CHP has arrested two people after a chase involving a stolen vehicle. Officers say the chase started Tuesday night around 10 when officers tried to pull over a speeding Chevy Trailblazer on Highway 29, north of Park Way near Lakeport. The pursuit continued into Kelseyville, where the driver sideswiped a guardrail on Stone Drive but drove on until a crash into a wood post on Soda Bay Road. Police say the driver, identified as 19-year-old Nina Martin of Nice, then bailed. A passenger, identified as 24-year-old Joe Boggs of Lucerne, ALSO ran off in the other direction. Martin and Boggs didn’t get far. Officers quickly arrested them. Turns out that the Trailblazer had been stolen from Chico. Martin faces several charges, including taking a vehicle without the owner’s consent, receiving stolen property, and
disregarding an officer. Boggs is charged with resisting arrest and already had an outstanding warrant. They’re both locked up without bail.
CHP has identified the motorcyclist killed a week ago in a crash on the Willits Bypass as a school bus driver from Oregon. Officers say Wayne Berry of Gold Beach, Oregon died when his motorcycle collided head-on with an oncoming vehicle around 3 AM on May 13th. The impact of the crash sent Berry’s bike over the railing. The oncoming driver, Michael Confer, is facing 2 felony charges of vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and DUI causing bodily injuries. He is in the Mendocino County Jail. Mendo Fever reports a Facebook post from the school district where Berry worked calls him a loyal employee who always put the students on his routes first.
The Mendocino County Sheriff’s office is still looking for a man known as the red-bearded burglar around Cameron Road in Elk and in Ukiah’s western hills. Deputies have been on increased patrols in that area since a man shot at a deputy during an attempted break-in on May 11th. Sherrif Matt Kendall says investigators think he is the same person who has been lurking around and breaking into several rural cabins and homes since February. The Sheriff says the burglar, who had a red beard in some surveillance pictures, is likely avoiding people, preferring to break in when no one is around. If you know anything that might help find him, you can send your tip to the MCSO.
Remember last year when we did the Census they told us the count would help draw political boundaries for future elections? That
redistricting process is getting started. Lake Co News reports the California Citizens Redistricting Commission wants Lake County Residents to be involved in the map drawing. There aren’t any meetings scheduled yet, because the commission hasn’t even seen all the census data. There is a website wedrawthelinesca.org if you would like to get up to speed on the process. The work has to be done by December 15th. The Lake County Board of Supervisors has told the commission that Lake, Napa, and Sonoma Counties should end up in the same
congressional district because of their shared concerns. Under the Census, California will LOSE a seat in congress, which will make the redistricting process more difficult. Lake County Board of Supervisors will hash out ITS political divisions in a separate process. The board has hired a consulting firm to help.
The Fort Bragg PD is looking for volunteers to help out with the city Independence Day fireworks on July 3rd. Volunteers will team up with police and other department staff for parking enforcement, crowd control, and other law enforcement duties. You can contact the police department if you are interested. The display will go off from Pomo Bluff Park at dusk on July 3rd. Fort Bragg was one of the few communities that held a fireworks show last year.
CalFire says it has been a busy start to the wildfire season. So far, more than 2,400 fires have burned more than 14,000 acres across the state. At this time last year, just over 1,500 fires scorched 2,600 acres. Officials say that shows it is more important than ever to be aware of fire safety and have a plan in case a fire threatens near you.
The California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services has issued a report on debris removal from last year’s wildfires. The report finds that more than 80 percent of the burned metal, concrete, ash, and contaminated soil has been hauled away from properties enrolled in the state Consolidated Debris Removal Program. The OES also says most properties still need more tests to make sure they are safe for rebuilding. Erosion and hazardous tree conditions are the main issues there. The program covers about half a dozen properties in lake county that burned in the LNU Lightning Complex fires late last summer.
PG & E is planning a web seminar to outline its wildfire prevention plans for the upcoming fire season. The seminar on May 26th will feature utility officials talking about prevention, public safety power shutoffs, and improvements to PG & E systems. The session runs from 6 PM to 7:30 PM. The site for more information is
pge.com/wildfiresafety. The company says it will hold similar open meetings throughout the summer and fall.
The DMV is relaxing identification rules for people who have yet to get a new federally compliant license or identification card. That so-called REAL ID will eventually be necessary for getting onto a plane or into a federal building or military base. The new
requirements mean license applicants no longer have to show a social security card or a W-2 tax form. Now, all you’ll need is a Social Security Number, proof of identity, and two proofs of California Residency. The DMV says it wants to make it as easy as possible to get the REAL ID well before the deadline. That deadline WAS October 1st but was recently pushed back to May 2023 due to the pandemic. YOUR current ID is good if there is a little gold star in the upper right-hand corner.
