KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – Tickets are now on sale for the opening event to this year's Kelseyville Pear Festival.

The 21st annual festival welcomes the return of cowboy singer Dave Stamey to the festival kickoff barbecue on Friday, Sept. 27.

It’s been suggested that venues “hire Dave every time you can and keep him as long as he will stay.”

That’s just what the KPF committee has done again this year.

Crowds never tire of his music and flawless performance. Since we last saw him, Stamey took home four more awards at the November 2012 Western Music Association’s 24th annual festival and awards show, including album of the year for “Twelve Mile Road,” songwriter of the year, male performer of the year and entertainer of the year.

The kick-off barbecue is 5 p.m. in the Wildhurst Courtyard. The concert begins at 7 p.m.

This year the Cobb Stompers, the good-time string-band from Cobb Mountain featuring Patricia Jekel, “Dock” Jekel and Paul “Brew,” will open for Stamey.

The cost is $45 per person which includes barbecue, complimentary glass of wine and the concert.

Tickets are available in person in the Wildhurst Tasting Room, 3855 Main St. in Kelseyville or you can call 1-800-595 WINE to provide a credit card number and have your tickets placed in will call.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – Two large dogs attacked and killed seven alpacas on the Yuba College farm in Marysville Friday morning.

The dogs were seen by Veterinary Technology professor Scott Haskell and Bonnie Loghry running away from the scene around 6 a.m.

College officials said Haskell and Loghry were unable to catch the dogs, which they said were large and black.

“The remaining three alpacas, one that was also injured but survived, have been moved to a safer location,” said Loghry.

The dogs were able to get to the alpacas by digging under the fence. The fencing on the farm is old but it was strong enough to keep the animals in; unfortunately, not strong enough to keep predators out, college officials said.

Yuba County Animal Control is continuing its search for the animals.

“We were just shocked when we came upon the incident this morning. All of our students heard about it and very quickly came out to the college to see how they could help. This is very upsetting to all of us here at the college and especially all of us involved in the Vet Tech program,” said Dr. Haskell.

The estimated cost for replacing the seven alpacas, which Veterinary Technology students care for and learn from, is between $1,500 and $2,000 each.

Anyone who would like to make contribution to help replace the alpacas that were killed can send their donation to the Yuba College Foundation Veterinary Technology Fund, 2088 North Beale Road, Marysville, CA 95901.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – This week two Lake County men being prosecuted for a large marijuana growing operation where they kept and sexually assaulted a teenage girl pleaded not guilty to the charges against them, with a federal judge ordering that they remain in custody.

On Friday 30-year-old Ryan Alan Balletto of Lakeport, and Patrick Steven Pearmain, 25, pleaded not guilty to charges included in a new indictment issued this week

In addition to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 1,000 or more marijuana plants and use of a minor in drug operations, they face a new charge of marijuana manufacturing.

Balletto also pleaded not guilty to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

Both men are facing potential life terms if convicted of the charges.

They remain in federal custody after the US Attorney's Office successfully argued against their release in a Wednesday court appearance before federal Magistrate Judge Nandor J. Vadas, according to court filings.

Prosecutors argued that Balletto in particular – a former Marine who had a large cache of weapons and is a pilot who owns his own airplane – is a flight risk, and that if both men were free there would be the possibility of witness intimidation.

The government also revealed this week that it has a recorded, Mirandized confession by Balletto, a
recorded statement from the minor victim, and multiple recorded statements from others who were working on the grow site near Clearlake Oaks.

The men were arrested in May as the result of a lengthy investigation begun by federal agencies, with the Lake County Sheriff's Office also becoming involved in the case, according to the indictment against them.

The two men are accused of growing more than 1,300 plants at Balletto's 681-acre property in the Ogulin Canyon area.

In addition, they kept a 15-year-old runaway girl from Hollywood – who Balletto had brought to Lake County – at the grow for about a month.

At the grow the girl trimmed marijuana and was subjected to repeated sexual assaults by the men, who kept her in a metal toolbox for punishment and told her she would be shot by neighbors if she attempted to leave the property.

The documents filed this week state that a witness who worked at the grow site reported that “Balletto and Pearmain also repeatedly subjected her to electric shocks with a cattle prod or Taser.”

The witness further reported that Balletto and Pearmain restrained the girl in on a rack-like device, “where they engaged in sex acts while she was immobilized.”

The girl called Lake County Central Dispatch on April 30 to tell authorities she was OK after authorities questioned Balletto's girlfriend about her, according to the investigation.

Authorities tracked her through the cell phone she used to make the call, finding her at a West Sacramento hotel with Pearmain. She was taken into protective custody and the grow was raided the next day.

The government said Balletto and Pearmain's treatment of the girl “demonstrates a disregard for others that is shocking in its callousness.”

The documents added, “There is no question that individuals capable of treating another human being in this way, let alone a young girl, pose a grave danger to the community.”

Court documents filed this week said neither man is eligible for a “safety valve,” a law that lets courts give offenders lesser time than the mandatory minimum for specific charges if they meet certain requirements.

That means Pearmain – who has a previous drug conviction – must serve at least 10 years in prison if convicted, and Balletto is facing a minimum 15-year term because of the firearm charge.

Balletto is alleged to have kept a large cache of assault weapons – most of which weren't registered to him – along with body armor at the grow site.

Federal prosecutors noted, “given Balletto’s readiness for a gun battle, the government will be testing the assault weapons seized during the search warrant. If any have been converted to fully automatic capability, the mandatory consecutive term increases to 30 years.”

Balletto and Pearmain are set to return to court on Wednesday, Aug. 21, for a status conference, according to case scheduling.

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.