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Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa, announced legislation that would enhance wildfire prevention in California through implementation of a $20 million prescribed fire claims fund.

“We know fighting fire with fire is one of the most effective means of prevention, which is why I wrote the law to encourage greater use of this wildfire prevention technique last year,” Sen. Dodd said. “This new proposal continues our efforts to encourage greater use of prescribed fire by ensuring those who practice this time-tested technique can have some protection from any unintended costs.”

Prescribed fire, also known as controlled burning, has been used for centuries to clear tinder-dry trees and brush that are known to fuel runaway wildfires.

Rarely do prescribed fires escape their bounds and cause damage to neighboring properties. If they do, Sen. Dodd’s new bill would establish a fund to help cover costs.

It is a follow-up to Senate Bill 332, written by Sen. Dodd and signed into law last year, which protects landowners and prescribed fire managers from having to pay fire suppression expenses unless they have acted with gross negligence.

Sen. Dodd’s new bill is sponsored by The Nature Conservancy.

“The science tells us that greater use of prescribed fire is a critical step to protecting communities from catastrophic wildfire,” said Michael Wara, director of the Climate and Energy Policy program at Stanford University. “Sen. Dodd has been a leading advocate for smart, careful use of prescribed fire. This bill creates a structure that will allow landowners and prescribed burners to feel more comfortable using this important tool, knowing that if unintentional harm occurs, there are funds to make people whole.”

“This claims fund is the lynchpin of all the other prescribed fire efforts we’ve been working on,” said Lenya N. Quinn-Davidson, fire director of University of California Cooperative Extension and director of Northern California Prescribed Fire Council. “With this bill, Sen. Dodd is proposing an equitable, effective approach to rolling out the fund. We are so grateful for his continued efforts to promote and expedite this important work.”

Dodd represents the Third Senate District, which includes all or portions of Napa, Solano, Yolo, Sonoma, Contra Costa and Sacramento counties.
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NORTH‌‌ ‌‌COAST, ‌‌ ‌‌Calif. ‌‌— ‌Caltrans‌‌ ‌‌reports‌‌ ‌‌that‌‌ ‌‌the‌‌ ‌‌following‌‌ ‌‌road‌‌ ‌‌projects‌‌ ‌‌will‌‌ ‌‌be‌‌ ‌‌taking‌‌ ‌‌place‌‌ ‌‌‌around‌‌ ‌‌the‌‌ ‌‌North‌‌ ‌‌Coast‌‌ ‌‌during‌‌ ‌‌the‌‌ ‌‌coming‌‌ ‌‌week. ‌‌ ‌‌‌ ‌
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Included‌‌ ‌‌are‌‌ ‌‌Mendocino‌‌ ‌‌County‌‌ ‌‌projects‌‌ ‌‌that‌‌ ‌‌may‌‌ ‌‌impact‌‌ ‌‌Lake‌‌ ‌‌County‌‌ ‌‌commuters, as well as work in Del Norte and Humboldt counties.
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Caltrans‌‌ ‌‌advises‌‌ ‌‌motorists‌‌ ‌‌to‌‌ ‌‌drive‌‌ ‌‌with‌‌ ‌‌caution‌‌ ‌‌when‌‌ ‌‌approaching‌‌ ‌‌work‌‌ ‌‌areas‌‌ ‌‌and‌‌ ‌‌to‌‌ ‌‌be‌‌ ‌‌‌prepared‌‌ ‌‌to‌‌ ‌‌stop‌‌ ‌‌at‌‌ ‌‌traffic‌‌ ‌‌control‌‌ ‌‌stations. ‌‌ ‌‌‌ ‌
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The‌‌ ‌‌Caltrans‌‌ ‌‌Traffic‌‌ ‌‌Operations‌‌ ‌‌Office‌‌ ‌‌has‌‌ ‌‌reviewed‌‌ ‌‌each‌‌ ‌‌project‌‌ ‌‌and‌‌ ‌‌determined‌‌ ‌‌that‌‌ ‌‌individual‌‌ ‌‌‌project‌‌ ‌‌delays‌‌ ‌‌are‌‌ ‌‌expected‌‌ ‌‌to‌‌ ‌‌be‌‌ ‌‌less‌‌ ‌‌than‌‌ ‌‌the‌‌ ‌‌statewide‌‌ ‌‌policy‌‌ ‌‌maximum‌‌ ‌‌of‌‌ ‌‌30‌‌ ‌‌minutes‌‌ ‌‌unless‌‌ ‌‌‌noted‌‌ ‌‌otherwise. ‌‌ ‌‌‌ ‌‌‌ ‌

For‌‌ ‌‌updates‌‌ ‌‌to‌‌ ‌‌this‌‌ ‌‌list‌‌ ‌‌check‌‌ ‌‌QuickMap‌‌ ‌‌at‌‌ ‌‌‌www.dot.ca.gov‌‌‌ or‌‌ ‌‌1-800-GAS-ROAD‌‌ ‌‌‌(1-800-427-7623). ‌‌ ‌‌‌ ‌

LAKE‌‌ ‌‌COUNTY‌‌ ‌‌‌ ‌
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Highway‌‌ ‌‌20

— Paving work west of Upper Lake near Saratoga Springs Road will continue. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays. Motorists should anticipate 10-minute delays.

— Bridge work continues at Cache Creek. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.

Highway‌‌ ‌‌29

— Bridge work will occur south of Hidden Valley at Putah Creek. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. Motorists should expect five-minute delays.

— Bridge work continues south of Lower Lake near the Siegler Creek Bridge. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. Motorists should expect five-minute delays.

— Bridge work will continue south of Upper Lake near Scotts Creek. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 5 p.m. to 7 a.m. Motorists should expect five-minute delays.

Highway 53

— Bridge work continues south of Clear Lake at Cache Creek. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. Motorists should expect five-minute delays.

Highway 175

— Utility work will occur in Cobb near Humboldt Road on Wednesday, Feb. 9. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Motorists should expect five-minute delays.

MENDOCINO COUNTY

Highway 1

— Utility work will occur north of Albion near River Airport Road on Wednesday, Feb. 9. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.

Highway 20

— Emergency work continues south of Willits at the Jct 20/101 Bridge. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 6:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. weekdays. Motorists should expect 10-minute delays.

Highway 101

— Slide removal at Pieta Creek Bridge will continue. Northbound Lane closures will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.

— Paving work at Talmage Road in Ukiah is scheduled for Sunday, Feb. 6. The southbound offramp will be closed from 5 a.m. to noon. Motorists should use an alternate route when necessary.

— Moss Cove Safety Rest Area will be closed through March 2022.

— Empire Camp Safety Rest Area will be closed through March 2022.

— Tree work south of Confusion Hill will begin on Thursday, Feb. 10. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Motorists should expect five-minute delays.

— Utility work north of Leggett will occur on Friday, Feb. 11. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Motorists should expect five-minute delays.

Highway 271

— Utility work will occur west of Cummings on Monday, Feb. 7. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Motorists should expect five-minute delays.

— Tree work will begin in Leggett on Monday, Feb. 7. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Motorists should expect five-minute delays.

— Tree work continues south of Piercy. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Motorists should expect five-minute delays.

DEL NORTE COUNTY

Highway 101

— Bridge work north of Klamath near Old Hunter Creek Road will continue. One-way traffic control will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate 10-minute delays.

— Emergency work and construction in the Last Chance Grade area will continue. Motorists should anticipate 30-minute delays at all hours.

— Shoulder work near Ocean World in Crescent City will continue. Lane closures in place from 6:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. weekdays. Motorists should expect minor slowdowns through the area.

HUMBOLDT COUNTY

Highway 36

— PG&E has been granted a Caltrans Encroachment Permit for utility work east of Grizzly Creek Redwoods State Park on Wednesday, Feb. 9. Areas of one-way traffic control will be in effect from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Motorists should expect a total of five-minute delays.

Highway 96

— Emergency work near Willow Creek will continue. One-way traffic control will be in effect between 7 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. Motorists should expect 20-minute delays.

Highway 101

— Bridge work south of Phillipsville will continue. Lane closures will be in effect weekdays. Motorists should anticipate minor traffic slowdowns. A northbound onramp closure will also be in effect. Motorists should use an alternate route.

— Maintenance work north of O Street in Eureka will continue. A southbound lane restriction will be in effect from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays. Motorists should expect minor delays.

— Maintenance work at the 299 junction will begin Sunday, Feb. 6. Lane closures will be in effect from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. Motorists should expect minor traffic slowdowns. In the event ramps may be closed, motorists should follow signage to an alternate route.

Highway 254

— Utility work near Phillipsville will occur on Monday, Feb. 7. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Motorists should expect five-minute delays.

Highway 255

— Work near the 101 junction in Eureka is scheduled to begin Monday, Feb. 7. A southbound lane closure will be in effect from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Motorists should expect minor traffic slowdowns.

— Utility work near Manila will continue. One-way traffic will be in effect from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays. Motorists should expect 10-minute delays.

Highway 299

— Emergency repairs east of Blue Lake to Willow Creek to continue. One-way traffic control in effect 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Motorists should expect 15-minute delays.
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Sheriff Brian Martin. Courtesy photo.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The Lake County Wine Auction has announced that Sheriff Brian Martin will be the 2022 Lake County Wine Auction auctioneer.

Sheriff Martin is a strong advocate for community organizations and is looking forward to helping raise funds to support the community organizations vital work within the county.

“Lake County has a long history of its residents taking care of one another. Community organizations are a major component in delivering much needed services and programs and I’m looking forward to being a part of this year’s fundraiser to support this worthy effort,” Martin said.

The 2021 Wine Auction generated $250,000 for local organizations and the five county high schools.

This year’s event will take place on Sept. 17 at the Mercantile by Shannon Family of Wines in Kelseyville. Tickets can be purchased here.
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NORTH COAST, Calif. — The Area Agency on Aging, or AAA, of Lake & Mendocino Counties PSA 26 will conduct a public hearing to accept comments on the 2020-2024 Area Plan Update.

The plan sets forth goals and objectives to address needs of older adults and people with disabilities in Lake and Mendocino counties.

The AAA is interested in receiving comments from older adults, persons with disabilities, family caregivers, agencies, and advocacy groups serving these individuals, as well as other interested parties.

Copies of the plan’s goals and objectives will be available at the hearing and the entire plan for 2020-2024 can be accessed here.

The hearing will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday, March 10, via Zoom.

For more information or to RSVP, please contact AAA at 707-995-3744 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
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In response to federal rules requiring states to collect overpaid unemployment benefits, California joined all states, U.S. territories and the District of Columbia in urging the federal government to relax federal mandates and waive overpayments when the payment was not the claimant’s fault.

“California is asking the federal government to waive overpayments for those who received federal benefits through no fault of their own,” said California Employment Department Director Nancy Farias. “We need to continue supporting those who struggled during this pandemic.”

Federal law requires those who were paid benefits when ineligible to return those funds.

States can waive these overpayments if a claimant was not at fault, however determining fault remains challenging given the complexity of the unprecedented emergency federal programs and their multiple changes and federal extensions.

For example, some claimants were unsure whether income verification required supplying gross or net income.

In response to this situation, California joined the National Association of State Workforce Agencies and every state in the country to urge Congress to waive non-fraudulent pandemic unemployment compensation overpayments:

“As a result of numerous changes in guidance from the U.S. Department of Labor since the original passage of the CARES Act, in addition to the eligibility changes brought about in the Continued Assistance Act, many individuals who received pandemic UI assistance are now seeing their benefits changed to overpayments — requiring them to repay these funds, which they received through no fault of their own. A current and consistent waiver process is not available in all states and federal action is necessary to prevent further hardships on these individuals,” the states’ letter to Congress said. “We request Congress to allow states to waive all non-fraudulent PUA, PEUC and MEUC overpayments, including FPUC, to prevent further economic hardship on these individuals,” the letter added.

In the letter, states also ask to be held harmless for any good faith effort to recover payments under the Federal Emergency Management Administration’s Lost Wages Assistance program administered in 2020. States also seek further extensions of interest payment waivers on federal advances to states.

The California Employment Development Department is not collecting federal pandemic program overpayments at this time. Instead, it is in the first phase of a multi-step process of notifying and reminding claimants of federal requirements before any collection effort would begin. In cases where a claimant was overpaid through no fault of their own (and without fraud), EDD will offer opportunities to have the overpayment waived by showing financial hardship.

Further details about that process will continue to post on the EDD website. In addition, claimants always have a right to appeal.

While California currently has little discretion regarding the collection of overpayments, EDD continues to offer as much flexibility as possible. For example, individuals can use multiple documents and methods to meet the federal requirement to prove eligibility for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance.

EDD is continually working with its federal partners to identify any additional federal program flexibilities that can be deployed to protect the rights of claimants and meet the state’s requirement to implement these federal programs.

Regardless of how the federal government responds to California’s requests, EDD will continue to seek prosecution in cases involving criminal fraud.
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Rep. Congressman John Garamendi (D-CA) touted a comprehensive new guide from the Biden Administration to help California communities navigate all of the historic investments under the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

This guidebook, available here, highlights how local communities can take full advantage of urgently-needed infrastructure funding for road maintenance, expanded public transit, airport upgrades and other critical projects.

“After decades of underinvestment, our crumbling infrastructure is weakening our economy and forcing Californians to pay the price,” said Rep. Garamendi. “I was proud to vote for President Biden’s historic Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and secure funding to invest in our communities, create good-paying union jobs and position our state for the future. Now, I am committed to working with local leaders to ensure that these funds are put to work in California as quickly as possible, helping to complete essential infrastructure projects. The Administration’s new guide book will be an essential resource for Californian communities as we work together to bring home our share of these transformational investments and continue building on the past year’s historic economic recovery.”

The landmark Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, signed by President Biden in November 2021, makes long-overdue investments to repair, upgrade and maintain California’s roads, bridges, public transit, airports, water systems and other long-neglected infrastructure.

California received a C- grade on its Infrastructure Report Card from the American Society of Civil Engineers, facing deficiencies that require immediate attention – many of which have been worsened by construction delays, funding lapses and rising consumer demand caused by the pandemic.

The administration’s new guidebook provides key information on all available funding in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, totaling more than 350 distinct programs supporting a wide range of infrastructure projects.

This guide outlines eligibility criteria, application deadlines and contact information, as well as additional resources to help navigate these programs.

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