LAKEPORT, Calif. — The Lakeport Planning Commission will meet this week to consider possible amendments to the Municipal Code.
The commission will meet at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 10, in the council chambers at Lakeport City Hall, 225 Park St.
The council chambers will be open to the public for the meeting. In accordance with updated guidelines from the state of California and revised Cal OSHA Emergency Temporary Standards, persons who are not fully vaccinated for COVID-19 are required to wear a face covering at this meeting.
To speak on an agenda item, access the meeting remotely here; the meeting ID is 986 6166 5155. To join by phone, dial 1-669-900-9128.
Comments can be submitted by email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. To give the City Clerk adequate time to print out comments for consideration at the meeting, please submit written comments before 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 10.
Please indicate in the email subject line "for public comment" and list the item number of the agenda item that is the topic of the comment. Comments that are read to the council will be subject to the three minute time limitation (approximately 350 words). Written comments that are only to be provided to the council and not read at the meeting will be distributed to the council before the meeting.
On Tuesday, the commission will consider a minute order to amend the Municipal Code for compliance with SB 1383.
City documents explained that SB 1383 requires that jurisdictions adopt an ordinance or other enforceable requirement that requires the recycling and/or salvage or at least 65% of nonhazardous construction and demolition materials for residential and nonresidential projects in accordance with the California Green Building Standards. Cities also must adopt the Model Water Landscape Ordinance.
In other business, the commission will discuss and review possible amendments to the Lakeport Municipal Code in order to reflect state regulations and rulemaking actions by the California Department of Cannabis Control.
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.
Submit comments and questions in writing for commission consideration by sending them to Administrative Services Director/City Clerk Melissa Swanson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Identify the subject you wish to comment on in your email’s subject line.
At the start of the meeting, the commission will swear in the new planning commissioner, Terry Stewart.
The Clearlake City Council selected Stewart from a field of three applicants at its Thursday meeting. He succeeds Kathryn Davis, who resigned her seat in September.
The commission — whose other members are Robert Coker, Lisa Wilson, Erin McCarrick and Fawn Williams — will then appoint its new chair and vice chair.
In an item continued from Oct. 26, the commission will consider conditional use permit applications, including a mitigated negative declaration and development agreement, for a commercial cannabis operation at 2185 Ogulin Canyon Road.
Ogulin Hills Holdings LLC is planning operations including manufacturing, cultivation, distribution and a retail dispensary with delivery only on the 21.25-acre site, according to city documents.
The proposed project includes two 5,000 square foot buildings for manufacturing, and processing; a 3,000 square foot building for distribution, retail delivery only and office space; 10 greenhouses, each measuring 1,875 square feet; five water storage tanks, with size to be determined; and a 225 square foot trash enclosure.
The staff report said the project is anticipated to have up to 10 employees during typical operations and up to 25 employees during harvest season.
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. — “How has the COVID-19 pandemic impacted families with young children in Lake County?”
That was the question the First 5 Lake Commission sought to answer when they published a lengthy online survey in June.
In the process of sifting through the 269 individual responses to the survey, they not only gained insight into the struggles faced by Lake County families, but they also discovered many unsung heroes in the community that stepped up and made things better for many.
The results of the survey have been summarized in the agency’s recently released, 2021 COVID-19 Impact Report, which is now posted in full on the First 5 Lake County website.
First 5 Lake staff worked with evaluation consultants from Social Entrepreneurs Inc., or SEI, to create and launch the comprehensive online survey.
The survey link was then shared with the community through targeted emails to families of young children who participate in the Imagination Library program, as well as through social media posts.
Families who completed the survey were invited to enter a drawing for a Walmart gift card or a Golden Poppy Annual Pass to California State Parks.
The survey asked participating Lake County parents of young children (birth to age 5) about a list of common needs and whether their family had trouble meeting those needs during the past year of the pandemic.
Families were then asked to indicate whether the need or barrier was a big problem or small problem and if their need was met.
Respondents who indicated their needs were met were asked to provide information about how they went about meeting their needs, whether it was their own resilience, local nonprofit organizations or government agencies, or their own social connections with family and friends that provided the needed support.
It was important to the First 5 Lake Commission to not only hear about and understand the struggles families were facing, but also to find out which systems and supports in the community were having a positive impact.
First 5 Lake’s Strategic Plan is built around the Strengthening Families Protective Factors Framework, and the commission continually seeks to learn more about how the Protective Factors are present and effective within the community, keeping children safe and families strong.
With this in mind, the responses to the survey were categorized by the Protective Factors which include parental resilience, concrete support in times of need, social connections, knowledge of child development, and the social-emotional competence of children.
The areas of greatest struggle
The 11 areas of need included in the survey were child care, children’s medical care, employment, groceries/food (including baby formula), housing, internet access, personal hygiene items (including diapers), rent/mortgage, transportation and utilities.
Analysis of the survey data revealed that the area where the greatest number of families expressed difficulty during the past year of the pandemic was in paying for utilities (106 out of 269), and 44% of those families noted that this was a big problem for them.
This was followed by families reporting they had trouble with employment (105), families reporting trouble meeting child care or day care needs (98), and families reporting trouble paying rent or mortgage (95).
Needs that went unmet
The needs that went unmet most frequently in the past year of the pandemic, according to survey respondents, were employment (61%) and child care (51%).
Other frequently unmet needs included getting children in for medical appointments (53% of those with this need, say it went unmet), and trouble with internet access (44% of respondents with this need were unable to resolve it).
“We’re scraping by. We had to pay rent and can’t pay our utilities,” shared one survey respondent.
Another responded, “Our day care closed. We had to find more expensive private child care.”
Still another noted, “We were able to get enough to feed our family but are still having a hard time affording food.”
One of the more desperate situations described by survey respondents was from a parent who struggled to find child care for her children so that she could see a doctor.
COVID restrictions at the time did not allow anyone to accompany a patient to appointments, so this parent had to keep canceling and rescheduling her medical appointments when child care was unavailable. She described experiencing a mental breakdown as a result.
Community heroes emerge
“When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’” This quote from Fred Rogers, which he shared on Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood many years ago, is one that many parents have shared with their children.
It turns out it is excellent advice for grown-ups as well.
When asked about where they found help with specific struggles during the pandemic, 85 parents (the most by far) shared that it was their social connections with friends and family members that helped the most.
Friends and family members stepped up to help with financial support, babysitting, sharing resources, and in many other ways to help parents of Lake County’s youngest children throughout the pandemic, and continue to do so.
The next largest number of respondents (54) described relying on their own resilience and perseverance to overcome obstacles.
Comments included:
• “I sold our belongings and worked double shifts.” • “My husband worked a lot of overtime to make sure we could pay our mortgage.” • “My husband stopped working to stay home with our child.” • “We used our own savings and depended on credit cards much more than we normally would have.” • “My partner was able to work a ton of side jobs in a neighborhood.” • “I just had to go back to work sooner than I wanted after having a baby (10 weeks).” • “We were able to set up reasonable payment plans with our utility companies and make supplemental payments as finances allowed.”
For those who described finding concrete support in their times of need through community resources, the most frequently mentioned local heroes were Lake County Department of Social Services, E-Center WIC, Home Energy Assistance Program, Redwood Empire Food Bank, North Coast Opportunities, Lake County Tribal Health Consortium, and local and regional tribes including Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians.
“I believe this data is vital in understanding how our community can best support future generations by focusing on protective factors and how a community can come together to support the needs of families, allowing our children to most successfully develop into their adult selves,” said Crystal Markytan, director of Lake County Department of Social Services and First 5 Lake Commissioner.
First 5 Lake Executive Director Carla Ritz agreed. “The findings of this survey clearly depict the very real struggles of many Lake County families with young children over the past year and demonstrate the power of protective factors in buffering the stress and challenges of the pandemic. As we build back through and from this difficult season, it is my hope that funding for perinatal and early childhood mental health, accessibility of child care, and other family supports will be prioritized as important investments in the future of our county.”
Parents of children under age 5 can find information about community resources that may benefit their families at www.smartstartlakecounty.org and can get a personalized list of programs and services they are likely to qualify for at www.smartstartwizard.org.
For more information about these and other First 5 Lake initiatives, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., call 707-263-6169 or visit www.firstfivelake.org.
Since its inception in 2000, First 5 Lake has invested in programs, services and systems change efforts designed to help thousands of Lake County children grow up healthy and ready to succeed in school and life. Current First 5 Lake Commissioners are Chair Tina Scott, Vice Chair Carly Sherman, Carol Huchingson, Brock Falkenberg, Crystal Markytan, Allison Panella, Fawn Rave, Justin Gaddy and Tarin Benson.
LAKEPORT, Calif. — The Lakeport Economic Development Advisory Committee will meet this week to continue ongoing work on an economic development plan and member recruitment.
The committee, or LEDAC, will meet via Zoom from 7:30 to 9 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 10.
The meeting is open to the public.
The meeting will be held via Zoom: Meeting ID, 847 9466 6151; pass code, 619840. Dial by your location, 669-900-6833.
On the agenda is the recruitment of LEDAC members.
Three positions on LEDAC expire at the end of December. The city is accepting applications for two-year terms beginning on Jan. 1, 2022. The application form may be found on the city's website and will be accepted until Nov. 22. For additional information, contact Deputy City Clerk Hilary Britton at 707-263-5615, Extension 102, or by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
The committee will continue to review and work on updating the Lakeport Economic Development Strategic Plan, with a focus on the third goal, “Strive to enhance the historic downtown and lakefront areas." LEDAC Chair Wilda Shock said City Manager Kevin Ingram will present the Logic Model approach to this element.
Ingram and city Community Development Director Jenni Byers will give updates on city projects and activities, and there also will be member reports and citizens input.
The remaining LEDAC meeting this year will take place from 7:30 to 9 a.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 8.
LEDAC advocates for a strong and positive Lakeport business community and acts as a conduit between the city and the community for communicating the goals, activities and progress of Lakeport’s economic and business programs.
Members are Chair Wilda Shock and Vice Chair Denise Combs, Bonnie Darling, Candy De Los Santos, Monica Flores, Pam Harpster, Andy Lucas, Alicia Russell, Laura Sammel and Marie Schrader, with Bill Eaton as an ex officio member. City staff who are members include City Manager Kevin Ingram and Community Development Director Jenni Byers.
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.
In total, 531,000 jobs were added in October – outstripping the already optimistic predictions of economists. This caused the unemployment rate to fall 0.2 percentage points to 4.6%.
Even with those gains, the U.S. is still below pre-pandemic employment levels. But as an economist, I see details in the latest jobs report that suggest the workforce is emerging from 18 months of what has been the “new normal” and getting back to, well, the “normal normal.”
Remote working in the rear-view mirror?
Americans are returning to offices after a year-and-a-half of Zoom meetings and digital water cooler moments. The pandemic had opened the eyes of many potential workers to the possibility that working from home might be preferable to on-site work.
But the jobs report shows that this may be passing. In October, 11.6% of employees worked remotely due to the pandemic, down from 13.2% in the previous month.
Working from home offered flexibility, especially to people who held down two jobs. A lot of people found they could get by with one job, work from home and save money on commuting and child care. The drop in remote working could indicate that some families came to realize that while this worked to cover a shorter-term period during the pandemic, it ate away at household savings, getting to a point where working on site was necessary again.
It also signifies a change of attitude that may explain why employment in the leisure and hospitality sector has bounced back. One possible reason for lower-than-expected job gains in September was that people were hesitant to return to worksites where they would have to mix with people – such as at bars, restaurants and in stores – preferring to spend more time at home.
October’s jobs report – which saw strong gains in leisure and hospitality – suggests that peoples’ ability to delay returning to work may be coming to an end and potentially that they are more open to returning to on-site jobs, perhaps encouraged by vaccination rates and falling case numbers.
Wages up, workers back … time for the Fed to act?
There is some evidence that the “great resignation” – or more accurately, the great “not taking up low-paid jobs” – era was short-lived and winding down.
Many potential workers had seemingly been hesitant to return to lower-paid food service jobs as well as employment in the leisure and hospitality sector due to relative low wages and rigid work schedules.
But the latest report shows evidence of increases in wages and salaries. In October, average hourly earnings increased by 11 cents to US$30.96 – continuing the upward trend of recent months. It means that average earnings are almost 5% higher that they were a year ago.
Wage increases look set to continue for some time. The latest report shows that labor costs increased 8.3% year-on-year in the third quarter as job opening rates remained pretty high, putting further upward pressure on pay.
This is great for workers but does pose a challenge to the Federal Reserve, which must keep inflation in check.
The stronger-than-expected jobs report and increases in employment costs may prompt it to act more quickly. That said, the Fed may still want to tread cautiously here. Supply chain concerns remain and will need to be worked out before central bankers can conclude that overall inflation is more than a short-term issue.
Not all American workers are seeing the bounce
There is no doubt that the October jobs report was encouraging.
But public sector employment was down, and that is important. This is largely a result of the pandemic. Retail sales were down significantly in 2020 and as a result state budgets are tight - in short, they have suffered from lackluster tax revenue sources.
This might make it harder for public sector jobs – in local government and schools – to bounce back as robustly as the rest of the economy.
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Another risk accompanying the time change is on the roads: As more people drive at dusk during an active time of year for deer, the number of deer-vehicle accidents rises.
Deer cause over 1 million motor vehicle accidents in the U.S. each year, resulting in more than US$1 billion in property damage, about 200 human deaths and 29,000 serious injuries. Property damage insurance claims average around $2,600 per accident, and the overall average cost, including severe injuries or death, is over $6,000.
While avoiding deer – as well as moose, elk and other hoofed animals, known as ungulates – can seem impossible if you’re driving in rural areas, there are certain times and places that are most hazardous, and so warrant extra caution.
Transportation agencies, working with scientists, have been developing ways to predict where deer and other ungulates enter roads so they can post warning signs or install fencing or wildlife passages under or over the roadway. Just as important is knowing when these accidents occur.
The risk of hitting a deer varies by time of day, day of the week, the monthly lunar cycle and seasons of the year.
These accident cycles are partly a function of driver behavior – they are highest when traffic is heavy, drivers are least alert and driving conditions are poorest for spotting animals. They are also affected by deer behavior. Not infrequently, deer-vehicle accidents involve multiple vehicles, as startled drivers swerve to miss a deer and collide with a vehicle in another lane, or they slam on the breaks and are rear-ended by the vehicle behind.
In analyzing thousands of deer-vehicle collisions, we found that these accidents occur most frequently at dusk and dawn, when deer are most active and drivers’ ability to spot them is poorest. Only about 20% of accidents occur during daylight hours. Deer-vehicle accidents are eight times more frequent per hour of dusk than daylight, and four times more frequent at dusk than after nightfall.
During the week, accidents occur most frequently on days that have the most drivers on the road at dawn or dusk, so they are associated with work commuter driving patterns and social factors such as Friday “date night” traffic.
Over the span of a month, the most deer-vehicle accidents occur during the full moon, and at the time of night that the moon is brightest. Deer move greater distances from cover and are more likely to enter roadways when there is more illumination at night. The pattern holds for deer and other ungulates in both North America and Europe.
Over a year, by far the highest numbers of deer-vehicle accidents are in autumn, and particularly during the rut, when bucks search and compete to mate with does. In New York state, the peak number of deer-vehicle accidents occurs in the last week of October and first weeks of November. There are over four times as many deer-vehicle accidents during that period as during spring. Moose-vehicle accidents show a similar pattern.
In spring, when deer-vehicle accidents are at an annual low, the start of daylight saving time means a later sunrise and sunset. It results in a small decrease in deer-vehicle accidents. However, in fall, when deer-vehicle accidents are at an annual high because of deer rut, the earlier sunrise and sunset cause a significant increase in deer-vehicle accidents.
The clock shift results in more commuters on the road during the high-risk dusk hours. The consequence is more cars driving at the peak time of day and during the peak time of the year for deer-vehicle accidents. The clock shift results in a 37% reduction in deer-vehicle accidents during morning commuter hours, since fewer commuters are on the road before sunrise, but a 72% increase in accidents during evening commuter hours. Overall, there is a 19% increase in accidents during commuter hours the week after the fall time change in New York.
Deer still cross roads at any time
It’s important to remember that deer-vehicle accidents can occur at any time of day or night, on any day of the year – and that deer can show up in urban areas as well as rural ones.
The insurance company State Farm found that on average, U.S. drivers have a 1 in 116 chance of hitting an animal, with much higher rates in states such as West Virginia, Montana and Pennsylvania. Over the 12 months ended in June 2020, State Farm counted 1.9 million insurance claims for collisions with wildlife nationwide. Around 90% of those involved deer.
Where deer or other ungulates are likely to be present, drivers should always be alert and cautious, especially at dawn, dusk, on bright moonlit nights and during the fall rut. In addition, drivers should be aware that after the fall time change, they may be more fatigued, and their evening commute from work may have shifted into the dusk hours, when risk of hitting a deer is highest, and coinciding with the rut, when the risk is at its annual peak.
This is an update to an article previously published on Sept. 21, 2021.
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In 2018, the share of adults who received Unemployment Insurance (UI) at some point during the year reached a six-year low as the economy strengthened following the Great Recession.
Also, seven in 10 adults who received UI at any point during 2018 received it for three months or fewer.
These findings come from tables recently released by the U.S. Census Bureau, detailing demographic characteristics of recipients of social insurance programs in 2018 captured in the Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP).
The newly released tables, combined with data from the U.S. Department of Labor and the Census Bureau’s experimental Household Pulse Survey (HPS), also shed light on how the COVID-19 pandemic reshaped the profile of unemployment insurance recipients.
Unemployment insurance after the Great Recession
The UI program supports millions of workers who lose their jobs through no fault of their own every year. Typically, more adults receive UI during times of economic recession, and fewer adults receive it during times of economic expansion.
Often, Congress extends the number of weeks workers can collect UI during recessions, as it did during the so-called Great Recession from December 2007-June 2009. Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC) was available in some form from 2008 through 2013.
The following decade was a time of economic recovery. In fact, 2018 marked the ninth consecutive year of the longest post-WWII expansion, which lasted through February 2020 until the pandemic took hold in the United States.
The Great Recession unemployment rate peaked at 10% in October 2009, but the lingering effects of the recession and the availability of extended benefits under EUC were evident in elevated receipt of UI as late as 2013.
In 2013, 2.6% of adults received UI at some point. However, by 2018, the share of adults that received UI had been cut in half to 1.2%.
As the share of Americans receiving UI fell, more received the benefits for shorter periods except in 2015 (when the share of recipients of up to 3 months of UI was about the same as in 2013).
In 2013, just over half of UI recipients collected the benefits for three or fewer months; by 2018, nearly 70% of recipients collected UI for three or fewer months.
UI transformed during COVID-19
The federal government responded to the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic by transforming the UI program.
The program underwent several temporary changes under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES) Act enacted in March 2020. Weekly benefit checks were increased by $600 and the number of weeks of benefits available were extended.
Plus, it created the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program, allowing individuals who were not previously eligible for regular UI — such as workers with shorter work histories, self-employed workers, independent contractors, and gig workers — to receive benefits if their employment was affected by COVID-19.
Administrative UI data from the Department of Labor show the magnitude of disruption and changes to the UI program triggered by the pandemic. In the second quarter of 2019, before the pandemic hit the United States, 2.6 million UI claims were filed. In the second quarter of 2020, 33.7 million claims were filed.
What happens after the pandemic
Will UI follow the same trajectory in post-pandemic recovery as after the Great Recession?
Data from the Census Bureau’s experimental Household Pulse Survey (HPS) show that UI receipt remained high although economic conditions improved by the summer of 2021. By June 2021, 6.8% of adults in households reported receiving UI in the first half of 2021.
SIPP and HPS data also show that the profile of UI recipients changed in the wake of the pandemic-related economic disruption and changes to the UI program.
In 2018, SIPP data show that about 60% of UI recipients were non-Hispanic White adults. HPS data show that in June 2021, about 50% of all those who reported receiving UI since January were non-Hispanic White adults.
In 2018, about 30% of those who received UI had a bachelor's degree or higher, according to the SIPP. In June 2021, the HPS found that only about 20% of adults who reported UI receipt had at least a bachelor’s degree.
The living situation of UI recipients has also changed during the pandemic. The SIPP data from 2018 show that 15.6% of UI recipients lived alone. By June 2021, the HPS shows that only 7.0% of households that reported receiving UI that year were single-person households.
About the data
SIPP is a nationally representative longitudinal survey administered by the U.S. Census Bureau that provides comprehensive information on the dynamics of income, employment, household composition, and government program participation.
For technical documentation and more information about SIPP data quality, please visit the SIPP website's Technical Documentation page.
HPS is designed to provide near real-time data on how the pandemic is affecting American lives. Information on the methodology and reliability of these estimates can be found in the source and accuracy statements for each HPS data release.
Data users interested in state-level sample sizes, the number of respondents, weighted response rates and occupied housing unit coverage ratios can consult the quality measures file available at the same location.
All comparative statements in this report have undergone statistical testing and, unless otherwise noted, all comparisons are statistically significant at the 10% significance level.
The June 2021 data were collected from June 23-July 5, 2021 during week 33 of the survey. The Census Bureau sent invitations to 1,042,285 households and received a total of 66,262 responses, for a weighted response rate of 6.3%.
Daniel J. Perez-Lopez is a survey statistician in the Census Bureau’s Social, Economic, and Housing Statistics Division.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — If you are a renter with overdue rent dating back to April 2020 or are unable to pay future rent, assistance is available through the state of California and North Coast Opportunities.
The California COVID-19 Rent Relief program is now covering 100% of past due and future rent for renters that have experienced financial hardship due to COVID-19.
To check your eligibility, text “RENT” to 211-211 or call an NCO case manager today at 707-467-3200.
To apply, visit http://HousingisKey.com or contact a bilingual NCO case manager at 707-467-3200.
Who is eligible?
• Renters who experienced a hardship due to COVID-19, are experiencing housing instability and can confirm proof of hardship.
• Landlords who have one or more eligible renters who have unpaid rent accrued.
• If eligible, either a landlord or a renter can initiate the application process.
• If you are being evicted, help is still available.
What support is available?
• The program has increased rental assistance payments to cover 100% of unpaid rent.
• Income eligible renters whose landlords don’t participate in the program can still receive 100% of unpaid rent accrued. Those renters will be required to pay their landlord within 15 business days
• Eligible renters can also receive future rent assistance equal to 100% of their monthly rent.
The application:
• Application has been simplified. Applicants can apply in as little as one hour.
• Applicants will not be asked about their immigration status nor required to show proof of citizenship.
• Applications will continue to be accepted until all funds are exhausted.
• The funds are not administered on a first-come, first-served basis. Applications from households with greatest risk of eviction will be prioritized.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — Daylight saving time ends on Sunday, Nov. 7, and the “fall back” time change can disrupt sleep patterns and affect a driver’s ability to concentrate and safely operate a motor vehicle.
The California Highway Patrol joins the National Sleep Foundation in recognizing Drowsy Driving Prevention Week, Nov. 7 to 13, and reminds drivers to be cognizant of the warning signs of fatigued driving.
“When you think of the causes of impaired or distracted driving, include drowsy driving,” said CHP Commissioner Amanda Ray. “Driver inattention due to fatigue can result in similar effects as drugs or alcohol.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, people who have been awake for at least 18 hours may behave as someone impaired by alcohol. On average, in California there are more than 6,000 crashes annually that are attributed to drowsy driving.
Some suggested tips to avoid drowsy driving include:
— Getting enough sleep before driving. — Driving with a passenger and switching drivers before you start to feel drowsy. —Taking regular rest stops even if you are not tired. — Avoiding alcohol or medications that can cause drowsiness. — Stay alert and drive without distraction not only to protect yourself, but to protect your passengers and other motorists.
If you feel fatigued while driving on California’s roadways, motorists are encouraged to take advantage of the more than 80 safety roadside rest areas maintained by the California Department of Transportation throughout the state.
To find a rest area or to check for the latest travel information on state highways, visit Caltrans’ QuickMap.
The Cimina-Jeffers family, along with friends, volunteers, and Habitat for Humanity Lake County staff at a home dedication on Saturday, Oct. 2, 2021, in Lower Lake, California. LOWER LAKE, Calif. — Habitat for Humanity Lake County has helped another family achieve its dream of homeownership.
On Saturday, Oct. 2, the Cimina-Jeffers family became the 38th family to be welcomed into their new home as part of Habitat for Humanity’s Homeownership Program.
Staff, volunteers and family gathered to celebrate with Heidi Jeffers, Dave Cimina and their children. The home was made possible by the generous donation of their lot to Habitat for Humanity Lake County by Sharon Bianchi.
As part of the dedication festivities, Grocery Outlet Clearlake donated household supplies, groceries and a gift certificate to help the family transform their new house in Lower Lake into a home.
“Everyone has worked so hard to make this happen; there were times we thought it wouldn’t work out but Habitat’s perseverance and encouragement helped make this real. We’ve struggled for so long. Now we have a home, our children have room to grow, we’re not crowded … it’s an unbelievable relief,” said Jeffers.
“They deserve this,” added Cimina, referring to his family. “We’re so grateful to Habitat for this opportunity. We’re appreciative of everything everyone has done. And we thank Grocery Outlet for the generosity too. It’s a big help.”
If you or someone you know is interested in Habitat’s First Time Homebuyer program, please contact the office at 707-994-1100 or come by at 15312 Lakeshore Drive, Clearlake, for more information.
The following cats at the shelter have been cleared for adoption.
This 5-year-old female domestic shorthair is in cat room kennel No. 7, ID No. LCAC-A-1770. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Female domestic shorthair
This 5-year-old female domestic shorthair has a brown tabby coat.
She is in cat room kennel No. 7, ID No. LCAC-A-1770.
This male domestic shorthair kitten is in cat room kennel No. 68a, ID No. LCAC-A-1863. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Male domestic shorthair kitten
This male domestic shorthair kitten has a white coat and blue eyes.
He is in cat room kennel No. 68a, ID No. LCAC-A-1863.
This male domestic shorthair kitten is in cat room kennel No. 68b, ID No. LCAC-A-1864. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Male domestic shorthair kitten
This male domestic shorthair kitten has a white coat and blue eyes.
He is in cat room kennel No. 68b, ID No. LCAC-A-1864.
This female domestic shorthair kitten is in cat room kennel No. 68c, ID No. LCAC-A-1865. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Female domestic shorthair kitten
This female domestic shorthair kitten has an orange tabby coat.
She is in cat room kennel No. 68c, ID No. LCAC-A-1865.
This female domestic shorthair kitten is in cat room kennel No. 68d, ID No. LCAC-A-1866. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Female domestic shorthair kitten
This female domestic shorthair kitten has an orange tabby coat.
She is in cat room kennel No. 68d, ID No. LCAC-A-1866.
This male domestic shorthair kitten in cat room kennel No. 96a, ID No. LCAC-A-1871. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Male domestic shorthair kitten
This male domestic shorthair kitten has an orange tabby coat.
He is in cat room kennel No. 96a, ID No. LCAC-A-1871.
This male domestic shorthair kitten in cat room kennel No. 96b, ID No. LCAC-A-1872. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Male domestic shorthair kitten
This male domestic shorthair kitten has an orange tabby coat.
He is in cat room kennel No. 96b, ID No. LCAC-A-1872.
This male domestic shorthair kitten is in cat room kennel No. 96c, ID No. LCAC-A-1873. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Male domestic shorthair kitten
This male domestic shorthair kitten has an orange tabby coat.
He is in cat room kennel No. 96c, ID No. LCAC-A-1873.
This female domestic shorthair kitten is in cat room kennel No. 96d, ID No. LCAC-A-1874. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Female domestic shorthair kitten
This female domestic shorthair kitten has an orange tabby coat.
She is in cat room kennel No. 96d, ID No. LCAC-A-1874.
This female domestic shorthair kitten is in cat room kennel No. 101a, ID No. LCAC-A-1945. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Female domestic shorthair kitten
This female domestic shorthair kitten has a gray tabby coat.
She is in cat room kennel No. 101a, ID No. LCAC-A-1945.
This female domestic shorthair kitten is in cat room kennel No. 101b, ID No. LCAC-A-1946. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Female domestic shorthair kitten
This female domestic shorthair kitten has a gray tabby coat.
She is in cat room kennel No. 101b, ID No. LCAC-A-1946.
This female domestic shorthair kitten is in cat room kennel No. 101c, ID No. LCAC-A-1947. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Female domestic shorthair kitten
This female domestic shorthair kitten has a gray tabby coat.
She is in cat room kennel No. 101c, ID No. LCAC-A-1947.
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — Lake County Animal Care and Control has additional dogs this week, including some seniors, waiting for new families.
Dogs available for adoption this week include mixes of American bulldog, American Staffordshire terrier, border collie, Doberman, German shepherd, Great Pyrenees, hound, husky, Labrador retriever, mastiff, pit bull and Rottweiler.
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 (additional dogs on the animal control website not listed are still “on hold”).
“Luna” is a 3-year-old female German shepherd-Great Pyrenees mix in kennel No. 2, ID No. LCAC-A-1906. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. ‘Luna’
“Luna” is a 3-year-old female German shepherd-Great Pyrenees mix with a white coat.
She is in kennel No. 2, ID No. LCAC-A-1906.
“Lucy” is a female German shepherd-Great Pyrenees mix puppy in kennel No. 3, ID No. LCAC-A-1909. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. ‘Lucy’
“Lucy” is a female German shepherd-Great Pyrenees mix puppy with a white coat.
She is in kennel No. 3, ID No. LCAC-A-1909.
“George” is a 1-year-old male American bulldog mix in kennel No. 4, ID No. LCAC-A-1430. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. ‘George’
“George” is a 1-year-old male American bulldog mix with a short gray coat.
He is in kennel No. 4, ID No. LCAC-A-1430.
This 1-year-old male German shepherd is in kennel No. 6, ID No. LCAC-A-1892. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Male German shepherd
This 1-year-old male German shepherd has a black and tan coat.
He is in kennel No. 6, ID No. LCAC-A-1892.
“Emmy” is a female German shepherd puppy in kennel No. 8, ID No. LCAC-A-1908. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. ‘Emmy’
“Emmy” is a female German shepherd puppy with a white coat.
She is in kennel No. 8, ID No. LCAC-A-1908.
This female shepherd-husky is in kennel No. 9, ID No. LCAC-A-1745. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Female shepherd-husky
This female shepherd-husky has a short tan coat with black markings and blue eyes.
She is in kennel No. 9, ID No. LCAC-A-1745.
This 1-year-old female shepherd-husky mix is in kennel No. 10, ID No. LCAC-A-1746. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Female shepherd-husky
This 1-year-old female shepherd-husky mix has a short tricolor coat and blue eyes.
She’s in kennel No. 10, ID No. LCAC-A-1746.
This 7-year-old female American Staffordshire terrier is in kennel No. 11, ID No. LCAC-A-1890. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Female American Staffordshire terrier
This 7-year-old female American Staffordshire terrier has a short gray coat and white markings.
She is in kennel No. 11, ID No. LCAC-A-1890.
“Einstine” is a young Labrador retriever-pit bull mix in kennel No. 12, ID No. LCAC-A-1860. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. ‘Einstine’
“Einstine” is a young Labrador retriever-pit bull mix with s short black coat with white markings.
He is in kennel No. 12, ID No. LCAC-A-1860.
This 5-year-old female chocolate Labrador retriever-pit bull mix is in kennel No. 13, ID No. LCAC-A-1769. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Labrador-pit bull mix
This 5-year-old female chocolate Labrador retriever-pit bull mix has a short chocolate-colored coat.
She is in kennel No. 13, ID No. LCAC-A-1769.
This 3-year-old female mastiff is in kennel No. 15, ID No. LCAC-A-1868. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Female mastiff
This 3-year-old female mastiff has a short brindle coat.
She is in kennel No. 15, ID No. LCAC-A-1868.
“Cynthia” is a 1-year-old female Doberman pinscher-hound mix in kennel No. 18, ID No. LCAC-A-1891. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. ‘Cynthia’
“Cynthia” is a 1-year-old female Doberman pinscher-hound mix.
She is in kennel No. 18, ID No. LCAC-A-1891.
This 5-year-old female Rottweiler is in kennel No. 20, ID No. LCAC-A-1833. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Female Rottweiler
This 5-year-old female Rottweiler has a short black and tan coat.
She is in kennel No. 20, ID No. LCAC-A-1833.
This 2-year-old male mastiff in kennel No. 21, ID No. LCAC-A-1869. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Male mastiff
This 2-year-old male mastiff has a short tan coat.
He is in kennel No. 21, ID No. LCAC-A-1869.
This 2-year-old female German shepherd is in kennel No. 22, ID No. LCAC-A-1733. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Female German shepherd
This 2-year-old female German shepherd has a short black coat with tan markings.
She is in kennel No. 22, ID No. LCAC-A-1733.
This 3-year-old female American Staffordshire mix is in kennel No. 23, ID No. LCAC-A-1727. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Female American Staffordshire mix
This 3-year-old female American Staffordshire mix has a short black coat with white markings.
She is in kennel No. 23, ID No. LCAC-A-1727.
This 1-year-old male husky-pit bull mix is in kennel No. 25, ID No. LCAC-A-1726. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Male husky-pit bull
This 1-year-old male husky-pit bull mix has a short coat.
He is in kennel No. 25, ID No. LCAC-A-1726.
This 2-year-old male German shepherd is in kennel No. 26, ID No. LCAC-A-1903. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Male German shepherd
This 2-year-old male German shepherd has a black and tan coat.
He is in kennel No. 26, ID No. LCAC-A-1903.
This 2-year-old male shepherd mix is in kennel No. 28, ID No. LCAC-A-1743. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Male shepherd mix
This 2-year-old male shepherd mix has a short black and tan coat.
He is in kennel No. 28, ID No. LCAC-A-1743.
This young male pit bull is in kennel No. 29, ID No. LCAC-A-1699. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Male pit bull
This young male pit bull has a short black and white coat.
He is in kennel No. 29, ID No. LCAC-A-1699.
This 12-year-old male Labrador retriever-border collie mix is in kennel No. 30, ID No. LCAC-A-2101. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Labrador-border collie mix
This 12-year-old male Labrador retriever-border collie mix has a short black and white coat.
He is in kennel No. 30, ID No. LCAC-A-2101.
This 12-year-old female border collie is in kennel No. 31, ID No. LCAC-A-2100. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Female border collie
This 12-year-old female border collie has a long black and white coat.
She is in kennel No. 31, ID No. LCAC-A-2100.
“Canela” is a 1-year-old male husky mix in kennel No. 32, ID No. LCAC-A-1855. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. ‘Canela’
“Canela” is a 1-year-old male husky mix with a tricolor coat.
He is in kennel No. 32, ID No. LCAC-A-1855.
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.
