The backlash to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine is continuing, with legislation now introduced in the California Legislature to divest the state of Russian funds.
Since announcing plans on Monday to introduce legislation to divest state public funds from Russia and Russian-state entities following the unprovoked war against Ukraine, Senate Majority Leader Mike McGuire’s office reported that an overwhelming show of support has poured in resulting in nearly half of all legislators in California signing on to co-author the bill.
SB 1328 requires public pensions systems — including the two largest in America, STRS and PERS — to divest from Russian and Belarusian assets and companies.
“The State of California has incredible economic power and strength and we must use this clout for good. The people of California will not stand idly by while an autocratic thug attacks the innocent people of Ukraine and attempts to destroy their country,” McGuire said. “Democrats and Republicans alike are working together on SB 1328. The Golden State stands strong for Ukraine and we’ll do everything in our power to usher in debilitating economic consequences on Russia for this horrific and bloody war.”
As of Friday, the bill had 57 co-authors, and the number was reported to be growing.
California is the world’s fifth largest economy and enhanced action taken by the State can help the people of Ukraine by putting additional financial pressure on the already beaten-up Russian economy.
It’s believed California has Russian investments approaching $2 billion, primarily in its pension funds. At this point there can be no excuse to invest in and support Putin, his oligarchs, and the Russian economy.
Russia’s economy, not even in the top 10 of world economies, is one of their big pressure points, and California should use its power to exert influence where it can, the bill’s authors said.
“The free world has a moral obligation to help the people of Ukraine. This creates a legal one as well. By requiring California’s capital to divest from Russian assets, we can play a real role in helping defend democracy internationally,” said SB 1328 Co-author Assemblymember Chad Mayes.
SB 1328 also asks private companies based in California to divest their investments in the Russian economy. In addition, the legislation would block the awarding of state contracts to any company that is conducting business with Russia.
Congressman John Garamendi (D-CA) and the chairman of the Yocha Dehe Tribe of Capay Valley on Tuesday testified before the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests, and Public Lands on his bill, the “Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument Expansion Act” (H.R.6366).
The legislation, which Garamendi introduced with Rep. Mike Thompson (D-CA), would expand the existing Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument to include approximately 3,925 acres of adjacent public land administered by the federal Bureau of Land Management in Lake County, known previously as the “Walker Ridge” tract. The legislation would not impact privately owned, state, tribal, or non-federal land in any way.
“Conserving California’s special places has been a lifelong passion throughout my tenure in the state legislature, as deputy secretary of the Interior to President Clinton, and now as a member of Congress representing Lake County. Walker Ridge is one of those special places, and I am thrilled to continue working in Congress to conserve this unique landscape for future generations of Californians to enjoy,” Garamendi said.
“My ‘Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument Expansion Act’ also ensures that federally recognized tribes are consulted throughout the process to ensure Native American voices play an active role in protecting public lands,” Garamendi continued.
“Thank you to the Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests, and Public Lands for allowing me to testify on this critically important legislation, and thank you to my colleague, Congressman Mike Thompson, for partnering with me to introduce the ‘Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument Expansion Act.’ We will both work tirelessly to ensure this legislation becomes law,” Garamendi concluded.
Yocha Dehe Tribal Chairman Anthony Roberts also testified on Tuesday before Congress on behalf of protections for the Lake County area currently known as Walker Ridge.
Additionally, H.R. 6366 calls for Walker Ridge to be renamed “Molok Luyuk” (pronounced: `Mo.loke `Loy.uke) which means “Condor Ridge” in Yocha Dehe’s traditional Patwin language.
“With our long history in this area, we have a unique perspective on how this land should be managed, and we are willing to apply our historical practices with modern technologies to ensure that Molok Luyuk is preserved and healthy, a place for all to enjoy,” Chairman Roberts noted in his testimony.
California condors were once a common sight above the ridge and, according to Chairman Roberts, with proper environmental protections they could be reintroduced to the area.
Molok Luyuk is also home to endangered wildlife such as bald and golden eagles, badgers, ringtails, and peregrine falcons. In addition, the area is a recognized wildlife migration pathway for a multitude of species, including deer, elk, mountain lion, black bear, and bobcat.
“Proper management is necessary to preserve these unique lands and protect cultural resources, while also ensuring the availability of recreational opportunities for sightseers, mountain bikers, hikers, off-highway vehicle users, campers, and equestrians,” Roberts said.
Specifically, the “Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument Expansion Act” (H.R.6366) would:
• Modify the boundary of Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument to include the Lake County portion of Walker Ridge.
• Require a map of the National Monument expansion to be publicly available on BLM website.
• Direct the secretaries of Interior and Agriculture to complete the management plan within 1 year of enactment. To date, the management planning is still unfinished since the designation of the National Monument in 2015.
• Require federal land management agencies to consult with federally recognized tribes in developing the management plan and its implementation.
• Outline parameters for continued, meaningful engagement with federally recognized tribes for implementation of the management plan.
After a strong start to the water year, California’s snowpack has fallen well behind the seasonal average, state officials reported.
The Department of Water Resources conducted the third snow survey of the season at Phillips Station on Tuesday.
Following a January and February that will enter records as the driest documented in state history, the manual survey recorded 35 inches of snow depth and a snow water equivalent of 16 inches, which is 68% of average for this location for March.
The snow water equivalent measures the amount of water contained in the snowpack and is a key component of DWR’s water supply forecast. Statewide, the snowpack is 63% of average for this date.
“With only one month left in California’s wet season and no major storms in the forecast, Californians should plan for a third year of drought conditions,” said DWR Director Karla Nemeth. “A significantly below-average snowpack combined with already low reservoir levels make it critical that all Californians step up and conserve water every day to help the state meet the challenges of severe drought.”
Although early season storms helped alleviate some drought impacts, a lack of storms in January and February heightens the need for conservation.
The governor has asked all Californians to cut back water use at least 15% compared to 2020 levels.
Regionally, the Northern, Central and Southern Sierra snowpacks are all standing just above 59% to 66% of average for this date, impacting watersheds across the state.
DWR has increased its efforts to improve climate and runoff forecasting by strengthening its collaborations with partner agencies investing in proven technologies to improve data collection and hydrologic modeling.
This includes efforts at the Central Sierra Snow Lab where DWR and its partners regularly test new equipment and sensors to maximize performance when measuring the state’s snowpack. Forecast improvements and monitoring enhancements increase the reliability of data used to inform water managers about flood risks, allowing opportunities to create more storage in reservoirs ahead of big storms while also ensuring water supply reliability in periods of dry or drought conditions.
“As the world continues to warm, precipitation is pushing toward extremes. Even when we see large storms producing a lot of snow early in the season, all it takes is a few dry weeks to put us below average,” said Jeremy Hill, manager of DWR’s Hydrology and Flood Operations Branch. “This new pattern challenges forecasting efforts that have relied on historical patterns, so DWR has led the charge to adopt new technologies and utilize the best available science to manage water in real time and use forecasts that give us time to make decisions to get the most benefits and minimize the hazards.”
Current water conditions are now available in real time at California Water Watch, a new website launched by DWR.
This website will help Californians see their local hydrological conditions, forecasts, and water conditions down to their address or their local watershed. The site presents data from a variety of sources and allows the public to obtain a quick snapshot of local and statewide water conditions.
“With below average precipitation and snowpack up until this point, our latest statewide snowmelt forecasts are only 66% of average,” said Sean de Guzman, manager of DWR’s Snow Surveys and Water Supply Forecasting Unit. “That is not enough to fill up our reservoirs. Without any significant storms on the horizon, it’s safe to say we’ll end this year dry and extend this drought a third year.”
Geomagnetic storms occur when space weather hits and interacts with the Earth. Space weather is caused by fluctuations within the Sun that blast electrons, protons and other particles into space. I study the hazards space weather poses to space-based assets and how scientists can improve the models and prediction of space weather to protect against these hazards.
When space weather reaches Earth, it triggers many complicated processes that can cause a lot of trouble for anything in orbit. And engineers like me are working to better understand these risks and defend satellites against them.
What causes space weather?
The Sun is always releasing a steady amount of charged particles into space. This is called the solar wind. Solar wind also carries with it the solar magnetic field. Sometimes, localized fluctuations on the Sun will hurl unusually strong bursts of particles in a particular direction. If Earth happens to be in the path of the enhanced solar wind generated by one of these events and gets hit, you get a geomagnetic storm.
The speed at which the ejected plasma or solar wind arrives at Earth is an important factor – the faster the speed, the stronger the geomagnetic storm. Normally, solar wind travels at roughly 900,000 mph (1.4 million kph). But strong solar events can release winds up to five times as fast.
Emissions from the Sun, including the solar wind, would be incredibly dangerous to any life form unlucky enough to be directly exposed to them. Thankfully, Earth’s magnetic field does a lot to protect humanity.
The first thing solar wind hits as it approaches Earth is the magnetosphere. This region surrounding the Earth’s atmosphere is filled with plasma made of electrons and ions. It’s dominated by the planet’s strong magnetic field. When solar wind hits the magnetosphere, it transfers mass, energy and momentum into this layer.
The magnetosphere can absorb most of the energy from the everyday level of solar wind. But during strong storms, it can get overloaded and transfer excess energy to the upper layers of Earth’s atmosphere near the poles. This redirection of energy to the poles is what results in fantastic aurora events, but it also causes changes in the upper atmosphere that can harm space assets.
Dangers to what’s in orbit
There a few different ways geomagnetic storms threaten orbiting satellites that serve people on the ground daily.
This situation is exactly what led to the demise of the the SpaceX Starlink satellites in February. Starlink satellites are dropped off by Falcon 9 rockets into a low-altitude orbit, typically somewhere between 60 and 120 miles (100 and 200 km) above the Earth’s surface. The satellites then use onboard engines to slowly overcome the force of drag and raise themselves to their final altitude of approximately 350 miles (550 km).
The latest batch of Starlink satellites encountered a geomagnetic storm while still in very low-Earth orbit. Their engines could not overcome the significantly increased drag, and the satellites began slowly falling toward Earth and eventually burned up in the atmosphere.
Drag is just one hazard that space weather poses to space-based assets. The significant increase in high-energy electrons within the magnetosphere during strong geomagnetic storms means more electrons will penetrate the shielding on a spacecraft and accumulate within its electronics. This buildup of electrons can discharge in what is basically a small lightning strike and damage electronics.
Penetrating radiation or charged particles in the magnetosphere – even during mild geomagnetic storms – can also alter the output signal from electronic devices. This phenomenon can cause errors in any part of a spacecraft’s electronics system, and if the error occurs in something critical, the entire satellite can fail. Small errors are common and usually fixable, but total failures, though rare, do happen.
Finally, geomagnetic storms can disrupt the ability of satellites to communicate with Earth using radio waves. Many communications technologies, like GPS, for example, rely on radio waves. The atmosphere always distorts radio waves by some amount , so engineers correct for this distortion when building communication systems. But during geomagnetic storms, changes in the ionosphere – the charged equivalent of the thermosphere that spans roughly the same altitude range – will change how radio waves travel through it. The calibrations in place for a quiet atmosphere become wrong during geomagnetic storms.
This, for example, makes it difficult to lock onto GPS signals and can throw off the positioning by a few meters. For many industries – aviation, maritime, robotics, transportation, farming, military and others – GPS positioning errors of a few meters are simply not tenable. Autonomous driving systems will require accurate positioning as well.
How to protect against space weather
Satellites are critically important for much of the modern world to function, and protecting space assets from space weather is an important area of research.
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The ability to accurately forecast storms would make it possible to preemptively safeguard satellites and other assets to a certain extent by shutting down sensitive electronics or reorienting the satellites to be better protected. But while the modeling and forecasting of geomagnetic storms has significantly improved over the past few years, the projections are often wrong. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration had warned that, following a coronal mass ejection, a geomagnetic storm was “likely” to occur the day before or the day of the February Starlink launch. The mission went ahead anyway.
The Sun is like a child that often throws tantrums. It’s essential for life to go on, but its ever-changing disposition make things challenging.
CLEARLAKE, Calif. — Clearlake Animal Control has a diverse group of dogs waiting to be adopted.
The City of Clearlake Animal Association also is seeking fosters for the animals waiting to be adopted.
Call the Clearlake Animal Control shelter at 707-273-9440, or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to inquire about adoptions and schedule a visit to the shelter.
Visit Clearlake Animal Control on Facebook or on the city’s website.
The following dogs are available for adoption.
‘Terry’
“Terry” is a male shepherd mix with a short brindle coat.
He is dog No. 48443693.
‘Snowball’
“Snowball” is a male American Staffordshire mix terrier with a white coat.
He has been neutered.
He is dog No. 49159168.
‘Sassy’
“Sassy” is a female American pit bull mix with a short black coat.
She has been spayed.
She is dog No. 48443128.
‘Priscilla’
“Priscilla” is a female Brittany spaniel mix with a white and copper coat.
She is dog No. 49089138.
‘Fritz’
“Fritz” is a male Australian shepherd mix with a black and white coat.
He is dog No. 49278179.
‘Ebenezer’
“Ebenezer” is a male American pit bull terrier mix with a short tan and white coat.
He is dog No. 49191651.
‘Claire’
“Claire” is a female border collie mix with a short black and white coat.
She has been spayed.
Claire is dog No. 49397880.
‘Chai’
“Chai” is a female Alaskan husky mix with a gray and white coat.
She has been spayed.
She is dog No. 49279552.
‘Bear No. 2’
“Bear No. 2” is a male American pit bull mix with a short tan coat.
He has been neutered.
He is dog No. 48731556.
‘Bear’
“Bear” is a male Labrador retriever-American pit bull mix with a short charcoal and fawn coat.
He has been neutered.
He is dog No. 48443153.
‘Andy’
“Andy” is a male American pit bull mix with a short gray and white coat.
He is dog No. 48995415.
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.
Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-05) said he is continuing his efforts to ensure that the Californians who did the right thing and installed solar panels do not face an increased tax on them.
The California Public Utilities Commission has proposed to significantly cut the net metering rate and apply a new tax on solar panels, leading to an average of a $90 per month increase while decreasing the financial returns from selling excess energy.
“Climate change continues to be one of the most pressing issues our communities are facing, and many Californians have taken a smart step and installed solar panels on their homes to transition towards clean energy,” said Thompson. “However, the combination of decreasing the net metering rate and raising taxes on solar panels would disincentivize the installation of solar panels and penalize Californians who are doing the right thing for our climate. CPUC must reevaluate these proposed changes to protect the solar panel industry and ensure the financial benefits remain for those who transition to solar energy.”
Congressman Thompson led a letter to the CPUC that 25 members of the California delegation signed calling for a reevaluation of the proposed changes.
The text of the letter can be found below.
Dear President Reynolds:
We are writing to share the concerns we have heard from our constituents, small businesses, and many others, regarding the California Public Utilities Commission’s (CPUC) proposed decision to significantly reduce the financial benefits of rooftop solar in California. We applaud your decision to postpone this proposal and ask you to use the time to look at options that do not harm existing residential solar adopters while achieving an equitable solution for future adopters as well as all customers.
We are proud that California leads the nation in rooftop solar installations. Net energy metering has made it possible for Californians to plan for and install solar systems based on a known return on investment. One of our main concerns regards changing the rules of the program that many of our constituents planned on when committing to a solar system. The proposed decision would upend the fundamental calculations upon which contracts were presented to our constituents, which were based on regulations the state had in place at the time to incentivize clean energy adoption. Retroactively altering these assumptions would change the expected benefit of installing solar and represent a breach of trust between the state and residents who opted to do the right thing for the environment.
We appreciate that net metering should be updated to reflect new market conditions and state policy goals. However, imposing a tax on solar panels and reducing the rate of solar power exports by as much as 80 percent will label California as a climate straggler, not a climate leader.
We are making great strides in Congress to address the climate crisis by accelerating the deployment of renewable energy technologies. As you know, in November the House of Representatives passed legislation that included a 10-year extension of the federal tax credits for solar energy and storage to maximize deployment over the next decade. We are concerned that the proposed decision runs counter to this policy objective and would reportedly cut California’s rooftop solar market in half by 2024.
We do support the CPUC’s efforts to expand the benefits of solar to more Californians, especially those in disadvantaged communities and communities of color; however, any policy that severely impacts the rooftop solar market will not achieve that policy objective. We are confident that there are better policies to keep solar growing while making it more accessible to underserved communities.
We urge you to consider options that do not harm existing solar users while achieving a forward-looking solution for future adopters and all customers. We look forward to the CPUC issuing a dramatically revised policy that supports rapid renewable deployment and California’s continued climate leadership.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — Just two days after it voted to accept the superintendent’s resignation, the Middletown Unified School District Board of Trustees on Thursday appointed a former board member to be the new superintendent.
Following an hour-and-a-half-long closed session at a special meeting that began late Thursday afternoon, the board emerged and President Misha Grothe announced that it had selected Thad Owens to take on the superintendent’s role, pending contract approval.
The board had said in a statement issued after the Tuesday meeting that it intended to look for an interim superintendent immediately.
However, based on the announcement at the Thursday meeting, Owens’ hiring does not appear to be on an interim basis.
Owens served a portion of a term on the school board before resigning, without giving a reason, in November. Allison Berlogar later was appointed to fill his seat.
He will succeed Gill, who resigned on Monday and left the following day after only four months on the job.
Gill has not given a public reason for his departure. However, on Wednesday the Lake County Sheriff’s Office reported that it had served a search warrant on a parent who is alleged to have recorded a conversation with Gill without his knowledge.
Owens is listed as a principal for the Konocti Unified School District’s Blue Heron Opportunity High School on that district’s website.
He’s also previously served as principal at Middletown Middle School and Minnie Cannon Elementary School, according to his LinkedIn page.
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.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The day after the Middletown Unified School Board voted to accept the resignation of its superintendent, detectives served a search warrant on an individual who is suspected of having recorded a conversation with that school official without his knowledge.
Tim Gill submitted his resignation as superintendent of Middletown Unified on Monday, with Tuesday being his last day, as Lake County News has reported.
On Wednesday, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office reported that it had become aware on Tuesday of an incident involving a parent upset about a school policy who allegedly recorded a private conversation between themselves and the school superintendent without the superintendent’s consent.
Lauren Berlinn, the sheriff’s public information officer, confirmed to Lake County News that the situation involved Middletown Unified.
Authorities said an investigation was initiated and resulted in the issuance of a search warrant that was served on Wednesday.
“Pursuant to the search warrant, several items were seized and will be examined to determine whether or not a crime has been committed,” the sheriff’s office said.
Under California law, “eavesdropping” — recording someone without their knowledge — is illegal, with exceptions for law enforcement investigations.
California Penal Code Section 632, which is part of the Invasion of Privacy Act, states: “A person who, intentionally and without the consent of all parties to a confidential communication, uses an electronic amplifying or recording device to eavesdrop upon or record the confidential communication, whether the communication is carried on among the parties in the presence of one another or by means of a telegraph, telephone, or other device, except a radio, shall be punished by a fine not exceeding two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500) per violation, or imprisonment in a county jail not exceeding one year, or in the state prison, or by both that fine and imprisonment.”
Convictions for previous violations can result in a fine of up to $10,000 per violation, imprisonment in a county jail not exceeding one year, or in the state prison, or by both that fine and imprisonment, the Penal Code states.
Such cases may be prosecuted either as a misdemeanor or as a felony.
Gill, a veteran educator, had been with the district for only four months when he abruptly resigned this week.
At a special Tuesday night meeting — during which the Middletown Unified School Board voted to accept his resignation — community members and teachers were unanimous in lamenting his departure and lauding him for his work with the district.
While Gill has so far declined to explain why he left his job, speakers at the Tuesday night meeting attributed his resignation to a politically charged, divided and at times abusive environment that has developed in the district, focused primarily on mandates related to COVID-19.
The sheriff’s office said the investigation is ongoing, and, “as with any allegation of criminal activity, there is always a presumption of innocence until proven guilty.”
Anyone with information related to this investigation is asked to contact Deputy Nate Newton at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 707-262-4200.
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.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — Just four months after he took on the job, the superintendent of the Middletown Unified School District abruptly resigned this week.
Tim Gill, a veteran educator who the district board hired at the end of October, confirmed to Lake County News that he resigned effective Tuesday.
“At this time I don't have any comment regarding my reasons for resigning,” Gill said.
Board President Misha Grothe said Gill submitted the letter of resignation to the board on Monday.
“No reason was given in his letter of resignation and I don’t feel it is my place nor the community’s to speculate,” she said.
“It was my absolute honor to have been able to work with Tim Gill in his short tenure as Middletown USD’s superintendent. His passion for education and dedication to bettering the district while here was unparalleled and he will be sorely missed. I wish him all the best in his future endeavors,” Grothe said.
The Middletown Unified School Board held a special Tuesday night meeting to discuss the matter. It met in closed session and then held an open session, during which it took public comment before voting to accept Gill’s resignation.
While neither Gill nor the district gave reasons for his sudden departure, speakers at the Tuesday night meeting attributed his leaving directly to an escalating political divide that has formed in the district around COVID-19 mandates.
Over the past several months, the district board meetings have been filled with parents and community members arguing against masking and vaccinations.
In the fall, two board members — LaTrease Walker and Thad Owens — resigned their seats, with Walker opposing COVID-19 mandates and Owens giving no reason.
At the same time, Gill’s selection as the new superintendent had appeared to promise some stability to the district, which at that point had three superintendents in two years.
Then, in December, the board selected Annette Lee — a college professor with a doctorate in educational administration — and Allison Berlogar to fill the seats of Walker and Owens, respectively.
When, at her first board meeting two weeks later, Lee suggested alternate wording to a proposed resolution against mandates, she became the target of a petition — whose proponents included Walker — opposing her provisional appointment.
Enough signatures were gathered and Lee’s provisional appointment ended in January. At the same time, Lake County Superintendent of Schools Brock Falkenberg called a special election to fill Walker’s seat that is expected to cost the district tens of thousands of dollars and leave the board’s fifth seat vacant until the June election, which will be combined with the state primary.
District starting ‘to crack and now crumble’
Despite the deep differences that have developed in the district, the teachers and community members who spoke to the board on Tuesday universally praised Gill and expressed regret at his departure.
Coyote Valley Elementary Principal Matt Coit, wearing a t-shirt with the words “Be Kind” on it, referred to all of the district’s issues in speaking to the board on Tuesday night.
Himself a graduate of district schools, Coit said Middletown has always been an amazing district. However, over the past year, and especially in the past five months, “I’ve seen our district start to crack and now crumble.”
Coit said he’s sat through meetings watching teachers be called child abusers, and compared to Nazis and those who enforced apartheid in South Africa. “We’re in this business because we genuinely love students. So to be called these things is absolutely soul-crushing.”
He added, “This sustained hate-filled hyperbolic rhetoric is destroying our community and the district that we love with it.”
Coit said he’s seen teachers bullied online and in person, and qualified members pushed off the board. “I’ve now seen the best superintendent of my career pushed over the edge.”
He said he’s afraid for the district and its students. “If this hate and vitriol continue unchecked I fear that soon there may be no district left.”
Coit issued a plea to the silent majority in the middle of the political spectrum, asking them to help combat hate with love and say enough is enough.
He quoted Martin Luther King Jr.: “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”
Middletown High teacher Jennifer Pyzer, a previous county educator of the year, thanked Gill and the board for finding him, and said she hopes they can find another good superintendent.
“These last few months have been the most productive months our school district has had in three years,” she said, adding they have more work to do.
She said people are willing to step up and help carry the workload. “We want to see our district succeed,” and not to lose its momentum.
“I really want to focus on how great we are,” said Pyzer. “We have some great things going on here.”
Allisun Moore, a fourth grade teacher at Coyote Valley Elementary, read the board a letter she had planned to present at its regular meeting later this month lauding Gill. She thanked them for hiring him and said they may never be able to find another Tim Gill.
Jeremy Rarick also lauded Gill, who he said he deeply respected. However, Rarick blamed “highly political teachers” for forcing their views on students and contributing to the tensions in the district.
“Tim Gill cannot stand to be in the middle of this COVID fight any longer,” said Rarick, who added that Gill is probably one of the best superintendents the district has ever had.
After hearing public comment, the board voted 4-0 to accept Gill’s resignation.
In a statement issued to Lake County News after the meeting, the Middletown Unified School Board thanked Gill for his extraordinary service and dedication to the district in his short tenure as superintendent.
“His vision and guidance will endure and continue to carry this district forward,” the statement said.
The board said it will fill the superintendent vacancy through the appointment of an interim superintendent as soon as possible.
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.
On Thursday, at a mental health treatment center in San Jose, Gov. Gavin Newsom unveiled CARE Court, a new framework to provide individuals with mental health and substance use disorders the care and services they need to get healthy.
The proposal, which must be approved by the Legislature, would require counties to provide comprehensive treatment to the most severely impaired and untreated Californians and hold patients accountable to their treatment plan.
“CARE Court is about meeting people where they are and acting with compassion to support the thousands of Californians living on our streets with severe mental health and substance use disorders,” said Gov. Newsom. “We are taking action to break the pattern that leaves people without hope and cycling repeatedly through homelessness and incarceration. This is a new approach to stabilize people with the hardest-to-treat behavioral health conditions.”
CARE Court does not wait until someone is hospitalized or arrested before providing treatment.
CARE Court will provide an opportunity for a range of people, including family members, first responders, intervention teams, and mental health service providers, among others, to refer individuals suffering from a list of specific ailments, many of them unhoused, and get them into community-based services.
Based on the initial information from the governor, the CARE Courts will be housed within each superior court.
However, Krista LeVier, court executive officer of the Lake County Superior Court, said they have no details yet about how the proposal will work and its impact on the local court.
“It’s time we face the painful, but obvious truth: our behavioral health system in California is broken. All of us see it every day on our streets — and it’s long past time we fix it,” said San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria, who called the proposal “a major step forward.”
CARE Court offers court-ordered individualized interventions and services, stabilization medication, advanced mental health directives, and housing assistance — all while remaining community-based. Plans can be up to 12 to 24 months.
In addition to their full clinical team, the client-centered approach also includes a public defender and a supporter to help individuals make self-directed care decisions.
“We need to stop trying to fix a failed system,” said Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Stephen V. Manley. “We are rapidly moving back to where we were 100 years ago in using incarceration as the only alternative for those persons who are severely mentally ill. We need new ideas and a fresh approach and Gov. Newsom is offering us one.”
The CARE Court framework was created using the evidence that many people can stabilize, begin healing, and exit homelessness in less restrictive, community-based care settings.
The plan focuses on people with schizophrenia spectrum and other psychotic disorders, who may also have substance use challenges, and who lack medical decision-making capacity, and advances an upstream diversion from more restrictive conservatorships or incarceration.
The framework provides individuals with a clinically appropriate, community-based and court-ordered Care Plan consisting of culturally and linguistically competent county mental health and substance use disorder treatment services. These include short-term stabilization medications, wellness and recovery supports, and connection to social services, including a housing plan.
Services are provided to the individual through an outpatient model while they live in the community.
“After 30 years in the field serving vulnerable individuals and experiencing difficulty in getting these individuals the appropriate level of care, I welcome the discussion around a definitive evaluation process and look forward to participating in discussions to find solutions that better serve this population,” said California Professional Firefighters President Brian K Rice.
In the event that a participant cannot successfully complete a care plan, the individual may be referred for a conservatorship, consistent with current law, with a presumption that no suitable alternatives to conservatorship are available.
All counties across the state will participate in CARE Court under the proposal. If local governments do not meet their specified duties under court-ordered care plans, the court will have the ability to order sanctions and, in extreme cases, appoint an agent to ensure services are provided.
The California State Association of Public Administrators, Public Guardians, and Public Conservators called for increased resources to serve California’s most vulnerable populations.
“Gov. Newsom has proposed sweeping changes to the continuum of care to serve a growing number of Californians with severe mental illness and cognitive deficits, people who are seriously and persistently mentally ill and homeless, and adults who have been victimized and exploited,” said Scarlet Hughes, executive director of the California State Association of Public Administrators, Public Guardians, and Public Conservators.
“As experts on the front lines serving the most vulnerable Californians, we look forward to working with the governor and the Legislature to strengthen the CARE Courts proposal and address the significant impacts it will undoubtedly have on demand for local county public conservators and public guardian safety net programs,” said Hughes. “We share the governor’s goal to provide care and compassion for vulnerable individuals and ensure our guardians and conservators have the resources to meet both current demand and increasing needs.”
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The National Weather Service has issued a hazardous weather outlook for Lake County due to rain and freezing temperatures in the forecast for the coming days.
The agency said frost and freezing conditions are possible across Mendocino and Lake counties from Saturday through early next week.
Ahead of that, the forecast calls for chances of rain from Thursday through Friday. On Thursday, less than a tenth of an inch is anticipated, to be accompanied by light winds.
Winds are expected to continue on Thursday and increase to more than 25 miles per hour on Friday, with gusts of close to 40 miles per hour.
Temperatures from Thursday through Wednesday will range from the low 40s down into the low 30s at night, and the low 50s to high 60s during the day.
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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The city of Clearlake and county of Lake are among more than 100 local governments and tribes that will receive millions of dollars in the latest round of Clean California grants.
On Tuesday, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that underserved communities throughout the state will receive $296 million in Clean California grants to remove litter and transform public spaces into points of pride.
The 105 community projects will generate an estimated 3,600 jobs as the latest piece of Newsom’s Clean California initiative, a sweeping $1.1 billion, multiyear clean-up effort led by Caltrans to remove trash, create thousands of jobs and engage communities to transform public spaces.
“Clean California is an historic investment transforming unsightly roadsides throughout our state into places of community pride for all Californians,” said Newsom.
He said the latest awards demonstrate the commitment the state is making to remove unsightly litter from local streets and highways. “Clean California will not only help to clean up our state, but this program will also create thousands of jobs and revitalize neighborhoods in every corner of California.”
The projects include a wide range of community enhancements, such as litter removal, landscaping and art installations, walking and bike paths, and other complete streets features that enhance safety and access to transportation.
The grant recipients must complete their projects by June 30, 2024.
The Governor’s California Blueprint proposes an additional $100 million to fund another round of Clean California local projects.
“California is one of the most beautiful places on Earth, and the trash cluttering our roadways tarnishes that image,” said California State Transportation Agency Secretary Toks Omishakin. “These Clean California grants empower communities to highlight the beauty of our state by turning public spaces littered with trash into places to treasure.”
The city of Clearlake will receive $1,557,158 to clean and beautify the downtown corridor with the installation of wayfinding signage and murals on exterior walls of businesses painted by local artists.
The project also calls for reducing the amount of litter overflow and illegal dumping by providing education and outreach, additional waste receptacles throughout Austin Park, the organization of community clean-up days, eight free dump days over the duration of the project and the installation of shade structures at Austin Park.
The county of Lake has been awarded $1,358,545 for its beautification project, which consists of both infrastructure and non-infrastructure components.
The infrastructure components include amenities such as restrooms and public art at two county parks: as well as shade structures, trees, drinking fountains, benches, trash/recycling receptacles and signs at a total of 15 parks countywide. The non-infrastructure component of the project is a countywide marketing outreach and educational campaign.
The local projects announced today are in addition to the $312 million for 126 beautification projects along state highways announced last month.
Since launching Clean California in July, Caltrans has removed nearly 7,400 tons of litter from the state highway system — enough to fill 134 Olympic-size swimming pools — and hired 623 new team members as part of Clean California, including 498 maintenance workers who collect litter and remove graffiti.