NORTH COAST, Calif. — The Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office arrested two Lake County residents last week following a vehicle stop, with one found in possession of a stolen handgun and the other found with drugs.
Brandon Gene Maxfield, 28, and Avril Wright, 18, both of Nice, were taken into custody on Saturday, May 1, according to a report from Sgt. Jay Vanoven.
Shortly after 10 p.m. May 1, a Mendocino County Sheriff's deputy conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle in the area of Highway 20 and Marina Drive in Redwood Valley, Vanoven said.
Vanoven said the deputy contacted the driver, identified as Maxfield, and a female passenger, identified as Wright.
The deputy learned that Maxfield was on probation out of Mendocino County and was subject to search, Vanoven said.
Before the pair submitted to the search, Vanoven said the deputy was told a firearm and Percocet pills were located inside the vehicle.
Believing she had an outstanding warrant for her arrest, Wright identified herself as someone else in an attempt to elude arrest. Vanoven said Wright's identification card was found during the search, revealing her true identity.
Vanoven said the deputy recovered a loaded Glock 10 millimeter caliber pistol from the glove box of the vehicle.
A records check on the firearm was conducted and Vanoven said the firearm was listed as stolen out of the Bay Area.
The deputy also recovered several Percocet pills from within the passenger area of the vehicle, Vanoven said.
Based on the totality of the investigation, Maxfield and Wright were arrested and transported to the Mendocino County Jail.
At the jail, Wright was found to be in possession of suspected methamphetamine and unknown pills, and a methamphetamine smoking pipe, all of which she had concealed on her person, Vanoven said.
Vanoven said Maxfield was booked for possession of a controlled substance with an armed firearm, carrying a loaded firearm not registered as the owner, carrying a concealed firearm in a vehicle, possession of stolen property and violation of probation, with bail set at $25,000.
Wright was booked for false impersonation of another, bringing a controlled substance into a county jail, possession of a controlled substance and possession of controlled substance paraphernalia, with bail set at $15,000, Vanoven said.
Every 10 years, NOAA releases an analysis of U.S. weather of the past three decades that calculates average values for temperature, rainfall and other conditions.
That time has come again.
Known as the U.S. Climate Normals, these 30-year averages — now spanning 1991-2020 — represent the new “normals” of our changing climate.
They are calculated using climate observations collected at local weather stations across the country and are corrected for bad or missing values and any changes to the weather station over time before becoming part of the climate record.
Simply stated: The Normals are the basis for judging how daily, monthly and annual climate conditions compare to what’s normal for a specific location in today’s climate.
For the past decade, the Normals have been based on weather observations from 1981 to 2010. In early May, climate experts at NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information, or NCEI, issued an updated collection based on the weather occurring from 1991 to 2020.
The data set reflects a “new normal” that takes the most recent 30 years of climate change-influenced weather and climate conditions into account.
A warmer normal
The U.S. Climate Normals collection has 10 versions: 1901-1930, 1911-1940 and so on through 1991-2020.
In the image below, we’ve compared the U.S. annual average temperature during each Normals period to the 20th-century average (1901-2000).
The influence of long-term global warming is obvious: The earliest map in the series has the most widespread and darkest blues, indicating colder temperatures, and the most recent map has the most widespread and darkest reds, denoting warmer temperatures.
A wetter normal?
In the collection of precipitation maps, few places exhibit a precipitation trend that is either steadily wetter or steadily drier than the 20th-century average. Instead, drier areas and wetter areas shift back and forth without an obvious pattern.
And yet, it’s probably not a coincidence that the last four maps in the series — the 1961-1990, 1971-2000, 1981-2010 and 1991-2020 Normals — are nationally the four wettest-looking maps in the collection.
At least some of that wetness relative to the 20th-century average is linked to the overall climate warming and “wetting” of the atmosphere that’s occurred as rising temperatures cause more water to evaporate from the ocean and land surface.
What used to be normal
The 1991-2020 Normals tell us what is normal in today’s climate. NOAA scientists conduct other analyses that tell us about what used to be normal.
For example, In NOAA’s monthly and annual climate monitoring reports, temperature averages and precipitation totals are ranked in the climate record dating to 1895; U.S. and global climate conditions are compared to the 20th-century average.
Visualizing climate is easier now than ever
NCEI has a collection of maps showing both recent and long-term trends in temperature and precipitation. You can also create a custom graph showing monthly, seasonal or yearly climate conditions for any region, state and many cities that shows the long-term trend.
The Normals might be shifting, but NOAA scientists and forecasters aren’t losing track of climate change.
CLEARLAKE, Calif. — The Clearlake City Council meeting this week will include a swearing-in for new police department employees and proclamations, with the council also to discuss an education program and award a contract.
The council will meet at 6 p.m. Thursday, May 6, in the council chambers at Clearlake City Hall, 14050 Olympic Drive.
The public may attend, however, the council chambers will have limited capacity and attendees must adhere to masking and social distancing mandates.
Comments and questions can be submitted in writing for City Council consideration by sending them to Administrative Services Director/City Clerk Melissa Swanson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. You can also visit the city’s town hall site and submit written comments at https://www.opentownhall.com/portals/327/forum_home. Identify the subject you wish to comment on in your email’s subject line or in your town hall submission.
To give the council adequate time to review your questions and comments, please submit your written comments before 4 p.m. on Thursday, May 6.
Each public comment emailed to the city clerk will be read aloud by the mayor or a member of staff for up to three minutes or will be displayed on a screen. Public comment emails and town hall public comment submissions that are received after the beginning of the meeting will not be included in the record.
The council will host a swearing-in of new police department employees and a presentation of police department employee awards, and present proclamations declaring May 9 to 15 as Police Week and May 2 to 8 as Public Employee Appreciation Week, and May as Military Appreciation Month and Older Americans Month.
On Thursday the council will receive a presentation and hold a discussion with Woodland College regarding a promise program for Clearlake students.
The council will consider a $335,048 contract with Pavement Coatings for the 2021 Chip Seal Project.
Mayor Dirk Slooten will announce the city’s appointment to the county’s Visioning Forum Planning Committee.
On the meeting's consent agenda — items that are not considered controversial and are usually adopted on a single vote — are warrants; minutes of the April 15 meeting; continuation of declaration of local emergency Issued on Oct. 9, 2017, and ratified by council action Oct. 12, 2017; continuation of declaration of local emergency issued on March 14, 2020, and ratified by council action on March 19, 2020; consideration of development agreement DA-2021-01 with Chandra Martinez for a commercial cannabis operation; approval of the second reading of the amendment to Clearlake Municipal Code Section 3-4 Purchasing and Sales; adoption of a resolution to continue city participation in the Abandoned Vehicle Abatement Service Authority; and adoption of the 14th Amendment to the FY 2020-25 Budget (Resolution 2020-27) appropriating funding for the 2021 Chip Seal Project, Resolution No. 2021-26.
The council will hold a closed session following the public portion of the meeting to discuss labor negotiations with the Clearlake Municipal Employees Association, Clearlake Police Officers Association and Clearlake Middle Management Association.
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 warming weather and increasing number of vehicles traveling on California’s roadways offer a timely reminder of the importance of motorcycle safety awareness for motorcyclists and motorists alike.
By recognizing May as Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month, the California Highway Patrol emphasizes safe riding and driving practices for everyone.
“Motorcyclists who are responsible, informed and properly equipped can help reduce rider deaths and injuries,” CHP Commissioner Amanda Ray said. “Motorists are also key to reducing crashes by being aware of the dangers and challenges of motorcycle riding. Taking the time to look twice for motorcyclists can save a life.”
“Motorcycle riders are more vulnerable out in the elements, which is why it is important for drivers to always be mindful of riders,” California Office of Traffic Safety Director Barbara Rooney said.
With more than 1.4 million licensed riders, motorcycles are a popular mode of transportation for Californians, another reason motorcycle safety awareness is paramount.
Preliminary data from the CHP’s Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System show more than 500 people were killed in motorcycle-involved crashes in California in 2020 and more than 11,500 people were injured.
As part of its continual motorcycle safety program, the CHP strongly encourages all riders, new and experienced, to enroll in the California Motorcyclist Safety Program, or CMSP.
The CMSP has 98 training sites throughout the state and trains approximately 55,000 motorcyclists each year. For more information or to find a training site near you, visit californiamotorcyclist.com or motorcyclesafetyca.com.
Motorcyclists can help protect themselves by always wearing the proper safety gear, including a U.S. Department of Transportation-compliant helmet, observing the speed limit, riding defensively, and always riding sober.
Drivers should always look at their mirrors and blind spots before changing lanes and always keep a safe distance.
The CHP promotes motorcycle safety with the Get Educated and Ride Safe, or GEARS, program, funded by a $750,000 grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
All eight CHP field divisions will hold outreach events to promote motorcycle safety throughout 2021 under the GEARS grant.
On Tuesday, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a series of initiatives building on the state’s work to vaccinate California’s hard-to-reach communities against COVID-19, address vaccine hesitancy and drive innovative efforts in the communities hardest hit by the pandemic.
New efforts focus on direct appointment assistance; community outreach including neighborhood canvassing, phone banking and text banking; at-home vaccinations and transportation services; and an additional $33 million in funding, bringing the total to $85.7 million, to support community-based organizations.
“We’re at a pivotal moment in our COVID-19 vaccine rollout – more than 30 million doses have been administered in California to date, and it’s going to take some new approaches to reach those who haven’t been vaccinated yet,” said Governor Newsom. “These enhanced initiatives build on the community-based approach the state has taken throughout this crisis, in order to ensure vaccines are easily within reach of more people.”
In addition, building on the bipartisan work done during the “Wear A Mask” campaign, California Governors Gavin Newsom, Jerry Brown, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Pete Wilson have come together to encourage all Californians to get vaccinated. The PSA was created and produced by ATTN and can be viewed above.
About 60 percent of eligible Californians have received at least one dose and as of April 15, anyone age 16 and up is eligible to receive the vaccine. As the number of unvaccinated Californians narrows, the state’s robust vaccine performance management system has helped determine where to focus efforts.
To bolster vaccine access in hard-to-reach communities, the state is moving away from mass vaccination sites and toward more targeted outreach with small clinics in communities with the highest disease burden. Officials said this move will make it easier for people to access vaccines.
Mobile sites will continue to operate in partnership with places of worship throughout the state, as well as in coordination with businesses, school districts and local health departments where vaccination efforts are already underway.
These new initiatives build on the state’s Vaccine Equity Metric, or VEM, that started in early March to send double the amount of doses to those communities facing the highest disease burden, defined as those ZIP codes in the lowest quartile in the Healthy Places Index, or HPI.
Since the VEM went into effect, California has dedicated 40 percent of the state’s supply of doses to the lowest HPI quartile to improve equity in vaccinations.
An estimated 53 percent of individuals in the lowest quartile still need COVID-19 vaccinations, while just 28 percent of individuals in the highest quartile remain unvaccinated. Since January, California has accelerated its pace of vaccination and now exceeds the national average.
"One of the most important responsibilities of government is to make sure that the most vulnerable receive equal protection, especially during a crisis,” said California Surgeon General Dr. Nadine Burke Harris. “These enhanced efforts aim to meet people where they are while building upon California’s ongoing commitments to ensure that equity is guiding our overall strategy."
The governor announced seven new and enhanced equity strategies in the state’s vaccine rollout, including the following.
More transparency on vaccination progress
The state’s www.covid19.ca.gov website now displays data on California’s progress in vaccinating groups and communities with the most urgent need.
Dashboards include statewide and county progress by the VEM, race and ethnicity or age.
A map displays ZIP-code-level data on vaccination progress within each VEM quartile. These dashboards will be updated weekly, on Wednesdays.
“Get Out the Vaccine” phone bank and door-knocking campaign
Modeled after successful ground-level campaigns, a new state “Get Out the Vaccine” effort coordinates with 70 community-based organizations to employ callers and door-knockers to help Californians make a plan to get vaccinated.
The program is in partnership with Healthy Future California and the UCLA Clinical and Translational Science Institute’s STOP COVID CA initiative.
About 2,000 individuals from targeted communities will be employed to make peer-to-peer appeals and provide support to help overcome barriers to vaccinations. The program, now underway, has already resulted in more than 4,900 appointments scheduled.
Partnering with philanthropic organizations to enhance support for community organizations
Trusted messengers play a vital role in supporting the state’s equitable administration of vaccines. California is expanding its public-private partnerships to support community-based organizations, or CBOs, bringing the total amount of funding to $85.7 million and aiding a total of 480 organizations to date.
The state is expanding its partnership with the Public Health Institute Together Toward Health initiative, created and funded through 18 major philanthropic organizations led by the California Endowment to stop the spread of COVID-19 and strengthen health and resilience in the state’s most impacted communities.
This fund now totals $33.4 million and supports more than 323 organizations. Additional CBOs will be awarded grants on a rolling basis in the months to come.
The state is also partnering with Sierra Health Foundation on a new $29 million “Vaccine Equity Campaign” fund that will invest in CBOs and faith-based organizations across the state.
This new funding builds on $23.3 million awarded by the California Department of Social Services and Labor & Workforce Development Agency to support 157 organizations on multilingual outreach and public health education in communities disproportionately impacted by the pandemic.
A subset of these organizations have helped facilitate approximately 111,000 vaccine appointments and 236,000 referrals to appointment platforms or providers. FAQs on the statewide network of community-based organizations can be found here.
Grants to support vaccination equity
Building off the previously announced awards for Los Angeles County and Bay Area counties, the state is now making available an additional $34.2 million in funding for underserved and high-risk communities throughout California’s other counties.
This funding will be directed by local health jurisdictions to support back-end operations and expand vaccine distribution to enhance targeted outreach in communities and ZIP codes most impacted by COVID-19.
Counties with a population over one million will receive $1.5 million for every one million people; those with populations between 500,000 and one million will be eligible for $650,000 in grant funding; and counties with populations under 500,000 will be eligible for $350,000 in funding to expand vaccination programs and achieve equity goals.
In total, $56.8 million is now being provided to, or at the direction of, local health jurisdictions throughout all of California to support the state’s equity goals.
Localized plans for promoting equity in vaccination
Along with statewide strategies, leaders of each of California’s 61 local health jurisdictions working in partnership with the state’s third-party administrator, Blue Shield of California, created and submitted plans to the state to promote vaccination equity in their communities.
This includes a wide range of approaches, from small mobile vaccine clinics located in remote areas; to engaging micro-influencers to impact specific groups or populations; to partnering with schools and faith-based partners for outreach, education and selection of trusted clinic sites.
At-home vaccination program
Homebound residents can currently contact their health care providers for in-home vaccinations.
These services are expanding statewide and individuals unable to leave their home to get vaccinated may also indicate as such via www.myturn.ca.gov or contact the state’s CA COVID-19 hotline at 833-422-4255 to be connected with their local health jurisdiction to arrange for in-home vaccination services.
Free transportation to vaccine appointments
Individuals who do not have a means of transportation can receive free transportation through www.myturn.ca.gov or by contacting the state’s COVID-19 hotline at 833-422-4255.
Transportation includes automobile transportation for ambulatory patients and non-emergency medical transportation for non-ambulatory patients including wheelchair vans, gurney transportation and other options.
Medi-Cal managed care and fee-for-service beneficiaries will be connected with their health plan or service provider to access this service as an existing health benefit.
Californians needing a vaccination can schedule an appointment at www.MyTurn.ca.gov or by calling the CA COVID-19 hotline at 833-422-4255, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., for assistance.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — May is Mental Health Awareness Month, a time to highlight the help and tools available to assist those who need them.
Launched by Mental Health America in 1949, this is the most highly-recognized mental health awareness event in the United States.
Last year, Mental Health Awareness Month media and materials were used and seen by over 230 million Americans.
This past year has presented myriad obstacles and challenges that have truly tested the community’s resilience and strength.
The global pandemic forced people to cope with unimaginable situations, leaving many of them struggling with their mental health.
The good news is there are tools and resources available to support the well-being of individuals and communities.
Now, more than ever, it’s important to combat the stigma surrounding mental health.
That’s why Lake County Behavioral Health Services is highlighting #Tools2Thrive, what individuals can do throughout their daily lives to prioritize mental health, gain resiliency, and continue to cope with whatever life throws our way.
This month, Lake County Behavioral Health Services is focusing on how a healthy lifestyle may help prevent the onset or worsening of mental health conditions, anxiety and depression, along with physical health conditions such as diabetes and heart disease.
Managing stress, eating healthy foods, getting enough sleep, and exercising can go a long way in making one both mentally and physically healthy.
When you or a loved one is grappling with a mental health concern, sometimes it is a lot to handle.
“Mental health is essential and critical to one’s overall health and well-being,” said Todd Metcalf, director of Lake County Behavioral Health Services. “Mental illnesses are common and treatable.”
The staff at Lake County Behavioral Health Services wants everyone to know mental illnesses are real, and recovery is always the goal.
Living a healthy lifestyle may not always be easy, but taking a look at one’s overall health every day — both mentally and physically — helps ensure a focus on fitness.
By developing your own #Tools2Thrive, you can find a balance between life’s ups and downs and successfully cope with issues and challenges brought on by the pandemic and other stressors.
For more information, please contact Lake County Behavioral Health Services at 707-274-9101 or 707-994-7090.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The Lake County Sheriff’s Office said Wednesday that its detectives have arrested a Potter Valley man who they believe is responsible for the 2020 murder of a Lake County resident whose remains were found in the Mendocino National Forest.
Christopher Jon McDonald, 44, of Potter Valley has been arrested in connection to the killing of 48-year-old John Turner Dickerson, 48, of Nice, said Lt. Corey Paulich.
Paulich said Lake County Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to an area in the Mendocino National Forest on Aug. 9 on a report of possible human remains being discovered.
Detectives from the Lake County Sheriff’s Major Crimes Unit also responded to the location and determined the remains were human, badly decomposed and were believed to have been in the forest for several weeks, Paulich said.
The remains were recovered and an autopsy was conducted later that week. Paulich said the autopsy revealed that the remains belonged to a male and the death was a homicide due to a gunshot wound.
Paulich said the detectives also were able to positively identify the victim as Dickerson, who reportedly came to Lake County from the East Coast.
On Aug. 19, 2020, detectives served a search warrant at a property in Potter Valley associated with McDonald, Paulich said.
Through the investigation, Paulich said detectives determined McDonald was one of the last people seen with Dickerson before his death.
During the search of McDonald’s property, evidence was located and later tested that linked McDonald to the murder of Dickerson, Paulich reported.
In the months since, detectives have continued investigating several leads related to Dickerson’s death, Paulich said.
Paulich said that work led on Tuesday to detectives obtaining an arrest warrant for McDonald.
He was arrested for a charge of murder and is currently being held in the Mendocino County Jail where he is in custody for unrelated charges. Paulich said McDonald is awaiting extradition to Lake County.
So far, authorities have not said what they believe McDonald’s motive was in the killing.
Paulich said the sheriff’s office is asking anyone who may have more information regarding this case to contact Detective Jeff Mora at 707-262-4224 or by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
On Tuesday, Gun Violence Prevention Task Force Chairman Mike Thompson (CA-05) and Leadership of the Task Force wrote to President Joe Biden asking him to prevent the publication of the online files that allow people to 3-D print firearms at home.
They urged him to maintain the controls that have previously prevented a release of these files, citing the urgent need to prevent further printing of these untraceable firearms.
A copy of the letter is below.
President Joseph R. Biden The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20500
Dear President Biden:
As members of the House Gun Violence Prevention Task Force, we write to urge you to take swift action to prevent the online publication of dangerous files that enable at-home 3D printing of firearms. This issue has become very time sensitive following the April 27 decision by two members of a Ninth Circuit panel which lifted a district court injunction on the finalization of dangerous Trump-era regulations. If that decision is allowed to take effect as written, which could happen within a few weeks of this writing, strong State Department protections against the publication of those files will be lifted, and we could immediately see widespread at-home production of firearms. We urge you to act swiftly to retain the strong State Department controls to avert this potential public safety disaster.
The publication of those 3D-printing files qualifies as exports of “technical data” associated with small arms and are currently on the U.S. Munitions List (“USML”) and subject to strong State Department regulations. The Trump State Department recklessly sought to remove most small arms exports from the USML and finalized regulations in January 2020 to transfer responsibility over those exports to the Commerce Department, which does not have the experience or regulations in place to supervise the export or prevent publication of 3D-printing files.
Attorneys general in 22 states and Washington, DC have been in court working to prevent the finalization of those rules as they apply to 3D-printing files, and a district court injunction has been in place since March of last year. Absent further litigation, the new Ninth Circuit decision will lift that injunction within a matter of weeks and technical data will be removed from the USML and supervision of the State Department, allowing the files to be immediately published, downloaded, and used to produce illegal guns.
The best and most effective action would be to reverse the Trump State Department’s regulations and keep the technical data on the USML. The State Department should issue a new interim final rule that retains this technical data. All small arms exports belong under the State Department’s jurisdiction and should be subject to the Congressional oversight required under the USML, which can properly supervise controls protecting human rights and national security. If your Administration chooses not to reverse those State Department regulations, we urge you to strengthen the Commerce Department regulation’s with a new interim final rule that prevents the spread of the dangerous technical data for 3D printed firearms.
The urgency of this issue can hardly be overstated. Unlike many regulatory changes, the effect of allowing this publication cannot be reversed. Once these files are widely available online, they can be downloaded by millions of users. We applaud your April 8, 2021 executive actions on ghost guns, and urge you to also move quickly to prevent the release of 3D-printed firearm information that could be used by criminals to make untraceable firearms. Thank you for your attention to this urgent issue.
Many kids are attending public schools this spring with the use of COVID-19 safety protocols, including more desk spacing, more frequent cleaning and mandates to wear masks.
On average, U.S. public schools are more than 50 years old – and by and large they are not being properly maintained, updated or replaced. The American Society of Civil Engineers graded America’s public K-12 infrastructure a D+ in their 2021 Infrastructure Report Card, the same abysmal grade as in their prior 2017 report.
But help may finally be on the way.
The US$1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan signed into law by President Joe Biden on March 11 provides nearly $130 billion for K-12 education and could trigger much-needed investment in the U.S.‘s crumbling public school buildings. The package provides an additional $350 billion for state, local and territorial governments – some of which could also be invested in schools.
Such unprecedented federal investment could fuel a long-term national effort to repair and modernize our public schools – the second-largest public infrastructure in our nation, behind roads and highways.
Why schools are crumbling
For decades now, the funding of our public school infrastructure has remained the most inequitable aspect of our school finance system.
School districts rely primarily on local property taxes to build and renovate their schools. On average, states pay for 45% of local school operations, but cover only 18% of school capital costs. Twelve states provide no capital aid. The federal government contributes an average of 8% for local school operations, but less than 1% of capital spending.
The 2016 “State of Our Schools” report by the Center for Green Schools concluded that the U.S. underfunds school facilities by about $46 billion each year – a 32% annual shortfall that compounds over time and has worsened in recent years.
As a former assistant state superintendent for research and policy and now a professor of educational leadership and policy, I’ve seen firsthand the problems that arise from this inadequate and inequitable funding. In my home state of Michigan, wealthy districts can build and upgrade fine schools, often with low property tax rates. Meanwhile, poor districts endure aging, dilapidated and sometimes unsafe schools – despite paying high property tax rates.
In prosperous Ann Arbor, for example, children will enjoy the benefits of a $1 billion capital bond approved in late 2019 by local voters, including me. The bond program, fully funded by local property taxes, will upgrade the district’s 35 buildings, including new and enhanced technology, building entrance renovations, outdoor classrooms, kitchens, teaching gardens and the construction of two new schools.
In nearby Hamtramck Public School District, however, where property values are lower, and some school buildings are so old they’ve been designated historical landmarks, school leaders need their new federal relief to fix windows that won’t open.
The educational toll of inequity
Recent news reports like the one about kids sitting on a curb outside Taco Bell with their Chromebooks, trying to connect to the internet to do their schoolwork, have thrown a spotlight on inequities.
In Chicago, where the average school building is 80 years old, the public schools have spent $100 million upgrading HVAC systems since last spring. Still, the district has a $3.5 billion backlog of building repairs.
In Baltimore, nearly two-thirds of the public school buildings are over 50 years old. They are poorly maintained. According to six years of inspections records, only 17% of Baltimore’s schools were in “good” or “superior” shape – the lowest percentage in the state.
In old school buildings, it’s more likely that pipes will burst, heat and air conditioning will fail, and plumbing and electrical problems will arise. And these problems take an educational toll on kids and teachers.
Research confirms that a dry building with good indoor air quality and thermal comfort reduces student illness and absences and elevates student achievement. Facility quality can also significantly impact teacher retention.
The American Rescue Plan can help immensely. The biggest pot of the $128 billion earmarked for K-12 schools is $122.8 billion allocated to school districts and states. Fully 90% goes to local districts through the Title I formula, which favors districts with low-income families.
Districts will get to determine how they use these funds. The sole restriction requires they use at least 20% of the money to address “learning loss.” Examples mentioned in the law include “summer learning or summer enrichment, extended day, comprehensive after-school programs or extended school-year programs.”
Most importantly, the amount of K-12 aid can’t be used to pay for state and local cuts to school funding. Combined with the two previous federal COVID-19 relief packages, this K-12 emergency funding totals about $195 billion, nearly twice the amount schools received in the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
And finally, the American Rescue Plan money is a one-time injection. It can be used until 2024, but should not be baked into school operating budgets without solid plans for state or local replacement funding. So hiring more teachers and support staff, though attractive as an educational investment, would probably lead to massive and disruptive layoffs in a few years. Infrastructure upgrades, however, sidestep this problem.
Two years ago, I wrote an article about fixing America’s crumbling public schools and argued that passage of the Rebuild America’s Schools Act of 2019, a bill that would invest $100 billion over 10 years in our school buildings, was a no-brainer. That bill never passed, but was reintroduced this session and has been largely folded into President Biden’s infrastructure bill called the American Jobs Plan, which was announced on March 31.
The plan calls for $100 billion to upgrade and build new public schools. The bill’s proposed tax hikes, however, prompted immediate criticism from Republicans and prominent business groups, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Much negotiation and change to the $2 trillion package can be expected.
But in the meantime, there’s the American Rescue Plan. The K-12 money in this sprawling relief package is not dedicated to school infrastructure and is not a final fix to an enormous problem that has been decades in the making. But using a good share of this massive, one-time federal investment to address this chronic need in our poorest schools makes total sense to me.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The Board of Supervisors on Tuesday took a step toward hiring a new Community Development director by reestablishing the job in a separate budget category.
The board voted unanimously to approve a resolution to establish position allocations for the planning budget unit, which once again will include the Community Development director classification.
County Administrative Officer Carol Huchingson said that in February 2020 the board combined the Community Development Department with the departments of Public Works and Water Resources.
The board in February of last year appointed Scott De Leon director of Community Development. At that point, Public Works and Water Resources already were under his direction; those two departments had been reconsolidated in August 2019.
As a result, in the next fiscal year budget cycle, the Community Development director budget classification was eliminated from the planning budget unit, Huchingson said.
Huchingson noted the proposed change would mean that the county would return to the longtime model of having a director focused 100-percent of the time on Community Development, which is vital to the economy and deals with a high volume of complex work.
“Community Development is very vital to our economic well-being,” said Board Chair Bruno Sabatier, adding it’s one of the most difficult departments to manage.
He said he believed that the action will help ensure that the department has the greatest level of support.
Sabatier said he appreciated the work that De Leon has done and that he hoped the board was correct that the change will create the better solution they’re looking for.
There were no comments by other board members during the discussion and only one member of the public, Bart Levenson of Kelseyville, spoke.
Levenson queried the board on how many planners the county needs to handle the planning department’s large workload.
Sabatier said it was a good question but there isn’t an easy answer to it.
Levenson followed up by asking if the county would consider pausing large development projects until a new director is in place and they can determine how many staff they need.
Sabatier replied that he wanted as seamless a transition as possible in order to have the least impact on applicants and that he didn’t support pausing projects.
Supervisor Moke Simon moved to approve the resolution, which passed with a board vote of 5-0.
This is the latest in changes to the department’s staffing.
Last month, in the run-up to the board’s action, it was reported that Toccarra Thomas, De Leon’s deputy Community Development director, had submitted her resignation letter, effective May 19. She joined the department in April 2020.
Also in April, the board held two closed session evaluations of De Leon in his role as director of Public Works, Water Resources and Community Development.
Sabatier told Lake County News earlier this week that the county intended to begin recruiting immediately for a new Community Development director.
The resolution to reallocate the Community Development director job as a separate position did not include a pay rate.
So far, the job has not been posted on the county’s Human Resources Department webpage, but a job description posted on the county website lists the annual pay range as $102,668.80 to $124,779.20.
When De Leon was Public Works director, he said his annual salary was $120,600. He received a 25-percent increase, bringing him to more than $150,000 annually when he was assigned Water Resources permanently in 2019.
When the board passed pay raises for county employees last year, the Public Works director job classification received a nearly 43-percent increase, the largest of any employee, due to the combined responsibility of De Leon leading three county departments.
At the time of the pay raises, the county would not give specifics about how much De Leon was being paid, but gave a pay range for the combined Water Resources, Public Works and Community Development director job as $127,449.60 annually for the first step to a fifth-step salary of $154,924.80.
Officials did not indicate on Tuesday if the board will have to take additional action to update its resolution from last fall establishing salaries and benefits for management employees in order to restructure De Leon’s position and pay once Community Development is handed off.
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 cities of Clearlake and Lakeport are gearing up for a summer in which officials are planning for more of Lake County’s traditional events while also adhering to health and safety standards developed over the past year.
Leaders from both cities said planning is now underway.
There are still some unknowns about what many events in the coming summer and fall months may look like.
That’s because rules could change more once California fully reopens — which is still on track to take place on June 15 — at which time the state’s COVID-19 Blueprint for a Safer Economy is expected to end.
In the city of Clearlake, city leaders said they’re now putting together plans for the Independence Day celebration.
Last year, Clearlake conducted a drive-in July 4 celebration last year, but without the parade and the festival.
This year, however, the city’s festivities, which will be held on Saturday, July 3, will once again include the parade, a classic car show at Austin Park and a Carnival, along with the evening fireworks.
They’re also planning a Saturday evening concert at the new Austin Park bandshell, ahead of the fireworks display. The bands to perform are still being determined, said Deputy City Clerk Tina Viramontes.
On the other side of the lake, the city of Lakeport is preparing for the summer events that the pandemic caused to be canceled in 2020.
The Lakeport City Council last month directed staff to process summer event applications in collaboration with Lake County Public Health.
City Manager Kevin Ingram said that means that summer events canceled in 2020 due to the pandemic may be back on the calendar for 2021.
However, he said some of the events may look a little different with COVID-19 prevention measures in place, including masking, social distancing and using available hand-washing stations.
In addition to giving staff the go-ahead to process events, the Lakeport City Council at its April 20 meeting approved the Lake County Farmers’ Finest downtown farmers markets on Tuesdays, which start this week in Library Park, and the city’s July 4 celebration, which was canceled in 2020.
Ingram said that staff believes that many of the summer events that Lakeport has been known for can still be held if additional changes are adhered to and that they’re confident they can appropriately review event applications.
At the same time, Ingram said the state’s guidance doesn’t always address the kinds of events the city has, specifically, large events that are unticketed and held in open spaces.
Ingram said when it comes down to enforcing safety measures, the city will be heavily dependent on event organizers and people doing the right thing.
“It’s really nice to see the light at the end of the tunnel and think about some of these events happening for us,” said Councilwoman Stacey Mattina.
Lakeport’s July 4 celebration will return with the big fireworks display, which didn’t take place last year. Pyro Spectaculars North Inc. of McClellan will provide the show for $21,500, up by about $1,000 from the cost of the last show in 2019, the city reported.
In order to ensure enough space in the downtown — which in years past had been crowded with several thousand people — Ingram said they are considering having the fireworks barge move toward Fifth Street, north of its usual spot, to broaden the viewing area.
This year they’re also prohibiting alcohol sales as a measure of making sure people adhere to social distancing and masking, and as an effort to keep down the number of fights that police often have to respond to during the event.
Ingram cautioned that, “It’s not going to be the same as it has been in the past,” but that it’s the start to getting back to normal.
At its meeting Tuesday, the council is expected to approve event applications for the Memorial Day Parade on May 29 and the Home Amateur Winemakers WineFest on Sept. 18.
Community groups make decisions about events
While California is moving toward reopening, the timing of planning and organizing events has challenged a return to a more recognizable schedule for some county groups.
Last week, the Lake County Fair Board voted to hold the fair this year over Labor Day weekend, as Lake County News has reported. Details of the fair are being developed over the coming months but anticipated modifications could include smaller crowd size.
However, for other groups, events have had to once again be postponed or canceled for the year because of either lack of time to plan or the necessary funding.
At the start of April, the Kelseyville Business Association announced it would not hold the June Beer, Wine and Swine Festival or the Kelseyville Pear Festival in September, but they’re hoping to hold their summer street dances and Christmas in the Country.
For the association, fundraising — the Pear Festival costs tens of thousands of dollars — and planning for the event would have had to be underway months earlier, while the pandemic was still surging and the situation was unclear of when events could again go forward.
Last year, the Clearlake Oaks/Glenhaven Business Association was one of the first groups in Lake County to have to cancel a major event when it at first postponed and then canceled its famed May Catfish Derby.
However, with the Catfish Derby being the association’s one and only annual fundraiser, last year’s cancellation is impacting this year’s event plans, said association President Camille Gouldberg.
Goldberg said they are planning for the Catfish Derby this month — and they are expecting a nice turnout — but they don’t have sufficient funds to sponsor the Maxine Sherman fireworks display, which will be canceled for a second year.
Dennis Locke, a stalwart member of the Catfish Derby team, said they’re working hard to get the derby together. It’s scheduled to take place from May 14 to 16.
He said they’ve scaled things back to just fishing and won’t be doing some of the other aspects that usually bring a lot of people together.
“We were expecting a light turnout because of that. But advance sign-ups have actually been higher than usual so maybe we’ll see something near normal. People are ready to get out, I guess,” Locke 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.
As part of the Commission’s Broadband Data Collection effort to collect comprehensive data on broadband availability across the United States, the FCC is encouraging the public to download the FCC’s Speed Test app, which is currently used to collect speed test data as part of the FCC’s Measuring Broadband America program.
The app provides a way for consumers to test the performance of their mobile and in-home broadband networks.
In addition to showing network performance test results to the user, the app provides the test results to the FCC while protecting the privacy and confidentiality of program volunteers.
“To close the gap between digital haves and have nots, we are working to build a comprehensive, user-friendly data set on broadband availability. Expanding the base of consumers who use the FCC Speed Test app will enable us to provide improved coverage information to the public and add to the measurement tools we’re developing to show where broadband is truly available throughout the United States,” said acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel.
The network coverage and performance information gathered from the Speed Test data will help to inform the FCC’s efforts to collect more accurate and granular broadband deployment data.
The app will also be used in the future for consumers to challenge provider-submitted maps when the Broadband Data Collection systems become available.
The FCC Speed Test App is available in the Google Play Store for Android devices, and in the Apple App Store for iOS devices.