How to resolve AdBlock issue? VIDEO: Sheriff candidates take part in forum
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The three men seeking to win this year's sheriff's race met for a candidates' forum last week.
Challengers Bob Chalk and Brian Martin and incumbent Frank Rivero took part in the forum, held last Tuesday, May 13, in the Board of Supervisors' chambers in the Lake County Courthouse in Lakeport.
Lakeport Public Works Director Mark Brannigan acted as the moderator.
During the forum the three candidates answered questions submitted by the community and outlined their priorities.
The video of the forum, which ran 74 minutes, can be seen above in its entirety.
It was the last in a series of primary season debates cosponsored by the Lake County Chamber of Commerce and Lake County News, with McKenzie Paine of Velocity Video producing the video.
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Stolen property recovered during elder abuse investigation; police seek to return items to owners
CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The Clearlake Police Department is seeking the community's help in identifying the owners of a number of stolen items recovered this week as part of an elder abuse investigation.
Sgt. Nick Bennett said the items were discovered during a search conducted on Wednesday.
On that day Clearlake Police and Lake County Probation officers conducted the probation search on the residence of 53-year-old Clearlake resident Richard Garner, Bennett said.
The investigation began as an elder abuse finance case being investigated by Det. Mark Barnes when it was reported Garner was abusing the financial interests of his 74-year-old father, according to Bennett.
When the probation search was conducted, Bennett said numerous items were observed in the residence and property occupied by Garner.
Bennett said several items were identified by a victim who Garner had been employed by recently.
There also were several items – including chainsaws engraved “City of Clearlake” – that Bennett said were located. Those items had been stolen from the city within the past week.
Additionally, Bennett said a concrete saw was recovered that had been reported to Clearlake Police as stolen during a burglary in February.
There were numerous other tools police recovered that are believed to have been stolen. Bennett said the Clearlake Police Department is asking the public’s assistance in identifying the owners of the items.
Anybody recognizing an item in the pictures shown here is encouraged to contact Det. Ryan Peterson at 707-994-8251, Extension 320.
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Lake County Chamber Board, Farm Bureau join Deputy Sheriff's Association in endorsing Measure N
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Lake County Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and Lake County Farm Bureau have officially endorsed Measure N, the county ordinance governing medical marijuana cultivation that goes before voters June 3.
The chamber's and Farm Bureau's separate decisions to endorse the measure put them in the company of other groups including the Lake County Deputy Sheriff's Association and the Kelseyville Business Association.
The Board of Supervisors unanimously passed Ordinance No. 2997 last December to establish permanent guidelines for medical marijuana cultivation, as the county's temporary urgency ordinance is to expire this July.
A subsequent referendum effort was launched against the ordinance, with enough signatures collected to qualify for the June ballot.
No on N, a political action committee opposing the measure – http://www.nmeansno.org/, https://www.facebook.com/NmeansNo – formed to fight it and is proposing a counter measure this November.
However, rather than rescind Ordinance 2997 – as it had done in previous referendum efforts – the Board of Supervisors chose to let voters decide. The board let the ordinance stand and voted to place it on the June 3 ballot.
In addition, on March 4, the board voted unanimously for a resolution in support of Measure N.
Lake County Chamber of Commerce Chief Executive Officer Melissa Fulton reported that the chamber's board took a position to support yes on Measure N following a review of the ordinance and discussion at board meetings.
“The Lake County Chamber supports the rights of legitimate medical marijuana patients as was intended by Proposition 215,” the chamber board said in a written statement. “However, we have heard from members of the chamber and others throughout the county who are concerned about the cultivation of marijuana in their neighborhoods and the county as a whole.”
The chamber board said that a yes vote on Measure N will provide tools for local law enforcement to mitigate the grows.
On Thursday, Lake County Farm Bureau Executive Director Claudia Street issued a statement explaining that at a recent meeting of the local Farm Bureau Board of Directors, that group's directors also voted to endorse Measure N.
“Lake County Farm Bureau supports a yes vote on Measure N,” Street's report said.
Previous to the chamber and Farm Bureau's endorsements, the Lake County Deputy Sheriff’s Association came out publicly with its support of Measure N.
The association reported that in 2013 deputies identified hundreds of outdoor marijuana cultivation sites, eradicating 141 sites determined to be illegal.
“Despite the deputies’ efforts, many sites went unchecked due to a lack of man power and time,” the association said in a written statement.
Also in 2013, the association said deputies investigated 14 reported home invasion marijuana robberies – one of which resulted in a homicide.
Of those investigations, many took place in community growth boundaries where the densest populations of residential homes and families live, the association reported.
“With the passing of Measure N, this element of violent crimes resulting from outdoor cultivation is removed from residential neighborhoods and schools, while still accommodating the rights of medical marijuana patients,” the association said in its support statement.
Citizens for a Safer Lake County – Yes on Measure N, www.VoteYesonN.org and https://www.facebook.com/pages/Yes-on-N/233502143511341 , will host several town halls next week to explain the measure to the community.
The town halls, all of which begin at 6 p.m., will take place on Monday, May 19, at the Clear Lake Riviera Association Community Hall, 9689 Highway 281, Kelseyville; Tuesday, May 20, at the Spring Valley Community Center, 3000 Wolfe Creek Road, Spring Valley; and Wednesday, May 21, at the Greenview Restaurant & Café, 18174 Hidden Valley Road, Hidden Valley Lake.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
Lake County Ordinance 2997 - Measure N
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Sheriff's office identifies inmate who died at jail
LAKEPORT, Calif. – A Santa Rosa man who was shot by a sheriff's deputy in January after ramming his pickup into a Lakeport Police officer's vehicle has been identified as the inmate who died at the jail last Saturday.
Lt. Steve Brooks of the Lake County Sheriff's Office said the inmate who died was James Ellis Smith, 37.
A correctional officer found Smith shortly after 9 a.m. last Saturday, May 10, during a routine cell check, Brooks reported.
Jail staff and Lakeport Fire personnel attempted cardiopulmonary resuscitation but could not revive Smith, according to Brooks' original report.
Sheriff's officials are waiting to release further details about Smith's death – including the exact cause – until they have the result of an autopsy, which was to have taken place on Wednesday, Brooks added.
Smith was shot early on the morning of Jan. 3 after a burglary attempt that led to a high speed chase, as Lake County News has reported.
A Lakeport Police officer found Smith in the process of burglarizing Hillside Honda shortly after 4 a.m. that day, according to case reports.
Smith fled in a gold pickup, leading the officer on a pursuit that reached 100 miles per hour and continued outside of the city limits, with sheriff's deputies joining in, officials reported.
In the area of Riggs Road Smith went off the road and into a corral, then put the pickup into reverse and backed up at high speed into the Lakeport Police officer's vehicle, based on the incident report.
Officials reported that as Smith was preparing to back up again – with the Lakeport Police officer at that point out of the patrol vehicle – a Lake County Sheriff's deputy arriving on the scene shot Smith two to three times, hitting him in the elbow and body, and also giving him a grazing wound to the head.
Smith was treated at an out-of-county trauma center. He was booked into the Lake County Jail on Jan. 10 on a charge of first-degree burglary, according to jail records.
Bail was set at $150,000, jail records indicated, and Smith had remained in custody since that time.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
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Lakeport Police discover drug packaging and shipping operation in motel room
LAKEPORT, Calif. – Lakeport Police officers this week discovered in a city motel room evidence of a marijuana packaging and shipping operation during a search warrant service.
Lakeport Police Chief Brad Rasmussen said the discovery was made Wednesday afternoon.
At around 4 p.m. that day officers were dispatched to the Regency Inn to investigate the report of narcotics being located in a motel room by a Lake County Animal Care and Control officer, Rasmussen said.
Rasmussen said Lakeport Police officers responded and met with the animal control officer, who advised that he was dispatched to the motel to take custody of two abandoned cats reported by motel management.
The police officers began an investigation and determined that the motel manager saw two cats sitting in the window of the room on the inside of the curtains. Rasmussen said the manager believed that the occupants of the room had left and abandoned the cats so he called animal control to have them removed.
When animal control arrived the manager let them into the room, where marijuana was observed. That's when police were called, Rasmussen said.
Rasmussen said his officers conducted a protective sweep of the room to determine if there were any persons inside. No persons were located, however, extensive evidence of marijuana processing and packaging were visible throughout the room.
The officers froze the room and completed an affidavit for search warrant which was then authorized by a Lake County Superior Court judge, Rasmussen said.
At about 7 p.m. Wednesday, Lakeport Police's officers served the search warrant on the room and then located and seized a large quantity of evidence, according to Rasmussen's report.
Evidence seized included approximately 14 pounds of high quality marijuana bud packaged for sale and shipment, approximately 646 grams of concentrated cannabis packaged for sale and shipment, more than 32 grams of powdered cocaine, packaging supplies including numerous shipping boxes and other containers, vacuum sealing equipment and rolls of bags, detailed records of drug amounts, a weight scale and a recent shipping receipt from a US Postal Service facility in Lake County, he said.
Evidentiary items showing show who may have been in control of the room also were located, he said.
Rasmussen said information and evidence gathered during the investigation also indicates that young children were staying in the room while the drug processing and packaging was taking place.
Police believe that the motel room was rented for the purpose of processing, packaging and shipping large amounts of marijuana out of the area, Rasmussen said.
Rasmussen said officers currently are following up on leads to confirm the identity of the persons, believed to be a male and female, who were in control of the operation.
When the case investigation is complete, Rasmussen said it will be forwarded to the Lake County District Attorney to seek arrest warrants for numerous charges including drug possession, transportation and sales.
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