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At left, Gov. Gavin Newsom is shown administering the oath of office to new California Attorney General Rob Bonta on Friday, April 23, 2021. Photo courtesy of the California Governor’s Office.

Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday swore in Assemblymember Rob Bonta as California’s 34th attorney general.

A national leader in the fight to reform our justice system and stand up to the forces of hate, Bonta is the first Filipino American in the state’s history to serve in the role.

“California and the nation need leaders like Rob Bonta to meet this pivotal moment in our history with the courage, energy and tenacity it will take to shape a society more reflective of our values,” said Gov. Newsom.

“Carrying the lessons of his remarkable upbringing at the center of historic social justice movements, Rob has been at the forefront of courageous fights for racial, economic and environmental justice from day one,” Newsom said. “As attorney general, Rob brings to bear the legal and moral authority to effectively engage a broad array of groups – community leaders, law enforcement, the Legislature and more – in a meaningful dialogue, so that California continues to build bridges and advance together in a direction that does justice to all our communities.”

Confirmed by the Legislature on Thursday, Bonta was selected by Gov. Newsom to fill the position vacated by Xavier Becerra, who was recently sworn in as secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

The governor announced the nomination last month at the historic International Hotel in San Francisco, a site where Asian and Pacific Islander Californians famously rallied in 1977 to save the homes of elderly residents and preserve their community.

“Thank you, Gov. Newsom for the faith and trust you have placed in me. Serving as California’s attorney general is the honor of a lifetime,” said Bonta. “There are a lot of challenges we face across America today. People see institutions that work well for those with wealth and power – at the expense of everyone else. We see hate on the rise. And too often, justice and accountability for those who harm others feel out of reach. As The People’s Attorney, I won’t back down when I see Californians hurt. Together, we will get justice for families cheated by multinational corporations. We will defend communities ravaged by big polluters. We will work to repair our justice system, and we will attack the forces of hate and white supremacy. I'm excited to get to work!”

Labor, environmental and criminal justice reform advocates welcomed the appointment.

“We congratulate Gov. Gavin Newsom on the appointment of Rob Bonta as attorney general of California, the first Filipino American in the state’s history to serve in this role. At an early age, Bonta learned about the values of social justice from his parents who worked for Civil Rights in the South and joined Cesar Chavez and myself as full-time volunteer organizers for the United Farm Workers,” said labor leader Dolores Huerta. “Rob Bonta has fought diligently throughout his career to correct the injustices affecting working families and Communities of Color. We are confident that Rob Bonta will work passionately to ensure our justice system protects all Californians. Si Se Puede!”

California Environmental Justice Alliance Executive Director Gladys Limon said the group celebrates Bonta’s appointment. “We know he will be a strong ally for all environmental justice communities that have been harmed by pollution and often poverty. We have worked closely with Mr. Bonta and consider him a leader and friend, and trust that he will fight tirelessly on behalf of all Californians and not be afraid to hold polluters accountable."

“This is a historic day for California. I’m so proud to see Rob Bonta sworn-in as California’s new Attorney General,” said REFORM Alliance Board Member and award-winning journalist Van Jones. “Rob is a lifelong leader in the fight to restore justice in California. I’ve known Rob for decades and he’s demonstrated time and again the commitment and capacity to reform critical elements of our criminal justice system including providing key support for the REFORM Alliance’s major probation legislation. I have every confidence that Rob will make a phenomenal California Attorney General.”

The son of activists, Bonta grew up in a trailer in La Paz, where his parents served at the headquarters of the United Farm Workers movement.

Inspired to pursue justice through the law, Bonta studied at Yale Law School and went on to work pro-bono protecting vulnerable Californians from exploitation and racial profiling.

He served nine years as a deputy city attorney in the San Francisco City Attorney’s Office before running for local office in Alameda County.

In 2012, Bonta became the first Filipino American in California history to win election to the Legislature, representing Assembly District 18 in the cities of Oakland, Alameda and San Leandro.

Bonta has passed major reforms that reversed long-standing injustices, including legislation that outlawed for-profit prisons in California, overhauled sentencing structure to automatically expunge and modify criminal records for people convicted of minor marijuana charges, took on big polluters, offered protections for renters, strengthened hate crime laws and protect communities, protected immigrant families from deceptive tactics by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, reformed the bail system and required an independent investigation when there is a death of an unarmed civilian by law enforcement.
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CLEARLAKE, Calif. – Clearlake Animal Control has seven dogs waiting to be adopted this week.

The following dogs are ready for adoption or foster.

“Bear.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control.

‘Bear’

“Bear” is a male American Pit Bull Terrier mix with a short brown coat.

He is dog No. 3476.

“Dorito.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control.

‘Dorito’

“Dorito” is a male American Staffordshire Terrier mix with a short white and gray coat.

He has been neutered.

He is dog No. 4576.

“Dusty.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control.

‘Dusty’

“Dusty” is a male American Pit Bull Terrier with a tan and white coat.

He is dog No. 4750.

“Hector.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control.

‘Hector’

“Hector” is a male American Pit Bull Terrier mix with a short brindle coat.

He is dog No. 4697.

“Inky.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control.

‘Inky’

“Inky” is a male German Shepherd mix with a long black coat.

He has been neutered.

He is dog No. 4324.

“Sassy.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control.

‘Sassy’

“Sassy” is a female American Bully with a short black with white markings.

She is dog No. 4602.

“Toby.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control.

‘Toby’

“Toby” is a friendly senior male boxer mix.

He has a short tan and white coat.

He is dog No. 4389.

Call the Clearlake Animal Control shelter at 707-273-9440, or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to inquire about adoptions and schedule a visit to the shelter.

Visit Clearlake Animal Control on Facebook or on the city’s website.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
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LAKEPORT, Calif. – The city of Lakeport and Lakeport Disposal Co. Inc. will host the annual Community Cleanup Day for city residents on Saturday, April 24.

The cleanup will take place from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the public parking lot north of the Fifth Street boat ramp in downtown Lakeport.

This event is limited to city of Lakeport residents. Those dropping off trash and waste will be required to provide photo identification and a copy of a city of Lakeport utility bill.

Participants are required to follow the following COVID-19 safety protocols:

– Face covering must be worn.
– One person per vehicle.
– Stay in vehicle while Lakeport Disposal staff unloads materials.
– Two visits maximum per each address.
– Household trash, televisions, specified appliances, electronic waste, mattresses, household furniture, unusable clothes/blankets/towels and similar materials will be accepted.
– Items that will not be accepted: refrigerators, hot tubs/spas, construction debris and household hazardous waste.

For more details, please see the city’s website, its Facebook page or contact Lakeport Disposal at 263-6080.
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A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the company's Crew Dragon spacecraft is launched on NASA’s SpaceX Crew-2 mission to the International Space Station with NASA astronauts Shane Kimbrough and Megan McArthur, European Space Agency astronaut Thomas Pesquet, and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Akihiko Hoshide onboard, Friday, April 23, 2021, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Credits: NASA.

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-2 astronauts are in orbit following their early morning launch bound for the International Space Station for the second commercial crew rotation mission aboard the microgravity laboratory.

The international crew of astronauts lifted off at 2:49 a.m. Pacific Time on Friday from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket propelled the Crew Dragon spacecraft with NASA astronauts Shane Kimbrough and Megan McArthur, along with Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, or JAXA, astronaut  Akihiko Hoshide and European Space Agency, or ESA, astronaut Thomas Pesquet, into orbit to begin a six-month science mission on the space station.

During Crew Dragon’s flight, SpaceX will command the spacecraft from its mission control center in Hawthorne, California, and NASA teams will monitor space station operations throughout the flight from Mission Control Center at the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.

“It has been an incredible year for NASA and our Commercial Crew Program, with three crewed launches to the space station since last May,” said NASA Acting Administrator Steve Jurczyk. “This is another important milestone for NASA, SpaceX, and our international partners at ESA and JAXA, and for the future of scientific research on board the space station. It will be an exciting moment to see our crews greet one another on station for our first crew handover under the Commercial Crew Program.”

The Crew Dragon spacecraft, named Endeavour, will dock autonomously to the forward port of the station’s Harmony module about 2:10 a.m. Pacific Time Saturday, April 24. NASA Television, the NASA App, and the agency’s website are providing ongoing live coverage through docking, hatch opening, and the ceremony to welcome the crew aboard the orbital outpost.

“I’m really proud of the SpaceX team and honored to be partnered with NASA and helping JAXA and ESA as well,” said Elon Musk, Chief Engineer at SpaceX. “We’re thrilled to be a part of advancing human spaceflight and looking forward to going beyond Earth orbit to the Moon and Mars and helping make humanity a space-faring civilization and a multi-planet species one day.”

The Crew-2 mission is the second of six crewed missions NASA and SpaceX will fly as part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program. This mission has several firsts, including:

– First commercial crew mission to fly two international partners;
– First commercial crew handover between astronauts on the space station as Crew-1 and Crew-2 astronauts will spend about five days together on station before Crew-1 returns to Earth;
– First reuse of the Crew Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket on a crew mission – Crew Dragon Endeavour flew the historic Demo-2 mission and the Falcon 9 flew astronauts on the Crew-1 mission; and,
– First time two commercial crew spacecraft will be docked to the station at the same time.

“When I see a launch I immediately think of what it took to reach this milestone and the dedication of all the people who made it happen,” said Steve Stich, manager of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. “There’s obviously a long way to go, but now we can celebrate the Crew-2 launch and look forward to seeing them join their other Expedition 65 colleagues as we prepare to bring Crew-1 home next week.”

Kimbrough, McArthur, Hoshide, and Pesquet will join the Expedition 65 crew of Shannon Walker, Michael Hopkins, Victor Glover and Mark Vande Hei of NASA, as well as Soichi Noguchi of JAXA and Roscosmos cosmonauts Oleg Novitskiy and Pyotr Dubrov.

For a short time, the number of crew on the space station will increase to 11 people until Crew-1 astronauts Walker, Hopkins, Glover, and Noguchi return a few days later.

This is the second commercial crew mission to fly a JAXA astronaut. When Hoshide joins astronaut Noguchi during the commercial crew handover period, it will mark the first time two JAXA astronauts are on station at the same time.

“I am extremely honored to witness the successful launch today. It is my utmost pleasure and also for Japan that Japanese astronauts Soichi Noguchi and Aki Hoshide boarded the operational spacecraft of Crew Dragon twice in a row,” said Hiroshi Sasaki, vice president for Human Spaceflight and Space Exploration. “I believe this is brought by the many years of close cooperation cultivated amongst the international partners, especially between the U.S. and Japan through the ISS program. I hope Aki will play an integral role as the second Japanese ISS commander along with his colleague astronauts, creating fruitful outcomes and expanding the human frontier to the Lunar Gateway, the surface of the Moon and even beyond.”

Crew-2 also is the first commercial crew mission to fly an ESA astronaut. Pesquet is the first of three ESA crew members assigned to fly to the station on commercial crew spacecraft, kicking off a continuous stay of ESA astronauts on the space station for about a year and a half – in total – for the first time in more than 20 years.

"This is a thrilling time for human spaceflight and this new success of the Commercial Crew Program embodies it – congratulations once again to NASA and SpaceX,” said David Parker, director of human and robotic exploration at ESA. “Starting with astronaut Thomas Pesquet, ESA is delighted to join this new space station chapter, paving the way to the future of exploration side by side with diverse partners. Six months of excellent science and state-of-the-art technology demonstrations now await him, and we know he cannot wait to start working."

Crew-2 astronauts

Shane Kimbrough is commander of the Crew Dragon spacecraft and the Crew-2 mission. Kimbrough is responsible for all phases of flight, from launch to re-entry. He also will serve as an Expedition 65 flight engineer aboard the station. Selected as a NASA astronaut in 2004, Kimbrough first launched aboard space shuttle Endeavour for a visit to the station on the STS-126 mission in 2008, and then aboard a Russian Soyuz spacecraft for his first long-duration mission for Expedition 49/50 in 2016. He has spent a total of 189 days in space and performed six spacewalks. Kimbrough also is a retired U.S. Army colonel and earned a bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering from the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York, and a master’s degree in operations research from the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta.

Megan McArthur is the pilot of the Crew Dragon spacecraft and second-in-command for the mission. McArthur is responsible for spacecraft systems and performance. She also will be a long-duration space station crew member, making her first trip to the space station. Selected as an astronaut in 2000, McArthur launched on space shuttle Atlantis as a mission specialist on STS-125, the final Hubble Space Telescope servicing mission, in 2009. McArthur operated the shuttle’s robotic arm over the course of the 12 days, 21 hours she spent in space, capturing the telescope and moving crew members during the five spacewalks needed to repair and upgrade it. She holds a bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering from the University of California, Los Angeles and a doctorate in oceanography from the University of California, San Diego.

Akihiko Hoshide is a mission specialist for Crew-2. As a mission specialist, he will work closely with the commander and pilot to monitor the spacecraft during the dynamic launch and re-entry phases of flight. Once aboard the station, Hoshide will become a flight engineer for Expedition 65. Hoshide joined the National Space Development Agency of Japan (NASDA, currently JAXA) in 1992 and was selected as an astronaut candidate in February 1999. Hoshide is a veteran of two spaceflights. In June 2008, he flew to the International Space Station on the STS-124 mission to deliver the Japanese Experiment Module "Kibo" to the station. From July to November 2012, he stayed on the space station for 124 days as a flight engineer for the Expedition 32/33 mission. The Crew Dragon will be the third spacecraft that Noguchi has flown to the orbiting laboratory.

Thomas Pesquet also will be a mission specialist for Crew-2, working with the commander and pilot to monitor the spacecraft during the dynamic launch and re-entry phases of flight. Pesquet also will become a long-duration crew member aboard the space station. He was selected as an astronaut candidate by ESA in May 2009 and worked as a Eurocom, communicating with astronauts during spaceflights from the mission control center. He previously flew as part of Expeditions 50 and 51, launching aboard a Russian Soyuz spacecraft in October 2016 and spending 196 days in space, returning to Earth in June 2017. His mission also included two spacewalks to maintain the station: one to replace batteries on an electrical channel, and one to detect a cooling leak and service the robotic arm.

Mission objectives

The Crew-2 members will conduct science and maintenance during a six-month stay aboard the orbiting laboratory and will return no earlier than Oct. 31. The Crew Dragon spacecraft can stay in orbit for at least 210 days, which is a NASA requirement.

Adding more crew members aboard the microgravity laboratory increases the time available for scientific activities.

The November 2020 arrival of the Crew-1 astronauts more than doubled crew hours spent on scientific research and support activities, and Crew-2 will continue the important investigations and technology demonstrations that are preparing for future Artemis missions to the Moon, helping us improve our understanding of Earth’s climate, and improving life on our home planet. An important scientific focus on this expedition is continuing a series of Tissue Chips in Space studies.

Tissue chips are small models of human organs containing multiple cell types that behave much the same as they do in the body. Another important element of Crew-2’s mission is augmenting the station’s solar power system by installing the first pair of six new ISS Roll-out Solar Arrays.

Crew Dragon also is delivering almost 250 pounds of cargo, new science hardware, and experiments, including a university student-led investigation to study possible causes for suppressed immune response in microgravity.

During their stay on the orbiting laboratory, Crew-2 astronauts expect to see a range of U.S. commercial spacecraft, including the Northrop Grumman Cygnus; SpaceX cargo Dragon; Boeing CST-100 Starliner, on its uncrewed flight to station; and NASA’s SpaceX Crew-3 Dragon; which is targeted for launch no earlier than Oct. 23. During Crew-2, astronauts also will conduct a variety of spacewalks outside the space station, including the solar array installation.

At the conclusion of the mission, the Crew-2 astronauts will board Crew Dragon, which will then autonomously undock, depart the space station, and re-enter Earth’s atmosphere. Crew Dragon also will return to Earth important and time-sensitive research. NASA and SpaceX are capable of supporting seven splashdown sites located off Florida's east coast and in the Gulf of Mexico. Upon splashdown, the SpaceX recovery ship will pick up the crew and return to shore.

NASA’s Commercial Crew Program is delivering on its goal of safe, reliable, and cost-effective transportation to and from the International Space Station from the United States through partnership with American private industry.

This partnership is changing the arc of human spaceflight history by opening access to low-Earth orbit and the International Space Station to more people, more science, and more commercial opportunities.

The space station remains the springboard to NASA's next great leap in space exploration, including future missions to the Moon and, eventually, to Mars.

For more than 20 years, humans have lived and worked continuously aboard the International Space Station, advancing scientific knowledge and demonstrating new technologies, making research breakthroughs not possible on Earth.

As a global endeavor, 243 people from 19 countries have visited the unique microgravity laboratory that has hosted more than 3,000 research and educational investigations from researchers in 108 countries and areas.

Learn more about NASA’s Commercial Crew program at https://www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew.
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Wildfire smoke can trigger a host of respiratory and cardiovascular symptoms, ranging from runny nose and cough to a potentially life-threatening heart attack or stroke.

A new study suggests that the dangers posed by wildfire smoke may also extend to the largest organ in the human body, and our first line of defense against outside threat: the skin.

During the two weeks in November 2018 when wildfire smoke from the Camp Fire choked the San Francisco Bay Area, health clinics in San Francisco saw an uptick in the number of patients visiting with concerns of eczema, also known as atopic dermatitis, and general itch, compared to the same time of the year in 2015 and 2016, the study found.

The findings suggest that even short-term exposure to hazardous air quality from wildfire smoke can be damaging to skin health.

The report, carried out by physician researchers at the UC San Francisco, in collaboration with researchers at the UC Berkeley, appears on April 21 in the journal JAMA Dermatology.

“Existing research on air pollution and health outcomes has focused primarily on cardiac and respiratory health outcomes, and understandably so. But there is a gap in the research connecting air pollution and skin health,” said study lead author Raj Fadadu, a student in the UC Berkeley-UCSF Joint Medical Program. “Skin is the largest organ of the human body, and it's in constant interaction with the external environment. So, it makes sense that changes in the external environment, such as increases or decreases in air pollution, could affect our skin health.”

Air pollutants can slip through skin barriers

Air pollution from wildfires, which consists of fine particulate matter, or PM2.5, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, or PAHs, and gases, can impact both normal and eczema-prone skin in a variety of ways.

These pollutants often contain chemical compounds that act like keys, allowing them to slip past the skin’s outer barrier and penetrate into cells, where they can disrupt gene transcription, trigger oxidative stress or cause inflammation.

Eczema, or atopic dermatitis, is a chronic condition which affects the skin’s ability to serve as an effective barrier against environmental factors. Because the skin’s barrier has been compromised, people with this condition are prone to flare-ups of red, itchy skin in response to irritants, and may be even more prone to harm from air pollution.

“Skin is a very excellent physical barrier that separates us and protects us from the environment,” said study senior author Maria Wei, MD, PhD, a dermatologist and melanoma specialist at UCSF. “However, there are certain skin disorders, such as atopic dermatitis, in which the barrier is not fully functional. It's not normal even when you don't have a rash. So, it would make sense that when exposed to significant air pollution, people with this condition might see an effect on the skin.”

Even short burst of air pollution harms skin health

Earlier studies have found a link between atopic dermatitis and air pollution in cities with high background levels of air pollution from cars and industry. However, this is the first study to examine the impacts of a very short burst of extremely hazardous air from wildfires.

Despite being located 175 miles away from the Camp Fire, San Francisco saw an approximately nine-fold increase in baseline PM2.5 levels during the time of the blaze.

To conduct the study, the team examined data from more than 8,000 visits to dermatology clinics by both adults and children between October of 2015, 2016 and 2018, and February of the following year. They found that, during the Camp Fire, clinic visits for atopic dermatitis and general itch increased significantly in both adult and pediatric patients.

“Fully 89 percent of the patients that had itch during the time of the Camp Fire did not have a known diagnosis of atopic dermatitis, suggesting that folks with normal skin also experienced irritation and/or absorption of toxins within a very short period of time,” Wei said.

While skin conditions like eczema and itch may not be as life-threatening as the respiratory and cardiovascular impacts of wildfire smoke, they can still severely impact people’s lives, the researchers say.

The study also documented increased rates of prescribed medications, such as steroids, during times of high air pollution, suggesting that patients can experience severe symptoms.

Individuals can protect their skin during wildfire season by staying indoors, wearing clothing that covers the skin if they do go outside, and using emollients, which can strengthen the skin’s barrier function. A new medication to treat eczema, called Tapinarof, is now in clinical trials and could also be a useful tool during times of bad air.

“A lot of the conversations about the health implications of climate change and air pollution don’t focus on skin health, but it’s important to recognize that skin conditions do affect people's quality of life, their social interactions and how they feel psychologically,” Fadadu said. “I hope that these health impacts can be more integrated into policies and discussions about the wide-ranging health effects of climate change and air pollution.”

Co-authors of the paper from UCSF are Barbara Grimes, PhD and Albert T. Young, a MD candidate. From UCB: Nicholas P. Jewell, PhD. Co-authors also include Katrina Abuabara, MD and John R. Balmes, MD, who both have a dual appointment at UCSF and UC Berkeley; and Jason Vargo, PhD of the California Department of Public Health.

The study was supported by the UCSF Summer Explore Fellowship, the Alameda-Contra Costa Medical Association Summer Fellowship, and the UC Berkeley-UCSF Joint Medical Program Thesis Grant. For more funding details, please see the paper.

Elizabeth Fernandez writes for the University of California, San Francisco.
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At Lake Mendocino in Mendocino County, California, on Wednesday, April 21, 2021, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced new actions to address 2021’s drought conditions. Photo courtesy of the Governor’s Office.

NORTH COAST, Calif. – With much of the West experiencing drought conditions and California squarely in a second consecutive dry year, Gov. Gavin Newson on Wednesday directed state agencies to take immediate action to bolster drought resilience and prepare for impacts on communities, businesses and ecosystems if dry conditions extend to a third year.

In addition, the governor proclaimed a regional drought emergency for the Russian River watershed in Sonoma and Mendocino counties, where reservoirs are at record lows following two critically dry years and accelerated action may be needed to protect public health, safety and the environment.

“California is facing the familiar reality of drought conditions, and we know the importance of acting early to anticipate and mitigate the most severe impacts where possible,” Gov. Newsom said. “Climate change is intensifying both the frequency and the severity of dry periods. This ‘new normal’ gives urgency to building drought resilience in regions across the state and preparing for what may be a prolonged drought at our doorstep.”

The text of today's emergency proclamation can be read below.

With an extremely low Lake Mendocino as a backdrop, the governor on Wednesday announced that he is directing state agencies to work with regional and local governments – including groundwater sustainability agencies – to identify watersheds, communities, public water systems and ecosystems that may require coordinated state and local actions to address drought impacts and protect people, natural resources and economic activity.

To encourage Californians to reduce water use and conserve supplies in case drought conditions continue next year, the proclamation also directs state agencies to partner with local water suppliers to promote conservation tips and messages through the Save Our Water campaign.

The campaign and website were critical resources for Californians during the 2012-2016 drought and remain a trusted information source on using water wisely.

The proclamation directs additional actions to coordinate with California Native American tribes; accelerate funding for water supply enhancement, conservation and species protection projects; work with counties to encourage and track reporting of household water shortages including dry residential wells; provide technical and financial assistance for water systems at risk of water shortages; support the agricultural economy and food security; and evaluate and take action to protect terrestrial and aquatic species.

To address acute drought impacts in the Russian River watershed, the proclamation directs the State Water Board to consider modifying requirements for reservoir releases or diversion limitations to ensure adequate supplies for critical purposes.

The regional state of emergency also enables flexibilities in regulatory requirements and procurement processes to mitigate drought impacts.

Under the governor’s direction, state agencies have been working together since November to prepare for continued dry conditions.

The governor recently formalized that coordination through the Drought Resilience Task Force, which includes the Natural Resources Agency, California Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Food and Agriculture, Department of Water Resources, Department of Fish and Wildlife, State Water Resources Control Board, Department of Finance, Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, California Health and Human Services Agency, California Public Utilities Commission and the Labor and Workforce Development Agency.

4.21.21 Drought Proclamation by LakeCoNews on Scribd

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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Lake County Planning Commission on Thursday approved a large cannabis growing operation adjacent to the Hidden Valley Lake subdivision over the objections of numerous neighbors.

Zarina Otchkova, owner of WeGrow LLC, is planning a project on a portion of a 309-acre property she purchased early last year at 16750 Herrington Road, 17610 Sandy Road and 19678 Stinson Road in Middletown.

Otchkova went to the commission seeking approval of numerous cannabis-related licenses, a mitigated negative declaration and a use permit for the project, which includes 35 greenhouses, which during the meeting was described by a neighbor, Dan Levine, as an area equaling the size of 13 football fields.

Other aspects of the project include four 50-foot by 100-foot drying buildings, a 200-square-foot shed, four 2,500-gallon water tanks and fencing. The total cultivation area will cover nine acres.

During his report to the commission, Associate Planner Eric Porter said there has been a lot of public interest in the project, with 80 letters and comments submitted.

They also had gotten a letter from a law firm against the project and comments submitted by the Redwood Valley Pomo objecting due to aquifer usage. Porter said there was no way of doing an aquifer adequacy test.

After a comprehensive review and reviewing comments, Porter said he couldn't find a reason to recommend anything other than approval.

Otchkova and her consultant, Sufyan Hamouda of Lake County Planning Consultants – who also worked as an associate planner for a year for the county of Lake – attended virtually to answer questions.

“I do understand that this project has had a lot of public comments,” said Otchkova, explaining she and Hamouda had tried to read through each of the comments.

“We have considered all of these concerns in great detail,” she said.

Otchkova added, “A business cannot run without the support of its community.”

In a letter Otchkova submitted to the commission ahead of the meeting, she said she chose the property because it meets all of the qualifications for a major use permit for commercial cannabis cultivation.

“I am fully aware that this property will need modifications to continue to meet the requirements for a commercial cannabis business and I will implement those at every stage. At no point do I want to infringe upon anyone’s rights within the community, so if there are conditions that can be put in place to mitigate for any impacts this project may have upon the community, I will put those in immediately. I am not only here to mitigate, but I would like to be a positively contributing member of the community, so all comments are appreciated,” she wrote.

The letter can be read below.

Commissioner John Hess said there has been an enormous amount of community concern about stolen or unauthorized equipment found on the property, which reportedly resulted in a California Highway Patrol case.

Hamouda said the property was purchased early last year and since then none of Otchkova's team had been on the property regularly. He said he had contacted the CHP and the case didn’t pertain to Otchkova or her project.

Separately, Lake County News reached out to the CHP about the allegations of stolen farm equipment being recovered from the property but didn’t receive a response by the time of publication.

Hess said the stolen equipment was observed on the property in February 2020 after Otchkova purchased the land.

Hamouda said the CHP has not given him information on what occurred. “We are unsure of that situation to be completely honest with you.”

Water a main concern for neighbors

Nearly 20 community members provided comment to the commission, each raising concerns about the project which ran the gamut from traffic, safety, visual impact, smell, quality of life impacts, environmental damage and negative impacts on wildlife.

One of the key issues related to water, especially as Lake County faces a drought year.

Dan Levine said that, contrary to the findings in the initial study, many who live in the area will have a view of the project. He questioned how many generators would need to run it to support it if the power goes out.

Misha Grothe, who lives near the project area, said her biggest concern is the aquifers.

“I cannot understand how the county is willing to consider allowing such a massive consumption of water at this time,” Grothe said.

She said it’s close to other homes, not in a neighborhood area, and will decrease home values.

Mary Sullivan, who lives in the nearby Rim Rock Ranch Vineyards Estate, said she opposed the project, noting they are already having well failure in their community.

“We feel like it’s an imminent threat to our livelihood given what we’ve already experienced,” Sullivan said. “We could lose everything because of this development.”

Carly Swatosh-Sherman also was concerned about the millions of gallons of water the project would require, and said that it violates requirements of the Middletown Area Plan relating to protection of scenic ridges, oaks and quality of life.

“The proposal needs to be denied for countless reasons,” Swatosh-Sherman said.

Commissioner Lance Williams said the greenhouses would have to have blackout systems otherwise it wouldn’t be acceptable.

Hess said he understood there are strong feelings about the project and that he lives nearby. He said he’s looked high and low for a way to oppose it but didn’t find anything.

Porter noted that the greenhouses would have to have blackout screening before cultivation can occur. The project requires 20,000 gallons of onsite water storage, with an additional 5,000-gallon tank for water suppression. The commission also agreed to require an 8-foot-tall fence to screen it.

Hess moved to find the major use permit won’t have a significant effect, will Williams seconding and the commission approving the vote 4-0. Chair Batsulwin Brown had to leave the meeting before the vote.

Hess also moved to find the major use permit meets the requirements of the county zoning ordinance and grant it subject to conditions. Williams also seconded and the vote passed, 4-0.

The commission noted that the zoning ordinance provides for a seven calendar day appeal period.

Levine told Lake County News afterward that he expects an appeal will be filed.

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.

WeGrow LLC Public Comments Letter 4.21.21 by LakeCoNews on Scribd

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Lakeport Fire Chief Jeffrey Thomas, shown here at the fire district’s downtown station in Lakeport, California. Photo by Elizabeth Larson/Lake County News.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – Lakeport Fire’s new chief is on the job and hard at work, learning more about the people he serves, his district and the challenges it faces in keeping the community safe.

The Lakeport Fire Protection District Board hired Jeffrey Thomas as the new chief last month, as Lake County News has reported. He succeeded Rick Bergem, who is retiring after decades in the fire service.

Thomas is a California native who spent his childhood in Richmond before going off to play football on a scholarship at the University of Utah.

Later, he started his career with the Salt Lake City Fire Department, where he served for 36 years.

When he became battalion chief on April 1, 2005, he was the first Black firefighter to hold the role and the first Black fire officer in the state of Utah.

April 1, incidentally, was his first day on the job in Lakeport, where he’s again breaking new ground as the department’s first Black chief. He’s also believed to be the first Black fire executive officer to serve in a Lake County agency.

Since arriving in Lakeport, Thomas said he has received an “overwhelming” show of community support.

Not only is he enjoying the welcome from the community, but he said he’s also coming back to the earth and soil he loves in Northern California.

He was well acquainted with Clear Lake and Lake County before applying to be the new fire chief.

As a child his family would camp at Clear Lake State Park. During his interview with Lake County News in his office at the downtown station, he called himself a Northern California “homeboy” whose pastimes include fishing, hunting and golf.

Over the last several years, he’s often driven the 12 hours from Salt Lake City to go fishing on Clear Lake.

Not long after arriving to start work in Lakeport this month, he went out on Clearlake for some crappie fishing and instead caught the “fish of a lifetime,” reeling in a 9.4-pound largemouth bass.

He released the fish, but he’s got the experience on video.

Once he hit the 30-year mark with Salt Lake City, Thomas said he began to look for a chief’s job in Northern California.

Lakeport turned out to be the right fit professionally and personally. He’s just two hours from his mother and now living in an area where he loves to fish.

Making the transition

Thomas brings new skill sets to Lakeport Fire, including experience managing a much larger firefighting force.

In Salt Lake City, Thomas said the fire district has 380 firefighters. That’s compared to Lakeport’s 12 personnel.

Salt Lake City covers 110 square miles, has about 200,000 residents in the city limits and 1.2 million in the metropolitan area.

The city of Lakeport has 4,698 residents, according to the latest estimates from the state Department of Finance. The fire district previously reported that it serves about 10,000 residents inside and outside of the city limits.

Thomas said Salt Lake City doesn’t really have wildland fires, with grass and vegetation fires being more common There, the challenges relate more to urban firefighting, as compared to Lakeport, which has an almost year-round fire season.

He said he wants to find ways to get the district more resources, including having more personnel on shift in order to respond when needed. You can only do the amount of work resources allow, he added.

Thomas also has identified some challenges, including interrupted hydrant supply on Main Street and on Soda Bay Road, and local bridges that can’t handle the passage of equipment.

In addition to wildland fires, Thomas wants to be ready for earthquakes, referring to a 4-magnitude quake that occurred this week and was felt around Lake County. That quake happened just over the Sonoma County line.

“There’s a lot of work that needs to be done,” he said, adding that he’s not afraid of work.

He offered the adage, “Inch by inch, life is a cinch,” a quote attributed to author John Bytheway.

For now, Thomas said he’s studying the budget, assessing the operational readiness of his team and trying to prepare for a potentially huge wildland fire season ahead. It’s a matter of think, plan, act.

“We want everyone to be prepared and ready,” he 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.
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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Authorities said a Northshore man believed to have fatally shot his wife on Tuesday evening has died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

The Lake County Sheriff’s Office is continuing its investigation into the circumstances behind the shooting incident, first reported on Tuesday night, that killed Laura Marie Lovelady, 56, of Nice, and also resulted in the death of her husband, Kenneth Dwaine Lovelady, 60, later that night.

Lt. Corey Paulich said deputies had responded to the couple’s home in the 3400 block of Boggs Avenue at 7 p.m. Tuesday after Kenneth Lovelady called Lake County Sheriff’s Central Dispatch to say he had killed his wife and was going to also take his own life.

When deputies arrived, they found the couple suffering from gunshot wounds, and determined that Laura Lovelady had died, Paulich said.

Paulich said Kenneth Lovelady was transported to Sutter Lakeside Hospital. From there he was airlifted to an out-of-area hospital for treatment.

Kenneth Lovelady died of his injury shortly after arriving at the out-of-county hospital on Tuesday, Paulich said.

Based on the ongoing investigation by sheriff’s Major Crime Unit detectives, Paulich said they believe that Kenneth Lovelady shot and killed his wife before shooting himself.

Both appear to have died as a result of single gunshot wounds, Paulich said.

The official causes of death for the couple are pending autopsies that are scheduled to take place on Thursday, Paulich said.

“It is believed that the motive for this incident is related to a domestic dispute,” said Paulich.

Paulich said the sheriff’s office had minimal contact with either Laura or Kenneth Lovelady and the couple had no previous history of domestic disputes.

Anyone with information related to this investigation is asked to contact Det. Dean Preader at 707-262-4231.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Scotts Valley Community Advisory Council will hold its next meeting on Monday, April 26.

The group will meet at 5 p.m. via Zoom.

The meeting ID is 932 5558 1208, passcode is 439064. The meeting also can be accessed via phone at 1-669-900-6833.

Under old business, the group will discuss site visits with the US Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, the bridge approach over Scotts Creek at Scotts Valley Road and Hendricks, and applications being due for the advisory council applications.

Under new business, they will discuss use permits, management and monitoring of the Scotts Valley Water Basin and the Adopt a Road program.

During the meeting, community members also will be able to share their concerns with District 4 Supervisor Tina Scott.

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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – With Lake County’s pandemic data metrics continuing to improve, the Lake County Superior Court said this week that it is planning to roll out some operational changes.

Court Executive Officer Krista LeVier said there will be no major changes immediately, but that the court is starting to take steps to allow more court business to be conducted in-person.

Some of the changes planned include moving some trials back to the courthouse from the Lake County Fairgrounds and vacating civil jury trials in May.

Court officials have remained in contact with Public Health Officer Dr. Gary Pace regarding public safety conditions for court operations.

“The court continues in the effort to provide necessary and essential services to court users while protecting the health of all who come before or work within the court. The court will continue to limit the number of cases on calendar, require social distancing in court facilities, require face coverings and will continue to handle matters via remote means whenever possible pending further notice,” said a written statement from LeVier and Presiding Judge Michael Lunas.

The court is continuing to post updates at its website.

The following changes are planned.

In-person court calendars

Beginning April 26, the calendars below will begin (or continue) to allow in-person appearances.

Zoom appearances will be allowed for those parties or attorneys that were previously ordered to appear by remote appearance. All other calendars will remain as remote proceedings only.

– Felony settlements, Department 3, Tuesdays.
– Felony preliminary hearings.
– Felony sentencing hearings (remote appearance may be allowed by the judicial officer).
– Felony law and motion, specially set Tuesdays at 2:30 p.m.

Civil and family law court trials and evidentiary hearings

Cases set for a hearing on or after May 17 for civil and family law court trials or evidentiary hearings will be conducted in-person.

Appearances may still be made by remote means, upon request and approval of the judicial officer at the time of the setting of the trial or hearing.

The cases that have already been set for remote hearing or trial shall remain set as remote proceedings.

Criminal jury trials

The court will continue to conduct jury selection at the fairgrounds facility in all cases.

Commencing the week of May 3, criminal jury trials will be conducted at the courthouse except for cases specifically set for jury trial at the fairgrounds facility.

Jurors who are unable to serve because they are high-risk for COVID-19 related complications will be excused prior to coming to the courthouse.

Additional details about the process and precautions will be provided with the jury summons.

Civil jury trials

Civil jury trials set for the month of May will be vacated along with the associated mandatory settlement conference and trial assignment dates and will be set for case management conference for resetting.

Commencing with the civil jury trial settings for June, the trial date, mandatory settlement conference and trial assignment dates shall remain as set. A civil jury trial that’s to be conducted, as with criminal cases, will have jury selection at the fairgrounds and trial at the courthouse.

Clearlake court calendars

Department of Child Support Services Calendar

The DCSS child support calendar will continue to be conducted by remote appearances. However, beginning May 17, appearance in-person will be allowed.

Traffic calendars

All traffic calendars will continue to be conducted by remote appearance. However, beginning May 17, appearance in-person will be allowed.

Unlawful detainer and small claims calendars

Beginning May 17, unlawful detainer trials and small claims trials will be conducted in-person. However, appearances may still be made by remote means, upon request and approval of the judicial officer.

Self-Help Center

Same-day appointments will be available on a walk-in basis again on Wednesdays beginning May 19. Individuals may phone or come in-person to the self-help public counter to schedule a same-day appointment. After scheduling, individuals will leave and return at their appointment time.

Public access to self-help computer lab will also return May 17, subject to capacity limits due to social distancing.

All other calendars will continue to be conducted by mandatory remote appearance.
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Matt Bullard of Minnesota has been selected as the new superintendent for the Lakeport Unified School District in Lakeport, California. Here he’s pictured being introduced via Zoom a the board meeting on Tuesday, April 20, 2021. Zoom capture.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – At the end of a special closed session meeting on Tuesday evening, the Lakeport Unified School District Board of Trustees announced that it has selected a new superintendent.

Minnesotan Matt Bullard, an educator with more than two decades of experience in public schooling, will assume the superintendent’s post on July 1.

He will succeed Superintendent Jill Falconer, who is retiring at the end of the school year.

The board met Tuesday evening to finalize Bullard’s contract.

After a brief open session to take public comment, board members went into closed session shortly after 6 p.m., emerging nearly 45 minutes later to announce that they had voted unanimously to approve the contract with Bullard.

Bullard’s final contract will be on the agenda for the board’s next regular meeting on May 13. Falconer told Lake County News that the final contract approval must be held at a regular board meeting.

The board also voted unanimously in closed session to approve several summer program positions including counselor, day care, paraeducator and teacher positions, as well as instructional coach, interventional paraeducator, history teacher, payroll specialist, school bus monitor and licensed vocational nurse jobs.

That second vote included making Rachel Paarsch director of supplemental support services.

After the announcement of the votes, Falconer was the first to offer Bullard congratulations.

Bullard, who joined the meeting remotely, said he’s excited to be a part of this new chapter in Lakeport Unified.

“I’m absolutely thrilled and excited about the opportunity,” he said.

He said he will be in California this spring to start acquainting himself with the school district and the greater community.

Board Chair Dan Buffalo said they are excited to have Bullard, adding he knows Bullard will do great things for the district.

Lakeport Unified said Bullard has 24 years of experience in a variety of public education settings, including as a special education teacher, a secondary and alternative school principal, and 13 years as a school district superintendent.

Bullard is the superintendent for Paynesville Area Schools in Paynesville, located in central Minnesota. He’s held that job for nearly three years.

He previously served for 10 years as superintendent for the nearby Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa Schools in Belgrade, Minnesota, according to his LinkedIn profile.

Lakeport Unified said Bullard has been passionate about creating student-centered schools. “Specifically, with the assistance of many stakeholders, he has developed extensive personalized learning programs that are scalable throughout school districts.”

The district said Bullard has extensive experience enhancing educational technology to leverage academic performance for all learners.

He holds a Bachelor’s of Science degree in special education from St. Cloud State University in St. Cloud, Minnesota, and a Master’s of Arts in education and administrative license from Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota.

Bullard is an avid fisher and hunter, and the proud father of two teenage children, Lakeport Unified 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.

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