What's up for July? Mars and Venus go their separate ways, Saturn cruises with a dusty young star, and it's prime time for the Milky Way.

You'll find Venus and Mars in the west after sunset throughout July. The pair moved ever closer in the sky during June, and they begin July appearing quite near to each other, but it's time for them to part company. You'll notice them trending lower as the month goes on, with Venus in particular being noticeably lower each night.

During the second week of July, reddish-colored Mars will appear very close to the blue-white star Regulus. Mars is quite distant from Earth right now, and appears at its dimmest for the year in July and August.

This month it appears at about the same brightness as Regulus, and you should easily be able to see the difference in their color with your eyes, or a pair of binoculars. They're closest together on July 9 and 10.

And on July 20, the Moon will pass through, appearing just next to Mars. Mercury also pops up – quite low in the sky – in the second half of July, for those with views of the horizon.

During July, you'll have giant planets Jupiter and Saturn keeping you company in the late night and early morning hours. And notably, you'll find Jupiter shining brightly beneath the crescent moon on the morning of July 11. Now, Jupiter appears quite a bit brighter than Saturn, and it's not just because Jupiter's a little bigger.

See, the farther away something is in space, the fainter it tends to be, and Saturn's certainly farther away from Earth than Jupiter. But it's also farther away from the Sun, and being more distant means it receives much less sunlight than Jupiter to begin with.

So it's the combination of being both farther from the Sun and farther from Earth that makes Saturn appear so much fainter.

Now, Saturn cruises across the sky with bright star Fomalhaut in July. At around 440 million years old, Fomalhaut is a fairly young star. NASA's Webb Space Telescope recently revealed new details in the dusty debris disk that surrounds it.

Webb showed that there's more structure in the disk than was previously known, with three distinct belts made of debris from collisions of larger bodies, probably not unlike the asteroids and comets in our own planetary system.

And researchers think the belts most likely are carved by the gravitational forces produced by unseen planets. It's a nice reminder that most stars you gaze upon represent entire planetary systems. Each one is a sun, and most have a family of worlds in orbit around them.

Finally, a reminder that July is prime time for viewing the bright core of our home galaxy, the Milky Way.

The Milky Way core is visible looking toward the south in July, as a faint, diagonal band of light, as soon as it's fully dark.

Packed with enormous numbers of stars, along with dark clouds of dust, you can view its faint glow with your own eyes from locations away from bright urban centers.

So if you have the opportunity to go camping or skywatching away from the city, it's truly one of the most awe inspiring sights of the night sky, and not to be missed!

Stay up to date with all of NASA's missions to explore the solar system and beyond at www.nasa.gov.

Preston Dyches works for NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — Health officials and forecasters are warning of extreme heat this weekend and urging community members to take measures to protect themselves.

The National Weather Service has issued a heat advisory for Lake County and other parts of Northern California through Sunday night due to the increasing temperatures.

The advisory, in effect through 9 p.m. Sunday, warns of temperatures as high as 108 degrees.

Temperatures are expected to top the century mark on Saturday and Sunday before dropping into the 90s by Monday. By Thursday, temperatures are forecast to drop into the high 80s.

“This weekend, millions of people across five states will experience unusual heat. Human-caused climate change made this event more likely and more intense,” said Dr. Andrew Pershing, vice president of science at Climate Central, an independent group of scientists and communicators who research and report the facts about the changing climate and how it affects people’s lives.

Climate Central said forecasts indicate a three-day stretch of “anomalous and extreme heat” is expected across California and the rest of the southwest through Monday.

The California Department of Public Health urged Californians to protect themselves from extreme heat over the Fourth of July weekend and remaining summer months by staying cool, hydrated, connected and informed.

“Summer heat waves can be dangerous, especially for young children, older adults, people with chronic diseases and disabilities, outdoor workers, people who are unhoused and those who are pregnant,” said CDPH Director and State Public Health Officer Dr. Tomás Aragón. “It's important to protect yourself and your loved ones by checking in on friends and family who may need assistance, monitoring weather forecasts, staying hydrated, limiting time outdoors, and visiting cooling centers.”

CDPH said extreme heat is defined in most of the U.S. as an extended period — two to three days — of high heat and humidity with temperatures above 90 degrees.

Extreme heat often results in the highest annual number of deaths among all weather-related disasters, the agency said.

California is experiencing more frequent episodes of extreme heat, posing a greater danger to Californians from heat-related illness, state health officials reported.

Community members are urged to follow the following guidelines to stay safe.

Stay cool (during the hottest times of the day):

• Those without air conditioning should check with their city or county for cooling centers or visit public locations such as a library or shopping mall.
• Avoid physical exertion or exercising outdoors.
• Wear lightweight, light colored, loose clothing, hats, sunglasses and sunscreen.

Stay hydrated:

• Drink plenty of fluids, especially water, even when not thirsty; drink sports drinks (in moderation with water) to help replace electrolytes lost during exercise.
• Avoid sugary, alcoholic, and very cold drinks.
• Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables.

Stay connected:

• Monitor those at high risk of heat-related illness including infants and young children; people 65 years of age or older; individuals with chronic illness, disabilities or who are pregnant.
• Use a buddy system when working in the heat.

Stay informed:

• Check the local news for weather forecasts, extreme heat alerts and cooling centers.

Email Elizabeth Larson at elarson@lakeconews.com. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The long Independence Day weekend will once again bring with it celebrations including parades and fireworks.

The following is a list of major community events planned for the weekend.

SATURDAY, JULY 1

Clearlake

The Lakeshore Lions Club of Clearlake will sponsor the 65th annual Redbud Parade and Festival, beginning at 11 a.m. with the parade starting at Redbud Park.

At Austin Park, the Lakeshore Lions and Lakeshore Lioness will feature an assortment of food, cold drinks and beer. Arts and craft vendors, games and entertainment for all will be offered, and the Clearlake Chamber of Commerce will sponsor the International Worm Races.

The city of Clearlake will host a free concert showcasing Def Leppard Revisited and Journey Revisited at 7 p.m.

The Midway of Fun Carnival presale tickets are available at Clearlake Automotive, Bob’s Vacuum and A+B Collision. For ticket information call 707-350-7100.

The Lakeshore Lions Club also will sponsor the firework display at dark off of Austin Beach.

Lakeport

The Lakeport Speedway will hold its annual fireworks display after the evening’s races.

The grandstands open at 5 p.m., racing action begins at 7 p.m. and fireworks will follow.

There will be modifieds, bombers, legends and West Coast mini modifieds.

General admission is $15 per person, with seniors 55 and over and members of the military paying $12 each. Children ages 4 to 12 are $12, children age 3 and under are admitted for free.

The speedway is located at the Lake County Fairgrounds, 401 Martin St.

SUNDAY, JULY 2

Clearlake Oaks

The Maxine Sherman Memorial annual fireworks display will take place beginning at 9 p.m.

Fireworks will be launched from the lake at the Clearlake Oaks public launch ramp.

For more information, contact the Clearlake Oaks-Glenhaven Business Association, info@clearlakeoaks.org or 707-596-0248.

Lakeport

Konocti Vista Casino Resort will hold a free community fireworks show.

A party with vendors, a DJ, food for purchase and a bar begins at 6 p.m., with the Fun Zone Arcade open indoors.

The fireworks will start at dusk, at approximately 9:30 p.m., and will be viewable from the marina and parking lot.

Konocti Vista is located at 2755 Mission Rancheria Road, Lakeport.

TUESDAY, JULY 4

Lakeport

Lakeport’s July 4 celebration will take place from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

At Library Park, there will be a street fair, craft vendors, food trucks, and a beer and wine booth.

There will be fireworks over the lake beginning at dusk.

CLEARLAKE, Calif. — The Clearlake Police Department said it has located a teenage boy reported missing earlier this week.

On Saturday morning, police said Ismael Orozco, 13, was found.

Ismael had been reported missing on Thursday.

CLEARLAKE, Calif. — Clearlake Animal Control has many dogs waiting to begin their summer in new homes.

There are 35 dogs listed this week on the Clearlake Animal Control website.

This week’s dogs include “Tink,” a female Doberman pinscher mix with a short red coat.

Another adoptable dog is “Emma,” a female Rottweiler mix with a short black coat.

Also waiting for a new home is “Dennis,” a male Rottweiler mix with a short black coat.

The shelter is located at 6820 Old Highway 53. It’s open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.

For more information, call the shelter at 707-762-6227, email info@northbayanimalservices.org, visit Clearlake Animal Control on Facebook or on the city’s website.

This week’s adoptable dogs are featured below.

Email Elizabeth Larson at elarson@lakeconews.com. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.

A new space telescope named Euclid, an ESA (European Space Agency) mission with important contributions from NASA, is set to launch in July to explore why the universe’s expansion is speeding up.

Scientists call the unknown cause of this cosmic acceleration “dark energy.” By May 2027, NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope will join Euclid to explore this puzzle in ways that have never been possible before.

“Twenty-five years after its discovery, the universe’s accelerated expansion remains one of the most pressing mysteries in astrophysics,” said Jason Rhodes, a senior research scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. Rhodes is a deputy project scientist for Roman and the U.S. science lead for Euclid. “With these upcoming telescopes, we will measure dark energy in different ways and with far more precision than previously achievable, opening up a new era of exploration into this mystery.”

Scientists are unsure whether the universe’s accelerated expansion is caused by an additional energy component, or whether it signals that our understanding of gravity needs to be changed in some way.

Astronomers will use Roman and Euclid to test both theories at the same time, and scientists expect both missions to uncover important information about the underlying workings of the universe.

Euclid and Roman are both designed to study cosmic acceleration, but using different and complementary strategies. Both missions will make 3D maps of the universe to answer fundamental questions about the history and structure of the universe. Together, they will be much more powerful than either individually.

Euclid will observe a far larger area of the sky – approximately 15,000 square degrees, or about a third of the sky – in both infrared and optical wavelengths of light, but with less detail than Roman. It will peer back 10 billion years to when the universe was about 3 billion years old.

Roman’s largest core survey will be capable of probing the universe to a much greater depth and precision, but over a smaller area – about 2,000 square degrees, or one-twentieth of the sky. Its infrared vision will unveil the cosmos when it was 2 billion years old, revealing a larger number of fainter galaxies.

While Euclid will focus on cosmology exclusively, Roman will also survey nearby galaxies, find and investigate planets throughout our galaxy, study objects in the outskirts of our solar system, and much more.

The dark energy hunt

The universe has been expanding ever since its birth – a fact discovered by Belgian astronomer Georges Lemaître in 1927 and Edwin Hubble in 1929. But scientists expected the gravity of the universe’s matter to gradually slow that expansion.

In the 1990s, by looking at a particular kind of supernova, scientists discovered that about 6 billion years ago, dark energy began ramping up its influence on the universe, and no one knows how or why. The fact that it’s speeding up means that our picture of the cosmos is missing something fundamental.

Roman and Euclid will provide separate streams of compelling new data to fill in gaps in our understanding. They’ll attempt to pin down cosmic acceleration’s cause in a few different ways.

First, both Roman and Euclid will study the accumulation of matter using a technique called weak gravitational lensing. This light-bending phenomenon occurs because anything with mass warps the fabric of space-time; the bigger the mass, the greater the warp. Images of a distant source produced by light moving through these warps look distorted, too. When those nearer “lensing” objects are massive galaxies or galaxy clusters, background sources can appear smeared or form multiple images.

Less concentrated mass, like clumps of dark matter, can create more subtle effects. By studying these smaller distortions, Roman and Euclid will each create a 3D dark matter map.

That will offer clues about cosmic acceleration because the gravitational attraction of dark matter, acting like a cosmic glue that holds together galaxies and galaxy clusters, counters the universe’s expansion.

Tallying up the universe’s dark matter across cosmic time will help scientists better understand the push-and-pull feeding into cosmic acceleration.

The two missions will also study the way galaxies clustered together in different cosmic eras. Scientists have detected a pattern in the way galaxies congregate from measurements of the nearby universe. For any galaxy today, we are about twice as likely to find another galaxy about 500 million light-years away than a little nearer or farther.

This distance has grown over time due to the expansion of space. By looking farther out into the universe, to earlier cosmic times, astronomers can study the preferred distance between galaxies in different eras.

Seeing how it has changed will reveal the expansion history of the universe. Seeing how galaxy clustering varies over time will also enable an accurate test of gravity. This will help astronomers differentiate between an unknown energy component and various modified gravity theories as explanations for cosmic acceleration.

Roman will conduct an additional survey to discover many distant type Ia supernovae – a special type of exploding star. These explosions peak at a similar intrinsic brightness. Because of this, astronomers can determine how far away the supernovae are by simply measuring how bright they appear.

Astronomers will use Roman to study the light of these supernovae to find out how quickly they appear to be moving away from us. By comparing how fast they’re receding at different distances, scientists will trace cosmic expansion over time. This will help us better understand whether and how dark energy has changed throughout the history of the universe.

A powerful pair

The two missions’ surveys will overlap, with Euclid likely observing the whole area Roman will scan. That means scientists will be able to use Roman’s more sensitive and precise data to apply corrections to Euclid’s, and extend the corrections over Euclid’s much larger area.

“Euclid’s first look at the broad region of sky it will survey will inform the science, analysis, and survey approach for Roman’s deeper dive,” said Mike Seiffert, project scientist for the NASA contribution to Euclid at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

“Together, Euclid and Roman will add up to much more than the sum of their parts,” said Yun Wang, a senior research scientist at Caltech/IPAC in Pasadena, California, who has led galaxy clustering science groups for both Euclid and Roman. “Combining their observations will give astronomers a better sense of what’s actually going on in the universe.”

Three NASA-supported science groups are contributing to the Euclid mission. In addition to designing and fabricating Euclid's Near Infrared Spectrometer and Photometer (NISP) instrument sensor-chip electronics, JPL led the procurement and delivery of the NISP detectors. Those detectors were tested at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. The Euclid NASA Science Center at IPAC (ENSCI), at Caltech, will support U.S.-based investigations using Euclid data.

For more information about Euclid go to: https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Space_Science/Euclid/.

The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is managed at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, with participation by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Caltech/IPAC in Southern California, the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, and a science team comprising scientists from various research institutions. The primary industrial partners are Ball Aerospace and Technologies Corporation in Boulder, Colorado; L3Harris Technologies in Melbourne, Florida; and Teledyne Scientific & Imaging in Thousand Oaks, California.

Ashley Balzer works for NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.

LAKEPORT, Calif. — Work is continuing to advance on the renovation of the former Kmart shopping center in order to welcome new tenants.

Kmart closed its doors at the end of 2019, and after several years of effort that involved the city of Lakeport’s retail consultant, The Retail Coach, a new plan for it emerged last fall.

In December, the Lakeport Planning Commission gave the go-ahead for an application from Upward Architects, a Tempe, Arizona-based commercial architecture firm, for a use permit and an architectural and design review for a new commercial project at the building, which sits on eight and a half acres at 2019 South Main St.

The plan calls for the 90,852-square-foot building to be renovated and subdivided into three tenant spaces.

So far, two tenants are confirmed: The department store Marshalls and Tractor Supply Co., which sells farm, ranch and garden supplies and tools. This will be Lake County’s second Tractor Supply store; the other is in Clearlake, in the former Ray’s Foods supermarket building.

Lakeport Associate Planner Victor Fernandez told Lake County News this week that, so far, the third tenant — which would take the center space in the renovated building — hasn’t been determined.

Renovations began this spring as workers began to revamp the facade, removing the well-known big red Kmart sign and the Spanish-themed roof tiles, as Lake County News has reported.

The project was back at the Lakeport Planning Commission on June 14, when the commission unanimously approved Upward Architects’ application for the adoption of a master sign program review and categorical exemption.

The application is to allow the construction of a free-standing 35-foot-tall sign as well as a 6-foot monument sign for the shopping center.

Fernandez told the commission that the signs will comply with the city’s sign ordinance, and will include 150 square feet of signage on each side.

Commissioner Nathan Maxman noted that in its comments on the project, the Lakeport Fire Protection District requested that the signs for each store have separate addresses.

While the city has no official requirement for distinct addresses for tenants, Fernandez said the request was forwarded to the applicant, and a company representative told the commission the owner had no objections to doing it.

In two separate 4-0 votes for the adoption of a categorical environmental exemption and a master sign program that conforms with the city’s zoning ordinance, the commission approved the project application. Commissioner Mark Mitchell recused himself from the matter due to his connection to the project.

What’s next for the project?

“The next step is that they will need to submit building permits for the construction of the signs,” Fernandez told Lake County News this week.

In addition, Fernandez said that the city’s Building Division has issued the building permits for the facade and interior building division in order to create the three tenant spaces.

Email Elizabeth Larson at elarson@lakeconews.com. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.

CLEARLAKE, Calif. — The Clearlake Police Department is seeking the public’s assistance in locating a missing teenage boy.

Police are looking for 13-year-old Ismael Orozco.

He is described as a Hispanic male juvenile, with long brown, red and yellow hair, and brown eyes.

Ismael is 5 feet, 3 inches tall and weighs 140 pounds.

Police said he was last seen in Clearlake.

If you have any information regarding his whereabouts, please contact the Clearlake Police Department at 707-994-8251, Extension 1.

This summer, the California Department of Public Health, or CDPH, reminds Californians to take extra precautions to protect themselves from mosquitoes and mosquito-borne diseases during outdoor activities.

Due to heavy rains this past winter, mosquito populations have increased across the state, posing a greater risk for mosquito-borne diseases.

“Many of us enjoy spending time outdoors, especially during the summer months, and this year it is particularly important to take extra precautions against mosquitoes,” said CDPH Director and State Public Health Officer Dr. Tomás Aragón. “The best way to prevent diseases that are spread by mosquitoes is to protect yourself, your family, and pets from mosquito bites."

To prevent your exposure, CDPH recommends individuals prevent exposure to mosquito bites and vector-borne diseases by practicing the “Three Ds”:

DEET: Apply insect repellent containing DEET, picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus or IR3535 according to label instructions. Repellents keep the mosquitoes from biting you. DEET can be used safely on infants and children 2 months of age and older.

DAWN AND DUSK: Mosquitoes are more active in the early morning and evening so it is important to wear protective clothing and repellent if outside during these times. Make sure that your doors and windows have tightfitting screens to keep out mosquitoes. Repair or replace screens with tears or holes.

DRAIN: Mosquitoes lay their eggs on standing water. Eliminate all sources of standing water on your property, including flowerpots, old car tires, and buckets. If you know of a swimming pool that is not being properly maintained, please contact your local mosquito and vector control agency.

Recently, malaria, a mosquito-borne disease, has been making headlines in other states. There are no reported cases of malaria in California to date. And while no human cases of West Nile virus or St. Louis encephalitis virus have been reported in California so far this year, West Nile has been detected in mosquito samples or dead birds in 11 counties and St. Louis encephalitis has been detected in four counties.

CDPH monitors avian deaths as a way of predicting when and where people may be at greater risk. The state continues to work closely with local agencies to reinforce prevention tips and control mosquito populations and the diseases they spread.

Resources of Californians

California’s West Nile virus website includes the latest information on West Nile activity in the state. Californians are encouraged to report dead birds on the website or by calling toll-free 1-877-WNV-BIRD (877-968-2473).

To learn more about how you can protect your health and the health of your loved ones from diseases carried by insects and other animals such as WNV, SLEV, malaria, Lyme disease, and other tick-borne and mosquito-borne diseases, visit the CDPH website.

GRASS VALLEY, Calif. — With California’s peak wildfire season forecast to be similar to the dangerous and destructive 2017 season, Gov. Gavin Newsom joined state fire officials in Grass Valley on Friday to highlight the all-of-the-above approach California is taking this year to prepare and protect communities on the front lines.

In addition to having the largest aerial firefighting fleet in the world on standby and the most firefighters in state history, California is deploying new tools — including AI, satellites, cameras, drones, real-time intelligence, and more — to fight fire faster and smarter.

“In just five years, California’s wildfire response has seen a tech revolution,” said Gov. Newsome. “We’re enlisting cutting-edge technology in our efforts to fight wildfires, exploring how innovations like artificial intelligence can help us identify threats quicker and deploy resources smarter. And with the world’s largest aerial firefighting force and more firefighters on the ground than ever before, we’re keeping more Californians safer from wildfire. While these resources will help protect our communities, Californians need to remain vigilant for what could be an intense wildfire season this year.”

Tech and innovation to fight fires smarter

State officials said no other jurisdiction in the world comes close to California’s use of innovation and technology to fight fires.

Persistent communication and surveillance: The state is working with Lockheed Martin to explore the potential of incorporating Department of Defense-grade technology to fight wildfires. Cal Fire is focusing on drone-based software, AI-enabled tools, analytics, and capabilities to provide analysis of ground and atmospheric conditions in near real-time, as well as persistent communications capabilities to fire personnel on the ground during response activities.

Low-Earth orbit satellites: The state is also working with the Environmental Defense Fund on low-earth orbit satellite technology. Cal Fire is currently working on a potential partnership to formalize our ability to be involved in providing user input and feedback during system development, analyze sample and initial data from the system, and advance our knowledge of satellite-based detection for wildland firefighting including wildland-urban interface fires, prescribed fire, and more.

Fire Integrated Real-time Intelligence System, or FIRIS: Originating as a state-funded pilot in Orange County in 2019, and now funded for statewide operations, FIRIS is a program that provides real-time intelligence data and analysis on emerging disaster incidents in California. Infrared mounted cameras on the aircraft provide a common operating picture, and data for near-real-time fire modeling that is available at the onset of emerging incidents.

More cutting-edge technology: The state has deployed a variety of innovative technologies to support our mission of fighting fires and keeping people safe:

• Technosylva wildfire projection tool: The result of the state’s first innovation sprint in 2019, using the X-prize concept, this is an on-demand wildfire spread prediction tool to support operational response, what-if scenario analysis, and wildfire risk forecasting.

• FireGuard partnership with the Department of Defense: Working with the California Guard and the Pentagon, the state trailblazed the development and implementation of satellite capabilities to detect, analyze and map new wildfire ignitions, which was just extended to support Canada’s wildfire response.

• CalGuard’s remotely-piloted aircraft: Since 2019, the Defense Secretary has authorized using the California National Guard’s remotely piloted aircraft for rapid aerial mapping and assessment of wildfires.

• LiDAR investments: The state’s investments have collected approximately 30 million acres of new LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), which uses a remote sensing method to make a detailed 3D map of the current topography and vegetation for every high fire risk region of California.

• FireHawk night-capable helicopters: Faster with greater capacity to carry water, these helicopters allow Cal Fire to conduct night flight operations. The initial fleet of 12 is being expanded to 16.

• Wildfire Threat Intelligence Center, or WFTIC: Serves as California's integrated central organizing hub for wildfire forecasting, weather information, threat intelligence gathering, analysis and dissemination. WFTIC also coordinates wildfire threat intelligence and data sharing among federal, state, local agencies, tribal governments, utilities, other service providers, academic institutions and nongovernmental organizations.

More firefighters than ever before: An additional $674.1 million in 2022-23 added 1,350 new positions and expanded fire crews, air attack operations, and provided for additional relief for Cal Fire staff to meet the demands of wildland firefighting in a changing climate.

Cal Fire secures 24 additional aircraft: Cal Fire is bolstering its firefighting aircraft fleet across California for the second year in a row as a result of over $72 million in funding provided by the state. The investment has allowed Cal Fire to secure 24 additional firefighting aircraft (19 helicopters and 5 airplanes for a contractual period of 90-120 days) to enhance their statewide response efforts against wildfires in California. The additional fixed-wing aircraft include 3 large airtankers specifically designed to carry up to 4,000 gallons of retardant. These aircraft have been strategically located in communities across California and will be pre-positioned to meet the needs of potential fire activity throughout the state.

Peak fire season look ahead: After years of drought, this winter’s massive storms brought unprecedented precipitation that has resulted in significant growth of grasses and vegetation — increasing the risk of wildfire. This is similar to the 2017 season that also followed years of drought and was the most destructive wildfire season on record at the time.

Temperatures are heating up toward the end of this month and there is a 90% likelihood of an El Nino developing by July. The tropical disturbances typically associated with an El Nino pattern could lead to increased lightning and thunderstorm activity. In the lower elevations a dense grass crop has developed. These grasses have started drying and will continue to dry out which may lead to an increase of grass fires. Due to the late rainy season, larger vegetation located in the mid and upper elevations will continue to experience above normal growth into the early summer months. The snowpack that remains in the mountain areas should assist with mitigating significant fire potential in the higher elevations until later in the summer.

California’s independent state auditor today reported California State University has done little to return Native American remains and cultural items in its possession to tribes after a months-long review requested by Assemblymember James C. Ramos (D-San Bernardino) and the Joint Committee on Legislative Audit.

The auditor surveyed all 23 CSU campuses and conducted on-site review of Chico State, Sacramento State, San Diego State and San Jose State Universities.

Key findings revealed that only six percent of Native American remains and objects at CSU campuses had been returned since passage of the 1990 Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, or NAGPRA, and the CalNAGPRA 2001 enactment.

The auditor found that CSU campuses have almost 700,000 collections, but the number is expected to grow.

When NAGPRA was approved, institutions such as universities and museums were given until 1995 to inventory and return collections in their possession.

“This is a heartbreaking report for Indian Country. Like the University of California system, our CSU system has done almost nothing to comply with federal and state law in the 33 years since passage of NAGPRA or the 22 years since CalNAGPRA became law,” Ramos said. “After decades, only a small fraction of the collections have been properly restored to the appropriate tribal descendants. As a Native American, I am angered and saddened by this ongoing display of dismissive disrespect to California’s First People and the law.”

Ramos, the first and only California Native American elected to the state legislature, stated he would request a hearing to follow up on the auditor’s findings and to determine whether existing accountability measures, such as fines, could be enforced against campuses not following the law.

“It is unfortunate that California tribes still have to deal with this issue many years later. We have been calling for repatriation since before NAGPRA’s inception. Today’s auditor report only highlighted what we already know - our ancestors’ remains and cultural items are still not returned home,” said Regina Cuellar, Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians Tribal chairwoman. “We hope that with the report, the legislature gets behind Assemblymember Ramos’ efforts to ensure proper repatriation.”

“I want to thank the Auditor for bringing well-researched data to lawmakers and for increasing awareness of important issues. Both the CSU and UC systems have failed miserably at returning Native American remains and artifacts to the appropriate tribes,” Ramos stated. He added that community colleges should also face similar scrutiny.

Key findings from the report include:

• Twelve of the 21 campuses with collections have not finished the reviews required by NAGPRA, and 16 campuses have little or no repatriation activity.
• Two campuses returned remains without following NAGPRA notification requirements which call for notifying the Federal Register and other tribes.
• The Chancellor’s Office has not provided the necessary guidance, oversight and funding to the CSU campuses.
• Campuses lack oversight, knowledge, funding and staff to advance repatriation.

LAKEPORT, Calif. — With the July 4 holiday just around the corner, officials with the city of Lakeport are reminding community members about the rules governing the use of safe and sane fireworks in the city.

Lakeport is the only area of Lake County where safe and sane fireworks are legal to sell and use for the Independence Day holiday.

That use is limited to the brief period from July 1 to 4.

Hours of discharge in Lakeport are 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. July 1 to 3, and 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. July 4.

A safe firework area will be set up at the end of Fourth Street near Clear Lake.

Use of fireworks on private property, such as shopping centers, is only allowed by permission of the property owner, according to Lakeport Municipal Code.

The municipal code also prohibits the use of any fireworks within 10 feet of a residence, dwelling or other structure used for human habitation.

Text FIREWORKS to 888777 for public safety information for the city of Lakeport.

In all other parts of Lake County, officials emphasize that all fireworks are illegal to use.

In the run up to July 4, Cal Fire said this week that it is maintaining a zero tolerance stance on illegal fireworks.

Email Elizabeth Larson at elarson@lakeconews.com. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.