LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Three cats are waiting this week for new homes at Lake County Animal Care and Control.

The cats – two males and a female – all are domestic short hair mixes.

In addition to spaying or neutering, cats that are adopted from Lake County Animal Care and Control are microchipped 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 there, hoping you'll choose them.

In addition to the animals featured here, all adoptable animals in Lake County can be seen here: http://bit.ly/Z6xHMb .

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

'Tanner'

“Tanner” is a young male domestic short hair mix with a buff-colored tabby coat.

He's in cat room kennel No. 24, ID No. 4671.

'Chip'

“Chip” is a female domestic short hair mix cat with gray tabby and white coat.

She's in cat room kennel No. 28, ID No. 4669.

Male domestic short hair mix

This handsome male tuxedo cat has a short gray and white coat.

He's a tall and talkative guy, who likes to give head bonks.

He's in cat room kennel No. 49, ID No. 4686.

Adoptable cats also can be seen at http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Animal_Care_And_Control/Adopt/Cats_and_Kittens.htm or at www.petfinder.com .

To fill out an adoption application online visit http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Animal_Care_And_Control/Adopt/Dog___Cat_Adoption_Application.htm .

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

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

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

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

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Lake County Quilt Trail has installed the “Healing Star” quilt block at Specialty Care and Surgery Center in Kelseyville.

Dr. Paula Dhanda owns the center, located at 5685 Main St.

Based on a traditional star pattern, this quilt design incorporates the World Wide Healing Hands’ logo.

Dr. Dhanda has been medically serving Lake County for 25 years as a gynecologist and surgeon.

She founded Worldwide Healing Hands after a medical mission to Chad, Africa, in 2009. She witnessed firsthand the lack of access to medical care for many women and children.

For more information regarding her honors, awards and medical missions – both in Lake County and other parts of the world – visit www.worldwidehealinghands.org .

The Lake County Quilt Trail is an agricultural and tourism project designed to promote community pride.

The 4-foot by 4-foot quilt block “Healing Star” was drawn and painted by the Lake County Quilt Trail team from the design suggestion given by Dr. Dhanda.

LCQT is a group of dedicated volunteer quilters, graphic artists, painters, writers, carpenters and a
videographer.

For more information about the Lake County Quilt Trail visit www.lakecountyquilttrail.com or visit the group on Facebook.

Astronomers have uncovered a near-record breaking supermassive black hole, weighing 17 billion suns, in an unlikely place: in the center of a galaxy in a sparsely populated area of the universe.

The observations, made by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope and the Gemini Telescope in Hawaii, may indicate that these monster objects may be more common than once thought.

Until now, the biggest supermassive black holes – those roughly 10 billion times the mass of our sun –  have been found at the cores of very large galaxies in regions of the universe packed with other large galaxies. In fact, the current record holder tips the scale at 21 billion suns and resides in the crowded Coma galaxy cluster that consists of over 1,000 galaxies.

"The newly discovered supersized black hole resides in the center of a massive elliptical galaxy, NGC 1600, located in a cosmic backwater, a small grouping of 20 or so galaxies," said lead discoverer Chung-Pei Ma, a University of California-Berkeley astronomer and head of the MASSIVE Survey, a study of the most massive galaxies and supermassive black holes in the local universe.

While finding a gigantic black hole in a massive galaxy in a crowded area of the universe is to be expected – like running across a skyscraper in Manhattan – it seemed less likely they could be found in the universe's small towns.

"There are quite a few galaxies the size of NGC 1600 that reside in average-size galaxy groups," Ma said. "We estimate that these smaller groups are about 50 times more abundant than spectacular galaxy clusters like the Coma cluster. So the question now is, 'Is this the tip of an iceberg?' Maybe there are more monster black holes out there that don't live in a skyscraper in Manhattan, but in a tall building somewhere in the Midwestern plains."

The researchers also were surprised to discover that the black hole is 10 times more massive than they had predicted for a galaxy of this mass.

Based on previous Hubble surveys of black holes, astronomers had developed a correlation between a black hole's mass and the mass of its host galaxy's central bulge of stars – the larger the galaxy bulge, the proportionally more massive the black hole.

But for galaxy NGC 1600, the giant black hole's mass far overshadows the mass of its relatively sparse bulge.

"It appears that that relation does not work very well with extremely massive black holes; they are a larger fraction of the host galaxy's mass," Ma said.

Ma and her colleagues are reporting the discovery of the black hole, which is located about 200 million light years from Earth in the direction of the constellation Eridanus, in the April 6 issue of the journal Nature. Jens Thomas of the Max Planck-Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics, Garching, Germany is the paper's lead author.

One idea to explain the black hole's monster size is that it merged with another black hole long ago when galaxy interactions were more frequent.

When two galaxies merge, their central black holes settle into the core of the new galaxy and orbit each other.

Stars falling near the binary black hole, depending on their speed and trajectory, can actually rob momentum from the whirling pair and pick up enough velocity to escape from the galaxy's core.

This gravitational interaction causes the black holes to slowly move closer together, eventually merging to form an even larger black hole.

The supermassive black hole then continues to grow by gobbling up gas funneled to the core by galaxy collisions.

"To become this massive, the black hole would have had a very voracious phase during which it devoured lots of gas," Ma said.

The frequent meals consumed by NGC 1600 may also be the reason why the galaxy resides in a small town, with few galactic neighbors. NGC 1600 is the most dominant galaxy in its galactic group, at least three times brighter than its neighbors.

"Other groups like this rarely have such a large luminosity gap between the brightest and the second brightest galaxies," Ma said.

Most of the galaxy's gas was consumed long ago when the black hole blazed as a brilliant quasar from material streaming into it that was heated into a glowing plasma.

"Now, the black hole is a sleeping giant," Ma said. "The only way we found it was by measuring the velocities of stars near it, which are strongly influenced by the gravity of the black hole. The velocity measurements give us an estimate of the black hole's mass."

The velocity measurements were made by the Gemini Multi-Object Spectrograph (GMOS) on the Gemini North 8-meter telescope on Mauna Kea in Hawaii. GMOS spectroscopically dissected the light from the galaxy's center, revealing stars within 3,000 light-years of the core. Some of these stars are circling around the black hole and avoiding close encounters.

However, stars moving on a straighter path away from the core suggest that they had ventured closer to the center and had been slung away, most likely by the twin black holes.

Archival Hubble images, taken by the Near Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer (NICMOS), supports the idea of twin black holes pushing stars away.

The NICMOS images revealed that the galaxy's core was unusually faint, indicating a lack of stars close to the galactic center.

A star-depleted core distinguishes massive galaxies from standard elliptical galaxies, which are much brighter in their centers.

Ma and her colleagues estimated that the amount of stars tossed out of the central region equals 40 billion suns, comparable to ejecting the entire disk of our Milky Way galaxy.

MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – A bang-up celebration – literally – has been set for the observance of the second anniversary of Middletown’s Gibson Museum & Cultural Center.

“A Look at Life in the 1860s” will be the focus of the event, which takes place on Saturday, May 14, beginning at noon.

The decade was dominated by the American Civil War. In recognition of the 19 Civil War veterans in Middletown Cemetery, a mini-Civil War will erupt on the fields behind Middletown Mansion just north of town.

Two authentically portrayed skirmishes between the Union and Confederacy, contributed by the American Civil War Association, will highlight activities.

Although the actual battles were far removed from California, passions here were high. Some Californians were drafted, many others voluntarily joined the war.

Gene Poleno, Lake County historian, will be on hand to share tales of local participation and other little-known information about the war will be offered.

Gibson’s look at the 1860s will also display the fashions, foods and foibles of the times.

Organizers are expecting Scarlett O'Hara – as depicted by Hidden Valley Lake resident Lori Cantrell – to be on hand. Hors d’oeuvres representative of the period, by Julie Hoskins of Chic Le Chef, will be offered along with a local wine.

A "dressing demonstration” by Barbara White of Kelseyville, long-time collector of Victorian era clothing, will show guests how much work it was for a proper lady in those times to get dressed to go out.

Music reminiscent of the era will be offered by David Neft on piano, and by Don Coffin and Andi Skelton on guitar and fiddle, respectively.

Sponsorships of this event will help generate funds to insure continued operation of the museum. Calpine At The Geysers has offered to match early sponsorships up to $1,000. Sponsors will be recognized in promotional efforts and during the course of the activities.

Advance ticket prices are adult, $60; senior, $50; student, $25; children under 10, free. If available, tickets at the gate will be $65, $55 and $30.

Tickets may be ordered online at www.Gibsons2ndAnniversary.com , purchased at Middletown Florist (21037 Calistoga in Middletown Plaza), or by calling Linda Moran at 707-987-2045 or Judy Kauffman at 707-987-2433.

Not all raindrops are created equal. The size of falling raindrops depends on several factors, including where the cloud producing the drops is located on the globe and where the drops originate in the cloud.

For the first time, scientists have three-dimensional snapshots of raindrops and snowflakes around the world from space, thanks to the joint NASA and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission.

With the new global data on raindrop and snowflake sizes this mission provides, scientists can improve rainfall estimates from satellite data and in numerical weather forecast models, helping us better understand and prepare for extreme weather events.

"The drop size distribution is one of many factors that determines how big a storm will grow, how long it will last and how much rain it will ultimately produce," said Joe Munchak, research meteorologist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. "We've never been able to see how water droplet sizes vary globally until now."

Storm clouds contain a wide variety of drop sizes that ultimately fall as rain or snow. In general, in the cores of clouds the drops tend to be bigger because they collide with each other and aggregate as they fall towards the Earth's surface, while smaller droplets occur at the edges and higher altitudes.

Drops tend to be small when they miss colliding into others or break apart. Scientists refer to the number of drops and snowflakes of different sizes at various locations within a cloud as the "particle size distribution."

In order to accurately know how much precipitation is falling in a storm, scientists need to understand the ratio of large drops to smaller or medium sized drops.

Previously, researchers had to make assumptions of the ratio because earlier studies were conducted in isolated locations and global data were limited, said Munchak.

"Without knowing the relationship or the ratio of those large drops to the smaller or medium sized drops, we can have a big error in how much rain we know fell and that can have some big implications for knowing long term accumulations which can help with flash flood predictions," said Munchak.

With GPM's three-dimensional snapshots of drop size distribution, scientists can also gain insight into the structure of a storm and how it will behave.

Drop size distribution influences storm growth by changing the rate of evaporation of rain as it falls through dry air, said Munchak.

Smaller drops, for instance, will tend to evaporate faster and subsequently cool the air more. This leads to stronger flow of downward moving air that can cause damaging winds when they reach the ground.

However, these same downdrafts can interfere with the upward flowing air that fuels the storm and cause the storm to weaken or dissipate.

"GPM measurements will really help predict these complex interactions that depend in part of the drop size distribution," said Munchak.

GPM was launched in 2014 and carries the first Dual-frequency Precipitation Radar (DPR) to fly in space, as well as a multi-channel GPM Microwave Imager (GMI).

The DPR makes detailed 3D measurements of rainfall, while the GMI uses a set of 13 optimized frequencies to retrieve heavy, moderate, and light precipitation measurements at the Earth's surface.

As GPM improves our understanding of precipitation from space, that information will be vital in improving weather models and forecasts.

COBB, Calif. – A magnitude 3.5 earthquake rattled parts of the south county on Friday morning.

The US Geological Survey said the quake occurred at 5:58 a.m.

It was centered five miles northwest of The Geysers steamfield and 14 miles southwest of Clearlake, at a depth of just under one mile, the survey reported.

The survey received shake reports from seven zip codes, including Kelseyville and Middletown within Lake County, Calistoga and St. Helena in Napa County, and Cloverdale, Geyserville and Santa Rosa in Sonoma County.

Friday's quake is the largest reported in the Cobb area since a 3.4-magnitude temblor that occurred on Jan. 15, according to US Geological Survey records.

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.

“Nature is an infinite sphere of which the center is everywhere and the circumference nowhere.” – Blaise Pascal

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Spring is one of the best times of year to observe the antics of Western Fence Lizards, or bluebellies.

These interesting reptiles like to stake a claim on their territory and vie for a mate in a most macho fashion.

The males will circle one another, and set about performing reps of studly push-ups before they tackle and wrestle one another. The winner gets the female.

I contacted reptile expert, Gary, at the www.CaliforniaHerps.com Web site to inquire about the lizards in photos I took for this article.

Gary replied, "This is my favorite time of year because people send me pictures like yours. The lizards are Northwestern Fence Lizards and the reason they look so blue is because they are both males and they are having a territorial dispute. It's mating season and males show off their bright colors and extend their blue throats to intimidate each other. When that doesn't work, they chase and bite each other until one runs off. It's stressful for the lizards but I have enjoyed watching the combat because the lizards are so pre-occupied that they ignore the threat of a large human trying to take pictures of them."

The Western Fence Lizard appears out of hibernation during late winter or early spring, and likes to sun himself, usually on a nearby stone, or, as its name implies- on a fence.

They are cold-blooded creatures, and come in a variety of colors: gray, tan, brown or black. These scaly critters grow to a length of more than 8 inches.

Western Fence Lizards are diurnal, or active during the daylight hours. Western Fence lizards breed after their second year, producing clutches of three to 17 eggs during the months of April to July. The baby lizards use an egg tooth to break free from their eggs.

Western Fence Lizards have been know to live three to five years. They instinctively and quickly scurry away from predators like birds and snakes, and can drop their tails if threatened, as a decoy to then allow for a hasty retreat. If the unlucky lizard is attacked, its tail flops about, drawing attention away from the lizard.

Lizards reserve the tail-drop routine strictly as a last resort, as re-growing a tail uses valuable stores of energy.

Lizards are beneficial in that they eat large quantities of bugs, ants, flies and spiders.

Scientists have learned that where lizards live, Lyme disease is lower. It has been proven that there is a protein in lizard blood that kills the Lyme disease bacterium, and renders the ticks safe from carrying Lyme disease.

Love those lizards!

Kathleen Scavone, M.A., is an educator, potter, writer and author of “Anderson Marsh State Historic Park: A Walking History, Prehistory, Flora, and Fauna Tour of a California State Park” and “Native Americans of Lake County.” She also writes for NASA and JPL as one of their “Solar System Ambassadors.” She was selected “Lake County Teacher of the Year, 1998-99” by the Lake County Office of Education, and chosen as one of 10 state finalists the same year by the California Department of Education.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – Lake County Animal Care and Control's special adoption event wraps up on Saturday, just as a large new group of dogs has arrived.

Animal Care and Control holds the special events up to four times a year.

The savings this week total $50 for dogs and $40 for cats. The event waives the $30 adoption fee for dogs and the $20 adoption fee for cats, and dropped the $20 microchip fee.

The agency had reported it was having a good week with adoptions, but on Friday Director Bill Davidson said they were swamped with an influx of 15 dogs, many of them owner surrenders.

With an already full shelter, community members thinking about adoption are urged to come in and take home a new family member.

The shelter on Friday had three adult cats available, along with several litters of puppies, and many adult dogs – from small Chihuahuas up to large hound and American Bulldog mixes, as well as mixes of boxer, cattle dog, Doberman, Labrador Retriever, mastiff, pit bull, Rottweiler and shepherd.

Adoption costs this week are as follows:

– Dogs: $111 to $126 for females, depending on weight, and $101 for males.

– Cats: $56 for males and $66 for females.

Those costs include spay/neuter, vaccinations, microchipping, licensing and a heartworm test (if age-appropriate).

Visit Lake County Animal Care and Control online at http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Animal_Care_And_Control.htm , call 707-263-0278 or drop by the shelter at 4949 Helbush Drive in Lakeport during kennel hours, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday.

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.

LUCERNE, Calif. – The final installment of the “Distinguished Speaker Series” sponsored by the Lake County Land Trust and the Friends of Marymount California University Lakeside Campus presented a discussion on Lake County's native grasslands.

The event, held at the Lucerne campus Thursday evening, featured a talk by local ecologist Catherine Koehler, director of the University of California’s McLaughlin Reserve in eastern Lake County and the executive director for the Lake County Land Trust.

Koehler's presentation can be seen in the video above.

Her talk was the last of three in the series.

Previous speakers included:

– Biology professor Dr. Harry Lyons in February – www.bit.ly/1SOrdkT ; and

– Archaeologist Dr. John Parker in March – www.bit.ly/1U19nvL .

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake County Animal Care and Control just finished a special weeklong adoption event, but it's still bursting at the seams with animals that need homes.

Nearly 50 dogs are listed for adoption as this week begins, with some of them urgent cases because they've been waiting so long.

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

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

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

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

In addition to the animals featured here, all adoptable animals in Lake County can be seen here: http://bit.ly/Z6xHMb .

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

Male pit bull terrier mix

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

He is in kennel No. 2, ID No. 4697.

Female Chihuahuas

These two female Chihuahuas have short multicolored coats.

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

'Luther'

“Luther” is a male pit bull terrier mix who is in urgent need of a home, as he has been at the shelter since Feb. 28.

He has a short black coat with white markings.

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

He walks well on a leash and has basic commands.

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

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

Female boxer mix

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

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

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

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

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

'Cali'

“Cali” is a female Labrador Retriever.

She has a short yellow coat.

She's in kennel No. 6, ID No. 4683.

Cattle dog-pit bull terrier

This male cattle dog-pit bull terrier has a short white coat with black markings.

He's in kennel No. 7, ID No. 4694.

Male shepherd mix

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

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

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

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

Shepherd-Rottweiler mix puppy

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

She's in kennel No. 9a, ID No. 4713.

Shepherd-bullmastiff mix puppy

This female shepherd-bullmastiff mix puppy has a short tan coat.

She's in kennel No. 9b, ID No. 4714.

Rottweiler-bullmastiff puppy

This female Rottweiler-bullmastiff puppy has a short black coat.

She's in kennel No. 9c, ID No. 4715.

Shepherd-bullmastiff mix puppy

This female shepherd-bullmastiff mix puppy has a short tan coat.

She's in kennel No. 9d, ID No. 4716.

Shepherd-bullmastiff mix puppy

This male shepherd-bullmastiff mix puppy has a short tan coat.

He's in kennel No. 9e, ID No. 4717.

Shepherd-Rottweiler mix puppy

This male shepherd-Rottweiler mix puppy has a short tan and black coat.

He's in kennel No. 9f, ID No. 4718.

Rottweiler-border collie puppy

This male Rottweiler-border collie puppy has a short tricolor coat.

He's in kennel No. 9g, ID No. 4719.

Border collie-bullmastiff puppy

This male border collie-bullmastiff puppy has a short black and white coat.

He's in kennel No. 9h, ID No. 4720.

Rottweiler-bullmastiff puppy

This male Rottweiler-bullmastiff puppy has a short black coat with white markings.

He's in kennel No. 9i, ID No. 4721.

Rottweiler-border collie mix

This female Rottweiler-border collie mix has a short black coat with tan and white markings.

She's in kennel No. 11, ID No. 4722.

Male pit bull terrier mix

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

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

Shepherd-Doberman mix

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

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

Labrador Retriever mix puppies

These Labrador Retriever mix puppies have a variety of coat colors – black, brown, chocolate and brindle.

There are three females and one male.

They are in kennel No. 15a, 15c, 15d and 15f, ID Nos. 4674, 4678, 4679 and 4681.

'Daisy'

“Daisy” is a female American Bulldog.

She has a white coat with some black markings.

Shelter staff said she is great with other dogs and loves to play. She is very well-mannered and does not require much exercise, and is an all-around fun girl.

Because she is already spayed and current on vaccines, her adoption fees will be very low.

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

Male Chihuahua mix

This male Chihuahua mix has an all-white coat.

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

Labrador Retriever-pit bull mix puppies

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

They're in kennel No. 18, ID Nos. 4574, 4575, 4577 and 4581.

'Snowball'

“Snowball” is a female Chihuahua mix with a short tan and white coat.

She's in kennel No. 19a, ID No. 4705.

'Smokey' and 'Sandy'

“Smokey” and “Sandy” are two Chihuahuas in need of a new home.

They are in kennel No. 19b and 19c, ID No. 4706 and 4707.

'Thor'

“Thor” is a male Boston Terrier mix.

He has a short black coat with white markings.

He's in kennel No. 19d, ID No. 4708.

Hound-Labrador Retriever mix

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

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

'Buddy'

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

He is in urgent need of a new home because he has been at the shelter since Feb. 25.

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

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

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

'Bronco'

“Bronco” is a male cattle dog mix.

He has a short white and brown coat.

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

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

Female pit bull mix

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

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

Male pit bull terrier mix

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

He's in kennel No. 27, ID No. 4673.

Labrador Retriever puppy

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

Shelter staff said he would do well in a home with no male dogs.

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

Male Labrador Retriever

This male Labrador Retriever has an all-black coat.

He's in kennel No. 30, ID No. 4711.

Rottweiler-mastiff puppy

This female Rottweiler-mastiff puppy has a short black coat.

She's in kennel No. 31b, ID No. 4620.

Rottweiler-mastiff puppy

This female Rottweiler-mastiff puppy has a short black coat.

She's in kennel No. 31c, ID No. 4621.

Rottweiler-mastiff puppy

This female Rottweiler-mastiff puppy has a short black coat with white markings.

She's in kennel No. 31d, ID No. 4622.

Rottweiler-mastiff puppy

This female Rottweiler-mastiff puppy has a short black coat.

She's in kennel No. 31e, ID No. 4623.

Rottweiler-mastiff puppy

This male Rottweiler-mastiff puppy has a short black coat.

He's in kennel No. 31f, ID No. 4619.

Rottweiler-mastiff puppy

This male Rottweiler-mastiff puppy has a short brindle and white coat.

He's in kennel No. 31h, ID No. 4625.

'Rosie'

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

She has a short brown brindle coat with white markings.

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

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

Hound mix

This male hound mix has a short tan coat with white markings.

He's in kennel No. 33, ID No. 4712.

To fill out an adoption application online visit http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Animal_Care_And_Control/Adopt/Dog___Cat_Adoption_Application.htm .

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

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

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

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

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The U.S. Forest Service Mendocino National Forest and the Bureau of Land Management Ukiah Field Office will hold two open houses to provide the public with information on the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument and monument planning process.

The open houses will run from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at:

· Lakeport, April 28, Clear Lake High School Gymnasium, 350 Lange St.

· Winters, May 4, Winters Community Center, 201 Railroad Ave.

These open house sessions will offer a forum to learn and ask questions about the monument’s resources and recreation opportunities.

The Forest Service and BLM will discuss plans for the near future with the monument.

There will be a short introductory presentation at the beginning of the meeting, followed by information station breakouts where Forest Service and BLM staff members will be available to share their knowledge of the area and answer questions.

Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument was designated on July 10, 2015, by President Obama.

The monument extends from nearly sea level on BLM lands around Lake Berryessa in the south, up to 7,000 feet through the northern Snow Mountain Wilderness and the eastern boundary of the Yuki Wilderness in the MNF.

The monument offers a wealth of natural, historical and cultural resources, as well as exciting recreation opportunities for visitors.

For requests for reasonable accommodation access to the facility or proceedings, contact Uylanda Weathers at 530-934-1103 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

For more information on the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument, visit http://www.fs.fed.us/visit/berryessa-snow-mountain-national-monument .

Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument Map

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The National Weather Service is predicting a break in the sunny weather, as rain returns to the forecast until late into next week.

The specific Lake County forecast calls for a 30-percent chance of rain after 11 a.m. Friday, rising to 50-percent Friday night, with light winds. Friday rainfall is expected to total up to a quarter of an inch.

Showers also are likely on Saturday, with a 70-percent chance in the morning tapering off to a 40-percent chance on Saturday night, also accompanied by light winds. Rainfall totals are predicted to be between a tenth and a quarter of an inch.

There is a 30-percent chance of rains on Sunday and slighter chances Monday through Thursday morning, according to the National Weather Service.

Temperatures through Thursday are predicted to be in the mid 40s at night and the high 60s during the daytime, forecasters said.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.