How to resolve AdBlock issue? Police, fire district investigate late night Clearlake fire
CLEARLAKE, Calif. – Police and fire officials are investigating a fire that began late Thursday night and destroyed several structures.
Sgt. Dominic Ramirez of the Clearlake Police Department said authorities believe that the fire in the 14500 block of Emory Avenue was the result of criminal activity.
As a result, Ramirez said the police department and Lake County Fire have launched a joint investigation.
The fire was first reported at 11:50 p.m. Thursday just after a large explosion that residents throughout the city of Clearlake reported hearing, as Lake County News has reported.
Ramirez said both police and firefighters responded to the scene, where they found several structures already engulfed in flames.
Reports from the scene stated that the fire was contained within about an hour.
Lake County Fire Chief Willie Sapeta told Lake County News early Friday that the fire destroyed a studio apartment, a single family dwelling and three outbuildings.
Ramirez said that there were vehicles that sustained major damage as a result of the fire, as did neighboring buildings, some of which had shattered windows due to the explosion.
The fire damaged power lines in the area, with incident command requesting Pacific Gas and Electric respond and cut power to nearby homes.
In all, PG&E reported that more than 400 customers were impacted.
Ramirez said no injuries have been reported thus far, and all residents of the homes the fire destroyed were reported to have evacuated their homes safely.
As part of the ongoing investigation, anyone with information regarding the fire is asked to call Officer Leonardo Flores at the Clearlake Police Department at 707-994-8201, Extension 542.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
Sheriff's Activity League holding Junior Giants signups; adult volunteers also sought
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – With summer coming soon, the Lake County Sheriff’s Activity League is holding the signups for its annual Junior Giants program.
The free noncompetitive sports and character building program is for children ages 5 to 18, according to Ken Wicks Jr., one of the Sheriff’s Activity League organizers and a Junior Giants commissioner.
Wicks said there will be a signup day on Saturday, May 13, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Gard Street School gym in Kelseyville.
The deadline for signups is May 15, and registration can be done online, Wicks said.
This year’s program runs from June 13 to Aug. 3. Wicks said they will meet from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays at the Mountain Vista Middle School baseball fields in Kelseyville.
Wicks said up to 150 local children participate each season and play on a total of 10 teams: four tee-ball teams, four minor league teams for ages 8 to 10 and two major league teams for ages 11 and up.
The teams have four fields on which to play, with Wicks noting that the Junior Giants just finished getting the tee-ball field fenced.
“We’re doing everything we can to give the kids a real great experience,” he said, noting that most of the children who take part don’t play organized sports. “This is their chance to be a part of a baseball team.”
The Junior Giants is the flagship program of the Giants Community Fund, which was found in 1991.
The fund supports leagues in Northern California, Nevada and Oregon, and provides assistance to targeted community initiatives in the areas of education, health, anti-bullying and violence prevention, according to its Web site.
The Junior Giants program was founded in 1994. The organization reported that today it serves more than 25,000 participants in 90 leagues.
Wicks said the program has grown over the past 20 years to be one of the Sheriff’s Activity League’s main efforts for local youth.
He said it’s about encouragement, and focuses on the four bases of character development: competence, integrity, leadership and teamwork.
“It’s really about character development, community building and the friendships,” Wicks said.
There also are scholarships for the children, with two of the Lake County league’s players recently receiving them, he said. Additionally, Junior Giants includes a reading program.
Last year 11 of Lake County’s Junior Giants were invited to an event in the Bay Area in which each of them was paired for the day with a professional baseball player, Wicks said. Among the pro ballplayers taking part were Giants stars Buster Posey and Madison Bumgarner.
“It’s pretty special,” said Wicks. “It’s a real treat, the stuff that they get to do.”
He added, “It’s a heck of a program.”
Wicks said Lake County’s Junior Giants program is consistently ranked in the top 5 percent of leagues statewide.
In addition to the Junior Giants, the Sheriff’s Activity League also hosts boxing, lake kayaking, biking, rock climbing, leadership, life skills, sewing, cooking, social skills and theater workshops, led by local volunteers.
They group recently brought voice-over artist and motivational speaker to the Lakeport Unified School District, where he gave three presentations to elementary, middle and high school students, as Lake County News has reported.
In 2013 and 2015 the Junior Giants program also was responsible to helping to bring the San Francisco Giants' World Series trophies to Lake County.
In addition to recruiting children to participate, the Junior Giants program is always looking for adult volunteers interested in mentoring the youngsters. Wicks said they don’t have to be ballplayers, just people interested in working with children who pass the organization’s background check process.
For more information, visit the Sheriff’s Activity League Web site or its Facebook page, visit www.juniorgiants.org , or call Commissioner Dan Camacho at 707-349-2484.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
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Lake County Sheriff’s Office seeks new members for Explorer Program
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Lake County Sheriff’s Office is looking for motivated young people to join its Explorer Program.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office Explorer Program is an exceptional experience for young people contemplating a career in the field of criminal justice.
Its mission is to offer young adults, ages 14 to 21, who are interested in a career in law enforcement a personal awareness of the criminal justice system with orientation, guidance, training, practical experiences and other activities.
It’s a well-established and highly respected program that has served as a platform from which many young adults have launched a successful career with local, county, state and federal law enforcement agencies.
If you or someone you know is interested in becoming an Explorer, contact Sgt. Mike Davis at
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- Written by: Lake County News reports
Sheriff’s office attempting to locate missing at-risk teenager
THIS STORY HAS BEEN UPDATED.
KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – The Lake County Sheriff's Office is seeking the community’s help in locating a missing at-risk teenager.
Leah Trinity Waters, 15, a special needs student, was last seen at about 9:20 a.m. Tuesday in the area of Gaddy Road, Clark Road and Soda Bay Road, running into a creek bed, the sheriff’s office said.
She is described as a white female, 5 feet 6 inches tall and 130 pounds, with shoulder length brown hair.
She was wearing a turquoise shirt, multi-colored pants, had a pink handbag and dark-colored back pack, authorities said.
If you have information that can assist in helping safely locate Leah Waters please call 911 or contact the Lake County Sheriff's Office at 707-263-2690.
Editor’s note: The original version of this story said that the girl, who has since been located, is a high school student. Kelseyville Unified Superintendent Dave McQueen said she is a middle schools student who had not arrived at school at the time of her initial disappearance.
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Spaces still available for upcoming Sheriff's Office Citizens' Academy
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Lake County Sheriff’s Office will hold its next citizens’ academy beginning at the end of May, and the program director reported that spots are still available for interested community members.
The academy will begin on May 31, and will take place from 6 to 9 p.m. on Thursdays through Sept. 1, when the graduation ceremony will take place, according to Lt. Corey Paulich.
Topics will include the history of the office of the sheriff; the selection and training process for new employees; field training program; central dispatch operations; the role and responsibilities of the uniformed deputy; gang enforcement; criminal investigations; crime scene investigations; elder abuse investigations; sex crimes investigations; jail operations; use of force; marine patrol services; narcotics investigations; the civil process; coroner’s investigations; press relations; tactical (SWAT/SERT) operations; school resource deputy; search and rescue operations; K-9 enforcement; internal affairs investigations; marijuana investigations; the sheriff’s chaplain program; the judicial process in the courtroom; and the budget process.
Applications must be received no later than May 12.
There is no cost to those attending the academy, however, applicants must meet the following minimum qualifications:
• Resident or employment in Lake County.
• At least 18 years of age.
• No felony convictions.
• No misdemeanor convictions within three years.
• Able to attend all fourteen sessions.
More information can be located by going to the Lake County Sheriff’s Office Web site, www.lakesheriff.com.
Click on the “Summer 2017 Citizens’ Academy” link. There you will find information about the academy, along with application and instructions.
Class size is limited to 25 students and is filling up. For additional information, contact Lt. Paulich at 707-262-4200.
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- Written by: Lake County News reports
