Melinda Mildred Fred, 39, is charged with the murder of her boyfriend. Lake County Jail photo. LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — A woman who authorities said fatally stabbed her boyfriend last week has been charged with murder.
Melinda Mildred Fred, 39, is being held on $1 million bail for the killing of 36-year-old Christopher Aaron Burrows.
Lake County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a report of a stabbing on Red Feather Lane in Lakeport at 4:40 a.m. May 16.
Deputies found Burrows lying on the ground with a single stab wound. Despite the efforts of deputies and paramedics, Burrows died of his injuries at the scene. Fred was arrested hours later.
Chief Deputy District Attorney Richard Hinchcliff told Lake County News that the investigation so far has confirmed that Burrows was Fred’s boyfriend.
Hinchcliff said Fred has been charged with murder, assault with a deadly weapon and domestic violence.
As for the motive in the killing, “Right now it’s still speculation,” said Hinchcliff. “There’s still investigation going on.”
At her May 18 arraignment, Fred’s bail was set at $1 million and defense attorney Tom Quinn was appointed to represent her, Hinchcliff said.
Hinchcliff said Fred will appear in Lake County Superior Court’s Department 3 at 8:15 a.m. Tuesday for the appearance of counsel and entry of her plea.
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 legends in racing Johnny Miskell & Richard Knight. Courtesy photo. LAKEPORT, Calif. — The Lakeport Speedway is preparing to begin a new track season with the Memorial Weekend Opener on Saturday, May 27, and Sunday, May 28.
The promoter for the new track season will be Blair Aiken of B.A.D Racing.
The opener will be a double race weekend launching Saturday night and featuring Legends, Bombers, Pro4s and Bandoleros.
Come on down and support your local racers at the hometown track.
Watch Richard Knight, Michael Snider and Mike Sullivan vie for the gap racing Modifieds; Mike Collins defending the bombers; and Johnny Barker circling the pack with the Pro4s.
Sunday night will be the addition of the crazy boat races.
Gate opens at 5 p.m. with racing at 7 p.m.
The Lakeport Speedway is located at the Lake County Fairgrounds at 401 Martin St. in Lakeport.
For more information, call 707-349-6998 or visit the track’s new Facebook page.
The new Lake County Tribal Health Consortium Southshore Clinic’s grand opening was celebrated on Friday, May 19, 2023. Photo by Elizabeth Larson/Lake County News. CLEARLAKE, Calif. — Three years after work on the project began, Lake County Tribal Health Consortium’s newest clinic is open and ready to serve the community.
The new state-of-the-art Southshore Clinic is located at 14440 Olympic Drive.
On Friday morning, Tribal Health Board members and clinic leadership, joined by local elected and community leaders, celebrated the grand opening and ribbon cutting of the 25,000-square-foot outpatient health clinic.
While the clinic had a soft opening in July, as of Friday, May 19 — a year after the facility was blessed — it’s fully open, said Chief Executive Officer Ernesto Padilla.
“From the beginning, this project was done right,” said Clearlake City Manager Alan Flora.
Its final price tag was $25 million, which Flora said was three times the original budget.
Tribal Health leaders, including Chief Executive Officer Ernesto Padilla, right, cut the ribbon for the new Southshore Clinic’s grand opening on Friday, May 19, 2023, in Clearlake, California. Photo by Elizabeth Larson/Lake County News. It has close to 60 staffers who offer medical services from children through seniors, including a soon-to-open pharmacy for tribal members and pain management.
The clinic also is the only facility to offer full dental services in Lake County. Dr. Eunsub Jang, one of Tribal Health’s dentists, said that the clinic has a monthly capacity of 1,700 dental patients. In April, they had 1,000 patients, and so far in May have had 700 patients.
Padilla said they’ve used every square inch of the vast new building’s space.
Even so, Flora said it’s already almost too small for the needs of the community, which has a health deficit and some of the worst health outcomes in the state.
“This is the type of development that we haven’t really seen here” but that they now expect, said Flora.
Tribal Health officials presented a check for $150,000 to the city of Clearlake for its Burns Valley Sports Complex during the Southshore Clinic’s grand opening on Friday, May 19, 2023, in Clearlake, California. Photo by Elizabeth Larson/Lake County News. “I’m proud of what you all have done here,” Flora added.
Padilla and Flora both referred to a strong working relationship that Tribal Health and the city have enjoyed through the process.
Tribal Health contributed to the city’s new band shell at Austin Park, and on Friday they once again offered support to the city with a $150,000 donation to the Burns Valley Sports Complex the city of Clearlake is building.
Flora said Tribal Health’s new clinic is encouraging other development, too. A town house project is coming just down the street and the roads in the area will be redone next year.
He thinks the clinic will help the community’s outcomes, as access is important.
Community members and local leaders gathered on Friday, May 19, 2023, in Clearlake, California, for the Lake County Tribal Health Consortium Southshore Clinic’s grand opening and ribbon cutting. Photo by Elizabeth Larson/Lake County News. A tour of the building
David Santos, formerly president and CEO of Adventist Health Clear Lake, now is chief operating officer for Tribal Health.
He said 15% of Tribal Health’s patient population is Indigenous. That percentage used to be larger until they opened services to the general population.
Santos and other Tribal Health leaders led visitors through the building, beginning on the first floor in the thoughtfully designed waiting rooms for children, adults and those waiting for labs, and then through the medical and dental suites on the first and second floors.
Throughout the buildings there are glass cases, some of them filled with Pomo baskets and artifacts, some with community sports plaques.
Moving up the large spiral staircase, there is a mural of Lake County wildlife and geography, along with a map of Clear Lake and the six tribes in the consortium: Big Valley Rancheria, Elem Colony, Habematolel Pomo, Middletown Rancheria, Robinson Rancheria and the Scotts Valley Pomo. A seventh Lake County tribe, the Koi Nation, is not a consortium member.
Kevin Thompson, the Southshore Clinic manager, said an artist who has created murals for Cabela’s was hired to paint the mural, which he initially sketched out in just a day.
Thompson said COVID-19 resulted in changes to the clinic design. Some areas that originally had been designed with open floor plans ended up being enclosed, and every room now has its own self-contained decontamination equipment.
He said that, thanks to Bret Woods, Tribal Health’s chief financial officer — who also was on hand to lead members of the public through the building — the Lakeport clinic now has new equipment to match that found at the Southshore Clinic so the staff can rotate through the two clinics more easily.
From left, Tribal Health Chief Operating Officer David Santos, clinic manager Kevin Thompson, Lake County Fire Chief Willie Sapeta, Clearlake City Councilman Dirk Slooten and his wife, Karen Slooten, tour the first floor of the new Southshore Clinic on Friday, May 19, 2023. Photo by Elizabeth Larson/Lake County News. Among the community residents who visited the facility during the grand opening was a woman who identified herself as Mindy. She said she has been living in the community since 1980 and she’s happy to see the good things happening in Clearlake.
Padilla said there’s “more to come” for Tribal Health, which is now in the design phase with NorthStar Designing Solutions — the same firm that did the Southshore Clinic — for a new administration building at its Lakeport facility on Bevins Court.
Construction on that project is expected to start in early 2024 and to be completed by the fall of 2025, Padilla said.
Tribal Health also has plans for its site on Parallel Drive in Lakeport, he said.
Tribal Health is accepting new patients, not just tribal members but the underserved members of the community, including those who are on Medicare and Medi-Cal, as well as those who are uninsured.
For more information visit the Tribal Health website.
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.
The mural that graces the spiral staircase in the new Lake County Tribal Health Consortium’s Southshore Clinic in Clearlake, California. Photo by Elizabeth Larson/Lake County News.
MENDOCINO NATIONAL FOREST, Calif. — Several roads into Mendocino National Forest have experienced severe damage after this winter’s series of storms, and visitors should prepare for limited access to recreation areas this Memorial Day weekend.
“Visitors should recognize the inherent risks of recreating outdoors, especially after natural disasters,” said Mendocino National Forest Supervisor Wade McMaster.
“Road conditions, which are always dynamic, are especially changed given the post-fire hazards and storm damage. New reports are coming in every day from our crews and field staff of downed trees, plugged culverts and washouts,” McMaster said.
In areas where wildfire has occurred, significant rainfall and wind create hazards.
Roads within the August Complex and Ranch Fire footprints are subject to falling trees, landslides, rockfall, erosion, debris flows and flooding.
The M10 Road is impassable west of Fouts Campground. The road experienced multiple slides, rockfall and hillslope failure after prolonged winter storms.
There is access to the Letts Lake Campground from the east via the M5 Road and 17N02 Road, a detour that adds about 2 hours additional driving time.
The 17N02 Road has a lingering snowpack, and forest officials recommend driving high-clearance, four-wheel drive vehicles only. Trailers and RVs are not advised.
The road issues will also impact maintenance this summer. There will be no trash service or water supply at Letts Lake Campground until the M10 Road is repaired. The front portion of the campground will be open for primitive camping.
The M5 Road at the 17N02 Junction to Cedar Camp is also closed for the season due to several slides, blowdown and unstable roadbed.
Elk Mountain Road above Middle Creek Campground also has a slide and hillslope failure, though the county has put in a temporary repair for access by emergency responders only.
To reach the Upper Lake Ranger District OHV trail system and campgrounds on Elk Mountain Road, visitors will need to drive via Potter Valley (Mendocino County Rd 240 / Lake County Rd 301) or via Sam Alley (Forest Roads 16N01 and 16N30).
The Sam Alley alternate route is narrow in many places and only drivable with high-clearance, four-wheel drive vehicles. Officials advise the public not to haul trailers up these roads.
The M6 Road has a slide making it impassable approximately two miles north of the Bloody Rock Trailhead.
Before this winter’s storms, the M1 Road had been closed due to a slide at Bar Creek about three miles north of the Eel River Station. The detour to get to recreation areas above the slide is to take the M4 Road North to the M2 Road, then west on 23N29 (Espee Ridge Road).
Forest officials ask visitors to be prepared before traveling to the forest.
“Our staff is working extremely hard to get roads repaired, access restored and services ready for the public,” said McMaster. “We want everyone to enjoy these public lands, but visitors need to plan and be aware of their surroundings at all times. Never park or camp under dead trees or hanging limbs; stay alert if the wind picks up; know where you are going and any alternate routes; and carry emergency supplies.”
“Cell service is not reliable in the forest, so make sure you share your itinerary with a friend or relative and what time you can be expected to return.”
Forest staff continue to conduct storm damage assessments to identify hazards and road issues. As damage assessments continue, it is likely there could be more road closures and hazards.
Visitors can report storm damage and road conditions by sending an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with as much detail as possible, including type of damage, route, GPS latitude and longitude, nearby landmarks and a photo with some object for scale (e.g., a truck or ruler).
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The Board of Supervisors is continuing to move to create a public defender program and will consider a draft proposal on the process from a consultant this week.
The board will meet beginning at 9 a.m. Tuesday, May 23, in the board chambers on the first floor of the Lake County Courthouse, 255 N. Forbes St., Lakeport.
The meeting ID is 915 2351 6056, pass code 678636. The meeting also can be accessed via one tap mobile at +16694449171,,91523516056#,,,,*678636#.
All interested members of the public that do not have internet access or a Mediacom cable subscription are encouraged to call 669-900-6833, and enter the Zoom meeting ID and pass code information above.
At 3:30 p.m., the board will hear a presentation from staff and discuss a draft public defender services program and implementation plan.
The board previously discussed establishing the public defender services program in February and March.
The county has hired Jose Varela, the retired Marin County public defender.
He will present the draft public defender program work plan and phased implementation steps, County Administrative Officer Susan Parker said in her written report.
The full agenda follows.
CONSENT AGENDA
5.1: Approve the continuation of the proclamation declaring a shelter crisis urgency due to the current need for sheltering for those experiencing homelessness during the weather and temperature patterns that the county of Lake has been experiencing.
5.2: Approve continuation of proclamation declaring a Clear Lake hitch emergency.
5.3: Approve continuation of proclamation of the existence of a local emergency due to pervasive tree mortality.
5.4: Adopt proclamation commending Gail Woodworth for her 32 years of service to the county of Lake.
5.5: Approve revision to policy for county letterhead and business cards to allow the county of Lake Color seal.
5.6: (a) Approve agreement between the county of Lake and the Highland Senior Service Center for the ARPA Senior Center Grant Award in an amount not to exceed $50,000, and authorize the chair to sign; (b) approve agreement between the county of Lake and the Lakeport Senior Center for the ARPA Senior Center Grant Award in an amount not to exceed $50,000, and authorize the chair to sign; (c) approve agreement between the county of Lake and the Live Oak Senior Center for the ARPA Senior Center Grant Award in an amount not to exceed $50,000, and authorize the chair to sign; (d) approve agreement between the county of Lake and the Lucerne Alpine Senior Center Inc. for the ARPA Senior Center Grant Award in an amount not to exceed $50,000, and authorize the chair to sign; (e) approve agreement between the county of Lake and the Middletown Senior Center for the ARPA Senior Center Grant Award in an amount not to exceed $50,000, and authorize the chair to sign; and (f) approve agreement between the county of Lake and Upper Lake Senior Support Services for the ARPA Senior Center Grant Award in an amount not to exceed $50,000, and authorize the chair to sign.
5.7: (a) Approve letter of endorsement for 211 Ventura County to remain provider of 211 Services for Lake County, and maintain continuous service and authorize the chair to sign; and (b) authorize the county administrative officer or her designee to submit CPUC Application documents for 211 Service.
5.8: Adopt resolution approving the application of the Lake County Arts Council for the California Arts Council Grant for FY 2023-2024 and authorizing the Lake County Arts Council to execute the grant contract.
5.9: Approve Board of Supervisors minutes for May 16, 2023.
5.10: Approve agreement amendment between the county of Lake Health Services Department and Sheila McCarthy, occupational therapist to increase total hours worked and total compensation for contracted occupational therapy services in support of the California Children's Services Program and the Medical Therapy Program, and authorize board chair to sign.
5.11: Approve purchase orders for the purchase of two vehicles for the Central Garage Fleet at revised prices, and authorize the Public Works director/assistant purchasing agent to sign the purchase orders.
5.12: Approve purchase order to Matt Mazzei for the purchase of a vehicle for the Central Garage Fleet, and authorize the Public Works director/assistant purchasing agent to sign the purchase order.
5.13: Adopt resolution to establish a list of projects proposed to be funded in FY 2023/2024 Pursuant to the Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017 (SB1).
5.14: Approve plans and specifications for the Chalk Mountain Road over North Fork Cache Creek Bridge Replacement Project; Bid No. 23-01, Federal Project No: BRLO-5914(094),
5.15: Approve surplus of Taser X26 electronic control devices.
5.16: Approve continuation of proclamation of the existence of a local emergency due to low elevation snow and extreme cold.
5.17: Approve continuation of an emergency declaration for drought conditions.
5.18: Approve continuation of a local emergency by the Lake County Sheriff/OES director for the January 2023 Atmospheric River Event.
5.19: Approve contract between county of Lake and Skiles and Associates Inc. for general contracting services, in the amount of $49,000 from April 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024, and authorize the chair to sign.
5.20: (Sitting as the Lake County Sanitation District Board of Directors) (a) Waive the competitive bidding process, pursuant to Lake County Code Section 2-38.2, based on the unique nature of the goods; (b) authorize Special Districts administrator/assistant purchasing agent to issue a purchase order not to exceed $500,000.00 to Eddy Pump Corp. for the purchase of a 4-inch sewer pond dredge sled.
5.21: (a) (Sitting as the Lake County Sanitation Board of Directors) Accept utility easements from the city of Clearlake for the Burns Valley Development Project and authorize the clerk of the board to record a certificate of acceptance. (b) Approve sewer mainline extension agreement between the county of Lake and the city of Clearlake, for the installation of a sewer main line to serve the parcel 010-026-400, and authorize the chair to sign.
TIMED ITEMS
6.2, 9:07 a.m. Pet of the Week.
6.3, 9:08 a.m.: Presentation of proclamation commending Gail Woodworth for her 32 years of service to the county of Lake.
6.4, 9:15 a.m.: Consideration of presentation on the California Department of Insurance overview and Safer from Wildfires Framework.
6.5, 10:30 a.m.: Consideration of presentation of pavement management plan update and 10-year Pavement Rehabilitation Plan.
6.6, 3:30 p.m.: Consideration of presentation and discussion of a draft public defender services program and implementation plan.
UNTIMED ITEMS
7.2: Consideration of appointment to the North Coast Opportunities Governing Board.
7.3: Consideration of resolution approving agreements for the purchase of right-of-way for the bridge replacement project on First Street over Clover Creek and authorizing the director of Public Works to execute the purchase agreements on behalf of the county of Lake.
CLOSED SESSION
8.1: Public employee discipline/dismissal/release.
8.2: Conference with legal counsel: Significant exposure to litigation pursuant to Gov. Code section 54956.9(d)(2), (e)(1) – One potential case.
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. — Lake County Animal Care and Control has a host of new puppies and dogs this week ready to be adopted.
Dogs available for adoption this week include mixes of American bulldog, Anatolian shepherd, Catahoula leopard dog, German shepherd, husky, Jack Russell terrier, pit bull, plott hound, pointer, and terrier.
Dogs that are adopted from Lake County Animal Care and Control are either neutered or spayed, microchipped and, if old enough, given a rabies shot and county license before being released to their new owner. License fees do not apply to residents of the cities of Lakeport or Clearlake.
The following dogs at the Lake County Animal Care and Control shelter have been cleared for adoption.
Call Lake County Animal Care and Control at 707-263-0278 or visit the shelter online for information on visiting or adopting.
This 3-month-old male pit bull terrier is in kennel No. 7a, ID No. LCAC-A-5265. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Male pit bull terrier
This 3-month-old male pit bull terrier has a short brindle coat.
He is in kennel No. 7a, ID No. LCAC-A-5265.
This 3-month-old male pit bull terrier is in kennel No. 7b, ID No. LCAC-A-5266. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Male pit bull terrier
This 3-month-old male pit bull terrier has a short brindle coat.
He is in kennel No. 7b, ID No. LCAC-A-5266.
“Sky” is a 1 and a half year old female German shepherd in kennel No. 8, ID No. LCAC-A-4297. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. ‘Sky’
“Sky” is a 1 and a half year old female German shepherd with an all-white coat.
She is in kennel No. 8, ID No. LCAC-A-4297.
This 1-year-old male wirehaired terrier is in kennel No. 9, ID No. LCAC-A-5261. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Male wirehaired terrier
This 1-year-old male wirehaired terrier has a brown coat.
He is in kennel No. 9, ID No. LCAC-A-5261.
This 2-year-old female pit bull terrier-hound mix is in kennel No. 10, ID No. LCAC-A-5259. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Female pit bull terrier-hound mix
This 2-year-old female pit bull terrier-hound mix has a short black and tan coat.
She is in kennel No. 10, ID No. LCAC-A-5259.
This 1-year-old male pit bull terrier is in kennel No. 11, ID No. LCAC-A-5258. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Male pit bull
This 1-year-old male pit bull terrier has a short black coat.
He is in kennel No. 11, ID No. LCAC-A-5258.
This 2-month-old female Catahoula leopard dog puppy is in kennel No. 12a, ID No. LCAC-A-5243. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Female Catahoula leopard dog puppy
This 2-month-old female Catahoula leopard dog puppy has a short black coat with white markings.
She is in kennel No. 12a, ID No. LCAC-A-5243.
This 2-month-old male Catahoula leopard dog puppy is in kennel No. 12b, ID No. LCAC-A-5245. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Male Catahoula leopard dog puppy
This 2-month-old male Catahoula leopard dog puppy has a short brindle coat with white markings.
He is in kennel No. 12b, ID No. LCAC-A-5245.
This 2-month-old female Catahoula leopard dog puppy is in kennel No. 12c, ID No. LCAC-A-5246. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Female Catahoula leopard dog puppy
This 2-month-old female Catahoula leopard dog puppy has a short brindle coat with white markings.
She is in kennel No. 12c, ID No. LCAC-A-5246.
This 9-month-old female Jack Russell terrier is in kennel No. 13, ID No. LCAC-A-5236. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Female Jack Russell terrier
This 9-month-old female Jack Russell terrier has a short brown and white coat.
She is in kennel No. 13, ID No. LCAC-A-5236.
This 8-month-old female pit bull-pointer mix is in kennel No. 14, ID No. LCAC-A-5230. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Female pit bull-pointer mix
This 8-month-old female pit bull-pointer mix has a brown brindle and white coat.
She is in kennel No. 14, ID No. LCAC-A-5230.
“Kyle Barkson” is a 5 and a half year old male pit bull in kennel No. 15, ID No. LCAC-A-5039. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. ‘Kyle Barkson’
“Kyle Barkson” is a 5 and a half year old male pit bull with a black and white coat.
He is in kennel No. 15, ID No. LCAC-A-5039.
This 2-month-old male Catahoula leopard dog puppy is in kennel No. 16a, ID No. LCAC-A-5244. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Male Catahoula leopard dog puppy
This 2-month-old male Catahoula leopard dog puppy has a short brown brindle coat with white markings.
He is in kennel No. 16a, ID No. LCAC-A-5244.
This 2-month-old male Catahoula leopard dog puppy is in kennel No. 16a, ID No. LCAC-A-5247. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Male Catahoula leopard dog puppy
This 2-month-old male Catahoula leopard dog puppy has a short white coat with black markings.
He is in kennel No. 16a, ID No. LCAC-A-5247.
This 9-month-old male German shepherd is in kennel No. 17, ID No. LCAC-A-5054. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Male German shepherd
This 9-month-old male German shepherd has a short black and tan coat.
He is in kennel No. 17, ID No. LCAC-A-5054.
This 2-year-old male plott hound is in kennel No. 18, ID No. LCAC-A-5143. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Male plott hound
This 2-year-old male plott hound has a short brown coat.
He is in kennel No. 18, ID No. LCAC-A-5143.
This 4-year-old male American bulldog is in kennel No. 19, ID No. LCAC-A-5204. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Male American bulldog
This 4-year-old male American bulldog has a gray and white coat.
He is in kennel No. 19, ID No. LCAC-A-5204.
“Pluto” is a 2-year-old male pit bull terrier-hound mix in kennel No. 20, ID No. LCAC-A-5052. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. ‘Pluto’
“Pluto” is a 2-year-old male pit bull terrier-hound mix with a short brown coat.
He is in kennel No. 20, ID No. LCAC-A-5052.
This 3-year-old male pit bull terrier is in kennel No. 21, ID No. LCAC-A-5076. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Male pit bull terrier
This 3-year-old male pit bull terrier has a short black and white coat.
He is in kennel No. 21, ID No. LCAC-A-5076.
This 2-year-old male shepherd is in kennel No. 22, ID No. LCAC-A-5223. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Male shepherd
This 2-year-old male shepherd has a tan and white coat.
He is in kennel No. 22, ID No. LCAC-A-5223.
This 1-year-old male terrier mix is in kennel No. 23, ID No. LCAC-A-5110. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Male terrier
This 1-year-old male terrier mix has a short brown coat.
He is in kennel No. 23, ID No. LCAC-A-5110.
This 1-year-old male terrier is in kennel No. 24, ID No. LCAC-A-5111. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Male terrier
This 1-year-old male terrier has a short tan coat.
He is in kennel No. 24, ID No. LCAC-A-5111.
This one and a half year old male Anatolian shepherd is in kennel No. 25, ID No. LCAC-A-5036. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Male Anatolian shepherd
This one and a half year old male Anatolian shepherd has a tan and black coat.
He is in kennel No. 25, ID No. LCAC-A-5036.
This 1-year-old male pit bull terrier is in kennel No. 27, ID No. LCAC-A-5203. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Male pit bull terrier
This 1-year-old male pit bull terrier has a black coat with white markings.
He is in kennel No. 27, ID No. LCAC-A-5203.
This 3-year-old female Labrador retriever-pit bull mix is in kennel No. 29, ID No. LCAC-A-5229. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Female Labrador retriever-pit bull mix
This 3-year-old female Labrador retriever-pit bull mix has a short yellow coat.
She is in kennel No. 29, ID No. LCAC-A-5229.
This 1 and a half year old female pit bull-pointer mix is in kennel No. 31, ID No. LCAC-A-5231. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Pit bull terrier-pointer mix
This 1 and a half year old female pit bull-pointer mix has a white coat.
She is in kennel No. 31, ID No. LCAC-A-5231.
This 5-month-old female pit bull-shepherd puppy is in kennel No. 32, ID No. LCAC-A-5072. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Female pit bull-shepherd puppy
This 5-month-old female pit bull-shepherd puppy has a short tricolor coat.
She is in kennel No. 32, ID No. LCAC-A-5072.
“Max” is a 7-month-old male terrier mix in kennel No. 34, ID No. LCAC-A-4248. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. ‘Max’
“Max” is a 7-month-old male terrier mix with a short black coat.
He is in kennel No. 34, ID No. LCAC-A-4248.
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.
One year in the next five will almost certainly be the hottest on record and there’s a two-in-three chance a single year will cross the crucial 1.5℃ global warming threshold, an alarming new report by the World Meteorological Organization predicts.
The report, known as the Global Annual to Decadal Climate Update, warns if humanity fails to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to net zero, increasingly worse heat records will tumble beyond this decade.
So what is driving the bleak outlook for the next five years? An expected El Niño, on top of the overall global warming trend, will likely push the global temperature to record levels.
Has the Paris Agreement already failed if the global average temperature exceeds the 1.5℃ threshold in one of the next five years? No, but it will be a stark warning of what’s in store if we don’t quickly reduce emissions to net zero.
One year in the next five will almost certainly be the hottest on record, bringing more heatwaves like this boy experienced in Britain around the time the last record was set.Andy Rain/EPA
Warming makes record heat inevitable
The World Meteorological Organization update says there is a 98% chance at least one of the next five years will be the hottest on record. And there’s a 66% chance of at least one year over the 1.5℃ threshold.
There’s also a 32% chance the average temperature over the next five years will exceed the 1.5℃ threshold. The chance of temporarily exceeding 1.5℃ has risen steadily since 2015, when it was close to zero. For the years between 2017 and 2021, it was a 10% chance.
Human-caused greenhouse gas emissions have already driven up global average temperatures by more than 1℃ since the late 19th century. The update notes the 2022 average global temperature was about 1.15℃ above the 1850-1900 average, despite the cooling influence of La Niña conditions. Temperatures are now rising by about 0.2℃ per decade.
Global average surface temperatures relative to 1850-1900 from major datasets. The temperature is increasing by about 0.2°C per decade.UK Met Office
We now have more than a century of global mean temperature data. That means it should be getting harder, not easier, to achieve new records. If there was no trend, we would expect to see fewer records as time passes and the data we’ve collected better captures the full range of natural climate variability.
Instead, because we are warming the world so quickly, more heat records are being set globally and at the local level. The human influence on the climate is pushing temperatures to unprecedented highs with alarming frequency.
Add El Niño, then extreme highs are likely
The current record global average temperature dates back to 2016. A major El Niño event early that year pushed up the global average temperature.
El Niño events are associated with warmer-than-normal seas over much of the central and eastern Pacific. This helps warm the lower atmosphere and raise global temperatures by about 0.1℃. This might not sound like much, but with rapid background warming it’s often enough to break the previous record.
In the seven years since the current global temperature record, humanity has continued to intensify the greenhouse effect. This is making a new record ever more likely.
El Niño conditions are starting to form in the Pacific and are looking increasingly likely to take hold in June and July. This could be the first significant El Niño since 2016. An El Niño would greatly increase the chance of breaking that year’s record high global average temperature, particularly in 2024.
Does this mean the Paris Agreement has already failed?
Almost all nations around the world have signed the Paris Agreement. The aim is to limit global warming to well below 2℃ and preferably below 1.5℃ above pre-industrial levels.
The prediction that an individual year above 1.5℃ global warming is more likely than not is alarming. But it doesn’t mean we have failed to achieve the Paris Agreement’s goals. The agreement aims to limit long-term global warming to a level that avoids major climate impacts, including ecosystem loss. One or two years that pop over the 1.5℃ level don’t constitute failure.
However, the world is getting closer to the 1.5℃ global warming level due to our continuing high greenhouse gas emissions. The forecast of a probable year that exceeds that level should serve as a warning.
Yet another sign of humanity’s damage to the climate
Failure to act should not be considered an option. Otherwise we are locking in more record hot years and much worse climate change impacts for decades and centuries to come.
Kerissa and Charlie Payne are beginning farmers living their dream of raising two daughters on a farm in Central Ohio. By conventional measures, their livestock farm, Covey Rise, is a success. Yet, below the surface, the challenge of finding quality affordable child care has kept their business from growing and reaching its full potential.
“It feels like we’re always split between keeping the kids safe on the farm, being a good parent, and the needs of the farm,” Kerissa Payne said.
The United States has a child care crisis, yet the issue remains largely invisible in the farm sector. For too long, the nation has ignored the fact that farm parents are working parents who must juggle child care while working what can be one of the most dangerous and stressful jobs in America.
But as Bob Dylan might say, “The times they are a-changin’.”
For the first time in history, the two largest farm organizations, the American Farm Bureau and the National Farmers Union, have included child care in their policy priorities for the 2023 federal farm bill, a massive spending bill that passes every five years. As rural researchers, our conversations with policymakers suggest that there may be bipartisan support to help increase access to affordable quality rural child care as lawmakers hear from families.
Over the past 10 years, we have interviewed and surveyed thousands of farmers across the country to understand how child care affects farm business economic viability, farm safety, farm families’ quality of life and the future of the nation’s food supply. What we found debunks the three most common myths that have kept child care in the shadows of farm policy debates and points to solutions that can support farm parents.
Myth #1: Child care is a not a problem in the farm sector
Despite hearing from countless parents about their challenges with child care, the issue has been largely invisible among farm business advisers, farm organizations, and federal and state agricultural agencies. When we were interviewing advisers and decision-makers about this topic early in the COVID-19 pandemic, common first reactions we heard were: “child care is not an issue for farmers,” “we have never thought to ask about it” and “does it affect the farm business?”
Nationally, three-quarters (77%) of farm families with children under 18 report difficulties securing child care because of lack of affordability, availability or quality. Almost half (48%) report that having access to affordable child care is important for maintaining and growing their farm business.
Our research has consistently found child care is an issue that affects all of agriculture regardless of farm size, production system or location.
Growing up on a farm can be fun and educational, even as parents worry about risks.Kerissa and Charlie Payne
Access to child care is especially acute in rural areas, where even before COVID-19, 3 in 5 rural communities were categorized as child care deserts. The high cost of child care left the Paynes in a position familiar to many Americans – they make too much to qualify for child care support, but they don’t make enough to afford the type of quality child care they want.
The Paynes’ experience reflects what we consistently hear from farmers: Child care affects the trajectory of the farm business and the ability of a farm family to stay on the land.
Myth #2: Farmers don’t want or need help with child care because they have family help
Perhaps one of the biggest myths we have heard is that farm parents want to do it all on their own, and when they need help, they have family members who can watch the children.
This might work if relatives are nearby, but almost half of farmers we surveyed said their own parents were too busy to help with child care, had died or were in declining health.
Often, farm parents have had to move away from family and friends to find affordable land. These parents consistently said the lack of community made it harder to take care of their children.
Farmers have repeatedly said that it is a myth that they don’t want help taking care of children. The problem is that they cannot find or afford help.
Myth #3: Children can just come along when doing farm work
While wonderful places to grow up, farms can be dangerous, with large equipment, electric fencing, large animals, ponds and other potential hazards. Every day, 33 children are seriously injured in agricultural-related incidents, and every three days a child dies on a farm.
Farm parents we spoke with recounted stories of children who died after falling out of a tractor, drowned when they fell into a pond, or were maimed by a cow. Almost all farm parents – 97% – have worried that their children could get hurt on the farm.
In our research, parents talked about constantly weighing the risks and benefits of having children on the farm. One farmer had hoped his young son would “be my little sidekick and do everything I did.” However, the reality was different. He admitted he “didn’t think about a baby not being able to be out in the sun all day,” and he was struggling to balance care work and farm work. The government has spent millions of dollars on farm stress programs, yet child care’s role in creating and exacerbating farm stress is rarely talked about.
Without affordable child care, farm parents often do double duty.Kerissa and Charlie Payne
The Paynes asked a question we heard from many other parents: “Why is farming the only occupation where you are expected to take your kids to work?”
Farm safety programs have traditionally focused on education. However, our research shows that farm parents are highly aware of the risks. Instead of education, parents explain that they need resources to help with child care – 86% said they sometimes bring children to the farm worksite because they lack other options.
Finding solutions to support child care
There is no one-size-fits-all solution to America’s child care problems, particularly for farm parents, who are juggling raising their own families while working to feed and clothe the nation.
In our research, farmers spoke about a wide range of solutions: free or affordable quality child care, before- and after-school programs, better parental leave policies for wage and self-employed workers, financial support for safe play areas on the farm, college debt relief, free college tuition and more affordable health insurance.
Seeing his farm community struggling with child care, Adam Alson, a corn and soybean farmer in Jasper County, Indiana, co-founded Appleseed Childhood Education, a nonprofit dedicated to creating care and education opportunities for children from birth through high school. It opened its first early learning center in 2023 with a mix of public and private support.
Farmers, backers and staff celebrate the opening of the new Appleseed Childhood Education Center in Jasper County, Indiana, which had largely been a childcare desert, to the detriment of farm families.Adam Alson
Alson sees investing in child care as a path to attracting and retaining young farmers and families, and a strategy for growing and retaining the rural workforce.
“Throughout our country’s history, we have valued the importance of our rural communities and have invested in them and in sectors where the market does not go,” he said. “In 2023, quality child care is one of those sectors.”
As one Ohio farmer put it: “If America wants farmers, farm families need help with child care.”
My wife and I were in the grocery store recently when we noticed an older woman reaching above her head for some produce. As she stretched out her hand, she lost her balance and began falling forward. Fortunately, she leaned into her grocery cart, which prevented her from falling to the ground.
Aging is a process that affects the systems and tissues of every person. The rate and magnitude of aging may be different for each person, but overall physical decline is an inevitable part of life. Most people think aging starts in their 60s, but in fact we spend most of our life span undergoing the process of decline, typically beginning in our 30s.
Older adults are more prone to falling for various reasons, including age-related changes in their bodies and vision changes that leave them vulnerable to environmental factors such as curbs, stairs and carpet folds.
Some straightforward measures to improve the safety of the home environment for older adults can significantly lower the risk of falls.
Based on my experience, here are some common reasons older adults may experience falls:
First, aging leads to a natural loss of muscle strength and flexibility, making it more challenging to maintain balance and stability. The loss of strength and poor balance are two of the most common causes of falls.
Second, older adults often have chronic conditions such as arthritis, Parkinson’s disease or diabetes that can affect their mobility, coordination and overall stability.
In addition, certain medications commonly taken by older adults, such as sedatives or blood pressure drugs, can cause dizziness, drowsiness or a drop in blood pressure, leading to an increased risk of falls.
Age-related vision changes, such as reduced depth perception and peripheral vision and difficulty in differentiating colors or contrasts, can make it harder to navigate and identify potential hazards. Hazards in the environment, such as uneven surfaces, slippery floors, inadequate lighting, loose rugs or carpets or cluttered pathways, can significantly contribute to falls among older adults.
Older adults who lead a sedentary lifestyle or have limited physical activity may also experience reduced strength, flexibility and balance.
And finally, such conditions as dementia or Alzheimer’s disease can affect judgment, attention and spatial awareness, leading to increased fall risk.
There are numerous theories about why we age but there is no one unifying notion that explains all the changes in our bodies. A large portion of aging-related decline is caused by our genes, which determine the structure and function of bones, muscle growth and repair and visual depth perception, among other things. But there are also numerous lifestyle-related factors that influence our rate of aging including diet, exercise, stress and exposure to environmental toxins.
A recent advance in scientific understanding of aging is that there is a difference between your chronological age and your biological age. Chronological age is simply the number of years you’ve been on the Earth. Biological age, however, refers to how old your cells and tissues are. It is based on physiological evidence from a blood test and is related to your physical and functional ability. Thus, if you’re healthy and fit, your biological age may be lower than your chronological age. However, the reverse can also be true.
I encourage patients to focus on their biological age because it empowers them to take control over the aging process. We obviously have no control over when we are born. By focusing on the age of our cells, we can avoid long-held beliefs that our bodies are destined to develop cancer, diabetes or other conditions that have historically been tied to how long we live.
And by taking control of diet, exercise, sleep and other lifestyle factors you can actually decrease your biological age and improve your quality of life. As one example, our team’s research has shown that moderate amounts of aerobic exercise can slow down motor decline even when a person begins exercise in the latter half of the life span.
Fall prevention
Adopting lifestyle changes such as regular, long-term exercise can reduce the consequences of aging, including falls and injuries. Following a healthy diet, managing chronic conditions, reviewing medications with health care professionals, maintaining a safe home environment and getting regular vision checkups can also help reduce the risk of falls in older adults.
There are several exercises that physical therapists use to improve balance for patients. It is important to note however, that before starting any exercise program, everyone should consult with a health care professional or a qualified physical therapist to determine the most appropriate exercises for their specific needs. Here are five forms of exercise I commonly recommend to my patients to improve balance:
Balance training can help improve coordination and proprioception, which is the body’s ability to sense where it is in space. By practicing movements that challenge the body’s balance, such as standing on one leg or walking heel-to-toe, the nervous system becomes better at coordinating movement and maintaining balance. A large research study analyzing nearly 8,000 older adults found that balance and functional exercises reduce the rate of falls by 24%.
Strength training exercises involve lifting weights or using resistance bands to increase muscle strength and power. By strengthening the muscles in the legs, hips and core, older adults can improve their ability to maintain balance and stability. Our research has shown that strength training can also lead to improvements in walking speed and a reduction in fall risk.
Tai chi is a gentle martial art that focuses on slow, controlled movements and shifting body weight. Research shows that it can improve balance, strength and flexibility in older adults. Several combined studies in tai chi have demonstrated a 20% reduction in the number of people who experience falls.
Certain yoga poses can enhance balance and stability. Tree pose, warrior pose and mountain pose are examples of poses that can help improve balance. It’s best to practice yoga under the guidance of a qualified instructor who can adapt the poses to individual abilities.
Flexibility training involves stretching the muscles and joints, which can improve range of motion and reduce stiffness. By improving range of motion, older adults can improve their ability to move safely and avoid falls caused by limitations in mobility.
Use of assistive devices can be helpful when strength or balance impairments are present. Research studies involving the evaluation of canes and walkers used by older adults confirm that these devices can improve balance and mobility. Training from a physical or occupational therapist in the proper use of assistive devices is an important part of improving safety.
When I think back about the woman who nearly fell in the grocery store, I wish I could share everything we have learned about healthy aging with her. There’s no way to know if she was already putting these tips into practice, but I’m comforted by the thought that she may have avoided the fall by being in the right place at the right time. After all, she was standing in the produce aisle.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — A Lakeport man died on Friday after his motorcycle collided with a pickup truck in the Kelseyville area.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office identified the crash victim as Phillip Richard Liberto, 57.
Liberto died of his injuries at the scene of the crash, which occurred at 8:50 p.m. Friday on Highway 281/Soda Bay Road west of Fairway Drive Friday night, the California Highway Patrol’s Clear Lake Area office reported.
The CHP said Liberto was driving a special construction motorcycle westbound on Soda Bay Road at an unknown speed with 51-year-old Jessica R. Rehder of Kelseyville riding as his passenger.
Michael C. Pitto, 60, of Lower Lake was driving a 2006 Dodge Ram pickup towing a boat trailer eastbound on Soda Bay Road and turning left into the Riviera Market at approximately 10 miles per hour, the CHP said.
For reasons that the CHP said are yet to be determined, Pitto turned the pickup left across the westbound lane, directly in the path of Liberto’s motorcycle.
As a result, Liberto’s motorcycle collided with Pitto’s pickup.
The CHP said Liberto died of his injuries, while Rehder sustained major injuries and was transported to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital. Both were wearing helmets at the time of the crash.
Pitto was wearing a seat-belt and was uninjured, the CHP said.
As of the time of the CHP’s Monday report, it was unknown if drugs or alcohol were contributing factors in the crash.
The cause of the collision remains under investigation, the CHP said.
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
Many cities at the core of large U.S. metropolitan areas were no longer among the largest population losers in 2022, reversing a pattern seen during the first full year of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021.
The latest release of Vintage 2022 population estimates for cities and towns shows that the magnitude of population loss for some large cities decreased between 2021 and 2022.
While almost half of the fastest-declining cities had populations of 100,000 or more in 2021, only three had populations of 100,000 or more a year later.
About half of the nation’s fastest-growing cities just over a year into the pandemic (July 1, 2021) remained among the top-15 gainers one year later (July 1, 2022), growing at an even faster rate.
Mix of cities experiencing decline changed
The 15 fastest-declining cities from 2021 to 2022 and 2020 to 2021 were different, with major cities like Boston, Washington, D.C. and, most notably, San Francisco falling off the list.
While almost half of the fastest-declining cities had populations of 100,000 or more in 2021, only three had populations of 100,000 or more a year later. Two cities (Jackson, Mississippi, and New Orleans, Louisiana) were negatively impacted by Hurricane Ida (Tables 1 and 2).
Plus, the rate of population losses from 2021 to 2022 (Table 1) were more in line with pre-pandemic patterns (Table 3).
For instance, Jackson, Mississippi, with the largest percentage (2.5%) drop during that period, would have made the list of fastest-declining cities in 2019 but not in 2021 (Tables 1, 2 and 3).
Which cities gained population?
Fort Worth, Texas, the third largest-gaining city since 2018, ranked first in 2022 with a numeric increase of 19,170 from 2021.
In addition, San Antonio and Georgetown, Texas; Phoenix, Arizona; and Port St. Lucie and Cape Coral, Florida, showed notably larger increases in 2022 than in 2021 – possible signs of population rebound.
From 2021 to 2022, the total population increase for the nation’s 15 largest-gaining cities was just over 197,800, compared to a collective gain of about 129,000 people from the 2020 to 2021 period which included the first full year of the pandemic (Tables 4 and 5).
The total number of people added to the top-gaining 15 cities from 2021 to 2022 also outpaced their total pre-pandemic population increase (187,100) from 2018 to 2019 (Table 6).
Population losses
New York City continued to exhibit the largest numeric decline, losing 123,104 people from 2021 to 2022. But this was nearly 60% less than its 2020-2021 population loss of 305,465.
Declines also slowed in other large cities that had experienced significant population losses, including Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Portland and San Jose, (Tables 7 and 8).
How We Calculate Estimates
The annual population and housing unit estimates for states, counties, cities and towns are developed using various administrative data sources such as birth and death certificates and tax return statistics on people who changed residences.
The decennial census serves as a starting point for each decade of subcounty population estimates.
Cities and towns are more likely than larger geographies to annex land or disincorporate. We apply these types of legal boundary changes to the decennial census to create an updated base for population and housing units.
Such geographic updates are made annually, so each new time series of estimates we produce begins from a newly updated geographic base. This “estimates base” created from the census is essential for accurately distributing the population.
More details on city and town populations are available in the subcounty methodology statement.
Amel Toukabri is chief of the Local Government Estimates and Migration Processing Branch in the Census Bureau’s Population Division. Crystal Delbé is a survey statistician in the Population Division.
One of the telescopes used in the Catalina Sky Survey. The sun sets behind the telescope dome, which is open. Image credit: Catalina Sky Survey. This just in: NASA’s new Daily Minor Planet project seeks your help discovering and tracking asteroids — in a dazzling new data set.
Remember asteroids, those lumps of rock tumbling through space left over from the formation of our solar system? There are so many reasons to find these objects. Some asteroids pose an impact hazard to Earth, while others are essential for humanity's endeavor to explore, live, and work in space. Now there's a new way you can help.
The Daily Minor Planet project, uses data from the NASA-funded, University of Arizona-based Catalina Sky Survey, which collects more than 1000 images per night. "We take so many images of the sky each night that we cannot possibly look through all of our potential real asteroids," said Carson Fuls, a science engineering specialist for the Catalina Sky Survey who heads the project.
At the Daily Minor Planet, you'll decide if the specks of light in the images look like genuine celestial bodies or, instead, are false detections resulting from inconveniently timed "twinkles" of the star-studded background, dust on the telescope mirror, or other causes. After answering by clicking a "yes" or "no" button, you can either write a comment or move on to the next set of images.
The new Daily Minor Planet project replaces the Catalina Outer Solar System Survey project, which is now complete. If you contributed to the Catalina Outer Solar System Survey project, thank you! The science team learned from their experience working with you on that project and cleared up some bottlenecks in their data pipeline. The new Daily Minor Planet will feature new images uploaded daily—come give it a try!
"I thought it would be great if people could do what we do every night," said Fuls. "We see this website throwing open the doors: Do you want to look for asteroids, too? If so, come on in."