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Completed repairs on August Complex South Zone dozer line in Northern California. Credit US Forest Service by Ben McLane.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – Crews are making good progress on fire suppression repair across all areas of the South Zone of the August Complex.  

The US Forest Service said the hard work of fire personnel is paying off keeping the South Zone at 499,826 acres and increasing containment to 97 percent. The South Zone includes the Mendocino National Forest in northern Lake County.

In addition to the Mendocino National Forest, the complex is burning in the Six Rivers and Shasta Trinity National Forests.

The entire August Complex, started by lightning on Aug. 16 and 17, is estimated at 1,032,649 acres and 93 percent containment.

As the August Complex nears full containment, incident management personnel are beginning to plan for a smooth transfer of responsibility back to local forest leadership, officials said.

There are 273 personnel working on the South Zone and 687 personnel on the entire incident, the Forest Service said.

The Forest Service said crews are continuing to focus on fire suppression repair in priority areas around the Sanhedrin Wilderness, in wild and scenic river corridors in the Mill Creek area, and in locations that are prone to landslides along key forest travel routes such as the M1 and M6 roads.

Additionally, officials said progress is being made on opening roadways and removing hazard trees to allow for further suppression repair activity throughout the forest.

In the interest of the safety of firefighters and visitors to the national forests in the Pacific Southwest Region, fire restrictions were extended to Nov. 6 to prevent further fires from being started and overtaxing the resources of those fighting existing wildfires.

The Forest Service estimates the complex will be fully contained on Dec. 15, at which point it will have burned for four months.
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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The two men who represent Lake County in the US House of Representatives were reelected with wide margins on Tuesday.

Congressman John Garamendi, a Democrat representing the Third Congressional District, and Mike Thompson, a Democrat representing the Fifth Congressional District, won new two-year terms in the general election.

The California Secretary of State’s Office reported that, with 563 precincts partially reporting as of 2 a.m. Wednesday, Garamendi was leading Republican challenger Tamika Hamilton with 123,527 ballots to 89,220 ballots, or 58.1 to 41.9 percent.

Thompson led his Republican challenger, Scott Giblin, 193,191 to 52,493 votes, or 78.6 percent to 21.4 percent, with 821 precincts partially reporting.

Garamendi thanked voters for their support. “This victory gives us an opportunity to continue the critically important work that’s before us,” he said in a Tuesday night statement.

“The national election has exposed the reality of a deeply divided nation in remarkably stark terms. This is not new to America. Our history is filled with periods of conflict, but America always moves toward a ‘More Perfect Union.’ President Lincoln Charged Americans to ‘bind up the Nation’s wounds’ in his second inaugural address. After years of division, we must heal similar wounds today,” Garamendi said.

“The pain our nation has endured from the COVID-19 pandemic has reached new heights in recent weeks as cases and deaths are both on the rise. The American people deserve a new round of stimulus checks, our hospitals require additional PPE and supplies, and our schools need resources to safely welcome back their students. Senate GOP leadership has blocked several Democratic bills to address these issues, but I have newfound hope and optimism that tonight’s strong show of support for Democrats throughout the country will provide the votes that are needed to pass these bills and provide relief for the American people,” he continued.

Garamendi said policies must be enacted to address the climate crisis and create millions of good-paying middle-class manufacturing jobs in the clean energy sector.

He also emphasized the need to rebuild the nation’s crumbling infrastructure using American materials and workers, pledged to continue to advance his “Make it in America” and “Buy American” agendas to achieve this goal, promised to ensure that the nation’s policies promote the production of safe, affordable food for the district and communities around the world, and said he also will fight to ensure the region's water is protected and that there are investments in new storage infrastructure like the off-stream Sites Reservoir Project.

Thompson said he is “humbled and honored” to have earned the trust of the district to represent the community in Congress.

“Serving the place where I was born, grew up and raised my family is the greatest honor of my life. Know that I will work tirelessly in the upcoming Congress to ensure our district is the best place in the nation to raise a family, start a business and retire with dignity,” he said in a Tuesday night statement.

“Our district is facing many challenges, between the pandemic that has changed the way we live our lives and a devastating fire season that has destroyed so many homes and businesses. I know we can rise to meet this tough time. I will continue working to pass another Coronavirus relief package so we can support our local working families and small businesses that have been hit hard by the pandemic and need help. I’ll also continue working to bring back every Federal dollar and resource to help our district recover from the LNU Lightning Complex and Glass fires. I know we can get through this by working together,” he said.

“This was the most important election of my lifetime, one that will have consequences for decades to come. I am awed at the way that people in our district and across our nation turned out to vote and worked to help their friends and neighbors get out to vote. This spirit of civic service is one that we must all work to bring to our daily lives,” he said.

Thompson added, “As the results continue to come in, I encourage you to remain patient, to listen to the election officials who finalize these races, and to always check the source of information on which you rely. Whatever the results bring, know that I will continue fighting hard for our district and accomplishing the things that will move us forward.”

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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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Local, state and federal law enforcement officials have issued guidelines for community members on what kinds of suspicious activity related to Tuesday’s election that they should report as part of the effort to protect the election process.

The Lakeport Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Department of Homeland Security and the Northern California Regional Intelligence Center released a message to describe the role of law enforcement to protect public safety during elections.

“Although we have no known threats at this time, we are asking for the public’s assistance with addressing crime and threats in our community from those that may be planning violence or attempting to disrupt the election,” the agencies said. “Public safety measures can only be effective when they involve strong collaboration between law enforcement and the communities that we serve. All federal, state, and local public safety and election officials are united in efforts to make this election safe.”

One of their efforts is suspicious activity reporting. Law enforcement, homeland security and elections professionals want to ensure that the public understands how to report suspicious elections-related activity.

The public should contact law enforcement via 9-1-1 when an immediate response is needed regarding suspicious activity for any type of crime, including terrorism. Your local law enforcement agency will share your reporting with the Northern California Regional Intelligence Center, or NCRIC, and FBI.

They ask the public to call 9-1-1 if they see any of the following suspicious behavior:

– Breach/attempted intrusion: Unauthorized personnel attempting to enter or actually entering a restricted area, secured protected site, or nonpublic area. Impersonation of authorized personnel (e.g., police/security officers, janitor, or other personnel).

– Misrepresentation: Presenting false information or misusing insignia, documents and/or identification to misrepresent one’s affiliation as a means of concealing possible illegal activity.

– Theft/loss/diversion: Stealing or diverting something associated with a facility/infrastructure or secured protected site (e.g., badges, uniforms, identification, emergency vehicles, technology, or documents {classified or unclassified}), which are proprietary to the facility/infrastructure or secured protected site.

– Sabotage/tampering/vandalism: Damaging, manipulating, defacing or destroying part of a facility/infrastructure or secured protected site.

– Cyber attack: Compromising, or attempting to compromise or disrupt an organization's information technology infrastructure.

– Expressed or implied threat: Communicating a spoken or written threat to commit a crime that will result in death or bodily injury to another person or persons or to damage or compromise a facility/infrastructure or secured protected site.

– Weapons collection/discovery: Collection or discovery of unusual amounts or types of weapons*, including explosives, chemicals, and other destructive materials, or evidence, detonations or other residue, wounds or chemical burns, that would arouse suspicion of terrorism or other criminality in a reasonable person.
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Some states make it possible to use SNAP benefits at farmers markets. AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty

The government spent a record US$85.6 billion on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program in the fiscal year ending in September. This sum, included in an October Treasury Department report, was about 35% higher than the $63.5 billion the federal government spent in 2019.

Spending on this state-administered program, which helps struggling families put food on the table, typically rises and falls in tandem with unemployment and poverty. Along with unemployment insurance, SNAP is one of the most responsive programs in a recession. The most vulnerable families can get benefits within seven days of applying.

Before the coronavirus pandemic, SNAP spending had been steadily declining since a 2013 peak of nearly $80 billion following the Great Recession. But as the COVID-19-triggered economic crisis hit, monthly spending more than doubled, from $4.9 billion in February to $10.6 billion in June, according to Treasury Department data.

The jump came from two factors. First, more people are getting benefits. Second, roughly 60% of the families who get them are eligible for more support than before.

Specifically, after the Families First Coronavirus Response Act relief package Congress passed in March 2020, the government temporarily offered the maximum benefit, typically given only to those with no income, to all families on SNAP. Following a 5.3% increase announced Oct. 1 in response to rising food costs, that maximum level stands at $680 a month for a family of four.

Despite this SNAP spending boost, lines at food banks have grown much longer during the pandemic.

To help both overwhelmed food banks and struggling farmers, the U.S. Department of Agriculture launched the Farmers to Families Food Box Program. The government had sent by mid-October 110 million boxes of fresh fruit, vegetables, dairy products and meat to food banks and other organizations assisting people facing economic hardship.

The USDA is spending about $4 billion to purchase the food. But the program has been criticized by lawmakers and anti-hunger groups as inefficient and poorly managed. Although food banks have appreciated the help, even people who run food banks see SNAP as the best way to help the hungry.

In fact, in researching the history of SNAP for an upcoming book, I found that the program long known as food stamps slowly replaced another program distributing surplus food to the needy in the 1960s. Government researchers found that giving families stamps to exchange for food in grocery stores was more efficient and effective.

In 2019, 92% of SNAP spending went directly to benefits. The program boosts the economy, leading to more consumer spending and jobs. SNAP also provides nine meals for every one meal supplied by Feeding America, the largest network of food banks.

[Deep knowledge, daily. Sign up for The Conversation’s newsletter.]

Almost 2,500 organizations serving the poor are calling for increasing maximum SNAP benefits by 15%. This would help all families on SNAP – including the 40% with the lowest incomes who have not gotten additional help so far during the pandemic. The House passed relief legislation in May and October that called for this 15% increase. As of late October, the Senate had not taken this step even though food insecurity has grown substantially.The Conversation

Tracy Roof, Associate Professor of Political Science, University of Richmond

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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The M1 area of the South Zone on the August Complex. Photo courtesy of the US Forest Service by Alexa Barchuk.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – Crews are working against time and unseasonable conditions to complete fire suppression repair across the South Zone of the August Complex before winter weather sets in.

The South Zone continues to hold at 499,826 acres and 90 percent containment. The entire August Complex is estimated at 1,032,649 acres and 93 percent containment, the US Forest Service said.

It began on Aug. 16 and 17 due to lightning. It is the largest fire in California’s history.

The Forest Service said the August Complex is approximately 70 miles long by 45 miles wide, covering an area larger than the entire state of Rhode Island. That includes portions of seven counties across six different fire weather forecasting zones.

There are 264 personnel working on the South Zone. Crews are focusing on fire suppression repair in priority areas such as dozer lines around wilderness, in wild and scenic river corridors and locations that are prone to landslides, the Forest Service reported.

Officials said repair is nearly complete in the Gloyd Slide area where there was risk of severe erosion and possible collapse of a segment of the M6 Road and repair is complete in the Sanhedrin Wilderness.



The August Complex in Northern California as mapped on Tuesday, November 3, 2020. Map courtesy of the US Forest Service.
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LAKEPORT, Calif. – Job seekers in Lake County now have some new online tools at their disposal, thanks to the Lake County Library.

The library has recently added two new resources, Lynda.com and BrainFuse to its array of print and digital resources for job seekers.

Lynda.com offers more than 5,000 on-demand video courses to help you build professional skills across a vast range of job functions.

Brainfuse's JobNow and VetNow features live online assistance, resume lab help and a wide range of academic tools to help job seekers and veterans reach their goals. All you need is a Lake County Library card and access to the library’s website to benefit from these exciting resources.

County librarian Christopher Veach said, “There is a focus in our county right now on economic development and I want to make sure the library has quality resources to help people trying to find jobs or succeed in their career.”

JobNow, VetNow and Lynda.com can be found on the library website under Digital Content.

JobNow and VetNow are supported in whole or in part by the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act, administered in California by the state librarian.

The library’s physical and digital books are a great resource for people looking for a job, learning a new skill, or brushing up their resumes. With the resources of three counties to draw from, job seekers can explore a wide selection of books on job hunting, career development and resume writing.

The library has free public access computers at all library branches where people can apply for jobs and write resumes. Lakeport and Clearlake are open, and the small libraries in Middletown and Upper Lake require appointments to use the library.

The library’s website gives information about library programs, services and policies. To speak to a library employee, call 707-263-8817.

Jan Cook is a library technician for the Lake County Library.
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Jessica Pyska and her daughter watching election returns on Tuesday, November 3, 2020, during an election night party with friends and family in Lake County, California. Photo by Gemini Garcia.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – While thousands of ballots remain to be counted, initial reports from Lake County election officials overnight gave early indications of the winners in key races on the general election ballot.

The Registrar of Voter’s Office issued several initial ballot count reports from Tuesday night into early Wednesday, with the last issued at 1:40 a.m.

Based on those preliminary reports, Jessica Pyska of Cobb is leading the race for District 5 supervisor with 944 votes, or 69.21 percent of the vote, while Bill Kearney of Kelseyville has 420 votes, or 30.79 percent.

For the District 4 State Assembly race, incumbent Cecelia Aguiar-Curry appears to have won reelection.

The Secretary of State’s Office reported that, with 100 percent of 522 precincts partially reporting, Aguiar-Curry, a Democrat, leads with 95,635 votes or 70.4 percent, while Republican challenger Matthew Nelson trails with 40,223 votes or 29.6 percent.

In the contested Lakeport City Council race, preliminary results show incumbent Kenny Parlet tied with Michael Green, at 579 votes each, followed by Nathan Maxman with 366 votes and Michael Froio with 355 votes.

In the Clearlake City Council race, with three seats available and two qualified candidates, incumbent Joyce Overton has 1,063 votes, followed by David Claffey, with 1,009 votes.

Three local school board races are on the ballot this year.

The Kelseyville Unified School District Board has three seats. Gilbert Rangel has the most votes in the preliminary count, 750, followed by Natalie Higley, 661; Mary Beth Mosko, 480; and incumbent, Beniakem D. Cromwell, 421.

In the Konocti Unified School District, with two seats up for election, incumbents Mary Silva, with 1,382 votes, and Susan Burton, with 1,348 votes, lead the field based on the count so far, followed by challengers Zabdy Neria, 1,171 votes, and Michael “Mac” McMurtrey, with 1,074 votes.

For the Upper Lake Unified School Board, with two seats up for election, incumbent Claudine Pedroncelli leads the field with 786 ballots, followed by Franklin Gudmundson, 606 votes, and Don Meri, 444 votes.

In the Callayomi County Water District, two board seats are being selected in the election. The initial vote count has incumbent Rosemary Córdova in the lead with 54 votes, followed by Sandra Harris, 47 votes, and Roger Rosenthal, 28 votes.

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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A county ballot drop box in front of the Lake County Courthouse in Lakeport, California. Photo by Elizabeth Larson/Lake County News.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – While thousands of Lake County residents already have returned their ballots early this year – a measure encouraged due to the pandemic – county elections officials plan to welcome thousands more to local polling places for Tuesday’s presidential election.

Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

There are 22 polling sites around the county, the same number as in past years, with Registrar of Voters Maria Valadez implementing COVID-19 safety guidelines to ensure voters can safely vote in-person.

The Lake County Registrar of Voters Office is using the Board of Supervisors’ chambers on Tuesday for voting activities in order to allow for social distancing for voters wanting to cast their ballot at the courthouse.

In addition, ballot drop boxes will be available until 8 p.m. Tuesday at the following locations:

– Lake County Courthouse, 255 N. Forbes St., Lakeport.
– Lakeport Library, 1425 N High St., Lakeport.
– Middletown Library, 21267 Calistoga Road.
– Redbud Library, 14785 Burns Valley Road, Clearlake.
– Upper Lake Library, 310 Second St.

Ballots must be delivered to the drop boxes, the registrar’s office at the courthouse or to the polls by 8 p.m. Tuesday.

Any ballots being returned by mail must be postmarked on Tuesday to be accepted and counted; Valadez suggests people mailing their ballots request postal workers postmark them in their presence to ensure they meet the requirements.

This year, state law is allowing for ballots that are postmarked to be accepted up until 17 days after Election Day.

For those who missed the October deadline for voter registration, this year for the first time they may participate in “same day” – or conditional – voter registration. This registration process can take place at the county elections office, polling place or vote center. Those ballots will be processed and counted once the county elections office has completed the voter registration verification process.

The Registrar of Voters Office, located in Room 209 on the second floor of the Lake County Courthouse in Lakeport, will be the central counting place of the official ballots of all voting precincts for the General Election, Valadez said.

Processing of vote by mail, or absentee, ballots returned early began on Oct. 13, and scanning and adjudicating of the official ballots commenced on Monday, Oct. 26, the Registrar of Voters Office reported.

Valadez said tallying of the official ballots will begin after the close of the polls at 8 p.m. Tuesday, at which time her office will begin to release reports on results throughout the night, which will be posted on her website.

However, as has been the case in past elections, results are not expected to be complete on Tuesday night, and the election won’t be certified and considered final until the rigorous official canvass process is completed.

County elections offices have until Dec. 1 to report their final reports for the presidential race and Dec. 4 for other state and federal contests, the Secretary of State’s Office reported.

For more information, visit the Lake County Registrar of Voters website.

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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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The California Highway Patrol on Monday issued a report on a five-car pileup on Highway 29 last week that claimed the life of a local man.

Lt. Corey Paulich of the Lake County Sheriff’s Office identified the man who died as Anthony Christopher Wolfsmith, 32, of Clearlake.

The CHP Clear Lake Area office’s Monday report on the crash said it occurred at 5:20 p.m. Thursday on Highway 29 near Lower Lake.

Wolfsmith was driving a silver 2007 Honda Ridgeline pickup northbound on Highway 29, south of C Street, at 55 miles per hour, the CHP said.

The CHP said Lloyd Hoisington, 48, of Marysville was following behind Wolfsmith in his 2007 Chevrolet. Freddy Gonzalez, 37, of Santa Rosa was ahead of Wolfsmith in his 2006 Lexus and Keneth Feola, 49, was ahead of Gonzalez in his 2005 Subaru.

Nicholas Hough, 31 of Hidden Valley Lake, was driving a silver 2016 Dodge Ram pickup southbound at 55 miles per hour, approaching Wolfsmith’s location from the opposite direction, the CHP said.

Feola came to a stop in the northbound lane, due to stopped traffic ahead, and Gonzalez was slowing to a stop behind him, the CHP said.

As Wolfsmith was approaching the stopped traffic, the CHP said he swerved to the left, into the path of Hough, resulting in a head-on collision.

After the initial collision, Wolfsmith’s Honda was pushed to the right, near the center double yellow lines, at which point Hoisington, who was behind Wolfsmith, collided with Wolfsmith’s Honda. The CHP said this impact pushed the Honda into the rear of Gonzalez, which pushed Gonzalez into the rear of Feola.

After the collision, all involved parties remained on scene for emergency personnel, the CHP said.

The CHP said Wolfsmith was pronounced deceased at the scene.

Hough and Hoisington both suffered minor injuries and were treated at Adventist Health Clear Lake Hospital, while Gonzalez and Feola were uninjured, the CHP said.

The report said all five drivers were wearing their seat belts.

Neither drugs nor alcohol are suspected to be factors at this time, the CHP said.

The CHP said the cause of the collision is under investigation.
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Diane Fridley, the retired registrar of voters for Lake County, California, at right, worked to scan ballots on Tuesday, November 3, 2020, in Lakeport, California. Photo by Elizabeth Larson/Lake County News.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – In Lake County or any other community across the country, the 2020 presidential election is unlike any other – whether it’s for voters or the people who are working to run the election process.

Thanks to COVID-19, this year saw a host of changes to casting ballots, with a shift toward voting by mail. For in-person voting, there were new safety protocols – including requirements to wear masks and social distance – while poll workers found themselves also having to regularly sanitize surfaces for the protection of voters.

Lake County News this year participated in the Lake County Registrar of Voters Office’s Election Observer Panel, which included seven community members who visited the 22 polling places in Lake County to watch how the process went on Election Day.

During the afternoon and early evening, a visit to five precincts – from Lucerne to Lakeport – revealed consistent trends, from large numbers of provisional ballots and same-day voter registrations being submitted to a steady stream of voters throughout the day.

Poll workers reported that the new protocols in place for this year’s election caused some frustration for voters – whether it was having to wait in lines or their desire to turn in their ballots in order to vote in person.

In one case, a man was reported to have thrown a pen at a poll worker at the Mormon church in Lakeport. A few frustrated voters were reported to have called the Secretary of State’s Office to complain about the process; the poll staffers said the individuals who made the complaints had been confrontational and confused.

Wanting to vote in person

This year, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, California’s county election offices issued 22,389,846 vote by mail – or absentee – ballots to the state’s registered voters. By Monday, the Secretary of State’s Office said 11,807,069 had been returned, with 98.83 percent of those ballots accepted.

In Lake County, 37,717 vote by mail ballots were issued, and by Monday 16,823 ballots had been returned, with 98.64 percent accepted, the Secretary of State’s Office reported.

At the Community Baptist Church in Nice, polling staffers had one room set aside for people to come in and drop off their ballots, with another room organized with six voting booths for people to actually cast their ballots.

Poll workers, sitting behind plexiglass barries, handed out pens – which voters got to keep – and ballots, explained the process for voting either on paper or with voting machines (which reportedly got more use than in past years), then helped them put the ballots in the appropriate boxes and gave out “I Voted” stickers.

Many vote by mail ballots were surrendered so people could vote in person.

But, in many cases, people came to the polls without having registered to vote or without their issued ballots, according to polling staffers.

In the case of the former, they were allowed for the first time to do “same day” – or conditional – registration and cast their vote.

In the latter, pink provisional ballots were given to voters who hadn’t received ballots, had them and didn’t bring them to the polls or had lost them.

During visits to the polling precincts on Tuesday afternoon, this reporter watched as numerous provisional ballots were handed out to residents who lined up to vote.

Marilyn Pivniska, the precinct inspector for Lucerne, said she’s never seen so many provisional ballots. She said people were upset with having to vote provisionally and that they didn’t understand that they could have avoided provisional voting if they had brought their vote by mail ballots to the polls.

Steady streams of visitors

At North Shore Christian Fellowship on Main Street in Upper Lake, there was a steady stream of voters throughout Election Day, with about a dozen people lined up inside the church during the afternoon.

“It’s been a very busy day,” said Melinda Wright, working as a greeter at the polls.

The greeter is a new position assigned to help control the flow of voters moving through the polls in accordance with social distancing guidelines.

Wright also reported that people were confused about the need to bring their ballots to the polls either to drop them off or surrender them to avoid provisional voting.

Wright said some people were “grumbly” but not confrontational. One man, in frustration, was swearing at the new process for casting ballots.

“Some people can roll with it,” she said. “Others, not so much.”

Turning in vote by mail ballots

At the Mormon Church in Lakeport, Phyllis Navarro, the precinct inspector, and her crew were welcoming many voters who wanted to turn in their ballots, which were stored in a bulging vote by mail ballot bag.

But like the other polls, they reported many people coming in and having to vote provisionally because of not bringing their vote by mail ballots.

It was there that a frustrated man threw a pen at a poll worker, left, came back to show them he had a ballot and then sat in the lobby, where he tried to talk to other voters and ask if they had their ballots. The greeter told him to stop.

The Lakeport poll workers said that the social aspect of voting has been important to people – going to their precinct and seeing their friends and neighbors. That tradition has been disrupted this year.

Local authorities had been vigilant in case of election-related problems. However, Lakeport Police Chief Brad Rasmussen said his agency received no reports of issues on Tuesday.

A long day and night at the courthouse

At the Lake County Courthouse in downtown Lakeport, the polling area that could normally be found in the hallway outside the Registrar of Voters Office on the second floor was moved downstairs to the Board of Supervisors chambers on Tuesday.

The chambers, which in pre-COVID times had a maximum occupancy of 144 people, now is limited to 24 people. It has been cleared of its seats and on Tuesday seven voting booths for filling out paper ballots and one for the electronic voting machine were stationed around the room.

Shortly before 5 p.m., the staff there was preparing for a final evening rush of voters getting off of work.

Upstairs, scanning of vote by mail ballots that had been returned early was underway. Overseeing the work was Diane Fridley, the county’s retired registrar, and mentor and predecessor to current Registrar Maria Valadez.

In previous years, the work of counting ballots hasn’t always been completed on Election Night. That’s the expectation again this year due to the many additional checks and balances, and the challenges that will come with having to process thousands of provisional ballots as well as conditional ballots.

The polls close

Back at the Lucerne polling place, located at First Lutheran Church, after the polls closed staff started breaking down equipment, running reports for the voting machine and doing the necessary paper reports for stacks of pink provisional ballots.

Pivniska and fellow precinct inspector Bruce Maxwell then needed to transport some of the equipment and cases of ballots to the Registrar of Voters Office, where the first absentee ballot count report was issued before 9 p.m. and the last for the night came out at 1:40 a.m.

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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CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The Clearlake Planning Commission will hold a special Tuesday evening meeting to welcome its newest member, and to consider the city’s plans to sell one property and purchase another for a mixed-use development project.

The commission will meet virtually beginning at 5 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 3.

The agenda can be found here or viewed below.

Submit comments and questions in writing for commission consideration by sending them to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Identify the subject you wish to comment on in your email’s subject line.

Community members also can participate via Zoom.

To give the planning commission adequate time to review your questions and comments, please submit written comments prior to 5 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 3.

The meet will be broadcast live on the Youtube channels for the city of Clearlake or Lake County PEG TV.

On the agenda, the commission will welcome its newest member, Fawn Williams, appointed by the Clearlake City Council on Oct. 1 to succeed Richard Bean, who retired as the commission’s chair.

City Clerk Melissa Swanson will administer the oath of office to Williams, who will join commissioners Kathryn Davis, Robert Coker, Lisa Wilson and Erin McCarrick.

Once sworn in, Williams and the rest of the commission will take up a discussion to determine the general plan consistency for the conveyance of property located at 15886 18th Ave.

City Manager Alan Flora’s report to the commission explained that the city must make the general plan consistency and environmental determination associated with a potential transfer of the property. The city acquired the 0.12-acre property with a 1,022 square foot, two-bedroom, one-bathroom home with an attached garage in 2018 due to a loan default.

The city has listed the property for $125,000.

Also on Tuesday, the commission will consider the general plan consistency for the conveyance of a 31.12-acre property at 14795 and 14885 Burns Valley Road, 14760 Olympic Drive, and 3359, 3367 and 3334 Washington St.

Flora’s report said the city is working to acquire the property, located behind the Burns Valley Shopping Center. The property is mostly undeveloped, with an old walnut orchard. A home and garage on the land recently were demolished.

“The City intends to utilize this property as the potential new site for a public works yard, as well as provide outdoor recreation and additional housing opportunities to the public,” Flora said. “While residential development meets current zoning regulations, some changes in relevant land use regulations might be necessary to accommodate the entire envisioned project. The City would like to purchase the property for a mixed-use project including residential, commercial and recreational uses.”

He said most neighboring properties are developed, including PG&E’s work yard to the south.

The Redbud Library, Orchard Park Senior Living Community, Clearlake Post Office and Clearlake Senior Center also are located next to the various parcels included in the overall property.

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.

Planning Commission Special Meeting November 3, 2020 by LakeCoNews on Scribd

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LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Board of Supervisors this week will consider approving that the county’s former juvenile hall be used for homeless housing for another six months, discuss extending Friday county office closures and also will consider an easement agreement that would allow Pacific Gas and Electric to put electrical equipment on the lakeshore in Lucerne.

The meeting will begin at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 3.

The supervisors will meet virtually only, as the Registrar of Voters Office will be using the board chambers for elections activities.

The meeting can be watched live on Channel 8, online at https://countyoflake.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx and on the county’s Facebook page. Accompanying board documents, the agenda and archived board meeting videos also are available at that link.

To participate in real-time, join the Zoom meeting by clicking this link at 9 a.m. The meeting ID is 936 9918 6069, password 448999. Dial in by location at 669-900-6833, join by SIP at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

To submit a written comment on any agenda item please visit https://countyoflake.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx and click on the eComment feature linked to the meeting date. If a comment is submitted after the meeting begins, it may not be read during
the meeting but will become a part of the record.

On Tuesday, the board will get a report from the County Space Use Committee regarding extending the use of the former county juvenile hall facility for a temporary support shelter targeting Lake County’s chronically homeless population through March 31, 2021.

In July, the board approved an agreement with the Butte County-based Elijah House to run a sheltering operation at the site, as Lake County News has reported.

That approval came after the board’s receipt on June 23 of a County’s Space Use Committee report supporting the building’s use for that purpose for six months, with further consideration to take place regarding the former juvenile hall’s long-term use.

In her report to the board, County Administrative Officer Carol Huchingson said, “Based on a recent update to the committee by Behavioral Health Director Todd Metcalf, the committee is extending its support of temporary use for a period of 9-months, to March 31, 2021.”

In another untimed item, the board will consider a resolution extending Friday closures of county offices through March 31, 2021, in light of COVID-19 and expected effects of the 2020-21 flu season.

In an item on the board’s consent agenda, it is considering a resolution authorizing and approving an easement deed granting Pacific Gas and Electric an easement to install a pre-installed interconnection hub at 6325 Highway 20 in Lucerne.

The site, which is located on the lakeshore, at the site of the former community clubhouse and a public beach, is proposed for the installation of electrical generation equipment as part of a microgeneration grid during future public safety power shutoff events.

PG&E would pay the county $9,200 for the permanent easement, with the agreement to allow it to purchase more of the property.

This is the first time the proposal has been made public. It has so far not been proposed to the Lucerne Town Hall or the Lake County Planning Commission.

At 9:35 a.m., Dr. Gary Pace will update the board on COVID-19 in the county.

The full agenda follows.

CONSENT AGENDA

5.1: Adopt resolution approving county of Lake Health Services to accept grant funding in the amount of $224,000 through the California Department of Public Health for Fiscal Year 20/21 and authorize the Health Services director to sign.

5.2: (a) Waive the competitive bidding process, pursuant to Lake County Code Section 38.4 Cooperative Purchases, and utilize a cooperative purchasing consortium, and (b) approve agreements between the county of Lake and Enterprise Fleet Management for leased vehicles in the total amount of $91,850 and authorize the director of Public Works to sign the agreements.

5.3: Adopt resolution authorizing and approving easement deed granting PG&E an easement to install a pre-installed interconnection hub on APN 034-211-10 which will facilitate the placement of electrical generation equipment for the provision of a microgeneration grid in the community of Lucerne during future PSPS events.

5.4: Sitting as the Board of Directors for the Lake County Watershed Protection District, adopt resolution authorizing the Lake County Watershed Protection District to accept a California State Parks Division of Boating and Waterways Quagga and Zebra Mussel Infestation Prevention FY 2019/20 Grant and approve Water Resources director as signature authorization to execute agreement.

TIMED ITEMS

6.1, 9:01 a.m.: Public input.

6.2, 9:30 a.m.: Continued from Oct. 27, consideration of memorandum of understanding by and between the Lake County Deputy Sheriff’s Association Units and the county of Lake for Oct. 21, 2020, to Oct. 20, 2021.

6.3, 9:30 a.m.: Continued from Oct. 27, consideration of memorandum of understanding by and between the Lake County Correctional Officers Association Units and the county of Lake for Oct. 21, 2020, to Oct. 20, 2021.

6.4, 9:35 a.m.: Consideration of update on COVID-19.

6.5, 10 a.m.: Continuance of hearing on account and proposed assessment for the property 12942 Second St., Clearlake Oaks.

UNTIMED ITEMS

7.2: Consideration of resolution extending Friday closures through March 31, 2021, in light of COVID-19 and expected effects of the 2020-21 flu season.

7.3: Report from the County Space Use Committee regarding extending the use of the county juvenile hall facility for a temporary support shelter targeting Lake County’s chronically homeless population through March 31, 2021.

7.4: Consideration of resolution appointing directors of certain Special District boards in lieu of holding a general district election on Nov. 3, 2020.

7.5: Consideration of Advisory Board Appointment: Mental Health Board.

CLOSED SESSION

8.1: Conference with labor negotiator: (a) chief negotiator: M. Long; county negotiators: C. Huchingson and P. Samac; and (b) employee organizations: LCDSA and LCCOA .

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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