This holiday season is a time to celebrate, reflect, exchange gifts and give thanks.

To commemorate this time of year, the U.S. Census Bureau presents the following holiday-related facts and figures from its vast collection of statistics.

The following facts are made possible by the invaluable responses to the Census Bureau’s surveys.

Did you know?

$14.6 billion

The estimated retail sales for the nation’s department stores in December 2020, a decrease of 20.0% from $18.3 billion in December 2019.

Source: Monthly Retail Trade Survey

Season's greetings

15.1%

The estimated percentage that December sales accounted for of total hobby, toy and game store sales in 2020.

Source: Monthly Retail Trade Survey

$96.2 billion

The estimated value of retail sales by electronic shopping and mail-order houses in December 2020, the highest estimated total for any month last year.

Source: Monthly Retail Trade Survey

$33.4 billion

The fourth quarter 2020 seasonally adjusted after-tax profits for retail trade corporations with assets of $50 million and over, down $10.4 billion from the third quarter of 2020.

Source: Quarterly Financial Report

$2.6 billion

The value of U.S. imports of Christmas decorations from China for 2020. China led the way with 92.03% of the U.S. total imports of Christmas decorations.

Source: International Trade Statistics, Harmonized System Codes 9505.10

$462.2 million

The value of U.S. imports of Christmas tree lights for 2020. Cambodia led the way with 60.1% of the total U.S. imports of Christmas tree lights.

Source: International Trade Statistics, Harmonized System Code 9405.30

515 establishments

The number of establishments nationwide that primarily produced dolls, toys and games in 2019, a decrease of 17 establishments from 2018 (532 establishments); they employed 6,268 workers in the pay period including March 12, an increase of 31 employees from 2018 (6,237 employees). California led the nation with 94 establishments in 2019.

Source: County Business Patterns

$701.9 million

The value of U.S. imports of tapered candles in 2020. Most of these came from Vietnam, representing more than 48.1% of America’s imported tapered candles, followed by Canada with 21.6%.

Source: International Trade Statistics, Harmonized System Code 3406

Holiday names

There are many holiday-sounding places in the United States.

For example, more than a dozen areas have Holly in their names, including Holly Pond, Ala. (851), Holly Grove, Ark. (460), Holly, Colo. (837), Holly Hill, Fla. (12,958), Holly Springs, Ga. (16,213), Holly Village, Mich. (5,997), Holly Springs, Miss. (6,968), Mount Holly, N.C. (population 17,703); Holiday, Fla. (24,939), and Holiday Shores, Ill. (2,840).

There’s also Snowflake, Ariz. (6,104); Santa Claus, Ind. (2,586); North Pole, Alaska (2,243); Noel, Mo. (2,124); and — if you know about reindeer — Dasher, Ga. (890), and Rudolph, Wis. (433). There is also Unity, Ore. (40) and Garland, Texas (246,018).

Source: 2020 Decennial Census

Launching in August 2022 and arriving at the asteroid belt in 2026, NASA’s Psyche spacecraft will orbit a world we can barely pinpoint from Earth and have never visited.

The target of NASA’s Psyche mission — a metal-rich asteroid, also called Psyche, in the main belt between Mars and Jupiter — is an uncharted world in outer space. From Earth- and space-based telescopes, the asteroid appears as a fuzzy blur. What scientists do know, from radar data, is that it’s shaped somewhat like a potato and that it spins on its side.

By analyzing light reflected off the asteroid, scientists hypothesize that asteroid Psyche is unusually rich in metal. One possible explanation is that it formed early in our solar system, either as a core of a planetesimal — a piece of a planet — or as primordial material that never melted.

This mission aims to find out, and in the process of doing so, they expect to help answer fundamental questions about the formation of our solar system.

“If it turns out to be part of a metal core, it would be part of the very first generation of early cores in our solar system,” said Arizona State University’s Lindy Elkins-Tanton, who as principal investigator leads the Psyche mission. “But we don’t really know, and we won’t know anything for sure until we get there. We wanted to ask primary questions about the material that built planets. We’re filled with questions and not a lot of answers. This is real exploration.”

Elkins-Tanton led the group that proposed Psyche as a NASA Discovery-class mission; it was selected in 2017. A huge challenge, she said, was choosing the mission’s science instruments: How do you make sure you’ll get the data you need when you’re not sure of what, specifically, you’ll be measuring?

For example, to determine what exactly the asteroid is made of and whether it’s part of a planetesimal core, scientists needed instruments that could account for a range of possibilities: nickel, iron, different kinds of rock, or rock and metal mixed together.

They selected a payload suite that includes a magnetometer to measure any magnetic field; imagers to photograph and map the surface; and spectrometers to indicate what the surface is made of by measuring the gamma rays and neutrons emitted from it. Scientists continue to hypothesize about what Psyche is made of, but “no one’s been able to come up with a Psyche that we can’t handle with the science instruments we have,” Elkins-Tanton said.

How to tour an unknown world

But before scientists can put those instruments to work, they’ll need to reach the asteroid and get into orbit. After launching from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in August 2022, Psyche will sail past Mars nine months later, using the planet’s gravitational force to slingshot itself toward the asteroid. It’s a total journey of about 1.5 billion miles (2.4 billion kilometers).

The spacecraft will begin its final approach to the asteroid in late 2025. As the spacecraft gets closer to its target, the mission team will turn its cameras on, and the visual of asteroid Psyche will morph from the fuzzy blob we know now into high-definition, revealing surface features of this strange world for the first time.

The imagery also will help engineers get their bearings as they prepare to slip into orbit in January 2026. The spacecraft’s initial orbit is designed to be at a high, safe altitude — about 435 miles (700 kilometers) above the asteroid’s surface.

During this first orbit, Psyche’s mission design and navigation team will be laser-focused on measuring the asteroid’s gravity field, the force that will keep the spacecraft in orbit. With an understanding of the gravity field, the team can then safely navigate the spacecraft closer and closer to the surface as the science mission is carried out in just under two years.

Psyche appears to be lumpy, wider across (173 miles, or 280 kilometers, at its widest point) than it is from top to bottom, with an uneven distribution of mass. Some parts may be less dense, like a sponge, and some may be more tightly packed and more massive. The parts of Psyche with more mass will have higher gravity, exerting a stronger pull on the spacecraft.

Scientists don’t yet have images of the asteroid Psyche; this interactive version is based on modeling. To see how it compares to other asteroids, zoom in and give it a spin. View the full interactive experience and fly along with the mission in real time at Eyes on the Solar System. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

To solve the gravity-field mystery, the mission team will use the spacecraft’s telecommunications system. By measuring subtle changes in the X-band radio waves bouncing back and forth between the spacecraft and the large Deep Space Network antennas around Earth, engineers can precisely determine the asteroid’s mass, gravity field, rotation, orientation, and wobble.

The team has been working up scenarios and have devised thousands of “possible Psyches” — simulating variations in the asteroid’s density and mass, and orientation of its spin axis — to lay the groundwork for the orbital plan. They can test their models in computer simulations, but there’s no way to know for sure until the spacecraft actually gets there.

Over the following 20 months, the spacecraft will use its gentle electric propulsion system to dip into lower and lower orbits. Measurements of the gravity field will grow more precise as the spacecraft gets closer, and images of the surface will become higher resolution, allowing the team to improve their understanding of the body. Eventually, the spacecraft will establish a final orbit about 53 miles (85 kilometers) above the surface.

It’s all in an effort to solve the riddles of this unique asteroid: Where did Psyche come from, what is it made of, and what does it tell us about the formation of our solar system?

“Humans have always been explorers,” Elkins-Tanton said. “We’ve always set out from where we are to find out what is over that hill. We always want to go farther; we always want to imagine. It’s inherent in us. We don’t know what we’re going to find, and I’m expecting us to be entirely surprised.”

More about the mission

ASU leads the Psyche mission. JPL is responsible for the mission’s overall management, system engineering, integration and test, and mission operations. The mission phase — known as assembly, test and launch operations — is currently underway at JPL.

JPL also is providing a technology demonstration instrument called Deep Space Optical Communications that will fly on Psyche in order to test high-data-rate laser communications that could be used by future NASA missions.

Psyche is the 14th mission selected as part of NASA’s Discovery Program.

For more information about NASA’s Psyche mission go to http://www.nasa.gov/psyche and https://psyche.asu.edu/.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — Authorities in Southern California have arrested a Terrace Middle School teacher who is charged with attempting to meet with an individual who he believed to be a 14-year-old girl.

Ricardo Ruiz, 36, of Clearlake was taken into custody on Thursday evening in Brea.

He was arrested on felony charges of contacting a minor to commit a felony, arranging to meet with a minor for a lewd purpose and meeting with a minor for a lewd purpose, said Lt. Tony Barbosa of Brea Police Department.

Ruiz did not, however, actually meet a minor. Rather, he had been chatting online with an adult posing as a young teenage girl as part of a sting operation conducted by a private group called CC Unit.

Ruiz set up a meeting with the decoy and was in Brea to meet her when he was taken into custody.

Lakeport Unified School District Superintendent Matt Bullard confirmed to Lake County News that Ruiz is a district employee.

Bullard said Ruiz has been the Terrace Middle School physical education teacher since August.

CC Unit’s founder, who identified himself as “Ghost” to protect his anonymity and future operations, said his group never makes first contact with an individual.

He said Ruiz contacted the decoy through a messenger app on the night of Nov. 22 and over the course of their interactions arranged to meet her this week, over the winter break.

During their ongoing chats, Ruiz said he was 27 years old and “said a bunch of graphic stuff” of a sexual nature, Ghost said.

Ghost said he confronted Ruiz when he showed up for the planned meeting at a Target store in a shopping center in Brea on Thursday.

Barbosa said Brea Police Department was not working with CC Unit, but was notified that it was doing a recording of a sting operation at the Gateway Shopping Center.

Ghost explained that he livestreamed himself confronting Ruiz at the store. He said his group didn’t call police, adding he believed it was a livestream viewer who called them.

Officers took Ruiz into custody in the shopping center parking lot, Barbosa said.

Late Friday afternoon, Bullard sent out a letter to parents about the situation, explaining that the Brea Police Department had notified the district of Ruiz’s arrest.

“The District’s primary concern is the safety of our students, employees, and greater school community. As such, we will fully participate with all law enforcement investigations. Unfortunately, in order to preserve the integrity of the investigation, we are unable to provide any additional information,” Bullard wrote.

“LUSD has been in contact with law enforcement and its legal counsel and will immediately implement a local investigation into the conduct and behavior of the teacher in question. This investigation will be partnered with immediate steps that will ensure the safety of our student body and school community,” Bullard’s letter continued.

Ruiz was immediately placed on leave status and will not be at Terrace Middle School when students return on Monday, Jan. 3, Bullard said.

Bullard asked parents to report any incidents or concerns involving Ruiz to the district office.

Ruiz, who was booked into the Theo Lacy Facility jail complex in Orange County following his arrest, was released from custody just before 5 p.m. Friday, online jail records showed.

CC Unit’s operations have resulted in one other arrest in Brea, Barbosa confirmed.

Separately, Ghost said their stings, which began in 2018, have led to numerous arrests and some convictions in other parts of the state.

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.

District Letter Re_ TMS Teacher by LakeCoNews on Scribd

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — Early indications are that voters have rejected a proposal for the Kelseyville Fire Protection District to create a new community services district and levy special taxes to build a new fire station.

Kelseyville Fire Chief Joe Huggins confirmed to Lake County News on Thursday that the district’s Measure A fire tax appears to have failed to get the support of voters.

Huggins said the election’s outcome won’t be finalized until the last tally takes place on Jan. 4.

The district hired MK Election Services LLC for election administration services, including sending out the ballots based on information provided by the Lake County Registrar of Voters Office.

The measure needed to pass by a two-thirds majority of the ballots returned.

In a letter to the Kelseyville Fire Board of Directors this week, Kenneth Mostern, principal of MK Election Services, reported results for the initial count that put the measure at well below the necessary two-thirds majority.

Of the 7,289 ballots mailed to voters on Nov. 8, only 2,145 were submitted for the selection, the letter said.

The letter to the fire board noted that due to a data processing error on the company's part, 1,177 ballots were sent to addresses of registration rather than mailing addresses, necessitating them to be mailed out again on Nov. 18.

Altogether, there were 998 “yes” votes and 1,134 “no” votes, with two blank ballots submitted and 11 ballots rejected, according to the report.

That tally means the measure received only 46% support, 21% below the approval threshold.

Earlier this year, the district began moving toward the formation of a community facilities district, holding meetings and hiring a consulting firm, CivicMic, to assist with the process.

The district proposed the action to enhance fire and emergency medical services, including building a new fire station in the Soda Bay corridor, specifically, the community of Buckingham.

To fund building the new fire station — at an estimated cost of $2.4 million, plus more than $1.2 million in annual staffing costs and $200,000 in annual debt service and administrative costs — the district proposed to levy special taxes for residents and business owners and authorize a $4 million bond issuance.

Regarding the amount of increases for residents, the information on current tax rates was not made available by CivicMic. When Lake County News contacted the firm for information, it was referred back to the company’s website, where current tax rates were not reported.

Ballots were mailed out in early November and were due by 8 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 21.

While the county elections office handled aspects like signature matching, MK Election Services took care of other duties, including having a hotline for voters, authenticating ballots and conducting the official count, or canvass.

The letter to the fire district board said 150 ballots remain “at large” due to needing to have their signature matched, lacking a signature on the return envelope or because the signature doesn’t match one on record with the Registrar of Voters Office.

“MK Elections will return to Kelseyville to reopen the canvass on Jan. 4, 2022, to complete the tally and provide final certification of the count,” Mostern wrote. “In the meantime, the election record is being sealed and signed by the canvassers and left in the custody of the District.”

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. — Forecasters continue to predict chances of snow across Lake County during the Christmas weekend and into the last week of the year, along with more rain.

The National Weather Service said more than half an inch of rain and winds topping 20 miles per hour are in the Friday forecast.

For Christmas Day, up to a quarter inch of rain is expected during the day, with chances of more rain plus snow on Christmas night.

The potential for snow is expected to continue into Sunday morning, falling to as low as 1,000 to 2,000 feet in elevation.

While no accumulation is anticipated in the lower elevations, heavy mountain snow is expected, the forecast said.

The National Weather Service said there are chances of rain again on Monday, with potential for snow showers from Monday night through Thursday.

Temperatures through the weekend and into next week are forecast to be in the high 30s to low 40s during the day and at night hovering in the low 30s until the middle of next week, when they could drop into the high 20s.

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.

CLEARLAKE, Calif. — Clearlake Animal Control has a full house of dogs waiting to go home with a new family.

The City of Clearlake Animal Association also is seeking fosters for the animals waiting to be adopted.

Call the Clearlake Animal Control shelter at 707-273-9440, or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to inquire about adoptions and schedule a visit to the shelter.

Visit Clearlake Animal Control on Facebook or on the city’s website.

The newest dogs are listed at the top of the following list.

‘Holly’

“Holly” is a female terrier mix with a beige coat.

She is dog No. 49159116.

‘Isabella’

“Isabella” is a female Chihuahua mix with a short tan coat.

She is dog No. 49292130.

‘Winnie’

“Winnie” is a female Doberman pinscher-Australian shepherd mix with a short tricolor coat.

She has been spayed.

She is dog No. 49228128.

‘Andy’

“Andy” is a male American pit bull mix with a short gray and white coat.

He is dog No. 48995415.

‘Arnold’

“Arnold” is a male American Staffordshire terrier mix with a short brindle coat with white markings.

He is dog No. 49029348.

‘Bear’

“Bear” is a male Labrador retriever-American pit bull mix with a short charcoal and fawn coat.

He has been neutered.

He is dog No. 48443153.

‘Bear No. 2’

“Bear No. 2” is a male American pit bull mix with a short tan coat.

He has been neutered.

He is dog No. 48731556.

‘Bella’

“Bella” is a female American pit bull mix with a short gray brindle coat.

She has been spayed.

She is dog No. 48448381.

‘Gingy’

“Gingy’ is a female terrier mix with a tan and white coat.

She is dog No. 49228146.

‘Levi’

“Levi” is a male golden retriever-Labrador retriever mix.

He has a short golden coat.

He is dog No. 48975687.

‘Maria’

“Maria” is a female Shar-Pei mix with a short tan coat.

She is dog No. 49047315.

‘Mitzi’

“Mitzi” is a female Australian cattle dog mix with a medium-length black and white coat.

She has been spayed.

She is dog No. 48443306.

‘Nala’

“Nala” is a 1-year-old female German shepherd mix.

She has a medium-length black and tan coat.

She is dog No. 48289638.

‘Priscilla’

“Priscilla” is a female Brittany spaniel mix with a white and copper coat.

She is dog No. 49089138.

‘Sassy’

“Sassy” is a female American pit bull mix with a short black coat.

She has been spayed.

She is dog No. 48443128.

‘Snowball’

“Snowball” is a male American Staffordshire mix terrier with a white coat.

He is dog No. 49159168.

‘Tanisha’

“Tanisha” is a female Australian cattle dog mix with a short red and white coat.

She has been spayed.

She is dog No. 48443302.

‘Terry’

“Terry” is a male shepherd mix with a short brindle coat.

He is dog No. 48443693.

‘Turk’

“Turk” is a male chocolate Labrador retriever mix.

He is dog No. 48911836.

‘Willie’

“Willie” is a male Chihuahua mix with a short black coat and white markings.

He is dog No. 49141640.

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.

For many people, the holidays are a time of togetherness, celebration and traditions like a holiday meal.

Census Bureau statistics show that thousands of employees and several food industry sectors make this possible.

To give you a taste, we trace holiday food fare every step of the way from agriculture and manufacturing to distribution by wholesalers and retailers.

Manufacturing

There were 233,960 employees with an annual payroll of $8.1 billion in the poultry (turkey, chicken, and duck) processing industry in 2019, according to the most recent data available in the Annual Survey of Manufactures (ASM), 2019. This includes poultry frozen, canned, cooked, or prepared fresh. The reported value of shipments that year: $64.9 billion.

The dairy industry is another important part of the holiday food ecosystem. Establishments that manufacture dairy products reported $122.1 billion in value of shipments and 149,282 employees in 2019.

Produce and dairy

Fruit and vegetable manufacturers across the country labor to provide fresh produce for the holidays. In California, the nation’s top fruit and vegetable manufacturer by sales and number of employees, the industry employed about 25,209 people with shipments valued at about $11.4 billion in 2019, according to the ASM.

In 2019, of the 149,282 people employed by U.S. dairy manufacturers, about 74.8% were production workers. Production workers that year spent about 227.4 million hours manufacturing dairy products.

Wisconsin is the top producer of dairy by sales and value of shipment which explains the nickname “Cheeseheads” for Wisconsin residents. The industry employed 23,664 workers in 2019. California, another leading dairy producer, employed about 18,536 dairy workers.

Wholesale workers play an important role in the distribution of holiday goods from farm to table. In 2019, there were 4,731 U.S. wholesale establishments (employing about 110,215 workers) that primarily distributed fresh fruits and vegetables, according to the Census Bureau’s 2019 County Business Patterns (CBP).

Dairy and poultry product wholesalers employed about 41,157 and 9,607 people, respectively, in 2019.



Grocery stores

In 2019, there were 62,932 supermarkets and other grocery stores in the U.S. employing about 2.6 million workers, according to the CBP.

These establishments typically employ workers in the double digits as cashiers, stock people and managers, and to perform other duties in special departments.

In some states, a large percentage of grocery stores have fewer than five employees. The state with the most small grocers is New York, where 63.9% of the grocery stores are establishments with fewer than five employees, according to the 2019 CBP.

Evergreen establishments

Restaurants and other eating establishments are lifesavers for those who opt for the no-fuss no-mess holiday meals. In 2019, there are 583,446 restaurants in the United States, employing about 11.1 million workers, according to the 2019 County Business Patterns .

These establishments ranged in size, with about 26.5% of the eateries employing fewer than five employees in 2019.

Meat consumption

Americans consume more than three times as much pork as turkey, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In 2021, per capita meat consumption in the U.S. was projected to be about 225 pounds, including 51.6 pounds of pork and 15.7 pounds of turkey.

More data on agricultural projections is available from the USDA.

Lynda Lee is a supervisory survey statistician in the Census Bureau’s Data User and Trade Outreach Branch. Derick C. Moore is a senior communications specialist in the Census Bureau's Communications Directorate.

CLEARLAKE, Calif. — A group of Lake and Mendocino county leaders gathered with the local chapter of the NAACP this week to mark the end of a fundraiser that will help the organization pursue a number of key projects in the coming year.

The little ceremony took place at Clearlake City Hall on Monday afternoon.

NAACP President Rick Mayo was joined by a number of dignitaries who have shown up for the group over the years to show their support.

Mayo said the chapter represents Lake and Mendocino counties and the St. Helena portion of Napa County.

The Lake County NAACP branch was formed in 1982. Mayo has been president of the group for 34 of its nearly 40 years.

The group that gathered on Monday included leadership from the California-Hawaii NAACP State Conference.

Making the trip to Clearlake were North Area Director Capt. David Smith and Vallejo NAACP Branch President Jimmie Jackson. They joined Mayo and his branch leadership Kenneth Bagsby, Bessie Bell, Paul Kolb and Greta Zeit.

Smith said he sees a sense of community that makes him proud every time he comes to Lake County, and so he considers it a pleasure to visit. He said people in Lake County don’t mind getting out and getting their hands dirty.

Jackson said it’s good to see camaraderie and people talking with each other, adding that Mayo is a good NAACP president and he wouldn’t have driven to Lake County in the rainy weather for anyone else.

The group also included Mendocino County Sheriff Matt Kendall and Lake County Sheriff Brian Martin, both of whom serve on the chapter’s executive committee; Clearlake Police Chief Andrew White and Clearlake Police Officers Association President Trevor Franklin; District 2 Supervisor Bruno Sabatier and District 3 Supervisor EJ Crandell; and Clearlake city staffers Tina Viramontes and Mark Roberts.

White thanked everyone for coming. “Rick keeps us all in line.”

Kendall said Martin introduced him to Mayo after he became sheriff of Mendocino County.

“When you don’t have enough to go around, everyone has to help everyone out,” Kendall said, explaining the partnerships forged among local and regional organizations.

He said Mayo has been a voice of support, telling him when he’s had questions that he knows the right thing to do and to do it.

“It’s about all of us supporting each other,” Kendall said.

Sabatier said Mayo makes sure community leaders open their eyes to what is not obvious, and he’s looking forward to his continued leadership.

Bell said COVID-19 has stopped some of the branch’s efforts but they are getting back to work. She noted, she kind of likes “this Zoom thing.”

The point of the gathering was to draw tickets for a raffle that will fund the local NAACP branch’s future activities.

Like Bell, Mayo said COVID-19 has presented a challenge to the group.

So it’s planning activities including educating the community about the virus, advocating for the Voting Rights Act, working on housing and on Americans with Disabilities Act issues in the city and county.

Mayo said 1,000 tickets had been sold, but as of Monday they did not have the total amount of funds raised.

Mayo said the fundraiser was a great community effort.

“It was a great turnout. I’m really happy with it,” said Mayo, noting they’re looking forward to doing it again in the near future.

Kendall himself sold an estimated 200 of the tickets, which won a variety of prizes, from shirts and trophies to a smart television. Businesses that donated to support the raffle included Griffin’s Furniture, Lakeview Market, Big O Tires, Kevin Ness Jewelers and Walmart, among others.

Both Kendall and Martin helped with choosing the tickets, along with the dignitaries in attendance.

Mayo said any winners not in attendance would be contacted with the information on their tickets.

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 said it is preparing to move thousands of Lake County customers into a new rate plan, but there remains the chance to opt out.

As part of a multiyear, statewide energy policy to create a cleaner energy future for California, PG&E said it will move approximately 7,140 eligible residential electric customers in Lake County currently on a tiered rate plan called E-1 to a time-of-use, or TOU, rate plan in April 2022.

On the time-of-use — peak pricing from 4 to 9 p.m. daily — rate plan when customers use energy is as important as how much they use.

The transition to this time-of-use rate plan will occur by geographical region and affect approximately 2.5 million customers in PG&E’s service area in stages through 2022.

PG&E spokeswoman Deanna Contreras told Lake County News that the 7,140 customers in Lake County who will be transitioned to the TOU rate plan are residential customers who are eligible.

To help manage use and cost, customers can see hour-by-hour use via their online account and can view an estimate of their bill, compared to the previous year’s use, Contreras said.

Customers in Lake County will receive a series of notifications by mail starting this month to allow them ample time to make a choice if they prefer another rate plan. Customers can choose another rate plan at any time.

All California investor-owned electric utilities are required to automatically transition customers to the time-of-use rate plan to support a cleaner, healthier, and more reliable energy grid. PG&E does not profit from this change.

Customers can choose an alternate time-of-use rate plan or another rate plan, including the tiered rate plan, at any time. Customers enrolled in the Medical Baseline program will not be part of the automatic transition.

“To ensure our customers are fully aware of the transition to the time-of-use rate and how the program works, we’re communicating this change more than 90 days ahead, and we’ll continue to share information before each regional transition takes place,” said Marlene Santos, PG&E’s chief customer officer. “And, customers can choose the rate plan that best fits their needs and lives at any time.”

Customers who automatically transition to this time-of-use rate plan will receive risk-free bill protection for the first 12 months on the delivery portion of the bill.

If a customer pays more on the TOU rate plan than they would have on their current rate plan, PG&E will also automatically credit the customer the difference for the first year on the generation side.

More about time-of-use rate plans

Customers on these rate plans can choose to shift and reduce some energy use to lower-cost time periods (19 hours) every day, including weekends and holidays. The hours of 4 to 9 p.m. are higher priced (peak times). All other times are lower priced (off-peak). Environmental advocacy groups such as the Natural Resources Defense Council support the transition to TOU rates as the plans help build healthier communities.

“TOU rates help Californians take advantage of less expensive, cleaner and more plentiful electricity during periods when a greater share of renewable energy is flowing through the grid. Combined with energy efficiency, electrification, and demand response programs, TOU helps customers reduce energy costs and their carbon footprints by using appliances when more emissions-free electricity is available,” said Alejandra Mejia Cunningham, NRDC building decarbonization advocate.

Starting in 2018, approximately 150,000 residential customers from across PG&E’s service area representing diversity in climate, household size and energy use were randomly selected as part of the first phase of transitions.

Eighty percent of those customers stayed on the new time-of-use rate plan for more than a year. PG&E incorporated feedback from this initial group into the plans for the full rollout.

For more information about the transition to time-of-use rates and bill protection eligibility, customers can visit www.pge.com/toutransition. To view a customized rate plan comparison, customers can visit their account online at www.pge.com/TOUchoice.

Dedicated rate plan specialists are available at 1-866-743-7945 to answer questions and help customers choose a rate plan.

Gov. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday announced new booster requirements and testing measures to better protect all Californians as the Omicron variant becomes the dominant COVID-19 strain in the nation.

Newsom’s office said the COVID-19 booster requirement for health care workers will mitigate potential staffing shortages while helping to safeguard the state’s hospital capacity and protect the health and safety of Californians.

Combined with the new federal policies announced on Tuesday, the Governor’s Office said these actions will help ensure everyone in California has access to testing throughout the holiday season and that K-12 public school students can return to school safely.

“As the Omicron variant spreads rapidly across the country and circulates in all regions of the state, we’re taking immediate, proactive steps to protect Californians with boosters and expanded access to testing,” said Newsom. “The state is also redoubling our efforts to keep kids safe and keep schools open. We will help prevent the spread of COVID-19 in our communities by making at-home testing kits available to every K-12 public school student as they head back to the classroom from winter break.”

By February 1, 2022, health care workers and all employees in high-risk congregate settings, including nursing homes, will be required to get their booster. In the interim, all health care staff that have not received their booster must test for COVID-19 twice weekly until they are up to date on their vaccines.

To help mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in our schools, the state is also increasing the availability of at-home COVID-19 tests across California so K-12 public-school students can be tested as they return to school from winter break.

In early December, the California Department of Public Health, or CDPH, distributed approximately two million tests to schools for this purpose.

CDPH will expand those efforts by providing one to two rapid tests for every student. The agency also will work with local education and health partners to distribute those test kits as quickly and efficiently as possible.

“As we fight Omicron, there is nothing more important for our kids than keeping schools safely open — that means deploying rapid tests,” said State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond. “Over the holiday break, CDE will be working closely with the governor and California's public health and emergency management personnel to get testing supplies to families, districts and schools.”

To ensure every Californian has access to testing, the state will also be expanding antigen test availability and expanding hours of operation at state-sponsored OptumServe sites that are already at capacity.

Today, 90% of the population lives within a 30-minute driving distance of a site. Over the course of the pandemic, the state has established 6,288 testing sites statewide, comprising 31% of the nation’s testing sites.

In support of this effort, since August, the state has purchased over 12 million over-the-counter tests. CDPH is distributing an additional six million tests to community partners serving disproportionately impacted Californians and four million to local health jurisdictions.

California has implemented the most robust vaccination and testing programs in the country. To date, California has administered over 64 million vaccination doses and over 116 million tests, with an average turn around of just 48 hours.

In recent months, Gov. Newsom implemented a series of measures to slow the spread of COVID-19, including first-in-the-nation vaccine and masking measures requiring that workers in health care settings be fully vaccinated, announcing plans to add the COVID-19 vaccine to the list of vaccinations required to attend school in-person when fully approved, requiring masking in schools and implementing a standard that all school staff and all state workers either show proof of full vaccination or be tested.

As a result of these actions, California has been labeled the safest state to live in during COVID-19 and a national leader in preventing school closures.

"California’s determination to use every available tool to keep our children safe during this pandemic has allowed us to keep schools open and case rates low — a key to their physical and mental health as well as learning,” said Dr. Linda Darling-Hammond, State Board of Education president. “Ensuring boosters and testing in the new year will continue this commitment to keeping our children’s welfare front and center."

While we are still learning about the severity of illness caused by Omicron, it is clear that individuals who are up to date on their vaccines, including a booster, are most protected, the Governor’s Office reported.

To help slow the spread of COVID-19, Californians are encouraged to get vaccinated, get boosted, wear a mask indoors and get tested if sick.

With the new year around the corner, the California Highway Patrol is educating the public on traffic safety laws that were passed during this year’s legislative season and signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom.

The laws take effect Jan. 1, 2022, unless otherwise noted.

Sideshow Definition and Penalties (Assembly Bill 3, Fong)

This new law strengthens penalties for those convicted of exhibition of speed if the violation occurred as part of a sideshow.

Beginning July 1, 2025, a court will be permitted to suspend a person’s driver’s license between 90 days and six months if the person is convicted of exhibition of speed and if the violation occurred as part of a “sideshow.” Section 23109(c) of the California Vehicle Code (exhibition of speed) will define sideshow as an event in which two or more persons block or impede traffic on a highway for the purpose of performing motor vehicle stunts, motor vehicle speed contests, motor vehicle exhibitions of speed, or reckless driving for spectators.

The courts will be required to consider a defendant’s medical, personal, or family hardship that requires a person to have a driver’s license before determining whether to suspend a person’s driver’s license.

Equestrian Safety Gear (AB 974, L. Rivas)

Requires a person under the age of 18 to wear a properly fitted and fastened helmet when riding an equestrian animal, such as a horse, mule, or donkey on a paved highway. This bill also requires all riders or their equines to wear reflective gear or a lamp when riding after sundown.

A person riding an equestrian animal in a parade or festival, or crossing a paved highway from an unpaved highway, is exempt from all helmet, lighting, or reflective gear requirements.

Tribal Emergency Vehicles (AB 798, Ramos)

This bill provides that any vehicle owned or operated by a federally recognized Indian tribe is considered an authorized emergency vehicle as defined by Section 165 CVC when responding to an emergency, fire, ambulance, or lifesaving calls.

Class C Drivers Allowed to Tow Trailer (Senate Bill 287, Grove)

Effective January 1, 2027, drivers with a class C driver’s license may operate a vehicle towing a trailer between 10,001 pounds and 15,000 pounds gross vehicle weight rating, or gross vehicle weight with a fifth-wheel and kingpin or bed mounted gooseneck connection, provided that the trailer is used exclusively for recreational purposes for the transportation of property, living space, or both.

The driver will be required to pass a specialized written examination demonstrating the knowledge of the CVC and other safety aspects relating to the towing of recreational vehicles on the highway and possess an endorsement on their class C driver’s license.

Currently, this exemption is in place for drivers towing a fifth-wheel travel trailer provided the driver passes a specialized written exam and obtains a recreational trailer endorsement.

As a reminder, the following law took effect on July 1, 2021:

License Points for Distracted Driving (AB 47, Daly; 2019)

Using a handheld cellphone while driving is currently punishable by a fine. As of July 1, 2021, violating the hands-free law for a second time within 36 months of a prior conviction for the same offense will result in a point being added to a driver’s record.

This applies to the violations of talking or texting while driving (except for hands-free use) and to any use of these devices while driving by a person under 18 years of age.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The Board of Supervisors on Tuesday decided to take no action on a proposal from the County Administrative Office to consider once again splitting the Water Resources Department off from the Department of Public Works.

County Administrative Officer Carol Huchingson said she agendized the discussion because the county is anticipating a “considerable amount of infrastructure funding” in the next year or two thanks to the federal infrastructure bill.

She said the discussion was brought forward to enable the board to consider whether it would make sense to have the two departments separate in order to allow Public Works to focus on projects.

Huchingson said it’s a topic that the board has discussed before, noting that the two departments have been combined several times.

Most recently, the board voted to reconsolidate the two departments in August 2019. In July 2016, the board had split the two agencies.

Scott De Leon, director of both Public Works and Water Resources, appeared via Zoom. He made clear he didn’t support the idea.

“I appreciate the discussion however we’ve got a pretty good team up here and we have a system in place,” he said.

De Leon explained that Water Resources is covered by Public Works’ administration, which provides them with accounting, clerical and other administrative duties, and is handling that work without any trouble.

“The federal funding opportunities are certainly welcome,” and are a top priority for him, said De Leon.

He is working with a consultant from the Area Planning Council and is drafting a five-year plan for his department. De Leon added that Huchingson’s office has been working with a member of Congress on projects for specific funding.

“Personally I feel like we’re in good shape. I feel like we’re able to handle the workload and really would not like to see the disruption from the separation of the departments,” he said.

De Leon said he is still trying to fill jobs in the Department of Public Works and just completed a recruitment for assistant director. The recruitment yielded a good candidate who declined the job offer.

He said he wants to focus on filling jobs instead of separating the two departments.

Supervisor Moke Simon supported pursuing a split, pointing to climate change and the importance of water, and the work that needs to be done on the county’s roads. As such, he said it was important to have focused departments.

Supervisor Jessica Pyska said one of her big questions was whether the county had an understanding of the kind of funding it will be seeing from the infrastructure bill. She wanted to know what the workload would be and how the county would ramp up.

“We don’t know,” Huchingson said, explaining that the county hasn’t been advised of how much money will come, just that a lot is coming.

Supervisor EJ Crandell recalled that when the previous Water Resources director left, the board chose to have De Leon lead the department because of his knowledge, adding a lot of employees work well under De Leon’s leadership.

Supervisor Tina Scott questioned when the money might come in.

Board Chair Bruno Sabatier said he expected it will be six months before guidelines are set by the federal government. In the meantime, he said the county needs to have shovel-ready projects.

Sabatier said he appreciates the forward progress he’s seen in Water Resources, including matters dealing with the Federal Emergency Management Agency and moving the Middle Creek Restoration Project ahead.

He wanted to see the five-year plan completed and provide expectations to staff. “I don’t mind the conversation but I think it’s a little premature,” he said.

Sabatier also emphasized the importance of filling positions. De Leon said that he had been hopeful that with the county’s recent changes in compensation, there would be increased interest in jobs in his department.

They’ve done recruitments where no one has applied. De Leon said in this last recruitment, they had two applicants. One was very good, and despite him working with Human Resources to make the best offer the county could — including a signing bonus and moving costs — the applicant declined.

During public comment, Betsy Cawn, who has been a Clean Water Program volunteer since 2009, said she thought the proposal was disruptive, especially when De Leon said the department is working well.

Cawn suggested that before the board makes a decision to split the department, it should allow De Leon to work on the five-year plan, make a continued effort to recruit for an assistant director and advise the board what needs to be done, rather than making a decision based on big dollar signs.

She added that she thinks De Leon has done an excellent job, and that the board should let him make the decisions.

Ultimately, when it came time to suggest an action, board members sat silent, prompting Huchingson to ask if there was no direction.

Simon said he would like to pursue the split, but there was no consensus.

Sabatier said he wanted to wait for the five-year plan and set expectations.

“That’s where I am too,” said Pyska, and Crandell agreed.

Huchingson asked about the timeline to complete the five-year plan.

De Leon said it’s to be completed by February, and he will bring the plan and a summary to the board at that time.

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.