LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Health officials are reporting that testing has confirmed that a local teenager has meningitis, but the case does not pose a threat to other community members.

The Lower Lake High School student fell ill last week with what determined to be bacterial meningitis, according to the Lake County Public Health Department.

Local school, health care and public health authorities rapidly mobilized to prevent additional cases. 

With the assistance of the California Department of Public Health’s laboratory, specialized laboratory techniques were able to identify the causative bacteria as streptococcus pneumoniae, Lake County Health Officer Karen Tait reported.

“This is a huge relief,” said Tait. “Even though pneumococcal meningitis is as serious an infection as meningococcal disease, it does not pose the same risk for outbreaks.”

Two different bacteria most commonly cause this form of meningitis, which is a rare, but serious illness, according to health officials.

Meningococcal infection tends to target children, teens and young adults and occasionally results in outbreaks of multiple cases. 

Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus), the type of meningitis that the student was identified as having, is the other likely culprit, officials said.

In contrast to meningococcal infections, pneumococcal meningitis does not require public health interventions to prevent outbreaks.

Initial laboratory testing did not identify the cause of the infection, so officials opted to recommend treatment of close contacts to protect against the possibility of meningococcal disease.

Meningococcal disease is a serious infection that can cause an infection of the bloodstream (sepsis) and the tissues surrounding the brain and spinal cord (meningitis). Symptoms include fever, chills and, in some cases, headache, stiff neck, and rash. 

The infection is spread through respiratory secretions and aerosols, but is not as easily spread as the common cold or influenza. Close contacts can be protected from the illness with preventive antibiotics, usually a single dose, if given soon after exposure. 

As a precaution, local health care providers, Lower Lake High School and local public health authorities coordinated to offer this protection to potentially exposed students on Monday and Tuesday. 

“We are so fortunate to have the assistance of the medical community at times like this,” said Tait. “Without their active participation in identifying and intervening on public health risks, we would not be as able to act as quickly as we did to a possible public health threat.”

Equally important in the effort was the role of the school district and its school nurses, who moved quickly to respond. 

“We are confident that the quick and timely response and collaboration of Lake County Public Health, local health providers, and the Konocti Unified School District minimized the risk of an outbreak,” said Lake County Superintendent of Schools Brock Falkenberg.

Vaccines are available to protect against both pneumococcal and meningococcal infections, but they do not protect against all types, officials said.

Still, the vaccines are highly effective in reducing the frequency of serious infections. Officials recommend that both adults and children receive recommended vaccinations as part of their normal health care maintenance.  

LAKEPORT, Calif. – On Tuesday police arrested a young Lakeport man for felony driving under the influence following a crash that injured another driver.

It was the second DUI arrest in four days for 18-year-old Parker John Coggins, according to Lakeport Police Chief Brad Rasmussen.

At 6:15 p.m. Tuesday Lakeport Police officers were dispatched to 11th Street near Safeway to investigate the report of an injury vehicle collision, Rasmussen said.

When they arrived, officers determined that a 1998 Volvo sedan traveling east on 11th Street, and driven by Coggins, collided with a 2000 Chevrolet Blazer traveling west on 11th Street, driven by a 43-year-old Clearlake Oaks man, causing major front-end damage to both vehicles, according to Rasmussen.

Rasmussen said officers determined that the Clearlake Oaks man had complaints of pain to his stomach, neck, back and left leg, and he was transported by Lakeport Fire Protection District ambulance to Sutter Lakeside Hospital for treatment.

During the investigation, Rasmussen said the officers noticed that Coggins was displaying signs and symptoms of being under the influence of alcohol and proceeded to conduct a series of field sobriety tests on him, which he failed. 

Coggins was transported to the Lakeport Police Department where he submitted to a blood alcohol content test by breath. Rasmussen said the results showed that Coggins' blood alcohol content level was 0.13 percent; the legal limit is 0.08 percent.

Rasmussen said Coggins was booked into the Lake County Jail for felony drunk driving causing injury.

Jail records showed that Coggins remained in custody on Wednesday night, with bail set at $30,000. 

This case remains under investigation but unsafe speed is also believed to be a factor in the collision, Rasmussen said.

Rasmussen said Coggins' arrest on Tuesday was his second for drunk driving in the city of Lakeport in a four-day period.

At about 9:15 p.m. Friday, March 18, a Lakeport Police officer working traffic enforcement in the area of S. Main Street and Lakeport observed a gray Chevrolet sedan fail to stop at the stop sign at S. Main St and Lakeport Boulevard before traveling west on Lakeport Boulevard at a high rate of speed, Rasmussen said.

Rasmussen said the officer noticed that the driver, Coggins, was displaying signs and symptoms of alcohol influence and that he had beer in the vehicle. 

The officer conducted a series of field sobriety tests on Coggins, which he failed. Rasmussen said Coggins was arrested and booked for driving under the influence of alcohol, driving with alcohol in his blood while under 21 and being in possession of alcohol while under 21. 

Rasmussen said his agency is dedicated to keeping its citizens safe by apprehending impaired motorists and he encouraged members of the community to report all intoxicated drivers. 

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lake County Vector Control District has rescheduled a mosquito larvicide treatment.

The treatment, originally set for Wednesday, March 23, will now take place on Thursday, March 24, according to District Manager Jamie Scott.

Scott said the treatment is expected to begin at 10 a.m., weather permitting.

The district said the treatment – meant to reduce the number of biting adult mosquitoes emerging this spring – will take place at the marshlands adjacent to the lake between the Clear Lake State Park and Lakeport, parts of Anderson Marsh State Park and a small section east of the Clearlake Keys.

It's in those areas that the district’s winter mosquito surveillance program detected large numbers of mosquito larvae for an early-season floodwater species (Aedes increpitus) that hatch from eggs laid in the mud in previous years as the lake receded. 

When winter rains flooded the eggs, the larvae hatched and began developing in the still, shallow water.

As temperatures and day length increase in early spring, the Ae. increpitus mosquito larvae will pupate and then emerge as biting adults.

These mosquitoes are the aggressive biters experienced every spring by people living and recreating near this area.

The application will be made by a yellow, bi-winged crop duster flying at a low altitude over these marshy areas.

Some of the marshy areas are near homes, and people may experience a brief noise nuisance from the plane.

The product applied will be VectoBac GS, a biological larvicide used to control mosquito larvae in aquatic habitats.

VectoBac, manufactured by Valent BioSciences, is based on the naturally occurring soil bacterium, Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis (Bti). The district said it is a highly effective and economical microbial insecticide registered with the Environmental Protection Agency for the control of larval mosquitoes in nearly all aquatic habitats.

Bti is highly selective for the control of mosquito larvae in water and does not affect plants, animals or beneficial insects that live in or drink the water.

The formulation is a biodegradable solid corncob granule, similar to large sand particles, which are coated with the Bti, which breaks down rapidly in nature so there is no persistence of the active ingredient. The use of a solid formulation reduces the drift onto adjacent property.

The Lake County Vector Control District makes every effort to use the safest product available to minimize any health concerns the public may have.

The larvicide label and the safety data sheet are available from the Lake County Vector Control District’s Web site http://www.lcvcd.org/ or may be requested by calling 707-263-4770.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – A visiting judge on Thursday denied a new trial motion to a man convicted last year for his part in a 2013 home invasion robbery and assault with a firearm on two men – one of them a police officer – and handed down a lengthy sentence.

Dion Andre Davis, 28, of San Francisco received the 69-years-to-life sentence on Thursday morning from retired visiting Judge James Garbolino, who presided over his trial last year.

“I'm just disappointed in the result,” defense attorney Bill Conwell told Lake County News afterward.

Davis was convicted last March for participating in the June 26, 2013, home invasion robbery at the Clearlake Oaks home of Ronnie and Janeane Bogner.

Davis and his co-defendants – including Sean Foss and Tyler Gallon – forced their way into the home that morning when Janeane and Jacob Bogner were home, along with Janeane Bogner's young grandchildren.

The Bogners were targeted by the group because Foss, a former employee of the Bogners' company, Weed Tech, claimed they had guns and money at their home.

During the robbery, as the men searched for money and weapons – only turning up $121 in cash, two old handguns and a pellet gun – Davis pistol-whipped Jacob Bogner and shot him in the leg.

After the home invasion, Davis, Foss, Gallon and Davis' girlfriend, Jenaya Jelinek – who drove a getaway car – fled the scene, taking with them Janeane Bogner's Cadillac Escalade, which they dumped down an embankment on Sulphur Bank Road on the way to Clearlake.

The group ended up in Clearlake, where they later were apprehended. As they tried to escape, Davis shot at Clearlake Police Lt. Tim Celli, who was in pursuit.

A jury found Davis guilty of armed robbery, burglary, assault with a firearm on Jacob Bogner, assault with a semiautomatic firearm on Bogner, mayhem on Bogner, grand theft of a firearm, vehicle theft, vandalism, making threats of violence to Celli, assault with a semiautomatic firearm on Celli, assault with a deadly weapon on Celli, negligent discharge of a firearm, accessory to a robbery or burglary, and conspiracy to commit a robbery or residential burglary, as Lake County News has reported.

At that time the jury also found true 21 special allegations for use of a firearm, inflicting great bodily injury on Bogner and entering an inhabited dwelling in concert with others.

Davis was tried along with his half-brother, Gregory Pierre Elarms. The jury deadlocked on the counts against Elarms – robbery, burglary, two firearms assaults on Bogner, two firearm assaults on Celli, grand theft, vehicle theft, vandalism and conspiracy – and the District Attorney's Office later dropped the case.

Davis' sentencing had gone through several delays since his conviction due to Conwell pursuing a new trial motion.

In the interim, Foss and Tyler Gallon, both of Clearlake, pleaded guilty to lesser charges in July.

The following month, Foss was sentenced to nine years in state prison for armed robbery, and assault with a deadly weapon on Bogner and Celli, and Gallon was sentenced to four years and four months in state prison for armed robbery, assault with a deadly weapon on Celli, auto theft, resisting an executive officer and vandalism, as Lake County News has reported.

Jelinek pleaded to second-degree burglary in an agreement with the District Attorney's Office in 2014, served time and was released.

New trial motion denied

On Thursday, Judge Garbolino first heard Conwell's motion for a new trial, which he ultimately denied.

Conwell's motion emphasized key areas of the investigation, including the work of former sheriff's Det. Doug Dahmen, who had failed to write reports, left out key information and who ultimately was the focus of special hearings during the trial relating to the accuracy of his work and the truthfulness of statements he had made to his superiors at the sheriff's office and to district attorney investigators.

During the identification process that Dahmen used, Jacob Bogner identified Davis and Janeane Bogner had misidentified another of the subjects believed to have been involved as Dexter Currington of San Francisco.

Currington later was arrested and spent six months in jail despite having provided alibi information that proved he was not involved to Dahmen.

Dahmen did not follow up on that information or record it in a report until months later. Currington eventually was released thanks to the work of his attorney, David Markham, in bringing exculpatory evidence to Anderson's attention.

“The misidentification of Currington had nothing to do with Davis,” District Attorney Don Anderson, who personally handled the case, said Thursday. “It could have had a lot to do with Greg Elarms.”

Dahmen had made several conflicting statements during the trial about his handling of the case. As a result, he became the focus of Brady proceedings, which are named for the 1963 US Supreme Court decision Brady v. Maryland, which requires that the prosecution turn over any exculpatory information to the defense – including information about the truthfulness of law enforcement officers involved in the case.

Anderson confirmed that Dahmen was placed on the Brady list his office holds for officers with credibility issues. County officials previously reported that Dahmen left the county's employment in April 2015.

“I think the issues regarding the Brady discovery are more important than the judge did,” Conwell told Lake County News.

After denying the new trial motion, Anderson said Garbolino gave Davis 44 years and eight months to life plus a 25-years-to-life sentence.

Anderson said Davis gets a 15 percent credit for the 44 year part of the sentence and then has to serve the additional 25 years before he would be considered eligible for parole.

That, he said, essentially makes it a life sentence.

“I'm thrilled that the justice system was able to take a dangerous felon off the street,” Celli told Lake County News on Thursday afternoon, adding, “The public is safer because of it.”

“I'm so happy,” said Janeane Bogner, who attended the sentencing with son Jacob. “To me, justice is served.”

She said she saw no remorse from Davis, recalling that the only thing he said during the hearing was to ask if he could have his cell phone back.

Neither she nor her son gave a victim impact statement to the court. However, some months ago her young granddaughter wrote a letter to the judge, explaining how it made her sad that her uncle had been shot, and asking the judge to keep Davis behind bars.

Despite the trauma of the the robbery, Bogner said her grandchildren are doing well. “We're so lucky they haven't been affected by it.”

She also expressed her thanks to the judge and jurors for their work, and to the many people who she said have been thinking of, and praying for, her family.

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.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lakeport Senior Activity Center is asking for the community's help in locating its stolen food truck.

Executive Director Jonathan Crooks said staff noticed that the truck – actually a small vintage trailer – was missing on Wednesday morning. He said it's possible it was taken as early as the weekend.

Crooks said it was parked in the parking lot at the Lakeport Senior Activity Center on Konocti Avenue.

He said someone cut the lock, hooked it up and drove off with it.

“It was a fundraising vehicle we purchased from the Elks Lodge in 2011 and used at different events to raise money for Meals on Wheels,” he said.

The trailer is painted blue and white, and has small propane tanks on the front hitch.

“We are hoping someone sees it and reports it to the police for us,” Crooks said.

Crooks said it has been reported both to the Lakeport Police Department and the California Highway Patrol.

Anyone who has information about it is asked to call the Lakeport Police Department at 707-263-5491 or the CHP's Clear Lake Area office at 707-279-0103.

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.

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – Five handsome dogs are waiting at Clearlake Animal Control this week for new homes.

The dogs include mixes of American Staffordshire Terrier, dachshund, German Shepherd, hound, Labrador Retriever and pit bull.

To meet the dogs, contact Marcia Taylor, the animal control outreach technician, at 707-994-8201, Extension 103, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Thursday, or contact Animal Control Officer Jenna Tuller at Extension 115 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. those same days.

Also follow Clearlake Animal Control on Facebook for the latest updates.

'Brutas'

“Brutas” is a male American Staffordshire Terrier and pit bull mix with a short mottled brown coat.

Shelter staff said Brutas gets along with everyone.

He needs some leash training but has lots of love to give.

'Coco'

“Coco” is a female chocolate Labrador Retriever and hound mix.

Coco lost her family after her owner died. She was passed to another family but kept jumping the 4-foot gate.

Shelter staff said she is everything a Labrador Retriever should be: She loves people and kids, and gets along well with other dogs.

'Doc'

“Doc” is a male dachshund.

He has a blue and tan coat.

Shelter staff said he gets along with others and is a big sweetheart. He also loves to go on walks and car rides.

He is neutered and fully vaccinated.

'Kuno'

“Kuno” is an 8-month-old male German Shepherd and Belgian Malinois mix with the traditional black and tan coat.

He likes everyone, however, shelter staff said he would do best as an only pet.
He is reported to be smart and easily trained.

Kuno loves to go for walks or for a jog, and would thrive in a family that would give him the love he craves.

'Lady'

“Lady” is a female pit bull terrier mix.

She has a short tan coat with white markings.

Shelter staff said Lady loves attention and enjoys going for walks.

She likes to play and will make a good companion, shelter staff reported.

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

NICE, Calif. – A fire over this past weekend damaged a Northshore home.

Northshore Fire Chief Jay Beristianos said the fire in a single-family dwelling in the 3000 block of Lakeshore Drive in Nice was first reported shortly before 1 p.m. Saturday.

“The fire was spotted by a fisherman across the street and Northshore firefighters conducting water rescue training nearby,” Beristianos said.

Beristianos said the fisherman notified the home's residents of the fire.

The occupants were able to get out of the house and move their car before the fire destroyed the carport area, he said.

Beristianos said the fire extended into the house and an outbuilding on the property.

Along with Northshore Fire's response, Lakeport Fire sent an engine with a crew of three, Beristianos said.

The fire was controlled in about 30 minutes with a couple of hours of mop up, he added.

Beristianos said no injuries were reported.

Although the cause of the fire is believed to be accidental, Beristianos said it remains under investigation.

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.

California Attorney General Kamala D. Harris on Wednesday announced that her office has obtained a $1.1 billion judgment against defunct Corinthian Colleges Inc. (CCI) for its predatory and unlawful practices.

While CCI filed for bankruptcy in May 2015, this judgment can help secure further relief for struggling students.

Former Corinthian students should visit the Attorney General’s Interactive Tool, https://oag.ca.gov/corinthian , for tailored information to help them locate needed resources and relief.

In October 2013, Attorney General Kamala D. Harris led the charge against CCI and its subsidiaries that operate Everest, Heald, and Wyotech colleges, filing suit seeking to put an end to abusive practices that left tens of thousands of students under a mountain of debt and useless degrees. CCI filed for bankruptcy in May 2015.

On Wednesday, the court granted a default judgment against CCI. In the judgment, the court ordered restitution on behalf of students in the amount of $820,000,000 and civil penalties totaling $350,025,000, for a total of $1,170,025,000 in monetary relief.

“For years, Corinthian profited off the backs of poor people – now they have to pay. This judgment sends a clear message: there is a cost to this kind of predatory conduct,” said Attorney General Harris. “My office will continue to do everything in our power to help these vulnerable students obtain all available relief, as they work to achieve their academic and professional goals.”

Attorney General Harris’ original complaint alleged that CCI intentionally targeted low-income, vulnerable Californians through deceptive and false advertisements and aggressive marketing campaigns that misrepresented job placement rates and school programs.

CCI deployed these advertisements through persistent Internet, telemarketing and television ad campaigns.

The complaint further alleged that Corinthian executives knowingly misrepresented job placement rates to investors and accrediting agencies, which harmed students, investors and taxpayers.

The attorney general filed many of these documents in court before entry of the court’s judgment, and they are now publicly available.

In the final judgment, the court found, among other things, that:

– From at least 2009 until the closure of its schools, many of CCI’s representations and advertisements related to job placement were untrue and/or misleading. In numerous cases, the placement rate data in CCI’s files show that the actual placement rate is lower than the advertised rate. The placement rates that CCI published were systematically false, misleading, erroneous and/or failed to comply with applicable state and federal regulations and/or accreditor standards. In addition, many of these published placement rates could not be substantiated using CCI’s own internal placement data and files.

– CCI did not offer ultrasound technician programs, x-ray technician programs, radiology technician programs, or dialysis technician programs in California. Despite this fact, from at least 2010 until the filing of this action, CCI ran millions of ads stating that they did offer those programs. CCI executives knew that these false ads misled students.

– CCI unlawfully used the official seals of the United States Department of the Army, the United States Department of the Navy, the United States Department of the Air Force, the United States Marine Corps, and the United States Coast Guard.

– CCI’s enrollment agreements contained unlawful clauses.

– CCI engaged in unlawful debt collection.

– CCI failed to discloses its role in the Genesis Private Student Loan Program.

– CCI misrepresented the transferability of credits.

– CCI misrepresented its financial stability to students.

In April 2015, Attorney General Harris and eight other state Attorneys General sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Education urging immediate debt relief for the students who attended Heald College and other CCI campuses.

In May 2015, Attorney General Harris sent a letter to U.S. Department of Education Secretary Arne Duncan, asking the Department to exercise its authority under closed school discharge regulations to provide aid to students affected by Corinthian’s predatory practices.

In June 2015, after calls from Attorney General Harris for substantive relief for students suffering from crippling debt, the U.S. Department of Education announced expanded debt relief options for Corinthian students, which resulted in many more students being eligible for relief.

Attorney General Harris remains committed to protecting vulnerable students, most recently through the Department of Education’s negotiated rulemaking sessions on borrower defense, where Attorney General Harris called for revisions to proposed borrower defense regulations to ensure meaningful debt relief for students misled by predatory for-profit colleges.

032316 Corinthian College final judgment.pdf

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Habitat for Humanity Lake County is looking for community members eligible for its homeownership program.

If you are member of a low-income family seeking the opportunity to own your own home or a low-income family who lost its home in the Lake County fires, or a renter displaced by the fires who is now in need of a home, Habitat for Humanity Lake County might be able to assist you.
 
The homeownership program of Habitat for Humanity Lake County is actively seeking qualified candidates.

Applicants will be considered on a first-come, first-served basis.

Military veterans are encouraged to apply and family need is always the top consideration.
 
For a prequalification application visit Habitat for Humanity’s Web site at www.lakehabitat.org , call the office at 707-994-1100, or come by 16285A Main St. in Lower Lake.

Once the pre-application is received, candidates will be contacted by a Habitat for Humanity representative for a family interview and provided with a complete application.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – Lake, Napa and surrounding county residents joined #LakeCountyRising to raise more than $150,000 at the Charity Wine Auction on Sunday at the Culinary Institute of America in St. Helena.

More than 100 guests gathered for the charity wine auction, among whom were Linda Reiff of Napa Valley Vintners, Cyril Chappellet of Chappellet Winery and Clay Shannon, owner of Shannon Ridge Family of Wines.

Proceeds from Sunday’s auction were generated from the event’s 10 live auction lots, 20 silent auction lots, ticket sales, and donations from attending guests and supporters.

Since the devastating Valley fire, which scorched more than 115 square miles, destroyed 1,300 homes, and claimed the lives of four Lake County residents, #LakeCountyRising has raised nearly $1 million for Valley fire relief.

At the charity wine auction, it was apparent the overwhelming support from community members and wine industry supporters continues, even six months after the fire.

The afternoon opened with speakers Andy Beckstoffer and US Congressman Mike Thompson (CA-05), who commented on the deep and historic connection between Napa and Lake counties.

Focusing on the growth of Lake and Napa counties in the last 150 years, Beckstoffer highlighted the deep-rooted connection between the two counties, reminding guests that prior to 1851, Lake was actually part of Napa County.

In recounting the fire’s devastation, Congressman Thompson shared numerous anecdotes from evacuees and supporting community members who came together in the days following the Valley fire’s devastation.

His personal accounts of residents like Karen Cakebread, who provided meals to evacuees at the emergency shelter at the Calistoga fairgrounds, further demonstrated the joint coalition between Lake and Napa county residents.

The two most popular live auction lots from Sunday included a personal barrel lot of 2016 Cabernet from Beckstoffer’s famed Georges III Heritage Vineyard and crafted by Sinegal Estate” and the “Taste of Napa Valley Heritage,” which included dinner for two couples with Andy and Betty Beckstoffer at PRESS Napa Valley, four magnums from Beckstoffer’s Heritage Vineyards, a selection of famed Napa Valley wines to complement dinner and a copy of Kelli White’s Napa Valley Then & Now.

After receiving competitive bids from multiple bidders, both auction lots were made available to the first and second bidders, which raised a combined $81,000 for Sunday’s event.

Apart from auction lots, the event also showcased Lake County wines, poured by Aliénor Wines, Boatique Winery, Bodkin, Brassfield Estate Winery, Calvino Jones, Chacewater Winery, Fore Family Vineyards, Fults Family Vineyards, Gregory Graham Wines, Hawk and Horse Vineyards, Jelly Jar, Langtry Estate, Obsidian Ridge Vineyard, R Vineyards, Rock Wall Wine Co., Rosa d’Oro Vineyards, Shannon Ridge Family of Wines, Six Sigma Ranch, Sol Rouge and Steele Wines.

A special thanks is given to notable bidders, particularly Dwight Haldan, Tor Kenward and Todd Zapolski, who greatly contributed to the success of Sunday’s event.

In addition to these contributors, the event would not have been possible without the generous support of Tom Bensel, Bob Bath and the faculty and staff at the Culinary Institute of America, including Andy Wild, who not only led the culinary team at Sunday’s event, but headed a team of chefs at the evacuation center in the weeks following the Valley fire.

#LakeCountyRising is a collaborative fundraising effort of the Lake County Winegrape Commission, Lake County Winery Association and Lake County Wine Alliance to support long-term rebuilding in response to the devastating Valley Fire.

For more information, please visit www.lakecountyrising.org .

UPPER LAKE, Calif. – The Upper Lake Unified School District Board voted unanimously on Tuesday evening to hire the next principal of Upper Lake Elementary School.

Lakeport resident Stephanie Wayment, currently serving as the Educational Resources and Accountability director at the Lake County Office of Education, received full board support during the vote, held toward the end of the meeting.

Wayment holds a bachelor's degree in liberal studies as well as a multiple subject teaching credential and an administrative credential from Sonoma State University, and has a master's degree in education focusing on curriculum, instruction and assessment from Walden University in Baltimore.

She has extensive administrative experience, has taught in K-8 education in the Lakeport and Konocti school districts, and also has taught at the university level at Sonoma State and Dominican University.

In addition, Wayment is a founding member of the Literacy Task Force, has directed the Imagination Library effort, was involved in organizing the Lake County Mock Trial competition, is fluent in Spanish, and has created activities and programs to help Hispanic students prepare for college.

Wayment's hire becomes effective on July 1, the day after the separate elementary and high school districts formally end in order to be combined into the new unified district.

Wayment emerged as the top candidate from a field of applicants that included primarily Lake County residents as well as one person from Michigan, according to district officials.

She will succeed Valerie Gardner, the principal/superintendent of the Upper Lake Union Elementary School, who is retiring this summer.

Unlike Gardner, Wayment will be principal only, and will not have to fulfill the second role as superintendent. The district's interim superintendent is Patrick Iaccino, who also is principal/superintendent for the soon-to-be-dissolved Upper Lake Union High School District.

After the vote, Gardner – seated in the audience behind Wayment – reached over and patted her shoulder.

“You just made a great decision,” district Business Manager Sue Milhaupt told the board.

Iaccino congratulated Wayment and welcomed her to the district.

Iaccino told the board that Gardner chaired the selection committee, which included elementary school parents, teachers and classified staff.

“It wasn't easy,” he said of the selection process.

Wayment told the board and district officials, “I am super excited to be here.”

Iaccino said he will meet with the new district's three school principals – Wayment for the elementary school, Don Boyd for the Middle School and Sandy Coatney for the high school – for the first time as a group on Wednesday.

The board appointed Boyd and Coatney to those principal positions on March 8, as Lake County News has reported.

Gardner said she is working with the Lake County Office of Education to arrange to have Wayment begin spending a few days a week at the district beginning in April in preparation for taking over this summer.

“She's looking very hard at her calendar trying to figure out how to do it all,” said Gardner.

During the meeting board members congratulated Wayment. Board member Keith Austin said he liked her professionalism and her approach to learning.

In other board action on Tuesday, the board heard presentations from consultants on education management and facilities planning, and got an update from district staffer Clarinda Higgins focusing on special education.

The board also held a brief public hearing on sunshine contract openers for employee unions and approved the proposed 2016-17 school calendar, with starting and ending dates of Aug. 10 and May 26, respectively.

With the district and employees unions still to finalize contracts, Iaccino said the school calendar might end up being brought back for further consideration at a future time as part of negotiations.

The board also unanimously approved exchanging its twice-monthly meeting schedule for one meeting per month.

Starting in April, the board will begin meeting at 5 p.m. on the second Tuesday, with the Upper Lake High School Library remaining the meeting location. The date of the next meeting is April 12.

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.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lake County community is invited to participate in the Lake County Library’s Book-to-Action series of events, featuring the book “The Oral History Workshop” by Cynthia Hart and Lisa Samson, to be held during April at several locations around Lake County.

The Lake County Library and the Lake County Museums are collaborating to produce this Book-to-Action series, which grew out of the realization following the county’s “Summer of Fire” that many people have stories to tell.

“Although perhaps a cliché, it is true that history happens every day,” said Lake County Museum Curator Tony Pierucci. “The fires that Lake County survived last year left an indelible mark on our community and it is important that we begin the process of preserving the oral history.”

Fire survivors may be looking for a way to record their stories. People interested in conducting interviews may not know how to help with that process.

An oral history project may seem intimidating if one isn’t sure about how to do it. Book-to-Action will bring together people in both categories and help them conduct interviews.

The Oral History Workshop breaks down an oral history project into a series of easily-managed tasks so even beginners can start their own projects.

More than a how-to manual, the book is also a why-to-do-it guide. Author Cynthia Hart drew on her own family’s history for stories that illustrate why oral history is important.

All Book-to-Action events are free and no registration is required to attend an event. Participants will volunteer their time to conduct interviews once they’re trained. Call 707-263-8817 for more information.

Copies of “The Oral History Workshop” are free and available at all Lake County Library branches and both Lake County Museums in April as long as supplies last. Come to any branch to get a book and a schedule of events.

Library branches are located at 1425 N. High St. in Lakeport, 14785 Burns Valley Road in Clearlake, 21256 Washington St. in Middletown and 310 Second St. in Upper Lake.

The Lake County Museums are the Historic Courthouse Museum located at 255 N. Main St. in Lakeport and the Schoolhouse Museum at 16435 Morgan Valley Road in Lower Lake.

The Book-to-Action program is a variation on the traditional library book group – it offers participants not only the opportunity to collectively read and discuss a book, but also to put their newfound knowledge into action by engaging in a community service project or activity related to the book's topic.

Book-to-Action is a project of the California State Library in partnership with the California Center for the Book, and it is being implemented in libraries throughout the State.

The project was 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.

Join local residents to discuss The Oral History Workshop, which explains how to open the door to memories and record those vivid stories for future generations. Share with other readers your favorite aspects of the book, and pose questions you'd like to discuss. Get ideas about how you can get involved in volunteer oral history projects in Lake County.

Events will include workshops and book discussion where participants will learn how to do oral history and then record oral history interviews. Other events will feature people telling their Valley Fire stories.

Book-to-Action culminates in a five-hour recording session on April 23 at the Schoolhouse Museum in Lower Lake.

The full calendar of events is available at all Lake County Library branches and both Lake County Museums, and is posted on the Internet at http://library.lakecountyca.gov .

People who have stories to tell can contact the Lake County Library at 707-263-8817 if they want to be interviewed or to share their stories about the recent fires. They will be matched with trained interviewers to record their stories.

The Lake County Library is on the Internet at http://library.lakecountyca.gov and Facebook at www.facebook.com/LakeCountyLibrary . The Lake County Museums are on the Internet at http://museums.lakecountyca.gov .

Jan Cook works for the Lake County Library.