CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The Clearlake City Council this week will hold a midyear budget workshop and consider a staff proposal for relocating the city’s Public Works corporation yard.
The council will meet beginning at 5 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 20, in the council chambers at Clearlake City Hall, 14050 Olympic Drive, for a workshop on the 2019-20 midyear budget review and adoption of a resolution to amend the budget.
The council also will hold a closed session to discuss existing litigation involving Pacific Gas and Electric Corp., one potential case of litigation and negotiations involving property at 2890 Old Highway 53 owned by the Clearlake Redevelopment Successor Agency.
The open portion of the meeting will begin at 6 p.m.
On Thursday staff will take to the council a review of plans and a request for direction regarding the proposed Public Works corporation yard.
Consulting City Engineer David Swartz’s report to the council explains that the city’s corporation yard currently is located on the city’s airport property, which is deemed as valuable property for commercial development.
“The site facilities, namely the Public Works office, and shop are antiquated and in many respects beyond their useful lives to be an asset to the department. Additionally, the sharing of some of the facilities with Animal Control significantly limits the department from performing many operations that are vital to the department’s efficient operation,” he wrote.
Swartz’s report, on page 40 of the agenda packet published below, suggests moving the corporation yard to a site on the 21.25-acre property the city owns on Ogulin Canyon Road.
“This area is well suited, as it is an industrial area with similar type uses as would resemble the operations of the department,” he explained.
He said there are two areas located on the property which are flat enough to consider development: the hilltop and a portion of the hill bottom.
“Staff has conducted several visits to the site, to assess the opportunities and constraints with developing a new corporation yard on this property. After consideration of several factors, chief among which includes the access roadway to the hilltop, and the amount of land area that could reasonably be developed, we prepared a site plan in the best available location for consideration and discussion by the City Council,” Swartz wrote.
The council will further discuss that site plan on Thursday.
In other business, the council will consider a resolution adopting the official right-of-way map for the streets and roads within the city limits.
Also on Thursday’s agenda, the council will get a presentation by Clearlake Animal Control of February’s adoptable dogs, meet new Clearlake Police Department office assistant Katelind Brown, receive the Clearlake Police Department Annual Report, hear the Lake County Tourism Improvement District’s progress report and also get an update from Jim Steele on the Senior Summit.
On the meeting's consent agenda – items that are not considered controversial and are usually adopted on a single vote – are warrant registers; receipt and filing of the minutes of the Jan. 8 meeting of the Lake County Vector Control District Board; receipt and filing of the January meeting minutes; the second reading and adoption of Ordinance No. 237-2020 to amend Section 9-1.4, Subsections (a) and (b) of Chapter 9 of the Clearlake Municipal Code adopting the 2019 California Building Standards Code; and the second reading and adoption of Ordinance No. 238-2020, an ordinance amending Chapter VIII, Section 5 “Pavement Cuts in New Pavement” of the Traffic Code of the Clearlake Municipal Code.
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.
Infographic depicting the number of complaints to the Internet Crime Complaint Center by state in 2019. Courtesy of the FBI. Internet-enabled crimes and scams show no signs of letting up, according to data released by the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center, or IC3, in its 2019 Internet Crime Report.
The last calendar year saw both the highest number of complaints and the highest dollar losses reported since the center was established in May 2000.
IC3 received 467,361 complaints in 2019 – an average of nearly 1,300 every day – and recorded more than $3.5 billion in losses to individual and business victims.
The most frequently reported complaints were phishing and similar ploys, non-payment/non-delivery scams and extortion.
The most financially costly complaints involved business email compromise, romance or confidence fraud, and spoofing, or mimicking the account of a person or vendor known to the victim to gather personal or financial information.
Donna Gregory, the chief of IC3, said that in 2019 the center didn’t see an uptick in new types of fraud but rather saw criminals deploying new tactics and techniques to carry out existing scams.
“Criminals are getting so sophisticated,” Gregory said. “It is getting harder and harder for victims to spot the red flags and tell real from fake.”
While email is still a common entry point, frauds are also beginning on text messages—a crime called smishing – or even fake websites – a tactic called pharming.
“You may get a text message that appears to be your bank asking you to verify information on your account,” said Gregory. “Or you may even search a service online and inadvertently end up on a fraudulent site that gathers your bank or credit card information.”
Individuals need to be extremely skeptical and double-check everything, Gregory emphasized.
“In the same way your bank and online accounts have started to require two-factor authentication – apply that to your life,” she said. “Verify requests in person or by phone, double-check web and email addresses, and don’t follow the links provided in any messages.”
Business email compromise, also known as BEC, or email account compromise, has been a major concern for years. In 2019, IC3 recorded 23,775 complaints about BEC, which resulted in more than $1.7 billion in losses.
These scams typically involve a criminal spoofing or mimicking a legitimate email address. For example, an individual will receive a message that appears to be from an executive within their company or a business with which an individual has a relationship. The email will request a payment, wire transfer, or gift card purchase that seems legitimate but actually funnels money directly to a criminal.
In the last year, IC3 reported seeing an increase in the number of BEC complaints related to the diversion of payroll funds. “In this type of scheme, a company’s human resources or payroll department receives an email appearing to be from an employee requesting to update their direct deposit information for the current pay period,” the report said. The change instead routes an employee’s paycheck to a criminal.
“Information reported to the IC3 plays a vital role in the FBI’s ability to understand our cyber adversaries and their motives, which, in turn, helps us to impose risks and consequences on those who break our laws and threaten our national security,” said Matt Gorham, assistant director of the FBI’s Cyber Division. “It is through these efforts we hope to build a safer and more secure cyber landscape.” Gorham encourages everyone to use IC3 and reach out to their local field office to report malicious activity.
Rapid reporting can help law enforcement stop fraudulent transactions before a victim loses the money for good. The FBI’s Recovery Asset Team was created to streamline communication with financial institutions and FBI field offices and is continuing to build on its success. The team successfully recovered more than $300 million for victims in 2019.
Besides stressing vigilance on the part of every connected citizen, the IC3’s Donna Gregory also stressed the importance of victims providing as much information as possible when they come to IC3.
Victims should include every piece of information they have – any email addresses, account information they were given, phone numbers scammers called from, and other details. The more information IC3 can gather, the more it helps combat the criminals.
In 2019, the Recovery Asset Team was paired with the Money Mule Team under the IC3’s Recovery and Investigative Development Team. This effort brings together law enforcement and financial institutions to use the data provided in IC3 complaints to gain a better view of the networks and methods of cyber fraudsters and identify the perpetrators.
The new effort allowed IC3 to aggregate more than three years of reports to help build a case against an active group of criminals who were responsible for damaging crimes that ranged from cryptocurrency theft to online extortion. The ensuing investigation by the FBI’s San Francisco Field Office resulted in the arrest of three people.
Read the full 2019 Internet Crime Report, download it here or see it below.
To stay up to date on common online scams and frauds or report a crime, visit www.ic3.gov .
The cast of Mountain Vista Middle School’s production of “Beauty and the Beast” during dress rehearsal on Saturday, February 15, 2020, at Kelseyville High School in Kelseyville, California. Photo by Elizabeth Larson/Lake County News.
KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – It’s a “tale as old as time,” and it’s been chosen as the musical that Mountain Vista Middle School will present to the public in its first dramatic production.
“Beauty and the Beast” will take to the stage in six productions between Feb. 21 and March 1.
A cast of more than 20 sixth through eighth grade students, under the direction of teacher Miranda Hobbs, has been practicing for two months for the performances. For 85 percent of the students, it’s their first time performing in a play or musical, Hobbs said.
Hobbs wears many hats, teaching seventh grade English, history, leadership, yearbook and drama. She’s done productions with students in Lake County for 11 years and her experience in dramatic presentations goes back to her childhood.
“It’s always fun to see new talent come out and them discovering themselves on stage,” she said.
What’s extra special about this performance is that this is Mountain Vista Middle School’s first play or musical production, she said.
It’s also the first year of the school’s drama program, which Hobbs said is an elective after school program that meets for an hour and 15 minutes from Tuesday through Friday. It began in September.
She said they’ve been having regular rehearsals in recent weeks that last up to two and a half hours at the Kelseyville High School Student Center, where the production will be held.
On Saturday, Hobbs and her cast members were hard at work on a daylong dress rehearsal, with the students donning ornate and beautiful costumes to bring Beast, Belle and their friends and – in some cases – opponents to bright life on the stage.
There was hair-curling, costume changes, wardrobe malfunctions, tussling with the stage’s large crimson curtain – which Hobbs had to keep reminding students to quit trying to walk through – and the effort to put on the Beast attire, or to dress up as teacups and candles.
Overall, considering that they’re less than a week away from walking out onto the stage before hundreds of audience members, the students appeared in good form and not too stressed, although some acknowledged pre-performance nerves.
“Belle,” played by 14-year-old Emmah Ely, is one of the stars of the production, as she’s the “Beauty” from the title.
Emmah said she’s been in two other productions and has enjoyed meeting and spending time with students that she hadn’t known well before. She’s headed to high school next year.
Taylor Wooldridge, 14, is in her first production. She was dressed up as a wardrobe, or Madame de la Grande Bouche.
Taylor said she loves theater and the story of the play. She also has enjoyed the choreography and being with her fellow “villagers.”
Emmah Ely and Isaac Wymer star as the title characters in Mountain Vista Middle School’s production of “Beauty and the Beast” in Kelseyville, California. They’re pictured at dress rehearsal on Saturday, February 15, 2020, at Kelseyville High School in Kelseyville, California. Photo by Elizabeth Larson/Lake County News. Gaston, the bad guy of the story, is portrayed by 12-year-old Todd Yadon.
Todd, who likes acting, said he previously portrayed the Ghost of Christmas Future in a production of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol.”
Gaston is followed adoringly in the musical by the “Silly Girls,” portrayed by Audrey Alexander, 13, Kylie Jorgenson, 12, and Jordan Neil, 13.
“We’re fangirling over Gaston,” Kylie explained.
It’s their first acting experience for all three, and they said they love the story. Jordin said she wanted the Silly Girl role, which she sees as easier, to get a feel for acting.
Many of the students play multiple roles, such as 11-year-old Elena Grice, whose roles include Narrator No. 1 as well as a milkmaid.
Elena said she’s enjoying herself.
“Some plays are harder than others,” she said.
She knows that because she previously was in a production of “Romeo and Juliet.”
Aliyah Vargas, 12, is Narrator No. 2.
Also a first-time actress, she said it’s a lot of work but she’s enjoying it.
“I like the costumes and everybody here, and it’s just fun,” she said.
Narrator No. 3 is Amari Wyman, 14, who has been in previous productions at other schools. This is her first year at Mountain Vista Middle School.
Ashley Alexander, 12, is “Chip,” the tiny teacup son of Mrs. Potts, and also is an enchantress. But on Saturday afternoon.
“I just love acting,” she said, dressed in her teacup attire.
“It’s more stressful than I thought it would be,” Ashley admitted, explaining she’s nervous about what her parents will think about the performance.
Valeria Rojas, 11, is playing both a spoon and a villager, and she likes the action.
She’s been in talent shows and last year was the narrator in a production of “The Lorax” at Kelseyville Elementary School.
Amaya Calvillo, 11, is Babette, the French maid who also is a feather duster when she’s under the enchantment. She said she loves musicals.
This also is Amaya’s acting debut, and so far, it’s “much more than I expected.” She explained that everyone is very nice, but she was a bit worried about her costume that she said was falling apart a bit, pointing to bits of feather scattered around the stage.
“I’m excited and nervous,” she said, and added that she was concerned that they weren’t quite ready for their stage debut yet.
At that same time, Isaac Wymer, who stars as the Beast, hopped by out of his Beast costume but wearing a crown and acting like a frog.
Turning to look at him over her shoulder, Amaya said, with perfect deadpan delivery, “This is what I mean by not ready,” adding, that they aren’t doing a production of “The Frog Prince.”
Kalysta Waldburger, 14, is in her first production, and joined when her friends did. She’s playing numerous roles – a fisherman, a village, a wolf and a fork.
She said she’s enjoying it, and that it’s been a big project for the year.
Jessica Mulka, 14, is playing both a baker and a knife, a dual challenge she’s having fun doing.
She said she thinks she’ll sign up for next year’s production, which will be voted on later this year. They’re considering either “Cinderella” or “Shrek.”
As for this year’s big show, “I think they will enjoy it,” Jessica said of the audiences who will soon fill the auditorium.
Where and when:
“Beauty and the Beast” will be performed at the Kelseyville High School Student Center, 5480 Main St.
Todd Yadon, center, stars as “Gaston,” with the "Silly Girls" Jordan Neil, Kylie Jorgenson, Audrey Alexander in Mountain Vista Middle School’s production of “Beauty and the Beast.” They’re pictured during dress rehearsal on Saturday, February 15, 2020, at Kelseyville High School in Kelseyville, California. Photo by Elizabeth Larson/Lake County News.
Belle: Emmah Ely Beast: Isaac Wymer Maurice: Alex Fordham Gaston: Todd Yadon Lefou: Hunter Dowdy Lumiere: Jack Meconi Cogsworth: Rorie Rodrigues Mrs. Potts: Aubrey Catalano Babette: Amaya Calvillo Madame de la Grande Bouche: Taylor Wooldridge Enchantress/Chip: Ashley Alexander Narrators: Amari Wyman, Elena Grice, Aliyah Vargas Silly Girls: Jordan Neil, Kylie Jorgenson, Audrey Alexander Chorus/Ensemble: Kalysta Waldburger, Valeria Rojas, Marie Parlet, Jessica Mulka
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 cast of Mountain Vista Middle School’s production of “Beauty and the Beast” rehearses on Saturday, February 15, 2020, at Kelseyville High School in Kelseyville, California. Photo by Miranda Hobbs.
LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lakeport City Council this week will consider increasing parking fines and penalties and get the midyear budget update.
The council will meet beginning at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 18, in the council chambers at Lakeport City Hall, 225 Park St.
Under council business, the council will hold a public hearing to consider approval of a resolution to update the city’s schedule of parking fines, fees, penalties and surcharges.
Police Chief Brad Rasmussen’s report to the council on the proposed resolution said that the parking fee schedule was last updated in 2009 when then-Police Chief Burke brought the parking changes before the City Council.
“Since that time there have been further increases in monies owed to both the County of Lake and the State of California depending on the parking violation cited. In addition, neighboring jurisdictions have also updated their fees to keep up with the increase in cost associated with managing and fees associated with parking citation programs. Parking complaints especially in the downtown continue to be a problem even with renewed enforcement and social media releases urging citizen compliance,” Rasmussen’s report said.
Rasmussen also will give the council the report on police statistics for 2019.
In other business, Lakeport Finance Director Nick Walker will bring to the council the second quarter financial update and midyear budget review for fiscal year 2019-20.
Walker’s report said staff is seeking an appropriation’s increase of $270,345.
Also at Tuesday’s meeting, the council will receive the annual update from the Lake County Tourist Improvement District and a presentation from Karl Parker, mobility programs manager for Lake Links.
On the consent agenda – items considered noncontroversial and usually accepted as a slate on one vote – are ordinances; minutes of the regular council meeting on Feb. 4; the Jan. 30 warrant register; confirmation of the continuing existence of a local emergency for the Mendocino Complex fire; confirmation of the continuing existence of a local emergency for the February 2019 storms; confirmation of the continuing existence of a local emergency for the October 2019 public safety power shutoff; approval of Application 2020-003, with staff recommendations, for the 2020 Cinco de Mayo event to be held in Library Park; approval of Application 2020-004, with staff recommendations, for the 2020 Saint Patrick’s Day Pub Crawl event on Main Street; approval of Contract Change Order No. 1 to West Coast Contractors Inc. DBA Oregon West Coast Contractors for the Library Park Seawall Replacement Project.
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 Police Department is holding a community policing town hall on Thursday, March 5.
The town hall will take place from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at Lakeport City Hall, 225 Park St.
Topics to be covered include the Lakeport Community Policing Survey, Neighborhood Watch, the police dog program, Lakeport crime statistics, officer training, security camera registration program, legislation affecting public safety, deescalation and crisis intervention, and police recruitment.
The agency’s goal is to provide the public with information about its current operations and plans to continue with community policing in the future.
The public will have an opportunity to ask questions and provide feedback to the department.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake County Animal Care and Control has a feline trio of adoptable cats this week.
The following cats at the shelter have been cleared for adoption.
This female tuxedo cat is in cat room kennel No. 4, ID No. 13545. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Female tuxedo cat
This female tuxedo cat has a short coat and green eyes.
She is in cat room kennel No. 4, ID No. 13545.
This female domestic short hair is in cat room kennel No. 7, ID No. 13521. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control.
Female domestic short hair
This female domestic short hair has a lynx point and tortie coat and blue eyes.
She is in cat room kennel No. 7, ID No. 13521.
This male domestic short hair is in cat room kennel No. 44, ID No. 13520. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Male domestic short hair
This male domestic short hair has an all-black coat and gold eyes.
He is in cat room kennel No. 44, ID No. 13520.
Lake County Animal Care and Control is located at 4949 Helbush in Lakeport, next to the Hill Road Correctional Facility.
Office hours are Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday. The shelter is open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
For more information call Lake County Animal Care and Control at 707-263-0278.
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.
Teachers who volunteered to get the new Middletown Unified School District Band Program off the ground in 2010 include Ami Barker, now principal of Konocti Education Center; Reikor Deacon, now retired; Patricia Jekel, the new MUSD Band director; and David Leonard, now the fifth-grade teacher at Calistoga Elementary School. Courtesy photo. MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – On Wednesday, the Middletown Unified School community took a moment to step back and recognize the tremendous efforts of teachers, parents and others to bring back the Middletown Unified School Band.
This year signifies the year that the first students – from the year the program was restarted – are now seniors at Middletown High School.
About 10 years ago there was a wonderful confluence of teachers, parents, and community members who came together as a concerned group wanting to restore the MUSD school band. An entire generation of kids had passed through the district with no instrumental music program.
They approached the school board to voice their concerns. The school board said, “Show us that this is something that the community wants and we can move forward.”
So talented musicians Ami Barker, Reikor Deacon and David Leonard, who were teachers, as well as parent Patricia Jekel started volunteering after school to teach music to students.
They asked the school board for permission to use the old instruments that had been locked in an unused portable classroom out by the agriculture department and were gathering dust, and they received permission.
Allison and Greg Rodgers did major community fundraising through open mic nights and getting the word out in newspaper articles, and at Mountain High raising over $3,000 to recondition the old instruments and to buy music books and supplies.
Calpine Corp. also has been a major donor to the program, contributing funding for uniforms, band chairs, reconditioning instruments and other supplies.
After two years of teaching children, the volunteers returned to the school board and the new band performed.
The board was unanimous in approval of a paid band instructor. Patricia Jekel was hired as the new instrumental music instructor.
Those first students have now reached their senior year of high school, and so the Middletown Unified school band is reconstructed.
At Wednesday evening’s school board meeting, a short montage of photos and video clips showed an overview from the beginning days of the program to the current year.
The video displayed that as the students moved into middle school and then high school, Jekel incorporated more of the regional programs in which other bands participate.
For example, the band now participates in the Solo and Ensemble Festival at Chico State University, the Mendo-Lake Honor Band, the Middle School Band Camp (Jump Start in Music through Cazadero Music Camp) and Christmas in Middletown.
The High School Pep Band now performs at football games and at school rallies.
Of course, there are “growing pains” with the growing program. The group said there are new opportunities that create new challenges.
The new Band Booster group that has formed looks forward to supporting the band in finding solutions to present to the board, as well as fundraising for the program.
The group said it’s thrilling that this year one of the tasks is finding a way to celebrate senior band members because it has been more than 20 years since Middletown Unified has had senior band members.
The group thanked Patricia Jekel for guiding the resurrection of the MUSD School Band.
For more information, or to help with funding support for the program, please contact Jekel at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – One person was reported to have died and two others were seriously injured in a solo-vehicle wreck on Highway 20 late on Saturday afternoon.
The crash was reported just before 5 p.m. Saturday on Highway 20 at Morine Ranch Road in Clearlake Oaks.
Northshore and Cal Fire firefighters and California Highway Patrol officers were dispatched on the report of a single vehicle into a tree.
Reports from the scene described the vehicle as a dark-colored SUV.
The first firefighters to arrive at the scene reported finding one person deceased and two people with critical injuries trapped inside of the vehicle, according to radio reports.
Two air ambulances were requested, with Cal Fire dispatch reporting that REACH and CalStar would respond to a landing zone at Orchard Shores Homeowners Association.
Radio reports indicated that firefighters extricated the two surviving crash victims and they were flown to out-of-county trauma centers.
The sheriff’s office and a mortuary also responded to the scene due to the fatality, according to radio reports.
More details were not immediately available from the CHP, which separately confirmed the fatality over the air and on its online incident logs.
Additional information will be published as it becomes available.
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. – Lake County Animal Care and Control has hounds, terriers, an Australian Shepherd and a Rhodesian Ridgeback waiting for homes this week.
Dogs available for adoption this week include mixes of Australian Shepherd, bull terrier, fox terrier, Labrador Retriever, pit bull, Rhodesian Ridgeback and terrier.
Dogs that are adopted from Lake County Animal Care and Control are either neutered or spayed, microchipped and, if old enough, given a rabies shot and county license before being released to their new owner. License fees do not apply to residents of the cities of Lakeport or Clearlake.
If you're looking for a new companion, visit the shelter. There are many great pets hoping you'll choose them.
The following dogs at the Lake County Animal Care and Control shelter have been cleared for adoption (additional dogs on the animal control Web site not listed are still “on hold”).
“Goofy” is a male Rhodesian Ridgeback in kennel No. 33, ID No. 13210. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. ‘Goofy’
“Goofy” is getting top billing this week, as he’s been waiting a long time for a new home – since the start of November, after he was found on the highway in Clearlake.
He is a young male Rhodesian Ridgeback with a short tan and black coat.
Shelter staff said this boy is great with other dogs, although he is high energy and would benefit from obedience training. He would love to go jogging every day, he is very food motivated and willing to learn new things.
He’s in kennel No. 33, ID No. 13210.
This young male Australian Shepherd is in kennel No. 8, ID No. 13550. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Male Australian Shepherd
This young male Australian Shepherd has a tricolor coat and brown eyes.
He is in kennel No. 8, ID No. 13550.
This male pit bull terrier is in kennel No. 10, ID No. 13507. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Male pit bull terrier
This male pit bull terrier has a short brindle coat and brown eyes.
He is in kennel No. 10, ID No. 13507.
This young female pit bull-Labrador Retriever mix is in kennel No. 12, ID No. 13555. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Female pit bull-Labrador Retriever mix
This young female pit bull-Labrador Retriever mix has a short black coat and brown eyes.
She is in kennel No. 12, ID No. 13555.
This male pit bull terrier is in kennel No. 15, ID No. 13546. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Male pit bull terrier
This male pit bull terrier has a short blue and white coat and brown eyes.
He is in kennel No. 15, ID No. 13546.
“Luna” is a female husky in kennel No. 16, ID No. 13540. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. ‘Luna’
“Luna” is a female husky with a medium-length gray and white coat and blue eyes.
She has already been spayed.
She is in kennel No. 16, ID No. 13540.
“Ricky” is a male pit bull terrier in kennel No. 18, ID No. 4850. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. ‘Ricky’
“Ricky” is a male pit bull terrier with a short red coat and green eyes.
He already has been neutered.
He’s in kennel No. 18, ID No. 4850.
“Hank” is a male bull terrier-Labrador Retriever mix in kennel No. 20, ID No. 13510. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. ‘Hank’
“Hank” is a male bull terrier-Labrador Retriever mix with a short brown and white coat and gold eyes.
He’s in kennel No. 20, ID No. 13510.
These two fox terriers, one male, one female, are in kennel No. 22a, ID No. 13528, and No. 22b, ID No. 13530. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Male and female fox terriers
These two fox terriers, one male, one female, have short brown and white coats and brown eyes.
The female is in kennel No. 22a, ID No. 13528; the male is in kennel No. 22b, ID No. 13530.
“Nook” is a female hound mix in kennel No. 23, ID No. 11790. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. ‘Nook’
“Nook” is a female hound mix with a short tricolor coat and brown eyes.
She has already been spayed.
She is in kennel No. 23, ID No. 11790.
This young male husky is in kennel No. 26, ID No. 13529. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Male husky
This young male husky has a long white coat and blue eyes.
Shelter staff said he was found at Lower Lake High School.
He is in kennel No. 26, ID No. 13529.
“Butter” is a female terrier in kennel No. 31A, ID No. 13534. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. ‘Butter’
“Butter” is a female terrier with a long tricolor coat and brown eyes.
She’s in kennel No. 31A, ID No. 13534.
“Chase” is a male husky-pit bull terrier mix in kennel No. 32, ID No. 13541. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. ‘Chase’
“Chase” is a male husky-pit bull terrier mix with a short tan coat and blue eyes.
He is in kennel No. 32, ID No. 13541.
Lake County Animal Care and Control is located at 4949 Helbush in Lakeport, next to the Hill Road Correctional Facility.
Office hours are Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday. The shelter is open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday and on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
For more information call Lake County Animal Care and Control at 707-263-0278.
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.
Can the feared anthrax toxin become an ally in the war against cancer? Successful treatment of pet dogs suffering bladder cancer with an anthrax-related treatment suggest so.
Anthrax is a disease caused by a bacterium, known as Bacillus anthracis, which releases a toxin that causes the skin to break down and forms ulcers, and triggers pneumonia and muscle and chest pain. To add to its sinister resumé, and underscore its lethal effects, this toxin has been infamously usedas a bioweapon.
However, my colleagues and I found a way to tame this killer and put it to good use against another menace: bladder cancer.
Among all cancers, the one affecting the bladder is the sixth most common and in 2019 caused more than 17,000 deaths in the U.S. Of all patients that receive surgery to remove this cancer, about 70% will return to the physician’s office with more tumors. This is psychologically devastating for the patient and makes the cancer of the bladder one of the most expensive to treat.
To make things worse, currently there is a worldwide shortage of Bacillus Calmette-Guerin, a bacterium used to make the preferred immunotherapy for decreasing bladder cancer recurrence after surgery. This situation has left doctors struggling to meet the needs of their patients. Therefore, there is a clear need for more effective strategies to treat bladder cancer.
Anthrax comes to the rescue
Years ago scientists in the Collier lab modified the anthrax toxin by physically linking it to a naturally occurring protein called the epidermal growth factor (EGF) that binds to the EGF receptor, which is abundant on the surface of bladder cancer cells. When the EGF protein binds to the receptor – like a key fits a lock – it causes the cell to engulf the EGF-anthrax toxin, which then induces the cancer cell to commit suicide (a process called apoptosis), while leaving healthy cells alone.
The EGF-anthrax protein binds to bladder cancer cells triggering apoptosis or programmed cell death, which is a regulated process leading to the death of cell.Soleil Nordic/Shutterstock.com
This highlights the potential of this agent to provide an efficient and fast alternative to the current treatments (which can take between two and three hours to administer over a period of months). I also think it is good news is that the modified anthrax toxin spared normal cells. This suggests that this treatment could have fewer side effects.
Helping our best friends
These encouraging results led my lab to join forces with Dr. Knapp’s group at the Purdue veterinary hospital to treat pet dogs suffering from bladder cancer.
Canine patients for whom all available conventional anti-cancer therapeutics were unsuccessful were considered eligible for these tests. Only after standard tests proved the agent to be safe in laboratory animals, and with the consent of their owners, six eligible dogs with terminal bladder cancer were treated with the anthrax toxin-derived agent.
Two to five doses of this medicine, delivered directly inside the bladder via a catheter, was enough to shrink the tumor by an average of 30%. We consider these results impressive given the initial large size of the tumor and its resistance to other treatments.
There is hope for all
Our collaborators at Indiana University Hospital surgically removed bladder cells from human patients and sent them to my lab for testing the agent. At Purdue my team found these cells to be very sensitive to the anthrax toxin-derived agent as well. These results suggest that this novel anti-bladder cancer strategy could be effective in human patients.
The treatment strategy that we have devised is still experimental. Therefore, it is not available for treatment of human patients yet. Nevertheless, my team is actively seeking the needed economic support and required approvals to move this therapeutic approach into human clinical trials. Plans to develop a new, even better generation of agents and to expand their application to the fight against other cancers are ongoing.
Artist concept of the solar system. Credits: NASA. NASA has selected four Discovery Program investigations to develop concept studies for new missions.
Although they’re not official missions yet and some ultimately may not be chosen to move forward, the selections focus on compelling targets and science that are not covered by NASA’s active missions or recent selections.
Final selections will be made next year.
NASA’s Discovery Program invites scientists and engineers to assemble a team to design exciting planetary science missions that deepen what we know about the solar system and our place in it.
These missions will provide frequent flight opportunities for focused planetary science investigations. The goal of the program is to address pressing questions in planetary science and increase our understanding of our solar system.
“These selected missions have the potential to transform our understanding of some of the solar system’s most active and complex worlds,” said Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator of NASA's Science Mission Directorate. “Exploring any one of these celestial bodies will help unlock the secrets of how it, and others like it, came to be in the cosmos.”
Each of the four nine-month studies will receive $3 million to develop and mature concepts and will conclude with a Concept Study Report. After evaluating the concept studies, NASA will continue development of up to two missions towards flight.
The proposals were chosen based on their potential science value and feasibility of development plans following a competitive peer-review process.
The selected proposals are as follows.
DAVINCI+ (Deep Atmosphere Venus Investigation of Noble gases, Chemistry, and Imaging Plus)
DAVINCI+ will analyze Venus’ atmosphere to understand how it formed, evolved and determine whether Venus ever had an ocean. DAVINCI+ plunges through Venus’ inhospitable atmosphere to precisely measure its composition down to the surface.
The instruments are encapsulated within a purpose-built descent sphere to protect them from the intense environment of Venus. The “+” in DAVINCI+ refers to the imaging component of the mission, which includes cameras on the descent sphere and orbiter designed to map surface rock-type. The last U.S.-led, in-situ mission to Venus was in 1978.
The results from DAVINCI+ have the potential to reshape our understanding of terrestrial planet formation in our solar system and beyond. James Garvin of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, is the principal investigator. Goddard would provide project management.
Io Volcano Observer (IVO)
IVO would explore Jupiter’s moon, Io, to learn how tidal forces shape planetary bodies. Io is heated by the constant crush of Jupiter’s gravity and is the most volcanically active body in the solar system.
Little is known about Io’s specific characteristics, such as whether a magma ocean exists in its interior. Using close-in flybys, IVO would assess how magma is generated and erupted on Io.
The mission’s results could revolutionize our understanding of the formation and evolution of rocky, terrestrial bodies, as well as icy ocean worlds in our solar system, and extrasolar planets across the universe.
Alfred McEwen of the University of Arizona in Tucson is the principal investigator. The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland would provide project management.
TRIDENT
Trident would explore Triton, a unique and highly active icy moon of Neptune, to understand pathways to habitable worlds at tremendous distances from the Sun. NASA’s Voyager 2 mission showed that Triton has active resurfacing – generating the second youngest surface in the solar system – with the potential for erupting plumes and an atmosphere.
Coupled with an ionosphere that can create organic snow and the potential for an interior ocean, Triton is an exciting exploration target to understand how habitable worlds may develop in our solar system and others.
Using a single fly-by, Trident would map Triton, characterize active processes, and determine whether the predicted subsurface ocean exists. Louise Prockter of the Lunar and Planetary Institute/Universities Space Research Association in Houston is the principal investigator. NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, or JPL, in Pasadena, California, would provide project management
VERITAS (Venus Emissivity, Radio Science, InSAR, Topography, and Spectroscopy)
VERITAS would map Venus’ surface to determine the planet’s geologic history and understand why Venus developed so differently than the Earth.
Orbiting Venus with a synthetic aperture radar, VERITAS charts surface elevations over nearly the entire planet to create three-dimensional reconstructions of topography and confirm whether processes, such as plate tectonics and volcanism, are still active on Venus.
VERITAS would also map infrared emissions from the surface to map Venus’ geology, which is largely unknown. Suzanne Smrekar of NASA’s JPL is the principal investigator. JPL would provide project management.
The concepts were chosen from proposals submitted in 2019 under NASA Announcement of Opportunity NNH19ZDA010O, Discovery Program. The selected investigations will be managed by the Planetary Missions Program Office at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, as part of the Discovery Program.
The Discovery Program conducts space science investigations in the Planetary Science Division of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, guided by NASA’s agency priorities and the Decadal Survey process of the National Academy of Sciences.
Established in 1992, NASA’s Discovery Program has supported the development and implementation of over 20 missions and instruments. These selections are part of the ninth Discovery Program competition.
The western meadowlark had a below-average count in the 45th Redbud Audubon Christmas Bird Count held on Saturday, December 14, 2019, in Lake County, California. Photo courtesy of the Redbud Audubon Society. LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The 45th Redbud Audubon Christmas Bird Count is in the books.
After reviewing and eliminating possible double-counted birds, the total species remains at 134 species reported on the 2019 Christmas Bird Count held Dec. 14.
This number is a little below average (136) over the last 22 years. The high was 153 species in 2007, and the lowest count was 122 in 2003 and 2018.
There was a reduction in birding hours this year but despite that, the total number of birds seen was 41,666, which is a bit higher than average over the last 16 years of 39,636.
The highest count is still 135,312 in 2003, a year when thousands of Western and Clarke’s grebes were on Clear Lake.
The rare birds seen this year were the tri-colored blackbird, yellow-headed blackbird and great-tailed grackle.
This is the first CBC sighting of the yellow-headed blackbird, the second CBC sighting of the great-tailed grackle, and the eighth CBC sighting of the tricolored blackbird.
Western grebes were among the birds with the highest total numbers counted in the 45th Redbud Audubon Christmas Bird Count held on Saturday, December 14, 2019, in Lake County, California. Photo courtesy of the Redbud Audubon Society. Other high numbers included 71 hooded mergansers; nine greater white-fronted geese; 3,355 American white pelicans; 4,510 double-crested cormorants; 77 brown-headed cowbirds; 26 Townsend’s warblers; and three white-throated sparrows.
For the third year in a row, the Western/Clark’s grebes won the prize of the highest number with 11,754, however, this total is the lowest number counted for these species in the last six years.
Other higher-than-usual numbers include 78 ring-necked ducks (high of 61 last year); 1,966 common mergansers (1,217 last year); eight brown creepers; and 507 red-winged blackbirds.
The overall picture shows lower counts for most species.
Species with lower-than-average numbers include the following 36 species: Gadwall, American widgeon, northern shoveler, green-winged teal, canvasback, greater and lesser scaup, bufflehead, ruddy duck, wild turkey, California quail, common loon, white-tailed kite, Cooper’s hawk, American kestrel, killdeer, spotted sandpiper, California gull, herring gull, mourning dove, Nuttall’s woodpecker, northern flicker, Steller's jay, California scrub-jay, oak titmouse, Bewick’s wren, American pipit, spotted towhee, California towhee, song sparrow, white and golden-crowned sparrows, western meadowlark, house finch, lesser goldfinch and house sparrow.
The Redbud Audubon Chapter said it appreciated all the participants and their support and efforts in making the bird count as accurate and complete as possible.
The group invites community members to join in the 121st annual Christmas Bird Count and the 46th Redbud Audubon Christmas Bird Count, which will be held Saturday, Dec. 19.
Kathy Barnwell is a member of the Redbud Audubon Society.
Thousands of American white pelicans were counted during the 45th Redbud Audubon Christmas Bird Count held on Saturday, December 14, 2019, in Lake County, California. Photo courtesy of the Redbud Audubon Society.
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