California's black bears are waking up hungry from their winter downtime.
To help minimize unwanted bear foraging behavior, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife is reminding those living in or visiting bear country to store food and dispose of garbage properly.
Black bears typically prefer remote mountainous areas. However, as more people frequent or live in natural bear habitat, the abundance of food and garbage associated with human activities is a temptation hungry bears find hard to resist.
"Over the years, we have seen bear behavior change significantly in areas where more people live and recreate in bear habitat," said Vicky Monroe, CDFW's Conflict Programs coordinator. "Beginning with spring and into late fall, we receive a steady stream of calls from the public reporting anything from bears breaking into cabins and tents to bears stealing food off picnic tables."
Black bears, like other bear species, have a highly specialized sense of smell, which can sometimes lead them to towns and recreation areas where they may quickly find an overflowing garbage can or someone's leftover hamburger and French fries.
The public can help bears stay out of human settlements and stick to their natural diet by properly disposing of leftover food and garbage. Additional suggestions include:
– Residents and vacationers should remove any food attractants from around their home or rental. Pet food, barbecue grills and bird feeders are also attractants. Store trash in bear-resistant storage sheds until trash pickup day.
– Use sensory deterrents (such as ammonia), electric mats and bear-resistant fencing to exclude hungry and curious bears from gaining access to attractants.
– Visitors to towns and tourist areas should not pile trash in a trash can or bin that is already overflowing - take trash to a proper receptacle or another location if necessary.
– Keep campsites and other recreation areas clean. Use bear-resistant coolers and store all food in bear lockers.
CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The Clearlake City Council on Thursday approved a list of road projects to submit to the state for funding and got an update from Public Works staff on the plans for road maintenance projects in the coming months.
The discussion on roads begins in the video above at the 3:23:20 mark.
Public Works Superintendent Michael Baker presented to the council the list of road projects staff proposed submitting to the California Transportation Commission for funding under Senate Bill 1, the Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017.
The list, in no particular order, includes:
– Meadowbrook area pavement rehabilitation project: $1.1 million. – Pearl Avenue/Emory Avenue pavement rehabilitation project: $1.3 million. – Highlands Park frontage improvement project: $516,000. – Airport Road regional connector improvements: $1.2 million. – Modoc/Second Street pavement rehabilitation project: $550,000. – San Joaquin drainage improvements and pavement rehabilitation: $1.4 million. – Dam Road roundabout: $4.6 million.
He said adopting the resolution containing the list of projects didn’t obligate the city to spend funds on the project.
City Manager Alan Flora said the list is supposed to include projects that would be completed in the next year. Work on Lakeshore Drive isn’t on the list because that project isn’t far enough along.
“This is an extremely optimistic project list,” said Flora, noting there is no penalty for adding extra projects. He said they were erring on the side of adding extra projects in, in hopes of getting the money.
Flora also noted during the discussion that the city is only eligible for funding for projects included on the list, which has to be submitted by May 1.
Councilman Russell Cremer asked if the projects were designed already. Flora said they were in various stages, with the city’s consulting engineer, Dave Swartz, adding that Meadowbrook is the farthest along.
Councilman Phil Harris was concerned about the city not being able to complete all of the projects within the coming year.
Later in the discussion, Harris said, “These proposed completion dates make me giddy,” and that he didn’t want to get let down.
Harris added that the city has a history of not doing things by certain dates, and he preferred to under promise and over deliver.
Swartz said that, realistically, they will see work on Emory, Pearl, Highlands Harbor and Highlands Park in the coming year.
“In the next 12 months, we’re going to tear up some ground,” Swartz said.
The council approved the resolution unanimously.
Baker also presented to the council the city’s road maintenance plan for this year.
The city’s road work is largely funded by its Measure V road tax.
He said his staff will start grading in the Avenues on May 6. They’re starting in that area due to the number of complaints and service requests as a result of heavy rains and lack of drainage.
“Some of those spots are pretty bad,” he said, and they need to be addressed quickly as they are creating issues for elderly residents with medical conditions.
He said his department is now working to hire more workers, with Public Works staff to be split into two crews: One crew of four to six people will do pothole repair, crack sealing and miscellaneous work, while the grading crew will include six to nine personnel.
Baker said the crews will work 10-hour days, Monday through Friday, and alternating Saturdays.
He said they are required by law to call DigAlert before starting grading work so that the utilities are marked. It usually takes about 48 hours for that process. In the meantime, crews will go out and trim trees and clean the right-of-way so equipment won’t be damaged.
Baker said they will build up the road base as part of the grading.
Pothole patching will start on Lakeshore Drive, move up Olympic Drive and come down Old Highway 53, Baker said.
In addition to their work plan, Baker said crews will respond to service requests.
Flora showed a map – which he said the city plans to post a map on its Web site – illustrating where the crews will be working.
He said grading work is expected to take place from 18th to 30th avenues.
Baker also let the council know that, in case of emergencies, the grading crew could be called off its work to assist elsewhere.
Cremer asked if the first phase of work will take the entire summer. Baker said no. Cremer followed up by asking about phase two.
Flora said the plan is to give the council and public a monthly update on progress and next phases. He said the city is changing its technique a little this year as it tries to accomplish more road work than it did last year.
He said they want to see how much ground they can cover. “Having the two crews is really going to help.”
Cremer asked how long Baker expected it to take to complete pothole repair. Baker said the city is still waiting for delivery of its new asphalt hot box, which is being built. He reported that the manufacturer said they should hear something by next week.
As soon as the city gets that piece of equipment, Baker said the city repair crew will get to work.
“They’re going to be working hard, they’re going to be working 10-hour days, five to six days a week,” Baker 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.
The California Department of Public Health announced that consumers who have prescription drugs that are no longer needed or are expired can safely dispose of them on National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day, Saturday, April 27.
Unused medications in homes create a public health and safety concern because they are highly susceptible to accidental ingestion, theft or misuse. The proper disposal of unused drugs protects the environment and helps save lives.
“We know that the majority of abused prescription drugs are from the home medicine cabinets of family and friends,” said State Public Health Officer and CDPH Director Dr. Karen Smith. “The Take-Back event is a valuable opportunity for everyone to help keep their loved ones safe.”
The Lakeport Police Department, located at 2025 S. Main St., will participate with its own event from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., as Lake County News has reported.
Visit the Drug Enforcement Administration Web site for other locations throughout California, or by calling 800-882-9539. Events throughout the state run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. There is no charge.
Consumers can anonymously drop off pills and other solids, such as patches and well-sealed liquids. However, there will be no collection of sharps waste, such as needles and syringes at these sites.
According to the 2015 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 6.4 million Americans abused controlled prescription drugs. The study shows that a majority of abused prescription drugs were obtained from family and friends, often from the home medicine cabinet.
During the National Prescription Drug Take-Back event in October 2018, federal, state and local law enforcement partners across the country collected 457 tons of unwanted prescription drugs: Californians disposed of more than 34.5 tons of unwanted drugs, more than any other state.
Jim Ippolito, Colorado State University and Mahdi Al-Kaisi, Iowa State University
A John Deere tractor makes its way through floodwaters in Fargo, North Dakota. AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster
As devastating images of the 2019 Midwest floods fade from view, an insidious and longer-term problem is emerging across its vast plains: The loss of topsoil that much of the nation’s food supply relies on.
Today, Midwest farmers are facing millions of bushels of damaged crops such as soybean and corn. This spring’s heavy rains have already caused record flooding, which could continue into May and June, and some government officials have said it could take farmers years to recover.
Long after the rains stop, floodwaters continue to impact soil’s physical, chemical and biological properties that all plants rely on for proper growth. Just as very wet soils would prevent a homeowner from tending his or her garden, large amounts of rainfall prevent farmers from entering a wet field with machinery. Flooding can also drain nutrients out of the soil that are necessary for plant growth as well as reduce oxygen needed for plant roots to breathe, and gather water and nutrients.
As scientists who have a combined 80 years of experience studying soil processes, we see clearly that many long-term problems farmers face from floodwaters are steeped in the soil. This leads us to conclude that farmers may need to take far more active measures to manage soil health in the future as weather changes occur more drastically due to climate change and other factors.
Here are some of the perils with flooded farmland that can affect the nation’s food supply.
Suffocating soil
When soil is saturated by excessive flooding, soil pores are completely filled with water and have little to no oxygen present. Much like humans, plants need oxygen to survive, with the gas taken into plants via leaves and roots. Also identical to humans, plants – such as farm crops – can’t breathe underwater.
A fence encrusted with ice and cornstalks stands in Nebraska floodwaters.AP Photo/Nati Harnik
Essentially, excess and prolonged flooding kills plant roots because they can’t breathe. Dead plant roots in turn lead to death of aboveground plant, or crop, growth.
Another impact of flooding is compacted soil. This often occurs when heavy machinery is run over wet or saturated farmland. When soils become compacted, future root growth and oxygen supply are limited. Thus, severe flooding can delay or even prevent planting for the entire growing season, causing significant financial loss to farmers.
Loss of soil nutrients
When flooding events occur, such as overwatering your garden or as with the 2019 Midwest flooding, excess water can flush nutrients out of the soil. This happens by water running offsite, leaching into and draining through the ground, or even through the conversion of nutrients from a form that plants can utilize to a gaseous form that is lost from the soil to the atmosphere.
Regardless of whether you are a backyard gardener or large-scale farmer, these conditions can lead to delays in crop planting, reduced crop yields, lower nutritive value in crops and increased costs in terms of extra fertilizers used. There is also the increased stress within the farming community – or for you, the backyard gardener who couldn’t plant over the weekend due to excess rainfall. This ultimately increases the risk of not producing ample food over time.
Small microbial changes have big effects
Flooding on grand scales causes soils to become water-saturated for longer than normal periods of time. This, in turn, affects soil microorganisms that are beneficial for nutrient cycling.
Flooded soils may encounter problems caused by the loss of a specific soil microorganism, arbuscular mycorrhizae fungi. These fungi colonize root systems in about 90% to 95% of all plants on Earth in a mutually beneficial relationship.
The fungi receive energy in the form of carbon from the plant. As the fungi extend thread-like tendrils into the soil to scavenge for nutrients, they create a zone where nutrients can be taken up more easily by the plant. This, in turn, benefits nutrient uptake and nutritive value of crops.
When microbial activity is interrupted, nutrients don’t ebb and flow within soils in the way that is needed for proper crop growth. Crops grown in previously flooded fields may be affected due to the absence of a microbial community that is essential for maintaining proper plant growth.
The current Midwest flooding has far-reaching effects on soil health that may last many years. Recovering from these types of extreme events will likely require active management of soil to counteract the negative long-term effects of flooding. This may include the adoption of conservation systems that include the use of cover crops, no-till or reduced-till systems, and the use of perennials grasses, to name few. These types of systems may allow for better soil drainage and thus lessen flooding severity in soils.
Farmers have the ability to perform these management practices, but only if they can afford to convert over to these new systems; not all farmers are that fortunate. Until improvements in management practices are resolved, future flooding will likely continue to leave large numbers of Midwest fields vulnerable to producing lower crop yields or no crop at all.
Children had the chance to learn about the Clearlake Police Department in Clearlake, Calif., on Thursday, April 25, 2019. Courtesy photo. CLEARLAKE, Calif. – On Thursday, in conjunction with more than 3.5 million public and private sector employers across the nation, the city of Clearlake participated in “Take Our Sons and Daughters to Work Day.”
Employees from all divisions, including the Clearlake Police Department, Public Works, Code Enforcement and administration, brought their children to work to show them the value of their education and help them discover the power and possibilities associated with a balanced work and family life.
The children spent a half day with the Public Works Department, learning proper equipment techniques and how roads are built.
The daughter of a city employee getting to check out equipment at the Public Works Department in Clearlake, Calif., on Thursday, April 25, 2019. Courtesy photo.
They were then given a tour of the police department, where Det. Leonardo Flores taught them fingerprinting techniques and showed them to use the sirens and loud speakers in the vehicles.
They ended their day with a meeting with Councilmember Phil Harris, who taught them about the history of Clearlake and discussed the roles their parents play within the city of Clearlake.
“Take Our Sons and Daughters to Work Day” on Thursday, April 25, 2019, hosted children of city employees in Clearlake, Calif. Courtesy photo.
Gary Joseph Williams, 34, of Clearlake, Calif., has reached a plea agreement with the California Attorney General’s Office for the 2014 killing of Guillermo Figueroa. Lake County Jail photo. LAKEPORT, Calif. – The California Attorney General’s Office has reached a settlement in the 2014 murder of a man who investigators believe was killed in relation to illegal marijuana growing in Clearlake.
Gary Joseph Williams, 34, of Clearlake pleaded last month to voluntary manslaughter with a gun in the death of Guillermo Figueroa, with a number of other counts dismissed, according to his attorney, Patrick Pekin of Fort Bragg.
The Lake County Superior Court Clerk’s Office confirmed that Williams is set to be sentenced at 1:30 p.m. May 6 in Department 3 before Judge David Markham.
The California Attorney General’s Office began handling the case’s prosecution early on because of a conflict of interest for then-District Attorney Don Anderson.
Specifically, his daughter, Robyn Anderson, her husband Michael Campbell and her daughter, Courtney Crusse, were all named as potential witnesses in court documents. Robyn Anderson was expected to testify at one point and Crusse, who was given immunity, also was to have testified but refused, according to Pekin.
“I had to recuse myself because my granddaughter was a witness,” and a “pretty crucial witness” at that, Anderson – who left office at the end of 2018 – told Lake County News.
Jury selection and motion hearings had been under way in mid-March, when Williams’ trial was set to start. But just days before the trial was to have begun on March 20, Williams and the Attorney General’s Office reached the settlement.
Lake County News made a total of five requests – three by phone, two by email – to the Attorney General’s Office seeking comment on the case settlement, but the agency did not respond.
Pekin said it’s a really good outcome for Williams in a case that originally was considered for the death penalty because it was prosecuted as a murder during the course of a robbery, which is one of the special circumstances that qualifies as a capital offense.
The death penalty was taken off the table by the Attorney General’s Office not long after Pekin came on as Williams’ counsel. At that point, had Williams been tried and convicted, he could have faced life without the possibility of parole.
Pekin said the ultimate offer was voluntary manslaughter with a gun, with a 16-year sentence. Williams has been in custody since Nov. 26, 2014 – he already had been in jail for the theft of a trailer when he was arrested in the Figueroa case in May 2015 – so that four years will count toward his time served.
“The bottom line is, he would be released in about nine years or so,” said Pekin.
That was a much better outcome, said Pekin, than the possibility of losing at trial and having his client face a life sentence.
A missing man and discovered remains
In late October 2014, local law enforcement began investigating Figueroa’s disappearance.
The 36-year-old husband and father of three was reported missing to the Clearlake Police Department by his wife on Oct. 27 after he failed to return home to Hidden Valley Lake from visiting a friend in Clearlake. He had last texted his wife the night before.
The Clearlake Police Department pinged Figueroa’s phone to an area in Clearlake and later found a vehicle registered to him on Burns Valley Road.
Then, on Nov. 28, 2014, Clearlake Police responded to a report from a man who lived in the 2700 block of Oleander Street. The man discovered a human skull in his yard that he believed his dog may have found and brought there.
Teams of detectives, sheriff's deputies, K-Corps members and out-of-county law enforcement personnel combed the isolated, heavily wooded part of the city where the skull was found and, the day after the skull’s discovery, a canine from the Contra Costa County-based California Rescue Dog Association found partial human remains about 100 yards north of the residence where the skull had been located.
An autopsy and DNA results matched the skull and remains as belonging to Figueroa in December 2014.
Guillermo Figueroa. Lake County News file photo. A complicated case
Pekin said a dispute over marijuana cultivation and collection of funds appeared to be a potential cause in the murder.
Don Anderson said his daughter and son-in-law “knew Williams and there was some marijuana issues going on between them,” adding he didn’t know the extent of it.
When Figueroa’s wife went to the Clearlake Police Department in October 2014 to report his disappearance, she was accompanied by a man who had been with Figueroa at a party the day before. The two men then left and went to the Clearlake Safeway and the man watched Figueroa get into a vehicle with a woman. At the time, Figueroa was reported to have $5,000 in cash on him, but he wouldn’t tell his wife what it was for, according to court documents.
The investigation revealed that Figueroa owned a grow house in Clearlake and was involved in the illegal marijuana growing trade.
Pekin said Figueroa also had been growing marijuana for Campbell.
The investigative trail led to Campbell, who is recounted in court documents as admitting to authorities that Figueroa had been growing marijuana on his property in Clearlake Park. Campbell and his wife and Crusse said people had been looking for Figueroa in connection to the marijuana and money he was said to have owned them.
Other witnesses said they saw Crusse drive Figueroa away from the Clearlake Safeway in her green Mercedes, and that Crusse, who spoke Spanish, often interpreted for Figueroa. There also were details about armed confrontations between two groups over marijuana Figueroa was growing.
At one point in the investigation, Robyn Anderson admitted not being truthful with people – as her daughter also had done – and said her husband had taken Figueroa’s marijuana and had someone transplant it elsewhere.
“Robyn Anderson told Detective Riley that her father, District Attorney Don Anderson, had called her about the case and asked Robyn to go on a drive with him. During the drive, Don questioned Robyn extensively about the case,” the documents said.
As far as his discussion with his daughter, Don Anderson said, “I was not giving her legal advice because she had an attorney.”
He said he also was present at the meetings between his granddaughter and her Fifth Amendment attorney, Andrea Sullivan, adding he gave Crusse “grandfatherly advice.”
Police received information that Williams and his girlfriend, Crystal Pearls, had stolen Figueroa’s marijuana. They then searched Williams’ mother’s home, and found her boyfriend – a convicted felon – in possession of ammunition. Wanting to avoid jail, he offered authorities information – that Williams had admitted to him that he shot “the Mexican” in the face with a .22 revolver and that the “interpreting girl” – Crusse – saw it.
Court documents also state that Williams’ brother told authorities – after he was granted immunity – that Williams admitted to “killing a Mexican.”
Williams was arrested on Nov. 26, 2014, during a sweep of his mother’s home, on charges relating to a trailer theft.
Meanwhile, the investigation continued. Figueroa’s remains were sent to Dr. Allison Galloway at the University of California, Santa Cruz, in January 2015.
Galloway completed her examination of the remains in three weeks, concluding that Figueroa had been shot once or twice in the head. One of the wounds, in the forehead, was determined to be either a .22 or .32 caliber hole.
A second injury on the right maxillary bone – found in the upper jaw – could have been from a bullet strike, blunt force trauma or animal scavenging. No weapon or slug was recovered.
“He was certainly killed by gunshot,” said Pekin, but added that Galloway couldn’t tell with any degree of certainty how long Figueroa had been dead.
In March 2015, a search warrant was executed on Crusse’s Mercedes, which case documents said was the first time it was inventoried or subjected to any forensic treatment. Investigators found the carpet had been replaced and washed, and the tires rotated.
In May 2015, once more evidence had been gathered and corroborated, Williams was arrested for the murder.
The following month, Crusse, driving a tan Dodge Colt with two male passengers, was stopped by a Clearlake Police officer. A functional Mossberg .22 rifle with a cut short barrel and pistol grip was discovered. “Crusse was evasive as to how long the gun had been in her car and claimed it belonged to her great grandfather,” according to trial briefs.
“We hadn’t gotten far enough to litigating that,” Pekin said of the rifle, which could have potentially been brought up at trial.
Extensive trial preparation
Pekin said he was “pretty eager” to take the case to trial.
He said Judge Markham scrutinized every piece of evidence, the amount of which was enormous. He said there were estimated to be 50 witnesses, plus DNA and GPS evidence.
The case, Pekin said, had “all the bells and whistles.”
He added, “It had so many forensic aspects to it that are really interesting to work with.”
Pekin said Robyn Anderson and Courtney Crusse were going to be called to the stand.
Crusse was a material witness. “She was close to the case, close enough to be granted immunity,” said Pekin, adding that Crusse had refused to testify.
Don Anderson confirmed that the Attorney General’s Office offered his granddaughter immunity, that she was subpoenaed and was going to show up to the trial. However, he said he couldn’t say if she would have testified.
Andrea Sullivan, the administrator of Lake Indigent Defense, the county’s indigent defense contractor, said she was appointed as Fifth Amendment counsel for Crusse after other available attorneys were disqualified for conflicts.
Sullivan said she couldn’t comment on the course of action Crusse chose to take regarding testifying, but added that Crusse was “one of many” people offered immunity in the case.
Pekin said it was “certainly a possibility” that Don Anderson himself could have been called as a witness, but Anderson told Lake County News that he had not gotten any subpoena or notice to testify.
Jury selection was extensive. Hundreds of potential jurors were interviewed in a two-phase process. Pekin said the trial had been expected to last for about two months, and those individuals who said they could serve for the duration had to fill out a 23-page questionnaire.
Pekin said the case was “really triable,” which he believes is reflected in the offer the Attorney General’s Office made. He said you’re never going to see a 16-year offer in a case that started out as a homicide with a gun.
“I think the court did a really good job,” Pekin said, offering praise for Judge Markham and Deputy Attorney General Peter Flores Jr.
Lake County Probation will do a sentencing report, as is standard. Pekin said it should be fairly straightforward and noncontroversial.
“I’m really grateful that I had the opportunity to work on it at all,” Pekin said of the case.
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.
BERKELEY, Calif. – Some of the peculiar aspects of our solar system – an enveloping cloud of comets, dwarf planets in weird orbits and, if it truly exists, a possible Planet Nine far from the sun – have been linked to the close approach of another star in our system’s infancy flung things helter-skelter.
But are stellar flybys really capable of knocking planets, comets and asteroids askew, reshaping entire planetary systems?
UC Berkeley and Stanford University astronomers think they have now found a smoking gun.
A planet orbiting a young binary star may have been perturbed by another pair of stars that skated too close to the system between 2 and 3 million years ago, soon after the planet formed from a swirling disk of dust and gas.
If confirmed, this bolsters arguments that close stellar misses help sculpt planetary systems and may determine whether or not they harbor planets with stable orbits.
“One of the mysteries arising from the study of exoplanets is that we see systems where the planets are misaligned, even though they are born in a flat, circular disk,” said Paul Kalas, a UC Berkeley adjunct professor of astronomy. “Maybe a cosmic tsunami hit these systems and rearranged everything about them, but we haven't had proof. Our paper gives rare observational evidence for one of these flybys gently influencing one of the planetary systems in the galaxy.”
Astronomers are already searching for a stellar flyby in our solar system’s past, but since that likely happened 4.6 billion years ago, most of the evidence has gone cold.
The star system that the astronomers studied, identified only by the number HD 106906 and located about 300 light years from Earth in the direction of the constellation Crux, is very young, only about 15 million years old.
Kalas and Robert De Rosa, a former UC Berkeley postdoc who is now a research scientist at Stanford’s Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology, describe their findings in a paper accepted for publication in the Astronomical Journal and now available online.
Rogue stars
Kalas, who studies young, newly formed planetary systems to try to understand what happened in the early years of our own solar system, first focused on HD 106906 in 2015 after it was found to have a massive planet in a highly unusual orbit.
The planet, dubbed HD 106906 b, has a mass of about 11 Jupiters, and it orbits HD 106906 — recently revealed to be a binary star – in an orbit tipped about 21 degrees from the plane of the disk that contains all the other material around the star.
Its current location is at least 738 times farther from its star than Earth is from the sun, or about 18 times farther from its star than Pluto is from the sun.
Kalas used both the Gemini Planet Imager on the Gemini Telescope in the Chilean Andes and the Hubble Space Telescope to look more closely at HD 106906 and discovered that the star has a lopsided comet belt, as well.
The planet’s strange orbit and the fact that the dust disk itself is asymmetrical indicated that something had disrupted the young system.
Kalas and his colleagues, including De Rosa, proposed that the planet had been kicked out of its solar system by interactions with another as-yet-unseen planet in the system or by a passing star.
Kalas and De Rosa now believe that both happened: The planet was kicked into an eccentric orbit when it came dangerously close to the central binary star, a scenario proposed in 2017 by theorist Laetitia Rodet and her collaborators from the Grenoble Observatory in France.
Repeated gravitational kicks from the binary would have quickly ejected the planet into interstellar space, but the passing stars rescued the planet by nudging its orbit to a safer distance from the binary.
The Gaia space observatory gave them the data they needed to test their hypothesis. Gaia, launched in 2012 by the European Space Agency, collects precise measurements of distance, position and motion for 1.3 billion stars in the Milky Way Galaxy, a catalog 10,000 times larger than Gaia’s predecessor, Hipparcos.
Kalas and De Rosa gathered Gaia information on 461 stars in the same cluster as HD 106906 and calculated their positions backward in time—reversed the cosmic clock, so to speak—and discovered that another binary star system may have approached close enough 3 million years ago to alter the planetary system.
“What we have done here is actually find the stars that could have given HD 106906 b the extra gravitational kick, a second kick so that it became long-lived, just like a hypothetical Planet Nine would be in our solar system,” Kalas said.
They also found also that the binary star came in on a trajectory that was within about 5 degrees of the system’s disk, making it even more likely that the encounter had a strong and lasting impact on HD 106906.
Such double kicks may be important to stabilizing planets, asteroids and comets around stars, Kalas said.
“Studying the HD 106906 planetary system is like going back in time to watch the Oort cloud of comets forming around our young sun,” he said. “Our own giant planets gravitationally kicked countless comets outward to large distances. Many were ejected completely, becoming interstellar objects like ʻOumuamua, but others were influenced by passing stars. That second kick by a stellar flyby can detach a comet’s orbit from any further encounters with the planets, saving it from the prospect of ejection. This chain of events preserved the most primitive solar system material in a deep freeze far from the sun for billions of years.”
Kalas hopes that future observations, such as an updated catalog of Gaia measurements, will clarify the significance of the flyby on HD 106906.
“We started with 461 suspects and discovered two that were at the scene of the crime,” he said. “Their exact role will be revealed as we gather more evidence.”
The work was supported by the National Science Foundation (AST-1518332), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NNX15AC89G) and Nexus for Exoplanet System Science (NExSS), a research coordination network sponsored by NASA’s Science Mission Directorate (NNX15AD95G).
Robert Sanders writes for the UC Berkeley News Center.
Jose Villela, 35, of Kelseyville, Calif., was arrested on Thursday, April 25, 2019, on drug charges following a traffic stop in Nice, Calif. Lake County Jail photo. NICE, Calif. – Authorities took a Kelseyville man into custody early Thursday after he was found to be in possession of suspected methamphetamine, heroin and cocaine.
Jose Villela, 35, was arrested following a traffic stop on the Northshore, according to Lt Corey Paulich of the Lake County Sheriff’s Office.
At 12:30 a.m. Thursday a Lake County Sheriff’s deputy was driving on Highway 20 in Nice when he observed a vehicle travelling toward him with its high beam headlights on, Paulich said.
Paulich said the driver of the vehicle failed to dim the headlights and the deputy stopped the driver for the violation.
The deputy contacted Villela, the driver and only occupant of the vehicle, who told him that he was on post release community supervision for sales of a controlled substance, Paulich said.
Deputies conducted a search of Villela’s vehicle, locating approximately 2 ounces of suspected methamphetamine and one and a half ounces of suspected heroin, as well as a small amount of suspected cocaine hidden behind an air vent in the vehicle, according to Paulich.
Paulich said Villela was placed under arrest and transported to the Lake County Jail where he was booked on charges of possession of controlled substance and narcotics for sale, transportation of controlled substance and narcotics, and violation of post release community supervision.
Villela remains in custody on a no bail hold, according to jail records. He’s scheduled to be arraigned on Friday.
Suspected methamphetamine, heroin and cocaine found in a vehicle driven by Jose Villela, 35, of Kelseyville, Calif., on Thursday, April 25, 2019. Photo courtesy of the Lake County Sheriff’s Office.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The American Lung Association has released its State of the Air 2019 Report, with Lake County once again getting good ratings for its air quality despite the wildland fires of the last several years.
State and local area air quality are graded on an A through F scale by comparing local ozone and small-particulate concentrations with the federal air quality standards.
Although many areas, especially within California, were given failing grades, Lake County passed with flying colors.
Lake County received an “A” grade for ozone, a “C” grade for short-term particulate pollution and is ranked the 15th Cleanest County in the Nation for annual particulate average concentrations.
Lake County did not change significantly from its previous annual averages even though the period of time covered by this report includes the Valley fire, Rocky fire, Jerusalem fire, Clayton fire, Sulphur fire, Tubbs Fire and other major fires in the region.
Out of California’s 58 counties, Lake County is one of only eight counties in California that did not have any days of ozone exceeds from 2015 through 2017.
The report presents data showing what the residents of Lake County actually are breathing on a daily basis. This report does not exclude wildfire impacts or other natural events that are excluded when determining our attainment status.
The “C” grade for short-term particulate pollution is the result of impacts from the 2015, 2016 and 2017 wildfires. This report does not include the 2018 Ranch, River or the Camp fires.
This report shows that despite the Valley, Rocky, Jerusalem, Clayton and other fires, and the short-term smoke impacts from these fires, the residents of Lake County still enjoy some of the cleanest air in the nation.
The American Lung Association grades are the latest recognition of a long history of air quality accomplishments in Lake County. Strong local support for clean air measures has enabled the county to comply in full with not only the Federal Clean Air Standards, but also with the more rigorous California Standards for ozone and other air pollutants for the past 29 consecutive years. No other air district in California can match that record.
Air Pollution Control Officer Douglas Gearhart of the Lake County Air Quality Management District attributes the success of the program to strong community support for maintaining clean, healthful air and cooperation of local government, including the county of Lake, cities of Lakeport and Clearlake, the local fire protection districts, Cal Fire, the agricultural community, industry, the district board of directors, and to the dedication and hard work of Air Quality Management District staff.
“The 15th cleanest county in the nation for particulate matter is a significant indicator of the hard work and dedication this community has to maintaining a healthful environment,” Gearhart said.
The Pawnee fire in Lake County, Calif. Map courtesy of Cal Fire.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Following a 10-month investigation, Cal Fire has concluded that target shooting was the cause of the 2018 Pawnee fire, which burned thousands of acres and destroyed nearly two dozen structures near Clearlake Oaks.
Cal Fire said Friday that its law enforcement officers who conducted the investigation reached the conclusion on the Pawnee fire’s cause and origin.
The fire, which began on June 23 on Pawnee and New Long Valley roads in the Spring Valley Lakes subdivision northeast of Clearlake Oaks, burned 15,185 acres and destroyed 22 structures. It was fully contained on July 8.
It led to a local emergency proclamation by Lake County Sheriff Brian Martin, which the Board of Supervisors most recently voted to continue on Tuesday.
Then-Gov. Jerry Brown followed up on Sheriff Martin’s original proclamation last year by declaring a state of emergency in Lake County because of the Pawnee fire.
Cal Fire said its investigators were dispatched as part of the initial fire response and immediately began working to determine the blaze’s origin and cause.
The ensuing investigation uncovered evidence that target shooting sparked the fire, Cal Fire said.
Cal Fire was assisted during the course of the investigation by the Lake County Sheriff's Office, Lake County District Attorney's Office, Sonoma County Sheriff's Department and Rohnert Park Department of Public Safety.
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.
CLEARLAKE, Calif. – Clearlake Animal Control is offering several dogs for adoption this week.
The following dogs have been cleared to go to new homes.
“Cadbury.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control. ‘Cadbury’
“Cadbury” is a female Staffordshire Bull Terrier mix with a smooth medium-length beige coat.
She is No. 1215.
“Macy.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control. ‘Macy’
“Macy” is a female Labrador Retriever mix with a smooth short black coat.
She already has been spayed.
She is No. 11.
“Neve.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control. ‘Neve’
“Neve” is a female terrier puppy with a smooth medium-length white coat.
She is No. 1216.
“Wynn.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control. ‘Wynn’
“Wynn” is a male American Staffordshire Terrier with a short brindle coat.
He is No. 969.
Clearlake Animal Control’s shelter is located at 6820 Old Highway 53, off Airport Road.
Hours of operation area noon to 3 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. The shelter is closed Sundays, Mondays and major holidays.
Call Clearlake Animal Control at 707-994-8251, Extension 1, or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to inquire about adoptions.
Visit Clearlake Animal Control on Facebook or at the city’s Web site.
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.
Graffiti tagging in downtown Lakeport, Calif., on Wednesday, April 24, 2019. Photo courtesy of the Lakeport Police Department.
LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lakeport Police Department is asking for the public’s help in identifying who is responsible for ongoing graffiti tagging in the city’s downtown.
Police said that between 3 and 4 a.m. Wednesday, the latest round of graffiti tagging occurred.
It’s been an ongoing issue, and the responsible subjects have repeatedly vandalized the same buildings after the business owners fix or remove the graffiti, police said.
“This is a public nuisance that can deteriorate our beautiful city. So help us keep our city safe and clean,” the agency said in a statement.
Anyone with information about the graffiti is asked to contact investigating Officer Joe Medici at 707-263-5491, Extension 120, or by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . You can also send us a private message via Facebook or send us a tip by texting the words “TIP LAKEPORT” followed by your message to the number “888777.”
