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- Written by: LAKE COUNTY NEWS REPORTS
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The Lake County Chamber of Commerce said it has selected its next executive director.
Amanda Martin, a Lake County native, has been hired for the job.
The chamber said Martin “brings a wealth of experience and a strong commitment to community service to her new role with the chamber.”
Martin previously served as the executive director of the Lake County Land Trust and president of the Middletown Art Center, and was a board member for the Lake County Chamber of Commerce.
She also has experience running a consulting practice primarily serving nonprofits, worked as an event coordinator for New Paradigm College, and participated as a subcommittee member for the Blue-Ribbon Committee for the Rehabilitation of Clear Lake.
“The board and I were very impressed with Amanda’s experience, initiative and passion for Lake County,” said chamber interim Administrator Greg Folsom. “She has some great ideas for how the chamber can positively impact businesses throughout Lake County that are in line with the board’s vision for the future. With Amanda’s leadership, I see great things happening for the Chamber and for Lake County businesses.”
The Lake County Chamber of Commerce serves its members through small business programs, government affairs, networking, educational opportunities, member development, advertising, special events and collaboration.
The Lake County Chamber of Commerce and the Clear Lake Chamber of Commerce will hold a joint mixer on Wednesday, Dec. 11, at 5:30 p.m. at the Riviera Hills Restaurant, Lounge and Recreation Club located at 10200 Fairway Drive, Kelseyville where Martin will be introduced to the public.
Please call the Lake County Chamber of Commerce at 707-263-5092 to RSVP for the Dec. 11 event.
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- Written by: LAKE COUNTY NEWS REPORTS
The meeting is now scheduled for Thursday, December 19, from 4 to 6 p.m.
The Lake County General Plan is a policy document that guides growth and change throughout the unincorporated county for a 25-year period.
Agriculture is an element in the county’s general plan due to its critical role in Lake County’s culture, history and economy.
County planners want to connect with members of the agricultural community, including agricultural workers, landowners and other farmers, to learn about their priorities and needs so that the updated general plan, Lake County 2050, supports the ongoing sustainability of the county’s agriculture sector.
For more information and to share your ideas online, visit https://lakecounty2050.org/.
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- Written by: LAKE COUNTY NEWS REPORTS
Senate passage of the bill comes after a series of major earthquakes struck Northern California Thursday morning, triggering tsunami warnings and underscoring the urgent need for early warning systems and earthquake safety programs like NEHRP.
The legislation now heads to the U.S. House of Representatives.
The bill would authorize a total of $175.4 million per year from FY 2024-2028 across the four federal agencies responsible for long-term earthquake risk reduction under NEHRP: the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the National Science Foundation and the United States Geological Survey.
“As today’s devastating Northern California earthquakes remind us, it is never a matter of if, but when the next major earthquake will strike,” said Sen. Padilla on Thursday. “The National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program supports crucial tools like the ShakeAlert Earthquake Early Warning System, advances scientific understanding of earthquakes, and strengthens earthquake resilience in communities nationwide. With the safety of our communities at stake, we must stay vigilant. After today’s unanimous Senate passage, I will push my House colleagues to pass this bill to reauthorize this critical program as soon as possible.”
“Alaska faces significant earthquake risks as the most seismically active state-our communities must be prepared,” said Sen. Murkowski on Thursday. “The National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program Reauthorization Act provides crucial funding to federal agencies for the research, development, and implementation of earthquake safety procedures. The earthquake today in Northern California is a sober reminder of how critical these readiness measures are.”
Specifically, the NEHRP Reauthorization Act of 2024 would authorize $10.6 million for FEMA, $5.9 million for NIST, $58 million for NSF, and $100.9 million for USGS per year from FY 2024-2028.
This funding would support research, development, and implementation activities related to earthquake safety and risk reduction.
This NEHRP reauthorization includes:
• Directing state and local entities to inventory high risk buildings and structures;
• Expanding seismic events to include earthquake-caused tsunamis;
• Providing more technical assistance to Tribal governments; and
• Improving mitigation for earthquake-connected hazards.
California faces substantial earthquake risks. According to the California Department of Conservation, over 70 percent of Californians live within 30 miles of a fault that could cause high ground shaking within the next 50 years.
The state averages two to three earthquakes per year at magnitude 5.5 or higher, risking moderate structural damage. Because of these major earthquake risks, California has become a leader in earthquake research.
The NEHRP Reauthorization Act of 2024 is endorsed by the American Society of Civil Engineers, BuildStrong America, Earthquake Engineering Research Institute, International Code Council, the National Council of Structural Engineers Associations, the National Institute of Building Sciences, Seismological Society of America and the Structural Engineers Association of California.
Sen. Padilla has long been a leader in mitigating earthquake risks. As a California State senator, Padilla authored Senate Bill 135, signed by Gov. Jerry Brown in 2013, which required the state to establish the nation’s first statewide early warning system.
In 2021, he led five of his U.S. Senate colleagues in requesting details from the U.S. Geological Survey on future plans and funding needs for the West Coast Early Earthquake Warning system.
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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
NORTH COAST, Calif. — A large quake offshore of Humboldt County that was felt by thousands of people across several states and set off a series of aftershocks on Thursday morning.
The US Geological Survey said the 7.0-magnitude quake occurred at 10:44 a.m. offshore of Cape Mendocino.
It triggered phone ShakeAlerts and was reported to be felt by people not just on the North Coast but around California as well as in Arizona, Idaho, Nevada and Oregon.
As of 12:30 p.m., more than 12,500 people in 673 zip codes had reported to the USGS that they had felt the quake.
At 11:47 a.m., the USGS initially reported there was a 5.8-magnitude quake in northern Sonoma County, just west of Cobb. However, that quake was later downgraded to a 4.1-magnitude temblor.
That quake was followed at 10:48 a.m. by a 2.5-magnitude quake near Cobb, inside the Lake County border.
Lake County News readers throughout the county, Northern California and Southern California reported feeling the quake.
At 10:49 a.m., the U.S. Tsunami Warning Center issued a warning for the area stretching from 10 miles southwest of Florence, Oregon, to 10 miles northwest of Santa Cruz, California. That warning said the earthquake was 7.3 in magnitude and 8 miles deep, significantly deeper than USGS’ report had indicated.
That warning was later ended.
The Cape Mendocino quake was followed by a continuing series of aftershocks — nearly 20 of them within an hour and a half — ranging in magnitude from 2.7 to 4.3.
Within an hour of the major quake, the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office reported that a tsunami was expected to hit Sonoma County beginning at 11:45 a.m. People were told to stay out of coastal waters and rivers, off the beaches, harbor docks and piers, as strong currents and dangerous waves are expected.
That Sonoma County warning was canceled shortly after noon.
The Mendocino College Coast Center said it closed due “to an abundance of caution” in response to the tsunami warning, but planned to reopen at 1 p.m.
Email Elizabeth Larson at