LAKEPORT
Colusa man enters not guilty plea related to shooting of transients
A Colusa man who had reportedly shot at transients with an assault rifle in Clearlake Oaks recently entered a not guilty plea in court.
Glenn Michael Prasad, 35, of Colusa, was in custody and appeared at an appearance of counsel/plea entry hearing, entering a not guilty plea to all charges and he denied the special allegations.
During the recent hearing the court relieved Sterling Thayer Jr. as counsel as the defendant retained Mari Titus as his counsel.
The matter has been set for a preliminary hearing and bail review for next week.
The defendant has been charged with an assault with firearm on person and two counts of possessing any assault weapon.
The charges stem from an incident last month when Lake County Sheriff’s Office were dispatched to Oak’s Red & White Store in Clearlake Oaks after a report that a male subject had shot at transients in the vicinity of the market with a rifle.
It was reported that no one was injured. A vehicle description of the shooter was provided by witnesses and deputies successfully located the vehicle at a residence on Shoreview Drive in Clearlake Oaks.
The suspect was located inside the residence.
A search warrant was secured by detectives, which resulted in the discovery of an unregistered AR-style rifle similar to the description witnesses had provided to authorities.
Authorities took Prasad into custody and he was transported to the Lake County Correctional Facility.
The defendant remains in custody with bail set at $260,000.
—Lori Armstrong
MIDDLETOWN
Pomo Design Workshop with Eric Wilder at MAC
Middletown Art Center (MAC) is hosting a Design Workshop with Pomo Culture Bearer and Artist, Eric Wilder, this Saturday, Nov 11 from 1 to 5 p.m., This free workshop is part of the Water Basket project’s education series and is designed to support Native people in bringing expressions of their innate cultural heritage into public space and non-Native people in learning more about Pomo cultural heritage. Water Basket honors the first people, their culture, and the rich legacy of Pomo basketry that is unique to this region and renowned worldwide.
“We use basket designs to weave a foundation to teach our history to our children so that they know who they are and where they come from,” says Eric Wilder. “At the Basket Design class I will help participants clarify what kind of story they are wanting to share to teach people about this area. Perhaps it will be a story of protection or one of nurturing?”
Wilder will lead participants in creating designs for 360° murals for the two water tanks on Rabbit Hill. The tanks can be seen from a distance of over a mile and from above. Like the designs woven into Pomo baskets, design proposals should reflect the area’s history, people, and ecology utilizing geometric and organic shapes that are symbolic of the land, plants, and animals native to this region.
By sharing a process he uses in his own work, Wilder will guide participants in articulating the concepts or stories they wish to communicate and selecting the pattern design elements they want to incorporate. He will address aesthetic considerations including legibility and scale particular to this project. Individual, collaborative, and intercultural or multi-generational proposals for the “Water Baskets” are encouraged.
Eric Wilder is from the Kashia Band of Pomo Indians. He is a freelance artist with a rich background in graphic design, and animation and illustration from the gaming industry. Eric has served in his Tribe’s Government and carries traditions and wisdom of his tribe and family that have been passed down for generations. He is passionate about storytelling and designing cultural resources that are accessible to his people, especially younger generations, to preserve cultural knowledge and traditions.
Sign up for this enriching, informative and supportive workshop this Saturday, and learn more about the call for work and Water Basket project at middletownartcenter.org/waterbasket.
Water Basket is a collaboration between Middletown Rancheria of Pomo Indians, of California, Pomo artists, Callayomi County Water District, and the Middletown Art Center. It’s funded in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts, with additional funding from the Middletown Rancheria, the Water District, and public support.
Middletown Art Center is a Lake County non-profit dedicated to engaging the public in art making, art education, and art appreciation. Through exhibitions, performances, workshops, and community events, the Art Center provides a platform for diverse voices and perspectives, striving to create an inclusive and accessible space for all.
To learn more and donate to support Water Basket and other MAC programs visit middletownartcenter.org or call 707-809-8118. The MAC is located at 21456 State Hwy 175 in Middletown.
—Submitted
FRESNO
Record financial assistance helps “bridge the gap” as Covered California launches 2024 Open-Enrollment Campaign
Covered California continued kicking off its 2024 open-enrollment period at Shinzen Japanese Friendship Garden with the Double Moon Bridge as its backdrop, encouraging uninsured residents of the Fresno area to sign up for health insurance.
Covered California Executive Director Jessica Altman was joined by Assemblymember Dr. Joaquin Arambula from the 31st District and Dr. Trinidad Solis from the Fresno County Department of Public Health to discuss how record financial help — through enhanced federal premium support and a new program in California that will reduce out-of-pocket costs for over 650,000 consumers — is bridging the gap between uninsured Californians and access to affordable coverage and quality care.
“2024 will be a historic year for health care coverage in California,” said Gov. Gavin Newsom. “Here in the Golden State, we are removing barriers and increasing access as we work to create a healthier California for all.”
This is the 11th year of Covered California offering affordable, quality health care coverage and financial help to Californians under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Open enrollment, which began Nov. 1 and runs through Jan. 31, 2024, is the time of year when Californians can sign up for health insurance or make changes to their existing health plans.
Covered California entered this open-enrollment period with over 1.6 million Californians enrolled in coverage.
“There has never been more financial assistance available to help Californians pay for health care through Covered California than there will be in 2024,” said Altman. “We want every uninsured Fresno-area resident to know that affordable health care coverage is available and within closer reach than ever before.”
Since Covered California’s first open-enrollment period in 2013, California’s uninsured rate has fallen from 17.2 percent to 6.5 percent in 2022, which is the largest percentage point drop for any state in the nation over this time period, according to federal data.
Next year will bring a significant expansion in health coverage eligibility, as all low-income Californians will be able to enroll in Medi-Cal regardless of their immigration status, as part of Gov. Newsom’s promise of universal access to health care coverage. While those who are not lawfully present do not qualify for a health plan through Covered California due to federal regulations, thanks to a continued partnership with the California Department of Health Care Services, which oversees Medi-Cal, Californians can go to CoveredCA.com or visit a certified enroller to find out more about what coverage they may be eligible for and apply.
While the opportunity to get more Californians covered is tremendous, the latest data from the California Simulation of Insurance Markets (CalSIM), a model created by the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research, shows that significant gaps remain between those with and without insurance. CalSIM estimates that there are over 1.3 million uninsured Californians who either qualify for subsidies through Covered California (606,000) or are eligible for Medi-Cal coverage (714,000).
—Submitted
