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- Written by: Lake County News reports
LAKEPORT, Calif. – The third outing for Lake County Live! proved once again that there is talent galore all around us.
Lake County Live! was performed Sunday, March 25, at the Soper-Reese Theatre in Lakeport to an appreciate audience both in the theater and on the air via Lake County Community Radio KPFZ 88.1 FM.
The show is produced live on stage and broadcast in real time, as well as streamed on the Internet at www.kpfz.org .
Musical guests included Uncorked! a quintet of performers including Don Coffin, Andi Skelton, Eleanor Cook, Dan Harris and Dennis Hadley.
The provided two sets of music, both from Ireland and contemporary folk, as well as traditional tunes that had the audience clapping along and dancing in their seats.
In between their two sets, Andy Rossoff took the stage to perform on the theater's grand piano with several songs that included the audience with singing.
Uncorked returned to close the show with another signature part of the program, a sing-along.
Cast and audience joined together in the night’s final song, “Goodnight, Irene.”
Lake County Live! was conceived by Doug Rhoades, who is the show’s producer and host.
The show features music, comedy, audience participation and lots of humor.
Several running features include the “Dogs of Clearlake” and “Ladies of the Lake.”
Cast members for these and other sketches amidst the music include Richard Smith, Suna Flores, Pam Bradley, Kris Andre, Vicky Parish Smith, Mitchell Hauptman and Nick Reid, who also acts as the show’s stage manager.
Backstage assistance was provided by Donna Herndon, Jane Ruggles, Nancy Rhoades, Mike Stempe and Nick Biondo.
Lake County Live! is performed and broadcast from the Soper-Reese Community Theatre on the last Sunday of each month at 6 p.m.
Next month’s show will feature Three Deep, a county/folk trio, the flamenco guitar duo Austin and Owens, and the keyboard talent of David Neft.
Tickets for the performance on April 29 are available at the theater box office, open Fridays from 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and at the Travel Center in Lakeport.
The program is supported by the theater, KPFZ, and Lake County News at www.lakeconews.com .
For more information on the program, performers and sponsorship, visit www.lakecountylive.com or go to www.facebook.com/lakecountylive .
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- Written by: Lake County News reports
Female teens are twice as likely as male teens to use cell phones and other electronic devices while driving, according to a new in-car video study from the AAA Foundation of Traffic Safety.
The study also shows that many other potential driving distractions are common and problematic among teenage drivers.
The AAA Foundation study is the first study using in-car video footage to focus on teen distracted driving.
Researchers identified the prevalence and consequences of various distracted driver behaviors among teens.
They also identified the prevalence and consequences of distracting conditions that teens face.
These behaviors and conditions vary based on the presence of passengers, the time of day, the sex of the driver, and other potentially important factors.
“Cell phones, texting, personal grooming, and reaching for items in the car were among the most common distracting activities that the cameras caught inside the cars of new teen drivers,” says Cynthia Harris, AAA Northern California spokesperson. “This new study provides the best view we’ve had about how and when teens engage in distracted driving behaviors, which are believed to contribute to making car crashes the leading cause of teenage deaths.”
The main findings from the report show that gender played a role in some of the observed distractions.
Females were nearly twice as likely as males to use an electronic device while driving, and overall, were nearly 10 percent more likely to be seen engaging in other distracted behaviors, like reaching for an object in the vehicle (nearly 50 percent more likely than males) or eating or drinking (nearly 25 percent more likely than males).
On the other hand, males were roughly twice as likely to turn around in their seats while driving and were also more likely to communicate with people outside of their vehicle.
“Drivers are three times as likely to take their eyes off the road when using electronic devices. They were also two and a half times more likely to look away from the road when engaged in other behaviors.” says Harris. “A second may not seem like much, but at 65 miles per hour a car travels the length of a basketball court in a single second. That extra second can mean the difference between life and death.”
AAA Foundation data analysis also found that potentially distracting activities significantly decreased when parents or other adults were present in the car.
In contrast, loud conversations and horseplay were more than twice as likely to occur when multiple teen peers, instead of just one, were present.
These distractions are particularly concerning, as they are associated with the occurrence of crashes, other serious incidents, and high g-force events.
Drivers were six times as likely to have a serious incident when there was loud conversation in the vehicle, and they were more than twice as likely to have a high g-force event when there was horseplay.
Parents can improve teen drivers’ safety as they start to drive on their own by following these tips:
- Practice, practice, practice. Once teens have their actual license, continue to ensure that basic skills are mastered and to introduce varied driving conditions such as snow and heavy traffic rural roads with an experienced driver in the passenger seat.
- Keep passengers out. Teen drivers’ crash risks multiply with teenage passengers in the vehicle. Set limits and enforce them consistently.
- Limit night driving. Reduced visibility makes night driving riskier for drivers of all ages. For inexperienced teens it’s even harder. Allow new teen drivers to drive at night only if it’s truly necessary for them to practice driving in the dark with a parent.
- Keep setting rules. Establish and enforce rules above and beyond state laws. In addition to night and passenger limits, set rules for inclement weather, highways, cities, or other driving conditions in which a teen has not gained enough experience. Find a parent-teen agreement on www.teendriving.aaa.com that can help.
The data for this report came from an analysis of video clips collected as part of a three-phase naturalistic study of 50 North Carolina families with novice teen drivers.
The first study looked at how parents supervise their teens during the learner’s stage, and the second examined how teen behaviors and driving conditions shift during the transition to unsupervised driving.
For the current study, 7,858 clips from the first six months of unsupervised driving were re-analyzed to investigate distraction specifically.
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- Written by: Lake County News reports
MENDOCINO COUNTY, Calif. – A Willits woman was remanded Wednesday afternoon to serve 13 years in prison for torching her Brooktrails home with her quadriplegic son inside, and endangering the lives of local firefighters by using propane and oxygen tanks as accelerants.
Nancy Jo McGinty, 52, was sentenced to state prison by Judge Richard Henderson in Mendocino County Superior Court.
Last November, McGinty entered guilty pleas to felony charges of arson of an inhabitated building, and attempted voluntary manslaughter. Judge Henderson sentenced McGinty after a 10-day review of recommendations from the Mendocino County District Attorney's Office, the probation department and her attorney.
Eyster said after Wednesday's court hearing that he believes justice has been served in the high-profile case.
“While I won’t downplay the attempted taking of her son’s life, the defendant’s misconduct placed the entire community and its firefighters at great risk,” said Eyster.
As part of McGinty’s sentencing, she was ordered to reimburse the Brooktrails Fire Department for its costs incurred in the firefighting effort.
Henderson on Wednesday denied McGinty’s request for probation, citing the potentially fatal dangers her disabled son and firefighters faced because of her actions.
McGinty claimed she too was in the house when the fire broke out but firefighters said they scoured the home and didn’t find her until the next morning.
She was found the next morning unharmed in a master bedroom bathtub that had been checked the night before.
Addressing the court at the first half of the sentencing hearing that took place on March 16, 2012, McGinty tearfully asked for probation, citing the mental and physical exhaustion she claimed to have suffered being a sole care provider for her quadriplegic son.
Judge Henderson on Wednesday said he empathized with McGinty’s plight, but he said McGinty was deluding herself by thinking her actions were rationale.
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- Written by: Lake County News reports
LAKEPORT, Calif. – A Lakeport man has been arrested for burglarizing a vehicle as well as for numerous outstanding warrants.
Michael Santos, 30, was taken into custody on Wednesday, March 28, according to a report from Sgt. Kevin Odom of the Lakeport Police Department.
Shortly before 8 a.m. Wednesday Lakeport Police officers responded to a call from a resident in the 800 block of Jerry Drive, with the resident reporting a male suspect rummaging through the interior of her unlocked vehicle parked at the residence, Odom said.
He said the suspect fled after being confronted by the victim.
An off-duty Lake County Sheriff's deputy saw Santos in the area of Boggs Lane and Oakcrest Drive
a few blocks away. Odom said the deputy knew Santos and also knew he had outstanding warrants for his arrest.
The deputy notified Lake County Central Dispatch and provided a description of Santos which matched that of the suspect seen rummaging through the vehicle on Jerry Drive, Odom said.
Lakeport Police units did an area check for Santos but he was not located, Odom said.
At approximately 2 p.m., a deputy located Santos in the 2900 block of Lakeshore Boulevard and arrested him for his outstanding warrants, Odom said.
LPD Officer Norm Taylor responded and ultimately recovered stolen property in Santos’ possession taken from the victim vehicle, according to Odom.
Santos was booked at the Lake County Jail for various warrants and theft from a vehicle.
Anyone with information regarding this incident is encouraged to contacted Lakeport Police Officer Norm Taylor at 707-263-5491.