LOWER LAKE, Calif. – A Lower Lake man was taken into custody on Thursday evening for being in possession of child pornography.

Lee Daniel Buckmaster, 38, was arrested in the case, according to Lt. Steve Brooks of the Lake County Sheriff's Office.

On Thursday Lake County Sheriff’s Office Major Crimes Unit detectives served a search warrant at a residence in the 12000 block of Highway 29 in Lower Lake, Brooks said.

He said the search warrant was obtained as a result of several cyber tips the sheriff's office received from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, or NCMEC, related to the uploading of child pornography.

NCMEC had identified more than 100 child pornography images that had been uploaded from specific IP and email addresses, according to Brooks.

Through an extensive investigation, Brooks said detectives were able to identify the suspect as Buckmaster.

Detectives also were able to identify the Lower Lake residence where the images were uploaded, Brooks said.

Brooks said detectives seized several media storage devices, some of which contained videos and still images depicting child pornography.

Buckmaster was arrested and booked at the Lake County Jail for possession of child pornography, with bail set at $200,000, according to his booking sheet.

Buckmaster remained in custody on Friday night. Jail records show he is tentatively scheduled to appear in court on Monday.

MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – Ahead of his appearance in town set for this weekend, on Thursday evening Santa Claus dropped by to visit with the community and the men and women who help keep Middletown safe all the year round.

The bay of the South Lake County Fire Protection District fire station on Highway 175, usually packed with equipment, was filled with hundreds of people of all ages who stopped in during the two-hour-long event Thursday evening.

Children got to choose gifts from tables stacked high with toys, books and games, with event staff replenishing the tables with still more goodies as the night went on.

The children also lined up to visit with Santa and Mrs. Claus, decked out in their holiday finest, seated against a backdrop that included a fire truck decked out in lights, holiday decorations and toys.

Everyone who came was invited to enjoy hot cocoa, cookies and popcorn.

This was the first year that South Lake County Fire has had this event, according to Jody Galvan, a district volunteer.

In past years, the district has had its “Candy Cane Run,” but this year decided to go with the Christmas party and toy giveaway, with help from the Fire Family Foundation, which sponsored the event.

The foundation was formed in 2008 by Firefighters First Credit Union in order to offer “immediate assistance to firefighters and their families, fire victims, fire departments, and charities,” according to its Web site, www.firefamilyfoundation.org/ .

In addition to the foundation, Galvan said donations of toys came from fire departments around Northern California, along with private citizens, some of whom also donated cash also donated toward the giveaway.

While a great deal of focus has been placed on helping fire survivors, Galvan said the Thursday night event welcomed everyone.

Email Elizabeth Larson at [email protected] . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.

NICE, Calif. – A Davis man was injured in a Thursday evening crash on the Northshore and later placed under arrest on suspicion of driving under the influence.

Andrew Herbert, 29, was arrested following the crash, which occurred at 8 p.m. Thursday at the roundabout in Nice, located on Highway 20 at the Nice-Lucerne Cutoff, according to the California Highway Patrol's Clear Lake Area office.

The CHP report said Herbert was driving his 2008 Volkswagen Jetta eastbound on Highway 20 approaching the roundabout at an unknown speed.

As Herbert entered the roundabout and – for reasons that investigators have yet to determine – he failed to negotiate the curve in the roundabout and rolled the Jetta at least once, the CHP said.

The CHP said Herbert's car came to rest on its wheels, facing westbound in the eastbound lane. Traffic was diverted for a short period of time while the roadway was cleared.

It's unknown if Herbert was wearing his seat belt during the crash, the CHP said.

Herbert suffered a major injury to his left hand, and the CHP said he was transported to Sutter Lakeside Hospital for treatment.

The CHP said it appeared that alcohol was a contributing factor to the crash, and Herbert was placed under arrest for a misdemeanor count of driving under the influence while he was at the hospital.

The cause of the crash remains under investigation, according to the CHP.

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. – Lake County received another healthy dowsing on Thursday, with still more rain expected through the weekend.

Rainfall totals reported by the National Weather Service for the 24-hour period ending at 2:30 a.m. Friday included the following, in inches:

– Bartlett Springs, 1.52;
– Cobb, 1.84;
– Hidden Valley Lake, 1.10;
– Indian Valley Reservoir, 0.28;
– Kelseyville, 1.52;
– Lakeport, 1.17;
– Lower Lake, 0.14;
– Upper Lake, 0.90.

Forecasters are expecting rain throughout the day Friday, although totals are expected to be far less than on Thursday – up to one-fifth of an inch for both the day and nighttime totals.

Rain also is in the forecast for Saturday and Sunday, with chances of showers on Monday, and clearing through Thursday, the National Weather Service 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.

KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – A Kelseyville woman was arrested Wednesday for driving under the influence following a crash on Highway 29.

Charlene Marie Gayaldo, 35, was arrested for misdemeanor DUI following the crash, which took place just after 9 p.m. on Highway 29 north of Kelseyville Auto Salvage, according to the California Highway Patrol's Clear Lake Area office.

The CHP said Gayaldo was driving her 1998 Honda CRV southbound with a 7-year-old female passenger when, for reasons that are still not known, Gayaldo allowed her vehicle to veer across the northbound lane.

The vehicle hit a dirt embankment and came to rest in the northbound lane, blocking traffic, the CHP said.

Gayaldo, who the CHP said was wearing a seat belt, suffered minor injuries, including a laceration to the left side of her head.

The child, who was seated in the right rear seat in a child seat and restrained, was uninjured, and later was released to a family member, the CHP said.

The CHP said alcohol appeared to be a factor in the crash and Gayaldo was arrested at the scene. She later was treated at Sutter Lakeside Hospital for her injuries.

Gayaldo was booked into the Lake County Jail on two counts of misdemeanor DUI and a felony charge of child endangerment, with bail set at $75,000, according to her booking sheet.

Jail records indicated she later posted the required percentage of bail and was released, and has a tentative court appearance set for Feb. 8.

The CHP said the crash's cause 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.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Federal Emergency Management Agency is making rental resources available to eligible survivors of the Valley fire.

More than 1,300 homes were destroyed in the 76,067-acre fire, displacing thousands of south county residents.

FEMA spokesman Steve Solomon told Lake County News that the latest available figures through Tuesday showed that FEMA is providing financial rental assistance to 568 Lake County households.

He said that, early on, available rental resources within the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development fair market rate were scarce.

In response, he said FEMA approved a 125-percent waiver above the HUD fair market rate, resulting in an increase in available rental resource options.

Solomon said FEMA is contacting rental applicants eligible for financial rental resources– who registered for FEMA assistance by the Nov. 23 deadline – to let them know of the waiver and the resulting increase in available rentals.

“FEMA has identified multiple rental resources in Lake County within a reasonable distance from the disaster-affected areas,” he said.

The rentals, which are privately and not government-owned, are available on a first-come, first-served basis, Solomon said.

“There is currently no waiting list,” Solomon added.

“The number of rentals, in our portal, changes daily,” he said, noting that on Tuesday there were 45, which dropped to 25 on Wednesday.

The assistance in finding and paying for rentals is a different FEMA program than that which offers mobile housing units, which Solomon said are a last resort.

There are currently four of those fully furnished units installed on private property in Lake County and being inhabited by local families, Solomon said.

FEMA has 13 pads leased at Lake Village Estates, but manufactured housing units aren't in place on those pads yet, according to Solomon.

Survivors who need temporary housing assistance are urged to contact FEMA at 800-621-FEMA (3362).

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 Walmart Foundation’s California State Giving Council on Wednesday presented a $25,000 check to Habitat for Humanity Lake County to help the organization provide critical repairs to the homes of residents who were displaced by this summer’s devastating wildfires.

The $25,000 grant was presented to Richard Birk, president of Habitat for Humanity Lake County, during a check presentation ceremony at the Walmart store in Clearlake.

The funds presented Wednesday are in addition to the $200,000 in cash and in-kind support which was committed to relief efforts surrounding wildfires in Northern California and other parts of the western U.S. earlier this year.

Nearly 2,000 structures – including more than 1,300 homes – were destroyed in the Valley fire.

The Clearlake Walmart store served as an evacuation point for the community during the fire, remaining open 24 hours a day to ensure the community had access to supplies. The store also provided continuous support with donations of food, water, cots, blankets, hygiene products and other necessities.

The Clearlake Walmart also donated supplies and merchandise to multiple evacuation sites, including the Salvation Army food truck, the local senior center and Moose Lodge, and an evacuation site in Kelseyville, among others.

“We are honored to support organizations like Habitat for Humanity Lake County, which is providing critical services to area families impacted by the recent Valley fire,” said Travis Peck, store manager of the Clearlake Walmart. “Through this grant and our commitment to making a difference in people’s lives, Walmart is helping Lake County and the greater Clearlake community rebuild and rebound.”

Established in 2000, Habitat for Humanity Lake County completed its first home in 2002 and will complete its 19th home by the end of 2015.

In addition, the organization has provided more than 175 homeowners in Lake County with critical health and safety related repairs as part of its Home Repair and Veteran’s Repair programs.

“The fires of 2015 presented our community with a number of unprecedented challenges, including the need to secure safe housing for the hundreds of families that were displaced,” said Birk. “This generous grant from Walmart will help us repair homes which survived the fires and need to be made livable again, as well as build homes for those unable to rebuild or were displaced renters. We’re so thankful for these funds which will make a direct and lasting impact on the lives of so many in our area.”

In 2014, Walmart and the Walmart Foundation gave more than $58 million in cash and in-kind contributions to charitable organizations across California.

To be considered for support, prospective grantee organizations must submit applications through the Walmart Foundation State Giving Program’s online grant application. Applicants must have a current 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status in order to meet the program’s minimum eligibility criteria.

Additional information about the program’s funding guidelines and application process are available online at www.walmartfoundation.org/stategiving .

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Storm conditions moving into the Pacific Northwest are expected to impact Northern California from Wednesday through the weekend.

The National Weather Service earlier this week issued a special weather statement for Lake County and other portions of Northern California due to an impending winter storm, as Lake County News has reported.

On Tuesday, that special weather statement remained in effect, and the National Weather Service reported that an “atmospheric river” – a plume of concentrated moisture between 250 and 400 miles wide in the atmosphere – is moving into the Pacific Northwest and expected to descend over Northern California.

Last December's big storm event was attributed to an atmospheric river.

The precipitation forecast in Lake County is for 2 to 3 inches from Nice northward, 1 to 2 inches for parts of the Northshore as well as Clearlake, Lakeport, Kelseyville, Hidden Valley Lake, Middletown and Cobb, and half an inch to an inch in the lower southeastern portion of the county, according to National Weather Service maps.

A large amount of snow is expected to fall across Northern California's mountains, with as much as 2 feet forecast in the Sierras, based on the forecast.

The far northern parts of Lake County could get between 3 and 6 inches, according to the National Weather Service.

Although much of the storm's impact is expected to happen from Wednesday through Friday, forecasters are predicting that chances of showers will continue through the weekend and into early next week in Lake County. There also are chances on Thursday of gusting winds.

Nighttime temperatures over the next several days are forecast to dip into the low 30s at night, with daytime highs in the low 50s, based on the county's specific forecast.

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. – Lake County residents will gather together on Saturday to honor veterans as part of the annual Wreaths Across America Day.

Everyone is invited to take part in the event, which serves to show that the sacrifices of veterans are not be forgotten.

Youth organizations and veterans organizations have volunteered to conduct the Wreaths Across America ceremony this year at Hartley, Kelseyville, Lower Lake, Upper Lake and St. Mary’s cemeteries on Saturday, Dec. 12, starting promptly at 9 a.m.

Seven ceremonial wreaths will be placed to remember all soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines who served, honor their sacrifices and teach younger generations about the high cost of our freedoms. 

This year Wreaths Across America announced to each cemetery coordinator in Lake County that they are sending additional wreaths so that every veteran at the participating cemeteries will be honored with a holiday wreath. 

More than 2,100 wreaths will be placed to remember and honor the veterans buried in Lake County. The count for each cemetery is as follows: Hartley Cemetery, 711 wreaths; Kelseyville Cemetery, 486 wreaths; Lower Lake Cemetery, 513 wreaths; Upper Lake cemetery, 414 wreaths; and St. Mary’s Cemetery, 43 wreaths.

Wreaths Across America pursues its mission with nationwide wreath-laying events amid the holiday season, and year-round educational outreach inviting all Americans to appreciate our freedoms and the cost at which they are delivered.

Specially designated wreaths for the Army, Marines, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, Merchant Marine and POW/MIA will be placed on memorials during a ceremony that will be coordinated simultaneously at more than 1,000 participating locations all across the country and overseas.

In 2014, Wreaths Across America and their national network of volunteers laid more than 700,000 memorial wreaths in the United States and beyond with help from 2,048 fundraising groups, corporate contributions, donations of trucking and shipping, and thousands of helping hands.

Take an hour amid the hustle and bustle of this holiday season and bring your families to attend one of these heartfelt ceremonies that will be performed by youth organizations including Boy Scouts, Cub Scouts, Clear Lake High School Cheerleaders, 4-H, FFA, CLHS Band, Sheriff Explorers, St. Mary’s Confirmation Kids and K-Corps.

In addition, the Lake County Funeral Honors Team, Patriot Guard Riders and Honor Guard from the Travis Air Force Base will be attending at one of the locations.

NORTH COAST, Calif. – A Lake County man who was walking across lanes of traffic on Highway 101 Sunday night in Windsor died after he was struck by three separate vehicles.

Sgt. Cecile Focha of the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office identified the man as 37-year-old Brandon James Harlof of Nice. Focha said Harlof's family had been notified of his death.

Just after 11 p.m. Sunday Harlof was walking within the lanes of northbound Highway 101 south of Shiloh Road when, for reasons that are unknown, Harlof crossed the lanes of traffic in an easterly direction, according to a report from Officer Jon Sloat of the California Highway Patrol's Santa Rosa Area office.

A silver Dodge Charger driven by Ernesto Eufracio of Lindsay hit Harlof within the highway's No. 2 lane, the CHP said.

Shortly after Harlof was hit by the first vehicle, the CHP said he was hit by two others – a 1999 Cadillac driven by William Brasher and a three-axle truck and trailer driven by William Rivers of San Francisco.

All three vehicles pulled to the right shoulder and awaited assistance from the CHP, Sloat's report said.

Traffic was diverted to Shiloh Road, while the northbound lanes of Highway 101 were closed for approximately four hours during the investigation, according to the CHP.

Focha said the Sonoma County Coroner’s Office will schedule a forensic pathologist to conduct an autopsy to determine the official cause and manner of Harlof’s death.

The CHP said investigators are trying to determine why Harlof was on the freeway.

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. – U.S. Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-5) announced Monday a $1,975,339 Emergency Relief grant for the repair or reconstruction of federal-aid highways and roads on federal lands that have suffered serious damage as a result of the Valley fire.

The funds come from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration.

“The Valley fire caused untold amounts of damage to critical infrastructure, and we’re just in the initial stages of the repair process,” said Thompson. “It’s going to be long way back. There is a lot of rebuilding in front of us, and road repairs are a big part of it. These funds will help us continue our progress.”

Emergency Relief funds are awarded to a state after the president or governor issues a formal emergency declaration and the state files a request for Emergency Relief for the cost of damages to its eligible highways.

Eligible repair work includes emergency repairs needed to restore essential traffic, minimize the extent of damage, or protect the remaining facilities as well as permanent repairs necessary to restore the highway to its predisaster condition.

The Valley fire has caused significant damage to area highways. The highway damage involves pavements, signs, guardrails and safety features, destabilized slopes and embankments, and debris from trees and burned structures.

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

LAKEPORT, Calif. – Early Tuesday morning a Pacific Gas and Electric crew was assessing the cause of a power outage that occurred near Lakeport.

The company's online outage center reported the outage took place just after 1 a.m. and impacted approximately 1,804 customers from the South Main Street area to just past Lakeside Park off of Soda Bay Road, as well as a portion of Highway 29 and Highway 175.

Kelseyville Fire personnel were dispatched to the Soda Bay Road area at 1:15 a.m. on a report of a transformer explosion, but firefighters couldn't locate any damaged power equipment, according to radio reports.

PG&E was still assessing the cause as of 2:30 a.m., with the cause unknown at that time. However, by that point, all but 184 customers had their power restored.

Power is expected to be fully restored by 4:30 a.m., PG&E 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.