LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — On Thursday evening, the Clearlake City Council received an update from staff on the Cache fire recovery process, and voted to approve a property purchase and remote meeting rules.

During the hourlong meeting, the council hosted a swearing-in and awards ceremony for new and promoted Clearlake Police officers, and presented proclamations declaring October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month and Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

The meeting included a brief update by staff regarding progress on the Cache fire recovery process.

The fire began Aug. 18 in the city limits, burning more than 80 acres and destroying 138 structures — 57 of them homes.

City Manager Alan Flora said a few weeks ago staff met with representatives of the state Office of Emergency Services, the State Water Board, California Department of Water Resource, California Conservation Corps and Lake County Water Resources due to concerns about stormwater mitigation measures that had been put into place in the fire area.

He said the city, state and county representatives walked the entire fire site, determined a number of solutions and those additional improvements have all been installed.

He said state Sen. Mike McGuire toured the site with the city last Friday and talked about issues like water supply.

Finance Director Kelcey Young said staff has been working on getting right of entry forms from property owners in order for the debris removal process to move forward.

She said the city — along with the state Office of Emergency Services and North Coast Opportunities — held a workshop on Monday on the cleanup process, with about 15 households attending.

In addition, the city has received 41 rights of entry, “which is excellent,” Young said.

There are still four property owners the city is trying to contact via phone and email, Young said. Later in the discussion, Councilman Russ Cremer said he had a list of property owners he’s compiled as part of his efforts to raise recovery funds and he offered to share that list with Young.

Young said property owners who want to have debris removed should contact the city. Information is available on the city’s Cache fire resources page.

The city submitted the 41 complete right of entry forms to Cal OES on Thursday, Young said.

She explained that those without insurance are still eligible to have debris from their homes and properties removed.

Cal OES is in the process of selecting the contractor who will conduct the debris removal, with Young estimating that the removal process could begin in early November.

Flora said Cal OES has done a great job, largely with the influence of Sen. McGuire. He also recognized City Clerk/Administrative Services Director Melissa Swanson for her efforts in getting the rights of entry forms processed.

He said that because of the anticipated impact on rainfall into the Cache Creek watershed — and with the amount of burned vehicles in the fire area — there is an effort to prioritize the Cache fire cleanup ahead of other larger fires in the state.

Councilman Russ Perdock asked staff if the city has heard anything from its members of Congress about possible federal help.

Flora said a federal declaration for the state’s wildfires has already happened and it’s unclear what disasters are included.

While the Cache fire is not mentioned in that declaration, Flora said they’ve gotten some indication from the state that it may be rolled into that larger federal declaration.

Also on Thursday, the council voted unanimously to purchase a 5,000-square-foot vacant lot at 6388 Vallejo Ave. to be used as part of the future development of the retail center at the former Pearce Field.

The lot is currently surrounded by city-owned property, Flora said. It’s also in proximity to property the city has agreed to sell for a hotel development.

The property’s current owners, who inherited it from their parents, offered it to the city. Flora said the city agreed to purchase it for $15,000, and to cover the $5,000 closing costs.

Cremer moved to approve the purchase, Perdock seconded and the council voted 5-0.

In other business, the council voted unanimously to authorize the implementation and use of teleconference accessibility to conduct public meetings pursuant to Assembly Bill 361.

Swanson said the bill allows the city to continue to hold meetings remotely through the end of 2023 as long as it makes at least one of three findings, including:

— state or local officials have imposed or recommended measures to promote social distancing;
— the legislative body is holding a meeting for the purpose of determining whether as a result of the emergency, meeting in person would present imminent risks to the health or safety of attendees;
— and by majority vote, the legislative body determined that as a result of the emergency, meeting in person would present imminent risks to the health or safety of attendees.

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

CLEARLAKE, Calif. — Clearlake Animal Control continues to offer a number of friendly dogs to new homes.

The City of Clearlake Animal Association also is seeking fosters for the animals waiting to be adopted.

Another way to help is through donations. A wish list has been posted at Amazon and on Chewy. For those who wish to shop local and drop off items, call 707-273-9440 to schedule a delivery or donate at the association’s Facebook page.

Call the Clearlake Animal Control shelter at 707-273-9440, or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to inquire about adoptions and schedule a visit to the shelter.

Visit Clearlake Animal Control on Facebook or on the city’s website.

‘Andy’

“Andy” is a male pit bull terrier mix with a short gray and white coat.

He is dog No. 5150.

‘Bear’

“Bear” is a male American Staffordshire terrier mix with a short brown coat.

He has been neutered.

He is dog No. 3476.

‘Bella’

“Bella” is a female pit bull mix with a short brindle coat.

She is dog No. 5080.

‘Blue Eyed Jack’

“Blue Eyed Jack” is a male German shepherd mix.

He is dog No. 5046.

‘Edgar’

“Edgar” is a male American Staffordshire terrier mix with a short black and cream coat.

He is dog No. 5189.

‘Mara’

“Mara” is a female Rottweiler mix.

She has a short black and tan coat.

He is house-trained.

She is dog No. 4628.

‘Mitzy’

“Mitzy” is a female shepherd mix with a medium-length black and white coat.

She is dog No. 4648.

‘Sassy’

“Sassy” is a female American bully mix with a short black coat.

She has been spayed.

She is dog No. 4602.

‘Tanisha’

“Tanisha” is a female shepherd mix with a short orange and white coat.

She is dog No. 4647.

‘Terry’

“Terry” is a male Dutch shepherd mix with a smooth brindle coat.

He is dog No. 4880.

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

On Wednesday, a bill to address liability in order to encourage more prescribed burning in California became law.

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed SB 332 by Sen. Bill Dodd (D-Napa).

“Today we take an important step toward protecting our state from the kinds of wildfires that have been so destructive over the past few years,” Dodd said, thanking Newsom for signing the bill into law.

SB passed the Assembly and Senate with unanimous, bipartisan support in September before being signed by the governor on Wednesday.

Dodd said SB 332 is meant to help prevent future loss of life and property by expanding the use of prescribed burning to control combustible fuels.

“We know control burning is one of the best ways to reduce combustible fuels in our tinder-dry forest. My bill, SB 332, will expand our use of this proven tool and make our state safer as we face ever-worsening conditions caused by drought and climate change. To do that we must raise the legal standard for seeking state suppression costs, requiring a showing of gross negligence rather than simple negligence,” Dodd said in a statement released Wednesday evening, within hours of the bill’s signing.

Newsom signed the legislation just over a week after he signed a complementary bill, AB 642 by Assembly member Laura Friedman (D-Glendale), which — among other things — calls for the creation of a prescribed fire training center, the appointment of a cultural burning liaison to serve on the State Board of Fire Services and development of Cal Fire’s prescribed burning crews, as Lake County News has reported.

Prescribed burning is the controlled application of fire to the land to reduce wildfire hazards, clear downed trees, control plant diseases and improve wildlife habitats.

It is conducted by trained professionals — called “burn bosses” — and is one of the most cost-effective tools to manage wildfire.

California’s tribes used the practice for centuries and, more recently, it was used by ranchers to keep landscapes more open. However, the state and federal governments began to discourage the practice by private landowners.

Recently, with so much of California beset by larger and more damaging wildland fires, the importance of the practice has once again begun to be recognized, with more landowners and agencies seeking to use it.

Rarely have prescribed burns caused unintended damage. However, Lenya Quinn-Davidson, fire adviser for the University of California Cooperative Extension and director of Northern California Prescribed Fire Council, told Lake County News that concern over being billed for wildfire suppression costs has hampered the practice’s use.

Dodd’s office said the liability concern’s impact on prescribed burns has caused a buildup in forests of brush and unhealthy trees, which is why SB 332 changed the legal standard for seeking state suppression costs.

“The passage of SB 332 is monumental,” said Quinn-Davidson. “Those of us who work on prescribed fire have felt the need for these changes for years, but we never thought we’d see them happen. We are so thankful to Sen. Dodd for his vision and leadership, which will effect real, positive change around prescribed burning and fire resiliency in California.”

Quinn-Davidson said the bill had the support of a broad coalition of groups, from ranchers to conservationists and tribal governments.

The bill builds on legislation Dodd advocated to create a $20 million insurance pilot program to encourage prescribed burning.

SB 170, the Budget Act of 2021, was signed Sept. 23. It included a $20 million prescribed fire claim fund in the state budget.

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 Behavioral Health Services, in partnership with the Lake County Office of Education, has been awarded a Mental Health Student Services Act grant through the California Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission.

This competitive grant is designed to incentivize partnerships between Behavioral Health and educational agencies, for the purpose of increasing access to mental health services in locations easily accessible to students and their families.

Importantly, this grant will support the mental health needs of Lake County students now returning to in-person school after over a year of shelter-in-place isolation.

Behavioral Health and LCOE have enjoyed a strong working relationship, serving youth in the community for many years. The organizations recognize how critical it is to identify and address mental health issues early on.

Mental, behavioral, and developmental disorders can begin early in childhood. According to the Centers for Disease Control, one in six children aged 2-8 years (17.4%) have a diagnosed condition.

Poverty is also a well-established risk factor for a variety of health issues, including mental health conditions. Overall, about 32% of children in Lake County live in poverty, and in the communities of Clearlake and Lower Lake, this percentage jumps to 48% and 51%, respectively. This is dramatically higher than the State average of 25%.

The Mental Health Student Services Act grant is designed to provide support services that include, at a minimum, mental health services on school campuses, suicide prevention services, drop-out prevention services, placement assistance and service plans for students in need of ongoing services.

The grant also includes outreach to high-risk youth, including foster youth, youth who identify as LGBTQ, and youth who have been expelled or suspended from school.

Behavioral Health and LCOE designed a proposal that would include additional mental health staff who will collaborate with teachers and other school staff to provide services and increase access to mental health interventions.

Grant activities will begin in October, and will continue through 2026.

State Controller Betty T. Yee has published the 2020 self-reported payroll data for University of California institutions and California Community College districts on the Government Compensation in California website.

The data cover more than 411,000 positions and approximately $22.77 billion in total wages.

All 11 UC institutions – including 10 campuses and the Office of the President – voluntarily filed compliant reports with the State Controller’s Office. UC data cover 293,024 employees and nearly $18.11 billion in total wages.

Forty-nine CCC districts voluntarily filed compliant reports with SCO. CCC data published cover 118,652 employees and nearly $4.67 billion in total wages.

Twelve CCC districts did not file a report with SCO, while another 11 filed reports that were not compliant.

Among those that did not file was the Mendocino-Lake Community College District. The other community college district serving Lake County, the Yuba Community College District, was noncompliant.

California law requires cities, counties, and special districts to annually report compensation data to the state controller.

The state controller also maintains and publishes state and CSU salary data. No such statutory requirement exists for UC, CCCs, superior courts, fairs and expositions, First 5 commissions, or K-12 education providers; their reporting is voluntary.

Users of the site can view compensation levels on maps and search by region; narrow results by name of the entity or by job title; and export raw data or custom reports.

Since the website launched in 2010, it has registered more than 13 million pageviews. The site contains pay and benefit information on more than two million government jobs in California, as reported annually by each entity.

At California State University, Northridge on Wednesday, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed legislation to improve college affordability and increase access to higher education, and highlighted the historic $47.1 billion higher education package — the most ever invested in higher education in modern history.

“We’re turning commitments into reality by ensuring that our students have more access to high-quality educational opportunities, creating a change of course for generations to come and bolstering California’s innovation economy,” said Gov. Newsom. “Californians have thrived at our world class universities for decades, but not everyone has had similar access — today that’s changing. Everyone deserves a shot at the ‘California Dream’ — we’re eliminating equity gaps and increasing opportunities at our universities to make those dreams a reality for more California students.”

“Over the last five years I’ve held hearings across California to discuss higher education issues,” said Assemblymember Marc Berman, chair of the Assembly Select Committee on the Master Plan for Higher Education in California. “When students discussed their experience with the transfer process from community college to four-year university their message was loud and clear: transfer is too complex, confusing, and difficult to navigate. Instead of being a clear path, it’s a maze, and it’s costing students time and money that they can’t afford. Together, Assembly Bills 928 and 1111 will make it easier for students to achieve their educational goals. I am grateful that Gov. Newsom signed these historic bills, and for the advocates and students who inspired these reforms.”

“From historic investments in financial aid and student housing that will benefit students to a radical revamping of transfer, 2021 is a landmark year for public higher education in California,” said California State University Chancellor Joseph I. Castro. “We appreciate the bold vision demonstrated by Governor Newsom and his commitment to further improving education access and outcomes throughout the Golden State.”

Increasing transfer rates for underserved students

Gov. Newsom on Wednesday signed legislation to help facilitate access to the University of California, or UC, and California State University, CSU, systems for students to attain four-year degrees and help further prepare them for the economy of tomorrow:

— AB 928 by Assembly member Marc Berman (D-Menlo Park): Requires the CSU and UC to jointly establish a singular lower division general education pathway for transfer admission into both segments. Also requires California Community Colleges (CCC) to place students who declare a goal of transfer on an Associate Degree for Transfer (ADT) pathway for their intended major, and establishes the ADT intersegmental implementation committee as the primary oversight entity.

— AB 1111 by Assembly member Marc Berman (D-Menlo Park) - Requires, by July 1, 2024, the CCCs adopt a common course numbering system (C-ID) at all community colleges and for each community college campus catalog. This common course numbering system is required to be student-facing and ensures that comparable courses across all community colleges have the same course number.

Finding solutions to the student housing crisis

On top of the $2 billion investment to significantly increase affordable housing for students and help address the student housing crisis, Gov. Newsom signed legislation to create long-overdue housing plans at the UC and CSU systems:

— AB 1377 by Assembly member Kevin McCarty (D-Sacramento): Requires the CSU system, and requests the UC system, to conduct a student housing needs assessment for each campus, and create a student housing plan outlining how projected student housing needs will be met.

— SB 330 by Sen. María Elena Durazo (D-Los Angeles): Requires the Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD) to develop a pilot program to provide affordable housing to students or employees of LACCD. This bill also allows LACCD to enter into agreements with nonprofit or private entities to lease real property under certain conditions, in order to develop affordable housing.

Making financial aid more accessible

Governor Newsom’s California Comeback Plan requires all students to submit a Free Application for Federal Aid or California Dream Act application in order to significantly increase federal aid opportunities for California students, and on Wednesday he signed legislation to further expand such supports:

— AB 340 by Assembly member Chris Ward (D-San Diego): Conforms the state's 529 college savings plan statute to recent changes in federal tax law, expanding allowable withdrawals from 529 plans to include expenses associated with participation in a registered apprenticeship program and student loan repayment.

— AB 469 by Assemblymember Eloise Gómez Reyes (D-San Bernardino) - Requires, on or before Sept. 1, 2022, and each year thereafter, the California Student Aid Commission and the California Department of Education to facilitate the completion of the Free Application for Student Aid and the California Dream Act Application, through the sharing of specified data.

— SB 737 by Sen. Monique Limón (D- Santa Barbara): Modifies and expands criteria for which the California Student Aid Commission may apportion funds to support projects under the California Student Opportunity and Access program, and additionally expands the duties and responsibilities of funded projects.

Overall $47.1 billion higher education package

The budget’s unprecedented level of investment in higher education reflects a continued commitment to affordability, more accessible institutions, higher quality programs, equitable outcomes, and more efficient degree pathways — all of which are critical for driving upward mobility across the state.

The budget includes total funding of $47.1 billion ($25.7 billion General Fund and local property tax and $21.4 billion other funds) for all higher education entities in 2021-22.

The state’s three public segments — the University of California, the California State University (CSU), and the California Community Colleges, or CCC — receive substantial ongoing base augmentations, and the Budget includes significant investments to make postsecondary education more affordable, including expanding the state’s Cal Grant program to additional CCC students.

Also included are investments to make college savings accounts widely available to low-income children; provide grants to advance training and education for workers impacted by the COVID-19 Pandemic; promote learning-aligned, long-term career development opportunities; and support regional K-16 education collaboratives focused on streamlining educational pathways leading to in-demand jobs.

A full list of the bills signed by the Governor is below:

AB 245 by Assemby member David Chiu (D-San Francisco) — Educational equity: student records: name and gender changes.

AB 275 by Assembly member Jose Medina (D-Riverside) — Classified community college employees.

AB 340 by Assembly member Chris Ward (D-San Diego) — Golden State Scholarshare Trust: Personal Income Tax Law: gross income: deductions.

AB 417 by Assembly member Kevin McCarty (D-Sacramento) — Rising Scholars Network: justice-involved students.

AB 424 by Assembly member Mark Stone (D-Monterey Bay) — Private Student Loan Collections Reform Act: collection actions.

AB 469 by Assembly member Eloise Gómez Reyes (D-San Bernardino) — Pupil instruction: financial aid applications.

AB 543 by Assembly member Laurie Davies (R-Laguna Niguel) — Public postsecondary education: student orientation: CalFresh.

AB 576 by Assembly member Brian Maienschein (D-San Diego) — Community colleges: apportionments: waiver of open course provisions: military personnel.

AB 615 by Assemblymember Freddie Rodriguez (D-Pomona) — Higher Education Employer-Employee Relations Act: procedures relating to employee termination or discipline.

AB 914 by Assemblymember Akilah Weber (D-San Diego) — Public postsecondary education: California State University: proficiency level of entering students.

AB 927 by Assemblymember Jose Medina (D-Riverside) — Public postsecondary education: community colleges: statewide baccalaureate degree program.

AB 928 by Assemblymember Marc Berman (D-Menlo Park) — Student Transfer Achievement Reform Act of 2021: Associate Degree for Transfer Intersegmental Implementation Committee.

AB 1002 by Assemblymember Steven Choi (R-Irvine) — Postsecondary education: course credit for prior military education, training, and service.

AB 1111 by Assemblymember Marc Berman (D-Menlo Park) — Postsecondary education: common course numbering system.

AB 1113 by Assemblymember Jose Medina (D-Riverside) — Public postsecondary education: exemption from tuition and fees: qualifying survivors of persons providing medical or emergency services deceased during COVID-19 California state of emergency.

AB 1326 by Assemblymember Joaquin Arambula (D-Fresno) — Public social services: county liaison for higher education.

AB 1377 by Assemblymember Kevin McCarty (D-Sacramento) — Student housing plans.

SB 330 by Senator María Elena Durazo (D-Los Angeles) — Los Angeles Community College District Affordable Housing Pilot Program.

SB 436 by Senator Brian Dahle (R-Bieber) — Community colleges: nonresident tuition.

SB 512 by Senator Dave Min (D-Irvine) — Public postsecondary education: support services for foster youth: Cooperating Agencies Foster Youth Educational Support Program.

SB 737 by Senator Monique Limón (D-Santa Barbara) — California Student Opportunity and Access Program.

For full text of the bills, visit http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov.

LAKEPORT, Calif. — The Lakeport Police Department on Tuesday introduced its newest police officer trainee.

Nicholas Steward, a Lake County resident and graduate of Lower Lake High School, is the department’s newest member, Police Chief Brad Rasmussen said.

Steward is the latest recruit in a special trainee program the department implemented several years ago that focuses on hiring county residents and sponsoring them in the police academy.

The goal is to retain officers and support the department’s community policing goals.

Rasmussen said Steward served in the California National Guard for seven years following high school.

That military service included a year overseas in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, Rasmussen said.

Rasmussen said Steward also has worked in the security and forestry industries.

On Tuesday evening, Rasmussen introduced Steward to the Lakeport City Council.

He said Steward will spend three months completing pre-academy training at the Lakeport Police station and then will begin his five-month-long police academy training in January.

Once he's completed the police academy, he’ll have another four months of field training on Lakeprt’s streets, Rasmussen said.

Rasmussen said it will be next October before Steward’s initial training is complete.

“It shows the massive amount of training we have to put into these positions,” Rasmussen said.

Rasmussen said the department is proud to have Steward join them.

Council members congratulated Steward, who said he was very happy to be there.

Councilman Michael Froio asked Steward what name he preferred to go by — Nicholas or Nick.

“Officer Steward,” said Councilwoman Stacey Mattina.

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

CLEARLAKE, Calif. — The Clearlake City Council will discuss this week the latest developments on the Cache fire recovery, and consider a proposed property purchase and new state rules for virtual meetings.

The council will meet at 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 7, in the council chambers at Clearlake City Hall, 14050 Olympic Drive.

The meeting will be broadcast live on the city's YouTube channel or the Lake County PEGTV YouTube Channel. Community members also can participate via Zoom or can attend in person.

The agenda can be found here.

Comments and questions can be submitted in writing for City Council consideration by sending them to City Clerk Melissa Swanson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

To give the council adequate time to review your questions and comments, please submit your written comments before 4 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 7.

Each public comment emailed to the city clerk will be read aloud by the mayor or a member of staff for up to three minutes or will be displayed on a screen. Public comment emails and town hall public comment submissions that are received after the beginning of the meeting will not be included in the record.

At the beginning of the meeting, Police Chief Andrew White will hold a swearing-in for new and promoted employees, and the council will present proclamations declaring October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month and Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Under council business, City Manager Alan Flora will give an update on the Cache fire, which destroyed 57 homes and 81 outbuildings on Aug. 18.

The city received a state of emergency proclamation from Gov. Gavin Newsom last month for the fire and is now working on housing for displaced families and the recovery process.

Also on Thursday, the council will consider a purchase agreement for 6388 Vallejo Ave. which is to be included as part of the future development of the retail center at the former Pearce Field.

The Vallejo Avenue property is located north of Pearce Field and is surrounded on three sides by other land the city owns, Flora said in his report.

“The current owners of the property inherited the parcel from their parents, live out of the area, and have no interest in developing the site. They contacted staff several weeks back inquiring about options for sale so they did not need to maintain the property into the future. Due to the surrounding property being already owned by the city, the acquisition would provide a more complete development footprint,” Flora wrote.

He said staff negotiated a $15,000 purchase price, with the city also to cover the $5,000 in closing costs.

In other business, staff will ask the council to authorize the implementation and use of teleconference accessibility to conduct public meetings pursuant to Assembly Bill 361.

Gov. Newsom signed the bill on Sept. 17. It allows local agencies to continue to conduct remote meetings during a declared state of emergency, provided local agencies comply with specified requirements. Without the legislation, local agencies would have had to return to traditional meetings beginning on Oct. 1, City Clerk/Administrative Services Director Melissa Swanson explained in her written report.

Starting Oct. 1, and running through the end of 2023, to participate in remote meetings, public agencies must comply with the requirements of new subsection (e) of Government Code section 54953, Swanson said.

To hold meetings remotely, Swanson said at least one of the following must be true: state or local officials have imposed or recommended measures to promote social distancing; the legislative body is holding a meeting for the purpose of determining whether as a result of the emergency, meeting in person would present imminent risks to the health or safety of attendees; and by majority vote, the legislative body determined that as a result of the emergency, meeting in person would present imminent risks to the health or safety of attendees.

On the meeting's consent agenda — items that are not considered controversial and are usually adopted on a single vote — are warrants; minutes of the August and September meetings; continuation of declaration of local emergency issued on Oct. 9, 2017, and ratified by council action on Oct. 12, 2017; and continuation of declaration of local emergency issued on March 14, 2020, and ratified by council action on March 19, 2020; accept the donation of property located at 16502 Fifth Ave; ratification of director of emergency services/city manager order (Directive #CACHE-01) restricting access to specified areas as a result of Cache fire; authorization of a senior account clerk position, Resolution No. 2021-50; and adoption of the second amendment to the FY 2021-22 Budget (Resolution No. 2021-33).

The council will hold a closed session after the public portion of the meeting to discuss negotiations with Cache Creek Partners regarding property at 16080 Dam Road.

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.

NORTH COAST, Calif. — Authorities arrested a Lake County man last week after he was found in possession of drugs and stolen property, including a pickup.

Joshua Timothy Colcleaser, 35, of Nice was arrested on Sept. 26, according to a report from the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office.

On that day, authorities said a Mendocino County Sheriff's deputy noticed a red Ford Ranger with a camper shell traveling westbound on Highway 20 in Willits. The deputy knew the truck was possibly stolen from Lake County earlier in the day.

The sheriff’s office said the deputy saw the vehicle make a U-turn on Highway 20 and begin traveling eastbound on Highway 20. The deputy also turned around and went to conduct a traffic stop on the truck when it abruptly turned northbound on Pepperwood Way.

The truck came to a quick stop and the driver, later identified as Joshua Colcleaser, exited the driver's seat and ran westbound, the sheriff’s office reported.

The report said the deputy identified himself and told Colcleaser to stop. Colcleaser did not stop and continued running westbound.

Other sheriff's deputies along with personnel from the Willits Police Department, and the California Highway Patrol responded to the area. The sheriff’s office said after a search of the area on foot they were unable to locate Colcleaser in the brush.

The Ford Ranger was confirmed to have been stolen that same day from a location in Lake County. The registered owner, a Lakeport resident, responded to Willits and took custody of his truck, authorities said.

Inside the truck, the deputy located numerous items which did not belong to the victim. The sheriff’s office said the items included a purse with credit and debit cards in the name of a Ukiah woman. The deputy confirmed the purse and contents had been stolen in Ukiah early in the day and that the incident had been reported to the Ukiah Police Department.

The sheriff’s office said the deputy located two plastic bags containing suspected methamphetamine, on the front passenger seat, and two used glass pipes in the vehicle, commonly used to ingest controlled substances.

Also inside the truck was a box of ammunition, a cellular phone, a drone, a brown wallet and a hunting license in another person's name from the Bay Area, authorities said.

The Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office and Willows Police Department began getting calls regarding Colcleaser's location on Highway 20.

Willows Police located Colcleaser and detained him. The deputy responded and positively identified Colcleaser as the person who ran from the truck, authorities said.

The sheriff’s office said Colcleaser was arrested on charges including possession of a stolen vehicle, possession of stolen property, violation of probation, possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, resisting/delaying law enforcement and two felony out-of-county arrest warrants.

While fleeing on foot Colcleaser had suffered injuries and was transported to the hospital for treatment, authorities said.

Colcleaser was subsequently transported to the Mendocino County Jail where he was booked and held on a no bail status.

He remains in custody this week with bail set at $70,000, according to jail records.

On Tuesday Gov. Gavin Newsom signed legislation uplifting dual language learners and improving access to child care.

The governor also highlighted the California Comeback Plan’s unprecedented investments to achieve universal transitional kindergarten by 2025 and create college savings accounts for 3.7 million kids.

“In California, we are committed to transforming our public schools to promote equity, inclusivity and opportunity for every student,” said Gov. Newsom. “Building upon this year’s historic budget investments in universal Pre-K and college savings accounts, these bills will improve access to a good education for children across California so that every child can thrive, regardless of their race, language spoken at home or ZIP code.”

AB 1363 by Assembly member Luz Rivas (D-Arleta) requires the superintendent of public instruction to develop procedures for state preschool contractors to identify and report data on dual language learners.

SB 393 by Sen. Melissa Hurtado (D-Sanger) aligns the Migrant Child Care Alternative Payment program with other voucher programs, improving child care access for migrant agricultural workers.

AB 1294 by Assembly member Bill Quirk (D-Hayward) extends the county child care pilot program for the County of Santa Clara to continue by one year, through July 1, 2023.

Rivas said more than 60% of California’s students come from a home where English is not the primary language, and the state is taking decisive action to strengthen bilingual students’ early learning opportunities.

“With the governor's signing of AB 1363, California leads the nation in education policy once more by becoming the first state to create a standardized process that identifies and supports K-12 dual language learners at an early age,” Rivas said.

The California Comeback Plan includes investments to transform public schools into gateways of opportunity.

As part of the governor’s $123.9 billion Pre-K and K-12 education package, California will provide free, high-quality, inclusive prekindergarten for all 4-year-olds, beginning in 2022-23 with full implementation anticipated by 2025-26.

The plan reduces class sizes, cutting adult-to-child ratios in half with at least an average of one adult for every 12 children, down from one for every 24 children.

The plan also invests $1.9 billion to seed college savings accounts of up to $1,500 for 3.7 million current low-income students, English learners and foster and homeless youth. Moving forward, those groups of students will have savings accounts seeded for them in first grade.

“We know from research and from experience that the early years are critical to support a child’s learning and development. Universal Pre-K is California’s opportunity to ensure every child, regardless of background, race, ZIP code, immigration status or income level, gets the fair start they need and deserve on their path to success,” said State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond. “I’m proud to have sponsored Universal TK legislation and to partner with the governor and the Legislature on implementing this major step forward.”

“Every child deserves access to high quality early learning opportunities that will prepare them to thrive in kindergarten and beyond. Universal transitional kindergarten (UTK) makes that a reality,” said Assembly member Kevin McCarty. “High quality early education sets children up for success in school, lifts up working families, narrows opportunity gaps, and breaks cycles of intergenerational poverty. UTK is a huge win for California’s children and families. Thank you Gov. Newsom for your unwavering commitment to our youngest learners.”

"I am thrilled that California is making history by investing in our children, their education, and their futures. Wealth inequality and the high cost of education have slammed the door shut on lower- and middle-income advancement across our state,” said Assembly member Adrin Nazarian. “A child savings account dispenses more than just a financial asset, but hope and optimism. This funding is a true investment in California's next generation of entrepreneurs, scientists, educators and community leaders.”

“Gov. Newsom’s historic policies advancing early learning for our youngest Californians are a game changer,” said Patricia Lozano, executive director of Early Edge California. “They bring California closer than ever to providing equity for all in education. From expanding Universal Pre-K to allocating resources for multilingual learners, Gov. Newsom and the Legislature have led the charge to help all of California’s students to succeed in life."

The California Comeback Plan also provides $10 million to expand dual language immersion programs and $300 million to increase the number of state preschool or TK programs and provide additional pre-K teacher training. It invests $490 million to support the building and renovating of state preschool, TK and kindergarten facilities.

The plan will phase in 200,000 new child care slots by 2025-26, dramatically expanding access for families.

A full list of the bills signed by the governor is below:

AB 1294 by Assembly member Bill Quirk (D-Hayward) — Childcare: individualized county child care subsidy plans.

AB 1363 by Assembly member Luz Rivas (D-Arleta) — Preschool: dual language learners.

SB 393 by Sen. Melissa Hurtado (D-Sanger) — Migrant Childcare and Development Programs.

For full text of the bills, visit http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov.

LUCERNE, Calif. — Authorities have arrested a Lucerne woman who they said set a house fire on Saturday night.

Dallas Darlene Lyons, 36, was taken into custody shortly after 10 p.m. Saturday.

An hour before Lyons’ arrest, firefighters were dispatched to a home in the 6000 block of Second Avenue in Lucerne on the report of a house fire that was also threatening other structures, as Lake County News has reported.

Reports from the scene on Saturday night indicated one residence and a second structure were damaged, with the Red Cross called to house displaced residents.

Lake County Sheriff’s Lt. Corey Paulich said the deputy conducting the investigation with the assistance of Northshore Fire Protection District’s arson investigator believed that Lyons was under the influence of narcotics, which caused her to recklessly start the fire.

Paulich said Lyons was arrested and transported to Lake County Jail.

Charges on her jail booking sheet included two felonies, causing the fire of an inhabited dwelling and arson during a state of emergency, and a misdemeanor of being under the influence of a controlled substance.

Her bail was set at zero for the felonies and $5,000 for the drug charge, and on Monday jail records indicated she had posted bail and been released.

Jail records showed she is scheduled to appear in court on March 1, 2022.

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. — With just days left to finish approving bills passed by the Legislature in this session, Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed a bill to increase control burning and knowledge of the practice across California while another to address prescribed burning liability is still waiting on his desk.

Gov. Newsom signed AB 642 by Assemblymember Laura Friedman (D-Glendale) on Sept. 28.

Still waiting to be signed by the Oct. 10 deadline is SB 332 by Sen. Bill Dodd (D-Napa), who formerly represented Lake County in the State Assembly.

“You never know when the governor’s going to pick them up and think about signing them,” said Lenya Quinn-Davidson, area fire adviser for the University of California Cooperative Extension and director for the Northern California Prescribed Fire Council.

Quinn-Davidson works to provide capacity and training to get the prescribed burning tool back in the toolbox of property owners.

She said AB 642 — introduced in February — has several components. The provision Quinn-Davidson is excited about is that the bill requires the state fire marshal to develop a proposal to establish a prescribed fire training center.

It would also require Cal Fire’s director to appoint a cultural burning liaison to serve on the State Board of Fire Services and advise Cal Fire on developing increased cultural burning activity.

Quinn-Davidson said that tribal liaison, in working with tribes and cultural practitioners, would make sure sovereignty and customs are protected. Tribes, she noted, have struggled with permitting and other issues related to prescribed burns.

Cal Fire must make recommendations on how to understand and model wildfire risk for a community and specific parcels, and establish an advisory work group to consult with in developing the recommendations; and Cal Fire must work with California State Universities, California tribes, tribal organizations and cultural fire practitioners to enhance its public education efforts regarding restoring fire processes and cultural burning.

The bill also directs Cal Fire to engage in recruitment efforts with tribes and cultural fire practitioners to fill vacancies in positions that engage in fuel reduction.

Quinn-Davidson said Cal Fire has hired prescribed fire crews over the last couple of years, but the positions haven’t been well paid and so they’ve seen a large amount of attrition with crew members transferring to other jobs.

The bill requires Cal Fire to assess those positions, make sure they pay well and focus on recruitment and retention. Quinn-Davidson said that the workforce needs to be developed. “So that’s an exciting piece.”

Then there is SB 332, the bill Quinn-Davidson has worked closely on with Dodd’s office.

Dodd introduced the bill as part of an 11-bill “Blueprint for Fire Safe California” legislative and budget package unveiled by the Senate Wildfire Working Group in May.

The bill received unanimous, bipartisan support. The Assembly passed SB 332 on Sept. 1 and the Senate approved it the following day. It was sent to the governor on Sept. 9.

“The destructive wildfires that are now threatening our state are a painful reminder that we must do all we can to reduce fuels in our parched forests and wild lands. Controlled burning is a valuable tool in addressing this problem,” Dodd said when the Legislature passed the bill.

Dodd’s office, which said the bill has a good chance of getting signed, reported that it is meant to protect the state from loss of life and property by expanding the use of prescribed burning to control combustible fuels.

Because the concern over being billed for wildfire suppression costs has prevented more widespread use of prescribed burning, Dodd intended the legislation to encourage more controlled burns by raising the legal standard for seeking state suppression costs, requiring a showing of gross negligence rather than simple negligence, Quinn-Davidson said.

Quinn-Davidson, who has worked with prescribed fire for more than a decade, said she is very excited that Dodd took up the issue and its barriers, liability being one of them.

If something goes wrong and a landowner needs help or has to have Cal Fire get a burn under control due to an unpredicted wind event, they could get a big bill. That matter of cost recovery “keeps me up at night,” Quinn-Davidson said.

“We’re not burning down houses. That's so rare,” she said, explaining that prescribed burns are incredibly safe. The number of such fires that have escaped and caused damage is well below 1% of all that are done.

Needing to call for support is also rare but more likely to happen, and so she said SB 332 changes the standard for cost recovery and what Cal Fire can bill property owners for in such situations.

If you’re being diligent and not grossly negligent, and if you are following best management practices to benefit the public, SB 332 would not allow Cal Fire to bill you, Quinn-Davidson said.

She said it’s a way for the state to show its support for prescribed burn projects.

“It’s a pretty basic premise but it’s actually a huge deal,” she said, noting SB 332 is a “simple and beautiful” bill that lays out best management practices and contains pieces for cultural practitioners, also offering them protections.

“It’s a pretty big deal because it’s saying that cultural burners have standing in California as well and we care about the work that they're doing and recognize it,” she said.

A complementary piece of legislation to SB 332 is SB 170, the Budget Act of 2021 by Sen. Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley), which included a $20 million prescribed fire claim fund in the state budget. Gov. Newsom signed that bill on Sept. 23.

Returning to the practice of burning

Quinn-Davidson said native peoples have been using control burns for millenia, and have had a very significant impact on fire in California. However, those practices were interrupted by the arrival of white settlers.

“That was the early big picture, we wiped out native peoples who were using fire constantly,” she said, noting that millions of acres were burned annually by tribes.

Ranchers were an early group to pick up some of those practices, mimicking fire to keep the landscape more open. Quinn-Davidson said ranchers became predominant users of the practice into the 1940s and 1950s.

There came a point when state and federal agencies didn’t want people lighting fires. Quinn-Davidson said the feds wanted to preserve timber, while the state had concerns about liability and the belief that it should be conducting the work.

In the 1980s, Cal Fire took over prescribed burning and developed a vegetation management program. “Over time they divested from their own program,” said Quinn-Davidson.

From the 1980s until recent years, only Cal Fire and federal agencies were doing major prescribed burns. With private landowners being taken completely out of the practice, ranchers and landowners lost their skills and native peoples had lost their connection with the practice, she said.

“What we have now is a generational gap in fire knowledge in California,” Quinn-Davidson added.

The California Environmental Quality Act, or CEQA, can cause delays for Cal Fire when it pursues prescribed burns; it can sometimes take five or 10 years of planning and the project still doesn’t get done. Because the state is now funding a lot of prescribed fire work, it triggers CEQA, Quinn-Davidson explained.

However, she said private landowners don’t need to adhere to the law unless they have state funding or are working with a state agency.

She said a lot of people have been sending letters to the governor in support of the legislation. “People are very passionate about this.”

Groups as diverse as the California Cattlemen’s Association, the Karuk Tribe and Defenders of Wildlife have joined forces to support SB 332, which Quinn-Davidson said speaks volumes about its importance.

She said she loves that prescribed fire brings people together.

“The natural role of fire is so important,” she 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.