The California Department of Food and Agriculture's (CDFA) Pest Exclusion Branch is announcing six vacancies on the Nursery Advisory Board.
The board is composed of 12 voting members, each representing an establishment with a valid California License to Sell Nursery Stock.
No two members shall represent the same organization. Members will represent a wide spectrum of the nursery industry, and the board will be geographically representative of the nursery industry in California.
The term of office for board members is four years. Members typically meet twice per year, but can meet more frequently if needed. The members receive no compensation, but are entitled to payment of necessary traveling expenses in accordance with the rules of the California Department of Human Resources.
In addition, the board includes up to nine non-voting ex officio members from the County Agricultural Commissioner and Sealers Association, the University of California, and groups affiliated with the nursery industry.
The mission of the Nursery Advisory Board is to grow and maintain a strong relationship between CDFA and the nursery industry in order to secure the industry’s future.
The board facilitates communication between state and federal regulators and the nursery industry, and it advises CDFA’s Nursery Services Program on policies, fees, and other issues concerning nurseries and nursery stock.
Individuals interested in being considered for this Board appointment should send a brief resumé to Joshua Kress by Jan. 6, 2017 at California Department of Food and Agriculture Pest Exclusion Branch, Attention: Joshua Kress, 1220 N St., Room 344, Sacramento, CA 95814.
For additional information, you may contact the Nursery Services Program at 916-654-0435.
CLEARLAKE, Calif. – An early morning fire on Wednesday burned a mobile home.
Lake County Fire Protection District Chief Willie Sapeta said firefighters from his agency and Cal Fire were dispatched to the fire at Villa Way and Lakeshore Drive at around 6:30 a.m. Wednesday.
He said firefighters arrived at the location, behind the old bowling alley, to find a singlewide mobile home that was 25-percent involved.
The fire was knocked down quickly, with about an hour of overhaul, Sapeta said.
There were three engines from Lake County Fire along with a few more from Cal Fire, as well as two medic units, Sapeta said.
He said there may have been squatters using the structure, but no one was found inside, and there were no injuries.
Sapeta said the cause is still under investigation.
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.
UPPER LAKE, Calif. – The Lake County Land Trust has suspended its Saturday morning walks at the Rodman Preserve near Upper Lake until April due to the condition of the trails.
“Excessive rain is being expected which renders the trails very soggy and impossible to walk without completely soaking your boots,” said Land Trust Board member Roberta Lyons.
For information about the Lake County Land Trust, go to www.lakecountylandtrust.org .
The Land Trust is a local nonprofit organization dedicated to preservation of open space and natural habitat in Lake County.
LAKEPORT, Calif. – Vincent Minelli’s 1958 musical, “Gigi,” screens at the Soper Reese Theatre in Lakeport on Tuesday, Dec. 27, at 1 and 6 p.m.
Leslie Caron, Louis Jourdan and Maurice Chevalier star in this charming love story shot in Paris.
Winner of nine Oscars including best picture and with music and lyrics by Lerner & Loewe, the film is notable for sumptuous sets, high fashion costumes and memorable songs such as “Thank Heaven for Little Girls,” “The Night They Invented Champagne,” “I Remember It Well,” and of course, the title song, “Gigi.”
The movie is sponsored by Kathy Jansen. It's rated G, with run time of 1 hour 56 minutes.
Entry to the film is by donation.
The Soper Reese Theatre is located at 275 S. Main St., Lakeport, 707-263-0577, www.soperreesetheatre.com .
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is amending its regulation on copayments for veterans’ outpatient medications for non-service connected conditions.
VA currently charges non-exempt veterans either $8 or $9 for each 30-day or less supply of outpatient medication, and under current regulations, a calculation based on the medication of the Medical Consumer Price Index (CPI-P) would be used to determine the copayment amount in future years.
“Switching to a tiered system continues to keep outpatient medication costs low for veterans,” said VA Under Secretary for Health Dr. David J. Shulkin. “Reducing their out-of-pocket costs encourages greater adherence to prescribed outpatient medications and reduces the risk of fragmented care that results when multiple pharmacies are used; another way that VA is providing better service to veterans.”
This new regulation eliminates the formula used to calculate future rate increases and establishes three classes of outpatient medications identified as Tier 1, Preferred Generics; Tier 2, Non-Preferred Generics including over-the-counter medications; and Tier 3, Brand Name.
Copayment amounts for each tier would be fixed and vary depending upon the class of outpatient medication in the tier.
These copayment amounts will be effective Feb. 27, 2017:
– $5 for a 30-day or less supply - Tier 1 outpatient medication;
– $8 for a 30-day or less supply - Tier 2 outpatient medication;
– $11 for a 30-day or less supply - Tier 3 outpatient medication.
These changes apply to veterans without a service-connected condition, or veterans with a disability rated less than 50 percent who are receiving outpatient treatment for a non-service connected condition, and whose annual income exceeds the limit set by law.
Medication copayments do not apply to former prisoners of war, catastrophically disabled veterans, or those covered by other exceptions as set by law.
Copayments stop each calendar year for veterans in priority groups 2 to 8 once a $700 cap is reached.
More information on the new tiered medication copayment can be found here.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The heavy rain falling across Lake County has resulted in a series of temporary and long-term roadway closures, with the National Weather Service issuing a flood watch on Thursday.
Forecasters said a Pacific storm system – which already has drenched Lake County and much of Northern California – is expected to bring more rain through Thursday night.
As a result, the National Weather Service issued a flood watch through 4 a.m. Friday for parts of interior Northern California including Lake County.
Heavy rain is expected to continue through the night before tapering off Friday, with conditions expected to be clear in Lake County through the middle of next week.
National Weather Service rainfall observations for the 24-hour period through 2 p.m. Thursday showed large totals, with the Cobb and Middletown areas reporting the most rain.
Totals, in inches, are as follows:
– Bear Canyon/Middletown: 4.51. – Boggs Mountain: 3.28. – Cobb: 4.67. – Hidden Valley Lake: 1.89. – High Glade Lookout (north of Upper Lake): 3.63. – Indian Valley Reservoir: 1.10. – Jerusalem Grade/Middletown: 3.4. – Kelseyville: 1.97. – Lyons Valley (west of Lakeport): 2.13. – Lower Lake: 1.59. – Mt. Konocti: 1.32. – Upper Lake: 2.0. – Whispering Pines: 3.52.
The rain that already has fallen across the county has impacted some area roadways.
The Lake County Public Works Department said that, effective immediately Hill road between Sutter Lakeside Hospital and Lakeshore Boulevard, is closed to all traffic due to continuing debris flows.
The agency said road crews had begun working on the closure on Tuesday after the hillside above the roadway had begun to slip again.
“As long as it's raining and the ground is moving, we can't keep up with the flow to keep it cleared off,” said staffer Lori Price, who also handles the agency's Facebook page, which posts updates of road conditions.
Public Works on Thursday didn't have any estimate as to when that portion of Hill Road would be reopened.
Above the road is Lakeside Heights, the subdivision that's been dealing with a severe landslide for three and a half years.
Another county road closure necessitated by weather conditions is Bell Hill Road at the Adobe Creek low water crossing, which was closed on Thursday due to water flowing over the roadway, according to Lake County Public Works.
As for more immediate and shorter-term closures, the California Highway Patrol reported that the roadway was flooded at Scotts Valley Road and Eickhoff Road in the north Lakeport area, with roadway flooding also reported at Highway 29 and Tule Lake Road near Upper Lake.
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. – On Friday, Dec. 16, a group of concerned citizens will hold a candlelight vigil that organizers said will be dedicated to uniting citizens in support of a national movement of electors voting their conscience.
The vigil will take place on the steps of the Lake County Courthouse in downtown Lakeport, beginning at 6 p.m.
Saro Deacon, one of the event's organizers, said the vigil will be in support of electors in the Electoral College voting for a Republican “compromise candidate” rather than Donald Trump.
She said the primary goal of the vigil is to bring citizens of all political persuasions together to put party aside and put the good of America first. Participants will wear purple and hold lighted candles as a symbol of unity and wisdom. This will be a peaceful and respectful gathering.
Christopher Suprun, a Republican elector from Texas, and Polly Baca, an elector from Colorado, have spoken out to say that electors need to choose an alternative candidate.
Many of the presidential electors who have stepped forward in opposition to Trump refer to Alexander Hamilton’s words in Federalist 68: “The process of election affords a moral certainty, that the office of President will never fall to the lot of any man who is not in an eminent degree endowed with the requisite qualifications.”
The vigil is in anticipation of a larger, nationwide vigil to be held in every state capitol around the nation on the evening of Dec. 19, when electors will cast their votes to decide who will be the next president.
SACRAMENTO – Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones on Tuesday issued new Anti-Steering in Auto Body Repair regulations that increase consumer protections to prevent consumers from being misled or claims delayed when a collision-damaged vehicle needs to be repaired.
The new rules prohibit insurers from making untruthful, deceptive, or misleading statements to consumers that unreasonably influence a consumer's right to select the repair facility.
These new regulations complement existing state consumer protection laws that prohibit insurance companies from requiring that repairs be done in an insurance company-chosen shop and guarantee that consumers have the absolute right to select where they have their vehicles repaired.
The new rules also provide guidelines for reasonable timeframes for insurers to inspect damaged vehicles and identify what constitutes unreasonable distances in cases where an insurer requires the consumer to travel to obtain a repair estimate or have a vehicle repaired.
"Consumers who suffer from collision damage should not be misled by insurance companies or forced to wait weeks for an inspection in order to steer them away from their chosen shop and into insurer-contracted repair shops just so the insurance company can save money at the expense of proper and safe repairs," said Commissioner Jones.
These new regulations follow the recently approved Auto Collision Repair Labor Rate Survey regulations, which set forth standards for insurers, which, if followed, will ensure that auto body repair labor rate surveys are accurate and reliable so that insurers pay the reasonable and proper amount and consumers are therefore not paying out-of-pocket for collision repairs.
The Office of Administrative Law, which independently reviews all new regulations, approved the commissioner's regulation on Monday.
The regulation goes into effect by operation of law on Jan. 1, 2017. However, these newly adopted regulations are part of the Fair Claims Settlement Practices Regulations, which contain a delayed compliance date in order to give insurers additional time to comply.
The compliance date for the Anti-Steering in Auto Body Repair regulations is March 12, 2017.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – A man released in February after serving 18 years in state prison for a crime he didn't commit has died.
Luther Ed Jones Jr., 71, died early on the morning of Dec. 6, according to his attorney, Angela Carter.
Jones was freed in February at the order of Lake County Superior Court Judge Andrew Blum after evidence was brought forward by District Attorney Don Anderson that exonerated Jones, who had been convicted in 1998 of molesting his ex-girlfriend's 10-year-old daughter, as Lake County News has reported.
The young woman who had been the alleged victim in the case contacted the District Attorney's Office on Feb. 9 to say that her mother – who at the time the case arose was locked in a custody battle with Jones over a young child they had together – had coerced her into making the molestation accusation against Jones.
Anderson sent his staff to interview the young woman, who now lives outside of Lake County, and found her credible. He followed up by filing a writ of habeas corpus for Jones, working with Carter to bring the matter before the court.
During a hearing on Feb. 16, just one week after the young woman had come forward, Judge Blum considered the writ, spoke to Anderson, his staff and to Carter, and surprised everyone by bypassing additional hearings and ordering Jones to be immediately released.
By that point, Jones had served 18 years of the 27-year prison sentence he had received at the end of his second trial in 1998. The first trial had ended after the jury deadlocked.
Both Anderson and Carter have praised Blum's handling of the case and noted that he quickly ended what could have been an unnecessarily lengthy process.
“He cuts right to the chase,” said Anderson, who called Blum “conscientious” in making sure justice was – at last – done in Jones' case.
Blum also had previously helped expedite the release of a man who had been held for several months in the Lake County Jail after being incorrectly identified by a witness in a robbery, Anderson said.
Jones was released by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation the day after Blum ordered him freed.
However, in the days and months to come, Jones and his family would encounter one challenge after another, from what to do about his rapidly failing health to seeking compensation for his wrongful imprisonment.
Jones ultimately received $936,880 from the California Victim Compensation and Government Claims Board for being wrongfully imprisoned for 6,692 days from Oct. 22, 1997, until Feb. 17, 2016. The time frame on that settlement began at the time of his arrest and included time he spent in the Lake County Jail.
Jones was repeatedly hospitalized after his February release, and there were concerns that he would die before the compensation case was awarded. Carter said would have meant that the compensation process would have ended, and Jones' family wouldn't have been able to pursue it.
The Northern California Innocence Project assisted with the claim to the state, and Sen. Mike McGuire and then-Assemblyman Bill Dodd also joined the effort by expediting the monetary award to Jones by having it included in SB 1186, a larger victim compensation bill authored by state Sen. Ricardo Lara.
The bill was signed by Gov. Jerry Brown on July 1, as Lake County News has reported.
Anderson, in responding to Jones' death, said this week that he was glad that his office was able to help Jones regain his freedom.
He said he had never actually met Jones in person. “I was thinking about it but never got out there,” he said, adding that every time he had wanted to try to set up a meeting, Jones was back in the hospital.
Anderson is now in his second term as district attorney, so he was not leading the District Attorney's Office at the time of Jones' conviction. However, he acknowledged that it was the District Attorney's Office that caused the case to be brought against Jones.
“Our mission is not only to prove someone guilty but prove them innocent when they are,” Anderson said.
In the months since the Jones case came before him, Anderson has taken other actions to address the problem of perjury in the courts.
That includes forming a perjury investigation unit which so far has made several arrests in an effort to stop people from lying to the courts and creating the kind of damage to people like Jones suffered.
Anderson has not brought charges against Jones' ex-girlfriend, whose daughter had made the allegations against him. He had told Lake County News in previous interviews that trying to pursue that case likely wouldn't succeed due to the time that has elapsed.
Carter said she has been impressed with how the Jones family – including his seven children – came together to take care of their father.
His son, Ko'Fawn Jones, who lost his home in the Valley fire, left his job to provide full-time care for his ailing dad, she said.
And there was the effort to catch up on those two decades of lost time, with Jones getting to know his grandchildren and being finally able to eat food he enjoyed, watch things on TV that he liked and be in the company of family from the time he was released until the time he died, Carter said.
“I think it's a blessing that Luther was able to die surrounded by family instead of the cold, harsh environment of prison health care. I also believe that his family's commitment to his care and comfort extended his life. When he was released from prison and returned to his family, he was told that he had very little time to live,” Carter said.
“He will live on as an example of the effects of injustice and an inspiration to those of us who have an interest in righting wrongs and making sure that the justice system doesn't turn innocent people into its victims,” she said.
Carter added, “I'm grateful that Luther and his family came into my life. All of us, every single one of us, involved in the criminal law system need to be vigilant, watchful and careful that we don't unintentionally cause anyone to suffer the same fate as Luther.”
A funeral service for Jones is tentatively scheduled for Saturday morning at Jones & Lewis Clear Lake Memorial Chapel, 16140 Main St. in Lower Lake. Final details are still pending, the mortuary reported.
The video above features an interview with Jones in February, just a few weeks after his release.
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 city of Lakeport reported that two areas of the city will be impacted by roadwork on Thursday, Dec. 15.
From midnight Thursday to 6 a.m. and again from 8 p.m. until 6 a.m. on Friday the turn lane will be closed at Lakeport Boulevard just west of Main Street. Please follow traffic control devices in the area.
Additionally, on Thursday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. work will take place in the right-of-way roadway shoulder at the corner of Second and Main streets. There will be no lane closures, but please drive safely in the area.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – A storm making its way over Northern California is bringing heavy rain and winds, and has resulted in weather advisories for area residents.
The National Weather Service issued a wind advisory that's in effect through noon on Thursday and a flood watch that ends at 4 a.m. Friday.
The wind watch urges area residents to be prepared for strong, gusty southerly winds that are expected to increase Wednesday night and into Thursday as a powerful weather system moves in from the Pacific and across Northern California.
Winds in Lakeport are forecast to have gusts up to 26 miles per hour Wednesday night and 23 miles per hour Thursday morning, with Cobb likely to have gusts into the low 30s Wednesday night and mid-30s on Thursday morning, based on the specific forecast.
In the Clearlake area, gusts are predicted in the low 30s both Wednesday night and Thursday morning, with similar wind speeds expected on the Northshore.
At the same time, a large amount of rain is in the forecast.
The National Weather Service said moisture from the Pacific will interact with a cold front and bring periods of heavy rainfall and snow in the higher elevations through early Friday, when it starts to taper off.
The forecast calls for conditions to clear on Friday and continue early into next week, when the next chances of rain are expected on Wednesday.
On Wednesday the Lakeport Public Works Department issued its own advisory about the series of storm systems developing over the eastern Pacific and approaching the area, in addition to the heavy winds.
Officials said several inches of rain could fall in the area through midday Thursday.
The department warned that downed limbs are likely and downed trees are possible. Officials asked that people be aware of the possible driving hazards and of emergency crews out in the storm, and that they drive with care and be safe.
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.
