the vacant seat, which expires in November 2020.

The city of Clearlake is a general law city of the state of California operating under the
council/manager plan.

The city council is the legislative body and its members are the community’s decision makers.

The council approves the city’s budget and determines the level of public services and focuses on the community’s goals, major projects and such long-term considerations as community growth, financing and strategic planning.

Councilmembers receive a stipend of $300 per month.

Applicants for the vacant seat must be registered voters of the city of Clearlake.

Applications can be found on the City’s Web site at www.clearlake.ca.us or by contacting City Clerk Melissa Swanson at 707-994-8201, Extension 106.

Applications must be filed with the city clerk no later than 5 p.m. June 4.
Posted On

LAKEPORT, Calif. – On Tuesday the Board of Supervisors gave its support to the Habematolel Pomo tribe’s latest application to put tribally owned land into federal trust.

The Upper Lake-based tribe has applied to the Bureau of Land Management to place a half-acre parcel at 650 E. State Highway 20 in Upper Lake into trust, meaning the federal government will hold it for the tribe.

The county received an invitation from the BIA to provide comment on the application.

County Administrative Officer Carol Huchingson said the trust transfer will result in only a small loss of property tax to the county, adding that the county has a memorandum of understanding with the tribe already in place.

Tribal Chair Sherry Treppa told the board that the tribe purchased the property about two years ago, took down an old mobile home and put up a new one.

She said the tribe intends to use the property for elder care and early start for children, programs that are still being developed.

Treppa said the tribe had approached the county in early 2005 and offered to enter into a government-to-government relationship with a memorandum of understanding to mitigate the impacts of its Running Creek Casino, which opened in 2012.

Through the MOU the tribe has paid the county $150,000 annually. At the same time, Treppa said the tribe has an MOU with Northshore Fire for $80,000 annually, also to mitigate impacts from the casino.

She said that her tribe hit a lot of roadblocks in its efforts to open the casino. The Habematolel Pomo was a landless tribe after the termination action by the government in the 1950s, and Treppa said the tribe had to go through the process of restoring its land base in order to build the casino.

In addition to the federal process of putting land into trust – which also was challenging – she said the tribe has a compact with the state. It was working on that compact during the economic downturn in 2008. Then, the state turned down the tribe’s first compact attempt and its casino investor reneged on the terms, trying to double the tribe’s costs.

She said the Habematolel also were challenged by other tribes in the area and around California due to a belief that their compact would have impacts on other tribes as the result of litigation then working its way through the courts.

As a result, when the tribe went through its second round to get the compact approved, it faced opposition from multiple tribes, Treppa said.

The one entity that didn’t oppose the tribe’s plans was the county, Treppa said. “You folks stood by us every time.”

She said that every time she needed a letter of support, the county was there, helping the tribe through the process. “We won’t forget that.”

As a result of a building the tribe recently constructed, which Treppa said brought $3.5 million in construction dollars to the county, the tribe offered another MOU to the county to also help the cost of law enforcement, which she said she hoped would be coming to the board soon. Treppa later told Lake County News that the new county MOU is for $25,000 annually.

The tribe also concluded work on a new MOU with Northshore Fire for an additional $25,000 a year for the new building. Treppy said the tribe worked with county counsel on both MOUs.

When the tribe’s new facility is fully built out, Treppa said it will bring 80 new jobs to the county.

She asked for the board’s support, noting that she believed the new MOU and the tribe’s contributions to the community neutralizes the loss with property tax resulting from the trust application.

This was the second trust application the board has considered from the Habematolel in the past month.

In April, the board gave unanimous support to the Habematolel moving into trust its community center at 9470 Main St., the former Westamerica Bank Upper Lake branch, as Lake County News has reported.

Treppa said Tuesday that the BIA made an error in that application, stating that it was an on-reservation acquisition, which it isn’t. So she said that revised application will have to come back to the board for approval.

Board Chair Tina Scott thanked Treppa for the tribe’s contributions to the community and the school district.

Supervisor EJ Crandell moved to approve the proposed letter to the BIA supporting the application, which Supervisor Bruno Sabatier seconded and the board approved 4-0. Supervisor Rob Brown was absent for the meeting.

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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