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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — On Tuesday, Feb. 22, Congressman Mike Thompson (CA-05) and Assemblymember Cecilia Aguiar-Curry will hold a Zoom town hall.

The event will take place from 6 to 7 p.m.

All constituents of California’s Fifth Congressional District and California’s Fourth Assembly District are invited to attend.

To RSVP, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for a Zoom link or watch live on Rep. Thompson’s Facebook page.

Aguiar-Curry represents the 4th Assembly District, which includes all of Lake and Napa Counties, parts of Colusa, Solano and Sonoma Counties, and all of Yolo County except West Sacramento.
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CLEARLAKE, Calif. — Clearlake Animal Control has many different types of dogs waiting to be adopted.

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

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

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

The newest dogs are listed at the top of the following list.

“Andy.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control.

‘Andy’

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

He is dog No. 48995415.

“Annie.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control.

‘Annie’

“Annie” is a female Labrador retriever mix with a short black coat.

She is dog No. 49409961.

“Bear.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control.

‘Bear’

“Bear” is a male Labrador retriever-American pit bull mix with a short charcoal and fawn coat.

He has been neutered.

He is dog No. 48443153.

“Bear No. 2.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control.

‘Bear No. 2’

“Bear No. 2” is a male American pit bull mix with a short tan coat.

He has been neutered.

He is dog No. 48731556.

“Bella.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control.

‘Bella’

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

She has been spayed.

She is dog No. 48448381.

“Chai.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control.

‘Chai’

“Chai” is a female Alaskan husky mix with a gray and white coat.

She has been spayed.

She is dog No. 49279552.

“Claire.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control.

‘Claire’

“Claire” is a female border collie mix with a short black and white coat.

She has been spayed.

Claire is dog No. 49397880.

“Ebenezer.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control.

‘Ebenezer’

“Ebenezer” is a male American pit bull terrier mix with a short tan and white coat.

He is dog No. 49191651.

“Edgar.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control.

‘Edgar’

“Edgar” is a male terrier-American pit bull mix with a black and cream coat.

He has been neutered.

He is dog No. 48634546.

“Fritz.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control.

‘Fritz’

“Fritz” is a male Australian shepherd mix with a black and white coat.

He is dog No. 49278179.

“Isabella.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control.

‘Isabella’

“Isabella” is a female Chihuahua mix with a short tan coat.

She is dog No. 49292130.

“Jaxx.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control.

‘Jaxx’

“Jaxx” is a male Doberman pinscher mix with a black and rust-colored coat.

He has been neutered.

He is dog No. 49022184.

“Nala.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control.

‘Nala’

“Nala” is a 1-year-old female German shepherd mix.

She has a medium-length black and tan coat.

She is dog No. 48289638.

“Priscilla.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control.

‘Priscilla’

“Priscilla” is a female Brittany spaniel mix with a white and copper coat.

She is dog No. 49089138.

“Sassy.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control.

‘Sassy’

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

She has been spayed.

She is dog No. 48443128.

“Snowball.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control.

‘Snowball’

“Snowball” is a male American Staffordshire mix terrier with a white coat.

He is dog No. 49159168.

“Terry.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control.

‘Terry’

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

He is dog No. 48443693.

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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NORTH COAST, Calif. — The Mendocino-Lake Community College District recently locked in $12.7 million of savings for local taxpayers by refinancing a portion of its existing general obligation bonds.

The district had previously taken advantage of a similar refinancing opportunity in 2015, saving taxpayers over $36.5 million.

The combined savings from both bond refinancings now totals approximately $49.2 million, which will be realized by district taxpayers in the form of lower property tax bills.

Under the leadership of the Mendocino-Lake Community College District Board of Trustees, the district administration chose to take advantage of lower interest rates to refinance bonds from its Measure W authorization without extending the term of those bonds.

The district was able to reduce the interest rates on the prior bonds from an average of 5.13% to 4.23%, reducing the community’s tax bill by a total of $12,680,680 over the life of the bond refinancing.

Prior to the bond sale, the district received a credit rating upgrade from Moody’s Investors Service.

In its credit report, Moody’s noted that the rating increase from “A1” to “Aa3” is reflective of “continued solid growth in District tax base,” “steadily improving and strong reserves,” and “prudent fiscal management.”

This high rating allowed the Mendocino-Lake Community College District to attract a broad base of investors which included banks, insurance companies and investment/asset managers.

While the district will not receive any part of the savings, the board of trustees and district administration pursued this opportunity strictly on behalf of local taxpayers as part of their continued support for district students.

“We are thankful to the residents of the Mendocino-Lake Community College District for approving Measure W in 2006," said Superintendent/President Tim Karas.

Karas said bond funds were expended in December 2014 to build the North County Center (Willits), Lake Center (Lakeport), Library/Learning Resource Center (Ukiah) and provide other much needed facility improvements.

“As prudent stewards of public finances, we took action to lower local taxpayer bills,” Karas said.
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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — Lake County Animal Care and Control has more new dogs this week needing new homes.

Dogs available for adoption this week include mixes of Anatolian shepherd, Australian cattle dog, border collie, Chihuahua, fox terrier, German shepherd, Great Pyrenees, husky, Labrador retriever, Rhodesian ridgeback, Shar-Pei, shepherd, pit bull, wirehaired terrier and Weimaraner.

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 website 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 2-year-old male Weimaraner is in kennel No. 3, ID No. LCAC-A-2701. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control.

Male Weimaraner

This 2-year-old male Weimaraner has a short gray coat.

He is in kennel No. 3, ID No. LCAC-A-2701.

This female German shepherd is in kennel No. 4, ID No. LCAC-A-2598. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control.

Female German shepherd

This female German shepherd has a short black and tan coat.

She is in kennel No. 4, ID No. LCAC-A-2598.

This 2-year-old female fox terrier is in kennel No. 6, ID No. LCAC-A-2628. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control.

Female fox terrier

This 2-year-old female fox terrier has a short brown and white coat.

She is in kennel No. 6, ID No. LCAC-A-2628.

This 5-year-old male fox terrier is in kennel No. 7, ID No. LCAC-A-2637. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control.

Male fox terrier

This 5-year-old male fox terrier has a short black and white coat.

He is in kennel No. 7, ID No. LCAC-A-2637.

This female husky-shepherd puppy is in kennel No. 8, ID No. LCAC-A-2763. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control.

Female husky-shepherd puppy

This female husky-shepherd puppy has a white coat.

She is in kennel No. 8, ID No. LCAC-A-2763.

“Panda” is a 3-year-old male pit bull mix in kennel No. 11, ID No. LCAC-A-361. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control.

‘Panda’

“Panda” is a 3-year-old male pit bull mix with a short black and white coat.

He is in kennel No. 11, ID No. LCAC-A-361.

“Ruby” is a 2-year-old female Shar-Pei-Rhodesian ridgeback mix in kennel No. 13, ID No. LCAC-A-2560. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control.

‘Ruby’

“Ruby” is a 2-year-old female Shar-Pei-Rhodesian ridgeback mix with a short tan coat.

She is in kennel No. 13, ID No. LCAC-A-2560.

This 2-year-old male pit bull in kennel No. 14, ID No. LCAC-A-2473. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control.

Male pit bull

This 2-year-old male pit bull has a short black and white coat.

He is in kennel No. 14, ID No. LCAC-A-2473.

This 4-year-old female Labrador retriever is in kennel No. 18, ID No. LCAC-A-2694. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control.

Female Labrador retriever

This 4-year-old female Labrador retriever has a short black coat.

She is in kennel No. 18, ID No. LCAC-A-2694.

This 3-year-old male Labrador retriever is in kennel No. 21, ID No. LCAC-A-2745. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control.

Male Labrador retriever

This 3-year-old male Labrador retriever has a short black coat.

He is in kennel No. 21, ID No. LCAC-A-2745.

This 2-year-old female Anatolian shepherd mix is in kennel No. 23, ID No. LCAC-A-2535. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control.

Anatolian shepherd mix

This 2-year-old female Anatolian shepherd mix has a short tan coat with black markings.

She is in kennel No. 23, ID No. LCAC-A-2535.

This 3-year-old female border collie mix is in kennel No. 27, ID No. LCAC-A-2641. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control.

Female border collie mix

This 3-year-old female border collie mix has a tricolor coat and blue eyes.

She is in kennel No. 27, ID No. LCAC-A-2641.

“Turbo” is a 2-year-old male wirehaired terrier in kennel No. 31, ID No. LCAC-A-2587. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control.

‘Turbo’

“Turbo” is a 2-year-old male wirehaired terrier with a cream-colored coat.

He is in kennel No. 31, ID No. LCAC-A-2587.

This 1-year-old female shepherd-Australian cattle dog mix is in kennel No. 33, ID No. LCAC-A-2534. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control.

‘Ginger’

“Ginger” is a 1-year-old female shepherd-Australian cattle dog mix with a cream and white coat.

She is in kennel No. 33, ID No. LCAC-A-2534.

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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On Friday, Feb. 18, 2022, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced gun safety package at Del Mar Fairgrounds, where the sale of firearms and ammunition was prohibited under legislation he signed into law in 2019.

Alongside California Attorney General Rob Bonta, legislators and local leaders, Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday announced a new gun safety legislation package to expand the state’s nation-leading protections against gun violence.

The package includes a measure the governor called for in December to help hold the gun industry accountable through private lawsuits, and a bill that would prohibit advertising of certain categories of weapons to children.

“California will continue to lead the fight to end gun violence with bold action to tackle the national crisis putting millions of Californians at risk,” said Gov. Newsom. “It’s time to go on the offensive with new measures that empower individuals to hold irresponsible and negligent gun industry actors to account, crack down on shameful advertising that targets our kids and more. This is not about attacking law-abiding gun owners — it’s about stopping the tragic violence ravaging communities across the country.”

Following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision allowing Texas's ban on most abortion services to remain in place, Gov. Newsom directed his administration to work with the Legislature to propose a measure like the bill introduced by Sen. Robert Hertzberg (D-Van Nuys) on Friday, modeled on the structure of Texas’s abortion law.

The bill would allow private citizens to sue anyone who manufactures, distributes, transports, imports into the state or sells assault weapons, .50 BMG rifles, ghost guns, or ghost gun kits.

"In a just world, a woman's right to choose would be sacrosanct, and California's people would be protected from ghost guns and assault weapons. Sadly, a misguided Supreme Court decision has turned common sense on its head. With this bill, we take advantage of the Court’s flawed logic to protect all Californians and save lives,” said Sen. Hertzberg.

Also included, AB 1594 by Assembly members Philip Ting (D-San Francisco), Mike Gipson (D-Carson) and Christopher Ward (D-San Diego) would allow individuals and the California Attorney General to sue manufacturers and sellers of firearms for the harm caused by their product.

In 2005, Congress passed the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act, which shields gun manufacturers and dealers from civil suits when crimes are committed using the guns they produce. AB 1594 utilizes an exemption to the federal statute that allows gun makers or sellers to be sued for violations of state laws concerning the sale or marketing of firearms.

“No industry should get a special exemption from protecting their customers, but especially not an industry responsible for the deaths of thousands of Americans every year,” said Attorney General Bonta. “In 2005, the federal government stripped Americans of the right to hold gun manufacturers and distributors responsible for the damage their conduct causes when their products are used unlawfully – leaving only a narrow exception for such lawsuits. Today, using that exception, we begin the process of restoring these rights in California. AB 1594 requires the gun industry to take reasonable steps to make sure their products are not used unlawfully. If the gun industry ignores this responsibility – one that is common for companies in nearly every industry in the country – this bill gives victims and their families an additional legal pathway for holding the firearm industry financially responsible.”

“We must make our communities safer. Almost every industry in the United States can be held liable for what their products do, but the gun industry is not held to the same standard. Financial repercussions may finally push them to be more responsible by improving their practices and adhering to California’s strict gun laws,” said Assemblymember Ting.

"The U.S. has less than 5% of the world's population, yet we make up nearly a third of the world's mass shootings," said Assemblymember Ward. "This is a public health crisis that the federal government has continually failed to address. California must take action and hold irresponsible, reckless and negligent gun manufacturers, distributors and sellers accountable."

The administration also worked closely with the Legislature to introduce AB 2571 by Assembly member Rebecca Bauer-Kahan (D-Orinda), which proposes to identify certain categories of weapons, for example, semi-automatic weapons or firearms of a certain caliber, that cannot be marketed to minors under any circumstances.

In addition, Gov. Newsom highlighted AB 1621 by Assemblymember Gipson to further restrict ghost guns in California by bringing the state into compliance with a proposed new federal rule that would cause many gun kits and “80 percent receivers'' to be regulated the same as fully functional firearms and finished receivers. Under the legislation, these couldn’t be sold without a serial number or without the buyer undergoing a background check.

“Gun manufacturers view our children as their next generation of customers, and target them with slick and manipulative advertising. The advertising for these weapons is shameless. Children in California are not allowed to buy or own a gun, yet they are advertised across all forms of media with cartoons, video games, and social media. I’m proud to stand with Gov. Newsom on these important reforms — enough is enough,” said Assembly member Bauer-Kahan.

“Even before the pandemic, stories from families of gun violence have kept me up at night. My own son and his fiancé were victims … and this issue has only gotten worse. In the community of Watts which I represent, there were 22 homicides from January through November of 2020, nearly double the number from the year before,” said Assemblymember Gipson. “For communities alike, gun violence is our wildfire that we work diligently trying to contain. And the casualties are our babies, sisters, brothers, friends and acquaintances — all deserving of life but were cut short of their potential. To say that this issue is personal to me is an understatement, and sending thoughts and prayers just isn’t enough.”

Gipson said AB 1621 seeks to eradicate ghost guns from our streets, “and this effort is nothing short of a lifesaving, common sense approach toward providing justice for families who have continued to bear the burden of losing a loved one through incidents that could have otherwise been prevented. We need the comprehensive reform which each bill in this package together aims to provide - this is wholeheartedly about saving lives, and nothing less.”

The governor’s proposed Real Public Safety Plan would create a new statewide gun buyback program to provide matching grants and safe-disposal opportunities to get guns off our streets, and includes additional funding for California’s gun violence research center at the University of California, Davis.

California pioneered statewide gun safety protections, approved by voters in Proposition 63, to ban possession of large-capacity ammunition magazines and require background checks to keep ammunition out of the hands of dangerous people.

Since assuming office, Gov. Newsom has signed multiple bills aimed at reducing gun violence, including strengthening gun violence restraining orders, regulating the sale of firearms and ammunition and accelerating the regulation of ghost guns.

The 2021 state budget invested $200 million in the CalVIP program, which supports initiatives designed to break the cycle of violence in disproportionately impacted communities.

The budget also provided $11 million to facilitate outreach, education and training efforts related to gun violence restraining orders and $10.3 million for local law enforcement agencies to support the seizure of firearms from individuals prohibited from possessing them.
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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — State officials said nearly 30% of the properties in Lake County whose owners enrolled in California's statewide Consolidated Debris Removal Program following last year's Cache fire have cleared the entire debris removal process and been returned to county officials to begin the permitting process for reconstruction.

The 24 properties returned to county officials represent 29.6% of the 81 properties in the county that are enrolled in either the full debris removal program or the hazardous trees only element of the program.

Of the 81 properties, 78 are participating in the full debris removal program. The remaining three properties are participating in the program's hazardous trees only element.

Under the program, administered by the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services, or Cal OES, and the California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery, or CalRecycle, in collaboration with county officials, participating property owners incur no direct costs.

To date, state debris officials have returned 246, or 11.9%, of 2,067 properties statewide participating in the full or hazardous trees only element of the program to their respective county to begin the permitting process.

To date, state-managed crews have completed the removal of burned metal, concrete, ash, and contaminated soil generated by the 2021 wildfires from 1,243, or 72.1% of the 1,724 properties enrolled in the full debris removal program.

Earlier this month, crews finished clearing eligible wildfire debris from all 78 properties in the county participating in the full debris removal program.

Crews also finished removing eligible debris from all 19 properties in Mendocino County whose owners opted into the full debris removal program after the Hopkins fire.

Wildfire survivors had the option to either use their own contractor or enroll in the state-managed program.

Of the properties with damage from the 2021 fires, 1,724 signed up to have the remains of their homes and other structures cleared by the state.

Another 343 property owners chose to participate in the hazardous trees only element of the program.
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A midlevel solar flare that peaked at 8:13 p.m. EDT on Oct. 1, 2015, captured by NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory. Credits: NASA/SDO.

NASA has selected two science missions — the Multi-slit Solar Explorer, or MUSE, and HelioSwarm — to help improve our understanding of the dynamics of the Sun, the Sun-Earth connection, and the constantly changing space environment.

These missions will provide deeper insights into our universe and offer critical information to help protect astronauts, satellites, and communications signals such as GPS.

“MUSE and HelioSwarm will provide new and deeper insight into the solar atmosphere and space weather,” said Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator for science at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “These missions not only extend the science of our other heliophysics missions — they also provide a unique perspective and a novel approach to understanding the mysteries of our star.”

MUSE

The MUSE mission will help scientists understand the forces driving the heating of the Sun’s corona and the eruptions in that outermost region that are at the foundation of space weather.

The mission will offer deeper insight into the physics of the solar atmosphere by using a powerful instrument known as a multi-slit spectrometer to observe the Sun’s extreme ultraviolet radiation and obtain the highest resolution images ever captured of the solar transition region and the corona.

The mission will also provide complementary observations from heliophysics research such as the Extreme UltraViolet Spectroscopic Telescope and ground-based observatories.

“MUSE will help us fill crucial gaps in knowledge pertaining to the Sun-Earth connection,” said Nicola Fox, director of the Heliophysics Division at NASA Headquarters. “It will provide more insight into space weather and complements a host of other missions within the heliophysics mission fleet.”

The primary goal of the MUSE mission is to investigate the causes of coronal heating and instability, such as flares and coronal mass ejections, and gain insight into the basic plasma properties of the corona. MUSE will obtain high-resolution images of the evolution of solar flare ribbons in a field of view focused on a large, active region on the Sun.

The principal investigator for the MUSE mission is Bart DePontieu of the Lockheed Martin Advanced Technology Center, or LMATC, of Palo Alto, California. This mission has a budget of $192 million. LMATC will provide project management.

HelioSwarm

The HelioSwarm mission is a constellation or “swarm” of nine spacecraft that will capture the first multiscale in-space measurements of fluctuations in the magnetic field and motions of the solar wind known as solar wind turbulence.

The Sun’s outermost atmospheric layer, the heliosphere, encompasses an enormous region of the solar system. Solar winds spread through the heliosphere, and their interactions with planetary magnetospheres and disruptions such as coronal mass ejections affect their turbulence.

Studying solar wind turbulence across large areas requires plasma measurements taken simultaneously from different points in space. HelioSwarm consists of one hub spacecraft and eight co-orbiting small satellites that range in distance from each other and the hub spacecraft. The hub spacecraft will maintain radio contact with each small satellite.

All radio contact between the swarm and Earth will be conducted through the hub spacecraft and the NASA Deep Space Network of spacecraft communication antennas.

“The technical innovation of HelioSwarm’s small satellites operating together as a constellation provides the unique ability to investigate turbulence and its evolution in the solar wind,” said Peg Luce, deputy director of the Heliophysics Division.

The HelioSwarm mission’s principal investigator is Harlan Spence from the University of New Hampshire. The mission’s budget is $250 million. NASA’s Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley, California, will provide project management.

Funding and management oversight for these missions is provided by the Heliophysics Explorers Program, managed by the Explorers Program Office at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.

For more information on heliophysics missions, visit https://www.nasa.gov/sunearth.
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The National Aeronautics and Space Administration, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, United States Geological Survey and other U.S. government agencies project that the rise in ocean height in the next 30 years could equal the total rise seen over the past 100 years.

Coastal flooding will increase significantly over the next 30 years because of sea level rise, according to a new report by an interagency sea level rise task force that includes NASA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA, and other federal agencies.

Titled Global and Regional Sea Level Rise Scenarios for the United States, the Feb. 15 report concludes that sea level along U.S. coastlines will rise between 10 to 12 inches (25 to 30 centimeters) on average above today’s levels by 2050.

The report – an update to a 2017 report – forecasts sea level to the year 2150 and, for the first time, offers near-term projections for the next 30 years.

Agencies at the federal, state, and local levels use these reports to inform their plans on anticipating and coping with the effects of sea level rise.

“This report supports previous studies and confirms what we have long known: Sea levels are continuing to rise at an alarming rate, endangering communities around the world. Science is indisputable and urgent action is required to mitigate a climate crisis that is well underway,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. “NASA is steadfast in our commitment to protecting our home planet by expanding our monitoring capabilities and continuing to ensure our climate data is not only accessible but understandable.”

The task force developed their near-term sea level rise projections by drawing on an improved understanding of how the processes that contribute to rising seas – such as melting glaciers and ice sheets as well as complex interactions between ocean, land, and ice – will affect ocean height.

“That understanding has really advanced since the 2017 report, which gave us more certainty over how much sea level rise we’ll get in the coming decades,” said Ben Hamlington, a research scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California and one of the update’s lead authors.

NASA’s Sea Level Change Team, led by Hamlington, has also developed an online mapping tool to visualize the report’s state-of-the-art sea level rise projections on a localized level across the U.S.

“The hope is that the online tool will help make the information as widely accessible as possible,” Hamlington said.

The Interagency Sea Level Rise Task Force projects an uptick in the frequency and intensity of high-tide coastal flooding, otherwise known as nuisance flooding, because of higher sea level. It also notes that if greenhouse gas emissions continue to increase, global temperatures will become even greater, leading to a greater likelihood that sea level rise by the end of the century will exceed the projections in the 2022 update.

“It takes a village to make climate predictions. When you combine NASA’s scenarios of global sea level rise with NOAA’s estimates of extreme water levels and the U.S. Geological Survey’s impact studies, you get a robust national estimate of the projected future that awaits American coastal communities and our economic infrastructure in 20, 30, or 100 years from now,” said Nadya Vinogradova Shiffer, who directs the NASA Sea Level Change Team at NASA Headquarters in Washington.

“This is a global wake-up call and gives Americans the information needed to act now to best position ourselves for the future,” said NOAA Administrator Rick Spinrad, Ph.D. “As we build a Climate Ready Nation, these updated data can inform coastal communities and others about current and future vulnerabilities in the face of climate change and help them make smart decisions to keep people and property safe over the long run.”

Building on a research legacy

The Global and Regional Sea Level Rise report incorporates sea level projections from the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) assessment, released by the United Nations in August 2021.

The IPCC reports, issued every five to seven years, provide global evaluations of Earth’s climate and use analyses based on computer simulations, among other data.

A separate forthcoming report known as the Fifth National Climate Assessment, produced by the U.S. Global Change Research Program, is the latest in a series summarizing the impacts of climate change on the U.S., and it will in turn use the results from the Global and Regional Sea Level Rise report in its analysis. The Climate Assessment is slated to publish in 2023.

NASA sea level researchers have years of experience studying how Earth’s changing climate will affect the ocean. Their work includes research forecasting how much coastal flooding U.S. communities will experience in 10 years, helping to visualize IPCC data on global sea level rise using an online visualization tool, and launching satellites that contribute data to a decades-long record of global sea surface height.

Learn more about sea level and climate change here.

Jane J. Lee works for NASA.
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As California emerges from the Omicron surge, Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday unveiled the state’s SMARTER Plan, the next phase of California’s pandemic response.

Building on lessons learned over the past two years and the state’s ongoing commitment to equity, the SMARTER Plan will guide California’s strategic approach to managing COVID-19 while moving the state’s recovery forward.

Emphasizing continued readiness, awareness and flexibility, the Plan will ensure California can maintain its focus on communities that continue to be disproportionately impacted, and stay prepared to swiftly and effectively respond to emerging COVID-19 variants and changing conditions.

Read the California SMARTER Plan: The Next Phase of California’s COVID-19 Response here.

“As we enter the next phase of the pandemic, the state is better equipped than ever to protect Californians from COVID-19 with smart strategies that save lives and advance our ongoing recovery,” said Newsom. “Building on proven tools — rooted in science and data — that have been honed over the past two years, we’re keeping our guard up with a focus on continued readiness, awareness and flexibility to adapt to the evolving pandemic. As we have throughout the pandemic, the state will continue applying the lessons we’ve learned about the virus to keep California moving forward.”

The SMARTER Plan’s core pillars and preparedness metrics focus on lifesaving public health measures and strategies the state has successfully used to slow the spread and protect Californians.

Recognizing that each variant brings with it unique characteristics relative to the specific conditions in our neighborhoods and communities, the plan preserves needed flexibility and ensures the state has the resources and capabilities in place to tackle the COVID-19 challenges that lie ahead:

• Shots: Vaccines are the most powerful weapon against hospitalization and serious illness. Under the plan, California will maintain capacity to administer at least 200,000 vaccines per day on top of existing pharmacy and provider infrastructure.
• Masks: Properly worn masks with good filtration help slow the spread of COVID-19 or other respiratory viruses. The state will maintain a stockpile of 75 million high quality masks and the capability to distribute them as needed.
• Awareness: We will continue to stay aware of how COVID-19 is spreading and evolving variants, communicate clearly how people should protect themselves, and coordinate our state and local government response. California will maintain capability to promote vaccination, masking and other mitigation measures in all 58 counties and support engagement with at least 150 community-based organizations.
• Readiness: COVID-19 isn’t going away and we need to be ready with the tools, resources and supplies that will allow us to quickly respond to protect public health and to keep the health care system well prepared. The state will maintain wastewater surveillance in all regions and enhance respiratory surveillance in the health care system while continuing to sequence at least 10% of positive COVID-19 test specimens. The state will also maintain the ability to add 3,000 clinical staff within 2-3 weeks of need and across various health care facility types.
• Testing: Getting the right type of tests — PCR or antigen — to where they are needed most. Testing will help California minimize the spread of COVID-19. California will maintain commercial and local public health capacity statewide to perform at least 500,000 tests per day — a combination of PCR and antigen.
• Education: California will continue to work to keep schools open and children safely in classrooms for in-person instruction. The state will expand by 25 percent school-based vaccination sites supported by the state to increase vaccination rates as eligibility expands.
• Rx: Evolving and improving treatments will become increasingly available and critical as a tool to save lives. The state will maximize orders for the most clinically effective therapeutic available through federal partnerships, ensuring allocations of effective therapeutics are ordered within 48-hours.

The SMARTER Plan maintains the state’s focus on targeted investments and outreach to tackle COVID-19 health disparities in disproportionately impacted communities.

The plan features a new COVID-19 Assessment and Action Unit to monitor data and front line conditions in real-time.

It also includes building upon a robust, regionally-based wastewater surveillance and genome sequencing network to have early and rapid insights into the changing nature of the virus and early identification of variants.

In collaboration with external partners and the federal government, California will launch the first-in-the-nation impacts of COVID-19 longitudinal cohort study to examine the direct and indirect impacts of COVID-19 on individuals and communities over time.

Under the plan, the state is pursuing a public-private partnership with a test manufacturer to drive down the costs of at-home tests while securing a reliable and timely supply chain for California.

The state will also continue taking steps to ensure our health care facilities can continue to ramp up with additional staff and resources to respond to potential surges while minimizing strain on our health care systems.

"California is prepared to lean in on the principles that have made us successful in our COVID-19 response. Under the SMARTER Plan, we will use the significant knowledge we have gained and the tools and resources we have developed over the last two years to adapt and respond to whatever is next," said California Health and Human Services Agency Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly. "Californians should rest assured we are ready and prepared to meet any public health challenges that may lie ahead."

Since the onset of the pandemic, California has led the nation’s fight against COVID-19 with early, robust public health measures that officials said have saved tens of thousands of lives, contributing to California’s maintaining one of the lowest death rates among large states.

California’s pandemic response to date has administered more than 70 million COVID-19 vaccines; distributed more than 870 million N-95 and surgical masks; deployed more than 28,000 state supported staff to support health care facilities; and administered more than 140 million COVID-19 tests, distributed 33 million at-home COVID-19 antigen tests and established more than 7,500 testing sites statewide.

The state has also significantly closed disparities in infection and death rates in disproportionately impacted communities through equity-focused vaccination and testing outreach and culturally-competent engagement and information.

National and state leaders in the public health and health care communities are offering their support to the SMARTER Plan.

“SMARTER is just that. It’s a plan to take all that we’ve learned from the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic and use that knowledge to go forward. COVID-19 will be with us for several years to come, and having a nimble plan that can respond strategically to the twists and turns the pandemic will undoubtedly take will be invaluable for Californians,” said George W. Rutherford, MD, AM, professor of epidemiology, preventive medicine, pediatrics and history, and head of the Division of Infectious Disease and Global Epidemiology in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics School of Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco.

“California leads the USA in the most important statistic: fewest deaths per capita from COVID-19 among large states. It is no accident. It takes determined leadership. The last two years have not been easy and the next stage won’t be easy either, but Governor Newsom’s new SMARTER Plan is a very big step forward,” said Larry Brilliant MD, MPH, an epidemiologist, technologist, philanthropist and author who worked with the World Health Organization from 1973 to 1976, helping to successfully eradicate smallpox.
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Center, Supervisor Jessica Pyska hands a check to Debbie St. Cyr, executive director, Redwood Trails Alliance.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — Work is underway to increase recreation opportunities and, in so doing, to improve the health of Lake County residents.

During the midyear budget presentation at the Board of Supervisors’ meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 8, Supervisor Jessica Pyska, announced actions to make healthier living more accessible in District 5.

Pyska is dedicating $25,000 in cannabis tax funds to the Friends of Boggs and Redwood Trail Alliance, kicking off a $100,000 “Bring Back Boggs” fundraising campaign to rebuild trails in Boggs forest.

“Boggs Mountain Demonstration State Forest has long been a premier mountain biking destination,” said Pyska. “Two big races in May will bring several thousand people, for the first time since before the Valley fire. Bringing Back Boggs means a healthier, more economically vibrant Lake County. My family and I are in Boggs every week hiking, biking and exploring.”

Debbie St. Cyr, executive director of Redwood Trails Alliance, appreciates Pyska’s work to motivate support that goes beyond financial contributions: “She has shown up with her family to get dirty and dig trails in our beloved forest.”

“Please join me in thanking Debbie, Redwood Trails Alliance and the Friends of Boggs Mountain for their commitment to the recovery of the trails,” said Pyska. “We wouldn’t be here without their hard work and dedication.”

Follow @TrailsAlliance and @FOBMCA to learn what you can do to help Bring Back Boggs.

Pathways to creating a ‘Blue Zone’ in Lake County

On Dec 14, the Board of Supervisors adopted a resolution supporting the Blue Zones Project Lake County, which is a “community-wide, evidence-based” effort to, “improve health and well-being,” and “[make] healthier choices easier for everyone.”

“Greater access to trails is one facet of promoting this philosophy in all of Lake County,” said Pyska.

“People are more likely to get in the habit of exercising when activities and amenities are accessible in their own areas,” said Jamey Gill, executive director of the Blue Zones Project Lake County. “Positive social connections also build our capacity to make healthy choices, boosting our sense of well-being, and even lowering rates of chronic disease. Getting involved with initiatives like ‘Bring Back Boggs,’ and regularly staying active and engaged with others not only brings economic benefits and workplace productivity to communities, it can help you live longer, and enjoy greater quality of life.”

Promoting well-being by limiting wildfire risk

“In California,” said Pyska, “doing all we can to limit the risk of large-scale wildfire events is critical to our well-being. That is why I also plan to dedicate cannabis funding this fiscal year to support the Northshore Fire Fund. Chief Mike Ciancio and his team use proven vegetation and wildfire fuel management techniques to protect the communities they serve. We are currently in talks to partner to bring those fuels crews and practices to District 5, and hope to announce an agreement soon.”

With Lake County currently in the midst of another dry winter, being proactive to mitigate wildfire risk can mean fewer days of smoke-driven air quality concerns this summer and fall.

“My fellow board members and I want to see every Lake County resident have the opportunity to maximize their potential,” said Pyska. “Doing what we can to foster a healthy environment and access to amenities that promote more active lifestyle choices in every community is essential, and I am thrilled to be able to support these steps to realize that vision.”
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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The Clearlake City Council on Thursday voted to extend a consulting agreement that it’s hoped will lead to the development of the city’s former airport property as a major commercial center.

City Manager Alan Flora asked the council to consider amending the consulting agreement between the city and Margetich/Sutter Equities in order to extend it through the end of April. The contract cost is $10,000 per month.

Flora’s written report said the agreement created a partnership that’s intended to lead to a master development agreement of the entire Pearce Field property, which includes about 40 acres along Highway 53.

This new partnership has been focusing on determining retail interests and coordinating project planning efforts, Flora explained in his report.

The city has long had a goal of developing a large shopping center at the site. At one point a decade ago the city was ready to move forward on a plan with a developer when it was stopped by a lawsuit filed by the Sierra Club.

In the last few years, Flora said the city has been putting a lot of effort into developing the property.

He said the city has been working with Amar Cheema with Sutter Equities for awhile, and it was Cheema who then brought in other partners, including Greg Margetich of Margetich Development.

“They’ve been talking to us about possibly stepping in as master developer of this overall project,” said Flora.

They decided to move forward initially through a 60-day consulting contract to help integrate the development group into what the city has been working on and allow them to begin attracting additional possible tenants to the site, Flora said.

That work has been going on since January. Flora said he believes it’s going well and the partners are interested in continuing to move forward with the city.

He said the new agreement would be for another 60 days. He said the goal is to come back before the end of April with a purchase or option agreement in which it would be turned over to the company to complete the property’s development in partnership with the city.

Margetich and Cheema were on hand to answer questions.

Margetich told the council that other development partners include longtime Lake County business owner Bill Brunetti, and broker Steve Edwards, who specializes in retail.

Margetich said they are excited about the project and appreciate the opportunity.

“We feel like we’ve got a really good opportunity to see this to fruition,” he said, adding that he applauded the city for having the fortitude to move the project forward and commit investment dollars to it.

Councilman Russ Cremer asked Margetich about how he felt about the basic design work.

Margetich said they have spoken with the consulting firm the city hired to do the design.

“These things, they evolve and they change but you have to start somewhere,” he said.

He added, “It’s really a user-driven, tenant-driven project.”

Cremer asked if they would reveal who those users are. Flora said it wasn’t the appropriate forum to discuss it.

Margetich said he would ask, too. Cremer said he asks every week.

Councilwoman Joyce Overton asked to clarify if the company was looking for a purchase agreement.

“At this point, that’s the goal for both sides,” said Flora.

Cremer moved to amend the agreement, with Councilman Russ Perdock seconding and the council voting 5-0.

Also on Thursday, the council presented proclamations in honor of Black History Month and Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month; met Edgar, one of the city shelter’s adoptable dogs; approved the sale of a city-owned parcel at 3578 Redwood St.; and voted to oppose Voter Initiative No. 21-0042A1, the Taxpayer Protection and Government Accountability Act, which is expected to be harmful to local governments.

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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Dr. Erik McLaughlin, upper left, was appointed as Lake County’s new Public Health officer on Tuesday, February 15, 2022. Zoom photo.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — Following a recruitment process that has lasted close to a year, the Board of Supervisors this week voted unanimously to hire a new Public Health officer.

The Board of Supervisors emerged from a Tuesday morning closed session to vote unanimously to appoint Dr. Erik McLaughlin to the post.

McLaughlin, who now lives in Las Vegas, said he is very excited to join Lake County’s team and take care of the county’s citizens.

He will serve at 80% time and will be on the third salary step, officials said.

A specific date for when he will begin the job was not given Tuesday.

Officials indicated it’s dependent on him receiving state Medical Board licensure.

The Medical Board of California so far does not show a license for McLaughlin in its online records system.

The Nevada State Board of Medical Examiners’ online record for a Dr. Erik McLaughlin of Las Vegas shows that he has a specialty in family medicine.

He received his medical degree in November 2005 from Saint Christopher’s College of Medicine in Dakar, Senegal, a school that is not included in a list of approved institutions by the Medical Board of California.

His postgraduate training, a residency in family medicine, took place from June 2006 to June 2009 at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, Illinois.

The county has been seeking a new Public Health officer since Dr. Gary Pace announced he was stepping down exactly one year ago.

Pace has since returned to private practice in Sonoma County, although he has continued to offer part-time public health officer duties under contract with Lake County.

Another Sonoma County physician, Dr. Charlie Evans, has provided public health officer-related support to the county over the past year as well.

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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