LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The Board of Supervisors will meet this week to hold its annual governance workshop.

The‌ ‌board will meet beginning ‌at‌ ‌9‌ ‌a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 23, in the board chambers on the first floor of the Lake County Courthouse, 255 N. Forbes St., Lakeport.

The‌ ‌meeting‌ ‌can‌ ‌be‌ ‌watched‌ ‌live‌ ‌on‌ ‌Channel‌ ‌8, ‌online‌ ‌at‌ ‌https://countyoflake.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx‌‌ and‌ ‌on‌ ‌the‌ ‌county’s‌ ‌Facebook‌ ‌page. ‌Accompanying‌ ‌board‌ ‌documents, ‌the‌ ‌agenda‌ ‌and‌ ‌archived‌ ‌board‌ ‌meeting‌ ‌videos‌ ‌also‌ ‌are‌ ‌available‌ ‌at‌ ‌that‌ ‌link. ‌ ‌

To‌ ‌participate‌ ‌in‌ ‌real-time, ‌join‌ ‌the‌ ‌Zoom‌ ‌meeting‌ ‌by‌ ‌clicking‌ ‌this‌ ‌link‌. ‌ ‌

The‌ ‌meeting‌ ‌ID‌ ‌is‌ 882 6588 4847, ‌pass code 431334.‌ ‌The meeting also can be accessed via one tap mobile at +16699006833,,88265884847#,,,,*431334#.

During Tuesday’s workshop, the board will receive a Vision 2028 overview and fiscal presentation from County Administrative Office staff, as well as hearing presentations from department heads.

As part of the discussion, the board will consider the county’s updated legislative priorities.

Those priorities are water reliability, wildfire resilience, tree mortality and hazardous vegetation removal, fire insurance, Lake Pillsbury, housing supply, addressing homelessness, economic development and working with partner agencies to support efforts to reduce opioid fatalities.

The board also will discuss setting its own priorities during the workshop.

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

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA — Woodland Community College, part of the Yuba Community College District, celebrated the completion of its state-of-the-art Performing Arts and Culinary Center, funded by voter-supported Measure J.

The college held a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Woodland campus to commemorate the milestone on Friday.

“The Performing Arts and Culinary Center is a testament to Woodland Community College's commitment to providing a holistic education experience for its students,” said Dr. Shouan Pan, Yuba Community College District chancellor. “The new facility is equipped with cutting-edge resources and spaces dedicated to both performing arts and culinary arts, creating an environment that fosters creativity, skill development and collaboration.”

WCC President Dr. Lizette Navarette agreed.

“Education in the arts encourages us to think critically and creatively about the world around us. The Performing Arts and Culinary Center represents a significant investment in the future of education and the arts in our community,” she said. “Woodland Community College looks forward to showcasing student talent through performances and culinary offerings that further connect it to the community.”

Key features of the Performing Arts and Culinary Center include:

State-of-the-art performance spaces: The center boasts adaptable theater and performance spaces equipped with modern audiovisual technology, providing a platform for students to showcase their talents in music, drama and dance. Additionally, the building has a high-density costume storage and fabrication shop, changing rooms, a greenroom and a scene shop.

• Culinary Arts Kitchen: A fully equipped culinary arts kitchen allows students to hone their culinary skills under the guidance of experienced instructors. This space is designed to provide hands-on experience in a professional kitchen setting.

• Collaborative learning spaces: The center includes dedicated spaces for collaborative learning and practice, encouraging interdisciplinary collaboration between performing arts and culinary arts students. The large lecture room contains engaging features, tiered level seating, and student workstations which can be moved around to create workgroups or provide other flexible learning layouts.

• Sustainability: The courtyard has sustainable landscaping and furnishings to provide students and visitors with opportunities to gather or share a meal. All lighting is LED highly efficient lighting and many areas have daylight harvesting features to maximize energy efficiency.

• Community engagement: The Performing Arts and Culinary Center is not only a resource for students but also a hub for community engagement. The 2D art room is spacious with a large gallery walk to showcase Woodland Community College student talent.

College officials, community leaders, faculty, and students are welcome to attend the ribbon-cutting ceremony. Attendees will have an opportunity to tour the new facility following the ribbon cutting.

Measure J, approved by voters in 2006, initiated prompt development at Yuba and Woodland Colleges. The majority of major projects funded by Measure J, including the construction of two satellite campuses, new classrooms, and science and computer labs, were successfully completed by 2014.

Ongoing efforts are directed toward finalizing a new facility at Woodland Community College and implementing various modernization projects on both campuses.

A new report shows that median three-bedroom rents in the U.S. are more affordable than owning a similarly-sized home in nearly 90% of local markets around the nation.

The 2024 Rental Affordability Report was released by ATTOM, a leading curator of land, property and real estate data.

The report shows that both renting and owning a three-bedroom home continue to pose significant financial burdens for average workers, consuming more than one-third of their wages in the vast majority of county-level housing markets.

But median rental rates still require a smaller portion of average wages than major home-ownership expenses on three-bedroom properties in 296, or 88%, of the 338 U.S. counties with enough data to analyze.

That gap extends trends from 2023 even as rents have commonly risen faster than home prices over the past year around the U.S.

The analysis for this report incorporated 2024 rental prices and 2023 home prices, collected from ATTOM’s nationwide property database, as well as publicly recorded sales deed data licensed by ATTOM. Those two data sources were combined with average wage figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

“Finding an affordable home remains a daunting prospect around the country for average workers, regardless of whether they want to buy or rent. Continuously increasing home prices contribute to the escalation of rental costs, making both buying and renting properties a challenging endeavor across most of the United States.,” said Rob Barber, CEO at ATTOM. “But the latest data shows that even as rents are growing faster, they remain more affordable than owning.”

The current situation favoring renting over buying reflects a combination of housing market trends that offer limited straightforward options for home seekers but ultimately lean towards the advantage of rentals.

Over the past year, both rental rates and home prices have continued to rise in most of the country. Rental rates have climbed even faster in a majority of counties with enough data to analyze.

That has happened as elevated home prices have become further and further out of reach for average workers, preventing those with marginal finances from obtaining mortgages and leaving them with few options other than renting. Home prices kept going up in 2023 despite rising mortgage rates, in part because of a tight supply of homes for sale.

Still, despite renting and ownership consuming more than a third of average wages in most local markets, rents haven’t escalated enough to keep them from being the more affordable option for average workers. That trend has held throughout the country but remains most pronounced in the most populous urban and suburban markets.

Changes in rents outpacing home price trends in nearly two-thirds of U.S

Median rents for three-bedroom homes have increased more over the past year, or declined less, than median prices for single-family homes in 210, or 62%, of the 338 counties analyzed in this report.

Counties were included in the report if they had a population of 100,000 or more, at least 100 sales from January through November of 2023 and sufficient data showing changes in three-bedroom rents from 2023 to 2024.

Changes in three-bedroom rents commonly have ranged from 3% decreases to 15% increases while changes in median sale prices for single-family homes last year typically ranged from 3% losses to 7% gains.

Most populous counties have widest affordability gaps between renting and owning

Renting a three-bedroom home, while still difficult for average workers, is most affordable in 2024 compared to owning a median-priced single-family home in the nation’s largest counties. In almost three-quarters of markets with populations of at least 1 million, the portion of average local wages consumed by renting is at least 10%age points lower than the portion required for typical major home ownership expenses.

Comparisons assume a home-purchase mortgage based on a 20% down payment. Major ownership expenses include mortgage payments, property taxes and insurance.

Among 45 counties with a population of at least 1 million included in the report, the biggest gaps are in Honolulu, Hawaii (median three-bedroom rents consume 67% of average local wages while typical single-home affordability consume 134%); Kings County (Brooklyn), NY (72% for renting versus 136% for owning); Alameda County (Oakland), CA (51% for renting versus 108% for owning); Santa Clara County (San Jose), CA (29% for renting versus 83% for owning) and Orange County, CA (outside Los Angeles) (88% for renting versus 136% for owning).

The only two counties with a population of more than 1 million where it is more affordable to buy than rent in 2024 are Riverside County, California (median rents consume 101% of average local wages while typical home ownership costs consume 91%) and Wayne County (Detroit), MI (22% for renting versus 19% for owning).

Renting three-bedroom homes stretches budgets but remains most affordable in South and Midwest

The report shows that the median three-bedroom rent requires more than one-third of the average local wage in 274 of the 338 counties analyzed for the report (81%).

Among the 64 markets where median three-bedroom rents require less than one-third of average local wages, 59 are in the Midwest and South.

The most affordable for renting are Jefferson County (Birmingham), AL (22% of average local wages needed to rent); Wayne County (Detroit), MI (22%); Ingham County (Lansing), MI (22%); Genesee County (Flint), MI (23%) and Caddo Parish (Shreveport), LA (23%).

Aside from Wayne County, the most affordable counties for renting among those with a population of at least 1 million are Cuyahoga County (Cleveland), OH (24% of average local wages needed to rent); St. Louis County, MO (24%); Allegheny County (Pittsburgh), PA (26%) and Philadelphia County, PA (28%).

The least affordable counties for renting are spread mostly through the South and West, including Collier County (Fort Myers), FL (153% of average local wages needed to rent); Santa Barbara County, CA (131%); Monterey County, CA (outside San Francisco) (107%); Indian River County (Vero Beach), FL (102%) and Riverside County CA (101%).

Aside from Riverside County, the least affordable for renting among counties with a population of at least 1 million are Orange County, CA (outside Los Angeles) (88% of average local wages needed to rent); Los Angeles County, CA (83%); Kings County (Brooklyn), NY (72%) and Palm Beach County (West Palm Beach), FL (70%).

Most-affordable home ownership markets still in South and Midwest; least affordable in West and Northeast

The report shows that major expenses on a median-priced single-family homes require more than one-third of average local wages (assuming a 20% down payment) in 296 of the 338 counties analyzed for the report (88%).

The most affordable markets for owning are Wayne County (Detroit), MI (19% of average local wages needed to own); Montgomery County, AL (21%); St. Louis City/County, MO (23%); Bibb County (Macon), GA (23%) and Caddo Parish (Shreveport), LA (23%).

Aside from Wayne County, the most affordable for owning among counties with a population of at least 1 million are Allegheny County (Pittsburgh), PA; (27% of average local wages needed to own) Cuyahoga County (Cleveland), OH (27%); St. Louis County, MO (30%) and Harris County (Houston), TX (35%).

The least affordable markets for owning among those analyzed are Marin County, CA (outside San Francisco) (164% of average local wages needed to own); Santa Cruz County, CA (160%); Orange County, CA (outside Los Angeles) (136%); Kings County (Brooklyn), NY (136%) and Honolulu County, HI (134%).

Aside from Orange, Kings and Honolulu counties, the least affordable counties among those with a population of at least 1 million are Alameda County (Oakland), CA (108% of average local wages needed to own) and Queens County, NY (105%).

Rents growing faster than wages in majority of markets

Median three-bedroom rents are increasing more than average local wages in 197 of the 338 counties analyzed in the report (58%). They include Los Angeles County, CA; Harris County (Houston), TX; Maricopa County (Phoenix), AZ; San Diego County, CA, and Orange County, CA (outside Los Angeles).

Average local wages are growing faster than average rents in 141 of the counties in the report (42%), including Cook County (Chicago), IL; Kings County (Brooklyn), NY; Miami-Dade County, FL; Queens County, NY, and San Bernardino County, CA.

Wages growing faster than home prices in nearly 60% of nation

Average weekly wages are rising faster than median home prices in 197 of the 338 counties in the report (58%), reversing a pattern seen in 2023. They include Los Angeles County, CA; Cook County (Chicago), IL; Harris County (Houston), TX; Maricopa County (Phoenix), AZ, and San Diego County, CA.

Median home prices are rising faster than average weekly wages in 141 of the counties analyzed in the report (42%), including Orange County, CA (outside Los Angeles); Kings County (Brooklyn), NY; Miami-Dade County, FL; Broward County (Fort Lauderdale), FL, and Middlesex County, MA (outside Boston).

LAKEPORT, Calif. — The Rotary Club of Lakeport will hold its drive-thru crab feed and online auction on Feb. 17 at the Silveira Center in Lakeport.

This event has been carefully crafted to allow guests to pick up crab from the comfort of their vehicles and dine in the comfort of their own home.

The drive-thru crab feed will feature two pounds of the finest cracked crab, one pound of shrimp, salad and bread. Each meal will be thoughtfully packaged for convenient pickup. Quarts of delicious clam chowder can be purchased as an “add-on” item.

In addition to these scrumptious delights, the Rotary Club of Lakeport is excited to host an online auction, offering a diverse array of items and experiences for bidding. Participants can browse, bid, and win from the comfort of their homes, adding an extra layer of excitement to the event.

“This drive-thru crab feed and online auction is a testament to our commitment to community engagement and service,” said Pam Harpster, president-elect.

Proceeds from the event will support Rotary Club of Lakeport's community projects, scholarships and charitable initiatives, furthering their impact on the local community.

Tickets for dinners must be purchased no later than Feb. 9.

The online auction will run from Feb. 9 to 19.

For more information, ticket purchases and online auction, please visit www.lakeportrotary.org, email lakeportrotary388@gmail.com or call 707-533-1199.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The Lake County Board of Supervisors is recruiting members to serve on the General Plan Advisory Committee.

The committee, or GPAC, will guide the Lake County General Plan and local area plans update.

Ideal applicants will have expertise in one or more of the following fields:

• Public at-large (one seat for each supervisorial district).
• Fire district.
• Tribal representative.
• Homeowners association.
• Education.
• Water district.
• Environmental group.
• Senior support services.
• Business association.
• Conventional agriculture.
• Cannabis industry.

The project will update the 2008 Lake County General Plan and all eight local area plans.

This comprehensive update will plan through the year 2050, incorporating updated policy approaches to sustainability, safety and resilience, housing, environmental justice, and other important topics while carrying forward enduring county values like preserving and celebrating agriculture and the unique character of individual communities.

The process will be community-driven and is expected to take three years to complete.

The GPAC, composed of a diverse set of stakeholders, will serve as general plan ambassadors to the community, letting their networks know about the project and opportunities to participate.

GPAC members will review key interim, draft and final products; advance review of public meeting materials; assist with community outreach to stakeholder groups; and provide general project guidance.

A specific meeting schedule will be determined once the committee is formed. The project anticipates a total of five meetings over the course of the project through spring 2026.

Applications are online at https://www.lakecountyca.gov/1116/Board-of-Supervisors or at the Lake County Courthouse, Clerk of the Board Office, Room 109, 255 North Forbes St., Lakeport.

Applications are due to the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors Office no later than Friday, Feb. 16.

Membership on the committee is voluntary.

If you are interested in serving on the GPAC or if you would like more information, please contact Community Development Director Mireya Turner at 707-263-2221 or mireya.turner@lakecountyca.gov.

 

Extremely cold Arctic air and severe winter weather swept southward into much of the U.S. in mid-January 2024, breaking daily low temperature records from Montana to Texas. Tens of millions of people were affected by dangerously cold temperatures, and heavy lake-effect snow and snow squalls have had severe effects across the Great Lakes and Northeast regions.

These severe cold events occur when the polar jet stream – the familiar jet stream of winter that runs along the boundary between Arctic and more temperate air – dips deeply southward, bringing the cold Arctic air to regions that don’t often experience it.

An interesting aspect of these events is that they often occur in association with changes to another river of air even higher above the jet stream: the stratospheric polar vortex, a great stream of air moving around the North Pole in the middle of the stratosphere.

When this stratospheric vortex becomes disrupted or stretched, it can distort the jet stream as well, pushing it southward in some areas and causing cold air outbreaks.

The January 2024 Arctic cold blast fit into this pattern, with the polar vortex stretched so far over the U.S. in the lower stratosphere that it had nearly split in two. There are multiple causes that may have led to this stretching, but it is likely related to high-latitude weather in the prior two weeks.

No, cold doesn’t contradict global warming

After Earth just experienced its hottest year on record, it may seem surprising to set so many cold records. But does this cold snap contradict human-caused global warming? As an atmospheric and climate scientist, I can tell you, absolutely and unequivocally, it does not.

No single weather event can prove or disprove global warming. Many studies have shown that the number of extreme cold events is clearly decreasing with global warming, as predicted and understood from physical reasoning.

Whether global warming may, contrary to expectations, be playing some supporting role in the intensity of these events is an open question. Some research suggests it does.

The February 2021 cold wave that severely disrupted the Texas electric grid was also associated with a stretched stratospheric polar vortex. My colleagues and I have provided evidence suggesting that Arctic changes associated with global warming have increased the likelihood of such vortex disruptions. The effects of the enhanced high latitude warming known as Arctic amplification on regional snow cover and sea ice may enhance the weather patterns that, in turn, result in a stretched polar vortex.

More recently, we have shown that for large areas of the U.S., Europe and Northeast Asia, while the number of these severe cold events is clearly decreasing – as expected with global warming – it does not appear that their intensity is correspondingly decreasing, despite the rapid warming in their Arctic source regions.

So, while the world can expect fewer of these severe cold events in the future, many regions need to remain prepared for exceptional cold when it does occur. A better understanding of the pathways of influence between Arctic surface conditions, the stratospheric polar vortex and mid-latitude winter weather would improve our ability to anticipate these events and their severity.

Mathew Barlow, Professor of Climate Science, UMass Lowell

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — Lake County Animal Care and Control has a new group of dogs awaiting adoption.

Dogs available for adoption this week include mixes of Alaskan husky, Australian cattle dog, Australian shepherd, border collie, boxer, bulldog, Doberman pinscher, German shepherd, Great Pyrenees, hound, Labrador retriever, pit bull, Queensland heeler, shepherd and terrier.

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.

Those dogs and the others shown on this page at the Lake County Animal Care and Control shelter have been cleared for adoption.

Call Lake County Animal Care and Control at 707-263-0278 or visit the shelter online for information on visiting or adopting.

The shelter is located at 4949 Helbush in Lakeport.

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

This month marks the 20th anniversary of Spirit and Opportunity’s landing on Mars, part of a mission whose legacy will extend far into the future.

In January 2004, twin NASA rovers named Spirit and Opportunity touched down on opposite sides of Mars, kicking off a new era of interplanetary robotic exploration.

They arrived in dramatic fashion three weeks apart, each nestled in a cluster of airbags that bounced along the surface around 30 times before coming to a stop and deflating.

The golf cart-size rovers’ mission: to look for evidence that water once flowed on the Red Planet’s surface.

Their findings would rewrite science textbooks, including Opportunity’s discovery soon after landing of the famous “blueberries” — spherical pebbles of the mineral hematite that had formed in acidic water. Several years into the mission, Spirit, undaunted but now dragging a damaged wheel, uncovered signs of ancient hot springs that could have been ideal habitats for microbial life billions of years ago (if any ever existed on the Red Planet).

Scientists suspected Mars had long ago been radically different than the freezing desert it is today: Orbital images had shown what looked like networks of water-carved channels. But before Spirit and Opportunity, there was no proof that liquid water had formed those features.

“Our twin rovers were the first to prove a wet, early Mars once existed,” said former project scientist Matt Golombek of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, which managed the Mars Exploration Rover mission. “They paved the way for learning even more about the Red Planet’s past with larger rovers like Curiosity and Perseverance.”

An enduring legacy

Thanks in part to the science collected by Spirit and Opportunity, NASA approved development of the SUV-size Curiosity rover to investigate whether the chemical ingredients that support life were present billions of years ago on what was once a watery world. (The rover found soon after its 2012 landing that they were.)

Perseverance, which arrived at the Red Planet in 2021, is building on Curiosity’s success by collecting rock cores that could be brought to Earth to check for signs of ancient microbial life through the Mars Sample Return campaign, a joint effort by NASA and ESA (European Space Agency).

While working on Spirit and Opportunity, engineers developed practices for exploring the surface that continue today, including the use of specialized software and 3D goggles to better navigate the Martian environment. And after honing years of expertise during the twin rovers’ travels over Mars’ rocky, sandy surface, engineers are able to plan safer, longer drives, and to quickly put together the far more complex daily plans required to operate Curiosity and Perseverance.

Science team members have also become more adept in their role as virtual field geologists, drawing on years of knowledge to select the best ways to investigate Martian terrain using the robotic “eyes” and tools carried by their roving partners.

Martian marathon

Designed to last just 90 days, Spirit landed on Jan. 3; Opportunity, on Jan. 24. The solar-powered Mars Exploration Rovers soldiered on for years – in the case of Opportunity, nearly 15 years, before succumbing to a planet-enveloping dust storm in 2018. That durability surpassed the wildest dreams of scientists and engineers, who had only expected localized exploration over a distance of no more than one-third of a mile (600 meters).

Instead, through their long-lived robotic surrogates, the team got the chance to roam a wide variety of Martian terrains. Opportunity, the first rover to go a marathon-length distance on another planet, would ultimately cover nearly 30 miles (45 kilometers) in total – the farthest distance driven on another planet.

“This was a paradigm shift no one was expecting,” said former project manager John Callas of JPL. “The distance and time scale we covered were a leap in scope that is truly historic.”

The chance to see so much was critical for revealing that not only was Mars once a wetter world, but also that it supported many different kinds of watery environments – fresh water, hot springs, acidic and salty pools – at distinct points in its history.

Continuing inspiration

The roving twins would also inspire a new generation of scientists. One of those was Abigail Fraeman, who was a high school student invited to JPL on the night of Opportunity’s landing. She got to watch the excitement as the first signal returned, confirming Opportunity had safely landed.

She would go on to pursue a career as a Mars geologist, returning to JPL years later to help lead Opportunity’s science team. Now deputy project scientist for Curiosity, Fraeman calls many of the people she met on Opportunity’s landing night her close colleagues.

“The people who kept our twin rovers running for all those years are an extraordinary group, and it’s remarkable how many have made exploring Mars their career,” Fraeman said. “I feel so lucky I get to work with them every day while we continue to venture into places no human has ever seen in our attempt to answer some of the biggest questions.”

For more information about Spirit and Opportunity, visit https://mars.nasa.gov/mer.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — Lake County and the rest of California saw an increase in the jobless rate in December, despite the busy holiday season.

The California Employment Development Department’s latest report, released on Friday, showed that California’s overall unemployment rate rose from 4.9% in November to 5.1% in December, despite employers adding 23,400 nonfarm payroll jobs.

California’s December 2022 jobless rate was 3.9%

California payroll jobs totaled 18,180,700 in December 2023, up 23,400 from November 2023 and up 311,000 from December 2022, the Employment Development Department, or EDD, reported.

The EDD said California’s December job gains accounted for 10.8% of the 216,000 overall job gain for the nation.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics said the nationwide unemployment rate remained at 3.7% in December, up slightly from the 3.5% the previous year.

In Lake County, the unemployment rate rose from 6.1% in November to 6.9% in December. The jobless rate in December 2022 was 5.4%.

It was ranked No. 43 statewide for its December jobless rate.

Lake County’s job data showed the total farm category was up by 29% over the month and 77.8% over the year. Statewide, farm jobs increased from November by 3,000 to a total of 445,900 jobs in December. The agriculture industry had 9,100 more farm jobs in December 2023 than it did in December a year ago.

The total nonfarm category in Lake County was up by 0.1% but down by 0.6% compared to December 2022.

The report said six of California's 11 industry sectors gained jobs in December:

• Private education and health services added 13,200 jobs, leading in gains thanks to above-average increases in nursing care facilities and individual and family services. In Lake County, the category grew by 2% or 100 jobs.

• Government experienced increases totaling 8,100 jobs in both city government and special districts with local government jobs within the state now showing seven consecutive months of increases. That category saw a 0.7% decline, or 30 jobs, in Lake County.

• Leisure and hospitality saw gains of 7,100 jobs in the accommodation industry group, and the limited-service restaurants and other eating places industry groups. In Lake County, where hospitality is a key industry, there was a 0.9% decline in that category, accounting for the loss of 10 jobs.

• Manufacturing gained 2,600 jobs statewide and rose by 10 jobs, or 2.9% in Lake County.

• Other services rose by 1,300 jobs statewide, but in Lake County dropped by 11.6%, or 50 jobs.

• Statewide, construction added 200 jobs. In Lake County, the EDD combined that industry with mining and logging, which overall dropped by 60 jobs, or 6.8%.

In other categories of note, statewide, the month-over losses in professional and business services, at 3,800, were the largest of any category largely due to reductions in employment services. In Lake County, that industry remained flat, at 750 jobs.

Trade, transportation and utilities lost 2,100 jobs across California in December, while in Lake County it grew by 60 jobs, or 2.1%.

Information was down by 1,900 jobs across California, while in Lake County the industry remained flat, with 80 jobs.

Financial activities dropped 1,100 jobs statewide and in Lake County it grew by 10 jobs, or 3.2%, based on the EDD’s data.

The EDD said the number of Californians employed in December was 18,373,900, a decrease of 32,700 persons from November’s total of 18,406,600 and down 108,200 from the employment total in December 2022.

At the same time, the number of unemployed Californians was 983,000 in December, an increase of 29,200 over the month and up 192,700 in comparison to December 2022.

In related data that figures into the state’s unemployment rate, the EDD said there were 376,872 people certifying for unemployment benefits during the December 2023 sample week. That compares to 323,975 people in November and 326,252 people in December 2022.

Concurrently, 48,550 initial claims were processed in the December 2023 sample week, which was a month-over increase of 10,956 claims from November, and a year-over increase of 7,000 claims from December 2022, the EDD said.

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

On Friday, Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-04) released the following statement after his legislation with Rep. Doug LaMalfa (CA-01) to make PG&E Fire Victims Trust settlement payments nontaxable passed out of the Ways and Means Committee as part of the Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act.

“Fire survivors have been unfairly taxed on settlements from the Fire Victims Trust that are already not enough to cover what they lost. It’s just wrong,” said Thompson. “The inclusion of my bill to make these settlements nontaxable in the bipartisan tax package is an important development for our region. Today’s vote out of the Ways and Means Committee is a strong, positive step for fire survivors to receive the tax relief they deserve, and I am hopeful that this bill will receive a swift vote in both the House and the Senate so that President Biden can sign it into law.”

Rep. Thompson spoke during the mark up.

The bill is now set to go to the House floor for a full vote by the House of Representatives.

Thompson represents California’s Fourth Congressional District, which includes all or part of Lake, Napa, Solano, Sonoma and Yolo counties.

CLEARLAKE, Calif. — Clearlake Animal Control has many dogs and puppies waiting for new homes.

The Clearlake Animal Control website lists 46 adoptable dogs.

The adoptable dogs include “Cosmo,” a 2-month-old male pit bull terrier puppy with a black and white coat.

Also available is “Skittles,” a 1-year-old pit bull terrier mix.

There is also “Atlas,” a male German shepherd with a black and tan coat.

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

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

This week’s adoptable dogs are featured below.

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

People who live alone, especially seniors and dependent adults, may benefit from routine welfare checks to see if any assistance is needed.

What options do seniors and dependent adults, and their families, have to be proactive about such matters.

Is the senior or dependent adult’s home safe for them to live in? Perhaps the home needs safety modifications (such as installing grab bars in the bathroom). Perhaps the person is a hoarder and the home needs cleaning.

With senior citizens, a common concern is that they have fallen and are lying injured on the floor unable to get up, or that they are sick in bed and unable to take care of themselves.

Does the senior or dependent adult have a monitoring device on them to allow a monitoring center to check their wellbeing?

Typically this involves wearing an electronic pendant with a button that can be pushed to reach a monitoring service. The monitoring service can then speak with the adult and assess the situation. If the adult has fallen or is in any other kind of emergency the monitoring service calls 911 and also alerts family members of the situation.

Alternatively, as appropriate, the person might benefit from a camera monitoring system that allows the family to see how the person is doing inside their own home. This, of course, has serious drawbacks because it means a loss in privacy in exchange perhaps for more safety.

Another consideration, as appropriate, is that the adult be involved in daily activities, such as attending senior center exercise classes and other activities.

If agreeable, the persons overseeing or involved in such activities may be given the name and contact information of family members and asked to call a family member if the senior or dependent adult fails to appear or seems unwell.

Daily activities are a double win because they may help to keep the senior mentally and physically well and involved in the community.

At some point a senior or dependent adult may no longer feel or be able to safely live alone due a variety of reasons, including, on a personal level, an inability to do activities of daily living, impaired cognitive abilities (e.g., dementia), loneliness, and, on a financial level, inability to pay household expenses and resist fraudsters who prey on the vulnerable (e.g., telemarketers).

In that case the available options vary depending on the assets of the senior or dependent adult, their family circumstances, and the wishes of the senior or dependent adult involved.

Many persons, if they are financially able, want to move into an assisted living situation or, in some cases, move in with family. Assisted living centers are an ongoing monthly expense that often requires selling the family home to raise money.

Alternatively, moving in with the senior’s family (perhaps into a granny unit) may work, at least temporarily.

Any family arrangement, however, involves a variety of considerations for all those concerned, including how the change would affect the family dynamics, how personal care issues would be handled, and how the associated finances would be managed.

The solutions to the issues raised above are unlikely to be found in any single place. However, places to look for some possible assistance are the local “Area Agency on Aging,” the local senior center, and, most importantly, the close friends and family.

The foregoing brief discussion is not legal advice.

Dennis A. Fordham, attorney, is a State Bar-Certified Specialist in estate planning, probate and trust law. His office is at 870 S. Main St., Lakeport, Calif. He can be reached at Dennis@DennisFordhamLaw.com and 707-263-3235.