LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The Lake County Sheriff’s Office is urging community members to be prepared for the dangers of fire season.
Lake County has already experienced the effects of fire season, with multiple fires in June and July.
As the summer progresses, now is the time to make all necessary preparations.
Here are five steps you can take to prevent and prepare for wildfire.
Get alerts/stay up-to-date:
• Update your LakeCoAlerts email, phone number, and address to stay up-to-date with all messages from the Lake County Sheriff’s Office. Add LakeCoAlerts to your phone contacts or caller I.D., so you know we are trying to reach you. The phone number you will see is 707-289-8964. When you receive a text message, you will see the number 89361.
• Know your local radio stations to tune into for timely reports and situation updates.
• Zonehaven is a tool that the public can use to look up their zone number ahead of an emergency. During an emergency, information can be viewed at https://community.zonehaven.com/. Zonehaven does not require an account and is not a service to sign-up for. There is an option to subscribe to alerts when viewing zone information. This will take you to LakeCoAlerts. LCSO will use zone numbers when sending evacuation orders, shelter-in-place warnings, and other emergency information via LakeCoAlerts.
Make a plan:
• Have a go-bag ready for you and your household. Visit ready.gov/kit for examples of what to include.
Prepare your home:
• Fire-safe starts with defensible space. Take time now to ensure that your property is clear of dead or overgrown brush, trees, and grass. Contact your HOA, landlord, or local fire department for more information.
Help your community:
• Individual efforts contribute to the success of all. Talk with your neighbors about being fire ready. Start making plans now — ensuring your neighborhood stays safe and has the help they need. Be sure to tell them to sign up for LakeCoAlerts.
Remain vigilant:
• Each incident may behave unpredictably and rapidly, and no one should wait for an electronic alert before evacuating if the threat is imminent. If a situation appears threatening, evacuate immediately.
Revealing the potentially habitable climate of ancient Mars is a key part of NASA’s mission to explore and understand the unknown, to inspire and benefit humanity – and for 10 years, the Curiosity rover has been on the case at the Red Planet.
To mark the occasion, here are five of the most significant discoveries that scientists have made using Curiosity’s Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instrument suite. SAM is one of NASA’s most powerful astrobiology instruments on Mars.
Designed and built at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, SAM searches for and measures organic molecules and light elements, which are important to life as we know it. To complete this task, SAM carries components that scientists use remotely to test Martian samples.
1. Detection of Organic Compounds on Mars
Charles Malespin and Amy McAdam, SAM’s principal and deputy principal investigators at Goddard, very much agree on SAM’s most significant finding: SAM detected organic molecules in rock samples collected from Mars’ Gale crater. Organic molecules (those containing carbon) could be used as building blocks and “food” for life. Their presence on Mars suggests the planet once could have supported life, if it ever was present.
While the isotopes in carbon dioxide and methane measured during some SAM sample analyses could be consistent with ancient biological activity producing the organics observed, importantly there are also non-life-based explanations — for example, this isotopic signal could be a result of an interaction between ultraviolet light from the Sun and carbon dioxide in Mars’ atmosphere producing organics that fall to the surface, no life required.
Overall, these results motivate ongoing and future studies with SAM and the entire Curiosity suite of instruments, as well as other planetary missions searching for evidence of habitable environments and life beyond Earth.
2. Methane Variability
Using SAM’s Tunable Laser Spectrometer, developed at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, scientists have detected fluctuations in the abundance of methane in the near-surface atmosphere where Curiosity gathers samples.
On Earth, most of the methane present in the atmosphere gets there thanks to processes from life and varies as a result of changes in biological processes, but we do not know whether this is the case on Mars.
Curiosity isn’t equipped to determine whether or not the methane it has detected originates from biological processes, but the host of Red Planet missions continue to piece together the tantalizing puzzle.
3. Rock Formation and Exposure Age in Gale Crater
Curiosity had only been on Mars for a bit more than a year when, thanks to SAM, scientists determined both the formation age and the exposure age of a rock on the surface of another planet for the first time.
The rocks around the rim of Gale crater were formed about 4 billion years ago, then transported as sediments to Yellowknife Bay. “Here they were buried and became sedimentary rocks,” McAdam said.
From there, weathering and erosion slowly broke down and exposed the rocks to surface radiation about 70 million years ago. Apart from providing insight into Mars’ erosion rates, knowing how long a sample was exposed enables scientists to consider possible radiation-induced changes to organic compounds which could affect the ability to identify potential biosignatures.
“The age dating experiment was not planned before launch,” McAdam said. “But flexibility in the design and operation of SAM, and dedication of a team of scientists and engineers, enabled it to be successfully carried out.”
4. Honing in on the History of Water on Mars
SAM has also shed light on Mars’ wetter past and how the planet has dried out. Water is vitally important to life as we know it, and “multiple lines of evidence indicate that the rocks of Gale crater record a rich history of water,” Malespin said.
Part of that evidence is the presence of jarosite, a ruddy-yellow mineral only formed in watery environments, McAdam said. An age-dating experiment with SAM and another Curiosity instrument (APXS) found jarosite hundreds of millions of years younger than expected.
This finding suggests that even as much of the surface of Mars was becoming dry, some liquid water remained below the surface in the Gale crater environment, extending the period of habitability for any Martian microbes that might have existed.
In addition, analyses by SAM provided insight into the loss of Mars’ atmosphere that led its long-term evolution from the early warm and wet state to the current cold and arid state. Water, H2O, contains two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom.
The hydrogen can be swapped for a heavier form of itself, called deuterium. Through measuring the deuterium-to-hydrogen ratio in its samples, Curiosity uncovered evidence of a history of hydrogen escape and water loss on Mars.
5. Biologically Useful Nitrogen
On Earth, nitrogen is an essential ingredient in the recipe for life — but not just any nitrogen will do. For most biological processes to make use of it, the nitrogen atoms must first be “fixed”: freed from its strong tendency to interact only with itself. “Fixed nitrogen is required for the synthesis of DNA, RNA, and proteins,” Malespin said. “These are the building blocks of life as we know it.”
SAM detected fixed nitrogen in the form of nitrate in rock samples it analyzed in 2015. The finding indicated that biologically and chemically usable nitrogen was present on Mars 3.5 billion years ago.
“While this nitrate could have been produced early in Martian history by thermal shocks from meteor impacts,” McAdam said, “it is possible that some could be forming in the Martian atmosphere today.”
No finding from SAM or Curiosity’s other instruments can offer proof-positive for past life on Mars — but importantly, these discoveries don’t rule it out. Earlier this year, NASA extended Curiosity’s mission at least into 2025, allowing the rover and its mobile SAM chemistry lab to stay focused on the tantalizing matter of Mars’ habitability.
Nick Oakes works for the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.
Sam Polzin, Purdue University; Ahmad Zia Wahdat, Purdue University, and Jayson Lusk, Purdue University
Adult members of Generation Z are experiencing food insecurity at over twice the rate of the average American, according to our latest consumer food survey. In fact, about 1 in 3 Americans born from 1996-2004 have had trouble affording enough food in 2022.
That compares with fewer than 1 in 5 millennials and members of Generation X, and fewer than 1 in 10 baby boomers.
We run the Center for Food Demand Analysis and Sustainability at Purdue University, and every month, through our Consumer Food Insights survey, we query over 1,200 Americans with the goal of tracking national food security as well as many other behaviors, attitudes and preferences related to food.
Food insecurity means having a lack of money or other resources for food. And when food insecurity surges, it can take a long time for affected populations to recover. After the Great Recession that ran from 2007 to 2009, food insecurity increased by 34%. It took a decade for food insecurity to drop to its pre-recession levels.
Now, with inflation soaring at the fastest pace in 40 years, those who lost jobs during the pandemic and college students with fixed incomes must stretch their limited resources even further at the grocery store.
We have found that education, income and race are three of the biggest factors driving food insecurity among America’s youngest generation. Members of Gen Z without a college degree or who make less than the federal poverty line have a much higher risk of being food insecure – over three times the risk of other Gen Z households. The rate of food insecurity among Gen Z Black and Hispanic households is almost double that of white and Asian households.
Other research shows that factors like marriage and owning your own home typically improve food security. Since young people typically aren’t married or own a home, Gen Z by and large isn’t benefiting from these factors.
Our survey also shows a significant portion of Gen Z – 30% – has relied on free groceries from a pantry, church or other charity.
Prices for food consumed at home are currently jumping at over 12% a year. That’s the fastest pace since 1979. Our survey data only reflects some of these recent price gains, so it’s unclear yet how much this will affect food insecurity. But what is clear is that Gen Z Americans, like other vulnerable groups, need more support to ensure they can access an affordable diet.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Hundreds of family members, friends and California Highway Patrol personnel gathered at the CHP Academy in West Sacramento Friday to honor the newest graduating class.
The 93 officers who received their badge Friday brings the tally that much closer to the CHP’s goal of hiring 1,000 officers in the next two years.
The “Join the CHP 1,000” campaign launched in June to appeal to a wide array of prospective applicants who may not be aware of the life-changing opportunities that awaits with a CHP career.
“It’s my honor to welcome the newest class of women and men to join the California Highway Patrol and thank them for stepping up to serve our state,” said Gov. Gavin Newsom. “With a goal of hiring 1,000 new CHP officers in the coming years, we’re investing in outreach to a diverse pool of candidates committed to protecting their fellow Californians and making a positive impact in our communities.”
Upon graduation, this class of officers will be reporting for duty to one of 103 CHP Area offices throughout the state.
“After 24 weeks of dedicated training, these officers are ready to assist in the CHP’s mission of protecting and serving the State of California,” said CHP Commissioner Amanda Ray. “The badge pinning ceremony is a special moment, as it symbolizes not only the officers’ major accomplishment in completing the Academy, but also the exciting future of a career with the California Highway Patrol.”
At the CHP Academy, cadet training starts with nobility in policing, leadership, professionalism and ethics, and cultural diversity. Cadets also receive instruction on mental illness response and crisis intervention techniques.
The training also covers vehicle patrol, crash investigation, first aid, and the apprehension of suspected violators, including those who drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
The cadets also receive training in traffic control, report writing, recovery of stolen vehicles, assisting the motoring public, issuing citations, emergency scene management, and knowledge of various codes, including the California Vehicle Code, Penal Code and Health and Safety Code.
“The women and men of the CHP take great pride in the level of service we provide to the community,” said Commissioner Ray. “As generations of officers retire, it is imperative we bring on the next generation of exemplary officers to fill those positions.”
For more information about the “Join the CHP 1,000” campaign, or to apply, visit www.chpcareers.com or call the statewide Recruitment Unit at 916-843-4300.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The fire that began Thursday afternoon and moved at a fast rate in the Clearlake area ultimately was controlled before it could destroy any structures, while authorities arrested a woman on suspicion of setting the fire.
The Ogulin fire, first dispatched just before 1 p.m. Thursday in the area of Highway 53 and Ogulin Canyon Road, prompted evacuations along Highway 53 south of Ogulin Canyon Road, and closed a portion of Highway 53 for several hours.
The fire, driven by the wind, grew at what fire officials called an “extreme rate of spread,” quickly going from less than an acre in 10 acres within minutes, according to reports from the scene.
By early evening, the fire had been contained at 17.2 acres, evacuations were called off and the roads reopened.
Lake County Fire Protection District Chief Willie Sapeta said the fire agencies that responded included Cal Fire, Lake County Fire, Northshore Fire, South Lake County Fire and the United States Forest Service.
“Everybody jumped in,” said Sapeta.
At one point there were 14 engines on scene, Sapeta said. That’s in addition to the numerous air tankers, helicopters and air attack from Cal Fire that were part of an aggressive response.
Sapeta said the city of Clearlake sent a water tender, as did Lake County Public Services, whose director, Lars Ewing, sent the truck from the landfill. That was important because the fire area had no water supply.
He said everyone did an amazing job on the ground and in the air, fighting a fire in an area with so much vegetation for fuel.
As a result of the response, Sapeta said no structures were damaged or destroyed, and only one power pole might need to be replaced.
“It’s nice that we live in a county where there's that high level of cooperation” and response, said Clearlake Police Chief Andrew White.
White said the response was seamless, with everyone working together.
White’s agency was on scene and receiving help from the Lake County Sheriff’s Office.
Shortly after firefighters arrived, sheriff’s deputies also got to the scene, where they were in contact with 41-year-old Angela Smith of Clearlake, who made statements about starting the fire.
White said Smith was found to have what were believed to be drugs in her possession and she was making erratic comments. She had mentioned the fire had started due to her lighting a cigarette.
During the encounter with police she invoked her right to counsel, White said.
White said a Cal Fire investigator and Clearlake Police detective took over the investigation and interviewed witnesses.
He said Smith was arrested for unlawful burning of forestland, arson of forestland during a state of emergency — in this case, due to drought conditions — and possession of a controlled substance.
Back on the fire lines, work continued overnight to monitor the fire area, Sapeta said.
“We’ll have crews on it all night,” and hit it again first thing Friday morning, Sapeta told Lake County News Thursday evening.
While fire crews did a good job of overhaul, Sapeta said there were areas within the interior that were still smoldering.
This summer, there have been several close calls with small fires that could have grown to be destructive and devastating, had they not been quickly spotted by community members of volunteers at the Mount Konocti fire lookout — as happened with the 21-acre Main fire in Lower Lake July 8 — and had a strong response from firefighters.
Sapeta acknowledged that the county has been lucky, with firefighters being very aggressive and bringing all of their resources to the fight early.
“We’re stopping them,” he said of the fires.
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. — A fast-moving wildland fire in Clearlake has prompted evacuations of homes and businesses along a stretch of Highway 53, with reports indicating that the fire may have been intentionally set.
The Ogulin fire in the area of Highway 53 and Ogulin Canyon Road was first dispatched just before 1 p.m. Thursday.
Trees were reported to be on fire and the first units on scene, which arrived less than five minutes after dispatch, said the fire was half an acre to three quarters of an acre, with a rapid rate of spread and spotting ahead of the fire.
A minute later, the incident command reported that power utility infrastructure was threatened and that the fire was already up to five to seven acres.
Before 1:10 p.m., the fire was reported to have an extreme rate of spread and was up to 10 acres.
That prompted the closure of Highway 53 between Ogulin Canyon Road and Olympic Drive.
Fire and police officials also called for mandatory evacuations of all businesses and residences on Highway 53 at Ogulin Canyon Road. The Clearlake Police Department said the evacuations are for all areas south of Ogulin Canyon Road along the highway corridor.
Radio reports indicated that sheriff’s deputies were investigating reports of an individual who was seen setting the fire. They were reported to be contacting witnesses and also speaking with the suspect.
Cal Fire has sent air resources to the incident, including air attack and tankers, along with additional ground crews, and Cal Fire and Lake County Fire are in unified command on the incident.
The latest reports size given by Cal Fire air attack shortly after 1:30 p.m. stated the fire was 10 acres, with a moderate rate of spread, with firefighters making good progress with hose lay and dozers. Some spotting is still taking place.
At 1:41 p.m., the Lake County Sheriff’s Office issued a Nixle alert stating that an evacuation order had been issued for the CLE-E130 zone, which covers the areas north of Olympic Drive and east of Highway 53, and Zone CLE-E124 for the Ogulin Canyon area.
A map of the evacuation area can be found here and is shown above.
At 1:51 p.m., Copter 104 reported that there was a flare up on the fire near Highway 53.
Shortly before 2 p.m., air attack said it was looking good, that there had been a spot fire over the ridge on the same side of Highway 53 as the main fire that was addressed.
Due to getting “stacked up” on tankers, air attack released two tankers to clear up the air space.
At 2:09 p.m., forward progress was reported to be stopped, with the fire holding at 10 acres. Air attack said it was keeping aircraft overhead for the time being.
Pacific Gas and Electric also was responding to the scene at that time for a report of a downed power line.
At around 2:30 p.m., remaining air resources were reported to be leaving the scene.
Clearlake Police and the Lake County Sheriff’s Office reported that all evacuations were lifted as of 4 p.m., but road closures remained in effect.
The fire was reported to be contained just before 5 p.m. at 10.5 acres. Crews will be checking on the fire on Friday.
About 20 minutes later, Cal Fire terminated unified command with Lake County Fire, which will remain in command of the incident. At that time, the updated size was given as 17.2 acres.
Additional information will be added to this report as it becomes available.
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 Lake County Wine Alliance is preparing to host its annual Wine Auction in September.
This year’s event will take place from 5 to 10 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 17, at The Mercantile, 4350 Thomas Drive in Kelseyville.
The elegant night under the stars will be held on the lawn, so shoes will be optional.
The Wine Auction is Lake County’s premier fundraising event for community, education, health and art organizations, and has raised millions of dollars.
In 2021, the Wine Alliance distributed $250,000 that it had raised in the midst of the pandemic.
The Lake County Wine Alliance is a cooperative composed of Lake County wineries, winegrape growers, vineyard owners, related businesses and community supporters.
Formed in 2000, the Lake County Wine Alliance is a nonprofit organization operated under the guidance of a six-member volunteer board of directors with the purpose of supporting charitable and other local programs. The alliance is the charitable arm of the Lake County wine industry.
Tickets are $150 per person. Valet parking also is available for $20.
To purchase tickets, visit the Wine Alliance website.
NORTH COAST, Calif. — Pacific Gas and Electric Co. will host a wildfire safety webinar for all of its customers on Wednesday, Aug. 10, to share its wildfire prevention plans for 2022 and listen to customer feedback.
The webinar will take place from 5:30 to 7 p.m.
The event can be accessed through the link or dial-in below or through PG&E’s website, www.pge.com/firesafetywebinars.
Click this link to join: https://bit.ly/3nKIAc9. Attendee dial-in: 800-619-7898; conference ID: 5949849.
PG&E experts will provide a brief presentation, after which participants will have the opportunity to ask questions.
During the webinar event, the PG&E team will discuss:
• PG&E’s wildfire prevention efforts; • Resources to help customers and communities before, during and after wildfire safety outages; • Improvements and updates to PG&E’s safety technology and tools.
Closed captioning will be available in English, Spanish and Chinese and dial-in numbers will be available for those who aren’t able to join online.
For additional information on how to join, recordings and presentation materials from past events and to learn more about PG&E’s Community Wildfire Safety Program, visit www.pge.com/wildfiresafety.
More information and resources to help you and your family prepare for and stay safe in the event of an emergency can be found at https://www.safetyactioncenter.pge.com/.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The Lakeport City Council on Tuesday approved a supplemental law enforcement services agreement between the police departments of Lakeport and Clearlake that in the short-term will help Lakeport deal with being short-handed.
The Clearlake City Council approved the agreement at its July 21 meeting, with the Lakeport City Council’s approval the final step.
The two police departments have a history of working collaboratively, and the two chiefs — Brad Rasmussen of Lakeport and Andrew White of Clearlake — said the agreement will allow them to help each other when having personnel shortages.
“We’ve had some ongoing staffing issues,” Lakeport Police Chief Brad Rasmussen told the council.
Rasmussen’s department has 13 sworn officers in its $2.5 million budget while White’s has 24.5 sworn positions in a $7 million budget. Lakeport’s population is just under 5,000 residents compared to more than 16,500 for Clearlake, according to the California Department of Finance’s May population estimates.
Rasmussen has been dealing with several vacancies. Thanks to recent hires, they’re just down two positions, but four new hires are in training that Rasmussen said will continue for some time.
In the meantime, the department is short-staffed, with not enough police on the street to keep officers safe and quickly handle calls.
White, referring to the two departments’ long history of helping each other, recalled that his first day on the job in the summer of 2018 was spent in Lakeport helping with the response to the Mendocino Complex, which resulted in the entire city being under mandatory evacuation.
He assured the council that his officers will provide professional and trustworthy service, and will help protect the community and officers. Whatever way they can support the city and keep it safe and officers safe, they will do it.
Rasmussen said the unions of both departments were in overwhelming support of the agreement because they felt it is important.
He said there is no fiscal impact at this time due to salary savings. Costs will be tracked every month.
Councilman Kenny Parlet wondered why Clearlake was doing so well with hiring compared to Lakeport. Rasmussen said he didn’t have the answer.
Clearlake’s officers will be able to use their own vehicles of Lakeport’s, it was explained during the discussion.
Rasmussen said they will strive to have Lakeport Police officers be the lead on investigations.
During the discussion White said that his department is in the position to help right now and it might be the opposite in a few years, with Clearlake needing the help. In that case, the framework will be in place.
In events such as fires, Rasmussen said the departments won’t bill each other but will maintain their mutual aid agreement.
“This is just a more specific patrol type service” that needs to be dealt with, he said.
There was no public comment. Parlet moved to approve the agreement and Councilman Michael Froio seconded.
“I appreciate the cooperation,” said Mayor Stacey Mattina before the vote. “I think it’s really forward thinking.”
She added that it’s exciting, and that they never know when the tables will turn.
The council then voted 5-0 to approve the contract.
In other news on Tuesday, the council held a public hearing and approved a resolution identifying delinquent utility accounts with a total of $8,000 in unpaid bills and sending them to the Lake County Auditor-Controller’s Office for inclusion on the property tax roll.
Assistant City Manager/Finance Director Nick Walker said the action will create a lien on the properties in question, meaning they will be paid when the properties change hands. He said the city also has applied to the state for funds to pay off the unpaid utility bills.
On Tuesday the council also approved a plan to help the Lake County Fair address its parking concerns by designating 20 disabled parking spaces.
The spaces will be located in the entire 200 block of C Street, between South Forbes Street and the C Street entrance to the fairgrounds and the entire block of D Street, between South Forbes Street and the D Street entrance to the fairgrounds from the time period of 4 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 1, through Sunday, Sept. 4, at midnight.
Other items the council approved included a resolution authorizing the city manager to execute an agreement for apportionment of Retirement Obligations of California Intergovernmental Risk Authority and approval of a $51,000 professional services agreement with Quincy Engineering Inc. for the Lakeport Blvd Project Study Report Equivalent.
Just before the hour-long meeting ended, there was a short interruption due to a full power outage. That required the council to use a staff computer to close out the meeting.
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.
While many American students and their parents worry that the next mass shooting could happen at their school, schools are also facing a number of other threats that do not involve guns. Many of these threats are related to the mental health of educators and students.
From 2018 to 2021, both before and during the pandemic, I spent time studying a public middle school in the San Francisco Bay Area that serves a high-poverty community of color. The research involved spending more than 100 hours of observing classes and teacher and staff meetings. It also involved a series of interviews with 10 teachers and the principal.
Here are five of the biggest threats that I identified through my observations.
1. Trauma among students
Students often spoke and wrote about traumatic experiences. This included losing parents to murder, imprisonment or deportation.
Staff in the school I studied described their middle schoolers as increasingly “shut down,” “fragile,” “beaten down” and “hopeless” with every passing year.
Teachers also talked about their own struggles with “the stress of this place” and “negative emotions” from their daily challenges to support their students. During the pandemic, teachers described increasing “exhaustion” from the level of effort needed to keep students in school and engaged in learning.
Since the onset of the pandemic, lower overall well-being of students and teachers has become a nationwide concern. In the 2020-2021 school year, 80% of teachers nationwide reported feelings of burnout. In the 2021-2022 school year, nearly half of students across the U.S. in grades 9 through 12 reported persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness. Across the nation, district leaders in the 2021-2022 school year reported a general decline in mental health and well-being of all students and educators as their most pressing concern.
3. Staff shortages and turnover
Like other schools around the nation, the school I studied was persistently short of teachers because of staff who quit due to stress or who were fired for unprofessional behavior. It was often difficult to find qualified teachers to fill open positions.
At the school I studied, the principal described extensive time and effort that she and others spent to encourage students to enroll there. “It is disheartening,” the principal said, that sometimes parents chose other schools due to a negative reputation that became associated with a school serving the area’s poorest Black and Latino communities. Any declines in enrollment threatened the loss of teaching positions. Persistent declines meant the threat of being closed altogether.
School boards in Baltimore and the California cities of Oakland and Hayward have recently decided to close multiple schools in the 2022-2023 school year due to declining enrollment. This has prompted public protest from communities who see the closures as targeted at poor Black and Latino neighborhoods.
Other districts around the country, including in Minneapolis and Denver, have warned residents about likely enrollment-related closures in the 2022-2023 school year.
5. Threats from the community
There are also violent threats at schools unrelated to mass shootings. During my study, teachers and principals reported distressing incidents of threats from members of the community, including verbal threats from parents and neighbors and an incident of the principal being held at knifepoint.
K-12 educators and students are facing many simultaneous threats in addition to school shootings. This raises important questions about whether schools have the resources and support they need to ensure that students and educators can thrive.
CLEARLAKE, Calif. — Need a new friend? Head on over to Clearlake Animal Control and meet one of their great dogs.
The City of Clearlake Animal Association also is seeking fosters for the animals waiting to be adopted.
Call the Clearlake Animal Control shelter at 707-273-9440, or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to inquire about adoptions and schedule a visit to the shelter.
Visit Clearlake Animal Control on Facebook or on the city’s website.
The following dogs are available for adoption.
‘Terry’
“Terry” is a handsome male shepherd mix with a short brindle coat.
He gets along with other dogs, including small ones, and enjoys toys. He also likes water, playing fetch and keep away, and has been undergoing training.
He is dog No. 48443693.
‘Andy’
“Andy” is a male American pit bull mix with a short gray and white coat.
He is dog No. 48995415.
‘Bear’
“Bear” is a male Labrador retriever-American pit bull mix with a short charcoal and fawn coat.
He has been neutered.
He is dog No. 48443153.
‘Betsy’
“Betsy” is a female American pit bull mix with a short white coat.
She has been spayed.
She is dog No. 50236145.
‘Bluey’
“Bluey” is a male retriever mix with a short black coat.
He has been neutered.
He is dog No. 50552999.
‘Big Phil’
“Big Phil” is a 13-year-old male American pit bull terrier mix with a blue coat.
He has been neutered.
He is dog No. 49951647.
‘Bro’
“Bro” is a male terrier mix with a short tan coat.
He has been neutered.
Bro is dog No. 50262527.
‘Colt’
“Colt” is a male Rhodesian Ridgeback mix with a short rust and black coat.
He has been neutered.
He is dog No. 49812106.
‘Hakuna’
“Hakuna” is a male shepherd mix with a tan coat.
He has been neutered.
He is dog No. 50176912.
‘Kubota’
“Kubota” is a male German shepherd mix with a short tan and black coat.
He has been neutered.
Kubota is dog No. 50184421.
‘Luna’
“Luna” is an 8-month-old Labrador retriever-terrier mix with a black and white coat.
She is dog No. 50339254.
‘Mamba’
“Mamba” is a male Siberian husky mix with a gray and cream-colored coat.
He has been neutered.
He is dog No. 49520569.
‘Matata’
“Matata” is male shepherd mix with a tan coat.
He has been neutered.
He is dog No. 50176912.
‘Newman’
“Newman” is a 1-year-old male American pit bull terrier mix with a black and white coat.
He has been neutered.
Newman is dog No. 49057809.
‘Sadie’
“Sadie” is a female German shepherd mix with a black and tan coat.
She has been spayed.
She is dog No. 49802563.
‘Tiramisu’
“Tiramisu” is a female Alaskan husky mix with a short brown and cream coat.
She is dog No. 49652833.
‘Ziggy’
“Ziggy” is a male American pit bull terrier mix with a short gray and white coat.
He has been neutered.
Ziggy is dog No. 50146247
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
LAKEPORT, Calif. — The Lakeport Public Works Department reported that it is making progress on a wide variety of notable public improvement projects that will benefit the Lakeport community.
The following is a roundup of work that’s now underway.
Hartley Street Pedestrian Improvement Project
This project will provide Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant access on Hartley Street from 20th Street to the west-side access of the Lakeport public school complex.
There will be approximately 1,550 feet of new sidewalk, curb and gutter, new retaining walls, and flashing pedestrian warning signs near the Lakeport schools as part of this project.
Estimated completion date is September.
Lakefront Park Project
In January 2020, the city of Lakeport was awarded a grant from the California Department of Parks and Recreation.
This was a competitive grant funded by Proposition 68, the California Drought, Water, Parks, Climate, Coastal Protection and Outdoor Access for All Act of 2018.
After two years of design, the project is ready for construction.
The new park consists of approximately 6.9 acres at 800 N. Main St. in downtown Lakeport.
The project includes construction of a basketball court, splash pad, skate park, concession building with restrooms, shade structures, picnic areas, fitness equipment, a pavilion, public art, lighting, irrigation and landscaping.
Estimated completion date is spring 2023.
2022 Micro-surface Project
This project is to apply a micro-surface treatment to the pavement surface at multiple locations within the Lakeport city limits.
The locations are Forbes Street (Martin Street to Clear Lake Avenue); Third, Fourth, and Fifth streets (all from North Main Street to the waterfront); and parking lots for Westside Community Park, Silveira Community Center and the Lakeport Police Department.
Estimated completion date is Nov. 1.
Storm drain repair
A 24-inch culvert that runs from the drainage inlet between 1470 and 1480 N. Main St. and extends 372 feet to Clear Lake is nearly halfway through its life expectancy and may soon completely fail. It has caused erosion under the City sidewalk and caused a driveway to collapse.
The driveway at 1470 N. Main St. is settling in areas along the storm drain piping. Multiple structures are in proximity to the pipe, thus making it very difficult to dig up and replace it with new piping.
These factors make it a perfect candidate for a new slip line project. Slip lining is a technique for repairing leaks or restoring structural stability to an existing pipeline. It involves installing a smaller "carrier pipe" into a larger "host pipe,” grouting the annular space between the two pipes, and sealing the ends.
Estimated completion date is winter 2022.
14th, Orchid and Palm Streets Maintenance Project (chip seal + leveling course)
A chip seal application consists of cleaning and preparing the old asphalt surface and using hot asphalt as a leveling course or stabilizer in holes, ruts, or failed areas.
The process is finished by applying a hot bonding tar impregnated with small aggregate chips, raking smooth and rolling to compact.
The project is estimated to be completed later this month.