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- Written by: Lake County News reports
Ramon Celedon, 34, was arrested for robbery and possession of stolen property following a search by law enforcement, according to Capt. Kurt Smallcomb of the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office.
Just after 11 a.m. Friday the Hopland Tribal Police Department was notified of an armed robbery which took place in the parking lot of the Hopland Sho-Ka-Wah Casino, Smallcomb said.
Smallcomb said Mendocino County Sheriff's deputies and Hopland Tribal Police officers contacted the victims and learned that Celedon and the victims had a previous relationship and possibly worked together on a Potter Valley or Lake County vineyard.
Celedon allegedly had offered to give the four victims a ride to Southern California. Smallcomb said they met at the casino parking lot, at which time Celedon allegedly took – at gunpoint – approximately $5,000 to $10,000 from the victims, along with their personal property, and fled the location in the pickup.
A description of Celedon and his pickup was broadcasted via radio to local law enforcement and subsequently was seen driving in the area of West Clay Street in Ukiah, Smallcomb said.
Ukiah Police officers, Mendocino County Sheriff's deputies and California Highway Patrol officers attempted to locate Celedon's vehicle, which Smallcomb said they located hidden at a Highland Drive Residence in Western Ukiah.
Law enforcement officers started checking the western hills above the location where Celedon's vehicle had been located. Smallcomb said the officers found two handguns, one long rifle and ammunition located inside a rifle case, on the hill area above Celedon's pickup.
Mendocino County Sheriffs K-9 Deputy Don Scott and his K-9 “Hondo” were summoned to the location and a search was initiated, Smallcomb said. Approximately 15 minutes later Celedon was located by Deputy Scott and Hondo and taken into custody.
A search warrant was obtained for Celedon's pickup and Smallcomb said Mendocino County Sheriff's detectives located several items belonging to the victims, along with approximately 25 pounds of processed marijuana.
Celedon was subsequently booked into the Mendocino County Jail, with bail set at $75,000, Smallcomb said.
Smallcomb said the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office wanted to thank the passing motorist who assisted in calling law enforcement and advising them of Celedon's driving location on Clay Street in Ukiah.
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- Written by: Lake County News reports
While it’s a nearly 3 percent decrease from the previous year’s total number of DUI arrests statewide, impaired driving remains a major traffic safety concern.
“Every day in California officers are apprehending impaired drivers; however, some of these individuals fail to appear for court,” said California Highway Patrol (CHP) Commissioner Joe Farrow. “The DUI warrant service teams were established so these individuals can be held accountable for their actions.”
The CHP spent the past several months attempting to right that wrong, using a grant to deploy teams of law enforcement officers throughout California in counties with an overwhelming number of outstanding arrest warrants issued for individuals charged with DUI who failed to appear for court.
“Through the efforts of the warrant service teams, hundreds of people were brought to justice,” said Commissioner Farrow.
CHP spokesperson Jaime Coffee said the warrants were served in the agency's Southern, Central, Valley and Golden Gate divisions, stretching from Central to Southern California.
Warrant service team operations during this 12-month grant period resulted in 327 people being cited or arrested.
Officers also attempted to serve an additional 545 DUI warrants, which will remain active until these people are arrested or cited. Those totals represent a 22.5 percent increase from warrant service team operations in 2009.
Grant funding also provided training of 33 additional warrant service team members who will aide in future missions.
Warrant service operations are by nature more dangerous than traditional law enforcement operations due to officers entering into either the home or workplace of a subject who is involved in criminal activity.
Additionally, officers may enter a confined space and, being unfamiliar with the structure, inherently they are put at a higher risk.
Funding for the “Driving Under the Influence Warrant Service Project” was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
Sutter Lakeside Hospital kicked off its campaign to raise $156,000 for its stroke telemedicine program in December 2009, according to Sutter Lakeside Hospital Foundation Director Tammi Silva.
The hospital is just $2,000 short of its goal to have the state-of-the-art equipment – including a camera, screen, computers and technology infrastructure – in place by January, Silva said.
As a result, the hospital is asking for community assistance to wrap up the campaign for the equipment, which officials said will make a life-saving difference in the care they can offer local stroke patients.
Silva said Sutter Lakeside treats an average of 100 stroke victims annually.
Dr. Vivek Reddy, medical director of Sutter Lakeside Hospital's imaging department, vice chief of staff and a brand new member of the Sutter Lakeside Hospital Foundation Board, said stroke is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in the United States.
“Generally, it's a disease of the old,” he said, noting that because of Lake County's large number senior population, the technology would be extremely beneficial to the community.
Dr. Bruce Deas, medical director for Sutter Lakeside's emergency department, said stroke is a major cause of death for people age 65 and over, after heart disease, nationwide.
“It is a big issue for us,” he said.
The National Stroke Association said stroke is the third leading cause of death in America and a leading cause of adult disability. Up to 80 percent of strokes are preventable, the group said.
Deas said 85 percent of all strokes are the result of a damaged blood vessel or a blood clot. “It's all about getting rid of that clot if you can.”
Dr. Karen Tait, Lake County's health officer, said the 2010 County Health Profiles included an objective of no more than 50 age-adjusted deaths per 100,000 people for cerebrovascular disease, which includes stroke.
“Lake County actually met it,” Tait said of the goal.
The report, which covered 2006 to 2008, showed Lake County's age-adjusted death rate was 46.2, Tait said.
“The really good news is that represents a decrease of 31.5 percent,” she said.
From 2003 to 2005, the death rate for cerebrovascular disease was 67.4, according to Tait.
“We have really seen a significant improvement,” she said, but added, “We still rank 41 out of the 58 counties in the ranking, so we're not doing as well as 40 others.”
Deas said the new telemedicine equipment will reside in the hospital's emergency department.
Currently, many serious stroke patients who come to the hospital have to be transported elsewhere for care, Deas said.
The new equipment will allow Sutter Lakeside's physicians to use telemedicine to connect with the cutting edge stroke treatment team at California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco, who Deas said is “an amazing group to work with.”
It's important to treat stroke patients as soon as possible, Deas said.
He explained that with strokes, “Time is brain.” In other words, the longer a patient waits for treatment, the longer critical blood flow is kept from the brain, which results in brain damage and other long-term affects.
When someone thinks they've had a stroke – they experience weakness on their left side, slurred speech or are unable to speak – it's critical to go to the hospital immediately, otherwise, “You take yourself out of the window for time of treatment,” Deas said.
At Sutter Lakeside, when a stroke patient comes into the hospital, physicians do a “code stroke” alert in which important tests – labs, CT scans and EKGs – are completed within an hour's time, he said.
Reddy said his department has brand new MRI and CT equipment critical in the work of diagnosing stroke patients.
“The whole department now is digital. We're filmless,” he said.
As soon as Deas or another doctor has examined a patient and diagnosed stroke, the patient is immediately brought in for a CT scan, Reddy said. His department conducts the imaging and then relays the results to help doctors decide on treatment.
When the telemedicine equipment is in place, Deas said they anticipate being able to go over cases and test results with California Pacific Medical Center doctors immediately, in a highly interactive, online process. That will help them make quicker, more exact decisions about what treatments – such as clot-busting medications – patients should receive.
“We can try to decrease the amount of damage that happens to your brain from the stroke,” Deas said.
While in the past doctors could only assess the damage afterward, the new technology puts physicians in a more proactive, life-saving position, according to Deas.
“It's going to be really seamless,” he said of the new equipment and accompanying process.
Reddy said he's been very involved in the fundraising for the project. “It's really a valuable asset to this small community.”
Deas said stroke results from health conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, smoking and heredity. With the exception of heredity, the other risk factors are controllable, he said.
He said people can adopt healthier habits to help avoid stroke.
If, however, a stroke occurs, he emphasized the need for immediate action, both from patients and doctors.
“One of the problems with treatment of stroke is that the vast majority of people who show up don't meet the criteria of treatment because they've waited too long,” he said.
Deas added, “If you have symptoms that look like a stroke, got to the hospital now.”
Donations to assist with purchasing the equipment can be made with a credit card by phone at 707-262-5189 or online at www.sutterlakeside.org/giving/telemedicine.html , or with a check to Sutter Lakeside Hospital Foundation for the "Stroke Telemedicine Campaign" and mailed to 5176 Hill Road East, Lakeport, Ca 95453 c/o Tammi Silva.
To request a Stroke Pledge Sheet, to ask questions or to make a donation, call Silva at 707-262-5189 or email
E-mail Elizabeth Larson at
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- Written by: Lake County News Reports
A strong polar jet stream that began pushing the first of two cold fronts into Lake County Thursday is forecast to spread snow showers into the Interstate 80 corridor this morning according to the National Weather Service in Sacramento.
Anyone planning travel to the Sierra Nevada or Cascades are advised to prepare for winter weather, including strong winds combined with blowing and drifting snow, which will make for hazardous travel conditions on Friday, forecasters advised.
A second cold front will move across Northern California and Lake County on Saturday, bringing the first true arctic blast and snows of the season, the National Weather Service said.
Forecasters believe snow levels will be down to 2,000 feet by late Saturday, and all mountain areas above 2,000 feet will be susceptible to winter weather.
In the high elevations above 5,000 feet, 2 to 4 feet of snow may fall by Sunday night, coupled with bitterly cold winds and temperatures below zero. Interstate 80 and Highway 50 are likely to become impassible this weekend, forecasters said.
Friday's outlook will feel much like winter, with rain showers throughout the day and temperatures just reaching into the 40s. The National Weather Service predicted showers will increase overnight with lows in the mid-30s.
Saturday will be winter – a good day to cozy-up indoors – with heavy rains and daytime highs only in the mid-30s to 40s, with below-freezing temperatures forecast overnight throughout most of the county, the National Weather Service said.
Snow and rain showers will taper off throughout the day on Sunday, while forecasters said temperatures will inch upward but remain in the 40s during the day and at or below freezing overnight.
Winter weather conditions continue through Tuesday morning as the wet cold front slowly moves out, allowing dry and sunny weather to build back for the Thanksgiving holiday on Thursday, forecasters said.
Although counter-intuitive, make sure to water any potted outdoor plants well on Friday – it will help ensure they can withstand the freezing temperatures moving in.
Drivers also should remember to carry chains if traveling over high mountain passes.
For up-to-the minute weather information, please follow the links on the Lake County News home page.
E-mail Terre Logsdon at