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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — This week, Congressman John Garamendi (D-CA 3rd District) released discussion draft legislation to add the Lake County portion of Walker Ridge to the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument, a move conservation groups said will preserve and protect biodiversity and recreational opportunities.

The Walker Ridge tract, nearly 4,000 acres, was within the original Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument boundary, but was excluded before President Obama signed the Presidential Proclamation on July 10, 2015.

Also included in the draft legislation is the requirement to complete a Monument
Management Plan within a year.

Located north of San Francisco and Sacramento, Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument is a rugged and diverse landscape.

The region is culturally significant to numerous Native American tribes and is also notable for its variety of habitats including grasslands, old growth conifer forests, and woodlands.

It hosts imperiled wildlife such as northern spotted owls, Northern California steelhead, martens and fishers.

Walker Ridge, approximately 10 miles east of Clearlake, is considered a jewel of biodiversity.

The area hosts ancient blue oak woodlands, rugged rock outcrops, precious meadows, rolling hills of chaparral and extensive stands of McNab cypress. It is home to more than 30 species of rare plants.

“We have long fought for the appreciation and protection of this irreplaceable region, which is a mecca of botanical richness within the biodiversity hotspot that is California,” said Nick Jensen, conservation program director for the California Native Plant Society. “We are overjoyed that Congressman Garamendi has introduced draft legislation to expand Berryessa Snow National Monument to include the Lake County portion of Walker Ridge.”

“Permanent protection of this extraordinary place has been a personal priority since before the Berryessa Snow Mountain campaign began,” emphasized Lake County resident and Tuleyome board member, Victoria Brandon. “I’m thrilled that my own Congressman John Garamendi has stepped up to save it for posterity by adding it to the monument.”

Walker Ridge notably provides easy access to a variety of recreational users including mountain bikers, hikers, OHV riders and equestrians.

Don Amador, a long-time trail recreation and resource management professional, noted that, “As one of the OHV recreation partners that helped in the creation of the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument, I want to commend Congressman Garamendi for his proposal to adjust the Monument boundary to include Walker Ridge and the many trails that exist in that
area. The boundary adjustment also makes a lot of sense given the BLM has started its travel planning effort within the monument and this plan will make it easier for the agency to designate routes that provide connectivity to increase public access and enhance recreation opportunities for all user groups.”

By completing a management plan, all user groups will be able to enjoy the many wonders of this remarkable region, supporters said.

"The Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument Expansion Act will safeguard Walker Ridge's natural beauty, wildlife, rare plants, and indigenous treasures,” said Tuleyome Executive Director Sandra Schubert. “It will also secure continued recreation opportunities in the area while providing a boost for the economy and local communities that have long called for permanent protection of the area. We support this legislation and commend Congressman Garamendi for protecting Walker Ridge and all of the Monument’s treasures.”

“Conservation Lands Foundation celebrates and supports Congressman Garamendi’s goal to expand the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument and ensure this special landscape has a robust management plan,” said Elyane Stefanick, California program director for the Conservation Lands Foundation. “The addition of Walker Ridge will help protect the area’s rich biodiversity and is a step toward helping the State of California and the Biden Administration meet the important goal of protecting 30% of U.S. lands and waters by the year 2030.”

“We're very grateful that Congressman Garamendi introduced this critically important bill,” stated Ryan Henson, senior policy director for the California Wilderness Coalition. “Walker Ridge is a natural extension of Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument with its critical habitat, rare species and thousands of years of history in its lands. Walker Ridge belongs in the monument.”

Individuals are encouraged to submit feedback on the discussion draft legislation by contacting Legislative Assistant Tigran Agdaian, at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Walker Ridge Addition Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument 20210512 by LakeCoNews on Scribd

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LAKEPORT, Calif. — The Lakeport Police Department said it has entered a partnership with strategic community stakeholders to provide services to individuals formerly incarcerated and in need of rehabilitation services.

Siyan Clinical Research of Santa Rosa was recently awarded a Lake County Mental Health Services grant through the California Community Reinvestment grants program, or CalCRG, in response to a health needs assessment provided by Hope Rising Lake County.

This assessment identified the county’s significant health needs, including mental health, alcoholism, poverty, drug use, unemployment and housing stability.

The CalCRG program was included in the Adult Use of Marijuana Act (Proposition 64), approved by California voters in 2016, and funded by the cannabis excise and cultivation taxes.

Siyan Clinical Research is the largest psychiatric research facility in Northwestern California.

The facility will be designing and implementing services in cooperation with Hope Rising Lake County, Lake County Family Resource Center, Lake County Behavioral Health, Lake County Probation, Lake County Public Health, Lakeport Police Department, California Human Development and the Mendocino Private Industry Council Inc.

“At Siyan Clinical Research we provide our patients with the highest quality psychiatric care in an atmosphere of respect, compassion, and a belief in the innate value of every individual, regardless of his or her accomplishments or failures,” said Dr. Anish Shah, president and CEO of Siyan Clinical Research. “Our mission is to improve care for people with mental disorders and their families through tailored treatment, professional education, and standard-setting clinical care.”

Siyan Clinical Research is the largest private behavioral health practice in Northern California, with a 4,000-patient database serving six counties. Find more information about Siyan Clinical Research at www.siyanresearch.org.

More information about the Lakeport Police Department’s participation in this program is available from Chief Brad Rasmussen at 707-263-5491.
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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — Each month the stats may change a little here and there, but the picture continues to be a positive one for people who are selling their homes in Lake County.

However, the market can be a little frustrating for those looking to buy. Inventory is still low, time on market is short and multiple offers on homes are still common.

Existing median price for houses in all of Lake County was $335,000 for the month of June 2021. This is up 3.39% from last year at this time, but down $25,000 from last month’s median price of $360,000.

May was up $27,000 over April so we are seeing slight fluctuation in median price from month to month.

Lakeport’s median home price was $370,000, down 9.5% from June 2020.

Hidden Valley’s median home price was $398,000, up 12.1% from last year and up $38,000 from May’s $360,000 median price.

The Kelseyville median home price was $334,000, up 7.6%, and the Clearlake median home price was $188,000, up 16% in a year-over comparison.

Existing home sales countywide totaled 107, which was up 23% over June 2020.

Lakeport sales were 19, which was down 20.8%; Hidden Valley sales were also 19, which is up 72.7% from the previous year; Kelseyville home sales were 24, up 14.3%; and Clearlake home sales totaled 17, up 88.9%.

As far as inventory goes, active listings countywide totaled 168, which is down 29.1% from last year at this time.

Lakeport had 28 active listings which is actually up 16.7% from last year, while Hidden Valley Lake had 19 active listings, down 51.3%.

Kelseyville had 36 active listings, down 36.8%, and Clearlake had 28 active listings, down 30%.

Countywide the number of days on the market continues to be very low, with the median being 12 days for June 2021. Sales price continues to be an average 100% of list price. But price reductions are still happening when properties are overpriced, with 32.1% of active listings having price reductions for June 2021.

Lakeport had a median of six days on the market with 100% sale to list price, and 39.3% of active listings having price reductions for June.

Hidden Valley Lake had a median of seven days on the market with sales to list price at 100% and 10.5% of homes with price reductions.

In Kelseyville, total median days on market came out a little higher at 18 days with sales to list price being 100% and a larger amount of price reductions at 41.7%.

Clearlake’s median days on market totaled seven, with sales to list price at 98% and 28.6% of listings with price reductions.

The bottom line is if you are thinking of selling, price it right and you should have a quick successful sale.

If you are thinking of buying, go into it prepared and anticipate competition.

Tama Prokopowich is president-elect of the Lake County Association of Realtors.
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A lot of coastal infrastructure wasn’t designed for the frequent flooding and crashing waves brought by rising seas. Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Congress appears close to a trillion-dollar infrastructure deal that recognizes the risks of climate change and the need to make America’s coasts more resilient.

On July 28, 2021, a bipartisan group of senators who have been working on the package for weeks announced an agreement on “major issues” of the plan. The Senate later voted 67 to 32 to move it forward in a procedural vote; it still faces major hurdles.

While many of the details have yet to be disclosed – or finalized – a few have emerged. The deal provides US$550 billion in new spending on roads, transit, electricity and other physical infrastructure, including about $47 billion for flooding and coastal resiliency and funds to help adapt ports and waterways to a changing climate.

The Conversation has been exploring how climate change is affecting U.S. infrastructure and ways Congress could make it more resilient as sea levels rise, storms become more destructive and temperatures become more extreme.

These three articles from our archive describe some innovations in resilient infrastructure.

1. Adaptive design lessons from the Dutch

The Dutch have been dealing with flood risks for generations in the Netherlands, where a large part of the country is below sea level. They’ve learned that one key to living with rising water levels is adaptive design – building infrastructure that can be expanded in the future.

In the U.S., adaptive design might mean building levees wider than usual so they can be easily raised in 20 years. Or it could mean leaving room for future water pumps in areas that will become more flood-prone, or installing floodgates that can be raised or lowered as needed.

“By starting with an adaptive design, the U.S. can save billions of dollars compared with having to build new systems decades down the road,” writes Jeremy Bricker, a hydraulic and coastal engineer at the University of Michigan.

He points to the cost of renovating California’s Folsom Dam, built in 1955. Adding a new spillway now to improve water control is costing about $900 million, close to the price of the original dam with inflation.

Read more: How to make sure Biden's infrastructure plan can hold up to climate change – and save money

2. Incorporating nature: Corals and mangroves

In several coastal cities, the Army Corps of Engineers is developing plans for giant flood walls to provide protection against storm surges. The instinct is to build big now to handle the worst-case scenario in the future.

But in Miami, that plan reveals two problems: While a large wall might lessen the damage of a hurricane storm surge, it would block the downtown area’s million-dollar water views. And a 6-mile wall would only protect the downtown Miami area, and only from the surge. Water would still come in, and everyone outside the wall would be vulnerable.

There are other ways to protect the coastline that are less obtrusive and draw on natural coastal storm control, write University of Miami engineer Landolf Rhode-Barbarigos and ocean scientist Brian Haus.

Rhode-Barbarigos and Haus have been involved in developing “green-gray” infrastructure that pairs the strength of specially designed concrete structures with the natural protection of corals and mangroves for effective, more natural-looking hybrid coastal protection.

An artist's rendering of hybrid coastal protection showing people swimming near the structure and walking on a path behind it.
One ‘green-gray’ infrastructure design combines hollow channels of concrete with mangroves above and corals below to naturally dissipate the energy of waves. Gallo Herbert Architects

“Living with water today doesn’t look the same as it did 50 years ago, or even 20 years ago,” they write. “Parts of Miami now regularly see ‘sunny day’ flooding during high tides. Salt water infiltrates basements and high-rise parking garages, and tidal flooding is forecast to occur more frequently as sea level rises. When storms come through, the storm surge adds to that already high water.”

They add: “We don’t want to see Miami become Venice or a city walled off from the water. We think Miami can thrive by making use of the local ecosystem with novel green engineering solutions and an architecture that adapts.”

Read more: A 20-foot sea wall won’t save Miami – how living structures can help protect the coast and keep the paradise vibe

3. Climate-friendly concrete

Concrete is also evolving for the changing climate. Scientists are developing ways to minimize corrosion when concrete structures are subjected to sea water, and they’re making concrete itself more climate-friendly.

Cement, which binds concrete, is responsible for about 7% of global carbon dioxide emissions – greenhouse gases that are warming the environment and causing the oceans to rise. Some 26 billion tons are produced nationwide each year, and production is growing.

Cracks in a bridge showing corroded steel instead.
A lot of North American infrastructure is in need of replacement. Achim Hering/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY

“Given the scale of the industry and its greenhouse gas emissions, technologies that can reinvent concrete could have profound impacts on climate change,” write University of Michigan engineers Lucca Henrion, Duo Zhang, Victor Li and Volker Sick.

Scientists are developing new types of concrete that reduce the amount of greenhouse gases released, including infusing it with carbon dioxide so future bridges and buildings lock away greenhouse gases that might otherwise be released into the atmosphere. The Michigan team has developed carbon dioxide-infused concrete that requires less steel, is stronger and more durable – and it’s bendable.

Read more: Bendable concrete and other CO2-infused cement mixes could dramatically cut global emissions

Editor’s note: This story is a roundup of articles from The Conversation’s archives.The Conversation

Bryan Keogh, Senior Editor, Economy + Business, The Conversation and Stacy Morford, Environment and Climate Editor, The Conversation

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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Gov. Gavin Newsom on Tuesday signed the higher education budget trailer bill implementing significant California Comeback Plan investments in college affordability and access — including expanded student financial aid, education and training grants for workers displaced by the pandemic, transfer pathways for community college students and college savings accounts for low-income and underrepresented public school students.

The Governor’s California Comeback Plan provides an unprecedented level of investment in the state’s world-class public higher education system, with $47.1 billion total for the University of California, California State University and California Community Colleges, or CCC, and student financial aid.

“The California Comeback Plan doubles down on our commitment to making college more affordable and accessible than ever before, boosting the state’s nation-leading recovery from the pandemic and driving our long-term economic prosperity,” said Gov. Newsom. “With massive increases in funding for our world-class colleges and universities, expanded college savings accounts, increased student financial aid and opportunities to gain work experience while learning, we are helping students reach their full potential and driving upward mobility across California.”

Making college more affordable, AB 132 implements the California Comeback Plan’s expansion of the Cal Grant program for community college students by eliminating age and time-out-of-high-school requirements, with awards that follow students to the UC and CSU upon transfer.

Starting in 2022-23, the bill also revises the Middle Class Scholarship program to provide scholarships intended to cover up to the difference between a student’s total cost of attendance and other sources of aid, including student and family contributions, depending upon available resources each year.

It also makes summer financial aid investments for UC and CSU students permanent and includes $115 million for Zero-Textbook-Cost Degree grant programs and open educational resources at CCCs, helping address the rising costs of textbooks.

Working to create more equitable and streamlined pathways from school to career, the budget trailer bill establishes a Learning-Aligned Employment program at the UC, CSU and CCC to help underrepresented students with financial need gain relevant work experience, promoting long-term employment opportunities.

It also establishes the Golden State Education and Training Grant Program to provide grants for education or high-quality training for workers displaced by the pandemic.

Improving access, AB 132 establishes a dual admissions program that provides eligible first-time freshman applicants the opportunity for guaranteed admission to the UC or CSU campus of their choice following completion of an associate degree for transfer or another transfer pathway at a CCC.

It also requires school districts and other educational agencies to confirm that high school seniors who have not opted out complete FAFSA or California Dream Act applications for financial aid.

In addition, the legislation expands the California Kids Investment and Development Savings Program to provide $500 base deposits to seed college savings accounts for public school students from low-income families, English learners and foster youth, with supplemental deposits for foster youth and homeless students.

AB 132 also establishes the governance and operational structure for the state’s Cradle to Career data system, which will connect education, workforce and social services data to better inform parents, educators and policymakers.

The California Comeback Plan will create more slots for in-state students who wish to attend a CSU or UC school; sets aside $2 billion to address housing and space needs at the UC, CSU and CCCs, contingent upon future legislation, which will help drive down the cost of student housing; provides $50 million for Guided Pathways programs to help community college students graduate on time; and includes investments to support equity-focused programs at community colleges and Student Academic Preparation and Educational Partnerships programs at UC campuses, helping to bridge equity gaps.

For full text of the bill signed today, visit: http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov.

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LAKEPORT, Calif. — The Lakeport Economic Development Advisory Committee will hold its next meeting on Wednesday, July 28.

The committee, or LEDAC, will meet via Zoom at 7:30 a.m. Wednesday, July 28.

The meeting is open to the public.

The group had planned to begin meeting in person again but due to the changing COVID-19 situation have decided to continue with virtual meetings until further notice.

The meeting will be held via Zoom: Meeting ID, 943 0904 9196; passcode, 888455. Dial by your location, +1 669 900 6833.

On the agenda is a review of current membership, change in positions and identification of missing representation.

The group also will review the work plan for updating the Lakeport Economic Development Strategic Plan, discuss the Logic Model approach in developing the plan work program and consideration of including features addressing resiliency, the arts and cultural plan, and closer ties with partnership organizations.

There also will be updates on city projects and activities, and member reports.

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.
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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — A week after the Board of Supervisors unanimously passed a resolution urging all community members to wear masks in indoor public settings, Lake County’s COVID-19 case rate has doubled and shows no sign of slowing.

“I know we would all like to believe that we’re through the COVID-19 pandemic and that it’s all behind us. But unfortunately it isn’t,” acting Public Health Officer Dr. Charlie Evans, an emergency room physician of 37 years from Sonoma County, told the Board of Supervisors during its Tuesday meeting.

Last week, Supervisor Jessica Pyska presented the indoor masking resolution to the board, prompted by a growing caseload of 17 per 100,000 over a seven-day average.

On Tuesday, the California Department of Public Health dashboard showed that the same metric had jumped to 35 per 100,000 over a seven-day average, remaining the highest such rate in the state.

Epidemiologist Sarah Marikos told the board Tuesday that the county’s caseload is even higher — 50 per 100,000 — when taking out the seven-day average.

Marikos also reported that Lake County’s testing positivity rate, which had fallen to a low of about 1% in June, has now risen to 17.4%, the highest the county has had during the pandemic so far. At the same time, the overall state testing positivity rate has grown from 1% to 6%.

Lake County also had its 65th COVID-19 death within the past week, Marikos said.

Marikos presented an epicurve graph showing that Lake County’s current case numbers now have surpassed December’s numbers and are approaching those recorded in January, when the surge hit its peak.

During the past week, there were 250 confirmed cases, the third-highest week for cases in Lake County since the pandemic began and nearly twice the cases reported the previous week. Marikos said she wouldn’t be surprised if by next week she’s reporting nearly 300 cases for the week.

The 20 to 44 age group continues to have the highest percentage of cases — 51%, Marikos said.

Of the Lake County residents who have been fully vaccinated — 28,548 — Marikos said 68, or 0.238%, have tested positive for COVID-19.

People who are unvaccinated are about seven times more likely to be infected, she said.

Marikos said the Delta variant is spreading and is present in every region of the state. In June, the Delta variant accounted for about 50% of sequenced specimens, while now it’s closer to 80%.

Statewide, in mid-June, Marikos said there were 150 hospitalizations a day in the state; that’s now climbed to 500.

She said recent studies in the United Kingdom, Canada, Scotland and the United States have looked at second dose vaccine effectiveness versus the Delta variant.

“This is really, really great news,” said Marikos, explaining that the vaccines are 96% effective in preventing hospitalization and 87 to 88% effective in preventing symptomatic disease.

Marikos said 51.7% of Lake County residents are fully vaccinated, compared to 63% of Californians. About 58% of people ages 18 to 49 are not vaccinated.

Lake County’s overall vaccination rate is only improving by about 1% a week, Marikos noted.

She said vaccinating will be critical in preventing new infections in late summer and early fall.

‘A house on fire’

Pointing to the information Marikos presented, Evans, making his first appearance at a board meeting, told the supervisors, “We really have a house on fire and it’s time that we all huddled together and put that fire out. Unlike a year ago, we now have the tools to do that.”

Evans said the United States has an abundance of vaccine and personal protective equipment, in contrast to Kenya, where only 2% of the population are vaccinated. He founded a clinic in Kenya 30 years ago and he’s going there next week to do some work.

As for why Lake County is leading the state in infection rates, Evans said he believes there are many factors. The surge started in the middle of June as the masking mandate was released for vaccinated individuals. Those who are not vaccinated are still requested to mask while indoors but he said that hasn’t been taking place, and Evans emphasized the value of masking.

Lake County’s vaccination rate also is impacting the case rate. Evans said the 18 to 49 age group is only 35% vaccinated, and those individuals are out and active in the community and getting infected.

He said they don’t know for sure how many infections are the Delta variant. “With time we will.”

Speaking about variants, Evans said the alpha variant from England, also known as B.1.1.7, which had caused havoc for parts of Europe as well as big infection rates in Michigan and Minnesota, didn’t impact the rest of the United States as severely as expected.

The alpha variant was 40 to 65% more aggressive than the mother virus. The Delta variant, Evans added, has 1,000 times the viral load of the mother virus.

As long as there are unvaccinated people, Evans said there will be variants.

“I know we’re all fed up with masking and children at home and isolating but in Lake County we’re facing one of the biggest surges we’ve yet seen. If we do nothing the situation will devolve and we will see additional unnecessary death,” Evans said.

To illustrate that point, he said last weekend both of Lake County’s hospitals were at capacity, including for ICU and med surg beds. “We’re already at that point of critical overload.”

He suggested businesses keep protective shields in place, continue to offer hand sanitizer and social distancing signage. Patrons should continue to mask until infection rates drop significantly.

“There is a clear path out of this pandemic and we all know what the answer is: It’s vaccination,” he said.

He addressed myths about vaccination as described in a statement this week from the Rural Association of Northern California Health Officers, and explained that the COVID-19 vaccine is more effective than that created for polio.

“COVID-19 is looking for hosts who are not yet vaccinated. And I'm sure if you’re not yet vaccinated, it will find you,” he said.

Pyska asked Evans about guidance on how to carry out large events that are planned in the coming months. Evans said he strongly discourages any large indoor functions, and said outdoor conditions are safer.

During public comment, Randall Cole, who acknowledged he was unvaccinated, recounted getting COVID-19 from an ill friend at the start of July. He ended up spending two weeks in the ICU.

“People have free will. They can choose whether they want to be vaccinated or not,” Cole said, adding masking should be required, whether people are vaccinated or not.

Leonardo Rodriguez, the student trustee on the Mendocino College board, said COVID-19 has completely thrown off so many students. In a county that’s only half vaccinated and with the surge, he suggested that maybe schools should not be reopened yet.

Rodriguez asked those who won’t get vaccinated to think of the community and others.

Evans also responded to statements from several community members questioning vaccines and testing, in particular, PCR tests.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said last week that, after Dec. 31, it will withdraw the request to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for emergency use of its own CDC 2019-Novel CoronavirusReal-Time RT-PCR Diagnostic Panel, first introduced in February 2020.

The CDC is encouraging labs to consider adopting methods that can test for both influenza and COVID-19 to save both time and money as the nation heads into flu season.

That change has been attributed to many other tests being available and, separately, FDA officials said that agency hasn’t issued a statement questioning PCR test result reliability in general.

Evans said PCR tests are used in many different modalities. “It’s an extremely sensitive test. It tests the DNA of the virus. The only time it falters is when the test is not administered correctly.”

He said it’s been a lifesaving test that has allowed them to detect COVID-19 in numerous individuals.

As for one speaker’s assertion that officials were urging people to rush into being vaccinated, Evans said it’s more than a year into the pandemic, with vaccines available for nine months.

He said he had a patient last week with respiratory failure due to COVID-19. As he prepared her for the ICU, she asked if she could be vaccinated. Evans said he told her it was too late.

“We’re not rushing into anything here with the vaccines,” he said, noting he’s lost a family member to the illness.

He urged people to be vaccinated, wear masks and wash their hands.

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.
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Charles William Cartwright, 54, of Clearlake, California, has been arrested after authorities said he was responsible for a fire on Friday, July 23, 2021. Lake County Jail photo.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — Authorities have arrested a Clearlake man who they say was responsible for setting a wildland fire last week.

Charles William Cartwright, 54, was taken into custody on Monday, Cal Fire reported.

Cal Fire said the fire Cartwright is believed to have set occurred on Friday.

Resources were dispatched to the area of Ogulin Canyon Road in Clearlake for smoke seen on the hillside at approximately 7:20 p.m. Friday, Cal Fire said.

When they arrived in the area, firefighters confirmed there was a fire and began searching for access to it, Cal Fire said.

Cal Fire said its aerial resources were the first to arrive at the fire and were successful in holding it in check until the first ground resources found access to it at approximately 8:10 p.m.

The fire burned approximately one-third of an acre, Cal Fire said.

Cal Fire law enforcement officers arrived at the fire shortly after the ground resources and began investigating its origin and cause, the agency reported.

During the course of the investigation, Cal Fire said a suspect was identified and an arrest warrant was issued for the suspect.

On Monday, authorities located Cartwright and took him into custody without incident, Cal Fire said.

Cartwright was booked into the Lake County Jail on a felony charge of recklessly setting a fire on forest land and a misdemeanor arson charge.

His bail was set at $50,000 and he remained in custody on Tuesday.

Cartwright, whose occupation is listed as lawn care, is scheduled for a court appearance on Aug. 16, according to his booking sheet.

Cal Fire said it was assisted by the Clearlake Police Department, Lake County Sheriff's Office, Lake County District Attorney’s Office, Lake County Fire Protection District and North Shore Fire Protection District.
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As the North American monsoon continues over the southwestern United States this week, AccuWeather meteorologists say that shifting moisture may allow the concentration of drenching storms to ease up in New Mexico and Arizona.

But storms, some with downpours, some with no rain, are forecast to ramp up in portions of Nevada, California, Oregon and Idaho in the coming days.

Prior to Sunday night, with a couple of exceptions this summer, thunderstorms associated with the monsoon have largely been absent thus far. There have been a couple of incidents of spotty showers and thunderstorms.

During June 17-18, and more recently on July 13, showers and storms dotted Southern California. The storms on July 13, managed to bring 0.10 of an inch of rain to Downtown Los Angeles.

The spotty, little rain that has occurred thus far west of Arizona has done nothing to impact the exceptional drought ongoing in California, Nevada and Oregon.

In California alone, 33% of the state was considered to be in exceptional drought, which is the worst category of drought level, according to data from the United States Drought Monitor.

A drought emergency remained in effect for 50 of the 58 counties or 42% of the population in California. Major reservoirs have plummeted to historically low levels in many cases for this point in the season.

While the overall amount and extent of rain, the newest surge of moisture remains questionable from Southern California and southern Nevada, as well as point farther to the north, there is a concern amongst AccuWeather meteorologists of what mainly dry thunderstorms might bring.

"We often see thunderstorms with little rain and a significant amount of lightning strikes on the leading edge of monsoon moisture and this may be one of those situations," AccuWeather Meteorologist Matt Benz said.

Locally gusty winds often accompany the thunderstorms in the West. The winds may not only kick up dust in the vicinity, but can fan the sparks and flames produced by lightning strikes. With little or no rain to extinguish these flames, multiple wildfires can quickly spread through the dry brush that has been baking in the sun all summer long.

In Las Vegas on early Monday morning, over 13,000 were without power due to thunderstorms.

Any non-flooding rainfall without lightning would be welcomed.

A small number of the storms will manage to bring enough rain to wet the ground and result in a temporary soaking, while a smaller number still can bring so much rain as to lead to isolated flash flooding and debris flows.

"The pattern is pulling a significant amount of atmospheric moisture westward, so it is possible that some communities in Southern California and Nevada get thoroughly soaked with a risk of flash flooding as well," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Brian Thomson said.

During Monday morning, showers and thunderstorms managed to unload 0.44 of an inch of rain on Palm Springs, California.



Flash flood watches and warnings were issued across Southern California, southern Nevada and southern Utah on Monday morning. Within 30 minutes after 9 a.m., local time, 0.71 inches of rain was measured in Primm, Nevada, near the state border with California.

As the deluge continued, areas like Pahrump, Nevada, about 60 miles east of Death Valley, saw flash flooding along Highway 160. An estimated .5 to 1 inch of rainfall reportedly fell around the area, with the highest observations pushing 2 inches, according to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alan Reppert.

"These seem to be slow moving storms too, so they can dump a lot of rain in a quick time," Reppert said.

For these reasons, hikers are strongly urged to monitor the changing weather not only at their location, but in the distance as well. Lightning can extend outward a dozen miles or more in extreme cases. A downpour miles upstream can produce a torrent of water through canyons and dry stream beds with a mainly clear sky overhead.

At the very least, most residents will notice an uptick in humidity levels during the first part of this week in the West.

"The westward push of monsoon moisture is moving along with the progression of a storm in the middle levels of the atmosphere," Benz explained.

This moisture will then be drawn northward around a large area of high pressure that remains anchored over the central Rockies and Plains this week.

"This circulation will tend to spread the thunderstorm risk into areas that have already been hammered by wildfires so far this summer in Northern California, northern Nevada, Oregon and Idaho as the week progresses," Benz said.

While some increase in moisture in the air may raise humidity levels slightly over the Northwest by midweek, it probably will not be enough to make a big difference in lowering the potential combustion of natural fuels in the region.

As of Monday night, there were 85 large, non-contained wildfires burning in the United States, mostly in the West, according to the National Interagency Fire Center.

In Northern California, the Dixie Fire, which is only 22% contained, had consumed 198,021 acres and destroyed 36 structures as of Monday night. The cause of the Dixie Fire remains under investigation.

In southern Oregon, the Bootleg Fire, which started from lightning strikes, was 53% contained, had burned 409,611 acres and destroyed 184 structures.

Farther southwest, rain from the monsoon has brought some drought relief in portions of New Mexico and Arizona, but at a price.

The combination of torrential downpours, that have repeated or lingered in some cases, on top of rugged and arid terrain has led to incidents of flash flooding.

On Friday, the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office in Arizona shared a video on Twitter of the department's aviation unit saving a stranded driver that drove through a flooded street and got stuck.

Last Tuesday, drenching rainfall centered on Albuquerque, New Mexico, where 1 inch of rain poured down in just 15 minutes near Indian School and Tramway, according to the Albuquerque Journal. The rising waters of the Embudo Arroyo caused three people to be swept away in the flooding. All three bodies have been recovered. Nolan Bennett, a field engineer for Albuquerque Metropolitan Arroyo Flood Control, told local station KOB, there was about 10 to 12 feet of water rushing down the arroyo.

The National Weather Service office in Flagstaff, Arizona, told the Associated Press that more rain fell in some places in northern Arizona than in the whole monsoon season last year. At least one fatality was attributed to the heavy rain in the Flagstaff area after a woman was swept away in floodwaters.

A fresh 1.80 inches of rain was measured in Flagstaff on Saturday, compared to an average of 2.61 inches for all of July. An additional 0.55 of an inch fell on Flagstaff on Sunday and brought the July 2021 total to 5.41 inches.

Phoenix has received nearly two times its normal rainfall for all of July, while Tucson, Arizona, has received 3.4 times the average for the month so far with a whopping 3.7 times the normal rainfall for El Paso, Texas, through July 25.

Other cities at an elevated risk for flash flooding this week include Yuma, Arizona; Las Vegas and Palm Springs.

"There is likely to be a lull or decrease in the amount of drenching thunderstorm activity in portions of New Mexico and Arizona as this mid-level storm hovers off the coast of Southern California for a time this week," Benz added.

Still a lull does not mean that storms will be completely absent and there is still a risk of isolated incidents of flash flooding through this week over the interior Southwest.

Alex Sosnowski is an AccuWeather senior meteorologist.
Posted On

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — On Tuesday, Congressman John Garamendi (D-CA03), a former deputy secretary of the Interior during the Clinton Administration, released a discussion draft of the “Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument Expansion Act” for public review and comment.

This draft legislation would expand the National Monument to include a federally owned land parcel known as the “Walker Ridge” tract.

This ridgeline in Lake County has cultural significance to Native Americans and is home to bald eagles and rare wildflowers.

The proposed National Monument expansion is supported by the Lake County Board of Supervisors, California Wilderness Coalition, California Native Plant Society, and the Woodland-based Tuleyome nonprofit.

In 2014, Congressman Garamendi championed bicameral legislation (H.R.761) to establish the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument, with then-Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and Congressman Mike Thompson (D-CA05).

This legislation would have included the Walker Ridge tract in Lake and Colusa Counties administered by the federal Bureau of Land Management within the National Monument’s boundary.

Congressmen Garamendi and Thompson hosted a visit by then-Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell in 2014 at Lake Berryessa Monument so she could view the landscape in person and hear from local community and tribal leaders about the need for a national monument designation.

Said Secretary Jewell at the time, “This is a beautiful area with cultural history and great opportunities for outdoor recreation and wildlife viewing, so it’s no surprise that the community wants to make sure that it is protected and passed on to the next generation.”

In July 2015, President Obama declared the federal land surrounding Lake Berryessa as a National Monument — Presidential Proclamation 9298 — at the Congressmen’s urging.

Congressman Garamendi’s new draft legislation would expand the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument to include Walker Ridge, an extinct volcanic mountain range with an unusual “serpentine” soil composition that has made it a trove of rare and beautiful plant species, including the adobe lily (Fritillaria pluriflora) found only in Northern California.

Other rare and protected animal species that make their home in this area include the bald eagle, golden eagle and tule elk.

The inclusion of Walker Ridge as a part of the Berryessa National Monument would not affect pre-existing water rights or impose new regulations on hunting, fishing, or motorized recreation that are important to the local economy.

A study by the Winters Chamber of Commerce indicated that outdoor recreation supports a $6 billion industry and 700,000 jobs in California alone.

“Conserving California’s special places has been a lifelong passion throughout my tenure in the state legislature, as Deputy Secretary of the Interior to President Clinton, and now as a member of Congress representing Lake County. Walker Ridge is one of those special places, and I welcome the public’s comments as we work to conserve this unique landscape for future generations of Californians to enjoy,” said Congressman Garamendi.

The “Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument Expansion Act” would not impact privately owned, state, tribal, or non-federal land in any way. The proposed federal land parcel proposed for including the National Monument does not include acreage of the BLM’s Walker Ridge tract in Colusa County.

The draft legislation would also direct the federal Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service to finally complete the management plan for the National Monument, which has remained unfinished since 2015.

Interested members of the public may submit their feedback on the discussion draft legislation to Congressman Garamendi’s office at: Tigran Agdaian, Legislative Assistant, Congressman John Garamendi (CA-03), 2368 Rayburn House Office Building, telephone 202-225-1880, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

Walker Ridge Addition Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument 20210512 by LakeCoNews on Scribd

BSMNM Expansion Bill by LakeCoNews on Scribd

Posted On

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — A Lucerne man was seriously injured in a Friday motorcycle crash on Highway 20.

Joseph Ambrose, 31, was the motorcyclist injured in the wreck, the California Highway Patrol’s Clear Lake Area office reported Monday.

The CHP said the crash occurred at about 3:15 p.m. Friday on Highway 20 at Crump Avenue in Nice.

Ambrose was riding a black and red 2004 Yamaha VXS1100 motorcycle westbound on Highway 20 as Paul McGrorey, 60, also of Lucerne, was driving a silver 2005 Dodge Ram 1500 pickup eastbound, the CHP said.

McGrorey stopped in the double-left turn lane at the intersection with Crump Avenue, according to the report.

For reasons the CHP said are still under investigation, Ambrose laid down the Yamaha motorcycle.

The CHP said Ambrose was ejected from the motorcycle and collided with the Dodge pickup.

Ambrose sustained major injuries as a result of the collision and was life-flighted to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital, the CHP said.

The investigating CHP officer determined Ambrose was wearing a helmet at the time of the collision. McGrorey, who was wearing his seat belt, was uninjured.

Neither alcohol nor drug usage is suspected, the CHP said.

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.
Posted On

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The California Highway Patrol said a major injury crash involving four vehicles on Highway 20 in Clearlake Oaks on Saturday sent several people to the hospital and led to one man being arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence.

Stephen Williams, 37, of Pacifica was arrested following the crash, which took place at 4:10 p.m. Saturday on Highway 20 east of Sulphur Bank Drive, according to a Monday report from the CHP’s Clear Lake Area office.

The CHP said Williams was driving a blue 2004 Toyota Highlander westbound on Highway 20, approaching Sulphur Bank Drive at a high rate of speed.

Randall Wilk, 61, of Oakland was driving a blue 2015 Toyota Prius westbound, directly in front of Williams' Toyota Highlander, while Kristi Crume, 34, of Grass Valley, was driving a silver 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee eastbound, followed by 70-year-old Kenneth Tomatis of Modesto, who was driving a white 2009 Hyundai Santa Fe, the CHP said.

For reasons that the CHP said are still under investigation, Williams' Toyota Highlander collided with the rear of Wilk’s Toyota Prius, causing Wilk to lose control of the Prius.

Williams’ Toyota Highlander continued in a westerly direction and collided head-on with Crume’s Jeep Grand Cherokee, with the Toyota then continuing in a westerly direction and colliding head-on with Tomatis’ Hyundai Santa Fe, the CHP said.

The CHP said Williams suffered major injuries as a result of the collision and was subsequently arrested by Clear Lake CHP officers, who observed signs and symptoms of alcohol intoxication.

Williams was flown by air ambulance to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital, the CHP said.

Crume had major injuries and was flown to UC Davis Medical Center for treatment, along with two young children, girls ages 1 and 2, who were with her and who had minor injuries, the CHP said.

Wilk had minor injuries and Tomatis was not reported to be injured, with neither transported, the CHP said.

All six of the individuals in the four vehicles were using their safety equipment, the CHP said.

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.

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