WINTER STORMS JKB 3/13/12
· MULTIPLE WINTER STORM SYSTEMS WILL AFFECT THE AREA THIS WEEK WITH THE FIRST ONE PASSING THROUGH THIS MORNING.
IN MENDOCINO COUNTY A WINTER STORM WARNING FOR ELEVATIONS ABOVE 4500 FEET IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 AM THIS MORNING. SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF 6 TO 12 INCHES IS POSSIBLE AT ELEVATIONS ABOVE 4500 FEET AND 2 TO 4 INCHES BETWEEN 2500 AND 4500 FEET.
IN LAKE COUNTY A WINTER STORM WARNING FOR ELEVATIONS ABOVE 4500 FEET IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 5 PM THIS AFTERNOON. SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF 4 TO 7 INCHES IS POSSIBLE AT ELEVATIONS ABOVE 4500 FEET WITH 1 TO 3 FEET POSSIBLE AT ELEVATIONS ABOVE 6000 FEET.
GUSTY WINDS IN BOTH COUNTIES OF 30 MILES PER HOUR WITH GUSTS UP TO 50 MILES PER HOUR COULD ALSO LEAD TO WHITE OUT CONDITIONS AT THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS.
MOTORISTS ARE ADVISED TO DRIVE WITH CAUTION AND BE PREPARED FOR EXTREME WINTER WEATHER DRIVING CONDITIONS.
FATAL ACCIDENT JKB 3/13/12
- A LAYTONVILLE WOMAN WAS KILLED IN A HEAD ON COLLISION ON HIGHWAY 101 JUST NORTH OF WILLITS YESTERDAY MORNING.
ACCORDING TO THE CHP, 61 YEAR OLD GLORIA LOCKETT WAS TRAVELING SOUTHBOUND WHEN FOR UNKNOWN REASONS, HER CAR CROSSED OVER THE CENTERLINE DIRECTLY INTO THE PATH OF AN INTERNATIONAL FLATBED TRUCK BEING DRIVEN BY 31 YEAR OLD JASON WALKER OF WILLITS AT AROUND 8:20 AM. LOCKET DIED AT THE SCENE. WALKER WAS NOT INJURED. BOTH DRIVERS WERE WEARING SEAT BELTS. THE INVESTIGATION INTO THE CRASH IS CONTINUING.
DEPUTY SHOOTING OF FUGITIVE JUSTIFIED JKB 3/13/12
- THE MENDOCINO COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEYS OFFICE HAS DETERMINED THAT THE DEPUTY INVOLVED FATAL SHOOTING OF A PRISON PAROLEE IN NOVEMBER OF 2010 WAS LEGALLY JUSTIFIED.
ACCORDING TO THE D.A.S OFFICE, THE USE OF DEADLY FORCE BY DEPUTY JASON COX AGAINST 32 YEAR OLD SHANE HUTCHINS WAS OBJECTIVELY REASONABLE. HUTCHINS WAS BEING SOUGHT IN NUMBER OF CRIMES INCLUDING RAPE, KIDNAPPING, ASSAULT, BURGLARY, AUTO THEFT AND ELUDING POLICE IN LAKE, MENDOCINO, AND KERN COUNTIES. HUTCHINGS WAS SHOT AS HE REACHED FOR HIS WAIST BAND WHILE ATTEMPTING TO ESCAPE FROM A HOUSE AT NIGHT IN FORT BRAGG. ALTHOUGH HE WAS NOT ARMED AT THE TIME, HUTCHINGS HAD MADE STATEMENTS THAT HE WOULD NOT BE VOLUNTARILY TAKEN INTO CUSTODY.
MICHAEL HOSSACK, DOOBIE BROTHERS DRUMMER DIES JKB 3/13/12
- ONE TIME DOOBIE BROTHERS DRUMMER AND FORMER LAKE COUNTY RESIDENT MICHAEL HOSSACK HAS DIED.
HOSSACK DIED MONDAY AT HIS HOME IN DUBOIS WYOMING AFTER A LONG BATTLE WITH CANCER. HE WAS 65. HE HAD BEEN ON LEAVE FROM THE DOOBIE BROTHERS SINCE 2010 DUE TO HEALTH REASONS.
MAN ARRESTED FOR STABBING DOG JKB 3/13/12
- A CLEARLAKE OAKS MAN WAS ARRESTED AFTER HE ALLEGEDLY STABBED A DOG WITH A LARGE KNIFE ON SATURDAY.
ACCORDING TO POLICE 73 YEAR OLD BRIAN HAGAN WAS WALKING HIS DOG WHEN HE EXCHANGED WORDS WITH THE OWNER OF A PIT BULL TERRIER ON HOOVER STREET WHILE ON HIS WAY TO CHECK HIS MAIL. ON HIS RETURN HAGAN ALLEGEDLY USED A 7 AND A HALF INCH KNIFE ATTACHED TO HIS FOUR AND A HALF FOOT WALKING STICK TO ATTACK THE PIT BULL, CAUSING A 9 INCH LONG, TWO INCH DEEP GASH ON THE BACK OF THE PIT BULL. THE DOG WAS TAKEN TO A VET WHERE IT WAS OPERATED ON AND EXPECTED TO RECOVER. HAGAN WAS ARRESTED AT HIS HOME ON A NUMBER OF CHARGES LATER THAT EVENING. ACCORDING TO POLICE, HAGAN HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN TWO SIMILAR INCIDENTS WHERE HE STABBED DOGS CLAIMING SELF DEFENSE IN 2008 AND 2010.
WILLOWS WOMAN ARRESTED IN WEEKEND KIDNAPPING JKB 3/13/12
- A WILLOWS WOMAN WAS ARRESTED FOR HER PART IN A CHILD ABDUCTION THAT LED TO THE ARREST OF A COVELO MAN ON FRIDAY.
45 YEAR OLD MELISSA BRITTON WAS ARRESTED IN WILLOWS THE SAME DAY 30 YEAR OLD LEONARD DALE TUTTLE JR. WAS ARRESTED IN COVELO FOR THE KIDNAPPING OF 2 YEAR OLD RANDI AND 5 YEAR OLD VANESSA MARTINEZ. TUTTLE WAS THE EX-BOYFRIEND OF THE GIRLS MOTHER AND TOOK THE CHILDREN WITHOUT PERMISSION. A MOTORIST WHO HEARD ABOUT THE AMBER ALERT ISSUED FRIDAY FOR THE GIRLS ALERTED POLICE TO TUTTLES WHEREABOUTS AND FOLLOWED HIM TO HIS HOME IN COVELO WHERE HE WAS ARRESTED. TUTTLE AND BRITTON HAVE BEEN CHARGED WITH KIDNAPPING, CHILD STEALING AND CONSPIRACY.
MAN PLEADS GUILTY IN MULTI STATE CRIME SPREE JKB 3/13/12
- A WASHINGTON STATE MAN PLEADED GUILTY TO KILLING HIS FATHER AND STEP MOTHER BEFORE EMBARKING ON THREE STATE CRIME SPREE THAT INCLUDED THE MURDER OF AN OREGON TEENAGER AND A HUMBOLDT COUNTY MAN IN LATE SEPTEMBER AND EARLY OCTOBER OF LAST YEAR.
31 YEAR OLD DAVID JOEY PEDERSEN IS EXPECTED TO BE SENTENCED FRIDAY TO LIFE IN PRISON WITHOUT PAROLE. PROSECUTORS HAVE NOT DECIDED IF THEY WILL SEEK THE DEATH PENALTY AGAINST HIS ACCOMPLICE GIRLFRIEND, 28 YEAR OLD HOLLY GRIGSBY. SHE WILL BE TRIED AT A LATER DATE. THE COUPLES PROSECUTION IN WASHINGTON STATE MAKES IT UNCLEAR HOW IT WILL IMPACT HUMBOLDT COUNTY PROSECUTORS DECISION IN THE DEATH OF 53 YEAR OLD REGINALD CLARK, OR OREGON STATE AUTHORITIES IN THE DEATH OF 19 YEAR OLD CODY MYERS. BOTH WERE KILLED AS PEDERSEN AND GRIGSBY MADE THEIR WAY TO SACRAMENTO. BOTH STATES AS WELL AS FEDERAL AUTHORITIES COULD SEEK THE DEATH PENALTY IN THOSE CASES.
WOMAN INJURED IN ROLL OVER CRASH JKB 3/13/12
- A FORT BRAGG WOMAN SUFFERED MAJOR INJURIES AFTER LOSING CONTROL OF HER CAR ON HIGHWAY 20 AND OVERTURNING DOWN AN EMBANKMENT EARLY THIS MORNING.
ACCORDING TO THE CHP, 26 YEAR OLD APRIL CONTI WAS TRAVELING WESTBOUND WHEN HER CAR LEFT THE ROADWAY AND OVERTURNED SEVERAL TIMES 300 TO 500 FEET DOWN A STEEP EMBANKMENT 22 MILES EAST OF HIGHWAY 1 AT AROUND 1 AM. DESPITE SUFFERING SEVERE INJURIES, SHE WAS ABLE TO EXTRICATE HER SELF FROM THE VEHICLE AND CLIMB BACK UP TO THE ROADWAY WHERE SHE FLAGGED DOWN A PASSING MOTORISTS WHO CALLED 911. CONTIS WORRIED BOYFRIEND WHO WENT LOOKING FOR HER AFTER BEING TWO HOURS LATE, LOCATED HER AND THE MOTORIST AT ABOUT THE SAME TIME AND TRANSPORTED HER TO HOWARD MEMORIAL HOSPITAL. DRUGS OR ALCOHOL ARE NOT SUSPECTED TO BE INVOLVED IN THE CRASH. THE ACCIDENT REMAINS UNDER INVESTIGATION.
BOS APPROVE NAMING OF TALMAGE BRIDGE JKB 3/13/12
- THE MENDOCINO COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED A RESOLUTION FOR RENAMING THE NEWLY RENOVATED TALMAGE BRIDGE AS THE RONALD LEDFORD MEMORIAL BRIDGE.
LEDFORD WAS A UKIAH NATIVE AND PEAR GROWER WHO SUPPORTED A NUMBER OF COMMUNITY CAUSES AND SERVED ON SEVERAL LOCAL CIVIC ORGANIZATIONS DURING HIS LIFETIME. THE RESOLUTION WILL NOW BE FORWARDED TO THE STATE ASSEMBLY AND SENATE FOR THEIR CONSIDERATION.
