Lake County Public Defender Leaving for Post in Monterey County

Raymond Buenaventura, Lake County’s public defender, has been hired as Monterey County’s chief public defender, effective December 1, with an annual salary of $273,245, just two years after he was hired to lead the newly created Lake County Public Defenders Office.. Monterey County supervisors approved the hiring on October 14, citing his legal knowledge and … Read more

Fort Bragg Woman Re-Arrested, Sentenced for Fatal Hit and Run

Gina Rae Bean, 47, of Fort Bragg, was sentenced to 36 months in state prison for a fatal 2019 hit-and-run and subsequent probation violations. Bean struck and killed 21-year-old skateboarder Calum Taite Pulido on Highway 1, then fled the scene.  After a September 2021 conviction, Bean received a suspended three-year prison sentence in December 2021, … Read more

Lake County Planning Commission To Hold Public Meeting on Thursday

The Lake County Planning Commission this week will hold a public hearing on a proposed major use permit and categorical exemption under the California Environmental Quality Act for Esther Formula USA Corp. for its facility in Lakeport.  The meeting will begin at 9 a.m., tomorrow, Thursday in the Lake County Courthouse

Two Fort Bragg Men Arrested For Kidnapping

Two Fort Bragg men, Douglas Kenneth Hance, 45 and Jose Francisco Plascencia, 25, were arrested early Tuesday following a report of a female being forced into a white sedan on North Main Street late Monday night. Hance faces charges including kidnapping, false imprisonment with violence, and conspiracy, with a $100,000 bond. Plascencia faces multiple felony … Read more

Pedestrian Hit In Willits Tuesday Afternoon

On Tuesday around 2:55 p.m., a pedestrian was reportedly struck by a vehicle on Sherwood Road near Birch Terrace in the Willits area. Emergency personnel were dispatched to the 24000 block of Sherwood Road for the vehicle-versus-pedestrian collision.  CHP requested medical response due to possible injuries, the pedestrian opted for transport in a personally owned … Read more

Shooter in Mistaken Identity Killing Sentenced

On Monday, Nathaniel Hueners, 22, was sentenced to 30-years-to-life for the April 2024 drive-by murder of 45-year-old Elizabeth Williams in Clearlake. The shooting was a case of mistaken identity during a gang dispute.  Hueners was  arrested three days later, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder mid September. His sentence was doubled due to a firearm assault … Read more

Fort Bragg to Offer Utility Bill Assistance Program

The Fort Bragg City Council has approved a $300,000 federal grant for a Utility Bill Assistance Program on October 13. This program provides one-time payments up to $800, directly to providers, to help eligible Fort Bragg households (at or below 80% of Mendocino County’s area median income) avoid utility shut-offs.  Applications are available at City … Read more