LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake County's unemployment numbers went up in July, following a statewide trend, according to a new report.

The California Employment Development Department's latest report puts Lake County's July unemployment rate at 12.5 percent, up from 12 percent in June but down from 14.9 percent in July 2012.

Statewide unemployment was 8.7 percent in July, up from 8.5 percent in June but down from 10.6 percent in July 2012, according to the report.

Nationwide, the unemployment rate in July was 7.4 percent, down from 7.6 percent in June and down from 8.2 percent in July 2012, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics reported.

The Employment Development Department said that since January 2013, California's unemployment rate has decreased by 1.1 percent, including back-to-back 0.4 percentage point drops in April and May.

The number of people unemployed in California was 1,622,000 – up by 29,000 over the month, but down by 328,000 compared with July of last year, the report said.

California’s nonfarm payroll jobs totaled 14,653,000 in July, an increase of 38,100 jobs over the month and a year over increase of 236,400 jobs, according to a survey of businesses. The report said California has gained 807,700 jobs since the economic recovery began in February 2010.

A federal survey of households, done with a smaller sample than the survey of employers, showed a decrease in the number of employed people. It estimated the number of Californians holding jobs in July was 16,988,000, a decrease of 65,000 from June 2013, but up 468,000 from the employment total in July of last year.

Lake County's civilian workforce in July totaled 25,060, compared to 25,540 in June and 25,710 in July 2012, according to the Employment Development Department records.

Amongst local industries, mining, logging and construction showed the largest gain in July, with 50 jobs, or a 15.2-percent increase. Other industries showing slight increases included professional and business services; trade, transportation and utilities; and other services.

Decreases occurred in total farm, service providing, information, financial activities, educational and health services, leisure and hospitality, and government.

During the July survey week, the Employment Development Department reported that there were 510,998 people receiving regular Unemployment Insurance benefits, compared with 445,971 in June and 518,605 in July 2012.

New claims for unemployment insurance were 67,382 in July 2013, compared with 66,122 in June and 52,336 in July of last year, the state 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 COUNTY, Calif. – A small number of Teamsters members who had taken part in a Lake Transit strike earlier this month are being allowed to return to work, and one of Lake County's congressmen has urged the two sides in the strike to return to the bargaining table.

Teamsters Local 665 members went out on an indefinite strike on July 29, citing a breakdown in negotiations with Lake Transit's operator, Paratransit Services, as Lake County News has reported.

The 28 striking workers voted on Aug. 15 to return to work unconditionally in an effort to restore transit services.

Paratransit Services, which said it had hired a number of permanent replacement workers during the strike, has recalled two drivers and a dispatcher from among the Teamsters members, said Christie Scheffer, Paratransit Services' executive vice president and chief operating officer.

The remaining 25 employees who returned from the strike have been placed on a preferential recall list, and will be brought back as openings occur based on seniority, Scheffer said.

Paratransit Services and Teamsters Local 665 continued to trade allegations on Wednesday.

Scheffer said the union was responsible for harassing drivers and creating safety hazards, and suggested the Teamsters may be violating the Homeland Security Act.

There have been at least three such incidents this week resulting in significant safety concerns, Scheffer said. Other incidents happened earlier this month and last month.

She said Paratransit Services representatives met with the California Highway Patrol, Lakeport Police Department and Lake County Sheriff's Office on Wednesday to coordinate response to future safety issues.

The union responded by calling the allegations “ridiculous.”

The Teamsters also continued to criticize Paratransit Services for failing to restore services completely. Lake Transit said that services won't be fully restored until Sept. 3.

The union maintains the new drivers Paratransit Services hired during the strike can't be properly trained in such a short period of time, and said that Paratransit Services has failed to bring back all the striking workers because they would have been allowed to work under terms in place prior to the strike.

Since the strike ended, Paratransit Services has brought new proposals, including a demand to forgo seniority as it pertains to shift bids and assignments, and attempted to make all near-term discussions “a one-way street,” the union said.

On Wednesday, Congressman Mike Thompson sent Teamsters Local 665 President Ralph Miranda and Paratransit Services a letter urging the two sides to return to negotiations as soon as possible, noting the service stoppage is having a “devastating effect” on riders.

“The riders should not be held hostage while management and the drivers attempt to reach an agreement,” wrote Thompson. “Therefore I strongly urge Paratransit Services Inc. to accept the union's offer for drivers to return work while negotiations continue.”

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.

KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – A young man was hurt when his dirt bike hit a parked car over the weekend.

The 19-year-old man, whose name was not available for release, was injured in a crash that occurred shortly after 8 p.m. Sunday at 5950 Terri Lane in Kelseyville, according to Kelseyville Fire Chief Mike Stone.

Stone said the man was riding a small dirt bike without a helmet, lost control and hit the parked car.

After hitting the car, the man flew over it and hit his head on an iron gate, Stone said.

The crash victim had a large laceration on the top of his head. Stone said the man was conscious and told firefighters he had severe head pain but did not have neck pain.

Kelseyville Fire ambulance took the man to a landing zone at Kelseyville High School. From there he was taken by REACH air ambulance to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital, Stone said.

An update on the young man's condition was not available.

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.

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The Clearlake Veterans Affairs Clinic will host an open house for the community on Wednesday, Aug. 28.

The event will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the clinic, 15145 Lakeshore Drive.

Veterans, family members, and friends are invited to stop by the Clearlake VA Clinic Open House for a tour and to learn more about various programs and health care services for veterans.

The clinic offers a wide array of services from primary medical care, outpatient mental health, podiatry, women’s care and basic dermatology, to social work, nutritional counseling, marriage and family therapy, and much more.

A VA chaplain is available every third Thursday, and Member Services representatives are at the clinic every other Thursday. Member Services can help with billing issues, getting or updating a veteran ID card, enrolling in VA healthcare, and with annual required financial updates.

Clearlake VA Clinic offers video telehealth (VTEL) technology in many specialty areas which allows Veteran patients to come to the Clearlake clinic and be seen over a VTEL monitor by a provider at the San Francisco VA Medical Center (SFVAMC).

This saves patients time, and “wear and tear” on themselves from having to travel over a hundred miles to receive top quality VA medical treatment.

For more information about this event call Clearlake VA Clinic Administrative Officer Wendy Carter at 707-995-7204.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – Caltrans is urging travelers who will be making a trip to the San Francisco Bay Area during the Labor Day weekend to plan ahead, choose an alternate route now, and allow plenty of extra travel time because the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge will be closed.

The bridge will be shut down from 8 p.m., Wednesday, Aug. 28, until 5 a.m., Tuesday, Sept. 3, while workers take the bridge’s original East Span out of service and open the new bridge to traffic.

Anyone interested in more details about the closure should visit http://baybridgeinfo.org/ , call 511 for traffic updates or visit http://511.org/ to find out which other Bay Area bridges are available as detour routes.

Nearly 300,000 motorists daily cross the iconic bridge that connects San Francisco with Oakland, Berkeley and other East Bay cities.

Thanks to the public heeding previous warnings, Caltrans successfully closed the bridge without significant traffic backups during Labor Day weekends in 2006, 2007 and 2009.

Taking advantage of historically light traffic on the bridge during the holiday weekend helps minimize disruptions to motorists, residents and businesses.

KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – The service of a search warrant by the Sheriff’s Narcotics Task Force last Friday resulted in one arrest and the seizure of 762 marijuana plants, 140 pounds of processed marijuana and two firearms.

Virginio Nunez Espinoza, 54, of Kelseyville was arrested as a result of the search warrant service, according to Lt. Steve Brooks of the Lake County Sheriff's Office.

On Friday, Aug. 16, narcotics detectives secured a search warrant on a parcel of property located in the 9500 block of Adobe Creek Drive in Kelseyville. Brooks said the property was described as being a rural, vacant parcel located along the top of a mountain ridge.

At 3 p.m. that day, detectives served the search warrant, Brooks said.

As they entered the property, detectives noticed a large quantity of marijuana plants within a fenced enclosure. Brooks said they also saw two male subjects sitting outside of a travel trailer, located approximately 30 yards uphill from the outdoor cultivation site.

One of the subjects fled on foot into the brush. The other subject was detained and later identified by his Mexico identification card as Espinoza, according to Brooks.

During the search, detectives located 720 marijuana plants inside an elaborate light deprivation grow structure, according to Brooks.

Brooks said the structure was equipped with high-powered fans and a large black curtain that, when drawn, would cover the top and sides of the structure. This manipulates the amount of sunlight received by the plants and stimulates the plant to flower.

Narcotics detectives located 42 additional marijuana plants in an outdoor cultivation site, Brooks said.

Inside a structure located on the property, detectives found what appeared to be a large scale processing area. Brooks said they located six large plastic containers which contained a total of 140 pounds of processed marijuana.

Detectives also located two loaded shotguns during the search. All of the marijuana and the firearms were seized as evidence, Brooks said.

Espinoza told detectives he was being paid $10 per hour to cultivate and process the marijuana. Brooks said Espinoza stated that he was unable to provide any information as to who was paying him, or who he was working with in the operation.

He denied having a medical recommendation to grow or use marijuana and told detectives that he thought it was legal, because it is legal to grow it in Mexico, Brooks said.

Espinoza was arrested for possession of marijuana for sales, the cultivation of marijuana and being armed while committing a drug offense. Brooks said Espinoza was transported to the Lake County Hill Road Correctional Facility and booked, with bail set at $65,000.

Jail records indicated Espinoza later posted the required portion of bail and was released.

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

LAKEPORT, Calif. – A teenager who previously served as a St. Mary Immaculate Parish altar boy has sued the Diocese of Santa Rosa, alleging he was sexually abused by a former priest.

The law firm of Manly, Stewart & Finaldi filed the lawsuit on behalf of the 16-year-old plaintiff, identified as “John JC Doe,” on Tuesday in Sonoma County Superior Court, according to attorney Skye Daley.

This suit alleges that the late Father Ted Oswald sexually abused John JC Doe while he was serving as an altar boy and participating in the parish youth group under Oswald’s supervision.

Dan Galvin, the diocese's attorney, said Wednesday that he hadn't yet seen the complaint and therefore couldn't offer any comment.

Oswald, who died in July 2010 at age 65, was put on leave and later retired after a 2008 lawsuit was filed against him and the diocese in Sonoma County Superior Court by Tracy resident Christopher Griego, as Lake County News has reported.

Oswald had been a chaplain for Lakeport Police and the Lake County Sheriff's Office and had been released from those duties after the first allegations were made.

At that time, Oswald – who had served as parish priest for 20 years – vehemently denied the allegations both to the diocese and in a Lake County News interview. The Vietnam veteran and former police officer had said he wanted his day in court to defend his reputation.

Griego, who alleged Oswald had abused him between 1988 and 1995, originally had sought $2.5 million in the case, which later was joined by another plaintiff. The diocese settled that case before trial in 2009 for $1.3 million.

Daley said there is no demand for a specified dollar amount in this latest suit, which accuses the diocese and the parish of failing to protect the plaintiff – and all children – from Oswald. Daley said they plan on leaving the final award up to a jury to decide.

The teenage plaintiff began discussing the alleged abuse with his family during the past year, said Daley. He said Oswald's death had removed the boy's fear of reprisal.

The complaint alleges that the diocese knew that Oswald was a danger to children. Daley said the diocese has “a very long history” of employing priests accused of sexual abuse, dating back to the 1970s. He said he's personally tallied more than a dozens priests and three bishops involved in abuse since that time.

“They have no excuse in terms of not knowing what to look for,” he said.

Daley said Oswald wasn't put on leave until “months and months” after the allegations involved in the Griego case surfaced, and was allowed to continue with his duties of hearing confessions from minors, overseeing altar servers, running youth programs, counseling programs and church-sponsored trips and events.

It's alleged that the abuse of John JC Doe began sometime around 2007 and lasted for a one-year period, beginning with Oswald traveling to the boy's home under the guise of providing spiritual guidance and support to his family.

The suit alleges that the sexual abuse began after Oswald hired the boy to wash his motor coach, which was parked in front of Oswald’s Lakeport home.

Oswald allegedly invited the boy to come inside his home, where he would sexually abuse and harass him. The suit accuses Oswald of giving the alleged victim alcohol and groping him. Abuse also is alleged to have taken place inside the back office at St. Mary Immaculate.

Daley said that because the plaintiff is a minor, he must sue for a guardian ad litem, with those papers expected to be signed soon by the court. The diocese can then be served with the papers and discovery can began 15 days later.

“We intend to start the discovery process immediately,” said Daley.

He said there is no standard length of time for such cases, that he expects this case could go to trial within the next two years.

All the previous cases against Oswald have settled before trial. Daley said in reference to this current litigation, “We intend to try the case,” although he acknowledged sometimes it's in the plaintiff's best interest to settle beforehand.

Daley said his firm's first goal in dealing with priest sex abuse cases is to achieve healing for clients, and then to effectuate some sort of change within the diocese and the Catholic Church to protect children.

He added, “We're hopeful that this suit, as other suits in the past have, will prompt some sort of police investigation.”

Daley suggested such an investigation would look at whether anyone within the diocese was a mandated reported.

“These are all questions we can't answer right now,” Daley said.

The legal actions against Oswald have so far not involved a criminal component, but have been handled in civil court.

In 2008, local law enforcement officials told Lake County News that they had never received any criminal complaint against Oswald and so hadn't pursued criminal case investigations against him at that point.

Lakeport Police Chief Brad Rasmussen said Wednesday that he was unaware of any reports involving allegations of Oswald abusing minors being submitted to his agency within the last three years.

“We definitely haven't had any reports or allegations in the past year,” he said, which is the time period when John JC Doe began discussing the allegations with his family, according to Daley.

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.

NICE, Calif. – Proactive enforcement efforts by a Lake County Sheriff’s patrol deputy last week resulted in one arrest and the seizure of methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia and a firearm.

Daniel Patrick Hard, 50, of Clearlake Oaks was taken into custody following a traffic stop, according to Lt. Steve Brooks.

At 2 a.m. Friday, Aug. 16, a deputy working patrol in the Nice area was traveling westbound on Highway 20 when he noticed a vehicle, traveling eastbound, which passed him with its high beam headlights activated, Brooks said.

Brooks said the deputy conducted an enforcement stop on the vehicle in the area of Highway 20 and Bartlett Springs Road.

The deputy contacted Hard, the vehicle's driver, who explained his high beam indicator light is not working properly and is constantly illuminated, Brooks said.

Hard told the deputy that he is unable to determine if his high beams are on or off. At the same time, Central Dispatch conducted a records check of Hard and advised he had two warrants for his arrest from Colusa County, Brooks said.

The deputy had Hard exit the vehicle and when he did, the deputy noticed a black plastic case on the floorboard near the gas pedal. Brooks said the deputy asked what was in the case and Hard replied, “A meth pipe.”

The deputy opened the case and located a glass pipe with a white residue throughout it. Brooks said the deputy also searched the vehicle and located a loaded 9 millimeter semi-automatic handgun, another glass meth pipe, a digital gram scale and a small amount of methamphetamine in the center console.

Hard was arrested for the two Colusa County warrants, being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm, armed while committing a drug offense, possession of a controlled substance while armed, possession of a controlled substance, possession of controlled substance paraphernalia and for being under the influence of a controlled substance, Brooks said.

Brooks said Hard was transported to the Lake County Hill Road Correctional Facility and booked. He remained in custody on Wednesday, with bail set at $300,000.

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

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Cal Fire reported that its Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit will remain under red flag warnings, due to possible dry lightning strikes, into the late evening Wednesday.

The red flag warning remains in effect for most of the foothills, mountains of Northern California and Bay Area, due to the possibility of dry lightning in combination with gusty winds, the agency said.

Cal Fire Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit Chief Eric Hoffmann asked the public to be cautious during the red flag warnings and to do their part in preventing wildfires.

Since Sunday evening, California has been pummeled with thousands of dry lightning strikes that have sparked over a hundred new wildfires, the agency reported.

While most of those fires have been contained to small spots, fire officials said strong winds and dry conditions have allowed several of the fires to grow rapidly.

Currently, the Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit is not experiencing lightning-caused fire activity. However, other Cal Fire units – including Butte and Shasta – are battling wildland fires and the federal lands have been hit hard with fire activity throughout the state, officials said.

Already this year, Cal Fire has responded to more than 4,500 wildfires that have charred over 92,000 acres. Compared to last year during this same time period Cal Fire had responded to 3,300 fires that burned 43,000 acres.

The public is urged to ensure they are prepared for wildfires by having a wildfire action plan that includes evacuation routes, as well as having an emergency supply kit. Learn more at www.ReadyForWildfire.org .

For more information regarding warning and tips to prevent fires visit http://calfire.ca.gov/communications/communications_firesafety_redflagwarning.php .

KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – It is not too late to reserve a spot for this Sunday, Aug. 25, for a fun and interesting social evening at the Moore Family Winery, presented by the Lake County Land Trust.

The fundraiser will benefit the Boggs Lake Reserve on Mt. Hannah and is just $30 per person with tickets including wine, appetizers, and a fascinating presentation by vernal pool ecologist, Carol Witham.

The event begins at 5 p.m.

Witham will present a virtual tour of the wonders of vernal pools, and discuss answers to questions such as: “What makes a vernal pool?” and “Why are they found almost nowhere but California?”

A special feature of this event will be a short field trip at Boggs Lake, led by Witham.

The field trip will start at 3:30 p.m. and is only open to those supporting the fundraiser.

Boggs Lake Reserve is currently owned by The Nature Conservancy and is being co-managed by the Lake County Land Trust. It is a vernal pool featuring some of the most unique native plans in the state of California.

This would be a good opportunity to learn about the beautiful flowers and plants that you could see at the reserve in the spring.

“Vernal pools provide a kaleidoscope of brilliant life as the pools progress through seasonal transitions from wet to dry,” said Lake County Land Trust Executive Director Cathy Koehler.

The Moore Family Winery is located at 1990 Bottle Rock Road, Kelseyville.

To make reservations, please call 707-262-0707 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Payment will be taken at the door.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The locally created and broadcast performance of “Lake County Live!” airs once again on Sunday, Aug. 25, at 6 p.m. at the Soper-Reese Community Theatre in Lakeport.

This month's show features the return of the a Capella group EarReverence, and the debut of a new performer for the show.

“We have always attempted to present the best entertainment Lake County has to offer, and have had a few visitors on the show in the past who were not from Lake County,” said program creator and host Doug Rhoades.

“My friend Barry Melton, who is a great performer in his own right, told me about his friend Cat Hill,” Rhoades said. “When he went on to tell me that this folksinger/songwriter had created a song about Mother Maybelle's Bountiful Brownies, having her on our show was a done deal.”

Mother Maybelle's, the fictious purveyor of “enhanced” brownies, is a regular feature of the show as sponsor for the continuing soap opera, “Ladies of the Lake.”

“I couldn't think of a better fit for our show than EarReverence, who have always pleased the crowd, and Cat Hill who has so captured the essence of at least one aspect of our show. It should be a fun night,” Rhoades said.

Lake County Live! airs on Lake County Community Radio KPFZ 88.1 FM and is performed live in the theater at 6 p.m. on the last Sunday of each month.

Tickets are available online at www.soperreesetheatre.com , at the theater box office and at the Travel Center, 1265 S. Main St. in Lakeport.

The show also is streamed live on the Internet at www.kpfz.org , and is repeated on KPFZ radio the Saturday following the live show at 7 a.m.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Wildland fires around California are impacting air quality in Lake County, Lake County Air Quality Management District said Tuesday morning.

The American and Swedes fires burning in the Northern Sierras and the Corral Complex, Salmon River Complex and Butler fires in northwest California – coupled with a cutoff low sitting off the central California coast – are resulting in smoke, haze and degraded air quality in Lake County, according to Pollution Control Officer Doug Gearhart.

According to the National Interagency Coordination Center's Tuesday morning situation report, the listed fires have burned over 52,600 acres and are partially contained. The fires are burning in timber and brush with extreme fire behavior.

Weather forecasts indicate moderate to poor conditions which may result in continued smoke impacts for the Lake County air basin until the low moves inland.

Air quality conditions on Monday were in the good range, though there was noticeable smoke intrusion, Gearhart said.

He said Tuesday's ultrafine particulate levels are elevated, with localized areas experiencing air quality that is moderate to unhealthy for sensitive individuals.

The air quality forecast for Lake County on Tuesday and Wednesday is “good” to “moderate,” with localized higher concentrations, Gearhart said.

Some areas may experience air quality that is “unhealthy for sensitive individuals,” he said. All areas of Lake County may be significantly impacted should meteorological conditions worsen.

Meteorological forecasts indicate the smokey conditions should start to clear over the next two to three days, with healthy air quality forecast for the weekend, Gearhart said.

Smokey conditions can cause irritation of the eyes, nose and air passages. These conditions can be hazardous for sensitive individuals including young children, the elderly, and individuals with heart conditions, and those with chronic lung disease such as asthma, bronchitis and other respiratory conditions.

Contact your health care provider to discuss what you should do if smoke becomes worse in your area.

Remember to take precautions and plan ahead as smoke conditions can change quickly.