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Millions more Californians return vote-by-mail ballots for presidential election
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — As election day arrives, the latest numbers show more than a third of Californians have already returned their vote-by-mail ballots.Early ballot numbers updated by the California Secretary of State’s Office on Monday showed that 8,058,584 ballots have been cast out of 22,838,522 that have been issued.
That amounts to a 35.2% return rate.
In Lake County, 38,397 vote-by-mail ballots were issued and 9,438 had been returned by Monday, for a 24.5% return rate.
Of those ballots counted so far, 832 were returned at drop off locations, 1,135 were returned through drop boxes and 7,449 by mail.
So far, 99.45% of the ballots returned in Lake County have been accepted, with 52 under review, the Secretary of State’s Office reported.
Lake County’s early ballot return rate is the second-lowest statewide, based on a percentage analysis of all 58 counties.
The county with the lowest early ballot return rate is Imperial, with 23%. The highest rate is Sierra County’s 57%.
The overall ballot return rates for other counties in the region are as follows:
• Glenn: 37%.
• Humboldt: 37%.
• Mendocino: 39%.
• Napa: 38%.
• Sonoma: 45%.
• Tehama: 32%.
• Yolo: 41%.
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Bicyclist killed in Monday evening crash
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — A bicyclist was killed Monday evening after being struck by a vehicle along Highway 175 near Middletown.The crash occurred shortly after 5 p.m., according to radio reports and the California Highway Patrol’s online reports.
Fire units were dispatched to a possible death from the crash at 5:12 p.m.
There was an attempt to resuscitate the bicyclist, who was declared dead shortly after paramedics arrived at the scene, based on radio traffic.
The CHP reported that Highway 175 at the Dry Creek Cutoff was closed until nearly 8 p.m. while the crash investigation took place.
More information about the crash was not immediately available.
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Napa man arrested for string of Hidden Valley Lake vehicle burglaries
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — Authorities have arrested a Napa man who they said is responsible for burglarizing vehicles in the south county.Manuel Madrigal, 42, was arrested Nov. 1, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office reported.
In October, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office began investigating a series of vehicle burglaries that occurred in Hidden Valley Lake during the early and later part of October.
Several local businesses reported their work trucks were burglarized, with several thousand dollars worth of tools stolen, the sheriff’s office said.
During the investigation, the businesses were able to provide video surveillance that captured the vehicle used during the burglaries. The sheriff’s office said a detective used the automated license plate readers and was able to locate the vehicle in the area of each of the burglaries around the time the burglaries occurred.
The vehicle was found to be connected to Madrigal, the sheriff’s office said.
On Friday, detectives from both the Lake County Sheriff’s Office and Napa County Sheriff’s Office served a search warrant at Madrigal's residence.
While searching the residence, detectives recovered over $1,000 worth of stolen tools from the Hidden Valley Lake burglaries, authorities said.
Madrigal was arrested on felony charges related to grand theft, possession of stolen property and vandalism, the sheriff’s office said.
Deputies transported Madrigal to Lake County, where he was booked at the Hill Road Correctional Facility in Lakeport.
Jail records showed that he remained in custody on Monday, with bail set at $50,000.
“This is still considered an active and ongoing investigation,” the Lake County Sheriff’s Office said in a Monday statement.
The agency said detectives recovered a large number of additional tools, which are also believed to have been stolen from Lake County or other surrounding counties. Detectives are working with other nearby law enforcement agencies in identifying the owners of the property.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office thanked the Napa County Sheriff's Office for assisting during the investigation.
If anyone has any information regarding this investigation, please contact Det. Matt McCabe at 707-262-4223 or the Major Crimes Unit Tip Line at 707-262-4088.
Avenue of Flags seeks volunteers for Nov. 11 display
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — On Veterans Day — Monday, Nov. 11 — the flags of fallen veterans will be flown at cemeteries throughout Lake County.
The Avenue of Flags members, with the help of volunteers, will install flagpoles and mount large flags which once draped the caskets of fallen veterans along the avenues of the county cemeteries.
Veteran flags will be flown at the following cemeteries: Lower Lake Cemetery, Hartley Cemetery in Lakeport, Kelseyville Cemetery and Upper Lake Cemetery.
Organizers are asking for community members to assist by volunteering in set up and breakdown of the display on Veterans Day.
The flag displays will be set up at each of the participating cemeteries from 6:30 to 8 a.m., weather permitting.
Taking down of the flags and poles will happen at various times starting at around 3 p.m. but check with the coordinators at each site for the exact time.
They will conclude the day with the folding of the flags.
Anyone willing to volunteer at any of the above mentioned cemeteries would be greatly appreciated.
For more information, call Avenue of Flags Coordinator Mike Dean at 510-206-6531.
