Agriculture

092213danyorkmug 

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The man accused of ramming his vehicle into a police officer last weekend made his first appearance in court on Wednesday.

Daniel Alan York, 53, was arraigned in Lake County Superior Court on Wednesday afternoon, according to Chief Deputy District Attorney Richard Hinchcliff.

York is charged with attempted murder, hit and run, assault with a deadly weapon, evading a peace officer causing serious bodily injury, obstructing or resisting a peace officer and a parole violation for his alleged assault early Sunday morning on Clearlake Police Officer Thomas Riley.

Hinchcliff said York also is alleged to have previous strike convictions, with a criminal record going back to the early 1980s.

He said York has served seven previous prison terms for crimes including burglary, assault with a firearm, auto theft, bringing drugs into a prison or jail facility and possession of material with the intent to manufacture illegal drugs.

Clearlake Police Craig Clausen said Wednesday that Riley was back home and recovering from his injuries.

Riley suffered included broken ribs, a fractured spine, and major head and neck lacerations, according to the police report on the incident.

At around 4:30 a.m. last Sunday, York is alleged to have used his SUV to ram into Riley, who was performing a vehicle stop on York's vehicle at Redbud Park, as Lake County News has reported.

York – who had an outstanding warrant for his arrest – allegedly put his SUV in reverse and slammed into Riley and pinned him up against a Ford pickup. Police said York hit the pickup with such force that it moved several feet, with Riley trapped between the two vehicles.

Riley was flown to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital with serious injuries immediately after the incident, police said.

York fled the scene, with his SUV later found abandoned at W. 40th and Lasky avenues. About four hours after the assault on Riley, officers found York in a residence in the 4700 block of West 40th Avenue. Police said he attempted to evade arrest and a police K9 was used to apprehend him.

Police said York was taken to St. Helena Hospital Clear Lake for treatment of the injuries he received from the struggle with the K9, which resulted in him not being booked into the jail until Tuesday afternoon.

On Wednesday Hinchcliff successfully requested an increase in York's bail, which now is at $1 million.

York is scheduled to return to court for entry of plea on Tuesday, Oct. 1, Hinchcliff said.

At York's Wednesday court appearance attorney Doug Rhoades was assigned to defend him. Hinchcliff said he's assigned Senior Deputy District Attorney Art Grothe to prosecute York's case.

York is facing at least 35 years to life – with the possibility of much more time – if convicted because of his previous strikes and prison terms, coupled with the seriousness of the charges in this newest case, Hinchcliff said.

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.

NORTH COAST, Calif. – U.S. Rep. Mike Thompson has announced a number of U.S. Department of Agriculture block grants totaling $802,141 to help support economic opportunities and grow local markets for specially crops around the region.

The grants, made through the 2013 Specialty Crop Block Grant Program, will assist growers of specialty crops and help strengthen and expand markets for their products.

The goal of the grant program is to promote and increase opportunities for specialty crop producers.

The grants are paid for by the USDA with funds approved by Congress through the annual appropriations process.

“Agriculture is the backbone of our economy and these investments will strengthen our district’s specialty crop industry by supporting local markets, promoting quality products, and increasing the availability of freshly grown fruits and vegetables to schools and commercial buyers,” said Thompson.

Grants that will benefit California’s 5th Congressional District include:

  • $390,021 for North Coast Opportunities Inc. to make more Lake and Mendocino County specialty crop products easily available to schools and other institutional and commercial buyers by creating a California specialty crop grower distribution hub. The Food Hub will handle only eligible specialty crops to ensure that grant funding supports only specialty crops.
  • $357,000 for the Sonoma Valley Vintners Association to increase wine consumer awareness of the high-quality wines from the Sonoma Valley American Viticultural Area through a marketing campaign that will include website redesign, social media and email campaigns, and print and online advertising.
  • $55,120 for Solano Grown to promote and encourage purchases of local specialty crop products by developing an online farmers’ market for Solano County specialty crop producers.

The Specialty Crop Block Grant Program is part of USDA’s integrated approach to programs and policies that stimulate food- and agriculturally-based community economic development.

Thompson represents California’s 5th Congressional District, which includes all or part of Contra Costa, Lake, Napa, Solano and Sonoma counties.

SACRAMENTO – The United States Department of Agriculture on Wednesday announced funding for the 2013 Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP).

California received more than $18 million out of the total $52 million awarded nationwide.

The SCBGP provides grants to states to enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops, which are defined as fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, horticulture, and nursery crops (including floriculture).

“We are grateful for this partnership with the USDA and our stakeholders,” said CDFA Secretary Karen Ross. “This program, which is made possible by the Farm Bill, provides investment in California agriculture at a time when there are tremendous opportunities to meet the demands of local and international markets for new products, while continually improving our food safety and environmental stewardship practices.”

Market enhancement, agriculture education, nutrition, and research proposals were solicited and selected through a competitive process.

The 64 projects funded under the 2013 SCBGP reflect the diversity of California's specialty crops across the state.

This year they include, but are not limited to: creating economic opportunities for specialty crop producers through market development activities that focus on local, regional, or international markets; development of effective agritourism associations to enhance rural tourism and promote specialty crops; food safety benefits and training programs; growing community food systems in underserved neighborhoods; online irrigation nitrogen management tool for cool season vegetables; and research to mitigate impacts of invasive pests.

In addition, CDFA partnered with the Center for Produce Safety in the evaluation and recommendation of food safety related projects.

These projects represent an ongoing effort to minimize outbreaks by proactive research.

Project abstracts are available online at www.cdfa.ca/grants .

Blog Left ad

blinnstagestop

KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – The Ely Stage Stop and Country Museum, operated by the Lake County Historical Society, will be closed Saturday, Sept. 28.

Come by the Pear Pavilion at the Kelseyville Pear Festival instead that day to talk to museum docents about their current displays and activities. See the museum's stage coach replica up close.

The museum will be open as usual on Sunday, Sept. 29.

The museum is located at 9921 Soda Bay Road (Highway 281) in Kelseyville (near Clear Lake Riviera).

Normal hours of operation are 11 a.m. to 03 p.m. each Saturday and Sunday.

Contact number for questions about volunteer work, donations of old wood for barn construction, or docent applications is 707-263-4180, Extension 102.

Visit the museum Web site at www.elystagestop.com .

KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – Celebrate the pear harvest by entering the Kelseyville Pear Festival’s annual Pear Dessert Contest.

Experienced cooks and beginners alike are encouraged to enter their favorite pear dessert.

The desserts must be ready to eat and may contain any variety of pears. The pears can be fresh, canned, frozen or dried.

The entries must be accompanied with a legible copy of the recipe that includes the name of the dessert and the entrant with a contact phone number. The entries must be in a disposable container.

To be considered in the judging, desserts must be delivered to the Kelseyville Presbyterian Church, Friendship Hall, between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Friday, Sept. 27. Judging will follow at 2 p.m.

Winners will be announced during the festival on Saturday, Sept. 28.

Last year’s first place winner was Martha Rose for her Autumn Pear Cheese Cake. Watch for her recipe during the week of the festival.

The contest is again sponsored by Lake Parts in Lakeport. All recipes become the property of the Kelseyville Business Association and the Pear Festival Committee for future publication and promotion.

For an application go to www.kelseyvillepearfestival.com/events/contests .

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Farmers grow and harvest food rain or shine, and neither cold weather, wind nor the boiling sun will keep them from bringing their bounty to the market with the hope of making their customers happy and satisfied.

“This Saturday promises to be a bit on the chilly side and rain is a possibility,” according to market manager Cornelia, “so this is a great opportunity to stop by and show your farmers how much you value their hard work and dedication!”

Delicious, fresh and healthy – unless it is homegrown, there is no better way to get local and in-season produce than by attending the local farmers' markets.

The selection of fruits and vegetables is still abundant and although the season ends for the Tuesday Morning Market next week, the Saturday Morning Market keeps going until Oct. 26.

Time to stock up and dehydrate, freeze and can, to enjoy a bit of the market through the winter until the markets open up again in spring.

Thanks to a generous donation LCFF is able to incentivize this opportunity to access fresh, healthy and local food, and is giving out bonus tokens to food stamp recipients when they use their EBT/SNAP card at both markets.

For every $10 deducted from the card an extra $5 will be handed out. That's like getting everything 50 percent off.

This not only benefits farmers and the health of an under served segment of the population, but it also brings dollars into the community that may otherwise never see the light of day in Lake County.

Besides the freshest fruits, healthiest vegetables, artisan goat cheese, very local honey, beautiful handmade crafts, delicious jams and baked goods, the markets offer live music under the walnut trees and made to order breakfast or lunch from the mobile bistro on most market days.

The music calendar and recipes from the popular “Taste of the Market” cooking demos can be found on www.lakecountyfarmersfinest.org .

Tuesday Morning Market at Steele Wines
8:30 a.m. to noon, rain or shine
June through Sept. 24

Saturday Morning Market at Steele Wines
8:30 to noon, rain or shine
May through Oct. 26

Steele Wines is located across from Rainbow Ag at 4350 Thomas Drive by Finley, between Lakeport and Kelseyville. For more information please call 707 263-6076 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

LCNews

Award winning journalism on the shores of Clear Lake. 

 

Search