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Lakeport Community Cleanup Day set to take place April 26
LAKEPORT, Calif. — The Lakeport Spring Community Cleanup Day is set to take place on Saturday, April 26.It will be held from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Shoreline Shopping Center parking lot, 347 Lakeport Blvd., behind Bruno’s ShopRite and near Dollar Tree.
The event is a good time to spring clean that garage, attic or spare room.
Lakeport residents and business owners can bring accepted items for disposal and help keep the city looking its best.
Participants must stay in their vehicles while staffers unload materials.
There is a two-visit maximum per city of Lakeport address.
Bring a photo identification and a current city of Lakeport utility bill to participate.
Accepted materials are household trash, televisions and appliances (stoves, washers, dryers), electronic waste, mattresses and furniture, and unusable clothes, blankets and towels.
They will not accept refrigerators, hot tubs, air conditioners, construction debris, used tires and household hazardous waste.
For more details, visit the city website or contact Lakeport Disposal at 707-263-6080.
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- Written by: LAKE COUNTY NEWS REPORTS
State Senate forms Special Committee on International Sporting Events for 2028 Olympics and World Cup Soccer
Senate President pro Tempore Mike McGuire (D-North Coast) on Tuesday announced the creation of a special committee on International Sporting Events.The bipartisan committee of 11 senators is tasked with ensuring the state’s preparedness to host both the 2026 World Cup and 2028 Olympics.
The FIFA World Cup is estimated to bring in more than half a billion dollars to both the Bay Area and Los Angeles.
Meanwhile, the 2028 Olympics are projected to create nearly 80,000 new full-time jobs with an $11 billion economic impact. Millions of spectators are expected to flock to the state for both events.
California will be in the global spotlight for both major events and the committee will help ensure the infrastructure, transportation, public safety, tourism, and hospitality industries are fully equipped to meet demand.
“The opportunities for this state with these two massive worldwide events are endless,” Sen. McGuire said. “It’s such an honor for the Golden State to be hosting the World Cup and the 2028 Olympics. That said, stakes are high and we must be prepared. The committee is poised to help meet the demands and expectations advanced by these events and to ensure their success. This new Senate committee will help ensure the Golden State will be ready to go, the welcome mat is rolled out, and the experience is world class.”
“The Senate is kicking into high gear to prepare for the Olympics and World Cup,” said Special Committee Chair Sen. Ben Allen (D-Santa Monica). “After the devastation my community experienced during the Los Angeles fires, it’s critical that we have the tools we need to rebuild and showcase California’s best to the world. We’ve got a ton of work ahead of us and I’m deeply grateful to Pro Tem McGuire for appointing me to this role.”
“With two major sporting events headed to California in just a few short years, we must be prepared and ready to go,” said Special Committee Vice-Chair Sen. Maria Elena Durazo (D-Los Angeles). “From the World Cup to the Olympics, the investments we make now will uplift both the greater LA region and the entire Bay Area. I am honored to be appointed as vice-chair by Pro Tem McGuire and I look forward to helping bring these world-class events to life.”
The Senate Special Committee will be holding a series of hearings in the coming months.
The Special Committee will be chaired by Sen. Ben Allen (D-Santa Monica), vice-chaired by Sen. Maria Elena Durazo (D-Los Angeles), and will include the following Senators: Sen. Bob Archuleta (D-Pico Rivera), Sen. Dave Cortese (D-San Jose), Sen. Lena Gonzalez (D-Long Beach), Sen. Laura Richardson (D-South Bay), Sen. Susan Rubio (D-Baldwin Park), Sen. Lola Smallwood-Cuevas (D-Los Angeles), Sen. Tom Umberg (D-Santa Ana), Sen. Suzette Martinez Valladares (R-Santa Clarita), and Sen. Aisha Wahab (D-Silicon Valley).
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- Written by: LAKE COUNTY NEWS REPORTS
Middletown teachers vote to authorize potential strike; bargaining session scheduled
MIDDLETOWN, Calif. — Middletown Unified’s teachers union said its members are ready to strike as negotiations with the district leadership continue.On Monday afternoon, the Middletown Teachers Association, or MTA, announced that its membership had overwhelmingly voted to authorize a potential strike.
Altogether, 96% of the union’s teachers decided they are ready to strike if necessary, union officials reported.
Union representative Diego Santelices told Lake County News that the strike authorization vote took place on Wednesday, April 16.
That vote allows the union leadership to call for a strike if teachers don’t see significant movement towards an agreement with their district in negotiations, the union reported.
“We are hopeful it doesn’t have to get to that point,” MTA negotiator and a 34-year MUSD veteran, Jennifer Pyzer said of the strike. “But we will do whatever it takes to show our commitment to fighting for our students and the community.”
The union said its teachers have cited “a lack of transparency and communication that hinders their ability to serve their most vulnerable students, as well as issues with compensation for their multilingual staff. Teachers are also seeking raises as the cost of living skyrockets.”
“Our teachers are sending a message to our new superintendent: respect our work and respect our students,” Middletown Teachers Association Co-President Adam Stevens said in the statement. “Teachers know it is crucial for us to be actively involved in supporting our special education students, and we want to be there for meetings that discuss their progress and challenges. Why this administration does not respect this part of the process is beyond me.”
On the district side, Jeff Crane, who became Middletown Unified’s superintendent last spring, said the union and district have a bargaining session planned for May 2 and the district is “optimistic that we can make progress on these issues.”
Crane added, “The work that MUSD educators do every day for our students is valuable. MUSD administration looks forward to continuing to work with MTA leadership toward a solution that benefits our staff and students and balances the realities of our financial situation. We have a structural deficit that has required us to implement a deficit elimination plan that will hopefully enable us to avoid the massive reductions that are being made in other districts throughout the state.”
Santelices said that the union — affiliated with both the California Teachers Association and the National Education Association — was formed more than 30 years ago, and that veteran educators like Pyzer haven’t held a strike vote before.
Middletown Teachers Association and Middletown Unified are currently awaiting the start of the fact-finding process of the impasse procedure.
California Public Employment Relations Board, or PERB, records show that the teachers union filed its impasse request on Feb. 14.
That request, along with mediation, was approved on Feb. 20, according to PERB records.
Once a hearing is held and a report is delivered, the teachers will be legally eligible to go on strike, the union reported.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
Annual Lake County invasive weeds tours to be held May 8 and 9
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The Lake County Weed Management Area has announced its annual “Invasive Weeds Tour for 2025.”
This year they are offering two tours on consecutive days; one showcasing aquatic and wetland plants that grow in and around Clear Lake (and efforts to remove invasive species from around the Clear Lake shoreline), and the second highlighting weeds of grasslands and oak woodlands and restoration of native wildflowers at the McLaughlin Reserve.
As always, this event is freeopen to the public.
The tours are as follows.
Thursday May 8, 9 a.m. to noon: Aquatic Weed Tour at Clear Lake State Park.
Join staff from Lake County’s Land Trust and Resource Conservation District as they dive into the world of aquatic plants and wetland weeds of Clear Lake and the broader county.
Aquatic and wetland plant specimens and examples will be presented to facilitate hands-on learning and education.
With partnership from Tribal EcoRestoration Alliance and Big Valley Rancheria, attendees will learn about recent invasive plant management efforts around the lake, including at the State Park.
Outreach materials and display tables will provide an opportunity to dig deeper. Parking is free (by the Marina Pavilion, across from the Visitor Center); just inform the front entrance kiosk staff that you are attending the 2025 Weed Tour.
Friday May 9, 9 a.m. to noon. Weeds and Wildflowers at the McLaughlin Natural Reserve
Join staff from the University of California’s McLaughlin Natural Reserve to learn how invasive plants, especially annual grasses, have reduced native wildflower displays in Lake County.
On this tour, they will view areas of the reserve where wildflowers have been restored by removing invasive species. Prescribed fire, cattle grazing, herbicides, mowing and hand pulling are all tools to control weeds and restore wildflowers.
They are expecting robust wildflower displays in May this year, so bring your camera. Guests are invited to meet at the McLaughlin Reserve Headquarters (26775 Morgan Valley Road) to carpool for our field tour, which will involve walking about a quarter mile on gentle terrain.
For both tours, please bring hats, sunscreen, lunch or a snack, drinking water, and your questions about plants and the lake. Please wear sturdy shoes that are free of seeds and mud and bring gloves if you want some hands-on weed removal experience.
The annual invasive weed tours are sponsored by the Lake County Department of Agriculture and the Lake County Resource Conservation District.
No reservations are required. Please contact the Office of the County Agricultural Commissioner at 707-263-0217 if you have any questions.
What is a Weed Management Area?
County agricultural commissioners frequently bring together parties with mutual interest in working on Invasive Weed Management projects, and these collectives are referred to as, “Weed Management Areas,” or WMAs.
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- Written by: LAKE COUNTY NEWS REPORTS