Sampling wildfire smoke sometimes means sticking a tube out the window of an airplane. Brett Palm/University of Washington, CC BY-ND
The year 2020 will be remembered for many reasons, including its record-breaking wildfires that turned San Francisco’s skies an apocalyptic shade of red and blanketed large parts of the West in smoke for weeks on end.
The reactions and transformations in the atmosphere cause wildfire smoke to change dramatically as it travels downwind, and studies have shown that it can grow more toxic as it ages. In order to accurately forecast the effects of wildfire emissions on downwind populations and issue more-targeted air quality warnings as wildfire seasons worsen, we have to understand which chemicals are being emitted and how smoke changes with time.
To figure that out, my colleagues and I flew airplanes into the smoke plumes of some of the West’s large wildfires.
How we study wildfires
Large wildfires and the way wind carries their smoke cannot be easily replicated in a laboratory. This makes them difficult to study. One of the best ways to learn about real wildfire smoke chemistry is to sample it directly in the atmosphere.
In 2018 and 2019, my colleagues and I crisscrossed the sky over active wildfires in specialized airplanes loaded with scientific instruments. Each instrument is designed to sample a different part of the smoke, often by literally sticking a tube out the window.
To sample smoke as it moves downwind, scientists flew back and forth across smoke plumes. The gray lines are the flights from 2018. They turn red where the path crossed a smoke plume.Brett Palm/University of Washington, CC BY-NDScientific aircraft used for these experiments are filled with instruments that measure wildfire smoke in different ways.Brett Palm/University of Washington, CC BY-ND
Wildfire smoke is far more complex and dynamic than meets the eye. It contains thousands of different compounds, most of which are molecules containing various amounts of carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen and oxygen atoms. There are gases (individual molecules) as well as particles (millions of molecules coagulated together).
No single instrument can measure all of these molecules at once. In fact, some specific compounds are a challenge to measure at all. Many scientists, including myself, dedicate their careers to designing and building new instruments to improve our measurements and continue to advance our understanding of the atmosphere and how it affects us.
In newly published research from the 2018 wildfires, my colleagues and I showed how the smoke particles changed rapidly as they were carried downwind.
Some of the particles were evaporating into gases, similar to a rain puddle evaporating into water vapor when the Sun comes out. At the same time, some of the gases in smoke were going through reactions to form new particles, similar to water vapor condensing to form a cloud or dew droplets. Meanwhile, chemical reactions were occurring, changing the molecules themselves.
As these molecules reacted with sunlight and other gases in the atmosphere, the smoke was fundamentally transformed. This is what we mean when scientists talk about smoke “aging” or getting “stale” over time. Other recent research has started to show how wildfire smoke can become more toxic as it ages.
What do all these changes mean for health?
The health damage from smoke is largely a result of how much PM2.5 it contains. These are tiny particles, a fraction of the width of a human hair, that can be breathed deep into the lungs where they can irritate the respiratory tract. Even short-term exposure can aggravate heart and lung problems.
Chemical reactions control how much PM2.5 is in wildfire smoke as it is transported away from the fires and into population centers. Using our aircraft measurements to understand these processes, we chemists can better predict how much PM2.5 will be present in aged smoke.
Combined with meteorology forecasting that predicts where the smoke will go, this could lead to improved air quality models that can tell people downwind whether they will be exposed to unhealthy air.
Better air quality forecasting
With wildfires increasingly in the news, more people have become aware of their own air quality. Resources such as AirNow from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency provide current and forecasted air quality data, along with explanations of the health hazards. Local information is often available from state or regional agencies as well.
Smoke from wildfires turned the midday sky orange in San Francisco on Sept. 9, 2020.AP Image/Tony Avelar
Air quality measurements and forecasts can help people avoid unhealthy situations, especially sensitive groups such as people with asthma. During predicted periods of unhealthy air quality, local or state governments can use forecasts to reduce other pollution sources, such as discouraging residential wood burning or high-emitting industrial activities.
Looking to the future, wildfire smoke is likely to be widespread across the West each year for several reasons. Rising temperatures are leaving the landscape drier and more flammable. At the same time, more people are building homes in the wildland-urban interface, creating more opportunities for fires to start.
A large community of scientists including me are working to better understand wildfire emissions and how they change as they blow into downwind communities. That knowledge will improve forecasts for air quality and health impacts of wildfire smoke, so people can learn to adapt and avoid the worst health consequences.
The best meteor showers are a spectacular sight but, unfortunately, 2021 starts with a whimper. Moonlight this January will wash out the first of the big three — the Quadrantids (seen above in 2020).
After that, the year just gets better and better, with the Perseids (another of the big three along with the Geminids) a particular highlight for northern hemisphere observers in August.
In addition to the year’s other reliable performers we’ve included one wild card: the Aurigids, in late August. Most years, the Aurigids are a very, very minor shower, but they just might put on a show this year.
So here is our pick of the meteoric highlights for 2021.
For each meteor shower, we give you a finder chart showing the radiant (where the meteors appear to come from in the sky) and where best to look in the sky, the full period of activity and the forecast peak. Most meteor showers typically only yield their best rates for about a day around maximum, so the peak night is definitely the best to observe.
The Zenithal Hourly Rate ZHR is the maximum number of meteors you would expect to see under perfect observing conditions. The actual number you will see will likely be lower.
Most meteor showers can only really be observed from either the northern [N] or southern [S] hemisphere, but a few are visible from both [N/S].
Lyrids [N/S; N favoured]
Active: April 14–30
Maximum: April 22, 1pm UTC = 11pm AEST (Qld) = 7am CST = 3am Hawaii time
The Lyrids are one of the meteor showers with the longest and most storied histories, with recorded observations spanning millenia. In the past, they were one of the year’s most active showers, with a history of producing spectacular meteor storms.
Nowadays, the Lyrids are more sedate, putting on a reliable show without matching the year’s stronger showers. They still throw up occasional surprises such as an outburst in excess of 90 meteors per hour in 1982.
This year’s peak Lyrid rates coincide with the first quarter Moon, which will set around midnight, local time, for most locations. The best time to observe will come in the early hours of the morning, after moonset.
For observers in the northern hemisphere, the Lyrid radiant will already be at a useful altitude by the time the Moon is low in the sky, so some brighter meteors might be visible despite the moonlight in the late evening (after around 10:30pm, local time).
Once the Moon sets the sky will darken and make the shower much easier to observe, yielding markedly higher rates.
Across the US, the Lyrid radiant is high in the east before sunrise, above the Summer Triangle of Vega, Deneb and Altair. Low to the horizon, Jupiter and Saturn are rising. US around 4am local time.Museums Victoria/Stellarium
For observers in the southern hemisphere, the Lyrid radiant reaches a useful altitude in the early hours of the morning, when the Moon will have set. If you’re a keen meteor observer, it could be worth setting your alarm early to get out and watch the show for a few hours before dawn.
The Boorong from north-western Victoria saw the Lyrids as Neilloan, the Mallee fowl, kicking up shooting stars while preparing her nest. Melbourne, 5am.Museums Victoria/Stellarium
Lyrid meteors are fast and often quite bright so can be rewarding to observe, despite the relatively low rates (one every five or ten minutes, or so). Remember, this shower always has the potential to throw up an unexpected surprise.
Eta Aquariids [S]
Active: April 19–May 28
Maximum: May 6, 3am UTC = 1pm AEST (Qld/NSW/ACT/Vic/Tas) = 11am AWST (WA)
The Eta Aquariids are an autumn treat for southern hemisphere observers. While not one of the big three, they stand clear as the best of the rest of the annual showers, yielding a fine display in the two or three hours before dawn.
The Eta Aquariids are fast meteors and are often bright, with smoky trains. They are fragments of the most famous comet, 1P/Halley, which has been laying down debris around its current orbit of the Sun for tens of thousands of years.
Earth passes through that debris twice a year, with the Eta Aquariids the best of the two meteor showers that result. The other is the Orionids, in October.
Where most meteor showers have a relatively short, sharp peak, the Eta Aquariids remain close to their best for a whole week, centred on the maximum. Good rates (ZHR > 30 per hour) should be visible before sunrise on each morning between May 3–10.
The Moon will be a waning crescent when the Eta Aquariids are at their best. Its glare should not interfere badly with the shower, washing out only the faintest members.
Observers who brave the pre-dawn hours to observe the Eta Aquariids will have the chance to lie beneath a spectacular sky. The Milky Way will be high overhead, with Jupiter, Saturn and the Moon high to the east and bright, fast meteors streaking across the sky from an origin near the eastern horizon.
The crescent Moon, the two biggest planets, a couple of bright stars and the Eta Aquariids all in the east before sunrise on May 6. Australia, around 4am local time.Museums Victoria/Stellarium
Perseids [N]
Active: July 17–August 24
Maximum: August 12, 7pm–10pm UTC = 8pm–11pm BST = August 13, 4am–7am JST
The Perseids are the meteoric highlight of the northern summer and the most observed shower of the year. December’s Geminids offer better rates but the timing of the Perseid peak makes them an ideal holiday treat.
The Perseids are debris shed behind by comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle, which is the largest known object (diameter around 26km) whose orbit currently intersects that of Earth.
A Perseid crosses the sky over the Teide volcano and Teide Observatory on Tenerife.Flickr/StarryEarth, CC BY-NC
Perseid meteors are fast, crashing into Earth at a speed of about 216,000km/h, and often bright. While the shower is active, at low levels, for more than a month, the best rates are typically visible for at the three nights centred on the peak.
The Perseids radiate from the north-east, with the radiant rising high in the sky during the early hours of the morning. London, 11pm (left) and 4am (right)Museums Victoria/Stellarium
For observers at European latitudes, the Perseid radiant rises by mid-evening, so the shower can be easily observed from 10pm local time, and remains high all through the night. The later in the night you look, the higher the radiant will be and the more meteors you’re likely to see.
Aurigids [N favoured]
Active: August 28–September 5
Maximum: Potential Outburst on August 31, peaking between 9:15pm–9:40pm UTC = 10:15pm–10:40pm BST = 11:15pm–11:40pm CEST = September 1, 1:15am–1:40am Gulf Standard Time = September 1, 5:15am–5:40am AWST (WA)
Where the other showers are reliable and relatively predictable, offering good rates every year, the Aurigids are an entirely different beast.
In most years, the shower is barely visible. Even at its peak, rates rarely exceed just a couple of meteors seen per hour. But occasionally the Aurigids bring a surprise with short and unexpected outbursts of 30-50 meteors an hour seen in 1935, 1986, 1994 and 2019.
The parent comet of the Aurigids, C/1911 N1 Kiess, moves on an orbit with a period far longer than the parent of any other shower on our list.
It is thought the orbit takes between 1,800 and 2,000 years to complete, although our knowledge of it is very limited as it was only observed for a short period of time.
In late August every year, Earth passes through debris shed by the comet at a previous passage thousands of years into the past. In most years, the dust we encounter is very sparse.
But occasionally we intersect a denser, narrow stream of debris, material laid down at the comet’s previous passage. That dust has not yet had time to disperse so is more densely packed and hence gives enhanced rates: a meteor outburst.
Several independent research teams studying the past behaviour of the shower have all come to the same conclusion. On August 31, 2021, the Earth will once again intersect that narrow band of debris and an outburst may occur, with predictions it will peak around 21:17 UTC or 21:35 UTC.
Such an outburst would be short-lived. The dense core of the debris stream is so narrow it will take the Earth just ten or 20 minutes to traverse. So you’ll have to be lucky to see it.
The forecast outburst this year is timed such that observers in Eastern Europe and Asia will be the fortunate ones, with the radiant above the horizon. The waning Moon will light the sky when the radiant is above the horizon, washing out the fainter meteors from the shower.
From Europe, the expected peak of the Aurigids occurs just before Moonrise. Be sure to look for the Pleiades whilst watching for any Aurigids - they’re a spectacular cluster of bright stars, commonly known as the Seven Sisters. Vienna, 11:30pm.Museums Victoria/StellariumThe crescent Moon has risen in Asia at the time the Aurigids peak. Dubai, 1:30am.Museums Victoria/Stellarium
The Aurigids tend to be fast and are often quite bright. Previous outbursts of the shower have featured large numbers of bright meteors. It may just be worth getting up and heading outside at the time of the predicted outburst, just in case the Aurigids give us a show to remember.
While waiting for the Aurigids, the morning sky in Perth is also packed with many famous constellations and bright stars. Perth, 5:30am.Museums Victoria/Stellarium
Geminids [N/S]
Active: December 4–17
Maximum: December 14, 7am UTC = 6pm AEDT (NSW/ACT/Vic/Tas) = 3pm AWST (WA) = 2am EST
The Geminid meteor shower is truly a case of saving the best until last. By far the best of the annual meteor showers, it graces our skies every December, yielding good numbers of spectacular, bright meteors.
The shower is so good it is always worth observing, even in 2021, when the Moon will be almost full.
Over the decades, the Geminids have gradually become stronger and stronger. They took the crown of the year’s best shower from the Perseids in the 1990s, and have continued to improve ever since.
For observers in the northern hemisphere, the Geminids are visible from relatively early in the evening, with their radiant rising shortly after sunset, and remaining above the horizon for all of the hours of darkness.
As the night progresses, the radiant gets very high in the sky and the shower can put on a truly spectacular show.
For those in the southern hemisphere, the situation is not quite as ideal. The further south you live, the later the radiant will rise, and so the later the show will begin.
When the radiant reaches its highest point in the sky (around 2am–3am local time), it sits closer to the horizon the further south you are, so the best meteor rates you observe will be reduced compared to those seen from more northerly locations.
At its highest point, the Geminids radiant sits higher from Brisbane (left) than from Hobart (right), which is why northern observers have a better chance of seeing more meteors.Museums Victoria/Stellarium
Despite these apparent drawbacks, the Geminids are still by far the best meteor shower of the year for observers in Australia, and are well worth a look, even on the moonlit nights of 2021.
Peak Geminid rates last for around 24 hours, centred on the official peak time, before falling away relatively rapidly thereafter. This means that observers around the globe can enjoy the display.
The best rates come when the radiant is highest in the sky (around 2–3am) but it is well worth looking up at any time after the radiant has risen above the horizon.
The Geminid radiant rises at about the following times across Australia., Author provided
So wherever you are on the planet, if skies are clear for the peak of the Geminids, it is well worth going outside and looking up, to revel in the beauty of the greatest of the annual meteor showers.
Before the U.S. can return to some form of normal, a lot of people need to be vaccinated. AP Photo/Paul Sancya, Pool
It has been clear for a while that, at least in the U.S., the only way out of the coronavirus pandemic will be through vaccination. The rapid deployment of coronavirus vaccines is underway, but how many people need to be vaccinated in order to control this pandemic?
I am a computational biologist who uses data and computer models to answer biological question at the University of Connecticut. I have been tracking my state’s COVID-19 epidemic with a computer model to help forecast the number of hospitalizations at the University of Connecticut’s John Dempsey Hospital.
This type of computer model and the underlying theory can also be used to calculate the vaccination rates needed to break the chain of transmission of the coronavirus. My estimate is that for the entire U.S., roughly 70% of the population needs to be vaccinated to stop the pandemic. But variation in how people behave in different parts of the country, as well as open questions on whether the vaccine prevents infection entirely or just prevents people from getting sick, add a degree of uncertainty.
When enough of the population is vaccinated, the virus has a hard time finding new people to infect, and the epidemic starts dying out. And not everyone needs to be vaccinated, just enough people to stop the virus from spreading out of control. The number of people who need to be vaccinated is known as the critical vaccination level. Once a population reaches that number, you get herd immunity. Herd immunity is when there are so many vaccinated people that an infected person can hardly find anyone who could get infected, and so the virus cannot propagate to other people. This is very important to protect people who cannot get vaccinated.
The critical vaccination level depends on how infectious the disease is and how effective the vaccine is. Infectiousness is measured using the basic reproduction number – R0 – which is how many people an infected person would spread the virus to on average if no protective measures were in place.
The more infectious a disease is, the larger the number of people who need to be vaccinated to reach heard immunity. The higher the effectiveness of the vaccine, the fewer people need to be vaccinated.
R0 values differ from place to place because their populations behave differently – social interactions are not the same in rural and urban locations, nor in warm climates compared to cold ones, for example.
Using the data on positive cases, hospitalizations and deaths, my model estimates that Connecticut currently has an R0 of 2.88, meaning that, on average, every infected person would pass the virus on to 2.88 other people if no mitigation measures were in place. Estimates at the county level range from 1.44 in rural Alpine, California to 4.31 in urban Hudson, New Jersey.
But finding an R0 value for the entire U.S. is especially tricky because of the diversity of climates and because the virus has affected different areas at different times – behavior has been far from uniform. Estimates vary from 2.47 to 8.2, though most researchers place R0 for the entire U.S. around 3.
While R0 varies by location and between estimates, the effectiveness of the vaccines is constant and well known. The Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines are 95% and 94.5% effective at preventing COVID-19, respectively.
Using values for vaccine effectiveness and the R0, we can calculate the critical vaccination level. For Connecticut, with an R0 of 2.88, 69% of the population needs to be vaccinated. For the entire U.S., with R0 of 3, this would be 70%. In New York City, with an estimated R0 of 4.26 this would be 80%.
A lot of uncertainty
While the math is relatively simple, things get complicated when you consider important questions for which epidemiologists still have no answers.
Vaccines offer the best path forward, but a few unknowns could change how many people need to be vaccinated.Annie Japaud/Moment via Getty Images
First, the formula for critical vaccination level assumes that people interact randomly. But in the real world, people interact in highly structured networks depending on work, travel and social connections. When those contact patterns are considered, some researchers found critical vaccination levels to be considerably smaller compared to assuming random interactions.
Unfortunately, other unknowns could have an opposite effect.
Vaccine trials clearly show that vaccinated people don’t get sick with COVID-19. But it is still unknown whether the vaccines prevent people from getting mild infections that they could pass on to others. If vaccinated people can still be infected and pass on the virus, then vaccination will not provide herd immunity – though it would still prevent serious disease and reduce mortality drastically.
A final question that remains to be answered is how long immunity to the coronavirus lasts after a person is vaccinated. If immunity wanes after a few months, then each individual will need repeated vaccinations.
It is hard to say with certainty how many people need to be vaccinated in order to end this pandemic. But even so, the arrival of COVID-19 vaccines has been the best news in 2020. In 2021, as a large proportion of individuals in the U.S. get the vaccine, the country will be heading toward the critical vaccination level – whatever it may be – so that life can start to return to normal.
An American black bear. Courtesy photo. NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – Like all our neighbors throughout California and the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument region, Tuleyome has been impacted by the numerous, large fires that have swept through the state in the last couple of years.
Our properties throughout Lake, Yolo and Solano Counties have all burned in the past three years.
While Tuleyome did not lose any buildings, our hearts go out to those who have lost buildings, or worse.
Tuleyome’s properties are mostly remote and difficult to access, so the fires have presented the opportunity for us and citizen scientists to study how wildlife has been impacted by and responded to the fires.
In fall 2018, cameras were placed at our Silver Spur Ranch property in Lake County which burned in the summer of 2018. We have been excited by what the cameras have seen: bears, bobcats, mountain lions, and more.
Feral pigs, wild boars, are not native to our region – they are descendants of the European wild boar and domestic swine – and can have a big impact on the environment.
While rooting around for roots, fungus, and other food, they can make it look like a rototiller was used on an entire hillside. These large animals can be nearly five times as heavy as mountain lions!
Black bears are relatively common in the Northern Inner Coast Range and multiple cameras have captured individuals at our property. These animals have claws on front and hind which help them dig to find food and to climb trees to escape predators. These large animals, weighing between 300 and 500 pounds, can reach speeds up to 35 miles per hour.
Bobcats are named for their bobbed tail which is one of the best ways to identify them. Their smaller size, pointed ears, spots, and round face also help distinguish them from mountain lions. They prey on a wide variety of small animals, rabbits, rodents, raccoons, but are able to take down prey that is much larger than they are. Bobcats are the most abundant wildcat in the United States, being native to every state and seen in Canada and south of Mexico City.
A Columbian black-tailed deer. Courtesy photo. Mountain lions are the apex predator of the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument region. These secretive animals are very rarely seen but evidence of their presence is commonly found on trails.
Scat, prints, and even scraps can be found. Male lions have territories up to 100 square mile while females have smaller (60 square miles) territories. Generally, wherever there is prey, mountain lions can be found.
Arguably the most commonly seen mammalian predator is the coyote. Although they can be found in and around cities – including Sacramento and San Francisco! – they are at home in the wild.
They have an important role in the ecosystem by keeping rodent populations under control. Although they usually feed on rodents, our cameras have captured these animals carrying a deer head and even a grey fox!
Deer. They are not just in our neighborhoods. They are common throughout California and returned shortly after the fire swept through our property. Through our study, we have seen that there are a couple small groups that have made the property home. We have seen at least one fawn every spring.
The Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument Region has evolved with fire as part of the natural process for thousands of years. The plants and animals that make the region their home have devised strategies to survive.
Recent fires have been more intense and burned large areas. Will plants and animals need to adapt their survival strategies to withstand these fires? The game camera survey at Tuleyome’s Silver Spur Ranch can help provide answers.
For more information about the project, visit Tuleyome’s website at www.tuleyome.org or contact Nate Lillge at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Nate Lillge is Tuleyome’s adventures and engagement director, a Certified California Naturalist and lead instructor for Tuleyome’s Certified California Naturalist class. Tuleyome is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit conservation organization based in Woodland, California. For more information visit www.tuleyome.org.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office provided this photo of pills that are believed to be linked to several overdoses – at least one fatal – on Thursday, January 7, 2021, in Lake County, California. LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Lake County Sheriff’s Office said it is investigating several reported overdoses on Thursday, one of which resulted in a confirmed death, raising concerns of drugs laced with opioids that are being circulated in the community and, in particular, at two local tribal rancherias.
Lt. Corey Paulich said Friday that the sheriff’s office had become aware of several social media posts with accompanying photos made the night before related to unknown types of pills that could have been related to recent overdoses.
Paulich said the sheriff’s office is not able to authenticate the photos because they do not know when or by whom they were taken.
However, he added, “This does not mean the pills in these photos are not dangerous.”
The sheriff’s office is conducting a death investigation where the pills depicted in a photo provided by the agency – which can be seen above – may have played a role in the death.
The actual cause of death will not be known for some time pending an autopsy and toxicology results, Paulich said.
He separately clarified to Lake County News that there is only one death that he is aware of in connection to the Thursday overdoses.
Later on Friday, Lake County Public Health Officer Dr. Gary Pace weighed in on the matter, putting out a statement in which he raised the concern that the overdoses “may have resulted from non-prescribed opiates or other drugs compromised, or ‘laced,’ with an opioid pain management drug.”
Pace said Lake County residents in possession of non-prescription drugs, and particularly MDMA, should not take them, as they may be laced.
He said opioids are highly addictive, and “it is a common and regrettable practice that producers and traffickers of illicit drugs, such as MDMA, methamphetamine and cocaine, ‘lace’ their product with an opioid, to enhance its addictive properties.”
Despite ongoing public education campaigns, Pace said opioid overdoses and deaths increased in many parts of the country in 2020.
Fire departments response to overdose calls
Lake County News spoke with Northshore Fire and Lakeport Fire, with both agencies confirming that they responded to overdose calls on Thursday.
Northshore Fire Battalion Chief Dave Emmel said their only call came in at about 7:45 p.m. on Quail Top Trail at Robinson Rancheria in Nice.
While they responded, Emmel said they had no patient contact. He said the overdose patient was up on the hill and refusing to be seen or treated by firefighters.
A review of radio traffic indicated the patient was with family and friends and, as Emmel reported, refusing treatment or transport by first responders. The sheriff’s office also was at the scene.
Lakeport Fire Chief Rick Bergem said his firefighters reported responding to three overdoses in the area of Big Valley Rancheria on Thursday, with all of them transported to the hospital.
One of those calls came in at 9:10 p.m., with a Lakeport medic unit dispatched to a call on Red Feather Lane on the report of an overdose and a patient with Narcan, also known as Naloxone, which is used to reverse the effects of opioid overdose. Radio traffic indicated that a patient was transported a short time later.
It is not clear which of the Lakeport cases may have ended in the death, and authorities have not reported that information.
Work underway to train tribal members to administer Naloxone
District 3 Supervisor EJ Crandell, a member of Robinson Rancheria and a longtime tribal leader, told Lake County News that he’s received information that whoever is distributing the pills that led to the overdoses is giving them away free and that they’re laced with fentanyl.
The National Institute on Drug Abuse reports that fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid that is similar to morphine but is 50 to 100 times more potent.
The agency said fentanyl and other synthetic opioids are the most common drugs involved in overdose deaths. Illegal fentanyl often is mixed with other drugs, such as cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine and MDMA. “This is especially dangerous because people are often unaware that fentanyl has been added,” the institute reported.
Work is underway on an initiative to get Narcan distributed to Robinson and Upper Lake tribes, Crandell said.
Crandell, who has worked on the effort with the Lake County Tribal Health Consortium, said they’re hoping to conduct training soon on distributing and administering the drug.
He said Big Valley Rancheria already has someone certified and qualified to distribute Narcan to their community and to train tribal members to administer it for prevention measures.
“I hope we can curb this situation to avoid more loss,” Crandell said.
Naloxone available for free to many people
Pace said Naloxone saves lives and is available to many local residents free of charge. Evzio, an autoinjectable form, and Narcan, a prepackaged nasal spray, are two common trade names.
He said many Lake County residents qualify for the Partnership Health Plan, Medicare, or a similar program, and these individuals, as well as clients of Lake County Tribal Health Consortium and many others can access Naloxone for free of charge.
Pace said it’s estimated that 90 percent of those prescribed opioids for pain management in Lake County have access to Naloxone from their medical providers.
The National Institute on Drug Abuse also reported, “major pharmacy chains CVS and Walgreens now make Naloxone available without a personal prescription in all stores in the U.S.”
Officials warn against use of any non-prescribed medications
Like Pace, the sheriff’s office advised members of the public that they should not take any medication or pills that have not been prescribed to them by a physician or provided to them by a pharmacist.
“We ask that if anyone in the public finds or comes into possession of these types of pills that they contact the sheriff’s office or their local law enforcement so the pills can be handled safely,” Paulich said.
If people are uncomfortable contacting law enforcement, they can dispose of the pills in a SafeRx Disposal Drop Box located in the sheriff’s office lobby at 1220 Martin St. in Lakeport. This dropbox is anonymous and requires no contact with a deputy, Paulich said.
For those who may be at risk of opioid overdose, Pace urges them to contact their medical provider proactively to understand their options when it comes to acquiring Naloxone.
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.
What's up for January? Getting close to the Sun, some easy outer-planet spotting, and a chance to catch quick-moving Mercury.
The new year began with planet Earth at the closest point in its orbit around the Sun, called perihelion, on Jan. 2. Now you may have learned in school that Earth orbits a certain distance from the Sun and that its orbit is nearly circular. The average distance from Earth to the Sun is called an astronomical unit, but since our orbit is not a perfect circle, it means sometimes we're a bit closer to the Sun, and sometimes farther away.
In fact, our distance from the Sun varies by around 3 million miles over the course of the year. That's nearly 13 times the distance from Earth to the Moon.
At perihelion, Earth is about 91.5 million miles from our local star. And when we're at the farthest point, it's called "aphelion." That happens this year on July 5, when we'll be about 94.5 million miles away.
If you have access to binoculars or a telescope, then you might want to haul them out on Jan. 20, which offers an easy opportunity to view the planet Uranus.
The distant, outer planet is too faint for most of us to see with the unaided eye, and it can be tough to locate in the sky without a computer-guided telescope.
But on Jan. 20, Uranus will be located right between the Moon and Mars. That evening, find the crescent moon and the red planet in the couple of hours after it gets dark. Scan your way over from Mars toward the moon, and you should be able to find the faint, bluish disk of Uranus.
Along with Neptune, Uranus has only been visited by a single spacecraft so far, that being NASA's Voyager 2, more than 30 years ago. And as more recent telescope views have revealed the active atmosphere beneath its hazy, blue exterior, scientists are eager to one day return for a closer look.
The last two weeks of January offer opportunities to catch a glimpse of the fast-moving planet Mercury. Look for the innermost planet of our solar system just after sunset beginning mid-month. You'll need a clear view toward the west, as Mercury will appear just a few degrees above the horizon (about the width of your outstretched fist).
This little planet orbits much closer to the Sun than Earth, meaning it also goes around the Sun much faster, completing its "year" in about a quarter of the time it takes Earth to go around once. And that's why we have a chance to view Mercury in the sky every three months or so, as it appears to dart back and forth from one side of the Sun to the other. But Mercury never gets too far away from the Sun from our vantage point, and thus we only see the little planet just before or after the Sun rises or sets.
Last visited by NASA's MESSENGER spacecraft, which ended its mission in 2015, Mercury is slated to see a new visitor in orbit in 2025, when the joint European and Japanese mission BepiColombo arrives there.
You can catch up on all of NASA's missions to explore the solar system and beyond at www.nasa.gov.
Preston Dyches works for NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – With the threat of COVID-19 infection high in Lake County, many activities that have been safe, even over much of the course of the pandemic, carry greater risk.
In an effort to protect the health and safety of the public, the Board of Supervisors has decided to host at least its Tuesday, Jan. 12, meeting in a fully virtual environment.
The safety of inviting people into the physical board chambers will be revisited each week.
Despite complications brought by the pandemic, the board remains committed to involving as many people as possible in the conduct of local government business.
Multiple options to further enhance public access to the meetings are currently under consideration, should the need to close the board chambers extend for a longer period.
The agenda is now available at https://countyoflake.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx and written remarks on any item can be submitted via the “eComment” feature in the right-most column.
To listen to Tuesday’s meeting, the board asks that most people access one of the following:
· https://countyoflake.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx; click “In Progress” in the second column from the right, typically available about two minutes prior to the meeting time – you may need to refresh your browser.
One tap mobile is available at +16699006833,,95765333663#,,,,*876707# US (San Jose) .
All interested members of the public that do not have internet access or a Mediacom cable subscription are encouraged to call 669-900-6833, and enter the Zoom meeting ID and passcode information above.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake County’s Public Health officer said Friday that local COVID-19 cases are still climbing and the effort to vaccinate sectors of the community are continuing.
“The number of active COVID-19 cases remains high in our area, and local hospitals are feeling the strain,” said Dr. Gary Pace.
Pace said both of Lake County’s hospitals are at capacity most days. The state’s Blueprint for a Safer Economy places Lake County in the Northern California region, which as of Friday had a 27.5-percent intensive care unit bed availability.
The other regions in the blueprint are all below 15 percent capacity, meaning they remain under regional stay at home orders.
Public Health departments statewide reported a total of 2,621,215 cases and 29,238 deaths as of Friday night.
In Lake County, Public Health reported that cases on Friday totaled 2,120, with another death, bringing the total to 26. Fifteen people are now hospitalized.
“With the virus widespread in our communities, you are likely to be in contact with people who are contagious any time you are out in public. Go to stores early in morning or late, when the numbers of people are much lower. Work from home, if possible. Avoid socializing with people outside of your household for the next few weeks,” Pace said.
He added that, if we all take these steps, “the current surge should start going down by the end of the month.”
More vaccine arrives
The first and second doses of the Pfizer vaccine for 975 residents have been received through the Health Department, and 900 doses of the Moderna vaccine, Pace said. Another 500 doses have been received via community healthcare partners.
“Over half of the initial doses have been administered in just three weeks, despite overlap with holidays and COVID cases surging,” Pace said. “We are working hard to ensure Lake County residents get every dose we can access.”
He said getting as many people vaccinated as possible will allow us to resume a more normal rhythm of life.
Pace said people frequently ask Public Health when they can get the vaccine.
Public Health is currently managing an unknown supply schedule, which includes about 300 vaccine doses a week – “not nearly enough,” Pace said – and setting up the infrastructure to provide the vaccine to the community, including outreach to medical partners and pharmacies.
State guidelines determine the priority, with the first tier, Phase 1a, including health care workers and residents of skilled nursing facilities, assisted living facilities and similar long-term care settings for older or medically vulnerable individuals.
This week, the California Department of Public Health issued updated recommendations for moving through the vaccine phases and tiers, encouraging local health departments and health care providers to immediately administer COVID-19 vaccines to individuals in all tiers of Phase 1a in order to reduce the potential for vaccine wastage.
Pace said that Phase 1a will be finished by the end of next week, except for nursing home residents, who will be vaccinated through a partnership with pharmacies in the coming weeks.
He said those 75 years and older and some essential workers will receive the vaccine next; the goal is to do those vaccinations the week of Jan. 18.
“Teachers and school staff who have contact with kids will be prioritized, in the interest of getting schools open as soon as possible,” he said. “Once this plan is functioning, we will expand to childcare workers and essential workers in food and agriculture.”
At Thursday evening’s Clearlake City Council meeting, City Manager Alan Flora told the council about efforts to set up vaccination clinics in the city. The Clearlake Community Center is expected to host the clinics in weeks to come.
Pace said more information about the upcoming steps in the vaccination effort will be available next week.
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. – Local officials are partnering to raise the community’s awareness this month regarding the growing crime of human trafficking.
On Tuesday, the Lakeport City Council presented a proclamation to Victim Services Program Director Sheri Young of Lake Family Resource Center, declaring January as Human Trafficking Awareness Month.
In thanking the council, Young said it was the first proclamation recognizing Human Trafficking Awareness Month that they’ve received in Lake County.
The Clearlake City Council would follow up with its own proclamation on Thursday.
In 2019, Lake Family Resource Center announced a new initiative to offer services and support to victims of human trafficking.
At the end of that year, the organization received a three-year grant of $550,000 to support its efforts from the Office for Victims of Crime, part of the U.S. Department of Justice.
Young said the grant-funded program has been very successful, even with the sheltering in place required by COVID-19.
She said she believes that, together, we can put an end to the heinous crime of human trafficking.
The proclamations explain that human trafficking “is a borderless crime against individuals that violates the most basic human rights and deprives victims of human dignity and denies freedom to 32 million people around the world.”
It’s the fastest-growing criminal industry globally, and California ranks third among the states in the number of potential reports of human trafficking.
Because it can involve the exploitation of children and youth for commercial sex acts, the proclamations say that “it’s imperative that our young people and their families learn how to recognize risks and resist predators who use coercion and threats to manipulate children and young adults into sex and labor trafficking.”
Lake Family Resource Center’s services to address human trafficking include 24-hour hotline services and continuing support, advocacy and accompaniment to survivors.
In January and beyond, community members are “urged to support the efforts of the agencies assisting victims of human trafficking and urges all local governments, schools, businesses and community members to be aware and report any suspicious activity to local police departments and help shine the light on trafficking.”
Young also encouraged people to wear blue on Jan. 11, which is a day of action and National Human Trafficking Awareness Day.
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.
The raging coronavirus pandemic, along with political turbulence and uncertainty, have overwhelmed many of us.
From almost the start of 2020, people have been faced with bleak prospects as illness, death, isolation and job losses became unwelcome parts of our reality. On Wednesday, many of us watched in horror and despair as insurgents stormed the U.S. Capitol.
As a research scientist whose work focuses on positive psychology among people facing challenges, I am deeply aware that if ever there were a time for a conversation about hope, it is now.
Hope vs. optimism
First, let’s understand what hope is. Many people confuse optimism with hope.
Charles R. Snyder, author of “The Psychology of Hope,” defined hope as the tendency to see desired goals as possible, and to approach those goals with “agency thinking,” a belief that you or others have the ability to achieve the goals. He also defined hope as “pathways thinking,” a focus on mapping routes and plans to achieve those goals.
Optimism is different. Psychologist Charles Carver defines optimism as a general expectation that good things will happen in the future. Optimists tend to seek out the positive and, at times, deny or avoid negative information. In sum, optimism is about expecting good things; hope is about how we plan and act to achieve what we want.
Here are five key strategies to cultivate hope in these trying times:
1. Do something – start with goals
Hopeful people do not wish – they imagine and act. They establish clear, achievable goals and make a clear plan. They believe in their agency – that is, their capacity to achieve the outcomes. They recognize that their path will be marked by stresses, roadblocks and failure. According to psychologists such as Snyder and others, people who are hopeful are able to “anticipate these barriers” and they “choose” the right “pathways.”
Further, hopeful people adapt. When their hopes are thwarted, they tend to become more focused on doing things to achieve their goals.
As psychologist Eddie Tongwrites, “hopeful people tend to think that desired goals are attainable even if personal resources are exhausted.” In other words, people of hope persist even when prospects may not be so favorable.
Importantly, evidence suggests that the belief that one is capable of achieving one’s goals may be more important for hope than knowing how to achieve those goals.
2. Harness the power of uncertainty
Several researchers have argued that, for hope to arise, individuals need to be able to perceive the “possibility of success.”
Research shows that many of life’s uncertainties could help people cultivate hope in difficult times. For example, a 2017 study showed that parents of children diagnosed with multiple sclerosis used the fact that so little is known about the condition in childhood to fuel and sustain their sense of hope. Parents reasoned that since it is so hard to accurately diagnose childhood multiple sclerosis and prognosis is so varied, there was a chance that their children were misdiagnosed and they could recover and live normal lives.
In sum, a future that is uncertain holds lots of possibilities. As such, uncertainty is not reason for paralysis – it is a reason to hope.
3. Manage your attention
Hopeful and optimistic people show similarities and differences in the kinds of emotional stimuli they pay attention to in the world.
Hopeful people did not necessarily seek out emotionally positive information. However, people high on hope spent less time paying attention to emotionally sad or threatening information.
In a world in which we are overwhelmed with options for what we read, watch and listen to, maintaining hope may not require us to go after positive information, but it does require that we avoid negative images and messages.
4. Seek community. Don’t go it alone
Hope is hard to sustain in isolation. Research demonstrates that for people working to bring social change, particularly anti-poverty activists, relationships and community provided the reason for hope and ignited their conviction to keep fighting.
Connection to others allowed activists to feel a sense of accountability, to recognize that their work mattered and that they were part of something bigger than themselves.
Relationships are important, but health research also suggests that sustaining hope depends, in part, on the particular company we keep. For example, parents of chronically ill children often maintained hope by withdrawing from or avoiding interactions with negative people who challenged their efforts to seek positive ends. We can stay hopeful if we connect with others who hold us accountable and remind us of why our struggles matter.
Hope also requires trust. Hopeful people stake their trust in data, particularly in the evidence of history. Research demonstrates, for example, that anti-poverty activists drew hope from knowing that, historically, when people joined together in resistance they were able to create change.
Cultivating and sustaining hope, then, requires that we gather evidence from our own lives, history and the world at large and use that evidence to guide our plans, pathways and actions.
Hope also requires that we learn to use this data to effectively calibrate progress – no matter how small.
On Friday, Gov. Gavin Newsom submitted his 2021-22 State Budget proposal to the Legislature – a $227.2 billion fiscal blueprint that provides funding for immediate COVID-19 response and relief efforts where Californians need it most while making investments for what Newsom’s office said will be an equitable, inclusive and broad-based economic recovery.
Lake County officials on Friday were not prepared to comment on the contents of the voluminous new document.
With the end of the COVID-19 pandemic in sight, the governor’s budget prioritizes key actions that will urgently help the California families and businesses impacted most.
It proposes $372 million to speed up administration of vaccines across all of California’s 58 counties, bolstering the state’s all-hands-on-deck approach to swift and safe vaccine distribution.
It also includes a $14 billion investment in economic recovery and the Californians who most need relief – those who have lost their jobs or small businesses, or are facing eviction – advancing direct cash supports of $600 to millions of Californians through the Golden State Stimulus, extending new protections and funding to help keep people in their homes and investing in relief grants for small businesses.
As part of this investment in California’s future, the budget intensifies the governor’s commitment to equity in and for our school communities, reflected by the highest levels of school funding – approximately $90 billion total – in California’s history.
The commitment includes investments to target the inequitable impacts of the pandemic on schools and families, including $2 billion to support and accelerate safe returns to in-person instruction, $4.6 billion to help students bounce back from the impacts of the pandemic and $400 million for school-based mental health services.
In addition to these measures to support Californians through the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, the budget also advances long-term strategies for an equitable, broad-based economic recovery so the state can emerge from the pandemic stronger than before.
Building on actions the state has taken to support California’s businesses throughout the pandemic, including emergency aid and regulatory relief, the 2021-22 State Budget makes investments across sectors and proposes supports for businesses of all sizes, including $777.5 million for a California Jobs Initiative, which focuses on job creation and retention, regional development, small businesses and climate innovation.
The budget recognizes how COVID-19 has disproportionately impacted Californians who were already struggling before the pandemic, exacerbating decades-long inequalities. Accordingly, it works to expand opportunities for some of the hardest hit Californians and help them get ahead.
The budget also proposes one-time and ongoing investments totaling $353 million to support California’s workers as they adapt to changes in the economy brought about by COVID-19. It lifts up proven, demand-driven workforce strategies like apprenticeship and High-Road Training Partnerships and advances collaboration between higher education and local workforce partners.
“In these darkest moments of the COVID-19 pandemic, this budget will help Californians with urgent action to address our immediate challenges and build towards our recovery,” said Gov. Newsom. “As always, our budget is built on our core California values of inclusion, economic growth and a brighter future for all. The budget makes progress towards the goal I set when taking office to harness California’s spirit of innovation and resilience and put the California Dream within reach of more Californians. I look forward to working with the Legislature to enact these critical immediate and longer-term priorities for our state for the 40 million who call the Golden State home.”
Newsom’s office said this new budget is built on the prudent fiscal management that has helped the state weather the COVID-19 Recession in 2020, and with an improved revenue forecast entering 2021.
Through the end of this pandemic and beyond, it advances the governor’s sustained focus on increasing opportunity through education, including early education; increasing the affordability of health care and housing, and effective governance.
The budget makes new proposals to address the affordability of health care and housing, and supports the increase in the state's minimum wage to $14 per hour. It includes significant new strategies to reduce the impacts of climate change, with focused investments to support the state's zero-emission vehicle goals and an additional $1 billion to address a comprehensive wildfire and forest resilience strategy.
State Sen. Mike McGuire, who represents Lake County, highlighted that funding to address wildfires.
“Today’s budget reflects desperately needed funding on fire prevention and response, helping to keep millions of Californians safe. This budget also builds on past years’ significant investments including hundreds of millions for vegetation management and fire prevention, $143 million to support 30 new CalFire crews and $48 million to continue phasing in Black Hawk helicopters and large air tankers,” he said Friday.
“And, we look forward to working with the administration in the coming weeks to enhance this overall proposal. There’s still more work to do on wildfire prevention, which is why we’ll be moving with urgency to bolster this portion of the state’s budget,” McGuire said.
For over a year, McGuire has been working with tribal leaders and the administration, advocating for California’s Native American tribes, ensuring tribes are able to access state grant funding for vegetation management and fire prevention programs on tribal lands.
McGuire said the budget includes $20 million that has been set aside to fund these critical tribal fire programs and he will be working collaboratively with tribal leaders and administration officials to hammer out the final details.
Finally, the budget promotes effective government with additional investments to improve the state's ability to respond rapidly to emergencies and continues the critical work to improve government efficiency and bring government services into the digital age.
The budget reflects $34 billion in budget resiliency – budgetary reserves and discretionary surplus – including: $15.6 billion in the Proposition 2 Budget Stabilization Account (Rainy Day Fund) for fiscal emergencies; $3 billion in the Public School System Stabilization Account; an estimated $2.9 billion in the state’s operating reserve; and $450 million in the Safety Net Reserve. The state is operating with a $15 billion surplus.
The budget continues progress in paying down the state's retirement liabilities and reflects $3 billion in additional payments required by Proposition 2 in 2021-22 and nearly $6.5 billion over the next three years. In addition, the improved revenue picture allows the state to delay $2 billion in scheduled program suspensions for one year.
Additional detail on the 2021-22 State Budget is below.
Immediate actions to provide relief and safely reopen schools
The budget reflects the governor’s call for immediate legislative action to provide rapid relief to individuals, families and small businesses hit hardest by the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as funding needed to begin a return to in-person learning starting next month. These actions include:
– $2.4 billion for the Golden State Stimulus: A $600 state payment to low-income workers who were eligible to receive the Earned Income Tax Credit in 2019, as well as 2020 Individual Taxpayer Identification Number filers.
– $575 million to more than double this year’s funding for grants to small businesses and small nonprofit cultural institutions disproportionately impacted by the pandemic.
– $70 million to provide immediate and targeted fee relief for small businesses including personal services and restaurants.
– $2 billion targeted specifically to support and accelerate safe returns to in-person instruction starting in February, with priority for returning the youngest children (transitional kindergarten through 2nd grade) and those with the greatest needs first
Initial $372 million set aside for COVID-19 vaccinations
The budget sets aside an initial $372 million in state funds, which can be allocated immediately as needed, for expenses to expedite the delivery of COVID-19 vaccinations.
Accelerating economic recovery and job creation
The budget builds on actions taken in 2020 to support small businesses, including the elimination of the first year of the minimum franchise tax, expansion of small business loan guarantees and creation of a new Main Street hiring tax credit.
It also proposes $4.5 billion for the Governor’s Equitable Recovery for California’s Businesses and Jobs plan, including the following actions to accelerate economic recovery and job creation:
– $1.5 billion for the infrastructure and incentives to implement the state's zero-emission vehicle goals; – $1.1 billion immediate relief for small businesses; – $777.5 million for a California Jobs Initiative to provide incentives targeted at accelerating investment and job creation; – $353 million for workforce development; – $300 million for deferred maintenance and greening of state infrastructure.
The budget also invests $385 million for targeted investments to build a more sustainable agricultural industry.
The budget reflects key investments in the following areas.
K-14 education
The budget reflects the state’s highest-ever funding level for K-14 schools – approximately $90 billion total, with $85.8 billion under Proposition 98. The historic investment centers on equity in and for our school communities, especially as they navigate the inequitable impacts of the pandemic.
It continues to expand on the governor’s multi-year investments for greater equity for students and the broader school community. Targeted investments in special education include $545 million in ongoing funds – building on $1.5 billion over the last two years – and $300 million in ongoing funds for early intervention for infants, toddlers and preschoolers.
The budget also continues to build on the governor’s long-term commitment to equity for the entire school community – including all school staff – with over $475 million to ensure teachers and classified staff have the opportunities, funding and preparation they need as professionals.
The budget also reflects key investments targeted to address the impacts of the pandemic on students, especially those inequitably impacted.
Recognizing the value of in-person settings for both social-emotional and academic development, $2 billion is proposed for immediate action to support and accelerate safe returns to in-person instruction beginning in February, based on a phased-in approach that starts with our youngest students.
Because students will need support that extends beyond the traditional school day or year, $4.6 billion is proposed for action this spring to expand learning opportunities for students, including summer and after-school programs.
To address the mental health needs of our students, especially as a consequence of trauma and the pandemic, $400 million is proposed for school-based mental health. All of these funds will prioritize students and communities disproportionately impacted by the pandemic, with funds strongly weighted toward schools serving students from low-income families, foster youth, homeless students, English learners and others disproportionately impacted by the pandemic.
The budget also directs a significant portion of additional funding to paying down nearly two-thirds of the deferrals implemented last year and provides a 3.84-percent cost-of-living adjustment to the Local Control Funding Formula.
Growth in capital gains and overall revenues triggers deposits of roughly $3 billion into the Public School System Stabilization Account, resulting in a statutory cap of 10 percent on local school district reserves in 2022-23.
Early education and child care
The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the state’s child care system, and federal funding has been critical to reducing long-term losses in this system.
Building on the state’s $400 million investment since 2019 in expanded early education and child care, and based on recommendations made in the Master Plan for Early Learning and Care, the Budget expands high-quality transitional kindergarten programs for all four-year-olds through $250 million in incentive funds for districts that expand these programs.
The budget also includes a $200 million one-time General Fund for transitional kindergarten and kindergarten facilities and $50 million one-time Proposition 98 General Fund for professional development focused on preparing teachers for early childhood programs. It builds on the governor's previous investments of $1.5 billion over the last two years in special education, with $545 million ongoing funding and adding $300 million for additional special education for infants, toddlers and preschoolers this year.
The administration has already begun the collective bargaining process with representatives of child care providers to negotiate a memorandum of understanding that governs the payments made to these providers.
The budget also reflects $44 million ongoing cannabis funds for 4,500 more child care vouchers, including $21.5 million in 2020-21.
Higher education and workforce
The budget proposes a general fund increase of $786 million for the University of California and the California State University with an expectation that they focus on measurable goals to address equity gaps, further maintain online educational opportunities and expand dual admissions and other innovative strategies that reduce time to degree completion. The budget also assumes resident tuition and fees remain flat in 2021-22.
The governor’s budget proposes an overall $353 million investment in workforce development. It includes a $250 million one-time General Fund to support workforce development and better linkages between higher education and gainful employment, focusing on communities that have been systematically excluded from opportunities to build skills and create wealth. The budget also proposes early action for $25 million to immediately expand existing High Road Training Partnership Program apprenticeship programs, and additional funding for the California Apprenticeship Initiative work-based learning opportunities through the community colleges.
It proposes early action on a portion of these incentives in the spring to accelerate recovery before the 2021-22 fiscal year begins in July.
Addressing health care affordability and aging
The COVID-19 pandemic has accentuated the need for health care for all. While responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, the state continues to work on long-term plans to reduce the costs of health care by lowering prescription drug costs; the budget includes the creation of a new Office of Health Care Affordability. The office will increase quality and cost transparency, develop cost targets and evaluate consequences for entities that fail to meet the targets.
The budget proposes to implement the California Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal, or CalAIM, initiative to reduce variation and complexity in the state's Medi-Cal program, manage member risk and need and improve outcomes through payment reform.
CalAIM will target and coordinate care for vulnerable populations with complex health needs that currently drive high costs. The effort will include housing-related services and flexible wraparound services so health plans may avoid costlier alternatives to hospitalization, skilled nursing facility admission and/or discharge delay.
The budget recognizes the extraordinary challenges older Californians and their families face during the COVID-19 pandemic, and proposes a range of investments to increase opportunities for Californians to age well over the next decade, including developing new strategies with the federal government to leverage Medicare to provide additional long-term services and support.
Housing and homelessness
The state continues to make progress in addressing the housing availability and affordability crisis that has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to the $500 million for infill infrastructure, the budget also proposes an additional $500 million in low-income housing tax credits to support low-income housing development. The administration is streamlining and reorganizing state housing programs to maximize housing production, while also continuing to support below-market rate housing.
Through Homekey – a nation-leading effort to acquire motels for homeless housing to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic – the state has awarded $846 million to 51 local agencies to secure over 6,000 units of permanent housing for individuals and families who had been homeless. The budget includes a $1.75 billion one-time General Fund to purchase additional motels, develop short-term community mental health facilities and purchase or preserve housing dedicated to seniors. The budget also proposes changes to the state's Medi-Cal system to better support behavioral health and housing services that can help prevent homelessness.
Emergency response and preparedness
In 2020, the state experienced catastrophic wildfires that consumed over four million acres, far more than any previous year in the state's history. The historic emergency response, while combating the COVID-19 pandemic at the same time, strained the state's emergency response capabilities.
The administration is developing a spring proposal to strengthen the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services' ability to respond to emergencies and support recovery efforts, especially in vulnerable communities.
Building on significant investments in the state's firefighting capabilities, the budget adds $143 million General Fund to support 30 new fire crews, and also includes $48 million to continue phasing in Black Hawk helicopters and large air tankers.
Additionally, the budget proposes $17.3 million for earthquake early warning.
Climate change action
The budget proposes an additional $1 billion to support a coordinated forest health and fire prevention strategy that maximizes technology and science-based approaches to protect state forestlands, including $39 million for LiDAR remote sensing and research. The budget proposes $323 million for early action in the spring to start these forest health and fire prevention projects before the next fire season.
The budget proposes a $1.5 billion comprehensive strategy to achieve the state’s zero-emission vehicle goals by 2035 and 2045, including securitizing up to $1 billion to accelerate the pace and scale of the infrastructure needed to support zero-emission vehicles.
Environmental justice
The budget includes a $300 million one-time General Fund for toxic site cleanup and investigations of high-priority contaminated properties in impacted communities across the state, which will be prioritized based on public health risk criteria.
Further, the budget creates incentives to clean up and develop these sites for future housing. The budget also proposes comprehensive governance and fiscal reform for the Department of Toxic Substances Control that will provide for the support needed in the long term to address future cleanups of orphan sites and the reduction of harmful toxic substances in the environment.
The budget includes a multi-faceted approach to reducing harmful pesticides and supports the transition of the agricultural industry to integrated pest management and more regenerative practices.
Results-oriented government and digital transformation
The COVID-19 pandemic has required many businesses to be flexible, creative and innovative. As the employer of a workforce of over 250,000, the state also responded immediately by putting in place a statewide telework program and new ways to conduct state business. This shift has meant the state must also evaluate its portfolio of state leases to determine spaces that can be released and/or consolidated.
The budget assumes a five-percent permanent reduction in state operations expenditures, challenging departments and agencies to find more efficient means to provide services to Californians.
The budget also makes major investments to provide additional support to the California Department of Technology to bolster its ability to review and improve upon critical state information technology systems before a failure occurs. In addition, the Office of Digital Innovation continues to lead state government in the transformation of consumer-facing services.
For further information on these and other items in the Governor’s Budget, the full Governor’s Budget Summary is available at www.ebudget.ca.gov.
CLEARLAKE, Calif. – Clearlake Animal Control is offering many dogs that are ready to go to new homes this week.
The following dogs are ready for adoption or foster.
“Ben.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control. ‘Ben’
“Ben” is a male American Pit Bull terrier mix.
He has a short brindle coat.
He is dog No. 4454.
“Breeze.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control. ‘Breeze’
“Breeze” is a female American Pit Bull Terrier mix.
She has been spayed.
She is dog No. 4445.
“Bruce.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control. ‘Bruce’
“Bruce” is a male American Staffordshire Terrier mix puppy.
He has a short smooth yellow coat.
He is dog No. 4383.
“Bumble.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control. ‘Bumble’
“Bumble” is a male Siberian Husky with a gray and black coat.
He is dog No. 4452.
“Inky.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control. ‘Inky’
“Inky” is a male German Shepherd mix.
He has a long smooth black coat.
He is dog No. 4324.
“Jerry.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control. ‘Jerry’
“Jerry” is a male American Pit Bull terrier with a short brindle coat.
He is dog No. 4455.
“Rudolph.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control. ‘Rudolph’
“Rudolph” is a male shepherd mix.
He has a short tan and black coat.
He is dog No. 4436.
“Tinsle.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control. ‘Tinsle’
“Tinsle” is a female American Pit Bull Terrier mix puppy.
She has a short brindle and brown coat.
She is dog No. 4433.
“Toby.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control. ‘Toby’
“Toby” is a male boxer mix.
He has a short tan and white coat.
He is dog No. 4389.
“Yule.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control. ‘Yule’
“Yule” is a husky of undetermined gender with a black and white coat.
Yule is dog No. 4432.
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.
