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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – In May, Lake County’s jobless rate dropped to its lowest level in 29 years, according to the latest state unemployment report.

The California Employment Development Department’s report showed that Lake County registered a 4.2-percent unemployment rate in May, the lowest recorded rate since 1990, as shown in Employment Development Department data.

The previous three-decade low was 4.5 percent, recorded last May and September.

California’s overall unemployment rate for May was 4.2 percent in May, down from 4.3 percent in April and tying the May 2018 rate, the report said.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics said the nationwide unemployment rate in May was 3.6 percent, the same as April, but improved from the year-ago rate of 3.8 percent.

The Employment Development Department said California’s employers added 19,400 nonfarm payroll jobs in May, which accounted for 26 percent of the nation’s total 75,000 job gain for the month.

California has now gained 3,235,900 jobs since the economic expansion began in February 2010. The state’s 111-month employment expansion is the second-longest on record behind the 113-month long expansion of the 1960s, the report said.

California payroll jobs totaled 17,425,500 in May 2019, up 19,400 from April and up 282,700 from May of last year.

The report said the number of Californians holding jobs in May was 18,653,000, a decrease of 39,400 from April and up 130,000 from the employment total in May of last year.

At the same time, the number of unemployed Californians was 826,000 in May, a decrease of 10,400 over the month and up by 6,400 compared with May of last year, the report said.

The California Employment Development Department said seven of California’s 11 major industry sectors gained jobs in May. The biggest increase of 12,800 jobs came in construction, reflecting an increase in home building. That’s followed by a gain of 4,500 jobs in leisure and hospitality on the strength of the state’s tourism industry, and a 1,800 job gain in government.

The lowest unemployment rate registered statewide was in San Mateo County, at 1.7 percent, while Imperial had the highest, 16.4 percent.

Lake County was ranked No. 34. Neighboring county jobless rates and rankings are Colusa, 10.4 percent, No. 57; Glenn, 5.6 percent, No. 45; Mendocino, 3.2 percent, No. 20; Napa, 2.3 percent, No. 5; Sonoma, 2.3 percent, No. 5; and Yolo, 3.4 percent, No. 26, the report said.

In Lake County, with the agricultural season in full swing, total farm jobs increased by 24.2 percent in May and had an 8.8-percent year-over increase, while total nonfarm was up 1.6 percent for the month and 2.3 percent for the year.

The top five job subcategories showing changes included state government, 10.5 percent; transportation, warehousing and utilities, 9.6 percent; federal government, 6.7 percent; mining, logging and construction, 6 percent; and leisure and hospitality, 3.4 percent.

The only local category showing decline was information, -10 percent.

Lake County’s labor force in May totaled 29,200 people, compared to 28,920 in April and 29,070 in May 2018. Unemployed totaled 1,220 in May, down from 1,490 in April and 1,300 the previous year.

In other employment data, the state said there were 321,372 people receiving unemployment insurance benefits during the survey week in May compared to 364,431 in April and 337,974 people in May 2018.

Concurrently, 38,396 people filed new claims in May which was a month-over decrease of 5,635, the state said.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
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Fireworks at the Konocti Vista Casino and Twin Pine display in July 2018. Photo by Elizabeth Larson/Lake County News.


LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – It’s that time of year again in Lake County, when worms race, duct tape boats take to the water and fireworks festoon the night sky.

Lake County’s communities are planning several Independence Day celebrations this week.

A roundup of events is featured below.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 3

CLEARLAKE

Midway of Fun

The Midway of Fun Carnival will be open from 4 to 10 p.m. at Austin Park’s beach, 14077 Lakeshore Drive. Advance all-day passes are available at Tatonka Trading for $20 up until July 3.

CLEARLAKE OAKS

Maxine Sherman Memorial Annual Fireworks

The 2019 Maxine Sherman Memorial Annual Fireworks display will be held at dusk on Wednesday, July 3, at Widgeon Bay.

The fireworks are launched from a barge on the lake near the Clearlake Oaks public launch ramp beginning at dusk. The best (and most fun) viewing area is from a boat, anchored east of Rattlesnake Island. If you don’t have a boat, the next best viewing area is from Clarks Island.

THURSDAY, JULY 4

CLEARLAKE

Midway of Fun

The Midway of Fun Carnival will be open from 4 to 10 p.m. at Austin Park’s beach, 14077 Lakeshore Drive. Advance all-day passes are available at Tatonka Trading for $20 up until July 3.

LAKEPORT

City of Lakeport Independence Day Celebration

The city will hold its Independence Day celebration on Thursday, July 4.

There will be a street fair from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. in and around Library Park, featuring food, arts and crafts booths, music in the Library Park Gazebo, and the Cardboard and Duct Tape Regatta (see additional information below).

The city’s fireworks show will take place after dark.

The Lakeport Police Department will also have a command post set up in the chambers at City Hall, 225 Park St., during the event for those who wish to stop by or have questions.

Cardboard and Duct Tape Regatta

A part of the Lakeport Independence Day celebration, the 14th annual Cardboard and Duct Tape Regatta will take place between 10 a.m. and noon at Library Park and First Street, sponsored by the Lakeport Yacht Club. There is no fee to enter.

Build your own boat using cardboard and duct tape. Boats can be any size or dimension, and paddles can be made of any material. Life jackets must be worn by all participants.

Preregistration starts at 10 a.m. with races at 11 a.m. There are three classes: ages 6 to 12, 13 to 19, and 19 and above.

Boats will race on an easy-to-navigate figure eight course.

Trophies are awarded to the first three finishers in each division, with a best of show trophy to also be given.

FRIDAY, JULY 5

CLEARLAKE

Midway of Fun

The Midway of Fun Carnival will be open from 4 to 10 p.m. at Austin Park’s beach, 14077 Lakeshore Drive. Advance all-day passes are available at Tatonka Trading for $20 up until July 3.

CLEARLAKE OAKS

Clear Lake Keys Property Owners Association Boat Parade

The Clear Lake Keys Property Owners Association Boat Parade will hold its annual boat parade from 10 a.m. to noon on Friday, July 5.

The lineup starts at 9:30 a.m. at M&M Campground, 13050 Island Drive.

This year’s theme is “Wildlife in the Keys.”

Prizes are $100 for first place, $75 for second place and $50 for third place.

No water balloons or other hard objects are allowed, but squirt guns are OK.

For sign ups and boat number, call Heidi Aragon at 707-998-9439.

The annual picnic hosted by the Clearlake Oaks Keys Club, for members and their guests, will follow at noon.

LAKEPORT

Konocti Vista fireworks display

Konocti Vista Casino and Twin Pine Casino will host their annual fireworks display on Friday, July 5, just after dark.

The display will take place at Konocti Vista Casino Hotel and Marina, 2755 Mission Rancheria Road, Lakeport.

The family friendly event is free.

Lakeport Speedway racing and fireworks

The Lakeport Speedway will host its annual fireworks display at the conclusion of the night’s racing.

The evening’s racing action will include BCRA midgets, bombers, modifieds, vintage midgets and sprint cars.

Gates open at 5 p.m. with racing at 6 p.m. Admission prices have been reduced in 2019 to $10 for adults and $5 for kids ages 6 to 11. Children age 5 and under get in free.

For more information on the 2019 racing season, visit the NCRA – Lakeport Speedway Facebook page or call the business office at 707-274-1662.

SATURDAY, JULY 6

CLEARLAKE

Redbud Parade and Festival

The Lakeshore Lions Club of Clearlake is sponsoring its 62nd annual Redbud Parade and Festival, including its fireworks display.

The parade will start at Redbud Park at 11 a.m. Saturday, July 6, and will proceed down Lakeshore Drive to Austin Park.

The theme of this year's parade is “Lake County Roots.”

This year the parade will feature local marchers, decorated floats, vintage cars, parade and show horses, fire and police vehicles, and much more.

The Lakeshore Lions Club will also sponsor the firework display at dark.

Come on down to Austin Park and enjoy an assortment of food, cold drinks and beer.

There also will be the 20th annual Show and Shine Car Show, arts and craft vendors, games and entertainment for all.

The Clearlake Chamber of Commerce will sponsor the 51st annual International Worm Races.

The Midway of Fun Carnival will run from July 3 to 7 at Austin Park’s beach, 14077 Lakeshore Drive. Advance all-day passes are available at Tatonka Land for $20 up until July 3. It will be open from noon to midnight July 6.

Anyone who wishes to enter the parade or car show can pick up an entry form at the Clear Lake Chamber of Commerce office, Bob's Vacuum, Clearlake Automotive, Kevin Ness Jewelers and Tatonka Land.

Any and all arts and craft vendors interested in booths, please call Bob Kiel at 707-994-9752.

For more information about the parade, please call 707-994-3070 and for the car show call Kevin Ness at 707-994-2307.

SUNDAY, JULY 7

CLEARLAKE

Midway of Fun

The Midway of Fun Carnival will be open from noon to 10 p.m. at Austin Park’s beach, 14077 Lakeshore Drive. Advance all-day passes are available at Tatonka Trading for $20 up until July 3.

HIDDEN VALLEY LAKE

Hidden Valley Lake Association Independence Day Celebration

The Hidden Valley Lake Association will wrap up the Independence Day week events with its own annual celebration on Sunday, July 7.

The association’s All American Barbecue will take place from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Greenview’s barbecue area.

Join them for live music by Juke Box Money along with a food zone barbecue as well as a kid zone, which will include tug of war, gunny sack races, egg and spoon race, pie eating contest, watermelon seed spitting contest, free snow cones, face painting, tie dye and more.
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On Thursday, NASA announced the selection of its fourth mission in the New Frontiers portfolio: Dragonfly, a dual-quadcopter lander – a Mars rover-size, drone-like vehicle – that will explore the prebiotic organic chemistry of Titan, the biggest of Saturn’s 62 known moons and an intriguing ocean world with a dense, hazy atmosphere and methane seas.

NASA Goddard’s Melissa Trainer will serve as deputy principal investigator on the mission, which will be led by principal investigator Elizabeth Turtle from the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland.

Dragonfly will launch in 2026 and arrive in 2034.

The rotorcraft will fly to dozens of promising locations on Titan looking for prebiotic chemical processes common on both Titan and Earth.

Dragonfly marks the first time NASA will fly a multi-rotor vehicle for science on another planet; it has eight rotors and flies like a large drone. It will take advantage of Titan’s dense atmosphere – four times denser than Earth’s – to become the first vehicle ever to fly its entire science payload to new places for repeatable and targeted access to surface materials.

Titan is an analog to the very early Earth, and can provide clues to how life may have arisen on our planet.

During its 2.7-year baseline mission, Dragonfly will explore diverse environments from organic dunes to the floor of an impact crater where liquid water and complex organic materials key to life once existed together for possibly tens of thousands of years. Its instruments will study how far prebiotic chemistry may have progressed.

They also will investigate the moon’s atmospheric and surface properties and its subsurface ocean and liquid reservoirs. Additionally, instruments will search for chemical evidence of past or extant life.

“With the Dragonfly mission, NASA will once again do what no one else can do,” said NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine. “Visiting this mysterious ocean world could revolutionize what we know about life in the universe. This cutting-edge mission would have been unthinkable even just a few years ago, but we’re now ready for Dragonfly’s amazing flight.”

Dragonfly took advantage of 13 years’ worth of Cassini data to choose a calm weather period to land, along with a safe initial landing site and scientifically interesting targets. It will first land at the equatorial “Shangri-La” dune fields, which are terrestrially similar to the linear dunes in Namibia in southern Africa and offer a diverse sampling location.

Dragonfly will explore this region in short flights, building up to a series of longer “leapfrog” flights of up to 5 miles (8 kilometers), stopping along the way to take samples from compelling areas with diverse geography.

It will finally reach the Selk impact crater, where there is evidence of past liquid water, organics – the complex molecules that contain carbon, combined with hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen – and energy, which together make up the recipe for life. The lander will eventually fly more than 108 miles (175 kilometers) – nearly double the distance traveled to date by all the Mars rovers combined.

“Titan is unlike any other place in the solar system, and Dragonfly is like no other mission,” said Thomas Zurbuchen, NASA’s associate administrator for Science at the agency’s Headquarters in Washington. “It’s remarkable to think of this rotorcraft flying miles and miles across the organic sand dunes of Saturn’s largest moon, exploring the processes that shape this extraordinary environment. Dragonfly will visit a world filled with a wide variety of organic compounds, which are the building blocks of life and could teach us about the origin of life itself.”

Titan has a nitrogen-based atmosphere like Earth. Unlike Earth, Titan has clouds and rain of methane. Other organics are formed in the atmosphere and fall like light snow. The moon’s weather and surface processes have combined complex organics, energy, and water similar to those that may have sparked life on our planet.

Titan is larger than the planet Mercury and is the second largest moon in our solar system. As it orbits Saturn, it is about 886 million miles (1.4 billion kilometers) away from the Sun, about 10 times farther than Earth. Because it is so far from the Sun, its surface temperature is around -290 degrees Fahrenheit (-179 degrees Celsius). Its surface pressure is also 50 percent higher than Earth’s.

Dragonfly was selected as part of the agency’s New Frontiers program, which includes the New Horizons mission to Pluto and the Kuiper Belt, Juno to Jupiter, and OSIRIS-REx to the asteroid Bennu.

NASA Goddard’s Melissa Trainer will serve as deputy principal investigator on the Dragonfly mission. Credits: NASA/W. Hrybyk.

New Frontiers supports missions that have been identified as top solar system exploration priorities by the planetary community. The program is managed by the Planetary Missions Program Office at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, for the agency’s Planetary Science Division in Washington.

“The New Frontiers program has transformed our understanding of the solar system, uncovering the inner structure and composition of Jupiter’s turbulent atmosphere, discovering the icy secrets of Pluto’s landscape, revealing mysterious objects in the Kuiper belt, and exploring a near-Earth asteroid for the building blocks of life,” said Lori Glaze, director of NASA’s Planetary Science Division. “Now we can add Titan to the list of enigmatic worlds NASA will explore.”

Among the instruments onboard will be a mass spectrometer with laser-desorption and gas-chromatography capability, which will perform chemical analysis of samples collected from the surface.

NASA Goddard will build the Dragonfly Mass Spectrometer, or DraMS, basing its design on the highly successful Sample Analysis at Mars, or SAM, mass spectrometer aboard NASA’s Curiosity rover, which is currently traversing the Glen Torridon region of Gale Crater.

The new instrument also draws on advancements made by the Goddard team that developed the mass spectrometer for the Mars Organic Molecular Analyzer for the Rosalind Franklin rover of the ExoMars mission that will launch in 2020.

Goddard engineers, in partnership with APL, also will build the Dragonfly Gamma-Ray and Neutron Spectrometer, or DraGNS, an instrument that can determine the elemental composition of the ground immediately below the lander without taking in any samples.

This quick surface analysis by DraGNS at each new site will help the science team determine the type of sampling, if any, necessary at each site, plus whether a detailed chemical analysis should be performed.

For more information about Titan, visit https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/moons/saturn-moons/titan/overview .

Read more about NASA’s New Frontiers Program and missions at https://planetarymissions.nasa.gov .
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Sawyer Shucart and Smokey Bear at a ceremony on Friday, June 28, 2019, in Lakeport, Calif., honoring her win in the state and regional Smokey Bear/Woodsy Owl poster contest. Photo courtesy of the Clear Lake Trowel and Trellis Garden Club.


LAKEPORT, Calif. – A local elementary school student has won state and regional awards for her artwork and will be featured at the state fair this month.

The National Garden Clubs Inc. and the National Forest Service partner each year to sponsor the Smokey Bear/Woodsy Owl poster contest.

First through fifth grade students are invited to show their understanding of fire prevention and basic environmental conservation principles through original drawings of Smokey Bear or Woodsy Owl.

This year is a celebration of Smokey’s 75th birthday so the contest only featured Smokey.

Each year the Clear Lake Trowel and Trellis Garden Club in Lakeport reaches out to area schools to get children involved in the contest.

This year 14 posters were received and two were chosen to be sent to the California poster chairman to be judged.

Sawyer Shucart, a fourth grade student at Lakeport Elementary, received a first place at the state level.

The poster then went on to win first place in the Pacific Region, which is made up of garden clubs from eight Western states of the National Garden Clubs Inc. Her poster has been sent on to compete at the National level.

Smokey Bear made a special appearance on Friday to present Sawyer with an engraved plaque from the Mendocino National Forest Service office in Upper Lake. She also received certificates and a check for $25 from the state.

Sawyer will be honored at the California State Fair in July.

Clear Lake Trowel and Trellis Garden Club thanked several individuals for making the contest possible, including Brenda Allen of Lakeport Elementary for working with the children to create the posters; Marilyn Guenther, retired teacher and liaison to the garden club who also worked with the children; and Linda Waterstraat, Smokey Bear/Woodsy Owl poster chair for Clear Lake Trowel and Trellis Garden Club.

Sawyer Shucart’s winning entry in the Smokey Bear/Woodsy Owl poster contest. Photo courtesy of the Clear Lake Trowel and Trellis Garden Club.
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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The driver of a pickup was seriously injured in a solo-vehicle rollover near Lower Lake on Saturday night.

The crash in the area of Point Lakeview Road near Gregory Graham Winery was first dispatched by Cal Fire dispatch just after 11:30 p.m. Saturday.

The vehicle, described as a silver Chevrolet pickup, went an estimated 150 feet down an embankment and landed on its roof, according to reports from the scene.

Firefighters arriving at the crash site reported difficult access, with additional units from Lake County Fire, Kelseyville Fire and South Lake County Fire called to assist with extricating the driver and cutting through brush to help with the recovery, based on radio reports.

A woman was reported to be trapped inside the vehicle, and had major injuries. It took close to an hour to extricate the woman and get her to Adventist Health Clear Lake Hospital.

At the hospital, a REACH air ambulance picked her up and transported her to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital, lifting off shortly after 12:30 a.m. Sunday, according to scanner traffic.

Additional information will be published as it is made available.

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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Members of the First 5 Lake Commission announced the award of approximately $1,099,244 to be spent on programs benefiting young children and families between July 1, 2019 and June 30 2022. Pictured, back row, First 5 Lake commissioners and staff, Denise Pomeroy, Pam Klier, Tina Scott, Brock Falkenberg, and Dr. Derrick Barnes; not pictured, Carla Ritz, Allison Panella, Carly Swatosh, Crystal Markytan and Susan Jen. Front row, First 5 Lake grant awardees, Ana Santana, Lake County Office of Education; Paige Hotchkiss, Sutter Lakeside Hospital; Mary Prather, Bonnie Bonnett and Susan Dalen, Easterseals Bay Area. Not pictured: Dan Peterson, CAO, Sutter Lakeside Hospital; Jacqueline Rad, nurse manager, Family Birth Center, Sutter Lakeside Hospital; and Gilbert Rangel, AmeriCorps Director, Lake County Office of Education. Photo courtesy of First 5 Lake County.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The First 5 Lake Commission announced Friday the award of more than $1 million in grants for three community projects proposed by Easterseals Bay Area, Lake County Office of Education and Sutter Lakeside Hospital.

Grants were awarded through a competitive request-for-proposal process and proposals were scored based on agency/staff qualifications, proposed program implementation, accountability, collaborative planning process, evaluation methods, fiscal management and controls, budget and cost effectiveness and the likelihood of sustainability.

The commission received five proposals totaling nearly $2 million.

Qualifying proposals addressed one or more of First 5 Lake’s five goals:

1. Increased access to parenting education, meeting the diverse needs of all Lake County parents of children 0-to-5.

2. Family networks of support are strengthened and enriching social connections are increased for all Lake County families with children 0-to-5.

3. Increased access to high-quality, developmentally appropriate, trauma-informed child care and early education for all children 0-to-5.

4. Increased access to health and therapeutic services benefitting all children prenatally through age 5.

5. Increased access to an integrated, strategic and user-friendly service delivery system that is continually adapting to enable our community to give all Lake County children the best possible start in life.

Qualifying proposals also demonstrated alignment with the Strengthening Families Protective Factors Framework which prioritizes parental resilience, social connections, knowledge of parenting and child development, concrete support in times of need, and the social and emotional competence of children.

Project funding will begin July 1, 2019, for a period of three years.

Grant awards include:

– $316,000 to Easterseals Bay Area for the “Childfind Linkages Project.”
– $671,644 to Lake County Office of Education for “Lake County Blooms Healthy Together.”
– $111,600 to Sutter Lakeside Hospital for the “Smart Start – Family Support Program.”

The Childfind Linkages Project

Included in First 5’s partnership with Easterseals Bay Area is a critical phone line for Lake County (the “Healthline,” 707-413-6920) providing a vital link for parents, caregivers and service providers seeking information or referrals related to early childhood developmental issues and concerns.

Also included in the grant are the First 5 Early Learning Center located at 14085-2 Lakeshore Drive in Clearlake, and Legacy Playroom located at 1173 Eleventh Street in Lakeport – two free playroom locations easily accessible by parents/caregivers as walk-in ready, flexible, exploratory environments designed for adult-child play experiences, and facilitated using play-based early intervention strategies.

At the playrooms, parents are encouraged to increase their capacity to meet the developmental interests, strengths and needs of their children, learn to actively engage in developmentally appropriate practices, and have opportunities to meet and connect with other parents and caregivers of young children.

The playrooms will continue to be facilitated by knowledgeable staff, as well as provide parents access to developmental screenings, consultations and trainings.

The grant will enable Easterseals Bay Area to increase staffing to expand the number of open days/hours for the playrooms to meet the needs of more of Lake County’s children and families.

Lake County Blooms Healthy Together

The First 5 Lake grant to Lake County Office of Education for this program will help to fund a multitude of unique services for children and families.

AmeriCorps members will provide lessons to students enrolled in LCOE preschools that encompass literacy, health and social-emotional development.

Healthy Start will provide oral health services including lessons, dental screenings, referrals, case management and transportation for dental care to preschool and kindergarten students and will also provide free community parenting classes using the evidence-based Nurturing Parenting curriculum.

Lake Bloom will promote at-home literacy and kindergarten readiness activities and community connections.

Imagination Library will provide free books each month delivered to Lake County children’s homes from birth through their fifth birthdays.

LCOE is also exploring the idea of providing parent cafés to connect families to each other and to community resources and information.

Smart Start – Family Support Program

This grant to Sutter Lakeside Hospital will involve the expansion of its existing Safe Sleep Seminars which are offered monthly to Lake County residents in their third trimester of pregnancy.

Currently the program provides the free classes about safe sleep practices to reduce the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome along with a Smart Start Baby Bundle for each participant to help them put the safe sleep lessons into practice when their baby arrives (a Pack-n-Play, a thermometer, safe sleep clothing, a First 5 New Parent Kit, and more).

The expansion of the program funded by this grant will include a bilingual Family Resource Navigator to be assigned to each family that opts-in from the Safe Sleep Seminars.

The Family Resource Navigator will contact new mothers at predetermined intervals in the first year of their baby’s life to assess overall progress with a special focus on the following areas: symptoms of postpartum depression, retained knowledge and use of safe sleep practices, needs for assistance or referrals to additional community resources.

Each grantee has a successful record of prioritizing and meeting the needs of Lake County’s youngest children and their families and First 5 Lake is proud to partner with them in expanding their efforts.

More information about First 5 Lake County, including its five-year strategic plan, can be found at www.firstfivelake.org .

Using funds derived from CA Proposition 10’s voter-mandated tax on tobacco products, the First 5 Lake County Commission funds programs and services that benefit the health and development of young children and educate parents, grandparents, caregivers and teachers about the critical role they play during a child’s first five years.

Since its inception in 2000, First 5 Lake has supported thousands of families with programs and services designed to help Lake County children grow up healthy and ready to succeed in school and life.

The executive director for First 5 Lake is Carla Ritz and current First 5 Lake Commissioners are Dr. Derrick Barnes, vice chief of staff and obstetrician, Sutter Lakeside Hospital; Lake County Superintendent of Schools Brock Falkenberg; Health Leadership Network Director Susan Jen; Pam Klier, retired kindergarten teacher; Crystal Markytan, Lake County Social Services director; Allison Panella, Hope Rising executive director; Denise Pomeroy, Lake County Health Services director; Lake County District 4 Supervisor Tina Scott; and Carly Swatosh, Lake County Office of Education, education specialist.
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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – This Independence Day holiday weekend, the California Highway Patrol will be working to keep the roadways safe during its maximum enforcement period, or MEP.

The CHP’s MEP will begin at 6:01 p.m. on Wednesday, July 3, and conclude at 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, July 7.

Officers will be on the lookout for drivers who are impaired by alcohol or drugs.

“Do not lose your freedom while celebrating our country’s independence this weekend by making a bad choice. Driving impaired comes with consequences that can be deadly,” CHP Commissioner Warren Stanley said. “Driving sober, fastening seat belts, and avoiding distractions will help everyone stay safe on the roadway.”

Impaired driving does not just mean alcohol. It is also illegal to drive while impaired by drugs, regardless if they are legal or illegal.

Have a plan. If you are going to drink, designate a sober driver, use a taxi, or use a ride-share service.

If hosting an event, have plenty of non-alcoholic choices available. Be responsible, stop serving alcohol before the end of your party, and remind guests to have a plan to get home safely.

During the Independence Day MEP in 2018, which was one and a quarter days, at least 18 people were killed in collisions on California roads.

Within CHP jurisdiction, four vehicle occupants who died were not wearing seat belts.

The CHP also made 389 arrests for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs during last year’s Independence Day MEP.
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Mount St. Helena as seen from in Lake County, Calif. Photo by Kathleen Scavone.

"To be whole. To be complete. Wildness reminds us what it means to be human, what we are connected to rather than what we are separate from." – Terry Tempest Williams

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – We all travel it, and many gaze upon its silent majesty which emerges grandly above southern Lake County.

But did you know that this 4,339 foot mountain spans three counties? Lake, Napa and Sonoma counties all claim Mount St. Helena's rocky countenance.

According to geologists, the fir-trimmed mountain resides in the Clear Lake volcanic field, which has been active for the past two million years.

Although Mount St. Helena is not a volcano, a powerful volcanic eruption took place in its vicinity, in an approximately one-mile radius of the mountain.

This all transpired more than 3.4 million years ago, and the results of the volcanics contributed to the formation of Napa Valley's Petrified Forest.

There are many layers of wonder that comprise Mount St. Saint Helena's past. Besides its geologic past, there are untold stories encompassed in its numerous trails, some of which were utilized by past Pomo and Wappo peoples who traveled all the way to the coast to trade.

The Wappo Indians called the mountain, "Kanamoto," or "human mountain," as it resembled a woman reclining. Then, the mountain was deeply respected by the Wappo.

In its more recent history, during its pioneer past, Mount St. Helena was a haven of mining – a little gold and a little silver, as well as being a stagecoach route for intrepid travelers up and down the mountain.

Most of us recall that writer Robert Louis Stevenson (“Treasure Island,” “Kidnapped,” “Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde”) convalesced on the mountain.

Stevenson suffered from ill health, so in 1880 he and his new bride, Fanny, traveled to the Napa Valley and honeymooned at the abandoned mining camp on Mount St. Helena.

The stay on the mountain spawned his book, “The Silverado Squatters,” which details his mountain experiences.

Stevenson wrote of the mountain, "Its naked peak stands nearly 4,500 feet above the sea; its sides are fringed with forest; and the soil, where it is bare, glows warm with cinnabar. Life in its shadow goes rustically forward. Around the foot of that mountain the silence of nature reigns in a great measure unbroken, and the people of hill and valley go sauntering about their business as in the days before the flood."

Stevenson died in December of 1894 in Samoa at the age of 44.

Today, just past the Lake County border, the mountain's trails are accessed for hiking at Robert Louis Stevenson State Park, which was established in 1949.

If you make it to the summit, you will witness spectacular views, with a 360-degree vista. On a clear day you can view Mount Tamalpais, Mount Diablo, the Sierra Crest and sometimes even a bit of Mt. Shasta.

Along with spectacular views at the top of the mountain, there is a myriad of flora to observe. There are more than 400 species of plants in the park alone. Its diverse plant families include grasslands, chaparral, oak woodlands and evergreen forests.

Although there are many introduced European grasses and bromes, there remain native California bunchgrasses and a diversity of wildflowers.

Kathleen Scavone, M.A., is a retired educator, potter, freelance writer and author of “Anderson Marsh State Historic Park: A Walking History, Prehistory, Flora, and Fauna Tour of a California State Park” and “Native Americans of Lake County.”


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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Pacific Gas and Electric Co. is facing more fallout from the 2017 wildland fires that ravaged the North Bay and other parts of California, including Lake County, with findings of an investigation alleging that the utility disposed of evidence and failed to keep proper records.

On Friday, the California Public Utilities Commission addressed the 2017 wildfires in multiple proceedings.

Among them, the CPUC opened a proceeding to consider fines and penalties against PG&E for the 2017 wildfires and ordered the utility to create a mobile application that empowers the public to report utility pole issues.

The CPUC also adopted a methodology to conduct a financial “stress test” per Senate Bill 901, a bill introduced by State Sen. Bill Dodd, who formerly represented Lake County in the Assembly.

“We are committed to taking the actions necessary to further reduce wildfire risk in our communities, master the fundamentals of our business, and compensate wildfire victims as quickly as possible as part of the Chapter 11 process,” PG&E said in a Friday statement, the full text of which can be seen below. “To do that, we are making fundamental changes throughout PG&E. We have appointed new leadership throughout the company, including a new board, a new CEO, and new electric and gas leaders.”

The proceeding to consider fines and penalties opened Friday will evaluate the findings in the CPUC’s Safety and Enforcement Division’s investigation into whether PG&E violated any rules, regulations or requirements pertaining to the maintenance and operation of its electric facilities that were involved in igniting fires in its service territory in 2017, the CPUC reported.

The report by the Safety and Enforcement Division, or SED, says that PG&E failed to follow industry best practices, and that there were various deficiencies in PG&E’s Vegetation Management practices and procedures and equipment operations in severe conditions.

Investigation looks at Lake County’s Sulphur fire

The SED found that the Sulphur fire in Lake County, which began on Oct. 8, 2017, ignited near Sulphur Bank Drive and Pomo Road in Clearlake Oaks.

The fire burned 2,207 acres and damaged or destroyed 162 structures, most of them in Clearlake, where the fire quickly moved after its nighttime start.

SED’s investigation found that a PG&E wood pole carrying energized facilities failed and fell to the ground, igniting the Sulphur fire.

According to the investigation, PG&E also had two specific violations regarding the Sulphur fire under General Order 95, which establishes the requirements for design, construction and maintenance of overhead electric lines to ensure adequate service and safety.

General Order 95 imposes upon utilities the requirement to maintain a safe and reliable electric system.

In the first violation, the SED investigation alleges that PG&E violated General Order 95, Rule 19, for disposing of evidence related to a reported incident and commission investigation. That same allegation of evidence disposal was made against PG&E for one other fire, the Point fire, which began Oct. 9, 2017, in Calaveras County.

The second violation for the Sulphur fire pertains to General Order 95, Rule 31.1, with the SED investigation findings alleging that PG&E failed to maintain records of the 2016 Catastrophic Event Memorandum Account inspection.

Rule 31.1 relates to failing to identify and abate dying, diseased or weakened; improper performance of vegetation management activities, such as trimming, removal, etc.; failing to perform a complete patrol of its system and according to best practices described in PG&E procedures; failing to retain documents related to vegetation inspections and a work order; late completion of work orders according to PG&E’s own procedures, and for PG&E’s records indicating that a work order had been completed when, in fact, the work had not been performed.

PG&E directed to provide report, create app

The CPUC directed PG&E to provide a report on various aspects of its operations of its electric facilities and to take immediate corrective action.

“PG&E’s violations during the 2017 fire siege are extensive and disturbing, and go to basic requirements, such as the failure to maintain adequate records,” said Commissioner Clifford Rechtschaffen. “We will consider all appropriate sanctions in response.”

Friday’s decision also adopts a fire mitigation measure that employs technology to empower the public to report safety concerns.

The decision orders PG&E to create a downloadable mobile application that customers can use to report safety concerns with utility poles.

The CPUC said the public will be able to send pictures of the utility poles in question to a database maintained by PG&E. The database would include GIS coordinates, attachments, and operations and maintenance records.

“The app is our way of crowdsourcing public safety and helping reduce the risk of wildfires,” said CPUC President Michael Picker. “PG&E must develop the mobile app and the database at shareholder expense.”

SED’s report and supporting attachments will be available in 10 business days and posted on the CPUC’s Web site.

Separately, the CPUC adopted a framework to consider a utility’s financial status and determine the maximum amount a company can pay for 2017 wildfire costs without harming ratepayers or materially impacting a company’s ability to provide adequate and safe service, as required by law.

“In SB 901, the Legislature directed the CPUC to act quickly on numerous fronts,” said President Picker. “Today we adopt a methodology to allocate costs resulting from fires in 2017. California utilities, which are not in active Chapter 11 proceedings, can access this methodology in future applications for cost recovery. This decision builds on decisions earlier this year on Wildfire Mitigation Plans, and executive compensation. The continued threat of wildfires to our homes, businesses, and infrastructure, requires the CPUC to continue our work to mitigate fires, and adapt to a dynamic climate.”

Added Commissioner Genevieve Shiroma, “The CPUC’s decision on the stress test to comply with SB 901 includes essential ratepayer protections while ensuring that utilities are able to access the capital necessary to invest in infrastructure and resources to maintain safe and reliable service.”

Utilities who request recovery of costs and expenses from wildfires in 2017 will follow the Stress Test Methodology adopted Friday.

A utility that has filed for relief under Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code may not access the stress test to recover costs in an application under section 451.2(b), because the CPUC cannot determine the company’s “financial status,” which includes, among other considerations, its capital structure, liquidity needs, and liabilities, as well as its capacity to raise additional debt, cash, or resources that are reasonably available to the utility, as required by section 451.2(b).

The proposal voted on by the CPUC Friday is available here; documents related to this proceeding are available here.

PG&E responds to CPUC action

PG&E’s released a lengthy statement on Friday in response to the CPUC’s actions. The full statement is published below.

“Our hearts go out to those who have lost so much, and we remain focused on supporting them through the recovery and rebuilding process. We also want to thank the brave first responders who worked tirelessly to save lives, contain these devastating fires and protect our citizens and communities.

“We are carefully reviewing the California Public Utilities Commission’s (CPUC) Order Instituting Investigation and its Safety and Enforcement Division’s findings in the 2017 Northern California Wildfires to understand the agency’s perspectives. We will fully cooperate with the CPUC’s investigation throughout this process.

“PG&E is working to help affected communities recover and rebuild and is seeking to emerge from bankruptcy as quickly as possible in order to compensate wildfire victims. We recognize that it will take sustained action on our part to regain the trust of our customers and stakeholders. We are working to develop a reorganization plan that can deliver on its promises and get quick approval from key stakeholders to ensure expeditious payment of wildfire liabilities.

“We understand and recognize the CPUC’s concerns and acknowledge that while we have implemented significant additional wildfire mitigation measures following the devastating 2017 and 2018 wildfires, there is still more work to do and we are committed to doing it the right way. We’re open to a range of solutions that will help make the energy system safer for the customers we serve.

“We are committed to taking the actions necessary to further reduce wildfire risk in our communities, master the fundamentals of our business, and compensate wildfire victims as quickly as possible as part of the Chapter 11 process.

“To do that, we are making fundamental changes throughout PG&E. We have appointed new leadership throughout the company, including a new Board, a new CEO, and new Electric and Gas leaders.

“Additionally, we are engaged in efforts designed to further mitigate wildfire risk on multiple levels by inspecting, repairing and hardening our electrical infrastructure, generating better and more location-specific information about high-threat weather conditions, proactively shutting off power in weather conditions known to pose a serious wildfire threat, and trimming excess vegetation that can damage power lines and create an ignition source.

“We are also actively working with state agencies and local communities to develop the shared solutions and coordinated management needed to most effectively address the growing wildfire threat in California.”
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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake County Animal Care and Control continues to offer many kittens and adult cats during this buy kitten season.

The following cats at the Lake County Animal Care and Control shelter have been cleared for adoption.

This female domestic short hair cat is in cat room kennel No. 3, ID No. 12415. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control.

Domestic short hair

This female domestic short hair cat has a tortoiseshell coat and green eyes.

She is in cat room kennel No. 3, ID No. 12415.

This brown tabby kitten is in cat room kennel No. 43a, ID No. 12332. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control.

Brown tabby kitten

This brown tabby kitten has a short coat and green eyes.

He’s in cat room kennel No. 43a, ID No. 12332.

This male tabby kitten is in cat room kennel No. 43b, ID No. 12333. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control.

Brown tabby kitten

This male tabby kitten has a short brown and black coat and gold eyes.

He’s in cat room kennel No. 43b, ID No. 12333.

This male gray tabby kitten is in kennel No. 43c, ID No. 12338. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control.

Gray tabby kitten

This male gray tabby kitten has a short coat and gold eyes.

He’s in kennel No. 43c, ID No. 12338.

This male domestic medium hair kitten is in cat room kennel No. 79b, ID No. 12379. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control.

Domestic medium hair kitten

This male domestic medium hair kitten has an all-black coat and gold eyes.

He’s in cat room kennel No. 79b, ID No. 12379.

This female domestic medium hair kitten is in cat room kennel No. 79c, ID No. 12380. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control.

Domestic medium hair kitten

This female domestic medium hair kitten has an all-black coat and gold eyes.

She is in cat room kennel No. 79c, ID No. 12380.

This male domestic medium hair kitten is in cat room kennel No. 79d, ID No. 12381. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control.

Domestic medium hair kitten

This male domestic medium hair kitten has an all-black coat and gold eyes.

He’s in cat room kennel No. 79d, ID No. 12381.

This female domestic medium hair kitten is in cat room kennel No. 79e, ID No. 12382. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control.

Domestic medium hair kitten

This female domestic medium hair kitten has an all-black coat and gold eyes.

She is in cat room kennel No. 79e, ID No. 12382.

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

Office hours are Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday. The shelter is open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

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

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

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

Posted On

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake County Animal Care and Control has big dogs and one little senior who need new homes this week.

Dogs available for adoption this week include mixes of Chihuahua, Doberman Pinscher, German Shepherd, husky, Labrador Retriever and Pomeranian.

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.

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

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

This senior male Pomeranian-Chihuahua mix is in kennel No. 18, ID No. 12404. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control.

Senior male Pomeranian-Chihuahua mix

This senior male Pomeranian-Chihuahua mix has a long black and brown coat.

He is in kennel No. 18, ID No. 12404.

“Bear” is a male Labrador Retriever in kennel No. 19, ID No. 12205. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control.

‘Bear’

“Bear” is a male Labrador Retriever with a short black coat with white markings.

He has been neutered.

He’s in kennel No. 19, ID No. 12205.

“Capulin” is a male Doberman Pinscher in kennel No. 21, ID No. 12384. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control.

‘Capulin’

“Capulin” is a male Doberman Pinscher with a short black and brown coat.

He has been altered.

He is in kennel No. 21, ID No. 12384.

This female Doberman Pinscher is in kennel No. 22, ID No. 12385. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control.

Female Doberman Pinscher

This female Doberman Pinscher has a short black and brown coat.

She is in kennel No. 22, ID No. 12385.

This a female German Shepherd is in kennel No. 24, ID No. 12376. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control.

Female German Shepherd

This a female German Shepherd has a medium-length black and brown coat.

She’s in kennel No. 24, ID No. 12376.

“Koda” is a male German Shepherd-husky mix in kennel No. 25, ID No. 12406. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control.

‘Koda’

“Koda” is a male German Shepherd-husky mix with a medium-length black and brown coat.

He is in kennel No. 25, ID No. 12406.

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

Office hours are Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday. The shelter is open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday and on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

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

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

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

Posted On

Officers arrest a man in Clearlake, Calif., during a special enforcement sweep on Thursday, June 27, 2019. Photo courtesy of the Clearlake Police Department.

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – A Thursday special enforcement operation in the city of Clearlake netted numerous arrests on charges ranging from weapons possession to drugs and probation violations.

The Clearlake Police Department reported that its officers, joined by Clearlake Code Enforcement and Lake County Probation, conducted a special enforcement operation across the city.

During the sweep, there were 18 subjects arrested, including 8 felony and 10 misdemeanor arrests.

The charges included possession of nunchakus, felon in possession of a stun gun, possession of a billy club, felons in possession of ammunition, drug paraphernalia, possession of meth, probation violation and unlawful entry in a red tagged residence.

The operation ended with the arrest of homicide suspect Miguel Becerra, as Lake County News has reported.

There were several code enforcement and animal control cases opened during the operation, police said.

The Clearlake Police Department said the special enforcement operations supplement the day-to-day efforts of it personnel to make Clearlake a cleaner, safer city.

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