LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The California Fair Political Practices Commission has approved an enforcement action against a candidate in a 2014 Lake County supervisorial race based on violations for failing to file required forms and taking a cash donation that was larger than allowed.

The FPPC voted 4-0 in favor of staff enforcement action recommendations on March 17 in the matter of John Brosnan of Upper Lake and John Brosnan for District 3 Supervisor 2014, according to commission spokesman Jay Wierenga.

Wierenga said both the commission's enforcement staff and Brosnan accepted and signed off on the agreement before it was finalized by the commission.

Brosnan told Lake County News that the FPPC staff was “very supportive” and assisted him during the investigation.

“So far I'm very pleased with their position and how they were able to see if there was or wasn't any culpability,” he said.

Brosnan, who ran for the District 3 supervisor seat in 2014, was a successful candidate in the June 3 primary and then was involved in a runoff with Jim Steele of Clearlake Oaks, who ultimately won the race on Nov. 4 of that year.

Brosnan said he was told by FPPC staff that the basis of the investigation was a complaint over a campaign mailer that arrived days before the November 2014 election.

A copy of the complaint filed against Brosnan, obtained from the FPPC by Lake County News, confirmed that it was filed by Steele.

Steele, acknowledged to Lake County News that he filed the complaint.

“I made the original complaint to ensure election practices in Lake County are kept fair, the voter is not deceived and each candidate takes responsibility for their campaign material,” he said. “The FPPC agrees that the Political Reform Act was violated and is requiring a fine for improper disclosure.”

He added, “I hope that all candidates take a responsible role in promoting a positive message in coming elections and stand up for fair practices.”

That mailer accused Steele's wife Olga Martin Steele of being a “double dipper” based on a July 2008 San Jose Mercury News article titled “Water CEO is double-dipping” that drew attention to her state pension and a part-time salary with Santa Clara Valley Water District that totaled $432,000 annually: http://www.mercurynews.com/localnewsheadlines/ci_9815139 .

Also in July 2008, ABC News ran a story, “States eye cycle of retiring, rehiring,” that referenced Olga Martin Steele's pension and part-time salary as an example for why states were cracking down on letting retirees collect pensions and salaries: http://abcnews.go.com/Business/story?id=5391940&page=1 .

The mailer also stated, “Don't let this 'Power Couple' into our pockets!!”

It urged voters not to vote for Jim Steele for supervisor “unless you want more of THIS” – with an arrow pointing to a picture of then-Sheriff Frank Rivero, with whom the Steeles were closely tied.

Olga Martin Steele had been Rivero's campaign manager during his 2010 campaign. She also hosted a local radio program providing Rivero a media platform during his tenure as sheriff.

In his complaint, Steele wrote that the mailer postcard contained information similar to a campaign mailer that was sent by the Committee to Elect John Brosnan.

Steele also said he was told by two individuals – Latrell Lacey and Herb Gura, the latter who had run for the District 3 supervisorial seat in the June 2014 primary – that they “heard Brosnan describe the scenario depicted in the illegal postcard/mailer.”

In addition to alleging that Brosnan was behind the “illegal” campaign mailer, Steele's complaint alleged libelous campaign literature for that mailer, misuse of voter data files, use of Brosnan's company trucks – and, possibly, his employees – for putting up campaign signs, failure to disclose expenses, no form 410 reports, late filing of campaign reports and a questionable large cash contribution of $5,000.

Those latter issues – late filing of reports and that $5,000 cash contribution – were the basis for the enforcement the FPPC approved at its March 17 meeting.

Brosnan – who was the treasurer for his own campaign committee – along with that committee failed to file four preelection campaign statements by the due dates in March, May, July and October of 2014 and one semiannual campaign statement in October 2014, which violated sections of state Government Code, according to the settlement.

The settlement narrative said those late reports represented 75 percent of total contributions received and 56.64 percent of total expenditures made by Brosnan's election committee.

In addition, Brosnan and the committee received cash contributions of $100 or more totaling $5,000, which violated another state Government Code section, according to the enforcement document.

In the case of the latter violation, the settlement explained that Brosnan received a prohibited cash contribution totaling $5,000 from his parents in June 2013.

While that contribution was reported in the appropriate campaign statement, the settlement explained that contributions of $100 or more cannot be received in cash.

Altogether, the case consisted of two violations of the Political Reform Act, which carried a total administrative penalty of $10,000, the FPPC reported.

However, noting that Brosnan and his committee had no enforcement history and fully cooperated with the FPPC investigation, the recommended penalty was $4,000, with $2,500 of that amount being for the failure to file the campaign statements in timely fashion and $1,500 for taking the prohibited cash contributions.

The settlement document also noted that most of the contributions received by the campaign committee were from Brosnan and his family.

“The investigation did not reveal evidence of deliberate concealment or intent to deceive the public. And the Enforcement Division found that Brosnan and the Committee’s amended campaign statements substantially complied with the Act’s campaign reporting requirements,” the document said.

Wierenga said Brosnan has to pay the $4,000 penalty to the state general fund.

“I'm very pleased with how they assisted us and exonerated me for that mailer,” Brosnan said.

However, when asked if the matter is at an end, Wierenga told Lake County News, “FPPC Enforcement still has an open and active investigation on this matter,” and because of that he couldn't comment further.

Based on a review of FPPC records, Brosnan's enforcement is the second-largest issued against a Lake County candidate or holder of public office.

The largest enforcement action was taken in 1987 against former Lake County Supervisor Jesse Combs, fined $12,000 for 12 counts related to committing violations on matters “that clearly benefited business partners and developers who were sources of income” which also were not disclosed on his statement of economic interests.

Those matters in question included his votes on expansion of Lampson Airport and the development of the north Lakeport subdivision Lakeside Heights.

Lakeside Heights is at the heart of an ongoing lawsuit against the county by homeowners as a result of a landslide that began developing in March 2013 and has destroyed several homes.

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. – An effort to ensure more people in Lake and Mendocino counties have access to nutritious fresh produce is launching an online fundraising event in April.

The North Coast Opportunities Gardens Project relies on government grants and community fundraising to continue to expand and sustain its network of gardens.

On April 4, the Gardens Project will be launching the “Let’s E.A.T.” online fundraising campaign to raise $20,000 to support current and future community garden projects. 

E.A.T. is an acronym that stands for “Empower,” “Access” and “Teach,” which is what they aim to do with the funds raised.

With $20,000, the Gardens Project will be able to “Empower 20 new gardeners through leadership training, create access to 4 new gardens benefiting 400 family members and teach 15 gardening and nutrition workshops to more than 200 people.”

One in seven Americans lack access to fresh, healthy, affordable food. For them, every day is a struggle to find enough food to eat. Many do not have reliable access to enough food, in part because they cannot afford it.

In Mendocino County and Lake County those numbers are one in six and one in five people, respectively.

People in Lake and Mendocino counties experience hunger at higher rates than the national average because rural areas have high unemployment rates, low-wage jobs and lack of transportation to reliable food sources.

The Gardens Project of North Coast Opportunities seeks to relieve hunger and inadequate nutrition throughout Mendocino and Lake counties by creating access to community-based food production and local, nutritious food.

Since its founding in 2007, the Gardens Project has helped establish 38 successful community and school gardens. These gardens produce 28,470 pounds of produce and feed more than 3,000 people annually.

Each year, more than 200 people attend free workshops on food production and healthy eating in both Mendocino and Lake counties. And, since 2011, they have trained more than 75 gardeners to become positive leaders in their communities to ensure effective management and sustainability of community gardens.

In November 2015, the Gardens Project expanded further into Lake County.

Project Coordinator Ava Ryan already has begun work on two community gardens in Clearlake and is “currently investigating numerous other sites throughout the county, and hope[s] to have at least three gardens finished by the end of 2016.” 

“Being able to grow in the community garden saves me a lot of money on organic produce. It greatly increases the diversity of the foods I eat,” said Shannon Kleiber, garden leader at Vinewood Park Community Garden in Ukiah. “The garden is also very therapeutic for me.”

Community gardens create a positive local environmental impact for pollinators, wildlife, healthy soils and air. These gardens also encourage healthy eating and connecting with nature for everyone involved.

Thanks to her participation in her local community garden, Klieber said, “I have met and built amazing friendships with people in my community.”

“I’ve been growing stuff and I’ve really liked it because it’s so much cheaper than the stores, the stores are crazy. I mean, look at all this [she points to her raised bed full of greens] and I still have stuff, and I’ve been picking off this for two months. I can give some to the neighbors and everything,” said Ruth Smith of her community plot.

Smith is mostly wheelchair-bound and her raised bed plot makes growing food easy and accessible for her.

The demand for new gardens is high. A survey conducted in Lake County found that 36 percent of low-income respondents would participate in a community garden if they had access to one.

Ryan said she currently has “at least 100 people interested and waiting for a community garden in northern Lake County.” 

In Mendocino County there are existing lists of at least five to 10 families at every community garden waiting to receive the opportunity to have a plot of their own, according to Mendocino Project Coordinator Stephanie Logsdon.

In a recent Lake County survey, 47 percent of respondents said that the lack of community gardens was a major barrier to healthy food consumption.

The demand for fresh, affordable fruits and vegetables exists and the Gardens Project needs the support of the community to bring the gardens to the people.

You can view and make a donation to the Let’s E.A.T. campaign at https://www.generosity.com/community-fundraising/let-s-e-a-t .

In addition to the online fundraiser, the Gardens Project team also will be hosting a series of events and garden workdays for Earth Day.

On Saturday, April 16, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., come out, stake some plots, build raised beds and eat some barbecue in the community garden at the Highlands Senior Center, 3245 Bowers Ave. in Clearlake.

On Sunday, April 17, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. help the Clearlake Food Pantry Garden get ready for the season by doing clean up, weeding and filling beds with compost.

For more information, contact Ava Ryan in Lake County at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 707-994-4647, Extension 131, view the Gardens Project Facebook page or visit www.gardensproject.org .

COBB, Calif. – Deputies arrested a Clearlake Oaks woman on Tuesday in connection to the burglary of the home of a Cobb family that has been hit twice in a week.

Yvette Trapp, 66, was arrested for burglary, possession of stolen property and conspiracy, according to Lt. Steve Brooks.

Trapp was taken into custody within a few hours of the latest burglary to the home thanks to quick action by homeowners Don and Melissa Najd, who encountered Trapp and another woman driving off their property, photographing the vehicle. Those pictures were later circulated on social media and given to sheriff's deputies, officials said.

Brooks said that at approximately 7:40 p.m. Tuesday deputies responded to a reported residential burglary in the 9000 block of Venturi Drive in Cobb after the Najds interrupted the burglary.

When the deputies arrived on scene Brooks said they contacted the family, who had been able to obtain the license plate number of the vehicle as it left the residence.

They also were able to take photographs of the vehicle with a cell phone and told deputies that the vehicle – a white Dodge SUV – was occupied by two female subjects, Brooks said.

Brooks said the Najds told deputies that the exterior of their home was partially damaged in the Valley fire and they are currently staying at another location.

Melissa Najd told Lake County News that the home's contents also had suffered some smoke damage.

According to the report, the family found the home's exterior door had been forced open, every room was rummaged through and the garage door also was kicked open, with several large items – including a hot tub – also missing.

Najd said her home – which had been left alone for months – was first burglarized on March 24, when computer and music items were taken. When they went to the home on Tuesday, it had been completely emptied out – even all the furniture was gone, she said.

“I'm thinking a lot happened over the weekend,” she said.

She added, “My house is completely thrashed on the inside, they must have either had a whole day to clear it all or done several loads.”

Brooks said the deputies reviewed the pictures taken by the Najds of the suspicious vehicle leaving the property and they were able to see the license plate of the vehicle as well as damage to the front bumper. They also were able to see the two female subjects inside the vehicle.

Deputies conducted a search of the area and located the vehicle on Highway 175 in Cobb. They conducted an enforcement stop and contacted Trapp, who at that point was the only occupant of the vehicle and is its registered owner, Brooks said.

He said Trapp told the deputies that she had gone to the residence with a friend to take property from the home. She claimed she had obtained information that the house was in foreclosure and that a real estate agent had told a friend of hers that all of the property inside the residence needed to be cleared out. She told the deputies that all of the property she had taken from the residence was still in her vehicle.

Brooks said she took a variety of items. They included groceries, toys and even, Najd added, toilet bowl cleaner and items from their kitchen, including cake decorating supplies.

Najd added that the home is definitely not in foreclosure.

Brooks said the deputies searched the vehicle and retrieved several items which were stolen from the residence.

Trapp, an in-home care worker, subsequently was arrested and transported to the Hill Road Correctional Facility and booked, Brooks said.

Brooks said two other individuals – a male and a female – who have not been arrested are still under investigation in connection to the burglary.

Najd said Trapp was the passenger of the vehicle when they confronted it coming out of their driveway. A woman with long gray and brown curly hair was the driver.

Brooks said the investigation is ongoing as deputies attempt to locate additional property taken from the residence.

Trapp's bail was set at $50,000 and she was due to appear in court on Thursday. Jail records indicated she posted the required percentage of bail and was released.

Najd said that on Thursday afternoon she received a photo that someone had taken of a pile of items on the side of the road in Cobb. From the picture she could see a lot of items that looked like they had been taken from her home.

A few hours later she and her husband met with a deputy at the dump site, with the deputy taking fingerprints, she said.

By that point, she said three-quarters of the items that had been pictured in the photograph had been taken. “People must have helped themselves since it was all left out on the side of the road.”

There were a few bright spots, however, including the fact that in the remaining items they found her husband's computer.

They believed that the dumped items included things taken from the two burglaries, as only her husband's office items had been taken in the initial one, and both items from his office as well as other kitchen and house belongings were dumped.

Later, while they were still at the dump site, she said people stopped by to say they had taken items because they thought they had been dumped.

“They returned Donny's expensive bicycle and a couple other furniture things. So that was great!” she said.

Najd is among many Cobb and Middletown community members who have reported issues with theft and trespassing in the wake of the fire.

The situation prompted a meeting early in March to organize Neighborhood Watch groups, as the sheriff's office has reported being seriously understaffed, as Lake County News has reported.

Najd said she is reaching out to local nonprofits that are raising funds for fire recovery to ask them to consider helping cover the costs of hiring private security to patrol the Cobb area.

“People are getting their construction stuff stolen and people are worried about becoming the next victims. If people are scared of that then they won't rebuild. I think the sheriff's department is doing a good job but it's not enough,” she said.

She said she's received messages from other community members who are catching people on their properties. In one case, a woman who called law enforcement was confronted by a male on her land who began yelling at her.

Once her house is fixed, Najd is questioning if she and her husband, their three small children and two dogs are going to want to live in a place where there are no other homes.

She said she wants her neighbors to rebuild, and she's concerned about the crime in the fire area discouraging them from doing so.

The timing, she said, is critical. “This is when people are going to start rebuilding.”
              
If anyone picked up any belongings on the road that are identified in the picture above, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or contact the sheriff's office at 707-262-4200. Anyone with information about the case also is asked to contact the sheriff's office.

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 – March and April are some of the best months to see the wildflower displays in the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument region, which includes Lake County.

A few of our favorite places to find and photograph wildflowers are along Highway 16 and Highway 20, along the Judge Davis Trail, and along Walker Ridge.

Driving along Highway 16 you’ll see outcroppings of wildflowers everywhere including blue and yellow lupine, paintbrush, orange and yellow wallflowers, bush monkey flowers, Chinese houses and many others.

At one spot along this route last year, I also found some old men’s beards vines (Clematis drummondii) growing in the trees above a pull-out. When this vine goes to seed it gets silky heads all over it that look like something out of a Dr. Seuss story.

As you travel along the twisting and turning highway, you’ll find plenty of turn-off points, but be careful where you park and how you cross the road. You don’t want to obstruct traffic and you certainly don’t want to be hit by a car coming around a bend.

To get the best photos of the flowers you find use the “macro” setting on your camera (it will usually be marked with a flower or tulip-like icon), and get as close to the flower as you can. Snap off several shots from many different angles, so you have lots of views to choose from later.

If you’re not sure what kind of flower you’re looking at, also take photos of the leaves and the base of the plant. These will provide you with clues to their identities.

Taking Highway 16 on to Highway 20 will lead you to more great wildflower sites.

At the intersection of the two highways you may find huge fields of California poppies, gold nuggets, tidytips, owl clover and other flowers.

There are large turnout points along the highway here, too, but stay on the highway side of the fences you see here. On the other side of those fences is private property, and trespassing is not allowed. Go back to this spot several times over the next few months to make sure you see everything.

Access to Walker Ridge is also available off of Highway 20. This spot provides you with views of some specialized plants that only grow in serpentine soil.

From the intersection of Highways 16 and 20, turn left toward the foothills. The sign for Walker Ridge will come up on your right. Turn onto Walker Ridge Road and continue until you get to the intersection of Walker Ridge Road and the road to Indian Valley. Park at the intersection then walk back down the road to find the ridge trail head.

Off of Highway 20 you can also get to the Judge Davis Trail. You’ll take Highway 20 up into the foothills and as you start coming down again, the trailhead will be immediately to your left. Signs mark the trailhead, and there is parking and a restroom facility there.

This area was severely burned in the wildfires last year, but is expected to yield some interesting wildflower viewing this year because there are some flowers that will only show themselves after a burn.

This is usually a great spot to find loads of shooting stars, larkspur, wild onions and twining lilies, Indian warrior, and field irises. Go up the trail or up the fire break for some great vista views as well.

Tuleyome will be hosting a few wildflower tours this year that are free to the public, so check out their MeetUp site ( http://www.meetup.com/Tuleyome-Home-Place-Adventures/ ) for dates and times.

You can also get some great wildflower and plant identification information from the book “A Species Guide to the Berryessa Snow Mountain Region” available for purchase online at www.lulu.com .

As you go out wildflower hunting, keep in mind the “leave no trace” ethic: don’t pick the flowers or remove the plants (in some areas it’s actually illegal to do so). They are integral parts of their environment and need to be left where they are.

As Pee Wee Herman might say, “Take a picture; it’ll last longer.”

“Tuleyome Tales” is a monthly publication of Tuleyome, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit conservation organization based in Woodland, Ca. Mary K. Hanson is a Certified California Naturalist and author of “The Chubby Woman’s Walkabout” blog. For more information about Tuleyome, visit www.tuleyome.org .

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – The year 2016 has brought amounts of snow and rain to California that many have hoped would break the drought, but the latest snowpack measurements show the state is not out of the cycle of dry years just yet.

Snowpack – especially across the northern, central and southern Sierras – is a critical measure of California's water supply.

State officials said that, in normal years, the snowpack supplies about 30 percent of California’s water needs as it melts in the spring and early summer.

As a result, the Department of Water Resources reported that, the greater the snowpack water content, the greater the likelihood California’s reservoirs will receive ample runoff as the snowpack melts to meet the state’s water demand in the summer and fall.

On Wednesday, the Department of Water Resources' manual snow survey at Phillips Station, east of Sacramento in the Sierra Nevada, showed that the snowpack was at 87 percent of the March 30 historical average.

“While for many parts of the state there will be both significant gains in both reservoir storage and stream flow, the effects of previous dry years will remain for now,” said Frank Gehrke, chief of the California Cooperative Snow Surveys Program, whose team conducted the Wednesday manual snow survey.

The below-average snowpack now is a concern because it's at this time of year that California’s statewide snowpack usually reaches its peak depth and water content, the Department of Water Resources reported.

From this point on, officials explained the snow begins to melt as the sun’s path across the sky moves a little further north each day.

While not ideal, the snowpack conditions measured this week are much improved compared to those reported last year, when Gov. Jerry Brown went to Phillips Station where there was no snow to measure – just bare ground – and announced that he was mandating a 25-percent reduction in water use throughout California.

At that point, the Sierras' snowpack water content was only 5 percent of normal – the lowest since 1950, officials said.

On Friday, the California Cooperative Snow Surveys measurements showed that the statewide snowpack summary was at 86 percent of normal for April 1, with 24.2 inches of snow water equivalent.

That breaks down as follows for the three regions of the Sierra: north, 95 percent of average, 27.4 inches of snow water equivalent; central, 88 percent of average, 25.1 inches of snow water equivalent; and south, 73 percent of average, 19.4 inches of snow water equivalent.

Closer to home, at Anthony Peak in the Mendocino National Forest's Covelo Ranger District, the March snowpack measurement was at 46 percent of normal, the highest snowpack number since May of 2011 and the best March snowpack measurement since 2002, according to California Department of Water Resources data.

As for Lake County's key water measurement – the depth of Clear Lake – the lake's depth late Friday was at 7.70 feet Rumsey. A full lake is 7.56 feet Rumsey.

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.

On Monday, Gov. Edmund G. Brown Jr. will join supporters from across the state in Los Angeles to sign SB 3, passed by both houses of the Legislature on Thursday, that makes California the first state in the nation to commit to raising the minimum wage to $15 per hour statewide.

“California is proving once again that it can get things done and help people get ahead,” said Gov. Brown when the deal was announced earlier this week. “This plan raises the minimum wage in a careful and responsible way and provides some flexibility if economic and budgetary conditions change.”

Under the plan, minimum wage will rise to $10.50 per hour on Jan. 1, 2017, for businesses with 26 or more employees, and then rises each year until reaching $15 per hour in 2022.

This plan also recognizes the contributions of small businesses – those with 25 or fewer employees – to California's economy and allows additional time for these employers to phase in the increases.

The purpose of the plan is to increase the minimum wage over time, consistent with economic expansion, while providing safety valves – known as "off-ramps" – to pause wage hikes if negative economic or budgetary conditions emerge.

The governor can act by Sept. 1 of each year to pause the next year's wage increase for one year if there is a forecasted budget deficit (of more than 1 percent of annual revenue) or poor economic conditions (negative job growth and retail sales).

Once the minimum wage reaches $15 per hour for all businesses, wages could then be increased each year up to 3.5 percent (rounded to the nearest 10 cents) for inflation as measured by the national Consumer Price Index.

This plan also phases in sick leave for In-Home Supportive Services workers starting in July 2018.

Gov. Brown signed AB 10 in September 2013 to raise California's minimum wage 25 percent, from $8 to $10 per hour, effective Jan. 1, 2016.

There are approximately seven million hourly workers in California, of which about 2.2 million earn the minimum wage.

Fact Sheet: Boosting California's minimum wage by LakeCoNews

Observations from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope have led to the first temperature map of a super-Earth planet – a rocky planet nearly two times as big as ours.

The map reveals extreme temperature swings from one side of the planet to the other, and hints that a possible reason for this is the presence of lava flows.

"Our view of this planet keeps evolving," said Brice Olivier Demory of the University of Cambridge, England, lead author of a new report appearing in the March 30 issue of the journal Nature. "The latest findings tell us the planet has hot nights and significantly hotter days. This indicates the planet inefficiently transports heat around the planet. We propose this could be explained by an atmosphere that would exist only on the day side of the planet, or by lava flows at the planet surface."

The toasty super-Earth 55 Cancri e is relatively close to Earth at 40 light-years away. It orbits very close to its star, whipping around it every 18 hours.

Because of the planet's proximity to the star, it is tidally locked by gravity just as our moon is to Earth. That means one side of 55 Cancri, referred to as the day side, is always cooking under the intense heat of its star, while the night side remains in the dark and is much cooler.

"Spitzer observed the phases of 55 Cancri e, similar to the phases of the moon as seen from the Earth. We were able to observe the first, last quarters, new and full phases of this small exoplanet," said Demory. "In return, these observations helped us build a map of the planet. This map informs us which regions are hot on the planet."

Spitzer stared at the planet with its infrared vision for a total of 80 hours, watching it orbit all the way around its star multiple times. These data allowed scientists to map temperature changes across the entire planet.

To their surprise, they found a dramatic temperature difference of 2,340 degrees Fahrenheit (1,300 Kelvin) from one side of the planet to the other. The hottest side is nearly 4,400 degrees Fahrenheit (2,700 Kelvin), and the coolest is 2,060 degrees Fahrenheit (1,400 Kelvin).

The fact Spitzer found the night side to be significantly colder than the day side means heat is not being distributed around the planet very well.

The data argues against the notion that a thick atmosphere and winds are moving heat around the planet as previously thought. Instead, the findings suggest a planet devoid of a massive atmosphere, and possibly hint at a lava world where the lava would become hardened on the night side and unable to transport heat.

"The day side could possibly have rivers of lava and big pools of extremely hot magma, but we think the night side would have solidified lava flows like those found in Hawaii," said Michael Gillon, University of Liège, Belgium.

The Spitzer data also revealed the hottest spot on the planet has shifted over a bit from where it was expected to be: directly under the blazing star. This shift either indicates some degree of heat recirculation confined to the day side, or points to surface features with extremely high temperatures, such as lava flows.

Additional observations, including from NASA's upcoming James Webb Space Telescope, will help to confirm the true nature of 55 Cancri e.

The new Spitzer observations of 55 Cancri are more detailed thanks to the telescope’s increased sensitivity to exoplanets.

Over the past several years, scientists and engineers have figured out new ways to enhance Spitzer’s ability to measure changes in the brightness of exoplanet systems. One method involves precisely characterizing Spitzer’s detectors, specifically measuring “the sweet spot” – a single pixel on the detector – which was determined to be optimal for exoplanet studies.

“By understanding the characteristics of the instrument – and using novel calibration techniques of a small region of a single pixel – we are attempting to eke out every bit of science possible from a detector that was not designed for this type of high-precision observation,” said Jessica Krick of NASA’s Spitzer Space Science Center, at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.

NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California, manages the Spitzer Space Telescope mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. Science operations are conducted at the Spitzer Science Center. Spacecraft operations are based at Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company, Littleton, Colorado. Data are archived at the Infrared Science Archive housed at the Infrared Processing and Analysis Center at Caltech. Caltech manages JPL for NASA.

For more information about Spitzer, visit http://www.nasa.gov/spitzer .

LAKEPORT, Calif. – It's spring, and this friendly male shepherd mix would prefer to be out playing with his new family.

The handsome guy has a short brown coat with white markings.

While he needs leash training, he is very manageable and is learning basic commands, with help from the fact that he his highly food motivated. He saw another dog getting treats for following commands and so figured out he would do the same.

Based on an evaluation by shelter staff, he's considered to be friendly, exuberant and happy, enjoying tummy and body rubs.

He has no issues with food guarding and he allows people to handle his ears, mouth, paws and tail.

Shelter staff said he appears to get along with other dogs, avoided cats when introduced, and also did not react to horses or livestock.

He's in kennel No. 8, ID No. 4560.

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.

COBB, Calif. – A magnitude 3.0 quake was reported in the Cobb area on Thursday afternoon.

The quake occurred at 4:49 p.m. Thursday, according to the US Geological Survey.

It was centered one mile west of Cobb and 11 miles southwest of Clearlake at a depth of 1.1 miles, survey records stated.

As of 10:30 p.m. Thursday, eight shake reports had been filed from the Kelseyville area and one from Middletown, the US Geological Survey reported.

The Cobb area had three quakes measuring magnitude of 3.0 or above on March 20 and 21, as Lake County News has 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.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake County Animal Care and Control has a full shelter of dogs this week that will be offered for adoption at lower rates thanks to one of its regular adoption events.

This week's adoptable dogs include mixes of American Bulldog, border collie, boxer, cattle dog, Chihuahua, Doberman, German Shepherd, hound, Labrador Retriever, terrier and pit bull.

Lake County Animal Care and Control is adopting out dogs this week with a $50 discount – waiving the county adoption fee portion and costs for microchipping. There will will be costs for spaying and neutering dogs.

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”).

Hound-Labrador Retriever mix

This male hound-Labrador Retriever mix has a short red and white coat.

He's got a big personality and is energetic, getting around well despite having only three legs.

He's friendly, well-behaved and ready for a new home.

He's in kennel No. 2, ID No. 4628.

Female Chihuahuas

These two female Chihuahuas have short multicolored coats.

They're in kennel No. 3a, ID Nos. 4636 and 4637.

Pit bull terrier mix

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

Shelter staff said he is great with other dogs, both male and female, is very sweet and while he gets excited he doesn't jump on people.

He walks well on a leash and has basic commands.

In addition, he allows handling of his ears, mouth, paws and allowed nail trimming, has no food guarding, avoided cats and didn't mind the horses.

He's in kennel No. 4, ID No. 4511.

Female boxer mix

This female boxer mix has a short gray coat with white markings.

Shelter staff said she needs basic leash training, but is manageable for her size. She also allows handling of her ears, mouth, paws and body, and tolerated nail clipping without pulling away.

She has no food aggression, and would do great in a home with no cats. Staff said she has been tested with another dog and got along well.

They believe she will be happiest in a quiet home and will form a very strong bond with her handler.

She's in kennel No. 5, ID No. 4551.

'Missy'

“Missy” is a fun little dog who shelter staff believe is a mix of rat terrier and border collie.

She has an energetic personality, is sweet and loves to play.

She's in kennel No. 6, ID No. 4231.

Male German Shepherd

This male German Shepherd has a sable, black and tan coat.

He has a happy, friendly personality, knows basic commands and loves people.

He's in kennel No. 7, ID No. 4565.

Male shepherd mix

This male shepherd mix has a short brown coat with white markings.

Shelter staff said he needs leash training but is very manageable, and in the play yard came when called when food was used as a motivator. He doesn't know basic commands yet, but did volunteer the behavior when another dog was doing it for treats.

He has no food aggression towards people or dogs, and allows handling of ears, mouth, paws and tail without any problems. He avoided the cats.

He's in kennel No. 8, ID No. 4560.

'Mamma Doo'

“Mamma Doo” is as a sweet female hound mix has a short brown coat with white markings.

She's in kennel No. 9, ID No. 4298.

Male pit bull terrier mix

This male pit bull terrier mix has a light brown and white coat.

He's in kennel No. 12, ID No. 4608.

Shepherd-Doberman mix

This female shepherd-Doberman mix has a beautiful black and brown coat.

She's in kennel No. 13, ID No. 4638.

'Daisy'

“Daisy” is a female American Bulldog.

She has a white coat with some black markings.

She is in kennel No. 16, ID No. 4564.

Male Chihuahua mix

This male Chihuahua mix has an all-white coat.

He's in kennel No. 17, ID No. 4591.

Labrador Retriever-pit bull mix puppies

These four female Labrador-Retriever mix puppies come in a variety of colors.

They're in kennel No. 18, ID Nos. 4574, 4577, 4579 and 4581.

'Yogi Jr.'

“Yogi Jr.” is a male Labrador-Retriever mix puppy with a short black coat.

He's in kennel No. 19a, ID No. 4573.

Male Labrador-Retriever mix puppy

This male Labrador-Retriever mix puppy has a short brown coat with white and black markings.

He's in kennel No. 19b, ID No. 4575.

Hound-Labrador Retriever mix

This female hound-Labrador Retriever mix has a short white coat with black markings.

She's in kennel No. 21, ID No. 4641.

'Buddy'

“Buddy” is a handsome male Labrador Retriever-hound mix with a short tricolor coat.

He was assessed with every dog in the kennel and loved them all, although shelter staff said he would do best in a home without livestock, small dogs or cats.

Shelter staff said he is a very well-mannered, tolerant dog with low energy.

He's in kennel No. 22, ID No. 4487.

Male German Shepherd

This handsome male German Shepherd has a short tan and black coat.

Shelter staff said he is good with other larger dogs, male or female, and would do best in a home with no small dogs or cats and children above age 5.

He's friendly and likes to play.

He's in kennel No. 23, ID No. 4514.

'Bronco'

“Bronco” is a male cattle dog mix.

He has a short white and brown coat.

Shelter staff said he needs some basic training and has a lot of potential.

He's in kennel No. 24, ID No. 4592.

Female pit bull mix

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

She's in kennel No. 25, ID No. 4588.

'Papi'

“Papi” is a male Chihuahua mix.

He has a short black and white coat.

Shelter staff said he is good with other dogs, cats and children.

He's in kennel No. 26, ID No. 4642.

Labrador Retriever puppy

This male Labrador Retriever mix puppy has a short black coat with white markings.

He's in kennel No. 28, ID No. 4423.

Female pit bull mix

This female pit bull mix has a short brown brindle coat with white markings.

She loves cuddles and attention, and does very cute play bows, enjoys playing and is great with other dogs, but would do best in a home without cats.

She's in kennel No. 29, ID No. 4337.

'Rosie'

“Rosie” is a female boxer-pit bull mix.

She has a short brown brindle coat with white markings.

Her adoption fee will be less expensive due to already being spayed.

She's in kennel No. 32, ID No. 4670.

'Tank'

“Tank” is a male cattle dog-pit bull terrier mix, according to shelter staff.

He has a short black coat.

Shelter staff said he's great with other submissive dogs.

He's in kennel No. 33, ID No. 4497.

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.

Peering deep into the heart of our Milky Way galaxy, NASA's Hubble Space Telescope reveals a rich tapestry of more than half a million stars.

Except for a few blue foreground stars, the stars are part of the Milky Way's nuclear star cluster, the most massive and densest star cluster in our galaxy.

So packed with stars, it is equivalent to having a million suns crammed between us and our closest stellar neighbor, Alpha Centauri.

At the very hub of our galaxy, this star cluster surrounds the Milky Way's central supermassive black hole, which is about 4 million times the mass of our sun.

Astronomers used Hubble's infrared vision to pierce through the dust in the disk of our galaxy that obscures the star cluster.

In the image above, scientists translated the infrared light, which is invisible to human eyes, into colors our eyes can see. The red stars are either embedded or shrouded by intervening dust.

Extremely dense clouds of gas and dust are seen in silhouette, appearing dark against the bright background stars. These clouds are so thick that even Hubble's infrared capability could not penetrate them.

Hubble's sharp vision allowed astronomers to measure the movements of the stars over four years.

Using this information, scientists were able to infer important properties such as the mass and structure of the nuclear star cluster.

The motion of the stars may also offer a glimpse into how the star cluster was formed – whether it was built up over time by globular star clusters that happen to fall into the galaxy's center, or from gas spiraling in from the Milky Way's disk to form stars at the core.

This picture, spanning 50 light-years across, is a mosaic stitched from nine separate images from Hubble's Wide Field Camera 3. The center of the Milky Way is located 27,000 light-years away.

The "snowstorm" of stars in the image is just the tip of the iceberg: Astronomers estimate that about 10 million stars in this cluster are too faint to be captured in this image.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – This little female terrier is looking for a home that will appreciate her fun and energetic personality.

“Missy” is a small terrier mix. Shelter staff believe she's a mix of rat terrier and border collie.

She loves to play and zoom around the play yard. It's reported that she has considerable climbing skills, including being able to climb trees. Cats are not her thing, however.

Play, structure and love would be the perfect ingredients in the forever home for this sweet little gal.

She's in kennel No. 6, ID No. 4231.

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.