LAKEPORT, Calif. – A man who police said was acting erratically and was being transported to medical care on Wednesday morning later died, with his death now the focus of an investigation.

The man who died was identified as Anthony Cortez, 24, Clearlake, according to the Lakeport Police Department.

Police said that at 10 a.m. Wednesday Lakeport Police officers were dispatched to the area of the Anchorage Inn, located at 950 N. Main St., on a report of a male subject, wearing no shirt and black pants, running around the parking lot and banging on the glass door.

While officers were responding, dispatch provided further information, reporting that the subject was now walking into the middle of Main Street, stopping traffic and bothering people as they were walking. Police said the subject was reported to be in front of Natural High in the 800 block of N. Main Street.

Officers arrived and located a male subject, later identified as Cortez, who matched the description of the subject. He was flailing on the ground near the restroom, according to the report.

As officers approached Cortez he stood up and began walking toward them, flailing his arms and acting paranoid, police said.

The officers took control of Cortez, placed him in handcuffs and sat him on the ground in a seated position. The report said Cortez continued to display erratic, paranoid behavior, leading officers to believe he was under the influence of an unknown substance.

Officers requested medical personnel respond based on Cortez’s behavior. As officers were waiting for medics to arrive, Cortez began flailing his feet uncontrollably and continued to display a state of paranoia, the Lakeport Police Department reported.

Once medical personnel arrived, Cortez was placed on a gurney and taken to the ambulance. While inside the ambulance, and being attended to by medical personnel, Cortez began to have a medical emergency and life-saving measures were performed, police said.

The Lakeport Police report said Cortez was transported to Sutter Lakeside Hospital where further life-saving measures were performed in an attempt to revive him. Cortez was pronounced deceased a short time later.

The Lakeport Police Department initiated an investigation into Cortez’s death and requested the assistance of the Lake County District Attorney’s Office.

The investigation is ongoing and anyone with information is asked to contact Det. Dale Stoebe at the Lakeport Police Department at 707-263-5491.

MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – While the investigation into the fire that destroyed the Middletown Hardester’s Market continues, the two men injured in the fire are on the mend.

California Highway Patrol Officer Efrain Cortez Jr. is recovering from minor injuries he received on Monday when he helped pull Justin Costa, an injured Cal Fire and South Lake County FIre Protection District paid call firefighter, from harm’s way.

Cal Fire reported on Tuesday evening that Costa was in fair condition at UC Davis Medical Center’s burn center after having suffered second- and third-degree burns in the fire, which occurred on Monday afternoon at Hardester’s Market and Hardware, located at 21088 Calistoga St. in Middletown.

Cortez also is on the mend.

“I’m doing good,” Cortez told Lake County News during a Tuesday interview.

While he had by that time been cleared for duty, he said his sergeant gave him the day off, which he was spending with his children. Due to his schedule, he’s set to return to patrol on Sunday.

Cortez, 39, will mark 14 years in the CHP in October. He’s also a Lake County native, a 1997 graduate of Kelseyville High School who has spent 12 of his years as an officer working in Lake County. He lives in Kelseyville with his wife and two daughters.

He’s also a Navy veteran, having served seven years and, during that time, he said he learned to fight fires.

His CHP service has included working during the county’s wildland fires, including the Valley fire, in which he was one of the officers assisting with the evacuation of residents in the fire area.

Cortez patrols the south sector – extending from Lower Lake to the Napa County line – for the CHP’s Clear Lake Area office, based in Kelseyville.

That’s where he was on Memorial Day.

“It was a quiet day,” he recalled.

He stopped in to Hardester’s Market to order a sandwich at the deli for his lunch.

“When I was ordering my sandwich, I hear the alarm,” he said.

Everyone was looking at each other, and the employees were wondering if it was a drill, he said.

Middletown resident Monica Rosenthal, who had just come into the store to do some shopping, said she spotted Cortez in the market, and thought the timing for his arrival was fortuitous considering the fire that followed.

When the alarm went off, no smoke was visible. “Slowly, people started getting out,” said Cortez, who had time to pay for his sandwich and leave the building.

When he got to the parking lot, people were starting to move faster. Then Cortez said he saw smoke coming from the northeast corner of the building.

At that point, Cortez said he got in his patrol car and blocked off Washington Street at the back of the store. He said he also got people who were taking pictures to back off from the site and called the fire department.

Cortez said he saw the first engine, from Cal Fire, arrive. Two firefighters geared up, laid down hose and charged into the building, where more smoke and flames could be seen. One of those firefighters was Costa.

Flames then shot out of the building like a torch and one of the firefighters emerged, screaming, and saying his partner was still inside. Cortez he put out the call for a firefighter down, requested all units respond and asked for air support in the form an air ambulance.

He said he started getting closer to see if he could help, explaining that it was very hot.

Cortez said the second firefighter, Costa, emerged, either throwing himself out or being thrown out and landing on his back.

He said he could see that Costa had been on fire because his uniform was black. Costa was screaming that he needed to take off his gear.

Cortez said what happened next was a blur.

He and another man – who he said he believed was a volunteer firefighter – grabbed Costa to drag him away from the building. Cortez grabbed Costa by the neck of his turnouts while the other firefighter took hold of him by his armpit to move him.

It was at that point that Cortez was injured; he said he had taken hold either of a buckle or ring on the turnout that was hot and burned his right hand. He also started choking from the smoke.

He said they were able to get the injured firefighter’s facemask off, along with his tank and protective gear. They then poured water on him to cool him down before covering him up for privacy.

At that point other firefighters were arriving, and an air ambulance was called for Costa, Cortez said.

Following Costa’s rescue, Cortez went back to traffic control but also let his sergeant know he was injured. He would later be sent to Adventist Health Clear Lake for treatment of his injuries.

He’s got bandages on his hand, where he suffered second-degree burns. “I’m feeling better. My throat’s a little sore,” he said.

In his time in the CHP, Cortez has seen some horrifying crashes, including one in which a man was burned. “You deal with it with the support of your peers.”

Still, he called Monday’s fire “pretty traumatic,” recounting watching employees cry. He said many in the community continue to suffer from PTSD from the wildland fires.

Cortez said the CHP later called to check on Costa and were told that he’s doing OK, which made him glad.

Cortez said he told his wife that he was just doing his job, and that the heroes are the ones who go inside the burning buildings.

He praised the response from local agencies to the incident, noting the special way first responders work together in Lake County.

“We’re a close-knit community,” Cortez said. “We’re all brothers and sisters in community service.”

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. – A new report shows a promising upward trend for home prices in Lake County.

The Lake County Association of Realtors, or LCAOR, reported the April median sales price for single family residences in Lake County rose to $284,000, the highest median sales price in more than 10 years.

The April median was 1.6 percent higher than the March median of $279,500, LCAOR said. On a year-to-year basis the 2018 April median topped the 2017 April median of $235,000 by more than 20 percent.

The number of sales in April was 79 compared to 66 in March, accounting for a 19.7 percent gain in sales. There were 81 sales in April of 2017, the association reported.

The association said Lake County inventory levels grew from 5.3 months of inventory in March to 6.3 months in April.

Conventional loan financing was used in 45.6 percent of the transactions with FHA loans being used in 19 percent of the overall deals. Cash financing was used in 22.8 percent of the sales, LCAOR said.

“California as a state continues to struggle with affordability,” said LCAOR President Melissa Chapman. “Although prices are increasing here a report by the California Association of Realtors estimated that about 40 percent of the Lake County households could afford the quarterly median sales price of $266,000. The minimum qualifying annual income for that amount is $55,160.”

The same report from the California Association of Realtors showed that 31 percent of the California households could afford the statewide quarterly median sales price of $538,640 with a minimum qualifying income of $111,500.

Mortgage rates have been on the rise since breaking the 4.0 percent barrier in February.

The 30-year, fixed-mortgage interest rates averaged 4.47 percent in April, up from 4.44 percent in March and from 4.05 percent in April 2017, according to Freddie Mac. The five-year, adjustable mortgage interest rate also edged higher in April to an average of 3.66 percent from 3.65 percent in March and from 3.15 percent in April 2017.

LAKE COUNTY NUMBERS AT A GLANCE

April 2018
Median price: $284,000
Units sold: 79
Median days to sell: 37

March 2018
Median price: $279,500
Units sold: 66
Median days to sell: 42

April 2017
Median price: $235,000
Units sold: 81
Median days to sell: 57

NORTH COAST, Calif. – Forty demonstrators were arrested at an animal rights protest Tuesday afternoon in Petaluma.

The Sonoma County Sheriff's Office received a call at noon on Tuesday regarding trespassers on the property of Sunrise Egg Farms on Liberty Road, according to Sgt. Spencer Crum.

Crum said it was reported that the animal rights activists had stormed the property, broken doors to chicken coops and removed chickens.

Upon arrival, the deputies were met by approximately 200 people setting up a coordinated protest. Crum said organizers of the demonstration demanded to be allowed access to the property and videotape what they perceived to be sick or improperly cared for chickens.

Management of the egg farm agreed to let an organizer come onto his property to view the chickens but negotiations broke down as protesters demanded that 20 people be allowed access with video cameras and to take any birds they felt were sick or injured, Crum said.

After three hours of negotiating, organizers felt they wanted to advance their cause and publicity by getting arrested. Crum said they cooperatively worked with deputies, advising they had 40 people who predetermined that they were going to be arrested.

The 40 protesters worked cooperatively with deputies and advanced onto the farm property and were all arrested without incident for trespassing, according to Crum.

A transport bus took them to the Sonoma County Jail where they will be booked and released on a citation to appear in court, Crum said.

Crum said deputies worked with the organizers and have taken a report, to be forwarded to the California Department of Food and Agriculture which regulates commercial chicken farms.

A bill to assist wildfire survivors underinsured after losing their home has passed the California Senate.

Senate Bill 894, authored by Sen. Bill Dodd and sponsored by Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones, will help wildfire survivors and homeowners in a number of important ways as they begin to rebuild their lives after a disaster.

"This is an important bill that will not only assist current wildfire survivors, but will also help to jump start the rebuilding and economic recovery process," said Commissioner Jones. "Residents who have lost everything are struggling to recover and rebuild their homes and lives. This bill will provide much-needed protections and improve chances for recovery."

SB 894 provides survivors the option to combine various coverages within their homeowner policy to offset any underinsured amount in their primary dwelling.

This provision would only be triggered in the event of a total loss following a declared disaster where the survivor is underinsured in their primary dwelling or Coverage A.

Underinsurance is not only a financial blow to disaster survivors, it is economically devastating to communities because, as one of the most challenging obstacles to loss recovery, it causes claim settlements to be delayed.

SB 894 would extend policy renewal protections for survivors retroactively to July 1, 2017 to alleviate the burden on survivors who find it impossible to get new coverage during the planning and rebuilding phase of the recovery.

Under this bill, survivors would be able to renew their insurance policy twice, which would cover two years after the loss. The bill would also extend the amount of time to collect living expenses from two years to three.

Both provisions reflect the reality that it takes most survivors more time than currently permitted to rebuild or replace the total loss property.

The bill passed the Senate by a vote of 24-11 and now moves on to the State Assembly. Only one Democrat opposed the bill.

MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – A Cal Fire firefighter injured in the Monday fire that destroyed the Middletown Hardester’s Market is recovering, authorities reported Tuesday.

Cal Fire identified the injured man as Justin Costa, who is a paid call firefighter with the South Lake County Fire Protection District and also a Cal Fire employee. He’s assigned to Middletown Fire Station No. 31.

The agency said that on Tuesday Costa remained hospitalized at UC Davis Medical Center’s burn center in Sacramento, where he was transported via air ambulance the previous day.

Costa, who was said to have suffered second- and third-degree burns, is reported to be in fair condition. He is alert and talking, and is surrounded by his family and fellow firefighters, Cal Fire reported.

Costa was reported to have been on the first fire engine to arrive on Monday afternoon at the fire at Hardester’s Market and Hardware, located at 21088 Calistoga St. in Middletown.

Cal Fire said the fire was reported at approximately 2:17 p.m. Monday.

The California Highway Patrol said Officer Efrain Cortez was at the scene when firefighters arrived, and he saw Costa emerge from the back of the building after having been partially engulfed in flames.

Cortez and another firefighter pulled Costa to safety and rendered aid. The CHP said Cortez suffered minor injuries, including first-degree burns to his right hand and smoke inhalation. Cortez later was treated and released at Adventist Health Clear Lake.

A total of 65 firefighters from around Lake County and the region responded to battle the fire for more than five hours before it was finally contained, Cal Fire said.

Cal Fire/South Lake County Fire received assistance from Kelseyville Fire, Clearlake Fire, Lakeport Fire, Northshore Fire, Calistoga Fire Department, Williams Fire, Colusa Fire, West Sacramento Fire, Lake County Sheriff’s Office, California Highway Patrol, Caltrans and Callayomi Water District.

On Tuesday Cal Fire said it has dispatched a Serious Accident Review Team to investigate the incident.

Overnight, most of the structure had been taken down by an excavator in order for firefighters to access the portion of the building that continued to actively burn.

On Tuesday, firefighters remained on scene to investigate the cause of the fire, which was reported to have started in the back of the 18,000-square-foot building in the compressor room.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation, Cal Fire said.

The Lake County Sheriff’s Office said fire personnel are expected to be at the fire scene until Wednesday.

On Tuesday the only road closure remaining in place was at Washington Street between Wardlaw and Young Street, the sheriff’s office said. All other businesses in the area at that point were open and operating at their normal business hours.

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.

MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – On Monday night firefighters continued the work to fully extinguish and mop up a fire that destroyed a longtime Middletown business’ flagship store.

South Lake County Fire Protection District reported that the Middletown Hardester’s Market and Hardware store, located at 21088 Calistoga Road, was a total loss as a result of the fire.

The fire was first dispatched at 2:20 p.m., just minutes after it was reported to the Cal Fire Emergency Command Center, officials reported. It was reported to have started at the back of the building, in the compressor room.

On Monday night, South Lake Fire told Lake County News that firefighters were still fighting the blaze, which continued to actively burn in the building’s interior.

Firefighters couldn’t get to the areas where the fire continued to burn due to safety reasons, specifically, because the building has partially collapsed, the district said.

Fire units from around the county responded to the incident, which injured a firefighter and a California Highway Patrol officer, and taxed the town’s water resources to the point where incident command had to bring in additional water trucks.

Sheriff Brian Martin, who was at the scene throughout the afternoon and into the evening, said it appeared that all employees and customers had safely evacuated the building.

However, a Cal Fire firefighter was reported to have received second- and third-degree burns in the incident, with a CHP officer who helped rescue him suffering minor injuries, Martin said.

Calistoga Road – or Highway 29 – in front of the store and county roads behind it are expected to continue to remain closed through the night while work continues, according to South Lake County Fire.

Martin said there was discussion at the scene about bringing in an excavator overnight to dismantle the building, with the exception of where the fire started.

That’s what happened later in the night, when the equipment was used to knock down part of the building to get at the fire. Flames could still be seen coming from the store’s interior at that point.

The store had survived the Valley fire – as had its sister stores in Hidden Valley Lake and Cobb – and its owners had kept it open to help serve the community as the fire continued to burn around it. The Hardesters also received a Stars of Lake County Award for their efforts to help the community in the wake of that fire.

Fire grew quickly

Middletown resident Monica Rosenthal had stopped in at the store on Monday afternoon to do some shopping.

“It didn’t seem to be overly busy,” she said of the store, noting there was a dog waiting for its owner out front, people eating at a table alongside the store and a few people in the checkout lines.

She said she was at the front of the store in the produce department when the fire alarms started to go off.

At that point, a California Highway Patrol officer came into the building and was looking around, Rosenthal said. Then a staffer came from the store’s office and asked employees to gather outside at the phone booth and customers to exit the building.

Rosenthal, who was parked in front of the store, said it appeared at that time that the fire would be handled quickly. So she set aside her basket, got in her vehicle and left to go to the post office, expecting she would simply come back and be able to finish shopping after she completed some errands.

However, as she was returning from the post office a short time later, she could see flames from the back of the store, where the CHP officer had moved his vehicle.

Then, a large amount of black smoke suddenly started coming everywhere out of the store, not just the back. Rosenthal said firefighters and equipment then arrived at the back of the store.

“It went up pretty fast,” she said.

Fire officials said the first responding units from Cal Fire and South Lake County Fire arrived to a well-established fire located at the rear of the store in the compressor room.

Firefighters made an “aggressive interior attack” to stop the fire, however district officials reported that fire conditions rapidly expanded, leading to one firefighter suffering serious burns.

The firefighter, reported to be a Cal Fire employee, was flown to UC Davis Medical Center for treatment, officials said.

South Lake County Fire said mutual aid was requested from all Lake County agencies. It put out the call for any available engines shortly after 2:30 p.m. as well as agencies in Colusa and Napa counties.

Shortly before 3:30 p.m., with firefighters reported to be losing water pressure, incident command requested four water tenders to help continue fighting the fire, based on radio reports.

Firefighters at the scene also reported concerns about propane tanks off of Washington Street behind Hardester’s being vulnerable.

While the Hardester’s Market building itself is reported to be a total loss, fire officials said there was no damage to the surrounding structures.

“It’s really sad. It’s just heartbreaking,” said Rosenthal, who has shopped at the store throughout the 25 years she’s lived in Lake County. Her husband Dave said he’s been a customer since 1972.

She noted the Hardester family’s generosity to the community and the fact that they have many longtime staff – some who have been with them up to 30 years.

Martin said the fire left 80 employees suddenly out of work.

The family’s efforts to be good neighbors hasn’t been forgotten.

Following the fire, area residents were expressing their support for the Hardester’s on social media and discussing the need to help them rebuild.

Lake County News was unsuccessful in reaching Grant Hardester on Monday evening for comment.

However, a social media post stated that he said the community can help by shopping at the other Hardester’s stores.

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.

KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – The Kelseyville Unified School District announced that Dr. Joseph Richardson has been selected as the newly appointed board member for the Kelseyville Unified School District.

Richardson’s selection resulted from a process that began in late April following the death of longtime trustee Dr. Peter Quartarolo, as Lake County News has reported.

Dr. Richardson, who has resided in Kelseyville since 2006, graduated from Indiana University where he was a member of the wrestling team and competed in the Big Ten Conference.

As a former Division I student-athlete, Dr. Richardson understands the importance of putting academics before athletics. He would eventually pursue his lifelong dream of becoming a physician and graduate from Indiana University School of Medicine.

He moved to Kelseyville for its clean air, good people, small town hospitality and slower pace of life. He said Kelseyville has grown to become more than a place to call home.

In his own words, “It is a place where neighbors don’t just know each other by name but they welcome you and look after each other.”

Dr. Richardson has a strong passion for education. He has been involved in medical education as a clinical instructor at several universities to nurses, medical students and residents, who are young physicians in training.

He has been involved in several medical research projects in academics and in the private sector. Recently, he was selected as an Oral Board Examiner for the American Board of Anesthesiology. He also serves as a consultant for the Medical Board of California.

Richardson strongly believes in giving back to our community and there is no better way to achieve that then through service.

As a board member, he plans to help prepare the community’s children to be competitive in our ever changing world by creating an atmosphere that supports our teachers, administrators and staff.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Memorial Day proved a busy day for firefighters in Lake and its neighboring counties, with personnel responding to both commercial and wildland incidents.

The day’s most critical incident was the fire that destroyed the Hardester’s Market and Hardware store in downtown Middletown, which was first reported shortly after 2:15 p.m. Monday, as Lake County News has reported.

Earlier in the day, state, local and federal firefighters responded to a wildland fire near Indian Valley Reservoir east of Clearlake Oaks.

Northshore Fire Deputy Chief Mike Ciancio said the Reservoir fire was first reported at around 11:30 a.m.

Initially it was dispatched as a smoke check, but as crews got closer, they realized it was a wildland fire, Ciancio said.

The fire was located about two to three miles west of Indian Valley Reservoir on Bartlett Springs Road, he said.

Ciancio said Cal Fire, the US Forest Service, Lake County Fire and Northshore Fire responded to the fire, which burned about five acres.

Only wildland burned, Ciancio said, noting there were no structures damaged and no injuries. The cause is under investigation.

Radio reports indicated the incident was terminated just before 8 p.m., although officials expected a crew would remain at the scene overnight.

Later in the day in Clearlake there were concerns that a fire might break out due to a downed power pole, however, no fire resulted, according to Lake County Fire Protection District Chief Willie Sapeta.

The pole, located at Uhl Avenue and Golf Street in Clearlake, was sheared off due to a vehicle crash shortly after 3:30 p.m., according to radio reports. When firefighters arrived, they found the vehicle’s occupant was gone.

The Clearlake Police Department sent out an alert directing residents on Uhl between Mullen and Pearl to remain indoors.

Reports from the scene said that about six blocks around the crash site had been blocked off because it was a major pole that had the potential to impact other power poles and lines.

Also on Monday, in neighboring Glenn County the Chrome fire was reported along Highway 162 and Forest Highway 7, northwest of Elk Creek.

Cal Fire said the Chrome fire was 50 acres and 25-percent contained as of Monday night.

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 City Council will hold a special meeting to discuss budget and classification issues.

The council will meet in closed session at 5:15 p.m. Tuesday, May 29, to discuss labor negotiations before it meets in open session at 5:45 p.m. in the council chambers at Lakeport City Hall, 225 Park St.

On the agenda is a new job classification for the city council to approve, an electrical mechanical technician to be included in the 2018-19 budget.

The council also will hold a workshop on the budget for the upcoming fiscal year.

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.

052918 Lakeport City Council special meeting agenda packet by LakeCoNews on Scribd

MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – A well-known Middletown store caught fire on Monday afternoon and was continuing to burn by early evening as authorities closed roadways around the site.

The Middletown Hardester’s Market and Hardware, located at 21088 Calistoga Road, was first reported on fire at about 2:20 p.m. in the compressor room in the rear of the building, according to radio reports.

“The fire is still going,” Sheriff Brian Martin told Lake County News just before 5 p.m. “They haven’t started the investigation yet.”

He confirmed that the fire started somewhere in the back of the building.

The fire injured one firefighter and a California Highway Patrol officer, Martin said.

Martin said the CHP officer received minor burns while helping to rescue the injured firefighter.

He said the firefighter was flown out, and was reported to have second- and third-degree burns.

“All the employees are accounted for,” said Martin.

The sheriff said there were no reports of anyone in the building, but that authorities would still need to go through the structure to make sure there are no casualties.

Highway 29 in front of the building is expected to be closed for several hours; Martin didn’t have an estimated time of reopening.

Martin said county roads behind the building also will be closed for a day or so while cleanup takes place.

A number of community members captured images and video of the fire, including Oly Mendoza, whose video is embedded below with permission.

Additional information on the incident will be published as it becomes available.

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. – On Sunday, the organizers of the second annual Lakeport Sprint Boat Grand Prix said they have postponed the event.

The races had been scheduled to take place off of Library Park on Saturday, June 2, and Sunday, June 3.

“It is with great sadness that this event will not take place this weekend as originally planned,” said Jack Long of Clear Lake Motorsports Enterprises LLC, the race promoter, in a written statement issued Sunday.

“We are committed to making this event happen at a later date this year. We thank our sponsors, vendors and the community for their continued support and understanding as we continue to work diligently to ensure this event takes place,” said Long.

Long’s statement said that the cancellation resulted from “contractual issues with the boat race sanction board.”

On the event’s Facebook page, organizers offered additional explanation. “To our surprise, we were advised by the sanction body, Southern California Speedboat Club, that they have voided their contract for the event.”

Earlier this month, Long has received the Lakeport City Council’s approval of his use of city facilities downtown during the sprint boat races.

At that time, he said he expected the 2018 event would be better than the year previous, when they had lost two of the biggest racing classes.

Sheriff Brian Martin also had confirmed to Lake County News that his agency had been scheduled to meet with Long to discuss event permit requirements.

Those who already have purchased tickets are encouraged to email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 707-278-9677.

Future event information will be provided as details are confirmed, organizers 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.