How to resolve AdBlock issue? 
News
- Details
- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
LAKEPORT, Calif. – The city of Lakeport has honored a man who stopped to help a police officer subdue the suspect in an assault on two elderly people at a city park.
Lakeport Police Chief Brad Rasmussen presented a commendation to Anthony Gladstein at the Lakeport City Council’s Sept. 1 meeting.
Rasmussen said on the evening of June 30, Lakeport Police officers were dispatched to Library Park to investigate the report of a suspect committing a violent assault on two senior citizens.
The suspect, later identified as 37-year-old Lakeport resident Todd Gary Ousterhout, fled the area on foot before the officers arrived. However, Rasmussen said the victims and other citizens pointed Ousterhout out and reported his direction of travel.
During a search of the area, Rasmussen said an officer found Ousterhout on N. Forbes Street, confronting him and giving him orders to comply.
Ousterhout resisted the officer and attempted to get away, and Rasmussen said a struggle ensued in which the officer and the suspect both ended up down on the street.
During that struggle, Rasmussen said Gladstein happened upon the situation as he was driving on N. Forbes Street. Gladstein stopped and yelled out to the officer to see if he needed help and the officer advised him that he did.
Gladstein immediately came to the officer’s aid as a backup officer arrived at the same time. Rasmussen said a short time later another citizen stopped his vehicle and also ran to the aid of the officers.
With the assistance of Gladstein and the second citizen – who Rasmussen said hasn’t yet been identified – the two officers were able to control Ousterhaut and get him handcuffed and secured.
Due to the assistance of Gladstein and the second citizen who stopped to help, serious injuries to all involved were avoided, Rasmussen said.
“Although we do not normally encourage or ask citizens to assist officers, especially in dangerous situations, in this case, we are thankful that Mr. Gladstein did assist,” said Rasmussen.
He said Gladstein’s actions and assistance “are not common but rather exceptional and therefore should be commended and recognized.”
Rasmussen offered Gladstein thanks on behalf of the Lakeport Police Department and the city of Lakeport, recognizing “that you took these actions without regard for your personal safety but rather putting the safety of others before yourself. We are proud to have you as a citizen of our community.”
Mayor George Spurr offered Gladstein his appreciation.
In return, Gladstein, who joined the meeting by phone, thanked the council.
Chief reports on police operations for the first half of the year
Also during the Sept. 1 meeting, Rasmussen presented a report on his department’s operations for the first two quarters of 2020.
The report showed improved response times on calls in the second quarter when compared to the first, with fewer arrests compared to 2019.
Rasmussen said the department has had a number of changes due to COVID-19, which has impacted the training hours.
Still, he said they completed “a commendable amount of training” in areas like autism recognition and response, which they did in response to community requests. Rasmussen said the agency deals a lot with people with developmental disabilities.
They also conducted deescalation and crisis training the previous week at the community center and had two trainees in the police academy. All told, Rasmussen said the department had more than 2,000 hours of training in the year’s first half.
He noted that the training included 120 hours of focus on the agency’s 700-page policy manual. Rasmussen said officers are required to do policy training every single day of the year.
The council approved Rasmussen’s report and also voted to direct Mireya Turner, the council’s delegate to the League of California Cities’ annual conference, to support a resolution calling for an amendment of section 230 of the Communications Decency Act of 1996 to require social media companies to remove materials that promote criminal activities.
The council also approved a resolution authorizing the city manager to sign the statement of assurances and submit an application for State Community Development Block Grant Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act to purchase kitchen equipment for the Silveira Community Center.
City efforts help defeat AB 6
City Attorney David Ruderman thanked City Manager Kevin Ingram for his work over the previous weekend to help defeat AB 6, which would have blocked local governments from suing companies responsible for the opioid crisis unless they already had filed by Aug. 24.
In June, the city filed its own lawsuit against the responsible drug manufacturers, as Lake County News has reported.
Ruderman said Lakeport was part of a huge coalition of counties and cities that fought the bill.
He said Ingram got on the phone late Sunday to express his opposition to legislators.
On the last day of the legislative session, Aug. 31, Ruderman said the bill didn’t make it.
“My pleasure,” Ingram said of his efforts.
“It was a potential power grab by the attorney general,” Ruderman said.
The bill would reportedly have expanded the state attorney general’s powers and staff size, and directed those agencies that hadn’t filed suit by the August deadline to join him in attempting to reach a global settlement with manufacturers.
Rasmussen also reported that several police reform bills he considered problematic didn’t move forward this year, while a number of others that he didn’t think were concerning did make it through.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
- Details
- Written by: Lake County News reports
The August Complex grew to 491,446 acres and 25-percent containment on Friday, the US Forest Service said.
It is now listed as the largest fire in California history.
The Great Basin Incident Management Team assumed command of the August Complex on Friday.
On the west side of the fire, firefighters continue to work with Cal Fire on containment lines. Structure protection continues in many areas across the complex, officials said.
The Forest Service said firefighters are working to create fireline in the Elk Creek drainage and Sanhedrin Wilderness west of Monkey Rock.
Crews also continue to assess areas following the strong wind and fire activity earlier this week.
Forest officials said in a Thursday night briefing that more than two dozen structures have been burned in the complex.
Two hundred thirty-three soldiers from the 14th Brigade Engineer Battalion based out of Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington are deployed in support of the August Complex. The firefighting soldiers are working in various areas of the complex, officials said.
Fire activity is expected to remain high with critically dry fuels and poor overnight moisture recovery. Shading from dense smoke may moderate fire behavior in some areas, the Forest Service reported.
Evacuation orders are in effect for multiple counties; in Lake County, evacuations remain in effect for Pillsbury Ranch and the entire Lake Pillsbury basin.
For specific cabin access related questions, call the forest at 530-934-3316 for the latest information.
- Details
- Written by: Jan Cook
ProQuest databases can be found on the library website from the main page by clicking Digital Content and then the ProQuest Research link.
The databases do require a temporary or physical Lake County library card. Online cards will need to upgrade to a physical card to be able to use ProQuest Research. To speak to a library employee about ProQuest or other library services, call 707-263-8817.
ProQuest Research includes six different databases. Through a single interface, the ProQuest Unified Search, students can search several databases.
CultureGrams presents concise and reliable cultural information on countries around the world.
SIRS Discoverer offers newspapers, magazines, and images for new researchers, especially elementary and middle school students and educators.
The SIRS Issues Researcher includes curriculum-aligned database of pro/con content organized by complex issues, ideally for middle and high school students and educators.
ELibrary is a general reference aggregation of periodical and digital media content with editorial guidance for new researchers.
Ebook Central provides authoritative, full-text e-books in a wide range of subject areas along with powerful tools to find, use, and manage the information.
The ProQuest Research Companion helps students learn how to research and evaluate information. The information literacy tools and tutorials help students develop critical thinking.
Online resources paid for by the State of California from Encyclopaedia Britannica, ProQuest and TeachingBooks are already available through multiple means – at school, at home, on laptops, on phones – to all K-12 educators, students, librarians, administrators and families in California.
Britannica and TeachingBooks have been available through local libraries since the 2018 school year. This is the first year for six ProQuest platforms to be available through library websites as well.
“It’s a simple idea: Help more California school kids succeed by being able to find more reliable information more easily where they’ll be going to school this fall – online,” said California State Librarian Greg Lucas.
Increasing opportunities for learning online prepares California students for a 21st Century information and innovation-driven economy.
These resources offered by the state include educational tutorials and guides to assist teachers and students, as well as millions of pieces of information from hundreds of newspapers, periodicals and scientific journals.
Many of the resources and search tools can address cultural sensitivity and diversity. Others support early childhood learning.
“Yet another reason every Californian should have a library card,” said Lucas.
The availability of these online resources for all public schools and libraries comes from an annual investment of $3 million through the California State Library that began in August 2018.
Since then, the websites have seen 123 million clicks, views and downloads.
There has been as much as a 590 percent increase in usage of some resources since March when schools closed.
Jan Cook is a library technician with the Lake County Library.
- Details
- Written by: Lake County News reports
Authored by Assemblymember Eloise Gomez Reyes, the bill allows nonviolent offenders who have fought fires as members of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation’s fire camps to have their records expunged, paving the way for individuals leaving fire camps to seek meaningful employment and further training.
“This legislation rights a historic wrong and recognizes the sacrifice of thousands of incarcerated people who have helped battle wildfires in our state, and I would like to thank the Legislature for passing this bill,” said Gov. Newsom.
“Signing AB 2147 into law is about giving second chances. To correct is to right a wrong; to rehabilitate is to restore,” said Assemblymember Gomez Reyes. “Rehabilitation without strategies to ensure the formerly incarcerated have a career is a pathway to recidivism. We must get serious about providing pathways for those that show the determination to turn their lives around.”
Despite their experience and qualifications, many formerly incarcerated firefighters struggle to obtain licenses and employment due to their criminal records.
Under AB 2147, formerly incarcerated individuals can file a petition in county court to expunge their records and waive parole time, which will open career pathways in emergency response and a variety of other disciplines.