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- Written by: Lake County News reports
Based on the latest data from the California Employment Development Department, or EDD, both applications received and claims processed last week increased slightly from the week before for the first time in about a month.
The total of federal Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation extension claims for individuals who run out of regular state unemployment benefits accounts for about 26 percent of the nation’s total.
In addition, the EDD also reports a 64 percent reduction in the current backlog of claims since Sept. 19.
These are claims in which individuals have waited more than 21 days for issues to be resolved on either their initial claim for benefits or once they get into continued claim status.
The progress in burning down the backlog is updated each week on the EDD’s Unemployment Data Dashboards webpage.
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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
During a special afternoon meeting on Friday held at the Carol McClung Center in Lower Lake, the Konocti Unified School District board received an update from staff on the efforts to prepare for the move from distance learning, the first stage on the Lake County Back to School Continuum, to the second, hybrid stage.
That hybrid stage will include in-person instruction, with numerous safety precautions such as masking, social distancing and thorough cleaning of facilities.
Superintendent Dr. Becky Salato told the board that since the summer staff has been working on its plan to return to in-person instruction by Jan. 5.
“I feel very strongly that we are ready for that,” she said.
Tom Hoskins, the district’s director of student services and innovation, said one of the facets of the district’s transition plan is for an interface to allow teachers to conduct both in-person and distance learning.
That requires new equipment which has been ordered but hasn’t yet arrived, Hoskins said.
They’re also awaiting 75 large monitors as well as interactive cameras that can be installed in classrooms. Hoskins said those items also haven’t arrived.
Hoskins said he believes they are on track to complete the work necessary by Jan. 5. They will be working right up until Dec. 20, when the district goes on holiday break, and may have outside agencies they’re working with complete the equipment installations over the winter break so the district is ready in January.
“That’s probably the biggest part for technology,” Hoskins said.
Stephanie Apodaca, director of maintenance and operations, said they have received all of their COVID-19 supplies and are now installing plexiglass shells at Eastlake Elementary. She estimated it will take three weeks to get them all installed across the district.
Apodaca said they also have all cleaning supplies and foggers, hand sanitizer and 240 thermometers.
Assistant Superintendent Chris Schoeneman said 25 percent – or just over 900 – of the district’s students have signed up for distance learning going forward.
The district is working on screening protocols for families, he said.
Schoeneman said the district has memoranda of understanding with its employees’ unions for distance learning and is now working on similar agreements with the unions for the hybrid phase.
In addition, he said the food service staff is working on plans for morning snacks and grab and go lunches.
Noting the large amount of work that is going into preparation for the transition, Salato said, “If our situation does not change, Jan. 5 is our date to reopen to a hybrid model.”
Salato said the district will be sending out written notifications to families.
In the meantime, the district has opened learning hubs, and one in Clearlake has been very successful in supporting students. Salato said they hope to have a focused high school learning hub opened in December.
Konocti Unified will be following Kelseyville Unified, which is transitioning to phase two on Nov. 30, and Lakeport Unified, which declared last week that it’s in phase two and will complete the move by Jan. 4. Middletown Unified has so far not given a specific date, although it has suggested it could move to the second phase in January.
Lucerne Elementary and Upper Lake Unified started the year with in-person instruction.
However, if the state moves Lake County into the most restrictive tier on the Blueprint for a Safer Economy, it’s possible that school districts that aren’t yet in stage two would not be able to reopen on their current timelines, as they would need to wait until the county’s caseload drops into a less restrictive tier.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
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- Written by: Lake County News reports
Adventist Health has joined 100 of the nation’s top health care systems, representing thousands of hospitals in communities across the U.S., to come together with an urgent plea for all Americans – mask up, because wearing a face mask is our nation’s best chance at slowing the surging COVID-19 pandemic now.
More than 11.5 million Americans have tested positive for the virus – including an additional one million in just the past week – leading to nearly 250,000 deaths.
Lake County has so far has seen a total of 17,363 tests completed, 823 confirmed cases, 18 deaths and 53 hospitalizations.
Officials said the current trends are daunting and frightening. If the nation stays on its current course, hospital leaders are increasingly concerned that more healthfcare facilities will be overwhelmed as shortages of healthy caregivers make it difficult to handle a rapidly increasing number of patients. Unfortunately, this is already happening in parts of the country.
The next several months will be critical, health care experts have said. Though there has been positive news about vaccine development, no one knows when those vaccines will be ready for widespread use. In the meantime, everyone must remain vigilant, take precautions and follow public health orders.
The country has reached a tipping point. The power to do what is right is now in the hands of everyone everywhere, officials said.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention points to recent studies that have shown face masks successfully limit spread of the COVID-19 virus. Wearing face masks protects in key ways: by protecting the wearer against inhalation of harmful pathogens and particulates and by preventing exposure of those around the wearer.
In addition to masking, the CDC suggests that everyone minimize the number of non-household contacts, maintain a physical distance of at least 6 feet and limit the amount of time around others, especially while indoors and in poorly ventilated areas.
Further information about masking guidelines – how to choose a mask, how to properly wear a mask – is available on the CDC website.
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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake County Animal Care and Control has nearly two dozen kittens ready and waiting for new homes this Thanksgiving week.
The kittens can be seen here: http://publicapps.lakecountyca.gov/publicanimals/shelter/sheltersearch.
The little cats available for adoption include brown, gray and orange tabbies, torties, those with all-black coats and gray coats.
There are domestic short and long-haired kittens in the group.
A few of the kittens are featured on this page.
Call Lake County Animal Care and Control at 707-263-0278 or visit the shelter online at http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Animal_Care_And_Control.htm for information on visiting or adopting.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
