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- Written by: Lake County News reports
LAKEPORT, Calif. – A Clearlake man has been sentenced to more than four years in state prison for soliciting sex with a teenage girl through Facebook messages and texts, and using Facebook to send a lewd message to another girl.
Jason James Russell, 29, was sentenced by Judge Arthur H. Mann on April 16 to the maximum term of four years in state prison for arranging a meeting with a minor with the intent to commit a sexual offense and going to the arranged meeting place at the arranged time.
Russell will be required to register as a sex offender pursuant to Penal Code Section 290 when he is released from prison, according to the Lake County District Attorney's Office.
The case was prosecuted by Senior Deputy District Attorney Ed Borg, with Russell represented by Tom Quinn.
The case originated with the Lake County Sheriff’s Office.
On Jan. 19, a concerned parent contacted the Lake County Sheriff’s Office to report that her 15-year-old daughter had received several sexually explicit and vulgar messages from Russell via the social networking site Facebook as well as text messages to her cell phone, the District Attorney's Office said.
The minor had accepted a friend request from Russell; she and Russell had a mutual friend, but she was not otherwise acquainted with him, the District Attorney's Office reported.
According to the investigation, the teen initially responded to Russell’s messages by informing him that she was 15 years old and telling him to stop contacting her. However, Russell persisted and the minor told her parents.
Sheriff’s Investigator Kellie Joseph obtained the minor’s cell phone and, posing as the minor, contacted Russell and pretended to be interested in getting together with him.
Joseph arranged a meeting with Russell at Austin Park in Clearlake, and Russell was apprehended at the scene. He admitted that he had gone to Austin Park with the intention of having sexual relations with the 15-year-old minor.
Based upon the results of her investigation, Joseph were able to obtain an enhanced bail of $250,000.
Russell was also on a grant of felony Proposition 36 probation for possession of cocaine and the Probation Department filed a petition to revoke his felony probation, according to Borg.
After Russell was arrested, another minor victim came forward. That minor had received a similar vulgar message from Russell on Facebook and had immediately informed her parents. After investigation, a separate case was filed against Russell.
On March 5, Russell pleaded guilty to one count of arranging a meeting with a minor for a lewd purpose in the first case, one count of annoying and molesting a minor in the second case and admitted to violating his probation in the felony drug case.
At the sentencing hearing on Monday, April 16, Judge Mann sentenced Russell to four years, the maximum sentence for the solicitation charge, with a concurrent term of one year for annoying and molesting a minor, and a subordinate term of eight months, consecutive, for his felony probation case, for an aggregate term of four years and eight months, Borg said.
Because two of the charges to which Russell pleaded require registration as a sex offender, he will serve his term in state prison, according to Borg.
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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
LAKEPORT, Calif. – Thousands of nurses around the Bay Area plan to walk out on May 1 to protest concessions they say Sutter hospitals are seeking at the bargaining table.
An estimated 4,500 registered nurses at eight hospitals will take part in the one-day strike, according to the California Nurses Association and National Nurses United.
Nurses from Sutter Lakeside in Lakeport, Alta Bates Summit Medical Center facilities in Berkeley and Oakland, Mills-Peninsula Health Services hospitals in Burlingame and San Mateo, Eden Medical Center in Castro Valley, San Leandro Hospital, Sutter Delta in Antioch, Sutter Solano in Vallejo and Novato Community Hospital will participate, the unions said.
The California Nurses Association’s nurses last went on strike Sept. 22, 2011, as Lake County News has reported.
The latest strike announcement comes as Sutter Lakeside and its union-represented nurses have reached an impasse in negotiations, according to hospital Chief Administrative Officer Siri Nelson.
“Unfortunately, I think that’s where we are,” Nelson told Lake County News on Tuesday.
The hospital has been in negotiations with the California Nurses Association for nine months, taking part in 25 bargaining sessions, according to Nelson. The union represents 124 of Sutter Lakeside’s registered nurses.
The plans for the strike also follow Sutter Lakeside’s recent announcements of plans to cut 10 percent of its staff and close its Upper Lake and pain management clinics in order to avoid a multimillion shortfall for the current fiscal year, as Lake County News has reported.
The California Nurses Association said Sutter affiliates are demanding reductions in patient care, nurses’ standards and workplace conditions. In the case of the latter, top issues revolve around sick leave, health benefits, retirement and overtime requirements.
The union said that Sutter is making the demands despite making more than $4 billion in profit since 2007, giving Chief Executive Officer Pat Fry a 215-percent salary hike to more than $4 million annually last year and paying its top 21 executives more than $1 million each annually.
Nelson said Sutter Lakeside Hospital will remain open for business as usual on May 1, with trained nurses ready to fill in for striking nurses.
“Patient care and patient safety is our No. 1 priority,” she said.
Nelson said the hospital is contracting with a temporary service agency to bring in qualified registered nurses.
The agency’s shortest minimum contract requirement is five days, which will mean that striking nurses will not be able to return to work until the five-day period ends, Nelson said.
“Unfortunately, Sutter Lakeside Hospital is not in a position to double pay for service,” said Nelson.
The practice of bringing in such an agency – which has been done previously – rankles the union.
California Nurses Association spokesman Chuck Idelson questioned why the hospital needed to lock out nurses and said he didn’t believe Nelson’s statement about a minimum contract length.
Nelson said the hospital doesn’t know how many nurses may participate in the strike. “It changes minute by minute.”
Idelson said he believes that most of those nurses will take part in the May 1 strike.
Idelson accused Sutter Lakeside management of pursuing takeaways such as ending benefits for registered nurses who work part-time and forcing other nurses to work overtime, which he called “a very dangerous practice.”
Contract negotiations stall
Nelson said Sutter Lakeside’s contract with its nurses expired Aug. 31, 2011.
She said the hospital began negotiations six months before the contract was to end, and with the help of a federal mediator reached agreement on noneconomic proposals.
When it got to the economic proposals, she said the process stalled, with the union not offering any written economic counter proposals.
“Really, this is all about money,” she said.
“It’s really sad to me that CNA is calling for a strike against a small rural hospital that is working hard to stabilize its financials” and be able to stay in the community, Nelson said.
Nelson, who called the situation “extremely frustrating,” said Sutter Lakeside offers a competitive wage package, very generous health benefits and a fully funded pension plan.
Regarding the latter, she said, “I don’t know any other health care system that can make that claim,” adding that it’s a commitment of the organization.
Nelson said Sutter Lakeside’s nurses have received an overall 27-percent pay increase over the past four years. “And now I’m in a position to have to lay people off.”
Idelson called the claim about money being the union’s main issue a “smoke screen” used to divert attention from Sutter’s attempts to cuts services and work standards.
“The strike is not about wage increases the nurses are seeking,” Idelson said, adding that if Sutter is concerned about wages that it should look at its top executives.
The union accused Sutter Lakeside of planning to close its home health services. Nelson replied, “Sutter Lakeside Hospital has not done home health services in years so I’m not really sure what they’re talking about.”
The hospital also isn’t planning to limit acute-care hospital stays, as the union has claimed, according to Nelson, who said, “we treat people for as long as its clinically appropriate.”
Nelson said the hospital presented its last, best and final offer to the union on March 27.
“We’ve asked the union for a counter proposal,” Nelson said. “We have not received it.”
According to a summary of the offer’s highlights presented to staff and shared with Lake County News, Sutter Lakeside is offering ratification bonuses for registered nurses; 1-percent across the board increases one year after ratification and an additional 1 percent two years after ratification; step increases beginning one year after ratification; no-premium health benefit options for registered nurses and their families; employer contributions to a fully funded employee pension plan; between 19 minimum and 48 maximum paid days off; an increase in the retiree health care spending account to $30,000; and rewards for professional development.
Nelson said she went “all in” on the March 27 offer, adding, “we don’t have any more money, there is nothing else.”
Idelson did not have information on any union counterproposal, and also could not say if the union had presented the offer to its members.
However, he said the nurses at Sutter Lakeside voted to take part in the strike.
He said the union was able to conclude negotiations with hospitals in Marin and Santa Rosa after management there withdrew concessions requests.
Sutter, he said, should do the same, saying it’s a multibillion dollar Wall Street corporation.
“We’re not dealing with a mom and pop hospital here that’s on the verge of going belly up,” Idelson said.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
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- Written by: Lake County News Reports
KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – Lake County’s participation at several national wine trade shows proved to be a “resounding success,” say representatives of the county’s administration and the Lake County Winegrape Commission.
A California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) Specialty Crop Grant made it possible for the Commission to attend selected shows this year.
In January, a contingent of Lake County wine industry representatives traveled to the Unified Wine & Grape Symposium in Sacramento.
Participation in two shows in February took the delegates to the Midwest Grape and Wine Conference and Trade Show – billed as the third largest wine industry trade show in the United States – in St. Charles, Missouri, and to the Texas Wine and Grape Growers Association’s Annual Conference and Trade Show in San Marcos, Texas.
During the month of March, individuals worked the Commission’s booth at the Eastern Winery Exposition in Lancaster, Penn., and the Wineries Unlimited Trade Show and Conference in Richmond, Va.
Sharing information about Lake County’s wine industry and the county in general, commission President Shannon Gunier and commission board members were joined by county representatives and commission committee members at the various trade shows.
The Lake County contingent obtained information about potential winegrape buyers and businesses interested in the area. Gunier said leads are available to qualified Lake County growers by calling the Commission office, 707-995-3421.
“We poured wine and talked to interested parties about Lake County and the grapes we grow,” said Bill Brunetti, chair of the commission’s Industry Relations Committee.
Brunetti and his wife Patti attended the Pennsylvania and Virginia shows in March.
“In general, (we) tried to sell our county and our grapes,” Bill Brunetti said. “The county’s participation was well received. I think that the new booth pretty much outdid any other at the show. The wines spoke for themselves, and the presence of County personnel talking about the desire of Lake County to attract business was a home run.”
County Administrative Analyst Alan Flora echoed Brunetti’s sentiments about the reception of the County’s presence at the expositions.
“The interest generated in Lake County as a destination, a producer of fine wines, and as a place to do business exceeded all of my expectations,” said Flora. “The breadth of questions and comments were phenomenal. Few people were able to pass our booth by. Our booth design focused on a dramatic presentation of the scenic beauty of our County, the substantial and impressive development of our most established wineries, education about what makes our growing region so unique and full of potential, and the bold, complex, and delightful wines we produce.”
Budget constraints had forced the commission to cancel participation in out-of-state industry trade shows that had proven to be instrumental in showcasing Lake County wines in past years, according to Gunier.
Receipt of the CDFA Specialty Crop grant, dubbed by the commission as the “Lake County Rising Campaign” grant, allowed the winegrape growers organization to team with the county to continue marketing work at industry shows.
The grant was awarded to increase the effectiveness of the preexisting campaign, Gunier said.
“It was money very well spent,” Brunetti said about use of the grant funds. “There was certainly no downside to the commission's involvement; and even though most of our grape sales are closer to home, we do export to the East Coast. We also have a responsibility to our growers to promote the region, and that certainly was accomplished.”
Brunetti said he spoke with two people who indicated interest in opening wineries in Lake County. Additionally, one manufacturer of wine glasses made plans to visit the area to explore the idea of opening a facility in the county.
Flora, who attended shows in Sacramento, Texas, Pennsylvania and Virginia, said the official county presence “created quite an impression.”
“The commission asked me to be involved in an effort to expand the impact of the shows from the traditional marketing of winegrapes, juice, and bulk wine, to include promotion of Lake County as a recreation destination as well as an opportunity for development of vineyards, wineries, and/or wine related industries,” Flora explained.
“The (county’s) new ‘Growing the Wine Industry’ brochure and Development Incentive Program, which was put together by the County Economic Development Program, strongly emphasize our commitment to both the wine industry and growing our local economy,” Flora said. “Some folks (at the trade shows) even took extra copies of our information to present to their elected officials and say, ‘Look at what Lake County has done; we need to do this here.’ I think that speaks volumes to the commitment and determination our county has to grow a more vibrant economy in this place we love so much.”
The success of the shows will be measured by the demand for winegrapes from Lake County, Flora said.
“Many tons were sold as a result of the trade show exposure,” said Flora. “One winery owner demanded access to Lake County grapes after one taste of our Sauvignon Blanc. In another example, a winemaker sampled a local Syrah and exclaimed that it was the best he had ever tasted. Similar stories are endless, but the impact was noticeable and the exposure valuable.”
The impact on the area’s tourism may take longer to realize, Flora added. “However, I am confident that there will be an increase in visitors to Lake County as a result of the trade show exposure. There was a really significant interest in development opportunities and investment from a variety of parties.”
For more information about the Lake County Winegrape Commission’s marketing efforts and special events, visit the Commission’s website at www.lakecountywinegrape.org .
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- Written by: Lake County News reports
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake County's annual burn ban starts on Tuesday, May 1, the Lake County Air Quality Management District reported.
The annual ban addresses concerns over both fire hazard and air quality.
The burn restriction applies to all areas in Lake County. All burn permits expire on April 30.
The annual burn ban was first implemented in 1986 in response to weather conditions that often create extreme fire danger and poor air quality.
For many years a managed approach which incorporates fire and air agency concerns has been implemented and improved upon.
The ban as implemented allows a quick fire agency response to all fires observed from May 1 on, as they are all assumed to be uncontrolled fires unless specifically authorized by an exemption for time and place.
Officials credit the program as one of the primary reasons Lake County has superior and healthful
air quality.
The ban also helps prevent smoke impacts to the general public and large planned outdoor events by unrestricted vegetative waste burns.
The burn ban includes all open waste burning, though exceptions are possible for agricultural operations, essential control burns for fire safety projects, public safety burns and others.
To obtain an exemption for a necessary burn after May 1, first contact the Lake County Air Quality Management District to determine need, then your local fire protection agency so that your burn site can be inspected and evaluated for fire safety.
Only after the fire agency has inspected the burn site and notified the Lake County Air Quality Management District that the proposed burn is fire safe, can you obtain a written exemption permit.
Anyone responsible for open burning without a valid written exemption permit may be subject to a citation, fines, and the cost of the Fire Agency response to extinguish the fire.
Burn restrictions will remain in effect until Cal Fire declares an end to fire season.
Lake County Air Quality Management District asks that the community help reduce the danger and losses caused by uncontrolled fires and protect the county's designation as the only air basin in the state to meet all ambient air quality standards by following the ban.
Public cooperation is greatly appreciated and results in a safer and more healthful environment for everyone, the district reported.