THIS ARTICLE IS BEING UPDATED WITH NEW ROAD CLOSURES AND REOPENINGS.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Days of steady rain from an atmospheric river storm have pushed Clear Lake into flood stage, with portions of two state highways, numerous roads and Library Park in Lakeport now flooding due to the excess water.

For Clear Lake, flood stage is 9 feet Rumsey – the special measure for the lake – and above. As of 1 p.m. Wednesday, Clear Lake was at 9.28 feet Rumsey and continuing to rise, according to the California Department of Water Resources’ Data Exchange Center.

The rainfall and water bodies draining into Clear Lake and other local water bodies led on Wednesday to flooding across Highway 20 near Witter Springs. As a result, Caltrans and the California Highway Patrol closed Highway 20 at the roundabout at the junction with Highway 29 in Upper Lake to Highway 20 at Potter Valley Road in Mendocino County.

Caltrans reported that Highway 175 to Hopland is closed from the junction of Highway 101 to just over half a mile east due to flooding.

Numerous county roadways also have been covered by flood waters, necessitating closures which are listed below.

County of Lake officials advised residents living on or near Clear Lake to be prepared for flooding, as the California Nevada River Forecast Center is forecasting 3.5 inches of rain for the Clear Lake watershed through Saturday.

The new rainfall that’s expected is on top of large amounts of rain recorded over the past three days, ranging from 5 inches near Lakeport to 10 inches near Bartlett Springs and estimates of nearly 15 inches in parts of Cobb.

The lake is projected to reach 9.8 feet Rumsey late Thursday night, holding there before starting to drop by Sunday, according to the California Nevada River Forecast Center.

County officials said the north shore of the lake will be susceptible to wave action as strong southerly wind gusts are expected. High lake levels are expected for a prolonged period.

A substantial amount of debris also has washed into the lake, with local officials reporting that trees, docks and appliances have been observed floating on the surface. They urge boaters to use caution and be aware that a mandatory idle speed limit is in effect when boating within one quarter mile of the shoreline.

The city of Lakeport on Wednesday morning closed Library Park due to flooding. The park’s docks had been raised in some areas and removed in others, with water coming over the seawall – damaged from the 2017 storms – and flooding the areas around the picnic tables.

Along Lakeshore Boulevard in Lakeport, piers and docks were covered by water and tules were washing up against the roadway. A city Public Works crew was in the middle of the road on Wednesday morning, fixing potholes.

County officials said a portion of Soda Bay Road is closed but they’ve been able to open the road from Big Valley Road to Highway 175 and South Main Street. Drivers are urged to watch out for debris.

Highland Springs Road remains open despite a mudslide at mile post marker 5.5.

Road closures and special notices about speed and conditions as of 5 p.m. Wednesday are listed below, according to the Lake County Public Works Department, the CHP, Caltrans, and the cities of Clearlake and Lakeport.

Since the last update earlier in the afternoon, new closures were implemented on Stokes Avenue in Nice and Rose Anderson Road in Middletown, Argonaut Road was reopened between Big Valley Road and Thomas Drive, and Finley East Road was reopened from Cal Packing Road to Stone Drive.

CLEARLAKE

13451 Lower Lakeshore Drive to 13544 Lower Lakeshore: Closed due to flooding.

HIDDEN VALLEY LAKE

Spruce Grove Road Extension: Closed near USS Liberty Lane (Quarry Road) due to road slipout.

KELSEYVILLE

Bell Hill Road: Closed at Adobe Creek low water crossing due to flooding; closed from Main Street to Highway 29.

Big Valley Road: Flooded in multiple locations. Road is open at this time, please reduce speeds.

Clark Drive: Closed from Soda Bay Road to Gaddy Lane due to flooding.

Konocti Bay Road: Mudslide blocking one lane near Richmond Park.

LAKEPORT

Esplanade Street: Closed due to flooding.

Highland Springs Road: Mudslide at mile post marker 5.5, however, road still open.

Hill Road: Single-lane traffic from Lakeshore to Sutter Hospital. Traffic will not be able to drive from Sutter Hospital to Lakeshore Boulevard due to slide movement.

Matthews Road: Multiple small mudslides, road is still open and passable.

Scotts Valley Road: Closed from Highway 20 to packing sheds due to flooding.

Soda Bay Road: Closed from Stone Drive to Cal Packing Road due to Adobe creek jumping the bank and flooding the roadway.

LOWER LAKE

Anderson Road: Mud/debris slide blocking the roadway.

Candy Lane: Closed to all traffic between Joseph Trail and May Hollow Road due to a culvert failure. This will be an extended closure as work to fix cannot commence until the water stops flowing.

MIDDLETOWN

Big Canyon Road: Closed to all traffic at MPM 7 due to Mudslide. Closure will run from Ettawa Springs road to Harbin Springs. Affected property owners will be allowed access to and from their property.

Dry Creek Cutoff: Closed at the low water crossing.

NICE

Lakeshore Drive: Closed from Stokes Avenue to Hammond Avenue due to flooding.

Rose Anderson Road: Closed to all traffic at Van Dorn Reservoir Road due to road slipout.

Stokes Avenue: Closed at Nice-Lucerne Cutoff due to flooding.

UPPER LAKE

Laurel Dell Road: Closed from Scotts Valley Road to Mid Lake Road due to flooding.

Mendenhall Road: Closed from Highway 20 to Main Street due to flooding.

Scotts Valley Road: Closed from Highway 20 to packing sheds due to flooding.

Witter Springs Road: Closed from Highway 20 to East Road due to flooding.

Weather, flood and road information is available from the following sources.

National Weather Service Sacramento
http://www.weather.gov/sto 

Lake County Public Works Road Division
http://www.lakecountyca.gov/Government/Directory/Public_Works/Divisions/Roads.htm  

Lake County Water Resources Department
http://www.lakecountyca.gov/Government/Directory/WaterResources/HydrologicLinks.htm  

Lake County flood and road information
http://www.lakecountyca.gov/Government/Directory/WaterResources/FloodPreparation.htm  

Caltrans Highway Information
http://www.dot.ca.gov/cgi-bin/roads.cgi 

City of Lakeport
https://www.cityoflakeport.com/ 

City of Clearlake
https://www.clearlake.ca.us/ 

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.

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The Clearlake City Council this week will review the Measure V sales tax, hear a presentation on an economic development strategy and consider allowing the use of a shower trailer for the homeless.

The council will meet at 4 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 28, in the council chambers at Clearlake City Hall, 14050 Olympic Drive, for a Measure V fund review, followed at 5:15 p.m. by a closed session to discuss negotiations related to property at 14130 Tuli Lane, labor negotiations and the city’s existing litigation against Pacific Gas and Electric regarding the Sulphur fire.

The closed session also will include a discussion of a city manager appointment in the wake of last week’s announcement that current City Manager is leaving next month to take a job with Suisun City.

The council’s regular meeting will convene at 6 p.m.

The agenda for the workshop and meeting can be found here.

At the start of the meeting, the council will offer a proclamation honoring the Lower Lake High School Cheerleading Team for its win last week at a nationwide competition.

The Clear Lake Chamber also will give the council its annual report, a presentation will be made to Neickol Cook for her efforts at city cleanup and Adventist Health will give an update on its Safe Rx and Leave It Behind Program.

On Thursday the council will hold a public hearing to confirm assessments in the amount of $52,327 for five CalRecycle-funded abatements in accordance with city municipal code. The properties that were abated are located at 3182 Park St., 2971 Sixth St., 3114 Eighth St., 3292 Ninth St. and 3372 11th St.

Under council business, the council will hear a presentation from the Lake Economic Development Corp. on the Path to Prosperity Economic Strategy and consider a request from the organization for $10,000 in financial support in the coming fiscal year.

In other council business, staff is asking the council to give direction regarding policy for the future use of a shower trailer that is being donated to the city by the Lake Area Rotary Club.

There have been inquiries from the Continuum of Care about using the trailer for showers for the homeless, according to the staff report from Folsom, who is recommending that if it’s allowed for that use, that a memorandum of understanding be created with the organization that will monitor its use, clean and insure it.

The council also will consider approving a purchase of new Public Works equipment.

On the consent agenda – items considered noncontroversial and usually accepted as a slate on one vote – are warrant registers; minutes of the Jan. 10 and 24, and Feb. 14 meetings; a second reading of an ordinance amending the Clearlake Municipal Code related to the issuance, handling, appeals and penalties of administrative citations, amending the general penalty for violations, adjusting penalties for Cannabis-related violations and providing for the immediate imposition of fines in specified circumstances; adoption of a development agreement with Erin McCarrick and Clearlake Ventures LLC for a commercial cannabis operation; second reading and adoption of Ordinance No. 225-2019, revising provisions relating to planning commissioners’ salaries; Resolution No. 2019-10 for disposal of surplus property; and approval of the Public Works director recruitment, to be conducted by Ralph Anderson and Associates.

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.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lakeport Fire Protection District will hold a special mail ballot election this spring in an effort to pass a new parcel tax to help fund the district’s operations.

The district board of directors has called a special election to put “Measure M” before voters on Tuesday, May 7.

Voters will be asked to impose the parcel tax to continue to provide fire and emergency medical services.

Measure M is estimated to bring in $1,206,000 million annually to the district, whose financial struggles prompted the fire district board in the fall to accept a budget that laid off three full-time firefighters, as Lake County News has reported.

The polls will be open between the hours of 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day.

The abbreviated statement of the measure to appear on the ballot is as follows:

“To decrease response times and increase fire protection/emergency medical services by increasing staffing at fire stations; and to maintain/replace outdated firefighting equipment, shall the Lakeport Fire Protection District Measure repealing existing fire protection services taxes and levying a tax of $6.14 per benefit unit annually on each parcel of property in the District be adopted, estimated to raise about $1,206,000 annually; until ended by voters, with independent community oversight and all money staying local?”

Measure M requires a two-thirds majority vote – or a 66.7-percent supermajority. If it gets that number or better in yes votes, then the District’s Ordinance No. 1819-01 will become effective July 1, 2019.

Arguments for and against District Measure M must be typed and submitted to the Lake County Registrar of Voters, Lake County Courthouse, Room 209, 255 N Forbes St., Lakeport, telephone 707-263-2372, no later than 5 p.m. on Monday, March 11.

The Registrar of Voters Office said written arguments may be submitted by the Lakeport Fire Protection District Board of Directors or any member or members of the board, or any individual voter who is eligible to vote on the measure, or bona fide association of citizens, or any combination of such voters and associations may file a written argument for or against any district measure.

No argument shall exceed 300 words in length. No more than five signatures shall appear with any argument.

All arguments must be accompanied by the “Statement That Argument Is True And Correct” as required by Section 9600 of the CA Elections Code provided by the Registrar of Voters office, stating the printed name and signature or printed names and signatures of the person or persons submitting it or, if submitted on behalf of an organization, the name of the organization and the printed name and signature of at least one of its principal officers.

Only one argument for and one argument against District Measure M shall be selected for printing and distribution in voter information pamphlets included with mailed ballots. Authors of a selected argument may prepare and submit a rebuttal argument not exceeding 250 words to the Lake County Registrar of Voters no later than 5 p.m. on Monday, March 18.

Carol Huchingson, the county’s administrative officer and the interim registrar of voters, will notify the author, or authors, of selected arguments in writing of the procedure to submit a rebuttal argument.

NORTH COAST, Calif. – The Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office has identified the Kelseyville man who died in a two-car collision on Highway 101 on Monday afternoon.

Luis Enrique Gonzalez Recinos, 22, died in the wreck, according to Capt. Greg Van Patten.

Just after 4 p.m. Monday, Gonzalez Recinos was driving a 2013 Mercedes northbound on Highway 101 near mile post marker 7.46 at approximately 65 miles per hour when the car began to skid out of control, according to the report from the California Highway Patrol’s Ukiah Area office.

The Mercedes spun counterclockwise and into the path of a 2001 Toyota driven by 21-year-old Redwood Valley resident James Wakefield Jr., who the CHP said was traveling southbound.

The Toyota’s front end hit the side of the Mercedes, the CHP said.

The CHP said Gonzalez Recinos died at the scene, while Wakefield was transported to a nearby hospital.

The crash remains under investigation.

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.

On Tuesday, Assembly Joint Resolution 4, authored by Assemblymember Cecilia Aguiar-Curry (D-Winters), passed out of the Assembly Public Safety Committee with a bipartisan, 7-1 vote.

The bill will next go to the Assembly Floor for a vote of the full State Assembly.

Passing AJR 4 will put California’s Legislature on record demanding U.S. Congressional passage of and a Presidential signature on House Resolution 8, by Congressman Mike Thompson (D-St. Helena), the “Bipartisan Background Checks Act.”

“This success is particularly meaningful today, because the Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2019 will be considered for a vote by the U.S. House of Representatives tomorrow. I will do everything I can to support Congressman Thompson’s efforts,” said Aguiar-Curry. “Nearly 1200 children have been killed by guns in our country since the Parkland Shootings in Florida last year[i]. I simply cannot understand why Congress has not acted to pass a measure which prevents criminals and the mentally ill from bypassing checks on their ability to obtain weapons, especially ones meant for no other purpose than to hurt or kill human beings.”

Introduced by Congressman Mike Thompson (D-St. Helena), H.R. 8 requires uniform and universal background checks on all gun purchases and transfers.

The law would obligate unlicensed gun sellers to perform background checks on gun purchasers and transferees by requiring them to utilize licensed dealers to sell and transfer firearms.

Current federal law includes a loophole that allows unlicensed firearm dealers to sell at gun shows, online, and in person without performing background checks on purchasers.

This is a significant omission, as gun offenders overwhelmingly obtain their guns without a background check through private sales.

The bipartisan group of federal coauthors to this federal legislation shows that confronting gun violence and protecting our communities is important to both sides of the political aisle.

The vote in Assembly Public Safety Committee on Tuesday makes the State Legislature’s effort to support H.R. 8 a bipartisan endeavor as well.

“This is not about keeping guns away from law-abiding people, hunters, recreational shooters, or people seeking to defend their homes, businesses, and properties. I am disappointed by the weak excuses provided during the committee hearing by the small number of opponents of today’s action,” said Aguiar-Curry. “Any claim that background checks don’t stop crimes is aiding and abetting criminals’ unchecked access to firearms being used on our nation’s innocent bystanders and children.”

Aguiar-Curry represents the Fourth Assembly District, which includes all of Lake and Napa Counties, parts of Colusa, Solano and Sonoma Counties, and all of Yolo County except West Sacramento.

California Attorney General Xavier Becerra has released a California Department of Justice report on immigration detention facilities in the state.

The report is the result of Assembly Bill 103, which passed in 2017, requiring the DOJ, over a 10-year period, to report on: conditions of confinement; the standard of care and due process provided to detainees; and the circumstances around the apprehension and transfer of detainees to facilities.

This initial report is intended to provide increased transparency around immigration detention facilities in California.

The report is an important step forward in understanding the conditions under which civil immigration detainees are living, including their access to critical health and legal resources.

“We’re committed to upholding the welfare of all people in California, including those in local detention facilities pending immigration proceedings,” said Attorney General Becerra. “At the California Department of Justice, we will continue to review detention facilities in our state and shine much-needed light on civil detention conditions.”

Although immigration detainees’ experiences vary drastically within and across facilities throughout the state, DOJ found a number of common challenges, including:

– Prolonged periods of confinement without breaks, with some detainees confined in cells for up to 22 hours a day;
– Significant language barriers, compromising medical and legal confidentiality;
– Difficulties with access to medical and mental health care, increasing the risk to detainees of a major medical or mental health incident;
– Obstacles to external communication, limiting detainees’ abilities to contact family or other support systems; and
– Barriers to access to legal representation, leaving many detainees to navigate the complexities of immigration law themselves.

During the last three years, detention facilities in California, including those operated by local governments, have held more than 74,000 immigration detainees, including individuals as young as 13 and as old as 95, from over 150 different countries, such as Argentina, Armenia, Canada, China, Cameroon, France, Germany, Guatemala, Ghana, Haiti, India, Jamaica, Kyrgyzstan, Mexico, New Zealand and Singapore.

Detainees were held for more than 50 days on average, with the longest stay at a single facility exceeding four years.

Immigration detention facility review by DOJ is ongoing. For this report, DOJ conducted one-day visits to all 10 civil immigration detention facilities in the state that were operating when AB 103 became law. DOJ comprehensively reviewed three public facilities: Yolo County Juvenile Detention Facility, Theo Lacy Facility in Orange County and West County Detention Facility in Contra Costa County.

The full report is published below.

Immigration Detention 2019 by LakeCoNews on Scribd

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Continued rainfall, a rising lake level and saturated ground led to flooding of some Lake County roadways on Tuesday.

Late Tuesday afternoon, the National Weather Service’s observation stations around Lake County indicated that rainfall across the county over the previous 48 hours ranged from nearly 3.5 inches in Upper Lake to more than 9 inches in Whispering Pines near Cobb.

Shortly after 5 p.m. Tuesday, the US Geological Survey’s gauge on Clear Lake indicated the lake’s level was 8.37 feet Rumsey, a rise of about three-quarters of a foot in 24 hours. Flood stage is 9 feet Rumsey and above.

The National Weather Service is anticipating more rain on Tuesday night – up to 2 inches – and into Wednesday. All of Lake County remains under a wind advisory until noon on Wednesday and a flood warning until Thursday night.

The Lake County Public Works Department’s most recent report on road conditions, issued just before 5 p.m. Tuesday, said the following roads are closed:

Kelseyville

Argonaut Road: Closed between Big Valley Road and Thomas Drive.

Bell Hill: Closed at Adobe Creek low water crossing due to flooding.

Clark Drive: Closed from Soda Bay Road to Gaddy Lane due to flooding.

Lakeport

Scotts Valley Road: Closed from Highway 20 to packing sheds due to flooding.

Soda Bay Road: Closed from Stone Drive to Cal Packing Road due to Adobe Creek jumping the bank and; closed from Big Valley Road to Highway 175/S. Main Street.

Lower Lake

Candy Lane: Closed to all traffic between Joseph Trail and May Hollow Road due to a culvert failure. This will be an extended closure as work to fix cannot commence until the water stops flowing.

Middletown

Dry Creek Cutoff: Closed at the low water crossing

Nice

Lakeshore Drive: Closed from Stokes Avenue to Hammond Avenue due to flooding.

Upper Lake

Laurel Dell Road: Closed to two-way traffic from Scotts Valley Road to Mid Lake Road due to flooding.

Scotts Valley Road: Closed from Highway 20 to packing sheds due to flooding.

On Hill Road near Lakeside Heights, the road remains open to two-way traffic, but Lake County Public Works said it anticipates that the slide will jump the K-rails at some point on Tuesday night, night, closing one lane of the roadway.

Lake County Public Works said Highland Springs Road remains open despite a mudslide at mile post marker 5.5.

In the city of Lakeport, officials said Esplanade Street flooded on Tuesday and was closed.

In neighboring Sonoma County, authorities issued an evacuation order for many communities along the Russian River, which is forecast to go above flood stage at 6 p.m. Tuesday and to crest 46.1 feet at 10 p.m. Wednesday. Evacuation shelters are being opened at the Sebastopol Center for the Arts and the Sonoma County Fairgrounds Grace Pavilion.

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.

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The city of Clearlake said that on Tuesday it closed Thompson Harbor at Redbud Park in the interest of public safety due to Clear Lake’s rising level.

Due to the storms in the region, the water level of Clear Lake reached monitor stage – 8.0 feet Rumsey – on Tuesday morning, with the lake expected to reach flood stage, 9.0 feet Rumsey, later in the week.

Those high water levels make the docks at Thompson Harbor unsafe. As such, the city reported that its Public Works crews detached the floating docks from the concrete ramps to keep the
docks from being damaged by the rising water level.

The city said the ramps at Thompson Harbor are not safe to use when the docks are detached. The docks will be reattached when the water level recedes back to 8 feet Rumsey.

Boaters should also be aware that a mandatory 5 mile per hour boating speed limit takes effect when Clear Lake reaches 8.0 Rumsey for at least 24 hours.

The speed ordinance requires boaters operating a motor boat within one-quarter mile or less of a shoreline to maintain idle speed.

The ordinance was approved by the Board of Supervisors during the 2017 flood to minimize wake damage to lakeshore properties and to help ensure the safety of boaters operating while heavy debris loads are present on the lake.

“We are disappointed to have to take this action as it impacts the ability to launch out of Clearlake,” said City Manager Greg Folsom. “Fishing and tourism are significant drivers of our economy and we will reopen Thompson Harbor as soon as it is safe to do so.”

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The California Highway Patrol said that it is continuing its efforts to determine who killed a Santa Clarita man whose vehicle was found crashed along Highway 20 on Thursday morning.

Patrick Michael Weber, 41, was found dead in his white 2014 sprinter van shortly after 7 a.m. Thursday in an area about two miles west of the Colusa County line, east of Clearlake Oaks, as Lake County News has reported.

CHP Clear Lake Area office Commander Lt. Randy England confirmed to Lake County News this weekend that Weber’s death is being investigated as a homicide.

Investigators from the CHP and the Lake County Sheriff’s Office are trying to put together what happened to Weber – including where he was in the days leading up to his death, why he was in Lake County and who would have wanted to take his life.

Weber’s family is mystified by the death of the husband and father.

“I just can’t imagine that anyone could have anything against him,” his wife, Angela Weber, told Lake County News.

A possible factor in the homicide is that Patrick Weber worked in the cannabis industry, although investigators have so far not stated if that was a motive.

Patrick Weber’s vehicle was discovered after a passing motorist called 911 at 7 a.m. Thursday to report that a white van had gone off the roadway on Highway 20, about a mile west of Walker Ridge Road, according to the CHP.

The CHP said its officers and Northshore Fire personnel responded, finding the van, which was headed eastbound, had traveled off the south edge of the highway and into a ditch, crashing into a tree.

When the officers and firefighters approached the vehicle, they found Weber deceased in the driver’s seat, the CHP said.

What looked like a simple crash at first soon turned into a complex criminal investigation. England told Lake County News in a weekend interview that when he arrived at the scene, “Something just didn’t seem right.”

For one, the officers investigating the crash found red paint transfer marks on the vehicle’s driver’s side, which the CHP said raised the possibility of a hit-and-run collision or possibly an intentional act. That led to the request to bring in the CHP Northern Division Multidisciplinary Accident Team, or MAIT.

On Thursday night, Weber’s body was taken to Chapel of the Lakes Mortuary in Lakeport, where the CHP had directed an autopsy be conducted immediately. The result was the determination that Weber’s cause of death – which hadn’t been immediately apparent at the scene – appeared to have been a homicide.

On Monday, Officer Joel Skeen said the CHP is still not ready to report Weber’s exact cause of death, which he said wasn’t consistent with a crash.

“It was apparent that he was in the vehicle when it crashed. He had the seat belt marks,” said Skeen.

However, during the autopsy it appeared that something had happened to Weber that caused the collision, Skeen said.

Skeen said CHP took the van for evidence. Weber is listed as the registered owner of the vehicle, which Skeen said the MAIT team will fully inspect for signs of any mechanical issues.

The CHP is not releasing information about what it found in Weber’s van, Skeen said.

He said investigators also are trying to create a timeline of Weber’s travels. “They are looking at where he has been for the last several days before the incident,” Skeen said. They’re particularly interested about why he was in Lake County.

Angela Weber said her husband left their Santa Clarita home at about 2 p.m. Monday. She said her husband worked in the cannabis industry, and that he has been working on permits and education to comply with new state rules, but added that he kept her in the dark about his business.

She said she knew he was doing a “trim run,” which she said she believed was to be used for vape pens.

“I don’t know any of the details of where he was going or who he was meeting. He never told me any of that stuff,” she said.

However, she’s received information that he stayed at Motel 6 in Eureka on Tuesday night. Sometime on Wednesday, he stopped at a gas station he frequented – she wasn’t sure where – because it has strong coffee.

The time of the wreck itself also isn’t known so far, the CHP said. However, Angela Weber said she and her husband exchanged texts at about 8:15 p.m. Wednesday, and that was the last she had heard from him. That narrows the timeframe to an 11-hour period, ending at 7 a.m. Thursday, when the vehicle and Weber’s body were found.

As to whether this was a random or a targeted act, “We’re considering both options,” Skeen said.

Investigators also are trying to identify a suspect. “They haven’t narrowed it down to a single suspect at this point but they’re still looking into everybody that he’s been in contact with,” Skeen said.

Skeen confirmed that investigators have contacted the family, which is providing necessary information. Angela Weber said she’s spoken to both CHP Officer Jake Slates and Lake County Sheriff’s Det. Jerry Pfann.

Family seeks answers

Angela and Patrick Weber would have been married five years in May. Angela Weber is a yoga teacher and homemaker.

She said her husband had put a lot of effort into his work in the cannabis industry, and that he was working with a farm “up north.” She believed he was selling through a dispensary, although she did not know how long he’d been doing it, adding she thought he felt it better not to tell her.

He was gone on trips a lot. “And a lot more lately,” she said, explaining he would be gone for several days at a time and that it was stressful.

She said other people also are trying to work legally in the cannabis industry to provide for their families, and that they shouldn’t be at risk. “This cannot be happening to people. Patrick was a good man.”

In the wake of her husband’s death, Angela Weber is concerned about getting answers and keeping her family safe.

While she’s received messages of condolence, she was unnerved after posting pictures of him on her Instagram account on Sunday and then, on Monday morning, receiving frightening messages from another Instagram account. She said she sent screenshots of the messages to a detective.

“It just felt crazy,” she said.

She said that she wants more information to hone in on the answer to the case.

“My husband was the kindest, most caring, wonderful man, an amazing family man,” a yogi and a peaceful person, she said.

She added, “I wish I’d asked more questions."

Anyone with information about Patrick Weber, including his whereabouts in the days before the crash, and the crash itself, is asked to call the CHP’s Ukiah Dispatch Center at 707-467-4000 and ask to speak to the lead investigator, Officer Jake Slates.

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.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – As rainfall totals continue to climb, Clear Lake is approaching flood stage and forecasters warned that Lake County is in an area most at risk of flooding-related issues.

Several inches of rain fell across Lake County on Monday thanks to an atmospheric river, leading the National Weather Service to issue a flood warning, which will go into effect at 4 p.m. Wednesday. An existing flood watch, that began at 4 p.m. Monday, will continue until 8 a.m. Thursday.

A new wind advisory also goes into effect at noon on Tuesday, the National Weather Service reported.

The National Weather Service’s observation stations reported the following 24-hour rainfall totals, through 12 a.m. Tuesday, in inches:

– Bartlett Springs: 4.07.
– Boggs Mountain: 4.42.
– Colusa County line: 0.76.
– Hidden Valley Lake: 2.75.
– High Glade Lookout (above Upper Lake): 1.09.
– Indian Valley Reservoir: 1.04.
– Kelseyville: 3.16.
– Knoxville Creek: 2.60.
– Lakeport: 1.96.
– Lower Lake: 1.65.
– Lyons Valley: 2.01.
– Soda Creek (near Lake Pillsbury): 3.48.
– Upper Lake: 1.82.
– Whispering Pines: 4.92.

Early Tuesday, Clear Lake was once again headed toward monitor stage – 8.0 feet Rumsey, the special measure used just for Clear Lake. County officials have predicted that the lake could hit flood stage – 9.0 feet Rumsey – by early Thursday morning.

The atmospheric river is expected to bring more heavy rain through Thursday, with the potential for up to another 4 inches of rain on Tuesday, according to the forecast.

Monday’s heavy rainfall led the National Weather Service to warn that the zone of highest probability of flooding problems late overnight and Tuesday morning will extend from Lake County northeast through Butte County.

The high water levels had led to some localized flooding of roadways by Monday night.

The California Highway Patrol said Clark Drive was closed from Soda Bay Road to Gaddy Lane in Kelseyville, and near Hopland, Highway 175 is closed from mile post 0.0 to 0.50, east of Highway 101.

The city of Lakeport issued an advisory regarding several streets prone to flooding, including Martin Street between Russell and Forbes streets, 16th Street at Hartley Street, Lange Street at Giselman Street, and Lakeshore Boulevard between Lange and Giselman streets. Motorists are urged to have alternate routes planned should flooding occur.

Officials also remind drivers not to drive through running or standing water on streets and to follow all traffic control devices they may encounter.

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. – A Kelseyville man was killed on Monday afternoon when he lost control of his car and hit another vehicle on Highway 101 in Mendocino County.

The California Highway Patrol’s Ukiah Area office did not release the name of the 22-year-old crash victim in a Monday night report.

The CHP said that just after 4 p.m. the man was driving a white 2013 Mercedes northbound on Highway 101 near mile post marker 7.46 at approximately 65 miles per hour. It was raining at the time.

A black 2001 Toyota, driven by James Wakefield Jr., 21, of Redwood Valley was traveling southbound on Highway 101, north of the Mercedes, at approximately 50 miles per hour, the CHP said.

For unknown reasons, the Mercedes began to skid out of control, rotating counterclockwise. The CHP said the Mercedes traveled directly into the path of Wakefield’s Toyota, with the Toyota’s front end hitting the right side of the Mercedes.

The CHP said the Mercedes came to rest on all four wheels on the southbound shoulder, facing a northerly direction. The Toyota also came to rest on all four of its wheels, facing a southerly directly in the southbound No. 1 lane.

The Mercedes’ driver sustained fatal injuries and died at the scene. The CHP said that Wakefield suffered minor injuries and was transported to Adventist Health Ukiah Valley Hospital for treatment.

There were no passengers in either vehicle, the CHP said, and both drivers were wearing their seat belts.

The crash remains under investigation.

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.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lakeport Police Department said its officers arrested a Loch Lomond man on Monday night after finding him with a truck filled with stolen medical equipment.

Joshua Michael Covell, 31, of Loch Lomond, Calif., was arrested for felony grand theft, possession of stolen property and tampering with a vehicle, according to a report from Chief Brad Rasmussen.

Rasmussen said that at 8:10 p.m. Monday, officers were called to a medical business in the 800 block of Parallel Drive to investigate the report of gasoline siphoning.

He said the officers responded and located a green Dodge Ram 1500 pickup parked in the area. The truck was unoccupied but officers could see an illegal weapon – metal knuckles – lying on the pickup seat.

Three officers began checking the area and set up surveillance on the pickup. Approximately 40 minutes later, they saw a male subject approach and enter the vehicle, Rasmussen said.

Rasmussen said officers contacted the suspect – later identified as Covell – and arrested him for possession of the metal knuckles.

He said the officers searched the pickup and located approximately $17,000 worth of medical equipment that was identified as being stolen from the medical business.

Officers also located approximately $500 worth of equipment that was identified as being stolen earlier in the day from the Lake County Fair. Rasmussen said the California Highway Patrol’s Clear Lake Area office was investigating that case and also responded to the scene of Covell’s arrest.

Rasmussen said Covell was arrested and transported to the Lake County Jail where he was booked.

The investigation remains ongoing and anyone with information is asked to contact the Lakeport Police Department at 707-263-5491, by emailing Investigating Officer Tyler Trouette at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., by private Facebook message or by sending an anonymous message by texting the words TIP LAKEPORT followed by your message to 888777.