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- Written by: John Jensen
A two car accident involving five people occurred earlier today on Coyote Grade near Middletown between Hofacker and Spruce Grove on Hwy 29.
According to the investigating officer, Officer Norton of the CHP Clear Lake office, two vehicles and five individuals were involved.
At approximately 12:20 the female driver, age 58, and sinlge occupant of a maroon Ford Explorer heading Southbound on Coyote Grade drifted off the shoulder and lost control. Her Explorer then drifted across all lanes and overturned in the path of a maroon Ford F-250 heading Northbound, according to Norton.
The F-250 was carrying five individuals was unable to avoid colliding with the overturned Explorer.
Three people were flown to Santa rosa, the driver of the Explorer, the 38 year old male driver of the Ford F250 and his 35 year old female front seat passenger. Two minors, aged 17 and 2 as well as an adult aged 22 in the backseat went to St Helena Hospital Clear Lake as a precaution.
According to the CHP the three adults airlifted out had moderate to major injuries all were alert and talkative.
All occupants were wearing seatbelts, alcohol and drugs are not involved, according to Norton.
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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
LUCERNE, Calif. – A Placerville woman was injured on Friday afternoon when she fell off a motorcycle.
Rosemary Wilkinson, 63, was hurt in the incident, according to California Highway Patrol Officer Korey Reynolds.
At around 1 p.m. Wilkinson was riding on a 2004 Harley Davidson driven by 70-year-old Paul Moreau of Kelsey, who Reynolds said was headed westbound on Highway 20 at about 30 to 35 miles per hour.
For unknown reasons, Wilkinson fell off the motorcycle, Reynolds said.
Northshore Fire transported her to Sutter Lakeside Hospital in Lakeport where she was treated for moderate injuries, according to Reynolds.
Reynolds said no drugs or alcohol were involved in the incident.
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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
NORTH COAST, Calif. – Firefighters worked for several hours on Friday afternoon to contain and mop up after a fire that burned along Highway 20 in Mendocino County.
Julie Cooley, a spokesperson for Cal Fire's Mendocino Unit, said the incident – called the Potter Fire because it was located in the Potter Valley area – started at 3:38 p.m.
Northshore Fire Protection District was dispatched to a smoke check Friday afternoon after smoke from the fire traveled into Lake County, according to radio reports.
Cooley said Cal Fire, Potter Valley Fire, Redwood Valley Fire and Ukiah Valley Fire responded with a total of five engines, four crews and a Cal Fire copter. After the copter was released the crews continued working on mop up into Friday evening.
The Potter Fire was contained at 13 acres, Cooley said.
Cooley said the fire's cause is under investigation.
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- Written by: Lake County News reports
A Mendocino County jury returned guilty verdicts on Friday afternoon against two men for their involvement in a July 2011 murder and attempted murder at Bu Shay Campground at Lake Mendocino.
Marvin Douglas Johnson, Jr., 33, and Simon Thornton, 23, have been on trial since May 21, with the jury being sent out to commence deliberations Thursday afternoon, according to the Mendocino County District Attorney's Office.
The two men were charged for the fatal shooting on July 20 of 40-year-old Joseph Litteral of Willits. They also shot and wounded Litteral's friend, Brandon Richard Haggett, 20, also of Willits.
Johnson was found guilty of first degree murder and attempted first degree murder, while a special allegation that he was armed with a firearm was found true. He was found not guilty of attempted kidnapping, officials reported.
The jury also found Thornton guilty of first degree murder and attempted first degree murder, and found true two special allegations of being armed with a firearm and use of a deadly weapon, a bat. Like Johnson, he was found not guilty of attempted kidnapping.
As required by law, both defendants were referred by Judge Ann Moorman to Mendocino County Adult Probation Officer Jim Brown’s office for a social study and sentencing recommendation.
A sentencing hearing was calendared for June 29 at 9 a.m.
Based on the verdicts, Johnson is facing a state prison sentence of up to 33 years to life with the possibility of parole, while Thornton is facing up to 34 year to life with the possibility of parole.
The prosecutor was Assistant District Attorney Paul Sequeira. Defendant Johnson was represented by attorney Jan Cole-Wilson, and defendant Thornton was represented by Deputy Public Defender Farris Purviance III.
Two other crime-related defendants, William Hale Crocker, 31, and Arone Joseph Schnebly, 36, are awaiting trial for their involvement in the same August 2011 incident at Lake Mendocino, the Mendocino County District Attorney's Office said.