Clearlake police are looking for a missing 13-year-old boy. DeShawn Mills was last seen Tuesday in the area of Olympic Drive and Emerson Street. DeShawn is black, 5 feet tall, and weighs 128 pounds. He was last seen wearing a sweater and pants of unknown color and black crocs. If you have any information about him, you can contact Clearlake PD
The budget year is halfway over in Clearlake and the city council is getting an update on how the spending plan is holding up. That midway budget workshop starts at 5PM Thursday before the regular council meeting starts at 6. It is live on the city’s YouTube Channel and the public TV channel. It is also available on Zoom and non-virtually.
A man from Ukiah has been arrested in the Bay Area and charged with having a pistol without a serial number. Police in Pacifica say 28-year-old Rocio Maldonado had what they call a “ghost gun” when they pulled him over on a traffic stop. Officers also say the gun had an illegal high-capacity magazine. Maldonado is charged with gun law violations and was booked into the San Mateo County jail.
If you’re up for some book-talk at lunch today, the Lake County Library is hosting the first of six free book discussions open to the public. The discussions are part of the NEA Big Read program. They are offered in partnership with the Redwood Community Services Harbor Youth Resource Center, New Darlings: Readings on Contemporary Poetry, O’Meara Bros. Brewery, and Natalie Diaz. One of Diaz’s books is the topic of the series. Readers will talk about Postcolonial Love Poem in the virtual Zoom session that runs from noon to 1. The talks and the books are free, but you’ll have to register by contacting the library. For more information, the website is lakecountybigread.com.
The verdict in this year’s Mendocino County Mock Trial competition is in. The winners—the Mock Trial team from Ukiah High School, which edged out the team from Laytonville High. The Ukiah group will take its case to a higher court at the State Mock Trial’s final in Los Angeles next month. At a mock trial, student teams argue both sides of a fictitious case developed by the Constitutional Rights Foundation. With the help of teachers and volunteer attorney coaches, students portray all key roles including attorneys, witnesses, and courtroom staff. Sitting judges from Mendocino County Court presided, while two panels of local lawyers scored the arguments. The Mendocino County Office of Education sponsored the mock trial. School superintendent Nicole Glentzner calls it an opportunity for the students to gain valuable insight into how the judicial system works and helps students develop reasoning and communication skills.
Lake County is looking for input as it writes a master plan for its parks, trails, and recreation programs. One of the first steps is a community needs survey and if you’re interested, you can weigh in. There is an online survey up now that asks questions related to parks and rec. It’s anonymous and takes about ten minutes. You can find it along with other information at the master plan website lakecountyprt.com
Senator Diane Feinstein has decided not to seek re-election next year, She will be 90 in June and has served since 1993. In making that announcement, Feinstein says she will do as much as she can for Californians through the end of her term. The race to replace her is already on. At least two democrats—representatives Katie Porter and Adam Schiff—are forming their campaigns. Schiff is praising Feinstein as one of the finest lawmakers the Senate has ever known. Feinstein is the oldest member of congress and has faced questions about her cognitive health and memory.
State lawmakers will take up a bill that would ban police from using dogs for arrests and crowd control. Sponsors say K-9 units have been part of racial bias and violence dating back to the early days of the civil rights movement. AB 742 would set up regulations about how the K-9 officers could be used. The ACLU is among those backing the bill, saying that in 2021, 186 people were hurt by police dogs in the state. Police groups oppose the restriction. The Western State Police Canine Association says the animals are an invaluable part of law enforcement across the country.
Three members of a family from Tulare have been convicted of a big fraud case involving wildfire victims. A Judge in Sonoma County convicted Salvador Chiaramonte, his wife Pamela, and their daughter, Amy Perry, of promising to rebuild homes damaged in the 2017 Tubbs Fire. They took money for shoddy work, or in some cases no work at all. Salvador Chiramonte was sentenced to three two six years in prison, the others got sentenced to work release. The family will also have to pay 1.2 million dollars in restitution to the 16 families who were bilked. Some of the victims told the court that the Chiaramontes got off too easily for a crime that affected so many lives. The Tubbs fire burned 36,000 acres, destroyed 5,600 structures, and killed 22 people.
The California Lottery has identified the man who won that huge 2 billion dollar Powerball Jackpot last November. His name is Edwin Castro, but lottery officials aren’t saying anything more about him, including where he lives. He bought the ticket at a place in Altadena, near LA, and was the only winner in the multi-state drawing on November 8th. No word on what the new billionaire will do with his fortune.
A man has died after he was shot by a SWAT team trying to serve a warrant in Yolo County. The Sheriif’s office says the man refused to come out when police tried to serve that warrant around 8 AM Tuesday in the community of Dunnigan. The shooting happened around 12:30, after repeated attempts to talk him out failed.
State Senate Majority Leader Mike McGuire is introducing a bill to keep benefits paid out to survivors of the 2019 Kincaid fire tax-free. He says the fire cost hundreds of people who deserve every bit of an eventual settlement from PG&E, whose faulty equipment sparked the fire. Under SB 370, wildfire victims will be exempt from paying state personal income and corporation taxes on their settlement claims. The fire forced almost 100,000 people to flee and destroyed 174 homes. PG&E has estimated its liability at 800 million dollars.
If you don’t mind getting a bit chilly, the Lake County Special Olympics is planning its annual Polar plunge later this month. It is scheduled for February 25th, when dozens of people will jump into Clear Lake. Participants have to raise at least $125.00 to register either as an individual or part of a team. If you’d rather not freeze off any body parts, you can still take part by signing up as a “chicken “to be excused from going in. All money raised will support local Lake County athletes. This is their only source of funding and they receive no government money. Registration on the 25th starts at 10:45, and the dip starts at noon, followed by a post-party hosted by the Kelseyville Lions club. Presumably, they’ll have warm drinks and food.
Census Data indicate that California continues to lose population. The figures show 500,000 fewer people called California home between April 2020 and July 2022. Only New York State lost more during the same time. The reasons for the Cal-exit include the high cost of housing, long commutes in the cities, and rising crime. Many of those reverse migrants are lured by the chance to work remotely in a state they say they can afford. Where’s everybody going? The census says the biggest gaining states are Texas and Florida, but even nearby smaller states like Utah are getting more crowded. In fact, Utah is even putting out the “You Aren’t Welcome” mat to potential transplants from here.
The Mendocino National Forest is hiring. They’re looking to fill full-time support service specialist positions based in Willows and Upper Lake. The jobs include various administrative tasks and pay between $42,000 and $47,000 dollars a year. Forest staff will be available from 10AM to 3PM the rest of the week and again next Tuesday to help with the application. You can find out more at the website usajobs.gov.
