LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The local jobless rate rose in October, while the employment picture across the rest of California and the nation showed slight improvements.

The Employment Development Department reported that Lake County's unemployment rose to 6.9 percent in October, up from 6 percent in September but down from the 7.8 percent in October 2014.

Statewide, the October unemployment rate was 5.8 percent, down from 5.9 percent in September and 7.2 percent the previous October, according to the report.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics said nationwide unemployment also was down slightly in October, reaching 5 percent, compared to 5.1 percent the previous month and 5.7 percent in October 2014.

The nation's October unemployment rate is the lowest since January 2008, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics historical data.

Lake County's labor force was up slightly in October, rising to 30,540 people, with 2,090 of them unemployed, versus 30,430 total and 1,830 unemployed the previous month and 30,150 total and 2,360 unemployed in a year-over-year comparison, according to the Employment Development Department report.

Total farm jobs in Lake County dropped 8.1 percent, or 100 positions, from September to October, with total nonfarm jobs up 0.3 percent, or 40 jobs, the report showed.

Within Lake County, the lowest reported unemployment in a community was in Nice, with 1.7 percent.

The rest of the communities, ranked from lowest unemployment to highest, are as follows: Cobb, 3.3 percent; north Lakeport, 4.3 percent; Hidden Valley Lake, 4.6 percent; city of Lakeport, 4.7 percent; Middletown, 5.4 percent; Upper Lake, 5.7 percent; Clearlake Oaks, 6.5 percent; Kelseyville, 6.8 percent; city of Clearlake, 10.2 percent; Lucerne, 11.9 percent; Lower Lake, 13.3 percent.

San Mateo County continued to have the lowest unemployment in California in October, with a 3.2-percent rate, with Imperial County remaining at No. 58, with a 21.8-percent rate.

Lake County's 6.9-percent rate ranked it No. 39 statewide.

Lake's neighboring counties were ranked as follows: Colusa, 10.8 percent, No. 56; Glenn, 6.7 percent, No. 37; Mendocino, 5 percent, No. 13; Napa, 4.2 percent, No. 5; Sonoma, 4.2 percent, No. 5; and Yolo, 6 percent, No. 26.

California's employment picture

In October, California's nonfarm payroll jobs totaled 16,253,100, an increase of 41,200 jobs since the September survey, compared to the 21,100 jobs the state's economy added in September, officials said. The year-over-year change, October 2014 to October 2015, showed an increase of 463,000 jobs, up 2.9 percent.

The tracking of those jobs is based on a survey of 58,000 California businesses.

Overall, California has gained 2,131,800 jobs since the recovery began in February 2010, according to the Employment Development Department report.

The federal survey of 5,500 California households showed an increase in the number of employed people. It estimated the number of Californians holding jobs in October was 17,899,000, an increase of
16,000 from September, and up 381,000 from the employment total in October of last year.

The number of people unemployed in California was 1,095,000 – down by 26,000 over the month, and down by 271,000 compared with October of last year, the report showed.

The report also highlighted certain industries showing growth and decline, including the following:

– Seven categories (mining and logging; construction; trade, transportation and utilities;  financial activities; professional and business services; leisure and hospitality; and other  services) added jobs over the month, gaining 47,700 jobs. Leisure and hospitality posted the  largest increase over the month, adding 18,400 jobs.

– Four categories (manufacturing; information; educational and health services; and  government) reported job declines over the month, down 6,500 jobs. Educational and health  services posted the largest decrease over the month, down 3,800 jobs.  In a year-over-year comparison (October 2014 to October 2015), nonfarm payroll  employment in California increased by 463,000 jobs, up 2.9 percent.

– Nine categories (construction; trade, transportation and utilities; information; financial  activities; professional and business services; educational and health services; leisure and  hospitality; other services; and government) posted job gains over the year, adding 468,300  jobs. Professional and business services posted the largest gains on a numerical basis,  adding 130,000 jobs, up 5.3 percent. Construction posted the largest gains on a  percentage basis, up 7.3 percent, adding 49,800 jobs.

– Two categories, mining and logging and manufacturing, posted job declines over the year,  down 5,300 jobs. Manufacturing posted the largest decreases on a numerical basis, down  3,000 jobs, a 0.2 percent decrease). Mining and logging posted the largest declines on a  percentage basis, decreasing 7.4 percent, down 2,300 jobs.

Regarding unemployment claims, the Employment Development Department reported there were 334,244 people receiving regular  Unemployment Insurance benefits during the October survey week, compared with  343,419 in September and 392,093 in October of 2014.

New claims  for Unemployment Insurance were 46,203 in October, compared with 40,821 in
September and 52,788 in October of last year, the report 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.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Nine dogs are awaiting new homes at Animal Care and Control as the Thanksgiving week gets started.

Dogs available this week include mixes of German Shepherd, Labrador Retriever,  pit bull, Rottweiler, shepherd and terrier, and include one remaining dog rescued from the Valley fire.

Dogs that are adopted from Lake County Animal Care and Control are either neutered or spayed, microchipped and, if old enough, given a rabies shot and county license before being released to their new owner. License fees do not apply to residents of the cities of Lakeport or Clearlake.

If you're looking for a new companion, visit the shelter. There are many great pets hoping you'll choose them.

In addition to the animals featured here, all adoptable animals in Lake County can be seen here: http://bit.ly/Z6xHMb .

The following dogs at the Lake County Animal Care and Control shelter have been cleared for adoption (additional dogs on the animal control Web site not listed are still “on hold”).

'Digger'

“Digger” is a male terrier mix with a short tan coat.

He was found on Lakeview Drive in Nice.

He's in kennel No. 4, ID No. 3693.

Male pit bull terrier

This male pit bull terrier is a Valley fire survivor, found behind the Middletown gas station.

Has has a short gray and white coat.

He's in kennel No. 5, ID No. 3720.

Pit bull terrier

This male pit bull terrier mix has a short brown coat with white markings.

He is in kennel No. 6, ID No. 4025.

Male pit bull mix

This male pit bull terrier mix has a short gray and white coat.

He was found on Gaddy Lane in Kelseyville.

He's in kennel No. 7, ID No. 3458.

Rottweiler-Labrador Retriever mix

This male Rottweiler-Labrador Retriever mix has a short black coat.

He's in kennel No. 10, ID No. 3955.

'Lobo'

"Lobo" is a male German Shepherd mix.

He has a tan and black coat.

He's in kennel No. 17, ID No. 3963.

Terrier mix

This male terrier mix has a short white coat.

He's in kennel No. 23, ID no. 3970.

'Camo'

"Camo" is a male pit bull terrier mix.

He has a short brown brindle coat.

Labrador Retriever-shepherd mix

This male Labrador Retriever-shepherd mix has a short tan and black coat.

He's in kennel No. 33, ID No. 3861.

To fill out an adoption application online visit http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Animal_Care_And_Control/Adopt/Dog___Cat_Adoption_Application.htm .

Lake County Animal Care and Control is located at 4949 Helbush in Lakeport, next to the Hill Road Correctional Facility.

Office hours are Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday. The shelter is open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Visit the shelter online at http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Animal_Care_And_Control.htm .

For more information call Lake County Animal Care and Control at 707-263-0278.

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.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – As the deadline nears for Valley fire survivors to register for assistance through the Federal Emergency Management Agency, that agency and the Small Business Administration offered updates on the help given to impacted community members so far.

The deadline to sign up for FEMA assistance is Monday, Nov. 23, which is 60 days after President Barack Obama issued his presidential major disaster declaration for the 76,067-acre fire, which burned more than 1,300 homes.

So far, for Valley fire survivors FEMA has approved $3.28 million for housing and $2.79 million for other needs, according to agency spokesman Steve Solomon.

Solomon said 2,546 Valley fire survivors have registered for FEMA assistance, there have been 2,756 visits to the two county Disaster Recovery Centers – one in Clearlake, the other in Middletown – and 806 eligible applicants have received rental assistance for 60 days.

Susheel Kumar, spokesman for the Small Business Administration Office of Disaster Assistance, told Lake County News that so far the agency has approved a total of $9,045,000 in loans as a result of the fire.

That total breaks down to $7,680,000 for homeowners and renters, and $1,365,000 for business loans.

The county's Disaster Recovery Centers are located at 14860 Olympic Drive in Clearlake and at the Middletown Senior Center, 21256 Washington St.

They will be open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, closed on Sunday and then open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday, FEMA reported.

FEMA said the Clearlake Disaster Recovery Center will close permanently at 6 p.m. Nov. 23.

On Tuesday, Nov. 24, the Middletown Disaster Recovery Center will open at 9 a.m. and transition to the SBA Disaster Loan Outreach Center. Officials said hours will be Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Survivors can still register for FEMA assistance online at www.disasterAssistance.gov or by calling 800-621-3362; TTY 800-462-7585; 711 or Video Relay Service (VRS), call 800-621-3362. 

After online and telephone registration ends at midnight Monday, Nov. 23, the same contact numbers can be used to ask FEMA about pending applications or other issues.

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 LAKEPORT, Calif. – A young Lakeport man was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence and hit and run following an early Sunday morning crash that injured one of his passengers.

Codie Dean Wilkinson, 19, was taken into custody following the single-vehicle wreck, which occurred at 2:50 a.m. Sunday in the north Lakeport area, according to the California Highway Patrol's Clear Lake Area office.

The CHP said Wilkinson was driving his 2000 Mazda 6 westbound on Scotts Valley Road east of Eickhoff Road at approximately 50 miles per hour, with Brandon Allan Pabst, 18, of Lakeport and 18-year-old Victoria Feilhauer of Lucerne riding as his passengers.

For reasons still to be determined, Wilkinson allowed his vehicle to drift off the right side of the road, the CHP said. The car then veered back to the left and hit an embankment before overturning.

The CHP said officers contacted Wilkinson as he was attempting to drive his vehicle away from the crash scene.

Pabst – who was not wearing his seat belt – suffered major injuries, including a broken left elbow and lacerations to his face, the CHP said. He was transported by his parents to Sutter Lakeside Hospital.

Feilhauer and Wilkinson did not suffer any injuries, according to the CHP report. Both were wearing their seat belts.

The CHP arrested Wilkinson, who was booked into the Lake County Jail for driving under the influence and hit and run causing injury to another.

His bail was set at $50,000, and jail records indicated he later posted the required portion of bail and was released.

Wilkinson's booking sheet indicated he is tentatively scheduled to appear in court on Jan. 26.

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.

"Old dark sleepy pool...
Quick unexpected frog
Goes plop! Watersplash!”
- Matsuo Basho, Japanese Haiku

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – One of our local amphibians, a little frog, has some confusion surrounding his name.

Biologists have been arguing about the dainty 2-inch critter's moniker for some time.

Some call them Pacific chorus frogs, while others believe they should be named Pacific tree frogs.

It all stems back to some fellows by the names of Baird and Girard, who, in 1852 put them in the Hyla genus, calling them Pacific chorus frogs.

Prior to that, in 1843 a chap called Fitzinger added them to the genus Pseudacris, and named them Pacific tree frogs.

To add to the confusion, in 2006 Recuero et al divided the frog into three separate species.

Today, The Amphibian Species of the World confirms this split, but calls the diminutive creature a Pacific tree frog.

Sheesh, it's not easy being green or, in the case of a Pacific tree frog, any variety of colors, like brown, tan, black or reddish with dark marks splashed over them.

Pacific tree frogs are good at camouflage, and modify their colors seasonally, much like a “fashionista” changes her wardrobe to suit the season.

These frogs sport long legs and circular, sticky toe pads which aid in climbing.

Pacific tree frogs can be found all of the way up the Pacific coast, from California to British Columbia. They were introduced to the Ketchikan, Alaska area in the 1960s.

Their habitat includes a variety of settings, such as lakes, streams, wooded areas, grasslands and even chaparral.

Newts and other amphibians consume the frogs – both in the adult stage, and their eggs.

The frogs mate in early winter, on into the beginning of springtime, when males migrate to water sources.

They call out their rousing ribbits to attract a female, then she lays her eggs in still water.

Pacific tree frogs, mostly nocturnal, live their lives hidden under everything from logs to leaf litter. When they emerge to hunt they dine on insects such as ants, spiders and flies.

Kathleen Scavone, M.A., is an educator, potter, writer and author of “Anderson Marsh State Historic Park: A Walking History, Prehistory, Flora, and Fauna Tour of a California State Park” and “Native Americans of Lake County.” She also writes for NASA and JPL as one of their “Solar System Ambassadors.” She was selected “Lake County Teacher of the Year, 1998-99” by the Lake County Office of Education, and chosen as one of 10 state finalists the same year by the California Department of Education.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The California Highway Patrol's Clear Lake Area office will conduct a driving under the influence and driver license safety checkpoint on Sunday, Nov. 22, somewhere within the unincorporated area of Lake County.

The CHP said its goal is to ensure the safe passage of each and every motorist by targeting roads where there is a high frequency of intoxicated or unlicensed drivers.

The sobriety/driver license checkpoint is a proven effective tool for achieving this goal and is designed to augment existing patrol operations, the agency said.

Vehicles will be checked for drivers who are under the influence of alcohol or drugs, or driving unlicensed, the CHP said.

The CHP said it wants to send a clear message to those individuals who consider driving and mixing alcohol or drugs, or driving when unlicensed, that they will be caught and their vehicle will be towed away.

Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The California Office of Historic Preservation announced the recipients of the 2015 Governor’s Historic Preservation Awards at a ceremony on Thursday in Sacramento.

This year, 11 projects statewide – including a documentary about Lake County – were awarded for their exemplary work in preserving California’s richly diverse heritage.

“The Governor’s Historic Preservation Awards provide an opportunity to celebrate the many individuals, organizations, and agencies engaged in important preservation work throughout the state, whose efforts may not otherwise be recognized,” said State Historic Preservation Officer Julianne Polanco.

The 30th annual event was held at Clunie Community Center in Sacramento's McKinley Park.

Among the honorees was “A Walk Through Time: the Story of Anderson Marsh.”

California State Parks, the Koi Nation of Northern California, the Advanced Laboratory of Visual Anthropology at California State University Chico, archaeologists Dr. John Parker and Dr. Greg White, and public stakeholders collaborated to create the 28-minute film, which had its debut in Lake County over the summer.

Parker, who attended the event, said California State Parks Director Lisa Mangat gave an overview of the program and Polanco did a slide presentation for each of the projects that were selected for awards this year.

Those on hand to receive the award for “A Walk Through Time” included Parker; the film's co-producer; Rob Morgan, Koi tribal historic preservation officer; Judy Morgan, Koi tribal secretary; Leslie Steidl, State Parks archaeologist and film executive producer; Eddie Guaracha, State Parks district director; Dino Beltran, Koi tribal executive director, film narrator and co-producer; and Dan Bruns of Chico Advanced Laboratory for Visual Anthropology, the film's director, videographer and co-producer.

The other 10 award recipients included a policy paper, “Sustaining San Francisco’s Living History: Strategies for Conserving” (San Francisco Heritage); “Historic Pasadena” smart phone app (city of Pasadena); “A Napa Coloring Book” (Napa County Landmarks); Santa Barbara County Courthouse Clock restoration (Santa Barbara County Courthouse Legacy Foundation); Audrey Geisel University House rehabilitation (University of California San Diego); Coit Memorial Tower rehabilitation (San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department, San Francisco Arts Commission); Presidio Officers' Club rehabilitation (Presidio Trust, San Francisco); Robert Pitcairn Jr. House and Rev. A. Moss Merwin House, rehabilitation and restoration (Westridge School, Pasadena); Dana Adobe restoration (DANA Cultural Center, Nipomo); and Carmel Mission Basilica restoration (Carmel Mission Foundation).

The Governor’s Historic Preservation Awards Program were established in 1986 by Gov. George Deukmejian.

The program emphasizes involvement by community groups; and it recognizes a broad array of preservation activities, from building rehabilitation to archaeology, education and preservation planning.

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.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – A Thursday enforcement sweep conducted by state and local officials to look for unlicensed contractors operating in the Valley fire area resulted in the arrest of a Hidden Valley Lake man.

Matthew Jonathan George, 28, was arrested on a felony charge of contracting without a license in a disaster area and received a citation for a misdemeanor charge of illegal advertising, according to the Contractors State License Board.

George was booked into the Lake County Jail, with bail set at $15,000. Jail records showed he later posted the required portion of bail and was released.

His booking sheet showed he is tentatively scheduled to appear in Lake County Superior Court on Jan. 18.

Contracting without a license in a disaster area is a felony and has a potential penalty of up to three years in state prison and a fine of up to $10,000, according to the report from the Contractors State License Board on the enforcement action.

“It is unfortunate when unscrupulous people show up in disaster areas to try and take advantage of people when they are vulnerable,” said Contractors State License Board Registrar Cindi Christenson. “We are doing whatever we can to help protect these victims, so unlicensed contractors should know we will be looking for them.”

The Contractors State License Board said three teams targeted different parts of the disaster area, including Cobb Mountain, Hidden Valley Lake and Middletown.

The teams consisted of members of the board's Statewide Investigative Fraud Team, or SWIFT, along with investigators from the Lake County District Attorney's Office investigative unit and California Department of Insurance. The Lake County Sheriff’s Office provided support for investigators during the operation. 

The three teams collectively visited more than 100 sites looking for illegal activity, the Contractors State License Board said.

District Attorney Don Anderson said the sweep began at 9 a.m. Thursday, winding up by mid-afternoon. He said several people were contacted during the operation.

Officials said a licensed contractor reported George’s alleged illegal activity to the Contractors State License Board several days before the sweep took place.

Evidence confiscated during George’s arrest suggested he had 10 pending contracts from Valley fire victims worth a total of $100,000, officials reported.

Investigators also saw several yard signs posted in the area advertising George’s services illegally. State law requires unlicensed contractors to state in all advertising that they are not licensed, according to the state's report.

As a condition of licensure, state officials said contractors must carry workers' compensation for all employees except for themselves if they certify they have none. This coverage insures that if a worker is injured on the homeowner's property, the consumer is not held liable.

Contractors State License Board spokeswoman Ashley Caldwell told Lake County News that the agency conducts an average of one sting operation or construction site sweep each week throughout the state, and conducts at least three statewide blitzes each year with efforts to protect consumers and tackle the underground economy. 

“We are aware that some unscrupulous contractors may try to take advantage of consumers during times of desperation, so we make it a priority to conduct outreach and enforcement activity in disaster areas,” she said.

In addition to this week's enforcement activity, Anderson said his office is continuing to follow up on reports of price gouging impacting fire victims, although so far no cases have developed.

State officials said the unlicensed contractor sweep also is being used as an opportunity to educate homeowners about the importance of checking out contractors before hiring them, and to let licensees know where they can report suspected unlicensed activity if they see it. 

The Contractors State License Board's free publication “After a Disaster, Don't Get Scammed!” includes tips on rebuilding such as:

– Don't rush into repairs, no matter how badly they are needed.

– Get at least three bids. Don’t hire the first contractor who comes along.

– Be cautious about door-to-door offers of repair services and fliers or business cards that are left at your property.

– Ask friends, family, and associates for recommendations about contractors they have hired.

– Never pay in cash.

– Even for the smallest job, get proof that the person you are dealing with has a contractor license for the type of work that needs to be done.

– Get a written contract that details every aspect of the work plan.

Visit the Contractors State License Board's Disaster Help Center for more tips on rebuilding after a natural disaster.

The agency encourages consumers to always “Check the License First” by visiting www.cslb.ca.gov or calling the Contractors State License Board’s toll-free automated line 800-321-CSLB (2752). Also, visit the Contractors State License Board Web site for tips about how to hire a contractor.

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.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – Caltrans has completed construction of the new Highway 29 Troutdale Creek bridge.

The project is done one year ahead of the original late 2016 completion date and Caltrans is now anticipating opening the new bridge to traffic at 6 p.m. Monday, Nov. 23.

The bridge is in northwest Napa County between Calistoga and Middletown.

Motorists on Highway 29 should drive with caution as crews switch traffic lanes and remove temporary traffic signal lights approaching the new bridge.

Drivers may also encounter intermittent closures and one-way traffic controls prior to the traffic switch and opening of the new bridge. Please #BeWorkZoneAlert.

Caltrans started construction of the new Troutdale Creek bridge in May.

The new bridge replaces the existing Troutdale Creek bridge with wider northbound and southbound Highway 29 bridge approaches. 

The existing bridge was replaced because of years of wear at its base from the Troutdale Creek. 

The new bridge approaches have also been realigned to conform to the new bridge, and improve sight-lines for motorists. 

For additional information visit http://www.dot.ca.gov/dist4/29troutdalecreek/ .

Pluto’s day is 6.4 Earth days long. The images shown here were taken by the Long Range Reconnaissance Imager (LORRI) and the Ralph/Multispectral Visible Imaging Camera as the distance between New Horizons and Pluto decreased from 5 million miles on July 7 to 400,000 miles on July 13.

The more distant images contribute to the view at the 3 o’clock position, with the top of the heart-shaped, informally named Tombaugh Regio slipping out of view, giving way to the side of Pluto that was facing away from New Horizons during closest approach on July 14.

The side New Horizons saw in most detail – what the mission team calls the “encounter hemisphere” – is at the 6 o’clock position.

These images and others like them reveal many details about Pluto, including the differences between the encounter hemisphere and the so-called “far side” hemisphere seen only at lower resolution.

Dimples in the bottom (south) edge of Pluto’s disk are artifacts of the way the images were combined to create these composites.

Charon – like Pluto – rotates once every 6.4 Earth days. The photos were taken by the Long Range Reconnaissance Imager (LORRI) and the Ralph/Multispectral Visible Imaging Camera from July 7-13, as New Horizons closed in over a range of 6.4 million miles.

The more distant images contribute to the view at the 9 o’clock position, with few of the signature surface features visible, such as the cratered uplands, canyons, or rolling plains of the informally named Vulcan Planum. The side New Horizons saw in most detail, during closest approach on July 14, 2015, is at the 12 o’clock position.

These images and others like them reveal many details about Charon, including how similar looking the encounter hemisphere is to the so-called “far side” hemisphere seen only at low resolution – which is the opposite of the situation at Pluto.

Dimples in the bottom (south) edge of Charon’s disk are artifacts of the way the New Horizons images were combined to create these composites.

CLEARLAKE OAKS, Calif. – Authorities are investigating the cause of an early morning fire that damaged a residence in Clearlake Oaks on Friday.

The fire was first reported at approximately 5:30 a.m. Friday on Lakeview Drive, according to Northshore Fire Chief Jay Beristianos.

When firefighters arrived, Beristianos said they found heavy fire coming from the rear of the two-story, wood-framed home, with involvement in the attic.

Northshore Fire responded with four engines, two ambulances, one water tender, nine firefighters and three overhead personnel, Beristianos said. 

Beristianos said Cal Fire sent two engines and six personnel on mutual aid, and the Northshore Fire Incident support Team responded with four personnel.

He said it took crews about 30 minutes to control the fire, with several hours of mop up and overhaul.

The home sustained major fire and smoke damage throughout, Beristianos said.

The cause of the fire is under investigation and considered suspicious, according to Beristianos.

He said the residence is a summer home that has been in the owner's family for many years. The house was not occupied at the time of the fire.

The human body is incredibly complex. Every part of us – from our bones to our blood cells – is subject to a host of chemical reactions and molecular interactions that, without our conscious effort, keep us alive.

But what happens to these processes when we leave the planet?

In Earth orbit and beyond, where gravity is counteracted by a constant state of freefall and cosmic radiation intensifies, the molecular inner-workings of the human body may change. 

To find out how, NASA has entered a realm of bio-research known as “-omics.”

During an unprecedented one-year mission to the International Space Station, scientists are studying how astronauts' bodies respond to long-duration space travel.

“Omics” refers to the collection of data on the medley of microcosms that regulate our bodies at a molecular level. Things that work with the metabolism are grouped underneath the term “metabolome.” All of the lipids in the body are called the “lipidome.” All of the proteins? You guessed it – “proteome.”

“We have launched a one-year study to understand the omics of space travel,” said Craig Kundrot, Ph.D. in the Office of the Chief Scientist at NASA Headquarters. “Astronauts are spending a year on the International Space Station, and we are looking at what happens to them on the molecular level.”

This project is really two projects:

First, there is the “Twins Study.”

NASA has twin astronauts: One of them, Mark Kelly (retired), is staying on Earth while his brother, Scott Kelly, orbits Earth. 

For one year, Mark and Scott will be poked, prodded and questioned to learn if the omics of identical twins show more significant differences than normal aging would cause after one of them spends a year in space.

At the same time, Scott Kelly is involved in a separate project called the “One Year Mission.” Unlike previous expeditions to the space station, which lasted only six months, Scott Kelly is spending a full year onboard the station alongside Russian cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko. 

The One Year Mission has its own battery of tests designed to reveal the physiological effects of long-term space flight.

Why one year?

“NASA knows a lot about what happens to astronauts after 6 months in orbit,” said Kundrot. “Deep space missions are going to take much longer than that. A round trip to Mars, for instance, might take thirty months or more. This one-year experiment is the next, natural step in that direction.”

Kundrot also notes the intangible significance of one year to humans.

“When we leave home for 6 months, it’s like a long business trip,” Kundrot said. “Leaving home for a year is a different thing. We are going to miss every birthday, anniversary, graduation and many other milestones. It feels like a big chunk of life – and this could affect the mood or behavior of the space travelers.”

Indeed, some of the studies focus the astronauts’ psychological state. At the same time that blood is drawn and other samples are taken, the astronauts will be filling out questionnaires about their mood, thoughts and dreams. This approach could reveal links between the astronaut’s mental state and their molecular state.

In total, more than 30 research proposals have been approved for the Twin Study and the One Year Mission – and they are well under way. The experiments began on March 27, 2015, when Kelly and Kornienko blasted off onboard a Russian rocket for their year in space.

For more on studies on the international space station, go to www.nasa.gov/station .