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- Written by: Lake County News reports
MENDOCINO COUNTY – State and county officials found firearms – including one that had been stolen – while eradicating marijuana gardens near Laytonville on Tuesday.
Teams consisting of the state Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement, Mendocino County Sheriff's deputies and the County of Mendocino Marijuana Eradication Team (COMMET) responded to a call of marijuana being grown on a private ranch in the Laytonville area, according to a report from Lt. Rusty Noe of the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office.
Noe said the teams walked into the remote site and discovered three marijuana gardens. While walking into the gardens deputies spotted two Hispanic males who fled from the area.
A camp was located with evidence the Hispanic males were living in the gardens while tending them, Noe said.
At the site Noe said the teams recovered three loaded firearms – an SKS assault-type rifle, a shotgun and a .44-caliber Ruger revolver, which later was found to have been stolen from Del Norte County.
He said 1,005 marijuana plants – all well into the growth stage – were seized with no arrests being made.
To date the Mendocino County COMMET team has seized 420,392 plants from 104 sites. Noe said the plants were estimated to be 56,610 pounds wet weight.
There have been 55 arrests and 59 firearms seized, he said, and 582 pounds of processed marijuana has been seized.
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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
The meeting will begin at 7 p.m. in the Kelseyville High School Student Center, 5480 Main St.
Kelseyville Unified Superintendent Dave McQueen said the meeting's focus is to come up with a plan for the 2011-12 fiscal year, with site configurations one of the considerations. He said public input will be a key component.
It's expected to be the first of several open discussions hosted by the board during the coming year, according to McQueen.
Because of declining enrollment, Kelseyville is looking at all of its facilities and how it can save money through possibly consolidating sites, McQueen said.
With a great deal of community concern arising over impacts to the district – McQueen said parents already have been worried about school closures, which aren't proposed currently – he said the goal is to have the process be as open and public as possible.
For the soon-to-begin 2010-11 fiscal year, “We're going to be OK,” said McQueen.
The district had to lay off 10 teachers last spring, but they've restored five positions, he said. “I venture to say we'll probably put back a couple more, so that's good news.”
Still, they have to start looking for ways to cut $900,000 out of the district budget for the 2011-12, he explained.
“It only makes sense to look at what we have and try to save some money,” he said.
McQueen estimated that the school district has seven different facilities – from the high school and middle schools to the elementary and continuation sites. No closures are proposed, and even after a study of the district's finances site closures may not be in order, he said.
The district's main challenge rests on declining enrollment, which is estimated to continue, McQueen said.
“That's the trend that is happening,” he noted.
This past school year's peak enrollment was 1,757, McQueen said, with 1,698 students set to start school this fall.
“People are moving,” a trend McQueen witnessed accelerating when the economy hit recession. He said another wave of foreclosures is anticipated, which will exacerbate the problem.
By 2014, McQueen said the district projects enrollment will bottom out at 1,611 students.
They've looked at options including cutting days from the school calendar, which McQueen said hasn't panned out as a viable solution.
“We're not doing it. You have to negotiate it” with the teachers' union, he said.
District Chief Financial Officer Tiffany Kemp will go through enrollment and financial data at the Aug. 10 meeting, he said.
For more information, call Kelseyville Unified School District Office at 707-279-1511 or visit the district online www.kusd.lake.k12.ca.us/.
E-mail Elizabeth Larson at
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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
The Cow Fire, sparked Sunday afternoon, was fully contained on Wednesday, according to Cal Fire report.
In all, the fire burned 293 acres in steep terrain inside Mendocino County, eight miles east of Ukiah, according to Cal Fire.
Also contained Wednesday were the 371-acre Dutch Fire in Siskiyou County and Monterey County's Green fire, which burned 35 acres, Cal Fire said Wednesday.
Still burning in California are the Bar Fire, 992 acres, in the Plumas National Forest and the 16,442-acre Bull Fire in the Sequoia National Forest, according to InciWeb, which follows National Forest fires.
E-mail Elizabeth Larson at
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- Written by: Lake County News Reports
What happens to all those old cellular phones and movie players that get tossed in the garbage? They can end up adding to the already overwhelming waste in landfills.
The nonprofit Goodwill Industries of the Redwood Empire invites the community to bring all old electronic equipment to their new e-waste drive in the parking lot of Bruno’s Shop Smart, 355 Lakeport Blvd., from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. this Saturday, Aug. 7, and the first Saturday of every month thereafter.
E-waste is defined as electronic equipment that has reached the end of its useful life like computers, televisions and cellular phones.
Hazardous materials are used in producing electronic equipment such as computers and their monitors, which can contain lead, mercury, arsenic and cadmium. The monitor can contain up to 5 pounds of lead alone.
Goodwill Industries of the Redwood Empire is licensed as an electronic waste collector by the state of California and only works with state-licensed recyclers that dismantle and recycle materials in the United States. All material is recycled according to the industry standards.
“I had five computers in my attic. They’ll take it all apart and recycle what needs to be recycled,”
said Valerie LaBonte, an e-waste drive coordinator and Goodwill Industries employment specialist.
Goodwill Industries reported that it has kept more than 1.5 million pounds of e-waste out of local landfills thus far. The computers are not resold to maintain the integrity of personal information and they receive certification that all computer hard-drives are shredded.
Other donations that are in good condition also are accepted. Donations are sold in Goodwill Industries stores and the funds raised go toward programs like workforce development, said LaBonte, who helps with job training for people with disabilities or other barriers to employment.
The nearest Goodwill store is in Ukiah at 1005 N. State St. A long-term goal for Goodwill Industries is opening a Lake County store, which will depend on donations alone, said LaBonte.
Donations are accepted year-round at any Goodwill stores or attended donation centers.
Locations are listed in the telephone directory at www.gire.org or can be located by calling 707-523-0550.
For general questions contact Jeff Lambdin at 707-462-9660 or Mary Turner at 707-523-0550, Extension 216.
E-mail Tera deVroede at