-Headline News

Ruth Ellis

When law enforcement officials questioned Joanna McElrath, wife of Susanville city police officer Robert McElrath, about her husband’s whereabouts on the evening of Saturday, Jan. 1, she told them Robert had wanted to get drunk that night and gave an account of their evening together.

According to search and Ramey warrants, Joanna, 36, said when she woke up the next morning, Robert was gone. A Ramey warrant is issued prior to the court filing of a criminal case against a specific defendant because law enforcement believes there is probably cause to enter a residence or enclosed area to arrest someone.

Editor’s Note: Some of the information in the following story could be considered graphic. Text messages are not in their entirety and quoted texts have not been altered except in a couple of cases to clarify texting lingo.

Transcripts of the text messages are from cell phone records registered to Joanna McElrath, Robin Glen James, Robert J. McElrath and Matt Wood

Text messages sent between the cell phones of Joanna McElrath (Beckett) and Robin Glen James the evening of Saturday, Jan. 1, tell how the two worked together to allegedly murder Susanville police officer Robert McElrath that night.

Word from the state grange is that the Taylorsville Community Grange is once again alive and well, and will have a meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 1 to elect new officers and make plans for the coming year.  The meeting will start at 6 p.m., and everyone is invited.

The Taylorsville Grange has served the community since 1928.

Investigators still have not identified cause of fatal accident

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) released a preliminary report Jan. 20 on the Jan. 6 plane crash at Rogers Field that killed two Chester residents, Ronald and Janet Gilmore.

The report does not establish a cause for the accident. It could be several months before the agency issues a final report.

In a split vote at a meeting Tuesday, Jan. 18, the Plumas County Board of Supervisors decided to give its waste management collection companies notice of the county’s intent to not renew the current contracts.

This was the first 3-to-2 vote at a board meeting in months and the action was preceded by a lively discussion.