LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Nearly six teenage drivers are involved in a fatal car crash every day in the United States.
Inexperience combined with driver distraction increases the risk for error, making motor vehicle crashes the leading cause of death for young drivers in the nation.
To reduce teen distracted driving, the California Highway Patrol has partnered with Impact Teen Drivers, or ITD, to teach positive habits and behaviors to our most vulnerable drivers through education and enforcement.
Ten percent of all drivers ages 15 to 19 who were involved in fatal crashes were reported as distracted at the time of the crash, and 100 percent of those crashes were preventable.
Based on miles driven, the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety discovered that teens are involved in three times as many fatal crashes as all other drivers.
To combat this alarming trend, the message of the ITD program is simple: Keep both hands on the wheel, eyes on the road and mind focused on driving.
“Teen drivers are the most at risk of driving distracted. They are more likely than any other demographic to be involved in traffic crashes where distracted driving is a factor,” said CHP Commissioner Warren Stanley. “Sadly, many of these crashes will result in injuries and deaths. We hope to help eliminate these preventable deadly crashes.”
The CHP and ITD will conduct virtual classes at schools and community events throughout California during the pandemic to help change the behavior of teen drivers.
The yearlong Teen Distracted Drivers Education and Enforcement X grant provides for an education component as well as enforcement operations to be conducted statewide through Sept. 30, 2021.
“In California we lose the equivalent of eight, large school buses filled with teens each year to car crashes. Impact Teen Drivers, CHP, and the Office of Traffic Safety partner to offer free in-person and online training for parents and teens – together, we can stop the No. 1 killer of teens,” said Dr. Kelly Browning, executive director of ITD.
State Controller Betty T. Yee has published the 2019 self-reported payroll data for the University of California and California Community College districts on the Government Compensation in California website.
The data cover 408,740 positions and a total of nearly $20.39 billion in 2019 wages.
Users of the site can view compensation levels on maps and search by region; narrow results by name of the entity or by job title; and export raw data or custom reports.
The newly published data were reported by 11 UC institutions (312,118 employees and $17.16 billion in wages) and 44 CCC districts (96,622 employees and $3.23 billion in wages).
The breakdown for the 11 UC institutions is as follows:
– University of California, Los Angeles: 67,632 employees; wages, $4,029,790,028; health and retirement contributions, $626,895,228. – University of California, San Francisco: 34,167 employees; wages, $3,296,751,282; health and retirement contributions, $474,795,731. – University of California, San Diego; 47,070 employees; wages, $2,636,228,727; health and retirement contributions, $453,059,955. – University of California, Davis: 45,488 employees; wages, $2,519,966,364; health and retirement contributions, $462,541,591. – University of California, Irvine: 30,326 employees; wages, $1,535,713,385; health and retirement contributions, $265,682,656. – University of California, Berkeley: 35,449 employees; wages, $1,339,276,525; health and retirement contributions, $208,655,181. – University of California, Santa Barbara: 17,974 employees; wages, $554,105,922; health and retirement contributions, $98,187,793. – University of California, Riverside: 13,635 employees; wages, $476,546,526; health and retirement contributions, $80,352,057. – University of California, Santa Cruz: 12,981 employees; wages, $387,730,007; health and retirement contributions, $74,367,492. – University of California, Office of the President: 2,242 employees; wages, $221,726,496; health and retirement contributions, $37,013,038. – University of California, Merced: 5,154 employees; wages, $157,879,575; health and retirement contributions, $30,105,228.
The top 10 largest community college districts are as follows:
– Los Rios Community College District: 8,466 employees; wages, $253,396,098; health and retirement contributions, $78,103,820. – San Diego Community College District: 6,416 employees; wages, $228,228,139; health and retirement contributions, $72,442,239. – Foothill-De Anza Community College District: employees, 4,114; wages, $152,567,755; health and retirement contributions, $37,605,641. – South Orange County Community College District : employees, 3,777; wages, $150,165,096; health and retirement contributions, $47,570,830. – Contra Costa Community College District: employees, 4,976; wages, $144,575,038; health and retirement contributions, $43,237,040. – San Francisco Community College District : employees, 2,604; wages, $140,928,567; health and retirement contributions, $36,910,906. – Rancho Santiago Community College District: employees, 3,801; wages, $140,184,249; health and retirement contributions, $40,625,717. – Ventura County Community College District: employees, 2,964; wages, $114,429,965; health and retirement contributions, $38,492,132. – Sonoma County Junior College District: employees, 3,163; wages, $101,164,568; health and retirement contributions, $28,428,741. – Peralta Community College District 3: employees, 173; wages, $99,905,820; health and retirement contributions, $30,398,491.
Yuba Community College District, one of the two districts serving Lake County, is listed No. 31 of the 44 districts that have filed. It has 1,644 employees, $40,416,807 in wages and $6,388,814 in health and retirement contributions.
The Mendocino-Lake Community College District did not file.
California law requires cities, counties and special districts to annually report compensation data to the state controller. The state controller also maintains and publishes state and California State University salary data.
No such statutory requirement exists for UC, CCC, superior courts, fairs and expositions, First 5 commissions, or K-12 education providers; their reporting is voluntary.
A list of entities that did not file or filed incomplete reports is available here.
Since the website launched in 2010, it has registered more than 12 million pageviews. The site contains pay and benefits information on more than two million government jobs in California, as reported annually by each entity.
As the chief fiscal officer of California, Controller Yee is responsible for accountability and disbursement of the state’s financial resources. The controller has independent auditing authority over government agencies that spend state funds.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – After delays created by COVID-19, fires and weather, on Sept. 26 Habitat for Humanity Lake County, along with friends and extended family, gathered to celebrate and welcome the Bryant family into their new home.
Guests were invited to share treats and tour the home and property and offer their well-wishes to Quentin Bryant and his daughter during a brief ceremony to present them the keys to their home.
“I’m just so grateful,” Bryant said. “I don’t know what else to say. All the hard work’s been worth it now, to give my daughter a home, her own room, a place to grow up. This wouldn’t have happened without Habitat’s help. I’m so thankful.”
Habitat for Humanity Lake County’s goal is to help qualified low-income families get into safe, decent, affordable housing.
To learn more about program qualifications and to receive a preapplication, visit the office at 15312 Lakeshore Dr. in Clearlake or call 707-994-1100, Extension 108.
Qualification is based on Lake County residency, household income, and household need.
LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Board of Supervisors this week will take up a proposal to begin increasing staff salaries, as recommended by a classification and compensation study.
The meeting will begin at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 20.
The supervisors will meet in the board chambers on the first floor of the Lake County Courthouse, 255 N. Forbes St., Lakeport, for a hybrid meeting format which also will include the opportunity for community members to continue to participate virtually.
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 at 9 a.m. The meeting ID is 966 3904 9762, password 150809.
To submit a written comment on any agenda item visit https://countyoflake.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx and click on the eComment feature linked to the meeting date. If a comment is submitted after the meeting begins, it may not be read during the meeting but will become a part of the record.
In a discussion that’s untimed, the board will consider a resolution establishing salaries and benefits for management employees for the period of Nov. 1, 2020, to Oct. 31, 2021.
The board had originally been scheduled to hold a discussion about the study in March but put it off due to the onset of the pandemic.
In a memo to the board, County Administrative Officer Carol Huchingson said this is the first classification and compensation study completed for Lake County since 2003. It compared salaries for Lake County’s employees to those working for local governments in Calaveras, Colusa, Glenn, Humboldt, Mendocino, Napa, Nevada, Sonoma, Sutter, Tehama, Yolo and Yuba counties.
Huchingson said the proposal, based on this new classification and compensation study, is to implement 80 percent of the market median of the midpoint of the 12 comparison counties.
The resolution also eliminates the 12-step salary system, replacing it with a five-step system and restores longevity pay for continuous services at five year intervals. “A 5-step system is not only more common in the labor market, it was previously the norm in Lake County,” Huchingson wrote.
The supporting documents in the agenda packet only include the proposed new five steps, not how they compare to the previous 12 steps. Nor do any of the agenda items explain how much the raises will increase employee costs on an annual basis.
In other untimed items related to the class and comp study, the board will consider memoranda of understanding that raise salaries for staff at 85 percent of the market median with the Lake County Deputy Sheriff’s Association Units, the Lake County Employees Association Units No. 3, No. 4 and No. 5, the Lake County Safety Employees Association, the Lake County Correctional Officers Association Units, the Lake County Deputy District Attorney’s Association, the Lake County Sheriff’s Management Association Units for the coming year.
The board also will consider separate resolutions establishing salaries and benefits for employees assigned to the Confidential Unit, Section A and Section B, and for management employees, as well as an ordinance setting the supervisors’ compensation, and consider dropping numerous job classifications that are no longer used.
Also in untimed items, the board will consider allocating the $3,495,234 the county received in its litigation against Pacific Gas and Electric Co. due to the 2017 Sulphur fire.
Supervisor Bruno Sabatier wants to discuss using the funds to focus on the burned area, including making road repairs and subsidizing permit fees for those rebuilding homes.
“Between the upgraded infrastructure and decreased hardship of paying the fees to rebuild, this money would be well spent to boost the vitality of the area and enhance the interest in investing in the area for future growth,” Sabatier wrote in a memo to the board. “This would allow us to use $2.5 million of the approximate $3.5 million that we currently have set aside, leaving us with $1 million left to save for future disaster response or to spend on other community needs.”
The full agenda follows.
CONSENT AGENDA
5.1: Approve the public defender contract amendment No. 4 between the county of Lake and Lake Indigent Defense LLP for public defender services for the purpose of extending the term of existing agreement and increasing the monthly compensation by $7,000 per month.
5.2: Approve agreement between the county of Lake and Lake County Economic Development Corp. for Lake County CARES Act Small Business Assistance Grant Program coordinator services and authorize the chair to sign.
5.3: Approve amendment to the county of Lake COVID-19 Public Health Emergency Return to Work – Worksite Protection Protocol.
5.4: (a) Waive the formal bidding process, pursuant to Lake County Code Section 38.2, as it is not in the public interest due to the unique nature of goods or services; and (b) approve the agreement between the county of Lake and Lake County Office of Education - Safe Schools Healthy Students Program for school-based specialty mental health services for Fiscal Year 2020-21 to provide for services rendered during Fiscal Year 2019-20 for a contract maximum of $143,731.69 and authorize the board chair to sign the agreement.
5.5: a) Waive the formal bidding process, pursuant to Lake County Code Section 38.2, as it is not in the public interest due to the unique nature of goods or services; and (b) approve the agreement between the county of Lake and North Valley Behavioral Health LLC for Fiscal Year 2020-21 to provide for services rendered during Fiscal Year 2019-20 for a contract maximum of $125,920.00 and authorize the board chair to sign the agreement.
5.6: (a) Waive the formal bidding process, pursuant to Lake County Code Section 38.2, as it is not in the public interest due to the unique nature of goods or services; and (b) approve the agreement between the county of Lake and Hilltop Recovery Services for substance use disorder residential services for FY 2020-21, for a contract maximum of $186,150 and authorize the board chair to sign the agreement.
5.7: (a) Waive the formal bidding process, pursuant to Lake County Code Section 38.2, as it is not in the public interest due to the unique nature of goods or services; and (b) approve agreement between the county of Lake and I.D.E.A. Consulting for professional consulting services for FY 2020-21 for a contract maximum of $40,000.00 and authorize the board chair to sign the agreement.
5.8: (a) Waive the formal bidding process, pursuant to Lake County Code Section 38.2, as it is not in the public interest due to the unique nature of goods or services; and (b) approve the agreement between the county of Lake and Ever Well Health Systems for adult residential support services and specialty mental health services for Fiscal Year 2020-21 for a contract maximum of $57,000 and authorize the board chair to sign the agreement.
5.9: (a) Waive the formal bidding process, pursuant to Lake County Code Section 38.2, as it is not in the public interest due to the unique nature of goods or services; and (b) approve the agreement between the county of Lake and Redwood Community Services Inc. for the Family Stabilization Program provided at The Nest for Fiscal Year 2020-21 for a contract maximum of $221,000 and authorize the board chair to sign the agreement.
5.10: (a) Waive the formal bidding process, pursuant to Lake County Code Section 38.2, as it is not in the public interest due to the unique nature of goods or services; and (b) approve the agreement between the county of Lake and Redwood Community Services Inc. for the Transitional Age Youth Peer Support Program for Fiscal Year 2020-21 for a contract maximum of $54,000 and authorize the board chair to sign the agreement.
5.11: Approve minutes of the Board of Supervisors meeting on Aug. 18, 2020.
5.12: Adopt resolution to accept funding allotment for fiscal years 2020 through 2023 for $1,854,803 and amend the adopted budget for FY 2020/2021 by appropriating unanticipated revenue in the amount of $463,702 to budget unit 4011 – funding is allocated for Public Health Services in support of COVID-19 crisis response, epidemiologic surveillance, communicable disease specialist, and testing, authorizing the health services director to sign.
5.13: Approve additional leave of absence that extends beyond department leave and county administrative officer approved leave for Stacey Sawdey from Oct. 23 through Dec. 31, 2020, and authorize the Board of Supervisors chair to sign.
5.14: Approve the continuation of a local health emergency and order prohibiting the endangerment of the community through the unsafe removal, transportation and disposal of fire debris for the Mendocino Complex fire.
5.15: Approve the continuation of a Local Health Emergency Related to the 2019 Coronavirus (COVID-19) as proclaimed by the Lake County Public Health officer.
5.16: Approve the continuation of a local emergency due to the Mendocino Complex fire incident (River and Ranch fires).
5.17: Approve the continuation of a local emergency due to the Pawnee fire incident.
5.18: Approve the continuation of a local emergency due to COVID-19.
5.19: Approve the continuation of a local emergency in Lake County in response to the LNU Lightning Complex wildfire event.
5.20: Approve the continuation of resolution ratifying the declaration of local health emergency and order prohibiting the endangerment of the community through the unsafe removal, transport, and disposal of fire debris for the LNU Lightning Complex wildfire.
5.21: Sitting as the Lake County Sanitation Board of Directors, adopt resolution authorizing Special Districts administrator to sign the notice of completion for work performed under Agreement 19-08A, dated June 25, 2019 for the onsite installation of sanitation equipment for the Anderson Springs Sewer System.
5.22: Sitting as the Lake County Sanitation District, adopt resolution authorizing the Special Districts administrator to sign the notice of completion for work performed under Agreement 19-08B, signed June 25, 2020, for communications equipment on the Anderson Springs Sewer Project .
5.23: Approve agreement for Federal Apportionment Exchange Program and state Match Program for California Department of Transportation - Non MPO County, Agreement No. X20-5914(121) at no cost to the county, and authorize the chair to sign.
5.24: Sitting as the Board of Directors for the Lake County Watershed Protection District, approve the purchase agreement with Steven Jones for Property within the Middle Creek Flood Damage Reduction and Ecosystem Restoration Project in the amount of $647,600 and authorize the chair of the board of directors to sign the agreement.
5.25: Adopt resolution amending Resolution No. 2020-133 to amend the adopted Budget for FY 20-21 by cancelling obligated fund balance in the building and infrastructure reserve fund to provide interim financing to purchase property in the Middle Creek Restoration Project Area.
5.26: Adopt resolution approving a memorandum of understanding between the county of Lake Watershed Protection District and the Habematolel Pomo of Upper Lake Tribe for the shared execution of the USEPA 2019-2022 Environmental Information Exchange Network Grant.
TIMED ITEMS
6.1, 9:01 a.m.: Public input.
6.2, 11 a.m.: public hearing, continued to nov. 17, discussion/consideration to name an existing unnamed road located off Jerusalem Grade in the Middletown area, Psi Keep Ranch Road.
6.3, 1 p.m.: Consideration of Update on COVID-19.
UNTIMED ITEMS
7.2: Consideration of allocation of funds from PG&E lawsuit settlement.
7.3: Consideration of an ordinance amending Section 2-3A.1 of Article I, Chapter 2 of the Lake County Code, Compensation of the Board of Supervisors.
7.4: Consideration of job classification changes based on the October 2019 CPS-HR Classification and Compensation Study.
7.5: Consideration of memorandum of understanding by and between the Lake County Deputy Sheriff’s Association Units and the county of Lake for Oct. 21, 2020, to Oct. 20, 2021.
7.6: Consideration of memorandum of understanding by and between the Lake County Employees Association Units No. 3, No. 4 and No. 5 and the county of Lake for Oct. 21, 2020, to Oct. 20, 2021.
7.7: Consideration of memorandum of understanding by and between the Lake County Safety Employees Association and the county of Lake for Oct. 21, 2020, to Oct. 20, 2021.
7.8: Consideration of memorandum of understanding by and between the Lake County Correctional Officers Association Units and the county of Lake for Oct. 21, 2020, to Oct. 20, 2021.
7.9: Consideration of memorandum of understanding by and between the Lake County Deputy District Attorney’s Association and the county of Lake for Oct. 21, 2020, to Oct. 20, 2021.
7.10: Consideration of memorandum of understanding by and between the Lake County Sheriff’s Management Association Units and the county of Lake for Nov. 1, 2020, to Oct. 31, 2021.
7.11: Consideration of resolution establishing salaries and benefits for employees assigned to the Confidential Unit, Section A, for Oct. 21, 2020, to Oct. 20, 2021.
7.12: Consideration of resolution establishing salaries and benefits for employees assigned to the Confidential Unit, Section B, for Oct. 21, 2020, to Oct. 20, 2021.
7.13: Consideration of resolution establishing salaries and benefits for management employees for the period of Nov. 1, 2020, to Oct. 31, 2021.
7.14: Consideration of Contract Change Order No. One with McGuire-Pacific Constructors for Cycle 7 and Cycle 8 HSIP Signs and Striping Project, Federal Project No.'s HSIPL-5914(104) and HSIPL-5914(113), Bid No. 18-22 for an increase of $39,545.69 and a revised contract amount of $1,279,071.65 and authorize the chair to sign.
7.15: Consideration of advisory board appointment: Child Care Planning and Development Emergency Medical Care Committee .
7.16: Sitting as Lake County Sanitation District, consideration of balancing change order with Mercer Fraser Co. for Anderson Springs Sewer Project, for a decrease of $235,011.00 and a revised final contract amount of $1,715,672.00 and authorize board chair to execute.
CLOSED SESSION
8.1: Conference with legal counsel: Existing Litigation pursuant to Gov. Code sec. 54956.9 (d)(1) – FERC Project No. 77, Potter Valley Hydroelectric Project.
8.2: Conference with legal counsel: Existing litigation pursuant to Gov. Code section 54956.9(d)(1) – Ugorji v. County of Lake, et al.
8.3: Conference with legal counsel: Existing litigation pursuant to Gov. Code section 54956.9(d)(1) – Sabalone v. County of Lake, et al.
8.4: Conference with legal counsel: Significant exposure to litigation pursuant to Gov. Code section 54956.9(d)(2), (e)(2) – One potential case.
8.5: Conference with legal counsel: Decision whether to initiate litigation pursuant to Gov. Code section 54956.9(d)(4) – One potential case.
8.6: Public employee evaluations: County Librarian Christopher Veach, Special Districts Administrator Jan Coppinger.
8.7: Public employee appointment pursuant to Gov. Code Section 54957(b) (1): Appointment of Community Development director.
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.
LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lakeport Police Department will participate in the United States Drug Enforcement Administration’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on Saturday, Oct. 24.
The event will be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. as a drive-thru drop off on the west side of the police station at 2025 S. Main St.
Physical distancing and face masks will be required. Persons arriving at the event are directed to remain in their vehicles until directed by police staff.
The department said it will accept all over-the-counter or prescription medication in pill, tablet or capsule form including schedule II-V controlled and noncontrolled substances.
Pills need to be emptied out of their containers and placed in a plastic bag, not paper, so they can easily see the contents to make sure there is nothing in the bag they can't take.
They also will collect vape pens or other e-cigarette devices from individual consumers only after the batteries are removed from the devices. They stressed that they will not be responsible for removing the batteries from the devices.
Items that won’t be accepted are illegal drugs, needles, inhalers and aerosol cans.
“Since we started participating with the prescription Take Back Program in January of 2019, our agency has collected 557 pounds of prescription drugs, many of which were dangerous narcotics including opioids. This protects our community by keeping these drugs from being diverted to illegal use and keeps it out of our environment and water,” the department said in a report on the event.
Deaths from dementia during the summer of 2020 are nearly 20% higher than the number of dementia-related deaths during that time in previous years, and experts don’t yet know why. An estimated 61,000 people have died from dementia, which is 11,000 more than usual within that period.
As a geriatrician, I find this statistic sad but not shocking. I care for dementia patients in my clinical practice. I see firsthand how the isolation caused by the pandemic has changed their lives, whether they’re home alone, living with a caregiver, or in a long-term care facility.
Deciphering the statistics is a challenge. Hiding within them are many factors that have contributed to the deaths from dementia during the pandemic. Here are four of them.
Social isolation
Social distancing – or staying at least 6 feet apart, wearing a mask and avoiding crowds – is a proven way to decrease COVID-19 risk, especially from people with the infection but without symptoms. But social distancing is different from social isolation, which leads to a sense of disconnection from the community. Social isolation, which essentially is little or no contact with others, is the last thing seniors with dementia need. But it’s what many have received, as caregivers are forced to limit visits during the pandemic.
Social isolation is a risk for poor health outcomes, particularly as people age. And in the U.S., 28% of those over 65 (13.8 million) live alone. Socially isolated people have higher rates of not only dementia, but heart disease, high blood pressure, depression, cognitive decline and death.
Caregiver burnout
On the best of days, caregiving for a family member with dementia is difficult. Watching the decline of a loved one is hard. Having to help them with things that are basic and personal makes it even harder. The commitment, 24 hours a day, offers little time for breaks. Often the caregiver, unsung and overlooked, is suffering.
And during COVID-19, caregivers have been isolated too. What help they had from the outside is now probably gone. Burnout becomes more likely. For dementia patients to get the best care, their caregivers also need care and support.
Decreased access to medical care
Throughout the U.S., hospitals and clinics have seen fewer people coming in. Many missed visits were for preventive care and treatment of chronic conditions. For dementia patients, accessing care may even be more problematic. Telemedicine, often an option for other patients, may not be manageable for those with dementia. Physicians and staff need to reach out to them. And agencies and volunteer groups are available in many communities to assist seniors who need access to technology.
Staying home
Because of COVID-19, some of my patients choose to stay home. They’ve decided a medical issue is not worth the risk of leaving the house. I also have patients living in facilities who choose to use the care available there instead of going to the hospital.
This is a good example of something we doctors call goal-concordant care: when doctors understand a patient’s health goals, and then provide them with the best they can within the scope of those goals.
Some advice
Dementia is a complex medical condition with no cure. But that doesn’t mean nothing can be done to make a patient’s life better, even during COVID-19. With each challenge there are ways to provide help and support, not just to those with dementia, but for those who care for them.
If you know someone with dementia, whether they live at home or in a facility, check in on them. Because in-person visits are not the safest option, you can call to see how they’re doing or if you can help. You don’t need the latest technology to connect; many with dementia may have challenges going online. Landlines and cellphones are just fine, allowing your elderly friend to hear a human voice. It does you good too: Building relationships with people who aren’t our age gives us insights and perspectives we may have never considered.
Also, check in on the caregiver; call to chat and, most important, listen. You don’t need to have the answers; just be supportive. If you are a caregiver, reach out to local agencies; many have easy-to-access virtual support groups.
And talk with loved ones about what you would want if you had dementia and couldn’t speak effectively for yourself. Your primary care doctor can help you think through these types of situations. Such conversations are uncomfortable, but necessary.
LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lakeport City Council will hold public hearings this week to consider general plan amendments and zone changes, and also will discuss the approval of resolutions for new ad hoc committees and a proposed liquor license.
The meeting will take place via webinar beginning at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 20.
To speak on an agenda item, access the meeting remotely here or join by phone by calling toll-free 877-309-2074 or 213-929-4221. The access code is 613-543-614; the audio pin will be shown after joining the webinar. Those phoning in without using the web link will be in “listen mode” only and will not be able to participate or comment.
Comments can be submitted by email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. To give the City Clerk adequate time to print out comments for consideration at the meeting, please submit written comments prior to 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 20.
Indicate in the email subject line "for public comment" and list the item number of the agenda item that is the topic of the comment. Comments that read to the council will be subject to the three minute time limitation (approximately 350 words). Written comments that are only to be provided to the council and not read at the meeting will be distributed to the council prior to the meeting.
On Tuesday, the council will hold public hearings to consider general plan amendment and zone changes for two separate projects.
In the first, Bridges Construction is seeking a general plan amendment and zone change to major retail for a mini storage facility it proposes to build at 1296 and 1320 Craig Ave.
In the second, Cory Poso is seeking a general plan amendment and zone change to low residential zoning for his property at 1339 and 1343 Broten Court, where he wants to build a home.
Under council business, City Manager Kevin Ingram will present resolutions for the council to approve in order to establish ad hoc advisory committees for design and construction review of the new lakefront park and to revise the city’s existing right-of-way ordinance.
In other council action, Police Chief Brad Rasmussen will ask for the council to make a determination that public convenience or necessity would be served by the issuance a Type-42 on sales beer and wine liquor sales license to Barbara Flynn for Wine in the Willows at 125 Park St., and adopt the proposed resolution.
On the consent agenda – items considered noncontroversial and usually accepted as a slate on one vote – are ordinances; minutes of the city council regular meeting of Oct. 6; confirmation of the continuing existence of a local emergency for the Mendocino Complex fire; confirmation of the continuing existence of a local emergency for the February 2019 storms; confirmation of the continuing existence of a local emergency for the October 2019 public safety power shutoff; confirmation of the continuing existence of a local emergency for the COVID-19 public health emergency; receipt and filing of the draft minutes of the Measure Z Advisory Committee regular meeting of Oct. 7; and approval of Application 2020-018, with staff recommendations, for the Drive-Thru Trick or Treat event on Park Street, Oct. 30.
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.
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – Dramatic fire-retardant drops and massive water douses from helicopters are often the images shown of fighting wildfires like the August Complex.
And while those firefighting tactics are indeed a critical part of getting containment around flames, there’s also the gritty, marathon-like work going on at basecamps and on fire lines that most people don’t get to see.
“Yeah 16-hour days. We wake up at the crack of dawn, before that even,” said Gabrielle Falaschi.
She’s one of hundreds of Corpsmembers in the California Conservation Corps who are either fighting fires or working the basecamps that deliver the support firefighters need to keep going.
“As soon as I finished orientation (at CCC’s Delta Center in Stockton, California) we were out here. This is about our third week here. It’s really great, working refir,” she said.
Refir is short for the task of storing and distributing everything needing refrigeration at basecamp, whether it’s food or first aid.
From sunup to beyond sundown, the CCC Corpsmembers are handling “refir,” chow lines, installing signage and fencing, and issuing firefighting gear like chainsaws, fire pants, hose nozzles – whatever it takes to get the firefighters rested, refueled and back to the fire lines.
“Which means sometimes we have people here that go to town to Walmarts and Rite Aids, to buy special stuff and things left at home”, said Corpsmember Angel Campos from Compton, California.
He joined the CCC nearly a year ago. The program enrolls 18- to 25-year-olds to gain work experience through responding to state emergencies, but mainly through working on environmentally focused projects like building hiking trails and restoring natural habitats.
Corpsmembers are paid a monthly stipend of $1,905 and can earn up to $8,000 in scholarships each year they are enrolled.
Some Corpsmembers enroll specifically to fight wildland fires. They train alongside Cal Fire and U.S Forest Service – responding to the front lines, including the August Complex fire where they hand-dig fire breaks and put out hot spots.
“It’s seriously tough work,” said CCC Conservationist Cedar Long.
She led her crew of 14 Corpsmembers from the CCC Ukiah Center in doing the grueling task of hiking out – on foot – miles of fire hose used by USFS crews as flames surged south of Highway 36 between Red Bluff and Dinsmore.
Her crew was also tasked with preserving the historic Post Creek Guard Station lookout cabin by doing what’s called a structure wrap – literally wrapping the building from baseboard to chimney in foil.
“These are 18- to 25-year-olds doing this work. It’s on-the-job training for the Corpsmembers and experience they will remember forever,” Long said, and experience that can lead to a career.
She added it’s work that doesn’t necessarily make the evening news but does make a huge impact on both the young Corpsmembers and local communities.
Back at the August Complex basecamp, Falaschi took a breather from her 16-hour day that she finds comfort in knowing it’s helping the fight against flames consuming wildland, property and sadly, lives.
“You’re doing it for yourself. You’re doing it for the firefighters. You’re doing it for the community. You’re doing it for California. We live here, you gotta make it a great place to be,” she said.
Scientists created light curves using the high-resolution images of the sun to understand what a sunspot would look like on a distant star. They studied different layers of the sun from the visible surface to the outer atmosphere using 14 different wavelengths, including the six shown here (top left to right: photosphere, magnetic flux of the photosphere, ultraviolet 304 angstroms; bottom left to right: ultraviolet 171 angstroms, ultraviolet 131 angstroms, x-ray). Credits: NASA/SDO/JAXA/NAOJ/Hinode.
NASA’s extensive fleet of spacecraft allows scientists to study the sun extremely close-up – one of the agency’s spacecraft is even on its way to fly through the sun’s outer atmosphere. But sometimes taking a step back can provide new insight.
In a new study, scientists looked at sunspots – darkened patches on the sun caused by its magnetic field – at low resolution as if they were trillions of miles away. What resulted was a simulated view of distant stars, which can help us understand stellar activity and the conditions for life on planets orbiting other stars.
“We wanted to know what a sunspot region would look like if we couldn’t resolve it in an image,” said Shin Toriumi, lead author on the new study and scientist at the Institute of Space and Astronautical Science at JAXA. “So, we used the solar data as if it came from a distant star to have a better connection between solar physics and stellar physics.”
Sunspots are often precursors to solar flares – intense outbursts of energy from the surface of the Sun – so monitoring sunspots is important to understanding why and how flares occur.
Additionally, understanding the frequency of flares on other stars is one of the keys to understanding their chance of harboring life.
Having a few flares may help build up complex molecules like RNA and DNA from simpler building blocks. But too many strong flares can strip entire atmospheres, rendering a planet uninhabitable.
To see what a sunspot and its effect on the solar atmosphere would look like on a distant star, the scientists started with high-resolution data of the sun from NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory and JAXA/NASA’s Hinode mission.
By adding up all the light in each image, the scientists converted the high-resolution images into single datapoints.
Stringing subsequent datapoints together, the scientists created plots of how the light changed as the sunspot passed across the sun’s rotating face. These plots, which scientists call light curves, showed what a passing sunspot on the sun would look like if it were many light-years away.
“The sun is our closest star. Using solar observing satellites, we can resolve signatures on the surface 100 miles wide,” said Vladimir Airapetian, co-author on the new study and astrophysicist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. “On other stars you might only get one pixel showing the entire surface, so we wanted to create a template to decode activity on other stars.”
The new study, published in the Astrophysical Journal, looked at simple cases where there is just one group of sunspots visible across the entire face of the sun. Even though NASA and JAXA missions have continually gathered observations of the sun for over a decade, these cases are quite rare.
Usually there are either several sunspots – such as during the solar maximum, which we are now moving toward – or none at all. In all the years of data, the scientists only found a handful of instances of just one isolated sunspot group.
Studying these events, the scientists found the light curves differed when they measured different wavelengths. In visible light, when a singular sunspot appears at the center of the sun, the sun is dimmer.
However, when the sunspot group is near the edge of the sun, it’s actually brighter due to faculae – bright magnetic features around sunspots – because, near the edge, the hot walls of their nearly vertical magnetic fields become increasingly visible.
The scientists also looked at the light curves in x-ray and ultraviolet light, which show the atmosphere above the sunspots. As the atmospheres above sunspots are magnetically heated, the scientists found brightening there at some wavelengths.
However, the scientists also unexpectedly discovered that the heating could also cause a dimming in the light coming from the lower temperature atmosphere. These findings may provide a tool to diagnose the environments of spots on the stars.
“So far we’ve done the best-case scenarios, where there’s only one sunspot visible,” Toriumi said. “Next we are planning on doing some numerical modeling to understand what happens if we have multiple sunspots.”
By studying stellar activity on young stars in particular, scientists can glean a view of what our young sun may have been like. This will help scientists understand how the young sun – which was overall more dim but active – impacted Venus, Earth and Mars in their early days. It could also help explain why life on Earth started four billion years ago, which some scientists speculate is linked to intense solar activity.
Studying young stars can also contribute to scientists’ understanding of what triggers superflares – those that are 10 to 1000 times stronger than the biggest seen on the sun in recent decades. Young stars are typically more active, with superflares happening almost daily. Whereas, on our more mature sun, they may only occur once in a thousand years or so.
Spotting young suns that are conducive to supporting habitable planets, helps scientists who focus on astrobiology, the study of the origin evolution, and distribution of life in the universe.
Several next-generation telescopes in production, which will be able to observe other stars in x-ray and ultraviolet wavelengths, could use the new results to decode observations of distant stars.
In turn, this will help identify those stars with appropriate levels of stellar activity for life – and that can then be followed up by observations from other upcoming high-resolution missions, such as NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope.
Mara Johnson-Groh works for NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – Firefighters are still actively working the firelines of the August Complex while also making repairs necessary across the vast territory that it has scorched over the past two months.
The US Forest Service said the lightning-caused complex, burning since Aug. 17, was up to 1,032,264 acres and 86 percent containment on Sunday night.
It’s burning on the Mendocino, Shasta-Trinity and Six Rivers National Forests.
As containment has risen on the complex, firefighter numbers have been rolled back. By Sunday night, officials said 2,508 personnel remained assigned to all four zones.
The Forest Service said firefighters have completed the remaining line in the Eel River Canyon while helicopters were used to drop water on isolated areas of heat near the river.
Suppression repair activities, including constructing waterbars, removing dozer berms, spreading slash piles outside of dozer line where possible, using woody material that is 2 inches or less in diameter to cover line, and covering 50 percent of bare soil area with woody material are ongoing along the western side of the South Zone, officials said.
On Saturday, the Forest Service said firefighters completed one mile of handline and one and a half miles of dozer line repair in the southwest portion of the fire.
A closure order remains in effect for the fire area on the Mendocino National Forest.
Private properties accessed via a Forest System road may require a permit from the USDA Forest Service. Contact the Mendocino National Forest at 530-934-3316 for more information.
Hunting and recreation are prohibited within the August Complex South Zone Fire Area Closure area. Safety hazards in the area include unstable trees that may fall, loose rocks and boulders, burning stumps and deep ash pits.
KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – On a recent afternoon I had the pleasure of visiting what I imagine is one of the most aptly named agricultural spaces in the world – Peace and Plenty Farm in Kelseyville.
I sat under the shade of a spreading walnut tree with Melinda Price, who, along with her husband, Simon Avery, developed the only commercial organic saffron farm in North America.
With our chairs appropriately distanced, we sipped the house-made lavender lemonade sold at their farm stand and chatted about saffron, farming and making dreams come true.
Saffron, a spice derived from the purple Crocus sativus, is ounce for ounce the most expensive food in the world, rivaling the price of truffles, caviar and even gold.
Each bloom produces three red stigmas, also known as threads, apt since they look a bit like frayed filaments. These are harvested by hand, making saffron a deeply labor-intensive crop, leading to its steep price.
Blooms are picked before the sun hits them to preserve the integrity of the saffron. Once the flowers are collected, each thread is painstakingly plucked from their centers. The threads are then dried to be sold as saffron.
It’s backbreaking and time-consuming work but deeply satisfying to Price and Avery, who first began growing organic saffron in Lake County in 2017.
Saffron is beloved in cuisines around the world – from Europe to North Africa to Asia – and is particularly essential to the food of Iran, India and Morocco. It’s a crucial ingredient in some classic European dishes, where it’s been popular since Medieval times – think Spanish paella, French bouillabaisse or Swedish saffron buns.
Iran produces the bulk of the world’s saffron crop – a full 90 percent – and may well be the place of origin of the lovely saffron crocus; however, there are other contenders, namely Greece and Mesopotamia.
Though growers exist in other parts of the world, saffron is grown chiefly in the Mediterranean region in a belt from Spain in the west to Kashmir in the east. Spain and Kashmir both claim their saffron to be superior in quality to the mass amounts grown in Iran.
California’s Mediterranean climate is ideal for growing saffron, a factor that contributed to Avery and Price’s decision to cultivate it in Lake County.
They had considered other specialty crops – mushrooms, wasabi, vanilla, hops – but none were exactly what they were looking for. For example, mushrooms would have them working inside rather than out, and hops require a lot of water, not the best choice for drought-ridden California.
When Avery heard about saffron farming via a National Public Radio broadcast, something clicked. The crop checked all their proverbial boxes.
Shortly afterward – and before they had purchased land – Price found herself on a plane to Vermont where she would attend a workshop on growing saffron. She returned from the conference with 7,500 crocus bulbs known as corms. They were committed.
This was in February of 2017, and by June they had purchased the former Gaddy Ranch in Kelseyville. Within three months they had planted all 7,500 corms.
There’s a quick turnaround between planting and harvesting with saffron. If corms are planted in early September, flowers can bloom as quickly as October. Their timing was perfect for a harvest in their first year.
It wasn’t easy. They contended with star thistle, which stood more than 6 feet tall in places. Gophers and voles destroyed many of their corms until Avery designed and installed a planting system to thwart them.
Their hard work has paid off. The 7,500 corms have grown to 500,000 and last year they harvested a full kilo of dried saffron.
In addition to saffron, the farm has a lush and productive market garden that provides vegetables for the year-round farm stand, and a cottage that is available for farm stays.
Eggs from their large flock of chickens, dry-farmed walnuts, flowers, and a variety of saffron-infused value-added products like honey and soap are also sold at the farm stand, which is open daily from 9 a.m. till dusk.
As Price and I enjoyed the peace of the walnut orchard, Avery ambled by on a lawn mower. He stopped long enough to say hello and afterward I learned that his native England has a history of saffron farming.
The Essex town of Saffron Walden, whose coat of arms includes a saffron crocus, grew the crop in the 16th and 17th centuries. English saffron farmers in those times were known as croquers, a moniker derived from crocus.
Since ancient times, saffron has been used as a treatment for a variety of ailments. Modern studies reveal a high antioxidant content, with associated benefits stemming from that, not the least of which is reducing inflammation in the body.
Saffron enhances memory (studies reveal it can help Alzheimer’s patients) and is a mood improver. There is growing evidence that saffron may be a useful treatment addition for depression.
Saffron, which has a nuanced flavor with sweet floral and earthy notes, may be used to enhance a wide variety of foods, but pairs especially well with rice (think paella or saffron rice), seafood (think bouillabaisse), chicken (even chicken soup!), curries and baked goods.
A simple tea can be made by steeping a bit of saffron in warm water. Alternatively, let saffron soak in water overnight in the fridge for an iced version.
Price enjoys saffron steamed milk with her daily espresso, which I think would be utterly delightful with some buttery saffron shortbread.
Since its flavor is best released through heat, steeping saffron in hot (but not boiling) liquid as part of the cooking process is key. The liquid in your recipe, whether water, broth or wine, can be used for this.
Saffron may also be toasted in a pan and then crushed for addition to recipes; however, be aware that it burns easily, rendering it unusable.
A little goes a long way with saffron and the flavor is stronger in a dish the second day. Usually, a pinch, just a few threads, is all you need.
Protect saffron from light and moisture when storing it and be sure its container is clean and free from scent as saffron is known to easily absorb odors and flavors.
And finally, refrain from using wooden utensils when stirring your saffron-infused dish as its luscious flavor might be absorbed into the spoon.
If you wish to learn more about Peace and Plenty Farm, their online shop or farm stays, visit them at www.peaceplentyfarm.com.
Today’s recipe is for golden milk with saffron. Golden milk is a soothing drink infused with turmeric and other warm spices. I’ve adapted this version to include saffron.
In addition to being comforting and delicious, the turmeric, ginger and saffron help reduce inflammation in the body, making it a healthful treat.
Golden milk with saffron
Ingredients
1 teaspoon coconut oil 1 teaspoon ground turmeric 5 whole peppercorns 1-inch section unpeeled ginger root, roughly chopped 1 cinnamon stick, broken into several pieces 3 to 4 cardamom pods 2 threads saffron 1 cup coconut milk (or other milk of your choice) 1 teaspoon honey
Procedure
Add the coconut oil and all spices except saffron to a saucepan. Heat over low heat for two to three minutes until aromatic.
Add the milk and saffron to the saucepan and warm mixture over medium-low heat until hot and steaming but not boiling.
Strain the mixture through a fine sieve. Pour strained milk into a cup, add the honey and enjoy!
Esther Oertel is a writer and passionate home cook from a family of chefs. She grew up in a restaurant, where she began creating recipes from a young age. She’s taught culinary classes in a variety of venues in Lake County and previously wrote “The Veggie Girl” column for Lake County News. Most recently she’s taught culinary classes at Sur La Table in Santa Rosa. She lives in Middletown.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Congressman John Garamendi, who represents the northern half of Lake County, on Friday submitted a formal comment to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission opposing the proposed removal of Scott Dam at Lake Pillsbury and demanding that Lake County have an equal seat at the table for determining the future of Potter Valley Project and the lake.
Garamendi, who served as the deputy secretary of the Department of the Interior in President Bill Clinton’s administration, said the proposal to remove the dam was issued over the objections of Lake County residents as part of the Pacific Gas and Electric Co.’s divestment of the Potter Valley Hydropower Project.
“Lake County residents who have owned homes and property around Lake Pillsbury reservoir for decades have been shut out of planning for the future of the Potter Valley Project,” said Garamendi (D-CA). “Let me be clear: any decision-making for the Scott Dam and Lake Pillsbury Reservoir must include representatives from Lake County. Anything short of that is simply unacceptable.”
He said he strongly opposes draining Lake Pillsbury by removing the Scott Dam. “The planning process will not be adequate until every community impacted by this project has a voice in the process I expect FERC to give Lake County and Lake Pillsbury residents a full and equal seat at the table during this process. I stand ready with Lake County to create a version of the Potter Valley Project that works for every community involved, including cost-effective fish passage at Scott Dam.”
“We are extremely pleased that Congressman Garamendi is standing up for Lake County, Lake Pillsbury recreation and wildlife, and Lake Pillsbury homeowners,” said Carol Cinquini of the Lake Pillsbury Alliance.
Lake County denied a seat at the table
The Scott Dam is part of the hydroelectric Potter Valley Project, owned by Pacific Gas and Electric Co., which in May 2018 announced its intention to put the project up for auction.
North Coast Congressman Jared Huffman led an ad hoc committee promoting what it’s called a “two-basin solution” that includes decommissioning and removing the dam.
Mendocino County Inland Water and Power Commission, Sonoma County Water Agency, California Trout Inc., the county of Humboldt and Round Valley Indian Tribes, known as the “NOI Parties,” initiated Federal Energy Regulatory Commission proceedings to make a licensing proposal for the Potter Valley Project.
Lake Pillsbury sits within northern Lake County. As such, the county of Lake sought to be a part of the group but was denied membership, and county officials – including Supervisor EJ Crandell, who represents the Lake Pillsbury area – said Lake County’s concerns have been ignored or entirely dismissed.
In his letter to FERC, Garamendi said Lake County formally requested to join the NOI Parties, only to be rejected. “Apparently, the ‘notice of intent’ parties’ standing rules require approval of all current members before another party may join. CalTrout – a nongovernmental organization that will likely have no official role in the future governance of the Potter Valley Project under the to-be established regional entity – voted to block Lake County from joining its peer county governments (Mendocino, Sonoma, and Humboldt) as a ‘notice of intent’ party. This is not acceptable.”
CalTrout, earlier in 2019, had issued a report listing the Scott Dam as one of the five top dams in California that needed to be removed to benefit fish and habitat.
This past May, the NOI Parties filed a feasibility study in which they seek to gain control of the Potter Valley Project from PG&E. The plan included removing the Scott Dam and destroying Lake Pillsbury.
If the plan is approved, Lake County would have no operational control over the Potter Valley Project, including the Scott Dam and Lake Pillsbury reservoir. “This is just not right or acceptable,” said Garamendi.
“The Two Basin Partnership’s vision for a balanced future for people and wildlife who depend on the Eel and Russian rivers does so at the expense of those most directly affected by their proposal to remove Scott Dam,” said Cinquini. “Water supply reliability for downstream users has not been assured. The size and quality of Eel River habitat upstream of Scott Dam has not been ground-truthed. All fish mitigation enhancements need to be seriously considered before concluding that dam removal is the only path forward.”
On behalf of the county, Crandell has argued that there are many other ways to ensure fish passage, and provide environmental benefits to communities along the Russian and Eel Rivers and those that live near Lake Pillsbury, most at a fraction of the cost, but none of those options were considered.
The Lake Pillsbury Alliance, Crandell and the county, and now Garamendi, also have pointed out that Lake Pillsbury has for many years been a critical source of water for firefighting efforts.
“The Lake Pillsbury reservoir has been a feature of Lake County since 1922 and provides essential firefighting capacity for one of the most fire-prone regions in California,” Garamendi continued. “Cal Fire made extensive use of Lake Pillsbury reservoir for firefighting during the devastating Mendocino Complex fire in 2018, and again during this year’s fire season.”
This summer, firefighters also have drawn on the lake to fight the massive August Complex – which is the largest wildland fire in California history, at more than 1,030,000 acres – which resulted in evacuation orders for the Lake Pillsbury basin last month.
Crandell told Lake County News on Friday that he initially had filled Garamendi in on the situation when the congressman visited the Middle Creek Restoration project in October 2019. They spoke again briefly about it at his office in DC.
Then, on Sept. 16, the Lake County Chamber of Commerce set up a virtual meeting with Garamendi, Crandell said.
Crandell said he, Supervisor Bruno Sabatier and members of the Lake Pillsbury Alliance were invited to speak with the Garamendi about their struggles with the two-basin solution and share the history of Lake County’s interests not being taken seriously in regard to Scott Dam and most of Lake Pillsbury.
“Because of that meeting we were able to fill him in on the intricacies of this project,” Crandell said.
More study needed
In his letter to FERC, Garamendi said that a 2018 study prepared for the Sonoma County Water Agency – one of the parties now seeking to remove the Scott Dam – found that providing volitional fish passage both upstream and downstream of the Scott and Cape Horn dams would cost less than $64 million.
“By contrast, decommissioning the Scott Dam, removing or otherwise mitigating 12 million cubic yards of sediment stored within Lake Pillsbury reservoir, and other proposed project changes are estimated to cost upwards of $400 million, according to the parties’ feasibility study report,” Garamendi said, noting those “critical issues” are not addressed by the initial study report filed with FERC on Sept. 15.
Garamendi also referenced a Sept. 29 public meeting on the initial study report prepared by the parties, where he said it was summarily announced that the technical studies and future planning documents for the integrated relicensing process would no longer include an assessment of fish passage improvements at Scott Dam other than removal of the dam.
“How can FERC or the parties accurately assess the impact of the proposed removal of Scott Dam on federally protected fish species without considering those benefits, if any, relative to other potential fish passage improvements at the dam?” Garamendi asked.
In his letter, which can be seen below, he went on to point out inaccuracies in a FERC scoping document, and argued, “At a minimum, further independent study is needed to justify that the benefits of removing the Scott Dam outweigh the substantial costs, rather than just assuming this to be the case as the parties’ FERC filings do.”
He said he stands ready to help secure federal funding to improve fish passage at the Scott Dam and reservoir operations at Lake Pillsbury.
“I am truly grateful for Congressman Garamendi writing a letter for Lake County and the Lake Pillsbury residents,” Crandell said.
How to get involved
Members of the public can submit comments regarding the removal of Scott Dam and draining of Lake Pillsbury reservoir by:
2) Once registered, check your email inbox. In the email from FERC, there will be a link to submit a public comment.
3) Enter docket number P-77-298 (not 285 as previously reported) and click “search.”
4) Click the blue + on the right side of the table to select the docket.
5) Submit your comments in the comment box.
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.