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- Written by: Lake County News reports
The CHP reported that California has one of the highest seat belt compliance rates in the nation – 95.3 percent.
The CHP has spent the past year focusing on the remaining population with a seat belt safety campaign aimed at encouraging Californians to properly secure themselves and their children inside their vehicle.
“I am proud that California has one of the highest seat belt compliance rates. The CHP and the law enforcement community applaud California motorists for their use of seat belts and child passenger safety seats,” said CHP Commissioner Joe Farrow.
“We thank you for making your drives safe for yourself and your passengers,” Farrow said. “However, we still have approximately 4.7 percent of the population, which is equivalent to more than 1.7 million people, who are not buckling up.”
The California Occupant Restraint Campaign (CORC) enabled the CHP to strengthen its enforcement and education efforts statewide through a combination of seat belt and safety seat usage surveys and child passenger safety presentations.
Throughout the past year, the grant assisted the CHP with educating more than 100,000 parents, guardians and caregivers. The grant also funded training to certify CHP personnel, as well as employees from allied agencies, to become child passenger safety technicians to inspect and issue car seats.
“The message we want to share is that motor vehicle collisions continue to be the leading cause of death and injury for vehicle occupants of all age groups, regardless of gender or ethnicity,” said Commissioner Farrow. “Seat belts and safety seats help increase your odds of surviving a collision.”
In addition to conducting community outreach and enforcement activities to increase seat belt and child restraint usage, the grant’s goals were to reduce the number of fatalities and injuries in collisions. Final collision figures from the grant-period will not be available until next year.
“We hope those who haven’t developed the habit of wearing the seat belt would understand their importance, just like the majority of Californians have,” added Commissioner Farrow. “Protect yourself and your passengers, please buckle up.”
The CORC was funded 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
KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – A suspect in a fatal hit-and-run that took the life of a popular local restaurateur was arrested late Wednesday afternoon.
James Walter Nightingale, 30, of Kelseyville, turned himself in to authorities and was arrested at about 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, according to California Highway Patrol Officer Dallas Richey.
The CHP had been searching for Nightingale since last Friday, when he is alleged to have hit and killed Zino Mezoui, 57, owner of Zino's Ristorante in Kelseyville.
On Sept. 24 Mezoui, out for a long-awaited ride on his motorcycle, was traveling southbound along Highway 29 when Nightingale, driving a Chevrolet Suburban, allegedly failed to yield while pulling out onto the highway from Siegler Canyon Road, according to the CHP report.
Mezoui and his motorcycle collided with the driver's side door of the Suburban, the CHP reported.
Witnesses said Nightingale flipped a U-turn and then headed back up Siegler Canyon Road, according to Richey.
Mezoui was flown by REACH air ambulance to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead shortly after his arrival, the CHP reported.
Richey said the blue 1993 Chevrolet Suburban Nightingale was alleged to have driven during the collision was found the same day as the crash. It was located on a property off of Siegler Canyon Road, not far from the fatal crash scene. Broken glass and tire marks were found on the road nearby.
What followed were several days of intense investigative work, in which the CHP, other local law enforcement agencies and the public worked together, said Richey.
Richey credited that teamwork for resulting in an arrest. “Everybody really played a part in this.”
Close to half of the Clear Lake office's 23 officers were assigned to the case at any one time, from responding to the scene to helping secure it late into the night, according to Richey.
He said the community responded with an enormous amount of tips, which gave investigators new places to look.
“Zino was well loved,” Richey said.
The CHP didn't leave any stone unturned. “A countless number of doors got knocked on,” he added.
Richey said that on Wednesday the CHP put out a “be on the lookout” for Nightingale in Mendocino, Lake, Sonoma and Napa counties. Richey then began preparing an all points bulletin to release to the media that contained Nightingale's name.
In what Richey believes may have been a coincidence in timing, about 10 to 15 minutes later after the be on the lookout went out he received a phone call from an attorney who Nightingale had been in touch with, who said that Nightingale “knew that we were looking for him and that he wanted to turn himself in.”
Richey said he and the attorney agreed to have Nightingale meet an officer at a location in Clearlake. Nightingale was then taken to the CHP's Clear Lake office in Kelseyville; from there, Officer Kevin Domby transported Nightingale to the Lake County Jail.
Nightingale was booked into the Lake County Jail on felony counts of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence and hit-and-run resulting in death, along with a misdemeanor warrant from an outside agency, his booking record showed.
Bail was set at $50,000 for Nightingale, who was listed as a general contractor on his booking sheet. Richey said a bail hearing on the matter was held Wednesday night.
Once Nightingale was in custody, Richey said the CHP called to let Mezoui's wife, Jan, know they had made an arrest.
“She was the first person we called,” Richey said.
Nightingale, who remained in jail overnight, is scheduled to be in court on Friday, according to jail documents.
Mezoui's family has scheduled a memorial service for him at 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 9, at his beloved restaurant, located at 6330 Soda Bay Road.
For full details see Oct. 9 memorial planned for Mezoui.
E-mail Elizabeth Larson at
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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
The event, sponsored by the Lake County Chamber of Commerce, will take place from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
The chamber encourages everyone to wear authentic Bavarian attire, such as dirndls, felt jackets, Bundhosen and Lederhosen.
A full day of entertainment, vendors, family-style contests and fun is being provided by members of the chamber.
One of the day's main events will be the action-packed, first-ever Lake County Dachshund Derby, sponsored by Mediacom.
Chamber Chief Executive Officer Melissa Fulton said that, as far as they know, no one has ever hosted such a race for the spirited little canines here in Lake County.
The races begin at 3:45 p.m. in Museum Park. As of late Wednesday there were 27 dachshunds entered, she said.
Fulton said the response has been overwhelming.
“It's amazing, they're calling, they're faxing,” she said of dachshund owners, who are letting their wiener dogs rest up for the big race.
The final day to enter your dachshund is 5 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 30 at the chamber office, 875 Lakeport Blvd., Lakeport.
Applications are available online at www.lakecochamber.com or www.oktoberfest-lakeport.com.
Other fun events plans for Saturday include a beer stein contest at the Kitchen Gallery, located at Third and Main Streets. The public is invited to enter their favorite beer steins, with prizes offered for those whose steins are chosen as favorites by Oktoberfest visitors.
Plan to enter a pretzel making contest and maybe the pretzel eating contest. Many other contests are being planned throughout the day by Oktoberfest Master of Ceremonies Tony Barthel of the Featherbed Railroad Bed & Breakfast.
Entertainment takes place all day on the Oktoberfest stage at Third and Main, provided by sponsors Bottle Rock Power, Calpine Corp. and Westgate Petroleum.
Barthel said visitors in Lakeport will be able to tune in to Oktoberfest on their radios at 88.7 FM.
The Kelseyville Jazz Band, strolling accordion players and the 2010 Commemorative Oktoberfest Beer Steins are sponsored by Gossett Alarms and North Shore Business Association, with additional sponsorship for the beer and wine garden by Lake Event Design. Close to a dozen microbrews will be on hand for the beer garden.
The steins will be available all day at Oktoberfest when purchased with either a glass of beer or microbrew. They also are available for $20 and unlimited microbrew tastings between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.
Barthel said the event is getting a much bigger response than expected, and they're in need of volunteers to help with setup in the morning and breakdown in the evening.
To volunteer or for more information about the event or any of the contests, contact the Lake County Chamber at 707-263-5092, or visit www.oktoberfest-lakeport.com/ or www.facebook.com/#!/oktoberfest.lakeport?ref=ts.
E-mail Elizabeth Larson at
- Details
- Written by: Lake County News reports
The crash occurred at 4:43 p.m. on Highway 29 north of Spruce Grove Road North, according to a report from California Highway Patrol Officer Steve Tanguay.
Timothy Pilger, 33, of Clearlake was driving his 2000 Ford F-350 northbound on Highway 29 north of Spruce Grove Road North, with Vincent Jaking, 27, of Middletown traveling northbound in his 2006 Honda Civic behind Pilger, according to the report.
Driving southbound in his 1997 Mazda pickup was Christopher Hedge, 20, of Pope Valley. When Hedge was north of Spruce Grove Road North he allegedly allowed his vehicle to veer to the left and enter the northbound lane of traffic directly in front of Pilger, according to involved parties and witnesses.
Pilger saw the Mazda entering his lane of traffic and veered to the right in an attempt to avoid a collision, Tanguay said.
The left side of Hedge's pickup struck the left side of Pilger's pickup. The Mazda pickup then continued southbound in the northbound lane and struck head-on the Honda Civic that was being driven by Jaking, Tanguay said.
Both Hedge and Jaking were transported to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital by REACH helicopter, according to Tanguay, who said the collision is still under investigation by Officer Mark Crutcher.
Tanguay said neither alcohol nor drugs are suspected as contributing factors in the collision.
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