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LAKEPORT, Calif. – Lake County Animal Care and Control has several Sulphur fire area cats who can still be reclaimed this week, as well as other felines needing new homes.

The Sulphur fire cats are in the last week of a 30-day holding period to allow them to be reclaimed before they are to be put up for adoption to the general public.

Those felines from the Sulphur fire area are listed at the top, with the general population cats below them.

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.

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

SULPHUR FIRE CATS
This male domestic short hair cat is in kennel No. 295, ID No. 8729. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control.

Male domestic short hair

This male domestic short hair cat was found on Mira Vista Lane in Clearlake on Oct. 12.

He has a black and white coat and gold eyes.

He’s in clinic kennel No. 295, ID No. 8729.

This male domestic short hair is in kennel No. 153, ID No. 8727. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control.

Male domestic short hair

This male domestic short hair cat was found on Mira Vista Lane in Clearlake on Oct. 12.

He has a black coat and gold eyes.

He’s in kennel No. 153, ID No. 8727.

This young female domestic short hair cat is in kennel No. 147, ID No. 8732. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control.

Female domestic short hair

This young female domestic short hair cat was found in Clearlake on Oct. 12.

She has a gray coat and green eyes. She has not been spayed.

She’s in kennel No. 147, ID No. 8732.

This young female domestic short hair cat is in kennel No. 99, ID No. 8739. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control.

Female domestic short hair

This young female domestic short hair cat was found in Clearlake on Oct. 13.

She has a torbie coat and gold eyes. She has not been altered.

She’s in kennel No. 99, ID No. 8739.

This male domestic short hair cat is in kennel No. 94, ID No. 8728. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control.

Male domestic short hair

This male domestic short hair cat was found on Mira Vista Lane in Clearlake on Oct. 12.

He has a black coat and gold eyes.

He’s in kennel No. 94, ID No. 8728.

This adult female domestic short hair is in kennel No. 88, ID No. 8742. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control.

Female domestic short hair

This adult female domestic short hair was found in Clearlake Oaks on Oct. 13.

She has a brown tabby coat and gold eyes.

She is in kennel No. 88, ID No. 8742.

GENERAL POPULATION
“Simba” is a young male gray tabby in kennel No. 53, ID No. 8777. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control.

‘Simba’

“Simba” is a young male gray tabby with a short coat and green eyes.

He is in kennel No. 53, ID No. 8777.

This domestic short hair cat is in kennel No. 117, ID No. 8805. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control.

Domestic short hair

This domestic short hair cat of undetermined gender has a short black coat and gold eyes.

The cat is in kennel No. 117, ID No. 8805.

This adult male domestic short hair cat is in kennel No. 132, ID No 8781. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control.

Male domestic short hair

This adult male domestic short hair has a brown tabby coat with white markings and green eyes.

He already has been altered.

He’s in kennel No. 132, ID No 8781.

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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SACRAMENTO – Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. joined California’s two U.S. Senators and 39 members of the California congressional delegation to request $7.4 billion in federal funding for wildfire relief and recovery efforts in California.

Gov. Brown also expedited more than $40 million in state aid for immediate recovery efforts.

The letter from the governor and members of the state’s Congressional delegation, sent to the White House on Friday, urges the president and Congress to work quickly to adopt a third supplemental disaster-related appropriations bill to support the state as it recovers from October’s devastating wildfires that killed 43 people and destroyed approximately 8,900 residential and commercial structures.

This $7.4 billion in federal funding would flow to a variety of federal cleanup, recovery and assistance programs and support housing, transportation, agriculture, environmental protection, local health services, long-term recovery planning, reconstruction and small businesses.

Separately on Friday, Gov. Brown directed the California Department of Finance to expedite the allocation of $41.5 million in funding to help support immediate needs in impacted areas, including cleanup, hazardous waste removal and assistance for Californians impacted by the fires who are not eligible for federal aid.

Under the state appropriation, the California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) will dedicate $35 million to debris removal and cleanup efforts, while the California Department of Toxic Substances Control will direct $1.5 million to support hazardous waste cleanup operations.

This funding will support debris removal and household hazardous waste cleanup at lots impacted by the fires. Household hazardous waste has already been removed from more than 3,000 lots and debris removal is starting across the impacted counties.

The appropriation also includes $5 million – managed by the California Department of Social Services – to aid wildfire victims who are not eligible to receive federal disaster assistance because of their immigration status.

The funds will help these individuals and families affected by the fires with food, housing, utility and other expenses.

During the wildfire disaster last month, Gov. Brown declared a state of emergency for the counties of Solano, Napa, Sonoma, Yuba, Butte, Lake, Mendocino, Nevada and Orange and secured a Presidential Major Disaster Declaration to support the state and local response to the fires, within 24 hours of making the request.

Federal direct aid was also secured for residents of Napa, Sonoma, Butte, Lake, Mendocino, Yuba, Orange and Nevada counties who suffered losses due to the fires as well as Disaster Unemployment Assistance benefits for workers in these counties who lost jobs or had work hours substantially reduced as a result of the fires.

Gov. Brown also issued an executive order to help cut red tape and streamline recovery efforts in impacted communities and on Oct. 28 declared a “Day of Remembrance of the Northern California Fires” in recognition of victims and first responders.

Additional information on California’s wildfire emergency response and recovery efforts is available at http://wildfirerecovery.org.

Jonathan Gudel is a public information officer for the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES).
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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – It’s once again time to “fall back.”

Daylight saving time, which began March 12, ends at 2 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 5.

The US Naval Observatory reports that civil clocks in most areas of the United States are adjusted ahead one hour in the summer months and returned back one hour in the winter months by act of Congress.

Beginning in 2007, daylight saving time goes into effect on the second Sunday in March and ends on the first Sunday in November, dates established by Congress in the Energy Policy Act of 2005, the observatory reported.

Hawaii and most of Arizona do not use daylight saving time, and Indiana has adopted the use of daylight saving time, officials reported.

It’s not just time to turn clocks back by an hour, but also a good opportunity to check important safety features in homes.

Cal Fire urges people to use daylight saving time as a reminder to check smoke alarms – including changing the batteries.

The agency emphasizes the importance of smoke alarms – which should be installed in all sleeping rooms, hallways that lead to sleeping areas, basements and each additional level of the home – because most fatal fires occur at night.

For more information about smoke alarms visit Cal Fire’s Web site at www.fire.ca.gov or contact your local fire department.
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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake County property owners who had residences and other structures destroyed by the Sulphur fire are able to benefit from a government program to remove the fire debris at no out-of-pocket cost.

This program will ensure that properties are cleaned of any hazardous waste and debris in a timely manner.

However, the state of California’s Office of Emergency Services has set the deadline to sign up for the program by 5 p.m. Monday, Nov. 13.

Property owners can sign up for the program by submitting a right-of-entry, or ROE, form to the Lake County Environmental Health Department or at Clearlake City Hall.

By submitting the ROE, residential property owners are granting permission for contractors hired by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to clean their property of fire-related debris. Property owners who participate in the program are only liable for the cost of clean up to the debris cleanup limits allowed by their insurance policy.

Property owners without insurance will not have to pay at all.

Property owners have the option of having the debris removed by their own contractors and paying for debris removal themselves, but not removing the debris is not a legal option. Opting to hire a private contractor requires the completion and submission of the private cleanup application.

The debris must be removed in a timely manner before hazardous materials begin to run off into the lake with the winter storms.

The work must be done to standards established in ordinances and regulations so that health and safety risks are adequately addressed for the community and the environment.

Property owners who fail to clean up their properties will be subject to nuisance abatement proceedings.

Right-of-entry forms are available online at the California Wildfires Statewide Recovers Resources Web site at http://wildfirerecovery.org/debris-removal/right-of-entry/ or at the Lake County Public Health Sulphur Fire webpage located at http://health.co.lake.ca.us/Sulphur_Fire.htm .

With the CalOES mandated deadline of Nov. 13, there is a limited amount of time left to submit a right-of-entry in order to allow this program to clear your fire damaged property.

Local officials urge impacted property owners to discuss this option with their insurance company and decide quickly so they can submit the ROE form before the deadline.

Contractors are currently in the Sulphur fire area applying a product called Posi-Shell to help reduce erosion of fire-impacted properties that could lead to possible contamination of the lake.

The product is spray-on slurry that hardens to a consistency like an egg carton. It is made of finely ground clay, reinforcing fiber, water and Portland cement. Posi-Shell is nontoxic and will be removed with the debris.

The Clearlake City Council will be discussing ROEs, fire debris management and cleanup deadlines during its next meeting on Thursday, Nov. 9, during a Sulphur fire update agenda item.
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Jackie Gleason owned property in the Lake Pillsbury area in Lake County, Calif. Public domain photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

"Be awful nice to them going up, because you're gonna meet them all coming down." – Jimmy Durante

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – While taking in some of the interesting elements at our historic Lakeport Courthouse Museum, I happened upon an attention-grabbing display, entitled, "Our Star Legacy" which features some of the celebrities who have called Lake County their home, or at least their home-away-from-home at one time in the past.

Actor Jackie Gleason, who was adored by America in "The Jackie Gleason Show" in 1951, along with fellow actor Jack Haley of the classic 1939 movie, "The Wizard of Oz," where he played the Tin Man as well as the farm owner, were investment partners in Lake County.

Gleason and Haley formed a company in the 1960s, called the Kramden Investment Co., to invest in Lake Pillsbury properties.

Friends for decades, the pair performed in the 1941 movie, "Navy Blues."

Actor Jack Haley and his friend Jackie Gleason owned property in the Lake Pillsbury area in Lake County, Calif. Public domain photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

Here in Lake County, the actors sidelined in acquiring residential and commercial properties. One piece they purchased was a ranch which was once owned by J.W. Fuller, the proprietor of the Fuller Paint Co.

The ranch was named The Lake Pillsbury Ranch and boasted, among other amenities, both an airstrip and a polo field. Then, they were able to fly their Hollywood pals from the Rat Pack into Lake County to enjoy the countryside.

Gleason starred in dozens of television shows, movies and several stage productions in his long career. Born in Brooklyn in 1916, he died in Florida of colon cancer in 1987 shortly after completing a movie with Tom Hanks, called "Nothing in Common.”

Jack Haley was born in 1897, and was a well-loved star of film, radio, stage as well as vaudeville.

Born in Boston to a Canadian sailor, John Joseph Haley Sr. and mother, Ellen Curley Haley, his father died at sea when Jack was just 6 months old. Jack died in 1979 of a heart attack, in Los Angeles leaving a legacy of dozens of features films behind.

Another of the personalities in Lake County's past include the singer Johnny Burnette, who drowned in Clear Lake in 1964 while fishing in a small craft.

His little boat, which was not lit, collided with a cabin cruiser and he was flung into the lake to his death.

The Aug. 12, 1964, headlines in the Ukiah Daily Journal read, "Singing Star Drowning Victim.”

Johnny Burnette and his brother, Dorsey Burnette, along with a guitarist named Paul Burlison starred in the group called "The Rock and Roll Trio" in the 1950s.

The group decided to split in 1957, when Johnny Burnette's career took off with a No. 8 on the music Billboard Hot 100 due to his hit, "You're Sixteen," among other hit songs.

Tennessee Ernie Ford was a property owner in Lake County, Calif. Public domain photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

Hot cha cha cha – would you believe actor/singer Jimmy Durante was a homeowner in Lake County in the 1950s, where he had a house on Sioux Avenue in Clearlake Highlands, now called Clearlake? Unfortunately, the house burned down years ago.

Durante was born in 1893 in New York City to parents who immigrated from Salerno, Italy.

His early career found him playing ragtime piano in a family act, then he played in the "Original New Orleans Jazz Band," where he was the only player who did not hail from New Orleans.

Durante, the self-proclaimed "schnozzola," starred or played parts in dozens of radio, TV shows and movies throughout his career, and also completed six record albums.

Durante died of pneumonia in 1980 in Santa Monica.

Tennessee Ernie Ford was born Ernest Jennings Ford in 1919.

The highly successful singer, who was noted for his gospel, western and pop music, once owned 500 acres of land in Long Valley here in Lake County. In 1956 he and his family raised Herefords on his ranch.

Ford may have been known most for his million-copies sold in less than a month of his recording, "Sixteen Tons," about life working in a coal mine. He was inducted into both the Gospel Music Hall of Fame and the Country Music Hall of Fame.

Ford loved the resorts here in Lake County and playing golf.

He introduced his movie star buddies to life in Lake County. Ford especially loved golfing at Hoberg's, where he sang "Sixteen Tons.”

According to the information in the Courthouse Museum's display, “There are many stories of Ford's movie star friends like John Wayne, Edgar G. Robinson and others coming to visit the ranch. They would pile into an old military Jeep and drive to the resorts in Clearlake Highlands (now Clearlake) for dinner."

Ford died in 1991 of liver failure after an illustrious career of making more than 60 record albums and numerous singles.

Kathleen Scavone, M.A., is a retired educator, potter, 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.” She also formerly wrote for NASA and JPL as one of their “Solar System Ambassadors.” She was selected “Lake County Teacher of the Year, 1998-99” by the Lake County Office of Education, and chosen as one of 10 state finalists the same year by the California Department of Education.
Jimmy Durante owned a home in the Clearlake Highlands, Calif. – now Clearlake – in the 1950s. Public domain photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
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Elijah Cain Ward, 38, was arrested on Wednesday, November 1, 2017, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, for the August 2017 assault of Cody Myrick in Lower Lake, Calif. Facebook photo.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – A second suspect wanted for the brutal beating of a Clearlake man was arrested this week in Oklahoma, while the victim in the case is in the midst of a lengthy recovery.

Elijah Cain Ward, 38, was arrested in Tulsa on Wednesday, according to Lt. Corey Paulich of the Lake County Sheriff’s Office.

Ward was arrested for the assault of 24-year-old Cody Myrick outside of Maynard’s Bar in Lower Lake in late August.

Word of Ward’s arrest came as welcome news to the family of Myrick, who is in the midst of rehabilitation from his injuries, according to his mother, Shannon Mason.

She said her son was hospitalized for two and a half weeks, with about a week of that time spent in a medically induced coma.

“His skull was fractured,” she said.

Authorities said Ward and Lorenzo Reyes Cespedes, 44, of Lucerne attacked Myrick late on the night of Aug. 25, as Lake County News has reported.

A deputy patrolling the area found Myrick unconscious on Main Street in front of the bar, officials reported.

Paulich said in a previous interview that bar patrons provided deputies with descriptions of the assailants, with a deputy locating Cespedes and Ward – both of them intoxicated – a short time later at Twin Pine Casino in Middletown.

Both spoke to deputies, with Cespedes later coming in to give a statement. He was arrested on the morning of Aug. 27 on felony charges of assault with great bodily injury and battery with serious bodily injury.

Ward told deputies there was an altercation between Myrick and Jennifer Ashley Thach, 39, of Lower Lake.

Thach has not been arrested in the case. Paulich said the surveillance video the sheriff’s office had obtained in the case did not show Thach taking part in the assault.

Mason said one security video showed her son and Thach walking together before he was attached by Ward and Cespedes.

“He doesn’t remember anything that happened that night,” she said.

In the days after Myrick’s assault, the sheriff’s office got an arrest warrant issued by the Lake County Superior Court for Ward’s arrest.

While they had a local address for Ward, Paulich said at the time that they couldn’t locate him and believed he had left the area.

Lorenzo Reyes Cespedes, 44, was arrested on Sunday, August 27, 2017, for the assault of Clearlake resident Cody Myrick in Lower Lake, Calif., on Friday, August 25, 2017. Lake County Jail photo.


That turned out to be the case, but authorities caught up with Ward on Wednesday.

Ward is being charged with assault on a person with force likely to cause great bodily injury and battery causing serious bodily injury. His bail is set at $100,000, Paulich said.

Paulich said Ward will be extradited back to Lake County. “I’m not sure how long that process will take.”

Outside of Ward’s arrest, Paulich said there are no new developments with the case.

Oklahoma arrest records show Ward has had other brushes with the law there, including an October 2015 arrest in Tulsa County for domestic violence, assault with a deadly weapon and threatening a violent act.

Cespedes has pleaded not guilty in the case and is expected to return to court in the case later this month.

Mason said her son already has overcome a great deal, from having to be kept in the coma to fighting pneumonia because of needing a breathing machine in the hospital.

Then there is the ongoing physical rehabilitation. He continues to work on strengthening the muscles on the side of his face in order to have them once again be symmetrical, she said.

Myrick, who works as a server at Main Street Bar and Grill, is ready to get back to work, and has retained his sense of humor, his mother said.

She called his progress “pretty amazing for what happened.”

Mason said her son has touched a lot of hearts in the county, and he’s gotten incredible support in return since his injury.

“This community really came together,” she 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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LAKEPORT, Calif. – All this month, the Lakeport Police Department and Lakeport Police Officers Association are taking part in an effort to raise awareness – and funds – in the fight against cancer.

Police Chief Brad Rasmussen said department and association members are participating in the “No Shave November” campaign, which will help raise funds for their partner organization in the effort, Sponsoring Survivorship.

The goal of “No Shave November” is to grow awareness by embracing our hair, which many cancer patients lose, and letting it grow wild and free.

The officers invite community members to join them in not shaving or cutting hair to support the cause.

They encourage participants to donate the money they would typically spend on shaving and grooming to educate about cancer prevention, save lives and aid those fighting the battle. Both women and men can participate.

Officers and the association also will be donating money to the effort.

Rasmussen said 100-percent of the funds raised in his department’s “No Shave November” campaign will go to Sponsoring Survivorship in Lake County.

Sponsoring Survivorship was established in Lake County to help local women and men cover costs associated with their struggle against breast cancer.

Donations can be made by dropping off checks – made to Sponsoring Survivorship – or cash for “No Shave November” to any LPD Officer, Sponsoring Survivorship Coordinator Shirley Crawford at 707-279-1364, or to Umpqua Bank in Lakeport under the account 4865588257.

Sponsoring Survivorship is a nonprofit organization with federal tax ID #45-3321877. Donation receipts are available.

Questions can be sent by private message to the Lakeport Police Department Facebook page, by email to LPOA President Tyler Trouette at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., or to Chief Rasmussen at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake County Animal Care and Control has a new group of dogs available for adoption along with the four Sulphur fire dogs waiting to be reclaimed.

The dogs taken in from the Sulphur fire are at the top of the featured listings; they will not be up for adoption to the general public until mid-November in order to give their owners the opportunity to reclaim them.

The dogs in the general shelter population available for adoption this week include mixes of Chihuahua, German Shepherd, pit bull, retriever, 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.

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”).

SULPHUR FIRE DOGS
This female border collie is in kennel No. 8, ID No. 8730. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control.

Border collie mix

This female border collie was found on Lakeshore Drive in Clearlake on Oct. 12.

She has a medium-length black and white coat and is not spayed.

She’s in kennel No. 8, ID No. 8730.

This young male German Shepherd mix is in kennel No. 5, ID No. 8693. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control.

German Shepherd mix

This young male German Shepherd mix was found on Lakeshore Drive in Clearlake on Oct. 9.

He is unaltered and has a medium-length black and brown coat.

He is in kennel No. 5, ID No. 8693.

This female cream-colored Labrador Retriever-poodle mix is in kennel No. 4, ID No. 8694. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control.

Labrador Retriever-poodle mix

This female cream-colored Labrador Retriever-poodle mix was found on Lakeshore Drive in Clearlake on Oct. 9.

She is in kennel No. 4, ID No. 8694.

This female pit bull mix is in kennel No. 2, ID No. 8736. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control.

Female pit bull mix

This female pit bull mix was found on Lakeshore Drive in Clearlake Park on Oct. 13.

She has a short red and white coat. She is not spayed.

She is in kennel No. 2, ID No. 8736.

OTHER DOGS AVAILABLE FOR ADOPTION
This male pit bull terrier is in kennel No. 3, ID No. 8817. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control.

Pit bull terrier

This male pit bull terrier has a short blue and white coat.

Shelter staff said he was tested with a female dog and got along great with her.

He is in kennel No. 3, ID No. 8817.

This female shepherd is in kennel No. 6, ID No. 8819. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control.

Female shepherd

This female shepherd has a short brown and white coat.

She’s in kennel No. 6, ID No. 8819.

This young female Chihuahua is in kennel No. 9, ID No. 8806. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control.

Female Chihuahua

This young female Chihuahua has a short tan and black coat.

She’s in kennel No. 9, ID No. 8806.

“Marley” is a female pit bull terrier mix in kennel No. 15, ID No. 8857. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control.

‘Marley’

“Marley” is a female pit bull terrier mix with a short tan coat.

She already has been spayed.

She’s in kennel No. 15, ID No. 8857.

“Pedro” is a male shepherd mix in kennel No. 17, ID No. 8746. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control.

‘Pedro’

“Pedro” is a male shepherd mix.

He has a short tan and white coat.

Shelter staff said he gets along with other dogs.

He’s in kennel No. 17, ID No. 8746.

This male German Shepherd is in kennel No. 19, ID No. 8798. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control.

Male German Shepherd

This male German Shepherd has a medium-length tan and brown coat.

He’s in kennel No. 19, ID No. 8798.

This female shepherd is in kennel No. 22, ID No. 8816. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control.

Female shepherd

This female shepherd has a short brown and white coat.

She is in kennel No. 22, ID No. 8816.

This female German Shepherd is in kennel No. 24, ID No. 7872. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control.

Female German Shepherd

This female German Shepherd has a long black coat.

She’s in kennel No. 24, ID No. 7872.

“Jody” is a female German Shepherd in kennel No. 27, ID No. 8814. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control.

‘Jody’

“Jody” is a female German Shepherd with a short black and tan coat.

Shelter staff said she is good with other dogs.

She is in kennel No. 27, ID No. 8814.

This male retriever is in kennel No. 29, ID No. 8841. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control.

Male retriever

This male retriever has a short brown coat.

He’s in kennel No. 29, ID No. 8841.

This male terrier is in kennel No. 31, ID No. 8842. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control.

Male terrier

This male terrier has a short red coat.

He already has been neutered.

He’s in kennel No. 31, ID No. 8842.

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.
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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The National Weather Service has issued a special weather statement for parts of Northern California including Lake County due to storms expected to impact the region into early next week.

The agency said a couple of early season storms are on track to impact interior Northern California through Monday.

Forecasters said an early season Pacific storm system will be moving through Northern California this weekend.

The main cold front, heaviest precipitation and strongest winds will occur through Saturday, the National Weather Service said.

Precipitation is forecast to wind down from west to east Saturday afternoon and Saturday night, according to the forecast.

The National Weather Service said there will be a brief break on Sunday, followed by a weaker frontal storm system that’s expected to bring more rain and mountain snow to the region Sunday afternoon and Monday.

In Lake County, forecasters are predicting strong chances of rain through Sunday night, clearing on Monday and during the day on Tuesday, before chances of rain are again in the forecast on Tuesday night and continuing through into next weekend.

Winds ranging up to 8 miles per hour also are forecast through the weekend.

Temperatures are expected to range from the high 20s at night to the low 60s during the day in the coming week, based on the forecast.

Rain fell steadily throughout Lake County on Friday.

National Weather Service observation stations reported the following rainfall totals, in inches, for the 24-hour period ending at 1 a.m. Saturday:

– Bartlett Springs: 0.36;
– High Glade Lookout (above Upper Lake): 1.29;
– Indian Valley Reservoir: 0.16;
– Lake Pillsbury: 0.60;
– Lakeport: 0.19;
– Lower Lake: 0.13;
– Lyons Valley: 0.60;
– Upper Lake: 0.50;
– Whispering Pines: 0.52.

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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LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lake Ministerial Association intends to operate its warming center for the homeless for the third year, and the group is hosting a community meeting this week to share information about its plans.

The association said the center will open on Monday, Dec. 4, and will again be based at the Lakeport Seventh-day Adventist Church, 1111 Park Way.

Organizers will hold an open house on Monday, Nov. 6, starting at 6 p.m. at the church.

They encourage neighbors, elected officials, community members and any other interested parties to attend.

There will be an opportunity to ask questions, learn more about the program and sign up to volunteer.

The center will be open five days a week – Monday through Friday from 6 p.m. to 7:30 a.m. – and is limited to 24 guests per night.

All guests go through an intake process and must arrive no later than 8 p.m.

The best practice is to check in at the bus stop at the old Natural High School, opposite St. Mary’s, in Lakeport.

The last night for this winter season will be March 30, 2018.

The center is operating under a major use permit approved by the county of Lake. The fiscal sponsor is Kelseyville United Methodist Church.

Community members will be offered a safe, warm place to sleep, along with dinner and breakfast, hot showers and laundry assistance. Pets are welcome but must stay in a designated area outside the building.

Additional services include assistance with obtaining valid IDs, computer and WiFi access for job training and housing searches, and family reunification mediation.

The warming center is part of a coordinated group of solution providers in the county who are working to improve the lives of the most vulnerable citizens.

Center volunteers build trust with homeless neighbors and introduce them to service providers who want to help but often don’t know where to begin.

An assistant manager and a security guard will be on site during open hours. Additional positions including meal preparers and servers, overnight sleepers, intake personnel, laundry and shower assistants are filled by community volunteers.

Many community groups choose to provide dinner or “to-go” breakfasts or fill volunteer positions one night a week.

Volunteers report that they have their hearts opened and now see the homeless in an entirely new light – as neighbors.

Last year, the center served 101 homeless individuals and, after the floods, served an additional 100 evacuated individuals, including many families. On an average night, 24 individuals were served.

Last year’s warming center guests have lived locally a combined total of 1,038 years and seven months for an average amount of 11 years living in the county. The only reason the average is not higher is because several of the youngest have lived here their entire lives which consisted of only five to six months so far.

Thirteen percent of the guests last year were veterans.

Nine of the homeless persons sheltered last winter were under the age of 18, but during the floods, this number increased to 39 children needing shelter. Nineteen of the guests at the warming center were over the age of 59.

Center organizers also reported that two guests died on weekends when the center was closed.

Every night the center was open there was a minimum of six volunteers. Some nights there were significantly more. People from all over the community willingly give of themselves to make this center a success.

There were 62 registered volunteers; 39 of those volunteers represented 11 different church and community organizations and at least three county workers. Twenty-three of them were unaffiliated, warm-hearted people from the community at large.

The center helped three guests find regular employment, and created four jobs – two full-time and two part-time; reunited two families; helped others get valid identification; and connected all guests to medical services as needed.

For the upcoming season, donations are needed to open the shelter and keep it open through March 2018.

Checks may be made payable to Kelseyville United Methodist Church and sent to P.O. Box 446, Kelseyville, CA 95451. Please write Warming Center on the memo line.

A Go Fund Me Account is also available for donations at https://www.gofundme.com/lma-warming-shelterministry/donate.

In addition, sleeping bags and pillows are always in high demand and may be dropped off at the center beginning on Dec. 4.

For more information or to volunteer contact the center at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or visit its Facebook page at Lake Ministerial Association Warming Center.
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NASA is preparing to launch the Joint Polar Satellite System-1, or JPSS-1, satellite on behalf of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to provide essential data for timely and accurate weather forecasts and for tracking environmental events such as forest fires and droughts.

JPSS-1 is the first in NOAA’s series of four, next-generation operational environmental satellites designed to circle the Earth in a polar orbit.

The JPSS program is a partnership between NOAA and NASA that will oversee all the satellites in the JPSS series. NOAA funds and manages the program, operations and data products.

NASA develops and builds the instruments, spacecraft and ground system and launches the satellites for NOAA.

The mission is scheduled to begin at 4:47 a.m. EST (1:47 a.m. PST), Nov. 10, 2017, with JPSS-1 atop a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Delta II rocket lifting off from Space Launch Complex 2 (SLC-2) at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.

Built by Ball Aerospace of Boulder, Colorado, the satellite will pass over the equator about 14 times each day, covering the globe twice every 24 hours.

As it works, JPSS-1 will gather measurements of atmospheric, terrestrial and oceanic conditions, including sea and land surface temperatures, vegetation, clouds, rainfall, snow and ice cover, fire locations, atmospheric temperature, water vapor and ozone.

With these varied observations, JPSS will give environmental experts more accurate warnings in advance of hurricanes, tornadoes and blizzards.

During its planned 10-years in orbit, JPSS-1 also will aid in assessing hazards such as droughts, forest fires, poor air quality and harmful coastal waters.

The Joint Polar Satellite System-1, or JPSS-1, spacecraft is checked out on Oct. 8, 2015, at Ball Aerospace in Boulder, Colorado. The Launch Configuration Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) measures the electromagnetic emissions and subjects it to expected electromagnetic radiation that the satellite would experience at the launch site. Credits: Ball Aerospace.

Preparations for the launch JPSS-1 rocket have been under way for more than a year. The first stage of the Delta II rocket arrived at Vandenberg's NASA Hangar 836 on April 4, 2016. Later in the month, the Delta II interstage and second stage also reached the West Coast launch site.

On July 12, 2016, the first stage of the ULA Delta II rocket was transported to SLC-2 at Vandenberg and positioned on the launch pad. The rocket's second stage was hoisted into the pad's gantry on April 11, 2017, and mounted atop the first stage of the rocket.

The JPSS-1 satellite arrived at Vandenberg on Sept. 1, 2017, for preflight preparations in the Astrotech Processing Facility. Following checkouts, the spacecraft was encapsulated in its payload fairing and moved to SLC-2 and mounted atop the Delta II rocket.

JPSS-1 will follow the joint NOAA/NASA Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership, which was launched in 2011.

Originally planned as a research and risk-reduction mission in the JPSS series, NOAA has been using Suomi NPP as its primary operational satellite for global weather observations since May 2014.

After it reaches orbit 512 miles above the Earth, JPSS-1 will be known as NOAA-20. Future satellites planned for the JPSS constellation include JPSS-2, scheduled for launch in 2021, JPSS-3 in 2026 and JPSS-4 in 2031. The series of four JPSS satellites are expected to span 20 years.

The U.S. government will make data from the JPSS system available to domestic and international users in support of U.S. commitments to the Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS).

Bob Granath is with NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
On April 11, 2017, at Vandenberg Air Force Base, a United Launch Alliance Delta II second stage is hoisted into the gantry at Space Launch Complex 2. It will be mounted atop the first stage of the rocket, seen on the left, as preparations continue for the launch of the Joint Polar Satellite System-1, or JPSS-1. Credits: NASA/Randy Beaudoin.
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NORTH COAST, Calif. – Three Lake County residents were involved in a Friday morning crash in Mendocino County that injured two of them.

The California Highway Patrol’s Ukiah Area office said the crash occurred at 7:30 a.m. Friday on Highway 20 west of Road A near Redwood Valley. It was raining at the time of the crash.

The CHP said Lakeport resident Monica Ivicevich, 49, was driving a 2000 Honda Civic westbound on Highway 20 at an undetermined speed.

Ukiah resident Robert Whelan, 47, was driving a 2016 Mercedes Sprinter van eastbound on Highway 20 in the left lane west of Ivicevich, while Anthony Bloyd, 22, of Lucerne, was driving a 2005 Toyota Camry westbound behind Ivicevich, with William Crandal, 18, of Lucerne as his passenger, the CHP said.

For reasons that are as yet undetermined, the CHP said Ivicevich lost control of her car and swerved to the left, over the double-yellow center lines, and into Whelan’s path.

Whelan attempted to stop and move to the left to avoid Ivicevich, who at nearly the same time attempted to regain control of her car and swerved back toward the westbound lane, which caused her and Whelan to collide head-on, the CHP said.

The CHP said Whelan continued off the north side of Highway 20, overturning down the steep hillside, with the van coming to rest on its left side.

Ivicevich’s Honda spun out of control in the westbound lane. Bloyd couldn’t avoid the car and his Toyota collided head-on with Ivicevich’s Honda, the CHP said.

The CHP said after the collision, Ivicevich’s Honda was blocking the westbound lane and Bloyd’s car came to rest on the westbound highway shoulder.

Due to the extensive damage to her car, Ivicevich was trapped in the driver’s seat, the CHP said. The Redwood Valley/Calpella Fire Department responded to the scene and extricated her from the vehicle.

Ivicevich was transported to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital for treatment of major injuries, the CHP said.

The CHP said Bloyd was taken to Adventist Health Ukiah Valley for treatment of moderate injuries. Whelan had minor injuries and Crandal was uninjured.

All four individuals were wearing their seat belts, the CHP said.

Caltrans responded to the scene and assisted CHP by establishing traffic control in the eastbound lanes. The CHP said Highway 20 was reopened at approximately 9:30 a.m. Friday.

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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