LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The Board of Supervisors is seeking applicants to fill a vacancy on the Lower Lake Cemetery District Board of Trustees.

Interested applicants must reside within the Lower Lake Cemetery District’s boundary and be registered to vote in Lake County.

Applications are available at the Lake County Courthouse, Clerk of the Board Office, Room 109, 255 N. Forbes St., Lakeport, or online at http://www.lakecountyca.gov/Government/Boards.htm.

Please note that the membership on the above referenced advisory board is voluntary.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The Area Agency on Aging, or AAA, of Lake & Mendocino Counties PSA 26 will conduct a public hearing to accept comments on the 2020-2024 Area Plan Update.

The hearing will take place at 11 a.m. Thursday, March 31, via Zoom.

The area plan update sets forth goals and objectives to address needs of older adults and people with disabilities in Lake and Mendocino Counties.

The AAA is interested in receiving comments from older adults, persons with disabilities, family caregivers, agencies, and advocacy groups serving these individuals, as well as other interested parties.

Copies of the plan’s goals and objectives will be available at the hearing and the entire plan for 2020-2024 can be accessed here.

For more information or to RSVP, please contact AAA at 707-995-3744 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

California Attorney General Bonta on Friday warned Californians of fraudulent charitable solicitations that may claim to help the victims of Ukraine’s recent invasion.

Well-intentioned or otherwise, the charities formed overnight as a response to this crisis may lack the experience, contacts, and staff needed to respond to a disaster.

Fraudsters are always seeking to capitalize on people’s desire to help. Before aiding the victims of this crisis, Attorney General Bonta urges Californians to take their time to research before giving.

“The invasion of Ukraine is heartbreaking and unacceptable. I know that Californians, many with families and loved ones in the country, stand in solidarity with Ukraine and will be looking for any way to help its people,” said Attorney General Bonta. “However, before Californians do this, I urge them to take the necessary steps to research these charities so their contributions can go to legitimate causes. As Californians do their part to give to those in need in Ukraine, we will do our part to protect the integrity of those donations from deceptive solicitations. If you believe that a charity or fundraiser has acted in bad faith, please report it immediately at oag.ca.gov/charities/complaints.”

Donation tips

• Check the registration status: Charities operating in California and telemarketers soliciting donations in California are required to register with the Attorney General’s Registry of Charitable Trusts. They are also required to file annual financial reports, which are made available to the public. Prior to making a donation, make sure to confirm that the charity is registered and up-to-date with its financial reporting by searching the Attorney General’s Registry of Charitable Trusts’ database, located here.

• Give to organizations you trust: Do your research before giving. Review the charity’s purpose and find out how the charity spends its donations. How much is spent directly on the charitable cause? How much goes to overhead and employee compensation? Research charities in your community and support those charities that make a positive impact. If you choose to donate to a charity you are unfamiliar with, contact the charity and ask for information in writing about its programs and finances. You should also confirm the charity’s name, address, and its nonprofit status.

• Be wary of social network fundraising: If you are planning to donate through a social network solicitation, first do some research. Find out what percentage is going to the charity, whether you will be charged a fee, or if a percentage of your donation will be paid to the platform website.

• Don’t be pressured by telemarketers – ask questions before donating: If you receive a call from a telemarketer, ask for the name of the fundraising organization, whether it is registered with the Attorney General’s Office, the name of the charity benefitting from the solicitation, how much of your donation will go to charity and how much to the telemarketer, and the direct telephone number of the charity. If the telemarketer tells you the donation is for your local animal shelter, hospital, school, police, firefighter, or other public safety agency, check directly with the benefitting organization to confirm that it authorized the solicitation and will actually benefit from your donation. Don’t fall for pressure tactics or threats. Remember that you have the right to reject the donation appeal and if you feel pressured or threatened, just hang up.

• Watch out for similar-sounding names, web addresses, and other deceptive tactics: Fraudulent organizations may use names that closely resemble those of well-established charitable organizations in order to mislead donors. Look out for fraudulent websites that have a slightly different web address (URL) than that of a legitimate charitable organization. Similar-looking URLs are sometimes purchased by fraudsters to lure in would-be donors. These sites may ask you for personal information or install harmful material onto your device. Be skeptical if someone thanks you for a pledge you never made, and always check your records.

• Understand the difference between “tax-exempt” and "tax-deductible": Being a nonprofit does not mean the organization is exempt from taxation, or that your donation is tax-deductible. Generally, a tax-exempt organization is exempt from paying tax on its income and gifts, but may or may not be able to offer a charitable tax deduction to donors for their contributions. Just because an organization has a “Tax ID Number” or provides donors with a receipt that says “keep this receipt for your records” does not mean that the organization is a charity, tax-exempt, or that your donation is tax-deductible. A few tax-exempt organizations – most notably those given 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) – are able to offer charitable tax deductions for your donations. If you are not sure whether your donation is tax-deductible, verify the charity’s tax-exempt status by using the tools and information located on the IRS website.

• Consider the costs of gifts and merchandise: Gifts that you receive from a charity in exchange for your donation cost money and generally, these expenses are paid from donated funds. The value of the goods and services that you receive for your donation is not tax-deductible. Some charities may sell merchandise online and claim that “100% of the proceeds” will benefit its charitable purpose. However, this does not necessarily mean that 100% of the sales price of the merchandise will go to charity, and the cost of the merchandise itself can greatly reduce the value of your donation.

• Protect your identity: Never give your Social Security number or other personal information in response to a charitable solicitation. Never give out credit card information to an organization unfamiliar to you. Some organizations sell or rent their donor lists to other organizations, including organizations that are not charities. Review the charity’s privacy policy to find out if your information will be shared with outside companies.

For more information on how to protect yourself and your donations, check out the attorney’s general’s donation tips webpage at https://oag.ca.gov/donations. Complaints against charities can be filed using the charity complaint form, which you can find at https://oag.ca.gov/charities/complaints.

NORTH‌‌ ‌‌COAST, ‌‌ ‌‌Calif. —‌ Caltrans‌‌ ‌‌reports‌‌ ‌‌that‌‌ ‌‌the‌‌ ‌‌following‌‌ ‌‌road‌‌ ‌‌projects‌‌ ‌‌will‌‌ ‌‌be‌‌ ‌‌taking‌‌ ‌‌place‌‌ ‌‌‌around‌‌ ‌‌the‌‌ ‌‌North‌‌ ‌‌Coast‌‌ ‌‌during‌‌ ‌‌the‌‌ ‌‌coming‌‌ ‌‌week. ‌‌ ‌‌‌ ‌
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Included‌‌ ‌‌are‌‌ ‌‌Mendocino‌‌ ‌‌County‌‌ ‌‌projects‌‌ ‌‌that‌‌ ‌‌may‌‌ ‌‌impact‌‌ ‌‌Lake‌‌ ‌‌County‌‌ ‌‌commuters, as well as work in Del Norte and Humboldt counties.
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Caltrans‌‌ ‌‌advises‌‌ ‌‌motorists‌‌ ‌‌to‌‌ ‌‌drive‌‌ ‌‌with‌‌ ‌‌caution‌‌ ‌‌when‌‌ ‌‌approaching‌‌ ‌‌work‌‌ ‌‌areas‌‌ ‌‌and‌‌ ‌‌to‌‌ ‌‌be‌‌ ‌‌‌prepared‌‌ ‌‌to‌‌ ‌‌stop‌‌ ‌‌at‌‌ ‌‌traffic‌‌ ‌‌control‌‌ ‌‌stations. ‌‌ ‌‌‌ ‌
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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. ‌‌ ‌‌‌ ‌‌‌ ‌

For‌‌ ‌‌updates‌‌ ‌‌to‌‌ ‌‌this‌‌ ‌‌list‌‌ ‌‌check‌‌ ‌‌QuickMap‌‌ ‌‌at‌‌ ‌‌‌www.dot.ca.gov‌‌‌ or‌‌ ‌‌1-800-GAS-ROAD‌‌ ‌‌‌ ‌(1-800-427-7623). ‌‌ ‌‌‌ ‌

LAKE‌‌ ‌‌COUNTY‌‌ ‌‌‌ ‌
‌‌‌ ‌
Highway‌‌ ‌‌20

— Road work west of Upper Lake near Saratoga Springs Road will continue. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays. Motorists should anticipate 10-minute delays.

MENDOCINO COUNTY

Highway 1

— Tree work near Leggett will continue. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays. Motorists should expect five-minute delays.

Highway 20

— Emergency work continues south of Willits at the Jct 20/101 Bridge. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 6:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. weekdays. Motorists should expect 10-minute delays.

Highway 101

— Slide removal at Pieta Creek Bridge will continue. Northbound Lane closures will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.

— Moss Cove Safety Rest Area will be closed through March 2022.

— Empire Camp Safety Rest Area will be closed through March 2022.

Highway 128

— Utility work will occur near Mountain House Road on Monday, Feb. 28. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Motorists should expect five-minute delays.

Highway 222

— Paving work in Ukiah from Perry Street to Hastings Frontage Road on Monday, Feb. 28. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 6 a.m. to 1 p.m. Motorists should expect five-minute delays.

— Paving work in Ukiah near Sanford Ranch Road is scheduled to begin on Tuesday, March 1. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Motorists should expect five-minute delays.

Highway 271

— Utility work will occur south of Leggett near Big Dann Creek on Tuesday, March 1. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Motorists should expect five-minute delays.

DEL NORTE COUNTY

Highway 101

— Bridge work north of Klamath near Old Hunter Creek Road will continue. One-way traffic control will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate 10-minute delays.

— Emergency work and construction in the Last Chance Grade area will continue. Motorists should anticipate 30-minute delays at all hours.

— Shoulder work near Ocean World in Crescent City will continue. Lane closures in place from 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. weekdays. Motorists should expect minor slowdowns through the area.

Highway 199

— Collier Tunnel Rest Area closed for maintenance work until further notice. In addition, tree work in the area continues with one-way traffic control in effect through 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Motorists should anticipate 15-minute delays.

HUMBOLDT COUNTY

Highway 36

— Bridge work scheduled Friday, Feb. 25, east of Grizzly Redwoods State Park. One-way traffic control in place between 7 a.m. and 3 p.m. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.

— PG&E has been granted a Caltrans Encroachment Permit for utility work scheduled for Monday, Feb. 28. One-way traffic control in effect from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. throughout the area. Motorists should expect five-minute delays.

— Construction work scheduled east of Grizzly Redwoods State Park to Bridgeville continues. One-way traffic control in place 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. through Friday, Feb. 25. Motorists should expect five-minute delays.

Highway 96

— Emergency work near Willow Creek will continue. One-way traffic control will be in effect between 7 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. Motorists should expect 20-minute delays.

— PG&E has been granted a Caltrans Encroachment Permit for utility work scheduled Monday, Feb. 28, north of Hoopa. One-way traffic control in place from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.

Highway 101

— Bridge work south of Phillipsville will continue. Lane closures will be in effect weekdays. Motorists should anticipate minor traffic slowdowns. A northbound onramp closure will also be in effect. Motorists should use an alternate route.

— Emergency work scheduled to begin Monday, Feb. 28, in Arcata. Lane and right shoulder closure in place between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. through Thursday, March 3. Motorists should expect up to 10-minute delays.

— Overnight work scheduled to begin Thursday, Feb. 24, will close the northbound offramp for Route 200 (Exit 718) in McKinleyville. Full closure in place between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. through Thursday, March 3. Motorists should use an alternate route.

— Repair work scheduled at the Trinidad Rest Area. A full closure is in place until work is completed. Motorists should plan for alternate services.

Highway 211

— Guardrail work north of Ferndale continues One-way traffic control in effect 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday, Feb. 25. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.

Highway 254

— Utility work scheduled to begin Monday, Feb. 28, on the Avenue of the Giants in Redcrest. One-way traffic control in place from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. through Friday, March 4. Motorists should expect five-minute delays.

Highway 255

— Utility work near Manila will continue. One-way traffic will be in effect from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays. Motorists should expect 10-minute delays.

Highway 299

— Repair work east of Blue Lake to Willow Creek to continue. One-way traffic control in effect 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Motorists should expect up to 20-minute delays.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The Countywide Community Visioning Forum Planning Committee will next meet via Zoom at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 22.

The meeting can be accessed here: the meeting ID is 960 0471 5608, the pass code is 475059.

One tap mobile: +16699006833,,96004715608#,,,,*475059# US (San Jose).

From any mobile or landline phone, you may also dial 1-669-900-6833, and enter the Meeting ID and Passcode above, when prompted. To contribute to this meeting from a phone, press *9 to raise your hand, and *6 to unmute, once you are recognized to speak.

The public is encouraged to attend and participate via Zoom. The full meeting agenda for this meeting and further resources can be accessed here.

The Department of Water Resources, or DWR, has launched a new website, California Water Watch, that helps Californians easily access information on current local and statewide water conditions — down to their own region and even neighborhood.

“The variability of California’s climate and current water conditions we are experiencing now make this data more important than ever. Climate whiplash is our new reality living in this State, and we are innovating and developing new tools like California Water Watch to provide water managers, researchers, and policymakers with the data necessary to make better informed decisions about our limited water supply,” said DWR Director Karla Nemeth.

The website brings together data from DWR and other sources to provide dynamic real-time information on precipitation, temperature, reservoirs, snowpack, groundwater, streamflow, soil moisture, and vegetation conditions.

Users can enter an address to see local conditions, including daily precipitation and temperature statistics, for their area and links to water supplier information. The website also allows users to compare data on local conditions by year and by region.

The website was developed in response to Gov. Newsom’s call for a California-centric version of the U.S. Drought Monitor website in his drought state of emergency proclamation. The website was also recommended in the California Natural Resources Agency’s report to the Legislature on lessons learned from the 2012-2016 drought.

California Water Watch also includes precipitation forecast maps and links to other forecasting products, all from one easy-to-use web page. Regular hydroclimate summaries developed by California State Climatologist Mike Anderson will also be posted to the California Water Watch website.

These summaries will succinctly describe what current water conditions look like in California and their impacts on the current drought.

California Water Watch is just one of many tools being leveraged and developed by DWR to keep Californians informed about current conditions and to improve water supply forecasting.

For information about other DWR and State drought response efforts and funding programs, visit: drought.ca.gov/.

For more information, follow us on Twitter or Facebook and read our news releases and DWR updates.