How to resolve AdBlock issue? UPDATE: Sheriff's office releases details of alleged bank robbery; suspect reportedly took cash
KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – The Lake County Sheriff's Office said late Friday afternoon that its staff was continuing to investigate an alleged bank robbery that occurred in Kelseyville earlier in the day, with no suspect yet in custody.
Sgt. Steve Brooks said the incident occurred at approximately 12:39 p.m. Friday at the Kelseyville branch of Westamerica Bank.
Brooks said a male subject entered the bank and handed the teller a note demanding money.
The suspect subsequently took just over $1,000 and left the bank, Brooks said.
The suspect claimed to have a firearm, however Brooks said no weapon was seen.
The suspect is described as a white male adult, approximately 45 years of age, 5 feet 10 inches tall and175 pounds, according to Brooks' report.
Brooks said the suspect had a medium build, dark hair and a smooth complexion. The suspect was wearing a dark-colored baseball hat, wraparound-style sunglasses, a dark-colored t-shirt with an olive green vest and blue jeans.
He also was carrying a maroon zippered bank bag when he left, Brooks said.
Numerous Lake County Sheriff’s Office patrol deputies, detectives and command staff responded to the scene. Brooks said crime scene investigators also responded to the scene to collect evidence.
This investigation is ongoing and anyone who may have information regarding this case is encouraged to contact the Lake County Sheriff’s Office at 707-263-2690.
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Undersheriff seeks changes to food services for jail, juvenile hall
LAKEPORT, Calif. – The county’s undersheriff received the OK from the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday to seek a vendor to provide meals to the jail and juvenile hall in an effort to save money and staff time, and increase food safety.
Undersheriff Pat Turturici, accompanied by Lt. Greg Hosman, asked the board to support proposed changes in food service at the two correctional facilities, where hundreds of thousands of meals are served annually.
Specifically, Turturici said they wanted to issue a request for proposals in order to find a vendor capable of the “cook chill method,” which involves preparing food in a conventional method, portioning it out and then blast chilling it to preserve its freshness and protect against contamination.
Turturici said the change in process promises a reduction in the enormous food costs for the jail and juvenile hall.
However, due to the changes in state correctional law, which is sending more inmates to county jails who previously would have gone to state prison, there is another benefit to having an outside vendor prepare the food, according to Turturici.
“Currently we have inmates that help prepare the food,” he said.
Jail staff has found weapons in food containers. Inmates use knives while working in the kitchen, and Turturici said it’s becoming increasingly difficult to find inmates who are suitable for those cooking tasks.
“We’re turning into a mini prison and it’s causing concerns for us,” he said.
Food also is being stolen from the kitchen, taken outside or to the pods, which he said is contributing to significant food loss.
The right vendor would make sure the food meets the necessary requirements, and all meals would be prepared and sized the same, and sealed, he explained.
Turturici said it would be much like airline food. The food would come in sealed containers and then be microwaved. He estimated it would take about an hour to heat all of the meals.
The meals also would stay hotter longer, he said. “We’ve had a bit of a problem with the grand jury and Environmental Health in the past” because food was not warm enough.
In addition to keeping a constant inventory, not suffering food loss through theft or spoilage, and not having inmates continue to handle weapons, having a vendor handle food services also would be a benefit because all equipment – including ovens and trays – would be provided, said Turturici.
Currently the jail loses as many as five food trays – which cost just under $14 each – on a weekly basis because inmates write graffiti on them or otherwise damage them, he said.
Significant savings estimated
Hosman estimated that the per-tray cost for adult inmate meals will be $1.50, with juvenile costs per-meal at $3.60. Turturici said the juvenile food costs aren’t set in stone, and while children do have more nutritional requirements, he believed the costs could be reduced still further.
Hosman said they were seeking a three-year contract with two one-year extensions, and asking the vendor to supply all hardware, including ovens. However, Turturici said the jail would keep its current kitchen operable in case of emergencies, as it’s the largest commercial kitchen in the county.
He estimated the county could save $175,000 in the first year and up to $650,000 over the first five years, which both he and Hosman said were very conservative figures.
Those savings encompass food costs, equipment replacement, staff overtime and workers compensation, and reduced liability, they said.
Supervisor Jim Comstock asked if staff layoffs would result. Turturici said no, they would keep their three cooks.
Supervisor Denise Rushing asked if they were working with local food suppliers and a regional food hub.
“I want to make it clear, this is a specialized field,” said Turturici, who didn’t see Rushing’s suggestion of finding a local vendor as an option.
Hosman and Turturici reported that they have an average of 273 inmates a day in the jail, which totals 819 meals a day, and 298,935 meals annually.
Turturici said he’s conscious of the jail population’s size and is looking at alternative programs to keep the numbers down in an effort to save money.
He said the jail is understaffed and the staff that he does have needs to be able to focus on inmates’ safety and security. “We’ve got to get out of the restaurant business,” he said.
Turturici said going to a vendor was a “no brainer,” adding, “We’re wasting money.”
“If we can save this much money, I’m all for it,” said Supervisor Rob Brown.
Rushing agreed that it was OK for the jail to get out of the restaurant business, but wanted to see a local business benefit. She also wanted Turturici to talk to Susan Jen about farm to institutions food programs.
“With all due respect, we’re under a timeframe,” said Turturici, explaining they wanted to have the program started by August for the new fiscal year.
He also told the board he didn’t have time to do the research Rushing suggested because he’s busy running the sheriff’s office.
County Administrative Officer Kelly Cox said providing food to the jail is a bigger operation than local food groups have been doing, but that they may be able to take it on in the future. He agreed that it was “absolutely the right objective” to eventually bring it back to local vendors.
He said it would be easiest for Turturici to just ask for more money, and he suggested that not only should the board approve the request but commend Turturici for trying to control the out-of-control situation the state has thrown at them.
Lakeport resident Greg Scott, who said he had 30 years of experience dealing with firefighters and inmates, said the food costs proposed were “a heck of a deal.” He suggested the county could consider how to add local vendors in the future.
He also commended Turturici. “Finally, it’s nice to have some leadership in the sheriff’s department.”
The board approved Turturici’s request 5-0, adding Rushing’s requirement that they include in their request for proposals language encouraging local vendors.
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COURTS: Chief justice appoints new members to Judicial Council of California
Chief Justice Tani G. Cantil-Sakauye on Monday announced the appointment of ten Judicial Council members, including seven new members and three reappointments.
All the appointments, except for one voting position, are effective Sept. 15.
Chaired by the chief justice, the Judicial Council is the administrative policy-making body of state courts.
The new voting members are Judge James R. Brandlin, Superior Court of Los Angeles County; Presiding Judge Sherrill A. Ellsworth, Superior Court of Riverside County; Presiding Judge David Rosenberg, Superior Court of Yolo County, and Judge David De Alba, Superior Court of Sacramento County. Judges Rosenberg and De Alba now serve as advisory members.
New advisory members are Presiding Judge Laurie M. Earl, Superior Court of Sacramento County; Judge Morris D. Jacobson, Superior Court of Alameda County; Presiding Judge Brian L. McCabe, Superior Court of Merced County; Mary Beth Todd, Court Executive Officer, Superior Court of Sutter County; Judge Charles D. Wachob, Superior Court of Placer County; and Judge Kenneth K. So, Superior Court of San Diego County. Judge So, a current voting member, has been reappointed to a one-year term as an advisory member.
Presiding Judge McCabe and Judges Jacobson and Wachob will fill new advisory positions approved by the Judicial Council in May 2012 to expand the geographical diversity of the council and gain input from a wide spectrum of judicial officers.
Created by the state Constitution, the Judicial Council consists of the chief justice, as chair, of 14 judicial members appointed by the chief justice, four attorney members appointed by the State Bar Board of Governors, one member from each house of the Legislature, and nine advisory members. The Administrative Director of the Courts serves as secretary to the council.
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Courts face budget restructuring, courthouse project delay due to state budget revision
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – A larger-than-expected state deficit and the governor’s May budget revision are hitting courts across the state and here in Lake County, as budgets are reworked and projects reconsidered or pushed back.
On May 17, the Judicial Council of California held an emergency session to meet with California Director of Finance Ana Matosantos about Gov. Jerry Brown’s new budget proposal, which called for a $544 million reduction to the judicial branch in fiscal year 2012-13 after four consecutive years of cuts totaling $653 million.
In order to cover the cuts, the courts must pull $300 million from trial court reserves, while $240 million would be realized from delays in court construction. Another $4 million will come from increased retirement contributions from state court employees.
Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye, who chairs of the Judicial Council, called the proposed cuts “startling, harsh, immediate and shocking.”
With the state facing a nearly $16 billion deficit, Matosantos told the Judicial Council, “We see that the trial courts have substantial reserves that we think are available to help us achieve some general fund savings while also being able to protect court operations.”
At that same meeting, it was announced that the Administrative Office of the Courts will see a workforce reduction of 180 employees by the end of June.
Those cuts at the state level mean changes for Lake County’s courts.
“Due to budget cuts we are doing some restructuring,” said Lake County Superior Court Executive Officer Mary Smith.
A formal announcement on the full scope of those changes will be made during the second week of June, Smith said.
Asked if those changes involved cutting services or closing any local court facilities, Smith replied, “There will be different services.”
She added, “We’re still waiting for the budget to settle.”
The local courts have already seen significant budget cuts over the last several years, which have resulted in the elimination of 11 full-time positions, three full-time unfilled positions, furloughs, reduced service hours, restructured court calendars and efforts to reduce operating expenses, according to a rundown of cuts across the state posted by Administrative Office of the Courts.
Smith and court staff met with Administrative Office of the Court officials last week, at which time they were told that the new Lakeport courthouse project would be delayed a year.
Originally the nearly $56 million project – to be built at 675 Lakeport Blvd. – was scheduled to be completed in the third quarter of 2014, the state reported.
Still, the project – ruled a priority due to safety concerns – was one of 24 projects worth a total of $3.2 billion the Administrative Office of the Courts determined last month would move forward while making cuts to construction costs where feasible.
The courthouse projects are funded by Senate Bill 1407, enacted in 2008. The legislation authorizes up to $5 billion from court fees, penalties and assessments rather than taxpayer revenues from the state’s general fund.
The state has taken $1.1 billion of that funding and redirected it to court operations or swept it into the general fund since 2009.
Lakeport’s courthouse project must cut hard construction costs by a minimum of 3 percent, according to the Administrative Office of the Courts.
“That’s something we’re working on,” Smith said. “We’ve met with architects."
She said the local court is trying to determine the best ways to make the cuts without compromising the project.
“We don't want to make short term decisions that we'll suffer with later,” she said.
John Jensen contributed to this report.
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Police, CHP investigate fatal Tuesday afternoon Clearlake wreck
THIS STORY HAS BEEN UPDATED TO REFLECT THAT THE MAN HIT BY THE VEHICLE HAS DIED.
CLEARLAKE, Calif. – On Tuesday afternoon police and the California Highway Patrol were on the scene of a vehicle wreck in Clearlake that injured two people, one of them critically.
The incident occurred at about 2:30 p.m. on Highway 53 at Polk Avenue, according to Sgt. Rodd Joseph.
Based on the investigation so far, Joseph said an adult male subject was doing yard work on the side of the highway and a tow truck drifted off the road, hitting the man. A parked car and a third car also were involved.
Joseph said the male who was hit by the truck was flown via REACH air ambulance to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital. The man was in critical condition, according to Joseph.
A woman also suffered minor injuries and was transported via ambulance to St. Helena Hospital Clearlake, Joseph said.
CHP is conducting the crash investigation, Joseph said.
One lane of traffic was open on Highway 53 at Polk early Tuesday evening, according to Joseph.
Lake County News will post updates as soon as they become available.
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