A man accused of a fatal shooting in Lakeport earlier this year will have to wait until June for his next court appearance. Lake County News reports that Joshua Tovar’s hearing, scheduled for this week in Lake County Superior Court, has been postponed until June 11th. Tovar is charged with killing Vicente Colacion on January 2nd. Tovar’s lawyers say they need more time to prepare for the hearing and review additional evidence in the case. He has been in Lake County Jail since his arrest.
The Lake County Sheriff’s office reports a man has been arrested after a reported kidnapping. Deputies identify the suspect as Jeremy Griffin, who they say was picked up after his estranged wife, Nora Griffin, reported she had been abducted on Wednesday from Lakeport. In a release, the department says he is in custody and she is safe. They say they’ll provide more information as the investigation unfolds.
Lakeport Police will be part of an annual national event to encourage safe disposal of legal drugs. The Drug Enforcement Administration National Prescription Drug Take Back Day is on April 26th, and Police Chief Dale Stoebe says once again his department will be a drop-off point. It will be at the front lobby entrance of the police station on South Main Street. They’ll take over-the-counter or prescription medication in pill, tablet, liquid, cream, or capsule form. Pills need to be emptied from their containers and placed in a zip lock plastic bag. They will also collect vape pens or other e-cigarette devices, but only after the batteries are removed. They won’t take illegal drugs, needles, inhalers, or aerosol cans. The Chief says since the Lakeport PD first took part in 2019, they’ve collected more than2,000 pounds of prescription drugs, many of which were dangerous narcotics, including opioids. He says the take-back protects the community by keeping those drugs from being diverted to illegal use and keeps the medicine out of our environment.
One of California’s first craft breweries in Mendocino County has a new owner. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, the Anderson Valley Brewing Company of Boonville has been sold–for the 3rd time in the last 15 years. The new owner is the former winery owner Jason McConnell. He tells the Chronicle that he never thought he would buy a brewery because he doesn’t even drink beer. He plans to keep the brewery independent.–meaning it can still be classified as a craft brewer. Anderson Valley has been making beer for more than 15 years, and is reported to be one of the first 20 small batch breweries in the state
