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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
The Clearlake Police Department confirmed to Lake County News early Friday morning that a suspicious package had been found at the Clearlake Commons apartment complex, located at 15160 Austin Drive.
Napa County’s bomb squad was called to the scene to handle the device, the department reported.
Part of the apartment complex was evacuated while the bomb squad was en route, and a temporary evacuation center was set up at the Highlands Senior Center on Bowers Avenue, according to the Clearlake Police Department.
Lake County News received information that the device was discovered in a dumpster following a phone threat, which also warned that the device might detonate soon.
Tara Eaton, a resident in the apartment complex, posted on Lake County News’ Facebook page that the whole lower section of apartments was being evacuated. The upper area of the complex where she lives was not required to evacuate.
James Thomas, a Lake Transit driver, said on Facebook that the transit agency sent four buses – including his – to the scene to help evacuate residents.
He said he transported people to the senior center, where more than 30 people were gathered.
Thomas said he was released from the evacuation at 2:30 a.m. At that time it was estimated that residents would not be allowed to return to their homes for several more hours.
However, shortly after 3:30 a.m. the Clearlake Police Department reported that the bomb squad had disposed of the device and the apartment complex residents who had been evacuated were being allowed to return to their homes.
At approximately 3:53 a.m. Lake County Fire Protection Chief Willie Sapeta reported over the radio that all of the evacuees had been returned home and firefighters were clearing the incident.
Further details about the incident were not immediately available early Friday morning.
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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
After a two-day secret ballot that ended Thursday night, the campaign to join the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 1245 failed.
Once the polls closed at 8 p.m., the ballots were counted at the Calpine Visitor Center in Middletown, a process that took about an hour.
The unofficial vote count was reported to be 124 against joining the union and 70 for joining. An additional 21 ballots were reportedly cast against unionizing but were challenged by the union and not included in the final tally.
Altogether, 215 of the 219 workers eligible to vote took part, according to the preliminary vote count.
“It was decisive,” said a disappointed Mike Farmer, an organizing committee member who had campaigned to join IBEW Local 1245.
The effort to hold the union election began last summer, and since then a campaign had been under way to convince the eligible Calpine employees to vote in favor of joining IBEW Local 1245.
The union even had arranged for workers to meet with Gov. Jerry Brown and former U.S. Labor Secretary Robert Reich.
Campaign organizers accused Calpine – one of Lake County's largest employers – of trying to prevent a free and fair election by bringing in anti-union consultants.
At the same time, significant opposition came from within the ranks of the workers themselves.
Last month Tim Janke, a power plant operator at West Ford Flat, launched his own Web site – www.calpineunionfree.com – to oppose unionization, with a total of 76 employees signing their names on his Web site in support of keeping a union-free workplace.
Janke told Lake County News this week that he was concerned that the union would add another layer of bureaucracy and cost some Calpine workers as much as $40,000 a year in lost benefits and bonuses.
On his Web site Thursday night, Janke posted a video congratulating his fellow workers for the vote.
“This crap is finally over with,” he said.
However, he went on to question if anyone really won, arguing that the union's actions damaged Calpine's reputation. Janke also urged people to focus on getting back to work.
In the wake of the election, “For most people it’s going to go back to normal,” said Farmer.
However, he said the organizing committee plans to meet on Friday.
“We have to decide whether we want to pursue some of the improprieties we feel happened during the election campaign,” he said.
While Farmer said he is leaning toward leaving things as they are and moving on, he said the organizing committee has seven days to file an objection and challenge the results.
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- Written by: Lake County News reports
LOWER LAKE, Calif. – A solo-vehicle collision on Highway 29 Thursday afternoon caused traffic snags for local drivers.
The California Highway Patrol reported that the incident involving a black pickup truck occurred at approximately 3:19 p.m.
The CHP said the crash blocked the northbound lane and that traffic in the area was backed up.
Information on injuries was not available.
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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
The first quake, measuring 3.0 on the Richter Scale, occurred at 11:54 a.m., according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
Recorded at a depth of 2.5 miles, its epicenter was located two miles northwest of The Geysers, six miles west southwest of Cobb and eight miles west northwest of Anderson Springs, the survey reported.
By Thursday evening the U.S. Geological Survey had received a total of 10 shake reports from zip codes including Middletown, Burlingame, Calistoga, San Ramon, Cloverdale, Geyserville, Healdsburg, Citrus Heights and Sacramento.
The second quake, reported to have occurred at 9:21 p.m., measured 3.4 in magnitude according to an initial report from the U.S. Geological Survey.
As of Thursday night a seismologist hadn’t reviewed the report, which means the magnitude could be adjusted.
The quake occurred at a depth of 1.9 miles, and was centered one mile north northwest of The Geysers, five miles west southwest of Cobb and seven miles west northwest of Anderson Springs.
Shake reports were submitted to the U.S. Geological Survey from Calistoga, San Ramon, Walnut Creek, Cloverdale, Healdsburg and Paradise.
A 3.8-magnitude quake was reported Tuesday morning near Clearlake and Clearlake Oaks, as Lake County News has reported.
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