A Eureka man has been arrested, suspected of attempted murder of a Willits resident. Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to calls of a stabbing on Kawi Place in Willits Thursday night. Once they spoke to the male victim, who suffered life threatening injuries, they began searching for the suspect, 47 year old Jason Omholt. They found him hiding at another residence in Willits and took him into custody. The Ukiah Daily Journal says Omholt was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, resisting arrest, and an out-of-county felony arrest warrant. He’s being held on a $125,000 bond.
Kelseyville Elementary School Principal Scott Conrad has been named this year’s California Interscholastic Federation North Coast Section Honor Coach Award recipient for his work as Kelseyville High School varsity basketball coach from 2006-2018. The award is based on a coach’s outstanding coaching accomplishments, additional contributions to school and community, and general service to their sport. And, according to Kelseyville Unified Superintendent Dr. Nicki Thomas, he qualifies on all three criteria. Conrad began coaching Little League baseball when he was still in high school. He then coached every year of his life, even through college, until a few years ago. Conrad says he’s appreciative and humbled by this honor.
California has joined seven other Democrat-led states suing the Trump administration. They’re suing over hundreds of millions of dollars in cuts to teacher training programs designed to increase instructors in STEM fields, like science, technology, engineering and math, along with educating students who have disabilities or are learning English.The suit targets two Obama-era grants Congress created that were aimed at teacher shortages in rural and urban areas and encouraged college students studying STEM subjects to take on teaching jobs in K-12 education. The Department of Education cuts amounted to roughly $148 million in California and $102 million for the other states that are suing the Administration.
Development on the donated land that will become the John T. Klaus Park is progressing steadily. The Lake County Record bee reporting that in the last 6 months, they’ve rehabbed and restored several Quonset huts. Lake County Public Services Director Lars Ewing says they’ve got boots on the ground to clear the site and they’ve hired a consultant, HELIX Environmental planning to help with public and virtual meetings along with community outreach, as well as Lake County Parks and Recreation to develop a trail master plan. Ultimately, Ewing says they plan to retain the park’s natural environment and cultural artifacts as much as possible. Two concepts are on the table, and will be discussed in future meetings. By the way, the Public Services Department always welcomes your input. You can email your comments and concerns to parks.
Mendocino National Forest officials say the current weather conditions make it ideal for some prescribed burns. This week, firefighters on the Upper Lake Ranger District plan to burn potentially 96 acres of piles along the roadside in the Bartlett Springs area, which is northeast of Nice and Lucerne. Smoke may be visible along the Hwy 20 corridor and fyi, visibility on roads could be challenging, especially in the early morning and late evening hours as the smoke settles. All prescribed fire operations are approved by Lake County Air Quality Management District and part of the overall effort to reduce risks from hazard trees and maintain public safety and access for both the public and emergency personnel.
Looking for a new furry family member? Lake County Animal Care and Control has a new group of dogs waiting for their homes this week. Lake County News reports that the dogs available for adoption this week include mixes of Australian shepherd, border collie, cattle dog, German shepherd, Great Pyrenees, husky, labrador retriever, mastiff, pit bull terrier, poodle, rottweiler, shiba inu and wire-haired terrier. The dogs are either neutered or spayed, microchipped and, if old enough, given a rabies shot and county license before being released to their new owner. License fees do not apply to residents in Lakeport or Clearlake.
A new study from UC San Francisco found a link between screen time and manic behavior in pre-teens. The study targeted thousands of ten and eleven year olds who used smartphones. They found that the children who spend more time on screens were more likely to have manic episodes. The study’s co-author says their findings “underscore the importance of cultivating healthy screen use habits early.”
The Ukiah Garden Club is featuring a program dubbed From Eggs to Apples, hosted by member Dr. Ilse Hayden-Winters. The program, which begins at noon, is a follow up to her September presentation, “The Gardens of Pompeii.” The Ukiah Daily Journal says it’s featuring a slideshow on the history and culture of Pompei, along with her own research and other anecdotal stories. You should know that General Ukiah Garden Club program meetings are always open to the public and are held at the Clubhouse, on the second Wednesday of the month through May.
