LUCERNE, Calif. – A structure fire early Sunday morning destroyed a home on the lakeshore in Lucerne.

The fire in the 6600 block of Highway 20 near Ogden Road was initially dispatched minutes before 4 a.m. Sunday, according to radio reports.

Northshore Fire responded to the scene to find an older double-wide mobile home on fire, according to Battalion Chief Dave Emmel, who served as incident command.

Emmel said the residence was located on the lakeside, with the closest hydrant across the highway. As a result, Highway 20 was temporarily closed to allow hose lay across the road.

He said they found no one in the structure at the time of the fire.

Two nearby structures were reported to be threatened by the blaze, based on radio reports.

“The house on the east side received a little bit of heat damage,” Emmel said.

Scene reports stated that it took less than an hour to contain the fire, with two hours of overhaul and mop up.

He said the house was a total loss.

As for a conclusion on the cause, “It’s under investigation still,” Emmel said Monday.

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. – Lake County residents are advised that thunderstorms in the region are expected to cause Clear Lake to reach 8.0 feet Rumsey Tuesday afternoon and 9 feet Rumsey, or flood stage, by early Thursday morning.

The county reported that a mandatory 5 mile-per-hour boating speed limit takes effect when Clear Lake reaches 8.0 Rumsey for at least 24 hours.

The speed ordinance requires boaters operating a motor boat within one-quarter mile or less of a shoreline to maintain idle speed.

The ordinance was approved by the Board of Supervisors during the 2017 flood to minimize wake damage to lakeshore properties and to help ensure the safety of boaters operating while heavy debris loads are present on the lake.

For more information about flood conditions and the boating speed limit, contact the Water Resources Department at 707-263-2344, the Sheriff’s Department at 707-262-4200, or visit the Flood Info feature at https://www.lakecountyca.gov/.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – With several inches of rain expected this week because of an arriving atmospheric river, the National Weather Service has issued a flash flood watch for Lake County.

The flash flood watch is in effect from 4 p.m. Monday through 8 a.m. Thursday.

The National Weather Service said at atmospheric river is taking aim at Northern California this week, which is anticipated to result in rapid rises in creeks, rivers, lakes and other water bodies.

Because of that new influx of water, there are chances of flash flooding due to persisting heavy rain at times. Burn scar areas such as found in the Mendocino Complex footprint are of particular concern.

Along with the rain, some snow melt could add to the water levels, forecasters said.

The National Weather Service’s Sacramento office said the week will get off to a wet start with moderate to heavy rain at times from Monday through Wednesday.

The specific Lake County forecast calls for rainfall levels ranging up to 6 inches this week. As much as 4 inches of rain could fall on Monday alone, based on the forecast.

Rain is expected to continue through much of the week, with a break from Thursday night to Friday night before rain returns for the weekend.

Winds with gusts above 25 miles per hour are forecast throughout the county on Monday and Monday night, with slightly lower wind speeds on Tuesday.

Daytime temperatures this week will range from the high 40s to low 50s, and nighttime conditions will range from the low 30s to low 40s, with Wednesday and Thursday night expected to be the coldest nights.

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.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The recruitment effort for two county department head positions, the efficacy of the cannabis ordinance and the Lakeport Fire parcel tax are on this week’s Board of Supervisors agenda.

The board will meet beginning at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 26, in the board chambers on the first floor of the Lake County Courthouse, 255 N. Forbes St., Lakeport.

The meeting can be watched live on Channel 8 and online at https://countyoflake.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx. Accompanying board documents, the agenda and archived board meeting videos also are available at that link.

In an untimed item on Tuesday, the staff will give the board an update on recruitment efforts for the registrar of voters and Animal Care and Control director positions.

Interim Registrar of Voters Maria Valadez’s last day with the county was Friday, and Animal Care and Control Director Bill Davidson’s last day is March 8.

Also on Tuesday, at 10 a.m. the board will consider approving a resolution of the Board of Directors of the Lakeport Fire Protection District calling for a mail ballot election for voter approval of a parcel tax.

At 10:15 a.m., at Supervisor Bruno Sabatier’s request, the board will hold a discussion on the efficacy of the county’s cannabis cultivation ordinance.

In other untimed items, the board will hear a report from the Lake County Land Trust regarding the Wright Property, part of the Big Valley Wetlands Preservation Project, and consider a change in the composition of the board-appointed committee to negotiate with the city of Lakeport regarding the South Main Street area, which the city wants to annex.

The full agenda follows.

CONSENT AGENDA

5.1: Adopt resolution amending Resolution No. 2018-165 declaring the Board of Supervisors intent to sell property not required for public use, located at 8695 Soda Bay Road, Kelseyville, California (APN 009-002-430), Pursuant to Government Code Section 25520 Et Seq.

5.2: Sitting as the Lake County Air Quality Management District Board of Directors, approve waiver of the 900 hour limitation for extra help Air Quality Specialist Robert Boss.

5.3: (a) Waive the formal bidding process, pursuant to Lake County Code Section 38.2, as it is not in the public interest due to the unique nature of goods or services; and (b) approve the agreement between the county of Lake and BHC Heritage Oaks Hospital for the Fiscal Year 2018-19 for a contract maximum of $25,454 and authorize the board chair to sign.

5.4: Approve first amendment to the service agreement between county of Lake and Redwood Toxicology Lab Inc. in the amount of $25,000 From July 1, 2017 to June 30, 2020 and Authorize the chair to sign.

5.5: Approve the plans and specifications for the Hill Road Correctional Facility Security Electronics Upgrade Project, Bid No. 19-03, and authorize the Public Services director / assistant purchasing agent to advertise for bids.

5.6: Adopt a resolution authorizing the Special Districts administrator to initiate all transfers of Starview Water CSA No. 18 assets, liabilities and fund equity in a manner prescribed by the county auditor-controller and as authorized and approved by the county administrative officer and that all conveyance of property, real and personal of the dissolved district, as illustrated in Attachment A, to Cobb Area County Water District shall be properly executed by the Special Districts administrator.

5.7: Adopt a resolution authorizing the Special Districts administrator to initiate all transfers of Bonanza Springs Water CSA No. 7 assets, liabilities and fund equity in a manner prescribed by the county auditor-controller and as authorized and approved by the county administrative officer and that all conveyance of property, real and personal of the dissolved district, as illustrated in Attachment A, to Cobb Area County Water District shall be properly executed by the Special Districts administrator.

5.8: Adopt a resolution authorizing the Special Districts administrator to initiate all transfers of CSA No. 22 Mt Hannah Water assets, liabilities and fund equity in a manner prescribed by the county auditor-controller and as authorized and approved by the county administrative officer and that all conveyance of property, real and personal of the dissolved district, as illustrated in Attachment A, to Cobb Area County Water District shall be properly executed by the Special Districts administrator.

5.9: Award bid for the relocation of sewer facilities in Middletown project, in the amount of $341,449.00 to Terracon Constructors Inc. of Healdsburg and authorize the chair to execute the notice of award and agreement.

TIMED ITEMS

6.2, 10 a.m.: Consideration of approval of resolution of the Board of Directors of the Lakeport Fire Protection District calling for a mail ballot election for voter approval of a parcel tax.

6.3, 10:15 a.m.: Discussion and consideration of the efficacy of the cannabis cultivation ordinance with possible direction to staff.

UNTIMED ITEMS

7.2: Consideration of report from the Lake County Land Trust regarding the Wright Property - Big Valley Wetlands Preservation Project.

7.3: Consideration of change in composition of board appointed committee to negotiate with the city of Lakeport regarding the South Main Street area.

7.4: Consideration of Reactivation of the Airport Land Use Commission.

7.5: Consideration of letter to Gov. Newsom to express appreciation for his support of AB 72.

7.6: Consideration of update from staff on recruitment efforts for the department head positions of registrar of voters and Animal Care and Control director.

7.7: Consideration of agreement between the county of Lake and Community Development Services for Community Development Block Grant general administrative services for $210,000.

7.8: Discussion and consideration of a second amendment to the joint powers agreement creating the Lake County Community Risk Reduction Authority in order to Include the Lake County Fire Protection District as a member.

7.9: Consideration of correction of typographical error in approved resolutions of intention to create: (a) Zone of Benefit Clearlake Riviera within CSA No. 23; (b) Zone of Benefit Buckingham Within CSA No. 23; (c) Zone of Benefit Riviera West Within CSA No. 23; and (d) Zone of Benefit Riviera Heights Within CSA No. 23.

7.10: Consideration of resolution approving alternate office hours for Health Services Department.

7.11: Consideration of Change Order No. 3 for Anderson Springs Sewer Project for an increase of $8,391.01 and a revised contract amount of $6,966,041.17 and authorize the administrator to sign.

CLOSED SESSION

8.1: Conference with legal counsel: Existing litigation pursuant to Gov. Code sec. 54956.9(d)(1): County of Lake, et al. v. PG&E, et al.

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.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lakeport Planning Commission will hold a special meeting this week in which it will welcome a new commissioner and discuss an affordable housing project.

The commission will meet at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 27, in the council chambers at Lakeport City Hall, 225 Park St.

Documents for the meeting can be found here.

On the agenda is the swearing-in of new Planning Commissioner Mark Mitchell.

The commission also will honor outgoing member, Suzanne Russell, hold a Brown Act workshop and get an an overview from city staff on the commission’s roles and responsibilities.

One of the evening’s main agenda items is the application from AMG & Associates for an architectural and design review for a 48-unit multifamily apartment complex at 1255 Martin St.

The affordable housing project is slated to be built on a four-acre portion of a property where a 24-unit apartment complex currently is being built.

The report to the commission from Associate Planner Dan Chance explains that there is a statewide shortage of affordable housing, and it’s a primary objective of legislators to increase such housing projects.

In other business, the commission will continue a discussion regarding the Planning Department and the commission’s goals and work program.

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. – Lake County Animal Care and Control has three new cats it is offering to new homes.

The following cats at the Lake County Animal Care and Control shelter have been cleared for adoption.

Female domestic short hair

This female domestic short hair cat has a black coat with white markings and green eyes.

She’s in kennel No. 26, ID No. 11768.

Female domestic medium hair

This female domestic medium hair cat and a black coat with white markings and gold eyes.

She’s in kennel No. 105, ID No. 11785.

Male domestic short hair

This male domestic short hair cat has a brown tabby coat and gold eyes.

He’s in kennel No. 121, ID No. 11787.

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.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – A nonprofit organization dedicated to helping businesses and improving Lake County’s economy has big plans for the year ahead which are receiving support from local governments.

The Lake Economic Development Corp. asked for, and received, support from the Lakeport City Council council for its continued implementation of a plan to support economic and business development, with the city also to consider a $10,000 budget contribution in the upcoming fiscal year.

The staff report for the discussion begins on page 77 of the agenda packet below and can be seen starting at the 27:18 mark in the video above.

The organization made a similar presentation to the Board of Supervisors on Feb. 12, where county officials indicated support and willingness to consider a contribution, and it’s scheduled to present to the Clearlake City Council on Thursday. Lake EDC is seeking $25,000 from the county and $10,000 from Clearlake for the next fiscal year.

Lake EDC worked with the two cities and the county along with the Workforce Alliance of the North Bay on the Lake County Path to Prosperity Economic Development Strategy, which was presented at a December meeting.

That plan’s key elements include focusing on targeted industries such as agriculture, tourism and research; improving infrastructure, including broadband and facilities at Lampson Field airport; and marketing Lake County’s unique and desirable qualities, including quality of life, the low cost to live here and the natural beauty.

Andy Lucas, a business representative for Lake EDC, explained the background of the organization, founded in 1983 and made up of individuals representing the county and two cities, private sector, Tribal Health, the Workforce Alliance, agriculture and real estate. It’s funded through US Department of Agriculture grants.

He said they assist with startup, expansion and business sale strategies. They also offer business education through workshops and one-on-one consultations on topics including marketing, Web site development, managing cash flow, using QuickBooks, preparing a business plan, customer service, networking services and working with lenders. Other efforts revolve around facility creation, retention, expansion and attraction of business.

Lake EDC offers business financing and access to capital from multiple sources, and has 31 loans to Lake County businesses, totaling $3.2 million, with more than 300 jobs created, Lucas said.

“We really like to be sort of mechanics for businesses,” Lucas said, explaining that they get in and identify the needs and find ways to address them.

He said the services are offered at no cost to businesses, “which is really beneficial for our rural economy here.”

Lake EDC also recently become more involved in housing for working class families, especially after the wildfires and the resulting loss of homes. He said it’s been working with the US Department of Agriculture Rural Development on that project, and together they’ve hosted five housing fairs. Another one – in both English and Spanish – is coming up on March 16. USDA Rural Development’s housing director comes to Lake County a few times a month, works out of Lake EDC’s Kelseyville offices and meets with applicants.

He said Lake EDC also has collaborated with both cities and the county, local organizations – among them, the Westside Community Park Committee, Middletown Art Center, the chambers of commerce – and numerous local businesses.

Lake EDC’s 2018-19 fiscal year operating budget totals $141,300. With that amount, Lucas said Lake EDC has been able to do several things – from putting on a number of housing fairs, to helping businesses, working on grants and operating an intermediary lending program in which it borrows money from the USDA and relends it out to businesses in the community for job creation and retention.

The organization also created a new Web site that he said is a great tool for existing businesses as well as for business investment and attraction.

Sources of the Lake EDC operating budget include a USDA Rural Business Development grant and the Business Loan Program, funds from the cities and county, and CalRecycle, Lucas said.

In the upcoming fiscal year, Lucas said Lake EDC has a projected budget of $252,500.

Lucas said Lake EDC has applied for an $80,000 grant from USDA’s Rural Business Development Grant program, and also has received approval from the US Department of Commerce with regard to establishing an economic development disaster recovery coordinator position for $80,000.

At a Dec. 7 board retreat, Lake EDC selected three primary short-term tasks for the Path to Prosperity Economic Strategy for 2019-2020, he said.

The tasks include defining and marketing 25 countywide commercial sites with complete information on each site that will be posted on the Lake EDC’s Web site under the “Site Selector” tab; expanding broadband services to commercial and residential users not adequately served now, as well as to the rest of the county; and funding infrastructure improvements such as public bathrooms and wastewater treatment at Lampson Field.

Councilman George Spurr asked about how to address the budget request. City Manager Margaret Silveira said it will be brought back to the council during the budgeting process.

“We are mostly about working with the local folks, day in, day out,” said Jeff Lucas, another of the Lake EDC’s principals.

He said they want to offer more of that help, explaining that they understand the pros and cons of owning a business.

Silveira lauded the Lucases for doing a great job.

Councilwoman Mireya Turner said she was encouraged and excited by the list of projects Lake EDC is proposing, noting that the airport infrastructure will benefit the whole county, and broadband will offer opportunities such as the ability to work from home.

“That’s what government does, is it creates the infrastructure that allows the businesses to thrive and grow, so this seems very consistent with those priorities,” Turner said.

“The best thing about this to me is the collaborative effort,” said Councilwoman Stacey Mattina. “The two cities and the county are finally all coming together, and you have so much interest and so many people that are willing to participate and want to see it move forward.”

Councilman Kenny Parlet said it’s fairly minor investment. “I’m all for it, especially for ten grand.”

Turner moved to support continued implementation of the plan and suggested staff consider the $10,000 contribution, which the council approved 5-0.

For more information about Lake EDC, visit https://www.lakecountycaedc.org/.

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.

021919 Lakeport City Counci... by on Scribd

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake County Animal Care and Control has a big group of dogs featuring a unique variety of breeds, big and little.

Dogs available for adoption this week include mixes of Australian Shepherd, Boxer, Catahoula Leopard Dog, Doberman Pinscher, German Shepherd, husky, Lhasa Apso, mastiff, pit bull, Pomeranian, shepherd, Shih Tzu and Treeing Walker Coonhound.

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”).

‘Ewok’

“Ewok” is a male Shih Tzu with a shaved white and brown coat.

He already has been neutered.

He’ in kennel No. 2, ID No. 11679.

‘Cricket’

“Cricket” is a senior female Lhasa Apso with a long tan and white coat.

She’s in kennel No. 4, ID No. 11650.

‘CoCo’

“CoCo” is a young male pit bull terrier with a short brown and white coat.

Shelter staff said she’s good with other dogs but can play rough, so a meet and greet with other dogs is recommended. She’s great with people and would benefit from obedience training.

He’s in kennel No. 5, ID No. 11763.

Male terrier

This male terrier has a short black and white coat.

He has been neutered.

He’s in kennel No. 6, ID No. 11756.

Female German Shepherd

This female German Shepherd has a medium-length black and tan coat.

Shelter staff said she is great with other dogs, but is very submissive and lacking confidence; she would benefit from socialization with other dogs. They also report she is very sweet and gentle with people and would do fine with children of all ages.

She’s in kennel No. 7, ID No. 11772.

Female shepherd

This female shepherd has a short tricolor coat.

Shelter staff said she’s good with other dogs and is very gentle and submissive. She would benefit from socialization with other dogs and people. Staff also reported that she is good with children of all ages.

She’s in kennel No. 8, ID No. 11770.

‘Alaki’

“Alaki” is a male pit bull terrier.

He has a short brindle coat with white markings. He already has been neutered.

Shelter staff said Alaki is great with other dogs that will tolerate his level of play. He would benefit from daily exercise and behavior training, and he is very willing to learn. They said he would be good with children ages 12 and over.

He’s in kennel No. 11, ID No. 6386.

‘Dozer’

“Dozer” is a male Catahoula Leopard Dog with a short blue and brown coat.

Shelter staff said Dozer is good with other submissive dogs, he’s not interested in play and would rather go for walks. They said he would do best with children ages 10 and over.

He’s in kennel No. 14, ID No. 11737.

‘Truely’

“Truely” is a female pit bull with a short white and tan coat.

She’s in kennel No. 15, ID No. 11645.

Male boxer

This male boxer has a short brown and black coat.

He has been neutered.

He’s in kennel No. 16, ID No. 11738.

Australian Shepherd-pit bull terrier

This male Australian Shepherd-pit bull terrier has a short tricolor coat.

He’s in kennel No. 19, ID No. 11789.

Shepherd-hound mix

This young female shepherd-hound mix has a short red coat.

She’s in kennel No. 20, ID No. 11786.

Treeing Walker Coonhound

This male Treeing Walker Coonhound has 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 other dogs but prefers to not have them in his space. He’s good with children age 6 and up.

He already has been neutered.

He’s in kennel No. 21, ID No. 11771.

‘Scout’

“Scout” is a young male husky-shepherd mix.

Shelter staff said he is very submissive and lacks confidence with other dogs but he’s very sweet with people. He is a huge puppy and would benefit from obedience training.

He’s in kennel No. 22, ID No. 11778.

Female pit bull terrier

This female pit bull terrier has a short brown and white coat.

Shelter staff said he is great with other dogs and would benefit from obedience and socialization.

She’s in kennel No. 23, ID No. 11777.

Male Pomeranian

This male Pomeranian has a long tan coat.

He already has been neutered.

Shelter staff said he is good with other dogs, loves to play and is high energy. He would do best with children age 10 and above.

He’s in kennel No. 24, ID No. 11776.

Doberman Pinscher

This female Doberman Pinscher has a short blue and brown coat.

Shelter staff said she is great with other dogs and very well mannered. She listens to commands, knows basic obedience and is a people pleaser. They said she would do great with children.

She’s in kennel No. 26, ID No. 11774.

‘Elmo’

“Elmo” is an older male Labrador Retriever mix with a medium-length tricolor coat.

Shelter staff said Elmo is a very sweet older fellow who loves human affection. He could live with other dogs who respect his space and he’s good with children age 10 and above.

He’s in kennel No. 27, ID No. 11765.

‘Smokey’

“Smokey” is a male pit bull terrier with a short fawn and white coat.

Shelter staff said he’s good with other dogs, loves playing with balls and walks well on a leash. He is very sweet.

Smokey already has been neutered.

He’s in kennel No. 28, ID No. 11646.

Female Labrador Retriever

This female Labrador Retriever has a short black coat.

She already has been spayed.

Shelter staff said she is dominant with other dogs, so they recommend a meet and greet for potential adopters with other canines. She is great with both adults and children.
She’s in kennel No. 29, ID No. 11736.

‘Rogue’

“Rogue” is a male mastiff with a short brindle coat.

He’s in kennel No. 31, ID No. 11732.

Male German Shepherd

This male German Shepherd has a medium-length tricolor coat.

He’s in kennel No. 33, ID No. 11564.

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.

ROCKFORD, Ill. – Winter in the United States can produce some of the most dangerous weather for the aviation industry, including freezing rain, freezing drizzle, and sleet.

Those are the ideal conditions for a field campaign focused on collecting in-flight data in some of the most treacherous North American icing conditions.

The program is led by the Federal Aviation Administration, in partnership with the National Center for Atmospheric Research, or NCAR, and other organizations, and will help improve weather models and forecasts for those who work in aviation.

"Icy weather conditions are a hazard to pilots, crew, and passengers around the world," said Scott Landolt, an NCAR scientist and co-lead principal investigator for the field campaign. "This research will help make flight transportation safer, especially for smaller aircraft that fly at lower altitudes where they are at a higher risk of ice buildup during flight."

Scientists with the In-Cloud Icing and Large-Drop Experiment, or ICICLE, have been flying through extreme winter weather conditions since Jan. 28 using the National Research Council of Canada's Convair 580, a twin-engine research aircraft. Based in Rockford, Illinois, the scientists and Convair crew will travel to Wisconsin, Michigan, Iowa, and other neighboring states for another two weeks, chasing icy weather conditions.

This project is part of the FAA’s Aviation Weather Research Program, which sponsors research that will help minimize the impact of weather on the National Airspace System, including turbulence, ceiling and visibility, thunderstorms, and aircraft icing.

“Aviation users can only operate in icing conditions for which the aircraft is certified. If an aircraft demonstrates it can operate safely in a particular icing environment, it can become certified for flight into those icing environments," said Stephanie DiVito, the FAA ICICLE program lead and terminal area icing project lead. "Any icing environment outside of those provisions must be avoided. In order to avoid icing, the user must know it exists.”

“The data from ICICLE will help develop and validate icing diagnosis and forecast tools for the identification of icing conditions an aviation user may encounter, both in the terminal and en route environments, to enable safe operations in the National Airspace System,” said Danny Sims, the FAA in-flight icing weather project lead.

Ice in the sky

The data collected during ICICLE will be used to improve weather models and tools used in icing diagnosis and forecasting. Improving and drawing upon the strengths of these weather tools the aviation industry relies on could help pilots avert risky situations, like ice buildup.

Ice buildup on the surface of an aircraft can occur on the ground or in-flight. When it happens on the ground, an aircraft must be de-iced before takeoff. During a flight, ice can form when an aircraft flies through supercooled liquid water – water that remains liquid in the atmosphere at temperatures well below freezing.

“The risk to aviation in these conditions is that as soon as an airplane flies through this cloud, the supercooled droplets will freeze on impact,” said Julie Haggerty, who leads the in-flight icing program at NCAR and is co-lead principal investigator for ICICLE. “Airplanes are shaped to be aerodynamically functional, and when you add ice this changes the shape of the airplane and the airflow. Suddenly the airplane doesn’t fly as it is supposed to.”

The goal of the field campaign is to capture the various environments in which supercooled liquid water can exist in winter conditions aloft and to produce a data set that cannot be gathered from weather stations on the ground. The scientists are particularly interested in studying large water drops, typically bigger than what is seen in foggy weather.

“Getting something correct at the surface is insufficient. We need the observations in the sky as well because that is where the water droplets affect the airplanes once they are off the ground,” said Greg Thompson, an atmospheric scientist at NCAR who is working on ICICLE.

While the focus is on the in-cloud conditions, the scientists will be collecting data through the entire flight process, said Landolt. “We are trying to cover the full spectrum of what a pilot goes through when they are doing their planning – what the conditions are at their current airport location, what to expect during takeoff, en route, and then landing,” he said.

Throughout the field project, scientists and flight crew begin work on the flight plan in the early morning. Forecasters start looking at weather conditions as early as midnight and, through university partnerships, occasionally release weather balloons to analyze the cloud structure. The team uses the forecasts to plan the flight altitude and route to best capture the in-cloud conditions. Even if there is no precipitation, the crew will be flying.

“The majority of clouds you see outside aren’t producing precipitation, but when an aircraft takes off it has to fly through the cloud, and it will encounter ice-prone conditions there,” said Landolt.

Throughout takeoff, flight, and landing, instruments mounted on the airplane are collecting measurements. A suite of sensors, provided by the National Research Council of Canada and Environment and Climate Change Canada, measures a range of particle sizes while optical sensors count the number of droplets and ice crystals in the cloud along the flight path. In addition, an onboard cloud radar will allow the scientists to characterize the clouds above, below, and ahead of the aircraft.

This in-flight data will be compiled with NCAR’s Earth Observing Laboratory field catalog, a suite of tools that record ancillary data each day of the campaign. Scientists from around the world can use the catalog in real time and long after the field campaign is finished to help visualize the entirety of the project. The catalog includes maps, satellite and radar observations, and surface conditions among many other products.

ICICLE includes essential participation by NCAR, a major facility of the National Science Foundation, as active icing researchers in support of FAA icing projects and participating in ICICLE as support scientists, forecasters, and operations directors.

In addition, Ben Bernstein, a consultant with Leading Edge Atmospherics LLC is a critical part of the team, serving as science lead for the team and primary operations director, while providing expertise in identifying and sampling conditions that cause ice buildup.

ICICLE further includes collaborators from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration as well as groups in England, France, and Germany.

Alexandra Branscombe writes for the National Center for Atmospheric Research/University Corporation for Atmospheric Research.

No matter how cold your winter has been, it's probably not as chilly as Mars. Check for yourself: The public can now get a daily weather report from NASA's InSight lander.

This public tool includes stats on temperature, wind and air pressure recorded by InSight. Last Sunday's weather was typical for the lander's location during late northern winter: a high of 2 degrees Fahrenheit (-17 degrees Celsius) and low of -138 degrees Fahrenheit (-95 degrees Celsius), with a top wind speed of 37.8 mph (16.9 m/s) in a southwest direction.

The tool was developed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, with partners at Cornell University and Spain's Centro de Astrobiología. JPL leads the InSight mission.

Through a package of sensors called the Auxiliary Payload Subsystem (APSS), InSight will provide more around-the-clock weather information than any previous mission to the Martian surface.

The lander records this data during each second of every sol (a Martian day) and sends it to Earth on a daily basis. The spacecraft is designed to continue that operation for at least the next two Earth years, allowing it to study seasonal changes as well.

The tool will be geeky fun for meteorologists while offering everyone who uses it a chance to be transported to another planet.

"It gives you the sense of visiting an alien place," said Don Banfield of Cornell University, in Ithaca, New York, who leads InSight's weather science. "Mars has familiar atmospheric phenomena that are still quite different than those on Earth."

Constantly collecting weather data allows scientists to detect sources of "noise" that could influence readings from the lander's seismometer and heat flow probe, its main instruments. Both are affected by Mars' extreme temperature swings.

The seismometer, called the Seismic Experiment for Interior Structure, or SEIS, is sensitive to air pressure changes and wind, which create movements that could mask actual marsquakes.

"APSS will help us filter out environmental noise in the seismic data and know when we're seeing a marsquake and when we aren't," Banfield said. "By operating continuously, we'll also see a more detailed view of the weather than most surface missions, which usually collect data only intermittently throughout a sol."

APSS includes an air pressure sensor inside the lander and two air temperature and wind sensors on the lander's deck. Under the edge of the deck is a magnetometer, provided by UCLA, which will measure changes in the local magnetic field that could also influence SEIS. It is the first magnetometer ever placed on the surface of another planet.

InSight will provide a unique data set that will complement the weather measurements of other active missions, including NASA's Curiosity rover and orbiters circling the planet. InSight's air temperature and wind sensors are actually refurbished spares originally built for Curiosity's Rover Environmental Monitoring Station, or REMS.

These two east- and west-facing booms sit on the lander's deck and are called Temperature and Wind for InSight, or TWINS, provided by Spain's Centro de Astrobiología.

TWINS will be used to tell the team when strong winds could interfere with small seismic signals. But it could also be used, along with InSight's cameras, to study how much dust and sand blow around. Scientists don't know how much wind it takes to lift dust in Mars' thin atmosphere, which affects dune formation and dust storms – including planet-encircling dust storms like the one that occurred last year, effectively ending the Opportunity rover's mission.

APSS will also help the mission team learn about dust devils that have left streaks on the planet's surface. Dust devils are essentially low-pressure whirlwinds, so InSight's air pressure sensor can detect when one is near. It's highly sensitive – 10 times more so than equipment on the Viking and Pathfinder landers – enabling the team to study dust devils from hundreds of feet (dozens of meters) away.

"Our data has already shown there are a lot of dust devils at our location," Banfield said. "Having such a sensitive pressure sensor lets us see more of them passing by."

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – What appeared to be a fatal crash on Highway 20 east of Clearlake Oaks on Thursday morning is being investigated as a homicide, according to the California Highway Patrol.

As Lake County News reported earlier this week, firefighters and the CHP responded to an area west of Walker Ridge Road on Highway 20 just after 7 a.m. Thursday on the report of a white van that had gone into a ditch.

Initially the crash did not appear unusual, but since then the investigation has revealed suspicious circumstances, according to CHP Clear Lake Area Office Commander Lt. Randy England.

“It’s a homicide,” England told Lake County News in a Saturday interview.

England identified the man whose body was found in the van as Patrick M. Weber, 41, of Santa Clarita.

England said a passing motorist reported seeing the white Dodge Sprinter van, a large cargo vehicle, in a ditch about two miles west of the Colusa County line and about a mile west of Walker Ridge Road. England said the call came in at 7:07 a.m.

The van had been traveling eastbound when it ran off the highway shoulder, went into a ditch and came to rest up against a tree, England said.

Radio traffic indicated firefighters were dispatched at 7:10 a.m. England said fire personnel arrived ahead of law enforcement and declared Weber deceased.

England said he and Sgt. Steve Krul responded to the scene that morning. While it looked like a case of someone falling asleep and driving off the road, “Something just didn’t seem right,” England said.

An additional report from the CHP said officers observed there were red paint transfer marks to the driver’s side of the vehicle, indicating a possible hit-and-run collision or an intentional act.

Sheriff Brian Martin also went out to the scene, England said. “He’s allocating all of the resources he has,” including a fingerprint specialist.

England also contacted Capt. Greg Baarts, a former commander of the Clear Lake Area office who now is with CHP’s Northern Division, based out of Redding. Baarts provided his Multidisciplinary Accident Investigation Team – also known as MAIT – to assist.

CHP incident logs about the crash indicated the MAIT team flew into Lampson Airport.

Later on Thursday evening, as the investigation of the scene was continuing, Weber’s body was moved and it was decided to have an autopsy performed immediately, England said.

The damage to the vehicle led to Weber’s cause of death not being immediately apparent. However, when the results of the autopsy came back, England said it was determined that Weber’s injuries were not consistent with a traffic crash, and it turned into a criminal investigation.

To protect the investigation, England said they are not yet releasing the exact cause of Weber’s death. They also are not commenting about what they found inside the van, which reports from the scene said was towed and stored as evidence.

“At this point right now, they’re writing search warrants, just trying to find any information about what he was doing up here, where he’s been, who he’s been contacting,” England said of Weber.

England said Weber’s family has been notified and investigators are working with them now to gather more information.

Investigators remain uncertain about when the incident occurred, the CHP said.

The investigation currently is a joint effort between the CHP Clear Lake Area office, the Northern Division Investigation Service Unit, the Northern Division MAIT and the Lake County Sheriff’s Office Major Crimes Investigation Unit.

Anyone with information about the crash, who saw any unusual activity along Highway 20 early Thursday or who has information about Weber and his whereabouts in the days leading up to the incident are urged to call the CHP’s Ukiah Dispatch Center at 707-467-4000. Calls during business hours may be made to the Clear Lake Area CHP office at 707-279-0103.

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.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The investigators in the case against a man accused of setting a series of fires, including the 2016 Clayton fire, continued to describe their methods and findings during a court hearing on Friday.

Damin Anthony Pashilk, 43, of Clearlake returned to Lake County Superior Court on Friday for the fourth day of his preliminary hearing.

The preliminary hear is to determine if he will ultimately stand trial on 23 charges for setting the Clayton fire in August 2016 and 15 other fires between July of 2015 and August of 2016, as well as an attempted start of a 17th that self-extinguished.

In the proceedings so far, the testimony has come from a variety of Cal Fire personnel who were part of investigating the many fires and surveilling Pashilk for more than a year.

Michael Thompson, a battalion chief and law enforcement officer, returned to the stand on Friday after having testified much of Thursday.

Thompson, who had helped track Pashilk, described his interaction with Pashilk after his arrest on Aug. 15, two days after the Clayton fire – the last of the fires he’s accused of setting – began.

After he was taken into custody, Pashilk was taken to the Lake County Sheriff’s Office where a Cal Fire deputy chief and two detectives interviewed him, while Thompson watched the interview via video in another room.

Before that interview started, Thompson said he saw Pashilk reach into his sock, pull out something and swallow it. Pashilk later would admit that it was 2 grams of methamphetamine.

After the interview, Thompson placed Pashilk formally under arrest and searched him, finding a Bic lighter and some change. He then took Pashilk to Sutter Lakeside Hospital to be medically cleared for booking.

Thompson said he was at the hospital with Pashilk about an hour and a half, staying with him in the hospital room. In the room next door was a television newscast discussing the devastation of the Clayton fire. Pashilk heard it.

“His demeanor started to change,” said Thompson. “I witnessed him go from sitting in the upright position to starting to slouch into his chair and start sinking further and further down.”

Pashilk then began to tuck his chin to his shoulder, his shoulders started to bounce like he was crying, and Thompson said he saw tears, but Pashilk never made eye contact with him.

While at the hospital, Thompson said Pashilk asked him if he was religious. “I asked him what was the relevance,” and how it mattered, Thompson said. Pashilk replied, “I guess it doesn’t.”

Pashilk also asked if Thompson was Christian or Catholic. When Thompson responded that he’s a Christian, Pashilk asked about the afterlife, and if there is a heaven and hell. Pashilk then said he used to believe there was a heaven and hell but over the years his beliefs had changed.

At no time did Pashilk admit to setting the fires – throughout his interviews with Thompson he denied the allegations – and he eventually said he wanted to be taken to jail, Thompson said.

The following day, on Aug. 16, 2016, Thompson spoke again to Pashilk, who became upset. Pashilk also had told Thompson he didn’t want to live any more. Thompson said he told Pashilk it was important that people hear his side of the story. Pashilk told Thompson that a man had approached him in jail and said he should do a television interview, which Pashilk refused to do.

“I’m sure they're going to send me away for a long time but I’m going to do everything I can not to. They have a mountain of evidence,” Thompson recalled Pashilk saying, reading from his report on the investigation. Pashilk also told him, “I know I'm not a bad guy,” and Thompson replied that there were people willing to forgive him.

In his cross-examination, defense attorney Mitchell Hauptman asked Thompson about his findings at the scene of the Canyon fire on Aug. 9, 2016, on Seigler Canyon Road in Lower Lake. Thompson had testified on Thursday that he’d concluded that there was no ignition source – that it had been some material that had burned up – and Hauptman asked if it could have been a cigarette.

Thompson said a cigarette causing a fire in that manner and leaving no trace isn’t typical in his experience. “There would still be some remnants of that item there. From my experience, the filters don't completely burn.”

During Hinchcliff’s questioning, Thompson further explained that cigarettes don’t usually light vegetation fires, depending on fuel and humidity. He explained that most modern cigarettes have built in stops, and they're supposed to self extinguish if you’re not drawing on them, a safety fix in response to people falling asleep while smoking.

Thompson said he did find a cigarette filter at the site of a fire on Sulphur Bank Road near Clearlake on July 26, 2016, but determined it wasn’t the cause of that fire.

Following Thompson to the stand was Christopher Van Cor, an assistant chief of Cal Fire’s investigation unit. He also was involved in conducting surveillance of Pashilk in both 2015 and 2016.

In addition to following Pashilk, Van Cor helped place a GPS device tracking device on the Chrysler Sebring Pashilk was known to drive in 2016. Van Cor retrieved hard drives from surveillance cameras that had been set up around Lake County in areas where there had been fire activity. He also reviewed the footage.

On Aug. 13, 2016, Van Cor was one of several team members tracking Pashilk, who was seen going back and forth from his Clearlake home to Twin Pine Casino in Middletown. At 4:50 p.m. that day, he saw Pashilk turn down Clayton Creek Road – where the Clayton fire would begin shortly afterward. Van Cor said he didn’t turn down the road after Pashilk because he didn’t want to be seen. Later that evening, Van Cor saw Pashilk and a woman at Highway 29 and Spruce Grove Road, watching the fire.

Gary Uboldi, another Cal Fire peace officer assigned to Lake County, recounted investigating several of the fires, finding at one of the scenes a Twin Pine Casino matchbook. Pashilk was known to frequent that casino.

Like Van Cor, Uboldi was conducting surveillance of Pashilk on the day the Clayton fire began and he was one of the first people to arrive on the fire scene.

Uboldi investigated the fire’s cause, and in the grass in the origin area – just under 3 feet off the roadway – he found a 5- to 6-inch long and 1-inch wide food-type wrapper. It was clear and had illegible writing on it. One end had been burned and the other had melted but not burned.

He collected it for evidence and concluded it was used as the ignition source due to the fire spread indicators. He said he has seen plastic used as a source of ignition before.

On Aug. 15, 2016, two days after the Clayton fire started, Uboldi helped search Pashilk’s Koloko Street home in Clearlake, finding, packaging and securing numerous items of evidence from the home, the Chrysler and a nearby trailer. The items included a twisted white paper napkin – similar to one that Thompson had found at the scene of the Canyon fire six days earlier – along with numerous Twin Pine Casino matchbooks, a few lighters, a butane torch, a glass pipe, burned matches, more paper napkins and a torn paper cup.

Testimony will continue on Wednesday, Feb. 27.

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.