LAKEPORT, Calif. – A funeral procession and public memorial service are planned this Sunday for “Officer Ronnie” Dekeyser III.

Ronnie, 11, died on Monday after a lengthy battle with an inoperable brain tumor.

He was made an honorary Lakeport Police officer last October, as Lake County News has reported.

His family reported that his memorial service will be held at one of his favorite places, the Lakeport Speedway, located at the Lake County Fairgrounds at 401 Martin St.

The service begins at 1 p.m. Sunday in the main grandstands.

The Dekeyser family requested that people forgo black and instead wear brightly colored clothing, as Ronnie loved color. Candles and balloons also are welcome.

Lakeport Police Chief Brad Rasmussen said the Lakeport Police Department will lead a law enforcement memorial procession to the public services. He said the procession will begin at 12:30 p.m. in the 1600 block of N. High Street.

Rasmussen said the procession will travel south to Clearlake Avenue, then east to N. Main Street, then south on Main Street to Martin Street before turning west on Martin Street into the Lake County Fairgrounds.

Prior to the start of the procession, the 300 block of 16th Street will be closed to through traffic in order to stage law enforcement and fire vehicles that will be involved in the procession, Rasmussen said.

Rasmussen reported that the closure of 16th Street is expected to last from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

During the procession there will be traffic controls of short duration in the 1700 block of N. High Street, the intersection of N. Main Street and Third Street, and on Martin Street at the fairgrounds, Rasmussen said.

The Lakeport Fire Department, Kelseyville Fire Department, California Highway Patrol and the California State Parks-Law Enforcement-Clear Lake area will be providing assistance during the procession, according to Rasmussen.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – Sheriff’s Narcotics Task Force detectives arrested a Lakeport couple and seized marijuana, methamphetamine, hydrocodone pills and two firearms following a search warrant service Friday.

Carlos Ponce, 31, and 28-year-old Laura Ann Flores were arrested at Ponce's home, according to Lt. Steve Brooks of the Lake County Sheriff's Office.

Brooks said narcotics detectives secured a search warrant for Ponce's person, vehicle and residence, located in the 300 block of 16th Street in Lakeport, on Jan. 17.

At 8:20 a.m. Friday detectives served the warrant at Ponce’s residence, Brooks said.

Detectives announced their presence and the fact they had a search warrant, with no response from inside the home. Brooks said the detectives forced entry into the residence where they located and detained Ponce and Flores, who had with them their 3-year-old child.

During a search of the master bedroom detectives located a plastic bucket filled with processed marijuana, a plastic bag containing approximately 1 pound of processed marijuana and other miscellaneous containers of processed marijuana, Brooks said.

Detectives also located two 12 gauge shotguns and a high capacity drum magazine filled with 12 gauge slugs in the master bedroom closet, according to Brooks.

In the bathroom detectives located a digital scale, 1.8 grams of packaged methamphetamine and a glass meth pipe inside a sweatshirt on the floor, Brooks said. Inside Ponce’s vehicle, detectives found 25 5 milligrams hydrocodone pills inside a plastic bag in the glove box. Detectives also located $504, which was seized pending asset forfeiture proceedings.

Brooks said Ponce and Flores were arrested for possession of a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance while armed, possession of a controlled substance for sale, possession of marijuana for sale and possession of controlled substance paraphernalia.

Narcotics detectives also charged Ponce and Flores with child endangerment due to the methamphetamine located in the bathroom which was easily accessible to the child, Brooks said.

Ponce and Flores were transported to the Lake County Hill Road Correctional Facility and booked. Bail for each was set at $75,000.

The Sheriff’s Narcotics Task Force can be reached through its anonymous tip line at 707-263-3663.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – The Blue Ridge-Berryessa Partnership, a group of regional stakeholders working together to conserve and steward the Blue Ridge-Berryessa Natural Area, will hold a “State of the Region” panel discussion in Napa on Wednesday, Jan. 29.

The panel discussion, which is free and open to the public, will take place from 10 a.m. to noon at the Napa County Library, 580 Coombs St.

Panelists will provide an update on programs and policies affecting the region and reflect on conservation trends and the future of resource management and planning in the region.

The panel consists of staff from local, state and federal resource and land management agencies, including Joshua Bush, wildlife biologist, California Department of Fish and Wildlife; John Woodbury, general manager, Napa County Regional Parks and Open Space District; Jeffery Laird, parks manager; Peggie Brooks, chief of the Recreation Resources Division, Bureau of Reclamation; Richard Burns, field office manager, Bureau of Land Management Ukiah Field Office; Jim Wright, north operations division chief, and Mike Wilson, Sonoma-Lake-Napa division chief of pre-fire planning and vegetation management program, Cal Fire.

Founded in 1997, the partnership provides a forum for the public and private land managers to meet and discuss stewardship activities, interests, and challenges.

The group has since grown to more than 100 members, including federal and state agencies, counties and other public entities, local businesses, nonprofit organizations and conservation-minded landowners – all with the common goal of supporting collaborative stewardship of the natural and working landscape of the Blue Ridge-Berryessa Natural Area.

The Blue Ridge-Berryessa Natural Area is approximately 785,000 acres of the upper Putah and Cache Creek watersheds, both tributaries to the Sacramento River basin.

The area is bounded on the east at the base of the Blue Ridge by the Capay and Sacramento valleys, on the west by the Clear Lake basin and the Napa watershed, on the north by the Mendocino National Forest, and extends south to Interstate 80 in Solano County.

It encompasses portions of Lake, Colusa, Yolo, Napa and Solano counties and is part of the Coast Range ecological zone that extends north into Oregon.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – In just the first three weeks of January, Cal Fire has already responded to a significant increase in wildfires this winter due to the extremely dry conditions.

As a result, Cal Fire officials are reminding residents to ensure they are maintaining 100 feet of defensible space; a reminder that comes several months earlier than normal.

“We are experiencing conditions right now that we would usually see in August,” said Chief Ken Pimlott, Cal Fire director.

“In Southern California we never really transitioned out of fire season and in Northern California we are already in the process of hiring additional seasonal firefighters to augment our permanent firefighters who have been staffing extra fire equipment this winter,” Pimlott said. “We have increased our personnel and now we need the public to make sure they, too, are prepared for early fire season conditions.”

With record low rainfall, the grass and brush across California is tinder dry and ready to burn. Already this year Cal Fire has responded to nearly 300 wildfires that have charred more than 700 acres.

In a normal year the department only responds to about 50 fires that all together would char a little over 100 acres, Cal Fire reported.

Cal Fire said many of those fires were sparked by powered equipment like lawn mowers and weed trimmers.

While maintaining defensible space is critical right now, residents are asked not to use powered equipment outdoors during the heat of the day when it’s dry and windy, and especially on red flag warning days.

Clearance work should be done in the early morning when temperatures are down and humidity is up, to avoid sparking a wildfire. One less spark means one less wildfire.

Here are some tips to creating defensible space:

• Maintain 100 feet of defensible space around all structures.
• Clear all needles and leaves from roofs, eaves and rain gutters.
• Trim branches six feet from the ground.
• Landscape with fire resistant / drought tolerant plants, that require little water
• Remove branches away from roofs and 10 feet from the chimney.
• Use trimming, mowing and powered equipment before 10 a.m., and not on hot, windy days.
• Keep wood piles and flammable materials at least 30 feet from the home.

The increased fire threat has also led officials to suspend outdoor residential landscape debris burning in many areas, including Cal Fire's Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit.

Homeowners should always check with their local Cal Fire station or fire department before burning outdoors.

There are several alternative ways to dispose of trimmed branches and yard clippings including chipping, or taking it to a green waste facility. Residents can check with their local fire safe council for alternative landscape debris disposal programs.

For more information on preparing for wildfires and defensible space visit www.ReadyForWildfire.org .

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – State officials said Friday that the number of confirmed flu-related deaths has once again grown.

Dr. Ron Chapman, director of the California Department of Public Health and state health officer, said the number of confirmed influenza related deaths in the state has increased by 50 to a total of 95 confirmed deaths for the season. Three of the 95 are pediatric deaths.

There are an additional 51 deaths under investigation and not yet confirmed, Chapman said.

“The increasing number of influenza related deaths points to the severity of this flu season,” said Dr. Chapman. “Vaccination is so important, because it continues to be the best defense against the flu.”

Influenza vaccine remains available and there is no widespread shortage of anti-virals for treatment of the flu. While hospitals have seen over the last few weeks an increase in the number of patients hospitalized, there is still bed capacity, Chapman's office reported.

CDPH continues to closely monitor flu activity statewide and related resources.

The 95 confirmed influenza-associated deaths this season have been reported by the following counties: Alameda (3), Contra Costa (3), El Dorado (1), Fresno (5), Humboldt (1), Kern (4), Kings (3), Lassen (1), Long Beach (1), Los Angeles (8), Marin (2), Mendocino (1), Merced (3), Monterey (2), Nevada (1), Orange (4), Riverside (3), Sacramento (10), San Bernardino (7), San Diego (6), San Francisco (1), San Joaquin (3), San Mateo (3), Santa Barbara (1), Santa Clara (7), Santa Cruz (1), Shasta (1), Siskiyou (1), Solano (1), Sonoma (3), Stanislaus (3) and Tulare (1).

The total number of deaths reported for the entire 2012-13 influenza season was 106, according to the state.

Dr. Chapman also noted that in addition to getting vaccinated, it's important to practice good hand washing and other good health habits.

People who are ill should take actions to stop the spread of germs such as:

• While sick, limit contact with others;
• Cover your nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing;
• Wash hands thoroughly with soap and water, or use an alcohol-based rub;
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.

Those at highest risk – the elderly, pregnant women, infants, or those with other health conditions – who show flu symptoms should contact their physician immediately in order to get the most effective treatment, health officials reported. Symptoms include fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, muscle or body aches, headaches and fatigue.

Lake County Public Health, located at 922 Bevins Court in Lakeport, offers vaccinations for $2 from 9 to 11 a.m. Tuesdays, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesdays and 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Thursdays.

For information on local vaccinations contact Lake County Public Health, 707-263-1090 or http://health.co.lake.ca.us/ .

LAKEPORT, Calif. – A Wednesday evening vehicle pursuit ended with the arrests of three Mendocino County residents and the seizure of methamphetamine, marijuana and honey oil.

Sheriff's Narcotics Task Force detectives arrested 55-year-old Randall Wayne Ford and 29-year-old Anthony Aguilar Grayson, both of Ukiah, and Jenna Jo Hatcher, 38, of Redwood Valley, according to Lt. Steve Brooks of the Lake County Sheriff's Office.

Brooks said the pursuit began shortly before 5 p.m. Wednesday.

Sheriff’s Narcotics Task Force members were traveling eastbound on the Nice-Lucerne Cutoff when they observed a white Mazda RX-8 sports car traveling in front of them fail to stop at a stop sign and then pass a vehicle by crossing over the double yellow lines into oncoming traffic, Brooks said.

The detectives activated their emergency lights and siren to conduct an enforcement stop and the vehicle immediately accelerated in an attempt to elude them, according to Brooks.

He said the detectives reported that the Mazda was traveling in excess of 95 miles per hour while crossing the double yellow lines and passing vehicles on a curve in the road.

Detectives also observed a blue bag being thrown from the passenger side window during the pursuit, Brooks said.

The pursuit ended when the vehicle stopped at the end of Pyle Road in Nice. Brooks said the driver, identified as Ford, was immediately detained, as were his passengers, Hatcher and Grayson.

Narcotics detectives recovered the blue bag which was thrown from the vehicle and located approximately three ounces of methamphetamine, Brooks said. In addition, detectives found 96.4 grams of processed marijuana and 35.5 grams of honey oil – or concentrated cannabis – inside the vehicle.

Ford was arrested on felony charges of evading a peace officer, possession of a controlled substance for sale, transportation of a controlled substance, possession of concentrated cannabis, possession of concentrated cannabis for sale and possession of controlled substance paraphernalia, Brooks said.

Brooks said Hatcher and Grayson both were arrested for possession of a controlled substance for sale and possession of concentrated cannabis.

All three were transported to the Lake County Hill Road Correctional Facility and booked, he said.

Ford's bail was set at $35,000, and booking records indicated he was no longer in custody Thursday evening after posting the required portion of bail.

Jail records showed that Hatcher also had an outstanding misdemeanor warrant for her arrest and Grayson had an additional misdemeanor charge of destroying or concealing evidence. Bail for each was set at $25,000, and both posted bail and had been released by Thursday evening.

The Sheriff’s Narcotics Task Force can be reached through its anonymous tip line at 707-263-3663.

Is a sole beneficiary named on a term insurance policy that was purchased by the insured while married entitled to receive all the insurance proceeds?

Not necessarily.

If the deceased insured was either divorced or married then the surviving ex-spouse and/or the surviving spouse may be entitled to a portion of the proceeds even though they are not named as beneficiaries. Let us consider some examples.

With term insurance a death benefit is paid only if the insured dies while the policy is in force. Term insurance, unlike whole life insurance, has no cash surrender value.

First, take a married insured person who names a daughter as the sole beneficiary. The final premium was paid by the insured using the insured’s marital earnings – community property.

Unless the surviving spouse consented in writing to allowing the daughter to be named as the beneficiary on the insured’s policy, the surviving spouse is entitled to one-half of the insurance death proceeds.

Why? Because the last insurance premium was paid using community property, the surviving spouse had an undivided one-half interest in the life insurance proceeds.

If instead the last premium were paid using the insured’s own separate property – such as from an inheritance or from assets acquired before the marriage – then the daughter would receive all the death proceeds.

Why? Now the surviving spouse has no community property interest in the insurance policy as the premium was paid by the deceased spouse’s own separate property.

Second, consider an insured spouse who gets divorced but neglects to remove the ex-spouse as the named death beneficiary on a term life insurance policy executed while both were married.

In California, a decree of dissolution does not automatically nullify the right of an ex-spouse to collect as beneficiary on the other ex-spouse’s life insurance policy; this is unlike with other assets where an ex-spouse who was named (during the marriage) as a designated death beneficiary while married is treated as having predeceased the spouse unless the designation is ratified after the dissolution of marriage.

Thus, an ex-spouse may later collect based a death beneficiary form previously executed by the decedent while they were still married.

This can be avoided if either the insured names a new death beneficiary or the decree of dissolution says that the insured’s ex-spouse loses her expectancy in the life insurance policy.

Third, consider an insured person who divorces, remarries, and names the new spouse as sole beneficiary on a term insurance policy that was renewed after the dissolution of marriage.

Generally, provided the final premium on the term life insurance policy was paid using money unrelated to the prior first marriage then the second spouse as the policy’s sole beneficiary will receive all of the death benefits.

However, if the premiums on the renewed term insurance policy are reduced due to payments that were made from first marriage’s community property then the ex spouse retains an on-going community property interest in the renewed life insurance policy.

Thus, unless the dissolution decree says otherwise, the ex spouse may claim some portion of the death proceeds on the renewed term life insurance even though he or she was not named as a beneficiary and was not even married to the insured at the insured’s death.  

In sum, a surviving spouse, or surviving ex spouse, may have a claim to term insurance proceeds even though he or she was not named as a beneficiary if either community property from their marriage was used to pay the final premium on the term life insurance, or the renewed policy’s premiums were discounted (“capped”) due to payments on the original policy made from community property.

Additional exceptions may also apply.

Dennis A. Fordham, attorney (LL.M. tax studies), is a State Bar Certified Specialist in Estate Planning, Probate and Trust Law. His office is at 870 S. Main St., Lakeport, California. Fordham can be reached by e-mail at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or by phone at 707-263-3235. Visit his Web site at www.dennisfordhamlaw.com .

LOWER LAKE, Calif. – Habitat for Humanity Lake County has received a $150,000 grant from the Home Depot Foundation to pursue its veterans home repair program.

The funds were granted to support Habitat for Humanity's 2014 Repair Corps program, an initiative funded by the Home Depot Foundation to help repair, renovate or construct homes in partnership with US military veterans and their families, the foundation reported.

Home Depot said that Habitat’s Repair Corps program has, to date, partnered with more than 280 veteran families across the United States to repair and improve their homes.

“We are very honored to receive this grant on behalf of all veterans in our community,” said Habitat for Humanity Lake County President Richard Birk.

Last week, Birk traveled to Jacksonville, Fla., to meet with Home Depot representatives and other Habitat for Humanity affiliates from around the nation to discuss best practices for serving veterans and maximizing the funds.

They also considered how volunteer assistance from Team Depot, The Home Depot’s associate-led volunteer force, can be used to have the greatest impact.

Birk, himself a veteran, met with with fellow vet Fred Walker, the Home Depot Foundation's director and chief operations officer, to discuss the particulars of the grant.

The Home Depot Foundation reported that it is donating $2.7 million to the Repair Corps program this year, bringing the total donations to date to $6.2 million.

The foundation said the funds are part of a five-year, $80 million investment it is making with many different organizations to repair and renovate homes and public housing facilities for US veterans.

This is the second grant Habitat for Humanity Lake County has received from the Home Depot Foundation Veterans Home Repair Initiative for the veterans repair program.

In late 2012 the organization received a $75,000 grant to rehabilitate five veterans' residences, as Lake County News has reported.

With this latest round of funding, Birk told Lake County News that they will repair a maximum of 10 homes. “It's for serious repairs,” he said.

Birk said the repair work Habitat for Humanity performs on the homes runs the gamut from installing wheelchair ramps and widening doors, to roofing, and heating and electrical issues.

In the case of local Korean War vet Robert “Scotty” Veitch, Habitat's improvements on his home included installation of a wheelchair ramp, and widening the hallway and bathroom door. Making his home more accessible gave him new freedom to move about. More on his story can be found here: http://bit.ly/1jWoxSW .

Habitat staff has had a contractor's license since last summer, and can do a lot of the work, Birk said.

However, in cases where there are more difficult jobs like roofing, or if there are complex electrical issues, Habitat instead will use the funds to hire local contractors, Birk explained.

Birk said all of the homes Habitat repairs are tested for gas leaks and carbon monoxide issues, and all of them get new smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.

On the 100 homes needing critical repair that Habitat has completed so far, the costs have averaged $6,500 per home, he said.

The new funds from Home Depot will go toward work this year, Birk said, with the projects required to be completed by the end of November.

The unseasonal warm and dry conditions have allowed Habitat to continue working through the winter months, he said. “We kept going. Weather hasn't been a problem for us.”

Veterans must meet low-income qualifications in order to be eligible for the program, Birk said.

“We have a list that we're working through right now,” he said of current projects, with three to four about to begin.

However, Birk emphasized that Habitat is continuing to look for applicants and encourages applications.

The Home Depot funds, along with a $100,000 grant from the US Department of Agriculture Rural Development Housing Preservation Grant Program that Habitat received in November, will support more of the repair projects, said Birk.

Those two grants bring Habitat's total for grants for repair work – accumulated over the last several years – up to $850,000, Birk said.

He explained that Habitat for Humanity began with a focus on building new homes for low income families.

However, the organization over the years had received numerous calls – especially from seniors – seeking assistance with home repairs and improvements.

That wasn't in the group's original charter, but Birk said that, based on the amount of requests Habitat received, the group decided to do a pilot program, and took on the challenging search for funds.

The result was that Habitat received a large response to the program. Birk said Habitat believes needed repairs to the county's housing stock form “the biggest issue” that they're now trying to address.

For more information about qualifications or to apply, call Habitat for Humanity Lake County's office in Lower Lake, 707-994-1100.

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.

NORTH COAST, Calif. – A Clearlake Oaks man was arrested by Ukiah Police after a chase that occurred earlier this week.

Victor Branko Rodin, 49, was arrested following the chase, which occurred on Monday afternoon, according to a report from Ukiah Police Capt. Justin Wyatt.

At about 4:30 p.m. Monday Ukiah Police officers responded to the parking lot at Anton Stadium at 506 Park Blvd. for a domestic disturbance, Wyatt said.

Callers reported seeing a man and a woman arguing, and saw the male subject – identified later as Rodin – get into a white Ford pickup and drive the vehicle in circles in the parking lot, smoking the tires, Wyatt said. Rodin then left in the vehicle, with witnesses giving his description and that of the pickup to Ukiah Police.

Wyatt said a responding officer spotted Rodin's pickup and attempted to stop it in the 800 block of N. State Street. Rodin refused to stop and proceeded northbound, refusing to yield to the officer’s lights and siren.

The pickup ran the red light at the intersection with Low Gap Road, causing cross traffic to swerve to avoid a collision, and proceeded westbound on Low Gap Road, Wyatt said. The vehicle reached speeds of 50 miles per hour then turned southbound onto N. Bush Street, running the stop sign.

The pursuit continued through several intersections to Walnut Avenue, where Rodin turned westbound, failing to stop for all posted stop signs, and continued at about 30 miles per hour until reaching the area of Todd Grove Park, according to Wyatt.

Rodin then circled the park five times at about 20 miles per hour, with officers pursuing. Wyatt said Rodin was seen talking on a cellular telephone and looking back at the pursuing officers.

Additional Ukiah Police Officers and Mendocino County Sheriff’s deputies responded to assist with the pursuit, and Rodin swerved around one of the police vehicles before circling the park another time then proceeding to the Anton Stadium parking lot, Wyatt said.

Wyatt said Rodin then stopped the vehicle and was taken into custody without further incident.

Rodin is on parole in Lake County for threats. Wyatt said Ukiah Police officers have had several contacts with Rodin, who appears to now be living in the Ukiah area.

Rodin was arrested for felony vehicular evasion, reckless driving and violating parole, and booked into the Mendocino County Jail. Jail records showed that Rodin's bail was set at $135,000.

In a footnote to the story, it was Rodin who in February 2008 was the focus of a missing person call at a Cobb Mountain home that led to an officer-involved shooting involving then-Deputy Frank Rivero, who was elected Lake County sheriff in November 2010.

Rivero responded to the scene along with another deputy and encountered Rodin in the home. Rivero shot at Rodin, who was unarmed, but did not hit him.

It was the investigation into that shooting and allegations that Rivero had changed his story about why he shot at Rodin that led to the Lake County District Attorney's Office placing Rivero on a list of “Brady” officers with credibility issues early last year, as Lake County News has reported.

Scientists using the Herschel space observatory have made the first definitive detection of water vapor on the largest and roundest object in the asteroid belt, dwarf planet Ceres.

“This is the first time water vapor has been unequivocally detected on Ceres or any other object in the asteroid belt and provides proof that Ceres has an icy surface and an atmosphere,” said Michael Küppers of ESA in Spain, lead author of a paper in the journal Nature.

Herschel is a European Space Agency (ESA) mission with important NASA contributions. Data from the infrared observatory suggest that plumes of water vapor shoot up from Ceres when portions of its icy surface warm slightly.

The results come at the right time for NASA's Dawn mission, which is on its way to Ceres now after spending more than a year orbiting the large asteroid Vesta.

Dawn is scheduled to arrive at Ceres in the spring of 2015, where it will take the closest look ever at its surface.

“We've got a spacecraft on the way to Ceres, so we don't have to wait long before getting more context on this intriguing result, right from the source itself,” said Carol Raymond, the deputy principal investigator for Dawn at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif. “Dawn will map the geology and chemistry of the surface in high resolution, revealing the processes that drive the outgassing activity.”

For the last century, Ceres was known as the largest asteroid in our solar system.

But in 2006, the International Astronomical Union, the governing organization responsible for naming planetary objects, reclassified Ceres as a dwarf planet because of its large size. It is roughly 590 miles (950 kilometers) in diameter.

When it first was spotted in 1801, astronomers thought it was a planet orbiting between Mars and Jupiter. Later, other cosmic bodies with similar orbits were found, marking the discovery of our solar system's main belt of asteroids.

Scientists believe Ceres contains rock in its interior with a thick mantle of ice that, if melted, would amount to more fresh water than is present on all of Earth.

The materials making up Ceres likely date from the first few million years of our solar system's existence and accumulated before the planets formed.

Until now, ice had been theorized to exist on Ceres but had not been detected conclusively. It took Herschel's far-infrared vision to see, finally, a clear spectral signature of the water vapor.

But Herschel did not see water vapor every time it looked. While the telescope spied water vapor four different times, on one occasion there was no signature.

Here is what scientists think is happening: when Ceres swings through the part of its orbit that is closer to the sun, a portion of its icy surface becomes warm enough to cause water vapor to escape in plumes at a rate of about 6 kilograms (13 pounds) per second. When Ceres is in the colder part of its orbit, no water escapes.

The strength of the signal also varied over hours, weeks and months, because of the water vapor plumes rotating in and out of Herschel's views as the object spun on its axis.

This enabled the scientists to localize the source of water to two darker spots on the surface of Ceres, previously seen by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope and ground-based telescopes.

The dark spots might be more likely to outgas because dark material warms faster than light material.

When the Dawn spacecraft arrives at Ceres, it will be able to investigate these features.

Dr. Tony Phillips works for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – Brigham Young University's “Living Legends” will perform in Lakeport on Tuesday, Jan. 28.

The event will take place beginning at 7:30 p.m. at the Marge Alakszay Center, 350 Lange St. in Lakeport.

Living Legends, a production of the BYU Department of Dance, has performed throughout the United States and in more than 45 foreign countries.

Besides performing around the world, they also performed at the 2002 Winter Olympics for athletes and visitors in the opening ceremonies as well as the Medal Plaza.

The performance is a tribute to the ancient cultures of the Americas and the Pacific.

The program will include dances and songs from North America, Mexico, Ecuador, Hawaii, Guatemala, Samoa, Paraguay, Tahiti, Argentina, Bolivia, Fiji, New Zealand and Tonga — performed by talented descendants of the cultures portrayed – all done in elegant costumes.

BYU reported that each year, hundreds of its students audition for the opportunity to pay tribute to their ancestors through music and dancing.

Only the best singers and dancers are selected in the competitive audition process, with all of the Living Legends members being of Native American, Latin American, or Polynesian heritage.

Tickets are $10 each and may be purchased by calling Call Carol Beare, 707-262-5834, or Diane Gill, 707-263-9071.

Tickets also can be picked up at the Clearlake Grocery Outlet, 14806 Olympic Drive, or the Clear Lake Bed and Breakfast, 2 16th St. in Lakeport.

HIDDEN VALLEY LAKE, Calif. – An early Thursday morning fire destroyed a Hidden Valley Lake home.

The fire in the 19000 block of Stinson Road was first dispatched shortly after 2:30 a.m., according to radio reports.

Cal Fire Battalion Chief Mark Gradek said the structure involved was a two-story, 3,400-square-foot log home, with heavy timber construction.

Gradek said the man who was in the home at the time the fire broke out was able to safely evacuate and call 911.

By the time firefighters arrived, the fire was on both the first and second stories of the house, with flames coming out a side window, Gradek said.

Gradek said it took “quite a while” to get the fire knocked down, estimating it was 5:30 a.m. before the blaze was controlled.

He said firefighters had issues with water supply during the incident. There were no hydrants in the area, and so water tenders had to haul the water in to fight the fire.

Cal Fire and South Lake County Fire had a total of three engines and two water tenders on scene, with Lake County Fire sending a mutual aid engine, Gradek said.

Gradek said the home was a total loss. “We were able to save some vehicles, but that's about it.”

He said the total fire damage is estimated at $460,000.

The home's resident told firefighters that he thought the fire may have started in his laundry room, Gradek said.

Gradek said the fire's cause remains under investigation.

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.