CLEARLAKE, Calif. – A Clearlake senior community was burglarized early Tuesday, and its members are asking for the community's help in identifying the responsible individuals.

Olympic Villa Apartments on Olympic Drive was targeted by the early morning burglary, according to manager Tirzah Bradford.

Bradford said that at about 3 a.m. two men burglarized Olympic Villa's community room, stealing hundreds of dollars worth of items and damaging the building.

“This was the third burglary on our property in two weeks,” Bradford said.

Bradford reported the burglary to police on Tuesday morning. She also provided surveillance photos of the responsibles, shown above, with the hope that someone will recognize them.

If anyone has any information on the burglary they can call Bradford at 707-995-1730 or the Clearlake Police Department, 707-994-8251.

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – A Tuesday morning search warrant service in Clearlake led to four arrests on drug and weapons charges.

Sgt. Nick Bennett of the Clearlake Police Department said police arrested Daniel Kreuzer, 32, of Hidden Valley Lake, along with three Clearlake residents – Karie Wynn, 23; Casey Crow, 31; and Jack Schroeder, 40.

Bennett said Det. Travis Lenz had arrested Crow on several narcotic violations on Dec. 18.

Subsequent investigation into Crow’s activities led to Clearlake K-9 Officer Mike Carpenter preparing a search warrant for Crow’s residence at 13437 Lakeshore Drive in Clearlake. Bennett said the search warrant was signed by a Lake County Superior Court judge.

On Tuesday, the Clearlake Police Department – assisted by the Lake County Narcotic Task Force –  executed the warrant at the Lakeshore Drive address, according to Bennett.

The search of the residence resulted in the seizure of illegal weapons, including a pistol grip shotgun and a handgun in the possession of a convicted felon, Bennett said.

Additionally, Bennett said a large amount of concentrated cannabis, methamphetamine, prescription drugs, pounds of processed marijuana and counterfeit currency were seized during the search of the residence.

Bennett said all four suspects were booked into the Lake County Jail on narcotic and weapon charges.

Anyone with information on this case is encouraged to contact Officer Mike Carpenter at 707-994-8251, Extension 542.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – With water officials bracing for a possible third consecutive dry year in California, the Department of Water Resources will conduct the season’s first snow survey on Friday, Jan. 3.

This survey’s results likely will be far different than last winter’s initial readings which showed water content in the snowpack at 150 percent of normal for the date, just as California was turning dry after wet storms in November and December.

Monday's scant snowpack dramatically illustrates the result of the near-record dry weather we have had since last January.

Statewide electronic readings indicated that Monday's snowpack water content was only 20 percent of normal for the date.

The snowpack normally provides about a third of the water we use in California as it slowly melts into streams and reservoirs in spring and early summer.

Manual readings taken by DWR and scores of cooperating agencies on Friday and on or about the first of each month through May will augment and check the accuracy of real-time electronic readings.

Although anticipating dismal water content readings this week, DWR weather watchers note that it’s early in the season and this winter could still turn out average or wet.

The concern, however, is that irrigation-dependent San Joaquin Valley farms and some other areas will suffer if we go into a third consecutive dry year without the cushion of reservoir storage that we had this calendar year (2013) due to the storms in late 2012 before California began sliding toward drought. A third dry year would also bring continued higher wildfire risks.

Lake Oroville in Butte County, the State Water Project’s (SWP) principal reservoir, today is at only 41 percent of its 3.5 million acre-foot capacity (66 percent of its historical average for the date).

Shasta Lake north of Redding, California’s and the federal Central Valley Project’s (CVP) largest reservoir, is at 37 percent of its 4.5 million acre-foot capacity (58 percent of average for the date).

San Luis Reservoir, a critical south-of-Delta reservoir for both the SWP and CVP, is a mere 29 percent of its 2 million acre-foot capacity (43 percent of average for the date) due both to dry weather and Delta pumping restrictions last winter to protect salmon and Delta smelt.  

Delta water is pumped into the off stream reservoir in winter and early spring for summer use in the Bay Area, San Joaquin Valley, Central Coast and Southern California.

The continuing dry weather prompted DWR Director Mark Cowin on Dec. 13 to mobilize a drought management team “to offset potentially devastating impacts to citizen health, well-being and our economy.”

Gov. Edmund G. Brown Jr. has united DWR and other agencies in an Interagency Drought Task Force.

DWR and other agencies will streamline transfers of water from areas of relative abundance to areas of critical need, monitor water supply impacts in small rural communities whose groundwater sources are stressed by prolonged dry conditions, and take other steps to mitigate the effects of dry weather.

In November, DWR announced an initial allocation of only five percent of the amount of State Water Project water requested for calendar year 2014. Although the initial allocation is an early-season, conservative estimate of how much water DWR anticipates it will be able to deliver, the five percent initial estimate for 2014 and for calendar year 2010 are the lowest ever.

The 2010 initial allocation, made on the heels of the 2007-2009 drought, was eventually increased by winter storms to 50 percent of the slightly more than 4 million acre-feet of water requested by the 29 public agencies that collectively deliver water to more than 25 million Californians and nearly a million acres of irrigated farm land.

The final SWP allocation for calendar year 2013 was 35 percent of the slightly more than 4 million acre-feet requested. In 2012, the final allocation was 65 percent. It was 80 percent in 2011, up dramatically from an initial allocation of 25 percent.

The final allocation was 50 percent in 2010, 40 percent in 2009, 35 percent in 2008, and 60 percent in 2007. The last 100 percent allocation – difficult to achieve even in wet years because of Delta pumping restrictions to protect threatened and endangered fish – was in 2006.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake County has joined the rest of the world in bidding adieu, adios, auf wiedersehen, sayonara and farewell to 2013.

But sometimes it's difficult to find anything “good” about goodbye in any language. Especially when it means parting forever, as Lake County was compelled to do in the case of some of its brightest and best, most beloved, courageous, talented, enduring and youngest.

As Lake County turns the calendar to 2014, it leaves behind a planning leader, a lifelong firefighter, a colorful political advocate, a bon vivant turned champion for the elderly, a pilot, a poet and musician, a young actor and a several elders who loved the county so much that much that she spent 80 and 90 years here.

But even in the tragic death of a baby boy and a 9-year-old girl the county did find ways to put its grief to productive use. And the good works of the older citizens who are no more will live on.

In that we may find a modicum of good in a final goodbye.

A list of notable farewells in 2013 follows.

Susanne Holdenried Goff

A fifth-generation daughter of Lake County pioneers, Goff entered into rest on Jan. 2 when she was 77.

Her parents, Eugene and Jean Holdenried, a well-known Lake County artist, raised Bartlett pears and black Angus cattle in the Kelseyville area all of their lives. Susanne’s maternal grandparents, Fred and Nellie Dorn, donated the land for Clear Lake State Park.

Goff was a graduate of Clear Lake High School, UC Davis and Dominican College and was the original associate dean of instruction and a trustee for Lake County Center for Mendocino Junior College.

While serving as a college board trustee she also taught home economics, history and English at Kelseyville High School.

Bill Llewellyn

A native of Sacramento, Llewellyn moved to Lake County from Salt Lake City and died here, a victim of cancer, on Jan. 3.

Llewellyn graduated with a bachelor’s degree in engineering from UC Berkeley in 1965, then worked for Bechtel as an electrical engineer for 14 years. He served 15 years as a fire board director with the Lower Lake Fire Protection District and the consolidated Lake County Fire Protection District.

Donald Hook

“Don was generous with his time, money and energy, and found satisfaction in helping those who were less fortunate,” according to his obituary in Lake County News.

Hook was born on Jan. 23, at the family home in Kelseyville and died in the same month in Kelseyville 90 years later.

He grew up on the Hook ranch and attended Kelseyville schools. He majored in electrical engineering at UC Berkeley and, after two years there he enlisted in the U.S. Army and was trained to work on aircraft radar. Hook served in France where he worked on bombers.

When World War II ended, he returned to Kelseyville, and purchased a grocery store on Main Street. In the early 1950s, his father retired, and offered Don the opportunity to run the pear ranch. So he sold the grocery store and became a pear farmer. Later, he joined his brother-in-law in manufacturing ladders at Stokes Ladders in Kelseyville and retired in the early 2000s.

Hook was a master of the Hartley Masonic Lodge, a charter member of the Kelseyville Lions Club and served as scoutmaster of Kelseyville Troop 48 and was honored with a scoutmaster’s highest honor, the Silver Beaver Award. He was also a member of the school board for Kelseyville Unified, including serving as president.

Albert Nahmias

Life ended for Albert Nahmias on Jan. 28 when he was 91.

Al, as most people knew him, and his wife Mae moved to Lake County in the 1990s where they started a small business and he became well known in the community.

Nahmias was active in senior projects and the NAACP. He was a member of Powerhouse Baptist Church of Clearlake as well as a member of Beit Chavurah of Lower Lake.

He left school at an early age to become a traveling salesman and retired at age 60.

Raymond G. Lyon

On Jan. 30, Ray Lyon, a fifth-generation Lake Countian, passed away peacefully after battling many health issues. He was 79 years old and living in Orland County at the time of his death.

He started life as a young boy raised in the mountains of Upper Lake and lived his adult life in the Sacramento Valley when he moved from Upper Lake to Orland his senior year in high school.

At the age of 21, in 1954, he graduated from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo with a bachelor of science degree in agriculture and 1955 he received his teaching credential.

In 1958, the University of California hired him as Glenn County’s 4-H, dairy and forage crop advisor. In 1965, he also became the Colusa County 4-H advisor.

It was during his time as 4-H advisor that he made the most long-lasting, positive impact on children’s lives. He was later given the unofficial title of "Mr. 4-H."

In 1990, he was appointed UC as acting regional director for Northern California. In 1994 he retired with the title of "County Director Advisor, Emeritus.”

Helen Dutro Crump

Helen was 99 when she died in February.

She was the widow of Fred Crump, who was attending law school when they married in 1941 and remained in San Francisco while Fred served in the Coast Guard during World War II.

When the war ended in 1945 they moved with to Lake County, where Fred’s grandfather had settled after the Civil War.

Fred began his law practice, which included serving as the county district attorney, a position which was only part-time in those days.

Throughout her life Helen served on numerous charitable committees and as a volunteer for many nonprofit organizations from Red Cross to Eastern Star, to March of Dimes to Cub Scouts.

Nathan Fletcher

“Nathan's friendly and loving personality attracted countless friends,” according to Fletcher's obituary in Lake County News.

Fletcher, age 27, of Cobb Mountain, passed away late on March 16 following a motorcycle crash.

He was a plumber by trade who assisted many Lake County contractors, including his father for 16 years. He was also an exceptional chef, an avid rock climber, snowboarder and mountain biker.

Fletcher was an active member of the Cobb Mountain community. He often volunteered to enrich community members’ lives by assisting with any need. His friendly and loving personality attracted countless friends.

Leon Legrand

Legrand died peacefully on March 21 at his Konocti Bay home. He began life in San Francisco 92 years earlier.

Also known as “Frenchy,” Leon launched his career as an electrician in Richmond, Calif. He moved his family to Konocti Bay in 1960, where they owned and operated Konocti Electric until Legrand's retirement in 2001.

At his Konocti Bay home, neighbors called Leon the “Gate Keeper,” as he sat in the front of his home on the point, keeping watch over all the goings on of the neighborhood.

Steven E. Gaddy

Steven E. Gaddy, a lifelong resident of Lake County, passed away unexpectedly at his home in Lakeport on April 24. He was only 61 years old.

Steve was born in Lakeport on February 1, 1952, and had been a resident of Lake County, Calif., his entire life. The Gaddy family settled in Kelseyville more than a 100 years ago, a fact that made Steve incredibly proud. He was known by his family and friends to be a Kelseyville and Lake County historian.

Jack W. Hutton

Hutton was 90 years old when he died in April.

He was a World War II Navy veteran who served in the Pacific Theater and a semi pro baseball player when he settled in Lake County.

Hutton was a well-respected and knowledgeable water well driller for seven decades.

Carl Stewart

“Carl's songs were very personal and were about his life and the people he knew. His poetry was amazing and his poetry was his music,” said his friend, Bill Bordisso

Carl Stewart, who died on May 7 at age 60, came to Lake County in 2002. He was an educator, song writer and community supporter. A trained musician who was well-known for his varied musical talents and performances. Fellow musicians said he was Lake County's best-ever vocalist.

Stewart could make a guitar sing and was a band leader and a mentor to other musicians.

More than that, he was a poet whose songs told stories. Stewart, it was said, never wrote a rhyme without a reason.

Stewart almost made it in Los Angeles as a rock and roll musician during the late 1970s and early 1980s. He was contracted to write songs with Warner Brothers and he played at Whiskey A Go Go and The Troubadour.

Along with Lake County musicians Clovice Lewis and Bill Bordisso, Stewart formed Blue Collar, an American roots acoustic band primarily featuring Stewart’s original music. Stewart, Bordisso and MacDougall were also members of the classic rock group Without a Net.

Mikaela Lynch

“What the community has done for us, it’s proven to me that this is the place to be,” Mikaela's aunt Cyndie Spitzer said at a memorial for the girl.

On May 15, the discovery of the body of Mikaela Lynch, a 9-year-old girl with autism who wandered away from her family's vacation home three days earlier on Mother's Day ended a massive search.

Hundreds of Lake County community members had participated in the effort to find her.

“There’s incredible strength and love here,” said Pastor Karl Parker of the Clearlake Community United Methodist Church, who himself had participated in the search and offered the family support.

When Mikaela's mother visited the spot on Cache Creek where the child's body was found, she found three small children making a cross.

Her family and friends of the family launched a Web site, which can be found at www.mlvillage.org .

Ryland Joseph

“Ryland's big heart and happy spirit was known all throughout Lake County, Calif., and beyond,” according to his obituary in Lake County News

On May 16, seven months and two days after Ryland Roberts Joseph began life it ended.

He was the legionnaire's disease, which caused his death just weeks following bone marrow transplant surgery at the University of California San Francisco Medical Center.

But his parents, Rod and Kellie Joseph, who fought valiantly to save Ryland, made sure that his death was not without meaning.

The infant's bone marrow surgery was critical in the fight to save Ryland because of a condition known as Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome and is an abnormal immune system function diagnosed in February.

After the diagnosis, his parents joined Facebook and posted daily – sometimes multiple times every day – documenting their battle to save their young son’s life.

The Joseph family saw in their son's illness an opportunity to educate the community about his rare disease, which afflicts thousands of young boys across the U.S. The estimated incidence of Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome is between 1 and 10 cases per million males worldwide.

In addition to raising the profile of Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome, the family also raised awareness about the importance of bone marrow donations, as a bone marrow donation was Ryland's only hope for a cure. A bone marrow drive was held in Ryland's honor in April in Clearlake.

In October, the Joseph family filed suit against the UC Regents, alleging that UCSF Medical Center was aware that its water system contained the legionella bacteria that causes legionnaire's disease, which the regents have denied. The case is set for a hearing in March.

Dr. Neal Woods Jr.

At age 91 Dr. Neal C. (“Woody”) Woods, Jr. succumbed to complications of a stroke on May 22 at Sutter Lakeside Hospital in Lakeport.

Born July 23, 1921, in Burbank, Calif., he graduated from Lynwood Academy in 1939, went on to pre-med at La Sierra College and then medical school at Loma Linda University, where he graduated with his doctorate in medicine in 1946. He then began his internship at Maine General Hospital in Portland, Maine.

After his internship, he was drafted into the US Army where he served time in the Philippines and Japan.

After his discharge from the Army, still single, he began his medical practice in Kelseyville, Calif., in 1948, while living at Highland Springs Ranch. On July 22, 1951, he married Mildred McGavock.

The newly married couple settled in a small home in Kelseyville but were asked less than a year later to become medical missionaries to Japan where he became the first medical director after World War II in a rebuilding effort for the Seventh-day Adventist Hospital in Tokyo.

In 1967, he returned to Lake County and became head of the radiology department at Lakeside Hospital until his retirement 1993.

He especially liked the Snow Mountain Wilderness Area, and was instrumental in working with his congressmen to pass the California Wilderness Act of 1984 which created the wilderness area.

Wilbert Hendricks

“Many times Wil claimed he couldn’t die now – he had to go fishing tomorrow,” according to Hendricks' obituary in Lake County News

Wilbert Hendricks, a member of a family of nine children, that first settled in Lakeport in 1919, died on May 24. He was 94 years old.

Hendricks bought a pear orchard and farm house located on approximately 900 acres on Todd Road. Working with his four sons – Roy, Wilbert, Jake and Stanley – his concrete contracting firm poured most of the sidewalks in downtown Lakeport.

Prior to World War II, Wil moved to Los Angeles, then joined the Merchant Marines, serving as a seaman with them in World War II. As a diesel engine specialist, he traveled with the Merchant Marines to South America and the Orient.

When Hendricks retired from the Merchant Marines in 1975, he and his wife Merrie Carole moved back to Lakeport and built a home on a half acre on Ruby Drive where he lived until taking up residence at the Yountville Vets Home.

Gene Edward Tone

“Gene was known by his family and friends to be a Kelseyville and Lake County historian,” according to Tone's obituary in the Lake County News

Tone, a resident of Lake County, Calif., died on May 29 at Sutter Lakeside Hospital. He was 88 years old.

He saw action during World War II, most notably with the First Marine Division on Guadalcanal. After an honorable discharge in 1946, Tone joined the California State Military Reserve until 1964.

Tone was unwilling to hang up his uniform and remained a devout Marine his entire life. He was an active member of the American Legion Post 194, Veterans of Foreign Wars, and daily breakfast with “Doc” and other fellow Marines.

Morrell 'Mo' Fitch

"Mo always saw the positive side of life, even through his toughest battles, making all around him smile, cracking jokes, loving people. He loved to dance, sing, play, it was his nature,” according to Fitch's obituary in Lake County News

Fitch, who succumbed to pancreatic cancer on June 28, was first and foremost a firefighter and served in that capacity in one way or another until his dying day. For eight of his 76 years he served as the Upper Lake Fire District's first paid fire chief.

On July 1, 1957, 10 days after his discharge from the U.S. Navy as a Korean War veteran, Fitch began a 30-year career in fire service, working for the California Department of Forestry the Office of Emergency Services and fire chief in Sonoma County.

During his career, he managed major disasters such as wild fires, floods, and earthquakes and delivered 13 babies.

Fitch, who held a bachelor's degree in fire science, developed training and created fire standards and instruction manuals for the California State Marshal's office. He built and taught large oil fire schools throughout the state and participated in developing California Standard Certification programs and fire officer programs.

He was an educator in fire science at Mt. San Antonio College in southern California, and upon moving to Lake County where he retired from fighting fires, but became instrumental in instituting – then teaching – fire science classes at Yuba College and Mendocino Colleges.

Helen Harris

Helen Harris, age 92, died peacefully on the morning of July 3 in Roseville.

Her death came about two and a half years after the passing of her husband, Jim Harris, a World War II Navy veteran distinguished by the fact that he had not only survived Pearl Harbor but had gone on to fight at D-Day.

The Harrises had been devoted to each other, celebrating 60 years of marriage in April 2010.

When members of the local Pearl Harbor Survivors Association took a trip to Hawaii in December 2010, Jim Harris wouldn't go, not wanting to leave behind his wife, for whom he was chief caregiver.

Not long after his death in January 2011, she left the Lucerne home they had shared for many years to be close to other family members.

Jack Pounds

“Jack will be remembered for his sense of humor, his love of antique cars and collectibles,” according to his obituary in Lake County News

Pounds passed away peacefully at his home in Lakeport in his sleep on July 18, one week after his 82nd birthday.

He owned a Shell Service Station in Santa Cruz, then added a classic used car lot, and later an antique shop. He excelled in buying and selling real estate before moving to Lake County in 1994.

Pounds volunteered his efforts in the Korean War, was seriously wounded, receiving a Purple Heart and many ribbons and citations.

Dr. Charles Millar

Dr. Charles Lamont Millar, podiatrist, passed away on July 21.

He suffered a heart attack at the age of 61 in his home in Hidden Valley Lake.

Randy Ridgel

"You could always count on Randy to tell you the truth and he would tell it in a completely unvarnished way. Unfortunately there aren't too many people who communicate like that anymore,” said his friend, Tom Lincoln.

Randy Ridgel, who was 82 on July 26 when he succumbed to a seizure, sometimes spoke in the patois of the Louisiana Bayou Country where he spent his early years as the son of a sharecropper. So "Crawfish," as intimates occasionally called him, was an appropriate nickname.

A lifelong long conservative Republican, Ridgel entered the U.S. Navy as a minor and retired as an officer after 30 years. He served on both submarines and surface ships and saw action in Vietnam.

Ridgel served two terms – eight years in all – as president of the Lake County Historical Society. He also was chair of the Lake County Republican Party, he was the county's ranking Republican, he was a member of the state's Republican Board of Directors and carried clout at the state government level – more than anyone from the county ever did and perhaps ever will.

He was a prolific and convincing letter-writer and penned an untold number of them to political foes and friends over a period of 40 years.

Doris Harville

“Doris was very active in the Upper Lake Methodist Church, making dinners, singing and directing the choir, being a Sunday School teacher and arranging flowers for the alter,” according to her obituary in Lake County News.

On July 29, Upper Lake bid farewell to one of its most abiding community members when Doris Harville died at the age of 86.

Harville was a 66-year member of the Queen of the Lake Rebekah Lodge and an active member of the Upper Lake Women's Protective Club. She had been a resident of Upper Lake since she was 9 years old.

Doris and her philanthropic husband Tut were supporters of the Upper Lake schools. In 2003 Upper Lake High School honored them by renaming its gym the Harville Gym.

Brian Gray

Gray, an airline pilot and a member of the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) for his entire career, succumbed to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) on Aug. 5 in Kelseyville exactly one week shy of his 75th birthday.

Gray lived a storybook life with many chapters.

His father was in the customs and immigration service, so every two years of Brian’s childhood his family moved to another station. He grew up in Long Beach, Salt Lake City, New York City, Spokane, and Helena, Mont., among other places.

In 1969 he was hired by Wien Consolidated Airlines, later renamed Wien Air Alaska, and relocated to Fairbanks, Alaska. At that time Wien was the oldest airline in the U.S..He flew Pilates Porters, Twin Otters, Skyvans, 737s and DC 8s. In 1986 he was hired by United Airlines, relocated to the Bay Area, to fly 727s and 747s until his retirement in 1999.

Gray was an active community volunteer in Lake County since moving here in 1991. He served on the board of directors of the Lake County Chapter of the American Red Cross, was a Cal Fire Volunteer in Prevention, ham radio operator and a member of the Lake County Amateur Radio Society.

Jeffrey Wilder II

"There was nothing he loved and looked forward to more than coming home to the mountains, oceans and lakes of California,” according to Wilder's obituary in the Lake County News

Wilder, a 24-year-old native of Clearlake and a Lake County sports standout, died tragically while working on his job as a lineman in Victoria, Texas, on Aug. 12.

Being a lineman was Wilder's "dream job" since his graduation 2009 from the Northwest Lineman’s College in Denton, Texas.

Working in this field provided him the opportunity to pursue his passion, as well as explore new parts of the country, and give back to those who were suffering loss in times of natural disaster.

The Jeffrey Wilder Memorial Scholarship Fund has been established through the Northwest Lineman College in Denton, Texas. Those interested in contributing may contact Lewis Rhoden at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

Frank Taylor Sr.

“His keen wit and giving heart will be missed,” according to Taylor's obituary in the Lake County News.

Francis “Frank” Taylor of Clearlake died peacefully on Aug. 29, one month short of his his 75th birthday.

During his lifetime, he was active in his community. He published “The Outlook” for many years and was an artist, author, writer, photographer and served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Johannesburg, South Africa Mission in 1958.

Jack Landman

Born in San Francisco on May 3, 1915, Jack Landman was 98 years old when he died on Sept. 26. He lived in Lake County for 88 years and was a self-employed rancher for 60 years.

He also worked off and on for the county and local mines.

In his youth, Landman attended schools in Berkeley and later returned to his family ranch on Morgan Valley Road in Lower Lake, which he loved.

Landman had many interests and was well read. He enjoyed visiting with friends and neighbors. His nieces and nephew fondly remember their summer visits to the ranch. Jack would spend many hours showing them around the ranch and telling stories.

Tom Bardeen

“Tom had many warm and enduring friendships with his business clients and impacted them in many positive ways,” according to Berdeen's obituary in Lake County News.

Tom Bardeen, who died at age 69 on Sept. 28, at Queen of the Valley Hospital, Napa, was a longtime resident of Lake County, Napa , and most recently of Honolulu.

Bardeen enjoyed a long and successful business career in banking and business consulting, first working with American Savings Bank and Bank of America; then E-Myth Worldwide, where he became a senior consultant. For many years he was the principal of Bardeen Business Consulting.

Joshua Phillips-Blair

“Joshua said that before he discovered theater he didn't have a place to belong, but after finding it he found where his people truly were,” according to Phillips-Blair's obituary in Lake County News.

A whirlwind of talent and creativity, Phillips-Blair breathed life into many roles with the local theater company before his sudden death from unknown causes on Sept. 29. He was just 21 when he died.

His roles included the Scarecrow in “The Wizard of Oz,” Ellard in “The Foreigner” and Ken in “Rumors.”

But his breakout role, and the one he is best known for, was Riff Raff in the 2010 production of “The Rocky Horror Show,” where he met and fell in love with his wife, Maheanani Phillips-Blair.

In November he posthumously received the Stars of Lake County Arts Award of the Year-Amateur.

Kenneth Fountain

"Ken's favorite thing to do was to sit on the porch, listen to the creek and spend time in his barn (man cave),” according to his obituary in the Lake County News

Known as a superior gardener, Fountain was 65 when he passed away on Oct. 21, at his ranch, Jaguar Gardens Nursery.

Fountain was born and grew up in Vallejo and served several years in the U.S. Navy. He moved to Lake County in 1986 and worked as a machinist for more than 25 years at PG&E. and for five more years as a mechanic at Calpine.

He was involved in many organizations, including the Tipsters, Lions, SIRS, Master Gardeners and Lake County's Farmers Finest. He also served on the Lake County Grand Jury.

Fountain posthumously received this year's Stars of Lake County Award of agriculture.

Johnny Carney

Carney passed away peacefully on Nov. 9 after a short illness at the age of 88.

Born in White Plains, New York, Carney spent most of his childhood in Ireland.

The World War II Army veteran was a familiar sight to Kelseyville residents, who often saw him walking with his two border collies down Main Street and picking up litter as part of the local adopt-a-highway program.

He would greet friends and strangers alike with a smile, hand them a flower and give them a kind word. He was like that all of his life.

Jack de Vine

"If there was any agency, activity, program or any service that was needed by seniors in our county, you can bet Jack de Vine was involved,” Kelseyville resident Eva Johnson said in a letter paying tribute to de Vine.

On Nov. 15, Jack de Vine, a man who packed an enormous amount into his fully productive life, died at age 77 and was buried in Upper Lake Cemetery.

His diverse activities ranged from teaching the son of Haile Selassie, the emperor of Ethiopia while with the U.S. Army to being the general manager of several prominent restaurants – among them the Seven Seas Supper Club across from Grauman's Chinese Theater.

He obviously met a lot of people along the way. During one period he became a widely recognized bartender and was anointed as “The Host of the Valley.” A Jack de Vine party was described by the LA Times as “an intimate gathering of 3,000 close friends and a host of others.”

After moving to Lake County, he worked with the senior centers, tribal communities, community outreach, Senior Support Services and delivering “Meals on Wheels.”

In 1999 de Vine received the very first “Star of Lake County” presented as Senior of the Year.

Cliff Swetnam

"Cliff's background as a law enforcement and police officer gave him a set of tools that most commissioners didn't have in terms of serving as an adjudicator,” according to District Four Lake County Supervisor Anthony Farrington.

On Dec. 14, Cliff Swetnam died at age 66 after a full and productive life as a law enforcement officer, a Superior Court bailiff, a Lake County Planning Commissioner and last, but by no means least, a champion bass fisherman on a national level.

He was an Alameda County Sheriff's Office deputy for 28 and a half years and, after moving to Lake County in the late 1990s, served a dual role as bailiff and with Lake County planning commission in which over 12 years he earned a reputation as a man who was able to analyze and interpret the law.

Swetnam also won a state Planning Commissioner of the Year award.

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

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – Four people – including three Lake County residents – were injured in a single-vehicle rollover that occurred just inside the Napa County line on Monday afternoon.

The wreck took place at 4:10 p.m. on Highway 29 north of Livermore Road on Mount St. Helena, south of the Lake County line, according to the California Highway Patrol's Napa office.

Martin E. Oliver Jr., 24, of Santa Rosa was driving a 1990 Nissan Stanza southbound on Highway 29 with three passengers from Clearlake – 18-year-old Athena Esquivel, and two male juveniles, ages 14 and 16, the CHP said.

The CHP said Oliver lost control of the vehicle and hit a hillside on the west shoulder.

The impact with the hillside caused the vehicle to overturn, with the Nissan coming to rest on the driver's side, the CHP said.

Oliver and Esquivel both sustained moderate injuries, the 14-year-old boy had major injuries and the 16-year-old had minor injuries, according to the CHP report.

The CHP said Oliver, Equivel and the 14-year-old were transported to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital – two by air ambulance, one by ground ambulance – while the 16-year-old was not transported.

The 14-year-old later was transferred from Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital to Children’s Hospital & Research Center Oakland, the CHP said.

The CHP said all four were wearing their seat belts.

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.

Law enforcement officer fatalities dropped for the second year in a row to the lowest level in six decades and the number of officers killed in firearms-related incidents this year was the fewest since the 1800s, according to preliminary data compiled and released Monday in an annual research bulletin published by the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund.

According to the report, 111 federal, state, local, tribal and territorial officers were killed in the line of duty nationwide in 2013.

This was the fewest number of fatalities for the law enforcement profession since 1959 when 110 officers died.

This year’s total was eight percent fewer than 2012 when 121 officers made the ultimate sacrifice.

“The only good news is zero deaths, but this very significant drop in law enforcement fatalities the past two years is extremely encouraging,” declared NLEOMF Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Craig W. Floyd.

“Our organization, in partnership with others, is working hard to create a new culture of safety in law enforcement that no longer accepts deaths and injuries as an unavoidable part of the job,” Floyd said. “This year’s officer fatality report is strong evidence that this intensified effort to promote law enforcement safety is making a difference.”

The No. 1 cause of officer fatalities in 2013 was traffic-related incidents, which claimed 46 lives, according to the report.

Thirty-three officers were killed in firearms-related incidents this past year, which was a 33 percent drop from 2012 and is the lowest number since 1887 when 27 officers were shot to death, the report showed.

Thirty-two officers died due to other causes in 2013, including 14 who suffered heart attacks while performing their duties.

Just two years ago, officer fatalities spiked to 169, which led to a number of new initiatives aimed at promoting law enforcement safety.

Among them were: an increasing number of agencies requiring officers to wear bullet-resistant vests; the formation of the National Officer Safety and Wellness Group by the U.S. Department of Justice; and the VALOR program launched by U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder to provide training to help prevent violence against officers and to help officers survive violent encounters when they do occur.

Since 2011, all categories of officer fatalities have dropped by 34 percent and firearms-related deaths have declined by 54 percent.

Key data as of Dec. 29, 2013:

• Traffic-related incidents declined 4 percent in 2013 (46) compared to 2012 (48). Of these 46 officers, 31 were killed in auto crashes, 11 were struck outside their vehicle, and four were killed in motorcycle crashes.
• Firearms-related fatalities declined by 33 percent in 2013 (33) compared to 2012 (49). Of the 33 officers, seven officers were shot and killed in ambush attacks, six officers were shot and killed while responding to a disturbance call, five officers were killed while conducting an investigative activity, three officers were killed while responding to a domestic disturbance call, three officers were feloniously killed during a traffic stop, three officers were shot and killed while responding to a robbery in progress and three officers were killed while attempting to arrest a suspect. Two officers were inadvertently shot and killed and one officer was killed during a burglary in progress.
• Of the 32 officers who died due to other causes, 18 were caused by job-related illnesses; six officers fell to their death or died as a result of an injury sustained in a fall, two officers drowned while attempting to assist victims during a flash flood, two officers were stabbed to death, one officer was killed in a helicopter crash, one officer was killed in a boat related accident, one officer was killed by an explosive device and an officer was electrocuted.
• During the past year, more officers were killed in Texas (13) than any other state; followed by California (10); Mississippi and New York (7); and Arkansas (6).
• Nine officers killed in 2013 served with federal law enforcement agencies. Nine of the officers who died during the past year served with correctional agencies. Four of the 111 fatalities were female. On average, the officers who died in 2013 were 42 years old and had served for 13 years.

The statistics released by the NLEOMF are based on preliminary data compiled and do not represent a final or complete list of individual officers who will be added to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in 2014.

For a complete copy of the preliminary report on 2013 law enforcement fatalities, visit www.LawMemorial.org/ResearchBulletin .

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Many of the top news events that took place in Lake County in 2013 were captured on video.

Some of the top moments included fires, court appearances and searches for missing people.

The following are Lake County News' top 10 most watched videos of 2013.

1. Surveillance footage of the robbery and murder suspect at Mt. Konocti Gas and Mart. The footage was taken on Friday, January 18, 2013, shortly before and after the suspect allegedly shot and mortally wounded Forrest Seagrave. The masked suspect later was identified as Jonathan Mota, who is in federal custody and awaiting trial in October 2014.

2. Forrest Seagrave murder crime scene investigation. A report on local law enforcement's investigation of the Forrest Seagrave shooting.

3. Aftermath of the Nov. 21-22 windstorm. A visit with officials and residents along the Northshore as they assess the damage from the storm.

4. Forrest Seagrave candlelight vigil. The event took place on Saturday, January 19, 2013, the day after the popular Kelseyville resident was shot and mortally wounded during a robbery at Mt. Konocti Gas and Mart, where he worked.

5. Lightning storm over Clear Lake. A condensed video of an overnight lightning storm in Lake County on Monday, June 10, 2013.

6. The search for Mikaela Lynch. Law enforcement and community members searched for the girl, who disappeared on Mother's Day, Sunday, May 12, 2013, from the yard of her family's Clearlake, Calif., vacation home. Her body was found on Wednesday, May 15, in nearby Cache Creek.

7. Rivero v. Anderson restraining order and injunction hearing. Sheriff Frank Rivero sued District Attorney Don Anderson to prevent disclosure of the fact that Anderson had placed him on a “Brady list” of officers with credibility issues. On Monday, March 4, 2013, visiting retired Judge William Lamb denied Rivero's motion and entered the documents into the court record.

8. Body of Kimberly Hazelwood discovered. The body of the young woman, who went missing on Dec. 23, 2012, was found on the lakeshore in Lucerne on Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2013.

9. Becks Fire in Kelseyville. On Wednesday, January 23, 2013, a control burn at a vineyard escaped and burned 296 before it was contained the following day.

10. Lakeside Heights hillside slip. An April 2013 visit to the Lakeside Heights subdivision in north Lakeport, Calif., where a landslide damaged several homes.

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – Two Clearlake men were arrested and methamphetamine valued at $22,000 was seized following a vehicle stop last week.

Juan Jose Chavez, 47, and 35-year-old Jorge Enrique Rodriguez were arrested following the stop, which took place on the evening of Friday, Dec. 27, according to Lt. Steve Brooks of the Lake County Sheriff's Office.

Just after 5 p.m. that day a patrol deputy was traveling along Dam Road in Clearlake when he observed ahead of him a green Dodge Dakota with an expired registration tab. Brooks said the deputy conducted an enforcement stop of the vehicle in the 15000 block of Dam Road.

The deputy contacted the driver of the vehicle, who was identified as Chavez. Brooks said the deputy requested Central Dispatch conduct a records check of Chavez, which revealed he did not have a valid driver’s license.

A records check also was conducted on Rodriguez, Chavez's passenger, which showed he was on formal felony probation out of Lake County for the sales of methamphetamine, Brooks said.

The deputy conducted a search of Rodriguez and located two large plastic bags containing a white crystalline substance, inside his front pants pocket. Brooks said the deputy determined that both of the bags contained methamphetamine.

A detailed search of the passenger area of the vehicle produced two glass meth pipes which were located under the front seat, Brooks said.

Directly under the driver’s seat of the vehicle was a large plastic bag containing six individually packaged bags of methamphetamine. Brooks said the total weight of the methamphetamine was 219.54 grams or 7.70 ounces, which has a current street value of approximately $22,000.

Brooks said Rodriguez was arrested for the possession of a controlled substance for sale, transportation of a controlled substance and a felony probation violation. Chavez was arrested for possession of a controlled substance for sale, transportation of a controlled substance and possession of controlled substance paraphernalia.

On Monday both men remained in custody, Chavez on an immigration and Rodriguez for a felony probation violation, according to jail records.

Both were transported to the Lake County Hill Road Correctional Facility and booked, Brooks said.

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

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The new year will arrive this week amidst warmer winter temperatures.

The National Weather Service is predicting that the week ahead will have daytime highs that look more like fall than winter.

No rain, however, is in the forecast.

Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday are predicted to be mostly sunny, with temperatures in the low to mid 60s, with partly cloudy nights and temperatures in the low to mid 40s.

On Monday, an east wind of about 5 miles per hour is anticipated, becoming calm in the afternoon. A light east northeast wind is forecast for Tuesday, becoming light and variable in the evening. No winds are forecast for the rest of the week.

New Year's Day is forecast to have a daytime high of 67 degrees, with a nighttime low of 43.

Thursday, also expected to be mostly sunny, is forecast to have a daytime high of 68 degrees with a nighttime low of 44, the highest temperatures of the week.

From there, temperatures are expected to drop slightly, with Friday to have a daytime high of 66 degrees and nighttime low of 41, followed by 62 degrees on Saturday and 40 on Saturday night.

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.

Following the normal seasonal pattern, influenza activity is on the rise in California and nationwide, according to state health officials.

Many California counties, and other states, are reporting patients who are critically ill with influenza, including healthy young adults.

The H1N1 strain appears to be the predominant strain circulating so far in California and in the rest of the United States this flu season.

The H1N1 virus, which emerged during the 2009 pandemic, causes more illness in children and young adults, compared to older adults. It causes severe illness in all age groups, including those younger than 65 years of age.

State health officials said this year’s influenza vaccine protects against the strains circulating in the state, including H1N1.

“It is not too late to get the flu vaccine,” urged Dr. Ron Chapman, director of the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and state health officer. “A yearly flu vaccine is the most important step in preventing influenza. It’s important to remember that unlike other vaccine preventable diseases, it is necessary to get a flu shot every year.”

The vaccine is available now. Once vaccinated, it takes approximately two weeks before you are fully protected against the flu. An influenza vaccine is especially important for pregnant women and other people at higher risk for severe influenza.

“It’s impossible to predict the severity of a flu season, but the best way to prevent spread of the flu is to get vaccinated,” said Dr. Chapman.

In addition to getting vaccinated, it’s crucial to practice good health habits.

If you become ill, you should take actions to stop the spread of germs, including:

• Stay home when you are sick;
• Cover your coughs and sneezes;
• Wash your hands with soap/water;
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.

You can also protect your health by eating a nutritious diet and getting enough sleep. If you think you have influenza, contact your physician.

Visit a flu vaccine location near you to get immunized. Some local health departments may also offer free or low-cost immunizations.
For more information on getting flu shots locally, visit the Lake County Public Health Department Web site at http://health.co.lake.ca.us/ .

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The California Highway Patrol is urging motorists to begin the new year responsibly – if the celebration plans include alcohol, designate a driver before the festivities begin.

The CHP will be ringing in the new year on the roadway with motorists as part of a maximum enforcement period (MEP), which begins at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 31, and continues through 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 1.

“In an effort to promote safety on California’s roadways we will have every available officer on patrol throughout the holiday travel period,” said Commissioner Joe Farrow. “With all the excitement and celebration, the holidays can be a particularly deadly time due to an increased number of impaired drivers on the roads.”

During last year’s New Year’s MEP, which was 4 ¼ days in length, 41 people were killed in collisions statewide. Half of the vehicle occupants who died within CHP jurisdiction were not wearing a seat belt.

In addition, CHP officers made more than 1,400 arrests for driving under the influence throughout the 102-hour traffic safety effort.

This holiday season, the CHP joins with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for their aggressive “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” enforcement campaign.

In addition, the public is encouraged to call 9-1-1 if they suspect another driver of being under the influence.

Be prepared to provide the dispatcher with the location, make, model and license plate number of the vehicle, and any other pertinent information.

“Our hope is that drivers will make responsible decisions ahead of time,” added Commissioner Farrow. “There are plenty of transportation alternatives to getting behind the wheel. Designate a sober driver, take a taxi, or use public transportation. We want everyone to start the New Year off right and safely.”

The mission of the California Highway Patrol is to provide the highest level of safety, service, and security to the people of California.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Four cats are cleared and waiting for new homes at Lake County Animal Care and Control this week.

The three females and one male – ranging in age from 9 months to 10 years – will be spayed or neutered and vaccinated before being sent to their new homes.

In addition to spaying or neutering, cats that are adopted from Lake County Animal Care and Control are microchipped before being released to their new owner. License fees do not apply to residents of the cities of Lakeport or Clearlake.

If you're looking for a new companion, visit the shelter. There are many great pets there, hoping you'll choose them.

The following cats at the Lake County Animal Care and Control shelter have been cleared for adoption (other cats pictured on the animal control Web site that are not listed here are still “on hold”).

Gray male tabby

This gray male tabby is 3 years old.

He has a short coat and gold eyes. Shelter staff did not report if he has been altered.

He's in cat room kennel No. 3, ID No. 38612.

Siamese mix

This female Siamese mix cat is 10 years old.

She has blue eyes and a short coat, and is spayed.

Find her in cat room kennel No. 5, ID No. 38699.

Tortie point

This calico with tortie point markings is 9 months old.

She has a short coat and has not yet been spayed.

Find her in cat room kennel No. 84a, ID No. 38527.

Tortie point

This calico with tortie point markings is 9 months old.

She has a long coat and has not yet been spayed.

Find her in cat room kennel No. 85a, ID No. 38526.

Adoptable cats also can be seen at http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Animal_Care_And_Control/Adopt/Cats_and_Kittens.htm or at www.petfinder.com .

Please note: Cats listed at the shelter's Web page that are said to be “on hold” are not yet cleared for adoption.

To fill out an adoption application online visit http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Animal_Care_And_Control/Adopt/Dog___Cat_Adoption_Application.htm .

Lake County Animal Care and Control is located at 4949 Helbush in Lakeport, next to the Hill Road Correctional Facility.

Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday. The shelter is open from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and on Saturday from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Visit the shelter online at http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Animal_Care_And_Control.htm .

For more information call Lake County Animal Care and Control at 707-263-0278.

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.