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LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Board of Supervisors this week will host a visit from California’s United States Department of Agriculture Rural Development director.

The board will meet beginning at 9 a.m. Tuesday, April 3, in the board chambers on the first floor of the Lake County Courthouse, 255 N. Forbes St., Lakeport.

The meeting can be watched live on Channel 8 and online at https://countyoflake.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx. Accompanying board documents, the agenda and archived board meeting videos also are available at that link.

At 9:30 a.m., the board will get a presentation from California USDA Rural Development Director Kim Vann.

Vann, a former Colusa County supervisor, was appointed to oversee USDA Rural Development’s California operations in November by President Donald Trump, as Lake County News has reported.

She will speak to the board about housing and economic development projects in Lake County.

The full agenda follows.

CONSENT AGENDA

7.1: Adopt the resolution of support for protection of our ocean and coast from offshore drilling and fracking.

7.2: Approve minutes of the Board of Supervisors meetings held March 13 and March 20.

7.3: (a) Adopt a resolution amending adopted budget for FY 2017-18 to establish Fund 64 – Cannabis Fees and Taxation, Budget Unit 1072 – Cannabis Program; and (b) adopt a resolution amending Resolution No. 2017-125 Establishing Position Allocations for Fiscal Year 2017-2018, Budget Unit No. 1122, Treasurer – Tax Collector, Budget Unit No. 2201, Sheriff – Coroner, Budget Unit No. 2602, Building and Safety, Budget Unit No. 2702, Planning.

7.4: Sitting as the Lake County Air Quality Management District Board of Directors, approve waiver of the 900 hour limitation for Extra Help Secretary 1 / Field Worker 1 Robert Boss.

7.5: Approve agreement between county of Lake and CliftonLarsonAllen LLP for audit services for fiscal years ending June 30, 2018, and June 30, 2019.

7.6: Approval request for advance step hiring of mental health specialist II, Step 5 for Dr. Andrea Bruce.

7.7: (a) Approve waiver of the 900-hour extra help limitation for extra help district attorney investigator aides, Robert McPherson and Billy Newsom and (b) approve waiver of the 900-hour extra help limitation for extra help information tech support tech I, Ryan Clair.

7.8: Adopt proclamation designating the month of April 2018 as Child Abuse Prevention Month in Lake County.

7.9: Authorize the Public Services director/assistant purchasing agent to increase the purchase order to Geologic Computer Systems in the amount of $550 for a revised amount not to exceed $119,838.88, due to out of state sales tax that was not included in the original request.

7.10: Adopt resolution approving right of way certification for the HSIP Cycle 8 Upgrade Warning Signs and Striping Project - State Agreement No. HSIPL-5914 (113).

7.11: Approve contract between county of Lake and Redwood Community Services Inc. for family wraparound services in the amount of $360,000 from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, 2018, and authorize the chair to sign.

7.12: Approve agreement #EW-2018-14 between the Regents of the University of California at Davis and the Lake County Department of Social Services for training services in the amount of $122,400 from July 1, 2018, to June 30, 2019 and authorize the chair to sign.

7.13: Approve agreement between the county of Lake and Bid4Assets Inc. for the period of Jan. 1 through Dec. 31, 2018, for tax default public auction services for an amount not to exceed $30,000; and authorize the chair to sign.

TIMED ITEMS

8.2, 9:10 a.m.: Presentation of proclamation designating the month of April 2018 as Child Abuse Prevention Month in Lake County.

8.3, 9:15 a.m.: Public hearing, consideration of resolution approving resolutions and capital fire facility and equipment plans submitted by Lake County fire agencies and updating the Lake County Capital Fire Facility and Equipment Plan. Continued from March 20.

8.4, 9:30 a.m.: Presentation by Kim Vann, state director of USDA-Rural Development in California, to discuss housing and economic development projects in Lake County.

UNTIMED ITEMS

9.2: Continued from March 13, consideration of board appointment to the Building Board of Appeals.

CLOSED SESSION

10.1: Public employee evaluations: Information technology director, Water Resources director.

10.2: Employee grievance complaint pursuant to Gov. Code sec. 54957.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
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An ink drawing of the “Great Locomotive Chase.” Wikimedia Commons image.


In retrospect, it was a very brave, if ill-conceived, plan.

Or maybe it was a very ill-conceived, if brave, plan – 150 years later and the jury is still out. But then again, any venture that posterity dubs the “Great Locomotive Chase” has got to have a good deal of bravery and foolhardiness in equal measure.

Don’t let the name fool you, though, the great chase had a lot riding on it – the potential collapse of the Confederate Army in the west to be exact.

It was spring in 1862 and the Civil War was approaching the end of its first long year. In the western theatre, the tide was turning in favor of the Union, with General Curtis scoring a victory at Pea Ridge in Arkansas and General Grant capturing Fort Donelson along the Kentucky-Tennessee border.

On all fronts, the men in blue had the rebels whipped. Following up these victories, the Union commander of the theater ordered his two armies to gather together, the better to fend off a massing of Confederate troops in Corinth, Mississippi.

The subsequent clash between the opposing forces kicked off the bloody battle of Shiloh. That first day of fighting nearly saw the complete collapse of the Union Army, as a tide of gray-clad demons emerged from the predawn fog and caught the Yankees with their pants down.

As the exhausted and bloody-nosed Union troops bedded down for the night at Shiloh, General Ormsby Mitchell considered his predicament.

Mitchell was 200 miles to the east, in command of 8,000 soldiers. Now that the Union army to the west was engaged with a considerable force of rebels at Shiloh, he needed to plan his next move wisely.

Recognizing that in their haste to ambush the enemy, the Confederate army had left the city of Chattanooga loosely defended, General Mitchell began sketching out a plan to deal a deadly blow.

The city of Chattanooga was a vital connection point for the Confederates, located as it was at the intersection of major railway lines leading throughout the south. Capturing that city would open a gateway for the Union to launch campaigns deep into enemy territory, cutting the Confederate Army in the west in two.

But in order to achieve such a victory, Mitchell needed to ensure that the enemy couldn’t reinforce the beleaguered defenders of Chattanooga once his assault was underway. So the general turned to an unlikely source for help: a spy.

James Andrews hailed from Kentucky, and when word of the war reached him, he threw his hat in with the Union. Since he had lived in the area of operations for a few years already, the Union commanders saw fit to take advantage of his local knowledge, and a spy was born.

General Mitchell invited James Andrews into his tent the night of April 6. By the tattered light of a single candle, Andrews and \ Mitchell hatched an audacious plan.

Andrews, dressed in civilian clothes, would lead 23 similarly-disguised soldiers to Atlanta Georgia, the city to the south of Chattanooga where the Confederate reinforcements were likely to come from.

Once there, he and his force of commandos would hijack a train and ride it north to Chattanooga, all the while ripping up track behind them. If their plan succeeded, they would have stolen from the enemy the quickest means of reinforcing Chattanooga.

Mitchell and Andrews planned to coordinate their movements, so that the assault on Chattanooga occurred as Andrews and his men set off on their stolen locomotive. Andrews’ team set out in small groups, to reassemble at Marietta, Georgia on April 10 and steal the train on the morning of the 11.

Rain delayed them one day, but promptly at 6 a.m. on the 12th Andrews and his men boarded a train bound for Chattanooga. The engine of the train was known locally as the General.

James Andrews. Public domain image.


Eight miles into the trip, the Union squad jumped the crew and successfully hijacked the locomotive. Now the real challenge began.

Racing down the track, Andrews and his team stopped periodically to cut telegraph lines and tear up track behind them. The latter task took longer than they had anticipated. To make matters worse, the enemy were prompt in their response.

Led by a young conductor, a group of railroad employees rushed pell-mell after Andrews, first on foot, then marginally quicker on a push car. The disassembled track delayed the pursuers, but aboard the General, Andrews and his team were facing their own setbacks.

Mitchell and Andrews had timed the assault too perfectly, and in their haste to save important military supplies from the advancing Union army, the garrison at Chattanooga was sending down boxcars full of munitions – right into the path of the stolen train.

Andrews was able to talk his way out of several close encounters, one time claiming that the General was a rush delivery of munitions for the Confederate army further to the north. These untimely delays alone might not have prevented Andrews from reaching his destination. But then the General went and got finicky on them.

Trains, after all, need fuel.

Pushing full-steam ahead for over 50 miles had depleted the meager supply of wood and coal onboard, and a brief resupply of the stuff was cut short.

As they were frantically hauling wood aboard, the hijackers heard the telltale clunking of a racing locomotive. Looking behind them, to their horror, they saw in hot pursuit that persistent conductor and his loyal train workers.

While Andrews had been conning incoming trainloads fleeing Chattanooga, the pursuing force had made decent headway on their pushcart. When they were flung from the vehicle after hitting a section of track derailed by Andrews and his team, two of the Confederate train workers picked themselves up and continued pursuit on foot.

They soon reached a station where they telegraphed ahead to Chattanooga, telling them of the situation and asking them to send down guards. Not content to let others take the glory, these two persistent men boarded their own locomotive and chased after the General themselves.

Now, faced with a trainload of armed guards barreling down from the north and an unknown number of enemy coming up from the south, Andrews knew the game was up.

Shouting, “Scatter boys.” he and his crew abandoned the engine and split up. Although they tried to disappear into the bush, even in civilian clothes it didn’t take long for Andrews and his men to be recognized as Yankees.

He and his entire crew were caught.

Since they had been wearing civilian clothes, the Confederate government considered them spies. They hanged James Andrews and seven of his comrades. The rest of the Union saboteurs they shipped to prison.

A year later, the entire group of them escaped, two men even rowing several hundred miles up the coast to seek safety north of the Mason-Dixon Line.

In March 1863, six of the raiders met with Secretary of War Edwin Stanton, who explained that Congress had created a new medal to honor valor.

“Your party shall have the first,” he said as he pinned onto Private Jacob Parrott our nation’s first Medal of Honor.

That concluded the saga of the “Great Locomotive Chase” of the Civil War.

Foolhardy or brave? Probably a bit of both. But then again, maybe acts as brave as theirs require a suspension of better judgement. After all, the sacrifice had been great, but the reward would have been greater still.

Antone Pierucci is curator of history at the Riverside County Park and Open Space District and a freelance writer whose work has been featured in such magazines as Archaeology and Wild West as well as regional California newspapers.
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Angie Gross (center) takes her oath as the new postmaster of the Post Office in Upper Lake, Calif., from Post Office Operations Manager Maria Lane while her young son, Wyatt, came on the stage to joint her. Photo by Elizabeth Larson/Lake County News.


UPPER LAKE, Calif. – On Friday, Upper Lake celebrated its newest postmaster, a community member who has quickly worked her way up through the ranks to earn the job.

Angie Gross took her oath from Post Office Operations Manager Maria Lane, the woman who hired her, at the Friday afternoon ceremony at the Upper Lake Grange Hall.

Gross is the latest in a long line of postmasters stretching back to Upper Lake’s first, James G. Musick, who was appointed in 1858. She succeeds former Upper Lake Postmaster Kristi Rico.

A wife and mother of three who lives in Witter Springs, Gross began her U.S. Postal Service career in 2012 as a clerk in the Upper Lake Post Office.

She quickly moved into a management position as officer in charge in Upper Lake in 2014. Gross was officially promoted to postmaster in Upper Lake in January.

In her new job, she manages five employees who serve a community of 1,052 residents. She oversees more than 1,200 rural daily mail deliveries and 658 Post Office box deliveries.

Work in the Postal Service is a family affair; Gross’ mother-in-law, Patricia Gross, took her oath as Nice’s postmaster in April 2017, as Lake County News has reported.

About 50 people – including around half a dozen current and former postmasters from around the region – attended Gross’ swearing-in ceremony.

“It’s always held a dear place in my heart,” Hill said of Upper Lake’s post office and community.

She greeted community members with hugs and handshakes before and after the event.

Even in the digital age, the Post Office and its postmaster remain important to rural communities like Upper Lake, Hill said.

“It’s still definitely relevant,” she said.

Hill told Lake County News that it’s important to have the right people in the postmaster job and for them to have the community’s support.

She said the best part of her job is getting to hire good people, and finding the right fit for the community.

Before administering the oath to Gross, Hill lauded her for understanding the job. “This woman gets it.”

While the technical aspect of the work is important, Hill suggested customer service is even more critical, and commented on Gross’ sweet nature and customer-oriented approach.

When Gross took her oath, husband Kevin and their three children – Dominic, 13, Ethan, 6, and Wyatt, 2 – looked on from the front row.

While his mom was still taking her oath, Wyatt climbed up onto the stage and made his way to her, and then made a beeline for the grange’s piano. His older brother Ethan stopped him before the event turned musical.

Gross said she was very thankful for everyone who attended.

“It means a lot that I’m able to be postmaster of my community,” Gross said.

She added, “I’m very excited and happy.”

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
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LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lakeport City Council this week will hold a public hearing on an ordinance to give an earlier deadline for hazardous weed removal and present proclamations to increase awareness of sexual assault, child abuse and human trafficking.

The council will meet in closed session at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 3, to discuss negotiations with Lake County Tribal Health for property located at 902 Bevins Court before the public portion of the meeting begins at 6 p.m. in the council chambers at Lakeport City Hall, 225 Park St.

At the start of the meeting, the council will present proclamations designating April as Sexual Assault Awareness Day and Child Abuse Prevention Month to Lake Family Resource Center staff, and a proclamation designating April 14 as Human Trafficking Awareness Day to the Soroptimist International of Clear Lake.

On the agenda is a public hearing on a new hazardous weed abatement ordinance which will change the date in which dry vegetation creating fire hazard conditions on private property must be abated from early July to June 1.

Under business, council members will approve the updated Sewer System Management Plan and direct staff to complete the update certification process in the State Water Resources Board’s electronic database.

The city clerk also will present a proposed resolution adopting an email retention policy and will ask the council to appoint a member to serve as the Lakeport representative to the Public, Educational and Governmental Channel Board of Directors with a term expiring on the first Monday of January 2020.

Police Chief Brad Rasmussen also will give an update on police activity in the first quarter of 2018.

Items on the consent agenda – items considered noncontroversial and usually accepted as a slate on one vote – are ordinances; minutes of the council’s regular meeting on March 20 and the
special meeting of March 27; approval of Application 2018-012, with staff recommendations, for the quagga mussel outreach booth to be set up at the Third Street boat ramp during summer events in Library Park; approval of Application 2018-013, with staff recommendations, for the Walk for Life event to be held on May 5; adoption of a resolution approving the compensation and benefits program for the city of Lakeport Unrepresented Employees for the period of March 1, 2018 through June 30, 2020; adoption of a proposed resolution opposing the Tax Fairness, Transparency and Accountability Act of 2018; and receipt and filing of the Public, Educational and Governmental Channel fiscal year 2018-19 budget.

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.

040318 Lakeport City Council agenda packet by LakeCoNews on Scribd

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“Braving the Wilderness” by Breneě Brown is the Book to Action selection for 2018 at the Lake County Library. Free discussions and events will happen around Lake County all during April. Photo by Jan Cook.


LAKEPORT, Calif. – Book to Action, the Lake County Library’s community-wide reading program, will feature “Braving the Wilderness: the Quest for True Belonging and the Courage to Stand Alone” by Breneě Brown.

The Book to Action discussions and other events will happen throughout April around Lake County.

Lake County Library is one of 20 libraries across the state that won the Book to Action grant from the California Center for the Book. This is the third year that Lake County has done this program.

The California Center for the Book is a program of the California Library Association, supported in whole or in part by the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act, administered in California by the State Librarian.

Book to Action is an exciting program that builds on the classic book club concept by creating a dynamic series of events.

Along with discussing an engaging book on a current topic, libraries across the state will be hosting events that help people put their new-found knowledge into action by collaborating on a community service project or civic engagement activity related to the book’s topic

The book was chosen because it is a down-to-earth guide to achieving a healthy connection with one’s community. JoAnn Saccato, local author and mindfulness teacher, is helping to develop the Book to Action events.

On the selection of the this book she said, “At this crucial time when our public conversation is rife with increasing polarization, discord and unrest, meaningful conversation around the vital issues we grapple with as a community and nation is desperately needed to find peaceful, lasting solutions.”

In “Braving the Wilderness,” Brown redefines what it means to belong in an age of increased polarization.

Using research, storytelling and her own personal stories, Brown changes the cultural conversation while mapping a clear path to achieving a sense of what she calls true belonging.

JoAnn Saccato will lead a workshop discussing “Braving the Wilderness” at the Lakeport Library in Lakeport, Calif., on Saturday, April 21, 2018, as part of the Book to Action program. Photo by Nathan DeHart.


Saccato goes on to say, “Author Breneě Brown offers us an opportunity to forge an authentic and meaningful path to these solutions that brings dignity, civility, authenticity and bravery back to the town square. Brown argues that we're in a ‘spiritual crisis of disconnection’ and invites us to not only dig deeper and embrace our own sacred truth, but to courageously bring that truth to community – even if we stand alone in it.”

Lake County’s Book to Action events will begin with book discussions at each of the library branches on Saturday, April 7, at 2 p.m. Lakeport Library is located at 1425 N. High St., Redbud Library at 14785 Burns Valley Road in Clearlake, Middletown Library at 21256 Washington St. and Upper Lake Library at 310 Second St.

The events continue with a screening of the Breneě Brown’s TED Talk “The Power of Vulnerability” on Saturday, April 14, at 2 p.m. at the Lakeport Library.

JoAnn Saccato will lead a free workshop and discussion of Braving the Wilderness on Saturday, April 21, at 2 p.m. at Lakeport Library.

This workshop will be a discussion around each of the four strategies put forth by Brown, namely:

– “People are hard to hate close up. Move in.”
– “Speak truth to BS. Be civil.”
– “Hold hands. With strangers.”
– “Strong back. Soft front. Wild heart.”

It will encourage conversation around the validity and value of Brown's ideas as a strategy to return to passionate and respectful civil discourse.

The workshop agenda will set ground rules around safety and civility, then take each topic separately.

Saccato’s workshop will take the work as a whole as a turning point to invite participation in the "Hold hands. With strangers" community conversation on Saturday, April 28, at 2 p.m. at Lakeport Library. The conversation is the final event in the 2018 Book to Action program.

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

For more information call the library at 707-263-8817.

Jan Cook is a technician for the Lake County Library.
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NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – On Friday, the state’s attorney general filed suit against Sutter Health, alleging that the organization is engaging in anticompetitive practices that are driving up costs for patients across Northern California, while a system executive said their costs are below those of the region’s other hospitals.

Sutter Health is reported to be the largest hospital system in California. Its network includes 24 acute care hospitals – among them, Sutter Lakeside Hospital in Lakeport – along with, 31 ambulatory surgery centers, nine cancer centers, six specialty care centers, nine major physician organizations, 8,200 physicians and 48,000 employees located in 19 counties in Northern California. It also negotiates contracts on behalf of a variety of other affiliated physician groups, the largest being the Palo Alto Medical Foundation.

Attorney General Xavier Becerra, who said he is trying to restore competition in the California health care market, filed the 49-page suit against Sutter Health in the San Francisco Superior Court. A copy of it can be seen below.

The suit alleges violations of California’s Cartwright Act – similar to federal antitrust laws – which prohibits anticompetitive activity, such as price fixing and agreements among competitors to restrict trade.

“Sutter Health is throwing its weight around in the health care market, engaging in illegal, anticompetitive pricing that hurts California families,” Becerra said in a written statement. “These tactics are risking Californians’ lives by driving up the cost of health care for everyone. Big business should not be able to throttle competition at the expense of patients. The California Department of Justice is dedicated to ensuring that all families in our state can access quality, affordable healthcare no matter where they live.”

“We are aware that a complaint was filed, but we have not seen it at this time, so we cannot comment on specific claims,” said Sutter Health spokesperson Karen Garner in a statement released Friday to Lake County News.

The suit lists three causes of action: price tampering and fixing, unreasonable restraint of trade and combination to monopolize, all in violation of the Cartwright Act.

The newly filed court document outlines concerns about rising health care costs in California, “far outstripping population growth or inflation.” From 1999 to 2009, the state’s health care costs grew 111 percent, compared to a 15-percent population increase, based on the suit.

It referenced a 2011 Los Angeles Times analysis that found that hospitals in Northern California’s six most populous counties collected 56 percent more revenue per patient per day from insurance companies and patients than hospitals in Southern California’s six largest counties.

The suit also cited a study from 2015 that showed that these higher costs persist, and that insurance premiums offered through Covered California are 16 to 48 percent more expensive in San Francisco than in Southern California.

“That these increased costs are due to increased market concentration in healthcare provider markets in Northern California, and no other factors, has been observed by studies and public analysis,” the suit stated.

The document goes on to state, “Much of the increased cost of healthcare in Northern California is attributable to Sutter and its anticompetitive contractual practices which it has imposed as a result of its market power. Specifically, Sutter embarked on an intentional, and successful, strategy of securing market power in certain local markets in Northern California.”

In his suit Becerra is alleging that Sutter Health attempted to control prices and exclude competition, foreclosed price competition by its competitors and, as a result, imposed prices for hospital services and ancillary products that far exceeded the prices it would have been able to charge in an unconstrained, competitive market.

Becerra’s complaint also alleges that the excess profits Sutter Health received from illegal pricing practices went toward waves of acquisitions, extreme levels of executive compensation and financing its own insurance arm.

Sutter Health’s Garner maintained that the organization’s rates are lower than others in the region.

“Sutter Health is proud to save patients, government payers and health plans hundreds of millions of dollars each year by providing more efficient and integrated care,” Garner said.

She said it’s important to note that publicly available data from the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development, or OSHPD, show that, on average, total charges for an inpatient stay in a Sutter hospital are lower than what other Northern California hospitals charge.

“Further, Sutter Health has held average overall rate increases to health plans to the low single digits since 2012 in spite of our actual expenses for labor, facilities and technology increasing more than 37 percent during the same time period. We don’t know why some health plans have increased their rates to consumers as much as 20 percent annually,” she said.

Garner said healthy competition and choice exists across Northern California.

“There are 15 major hospital systems and 142 hospitals in Northern California, including Kaiser Permanente, Dignity, Adventist, Tenet, UC and more. And health plans can elect to include or exclude parts of the Sutter Health system from their networks, and health plans have been doing so for many years,” Garner said.

Becerra’s suit against Sutter Health took place in the same week that he called for action in light of a new report by University of California Berkeley’s Petris Center on Health Care Markets and Consumer Welfare.

That report’s documents show how the rapid consolidation of health care markets in California has led to rising health care costs for consumers throughout the state.

Becerra’s Friday statement said that UC Berkeley report showed market consolidation in Northern California to be “especially glaring,” with the cost of the average inpatient hospital procedure in Northern California, $223,278, exceeded that in Southern California, $131,586.

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.

033018 AG's complaint against Sutter Health by LakeCoNews on Scribd

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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake County Animal Care and Control has had an influx of German Shepherds, which join a group of other dogs needing new homes.

In addition to the German Shepherds, dogs available for adoption this week include mixes of Labrador Retriever, pit bull, shepherd and terrier.

Dogs that are adopted from Lake County Animal Care and Control are either neutered or spayed, microchipped and, if old enough, given a rabies shot and county license before being released to their new owner. License fees do not apply to residents of the cities of Lakeport or Clearlake.

If you're looking for a new companion, visit the shelter. There are many great pets hoping you'll choose them.

The following dogs at the Lake County Animal Care and Control shelter have been cleared for adoption (additional dogs on the animal control Web site not listed are still “on hold”).

This female shepherd mix puppy is in kennel No. 2a, ID No. 9732. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control.


Female shepherd mix puppy

This female shepherd mix puppy has a short black and tan coat.

She is in kennel No. 2a, ID No. 9732.

This female shepherd mix puppy is in kennel No. 2b, ID No. 9733. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control.


Female shepherd mix puppy

This female shepherd mix puppy has a short tan coat.

She is in kennel No. 2b, ID No. 9733.

This female pit bull terrier in kennel No. 7, ID No. 9588. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control.


Pit bull terrier

This female pit bull terrier has a short brown and blue coat.

She’s in kennel No. 7, ID No. 9588.

This male pit bull-Labrador Retriever mix is in kennel No. 11, ID No. 9591. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control.


Pit bull-Labrador Retriever mix

This male pit bull-Labrador Retriever mix has a short black coat.

He already has been neutered.

He’s in kennel No. 11, ID No. 9591.

This female German Shepherd is in kennel No. 12, ID No. 9657. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control.


Female German Shepherd

This female German Shepherd has a short black and tan coat.

She is in kennel No. 12, ID No. 9657.

This male terrier mix is in kennel No. 18, ID No. 9659. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control.


Terrier mix

This male terrier mix has a tan and white coat.

He already has been neutered.

He is in kennel No. 18, ID No. 9659.

This female pit bull terrier is in kennel No. 19, ID No. 9711. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control.


Female pit bull terrier

This female pit bull terrier has a short blue coat with white markings.

She’s in kennel No. 19, ID No. 9711.

“Camilia” is a female German Shepherd mix in kennel No. 20, ID No. 9694. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control.


‘Camilia’

“Camilia” is a female German Shepherd mix with a long black and brown coat.

She’s in kennel No. 20, ID No. 9694.

“Onyx” is a female shepherd mix in kennel No. 22, ID No. 4174. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control.


‘Onyx’

“Onyx” is a female shepherd mix.

She has a medium-length black coat with white markings, and already has been spayed.

She’s in kennel No. 22, ID No. 4174.

This female German Shepherd is in kennel No. 25, ID No. 9708. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control.


Female German Shepherd

This female German Shepherd has a medium-length tan and black coat.

She’s in kennel No. 25, ID No. 9708.

This female German Shepherd is in kennel No. 26, ID No. 9707. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control.


Female German Shepherd

This female German Shepherd has a medium-length black and tan coat.

She’s in kennel No. 26, ID No. 9707.

This female German Shepherd is in kennel No. 27, ID No. 9706. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control.


Female German Shepherd

This female German Shepherd has a medium-length tan and black coat.

She’s in kennel No. 27, ID No. 9706.

This female German Shepherd is in kennel No. 28, ID No. 9710. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control.


Female German Shepherd

This female German Shepherd has a medium-length tan and black coat.

She’s in kennel No. 28, ID No. 9710.

This female German Shepherd is in kennel No. 29, ID No. 9709. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control.


Female German Shepherd

This female German Shepherd has a short black and tan coat.

She’s in kennel No. 29, ID No. 9709.

Lake County Animal Care and Control is located at 4949 Helbush in Lakeport, next to the Hill Road Correctional Facility.

Office hours are Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday. The shelter is open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Visit the shelter online at http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Animal_Care_And_Control.htm.

For more information call Lake County Animal Care and Control at 707-263-0278.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
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BERKELEY, Calif. – It may be time to tailor students’ class schedules to their natural biological rhythms, according to a new study from the University of California, Berkeley, and Northeastern Illinois University.

Researchers tracked the personal daily online activity profiles of nearly 15,000 college students as they logged into campus servers.

After sorting the students into “night owls,” “daytime finches” and “morning larks” – based on their activities on days they were not in class – researchers compared their class times to their academic outcomes.

Their findings, published today in the journal Scientific Reports, show that students whose circadian rhythms were out of sync with their class schedules – say, night owls taking early morning courses – received lower grades due to “social jet lag,” a condition in which peak alertness times are at odds with work, school or other demands.

“We found that the majority of students were being jet-lagged by their class times, which correlated very strongly with decreased academic performance,” said study co-lead author Benjamin Smarr, a postdoctoral fellow who studies circadian rhythm disruptions in the lab of UC Berkeley psychology professor Lance Kriegsfeld.

In addition to learning deficits, social jet lag has been tied to obesity and excessive alcohol and tobacco use.

On a positive note: “Our research indicates that if a student can structure a consistent schedule in which class days resemble non-class days, they are more likely to achieve academic success,” said study co-lead author Aaron Schirmer, an associate professor of biology at Northeastern Illinois University.

Not only night owls at risk

While students of all categories suffered from class-induced jet-lag, the study found that night owls were especially vulnerable, many appearing so chronically jet lagged that they were unable to perform optimally at any time of day.

But it’s not as simple as students just staying up too late, Smarr said

“Because owls are later and classes tend to be earlier, this mismatch hits owls the hardest, but we see larks and finches taking later classes and also suffering from the mismatch,” said Smarr. “Different people really do have biologically diverse timing, so there isn’t a one-time-fits-all solution for education.”

In what is thought to be the largest-ever survey of social jet lag using real-world data, Smarr and Schirmer analyzed the online activity of 14,894 Northeastern Illinois University students as they logged in and out of the campus’ learning management system over two years.

To separate the owls from the larks from the finches, and gain a more accurate alertness profile, the researchers tracked students’ activity levels on days that they did not attend a class.

Majority out of sync with class times

Next, they looked at how larks, finches and owls had scheduled their classes during four semesters from 2014 to 2016 and found that about 40 percent were mostly biologically in sync with their class times. As a result, they performed better in class and enjoyed higher GPAs.

However, 50 percent of the students were taking classes before they were fully alert, and another 10 percent had already peaked by the time their classes started.

Previous studies have found that older people tend to be active earlier while young adults shift to a later sleep-wake cycle during puberty. Overall, men stay up later than women, and circadian rhythms shift with the seasons based on natural light.

Finding these patterns reflected in students’ login data spurred researchers to investigate whether digital records might also reflect the biological rhythms underlying people’s behavior.

The results suggest that “rather than admonish late students to go to bed earlier, in conflict with their biological rhythms, we should work to individualize education so that learning and classes are structured to take advantage of knowing what time of day a given student will be most capable of learning,” Smarr said.

Yasmin Anwar writes for the UC Berkeley News Center.
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KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – There has been a change of leadership at one of Lake County’s largest nonprofit organizations.

The Lake Family Resource Center Board of Directors announced Friday that it has appointed Lisa Morrow as the nonprofit’s interim executive director.

She succeeds Jennifer Dodd, who had led the organization since 2016, following the retirement of longtime executive director Gloria Flaherty.

Morrow has been with the organization since its inception and has served as the organization’s director of finance and operations for more than a decade.

The board said it intends to conduct a thorough recruitment for the permanent post of executive director and anticipates the position to be filled within 6 months.

Michele Meek, Lake Family Resource Center’s human resources director, will serve as primary contact for the recruitment and vetting, the board reported.

The nonprofit did not give details on Dodd’s departure, which appeared to have occurred on Thursday based on an automated email response Lake County News received after emailing Dodd about an announcement she had sent out earlier in the day regarding the Kelseyville Olive Festival.

Earlier this month, Dodd had announced the cancellation of Lake Family Resource Center’s popular Wine and Chocolate fundraiser suddenly and on short notice, which generated considerable negative comment on social media.

The nonprofit said Friday that Wine and Chocolate will return next February.

The Friday announcement said Lake Family Resource Center’s board and staff appreciate the support of the Lake County community during this transition and look forward to continuing to provide services supporting local families.

Lake Family Resource Center’s next event will be the Kelseyville Olive Festival to be held at Chacewater Winery and Olive Mill from 11 am. to 5 p.m. Sunday, April 29.
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The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched on Friday, March 30, 2018, at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. Photo by Jerome Strach.


VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – As a rising sun held back an encroaching fog slithering from both the nearby coastline and the inland farmland on Friday, fueling vapor could be seen escaping from the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket perched at the launch tower.

The rocket configuration, or “stack,” launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base where several SpaceX launches have taken place in recent years.

This particular payload, consisting of 10 Iridium NEXT satellites, were secured at the top of the 230-foot-tall rocket, protected inside an eggshell-shaped nose cone known as a fairing.

This fairing protects the payload during ascent as the rocket screams through the atmosphere and then is discarded once the rocket moves beyond Earth’s protective layer, about three minutes and 28 seconds after liftoff.

The Iridium-5 launch is the fifth cluster of satellites out of 10 launches that will strive to form an upgraded web of communication technology around the globe.

SpaceX will be responsible for eight payloads with each launch delivering on average nine satellites for a total of 75 in all. This web will assist people as they utilize the Internet of Things, or IoT, accessible by an enormous array of various technological components.

The instantaneous launch window Friday was at 7:13 a.m. and as planned the rocket catapulted off the launchpad at T-minus zero.

SpaceX continues to demonstrate the reliability of their reusable hardware as this rocket booster, the first stage, flew previously on another mission and was prepared for this flight.

In fact, Iridium points out this Falcon 9 rocket first stage previously carried the third set of 10 Iridium NEXT satellites to orbit back in October of 2017.

Previously flown hardware is often described by SpaceX as “flight-proven.” Veteran rocket boosters from SpaceX are easily spotted from the visual scarring which can be seen on the vehicle as dark marks reflecting the intense heat the booster experiences as it descends back through the atmosphere.

The Iridium-5 mission suffered a temporary setback during launch preparation when a problem with a harness on a satellite provided concerning data.

“We don’t want to launch a brick,” Iridium CEO Matt Desch explained, referring to an unresponsive satellite.

This problem was detected only hours prior to launch and it would be determined that an external testing harness was to blame. Once the problem was identified and corrected, all activity for launch proceeded as normal.

After the first and second stage separation of the Falcon 9 rocket occurs, the second stage initiates thrust from its vacuum Merlin engine and then shuts down for 43 minutes during what is commonly referred to as a coast phase.

Upon restart and a short burn, the second stage has then ensured the satellite payload has achieved the desired trajectory. About 57 minutes into the flight, the 10 satellites began a timed release sequence distributing each satellite not unlike a string of pearls across the sky.

Once each satellite is powered and makes contact with ground crews, they will eventually propel themselves into their desired altitudes and orbits.

When the successful launch and deployment of Iridium’s NEXT payload occurred, Desch provided these remarks. "The new satellites and services we're launching and continued strong subscriber growth are cementing our position as an industry leader and critical global communications platform and underscore the significant transformation we've undergone as a company over the last 10 years. This truly is a testament to the trust our partners and customers have in our network, which is only going to continue growing as the deployment of the Iridium NEXT constellation nears completion."

The partnership between SpaceX and Iridium has proven to be a successful endeavor as SpaceX provides the launch services Iridium needs to advance their technological edge over competitors. There are still a few more planned launches this year with the manifest indicating launches taking place in May, June and August, but those predicted dates can easily change.

Lake County resident Jerome Strach is a Lake County News correspondent and photographer.
Satellites weighing in at 600 kilograms (~1,300 lbs). Photo Credit: SpaceX/Iridium.
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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The 20th session of the Lake County Sheriff’s Office Citizens’ Academy is scheduled to commence on May 31 in Lakeport.

Since the academy’s inception in January of 1998, more than 300 members of the community have successfully completed the program.

The Citizens’ Academy has proven to be a highly successful endeavor to educate residents of Lake County on the operations of the sheriff’s office, as well as the issues relating to law enforcement and the judicial system in general.

The Citizens’ Academy has brought the communities of Lake County closer to their sheriff’s office with each graduating class and in 2002, the program received the “Stars of Lake County” award for best idea of the year in Lake County.

While the program is primarily intended for members of the community simply seeking to become more informed on law enforcement issues, those contemplating a career in law enforcement are also welcome to apply. The curriculum and teaching methods are similar to that of a basic law enforcement academy.

However, the overall focus of the program is to provide a better understanding of the policies and procedures of the Sheriff’s Office, as well as the approach taken to provide law enforcement services to Lake County communities.

Subject matters for the academy include: The history of the office of the sheriff; the selection and training process for new employees; field training program; central dispatch operations; the role and responsibilities of the uniformed deputy; gang enforcement; criminal investigations; crime scene investigations; elder abuse investigations; sex crimes investigations; jail operations; use of force; marine patrol services; narcotics investigations; the civil process; coroner’s investigations; press relations; tactical (SWAT/SERT) operations; school resource deputy; search and rescue operations; K-9 enforcement; internal affairs investigations; marijuana investigations; the sheriff’s chaplain program; and the budget process.

The program consists of 15, three hour classes offering classroom and “hands-on” instruction by deputy sheriffs, custody staff, supervisors, civilian employees and command staff whose assignments are specific to their respective subject of training.

Classes will be held on Thursdays at 6 p.m. and conclude each night at 9 p.m.

There is no cost to those attending the academy. However, applicants must meet the following minimum qualifications:

• Resident or employment in Lake County;
• At least 18 years of age;
• No felony convictions;
• No misdemeanor convictions within three years;
• Able to attend all fifteen sessions.

Anyone interested in becoming a more informed member of the community is encouraged to participate in this worthwhile program.

Those wishing to enroll can do so by visiting the sheriff’s office web site at www.lakesheriff.com, where you will find a link for the application and instructions.

Applications must be received no later than May 16. Class size will be limited to 25 students.

Qualified applicants who are not selected for the Summer 2018 academy will be given priority in future academies.

For additional information, please contact the academy director, Lieutenant Corey Paulich, at 707-262-4234.
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Gov. Edmund G. Brown Jr. on Friday announced that he has granted 56 pardons and 14 commutations.

Individuals who have been convicted of a crime in California may apply to the governor for a pardon.

Those granted pardons all completed their sentences years ago and the majority were convicted of drug-related or other nonviolent crimes. Pardons are not granted unless they are earned.

A gubernatorial pardon may be granted to individuals who have demonstrated exemplary behavior and have lived productive and law-abiding lives following their conviction.

The process includes eligible individuals obtaining a Certificate of Rehabilitation, which is an order from a superior court declaring that a person convicted of a crime is now rehabilitated. This requirement was waived for two individuals facing the possibility of deportation.

When a pardon is granted, the California Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation are notified so that they may update their records on the applicant. The pardon is filed with the Secretary of State and the Legislature, and it is a public record.

The governor also granted 14 commutations to current inmates. Individuals currently serving a sentence for a conviction by the California courts can petition to have their sentence reduced by applying for a commutation.

In the majority of these commutations, the individuals have been granted the opportunity to make their case before the Board of Parole Hearings, which will determine whether they are ready to be paroled.

Copies of the gubernatorial pardons and commutations can be found below.

Additional information on pardons and commutations can be found here.

March 2018 Pardons and Commutations by LakeCoNews on Scribd

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