How to resolve AdBlock issue? 
News
Chief Deputy James Bauman of the Lake County Sheriff's Office reported that on Saturday, July 26 the members of the Region II Sexual Assault Felony Enforcement (SAFE) Task Force conducted a compliance sweep of the registered sex offenders living in the communities of Lakeport, Upper Lake, Nice and Lucerne.
Three, two-officer teams, consisting of members of the sheriff’s office and the District Attorney’s Office spent the day conducting compliance checks on a total of 120 sex registrants throughout the north end of the county, Bauman reported.
The task force, led by Sheriff’s Det. Mike Curran, found approximately 95 percent of the registrants visited to be in compliance with the terms of their registration, and the terms of their probation or parole when applicable, according to Bauman.
Several, however, were found to be out of compliance with their registration requirements in some manner, said Bauman, and those cases will be referred to the District Attorney’s Office for complaints to be filed.
Bauman said two of the registrants, identified as 51-year-old Richard Allen Berry of Nice, and 32-year-old Logan Shane Sloan, also of Nice, were arrested for parole violations.
Berry had violated the terms of his parole by possessing pornographic material and Sloan’s parole violation was due to his consumption of alcohol. Bauman reported that both are being held at the Lake County Jail without bail.
The SAFE Task Force will continue its efforts to ensure sex registrant compliance with addition sweeps, parole searches and probation searches in other parts of the county in the months to come, Bauman reported.
{mos_sb_discuss:2}
- Details
- Written by: Lake County News reports
HOPLAND GRADE – Highway 175 over the Hopland Grade was shut down for several hours Tuesday afternoon and into the evening as officials cleaned up the roadway following a loaded lumber truck tipping over.
The big rig had tipped over and gone down an embankment around 3 p.m., according to the California Highway Patrol. The two occupants of the vehicle escaped without serious harm.
CHP officers at the scene said the truck driver had been cited at around 2:30 p.m. for being on the winding highway, on which large semis are prohibited.
They were escorting the truck down the hill on the Lake County side when, about three quarters of a mile from the county line, the truck wasn't able to smoothly negotiate a turn and its back end dropped off the road. That caused the entire rig and trailer filled with lumber to flip over, the CHP reported.
Lake County Sheriff's deputies, emergency medical personnel and Caltrans – the latter taking control of closing the road – also responded to the scene.
The driver was uninjured although a juvenile in the truck's sleeper had a minor head injury, according to the CHP.
Willits Towing responded to remove the truck and to clean up the lumber spill, CHP reported.
CHP said the highway was closed from 3:45 p.m. until 8 p.m. to allow for the roadway to be cleared.
E-mail Elizabeth Larson at
{mos_sb_discuss:2}
- Details
- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
The Governors of California, Oregon and Washington on Tuesday joined together via satellite to launch a historic action plan to address challenging ocean and coastal management issues along the West Coast.
The West Coast Governors' Ocean Action Plan is the result of a 2006 agreement signed by California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski and Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire.
The regional agreement, known as the West Coast Governors' Agreement on Ocean Health, forged a long-term partnership to tackle obstacles facing the Pacific Ocean and its coastal communities.
To support the states' agreement, a Federal Working Group, co-led by the U.S. Department of Interior, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, has been established and will work with the states in implementing the actions.
The action plan is the result of our three states working side-by-side to identify problems and develop a comprehensive action plan to solve them. It commits our three states to collaborate closely with each other and our federal partners on seven priority areas related to ocean protection:
Ensuring clean coastal waters and beaches;
Protecting and restoring healthy ocean and coastal habitats;
Promoting the effective implementation of ecosystem-based management of our ocean and coastal resources;
Reducing adverse impacts of offshore development;
Increasing ocean awareness and literacy among our citizens;
Expanding ocean and coastal scientific information, research and monitoring; and
Fostering sustainable economic development throughout our diverse coastal communities.
As part of the plan, California, Oregon and Washington will work together, along with the Federal Working Group, on 26 bold actions to help combat polluted runoff and reduce marine garbage, advocate for stricter ocean going vessel emission standards, prevent the introduction of invasive species, explore the feasibility of offshore alternative ocean energy development, improve ocean research, increase ocean education and prevent and respond to offshore oil spills, among others.
Each action within the plan contains benchmarks and a timeframe for action. The governors have formally committed to report on the status of actions at the end of two years.
"This agreement is another key step in our aggressive efforts to maintain clean water and beaches along our coast," said Gov. Schwarzenegger. "I believe our commitment to working together and putting this plan into action will help effectively tackle critical issues up and down the West Coast-ensuring a healthy ocean environment for current and future generations."
Gov. Kulongoski heralded the effort as one more successful regional compact. "Just as we've seen with the Western Regional Climate Action Initiative, collaboration on complex natural resource issues leads to improved management, inspires innovation and ensures a healthier environment. Together, we can sustain our marine resources and the communities that depend upon them."
"While Washington is making significant strides with state initiatives such as the Puget Sound Partnership, the crisis facing salmon this year is an example of why we must address these issues together as a region," Gov. Gregoire said. "Our waters know no boundaries. This plan commits us to combining our resources and ideas, and prioritizes restoring and maintaining the health of our marine and coastal waters to ensure a sustainable future."
California, Oregon and Washington have worked closely with key federal agencies as well as ocean users, academic institutions, the public, tribes, and other state and regional entities to develop the plan and will continue to collaborate with these groups to accomplish the tasks identified in the plan.
Also today, the three governors sent a joint letter to Congress asking for $5 million in federal support for implementation of the action plan. Congress has provided funding and support for similar regional ocean initiatives, such as the Gulf of Mexico Alliance.
To learn more about the West Coast Governors' actions and to read the action plan in its entirety, go to www.westcoastoceans.gov.
{mos_sb_discuss:2}
- Details
- Written by: Lake County News reports
Lake County Deputy Air Pollution Control Officer Doug Gearhart reported Tuesday that Lake County’s air has improved this week and is expected to continue through Wednesday.
Gearhart said no exceed of a health-based State or Federal Air Quality Standard is expected through Wednesday.
Based on the Federal Air Quality Index (AQI) for particulate matter, Lake County’s air quality is expected to be in the good range, he said. The AQI for particulate is expected to remain well below 101 where an unhealthy alert is given.
Smoke intrusions into the Lake County Air Basin last week resulted primarily from the Yolla Bolly (25 percent contained) complex and remainder of the Lime complex (74 percent contained), Gearhart said.
Several uncontained wildfires continue to burn in Northern California resulting in occasional smoke, haze and degraded air quality. And while progress has been made on wildfires remaining on federal land, much of the Lime and Yolla Bolly complexes are in rugged and remote areas and are unlikely to be extinguished soon, he said.
No uncontained fires remain in Lake County since the Soda Complex was controlled on Sunday, as Lake County News has reported.
Gearhart said winds are expected to be west to northwest and should continue through Wednesday, which should keep smoke from these ongoing wildfires to the north and east of the Lake County Air Basin.
{mos_sb_discuss:2}
- Details
- Written by: Lake County News reports