KUKI News

Fort Bragg’s Mayor is recovering from knee replacement surgery, which has caused him to miss a couple of recent meetings. He hopes to attend the regular Council meeting on May 29th. Peters has announced that he will run for re-election in the fall. He says if he is fortunate enough to win, it would be his last term.

The Clearlake Police Department Code Enforcement Division and the Lake County Fire Protection District are working together to reduce fire danger. Staff members from the police and fire agencies, including Interim Police Chief Tim Celli and Fire Chief Willie Sapeta, met this week to discuss fire prevention and abatement of properties where overgrown vegetation or other fire fuels exist. They are investigating violations that exist on a property, Last October, the Sulphur Fire destroyed over 120 residential structures – most of which were within the city of Clearlake.

As travelers begin to hit the road for the Memorial Day weekend, the California Highway Patrol will conduct a Maximum Enforcement Period. Seat belt usage is the focus of the enforcement, which will run from 6 p.m. on Friday, May 25, to Monday, May 29. During the MEP, CHP officers will educate motorists and enforce carefully for distracted drivers and those who are impaired by drugs or alcohol.

Fort Bragg’s Mayor is recovering from knee replacement surgery, which has caused her to miss a couple of recent meetings, and hopes to be able to return to the regular Council meeting on May 29th. While recuperating, Peters has announced that she will run for re-election in the fall. She says if she is fortunate enough to win, it would be her last term.

The fees associated with background checks for Lake County Commercial Cannabis permits have increased in the amount of $17.00. The Sheriff’s Office says this increase is due to LCSO completing the process of coordinating nationwide FBI background checks in addition to the California only checks. When the department started the application process, they didn’t have the ability/authorization to perform the FBI checks, but didn’t want to delay the processing of applications. People who have previously obtained fingerprint checks will not have to pay the increased fee. Should someone need a subsequent fingerprint check, the fee will be applied. The current fees for a background check are now: • $32.00 to CA DOJ for their fee • $17.00 to FBI for their fee • $20.00 fingerprint rolling fee • $100.00 processing fee for clearance check, research, and return of approval or denial

The former employee who embezzled just over $34,000 from the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office was sentenced yesterday morning. 28-year-old Melissa Alcala Alvarez (Perez), of Fort Bragg, North Carolina, was sentenced in the Mendocino County Superior Court to 76 months in local prison. In April Alvarez entered guilty pleas at her arraignment She was charged with stealing public funds during a period of August 2016 through October 2017, while she worked as a financial analyst and handled cash receipts for the Sheriff’s Department.

The driver in a crash that injured three people has been arrested for DUI. The California Highway Patrol’s Clear Lake Area office reports that the crash happened just after 4 p.m., Sunday on Highway 20 west of Walker Ridge Road. The westbound vehicle slid into eastbound traffic, went off the shoulder, and crashed into a tree. The driver, 31-year-old Aquilino Vazquez-Garcia, of Los Angeles, suffered major injuries and was transported from the scene to a hospital. The front passenger, was trapped in the vehicle and had to be extricated and had major injuries and was flown to a hospital. The right rear passenger in the car suffered a laceration to his chin. After being treated, Vazquez-Garcia was released to CHP custody.

Three family members were pulled from a burning vehicle near Hopland on Sunday by good samaritans. According to the Hopland Fire Department, a collision happened on Highway 101 just north of Hopland shortly after midnight May 20th. The full-size pick-up truck hit hit a tree, and caught on fire, leaving the occupants trapped. A man was airlifted with major injuries. A woman and a 17-month-old child were taken by ambulance to to a hosptial with moderate injuries.

Savings Bank and Integrity Shred have teamed up to help prevent identity theft by offering a free shred event. You can get outdated confidential documents shredded for free at the Lakeport Branch, 290 South Main Street, tomorrow from 10 a.m. to noon.

The man found not guilty for the death of his dog earlier this year, has been arrested for assaulting officers. According to Clearlake Police, 40-year-old James Harley Miranda, was taken into custody on Sunday for obstructing a peace officer, battery on a peace officer, being under the influence of a controlled substance and disorderly conduct. In January a jury found Miranda not guilty of animal cruelty by torture and being under the influence of methamphetamine in a case involving his dog, Cocoa, who was found dead on the side of Highway 53. Miranda told jurors that his dog had been hit by a car, and that he left Cocoa alone to try to find help.