COBB, Calif. – Local authorities are looking for a Cobb resident who they said used a hatchet to assault another man on Saturday.

Nicholas James Thomas, 29, is being sought in the case, according to Lt. Steve Brooks of the Lake County Sheriff's Office.

Brooks said that on Saturday, Feb. 22, at 11:50 a.m., sheriff's deputies were dispatched to the area of Forest Lake Drive in Cobb on a report of a male subject who had been hit in the head with a hatchet.

Upon their arrival, deputies located the victim, who had been able to walk from Forest Lake Drive to a business located at Highway 175 and Golf Road in Cobb, Brooks said.

The victim had collapsed and was receiving medical treatment from paramedics and firefighters. Due to his injuries, the victim was unable to speak with the deputies and was transported by air ambulance to a trauma center, according to Brooks.

Brooks said deputies contacted a witness who was with the victim during the assault. The witness said they had approached Thomas, who appeared to be arguing with a female who was walking away from him.

When the female ignored Thomas’ request to stop walking away, he became upset and started running after her while yelling obscenities at her. Brooks said the witness explained that Thomas continued to yell at the female and appeared to become more aggressive towards her.

The victim approached the couple and told Thomas to stop. Brooks said Thomas told the victim to stay out of his business, then swung a hatchet, striking the victim in the head.

The witness said the victim immediately fell, striking his forehead and face on the ground. Thomas, who had reportedly dropped the hatchet after striking the victim, picked the hatchet up and walked away from the area, according to Brooks.

Deputies immediately conducted a thorough search of the area and were unable to locate Thomas, Brooks said.

Brooks said Thomas is considered armed and dangerous and should not be approached.

Anyone with information as to Thomas’ whereabouts is asked to contact the Lake County Sheriff’s Office at 707-263-2690.

NORTH COAST, Calif. – A tsunami warning communications test is planned for several North Coast counties in March.

The Mendocino County Sheriff's Office said the test will take place from 11 a.m. to noon on Wednesday, March 26.

The participating counties are Del Norte, Humboldt and Mendocino.

The test of the Tsunami Warning System – meant to ensure it works properly during a real tsunami emergency – will include interruptions of TV and radio stations, and activation of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration weather radios and outdoor sirens. Not all cable and satellite TV stations may be able to participate.

For those watching television between 11 a.m. and noon on March 26, they can expect to see a crawler at the bottom of the screen indicating that a tsunami warning has been issued and hear a voice indicating that it is only a test, sheriff's officials said.

Those listening to the radio will hear alerting tones followed by a voice announcing that the test is occurring. NOAA weather radios with the public alert feature will automatically turn on and broadcast the test message, according to the sheriff's report.

In some areas, people also may hear the sounding of a tsunami siren or an airplane testing its public address system.

When seeing or hearing the warning test, community members are reminded that they don't need to take action, and should not call 911 or evacuate their homes or businesses.

The public is asked to help evaluate this test by following the links online at www.weather.gov/eureka or by telephone at 707-443-6484.

The test is conducted by the National Weather Service; the California Office of Emergency Services; the Offices of Emergency Services for Del Norte, Humboldt and Mendocino counties; and tribal governments.

Officials said that monthly testing of all outdoor sirens in northwest California will begin in May. Additional details will be provided in late April.

It has long puzzled scientists that there were enormously massive galaxies that were already old and no longer forming new stars in the very early universe, approximately three billion years after the Big Bang.

Now new research from the Niels Bohr Institute, among others, shows that these massive galaxies were formed by explosive star formation that was set in motion by the collision of galaxies a few billion years after the Big Bang. The results are published in the scientific journal, Astrophysical Journal.

Galaxies are giant collections of stars, gas and dark matter. The smallest galaxies contain a few million stars, while the largest can contain several hundred billion stars.

The first stars already emerged in the very early universe approximately 200 million years after the Big Bang from the gases hydrogen and helium.

Gas is the raw material used to form stars. These giant clouds of gas and dust contract and eventually the gas is so compact that the pressure heats the matter so that glowing gas balls are formed, new stars are born.

The stars are collected in galaxies, the first of which are a kind of baby galaxies. As long as there is gas in the galaxy, new stars are being formed.

Mysteries in the childhood of the universe

The astronomers' theory is therefore that the structure of the universe was built by baby galaxies gradually growing larger and more massive by constantly forming new stars and by colliding with neighboring galaxies to form new, larger galaxies. The largest galaxies in today's universe were therefore believed to have been under construction throughout the history of the universe.

“That is why it surprised us that we already when the universe was only three billion years old, found galaxies that were just as massive as today's large spiral galaxies and the largest elliptical galaxies, which are the giants in the local universe,” explained Sune Toft, Dark Cosmology Centre at the Niels Bohr Institute at the University of Copenhagen.

“Even more surprisingly, the stars in these early galaxies were squeezed into a very small area, so the size of the galaxies were three times smaller than similar mass galaxies today,” Toft said. “This means that the density of stars was 10 times greater. Furthermore, the galaxies were already dead, so they were no longer forming new stars. It was a great mystery.”

The extremely massive and compact galaxies were not flattened spiral galaxies where stars and gas rotate around the center. Rather, they resembled elliptical galaxies where stars move more hither and thither and where the gas for new star formation has been used up.

But how could the galaxies become so massive and so burnt out so early? How were they formed?

Solving the mystery

To find out what happened, Toft had to look even further back in time.

Based on the ages of the galaxies, he knew that they had to have formed very early in the history of the universe, but at that point there was simply not enough time for the galaxies to have grown so massive through normal star formation.

He had a theory that the massive galaxies were formed by the fusion of smaller galaxies, but that alone could not explain how they had become so massive so quickly and were already dead. The theory was, therefore, that there must have been some especially extreme galaxies in the formation process.

“We studied the galaxies that existed when the universe was between 1 and 2 billion years old. My theory that it must have been some galaxies with very specific properties that were part of the formation process made me focus on the special SMG galaxies, which are dominated by intense stare formation hidden under a thick blanket of dust,” explained Toft.

He explains that when such gas-rich galaxies merge, all of the gas is driven into the center of the system where it ignites an explosion of new star formation. A lot of stars are formed in the center and the galaxy quickly becomes very compact. But with the explosive star formation, the gas to form new stars is also used up extremely quickly and then you get a dead galaxy.

“I discovered that there was a direct evolutionary link between two of the most extreme galaxy types we have in the universe – the most distant and most intense star forming galaxies which are formed shortly after the Big Bang – and the extremely compact dead galaxies we see 1-2 billion years later,” said Toft.

The new research is a breakthrough in discovering the formation process of the enormously massive and dead galaxies in the early universe.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – A Lakeport man was arrested Sunday evening for drug and weapons possession following a vehicle stop.

Eduardo Nunez Lopez, 39, was taken into custody following the stop, according to a report from Lt. Jason Ferguson.

Ferguson said that just after 9:30 p.m. Sunday a Lakeport Police officer conducted a traffic stop for a vehicle code violation in the 1200 block of Hartley Road.

When the officer contacted the driver, identified as Lopez, it was learned that Lopez had a suspended driver’s license, Ferguson said.

An additional Lakeport Police officer arrived to assist and located a large piece of wood with a lanyard on one end tucked between the front passenger seat and door, Ferguson said.

Ferguson said the officer removed the item for officer safety and upon further examination, it appeared to be consistent with a billy club, which is considered a dangerous weapon and illegal to possess.

The officers removed Lopez from the vehicle and detained him pending further investigation, Ferguson said.

While Lopez was being detained, he began to yell toward a residence in the 1400 block of Hartley Road and began to tense his arms and twist toward the officers. Ferguson said that Lopez was escorted to the rear of a patrol vehicle for officer safety.

The officer obtained consent to search the vehicle and located a crystal-type substance scattered in the driver’s seat and floorboard area of the vehicle which the officer believed to be crystal methamphetamine, Ferguson said.

Upon further search of the vehicle, a total of 5.8 pounds of processed marijuana was located in different bags throughout the vehicle, according to Ferguson.

Also located in a glass mason jar was approximately 415 grams of concentrated cannabis, Ferguson said. Located in a bag belonging to Lopez was a police scanner, and a switchblade knife was found in the console of the vehicle.

Ferguson said that based on the items located in the vehicle, Lopez was placed under arrest for possession of marijuana for sale, possession of a controlled substance, possession of a dangerous weapon and possession of a switchblade knife. During a search of his person, additional methamphetamine was located in his pants pocket.

Lopez was transported to the Hill Road Jail and booked. His bail was set at $15,000, and he remained in custody on Monday, according to jail records.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake County Animal Care and Control is featuring eight adoptable cats as the week gets started.

The cats include tabbies and torties, have a variety of coat types and range in age from 10 months to 3 years.

In addition to spaying or neutering, cats that are adopted from Lake County Animal Care and Control are microchipped before being released to their new owner. License fees do not apply to residents of the cities of Lakeport or Clearlake.

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

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

Brown tabby

This female brown tabby is 1 year old.

She weighs nearly 11 pounds, and has a short coat and green eyes.

Find the cat in cat room kennel No. 10, ID No. 39078.

Gray tabby

This male gray and white tabby is 3 years old.

He weighs 11 pounds and has a short coat. Shelter staff did not report if he has been neutered.

The cat can be found in cat room kennel No. 13, ID No. 39025.

'Prancy'

“Prancy” is a 1-year-old female domestic long hair mix.

She has green eyes and a black and gray coat, weighs nearly 7 pounds and has not yet been spayed.

She's in cat room kennel No. 31, ID No. 39080.

Tortie point

This female domestic long hair mix is 2 years old.

She has a dilute tortoiseshell coat and cropped ears, and weighs 8 pounds. Shelter staff did not report if she has been spayed yet.

Find her in cat room kennel No. 60, ID No. 39074.

Domestic long hair mix

This female domestic long hair mix cat is 10 months old.

She has a black coat, is of medium size and has gold eyes. Shelter staff did not report if she has been spayed.

She's in cat room kennel No. 70, ID No. 39068.

Domestic long hair mix

This male domestic long hair mix is 2 years old.

He has a gray and white coat, and weighs 12 pounds. Shelter staff did not report if he had been altered.

Find him in cat room kennel No. 78, ID No. 39073.

Domestic short hair mix

This female domestic short hair mix is 2 years old.

She has torbie markings and green eyes, and is of medium size. It was not reported if she has been spayed.

Find her in cat room kennel No. 82, ID No. 39064.

Brown tabby

This female brown tabby is 2 years old.

She weighs 9 pounds and has a short coat. It appears she lost her left eye due to an injury. It was not reported if she has been spayed yet.

The cat can be found in cat room kennel No. 91, ID No. 39077.

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

Please note: Cats listed at the shelter's Web page that are said to be “on hold” are not yet cleared for adoption.

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, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday. The shelter is open from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and on Saturday from 1 p.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.

KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – The fifth-annual Kelseyville Olive Festival, an event which focuses on the olive industry in Lake County, as well as other local products, will be held from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, April 27, at Chacewater Winery & Olive Mill, located at 5625 Gaddy Lane.

The festival will feature locally produced olive oil, education and demonstrations, and a variety of other contests and activities for the whole family.

Vendors offering olive-related and other local products will be present the day of the event, offering samples and selling products, as well as providing educational materials about olives and our local industry. A children’s area will also be featured.

There is no cost to attend the festival; samples and demonstrations are free of charge. Local wine and beer tasting with a commemorative glass will be available for a $15 fee from noon to 4 p.m.

Several related contests will be held up to and during the festival, including a poster contest, amateur recipe contest, olive pit spitting contest and people’s choice olive oil contest. For details visit www.KelseyvilleOliveFestival.com .

Event proceeds from the silent auction, wine store sales, and wine and beer tasting fees will benefit Lake Family Resource Center.

The Resource Center is a 501(c)3 nonprofit agency in Kelseyville that provides several programs in Lake County, including the Child Abuse Treatment Program, Rape Crisis Center, 24/7 Community Crisis Line, Behavioral Health Services, Early Head Start, Domestic Violence Assistance, and the Adolescent Family Life Program. For more information, call 707-279-0563.

Sponsorship opportunities are available. For more information about the Kelseyville Olive Festival, contact Beth Berinti, Lake Family Resource Center at 707-279-0563 or visit www.KelseyvilleOliveFestival.com .

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The city of Lakeport is conducting sewer main repairs this week that will result in the temporary closure of several roads.

Repairs, which began Monday, will continue through Thursday, according to the Lakeport Public Works Department.

While the work takes place, closures will be in effect on the following roads:

• N. Brush Street from Third Street to Sixth Street;
• Fourth Street from N. Tunis to High Street;
• Fifth Street from N. Tunis to High Street.

As the crews are finished with an area they will reopen the roads, the city said.

Anyone with questions can contact Cyndy Ader at Public Works, 707-263-3578.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Deluge, trickle or inundation: any way you spell it, rain gear was mandatory earlier this month.

The early February storm was a welcome relief from the dry winter weather we've experienced so far, but even with the south county's rain gauge reading 7 inches from that weekend storm, it did not put a dent in our county's average rainfall.

A typical season in our county's 1,329 square miles yields 33 inches, unless you live under the shadow of Mt. Saint Helena; then, the average reads closer to 55 inches per year.

A Lake County winter rain in all its glory comes down with a vengeance. Science Digest states that raindrops fall at a rate of seven miles per hour.

People aren't the only life forms that “perk” up after a storm. A walk in the woods displays nature in all her glory – but intensified.

Oak trunks swathed in green moss, or Bryophyta, already soft and plush, turn into luxuriant, glowing versions of themselves, and feel even more feathery to the touch after a soaking.

Birds shamelessly bathe in muddy puddles which is their way of keeping their intricate feathers functioning in top condition.

Although Lake County's creeks roar furiously, rough and muddy after big rains occur, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife states that the creek critters – fish and crawdads alike – had been experiencing a shrinking habitat with dwindling food supplies prior to the rains.

It's true that some of the inhabitants of the creeks will wash away; however, much-needed food will arrive from upstream to replenish stores of food. The deeper waters also will provide better habitat for hiding from predators.

Here's to rain in any form! According to the Rain Appreciation Society (who would have known there was such an organization?) there are various types of rain: Convection rain, common in the tropics, frontal rain that occurs with the movement of a weather depression, and relief rainfall, caused by the ocean's moisture.

The storm that we recently enjoyed was a moisture-laden system straight from the Pacific Ocean, known at the Pineapple Express.

As poet Langston Hughes said:

“Let the rain kiss you.
“Let the rain beat upon your head with silver liquid drops.
“Let the rain sing you a lullaby.”

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.

In the latest report from the state, health officials said Friday that the number of confirmed seasonal influenza deaths in California has risen to 278.

Dr. Ron Chapman, director of the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and state health officer, said those 278 deaths for the 2013-14 season were in persons under 65 years of age.

Chapman said that of the total confirmed flu deaths, six were children.

There are an additional 29 deaths under investigation, not yet confirmed, Chapman said.

One flu death in Lake County was reported earlier this month in a woman in the 30- to 40-year-old age group, as Lake County News has reported.

The 278 confirmed influenza-associated deaths this season have been reported by the following jurisdictions: Alameda (6), Butte (1), Calaveras (2), Contra Costa (6), El Dorado (2), Fresno (21), Glenn (1), Humboldt (1), Imperial (1), Kern (10), Kings (4), Lake (1), Lassen (1), Long Beach (7), Los Angeles (36), Madera (2), Marin (2), Mendocino (4), Merced (5), Monterey (5), Nevada (1), Orange (10), Riverside (10), Sacramento (25), San Bernardino (19), San Diego (23), San Francisco (3), San Joaquin (6), San Luis Obispo (1), San Mateo (6), Santa Barbara (3), Santa Clara (14), Santa Cruz (3), Shasta (3), Siskiyou (2), Solano (3), Sonoma (7), Stanislaus (13), Sutter (1), Tulare (3), Tuolumne (1) and Ventura (3).

By this time last year, CDPH had received reports of a total of 32 influenza fatalities in persons under 65 years of age and in all of the 2012-13 season, a total of 106 deaths were reported.

The great majority of reported influenza deaths in persons under 65 years of age have occurred in people with underlying medical conditions. Both outpatient visits and hospitalizations continue to decrease. The influenza season status remains widespread.

“Even a single death from the flu is a tragedy,” said Dr. Chapman. “The best way to prevent influenza is by getting vaccinated. The influenza season continues and it’s not too late for vaccination.”

Those at highest risk – the elderly, pregnant women, infants, or those with other health conditions – who show flu symptoms should contact their physician immediately in order to get the most effective treatment. Symptoms include fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, muscle or body aches, headaches and fatigue.

For information on local vaccinations, call Lake County Public Health, 707-263-1090 or 800-794-9291.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Among the many proposals in Gov. Jerry Brown's proposed 2014-15 state budget is one that local and state educators say could have serious impacts on agricultural education.

The governor's budget proposes to eliminate the Agricultural Education Incentive Grant, which supports agricultural education in the state's schools.

Statewide, that amounts to about $4.1 million being rediverted into the Local Control Funding Formula.

In the larger picture of the state budget – where cuts often are framed in billions, not millions – that may seem to be a relatively significant amount of money.

But for small rural school districts like those in Lake County, the impacts could be huge if the funds are no longer specifically earmarked for agricultural education.

“To me, it just doesn't make sense,” said Upper Lake High School agriculture teacher Erica Boomer, who has used the funds to build her school's agriculture department.

“It's a well-established program and so for us it would be a huge impact” if the funding was lost, said Middletown High School Principal Bill Roderick.

Compared to other aspects of the budget, the Agricultural Education Incentive Grant is quite small, and may seem insignificant to the outsider, which may explain why the issue hasn't received much attention, according to Lake County Office of Education communications director Shelly Mascari.

“However, the ag incentive dollars are typically what the teachers use for supplies and materials. It's likely that the districts don't have a way to supplement this, were they to be eliminated, so even though the dollar amount may not seem significant, these funds are extremely important to the teachers,” she said.

According to the California Agricultural Teachers’ Association, the Agricultural Education Incentive Grant program is designed to provide matching funds for districts who commit to meeting state-approved program standards in ag education, including classroom instruction, supervised agricultural experience projects, and leadership training through the Future Farmers of America student organization.

Although a relatively small amount of money is in the grant program, ag educators say it has big impacts.

The Agricultural Education Incentive Grant currently supports local ag education programs and FFA activities in more than 300 high schools statewide, with more than 74,000 students – up from 21,000 in the mid 1980s – enrolled in those programs, the association reported.

It's estimated that 51 percent of ag education students are Hispanic, and 35 percent are white, which the association said is representative of California’s social and ethnic diversity.

“We are extremely disappointed that Gov. Brown has proposed eliminating ag education funding in California, the leading agricultural-producing state in the nation,” said Jim Aschwanden, executive director of the California Agricultural Teachers’ Association.

“These programs are vital if we expect to attract bright, talented and innovative students to help meet the many challenges facing both agriculture and the state of California over the next several decades,” Aschwanden said. “The elimination of support for high quality, rigorous program standards sends a clear message to schools that agriculture and these programs are not important for the future of our state economy.”

Aschwanden added, “We think this is a terrible mistake.”

Small grant, big impacts

If cuts to the Agricultural Education Incentive Grant go through, there are expected to be impacts to ag programs at Kelseyville, Lower Lake, Middletown and Upper Lake high schools.

In the case of Upper Lake High, loss of the funds would have a significant impact, according to Boomer, who has been the school's ag teacher and FFA advisor for nine years.

Boomer used the earmarked ag incentive grant funds to build an ag education program that now hosts 100 students – out of the high school's 340 total students – in classes including ag mechanics at the beginning and advanced levels, ag biology, and ag natural resources.

The school has metal and wood shops, plus a 1.5-acre farm and garden that Boomer said wouldn't have been possible without the grant, which Boomer called “vital” to her programs.

She said the ag incentive grant has provided her with between $6,000 and $7,000 annually, along with a specialized $10,000 ag grant that the school can apply for every three years.

It was a $10,000 specialized agricultural grant – matched by another $10,000 from the district – that paid for drilling the well for the school's farm, Boomer said.

Boomer said agricultural education is critical in California, where ag production is so dominant.

The California Department of Food and Agriculture reported that, for 2012 – the most recent year for which data is complete – California remained the No. 1 state in cash farm receipts, with 11.3 percent of the US total, plus 15 percent of national receipts for crops and 7.1 percent of the US revenue for livestock and livestock products.

The agency said California’s agricultural abundance includes more than 400 commodities, and produces nearly half of US-grown fruits, nuts and vegetables.

The agricultural education program at Upper Lake High, including Future Farms of America, helps students learn about a key industry while also learning leadership skills, Boomer said.

She said there also are the real-world applications of learning everything from fixing a motor to rewiring a light switch.

Plus, the students respond with enthusiasm to learning about animals, Boomer said. “It's a fun topic and the kids seem to enjoy it.”

Across the county at Middletown High School, Roderick said there are 264 students enrolled in agriculture programs this spring in a school where total enrollment is now 450 students.

The school has had a five-acre farm for about 20 years, Roderick said.

“You go out on the farm and you learn a different way,” Roderick said. “It's more hands on.”

Fifteen class sections are taught at the high school farm, including introduction to science, floral design, advanced ag mechanics and welding, according to Roderick. Two-thirds of the ag offerings are college prep courses.

“It's a big part of our community. It's a big part of our high school,” he said of the agricultural education program.

Currently, Middletown High receives an ag incentive grant of about $16,000. If the funds were rolled into the Local Control Funding Formula, the funds for ag education available to the school would drop to about $1,000. On top of that, Roderick said the school district would have to approve that $1,000 going to ag education.

Matt Cockerton, principal of Kelseyville High School, said that of his 540 students, 250 are taking part in agricultural education or FFA each year.

Cockerton said the school is in the process of building a new farm location on campus that will add to the four campus greenhouses currently on site.

The school's agriculture program has been on site for more than 25 years, with teachers Donelle McCallister and Mike Jones growing the program each year, Cockerton said.

It's Cockerton's belief that the governor's proposal to eliminate the funding won't stick. “I am confident that the agricultural community will lobby to bring the funding back. The group represents big money and has strong support.”

In a worst case scenario, Cockerton said Kelseyville High School will still have an agriculture and FFA program. “We will bake pies and wash cars but the program will continue no matter what.”

Lower Lake High School is in the second year of building its ag program, with 72 students enrolled in classes that take place in the old wood shop/metal shop facility that was remodeled into an ag complex last summer, according to Principal Jeff Dixon.

Dixon said the school's ag-related facilities also include a large garden and greenhouse located at the complex.

“We use the incentive grant funds to provide student field trips and to purchase equipment and instructional supplies,” Dixon said.

The loss of the ag incentive grant funds would have a negative impact on Lower Lake High's budget, but not necessarily on the program, said Dixon, as he, the school board and Superintendent Donna Becnel are committed to continuing to grow the program.

Boomer and other ag educators are asking students, parents, graduates and community members to write personal letters to their local legislators to ask that the ag incentive grant be spared, and to explain the importance of agricultural education on the local level.

Letters should be directed to Assemblywoman Mariko Yamada, http://www.asmdc.org/members/a04/ , and state Sen. Noreen Evans, http://sd02.senate.ca.gov/ .

Yamada and Evans have signed onto a letter asking Brown to reconsider the proposed cut and are asking that letters instead be sent to the following:

• The Honorable John A. Perez, speaker, California State Assembly, State Capitol, Room 219, Sacramento, CA 95814;

• The Honorable Darrell Steinberg, president pro tempore, California State Senate, State Capitol, Room 205, Sacramento, CA 95814;

• Gov. Jerry Brown, State Capitol, Suite 1173, Sacramento, CA 95814.

Roderick, like Cockerton, said he thinks the governor's proposal won't go through, and pointed out that there are a lot of groups lobbying the governor to change his mind on the proposal.

However, Roderick added, “If it doesn't change, it's very scary.”

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

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake County Animal Care and Control this week features a number of dogs with ancestry that comes from the working breeds.

Border collie, German Shepherd, dachshund and Australian Kelpie are among the mixes available, in ages ranging from 4 months to 3 years.

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

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

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

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

Male Chihuahua mix

This male Chihuahua mix is 3 years old.

He has a short black and white coat, perky ears and a long tail. It was not reported if he has been altered.

Shelter staff said he is a little shy but happy, and needs some training. Mainly, he just wants to be held.

Find him in kennel No. 4, ID No. 39092.

'Max'

“Max” is a a 3-year-old male Chihuahua mix.

He's got a short tan coat and perky ears. Shelter staff did not report if he has been neutered.

He's described as a “sweet little guy” who gets along with other dogs and is not food aggressive.

Find him in kennel No. 7, ID No. 38940.

Male dachshund mix

This male dachshund mix is 2 years old.

He has a short black and tan coat, and weighs nearly 14 pounds. Shelter staff did not report if he has been neutered.

He's in kennel No. 8, ID No. 39093.

'Zeek'

“Zeek” is a 7-month-old male border collie mix.

He's got a short black and white coat, floppy ears and brown eyes. Zeke weighs 36 pounds and has been neutered.

Zeek is in kennel No. 12, ID No. 39066.

Male pit bull terrier mix

This male pit bull terrier mix is of determined age.

He's got a curly brown brindle and white coat, and weighs 26 pounds. Shelter staff did not report if he has been neutered.

Find him in kennel No. 19, ID No. 39060.

German Shepherd-pit bull terrier mix

This female German Shepherd-pit bull terrier mix is 4 months old.

She has a short tan coat, weighs 32 pounds and has not been spayed.

She's in kennel No. 25, ID No. 39050.

Pit bull terrier mix

This male pit bull terrier mix is 2 years old.

He has a short black and white coat, weighs 67 pounds and has not yet been neutered.

He's in kennel No. 30, ID No. 38943.

Male shepherd mix

This male shepherd mix is 8 months old.

He has a short black and tan coat, and has not yet been neutered.

Find him in kennel No. 32, ID No. 38962.

Australian Kelpie mix

This female Australian Kelpie mix is of undetermined age.

She weighs 20 pounds and has a short brown brindle coat. Shelter staff did not report if she has been spayed.

She's in kennel No. 33, ID No. 39033.

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, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday. The shelter is open from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and on Saturday from 1 p.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.

State officials are urging residents to be vaccinated against the measles in response to a spike in the number of cases reported around the state.

The California Department of Public Health said it has received reports of 15 confirmed measles cases in California residents so far this year. Cases have occurred throughout California.

This time last year, only two measles cases had been reported, the agency said.

“Immunization is the best defense against measles, with 99 percent of persons developing immunity after two doses,” said Dr. Ron Chapman, state health officer and director of CDPH.

“With an outbreak in the Philippines and measles transmission ongoing in many parts of the world outside of North and South America, we can expect to see more imported cases of this vaccine-preventable disease,” Chapman said.

Imported cases can spread to the community, especially among unvaccinated persons, including infants too young to be vaccinated, according to Chapman.

High immunization rates in California have kept preventable childhood diseases, such as measles, at record lows during the past 20 years.

Since 2000, when measles was declared eliminated in the United States, the number of cases per year in California has ranged from four to 40 cases, according to the California Department of Public Health. In that time, almost all measles cases in the United States have been linked to travel to areas of the world where measles still circulates.

Among the California cases with onset in 2014, three had traveled to the Philippines, where a large outbreak is occurring, and two had traveled to India, where measles is endemic, health officials said.

Measles is a highly contagious viral disease that is spread through the air when someone who is ill with the disease coughs or sneezes.

Symptoms begin with a fever that lasts for a couple of days, followed by a cough, runny nose, red, watery eyes, and rash.

The rash typically appears first on the face, along the hairline, and behind the ears and then affects the rest of the body. Infected people are usually contagious for about eight days: four days before their rash starts and four days after.

Complications can include diarrhea, ear infections, and pneumonia and death can occur from severe complications. Infants, pregnant women and immunocompromised persons are more susceptible to complications from measles.

“We want to do everything we can to prevent measles cases and we must do everything possible to limit the disease from spreading,” said Chapman.

Children are recommended to get their first dose of MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine at 12 to 15 months. The second dose of MMR is usually administered before children start kindergarten at 4 to 6 years.

Immunized adults do not need boosters. However, anyone born since 1957 who has not had two doses of vaccine may still be vulnerable to measles and should ask their doctor about getting immunized.

Unvaccinated Californians who are traveling outside of North or South America should receive MMR vaccine before they go. Infants who are traveling can be vaccinated as young as six months of age (though they should also have the two standard doses of MMR vaccine after their first birthday).

Individuals getting ready to travel abroad can find helpful information about travel vaccines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at www.cdc.gov/travel/contentVaccinations.aspx .

For more information about measles and other vaccine-preventable diseases in California, visit www.getimmunizedca.org or call your doctor to make sure your family’s immunizations are complete and up-to-date.