Housing & Development · Lake County
Representatives from PG&E, Trane Technologies and community leaders gathered in Hidden Valley Lake earlier in October to mark the start of three feasibility studies for hydroelectric microgrids serving Middletown, Hartley (North Lakeport) and Lucerne. The FLASHES project would use solar-powered pumps to move water between tanks during the day and generate electricity at night, providing more than 24 hours of stored energy during outages and improving wildfire suppression capabilities. The studies are funded by a Bipartisan Infrastructure Act grant requiring no local funding, though full construction could cost $150–$180 million. Lake County supervisors voiced concerns about the Lucerne microgrid in an August board meeting, and environmental impact reports will take several years before any construction decision.
Community News · Middletown, CA
The Middletown Art Center will close its location at 21456 Highway 175 on Monday, Oct. 26, after nearly 11 years following the building's sale. The center is currently hosting "YÓMI–Place," a free contemporary Native American art exhibition open to the public from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. through that date. MAC will reopen Dec. 12 in the former Mount St. Helena Brewing Company building, leased from Middletown Rancheria, during Christmas in Middletown (3 to 8 p.m.). The center has hosted approximately 900 K-12 students from schools across Lake County.
Crime · Kelseyville, CA
A Lake County Sheriff's Office sergeant arrested Johnny Ariz-Mendez, 43, of Clearlake, on Oct. 8 after observing him commit traffic violations while riding a bicycle in Kelseyville. The suspect attempted to evade the patrol vehicle by riding through a nearby property, where officers later recovered a loaded Glock 19 pistol and suspected controlled substances hidden in a planter near a church entrance. Ariz-Mendez has multiple prior felony convictions, including being a felon in possession of a firearm. He was transported to the Hill Road Correctional Facility, and evidence is pending testing by the California Department of Justice.
