Congressman Mike Thompson (CA-05) lauded the Senate passage of the Disaster Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2019, which includes key priorities to assist with disaster recovery for California’s Fifth Congressional District for which Thompson advocated.

“The Senate version of the Supplemental Appropriations Act includes provisions I worked on that are critical to our district’s recovery from recent fires. The bill includes $100 million for Community Development Block Grant funding that will help our community with unmet needs from the October 2017 fires such as housing, debris removal and infrastructure repair,” Thompson said.

“This bill also protects our local, small family agricultural producers whose crops may have been damaged by wildfires or wildfire smoke. I worked to ensure funding for the Wildfire and Hurricane Indemnity Program was included in this bill to help our local communities. Both these provisions are essential to our community’s recovery efforts and I will continue to fight to bring back every dollar and resource to help rebuild. I look forward to swift consideration by the House so our communities can access this funding as soon as possible.”

You can click here to learn more about this bill and you can click here to read about Thompson’s advocacy for these provisions that are critical for the Fifth Congressional District.

Thompson represents California’s Fifth Congressional District, which includes all or part of Contra Costa, Lake, Napa, Solano and Sonoma counties.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – A Ukiah man who in January took a vehicle belonging to bail bond agents and earlier this month stole two vehicles and thousands of dollars’ worth of tools and equipment has been arrested in New Mexico.

Gregory Chad Crumpler, 41, was taken into custody this past week after he was found with a stolen Jeep at a motel in Moriarty, New Mexico, according to the California Highway Patrol’s Clear Lake Area office.

Over the past few weeks, Crumpler is alleged to have been involved in several thefts and even a vehicle pursuit with authorities.

The CHP said Crumpler – driving a 2001 Chevy Silverado pickup – led a Lake County CHP unit on a short vehicle chase at 2:20 a.m. May 16 on Highland Springs Road near Highway 29.

Due to weather and the action of the driver – later determined to be Crumpler – authorities said the pursuing CHP unit canceled the pursuit for safety reasons.

The following day, the abandoned pickup was located near the Highland Springs Reservoir, the CHP said.

The pickup was found to have been stolen out of Mendocino County. In the bed of the truck was several thousand dollars’ worth of stolen property, much of it from a Performance Mechanical Heating and Cooling van that had been parked at Guy Strohmeier’s Auto Center on South Main Street in Lakeport for service, according to the CHP.

Crumpler is wanted in Mendocino County for charges related to drug sales and criminal threats, and he also had stolen a vehicle from Sacramento area bail bond agents in Lower Lake in January, resulting in the bail bond agents shooting at him as he fled the scene in their vehicle, as Lake County News has reported.

On May 21, the Clear Lake Area CHP responded to a report of a commercial burglary and vehicle theft from Strohmeier’s Auto Center in Lakeport. The CHP said officers learned that at some time during the prior night, a 2015 Jeep Cherokee was stolen.

The officers suspected that Crumpler had returned to Strohmeier’s and stolen the Jeep, the CHP said.

The CHP officers were able to get a GPS location on the vehicle, which they learned was at a Super 8 Motel in Moriarty, New Mexico.

The Clear Lake Area CHP contacted the Moriarty Police Department and passed the information about the vehicle’s location to them.

Within minutes, Moriarty Police officers had located the Jeep and had Crumpler in custody, the CHP said.

“Clear Lake CHP would like to thank Moriarty Police Department for their quick response in apprehending this suspect,” the agency said in its report. “The California Highway Patrol is committed to providing the highest level of safety, service and security to the communities we serve and is proud of the hard work our officers put into action to ensure this subject is brought to justice.”

It’s not yet been reported when Crumpler may be returned to California to face charges in Lake and Mendocino counties.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Overcast skies, rain, and even hail didn’t put a damper on the enthusiasm of visitors and locals participating in this year’s Lake County Wine Adventure.

Twenty wineries throughout the county, from Upper Lake to Middletown, hosted tastings for the annual passport event organized by the Lake County Winery Association.

Some wineries offered food, as well, often thoughtfully paired with their wines.

While day-of ticket sales are still being tallied, Helena Walsh, executive director of the Lake County Winery Association, estimated that close to 1,000 participated in this year’s Wine Adventure.

My husband and I toured the county and enjoyed many of the wineries over the weekend. We began our adventure on Saturday at Langtry Estate and Vineyards in Middletown, one of the check-in points for the event.

It was quiet when we entered, but I was glad to learn that the pelting rain hadn’t kept people away. According to Buffy Thomas, who was pouring at the wine bar, we had just missed a lively time when dozens of people arrived promptly at 11 a.m. to check in.

Three of Langtry’s wines were offered, two made with their Petit Syrah grapes, and bouquets of lavender graced the tables.

When we arrived at Six Sigma Ranch, Vineyards & Winery, proprietor Kaj Ahlmann was on hand to greet each visitor as they arrived.

Six Sigma is a true working ranch, and on the 2-mile jaunt from the road to their historic tasting room, a former stagecoach depot, we were treated to views of pastured cattle and sheep.

We also caught glimpses of the bike trails built on the ranch for competitive high school events. One such event was held the weekend prior to the Wine Adventure, and we were told by Ahlmann that nearly 5,000 people visited the grounds over that two-day period.

Four of their wines were poured in a tent which protected visitors from the inclement weather, each matched with a tasty bite of food. Visitors were handed a plate with all four hors d’oeuvres upon arrival, which made for convenient pairing.

Ahlmann shared that despite the rain, there were no complaints from visitors; in fact, some saw it as an opportunity to purchase wine since excessive heat wouldn’t spoil it when stored in their vehicle.

I chatted with Wendy and Daniel Kodur, residents of Newark, Calif., in the tasting tent and learned that they traveled to Lake County to join Kelseyville friends on the Wine Adventure, their first. Both were impressed with the welcoming spirit they encountered at the wineries.

The sun shone beautifully on the Brassfield Estate when we visited on Sunday morning. The impressive Tuscan-style villa was buzzing with visitors there to taste the wine.

Hand-crafted California olive oils and imported balsamic vinegars were on display just outside the tasting room on a covered patio. A wide variety of flavors were available for tasting which made it a popular spot.

Young parents Mike and Jeannette from Oakland invited their children’s grandparents along as extra hands so they could experience the event.

With a cumulative total of nine Wine Adventures under their belt, they’re true veterans and consider the event to be Lake County’s “open house.”

They said that the quality of Lake County wines, as well as their great value, keeps them coming back year after year. They especially appreciate the wide-open spaces at Brassfield which their children enjoy.

As we left the Brassfield Estate, the sun retreated and rain followed us to our next destination. We learned later that hail fell in Lower Lake just before we passed through.

It was a family affair at the Gregory Graham Estate Vineyards & Winery, with Marianne Graham’s brother, Patrick, at the entrance and her mother (whose name tag said “MOM”), pouring chardonnay at the first tasting station. Gregory and Marianne Graham were also on hand to chat with visitors.

Of the wineries we visited, this one had the most generous food offerings. Pulled pork sliders (along with coconut slaw and mac and cheese) were paired with their 2012 Estate Syrah, and for dessert, fried waffle balls were paired deliciously with Zinfandel and Moscato wines.

As we were leaving I stopped to chat with a trio of friends, all locals, Denise Combs, Lisa Baker and Laura Sammel, who were on their second winery stop of the day.

All three were enthusiastic about their winery visits thus far. Baker, a two-year resident and two-time participant, has found the Wine Adventure a good way to be introduced to both the county and its wines.

Combs and Sammel are Certified Tourism Ambassadors, and said that in addition to personal enjoyment, they appreciate that the Wine Adventure draws people into the county and provides them with a positive experience.

Just up the road from the Gregory Graham Estate is Vigilance Winery & Vineyards, where wines from the Shannon family were served overlooking sweeping views of vineyards. Clear Lake shone like a blue jewel just beyond them.

This winery had a nosh on offer with each wine they served. According to my husband, the triangles of pastry with raspberry and chocolate paired nicely with their bourbon barrel-aged Buck Shack Cabernet.

Our next destination was Thorn Hill Vineyards. I had passed by this winery often while traversing Highway 29 over the years, and was glad to have the opportunity to stop in.

Winemaker and co-owner Amy Thorn greeted visitors and poured wines at a station near the door.

Four wines, each creatively paired with a flavorsome tidbit, were available in the cozy tasting room, complete with a fire hearthside to dispel the day’s gloom.

It was interesting to learn that Thorn and her husband purchased the land after tasting a Cabernet from the same region, the Red Hills AVA. She said that with one sip she knew that this was the place she wanted to develop their winery.

After leaving Thorn Hill, we headed to Boatique Winery, which is nestled in the hills leading up to Cobb Mountain.

True to its name, this winery boasts an impressive collection of museum-quality wooden boats, all polished to a luminous shine, along with a few vintage automobiles.

Their first pour was a bubbly chardonnay, and guests were welcome to make their own snack mix at a popcorn bar.

While at Boatique, I met best friends and Lake County residents Katelyn Andersen and Shannon Billeci, who were dressed in 1950s-style ensembles. They enjoy wine-tasting and make the Wine Adventure an annual outing.

They tipped me off to an ice sculpture at nearby Laujor Estate, and since it was nearing the end of the day, my husband and I decided to head over there for a quick visit.

As we walked down the hill from our car to the Laujor tasting room, we noticed that those leaving were sporting colored daisies in their hair or behind their ears.

When we entered the tasting room, we saw why: Laujor Estate had a well-orchestrated 1960s “Summer of Love” theme going on.

Nearly everyone representing Laujor, from the owner/winemaker to volunteer pourers, were outfitted in apparel from the era, and flowers were dispensed to visitors upon tasting wine.

Fire pits were aflame on the patio, where one could taste Cabernet paired with meatballs accompanied by a wine sauce.

My favorite part of our visit there was the “wine luge” ice sculpture in the shape of a VW love bus. Two volunteers, Lu and Marti, poured wine through tubing in the luge so it was dispensed cold.

The wine used is dubbed Mystique, and I was told it was half Cabernet, half Sauvignon Blanc, with a spritz of Syrah.

Afterwards, I was given a peace sign sticker to celebrate the rite of passage.

We had just enough time to visit one more winery, so we drove north to Olof Cellars, which sits in the beautiful valley between Kelseyville and Lakeport with views of Mt. Konocti.

Though it was near the conclusion of the Wine Adventure, owners Eric and Cindi Olof warmly welcomed us and others who had opted to end the day at this venue.

Since I was the designated driver for the weekend, very little wine passed my lips. I was about to make an exception, however, for a wine I had heard about from another adventurer.

Without much detail, I was told that Olof Cellars had a “white wine for red wine drinkers” and I was intrigued enough to try it.

It turns out this wine is made from Nebbiolo, a red Italian varietal. For the Olof Cellars White Nebbiolo I tasted, the skins were removed, giving the wine a rich golden color.

The delightful flavor was worth every sip, and it was perfectly paired with a mango flatbread and sweet slaw with salmon.

I had a chance to converse with Eric Olof, a self-taught winemaker, and learned that he planted Italian and French varietals that thrive in our Mediterranean-like climate. As far as he knows, he’s the only U.S. winemaker that presses Nebbiolo grapes.

As much as I wished I could have visited all 20 participating wineries, time constraints prevented it. Even so, the weekend was immensely rich, and as I looked through the many photos I took over the weekend, I was impressed, as always, by the diversity of our wineries and the sheer beauty of our county.

Esther Oertel is a writer and passionate home cook from a family of chefs. She grew up in a restaurant, where she began creating recipes from a young age. She’s taught culinary classes in a variety of venues in Lake County and previously wrote “The Veggie Girl” column for Lake County News. Most recently she’s taught culinary classes at Sur La Table in Santa Rosa, Calif. She lives in Middletown, Calif.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake County Animal Care and Control is full this Memorial Day weekend with dogs ready to go to new homes for the summer.

Dogs available for adoption this week include mixes of Catahoula Leopard Dog, Chihuahua, Dalmatian, German Shepherd, hound, Labrador Retriever, pit bull, poodle, shepherd, terrier, treeing walker coonhound and wirehaired terrier.

Dogs that are adopted from Lake County Animal Care and Control are either neutered or spayed, microchipped and, if old enough, given a rabies shot and county license before being released to their new owner. License fees do not apply to residents of the cities of Lakeport or Clearlake.

If you're looking for a new companion, visit the shelter. There are many great pets hoping you'll choose them.

The following dogs at the Lake County Animal Care and Control shelter have been cleared for adoption (additional dogs on the animal control Web site not listed are still “on hold”).

‘Blaze’

“Blaze” is a male Labrador Retriever with a short black coat and white markings.

He already has been neutered.

He’s in kennel No. 2, ID No. 12304.

‘Luna’

“Luna” if a young female German Shepherd with a medium-length black and tan coat.

She’s in kennel No. 4, ID No. 12282.

Female terrier

This female terrier has a medium-length fawn-colored coat.

She is in kennel No. 6, ID No. 12233.

Female terrier

This female terrier has a medium-length fawn coat.

She has been spayed.

She’s in kennel No. 7, ID No. 12234.

‘Duke’

“Duke” is a male Labrador Retriever with a short black coat with white markings.

He already has been neutered.

He’s in kennel No. 8, ID No. 11022.

Labrador Retriever-Dalmatian

This male Labrador Retriever-Dalmatian has a short black and white coat.

He’s in kennel No. 10, ID No. 12238.

‘Scooby’

“Scooby” is a male poodle mix with a medium-length white and tan coat.

Shelter staff said he previously was an outside-only dog in a family with 5- and 12-year-old children. His owner described him as very friendly and smart.

He is in kennel No. 11, ID No. 12312.

Catahoula Leopard Dog

This male Catahoula Leopard Dog has a short tricolor coat.

He’s in kennel No. 13, ID No. 12230.

Male poodle mix

This male poodle mix has a curly white and tan coat.

He’s in kennel No. 16a, ID No. 12291.

Male wirehaired terrier

This male wirehaired terrier has a coarse brown coat.

He’s in kennel No. 16b, ID No. 12292.

Male wirehaired terrier

This male wirehaired terrier has a coarse black and white coat.

He’s in kennel No. 16c, ID No. 12301.

‘Luke’

“Luke” is a male treeing walker coonhound with a short tricolor coat.

Shelter staff said he is dominant with other dogs and would prefer not to play but just soak up human affection. He can live with others but prefers to not have them in his space. Luke is good with children ages 6 and above.

He has been neutered.

He’s in kennel No. 18, ID No. 11771.

Male Labrador Retriever

This male Labrador Retriever has a medium-length black and white coat.

He’s in kennel No. 22, ID No. 12201.

Male Labrador Retriever

This male Labrador Retriever has a short black coat with white markings.

He’s in kennel No. 24, ID No. 12194.

Female pit bull terrier

This female pit bull terrier has a short tan coat.

She’s in kennel No. 26, ID No. 12185.

‘Bear’

“Bear” is a male Labrador Retriever with a short black coat with white markings.

He’s in kennel No. 27, ID No. 12205.

Hound-Labrador Retriever

This female hound-Labrador Retriever has a short red coat.

She’s in kennel No. 28, ID No. 12279.

Chihuahua-terrier mix

This male Chihuahua-terrier mix has a short black coat.

He’s in kennel No. 29a, ID No. 12112.

Female Labrador Retriever

This young female Labrador Retriever has a short black and white coat.

She has been spayed.

She’s in kennel No. 33a, ID No. 12189.

Female Labrador Retriever

This young female Labrador Retriever has a short black and white coat.

She has been spayed.

She’s in kennel No. 33b, ID No. 12190.

Female Labrador Retriever

This young female Labrador Retriever has a short black and white coat.

She’s in kennel No. 34a, ID No. 12191.

Female Labrador Retriever

This young female Labrador Retriever has a short black and white coat.

She’s in kennel No. 34b, ID No. 12192.

Lake County Animal Care and Control is located at 4949 Helbush in Lakeport, next to the Hill Road Correctional Facility.

Office hours are Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday. The shelter is open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday and on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Visit the shelter online at http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Animal_Care_And_Control.htm .

For more information call Lake County Animal Care and Control at 707-263-0278.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Memorial Day Weekend marks the unofficial start of the busy summer travel season, and the Office of Traffic Safety is reminding drivers hitting the road for a weekend getaway to plan ahead and “go safely.”

According to projections from the American Automobile Association, AAA, more than 37 million Americans will be on the road for the Memorial Day holiday, a 3.5-percent increase from last year. In California, about 4.5 million people will travel by car.

“With so many Californians getting away this weekend, the roads will be packed,” OTS Director Rhonda Craft said. “Bring the patience with you and be safe out there. We are all going places and want to get there safely.”

In order to arrive safely this Memorial Day Weekend, the OTS has a few tips for drivers preparing for a long road trip:

• Make sure your car is in good, working order. Check your brakes, battery, transmission, tires, oil, windshield wipers, air conditioning and lights.

• Allow extra time for travel and anticipate delays.

• Pack an emergency kit with a phone charger, flashlight, first aid kit, spare tire, tire pressure gauge, tire iron and jumper cables.

• Bring extra snacks, blankets and plenty of water.

• Never drive distracted, tired or under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs.

• Monitor traffic conditions, including any crashes, delays and road work using Caltrans’ QuickMap, which is available online or on a free app for iPhones and Androids. QuickMap also shows rest stop locations.

“We are all excited to see family and friends for the extended weekend,” Director Craft said. “Don’t spoil it by being unprepared and not planning ahead.”

The OTS launched a new education and awareness campaign called “Go Safely, California,” which acts as a resource for all Californians to stay safe on the go. To learn more about the campaign, visit www.gosafelyca.org .

The OTS administers funding for traffic safety programs statewide with the goal of reducing deaths, injuries, and economic losses. The OTS is a department under the California State Transportation Agency.

The mystery of why Earth has so much water, allowing our “blue marble” to support an astounding array of life, is clearer with new research into comets.

Comets are like snowballs of rock, dust, ice, and other frozen chemicals that vaporize as they get closer to the sun, producing the tails seen in images.

A new study reveals that the water in many comets may share a common origin with Earth’s oceans, reinforcing the idea that comets played a key role in bringing water to our planet billions of years ago.

The Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy, SOFIA, the world’s largest airborne observatory, observed Comet Wirtanen as it made its closest approach to Earth in December 2018.

Data collected from the high-flying observatory found that this comet contains “ocean-like” water. Comparing this with information about other comets, scientists suggest in a new study that many more comets than previously thought could have delivered water to Earth. The findings were published in Astronomy and Astrophysics Letters.

“We have identified a vast reservoir of Earth-like water in the outer reaches of the solar system,” said Darek Lis, a scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, in Pasadena, California, and lead author of the study. “Water was crucial for the development of life as we know it. We not only want to understand how Earth’s water was delivered, but also if this process could work in other planetary systems.”

Dirty snowballs

Planets form from debris orbiting in a disk shape around a star; small pieces of debris can stick together and grow larger over time.

Leftover debris remains in regions of our own solar system like the Kuiper Belt, beyond Neptune, or the Oort Cloud, far past Pluto. Comets come from these areas, but we can only see them when their orbits bring them closer to the Sun. The heat from the Sun causes some of the dirty snow to vaporize, creating the fuzzy halo or “coma” of water vapor, dust and ice grains seen in comet images.

Scientists predict that the water in Earth’s oceans came from water-carrying bodies in the early solar system that collided with our planet, similar to today’s ice-rich asteroids or comets. But scientists do not know where in the formative disk these objects originated.

Water types

Water is also known by its chemical name H2O because it’s made of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom. But using special instruments, scientists can detect two types: regular water, H2O, and heavy water, HDO, which has an extra neutrally-charged particle called a neutron inside one of the hydrogen atoms.

Scientists compare the amount of heavy to regular water in comets. If comets have the same ratio of these water types as Earth’s oceans, it indicates that the water in both may share a common origin.

But measuring this ratio is difficult. Ground and space telescopes can study this level of detail in comets only when they pass near Earth, and missions to visit comets, like Rosetta, are rare. Scientists have only been able to study this ratio in about a dozen comets since the 1980s.

Additionally, it is difficult to study a comet’s water from the ground because water in Earth’s atmosphere blocks its signatures.

New observations

Observing at high altitudes above much of the Earth’s atmospheric water allowed SOFIA to accurately measure the ratio of regular to heavy water in Comet Wirtanen. The data showed that Comet Wirtanen’s water ratio is the same as the Earth’s oceans.

When the team compared the new SOFIA data with previous studies of comets, they found a surprising commonality. The ratio of regular to heavy water was not linked to the origin of the comets – whether they were from the Oort Cloud or the Kuiper Belt.

Instead, it was related to how much water was released from ice grains in the comet’s coma compared to directly from the snowy surface. This could imply that all comets could have a heavy-to-regular water ratio similar to Earth’s oceans, and that they could have delivered a large fraction of water to Earth.

“This is the first time we could relate the heavy-to-regular water ratio of all comets to a single factor,” noted Dominique Bockelée-Morvan, scientist at the Paris Observatory and the French National Center for Scientific Research and second author of the paper. “We may need to rethink how we study comets because water released from the ice grains appears to be a better indicator of the overall water ratio than the water released from surface ice.”

More studies are needed to see if these findings hold true for other comets. The next time a comet is forecast to fly close enough for this type of study will be in November 2021.

SOFIA, the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy, is a Boeing 747SP jetliner modified to carry a 106-inch diameter telescope. It is a joint project of NASA and the German Aerospace Center, DLR. NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley manages the SOFIA program, science and mission operations in cooperation with the Universities Space Research Association headquartered in Columbia, Maryland, and the German SOFIA Institute (DSI) at the University of Stuttgart. The aircraft is maintained and operated from NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center Building 703, in Palmdale, California.

Kassandra Bell and Arielle Moullet work for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

LUCERNE, Calif. – New Paradigm College announced that an open house will be held at the Lucerne Castle main lobby, 3700 Country Club Drive, on Saturday, June 8.

The event will take place from 2 to 4 p.m.

“Our founding team is excited to celebrate the reopening of the Lucerne Castle as New Paradigm College,” said Daniel Sheehan, president of New Paradigm College. “Opening our doors to local events is a big step.”

The Lake County landmark was originally constructed and opened as a hotel in the 1920s and is now owned by Earthways Foundation and operated by New Paradigm College, a local nonprofit corporation formed to work with the community to bring higher education and uplifting cultural projects, conferences and special events to Lake County.

“We look forward to sharing our progress and drawing on the wisdom and support of the community as we prepare the facility for classes and programs,” said Denise Rushing, a New Paradigm College co-founder.

Sheehan, Rushing and William Stranger established New Paradigm College as a nonprofit to both operate the facility and implement the plan originally presented to Lake County in 2018,

“We have begun the joy of regenerating this very special place, together with the community. It’s exciting to be a part of this renewal,” said Rushing.

For more information visit www.newparadigmcollege.org .

NORTH COAST, Calif. – An Upper Lake man and two California Highway Patrol officers were injured in a vehicle crash on Highway 101 near Hopland on Thursday.

George Guardino, 39, suffered minor injuries while the two officers, Zachary McKnight and DJ Haddad, had moderate injuries, according to the CHP’s Ukiah Area office.

The CHP said the wreck occurred at 4 p.m. Thursday on northbound Highway 101, half a mile south of Henry Station Road north of Hopland.

The CHP said Officer Zachary McKnight was driving a 2016 Dodge Charger patrol car with Officer Haddad riding as his passenger on northbound Highway 101 north of Big Largo at 55 miles per hour.

Guardino was driving a 2000 GMC 2500 pickup, also northbound, a distance behind the patrol car at between 55 to 60 miles per hour, the CHP said.

The CHP said Officer McKnight observed a vehicle traveling southbound on Highway 101 at a high rate of speed, activated the patrol car’s rear emergency lights and slowed to make a U-turn while still within the northbound lane.

According to the report, Guardino saw the CHP car’s emergency lights and braking but due to the speed and distance he was traveling behind the patrol car he was unable to safely slow down and avoid a collision.

The collision remains under investigation. The CHP said neither alcohol nor drugs are believed to be factors in the wreck.

Guardino and the two officers were all wearing their seat belts, according to the report.

The Ukiah Area CHP office said Friday that both officers are doing well and had not suffered serious injury.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The city of Clearlake is inviting the community to give input on a new local hazard mitigation plan.

The plan is being developed by the city of Clearlake in conjunction with the Lake County Fire Protection District.

“Emergency preparedness is a priority of the council and city staff, working in partnership with the Lake County Fire Protection District. We invite you to join us in forming a plan to lessen the impacts of a disaster in our community,” said Clearlake City Manager Alan Flora.

Fires, floods, earthquakes and severe weather are just a few of the hazards to the Clearlake community.

While natural hazards such as these cannot be prevented, a hazard mitigation plan forms the foundation for a community's long-term strategy to reduce disaster losses by breaking the repeated cycle of disaster damage and reconstruction.

Additionally, only communities with a Federal Emergency Management Agency-approved hazard mitigation plan are eligible to apply for both pre- and post-disaster mitigation grant funding.

The process began in October 2018 with an initial public meeting and the establishment of a planning committee comprised of city departments and other key stakeholders.

The plan is scheduled to be finalized and submitted to the California Office of Emergency Services and FEMA in June 2019.

The public review draft of the local hazard mitigation plan is available online at www.clearlake.ca.us .

Printed copies also are available at the Redbud Library, 14785 Burns Valley Road in Clearlake, and Clearlake City Hall, 14050 Olympic Drive.

A final public meeting to review and provide comments on the public review draft local hazard mitigation plan is scheduled from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 29, in the council chambers at Clearlake City Hall, 14050 Olympic Drive.

The city encourages attendance and input from the general public at the upcoming meeting.

The public also can provide input on the draft plan by emailing comments to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – With rain and snow forecast in much of California this holiday weekend, now is the time to prepare for wildfire; don’t let the cooler weather fool you.

Cal Fire is urging Californians to keep everyone safe if you plan to recreate outdoors for the Memorial Day weekend.

“Although most of California is experiencing unseasonably cooler temperatures, our dry climate means that we are continually susceptible to wildfires,” said Chief Thom Porter, Cal Fire director. “With the cooler weather, don’t let your guard down as the abundant growth of plants, shrubs and grass will dry out quickly and become a large tinder box for wildfire. We all need to do our part to ensure we are being safe when working or recreating outdoors by taking precautions to avoid sparking a wildfire.”

Since Jan. 1, Cal Fire has responded to more than 736 wildfires that have burned nearly 1,361 acres.

If you plan on driving to your holiday destination:

– Ensure your vehicle is properly maintained with nothing dragging on the ground, which can cause a spark and potentially cause a wildfire.
– When towing, make sure trailer chains are properly secured, and never drive or pull over into dry grass, which can start a wildfire.

If you plan on going camping:

– If you plan on having a campfire, make sure it is legal to do so. Clear away grass, leaves and other debris within a 10-foot perimeter of the ring; make sure all campfires are completely extinguished before leaving. Buy your firewood where you burn it, that way you aren’t spreading dangerous insects and diseases, which can kill millions of trees. If your campsite is more than 50 miles away, call the state or federal park, or forests closest to the site and ask if they know of local distributors.
– Make sure to obtain a campfire permit at www.PreventWildfireCA.org and check for local fire restrictions.
– If you are grilling, never leave the grill unattended, and always watch what you are grilling.

Fire is not the only danger that can occur in the outdoors; water drownings also increase dramatically during Memorial Day weekend.

If you plan to brave the chilly waters this weekend, here are some tips:

– As the snowpack continues to melt, the rivers and lakes will run fast and cold, making them very dangerous. When you are in the water, never swim alone and if you aren’t a strong swimmer, always wear a life jacket.
– Children should always be supervised by a responsible adult within arm’s reach.
Be particularly cautious of rivers and waterways with rapid currents and never underestimate calm water.
– And lastly, drinking while boating/swimming is just as dangerous as drinking and driving on the roadways.

Californians are encouraged to be safe this holiday weekend and remember that one less spark means one less wildfire.

For more ways to be safe this holiday, visit www.fire.ca.gov or www.ReadyforWildfire.org .

NASA's Mars 2020 spacecraft has completed acoustic and thermal vacuum, or TVAC, testing at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California.

The acoustic test of the spacecraft that will carry the Mars 2020 rover to a soft touchdown in Jezero Crater on Feb. 18, 2021, is the best Earthly approximation for what the spacecraft will endure during launch, where it will encounter potentially destructive levels of sound and vibration.

TVAC introduces the vacuum and extreme temperatures of space that could cause components to malfunction or fail.

"First we blast it with sound to make sure nothing vibrates loose," said David Gruel, the Mars 2020 assembly, test and launch operations manager at JPL. "Then, after a thorough examination, we 'put it in space' by placing the spacecraft in this huge vacuum chamber we have here at JPL. We pump out the atmosphere, then chill parts of it and cook others while testing the performance of the entire spacecraft."

The first part of the process occurred on April 12, when the spacecraft "stack" was bombarded by sound from nitrogen-pressurized speakers in JPL's Acoustic Test Chamber. The stack includes the aeroshell as well as a rover stand-in (the real rover is undergoing final assembly in JPL's High Bay 1 cleanroom) and other components. Together, they are assembled, or stacked, in the same configuration as when it launches toward Mars in July 2020.

"We test the hardware components with a random noise spectrum in order to replicate a launch environment," said Andy Rose, manager of the Environmental Test Facilities at JPL. "We reach sound levels as high as 150 decibels, which would really rattle your fillings if you were inside the chamber at the time."

Of course, the technicians waited for each several-minute run to end before opening the chamber door to inspect the spacecraft in their cleanroom attire (the spacecraft must remain contamination-free to adhere to planetary protection rules). By day's end, the stack had been acoustically tested and inspected six times. Then the vehicle was double-bagged in clean antistatic nylon film and transported back to the Spacecraft Assembly Facility's High Bay 1 cleanroom.

"For the acoustic test, the stack had the heat shield pointed up, but for the thermal vacuum test, it had to be down," said Gruel. "The best place to turn it over is the cleanroom, where we have a fixture designed for that process." Once the stack passed muster, the team rebagged it and sent it out for thermal testing.

Into the cold

On April 26, the stack entered JPL's 25-foot-wide, 85-foot-tall (8-meter-by-26-meter) Space Simulator Facility. The historic chamber has hosted spacecraft from NASA's Mariner missions of the early 1960s to Voyager and Cassini to all of the Mars rovers. The 2020 stack was suspended from cables so the cold realities of interplanetary cruise could hit the spacecraft from every angle.

With the 16-ton door closed, a near-vacuum environment was established. Then, as the Mars 2020 test team looked on, the baffled chamber walls were flooded with liquid nitrogen to chill it to -200 degrees Fahrenheit (-129 degrees Celsius).

To simulate the Sun's rays that Mars 2020 will encounter during its voyage, powerful xenon lamps several floors below the chamber illuminated, their light directed onto a mirror at the top of the chamber and reflected down on the spacecraft. Eight days later the lamps were turned off, atmosphere was reintroduced to the chamber, and the door opened. Acoustic and thermal vacuum testing was complete.

"This is the most comprehensive stress test you can put a spacecraft through here on Earth," said Gruel. "We flew in our simulated space environment for a week and a day, checking and rechecking the performance of every onboard system and subsystem. And everything looked great – which is a good thing, because next time this spacecraft stack hits a vacuum, it will be on its way to Mars for real."

On May 10, the stack returned yet again to the High Bay 1 cleanroom. Just feet away, technicians worked on the 2,314-pound (1,050-kilogram) Mars 2020 rover that will be part of the stack at launch. The rover already had more than 90% of the components that will make up the interior of the chassis, from the science instruments and computers to subsystems and electrical boxes to the organized tangle of electrical wiring connecting them all.

The 2020 rover carries an entirely new suite of instruments, including a sample-caching system that will collect samples of Mars for return to Earth on subsequent missions. The mission will launch from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida in July of 2020 and land at Jezero Crater on Feb. 18, 2021.

The Mars 2020 Project at JPL manages rover development for NASA's Science Mission Directorate. NASA's Launch Services Program, based at the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, is responsible for launch management. Mars 2020 will launch from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.

For more information on Mars 2020, visit https://www.nasa.gov/mars2020 .

For more information about NASA's exploration of Mars, visit https://www.nasa.gov/mars .

LAKEPORT, Calif. – On Thursday the Lake County Planning Commission denied a cellular communications colocation project in Middletown that had drawn the ire of residents due to its close proximity to homes and their concerns over negative health impacts.

Commissioners Batsulwin Brown and Dan Camacho, and Chair John Hess unanimously voted down the minor use permit and variance request submitted by Cellco Partnership, on behalf of Verizon Wireless, for the project at 21347 Highway 175. Commissioners Bob Malley and Daniel Suenram were absent from the meeting.

Verizon proposed to place nine 4G antennas on a 60-foot-tall lattice tower built 37 years ago and owned by Pacific Telephone and Telegraph Co. and operated by AT&T and Mobility.

One of the key issues for residents was that the tower is on a 0.15-acre property surrounded by residences.

The Lake County Zoning Ordinance requires 50-foot property line setbacks for such projects from commercial properties and 100-foot setbacks from homes. In this case, Verizon was seeking a variance to reduce the setback to, in the case of the distance from Rosemary Cordova’s property, 43 inches.

Community Development Department Senior Planner Mark Roberts noted that in 1984 the project site and surrounding parcels were zoned “R-3-MH,” multi-family residential, transient residential, professional office district and mobile home district. In 1990, the project parcel and adjacent and surrounding properties were rezoned “CS-DR-SC,” which means community commercial-design review and scenic combining district. The existing residential dwellings therefore became nonconforming uses.

Roberts said some of the community concerns communicated to the county about the project include the existing tower’s structural integrity, emergency vehicle access, the use permit, effects of radio frequency emissions, the use of 5G on the site and impact on property values.

Community Development Department staff had recommended approval, finding that the site was the least intrusive and trying to locate another would create unnecessary hardships. They also found that the variance conformed to the general plan.

Gerie Johnson, a land use planning specialist for Complete Wireless Consulting Inc., representing Verizon, went over the existing project conditions and noted that the area is zoned for commercial uses and development.

Johnson said that, as a wireless carrier, Verizon is required to have active licensing with the Federal Communications Commission, which wouldn’t allow Verizon to maintain its license if it didn't maintain federal regulations on how to operate, including complying with radio frequency emission requirements.

Hess asked Johnson why a structural analysis wasn’t submitted with the application. Johnson said that, due to its cost, it’s typical practice to submit that analysis at the building permit stage so it incorporates changes suggested by staff.

Referring to the staff report, Hess replied that it’s standard to submit that analysis at this point in the process. Johnson said a comprehensive structural analysis would be submitted with the building permit.

She said colocation reduces impacts to the environment and clusters similar uses. Johnson also cited the benefits of improved wireless services, including providing in-building services to 1400 residents, new in-vehicle service to Middletown, and improved wireless service for law enforcement and fire.

Health, property, precedent concerns

Several dozen people attended the Thursday afternoon hearing, and during an hour’s worth of public comment, the commission heard from 19 community members, all of them opposed to the tower colocation.

Many pointed to their investments in Middletown and their fears that their health would suffer. Those who owned properties were concerned they would lose value and those who owned rentals said their tenants were giving notice that they would move if the tower was approved.

Cordova has been an outspoken critic of the project, rallying community support and submitting extensive comments to the county.

On Wednesday, ahead of the meeting, she submitted a 13-page letter to the commission that argued a major use permit is required. She also pointed out project inconsistencies and raised issue with numerous items not included in the application packet – including some reporting requirements, lack of maps and the structural engineer’s report, and information on the site’s capacity for expansion. She questioned again the variance and the setback that’s inches from her property line. The letter was provided at the meeting.

During Thursday’s meeting, Cordova again referred to the lack of a structural engineer’s report, as required by Article 71 of the Zoning Ordinance. She said that report would look at what modifications are necessary for the tower and give the project more scrutiny.

“The tower cannot be used as it is now,” she said, noting it’s a 37-year-old tower which she said has been abandoned.

Granting the project a variance would give it and the property special privileges, she said. “This is all about 43 inches.”

Cordova, who became emotional as she spoke, held up a metal rod to show them how long 43 inches is. “It's not far enough,” she said, asking them through tears to deny the variance because the project constituted a nuisance.

Rev. Julia Bono of the Rainbow Church of Living Light also spoke against the project. Reading her comments from her cell phone, she raised concerns about impacts on health and said there are 900 signatures on a petition opposing the tower.

Bono said cell towers are listed on property sale disclosures and can reduce property value by 20 percent. She demanded they take the property value and health concerns into consideration.

Glenn Goodman, who doesn't live in Middletown but came to express his concerns about 5G technology, said people are being used as guinea pigs as the new technology is rolled out.

He said human health and intelligence are at stake. “I think we're just careening toward human extinction.”

Lisa Kaplan, the director of the Middletown Art Center, pointed to the reductions in setback and the tower’s impact on neighbors.

“Verizon is not necessary in Middletown,” she said, explaining that the town has enough cell reception. She said the tower should be put out in the hills.

Kaplan said the community has been hurt by wildland fires, and she questioned how many people have had their rebuilding efforts put off due to the need to conform to new building codes, yet the tower project was getting a pass.

Francisco Rivero, Lake County’s former sheriff, also spoke to the commission, explaining that he and his family own six properties within 1,000 feet of the tower.

Two of his tenants were in attendance and had spoken against it, another is moving out and still others have indicated they’ll move if it’s approved. “Me, too,” he said, adding he wouldn’t subject his family to the tower’s presence.

He said the FCC has shielded telecom companies by setting wireless radiation exposure rates far above other countries. “They call that safe,” he said, adding that the FCC has limited local governments’ ability to consider legitimate health concerns because it has been corrupted by lobbyists and unfettered corporate greed.

Ava Kennedy, who lives across from Middletown High School, told the commission, “This cell tower is really close to where all of these kids are going to school every day,” she said, adding, “The variances are there for a reason.”

Like Kaplan, Kennedy said many community members have struggled to rebuild after the Valley fire, and yet the tower was proposed for the variance. “No one in town wants this tower. We hate this tower, and you are here to serve us.”

Johnson asked Daniel Ro, an engineer with the Sonoma-based firm Hammett & Edison, to speak to the commission. The firm did the radio frequency exposure report for the site.

Ro told the commission that, based on the operating specifications and the simulations, the project was estimated to have less than 10 percent of the FCC public exposure limit.

As he left the podium, someone asked him if he would live under such a tower. “I do,” he said.

Commission makes decision

“There are so many ways you can measure how straight-jacketed we are” in terms of addressing location, Hess said once public comment had wrapped up, adding that FCC rules have further throttled their ability to stop the projects.

He pointed to HR 530, the Accelerating Wireless Broadband Development by Empowering Local Communities Act of 2019, a bill introduced in Congress in January by Bay Area Congresswoman Anna Eshoo, which is meant to overturn FCC regulations limiting the ability of local governments to regulate the deployment of 5G wireless infrastructure. Congressman Mike Thompson, whose district includes Middletown, is a co-sponsor.

Hess said he couldn’t support the requested variance, which earned a round of applause.

Deputy County Counsel Nicole Johnson suggested the commission could move to continue the matter until the rest of the members were present.

“We're prepared to proceed today,” said Hess, with Camacho agreeing.

Community Development Director Michalyn DelValle and Johnson held a sidebar to discuss how to proceed, with Johnson then asking for a break to see if a split vote would be a denial or a continuation. Hess said he did a head count and all three commissioners were opposed to the project.

Staff then asked for a break to work on the motion language, returning about 20 minutes later.

Camacho then offered four separate motions, starting with finding that the minor use permit and variance aren’t exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act due to it having an impact on the environment; that the minor use permit didn’t meet the zoning ordinance requirements because they couldn’t find that it was not detrimental to the comfort, safety and general welfare of the community; that the variance didn’t meet the zoning ordinance requirements; and that the colocation facility doesn’t meet the requirements of the zoning ordinance. Brown seconded all of the motions, with 3-0 votes on each.

The applicant has seven days to file an appeal of the commission’s decision.

Lake County News emailed Johnson to ask if Verizon intends to file an appeal, but she did not immediately respond.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.