LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — A new portrait of one of Lake County’s retired judges will be unveiled this week.
The portrait hanging ceremony forJudge Richard Martin will take place beginning at 3:30 p.m. Friday, May 13, in the Lake County Superior Court, located on the fourth floor of the Lake County Courthouse, 255 N. Forbes St. in Lakeport.
Martin retired in May 2017 after 12 years on the bench in the Superior Court’s Department 2.
He had a long career in public service and is the father of Sheriff Brian Martin.
The ceremony on Friday is part of a tradition for retired judges, whose portraits are hung in their former courtrooms.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — Lake County Animal Care and Control has a growing selection of dogs — including several cute puppies looking for their new human parents.
Dogs available for adoption this week include mixes of Anatolian shepherd, Australian cattle dog, Australian shepherd, Belgian malinois, border collie, Carolina dog, Catahoula leopard dog, Chihuahua, French bulldog, German shepherd, Labrador retriever, pit bull and Shih Tzu.
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.
The following dogs at the Lake County Animal Care and Control shelter have been cleared for adoption.
Call Lake County Animal Care and Control at 707-263-0278 or visit the shelter online for information on visiting or adopting.
“Rooster” is a 5-year-old male mountain cur in kennel No. 2, ID No. LCAC-A-3384. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. ‘Rooster’
“Rooster” is a 5-year-old male mountain cur with a brown brindle coat.
He is in kennel No. 2, ID No. LCAC-A-3384.
This young male chocolate Labrador is in kennel No. 3, ID No. LCAC-A-3385. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Chocolate lab mix
This young male chocolate Labrador, who is under a year old, has a short coat.
He is in kennel No. 3, ID No. LCAC-A-3385.
“Bella” is a 2-year-old Catahoula leopard dog mix in kennel No. 4, ID No. LCAC-A-3245. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. ‘Bella’
“Bella” is a 2-year-old Catahoula leopard dog mix with a short black and white coat.
She is in kennel No. 4, ID No. LCAC-A-3245.
“Dozer” is a 2-year-old male pit bull in kennel No. 5, ID No. LCAC-A-3278. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. ‘Dozer’
“Dozer” is a 2-year-old male pit bull with a short black coat.
He is in kennel No. 5, ID No. LCAC-A-3278.
“Dexter” is a 1-year-old male pit bull in kennel No. 6, ID No. LCAC-A-3290. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. ‘Dexter’
“Dexter’ is a 1-year-old male pit bull with a short black coat with white markings.
He is in kennel No. 6, ID No. LCAC-A-3290.
This male Australian shepherd mix puppy is in kennel No. 7, ID No. LCAC-A-3373. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Australian shepherd mix puppy
This male Australian shepherd mix puppy has a short brown and black coat.
He is in kennel No. 7, ID No. LCAC-A-3373.
This female Australian shepherd mix puppy is in kennel No. 7, ID No. LCAC-A-3377. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Australian shepherd mix puppy
This female Australian shepherd mix puppy has a tricolor coat.
She is in kennel No. 7, ID No. LCAC-A-3377.
This female Australian shepherd mix puppy is in kennel No. 7, ID No. LCAC-A-3378. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Australian shepherd mix puppy
This female Australian shepherd mix puppy has a tricolor coat.
She is in kennel No. 7, ID No. LCAC-A-3378.
This female Australian shepherd mix puppy is in kennel No. 7, ID No. LCAC-A-3379. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Australian shepherd mix puppy
This female Australian shepherd mix puppy has a gold coat.
She is in kennel No. 7, ID No. LCAC-A-3379.
This young female pit bull mix is in kennel No. 10, ID No. LCAC-A-3353. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Female pit bull mix
This young female pit bull mix has a short black and white coat.
She is in kennel No. 10, ID No. LCAC-A-3353.
“Bruno” is a young male pit bull in kennel No. 11, ID No. LCAC-A-3344. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. ‘Bruno’
“Bruno” is a young male pit bull with a short black and white coat.
He is in kennel No. 11, ID No. LCAC-A-3344.
This 3-year-old female pit bull is in kennel No. 12, ID No. LCAC-A-3323. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Female pit bull
This 3-year-old female pit bull had a short gray coat with withe markings.
She is in kennel No. 12, ID No. LCAC-A-3323.
This 1-year-old male pit bull is in kennel No. 15, ID No. LCAC-A-3321. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Male pit bull
This 1-year-old male pit bull has a short brown coat with white markings.
He is in kennel No. 15, ID No. LCAC-A-3321.
“Macho” is a 3-year-old male pit bull mix in kennel No. 17, ID No. LCAC-A-3343. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. ‘Macho’
“Macho” is a 3-year-old male pit bull mix with a short brown coat.
He is in kennel No. 17, ID No. LCAC-A-3343.
This 1-year-old female shepherd mix is in kennel No. 19, ID No. LCAC-A-3342. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Female shepherd mix
This 1-year-old female shepherd mix has a short gray brindle coat.
She is in kennel No. 19, ID No. LCAC-A-3342.
“Willie” is a 1-year-old male pit bull terrier in kennel No. 20, ID No. LCAC-A-3301. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. ‘Willie’
“Willie” is a 1-year-old male pit bull terrier with a short brown and white coat.
He is in kennel No. 20, ID No. LCAC-A-3301.
This 1-year-old male Belgian malinois is in kennel No. 21, ID No. LCAC-A-3270. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Male Belgian malinois
This 1-year-old male Belgian malinois has a short brown and black coat.
He is in kennel No. 21, ID No. LCAC-A-3270.
This female German shepherd mix puppy is in kennel No. 22a, ID No. LCAC-A-3312. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Female German shepherd puppy
This female German shepherd mix puppy has a short black and tan coat.
She is in kennel No. 22a, ID No. LCAC-A-3312.
This female German shepherd mix puppy is in kennel No. 22b, ID No. LCAC-A-3313. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Female German shepherd puppy
This female German shepherd mix puppy has a short tan and white coat.
She is in kennel No. 22b, ID No. LCAC-A-3313.
This young female Shih Tzu is in kennel No. 24, ID No. LCAC-A-3349. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Female Shih Tzu
This young female Shih Tzu has a white coat.
She is in kennel No. 24, ID No. LCAC-A-3349.
This male Australian shepherd puppy is in kennel No. 25, ID No. LCAC-A-3372. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Australian shepherd puppy
This male Australian shepherd puppy has a gold coat.
He is in kennel No. 25, ID No. LCAC-A-3372.
This male Australian shepherd puppy is in kennel No. 25, ID No. LCAC-A-3374. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Australian shepherd puppy
This male Australian shepherd puppy has a black and white coat.
He is in kennel No. 25, ID No. LCAC-A-3374.
This male Australian shepherd mix puppy is in kennel No. 25, ID No. LCAC-A-3375. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Australian shepherd mix puppy
This male Australian shepherd mix puppy has a tricolor coat.
He is in kennel No. 25, ID No. LCAC-A-3375.
This male Australian shepherd mix puppy is in kennel No. 25, ID No. LCAC-A-3376. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Australian shepherd mix puppy
This male Australian shepherd mix puppy has a brown and black coat.
He is in kennel No. 25, ID No. LCAC-A-3376.
“Pozey” is a 6-year-old female Anatolian shepherd in kennel No. 26, ID No. LCAC-A-3362. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. ‘Pozey’
“Pozey” is a 6-year-old female Anatolian shepherd with a short cream-colored coat.
She is in kennel No. 26, ID No. LCAC-A-3362.
This 3-year-old male Australian cattle dog is in kennel No. 27, ID No. LCAC-A-3130. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Male Australian cattle dog
This 3-year-old male Australian cattle dog has a short black, tan and white coat.
He is in kennel No. 27, ID No. LCAC-A-3130.
This 2-year-old male border collie in kennel No. 28, ID No. LCAC-A-3361. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Male border collie
This 2-year-old male border collie has a black coat with white markings.
He is in kennel No. 28, ID No. LCAC-A-3361.
“Mozey” is a 6-year-old female Anatolian shepherd in kennel No. 29, ID No. LCAC-A-3363. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control.
‘Mozey’
“Mozey” is a 6-year-old female Anatolian shepherd with a short cream-colored coat.
She is in kennel No. 29, ID No. LCAC-A-3363.
This 3-year-old female German shepherd is in kennel No. 31, ID No. LCAC-A-3331. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control.
Female German shepherd
This 3-year-old female German shepherd has a short black and tan coat.
She is in kennel No. 31, ID No. LCAC-A-3331.
“Cody” is a 7-year-old male French bulldog-pit bull terrier mix in kennel No. 33, ID No. LCAC-A-3284. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. ‘Cody’
“Cody” is a 7-year-old male French bulldog-pit bull terrier mix with a short brindle and white coat.
He is in kennel No. 33, ID No. LCAC-A-3284.
This 2-year-old female Carolina dog is in kennel No. 34, ID No. LCAC-A-3281. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Carolina dog
This 2-year-old female Carolina dog has a short white coat.
She is in kennel No. 34, ID No. LCAC-A-3281.
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.
On Friday, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a new public-private partnership to create workforce development programs focused on good-paying careers in climate, public health and other jobs of the future, particularly in disadvantaged communities.
The High Road Training Fund is launched in partnership with the nonprofit Jobs for the Future, or JFF, and California Workforce Development Board.
The state has already invested approximately $62 million in public funding to expand High Road Training Partnerships, or HRTP, and High Road Construction Careers, or HRCC.
Over the next three years, the High Road Training Fund will invest more than $18 million to support the needs of HRTP and HRCC grantees. Gov. Newsom has proposed more than $500 million to further expand high road programs.
The HRTP and HRCC, administered by the California Workforce Development Board, provide training to help workers garner the skills and experience necessary to participate in growing and emerging industries such as construction, forestry and agriculture, hospitality, public transit and utilities, health care, trade, and logistics.
“We’re building a workforce of the future to create a cleaner, healthier, and more prosperous California,” said Gov. Newsom. “Public-private partnerships like these are critical to achieving our shared goals as a state — an all-hands-on-deck approach to provide workers with the training and education needed for these new jobs as we create a more sustainable and resilient future for all Californians.”
“At a time of broad-based income inequality and growing climate threats, climate resilience and economic inclusion are two sides of the same coin,” said Ana Bertha Gutierrez, Senior Director at JFF. “This work is about driving investment in inclusive models of workforce development that prioritize equity, economic growth and inclusive regional economies alongside climate resilience and environmental protection."
With seed funding and aligned support from the James B. Irvine Foundation and Lumina Foundation, CWDB is working with JFF to launch the new fund in late summer 2022, with a focus on supporting grantees to supplement areas historically not covered through public funding streams.
The fund will provide resources to cover the barriers often faced by workers living in poverty, ranging from support to cover basic needs like housing and food insecurity to capacity-building funding for local programs and community-based organization partners.
“When we talk about climate change, homelessness, health disparities, and the preservation of natural resources — at the heart of all of these priorities are workers and how they drive change in their communities,” said Natalie Palugyai, secretary of the California Labor & Workforce Development Agency. “This new fund further empowers communities to more equitably access State high-road investments that foster inclusion, good jobs, worker voice and economic prosperity.”
Grab your bicycle, fasten your helmet, and get outdoors for a bike ride.
With more daylight hours before sunset and warming temperatures, May is the perfect month to enjoy outdoor activities.
May also happens to be National Bicycle Safety Month, and the California Highway Patrol and Office of Traffic Safety, or OTS, want to remind outdoor enthusiasts that whether you are a cyclist, pedestrian, or driver, traffic safety laws are in place to save lives.
“As more Californians choose walking and bicycling as primary modes of transportation, creating a safer environment for all roadway users is a shared responsibility,” said Commissioner Amanda Ray.
Drivers can help create a safer environment for cyclists by checking their blind spots when changing lanes, proceeding with caution through intersections, remembering to look carefully for bicyclists and pedestrians before making a turn, and always looking for cyclists before opening the car door near streets or bike paths.
California law also requires drivers to maintain a minimum of three feet of distance when passing or overtaking a cyclist. If there is not enough room to safely pass, be patient and wait until it is safe.
“If you’re driving, be the best version of yourself,” OTS Director Barbara Rooney said. “We are all pedestrians at one point and many of us ride bikes. Slow down and share the road so we may all get places safely.”
According to the CHP’s Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System, in 2020, California had almost 8,800 bicycle crashes with 90 percent of them involving an injury. In that same year, 151 people died in bicycle crashes.
Although helmets are not required for people ages 18 and older, wearing a properly secured helmet drastically reduces a rider’s chance of a head injury.
As part of National Bicycle Safety Month, the CHP has partnered with the OTS to educate the public on bicycle safety and the laws that apply to all modes of transportation.
Throughout May, many local CHP offices will offer educational presentations and bicycle trainings to promote bicycle safety.
Scientists at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, recently received samples of the lunar surface that have been curated in a freezer at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston since Apollo 17 astronauts returned them to Earth in December 1972.
This research is part of the Apollo Next Generation Sample Analysis Program, or ANGSA, an effort to study the samples returned from the Apollo Program in advance of the upcoming Artemis missions to the Moon’s South Pole.
However, the process of getting the samples from Johnson to researchers at Goddard – as well as researchers at NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley, the Naval Research Laboratory in Washington, D.C., and the University of Arizona, Tucson – wasn’t simple.
It’s a process that began more than four years ago when NASA’s Julie Mitchell and her Artemis curation team at Johnson began designing and retrofitting a facility to process the frozen Apollo 17 samples. This was a new approach and scientists were excited to employ a technique that could be applied to future lunar missions.
“We started this in early 2018 and there’s been a lot of technical challenges that we’ve had to overcome to get to this point,” said Mitchell. “This was seen as a practice run for preparing a facility for future cold sample processing.”
“By doing this work we're not just facilitating Artemis exploration, but we're facilitating future sample return and human exploration into the rest of the solar system,” Mitchell added. “I feel very privileged to contribute in this small way by developing the capabilities for us to collect these materials, bring them home safely, and curate them for the long term.”
Once the facility was ready, Ryan Zeigler, Apollo sample curator in the Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science, or ARES, Division at Johnson, and his team had to adapt to the unique conditions designed by Mitchell’s team to keep the samples frozen during processing, which included decreased visibility due to frost and challenges manipulating the samples while working with thick gloves in a nitrogen-purged glove box, all of which took place inside a walk-in freezer maintained at minus 4 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 20 C).
Being able to keep samples frozen will be important for Artemis as astronauts potentially return ice samples from the Moon’s South Pole.
A frozen Apollo 17 sample being processed inside a nitrogen-purged glove box at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. The sample is one of many being studied as part of the ANGSA program. Credits: NASA/Robert Markowitz. “Everything we do involves a lot of logistics and a lot of infrastructure, but adding the cold makes it a lot harder,” said Zeigler. “It’s an important learning lesson for Artemis, as being able to process samples in the cold will be even more important for the Artemis mission than it is for Apollo. This work gives us some lessons learned and a good feed forward for Artemis.”
Once the frozen samples were processed and subdivided at Johnson by lunar sample processor Jeremy Kent, the samples were then express shipped in a cooler with dry ice, immediately opened at Goddard, and stored in a secure freezer. For the scientists now working with the treasures, there's something special about receiving samples that haven't been investigated in nearly five decades.
Jamie Elsila, a research scientist in the Astrobiology Analytical Laboratory at Goddard, is focusing on the study of small, volatile organic compounds for her research and analysis of the sample. Previous research showed that some lunar samples contain amino acids, which are essential to life on Earth. Her team wants to understand their origin and distribution in the solar system.
“We think some of the amino acids in the lunar soils may have formed from precursor molecules, which are smaller, more volatile compounds such as formaldehyde or hydrogen cyanide,” said Elsila. “Our research goal is to identify and quantify these small organic volatile compounds, as well as any amino acids, and to use the data to understand the prebiotic organic chemistry of the Moon.”
Natalie Curran, principal investigator for the Mid Atlantic Noble Gas Research Lab at Goddard, focuses on understanding the history that the samples may have experienced during their lifetime on the Moon. The surface of the Moon is a harsh environment and unlike the Earth, it doesn’t have an atmosphere to protect it from exposure to space.
“Our work allows us to use noble gases, such as argon, helium, neon, and xenon, to measure the duration a sample has been exposed to cosmic rays, and this can help us understand the history of that sample,” said Curran. “Cosmic rays can be damaging to organic material that may be in a sample, so understanding the duration helps to determine the effects that exposure has had on the organic.”
Both Elsila and Curran are in possession of frozen and non-frozen lunar samples. When these samples were brought to Earth, a portion was stored at room temperature and another portion was frozen, allowing for comparison between the two groups. Scientists will analyze both sets of samples to ascertain if there are differences in the organic content. Understanding any variations caused by the different curation methods might inform future decisions about how to store samples returned by Artemis astronauts, part of what the ARES team at Johnson will be doing.
For Elsila, “it’s very cool to think about all the work that went into collecting the samples on the Moon and then all the forethought and care that went into preserving them for us to be able to analyze at this time,” she noted.
As for Curran, “when you think of how these samples have come from another world, how far they have traveled and the solar system history they have preserved inside of them, it always blows my mind,” she added.
Learn more about how NASA studies Apollo samples and other celestial bodies at https://ares.jsc.nasa.gov.
Three ARES scientists process frozen Apollo 17 samples inside a walk-in freezer maintained at minus 4 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 20 C). Beneath the laboratory gown, they don parkas, gloves, and hats to keep warm. Credits: NASA/Robert Markowitz.
Why does Earth support life, while Venus and Mars — and for all we know, any other planet in the universe — do not?
“It’s one of the most fundamental questions in all of science: Why are we here? And it’s what Endurance is after,” said Glyn Collinson, a space scientist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, and principal investigator for NASA’s Endurance mission.
The Endurance mission will attempt to measure Earth’s global electric potential, or how much Earth’s electric field “tugs” at electrically charged particles in our air.
This electric potential is expected to be very weak, making it difficult to measure – and one reason Earth can support life. Endurance’s launch window from the small town of Ny-Ålesund in Svalbard, Norway, opens on May 9.
Earth is a watery planet, one of the key reasons it can support life. Yet billions of years ago, you might have said something similar about Venus. Scientists believe Venus was once much wetter than it is today, but for reasons we still don’t fully understand, it has since dried out. Figuring out why could pinpoint a key difference from Earth – and reveal a hidden ingredient for a habitable planet.
In 2016, the European Space Agency's Venus Express mission discovered a clue. The spacecraft detected a 10-volt electric potential surrounding the planet, meaning that positively charged particles would be pulled away from its surface.
Like a planet-wide vacuum cleaner, this electric potential could siphon away ingredients of water, like the positively charged oxygen that gets split from its hydrogen atoms by intense sunlight. Over time, this electric potential may have played a role in draining Venus’ water away to space.
These findings from Venus, however, raised questions about Earth. Venus’ electric potential is created by its ionosphere – the electrically charged outer layer of its atmosphere. But Earth has an ionosphere as well. So does Earth have a similar electric potential, and if so, why is our water still around?
“We think one of the reasons Earth may be habitable is because we have this very weak electrical potential,” Collinson said. The Endurance team estimates a strength of about 0.3 volts, some 25 times weaker than on Venus and so weak it has foiled all previous attempts at measurement. “It’s not even as strong as a watch battery – but it should be there,” Collinson added.
With his team and rocket experiment, Collinson is traveling to the northernmost launch range in the world and located in Svalbard, a Norwegian archipelago in the Arctic Ocean. There his team will launch their experiment through Earth’s magnetic north pole.
“We had to invent a brand-new technology to do this on Earth, using the technique we pioneered at Venus,” Collinson said.
Once airborne, the Endurance mission will measure electrons escaping from Earth’s atmosphere – part of a gradual process of atmospheric escape that’s been happening for billions of years. These electrons escape Earth at a specific, predictable speed, but they should be slowed ever so slightly by Earth’s global electric potential. Collinson’s instruments will attempt to measure that subtle slowing effect to find out how strong it is.
If all goes as planned, it will be the first measurements of Earth’s global electric potential.
“The reward, if we're successful, is fantastic,” Collinson said. “Because we’ll measure this fundamental property of the Earth, which is directly related to understanding why we’re here.”
Endurance is a NASA-funded mission. The Svalbard Rocket Range is owned and operated by Andøya Space Center. The European Incoherent Scatter Scientific Association, or EISCAT, Svalbard radar, located in Longyearbyen, will make ground-based measurements of the ionosphere critical to interpreting the rocket data. The United Kingdom Natural Environment Research Council and the Research Council of Norway funded the EISCAT radar for the Endurance mission. EISCAT is owned and operated by research institutes and research councils of Norway, Sweden, Finland, Japan, China and the United Kingdom (the EISCAT Associates).
Miles Hatfield works for NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.
Glyn Collinson reviews the instrument during rocket reassembly on site in Svalbard. Credits: NASA Wallops/Brian Bonsteel.
From left, Bart Bundesen, assistant chief of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Central Enforcement District; Lake County Chief Deputy District Attorney Richard Hinchcliff; and Eric Sklar, a member of the California Fish and Game Commission, at the Lake County Courthouse on Tuesday, May 3, 2022, following the presentation to Hinchcliff of the 2020 Wildlife Prosecutor of the Year. Photo courtesy of Denise Hinchcliff. LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — State officials came to the Board of Supervisors meeting on Tuesday to honor a longtime Lake County prosecutor for his efforts to protect wildlife.
The California Fish and Game Commission named Chief Deputy District Attorney Richard Hinchcliff as its 2020 Wildlife Prosecutor of the Year in June.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the presentation was delayed by nearly another year.
However, Hinchcliff finally received his reward on Tuesday, when Bart Bundesen, assistant chief of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Central Enforcement District, and Eric Sklar, a member of the California Fish and Game Commission, came to the board meeting to honor him.
“It’s very important in law enforcement that our partners in the District Attorney’s Office are there to help us,” said Bundesen.
“Our work is just a portion of what needs to be done and without those district attorneys doing the work that they do we wouldn't be able to complete our job,” he said.
Bundesen said they find that there are certain district attorneys who take it upon themselves to take special interest in fish and game cases. “Sometimes it's out of love for the environment, sometimes it's out of their love for hunting and fishing, it just all depends, but those people are essential to us.”
He said Hinchcliff is one of those people that's been critical to their efforts, “and that's why we're recognizing him as Wildlife Prosecutor of the Year.”
Hinchcliff, who was raised in Lake County, joined the District Attorney’s Office in 1995. He’s been chief deputy district attorney since 2006.
Bundesen said it was Hinchcliff’s personal interest that led him in 2000 to ask the district attorney to let him handle all of the fish and game cases.
It was reported during the presentation that since 2000, Hinchcliff has prosecuted 550 wildlife and environmental cases, with a conviction rate exceeding 95%.
Fish and Wildlife also reported that Hinchcliff has obtained court orders requiring poachers to pay fines totaling $429,742. He also has had 65 firearms ordered forfeited, and had 116 hunting licenses and 57 fishing licenses revoked for convicted poachers for one to three years.
Bundesen said Hinchcliff has improved the procedures for how fines are handed out in such cases, and is working to ensure that those who are convicted pay their fines.
Greg Giusti, chair of the Lake County Fish and Wildlife Advisory Committee, also was on hand to offer his praise to Hinchcliff, with whom he has worked for at least 20 years. Hinchcliff also is a member of that committee.
During that time, he said he’s come to appreciate Hinchcliff’s honesty, integrity and professionalism, and his dedication to the protection and conservation of Lake County’s fish and wildlife resources.
“Not only does he bring a positive shining light to the county, his energy and his dedication to his job, to public service, is really part of this commendation I believe,” said Giusti.
He told the state officials that they “hit a home run” by selecting Hinchcliff for the award.
“It's a good day to come up here and to acknowledge somebody that I consider a friend, somebody that I work with and somebody who I think is a consummate professional and public servant,” said Giusti, thanking Hinchcliff for the work he does for the community.
Sklar said he and his fellow commissioners and commission staff are deeply grateful for the stellar work that Hinchcliff has done.
He credited Hinchcliff for making pioneering changes in the way wildlife cases are prosecuted, which has ensured that those who break the law are not back hunting the next day.
Sklar said Hinchcliff also has changed the way such crimes are penalized. Instead of just fines, Hinchcliff has gotten jail sentences for individuals convicted of the most serious cases.
One of the most egregious cases Hinchcliff prosecuted involved a large crappie poaching case. Sklar said Hinchcliff’s handling of the case resulted in $70,000 in fines, and $40,000 in confiscated fishing equipment was given to a local high school fishing club.
Sklar called Hinchcliff’s high conviction rate on fish and game cases “an incredible record.”
Hinchcliff thanked Bundesen, Giusti and Sklar for their comments.
“We’ve been very successful in the DA’s Office prosecuting fish and wildlife violations,” he said.
He explained the partnership that made that possible.
Hinchcliff said that in his 27 years in the District Attorney’s Office, Fish and Wildlife has had a history of very good wardens.
“I find every single one of them to be intelligent, friendly, hardworking, dedicated to their jobs and very well trained,” he said.
He added that if Fish and Wildlife hadn’t done such a good job of training and producing great wardens to work on cases, the District Attorney’s Office wouldn’t be as successful as it’s been.
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.
From left to right, Lake County Superintendent of Schools Brock Falkenberg, Kelseyville Unified School District Assistant Superintendent Dr. Nicki Thomas, Lake County Teacher of the Year Rena Roush and Kelseyville Unified Superintendent Dr. Dave McQueen. Photo courtesy of the Lake County Office of Education. LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — Rena Roush, lead teacher at the Kelseyville Learning Academy in the Kelseyville Unified School District, has been named Lake County Teacher of the Year 2022.
“Rena Roush is the reason the Kelseyville Learning Academy is so successful,” said Dr. Nicki Thomas, Kelseyville Unified’s assistant superintendent. “She excels at developing positive relationships with students and families.”
Roush received notification of the honor on Friday during Teacher Appreciation Week.
Her students, colleagues and family members gathered at the Kelseyville Unified School District office as Lake County Superintendent of Schools Brock Falkenberg presented a surprised Roush with her Teacher of the Year plaque and flowers.
Roush was chosen as the Kelseyville Unified Teacher of the Year in March.
In late April, Roush participated in an interview at the Lake County Office of Education. She was chosen from a group of four other Lake County District Teachers of the Year to represent Lake County at the California Teacher of the Year competition this fall.
The other District Teachers of the Year 2022 include Kacy Mitchell, Konocti Unified School District; Farrah Alameda, Lakeport Unified; Scott Ferguson, Middletown Unified; and Paul Holt, Upper Lake Unified School District.
Roush became a teacher after her high school counselor called her into his office to suggest it as a career path, telling Roush she’d make a great teacher.
“Since then, I have valued and appreciated my career choice,” Roush said.
Roush has spent most of her teaching years working in alternative education settings. The Kelseyville Learning Academy is a home study and long-term independent study program.
Before this assignment, Roush spent many years teaching at the Lakeport Alternative School, a home study program offered through Lakeport Unified School District.
Roush feels fortunate to have the opportunity to partner with students and parents in achieving academic and personal goals through one-on-one instruction.
“I am privileged to have witnessed the success of many students, who struggled academically, socially, and emotionally in the ‘traditional’ classroom setting, grow in self-confidence, learn to apply useful study skills, and effectively implement self-management tools for life,” said Roush.
Roush is also proud of facilitating work experience and apprenticeship programs with local businesses and coordinating dual-enrollment courses for her students at the local community colleges.
“Her students maintain high levels of attendance, engagement, and academic achievement,” said Thomas. “Rena is a master teacher by all definitions.”
Members of the interview panel included Cynthia Lenners, deputy superintendent of schools; Michelle Mackey, Lake County Teacher of the Year 2021; Jennifer Kelley, former Lake County and California Teacher of the Year; Alan Siegel, former Lake County and California Teacher of the Year; and Judy Fletcher, representing the California Retired Teachers Association.
Lake County has had three California Teachers of the Year in the last 17 years. Erica Boomer from Upper Lake Unified School District was named a California Teacher of the Year 2019. Jennifer Kelly from the Middletown Unified School District received the honor in 2011 and Alan Siegel from Konocti Unified School District received the honor in 2005.
Falkenberg acknowledged Lake County teachers’ high success rate in the California Teacher of the Year program. “Our Lake County students are being served well by some of the best teachers in our state. That’s awe-inspiring.”
The Lake County Teacher of the Year program is administered through the Lake County Office of Education and the California Department of Education.
For more information about Rena Roush and the Lake County District Teachers of the Year, please visit https://www.lakecoe.org/TOY.
Congressman Mike Thompson, left, presents a ceremonial check for $450,000 to Board of Supervisors Chair EJ Crandell (center) and Superintendent Dr. Dave McQueen (right).
KELSEYVILLE, Calif. — Thanks to recent action by Congress, a project that will make it safer for children to get to school in Kelseyville will now move forward.
On Thursday afternoon, hundreds of Kelseyville Elementary school students gathered with their teachers and district and county leaders to welcome Congressman Mike Thompson for a ceremonial check presentation in the school’s multiuse building.
Congressman Mike Thompson (D-CA-05) secured $10.8 million in Community Project Funding for his district as part of H.R. 2471, the Funding For The People bill.
That funding for the Fifth District includes $450,000 for the Lake County Kelseyville Sidewalk Project, which is part of the Safe Routes to School Program.
The project will fill in a gap in the sidewalk where students walk along Konocti Road, a collector road that is the primary route for vehicles traveling from downtown to Kelseyville Elementary and Mt. Vista Middle School.
It will create one continuous sidewalk along the south side of Konocti Road, beginning at the Cole Creek bridge and stretching over about a third of a mile to Oak Hills Lane.
Thompson said Konocti Road currently has many sections without a sidewalk, which forces students to walk in the bike lane and closer to passing vehicles.
“Providing our students with a safe walking route to school will give parents the peace of mind they need to know their children are safely getting to school,” said Thompson.
Students and teachers at an assembly on Thursday, May 5, 2022, during which Congressman Mike Thompson presented a ceremonial check for $450,000 for a sidewalk project. Photo by Elizabeth Larson/Lake County News. At the school assembly, as the students sat on the floor, Thompson and local leaders took to the stage to explain the project.
Thompson handed a large ceremonial check to district Superintendent Dr. Dave McQueen, Board of Supervisors Chair EJ Crandell and Susan Parker, the county’s interim administrative officer.
McQueen offered his thanks to Thompson, as did Crandell, who said the supervisors are committed to working to promote the best and brightest possible future for every Lake County resident.
Crandell said generations of Kelseyville parents will have greater confidence their kids will be safe walking and biking to and from school as a direct result of this project.
“That is the kind of community investment that makes a difference,” he said.
“Your future matters to all of us,” Parker told the students.
Thompson told the children to study hard, listen to their teachers and be careful.
After the event, a young student walked up to Thompson, thanked him and then handed him a thank you note she had drawn herself on lined paper.
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.
Congressman Mike Thompson with a thank you note from a young student at Kelseyville Elementary School. Photo by Elizabeth Larson/Lake County News.
Dawn Trussell, Brock University; Jennifer Mooradian, Brock University; Shannon Hebblethwaite, Concordia University, and Stephanie Paterson, Concordia University
We’re a team of researchers who have studied the life-changing transition to motherhood for nearly 10 years. Our research has examined how motherhood enriches women’s lives at the same time as we challenge society’s notion of being a “good mother.” The role of policy (maternity leave legislation, childcare, access to leisure services) in shaping women’s experiences has been a central focus.
Giving new mothers a sense of freedom
Similar to other research findings, in a recent study currently undergoing peer review, the new mothers we worked with sought out leisure and physical activities to minimize stress, decrease their anxiety, increase self-esteem and navigate their new mothering identity. The women’s participation gave them a sense of freedom and control over their lives.
For example, for some mothers, running on their own provided an opportunity to carve out time for themselves. For other mothers, running with their baby in a stroller helped them develop a sense of family.
But the reality is that postpartum activities are not accessible to all women.
Unrealistic expectations of motherhood
For some mothers, running with their baby in a stroller helped them develop a sense of family.(Shutterstock)
In our recent study, we worked with new mothers from pregnancy to 18 months post-birth. We found that during pregnancy the women had unrealistic expectations of what life would be like, in contrast to the realities that they faced after the baby was born.
This included frustration about how much time they actually have to participate in leisure and physical activities. It also included disappointment about the type and intensity of activities they could return to — especially when considering their recovering postnatal bodies (for example, C-sections, general fatigue). The data also suggested that returning to work poses an additional challenge to women and successful leisure and physical activity engagement.
In western societies, “good mothering” practices are informed by an intensive mothering ideology that is informed by middle class and white values. It embodies motherhood as child-centred, emotionally absorbing and self-sacrificing. Compared to previous generations, mothering now extends beyond the provision of children’s safety and well-being. Mothers are expected to maximize their children’s growth and development. Participation in organized programs is one way to do this (for example, mommy and me swimming).
New mothers talked about the high cost of transportation and difficulties using public transportation with a stroller.(2p2play / Shutterstock.com)
Our research on parental policies found that they privilege paid work while reinforcing a socio-economic hierarchy in which only some mothers are able to access the benefits. This can affect women’s chances for improved health and well-being.
New mothers in our recent study who were self-employed were unable to access formal maternity leave policies. Consequently, they had reduced participation in leisure and physical activities — on their own or with their baby. This led to feelings of failure as a mom and in their careers.
Women in precarious employment who did not qualify for maternity leave programs also reported difficulties. Many community recreation programs are user pay, which excludes women of lower socio-economic status.
Although financial assistance may be offered for organized recreation programs, research has highlighted the humiliation of having to publicly declare or prove their low-income status. Other research points to the fear of going out in unsafe neighbourhoods in order to access community programs and services.
The COVID-19 pandemic has also disproportionately affected low-income mothers. The new mothers in our recent study talked about the high cost of transportation and difficulties using public transportation with a stroller. Consequently, many women feel judged and vulnerable from the outset of being a mother.
Generally, the stories from new mothers who qualified for maternity leave revealed that they had more time, money and choice of leisure and physical activities that they could access than mothers who did not qualify. Yet, they still have reduced income and higher costs with the arrival of the new baby. They also had to overcome challenges such as the stigma of breastfeeding in public spaces or the inability to participate in leisure and physical activities without their baby.
Important role of family
New mothers who qualified for maternity leave revealed that they had more time, money and choice of leisure and physical activities that they could access than mothers who did not qualify.(Shutterstock)
Social relationships play an important role in facilitating new mothers’ participation in their own leisure and physical activities.
Family support networks helped the mothers in our most recent study to resist the notion of self-sacrificing motherhood and to find time for themselves. The mothers’ partners and their extended family members (for example, mother, father-in-law) were important support networks to look after the baby. These support networks helped the mothers schedule and find much-needed time for themselves.
New mothers face challenges with their return to leisure and physical activities after the birth of a child. But it is clear that with support such as parental leave and family support, these activities can help them negotiate the difficult transition to motherhood and improve their health and well-being.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — A Clearlake Oaks man convicted by a jury in March in a burglary case has been sentenced to state prison.
Judge J. David Markham sentenced David Clair Archuleta to prison during an April 18 sentencing, said Chief Deputy District Attorney Richard Hinchcliff.
Archuleta, 39, received a sentence of 17 years and four months in state prison, Hinchcliff said.
Hinchcliff said evidence at Archuleta’s trial showed that Lake County Sheriff’s Deputy Matthew McCabe was on patrol in Clearlake Oaks on Dec. 30, 2020, at approximately 12:45 a.m. when he observed Archuleta unloading a Predator 3500 generator from a Toyota Rav4 which was parked in front of his residence on first street.
McCabe was aware that a similar generator had been reported stolen on Dec. 24 from a residence on Fourth Street, Hinchcliff said.
Deputy McCabe made contact with Archuleta, and subsequently obtained a search warrant for his residence and the RAV 4. Hinchcliff said the search of the residence discovered property which had been reported stolen from two separate residences, each on Keys Boulevard in Clearlake Oaks.
Hinchcliff said one burglary had been reported on Dec. 26, 2020, and one had been reported on Dec. 29, 2020.
In addition to the stolen property, Hinchcliff said deputies discovered a loaded Glock 9 millimeter pistol. Archuleta had previously been convicted of several felonies and was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition.
A search of the RAV 4 disclosed a backpack which contained several pry bars, Hinchcliff said. Deputy Andrew Moyeda and his Field Training Officer Deputy Walter White, who had investigated the Dec. 29 Keys Boulevard burglary, noted that one of the pry bars was consistent in appearance with marks left on the door of the burglarized house.
Additionally, HInchcliff said the pry bar had white paint on it consistent with the paint of the home in question. The deputies seized the pry bar and took it to the Keys Boulevard address to compare it with the marks on the damaged door.
Hinchcliff said a complaint charging Archuleta with burglary of the Fourth Street residence and possession of a firearm by a felon was filed on Dec. 31, 2020.
He said Archuleta was arrested and appeared in court. Archuleta was released on his own recognizance pursuant to recent changes in California law concerning bail and custody status.
Based on reports documenting the search of the First Street residence which were received by the district attorney after Archuleta’s first court appearance, another case was filed charging burglaries of the two Keys Boulevard homes, Hinchcliff said.
An arrest warrant was issued and Archuleta was arrested on Feb. 3, 2021. During that arrest, deputies discovered a second Glock 9 millimeter pistol and separate 9 millimeter ammunition. Hinchcliff said those charges were added to the complaint; the two cases were consolidated for trial.
The jury trial began on March 9. Archuleta was represented by Mitchell Hauptman. Deputy District Attorney Edward Borg prosecuted the case, Hinchcliff said.
The case was submitted to the jury on March 17. Hinchcliff said the jury returned verdicts on March 18.
He said Archuleta was convicted of three counts of first degree burglary, one count of possession of stolen property; two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm, and two counts of being a felon in possession of ammunition.
The court also found that Archuleta had suffered a prior strike conviction for arson, Hinchcliff said.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The Forest Fire Lookout Association is once again seeking volunteers to help spot fires this summer season.
Veteran lookouts and new volunteers are welcomed in the effort to keep Lake County safe.
The group has been credited for helping spot numerous fires over the last several years, in some cases spotting them early so they could be prevented from doing serious damage.
The association will hold its season opener at 1 p.m. Saturday, May 14, at Kelseyville County Park, 5270 State St.
There will be association members on hand to answer questions about the season and the lookout work they do.
