CLEARLAKE, Calif. – A Sunday afternoon traffic stop led to a Clearlake man’s arrest on numerous weapons charges.

The Clearlake Police Department said Jesus Munoz-Griego, 18, was arrested in the case.

At 2:12 p.m. Sunday, Officer Chris Kelleher was patrolling the area of Highlands Way near Vista Robles Way when he observed a black 2001 Toyota Echo turning right onto Highlands Way from Old Highway 53 at a high rate of speed and driving on the wrong side of the roadway, according to the report.

The report said Officer Kelleher conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle for several vehicle code violations.

As Officer Kelleher began approaching the driver’s side of the vehicle, he noticed the driver, Munoz-Griego, was reaching down at the driver floorboard, police said.

Due to Munoz-Griego’s actions, Officer Kelleher opened Munoz-Griego’s door and ordered him out of the vehicle along with the passengers, according to the report.

During the investigation, it was discovered that Munoz-Griego did not have a valid California driver's license and he was placed under arrest.

Police said that during a search of the vehicle, Officer Kelleher located a loaded black Tec 9 with a high capacity magazine capable of holding 32 rounds of 9 millimeter ammunition lying on the driver floorboard in a bag next to a large knife. Several more rounds of various ammunition were located scattered throughout the vehicle along with a glass smoking methamphetamine pipe.

While examining the firearm, Officer Kelleher discovered that the serial number to the firearm had been scratched off, police said.

The Clearlake Police Department said Munoz-Griego was arrested on probable cause for numerous firearm and weapon violations along with operating a motor vehicle without a valid California driver's license and transported to the Lake County Jail for booking.

California has a new tool in its efforts to build wildfire resilience and improve long-term forest management in the face of climate change.

The California Board of Forestry and Fire Protection has certified a new program that it says will help minimize wildland fire risk across the state while ensuring the highest level of environmental oversight.

The California Vegetation Treatment Program, or CalVTP, will create efficiencies within the regulatory process to scale up fuel treatment and forest restoration projects toward meeting the state’s goal of treating 500,000 acres of non-federal lands annually.

“I commend the Board of Forestry and Fire Protection for working with the environmental community, state regulators and public safety officials to develop a long-term solution to increase the pace and scale of critical vegetation treatment in a way that safely and responsibly protects our environment,” said Gov. Gavin Newsom. “The scale of the wildfire crisis in California is unprecedented, and we need a response to match the scale and severity of this challenge.”

Improved vegetation treatments, including fuel breaks that slow wildfires to protect communities, and projects that restore natural fire regimes, are part of a suite of actions Gov. Newsom called for within days of assuming office earlier this year.

Other priority actions include hardening homes and improving communities’ preparation to survive wildfire.

The CalVTP reflects more than a decade of careful work to analyze potential environmental impacts associated with different types of vegetation management, consistent with the California Environmental Quality Act, or CEQA.

This programmatic analysis will reduce redundancies in each project’s environmental review by allowing project sponsors to build upon verified environmental analysis contained in the CalVTP as they begin their site-specific study for their individual projects.

Earlier this year, citing extreme peril posed by megafires, Gov. Newsom declared a state of emergency to fast-track 35 critical forest-management projects to protect more than 200 of California’s highest-risk communities and redirected National Guard members from the border to undertake fire prevention activities throughout the state.

To ensure necessary work could get underway immediately, the emergency proclamation suspended certain requirements and regulations as needed to carry out its directives, including CEQA.

By expediting the process, these emergency projects are on track to finish in less than one year, rather than a typical pace of three to five years.

In November, two of these emergency fuel breaks were used to protect Santa Barbara residents during the wind-driven Cave fire, resulting in no lives or structures lost.

As part of the long-term solution, Cal Fire developed the CalVTP to enable projects to move forward efficiently while maintaining and protecting California’s diverse vegetation and habitats.

State officials said the program will help Cal Fire and other public agencies comply with CEQA while delivering projects more quickly and affordably on over 20 million acres of land that is the responsibility of the state.

Projects that will benefit from CalVTP include:

– Wildland-urban interface fuel reduction, including removal of vegetation to prevent or slow the spread of fires between wildlands and buildings.
– Fuel breaks that support fire suppression activities by providing emergency responders with strategic staging areas and access to otherwise remote landscapes for fire control.
– Restoration in ecosystems where natural fire regimes have been altered due to fire exclusion, including restoring ecological processes, conditions, and resiliency to more closely reflect historic vegetative composition, structure, and habitat values.

The CalVTP does not support commercial timber harvest or development.

To further achieve wildfire resilience in California, the state continues to work with federal partners, including the U.S. Forest Service. The federal government owns nearly 58 percent of California’s forestlands. The state owns 3 percent, while 40 percent is privately held.

To protect public safety and ecology, experts agree 1 million acres of California forest and wildlands must be treated annually across jurisdictions. The federal government is working to match the state’s 500,000-acre annual treatment goals, though it has been hampered by years of federal budget and staffing cuts.

While the CalVTP is a critical tool to responsibly scale up vegetation treatment on state- and privately-owned land, state officials said efforts must simultaneously scale up on federal land.

 

It’s that time of year when people make their New Year’s resolutions – indeed, 93% of people set them, according to the American Psychological Association. The most common resolutions are related to losing weight, eating healthier, exercising regularly and saving money.

However, research shows that 45% of people fail to keep their resolutions by February, and only 19% keep them for two years. Lack of willpower or self-control is the top cited reason for not following through.

How can you increase your willpower and fulfill your New Year’s promise to yourself? These seven strategies are based on behavioral science and my clinical work with hundreds of people trying to achieve their long-term goals.

1. Clarify and honor your values

Ask yourself why this goal matters to you. Do you want to lose weight because you value getting in shape to return to a favorite pastime of hiking, or because of societal expectations and pressures? People who are guided by their authentic values are better at achieving their goals. They also don’t run out of willpower, because they perceive it as a limitless resource. Figure out what makes you tick, and choose goals consistent with those values.

2. Frame goals and your life in positive terms

Focus on what you want to accomplish, not what you don’t. Instead of planning not to drink alcohol on workdays during the new year, commit to drinking your favorite sparkling water with Sunday to Thursday evening meals. Struggling to suppress thoughts takes a lot of energy, and they have a way of returning to your mind with a vengeance.

It also helps to reflect on the aspects of yourself and your life that you are already happy with. Although you might fear that this will spur complacency and inaction, studies show that gratitude and other positive emotions lead to better self-control in the long run.

3. Change your environment to make it easier

Research suggests that people with high willpower are exceptionally good at arranging their environment to avoid temptations. So, banish all credit cards from your wallet if your goal is to save money. And don’t keep a bowl of M&M’s at your work desk if you intend to eat healthy.

If your coworkers regularly bring sweets to work, ask them to help you with your goals (they might get inspired to join in!) and bring cookies only for special occasions. Supportive friends and family can dramatically increase your chances of achieving your resolutions. Joining a group whose members practice behaviors you’d like to adopt is another great way to bolster your willpower, because having role models improves self-control.

4. Be prepared with ‘if-then’ strategies

Even the best resolution falls apart when your busy schedule and exhaustion take over. Formulate a series of plans for what to do when obstacles present themselves. These “if-then” plans are shown to improve self-control and goal attainment.

Each time you wake up in the middle of the night craving candies or chips, you can plan instead to read a guilty-pleasure magazine, or log into your online community of healthy eaters for inspiration, or eat an apple slowly and mindfully, savoring each bit. When you’re tired and about to skip that gym class you signed up for, call your supportive sister who is on standby. Anticipate as many situations as possible and make specific plans, vividly imagining the situations and what you will do in the moment.

5. Use a gradual approach

When you embark on a new goal, start small and build on early successes. Use one less spoonful of sugar in your coffee. Eventually, you might be able to forgo any sweeteners at all. If resisting that muffin initially proves to be too hard, try waiting 10 minutes. By the end of it, your urge will likely subside.

You might be surprised to realize that change in one domain of life – like abstaining from sweet processed foods – tends to spread to other areas. You might find you are able to bike longer distances, or moderate your caffeine intake more easily.

6. Imagine rewards and then enjoy them

Picture the feeling of endorphins circulating through your body after a run, or the sun on your skin as you approach a mountain summit. Pay attention to all your senses: smell, sight, hearing, touch and taste. Visualizing rewards improves your chances of engaging in the activity that results in them.

If it’s hard to imagine or experience these rewards in the beginning, decide on small, meaningful gifts you can give yourself until the positive effects of the new behaviors kick in. For example, imagine yourself taking a half-day off work each month after you pay down your credit card debt: visualize exactly what you would do and how you would feel. And then do it.

7. Be kind to yourself, even during setbacks

Most people believe the way to increase willpower is to “whip oneself into shape,” because being kind to oneself is indulgent and lacks self discipline. But the exact opposite is true – people who harshly blame themselves for even small willpower failures tend to do worse in accomplishing their goals in the long run.

Try self-compassion instead. Cut yourself some slack and remember that being human means being imperfect. When you fall for that doughnut, don’t despair, and don’t throw in the towel. Treat yourself with care and understanding and then recommit to your goal the following day.

Remember, you aren’t likely to achieve your New Year’s resolutions by being self-critical and hard on yourself. Instead, boost your willpower through a series of small and strategic steps that will help you succeed.

[Deep knowledge, daily. Sign up for The Conversation’s newsletter.]

Jelena Kecmanovic, Adjunct Professor of Psychology, Georgetown University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

What are the skywatching highlights of January 2020?

The peak of the Quadrantid meteor shower, Mars rises with its "rival" – the red giant star Antares – and the Moon comes around for another visit with Venus.

The early morning of Jan. 4 brings the peak of the Quadrantid meteor shower. This annual shower can be one of the better ones of the year, although it has a much shorter peak than most other meteor showers – just a few hours versus a day or two.

The visibility of meteor showers from year to year has a lot to do with whether there's a bright Moon in the sky at the time or not.

This year, the Moon will set soon after midnight local time, meaning viewing conditions should be good, provided your local skies are not obscured by winter weather.

Face toward the northeast between midnight and dawn to see as many as two dozen meteors per hour under dark skies. (And the farther away you get from city lights, the darker it'll be.) So bundle up, and be sure to give your eyes a little time to adapt to the dark, including a break from your mobile device, in order to see the maximum number of meteors.

Mars rises before dawn during January with its "rival," the red giant star Antares. The name of this star translates as "rival to Mars" in ancient Greek, and the star rivals the Red Planet's appearance to the unaided eye, both in color and brightness.

In reality, Antares is way, way bigger than Mars. In fact, it's much bigger than the orbit of Mars. It's about 10,000 times brighter than our Sun, but it's also 16 million times farther away from us than Mars is, so, like all stars, even though it's really bright, it appears as just a tiny, flickering point of light in the night sky.

You can view the pair low in the southeast, about an hour before sunrise each morning. Near the beginning of January, Mars appears above Antares. As the days progress, the planet moves lower and to the east of Antares. They're joined by a slim lunar crescent on January 20th for what should be a very pretty grouping.

And as we start 2020, NASA's looking forward to the launch of the Mars 2020 rover mission. It's slated to blast off in July to seek signs of ancient life in a fossilized river delta on the Red Planet.

Closing out the month, the crescent Moon and Venus once again make for a gorgeous sight at the end of January, on the same day of the month as they did back in December.

On Jan. 28, you'll find the pair hovering in the southwest in the hour or so after sunset that evening, so be sure to go out and take a look.

Preston Dyches works for NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Lake County Sheriff’s Office has identified the man shot fatally by a deputy sheriff during a confrontation in Clearlake Oaks on Saturday night.

Craig Ellis See, 34, of Lower Lake, was the man who died after being shot by Deputy Wesley Besgrove, according to Lt. Corey Paulich.

Paulich said the sheriff’s office has had minimal contact with See for theft and trespass issues.

See was identified as a suspect in an assault with a firearm case earlier this month, Paulich said.

Authorities said that See and Besgrove became involved in an altercation shortly before 10 p.m. Saturday in the parking lot of the Clearlake Oaks Dollar General store. Reports from the scene said See was armed with a knife.

Paulich said previously that the altercation ended in a creek bed just west of the Dollar General.

See died of his injuries at the scene. Besgrove was treated at Adventist Health Clear Lake for injuries including a fractured leg, head contusion and bite marks, according to Paulich.

Besgrove has been a patrol deputy for a year, working three years in corrections previous to that, Paulich said.

Paulich said Besgrove has been placed on administrative leave, as is protocol in such incidents.

Authorities have so far not given more details about the fight between See and Besgrove or how many times See was shot.

The Lake County District Attorney’s Office is leading the investigation of the incident, which is its responsibility under the county’s critical incident protocol.

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. – Firefighters were able to quickly contain a structure fire at Big Valley Rancheria on Monday evening.

The fire was located in the 1400 block of Mission Way, a few blocks across from the tribe’s Konocti Vista Casino.

The glow and smoke column could be seen along Soda Bay Road on Monday night.

Firefighters were first dispatched to the incident shortly before 6:45 p.m.

Lakeport Fire personnel arriving at the scene reported finding a fully involved shed, as well as a burning vehicle, based on radio traffic. There were other buildings nearby but initial reports didn’t indicate if they were in fact damaged.

Radio reports indicated the fire was contained shortly after 7 p.m., with the incident terminated a half-hour later.

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. – Lakeport City Councilmember Mireya Turner has been appointed to the National League of Cities 2020 Community and Economic Development federal advocacy committee.

This committee has the lead responsibility for developing for the National League of Cities, or NLC, its federal policy positions on issues involving housing, community and economic development, land use, recreation and parks, historic preservation and international competitiveness.

The appointment was announced by NLC President Joe Buscaino, councilmember for the city of Los Angeles.

“I am honored and excited for the opportunity to bring Lakeport’s rural city voice to this national table, and to glean new ideas from cities around the country,” Turner said.

As a committee member, Turner will play a key role in shaping NLC’s policy positions and advocate on behalf of America’s cities and towns before Congress, with the administration and at home.

“NLC’s federal advocacy committees ensure policymakers in Washington understand the most pressing issues facing local communities,” said Buscaino. “I am proud to have Mireya Turner join NLC's Community and Economic Development committee on behalf of her residents. Together, with a team of local officials from across the country, we will strengthen the federal-local partnership, and ultimately create stronger cities, towns and villages.”

The leadership of this year’s committee will consist of Chair Kevin Thompson, councilmember for Mesa, Arizona; Vice Chair Kristopher Dahir, councilman for Sparks, Nevada; and Vice Chair
Emmett Jordan, mayor, Greenbelt, Maryland.

For more information on NLC’s federal advocacy committees, visit www.nlc.org/advocacy/committees.

On Monday, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced two $50,000 rewards for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the perpetrators of two unsolved murders in Sacramento and Fresno.

These are part of the governor’s crime tip reward program under Penal Code § 1547.

The law allows the governor to offer a reward of up to $50,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of perpetrators for certain unsolved crimes, and up to $100,000 for certain crimes against first responders or for arson upon a place of worship.

Additionally, the governor may issue the reward only upon a recommendation from law enforcement officials.

The governor’s reward program continues to offer $50,000 for information leading to a conviction in the October 2002 murder of Barbara LaForge in downtown Lakeport.

Regarding the two new rewards announced on Monday, the first is for the case of Anthony Barajas from Sacramento.

On the morning of June 28, 2015, Barajas, 20, was in his car in the parking lot of Home Depot on Meadowview Road following a short trip to the store with his younger brother when he was shot in the chest by a passing car. He was transported to the hospital and pronounced dead.

Investigators obtained what they believe to be possible surveillance footage of the unidentified suspect vehicle but have exhausted all existing leads.

Barajas had no prior criminal history and no motive for his shooting has been identified. A $50,000 reward is being offered for information leading to an arrest and conviction in this case.

If anyone has any information on this case, they are asked to call the Sacramento Police Department, Office of Investigations at 916-808-0650.

Additionally, a $50,000 reward is being offered for information in the murder of Sarah Roberts.

On New Year’s Eve 2011, Roberts, 26, was shot as she walked away from a party in Central Fresno.

The mother of two young children was shot while she was on the phone and waiting outside near a party she was attending.

Roberts was found unconscious by her brother and taken to the hospital where she died from her injuries.

Investigators do not believe Roberts was an intended victim and think she may have been caught in the exchange of rival gang gunfire.

Anyone with information on this case is asked to call Lt. Mark Hudson at the Fresno Police Department at 559-259-2909.

For more information on the Governor’s Reward Program, click here.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake County marked another strong month for employment in November, according to the latest report from the California Employment Development Department.

In November, Lake County’s jobless rate was 4.5 percent, tying for the fourth-lowest rate recorded over the past 29 years. The county’s November 2018 unemployment rate was 4.9 percent.

Lake County had its lowest rate in the past three decades – 3.7 percent – in September, as Lake County News has reported.

November’s rate ties with August, also at 4.5 percent. In October, the county recorded a 4.1-percent rate and 4.2 percent in May.

Lake County’s November jobless rate ranks it No. 36 of California’s 58 counties.

Neighboring county jobless rates for November are: Colusa, 10.5 percent; Glenn, 4.7 percent; Mendocino, 3.4 percent; Napa, 2.6 percent; Sonoma, 2.4 percent; and Yolo, 3.6 percent, the report said.

For California as a whole, the report said unemployment remained at a record low of 3.9 percent in November, after registering the same rate in October. State unemployment was 4.1 percent in November 2018.

The federal Bureau of Labor Statistics said the November nationwide unemployment rate was 3.5 percent, down from 3.6 percent in October and 3.7 percent in November 2018.

Across California, the Employment Development Department said employers added 28,400 nonfarm payroll jobs in November, contributing to a record job expansion in California of 117 months, surpassing the long expansion of the 1960s.

California has gained 3,414,700 jobs since the expansion began in February 2010, accounting for more than 15 percent of the nation’s 22,537,000 job gain over the same timeframe, the Employment Development Department said.

Total nonfarm jobs in California’s 11 major industries totaled 17,604,300 in November. The state said total nonfarm jobs increased by 321,800 jobs, a 1.9-percent increase, from November 2018 to November 2019 compared to the U.S. annual gain of 2,204,000 jobs, a 1.5-percent increase.

A monthly federal survey of 5,100 California households which focuses on workers in the economy estimated that the number of Californians holding jobs in November was 18,730,500, an increase of 53,700 from October and up 22,700 from the employment total in November of last year.

The number of unemployed Californians was 761,700 in November, a decrease of 3,700 over the month and down by 39,800 compared with November of last year, based on the survey.

In November, there were 293,595 people receiving Unemployment Insurance benefits during the survey week in November compared to 260,709 in October and 261,022 people in November 2018.

Concurrently, 49,436 people filed new claims in November which was a month-over increase of 10,035 people, the Employment Development Department reported.

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. – As a new year approaches, the California Highway Patrol said all motorists can resolve to celebrate safely.

The CHP is reminding everyone to buckle up, avoid distractions while behind the wheel, and have a plan in place if you intend to consume alcohol or other intoxicating substances.

The agency will start off the year with a New Year’s Day Maximum Enforcement Period, or MEP, during which it will be deploying all available personnel from 6:01 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 31, to 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 1.

The CHP said it will focus on impaired drivers, but officers will also watch for distracted driving, speeding and seat belt violations.

“As always, our officers will be at the service of motorists in need of assistance,” the agency reported.

The CHP reported that during its 30-hour-long Christmas Day Maximum Enforcement Period, 10 people were killed in collisions in California and more than half of the victims killed were not wearing a seat belt.

Additionally, CHP officers made 271 arrests for driving under the influence during the Christmas MEP.

To help keep the roadways safe during the New Year’s holiday, the CHP is joining forces with five other Western states with the slogan, “No safe place for impaired drivers,” to crack down on drunk and drugged driving for the coming holiday weekend.

In partnership with the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, the state patrols of Arizona, California, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon and Washington will work as a Western States Traffic Safety Coalition to place special emphasis on the enforcement of drug-impaired driving.

The states will jointly stress that driving under the influence means drugs as well as alcohol in their educational efforts.

According to data from the CHP’s Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System, during the 2018 New Year’s MEP, which was 102 hours in length, at least 25 people were killed and 270 others were injured in collisions involving impaired drivers on California roadways.

In addition, CHP officers made 1,140 arrests for impaired driving during the same period.

“Please make smart choices this holiday season. Driving while impaired can have tragic results,” CHP Commissioner Warren Stanley said. “Whether impaired by alcohol or drugs, the result can lead to arrest, injury, or death. Either way, the impact will be life-altering.”

The CHP said there is no reason to place yourself behind the wheel while impaired. Have a plan. Public transportation, taxis, ride-sharing, or a designated sober friend or family member are the safe options.

The mission of the CHP is to provide the highest level of safety, service and security.

 

The most destructive and costliest wildfire in California’s history, the Camp Fire, killed 85 people and destroyed nearly 19,000 structures in November 2018. A year later, crews were still collecting and carrying away piles of wood, metals, appliances, contaminated soil, toxic household chemicals, and other debris and waste totaling more than 3.2 million metric tons – roughly the weight of 2 million cars.

Hurricane Michael, which hit Florida in October 2018, left about 13 million cubic meters of debris. To visualize what that looks like, picture a pile of 13 million boxes, each the size of a washer and dryer. More than a year later, crews were still removing the waste.

Dealing with enormous quantities of debris and waste materials is one of the most significant challenges for communities in the wake of natural disasters. Often this task overwhelms local waste managers, leaving waste untouched for weeks, months or even years.

As researchers who study urban engineering, disaster management and planning, and waste management, we see this as a critical and under-studied problem. Disasters will continue to happen and the losses they cause will continue to grow as a result of climate change, population growth, urbanization, deforestation and aging infrastructures. Societies urgently need better strategies for dealing with the wastes these events leave behind.

Trails of wreckage

Climate-related disasters like floods, landslides, storms, wildfires, and extreme hot and cold waves afflict millions of people around the world. These events have been increasing over time, particularly over the past several decades, and so have the losses they cause.

In 2018, at least 300 major natural disasters wreaked havoc worldwide, including 14 billion-dollar disasters in the United States alone. Through November 2019, 276 such events had occurred worldwide, with multiple billion-dollar disasters in the U.S.

Disasters commonly produce thousands to millions of tons of debris in a single event. For example, waste from hurricanes includes vegetation, such as trees and shrubs; municipal solid waste, such as household garbage; construction and demolition materials; vehicles; and household hazardous materials, including paints, cleaning agents, pesticides and pool chemicals.

Debris from wildfires largely consists of ash, contaminated soils, metal and concrete, along with other structural debris and household hazardous items such as paints, cleaners, solvents, oils, batteries, herbicides and pesticides.

Dangerous and in the way

Debris collection and cleanup following a disaster is a slow, expensive and dangerous process. First, crews clear out debris from roads used for rescue efforts. They then move the material to temporary storage areas. No one has yet invented a way to easily sort or contain hazardous materials, so they remain mixed into the debris mass. This poses major challenges for reusing and recycling post-disaster waste.

Beyond direct health and safety risks, debris also threatens the environment. It can emit air pollutants and contaminate groundwater, surface waters and soil. Uncollected debris and waste can hamper rescue and recovery efforts and slow down rebuilding efforts.

As an example, when Hurricane Katrina flooded New Orleans in 2005, it left behind an estimated 75 million cubic meters of waste that interfered with and slowed down recovery efforts. The debris included close to 900,000 white goods, such as refrigerators, 350,000 cars and more than 16,000 metric tons of rotten meat. Cleanup costs were estimated at roughly US$4 billion.

Toward reusing disaster waste

At an expert workshop that we organized in May 2019, we identified steps for sustainably managing disaster debris and waste. As we see it, the key tasks are to (1) identify what is contained in these wastes; (2) find better approaches to recycling and reuse; (3) design new technologies to identify hazardous components and sort the different types of waste; and (4) develop markets to promote reuse and recycling.

Today public officials and planners know little about the amount and types of materials generated during disasters – what they contain, in what proportions, whether they are large and sortable versus fine and mixed, and how much can be reused or recycled. Developing new technologies and management approaches that can assist debris characterization, reuse and recycling should be a top priority.

For example, drones and autonomous sensing technologies can be combined with artificial intelligence to estimate amounts and quality of debris, the types of materials it contains and how it can be repurposed rapidly. Technologies that allow for fast sorting and separation of mixed materials can also speed up debris management operations.

Turning the problem around, creating new sustainable construction materials – especially in disaster-prone areas – will make it easier to repurpose debris after disasters.

Finally, new business models can help generate demand for and access to waste and recycled products. With proper sorting, some disaster materials can be used to make new products or materials. For example, downed whole trees can become timber resources for furniture makers. Today, opportunities to match materials with markets are wasted – pun intended.

[ Deep knowledge, daily. Sign up for The Conversation’s newsletter. ]

Sybil Derrible, Associate Professor of Sustainable Infrastructure Systems, University of Illinois at Chicago; Juyeong Choi, Assistant Professor, Florida A&M University-Florida State University College of Engineering, Florida State University, and Nazli Yesiller, Director, Global Waste Research Institute, California Polytechnic State University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake County Animal Care continues to offer three adult cats for adoption this week.

The following cats and kittens at the Lake County Animal Care and Control shelter have been cleared for adoption.

Male domestic longhair

This male domestic longhair has a lynx point coat and blue eyes.

He is in cat room kennel No. 116, ID No. 13365.

‘Oreo’

“Oreo” is a female domestic short hair with an all-black coat and green eyes.

She has been spayed.

She is in cat room kennel No. 121, ID No. 13312.

Female domestic longhair

This female domestic longhair cat has a tortie coat and gold eyes.

She is in cat room kennel No. 142, ID No. 13347.

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.

Visit the shelter online at http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Animal_Care_And_Control.htm.

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.