ACCUWEATHER GLOBAL WEATHER CENTER – A potent storm system will make its way into California on Friday and Saturday.

This will be a rather cold storm, more akin to the winter months of January or February.

Bouts of rain and mountain snow will sweep though California.

According to Accuweather's Western Weather Expert Ken Clark, “The heaviest rain is likely across central and northern parts of the state on Friday, where 0.30 to 0.60 of an inch will accumulate.” This includes places such as San Francisco and Eureka.

Farther south, Clark thinks that much of the rain will fall Friday evening and into the overnight hours, with a shower or two lingering into Saturday morning across the mountains and San Diego County.

“It looks like rainfall amounts will average 0.10 to 0.30 of an inch in Southern California, and there could be a thunderstorm in a few spots as well. There may even be a little snow in the Southern California mountains – places like Mountain High and around Big Bear,” says Clark.

The heaviest snow is likely across the Sierra Nevada range. “The snow level in the Sierra will fall to between 4,000 and 4,500 feet Friday and Saturday, with 5 to 10 inches of snow likely above 5,500 feet,” Clark said.

Another issue to contend with as this storm system passes will be gusty winds. “Winds of 20 to 40 mph are possible in the deserts Friday night and Saturday, and will cause local blowing sand and dust. Gusty northwest winds are also likely for a time in the San Joaquin Valley and along the Central coast,” Clark said.

A huge change is in store for the region next week as a strong ridge of high pressure builds over the region.

By Tuesday and Wednesday, much of Southern California away from the water will be in the 90s and there may even be a few isolated 100-degree temperatures.

The Central Valley will also heat up, with temperatures likely soaring into the middle and upper 80s in the central and southern Sacramento Valley and into the lower 90s in the San Joaquin Valley.

Anthony Sagliani is a meteorologist for www.accuweather.com .

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – On Wednesday the Glenn County Sheriff's Office released the name of the final victim it had been endeavoring to identify from a deadly April 10 wreck on Interstate 5.

The fiery crash – which occurred near Orland – involved a FedEx semi, a motorcoach carrying Southern California high school students to an event at Humboldt State and a Nissan Altima. It left 10 people and 34 more injured, according to the numerous agencies involved in the investigation.

Glenn County Sheriff-Coroner Larry Jones identified the last crash victim as 19-year-old Adrian Castro, a senior at El Monte High School. Jones said the identification process had to be completed using DNA.

Last week, Jones had released the names of eight other crash fatalities, including FedEx semi driver Timothy Paul Evans, 32, of Elk Grove; Talalelei Feleni Lealao-Taiao, 53, of Sacramento, driver of the 2014 Setra motorcoach; chaperones Mattison Leatrice Haywood, 25, of Chino and Michael Lee Myvett Jr., 29, of Los Angeles; and students Ismael Jimenez, 18, of Inglewood; Jennifer Caroline Bonilla, 17, of Los Angeles, a student at Dorsey High School; Denise Eraina Gomez, 18, of Inglewood, a student at Animo Charter High School; and Marisa Elaine Serrato, 17, of Riverside, a student at Norte Vista High School.

Humboldt State identified the 10th victim as Arthur Arzola, one of its admissions staffers who was traveling with the students.

Agencies including the California Highway Patrol and National Transportation Safety Board are continuing in-depth investigations into the causes of the crash. In the case of the NTSB, a report is not expected for several months.

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.

UPPER LAKE, Calif. – Upper Lake’s Horticultural Happening will take place this Saturday, April 26, and Sunday, April 27, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the red barn and at the Tallman Hotel on Main Street.

Under the auspices of the Upper Lake Community Council, the weekend event will celebrate Lake County’s horticultural abundance and diversity with an array of experts from the Bay Area to the North Coast region.  

The event is open to the public and it is free of charge.

The historic red barn on Main Street will feature display gardens created by Theresa Mathur/Edible Garden (Scotts Valley), Main Street Nursery (Lakeport) and Mendocino College Department of Agriculture’s Hort Club (Ukiah).  

Metal work by acclaimed modern-day blacksmith and architectural sculptor Michael Bondi of Richmond also will be showcased in the red barn.

EcoArts of Lake County founder Karen Turcotte will curate a special installation of sculpture in the Tallman Hotel gardens, including works by Kevin Byrnes, Sherry Harris, Lisa Kaplan, Karen Turcotte, Karl Giovacchini, Mary Mattlage and Diego Harris.

Plant displays and vendors will include Simply Succulents of Ft. Bragg, Main Street Nursery, Anna’s Veggie Starts, Poppy’s Trees, Compost Club of Healdsburg (vermiculture) and, for gardening on a smaller scale, Stephen Dilley will have a container gardening display.

At Tallman Hotel’s Riffe’s Meeting House, a line-up of renowned experts will speak on topics ranging from creating drought tolerant gardens by Kate Frey to secrets to growing succulents by Rella, owner Simply Succulents in Fort Bragg.   

A talk on how to transform a garden and community with permaculture will be given by Denise Rushing.  

Rick Price and O’Meara Bros. Brewing Co. will speak about growing hops and brewing beer.  

Gardening-related vendors will include Villa Barone (olive oil tastings and sales, olive oil soaps); Woodpecker Guy (bird and bat houses and garden furniture); Wildcat Bees (honey and observation hive); CinJin (bird houses), and Watershed Books (gardening related books).

Mendocino College Agriculture Department Hort Club will teach young gardeners how to plant seeds and provide other kids gardening activities.

Informational booths will be provided by Trowel & Trellis Club, Master Gardeners and Lake County Co-op.

Event sponsors include Tallman Hotel, County of Lake, Savings Bank of Mendocino County, North Shore Community Council, Drains Etc., Upper Lake Community Council, Lake County Wine Studio, Upper Lake Mercantile and Blue Wing Saloon.  

For more information call the Tallman Hotel at 707-275-2244, Extension 501, or visit www.growwithupperlake.tumblr.com .

NORTH COAST, Calif. – The Sonoma County is seeking information in the effort to identify and arrest a man said to be responsible for robbing a Larkfield bank on Thursday.

At 12:20 p.m. Thursday Sonoma County Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to the Exchange Bank at 500 Larkfield Center in Larkfield for a report of a robbery that just occurred, according to a report from Sgt. Shannon McAlvain.

A description of the male subject was given and the surrounding area was immediately searched by several deputies with negative results, McAlvain said.

McAlvain said bank employees reported to deputies that the man entered the bank and demanded money. He then took the money, placed in a plastic grocery style bag, and fled on foot. The man was last seen running southeast through the Larkfield Center parking lot.

Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office Violent Crimes Investigations Detectives retrieved and reviewed the surveillance video from the Exchange Bank and secured digital photographs of the male subject inside the bank during the incident, McAlvain said.

The alleged robber is a white male, 5 feet 8 to 5 feet 10 inches tall, with a slender build. He looked to be in his mid 20s and had a brownish patch of hair under his bottom lip, according to McAlvain.

McAlvain said the man was wearing a tan or green long-sleeved button up shirt, black pants and light-colored shoes, a camouflage beanie cap and dark sun glasses.

The Exchange Bank is offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the suspect, McAlvain said.

Please contact Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office Violent Crimes Investigations Bureau at 707-565-2185 if you have information about this case.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – After a brief hiatus in March, “Lake County Live!” returns to the Soper-Reese Theatre and KPFZ 88.1 FM on Sunday, April 27.

The show, which starts at 6 p.m., features special musical guests DeezGuise, featuring Bill Bordisso, Doug Harris, Tom Nixon, Rick McCann, Scott Sommers and special musical guest Sissa Harris.  

The show is broadcast from the theater with a live audience and the usual cast featuring the Ladies of the Lake (Kris Andre, Pamela Bradley and Vicky Parish Smith) along with Richard Smith, show creator and host Doug Rhoades, and some special announcements from the Lake County Daily Herald Sentinel, Mama Maybelle's Bountiful Brownies and the Dogs of Clearlake.  

This show, the 28th in the series, also features a special recognition from several continuing episodes.  

"We took a break from March, as we had to sit back a spell and decide how the show would proceed," said Rhoades. "Now we're back with wonderful music, great humor, and a special treat for those in our audience and on the air."  

Tickets for this month's show are available from the Soper-Reese box office, 275 S. Main St., on Fridays from 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., at the Travel Center at 1265 S. Main St. in Lakeport, and online at www.soperreesetheatre.com .

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Lake County Winery Association (LCWA) is proud to announce the 2014 Lake County Wine Awards Competition.

This highly anticipated professional judging event exclusively showcases wine crafted of grapes grown and cultivated in Lake County.

Bob Fraser, adjunct instructor and recently retired head of the Santa Rosa Junior College Wine Studies Program will preside as director for the 2014 professional judging.

He also is associated with the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition and the Sonoma County Harvest Fair.

The public will be invited to taste the competition’s winning wines at the 2014 People’s Choice Wine Tasting on June 14. This year’s event will be held at the scenic Langtry Estate and Vineyard, 21000 Butts Canyon Road, Middletown.

Tickets are available on eventbrite at http://www.eventbrite.com/e/2014-lake-county-peoples-choice-wine-tasting-tickets-11194108881?aff=Lakecountywineawards .

Fraser has been associated with the agriculture industry all his life, being born and raised on a multi-generation family farm in Clarksburg on the Sacramento Delta. He received his bachelor's and master's in agriculture business management at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo and started a career in agriculture
education with stints at King City High School and Kelseyville High School.

As Sonoma County’s vineyard and winery industry grew in the late 1980s, Fraser decided to form a new program at Santa Rosa Junior College. He created what is known today as the Wine Studies Associate Degree, the first stand-alone wine studies program in the United States. Today, this program has become one of the largest and most prestigious wine studies programs in the country.

Fraser retired in 2014, but he remains on the staff of the SRJC Wine Studies Program as an adjunct instructor. In anticipation of his retirement, Bob and his son Scott purchased some land and developed vineyard, Jago Bay Vineyards, a Cabernet Sauvignon vineyard in the Red Hills AVA in Lake County.

The Lake County Wine Competition is open to wines that contain at least 75 percent Lake County winegrapes and bear a Lake County appellation on the label.

Lake County’s reputation for both high-quality wines and high-quality winegrapes continues to grow. The 2013 competition drew more than 120 wines to be judged. This number is expected to increase this year.

Wines will be judged by a panel of highly regarded professionals selected from the wine industry, media, and educational fields.

This year’s panel includes Virginie Boone, contributing editor, Wine Enthusiast: Tom Simoneau, The Wine Guy; Christopher Sawyer, sommelier, Carneros Bistro & Wine Bar, Sonoma; Sue Straight, a freelance writer and wine judge; Ken Landis, Chef/Owner, Landis Shores Oceanfront Inn, Half Moon Bay; and Jim Gordon, recently named wine reviewer for Lake County wines by the Wine Enthusiast.

They will be joined by Bob Ecker, Wine Writer/Photographer; John Giannini, winemaker of Fresno State Vineyards, California State University; and Richard Thomas, Professor Emeritus Viticulture at Santa Rosa Junior College.

The judging panel will blind taste and score all entries beginning Wednesday, June 11, at Brassfield Estate Winery.

Competition information and results will be available on the Lake County Wine Awards Web site, www.lakecowineawards.org .

LCWA works to promote the wines of Lake County’s high elevation region. Membership is open to wineries, winegrape growers, and individuals or businesses interested in promoting the Lake County wine industry.

For more information about upcoming events, sponsorship or membership opportunities, call 707-357-5237 or visit www.lakecountywineries.org .

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – “The children talk to the fish,” said Dee Desmond. “You will probably see some today who’ll say ‘I love you.’”

The day was April 12 at a stream on Montesol Ranch in south Lake County. And what the children – 17 first-through-third graders from elementary schools in the area – were saying to the fish, tiny trout known as “fry,” amounted to a fond farewell.

They had become genuinely attached to the little fellas “during a period of closely watched incubation at their schools, supervised by teachers Lisa Guerrero and Kathleen Place over the last several weeks.  

And now the children were releasing them into a suitable habitat, just as grade school students in the East Lake Resource Conservation District have been doing for more than 20 years.

That’s how long “Trout in the Classroom,” a program designed to provide a direct connection between children and their living environment, has functioned in south Lake County, which is part of the East Lake district.

Dee Desmond and her husband, Dan, took over management of the program in Lake County this year when Dwight Holford, who brought it here, retired and left the area.

The program’s national roots have been traced to 1986. It operates in concert with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.

In addition to the Trout in the Classroom’s in the East Lake District, a program in the West Lake district has been created and is coordinated by Tony Blyleven. The West Lake program had a similar release this past Saturday.

In Lake County, Trout in the Classroom programs are currently operating in Middletown, Lakeport and Konocti Unified School districts. There is no program in the Upper Lake district, but Dan Desmond says he would help get one started if a teacher in the district could coordinate with him.

Teachers tailor programs to fit their curriculum. Each program includes interdisciplinary applications in science, social studies, math, language arts, fine arts and physical education.

Dan and Dee, both retired teachers, had much to do with organizing this year’s East Lake program, securing the fertile trout eggs – 32 for each classroom – from the  Department of Fish & Wildlife’s fish wildlife hatchery in Yountville, purchasing classroom aquarium equipment and performing as liaison to the public.

“Fish and Wildlife feels (Trout in the Classroom) is the only way to truly see the trout in a really meaningful way,” says Dan. “These kids develop a relationship with the fish and learn to understand their biological development as they grow into adults.

“The students become stewards of wild and aquatic life,” he added.

That's thanks largely to teachers like Guerrero, who’s leaving the program after seven years to serve in other areas of the ecosystem.

In terms of trout, there is perhaps no more critical time than the present for teaching children stewardship.

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) has listed the steelhead in parts of Northern California among the species threatened under the federal Endangered Species Act.  

So Trout in the Classroom fits within a basic equation: Increase the future trout population by increasing the number of children who can ensure that growth when they grow up.

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

LUCERNE, Calif. – A man shot at a Lucerne residence on Tuesday night has died, according to the Lake County Sheriff's Office.

Lt. Steve Brooks identified 51-year-old Christopher Michael Wray as the shooting victim.

Brooks said deputies were dispatched to a residence located in the 6000 block of 12th Avenue in Lucerne at 10:40 p.m. Tuesday on the report of shots fired.

A witness said that after hearing a gunshot, he noticed what appeared to be a white male adult with short hair, approximately 40 to 50 years of age, wearing a black jacket and dark jeans running from the area of the 12th Avenue address, according to Brooks.

Brooks said the witness told deputies that the male subject was running southbound on 12th Avenue toward the Tower Mart gas station and appeared to be holding a handgun.

Deputies attempted to locate the subject as they were responding to the address, but did not see anyone. Brooks said the deputies arrived on scene within approximately one minute of being dispatched.

When they arrived on scene, the deputies located the male victim – later identified as Wray – who appeared to have suffered a gunshot wound, Brooks said.

Radio reports indicated Northshore Fire requested an air ambulance and intended to rendezvous with CalStar 4 at the Sutter Lakeside Hospital helipad.

However, Brooks said Wray died at the hospital.

Brooks said the Sheriff’s Major Crimes Unit and Crime Scene investigators responded to the scene, where they have been conducting interviews and processing evidence. Detectives remained at the scene on Wednesday afternoon.

The investigation is ongoing and detectives are pursuing all leads to identify and apprehend the suspect, Brooks said.

Anyone with information pertinent to the case is asked to call the Lake County Sheriff’s Office at 707-263-2690.

CLEARLAKE OAKS, Calif. – The Lake County Department of Public Works, in partnership with Caltrans, is conducting a public meeting on Tuesday, April 29, on a safety project in Clearlake Oaks.

The meeting will start at 6 p.m. at the East Lake School cafeteria, 13050 High Valley Road.

The goal is to inform interested parties and receive feedback regarding the Clearlake Oaks Safe Routes to School and Community Development Block Grant Sidewalk and Lighting Project for East Lake School.  

Please feel free to direct any questions you have regarding this project to Hamid Heidary, associate civil engineer, Lake County Department of Public Works, at 707-263-2341.

COBB, Calif. – In response to a reported increase in crime, Cobb residents are forming a ne Neighborhood Watch group.

The first meeting will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday, April 27, at the Monterrey Mexican Grill at Cobb Mountain Golf, 16451 Golf Road.

Cobb residents forming the Neighborhood Watch cite increased crime and slow response times from the sheriff's department.

According to organizers, crime in recent years has gotten more frequent and dangerous.

“We made fliers and passed them around,” said organizer Inez Wenkus said, “Monterey Grill volunteered their place. They're happy to accommodate us”

Annemarie Hosch, who perceives increased criminal activity in her neighborhood, believes a Neighborhood Watch program is needed.

“It is important to me that we do something,” she said. “I am tired of being afraid.”

According to Hosch, law enforcement response times are measured in hours, if response arrives.

Wenkus confirmed that observation and explained that part of the process is to contact local law enforcement. “Technically your supposed to have the sheriff involved when you do a Neighborhood Watch,” she said.

But after contacting the sheriff's office about the Neighborhood Watch plan, they have not received a response, according to Hosch.

According to the Web site www.USAonwatch.org – which is the face of the Neighborhood Watch program in conjunction with the National Sheriff's Association – there are five steps to setting up a Neighborhood Watch.

• Recruit and organize as many neighbors as possible;
• Contact your local law enforcement agency and schedule a meeting;
• Discuss community concerns and develop an action plan;
• Create a communication plan;
• Take action: Hold meetings and events.

With or without the sheriff, “We're going to have a meeting,” said Wenkus.

To inquire about this inaugural meeting of the Cobb Neighborhood Watch group call 707-355-1110 or 707-295-7446 for more information.

LUCERNE, Calif. – Law enforcement and medical personnel responded to the scene of a shooting late Tuesday night in Lucerne.

The incident was first reported just after 10:40 p.m., according to radio traffic.

Several shots were reported to have been fired with a handgun at a residence in the 6300 block of 12th Avenue, reports from the scene indicated.

Central Dispatch received reports that one person had been shot, with the male subject who was responsible fleeing the scene on foot toward the Tower Mart at the corner of 12th Avenue and Highway 20.

The man who is alleged to have done the shooting was described as a white male adult, between 40 and 50 years of age, who was bald or had short hair, and wearing a black jacket and dark jeans, according to radio reports.

When the man was last seen, he was reported to still be armed with the handgun.

Lake County Sheriff's deputies arrived at the shooting location on 12th Avenue, where they secured the scene in order for Northshore Fire personnel to enter, radio reports indicated.

An air ambulance was requested, with a Northshore Fire ambulance transporting the victim to Sutter Lakeside Hospital, where CalStar 4 picked the victim up to transport them to an out-of-county trauma center, based on scanner traffic.

Additional information about the victim was not immediately available. Radio reports did not indicate that anyone had been taken into custody for the shooting.

More information will be posted as it becomes available, with a request for information sent to the Lake County Sheriff's Office early Wednesday morning.

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.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – Lake County’s fifth Wildfire Safety Expo will be held on Saturday, May 3.

It will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at SERVPRO, Jones Center, 923 Parallel Drive in Lakeport.

Presented by the Lake County Fire Safe Council and Lake County Fire Chiefs’ Association, this free community event will provide information to homeowners to help them prepare for a wildfire.

Partners for this event include the Kelseyville, county of Lake, Lake Pillsbury, Lakeport, Northshore and South Lake Fire Protection Districts; Cal Fire, the Bureau of Land Management and the U. S. Forest Service.

Additional agencies and businesses who assist our fire services during major events also will be on hand.

A vendor fair will focus on fuel reduction methods, home fire safety information, fire safe building materials and fire safe landscaping tips.

Representatives from Lake County’s Animal Care and Control will be on hand to answer homeowners’ questions and provide information on the Lake Evacuation and Animal Protection program; PG&E and the Master Gardeners will be available to answer fire safe landscaping tips; fuel reduction services will be on hand for residents to discuss fuel load management and solutions; and information for the National Fire Protection Association's Firewise Communities program will also be available.

“With the current drought situation, I think residents recognize the importance of being ready for the probability of wildfire. The Expo will provide them with the information they need to help accomplish that,” said Linda Juntunen, project coordinator. “There will also be activities that we think both adults and children will enjoy. The Expo provides an opportunity for the community to meet and talk with our local firefighters. It’s also a chance to acknowledge and thank the personnel and volunteers that assist with wildfire response.”

Smokey Bear will be on hand for the kids, children’s games and drawings for free prizes will be held throughout the day.

Thanks to the generosity of the Lake County Fire Chiefs’ Association, there will be a bounce house again this year. Firefighting demonstrations will be conducted, and present-day and antique fire equipment will be on display.

“This event is for Lake County residents and will provide ‘one stop shopping’ for homeowners to take responsibility for their own safety and protection during the upcoming fire season. One of our themes is ‘Help them (firefighters), help you.’ Make it possible for the fire agencies to protect your homes safely and effectively” said Jeff Tunnell, fire mitigation and education specialist for the Bureau of Land Management.

Get ready for fire season! Learn how to protect your home and create the necessary defensible space at the Wildfire Safety Expo. It’s an event with something for the entire family, and it's free.

For additional information contact Juntunen at 707-263-4180, Extension 106.