CHILD INJURED IN TRAFFIC ACCIDENT JKB 12/14/11
- A THREE YEAR OLD GIRL WAS INJURED IN A SINGLE VEHICLE ACCIDENT ON HIGHWAY 53 YESTERDAY AFTERNOON.
ACCORDING TO THE CHP, THE DRIVER OF A 2004 HONDA ACCORD WAS TRAVELING SOUTHBOUND WHEN FOR UNKNOWN REASONS, THE CAR CROSSED THE NORTHBOUND LANE, WENT OFF THE ROADWAY AND STRUCK A PILE OF DIRT AND ROCKS BEING USED AS ROAD CONSTRUCTION MATERIAL AT AROUND 3:30 PM. THE CHILD WAS NOT PROPERLY RESTRAINED AND SUFFERED ABDOMINAL TRAUMA AND WAS AIRLIFTED TO A HOSPITAL OUT OF THE COUNTY. NO WORD YET ON HER CONDITION. NO OTHER DETAILS ABOUT THE ACCIDENT HAVE BEEN RELEASED.
CREDIT CARD COMPANIES MUTE ON BREACH JKB 12/14/11
- CREDIT CARD PROCESSING COMPANIES HAVE A GOOD IDEA WHERE AND HOW THE BANK CARDS OF HUNDREDS OF UKIAH AREA RESIDENTS WERE COMPROMISED, BUT HAVE NOT AND MAY NOT DIVULGE THE INFORMATION.
POLICE AND SOME BANK OFFICIALS BELIEVE THE BREACHES MAY HAVE OCCURRED AT SEVERAL BUSINESSES IN THE UKIAH AREA, POSSIBLY BY USING SKIMMING DEVICES TO STEAL CARD INFORMATION, AS HAPPENED IN THE BAY AREA TO 23 LUCKY AND SAVE MART STORES. OTHER BANK OFFICIALS HAVE SPECULATED THAT THIEVES MAY HAVE HACKED INTO THE DATA BASE OF A PROCESSING COMPANY THAT PROVIDES CREDIT CARD SERVICES TO LOCAL BUSINESSES. AUTHORITIES HAVE ADVISED THAT UNTIL THE SOURCE OF THE BREACH IS LOCATED, RESIDENTS AVOID USING THEIR DEBIT AND CREDIT CARDS.
911 TAPES PLAYED ON 1ST DAY OF TRIAL JKB 12/14/11
- THE FIRST DAY OF A MURDER TRIAL OF A LAYTONVILLE MAN OPENED YESTERDAY WITH THE PLAYING OF 911 RECORDINGS WHERE THE ACCUSED ADMITTING TO SHOOTING HIS STEPSON IN THE HEAD.
52 YEAR OLD REY REYES IMPLORED A DISPATCHER TO SEND HELP QUICKLY AFTER HE STATED HE HAD SHOT 21 YEAR OLD CONLIN CHAMPLIN ON DECEMBER 1ST OF LAST YEAR. THE VICTIMS HYSTERICAL MOTHER COULD BE HEARD IN THE BACKGROUND. CHAMPLIN LATER DIED OF A SINGLE GUNSHOT WOUND TO THE HEAD. REYES DEFENSE HAS NOT DISPUTED THE KILLING, BUT CLAIM IT WAS MANSLAUGHTER. THE TWO MEN HAD REPORTEDLY HAD A HOSTILE RELATIONSHIP AND BEEN ARGUING OVER DOMESTIC ISSUES WHEN REYES PULLED OUT THE GUN AND FIRED. THE FAMILY WAS INVOLVED IN GROWING MARIJUANA, BUT AUTHORITIES SAID THE ACTIVITY WAS NOT BELIEVED TO BE A REASON IN THE SHOOTING. IF CONVICTED OF ALL CHARGES, REYES COULD FACE 15 YEARS TO LIFE IN PRISON.
FIGHT BEING INVESTIGATED JKB 12/14/11
- THE LAKEPORT POLICE DEPARTMENT IS INVESTIGATING A FIGHT OUTSIDE THE FULL THROTTLE TAVERN ON SOUTH MAIN STREET, THAT LEFT TWO MEN INJURED, ONE OF THEM SEVERELY.
THE FIGHT OCCURRED JUST BEFORE MIDNIGHT FRIDAY. CARLOS BASILLA OF LAKEPORT WAS AIRLIFTED TO SANTA ROSA MEMORIAL HOSPITAL WITH A HEAD INJURY. THE OTHER MANS IDENTITY HAS NOT BEEN RELEASED. POLICE SAY BOTH MEN WERE INTOXICATED, AND BOTH HAVE REFUSED TO COOPERATE WITH THE INVESTIGATION. NO ARRESTS HAVE BEEN MADE SO FAR AND THE INCIDENT IS UNDER INVESTIGATION.
DRUG BUST JKB 12/14/11
- A KELSEYVILLE MAN WHO WAS THE LATEST TARGET OF A LAKE COUNTY NARCOTICS TASK FORCE SEARCH WARRANT WAS ARRESTED AFTER HE WAS FOUND IN POSSESSION OF DRUGS.
43 YEAR OLD WILLIAM HOLMAN WAS TAKEN INTO CUSTODY AT HIS HOME. POLICE SEIZED AN UNDISCLOSED AMOUNT OF METHAMPHETAMINE, 2.3 POUNDS OF MARIJUANA, DRUG PARAPHERNALIA AND $500 CASH.
DUI DEATHS DOWN IN CALIFORNIA JKB 12/14/11
- DRUNKEN DRIVING DEATHS IN CALIFORNIA REACHED THEIR LOWEST LEVEL EVER IN CALIFORNIA IN 2010.
ACCORDING TO FIGURES RELEASED THIS WEEK BY THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION, 791 PERSONS WERE KILLED IN DUI RELATED CRASHES ON CALIFORNIA ROADWAYS LAST YEAR, COMPARED TO 950 IN 2009. IT WAS THE LARGEST SINGLE DROP OF DUI DEATHS IN THE LAST 14 YEARS. DUI DEATHS WERE UP IN LAKE COUNTY, GOING FROM 1 IN 2009 TO 4 IN 2010. IN MENDOCINO COUNTY DUI FATALITIES DECREASED BY MORE THAN HALF, WITH 5 DEATHS IN 2010 COMPARED TO 8 THE PREVIOUS YEAR.
PLANNING COMMISSION TO CONSIDER WALMART EXPANSION TONIGHT JKB 12/14/11
- THE UKIAH PLANNING COMMISSION WILL BE REVIEWING THE PROPOSED WALMART EXPANSION AND THE PROJECTS ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT TONIGHT.
TONIGHTS MEETING WAS SCHEDULED AFTER LAST MONTHS HEARING ON THE PROPOSED EXPANSION, WHEN COMMISSIONERS SAID THEY WANTED MORE TIME GO OVER THE FOUR VOLUME REPORT AND THE NEARLY 500 COMMENTS RECEIVED FROM THE PUBLIC ABOUT THE PROJECT. PROPONENTS WELCOME THE EXPANSION FOR ITS ONE STOP SHOPPING CONVENIENCE AND LOW PRICES, WHILE CRITICS SAY IT WILL TAKE CUSTOMERS AWAY FROM ESTABLISHED BUSINESSES WHILE CREATING TRAFFIC PROBLEMS. THE PLANNING COMMISSION WILL BE CONSIDERING APPROVING BOTH THE EXPANSION AND THE EIR REPORT. THE MEETING WILL BEGIN AT 6 PM TONIGHT IN THE CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS.
MCOG GRANT FOR UKIAH JKB 12/14/11
- THE MENDOCINO COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS HAS ANNOUNCED THAT THE CITY OF UKIAH HAS BEEN AWARDED $1.57 MILLION DOLLARS IN STATE TRANSPORTATION FUNDS FOR THREE IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS.
$815,000 WILL BE USED FOR IMPROVEMENTS TO THE HISTORIC DOWNTOWN AREA, INCLUDING WIDER SIDEWALKS WITH CURB RAMPS, STREET LIGHTS, LANDSCAPING, BICYCLE RACKS, AND ADDITIONAL SIGNAGE. THE OTHER PROJECTS INCLUDE A ROUNDABOUT ON LOW GAP ROAD AT BUSH STREET AND A NEW SIGNAL SYSTEM ON GOBBI STREET AT WAUGH LANE. THE COUNCIL ALSO AWARDED MTA $88,000 TO MATCH A FEDERAL GRANT FOR SIX NEW HYBRID-DRIVE VANS
NHTSA CALLS FOR BAN ON CELL PHONES WHILE DRIVING JKB 12/14/11
- THE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD CALLED FOR THE FIRST EVER NATIONWIDE BAN ON USE OF CELL PHONE AND OTHER PERSONAL ELECTRONIC DEVICES WHILE DRIVING YESTERDAY.
THE RECOMMENDATION CALLS FOR ALL 50 STATES AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA TO BAN THE NON-EMERGENCY USE OF PORTABLE ELECTRONIC DEVICES, OTHER THAN THOSE DESIGNED TO SUPPORT THE DRIVING TASK, FOR ALL DRIVERS. ACCORDING TO THE NHTSA, MORE THAN 3,000 PEOPLE WERE KILLED LAST YEAR IN DISTRACTION RELATED ACCIDENTS.
