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and all of the Indian Valley Area
1
Voi.81, No, 8 •
Feather
Publishing Co., Inc. • 530-284-780U * weanesuuy, Jan. 12,2011
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In response to the Jan. 6 plane crash, Don Newport, an Aviation
Safety Inspector from the RenD Federal Aviation Office, arrived
in Chester Jan. 7, at approximately 11:30 a.m. He, along with
representatives from the National Transportation Board and
the Plumas County Sheriff's Office will conduct independent in-
vestigations. Photo by M. Kate West
Delaine Fragnoli second victim, but The Press prepared statement, personnel from the airport could take several months to doctors appointments.
Managing Editor Democrat in Santa Rosa, Hagwood, who was on station on snowmobiles toissue its report, but typically " Victor and Linda Hursh,
dfragnoli@plumasnews.com where the couple lived part- scene Thursday night, said check the areas from the end posts a preliminary report who live next door to the
time, reported that family airport personnel also con- of the runway toward Lakewithin a weekor two. Gilmores inChester-- their
Two part-time Plumas resi- members had identified her. ducted a test of airport equip- Almanor. Dan English, the Chester homes are adjacent to the
dents were killed when their Sheriff-Coroner Oreg Hag-merit and confirmed it was all At approximately 7:25 p.m., airport manager and ownerairport -- and were close
private plane crashed Thurs- wood said the Plumas County functioning, the fire department person- of Mt. Lassen Aviation, said friends, routinely heard
day evening, Jan. 6, nearSheriff's Office received sev- Plumas County Airports nel on snowmobiles located Gilmore flew "pretty regular- Ronald Gilmore announce
Rogers Field in Chester. eral 911 calls reporting an Director Joe Wilson also con- the downed aircraft approxi- ly" for a private pilot and ap- his inbound flight location
Pilot Ronald Gilmore, 76,airplane that sounded as firmed the runways were mately one-quarter mile patently had been flying for and landing intentions over
and his wife, Janet Gilmore, though it were in distress, well lit and the runway and south of the intersection, many years. He had heard their home scanner.
were declared dead at thethe first at approximately taxiways were clear of snow. They also located the twoGilmore talk antidotally "I heard Ron announce he
scene after their 1965 single- 6:49 p.m. Thursday. While fire personnel were victims at the crash site. about his flying experiences was entering the flight pat-
engine Beechcraft BonanzaThe sheriff's office notified completing the area check, Investigators with the Na- back in the 1960s-70s. tern and then report his turn
crash-landed short of the run- Chester Fire personnel onDawson said, a citizen who tional Transportation Safety Saturday morning English to right base for runway 34. I
way, on a strip of land be- duty at the airport station, knew both the pilot and Board and the Federal Avia- overheard one of Gilmores' also heard the plane and it
tween First Avenue and Lake who began a thorough check plane that was in trouble ap- tion Administration were on sons tell agents from the FAA sounded like it was running
Almanor. of the airport property and proached them with informa- scene Friday to investigate that his parents were return- just fine. But when they
The Plumas County CorD- were unable to locate anytion on the plane's possible the cause of the crash. Ac- ing that evening from Santa
her has not officially con- problems, reported Assistant location• cording to FAA spokesman Rosa, where they spent part
firmed Janet Gilmore as the Fire Chief Nick Dawson in a Chester Fire dispatched Ian McGregor, the NTSB of the day making routine See Crash, page 2A
rl
ar
ur
plr
Ruth Ellis Lassen County Jail where
Staff Writer they are being held without
rellis@lassennews.com bail. Arraignment was sched-
uled for 4 p.m. Monday,
An autopsy report deter-Jan. 10.
mined Susanville Police Offi- McFarland identified Joanna
cer Robert James McElrath as McElrath's wife and James
died of a gunshot wound, con- as her boyfriend.
firmed Matt McFarland, aLassen County District
sergeant with the LassenAttorney Bob Burns said
County Sheriffs office, he planned to file two
Preliminary information complaints in Lassen County
regarding the death of McE1- Superior Court. The first
rath was given during a 2 charge is premeditated and
p.m. press conference Friday, deliberate murder and the
Jan. 7, at the sheriffs office, second charge is conspiracy•
Law enforcement officials With the first charge,
have been investigating the Burns said there will be three
death of McElrath, who was special circumstances: first,
found mid-morning Sunday, that the murder was perpe-
Jan. 2, near the railroad trated for the purpose of
trestle at Devil's Corral. His financial gain; second, that
death occurred while offthe murder was perpetrated
duty. while lying in wait; and
The case was determined to third, that James allegedly
be a homicide and Thursday, personally used the handgun
Jan. 6, Joanna McElrath during the felony and that
(Beckett), 36, and Robin Glen action killed McEirath.
James, 46, of Susanville were By filing the special cir-
arrested on charges of cumstances, Burns said the
murder and conspiracy indeath penalty is available for
the death of McElrath, 37. the crimes as well as life
They were booked into the without parole.
Officer Robert McEIrath
However, Burns said it isRoWs death was a homicide.
too early in the case to say if Through investigative leads
the death penalty will be a we determined Rob's wife,
factor. Joanna McElrath, and
Burns said James was alsoher boyfriend, Robin James,
on probation for a felonywere responsible."
charge of domestic violence• Susanville Police Chief
At approximately 10:59 a.m. Jeff Atkinson commended
Sunday, Jan. 2, deputies re- the investigative efforts
sponded to Devil's Corral for of the sheriff's office,
a report of a deceased body. Lassen County Sheriff Dean
McFarland said he was one of Growdon and everyone who
the initial officers respond- helped,
ing to the scene to begin the "We're a small department.
coroner investigation. Rob was an important part of
"After our preliminary what we do and we will miss
investigation at the scene, him greatly. Even though
we determined this case Rob was one of mine, every-
was possibly a homicide,"body on scene treated him
he said. like he was one of theirs ...
The area was closed off and we'll be all right," Atkin-
and secured to protect any son said.
evidence, and Monday, Jan. McElrath is a lifelong
3, McFarland said assistance resident of Susanville and a
was requested from outside graduate of Lassen High
agencies for technical and School.
forensic support. He served in the United
After learning about the States Marines and, accord-
autopsy results Monday, ing to Growdon, started his
McFarland said, "This in-law enforcement career as a
formation coupled with correctional officer at the
other facts, we determined
the scene confirmed that See McEIrath, page 3A
II
Sam Williams
News Editor
swilliams@lassennews.com
Lassen County Superior
Court Judge Donald Sokol
denied a request for a writ of
mandate from three environ-
mental groups seeking to
block the development of the
four-season resort at Dyer
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To subscribe to the Record,
call 530-283-0800
Mountain near Westwood.
Sokol issued a sweeping
ruling Thursday, Dec. 30, that
completely supports the
county's environmental
reviews of the project.
The environmental groups
-- Mountain Meadows Con-
servancy, Sierra Club and
Sierra Watch -- contended
the final Environmental
Impact Report, certified by
the Lassen County Board of
Supervisors Sept. 25, 2007,
"should be vacated and set
aside along with the subdivi-
sion map and development
agreement," because it did
not examine all the potential
environmental impacts in the
entire project.
Instead, the county plans to
review the environmental
impacts of the development
as the project progresses in
stages.
Sokol's decision included a
number of rulings -- all sup-
porting the planning process
followed by Lassen County,
the Lassen County Board of
Supervisors, Dyer Mountain
Associates LLC and nearly 60
as-yet-unnamed respondents.
"The county is gratified
that the court has upheld the
nearly decade-long environ-
mental review process for
this project," said Richard
Crabtree, Lassen County
counsel. "It's nice to see the
will of the voters expressed
in the 2000 initiative may
finally be recognized. This
project will obviously be an
economic boon for Lassen
County."
Sokol characterized the
dispute in his ruling: was
the county's Environmental
Impact Report approving the
tentative subdivision map
"a proper and legal EIR" that
allowed "tiering of the pro-
ject" or should the EIR be
"vacated and set aside along
with the subdivision map and
development agreement"?
The environmental groups
also asked the court to order
a temporary stay pending the
county's and developer's com-
pliance with the California
Environmental Quality Act.
The dispute began in No-
vember 2000 when Lassen
County voters approved an and approved a tentative sub-
initiative modifying the division map.
Lassen County General On Oct. 9, 2007, the board
Plan to designate the area adopted the Dyer Mountain
known as Dyer Mountain as Mitigation/Development Agree-
a four-season resort. The ment "which admittedly consti.
developer originally divided tutes a legal contract between
the 7,000-acre project into 13 the developer and the county
parcels, controlling how the project
According to Sokol's rul- willproceed."
ing, "the county prepared an According to Sokol's
EIR in 2005 which analyzed ruling, the environmental
88 potential environmental groups, the county and the
impacts and six alternative court each presented three
projects. Of the 88 potential different court cases to inter-
impacts, the EIR identified 71 pret the case.
potentially significant im- The environmental groups
pacts including 17 impacts cited Stanislaus National
described as 'unavoidable.'" Heritage Project v. County
The Lassen County Board of Stanislaus "as being
of Supervisors certified
the final EIR Sept. 26, 2007, See Dyer, page 3A
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