MARIJUANA RELATED HOME INVASION JKB 12/13/11
- ANOTHER MARIJUANA RELATED HOME INVASION ROBBERY OCCURRED ON FRIDAY, THIS ONE ON LAKE MENDOCINO DRIVE IN UKIAH.
ACCORDING TO THE MENDOCINO COUNTY SHERIFFS DEPARTMENT, TWO UNKNOWN MALE SUSPECTS, EITHER HISPANIC OR NATIVE AMERICAN, ENTERED THE VICTIMS RESIDENCE AT AROUND 6:30 PM. ONE OF THE SUSPECTS PISTOL WHIPPED THE VICTIM IN THE HEAD AND FACE WITH A .45 CALIBER HANDGUN, WHILE THE SECOND SUSPECT WEARING A SKI MASK POINTED A SHOTGUN AT HIM. THE INTRUDERS STOLE SEVERAL MEDICAL MARIJUANA PLANTS BEFORE LEAVING IN A BLACK COLORED VEHICLE. BOTH SUSPECTS ARE CONSIDERED ARMED AND DANGEROUS. ANYONE WITH INFORMATION ABOUT THIS INCIDENT IS ASKED TO CONTACT THE MENDOCINO COUNTY SHERIFFS DEPARTMENT.
MAN ROBBED OF $75,000 AT MOTEL JKB 12/113/11
- A SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA MAN WAS ROBBED OF $75,000 AT GUNPOINT DURING A BOTCHED ATTEMPT TO BUY MARIJUANA IN UKIAH EARLY SATURDAY MORNING.
ACCORDING TO THE UKIAH POLICE DEPARTMENT, THE VICTIM INITIALLY CALLED POLICE TO REPORT THE THEFT OF A CELL PHONE AT 3:26 AM FROM THE MOTEL 6 ON SOUTH STATE STREET. HE LATER ADMITTED TO TRYING TO PURCHASE MARIJUANA FOR A THIRD PARTY. THE ROBBERS, WHO WERE NOT DESCRIBED IN THE REPORT, TOOK THE MONEY AND GAVE NOTHING IN RETURN. IT IS UNCLEAR IF THE SUSPECTS HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED AND THEY REMAIN AT LARGE.
HOUSE FIRE JKB 12/13/11
- QUICK ACTION BY FIREFIGHTERS NOT ONLY SAVED A HOME ON RANCHO GRANDE DRIVE IN UKIAH YESTERDAY EVENING, THE FAMILY LIVING AT THE HOME DIDNT EVEN HAVE TO SPEND THE NIGHT SOMEWHERE ELSE.
THE BLAZE, WHICH BEGAN AT 5:46 PM, REPORTEDLY STARTED OUT AS A CHIMNEY FIRE BUT BEGAN TO SPREAD INTO THE SURROUNDING STRUCTURE. FIREFIGHTERS REMOVED SIDING FROM THE HOME TO GAIN ACCESS THE FLAMES IN THE WALLS AND HAD IT COMPLETELY UNDER CONTROL IN LESS THAN A HALF HOUR. THE FIRE CAUSED MINOR COSMETIC AND SMOKE DAMAGE. THE EXACT CAUSE OF THE BLAZE IS STILL UNDER INVESTIGATION.
TWO HORSEBACK RIDERS RESCUED JKB 12/13/11
- A SONOMA COUNTY SHERIFFS HELICOPTER CREW WAS CALLED TO MARIN COUNTY FOR THE SECOND TIME IN TWO DAYS ON SUNDAY TO RESCUE TWO HORSE BACK RIDERS WHO WERE INJURED WHEN THEY WERE THROWN FROM THEIR HORSES WHILE RIDING ON A REMOTE TRAIL IN THE WHITES HILL OPEN PRESERVE.
ONE HORSE REPORTEDLY SLIPPED OFF THE TRAIL THROWING ITS RIDER, WHICH SPOOKED THE SECOND HORSE, CAUSING THE RIDER TO FALL. THE TWO HORSES RETURNED RIDERLESS TO THE BAYWOOD RIDING STABLE IN FAIRFAX AND CONCERNED WORKERS CALLED 911. THE TWO RIDERS WERE LOCATED AND AIRLIFTED TO A WAITING AMBULANCE FOR TREATMENT. THE SONOMA COUNTY CHOPPER CREW HAD BEEN CALLED TO MARIN COUNTY ON SUNDAY TO AIRLIFT AN INJURED 14 YEAR OLD MOUNTAIN BIKER TO A CONTA COSTA COUNTY HOSPITAL.
JUDGE RULES IN FAVOR OF DIOCESE IN ABUSE CASE JKB 12/13/11
- A SONOMA COUNTY JUDGE HAS RULED IN FAVOR OF THE DIOCESE OF SANTA ROSA IN THE CASE OF FOUR FORMER EUREKA ALTAR BOYS WHO CLAIMED TO HAVE BEEN MOLESTED BY THE REVEREND PATRICK MCCABE IN THE 1980S.
JUDGE MARK TANSIL DID NOT RULE ON THE ALLEGATIONS OF ABUSE, BUT ON PLAINTIFFS ABILITY TO FILE CLAIMS OUTSIDE THE STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS, WHICH RUN OUT WHEN THE VICTIMS REACH THEIR 26TH BIRTHDAY. THE PLAINTIFFS ARE IN THEIR 30S AND 40S. TANSIL ALSO RULED THE PLAINTIFFS COULD NOT AVOID THE TIME LIMITATIONS BY CLAMING FRAUD ON THE PART OF THE CHURCH FOR ALLEGEDLY COVERING UP THAT MCCABE WAS A KNOWN PEDOPHILE. THE FOUR VICTIMS CLAIM THEY WERE MOLESTED BY MCCABE IN ST BERNARDS PARISH WHILE HE SERVED THERE BETWEEN 1983 AND 1985 AFTER THE CHURCH KNEW MCCABE HAD RECEIVED THERAPY FOR PEDOPHILIA. JUDGE TANSIL DID SUGGEST POSTPONING A FINAL DECISION UNTIL THE CALIFORNIA SUPREME COURT HAS DECIDED A SIMILAR CASE.
UKIAH COURTHOUSE ON LIST OF APPROVED PROJECTS JKB 12/13/11
- CONSTRUCTION OF THE NEW UKIAH COURTHOUSE WILL BE ABLE TO MOVE FORWARD WITHOUT DELAY, ALBEIT WITH A LITTLE LESS MONEY, AFTER IT WAS INCLUDED ON A LIST OF 33 PROJECTS APPROVED BY THE CALIFORNIA JUDICIAL COUNCIL YESTERDAY.
THE COUNCIL ENDORSED SEVERAL COST CUTTING MEASURES TO SAVE $160 MILLION DOLLARS THAT INCLUDED THE CANCELLATION OF TWO COURTHOUSE CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS IN ALPINE AND SIERRA COUNTIES. THEY ALSO DELAYED SIX PROJECTS UNTIL THE BEGINNING OF THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR. THE BUDGETS OF THE 33 APPROVED COURT CONSTRUCTION OR REMODEL PROJECTS, INCLUDING ONES IN UKIAH AND LAKEPORT, WILL BE CUT BY 2%, WITH ANOTHER 2% SAVINGS BEING ACHIEVED BY IMPLEMENTING AN OWNER-CONTROLLED INSURANCE PROGRAM.
WAUGH LANE BRIDGE RE-OPENED JKB 12/13/11
- THE WAUGH LANE BRIDGE IN UKIAH WAS RE-OPENED TO TRAFFIC YESTERDAY.
THE BRIDGE HAS BEEN CLOSED SINCE JULY FOR STRUCTURAL IMPROVEMENTS AT A COST OF $44,000. THE DETERIORATED WOODEN STRUCTURE WAS REPLACED BY STEEL AND CONCRETE. THE BRIDGE IS STILL A SINGLE LANE, AND THERE ARE NO IMMEDIATE PLANS TO MAKE IT WIDER.
BROWN ORDERS THE ELIMINATION OF UNNECESSARY REPORTS JKB 12/13/11
- IN HIS ONGOING EFFORT TO REDUCE STATE EXPENSES, GOVERNOR GERRY BROWN ORDERED GOVERNMENT OFFICES TO IDENTIFY AND ELIMINATE ANNUAL REPORTS THAT ARE NO LONGER USEFUL OR NECESSARY.
GOVERNOR BROWN SAID THE CREATION OF 2600 ANNUAL REPORTS THE STATE PRODUCES, SOME OF WHICH WERE ORDERED MORE THAN 20 YEARS AGO, IS A WASTE OF TIME AND MONEY. STATE AGENCIES AND DEPARTMENTS HAVE BEEN ORDERED TO PROVIDE A LIST OF UNNECESSARY REPORTS AND TURN IT OVER TO THE LEGISLATURE FOR CONSIDERATION OF ELIMINATION.
