LAKEPORT, Calif. – The annual Clear Lake Splash-In will return to Lakeport this fall.

The 33rd annual event is scheduled for Friday, Sept. 28 through Sunday, Sept. 30.

Organized by West Coast Seaplane Pilots Association, it’s the oldest and largest seaplane gathering in the Western United States.

Seaplane pilots from throughout the region and from out-of-state attend the event.

Approximately 50 seaplanes are expected to participate. Water bombing contests and spot landing contests will allow pilots to showcase their planes and flying skills.

Arrivals and registration begin at noon Sept. 28, with most activities scheduled for, and aircraft arrivals expected on, Sept. 29.

Several flying contests will take place on Saturday accompanied by constant arrivals and departures.   

The event is open to the public, with admission on Saturday of $2 per person. Children 10 and under are admitted free.  

Booths offering food and drink, Splash-In merchandise and seaplane facts and figures will also be available.

Headquartered at the Skylark Shores Resort, the event utilizes the nearby Natural High School field for on-shore parking and display of amphibious seaplanes.

Land planes use nearby Lampson Field and local volunteers will provide shuttle services to and from the venues.

The event is supported by the county of Lake, the city of Lakeport, Lake County Chamber of Commerce, Lakeport Main Street Association, Lake County Future Farmers of America, Lake County Public Works Department and the Lakeport Unified School District.

See www.clearlakesplashin.com for complete information.

Summer is a good time to relax, sleep late, enjoy a break from school or work. Waking before sunrise is just not done.

This summer is a little different. To find out why, set your alarm for dawn.

Every morning this July, the two brightest planets in the solar system will put on a show before sunrise.

Look out any east-facing window to see Venus and Jupiter, shining side by side, so close together you can hide them behind your outstretched palm. It’s a great way to start the day.

On July 4, Venus will be passing dead-center through the Hyades cluster, a loose grouping of stars 153 light years from Earth.  

Using binoculars, scan around the bright planet; you’ll see dozens of stars scattered across the velvety-black sky.

The temporary addition of Venus will make it seem that a supernova has gone off in the cluster.

Three mornings later, on July 7, Venus and Jupiter line up with Aldebaran, the bright red eye of Taurus the Bull. Aldebaran is a red giant star of first magnitude. Together with Venus and Jupiter, it forms an almost perfect vertical line in the brightening dawn sky.

The best, however, is yet to come.

On July 9, Venus and Aldebaran converge to form an eye catching planet-star pair. Scarcely more than a degree of arc will separate the two celestial bodies as Jupiter looks down from overhead.

And then, on July 15, a 12-percent crescent Moon joins the show, forming a bright celestial triangle with Venus and Jupiter.

The slender arms of the crescent cradle a ghostly image of the full Moon. That’s caused by Earthshine, sunlight reflected from our own planet onto the otherwise dark lunar landscape.

A crescent Moon with Earthshine is considered to be one of the prettiest sights in the heavens. A crescent Moon with Earthshine plus Venus and Jupiter – that’s worth waking up for even in the middle of summer vacation.

Start the day with more news about the heavens at www.science.nasa.gov .

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

LOWER LAKE, Calif. – A second person has died as a result of a Tuesday morning crash near Lower Lake.

The single-vehicle wreck, which occurred on Highway 29 north of Diener Drive at 2:40 a.m., has now claimed the lives of a 53-year-old Clearlake Oaks man and a 28-year-old Kelseyville man, according to the California Highway Patrol.

The names of the two men have so far not been released, pending notification of kin, the CHP said.

According to a report from investigating Officer Adam Garcia, 26-year-old Dylan Waters of Clearlake Oaks was driving a 1999 Chevy Tahoe SUV southbound on Highway 29 when he failed to negotiate a left curve in the road.

The Tahoe continued straight off the road and struck an oak tree, according to Garcia’s report.

The 53-year-old passenger, riding in the right front, was declared dead at the scene, Garcia reported.

The 28-year-old, who was riding in the right rear of the Tahoe, was transported by CalStar air ambulance to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital, where Garcia said the man died.

Waters was transported to St. Helena Hospital Clearlake for treatment of minor injuries, according to the report.

The CHP said that Waters was not wearing his seatbelt, but both of his passengers were belted.

Garcia said alcohol was not a factor in the crash.

SACRAMENTO – A new report from the California State Board of Equalization shows that California’s gas consumption showed a continued decline over the first three months of 2012, while diesel consumption showed a slight increase over the same period in 2011.

In the year’s first quarter, gasoline consumption in California fell for the fifth consecutive quarter, declining 0.4 percent, while at the same time gasoline prices went up 10.9 percent.

“Higher gasoline prices, changing driving habits with fewer trips and better mileage with fuel efficient cars – all appear to be influencing declining consumption in California,” said California State Board of Equalization First District Board Member Betty T. Yee, whose district encompasses Lake County.

First quarter average gasoline prices were up 40 cents to $4.06 – a 10.9 percent increase – while the average price in March was up 41 cents to $4.41, the report showed.

Total gasoline consumption for the first quarter declined 15.7 million gallons compared to the first quarter last year, for a total of 3.6 billion gallons used.

Diesel fuel consumption increased 1.7 percent compared to a year ago, as California consumed an additional 10.1 million gallons, for a total of 597 million gallons in the first quarter.

In California, diesel averaged $4.28 a gallon, up 43 cents – an 11.2 percent increase – from last year's first quarter.

Both gasoline and diesel fuel prices in California continued to be higher than the national average price, according to the Board of Equalization’s findings.

Nationally, regular gasoline averaged $3.66 a gallon, up 32 cents from last year's first quarter according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA).

The EIA diesel retail prices reported the national average price of diesel was up 34 cents to $3.97 – an increase of 9.4 percent in the first quarter from a year earlier.

In March, a survey and resulting graphic from AAA identified how drivers are changing their behavior to help offset higher prices at the pump.

AAA concluded: “As a result of current gas price increases, 84 percent of (AAA) respondents have already changed their driving habits or lifestyle in some way. Combining trips and errands was the most commonly reported cost-cutting measure with 60 percent of respondents reporting having already made this adjustment.”

The Board of Equalization monitors gasoline consumption using tax receipts paid by fuel distributors in California. BOE updates the fuel reports at the end of each month. The last reports posted are for March.

The California Department of Fish and Game said the mountain lion that attacked a man in Nevada County over the weekend has not been found after two days of searching.

However, the agency said search crews identified lion tracks near the attack site that were left Monday night.

They have redoubled their effort and will work through the July 4 holiday and beyond. Success of the search effort depends entirely upon locating a fresh scent.

“So far the teams have had an extremely difficult time locating fresh scent,” said DFG Capt. Brian Naslund. “Any unnecessary disturbance, or human presence in the area, jeopardizes the quality of the scent and therefore a successful outcome.”

The victim, a Marin County man, continues to recover from his injuries.

He sustained severe bites and scratches to his scalp and in particular, his left arm and armpit. He also has significant scratches on his back.

DFG wildlife forensics scientists extracted DNA from saliva from the armpit area of his shirt where the lion’s canine teeth went through. The DNA analysis proved the attack was from a female mountain lion.

The victim has maintained his request for anonymity, at least for the coming days.

DFG will continue the search using specially trained dogs and motion sensor cameras.

Mountain lion attacks in California are rare. The weekend attack is just the 15th confirmed mountain lion to attack since 1890.

A summary of previous mountain lion attacks in California can be found at
http://www.dfg.ca.gov/news/issues/lion/attacks.html .

For more information about how people and lions can coexist, please see http://www.dfg.ca.gov/keepmewild/lion.html .

LOWER LAKE, Calif. – One person was reported to have died and another suffered major injuries in a single-vehicle crash near Lower lake early Tuesday morning.

The crash was reported at approximately 2:41 a.m. and involved an SUV into a telephone pole, according to the California Highway Patrol.

Reports from the scene stated the crash occurred in the 8400 block of Highway 29.

Lake County Fire and Kelseyville Fire, along with CHP and the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, responded to the scene.

Upon the arrival of emergency personnel radio reports indicated there were two people in the vehicle, one of whom had died, with the other having major injuries and needing to be extricated.

The northbound highway lane was partially blocked as a result of the crash, according to reports from the scene.

A landing zone was set up at Red Hills Road, with a CalStar air ambulance responding to the scene to transport the surviving patient.

Incident command at the scene was cleared shortly before 5 a.m., with the roadway reopened.

Additional details about the crash, its cause and the victims were not immediately available.

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

LAKEPORT, Calif. – Five puppies found last week in a Lakeport dumpster are the focus of a fundraising effort.

The six German Shorthaired Pointer mix pups were discovered by a driver for a waste disposal company while emptying a dumpster on Hill Road West near Lakeport on Thursday, June 28, as Lake County News has reported.

The puppies are about 3 months old, according to Lake County Animal Care and Control.

Five of the puppies tested positive for canine parvovirus, and one of them has died, according to Lake County Animal Services, a local rescue organization which is helping foster the puppy that has not tested positive.

Because the necessary medical care is expensive for the shelter, Lake County Animal Services reported that it has paid more than $500 to cover the puppies’ medication and intravenous fluids.

To make sure the puppies get the care they need and fully recover, the group has started a ChipIn account to raise funds to cover the rest of their medical costs.

The fundraiser, which ends July 28, can be found at http://lakecounty.chipin.com/parvo-pointer-pups .

As of Wednesday morning, the fundraiser had brought in $160.

Anyone with information about the pups and who disposed of them in the dumpster is asked to call Lake County Animal Care and Control at 707-263-0278 or the Lake County Sheriff’s Office’s nonemergency line at 707-263-2690.

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

LOWER LAKE, Calif. – A small wildland fire burned near Lower Lake on Tuesday morning.

The Morgan Incident, located in the 20000 block of Morgan Valley Road, burned a total of five acres, according to Cal Fire.

The fire was dispatched at 10:35 a.m. and contained at 11:05 a.m., according to the Cal Fire report.
 
Thirty-five firefighting personnel were involved in the effort to stop the fire, which Cal Fire said at one point threatened two structures.

Cal Fire said seven engines responded – five from Cal Fire and two from Lake County Fire Protection District.

Other resources on scene included air tankers and air attack, one water tender, one dozer operator and dozer, an “overhead” or command officer and one helicopter with a crew, according to the Cal Fire report.

Engine companies stayed on scene for several hours throughout the afternoon to conduct overhaul and mop up, Cal Fire said.

A cause for the fire was not reported.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – A wildland fire near Lakeport on Monday burned five acres before it was fully contained.

The fire occurred in the State Responsibility Area near Highway 29 and Mockingbird Lane, and was reported at approximately 11:12 a.m., according to Cal Fire Battalion Chief Julie Hutchinson.

Hutchinson said the fire – which primarily burned grass – was contained at 11:45 a.m., with mop up continuing until late Monday afternoon. No structures were reported to have been threatened.

Cal Fire sent five engines and a full response of air tankers, an air attack and a helicopter, said Hutchinson. The air tankers weren’t used but the helicopter worked the fire for about an hour.

She said local fire agencies also sent engines to the scene.

Cal Fire did not report a precise cause.

However, reports from the scene indicated there may have been issues with power equipment.

Lakeport Fire Chief Ken Wells said he received photographic evidence from U.S. Forest Service firefighters who responded that showed a dead bird next to a power pole, surrounded by burned grass.

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

SACRAMENTO – Attorney General Kamala D. Harris on Tuesday announced that the non-conference committee components of the California Homeowner Bill of Rights have passed out of legislative committees.

“The entire Homeowner Bill of Rights legislative package will create a level playing field for California homeowners,” said Attorney General Harris. “In addition, it will allow my office to continue to prosecute those who take advantage of homeowners who are desperate to stay in their houses.”

Assembly Bill 1950, authored by Assemblymember Mike Davis (D-Los Angeles), passed out of the Senate Judiciary today.

The bill extends the statute of limitations for prosecuting mortgage related crimes from one year to three years, giving the Department of Justice ample time to investigate and prosecute mortgage fraud crimes.

Two bills to provide additional protections to tenants who rent homes that are foreclosed upon also passed out of the Senate Judiciary and Assembly Judiciary Committees today.

Assembly Bill 2610 (Assemblymember Nancy Skinner, D-Berkeley) and Senate Bill 1473 (Senator Loni Hancock, D-Berkeley), will require purchasers of foreclosed homes to give tenants at least 90 days before starting eviction proceedings.

If the tenant has a fixed-term lease, the new owner must honor the lease unless the owner demonstrates that certain exceptions intended to prevent fraudulent leases apply.

Also passing out of the Judiciary Committees were Assembly Bill 2314 (Assemblymember Wilmer Carter, D-Rialto) and Senate Bill 1472 (Senator Fran Pavley, D-Agoura Hills), which provide additional tools to local governments and receivers to fight blight caused by multiple vacant homes in neighborhoods.

The final component in the California Homeowner Bill of Rights, AB 1763 (Assemblymember Mike Davis, D-Los Angeles) and Senate Bill 1474 (Senator Loni Hancock, D-Berkeley), gives Attorney General Harris the ability to convene a special grand jury to investigate and indict the perpetrators of financial crimes involving victims in multiple counties. AB 1763 and SB 1474 passed out of the Senate Public Safety and Assembly Public Safety, respectively.

Two key parts of the Homeowner Bill of Rights passed Monday out of both houses of the Legislature and sent to Gov. Jerry Brown.

Those bills, which came out of a two-house conference committee, provide protections for borrowers and struggling homeowners, including a restriction on dual-track foreclosures, where a lender forecloses on a borrower despite being in discussions over a loan modification to save the home.

The bills also guarantee struggling homeowners a single point of contact at their lender with knowledge of their loan and direct access to decision makers.

For more information on the California Homeowner Bill of Rights, go to www.oag.ca.gov .

LOWER LAKE, Calif. – The Lake County Sheriff’s Office on Tuesday afternoon released the names of two men who died earlier in the day from injuries they suffered in a car wreck on Highway 29.

Sgt. Steve Brooks identified the two men as Randy Alton Orange, 53, of Clearlake Oaks, and 28-year-old Kenneth Jeffery Waters of Kelseyville.

Orange and Waters were riding in a 1999 Chevy Tahoe driven by 26-year-old Dylan Waters of Clearlake Oaks at 2:40 a.m. Tuesday when the crash occurred north of Diener Drive.

Dylan Waters lost control of the vehicle in a curve and went off the road, hitting an oak tree, according to the California Highway Patrol.

Orange was pronounced dead at the scene while Kenneth Waters was flown by a CalStar air ambulance to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital, where he died, the CHP reported.

Dylan Waters had minor injuries and was treated at St. Helena Hospital Clearlake.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Clearlake kicked off the Independence Day festivities over the weekend, and now it’s the turn of other communities around the county.

On Wednesday, July 4, several celebrations will be held around the lake. Brief rundowns are listed below.

For additional holiday information, call the Lake County Visitor Information Center at 800-525-3743.

Lakeport Independence Day Festivities, Lakeport

The Lakeport Main Street Association and the Lake County Chamber of Commerce are hosting an all-day street fair with music, arts and crafts, food and beverages in Library Park, between First and Third streets.

Events begin at 7 a.m. Highlights of the day will include the cardboard/duct tape boat race and fireworks over Clear Lake beginning at dusk.

The Lakeport Police Department will have an operational command center set up at Lakeport City Hall, 225 Park St.

Admission is free to the day’s events. Information: 707-263-5092, www.lakecochamber.com .

American Legion barbecue, Kelseyville

Kelseyville American Legion Tredway Post 194 will host a barbecue on Wednesday, July 4.

The event will take place from noon to 5 p.m. at the post, located at Second and Gaddy Lane.

The menu will include barbecue beef and chicken, beans, salad and garlic bread.

The requested donation is $8 for adults, $4 for children age 12 and under.

Maxine Sherman Memorial Fireworks Show, Clearlake Oaks

The July 4 Maxine Sherman Memorial Fireworks display is presented at the boat launch in Clearlake Oaks every year.

The fireworks are launched from the Clearlake Oaks boat launch beginning at dusk.

It’s a cherished tradition for Clearlake Oaks, and is named for the Clearlake Oaks Glenhaven Business Association member who was convinced of the importance of putting on this yearly display and worked hard to make that happen.

Bill Stone, the current association president, said Sherman lobbied the community relentlessly and put on numerous fundraisers to support the annual show.

He said CLOGBA members eventually voted to name the event after Sherman, who died in December 1999.

“Her legacy lives on in the annual fiery explosions in the sky she so loved over the community she worked so hard for,” Stone said.

For a spectacular show, the best viewing area is on the water, anchored east of Rattlesnake Island, where the fireworks twinkle overhead and reflect off the waters of Clear Lake.

From the shore, Clearlake Oaks Beach on Island Drive is a great spot, as are Clarks Island, Widgeon Way and Nylander Park.

Admission is free. Information: 707-998-9563, www.clearlakeoaks.org .