LAKEPORT, Calif. — Officials have issued an update outlining the rules for the use of safe and sane fireworks in the city of Lakeport this Independence Day weekend.
Safe and sane fireworks will be permitted in the city of Lakeport from July 1 to 4.
Fireworks purchased in the city of Lakeport can only be possessed and used within the incorporated boundaries of the city.
City officials reminded community members that while those fireworks are allowed in Lakeport, they are strictly prohibited in all other parts of Lake County, including the city of Clearlake.
Hours of discharge in Lakeport are July 1 to 3, from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m., and July 4, from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m.
On July 4, a safe fireworks area will be set up at the end of Fourth Street near the lake.
Use of fireworks on private property, such as shopping centers, is only allowed by permission of the property owner.
All discharge of safe and sane fireworks must adhere to Lakeport Municipal Code Section 5.30.180, which states, “It shall be unlawful for any person to ignite, discharge, project or otherwise fire or use any Safe and Sane Fireworks, or permit the ignition, discharge or projection thereof, upon or over or onto the property of another without his/her consent, or to ignite, discharge, project or otherwise fire or make use or any Safe and Sane Fireworks within 10 feet of any residence, dwelling or other structure used as a place of habitation by human beings.”
Text the word “Fireworks” to 88877 for public safety information.
NORTH COAST, Calif. — The Mendocino-Lake Community College District has opportunities for qualified community members to run for trustee seats in the November election.
The two available seats serve trustee area No. 2, Mendocino County, and trustee area No. 6, Lake County.
Trustees are appointed for a four-year term.
Interested candidates must complete a packet. The candidate filing dates are July 18 to Aug. 12. Anyone interested should contact the County Registrar of Voters for details.
The Board of Trustees of the Mendocino-Lake Community College District consists of seven members who reside in their specific trustee area and are elected by that area’s voters. Individual members perform their duties in accordance with their oaths of office and are committed to serving the educational needs of the citizens of the district, regardless of national origin, religion, age, gender, gender identity, gender expression, race or ethnicity, color, medical condition, genetic information, ancestry, immigration status, sexual orientation, marital status, physical or mental disability, pregnancy, or military and veteran status.
For additional information please visit www.mendocino.edu/elections or email Mary Lamb, executive assistant to the president, at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 707-468-3071.
BERKELEY, Calif. — The premise is simple, and it seems like common sense: If Republicans and Democrats could come together for good-faith dialogue, the conversations would reduce tensions and ease the corrosive polarization that threatens U.S. democracy.
But a new study co-authored by UC Berkeley political scientist David Broockman found that brief, cross-partisan conversations about sensitive political topics have scant power to narrow partisan divisions.
Conversation about neutral topics can create some goodwill, the authors found, but even there, the effect doesn’t last.
“There’s an assumption that these conversations will have positive consequences for democracy,” Broockman said. “Under this assumption, someone might say, ‘I’ve gotten to know the other side, and I like them more, and so now I’m more OK with my representative working with a representative from the other side, and I’m less likely to vote for a politician in my party who’s going to try to disenfranchise the other side.’
“Basically, though, we didn’t find any of that,” he added. “Simply liking the other side’s voters more doesn’t appear to affect your political behavior.”
The new research was released Wednesday, June 22, in the journal Science Advances. It was co-authored by Broockman and Erik Santoro, a Ph.D. student in social psychology at Stanford University.
Broockman’s recent research has focused closely on the dynamics of political division and the role of communication in nurturing more constructive engagement.
His work has found that political advocates going door to door to promote a cause can have a significant, long-lasting persuasive impact by listening effectively and by talking about people’s life experiences.
Earlier this year, he reported that conservative Fox News viewers who spent a month tuning to CNN instead experienced a broad shift in their political opinions — until they returned to watching Fox.
Another paper co-authored by Broockman, forthcoming in the American Journal of Political Science, finds that reducing the hostilities associated with political polarization might not, in fact, improve the health of democracy.
Intriguing insights on what works — and what doesn’t work
Alarmed by the increasingly vicious divide in the American electorate, a growing legion of organizations in the U.S. is working to bring right and left together for discussion and deliberation.
For example, BridgeUSA, a 6-year-old nonprofit with close ties to Berkeley, is working on university and high school campuses to encourage discussion that transcends partisan rancor to focus on defining challenges and solutions.
Broockman, in an interview, stressed that his latest research doesn’t contradict those efforts. Rather, he said, it’s essential to study what kind of engagement works to ease polarization — and how to make positive results deeper and more long-lasting.
The research detailed in Science Advances covers two experiments. In one, the authors paired up hundreds of Republicans and Democrats for brief, one-on-one discussions about a topic that usually isn’t controversial: What makes a perfect day?
Those conversations produced large reductions in polarization, Broockman and Santoro found. But within three months, the reductions had all but disappeared.
In the second experiment, the researchers repeated the first experiment, but also brought Republicans and Democrats together for one-on-one discussions that focused on potentially tense political topics.
They were split into two groups — in one, pairs of Democrats and Republicans were assigned to talk about why they identify with their own parties, and in the other, they were assigned to discuss why they dislike each other’s party.
These conversations had virtually no effect on reducing polarization.
Still, the study produced some intriguing insights about how we can all get along. Among those assigned to talk about what they liked about their own parties, the research subjects felt their discussion partners weren’t really listening to them. Those conversations typically lasted about 13.5 minutes.
But those assigned to discuss what they disliked about the opposing political party seemed to have an easier time. Their conversations lasted much longer — nearly 18 minutes, typically.
While the chats didn’t change political opinions, those individuals were more likely afterward to say that cross-partisan conversations were important. The study even found signals of hope that suggested very slight reductions in polarization and increases in warmth toward people in the opposing party.
“People tend to think their own party is OK, but they don't love their own party,” Broockman explained. “Their feelings are lukewarm. And so when someone else says, ‘Here’s what I don't like about your party,’ most people will agree and say, ‘Yeah, my party isn’t perfect.’”
As it turns out, real life is more civil than Facebook
That points to another insight from the study. With participants’ consent, all of the conversations were recorded, and Broockman said he was struck by the consistently civil tone he saw in the transcripts.
“None of the conversations that I looked at devolved into the kind of arguments that you would see on Facebook,” he said. “Our research participants didn't leave hating each other more. In some ways, this is maybe better than people would have expected.
“When we think about the other side, we tend to think about the people who show up on social media saying the most extreme things in the most uncivil way. But that really is not how the average person interacts when they're actually talking face-to-face.”
Such insights — modest, but encouraging — suggest that further research could shed light on a recipe for political discussions that might reduce polarization and produce other democracy-enhancing effects.
For example, Broockman said it might be interesting to see what would happen if the person-to-person engagements were more extensive, longer-term discussions and not just one-offs.
If researchers could find a way to reduce polarization through one-on-one engagements, he said, they could then study the interventions that could help to sustain and build on that trust.
But ultimately, Broockman advised, we probably should let common sense temper our optimism. Democracy is difficult; conflict and polarization are features, not bugs, of the system.
“Democracy exists to manage the inevitable differences of opinion that exist in any society,” he said. “The differences of opinion are not themselves necessarily a problem. But people do need to be able to discuss them.”
Edward Lempinen writes for the UC Berkeley News Center.
Prakash Nagarkatti, University of South Carolina and Mitzi Nagarkatti, University of South Carolina
Clinical studies show that mixing and matching booster vaccines can lead to a more robust immune response. SDI Productions/E+ via Getty Images
While COVID-19 vaccines continue to be highly effective at preventing hospitalization and death, it has become clear that the protection offered by the current vaccines wanes over time. This necessitates the use of booster shots that are safe and effective in enhancing the immune response against the virus and extending protection.
But when to get a first or second booster, and which shot to choose, are open questions. Many people find themselves unsure whether to wait on new, updated formulations of the COVID-19 vaccines or to mix and match combinations of the original vaccine strains.
SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, uses its knob-shaped spike protein to gain entry into cells and to cause infection. Each of the existing and upcoming vaccines relies on emulating the spike protein to trigger the immune response. However, each vaccine type presents the spike protein to the immune system in different ways.
As immunologists studying inflammatory and infectious diseases, including COVID-19, we are interested in understanding how the COVID-19 vaccine designs differ in the type of immunity they trigger and the protection that results.
New bivalent vaccines
Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech, the two companies whose mRNA vaccines have been the primary options for COVID-19 vaccination across all age groups, both have new vaccine formulations on the way. An advisory committee of the Food and Drug Administration is set to meet on June 28, 2022, to evaluate the newest versions and to decide on which are likely to be recommended for use in this fall’s booster shots.
Moderna’s new bivalent vaccine mixes mRNA that encodes for the spike proteins of the original SARS-CoV-2 virus as well as the slightly different spike protein of the more infectious omicron variant.
The new Moderna booster could be available by fall 2022.
And most recently, on June 25, Pfizer-BioNTech also announced results for its two new COVID-19 vaccine formulations: a bivalent formulation consisting of mRNA that encodes for the spike proteins of the original SARS-CoV-2 strain and the original BA.1 omicron subvariant, and a “monovalent” version that is only directed at the spike protein of BA.1.
The company’s preliminary studies demonstrated that both the monovalent and the bivalent vaccines triggered antibodies that neutralized the newer omicron BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants, although to a lesser degree than the BA.1 subvariant. However, Pfizer’s monovalent vaccine triggered better virus-neutralizing antibodies against the omicron BA.1 subvariant than did the bivalent vaccine.
However, whether the differences in the levels of such antibodies seen with the monovalent versus bivalent vaccines translate into different levels of protection against newer omicron variants remains to be established in clinical trials.
Progress on the Novavax vaccine
Another vaccine formulation that is working its way toward authorization is Novavax, a vaccine built using the spike protein of the original SARS-CoV-2 virus. The Novavax vaccine has the advantage of being similar to traditional vaccines, such as the DTaP vaccines against diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis, or the vaccines against other viral infections such as hepatitis and shingles. The Novavax vaccine has been clinically tested in South Africa, the United Kingdom and the U.S. and found to be safe and highly effective with 90% efficacy against mild, moderate and severe forms of COVID-19.
An advisory committee to the Food and Drug Administration endorsed the Novavax vaccine in early June 2022. Now, the FDA is reviewing changes that Novavax made during its manufacturing process before making its decision to authorize the shot.
In Australia, the Novavax vaccine was recently registered provisionally as a booster for individuals aged 18 years and over. The company is performing phase 3 clinical trials to determine if its vaccine can be used safely and effectively as a booster in people who have previously taken mRNA vaccines.
When these new vaccines become available in the coming months, people will have significantly more options for mixing and matching vaccines in order to enhance the duration and quality of their immune protection against COVID-19.
Novavax does not need to be frozen, so storage and delivery of the vaccine is much easier.
Mixing and matching
Until then, clinical studies have shown that even mixing and matching the existing vaccine types is an effective strategy for boosting. For example, recent studies suggest that when adults who were fully vaccinated with any of the original three COVID-19 vaccines – Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna or Johnson & Johnson – received a booster dose with a different vaccine brand from the one they received in their initial series, they had a similar or more robust immune response compared to boosting with the same brand of vaccine.
Vaccine mixing has been found to be safeand effective in various studies. The reason why mixing vaccines might produce a more robust immune response goes back to how each one presents the spike protein of the virus to the immune system.
When the SARS-CoV-2 virus mutates in regions of the spike protein, as has been the case with each of the variants and subvariants, and tries to evade the immune cells, antibodies that recognize different parts of the spike protein can stop it in its tracks and prevent the virus from infecting the body’s cells.
So whether you decide to get a booster shot now or wait until the fall, for many it’s heartening to know that more options are on the way.
In November, California voters will have an opportunity to amend the state’s constitution to include the right to an abortion and on Monday Gov. Governor Gavin Newsom signed an executive order to further protect women coming to California from other states.
“California will not back down from the fight to protect abortion rights as more than half the states in this country, enabled by the Supreme Court, ban or severely restrict access,” said Newsom. “We are ensuring Californians will have the opportunity this November to enshrine the right to choose in our state constitution. And we’re not waiting until November to take action, today’s executive order ensures that the state will not hand over patients who come here to receive care and will not extradite doctors who provide care to out-of-state patients here. In California, women will remain protected.”
The order signed Monday prevents any information, including medical records and patient data, from being shared by state agencies or departments in response to inquiries or investigations brought by other states or individuals within those states looking to restrict access.
The state is expanding efforts to protect women seeking abortions or reproductive care as well as anyone assisting those women.
SCA 10 was passed by the California State Assembly Monday and now heads to the November ballot.
Within hours of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade last Friday, Gov. Newsom signed legislation to help protect patients and providers in California from civil liability for providing, aiding, or receiving abortion care in the state.
In addition, Gov. Newsom and the governors of Oregon and Washington launched a new multi-state commitment to defend access to reproductive health care and protect patients and providers.
The budget agreement announced Sunday includes more than $200 million in additional funding for reproductive health care services.
Newsom also recently signed legislation eliminating copays for abortion care services and has signed into law a legislative package to further strengthen access and protect patients and providers.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — Lake County Animal Care and Control has several more new cats and kittens needing homes.
Call Lake County Animal Care and Control at 707-263-0278 or visit the shelter online at http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Animal_Care_And_Control.htm for information on visiting or adopting.
The following cats at the shelter have been cleared for adoption.
This female domestic shorthair kitten is in kennel No. 84a, ID No. LCAC-A-3614. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Domestic shorthair kitten
This female domestic shorthair kitten has an all-black coat.
She is in cat room kennel No. 84a, ID No. LCAC-A-3614.
This female domestic shorthair kitten is in kennel No. 84b, ID No. LCAC-A-3615. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Domestic shorthair kitten
This female domestic shorthair kitten has an all-black coat.
She is in cat room kennel No. 84b, ID No. LCAC-A-3615.
This male domestic shorthair kitten is in cat room kennel No. 84c, ID No. LCAC-A-3616. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Domestic shorthair kitten
This male domestic shorthair kitten has an all-black coat.
He is in cat room kennel No. 84c, ID No. LCAC-A-3616.
This 2-year-old male domestic longhair cat is in cat room kennel No. 129, ID No. LCAC-A-3529. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Male domestic longhair cat
This 2-year-old male domestic longhair cat has a white coat with gray markings.
He is in cat room kennel No. 129, ID No. LCAC-A-3529.
“Flynn” is a 9-year-old male Siamese mix in cat room kennel No. 146, ID No. LCAC-A-3460. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. ‘Flynn’
“Flynn” is a 9-year-old male Siamese mix with a medium-length coat.
He is in cat room kennel No. 146, ID No. LCAC-A-3460.
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. — At its June 14 meeting, the Board of Supervisors approved the recommended budget for the new fiscal year, but it wasn’t a unanimous vote due to concerns over falling cannabis tax revenues.
Supervisor Bruno Sabatier was the lone dissenting vote in approving the 2022-23 recommended budget, raising objections due to staffing increases and lack of an economic development plan in the face of looming financial challenges.
The recommended budget must be adopted by June 30, with the final budget to be adopted no later than Oct. 2, said County Administrative Officer Susan Parker.
The board usually accepts the initial budget document in June and the final one in September. This year, the final budget hearing dates are Sept. 21 and 22.
Deputy County Administrative Officer Stephen Carter led the budget presentation during the hourlong discussion.
He said the coming fiscal year budget totals $337,455,551 for all funds, an increase of $18,069,436 over the fiscal year 2021-22 budget, which totaled $319,386,115.
The 2022-23 general fund totals $76,237,204, a decrease of $6,995,140, from the fiscal year 2021-22 general fund, which totaled $83,232,344.
Carter said the guiding principles of creating the budget continue to be to develop a “reasonable, sustainable budget” that will enable the county to maintain its fiscal solvency for the short- and long-term, while minimizing or avoiding negative impacts on service to the public and improving services when possible.
He said they also work to preserve the county’s general reserves, avoid layoffs, work furloughs or other compensation reductions that would negatively impact county employees and the local economy.
He said Bradley-Burns sales tax revenues received through May 2022 total $3,894,494, $100,000 lower than fiscal year 2020-21, with one month remaining to be received).
Proposition 172 sales tax revenues through May 2022 equal $4,410,082, nearly $1 million greater than fiscal year 2020-21.
Transient occupancy, or bed tax, revenues totaled $753,806.01 through May 2022, slightly higher than the total received in the now ending fiscal year.
An area of particular concern is the revenue from the cannabis cultivation and business tax, which through June 2 total $6,704,062.58, down $1,640,814.47 from May 2020-21.
Carter said that was due to the board deciding earlier this year to provide cannabis tax relief to growers who have been having challenges with the market. The county has temporarily reduced the cultivation tax rate by 50% and is applying it to the canopy area only, as opposed to the total cultivation area.
“These reductions, coupled with remaining uncertainty surrounding which permitted cannabis businesses will operate this year, make projecting revenue difficult,” Carter’s written report said.
Carter said during the meeting that the board’s decisions on the cannabis tax resulted in the county having to give some money back to growers who already had paid.
He raised concerns with the impact that those reduced revenue could have on the county’s budget going forward.
“With all the changes that have happened to cannabis, I do want to say that this is verging on the not being sustainable for the way we're heading,” Carter said. “If we do hire all of our positions, we are going to start running into not having enough ongoing revenue/cannabis funds. I just want to put that warning out there. It’s not imminent, but it is within the next three years, depending on how things go.”
Carter said the recommended budget includes a total workforce of 1,053.60 full-time equivalent positions, a net increase of 15.65 full-time jobs, over the previous year. Full-time positions in the general fund total 426.75, a net increase of 9.25 jobs over the year.
Need for fiscal projects, more complete reporting
Sabatier said approving a budget is one of the most important jobs the supervisors have to do.
He said four days for him and for the public to review the document — referring to when the budget was released by the county ahead of the meeting — was not enough time, especially as part of that meeting with its full agenda.
Sabatier said he had particular concerns about the situation with cannabis tax revenues.
“I think that we are making a very large assumption that we’re going to collect something. I’m not saying we're not going to collect anything,” but Sabatier said the board has heard from those in the cannabis industry saying they still have unsold products from the last few years.
He wasn’t sure the county will collect the projected $3.5 million in cannabis funds, and along with that Sabatier was concerned about potential impacts if the federal government allows the industry to go nationwide, along with the current economic challenges that include inflation and gas prices.
“While, yes, we’re balanced for this year, I do not see this as a balanced budget as I do not see this as a sustainable budget where I can be sure that in five years from now, everything is fine,” said Sabatier.
He also questioned the wisdom of adding new staffers, noting over each of the next two to three years the county will have 2% increases in salaries; that’s the result of the $21 million raises the board approved in 2020 and 2021.
“We know we’re heading towards a fiscal issue,” said Sabatier.
“We’re continuously increasing the cost of running the county, not decreasing the cost, where our revenues and appropriations are more balanced,” Sabatier added, noting he wanted to freeze hiring again.
Sabatier said the county has no economic development plan at all. He wanted to make changes that day to the budget, and said he believed the county had made a mistake by getting rid of the fiscal crisis plan. That occurred before the board finalized the millions in raises last year.
He asked for five years of “big picture” budget projections that would give a strategic look at the county’s fiscal situation.
Carter asked if Sabatier wanted any analysis specific to salaries. Sabatier said yes. “Salaries is definitely one of the biggest numbers that we should be looking at,” especially since they know there are ongoing increases, he said.
“Today I cannot approve this budget as is,” Sabatier said.
Supervisor Jessica Pyska agreed with the request for forecasting. “We are in a spot that calls for that.”
However, during the discussion she said the board needed to be strategic, and put more thought into it before making sweeping decisions that day.
Supervisor Tina Scott said the board needed to rely on its staff in creating the budget, and she said the county isn’t hanging everything on cannabis.
“I don’t think we’ve completely seen what the wage increase is going to do for Lake County. I’m optimistic,” she said, adding that she thinks the wage increases will save the county money because it doesn’t have to go through the hiring process repeatedly.
Scott said she was ready to move forward, and Supervisor Moke Simon said he was as well, although he also supported doing long-term strategic planning.
Sabatier also asked staff for a column of actuals on the budget sheets showing comparisons from previous years so he could look at trends. Carter said he would work on that.
Parker said the five-year analysis will help with the budget discussions the board will have in September.
“That’s the only comment that I wish to make at this time,” Parker said.
In separate motions, the board approved the recommended budget, the position allocation chart and the purchase of capital assets. Each of the votes was 4-1, with Sabatier voting no.
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.
A device containing a power source, shrapnel and accelerants that was located near St. John’s Episcopal Church in Lakeport, California, on Sunday, June 26, 2022, was rendered safe by the Napa County Sheriff’s bomb squad. Photo courtesy of the Lakeport Police Department. LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — Police have arrested a Lakeport man in connection to a suspicious device found at a city church on Sunday.
The Lakeport Police Department said Kayden Daniel Collins, 27, was arrested on Sunday afternoon.
Investigators developed information that led them to conclude Collins was involved in placing the device on the grounds of St. John’s Episcopal Church at 1190 N. Forbes St.
Lakeport Police previously arrested Collins on June 7 at his home at 1201 N. Forbes St. — just across the street from the church — as the result of an investigation into passing counterfeit US currency at county businesses.
Lakeport Police Chief Brad Rasmussen told Lake County News that the device found Sunday was rendered safe by the Napa County’s Sheriff’s bomb squad and it was able to be preserved for the ongoing investigation.
Rasmussen said the object was found on the Forbes Street edge of the church grounds, on the sidewalk.
“Church was just getting out when it was located,” Rasmussen said.
The Rev. Ed Howell, dean of the Episcopal Diocese of Northern California’s Russian River Deanery, which includes St. John’s in Lakeport, told Lake County News that he had been able to speak to two church members on Sunday after the device was discovered, including the man who found it.
He said after discovering it, church members left the grounds — some of them leaving their cars — in order to clear the area. Howell said they indicated they were fine after the day’s events.
The device’s discovery led to police calling for evacuation of an area around the church, including road closures, that was in effect for more than three and a half-hours on Sunday afternoon.
Authorities issued an alert on the device’s discovery shortly after noon on Sunday. Just before 3:45 p.m. police reported that the device was rendered safe by the Napa County Sheriff’s bomb squad, the evacuation order was lifted and the impacted roads were reopened.
Rasmussen said the bomb squad X-rayed and examined the device, then a bomb technician was able to render it safe without moving it from the church grounds.
“We did confirm that it did have a power source, shrapnel and accelerants in it,” Rasmussen said.
However, he added, “I can’t stay for certain at this point whether or not it would have exploded.”
After it was disabled, the bomb squad turned the device over to Lakeport Police for an evidence examination. “It’ll be examined by the crime lab,” Rasmussen said.
Rasmussen said the investigation is ongoing, with police continuing to follow up on leads.
Kayden Daniel Collins, 27, of Lakeport, California, was arrested on Sunday, June 26, 2022, in connection to the placement of a suspicious device placed at St. John’s Episcopal Church. Lake County Jail photo. Collins was booked into the Lake County Jail on a misdemeanor count of obstructing or resisting a peace officer and a felony count of possession of a destructive device, with bail set at $10,000. He remained in custody early Monday.
Booking records show he is scheduled to appear in Lake County Superior Court on Tuesday.
So far, Rasmussen said there are no ideas about the motivation for placing the device at the church.
However, he said there are no indications that it’s in any way a result of the Friday action by the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn Roe v Wade.
“Today I have no knowledge that this has any connection to that,” he said.
Rasmussen said he was in contact on Friday with Clearlake Police Chief Andrew White and Sheriff Brian Martin as they were aware that the Department of Homeland Security had issued an alert to law enforcement and first responders that day warning of the potential for violence in the wake of the ruling.
“We had no information that there was any concern locally,” said Rasmussen, explaining that he, Martin and White had a plan to reach out to the Roman Catholic Churches if necessary.
They also were in contact with the Federal Bureau of Investigation on Friday and he spoke to the FBI’s resident agency supervisor on Sunday as he was working the case involving the suspicious device.
Howell also told Lake County News that St. John’s had not received any threats.
In addition to Lakeport Police and the Napa County Sheriff’s Bomb Squad, assisting agencies in the response to the Sunday incident included Lakeport Public Works, Lakeport Fire Protection District, Northshore Fire Protection District Response Support Team, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office and Lake County Office of Emergency Services.
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. — State and local firefighters responded Sunday evening to a wildland fire in Clearlake that resulted in some evacuations along the city’s edge before firefighters stopped its progress.
The fire was first reported in the 16000 block of Boyles Avenue just before 5:30 p.m. Sunday.
A large column of smoke was showing in the area, with firefighters en route reporting that it was moving quickly.
When the first units accessed the fire about 10 minutes after dispatch, it was reported to be two to three acres, with a rapid rate of spread and spotting in heavy brush.
Lake County Fire, Northshore Fire and Cal Fire were among the agencies initially responding, according to radio reports.
Cal Fire sent air resources including air attack and Copter 104 from Boggs Mountain Helitack.
Due to there being a threat to nearby structures, evacuations began taking place along the east side of Wilkinson Avenue down to Betz Drive.
Just after 6 p.m., the Clearlake Police Department issued an alert asking the public to avoid the area of Dam Road, 18th Avenue and Boyles Avenue due to a fire in the area. Radio reports had indicated numerous vehicles had been trying to drive into the area.
Fire activity continued to slow, with aircraft keeping a spot on the fire’s left flank in check while dozer lines and resources were arranged around it.
Incident command reported shortly before 6:45 p.m. that forward progress had been stopped.
Shortly after 7 p.m., the fire was reported to be 19 acres, with three to four hours of commitment time for resources on scene.
The Clearlake Police Department reported just before 7:30 p.m. that the fire was contained and evacuations were lifted.
More information will be published as it becomes available.
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 new essential workers mural by Emma Wakefield in Lakeport, California. Courtesy photo. LAKEPORT, Calif – A new mural in downtown Lakeport recognizing essential workers will be dedicated on Friday, July 1.
The ribbon cutting ceremony will begin at 5 p.m. at 120 N. Main St., home of the Meals on Wheels Thrift Store.
Conceived as a gift to the community, the mural project was coordinated by the Lake County Arts Council in collaboration with the City of Lakeport, Lake Family Resource Center, Lake County Rural Arts Initiative, Lakeport Main Street Association and others.
“The COVID pandemic hit our community hard in so many ways,” according to Lakeport Mayor Pro Tem Mireya Turner, a leader in the effort to express appreciation for the service, strength and fortitude of our local essential workers.
“Some of us were able to shelter in place, while others could not do so because we depended on them to keep our economy and community moving. Many of us left home every day to keep our supermarkets open, our gas stations operating, to treat our sick, make deliveries, and harvest our gardens, orchards and vineyards,” she said.
“Now is the perfect time for our community to come together and express gratitude to our residents who gave so much of themselves to help us through this pandemic,” Turner said.
Local artists responded to the call for proposals which were then evaluated by a panel representing the sponsors.
Four designs were made available for online voting by essential workers to select the winning design and artist.
Emma Wakefield of Loch Lomond, a recent graduate of San Francisco State University in studio art, was chosen to paint her depiction of a young boy sleeping under a large quilt which contains patches with images of essential workers.
Shown in the mural are firefighters, doctors, farmers, construction workers, teachers, police officers, nurses and others.
Her concept represents these workers “protecting and nurturing future generations, keeping us and our children safe,” she stated in her proposal.
Funds to support the artist’s labor and materials were solicited from the community to “support this mural project to recognize our friends, neighbors and family members who, through their actions, kept us strong through the pandemic,” said Barbara Clark, executive director of the Lake County Arts Council. “All funds collected are being used for the mural and related expenses. Any excess funds will be retained for the next public mural project.”
More than one-half of the $8,000 goal for the mural project has been reached with contributions from Lake County Rural Arts Initiative, Laurie Dohring, Keeling-Barnes Family Foundation, Timothy Coffey, John Brosnan, Olga Martin Steele, Annelle Durham and Green Blog Design.
The community is invited to the dedication ceremony, followed by the monthly First Friday Fling at the Lake County Arts Council’s Main Street Gallery, 325 N. Main St., at 5:30 p.m., and the summer concert in Library Park at 6:30 p.m.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The Board of Supervisors this week will consider a grant application for a housing project and a contract for finding a new Public Health officer.
The board will meet beginning at 9 a.m. Tuesday, June 28, in the board chambers on the first floor of the Lake County Courthouse, 255 N. Forbes St., Lakeport.
The meeting ID is 929 0032 5984, pass code 788029. The meeting also can be accessed via one tap mobile at +16699006833,,92900325984#,,,,*788029#.
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 pass code information above.
At 9:08 a.m., the board will present a proclamation designating the month of June 2022 as Elder and Adult Dependent Abuse Awareness Month and hear a presentation of changes to the state reporting law related to elder abuse.
In an untimed item, the board will consider a resolution authorizing the application for the permanent local housing allocation program for the Collier Avenue apartment project in Nice, which will house Behavioral Health Services clients with mental health issues.
On the consent agenda, the board will consider approving a $29,000 contract with Mosaic Public Partners for the recruitment of a new Public Health officer in the wake of Dr. Erik McLaughlin’s resignation last week.
The full agenda follows.
CONSENT AGENDA
5.1: (a) Approve side letter to Lake County Employee Association, or LCEA, retroactive to the start date for the Oct. 21, 2021 to June 30, 2025 memorandum of understanding, Section 5.1 through 5.1.9 covering group insurance for LCEA and authorize the chair to sign; (b) approve side letter to Lake County Sheriff's Management Association, or LCSMA, retroactive to the start date for the Oct. 21, 2021 to June 30, 2025 MOU, Section 5.1 through 5.1.9 covering Group Insurance for LCSMA and authorize the chair to sign; (c) approve side letter to Lake County Deputy District Attorney’s Association, or LCDDA, retroactive to the start date for the Oct. 21, 2021 to June 30, 2025 MOU, Section 5.1 through 5.5 covering group insurance for LCDDA and authorize the chair to sign; (d) approve side letter to Lake County Correctional Officer’s Association, or LCCOA, retroactive to the start date for the Oct. 21, 2021 to June 30, 2025 MOU, Section 5.1 through 5.6.10 covering group insurance for LCCOA and authorize the chair to sign; (e) Approve side letter to Lake County Safety Employees Association, or LCSEA, retroactive to the star.
5.2: a) Waive the formal bidding process, pursuant to Lake County Policy and Procedures, Section 4, Consultation Selection, Subsection 4.1.4; and b) approve agreement for recruitment services for Lake County Public Health officer between county of Lake and Mosaic Public Partners in the amount not to exceed $29,000, and authorize the chair to sign.
5.3: Sitting as the Lake County Air Quality Management District Board of Directors, approve Carl Moyer Program project funding approval for Middletown Unified School District, and authorize the air pollution control officer to sign the agreement.
5.4: a) Approve grant agreement between Lake County Animal Care and Control and Best Friends Animal Society in the amount of $10,000 and authorize the Animal Care and Control Director to sign; and b) adopt resolution to appropriate unanticipated revenue in Budget Unit 2811.
5.5: Approve agreement between county of Lake and Manzanita House for adult residential support services and specialty mental health services in the amount of $495,000 for FYs 2022-23, 2023-24, and 2024-25 and authorize the board chair to sign.
5.6: Approve agreement between county of Lake and Willow Glen Care Center for adult residential support services and specialty mental health services in the amount of $985,500 for FYs 2022-23, 2023-24, and 2024-25 and authorize the board chair to sign.
5.7: Approve Board of Supervisors minutes June 7, 2022.
5.8: Approve resolution of the City Council of the city of Clearlake calling for and providing for and giving notice of the general municipal election to be held in the city of Clearlake, county of Lake, state of California, on the 8th day of November, 2022 for the purpose of electing two city council members and a city treasurer, each to hold a term of four years, or until their successors are elected and qualified, and requesting approval of the Lake County Board of Supervisors for election services to be provided by the county elections department.
5.9: Approve contract renewal between the county of Lake Health Services and Trina Maia for physical therapy services in support of the California Children’s Services Program and the Medical Therapy Program for a term starting July 1, 2022, through June 30, 2023, and a maximum amount of $126,720; and authorize the board chair to sign.
5.10: Approve contract renewal between the county of Lake Health Services and Sheila McCarthy for occupational therapy services in support of the California Children’s Services Program and the Medical Therapy Program for a term starting July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2023 and a maximum amount of $45,408; and authorize the board chair to sign.
5.11: Adopt resolution to name a certain existing unnamed road in the Lower Lake area.
5.12: a) Approve agreement between the county of Lake and Helico Sonoma Helicopters for Fiscal Year 2022/23 in the amount of $50,000 and authorize the chairman to sign.
5.13: a) Waive the formal bidding process, per Ordinance #2406, Purchasing Code 38.1, as this is an annual contract for services that have not increased more than the consumer price index; and b) approve agreement between the county of Lake and A&P Helicopters for fiscal year 2022/23 in the amount of $75,000 and authorize the chairman to sign.
5.14: Adopt resolution amending Resolution 2021-115 to amend the adopted budget for FY 2021-22 by appropriating unanticipated revenue in the sheriff/coroner budget 2201.
5.15: Adopt proclamation for designating the month of June 2022 as Elder and Adult Dependent Abuse Awareness Month in Lake County.
5.16: a) Approve purchase of mandated client services described as after care services with evolve youth services and authorize director of Social Services or her designee to issue a purchase order in an amount not to exceed $40,860.
5.17: Adopt resolution authorizing the transfer of APN: 030-083-360, from Cobb Area County Water District to the county of Lake and authorize the chair of the Board of Supervisors to sign the certificate of acceptance and record the deed.
TIMED ITEMS
9:05 a.m.: Pet of the Week.
6.3, 9:08 a.m.: a) Presentation of proclamation designating the month of June 2022 as Elder and Adult Dependent Abuse Awareness Month in Lake County; and b) presentation of changes to the state reporting law related to elder abuse.
UNTIMED ITEMS
7.2: Consideration of resolution of the Lake County Board of Supervisors authorizing the application for the permanent local housing allocation program for the Collier Avenue apartment project.
7.3: Consideration of Accela agreement extension and true point permitting software.
7.4: Consideration of proposed findings of fact and decision in the appeal of WeGrow LLC.(AB 22-01).
7.5: Consideration of resolution authorizing the Public Services director to execute documents with the California Department of Transportation for the Clean California Local Grant Program.
CLOSED SESSION
8.1: Public employee evaluation: Public Works/Water Resources Director Scott De Leon.
8.2: Public employee evaluation: Behavioral Health Director Todd Metcalf.
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. — The discovery of a suspicious device at a Lakeport church on Sunday has led to authorities issuing an evacuation order and requesting the assistance of a bomb squad.
The city of Lakeport issued an alert shortly after noon on Sunday reporting that the Lakeport Police Department had discovered the device on the grounds of St. John's Episcopal Church, located at 1190 N. Forbes St.
Lakeport Police Chief Brad Rasmussen told Lake County News that the device’s component’s hadn’t yet been confirmed, but it appeared to have a power source, accelerant and shrapnel.
Police implemented an immediate evacuation area for the surrounding area of 11th Street, Forbes Street, Main Street and Clear Lake Avenue within 1,000 feet of the church and asked community members to avoid the area until further notice.
Resulting road closures included:
• 11th Street from North Main Street to Tunis Street; • High Street from 14th Street to 11th Street; • Clear Lake Avenue from North Main Street to High Street; • Forbes Street from 10th Street to 15th Street.
Drivers are asked to use the following alternative routes:
• 15th Street and North High Street to and from North Main Street; • 10th Street and Tunis Street to and from 11th Street.
Evacuees who need a place to wait out of the heat have been invited to Lakeport City Hall at 225 Park St.
Rasmussen said about 40 residents are in the evacuation area. Most didn’t evacuate and so were ordered to shelter in place, he said.
Shortly before 2 p.m., Rasmussen said a bomb squad was en route to assist with handling the device.
At that point, he said he didn’t yet know how the device would be disposed of, and that he would have to consult with the bomb squad.
Part of the concern is whether components can be preserved and recovered as evidence for the investigation, Rasmussen said.
Just before 2:25 p.m., Lakeport Fire was requested by the bomb squad to come to the area of North Main Street at Clear Lake Avenue, with units responding a few minutes later.
The city of Lakeport reported just before 3:45 p.m. that the suspicious device found near St. John's Episcopal Church had been rendered safe. The evacuation order was lifted and roads in the area have been reopened.
Law enforcement's investigation remains ongoing.
This is a developing story. More information will be published as it becomes available.
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.
