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CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The Clearlake Police Department said it has cited a property owner who repeatedly violated the county’s shelter in place order’s restrictions on lodging facilities by continuing to rent out a home through Airbnb.

Lake County Public Health Officer Dr. Gary Pace issued a countywide shelter in place order that went into effect on March 19.

Three days later, he issued an amended order that closed Clear Lake and other county waterways and lodging facilities unless they are serving medical staff, COVID-19 emergency workers, construction workers of critical infrastructure and permanent residents who have resided on-site since prior to March 9.

The Clearlake Police Department reported Thursday that its Code Enforcement Bureau received information regarding the rental of a home via Airbnb.

Police said Code Enforcement had contacted the property’s owner less than a week ago for renting in violation of the order. In that situation, the property owner was warned and provided with a copy of the order and exemption flowchart.

Although the owner denied that a new rental was occurring, the Code Enforcement officer made contact with the new renters, who traveled from out of the area, as they arrived and confirmed they rented through Airbnb. They were advised of the orders and vacated, police said.

The police department said the property owner – whose name was not released – was cited for renting the property in violation of the health officer’s orders and for property use in violation of the law. The property owner faces a fine of $600.

Clearlake Police Chief Andrew White told Lake County News that he contacted Airbnb via its website on March 26 to notify them of the rental restrictions due to the shelter in place order.

In his message to the company, White cited the shelter in place order, sent them a link to the order along with a flowchart for determining restrictions, and explained violations and the potential for administrative citations.

“Out of concern for the safety of your customers and in order to prevent them from being cited for violating the order, we would appreciate your help in flagging the rentals within the City of Clearlake notifying any potential renters (as well as property owners) of these restrictions,” White wrote to the company.

White said Airbnb acknowledged receipt of the notification and closed it without a response.

Lake County News reached out to Airbnb on Thursday evening to ask if it has a policy regarding shelter in place orders, if it’s making any effort to flag rental properties in areas where there are such orders enacted and if they are communicating with property owners at all about the orders. The company did not immediately respond.

White said this was the eighth citation his department has issued for violations of the shelter in place order.

So far, all of them have been issued to individuals who have refused to follow the orders, said White.

White and other local law enforcement officials have emphasized the need for education over enforcement, with the latter used as a last resort.

Earlier this week, the Lakeport Police Department issued its first citation to a woman who refused to go home after she was found drinking wine in a courthouse parking lot, as Lake County News has reported.

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


Lake PH Order Shelter in Place 03.23.2020 C20-3 (A2) 03.23.2020 by LakeCoNews on Scribd

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LAKEPORT, Calif. – As its officers continue to educate the public about the shelter in place order and conduct extra patrols around the city, the Lakeport Police Department said Wednesday that it issued its first citation to a community member who was found in violation of the order.

The shelter in place order went into effect countywide on March 19. It’s meant to protect the community against COVID-19.

It requires people to stay at home unless conducting essential business – a list of activities that includes grocery shopping, traveling to and from work, and picking up prescriptions, among others – and not to congregate in public areas.

The city subsequently closed its facilities, including its parks.

In the weeks since, the department reported that it has worked to inform nonessential businesses of the need to close and has educated community members about the requirements to stay at home and practice social distancing.

However, on Wednesday, it gave out its first citation to 61-year-old Lakeport resident Robin Gonsalves, according to Lt. Dale Stoebe.

Stoebe said they responded to the area near the Lake County Courthouse on N. Forbes Street on a report of a woman in an argument with someone in the street.

He said when he arrived on the scene, Gonsalves was sitting in the parking lot of the courthouse, drinking wine out of a plastic cup.

“I took her wine away from her,” said Stoebe, who added that he then explained the shelter in place order to Gonsalves.

Gonsalves told Stoebe she knew about the order and wasn’t leaving. He said she continued to be uncooperative after she was given several opportunities to get her things and leave.

As a result, Stoebe said he issued a criminal citation for violation of the shelter in place order, Health and Safety Code 120295, to Gonsalves.

Gonsalves continued to refuse to leave the property, and so Stoebe issued two more citations to her for delaying a peace officer and trespassing, releasing her on the citations to appear in court at a later date, he said.

“This was kind of surprising,” said Stoebe, who noted that for the most part community members have understood the need for the order. “At this point, it’s been predominantly cooperative.”

He said the department has let Lake County Environmental Health take the lead on determining which businesses are essential and worked to educate those that weren’t, which have since closed.

Overall, between businesses and individuals, “We feel compliance is good,” said Stoebe, adding that they are encouraging people to stay the course.

Stoebe said calls for service aren’t necessarily down, as the bulk of them relate to the shelter in place order.

However, actual case numbers are down significantly – by more than half, he said.

“It gives us the time to contact people that appear to be violating the shelter in place order,” he said.

It also gives officers the opportunity to increase patrols. With many businesses closed, Stoebe said officers are doing security checks.

For the five-day period ending on Wednesday, Stoebe said Lakeport Police officers had patrolled more than 1,700 miles and done several hours of foot patrol per shift.

“They are spending a lot of their time out looking for violators and trying to be there to support the businesses when they can’t be in their buildings,” said Stoebe.

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 county of Lake is working to finalize plans for locating a quarantine and recovery site for COVID-19 patients at the Lake County Fairgrounds, a process supported by the governor’s state of emergency declaration.

In a Tuesday discussion with the Board of Supervisors, Lake County Public Health Officer Dr. Gary Pace reported that, at that point, no positive cases of COVID-19 had been confirmed in the county, making it one of just a handful of counties in California where that’s the situation.

Pace said that, in addition to dealing with an ongoing shortage of testing and efforts to put surveillance testing in place, a key piece of the county’s preparations for COVID-19 involves actions to be taken when positive cases do show up.

He said Public Health is setting up a contact tracing team, mostly consisting of volunteers because they don’t have enough staff.

When positive cases are identified, the team will talk to the people who have been in contact with the patient during the previous week, Pace said. There also will be an isolation team that will work with patients.

Patients will be allowed to isolate at home if they can, but in the cases where they cannot, Pace said the county is working to set up sites where they can stay.

He said the Department of Social Services and Supervisor Rob Brown have been working on the site details.

An isolation and recovery site is being set up at the Lake County Fairgrounds in Lakeport, Pace said, with the county working to set up security and staffing.

County officials said the fairgrounds was an option due to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s COVID-19 state of emergency order, issued on March 4.

The order directs that any suitable state-owned properties – with a section specifically naming fairgrounds – be made available to the Office of Emergency Services “to assist in preparing for, responding to, mitigating the effects of, or recovering from COVID-19.” Under that order, fairgrounds can be used without the fair board of directors’ approval.

Brown told Lake County News in a separate interview on Tuesday that the state of California’s Office of Emergency Services is paying for RVs that will be located at the fairgrounds.

“We have 100 ordered but 50 are coming now and 50 at a later date,” Brown said.

Brown said people who are symptomatic and waiting for tests to return will be allowed to stay at the site, along with those who are recovering but don’t need to be in care at a hospital.

“We’ll have staff on-site as well,” he said.

If necessary, the county also may use some of the fairgrounds buildings, depending on the number of cases the county eventually has, Brown said.

“We have no idea at all what kind of numbers we’re looking at,” he said. “We’re allowing for the worst-case scenario but hoping for the best.”

Lake County Fair Board of Directors Vice President Monica Rosenthal told Lake County News that the fair board has a duty to follow the governor’s orders and allow the state-owned fairgrounds to be used as a place for quarantine and recovery during the novel coronavirus crisis.

“Having said that, I believe I can speak for the Fair Board as a whole, we are pleased to be able to help our community during this incredible crisis by providing space for a potential surge in medical needs for Lake County community members who may need to be quarantined or have a temporary living space for recovery,” she said.

Rosenthal said the fair’s new chief executive officer, Sheli Wright – who came on the job in the middle of March – is working with Dr. Pace and Department of Social Services Director Crystal Markytan on the site preparations.

Markytan told Lake County News on Tuesday afternoon that she didn’t yet have a time frame for when the trailers would be arriving in Lake County.

Given the scope of what the state is charged with doing in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, “Things are messy right now,” Markytan said, adding, “In a typical disaster, they would not be filling resource requests to all 58 counties simultaneously.”

It’s not yet known how long the fairgrounds could be needed for the isolation and recovery site.

As such, Rosenthal said that, so far, the Lake County Fair Board hasn’t discussed changing the date of the 2020 Fair, which traditionally takes place on Labor Day weekend.

She said they’re holding out hope that the community will safely get past COVID-19, allowing the fair to go forward.

Rosenthal said the fair board is concerned about other potential impacts as well, including those affecting the youth and their fair animals.

“Decisions need to be made regarding 4Hers countywide with regard to animals they intend to raise for this year's Junior Livestock Auction. As a board, we began discussions about this during our regular March board meeting and, I am certain we will continue those discussions in more depth during our April board meeting, which, like so many meetings, will be held via teleconference or Zoom pending on the direction of our CEO,” Rosenthal said.

Once the county is past the need for the isolation and recovery site, Brown said it’s his understanding that the RVs will become county property.

Brown said the county already is having discussions about how the RVs could be used in the community after they are no longer needed to serve COVD-19 patients.

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. – On Thursday, Gov. Gavin Newsom honored a Santa Rosa Police Department detective who died this week from COVID-19.

Det. Marylou Armer, 44, had previously tested positive for COVID-19 and died Tuesday from complications from the illness, officials said.

Her death is the first line of duty death of a police officer in California to be associated with the disease.

“Jennifer and I are terribly saddened to learn of Det. Armer’s untimely death,” Gov. Newsom said. “Amid the current fight against COVID-19, Det. Armer selflessly and courageously served her community and the people of California. We extend our heartfelt condolences to her family, friends, colleagues and members of the Santa Rosa community as they mourn her loss.”

Armer was a 20-year veteran of the City of Santa Rosa. She began her career as a field evidence technician and was sworn in as a police officer in May 2008.

She was serving as a member of the Santa Rosa Police Department’s Domestic Violence Sexual Assault Team at the time of her death.

Detective Armer is survived by her husband and daughter.

In honor of Det. Armer, State Capitol flags will be flown at half-staff.

On Friday, the city of Santa Rosa’s elected officials and staff will honor Armer by wearing blue and they invite the community to do the same.

Since people must stay home due to county and state shelter in place orders, officials are asking that people show support by posting photos of themselves wearing blue on social media using the hashtag #BlueforMarylou.

“Not on social media? No problem, wearing blue at home is equally meaningful,” city officials said in a Thursday statement.
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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – California’s superintendent of public instruction said in a letter to county superintendents on Tuesday that it appears students will not be able to return to campuses before the end of the current school year, with the governor following up by announcing a new agreement to get students more resources.

“Due to the current safety concerns and needs for ongoing social distancing it currently appears that our students will not be able to return to school campuses before the end of the school year. This is in no way to suggest that school is over for the year, but rather we should put all efforts into strengthening our delivery of education through distance learning,” State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond wrote in his Tuesday letter.

Thurmond continued, “We acknowledge that students only being able to be served through distance learning creates hardships for some students, families, and educators. However, we are urging a safety first approach out of an abundance of caution.”

Thurmond said all school districts in California are urged to move towards and/or continue to strengthen their distance learning programs and opportunities for students.

“We believe this sustains the safety of our students and families, provides consistency across schools in the state, and provides our districts and educators with clarity and the ability to plan for delivering education for the rest of this school year through a distance learning model,” Thurmond said.

He said the California Department of Education is prepared to assist the distance learning efforts of school districts, has provided guidance and resources on distance learning and will continue to enhance that guidance.

Thurmond said the agency also will provide webinars and training “and is forging public-private partnerships with leaders in technology and the philanthropic sector to help expand home devices and internet access where possible and where available resources and donations allow.”

He added, “We know that we are dealing with a never seen before health crisis that challenges us in many ways. But we also believe that as it relates to educating California students we must rise to meet that challenge, that we are stronger together, and that if we work together we can do more together for all of our students.”

Last week, the county’s district superintendents – in consultation with Lake County Superintendent of Schools Brock Falkenberg and Public Health Officer Dr. Gary Pace – decided to extend student dismissals from regular school attendance from their original April 10 date through May 1 as part of the effort to slow the spread of novel coronavirus, which causes COVID-19, as Lake County News has reported.

Although students are dismissed from attendance on campuses, Falkenberg said schools aren’t closed.

“They have dismissed students from regular attendance and have begun the transition to distance learning,” he said.

Falkenberg said what is best for Los Angeles or Sacramento may not be appropriate for Lake County.

“I am confident that the school districts of Lake County, in consultation with Public Health, will proceed in a manner that meets the needs of local communities and Lake County as a whole,” he said.

Thurmond’s Tuesday letter was followed on Wednesday by Gov. Gavin Newsom’s announcement of a major agreement between teachers, classified employees, school boards, superintendents and principals to work together to provide distance learning to California’s students as a result of school closures due to mitigation efforts against the COVID-19 outbreak.

The Governor’s Office said the agreement means more children will be able to get school resources, such as quality distance instruction, and empowers teachers to create lessons within clear parameters.

“While schools might be physically closed, class is still in session,” said Gov. Newsom. “This agreement is good news for students and parents, and the announcement means that more California kids will have tools to learn at home during this crisis.”

“The labor and management groups understand the importance of all of us working together during this unprecedented time. The framework for this collaboration created jointly, models how we can all come together to better serve our students,” said Thurmond in response to the agreement.

The Governor’s Office said the agreement includes a collaboration framework for school employers and employees to work together on matters of labor and management to minimize any impact to students – including direction on implementation and delivery of distance learning, special education, and meals through the end of the school year.

On Wednesday the Governor also announced a partnership with Google to provide mobile hotspots and Chromebooks to students in rural areas to facilitate distance learning.

Google will be donating Chromebooks and will fund the use of 100,000 donated mobile hotspots to provide free and unlimited high-speed Internet connectivity for the remainder of the school year.

The California Department of Education will be distributing these resources, prioritizing rural communities, the Governor’s Office said.

Falkenberg said the funding and philanthropy to support online learning, as identified by the governor, will help Lake County.

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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CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The Clearlake City Council this week will discuss purchasing buildings for the city’s Animal Control facility and consider possible commercial hemp regulations.

The council will meet in closed session at 5 p.m. Thursday, April 2, to discuss six potential cases of anticipated litigation, existing litigation against PG&E Corp. and City Manager Alan Flora’s performance evaluation before the public portion of the meeting begins at 6 p.m.

Because of the county’s shelter in place order, Clearlake City Hall remains closed to the public, however, the virtual meeting will be broadcast live on Lake County PEG TV’s YouTube Channel.

Comments and questions can be submitted in writing for City Council consideration by sending them to City Clerk Melissa Swanson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . You can also visit the city’s new town hall site and submit written comments at https://www.opentownhall.com/portals/327/Issue_8450 . Identify the subject you wish to comment on in your email’s subject line or in your town hall submission.

To give the City Council adequate time to review your questions and comments, please submit your written comments prior to 4 p.m. Thursday.

On Thursday council members will consider a request from Police Chief Andrew White to authorize the lease from Mobile Modular Corp. of a modular office building for the Animal Control facility, and the purchase of two modular kennel buildings from Horizon Structures LLC, also for the Animal Control facility.

White said the kennels are estimated to cost $179,980, with a portion of the overall project cost anticipated to be funded through a US Department of Agriculture grant which is pending approval.

The buildings for Animal Control will be installed at the city’s Public Works corporation yard.

In other business, the council will provide direction to staff regarding potential regulations for commercial hemp cultivation; hold a first reading of Ordinance No. 229-2019 regarding
commercial cannabis regulatory permits, and set the second reading and adoption for the April 16 meeting; and consider authorizing a three-year contract with AT&T ACC for fiber optic internet service at the senior community center.

On the meeting's consent agenda – items that are not considered controversial and are usually adopted on a single vote – are warrant registers; minutes of the council’s February meetings; minutes of the Feb. 12 Lake County Vector Control District Board Meeting; consideration of Resolution No. 2020-11 to authorize submittal of application to California Natural Resources
Agency for improvements at the Clearlake Senior/Community Center; consideration of continuation of declaration of local emergency issued on Oct. 9, 2017, and ratified by council action Oct. 12, 2017, in response to the Sulphur fire; consideration of continuation of declaration of local emergency issued on March 14, 2020, and ratified by council Action March 19, 2020, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic; ratify park closure orders issued on March 22 and 24, 2020, during the COVID-19 local emergency; adopt Resolution 2020-13, adopting the county of Lake Low Impact Development Manual and any updates.

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.

040220 Clearlake City Council meeting agenda packet by LakeCoNews on Scribd

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California’s public health officials have released guidance on the use of cloth face coverings to protect against COVID-19 for Californians who must leave their homes to conduct essential activities.

The guidance does not require people to wear face coverings – and is not a substitute for the state’s current guidance regarding social distancing and hand washing.

The state also does not recommend Californians use N-95 or surgical masks, which are needed for health care workers and first responders who will be there for when lives are at risk.

“Face coverings are not a substitute for physical distancing or frequent hand washing, which we know are amongst the most effective ways to reduce the spread of COVID-19,” said Dr. Sonia Angell, director of the California Department of Public Health and State Health officer.

“Wearing a cloth face covering could provide some additional benefit by acting as a reminder for other people to keep their distance, and it could help reduce the spread of infectious particles from those who could be infected but don’t have symptoms,” Angell said.

“Face coverings could provide some additional protection against COVID-19, but Californians should not have a false sense of security if they choose to wear them. Make sure you’re also staying 6 feet away from other people if you have to leave your home to get groceries or prescriptions,” said California Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly.

The new guidance reminds Californians that the best defense against COVID-19 continues to be:

– Staying at home and physical distancing;
– Washing hands frequently;
– Avoiding touching eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands; and
– Avoiding being around sick people.

The use of cloth face coverings could reduce the transmission of COVID-19 by individuals who do not have symptoms and may reinforce physical distancing.

Public health officials also caution that face coverings may increase risk if users reduce their use of strong defenses such as physical distancing and frequent hand washing.

A link to the new guidance is on the California Department of Public Health’s website.
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Mendocino College is helping students in need by loaning Chromebooks to those who do not have access to a computer at home. Courtesy photo.

NORTH COAST, Calif. – At Mendocino College, faculty and staff have been working diligently to respond to the challenges posed by COVID-19 in order to continue providing quality education to students. 

With no on-ground classes currently being taught, many instructors have moved to a traditional online teaching format, using the online learning system Canvas.

Other instructors have had to be very creative in order to teach content not easily managed online such as science labs, culinary arts, and music.

Chemistry instructors are creating videos of their labs so that students can observe, take notes and write their lab reports as if they were conducting the experiments. Instructors in the new Physical Therapy Assistant program are also creating video content approved by the program’s accreditation agency, for students to observe clinical techniques and exercises to practice at home. 

In the Nursing Department, skills labs and clinical time have been maintained through the use of virtual patient simulations, patient case studies, virtual skills modules, and faculty demonstrations via Zoom or pre-recorded video.

Students in Culinary Arts classes have been supplied with a list of groceries and gift cards funded by a Mendocino College Foundation affiliate to complete projects at home. They are attending Zoom video meetings with their instructor to learn techniques and are documenting their own cooking projects with notes and photos.

• Music faculty are also using Zoom and other video conferencing platforms to have students sing and play music together virtually.

An English as a Second Language class is using a Facebook group to continue to practice their English skills. The instructor engages them with a prompt and students respond. 

Learning support and student services, such as tutoring, counseling, and financial aid have also all moved to Canvas, Zoom and other online formats. Instructors across disciplines are maintaining office hours through Zoom, telephone and email.

A recent student survey conducted by the college showed that many students are struggling with access to food, computers, Internet and textbooks during the shelter in place.

In order to mitigate some of these barriers, Mendocino College is helping students in need by loaning Chromebooks to those who do not have access to a computer at home. On

Thursday, March 26, the college offered a free take-out lunch at Subway restaurants throughout the district to all of its students and continues to provide students with access to free food through the college’s Food Pantry.

“Our faculty, students, staff, and administrators have done an amazing job meeting the challenges imposed by the COVID-19 virus. All of our efforts were taken purposefully with student success in the forefront. We took the time to discuss the transition with students before moving to remote methods of teaching and learning. I am extremely proud of what the team at the college has been able to accomplish in such a short time. We have tough road ahead, and we are all doing our best to remain calm and flexible,” said interim Superintendent/President Eileen Cichocki.

The summer semester class schedule is now posted on the college’s website at www.mendocino.edu .

With the uncertainty of when shelter in place orders will be lifted, the college has ramped up its online class offering for the upcoming term and will announce information regarding on-ground classes if it is deemed safe by public health officials in time for the June 8 summer term start date.

Registration for summer 2020 begins April 25.

For ongoing updates regarding the college during the shelter in place, please visit www.mendocino.edu/announcements .
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Clearlake Police Officer Daniel Eagle and his K9 partner Zeus have become the newest certified team in the agency’s K9 Unit. Photo courtesy of the Clearlake Police Department.

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The Clearlake Police Department has a new team in its K9 Unit.

The agency said Tuesday that its newest team of Officer Daniel Eagle K9 Zeus has been certified.

Eagle has been an officer with Clearlake Police Department since 2018.

During that time, Officer Eagle has been dedicated to the K9 Unit by being an K9 agitator.

The police department said K9 Zeus is a 2-year-old Belgium Malinois who is trained to track people, search buildings and locate evidence, in addition to other trained skills.

Officer Eagle and K9 Zeus recently completed their certification process, which was a five-week intensive training, the agency reported.

The department said Officer Eagle and K9 Zeus are currently assigned to the day shift.

For more information on the department’s K9 Unit and its nonprofit fundraising operation, follow it on Facebook.

“Our K9 Unit is grateful for the financial support for our K9 Unit and thankful to our sponsors, which enable us to continue to provide our community the services of a highly trained and professional K9 Unit,” the department reported.

Clearlake Police K9 Zeus.
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Authorities are searching for Lester Jackson, 30, who walked away from the California Correctional Center Alder Conservation Camp in Del Norte County on Tuesday, March 31, 2020. Photo courtesy of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation officials, assisted by Cal Fire, the California Highway Patrol and local law enforcement agencies are continuing efforts to locate a minimum-security inmate who walked away from Alder Conservation Camp in Del Norte County early Tuesday morning.

Lester Jackson, 30, who was assigned as a firefighter, was last seen at Alder Conservation Camp in Klamath on March 31 wearing gray sweat pants, officials said.

Jackson is a black male, 6 feet 1 inch tall, weighing 170 pounds with brown eyes, long black hair worn in dreadlocks, a mustache and a short beard.

He has a tattoo on his outer right forearm that says “GRIMY” and another on his inner right forearm with a picture of a prison tower and a lit candle below it. Jackson has several tattoos on his torso; one reads “trippin 4 life.”

Jackson was received from Solano County in May 2011 with an 11-year, 10-month sentence for second-degree robbery, false imprisonment and carjacking. He was scheduled to parole in June 2020.

Jackson has associates in Oakland. Anyone who sees him should call 911 or contact law enforcement authorities immediately. Anyone having knowledge of Jackson’s whereabouts should contact the California Correctional Center watch commander at 530-257-2181, Extension 4173.

Since 1977, 99 percent of all offenders who have left an adult institution, camp or community-based program without permission have been apprehended.
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Authorities are searching for Lester Jackson, 30, who walked away from the California Correctional Center Alder Conservation Camp in Del Norte County on Tuesday, March 31, 2020. Photo courtesy of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation officials are searching for a minimum-security inmate who walked away from California Correctional Center Alder Conservation Camp in Del Norte County on Tuesday.

During an inmate count at around 8:50 a.m. on Tuesday, staff discovered inmate Lester Jackson, 30, missing during the morning meal.

An emergency count was initiated and staff confirmed Jackson was missing. A search of the camp buildings and grounds was immediately conducted. Jackson was last seen at approximately 7:15 a.m. wearing gray sweat pants.

CDCR’s Office of Correctional Safety, Cal Fire, the California Highway Patrol and local law enforcement agencies have been notified and are assisting in the search.

Jackson was assigned as a firefighter at Alder Conservation Camp in Klamath, which houses approximately 110 minimum-custody inmates.

Jackson is a black male, 6 feet 1 inches tall, weighing 170 pounds with brown eyes, long black hair worn in dreadlocks, a mustache and a short beard.

He was received from Solano County in May 2011 with an 11-year, 10-month sentence for second-degree robbery, false imprisonment and carjacking. He was scheduled to parole in June 2020.

Anyone who sees Jackson should call 911 or contact law enforcement authorities immediately.

Anyone having knowledge of Jackson’s whereabouts should contact the CCC Watch Commander at 530-257-2181, extension 4173.

Jackson is the third inmate to walk away from a conservation camp over the past week.

On Friday evening, Derek Barnett, 29, and Noah Wilson, 28, walked away from the California Correctional Center Eel River Conservation Camp in Humboldt County, as Lake County News has reported.

Officials said Barnett later was apprehended in Ukiah and Wilson was taken into custody following a traffic stop off Interstate 5 south of Fort Tejon.
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NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – On Thursday, April 2, Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-05) will hold a Facebook Live Town Hall to answer questions about what Congress is doing to respond to the fallout from novel coronavirus, which causes COVID-19.

The town hall will take place from 7 to 8 p.m. Thursday on Thompson’s Facebook page.

Thompson will ask questions submitted on Facebook, by mail and over the phone from constituents.

All constituents of California’s Fifth Congressional District and members of the press are invited to join.

Thompson represents California’s Fifth Congressional District, which includes all or part of Contra Costa, Lake, Napa, Solano and Sonoma counties.

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