CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The Clearlake Planning Commission held a public hearing Tuesday during which it sealed its approval of a mitigated negative declaration for the Monte Vista Home project.

The project would develop single family homes or duplexes in the area of 3593 Old Highway 53.

The public hearing originally was scheduled for Aug. 5; however, it was postponed because that meeting lacked a quorum.

The mitigated negative declaration sets forth 30 mitigation measures in the following areas: aesthetics in that all exterior lighting shall be shielded and/or directed so as not to produce offsite glare; air quality addressing construction activities, debris and structure removal, and inspection for the presence of asbestos; biological resources addressing the protection of trees; hydrology and water quality requiring grading and storm water drainage plans and erosion control conditions; land use and planning addressing lot size and structure type; noise (during construction); public services addressing standards for fire protection; utilities and service systems addressing utility and drainage easements, water distribution and storage facilities, and sewer and sanitation concerns.

Mitigation measures also are presented in the areas of cultural resources, geology and soils, hazards and hazardous materials.

Additionally, transportation and traffic mitigation measures address construction of internal access roads requiring curb, gutter and sidewalk to standards of a residential street, installation/approval of street name signs and location, and an emergency access easement at the north end of the development property.

Transportation and traffic mitigation also require a development agreement requiring of the applicant payment of a fair-share of intersection improvements and signalization of Old Highway 53 and Olympic Drive for each lot as it is developed. A zone of benefit is to be established to determine the fair-share for the development.  

Developer Owen O'Donnell received a four-year extension in July on the use permit for the project, which was first proposed in 2008. The project was postponed because of the state of the economy.

Extension of the use permit included amended conditions concerning infrastructure that related to drainage and run-off, flood zone regulations, lighting and clarification indicating all utilities are to be installed underground.

Another amendment concerned the formation of a street maintenance district, which City Manager Joan Phillipe said is easier to address when there is a single property owner prior to the selling of the subdivided parcels.

The tentative map for the project subdivides the property into 23 residential lots and four commercial lots.

Tuesday's action included an additional amendment to the use permit, which was presented at the request of the Lake County Area Planning Council. Phillipe said the added condition is acceptable to the applicant.

Language added requires bus stop improvements to be coordinated with the curb/gutter/sidewalk improvements.

Those improvements, to be completed after consultation with Lake Transit Authority, will address appropriate locations, bus stop design, bus pull-out space and other requirements. Part of the design is to include an accessible path to the bus stop from the project area.

Rounding out its Tuesday agenda, the commission selected new leadership for the coming year.

Carl Webb will serve as commission chair and Cheryl Hutchinson will serve as vice chair.

Additionally, Phillipe announced the resignation of Commissioner Albert Bernal, who recently got married and has relocated outside of the area.

Email Denise Rockenstein at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

The California Department of Public Health reported that it is working with local health departments and health care providers statewide to identify patients who have traveled to countries affected by Ebola.

CDPH is directing health providers to follow protocols established by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the diagnosis and treatment of these patients.

People returning from the affected areas who may be at high risk for Ebola should be isolated and their blood sent to CDC for testing.

Some low-risk patients – like one from Sacramento who is undergoing testing for the condition – may be tested out of an abundance of caution, officials said.

CDPH works with local health departments and hospitals to arrange for proper specimen shipment and Ebola virus confirmatory testing.

There are currently no confirmed cases of Ebola in California, CDPH said. There have been no patients admitted to California hospitals who are considered to be at high risk of Ebola according to CDC criteria.

If a person has traveled to an affected country and develops a fever within three weeks of their return, they should contact their health care provider and let the provider know of their travel history.

The risk of the spread of Ebola in California is low, CDPH said. Any patient suspected of having Ebola can be safely managed in a California hospital following recommended isolation and infection control procedures. Suspect cases of Ebola will be investigated by local health departments in consultation with CDPH.

State and local public health officials in California are monitoring the situation closely and taking steps to keep Californians safe. The state's advanced health care system has appropriate protocols in place to prevent the spread of this often deadly disease.

Ebola is an infectious disease caused by the Ebola virus. Symptoms may appear anywhere from two to 21 days after exposure and include fever, headache, joint and muscle aches, weakness, diarrhea, vomiting, stomach pain and abnormal bleeding.

It is classified as a viral hemorrhagic fever (VHF) because of the fever and abnormal bleeding.

Among the VHFs, Ebola is feared because of its high mortality.

There are no specific treatments but supportive therapy can be provided to address bleeding and other complications.

LUCERNE, Calif. – A Lucerne woman was flown to a regional trauma center following a Monday morning crash.

Guadalupe Rea, 39, sustained moderate injuries in the solo-vehicle wreck, which occurred at 11:45 a.m. Monday on Country Club Drive in Lucerne, according to the California Highway Patrol.

The CHP said Rea was riding as the passenger in a 1994 Jeep Cherokee driven by 32-year-old Lucerne resident Paul Mitchell.

Mitchell was driving the Jeep westbound on Country Club Drive at approximately 30 miles per hour, just west of Ninth Avenue, when he allowed the vehicle to travel off the roadway and onto the shoulder, the CHP said.

When the Jeep went onto the shoulder it hit a wooden bridge railing before coming to rest facing westbound with its wheels partially blocking the westbound lane, according to the CHP report.

The CHP said alcohol was not a contributing factor in the crash, which is still under investigation.

Northshore Fire personnel transported Rea to a landing zone at Lucerne Harbor Park, according to radio reports.

REACH 6 met firefighters at the park and flew Rea to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital, officials reported.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.

LOWER LAKE, Calif. – The largest school district in Lake County has announced it will be opening the first new high school in the county in over half a century.

Konocti Unified School District was awarded a $1.2 million dollar grant through the California Career Partnerships Trust, as Lake County News has reported.

The Health Occupations Magnet High School opened its doors on Aug. 13.

Jeff Dixon, principal at Lower Lake High School for the past seven years, began writing the grant for this new high school in 2013.  

Dixon has now been appointed to develop and open the Health Occupations Magnet High School.  

“Mr. Dixon has focused his leadership at LLHS on empowering students for life success through expanded opportunities,” said Konocti Unified Superintendent Donna Becnel. “His work on this grant focused our vision and we are confident in his leadership as we embark on this new and exciting endeavor.”

The focus of the Health Occupations Magnet High School is on health occupations; however, students will have rich experiences and develop critical skills needed to be successful in any college or career path.

“One of the most exciting things about this initiative is that it offers outstanding opportunities to students along with tremendous impact for our community,” said Dixon. “Our students will learn leadership skills, gain experience through job shadowing and participate in college field trips.”

The Health Occupations Magnet High School is currently enrolling grades ninth through 12th.

Classes began on Aug. 13 but enrollments are still being accepted.

Beginning in the fall of 2015, only incoming ninth graders will be able to enroll as this is a comprehensive four-year program, district officials said.

The Lower Lake High School campus will serve as the magnet high school facility until the new magnet school classrooms are ready to open in January 2015.

The magnet high school will be located at the new Konocti Educational Center site, which is located between St. Helena Hospital Clear Lake and Yuba Community College, formerly Oak Hill Middle School.

“The opening of the Health Occupations Magnet High School represents a pivotal moment for KUSD and the entire community,” said Becnel. “This school will provide unprecedented opportunities for students in fields that are critical for our county, developing the leaders and successful community members of our future.”

For more information or to enroll in the program, contact Principal Jeff Dixon at 707-994-6447, Extension 2914, or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

NORTH COAST, Calif. – The California Department of Transportation and local transportation agencies are conducting a study to assess the likely impacts of climate change on state transportation facilities in northwestern California.

The study includes Del Norte, Humboldt, Lake and Mendocino counties.

The study considers the potential impacts of sea level rise, increased coastal flooding and erosion, increased landslides, and increased wildfire as projected by current climate change modeling.

The study is one of 16 pilot studies across the U.S. being funded, in part, by the Federal Highway Administration.

"The study looks at climate damage that can impact roads, bridges, drainage and maintenance facilities," said Caltrans District 1 Director Charlie Fielder. "Our entire system works together to connect communities, support goods movement and the economy, and ensure that emergency services can operate during times of crisis. We need to be prepared for the future to minimize interruptions in service."

"Some sections of road are more likely to be compromised due to climate change impacts," said Rob Holmlund, a planner with GHD, the consulting team performing the study. "If steps aren’t taken to protect the system, some communities may be at risk of an increase in travel delays, or worse, being cut off from the rest of the road network."

Preliminary results show notable climate change vulnerability along U. S. Highway 101 at Last Chance Grade (south of Crescent City) and along Humboldt Bay north of Eureka, on State Route 1 at the mouth of the Garcia River (near Point Arena), and along portions of State Route 20 near Rodman Slough, northwest of Clear Lake.

Public meetings in August will provide detailed updates to the residents in Del Norte, Humboldt, Lake and Mendocino counties.

At these meetings, officials will discuss climate change projections, identify highly vulnerable state facilities, and invite discussion to prioritize and protect the road network.

The Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment study is a joint project of the California Department of Transportation District 1 and the Humboldt County Association of Governments, with the collaboration of the Del Norte Local Transportation Commission, Mendocino Association of Governments, and the Lake County/City Area Planning Council.

The study is funded by the Federal Highway Administration and Caltrans. More information is available at www.northcoastclimatechange.com .

Meetings will be held at the following locations:

• Monday, Aug. 25, in Eureka at the Wharfinger Building, 1 Marina Way;
• Tuesday, Aug. 26. in Crescent City at the Elk Valley Rancheria, 2298 Norris Ave.;
• Wednesday, Aug. 27, in Lakeport at the Lake County Courthouse, Board Chambers, 255 N. Forbes St.;
• Thursday, Aug. 28, in Fort Bragg at the Mendocino County Library, Fort Bragg Branch, Community Room, 499 East Laurel St.

All meetings will be from 6 to 7:30 p.m.

For more information, contact Jessica Hall of GHD at 707-443-8326.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Local firefighters have returned home after a 17-day deployment to the Lodge Complex in Mendocino County.  

The complex began early on the morning of July 30 as the result of lightning in the Wilderness Lodge/Eel River Canyon near Laytonville.

As of Monday night, the fire had burned 12,535 acres and was 85-percent contained, Cal Fire reported.

Northshore Fire Protection District reported that Lake County Strike Team XLK 2101-C – working under the California Mutual Aid System – responded to the incident.

The team consisted of firefighters and type three fire engines from Lakeport Fire District, Kelseyville Fire District, Northshore Fire District and Lake County Fire District. The fifth engine in the strike team came from the Bennett Valley Fire District in Sonoma County, officials reported.

Northshore Fire Battalion Chief Mike Ciancio was the strike team leader.

The Lake County strike team conducted multiple days of fire operations that included setting back fires to set containment lines. Days of operation also included building and setting a 4,000-foot-long hose lay with direct fire attack to protect structures near Laytonville, local fire officials reported.

To date, there have been 15 injuries to firefighters on the incident, Cal Fire reported.

Local officials said no Lake County fire personnel were injured while working the incident, but there was some damage to fire apparatus due rugged conditions and high temperatures.

The Lake County strike team was working in the area where six firefighters were injured during a entrapment and burn over, Northshore Fire reported.

Along with Lake County's firefighters, many others have been released from the incident.

Cal Fire reported that approximately 823 personnel were still assigned on Monday night, several hundred fewer than the previous day. Other resources on scene included 25 fire engines, 28 fire crews, 17 bulldozers, one helicopter and 10 water tenders.

Cal Fire said fire crews that are continuing to work the incident are mopping up, looking for hot spots within the fire lines and making repairs.

Suppression costs on the incident to date total $38.2 million, Cal Fire said.

The California Fire Chiefs Association reported that the California Mutual Aid System “is one of the most robust and well-managed networks in the nation.”

The system partners local government agencies with each other and with state and federal agencies including Cal Fire, US Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service, Fish and Wildlife Service and Bureau of Indian Affairs.

As in the case of the Lake County strike team, the California Mutual Aid System deploys local government firefighters from cities, counties, tribal fire departments and special districts through a variety of contract agreements, which in many cases provide for complete reimbursement by the state or federal government to the local government agency.

The California Office of Emergency Services reported that in late July and early August alone local government agencies have deployed more than 490 fire engines to incidents throughout the state, with more than 2,050 firefighting personnel and more than 244 overhead personnel also deployed to various fire incidents.

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. – The Lodge Complex near Laytonville is approaching full containment, officials said Wednesday night.

The complex of lightning-caused fires has been burning for three weeks in Mendocino County's Wilderness Lodge/Eel River Canyon area.

It has burned a total of 12,535 acres and was 95-percent contained as of Wednesday night, according to Cal Fire.

The number of fire personnel assigned to the incident was rolled back to 366 on Wednesday, with five fire engines, eight fire crews, nine bulldozers, one helicopter and 11 water tenders also remaining on scene, Cal Fire said.

Cal Fire said fire crews are continuing to do mop up and repair in the fire area, which is still producing some smoke.

The effort to fight the complex has cost $39.8 million to date, Cal Fire said.

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.

KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – The Friends of Clear Lake State Park will host a celebration of the 150th anniversary of the state park system this Saturday, Aug. 23.

Everyone is invited to attend the event, which will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Clear Lake State Park, 5300 Soda Bay Road.

Join them for a few hours or for the day, and experience the beauty of Clear Lake State Park.

Families are especially welcome to bring and enjoy a picnic lunch, spend time in the Visitor Center to learn more about Lake County history, or take the kids on a self-guided nature walk.

Free s’mores fruit, water and lemonade will be available for all.

Come browse the health and wellness booths staffed by local businesses, and listen to the music of David Neft.

Local exhibitors will include Accomplished Insurance Marketing, Anderson Marsh Interpretive Association, Audubon, county of Lake Invasive Species Program, Clear Lake Research Center, City Fitness, Gleaners, Hunger Task Force, Konocti Senior Support, Lake County Search and Rescue, Lake County Vector Control, Move More 2014, REACH, St. Helena Hospital Clear Lake, Sunrider, Stand up Paddleboard and Sutter Lakeside Hospital.

Admission to the park will be free for the event.

If visiting this jewel of Lake County has been on your list of things to do, Aug. 23 is your chance.

For more information, call Julie Berry at 707-245-5046.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Habitat for Humanity Lake County has received two new grants to help it with its mission of building new homes and improving existing ones in Lake County.

The organization reported that it has received $10,000 from the Pacific Gas and Electric Corp. Foundation.

The funds are designated towards the installation of solar systems in the new houses Habitat builds throughout Lake County.
 
Habitat for Humanity Lake County reported that, to date, it has built 17 homes in Lake County, most in the city of Clearlake and most with solar installed.

The organization reported that it builds to green standards and strives to make each home as energy efficient as possible. Donations from entities such as PG&E help to support this goal.
 
Habitat for Humanity also received $3,000 from the Tri Counties Bank Community Relations/Donations program.

The Tri Counties Bank donation is for Habitat for Humanity Lake County’s Wheelchair Ramps and Lifts for Living program, which provides wheelchair ramps and lifts and other accessibility repairs to low-income, disabled homeowners throughout Lake County.

“We want to thank our customers for banking with Tri Counties Bank,” said Kim Ngo, manager of the Middletown Tri-Counties Branch. “Tri Counties believes in supporting local businesses such as giving scholarships to high school students and local charities. Our new team is very knowledge in banking, and want to assist customers achieve their financial goals.”

Bank officials said they are excited about the ability to work with Habitat for Humanity Lake County and look forward to future collaborations.

Habitat for Humanity Lake County, in turn, expressed its deep appreciation to Tri Counties Bank for the contribution, which allows it to continue it work locally.
 
Since the start of 2014, Habitat for Humanity has reached 45 percent of its $75,000 goal for the Wheelchair Ramps & Lifts for Living program.

Through donations the community can assist in the mission of allowing mobility impaired individuals to remain in their homes while providing them the gift of being able to get into and out of their homes, many for the first time in a long time.

To help reach this goal please contact Habitat for Humanity Lake County at 707-994-1100, or send your contributions to PO Box 1830, Lower Lake, CA 95457.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – A raid on two illicit marijuana gardens in the Mendocino National Forest in Glenn County on Tuesday led to a Carmichael man's arrest.

Ivan Villafano, 24, was arrested during the operation, according to a report from the Glenn County Sheriff's Office.

The agency reported that the two marijuana gardens were discovered northwest of Elk Creek near Ice Springs and Shepherd Creek as the result of an overflight.

On Tuesday agents with the Glenn Interagency Narcotics Task Force – assisted by the US Forest Service, California Department of Fish and Wildlife and the officials with the Campaign Against Marijuana Planting, or CAMP, raided the two gardens, which were separate from each other.

The Glenn County Sheriff's Office report said Villafano was taken into custody at the scene of the marijuana garden in the Ice Springs area.

When Villafano was taken into custody in the garden, he was armed with a small caliber handgun that was on his person. A rifle also was located in the marijuana garden, according to the report.

Villafano was arrested on charges including marijuana cultivation, conspiracy, a special allegation and carrying a loaded firearm in public, and booked into the Glenn County Jail on a no-bail hold, officials said.

Approximately 732 marijuana plants were eradicated from the garden. The approximate street value for the marijuana if it had made it to maturity would be approximately $350,000, the Glenn County Sheriff's Office reported.

Approximately 500 pounds of trash and growing supplies were removed from the garden for reclamation purposes to return the area to its original state, officials said.

In the Shepherd Creek area, agents raided a separate marijuana cultivation site, eradicating approximately 12,968 plants. Officials said approximately 750 pounds of trash and growing supplies were removed from the site.

The Glenn County Sheriff's Office noted that hunting season is open in parts of the Mendocino National Forest, and urged visitors to be careful while hunting or while in the area for recreational purposes.

If someone were to find themselves in a marijuana garden, they should exit the area immediately. If possible, obtain GPS coordinates to provide to law enforcement, officials said.

Visitors to the Glenn County portion of the forest are asked to report any suspicious activity to the Glenn County Sheriff’s Office at 530-934-6431.

NORTH COAST, Calif. – The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) will hold two public meetings to discuss a proposed change to the stream gauge that controls the low flow closure status of Mendocino Coast streams.

The meetings will be held on Wednesday, Aug. 20, from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Alex Rorabaugh Ukiah Community Event Center, 1640 South State St., Ukiah, and on Wednesday, Sept. 3, from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Fort Bragg Town Hall, 363 North Main St., Fort Bragg.

A CDFW representative will detail the proposed regulation changes. Following the short presentation, interested parties can make comments and provide input that will help shape CDFW’s final recommendation to the Fish and Game Commission.

CDFW anticipates presenting the regulation change proposal at the Commission’s December meeting in Sacramento.

Mendocino Coast streams provide critical life-stage habitat for coastal Chinook salmon, coho salmon and steelhead trout. All three of these species are listed under the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA), and coho salmon is also listed under the California ESA.

CDFW is preparing regulatory changes for Title 14, Chapter 3, Article 4, section 8, Part (b), to base the flow closure status of Mendocino Coast streams on the Navarro River gauge, which is more representative of conditions in these streams than the regulated flows of the Russian River.

The proposed regulatory change provides for angler opportunity and addresses fishery impact concerns that have arisen during drought conditions.

During the past two winters, Mendocino Coast streams have at times remained open for fishing while salmon and steelhead were concentrated into the remaining pools by low flow conditions.

In addition to these public meetings, individuals and organizations may submit comments in writing.

Written comments can be sent by email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ; or by mail at CDFW, Attn: Allan Renger, 1487 Sandy Prairie Court, Ste. A, Fortuna, CA 95540.

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The Clearlake Planning Commission is set this week to choose its new leaders for the year and hold a public hearing on a residential project.

The commission will meet beginning at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 19, in the council chambers at Clearlake City Hall, 14050 Olympic Drive.

An Aug. 5 commission meeting that was to have hosted the hearing and leadership selection was canceled due to lack of quorum.

The rescheduled public hearing is for the purpose of adopting a mitigated negative declaration, extending the use permit, and adding or amending conditions of the project approval for Monte Vista Homes.

Owen O'Donnell and Ashwin Gulati are proposing to build the project at 3595 Old Highway 53.

Project plans call for subdividing the Old Highway 53 parcel into 23 residential and four commercial lots, allowing for duplexes or single family homes.

The Clearlake Planning Commission approved the project's tentative map in January 2008. When O'Donnell in August 2013 sought an extension to the tentative map, city staff discovered that the use permit had expired and that other issues with the project needed to be updated.

Tuesday's agenda also calls for the commission to select its new chair and vice chair for the remainder.

Alvaro Valencia and Bill Perkins serve as the commission's current chair and vice chair, respectively. Al Bernal, Cheryl Hutchinson and Carl Webb also serve on the commission.

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.