LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – In the month of January, the county of Lake has been hosting community visioning forums throughout the county.
The final forum is at 7 p.m. Monday, Jan. 29, at Twin Pine Event Center, 22223 Highway 29 in Middletown.
All Lake County residents are welcome.
“South County residents are an insightful group. We have some incredible business people, big thinkers, creative strategists. I’m looking forward to participating, and hoping we’ll have a great turnout,” said District 1 Supervisor Moke Simon.
Participants in previous forums have learned a lot about the depth and complexities of the county’s current budget crisis. They have responded by sharing ideas to move the county forward.
“It has been wonderful to hear from so many residents, to hear your great ideas and see how passionate you are about Lake County,” said County Administrative Officer Carol Huchingson.
If you were unable to attend a forum in person, the county still wants to hear from you.
Please take a few minutes to review the materials posted at http://www.lakecountyca.gov/vision/, complete our survey, and email your thoughts.
What are your priorities for county services? What are your ideas to build a brighter tomorrow?
“Please send your ideas now,” said Huchingson. “On Feb. 6, at 9:30 a.m., the Board of Supervisors will receive an update on public input shared at the forums and through our webpage. We want your ideas to be represented, and we need to hear from you soon.”
KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – The California Highway Patrol will offer a free “Start Smart” traffic safety class for soon to-be-licensed, newly licensed, and teenage drivers and their parents or guardians on Wednesday, Jan. 24.
The class will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Clear Lake Area CHP office, located at 5700 Live Oak Drive in Kelseyville.
The CHP said a teenager is killed in a traffic collision every four hours nationwide. That equates to more than 1,870 teenagers killed each year. Another 184,000 teenagers are injured in traffic collisions.
These deaths and injuries can be substantially reduced or prevented by eliminating high-risk driving behaviors through education, and the CHP said its “Start Smart” program can help prevent these tragedies.
The Start Smart program focuses on providing comprehensive traffic safety education classes for teenagers and their parents.
Start Smart employs innovative techniques to capture the attention of teenagers and parents, providing a lasting experience.
The curriculum includes information on collision statistics, teen driver and passenger behaviors, graduated driver’s license laws, cultural changes in today’s society and the need for stronger parental involvement in a teenager’s driving experience.
Space is limited for this class. For more information or reservations, call Officer Kory Reynolds at the CHP office, 707-279-0103, or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
On Monday, Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety released the 2018 Roadmap of State Highway Safety Laws, a “report card” that exposes more than 400 missing safety laws nationwide.
This is the 15th edition of an annual report that rates all 50 states and the District of Columbia on the adoption of 16 fundamental traffic safety laws.
Organizers said it’s an essential tools that state elected officials should use to improve roadway safety for all motorists as 2018 state legislative sessions kick off.
Additionally, the report highlights the need for advanced vehicle technologies in all cars.
Automakers and technology company executives have been promoting autonomous vehicles, or AVs, also known as driverless cars, as a panacea that will end vehicle fatalities. However, even they admit that driverless car technology is still many years away from a safe mass deployment.
Meanwhile, known and lifesaving equipment exists right now that can save lives, prevent debilitating injuries, and eliminate the billions in related costs to society. They include collision avoidance and automated enforcement as well as means to improve large truck and rear seat safety.
“Advocates has spent decades fighting for vehicle safety technology and we too believe driverless cars have the potential to one day make our roads a dramatically safer place,” said Advocates’ President Cathy Chase. “Yet, in the meantime, approximately 100 people are killed and 6,500 more are injured in crashes every day, on average, even though we have proven safety solutions highlighted in our Roadmap Report. Further, this comes with a significant economic burden on society. Each person in America pays an annual ‘crash tax’ of $784. When loss of life, pain, and decreased quality of life are factored in, society shoulders $836 billion a year. This significant emotional and economic toll must be addressed with urgency and immediacy.”
Motor vehicle crashes killed over 37,000 people in 2016 and preliminary figures for the first half of 2017 don’t reveal any substantial reversal to this carnage. This is major public health epidemic by any measure.
Dr. Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association, said, “As with every other public health challenge, we must look to solutions that are shown to be effective in saving lives and preventing injuries. The Roadmap Report is a compilation of lifesaving and cost-saving strategies for every state to use right now. A doctor would never needlessly withhold an effective treatment that could save a life or mitigate an injury. Similarly, legislators shouldn’t delay the implementation of these proven cures to the public health crisis occurring every day on our roadways.”
The 2018 Roadmap Report paves a dual-track path to preventing deadly crashes. The first track involves the adoption of effective state highway safety laws that encourage the use of seat belts, motorcycle helmets, and child safety seats. These laws also provide safeguards for teen, distracted, and impaired drivers.
Colleen Sheehey-Church, National President of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) said, “MADD is pleased to work with the Advocates to encourage and advocate before federal and state legislators to stop the tragedies on our roadways. It will take all of us working together to ensure that we are protected from drunk drivers and other dangerous behavior that pose a threat every day to our children, our families and our future.”
The second track to safer roads, safer vehicles, and safer drivers outlined in the Roadmap Report is the widespread adoption of advanced safety technologies that are already on the market. This includes collision avoidance, automated speed and red-light enforcement systems, and ignition interlocks.
“The reality of our entire vehicle population being replaced with cars operated by computers instead of humans is still decades away,” said Jackie Gillan, president emeritus of Advocates. “And, until that happens we face the reality that motor vehicle crashes will continue to kill hundreds of thousands of people, cause millions of injuries and cost billions of dollars in societal costs. Our country is approaching nine years without a single death caused by a commercial aviation crash. Yet, today, we can’t go 15 minutes without a single death caused by a motor vehicle crash. Going forward, the most promising and pragmatic strategy at hand is adopting safety laws and advancing available safety technologies, as highlighted in Advocates’ 2018 Roadmap Report. We cannot allow lawmakers and policymakers to hide behind tomorrow’s promise of driverless cars by prolonging adoption of laws and technology that could be saving thousands of lives today.”
Advocates’ Report gives every state and D.C. a rating in five categories – occupant protection, child passenger safety, teen driving, impaired driving, and distracted driving – as well as an overall grade of: Green (Good); Yellow (Caution); and Red (Danger).
With 13 out of 16 safety laws on the books, Rhode Island earned the top green rating. Other states with a green rating include Delaware, Oregon, Washington, California, Louisiana and the District of Columbia.
States that earn a red rating lag seriously behind when it comes to adopting Advocates’ recommended laws.
South Dakota, having adopted just two of 16 safety laws, tops this year’s worst list.
Other states with a red rating include Wyoming, Arizona, Missouri, Montana, Florida, Nebraska, Virginia, Idaho, Iowa, New Hampshire, Ohio and Vermont.
Nearly 250 key safety laws have been passed by states since the first edition of the Roadmap Report was published in 2004, but as this year’s report shows, lawmakers in even the green-rated states have more work to do.
“We urge state lawmakers to seize this opportunity to close safety gaps that put everyone at risk and make passage of these laws a top legislative priority this year,” said Alan Maness, vice president of federal affairs for State Farm Insurance and an Advocates Board member. “The mounting toll of fatalities, injuries, and costs should be a major wake-up call to lawmakers at all levels of government. The problems we are facing are clear but so are the solutions.”
One major change for the 2018 Roadmap, is that states are now graded on whether they have a law that requires child passengers to be restrained in a rear facing safety seat through age 2.
“Children younger than two are at an elevated risk of injuries because of their body structure, and rear-facing car seats provide the best protection in a crash,” said Janette Fennell, consumer co-chair of Advocates and the founder and president of KidsAndCars.org.
Though 13 laws were passed in 2017 that met the criteria of the Roadmap Report, 407 more laws are missing across the nation:
– Primary enforcement of seat belts: 16 states lack an optimal primary enforcement seat belt law for front seat passengers, while 31 states need an optimal primary enforcement seat belt law for rear seat passengers;
– All-rider motorcycle helmet law: 31 states need an optimal all-rider motorcycle helmet law;
– Rear facing through age 2: 41 states and D.C. are missing a rear facing through age two child protection law;
– Booster seats: 35 states and DC need an optimal booster seat law;
– Graduated driver licensing, or GDL, for teen drivers: 192 GDL laws need to be adopted to ensure the safety of novice drivers. No state has all six optimal provisions of a GDL law;
– Impaired driving: 32 important impaired driving laws covering all-offender ignition interlocks, child endangerment, and open containers are needed;
– All-driver text messaging restriction: seven states need an optimal all-driver texting ban; and,
– GDL Cell Phone Restriction: 19 states and D.C. lack optimal laws restricting cell phone use for teen drivers.
Fennell also stated, “Prevention is the key to achieving meaningful progress in saving lives and reversing the upward trend of motor vehicle deaths. I urge every state elected official to pick up this report and take action to enact proven state traffic safety laws that advance the use of effective safety technologies.”
The 16 optimal laws recommended and rated by the report are backed by rigorous scientific studies and data analysis, as well as decades of real-world experience.
Unfortunately, road users continue to die while far too many states choose not to adopt these practical laws.
“It makes no sense to me that the commonsense solutions provided in this report are not embraced and enacted with urgency,” said Melissa Wandall, president of the National Coalition of Safer Roads and Founder of The Mark Wandall Foundation.
She added, “You don’t have to wait until tragedy strikes your family when we have the safety solutions at hand.”
The Virgil family received bikes at Bike Angels United’s sixth bike giveaway on Saturday, January 20, 2018, in Clearlake, Calif. Photo by Lucy Llewellyn Byard. CLEARLAKE, Calif. – On Saturday, the sixth Bike Angels bike giveaway, spearheaded by founder Candy Alcott, was held at Tatonka Trading in Clearlake for the Sulphur fire survivors.
A bald eagle soared overhead as Alcott introduced herself to the crowd of about 180 people. The eagle was perhaps a good omen for people who have suffered enough hardship.
Alcott, a retired teacher in the Lancaster school district, was moved by the stories of the 2015 Valley fire.
She collected 25 bikes and hauled them from Lancaster to Middletown for the Valley fire survivors. However, there were more survivors who showed up for the giveaway than bikes.
Eight-year-old Mizriam Perez was next in line at that first giveaway, but all bikes had been given.
Alcott’s heart broke at his disappointment. She promised him she would return with more bikes.
When she found out that Mizriam’s birthday was on Christmas Day, Alcott returned for a Christmas giveaway where Mizriam received the first out of 500 bikes donated.
Now an 11 year old, Mizriam is a volunteer Bike Angel, helping other fire survivors.
Little Tatiana Jones, accompanied by her uncle Steven Loudermilk, received a new tricycle at Bike Angels United’s sixth bike giveaway on Saturday, January 20, 2018, in Clearlake, Calif. Photo by Lucy Llewellyn Byard. It was a carnival-like atmosphere on Saturday in Tatonka Trading’s parking lot, with rows of 160 bikes and tables of helmets, including 75 donated by the Middletown Rotary Club and Livermore Police Officer Rich Hill. Tents and tables were donated by Twin Pines Casino.
Beanie hats made by a team of four volunteers, directed by Gail Chaney, were “handmade straight from the heart,” she said.
Live oak trees were donated by Jonsteen Trees to adult survivors. A woman whose house burned in the Valley fire collected seeds from the ash in her driveway. From that ash, the 2-year-old saplings were grown and given away.
Cookies and water and thanks to the first responders filled other tables.
Ana Virgil’s family of four each received new bikes. They lost their house and are in the process of rebuilding while staying with friends in Clearlake.
Little Tatiana Jones, accompanied by her uncle, received a new tricycle.
Four eighth grade school girls and one high school student from Roseville are an example of what Alcott calls the “snowball of love.”
They made the bike giveaway their Destination Imagination community service project, dubbing their group “Team OMG!” after seeing Alcott on local news. They raised money for 50 bikes.
“My team chose to join Candy Alcott in her movement because we knew that bikes were not only transportation but entertainment for those who lost everything,” said team member Jolie Anderson.
Bike Angels United founder Candy Alcott and Mizriam Perez, the youngster who inspired her to expand her bike giveaways for fire survivors, at Bike Angels United’s sixth bike giveaway on Saturday, January 20, 2018, in Clearlake, Calif. Photo by Lucy Llewellyn Byard. Felicia Cooper’s three sons, Ignacio Duncan, 13, Immanuel Duncan, 11, and Hawk Duncan, 4, became Bike Angels when they decided to give away some of their toys and clothes items on the corner of their street in Nice right before Christmas.
Ignacio and his brothers approached their mother saying, “We have too many things when fire victims have nothing. Christmas is about giving and not all about receiving.”
Like many recipients of bikes, the boys’ story was shared on Alcott’s Facebook page, the main source of spreading the Bike Angel’s story. Each boy received a bike on Saturday.
Donations came from all over. Marin Fire Department donated funds for 16 adult bikes that were given to survivors who were able to show up to the giveaway. Memory bikes were donated in names of loved ones.
Team OMG! came from Roseville, Calif., to participate in Bike Angels United’s sixth bike giveaway on Saturday, January 20, 2018, in Clearlake, Calif. From left to right, Alyssa Schmidt, Jolie Anderson, Eliana Baisa and Samantha Cabacungan. Photo by Lucy Llewellyn Byard. In total, 130 bikes were donated and given to survivors, and to the public.
American Ruckus creator and host Christopher Watson collected 37 bikes from Grass Valley to Sacramento.
“I believe in humanity and the amazing bicycle community that has come together to help the fire victims. It’s a pleasure to know that people who have lost everything will now have transport and entertainment simply from a donated bicycle,” Watson said.
Clearlake Mayor Bruno Sabatier said of the Bike Angels Giveaway, “Candy and her Bike Angel volunteers came to support Clearlake's loss from the Sulphur fire, it was a real treat for those who lost so much. Her generosity and compassion for our community is second to none.”
The love keeps snowballing.
Lucy Llewellyn Byard is a Lake County News correspondent. She lives in Lucerne with her best buddy, Toby the Rhodesian Ridgeback.
From left to right, brothers Ignacio Duncan, 13, Hawk Duncan, 4, and Immanuel Duncan, 11, of Nice, Calif., received bicycles at Bike Angels United’s sixth bike giveaway on Saturday, January 20, 2018, in Clearlake, Calif. The boys were honored for their donations to help those in need. Photo by Lucy Llewellyn Byard.
LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Board of Supervisors is set to consider extending an urgency ordinance to allow cannabis cultivators to continue through the state licensing process while the county’s commercial marijuana cultivation ordinance is finalized.
The board will meet beginning at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 23, 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 item timed for 10 a.m., the board will hold a public hearing to consider a proposed extension of Ordinance No. 3070, an urgency ordinance allowing temporary and limited registration of certain commercial cannabis cultivation licenses.
The board approved the urgency ordinance on Dec. 19 in order to let local growers continue to prepare for operating under the state’s new licensing structure while the county finalizes its rules. Last week the board held a workshop on its cannabis rules.
In an untimed item, the board will discuss cell tower permitting and consider a requirement that cell tower lessees be required to provide reciprocity for all cell carriers utilizing the towers in order to enhance the local emergency notification system.
The full agenda follows.
CONTRACT CHANGE ORDERS
6.1: Approve Contract Change Order No. One (1), Supplement One (1) to contract between the county of Lake and Bridgeway Civil Constructors, Inc. for Harbin Springs Road at Harbin Creek Bridge Replacement Project, Federal Project No. BRLO-5914(106); Bid No. 17-04.
CONSENT AGENDA
7.1: Adopt resolution in support of county law librarians’ request for funding in the governor’s 2018 proposed budget and in successive state budgets.
7.2: Approve leave of absence request for June Richmond, eligibility worker, from Dec. 30, 2017, to April 1, 2018.
7.3: Approve leave of absence request for Dennis Reynolds, senior deputy probation officer, Jan. 1, 2018, through Jan. 31, 2018.
7.4: Adopt resolution reappointing Steven Hajik as agricultural commissioner and sealer of weights and measures for a four-year term.
7.5: Authorize the chair to sign our registration forms for participation in the 2020 Local Update of Census Addresses (LUCA) Initiative.
7.6: Adopt resolution amending Resolution No. 2017-125 establishing position allocations for Fiscal Year 2017-2018, Budget Unit No. 1012, Administrative Office.
7.7: (a) Approve amendment one between the county of Lake and Lake Indigent Defense for Public Defender Services to provide for its termination effective Jan. 31, 2018, and authorize the chair to sign; and (b) approve agreement between the county of Lake and Lake Indigent Defense for public defender services from February 1, 2018 through June 30, 2019 paid in monthly installments of $110,000, unchanged from the original agreement, and authorize the chair to sign.
7.8: Adopt resolution of Intent to Amend Article 27 and any related sections of the Lake County Zoning Ordinance.
7.9: (a) Adopt resolution amending Resolution No. 2017-124 to amend the adopted budget for FY 2017-18 by cancelling obligated fund balance to make available for specific appropriation in Budget Unit 2709; and (b) approve purchase of Pitney Bowes folding and stuffing machine in the amount of $10,000, with an annual maintenance fee of $1,293.
7.10: Adopt the resolution approving the standard agreement for the Substance Abuse Block Grant multi-year agreement between the county of Lake and the Department of Health Care Services for Fiscal Year 2017-18 through Fiscal Year 2019-20, and authorize the Behavioral Health administrator to sign the standard agreement.
7.11: Approve budget transfer in the amount of $6,000 for the purchase of a file server.
7.12: Authorize waiver of County Policy and Procedure, Section 15 - Travel Policy Section 1.4F, claiming requirements for the reimbursement to Saul Sanabria in the amount of $232.33.
7.13: Authorize board appointment of Erin Gustafson, M.D., to the deputy health officer position.
7.14: Authorize board appointment of Sara Goldgraben, M.D., to the public health officer position.
7.15: (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 purchase of software, support and professional services in the amount of $37,620 from AnalyticsNow and authorize IT director to issue purchase order.
7.16: Adopt resolution authorizing the grant application for improving safety and community awareness in vicinity of Adobe Creek and Highland Springs Dams inundation zones.
7.17: Adopt a resolution amending Resolution No. 2017- 124 amending the adopted budget for FY 2017-18 by appropriating unanticipated revenue in Budget Unit 4121 – Public Services - Integrated Waste Management.
7.18: Approve amendment two to the agreement between the county of Lake and Bender Rosenthal Inc. to provide right of way services for four bridge replacement projects and two bridge rehabilitation projects in Lake County for an increase of $10,580 and an amount not to exceed $148,080; and authorize the chair to sign.
7.19: Approve submission of FY2018 State Homeland Security Grant application in the amount of $139,894.
7.20: Approve bid award to Rogue Jet Boatworks in the amount of $89,983 for the purchase of an aluminum patrol/rescue boat.
7.21: Approve contract amendment between the county of Lake and A&P Helicopters in the amount of $19,235 and authorize the chairman to sign.
7.22: (a) Approve submittal of project assurances for federal assistance-hazard mitigation grants and authorize the county administrative officer to sign; and (b) adopt resolution for the designation of subrecipient’s agent .
TIMED ITEMS
8.2, 9:15 a.m.: (a) Consideration of continuation of a proclamation of a local emergency due to the Sulphur fire incident; and (b) update and discussion on the Sulphur fire recovery.
8.3, 9:16 a.m.: (a) Consideration of continuation of a proclamation of a declaration of a local emergency due to wildfire conditions, pertaining to the Rocky, Jerusalem and Valley fires; and (b) update on Valley Fire Debris Insurance Collection Project.
8.4, 9:17 a.m.: Consideration of continuation of a proclamation of a declaration of a local emergency due to Clayton fire.
8.5, 9:18 a.m.: Consideration of continuation of a proclamation of a declaration of a local emergency due to the atmospheric river storm.
8.6, 9:20 a.m.: Consideration of amended agreement between the county of Lake and North Coast Opportunities for Valley fire and Sulphur fire survivor stable housing assistance.
8.7, 9:30 a.m.: Public hearing, consideration of a resolution amending the master fee schedule for departmental services rendered by the county.
8.8, 9:45 a.m.: Sitting as the Lake County Housing Commission Board of Directors, consideration of Section 8 Administrative Plan for Fiscal Years 17/18 and 18/19.
8.9, 9:50 a.m.: Sitting as the Lake County Housing Commission Board of Directors, approve Form HUD 50077-CR: CIVIL RIGHTS CERTIFICATION.
8.10, 10 a.m.: Public hearing, (a) consideration of proposed extension of Ordinance No. 3070, an urgency ordinance allowing temporary and limited registration of certain commercial cannabis cultivation licenses; and (b) issuance of Government Code section 65858 Status Report.
UNTIMED ITEMS
9.2: Discussion regarding cell tower permitting and consideration of a requirement that cell tower lessees be required to provide reciprocity for all cell carriers utilizing the towers in order to enhance our local emergency notification system.
9.3: Consideration of the following appointments: East Region 3 Town Hall (EaRTH), Lower Lake Cemetery District Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health (MCAH).
9.4: Consideration of a resolution establishing alternate office hours for the offices of the Assessor-Recorder for the period from Jan. 1, 2018, through Dec. 31, 2018.
9.5: Consideration of a resolution establishing alternate office hours for the office of the Treasurer-Tax Collector for the period from Jan. 1, 2018, through June 30, 2018.
CLOSED SESSION
10.1: Conference with legal counsel: Decision whether to initiate litigation pursuant to Gov. Code sec. 54956.9(d)(4): One potential case.
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. – Sunday brought rain to Lake County with more rain in the forecast this week.
Rain fell steadily on Sunday across parts of Northern California, based on National Weather Service rainfall totals.
The agency’s observation stations in Lake County recorded the following rainfall totals, in inches, for the 24-hour period ending at 12:30 a.m. Monday:
– Boggs Mountain: 0.72. – Cache Creek near Lower Lake: 0.31. – High Glade Lookout (Upper Lake): 0.91. – High Valley Road alert station: 0.39. – Indian Valley Reservoir: 0.43. – Kelseyville: 0.30. – Knoxville Creek: 0.39. – Lakeport: 0.47. – Mira Vista Road alert station in Sulphur fire area: 0.22. – Soda Creek at Lake Pillsbury: 1.55. – Upper Lake: 0.90. – Whispering Pines: 0.84.
The National Weather Service said more rain is expected on Monday, with a break from Monday night through Tuesday.
From Tuesday night through Thursday night, the agency is forecasting rain again, with conditions clearing through the weekend.
Daytime temperatures this week will top out in the high 50s, with nighttime lows into the high 20s, according to the forecast.
Temperatures are forecast to peak this weekend when sunny conditions are anticipated.
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. – Pacific Gas and Electric Co. paid property taxes of more than $230 million this fall to the 50 counties where the energy company owns property and operates gas and electric infrastructure that serves 16 million Californians.
The tax payments help support essential public services like education and public safety.
The semi-annual property tax payments made recently cover the period from July 1 to Dec. 31, 2017.
First installment property taxes recently paid to counties included in PG&E’s Humboldt Division are:
– Humboldt County: $3,432,207; – Lake County - $862,779; – Mendocino County: $1,632,858.
“Property tax payments provide crucial resources to the many communities where we live and work, supporting everything from education to public safety. By continuing to make local investments in gas and electric infrastructure, we are not only creating one of the safest and most reliable energy systems in the country, we’re investing in the local economy and helping our communities thrive,” said Jason Wells, senior vice president and chief financial officer for PG&E.
Total payments for the full tax year of July 1, 2017 to June 30, 2018 are estimated to total more than $461 million – an increase of $50 million, or 12 percent, compared with the prior fiscal year.
The full breakdown to the 50 counties follows.
Alameda: $23,910,294 Alpine: $70,240 Amador: $1,078,087 Butte: $3,900,167 Calaveras: $993,921 Colusa: $4,305,964 Contra Costa: $18,704,718 El Dorado: $1,541,364 Fresno: $16,820,124 Glenn: $782,234 Humboldt: $3,432,207 Kern: $7,696,500 Kings: $1,666,050 Lake: $862,779 Lassen: $39,448 Madera: $2,286,005 Marin: $3,661,099 Mariposa: $269,255 Mendocino: $1,632,858 Merced: $3,411,694 Modoc: $227,973 Monterey: $3,607,815 Napa: $2,827,874 Nevada: $1,218,797 Placer: $5,456,991 Plumas: 2,339,038 Sacramento: $6,258,136 San Benito: $680,494 San Bernardino: $1,205,841 San Diego: $7,665 San Francisco: $14,353,617 San Joaquin: $11,260,063 San Luis Obispo: $14,910,000 San Mateo: $12,520,118 Santa Barbara: $1,108,093 Santa Clara: $26,041,456 Santa Cruz: $1,715,627 Shasta: $5,143,166 Sierra: $125,892 Siskiyou: $110,193 Solano: 5,905,000 Sonoma: $7,156,279 Stanislaus: $2,124,403 Sutter: $1,346,278 Tehama: $1,140,366 Trinity: $135,508 Tulare: $596,150 Tuolumne: $869,671 Yolo: $2,295,755 Yuba: $1,163,001
LAKEPORT, Calif. – A chase that was reported to have begun in Mendocino County ended in Lakeport early Sunday with one person said to be in custody.
Radio reports indicated the chase began in the Ukiah area and continued on Highway 20 into Lake County after midnight.
Mendocino County Sheriff’s deputies called for assistance in the area of the buffalo ranch on Highway 20, with Lake County Sheriff’s deputies joining the chase in the area of Witter Springs, based on scanner reports.
The fleeing vehicle, described as a white Honda Accord, continued onto Highway 29. At some point during the chase, Lake County Sheriff’s deputies were reported to have deployed spike strips.
In the area of Hill Road scanner traffic indicated the Honda lost a tire but continued traveling to Lakeport.
Sometime after 12:30 a.m. the car arrived in Lakeport, where the driver getting off the highway at 11th Street before reentering the highway, according to the radio.
Radio traffic reported that the Honda finally wrecked on an embankment at Highway 29 and Lakeport Boulevard, where the driver fled.
At that point, Mendocino and Lake County deputies, along with the California Highway Patrol and Lakeport Police pursued the driver and caught the individual in some brush shortly before 12:45 a.m., according to a witness at the scene.
Details about what led to the chase and the driver’s identity were not available immediately after the chase early Sunday.
Additional information will be posted as it becomes available.
Tyler Elsa contributed to this report.
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.
Law enforcement officers chased a white Honda to Lakeport, Calif., where the suspect fled on foot and was arrested. Photo by Tyler Elsa.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The search is on to find the 2018-2020 Lake County Poet Laureate.
Applications will be evaluated by the former and current Lake County Poets Laureate.
The application deadline is March 4, at 5 p.m.
Sponsored by Middletown Art Center and the Lake County Arts Council, the selection event will be held at Middletown Art Center, 21456 State Highway 175, on April 29, at 4 p.m., and is free to the public.
Interviews of finalists will be scheduled to take place that day. The selection event will feature readings by the finalists, and several of the Lake County Poets Laureate.
The new Lake County Poet Laureate, 2018-2020 will be announced at the conclusion of the readings.
The role of a poet laureate is to promote poetry, writing and literacy in the community they represent. The position requires strong organizational, communication and clerical skills.
Officiated by the Lake County Board of Supervisors, the tradition began in Lake County in 1998 with the installation of the first Lake County Poet Laureate, Jim Lyle.
Each successive poet laureate has found their own way to fulfill the role, with many of them currently active in Lake County’s vibrant literary community.
In Lake County, the poet laureate is a volunteer position. However, some laureates have applied for and received grants to support their community activities.
Any Lake County resident can apply for the position, or nominate a resident that they consider a viable candidate.
To apply: Collect up to eight of your original poems (10 pages maximum). Submit seven sets which contain each poem; one set with your name on each poem, and the other six sets without your name attached to the poems.
Provide a letter of recommendation written by a community member on your behalf. Write a mission statement describing how you would serve Lake County’s literary community, including any current or previous activities or involvement. Include your name, address, email, telephone number and best time to call.
If any of your poems have been published, list the titles, names of the publication and dates they were published. Be available on April 29 for the interview process and public reading at the selection event.
Send copies of the above listed materials to: Julie Adams, P.O. Box 11, Middletown, CA 95461, and email a copy of the poems with your name attached, and your mission statement to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
If you do not have Internet access, mail eight copies of the listed items, including only one set of poetry with your name attached.
Local residents may nominate someone for the position by sending an email or letter to current Lake County Poet Laureate Julie Adams at the above addresses. Include the person’s contact information, phone number and a short statement about why you are nominating them.
Casey Carney is a Lake County Poet Laureate emerita.
LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Poetry Out Loud Lake County Competition takes place at the Soper Reese Theatre on Sunday, Feb. 11.
The event will begin at 2 p.m.
It will feature competitors from Clear Lake High School, Middletown High School and Carlé Continuation High School.
Winners at this event will go on to compete at the state level.
The public is invited to attend; entry is free of charge.
The event is supported and promoted by the Lake County Arts Council, the National Endowment for the Arts, Poetry Foundation and the California Arts Council.
Poetry Out Loud is national program intended to help students master public speaking skills, build self-confidence, learn about their literary heritage and compete for college scholarship funding.
Millions of high school students participate across the country with California as one of the largest.
Students begin with poetry recitations at the classroom level. Classroom winners advance to a schoolwide competition and each school’s champion competes at the county level.
Winners of Feb. 11 Lake County competition advance to the state finals to be held on the State Assembly floor in Sacramento on March 18 and 19. The state competition is also webcast and televised via the California Channel.
The county champions are honored with a dinner reception and each receives a certificate of recognition from their legislative representative.
The National Finals will be held in Washington D.C., April 23 to 25. Check out www.poetryoutloud.org for more information.
The Soper Reese Theatre is located at 275 S. Main St. in Lakeport and can be reached at 707-263-0577.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Eight dogs are waiting for new homes at Lake County Animal Care and Control as this new week begins.
The dogs offered adoption this week include mixes of Akita, German Shepherd, golden retriever, mastiff, pit bull, shepherd and 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”).
This female pit bull terrier is in kennel No. 6, ID No. 9235. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Female pit bull
This female pit bull terrier has a short white and brown coat.
Shelter staff said she is good with other dogs.
She’s in kennel No. 6, ID No. 9235.
This male golden retriever is in kennel No. 7, ID No.9302. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Golden retriever
This male golden retriever
Has a medium-length golden coat.
He already has been neutered.
He’s in kennel No. 7, ID No.9302.
This male pit bull-mastiff mix is in kennel No. 10, ID No. 9289. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Pit bull-mastiff mix
This male pit bull-mastiff mix has a short brindle coat.
He’s in kennel No. 10, ID No. 9289.
This female German Shepherd-Akita mix is in kennel No. 22, ID No. 9219. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. German Shepherd-Akita mix
This female German Shepherd-Akita mix has a short black and tan coat.
She’s in kennel No. 22, ID No. 9219.
This female pit bull terrier is in kennel No. 23, ID No. 9082. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Pit bull terrier
This female pit bull terrier has a short gray and white coat.
Shelter staff said she is good with other dogs.
She’s in kennel No. 23, ID No. 9082.
This male pit bull terrier is in kennel No. 25, ID No. 9149. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Male pit bull
This male pit bull terrier has a short tan and white coat.
He already has been neutered.
He’s in kennel No. 25, ID No. 9149.
This male pit bull terrier is in kennel No. 31, ID No. 9160. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Male pit bull
This male pit bull terrier has a short brown and white coat.
He’s in kennel No. 31, ID No. 9160.
This male terrier-shepherd mix is in kennel No. 31, ID No. 9222. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Terrier-shepherd mix
This male terrier-shepherd mix has a short brown coat.
Shelter staff said he is good with other dogs.
He’s in kennel No. 31, ID No. 9222.
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.
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.
Earth’s global surface temperatures in 2017 ranked as the second warmest since 1880, according to an analysis by NASA.
Continuing the planet's long-term warming trend, globally averaged temperatures in 2017 were 1.62 degrees Fahrenheit (0.90 degrees Celsius) warmer than the 1951 to 1980 mean, according to scientists at NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) in New York. That is second only to global temperatures in 2016.
In a separate, independent analysis, scientists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) concluded that 2017 was the third-warmest year in their record.
The minor difference in rankings is due to the different methods used by the two agencies to analyze global temperatures, although over the long-term the agencies’ records remain in strong agreement. Both analyses show that the five warmest years on record all have taken place since 2010.
Because weather station locations and measurement practices change over time, there are uncertainties in the interpretation of specific year-to-year global mean temperature differences.
Taking this into account, NASA estimates that 2017’s global mean change is accurate to within 0.1 degree Fahrenheit, with a 95 percent certainty level.
“Despite colder than average temperatures in any one part of the world, temperatures over the planet as a whole continue the rapid warming trend we’ve seen over the last 40 years,” said GISS Director Gavin Schmidt.
The planet’s average surface temperature has risen about 2 degrees Fahrenheit (a little more than 1 degree Celsius) during the last century or so, a change driven largely by increased carbon dioxide and other human-made emissions into the atmosphere.
Last year was the third consecutive year in which global temperatures were more than 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit (1 degree Celsius) above late nineteenth-century levels.
Phenomena such as El Niño or La Niña, which warm or cool the upper tropical Pacific Ocean and cause corresponding variations in global wind and weather patterns, contribute to short-term variations in global average temperature.
A warming El Niño event was in effect for most of 2015 and the first third of 2016. Even without an El Niño event – and with a La Niña starting in the later months of 2017 – last year’s temperatures ranked between 2015 and 2016 in NASA’s records.
In an analysis where the effects of the recent El Niño and La Niña patterns were statistically removed from the record, 2017 would have been the warmest year on record.
Weather dynamics often affect regional temperatures, so not every region on Earth experienced similar amounts of warming. NOAA found the 2017 annual mean temperature for the contiguous 48 United States was the third warmest on record.
Warming trends are strongest in the Arctic regions, where 2017 saw the continued loss of sea ice.
NASA’s temperature analyses incorporate surface temperature measurements from 6,300 weather stations, ship- and buoy-based observations of sea surface temperatures, and temperature measurements from Antarctic research stations.
These raw measurements are analyzed using an algorithm that considers the varied spacing of temperature stations around the globe and urban heating effects that could skew the conclusions. These calculations produce the global average temperature deviations from the baseline period of 1951 to 1980.
NOAA scientists used much of the same raw temperature data, but with a different baseline period, and different methods to analyze Earth’s polar regions and global temperatures.
The full 2017 surface temperature data set and the complete methodology used to make the temperature calculation are available at https://data.giss.nasa.gov/gistemp .
GISS is a laboratory within the Earth Sciences Division of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. The laboratory is affiliated with Columbia University’s Earth Institute and School of Engineering and Applied Science in New York.
NASA uses the unique vantage point of space to better understand Earth as an interconnected system. The agency also uses airborne and ground-based monitoring, and develops new ways to observe and study Earth with long-term data records and computer analysis tools to better see how our planet is changing. NASA shares this knowledge with the global community and works with institutions in the United States and around the world that contribute to understanding and protecting our home planet.
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