LAKEPORT, Calif. – Two women sustained injuries in a Thursday evening crash involving three vehicles near Lakeport.

The crash occurred at 5:11 p.m. on Highway 29 approaching the Highway 175 intersection, according to California Highway Patrol Officer Kory Reynolds.

Reynolds said Charles Hearne, 54, of Kelseyville was driving a 1998 Dodge Dakota southbound on Highway 29 when he failed to see traffic stopped.

Hearne struck the vehicle in front of him, a 2001 Ford Expedition, driven by Sandra Hanson, 39, of Hidden Valley Lake, Reynolds said.

Hanson's vehicle then collided with the vehicle in front of her, a 2012 Chevrolet Cruz, driven by Christine Love, 58, of Kelseyville, Reynolds said.

Reynolds said Hanson was taken by ambulance to Sutter Lakeside Hospital with a complaint of pain to her neck and back.  Love had a complaint of pain to her back and right side but was not transported.

NORTH COAST,Calif. – On Thursday a federal judge in San Francisco denied a request from a group of five environmental and farming groups to delay the beginning of construction for the Willits Bypass project on Route 101 in Mendocino County.

Caltrans said the project will relieve congestion, improve air quality, reduce delays, and improve safety for traffic and pedestrians along U.S. Route 101 through Willits in Mendocino County.

This $210 million highway improvement project is funded by $136 million in Proposition 1B funds, the 2006 voter-approved transportation bond.

“We are pleased with today’s ruling denying the requested injunction,” said Caltrans District 1 Director Charlie Fielder. “Our extensive mitigation plans not only preserve native species and improve the quality of the watershed in the Little Lake Valley, they will also greatly increase the overall quality of fisheries in these headwaters of the Eel River.”

The mitigation plans include removing culverts on Haehl and Upp Creeks to open up the headwater sections of these creeks to spawning fish.

Installation of natural bottom culverts on Ryan Creek will allow summering juvenile Southern Oregon-Northern California Coasts Coho salmon, a species designated as threatened, to seek summer rearing habitat and greatly increase the species long-term survival outlook.  

Along all creeks within the mitigation properties, invasive non-native plants will be removed and replaced with native plants.  

Fencing also will be installed along all of the creeks within the mitigation properties keeping cattle out of the creeks and riparian zones, increasing water quality and fisheries habitat.

NICE, Calif. – The county’s Northshore area was rattled by a moderately sized earthquake on Halloween night.

The magnitude 3 quake was reported at 8:24 p.m. Wednesday, according to a preliminary report from the US Geological Survey.

The quake’s epicenter was located 11 miles northeast of Nice, 12 miles east northeast of Upper Lake and 12 miles north northeast of Lucerne, at a depth of 4.5 miles, the survey reported.

Shortly after the quake occurred Nice resident Barbara Yaple reported on Lake County News’ Facebook page that a big boom hit her house hard.

One shake report had been submitted from Clearlake Oaks to the US Geological Survey by about 9 p.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.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lakeport Police Department said Thursday that a new Neighborhood Watch program has formed in the city.

Officer Destry Henderson said the program has been under way since this summer.

Henderson said it was implemented in the Armstrong Street area, consisting of residents in the nearby neighborhoods.

The program has seen positive impacts in that area of Lakeport and has helped build another lane of communication between the Lakeport Police Department and the community members, Henderson said.

Our goal is to reduce crime and expand communication between the police department and city residents and business owners.

The Lakeport Police Department is seeking additional neighborhoods in the city to become involved in this program.

If you are interested in starting a neighborhood watch program, attending a meeting, joining an existing area program, or have additional questions please contact Henderson at 707-263-5491, Extension 27, or by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

LAKEPORT, Calif. – A Lakeport man has been arrested on several charges arising from allegations that he assaulted and threatened his girlfriend who is a dependent adult.

David Glenn Akins, 52, a boat builder, was arrested by Lakeport Police Sgt. Dale Stoebe last Wednesday, Oct. 24, according to Lake County Jail records.

Stoebe told Lake County News that Akins’ alleged victim is his on-again, off-again girlfriend, for whom he is a caregiver.

Akins is alleged to have assaulted the woman two days prior to his arrest, Stoebe said.

The girlfriend lives in an apartment complex on Bevins Court that houses adults individuals who are county behavioral health clients. Stoebe said she reported the assault late with the help of a neighbor.

The case involves both mental health and caregiver-related issues, said Stoebe. “It’s complicated.”

Police felt that it was possible for Akins to be charged as a caregiver and not just a domestic partner because of the case circumstances. Stoebe said he is not sure how the District Attorney’s Office ultimately will charge the case.

The alleged victim in the case had been abused by a caregiver before, said Stoebe.

In that case, Lakeport Police had a successful prosecution for financial abuse, with that caregiver – who also was sexually involved with the woman – receiving a prison sentence, he said.

Stoebe said police have had repeated contacts with Akins over the years.

Akins was booked on felony charges of inflicting corporal injury on a spouse or cohabitant, false imprisonment of an elder or dependent adult, and preventing or dissuading a witness, and a misdemeanor charge of causing harm to an elder or dependent adult.

He remained in custody on Wednesday with bail set at $30,000, according to jail records.

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 man hit by a vehicle while jogging last week remains in the hospital, with family members setting up a benefit fund to help him on his long path to recovery.

Isaac Sanchez, 28, was injured on the morning of Thursday, Oct. 25.

Shortly before 10 a.m. that day Sanchez was jogging near the intersection of Arrowhead Road and Country Club Drive when he was hit from behind by a 2005 Kia Sedona driven by 63-year-old William Jackson.

Sanchez, who police found lying on the road’s shoulder with massive trauma, was flown to UC Davis Medical Center.

Police said the investigation’s cause remained under investigation, and a call placed Tuesday seeking an update was not returned. Drugs and alcohol were not believed to be a factor, according to the police report last week.

On Tuesday, UC Davis Medical Center said Sanchez remained hospitalized and was in fair condition.

However, he has a long way to go to recover from the incident, according to his cousin, Erin Izbicki.

Izbicki, who lives in Portland, Ore., said Sanchez was still in intensive care on Tuesday. She had flown down to see him on the day he was injured last week and had since returned home while his mother arrived from Southern California to be with him.

Sanchez suffered significant head trauma, including a fractured skull which resulted in brain swelling. While Izbicki said the swelling has decreased quite a lot, Sanchez is now dealing with pneumonia and a high fever.

Izbicki said he’s been sedated for three days and has been slightly responsive, but isn’t yet conscious.

Originally from Southern California, Sanchez has been living in Clearlake for some time, Izbicki said.

“He had a really hard life,” said Izbicki.

He’s been working as a dishwasher and prep cook at a Thai restaurant in Clearlake. Izbicki said he has turned his life around, started going to church and moved into his own little studio apartment. Sanchez also was saving up to buy a truck.

“He’s just really proud of what he has,” Izbicki explained.

Then he was injured, and she said his doctors have predicted he will need months of rehabilitation.

Izbicki said an account has been set up in his name at Bank of the West.

“We are all praying for his full recovery, Isaac is a very considerate person,” Izbicki said. “He would give you the shirt off his back, he has the biggest heart.”

Bank of the West has a local branch in Clearlake, 707-994-6483; contributions also can be made at any Bank of the West branch.

For more locations or information about the bank visit www.bankofthewest.com .

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.

MENDOCINO NATIONAL FOREST, Calif. – The Mendocino National Forest is once again entering prescribed burning season.

The public may notice smoke in various parts of the forest during the next few months as part of the continued commitment to protect communities and natural resources from wildfires.

Forest visitors, including hunters, are asked to be aware of their surroundings and watch for prescribed burning operations to maintain personal safety.  

Areas where prescribed burning operations are taking place will be well signed and there will be increased fire personnel in the area.  

If visitors are uncertain, they are encouraged to contact the Forest at 530-934-3316 before their visit to see where prescribed burns are planned for the day.

As cooler weather and higher humidity move in, there is an opportunity to bring fire into the forest in a controlled setting.  

Prescribed fires are used to clear the forest floor of small fuels and brush without burning or killing large trees.

Prescribed burns are conducted when there is a window of opportunity and specific conditions and criteria are met before, and will be sustained, during and after the burn.  

These include temperature, wind conditions, relative humidity and fuel moisture levels. The forest also takes air quality into consideration.

“Prescribed burning is an important tool for the Forest to use for hazardous fuels reduction and forest health improvement, including wildlife habitat,” said Grindstone Ranger District Fuels Officer Mike Steele. “The fires are intended to be slow, low-intensity creeping fires on the forest floor. Although there are only a few opportunities for prescribed burns, they produce less smoke and there aren’t the resource impacts typically created by large wildfires.”

The season traditionally runs from early October through spring as weather permits. The burning operations are monitored and patrolled frequently to ensure public safety.

During the prescribed burning season, fire crews also burn piles of wood debris and fuel that are the result of fuel reduction activities in the forest.  

The Grindstone Ranger District plans to burn piles in the Ocean View area west of Forest Highway 7 with operations starting as soon as this week, conditions permitting.

In addition to Ocean View, there are plans to burn additional piles across the Grindstone Ranger District during this fall and winter.   

The focus right now is to get to higher elevation pile sites before they become inaccessible due to snow and poor road conditions.

District staff is planning to conduct prescribed burning activities on approximately 2,500 acres, including understory burning near Alder Springs and Ivory Mill.

On the west side of the Forest, prescribed burning is planned along Elk Mountain Road, in the areas of Howard Mill and Willow Creek, along the M10 northeast of the Three Crossings area, Boardman Ridge, High Valley, Streeter Ridge, Pine Mountain, Lake Pillsbury, Little Round Mountain on the M6, and in the vicinity of Bredehoft Place and Pinto Ridge on the Covelo Ranger District.  

Treatments at selected campgrounds, guard stations, administrative sites and other pile burning is also planned as part of this season’s prescribed burning operations.

Prescribed burning announcements will be placed at local ranger stations prior to ignition. Mendocino National Forest employees are committed to a safe and successful prescribed burning season for both the public and employees.

For more information, please contact the Grindstone Ranger District at 530-934-3316, the Upper Lake Ranger District at 707-275-2361 or visit www.fs.usda.gov/mendocino .

NORTH COAST, Calif. – The American Red Cross has a huge relief response under way in the wake of Hurricane Sandy, providing people across a number of states with a safe place to stay, food to eat and comfort during this difficult time.

Thousands of people have spent the night in hundreds of Red Cross shelters since the storm began its onslaught on the country.

The Red Cross has already served more than 100,800 meals and snacks and mobilized more than 2,300 disaster workers and almost 200 emergency vehicles so far and more are being deployed.

“This response to Sandy is just getting started. The storm has left devastation in its wake and we will be helping people for weeks to come,” said Tim Miller, chief executive officer of the Red Cross of Sonoma, Mendocino & Lake Counties chapter. “This will be very costly and the Red Cross needs help now. We ask everyone to support us as we help people recover from this massive storm.”

North Coast businesses making significant financial donations to the Red Cross disaster response include Friedman’s Home Improvement (Sonoma and Mendocino counties), Community First Credit Union (Sonoma County) and G&G Supermarket (Sonoma County). Wells Fargo ATMs are accepting donations locally and nationally.

The number of local volunteers serving on the East Coast remains at six people, with three more soon to be flying east. The volunteers come from Sonoma, Napa, Mendocino, Lake and Humboldt counties.

The local Red Cross is seeking more volunteers who want to become involved in future relief efforts.

Those who wish to volunteer are invited to two free classes at the Red Cross in Santa Rosa, 5297 Aero Drive.

The first class, “Disaster Services Overview,” is on Thursday, Nov. 1, from 6 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., and the second class, “Volunteer Orientation,” is on Wednesday, Nov. 7, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. To register, call 707-577-7603.

How to help

The response to Sandy is very large and very costly and the Red Cross needs the public’s help now.

People can make a financial donation by visiting www.redcross.org , call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or text the word REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation.

Contributions also may be sent to someone’s local Red Cross chapter or to the American Red Cross, P.O. Box 37243, Washington, DC 20013.

If someone needs to find a shelter, they can download the Red Cross Hurricane app, visit the Red Cross Web site, call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767), or check local media outlets.

People can let their loved ones know how they are by using the “I’m Safe” button on the Red Cross Hurricane App which can be found in the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store for Android by searching for American Red Cross.

People also can register on the Red Cross Safe and Well website to let loved ones know they are OK. To register, visit www.redcross.org or call 1-800-RED-CROSS (1-800-733-2767).

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Clouds began moving over the county on Tuesday afternoon, bringing indications of the unsettled weather forecast to dampen Halloween spirits today as rain returns to the forecast.

The National Weather Service in Sacramento issued a Special Weather Statement for much of Northern California on Tuesday, including Lake County, detailing a Pacific weather system that will bring rain to the valleys and snow to high elevations beginning today.

A warmer system than the previous one with less rain, this system is also predicted to be shorter and lasting only until Thursday.

A 50-percent chance of rain is forecast for this afternoon increasing throughout the evening to 100 percent.

Overnight lows will barely reach in to the 40s tonight as rain lingers into Thursday morning.

Daytime highs on Thursday will reach into the 60s as warmer temperatures and clear skies return for the remainder of the weekend, when daytime highs return to the 70s.

Email Terre Logsdon at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow Lake County News on Twitter, @LakeCoNews.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – With participation in the statewide Dockwalker program, Lake County has earned a spot in the 2012 Dockwalker Hall of Fame with the induction of local dockwalker Bob Sullivan of the Kono Tayee Property Owners Association.

Sullivan wears two volunteer hats for Clear Lake, both as an invasive mussel inspector and as a dockwalker.

In his dockwalker capacity, Sullivan talked with 40 Clear Lake boaters at the Kono Tayee barbecue this year about the importance of clean and green boating.

The Dockwalker Program is led by the California Coastal Commission and the California Department of Boating and Waterways’ “Boating Clean and Green Program,” which is a statewide boater education and technical assistance program created to promote environmentally sound boating practices.

What is a dockwalker?

Locally, a dockwalker is a person who practices and promotes clean boating practices and distributes “Clean and Green” boating kits to boaters on Clear Lake.

Dockwalkers are passionate about keeping Clear Lake free from human trash, oily discharge, fuel spills, sewage, and other pollutants. They do this by educating the boating public and providing tools to make environmentally sound boating and recreation easy.

Each year, the most active volunteer dockwalkers from across the state are thanked and honored for their hard work and support throughout the boating season by being inducted into the annual Dockwalker Hall of Fame.

To become a dockwalker on Clear Lake or for information about the program, call 415-904-6905, or visit www.coastal.ca.gov/ccbn/dockwalkers.html or www.coast4u.org .

For more information about this program and other ways to help keep Clear Lake clean, contact the Lake County Department of Water Resources at 707-263-2344.

MENDOCINO COUNTY, Calif. – On Wednesday a jury found that a Redwood Valley man who shot to death his musician neighbor in January was legally sane at the time of the murder.

The jury last week already had found that Billy Norbury, 34, was guilty of the murder of 30-year-old Jamal Andrews on the night of Jan. 24, according to the office of Mendocino County District Attorney David Eyster.

Norbury was convicted of a count of first-degree murder and a special allegation that he used a 30-30 Winchester rifle to shoot and kill Andrews.

After handing down that conviction, the jury took up the matter of his sanity, making its finding on Wednesday, Eyster’s office reported.

Firefighters found Andrews shot to death outside of his home after being dispatched to his home as the result of a 911 call.

Norbury had fled the scene on an ATV and returned to his home, where deputies found him, according to the original report from the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office.

Norbury had shot Andrews twice, once in the head and once in the shoulder, officials reported.

Andrews, who was born and raised in Mendocino County, performed in three musical groups and left behind a fiancée and their young son.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – On Veterans Day – Sunday, Nov. 11 – the flags of our fallen veterans will fly in display at cemeteries throughout Lake County.

Lake County Veterans Memorial-Avenue of Flags Association, with the help of local volunteers, will install the flagpoles and mount the large flags along the avenues of county cemeteries.

These flags once draped the casket of a fallen veteran. Upon the completion of the internment ceremony, the family is presented the flag.

The family has the option of donating the use of the veterans’ burial flag to the Lake County Veterans Memorial-Avenue of Flags Association.

On Memorial Day and Veterans Day the flags are flown to commemorate the memory of veterans who defended our country.

Avenue of Flags will be presented at the following cemeteries: Hartley Cemetery in Lakeport, Upper Lake Cemetery, Kelseyville Cemetery and Lower Lake Cemetery.

Installation of flagpoles and flags will begin at 7 a.m., weather permitting. Takedown of flags and flagpoles will occur at 4 p.m.

Volunteers would be appreciated at all locations.

Further information is available from the following representatives: Upper Lake, Byron Green, 707-275-9515; Lower Lake, Dave Schober, 707-533-5843; Kelseyville, Paul Harris, 707-279-1115; and Hartley Cemetery, Lakeport, Dean Gotham, 707-350-1159.

Express your respect for fallen veterans and experience the pride of the magnificent display of our veterans’ flags. Never forget.