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- Written by: Lake County News reports
SOUTH LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Lake County Sheriff’s Office has issued an evacuation warning for the Middletown area due to the approach of the LNU Lightning Complex.
The warning includes all areas west of Highway 29 (including areas west of Saint Helena Creek Road), north and east of the Lake/Napa County Line (extending north to the Anderson Springs Road prolongation between the county line and Highway 175), south of Anderson Springs Road, Neft Road and the Boggs Mountain Recreation Area prolongation to the intersection of Hofacker Lane and Highway 29.
This includes Middletown proper, officials said.
“We are asking everyone to take preparations in the event that a mandatory evacuation order is issued,” the sheriff’s office said.
Preparations should include gathering all medications, important documents, making plans for pets, and notifying family members where you may be going.
Those requiring additional time to evacuate or those with pets or livestock should leave the area as soon as possible, the warning stated.
“During a mandatory evacuation, it will be extremely hectic and traffic conditions will be very congested. By evacuating early, you do your part in keeping yourself, your neighbors, and our first responders safe,” the evacuation warning said.
Should an evacuation order be issued and shelter is needed, authorities will direct evacuees to a temporary evacuation point.
- Details
- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – A lightning-caused complex of fires that began on Sunday in the Mendocino National Forest has continued its massive growth, nearly doubling overnight.
The August Complex has burned 116,372 acres, US Forest Service officials reported on Thursday afternoon, up from 65,030 acres reported the night before. It is 3 percent contained.
The complex is made up of 35 fires that were started by lightning across the Mendocino National Forest, most of them burning on the Glenn County side of the forest.
The Thursday report said firefighters have been facing light downslope winds, continuous fuels and very dry fuels, which have kept the fire active.
Structures and power lines are being threatened, and many of the homes and summer cabins have been evacuated within the perimeter of the forest, officials said.
On Thursday, the focus for firefighters is the complex’s east side, with crews going direct where possible while protecting structures and private property.
The Forest Service reported that 293 firefighters and 69 overhead or command personnel are assigned to the fire, along with 15 engines, two helicopters, five bulldozers, five water tenders and six fire crews.
The Glenn County Sheriff’s Office has issued a mandatory evacuation order for all areas west of County Road 306 for the full length of Glenn County from the Tehama County line in the north to the Colusa County line in the South, and all areas west to the Mendocino County line.
Evacuation warnings also have been instituted for the area of Newville from County Road 306 along County Road 200 to Black Butte Lake and for the Grindstone Rancheria.
Road closures also are in effect on Highway 162 east of County Road 306, County Road 306 from County Road 303 to the north, County Road 306 from County Road 200 to the south, County Road 200 from County Road 306 west and County Road 308 from County Road 306 to West End.
A temporary evacuation point is located at Willows City Hall, 201 N. Lassen St., with sheltering for animals at the Glenn County Fairgrounds, 221 E. Yolo St. in Orland, telephone 530-720-7252.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
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- Written by: Lake County News reports
CLEARLAKE, Calif. – Clearlake Police officers early Thursday were on scene investigating a shooting that sent two people to the hospital.
Chief Andrew White said the shooting occurred at Twin Oaks Village, located at 5755 Old Highway 53.
At approximately 9:11 p.m. Wednesday, officers responded to a report of shots fired at the location, White said.
When officers arrived, White said they located numerous subjects, two of them suffering from gunshot wounds.
While attempting to detain the persons involved, one subject ran but was quickly detained by another officer, White said.
White said detectives responded to the scene along with investigators from the Lake County District Attorney’s Office.
He said early Thursday that investigators were processing the scene and interviewing subjects.
The gunshot victims – two male adults – were treated at a local hospital, with White reporting that they were going to be flown out of the county for treatment.
The investigation initially closed the roadway between Old Highway 53 and Cass Avenue to old Highway 53 and Ridgeview.
Shortly after 3:30 a.m., police said both lanes of Old Highway 53 were open but Cypress Avenue remained closed.
Anyone with information regarding this case is encouraged to contact Det. Steve Hobb at 707-994-8251, Extension 321.
- Details
- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
The three seats up for election on Nov. 3 are currently held by Phil Harris, who is not seeking reelection, along with Joyce Overton and Russell Perdock.
Last week, when the final filing deadline closed, only Overton and David Claffey, who sits on the city’s marketing committee, had qualified as candidates.
Perdock did not receive enough qualified signatures; candidates must be nominated by no fewer than 20 and no more than 30 registered voters who live in the city limits.
That put the city in the unusual position of having not enough candidates for seats. So city staff asked the council Wednesday afternoon to decide how to approach the situation, which it did during a brief meeting.
“We’re in a unique position tonight, one that doesn’t happen very often,” City Attorney Ryan Jones explained.
Before the council discussed the matter, both Overton and Perdock recused themselves and left the council chambers.
With those two council members recusing, Jones said any resolution or action would need to be supported by the majority of the council – leaving the decision up to Harris, Mayor Russ Cremer and Vice Mayor Dirk Slooten.
Based on election law, the council had to decide on whether to make appointments to fill the seats 75 days before the election, in this case, Aug. 20. Jones said that meant that the council was down to its last day to make the decision.
He presented three options to them.
The first, which Jones called “the default,” is what would happen even without council action. Jones said that option meant going forward with the election even with only two qualified candidates.
At the same time, a qualified write-in candidate could seek the third seat. If there are more than one write-in candidate, Jones said the top write-in vote-getter would get the third seat.
The second option Jones offered was to appoint the two qualified candidates – Claffey and Overton – and then hold an election on Nov. 3 for the third open seat, which also would be contingent on having a qualified write-in candidate.
However, if nobody qualified as a write-in, Jones said the city would have to hold a special election at some point after Nov. 3. In that scenario, the city would have to cover the high cost for a special election – which Jones said could cost tens of thousands of dollars based on past experience – and also would leave the council with an open seat.
Jones’ third option was to appoint an individual for the unnominated third seat and hold an election for the other two seats.
Claffey, who was watching the meeting via Zoom, asked if appointing the two qualified candidates would handcuff them from making appointments over the next four years.
That, as it turned out, was a legitimate concern and one that Jones’ staff report had raised, as Jones said election law prevents a majority of the council from being appointed.
In the scenario where two council members were appointed, should another council member sometime in the near future resign, the council would end up having to hold a special election, he said.
Harris said he supported the first option, to let the election go forward for the two qualified candidates and a write-in candidate. He asked about the timeline for the write-in process.
Administrative Services Director/City Clerk Melissa Swanson said the write-in candidacy period would run from Sept. 7 to Oct. 20. Write-in candidates would have to file paperwork required by the Fair Political Practices Commission, fill out nomination papers and get between 20 and 30 qualified signatures of nomination.
Harris said he felt the first option – letting the election go forward for all three seats was the most economically sound method as well as the most versatile. Slooten said he concurred.
“I would agree, it’s the fairest way,” said Cremer, adding it also was probably the most transparent approach.
Harris moved to go forward with the election, which Slooten seconded and Cremer joined in approving 3-0.
Email Elizabeth Larson at