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- Written by: Lake County News reports
SACRAMENTO – Attorney General Kamala D. Harris on Tuesday announced that the non-conference committee components of the California Homeowner Bill of Rights have passed out of legislative committees.
“The entire Homeowner Bill of Rights legislative package will create a level playing field for California homeowners,” said Attorney General Harris. “In addition, it will allow my office to continue to prosecute those who take advantage of homeowners who are desperate to stay in their houses.”
Assembly Bill 1950, authored by Assemblymember Mike Davis (D-Los Angeles), passed out of the Senate Judiciary today.
The bill extends the statute of limitations for prosecuting mortgage related crimes from one year to three years, giving the Department of Justice ample time to investigate and prosecute mortgage fraud crimes.
Two bills to provide additional protections to tenants who rent homes that are foreclosed upon also passed out of the Senate Judiciary and Assembly Judiciary Committees today.
Assembly Bill 2610 (Assemblymember Nancy Skinner, D-Berkeley) and Senate Bill 1473 (Senator Loni Hancock, D-Berkeley), will require purchasers of foreclosed homes to give tenants at least 90 days before starting eviction proceedings.
If the tenant has a fixed-term lease, the new owner must honor the lease unless the owner demonstrates that certain exceptions intended to prevent fraudulent leases apply.
Also passing out of the Judiciary Committees were Assembly Bill 2314 (Assemblymember Wilmer Carter, D-Rialto) and Senate Bill 1472 (Senator Fran Pavley, D-Agoura Hills), which provide additional tools to local governments and receivers to fight blight caused by multiple vacant homes in neighborhoods.
The final component in the California Homeowner Bill of Rights, AB 1763 (Assemblymember Mike Davis, D-Los Angeles) and Senate Bill 1474 (Senator Loni Hancock, D-Berkeley), gives Attorney General Harris the ability to convene a special grand jury to investigate and indict the perpetrators of financial crimes involving victims in multiple counties. AB 1763 and SB 1474 passed out of the Senate Public Safety and Assembly Public Safety, respectively.
Two key parts of the Homeowner Bill of Rights passed Monday out of both houses of the Legislature and sent to Gov. Jerry Brown.
Those bills, which came out of a two-house conference committee, provide protections for borrowers and struggling homeowners, including a restriction on dual-track foreclosures, where a lender forecloses on a borrower despite being in discussions over a loan modification to save the home.
The bills also guarantee struggling homeowners a single point of contact at their lender with knowledge of their loan and direct access to decision makers.
For more information on the California Homeowner Bill of Rights, go to www.oag.ca.gov .
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- Written by: Dr. Tony Phillips
Summer is a good time to relax, sleep late, enjoy a break from school or work. Waking before sunrise is just not done.
This summer is a little different. To find out why, set your alarm for dawn.
Every morning this July, the two brightest planets in the solar system will put on a show before sunrise.
Look out any east-facing window to see Venus and Jupiter, shining side by side, so close together you can hide them behind your outstretched palm. It’s a great way to start the day.
On July 4, Venus will be passing dead-center through the Hyades cluster, a loose grouping of stars 153 light years from Earth.
Using binoculars, scan around the bright planet; you’ll see dozens of stars scattered across the velvety-black sky.
The temporary addition of Venus will make it seem that a supernova has gone off in the cluster.
Three mornings later, on July 7, Venus and Jupiter line up with Aldebaran, the bright red eye of Taurus the Bull. Aldebaran is a red giant star of first magnitude. Together with Venus and Jupiter, it forms an almost perfect vertical line in the brightening dawn sky.
The best, however, is yet to come.
On July 9, Venus and Aldebaran converge to form an eye catching planet-star pair. Scarcely more than a degree of arc will separate the two celestial bodies as Jupiter looks down from overhead.
And then, on July 15, a 12-percent crescent Moon joins the show, forming a bright celestial triangle with Venus and Jupiter.
The slender arms of the crescent cradle a ghostly image of the full Moon. That’s caused by Earthshine, sunlight reflected from our own planet onto the otherwise dark lunar landscape.
A crescent Moon with Earthshine is considered to be one of the prettiest sights in the heavens. A crescent Moon with Earthshine plus Venus and Jupiter – that’s worth waking up for even in the middle of summer vacation.
Start the day with more news about the heavens at www.science.nasa.gov .
Dr. Tony Phillips works for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
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- Written by: Lake County News reports
The California Department of Fish and Game said the mountain lion that attacked a man in Nevada County over the weekend has not been found after two days of searching.
However, the agency said search crews identified lion tracks near the attack site that were left Monday night.
They have redoubled their effort and will work through the July 4 holiday and beyond. Success of the search effort depends entirely upon locating a fresh scent.
“So far the teams have had an extremely difficult time locating fresh scent,” said DFG Capt. Brian Naslund. “Any unnecessary disturbance, or human presence in the area, jeopardizes the quality of the scent and therefore a successful outcome.”
The victim, a Marin County man, continues to recover from his injuries.
He sustained severe bites and scratches to his scalp and in particular, his left arm and armpit. He also has significant scratches on his back.
DFG wildlife forensics scientists extracted DNA from saliva from the armpit area of his shirt where the lion’s canine teeth went through. The DNA analysis proved the attack was from a female mountain lion.
The victim has maintained his request for anonymity, at least for the coming days.
DFG will continue the search using specially trained dogs and motion sensor cameras.
Mountain lion attacks in California are rare. The weekend attack is just the 15th confirmed mountain lion to attack since 1890.
A summary of previous mountain lion attacks in California can be found at
http://www.dfg.ca.gov/news/issues/lion/attacks.html .
For more information about how people and lions can coexist, please see http://www.dfg.ca.gov/keepmewild/lion.html .
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- Written by: Lake County News reports
LOWER LAKE, Calif. – A small wildland fire burned near Lower Lake on Tuesday morning.
The Morgan Incident, located in the 20000 block of Morgan Valley Road, burned a total of five acres, according to Cal Fire.
The fire was dispatched at 10:35 a.m. and contained at 11:05 a.m., according to the Cal Fire report.
Thirty-five firefighting personnel were involved in the effort to stop the fire, which Cal Fire said at one point threatened two structures.
Cal Fire said seven engines responded – five from Cal Fire and two from Lake County Fire Protection District.
Other resources on scene included air tankers and air attack, one water tender, one dozer operator and dozer, an “overhead” or command officer and one helicopter with a crew, according to the Cal Fire report.
Engine companies stayed on scene for several hours throughout the afternoon to conduct overhaul and mop up, Cal Fire said.
A cause for the fire was not reported.