Guilty verdict returned
HIT: A Lake County jury Wednesday found Paul William Braden guilty of first-degree murder and 14 other felonies for the June 2011 shooting that killed Skyler Rapp, 4.
MISS: The trial dragged out for nearly five months, seeing stoppages because of illnesses, court scheduling and procedural issues. When the proceedings were in session, they regularly started late, finished early and had extended breaks.
HIT: The county court completed 13 other jury trials between the start of jury selection for Braden and co-defendant Orlando Joseph Lopez Jr. and the Braden verdict.
Unemployment improving
HIT: Lake County”s preliminary May unemployment rate was 14.7 percent, nearly 1 percent better than April and 1.6 percent lower than May 2011.
MISS: A majority of the state continues to outperform Lake County, which came in worse than three-quarters of California”s counties in the statewide unemployment ranking.
Continuing success
HIT: The second annual Cattails and Tules food and wine pairing festival, a benefit for Konocti Regional Trails and the Anderson Marsh Interpretive Association, improved on the success of last year”s event. Co-organizer Gregory Graham estimated the festival was near capacity, which was limited to 400 ticketed guests.
Debt-free county budget
HIT: The Board of Supervisors Tuesday approved the recommended county budget for the 2012-13 fiscal year, which was debt-free and did not include employee furloughs, salary reductions or major layoffs.
MISS: New County Administrative Officer Matt Perry said Lake County”s economy is recovering slower than many surrounding counties from the recession and estimated property tax values decreased by 3 percent. The budget was estimated at approximately $182 million, around $3 million less than last year”s budget.
Clean air and rainwater
HIT: Lake County has clean air and clean rainwater. A rainwater study conducted on behalf of the Lake County Air Quality Management District did not detect the presence of the metals aluminum, cadmium, strontium and barium.
Helping Strangers
HIT: Dr. Paula Dhanda is preparing for another medical mission and impacting the world in a positive way.
HIT: Casse Waldman Forczek jumped in to help a fellow diner in medical distress, an act that may have saved his life.
Lake County Live!
HIT: At 6 p.m. Sunday, Lake County Live! will offer its sixth outing before an audience at the Soper Reese Community Theatre.
