LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Internet age has enabled scammers to operate without coming face to face with potential victims, and Lake County residents are urged to be aware of a scam that involves a demand for ransom that this week was used to target community members.
The California Highway Patrol’s Clear Lake Area office reported that a victim of this phone scam came to the Kelseyville office on Wednesday, terrified that his girlfriend had been kidnapped for ransom.
A quick investigation by the CHP revealed that the man’s girlfriend was safe and not in danger.
He had been duped by the ongoing scam, which tries to scare unsuspecting people into believing harm will come to their loved ones if they don’t comply.
The CHP said the scam isn’t new, but it wants to raise awareness and educate community members so they will be less likely to be victimized.
The scam typically begins with a phone call saying your family member is being held captive. The caller may allege your daughter has been kidnapped and you hear a female screaming in the background.
Another variant of the fraud has a family member being held because he or she caused an auto accident, is injured and won't be allowed to go to the hospital until damages are paid.
Callers will typically provide the victim with specific instructions to ensure a safe return of the family member. You may be ordered to stay on the line until money is wired. The caller may claim not to have received the money and may demand more payment.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation says that to avoid becoming a victim of this extortion scheme, look for the following possible indicators:
– Incoming calls come from an outside area code, sometimes from Puerto Rico with area codes 787, 939 and 856. – Calls do not come from the alleged kidnapped victim's phone. – Callers go to great lengths to keep you on the phone. – Callers prevent you from calling or locating the "kidnapped" victim. – Ransom money is only accepted via wire transfer service. In today's incident, the caller requested cash.
If you receive a phone call from someone who demands payment of a ransom for a kidnapped victim, the following should be considered:
– Try to slow the situation down. Request to speak to the victim directly. Ask, "How do I know my loved one is OK?" – If the callers don't let you speak to the victim, ask them to describe the victim or describe the vehicle the victim drives, if applicable. – Listen carefully to the voice of the kidnapped victim if he/she speaks. – Attempt to call, text, or contact the alleged victim via social media. Request that the victim call back from his or her cell phone. – While staying on the line with the alleged kidnappers, try to call the alleged kidnap victim from another phone. – To buy time, repeat the caller's request and tell them you are writing. down the demand, or tell the caller you need additional time to meet their demands. – Don't directly challenge or argue with the caller. Keep your voice low and steady. – Request the alleged kidnapper allow the victim to call you back from his/her cell phone. – At the earliest opportunity, notify your local police department.
To help prevent this scam, check privacy settings on social media accounts and revisit the information you publicize on those accounts. The more information available to the public, the more information scammers can use to convince you into believing a scam is real.
With the New Year just around the corner, the California Department of Motor Vehicles wants to inform the public about several new laws or changes to existing law that, unless otherwise noted, take effect Jan. 1, 2019.
Temporary License Plate Program (AB 516, Mullin)
This law requires licensed California dealers, of new and used vehicles to attach temporary paper license plates on a vehicle at the point of sale if that vehicle does not display license plates previously issued by the DMV. The temporary license plates contain a unique number and expiration date.
No vehicle can be driven off the dealership lot without the temporary license plate affixed to it unless it already has issued plates. The intent of this new law is to reduce the number of toll violators and improve safety for law enforcement.
Gender Identity Female, Male, or Nonbinary (SB 179, Atkins)
This law allows individuals applying for a California driver license or identification card to self-certify their chosen gender category of male, female or nonbinary in the application. Applicants who select nonbinary will receive a card with an “X” in the gender category.
Driving Under the Influence – Ignition Interlock Device (SB 1046, Hill)
From Jan. 1, 2019, to Jan. 1, 2026, this law mandates repeat offenders for driving under the influence (DUI) and first DUI offenders whose violations resulted in injury, to install an ignition interlock device (IID) for a period ranging from 12 to 48 months.
This law also allows those who receive a suspension under the Administrative Per Se law to obtain an IID-restricted driving privilege, and receive credit toward their required IID restriction period if they are later convicted of a DUI. These provisions apply to DUI violations that involve alcohol or the combined use of alcohol and drugs. They do not apply to drug-only violations.
Additionally, courts have the discretion to order a non-injury first DUI offender to install an IID for a period of up to 6 months. If the court does not order IID installation, a non-injury first offender may apply for a driver license for IID restrictions or restrictions that allow them to drive to, from, and during their employment and to and from a DUI treatment program for 12 months. Previously, an IID pilot program was only in effect in Alameda, Los Angeles, Sacramento and Tulare counties.
Smog Check Changes and New Abatement Fees (AB 1274, O’Donnell)
This law expands the existing smog check exemption to vehicles that are up to eight model years old, up from the current exemption of six model years.
During the additional two years of exemption, these vehicles will pay an annual $25 smog abatement fee. The current annual $20 smog abatement fee for the first six years of exemption remains unchanged.
Driving Privilege for Minors (AB 2685, Lackey)
This law repeals a juvenile court’s authority to suspend, restrict or delay the issuance of a driver license of a habitual truant or ward of the state for up to one year. The law clarifies that any suspensions or delays reported prior to January 1, 2019, remain in effect.
Motorized Scooters, (AB 2989, Flora)
Bicycle helmets are no longer required for riders of motorized scooters who are age 18 or older. It also amends existing law to prohibit a person from operating a motorized scooter on a highway with a speed limit greater than 25 miles per hour, unless it is within a Class IV bikeway as well as a Class II bikeway. However, it permits local authorities to authorize the operation of motorized scooters on roads with speed limits up to 35 miles per hour outside of a Class II or Class IV bikeway.
Unsafe, unsecured loads on vehicles (AB 1925, Choi)
This law requires the DMV to include at least one question addressing laws pertaining to driving with an unsafe, unsecured load in at least 20 percent of the knowledge tests administered to driver license applicants.
Unsecured loads, such as ladders, buckets and loose items in the back of pickup trucks, can be dangerous for motorists when they fall onto the road. Therefore, all vehicle loads must be covered or secured.
High-Occupancy Vehicle Lanes (AB 544, Bloom)
As previously announced, AB 544 created a new program to grant low-emission vehicles and transitional zero-emission vehicles access to high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes for an approximate four-year period, regardless of the vehicle occupancy level. A green or white decal is valid until Jan. 1, 2019, and vehicles displaying these decals no longer have access to HOV lanes.
Vehicles that were issued a green or white decal between Jan. 1, 2017, and March 1, 2018, are eligible to apply for a red decal that grants them access to HOV lanes until Jan. 1, 2022. The DMV notified these customers of their eligibility by mail. The DMV will issue light purple decals in 2019 that will grant access to HOV lanes until Jan. 1, 2023.
Decals are available to applicants who have not applied for or received a consumer rebate pursuant to the Clean Vehicle Rebate Project, unless they meet annual income requirements. For more information or to apply, visit DMV’s Clean Air Vehicle Decals webpage. Visit the California Air Resources Board website for additional information on vehicle eligibility.
One of the most famous photographs of the Apollo era, the Earth appearing to rise above the moon’s limb, taken by the Apollo 8 crew on Dec. 24, 1968. Image courtesy of NASA. Precisely on time on Dec. 24, 1968, Mission Control lost contact with Apollo 8 and its crew of Frank Borman, James A. Lovell and William A. Anders.
And everyone at NASA and onboard Apollo 8 was happy about that.
It meant that the spacecraft and crew were on a precise trajectory to swing behind the moon, and if all went well, to fire the Service Module’s Service Propulsion System, or SPS, engine to slow their velocity just enough to allow the moon’s gravitational field to capture them.
With a successful lunar orbit insertion burn, they would become the first crewed spacecraft in lunar orbit, and Mission Control would regain the signal after 32 minutes and 37 seconds. If it didn’t fire at all, they would regain the signal in 22 minutes and it meant Apollo 8 was heading back to Earth. And of course, a variety of engine malfunctions could result in different signal reacquisition times.
While NASA and the world awaited to hear from Apollo 8, Borman, Lovell and Anders busied themselves with preparing for the engine burn. Just a few minutes before ignition, the crew got its first glimpse of the moon.
During the 66-hour coast to the moon, the spacecraft was oriented with the SPS engine facing in the direction of travel, so the windows were pointed toward the Earth.
Now, about 70 miles above its surface, the moon finally entered into their field of view and the Apollo 8 crewmembers became the first humans to directly see the farside.
Exactly on schedule, the SPS engine lit up and burned for just over four minutes, placing Apollo 8 into an elliptical 70-by-195-mile orbit around the moon.
Just as expected, Mission Control began receiving telemetry from Apollo 8 as it came out from behind the moon, followed by Lovell’s simple call, “Houston, Apollo 8. Burn complete.”
From Mission Control, Capcom Carr replied, “Apollo 8, this is Houston. Good to hear your voice.”
As they passed over the Sea of Fertility, Lovell provided this commentary: “The Moon is essentially grey, no color; looks like plaster of Paris or sort of a grayish beach sand. We can see quite a bit of detail. … The craters are all rounded off. There's quite a few of them, some of them are newer.”
They also flew over the two most easterly of the five potential sites for the first moon landing, providing verbal narration and taking photographs.
For the next 20 hours, Apollo 8 remained in orbit around the moon, each revolution taking about two hours, of which 45 minutes was spent out of radio contact with Earth while the spacecraft flew behind the Moon.
The astronauts began their second revolution with a 12-minute TV broadcast showing the moon as it appeared to them through the spacecraft window.
At the end of the second revolution, once again behind the moon, the crew performed the second lunar orbit insertion burn using the SPS engine and lasting less than 10 seconds to circularize the orbit at 70 miles.
The trio conducted extensive photography of the lunar surface, mostly of the farside given it had more sunlight, but also of proposed landing sites on the nearside.
At the beginning of the fourth revolution, as they were about to round the backside of the moon, the astronauts caught sight of the Earth appearing above the lunar limb.
Anders snapped some of the most iconic photos of the Apollo program, first in black and white and then the more famous color Earthrise images.
Borman, Lovell, and Anders began their ninth revolution with a TV broadcast, first showing viewers the Earth and then pointing the camera down to the moon’s surface.
As the spacecraft flew on, they described the terrain they were seeing, including the possible landing site for the first lunar landing in the Sea of Tranquility.
Each crewmember provided the viewers with his personal impression of the moon and the mission.
They closed out the 27-minute broadcast by taking turns reading the first 10 verses from the Book of Genesis, and then signing off by wishing everyone on Earth a Merry Christmas.
It is estimated that one billion people in 64 countries around the world were tuned in to the Christmas Eve broadcast.
At the end of their 10th revolution, at 89 hours and 19 minutes into the flight and once again out of communication with Earth, the Apollo 8 astronauts fired the spacecraft’s SPS engine for the Trans Earth Injection burn.
While Mission Control waited for confirmation of the burn, the crew had its last look at the moon’s farside.
Then, precisely on schedule, contact was re-established indicating a successful three-minute and 23-second burn. Apollo 8 was heading home to Earth.
Lovell radioed to Houston, “Please be informed there is a Santa Claus.”
It was now Christmas Day in Houston.
Apollo 8’s Christmas Eve TV broadcast can be viewed below.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – As the winter holiday season continues, the California Highway Patrol asks motorists to resolve to start the New Year with safe celebrations.
This means planning not to drive impaired or distracted.
The CHP will observe the New Year with a maximum enforcement period from 6:01 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 28, to 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 1.
All available personnel will be on duty. The CHP will focus on impaired drivers, but officers will also watch for distracted driving, speeding, and seat belt violations, as well as motorists in need of assistance.
During last year’s New Year’s MEP, 40 people died in collisions on California roadways. Sadly, more than two-thirds of the vehicle occupants killed within CHP jurisdiction were not wearing a seat belt.
In addition, CHP officers made 936 arrests for driving under the influence during the New Year’s MEP, which was one day shorter than the upcoming holiday enforcement effort.
“Impairment of any kind while driving is illegal. Alcohol, cannabis, or legal or illegal drugs can all affect your driving,” CHP Commissioner Warren Stanley said. “Impaired driving is a serious crime that can lead to an arrest, serious injury or death.”
The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety has found that an overwhelming majority of drivers – almost 95 percent – consider driving after drinking alcohol a serious threat to their personal safety.
However, 13.5 percent reported driving at least once in the past year when they thought their alcohol levels might have been close to or possibly over the legal limit.
More than 90 percent of drivers perceive people driving after using illegal drugs to be a serious threat to their personal safety.
Planning for a safe ride to and from festivities is easy and smart. Numerous alternatives to driving impaired are available, including ride-hailing services, public transportation, or calling a taxi or a sober friend or family member.
Linda Saab, Wayne State University and Arash Javanbakht, Wayne State University
Even Santa can get worn out, which can lead to getting the blues. Stokkete
This time of the year brings a lot of changes to the usual day-to-day life of hundreds of millions of people: The weather is colder, trees are naked, snowy days become plentiful and friendly critters are less visible around the neighborhood. Especially in the Western Hemisphere, this time of the year is also linked to a lot of joyous celebrations and traditions. Most children and many adults have been excited for this time of the year to come for months, and they love the aura of celebrations, with their gatherings, gifts, cookies, emails and cards.
Alas, there are also millions who have to deal with darker emotions as the world literally darkens around them.
The holiday blues – that feeling of being in a lower or more anxious mood amid the significant change in our environment and the multitude of stressors that the holidays can bring – is a phenomenon that is yet to be researched thoroughly. However, as academic psychiatrists and neuroscience researchers, we have seen how several factors contribute to this experience.
Why feel blue in the red and green season?
There are many reasons to feel stressed or even downright overwhelmed during this time of year, in addition to the expectations set around us.
Memories of holidays past, either fond or sad, can create a sense of loss this time of year. We may find ourselves missing people who are no longer with us, and carrying on the same traditions without them can be a strong reminder of their absence.
The sense of burden or obligation, both socially or financially, can be significant. We can get caught up in the commercial aspects of gift giving, wanting to find that perfect item for family and friends. Many set their sights on special gifts, and we often can feel stretched thin trying to find a balance between making our loved ones happy and keeping our bank accounts from being in the black.
It’s also a time for gathering with those close to us, which can stir up many emotions, both good and bad. Some may find themselves away from or without close connections and end up isolated and withdrawn, further disconnected from others. On the other hand, many people find themselves feeling overwhelmed by the combination of potlucks and Secret Santas stacking up through multiple invitations, be it at school, work, or from friends and family – leaving us with the difficult position of not wanting to disappoint others, while not getting totally depleted by all the constant socializing.
Great expectations
People often feel disappointed when reality does not meet expectations. The larger the mismatch, the worse the negative feelings. One of us (Arash) often finds himself telling his patients: Childhood fairy tales can set an unrealistic bar in our minds about life. I wish we were told more real stories, taking the bad with the good, as we would get hurt less when faced with difficult realities of life, and learn how to especially appreciate our good fortunes.
These days viewers are showered with Christmas and New Year’s Eve movies, almost all of which sound and feel like fairy tales. People get married, get rich, fall in love or reconnect with their loved ones. Even unhappy events within “A Christmas Carol” conclude with a happy ending. These all, besides exposure to only happy moments and beautiful gifts (courtesy of Santa), dazzling Christmas decorations, and picturesque family scenes on social media, often set an unrealistic expectation for how this time of the year “should” feel.
Reality is different, though, and at its best is not always as colorful. There may be disagreements about hows, wheres, whats and whos of the celebration, and not all family members, friends and relatives get along well at parties. And as we feel lonelier, we may find ourselves spending more time immersed in TV and social media, leading to more exposure to unrealistic views of the holidays and feeling all the worse about our situation.
When is blue a red flag?
While many experience the more transient “holiday blues” this time of year, it is important not to miss more serious conditions like seasonal mood changes, which in its most severe case leads to clinical depression, including Seasonal Affective Disorder. SAD consists of episodes of depression or a worsening of existing depression during the late fall and early winter. The person may feel depressed and hopeless, or they may find it difficult to focus, sleep, or be motivated – they can even feel suicidal. As our emotions can color our thoughts and memories, a depressed person may remember more negative memories, have a more negative perception and interpretation of the events, and feel upset about the holidays.
In such cases, the sadness is “coincident” with the holidays and not caused solely by its circumstances. It is important to seek professional help with SAD, as we have effective treatments available, such as medications and light therapy.
What to do to minimize the blues?
Set realistic expectations: One readily available strategy is simply reframing the beliefs we have about what the holidays “should” be like. Not all parties will go perfectly. Some decorations may break, or kids may wake up grumpy or not be exhilarated by their gifts – but it doesn’t have to stop us from enjoying all the good moments.
Set firm boundaries: Too many invitations to social events? Too many financial demands? Set clear limits about what you are able and willing to do, whether that means declining some social events and setting your own limit on spending this year, focusing more on meaningful experiences over expense. This can be spending time with loved ones or getting creative with homemade gifts.
Feeling alone? There are many ways to steer clear of isolating this time of year. Reaching out to friends, volunteering at animal shelters, local charities or attending community meetups or religious events can be a great way to stay connected while also bringing happiness to ourselves and others.
Making new memories: Starting a new tradition, either solo or with loved ones, can help create fond new memories of the holidays, no longer overshadowed by the past.
Take care of yourself: It’s important to remember the value of self-care, including eating and drinking in moderation (as alcohol can worsen a depressed mood), exercising (even a short walk), and treating yourself this holiday season by doing something you enjoy.
While the holiday blues are most often temporary, it’s important to identify when things have crossed over into clinical depression, which is more severe and longer lasting. It also impairs daily functioning. For these symptoms it is often helpful and necessary to seek professional help. This can consist of counseling or use of medications, or both, to help treat symptoms.
Currently, half of the world's measured precipitation that falls in a year falls in just 12 days, according to a new analysis of data collected at weather stations across the globe.
By century's end, climate models project that this lopsided distribution of rain and snow is likely to become even more skewed, with half of annual precipitation falling in 11 days.
These results are published in Geophysical Research Letters, a journal of the American Geophysical Union.
Previous studies have shown that we can expect both an increase in extreme weather events and a smaller increase in average annual precipitation in the future as the climate warms, but researchers are still exploring the relationship between those two trends.
"This study shows how those two pieces fit together," said Angeline Pendergrass, a scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research, or NCAR, and the lead author of the new study. "What we found is that the expected increases happen when it's already the wettest — the rainiest days get rainier."
The findings, which suggest that flooding and the damage associated with it could also increase, have implications for water managers, urban planners, and emergency responders. The research results are also a concern for agriculture, which is more productive when rainfall is spread more evenly over the growing season.
The research was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy and the National Science Foundation, which is NCAR's sponsor.
What it means to be extreme
Scientists who study extreme precipitation — and how such events may change in the future — have used a variety of metrics to define what qualifies as "extreme." Pendergrass noticed that in some cases the definitions were so broad that extreme precipitation events actually included the bulk of all precipitation.
In those instances, "extreme precipitation" and "average precipitation" became essentially the same thing, making it difficult for scientists to understand from existing studies how the two would change independently as the climate warms.
Other research teams have also been grappling with this problem. For example, a recent paper tried to quantify the unevenness of precipitation by adapting the Gini coefficient, a statistical tool often used to quantify income inequality, to instead look at the distribution of rainfall.
Pendergrass wanted to find something even simpler and more intuitive that could be easily understood by both the public and other scientists. In the end, she chose to quantify the number of days it would take for half of a year's precipitation to fall. The results surprised her.
"I would have guessed the number would be larger — perhaps a month," she said. "But when we looked at the median, or midpoint, from all the available observation stations, the number was just 12 days."
For the analysis, Pendergrass worked with Reto Knutti, of the Institute for Atmospheric and Climate Science in Zurich, Switzerland. They used data from 185 ground stations for the 16 years from 1999 through 2014, a period when measurements could be validated against data from the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite. While the stations were dispersed globally, the majority were in North America, Eurasia, and Australia.
To look forward, the scientists used simulations from 36 of the world's leading climate models that had data for daily precipitation. Then they pinpointed what the climate model projections for the last 16 years of this century would translate to for the individual observation stations.
They found that total annual precipitation at the observation stations increased slightly in the model runs, but the additional precipitation did not fall evenly. Instead, half of the extra rain and snow fell over just six days.
This contributed to total precipitation also falling more unevenly than it does today, with half of a year's total precipitation falling in just 11 days by 2100, compared to 12 in the current climate.
"While climate models generally project just a small increase in rain in general, we find this increase comes as a handful of events with much more rain and, therefore, could result in more negative impacts, including flooding," Pendergrass said. "We need to take this into account when we think about how to prepare for the future."
The University Corporation for Atmospheric Research manages the National Center for Atmospheric Research under sponsorship by the National Science Foundation. Any opinions, findings and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – This fall Lake County’s real estate market continued to make gains over last year while showing a median price decrease.
The Lake County Association of Realtors reported that the median sales prices for October and November pulled back from the September median sales price of $281,500.
The October median was $259,000 and the November median came in at $255,000.
On a year-to-year basis the 2018 October median was 3.6 percent greater than the October 2017 median, and the 2018 November median was up 2 percent over November of 2017.
In October 2018 there were 71 sales and in November the number of sales was 61. On a year-to-year comparison October sales were up 2.9 percent over the 2017 sales and November sales down by 21.8 percent.
“The trends that we are seeing in Lake County are similar to what economists are predicting for the 2019 California real estate market,” commented Mary Benson, LCAOR’s 2019 president. “If predictions hold true, we will see a slowing of price increases in 2019 along with a slight decrease in the number of sales.”
For the two months conventional loans accounted for 43 percent of the sales, with FHA loans being used in 20.5 percent of the transactions and VA loans being utilized in 3.1 percent of the deals. Cash was used to finance 23.9 percent of the sales.
On a statewide level the California Association of Realtors reported that existing, single-family home sales totaled 381,400 in November on a seasonally adjusted annualized rate, down 3.9 percent from October and down 13.4 percent from November 2017.
November’s median home price for the state was $554,760, down 3.0 percent from October but up 1.5 percent from November 2017.
The statewide Unsold Inventory Index was 3.7 months in November. In Lake County inventory levels were at 6.2 months.
Affordability continues to be a challenge in California with 26 percent of the state’s residents being able to purchase a median price home.
The California Association of Realtors reported 37 percent of Lake County residents could afford a median priced Lake County home and nationwide 53 percent of residents could afford the national median priced home.
The 30-year, fixed-mortgage interest rates averaged 4.87 percent in November, up from 3.92 percent in November 2017, according to Freddie Mac.
The five-year, adjustable mortgage interest rate edged higher in November to an average of 4.11 percent up from 3.24 percent in November 2017.
LAKE COUNTY NUMBERS AT A GLANCE
November 2018 Median price: $255,000 Units sold: 61 Median days to sell: 60
October 2018 Median price: $259,000 Units sold: 71 Median days to sell: 51
November 2017 Median price: $249,950 Units sold: 78 Median days to sell: 54
Members of the Clearlake Police Department prepare to head out on Christmas deliveries with Santa Claus on Monday, December 24, 2018, in Clearlake, Calif. Photo courtesy of the Clearlake Police Officers Association. CLEARLAKE, Calif. – Clearlake Police officers helped spread Christmas cheer to local families this week.
On Christmas Eve members of the Clearlake Police Officers Association assisted Santa Claus in delivering toys to several families in the city of Clearlake.
This happy Christmas Day errand has been a tradition for the Clearlake Police Officers Association for more than 15 years, according to association President Ryan Peterson.
Throughout the year, members of the Police Officers Association meet a lot of families and children who are going through difficult times, Peterson said.
Through theses contacts, Peterson said families are chosen and contacted to see if they would like a visit from Santa Claus.
Santa Claus making a delivery in Clearlake, Calif., on Monday, December 24, 2018. Photo courtesy of the Clearlake Police Officers Association. Police officers then collect handwritten letters from the children and deliver them to Santa Claus, Peterson said.
On Christmas Eve, Santa Claus was given a personal escort to deliver toys to the children, which this year resulted in 20 children receiving a visit from Santa Claus, according to Peterson.
“This program means a lot to the Clearlake Police Officers Association and has been successful because of community support,” he said.
Peterson added, “The Clearlake Police Officers Association would like to wish the community we serve a Merry Christmas and a safe holiday season.”
Members of the Clearlake Police Officers Association delivering presents on Monday, December 24, 2018, in Clearlake, Calif. Photo courtesy of the Clearlake Police Officers Association.
CLEARLAKE, Calif. – A fire on Sunday night destroyed a Clearlake home.
The fire in the 2900 block of 10th Street initially was reported shortly after 7 p.m., according to emergency radio traffic.
Lake County Fire Chief Willie Sapeta told Lake County News that the home was fully involved when it was reported, and that’s what firefighters found when they arrived.
Radio reports indicated the fire was knocked down before 7:30 p.m., but that it required at least two hours of overhaul by crews on scene.
Sapeta said the home – a newer modular – was a complete loss.
In addition to Lake County Fire, Cal fire responded, based on radio reports.
Altogether, four engines, a water tender, a medic unit and Sapeta responded to the fire, he said.
Sapeta said Sunday night that the fire’s cause was under investigation.
Earlier in the day, Lake County Fire Protection District and Cal Fire firefighters also responded to a report of a fire in a home in the 16000 block of 33rd Avenue. When they arrived, they found smoke coming from the roof.
Sapeta said that home wasn’t destroyed, with the fire’s damage limited to a room and its contents.
He said that fire’s cause also was being investigated.
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.
Members of the Big Valley 4H Club and Lake County Trowel and Trellis Club planting bulbs at the Ely Stage Stop and Country Museum in Kelseyville, Calif., in November 2018. Courtesy photo. KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – On a beautiful Lake County November Sunday, two groups met at the Ely Stage Stop & Country Museum in Kelseyville to plant 1,840 daffodil bulbs on the hill between the farmhouse and the barn and around the vintage farm equipment.
Families of the Big Valley 4H Club and members of the Lake County Trowel and Trellis Club partnered together to plant the bulbs.
It was a wonderful project for all ages. It will be a spectacular scene of yellow on the property next spring.
With thanks to the many hands and men with rototillers, the project was completed in a record time of two hours.
This project was possible because of generous monetary donations and the energy of many people. The grateful Ely docents provided homemade cookies, hot cider and hot cocoa.
The Ely Stage Stop & Country Museum is located at 9921 Soda Bay Road between Kelseyville and Lower Lake.
The museum showcases a beautiful 1880s farmhouse with antiques, a handsome barn full of antique wagons, a San Francisco trolley car and a Blacksmith Shop that is being built. Throughout the property there are many beautiful antique tractors and wagons.
Admission is free; donations are gratefully accepted to fund the many ongoing projects.
The first Sunday of every month, there is a Fiddlers' Jam which keeps toes tapping.
The current visiting hours are Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Docents are available to tell the stories of old Lake County.
Marilyn Holdenried is a docent at the Ely Stage Stop & Country Museum.
Members of the Big Valley 4H Club and Lake County Trowel and Trellis Club planted more than 1,800 bulbs at the Ely Stage Stop and Country Museum in Kelseyville, Calif., in November 2018. Courtesy photo.
Gov. Edmund G. Brown Jr. announced on Monday that he has granted 143 pardons and 131 commutations.
The individuals who were granted clemency had been convicted of crimes ranging from drug possession to murder.
There were no Lake County cases included, but clemency was granted in cases from the neighboring counties of Glenn, Sonoma and Yolo.
Individuals who have been convicted of a crime in California may apply to the governor for a pardon.
Those granted pardons all completed their prison sentences years ago and the majority were convicted of drug-related or other nonviolent crimes.
Pardons are not granted unless they are earned.
A gubernatorial pardon may be granted to individuals who have demonstrated exemplary behavior and have lived productive and law-abiding lives following their conviction.
The process includes eligible individuals obtaining a Certificate of Rehabilitation, which is an order from a superior court declaring that a person convicted of a crime is now rehabilitated.
When a pardon is granted, the California Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation are notified so that they may update their records on the applicant.
The pardon is filed with the Secretary of State’s Office and the Legislature, and it is a public record.
Individuals currently serving a sentence for a conviction by the California courts can petition to have their sentence reduced by applying for a commutation.
In the majority of these commutations, the individuals have been granted the opportunity to make their case before the Board of Parole Hearings, which will determine whether they are ready to be paroled.
Additionally, Gov. Brown on Monday issued an order regarding the pending application for executive clemency submitted by Kevin Cooper, which directs limited retesting of certain physical evidence in the case and appoints a retired judge as a special master to oversee this testing, its scope and protocols.
This order comes after the administration requested additional information from Mr. Cooper’s legal counsel and the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office earlier this year and thoroughly reviewed the record.
Copies of the gubernatorial pardons and commutations can be found here. Additional information on pardons and commutations can be found here.
LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Board of Supervisors will hold a special meeting this week – its last gathering of the year – to handle several items related to local emergencies.
The board will meet beginning at 10 a.m. Friday, Dec. 28, in the board chambers on the first floor of the Lake County Courthouse, 255 N. Forbes St., Lakeport.
The meeting can be watched live on Channel 8 and online at https://countyoflake.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx. Accompanying board documents, the agenda and archived board meeting videos also are available at that link.
The short meeting agenda includes continuing proclamations of local emergencies for the Mendocino Complex, Pawnee fire, Sulphur fire, Clayton fire and the atmospheric river storm.
The full agenda follows.
TIMED ITEMS
4.1, 10 a.m.: Consideration of continuing a proclamation of a local health emergency by the Lake County health officer due to the Mendocino Complex fire.
4.2, 10:01 a.m.: (a) Consideration of continuing a proclamation of a local emergency due to the Mendocino Complex fire incident (River and Ranch fires); and (b) update on the Mendocino Complex - River and Ranch fires recovery.
4.3, 10:02 a.m.: Consideration of continuing a proclamation of a local emergency due to the Pawnee fire incident.
4.4, 10:03 a.m.: Consideration of continuing a proclamation of a local emergency due to the Sulphur fire incident.
4.5, 10:04 a.m.: Consideration of continuing a proclamation of a local emergency due to Clayton fire.
4.6, 10:05 a.m.: Consideration of continuing a proclamation of a local emergency due to the atmospheric river storm.
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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