LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – A vehicle stop conducted Tuesday afternoon by the Lake County Sheriff’s Narcotics Task Force has resulted in two arrests and the seizure of methamphetamine, prescription medication and drug paraphernalia.

Erik Neal Mezori, 34, of Las Vegas and 32-year-old Tasha Lorraine Cattani of Lucerne were arrested following the vehicle stop, according to Lt. Steve Brooks.

On Tuesday at approximately 4:30 p.m., a narcotics detective noticed a vehicle traveling in front if him on northbound Highway 29 with an expired registration tab. Brooks said the detective confirmed the expired registration through Central Dispatch.

The narcotics detective conducted the enforcement stop on Highway 29 near the intersection of Highway 175 Hopland. He contacted the driver, Mezori, and explained the reason why he was being stopped, Brooks said.

He said the narcotics detective recognized the passenger seated in the front seat as Cattani, who he knew from previous law enforcement contacts was a prior narcotics offender.

The narcotics detective noticed that both Mezori and Cattani exhibited signs of being under the influence of a controlled substance. Brooks said Cattani admitted she had “slipped” and last used the day before, on Monday.

Cattani was asked if she had anything illegal in her possession and she admitted that she did. The narcotics detective asked her to give him all the illegal items she possessed. Brooks said Cattani reached down the front of her pants and removed a clear plastic bag containing a white crystalline substance, which the detective recognized to be methamphetamine.

Brooks said the narcotics detective asked Cattani if she had anything else illegal in her possession and she reached down the front of her pants and removed a glass “meth” pipe. She then reached down the front of her pants again and removed a pink and blue bag.

The detective opened the bag and found two small bags containing a white crystalline substance and some prescription medication, Brooks said. The detective recognized the white crystalline substance to be methamphetamine and the prescription medication to be Vicodin.

The detective arrested Mezori being under the influence of a controlled substance. He arrested Cattani for possession of a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance for sales, transportation of a controlled substance and possession of controlled substance paraphernalia, Brooks said. Both were transported to the Lake County Hill Road Correctional Facility and booked.

The narcotics detective later tested the crystalline substance using a narcotics identification kit. The test flashed blue, indicating a presumptive positive for methamphetamine. The approximate weight of all three bags of methamphetamine was 9 grams, Brooks said.

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

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – Congressmen Mike Thompson (D-St. Helena) and Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael) on Thursday introduced bipartisan legislation to address the environmental damage caused by rampant trespass marijuana cultivation.

The Protecting Lands Against Narcotics Trafficking Act (PLANT Act) would establish new penalties for causing environmental damage while cultivating marijuana on federal public lands or while trespassing on private property.

Thompson and Huffman introduced the bill with bipartisan cosponsors Doug LaMalfa (R-CA), and Doug Lamborn (R-CO).

“These illegal grow sites are threatening lives, destroying public lands and devastating wildlife,” said Thompson. “There should be stiff penalties for the people whose reckless and illegal actions are causing this environmental damage. Our legislation will make sure these criminals are held fully responsible for the harm they cause.”

“Throughout my district and increasingly throughout the United States, we’re seeing trespass marijuana grows threatening endangered wildlife, contaminating fragile salmon streams, and making forests unsafe for working and recreation,” said Congressman Huffman, who represents the “Emerald Triangle” of Mendocino, Humboldt and Trinity counties in northern California.

“As we move toward more rational marijuana policies, which I believe should be left to the states, it’s important that we address the immediate threat to our environment and public safety posed by trespass growing operations,” Huffman said. “Where it is lawful to grow marijuana, it must be done lawfully and responsibly.”

“The widespread illegal marijuana cultivation we’re facing in rural areas creates a strain on law enforcement, endangers our citizens and damages our public lands. Americans should never be concerned for their safety when visiting our National Forests, and the environmental damage these criminals cause places an increased burden on legal users of public lands,” said Congressman LaMalfa. “The PLANT Act gives law enforcement another tool to pursue and prosecute those who act as if our nation’s laws don’t apply in rural areas, creating a strong deterrent against these illegal operations.”

In 2012, nearly one million marijuana plants were eradicated from 471 sites on National Forest lands found in 20 states across the country.

The operators of these illegal grow operations frequently level hilltops, starting landslides on erosion-prone hillsides, divert and dam creeks and streams, and use excessive pesticides to protect their crop.

Individuals and private landholders, including ranchers, timber companies, and forest trusts, report that they are increasingly forced to confront criminals and eradicate drug operations from their own land, endangering lives and costing significant sums of money for eradication and reclamation.

Cultivation of illegal drugs on federal property is already a crime under the Controlled Substances Act, but prosecutions are rare and environmental damage is almost never fully accounted for. Under current law, environmental damages such as water diversions and vegetation removal are not considered as separate or aggravating offenses.

The PLANT Act, introduced today in the House, instructs the U.S. Sentencing Commission to establish penalties for the environmental damage caused by marijuana cultivation and other controlled substance production on “trespass grows” on private property or on federal public lands.

The new legislation specifically identifies three areas of concern:

• Unlawful use of poisons or hazardous chemicals such as pesticides, rodenticides or high grade fertilizers.
• Substantial impairment or taking of water from local aquifers, rivers, or bodies of water.
• Significant removal of vegetation or the clear cutting of timber.

The bipartisan legislation was referred to the House Judiciary Committee, where it awaits further consideration.

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

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – One of Lake County's members of Congress this week used Lake County as an example of success in the geothermal industry during a speech on the House floor.

Congressman John Garamendi (D-Fairfield, CA), a member of the Safe Climate Caucus, spoke on the House floor Tuesday to urge greater use of geothermal energy, highlighting its strength as an emissions-free, environmentally friendly and sustainable source of energy.

The Safe Climate Caucus is a group of Democratic members who are highlighting the need for action on climate change through daily floor speeches and other activities.

Lake County – the northern half of which is in Garamendi's district – and its geothermal production were given special mention in Garamendi's remarks.

“We have a critical natural resource opportunity in this nation, and it's beneath the soil, beneath the ground, and it happens to be the heat of the earth,” Garamendi said.

He called geothermal an extraordinary natural resource that's clean and abundant.

“And it's often overlooked,” he said, adding that it has the ability to become a key source of energy in the future.

Geothermal also is cost effective, said Garamendi, explaining that the cost to produce geothermal energy has decreased by 25 percent over the past two decades, and it can be produced domestically, in areas of California like Lake County and in Nevada.

Garamendi pointed to the creation of jobs and the estimated $117 million in public benefits that are attributed to geothermal energy in California and Nevada each year.

Lake and Sonoma counties receive more than $11 million in annual tax revenue directly from The Geysers geothermal steamfield, he said.

He pointed out that Lake County has saved millions of dollars in disposal costs by funneling eight million gallons of wastewater per day back into geothermal wells that then generate electricity.

According to information provided by Garamendi's office, The Geysers – the largest geothermal installation in the world – provides energy for over 1.1 million people throughout the northern portion of California.

See Garamendi's speech on the House floor in the video above.

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 vehicle stop conducted Tuesday afternoon by the Lake County Sheriff’s Narcotics Task Force has resulted in two arrests and the seizure of methamphetamine, prescription medication and drug paraphernalia.

Erik Neal Mezori, 34, of Las Vegas and 32-year-old Tasha Lorraine Cattani of Lucerne were arrested following the vehicle stop, according to Lt. Steve Brooks.

On Tuesday at approximately 4:30 p.m., a narcotics detective noticed a vehicle traveling in front if him on northbound Highway 29 with an expired registration tab. Brooks said the detective confirmed the expired registration through Central Dispatch.

The narcotics detective conducted the enforcement stop on Highway 29 near the intersection of Highway 175 Hopland. He contacted the driver, Mezori, and explained the reason why he was being stopped, Brooks said.

He said the narcotics detective recognized the passenger seated in the front seat as Cattani, who he knew from previous law enforcement contacts was a prior narcotics offender.

The narcotics detective noticed that both Mezori and Cattani exhibited signs of being under the influence of a controlled substance. Brooks said Cattani admitted she had “slipped” and last used the day before, on Monday.

Cattani was asked if she had anything illegal in her possession and she admitted that she did. The narcotics detective asked her to give him all the illegal items she possessed. Brooks said Cattani reached down the front of her pants and removed a clear plastic bag containing a white crystalline substance, which the detective recognized to be methamphetamine.

Brooks said the narcotics detective asked Cattani if she had anything else illegal in her possession and she reached down the front of her pants and removed a glass “meth” pipe. She then reached down the front of her pants again and removed a pink and blue bag.

The detective opened the bag and found two small bags containing a white crystalline substance and some prescription medication, Brooks said. The detective recognized the white crystalline substance to be methamphetamine and the prescription medication to be Vicodin.

The detective arrested Mezori being under the influence of a controlled substance. He arrested Cattani for possession of a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance for sales, transportation of a controlled substance and possession of controlled substance paraphernalia, Brooks said. Both were transported to the Lake County Hill Road Correctional Facility and booked.

The narcotics detective later tested the crystalline substance using a narcotics identification kit. The test flashed blue, indicating a presumptive positive for methamphetamine. The approximate weight of all three bags of methamphetamine was 9 grams, Brooks said.

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

KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – A Thursday afternoon crash near Kelseyville resulted in the death of one of the drivers, injuries to three others – including two children – and an arrest.

The crash occurred at 12:14 p.m. on Highway 29 north of Highway 281, according to a Thursday evening report from the California Highway Patrol's Clear Lake Area office.

A 62-year-old woman driving a 1995 Mitsubishi Expo died following the crash, the CHP said. Her name and city of residence were not released pending notification of family.

The CHP said two children who were riding as passengers in the Toyota, a 7-year-old boy and a 10-year-old girl, suffered major injuries.

The second driver, 60-year-old Janet Lee Mix of Clearlake, was arrested for driving under the influence and subsequently released to the hospital for treatment of her injuries, the CHP reported.

Mix, driving a 1999 Toyota Sienna, was headed southbound on Highway 29 at an unknown speed when she allowed her vehicle to drift off the road and onto the shoulder, according to the CHP.

She made an unsafe turning movement to return to the southbound lane, with the CHP report explaining that the turning movement caused Mix to cross the southbound lane and travel into the northbound lane and the path of the second driver, who also was traveling at an unknown rate of speed.

The two vehicles hit head-on, the CHP said.

Mix was transported with moderate injuries to Sutter Lakeside Hospital. The CHP said the second driver also was transported to Sutter Lakeside Hospital, where she died.

The 7-year-old boy was flown by REACH air ambulance to UC Davis Medical Center, while the 10-year-old girl was taken to Sutter Lakeside Hospital, the CHP reported.

All four individuals were wearing safety equipment, the CHP said.

Drug use is believed to be a factor in the crash, which the CHP said 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.

NICE, Calif. – A local bicyclist was seriously injured on Tuesday when he was involved in a bike crash in Nice.

Stephan Evans, 61, of Glenhaven was hurt in the crash, which occurred at 3:10 p.m. on Tuesday, according to California Highway Patrol Officer Rob Hearn.

Hearn said Evans was riding his Kestrel bicycle when he crashed on Lakeshore Boulevard at the Nice-Lucerne Cutoff because of an issue with his front tire.

“He was going pretty fast and lost pressure in his tire,” Hearn said, adding that no vehicles were involved.

Evans suffered a possible broken pelvis, Hearn said.

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

NICE, Calif. – Damaged power equipment is believed to have caused a wildland fire that burned close to Highway 20 and several homes on Thursday night.

Firefighters were dispatched to the area of E. Highway 20 at Carson Street in Nice shortly after 9:30 p.m. on the report of a blown transformer, downed power lines and a resulting wildland fire that was threatening several structures, according to radio reports.

The fire personnel from Northshore Fire and Cal Fire who arrived on scene minutes later found the fire running uphill, reports from the scene indicated.

Northshore Fire Deputy Chief Pat Brown said the fire burned about a half an acre total, but it came extremely close to nearby residences.

“It ran up between four different homes,” he said, adding that none of the homes were damaged.

Shortly after the fire was reported, Pacific Gas & Electric Co. said there were almost 1,600 customers without power in and around the Nice area due to damaged power equipment on a pole.

Brown said he did not know if there had been a blown transformer in the area as had been indicated in the multiple 911 calls reporting the fire, but firefighters found a separated primary line down on the ground.

A Northshore Fire engine responding to the fire was involved in a traffic collision, according to the California Highway Patrol, radio and witness reports.

The CHP said the fire truck was out of commission as a result of the crash.

Brown said there were no injuries related to the collision.

By 2 a.m. 627 customers remained without power, with PG&E estimating power would be restored to all of its customers by 4:30 a.m.

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.

This story has been updated with additional details on resources and conditions.

CLEARLAKE OAKS, Calif. – Firefighters from around the county responded to a Thursday afternoon fire in the Spring Valley community east of Clearlake Oaks.

The fire, in the area of New Long Valley Road and Pomo Trail, was first reported at 12:49 p.m. Thursday, according to radio reports.

The original calls indicated a small spot fire, which had grown to half an acre by the time firefighters arrived at the scene.

Northshore Fire and Cal Fire responded, with additional engines and water tenders requested from agencies around the county, reports from the scene indicated.

No structures were damaged, said Cal Fire Battalion Chief Greg Bertelli.

The incident was first reported at about the same time as three vehicle collisions took place around the county on Thursday afternoon, with additional fire units responding as soon as they were released from duties at the crash scenes.

The fire was on both sides of New Long Valley Road and jumped Cache Creek, with structures threatened, according to scanner reports.

Northshore Fire Deputy Chief Pat Brown, who was at the scene, said a large continent of fire resources responded due to concerns the fire could quickly grow.

“It was running up into timber,” Brown said.

Northshore Fire sent three engines and a water tender, with an in-county strike team of engines coming from Lakeport, Kelseyville, Lake County Fire and South Lake County Fire.

He said Cal Fire sent three airplanes and two helicopters, with Bertelli reporting that Cal Fire also sent four hand crews, two bulldozers and five engines.

Bertelli said Cal Fire's two helicopters hit the fire spots across Cache Creek. “That was a big help with the spotting,” which has traditionally been a challenge when dealing with fires in Spring Valley, Bertelli said.

Firefighters had to draw water from Spring Valley's water system in order to fight the fire, radio reports indicated.

The fire's location led to the temporary closure of New Long Valley Road. Lake County Public Works reported its staff was on scene to help keep the road closed, but vehicles were driving around the closure.

New Long Valley Road reopened shortly before 3:45 p.m., Public Works reported.

The Cal Fire Command Center said the fire was contained at 3 p.m. It burned between two and three acres.

Bertelli said there was one minor heat-related injury for an inmate crew member, who was taken off the fire line.

Brown said the fire is under investigation, “but we do have an idea” as to the cause.

Resources were expected to remain on scene into the evening, Bertelli 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.

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – A Clearlake woman was arrested Tuesday after she led law enforcement on a high speed chase and crashed into a tree.

Heather Fawn Kimbrough, 25, fled after a Clearlake Police officer tried to contact her passenger, David Edward Row, 30, of Clearlake, while they were in the parking lot of the Lower Lake Tower Mart, according to the Clearlake Police Department.

At 4 p.m. Tuesday Det. Travis Lenz was in the area of Tower Mart when he observed a suspicious vehicle in the gas station parking lot, spotting Row in the front passenger seat. Row was a parolee at large with an active warrant for his arrest out of the California Department of Corrections, police said.

When Lenz attempted to contact Row in the vehicle, Kimbrough, the driver, fled with Row. Police said she attempted to evade officers, traveling through Main Street in Lower Lake reaching speeds in excess of 80 miles per hour.

Kimbrough turned onto Lake Street, passing both Lower Lake High School and Lower Lake Elementary at speeds in excess of 100 miles per hour, according to the police report.

Shortly after passing the schools, Kimbrough lost control of her vehicle, crashing into a tree off the roadway edge of Lake Street, police said.

The pursuing officers removed Kimbrough and Row from the disabled vehicle, which then caught fire. Lake County Fire Protection District arrived on scene and extinguished the fire shortly afterward, Clearlake Police said.

Both Kimbrough and Row were transported to St. Helena Hospital Clear Lake for treatment of minor injuries as a result of the crash, police said. After being medically cleared, they were transported to the Lake County Jail.

Kimbrough was booked into the Lake County Jail on charges of evading with wanton and willful disregard for public safety in a motor vehicle and driving on a suspended license, according to jail records. Row was booked into the Lake County Jail on his parole warrant.

Bail for Kimbrough, whose booking sheet listed her occupation as certified nursing assistant, was set at $35,000. She remained in custody on Wednesday, as did Row, who was being held on a no-bail hold.

Clearlake Police reminded drivers to yield to the right when safely able to do so when emergency vehicles are approaching. This increases public safety as well as the safety of responding emergency units.

Anyone with information regarding this case can contact Det. Lenz at the Clearlake Police Department at 707-994-8251.

KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – An early Thursday morning fire left a local family homeless, and an effort now is under way to raise funds to help them get back on their feet.

The home of the Leary family, located on Fairway Drive in Kelseyville, was reported on fire at around 2:15 a.m. Thursday, as Lake County News has reported.

Erik and Jessica Leary and their four children – 9-year-old twin boys Kyle and Tyler, 6-year-old son Ryder and 1-year-old daughter Allyson – were able to get out safely, but the home burned to the ground, and all but the clothes they were wearing and their vehicles were destroyed, said Erik Leary's brother-in-law, Django Dexter.

“They've lost absolutely everything,” said Dexter.

The family of six was renting the home from Erik Leary's parents, according to Dexter.

Kelseyville Fire Battalion Chief Joe Huggins confirmed the home was a total loss.

He said Kelseyville Fire and Cal Fire each sent two engines, Lakeport Fire sent one engine, with a medic unit, chiefs from Lakeport and Kelseyville, and battalion chiefs from Kelseyville and Cal Fire also responding.

In addition to destroying the Leary home, “A neighboring house did suffer some damage to the exterior wall,” said Huggins.

Huggins said the cause of the fire is still under investigation. “The guys have been out there the majority of the day,” he said on Thursday.

Dexter reported that the Red Cross gave the family some temporary lodging and cash, which was important since their identification cards and credit cards were burned up in the fire.

On Thursday the family's friends and relatives got to work trying to get them some additional help.

Dexter set up an account at http://www.gofundme.com/3myu8o where people can make donations to help the Leary family.

Erik Leary is a water treatment operator for Riviera West Mutual Water Co. and his wife is a preschool teacher at Learning House Infant Toddler Center in Kelseyville, Dexter said.

The fundraising goal has been set at $50,000, with about $7,200 raised in the first 15 hours, according to the GoFundMe Web site.

For additional information on how to help the family, go to http://www.gofundme.com/3myu8o and click on “contact” next to Dexter's picture.

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. – An early morning fire in the Kelseyville area burned a home and threatened other structures nearby.

The fire was reported in the 10600 block of Fairway Drive near Point Lakeview Road at 2:15 a.m. Thursday, according to radio reports.

Kelseyville Fire, Lakeport Fire and Cal Fire responded, finding the single-story, single-family home fully involved, with power lines to the home down, radio reports indicated.

Responding units also reported structures on both sides of the burning home were threatened, but the fire had not gone into nearby wildland.

Witnesses reported that the home's occupants were able to safely get out.

The home was reported contained at 3:45 a.m., with a few hours of mop up planned.

Cal Fire engines were expected to be on scene until as late as 6 a.m. Thursday.

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.

COBB, Calif. – A 3.3-magnitude earthquake was reported early Wednesday evening near The Geysers geothermal steamfield.

The quake occurred at 6:16 p.m., according to the US Geological Survey.

It was centered three miles west northwest of The Geysers and 14 miles southwest of Clearlake at a depth of just over a mile, according to survey records.

Shortly before 7 p.m. the US Geological Survey had received three shake reports on the quake, one from San Rafael and two from Cloverdale. Lake County News received a separate report of the quake from a Kelseyville resident.

A 3.7-magnitude quake was reported near The Geysers on Sunday, as Lake County News has reported.

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