LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Churches around Lake County are planning special Christmas Eve and Christmas Day services.

The following is a roundup of services around Lake County on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. If a church's event isn't represented, post it in the comments below or email it to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

CHRISTMAS EVE

CLEARLAKE

Calvary Chapel of Clearlake

Calvary Chapel of Clearlake will hold its annual Christmas dinner and toy giveaway from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Donations of unwrapped toys for boys and girls are still being accepted and can be dropped off at the church office.

The family candlelight service will be held at 7 p.m.

The church is located at 14330 Memory Lane; telephone 707-995-5683; Web, http://www.calvarychapelofclearlake.com/ .

Our Lady Queen of Peace Catholic Church

Our Lady Queen of Peace Catholic Church will hold its Christmas Eve Mass beginning at 7:30 p.m.

The church is located at 14435 Uhl Ave.; telephone 707-994-6618.

Church of the Nazarene

The Clearlake Church of the Nazarene will host its annual candlelight Christmas Eve at 7 p.m.

Christmas music, scripture reading and special performances will be presented to add to the holiday celebration.

The church is located at 15917 Olympic Drive; telephone 707-994-4008.

CLEARLAKE OAKS

Clearlake Oaks First Baptist Church

Clearlake Oaks First Baptist Church will hold a candlelight service beginning at 6 p.m.

The church is located at 12821 First St.; telephone 707-998-3632; Web, https://sites.google.com/site/mendolakebaptistassociation/directory/clearlake-oaks-first-baptist-church .

KELSEYVILLE

Kelseyville Methodist Church

The Kelseyville Methodist Church will hold a 4 p.m. Christmas Eve service.

The church is located at 3810 Main St.

Grace Church

Grace Church will hold two Christmas Eve candlelight celebrations.

The services will take place at 5 p.m. and 6 p.m.

The church is located at 6716 Live Oak Drive; telephone 707-279-8448; Web, http://www.gracechurchkelseyville.org/ .

Galilee Lutheran Church

Galilee Lutheran Church will hold its candlelight service beginning at 7 p.m.

The church is located at 8860 Soda Bay Road; telephone 707-279-4832; Web, http://www.galileekelseyville.org/ .

Kelseyville Presbyterian Church

Kelseyville Presbyterian Church will hold its Christmas Eve candlelight service at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 24.

Come join your friends and neighbors in celebration of Christ's birth, ending with an outdoor singing of “Silent Night,” weather permitting.

The church is located at 5340 Third St.; telephone 707-279-1104.

LAKEPORT

St. Mary Immaculate Catholic Church

St. Mary Immaculate Catholic Church will hold three Christmas Eve services.

Masses will be held at 5 p.m., which will include the children's pageant; at 8 p.m., in Spanish; and at midnight.

The church is located at 801 N. Main St.; telephone 707-263-4401; Web, www.stmaryslakeport.org .

Lake County Bible Fellowship

Lake County Bible Fellowship will hold a candlelight service beginning at 6 p.m.

The church is located at 775 N. Forbes St.; telephone 707-263-4327; Web, http://lakecountybible.com/ .

United Christian Parish

United Christian Parish's candlelight service will take place beginning at 7 p.m.

Candles will be provided for you to light and there will be a special time for the young and young at heart.

The church is located at 745 N Brush St.; telephone 707-263-4788; Web, http://www.lakeportucp.org .

St. John's Episcopal Church

St. John's Episcopal Church will hold its service beginning at 10:30 p.m.

Father Jamie Knutsen will be with them to preach and celebrate midnight Mass.

The church is located at 1190 N. Forbes St.; telephone 707-263-4785; Web, http://www.saintjohnslakeport.org/ .

LUCERNE

The Lucerne Community Church

The Lucerne Community Church will celebrate the season with a candlelight Christmas Eve service from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m.

The church is located at 5870 E. Highway 20; telephone 707-274-8326; Web, http://www.lucernecommunitychurch.com/ .

MIDDLETOWN

Middletown Bible Church

Middletown Bible Church's Christmas Eve service will begin at 6 p.m.

The church is located at 20800 Highway 29; telephone 707-987-2556; Web, http://www.middletownbible.org/ .

St. Joseph's Catholic Church

St. Joseph's Catholic Church will host a Christmas Eve Mass beginning at 6 p.m.

The church is located at 21396 Highway 175; telephone 707-987-3676.

Middletown Community United Methodist Church

The Middletown Community United Methodist Church will host an ecumenical Christmas Eve service at 7 p.m.

The church is located at 15851 Armstrong St. For more information contact Pastor Voris Brumfield at 707-295-7174 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

UPPER LAKE

Upper Lake Community United Methodist Church

UPPER LAKE, Calif. – The Upper Lake Community United Methodist Church will hold a Christmas Eve candlelight service at 7 p.m.

The Chancel Choir, directed by Nick Reid and accompanied by pianist Michelle Wells Trigger, will lead them in the celebration on this holy night. Pastor Wanda Celli’s inspiring meditation is followed by candle lighting.

The church is located on the corner of First Street and Clover Valley Road.

CHRISTMAS DAY

LAKEPORT

St. John's Episcopal Church

St. John's Episcopal Church will celebrate Christmas morning Mass beginning at 10 a.m.

Father Leo Joseph will lead the service.

The church is located at 1190 N. Forbes St.; telephone 707-263-4785; Web, http://www.saintjohnslakeport.org/ .

St. Mary Immaculate Catholic Church

St. Mary Immaculate Catholic Church will hold Christmas Mass beginning at 10:30 a.m.

The church is located at 801 N. Main St.; telephone 707-263-4401; Web, www.stmaryslakeport.org .

KELSEYVILLE

St. Peter Mission Catholic Church

St. Peter Mission Catholic Church will hold two Christmas day services.

Mass will be held at 8:30 a.m., with a Spanish Mass to be held at 12:30 p.m.

The church is located at 4085 Main St.; telephone 707-263-4401.

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – In collaboration with Lake County Vet Connect, there will be a Lake County Veterans Housing Fair held on Wednesday, Jan. 8.

The event will take place from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at American Legion Post 437, located at 14770 Austin Road in Clearlake.

Lake County veterans may partake of the following services and information offered at the housing fair: Free lunch, low-income housing information; county social services (food stamps and general information); education benefits for veterans; employment assistance; information about free legal services; Lake County Food Bank; and free sleeping bags, coats, boots, tents and personal hygiene kits provided by the United Veterans Council of Lake County.

“We’re also looking for volunteers to help with the event, and any donations are graciously accepted,” said event coordinator Frank Parker. “We especially need female hygiene items, white athletic socks, coats, and men's T-shirts. Call us and we’ll pick up your donations.”

The number to reach Parker is 707-274-9512.

“We would like to extend our heartfelt appreciation to the Lakeport Lions Club, VFW 2015 Auxiliary in Lakeport, the Ukiah Rotary Club, and our anonymous donors for their continued support,” said Parker.

For homeless Lake County veterans and veterans at risk of becoming homeless, this event can help Veterans find housing.

Women and minority veterans are encouraged to attend.

LOWER LAKE, Calif. – Hundreds of children had a chance to receive Christmas gifts and say hello to Santa Claus during the annual “Toys for Kids” gift giveaway on Saturday.

Congressman Mike Thompson, who launched the annual effort nearly two decades ago, was on hand for the gift distribution, which was held at Lower Lake High School Saturday afternoon.

Thompson and the Toys for Kids Board of Directors work together each year to make sure that the community's underprivileged children have gifts at Christmas.

Toys and money are donated, as is time from volunteers who prepare the gifts and organize the giveaway event.

The group reported Saturday that approximately 407 children received gifts during the giveaway.

The children also got a chance to visit with Santa Claus and were treated to cookies made by Chef Robert Cabreros, who teaches in the Yuba College Culinary Arts program.

In the video above, learn more about the event and the people who made it happen this year.

Video by John Jensen.

California State Veterinarian Dr. Annette Jones has granted a 24-hour permit clearing all brand inspection and health requirements for nine reindeer slated to visit California on the evening of Dec. 24 and in the early morning hours of Dec. 25.

The permit application was filed in person by a rotund, jolly man with a red suit and a white beard, according to state officials. The signature on the paperwork reads “K. Kringle.”

Brand inspections and health requirements help veterinarians prevent the spread of animal disease. The law also mandates that all animals entering California be individually identified.

The nine reindeer named on the permit are: Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donder, Blitzen and Rudolph.

The permit was granted with two conditions: the nine reindeer may not co-mingle with other reindeer in the state of California, and the visiting reindeer may not be used for breeding purposes while in the state.

“It is our pleasure to issue the permit to Mr. Kringle and do our part to ensure another successful trip,” said CDFA Secretary Karen Ross. “We wish him safe travels, clear skies and plenty of milk and cookies as he and his reindeer make deliveries to the good children of California.”

In other news, NORAD is once again this year tracking Santa's progress as he visits the homes of boys and girls across the globe.

Keep up with Santa online at http://www.noradsanta.org/ .

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake County boat owners can now purchase their 2014 mussel stickers.

The stickers can be purchased at a variety of screening locations around the lake and the cost is $10.

A list of those locations can be found at www.nomussels.com . A downloadable mussel screening application also is available on the Web site.

Since 2008, the county of Lake has taken a positive, proactive and aggressive approach to the threat of an invasive mussel infestation because of the huge impact it could have on the ecosystem of Clear Lake and the local economy.

This approach has been funded largely by the fees received from the county’s sticker program.

This year, boat owners will see an additional fee on their California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) vessel registration.

This fee is a result of AB2443 that was signed into law by Gov. Brown in 2012.

“The money collected by the DMV will go to California State Parks Division of Boating and Waterways to make grants available to local agencies to fund Quagga and Zebra mussel prevention plans,” said Lake County Public Works Director Scott De Leon.

Continue to support the Lake County program by showing your current mussel sticker and remember to check in with a participating screener when you return from an out-of-county trip with your boat. Rescreening and any necessary decontamination are free.

The Lake County program is the reason Clear Lake is still free of quagga and zebra mussels. Officials ask for the public's help in keeping it that way.

The county also thanked all of its mussel screeners for the success they have helped achieved in keeping the area's water bodies mussel-free.

For the latest list of screeners see www.nomussels.com or call 707-263-2344.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – As Christmas week begins Lake County Animal Care and Control has several dogs waiting for homes.

From small terriers to a hefty bulldog, the dogs range in age from 1 to 4 years of age.

Through Dec. 23, Animal Care and Control is offering discounted adoption rates on animals, with altering, vaccinations, licensing and microchipping included.

The adoption cost for male dogs is $121, while it costs $131 for females under 60 pounds and $146 for female dogs over 60 pounds (the price is higher due to increased costs of spaying larger dogs).

License fees do not apply to residents of the cities of Lakeport or Clearlake.

If you're looking for a new companion, visit the shelter. There are many great pets hoping you'll choose them.

In addition to the animals featured here, all adoptable animals in Lake County can be seen here: http://bit.ly/Z6xHMb .

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”).

Male Chihuahua mix

This male Chihuahua mix is 4 years old.

He's got a short black coat, weighs 9 pounds and hasn't been neutered.

According to shelter staff, this shy little guy is timid but not aggressive. He's a very sweet boy, loves to cuddle and is good with other dogs, male or female.

He's in kennel No. 6, ID No. 38542.

Male shepherd mix

This male shepherd mix is 3 years old.

He weighs 101 pounds, and has a short black and tan coat. He has been neutered.

Shelter staff said he needs tender love and care because he is a little shy and needs someone to work on socializing him. He is good with other dogs, male or female.

Find him in kennel No. 9, ID No. 38666.

Male terrier mix

This male terrier mix is 1 year old.

He has a long white coat, weighs 14 pounds and has been neutered.

Find him in kennel No. 12a, ID No. 38742.

Male Chihuahua mix

This male Chihuahua mix is 1 year old.

He has a short white coat, weighs 8 pounds and has been neutered.

He's in kennel No. 12b, ID No. 38743.

Female boxer mix

This female boxer mix is 1 year old.

She has a short tan and white coat, weighs 56 pounds and has been spayed.

Find her in kennel No. 13, ID No. 38704.

'Chesty'

“Chesty” is a 4-year-old English Bulldog mix.

He has a short tan and white coat, weighs 69 pounds and has been neutered.

He's in kennel No. 30, ID No. 38750.

Pit bull terrier-boxer mix

This male pit bull terrier-boxer mix is 1 year old.

He has a short brown and white coat, and has not yet been neutered.

He's in kennel No. 31a, ID No. ID: 38686.

To fill out an adoption application online visit http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Animal_Care_And_Control/Adopt/Dog___Cat_Adoption_Application.htm .

Lake County Animal Care and Control is located at 4949 Helbush in Lakeport, next to the Hill Road Correctional Facility.

Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday. The shelter is open from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and on Saturday from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Visit the shelter online at http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Animal_Care_And_Control.htm .

For more information call Lake County Animal Care and Control at 707-263-0278.

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

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake County's unemployment numbers rose in November, according to a new report from the state.

The California Employment Development Department reported that Lake County's November unemployment rate was 12.2 percent, up from 11.6 percent in October but down from 14.2 percent in November 2012.

The statewide unemployment rate for November was 8.5 percent, compared to 8.7 percent in October and 9.9 percent in November 2012, the Employment Development Department reported.

Nationwide, unemployment in November was 7 percent, down from 7.3 percent in October and 7.8 percent the previous November, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The Employment Development Department said nonfarm jobs in California totaled 14,748,200 in November, an increase of 44,300 jobs, and showed a year-over increase of 226,200 jobs.

In Lake County in November, modest job growth of 0.8 percent occurred in trade, transportation and utilities, and local government, based on the report.

The remaining Lake County industry sectors reported either no growth or job losses, including a seasonal drop of jobs in the farm industry, -34.8 percent; federal government, -12.5 percent; state government, -5.9 percent; leisure and hospitality, -4 percent.

The lowest unemployment rate in the state in November, 4.6 percent, was reported in Marin County, while Imperial had the highest rate, 23.8 percent.

Lake County's November unemployment rate gained it a ranking of No. 50 out of the state's 58 counties.

Lake's neighboring counties ranked as follows in November, according to the Employment Development Department: Colusa, No. 57, 17.8 percent; Glenn, No. 42, 10.9 percent; Mendocino, No. 16, 7.4 percent; Napa and Sonoma tied for No. 5, 6 percent; and Yolo, No. 30, 9.4 percent.

The Employment Development Department reported that there were 465,581 people receiving regular unemployment insurance benefits during the November survey week, compared with 405,761 last month and 391,870 last year.

New claims for unemployment insurance were 72,642 in November 2013, compared with 72,737 in October and 39,879 in November of last year, the agency 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.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Five cats are waiting for new homes this Christmas week at Lake County Animal Care and Control.

The cats range in age from 8 months to 10 years, and include tabbies, calicoes and a Siamese mix.

Through Dec. 23, Animal Care and Control is offering discounted adoption rates on animals, with altering, vaccinations, licensing and microchipping included. Males are $76, females are $86.

License fees do not apply to residents of the cities of Lakeport or Clearlake.

If you're looking for a new companion, visit the shelter. There are many great pets there, hoping you'll choose them.

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

Gray male tabby

This gray male tabby is 3 years old.

He has a short coat and gold eyes. Shelter staff did not report if he has been altered.

He's in cat room kennel No. 3, ID No. 38612.

Siamese mix

This female Siamese mix cat is 10 years old.

She has blue eyes and a short coat, and is spayed.

Find her in cat room kennel No. 5, ID No. 38699.

Tortie point

This calico with tortie point markings is 8 months old.

She has a short coat and has not yet been spayed.

Find her in cat room kennel No. 84a, ID No. 38527.

Tortie point

This calico with tortie point markings is 8 months old.

She has a long coat and has not yet been spayed.

Find her in cat room kennel No. 85a, ID No. 38526.

Domestic short hair mix

This domestic short hair mix with dilute calico markings is 5 years old.

She has a short coat, weighs 7 pounds and has been spayed.

She's in cat room kennel No. 87, ID No. 38751.

Adoptable cats also can be seen at http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Animal_Care_And_Control/Adopt/Cats_and_Kittens.htm or at www.petfinder.com .

Please note: Cats listed at the shelter's Web page that are said to be “on hold” are not yet cleared for adoption.

To fill out an adoption application online visit http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Animal_Care_And_Control/Adopt/Dog___Cat_Adoption_Application.htm .

Lake County Animal Care and Control is located at 4949 Helbush in Lakeport, next to the Hill Road Correctional Facility.

Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday. The shelter is open from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and on Saturday from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Visit the shelter online at http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Animal_Care_And_Control.htm .

For more information call Lake County Animal Care and Control at 707-263-0278.

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.

Massive stars – those at least eight times the mass of our Sun – present an intriguing mystery: how do they grow so large when the vast majority of stars in the Milky Way are considerably smaller?

To find the answer, astronomers used the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) telescope to survey the cores of some of the darkest, coldest, and densest clouds in our Galaxy to search for the telltale signs of star formation.

These objects, known as Infrared Dark Clouds, were observed approximately 10,000 light-years away in the direction of the constellations of Aquila and Scutum.

Since these cloud cores are so massive and dense, gravity should have already overwhelmed their supporting gas pressure, allowing them to collapse to form new, Sun-mass stars. If a star had not yet begun to shine, that would be a hint that something extra was supporting the cloud.

“A starless core would indicate that some force was balancing out the pull of gravity, regulating star formation, and allowing vast amounts of material to accumulate in a scaled-up version of the way our own Sun formed,” remarked Jonathan Tan, an astrophysicist at the University of Florida, Gainesville, and lead author of a paper published today in the Astrophysical Journal.

“This suggests that massive stars and Sun-like stars follow a universal mechanism for star formation. The only difference is the size of their parent clouds,” Tan added.

Average stars like our Sun begin life as dense, but relatively low-mass concentrations of hydrogen, helium, and other trace elements inside large molecular clouds.

After the initial kernel emerges from the surrounding gas, material collapses under gravity into the central region in a relatively ordered fashion via a swirling accretion disk, where eventually planets can form. After enough mass accumulates, nuclear fusion begins at the core and a star is born.

While this model of star formation can account for the vast majority of stars in our Milky Way, something extra is needed to explain the formation of more massive stars.

“Some additional force is needed to balance out the normal process of collapse, otherwise our Galaxy would have a fairly uniform stellar population,” said Tan. “Alternatively, there has been speculation that two separate models of star formation are needed: one for Sun-like stars and one for these massive stars.”

The key to teasing out the answer is to find examples of massive starless cores – to witness the very beginnings of massive star birth.

The team of astronomers from the United States, the United Kingdom, and Italy used ALMA to look inside these cores for a unique chemical signature involving the isotope deuterium to essentially take the temperatures of these clouds to see if stars had formed.

Deuterium is important because it tends to bond with certain molecules in cold conditions. Once stars turn on and heat the surrounding gas, the deuterium is quickly lost and replaced with the more common isotope of hydrogen.

The ALMA observations detected copious amounts of deuterium, suggesting that the cloud is cold and starless.

This would indicate that some counter force is forestalling core collapse and buying enough time to form a massive star.

The researchers speculate that strong magnetic fields may be propping up the cloud, preventing it from collapsing quickly.

“These new ALMA observations reveal objects that are quite similar to the nurseries of Sun-like stars, but simply scaled-up by tens or a hundred times. This may mean that nature is more important than nurture when it comes to determining a star's size,” concluded Tan.

These observations were conducted during ALMA's early science campaign. Future studies with ALMA's full array of 66 antennas will uncover even more details about these star-forming regions.

ALMA, an international astronomy facility, is a partnership of Europe, North America and East Asia in cooperation with the Republic of Chile. ALMA construction and operations are led on behalf of Europe by ESO, on behalf of North America by the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO), and on behalf of East Asia by the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ). The Joint ALMA Observatory (JAO) provides the unified leadership and management of the construction, commissioning and operation of ALMA.



The National Radio Astronomy Observatory is a facility of the National Science Foundation, operated under cooperative agreement by Associated Universities Inc.

Unemployed Californians with federal benefit extension claims are facing the loss of that income, with Congress and the president having yet to approve renewing the extensions.

The California Employment Development Department said it has notified 222,000 long-term unemployed individuals with extension claims in California that they will lose their federally funded extended unemployment benefits by year's end unless Congress and President Obama take action.

The budget currently being considered in Congress does not include an extension of federal unemployment benefits, which are scheduled to end on Dec. 28, according to the state.

The Employment Development Department said it sent out notices advising affected claimants that the week ending Dec. 28 will be the last week any federal extension benefits can be paid, even if someone is still unemployed and/or has a remaining balance on their extension.

That means that unless Congress acts there will be no phase-out of these benefits – all federal extension payments will come to an end at the same time, the agency said.

The state said approximately one-third of the more than 712,000 people currently certifying for unemployment benefits in California are long-term unemployed who receive federal extensions.

On Dec. 12, Gov. Jerry Brown wrote to Congress, asking that the federal unemployment benefits be extended, noting that they “have provided much needed financial relief to Californians during and since the Great Recession.”

Brown added, “There are more than 214,000 Californians and 1.3 million Americans that are currently collecting federal extension benefits. These workers will suffer irreparable harm if these federal benefits are allowed to expire.”

The U.S Senate has indicated there may be some interest in reauthorizing federal extension benefits early in January, and the Obama Administration has released information about federal extensions in a report prepared by the U.S. Department of Labor and the Council of Economic Advisers entitled “The Economic Benefits of Extending Unemployment Insurance.”

Late last year, the fate of the extensions also was in doubt until Congress reached a last-minute agreement on renewing the four-tiers of federal extension benefits until the end of 2013.

That legislation eventually reduced the maximum federal extension benefits currently available in California to 37 weeks and extended the benefits only until the end of 2013.

Federal extensions of unemployment benefits first became available in California in June 2008 and since then a total of more than $41 billion in extension benefits have been paid in the state.

Once offering up to 73 additional weeks of unemployment after someone ran out of their regular up to 26 weeks of state-provide benefits, federal extensions will now provide up to 37 additional weeks of benefits.

In the event Congress does enact legislation within a reasonable time, the Employment Development Department said it will automatically file and send out the forms to those who have been collecting the benefits so claimants would not need to contact the department.

For updates on the federal unemployment insurance extensions issue, visit http://www.edd.ca.gov/Unemployment/Federal_Unemployment_Insurance_Extensions.htm .

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – As Californians ready for their holiday travels, the California Highway Patrol is set to begin its annual Christmas Maximum Enforcement Period (MEP).

The two-day holiday enforcement effort is designed to help ensure the safety of the motoring public during a time when celebrations are in full swing.

The MEP begins at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 24, and continues through 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 25.

The effort coincides with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s ongoing Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over anti-driving under the influence (DUI) campaign, which began on Dec. 13. and continues through Jan. 1.

In addition to assisting motorists, CHP officers are on heightened alert for unsafe drivers who speed, or fail to buckle-up themselves or their passengers, and impaired drivers.

“Christmas is a time for family and friends to get together, and we want to make sure everyone arrives safely at their destinations,” said CHP Commissioner Joe Farrow. “Drivers are reminded to make wise decisions ahead of time for their own safety and the safety of others sharing the roadways with them.”

During last year’s Christmas MEP, which was 4 and a quarter days in length, 39 people were killed in collisions in California.

Among those who died within CHP jurisdiction, more than half were not wearing a seat belt.

In addition, CHP officers made more than 1,170 DUI arrests throughout the 102-hour traffic safety effort.

The public is encouraged to call 9-1-1 if they suspect another driver of being under the influence.

“We plan on spending the holiday keeping Californians safe on our roadways,” added Commissioner Farrow. “In return, we hope the motoring public will do their part by designating a nondrinking driver, wearing a seat belt, and driving at a safe, legal speed.”

GLENHAVEN, Calif. – Traffic was stopped for more than an hour along Highway 20 Saturday afternoon after a big oak tree crashed to earth, blocking both lanes of the road.

The California Highway Patrol put out the call for assistance to local firefighters in clearing the tree, located on Highway 20 at Lakeview Drive, shortly after 3:30 p.m., according to radio reports.

The tree had two trunks, one of which was reported to be 3 feet in diameter, according to the CHP and firefighters at the scene.

Traffic was backed up for miles – stretching all the way back to Clearlake Oaks on one side – as Northshore Fire, Cal Fire and Caltrans worked to clear the roadway. Larger chainsaws had to be brought in to cut up the tree.

Officials said no motorists were injured by the falling tree.

Video by John Jensen, who also contributed to this story.

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.