LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — Authorities have identified the Willits man killed in a crash on Highway 20 earlier this week.
Lauren Berlinn, spokesperson for the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, identified the crash victim as Gregory Allen Van Gundy, 58.
The California Highway Patrol’s Clear Lake Area office said Van Gundy was driving eastbound on Highway 20 east of Blue Lakes Road just before 1 p.m. on Sunday when he lost control in a curve and crossed into the opposing lane of traffic, hitting another vehicle head-on.
The CHP said Van Gundy died of his injuries at the scene. Two people in the car with which he collided had minor injuries.
The crash remains under investigation, the CHP 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.
National Groundwater Awareness Week is next week, and in the spirit of promoting groundwater knowledge, the Department of Water Resources announceD that its innovative groundwater mapping project is complete and will provide critical information about our underground water supply.
AEM surveys use state-of-the-art helicopter-based technology to scan the earth’s subsurface to depths of up to 1,000 feet, like taking an MRI of the earth, to visualize the aquifer structures beneath our feet.
You can see the AEM equipment in action in this DWR video: DWR's Airborne Electromagnetic (AEM) Surveys: The AEM Method (youtube.com).
DWR collected nearly 16,000 miles of AEM data within 95 groundwater basins across California between December 2021 and November 2023.
This data, which is now publicly accessible, is invaluable for identifying the most suitable locations to implement groundwater recharge projects that can capture water from winter rain and runoff events to store underground for use during dry periods.
The replenishment of depleted groundwater basins is a key action that local agencies are implementing under the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, or SGMA, and is an essential part of California’s long-term water resilience and drought mitigation efforts, as seen in Governor Gavin Newsom’s strategy document, “California’s Water Supply Strategy, Adapting to a Hotter, Drier Future.”
“AEM data helps GSAs move more expediently towards development of projects in areas previously deemed as non-suitable for groundwater recharge,” said Kassy Chauhan, Executive Officer, North Kings Groundwater Sustainability Agency. “AEM has helped to navigate below ground to find the small pockets where the soil conditions are prime for groundwater recharge to occur. The picture of the sub-surface geology helps with project siting and ensures available financial resources are going towards feasible projects which will help get water into the underground helping the North Kings GSA reach its sustainability goals.”
California’s high- and medium-priority groundwater basins provide a major source of water supply for more than 15 million people, especially during dry years when surface water supplies are lacking. As California adapts to a hotter, drier future, groundwater supplies are becoming a more vital resource for communities, households, businesses, agriculture, and the environment that all depend on this critical water source.
“The state continues to make investments in the latest technology, like AEM, to ensure we are prepared for the weather extremes that are playing out in the new climate reality,” said Paul Gosselin, deputy director of sustainable groundwater management. “Data from these initial statewide AEM surveys are already being used by local groundwater agencies, and we are excited to move into the next phase, expanding data collection efforts and providing new tools for understanding and managing California's groundwater on a local, regional, and statewide level.”
As the 10-year anniversary of California’s landmark SGMA nears, DWR continues to build on the state’s long history of investigating California’s groundwater basins as part of California’s Groundwater (Bulletin 118). DWR is now moving into the next phase of this work, called Basin Characterization, where new and existing information, including AEM data, will be used to help identify and better understand underground aquifer structures and conditions more clearly than ever before.
DWR is assembling a broad team of experts and coordinating with local agencies to form a workgroup to support this effort to ensure that cutting-edge practices are employed, and results advance local groundwater management. The Basin Characterization Workgroup will aide in coordination and collaboration with local, state, and federal agencies, as well as academia and the private sector.
To support data access equity and allow all Californians to view and analyze this data, DWR developed online AEM Data Viewers. These viewers are revolutionary in the space of viewing complex geologic data as they allow data to be viewed online, without having to purchase specialized software. These tools will enable both the public and technical users to interact with the data in a three-dimensional space, providing a more immersive and informative experience.
DWR’s Basin Characterization efforts will be ongoing as tools and technology improve, in order to increase understanding of California’s groundwater basins and aquifer structures.
In May, DWR will release the next Semi-Annual Groundwater Conditions Update, which will contain the most current statewide groundwater data and information, including Annual Report data submitted by local groundwater sustainability agencies. This data will help provide a clearer picture of the amounts of managed and natural groundwater recharge that occurred during water year 2023.
All of this work is helping local groundwater managers better understand and manage their basins to address both drought and flood response and achieve long-term groundwater sustainability.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — After a long first night of counting the primary ballots, several candidates appear to be headed for victories in both supervisorial and judicial races, while one race remains too close to call.
The Lake County Registrar of Voters issued its final update for the first night of counting at 1:19 a.m. Wednesday.
Based on those initial returns, Jessica Pyska appears headed for a second term as District 5 supervisor, topping challenger Daniel “Boone” Bridges by a margin of 13.5%.
While the District 5 race was expected to be settled in the primary, the biggest surprise of the night may have been the District 4 race, with an open field of four candidates.
Brad Rasmussen, Lakeport’s police chief, led the field by a wide margin with more than 58% percent of the vote.
If he can hold onto a percentage of more than 50 percent plus one — the margin needed in a primary race with more than two candidates — Rasmussen will clinch the seat outright and not have to race to November.
Following Rasmussen in the returns were Laura McAndrews Sammel, with 21.10% of the vote; Scott Barnett with 16.10%; and Chris Read with 4.62%.
The District 1 race for an open seat had five candidates, although one of them was on the ballot but dropped out.
In that field, a neck-and-neck race has emerged between John Hess and Helen Owen.
Hess, a retired congressional chief of staff and Lake County planning commissioner, led for most of the night, particularly in the absentee or vote-by-mail ballot counts.
However, as the night wore on and the precinct returns were reported, Owen, a well-known local rancher, chased Hess down and caught up to him.
By the end of the night, the two were in a statistical dead heat: Hess had a lead of only two votes over Owen — 454 to 452 — and both had far outpaced the rest of the field.
Coming up in third place in the first night’s count was Sean Millerick, with 244 votes, followed by Bryan Pritchard, who dropped out of the race, with 117 votes and Bren Boyd with 25 votes.
In the race for Superior Court judge for Department 4, incumbent Judge Shanda Harry — seeking a second six-year term — was leading by a 53% margin over challenger attorney Anna Gregorian by the end of the night. That margin is likely to be insurmountable even as more ballots are counted in the days to come.
Luke Bingham, running unopposed for sheriff, received 5,401 votes in the initial county, or 100% of the vote.
The Kelseyville Unified School District’s Measure Q bond, which sought to issue $35.5 million in bonds and enact property tax estimated to be $60 per $100,000 of assessed value, needs a simple majority to win. However, the initial election night tally put the “no” votes in the lead by six ballots and less than one percentage point.
The official canvass period will now begin, with the Registrar of Voters Office planning to certify the election by April 4.
Over the coming month, thousands more ballots are expected to be counted and, as a result, the final ballot count and percentages should change significantly, although trends tend to remain the same.
One number that will certainly change is overall voter turnout. The initial estimate was that voter turnout for the Tuesday primary was 19.64%, or 7,181 out of 36,561 registered voters.
Based on past election history, that percentage should increase once the final ballot count is complete.
The full preliminary counts through early Wednesday morning are below.
KELSEYVILLE UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT BOND, MEASURE Q
10 precincts of 10 reporting
Yes, 794, 49.81% * No, 80, 50.19%
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 Willits man died Sunday afternoon following a head-on wreck on Highway 20 near Upper Lake.
The 58-year-old man’s name was not released pending notification of next of kin.
The California Highway Patrol’s Clear Lake Area office said the wreck occurred on Highway 20 east of Blue Lakes Road.
The CHP said that at approximately 12:53 p.m., CHP Officer Jaxin Gallagher and Officer Brian Hanson were dispatched to the crash.
When they arrived, they found that a red Toyota Corolla traveling eastbound and driven by the Willits man, had lost control in a curved section of the highway.
The Toyota crossed into the opposing lane of traffic where it collided with a black GMC Sierra pickup, traveling westbound, driven by John Leone, 83, of Upper Lake, the CHP said.
The CHP said John Leone, and his passenger, Elizabeth Leone, were transported to Sutter Lakeside Hospital with suspected minor injuries.
The driver of the Toyota succumbed to his injuries on scene, along with two dogs within the Toyota, the CHP said.
The CHP said all of the vehicles’ occupants were wearing their seatbelts at the time of the collision. Airbags deployed in both vehicles.
No alcohol or drug use is suspected and the cause of the collision is still under investigation, the CHP said.
The California Highway Patrol, Caltrans, Lake County Sheriff’s Office, Northshore Fire Department and All in One Towing responded to the scene to assist with the crash.
Highway 20 was open to one-way traffic control for the duration of the incident, the CHP reported.
LAKEPORT, Calif. — The Lakeport Unified School District Board will gather for a special meeting on Wednesday afternoon to discuss a proposal to cut several classified and certificated positions, from the head groundskeeper to the school psychologist.
The school board will meet at 6 p.m. Wednesday, March 6, in the boardroom at the district office, 2508 Howard Ave.
The board will first go into a closed session to discuss the discipline/dismissal/release of an employee before the open portion of the meeting begins.
Superintendent Matt Bullard is recommending the board approve two separate resolutions to implement the layoffs beginning in the 2024-25 school year.
In the case of the certificated staff, the first resolution calls for laying off nine full-time positions: three instructional coaches, three permanent substitutes, one permanent substitute counselor, one school psychologist and one director of supplemental support.
The second resolution, relating to classified staff, calls for discontinuing seven positions: The head groundskeeper, the after school coordinator, one skilled maintenance worker, one bus monitor, one day care assistant and two paraprofessionals.
Neither of the resolutions is accompanied by a report that explains the situation leading to the recommendations for cutting the positions.
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. — Lake County’s representatives in Congress and the California Assembly easily won their races in the Tuesday primary.
In the race for Assembly, Cecelia Aguiar-Curry (D-Fourth District), now serving as Assembly majority leader, is seeking reelection.
The California Secretary of State’s Office reported that Aguiar-Curry received 100% of the vote, with 89.8% of precincts partially reporting as of 1 a.m. Wednesday.
The Lake County Registrar of Voters Office reported that, with 48 of 48 precincts reporting, Aguiar-Curry had received 4,425 votes in the Tuesday primary.
In the race for California’s Fourth Congressional District, Mike Thompson once again came out on top.
The Democrat from St. Helena, who has long represented Lake County in the U.S. House of Representatives, led his primary field with 63.1% of the vote, or 62,027 ballots cast, as of 1 a.m. Wednesday, with 94% of precincts partially reporting, the Secretary of State’s Office reported.
The rest of the field includes Republican John Munn, 31.2%, 30,622 votes cast; Democrat Andrew David Engdahl, 4.7%, 4,577 votes cast; and Niket Patwardhan, no party preference, 1%, 1,104 ballots cast.
In Lake County, Thompson received 3,821 votes, or 55.60% of the vote, with 48 of 48 precincts reporting, followed by Munn with 2,751 votes, or 40.03%; Engdahl with 240 votes, or 3.49%; and Patwardhan with 60 votes, or 0.87%, according to Registrar of Voter tallies posted early Wednesday.
Thompson and Munn will now advance to the November general election.
“I was born, grew up, and still live in our district and I consider it the greatest honor of my life to represent our beautiful region in Congress,” Thompson said in a Tuesday night written statement. “I am greatly humbled by the outpouring of support that I received and I take seriously the responsibility entrusted in me from my constituents.
“Our district and our country face many great challenges. From combating climate change to keeping our communities safe to strengthening our economy and lowering costs for families and businesses, I will continue working every day to meet the needs of our district. That is why I have been endorsed by mayors, supervisors, sheriffs, business owners and community leaders from across our district,” he said.
“Together, we can continue working to find real solutions to the challenges we face today, and ensure that our district remains one of the best places to live, work, raise a family, start a business, and retire with dignity,” Thompson continued.
He added, “Thank you to the voters of our district for your support and trust in me. As we move towards November, be assured that I will continue to do everything in my power to support our district and protect our shared values.”
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 will have a fire mitigation fee workshop along with its regular meeting this week.
The council will meet at 5 p.m. Thursday, March 7, in the council chambers at Clearlake City Hall, 14050 Olympic Drive, for the workshop before the regular meeting starts at 6 p.m.
Community members also can participate via Zoom. The pass code is 140064. One tap mobile is available at +16694449171,,89314579275#, or join by phone at 669-444-9171 or 253-205-0468.
At the start of the regular council meeting, there will be presentations from the Lakeshore Lions Club to the city and the Highlands Senior Center, a proclamation declaring March 2024 as March For Meals Month and a presentation of the Clear Lake Integrated Preparedness and Resilience Plan for Dreissenid Mussel Management.
Under business, the council will consider Resolution 2024-10 which designates the city manager or his/her designee to act on its behalf to engage with California Native American tribes as part of government to government tribal consultation under applicable law.
The council also will consider a fiscal year 2025 Community Project Funding request to Congressman Mike Thompson for the city’s Burns Valley Sports Complex.
On the meeting's consent agenda — items that are considered routine in nature and usually adopted on a single vote — are warrants, minutes of the Jan. 10 Lake County Vector Control District Board meeting, continuation of the director of emergency services/city manager proclamation declaring a local emergency for winter storms; award of a contract for engineering design services for the Dam Road Roundabout Project with BKF Engineers in the amount of $757,459; and approval of a leave of absence without pay for maintenance worker Johnny Miskill.
The council also will hold a closed session with legal council regarding an anticipated case of litigation, discussion of a lawsuit against the city by the Koi Nation of Northern California and a performance evaluation of the city manager.
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. — On Monday, Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-04) announced that three projects in Lake County will receive a total of $5,576,031 in funding from the government funding agreement that will be considered by Congress later this week.
Rep. Thompson secured $14,992,105 total for projects in California’s Fourth District.
“Community Project Funding requests allow our region to receive funding from the federal government for projects that will help improve our communities and invest in local priorities,” said Thompson. “I worked with partners in Lake County to identify the projects that would most benefit from funding and improve our community. I look forward to seeing this funding signed into law so these projects can receive this funding and head towards completion.”
The projects in Lake County are:
• $4,116,279 for the Clearlake Burns Valley Sports Complex. • $959,752 for the In-Lake Water Treatment System at Clear Lake. • $500,000 for the Big Valley Fish Habitat Improvement and Groundwater Recharge Project.
Clearlake Burns Valley Sports Complex
The Clearlake Burns Valley Sports Complex project will build a community sports and recreation center, expanding the community’s access to sports and recreational amenities and establishing the city as a destination for events and tournaments.
At present no youth sports programs can have tournaments in economically disadvantaged Lake County due to a lack of facilities.
This project will rectify that situation and drive new visitor spending in Lake County. It will bring in 40,000 annual visitors to the city, resulting in 10,000 hotel room stays and bringing in $8.6 million per year to the local economy.
In-Lake Water Treatment System
The In-Lake Water Treatment System at Clear Lake project supports the Clean Water Act by preventing the pollution of Clear Lake’s drinking water at the source.
It uses an oxygenation system to combat the growth of harmful algal blooms in Clear Lake before the water goes into the water treatment plant, reducing in-plant treatment costs and preventing the formation of toxins that cannot otherwise be removed and would pass untreated into the drinking water of Clear Lake residents.
Big Valley Fish Habitat Improvement and Groundwater Recharge Project
The Big Valley Fish Habitat Improvement and Groundwater Recharge Project encompasses two sub-projects: 1) The development of the Adobe Creek Conjunctive Use Project and 2) the rehabilitation of the Kelsey Creek Detention Structure.
Both projects work in tandem to improve fish habitat and aquifer recharge throughout a priority groundwater basin, Big Valley Groundwater Basin.
Specifically, these projects will enhance summer flow and riparian habitat in Adobe Creek, Highland Creek and Kelsey Creek ultimately improving fish spawning habitat, especially as it relates to the state-listed threatened Clear Lake hitch.
Thompson represents California’s Fourth Congressional District, which includes all or part of Lake, Napa, Solano, Sonoma and Yolo counties.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — A Lakeport man struck by a vehicle during a February hit and run has died of his injuries.
The California Highway Patrol’s Clear Lake Area office confirmed the death of 27-year-old Omar Romero of Lakeport.
On the night of Feb. 14 Romero was walking along Highway 20 east of Bridge Arbor Drive near Upper Lake when he was hit by a 2007 Ford Escape SUV driven by Oscar Rosas, 45, of Clearlake.
After the crash, Rosas fled the scene. He turned himself in the following day and was arrested for felony hit and run.
Authorities said Romero suffered blunt force trauma and a broken neck in the crash.
Sgt. Joel Skeen told Lake County News that the CHP is still recommending the felony hit and run charge against Rosas to the District Attorney’s Office.
“We are still conducting the investigation and there may be other charges in addition if the criteria is met,” Skeen 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.
On Monday, California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced that the California Department of Justice’s Missing Persons DNA Program, or MPDP, has identified over 2,000 missing persons since its establishment in 2001.
Attorney General Bonta also announced, with Assemblymember Stephanie Nguyen (D – Elk Grove), a new bill to ensure the DOJ will be able to continue to provide important forensic DNA services with funding through updates to Proposition 69, the “DNA Fingerprint, Unsolved Crime and Innocence Protection Act.”
Assembly Bill 3042 (AB 3042), authored by Assemblymember Nguyen and sponsored by Attorney General Bonta, would remove the sunset date from Proposition 69, the “DNA Fingerprint, Unsolved Crime and Innocence Protection Act.”
Proposition 69 directs funding from criminal fines to support essential crime-solving DNA programs both at DOJ and local law enforcement agencies.
“I am very proud of the important work that is done in our Missing Persons DNA Program and our Bureau of Forensic Services,” said Bonta. “While this milestone is not a celebration, it is important to take a moment to acknowledge what our team has accomplished in the process of bringing closure to the families that have been impacted by tragedy. Nothing can bring a loved one back, but we hope this helps them find peace. This program is just one of the essential services provided by our Bureau of Forensic Services. The Bureau receives crucial funding through Proposition 69, and AB 3024 would ensure that Proposition 69 remains in place to support our efforts to solve crime through forensic services. I want to thank Assemblymember Nguyen and our law enforcement partners for all their work toward this important goal.”
“I would never feel safe knowing someone who has harmed me or my loved ones are still out there,” said Assemblymember Stephanie Nguyen. “I am proud to author AB 3042 in collaboration with Attorney General Bonta to continue key funding to better support public safety in our communities as well as exonerating the innocent.”
Voters approved Proposition 69 in November 2004. Proposition 69 specifically directs money from criminal fines to be allocated towards funding the CAL-DNA Data Bank program which helps to solve violent crimes both at local public crime laboratories and within the DOJ itself using the FBI’s Combined DNA Index System, or CODIS.
In another provision of Proposition 69, the CAL-DNA Data Bank also assists with the identification of missing and unidentified persons, including abducted children, using separate Missing Person CODIS databases. Historically, DOJ has received more than $74 million through Prop. 69 over a span of two decades.
However, this proposition included a sunset date that would terminate funding collection after twenty years. AB 3042 seeks to eliminate this sunset date altogether and establish a steady source of revenue outside of the general fund that will support DNA testing programs at both state and local levels.
DOJ's Missing Persons DNA Program conducts autosomal short tandem repeat (STR) DNA testing, Y-STR (Y-chromosome, male-specific) testing, and mitochondrial DNA testing related to missing and unidentified person investigations.
It compares DNA from missing persons and unidentified human remains with DNA from personal articles belonging to reported missing persons and DNA from relatives of missing persons.
The MPDP services are provided at no cost to investigating law enforcement agencies and coroner’s offices. Parents and other biological relatives of missing persons are neither given an incentive to provide a DNA sample, nor will they be coerced or compelled to provide a sample.
Further, DNA samples from relatives of missing persons are only searched against the DNA samples from missing persons and unidentified human remains to identify their missing relatives. They are never searched against any criminal or offender DNA databases.
The DNA profiles from missing persons and unidentified human remains are uploaded to the database for searching and comparison with the DNA samples from missing person cases throughout the nation, not just in California.
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