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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake County’s two members of the House of Representatives have voted to pass the American Rescue Plan, President Joe Biden’s sweeping health and economic relief plan aimed at dealing with the impacts of COVID-19 while expanding vaccine distribution and helping to reopen schools.

The bill, H.R. 1319, provides about $1.9 trillion in relief to help address both the health and economic crises caused by COVID-19.

The legislation includes funding to reopen schools, distribute vaccinations in every American community, send an additional $1,400 stimulus check to individuals, support small businesses and extend unemployment benefits.

Congressmen John Garamendi (D-CA-3) and Mike Thompson (D-CA-5) joined the House majority in narrowly passing the bill early Saturday morning in Washington, DC.

“The COVID-19 pandemic is destroying lives, small businesses, and local communities across this nation as we enter the second year of its existence,” Garamendi said in a statement issued on Friday afternoon, ahead of the vote. “Tragically, over 500,000 American lives have been lost to this virus, and millions more have been infected and are facing long-term health complications. The virus has also disrupted the economic livelihoods of 18 million Americans, who must now count on expanded unemployment benefits that are extended in this bill to keep food on the table.”

“The American people are hurting and they need relief now. Just this week, we hit the tragic milestone of half a million lives lost due to COVID-19. Tens of millions have been sick, millions have lost jobs, businesses are closed, and kids are out of school. Parents are worried about putting food on the table and paying rent. The federal government needs to act now to address this crisis, crush the virus and support our economic recovery,” Thompson said in a statement issued overnight, following the vote.

The American Rescue Plan is expected to provide $26.264 billion to the state of California and $16 billion to local governments.

Estimated breakdowns of the funding show that the county of Lake is anticipated to receive $12 million, the city of Lakeport just over $900,000 and the city of Clearlake $2.9 million.

The bill also includes $128 billion in direct funding to school districts nationwide to support remote learning, help K-12 programs safely reopen and address lost time in the classroom.

Garamendi said Lake County school districts are to receive the following amounts under the bill (an estimate for Kelseyville Unified was not included):

– Konocti Unified School District: $14,581,000.
– Lakeport Unified School District: $3,414,000.
– Lucerne Elementary School District: $995,000.
– Middletown Unified School District: $2,586,000.
– Upper Lake Unified School District: $3,002,000

The bill must now pass the Senate.

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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Clear Lake hitch (Lavinia exilicauda). Photo courtesy of Richard Macedo, California Department of Fish and Game. 

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The effort to seek protection for the Clear Lake hitch under the Endangered Species Act took another step on Thursday when the Center for Biological Diversity filed a notice of intent to sue the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service over a December decision not to protect the native fish.

Jeff Miller, a senior conservation advocate at the Center for Biological Diversity, told Lake County News that the notice of intent was filed in federal court.

The process requires the center to give the government a 60-day warning about its intent to take legal action, Miller said.

The hitch is a large minnow found only in Clear Lake and its tributaries.

It was a staple food and cultural component for the area’s original Pomo inhabitants, and also an important food source for numerous birds, fish and other wildlife.

Once numbering in the millions, the hitch’s numbers have plummeted in recent decades. It’s estimated now that the hitch is down to a few thousand spawning fish during good water years, with regular spawning in only a few tributaries.”

It was the Center for Biological Diversity that submitted the state and federal listing petitions on the Clear Lake hitch in September 2012. Miller wrote the petitions.

In August 2014, the California Fish and Game Commission approved the California Department of Fish and Wildlife's recommendation to list the Clear Lake hitch as a threatened species under the California Endangered Species Act, making it the first aquatic listed species in the Clear Lake Basin, as Lake County News has reported.

A 2014 state status review for the hitch determined there has been significant degradation of its suitable habitat, with wetland habitat loss of 85 percent, spawning habitat loss of 92 percent, and degraded water quality throughout the lake and in most tributaries.

The state also found that predation and competition by introduced fishes has a significant impact on hitch.

It also predicted that climate change impacts to stream flows and hitch annual spawning cycles will be significant.

A 2013 report by California native fish experts concluded that hitch are “critically vulnerable” to the impacts of climate change.

On the federal level, however, there was a different outcome.

On Dec. 2, the Trump administration denied protection to 11 species, including the hitch, the southern white-tailed ptarmigan, tufted puffin, three species of Nevada springsnail, a rare Nevada fish, Rocky Mountain monkeyflower, tidewater amphipod, Doll’s daisy and Puget Oregonian snail.

The hitch, Miller said, is “the very definition of a threatened species, but Trump’s Interior Department chose to ignore the science.”

State, federal agencies draw different conclusions

In the case of the hitch, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said its determination that the hitch isn’t warranted a listing under the Endangered Species Act was “based on the best available science.”

The agency said major threats such as the loss of spawning habitat, climate change, drought, and predation and competition from introduced fish are “not likely to adversely affect the overall viability of the Clear Lake hitch in a biologically meaningful way.”

The federal finding also claimed the hitch do not require tributary streams to reproduce, but can also spawn successfully in Clear Lake itself, giving them “behavioral flexibility to variable environmental conditions.”

However, the state review concluded that hitch require tributary streams to successfully spawn, and a 2019 U.S. Geological Survey study concurred that within-lake spawning is not a significant source of Clear Lake hitch production and recruitment.

The Center for Biological Diversity disputes the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s findings and alleges that it wrongfully denied the hitch the listing needed to save it.

“There clearly was something hinky with the determination,” said Miller.

He said it’s inconceivable that a federal agency could arrive at a decision that contradicts the findings of native fish experts, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and California Fish and Game Commission.

The center reported that Clear Lake hitch numbers have declined due to water diversions, climate change and drought, degradation of spawning habitat, migration barriers, pollution, and competition and predation from invasive fish species.

After the center submitted its listing petitions, the hitch had its three worst spawning runs in recorded history from 2013 to 2015, years which also were notable for being in the midst of a drought, Miller said.

It’s estimated that during those three years there was an annual average of fewer than 1,000 spawning hitch in the entire Clear Lake basin, the center reported.

While hitch numbers have increased a little since then, “they’re still disturbingly low,” said Miller. Since 2013 the combined average number of spawning fish in the two most important tributaries, Kelsey Creek and Adobe Creek, has been under 1,700 fish.

Miller also is concerned that the state may be heading into another extended period of drought.

If several years of drought were to occur, Miller said a complete spawning failure could result and the species could easily be lost.

It’s not an inconceivable possibility. The Clear Lake hitch’s closest relative, the Clear Lake splittail, was driven to extinction in the 1970s due to habitat alterations that dried out spawning streams and barriers that prevented its spawning migration, the center reported.

The attempt to list the hitch has had the support of Lake County’s tribes.

Sherry Treppa, who chairs the Habematolel Pomo of Upper Lake Executive Council, said the tribe was involved in and supported a multi-year, multi tribal project back in 2009 to provide for Hitch conservation and management by increasing the population and habitat restoration.

Once abundant, Treppa said the fish’s numbers have declined over the past two centuries due to altered watersheds and habitat deterioration.

After the December listing denial, Treppa said that the decision was based on “misinformation and likely politics around global warming rather than scientific information and experts in the field.”

She said the decision saddened – but didn’t surprise – her tribe. Like many Native American-related concerns, she added, “the tribes, county and the community will be left undertaking the preservation of this important species on our own with no help from the federal government.”

Spawning Clear Lake hitch. Photo by Jeff Miller.

Next steps in the process

Miller said the Center for Biological Diversity has taken these kinds of legal actions before, which can be very complex and are limited to what is in the listing decision record.

The focus, he said, is whether this decision was arbitrary and capricious and whether the service used the best available science, “and it seems pretty clear that they didn’t”

Because there is now a new presidential administration in place, Miller said the center is not entirely sure of what the process will look like moving ahead.

He said the Biden Administration is reviewing a number of listing determinations made under Trump, including the 11 species – which included the hitch – denied listing in December.

It’s possible, Miller said, that the Biden Administration will choose to reverse the action so the center doesn’t have to sue. “Frankly, that would be the desired outcome.”

In any event, Miller said they want to be ready to go to court, thus the notice of intent filing, as he said such legal actions can take awhile to go through the system.

Miller said the goal is to get recovery actions in place and make sure the hitch is resilient enough to survive challenges with climate, drought and what else humans have thrown at it.

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. – The challenges in vaccinating Lake County’s residents against COVID-19 are continuing, with the state expected soon to move into a new approach that local leaders worry won’t serve the county well.

Last week, severe winter weather in the Eastern United States delayed shipments of the vaccine to Lake County, which led to the cancellation of clinics, as Lake County News has reported.

However, the anticipated shipments arrived on Monday, allowing the drive-thru clinics at Lakeport Auto Movies and Clearlake’s Redbud Park to resume.

Public Health Officer Dr. Gary Pace told the Board of Supervisors this week that the drive-thru clinic format is working really well and he thinks that will be the model moving forward.

Pace said Public Health shared the vaccine with numerous community partners – the two hospitals, Lakeview Health Center, North Lake Pharmacy and Safeway Pharmacy.

Local and state officials reported that 10,879 Lake County residents have so far been vaccinated, which amounts to 16 percent of the population. Of that total, 8,200 people have received at least one dose and 2,600 have received both doses.

Statewide, 7.7 million doses have been administered, according to the California Department of Public Health. That accounts for 19 percent of the state’s population.

Pace said more of the Pfizer vaccine is coming, and a new one-shot vaccine from Johnson & Johnson is expected to be approved by the Food and Drug Administration on Friday. That vaccine, he added, is ready to ship.

A concern for Pace is the state’s plan to have Blue Shield act as the third party administrator overseeing California’s vaccine rollout.

“This is kind of a big deal and we’re not even exactly sure what all it means for us,” he said.

Pace suggested that it may mean that it will be harder on the local level to be flexible and provide for Lake County’s specific needs.

He said he met with state officials last week and voiced concerns, and they nodded their heads and said they’re paying attention and are concerned. “I’m a little bit worried that they’re not going to deliver on that as it comes.”

Board of Supervisors Chair Bruno Sabatier said he shared Pace’s concerns about Blue Shield, noting members of the California State Association of Counties also are against the plan to have the company oversee the vaccine effort. He said Blue Shield is not in this community.

MyTurn schedule app causes problems

On Jan. 26, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced the rollout of the MyTurn app, which allows users to sign up for vaccination appointments or to be notified when they become eligible.

Pace said Public Health used MyTurn last week for scheduling appointments. It resulted in problems that led Public Health to shut down its use, although he said they may have to try using it again in the near future.

The main problem with the app, Pace said, is that it doesn’t screen out people from out of the county. Bay Area residents who were unable to get appointments there used the app to find the closest appointments and ended up with appointments in Lake County.

“We had to turn away a bunch of people last Tuesday and it was a pretty unpleasant situation for everybody involved,” Pace said.

Among those who were allowed to be vaccinated were people who have second residences in Lake County. The ones with no connection to the county were turned away. “There were a lot of unhappy people, Pace said.

He said it’s important to try to reserve Lake County’s limited amount of vaccine for the most vulnerable members of the community who need it, adding he appreciated Public Health staff who stepped up.

Pace said it looks like the state may open the doors and allow people to go anywhere to get vaccinations.

Earlier this week, officials in Kings County reported similar issues with MyTurn scheduling out-of-county residents for COVID-19 vaccinations there, which also resulted in people being turned away, according to media reports.

Like Lake County, Kings County officials reported they were stopping use of the app temporarily while the problems were addressed.

On Wednesday, Lake County News called and emailed the California Department of Public Health to ask about the MyTurn app and the problems Lake County had, as well as to inquire about similar problems elsewhere and if there are plans to fix the app.

The agency did not respond.

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. – With the weather-related setbacks of last week now over, COVID-19 vaccine clinics are back up and running in Lake County.

Next week, Public Health will resume its usual schedule of clinics, with the goal of administering 500 to 1,000 doses per clinic day, first and second doses, combined.

Clinics will be held in Lakeport on Mondays and Tuesdays, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., at Lakeport Auto Movies, 52 Soda Bay Road, and in Clearlake on Thursdays and Fridays, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Redbud Park, 14655 Lakeshore Drive.

Other partners in the community are also vaccinating people, including Lake County Tribal Health Consortium, Sutter, Adventist, Lakeport Safeway and North Lake Medical Pharmacies.

Public Health Officer Dr. Gary Pace said that, as of Friday, 15 to 20 percent of Lake County’s adult population has been vaccinated, including most of the nursing home residents, health care workers, and teachers and school staff.

“This will help us a lot in the coming months,” Pace said. “Since vaccinating the nursing home residents, we have not had any cases there. This is a tremendous change from a few months ago, and shows what may lie in store for us as we get to late spring and summer.”

Pace said vaccine supply is still not enough to meet the demand, so appointments remain unlimited to people who qualify in the state’s phased system.

This structure works locally as follows.

First dose appointments

Step 1: Make sure you are eligible. Currently, these are people who are:

• In Phase 1A, but didn’t previously get their shot;
• 65 years or older;
• Staff working with elders (IHSS workers, senior center, meals on wheels);
• K-12 school staff;
• Childcare or preschool workers; and
• Farmworkers

“We are hoping to permanently extend eligibility to food service workers in the next week or two,” said Pace.

On March 15, people aged 16 to 64 with certain chronic medical conditions that make them more susceptible to severe COVID-19 complications will become eligible.

Step 2: Visit http://health.co.lake.ca.us/Coronavirus/Vaccines.htm to schedule your appointment.

Links to schedule get updated every few days. If you try it, and you are told the clinic is full, try for a different day. The links for next week will be posted soon.

No internet access?

• Seniors: call 707-993-4644, for assistance.
• Farmworkers, on Fridays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.: call 707-262-4162; 707-262-4153; or 707-262-4159 for help.

Don’t call these numbers if there are no appointments available online. They have no additional appointments.

Step 3: Report to your appointment at the assigned time and place, and bring the following:

• Photo ID; and
• Proof of your eligibility (proof of employment, if you are eligible because of your job).

No walk-in appointments are available at this time. If you do not have an appointment, or you do not have proof you qualify, you will be turned away.

Second dose appointments

You may have been given a followup appointment at the time of your first dose, but with the changes in clinic days and locations, these have been changing a lot. Pace said Public Health apologizes for any confusion.

You should receive a call to schedule your followup, Pace said.

“We have had trouble keeping up with these calls, but everyone has been attempted no later than the day before the second dose appointment,” Pace said.

If you have not received a call, email Public Health at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 707-263-8174 with your name, date of birth, phone number, email address and the date of your first shot. Public Health will put together a list and get back in touch with you to schedule.



Vacunación de COVID-19: quién es elegible y cómo registrarse y qué sigue

Información, enlaces para programar citas en http://health.co.lake.ca.us/Coronavirus/Vaccines.htm

Condado de Lake, CA (26 de febrero de 2021) – Las complicaciones relacionados con el clima de la semana pasada ya han quedado atrás, y las clínicas de vacunación de COVID-19 están nuevamente en funcionamiento en el condado de Lake. La próxima semana, Salud Pública continuará nuestro horario habitual de clínicas, y nuestro objetivo es administrar 500-1,000 dosis por día de clínica (primera y segunda dosis, combinadas):

• Lakeport: lunes y martes, de 10 a. m. a 4 p. m., Lakeport Auto Movies (52 Soda Bay Rd)
• Clearlake: jueves y viernes, de 10 a. m. a 4 p. m., Redbud Park (14655 Lakeshore Dr)

Otros socios en la comunidad también están vacunando a personas, incluido Lake County Tribal Health Consortium, Sutter, Adventist, y las farmacias de Safeway (en Lakeport, solamente) y North Lake Medical. Esta accesibilidad más amplia es una gran ventaja.

Hemos vacunado al 15-20% de la población adulta en el condado de Lake, incluida la mayoría de los residentes de hogares de mayores, trabajadores de la salud, maestros y personal escolar. Esto nos ayudará mucho en los próximos meses. Desde que vacunamos a los residentes de hogares de mayores, no hemos tenido ningún caso allí. Este es un cambio tremendo con respecto a hace unos meses, y muestra lo que nos puede deparar a medida que nos acercamos a fines de la primavera y el verano.

Desafortunadamente, el suministro de vacunas aún no es suficiente para satisfacer la demanda, por lo que tenemos que limitar las citas a las personas que califican en el sistema por fases del estado. ¿Cómo funciona esto ahora mismo en el condado de Lake?

Citas de primera dosis

Paso 1: asegúrese de ser elegible. Actualmente, estas son personas que son:

• En la Fase 1A, pero no recibieron su oportunidad previamente;
• 65 años o más;
• Personal que trabaja con personas mayores (trabajadores de IHSS, centros para personas mayores, comidas a domicilio);
• Personal de la escuela K-12;
• Trabajadores de guardería o preescolar; y
• Agricultores.

Esperamos extender permanentemente la elegibilidad a los trabajadores del servicio de alimentos en la próxima semana o dos.

El 15 de marzo, las personas de 16 a 64 años con ciertas afecciones médicas crónicas que las hacen más susceptibles a complicaciones graves de COVID-19 serán elegibles: https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/Pages/COVID-19/Provider-Bulletin-2-12-21.aspx .

Paso 2: Visite http://health.co.lake.ca.us/Coronavirus/Vaccines.htm para programar su cita.

Los enlaces para programar se actualizan cada pocos días. Si lo trata y le dicen que la clínica está llena, intente hacerlo otro día. Los enlaces para la próxima semana se publicarán luego.

¿Sin acceso a Internet?

• Personas mayores: llame al 707-993-4644 para obtener ayuda.
• Trabajadores agrícolas, los viernes de 9 a 5: llame al 707-262-4162; 707-262-4153; o al 707-262-4159 para obtener ayuda

No llame a estos números si no hay citas disponibles en línea. No tienen citas adicionales.

Paso 3: Preséntese en su cita a la hora y lugar asignados, y traiga lo siguiente:

• Identificación fotográfica; y
• Prueba de su elegibilidad (prueba de empleo, si es elegible debido a su trabajo).

No hay citas al mismo día disponibles en este momento. Si no tiene una cita o no tiene pruebas de que califica, se le rechazará.

Citas de segunda dosis

Es posible que le hayan dado una cita de seguimiento en el momento de su primera dosis, pero con los cambios en los días y ubicaciones de la clínica, estos han cambiado mucho. Nos disculpamos por cualquier confusión.

Debería recibir una llamada para programar su seguimiento. Hemos tenido problemas para mantenernos al día con estas llamadas, pero todos se han intentado a más tardar el día anterior a la cita de la segunda dosis. Si no ha recibido una llamada, envíenos un correo electrónico a This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., o llame al 707-263-8174 con su nombre, fecha de nacimiento, número de teléfono, dirección de correo electrónico y la fecha de su primera inyección. Elaboraremos una lista y nos pondremos en contacto contigo para programar.

Gracias a los que se vacunan, cuando son elegibles. ¡Estás ayudando a proteger tus comunidades!

Gary Pace, MD, MPH

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Kevin Patrick Murray, 37, of Lakeport, California, was arrested on Thursday, February 25, 2021, on felony charges of rape, forcible oral copulation and being armed in the commission of a felony for a 2014 assault. Mendocino County Jail photo.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – On Thursday, Mendocino County authorities arrested a former Ukiah Police sergeant on charges related to a 2014 rape case.

Kevin Patrick Murray, 37, of Lakeport was taken into custody in Lake County and booked into the Mendocino County Jail Thursday morning on felony charges of rape, forcible oral copulation and being armed in the commission of a felony, according to jail records.

Murray’s booking records show that the charges in question stem from acts authorities say were committed in 2014.

In a criminal complaint the Mendocino County District Attorney’s Office filed this week, Murray is charged with raping a woman sometime between June 1 and July 1, 2014, and is facing a special allegation of being armed with a firearm during the commission of the assault.

The complaint’s second count charges Murray with a felony for forcible oral copulation in an assault on the same victim that occurred on April 10, 2014.

Murray is being held on $500,000 bail.

Just last month, Murray lost his job at the Ukiah Police Department over a separate criminal case that began in November.

In a Jan. 29 Facebook video, Ukiah Police Chief Justin Wyatt reported that Murray, who had been a sergeant in the department, was no longer employed there following a two-month-long internal affairs investigation.

Wyatt said the department first learned of potential misconduct by Murray in late November.

On Nov. 25, Murray is alleged to have committed sexual battery and burglary at a Ukiah motel.

Wyatt said his department contacted the Mendocino County District Attorney’s Office on the evening of Nov. 25 and asked for a criminal investigation into Murray’s conduct.

Wyatt said he wanted the community to know that because the department acted swiftly and took the matter seriously, Murray is now answering for his conduct in the criminal courts.

“The law enforcement profession demands integrity so there is no room in public service and there must be no tolerance for the behavior that was portrayed that evening,” Wyatt said of the Nov. 25 incident.

Eyster’s office filed charges against Murray for the November case on Jan. 22, at which time he was arrested, according to case documents.

In that case, court documents show that he’s charged with two counts of felony first-degree burglary with special allegations of committing the burglary in an occupied room, felony sexual battery and a violation of civil rights, all alleged to have occurred on Nov. 25.

Another charge filed in the same case, misdemeanor possession of methamphetamine, is alleged to have occurred on or about Dec. 1.

Following a preliminary hearing on Feb. 10 and 11, Murray was held to answer in that initial case and is set to return to court for arraignment on March 4, according to Mendocino County Superior Court records.

Murray also is named as a defendant in a federal court case alleging excessive use of force filed against the city of Ukiah last February.

Plaintiff Christopher Rasku said that in an October 2018 incident, Murray – responding to a complaint by Rasku’s neighbor about an argument with another neighbor – “entered the plaintiff's home unlawfully, knocked the plaintiff unconscious, and punched, kneed, and kicked him, causing several broken ribs, a punctured and partially collapsed lung, nerve damage, and other injuries,” according to court filings.

Case records show a settlement conference is scheduled in the Rasku case for March 1.

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. – The Clearlake City Council last week took action to declare as surplus a number of properties owned by the city and the Clearlake Redevelopment Successor Agency as part of adhering to a state law enacted in 2019 that focuses on using surplus government-owned properties for affordable housing development.

The council took the action at its Feb. 18 meeting to declare 27 properties – 18 owned by the city and nine by the Clearlake Redevelopment Successor Agency – as surplus. Those properties total just over 26 acres.

Among the parcels listed are 14061 and 14071 Lakeshore Drive, the former Austin Resort property; and 14800 Ballpark Ave., which currently is the location of the ballfields at Redbud Park and is the focus of a negotiating agreement between the city and a firm interested in building a hotel there.

In his written report to the council, City Manager Alan Flora explained that some of the parcels were purchased with a specific intent and others were donated.

“The City has an interest in developing many of them, others are of possible interest for single family housing development,” he said.

He said that in 2019 the state enacted AB 1486, a bill focused on providing surplus land for affordable housing.

“While the City believes this bill was well intentioned by some, it is a significant deterrent to the City’s plans on several projects. Staff are working with Senator McGuire’s Office and the League of Cities in an effort to provide Clearlake some relief from AB 1486. However, staff do not recommend waiting on implementing our many plans for this relief to happen,” he wrote.

Flora said AB 1486 requires several actions from the city/successor agency and other public agencies that were not previously required.

He said the city council and successor agency must first make a determination on whether any public property to be disposed of is “surplus” or “excess surplus,” then a list and details of each “surplus” property must be sent to the California Department of Housing and Community Development.

From there, affordable housing developers are given the opportunity to negotiate with the city for purchase of each of these properties for affordable housing development, he said.

Flora said staff prepared a list of properties owned by the city and successor agency that they believe were appropriate to declare as surplus and notify the state.

“Some of the properties we have projects in the planning stages and others have no current plans for development, but with the cumbersome process established by the state it seems prudent to provide notice as soon as possible so we can react more quickly when projects arise,” he wrote.

Flora told the council that the state law has put a “stranglehold” on the city and its property.

He said the state law was the result of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s executive order to make surplus properties available for affordable housing.

If a developer contacts the city about the properties on the list, the city then has to follow certain parameters. Flora said that the way the legislation was written local government is limited in its ability to refuse to negotiate with a developer – even if the property isn’t zoned correctly for the proposed project.

In working with the League of California Cities and state Sen. Mike McGuire’s office to craft some modifications to this bill, “We’ve definitely made our voice heard,” he said.

“Here in the city, we don’t have a problem developing affordable housing. It’s easy. It’s been done for years,” Flora said.

What the city needs is market rate affordable housing, he said.

The city has a number of affordable housing developments in the pipeline which will allow it to meet the state’s requirements in next couple of years, but Flora said it’s behind in market rate housing.

He said he’s not sure if there will be a legislative fix, and he doesn’t want to wait for one because the city has so many projects.

In the meantime, Flora said the city needed to go through the process with the list of properties he presented to the council.

He said they will have to work to make sure there’s development consistent with local law.

Flora said some of the properties could be developed for affordable housing and some for the city’s homestead project, which seeks to develop market rate housing.

Councilwoman Joyce Overton asked if the city could sell them to anyone interested.

Flora said yes. He noted that the state rules make even 50 by 100 residential lots available for affordable housing developments.

Overton asked if an amendment can be made to the law soon. Flora said they will have to fight to make things happen, as most legislators don’t understand the situation.

He said some Bay Area communities have created workarounds to avoid affordable housing requirements, and this law was a reaction to that.

Flora said he’s been told it’s very unlikely there will be a legislative fix anytime soon unless proponents like the city can come up with something creative. He’s also asked if the city can be exempt if it meets its affordable housing numbers but he doesn’t know if that will be allowed.

Once the city sends the list to Housing and Community Development, Flora said they have a 30-day period to advertise the property.

The council voted unanimously to approve the list, which is below.

Surplus properties list

City of Clearlake: 15662 40th Ave., APN 041-102-12, 0.11 acres
City of Clearlake: 15677 36th Ave., APN 041-395-01, 0.11 acres
City of Clearlake: 4999 Cass Ave., APN 041-363-09, 0.2 acres
City of Clearlake: 5019 Cass Ave., APN 041-363-10, 0.2 acres
City of Clearlake: 15903 36th Ave., APN 041-144-01, 0.12 acres
City of Clearlake: 15913 36th Ave., APN 041-144-02, 0.12 acres
City of Clearlake: 15919 36th Ave., APN 041-144-03, 0.12 acres
City of Clearlake: 15817 Olympic Drive, APN 039-434-19, 0.13 acres
City of Clearlake: 14180 Division Ave., APN 040-031-11, 0.12 acres
City of Clearlake: 14071 Lakeshore Drive, APN 039-530-49, 2.94 acres
City of Clearlake: 14795 Burns Valley Road, APN 010-026-29, 4.3 acres
City of Clearlake: 14800 Ballpark Ave., APN 040-253-03, 8.45 acres
City of Clearlake: 3578 Redwood St., APN 039-175-21, 0.12 acres
City of Clearlake: 4438 Fir Ave., APN 041-103-26, 0.45 acres
City of Clearlake: 3980 Eureka Ave., APN 039-521-32, 0.11 acres
City of Clearlake: 16178 35th Ave., APN 041-211-28, 0.23 acres
City of Clearlake: 6145 Old Highway 53, APN 040-364-25, 0.42 acres
City of Clearlake: 13981 Morgan Ave., APN 039-112-06, 0.26 acres
Clearlake RDA Successor Agency: 3496 Peony St., APN 039-623-19, 0.54 acres
Clearlake RDA Successor Agency: 3141 Mint St., APN 039-625-06, 0.54 acres
Clearlake RDA Successor Agency: 13940 Sonoma Ave., APN 039-625-01, 0.27 acres
Clearlake RDA Successor Agency: 3444 Boxwood St., APN 039-626-16, 0.92 acres
Clearlake RDA Successor Agency: 3423 Acacia St., APN 039-626-07, 0.12 acres
Clearlake RDA Successor Agency: 3453 Acacia St., APN 039-626-11, 0.13 acres
Clearlake RDA Successor Agency: 3463 Acacia St., APN 039-626-12, 0.12 acres
Clearlake RDA Successor Agency: 13980 Sonoma Ave., APN 039-626-01, 0.27 acres
Clearlake RDA Successor Agency: 14061 Lakeshore Drive, APN 039-530-50, 4.74 acres

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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CLEARLAKE, Calif. – Clearlake Animal Control has five dogs ready for new homes this week.

The following dogs are ready for adoption or foster.

“Dorito.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control.

‘Dorito’

“Dorito” is a male American Staffordshire Terrier mix with a short white and gray coat.

He has been neutered.

He is dog No. 4576.

“Inky.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control.

‘Inky’

“Inky” is a male German Shepherd mix with a long black coat.

He has been neutered.

He is dog No. 4324.

“Jerry.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control.

'Jerry'

“Jerry” is a male pit bull terrier mix with a short brindle coat.

He is dog No. 4455.

“Tiabeanie.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control.

‘Tiabeanie’

“Tiabeanie” is a female American Bully with a short black with white markings.

She is dog No. 4602.

“Toby.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control.

‘Toby’

“Toby” is a friendly senior male boxer mix.

He has a short tan and white coat.

He is dog No. 4389.

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.

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. – On Thursday, the Governor’s Office released a plan to dedicate a portion of California's vaccine supply to inoculating teachers and other school staff, while local officials reported that most of Lake County’s education workers have now been vaccinated.

Earlier this month, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that, beginning on March 1, at least 10 percent of vaccine supply would be dedicated to education workers, including teachers, paraprofessionals, bus drivers, child care workers and site-based administrators.

“The education professionals who nurture and support our children deserve to be and have been prioritized for vaccines, and I am proud to accelerate those efforts in all 58 counties,” said Gov. Newsom. “Our top priority is getting students back in the classroom as safely and quickly as possible, and the expanded access to vaccines will build on the momentum and confidence that we can do so with urgency.”

Just over half of states – including California – currently authorize vaccines for education workers. Newsom’s office said that vaccine prioritization has been a core component of the Safe Schools for All Plan since December.

Counties have been authorized to vaccinate education workers based on supply since January and, at the state’s encouragement, at least 35 counties are actively vaccinating education workers, Newsom’s office reported.

In Lake County, Public Health Officer Dr. Gary Pace told the Board of Supervisors during his Tuesday report that the county’s K-12 teachers have now been vaccinated.

Lake County Superintendent of Schools Brock Falkenberg offered Lake County News additional details about the local vaccination effort.

He said there are 1,352 public, charter and private school staff in Lake County.

Of those, he said 964 school staff members requested vaccinations and have been offered a vaccination registration code.

Falkenberg said all school staff who initially expressed a desire to be vaccinated have received at least their first shot and Public Health is scheduling second shots.

School staffers who may have delayed vaccination due to medical reasons are being scheduled when they are medically cleared, Falkenberg said.

The state said Thursday that county and local leadership, including from county offices of education, is foundational. “The state plan serves to supplement, not supplant, those efforts,” the Governor’s Office said.

To ensure communities throughout the state are prioritizing education workers, the state will true up local efforts to the 10 percent minimum through dedicated access to www.Myturn.ca.gov, the state’s vaccination scheduling app. Education workers will receive up to 75,000 single-use codes statewide to make an appointment to be vaccinated.

However, Public Health officials in Lake and other counties have reported issues with MyTurn regarding allowing out-of-county residents to get vaccination appointments locally, and the state has so far not said if it’s working to remedy those issues. Lake County Public Health has suspended use of the site, Pace said this week.

The Governor’s Office said vaccines will be directed to counties and school communities weighted by equity, including the proportion of students from low-income families, English learners and homeless youth.

Education workers will qualify for vaccine prioritization based on occupational health exposure – whether they are currently reporting or will imminently report in person.

For more information about safe returns to in-person instruction, please visit www.schools.covid19.ca.gov.

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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Under any circumstances, job losses can lead to excess deaths from suicide, substance abuse and the loss of access to medical care.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, however, unemployment in the U.S. has reached highs not seen since the Great Depression, officially peaking at 14.7 percent in April 2020.

UC San Francisco researchers now have an estimate of how many people may have died as a result of pandemic-related unemployment, a number that adds to the nearly 500,000 deaths that have been directly attributed to the virus itself.

“Adequately responding to the pandemic involves not only controlling COVID-19 cases and deaths, but also addressing indirect social and economic consequences,” said Ellicott Matthay, PhD, a postdoctoral scholar with the Center for Health and Community at UCSF and first author of the paper published Feb. 18, 2021, in the American Journal of Public Health.

The research team projected that the spring 2020 spike in unemployment in the United States would lead to 30,231 excess deaths among 25- to 64-year-olds in the ensuing 12 months. As with the deaths that were directly caused by the virus, those linked to unemployment have taken a disproportionate toll on Black people, men, older people (in the case of workers, those who were 45 and up), and especially those with the least education.

While about 37 percent of Americans aged 25 to 64 years have a high school education or less, this group accounted for a startling 72 percent of the deaths the researchers attributed to pandemic-related unemployment. Likewise, while Black people make up 12 percent of the working-age population, they comprised 19 percent of the projected excess deaths.

The 30,231 figure represents what the researchers said is their best estimate, based on recent studies of the risk of death associated with unemployment, as well as unemployment data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and mortality data from the National Center for Health Statistics during the pandemic.

Depending on the assumptions they put into their model, the number of deaths could be much higher or lower. If they assumed the April 2020 unemployment rate was just 10 percent, and that unemployment was half as harmful as has been seen in past recessions, their estimate fell to 8,315.

But if they assumed that unemployment reached 26.5 percent, which would be the highest estimate using a different definition of who was participating in the labor force, and also that the effects of losing a job in the pandemic were three times as deadly, their estimate rose to 201,968.

The researchers emphasized that some excess deaths are preventable if the proper policies are put in place.

“We urgently need policies that protect workers and lessen the harms of unemployment, particularly policies that are crafted to support those experiencing the unjust double burden of both COVID-19 and unemployment,” Matthay said.

Authors: Matthay was joined in the study by Kate A. Duchowny, PhD, MPH; and Alicia R. Riley, PhD, MPH, both of UCSF’s Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics; and Sandro Galea, MD, DrPh, of the Boston University School of Public Health.

Funding: The work was supported by the National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health (grant T32 AG049663).

Laura Kurtzman writes for the University of California, San Francisco.
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Illustration of the Lucy mission's seven targets: the binary asteroid Patroclus/Menoetius, Eurybates, Orus, Leucus, Polymele, and the main belt asteroid DonaldJohanson. Credits: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center Conceptual Image Lab.


On Feb. 22, 1906, German astrophotographer Max Wolf helped reshape our understanding of the solar system. Again.

Born in 1863, Wolf had a habit of dramatically altering the astronomy landscape. Something of a prodigy, he discovered his first comet at only 21 years old. Then in 1890, he boldly declared that he planned to use wide-field photography in his quest to discover new asteroids, which would make him the first to do so.

Two years later, Wolf had found 18 new asteroids. He later became the first person to use the “stereo comparator,” a View-Master-like device that showed two photographs of the sky at once so that moving asteroids appeared to pop out from the starry background.

It is perhaps unsurprising, then, that on Feb. 22, 1906, Wolf made another important discovery: an asteroid with a particularly unusual orbit.

As Jupiter moved, this asteroid remained ahead of Jupiter, as though it was somehow trapped in Jupiter’s orbit around the Sun. German astronomer Adolf Berberich observed that the asteroid was nearly 60 degrees in front of Jupiter.

This specific position reminded Swedish astronomer Carl Charlier of a peculiar behavior predicted by the Italian-French mathematician Joseph-Louis Lagrange over 100 years earlier. Lagrange argued that if a small body (such as an asteroid) is placed at one of two stable points in a planet’s orbit around the Sun (called the L4 and L5 Lagrange Points), the asteroid would remain stationary from the planet’s perspective due to the combined gravitational forces of the planet and the Sun.

Charlier realized that Wolf’s asteroid was actually caught in Jupiter’s L4 Lagrange point. Until Wolf’s discovery, Lagrange’s prediction had only been a mathematical exercise. Now, these astronomers had photographic proof that Lagrange was right.

Eight months later, one of Wolf’s graduate students August Kopff discovered an asteroid in Jupiter’s other stable Lagrange point L5, as well as another asteroid caught in L4 a few months afterward.

Once three of these Lagrange point-inhabiting asteroids had been discovered, astronomers began wondering what to call them.

At this point, most asteroids were given the names of women from Roman or Greek mythology, unless their orbits were particularly strange.

The asteroids in question certainly had bizarre orbits, so Austrian astronomer Johann Palisa suggested the names Achilles, Patroclus, and Hektor after characters from The Iliad.

Achilles was a nigh-invulnerable Greek hero (except for his heel), and Patroclus was a friend of his. Hektor, prince of the Trojans, eventually killed Patroclus, and Achilles exacted revenge by killing Hektor. The recently discovered asteroids were then given Iliad-inspired names.

As astronomers continued discovering asteroids hiding in Jupiter’s Lagrange points, they continued naming them after heroes of the Trojan War and began referring to them as “Trojan asteroids.” (“Trojan asteroids” would eventually refer to asteroids inhabiting any planet’s stable Lagrange points, though names from The Iliad are reserved for Jupiter’s Trojans.)

It later became convention to name Jupiter’s L4 asteroids after Greek characters and Jupiter’s L5 asteroids after Trojan characters, so L4 and L5 became the “Greek camp” and the “Trojan camp” respectively.

Palisa apparently did not foresee this tradition, for his naming of first three asteroids led to a Greek “spy” residing in the Trojan camp (Patroclus) and a confused Trojan (Hektor) who probably wandered into the Greek camp hoping to order some of their famous custom-built wooden horses.

No spacecraft has ever been to this population of small bodies, called the Trojan asteroids. Now, a new NASA Discovery Program mission called Lucy will fly by seven Trojan asteroids, plus a main belt asteroid, to survey the diversity of this population in a single 12-year record-breaking mission. The Lucy spacecraft launch window opens Oct. 16, 2021.

Southwest Research Institute in Boulder, Colorado, is the principal investigator institution and leads the science investigation. NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, provides overall mission management, systems engineering, and safety and mission assurance.

Lockheed Martin Space Systems in Denver is building the spacecraft. Spacecraft payload is being provided by Goddard, the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab, and Arizona State University. The Discovery Program management is executed by NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama.

David Dezell Turner is with the Southwest Research Institute in Boulder, Colorado.


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Another GPS-collared gray wolf has dispersed from Oregon into California.

The wolf, known as OR-93, has traveled farther south in California than the collared wolves that have preceded him.

OR-93 is a young male that dispersed from Oregon’s White River pack, southeast of Mt. Hood.

He was fitted with a tracking collar within the White River pack’s territory in June 2020.

Like many young wolves, he subsequently left his pack in search of a new territory and/or a mate.

After arriving in Modoc County in early February 2021, he quickly passed through portions of numerous California counties before arriving this week in Alpine County, between the trans-Sierra State Highways 4 and 108.

He then moved just into Mono County, putting him hundreds of miles from the Oregon state line and his natal territory.

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife will continue to monitor his whereabouts with the cooperation of the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.

OR-93 is the 16th gray wolf documented to have dispersed into California, and most of those animals have traveled from Oregon.

One of those dispersing wolves, OR-54, traveled as far south as the Lake Tahoe Basin before returning north.

The others have primarily traveled, and sometimes settled, in California's northernmost counties.

The first wolf known in California since the 1920s, OR-7, first visited in late 2011.

Since then, the state has seen the formation of two packs.

The Shasta Pack in Siskiyou County had five pups in 2015 before disappearing late that year.

The Lassen Pack, which occupies parts of Lassen and Plumas counties, has produced pups each year from 2017 to 2020.

Additionally, a new pair of wolves has recently been documented in Siskiyou County and CDFW biologists believe it is likely they will produce pups this spring.

CDFW is working to monitor and conserve California’s small wolf population and is collaborating with livestock producers and diverse stakeholders to minimize wolf-livestock conflicts.

Gray wolves are currently listed as endangered pursuant to California’s Endangered Species Act, or CESA.

Their management in California is guided by CESA as well as CDFW’s Conservation Plan for Gray Wolves in California, finalized in 2016.

More information is available on CDFW’s wolf webpage.

CDFW encourages those who see wolves to detail their sightings on its online reporting site.
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LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Rotary Club of Lakeport is hosting a drive-through Crab Feed and Online Auction the weekend of March 13 at the Lake County Fairgrounds in Lakeport.

The advent of COVID-19 one year ago caused nearly every service and nonprofit organization to have to cancel their fundraisers.

Lakeport Rotary was unable to hold the Konocti Challenge in October and its main fundraiser, selling the beer at the Lake County Fair, also was canceled.

“Service clubs and other charitable organizations in Lake County are in a tough place right now, given the COVID restrictions and the safety of our community members,” Strong pointed out. “Fundraising is so crucial to the success of these organizations. The money raised at these events is what is used to provide the impactful community service projects programs we all do. So now we pivot and time to think outside the box.”

This time of year there would normally be dozens of crab feeds available to those crustacean lovers of Lake County but so far there have been few.

To meet that need, Lakeport Rotary Club, with the help of its premier sponsors Adventist Health Clearlake and Pro Farms, is stepping up to offer a nontraditional crab feed experience by providing a sumptuous crab dinner with all of the fixings available for drive-thru pickup at the Lake County Fairgrounds on Saturday, March 13, between 5 and 7 p.m.

The dinners will include a generous portion of fresh cracked crab, salad, french roll, butter and a yummy cake pop donated by My Tiny Diner.

The cost is $50 per person with the ability to add on fresh-made clam chowder, a bottle of Lake County wine or cans of craft beer from O'Meara's.

Crab dinner tickets are available for purchase at www.lakeportrotary.org. Tickets are available in limited quantities so order soon.

There will also be an online auction opening on Friday, March 12, running through Sunday, March 14.

They will have some amazing auction items taking shape including a variety of incredible desserts, a winery lunch and barrel tasting, a scenic flight and lunch, a stay in a beautiful San Diego condo, a “Day as a Deputy with Sheriff Martin,” a gift card tree worth hundreds, a wagon ride and wine tasting in Kelseyville, and stays in local lodging establishments just to name a few. More items are coming on every day so check back often.

Information on the online auction will be available soon at www.lakeportrotary.org and tickets for the crab dinner are already on sale and going fast.

“We wish we could throw that big in-person crab feed that is always so much fun,” shared Lakeport Rotary Club President Jeff Warrenburg, “but these times call for something special. We look forward to seeing our friends and neighbors, all while providing a yummy meal, donned in a mask, and thanking you from afar as you safely drive through to pick up your meal.”

Sponsorship opportunities are available and donations of auction items are greatly appreciated. Contact Jennifer Strong at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 349-0815. All proceeds from this event will support the community and international projects of the Rotary Club of Lakeport.

The Rotary Club of Lakeport was founded in 1925. It has undertaken hundreds of community projects over the years, funded college and vocational school scholarships for local high school graduates and contributed money and other resources to many worldwide initiatives, including efforts to eradicate polio and advance programs that promote goodwill and peace. In recent years, Lakeport Rotary has led efforts to help Lake County residents recover from wildfire devastation and begin the rebuilding process.

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