LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — A late fall rainstorm arrived in Lake County on Wednesday night, with forecasters saying that heavy rain is expected Friday and Saturday.
The National Weather Service said rain and moderately gusty south winds were building overnight.
At the same time, forecasters said a stronger storm system remains on track to hit the area Friday into the weekend with higher wind and more sustained rain.
The National Weather Service forecast anticipates up to half an inch of rain in Lake County overnight, with less than half an inch on Thursday.
On Friday, patchy fog is expected in the morning, with up to 2.5 inches, and another 2 inches expected on Saturday.
There are continuing chances of rain from Tuesday through Wednesday.
The forecast also calls for gusty winds from Thursday through Saturday night.
Chillier temperatures are expected over the next several days, with daylight highs in the 40s and then returning to the 50s next week, and nighttime conditions in the 30s and low 40s.
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, and on Bluesky, @erlarson.bsky.social. Find Lake County News on the following platforms: Facebook, @LakeCoNews; X, @LakeCoNews; Threads, @lakeconews, and on Bluesky, @lakeconews.bsky.social.
KELSEYVILLE, Calif. — Lake County 4-H members will lead a special ceremony of remembrance at the Kelseyville Cemetery on Saturday, Dec. 14.
It will take place from 9 to 10 a.m. at the cemetery, located at 3375 Bell Hill Road.
The ceremony will honor the service and sacrifice of our nation's veterans.
This year, a total of 530 veterans' graves will be adorned with wreaths in a tribute of remembrance and gratitude.
The ceremony will be entirely led by local 4-H youth from Big Valley 4-H, Blue Heron 4-H and Scotts Valley 4-H.
The event will feature an a cappella rendition of the National Anthem performed by “My Divas” and will include an escort provided by the California Highway Patrol and the Kelseyville Fire Department.
Community members are encouraged to attend this moving event, which honors veterans and fosters a spirit of unity and service. Attendees who wish to place a wreath on a grave personally are welcome to do so.
“This day means so much to me because it’s a time for remembering and honoring our veterans,” said Audrey Panella, a long-time participant in the event. “It’s especially special because I get to place a wreath on my uncle’s and great-grandfather’s graves. It’s a way for all of us to come together and say thank you for their sacrifices.”
The success of this annual event is made possible by the loyal support of the Lake County community, whose generous contributions ensure every veteran’s grave receives a wreath. Organizers express their heartfelt thanks to everyone who purchased a wreath to honor our heroes.
All are welcome to attend this ceremony and share in the meaningful act of remembering those who have served.
The Lake County Blue Heron 4-H Club is a dedicated group of young leaders committed to community service and making a positive impact. With a strong belief in the power of service, they aim to unite the Lake County community in support of local causes and to honor our veterans.
A cherished holiday tradition, this year marked the 41st consecutive year that California’s governor and first partner have hosted a child receiving support from one of California’s 21 nonprofit regional centers to light the California State Capitol Christmas Tree.
Nine-year-old Carter Morris from Merced was selected by Central Valley Regional Center to represent the more than 450,000 Californians with intellectual and developmental disabilities who receive services.
“Happy holidays, California! It was an honor to stand with Carter in solidarity with all of California’s kids with intellectual and developmental disabilities, to light the Capitol Tree this year,” said Gov. Newsom. “The holiday season is about gratitude, being together with loved ones, and giving to those less fortunate than ourselves, and I am so pleased to usher in this time of joy with Carter and his family.”
“The holidays are a powerful reminder to lead with empathy and compassion, spreading joy and kindness to those around us,” First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom. “This year’s California State Capitol Tree Lighting was especially meaningful as we joined Carter and his family for this beautiful tradition. Standing with them, we were reminded of the strength and resilience of our communities and the importance of coming together to celebrate hope and connection during this season.”
Carter Morris was born in 2014 as one of six and began receiving services from Central Valley Regional Center in 2018. He and his family have accessed essential supports to help him thrive in and out of school.
Carter is a bright and active elementary school student who enjoys learning about outer space and math. His participation in this year’s tree lighting underscores the importance of celebrating each Californian’s unique contributions to their communities.
“Carter exemplifies the warmth and compassion of the holiday season and we are thrilled to see him representing Californians at this year’s tree-lighting,” said Carla Casteñeda, chief deputy director of the California Department of Developmental Services. “His curiosity, kindness, and determination embody the incredible potential of individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities to thrive in California.”
Californians with intellectual and developmental disabilities created festive ornaments that will adorn the 60-foot red fir tree, an important Capitol tradition since 1983.
This is the second year the 21 regional centers each have their own 6-foot trees set up in the Capitol rotunda to add holiday sparkle.
Albertsons is now suing the competitor that had tried to acquire it. AP Photo/Jenny Kane
Albertsons announced on Dec. 11, 2024, that it had called off an attempted merger with Kroger and would sue Kroger for breach of contract. The US$25 billion deal, first announced in 2022, would have combined Cincinnati-based Kroger, already the largest traditional U.S. supermarket chain, with Boise, Idaho-based Albertsons, which is currently the third-biggest grocer.
The Conversation U.S. asked Christine P. Bartholomew, a professor at the University at Buffalo School of Law who researches consumer protection, to explain how the merger failed and why it matters.
Which supermarkets belong to the two companies?
Kroger has 28 subsidiaries with nearly 2,800 supermarkets, including Harris Teeter, Dillon’s, Smith’s, King Soopers, Fry’s, City Market, Owen’s, JayC, Pay Less, Baker’s Gerbes, Pick‘n Save, Metro Market, Mariano’s Fresh Market, QFC, Ralphs and Fred Meyer.
Albertsons owns and operates more than 2,200 supermarkets through its many brands. They include Safeway, Vons, Jewel-Osco, Shaw’s, Acme, Tom Thumb, Randalls, United Supermarkets, Pavilions, Star Market, Haggen, Carrs, Kings Food Market and Balducci’s.
Kroger and Albertsons also operate supermarkets branded with their own names.
Had the merger gone forward, it would have been the largest of its kind in U.S. history, affecting millions of grocery shoppers.
To ward off regulators’ concerns, prior to canceling the transaction, the chains announced in 2023 a plan to sell hundreds of their supermarkets across the United States to C&S Wholesale Grocers. They updated this plan in 2024, pledging to not close any stores.
The federal government opposed the merger, with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission suing to block it. Had the deal gone through, the new company would have cemented its position, ensuring it has the largest market share for grocery purchases after Walmart.
What happened in court?
In February 2024, the FTC, along with state attorneys general representing consumers in eight states – Arizona, California, Illinois, Maryland, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon and Wyoming – filed a federal lawsuit in Oregon to block the merger. So did the District of Columbia’s attorney general.
This wasn’t the only legal challenge the merger faced. The Washington and Colorado attorneys general both filed suit in their own states to block the merger.
After hearings in both cases and months of uncertainty, the judges in both Oregon and Washington issued their rulings.
U.S. District Court Judge Adrienne Nelson, in Portland, Oregon, on Dec. 10, which blocked the merger pending the outcome of the administrative proceedings before the FTC.
A few hours later, Judge Marshall Ferguson in Seattle issued a permanent injunction barring the merger in Washington state only. Both judges determined that the merger risked significantly reducing competition and that the companies didn’t offer enough evidence that the merger would help consumers.
“We’re standing up to mega-monopolies to keep prices down,” Ferguson said. He called the injunction “an important victory for affordability, worker protections and the rule of law.”
Albertsons and Kroger’s plan to offload stores to C&S didn’t impress the judges. Not only did Nelson find the divestiture insufficient in scale, but she ruled it was “structured in a way that will significantly disadvantage C&S as a competitor.”
Both companies still face significant legal challenges, though. Five minutes after announcing its intent to back out of the deal, Albertsons issued a second press release announcing it had filed a lawsuit against Kroger.
Albertsons said Kroger willfully breached the deal “by repeatedly refusing to divest assets necessary for antitrust approval, ignoring regulators’ feedback, rejecting stronger divestiture buyers and failing to cooperate with Albertsons.” The suit seeks significant damages, including “billions of dollars” for lost shareholder value and legal costs, as well as a $600 million merger breakup fee.
Albertsons’ suit against Kroger is pending in Delaware Court of Chancery, which hears many legal business disputes. The complaint remains temporarily under seal.
This article includes passages that appeared in an article about the proposed merger that was published on Feb. 28, 2024.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif — On a 3-2 vote on Tuesday, the Board of Supervisors passed a collective recommendation to the U.S. Board of Geographical Names to change the name of Kelseyville to Konocti — despite more than 70% of voters opposing it in a November advisory ballot measure.
The decision followed three hours of public comment and board deliberation, amidst criticism of the county leadership and Measure U, which voters defeated Nov. 5.
In October 2023, “Citizens for Healing” proposed renaming Kelseyville, citing its association with Andrew Kelsey, who, with Charles Stone, brutalized, raped and murdered Pomo tribal members.
Their actions led to their deaths in 1849, sparking retaliatory violence, including the 1850 Bloody Island massacre.
In February, the U.S. Board of Geographic Names, or the BGN, sought input from county supervisors.
The Board of Supervisors held a special meeting in July and placed the countywide advisory, non-binding Measure U on the ballot. It asked voters if the Board of Supervisors should recommend the name change of Kelseyville to Konocti, as Citizens for Healing proposed.
It turned out that a majority of voters rejected the measure, with 70.58% voting “no” and 29.42% voting “yes,” as shown in the final election results released last week.
Despite the ballot results, the Board of Supervisors came to a decision to make the name change recommendation at the end.
Nearly 40 public comments were made during the meeting, covering a range of arguments for and against the name change, with criticism of the county leadership and of putting the matter on the ballot in the first place.
Opponents of the name change requested that the Board of Supervisors adopt the voters’ choice against Measure U, arguing that they were elected representatives and should respect the ballot results.
Some also defied the notion of being called a racist just by opposing the name change.
Proponents of the name change invoked tribal members’ suffering and historical wrongdoings by Kelsey and Stone that were carried in the name of Kelseyville, asking for a moral action to be taken instead of following a majority vote. Some also thought that the voter guide on Measure U was misleading.
Lorna Sides, who submitted the name change proposal to BGN on behalf of Citizens for Healing, said that the ballot statements on “substantial” administrative costs in the argument against Measure U were false.
“The title to my home will not need to be changed when the name changes. My driver's license will still be valid,” she said. “This was a deliberate fraud upon the voters of Lake County, and that was allowed to go into the voter guide like that.”
Commenters on both sides raised doubts on the board’s July decision to put this matter on a countywide ballot, either saying it was a waste of time and money, or questioning its fundamental rationale: it’s not something to be decided by a vote.
The supervisors’ vote
Supervisors Moke Simon, Eddie Crandell and Michael Green voted in favor of the option to recommend the name change of Kelseyville to Konocti. All three maintained the same stance as they expressed at the July meeting.
“Change the name, the healing can start,” said District 1 Supervisor Simon, who also is chair of Middletown Rancheria and one of two tribal members on the board.
Simon made it clear when he voted to have the advisory measure back in July that regardless of the ballot result, he would support the name change.
“I want the opportunity for the Indigenous people that have been here forever to see where we stand in this county. Every vote that we’ve taken, I think I know the outcome already. But I want it on the record. I want it on the record,” said Simon at the July meeting.
“It’s on the record now. No running away from it. I got what I wanted,” said Simon before voting for the name change on Tuesday.
Supervisor Crandell, another tribal member on the board, supported the name change and brought up the fact that the name change was “unanimously supported” by the National Congress of American Indians, which consists of 574 federally-recognized tribes in the nation.
But he also sensed something was not right in the process.
“I feel like this issue was thrusted among all of us by the submittal to change to Konocti and no other name,” said Crandell of Citizens for Healing submitting the proposal with only conversations with some elders at the tribe without input from tribal leadership.
While he felt that it was “a lack of due diligence” and frustrating, “at the same time, I know that there was an intent to do good and to try and do something moral,” said Crandell.
“The name of Kelseyville has got to go bye-bye,” said Supervisor Green, who thought that the name Kelseyville fell under what the BGN categorizes as “derogatory and offensive” and had no issue with the petition submitted to the BGN.
On the other side, Supervisor Jessica Pyska, whose district is ground zero for the matter, voted against the option of recommending the name change because of her intention to stay “neutral.” She suggested the board make no formal recommendations.
Pyska said she spent months communicating with the federal and state agencies, and blamed them for lack of clarity in the process and not showing up.
“I think that’s one of their failures is they never showed up to do that, to support us in that way,” said Pyska of the BGN and California Advisory Committee on Geographic Names.
“I feel like this process was dropped on us, dropped in my lap as the elected supervisor for this district,” she added.
Pyska reiterated her neutrality stance: “I told them (the BGN), you will not ever get a recommendation from me, because I have to support my community however the chips fall and whatever happens and that's what I'm committed on.”
Pyska’s neutrality did not seem to be received well in the meeting room.
During public comment, Pyska’s predecessor, former District 1 Supervisor Rob Brown, came up to say he’s against the name change but believed that supervisors should vote for what is right.
“You vote what you feel is right,” he said. “If the majority could determine what was right or wrong, we’ll still have slavery.”
At the end of his speech, he called out to Pyska.
“Jessica, with all due respect, neutrality is not leadership,” Brown said.
Later, when Pyska said, “you can question my leadership, all you want, but I have sat with everyone who wanted to sit with me throughout this last year,” a few tribal members including Flaman McCloud, Chairman of the Big Valley Rancheria, walked out of the meeting room before the final vote was cast.
Supervisor Bruno Sabatier, the board chair, also voted against recommending the proposed name change to Konocti, a turn from his earlier support for it in July. But his stand against having an advisory measure on the name change stayed firm. He and Supervisor Green were the two dissenting votes against having an advisory measure in July.
Sabatier said he could expect the ballot result to lean toward opposition to the name change based on “the number of letters that we received for and against."
“So it wasn't necessarily surprising to tell the people today that their vote doesn't matter. Then why do I come back here next Tuesday?” He added.
Sabatier said in the meeting that he as a voter voted “no” on Measure U.
“I didn’t vote no because I don't want to see the name change. I do want to see the name change,” he said. “I voted no because I don't think it needs to be Konocti, because I don't like how we got to that name, and I don't think it's the appropriate name.”
“I hate what this has done to us, because it's put us in a situation of an ultimatum. It’s either option A or B,” said Sabatier of the options to either go with the name change to Konocti or no name change.
The ‘options’ and the winning one
It turned out that the number of options were not necessarily limited.
While voters were given two options — yes or no — to vote on, the Board of Supervisors gave themselves more.
The board’s agenda had initially outlined three response options to the BGN, each written in a long paragraph: 1) reject the proposed name change, 2) approve it or 3) make no formal recommendation.
The actual meeting began with even more options, without prior notification to the public.
Two more options similar to options one and three, with modified language, were added to the table, Chief Deputy County Administrative Officer Matthew Rothstein announced at the beginning of the meeting.
Shortly after the public comment was open, Brown, a five-term supervisor who left office in January of 2021, walked up to question the process, citing the Brown Act that requires any agenda of a local legislative body’s public meeting to be posted at least 72 hours prior to meeting.
“How are you going to have adequate public input on something that none of us have actually seen?” Brown said. “You can’t vote on any of those if there are substantial changes. And that’s the law.”
Sabatier said there were printed copies of the draft letter to the BGN with all five options in front of the room for the public to grab and view before the board would make a decision.
“I think we're going to be having a lot of public comments and there's going to be time for people to review it during that time before we vote,” Sabatier said.
At that point, the audience started to move up to take the new material for the meeting.
Subsequently, Sabatier called for a short break, during which the public went to get a copy of the updated document while Sabatier himself took a stack of the prints and distributed them around the chamber.
“The options that have been provided are not revolutionary in the changes of what's the potential. The Board of Supervisors can always amend contracts or other things on the fly,” said Sabatier, who reconvened the meeting.
While the public who attended the meeting in person had a chance to review the five options, those who attended virtually or didn’t come to the meeting missed the opportunity.
By the time of this article’s publication early Wednesday, the county’s website had not uploaded the new version of the document.
“That creates a lack of integrity in the process,” Brown told Lake County News after the meeting. “I was on the board for 20 years and my whole existence on this is we have to do this by the book.”
The option that the supervisors finally got to vote on turned out to be a modified version of Option 2, as Pyska suggested adding the ballot results in.
So, as verified by Rothstein, it reads as follow:
“Option 2 (Approve the proposed name change): In response to advisory Measure U, Lake County residents demonstrated their opposition to the proposed name change (70.58% opposed, 29.42% in favor), and members of our Board have concern changing a longstanding and valued town name is a non-trivial matter. However, our collective awareness of the violent acts committed by Kelsey and Stone demand change. Therefore, it is our collective recommendation your committee approve the proposed name change.”
However the board’s decision went, the supervisors did not think it would end the divide and the controversy.
“It will not end here,” Supervisor Crandell said. “We do not change this, the Board of Geographical Names does. And then from there, where does it go? Because it’s gonna keep going somewhere.”
“This is not the end,” said Pyska. “I feel like this is the beginning.”
“This is not going to be the last thing,” said Green, who added he had confirmed with the BGN that public input is still open at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
The timeline
On Oct. 18, 2023, a proposal was submitted to the United States Board of Geographic Names, often referred to as the BGN, to change the name of Kelseyville to Konocti.
On Jan. 23, 2024, the BGN published its Quarterly Review List, which included the Kelseyville case.
On Feb. 26, the BGN reached out to the Board of Supervisors, requesting their opinion on the name change.
The Board of Supervisors did not act collectively until it held a special meeting on July 30, where the supervisors passed a motion on a 3-2 vote to put the Kelseyville name change on the ballot for countywide vote as an advisory measure, now known as Measure U.
The supervisors’ meeting and decision came a week after the county’s recommended deadline to file the measure and just 10 days before the official final deadline.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — A Clearlake man who authorities said used a metal stake to kill another man has formally been charged in the case.
Martin Jimenez-Patricio, 55 — also known as Martin Jimenez — was arrested Dec. 4 for the murder of Jose De Jesus Gutierrez-Castillo following a standoff with police.
Jimenez-Patricio was charged in the case on Dec. 6 and made his first appearance in court for arraignment on that same day.
Chief Deputy District Attorney Rich Watson said he could not confirm a motive in the case.
The Clearlake Police Department was dispatched to a residence in the 5900 block of James Street at around 10:30 a.m. Dec. 4 on the report of a deceased person.
When they arrived, they found Gutierrez-Castillo, 47, dead inside the residence, where Jimenez-Patricio was present and refusing to come out, police said.
Jimenez-Patricio was taken into custody that afternoon after a standoff of several hours that police said was resolved with the assistance of other law enforcement agencies and the Lake and Mendocino County Regionalized SWAT team.
In the District Attorney’s Office filing against Jimenez-Patricio, it is alleged that he killed Gutierrez-Castillo on or around Dec. 3, the day before his arrest.
He is charged with two felonies — one count of murder and one count of assault with a deadly weapon.
The charging document states that the murder weapon was a metal concrete form stake.
Connected to those counts are three special allegations: personal use of a deadly and dangerous weapon; infliction of great bodily injury; and that the crime involved great violence that disclosed a high degree of cruelty, viciousness or callousness, that Jimenez-Patricio used a weapon, that he took advantage of a position of trust or confidence to commit the offense, that he engaged in violence conduct, was on probation or parole, and that his prior probation and parole performance was unsatisfactory.
A third count, a misdemeanor, also is charged against Jimenez-Patricio for possession of methamphetamine.
Jimenez-Patricio is being held in the Lake County Jail without bail.
He is due to return to court for the appearance of counsel and entry of plea on Dec. 17, according to court records.
Court records also indicate that issues relating to his mental competence were raised during a 2022 felony case filed against him for assault with a deadly weapon and burglary.
Watson said Tuesday that he could not confirm those competence issues.
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, and on Bluesky, @erlarson.bsky.social. Find Lake County News on the following platforms: Facebook, @LakeCoNews; X, @LakeCoNews; Threads, @lakeconews, and on Bluesky, @lakeconews.bsky.social.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The annual Wreaths Across America invites the community to a countywide commemoration of veterans on Saturday, Dec. 14.
The annual event will include ceremonies starting at 9 a.m. sharp at six Lake County cemeteries: Hartley, Kelseyville, Lower Lake, Middletown, Upper Lake and St. Mary’s.
The ceremonies honor veterans during the holiday season, encouraging Americans to remember the fallen, honor those who serve and their families, and teach children the value of freedom.
This year’s theme, “Live with Purpose,” is a reminder to cherish the sacrifices made for our freedoms.
Youth, volunteers and veteran organizations will lead the ceremonies at the six participating cemeteries, ensuring every veteran is honored.
Specially designated wreaths for each branch of the military, including Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, Merchant Marines, Space Force and POW/MIA, will be placed during the ceremony.
Wreaths will then be placed on the headstones throughout the cemeteries by volunteers attending the ceremony, with each name spoken aloud to ensure their memory lives on.
In 2023, more than three million veteran remembrance wreaths were placed on headstones at 4,224 participating cemeteries around the country in honor of the service and sacrifices made for our freedoms.
More than 717 truckloads of wreaths were delivered across the country by hundreds of volunteer professional truck drivers.
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