MENDOCINO COUNTY, Calif. – The Mendocino County Public Broadcasting Board of Directors of had a marathon meeting of nearly 12 hours on Monday, Dec. 14, to decide on a new general manager/executive director.

There were many qualified applicants, but with a solid consensus they voted for the station's news reporter, Lorraine Dechter.

Dechter will officially be hired at the Jan. 4 board meeting in Ukiah.

Dechter came to Mendocino County about a year ago as a part-time contract News Coordinator for KZYX and Z. Since then she has built a top-notch news team, rising to state and national attention during the recent Lake County fires due to the team's excellent breaking news reporting.

She is the former station manager and founder of KFPR-FM in Redding, an NPR sister station to KCHO-FM at California State University, Chico. She retired from Chico State in 2014 and graduated from that university with a bachelor's degree in communications and major work toward a master's degree.

She has been involved in radio since the age of 14, at the first exclusively cablecasting community radio station in the United States, a nonprofit youth organization started by a group of teenagers in 1972.

Stuart Campbell, the station's interim director for five months, started at KZYX as producer of the literary show “Consider This” and then became the programmer's representative on the board of directors. He has served as the board president before stepping into the interim manager job.

“He has done a wonderful job,” said Meg Courtney, president of Mendocino County Public Broadcasting, who added that Campbell worked for several months as interim manager without pay. “We are deeply grateful to him. Thank you, Stuart, and welcome to you. Lorraine.”

Dechter has a resume revealing vast multimedia experience. She was producer/director, public information officer, investigative journalist, and arts and fundrasiing specialist at KIXE-TV in Redding (PBS) since her early 20s.

She produced and directed the music series “Stage 9,” which was broadcast on one-third of the nation's PBS stations, and produced and acquired funding for the long running “Jobs” show, featuring regional employment and job-related stories and issues.

She has also been a correspondent for the Sacramento Bee, artist liasion for Strawberry Music Festival, brought “A Prairie Home Companion to Redding,” wrote the ethics in news policy for Chico State's public radio station and was responsible for saving a $250,000 payroll in Shasta County providing entrepreneurial support for nonprofit organizations through the Americorps VISTA program.

Dechter has trained hundreds in community media, operating radio boot camps, teacher trainings, school programs and other opportunities. She accomplished much of this through grant procurement and administration.

She developed a variety of community engagement models that are recognized for their effectiveness and creativity by her peers in the industry. She has a lot of training in group facilitation, mediation and volunteer management training.

Dechter is in the current class of Leadership Mendocino, thanks to a scholarship from an anonymous KZYX donor and another from the Leadership Mendocino Steering Committee.

She will officially be introduced as station manager/executive director of Mendocino County Public Broadcasting on Monday, Jan. 4, at the first board of directors' meeting of the new year. The location in Ukiah will be listed on the www.kzxy.org Web site.

Dechter is moderating the second annual “Building Community Through News” event and KZYX Holiday Party from 2 to 5 p.m. this Sunday, Dec. 20, at the SPACE Performing Arts Center in Ukiah. The event is a potluck, and there is no admission charge.

The guest speaker is Elizabeth Larson, editor/publisher of Lake County News.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The last Valley Fire Long-Term Recovery Task Force meeting of 2015 was held at Black Rock Golf Course in Cobb on Tuesday night at 6 p.m.

Meetings will resume for 2016, with the next meeting taking place at Twin Pine Casino Event Center in Middletown on Jan. 5.

Additionally, Long-Term Valley Fire Task Force Coordinator Carol Huchingson will not be holding office hours during the weeks of Christmas and New Year’s.

NORTH COAST, Calif. – Caltrans reports that the following road projects will be taking place around the North Coast during the coming week.

Included are Mendocino County projects that may impact Lake County commuters.

In observance of the Christmas holiday, Caltrans crews and contractors will not be performing any activity on state highways that would include lane closures from Thursday, Dec. 24, through Sunday, Dec. 27. However, Caltrans will respond to emergency situations with traffic control as required.

Caltrans wishes everyone a happy, healthy and safe holiday season.

LAKE COUNTY

Highway 20

– Guardrail repairs from Saratoga Springs Road to Witter Springs Road will continue. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.
 
– Pavement repairs from Rosemont Drive to the junction of Routes 20/53 will continue. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays. Motorists should anticipate 15-minute delays.

– Rocky Fire repairs from Gravel Plant Road to the Lake/Colusa County line will continue. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.

Highway 29

– Valley Fire cleanup from the Lake/Napa County line to Hidden Valley will continue. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. seven days per week. Motorists should anticipate 15-minute delays.
 
– PG&E has been granted a Caltrans encroachment permit for utility repairs about 0.6 mile north of the junction of Routes 29/281 on Wednesday, Dec. 23. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.
 
– Pavement repairs from Main Street in Kelseyville to the junction of Routes 29/175 near Lakeport will continue through Friday, Dec. 18. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. or from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays. Motorists should anticipate 15-minute delays.
 
Highway 175

– Fire recovery work from the junction of Routes 29/175 in Middletown to Loch Lomond will continue. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. 7 days per week. Motorists should anticipate 30-minute delays.

MENDOCINO COUNTY

Highway 1

– Bridge painting at the Navarro River Bridge will continue. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.

– Highway repairs just north of Ocean Meadows Circle will continue. One-way traffic control with a temporary signal will be in effect 24 hours per day, seven days per week. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.
 
Highway 101

– Caltrans will perform slide repairs near the Korean War Veterans Memorial Bridge (near Frog Woman Rock). Northbound traffic will be restricted to one lane 24 hours per day, seven days per week. Motorists may experience minor traffic slowdowns.

– Pavement repairs from Harwood Road to Rattlesnake Creek will continue through Saturday, Dec. 19. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. 7 days per week. Motorists should anticipate 15-minute delays.

Highway 128

– AT&T has been granted a Caltrans encroachment permit for utility repairs near Philo Greenwood Road on Friday, Dec. 18. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 9 a.m. to noon. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.

Highway 271
 
– PG&E has been granted a Caltrans encroachment permit for utility repairs from Cummings to Scandia beginning Monday, Dec. 21. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.

The Caltrans Traffic Operations Office has reviewed each project and determined that individual project delays are expected to be less than the statewide policy maximum of 30 minutes, unless noted otherwise above.

For information pertaining to emergency roadwork or for updates to scheduled roadwork, please contact the California Highway Information Network (CHIN) at 1-800-GAS-ROAD (1-800-427-7623).

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – After five years of drought, many owners of homes and second homes in California may shrug off the suggestion of buying flood insurance.

El Niño and the recent wildfires may change the minds of many, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

In California, El Niño means extremely heavy rainfall that could lead to devastating flooding, especially in areas affected by prolonged drought and recent wildfires.

The winter of 1997 was one of the strongest El Niños on record. The rains were so unrelenting in California that they led to mudslides, causing houses to crumble off disintegrating cliffs and hundreds of millions of dollars in damage.

This winter’s El Niño is expected to be as strong or even stronger. El Niño conditions will be strongest between January and late March, and could linger through May.

While flood insurance cannot prevent damage to a home, it is a good investment for protecting it. Property owners can purchase up to $250,000 in building coverage and up to $100,000 for contents.

Especially vulnerable are the areas where wildfires hit. Burn scars leave the ground unable to absorb water, creating conditions ripe for flash flooding and mudflow for up to five years until the vegetation is restored.

Standard homeowners insurance does not cover flood damage. Flood insurance is available through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and covers a general and temporary condition of rapid and unusual accumulation of surface water displaced over two acres or two properties as defined in the standard NFIP policy.

Since there is a 30-day waiting period before flood insurance coverage becomes effective, property owners are urged to speak with their local insurance agent soon.

For additional information on the NFIP or to find an agent, call 800-427-2419 or visit www.floodsmart.gov .

FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from and mitigate all hazards.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lake County Law Library Board of Directors will hold a regular meeting on on Thursday, Dec. 17.

The board will meet at noon at the Law Library, 175 Third St. in Lakeport.

Agenda items include the financial report ending Nov. 30, liability insurance, the WordPerfect program, the law librarian's work hours and wages, and the December holiday schedule.

Board trustees include President Mike Ewing, Secretary Dennis Fordham, Judge Andrew S. Blum, Judge Michael S. Lunas, Shanda Harry and Mary Heare Amodio.

The Law Library Board's next meeting is Jan 21.

Visit the Law Library online at www.lakecountyca.gov/law .

LUCERNE, Calif. – The Lucerne Friends for Locally Owned Water – or FLOW – will meet Saturday, Dec. 19.

The meeting will begin at 11:30 a.m. at the Northshore Community Center, 3985 Country Club Drive in Lucerne.