Friday, 22 November 2024

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Congressman John Garamendi, far left, along with Congressman Mike Thompson (fifth from left) and Assemblywoman Cecilia Aguiar-Curry (seventh from left) at an elementary school garden in Winters, California, this week. Photo courtesy of Congressman Mike Thompson’s office.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA — This week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Marketing Service Under Secretary Jenny Moffitt and Reps. Mike Thompson and John Garamendi and Assemblymember Cecilia Aguiar-Curry announced a cooperative agreement with California for more than $23 million to increase our state’s purchase of nutritious, local foods for school meal programs.

Through the Local Food for Schools Cooperative Agreement Program, California Department of Education will purchase and distribute local and regional foods and beverages for schools to serve children through the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs.

These products will be healthy and unique to their geographic area, with the goal of improving child nutrition and building new relationships between schools and local farmers.

“School lunches are vital to the health and success of students in California. Nutrition plays a key role in school lunches and our local producers are the backbone of providing the food necessary to maintain this system,” said Thompson. “When we provide farm to table meals for our students, they are better prepared for the school day and benefit from fresh and healthy meals. This program will promote a more resilient food system with a foundation of our local producers, and I am proud to work with USDA, our local schools, and local growers to strengthen this program.”

“I am excited to see the USDA making a $24 million investment in California’s farmers and in the well-being of our children. I’ve fought for years to ensure nutritious, American-grown food is the foundation of our school lunch programs nationwide. This program is a big step in that direction, helping California schools support the local producers who’ve helped make our state the fruit and vegetable capital of the world,” said Garamendi.

“I am incredibly appreciative of Congressmen Thompson and Garamendi, and USDA Secretaries Lester Moffit and Dean, for hosting this announcement of California’s partnership on Farm to School programs under the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Program,” said Cecilia Aguiar-Curry (D-Winters). “This $23 million in federal support to supplement California’s investments and First Partner Jennifer Siebel-Newsom’s leadership as a champion of healthy meals in schools is a major breakthrough for our kids. We have the momentum to expand a concept we started in my home town of Winters years ago to every child in California. Fresh, local foods are the building blocks of a healthy child. And, a healthy child is one who we’ve prepared to learn, grow and succeed in life.”

“This cooperative agreement supporting California schools is another example of how USDA is working to build a more resilient food system rooted in local and regional production,” said USDA Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs Jenny Lester Moffitt. “The Local Food for Schools Cooperative Agreement Program provides an opportunity for states to strengthen ties between local farmers, ranchers, food businesses and schools, and gives students access to nutritious foods unique to the area they live in, building stronger connections across local communities.”

“Strengthening relationships between local producers and schools is a long-term strategy to ensure our children always have access to nutritious foods in school, a win-win for child health and American agriculture,” said Deputy Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services Stacy Dean. “Through this program and many other efforts to support the school meal programs, USDA is committed to giving schools the tools they need to set children up to learn, grow, and thrive.”

With the Local Food for Schools funds, THE California Department of Education will strengthen local and regional purchasing relationships between School Food Authorities participating in the National School Lunch Program or School Breakfast Program with local farmers and producers. Schools and students will benefit from the economic support from the program to continue to provide fresh and minimally processed local foods in school meals.

“California is thrilled to receive over $23 million in local assistance funding from USDA for our schools operating the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program. As the first state in the nation to adopt a permanent Universal Meals Program for our students, this funding aligns with the historic investments California is making to transform schools and ensure every public school student has access to not only a nutritious breakfast and lunch each school day, but also meals that are minimally processed, delicious, culturally relevant, California-grown and sourced from historically underserved producers” said State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond.

The Local Food for Schools cooperative agreements will allow organizations the flexibility to design food purchasing programs and establish partnerships with farmers and ranchers that best suit their local needs, accommodate environmental and climate conditions, account for seasonal harvests, improve supply chain resiliency and meet the needs of schools within their service area. Additionally, the program will provide more opportunities for historically underserved producers and processors to sell their products. Local Food for Schools Cooperative Agreement Program is authorized by the Commodity Credit Corporation Charter Act.

The Agricultural Marketing Service said it looks forward to continuing to sign agreements under this innovative program.
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LAKEPORT, Calif. — The city of Lakeport is asking residents to continue to save water as drought conditions persist.

According to www.weather.gov, the La Nina weather pattern is expected to prevail throughout the remainder of 2022 and drought conditions are likely to persist or worsen through the fall rainy season.

The latest data from drought.gov indicates that 99.77% of California is experiencing moderate to exceptional drought conditions.

Lake County is no exception, as most of the county is in the severe drought category.

This is a reminder that the city of Lakeport relies on groundwater wells in the Scotts Valley area along with treated water from Clear Lake for the city’s potable water needs. Both sources remain vulnerable due to the current and forecasted drought conditions.

The city of Lakeport strongly encourages our customers to conserve water whenever possible — even during the traditional rainy season.

Additional water use mandates may be issued in the future and the city would like to remind our customers that the following wasteful water usage practices are currently prohibited per Lakeport City Council Resolution No. 2630 (2017):

• Hosing off sidewalks, driveways and other hardscapes.
• Washing automobiles, boats, RVs, etc., with hoses not equipped with a shut-off nozzle.
• Using non-recirculated water in a fountain or other decorative water feature.
• Watering lawns in a manner that causes runoff, or within 48 hours after measurable precipitation.
• Irrigating ornamental turf on public street medians.

Customers can help do their part in conserving by voluntarily reducing their water consumption.

Here are some simple water-saving ideas you can use at home:

• Install water-saving showerheads and take shorter showers — five minutes or less.
• Turn water off when brushing teeth.
• Let lawns go dormant in the summer.
• Water plants deeply and less often.
• Flush the toilet less.
• Check toilets, faucets and pipes for leaks and promptly repair if necessary.

For more water conservation tips and resources, please see the city’s website.
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LAKEPORT, Calif. — County arts agencies across California’s Upstate Region are excited to be working alongside one another on a new workforce development opportunity for artists and cultural practitioners, arts and social service sector organizations.

On Wednesday, Nov. 2, at 6 p.m., the Lake County Arts Council will co-host a California Creative Corps Listening Session at the Soper Reese Theater in Lakeport to present key information and invite a conversation on how artists can help communities tackle issues most critical to them, as part of an Upstate Listening Tour across 19 counties.

The 2021-22 California budget included a $60 million, one-time general fund allocation for the California Arts Council to implement the California Creative Corps pilot program, a media, outreach, and engagement campaign designed to increase awareness related to issues such as public health, water and energy conservation, climate mitigation, and emergency preparedness, relief and recovery.

“At the core of the Creative Corps are people – community members who play a vital role in civic engagement and social justice. We invite community members to come together with artists, arts and social service organizations, movement leaders, civic and business leaders, and policy makers for this critical conversation,” said Barbara Clark, executive director of the Lake County Arts Council.

“Together, we will be introducing what the State sees as a new method of evaluating the relative health of communities,” said Eliza Tudor, executive director of the Nevada County Arts Council, who will join Lake County Arts Council for its Listening Session. “Using the California Healthy Places Index we are identifying issues that are specific to Lake County, inviting input on solutions, and inviting artists to position themselves to create awareness around them.”

The California Creative Corps Upstate Listening Tour is taking place county by county from now until mid-December.

“Upstate populations suffer from among the worst health inequities in California and almost without exception – including the few tracts with overall health scores in the upper quartiles – there are health equity measures that fall within the lowest quartile of ‘Community Conditions.’ The fascinating part is the indicators that determine a community’s health, and which provide us with vital clues about how to move the needle,” Clark said.

California Arts Council has selected 14 organizations to administer the California Creative Corps across nine regions with a grant activity period that launched on October 1.

Nevada County Arts Council has been chosen to create a re-granting program for Upstate California, putting to work $4,230,216 in workforce development funds for artists, as well as for arts and social service organizations who will employ artists between early 2023 and late 2024.

Supporting local outreach with local knowledge, as well as technical assistance for artists, and program development and evaluation, are multiple county arts agencies serving what amounts to the largest, most diverse, geographic area in California, with more counties than any other Creative Corps region.

Tudor continued, “Within the Upstate Region we are one of a network of agencies who serve as State-Local Partners with the California Arts Council. While we each serve distinct communities, we are connected through a coalition that works to benchmark, consult, and gain from peer learning and support, with equity at our core. In this sense, we do not work in isolation. In applying to be an administering organization for the Upstate Region, it makes perfect sense to place our State-Local Partnership in service to the largest and most diverse geographic area within California.”

California Arts Council sees the California Creative Corps program primarily as a job creation and human infrastructure development opportunity. The hope is that, region by region, the program will increase the ways in which artists are engaged in public work, so that they can continue to build upon intersectional public interest goals beyond the program’s pilot funding timeline.

“We in Lake County couldn’t be more thrilled to jointly host such an important listening session and we urge local community-minded artists, organizations and city and county officials to join us for this proactive brainstorm. If you are solution oriented, and have first-hand knowledge of vulnerable communities, either because you represent one, or because you currently serve one, please join us. We also welcome those who’d like to learn more from a fresh perspective,” Clark said.

The California Creative Corps program follows an unprecedented period in which communities globally have suffered as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. During these years, creative sector professionals across the United States have been proposing ways to employ and deploy artists in programs similar to the Works Project Administration and the Comprehensive Employment and Training Act.

The launch of a statewide Creative Corps pilot program is the result of a recommendation from the governor’s economic and jobs recovery task force, and is the first of its kind in the nation.
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State officials said this week that California’s first-in-the-nation Earthquake Early Warning System provided advanced notification to more than 2.2 million Californians before shaking started for the 5.1 magnitude earthquake that was felt throughout the Bay Area Tuesday.

These advanced notifications provided up to 19 seconds, in many locations, for Californians to take protective action to “drop, cover, and hold on” and stay safe during the earthquake.

An estimated 2.1 million Android users received the notification directly on their phone without needing an additional app because the state’s partnership with Google incorporates the technology on all Android smartphones, in addition to more than 95,000 MyShake App users who also received the warning.

The United States Geological Survey received approximately 23,820 shake reports for the quake, primarily in the Bay Area, but also had reports come in from Southern California, Nevada, Idaho, Oregon and Washington.

“California continues to harness the power of science and technology to help keep our communities safe. When it comes to earthquakes, seconds can save lives. That’s why California continues to invest in new and emerging technologies to protect the most vulnerable among us,” said Gov. Gavin Newsom.

There were no reports of significant damage or injuries related to the earthquake, whose epicenter was in the community of Seven Trees and was felt across large portions of Northern California.

The Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, or Cal OES, which manages the earthquake warning system on behalf of the state, continues to coordinate closely with local officials in the impacted region to evaluate any issues or unmet needs.

Due to the success of Tuesday's performance, the Earthquake Early Warning System saw more than 108,000 new downloads of the MyShake App in a single day, a record.

In addition to the emergency alerts sent to individuals through MyShake and Android, the underlying technology is also being used to automate protective actions such as slowing trains, opening firehouse doors, recalling elevators, shutting off water and gas valves as well as closing bridges gates and notifying personnel in school and medical settings.

“While California has faced fires, drought and even a global pandemic, the single biggest threat we face to life and property in our state is a sizable earthquake in one of our major population centers,” said Cal OES Director Mark Ghilarducci. “Tuesday was another important step in testing our technology but work still remains to prepare for the next big one.”

Warnings delivered through the system are based on a computerized program called ShakeAlert, operated by the United States Geological Survey in partnership with Cal OES that analyzes data from seismic networks in California, calculates preliminary magnitudes, and then estimates which areas will feel shaking.

In 2019, on the 30th anniversary of the deadly Loma Prieta earthquake, Gov. Newsom announced the launch of the nation’s first statewide Earthquake Early Warning System.

The California Earthquake Early Warning System marries a smartphone application with traditional alert and warning delivery methods such as Wireless Emergency Alerts.

The system uses ground motion sensors from across the state to detect earthquakes before humans can feel them.

In 2020 Newsom announced a partnership with Google to incorporate California’s earthquake early warning technology into all Android smartphones.

To date, more than two million users have downloaded California’s MyShake App.

To learn more about earthquake preparedness and download the earthquake early warning application, visit www.earthquake.ca.gov.

How to receive alerts

• To receive earthquake warnings, there are three ways for individuals and families to get alerts through the Earthquake Warning California system.
• MyShake App: Free smartphone app that provides iPhone users with audio and visual warnings, available in both English and Spanish.
• Android Earthquake Alerts: Android phones with updated operating systems are automatically subscribed to Android Earthquake Alerts, which uses the same technology as the MyShake App; and
• Wireless Emergency Alerts: No-cost text messages for emergency situations sent through the nation-wide system providing lifesaving information for the State of California
HomeBase Feature,

The MyShake app launched its newest enhancement called HomeBase in 2022. This feature allows users to set a default location where they can receive earthquake early warning alerts, even if location services are temporarily down or turned off.

This will increase MyShake’s ability to send timely alerts so that Californians affected by an earthquake can receive warnings at a location of their choosing and be prepared for shaking.

To activate the HomeBase function, users should update their MyShake app and navigate to the Settings page, where they will find an “Add HomeBase Location” button.

The HomeBase feature differs from a function already in the app where users can receive earthquake notifications for other locations, even in other countries. For example, if users want to receive notifications for earthquakes that occur where family or friends live, they can add those locations under Settings > Notifications.
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The California Department of Water Resources is commemorating Flood Preparedness Week, which runs Oct. 22 through Oct. 30, by encouraging residents to prepare for flood season.

“While we are preparing for a fourth year of extreme drought, we still need to plan for swings between severely dry conditions and large storms and flooding,” said DWR Director Karla Nemeth. “Just last year, December brought record-breaking precipitation to some parts of the state and was followed by the driest January, February, and March on record. That was a wake-up call for all Californians that we must prepare for both drought and flood conditions at the same time.”

More than seven million California residents are at risk of flooding, and many don’t realize it.

Flooding happens throughout the state, from rural communities to urban areas, at the base of hills and along the coast.

Every California county has received a flood-related emergency declaration in the past 20 years.

Flooding can also happen at any time of year and can still occur during drought.

Communities that are downslope of recent wildfires are also especially prone to flash floods and debris slides, and landscapes impacted by wildfires can take up to five years to recover.

To prepare for flooding, all Californians should follow three basic steps:

• Be aware of your risk – know whether your home is downslope of a burn area; pay attention to weather forecasts; listen to local authorities.

• Be prepared – always have an emergency evacuation kit ready; be prepared to evacuate early; have a plan for where you will go in an emergency and what to do with your pets.

• Take action – subscribe to your local emergency providers to get updated information. Visit the National Weather Service webpage to get updated weather information for your community. If local authorities issue an evacuation order, do not delay, follow local guidelines for evacuation.

In response to the extreme climate conditions facing California, DWR awarded over $50.4 million to communities across the state for flood risk reduction projects and $26.5 million in funding from DWR’s Coastal Watershed Flood Risk Reduction program. DWR Director Nemeth recently joined state and federal elected officials and local flood management officials to celebrate funding agreements for the Pajaro River Flood Risk Management Project, a $397 million project that will increase flood protection and provide ecosystem enhancements, groundwater recharge, economic benefits, and recreation opportunities. DWR will continue to work with local communities across the state to provide support for multi-benefit projects that reduce community flood risk.

As highlighted in Governor Newsom’s “Water Supply Strategy for a Hotter, Drier Future,” California is experiencing large swings between drought and flood, and due to climate change those swings could become more severe.

Last week, DWR hosted a symposium to highlight the need to prepare the state for flooding even during a drought, gathering scientists, water policy experts, and members of communities impacted by drought and floods for a conversation about building climate resiliency, including in the state’s water and flood management systems.

For more information on finding your flood risk, visit https://myhazards.caloes.ca.gov/.

For information on obtaining flood insurance, visit https://www.floodsmart.gov/.

For information on how you can prepare your household for flood emergencies, visit https://www.ready.gov/kit.
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LAKEPORT, Calif. — The city of Lakeport has opportunities for the general public to become involved in local government by serving on local commissions and committees.

The city invites applications for the Lakeport Planning Commission, the Measure Z Advisory Committee and the Lakeport Economic Development Advisory Committee.

These appointments would be effective as of Jan. 1, 2023.

They also are recruiting for one appointee to the Lakeport Fire Protection District, also effective Jan. 1, 2023.

Membership on these commissions and committees is voluntary.

If you are interested in serving on a committee, applications are available on the city’s website under the community news topic, “Now Recruiting: Commission/Committee Openings,” or under the “Government” tab (Committees & Commissions).

For additional information regarding the mission and meeting dates of each commission, please see the Committees & Commissions page at the link.

The deadline for application submissions is Monday, Nov. 28, at 5 p.m.

Interviews by the City Council will be held Dec. 12 and 13.

For additional information, please contact Deputy City Clerk Hilary Britton at 707-263‑5615, Extension. 102, or by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
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LAKEPORT, Calif. — With one of its council members having just resigned to take a supervisorial seat and a former council member on the ballot but expected to resign if elected, the city of Lakeport is looking for applicants for the open seats on the City Council.

Michael Green, who has been on the council since 2021, resigned after Gov. Gavin Newom announced he had appointed Green to the District 4 supervisorial seat vacated in July by Tina Scott. Green was sworn in on Tuesday.

In August, Mireya Turner resigned from the council after she was hired as director of the Lake County Community Development Department.

While the council appointed George Spurr, a former councilman, to fill the remainder of Turner’s term, which runs out in December, by the time of her resignation she already had filed the paperwork to run for a third term, meaning she will appear on the ballot.

At last report, no one had signed up to run for the seat as a write-in candidate. If Turner is reelected, which appears likely, she will then need to resign the seat again after the November election.

That will require the seat to be filled for two years, until the next municipal election in 2024, at which point Green’s former seat also would be up for election, along with two other seats.

City Manager Kevin Ingram told Lake County News that the situation is expected to be on the next City Council agenda for discussion.

In the meantime, the city is accepting applications from community members interested in filling the seats.

Qualified candidates must reside in Lakeport city limits, be at least 18 years of age, and registered to vote in the city of Lakeport.

The five-member City Council serves as the legislative body of the city and is responsible for setting policy, adopting the annual budget, adopting laws, determining services to be provided and the funding levels, and appointing citizens to its advisory boards and commissions.

Those interested in being considered for appointment to serve as council member on the Lakeport City Council are invited to submit a council member vacancy application.

The application can be obtained online at www.cityoflakeport.com or at Lakeport City Hall, located at 225 Park St.

Applications may be submitted electronically to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or in person at Lakeport City Hall.

Completed applications must be returned to the City Clerk’s Office no later than Monday, Nov. 28, at 5 p.m.

Once the application period has closed, the applications will be distributed to the City Council for review. The council will hold interviews for the applicants on Dec. 12 and 13.

For additional information, please contact Deputy City Clerk Hilary Britton at 707-263-5615, Extension 102, or by email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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.
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Supervisor Michael Green takes his oath of office from Registrar of Voters Maria Valadez on Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2022. Zoom screen capture.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The newest member of the Board of Supervisors was sworn in on Tuesday morning during a session in which the board heard an update from the interim Public Health officer on COVID-19.

Registrar of Voters Maria Valadez administered the oath of office to Michael Green, who Gov. Gavin Newsom appointed last week to fill the District 4 supervisorial seat vacated by Tina Scott in July.

The swearing-in was added as an extra item to the agenda since Green’s appointment announcement came out on Friday afternoon, after the agenda had already been posted.

Before he took the oath, Green read a letter his mother had written in 1963 about the importance of elections, representative government and majority rule. He said his motives were the same as his mother’s, and hoped that his actions on the board would be consistent with them.

Green served on the Lakeport Planning Commission from 2017 to 2021. Since then he has served on the Lakeport City Council.

Lakeport City Manager Kevin Ingram and Assistant City Manager/Finance Director Nick Walker were in the board chambers for Green’s swearing in.

Also on Tuesday, the board met Dr. Karl A. Sporer, the county’s interim Public Health officer.

At the Sept. 13 meeting, the board appointed Sporer to the position on an interim basis as part of its consent agenda. The professional services contract with Sporer is for a term of six months, with the monthly amount not to exceed $6,000.

Sporer is a former University of California San Francisco School of Medicine clinical professor who has worked as an emergency physician in New York, New Orleans and San Francisco for 20 years, and also has worked for the same amount of time with county governments on emergency medical services and disaster related issues.

He lives in Sonoma County and said he’s trying to retire from his work in Alameda County.

Sporer said his public health background is fairly thin, noting that everyone has pivoted toward COVID-19 in the last three years.

“COVID is waning at this moment. It's low. We’re very fortunate,” he said. “We’re concerned about a wave this year.”

Based on anecdotal evidence — including checking with his local Walgreens for COVID vaccine appointments, with available slots five days out — Sporer said it appeared people are getting shots.

Sporer said influenza will be an issue in the months ahead. There are no significant variants coming from the East Coast or Europe, but there is expected to be an increase this winter when people gather for holidays. Other diseases seem to be under reasonable control.

He said that in local wastewater treatment monitoring for COVID-19, a 10% increase in the incidence of the coronavirus was identified in one of the three wastewater plants, and they’re watching it to see where it goes and if there is a trend.

Supervisor Bruno Sabatier, who tracks the coronavirus data from the California Department of Public Health, or CDPH, noted, “We’ve been looking really good for awhile.”

Sabatier said the situation is better for schools and businesses. “That means that we’re all being more productive, being more able to participate in the things we want to participate in.”

Sporer said he hoped to meet on Tuesday with the fire chiefs and the hospitals.

Green, who until Monday had worked in the Lake County Social Services Department, said he is interested in the evolving understanding of aerosol permissible diseases and how to harden workspaces, and would like to hear more about that in the future.

Sabatier said that Gov. Newsom intends to end the state’s public health emergency due to COVID-19 in February and was curious about Sporer’s thoughts on the county continuing its emergency, which is important due to financial support.

Working with the guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and CDPH is probably the right thing to do in the future, Sporer said.

“Early on in this pandemic, CDC was always like about four months behind, and we had to make things up,” he said, adding, “That was very problematic.”

Sporer added, ““You have an existing local emergency and you’re probably going to need to rescind that soon,” so the county needs to think about how to manage that between now and February.

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.
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From left, Terry, Snowball and Eros are waiting at Clearlake Animal Control for new homes. Courtesy photo.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The city of Clearlake’s animal shelter is filled with dogs ready for adoption, and officials are asking community members for help in fostering and adopting the pets.

At Thursday’s Clearlake City Council meeting, shelter staff presented some of the adoptable dogs as is common at the meetings.

During the presentation, Charmaine Weldon, an animal control technician and adoption and rescue coordinator for Clearlake Animal Control, said there are 30 adoptable dogs available and a total of 70 dogs now being held at the shelter.

When council members asked about the high number of dogs at the shelter, Weldon said it’s part of a nationwide crisis. Rescues also are challenged with adopting out the high number of animals they’re caring for now.

“We have a lot more dogs than we would like to have,” said Clearlake Police Chief Andrew White, whose department oversees animal control.

White said the situation is such that some shelters in other areas have stopped taking in animals.

North Bay Animal Services, the city’s animal control contractor, is trying to make it work, White said.

However, he said people need to step up and adopt where they can, as the city can’t sustain having the shelter as full as it is. White said they didn’t build it for 70 dogs.

White himself has been fostering a young male Rottweiler named Parker, who White announced during the meeting is being adopted by City Clerk/Administrative Services Director Melissa Swanson.

Adopters, foster homes and those willing to help exercise the dogs are welcome.

Visit Clearlake Animal Control on Facebook or on the city’s website to find pictures and information about the dogs.

Those looking for lost animals should check here.

For more information, call the Clearlake Animal Control shelter at 707-273-9440, or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to inquire about adoptions and schedule a visit to the shelter.

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.
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State Controller Betty T. Yee has published the 2021 self-reported payroll data for fairs, expositions, and First 5 commissions on the Government Compensation in California website.

The data cover 2,035 positions and a total of more than $54.9 million in 2021 wages.

The newly published data include 1,083 positions at 24 fairs and expositions, and 952 positions at 44 First 5 commissions.

The report shows that he Lake County Fair has one permanent employee, with total wages of $86,652 and retirement and health contributions totaling $12,236, and 25 temporary employees, for total wages of $169,518 and retirement and health contributions of $14,396 on an annual basis.

The Lake County First 5 Commission pays out a total of $98,666 in salaries and $20,336 in retirement and health contributions annually.

The commission has 11 reported employees, with nine of them being unpaid board commissioners. The two paid employees are the First 5 executive director, paid annual wages of $66,838, with $17,416 in retirement and health contributions; and the health program support specialist, who receives annual pay of $31,828 and $2,920 in retirement and health contributions.

California law requires cities, counties and special districts to annually report compensation data to the state controller.

Controller Yee also maintains and publishes state government and California State University salary data.

No statutory requirement exists for superior courts, UC, community college districts, fairs, expositions, First 5 commissions, or K-12 education providers; their reporting is voluntary.

A list of entities that did not file or filed incomplete reports is available here.

Since the website launched in 2010, it has registered more than 14 million pageviews.

The site contains pay and benefit information on more than two million government jobs in California, as reported annually by each entity.

As the chief fiscal officer of California, Controller Yee is responsible for accountability and disbursement of the state’s financial resources. The controller has independent auditing authority over government agencies that spend state funds.
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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The Lake County Planning Commission will consider improvements to more than a dozen county parks when it meets this week.

The meeting will begin at 9 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 27, in the board chambers on the first floor of the Lake County Courthouse, 255 N. Forbes St., Lakeport.

The agenda is here.

To participate in real-time, join the Zoom meeting by clicking this link.

The webinar ID is 921 5611 2326, the pass code is 571441.

Access the meeting via one tap mobile at +16694449171,,92156112326#,,,,*571441# or dial in at 669-900-6833.

The meeting also can be viewed on the county of Lake website and on the county’s Facebook page.

At 9:05 a.m., the commission will hold a public hearing to consider general plan conformity for Lake County Public Services’ proposed improvement of 14 county parks and a categorical exemption.

Public Services is planning to make various improvements — including to restrooms, planting trees, and installation of shade structures, signs, drinking fountains, trash receptacles and benches — at the following parks:

• Clearlake Oaks: Boat launch and Nylander Park.
• Kelseyville: Kelseyville, Lakeside and Pioneer/Saderlund parks.
• Lower Lake: Russell Rustici Park.
• Lucerne: Alpine Park, Davis Beach and Lucerne Harbor Park in Lucerne.
• Middletown: Middletown Square.
• Nice: Hammond, Hinman, Keeling and Rodman Slough parks.

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.





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NORTHERN CALIFORNIA — A new report shows that millions of women of childbearing age across the United States have limited or no access to maternity care.

March of March of Dimes’ new report, “Nowhere to Go: Maternity Care Deserts Across the U.S.,” revealed access to maternity care is diminishing in places where it’s needed most, impacting nearly seven million American women of childbearing age and roughly 500,000 babies.

The third update of the report, produced in partnership with Reckitt, shows a 2% increase in counties classified as maternity care deserts since the 2020 report, primarily driven by hospital and maternity care unit closures and loss of obstetrics providers.

The data reinforces that the U.S. is still among the most dangerous developed nations for childbirth, especially in rural areas and communities of color.

Maternity care deserts are counties without a hospital or birth center offering obstetrics care and without any obstetrics providers.

The report showed that Lake County is among five California counties listed as having “moderate” access to maternity care.

In Lake County, both hospitals, Adventist Health Clear Clearlake and Sutter Lakeside Hospital, have birthing centers.

However, in July, a lack of available obstetricians led to Sutter Lakeside closing its birthing center for four days, as Lake County News has reported.

In addition to Lake, the counties with moderate access are Calaveras, San Benito, Tehama and Yuba.

Another five counties are ranked at maternity care deserts. They include neighboring Colusa and Glenn counties, Alpine, Modoc and Sierra.

Two other counties, Imperial and Madera, are listed as having low access.

The remaining 46 counties in California are rated as having full access to maternity care.

“With an average of two women dying every day from complications of pregnancy and childbirth and two babies dying every hour, our country is facing a unique and critical moment as the infant and maternal health crisis continues intensifying,” said Stacey D. Stewart, president and CEO. “With hospital closures, inflation and COVID-19 limiting access to care, the compounding issues of our time are bearing down on families, forcing them to extend themselves in new ways to find the care they need and ways to afford it. Access to maternity care should not be optional, which is why we’re launching the Mamagenda for #BlanketChange to build support for policies to ensure all families everywhere have access to high quality maternity care.”

Specifically, the 2022 Maternity Care Deserts Report shows:

• 36% of counties across the U.S. are designated as maternity care deserts, counties with zero obstetric hospitals or birth centers and zero obstetric providers.;
• 2.2 million women of childbearing age live in maternity care deserts and more than 146,000 babies are born there;
• 5% of counties have a worse designation in this report than in the 2020 report;
• Nearly 7 million women are living in communities with no or limited access to maternity care. 1 in 8 babies are born in these areas;
• The loss of obstetric providers and obstetric services in hospitals were responsible for decreases in maternity care access in over 110 counties between this report and the 2020 report;
• 1 in 4 Native American babies were born in areas with no or limited access to maternity care services; and
• 1 in 6 Black babies were born in areas with no or limited access to maternity care services.

“Our 2022 report confirms lack of access to care is one of the biggest barriers to safe, healthy pregnancies and is especially impacting rural areas and communities of color where families face economic strains in finding care,” said Dr. Zsakeba Henderson, senior vice president and interim chief medical and health officer. “While we’ve seen a slight increase in obstetric providers nationwide, we continue seeing a troubling decrease in providers serving rural areas. In fact, only seven percent of obstetric providers serve rural areas and, with more than 500,000 babies born to women living in these areas, families in rural areas are at higher risk for poor outcomes.”

As part of the effort to address the growing infant and maternal health crisis, March of Dimes works to evolve the Maternity Care Desert Report year after year to reflect recent advancements.

In partnership with Elevance Health Foundation, March of Dimes will release supplemental reports on the availability of maternity care in all 50 states, as well as Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico in Spring 2023.

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