LAKEPORT, Calif. – Here’s a great way to fulfill your New Year’s resolution to read more books – sign up for the Lake County Library’s Winter Reading Challenge which starts Jan. 3 and ends Feb. 29.
January is a perfect time to catch up on all those great books you’ve been eager to read by challenging yourself to read more through the library this winter.
Everyone can participate – babies, toddlers, children, teens and adults are all welcome in the challenge.
If your children don’t read on their own yet, you can still sign them up and read with them. If you don’t have a library card, it’s easy to get one by bringing your photo ID to your nearest library branch.
Children who sign up will receive reading logs from the library. When they return their library books, the library staff will log the reading points. Every page read counts as one point toward the challenge goal of 1,000 points. Kids get stickers for their reading logs and they receive small prizes as they hit reading milestones.
Adults and teens can sign up and start reading library books. When they return the books, they get credit for pages read, and for every 200 pages they get tickets for the raffle jar. Contestants can read eBooks or listen to audiobooks to participate in the reading challenge.
If you complete the 1,000 point challenge you get to pick out a brand new book donated by the Friends of the Lake County Library, sign your name in it, and be the first person to check it out.
Each branch library will award a raffle prize for teens and one for adults. The raffle drawings will take place at the end of the program and the winners will be announced on March 3. Raffle baskets contain books and cold-weather treats for adults. Teens get candy bouquets.
For more information about the Winter Reading Challenge can be found at http://library.lakecountyca.gov under Events.
Weapons found in a vehicle driven by Jesus Munoz-Griego, 18, of Clearlake, California, on Sunday, December 29, 2019. Clearlake Police Department photo. CLEARLAKE, Calif. – A Sunday afternoon traffic stop led to a Clearlake man’s arrest on numerous weapons charges.
The Clearlake Police Department said Jesus Munoz-Griego, 18, was arrested in the case.
At 2:12 p.m. Sunday, Officer Chris Kelleher was patrolling the area of Highlands Way near Vista Robles Way when he observed a black 2001 Toyota Echo turning right onto Highlands Way from Old Highway 53 at a high rate of speed and driving on the wrong side of the roadway, according to the report.
The report said Officer Kelleher conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle for several vehicle code violations.
As Officer Kelleher began approaching the driver’s side of the vehicle, he noticed the driver, Munoz-Griego, was reaching down at the driver floorboard, police said.
Due to Munoz-Griego’s actions, Officer Kelleher opened Munoz-Griego’s door and ordered him out of the vehicle along with the passengers, according to the report.
During the investigation, it was discovered that Munoz-Griego did not have a valid California driver's license and he was placed under arrest.
Police said that during a search of the vehicle, Officer Kelleher located a loaded black Tec 9 with a high capacity magazine capable of holding 32 rounds of 9 millimeter ammunition lying on the driver floorboard in a bag next to a large knife. Several more rounds of various ammunition were located scattered throughout the vehicle along with a glass smoking methamphetamine pipe.
While examining the firearm, Officer Kelleher discovered that the serial number to the firearm had been scratched off, police said.
The Clearlake Police Department said Munoz-Griego was arrested on probable cause for numerous firearm and weapon violations along with operating a motor vehicle without a valid California driver's license and transported to the Lake County Jail for booking.
Craig Ellis See, 34, of Lower Lake, California, was identified as the man fatally shot by a Lake County Sheriff’s deputy on the night of Saturday, December 28, 2019, in Clearlake Oaks, California. Lake County Jail photo. LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Lake County Sheriff’s Office has identified the man shot fatally by a deputy sheriff during a confrontation in Clearlake Oaks on Saturday night.
Craig Ellis See, 34, of Lower Lake, was the man who died after being shot by Deputy Wesley Besgrove, according to Lt. Corey Paulich.
Paulich said the sheriff’s office has had minimal contact with See for theft and trespass issues.
See was identified as a suspect in an assault with a firearm case earlier this month, Paulich said.
Authorities said that See and Besgrove became involved in an altercation shortly before 10 p.m. Saturday in the parking lot of the Clearlake Oaks Dollar General store. Reports from the scene said See was armed with a knife.
Paulich said previously that the altercation ended in a creek bed just west of the Dollar General.
See died of his injuries at the scene. Besgrove was treated at Adventist Health Clear Lake for injuries including a fractured leg, head contusion and bite marks, according to Paulich.
Besgrove has been a patrol deputy for a year, working three years in corrections previous to that, Paulich said.
Paulich said Besgrove has been placed on administrative leave, as is protocol in such incidents.
Authorities have so far not given more details about the fight between See and Besgrove or how many times See was shot.
The Lake County District Attorney’s Office is leading the investigation of the incident, which is its responsibility under the county’s critical incident protocol.
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
CLEARLAKE, Calif. – Clearlake Animal Control has a kennel filled with big dogs waiting for adoption.
The kennels also have many dogs that need to be reunited with their owners. To find the lost/found pet section, click here.
The following dogs are ready for adoption.
“Blue.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control. ‘Blue’
“Blue” is a male Staffordshire Bull Terrier mix with a short blue and white coat.
He has been neutered.
He is dog No. 2420.
“Burke.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control. ‘Burke’
“Burke” is a male Labrador Retriever with a short black coat with white markings.
He has been neutered.
He is dog No. 2628.
“Charlotte.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control. ‘Charlotte’
“Charlotte” is a female Akita mix.
She is dog No. 3040.
“Clarice.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control. ‘Clarice’
“Clarice” is a female German Shepherd mix puppy.
She has been spayed.
She is dog No. 3402.
“Deejay.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control. ‘Deejay’
“Deejay” is a female German Shepherd mix with a short tan and white coat.
She is dog No. 3413.
“Fable.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control. ‘Fable’
“Fable” is a female Alaskan Malamute mix with a brown and buff coat.
She is dog No. 3044.
“Linus.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control. ‘Linus’
“Linus” is a male Staffordshire Bull Terrier mix with a short gray and white coat.
He is dog No. 3255.
“Precious.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control. ‘Precious’
“Precious” is a female Staffordshire Bull Terrier with a short black coat.
She is dog No. 3268.
“Tempest.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control. ‘Tempest’
“Tempest” is a female German Shepherd mix with a medium-length black and tan coat.
She is dog No. 3429.
“Woodrow.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control. ‘Woodrow’
“Woodrow” is a male Staffordshire Bull Terrier with a black and white coat.
He is dog No. 3281.
Clearlake Animal Control’s shelter is located at 6820 Old Highway 53, off Airport Road.
Hours of operation are noon to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. The shelter is closed Sundays, Mondays and major holidays; the shelter offers appointments on the days it’s closed to accommodate people.
Call the Clearlake Animal Control shelter at 707-273-9440, or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to inquire about adoptions.
Visit Clearlake Animal Control on Facebook or at the city’s Web site.
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
California has a new tool in its efforts to build wildfire resilience and improve long-term forest management in the face of climate change.
The California Board of Forestry and Fire Protection has certified a new program that it says will help minimize wildland fire risk across the state while ensuring the highest level of environmental oversight.
The California Vegetation Treatment Program, or CalVTP, will create efficiencies within the regulatory process to scale up fuel treatment and forest restoration projects toward meeting the state’s goal of treating 500,000 acres of non-federal lands annually.
“I commend the Board of Forestry and Fire Protection for working with the environmental community, state regulators and public safety officials to develop a long-term solution to increase the pace and scale of critical vegetation treatment in a way that safely and responsibly protects our environment,” said Gov. Gavin Newsom. “The scale of the wildfire crisis in California is unprecedented, and we need a response to match the scale and severity of this challenge.”
Improved vegetation treatments, including fuel breaks that slow wildfires to protect communities, and projects that restore natural fire regimes, are part of a suite of actions Gov. Newsom called for within days of assuming office earlier this year.
Other priority actions include hardening homes and improving communities’ preparation to survive wildfire.
The CalVTP reflects more than a decade of careful work to analyze potential environmental impacts associated with different types of vegetation management, consistent with the California Environmental Quality Act, or CEQA.
This programmatic analysis will reduce redundancies in each project’s environmental review by allowing project sponsors to build upon verified environmental analysis contained in the CalVTP as they begin their site-specific study for their individual projects.
Earlier this year, citing extreme peril posed by megafires, Gov. Newsom declared a state of emergency to fast-track 35 critical forest-management projects to protect more than 200 of California’s highest-risk communities and redirected National Guard members from the border to undertake fire prevention activities throughout the state.
To ensure necessary work could get underway immediately, the emergency proclamation suspended certain requirements and regulations as needed to carry out its directives, including CEQA.
By expediting the process, these emergency projects are on track to finish in less than one year, rather than a typical pace of three to five years.
In November, two of these emergency fuel breaks were used to protect Santa Barbara residents during the wind-driven Cave fire, resulting in no lives or structures lost.
As part of the long-term solution, Cal Fire developed the CalVTP to enable projects to move forward efficiently while maintaining and protecting California’s diverse vegetation and habitats.
State officials said the program will help Cal Fire and other public agencies comply with CEQA while delivering projects more quickly and affordably on over 20 million acres of land that is the responsibility of the state.
Projects that will benefit from CalVTP include:
– Wildland-urban interface fuel reduction, including removal of vegetation to prevent or slow the spread of fires between wildlands and buildings. – Fuel breaks that support fire suppression activities by providing emergency responders with strategic staging areas and access to otherwise remote landscapes for fire control. – Restoration in ecosystems where natural fire regimes have been altered due to fire exclusion, including restoring ecological processes, conditions, and resiliency to more closely reflect historic vegetative composition, structure, and habitat values.
The CalVTP does not support commercial timber harvest or development.
To further achieve wildfire resilience in California, the state continues to work with federal partners, including the U.S. Forest Service. The federal government owns nearly 58 percent of California’s forestlands. The state owns 3 percent, while 40 percent is privately held.
To protect public safety and ecology, experts agree 1 million acres of California forest and wildlands must be treated annually across jurisdictions. The federal government is working to match the state’s 500,000-acre annual treatment goals, though it has been hampered by years of federal budget and staffing cuts.
While the CalVTP is a critical tool to responsibly scale up vegetation treatment on state- and privately-owned land, state officials said efforts must simultaneously scale up on federal land.
LAKEPORT, Calif. – Firefighters were able to quickly contain a structure fire at Big Valley Rancheria on Monday evening.
The fire was located in the 1400 block of Mission Way, a few blocks across from the tribe’s Konocti Vista Casino.
The glow and smoke column could be seen along Soda Bay Road on Monday night.
Firefighters were first dispatched to the incident shortly before 6:45 p.m.
Lakeport Fire personnel arriving at the scene reported finding a fully involved shed, as well as a burning vehicle, based on radio traffic. There were other buildings nearby but initial reports didn’t indicate if they were in fact damaged.
Radio reports indicated the fire was contained shortly after 7 p.m., with the incident terminated a half-hour later.
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 Fair Foundation is planning a February fundraiser to help it with its goal of improving the county’s fairgrounds and hosting educational events.
The Wrangler Round-Up Dinner and Dance will take place from 6 to 10 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 8, at the Little Theater at the Lake County Fairgrounds, 401 Martin St. in Lakeport.
The evening will include dinner with smoked tri tip, garlic cheddar mashed potatoes, salad, French bread and a no-host bar, plus dancing to a mix of old and new country music, with some rock and roll mixed in.
There also will be a live auction, 50/50 drawing, a raffle and dessert auction.
The cost is $50 per person or $90 per couple. Sponsorships also are available.
Proceeds support the nonprofit foundation’s efforts at the fairgrounds, where it hosts the yearly agriculture day event, and has raised funds to purchase equipment and renovate facilities.
To purchase tickets or for additional information contact Jeff Warrenburg at 925-381-0359 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.; Debbie Strickler at 707-245-7087 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.; at the Lake County Fairgrounds office, 401 Martin St., Lakeport; online at www.lakecountyfairfoundation.com; or by mail to the Lake County Fair Foundation, P.O. Box 967, Lakeport, CA 95453.
The next Lake County Fair Foundation meeting will take place at the fairgrounds at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 28. Community members are encouraged to attend and get involved in order to preserve the local fair into the future.
Behavioral science has ideas about how to keep on track beyond January. duchic/Shutterstock.com
It’s that time of year when people make their New Year’s resolutions – indeed, 93% of people set them, according to the American Psychological Association. The most common resolutions are related to losing weight, eating healthier, exercising regularly and saving money.
How can you increase your willpower and fulfill your New Year’s promise to yourself? These seven strategies are based on behavioral science and my clinical work with hundreds of people trying to achieve their long-term goals.
1. Clarify and honor your values
Ask yourself why this goal matters to you. Do you want to lose weight because you value getting in shape to return to a favorite pastime of hiking, or because of societal expectations and pressures? People who are guided by their authentic values are better at achieving their goals. They also don’t run out of willpower, because they perceive it as a limitless resource. Figure out what makes you tick, and choose goals consistent with those values.
2. Frame goals and your life in positive terms
Focus on what you want to accomplish, not what you don’t. Instead of planning not to drink alcohol on workdays during the new year, commit to drinking your favorite sparkling water with Sunday to Thursday evening meals. Struggling to suppress thoughts takes a lot of energy, and they have a way of returning to your mind with a vengeance.
It also helps to reflect on the aspects of yourself and your life that you are already happy with. Although you might fear that this will spur complacency and inaction, studies show that gratitude and other positive emotions lead to better self-control in the long run.
3. Change your environment to make it easier
Research suggests that people with high willpower are exceptionally good at arranging their environment to avoid temptations. So, banish all credit cards from your wallet if your goal is to save money. And don’t keep a bowl of M&M’s at your work desk if you intend to eat healthy.
If your coworkers regularly bring sweets to work, ask them to help you with your goals (they might get inspired to join in!) and bring cookies only for special occasions. Supportive friends and family can dramatically increase your chances of achieving your resolutions. Joining a group whose members practice behaviors you’d like to adopt is another great way to bolster your willpower, because having role models improves self-control.
4. Be prepared with ‘if-then’ strategies
Even the best resolution falls apart when your busy schedule and exhaustion take over. Formulate a series of plans for what to do when obstacles present themselves. These “if-then” plans are shown to improve self-control and goal attainment.
Each time you wake up in the middle of the night craving candies or chips, you can plan instead to read a guilty-pleasure magazine, or log into your online community of healthy eaters for inspiration, or eat an apple slowly and mindfully, savoring each bit. When you’re tired and about to skip that gym class you signed up for, call your supportive sister who is on standby. Anticipate as many situations as possible and make specific plans, vividly imagining the situations and what you will do in the moment.
5. Use a gradual approach
When you embark on a new goal, start small and build on early successes. Use one less spoonful of sugar in your coffee. Eventually, you might be able to forgo any sweeteners at all. If resisting that muffin initially proves to be too hard, try waiting 10 minutes. By the end of it, your urge will likely subside.
You might be surprised to realize that change in one domain of life – like abstaining from sweet processed foods – tends to spread to other areas. You might find you are able to bike longer distances, or moderate your caffeine intake more easily.
If it feels like the payoffs are in the distant future, you can plan a small gift for yourself along the way.shurkin_son/Shutterstock.com
6. Imagine rewards and then enjoy them
Picture the feeling of endorphins circulating through your body after a run, or the sun on your skin as you approach a mountain summit. Pay attention to all your senses: smell, sight, hearing, touch and taste. Visualizing rewards improves your chances of engaging in the activity that results in them.
If it’s hard to imagine or experience these rewards in the beginning, decide on small, meaningful gifts you can give yourself until the positive effects of the new behaviors kick in. For example, imagine yourself taking a half-day off work each month after you pay down your credit card debt: visualize exactly what you would do and how you would feel. And then do it.
7. Be kind to yourself, even during setbacks
Most people believe the way to increase willpower is to “whip oneself into shape,” because being kind to oneself is indulgent and lacks self discipline. But the exact opposite is true – people who harshly blame themselves for even small willpower failures tend to do worse in accomplishing their goals in the long run.
Try self-compassion instead. Cut yourself some slack and remember that being human means being imperfect. When you fall for that doughnut, don’t despair, and don’t throw in the towel. Treat yourself with care and understanding and then recommit to your goal the following day.
Remember, you aren’t likely to achieve your New Year’s resolutions by being self-critical and hard on yourself. Instead, boost your willpower through a series of small and strategic steps that will help you succeed.
LAKEPORT, Calif. – Lakeport City Councilmember Mireya Turner has been appointed to the National League of Cities 2020 Community and Economic Development federal advocacy committee.
This committee has the lead responsibility for developing for the National League of Cities, or NLC, its federal policy positions on issues involving housing, community and economic development, land use, recreation and parks, historic preservation and international competitiveness.
The appointment was announced by NLC President Joe Buscaino, councilmember for the city of Los Angeles.
“I am honored and excited for the opportunity to bring Lakeport’s rural city voice to this national table, and to glean new ideas from cities around the country,” Turner said.
As a committee member, Turner will play a key role in shaping NLC’s policy positions and advocate on behalf of America’s cities and towns before Congress, with the administration and at home.
“NLC’s federal advocacy committees ensure policymakers in Washington understand the most pressing issues facing local communities,” said Buscaino. “I am proud to have Mireya Turner join NLC's Community and Economic Development committee on behalf of her residents. Together, with a team of local officials from across the country, we will strengthen the federal-local partnership, and ultimately create stronger cities, towns and villages.”
The leadership of this year’s committee will consist of Chair Kevin Thompson, councilmember for Mesa, Arizona; Vice Chair Kristopher Dahir, councilman for Sparks, Nevada; and Vice Chair Emmett Jordan, mayor, Greenbelt, Maryland.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – A man whose vehicle went into Clear Lake on Tuesday afternoon survived thanks to the quick action of people arriving at the scene.
Shortly before 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, a vehicle was reported to have gone into Clear Lake along Highway 20 west of Paradise Cove, located east of Lucerne.
Initial radio reports indicated the vehicle was in the lake, on its top, and that it had been swerving before going off the roadway.
A short time later, California Highway Patrol arrived at the scene and reported there was one male subject trapped in the vehicle but that his head was above the water, and that a rescuer was in the water with him.
Northshore Fire personnel who arrived at the scene went into the water and in about five minutes had successfully extricated the man from the car and removed him from the water, according to radio reports.
After assessing the man’s condition, firefighters determined he was uninjured, according to incident command.
Following the rescue, firefighters conducted a hazardous materials assessment and incident command asked dispatch to contact Lake County Environmental Health, as there was a sheen on the water, possibly from oil or gas from the vehicle.
Incident command reported that a boom was put out to absorb any materials from the car.
The CHP reported later that the California Department of Fish and Wildlife also was contacted about the hazmat concerns.
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.
What are the skywatching highlights of January 2020?
The peak of the Quadrantid meteor shower, Mars rises with its "rival" – the red giant star Antares – and the Moon comes around for another visit with Venus.
The early morning of Jan. 4 brings the peak of the Quadrantid meteor shower. This annual shower can be one of the better ones of the year, although it has a much shorter peak than most other meteor showers – just a few hours versus a day or two.
The visibility of meteor showers from year to year has a lot to do with whether there's a bright Moon in the sky at the time or not.
This year, the Moon will set soon after midnight local time, meaning viewing conditions should be good, provided your local skies are not obscured by winter weather.
Face toward the northeast between midnight and dawn to see as many as two dozen meteors per hour under dark skies. (And the farther away you get from city lights, the darker it'll be.) So bundle up, and be sure to give your eyes a little time to adapt to the dark, including a break from your mobile device, in order to see the maximum number of meteors.
Mars rises before dawn during January with its "rival," the red giant star Antares. The name of this star translates as "rival to Mars" in ancient Greek, and the star rivals the Red Planet's appearance to the unaided eye, both in color and brightness.
In reality, Antares is way, way bigger than Mars. In fact, it's much bigger than the orbit of Mars. It's about 10,000 times brighter than our Sun, but it's also 16 million times farther away from us than Mars is, so, like all stars, even though it's really bright, it appears as just a tiny, flickering point of light in the night sky.
You can view the pair low in the southeast, about an hour before sunrise each morning. Near the beginning of January, Mars appears above Antares. As the days progress, the planet moves lower and to the east of Antares. They're joined by a slim lunar crescent on January 20th for what should be a very pretty grouping.
And as we start 2020, NASA's looking forward to the launch of the Mars 2020 rover mission. It's slated to blast off in July to seek signs of ancient life in a fossilized river delta on the Red Planet.
Closing out the month, the crescent Moon and Venus once again make for a gorgeous sight at the end of January, on the same day of the month as they did back in December.
On Jan. 28, you'll find the pair hovering in the southwest in the hour or so after sunset that evening, so be sure to go out and take a look.
Preston Dyches works for NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
On Monday, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced two $50,000 rewards for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the perpetrators of two unsolved murders in Sacramento and Fresno.
These are part of the governor’s crime tip reward program under Penal Code § 1547.
The law allows the governor to offer a reward of up to $50,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of perpetrators for certain unsolved crimes, and up to $100,000 for certain crimes against first responders or for arson upon a place of worship.
Additionally, the governor may issue the reward only upon a recommendation from law enforcement officials.
The governor’s reward program continues to offer $50,000 for information leading to a conviction in the October 2002 murder of Barbara LaForge in downtown Lakeport.
Regarding the two new rewards announced on Monday, the first is for the case of Anthony Barajas from Sacramento.
On the morning of June 28, 2015, Barajas, 20, was in his car in the parking lot of Home Depot on Meadowview Road following a short trip to the store with his younger brother when he was shot in the chest by a passing car. He was transported to the hospital and pronounced dead.
Investigators obtained what they believe to be possible surveillance footage of the unidentified suspect vehicle but have exhausted all existing leads.
Barajas had no prior criminal history and no motive for his shooting has been identified. A $50,000 reward is being offered for information leading to an arrest and conviction in this case.
If anyone has any information on this case, they are asked to call the Sacramento Police Department, Office of Investigations at 916-808-0650.
Additionally, a $50,000 reward is being offered for information in the murder of Sarah Roberts.
On New Year’s Eve 2011, Roberts, 26, was shot as she walked away from a party in Central Fresno.
The mother of two young children was shot while she was on the phone and waiting outside near a party she was attending.
Roberts was found unconscious by her brother and taken to the hospital where she died from her injuries.
Investigators do not believe Roberts was an intended victim and think she may have been caught in the exchange of rival gang gunfire.
Anyone with information on this case is asked to call Lt. Mark Hudson at the Fresno Police Department at 559-259-2909.
For more information on the Governor’s Reward Program, click here.
