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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — Lake County Animal Care and Control has many summer kittens waiting for homes.
The kittens and cats at the shelter that are shown on this page have been cleared for adoption.
Call Lake County Animal Care and Control at 707-263-0278 or visit the shelter online for information on visiting or adopting.
The shelter is located at 4949 Helbush in Lakeport.
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- Written by: LAKE COUNTY NEWS REPORTS
Valley fever, also known as coccidioidomycosis or “cocci,” is caused by a fungus that grows in the soil and dirt in some areas of California.
Valley fever is named after the San Joaquin Valley of California where it is most common. It can cause symptoms that look like COVID-19 or flu. Valley fever can also cause serious lung infections like pneumonia.
People who live, work, go to school, or travel in areas where Valley fever is common are at risk of becoming sick.
Although most people with Valley fever get better on their own and don’t need treatment, for some people it can become severe, chronic, or even fatal without care.
As part of its mission to protect the health of all Californians, the California Department of Public Health, or CDPH, is reminding California residents and visitors that Valley fever risk remains high in 2025.
While Valley fever can occur at any time of the year, most people who get Valley fever breathe in the fungus in the late summer and fall and then get sick one to three weeks later.
“California had a record year for Valley fever in 2024 and, so far, case counts are high in 2025. Valley fever is a serious illness that’s here to stay in California. We want to remind Californians, travelers to California, and their healthcare providers to watch for signs and symptoms of Valley fever to help detect it early," said CDPH Director and State Public Health Officer Dr. Erica Pan. “If you have been sick with symptoms like cough, fever, trouble breathing, and tiredness for more than 7 to 10 days, please talk to a healthcare provider about Valley fever, especially if you've been outdoors in dusty air in the Central Valley or Central Coast regions."
Valley fever is on the rise in California with over 5,500 provisional cases reported through the first six months of 2025.
In 2024, California reported nearly 12,500 cases, the highest year on record for California and a significant jump from the 7,000-9,000 cases reported annually from 2017 through 2023.
Rates of Valley fever continue to be highest in the southern San Joaquin Valley region of California, but cases have been increasing in other areas such as the northern Central Valley and the Central Coast.
Research suggests the rise and spread of Valley fever may be linked to changes in climate. Wet winters after droughts help the fungus grow, and dry, windy weather in the following summer and fall can help the fungus get into the air. Increases in dirt-disturbing activities, like construction in high-risk areas, may also contribute to more Valley fever being reported.
What you can do: People and pets can get Valley fever by breathing in dust from outdoor air that contains the Valley fever fungus. Valley fever is not contagious and cannot spread from one person or animal to another.
If you live, work, go to school, or travel in areas where Valley fever is common, some practical tips to reduce your chances of getting Valley fever include:
•When it is windy outside and the air is dusty, stay indoors and keep windows and doors closed.
•When driving through a dusty area, keep car windows closed and use recirculating air, if possible.
• Before digging, wet down soil and dirt to prevent stirring up dust into the air.
• Consider wearing a properly fitted N95 respirator (mask) if you must be in dusty air outdoors in these areas.
Valley fever can be difficult to prevent. Valley fever can also be hard to recognize and diagnose because it can look like other common respiratory infections. Know the signs and symptoms.
Consider asking your doctor or healthcare provider about Valley fever if you are concerned, especially if you have:
• Symptoms like cough, fever, night sweats, trouble breathing, chest pain, and exhaustion for more than 7-10 days
• Lived, worked, gone to school, or traveled in areas where Valley fever is common in the weeks or months before getting sick
• Been around a lot of dirt or dust outdoors, including working outdoors, in the weeks or months before getting sick. Outdoor work can include construction, agricultural work, and wildland firefighting (which may involve digging and moving soil to control fires during fire season).
Only a doctor or healthcare provider can diagnose someone with Valley fever (which usually involves blood tests or other laboratory tests) or determine if a person needs treatment for Valley fever. Patients with severe Valley fever may require hospitalization and may experience lifelong symptoms. In some cases, Valley fever can be fatal.
Even young, healthy people can get sick with Valley fever, but certain factors can increase a person's risk of getting severe Valley fever including being an older adult (60+ years old), having diabetes or a condition that weakens the immune system, or being pregnant. People who are Black or Filipino also have been noted to have a higher risk of severe disease from Valley fever, which may relate to underlying health conditions, health inequities, or other causes.
Know your risk and ask your doctor or healthcare provider about Valley fever if you are concerned. For more information on Valley fever, please visit CDPH's Valley fever website.
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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — Firefighters on Sunday stopped a fast-moving wildland fire near Lower Lake that at one point triggered evacuations.
The Sky fire began shortly before 3 p.m. Sunday at Sky High Ridge Road and Morgan Valley Road.
Initial reports said it was burning in grass and moving into brush, with a rapid rate of spread.
Lake County Fire Protection District and Cal Fire were in unified command on the incident, and Cal Fire brought in air resources such as air attack, tankers and helicopters that worked with dozers, engines and crews.
Some resources from the Pickett fire in Napa County were redirected to the Sky fire at one point, according to radio traffic.
Evacuation warnings and orders in the immediate vicinity were in effect for a short time on Sunday afternoon.
By early Sunday evening, the fire had burned just under 19 acres and was 80% contained.
Cal Fire said in a Sunday evening report on social media that firefighters were continuing to work on strengthening containment lines and putting out hotspots.
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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The Board of Supervisors is set to discuss a major south county resort project and a community appeal of the Lake County Planning Commission’s approval of a biochar facility on county-owned property in Upper Lake.
The board will meet beginning at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 26, in the board chambers on the first floor of the Lake County Courthouse, 255 N. Forbes St., Lakeport.
The meeting can be watched live on Channel 8, online at https://countyoflake.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx and on the county’s Facebook page. Accompanying board documents, the agenda and archived board meeting videos also are available at that link.
To participate in real-time, join the Zoom meeting by clicking this link.
The meeting ID is 865 3354 4962, pass code 726865. The meeting also can be accessed via one tap mobile at +16694449171,,86533544962#,,,,*726865#. The meeting can also be accessed via phone at 669 900 6833.
At 9:30 a.m., the board will hold a public hearing to consider Upper Lake resident Larry Kahn’s appeal of the Planning Commission’s approval of Scotts Valley Energy’s biochar facility on a county owned property at 755 East State Highway 20, Upper Lake.
The appeal has been held over from previously scheduled hearings on May 20 and June 17.
The county agreed to lease the company, owned by the Scotts Valley Pomo, the property for the forest wood processing bioenergy project.
Community members have raised numerous concerns about the project, from health impacts to its location close to the town, the project’s planning, as well as whether it can be located on property paid for by grants.
At 1 p.m., the board will consider the Planning Commission’s recommendation to approve the proposed development agreement, zoning ordinance amendment, general plan map amendment, general plan text amendment, rezones, general plan of development and consideration of a water supply assessment for the Guenoc Valley mixed-use planned development project.
The Guenoc Valley Mixed Use Planned Development Project is a luxury destination that at full buildout will include up to 400 hotel rooms, 450 resort residential units, 1,400 residential estates and 500 workforce co-housing units on a portion of the 16,000-acre, 82-parcel Guenoc property.
The full agenda follows.
CONSENT AGENDA
5.1: Approve the third amendment to the 2019 agreement between the city of Clearlake, city of Lakeport and the county of Lake for operation of a local public, educational, governmental (PEG) cable television channel, with amendments including extension of the term through June 30, 2030, and authorize the chair to sign.
5.2: Adopt resolution amending Resolution 2025-76 establishing position allocations for fiscal year 2025-26 to conform to the recommended budget and approve salary grade adjustments based on findings from the 2024 compensation study.
5.3: Adopt resolution amending Resolution 2025-72 establishing salaries and benefits for management employees for the period of July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2029.
5.4: Adopt resolution approving Agreement No. 24-0680-047-SF with the California Department of Food and Agriculture for the European Grapevine Moth Detection Program for $19,562 for the period of July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026.
5.5: Adopt proclamation designating the month of September 2025 as National Recovery Month in Lake County.
5.6: Approve agreement between the county of Lake — Lake County Behavioral Health Services as lead agency for the Lake County Continuum of Care — and Adventist Health Clear Lake Hospital Inc. in the amount of $184,000 for the period of June 1, 2025, through Oct. 31, 2026, and authorize the chair to sign.
5.7: (a) Approve Amendment No. 2 to services contract between the county of Lake and Mitchell Hauptman for indigent defense services and authorize the board chair to sign; and (b) approve Amendment No. 2 to services contract between the county of Lake and William Conwell for indigent defense services and authorize the board chair to sign.
5.8: Approve first amendment to contract between the county of Lake and Chabot-Las Positas Community College District (CLPCCD) for Title IV-E training, in the amount of $1 million per fiscal year from July 1, 2024, to June 30, 2027, and authorize the chair to sign.
TIMED ITEMS
6.2, 9:03 a.m.: Pet of the Week.
6.3, 9:05 a.m.: Presentation of proclamation designating the month of September 2025 as National Recovery Month in Lake County.
6.4, 9:07 a.m.: Consideration of lighting the Lake County Superior Courthouse in purple in recognition and honor of International Overdose Awareness Day.
6.5, 9:15 a.m.: Public hearing, consideration of resolution approving Resolution No. 2025-5 submitted by Northshore Fire Protection District and making findings and requesting the county of Lake to implement fire mitigation fees with automatic inflation pursuant to the Lake County Fire Mitigation Fee Ordinance, fiscal year 2025-26 (continued from Aug. 5 and 19, 2025).
6.6, 9:30 a.m.: Public hearing, consideration of appeal (PL-25-22; AB 24-06) of the Planning Commission's approval of major use permit (UP 23-05) and initial study (IS 23-10) for the AG Forest Wood Processing Bioenergy Project, located at 755 East State Highway 20, Upper Lake (APN 004-010-04). Appellant: Larry Kahn (continued from May 20 and June 17, 2025).
6.7, 1 p.m.: Consideration of Planning Commission recommendations of proposed development agreement (DA 24-01), zoning ordinance amendment (AM 24-01), general plan map amendment (GPAP 24-01, Guenoc Valley site), general plan text amendment (GPAP 24-02), rezone (RZ 24-01, Santa Clara, Middletown housing site), general plan of development (GPD 24-01), rezone (RZ 24-02); and consideration of a water supply assessment for the Guenoc Valley mixed-use planned development project at multiple locations.
NON-TIMED ITEMS
7.2: Consideration of appointing qualified candidates in lieu of a general district election for the Scotts Valley Water Conservation District under Elections Code Section 10515.
7.3: Consideration of update regarding Public Guardian conservatee “BB.”
CLOSED SESSION
8.1: Public employee evaluation — Special Districts Administrator Robin Borre.
8.2: Closed session item: Conference with legal counsel, existing litigation pursuant to Gov. Code sec. 54956.9 (d)(1) — FERC Proceeding No. P-77, Potter Valley Hydroelectric Project.
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