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On Wednesday, the House of Representatives passed a bill to enforce background checks on gun purchases, legislation written by one of Lake County’s members of Congress.

Congressman Mike Thompson (CA-05), who also chairs the Gun Violence Prevention Task Force, is the chief author of H.R. 8, the Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2019.

H.R. 8 expands background checks to all firearm sales and most transfers.

A Quinnipiac University National Poll released in January found that 92 percent of voters surveyed supported background checks for all gun sales.

The bill passed the House with 240 yes votes and 190 no votes. Of those supporting the bill, 232 are Democrats and eight are Republicans.

Thompson’s office said the action on H.R. 8 represents the first major House vote on gun violence prevention legislation since the passage of the Brady bill 25 years ago.

“Gun violence is a true national emergency, and I’m glad that we’re moving so early in this Congress to address this crisis,” Thompson said in his remarks to the House of Representatives ahead of Wednesday’s vote.

He thanked his Republican colleagues who he said recognized the importance of the bill, explaining that 90 percent of Americans support universal background checks.

Thompson is a lifelong gun owner and hunter, and a supporter of the Second Amendment. “If this bill did anything to erode the rights of lawful gun owners, I wouldn’t support it and it wouldn’t have my name on it,” he said.

He said background checks work, noting that every day they stop 170 felons and 50 domestic abusers from getting a gun from a licensed dealers.

H.R. 8 has the support of law enforcement, medical professionals, gun owners, veterans, religious leaders and millions of Americans who took to the street to promote the bill’s passage, Thompson said.

In urging votes for support, Thompson said, “Today, your thoughts and your prayers aren’t enough.”

After the vote, Thompson said. “As I stood on the floor watching today’s vote, I thought of the many survivors, their families, and advocates who’ve worked tirelessly on this over the years. Finally, we took action in their honor.”

Thompson said the previous House majority wouldn’t allow a hearing, let alone a vote on expanding background checks. “Today is a new day and the show of support on both sides of the aisle for this important legislation is humbling.”

However, the work to get H.R. 8 turned into law is far from finished.

The National Rifle Association and key Republican members of Congress have expressed their opposition.

The bill now heads to the Senate, where consideration of it is controlled by Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell.

The Senate could take up Thompson’s version of the bill or do a similar bill and work out the differences in conference.

Thompson’s office acknowledges it’s an uphill battle and the hope is that people who support the bill will speak up.

“Today, we pause to mark our progress. Tomorrow, we get back to work – to press the Senate to take action on this bill and to do all we can to help prevent gun violence,” Thompson 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.
Members of Congress who voted for H.R. 8 on Wednesday, February 27, 2019, in Washington, DC. Photo courtesy of Congressman Mike Thompson’s office.
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Library Park in Lakeport, Calif., was closed on Wednesday, February 27, 2019, due to flooding. Photo by Elizabeth Larson/Lake County News.
THIS ARTICLE IS BEING UPDATED WITH NEW ROAD CLOSURES AND REOPENINGS.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Days of steady rain from an atmospheric river storm have pushed Clear Lake into flood stage, with portions of two state highways, numerous roads and Library Park in Lakeport now flooding due to the excess water.

For Clear Lake, flood stage is 9 feet Rumsey – the special measure for the lake – and above. As of 1 p.m. Wednesday, Clear Lake was at 9.28 feet Rumsey and continuing to rise, according to the California Department of Water Resources’ Data Exchange Center.

The rainfall and water bodies draining into Clear Lake and other local water bodies led on Wednesday to flooding across Highway 20 near Witter Springs. As a result, Caltrans and the California Highway Patrol closed Highway 20 at the roundabout at the junction with Highway 29 in Upper Lake to Highway 20 at Potter Valley Road in Mendocino County.

Caltrans reported that Highway 175 to Hopland is closed from the junction of Highway 101 to just over half a mile east due to flooding.

Numerous county roadways also have been covered by flood waters, necessitating closures which are listed below.

County of Lake officials advised residents living on or near Clear Lake to be prepared for flooding, as the California Nevada River Forecast Center is forecasting 3.5 inches of rain for the Clear Lake watershed through Saturday.

The new rainfall that’s expected is on top of large amounts of rain recorded over the past three days, ranging from 5 inches near Lakeport to 10 inches near Bartlett Springs and estimates of nearly 15 inches in parts of Cobb.

The lake is projected to reach 9.8 feet Rumsey late Thursday night, holding there before starting to drop by Sunday, according to the California Nevada River Forecast Center.

County officials said the north shore of the lake will be susceptible to wave action as strong southerly wind gusts are expected. High lake levels are expected for a prolonged period.

A substantial amount of debris also has washed into the lake, with local officials reporting that trees, docks and appliances have been observed floating on the surface. They urge boaters to use caution and be aware that a mandatory idle speed limit is in effect when boating within one quarter mile of the shoreline.

The city of Lakeport on Wednesday morning closed Library Park due to flooding. The park’s docks had been raised in some areas and removed in others, with water coming over the seawall – damaged from the 2017 storms – and flooding the areas around the picnic tables.

Clear Lake at the Rodman Slough near Nice, Calif., on Wednesday, February 27, 2019. Photo by Elizabeth Larson/Lake County News.


Along Lakeshore Boulevard in Lakeport, piers and docks were covered by water and tules were washing up against the roadway. A city Public Works crew was in the middle of the road on Wednesday morning, fixing potholes.

County officials said a portion of Soda Bay Road is closed but they’ve been able to open the road from Big Valley Road to Highway 175 and South Main Street. Drivers are urged to watch out for debris.

Highland Springs Road remains open despite a mudslide at mile post marker 5.5.

Road closures and special notices about speed and conditions as of 5 p.m. Wednesday are listed below, according to the Lake County Public Works Department, the CHP, Caltrans, and the cities of Clearlake and Lakeport.

Since the last update earlier in the afternoon, new closures were implemented on Stokes Avenue in Nice and Rose Anderson Road in Middletown, Argonaut Road was reopened between Big Valley Road and Thomas Drive, and Finley East Road was reopened from Cal Packing Road to Stone Drive.

CLEARLAKE

13451 Lower Lakeshore Drive to 13544 Lower Lakeshore: Closed due to flooding.

HIDDEN VALLEY LAKE

Spruce Grove Road Extension: Closed near USS Liberty Lane (Quarry Road) due to road slipout.

KELSEYVILLE

Bell Hill Road: Closed at Adobe Creek low water crossing due to flooding; closed from Main Street to Highway 29.

Big Valley Road: Flooded in multiple locations. Road is open at this time, please reduce speeds.

Clark Drive: Closed from Soda Bay Road to Gaddy Lane due to flooding.

Konocti Bay Road: Mudslide blocking one lane near Richmond Park.

LAKEPORT

Esplanade Street: Closed due to flooding.

Highland Springs Road: Mudslide at mile post marker 5.5, however, road still open.

Hill Road: Single-lane traffic from Lakeshore to Sutter Hospital. Traffic will not be able to drive from Sutter Hospital to Lakeshore Boulevard due to slide movement.

Matthews Road: Multiple small mudslides, road is still open and passable.

Scotts Valley Road: Closed from Highway 20 to packing sheds due to flooding.

Soda Bay Road: Closed from Stone Drive to Cal Packing Road due to Adobe creek jumping the bank and flooding the roadway.

LOWER LAKE

Anderson Road: Mud/debris slide blocking the roadway.

Candy Lane: Closed to all traffic between Joseph Trail and May Hollow Road due to a culvert failure. This will be an extended closure as work to fix cannot commence until the water stops flowing.

MIDDLETOWN

Big Canyon Road: Closed to all traffic at MPM 7 due to Mudslide. Closure will run from Ettawa Springs road to Harbin Springs. Affected property owners will be allowed access to and from their property.

Dry Creek Cutoff: Closed at the low water crossing.

NICE

Lakeshore Drive: Closed from Stokes Avenue to Hammond Avenue due to flooding.

Rose Anderson Road: Closed to all traffic at Van Dorn Reservoir Road due to road slipout.

Stokes Avenue: Closed at Nice-Lucerne Cutoff due to flooding.

UPPER LAKE

Laurel Dell Road: Closed from Scotts Valley Road to Mid Lake Road due to flooding.

Mendenhall Road: Closed from Highway 20 to Main Street due to flooding.

Scotts Valley Road: Closed from Highway 20 to packing sheds due to flooding.

Witter Springs Road: Closed from Highway 20 to East Road due to flooding.

Weather, flood and road information is available from the following sources.

National Weather Service Sacramento
http://www.weather.gov/sto 

Lake County Public Works Road Division
http://www.lakecountyca.gov/Government/Directory/Public_Works/Divisions/Roads.htm  

Lake County Water Resources Department
http://www.lakecountyca.gov/Government/Directory/WaterResources/HydrologicLinks.htm  

Lake County flood and road information
http://www.lakecountyca.gov/Government/Directory/WaterResources/FloodPreparation.htm  

Caltrans Highway Information
http://www.dot.ca.gov/cgi-bin/roads.cgi 

City of Lakeport
https://www.cityoflakeport.com/ 

City of Clearlake
https://www.clearlake.ca.us/ 

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.
Stone Drive in Finley, Calif., on Wednesday, February 27, 2019. Photo by Phil Murphy.
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On Tuesday, Assembly Joint Resolution 4, authored by Assemblymember Cecilia Aguiar-Curry (D-Winters), passed out of the Assembly Public Safety Committee with a bipartisan, 7-1 vote.

The bill will next go to the Assembly Floor for a vote of the full State Assembly.

Passing AJR 4 will put California’s Legislature on record demanding U.S. Congressional passage of and a Presidential signature on House Resolution 8, by Congressman Mike Thompson (D-St. Helena), the “Bipartisan Background Checks Act.”

“This success is particularly meaningful today, because the Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2019 will be considered for a vote by the U.S. House of Representatives tomorrow. I will do everything I can to support Congressman Thompson’s efforts,” said Aguiar-Curry. “Nearly 1200 children have been killed by guns in our country since the Parkland Shootings in Florida last year[i]. I simply cannot understand why Congress has not acted to pass a measure which prevents criminals and the mentally ill from bypassing checks on their ability to obtain weapons, especially ones meant for no other purpose than to hurt or kill human beings.”

Introduced by Congressman Mike Thompson (D-St. Helena), H.R. 8 requires uniform and universal background checks on all gun purchases and transfers.

The law would obligate unlicensed gun sellers to perform background checks on gun purchasers and transferees by requiring them to utilize licensed dealers to sell and transfer firearms.

Current federal law includes a loophole that allows unlicensed firearm dealers to sell at gun shows, online, and in person without performing background checks on purchasers.

This is a significant omission, as gun offenders overwhelmingly obtain their guns without a background check through private sales.

The bipartisan group of federal coauthors to this federal legislation shows that confronting gun violence and protecting our communities is important to both sides of the political aisle.

The vote in Assembly Public Safety Committee on Tuesday makes the State Legislature’s effort to support H.R. 8 a bipartisan endeavor as well.

“This is not about keeping guns away from law-abiding people, hunters, recreational shooters, or people seeking to defend their homes, businesses, and properties. I am disappointed by the weak excuses provided during the committee hearing by the small number of opponents of today’s action,” said Aguiar-Curry. “Any claim that background checks don’t stop crimes is aiding and abetting criminals’ unchecked access to firearms being used on our nation’s innocent bystanders and children.”

Aguiar-Curry represents the Fourth Assembly District, which includes all of Lake and Napa Counties, parts of Colusa, Solano and Sonoma Counties, and all of Yolo County except West Sacramento.
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Johna Martinez-Meth, 46, of Clearlake, has been convicted of involuntary manslaughter for supplying fatal amount of meth to prison inmate and sentenced to two years of incarceration. Photo courtesy of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.

SACRAMENTO – A visitor who supplied a fatal amount of methamphetamine to a state prison inmate has been sentenced to two years of incarceration, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation investigators said Wednesday.

Johna Martinez-Meth, 46, of Clearlake pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter in Solano County Superior Court and then was sentenced Feb. 21 by Solano County Superior Court Judge Robert Fracchia.

“CDCR is committed to stopping the flow of drugs into our prisons,” said Bryan Shill, deputy chief of CDCR’s Office of Correctional Safety. “Our investigators will diligently pursue those who smuggle narcotics into any state correctional facility, and we will seek justice through aggressive prosecution of violators.”

On May 28, 2018, investigators began a probe into the sudden death of an inmate at California Medical Facility, or CMF in Vacaville.

Inmate Adrian Sepulveda, who was then 46, was received from Alameda County in 1997 and was serving a life sentence with the possibility of parole for second-degree murder.

An autopsy revealed Sepulveda had swallowed multiple balloons filled with methamphetamine. Investigators from CDCR’s Bay Area Special Service Unit, or SSU, and CMF’s Investigative Services Unit, or ISU, determined Martinez-Meth visited the inmate shortly before his death.

Special agents from SSU, CMF’s ISU and CDCR’s Fugitive Apprehension Team served a search warrant on Aug. 2, 2018, at Martinez-Meth’s Clearlake residence and found items including methamphetamine, balloons and glue. She was taken into custody without incident.

SSU and ISU worked in cooperation with the Solano County District Attorney’s Office on the case, resulting in the felony conviction.

“The cooperative effort between local law enforcement agencies, the CDCR Office of Correctional Safety and the California Medical Facility Investigative Services Unit has displayed a positive result in the battle to combat drugs from entering our institution,” said Acting CMF Warden Jared Lozano. “I am proud to work with a team that continues to show an unrelenting commitment to protecting our staff, inmate population and visitors alike.”
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CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The Clearlake City Council this week will review the Measure V sales tax, hear a presentation on an economic development strategy and consider allowing the use of a shower trailer for the homeless.

The council will meet at 4 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 28, in the council chambers at Clearlake City Hall, 14050 Olympic Drive, for a Measure V fund review, followed at 5:15 p.m. by a closed session to discuss negotiations related to property at 14130 Tuli Lane, labor negotiations and the city’s existing litigation against Pacific Gas and Electric regarding the Sulphur fire.

The closed session also will include a discussion of a city manager appointment in the wake of last week’s announcement that current City Manager is leaving next month to take a job with Suisun City.

The council’s regular meeting will convene at 6 p.m.

The agenda for the workshop and meeting can be found here.

At the start of the meeting, the council will offer a proclamation honoring the Lower Lake High School Cheerleading Team for its win last week at a nationwide competition.

The Clear Lake Chamber also will give the council its annual report, a presentation will be made to Neickol Cook for her efforts at city cleanup and Adventist Health will give an update on its Safe Rx and Leave It Behind Program.

On Thursday the council will hold a public hearing to confirm assessments in the amount of $52,327 for five CalRecycle-funded abatements in accordance with city municipal code. The properties that were abated are located at 3182 Park St., 2971 Sixth St., 3114 Eighth St., 3292 Ninth St. and 3372 11th St.

Under council business, the council will hear a presentation from the Lake Economic Development Corp. on the Path to Prosperity Economic Strategy and consider a request from the organization for $10,000 in financial support in the coming fiscal year.

In other council business, staff is asking the council to give direction regarding policy for the future use of a shower trailer that is being donated to the city by the Lake Area Rotary Club.

There have been inquiries from the Continuum of Care about using the trailer for showers for the homeless, according to the staff report from Folsom, who is recommending that if it’s allowed for that use, that a memorandum of understanding be created with the organization that will monitor its use, clean and insure it.

The council also will consider approving a purchase of new Public Works equipment.

On the consent agenda – items considered noncontroversial and usually accepted as a slate on one vote – are warrant registers; minutes of the Jan. 10 and 24, and Feb. 14 meetings; a second reading of an ordinance amending the Clearlake Municipal Code related to the issuance, handling, appeals and penalties of administrative citations, amending the general penalty for violations, adjusting penalties for Cannabis-related violations and providing for the immediate imposition of fines in specified circumstances; adoption of a development agreement with Erin McCarrick and Clearlake Ventures LLC for a commercial cannabis operation; second reading and adoption of Ordinance No. 225-2019, revising provisions relating to planning commissioners’ salaries; Resolution No. 2019-10 for disposal of surplus property; and approval of the Public Works director recruitment, to be conducted by Ralph Anderson and Associates.

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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California Attorney General Xavier Becerra has released a California Department of Justice report on immigration detention facilities in the state.

The report is the result of Assembly Bill 103, which passed in 2017, requiring the DOJ, over a 10-year period, to report on: conditions of confinement; the standard of care and due process provided to detainees; and the circumstances around the apprehension and transfer of detainees to facilities.

This initial report is intended to provide increased transparency around immigration detention facilities in California.

The report is an important step forward in understanding the conditions under which civil immigration detainees are living, including their access to critical health and legal resources.

“We’re committed to upholding the welfare of all people in California, including those in local detention facilities pending immigration proceedings,” said Attorney General Becerra. “At the California Department of Justice, we will continue to review detention facilities in our state and shine much-needed light on civil detention conditions.”

Although immigration detainees’ experiences vary drastically within and across facilities throughout the state, DOJ found a number of common challenges, including:

– Prolonged periods of confinement without breaks, with some detainees confined in cells for up to 22 hours a day;
– Significant language barriers, compromising medical and legal confidentiality;
– Difficulties with access to medical and mental health care, increasing the risk to detainees of a major medical or mental health incident;
– Obstacles to external communication, limiting detainees’ abilities to contact family or other support systems; and
– Barriers to access to legal representation, leaving many detainees to navigate the complexities of immigration law themselves.

During the last three years, detention facilities in California, including those operated by local governments, have held more than 74,000 immigration detainees, including individuals as young as 13 and as old as 95, from over 150 different countries, such as Argentina, Armenia, Canada, China, Cameroon, France, Germany, Guatemala, Ghana, Haiti, India, Jamaica, Kyrgyzstan, Mexico, New Zealand and Singapore.

Detainees were held for more than 50 days on average, with the longest stay at a single facility exceeding four years.

Immigration detention facility review by DOJ is ongoing. For this report, DOJ conducted one-day visits to all 10 civil immigration detention facilities in the state that were operating when AB 103 became law. DOJ comprehensively reviewed three public facilities: Yolo County Juvenile Detention Facility, Theo Lacy Facility in Orange County and West County Detention Facility in Contra Costa County.

The full report is published below.

Immigration Detention 2019 by LakeCoNews on Scribd

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John Arthur Teply, 35, of Clearlake, Calif. Lake County Jail photo.

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The Clearlake Police Department this week arrested a convicted felon for being in possession of a concealed weapon.

John Arthur Teply, 35, was arrested early Monday morning, according to Sgt. Elvis Cook.

Cook said that just before 2:45 a.m. Monday, he and Officer Steve Diaz contacted Teply after conducting a traffic stop in the 16300 block of Dam Road.

During the incident, Sgt. Cook and Officer Diaz located a concealed loaded firearm in Teply's vehicle. Teply is a prohibited person and illegally possessed the firearm, according to Cook.

Cook said Teply was arrested for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession of ammunition by a convicted felon, carrying a loaded firearm by prohibited person, carrying a firearm and not being its registered owner, carrying a concealed firearm while in a vehicle, carrying a loaded firearm in vehicle and driving without a valid driver’s license.

Teply was later booked into the Lake County Jail. He remained in custody early Thursday on a no-bail hold, according to jail records.

A concealed firearm found in the possession of John Arthur Teply, 35, of Clearlake, Calif., on Monday, February 25, 2019. Photo courtesy of the Clearlake Police Department.
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LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lakeport Fire Protection District will hold a special mail ballot election this spring in an effort to pass a new parcel tax to help fund the district’s operations.

The district board of directors has called a special election to put “Measure M” before voters on Tuesday, May 7.

Voters will be asked to impose the parcel tax to continue to provide fire and emergency medical services.

Measure M is estimated to bring in $1,206,000 million annually to the district, whose financial struggles prompted the fire district board in the fall to accept a budget that laid off three full-time firefighters, as Lake County News has reported.

The polls will be open between the hours of 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day.

The abbreviated statement of the measure to appear on the ballot is as follows:

“To decrease response times and increase fire protection/emergency medical services by increasing staffing at fire stations; and to maintain/replace outdated firefighting equipment, shall the Lakeport Fire Protection District Measure repealing existing fire protection services taxes and levying a tax of $6.14 per benefit unit annually on each parcel of property in the District be adopted, estimated to raise about $1,206,000 annually; until ended by voters, with independent community oversight and all money staying local?”

Measure M requires a two-thirds majority vote – or a 66.7-percent supermajority. If it gets that number or better in yes votes, then the District’s Ordinance No. 1819-01 will become effective July 1, 2019.

Arguments for and against District Measure M must be typed and submitted to the Lake County Registrar of Voters, Lake County Courthouse, Room 209, 255 N Forbes St., Lakeport, telephone 707-263-2372, no later than 5 p.m. on Monday, March 11.

The Registrar of Voters Office said written arguments may be submitted by the Lakeport Fire Protection District Board of Directors or any member or members of the board, or any individual voter who is eligible to vote on the measure, or bona fide association of citizens, or any combination of such voters and associations may file a written argument for or against any district measure.

No argument shall exceed 300 words in length. No more than five signatures shall appear with any argument.

All arguments must be accompanied by the “Statement That Argument Is True And Correct” as required by Section 9600 of the CA Elections Code provided by the Registrar of Voters office, stating the printed name and signature or printed names and signatures of the person or persons submitting it or, if submitted on behalf of an organization, the name of the organization and the printed name and signature of at least one of its principal officers.

Only one argument for and one argument against District Measure M shall be selected for printing and distribution in voter information pamphlets included with mailed ballots. Authors of a selected argument may prepare and submit a rebuttal argument not exceeding 250 words to the Lake County Registrar of Voters no later than 5 p.m. on Monday, March 18.

Carol Huchingson, the county’s administrative officer and the interim registrar of voters, will notify the author, or authors, of selected arguments in writing of the procedure to submit a rebuttal argument.
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Scotts Valley Road at Highway 20 near Upper Lake, Calif., on Tuesday, February 26, 2019, photographed by Daniel Wright, leadworker out of the Lake County Public Works Department’s Upper Lake Road Yard.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Continued rainfall, a rising lake level and saturated ground led to flooding of some Lake County roadways on Tuesday.

Late Tuesday afternoon, the National Weather Service’s observation stations around Lake County indicated that rainfall across the county over the previous 48 hours ranged from nearly 3.5 inches in Upper Lake to more than 9 inches in Whispering Pines near Cobb.

Shortly after 5 p.m. Tuesday, the US Geological Survey’s gauge on Clear Lake indicated the lake’s level was 8.37 feet Rumsey, a rise of about three-quarters of a foot in 24 hours. Flood stage is 9 feet Rumsey and above.

The National Weather Service is anticipating more rain on Tuesday night – up to 2 inches – and into Wednesday. All of Lake County remains under a wind advisory until noon on Wednesday and a flood warning until Thursday night.

The Lake County Public Works Department’s most recent report on road conditions, issued just before 5 p.m. Tuesday, said the following roads are closed:

Kelseyville

Argonaut Road: Closed between Big Valley Road and Thomas Drive.

Bell Hill: Closed at Adobe Creek low water crossing due to flooding.

Clark Drive: Closed from Soda Bay Road to Gaddy Lane due to flooding.

Lakeport

Scotts Valley Road: Closed from Highway 20 to packing sheds due to flooding.

Soda Bay Road: Closed from Stone Drive to Cal Packing Road due to Adobe Creek jumping the bank and; closed from Big Valley Road to Highway 175/S. Main Street.

Lower Lake

Candy Lane: Closed to all traffic between Joseph Trail and May Hollow Road due to a culvert failure. This will be an extended closure as work to fix cannot commence until the water stops flowing.

Middletown

Dry Creek Cutoff: Closed at the low water crossing

Nice

Lakeshore Drive: Closed from Stokes Avenue to Hammond Avenue due to flooding.

Upper Lake

Laurel Dell Road: Closed to two-way traffic from Scotts Valley Road to Mid Lake Road due to flooding.

Scotts Valley Road: Closed from Highway 20 to packing sheds due to flooding.


Socrates Mine Road before Ford Flat near Middletown, Calif., on Tuesday, February 26, 2019, photographed by Jim Hale, Lower Lake area road supervisor for the Lake County Public Works Department.


On Hill Road near Lakeside Heights, the road remains open to two-way traffic, but Lake County Public Works said it anticipates that the slide will jump the K-rails at some point on Tuesday night, night, closing one lane of the roadway.

Lake County Public Works said Highland Springs Road remains open despite a mudslide at mile post marker 5.5.

In the city of Lakeport, officials said Esplanade Street flooded on Tuesday and was closed.

In neighboring Sonoma County, authorities issued an evacuation order for many communities along the Russian River, which is forecast to go above flood stage at 6 p.m. Tuesday and to crest 46.1 feet at 10 p.m. Wednesday. Evacuation shelters are being opened at the Sebastopol Center for the Arts and the Sonoma County Fairgrounds Grace Pavilion.

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.

Soda Bay Road at Adobe Creek Road near Lakeport, Calif., on Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2019. Photo by Phil Murphy.
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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Sheriff Brian Martin, acting as Lake County’s director of Emergency Services, on Wednesday issued a declaration of a local emergency in response to widespread damage caused by the storms and subsequent flooding during the past week.

Lt. Corey Paulich of the Lake County Sheriff’s Office said there have been reports of homes being flooded as well as landslides, downed utility lines, fallen trees and other serious damage to the county.

Storms from an atmospheric have resulted in a large amount of rainfall over the past week and the last several days in particular, with Clear Lake going into flood stage on Wednesday.

On Wednesday night, Clear Lake was reported to be at 9.39 feet Rumsey, with the level continuing to climb and several more inches of rain forecast to fall across Lake County through the weekend.

Paulich said the purpose of declaring a local emergency is to provide the authorization for officials to promulgate orders and regulations necessary to protect life and property. This is important when ordering special services and supplies relevant to disaster relief efforts.

A local declaration of emergency also describes the circumstances that exist to support the issuance of a State or Presidential declaration of emergency.

The sheriff’s declaration of emergency has been forwarded to the state of California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services for consideration by the director of Emergency Services.

Paulich said county employees are working diligently to respond to this most recent emergency, and urge the public to be prepared for additional rain events which are forecast to hit Lake County during the next week.
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NORTH COAST, Calif. – The Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office has identified the Kelseyville man who died in a two-car collision on Highway 101 on Monday afternoon.

Luis Enrique Gonzalez Recinos, 22, died in the wreck, according to Capt. Greg Van Patten.

Just after 4 p.m. Monday, Gonzalez Recinos was driving a 2013 Mercedes northbound on Highway 101 near mile post marker 7.46 at approximately 65 miles per hour when the car began to skid out of control, according to the report from the California Highway Patrol’s Ukiah Area office.

The Mercedes spun counterclockwise and into the path of a 2001 Toyota driven by 21-year-old Redwood Valley resident James Wakefield Jr., who the CHP said was traveling southbound.

The Toyota’s front end hit the side of the Mercedes, the CHP said.

The CHP said Gonzalez Recinos died at the scene, while Wakefield was transported to a nearby hospital.

The crash remains under investigation.

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 city of Clearlake said that on Tuesday it closed Thompson Harbor at Redbud Park in the interest of public safety due to Clear Lake’s rising level.

Due to the storms in the region, the water level of Clear Lake reached monitor stage – 8.0 feet Rumsey – on Tuesday morning, with the lake expected to reach flood stage, 9.0 feet Rumsey, later in the week.

Those high water levels make the docks at Thompson Harbor unsafe. As such, the city reported that its Public Works crews detached the floating docks from the concrete ramps to keep the
docks from being damaged by the rising water level.

The city said the ramps at Thompson Harbor are not safe to use when the docks are detached. The docks will be reattached when the water level recedes back to 8 feet Rumsey.

Boaters should also be aware that a mandatory 5 mile per hour boating speed limit takes effect when Clear Lake reaches 8.0 Rumsey for at least 24 hours.

The speed ordinance requires boaters operating a motor boat within one-quarter mile or less of a shoreline to maintain idle speed.

The ordinance was approved by the Board of Supervisors during the 2017 flood to minimize wake damage to lakeshore properties and to help ensure the safety of boaters operating while heavy debris loads are present on the lake.

“We are disappointed to have to take this action as it impacts the ability to launch out of Clearlake,” said City Manager Greg Folsom. “Fishing and tourism are significant drivers of our economy and we will reopen Thompson Harbor as soon as it is safe to do so.”

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