Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday issued a proclamation declaring Jan. 30 as Fred Korematsu Day in California, in honor of the man who challenged the U.S. policy of interning Japanese-American citizens during World War II.
The proclamation hails the Oakland-born Fred Korematsu as a civil rights hero who made a bold decision at age 23 to challenge the policy of Japanese internment.
In 2010, then-Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed the bill establishing Fred Korematsu Day of Civil Liberties and the Constitution in perpetuity, the first statewide day named for an Asian American in U.S. history, according to the Fred Korematsu Institute.
The day is marked every Jan. 30, Korematsu’s birthday.
He died in March 2005 at age 86. This year marks the 102nd anniversary of his birth.
Korematsu, who worked as a welder, refused to abide by Executive Order 9066, the federal government’s demand that Japanese Americans report to incarceration camps.
Korematsu’s act of protest led to his arrest and conviction, which he fought all the way to the Supreme Court.
The highest court in the land would rule against him, arguing that the incarceration of Japanese Americans was justifiable based on military necessity.
Forty years later, a federal court overturned Korematsu’s criminal conviction.
In that ruling, Judge Marilyn Hall Patel said, “a grave injustice was done to American citizens and resident aliens of Japanese ancestry who, without individual review or any probative evidence against them, were excluded, removed and detained by the United States during World War II.”
“Over the course of his life, Korematsu fought for the civil liberties of others. He was tireless in his work to ensure Americans understood the lessons learned from one of the dark chapters of our history,” the governor’s proclamation said.
In 1998, President Bill Clinton awarded Korematsu the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
“The Supreme Court’s decision in Korematsu v. United States still hangs over this country after 77 years,” the governor’s proclamation stated. “Korematsu’s legacy reminds us that we must continue to strike out against injustice in our daily lives. Especially in a moment of increased Anti-Asian sentiment and xenophobia, each and every one of us must continue his fight for a more equal tomorrow.”
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – California’s latest unemployment report shows jobless rates edged up locally and across the state last month.
The California Employment Development Department said unemployment statewide was 9 percent in December, up by 0.9 percent, with the state’s employers losing 52,200 jobs following a gain of 5,200 jobs in November.
The California unemployment rate was 8.1 percent in November 2020 and 3.9 percent in December 2019, the agency reported.
California’s slight jobless rate rise in December was the state’s first month-over rate increase since April 2020.
The report said California payroll jobs totaled 16,144,400 in December 2020, down 52,200 from December 2020, and down 1,410,000 from December of last year.
Despite last month’s losses, California has regained more than 44 percent of the 2,615,800 nonfarm jobs that were lost due to the COVID-19 pandemic in March and April, the Employment Development Department said.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics said the nationwide jobless rate was 6.7 percent in December, unchanged from November. The nationwide unemployment rate in December 2019 was 3.6 percent.
In Lake County, unemployment rose in December to 9 percent – matching the state’s number. That’s up from 7.2 percent in November and 5.1 percent in December 2019.
Lake County’s civilian labor force in December totaled 26,050 individuals, down from 26,640 in November and 27,320 in December 2019, according to state data.
In December, 2,560 Lake County residents were unemployed, compared to 2,070 in November and 1,470 in December 2019, the report said.
Lake County’s job sectors that showed improvement in December included total farm, up by 7.9 percent. In the total nonfarm subcategories, manufacturing rose by 6.1 percent; retail trade grew by 2.2 percent; and trade, transportation and utilities was up by 2.1 percent.
The categories with the largest decreases were state government, which dropped by 14.3 percent, while information showed an 11.1-percent decrease.
In December, Lake County ranked No. 37 out of the state’s 58 counties for its jobless rate.
Lake’s neighboring counties’ jobless rates and ranks in the latest report are Colusa, 15.5 percent, No. 57; Glenn, 7.7 percent, No. 22; Napa, 7.3 percent, No. 14; Sonoma, 6.5 percent, No. 6; and Yolo, 7 percent, No. 10.
Half of state job categories show improvement
The report said the number of Californians with jobs in December totaled 17,260,100, a decrease of 91,700 jobs since November, and down 1,469,000 from December of last year.
At the same time, the state reported that the number of unemployed Californians was 1,700,400 in December, an increase of 163,700 over the month, and up by 945,700 in comparison to December of last year.
Total nonfarm jobs in California’s 11 major industries totaled 16,144,400 in December. Total nonfarm jobs decreased by 1,410,000, or an 8.0 percent decrease, from December 2019 to December 2020 compared to the U.S. annual loss of 9,374,000 jobs, a 6.2-percent decrease.
At the same time, the number of jobs in the agriculture industry increased by 24,300 from November 2020 to 380,800 jobs in December. The agricultural industry has lost 49,300 farm jobs since December 2019.
Six of California’s 11 industry sectors saw job gains in December:
– Construction had the state’s largest month-over increase (+31,600) thanks to strong gains in specialty trade contractors and construction of buildings. – Professional and business services had the state’s second-largest month-over increase (+29,600) due to large gains in accounting, tax preparation and bookkeeping, as well as management, scientific and technical consulting. – Trade, transportation and utilities rose by 8,600 jobs. – Education and health services were up 6,100. – Information increased 5,200. – Government showed growth of 700 jobs.
Leisure and hospitality showed the largest month-over loss (-117,000) largely due to severe losses in accommodation and food services, which accounted for 83.2 percent of the industry sector’s overall loss, the report said.
As for unemployment claims, there were 1,007,331 people certifying for Unemployment Insurance benefits during the December 2020 sample week. That compares to 1,278,220 people in November 2020 and 327,751 people in December 2019.
Concurrently, the state said 159,092 initial claims were processed in the December 2020 sample week, a month-over decrease of 9,896 claims from November 2020, but a year-over increase of 108,976 claims from December 2019.
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 impacts of an atmospheric river are expected to continue as more rain – and snow in higher elevations – is anticipated until the middle of next week.
The main impacts of the storm were felt across Lake County and much of the rest of the state on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Locally, high winds, rain and snow led to road closures and power outages that were still being resolved on Wednesday night and into Thursday.
The National Weather Service’s Eureka office told Lake County News that it had received reports of 8 inches of snow in Kelseyville; 6 inches in Cobb; 4.5 inches in Hidden Valley Lake; 2 inches in Clearlake, the Clearlake Riviera and Spring Valley; and 1 inch in Lower Lake.
Lake County Public Works crews on Wednesday were plowing snow and clearing roads, from Lower Lake to Kelseyville to Upper Lake.
Stormy conditions are far from over.
The forecast calls for up to half an inch of rain on Thursday, along with light winds.
Rain also is expected on Friday and Saturday, and from Sunday through Tuesday. In the higher elevations, especially in the northern part of the county, snow also is in the forecast on Tuesday.
On Wednesday, conditions are forecast to be clear and sunny.
Temperatures over the next several days are anticipated to range from the high 30s to low 40s at night, and from the high 40s and low 50s during the daytime.
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. – On Thursday, a Spring Valley man was taken into custody after he was found in possession of drugs and an assault rifle.
Shannon Lee Henson, 42, was arrested early on Thursday, according to Lt. Corey Paulich of the Lake County Sheriff’s Office.
At 2:15 a.m. Thursday a sheriff’s deputy who was patrolling in the Nice area on Highway 20 conducted a traffic stop on a gray Dodge Charger for vehicle infractions, Paulich said.
The vehicle was occupied by four individuals, one of them being Henson, according to Paulich.
Paulich said a records check showed Henson was on post release community supervision and that the Charger was registered to him.
Deputies conducted a search of the vehicle, locating a syringe containing a clear substance and a clear plastic bag containing approximately 3.8 grams of suspected methamphetamine in the door compartment near where Henson had been seated, Paulich said.
In the trunk of the vehicle, Paulich said deputies located another syringe containing a clear substance and an assault rifle that had been disassembled. Along with the rifle deputies located a high capacity magazine containing 35 rounds.
Paulich said deputies located evidence on Henson’s cell phone that indicated he was traveling to Sacramento to sell or trade the assault rifle.
Henson was placed under arrest for being a felon in possession of a firearm, felon in possession of ammunition, possession of an assault rifle, possession of a controlled substance for sale, transportation of a controlled substance and transportation of an assault rifle, Paulich said.
Paulich said Henson has an extensive criminal history related to narcotics, stolen property and firearms.
Henson was booked into the Lake County Jail where he remains in custody on a no-bail hold, while the other occupants of the vehicle were released with no charges, Paulich said.
CLEARLAKE, Calif. – Clearlake Animal Control continues to offer a lineup of dogs that includes mixes of boxer, husky, pit bull and shepherd.
The following dogs are ready for adoption or foster.
‘Toby’
“Toby” is a friendly senior male boxer mix.
He has a short tan and white coat.
He is dog No. 4389.
‘Yule’
“Yule” is a male husky with a black and white coat.
Yule is dog No. 4432.
‘Rudolph’
“Rudolph” is a male shepherd mix.
He has a short tan and black coat.
He is dog No. 4436.
‘Jerry’
“Jerry” is a male American Pit Bull terrier with a short brindle coat.
He is dog No. 4455.
‘Inky’
“Inky” is a male German Shepherd mix with a long black coat.
He has been neutered.
He is dog No. 4324.
‘Bumble’
“Bumble” is a male Siberian Husky with a gray and black coat.
He is dog No. 4452.
‘Breeze’
“Breeze” is a female American Pit Bull Terrier mix.
She has been spayed.
She is dog No. 4445.
‘Ben’
“Ben” is a male American Pit Bull terrier mix.
He has a short brindle coat.
He is dog No. 4454.
Call the Clearlake Animal Control shelter at 707-273-9440, or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to inquire about adoptions and schedule a visit to the shelter.
Visit Clearlake Animal Control on Facebook or on the city’s website.
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – On Wednesday, special districts throughout California recognized Representative John Garamendi (D-Walnut Grove) and Assemblymember Cecilia Aguiar-Curry (D-Winters) as their Legislators of the Year at a virtual event.
This is the first year that the California Special Districts Association, or CSDA, has chosen to recognize both a state and federal lawmaker with this distinction.
Garamendi was selected for his drafting of legislation to include special districts in future COVID-19 relief funding, as well as formally defining special districts in federal code.
Aguiar-Curry was honored for her leadership as chair of the California State Assembly Local Government Committee, consistent support of local authority measures and her efforts to coordinate with local governments throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2020, both lawmakers went above and beyond in their support of communities served by special districts, the association said.
There are just over 2,000 independent special districts in California. They are community formed, owned and governed local governments that serve virtually every Californian with specialized local services ranging from fire protection, water, sewer, and trash, to parks, mosquito abatement, libraries, ports, harbors, electricity, and others that cities and counties don’t always provide.
“Rep. Garamendi has long been an advocate in helping special districts, and particularly water agencies, fulfill their mission of delivering reliable resources to our communities,” said Cary Keaton, general manager for the Solano Irrigation District.
“Cecilia understands the natural resource challenges people in her district face. She has been consistently supportive of our work to provide our communities with technical assistance to improve forest health, watersheds and agricultural sustainability,” said Heather Nichols, executive director of the Yolo County Resource Conservation District.
On June 1, Garamendi introduced H.R. 7073, the “Special Districts Provide Essential Services Act.”
The legislation specifically includes special districts in COVID-19 relief funding. Special districts were excluded from direct access to Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security, or CARES, Act funding for state and local governments.
This bill is also the first legislation to propose a codified definition of special districts in federal law, the lack of which had been a reason for their previous exclusion.
In the 116th Congress, 43 members of Congress cosponsored H.R. 7073, and it received the support of a national coalition of more than 80 organizations. A bipartisan U.S. Senate bill, S. 4308, was later introduced in companion with Representative Garamendi’s legislation.
The Special Districts Provide Essential Services Act will be reintroduced early in the 117th Congress as part of ongoing efforts for districts to gain access to critical relief funding. If communities served by special districts ultimately secure relief funding, it will be, in large part, thanks to Garamendi’s leadership, the association reported.
In presenting CSDA’s Legislator of the Year award to Representative Garamendi, Ryan Clausnitzer, president of CSDA’s Board of Directors said, “We are so fortunate to have a member of Congress who understands the value that special districts bring to a community and is willing to advocate for their equitable access to funding for all communities.”
“I am honored to be the first Member of Congress to receive CSDA’s Legislator of the Year Award,” said Garamendi. “We must support all of California’s communities and the front-line workers who deliver our essential services by working to secure COVID-19 relief for state and local governments including special districts.”
The association said Aguiar-Curry has a strong understanding of the challenges faced by special districts and other local governments. She has long guarded against overly burdensome mandates that make it harder for local governments to do their jobs.
They also credited her for advocating in favor of improving local governments’ ability to fund new housing and infrastructure.
In 2020, as the pandemic broke, she convened representatives from CSDA, League of California Cities, California State Association of Counties and rural counties through regular conference calls. These calls provided a venue for associations to discuss COVID-19 response measures, communicate with state agencies, and relay the critical needs of their members.
“Assemblymember Aguiar-Curry’s guidance throughout her tenure in the Assembly and most recently during the pandemic has made a difference in the communities our special districts serve. Our members and their residents are better off for her leadership,” said Neil McCormick, CSDA’s chief executive officer.
In her acceptance, Aguiar-Curry said, “I’m honored for this recognition and gratified to be able to help my local government colleagues during these times of crisis. As Chair of the Assembly Local Government Committee, and a former Mayor and Councilmember, it is important to me to help shape policy empowering local government leaders with the flexibility they need to continue to provide essential services to Californians in rural and urban communities alike.”
CSDA invites the public to get to know the special district leaders from the over 2,000 special districts throughout the state who provide essential services to local communities. For more information visit www.districtsmakethedifference.org.
On May 10, NASA’s Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security, Regolith Explorer, or the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft, will say farewell to asteroid Bennu and begin its journey back to Earth.
During its Oct. 20, 2020, sample collection event, the spacecraft collected a substantial amount of material from Bennu’s surface, likely exceeding the mission’s requirement of 2 ounces (60 grams). The spacecraft is scheduled to deliver the sample to Earth on Sep. 24, 2023.
“Leaving Bennu’s vicinity in May puts us in the ‘sweet spot,’ when the departure maneuver will consume the least amount of the spacecraft’s onboard fuel,” said Michael Moreau, OSIRIS-REx deputy project manager at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. “Nevertheless, with over 593 miles per hour (265 meters per second) of velocity change, this will be the largest propulsive maneuver conducted by OSIRIS-REx since the approach to Bennu in October 2018.”
The May departure also provides the OSIRIS-REx team with the opportunity to plan a final spacecraft flyby of Bennu. This activity was not part of the original mission schedule, but the team is studying the feasibility of a final observation run of the asteroid to potentially learn how the spacecraft’s contact with Bennu’s surface altered the sample site.
If feasible, the flyby will take place in early April and will observe the sample site, named Nightingale, from a distance of approximately 2 miles (3.2 kilometers). Bennu’s surface was considerably disturbed after the Touch-and-Go, or TAG, sample collection event, with the collector head sinking 1.6 feet (48.8 centimeters) into the asteroid’s surface. The spacecraft’s thrusters also disturbed a substantial amount of surface material during the back-away burn.
The mission is planning a single flyby, mimicking one of the observation sequences conducted during the mission’s Detailed Survey phase in 2019. OSIRIS-REx would image Bennu for a full rotation to obtain high-resolution images of the asteroid’s northern and southern hemispheres and equatorial region. The team would then compare these new images with the previous high-resolution imagery of Bennu obtained during 2019.
"OSIRIS-REx has already provided incredible science,” said Lori Glaze, NASA's director of planetary science at the agency's headquarters in Washington. "We're really excited the mission is planning one more observation flyby of asteroid Bennu to provide new information about how the asteroid responded to TAG and to render a proper farewell.”
These post-TAG observations would also give the team a chance to assess the current functionality of science instruments onboard the spacecraft – specifically the OSIRIS-REx Camera Suite, OSIRIS-REx Thermal Emission Spectrometer, OSIRIS-REx Visible and Infrared Spectrometer and OSIRIS-REx Laser Altimeter.
It is possible dust coated the instruments during the sample collection event and the mission wants to evaluate the status of each. Understanding the health of the instruments is also part of the team’s assessment of possible extended mission opportunities after the sample is delivered to Earth.
The spacecraft will remain in asteroid Bennu’s vicinity until May 10, when the mission will enter its Earth Return Cruise phase. As it approaches Earth, OSIRIS-REx will jettison the Sample Return Capsule, or SRC. The SRC will then travel through the Earth’s atmosphere and land under parachutes at the Utah Test and Training Range.
Once recovered, NASA will transport the capsule to the curation facility at the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston and distribute the sample to laboratories worldwide, enabling scientists to study the formation of our solar system and Earth as a habitable planet.
Goddard provides overall mission management, systems engineering, and the safety and mission assurance for OSIRIS-REx. Dante Lauretta of the University of Arizona in Tucson is the principal investigator, and the University of Arizona also leads the science team and the mission’s science observation planning and data processing.
Lockheed Martin Space in Littleton, Colorado, built the spacecraft and provides flight operations. Goddard and KinetX Aerospace are responsible for navigating the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft.
OSIRIS-REx is the third mission in NASA’s New Frontiers Program, which NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, manages for the agency’s Science Mission Directorate in Washington.
A bad year for flu can mean tens of thousands of deaths in the U.S. Getting vaccinated can protect you from influenza, but you have to get the shot every year to catch up with the changing virus and to top up the short-lived immunity the vaccine provides. The vaccine’s effectiveness also depends on correct predictions about which strains will be most common in a given season.
For these reasons, a one-and-done universal vaccine that would provide lasting immunity over multiple flu seasons and protect against a variety of strains has been a long-term goal for scientists.
Researchers are now one step closer to hitting that target. Scientists recently completed the first human trial of a vaccine created by recombinant genetic technology to fool the immune system into attacking a part of the virus that does not change so fast and is common among different strains.
Like the virus that causes COVID-19, the influenza virus has a protein shell that is coated by a lipid membrane. Sticking through the membrane are multiple copies of three types of proteins: haemagglutinin, abbreviated as HA; neuraminidase, abbreviated as NA; and the matrix protein, M2.
The HA molecule is shaped a bit like a flower bud, with a stalk and a head. Once someone inhales the virus, the tip of the HA molecule’s head binds to a receptor on the surface of the cells that line the person’s respiratory passages.
This initial binding is crucial as it induces the cell to engulf the virus. Once inside, the virus gets to work replicating its own genetic material. But the enzyme that copies its single-strand RNA is very sloppy; it can leave two or three mistakes, called mutations, in every new copy.
Sometimes the genetic changes are so drastic that the progeny viruses don’t survive; other times they are the start of new flu strains. Based on viral samples collected from around the world, the flu virus that arrives one year will have about seven new mutations in the gene for HA and four in the gene for NA compared to the previous year’s virus. These differences are a big part of why the same influenza vaccine won’t be as effective from one year to the next.
But there’s a downside to that strong reaction. Because the immune response to the virus’s head is so vigorous, it pays little attention to other parts of the virus. That means that your immune system is not prepared to fend off any future infection with a virus that has a different HA head, even if the rest of the virus is identical.
Current flu vaccines are inactivated versions of the influenza virus and so also work by inducing antibodies targeted to the HA head. And that’s why each version of the vaccine usually works only against a particular strain. But, as the flu spreads, the rapid rate of genetic change can produce new versions of the HA head that will evade the antibodies induced by the vaccine. These newly resistant viruses will then render even the current season’s vaccine ineffective.
The stalk portion of the HA molecule is much more genetically stable than the head. And HA stalks from different flu strains are much more alike than their head regions are.
So, an obvious way to protect people against different flu strains would be to use just the HA stalk in a vaccine. Unfortunately vaccination with only a headless stalk doesn’t seem to prevent infection.
A team of scientists led by Florian Krammer at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai just completed the first human clinical trial of what they hope will be a universal flu vaccine.
The researchers used recombinant genetic technology to create flu viruses with “chimeric” HA proteins – essentially a patchwork quilt built from pieces of different flu strains.
Volunteers for the clinical trial received two vaccinations separated by three months. The first dose consisted of an inactivated H1N1 virus with its original HA stalk but the head portion from a bird influenza virus. Vaccination with this virus induced a mild antibody response to the foreign head, and a robust response to the stalk. This pattern meant that the immune systems of the subjects had never encountered the head before, but had seen the stalk from previous flu vaccinations or infections.
The second vaccination consisted of the same H1N1 virus but with an HA head from a different bird virus. This dose elicited, again, a mild antibody response to the new head, but a further boost in response to the HA stalk. After each vaccine dose the subjects’ stalk antibody concentrations averaged about eight times higher than their initial levels.
Researchers found that even though the vaccine was based on the HA stalk of the H1N1 virus strain, the antibodies it elicited reacted to HA stalks from other strains too. In lab tests, the antibodies from vaccinated volunteers attacked the H2N2 virus that caused the 1957 Asian flu pandemic and the H9N2 virus that the CDC considers to be of concern for future outbreaks. The antibodies did not react to the stalk of the more distantly related H3 viral strain.
The antibody response also lasted a long time; after a year and a half, the volunteers still had about four times the concentration of antibodies to the HA stalk in their blood as when the trial started.
Since this was a phase 1 clinical trial testing only for adverse effects (which were minimal), the researchers didn’t expose vaccinated people to the flu to test if their new antibodies protected them.
However, they did inject the subjects’ blood serum, which contains the antibodies, into mice to see if it would protect them against the flu virus. Getting a shot of serum taken from volunteers a month after receiving the booster shot, when antibody levels were high, led to mice being 95% healthier after virus exposure than mice who got blood serum from nonvaccinated volunteers. Even the mice who received serum that was collected from vaccinated volunteers a year after the start of the trial were about 30% less sick.
These results show that vaccination with a chimeric flu protein can provide long-lasting immunity to several different strains of the influenza virus. Scientists will need to continue optimizing this approach so it works for different types and strains of influenza. But the success of this first human trial means you may one day get a single shot and, at last, be free from the flu.
[The Conversation’s science, health and technology editors pick their favorite stories.Weekly on Wednesdays.]
Today, more Americans hope to receive a COVID-19 vaccine than current vaccine supply will allow. Consequently, although President Joe Biden’s initial promise to dole out 100 million vaccine doses in 100 days would require a ramp-up in vaccine allocation, some consider the promise to be insufficient to meet current levels of demand and put the pandemic’s spread into decline.
The current mismatch between vaccine demand and supply, however, may be short-lived. Despite concernsaboutlagging vaccine allocation for front-line health care workers and other vulnerable groups, health experts are optimistic that public demand for a COVID-19 vaccine will remain high in coming months as more vaccine doses become available.
While it is clear that many political leaders expect public demand for a coronavirus vaccine to be strong, whether or not expectations can live up to reality is an open question. In fact, there is some evidence to suggest instead that large segments of both the public and health care workers do not intend to get vaccinated against COVID-19.
Figuring out whether or not some people are less likely to get vaccinated – and their reasons for not getting vaccinated – can help political leaders and health professionals better anticipate vaccine demand. If some social, political and other demographic groups are more (or less) likely to intend to get vaccinated than others, demand for a vaccine may be higher (or lower) in vaccine distribution networks that primarily service vaccine-hesitant groups.
Additionally, understanding why some individuals are more likely to refuse vaccination than others can help inform health communication efforts to increase vaccine uptake. For example, if some Americans intend to refuse to get vaccinated due to concerns that the vaccine is not safe, health communicators can target these groups with easy-to-understand information about how scientists determined that the vaccine is safe.
In a recent peer-reviewed study, we provide important insight into what public demand for a coronavirus vaccine could actually look like, once most Americans have the opportunity to get vaccinated. Just as important, we detail reasons certain Americans do not intend to get vaccinated.
Some Americans more likely to get vaccinated
We studied Americans’ COVID-19 vaccination intentions in a large, demographically representative online survey of 5,009 U.S. adults, conducted in June 2020. We measured vaccination intentions by asking respondents whether or not they would pursue getting vaccinated for the coronavirus if a COVID-19 vaccine became available.
Our study found that almost a third (31.1%) of respondents did not intend to pursue vaccination. This is concerning, given that recent epidemiological estimates suggest that up to 70% of Americans must become immune to COVID-19 in order to put the pandemic’s spread into decline.
We also found strong differences in vaccination intention between key demographic groups. Notably, we found that 35.7% of women (vs. 26.3% of men), 42.9% of Black people (vs. 28.6% of white people), and 37.8% of conservatives (vs. 33.4% of independents and 24.1% of liberals) intended to forgo vaccination.
Why will some people refuse a COVID-19 vaccine?
Our study provides new insights into the reasons that some Americans do not intend to get vaccinated against COVID-19. We found that concerns about the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine were the most consistent reasons for forgoing vaccination. We also found that portions of the American public did not intend to pursue vaccination because they lack health insurance, lack the financial resources they believe they need to be vaccinated or because they have already had COVID-19.
Our study also found considerable evidence that the reasons for not vaccinating were not the same for everyone. For example, women were more likely than men to say they would forgo vaccination due to concerns about safety and effectiveness. Additionally, we found that Black people were more likely to skip vaccination than white people due to perceived safety and effectiveness issues as well as concerns related to the cost of vaccinating and a lack of health insurance.
Together, our findings point to two key takeaways as the U.S. pushes to rapidly vaccinate its population against COVID-19. First, political leaders and public health experts need to recognize that what appears to be considerable public demand for the COVID-19 vaccine right now may be more modest in the coming months, as more Americans have the opportunity to get vaccinated. In its place, experts will be faced with the new challenge of convincing hesitant groups to get vaccinated in order to reach herd immunity and end the pandemic.
Second, our results demonstrate that in these efforts to vaccinate the hesitant, a one-size-fits-all approach to health communications will be insufficient. While health communications aimed at emphasizing the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine will be important, for some groups, it will be just as important to emphasize that Americans can be vaccinated against COVID-19 for free, regardless of insurance status. Developing these communications and identifying appropriate messengers to deliver this information will be vital to stopping the pandemic.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – During a special Thursday night meeting, the Lakeport Unified School District Board voted to hire a Kelseyville-based consultant to lead the district’s search for a new superintendent.
The unanimous vote to hire Dr. C. Richard Smith of Education Leadership Solutions came at the end of the hour-and-a-half-long meeting.
Superintendent Jill Falconer announced her plans to retire effective June 30. The board accepted her resignation at its Jan. 14 meeting.
Board Chair Dan Buffalo was concerned that the district already is late in getting into the market for a new superintendent, with recruiting often starting early in the year.
Falconer said superintendent hires usually come in three waves, with the first wave early in the year, when established superintendents move into new jobs. By late spring, the third wave arrives, and during the discussion, Buffalo noted those candidates would be less desirable.
Falconer encouraged the board to make a decision sooner rather than later to start the process.
She told the board during the discussion that she received a list of seven consulting firms that conduct searches from Lake County Superintendent of Schools Brock Falkenberg.
She reached out to those firms, some of which said they were not interested in submitting a proposal.
However, two proposals came in, from Smith and from Leadership Associates of Santa Barbara, a headhunting firm that has conducted hundreds of executive searches.
Smith’s proposal estimated the search would cost $7,500 for him to complete. Leadership Associates gave an estimate of $14,500 for an all-inclusive fee, also offering a guarantee that if the new superintendent leaves within one year, it would conduct a new search at no cost except for travel and advertising expenses.
Smith, who made an appearance during the virtual meeting to answer questions, said he has only conducted one previous superintendent’s search.
That was one he and former Lake County Superintendent of Schools Wally Holbrook completed for the Konocti Unified School District. That search led to the selection of Dr. Becky Salato, hired just one week before the Lakeport Unified Board hired Falconer in May 2019.
During the Konocti Unified recruitment, Smith’s firm used a search committee process. His proposal for Lakeport Unified suggests doing the same.
Smith said his firm previously worked on a bond-related contract with Lakeport Unified.
The firm also was hired in January 2016 to help with formalizing the creation of the Upper Lake Unified School District, as Lake County News has reported.
Smith told the board on Thursday night that Holbrook has moved to Vacaville and he did not expect him to be part of this search process.
Board member Jeannie Markham asked about Smith’s education and career.
He said he spent five years in the US Navy before going to school to get his education degree, which led to him becoming a science teacher at Santa Rosa High School.
Smith went on to take an assistant administrator job in Ethiopia before attending the University of Kansas, where he received his doctorate in administration.
He served as superintendent of the American School in Taipei, Taiwan, worked as an executive at Stanford University and started a research institute in Washington, DC. Smith returned to California, where he was vice president of research and product development for Jostens Co., whose products include high school yearbooks and class rings, and sports championship rings.
Smith retired and moved to Kelseyville, where he and his wife have been active in working with the Kelseyville Pear Festival. He’s also worked on productions with Mendocino College’s Shakespeare at the Lake.
“In my career, I’ve hired an awful lot of people,” said Smith.
Asked by Markham about his strategy, Smith said he would work on a winnowing process that would only bring in candidates the board would seriously consider. He said they would want to prepare the interview so they know exactly what they’re looking for in a superintendent candidate.
Board member Jennifer Hanson asked if Smith is comfortable working with a committee of teachers, staff and community members.
While he said he’s not in a position to insist on it, Smith said he thinks it’s critical to include both staff and community members in the search if for no other reason than to build community support for schools.
Board member Phil Kirby, who spent decades in school administration, made clear early in the discussion that he supported hiring Smith.
Kirby moved to hire Smith and his firm to conduct the superintendent search and to authorize Buffalo to negotiate and execute and agreement with him.
Markham seconded and the board approved the motion 5-0.
Buffalo said he would contact Smith on Friday to begin those negotiations.
Smith thanked them and said that the heavy lifting in the hiring process will be on the part of the board.
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 Lakeport Unified School District Board of Trustees is scheduled to hold a special Thursday night meeting during which it will consider the next steps in selecting a successor for its superintendent, who will retire this summer.
The meeting will take place beginning at 6 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 28.
The physical meeting location in the boardroom at the Lakeport Unified District Office, 2508 Howard Ave., will be limited to the board of trustees and selected senior administration to ensure recommended guidelines for social distancing are practiced.
At its Jan. 14 meeting, the board accepted the resignation letter of Superintendent Jill Falconer, effective June 30, as part of its consent agenda.
During Thursday evening’s meeting, the school board will discuss the process to select Falconer’s successor.
Falconer, who had worked in the district for 25 years by the time of her hire as superintendent in 2019, told Lake County News that she plans to retire in June.
“Originally the plan was to be able to care for my husband after a heart transplant. Things don’t always go as planned, but I decided that life is always shorter than we expect and I wanted to be available to help care for my new grandchild,” she said.
Her husband of 36 years, Todd Falconer – a veteran of the United States Air Force, pilot, local businessman and gentleman farmer – died Jan. 2 while awaiting a heart transplant.
The couple met while attending college at California State University, Chico. After his service in the Air Force, they moved to Lake County, where they raised their family and Jill Falconer built a long and respected career in education.
Since then, she’s helped the board navigate the challenges of school closures in response to COVID-19 while working to address the concerns of teachers, staff, students and families regarding reopening schools.
Board members on Thursday will consider proposals from two consultants to assist in the new superintendent search – Education Leadership Solutions of Kelseyville and Leadership Associates of Santa Barbara.
The Konocti Unified School District hired Education Leadership Solutions, headed up by founder and chief executive officer Dr. C. Richard Smith, to oversee its search for a superintendent two years ago.
That search resulted in the hire of Superintendent Dr. Rebecca Salato in May 2019, just a week before Lakeport Unified hired Falconer, as Lake County News has reported.
Also on Thursday, Falconer will update the board on the full implementation of stage two hybrid learning, which will see most students return to school for in-person instruction, and the board will consider the district’s revised calendar for the 2020-21 school year.
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. – Pacific Gas and Electric Co. said Wednesday night that hundreds of its crews are continuing their work to restore power following what’s being called one of the strongest winter storms to hit California in years.
The storm battered the state with heavy rain, high winds and snow, including several inches of snow that the National Weather Service reported fell in Lake County.
As of 4 p.m. Wednesday, PG&E said 575,000 of its customers across the state had lost power due to the winds, rain and snow.
Of those, 434,000 – or 75 percent – had power restored with approximately 141,000 customers still out of power as of shortly before 7 p.m., PG&E reported.
The hardest-hit areas with the most remaining outages on Wednesday night included the Sacramento and Stockton regions as well as parts of Humboldt and Mendocino counties.
The company said more than 400 crews and nearly 500 electric troublemen and inspectors are working on restoration.
In some locations, PG&E said its crews have been using snowcats – described as truck-size tracked vehicles – to gain access to infrastructure in locations where snow is the deepest.
In Lake County, 5,822 PG&E customers had been impacted as of 7 a.m. Wednesday, according to company spokeswoman Deanna Contreras.
“With this type of storm that brings prolonged days of rain, several days of high winds and snow in the higher elevations, we do see the outages are caused by trees or tree limbs falling into power lines. In the areas of snow, the snow weighs down trees into the lines,” she said.
The areas with the largest impacts on customers were Clearlake, Cobb, Clearlake Oaks and Kelseyville, Contreras said.
At 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, Contreras told Lake County News that fewer than 1,900 customers remained without power in the county.
“We are working safely and as quickly as possible to restore power to at least 60 of the customers currently impacted in Upper Lake,” where Contreras said there are a total of 244 customers who remain affected by the outage.
PG&E’s in-house meteorologists reported that maximum wind gusts during the storm included 80 mile per hour gusts recorded at weather stations on Mount Diablo in Contra Costa County and Pelato Peak in Kern County.
Wind gusts for Lake County were in the 40s on Tuesday night, based on the company’s wind map.
As this storm is predicted to be the first of a series of storms through this weekend, PG&E reminded its customers to stay safe, be prepared and have an emergency plan.
The latest information on outages and preparedness can be found on PG&E’s 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