A man accused of a bank robbery in Ukiah has been arrested. Police say Dean Stevens who was on supervision after being released from prison was seen on surveillance video at the bank Tuesday. The clerk at the Chase Bank on S. State Street told police the suspect came in demanded money, telling them it was a robbery, but never showed a weapon. He got more than $3,000 and took off. Officers quickly looked at pictures taken of the man during the crime, identifying him as Stevens. They put out an alert to find him and what kind of car he was in, then yesterday he was found at a Travel Lodge where he registered under his own name. He was found to be wearing the same clothes as in the pictures taken of the robbery suspect and found with a bag of cash. He’s in jail on various felony charges.
A man from Ukiah’s been arrested on attempted murder charges. Cops got a call to the Sunrise Inn motel 2 weeks ago after several people reported a woman, who had been dating Phillip Lopez, and another woman were assaulted by him. Police say they knew from previous contacts. The man apparently approached one woman who said she didn’t want to talk to him while she was with a friend. She got into that friend’s car and the two say Lopez approached the car and started hitting the window and broke it and that he threatened them and fired a gun at them. They weren’t hurt and he left. Lopez wasn’t found until this week, with the help of Marshalls and various law enforcement agencies. He’s charged with attempted murder and violation of parole.
A man in Ukiah has been arrested after reports this week for a stabbing at an apartment building on Laws Ave. On Monday early morning calls to police and the Sheriff’s Office after the stabbing of Jordan Luna. He was reportedly in a second story apartment which a neighbor said yesterday was surrounded by crime scene tape. Now police say it was his brother, Jeremiah who stabbed him to death. The brother was arrested and found to already be on parole. He’s been booked into jail and held on $500,000.00 bail. The Sheriff’s Office says they’re still investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident, like what the motive was.
A high speed chase with a car theft suspect leads to their arrest in Willits. Police say it was a short chase yesterday morning after an alert went out for the stolen grey Jetta. The Police Chief says patrol cars were stationed on Hwy 20 leading into the city and saw the car speeding by and took chase. The flipped on their sirens and lights and flew thru Main Street. The car entered a shopping center parking lot, came out sped through lights and crossed double yellow lines and tried to turn into a Safeway parking lot with no luck as he was corned after crashing into the Safeway gas station sign. He got out and ran but was cornered by officers. He was treated at the hospital for minor injuries, no officers were hurt and the suspect, Joshua Frailey, a 19 year old from Oakland was jailed for car theft and other charges.
Several staff members from the Willits Unified School District inoculated for the coronavirus. At a school board meeting the Superintendent announced 110 staff members were going to get the Moderna Coronavirus vaccine on Jan. 16th at the Willits Harrah Senior Center. That included all of the classroom teachers who wanted it and some custodial and administrative staff. The superintendent reportedly worked with Howard Memorial Hospital, the Senior Center and a local physician to get the shots into arms. The School Board President said it was encouraging and could be a way to reopen classrooms sooner rather than later. Also at the board meeting the superintendent said they had various open positions and no applicants, they include maintenance and custodial positions.
Volunteer firefighters from Mendocino have received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. The shots nearly two weeks ago now. The fire department thanked Adventist Health Mendocino Coast for getting the vaccinations to them. Pictures of the firefighters show smiles and one remarked it was not painful at all. The department put out a statement saying they have not had hardships like other emergency agencies but felt a deep-rooted connection to their brothers and sisters who have faced unfathomable hardship. They go on to say they want to encourage everyone to continue following county health guidelines and protocols and to show appreciation to frontline workers who have worked tirelessly to help keep our communities running.
Congressman Jared Huffman assuring those getting payments from the federal government due to the pandemic, that they are not junk mail. The Economic Impact Payments (EIPs) apparently had some worried they were bogus or scam payments because of the way the envelope looked. The money started to go out the second week of the month thru the U.S. Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service. The envelope has big red letters saying “Not a bill or an advertisement. Important information about your Economic Impact Payment”. They are checks or debit cards, something Rep. Huffman said he himself didn’t understand. But he says he’s confident they’re safe and secure. He also said he wasn’t sure why they’d use Visa Cards unless they were looking to take a percentage.
The city of Lakeport has entered into an agreement with an Architectural firm to finish the first phase of its recreation feasibility study. The city council approved the proposal from BCA Architects as long as the city can get a cost-sharing agreement approved with Lake County and the City of Clearlake to pay equally for the feasibility study. It would be about $20,000 each to start phase one with the total cost of just over $150,500. The Record Bee reports the county’s Community Services Department and the City of Clearlake have given a verbal go ahead to partner with the city of Lakeport on the project. There will be two phases for the initial study, the project overview, market analysis, coming up with a citizen participation plan and partnerships and reviewing findings.
A man accused of stealing guns and showing up at a party in the woods with a gun has a trial set. The jury trial for Michael Anthony Dore set to start next Monday after the case had been continued due to the pandemic. The court ordered Dore to be able to get a haircut and be provided with street clothes for the trial. He’s pleaded not guilty to carrying a loaded firearm in a public place, carrying a firearm that is capable of being concealed, permitting other person to carry a firearm in vehicle and assault with firearm on person. The charges after someone called deputies last Sept. to say their home had been burglarized of weapons and blamed it on 18 year old Dore. They also said Dore was at Highland Springs Reservoir and shot his gun off there. A victim confirmed the incident. Dore was arrested afterwards but denied any of the allegations against him. He’s been in jail ever since on $300,000 bail.
A workshop’s planned for the public on the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument’s Bureau of Land Management Trails and Travel Management. The workshop next Thursday, Jan. 28th from 5:30 to 8 p.m online. The BLM and Mendocino National Forest co-manage the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument. The workshop so members of the public and any others interested get a glimpse of the vision for travel management at the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument. They will use the info gathered to designate roads and trails for motorized, non-motorized and non-mechanized recreation. The workshop will include a map for all to see and an overview of roads and trails within the monument, show the current status of travel management, an overview of the BLM travel management process, and feature opportunities to provide input.
The State of California says that batch of the Moderna coronavirus vaccine that caused severe reaction in some people is ok to use. The lot of vaccines were put on pause so nobody else would get ill. Several doses were reportedly administered in Mendocino County with no reaction. And now more than 300,000 doses are able to be used by counties, cities and hospitals who’ve been trying to get ahold of supplies. The state Department of Public Health said the batch should be shelved for the moment after some people at a San Diego vaccination site were hospitalized. But apparently after chatting with Moderna, local and federal health agencies, the state’s lead epidemiologist found there was no scientific basis to “continue the pause” and the vaccinations could “immediately resume”.
