LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The winds blowing across California this week are raising fire concerns for state officials and have led to red flag warnings for a number of areas, including Lake County.

Recent rains didn't offer much of a respite from the fire danger, and Cal Fire said it has increased staffing due to strong winds and low humidity across the state.

The National Weather Service issued five separate “red flag warnings” and “fire weather watches” for areas extending from northeastern California, the Sacramento Valley, the Bay Area, parts of Kern County to Southern California.

Red flag warnings mean that critical fire weather conditions are occurring or will occur soon, while a fire weather watch indicates critical fire weather conditions are forecast to occur, according to the National Weather Service.

Forecasters also issued a red flag warning covering most of Lake County from 5 a.m. Thursday through 7 a.m. Saturday.

Strong northerly winds – forecast to be the strongest in the region, between 15 to 30 miles per hour, with 45-mile-per-hour gusts – are expected over Lake County and the western Sacramento Valley, according to the National Weather Service.

The winds in Lake County are expected to be the strongest Thursday afternoon and into Friday morning, decreasing into Friday afternoon and Saturday morning, based on the forecast.

Those winds are expected to drop humidity as low as 10 percent during the day and 20 to 30 percent overnight, which combined with the area's dry vegetation raises fire danger, officials reported.

October is a “historically dangerous” fire month, according to Cal Fire, and as such the agency is preparing for several days of extreme fire weather by placing additional firefighters on duty to staff extra equipment in the areas affected.

“By this time of year conditions in many areas are at their driest of the season,” said Chief Ken Pimlott, director of Cal Fire. “When you add in strong winds, it makes this time of year a perfect recipe for wildfires. Even though it is fall, we need the public to understand that we are still in fire season throughout much of California and everyone must take extra precautions to avoid sparking a wildfire.”

Other active red flag warnings around the state include the following, according to Cal Fire:

– Sacramento Valley: A fire weather watch is in effect through Saturday morning for much of the Sacramento Valley below 1,000 feet from Glenn and Colusa counties, down to the Sacramento Delta and Carquinez Strait. Humidity is expected to be as low as 10 percent during the day with winds 15 to 25 miles per hour with gusts of 40 miles per hour.

– Bay Area: A classic early fall offshore wind event will develop over the San Francisco Bay leading to a red flag warning from Thursday evening to Saturday morning. The warning will affect the north and East Bay Hills, as well as the Santa Cruz Mountains.

– Kern County: A red flag warning for the Kern County Mountains will go into effect early Friday morning and last through Saturday evening. Gusty winds out of the east are expected with gusts up to 40 miles per hour along with humidity as low as the single digits.

– Southern California: A red flag warning for a moderate to strong Santa Ana Wind event along with low humidity is expected Thursday evening through Sunday for much of Ventura, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Diego, San Bernardino and Imperial counties. Wind gusts of up to 55 miles per hour are likely with some isolated gusts of 65 miles per hour on some ridgetops and canyons.

Cal Fire is asking everyone to exercise particular caution to avoid causing fires.

Prevention tips include:

• Don’t mow or trim dry grass on windy days.
• Never pull your vehicle over in dry grass.
• Never burn landscape debris like leaves or branches on no burn days or when it’s windy or areas where not allowed.
• Target shoot only in approved areas, use lead ammunition only, and never at metal targets.
• Ensure campfires are allowed, and if so, be sure to extinguish them completely.
• Make sure all portable gasoline-powered equipment have spark arresters.
• Report any suspicious activities to prevent arson.

For more fire prevention tips visit www.PreventWildfireCA.org and for evacuation tips visit www.ReadyForWildfire.org .

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. – One of downtown Lakeport's newest businesses will celebrate its grand opening and ribbon cutting this week.

The celebration for Old World Tavern, located at 175 N. Main St., will take place on Thursday, Oct. 3.

The Lake County Chamber of Commerce will host an event for chamber members from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., with the celebration opening to the public beginning at 6:30 p.m.

Albert Menchaca and son Quintin opened the tavern's doors July 13 in the building that formerly had housed Molly Brennan's.

The Menchacas came from Sacramento.

Al Menchaca hadn’t always planned on owning a tavern. Originally, he had pursued his childhood dream, which culminated in a 25-year career with one of the largest US printing companies.

But all good things come to an end. “The writing was on the wall,” he said, as the company had been steadily failing for some time.

So he and his son began to think of what they might do when the day eventually came.

The company filed for bankruptcy and closed its doors Jan. 15. By then, the Menchacas had formulated a plan: open a tavern.

Al Menchaca said the printing company left him “high and dry.” So, he sold every possession he had and literally used every cent to move from Sacramento.

He looked all over the state and finally settled on Lakeport.

“I didn't find Lake County, Lake County found me,” Menchaca said.

A visit to Lakeport convinced Menchaca it was the place, thanks to the friendly people and the building itself. Menchaca fell in love with the building, which he said offered an affordable space.

After several months of hard work and remodeling, the tavern features fresh paint inside and out, new lighting and signage, and an old world ambiance that suits its name.

Menchaca is enthusiastic in sharing the Old World Tavern philosophy: “We’re not here to offer what I want; we are here to give the customer what they want.”

For this reason, he said they will be open to suggestions from their patrons. The tavern's motto is: “A little different, a little better.” He explained that he wants his customers to have a unique quality experience they can’t find anywhere else.

Old World Tavern offers a full selection of premium draft beers – 30 in all, of which 12 are on tap. That includes traditional European beers and a good selection of regional micro brews as well,

“Our Anderson Valley Wild Turkey Bourbon Barrel Stout is brewed locally,” he said, adding it's “uniquely complex because it is aged for three months in recycled oak barrels used to store the bourbon.”

They also offer spirits and fountain drinks. Menchaca plans on introducing “old time” retro cocktails such as the martini, Manhattan, sidecar, French 75, gimlet and, of course, the old-fashioned.

He splits bartending duties with David Liebhauser, a professional bartender from New York.

Beyond drinks, Old World Tavern offers an ever-growing and evolving menu of hearty foods at reasonable prices. Menchaca said the menu will have traditional “stand by” dishes like a New York steak, a Caesar salad and a variety of hearty soups.

They also offer new items like the Euro Burger, which he said has become their signature dish. It's a mix of ground beef, pancetta and salami. “It's very flavorful,” said Menchaca.

Other menu items included beer-battered fish and chips, fresh cut potato fries, and bangers and mash.

Twin brothers and Lake County natives Corey and Casey Crawford oversee the kitchen. Corey is the head chief and Casey is the day chef. The brothers grew up in the Lakeport area and graduated with honors from Cordon Bleu Culinary Institute in Sacramento.

To ensure the quality control Menchaca wants, he has a professional and seasoned staff that has been trained and has worked throughout the country.

“Everything is made and served fresh daily,” he said, adding his chefs plan to incorporate local, organic produce whenever possible, and prepare dishes with what’s currently in season in Lake County. “We don’t even have a microwave in the building.”

Quintin Menchaca is the establishment’s manager. He is a musician and has an education in music engineering, so “he does well seeing how everything fits together,” his father said.

Al Menchaca believes “personality fit” is key in making a successful work environment, and notes that his staff has already “gelled” quite well together.

Business, he said, has been “steady and steadily increasing,” with customer feedback including an appreciation for the atmosphere.

Menchaca thanked Workforce Lake for providing the necessary office space and equipment needed to conduct interviews, “I couldn’t have opened without them.”

Old World Tavern, 175 N. Main St. in Lakeport, is open Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Fridays and Saturdays, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Sundays, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Closed Tuesdays. Contact: telephone 707-263-7777, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Visit the tavern on the Web to see a full menu and upcoming events at http://oldworld-tavern.com or check out the tavern's Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Old-World-Tavern/164020147106124 .

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Lake County Wine Auction crossed a milestone with its event on Saturday, Sept. 21.

Early in an evening of highly competitive bidding, the total raised in the 14 years of this event easily topped the $1 million mark.

Going into the auction, the 13-year total was $991,302, so it took only nine items before the total passed the “magic” number.

Welcoming people to the event, held at the Cole Creek Equestrian Center, Wine Auction President Kaj Ahlmann reminded them that the focus of the event was to support the young people who represent the future of Lake County.

Honorary Co-Chairs John and Joanne Van Eck, the equestrian center's owners, worked tirelessly to transform their unique facility into a magical place, which many in attendance feel contributed to the high energy atmosphere and high bidding.

While it will be several weeks before the final figures are known, preliminary indications are that the event will be judged a huge success, according to auction officials.

In 2012, $96,000 was distributed to the beneficiaries and the auction committee expects that this year's recedes could be equal to that or higher.

The high bid during this year's auction was $7,500 for a barbecue event for 15 people at Congressman Mike Thompson's ranch in Finley.

The second highest was $6,000 for John Clarke's painting “The Country,” which provided the signature image for this year's event. The painting was purchased by Dirk and Karen Wooten of Clearlake.

Proceeds from the 14th annual Lake County Wine Auction will benefit the county's five area high schools along with 10 other charities and community organizations.

Representatives of these groups will receive their checks at a special reception in December at the Saw Shop Bistro in Kelseyville.

The Lake County Wine Auction would like to thank this year's premium sponsors: American Ag Credit, Beckstoffer Vineyards, Calpine, Mendo Lake Credit Union, Kathy Fowler Chevrolet and Six Sigma Vineyard and Winery.

These and the event's other sponsors cover the costs of the event so that all the money raised from ticket sales and the auction can go directly to the auction's beneficiaries.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – A Lakeport man was arrested last week after he was found to be in possession of drugs, a firearm and an explosive device during a probation search.

Randy Lee Cose, 37, was arrested on the afternoon of Friday, Sept. 27, following a search conducted by the Sheriff’s Narcotics Task Force, according to Lt. Steve Brooks.

Brooks said narcotics detectives had received information that Cose was residing in a travel trailer, located in the 2800 block of Scotts Valley Road.

Detectives were unable to locate Cose upon their arrival, but they did find 59 mature marijuana plants, which were in the late flowering stage. A few minutes later Cose arrived and confirmed he had been living there for several months, Brooks said.

During the search detectives located a loaded rifle inside the trailer, which was leaning against the bed. Brooks said they also located a small amount of methamphetamine in an ashtray, which was inside a cabinet above the stove.

Outside the trailer, positioned on a tree branch, was a metal cylinder with what appeared to be a wick sticking out of the top. Based on the appearance, detectives believed it was some type of explosive device, Brooks said.

Upon further examination detectives were able to render the device safe and collect individual components for evidence and forensic testing. The marijuana, methamphetamine, rifle and ammunition also were seized and collected as evidence, according to Brooks.

Cose denied ownership of the methamphetamine and said the “bomb” they found belonged to someone else, Brooks said.

Brooks said Cose explained the rifle was his and was given to him by someone who owed him money. Cose denied using marijuana and said the only reason he has a medical recommendation is so he would not get into trouble for having the plants.

Cose told detectives none of the marijuana plants were his and he was going to be financially compensated for allowing them to be grown there, Brooks said.

Detectives arrested Cose for possession of a controlled substance, cultivating marijuana, possession of marijuana for sales, being armed while committing a drug offense, being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm and possession of an explosive device, Brooks said.

Cose was transported to the Lake County Hill Road Correctional Facility and booked. Bail was set at $45,000, and he remained in custody on Wednesday, according to jail records.

The Sheriff’s Narcotics Task Force can be reached through its anonymous tip line at 707-263-3663.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Nominations for the 16th annual Stars of Lake County Community Awards program are now open.

Anyone can make a nomination for a Star Award. There are 21 categories covering a myriad of areas of service to our communities.

The Soper-Reese Community Theater is the location for the Stars program on Saturday, Nov. 16, from 5 p.m. to 8:30pm.

This year's program will consist of a reception hour with appetizers and beverages beginning at 5 p.m.

Seating will begin at 6:30 p.m. and the awards program will begin shortly thereafter.

David Neft will play during the reception hour as he has done since the program began in 1998.

There will be a special opening tribute to all nominees sung by Jackie Hansen of Lakeport Grocery Outlet.

During the first 15 years of this program, more than 1,600 individuals, businesses and organizations have been acknowledged by community nominations for their efforts to improve the quality of life in Lake County.

The 2013 nomination form is available at www.lakecochamber.com or by contacting the Lake County Chamber of Commer at 707-263-5092. Copies are available at the chamber office at 875 Lakeport Blvd., Lakeport at Vista Point.

Deadline for nominations is end of business on Oct. 23; nomination forms that are mailed must be postmarked with that date.

The selection committee charged with reviewing the nominations and making the decisions on recipients is comprised of individuals from every part of the county. Some are chamber members, some are not.

The committee members receive copies of each nomination one week prior to their joint meeting. At that joint meeting, each category and nominee is reviewed and discussed; a secret ballot is then cast to determine who the recipient will be. The results are not revealed until the awards program Nov. 16.

Each recipient will be announced when their nomination letter is read by the category sponsor from the stage. The recipient will come to the stage, greeted by the sponsor. They are then presented with a Stars Award trophy.

Congressman Mike Thompson presents the recipients with a certificate from his office. Following a photo being taken of recipient, sponsor and Congressman Thompson, they are then escorted back to their seats.

The Lake County Chamber is proud to have initiated and sustained this one-of-a-kind program for Lake County for 16 years.

It is an exciting evening for all those involved and would not be possible without the support of many businesses throughout the county.

The 2013 sponsors to date include Cliff and Nancy Ruzicka, WestAmerica Bank, Marymount California University, Mendo Mill Lumber & Home Center, Sutter Lakeside Hospital, Savings Bank of Mendocino County, Bruno’s Shop Smart, John Tomkins, North Lake Medical Pharmacy, Lake County Record-Bee, SERVPRO, Kathy Fowler Auto Center, Disney Trophies & Awards, Strong Financial and Calpine Corp.

Tickets for the 16th annual Stars of Lake County Awards program are $25/person and all seats are reserved. Tickets may be purchased through the Lake County Chamber of Commerce office.

For more information on the Stars Community Awards program, please contact Melissa Fulton, chief executive officer of the Lake County Chamber of Commerce, at 707-263-5092.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lake County Chamber of Commerce will present its fourth annual Oktoberfest on Main Street in historic downtown Lakeport on Saturday, Oct. 5.

The event will take place between First and Fourth streets from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

During the day, Oktoberfest offers fun activities such as a doggy costume contest, open to all breeds and the now World Famous Dachshund Derby Race, open only to dachshunds. Entry forms can be found on www.oktoberfest-lakeport.com .

There will be a people costume contest for youth, male, female categories, entry forms available at the chamber’s information booth on Saturday. Prizes will be awarded for all costume contests. There will be bounce houses for the young and a face painter.

The very popular “beer pong” and a new contest, “corn hole” will take place during the afternoon in Museum Park on Main Street. Another fun contest will be guessing how many pretzels are in a very large jar.

A large variety of microbrews will be offered for tastings from noon to 5 p.m. on Third Street, where other beverages will also be offered for sale.

An opportunity drawing for three prizes – $250, $250 and $500 – will be held at 9 p.m., winner need not be present to win. The contest is sponsored by the Jimi Z Band and the ticket printing sponsored by Bellisimo! Wine Country Catering.

For those who collect beer steins, they are once again featuring a beer stein competition. Beer steins can be brought to The Game Shop at the corner of Third and Main streets in Downtown Lakeport on Oct. 5. Numbers will be assigned to each stein and they will be placed in the front windows for public viewing.

The public is encouraged to place their votes at the Game Shop. The winners will be announced from the stage in the late afternoon.

Oktoberfest features “Showcase the Band” during the afternoon, offering a large variety of German music and standards, and they also engage the crowd with games and songs.

The evening street dance, beginning at 6 p.m., will feature the talents of Jimi Z’s band until 9 p.m. Both of these bands keep the crowds on their feet continuously.

During the day, there also will be roving accordion players. Stage sponsors are Eagle Distributing/Budweiser and Running Creek Casino.

The Oktoberfest official festmeister, Tony Barthel, will invite public participation throughout the day in some wild and wacky contests.

For more information and to view the schedule of events, visit www.oktoberfest-lakeport.com or contact the Lake County Chamber at 707 263-5092.

COBB, Calif. – A 3.1-magnitude earthquake was reported near Cobb on Wednesday afternoon.

The quake was recorded at 1:38 p.m. three miles west of Cobb and 12 miles southwest of Clearlake, at a depth of 1.2 miles, according to the US Geological Survey.

By 2 p.m., the US Geological Survey had received only one shake report on the quake.

A 3.8-magnitude quake was reported in The Geysers area Aug. 27, as Lake County News has reported.

Due to the lapse in federal funding because of this week's government shutdown, the US Geological Survey Earthquake Hazards Program reported that it has suspended most of its operations.

The agency will continue to monitor and report on earthquake activity, but said the accuracy and timeliness of some earthquake information products – as well as the availability or functionality of some Web pages – could be affected by the reduced level of operation.

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.

MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – The Middletown Area Town Hall will hold a special town hall meeting with Congressman Mike Thompson on Monday, Oct. 7.

The meeting will begin at 6 p.m. at the new Middletown Community Center, located at 21256 Washington St., Middletown.

The public is invited to attend.

The congressman will give opening marks and then take questions from community members.

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – A community forum on the proposed realignment of the of the colleges and campuses in the Yuba Community College District will be held on Wednesday, Oct. 2.

The forum will take place from noon to 1 p.m. in Room 211 at the Clear Lake Campus, at 15880 Dam Road Extension in Clearlake.

The Yuba Community College District Board of Trustees is considering the realignment of the Clear Lake Campus with Woodland Community College. Currently, the Clear Lake Campus is aligned with Yuba College.

Presenters Yuba College President Rod Beilby and Woodland Community College President Angela Fairchilds will provide information to the public on the proposed realignment of the colleges.

The district said possible benefits of this proposal include geographic alignment, career and technical education, curriculum, implementation of the resource allocation model and partnering opportunities that can better serve students.

State and national initiatives will require community colleges to collaborate regionally with other colleges, K-12 districts and industry partners to secure funding for career and technical education programs.

The geographical proximity of the Clear Lake Campus with Woodland Community College potentially increases opportunities for regional partnerships to compete for career and technical education funding and better align those programs for students with community economic development and workforce needs.

The public is invited to attend the forum to ask questions and provide input regarding potential opportunities and obstacles.

If you are unable to attend, you are invited to share your input directly with Executive Dean Art Pimentel, Yuba College Clear Lake Campus, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 707-995-7904.

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – Organizers are busy with preparations for Clearlake's inaugural “Trunk or Treat” Halloween celebration.

The event, sponsored by Lake County Youth Services, will be held from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 31, at the youth center on Golf Avenue in Clearlake.

From 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., children can “trunk or treat” through a collection of festively decorated car trunks in the parking lot at Redbud Park, located across the street from the center.

A group of a dozen or so volunteers have their hands full putting together the activity-packed, free community event, which is aimed at keeping children safe, and entertained, on Halloween night.

Along with the opportunity for children to grab their Halloween goodies, the event also will include a carnival of Halloween games and prizes, bouncy house, haunted house, music by DJ Nemesis and a dance floor, costume and trunk contests, community-sponsored booths, free raffle drawings and more.

Volunteer Bruno Sabatier said more volunteers, sponsors and participants are needed.

There are several ways to contribute, he said, from helping in an activity booth to donating Halloween candy, game and raffle prizes, or other event supplies.

He said they are particularly looking for lighting options for the nighttime event and propane supplies for cooking.

Lower Lake High School students have accepted an invitation to participate.

One high school club is sponsoring a booth while other students will be assisting with the set up and clean up of the event.

“They need 15 hours of community service; that's why I wanted to get them on board,” volunteer Ami Landrum said. “These kids want to knock out their community service hours and what a great way. This is going to be fun.”

Sabatier said safety is of highest concern in organizing the event. He said measures are in place to ensure all people participating directly in the event, such as trunk displayers and event volunteers, are “legitimate people to have around children.”

He said organizers are using the Megan's Law database to prescreen participants 18 years and older.

“We want to make sure parents know we checked all the participants out to make this a safe event for our children,” Sabatier said.

Along with keeping her grandkids and her great-grandkids “safe and off the streets,” Clearlake resident Shirley “Granny B” Balliet said she had an additional reason for volunteering to help with the event.

“The trick-or-treaters don't come to house. I have to chase them down to give them candy,” Balliet said.

For those wanting to participate in the festive trunk decoration portion of the event, registration forms can be picked up at Hair by Mz. C, located in the indoor flea market at City Hall Plaza next to Clearlake City Hall on Olympic Drive.

Anyone who would like more information regarding any aspect of contributing should contact one of the following volunteer organizers: Bruno Sabatier, 707-695-0834; Ami Landrum, 707-350-7419; or Crystal Williams, 707-655-8559.

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

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – Cooler temperatures and increased humidity gave California a brief break from major fire activity this past week, but that's expected to ramp back up in the month ahead, according to state fire officials.

With the state now moving into the “historically dangerous” month of October, firefighters remain on high alert, said Cal Fire spokesman Daniel Berlant in the agency's latest Fire Situation Report.

California's 2013 fire activity remains higher than 2012 and the five-year average, Berlant said.

Major fires continuing to burn around the state are the Rim Fire, Corral Complex and Forks Complex, according to Berlant.

See the full report in the video above.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – A wildland fire in a remote area above Highland Springs Reservoir was contained on Sunday.

The Highland Fire burned 98 acres and was contained by Sunday evening, according to Cal Fire.

The fire, first reported just efore 2 p.m. Saturday, burned a hunting cabin and an outbuilding, according to Cal Fire Battalion Chief Greg Bertelli.

The fire burned in the area of Highland Springs Road, southeast of Kelseyville, at the Lake and Mendocino County line. Bertelli said the fire burned mostly within Lake County.

No cause has yet been given for the fire.

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.