Lake County News,California

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: Caltrans‌‌ ‌‌‌; Posted On Friday, 25 June 2021 02:52; 25 June 2021

Caltrans plans major roadwork through July 1

NORTH‌‌ ‌‌COAST, ‌‌ ‌‌Calif.‌‌ ‌‌ — ‌ ‌Caltrans‌‌ ‌‌reports‌‌ ‌‌that‌‌ ‌‌the‌‌ ‌‌following‌‌ ‌‌road‌‌ ‌‌projects‌‌ ‌‌will‌‌ ‌‌be‌‌ ‌‌taking‌‌ ‌‌place‌‌ ‌‌‌around‌‌ ‌‌the‌‌ ‌‌North‌‌ ‌‌Coast‌‌ ‌‌during‌‌ ‌‌the‌‌ ‌‌coming‌‌ ‌‌week. ‌‌ ‌‌‌ ‌
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Included‌‌ ‌‌are‌‌ ‌‌Mendocino‌‌ ‌‌County‌‌ ‌‌projects‌‌ ‌‌that‌‌ ‌‌may‌‌ ‌‌impact‌‌ ‌‌Lake‌‌ ‌‌County‌‌ ‌‌commuters. ‌‌ ‌‌‌ ‌
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Caltrans‌‌ ‌‌advises‌‌ ‌‌motorists‌‌ ‌‌to‌‌ ‌‌drive‌‌ ‌‌with‌‌ ‌‌caution‌‌ ‌‌when‌‌ ‌‌approaching‌‌ ‌‌work‌‌ ‌‌areas‌‌ ‌‌and‌‌ ‌‌to‌‌ ‌‌be‌‌ ‌‌‌prepared‌‌ ‌‌to‌‌ ‌‌stop‌‌ ‌‌at‌‌ ‌‌traffic‌‌ ‌‌control‌‌ ‌‌stations. ‌‌ ‌‌‌ ‌
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The‌‌ ‌‌Caltrans‌‌ ‌‌Traffic‌‌ ‌‌Operations‌‌ ‌‌Office‌‌ ‌‌has‌‌ ‌‌reviewed‌‌ ‌‌each‌‌ ‌‌project‌‌ ‌‌and‌‌ ‌‌determined‌‌ ‌‌that‌‌ ‌‌individual‌‌ ‌‌‌project‌‌ ‌‌delays‌‌ ‌‌are‌‌ ‌‌expected‌‌ ‌‌to‌‌ ‌‌be‌‌ ‌‌less‌‌ ‌‌than‌‌ ‌‌the‌‌ ‌‌statewide‌‌ ‌‌policy‌‌ ‌‌maximum‌‌ ‌‌of‌‌ ‌‌30‌‌ ‌‌minutes‌‌ ‌‌unless‌‌ ‌‌‌ ‌noted‌‌ ‌‌otherwise. ‌‌ ‌‌‌ ‌‌‌ ‌
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For‌‌ ‌‌updates‌‌ ‌‌to‌‌ ‌‌this‌‌ ‌‌list‌‌ ‌‌check‌‌ ‌‌QuickMap‌‌ ‌‌at‌‌ ‌‌‌www.dot.ca.gov‌‌‌ ‌or‌‌ ‌‌1-800-GAS-ROAD‌‌ ‌‌‌(1-800-427-7623). ‌‌ ‌‌‌ ‌
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LAKE‌‌ ‌‌COUNTY‌‌ ‌‌‌ ‌
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Highway‌‌ ‌‌20

— Highway construction 3 miles west of Upper Lake near Bachelor Creek will continue. One-way traffic control will be in effect weekdays from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Motorists should anticipate 10-minute delays.

Highway‌‌ ‌‌29

— Highway construction from Spruce Grove Road South to Hofacker Lane will continue. One-way traffic control will be in effect weekdays from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. and overnight from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. Motorists should anticipate 20-minute delays.

— Highway construction from Route 281 to Private Drive will continue. One-way traffic control will be in effect overnight weekdays from 8 p.m. to 7 a.m. Motorists should anticipate 15-minute delays.

MENDOCINO COUNTY

Highway 1

— Electrical Work on the Albion River Bridge will continue Friday, June 25. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Motorists should anticipate 10-minute delays.

— Emergency work at Blue Slide Gulch will occur on Friday, June 25. Lane closures will be in effect from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.

— Emergency work from Hardy Creek to the Georgia Pacific Picnic Area will occur on Friday, June 25. Lane closures will be in effect from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.

Highway 20

— Slide removal two miles west of Three Chop Road will continue. One-way traffic control will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate 10-minute delays.

Highway 101

— Construction near Comminsky Station Road will continue. A northbound lane restriction will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate minor traffic slowdowns.

— Striping and Rumble Restore has been granted a Caltrans Encroachment Permit for incident repairs from Geysers Road to Comminsky Station Road will occur on Friday, June 25. Lane closures will be in effect from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.

— Paving from Reeves Canyon Road to Ridgewood Ranch Road will occur on Monday, June 28. Lane closures will be in effect from 6:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Motorists should anticipate minor traffic slowdowns.

— Emergency work on Ridgewood Ranch Road will continue. Lane closures will be in effect daily from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. Motorists should anticipate minor traffic slowdowns.

— Paving from Truck Scales to South Willits Overhead will occur on Tuesday, June 29. Lane closures will be in effect from 6:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Motorists should anticipate minor traffic slowdowns.

— Moss Cove Safety Rest Area will be closed through fall 2021.

— Empire Camp Safety Rest Area will be closed through fall 2021.

Highway 162

— Core drilling from 1.2-0.2 miles south of Middle Fork Eel River will continue. One-way traffic control will be in effect weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Motorists should anticipate 10-minute delays.

: Editor; Posted On Wednesday, 23 June 2021 00:43; 23 June 2021

Dodd controlled burn bill clears Assembly Committee

SACRAMENTO — Legislation from Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa, that would help protect California from devastating wildfires through the expanded use of prescribed burning cleared the Assembly Judiciary committee on Tuesday.

“Controlled burning is one of the best ways to reduce combustible fuels in our parched forests and wildlands,” Sen. Dodd said. “It was used by native Californians for millennia and is one of the preferred methods of wildfire prevention today. My bill will expand our use of this proven tool and make our state safer as we face ever-worsening conditions caused by drought and climate change.”

Prescribed burning is the controlled application of fire to the land to reduce wildfire hazards, clear downed trees, control plant diseases and improve wildlife habitats.

It is conducted by trained professionals — or burn bosses — and is one of the most cost-effective tools to manage wildfire. Rarely have prescribed burns caused unintended damage.

However, concern over being billed for wildfire suppression costs has prevented more widespread use, causing a buildup in our forests of brush and unhealthy trees.

Senate Bill 332 would encourage more controlled burns by raising the legal standard for seeking state suppression costs, requiring a showing of gross negligence rather than simple negligence.

The bill is supported by a broad coalition including ranchers, conservationists and tribal governments. It passed the Assembly Judiciary committee with unanimous bipartisan support.

“The time is really right for this,” Lenya Quinn-Davidson, fire adviser for the University of California Cooperative Extension and director of Northern California Prescribed Fire Council, testified before the committee. “Fire suppression cost is one of our biggest barriers. Prescribed fires have innumerable public benefits. I thank Sen. Dodd for his leadership on this.”

Dodd represents the Third Senate District, which includes all or portions of Napa, Yolo, Sonoma, Solano, Sacramento and Contra Costa counties.

: Editor; Posted On Monday, 21 June 2021 00:26; 21 June 2021

Sheriff’s Activity League plans June 26 kayak outing

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The Lake County Sheriff’s Activity League is planning a family kayaking outing.

The event will take place at 9 a.m. Saturday, June 26, at Highland Springs Dam.

The group’s current model is having parents assist with all aspects of the activity including kayaking.

All kayaks are single seaters.

They will use a COVID-19 safe protocol which will be provided to those who sign up.

Children must be at least 10 years old and all participants must know how to swim. All equipment, including mandatory life vests, are provided.

A release and waiver form is required for participation and can be downloaded from at www.lakecountysal.com.

To find out more about the outing on June 26 or future kayaking opportunities, call Mary Borjon at 707-279-1050.

: Editor; Posted On Thursday, 24 June 2021 01:59; 24 June 2021

Thompson announces introduction of Disaster Tax Relief Act of 2021

Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-05), Chairman of the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Select Revenue Measures, announced the introduction of the Disaster Tax Relief Act of 2021.

This bill uses the tax code to offer relief to survivors of natural disasters and includes several pieces of disaster relief legislation he has previously introduced.

“As our district continues to recover from the recent devastating fires and prepares for another Fire Season, it’s critical the federal government provide every resource possible to recover and mitigate the impact of future disasters,” said Thompson. “That’s why I’m proud to introduce the Disaster Tax Relief Act of 2021, comprehensive legislation that uses the tax code to help people and small businesses impacted by natural disasters, such as fires.

Thompson said the bill eases the tax burden for survivors and gives them financial flexibility, and also incentivizes investment in disaster resiliency projects for both individuals and small businesses.

“It’s critical we pass this bill right away so that fire survivors don’t have to wait any longer,” he said.

You can click here to read more about H.R. 3954, the Disaster Tax Relief Act of 2021.

The bill includes:

Disaster tax relief in Sections 1-6, which:

— Allows qualified individuals in federally declared disaster areas to withdraw up to $100,000 from tax-exempt retirement plans with no tax penalty;
— Increases to $100,000 the limit on loans from retirement plans not treated as distributions for individuals in federally declared disaster areas;
— Creates an employee retention tax credit for employers affected by disaster, up to 40 percent of qualified wages for each employee;
— Expands eligibility for disaster-related personal casualty losses; and
— Suspends the limit on corporate charitable contributions for disaster relief programs.

Tax incentives for catastrophe mitigation in Sections 7 and 8, which:

— Stipulates that payments made under a qualified state- or locality-based catastrophe mitigation program do not qualify as income for federal income tax purposes; and
— Exempts from federal income tax calculations payments made under emergency agricultural programs, including the Wildfires and Hurricane Indemnity Program (WHIP), the Livestock Indemnity Program, the Tree Assistance Program, and the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program.

Expanded support for disaster affected small businesses in Sections 9-11, which:

— Provides relief funding for small businesses by authorizing the Small Business Administration, or SBA, to exceed the $100,000 cap on grants to Small Business Development Centers in disaster areas; and
— Authorizes SBA and the Farm Service Agency to issue loans to enterprises deemed vital to disaster recovery.

Tax credit for qualified wildfire mitigation expenditures in Section 12, which:

— Provides a tax credit equal to 30 percent of qualified expenditures to individuals and businesses who participate in a qualified state-based wildfire resiliency program, such as the California Forest Improvement Program.

This is meant to encourage individuals to participate in wildfire resiliency programs while stretching further the state budget for those programs.

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

: Lakeport Police Department; Posted On Tuesday, 22 June 2021 01:55; 22 June 2021

Lakeport Police Department to participate in Ring Neighbors app

LAKEPORT, Calif. — The Lakeport Police Department is partnering with Ring, the video doorbell manufacturer, and participating in Ring’s Neighbors app.

The Neighbors App is an online program that allows users to track criminal activity in their neighborhood in real time through their smart devices, similar to an online neighborhood watch.

Ring created the app as part of its mission to support safer neighborhoods and more connected communities by creating a free tool for residents and local law enforcement to share real-time local crime and safety information whether or not the users actually own one of Ring’s camera devices.

The app already has millions of users across the nation and has been found to be instrumental in catching criminals.

After downloading the app, users can join their digital neighborhood and utilize the app to view activity in their neighborhood, share crime and safety related videos, photos and text- based posts. Users will also be able to receive text-based alerts from their neighbors, local law enforcement and selected crime and safety news sources in real time.

In partnering with Ring through the Neighbors App, the Lakeport Police Department will be able to send real-time alerts to residents, provide updates about local crime and other safety concerns, as well as submit requests to residents for video footage relevant to investigations in specific geographic areas.

It is important to note that the app is not intended to replace calling 911 in the case of an emergency or utilizing the department’s nonemergency line for other police-related matters.

The Lakeport Police Department will not have access to any resident’s cameras or user data. The police department can only view content residents have publicly posted to the app or that users have chosen to share with the department in response to a specific request. Posts made by users other than the police department do not display the poster’s identity.

“The Lakeport Police department looks forward to working with our community through the Neighbors App to prevent and solve crimes in our community. We hope that you will join us on the Neighbors App and help us continue to make Lakeport a safer place,” said Chief Brad Rasmussen.

A video explaining the app’s video feature is shown above.

: Habitat for Humanity Lake County; Posted On Saturday, 19 June 2021 03:00; 19 June 2021

Habitat for Humanity Lake County applies for grant for ‘Brush of Kindness’ program

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — Habitat for Humanity Lake County announces its submission of a request for funding from the USDA Rural Development Housing Preservation Grant.