LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The state’s latest report on unemployment put Lake County’s jobless number up slightly as the rest of California saw a record low jobless rate.

The Employment Development Department said Lake County’s unemployment rate in December was 5.6 percent, up from a revised 5.3 percent in November 2017, and below the year-ago estimate of 6.7 percent.

Lake County’s November and December unemployment rates in 2017 are the lowest for those months in 27 years of Employment Development Department data.

California’s overall unemployment rate in December was 4.3 percent, down from 4.6 percent in November, as the state’s employers added 52,700 nonfarm payroll jobs. In December 2016, the state’s unemployment rate was 5.2 percent.

The Employment Development Department said California has now gained a total of 2,793,800 jobs since the economic expansion began in February 2010.

The state’s December jobless rate establishes a new record low in a data series dating back to the beginning of 1976, according to the Employment Development Department.

The unemployment rate is derived from a federal survey of 5,100 California households.  

The federal Bureau of Labor Statistics said the December unemployment rate was unchanged for a third month at 4.1 percent, with the national employers adding 148,000 nonfarm payroll jobs. The December 2016 federal unemployment rate was 4.7 percent.

The Employment Development Department report said nonfarm payroll jobs in California totaled 16,980,400 in December, a net gain of 52,700 jobs from November. This followed a revised gain of 53,700 jobs in November.

Those numbers are based on a survey of 71,000 businesses to measure jobs in the economy that is larger and less variable statistically than the survey used for the unemployment rate. The yearover change, December 2016 to December 2017, shows an increase of 342,500 jobs, up 2.1 percent.

The federal household survey, done with a smaller sample than the survey of employers, showed an increase in the number of employed Californians over the month and the year. It estimated the number of Californians holding jobs in December was 18,548,000, an increase of 39,000 from November, and up 383,000 from the employment total in December of last year, based on the report.

The number of unemployed Californians was 839,000 in December, down by 46,000 over the month, and down by 160,000 compared with December of last year, the report said.

In Lake County, the total farm employment category was up by 3.3 percent in December but down by 0.2 percent for total nonfarm.

The county’s transportation, warehousing and utilities subcategory showed the largest positive growth, 1.9 percent, followed by two categories at 0.7 percent – government and trade, transportation and utilities.

Lake County’s December unemployment rate earned it a No. 34 rating out of the state’s 58 counties.

Rankings for neighboring counties are as follows: Colusa, 17.3 percent, No. 57; Glenn, 6.8 percent, No. 43; Mendocino, 4.2 percent, No. 23; Napa, 3.6 percent, No. 13; Sonoma, 2.8 percent, No. 5; and Yolo, 4.6 percent, No. 29.

In related data, the EDD reported that there were 351,959 people receiving regular Unemployment Insurance benefits during the December survey week, compared with
256,961 in November and 367,944 in December of last year.

At the same time, new claims for Unemployment Insurance were 45,447 in December, compared with 36,177 in November and 52,953 in December of last year.

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. –  Now having completed the first month of its homeless warming center, now in its third season in operation, the Lake County Ministerial Association offered an update this week on the services it has offered and the individuals it has helped.

The warming center is located at the Lakeport Seventh-day Adventist Church, 1111 Park Way, Lakeport.

The association said that the warming center, which opened Dec. 18, has so far served 52 individuals, including one family and five minors.  

The warming center, initially scheduled to open on Dec. 1, delayed its opening until it had sufficient funds available. The association said generous individuals and businesses stepped up to provide sufficient funding to open the doors and the center began operation on Dec. 18.  

Fundraising is ongoing to ensure the center can provide consistent operation through March 31, the association reported.

The center is open five days a week, Monday through Friday from 6 p.m. to 7:30 a.m. It is limited to 24 guests per night, per the terms of a major use permit provided by the county of Lake.

Through Jan. 15, the association said its highest number of guests on any one night has been 21.  

Of the 52 individuals served so far, several spend every night, others are eventually able to find permanent housing – although the critical shortage of affordable housing in the county makes that a very challenging endeavor, according to the association.

Many arrive cold, hungry, discouraged and out of plans. After a good night’s sleep, a hot shower, a nutritious dinner, and with clean clothes, the way forward, at least temporarily, becomes a little clearer, officials reported. The vast majority of the center’s guests are long-term Lake County residents.

The most unusual request for housing this season came through the LMA Facebook page:  
“I am here with few resources! My five and a half month old Bombay kittens are living in my vehicle with me. Can you house us for a spell?”

Within minutes, staff responded: “We would set up a large crate and welcome the kittens and their owner.” Thankfully, there were only two kittens who, despite the reputation of Bombay cats to cry and meow more than other cats, were extremely well-behaved and quiet. Eventually, they moved north after finding temporary respite at the warming center.

The Lake County Ministerial Association is dependent on, and extremely grateful to, the many generous and hardworking volunteers that supplement the small staff. Each week night, volunteers are covering check in, intake, dinner preparation and service, showers and laundry, as well as providing carry-out bags for breakfast.

Donations may be made through the warming center’s fiscal sponsor, Kelseyville United Methodist Church, P.O. Box 446, Kelseyville, CA 95453.  Please write ‘Warming Center’ on the memo line.  

Volunteer sign ups continue through www.SignupGenius.com.

You can reach staff through email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or visit the warming center’s Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/LMAwarmingcenter.

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – As part of its effort to keep children safe from prescription drugs and assist in the fight against accidental misuse and childhood poisonings, the Clearlake Police Department has introduced the Kidcents Safe Medication Disposal Program.

Available immediately is a security cabinet prescription drug drop box located at the Clearlake Police Department at 14050 Olympic Drive.

The preferable drop-off time is Monday through Friday, between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.

The drop box is for citizens and law enforcement. It will be used for safe and secure collection of any medications that have expired or are no longer needed.

The police department thanks the Rite Aid Corp. and the American Security Cabinet Co. for their generous contribution of the box and their interest in curbing misuse of drugs in general.

If further instructions are necessary, please contact the department at 707-994-8251, Extension 308, and speak to Nicki Burrell.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – Following an intense earthquake that occurred in the Gulf of Alaska, which prompted tsunami watches, advisories and warnings across many state coastlines, FEMA continues to highlight safety tips for those who live in or visit coastal communities.  

While Tuesday’s immediate threat has passed, the situation serves as a reminder to all that there are steps that can be taken now, to prepare for future events.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, tsunamis are one of the most powerful and destructive natural forces, delivering a series of extremely long waves which can cause dangerous coastal flooding and powerful currents that can last for several hours or days.

Caused by an underwater disturbance such as an earthquake, landslide, volcanic eruption, or meteorite, tsunamis radiate outward in all directions from the point of origin and can move across entire ocean basins.

If a major earthquake or landslide occurs close to shore, areas are at greater risk if they are less than 25 feet above sea level and within a mile of the shoreline. The first wave in a series could reach the beach in a few minutes, even before a warning is issued.

FEMA encourages citizens to protect themselves and their families by taking the following steps to ensure they are ready in the event of a tsunami:

– Create and practice an evacuation plan with your family. If you live in a tsunami evacuation zone you will find signs in your community. Familiarity may save your life. Be able to follow your escape route at night and during inclement weather.
   
– Create a family communications plan to know how you’ll contact each other and reconnect if separated. Establish a family meeting place that’s familiar and easy to find.
   
– Build an emergency kit to ensure you and your family are prepared to be on your own for at least 72 hours.
   
– If you are a tourist, familiarize yourself with local tsunami evacuation protocols.

Familiarize yourself with tsunami notification information.

Tsunami watch

– A tsunami watch is issued to alert emergency management officials and the public of an event which may later impact the watch area.
– Prepare to take action and stay alert for further information.
      
Tsunami advisory

– A tsunami advisory is issued when a tsunami with the potential to generate strong currents or waves dangerous to those in or very near the water is imminent or expected. The threat may continue for sev­eral hours after initial arrival, but significant inundation is not expected for areas under an advisory.
      
Tsunami warning

– A tsunami warning is issued when a tsunami with the potential to generate widespread inundation is imminent or expected.
– Warnings alert the public that dangerous coastal flooding accompanied by powerful cur­rents is possible and may continue for several hours after initial arrival.
– Move inland, out of the water, off the beach, and away from harbors, marinas, breakwaters, bays and inlets.
– Be alert to and follow instructions from your local emergency officials because they may have more detailed or specific information for your location.
– If you feel a strong earthquake or extended ground rolling take immediate protective actions such as moving inland and/or uphill preferably by foot.
– If told to evacuate, evacuate immediately, taking your animals with you.  If you are in a high-rise building and instructed to shelter in place, stay on floors just above flood water. Stay in hallways or interior rooms.
– Do not return to the coast until local emergency officials indicate it is safe to do so.

The FEMA App (available in English & Spanish) provides National Weather Service alerts, safety tips for what to do before/during/after more than 25 natural & man-made emergencies, emergency kit and family communication plan checklists, and more: www.fema.gov/mobile-app.

For more information about tsunamis and how to prepare visit www.ready.gov/tsunamis.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – A tsunami watch issued early Tuesday for the West Coast in response to a large Alaskan earthquake has been canceled.

The US Tsunami Warning System canceled the West Coast tsunami watch shortly before 4:30 a.m.

The watch had been issued a few hour earlier for the coasts of California, Oregon and Washington following a 7.9-magnitude earthquake in the Gulf of Alaska, as Lake County News has reported.

Also canceled was a tsunami watch for Hawaii and a warning for coastal parts of Alaska and British Columbia.

However, officials said a tsunami had been confirmed and some impacts were expected, with a  tsunami advisory in effect for south Alaska and the Alaskan Peninsula, specifically, the Pacific coasts from Hinchinbrook Entrance to Chignik Bay, Alaska.

Since the 7.9-magnitude quake occurred just after 1:30 a.m., until the tsunami watch was canceled three hours later, the US Geological Survey reported 20 smaller quakes ranging in size from 2.5 to 5.6 magnitude, most of them centered in the Gulf of Alaska.

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. – The addition of two national retailers to the local business community was the cause for a celebration in Clearlake on Monday.

The city of Clearlake and the Clear Lake Chamber of Commerce held a combination ribbon-cutting and groundbreaking Monday morning to officially welcome Tractor Supply Co. and Big 5 to the former Ray’s Food Place building on Dam Road.

“It’s really a big day for us,” said City Manager Greg Folsom.

Tractor Supply Co.’s lease has been finalized for a few weeks, but Big 5’s lease became final last week, Folsom said.

Folsom said they’re the first big national retailers to come to Clearlake in quite some time. “I think they’re really a great fit for this community.”

C&K Market, which had owned the supermarket since 1995, closed it at the end of 2016. The Carrington Co., based on Eureka, purchased the building last year and set about looking for national retailers to fill the space, as Lake County News has reported.

Greg Cutler, The Carrington Co.’s regional director of acquisitions, confirmed to Lake County News last week that both Tractor Supply Co. and Big 5 would be located in the renovated building.

Contracting staff at the site on Monday explained that the building is about 42,000 square feet. Of that total, about 22,000 will go to Tractor Supply Co., with Big 5 to fill about 15,000 square feet.

Cutler said The Carrington Co. is still working to finalize who the tenant will be for the third and final space. Estimates for the size of the third space have ranged between 6,500 and 7,000 square feet.

Folsom said the city had worked with The Carrington Co. over the last nine months on a number of site issues in the lead up to signing the two new leases.

On Monday, Folsom said, “We weren’t really sure whether to call this a ribbon cutting or a groundbreaking, so we’re doing both.”

Demolition started about a month ago in order to clear it out, according to the contractor on scene. The contracting crew is anticipating working at the site for six months.

The exterior work began on Monday, with Folsom explaining that the new facade will look entirely different. He said all of the plans have been submitted and approved.

The investment in the project so far is estimated at about $5 million for property purchase and renovation, not counting what the new retailers themselves will bring, according to the contractor staff. Thanks to upgrades, power consumption is expected to be about one-third of what it was for Ray’s.

City council members, planning commissioners, staff and county officials were on hand for the celebration.

District 2 Supervisor Jeff Smith said the stores will generate sales tax to benefit the roads and police, and he credited the Clearlake City Council and city staff for their work to bring new business to the city.

“This is huge for the city of Clearlake,” said Smith. “I think it’s just the start we’ve been waiting for.”

Folsom said the city is excited about the retailers’ investment in the community.

He noted it was a sad day when Ray’s left, but he thanked The Carrington Co. for its work to come to Clearlake and bring two quality new retailers that are perfect for the community, and which will bring jobs and help generate sales tax dollars to benefit city services.

Mayor Bruno Sabatier said of the project, “The excitement is very high.”

He said that the city council had worked hard to find Folsom, who they selected for the city manager’s job in part because of his development background and his ability to bring in businesses.

“We’ve been talking for a long time that we’re turning a corner here in Clearlake. To get national businesses to pay attention to us and want to come here, we’ve turned that corner. We’re making things happen and this is the beginning,” Sabatier said.

Clear Lake Chamber officials also greeted the new members of the business community.

“I can’t believe I’m this excited about new stores in Clearlake. It’s going to be great to see the impact this has on the entire county,” said Clear Lake Chamber President Denise Loustalot.

“When one door closes another one opens, and this is a fantastic new door for the city of Clearlake and the county of Lake,” said Clear Lake Chamber Vice President John Jensen, who also is co-founder and co-publisher of Lake County News.

Folsom said the developer is supposed to have the space ready for the tenant businesses to make their improvements in the spring, with the new stores expected to be open this summer.

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.

This story has been updated with information about new quakes and magnitude changes.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – Federal officials issued a tsunami watch for California, Oregon, Washington and Hawaii following an early morning earthquake off the coast of Alaska that measured 7.9 magnitude on the Richter Scale.

The quake occurred at 1:31 a.m. California time, according to the US Geological Survey.

It was centered 161 miles southeast of Chiniak, Alaska, and 357 miles south of Anchorage, at a depth of about 6 miles, south of the Aleutian trench, the survey said.

Originally the quake was reported as an 8.2-magnitude quake, but downgraded to 7.9 magnitude less than an hour after it occurred.

That main quake was followed within an hour by several smaller by still significant quakes measuring 4.6-magnitude, 3.8, 4.7, 5.0 and 4.6, most of them centered southeast of Kodiak, Alaska, according to the US Geological Survey.

Within minutes of the 7.9-magnitude quake, the US Tsunami Warning System began to issue alerts about the possibility that a tsunami had been generated by the quake.

Those alerts were followed minutes later by the issuance of a tsunami warning for areas in British Columbia, Southeast Alaska, southern Alaska and the Alaska Peninsula and the Aleutian Islands.

At the same time, a tsunami watch was issued for the entire coast of California, including San Francisco Bay, along with the coasts of Oregon and Washington, and for the state of Hawaii, according to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center.

If a tsunami is generated, the agencies said it could reach Crescent City by 5:20 a.m., Fort Bragg by 5:25 a.m., Monterey by 5:55 a.m., San Francisco by 6:20 a.m., Santa Barbara by 6:35 a.m., Los Angeles by 6:50 a.m. and Oceanside by 7:05 a.m.

By 2:45 a.m., more than 1,400 shake reports had been submitted to the US Geological Survey. Reports came primarily from Alaska but also from Washington, British Columbia and the Yukon.

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. – In the month of January, the county of Lake has been hosting community visioning forums throughout the county.

The final forum is at 7 p.m. Monday, Jan. 29, at Twin Pine Event Center, 22223 Highway 29 in Middletown.

All Lake County residents are welcome.

“South County residents are an insightful group. We have some incredible business people, big thinkers, creative strategists. I’m looking forward to participating, and hoping we’ll have a great turnout,” said District 1 Supervisor Moke Simon.

Participants in previous forums have learned a lot about the depth and complexities of the county’s current budget crisis. They have responded by sharing ideas to move the county forward.

“It has been wonderful to hear from so many residents, to hear your great ideas and see how passionate you are about Lake County,” said County Administrative Officer Carol Huchingson.

Videos of several of the forums are online:

– Kelseyville: https://youtu.be/TB0c5i_2VTE .

– Clearlake: https://youtu.be/4FfedjRy7us .

– Nice: https://youtu.be/uXypvEmLdjI .

The Lakeport forum’s video will be posted soon.

If you were unable to attend a forum in person, the county still wants to hear from you.

Please take a few minutes to review the materials posted at http://www.lakecountyca.gov/vision/, complete our survey, and email your thoughts.

What are your priorities for county services? What are your ideas to build a brighter tomorrow?

“Please send your ideas now,” said Huchingson. “On Feb. 6, at 9:30 a.m., the Board of Supervisors will receive an update on public input shared at the forums and through our webpage. We want your ideas to be represented, and we need to hear from you soon.”

KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – The California Highway Patrol will offer a free “Start Smart” traffic safety class for soon to-be-licensed, newly licensed, and teenage drivers and their parents or guardians on Wednesday, Jan. 24.

The class will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Clear Lake Area CHP office, located at 5700 Live Oak Drive in Kelseyville.

The CHP said a teenager is killed in a traffic collision every four hours nationwide. That equates to more than 1,870 teenagers killed each year. Another 184,000 teenagers are injured in traffic collisions.

These deaths and injuries can be substantially reduced or prevented by eliminating high-risk driving behaviors through education, and the CHP said its “Start Smart” program can help prevent these tragedies.

The Start Smart program focuses on providing comprehensive traffic safety education classes for teenagers and their parents.

Start Smart employs innovative techniques to capture the attention of teenagers and parents, providing a lasting experience.

The curriculum includes information on collision statistics, teen driver and passenger behaviors, graduated driver’s license laws, cultural changes in today’s society and the need for stronger parental involvement in a teenager’s driving experience.

Space is limited for this class. For more information or reservations, call Officer Kory Reynolds at the CHP office, 707-279-0103, or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

On Monday, Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety released the 2018 Roadmap of State Highway Safety Laws, a “report card” that exposes more than 400 missing safety laws nationwide.

This is the 15th edition of an annual report that rates all 50 states and the District of Columbia on the adoption of 16 fundamental traffic safety laws.

Organizers said it’s an essential tools that state elected officials should use to improve roadway safety for all motorists as 2018 state legislative sessions kick off.

Additionally, the report highlights the need for advanced vehicle technologies in all cars.  

Automakers and technology company executives have been promoting autonomous vehicles, or AVs, also known as driverless cars, as a panacea that will end vehicle fatalities. However, even they admit that driverless car technology is still many years away from a safe mass deployment.

Meanwhile, known and lifesaving equipment exists right now that can save lives, prevent debilitating injuries, and eliminate the billions in related costs to society. They include collision avoidance and automated enforcement as well as means to improve large truck and rear seat safety.

“Advocates has spent decades fighting for vehicle safety technology and we too believe driverless cars have the potential to one day make our roads a dramatically safer place,” said Advocates’ President Cathy Chase. “Yet, in the meantime, approximately 100 people are killed and 6,500 more are injured in crashes every day, on average, even though we have proven safety solutions highlighted in our Roadmap Report. Further, this comes with a significant economic burden on society. Each person in America pays an annual ‘crash tax’ of $784. When loss of life, pain, and decreased quality of life are factored in, society shoulders $836 billion a year. This significant emotional and economic toll must be addressed with urgency and immediacy.”

Motor vehicle crashes killed over 37,000 people in 2016 and preliminary figures for the first half of 2017 don’t reveal any substantial reversal to this carnage. This is major public health epidemic by any measure.

Dr. Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association, said, “As with every other public health challenge, we must look to solutions that are shown to be effective in saving lives and preventing injuries. The Roadmap Report is a compilation of lifesaving and cost-saving strategies for every state to use right now. A doctor would never needlessly withhold an effective treatment that could save a life or mitigate an injury. Similarly, legislators shouldn’t delay the implementation of these proven cures to the public health crisis occurring every day on our roadways.”

The 2018 Roadmap Report paves a dual-track path to preventing deadly crashes. The first track involves the adoption of effective state highway safety laws that encourage the use of seat belts, motorcycle helmets, and child safety seats. These laws also provide safeguards for teen, distracted, and impaired drivers.

Colleen Sheehey-Church, National President of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) said, “MADD is pleased to work with the Advocates to encourage and advocate before federal and state legislators to stop the tragedies on our roadways. It will take all of us working together to ensure that we are protected from drunk drivers and other dangerous behavior that pose a threat every day to our children, our families and our future.”

The second track to safer roads, safer vehicles, and safer drivers outlined in the Roadmap Report is the widespread adoption of advanced safety technologies that are already on the market. This includes collision avoidance, automated speed and red-light enforcement systems, and ignition interlocks.

“The reality of our entire vehicle population being replaced with cars operated by computers instead of humans is still decades away,” said Jackie Gillan, president emeritus of Advocates. “And, until that happens we face the reality that motor vehicle crashes will continue to kill hundreds of thousands of people, cause millions of injuries and cost billions of dollars in societal costs. Our country is approaching nine years without a single death caused by a commercial aviation crash. Yet, today, we can’t go 15 minutes without a single death caused by a motor vehicle crash. Going forward, the most promising and pragmatic strategy at hand is adopting safety laws and advancing available safety technologies, as highlighted in Advocates’ 2018 Roadmap Report. We cannot allow lawmakers and policymakers to hide behind tomorrow’s promise of driverless cars by prolonging adoption of laws and technology that could be saving thousands of lives today.”

Advocates’ Report gives every state and D.C. a rating in five categories – occupant protection, child passenger safety, teen driving, impaired driving, and distracted driving – as well as an overall grade of: Green (Good); Yellow (Caution); and Red (Danger).

With 13 out of 16 safety laws on the books, Rhode Island earned the top green rating. Other states with a green rating include Delaware, Oregon, Washington, California, Louisiana and the District of Columbia.

States that earn a red rating lag seriously behind when it comes to adopting Advocates’ recommended laws.

South Dakota, having adopted just two of 16 safety laws, tops this year’s worst list.

Other states with a red rating include Wyoming, Arizona, Missouri, Montana, Florida, Nebraska, Virginia, Idaho, Iowa, New Hampshire, Ohio and Vermont.

Nearly 250 key safety laws have been passed by states since the first edition of the Roadmap Report was published in 2004, but as this year’s report shows, lawmakers in even the green-rated states have more work to do.

“We urge state lawmakers to seize this opportunity to close safety gaps that put everyone at risk and make passage of these laws a top legislative priority this year,” said Alan Maness, vice president of federal affairs for State Farm Insurance and an Advocates Board member. “The mounting toll of fatalities, injuries, and costs should be a major wake-up call to lawmakers at all levels of government. The problems we are facing are clear but so are the solutions.”

One major change for the 2018 Roadmap, is that states are now graded on whether they have a law that requires child passengers to be restrained in a rear facing safety seat through age 2.

“Children younger than two are at an elevated risk of injuries because of their body structure, and rear-facing car seats provide the best protection in a crash,” said Janette Fennell, consumer co-chair of Advocates and the founder and president of KidsAndCars.org.

Though 13 laws were passed in 2017 that met the criteria of the Roadmap Report, 407 more laws are missing across the nation:

– Primary enforcement of seat belts: 16 states lack an optimal primary enforcement seat belt law for front seat passengers, while 31 states need an optimal primary enforcement seat belt law for rear seat passengers;

– All-rider motorcycle helmet law: 31 states need an optimal all-rider motorcycle helmet law;

– Rear facing through age 2: 41 states and D.C. are missing a rear facing through age two child protection law;

– Booster seats: 35 states and DC need an optimal booster seat law;

– Graduated driver licensing, or GDL, for teen drivers: 192 GDL laws need to be adopted to ensure the safety of novice drivers. No state has all six optimal provisions of a GDL law;

– Impaired driving: 32 important impaired driving laws covering all-offender ignition interlocks, child endangerment, and open containers are needed;

– All-driver text messaging restriction: seven states need an optimal all-driver texting ban; and,

– GDL Cell Phone Restriction: 19 states and D.C. lack optimal laws restricting cell phone use for teen drivers.

Fennell also stated, “Prevention is the key to achieving meaningful progress in saving lives and reversing the upward trend of motor vehicle deaths. I urge every state elected official to pick up this report and take action to enact proven state traffic safety laws that advance the use of effective safety technologies.”

The 16 optimal laws recommended and rated by the report are backed by rigorous scientific studies and data analysis, as well as decades of real-world experience.

Unfortunately, road users continue to die while far too many states choose not to adopt these practical laws.

“It makes no sense to me that the commonsense solutions provided in this report are not embraced and enacted with urgency,” said Melissa Wandall, president of the National Coalition of Safer Roads and Founder of The Mark Wandall Foundation.

She added, “You don’t have to wait until tragedy strikes your family when we have the safety solutions at hand.”

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – On Saturday, the sixth Bike Angels bike giveaway, spearheaded by founder Candy Alcott, was held at Tatonka Trading in Clearlake for the Sulphur fire survivors.

A bald eagle soared overhead as Alcott introduced herself to the crowd of about 180 people. The eagle was perhaps a good omen for people who have suffered enough hardship.

Alcott, a retired teacher in the Lancaster school district, was moved by the stories of the 2015 Valley fire.

She collected 25 bikes and hauled them from Lancaster to Middletown for the Valley fire survivors. However, there were more survivors who showed up for the giveaway than bikes.

Eight-year-old Mizriam Perez was next in line at that first giveaway, but all bikes had been given.

Alcott’s heart broke at his disappointment. She promised him she would return with more bikes.

When she found out that Mizriam’s birthday was on Christmas Day, Alcott returned for a Christmas giveaway where Mizriam received the first out of 500 bikes donated.

Now an 11 year old, Mizriam is a volunteer Bike Angel, helping other fire survivors.

Little Tatiana Jones, accompanied by her uncle Steven Loudermilk, received a new tricycle at  Bike Angels United’s sixth bike giveaway on Saturday, January 20, 2018, in Clearlake, Calif. Photo by Lucy Llewellyn Byard.

It was a carnival-like atmosphere on Saturday in Tatonka Trading’s parking lot, with rows of 160 bikes and tables of helmets, including 75 donated by the Middletown Rotary Club and Livermore Police Officer Rich Hill. Tents and tables were donated by Twin Pines Casino.

Beanie hats made by a team of four volunteers, directed by Gail Chaney, were “handmade straight from the heart,” she said.

Live oak trees were donated by Jonsteen Trees to adult survivors. A woman whose house burned in the Valley fire collected seeds from the ash in her driveway. From that ash, the 2-year-old saplings were grown and given away.

Cookies and water and thanks to the first responders filled other tables.

Ana Virgil’s family of four each received new bikes. They lost their house and are in the process of rebuilding while staying with friends in Clearlake.

Little Tatiana Jones, accompanied by her uncle, received a new tricycle.

Four eighth grade school girls and one high school student from Roseville are an example of what Alcott calls the “snowball of love.”

They made the bike giveaway their Destination Imagination community service project, dubbing their group “Team OMG!” after seeing Alcott on local news. They raised money for 50 bikes.

“My team chose to join Candy Alcott in her movement because we knew that bikes were not only transportation but entertainment for those who lost everything,” said team member Jolie Anderson.

Felicia Cooper’s three sons, Ignacio Duncan, 13, Immanuel Duncan, 11, and Hawk Duncan, 4, became Bike Angels when they decided to give away some of their toys and clothes items on the corner of their street in Nice right before Christmas.

Ignacio and his brothers approached their mother saying, “We have too many things when fire victims have nothing. Christmas is about giving and not all about receiving.”

Like many recipients of bikes, the boys’ story was shared on Alcott’s Facebook page, the main source of spreading the Bike Angel’s story. Each boy received a bike on Saturday.

Donations came from all over. Marin Fire Department donated funds for 16 adult bikes that were given to survivors who were able to show up to the giveaway. Memory bikes were donated in names of loved ones.

In total, 130 bikes were donated and given to survivors, and to the public.

American Ruckus creator and host Christopher Watson collected 37 bikes from Grass Valley to Sacramento.

“I believe in humanity and the amazing bicycle community that has come together to help the fire victims. It’s a pleasure to know that people who have lost everything will now have transport and entertainment simply from a donated bicycle,” Watson said.

Clearlake Mayor Bruno Sabatier said of the Bike Angels Giveaway, “Candy and her Bike Angel volunteers came to support Clearlake's loss from the Sulphur fire, it was a real treat for those who lost so much. Her generosity and compassion for our community is second to none.”

The love keeps snowballing.

Lucy Llewellyn Byard is a Lake County News correspondent. She lives in Lucerne with her best buddy, Toby the Rhodesian Ridgeback.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Board of Supervisors is set to consider extending an urgency ordinance to allow cannabis cultivators to continue through the state licensing process while the county’s commercial marijuana cultivation ordinance is finalized.

The board will meet beginning at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 23, in the board chambers on the first floor of the Lake County Courthouse, 255 N. Forbes St., Lakeport.

The meeting can be watched live on Channel 8 and online at https://countyoflake.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx. Accompanying board documents, the agenda and archived board meeting videos also are available at that link.

In an item timed for 10 a.m., the board will hold a public hearing to consider a proposed extension of Ordinance No. 3070, an urgency ordinance allowing temporary and limited registration of certain commercial cannabis cultivation licenses.

The board approved the urgency ordinance on Dec. 19 in order to let local growers continue to prepare for operating under the state’s new licensing structure while the county finalizes its rules. Last week the board held a workshop on its cannabis rules.

In an untimed item, the board will discuss cell tower permitting and consider a requirement that cell tower lessees be required to provide reciprocity for all cell carriers utilizing the towers in order to enhance the local emergency notification system.

The full agenda follows.

CONTRACT CHANGE ORDERS

6.1: Approve Contract Change Order No. One (1), Supplement One (1) to contract between the county of Lake and Bridgeway Civil Constructors, Inc. for Harbin Springs Road at Harbin Creek Bridge Replacement Project, Federal Project No. BRLO-5914(106); Bid No. 17-04.

CONSENT AGENDA

7.1: Adopt resolution in support of county law librarians’ request for funding in the governor’s 2018 proposed budget and in successive state budgets.

7.2: Approve leave of absence request for June Richmond, eligibility worker, from Dec. 30, 2017,  to April 1, 2018.

7.3: Approve leave of absence request for Dennis Reynolds, senior deputy probation officer, Jan. 1, 2018, through Jan. 31, 2018.

7.4: Adopt resolution reappointing Steven Hajik as agricultural commissioner and sealer of weights and measures for a four-year term.

7.5: Authorize the chair to sign our registration forms for participation in the 2020 Local Update of Census Addresses (LUCA) Initiative.   

7.6: Adopt resolution amending Resolution No. 2017-125 establishing position allocations for Fiscal Year 2017-2018, Budget Unit No. 1012, Administrative Office.

7.7: (a) Approve amendment one between the county of Lake and Lake Indigent Defense for Public Defender Services to provide for its termination effective Jan. 31, 2018, and authorize the chair to sign; and (b) approve agreement between the county of Lake and Lake Indigent Defense for public defender services from February 1, 2018 through June 30, 2019 paid in monthly installments of $110,000, unchanged from the original agreement, and authorize the chair to sign.   

7.8: Adopt resolution of Intent to Amend Article 27 and any related sections of the Lake County Zoning Ordinance.

7.9: (a) Adopt resolution amending Resolution No. 2017-124 to amend the adopted budget for FY 2017-18 by cancelling obligated fund balance to make available for specific appropriation in Budget Unit 2709; and (b) approve purchase of Pitney Bowes folding and stuffing machine in the amount of $10,000, with an annual maintenance fee of $1,293.   

7.10: Adopt the resolution approving the standard agreement for the Substance Abuse Block Grant multi-year agreement between the county of Lake and the Department of Health Care Services for Fiscal Year 2017-18 through Fiscal Year 2019-20, and authorize the Behavioral Health administrator to sign the standard agreement.

7.11: Approve budget transfer in the amount of $6,000 for the purchase of a file server.

7.12: Authorize waiver of County Policy and Procedure, Section 15 - Travel Policy Section 1.4F, claiming requirements for the reimbursement to Saul Sanabria in the amount of $232.33.

7.13: Authorize board appointment of Erin Gustafson, M.D., to the deputy health officer position.

7.14: Authorize board appointment of Sara Goldgraben, M.D., to the public health officer position.

7.15: (a) Waive the formal bidding process, pursuant to Lake County Code Section 38.2, as it is not in the public interest due to the unique nature of goods or services; and (b) approve the purchase of software, support and professional services in the amount of $37,620 from AnalyticsNow and authorize IT director to issue purchase order.

7.16: Adopt resolution authorizing the grant application for improving safety and community awareness in vicinity of Adobe Creek and Highland Springs Dams inundation zones.

7.17: Adopt a resolution amending Resolution No. 2017- 124 amending the adopted budget for FY 2017-18 by appropriating unanticipated revenue in Budget Unit 4121 – Public Services - Integrated Waste Management.

7.18: Approve amendment two to the agreement between the county of Lake and Bender Rosenthal Inc. to provide right of way services for four bridge replacement projects and two bridge rehabilitation projects in Lake County for an increase of $10,580 and an amount not to exceed $148,080; and authorize the chair to sign.   

7.19: Approve submission of FY2018 State Homeland Security Grant application in the amount of $139,894.

7.20: Approve bid award to Rogue Jet Boatworks in the amount of $89,983 for the purchase of an aluminum patrol/rescue boat.   

7.21: Approve contract amendment between the county of Lake and A&P Helicopters in the amount of $19,235 and authorize the chairman to sign.

7.22: (a) Approve submittal of project assurances for federal assistance-hazard mitigation grants and authorize the county administrative officer to sign; and (b) adopt resolution for the designation of subrecipient’s agent    .

TIMED ITEMS

8.2, 9:15 a.m.: (a) Consideration of continuation of a proclamation of a local emergency due to the Sulphur fire incident; and (b) update and discussion on the Sulphur fire recovery.

8.3, 9:16 a.m.: (a) Consideration of continuation of a proclamation of a declaration of a local emergency due to wildfire conditions, pertaining to the Rocky, Jerusalem and Valley fires; and (b) update on Valley Fire Debris Insurance Collection Project.

8.4, 9:17 a.m.: Consideration of continuation of a proclamation of a declaration of a local emergency due to Clayton fire.

8.5, 9:18 a.m.: Consideration of continuation of a proclamation of a declaration of a local emergency due to the atmospheric river storm.

8.6, 9:20 a.m.: Consideration of amended agreement between the county of Lake and North Coast Opportunities for Valley fire and Sulphur fire survivor stable housing assistance.

8.7, 9:30 a.m.: Public hearing, consideration of a resolution amending the master fee schedule for departmental services rendered by the county.

8.8, 9:45 a.m.: Sitting as the Lake County Housing Commission Board of Directors, consideration of Section 8 Administrative Plan for Fiscal Years 17/18 and 18/19.

8.9, 9:50 a.m.: Sitting as the Lake County Housing Commission Board of Directors, approve Form HUD 50077-CR: CIVIL RIGHTS CERTIFICATION.

8.10, 10 a.m.: Public hearing, (a) consideration of proposed extension of Ordinance No. 3070, an urgency ordinance allowing temporary and limited registration of certain commercial cannabis cultivation licenses; and (b) issuance of Government Code section 65858 Status Report.   

UNTIMED ITEMS

9.2: Discussion regarding cell tower permitting and consideration of a requirement that cell tower lessees be required to provide reciprocity for all cell carriers utilizing the towers in order to enhance our local emergency notification system.

9.3: Consideration of the following appointments: East Region 3 Town Hall (EaRTH), Lower Lake Cemetery District Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health (MCAH).

9.4: Consideration of a resolution establishing alternate office hours for the offices of the Assessor-Recorder for the period from Jan. 1, 2018, through Dec. 31, 2018.           

9.5: Consideration of a resolution establishing alternate office hours for the office of the Treasurer-Tax Collector for the period from Jan. 1, 2018, through June 30, 2018.   

CLOSED SESSION

10.1: Conference with legal counsel: Decision whether to initiate litigation pursuant to Gov. Code sec. 54956.9(d)(4): One potential case.

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