MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – The Middletown Area Town Hall this week will discuss safety items including stop signs and a wildland fire protection plan.

MATH will meet at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 11, via Zoom. The meeting is open to the public.

To join the Zoom meeting click on this link; the meeting ID is 935 1671 5770. Call in at 888-788-0099.

Supervisor Moke Simon will give his monthly update at 7:25 p.m.

At 7:35 p.m., the group will discuss stop signs in Middletown.

The Middletown BroomBusters Event, which will focus on scotch broom removal on March 27, will be discussed at 7:50 p.m.

At 8 p.m., the group will review the community wildfire protection plan.

There also will be opportunities for public input and discussion of items to place on the April 8 agenda.

The MATH Board includes Co-Chairs Rosemary Córdova and Monica Rosenthal, Secretary Lisa Kaplan, and Ken Gonzales and Paul Baker.

MATH – established by resolution of the Lake County Board of Supervisors on Dec. 12, 2006 – is a municipal advisory council serving the residents of Anderson Springs, Cobb, Coyote Valley (including Hidden Valley Lake), Long Valley and Middletown.

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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.

As California passes a year into the COVID-19 pandemic, Gov. Gavin Newsom on Tuesday delivered his third State of the State address to the Legislature and the people of California in a virtual presentation from Dodger Stadium – one of the nation’s largest community vaccination sites.

The governor highlighted the state’s continued progress in battling the pandemic, reflected on the Californians who have been lost to COVID-19 and recognized everyday Californians who have risen to meet the challenges of this unprecedented time – including the health workers now vaccinating some of the most vulnerable Californians at the stadium.

He also highlighted the urgent relief the state is providing to the hardest hit Californians and small businesses, and how the state is working to accelerate the reopening of schools across California.

Gov. Newsom laid out the work ahead to continue to safely reopen and ensure the state emerges from the pandemic in an equitable, broad-based recovery.

Below is the text as prepared for delivery:




Thank you, Madame Lt. Governor, for your kind introduction.

And good evening to those joining us virtually tonight – Speaker Rendon, Pro Tem Atkins, members of the California Legislature, and to all of the elected, and state officials.

And to my amazing wife Jennifer, the First Partner of California.

Thank you all for being here in the most 2021 way possible, remotely.

Tonight, we mark an unprecedented moment in California history.

To reflect on where we’ve been this past year, let’s consider where we are.

I’m speaking to you from Dodger Stadium, transformed from the home of last year’s World Series champions into a centerpiece of America’s mass vaccination campaign.

Instead of fans in stands, we see nurses in PPE, saving lives one injection at a time.

All because, one year ago a once-in-a-century pandemic arrived on our shores.

COVID was no one’s fault – but it quickly became everyone’s burden.

Forcing hard-working Californians into impossible choices – go to work and risk infection, or stay home and lose your job.

It magnified daily worries about feeding your kids, paying rent, and keeping loved ones safe.

It made the unthinkable, commonplace.

COVID patients cared for by doctors, nurses, and paramedics who, despite the chaos and risks to themselves, paused to hold the hands of strangers in their final moments.

Too many forever goodbyes over FaceTime.

Fifty four thousand three hundred and ninety five Californians we now mourn with broken hearts.

That’s almost the same number of empty seats behind me, marking a silent tribute to loved ones who live forever in our memories.

Fifty four thousand three hundred and ninety five Californians who will never be forgotten by family and friends – nor by the health care workers who bore witness to unimaginable tragedy.

But not every COVID hero wears scrubs.

From the grocery workers to custodians who get a fraction of the gratitude they deserve, to the parents who’ve juggled and struggled – moms especially – but kept charging ahead.

Your quiet bravery has created light in the darkest of times.

As Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “Only when it’s dark enough, can you see the stars.”

So tonight, under the lights of this stadium – even as we grieve – let’s allow ourselves to dream of brighter days ahead.

Because we won’t be defined by this moment – we’ll be defined by what we do because of it.

After all, we are California.

We don’t wait for someone else to show us the way forward. We go first, and we go boldly.

We led – on gay rights, gun safety, and criminal justice reform.

And now, we lead on combating COVID.

From the earliest days of the pandemic, California trusted in science and data.

We met the moment.

Last January, we welcomed Americans home, accepting repatriation flights from China.

And one year ago today, we brought to shore the Grand Princess, which was stranded off the coast of California, further opening our eyes to the seriousness of this disease.

We were the first state to issue a stay-at-home order, which helped us avoid early spikes in cases.

The top minds from our nation’s leading research institutions and life science companies immediately jumped into the development of groundbreaking COVID treatments and vaccines.

While others competed to buy personal protective equipment at exorbitant prices—we quickly built our own pipeline, supplying critical gear to millions of essential workers.

We sent ventilators and doctors to New York as well as other states that desperately needed them.

We developed the most comprehensive COVID testing program in the country—including a first-in-the-nation state-run testing lab.

We enlisted additional health care workers to expand capacity. We readied our ICUs.

Our advance planning and curve flattening meant our hospitals were ready for surges.

All of which is why California’s death rate has remained one of the lowest per capita in the nation: 134 deaths per 100,000, compared to 158 nationally, 153 in Texas and 247 in New York.

Now, finally, vaccines are here.

We were the first to launch mass-vaccination sites in partnership with FEMA, now a model for other states.

Today, we have the most robust vaccination program in America. California now ranks sixth in the world for vaccine distribution, ahead of countries like Israel, Russia, Germany and France.

I know our progress hasn’t always felt fast enough.

And look, we’ve made mistakes. I’ve made mistakes. But we own them, learn from them, and never stop trying.

After all, that’s the California spirit.

We are bent but not broken. Bloodied but unbowed. Resolved to make it to brighter days ahead – to not let the pain of last year deter the hopefulness of tomorrow.

The state of our state remains determined. I remain determined!

We won’t change course just because of a few nay-sayers and dooms-dayers.

So to the California critics, who are promoting partisan power grabs and outdated prejudices, and rejecting everything that makes California great, we say this: we will not be distracted from getting shots in arms and our economy booming again.

This is a fight for California’s future.

Since this pandemic started, uncertainty has been the only thing we could be certain of.

But now, we are providing certainty.

Certainty that we are safely vaccinating Californians as quickly as possible.

Certainty that we are safely reopening our economy.

Certainty that we are safely getting our kids back in classrooms.

All of which adds up to a brighter future for our state.

Because California won’t come crawling back. We will roar back.

When this pandemic ends – and it will end soon – we’re not going back to normal. Normal was never good enough. Normal accepts inequity.

It’s why Latinos are dying from COVID at a higher rate than any other racial or ethnic group, why essential workers’ wages aren’t enough for them to afford the essentials, and why mothers have been leaving the workforce in staggering numbers.

Look, our eyes are wide open to what’s wrong.

So, our journey back must also be a path to close inequities. There is no economic recovery without economic justice.

With more compassion, empathy, and connection, we can write the next chapter in the California story.

After all, the answer to “what’s right” about our state is also readily available to us, so long as we stay focused on what makes California so damn special.

Throughout this pandemic, we’ve been forced to find new ways to connect, to collaborate, to serve. New ways to grow, and new ways to innovate. And of course we have.

We have more scientists, engineers, researchers, and Nobel laureates than any other state. To keep this conveyor belt for talent moving, we will keep investing in UC, CSU, and community colleges.

California has the most innovation, venture capital, and small-business investment in this country. We will keep fostering every small entrepreneur—the drivers of our GDP.

Our agricultural industry feeds the nation, and California’s entertainment industry shapes global culture.

We build the future the rest of the world dreams of. And I mean that literally.

This year, we will invest $10 billion in the nuts and bolts of California – infrastructure like roads, rail, bridges and public transit – the biggest infrastructure package since the great recession over a decade ago.

Building toward universal broadband, connecting all Californians equitably and affordably.

And investing in the most important asset we have, our children – we propose to invest a record amount in K-14 education this year.

Because, by planning ahead and through prudent fiscal management, California benefits from surpluses – not deficits. Record reserves, not cuts.

We started the year with a $15 billion surplus, and since then revenues have been even stronger, allowing us to provide a down payment on building our brighter future.

The building blocks of our recovery are in place. And now we are leading the way out of this pandemic.

Because we listened to the experts—and were guided by evidence.

Today, the light at the end of the tunnel is brighter than ever.

From the peak in early January, we’ve gone from reporting 53,000 COVID cases per day to 2,600. The positivity rate is down from 14 percent to just 2.1 percent today. Hospitalizations are down more than 80 percent since their peak. ICUs are down 77 percent.

And tonight, I’m proud to report that California has administered nearly 11 million doses. That’s three million more than any other state.

So now, we look ahead to better days with the California can-do spirit – with the energy and optimism that defines us – we will beat this virus and realize our dream of a California for All.

How? Equitable and plentiful vaccines, economic support for those who’ve struggled the most, and getting kids safely back into schools as soon as possible.

First, we will make sure every Californian who needs a vaccine can get one. In our state, your access to the vaccine must not depend on who you know.

We prioritize those who are at the greatest risk and with greatest exposure to the virus. We don’t just talk about vaccine equity—we designed our entire system around it.

Setting aside 40 percent of vaccines for the most impacted communities.

Vaccine equity is not just the right thing to do, it is also the fastest way through the pandemic.

Grocery workers prioritized. School staff prioritized. And farmworkers, put to the front of the line.

Like 85-year-old Maria in Reedley, who came to this country from Mexico decades ago to find a job in our fields.

Maria said she was unsure – uncertain – about getting vaccinated, but after she received her shots, she’s now educating other farmworkers about the safety and efficacy of the vaccine, helping them overcome similar anxieties.

That’s the beauty of California. Leadership like Maria’s isn’t ordained, it’s earned.

We’ve built a vaccine system where our only constraint now is manufactured supply.

Thanks to the Biden administration, those doses are on their way.

I’ve traveled the state and seen first-hand the strength of communities banding together in Coachella, Arvin, Camarillo and Stockton, stepping up to vaccinate the most vulnerable and the too often overlooked.

Every Californian will have convenient access to shots – including those who are home-bound and those who don’t have transportation or the internet.

Now with greater supply, emerges a challenge as old as vaccines themselves: hesitancy about whether to get it. Just ask Maria.

To address these concerns, we have a large network of trusted community partners. They are helping us spread the word, in many languages and across many cultures.

Vaccines are safe. Vaccines are effective. Vaccines will save your life.

Allowing you to visit your parents again. Go to your daughter’s basketball game. Show up for your shift without fearing infection.

It was a year ago, we made the incredibly difficult decision to issue a stay home order to slow the spread. We agonized about the sacrifices it would require.

But we made sure that science – not politics – drove our decisions.

And as experts like Dr. Fauci said, it was the right thing to do.

People are alive today because of the public health decisions we made – lives saved because of your sacrifice. Even so, I acknowledge it’s made life hard and unpredictable, and you're exhausted with all of it.

For the millions of Californians pushed out of the workforce and essential workers with no choice but to keep showing up – this is who we fight for.

We continue to work to safely reopen our economy – guided by equity principles, accounting for vaccines, moving as fast as we can. But we are mindful that we can’t let down our guard, particularly with so many new variants.

As of today, 24 of our 58 counties are out of the most restrictive tier, and many more are poised to move next week.

As we safely re-open, we are also providing financial relief. A few weeks ago, we took action to bring immediate stimulus to millions of Californians.

We just directed $7.6 billion back to hard-working Californians and small businesses hit hardest by COVID. We didn’t wait for Washington, we acted with urgency.

That included the Golden State Stimulus, which will put $600 directly into the pockets of millions of families, no matter their immigration status.

And it included supporting our essential workers, with new child care subsidies, more funding for food banks and diapers, and financial assistance for farmworkers.

We’ll keep the dream alive, not only for families but for all the small businesses who’ve fought to survive over the past year.

The special mix of audacity, human capital, and creativity found only in California means there’s literally no better place to do business.

California is where garages are the launch pads for world-changing industries and anyone with the telltale tenacity of a small business owner can create their own California Dream. But only if we nurture them.

That’s why we’re providing the largest small business grant fund in the nation. $2.6 billion in grants of up to $25,000 for small businesses and nonprofits impacted by the pandemic.

Behind these grants are countless stories of entrepreneurs and the dreams they’ve pursued with every ounce of energy they have.

Like Francisco in Fresno, who received $5,000 to reopen his pastry business after being closed for nearly six months.

And Catarah, right here in Los Angeles, whose dessert cafe used a $15,000 grant to make payroll.

And 40,000 other businesses and counting, barbershops, auto repair shops, and clothing shops throughout the state.

Three-quarters of these grants have gone to minority-, women-, and veteran-owned businesses, and those serving rural and low-income communities. We’re not just talking about equity, we are building it into the very fabric of all of our programs.

There’s nothing more foundational to an equitable society than getting our kids safely back into classrooms. Remote learning has exacerbated the gaps we have worked so hard to close.

Our kids are missing too many rites of passage: field trips, proms, graduation.

Teachers pulling triple duty as counselors, curriculum developers, and tech specialists.

Parents desperate for that reopening date.

Look, Jen and I live this as parents of four young children. Helping them cope with the fatigue of “Zoom school.” The loneliness of missing their friends. Frustrated by emotions they don’t yet fully understand.

In December, as COVID surged, many schools were contemplating an alarming decision – giving up on in-person instruction for the rest of the school year.

In the few short months since – working together with parents, teachers, and school leaders – we have turned the conversation from whether to reopen, to when.

Every day, more schools announce reopening dates. In fact, almost 7,000 schools are open or plan to reopen by mid-April for in-person instruction.

But California has 11,000 schools in 1,000 districts spread across 58 counties – all locally controlled. And we won’t be satisfied until everybody is back in school.

To achieve this, we’ve delivered three months’ worth of PPE to every school. We’ve directly enabled schools to provide routine COVID testing, especially for low-income students.

And starting last week, California promised that at least 10 percent of our vaccine allocation will go to teachers and school staff directly. In the first week alone, we have already administered more than 210,000 doses to educators, a pace more than double our goal.

And last week, we committed $6.6 billion for learning loss, tutoring, mental health, and the ability to extend school days and the flexibility to extend the school year.

We can do this. The science is sound. We start with early grades and build up from there.

Getting kids back to school, getting shots in arms, and getting the economy back on its feet. These are urgent priorities, but not the totality of our efforts.

We entered this pandemic with a care economy suffering from decades of underinvestment. A societal scourge that the First Partner has shined a light on: working women – particularly women of color – earning only a fraction of their male counterparts. Widening gaps between haves and have-nots.

California’s most acute preexisting condition remains income inequality.

So as we respond to this pandemic, we stay fixated on closing unacceptable disparities. That’s one of the fundamental reasons I ran for governor.

By any measure, we’ve made great strides.

Rewarding working families by nearly tripling the earned income tax credit and increasing child care subsidies, adding two more weeks of paid family leave, and raising the minimum wage to $14, on its way to $15 an hour.

Providing first-ever health care subsidies for middle-class Californians so they can afford coverage. Increasing student financial aid and public assistance. Making community college free for two years.

Creating opportunity for all.

But I’m mindful that we aren’t truly addressing the needs of people in poverty unless we account for the biggest pressure most families face: housing and housing stability.

So we crafted the strongest eviction controls in the nation, protecting millions of renters from losing their homes in the midst of this pandemic. And we provided a framework for billions of dollars in rental support for struggling landlords.

All while remaining laser focused on the most severe part of the housing crisis: homelessness, a crisis pre-dating the pandemic.

In response, we developed brand-new solutions – including two programs, promoted by the Biden administration as a model for 49 other states.

Project Roomkey, launched in April, has provided over 35,000 homeless Californians with safe shelter from COVID.

And Homekey, launched in July, created more than 6,000 new permanent housing units during the pandemic, buying hotels and motels and converting them at a third of the cost of traditional supportive housing.

We did this cheaper and faster than homeless housing has ever been built in California history, literally rewriting the book on how to tackle homelessness.

And while we acted swiftly during this pandemic, we are mindful that these tent cities on our sidewalks and the encampments along our freeways simply remain unacceptable.

Our challenge moving forward is clear: to continue our immediate progress while focusing on our longer-term goals, which I laid out in last year’s State of the State.

Now, bringing the same spirit of innovation behind Project Roomkey and Homekey, we’re committing nearly $2 billion this year to create more homeless housing, addressing mental health and substance abuse issues, and ending homelessness one person at a time.

No one denies this is a huge challenge, but we know what it means to stare down big challenges.

In 2020, we simultaneously faced two once-in-a-generation crises when we combatted the worst wildfire season in our state’s history in the middle of the pandemic.

The fact is, the hots are getting hotter, the dries are getting drier, and not just here in California, but all across the globe.

Let’s call it what it is: climate change. Just as we approached COVID, we are guided by science.

Just consider last summer’s heat dome on the West Coast of the United States, which led to world-record breaking temperatures here at home.

And in just one 24-hour period last August, 12,000 lightning strikes sparked 560 wildfires, requiring heroic efforts by our firefighters and national guard, who landed helicopters into flames to save fellow Californians.

This year, we are budgeting more than $1 billion for fire prevention, including fuel breaks, forest health, and home hardening.

We forged a historic partnership with the U.S. Forest Service to radically ramp up forest management efforts.

We are reducing barriers on hundreds of fuel reduction projects and prescribed burns. We added 30 new fire crews and pre-positioning assets, new C-130s, Blackhawk helicopters, and radar technology.

But historic wildfires are the symptom. Greenhouse gases are the cause. And to address them, we must confront the source of more than half the emissions in our state: transportation.

I was proud to sign a groundbreaking executive order last year requiring all new cars and passenger trucks sold in California to be zero-emission by 2035.

And the car companies – Ford, GM and Volvo – seized the opportunity to innovate, create jobs, and dominate the industry of the future. Proving yet again that protecting our planet and growing our economy aren’t conflicting goals – they’re one in the same.

There’s no doubt California is the pace setter of environmental policy, yet we are mindful of our responsibility to do even more. That restless spirit defines California.

We know there’s no advancement without effort, no success without sacrifice.

To paraphrase St. Francis, the patron saint of my hometown, now is the time to tell the world about our brighter future, and only if necessary, will we use words.

We know that our strength comes not from what we preach, but from what we do. From our people who get their hands dirty every day, who come home tired, and do it all to give their kids a better life.

When we set our minds to it, Californians can reach the stars.

Just a few weeks ago, a NASA rover appropriately named Perseverance landed safely on Mars, 293 million miles away. It was a breakthrough achievement made possible by the engineers and scientists at our very own Jet Propulsion Lab in Pasadena.

Led in part by the vision and drive of a Lebanese immigrant who was educated in California schools and rose to become the head of JPL.

By the risk-taking that’s in our DNA, by the dream to discover new frontiers, and by sheer force of will.

It was an achievement made possible by California.

And it tells you everything you need to know about who we are and what we can be.

But California isn’t the world’s best place by birthright – we have to earn it every day.

Our hopeful vision of our brighter future is the basis for the decisions we make today. We place faith over fear – optimism over pessimism. The power is in our hands.

This is our moment – to create the California we all want to live in, to extend the dream of prosperity, equity, and progress to all.

And to continue to lead the world into the future once more.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – In a bid to protect the Capay Valley, a unique agricultural resource in Yolo County, the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation has proposed creating a plan to help relocate cannabis production to more appropriate locations in the county.

Representing just 8 percent of Yolo County’s land area, the Capay Valley has become overloaded with half of all cannabis production sites in the county, the tribe reported.

Meanwhile, tribal officials said the valley’s unique topography and hard-to-reach location make it ill-suited for cannabis-related activities.

On Tuesday, the Yolo County Board of Supervisors unanimously voted to table the county’s new cannabis land use ordinance until it could thoroughly vet the Yocha Dehe Wintun tribe’s offer to establish a fund to assist with relocation efforts.

The tribe owns and operates major businesses in the valley such as Cache Creek Casino Resort and Yocha Dehe Golf Club. It also owns diverse agricultural operations, including the Séka Hills Olive Mill and Tasting Room, and farms 3,000 acres, of which 250 acres are certified organic, with more than 1,200 acres in permanent conservation easements.

The Capay Valley’s location at the far northern end of Yolo County puts a strain on county resources needed to reach cannabis producers, whether for regulatory or law enforcement activities or for fire protection services.

Additionally, the Capay Valley is narrow, surrounded by a range of steep hills. Because the valley floor is uniquely compact, the 24/7 activities associated with cannabis production are a mismatch, particularly for neighboring residential homes and agricultural operations.

The Capay Valley is not only the homeland for the Yocha Dehe people, but for many farming families dedicated to sustainable growing practices.

For decades, farmers in the Capay Valley, including the tribe, have worked to create brand identity for their wholesome, organic, farm-to-fork produce. From almonds and walnuts, to lavender, olives and organic foods, the bounty of the Capay Valley is highly regarded – and in high demand.

The region also has become a special destination for both agritourism and ecotourism. Bordered by blue mountains on one side, and rolling hills on the other, the valley features a creek accessed for white-water rafting, and narrow topography that creates eye-popping vistas for all drawn there.

For these reasons, the tribe said it has proposed the Capay Valley be provided special land use protection as the county has done for other areas, including Clarksburg.

At the same time, the tribe would help the county provide a “soft landing” to permitted cannabis producers by enabling them to move elsewhere in the County. The Tribe would fund the relocation program, compensating the producers for their land purchases and providing a premium to offset moving costs.

“The current situation in the Capay Valley is unworkable,” said Anthony Roberts, chairman of the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation. “So, a cannabis ordinance that perpetuates the current situation is unworkable. This would be obvious to all if there was an environmental impact report that showed how the Valley has changed with cannabis. But so far, Yolo County has produced no such report.”

The Capay Valley is located within the ancestral homeland of the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation and the effort to protect it is a key priority for the tribe.

The tribe is also concerned Native American cultural assets that still exist in the Capay Valley are being negatively impacted by the over-concentration of cannabis production and believes special protection for the area aligns with the tribal core value of thoughtful stewardship of the land.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – State and local officials are continuing their response to a 90-foot vessel that grounded north of Dillon Beach in Marin County last week.

The Coast Guard, California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Office of Spill Prevention and Response, Marin County Sheriff’s Office of Emergency Services and Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary are working as a unified command in the incident involving the American Challenger.

Officials said the Coast Guard Sector San Francisco watchstanders received initial reports at 8:45 a.m. Friday, March 5, that the American Challenger was being towed southward by the Tug Hunter from Puget Sound, Washington, when the Tug Hunter lost propulsion due to a rope entangling the propeller.

The 87-foot Coast Guard Cutter Hawksbill crew arrived on scene but due to weather conditions, the proximity to shore and the unknown structural integrity of the unmanned vessel, the crew could not safely board the American Challenger to connect a tow line.

At 1 a.m. Saturday, March 6, the vessel grounded on a rocky shoreline near Dillon Beach where it remains.

The initial response included an investigation to determine the amount of fuel in the vessels, with crews using drones.

On Tuesday, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife said marine surveyors boarded the American Challenger to continue their inspection of the vessel’s fuel tanks by using sound tapes and paste to get an accurate reading of the amount of fuel aboard.

Due to the vessel’s instability, the process will take time to ensure the safety of the surveyors, officials said.

An environmental shoreline assessment team continued to conduct surveys in the area. There are reports of minor sheening in the immediate vicinity of the vessel and along the shoreline adjacent to the vessel. Teams are conducting cleanup efforts in that area. No additional sheening was reported during an overflight.

Four thousand feet of boom was deployed to protect sensitive habitats, including oyster beds, in Tomales Bay, as a precautionary measure. Teams have been on site to monitor the boom and the Coast Guard is broadcasting a safety marine information bulletin to inform the public of booming operations in Tomales Bay.

There have been reports of brown foam washing up along the beach, which have been assessed as normal biological material and not oil product.

All beaches remain open. Miller Boat Launch remains temporarily closed to support response operations.

There have been no confirmed reports of oiled wildlife. If oiled wildlife is seen, the public is asked not to approach and contact the Oiled Wildlife Care Network at 1-877-823-6926.

There are no impacts to commercial traffic or scheduled marine events at this time.

The response is currently being funded by the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund. Federal assumption does not relieve the owner of their financial responsibilities and they may be liable for the cost of any response actions undertaken by the United States Government, officials said.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Portions of the North Coast – including northern Lake County – remain under a winter weather advisory due to rain and, in some higher elevations, snow forecast through Wednesday.

The National Weather Service’s advisory remains in effect until 4 a.m. Wednesday above 2,000 feet.

The agency said a cold upper level storm system will gradually move south along the West Coast through midweek, bringing an extended period of showery weather and snow accumulations of between 4 and 12 inches across the mountains.

On Monday, modest rainfall was recorded around the county. The National Weather Service’s observation stations reported the following 24-hour rainfall totals in inches through 12 a.m. Tuesday:

– Bartlett Springs: 0.10.
– Cache Creek near Lower Lake: 0.07.
– County line (at Colusa side): 0.09.
– Hidden Valley Lake: 0.17.
– Kelseyville: 0.05
– Knoxville Creek: 0.07.
– Lyons Valley (northwest of Lakeport): 0.13.
– Soda Creek: 0.29.
– Upper Lake: 0.24.
– Whispering Pines: 0.20.

Snow also was reported by the California Highway Patrol in the area of Harrington Flat Road in Cobb.

The National Weather Service said showers are forecast to bring up to half an inch of rain in the lower elevations on Tuesday, with between 3 and 7 inches of snow expected in higher elevations in northern Lake County.

On Wednesday, another quarter of an inch is forecast while up to 2 inches of snow is expected to fall in the mountains, forecasters said.

Forecasters expect heavy showers and thunderstorms in Lake County throughout the day on Wednesday, with the forecast noting the possibility for small hail.

Light winds are forecast on both Tuesday and Wednesday.

Foggy conditions are in the forecast during the day Thursday to be followed by frost on Thursday night, Friday morning and later on Friday night as well.

The National Weather Service said conditions will clear on Saturday, with a slight chance of showers on Sunday to be followed by mostly sunny conditions on Monday.

Despite the rain, Clear Lake’s level continues to be well below its seasonal average.

On Monday, Lake County Water Resources said Clear Lake was at 1.03 feet Rumsey, the special measure for Clear Lake, compared to nearly 3.60 feet Rumsey a year ago.

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. – A Rohnert Park man was injured on Saturday night when the pickup he was driving went off the road and came to rest against a house near Clearlake Oaks.

Everette Reep, 51, was the driver in the solo-vehicle wreck, the California Highway Patrol’s Clear Lake Area office reported.

The CHP said that at 9:45 p.m. Saturday, Reep was driving a 2020 Ford F350 pickup eastbound on Highway 20, west of Garden Court, at an unknown speed.

Due to reasons that the CHP said are still under investigation, Reep allowed the pickup to travel off the roadway, which overturned and partially ejected Reep from the vehicle.

The F350 came to rest on its driver's side against a residence on Garden Court, pinning Reep under the pickup until he could be extricated by members of Northshore Fire Department, the report said.

The CHP said Reep suffered suspected major injuries as a result of the collision and was flown from a landing zone at Cal Fire’s Station 40 in Clearlake Oaks to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital by CalStar 4 air ambulance.

An inspection of the pickup at the scene indicated Reep was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the collision, the CHP said.

The CHP said neither alcohol nor drugs are suspected to have been factors in the crash.

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. – Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-05) will hold another of his virtual towns this week.

The virtual town hall will take place from 7 to 8 p.m. Pacific Time on Thursday, March 11.

This will be the third virtual town hall of the 117th Congress and the 19th in a series of virtual town halls since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.

Thompson will discuss the American Rescue Plan, comprehensive COVID relief legislation that is being considered on the House floor this week.

All constituents of California’s Fifth Congressional District and members of the press are invited to join.

This event will be held over Zoom and interested participants must email Thompson’s office at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. in order to join, as the platform has a capacity of 500 people. Interested participants will be notified via email with instructions on how to join.

The event also will be streamed on Facebook Live via Thompson’s page, https://www.facebook.com/RepMikeThompson/.

Thompson represents California’s Fifth Congressional District, which includes all or part of Contra Costa, Lake, Napa, Solano and Sonoma counties.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lakeport Planning Commission is scheduled to consider a proposed lot line adjustment and an update to the safety element for the city’s general plan.

The commission will meet via webinar beginning at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 10.

The agenda is available here.

To speak on an agenda item, access the meeting remotely here; the meeting ID is 986 6166 5155. To join by phone, dial 1-669-900-9128.

Comments can be submitted by email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. To give the City Clerk adequate time to print out comments for consideration at the meeting, please submit written comments prior to 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 10.

Please indicate in the email subject line "for public comment" and list the item number of the agenda item that is the topic of the comment. Comments that read to the council will be subject to the three-minute time limitation (approximately 350 words). Written comments that are only to be provided to the council and not read at the meeting will be distributed to the council prior to the meeting.

On the agenda is a lot line adjustment proposed by Kjell Akerstrom to reconfigure lands
between four existing lots of record located at 1901 S. Main St., and 301, 401 and 292
Industrial Ave.

The staff report said the lot line adjustment’s purpose is to adjust property lines around existing buildings along Industrial Avenue and reflect the zoning boundaries between major retail and industrial zoning along South Main Street.

Also on Wednesday, the commission will discuss and make a recommendation regarding the update to the City of Lakeport’s General Plan Safety Element to include the Local Hazard Mitigation Plan.

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.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lakeport Economic Development Advisory Committee will discuss an economic development strategy when it meets this week.

The committee, or LEDAC, will meet via Zoom at 7:30 a.m. Wednesday, March 10.

The meeting is open to the public.

The meeting will be held via Zoom: Meeting ID, 987 7563 7121; passcode, 079305. Dial by your location, +1 669 900 6833.

The meeting will get started with a Brown Act training led by City Clerk Kelly Buendia.

Chair Wilda Shock said LEDAC will continue its discussion of the Economic Development Strategic Plan 2017-2022 and its implementation. The full plan can be found here.

Shock said developing an arts and culture plan for the city of Lakeport to become a key component of the next strategic plan will begin with a discussion of art in the parks and other public spaces.

She said representatives of the Lake County Arts Council and the Lake County Rural Arts Initiative have been invited to join the conversation at this meeting.

City staff also will update the group on projects and activities, and there will be reports from committee members.

LEDAC advocates for a strong and positive Lakeport business community and acts as a conduit between the city and the community for communicating the goals, activities and progress of Lakeport’s economic and business programs.

Members are Chair Wilda Shock and Vice Chair Denise Combs, Maureen Brasier, Bonnie Darling, Candy De Los Santos, Melissa Fulton, Pam Harpster, Andy Lucas, Alicia Russell, Laura Sammel and Amanda Xu, with Bill Eaton as an ex officio member. City staff who are members include City Manager Kevin Ingram and Community Development Director Jenni Byers.

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.

In the past week, California has nearly tripled its goal for vaccinating education workers, with more than 200,000 teachers, school staff and child care workers vaccinated, far exceeding the state’s target of administering 75,000 vaccines per week.

The state began dedicating 10 percent of its vaccine supply to education workers on March 1.

“This is welcome news for teachers, students and parents as more and more schools reopen safely across the state,” said Gov. Gavin Newsom. “We will continue working with our local partners to accelerate this effort in communities across the state so that all school staff have access to a vaccine within weeks.”

California was among the first states to authorize vaccines for education workers, with vaccine prioritization a core component of the Safe Schools for All Plan since December.

Prior to the governor’s 10-percent commitment, 35 counties were actively vaccinating education workers.

Last week, through accelerated county-led efforts and supplemental state efforts, more than 200,000 education workers in all 58 counties were vaccinated.

Across California, 10.5 million vaccinations have been administered. More than one in 10 Californians over the age of 16 (3.35 million) are fully vaccinated and more than one in four (1.7 million) people 65 and over are fully vaccinated.

The governor last week signed a $6.6 billion package to safely get students back in school, which provides additional funding to support safety measures for in-person instruction and expanded learning opportunities.

The package also codifies several successful state initiatives, including the governor’s commitment, beginning March 1, to dedicate 10 percent of the state’s vaccine supply to education workers – such as teachers, paraprofessionals, school bus drivers, child care workers and site-based administrators.

The state outlined its plan to execute on the governor’s commitment last month.

For more information about safe returns to in-person instruction, please visit www.schools.covid19.ca.gov.

The Employment Development Department has provided the latest data on California unemployment claims activity since the pandemic began, along with updates on actions under way to speed up payment and strengthen customer service, curb fraud, and assist victims of identity theft.

Since March 2020, the department has processed 20.7 million claims and paid a total of $126 billion in unemployment benefits – an amount that exceeds five times the number of claims filed during the worst year of the Great Recession.

Approximately one-third of these payments are part of the new Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, or PUA, program implemented by Congress last year – a federal program for people who are not eligible for state unemployment insurance benefits.

About two-thirds include state Unemployment Insurance benefits, benefits under Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation, or PEUC, extension or the Federal-State Extended Duration extension, which provides up to 20 weeks of extra benefits for people who used all their regular Unemployment Insurance or PEUC benefits.

Last week, the department completed adding up to 11 weeks of benefits to PUA or PEUC claims, finishing the work by the Department's commitment to complete Phase Two by March 7. Phase One of this rollout was finished in January.

Approximately 185,000 claimants included in Phase Two have all now been given the opportunity to certify and receive these benefits if eligible. These extended benefits can help the more than 1.5 million Californians who would have otherwise lost benefits after the federal CARES Act ended on Dec. 27, 2020.

Call center staff complete specialty training to strengthen customer service

Since the onset of the pandemic, EDD has seen an unprecedented rise in calls to its contact center.

Last week, the department graduated 260 top-level call center staff specially trained to research and resolve complex claims, answer questions, and help claimants.

In total, 3,436 EDD agents are helping answer claimant calls and the average wait time to talk with a representative once in the queue is about 40 minutes.

In addition, the department recently expanded translations of its English and Spanish Form 1099-G fact sheets to include Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Vietnamese, Tagalog, Korean and Armenian. These guides provide claimants important information about the annual tax season process of receiving
Form 1099-Gs from EDD.

Agency seeks to help claimants avoid unnecessary delays in benefit payments

EDD has expanded the availability of information to help claimants who must certify their eligibility for benefits every two weeks in order to get payments.

Claimants will see expanded information available when they go to complete their next certification. This new language assists the claimant with how to avoid common mistakes in the application process.

The department will continue to release additional educational materials to help people who are confused by the certification questions in light of the unique challenges created by the Covid-19 pandemic. EDD provides “Step by Step Instructions” and the “Understanding the Continued Claim Certification Questions” on the website for helpful tips on certifying.

Curbing fraud using new tools and systems

Last year, California was hit hard by fraud from international and national crime syndicates – particularly those targeting the Federal PUA program, which did not require income or employment verification and allowed claimants to backdate claims to February 2020.

In response, California launched a new identity verification system, ID.me, to reduce fraud at the front end of the application process. The department said it also thwarted scammers by no longer backdating PUA claims automatically.

The department has also invested in new fraud prevention technology and investigative tools to assist the process of preventing and catching acts of fraud.

EDD provides resources for Californians at the Help Fight Fraud webpage.

Between March 2020 and January 2021, the department said its fraud screening measures and new security protections prevented up to $60 billion in payments to fraudulent claims.

Helping victims of identity theft

The department set up a designated phone line and online reporting system for anyone who gets a 1099-G form with an inaccurate report of benefits and believes identity theft was involved. Information to help fraud victims is posted here.

Anyone who receives a 1099-G from the EDD that is not accurate because of suspected identity theft should report this as fraud by going to Ask EDD, selecting “Form 1099G” and then choosing “Report Fraud.” EDD will investigate and issue a corrected 1099-G as appropriate.

The IRS has made clear that taxpayers who are unable to obtain a timely, corrected 1099-G should still file an accurate tax return, reporting only the income they received.

Resources for identity theft victims are also available by reporting the crime to the Federal Trade Commission and IRS.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – A Sacramento man died Sunday afternoon in a motorcycle wreck near Middletown.

Lt. Corey Paulich of the Lake County Sheriff’s Office identified the man who died as John Michael Walker, 61.

The California Highway Patrol’s Clear Lake Area office said the crash occurred at approximately 12:49 p.m. Sunday on Butts Canyon Road, west of the Napa County line.

The CHP said Walker was riding a 2000 Honda RC51 motorcycle westbound at around 55 to 60 miles per hour when, for reasons still under investigation, he lost control of the motorcycle while negotiating a sweeping curve in the roadway.

The motorcycle overturned onto its left side and began traveling in a northeasterly direction toward a metal guardrail, the CHP said.

The CHP’s report said the Honda hit the guardrail, rotated and ejected Walker.

Medical personnel arrived on scene and despite life-saving efforts, Walker succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced deceased at the scene, according to the report.

The CHP said Walker was wearing a helmet at the time of the collision.

Neither drugs nor alcohol are suspected as factors in the wreck, the CHP said.

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.