LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Median sales prices for Lake County homes in September showed an improvement, but the Valley fire impacted active listings across the south county.

The Lake County Association of Realtors, or LCAOR, reported that the September median sales price for single family residence rose from $200,000 in August to $211,500, accounting for a 5.75-percent gain. Year-over-year, the median sales price increased 14.3 percent, up from $185,000 in September of 2014.

“A number of active listings were affected by the Valley fire,” said LCAOR President Yvette Sloan. “The exact number will be difficult to determine, but we can identify somewhere between 20 and 30 listings for sure. Some of those were in escrow when the fire struck and we know of one agent who lost six deals. The situation has been tough for sellers, buyers and agents who were involved in those transactions.”

“LCAOR expects that there will be inventory shortages in the Cobb, Middletown and Hidden Valley Lake areas,” said Scott Knickmeyer, LCAOR association executive. “Some agents have reported that owners in those areas who have received insurance payouts have elected to buy elsewhere in Lake County as opposed to rebuilding. How many chose to rebuild or not to rebuild will remain unanswered for the next several months to a year.”

There were 65 sales in September and that was down from 79 in August. Compared to September of 2014 the number of sales was up 14 percent when 57 deals were closed. Sales activity tends to slow as autumn commences and children return to school, according to the report.

Distressed sales made up nearly 17 percent of the transactions, which was up slightly from the 15.2 percent in August, but down from the 24.2 percent September 2014.

Financing trends remained relatively consistent with cash only purchases making up 32.3 percent of the sales and conventional loans accounting for the same percentage.

The biggest difference in financing year over year was the increase in the percentage of transactions financed through FHA loans, which made up 18.5 percent of the sales in September 2015 versus 8 percent of the sales in September 2014.

On a statewide basis the California Association of Realtors reported that existing, single family home sales totaled 425,030 in September, down 1.5 percent from August but up 6.9 percent from September 2014. This marked the sixth straight month that statewide sales were above the 400,000 mark.

The median sales price was $482,150, down 2.3 percent from August but up 4.3 percent from September 2014, the California Association of Realtors said.

LAKE COUNTY NUMBERS AT A GLANCE

Lake County – September 2015
Median price: $211,500
Median days to sell: 91
Units Sold: 65

Lake County – August 2015
Median price: $200,000
Median days to sell: 89
Units Sold: 79

Lake County – September 2014
Median price: $185,000
Median days to sell: 59
Units Sold: 57

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Effective Monday, Nov. 9, at 8 a.m., the burn permit suspension in Colusa, Lake, Napa, Solano, Sonoma and Yolo counties will be lifted. 

Cal Fire Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit Chief Scott Upton is formally canceling the burn permit suspension and advises that those possessing current and valid agriculture and residential burn permits for the state responsibility area can now resume burning on permissible burn days.

Agriculture burns must be inspected by Cal Fire prior to burning until the end of the peak fire season. Inspections may be required for burns other than agriculture burns as well. This can be verified by contacting your local air quality management district.

Burn permits will be required until the end of peak fire season, Cal Fire said.

While cooler temperatures have helped to diminish the threat of wildfire, Cal Fire reminded area residents that the state is still in the fourth year of drought.

Property owners and residents are asked to use caution while conducting debris or agriculture burns.

Always use caution when burning, follow all guidelines provided and maintain control of the fire at all times.

Individuals can be held civilly and/or criminally liable for allowing a fire to escape their control and/or burn onto neighboring property.

Residents wishing to burn must verify it is a permissive burn day prior to burning by contacting their local air pollution control district.

Contact the Lake County Air Quality Management District, 707-263-7000, to make sure plans for burning comply with local air basin rules.

Cal Fire offered the following pile burning requirements:

– Only dry, natural vegetative material such as leaves, pine needles and tree trimmings may be burned.
– The burning of trash, painted wood or other debris is not allowed.
– Do NOT burn on windy days.
– Piles should be no larger than 4 feet in diameter and in height. You can add to pile as it burns down.
– Clear a 10-foot diameter down to bare soil around your piles.
– Have a shovel and a water source nearby.
– An adult is required to be in attendance of the fire at all times.

Safe residential pile burning of forest residue by landowners is a crucial tool in reducing fire hazards.

State, federal and local land management and fire agencies will also be utilizing this same window of opportunity to conduct prescribed burns aimed at improving forest health on private and public lands.

For more information on burning, visit the Cal Fire Web site at www.fire.ca.gov .

Lack of sleep has serious consequences at home, in the workplace, at school, and on roadways. The California Highway Patrol joins the National Sleep Foundation in a weeklong campaign to educate motorists during “Drowsy Driving Prevention Week,” Nov. 1 to 7.

“Like alcohol and drugs, sleep loss or fatigue impairs driving skills such as hand-eye coordination, reaction time, decision-making, and judgment,” CHP Commissioner Joe Farrow said. “Drowsy driving can be just as dangerous as driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.”

A recent survey by the American Automobile Association Foundation found that 41 percent of drivers admit to having fallen asleep or nodded off while driving at some point in their lives.

In the same survey, more than one in four drivers admitted having driven when they were so sleepy they had a hard time keeping their eyes open within the past month.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that each year drowsy driving is responsible for at least 100,000 automobile collisions, 71,000 injuries and 1,550 fatalities.

However, among all the major factors that cause or contribute to collisions, such as speeding, alcohol use, and weather situations, drowsiness is the most difficult for law enforcement and other collision investigators to detect and quantify.

In California in 2013, the most recent year for which data is available in the CHP’s Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System, drowsy driving led to 4,284 total collisions, causing injuries to 2,046 people and resulting in the deaths of 28 people.

“Drowsy driving is especially concerning for our young drivers,” Commissioner Farrow said. “Traffic collisions are the number one killer of teenagers in the United States, ending more young lives every day than cancer, homicide, and suicide combined, and sleep-related collisions are most common in young people, who tend to stay up late, sleep too little, and drive at night.”

The warning signs of drowsy driving:

· Yawning, blinking, or rubbing your eyes frequently.
· Difficulty remembering the past few miles driven.
· Missing your exit.
· Drifting from your lane.
· Trouble keeping your head up.
· Hitting a rumble strip.
· Tailgating.
· Feeling restless and irritable.

If you experience any of these warning signs, pull over to a safe location to rest or change drivers.

Simply turning up the radio or opening the window are not effective ways to keep you alert.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – With rain expected on Monday, the National Weather Service has issued another flash flood watch for the areas burned this summer by the Rocky, Jerusalem and Valley fires.

The agency said the flash flood watch will be in effect from Monday morning through the evening.

The flash flood watch states that rainfall for that period of time could exceed one-quarter inch per hour with thunderstorms also a possibility, although the specific forecast for the county calls for a more modest rain amount.

The burn areas are of particular concern, according to the National Weather Service, because they typically can absorb only small amounts of rainfall, leading to large amounts of runoff when rain is heavier.

Forecasters urged anyone traveling along the roads in the burn areas to be alert for the possibility of flooding, and well as loose rocks and mudslides.

The county will start Monday having had some small amounts of rain on Sunday. The National Weather Service reported Sunday rainfall amounts including 0.19 inch in Cobb, 0.06 inch near Hidden Valley Lake, 0.04 inch near Middletown and 0.30 inch near Upper Lake.

On Monday, the forecast calls for chances of rainfall before 4 a.m., after which the chances of rain and thunderstorms will increase. 

The chance of precipitation on Monday after 10 a.m. ranges as high as 70 percent around the county, with new rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch. Higher amounts are possible in the event of thunderstorms, forecasters said.

Chances of rainfall on Monday night are forecast to range up to 60 percent, with new rainfall amounts between a 10th and quarter of an inch, unless thunderstorms occur.

Starting Tuesday and continuing through the rest of the week, conditions are forecast to be sunny and mostly clear, with a slight chance of rain expected on Sunday, the National Weather Service said.

Nighttime temperatures are expected to be in the high 40s and daytime temperatures in the high 60s, based on the forecast.

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.

Rainbows introduce us to reflections of different beautiful possibilities so we never forget that pain and grief are not the final options in life.– Aberjhani

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The recent precipitation brought grand, showy rainbows to parched Lake County.

The impressive arches came in, well, every color in the rainbow, or as schoolchildren recall the acronym for the spectrum: Roy G. Biv (red, orange, yellow, green,  blue, indigo, violet).

Receiving  rainfall was a definite relief as it brought some much-needed moisture to Lake County.

In the Roy G. Biv order of colors the hues span the sky in a special sequence of light wavelengths that our eye can discern through the reflection  of the sun through droplets of water.

Double rainbows were in evidence during the  showers, and those special sights – with their order of colors in reverse – are made by the water's reflection on the reverse side of the rainbow, then its being refracted yet again as it exits the water-spray.

A rainbow appears to move, but that's only an optical illusion.

Rainbows can only be detected at a 42 degrees path opposite the sun. It's possible to see a full-circle rainbow, especially from an airplane window.

When photographed  in black and white a soft progression of  shades appears, then fades out on its opposite side.

There is rainbow-like phenomenon called a “glory” and is seen as a full circle, but a glory's circle  is petite, at about 5 to 20 degrees.

Have you ever seen a rare moonbow? Moonbows can only be viewed under the cover of a bright nighttime.

Even more rare than a moonbow is a monochrome rainbow which can occur during rainfall at either sunset or sunrise, and is red in color.

For an even more out-of-this-world rainbow connection scientists have discussed viewing rainbows on a cold, methane-covered moon of Saturn, called Titan.

Kermit the Frog discusses rainbows best in his song “The Rainbow Connection.”

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.

California Department of Public Health (CDPH) State Public Health Officer Dr. Karen Smith today announced that CDPH has received the first report of an influenza-associated fatality in a person under the age of one year for the 2015-2016 flu season.

The death occurred in Stanislaus County and serves as another somber reminder that influenza can cause serious illness or death.

“As California’s public health officer, I am saddened when the flu turns into loss of life,” Dr. Smith said. “It is especially troubling when a baby, too young to be vaccinated, passes away. To protect babies who cannot yet be vaccinated, we should get our flu shots. Preventing the spread of this often deadly disease is why getting vaccinated is so important.”

Young children less than a year of age are at increased risk of severe influenza. While children cannot be vaccinated for the flu until they are six months old, there are several ways to protect them. Pregnant women should get vaccinated. This will protect the mother and the newborn baby.

Also, anyone who is around a young child or other high-risk person should be vaccinated to reduce the risk of spreading influenza.

Overall influenza activity in California remains sporadic, but Dr. Smith points out that influenza viruses circulate at their peak levels from December through April.

“I urge you to be vaccinated now before the flu really spreads widely to protect yourself and those around you,” said Dr. Smith.

Each year, flu causes millions of illnesses, hundreds of thousands of hospitalizations and thousands or sometimes tens of thousands of deaths in the United States.

To reduce this threat, CDPH recommends the annual flu vaccine for everyone six months of age and older, including pregnant women.

Two of this season’s vaccine components, the influenza A (H3N2) and influenza B (Yamagata lineage) strains, have been updated to match the viruses Californians are likely to face during the 2015-2016 flu season.

Flu can cause severe disease across all ages. According to the California influenza surveillance report recently published, there were 78 influenza-associated deaths reported in persons under 65 years of age in California during the 2014-15 influenza season.

Only deaths in persons under age 65 are reported to CDPH and many influenza-associated deaths are unrecognized. Therefore, the actual number of deaths due to influenza was much greater.

Common symptoms of the flu include fever or feeling feverish, a cough and/or sore throat, a runny or stuffy nose, chills, fatigue and body aches. Children may also have nausea, vomiting or diarrhea.

To stop the spread of flu and other respiratory illnesses, Californians should also:

· Stay home when sick.
· Cover a cough or sneeze with a tissue and properly dispose of the used tissue.
· Wash hands thoroughly with soap and warm water or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
· Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.

Dr. Smith encourages Californians to contact their health care provider, physician office, clinic or pharmacy about obtaining the flu vaccine. Some local health departments may also offer low- or no-cost flu immunizations.

For more information about the flu visit the CDPH influenza Web page.

To find a flu vaccine location near you, visit www.flu.gov .

They say you can’t judge a book by its cover. But what about planets?

Take Neptune for example. For many years, especially since 1989 when Voyager 2 flew past Neptune and measured its gravity field, astronomers have known that the blue giant harbors a secret world inside.

Hidden deep below the azure cloud tops lies a rocky core not much larger than Earth. Uranus has one, too! These “worlds within worlds” could have exotic properties including scorching hot oceans and diamond rain.

If only researchers could peel back the clouds for a closer look …

Astronomers using NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope have discovered an immense cloud of hydrogen evaporating from a Neptune-sized planet named GJ 436b.

The planet’s atmosphere is evaporating because of extreme irradiation from its parent star.

About 30 light years away, a Neptune-sized planetis having some of its layers peeled back.

Astronomers using NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope have discovered an immense cloud of hydrogen evaporating from a Neptune-sized planet named GJ 436b.

“This cloud is spectacular,” says the study’s leader, David Ehrenreich of the Observatory of the University of Geneva in Switzerland. “The research team has nicknamed it ‘The Behemoth.’”

The planet’s atmosphere is evaporating because of extreme irradiation from its parent star—a process that might have been even more intense in the past.

“The parent star, which is a faint red dwarf, was once more active,” says Ehrenreich. “This means that the planet’s atmosphere evaporated faster during its first billion years of existence. Overall, we estimate that the planet may have lost up to 10 percent of its atmosphere.”

GJ 436b is considered to be a “Warm Neptune” because of its size and because it is much closer to its parent star than Neptune is to our own sun.

Orbiting at a distance of less than 3 million miles, it whips around the central red dwarf in just 2.6 Earth days. For comparison, the Earth is 93 million miles from the sun and orbits it every 365.24 days.

Systems like GJ 436b could explain the existence of so-called “Hot Super-Earths.”

“Hot Super-Earths” are larger, hotter versions of our own planet. Space telescopes such as NASA’s Kepler and the French led CoRoT have discovered hundreds of them orbiting distant stars. The existence of The Behemoth suggests that Hot Super-Earths could be the remnants of Warm Neptunes that completely lost their gaseous atmospheres to evaporation.

Finding a cloud around GJ 436b required Hubble’s ultraviolet vision. Earth’s atmosphere blocks most ultraviolet light so only a space telescope like Hubble could make the crucial observations.

“You would not see The Behemoth in visible wavelengths because it is optically transparent,” says Ehrenreich. On the other hand, it is opaque to UV rays. “So when you turn the ultraviolet eye of Hubble onto the system, it’s really kind of a transformation because the planet turns into a monstrous thing.”

The ultraviolet technique could be a game-changer in exoplanet studies, he adds. Ehrenreich expects that astronomers will find thousands of Warm Neptunes and Super-Earths in the years ahead. Astronomers will want to examine them for evidence of evaporation.

Moreover, the ultraviolet technique might be able to spot the signature of oceans evaporating on Earth-like planets, shedding new light on worlds akin to our own.

Maybe you can’t judge a book by its cover, but you can judge a planet by its Behemoth.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The final list of nominees for this year's Stars of Lake County Community Awards event is now set as the event gets set to take place next weekend.

The 18th annual awards ceremony will take place at the Soper Reese Theater beginning at 5 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 14.

There are more than 50 nominees this year, bringing the total of nominees for all years to more than 1,800 individuals, businesses and organizations, according to the Lake County Chamber of Commerce.

By the end of the Nov. 14 ceremony, the total number of Star Awards presented will be 380. The chamber said there will be a sign on display in the theater lobby listing all recipients for all years, beginning in 1998.

The reception hour, hosted by The Lodge At Blue Lakes, will feature appetizers and a no host bar, with longtime Lake County favorite David Neft performing. Neft has performed 17 out of the 18 years of Stars of Lake County. 

The Lake County Chamber is pleased to also have the singing talents of Shelly Mascari, lead singer for The Funky Dozen, performing during the event.

Tickets for Stars of Lake County are $25 per person and all seats are reserved. Tickets may be purchased through the Lake County Chamber of Commerce at 875 Lakeport Blvd. at Vista Point, Lakeport.

Stars of Lake County is open to the general public and everyone is encouraged to get their tickets soon as there are a limited number available.

The chamber expressed its gratitude to all who made time to submit nominations honoring people who make Lake County a special place.

The organization also thanked event sponsors, including Cliff and Nancy Ruzicka, Westamerica Bank,  Sutter Lakeside Hospital, Disney Trophies & Awards, SERVPRO of Lake Mendocino, Savings Bank of Mendocino, Mendo Lake Credit Union, Konocti Vista Casino & Marina, Foods Etc., Bruno’s Shop Smart, Rep. Mike Thompson, Calpine Corp., John Tomkins Tax Consultant, North Lake Medical Pharmacy, Strong Financial Network, Twin Pine Casino/Middletown Pomo Indians, Meadowood Nursing Center, Lake County Record-Bee, Lake Event Design, The Lodge at Blue Lakes and Tony Barthel.

For further information, contact the Lake County Chamber of Commerce at 707-245-7431.

The full list of nominees is shown below.
 
STARS OF LAKE COUNTY 2015 NOMINEES

Marla Ruzicka Humanitarian of the Year
Sponsored by Cliff and Nancy Ruzicka
1. Barbara Flynn, Cobb
2. Robert Stark, Cobb
3. Liliana Edwards, Lakeport
4. Jose “Moke” Simon, Middletown
5. David Norris, Lakeport

Senior of the Year
1. Gene Paleno, Lakeport
2. Bob Specht, Kelseyville

Volunteer of the Year
1. Mary Beth Woodward, Lakeport
2. Wally Fuller, Lakeport
3. Bill Bennett, Clearlake
4. Aaron Onstad, Lower Lake
5. Phyllis (Suzy) Shoop, Clearlake
   
Student of the Year – Female
1. Gracie Pachie, Middletown

Student of the Year – Male
1. Abel Serrano Jr., Upper Lake
2. Christopher Vincent, Lakeport
   
Youth Advocate of the Year – Volunteer
1.  Rick Walker, Lower Lake
       
Youth Advocate of the Year – Professional
1.  Marisol Becerra-Valdez, Lakeport
2.  Kim Costa, Lower Lake

Agriculture Award
Sponsored by Savings Bank of Mendocino County
1. Schuyler “Sky” Hoyt, Lakeport

Organization of the Year – Nonprofit (has paid staff)
1. Highlands Senior Center, Clearlake
 
Organization of the Year – Volunteer (all volunteer staff)
1. West Shore Little League, Lakeport
2. KPFZ radio station, Lakeport
3. Moose Lodge No. 2284, Clearlake Oaks
4. S.A.F.E.R./North Counties Horse Rescue, Lake County
5. Middletown Art Center, Middletown

Environmental Award
Sponsored by Calpine Corp.
1. The Lake County Land Trust

New Business of the Year
1. Mutt & Jess, Cobb
2. O’Meara Bros Brewing Co., Lakeport
3. Fresh and Bangin’ Eatery, Lucerne
   
Small Business of the Year
1. The Village Pub, Cobb
2. Wholly Bowl, Lakeport
3. Loving’s Fireplace Service, Lakeport
4. Art House Gallery, Clearlake

Large Business of the Year
Sponsored by Bruno’s Shop Smart
1. Twin Pine Casino & Hotel, Middletown

Best Idea of the Year
1. Robin Fogel Shrive, Cobb
2. Diana Liebe, Nice
3. Certified Tourism Ambassador Program, County of Lake
   
Local Hero of the Year
Sponsored by Congressman Mike Thompson
1. James Wright, Lower Lake
2. William “Bill” Davidson, Lakeport
3. Warden Tim Little, Lakeport

Joshua Blair Memorial Arts Award-Amateur
No nominees

The Arts Award of the Year – Professional
1. Nick Biondo, Lakeport
2. Adam Moore, Middletown
3. Lisa Kaplan, Middletown

Woman of the Year
1. Cheryl Cole, Clearlake
2. Susan Feiler, Upper Lake
3. Jeanine Burnett, Hidden Valley Lake
4. Marta Fuller, Lakeport

Man of the Year
No nominees

Lifetime Achievement
1. Pamela Phillips, Nice
2. Clifford D Ruzicka, Lakeport
3. Mike Salter, Lower Lake

Spirit of Lake County Award
Sponsored by John Tomkins
Winner is chosen by the selection committee from nominations received in other categories.

When the Space Age began, there was no such thing as a “graphical user interface.”  Astronauts interacted with their electronics using only knobs and toggle switches. It was a different time.

Fast forward to 2015.

The knobs and switches of the 1950s have been replaced by a glass cockpit, where the majority of commanding is done through software controls. Old-fashioned twisting and flipping may soon be replaced by a complex combination of taps, swipes and fingertip swirls.

The Fine Motor Skills experiment on the station is looking at how long-duration microgravity effects fine motor task performance.

“Many tasks performed inside a modern spacecraft will involve fine motor skills such as typing or interacting with a computer touchscreen,” said Kritina Holden, Principal Investigator for the Fine Motor Skills experiment now underway on the International Space Station. “In the future, astronauts will use portable computers for many tasks, including maintenance, training, medical treatment, science, time lining, and scheduling.”

It is well known that microgravity can have a detrimental effect on the human body—muscles atrophy, bones weaken, and the immune system doesn’t function properly. Are fine motor skills affected as well?

The Fine Motor Skills experiment aims to find out.

“We really haven’t seen problems, but this type of performance hasn’t really been measured systematically in space,” says Holden, who works for Lockheed Martin in Houston, Texas. “Some experiments have shown that tasks take longer in microgravity than on the ground, but no study has yet looked at the types of tests that are included in this investigation.”

The Fine Motor Skills experiment studies the effects of long-duration microgravity on the type of fine motor task performance required to interact with computer-based devices such as tablet computers with touchscreens.

Crewmembers will complete four types of tasks on an iPad: pointing, dragging, shape tracing, and pinch-rotate.

“Our real concern is making sure that future crewmembers can use their computer-based devices with accuracy onboard and on a planetary surface after a long voyage, for example to Mars.”

Imagine what might happen if faulty finger work prevented an astronaut from accurately checking the life-support system on a future spacecraft?

“If we find performance deficits in this long-duration study, we may need to develop some exercises or practice tasks to keep fine motor accuracy high,” explained Holden.

This experiment could also benefit people on Earth. Holden believes that if the Fine Motor Skills test battery works well for measuring astronaut performance in space, it might also be a great tool for measuring performance back home.

For example, it could be used to see how much fine motor performance a Parkinson’s or brain injury patient has lost compared to a healthy person.

“It may also be that one or more of these tasks, if performed frequently, could serve as a fine motor rehabilitation tool. The team was recently contacted by a university occupational therapy department interested in working together to develop some of these ideas,” Holden said.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Five dogs – including three remaining Valley fire rescues – are available for adoption as this week begins.

The dogs available this week include mixes of Labrador Retriever, pit bull and terrier.

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

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

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”).

'Digger'

“Digger” is a male terrier mix with a short tan coat.

He was found on Lakeview Drive in Nice.

He's in kennel No. 4, ID No. 3693.

Male pit bull terrier

This male pit bull terrier is a Valley fire survivor, found behind the Middletown gas station.

Has has a short gray and white coat.

He's in kennel No. 5, ID No. 3720.

Male pit bull mix

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

He was found on Gaddy Lane in Kelseyville.

He's in kennel No. 7, ID No. 3458.

Labrador Retriever mix

This female Labrador Retriever mix is a Valley fire survivor, found on Shenandoah/Loch Lomond, Cobb.

She has a short black coat with white markings.

She's in kennel No. 8, ID No. 3639.

Male pit bull terrier

This male pit bull terrier mix is a Valley fire survivor found, on Point Lakeview in Lower Lake.

He has a short brown and white coat.

He's in kennel No. 16, ID No. 3675.

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 Lake County Registrar of Voters Office said it is continuing its work to count ballots from the Tuesday election.

Registrar of Voters Diane Fridley said the results reported so far for the Nov. 3 election – which included votes for the Clearlake Oaks County Water District, the Lake County Fire Protection District and the Upper Lake Union Elementary School District – are not yet final.

Fridley said vote-by-mail – or absentee – ballots that were received in her office by Monday, Nov. 2, were processed and counted on election night.

However, the official ballots that remain to be counted during the 28-day official canvass period include:

– Lake County Fire Protection District: Vote-by-mail ballots, 273; provisional ballots, 14.

– Upper Lake Union Elementary School District: Vote-by-mail ballots, 81; provisional ballots, 14.

– Clearlake Oaks County Water District: Vote-by-mail ballots, 39; provisional ballots, 2.

Fridley said some of the reasons for “provisional” voting are a voter’s residence address provided does not match his/her voter record due to moving within Lake County; a voter was issued a vote-by-mail ballot but did not vote the issued ballot because it was misplaced or the ballot was never received by mail; and the voter did not vote at his/her assigned voting precinct.

When eligibility is determined by staff, provisional ballots will be entirely counted, partially
counted or not counted.

After the election has been certified, provisional voters can call the Registrar of Voters Office at 707-263-2372 to find out if their vote was counted and, if not, why it was not counted.

COBB, Calif. –  With trees and tree removal remaining key topics of concern for Cobb residents in the wake of the Valley fire, officials said this week that they are taking new steps to assist with the cleanup, including options for removing trees that have been felled for safety reasons.

The 76,067-acre fire did serious damage to the forest on Cobb, leaving many of the beloved trees dead or damaged.

In Boggs State Demonstration Forest alone, Cal Fire has closed the site indefinitely because an estimated 80-percent of the forest was destroyed and must be replanted, according to Forest Manager Nick Kent.

Shortly after the fire began on Sept. 12, Pacific Gas and Electric Co., Caltrans and a county contractor went into the fire area to remove trees that were hazards either in the public right of way or to public utilities, as Lake County News has reported.

The cutting of the thousands of trees – particularly by Caltrans and PG&E – resulted in alarm from Cobb members. A community meeting was held last month to allow officials to explain the need for tree removal and the way forward for reforestation.

PG&E said it is required by state law to cut down fire-damaged trees that pose a hazard to utility facilities after a wildfire. 

Even trees that appear to be healthy on the outside may be damaged and need to be addressed before they become a public safety hazard, the company said, adding that this work is critical to ensuring community safety. 

The tree removal is still continuing for PG&E but is close to being completed, according to PG&E spokesman Brian Swanson.

Swanson said the utility has forecast the need to remove 26,000 fire-damaged trees because they pose a hazard to nearby power lines and also present public safety concerns.

As of this week, PG&E had completed the felling of 23,865 trees, Swanson said.

For comparison, Swanson said PG&E had forecast the need to remove 35,000 trees damaged in the Butte fire, which burned 70,868 acres in Amador and Calaveras counties. So far, PG&E has completed the felling of 21,801 of those trees, Swanson said.

At the end of October, a group of attorneys filed a lawsuit against PG&E on behalf of more than 70 property owners impacted by the Butte fire, alleging wrongful conduct and “conscious disregard for the safety of the public.” Specifically, the suit alleges that PG&E has a duty to keep vegetation properly trimmed and maintained so as to prevent contact with their power lines, but that it failed to do so.

In Lake County, as the tree cutting has moved forward, a number of residents have raised new issues, specifically, about who will remove the trees – some of them very large – that have been felled on their properties.

District 5 Supervisor Rob Brown told Lake County News that the county has been working with PG&E on that issue. 

In a number of recent public meetings, Brown had assured impacted property owners that they wouldn't have to pay for the tree removal in those cases.

As a result, this week PG&E said it is providing residents in the area of the Valley fire the option to have the company remove or chip the large wood debris left behind by the utility’s removal of hazardous and fire-damaged trees.

“PG&E is working to support residents and communities as they begin recovering from this devastating fire. This is a unique challenge that is a growing concern for our customers and we are committed to offering our assistance to the greatest extent practicable,” said Carl Schoenhofer, senior manager of PG&E’s Humboldt Division, which includes Humboldt, Mendocino and Lake counties.

PG&E said it is developing a program to give customers the option for PG&E to remove, relocate or chip the wood if the customer requests it. 

Brown said two locations have been set aside where the downed trees can be transported.

While final details of the program are being developed, PG&E said debris removal will be contingent on adequate roadway access.

Consistent with best management practices, PG&E contract crews chip and remove, or as an erosion control measure, spread the chipped material onsite. 

Debris that is not accessible to roadways is cut and scattered in accordance with forest practice rules, the company said.

The larger pieces of wood are the customer’s property and they may want to use it for firewood or merchantable timber, PG&E said.

Customers in the fire-stricken area who would like to request a wood removal assessment may call 1-800-PGE (743)-5000.

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.