On Wednesday, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a suite of bills to help address the homelessness crisis and enhance California’s response to people suffering from mental health issues on the streets.

Newsom’s office said the bills are a critical part of his $22 billion housing affordability and homelessness package.

Altogether, the efforts highlighted on Wednesday represent a comprehensive strategy to get more Californians off the streets faster than ever before and into the health services and housing they need — all at a fraction of the cost of previous efforts, Newsom’s office reported.

“We can’t nibble around the edges of the homelessness crisis, we need to implement bold, transformative solutions — investing more money than ever before to get folks off the street and provide the mental health and other services they need to stay off the streets,” said Gov. Newsom.

Newsom said the legislation, along with the $22 billion housing affordability and homelessness package, “will move the needle on creating more housing for the homeless and will allow us to tackle the homelessness crisis in ways California has never done.”

The governor on Wednesday signed a package of bills to increase coordination and accountability of the state’s homelessness spending, including AB 1220 by Assemblymember Luz Rivas (D-Arleta) which reforms the former Homeless Coordinating and Financing Council, renaming it the California Interagency Council on Homelessness, and bolsters the Council’s powers through new data mandates and oversight authorities.

Further linking housing with health care, the legislation names California Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly and Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency Secretary Lourdes Castro Ramírez as Co-Chairs of the Council.

AB 977 by Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel (D-Encino) implements new data mandates under the state’s Homeless Management Information System, allowing policymakers to better track and evaluate the effectiveness of homelessness funding around the state.

The California Interagency Council on Homelessness will also be the entity responsible for receiving, reviewing and ultimately approving homelessness plans submitted by cities, counties and continuums of care as part of the state’s $2 billion local homelessness assistance package through the Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention Program, or HHAP.

Starting now, local governments must commit to quantifiable goals across six standardized metrics and make progress towards meeting or exceeding them in order to receive their full share of HHAP funding. Gov. Newsom demanded this new accountability as part of his multibillion-dollar homelessness investment, and worked with the Legislature to craft these new oversight laws.

The following bills were signed on Wednesday:

AB 27 by Assemblymember Luz Rivas (D-Arleta) — Homeless children and youths and unaccompanied youths: reporting.

AB 362 by Assemblymember Sharon Quirk-Silva (D-Fullerton) — Homeless shelters: safety regulations.

AB 816 by Assemblymember David Chiu (D-San Francisco) — Homelessness: Housing Trust Fund: housing projects.

AB 977 by Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel (D-Encino) — Homelessness program data reporting: Homeless Management Information System.

AB 1220 by Assemblymember Luz Rivas (D-Arleta) — Homelessness: California Interagency Council on Homelessness.

AB 1443 by Assemblymember Kevin McCarty (D-Sacramento) — Mental health: involuntary treatment.

SB 400 by Senator Brian W. Jones (R-Santee) — Homeless children and youths: local educational agencies: collaboration, training, and reporting.

The bills, along with the four housing bills signed earlier this month and the housing affordability bills signed on Tuesday, represent the most comprehensive strategy to address the homelessness and housing affordability crisis in state history.

California is investing an unprecedented $22 billion to tackle these systemic issues, with $12 billion allocated for homelessness and behavioral health services to help get tens of thousands of people off the streets or avoid homelessness altogether.

Combined, the funding will lead to the creation of over 84,000 new affordable homes for Californians, including over 44,000 new housing units and treatment beds for people exiting homelessness.

The new homelessness funding also includes $5.8 billion to add more than 35,000 new housing units through Homekey — a national model for homeless housing.

Gov. Newsom is especially focused on rebuilding the state’s portfolio of housing and treatment options for people with severe behavioral health challenges.

The California Comeback Plan calls for the biggest expansion of this kind of housing and treatment since Gov. Reagan began dismantling California’s mental health system in the late 1960s.

To that end, $3 billion of the homelessness investment is dedicated to housing for people with the most acute behavioral and physical health needs and will create approximately 22,000 new beds and treatment slots.

In addition to the investments addressing homelessness and housing affordability, the California Comeback Plan includes $1.1 billion to clean up the streets of California by partnering with local governments to pick up trash and beautify downtowns, freeways and neighborhoods across California. The program is expected to generate up to 11,000 jobs over three years.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The Middletown Unified School District Board this week ended the employment of its latest superintendent just 15 months after he started the job.

Following a special Monday night closed session, the district’s board of trustees released Superintendent Michael Cox from his contract.

“We appreciate the service and effort that Superintendent Cox provided to MUSD during his tenure. We thank our MUSD community for their patience and support,” said Middletown Unified Board President Misha Grothe in a brief written statement released to Lake County News on Tuesday evening.

Lake County News was unable to reach Cox for comment on Tuesday.

In April 2020, Middletown Unified announced the hiring of Cox, then the principal of the Alternative Education Center located in Silver Valley Unified School District in Southern California.

He began the job with Middletown Unified on July 1, 2020.

At the time of his hire, the board said it was “extraordinarily pleased” with Cox’s selection, saying he “proved himself the best fit to carry forward the vision of the district” and lauding him for a record of driving academic excellence.

So far, the district has not publicly indicated what led to the decision to terminate Cox’s contract.

However, a review of agendas going back to July of 2020 show that the board had held 10 closed session evaluations of Cox, beginning in August of last year.

Since this past June alone, there had been three special meetings called to discuss the superintendent’s performance and three closed session evaluations held during regular meetings.

At the same time, the district was navigating the work of bringing students back to campuses after the COVID-19 pandemic forced a closure to in-person classes last year.

The school board held a brief meeting on Sept. 22 to discuss the acting superintendent. They emerged from closed session, with Grothe announcing that Dr. David Miller would be appointed acting superintendent while the existing superintendent wasn’t available.

Grothe said at the Sept. 22 meeting that the board will negotiate a contract with Miller and it will come before them during their regular meeting on Oct. 13, pursuant to the Brown Act.

At that time, the board voted unanimously to approve Miller’s appointment until Cox was able to return to work.

Then, on Monday, the board followed up with another special session in which the closed session discussion was agendized as an evaluation of the superintendent’s performance. It was at that meeting that the board terminated Cox’s employment.

Miller’s appointment as the district’s acting superintendent is not his first time working with Middletown Unified.

Miller, a retired Mendocino Unified School District superintendent, was appointed Middletown Unified’s interim superintendent in October 2019 following the board’s termination of then-Superintendent Catherine Stone, who had served four years in the job.

In its Tuesday statement, the school board said it will keep the community updated on a regular basis about its next steps in recruiting a new superintendent.

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

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — A judge on Tuesday denied bail to a Clearlake Oaks woman charged with killing her boyfriend in July, finding her to be a flight risk and a danger to the community.

Tammy Sue Grogan-Robinson, 56, made an in-person appearance in Lake County Superior Court before Judge J. David Markham on Tuesday afternoon.

She is accused of the killing of her on-again, off-again boyfriend, 56-year-old Charles Vernon McClelland of Rohnert Park, whose body was found by deputies on the morning of July 7 in the Clearlake Oaks residence where she was living.

Authorities said Grogan-Robinson shot McClelland several times with a handgun.

Grogan-Robinson later left the state for Missouri, where she has family. She was arrested in Missouri in mid-August, less than a week after the District Attorney’s Office charged her with McClelland’s murder.

In an appearance last week via Zoom, Grogan-Robinson told Judge Markham she wanted to hire an attorney after previously having said she wanted to represent herself, as Lake County News has reported.

On Tuesday, attorney Mitch Hauptman, who has made special appearances to act as her defense attorney, asked Markham to lower Grogan-Robinson’s bail from $2 million to an amount she could afford.

Hauptman told the court that Dr. Chris Lombardo, a surgeon who has worked with Grogan-Robinson at a local hospital — she’s a surgical tech — was vouching for her character and willing to provide her with housing should she be released on lowered bail.

During the brief hearing, Hauptman put Grogan-Robinson on the stand for a few minutes to ask her about her assets to determine if she could afford to hire her own attorney. He concluded she had the ability to post bail as high as $75,000 to $100,000 based on a small 401(k) and limited cash she had on hand.

He emphasized that she had no previous criminal record.

Deputy District Attorney Rich Watson argued that Grogan-Robinson should be held without bail, telling the court McClelland’s murder was premeditated.

Watson said that at 8:40 p.m. the night before the murder, Grogan-Robinson texted a friend to say she was going to shoot McClelland in the face. Ten minutes later, she wrote to ask the friend to erase the texts.

Two hours after that, Grogan-Robinson sent another text saying she was going to shoot McClelland because of the way he treated her, Watson said.

Watson argued that Grogan-Robinson was both a flight risk — citing her going to Missouri — and a substantial risk to the community. Even if she was released with an ankle monitor, he said it wouldn’t stop her from going into a jealous rage and harming someone.

In reply, Hauptman said he had a text about a return flight to Lake County that Grogan-Robinson had planned, and which was scheduled for the day after she ended up being arrested.

He said she was planning to return to Lake County but had simply gone to Missouri to be with her family, as she was freaked out because it was her perception that she was the victim of a rape.

Early on in the investigation, Grogan-Robinson told authorities she had killed McClelland after a sexual assault, but sheriff’s detectives later concluded the shooting had not been justified.

In reviewing the case, Markham said he believed Grogan-Robinson had committed the murder and that she had planned it.

“She told people she was going to do it. She did it and then she left the area afterwards,” Markham said.

Markham said he found there is clear and convincing evidence that no conditions of release can protect the public or ensure Grogan-Robinson’s attendance at her trial.

He then ordered her to be held without bail.

Markham set Grogan-Robinson’s next court appearance for 11 a.m. Oct. 13 in his courtroom, at which time her hired attorney is to make a first appearance and she will enter her plea to the charges.

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

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The Board of Supervisors is planning a series of upcoming public hearings as part of the 2021 redistricting process.

All hearings will be held in the board chambers on the first floor of the Lake County Courthouse, 255 N. Forbes St. in Lakeport.

Participation will also be available via Zoom.

The meeting room is wheelchair accessible. Requests for a disability-related modification, language accessibility or other accommodation necessary to participate in the Board of Supervisors meeting should be made in writing to the Clerk of the Board at least 48 hours prior to the meeting.

Public input received may inform redistricting proposals. County-level 2020 U.S. Census data was released Sept. 16.

Additional information, and draft maps, once available will be posted http://www.lakecountyca.gov/redistricting2021/.

A video overview of Lake County’s redistricting process can be viewed above.

The schedule of hearings is as follows.

10 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 2
Public hearing No. 2, Communities of interest
Special Board of Supervisors meeting
Zoom link: https://lakecounty.zoom.us/j/94948700750?pwd=WW9IQk54dVg4ZTJ2RWRlVGdmN290Zz09
Webinar ID: 949 4870 0750
Passcode: 948720

6 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 2
Public hearing No. 3, Draft maps presented
Regular Board of Supervisors meeting
Zoom link: https://lakecounty.zoom.us/j/94684965839?pwd=NEJnQXgxclN0aHRNWGFjb0cyZXJUQT09
Webinar ID: 946 8496 5839
Passcode: 310792

10 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 30
Public hearing No. 4, Adoption of final map
Special Board of Supervisors meeting
Zoom link: https://lakecounty.zoom.us/j/92460090973?pwd=TUk3bEpTYXh5aXpvVWN1TkdLNlBvUT09
Webinar ID: 924 6009 0973
Passcode: 597249

LAKEPORT, Calif. — The trees in downtown Lakeport will glow red this week in honor of firefighters who died in the line of duty during the previous year.

Every October, the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation sponsors the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Weekend, the official national tribute to those firefighters.

In 2017, the foundation created “Light the Night for Fallen Firefighters” to recognize the 25th anniversary of the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation and the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Weekend.

Since then, Light the Night for Fallen Firefighters has expanded to include fire departments and families lighting their homes in red.

As dusk turns to dark, landmarks, homes, fire service organizations and businesses across the country will again glow in respect from Sept. 26 to Oct. 3 to honor the fallen and their families.

City Manager Kevin Ingram said the city of Lakeport is joining this opportunity to reflect on the sacrifice of America’s fallen heroes.

Learn more here.

To provide additional protections against COVID-19 for vulnerable individuals across the state, the California Department of Public Health on Tuesday issued a public health order requiring COVID-19 vaccinations for workers in adult and senior care facilities and those employed in in-home direct care settings.

The order applies to all adult and senior care facilities, certain persons who provide In-Home Supportive Services, certified home care aides, and Waiver Personal Care Services providers, hospice workers who provide services in the home or a licensed facility, and all employees, as well as service provider workers, who provide services through the state’s regional centers that serve individuals with developmental and intellectual disabilities.

“We can and must continue to protect our most vulnerable communities from the ongoing threat of COVID-19,” said Dr. Tomás J. Aragón, CDPH director and state Public Health officer. “These care settings are home to Californians with complex medical conditions, all of whom are at high risk of having severe but preventable outcomes including hospitalization, severe illness, and death. Increasing vaccination rates among those who are providing care will help curb the spread of COVID-19 in these high-risk settings.”

California has reported 19,830 confirmed COVID-19 outbreaks throughout the pandemic, and nearly 50% of those were reported in health care, congregate care, and direct care settings.

Of these outbreaks, the most — 22% — have occurred in adult and senior care facilities and in-home direct care settings and cases and outbreaks often include workers and unvaccinated individuals.

The new vaccine requirement mirrors the state’s vaccine requirement for health care workers announced on Aug. 5.

Workers covered by Tuesday’s order must have their first dose of a one-dose regimen or their second dose of a two-dose regimen by Nov. 30, 2021.

California is leading the nation in vaccinations according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, with more than 50.4 million doses administered and 83.8% of the eligible population having received at least one dose.

However, in recent months the state has seen increasing numbers of individuals – overwhelmingly unvaccinated – contracting COVID-19 and being admitted to the hospital and ICU.

State officials said California remains committed to increasing vaccination rates and urges businesses and local communities to encourage individuals to get vaccinated, as COVID-19 vaccines are safe, effective and free.

Unvaccinated Californians age 12 and up and individuals who are eligible for boosters can go to http://myturn.ca.gov or call 833-422-4255 to schedule an appointment or go to http://myturn.ca.gov/clinic to find a walk-in clinic in their county.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — As the state of California is preparing to implement new food and yard waste collection and recycling rules in January, the Lakeport City Council last week voted to seek a waiver to those rules.

During a brief discussion at its meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 21, the council voted unanimously to adopt a resolution opting to affirm an exemption from the mandatory organics collection requirements of SB 1383.

Compliance Officer Andrew Britton told the council that the law has “significant implications and requirements for governments” that provide disposal services.

HIs written report explained that in 2015 the Lakeport City Council approved Resolution 2540 which was needed to allow an exemption from all requirements of AB 1826, which required jurisdictions to implement an organics recycling program for businesses by Jan. 1, 2016.

He said Lakeport, the city of Clearlake and the county of Lake all received exemption waivers from the state for AB 1826. Those waivers initially expired in early 2020 but were extended by CalRecycle until Dec. 31, 2026.

Britton explained that in September 2016, the state adopted SB 1383, which expanded the scope of AB 1826 and established methane emissions reduction targets in a statewide effort to reduce emissions of short-lived climate pollutants in various sectors of California's economy.

CalRecycle reported that the Short-Lived Climate Pollutant Reduction law, or SB 1383, is part of a comprehensive strategy to fight climate change, calling for a 75% reduction in organic waste disposal by 2025, as well as actions to ensure 20% of currently disposed edible food is redirected to Californians in need.

The law goes into effect on Jan. 1.

CalRecycle reported that food, yard and other organic waste rotting in landfills is a top source of climate super pollutants in the state, and recycling those items is one of the fastest and easiest ways Californians can fight climate change right now.

The agency said 56% of what Californians throw in landfills is food, yard scraps and other organic waste, 1.8 billion still edible meals are thrown away in California every year and 20% of California’s methane comes from landfilled food and other organic waste.

The agency told Lake County News that SB 1383 requires cities and counties to have programs to collect organic waste like food scraps, yard trimmings, cardboard and paper and turn them into compost, biofuel and energy, and grocery stores and other large, food-generating businesses to send still fresh, surplus food to feed people without enough to eat.

By Jan. 1, jurisdictions must provide mandatory organics collection services to all residents and businesses, conduct education and outreach to the community, procure recycled organics products, establish food recovery programs, secure access to recycling and food recovery capacity and monitor compliance and conduct enforcement, CalRecycle reported.

However, the agency said it has included in the regulations waivers and exemptions from certain requirements for low population, high elevation and rural areas, which either delay or exclude implementation of some of the requirements.

CalRecycle told Lake County News that for a county to be considered a rural jurisdiction, it must have a population of less than 70,000 people. Lake County’s last population estimate by the state put it at just under 64,000.

A rural county exemption is common in California solid waste regulations due to the unusually high cost of providing service to generators in these areas, CalRecycle reported.

Action needed to take advantage of exemption

Britton told the council that it needed to accept the resolution regarding the waiver in order to take advantage of the rural jurisdiction exemption CalRecycle offered for SB 1383.

He said CalRecycle’s Local Assistance liaison had received, edited and approved the resolution.

The new exemption waiver will be valid until Dec. 31, 2026, if approved by CalRecycle, Britton said.

When this new waiver concludes in 2026, Britton said the city may qualify for a low population waiver.

Councilman Michael Green moved to approve the resolution affirming the exemption, which the council approved 5-0.

During the meeting, Britton noted that both the city of Clearlake and the county of Lake are taking similar action, having also initiated the process for applying for a waiver to SB 1383.

CalRecycle said that Lake County is eligible for a rural exemption under the SB 1383 regulations and it currently has an exemption from the mandatory commercial organics recycling law also, meaning it will not have to implement the organics recycling collection requirements until Jan. 1, 2027.

“This exemption means they will be waived from some of the other requirements related to organic waste collection, such as education on collection, capacity planning for organic waste collection, organic waste product procurement, and some of the reporting, inspections, and enforcement requirements,” CalRecycle told Lake County News.

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

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — In response to the Cache fire that devastated nearly 60 homes on Aug. 18, the city of Clearlake in partnership with the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services and North Coast Opportunities are providing a workshop on Oct. 4 to support free lot cleanup and hazardous waste removal.

Individuals who own a mobile home, residential home, or a property destroyed by the Cache fire are eligible for free hazardous waste removal by Cal OES, regardless of insurance status.

The city of Clearlake and North Coast Opportunities, or NCO, are urgently seeking property owners whose homes were severely damaged by the Cache fire. Please share this information with applicable property owners.

In order to be eligible, impacted residents must either attend the workshop on Oct. 4 or contact NCO to complete the “right of entry,” or ROE, form.

The ROE form requires homeowners’ insurance information (if applicable), automobile insurance information (if applicable), and a list of any lost vehicles, boats or trailers, septic, propane, water tanks or construction equipment.

This form is due by Oct. 6.

Property owners are legally responsible for debris cleanup; therefore the city of Clearlake and NCO encourage all Cache fire survivors whose property was severely burned to take advantage of this free cleanup opportunity.

Property owners who do not take advantage are responsible for debris removal and all associated costs.

Residents who lived in the areas impacted but whose homes were not severely damaged, or those who were renting, are not required to attend or submit an ROE.

A workshop to answer questions and assist with completion of the form will be held at Clearlake City Hall, 14050 Olympic Drive, on Monday, Oct. 4, from 2 to 6 p.m. Food and snacks will be provided by NCO’s Community Kitchen Project.

NCO and City staff will be available to help fire survivors complete the form, answer questions, and offer other forms of assistance.

“We are grateful to Cal OES for offering this service to our impacted residents,” said Clearlake City Manager Alan Flora. “We strongly encourage anyone who owns a lot within the Cache fire area to apply.”

In addition, NCO is continuing to provide immediate needs support and interim housing support to Cache fire survivors.

If you lost your home during the Cache fire and have not yet applied, please do so here.

You may be eligible for cash assistance and/or temporary housing if you are homeless as a direct result from the Cache fire.

Forms are also available at the city of Clearlake’s website or on NCO’s website.

For more information, please contact the city of Clearlake at 707-994-8201 or NCO at 707-994-2910.

The governor has signed a package of legislation honoring the rich histories and cultures of California Native peoples, facilitating the return of ancestral lands to tribal ownership and supporting tribal government emergency services, among other priorities.

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the bills in a virtual ceremony with leaders of Native American tribes from across the state on Friday, the same day he proclaimed as the 54th annual Native American Day.

The legislation includes AB 338 by Assemblymember James C. Ramos (D-Highland), which authorizes the placement of a monument in Capitol Park honoring Sacramento-area tribes, replacing the sculpture of missionary Junipero Serra, and AB 855 by Assemblymember Ramos to remove Columbus Day as a judicial holiday and replace it with Native American Day in September.

He said the action “sends a powerful message from the grounds of Capitol Park across California underscoring the state’s commitment to reckoning with our past and working to advance a California for All built on our values of inclusion and equity.”

Newsom added, “I’m proud to sign this long overdue legislation to honor the native peoples who have called this land home since time immemorial and to further our important work in partnership with Native American communities to tackle the multifaceted challenges facing California. I thank our legislative and tribal leaders and everyone whose work has enabled us to take these important strides forward as a state.”

“I am proud to have carried these important bills recognizing California’s First People for their unique and diverse heritage and invaluable contributions to our state,” said Assemblymember Ramos, the first California Native American elected to the state Legislature. “Gov. Newsom has worked with us side by side to address historic wrongs and inequities that continue to affect our communities, and I look forward to our continued partnership.”

The governor also signed other bills by Ramos, including AB 945, which creates a task force of tribal representatives to develop recommendations for protecting the right of Native American students to wear items of spiritual or cultural significance at high school graduations; AB 873, which removes share of cost requirements for tribes to administer child welfare services through Tribal-State IV-E agreements, increasing equity and supporting tribal efforts to safeguard the health and welfare of Native American children; and AB 798, which authorizes federally recognized tribal governments to operate, inspect, maintain, and drive emergency vehicles used in fire or law enforcement emergency calls to often isolated Indian reservations.

Another Ramos bill signed by the governor was AB 1055, which extends the same protections to students in tribal foster care as other foster students.

AB 1055 builds upon the work of AB 1962, a 2018 law allowing schools to count tribal foster youth under the state education Local Control Funding Formula. But it did not function as intended because of conflicts with provisions in California’s Welfare and Institutions Code.

Sherry Treppa, chairperson at Habematolel Pomo of Upper Lake tribe, welcomed the bills.

“The Habematolel Pomo of Upper Lake Tribe is very pleased that Gov. Newsom has, on California Native American Day, signed two important bills to help address gaps in state law that affect our most vulnerable tribal citizens, our children. The Habematolel has long supported efforts to protect the Indian Child Welfare Act and include all tribal youth in educational attainment. These bills move the needle in the right direction. Assemblymember Ramos and California Tribal Families Coalition are to be congratulated on these important efforts,” Treppa said.

Also signed on Friday was AB 957 by Assemblyman Rudy Salas (D-Bakersfield) and state Sen. Mike McGuire (D-Healdsburg), which ratified the tribal-state compact between California and the Middletown Rancheria of Pomo Indians.

The tribe owns and operates Twin Pine Casino.

The Middletown Rancheria of Pomo Indians of California was established with the purchase of
108 acres of land, initiated by members of the small tribe in July of 1910. The tribe was
appropriated by the Congressional Act for California landless Indians in 1906.

The ancestors of the Middletown Rancheria, also known as Lake Miwok Indians, found themselves landless and homeless during the 1800s, and newcomers settled in the area of Middletown and throughout Lake County.

The Middletown Rancheria, which established its own constitution, has a mission to preserve and protect its common and natural resources and to provide for the welfare and prosperity of its people.

A full list of the tribal bills signed by the governor is below.

AB 338 by Assemblymember James C. Ramos (D-Highland) — State Capitol grounds.

AB 516 by Assemblymember Megan Dahle (R-Bieber) — Pupil attendance: excused absences: cultural ceremonies or events.

AB 798 by Assemblymember James C. Ramos (D-Highland) — Vehicles: fire department: federally recognized tribes.

AB 855 by Assemblymember James C. Ramos (D-Highland) — Judicial holidays.

AB 873 by Assemblymember James C. Ramos (D-Highland) — Child welfare services: Indian tribes.

AB 945 by Assemblymember James C. Ramos (D-Highland) — Pupils: adornments at school graduation ceremonies: task force.

AB 957 by Assemblymember Rudy Salas (D-Bakersfield) — Tribal gaming: compact ratification.

AB 1055 by Assemblymember James C. Ramos (D-Highland) — Foster youth: tribal pupils and voluntarily placed children.

AB 1283 by Assemblymember Mark Stone (D-Scotts Valley) — Foster care.

SB 231 by Senator Mike McGuire (D-Healdsburg) — Department of Transportation: transfer of property: Blues Beach property.

SB 302 by Senator Bill Dodd (D-Napa) — Tribal gaming: compact ratification.

SB 712 by Senator Ben Hueso (D-San Diego) — Local government: California tribes: federal fee-to-trust applications to regain ancestral lands.

SB 816 by the Committee on Governmental Organization — Master Mutual Aid Agreement: tribes.

NORTH COAST, Calif. — A head-on wreck on Highway 20 in Mendocino County on Monday afternoon killed a Willits man and closed the roadway for several hours.

The wreck occurred at 4:11 p.m. on Highway 20 just east of Marina Drive, according to the California Highway Patrol’s Ukiah Area office.

The CHP on Monday night did not release the name of the man who died pending notification of next of kin.

It also did not identify the second driver, a 26-year-old man from Ukiah who suffered minor injuries.

The agency said the Willits man was driving a 2001 Dodge Ram pickup truck eastbound on Highway 20 at an undetermined speed while towing another 2001 Dodge Ram truck on a flatbed trailer.

For reasons that the CHP said are so far undetermined, the Dodge’s driver lost control of his pickup and it crossed the double yellow lines into the westbound lane.

There, it collided head-on with a 2017 box truck driven by the Ukiah man, the CHP said.

The pickup’s driver was not wearing a seat belt and he sustained fatal injuries, according to the report.

The CHP said the box truck’s driver, who was using his safety equipment, was transported to Howard Memorial Hospital as a precautionary measure.

As of Monday night, the CHP said investigators suspected alcohol and/or drugs were possible factors in the wreck.

The highway was closed while officers conducted the initial investigation, with the CHP reporting shortly after 8 p.m. that the roadway had reopened.

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

For the first time in four years, the estimated number of violent crimes in the nation increased when compared with the previous year’s statistics, according to FBI figures released on Monday.

In 2020, violent crime was up 5.6% from the 2019 number.

Property crimes dropped 7.8%, marking the 18th consecutive year the collective estimates for these offenses declined.

The 2020 statistics show the estimated rate of violent crime was 387.8 offenses per 100,000 inhabitants, and the estimated rate of property crime was 1,958.2 offenses per 100,000 inhabitants.

The violent crime rate rose 5.2% when compared with the 2019 rate; the property crime rate declined 8.1%.

These and additional data are presented in the 2020 edition of the FBI’s annual report Crime in the United States.

The UCR Program collects information on crimes reported by law enforcement agencies regarding the violent crimes of murder and nonnegligent manslaughter, rape, robbery and aggravated assault, as well as the property crimes of burglary, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft, and arson.

The FBI classifies arson as a property crime but does not estimate arson data because of variations in the level of participation by the reporting agencies. Consequently, arson data is not included in the property crime estimate.

The program also collects arrest data for the offenses listed above and 20 offenses that include all other crimes except traffic violations.

Of the 18,619 federal, state, county, city, university and college, and tribal agencies eligible to participate in the UCR Program, 15,897 agencies submitted data in 2020.

A high-level summary of the statistics submitted, as well as estimates for those agencies that did not report, follows:

— In 2020, there were an estimated 1,277,696 violent crimes. When compared with the estimates from 2019, the estimated number of robbery offenses fell 9.3% and the estimated volume of rape (revised definition) offenses decreased 12%. The estimated number of aggravated assault offenses rose 12.1%, and the volume of murder and nonnegligent manslaughter offenses increased 29.4%.

— Nationwide, there were an estimated 6,452,038 property crimes. The estimated numbers for two of the three property crimes showed declines when compared with the previous year’s estimates. Burglaries dropped 7.4%, larceny-thefts decreased 10.6%, while motor vehicle thefts rose 11.8%.

— Collectively, victims of property crimes (excluding arson) suffered losses estimated at $17.5 billion in 2020.

— The FBI estimated law enforcement agencies nationwide made 7.6 million arrests, (excluding those for traffic violations) in 2020.

— The arrest rate for violent crime was 147.9 per 100,000 inhabitants, and the arrest rate for property crime was 267.3 per 100,000 inhabitants.

— By violent crime offense, the arrest rate for murder and nonnegligent manslaughter was 3.8 per 100,000 inhabitants; rape (aggregate total using the revised and legacy definition), 6.3; robbery, 21.0; and aggravated assault, 116.8 per 100,000 inhabitants.

— Of the property crime offenses, the arrest rate for burglary was 45.7 per 100,000 inhabitants; larceny-theft, 193.1; and motor vehicle theft, 25.5. The arrest rate for arson was 3.0 per 100,000 inhabitants.

— In 2020, 13,377 law enforcement agencies reported their staffing levels to the FBI. These agencies reported that, as of Oct. 31, 2020, they collectively employed 696,644 sworn officers and 309,135 civilians — a rate of 3.4 employees per 1,000 inhabitants.

LAKEPORT, Calif. — A new collaborative project is seeking to feed people in need and to connect them to resources for housing and employment opportunities.

“All people deserve access to delicious and nutritious food,” said Deanna Fernweh of North Coast Opportunities' Community Kitchen Project, or CKP. “This project will feed our homeless neighbors, provide a variety of support services to those in need, and develop job skills for cooks-in-training.”

A project of North Coast Opportunities, or NCO, the CKP is a collaboration between the City of Lakeport, Lakeport Police Department and Woodland Community College.

It aims to support Lakeport residents experiencing homelessness or food insecurity by serving ready-to-eat meals and water, twice per week.

Utilizing the new commercial kitchen inside the Silveria Community Center, Fernweh is joined by Chef Jerry Phillips in her mission to feed and support the hungry while offering culinary training.

“Feeding people is just the beginning,” added Fernweh. “In partnership with Woodland Community College, we’ll give students culinary instruction for college credit, allowing them to expand on their growing skill set.”

Phillips, with over 30 years of experience in the restaurant industry, understands the local difficulties of hiring trained cooks.

“This project has it all — it feeds people in need, develops culinary skills in college students, provides on-the-job training to people getting back on their feet, and creates a hiring-pool for local restaurant owners,” he said.

The project began serving meals in late August, starting with direct food-delivery to Lakeport homeless encampments.

Using all biodegradable products, ready-to-eat food is handed to encampment residents by CKP staff, students and volunteers. Eventually, the project hopes to expand into a permanent site or a mobile delivery model.

Sample menu items include roasted chicken and grilled vegetable burritos, braised tri-tip and mashed potatoes, pulled barbecue chicken sandwiches and coleslaw, lemon herb roasted chicken with quinoa sauteed greens, and so much more.

Using a one-on-one approach to build rapport, the goal is to offer additional support services, like referrals to NCO’s New Digs Rapid Rehousing Program, NCO’s Building Homes, Building Lives Program, and referrals to other NCO programs and partner agencies.

“We can’t help people unless we first take the time to get to know them and understand their needs,” said Fernweh. “Food is comfort. Food builds trust.”

In partnership with the Red Cross, the CKP also provided ready to eat meals to Cache Fire evacuees residing at the evacuation shelters.

The CKP is funded through some small grants but mostly relies on contributions from the city of Lakeport and local donations.

“We are thrilled to be working with NCO on this new project,” said Lakeport City Manager Kevin Ingram. “This is the first step in a larger plan to support and ultimately reduce Lakeport’s growing homeless population.”

With a focus on nutrition and sourcing local ingredients, the CKP plans to offer its menu items to all Lake County residents at local events.

“Rest assured that all of Lake County will be able to eat from our menu,” said Phillips. “We plan to be a food vendor at events, often relying on our students to cook and serve.”

While the project is now serving vulnerable residents inside Lakeport city limits, the project hopes to expand to other parts of the county in the coming year.

“This project is about so much more than food,” said Robyn Bera, NCO’s director of community projects. “We have a pipeline of wrap around services and a network of partners with the overarching goal of helping people work through their barriers, build job skills and find employment, and ultimately secure permanent housing.”

CKP staff is currently researching options to expand this project into a mobile, sliding-scale restaurant, allowing customers to simply, “pay what they can,” supporting equality and dignity for everyone in our community.

The success of this new project depends on the community. If you would like to volunteer, donate funds, donate food, learn more, or get involved, please contact Deanna Fernweh at 707-998-8602 or visit the Facebook page for updates.

Donations are also accepted through our website at https://bit.ly/3Ae2OQ8.

The launch of this project is due largely to current and generous supporters, including the Lakeport Lions Club, Lakeport Kiwanis Club, Lakeport Rotary, Woodland Community College and Redwood Empire Food Bank.

NCO is the Community Action Agency that serves Lake and Mendocino Counties, as well as parts of Humboldt, Sonoma, Del Norte and Solano counties. NCO reacts and adjusts to community needs, including homeless advocacy and response. For more information visit www.ncoinc.org.