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CLEARLAKE, Calif. — The Clearlake City Council on Thursday will discuss a proposed action in which the city would take eminent domain action to acquire a portion of a property needed for a road repair project and also will consider an updated fire map completed by the state.
The council will meet at 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 20, in the council chambers at Clearlake City Hall, 14050 Olympic Drive.
The agenda can be found here.
The meeting will be broadcast live on the city's YouTube channel or the Lake County PEGTV YouTube Channel.
Community members also can participate via Zoom. The webinar ID is 862 3977 6660, the pass code is 268411. One tap mobile is available at +16694449171,,86239776660#, or join by phone at 669-444-9171 or 253-205-0468.
At the start of the meeting the council will meet one of February’s adoptable dogs from the city shelter, host the swearing in of new and promoted police department employees, receive the Clearlake Police Department Annual Report and offer a presentation to departing Recreation and Events Coordinator II Tina Viramontes.
On the agenda is a hearing to consider a resolution of necessity to acquire a property at 12105 San Joaquin Ave. through eminent domain. The resolution also finds that the acquisition is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act.
The property in question includes a single family home and dock on the lake. However, the report to the council on the topic explains that the city is only seeking to acquire a small portion of the property, about 790 square feet out of a total property size of 17,860 square feet. An offer for that property based on fair market value has been offered to the owner.
The acquisition is meant to support the city’s Gooseneck Landslide Emergency Repair Project because of a storm event last February that caused a landslide that threatened the integrity of Lakeshore Drive, the city reported.
“Lakeshore Drive is one of the main routes for thousands of residents, who if this area of roadway failed would have to take an approximately one-hour detour to get to their homes,” City Manager Alan Flora and City Attorney Dean Pucci explained in their report to the council.
Flora said the project’s required work included removing landslide debris, installing two soil nail walls to permanently stabilize the landslide areas, new guardrail installation on Lakeshore Drive, hydro seeding disturbed soil and restoring the areas to as close to their original condition as possible.
“A large portion of the land slide was in the City Right of Way, but it was impossible to repair only the area of the land slide in the City Right of Way and not encroach onto private property,” Flora and Pucci wrote. “If only the City Right of Way portion of the land slide was repaired, it would have failed because an area of the landslide on the Subject Property would have still been unstable. As a necessary part of the stabilization of the slope encroaching onto the Subject Property a permanent retaining structure was constructed.”
They added, “It is necessary to acquire the Subject Property so that the City may maintain this area and the permanent retaining structure to prevent further landslide events to the extent feasible.”
Also on Thursday, the council also will receive an update on the fire hazard mapping from the Office of the State Fire Marshal. Thousands of acres of property in Lake County have been added to the high fire severity zones based on this latest action.
In other business, the council will consider amending a contract with California Engineering for the Community Development Block Grant Stormwater Master Plan Project in the amount of $60,574.47.
On the meeting's consent agenda — items that are considered routine in nature and usually adopted on a single vote — are warrants; City Council minutes; minutes of the Jan. 8 Lake County Vector Control District Board meeting; and authorization of an amendment of contract with California Engineering for additional engineering support for the airport environmental impact report in the amount of $70,776.60.
Email Elizabeth Larson atThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, and on Bluesky, @erlarson.bsky.social. Find Lake County News on the following platforms: Facebook, @LakeCoNews; X, @LakeCoNews; Threads, @lakeconews, and on Bluesky, @lakeconews.bsky.social.
The council will meet at 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 20, in the council chambers at Clearlake City Hall, 14050 Olympic Drive.
The agenda can be found here.
The meeting will be broadcast live on the city's YouTube channel or the Lake County PEGTV YouTube Channel.
Community members also can participate via Zoom. The webinar ID is 862 3977 6660, the pass code is 268411. One tap mobile is available at +16694449171,,86239776660#, or join by phone at 669-444-9171 or 253-205-0468.
At the start of the meeting the council will meet one of February’s adoptable dogs from the city shelter, host the swearing in of new and promoted police department employees, receive the Clearlake Police Department Annual Report and offer a presentation to departing Recreation and Events Coordinator II Tina Viramontes.
On the agenda is a hearing to consider a resolution of necessity to acquire a property at 12105 San Joaquin Ave. through eminent domain. The resolution also finds that the acquisition is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act.
The property in question includes a single family home and dock on the lake. However, the report to the council on the topic explains that the city is only seeking to acquire a small portion of the property, about 790 square feet out of a total property size of 17,860 square feet. An offer for that property based on fair market value has been offered to the owner.
The acquisition is meant to support the city’s Gooseneck Landslide Emergency Repair Project because of a storm event last February that caused a landslide that threatened the integrity of Lakeshore Drive, the city reported.
“Lakeshore Drive is one of the main routes for thousands of residents, who if this area of roadway failed would have to take an approximately one-hour detour to get to their homes,” City Manager Alan Flora and City Attorney Dean Pucci explained in their report to the council.
Flora said the project’s required work included removing landslide debris, installing two soil nail walls to permanently stabilize the landslide areas, new guardrail installation on Lakeshore Drive, hydro seeding disturbed soil and restoring the areas to as close to their original condition as possible.
“A large portion of the land slide was in the City Right of Way, but it was impossible to repair only the area of the land slide in the City Right of Way and not encroach onto private property,” Flora and Pucci wrote. “If only the City Right of Way portion of the land slide was repaired, it would have failed because an area of the landslide on the Subject Property would have still been unstable. As a necessary part of the stabilization of the slope encroaching onto the Subject Property a permanent retaining structure was constructed.”
They added, “It is necessary to acquire the Subject Property so that the City may maintain this area and the permanent retaining structure to prevent further landslide events to the extent feasible.”
Also on Thursday, the council also will receive an update on the fire hazard mapping from the Office of the State Fire Marshal. Thousands of acres of property in Lake County have been added to the high fire severity zones based on this latest action.
In other business, the council will consider amending a contract with California Engineering for the Community Development Block Grant Stormwater Master Plan Project in the amount of $60,574.47.
On the meeting's consent agenda — items that are considered routine in nature and usually adopted on a single vote — are warrants; City Council minutes; minutes of the Jan. 8 Lake County Vector Control District Board meeting; and authorization of an amendment of contract with California Engineering for additional engineering support for the airport environmental impact report in the amount of $70,776.60.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The Lake County Sheriff’s Office is continuing its efforts to locate a Middletown woman who was last seen nearly a year ago.
Anne Marie Jamieson, 59 — also known as Anne Marie Mancini — was reported missing on Nov. 29, as Lake County News has reported.
The sheriff’s office said Jamieson is missing under suspicious circumstances.
Lake County Sheriff’s Office Major Crimes Unit detectives have continued to work closely with her family and are following up on any available leads.
During the course of the investigation, detectives learned Jamieson was last heard from sometime in May or June of 2024.
Authorities have added her to the state’s database of missing persons.
Jamieson’s family is offering a $1,000 reward to anyone who provides information that leads to locating her.
She is described as having blonde hair, standing 6 feet 2 inches tall, and around 200 pounds. S
Officials said she is known to specifically frequent the Middletown, Cobb and Calistoga areas.
If anyone was in contact with Jamieson during mid to late 2024 or has any information regarding Anne’s whereabouts, please contact the Lake County Sheriff’s Office Major Crimes Unit Tip Line at 707-262-4088.
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- Written by: LAKE COUNTY NEWS REPORTS
Kicking off 2025 with enhanced focus to combat the scourge of illegal fentanyl trafficking, the state has now supported the seizure of nearly 22,000 pounds and more than 37 million pills containing fentanyl, with a street value of nearly $300 million.
Through the state’s Counter Drug Task Force operations statewide, California National Guard Task Force members have been strategically deployed statewide, including at ports of entry, to combat transnational criminal organizations and trafficking illegal narcotics like fentanyl, in support of federal, state and local law enforcement partners.
“I’m proud of the work we are doing across the state to educate Californians on the dangers of fentanyl, remove this addictive drug off our streets and provide treatment — like naloxone — to save lives,” said Gov. Gavin Newsom.
Service members helped confiscate 557 pounds and 319,732 pills of this dangerous drug in January alone, accounting for a street valuation of $3.6 million.
In addition, Cal Guard service members continue to transform drug prevention in elementary, middle, and high schools statewide through the Task Force’s Drug Demand Reduction Outreach program.
Between October and December 2024, servicemembers visited 45 high-risk schools, engaging 33,437 students. By conducting in-person outreach and understanding students’ beliefs about their own health using a Health Belief Model, Cal Guard is implementing an impactful initiative in the fight against opioid abuse.
Within the last year, Gov. Newsom announced continued augmentation in staffing and enforcement of Cal Guard’s illicit fentanyl operations.
Addressing the opioid crisis
The state has launched various initiatives in recent years to combat illicit opioids through the Governor’s Master Plan for Tackling the Fentanyl and Opioid Crisis, which provides a comprehensive framework to support overdose prevention efforts, hold the opioid pharmaceutical industry accountable, crack down on drug trafficking, and raise awareness about the dangers of opioids like fentanyl.
The Campus Opioid Act, signed by Governor Newsom in 2022, requires that every public college campus in California distribute a federally approved opioid overdose reversal medication like naloxone, and include information about opioid overdoses in their orientation process. Building on this effort, the governor last year signed AB 2429, requiring that fentanyl education be included in high school health classes starting in the 2026-27 school year.
Serving as a one-stop tool for Californians seeking resources for prevention and treatment, the website opioids.ca.gov provides information on how California is working to hold Big Pharma and drug traffickers accountable in this crisis.
The public education campaign Facts Fight Fentanyl informs Californians about the dangers of fentanyl and how to prevent overdoses and deaths. This effort will provide critical information about fentanyl and life-saving tools such as naloxone.
Latest laboratory testing from the federal Drug Enforcement Agency indicates five out of 10 pills tested in 2024 contain a potentially deadly dose of fentanyl, which is down from seven of 10 pills in 2023.
Providing lifesaving emergency treatment
Through the Naloxone Distribution Project, over-the-counter CalRx-branded naloxone is now available across the state.
The CalRx-branded over-the-counter naloxone HCL nasal spray, 4 mg, is available for free to eligible organizations through the state and for sale for $24 per twin-pack through Amneal.
Since 2018, there have been over 334,000 reversals reported from the Naloxone Distribution Project naloxone since 2018.
How we got here
In 2024, Gov. Newsom expanded the deployment of the Cal Guard’s Counterdrug Task Force by more than doubling the number of service members supporting fentanyl interdiction, and seizing other drugs, at California ports of entry to nearly 400. Fentanyl is primarily smuggled into the country by U.S. citizens through ports of entry.
Cal Guard’s coordinated drug interdiction efforts in the state are funded in part by California’s $60 million investment over four years to expand Cal Guard’s work to prevent drug trafficking by transnational criminal organizations.
This adds to the governor’s efforts to address fentanyl within California, including by cracking down on fentanyl in communities across the state, including San Francisco.
Through the state’s Counter Drug Task Force operations statewide, California National Guard Task Force members have been strategically deployed statewide, including at ports of entry, to combat transnational criminal organizations and trafficking illegal narcotics like fentanyl, in support of federal, state and local law enforcement partners.
“I’m proud of the work we are doing across the state to educate Californians on the dangers of fentanyl, remove this addictive drug off our streets and provide treatment — like naloxone — to save lives,” said Gov. Gavin Newsom.
Service members helped confiscate 557 pounds and 319,732 pills of this dangerous drug in January alone, accounting for a street valuation of $3.6 million.
In addition, Cal Guard service members continue to transform drug prevention in elementary, middle, and high schools statewide through the Task Force’s Drug Demand Reduction Outreach program.
Between October and December 2024, servicemembers visited 45 high-risk schools, engaging 33,437 students. By conducting in-person outreach and understanding students’ beliefs about their own health using a Health Belief Model, Cal Guard is implementing an impactful initiative in the fight against opioid abuse.
Within the last year, Gov. Newsom announced continued augmentation in staffing and enforcement of Cal Guard’s illicit fentanyl operations.
Addressing the opioid crisis
The state has launched various initiatives in recent years to combat illicit opioids through the Governor’s Master Plan for Tackling the Fentanyl and Opioid Crisis, which provides a comprehensive framework to support overdose prevention efforts, hold the opioid pharmaceutical industry accountable, crack down on drug trafficking, and raise awareness about the dangers of opioids like fentanyl.
The Campus Opioid Act, signed by Governor Newsom in 2022, requires that every public college campus in California distribute a federally approved opioid overdose reversal medication like naloxone, and include information about opioid overdoses in their orientation process. Building on this effort, the governor last year signed AB 2429, requiring that fentanyl education be included in high school health classes starting in the 2026-27 school year.
Serving as a one-stop tool for Californians seeking resources for prevention and treatment, the website opioids.ca.gov provides information on how California is working to hold Big Pharma and drug traffickers accountable in this crisis.
The public education campaign Facts Fight Fentanyl informs Californians about the dangers of fentanyl and how to prevent overdoses and deaths. This effort will provide critical information about fentanyl and life-saving tools such as naloxone.
Latest laboratory testing from the federal Drug Enforcement Agency indicates five out of 10 pills tested in 2024 contain a potentially deadly dose of fentanyl, which is down from seven of 10 pills in 2023.
Providing lifesaving emergency treatment
Through the Naloxone Distribution Project, over-the-counter CalRx-branded naloxone is now available across the state.
The CalRx-branded over-the-counter naloxone HCL nasal spray, 4 mg, is available for free to eligible organizations through the state and for sale for $24 per twin-pack through Amneal.
Since 2018, there have been over 334,000 reversals reported from the Naloxone Distribution Project naloxone since 2018.
How we got here
In 2024, Gov. Newsom expanded the deployment of the Cal Guard’s Counterdrug Task Force by more than doubling the number of service members supporting fentanyl interdiction, and seizing other drugs, at California ports of entry to nearly 400. Fentanyl is primarily smuggled into the country by U.S. citizens through ports of entry.
Cal Guard’s coordinated drug interdiction efforts in the state are funded in part by California’s $60 million investment over four years to expand Cal Guard’s work to prevent drug trafficking by transnational criminal organizations.
This adds to the governor’s efforts to address fentanyl within California, including by cracking down on fentanyl in communities across the state, including San Francisco.
- Details
- Written by: LAKE COUNTY NEWS REPORTS
Following a change in screening guidelines, the incidence went up across the state, even more than it has nationally.
The incidence of advanced prostate cancer in California rose markedly in the decade since doctors stopped routinely screening all men for the disease, according to a new study by UC San Francisco.
After declining for many years, the death rate from the disease also plateaued in most regions across the state.
The findings reinforce the need for screening that can identify potentially fatal tumors without raising false alarms about ones that pose no threat to the patient.
The study appears Jan. 27 in JAMA Network Open.
“This overall rising trend is alarming and has occurred across age groups, regions of California, races and ethnicities,” said lead author Erin L. Van Blarigan, ScD, UCSF associate professor of Epidemiology & Biostatistics and Urology.
“Our data point to how urgent this problem is,” said Van Blarigan, who is also with the UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center. “Figuring out the best way to screen for prostate cancer continues to be a challenge for researchers and doctors. Without screening, the number of men diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer – when treatments are less effective – increases fast.”
The challenge of screening for prostate cancer
Among men in the U.S., prostate cancer is the most common cancer and second-leading cause of cancer deaths. While some tumors are aggressive and can lead to death, the majority are low-grade and never spread.
The most frequently used screening tool is PSA testing (prostate specific antigen), which does not differentiate between aggressive or non-aggressive tumors, leading many men to be diagnosed with cancers that would not hurt them in the long run.
On the other hand, if screening isn’t done, timely diagnosis of more advanced cancers can be missed – those cancers might have been successfully treated if found early.
After years of screening all men for prostate cancer, the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force stopped recommending it in 2012. They hoped to prevent unnecessary and potentially harmful interventions, like surgery, for men whose disease was not serious.
In 2018, they began recommending that men between the ages of 55 and 69 discuss possible benefits and harms of screening with their doctors. But, as the authors note, this may not always be happening.
Prostate cancer mortality stops falling
UCSF researchers analyzed data involving nearly 388,000 men with prostate cancer in California between 2004 and 2021. Almost 28,000 (7.2%) had advanced disease, which has a five-year survival rate of just 37%. During the study timeframe, there were 58,754 deaths from prostate cancer.
Investigators looked at 10 regions spanning the state to see if rates in certain areas were increasing faster or slower.
They found that serious disease, which had been stable or dropping until 2010, grew 6.7% a year from 2011 to 2021. By contrast, national rates grew by 4.5% a year from 2011 to 2019. The lowest annual increase was in the Southern San Joaquin Valley (2.3%), the highest was in the Central Coast (9.1%).
Prostate cancer mortality dropped by 2.6% a year between 2004 and 2012; but after that, it plateaued in 7 out of 10 regions in the state. Mortality was highest in the Inland Empire followed by San Diego-Imperial and North Coast. It was lowest in the San Francisco Bay Area.
“It’s important to continue monitoring prostate cancer trends both in California and nationally as we learn more about the impact of screening guidelines on different populations,” said senior author Scarlett L. Gomez, PhD, MPH, UCSF professor in the Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics.
Additional authors: Meg A. McKinley, MPH; Samuel L. Washington III, MD, MAS; Matthew R. Cooperberg, MD, MPH; Stacey A. Kenfield, ScD; and Iona Cheng, PhD, all with UCSF.
Funding: California Department of Public Health; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Program of Cancer Registries (1NU58DP007156); the National Cancer Institute’s Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results Program (HHSN2612018000321, HHSN2612018000151, HHSN2612018000091).
Elizabeth Fernandez writes for the University of California at San Francisco.
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- Written by: Elizabeth Fernandez
LAKEPORT, Calif. — The Lakeport City Council on Tuesday night unanimously and swiftly passed a new ordinance proposed by the police department to curb “loitering” in and about public restrooms.
The new rule would prohibit individuals from loitering within 15 feet of public restrooms and intentionally blocking the entrances and exits.
Offenders ordered to leave for loitering by a peace officer would be barred from returning for 72 hours.
The ordinance exempts any person whose conduct arises out of a medical emergency.
For the Lakeport Police Department, it’s an added tool in their toolbox in response to a rise in loitering behavior at public restrooms.
Over the past 18 months, the police department “through officer contacts noticed that there was a significant increase in the number of people loitering around the entrances and within the restrooms,” said Police Chief Dale Stoebe, who submitted the proposal.
The purpose of the new ordinance was “for the sake of enhancing public safety in the community,” he added.
With just one short public comment, and no council comment or questions, the council voted all in favor to approve the ordinance. The process took less than four minutes.
Four weeks ago, at its Jan. 21 meeting, the City Council conducted its first public hearing for the ordinance, during which it was slightly challenged and received some council discussion.
At that first hearing, Lakeport resident Danny Wind spoke against the ordinance, suggesting that it was about arresting homeless people.
Lakeport Police Officers’ Association President Todd Freitas disagreed in comments he offered during public comment.
Freitas said the ordinance was not targeting the homeless and it was just a warning tool that a police officer could use to ask offenders to leave the public restroom.
Chief Stoebe: More instances, more aggressive encounters
After the meeting, Lake County News sent a text message to Stoebe, inquiring about police data on public restroom loitering, such as the annual increase in the number of cases.
Stoebe replied that the department doesn't keep statistics on that. “It would be very hard to establish a number,” he said in a reply text message.
But Stoebe shared his personal counts for the past 18 months.
“I have personally been to 5 such calls when I don’t think I went to five in the ten years prior (and I worked many more patrol shifts in that 10 year period). Also, those instances have been far more aggressive,” Stoebe wrote.
He gave an example about one of his five encounters: “An apparent biological male was sitting in and completely blocking the entrance to the women’s restroom and only moved after several requests made by law enforcement. This male was suspected of having a behavioral health issue.”
Stoebe’s staff report for the council meeting noted that current local code does not have “an enforceable section to regulate the described conduct,” while related state laws are only “enforceable when a sexual gratification component can be established.”
The new ordinance allows officers to address problematic behavior without imposing fines that could worsen the “financial struggles of unhoused or underprivileged community members,” Stoebe said in the text message.
Email staff reporter Lingzi Chen atThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
The new rule would prohibit individuals from loitering within 15 feet of public restrooms and intentionally blocking the entrances and exits.
Offenders ordered to leave for loitering by a peace officer would be barred from returning for 72 hours.
The ordinance exempts any person whose conduct arises out of a medical emergency.
For the Lakeport Police Department, it’s an added tool in their toolbox in response to a rise in loitering behavior at public restrooms.
Over the past 18 months, the police department “through officer contacts noticed that there was a significant increase in the number of people loitering around the entrances and within the restrooms,” said Police Chief Dale Stoebe, who submitted the proposal.
The purpose of the new ordinance was “for the sake of enhancing public safety in the community,” he added.
With just one short public comment, and no council comment or questions, the council voted all in favor to approve the ordinance. The process took less than four minutes.
Four weeks ago, at its Jan. 21 meeting, the City Council conducted its first public hearing for the ordinance, during which it was slightly challenged and received some council discussion.
At that first hearing, Lakeport resident Danny Wind spoke against the ordinance, suggesting that it was about arresting homeless people.
Lakeport Police Officers’ Association President Todd Freitas disagreed in comments he offered during public comment.
Freitas said the ordinance was not targeting the homeless and it was just a warning tool that a police officer could use to ask offenders to leave the public restroom.
Chief Stoebe: More instances, more aggressive encounters
After the meeting, Lake County News sent a text message to Stoebe, inquiring about police data on public restroom loitering, such as the annual increase in the number of cases.
Stoebe replied that the department doesn't keep statistics on that. “It would be very hard to establish a number,” he said in a reply text message.
But Stoebe shared his personal counts for the past 18 months.
“I have personally been to 5 such calls when I don’t think I went to five in the ten years prior (and I worked many more patrol shifts in that 10 year period). Also, those instances have been far more aggressive,” Stoebe wrote.
He gave an example about one of his five encounters: “An apparent biological male was sitting in and completely blocking the entrance to the women’s restroom and only moved after several requests made by law enforcement. This male was suspected of having a behavioral health issue.”
Stoebe’s staff report for the council meeting noted that current local code does not have “an enforceable section to regulate the described conduct,” while related state laws are only “enforceable when a sexual gratification component can be established.”
The new ordinance allows officers to address problematic behavior without imposing fines that could worsen the “financial struggles of unhoused or underprivileged community members,” Stoebe said in the text message.
Email staff reporter Lingzi Chen at
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- Written by: LINGZI CHEN
LUCERNE, Calif. — The Lake County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a series of nighttime vandalisms and attempted vehicle burglaries in a Lucerne neighborhood.
The incidents occurred overnight Sunday and early Monday, according to reports from residents as well as video footage they posted online.
The neighborhood that was hit is located in Lucerne’s “second riviera” and included homes on and around Plaza Terrace.
Residents reported vehicles being damaged and broken into and smashed mailboxes.
Footage showed what appeared to be two males carrying skateboards who were walking through the neighborhood, trying vehicle doors. There also were reports of two young females having accompanied them.
Sheriff’s public information officer Lauren Berlinn said the agency had received reports about the incidents and were working with about five different victims.
“At this time, it appears to have been juveniles,” said Berlinn. “We are actively investigating and working with neighbors who have provided some video surveillance that may help identify the parties responsible.”
Berlinn said Deputy Marcos De la Torre is working the cases.
Deputy De la Torre asks that anyone with information email him atThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
Email Elizabeth Larson atThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, and on Bluesky, @erlarson.bsky.social. Find Lake County News on the following platforms: Facebook, @LakeCoNews; X, @LakeCoNews; Threads, @lakeconews, and on Bluesky, @lakeconews.bsky.social.
The incidents occurred overnight Sunday and early Monday, according to reports from residents as well as video footage they posted online.
The neighborhood that was hit is located in Lucerne’s “second riviera” and included homes on and around Plaza Terrace.
Residents reported vehicles being damaged and broken into and smashed mailboxes.
Footage showed what appeared to be two males carrying skateboards who were walking through the neighborhood, trying vehicle doors. There also were reports of two young females having accompanied them.
Sheriff’s public information officer Lauren Berlinn said the agency had received reports about the incidents and were working with about five different victims.
“At this time, it appears to have been juveniles,” said Berlinn. “We are actively investigating and working with neighbors who have provided some video surveillance that may help identify the parties responsible.”
Berlinn said Deputy Marcos De la Torre is working the cases.
Deputy De la Torre asks that anyone with information email him at
Email Elizabeth Larson at
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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
Senators: “When disaster strikes, Americans should have confidence the government will safeguard their data, regardless of the Administration at the helm.”
U.S. Senators Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) and Peter Welch (D-Vt.) demanded answers from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) after Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) reportedly accessed sensitive personal data of disaster survivors.
Senators Padilla and Welch led 10 of their colleagues from disaster-impacted states in sounding the alarm on DOGE’s potential security breach.
This breach is particularly concerning as Californians request federal disaster assistance following the devastating Southern California fires last month.
The senators also requested more information on the procedures FEMA follows to protect data from misuse, and questioned whether DOGE’s unaccountable agents were in compliance with federal law.
“In order to register for federal disaster assistance and receive help rebuilding their communities, our constituents have provided their personally identifiable information to FEMA. They did not do so with the expectation that their sensitive information would be turned over to unvetted, unaccountable DOGE agents,” wrote the senators.
“When disaster strikes, Americans should have confidence the government will safeguard their data, regardless of the Administration at the helm,” continued the senators. “Reports indicate you have breached that trust—perhaps in violation of federal privacy law.”
In their letter, the senators also expressed that while Congress must better equip FEMA and communities with the tools needed to cut through red tape and quickly assist disaster victims, these reforms “do not require, or come close to justifying, the invasive measures DOGE has reportedly undertaken.”
In addition to Senators Padilla and Welch, Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) also signed the letter.
The full text of the letter is below.
Dear Mr. Hamilton,
We write with serious concern about reports that Elon Musk’s “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE) has obtained access to sensitive information at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), including the personal data of thousands of disaster victims.
The United States has suffered from a growing number of natural disasters over the past several years—from severe flooding in Vermont, Minnesota, and Connecticut and hurricanes in North Carolina, to catastrophic wildfires in Hawai’i, California, New Mexico, and Oregon. In order to register for federal disaster assistance and receive help rebuilding their communities, our constituents have provided their personally identifiable information to FEMA. They did not do so with the expectation that their sensitive information would be turned over to unvetted, unaccountable DOGE agents.
Mr. Musk has stated his desire to eliminate waste at FEMA. We agree the country must examine and thoughtfully consider reforms to the operation of FEMA. Our constituents have experienced first-hand the frustrating bureaucracies that hinder the federal disaster recovery process. Congress must take steps to equip FEMA and communities with the tools needed to better assist disaster victims after the storm has passed. We stand ready to work with anyone willing to fix it.
But such reforms do not require, or come close to justifying, the invasive measures DOGE has reportedly undertaken.
When disaster strikes, Americans should have confidence the government will safeguard their data, regardless of the Administration at the helm. Reports indicate you have breached that trust —perhaps in violation of federal privacy law.
To understand the scope of that breach and the extent of your compliance with federal law, we request responses to the following items by no later than February 28, 2025:
1. Please provide a complete list of individuals authorized by FEMA to access disaster victims’ data and records during the period between January 20, 2025, and February 14, 2025. Please indicate whether those individuals are employees of FEMA, the White House, DOGE, or another federal agency and specify the agency. If the individuals are not federal employees, please indicate that in your response.
2. What are the individuals specified above authorized to do with disaster victims’ data and records, and what types of data were obtained?
3. What procedures does FEMA follow to protect disaster victims’ data from misuse? Are DOGE-affiliated individuals required to follow those procedures?
4. How many Americans’ personally identifiable data has been accessed by DOGE affiliated individuals? What vetting did these individuals undergo prior to their being granted access to FEMA systems?
U.S. Senators Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) and Peter Welch (D-Vt.) demanded answers from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) after Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) reportedly accessed sensitive personal data of disaster survivors.
Senators Padilla and Welch led 10 of their colleagues from disaster-impacted states in sounding the alarm on DOGE’s potential security breach.
This breach is particularly concerning as Californians request federal disaster assistance following the devastating Southern California fires last month.
The senators also requested more information on the procedures FEMA follows to protect data from misuse, and questioned whether DOGE’s unaccountable agents were in compliance with federal law.
“In order to register for federal disaster assistance and receive help rebuilding their communities, our constituents have provided their personally identifiable information to FEMA. They did not do so with the expectation that their sensitive information would be turned over to unvetted, unaccountable DOGE agents,” wrote the senators.
“When disaster strikes, Americans should have confidence the government will safeguard their data, regardless of the Administration at the helm,” continued the senators. “Reports indicate you have breached that trust—perhaps in violation of federal privacy law.”
In their letter, the senators also expressed that while Congress must better equip FEMA and communities with the tools needed to cut through red tape and quickly assist disaster victims, these reforms “do not require, or come close to justifying, the invasive measures DOGE has reportedly undertaken.”
In addition to Senators Padilla and Welch, Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) also signed the letter.
The full text of the letter is below.
Dear Mr. Hamilton,
We write with serious concern about reports that Elon Musk’s “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE) has obtained access to sensitive information at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), including the personal data of thousands of disaster victims.
The United States has suffered from a growing number of natural disasters over the past several years—from severe flooding in Vermont, Minnesota, and Connecticut and hurricanes in North Carolina, to catastrophic wildfires in Hawai’i, California, New Mexico, and Oregon. In order to register for federal disaster assistance and receive help rebuilding their communities, our constituents have provided their personally identifiable information to FEMA. They did not do so with the expectation that their sensitive information would be turned over to unvetted, unaccountable DOGE agents.
Mr. Musk has stated his desire to eliminate waste at FEMA. We agree the country must examine and thoughtfully consider reforms to the operation of FEMA. Our constituents have experienced first-hand the frustrating bureaucracies that hinder the federal disaster recovery process. Congress must take steps to equip FEMA and communities with the tools needed to better assist disaster victims after the storm has passed. We stand ready to work with anyone willing to fix it.
But such reforms do not require, or come close to justifying, the invasive measures DOGE has reportedly undertaken.
When disaster strikes, Americans should have confidence the government will safeguard their data, regardless of the Administration at the helm. Reports indicate you have breached that trust —perhaps in violation of federal privacy law.
To understand the scope of that breach and the extent of your compliance with federal law, we request responses to the following items by no later than February 28, 2025:
1. Please provide a complete list of individuals authorized by FEMA to access disaster victims’ data and records during the period between January 20, 2025, and February 14, 2025. Please indicate whether those individuals are employees of FEMA, the White House, DOGE, or another federal agency and specify the agency. If the individuals are not federal employees, please indicate that in your response.
2. What are the individuals specified above authorized to do with disaster victims’ data and records, and what types of data were obtained?
3. What procedures does FEMA follow to protect disaster victims’ data from misuse? Are DOGE-affiliated individuals required to follow those procedures?
4. How many Americans’ personally identifiable data has been accessed by DOGE affiliated individuals? What vetting did these individuals undergo prior to their being granted access to FEMA systems?
- Details
- Written by: LAKE COUNTY NEWS REPORTS
