Regional
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- Written by: Lake County News reports
NORTH COAST, Calif. — The Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a Covelo man for the killing of the mother of his child.
Johnathan Lee Draughan, 43, was arrested for the early Wednesday morning kiling of 35-year-old Brandy Kay Mathieson, also of Covelo, according to a report from Lt. Andrew Porter.
At 5:29 a.m. Wednesday, the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office received a 911 call from Mathieson, who reported that she was a victim of domestic violence at the hands of her boyfriend, Johnathan Lee Draughan.
Mathieson reported that Draughan was in the house and he was armed with a firearm. While on the phone, gunshots were heard by the dispatcher and Mathieson was no longer speaking with dispatch, Porter said.
A short time later, Porter said Draughan spoke on the phone with the dispatcher and advised he had shot his girlfriend and he would await the arrival of deputies.
Deputies, who were responding from Willits, arrived and took Draughan into custody without incident, Porter said.
Mathieson was located inside the residence and life saving measures were attempted by the deputies and then continued by local fire resources. Porter said Mathieson showed no signs of life and was declared deceased at the scene.
Mathieson’s and Draughan's 2-year-old child was present and was transported to an out-of-county hospital for injuries unrelated to the shooting incident, Porter said.
Porter said Mendocino County Sheriff's Office detectives responded and took over the investigation. Criminalists from the California Department of Justice labs in both Eureka and Santa Rosa responded to assist in processing the crime scene for evidence.
Draughan was subsequently transported and booked into the Mendocino County Jail on a charge of homicide, Porter said. He is being held without bail, according to jail records.
Any persons with information related to this homicide are encouraged to contact the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office by calling Dispatch at 707-463-4086, or through the tip line at 707-234-2100.
- Details
- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
HORNBROOK, Calif. — Following Friday’s successful test blast, the Klamath River Renewal Corp. reported it will proceed with the removal of the Copco No. 1 Dam, the second dam to be removed as a part of the Klamath dam removal project.
The Copco No. 1 Dam, constructed in 1918 for the sole purpose of hydroelectric power generation, has blocked fish passage for over 100 years and is expected to be fully removed by the end of August 2024.
“We are excited to get to work,” said Mark Bransom, CEO of the Renewal Corp. “With the initial phase of drawdown complete, the dam is fully exposed and can safely be disassembled.”
Copco No. 2, a diversion dam that was located just downstream of Copco No. 1, was removed last year.
The remaining three dams, Copco No. 1, Iron Gate, and JC Boyle created reservoirs that needed to be drawn down before removal could begin.
The initial phase of drawdown concluded last month, and shortly thereafter FERC approved an advancement in the schedule, allowing for the removal of Copco No. 1 ahead of the other remaining dams.
Iron Gate and JC Boyle, which are clay core earthen dams, will remain at their full height until the spring runoff period has concluded and the Klamath River has returned to baseline flows. Work on their deconstruction will likely begin sometime in May, depending on precipitation.
Deconstruction of the Copco No.1 Dam, which will be performed through a repetitive cycle of drilling, blasting and chipping, can begin before the spring runoff period has concluded because it is a concrete arch dam.
Officials said that, should the Klamath River experience a significant flow event this spring, water could safely pass over the partially removed concrete dam and the dam would remain securely in place.
The Copco No. 1 Dam removal plan was specifically designed to allow for this safe flow passing, should it occur.
\The removal of Copco No. 1, Iron Gate, and JC Boyle Dams is expected to be complete sometime this fall, in time for the Fall run of Chinook salmon.
The restoration of the former reservoir footprints is currently underway and will continue for several years until vegetation is successfully established and water clarity has returned to baseline conditions.
- Details
- Written by: California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control
Shoulder tap operations focus on adults who purchase alcohol for people under the age of 21. The statewide effort’s goal is to raise awareness about the dangers of underage drinking and the potential legal repercussions on those who supply minors with alcohol.
“Each year, hundreds of officers from partner agencies across California join with our agents to draw awareness to the fact that it’s illegal to purchase alcohol for minors,” said ABC Director Joseph McCullough. “These operations will continue throughout the year to enhance public safety.”
During a shoulder tap operation, minors supervised by law enforcement stand outside stores that sell alcohol and ask customers to make a purchase for them. The minor says they are underage and cannot purchase the alcohol. Adults who agree may be arrested and cited for furnishing alcohol to a minor.
The purpose of the operation is to keep alcohol out of the hands of underage individuals. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, car crashes are the leading cause of death for teens. Of those crashes, 27% of drivers between the ages of 15 and 20 had a blood alcohol content of .01 or higher.
The operation resulted in citations for 159 individuals who allegedly furnished alcoholic beverages to minors. At least 16 other individuals were cited for driving under the influence, parole violations, or other infractions.
The operation demonstrates the serious consequences for adults that buy alcohol for minors. The penalty for furnishing alcohol to a minor is a minimum $1,000 fine and 24 hours of community service.
The local operations were funded by ABC’s Alcohol Policing Partnership program and the California Office of Traffic Safety through NHTSA.
- Details
- Written by: Lake County News reports
On Friday at 1:15 p.m. Mendocino County Sheriff's Office deputies were dispatched to a possible airplane crash in the area of Usal Road in Whitethorn.
Deputies from the Humboldt County Sheriff's Office, the California Highway Patrol, Cal Fire, Southern Humboldt Tech Rescue, and members of the Whale Gulch, Shelter Cove and Whitethorn Fire Departments responded to assist.
Upon locating the crash site, the three occupants from the airplane were found to have only suffered minor cuts and scratches. The three occupants of the airplane were identified as a 38-year-old male, 38-year-old female and 2-year-old female, all from Santa Rosa.
During the investigation, sheriff's deputies learned the airplane's engine lost power about five minutes after taking off. The pilot began to troubleshoot why the airplane lost engine power, but had noticed the plane's altitude was too low for recovery.
At that point, the pilot deployed the airplane's Cirrus Airframe Parachute System which slowed the airplane's descent. The parachute carried the airplane until it ultimately crashed into trees in a heavily wooded area of Yellow Road in Whitethorn.
Deputies initiated the aircraft accident protocols and contacted the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board, who have the primary responsibility for investigating accidents involving civilian aircrafts.
The Mendocino County Sheriff's Office thanked the Humboldt County Sheriff's Office, California Highway Patrol, Cal Fire, Southern Humboldt Tech Rescue, and members of the Whale Gulch, Shelter Cover and Whitethorn Fire Departments who quickly responded to assist with this incident.
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