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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Congressman Mike Thompson this week will hold a virtual town hall to discuss climate change, particularly in light of California’s already devastating fire season.

The virtual town hall will take place from 7 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 17.

Thompson will be joined by special guest Rep. Kathy Castor (FL-14), chair of the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis, for a climate change discussion.

This is the 14th in a series of virtual town halls. All constituents of California’s Fifth Congressional District and members of the press are invited to join.

This event will be held over Zoom and interested participants must email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. in order to join, as the platform has a capacity of 500 people.

Interested participants should include their name, their email and their city of residence. They will be notified via email with instructions on how to join.

The event will also be streamed on Facebook Live via Thompson’s page.

Thompson represents California’s Fifth Congressional District, which includes all or part of Contra Costa, Lake, Napa, Solano and Sonoma counties.
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LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lakeport City Council this week will get updates on city projects, hear the latest on COVID-19 from the county Public Health officer and meet new city staff.

The meeting will take place via webinar beginning at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 15.

The agenda can be found here.

To speak on an agenda item, access the meeting remotely here or join by phone by calling toll-free 877-309-2074 or 213-929-4221. The access code is 596-105-550; the audio pin will be shown after joining the webinar. Those phoning in without using the web link will be in “listen mode” only and will not be able to participate or comment.

Comments can be submitted by email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. To give the City Clerk adequate time to print out comments for consideration at the meeting, please submit written comments prior to 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 15.

Indicate in the email subject line "for public comment" and list the item number of the agenda item that is the topic of the comment. Comments that read to the council will be subject to the three minute time limitation (approximately 350 words). Written comments that are only to be provided to the council and not read at the meeting will be distributed to the council prior to the meeting.

On the agenda, Public Health Office Dr. Gary Pace will present an update on COVID-19 in Lake County.

Staff also will introduce to the council Civic Sparks Fellow Connie Warthan and new Community Development Director Jennifer Byers.

Also on Tuesday, Public Works Director Doug Grider will offer an update on the ongoing road and capital improvement projects citywide.

On the consent agenda – items considered noncontroversial and usually accepted as a slate on one vote – are ordinances; minutes of the regular council meeting on Aug. 18; confirmation of the continuing existence of a local emergency for the Mendocino Complex fire; confirmation of the continuing existence of a local emergency for the February 2019 storms; confirmation of the continuing existence of a local emergency for the October 2019 public safety power shutoff; confirmation of the continuing existence of a local emergency for the COVID-19 public health emergency; and the Aug. 20 warrant register.

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 Lake County Library today announced plans to expand its personal finance collections following receipt of a grant from the FINRA Investor Education Foundation.

The additional tools and resources will help ensure that residents have the information they need when making critical money decisions as they repair, rebuild, and recover following the recent fires and ongoing pandemic.

“When disaster strikes, the community comes together,” said Library Director Christopher Veach. “We want everyone to know that the library is both a welcoming convening place and a location where our families can obtain unbiased information to guide financial choices that will have lasting impact.”

Filing claims, accessing government resources, managing lump-sum payments from insurance companies, and meeting immediate expenses when income might be disrupted – these are just a few of the money challenges that residents in disaster areas must navigate.

FINRA Foundation President Gerri Walsh noted, “Many of us lack experience with these decisions. Nonetheless, we have to get it right the first time around or face long-term financial consequences. Fortunately, the library has information that can help.”

The expanded personal finance collections at the Library are made possible by a $5,000 grant from the FINRA Foundation.

For more than 15 years, the FINRA Foundation has provided funding, staff training and programs to build the capacity of public libraries to address the financial education needs of people nationwide. Much of this has been accomplished in partnership with the American Library Association through a program known as Smart investing@your library.

The FINRA Foundation is also providing the library with multimedia materials that explain the red flags of financial fraud and what people can do to be vigilant and counter the persuasion tactics that fraudsters use.

It is estimated that consumer financial fraud costs Americans more than $50 billion a year, according to FINRA Foundation research. Financial fraud is especially prevalent following major natural disasters.

Since it was established in 2005, the National Center for Disaster Fraud, which is part of the U.S. Department of Justice, has logged more than 100,000 disaster-related complaints from all 50 states. Financial fraud makes tough times all the more difficult for people recovering from the trauma inflicted by disasters.

The FINRA Foundation has issued an alert with practical guidance to help residents protect themselves from fraudulent schemes.

“Recovery follows disaster, but the path to recovery can be smooth or very bumpy,” Walsh said. “And financial fraud can be one of the biggest potholes along that road. Lake County Library has information to help people avoid the financial potholes and bring the route to recovery into sharper focus.”

The library’s website gives information about library programs, services and policies.

To speak to a library employee, call 707-263-8817.

The FINRA Foundation supports innovative research and educational projects that give Americans the knowledge, skills, and tools to make sound financial decisions throughout life.
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NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – Better mapping has led to a reduced acreage estimate for the August Complex, which officials said continues to burn across vast swaths of public land to the north of Clear Lake and has made a run in the Yuki Wilderness.

As of Monday, the August Complex was at 755,603 acres with 30-percent containment, the US Forest Service reported.

It is the largest wildland fire in recorded California history, surpassing the second-largest – the 2018 Mendocino Complex – by nearly 300,000 acres.

Officials said Monday that the acreage of the August Complex has decreased by about 22,000 acres due to more accurate mapping and establishing management zones.

The US Forest Service and Cal Fire are engaged in a coordinated response to manage and suppress the August Complex, which complex consists of multiple fires that have burned together over the past month on the Mendocino, Shasta-Trinity and Six Rivers National Forests.

The complex has been divided into the North, South and West Zones for management purposes.

Officials said Monday that firefighters are continuing to mop up all along the fire’s perimeter utilizing both ground and aerial resources. Some of this work is being conducted by the 14th Brigade Engineer Battalion from Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington.

A dozer line is being completed around the Salt Creek Conservation Camp and may be followed by a burnout if necessary to help protect the area, officials said.

A structure protection group has been established in the Pillsbury Lake Basin to help protect infrastructure. This includes installing hose lays, supplying water dip tanks for helicopters and putting in dozer lines where appropriate. Crews will continue to patrol and monitor containment lines throughout the fire area, officials reported.

The fire crossed containment lines in the Yuki Wilderness Sunday and made a run to the west.
Firefighters worked on suppression efforts in that area Monday to contain the fire. Officials said crews are working closely with resource advisors in the wilderness to reduce suppression impacts.

Because of winds, high temperatures and dry fuels, officials said fire activity is expected to remain high.

New evacuations were issued Sunday night in Mendocino County. Additional evacuation orders are in effect for Mendocino, Lake, Humboldt and Trinity counties. More information on evacuations is available here.

The August Complex as mapped on Monday, September 14, 2020. Map courtesy of the US Forest Service.
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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Cal Fire said firefighters are continuing their work on the LNU Lightning Complex, which is inching toward full containment.

The 363,220-acre complex, burning for nearly a month, remained at 96-percent containment on Sunday, Cal Fire reported.

The 305,651-acre Hennessey Fire, which has burned in Colusa, Lake, Solano and Yolo counties, is at 98-percent containment, while the Walbridge fire in Sonoma County remained at 55,209 acres and 96-percent containment, according to Cal Fire’s Sunday report.

Cal Fire said 610 personnel, 30 engines, five water tenders, 19 hand crews and nine dozers are assigned.

Firefighters are still working on containment and suppression repair throughout the fire area, officials reported.

Widespread smoke from other fires will continue to be visible in the area, Cal Fire said.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake County Animal Care and Control has many new dogs, including several small breeds, available for adoption this week.

Dogs available for adoption this week include mixes of Chihuahua, husky, German Shepherd, Labrador Retriever, pit bull, pug and terrier.

Dogs that are adopted from Lake County Animal Care and Control are either neutered or spayed, microchipped and, if old enough, given a rabies shot and county license before being released to their new owner. License fees do not apply to residents of the cities of Lakeport or Clearlake.

The following dogs at the Lake County Animal Care and Control shelter have been cleared for adoption (additional dogs on the animal control Web site not listed are still “on hold”).

Call Lake County Animal Care and Control at 707-263-0278 or visit the shelter online for information on visiting or adopting.

This female Labrador Retriever mix is in kennel No. 9, ID No. 13989. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control.

Female Labrador Retriever

This female Labrador Retriever mix has a short black coat with white markings.

She is in kennel No. 9, ID No. 13989.

This female pit bull terrier is in kennel No. 18, ID No. 13990. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control.

Female pit bull terrier

This female pit bull terrier has a short gray and white coat.

She is in kennel No. 18, ID No. 13990.

“Oso” is a male pug-Chihuahua mix in kennel No. 19a, ID No. 13999. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control.

‘Oso’

“Oso” is a male pug-Chihuahua mix with a short tan and black coat.

He has been neutered.

He is in kennel No. 19a, ID No. 13999.

“Little Gizmo” is a male Chihuahua in kennel No. 19b, ID No. 14000. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control.

‘Little Gizmo’

“Little Gizmo” is a male Chihuahua with a short tricolor coat.

He has been neutered.

He is in kennel No. 19b, ID No. 14000.

“Bear” is a male Chihuahua-pug mix in kennel No. 20a, ID No. 14001. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control.

‘Bear’

“Bear” is a male Chihuahua-pug mix with a short tan coat.

He has been neutered.

He is in kennel No. 20a, ID No. 14001.

“Raider” is a male Chihuahua in kennel No. 20b, ID No. 14002. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control.

‘Raider’

“Raider” is a male Chihuahua with a short tricolor coat.

He has been neutered.

He is in kennel No. 20b, ID No. 14002.

This young male Chihuahua-terrier mix in kennel No. 23, ID No. 14022. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control.

Male Chihuahua-terrier mix

This young male Chihuahua-terrier mix has a short tricolor coat.

He is in kennel No. 23, ID No. 14022.

“Shiloh” is a male pit bull-chow chow mix in kennel No. 24, ID No. 13992. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control.

‘Shiloh’

“Shiloh” is a male pit bull-chow chow mix with a short tan coat.

He is in kennel No. 24, ID No. 13992.

This female German Shepherd is in kennel No. 28, ID No. 13995. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control.

Female German Shepherd

This female German Shepherd has a medium-length black coat.

She has been spayed.

She is in kennel No. 28, ID No. 13995.

“Lilly” is a female pit bull-husky mix in kennel No. 29, ID No. 13991. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control.

‘Lilly’

“Lilly” is a female pit bull-husky mix with a short brown and white coat.

She is in kennel No. 29, ID No. 13991.

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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LAKEPORT, Calif. – This week the Board of Supervisors will get a COVID-19 update and consider the possibility of waiving landfill fees for community cleanups.

The meeting will begin at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 15.

The supervisors will meet in the board chambers on the first floor of the Lake County Courthouse, 255 N. Forbes St., Lakeport, for a hybrid meeting format which also will include the opportunity for community members to continue to participate virtually.

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

To participate in real-time, join the Zoom meeting by clicking this link at 9 a.m. The meeting ID is 924 3246 0906, password 011841.

To submit a written comment on any agenda item please visit https://countyoflake.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx and click on the eComment feature linked to the meeting date. If a comment is submitted after the meeting begins, it may not be read during the meeting but will become a part of the record.

At 9:02 a.m., the board will get its update on COVID-19 from Public Health Officer Dr. Gary Pace.

In untimed items, at the request of Supervisor Bruno Sabatier, the board will discuss how Public Services Director Lars Ewing can waive fees for landfill use for specific groups with community clean up goals.

The board also will consider a resolution authorizing straight-time overtime pay for management employees working beyond 40 hours in a week due to Board of Supervisors-declared emergencies, concurrent with active emergency operations centers for the COVID-10 pandemic event and for the LNU Lightning Complex wildfire event. Such pay would be capped at 40 hours per event.

The full agenda follows.

CONSENT AGENDA

5.1: Adopt resolution amending Resolution No. 2020-73, revising and extending the county of Lake COVID-19 interim policy for working remotely.

5.2: Approve continuation of the county of Lake COVID-19 public health emergency return to work – worksite protection protocol.

5.3: Approve minutes of the Board of Supervisors meetings April 7, April 14, June 16, July 14, July 21 and Sept. 1.

5.4: Adopt resolution approving Agreement No. 20-0397-000-SA with California Department of Food and Agriculture for compliance with the Nursery Inspection Program for period July 1, 2020, through June 30, 2021, in the amount of $631.

5.5: Adopt resolution fixing tax rates for local agencies, general obligation bonds and other voter approved indebtedness for Fiscal Year 2020-21.

5.6: Approve reissuance of tax refund check from FY 16/17 in the amount of $94.98 issued to David Leppert.

5.7: Adopt resolution approving county of Lake Application to the California Department of Housing and Community Development for Emergency Solutions Grant Program CARES Act funding.

5.8: (a) Waive the formal bidding process, pursuant to Lake County Code Section 38.2, as it is not in the public interest due to the unique nature of goods or services; and (b) approve the agreement between the county of Lake and Mountain Valley Family and child services for specialty mental health services for Fiscal Year 2020-21 in the amount of $48,000 and to authorize the board chair to sign the agreement.

5.9: (a) Waive the formal bidding process, pursuant to Lake County Code Section 38.2, as it is not in the public interest due to the unique nature of goods or services; and (b) approve the agreement between the county of Lake and Care Coordination Systems for the implementation of Pathways HUB Referral System software for Fiscal Year 2019-20 through Fiscal Year 2021-22 in the amount of $512,500 and authorize the board chair to sign the agreement.

5.10: (a) Waive the formal bidding process, pursuant to Lake County Code Section 38.2, as it is not in the public interest due to the unique nature of goods or services; and (b) approve the agreement between the county of Lake and Lake County Office of Education - Safe Schools Healthy Students Program for school-based specialty mental health services for Fiscal Year 2020-21 for a contract maximum of $250,000 and authorize the board chair to sign the agreement.

5.11: Approve amendment one to the Building and Rooftop Space License Agreement between the county of Lake and Cellco Partnership, d/b/a Verizon Wireless; and authorize the chair to sign.

5.12: Approve a deed notification covenant for an environmental restriction on a portion of Lampson Field and authorize the chair to sign.

5.13: Approve irrevocable offer of dedication for roadway and public utility purposes - across a portion of the Licina/Fitzsimmons Property adjoining the lands of Barnes, Upper Lake, Parcel Map 09-02 Barnes.

5.14: (a) Approve the purchase of a 2020 Can-Am MAV Sport XX UTV and (b) authorize the sheriff or his designee to issue a purchase order to Hillside Powersports Marine in the amount of $24,962.45.

5.15: Approve the Sun Ridge Systems Software Support Services agreement for the FY 2020/21 in the amount of $43,489.50 for the support of its Law Enforcement Software Suite, and authorize the chairman to sign.

5.16: Sitting as Lake County Sanitation District Board of Directors, approve agreement with California Exterminators Alliance for herbicide / pesticide application in the amount of $29,675 through June 30, 2021, and authorized the chair to sign.

5.17: Sitting as Board of Directors Lake County Sanitation District, consideration of approval of final design engineering services agreement in the amount of $178,000 with Brelje & Race Consulting Engineers for the Middletown sewer treatment plant; and authorize the chair to sign.

5.18: (a) Waive the formal bidding process, pursuant to Lake County Code Section 38.2, as it is not in the public interest due to the unique nature of goods or services; and (b) approve agreement between county of Lake and Harmony Research, for FY 20/21 for professional research services related to tax default land sales.

TIMED ITEMS

6.1, 9:01 A.M.: Public input.

6.2, 9:02 a.m.: Consideration of update on COVID-19.

6.3, 10 a.m.: Continued from Aug. 18, appeal to Board of Supervisors, AB 20-01 of major use Permit (UP 19-05) and initial study (IS 19-09) (APN 009-021-07).

6.4, 11:15 a.m.: Consideration of presentation on Lake County Mental Health Services Act annual update and three-year program and expenditure plan for Fiscal Year 2020-2023.

UNTIMED ITEMS

7.2: Discussion and direction to staff on ways for the Public Services director to waive fees for landfill use for specific groups with community clean up goals.

7.3: Consideration of a resolution authorizing straight-time overtime pay, for management employees working beyond 40 hours in a week due to Board of Supervisors declared emergencies, concurrent with active emergency operations centers for the COVID-10 pandemic event and for the LNU Lightning Complex wildfire event, capped at 40 hours per event.

7.4: Consideration of advisory board appointments: First Five Lake County.

7.5: Consideration of amendment one to the agreement between the county of Lake and the Kelseyville Motel for COVID-19 emergency isolation housing and authorize the chair to sign.

CLOSED SESSION

8.1: Conference with labor negotiator: (a) chief negotiator: M. Long; county negotiators: C. Huchingson and P. Samac; and (b) employee organizations: LCDDAA, LCDSA, LCCOA, LCEA, LCSEA and LCSMA.

8.2. Conference with (a) county negotiators: M. Simon, B. Sabatier, C. Huchingson, S. Carter (b) temporary representatives designated to meet with county department heads regarding salary and benefits and (c) unrepresented management employees.

8.3: Public employee evaluations: Agricultural Commissioner Steve Hajik, Public Services Director Lars Ewing.

8.4: Conference with legal counsel: Existing litigation pursuant to Gov. Code section 54956.9(d)(1): State of Calif. et al., ex rel. OnTheGo Wireless, LLC v. Cellco Partnership, doing business as Verizon Wireless, et al.

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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Blackberries on the vine in Lake County, California. Photo by Kathleen Scavone.

“You ate that first one and its flesh was sweet
like thickened wine: summer's blood was in it …”
– from Seamus Heaney's 'Blackberry-picking'

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – After so many of us were evacuated due to the massive LNU Lightning Complex (or other) fires and then, by the grace of God – and the firefighters – allowed to repopulate, I viewed a scene which calmed me, as a black-tailed deer browsed the blackberry bushes near my home.

The blackberries are thriving now along creeks, roads and disturbed areas practically everywhere.

They are prolific and delicious, but most likely what we are all making pies, jams and cobblers out of are invasive Himalayan blackberries.

The berries native to California, Rubus ursinus once thrived here, but the introduced Himalayan blackberry is more prevalent now, due in part to California's own master gardener, Luther Burbank, who mistakenly took seeds that he thought had been collected close to the Himalayan Mountains.

The seeds turned out to have been from Armenia, but the name stuck, and the plants thrived partly due to birds feeding on the plump berries, and partly because of the plant's deep roots that make eradicating efforts very difficult.

Blackberries are not technically a berry, but an aggregate fruit made up of numerous tiny fruits that each contain their own pit.

The rich, purple beauties are packed with nutrients such as vitamins A and C, along with potassium, magnesium, iron and calcium.

According to the health website WebMD, chemicals in blackberries may have antioxidant properties as well as provide protection from certain cancers. Nutritious powerhouses, blackberries are loaded with dietary fiber as well.

These versatile plants and their fruit have been drawn on throughout history for a variety of medicinal purposes. The ancient Greeks thought the plant's leaves made a suitable tea to aid in sore throats, mouth sores and for ailments like thrush and diarrhea.

Historically, many California Indian groups made use of shoots of young spring plants or the dried, ground berries as the base for a medicinal tea.

Early settlers put the plant to use for help in easing stomach aches, common colds or congestion.

Today, some folks prefer to concoct a special blackberry brandy for their own “medicinal purposes.”

For some mouth-watering recipes like Humble Bumble Crumble bars, blackberry frozen yogurt or berry-beet salad visit Taste of Home's website.

Kathleen Scavone, M.A., is a retired educator, potter, freelance writer and author of “Anderson Marsh State Historic Park: A Walking History, Prehistory, Flora, and Fauna Tour of a California State Park” and “Native Americans of Lake County.”
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As NASA's Mars rover Perseverance hurtles through space toward the Red Planet, the six-wheeler's twin is ready to roll here on Earth.

A full-scale engineering version of the Mars 2020 Perseverance rover – outfitted with wheels, cameras, and powerful computers to help it drive autonomously – has just moved into its garage home at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California.

This rover model passed its first driving test in a relatively tame warehouselike assembly room at JPL on Sept. 1.

Engineers expect to take it out next week into the Mars Yard, where a field of red dirt studded with rocks and other obstacles simulates the Red Planet's surface.

"Perseverance's mobility team can't wait to finally drive our test rover outside," said Anais Zarifian, the mobility test bed engineer at JPL. "This is the test robot that comes closest to simulating the actual mission operations Perseverance will experience on Mars – with wheels, eyes, and brains all together – so this rover is going to be especially fun to work with."

Wait, why does Perseverance need a twin?

Perseverance isn't flying to Mars with a mechanic. To avoid as many unexpected issues as possible after the rover lands on Feb. 18, 2021, the team needs this Earth-bound vehicle system test bed, or VSTB, rover to gauge how hardware and software will perform before they transmit commands up to Perseverance on Mars.

This rover model will be particularly useful for completing a full set of software tests so the team can send up patches while Perseverance is en route to Mars or after it has landed.

And just like Perseverance has a fitting name – one that captures the hard work of getting the rover on its way to Mars amid a pandemic – its twin has a name, too: OPTIMISM. While OPTIMISM is an acronym for Operational Perseverance Twin for Integration of Mechanisms and Instruments Sent to Mars, the name is also a nod to the mantra of the team that spent two years planning and assembling it.

"The Mars 2020 Perseverance test bed team's motto is 'No optimism allowed,'" said Matt Stumbo, the lead for the VSTB rover on the test bed team. "So we named the test rover OPTIMISM to remind us of the work we have to do to fully test the system. Our job is to find problems, not just hope activities will work. As we work through the issues with OPTIMISM, we gain confidence in Perseverance's capabilities and confidence in our ability to operate on Mars."

Engineers test drive the Earth-bound twin of NASA's Perseverance Mars rover for the first time in a warehouselike assembly room at the agency's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California on Tuesday, September 1, 2020. Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech.

Almost identical

OPTIMISM is nearly identical to Perseverance: It is the same size, has the same mobility system and top driving speed (0.094 mph, or 0.15 kph), and features the same distinctive "head," known as the remote sensing mast.

After a second phase of building at the beginning of the new year, it will have the full suite of science instruments, cameras, and computer "brains" Perseverance has, plus its unique system for collecting rock and soil samples.

But since OPTIMISM lives at JPL, it also features some Earthly differences. For one thing, while Perseverance gets its power from a multi-mission radioisotope thermoelectric generator (a kind of nuclear battery that has reliably powered space missions since the 1960s), OPTIMISM features an umbilical cord that can be plugged in for electrical power.

That cord also provides an ethernet connection, allowing the mission team to send commands to and receive engineering data back from OPTIMISM without installing the radios Perseverance uses for communication.

And whereas Perseverance comes with a heating system to keep it warm in the frigid environment of Mars, OPTIMISM relies on a cooling system for operating in hot Southern California summers.

Welcome to the family

OPTIMISM isn't JPL's only VSTB rover. NASA's Curiosity Mars rover, which has been exploring the Red Planet since it landed in 2012, has a twin named MAGGIE (Mars Automated Giant Gizmo for Integrated Engineering). MAGGIE has been helping the Curiosity team particularly with strategies for driving across challenging terrain and drilling rocks.

OPTIMISM and MAGGIE will live side-by-side in the Mars Yard, giving JPL engineers a two-car garage for the first time.

"Missions that are operating require high-fidelity replicas of their systems for testing," Stumbo said. "The Curiosity mission has learned lessons from MAGGIE that were impossible to learn any other way. Now that we have OPTIMISM, the Perseverance mission is well equipped to learn what they need to succeed on Mars."

The Perseverance rover's astrobiology mission will search for signs of ancient microbial life. It will also characterize the planet's climate and geology, pave the way for human exploration of the Red Planet, and be the first planetary mission to collect and cache Martian rock and regolith (broken rock and dust). Subsequent missions, currently under consideration by NASA in cooperation with the European Space Agency, would send spacecraft to Mars to collect these cached samples from the surface and return them to Earth for in-depth analysis.

The Mars 2020 mission is part of a larger program that includes missions to the Moon as a way to prepare for human exploration of the Red Planet. Charged with returning astronauts to the Moon by 2024, NASA will establish a sustained human presence on and around the Moon by 2028 through NASA's Artemis lunar exploration plans.

JPL, which is managed for NASA by Caltech in Pasadena, California, built and manages operations of the Perseverance and Curiosity rovers.

Learn more about the Mars 2020 mission at https://www.nasa.gov/perseverance.

Technicians move a full-scale engineering version of NASA's Perseverance Mars rover into its new home — a garage facing the Mars Yard at the agency's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California — on Friday, September 4, 2020.Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech.
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NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – On Sunday new evacuations were ordered in response to the massive lighting-sparked August Complex, which has been burning for nearly a month in forestlands across several counties.

The US Forest Service and Cal Fire are engaged in a coordinated response to manage and suppress the August Complex.

Officials said the complex consists of multiple fires that have burned together and are collectively known as the August Complex.

The Complex has been divided into three zones: South, North and West. The South Zone is located primarily in the Mendocino National Forest, geographically from the South Yolla Bolly Middle Eel Wilderness to just north of Lake Pillsbury, officials said.

The August Complex has grown to 877,477 acres and was up to 28-percent containment on Sunday. It is listed as the largest fire in California history.

The South Zone – formerly known as the Doe fire – is now 503,086 acres.

Firefighters are mopping up along the fire’s perimeter where fire activity is low, increasing its containment. Officials said they continue to reduce fuels around Lake Pillsbury and in communities near the Eel River and Bauer Ridge to help protect infrastructure. This includes installing hose lays, water dip tanks for helicopters and putting in dozer lines where appropriate.

The Forest Service said aerial resources will continue to utilize water drops on hot spots around the fire’s perimeter. Crews will continue to patrol and monitor fire activity throughout the fire area.

Officials said they continue to deal with challenging weather conditions. High winds and temperatures, low humidity and critically dry fuels are continuing to spur fire activity.

Evacuations are in effect in many counties, including Lake, where Pillsbury Ranch and the entire Lake Pillsbury basin remain under evacuation orders.

On Sunday evening, Cal Fire, the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office and the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office jointly issued an evacuation order for areas west of the National Forest boundary, north of Thomas Creek and the Eel River, and east of Twin Bridges Creek, south of Bald Mountain; west of Elk Creek south of Deep Hole Creek, north of the National Forest Boundary; and west of the Eel River, north of Deep Hole Creek, east of Eden Valley, including the entire valley floor, south of Eden Creek.

At the same time, they issued an evacuation warning for south of the Middle Fork of the Eel River, west of Eden Creek, north of Salt Flat and east of Salt Creek; east of Brushy Mountain, south of the fire road on Salt Flat, west of Eden Valley and north of Bald Mountain; south and west of the Eel River, north of Foster Mountain Road, east of the ridge west of Willits Road; and north of Twin Bridges Creek, east of the Eel River, south of Brushy Creek and west of Brushy Mountain.

Due to unprecedented and historic fire conditions throughout the state, the USDA Forest Service Pacific Southwest Region issued a temporary closure of all 18 National Forests in California effective through Sept. 14.


The August Complex as mapped on Sunday, September 13, 2020. Map courtesy of the US Forest Service.
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NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – A group of massive fires on three National Forests have burned together and are now being managed together in one incident that is by far the largest wildland fire incident in California history.

The US Forest Service said on Friday that the fires known as the August Complex – or the Doe – along with the Elkhorn, Hopkins, Willow and Vinegar were combined and are now collectively known as the August Complex.

The August Complex has grown to 875,059 acres and is listed as the largest fire in California history.

The complex will be split into three management zones: South, North and West, the Forest Service reported.

These fires have all burned together and the intent is to simplify the coordination of effort, ordering and timely release of accurate information, officials said.

The South Zone consists of the Doe Fire; the main area previously identified as the August Complex. It reached 498,202 acres and 25-percent containment on Saturday.

The August Complex will be managed under unified incident command between Great Basin Team 2-DeMasters (South Zone), California Interagency Incident Management Team 5-Young (North Zone), and Cal Fire Team 5-Parkes (West Zone).

The August Complex is burning on the Mendocino, Shasta-Trinity and Six Rivers National Forests.

Smoke cleared on parts of the fire Friday and helicopters assisted crews with water drops on hot spots around the fire. On Saturday, the Forest Service said crews continued to clear fuels and prepare around structures near Lake Pillsbury and in the communities near Eel River and Bauer Ridge.

Officials said authorization has been given to utilize a decommissioned road within the Yuki Wilderness and resources will enter the area as necessary for fire suppression. Fire resources are coordinating with Cal Fire Team 5 on the West Zone.

Evacuations are in effect in many counties, including Lake County, where Pillsbury Ranch and the entire Lake Pillsbury basin remain under a mandatory order.

For property owners who would like to talk to the Mendocino National Forest about access into their cabins, call the Forest Supervisor’s Office at 530-934-3316 from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., seven days a week.

The August Complex as mapped on Saturday, September 12, 2020. Map courtesy of the US Forest Service.
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Anthony Gladstein was awarded a commendation by the Lakeport Police Department in Lakeport, California, after helping a police officer apprehend a violent suspect following his assault on two people in a nearby park on June 30, 2020. Photo courtesy of the Lakeport Police Department.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The city of Lakeport has honored a man who stopped to help a police officer subdue the suspect in an assault on two elderly people at a city park.

Lakeport Police Chief Brad Rasmussen presented a commendation to Anthony Gladstein at the Lakeport City Council’s Sept. 1 meeting.

Rasmussen said on the evening of June 30, Lakeport Police officers were dispatched to Library Park to investigate the report of a suspect committing a violent assault on two senior citizens.

The suspect, later identified as 37-year-old Lakeport resident Todd Gary Ousterhout, fled the area on foot before the officers arrived. However, Rasmussen said the victims and other citizens pointed Ousterhout out and reported his direction of travel.

During a search of the area, Rasmussen said an officer found Ousterhout on N. Forbes Street, confronting him and giving him orders to comply.

Ousterhout resisted the officer and attempted to get away, and Rasmussen said a struggle ensued in which the officer and the suspect both ended up down on the street.

During that struggle, Rasmussen said Gladstein happened upon the situation as he was driving on N. Forbes Street. Gladstein stopped and yelled out to the officer to see if he needed help and the officer advised him that he did.

Gladstein immediately came to the officer’s aid as a backup officer arrived at the same time. Rasmussen said a short time later another citizen stopped his vehicle and also ran to the aid of the officers.

With the assistance of Gladstein and the second citizen – who Rasmussen said hasn’t yet been identified – the two officers were able to control Ousterhaut and get him handcuffed and secured.

Due to the assistance of Gladstein and the second citizen who stopped to help, serious injuries to all involved were avoided, Rasmussen said.

“Although we do not normally encourage or ask citizens to assist officers, especially in dangerous situations, in this case, we are thankful that Mr. Gladstein did assist,” said Rasmussen.

He said Gladstein’s actions and assistance “are not common but rather exceptional and therefore should be commended and recognized.”

Rasmussen offered Gladstein thanks on behalf of the Lakeport Police Department and the city of Lakeport, recognizing “that you took these actions without regard for your personal safety but rather putting the safety of others before yourself. We are proud to have you as a citizen of our community.”

Mayor George Spurr offered Gladstein his appreciation.

In return, Gladstein, who joined the meeting by phone, thanked the council.

Chief reports on police operations for the first half of the year

Also during the Sept. 1 meeting, Rasmussen presented a report on his department’s operations for the first two quarters of 2020.

The report showed improved response times on calls in the second quarter when compared to the first, with fewer arrests compared to 2019.

Rasmussen said the department has had a number of changes due to COVID-19, which has impacted the training hours.

Still, he said they completed “a commendable amount of training” in areas like autism recognition and response, which they did in response to community requests. Rasmussen said the agency deals a lot with people with developmental disabilities.

They also conducted deescalation and crisis training the previous week at the community center and had two trainees in the police academy. All told, Rasmussen said the department had more than 2,000 hours of training in the year’s first half.

He noted that the training included 120 hours of focus on the agency’s 700-page policy manual. Rasmussen said officers are required to do policy training every single day of the year.

The council approved Rasmussen’s report and also voted to direct Mireya Turner, the council’s delegate to the League of California Cities’ annual conference, to support a resolution calling for an amendment of section 230 of the Communications Decency Act of 1996 to require social media companies to remove materials that promote criminal activities.

The council also approved a resolution authorizing the city manager to sign the statement of assurances and submit an application for State Community Development Block Grant Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act to purchase kitchen equipment for the Silveira Community Center.

City efforts help defeat AB 6

City Attorney David Ruderman thanked City Manager Kevin Ingram for his work over the previous weekend to help defeat AB 6, which would have blocked local governments from suing companies responsible for the opioid crisis unless they already had filed by Aug. 24.

In June, the city filed its own lawsuit against the responsible drug manufacturers, as Lake County News has reported.

Ruderman said Lakeport was part of a huge coalition of counties and cities that fought the bill.

He said Ingram got on the phone late Sunday to express his opposition to legislators.

On the last day of the legislative session, Aug. 31, Ruderman said the bill didn’t make it.

“My pleasure,” Ingram said of his efforts.

“It was a potential power grab by the attorney general,” Ruderman said.

The bill would reportedly have expanded the state attorney general’s powers and staff size, and directed those agencies that hadn’t filed suit by the August deadline to join him in attempting to reach a global settlement with manufacturers.

Rasmussen also reported that several police reform bills he considered problematic didn’t move forward this year, while a number of others that he didn’t think were concerning did make it through.

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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