LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Lake County Sheriff’s Office has identified the man and boy who died after the motorcycle they were riding collided with a vehicle on Highway 20 on Saturday night.

Christopher Lee Knittel, 42, and Suny Marshall Knittel, 8, both of Olivehurst, died of their injuries from the wreck, Lt. Corey Paulich said.

The California Highway Patrol’s Clear Lake Area office said the crash occurred shortly after 10 p.m. Saturday about five miles west of Walker Ridge Road.

Christopher Knittel was driving his 2018 Harley Davidson motorcycle westbound on Highway 20 at an unknown speed, with the boy riding behind him, when he lost control as he approached a right-hand curve in the road, according to the CHP report.

The motorcycle crossed into the oncoming lane and collided head-on with a 2016 Mazda CX5 being driven eastbound at 55 miles per hour by Stockton resident Andrea Bales, the CHP said.

The CHP said Christopher Knittel died at the scene while the child died later at Adventist Health Clear Lake.

Bales had major injuries and also was transported to Adventist Health Clear Lake, the CHP said.

The crash remains under investigation.

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 six dogs this week ready to go to their new homes.

The following dogs are ready for adoption or foster.

‘Bella’

“Bella” is a female American Bully mix.

She has a short beige and tan coat.

She is dog No. 3537.

‘Diesel’

“Diesel” is a male border collie mix with a black and white coat.

He is dog No. 4023.

‘Isis’

“Isis” is a female American Staffordshire Terrier mix with a brindle and white coat.

She is dog No. 3732.

‘Lady’

“Lady” is a female German Shepherd mix.

She has been spayed.

She is dog No. 3683.

‘Popeye’

“Popeye” is a male Boston Terrier mix with a short brown and white coat.

He is dog No. 4081.

‘Wilbur’

“Wilbur” is a male American Bully mix with a short gray and white coat.

He is dog No. 3999.

Clearlake Animal Control’s shelter is located at 6820 Old Highway 53, off Airport Road.

Hours of operation are noon to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. The shelter is closed Sundays, Mondays and major holidays; the shelter offers appointments on the days it’s closed to accommodate people.

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.

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

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.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Forest Service has released a bioregional assessment evaluating the social, economic and ecological conditions and trends covering 19 units across Washington, Oregon and Northern California in a brief and easy-to-understand format.

The assessment uses the best available science and focuses on capturing current conditions and changes on the national forests and grasslands.

It provides recommendations on how the Forest Service could address the challenges facing forests, grasslands and communities in the plans that govern how land management decisions are made.

"The release of this assessment gives our region the data and scientific analysis to make future well-informed, landscape-level decisions that benefit our six northern forests," said Randy Moore, regional forester for the Pacific Southwest Region in California. "Furthermore, we're now able to move forward and prepare for updating land management plans to provide essential commodities and recreational opportunities, manage and reduce risk from wildfires through vegetative management and other proactive landscape efforts, provide clean air, water and habitat for plants and animals, and preserve our cultural resources, for present and future generations."

The Forest Service and other federal land management agencies are required by law to develop plans that guide the long-term management of public lands.

These plans are developed using public input and the best available science. They establish priorities for land managers and provide strategic direction for how the plan area is to be managed for a period of ten years or more. They may be periodically amended or revised entirely to address changing conditions or priorities.

"This assessment will make it more efficient to modernize our land management plans and reflect the new science, and changes to social, economic, and ecological conditions across this region," said Glenn Casamassa, regional forester for the Pacific Northwest Region in Oregon and Washington. "It will also preserve the tenets of the Northwest Forest Plan that are working well, so that work can continue effectively and efficiently."

The Northwest Forest Plan covers nearly 25 million acres of federally managed land in Oregon, Washington and northern California focusing on managing the entire landscape for long-term social and economic stability.

The Bioregional Assessment is not a decision document and does not impact current forest management. Instead, it will be used to shape ongoing engagement with stakeholders, state, county, tribal governments and Forest Service staff as they prepare for the next steps in the planning process together.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Decades in the making, construction is underway on the first segment of the Highway 29 expressway, the largest highway project in the county in 50 years.

Caltrans held a virtual groundbreaking on July 17 for the Lake 29 Expressway, a $59 million project aimed at addressing the area's most significant safety concerns – reducing collision rates for motorists and accommodating truck transportation along the interregional east-west highway.

Due to the restrictions of COVID-19, Caltrans District 1 produced a virtual groundbreaking ceremony video for the Lake 29 Expressway Project.

The video, which can be seen above, explains the project and its objectives and recognizes stakeholders, including the Lake Area Planning Council, the Lake County Board of Supervisors, local tribes, and state and federal agencies.

The funding for the Lake 29 Expressway, a vital east-west corridor between Interstate 5 and U.S. Highway 101, is funded by federal, state and local financing.

This newly launched project, located between Kelseyville and Lower Lake, is the first funded segment of a three-part series.

It will include safety improvements and safe mobility for multiple modes; improve large commercial truck transportation, goods movement and services; reduce traffic on Highway 20 and promote opportunities for complete streets and traffic calming on the Northshore; improve wildfire access and emergency response access; and provide a capacity area for population growth.

"Caltrans' No. 1 priority is safety, and the Lake 29 Expressway Project will enhance safety for motorists and pedestrians throughout Lake County,” said Caltrans Director Toks Omishakin. “This project is designed to reduce collisions on State Route 29, while also providing increased wildfire and emergency response access for the community."

Omishakin explained, “It’s important to note that this project is pivotal in the movement of goods and services for people throughout Northern California.”

He said the project also will have an impact on Lake County’s Northshore, where Caltrans plans further enhancements on Highway 20, which serves as the main street for several small communities. Those projects would make conditions safer for bikes and pedestrians and foster a sense of community, he said.

"I'd like to thank Caltrans for their constant vision to make our roads in Lake County safer," said Lake County District 5 Supervisor Rob Brown. "The realignment will allow truck traffic to divert from Highway 20 to Highway 29, to make things safer for the north end of our lake. It's fun to see it from the beginning of its inception and watch it get to here."

"Since 1988, there has been a dedicated team of experts working together on the Lake 29 Project, providing a safer and more efficient expressway to the traveling public," said Lisa Davey-Bates, executive director of the Lake Area Planning Council.

Like Omishakin, Davey-Bates pointed to countywide benefits. She said encouraging regional and interregional traffic along the south county Highway 29 will also benefit the communities on Highway 20’s Northshore, where traffic calming and pedestrian improvements will continue to be a priority.

"We are here to celebrate what this project means to all of Lake County, which is part of a collective long-term vision, and we wouldn't be here without the partnership of the county of Lake and partnership with the State of California," said State Senator Mike McGuire, whose Second Senate District includes Lake County.

Caltrans said site work in the area – including removing of trees and vegetation, and moving of utilities – began this spring.

Construction, managed by O.C. Jones, is anticipated to be completed in the winter of 2022, said Caltrans spokeswoman Bonnie Kuhn.

Project aims to increase safety

Last fall, the firm O.C. Jones – which has worked on other major highway projects around Lake County – won the expressway project with the low bid of $53.3 million, Caltrans Resident Engineer Kassaye Seyoum told Lake County News.

Caltrans Project Manager Jaime Matteoli said the bid came in lower than the total funding amount available for the project. Seyoum said the bid was 17.4 percent, or about $10.2 million, under the engineer’s estimate.

On the drawing board since the late 1980s, Caltrans staff said the overall Lake 29 Expressway project covers about 8 miles.

This first segment, called “2C,” is about 3 miles long. It will extend from Diener Drive near Lower Lake to just north of Highway 175/Cobb, about half a mile west of Red Hills Road near Kelseyville.

The other two portions, segment “2A” and “2B,” each less than 3 miles long, are to the east of 2C and are now being designed. Caltrans staff said there isn’t yet funding for those future project sections, although they’ve cleared the environmental requirements and have the funds for design work.

The 2C stretch of the project was determined to be a priority as it will meet the traffic flow needs in the areas of the county that are growing the fastest, Caltrans staff said.

That area also has been identified as having a high number of fatal collisions, which Caltrans said justified such a large project.

One of the project benefits will be greater sight distance, said Seyoum.

Other benefits, Matteoli said, will include bigger highway shoulders, two lanes in each direction with plenty of width for passing, curves that are up to current highway standards, three or four acceleration and deceleration lanes, a smoother and easier drive and a full-width median. It also will create opportunities for vehicles to more safely pass.

As such, Matteoli said collisions – particularly head-ons – should be reduced.

During construction, Seyoum said one of the more challenging aspects will be excavation.

There will be sandblasting and removal of a large amount of rock. About 800,000 cubic yards of material will be excavated with about 350,000 cubic yards of material – not all of it rock – to be removed as part of the work, Seyoum said.

One of the project’s main proponents for 30 years was Phil Dow of the Lake Area Planning Council, who retired in 2018.

“We wouldn’t be where we are today without Phil’s help,” said Matteoli.

Matteoli added that the project also likely wouldn’t have been possible without the help of the Lake Area Planning Council, which has been very engaged, persistent and patient through the years.

A lengthy project history

In a 2017 interview about the Lake 29 Expressway project, Dow – a longtime traffic planner and engineer – told Lake County News, “I was there in 1989 when the Area Planning Council made it a priority.”

He said of the lengthy time frame, “This is the way that large transportation projects go,” noting that sometimes it takes 10 years to do a very small one.

In the years since, the Lake Area Planning Council dedicated millions of dollars – the bulk of its regional share of State Transportation Improvement Program funding – to working with Caltrans on specific project components – environmental studies, design, right-of-way and construction, Dow said.

When the Lake Area Planning Council Board made this particular project a priority for state highway projects in Lake County, the No. 1 reason was safety, with Dow pointing to a high number of traffic fatalities.

Another reason for the project was the future capacity for the highway system, with Dow noting that stretch of highway’s heavy use by commuters between Clearlake and Lakeport, as well as recreational traffic and some trucks.

Officials also have wanted to reroute more traffic from Highway 20 to Highway 29, including trucks, because of constraints to Highway 20’s traffic flow. “It wasn’t feasible to widen Highway 20 to accommodate the future highway growth,” he said.

That made Highway 29 the important alternative, even though it creates a further travel distance, as that highway can be widened and offer more passing opportunities with four lanes. Dow said, ultimately, the larger expressway project will feed into the existing 7.5 miles of freeway near Lakeport.

Dow said that once the first segment is under construction, it should make it easier to get the funding for the rest of the work.

He also noted that there have been times over the last several years when there wasn’t any funding available for such projects, and that changing that was a political effort that involved the Legislature, regional agencies, cities and counties.

Long-term vision yields project

Davey-Bates said the Lake 29 Expressway is Lake County’s largest highway project in the last 50 years.

While Caltrans is the lead agency on the expressway, Davey-Bates explained that the Lake Area Planning Council is the regional transportation planning agency in Lake County that administers funding from the state and federal government for these types of projects.

“It’s been quite the uphill battle,” Davey-Bates of getting the expressway project to this point.

However, once the final dollars were in place and environmental and design work were underway, the challenges started to wind down. Then, she said, there was a waiting period.

“We’re so excited that we’re finally to that point because it has been such a long time coming,” she said. Referring to the decades since the project was first initiated, she said, “That’s why they call us long term planners.”

Highway 29 is a principal arterial corridor, and the project will improve both the safety and the highway’s operations by encouraging traffic, especially truck traffic, to go around Highway 53 and down around south of the lake, where more growth is expected, she said.

Davey-Bates said that eventually, as part of the overall planning, there are plans for more traffic calming measures on the Northshore to make it more pedestrian and bike-friendly and to encourage safety.

Earlier this year, a Highway 20 corridor planning study was completed, with the Area Planning Council approving it at its May meeting. Davey-Bates said the planning document looks at improvements to the corridor for bike and pedestrian transit improvements.

She said the two projects – the expressway and improvements on Highway 20 – will work in tandem to improve the flow of traffic through the Southshore and improve the Northshore.

The Area Planning Council has, to date, contributed $15,441,000 of its State Transportation Improvement Program funding to the expressway project, she said. Millions more have come from other sources, like the State Highway Operation and Protection Program, or SHOPP.

Davey-Bates said a lot of safety money has gone into the project because it has had such a high rate of injury and fatality crashes. “That’s not a normal situation.”

Caltrans has not historically allocated SHOPP funding on capacity-increasing projects, but this time they stepped up to the plate, Davey-Bates said.

While Lake County is small it has a lot of miles of roads, and Davey-Bates said Caltrans has worked hard to keep the state highways that pass through the county in good condition.

On this project, Davey-Bates said Caltrans will do its best to minimize the delays for motorists.

She said she hopes people will be patient and realize that, “in the end, we’ll be saving lives and improving the facility and it will be worth the wait.”

Davey-Bates said the goal now is to get funding for the last two sections of the project through grants and a federal bill.

They’re through the design process and just need construction funding, Davey-Bates added.

“We’re so close,” she 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.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Public Health Officer Dr. Gary Pace gave the Lakeport City Council an update on Tuesday night on the effort to track and control the spread of COVID-19 in Lake County.

Pace said he wanted to talk about keeping cases low in an effort to stay off of the state’s monitoring list, which nearly 40 counties – including all of the counties that ring Lake – are on.

He said he thinks it’s a false dichotomy to choose between public health and a healthy economy.

Pace noted that California’s cases appear to have hit a peak and started to come down. He said new rules implemented by Gov. Gavin Newsom about a month ago may be contributing to the drop in cases following a surge attributed to Memorial Day and July 4.

While the rise in case numbers has backed off, Pace said deaths are rising and he pointed to a lag time between overall case and death numbers.

In discussing the connection between infection and economic impacts, Pace said he can’t sort out which impacts are due to closures and which are due to the virus coming on. “They’re very intertwined.”

Pace said the economy will do better if the virus can be kept under control.

He showed a graph that illustrated the continued high case numbers in the United States compared to the situation in the European Union, where cases comparatively are far lower. He said the difference has been explained by experts who have pointed to the ability in Europe to stick with preventive measures.

Pace said a key issue is how to navigate having more social and economic activity while not overwhelming the health care system and getting high preventable mortality.

“This is probably with us for an extended period going forward,” he said of the virus.

Pace promoted an approach that encourages interventions like masking, addressing sectors connected to increased spread and continued public health intervention.

He said a superspreader event site hasn’t been seen in Lake County, although some local cases have been tracked back to bars. A large amount of spread has been seen in large social gatherings.

“The schools are a very big deal that we’re struggling with right now,” he said, explaining that four districts are going to go with distance learning and two – Lucerne and Upper Lake – plan to do some on-site learning.

He said the data is very unclear on how contagious children are. However, with Lake County not being on the watch list, Pace said it can go forward with reopening schools.

Turning to masks, which he has required in his public health order, Pace explained, “The evidence is getting clearer and clearer that if people wear masks the transmission is less.”

He also emphasized the importance of social distancing and said there is no compliance mechanism related to health orders in Lake County.

City Manager Kevin Ingram told the council later in the meeting that the city does have compliance power through issuing administrative citations thanks to an order issued in March by newly retired City Manager Margaret Silveira.

“That’s not our first go-to,” said Ingram, noting that the city prefers to use education first.

Councilwoman Stacey Mattina asked Pace how close Lake County is to being on the watch list.

“We are kind of staying below the threshold,” he said, but added that with a few bad turns, “it could quickly change.”

Councilman Tim Barnes raised issues with the different rules for places like movie theaters compared to efforts to open up schools.

Pace acknowledged, “This all doesn’t fit together very well.”

He said he deals with such inconsistencies all day long, and it had been incredibly confusing, with a lot of mixed messages. “I really understand the frustration.”

Pace was concerned about a “generational loss” for the children who are now out of school, questioning how many may go back if, in two years, we’re still dealing with COVID-19.

He said we’re entering into a phase of how to get creative and think about what school will now look like, such as less in-person time and more time outdoors.

He suggested COVID-19 needs to be expected to go on for a year or more.

Council approves safety assessment placard ordinance, utility delinquency list, site improvement contract

In other business on Tuesday, Ingram presented to the council a safety assessment placard ordinance, which he said is recommended by the California Office of Emergency Services and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

He said the simple, three-tiered system uses colored placards after disasters to indicate the structural conditions of buildings. Green indicates no apparent problems, yellow is for restricted use and red indicates unsafe structures with serious damage.

Ingram said it was one of the last things Tom Carlton wanted to put in place before he retired as the city’s building inspector in June.

The council approved the ordinance 4-0. Councilwoman Mireya Turner was absent from the meeting.

Councilmembers also approved the utility billing delinquency list and directed staff to submit the list to the County Auditor-Controller’s Office for inclusion on the property tax roll.

Lakeport Police Lt. Dale Stoebe presented the police department’s after action report on its July 4 fireworks operations.

There were far fewer people in Lakeport for July 4 this year due to COVID-19 and the cancellation of the city’s fireworks display. Still, Stoebe said there were large groups of safe and sane fireworks uses in the city and an uptick in illegal firework use.

Also on Tuesday, Ingram asked for and received authorization from the council to enter into a construction contract with Pacific West Builders in the amount of $650,000 for the completion of the Martin Street Apartments Off-site Improvement Project.

He said the developer is completing phase two of the project, with off-site improvements including, curb, sidewalk and gutter and road improvements a requirement of the $4.5 million grant that funded the apartments. Any costs over and above the $650,000 will be covered by the developer.

Ingram said the city is very thankful to Pacific West Builders, which also built the Bella Vista Senior Apartments on Martin Street, because their work has helped the city achieve its goals and the requirements of its housing element.

He said the projects, which have been complicated, are serving very low and low-income residents – those who make 80 percent of the median income and below.

Phase one of the project originally had been slated to be a 32-unit senior apartment complex. However, it was during the 2017 floods – which displaced many low-income families – that the city realized there was a higher need for multifamily housing.

As a result, the city was able to switch its grant funding to instead cover a 24-unit multifamily housing development, which includes two- and three-bedroom units, which Ingram said are hard to find.

Mayor George Spurr asked if more senior housing projects are still planned.

Ingram said yes, that Pacific West Builders is looking at a number of different sites, with the developer and city officials set to have a preapplication meeting on a site where such a senior housing project is being considered.

The council approved the contract 4-0.

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 project to put food on the tables of community members who need assistance is restarting operations in response to the pandemic’s continuing impacts.

The Community Food Drive Project is a collaboration between several different organizations that are devoted to supporting Lake County throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

With the current surge in local COVID-19 cases, the Community Food Drive Project, or CFDP, is resuming operations.

Applications are being accepted at 707-993-4644, with the first delivery slated for mid-August.

The CFDP aims to deliver food directly to the homes of Lake County residents impacted by COVID-19, focusing on those who do not have transportation, are medically vulnerable, symptomatic and/or COVID-19-positive.

The goal of the project is to fill a gap, serving those who are not currently accessing other community food resources.

Food is delivered directly to people’s homes by vehicles provided by the Lake Transit Authority.

Any community member in need of food is encouraged to call 707-993-4644 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and apply for assistance. Support for Spanish speakers is also available.

Earlier this summer, the CFDP was delivering groceries to about 60 households each week. Grocery bags include items such as fresh produce, fresh meat, eggs, cheese and several non-perishable items like peanut butter, oatmeal, pasta, and more. Items vary weekly depending on availability.

The CFDP depends on community donations. Donations can be made by mail to North Coast Opportunities: Community Food Drive Project, 413 N. State St., Ukiah CA 95482 or online at www.bit.ly/2XSCHOi .

Agency partners in this collaboration include Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Santa Rosa, Hope Crisis Response Network, Hope Rising Lake County, Lake County Department of Social Services, Lake County Office of Education, Lake County Tribal Health, Lake Transit Authority, North Coast Opportunities and Partnership Health Plan.

Volunteers wanting to get involved and support this project should register at www.volunteernco.org or call 707-263-4688, Extension 421, for more information.

Residents who need groceries are encouraged to call 707-993-4644 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.v .

Agencies, individuals or community groups wishing to support this effort should contact Robyn Bera at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or by calling 707-278-8696. More information is available at www.hoperisinglc.org/CommunityFoodDriveProject .

NCO is the Community Action Agency that serves Lake and Mendocino counties, as well as parts of Humboldt, Sonoma, Del Norte and Solano counties. NCO reacts and adjusts to community needs, including disaster response and recovery. For more information visit www.ncoinc.org or call 707-467-3200.

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife has confirmed outbreaks of adenovirus hemorrhagic disease in deer in several northern California counties, and is asking California residents to help curb the spread by not feeding wild animals, and reporting potential cases to the department.

“Providing attractants for deer – food, salt licks or even water – is against the law for good reason,” said Dr. Brandon Munk, senior wildlife veterinarian with CDFW’s Wildlife Investigations Laboratory. “Because these artificial attractants can congregate animals and promote the spread of disease, it’s particularly imperative to leave wildlife alone during an outbreak. There is no cure or vaccine for this disease, so our best management strategies right now are to track it carefully, and to take preventative measures to limit the spread.”

Beginning in May, CDFW began receiving increased reports of mortality in deer, both free-ranging and at fawn rehabilitation facilities.

With the assistance of wildlife rehabilitation facilities and the California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory, CDFW confirmed cervid adenovirus 1 (CdAdV-1) as the cause of hemorrhagic disease outbreaks in Napa, Santa Clara, Sonoma, Tehama and Yolo counties.

The disease is typically fatal to deer and can be spread by animals in close contact with each other.

The virus is not known to affect people, pets or domestic livestock.

CdAdV-1 was the cause of a 1993-1994 outbreak of hemorrhagic disease in black-tailed deer and mule deer that spanned at least 18 California counties.

Since then, CdAdV-1 has been identified as the cause of sporadic, often widespread, outbreaks of hemorrhagic disease in California and other western states.

Deer fawns are at greatest risk, with high rates of mortality following infection. Yearlings and adult deer are more resistant but mortalities in these age groups occur as well. Outbreaks can be widespread and have significant impact on affected deer populations.

Affected deer are often found dead without any obvious symptoms. They may be found near water. Sick animals may have excessive salivation (drooling or foaming at the mouth), diarrhea, regurgitation or seizures.

In addition to removing food and other attractants, Californians can help wildlife veterinarians track and study the disease by reporting sightings of sick or dead deer.

Anyone who observes a deer exhibiting symptoms, or encountering a deer that has died from unknown causes, can submit the information to CDFW through the department’s online mortality reporting system.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Public Health Officer Dr. Gary Pace on Wednesday reported Lake County’s second death related to COVID-19.

In a brief statement, Pace said the patient “died with a COVID-19-related illness.”

He said the individual was over age 60, had underlying medical conditions and was sick for a few weeks prior to dying.

“To protect the privacy of this person and their family, we will not be giving out any further information at this time,” Pace said.

Pace did, however, offer an explanation at Lake County News’ request about how the cause of death is determined.

“I can say that generally, a person is not identified as having COVID without them having a positive test. An attending doctor will determine presumed cause of death, not public health. Cause of death is usually decided based on a combination of determinations, including factoring in their underlying conditions, progression of the symptoms, and recent test results (like COVID results),” he said in an email.

He said decisions about autopsy are “generally made by the medical examiner if there is a pressing question about the progression not following an expected course given these factors.”

Pace added, “Usually, if the course of the illness leading to death follows a trajectory consistent with the presumed cause of death, no autopsy is needed.”

The county’s first COVID-19-related death was reported at the start of July.

On Wednesday, Public Health reported that Lake County’s COVID-19 caseload was up to 212. Of those, 22 are active, 189 are recovered and one patient is hospitalized.

Statewide, county Public Health departments are reporting close to 530,000 cases and more than 9,800 deaths.

Regarding this second death in Lake County attributed to the coronavirus, Pace said, “This is a tragic reminder that all Lake County residents must take precautions that can slow the spread of this virus.”

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. – The Clearlake City Council will discuss this week the possibility of raising salaries for council members – which hasn’t happened in more than 30 years – and whether or not to pursue a tobacco retail licensing program.

The council will meet virtually at 6 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 6.

Because of the county’s shelter in place order, Clearlake City Hall remains closed to the public, however, the virtual meeting will be broadcast live on Lake County PEG TV’s YouTube Channel.

The agenda can be found here.

Comments and questions can be submitted in writing for City Council consideration by sending them to Deputy City Clerk Tina Viramontes at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . You can also visit the city’s new town hall site and submit written comments at https://www.opentownhall.com/portals/327/forum_home . Identify the subject you wish to comment on in your email’s subject line or in your town hall submission.

To give the council adequate time to review your questions and comments, please submit your written comments prior to 4 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 6.

Each public comment emailed to the city clerk will be read aloud by the mayor or a member of staff for up to three minutes or will be displayed on a screen. Public comment emails and town hall public comment submissions that are received after the beginning of the meeting will not be included in the record.

At 5:30 p.m., the council will meet in closed session to discuss existing litigation against Pacific Gas and Electric Corp. and two potential cases of litigation.

On the agenda for the open portion of the meeting is a discussion regarding raising council members' salaries.

A report to the council from City Manager Alan Flora and City Attorney Ryan Jones said at a recent meeting the council requested staff bring back a discussion related to the council’s compensation.

Their report said the current monthly council salaries are $300 per member, the maximum salary allowed under state government code for cities with a population of less than 35,000 people. However, state law also allows the council to increase the salary above that amount by 5 percent per calendar year since the last adjustment of salary.

They added that amounts paid for retirement, health and welfare, and federal Social Security benefits are not included in the computation of the maximum salary.

Flora and Jones reported that the salary for Clearlake City Council members was last amended by city ordinance in 1989. They said the council may amend the Municipal Code and increase the current salary by $465, to a total of $765 per month under Government Code section 36516(a)(4).

The city’s current total cost for council salaries is $18,000, plus health care benefits, the costs for which vary depending on the plan of the individual council member but average between $30,000 and $40,000 per year.

“If the maximum increase mentioned above was implemented of $765 per month the stipend costs would increase from $18,000 to $45,900 or from $3,600 to $9,180 per year for each council member,” they wrote. Those increased costs would be covered by the general fund.

They said the Government Code also restricts the council's ability to change the salary during the council member’s term of office. “Under Government Code section 36516.5, a change to the
compensation of all city council members is permissible when one or more of the members of
2 council begins a new term of office. Any increase to the City Council’s salary could be effective following the November 2020 election.”

Flora and Jones’ report includes a 2018 League of California Cities council compensation survey as well as information about nearby cities. The information showed that Lakeport City Council members receive $300 a month, Cloverdale council members receive $550 a month and Ukiah council members receive $490 a month.

Also under council business, the council will discuss potential direction to staff regarding a tobacco retail license program.

City Clerk Melissa Swanson’s report to the council explains that staff wants to know the council’s thoughts on the matter and whether they should continue to pursue such a program’s implementation in light of the funding limitations.

On the meeting's consent agenda – items that are not considered controversial and are usually adopted on a single vote – are warrant registers; consideration of continuation of declaration of local emergency issued on Oct. 9, 2017, and ratified by council action Oct. 12, 2017, in response to the Sulphur fire; consideration of continuation of declaration of local emergency issued on March 14, 2020, and Ratified by Council Action March 19, 2020; and ratification of a letter of support for the National Endowment of the Arts “Our Town” grant.

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. – At the request of one of its members, the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday chose to reschedule a discussion on a draft urgency ordinance that proposes fines and administrative penalties for not following local and state health orders issued due to COVID-19.

Supervisor EJ Crandell, who had asked that the ordinance be placed on the agenda originally, requested early on in Tuesday’s meeting that the discussion item be pulled, noting there was confusion on the matter.

Last week, the county had initially posted the draft urgency ordinance – which includes fines for failing to comply with health orders, including masking requirements in public – but not a second, nonurgency draft ordinance without fines and penalties that was being proposed by the Blue Collar Committee, a group of local business owners assembled by Supervisor Rob Brown. The Blue Collar Committee’s version was later posted.

Crandell said Tuesday that there was confusion about the ordinances and that it had been his intention for the board to consider both, not just the urgency version. He was concerned that people hadn’t had enough time to read both documents.

Board members agreed to hold off on the item but Supervisor Tina Scott said she considered the matter urgent and wanted it to be brought back at next week’s meeting.

Several community members showed up online and in-person to discuss the item, with their comments noting they were disappointed to have the matter delayed.

Haji Warf told the board that freedom is not just about rights but also responsibilities and that masking helps protect the community’s high-risk residents.

Lake County Chamber of Commerce Chief Executive Officer Melissa Fulton asked for clarification as to whether the board would eventually consider one or both ordinances. Crandell said it would be both.

Supervisor Bruno Sabatier said he had no issue with moving forward and having the conversation as scheduled since the documents had been posted with enough time to meet the meeting requirements.

Crandell, however, said he believed people hadn’t had enough time to look at the documents.

County Counsel Anita Grant added that, since at the start of the meeting it was announced that the item was going to be pulled, going forward with the discussion would add to the confusion.

In June the board had considered another urgency ordinance that would have enforced health orders with fines and penalties. That ordinance failed as it required at least four supervisors to vote in its favor.

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. – The California Department of Food and Agriculture said the presence of another invasive pest has been confirmed in Lake and two of its neighboring counties.

CDFA, in cooperation with the Lake County Agricultural Commissioner, Napa County Agricultural Commissioner, Sonoma County Agricultural Commissioner, Cal Fire, University of California Cooperative Extension and the USDA - United States Forest Service, have started an extensive survey and outreach project, and are examining patterns of attack and management options, in response to the detection of Mediterranean oak borers in Lake, Napa and Sonoma counties.

The survey is part of California’s pest prevention system that protects agriculture and natural resources from non-native invasive species.

Officials said early detection plays a key role in successfully controlling an infestation before it can spread to nearby areas.

To date, the area generally infested by the Mediterranean oak borer includes Pope Valley on the east; Seigler Mountain on the north; Calistoga on the south; and Knights Valley on the west. The primary infestation is in the Calistoga area.

The extensive survey, also known as a delimitation survey, consists of multiple Mediterranean oak borer traps placed outside of find sites. As beetles are trapped, traps are moved further away in order to see how far it has spread.

To date, the Mediterranean oak borer has been detected in Lake, Napa and Sonoma counties with two detections in Contra Costa county in 2018. The Contra Costa detections were at a wood collection facility that included firewood.

Firewood is a pathway that can artificially spread the pest to other areas. Officials urge the public to “Buy It Where You Burn It, Don’t Move Firewood.” Visit www.firewood.ca.gov to learn more.

The Mediterranean oak borer is an ambrosia beetle native to Europe, the Middle East and North Africa, where it primarily attacks oak species. It attacks at least 12 species of oaks.

In California, it has been found infesting two species of white oak, most commonly valley oak and, to a lesser extent, blue oak. A single, very limited attack was found in a severely distressed California black oak.

The Mediterranean oak borer creates tunnels (or galleries) in the trunks and branches of host trees while continuing to multiply. It initially attacks the crown of the tree, where it will kill individual limbs. Infestation can continue over several growing seasons, eventually invading the main trunk and killing the entire tree. Infested trees become hazards when widespread tunnels undermine the strength of limbs, making limbs susceptible to falling.

Additionally, Mediterranean oak borer beetles grow fungi inside their tunnels and use it for food for larvae and adults. Some of the fungi may be pathogenic and cause tree decline, structural failure, and in some cases tree death.

If you have a tree that you believe to be infested, please contact the appropriate agricultural office below and take the following steps to help stop the spread of Mediterranean oak borer:

• Moving infested wood artificially spreads the pest to other areas. Buy it where you burn it, don’t move firewood.
• Chip infested wood as small as possible (1 to 3 inches in diameter chipped pieces).
• Solarization of both chips and logs is recommended. Cover the wood with sturdy plastic (clear if possible) and leave in the sun for six weeks (summer) to six months (winter). Make sure the chips or logs (and beetles) are fully contained by wrapping the plastic sheet fully underneath and over the material and place soil or rocks to secure the edges.

Federal, state, and county agricultural officials work year-round, 365 days a year, to prevent, deter, detect, and eliminate the threat of invasive species and diseases that can damage or destroy our agricultural products and natural environment. These efforts are aimed at protecting California’s natural environment and keeping our food supply plentiful, safe, and pest-free.

Residents with questions about the project or believe they may have the Mediterranean oak borer may call the Lake County Agricultural Commissioner’s office at 707-263-0217; the Napa County Agricultural Commissioner’s office at 707-253-4357; the Sonoma County Agricultural Commissioner’s office at 707-565-2371; or CDFA’s Pest Hotline at (800) 491-1899.

Additional information, including the University of California MOB Pest Alert can be found here and you can report-a-pest here.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – Congressman Mike Thompson this week will hold another in his series of virtual town halls, this one on Congress’ response to the coronavirus pandemic.

Thompson will host the online event from 7 to 8 p.m. Pacific Time on Thursday, Aug. 6.

He will be joined by special guest Rep. Kim Schrier (WA-08), member of the House Education and Labor Committee and pediatrician for a discussion about the congressional response to the coronavirus pandemic.

This is the 12th in a series of virtual town halls Thompson has hosted this spring and summer. 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 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 will also 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.