A fleet of 100 floating robots took a trip down the Sacramento River on Wednesday, May May 9, in a field test organized by engineers at the University of California, Berkeley.

The smartphone-equipped floating robots demonstrated the next generation of water monitoring technology, promising to transform the way government agencies monitor one of the state's most precious resources.

The Floating Sensor Network project, led by associate professor Alexandre Bayen, a researcher at the Center for Information Technology Research in the Interest of Society (CITRIS), offers a network of mobile sensors that can be deployed rapidly to provide real-time, high-resolution data in hard-to-map waterways.

One area that stands to benefit from this technology is the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, with its complex network of channels that direct drinking water to two-thirds of California's population and irrigation water for 3 million acres of agriculture. Water from Clear Lake empties into the Delta.

Having a high volume of sensors moving through the water can shed light on processes that are influenced by how water moves, such as the spread of pollutants, the migration of salmon or the mixture of salt and fresh water in the Delta's ecosystem, the researchers said.

Wednesday's field test gave researchers a picture of how water moves through a junction in the river with a resolution never before achieved.

"We are putting water online," said Bayen, who holds joint appointments in UC Berkeley's departments of electrical engineering and computer sciences and of civil and environmental engineering.

"Monitoring the state's water supply is critical for the general public, water researchers and government agencies, which now rely upon costly fixed water sensor stations that don't always generate sufficient data for modeling and prediction,” Bayen said. “The mobile probes we are using could potentially expand coverage in the Delta – on demand – to hundreds of miles of natural and manmade channels that are currently under-monitored, and help agencies responsible for managing the state's limited water supply."

Such a flexible system could be critical in the event of an emergency, including a levee breach or oil spill, the researchers noted.

The sensors could be thrown into action from a dock, shore, boats or even helicopters.

"If something spills in the water, if there's a contaminant, you need to know where it is now, you need to know where it's going, you need to know where it will be later on," said Andrew Tinka, a Ph.D. candidate in electrical engineering and computer sciences and the lead graduate student on the project. "The Floating Sensor Network project can help by tracking water flow at a level of detail not currently possible."

The Wednesday launch in Walnut Grove, Calif., marked a milestone in the project, which is supported by CITRIS and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab).

It was the first time researchers deployed their full arsenal of floats, each equipped with GPS-enabled mobile phones encased in 12-inch-long watertight capsules marked with fluorescent tape.

The researchers wrote specific programs to run on the open source platforms used in the robots and on the smartphones.

The project is an evolution of earlier research led by Bayen called Mobile Century and Mobile Millennium, which uses GPS-enabled smartphones to monitor traffic flow.

Instead of a map of traffic, the Floating Century mobile probes created a map of water flow.

Every few seconds, the phones in the floats transmitted location data back to servers at Berkeley Lab's National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center (NERSC), where the data was assimilated using a computer model called REALM (River, Estuary and Land Model).

Information was processed to create a map that allowed researchers to track the devices on their computer monitors.

"Not only is this project interesting from a data collection perspective, but it also presents a new challenge for us on the data processing side," said Shane Canon, head of the Technology Integration Group at NERSC. "While the total amount of data is not unusual, the streaming rate is higher than we usually see, and the researchers are looking to access the data in near real-time."

The REALM model was developed by researchers at the Berkeley Lab and the California Department of Water Resources. It was later expanded to integrate data from mobile robots by Qingfang Wu, a UC Berkeley graduate student in civil and environmental engineering.

"Part of the novelty of this project is the use of the NERSC computer cluster to run large-scale data assimilation problems," said Wu. "The floating sensor project demands the ability to process hundreds of parallel versions of REALM and integrate the results into an estimate of the hydrodynamics of the Delta."

Although the sensors in the test were set up to monitor the speed of water currents, the researchers said the floats could be equipped with sensors for a variety of measurements, including temperature, salinity, or a contaminant of interest.

Of the 100 floats in the fleet, 40 were autonomous devices fitted with propellers to help them move around obstacles or targeted areas.

"The major constraint on floating sensors in inland environments is their tendency to get stuck on the shores," said Tinka. "Currently, using floating sensors requires close human supervision. We are developing autonomous, actuated sensors that can use propulsion to avoid obstacles."

The Floating Sensor Network's fleet of robots includes prototypes with advanced capabilities, including models that can dive below the surface of the water, versions equipped with salinity sensors to measure the water quality in rivers, and versions with depth sensors that can map out the shape of the channels in which they float.

"Our development efforts show the versatility of this technology and how it can adapt to the challenges faced in different applications," said Bayen.  "For example, the capability to measure depth is particularly important in situations where it is impractical or dangerous to send personnel to do the job, such as in military operations in combat zones. Floating sensor fleets also provide capabilities which can be used to improve our understanding of the shape of domestic rivers and deltas."

The floating sensor network has been tested in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to assess water discharge downstream from broken levees. The researchers are also planning a deployment to monitor the ecosystem of Lake Tahoe in the coming months.

Floats are retrieved at the end of experiments, but the researchers acknowledged the possibility that devices can get lost. The researchers said they expect the expense of individual sensors to go down with continuing advances in mobile communications so that the system can better tolerate a certain level of device dropout.

"In the future, cost and size will go down, while performance and autonomy will go up, enabling monitoring at unprecedented scales," said Bayen. "We expect this to become an invaluable tool for the future management of a critical resource in this state and around the world."

Visit the Floating Sensor Network at http://float.berkeley.edu/ for more information on the program.

Sarah Yang writes for the UC Berkeley News Center.

HIDDEN VALLEY LAKE, Calif. – A 19-year-old Clearlake woman died and two other young women were injured in a single-vehicle crash Tuesday night near Hidden Valley Lake.

Leah Davidson Hernandez died at the scene of the wreck, which occurred just before 7 p.m. on Highway 29 north of the Spruce Grove Road Extension and Arabian Lane, according to the California Highway Patrol.

The driver in the crash, 23-year-old Nina A. Litzin of Clearlake, was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence, the CHP reported.

Hernandez was riding in the front passenger seat of a 1997 Chrysler Sebring convertible which Litzin was driving, with Tamara L. Davidson, 21, also of Clearlake, riding in the backseat, the CHP said.

The CHP investigation determined that Litzin was driving the Chrysler southbound in a reckless manner when she lost control.

A driver reported to the CHP that a vehicle was swerving behind them, attempted to pass and then went off the roadway and over an embankment.

The CHP said Litzin's Chrysler went off the west roadway edge, narrowly missing a guardrail.

The car continued down the embankment, hitting a tree and several rocks, before it rolled over and Hernandez was ejected from the vehicle, sustaining fatal injuries, according to the report.

The CHP said Litzin suffered a broken back and Davidson sustained minor injuries. Both were flown out to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital in separate REACH air ambulances.

Before she was transported, Litzin was placed under arrest, the CHP said.

The CHP said it's still trying to determine whether the women were using seatbelts.

The crash's exact cause also is still under investigation, the agency said.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

On Tuesday state Sen. Noreen Evans (D-Santa Rosa) and state Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto) unveiled a budget proposal to keep open up to 50 state parks slated for closure this year while providing a stable and long-term funding solution that will keep all parks open.

As many as 70 state parks had been slated for closure beginning July 1, 2012. Among them is Anderson Marsh State Historic Park, which the Anderson Marsh Interpretive Association is negotiating with the state to run.

The essence of Evans' and Simitian's “Sustainable Parks Proposal” is:

Providing assistance to non-profit partners working for operating agreements for state parks;

• Finding “new ways of working” in the parks, including allowing parks to become more entrepreneurial and allowing more personnel flexibility;
• Accessing up to $121 million of existing funding sources that may be appropriately used for park purposes over a five year period, including using up to $10 million/year of existing funds collected the Motor Vehicle Account, $21 million from the Local Assistance Program, and $10 million/year from the Clean Water Revolving Loan Fund.

The Sustainable Parks Proposal will be up in Senate Budget Subcommittee No. 2 on Resources, Environmental Protection, Energy and Transportation, which is chaired by Simitian, on Wednesday, May 9, at 2:30 p.m. in room 4203 in the State Capitol.

“This plan is worthy of the legacy that has been left in our trust,” said Evans, who represents the North Coast, including Lake County, in the California Senate “I am thankful for Sen. Simitian’s dedication to a solution-oriented and sustainable long term funding plan to keep parks open and thriving. Utilizing existing funds, providing flexibility and giving needed assistance to our nonprofit partners will keep parks in the public trust for generations to come.”

“It’s unacceptable to imagine putting up the ‘closed’ sign on these precious public resources,” said Simitian. “It’s also penny-wise and pound foolish. Closed parks are easy prey for crime, fire and vandalism. If we work together creatively to keep these parks open, we can prevent the kind of problems that will end up costing California far more in the long run.”

Simitian noted as well that state parks “are an extraordinary economic asset for California. They pump tourism and hospitality dollars into the economy, and create jobs in the process.”

The proposal also would give Californians voluntary opportunities to support the parks. Under the proposal, Californians could purchase a specialty parks license plate for a fee and give a voluntary donation at the time of their vehicle renewal.

“I believe this is a solid proposal that will set the financial foundation for saving our parks,” continued Evans.  “In the short term, we will be able to keep most of our parks open this year, and in the long run, it will help make our park system stronger and more creative.”

Last May, the Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) announced that 70 parks would close due to budget cuts.

Since then, nonprofit organizations and the public, as well as local and federal agencies, have stepped up efforts to find ways to fund the parks – many signing operating agreements with the state – and the number of parks slated to shut dropped to 54 last month.

To help encourage these community efforts, the proposal would also include extending liability coverage to local and nonprofit agencies that work in partnership to manage the parks.

“The effort that the California Parks Foundation and other nonprofit organizations have put forward to keep parks open has been nothing short of heroic,” said Simitian. “Their hard work and innovation are the good news in these tough budget times. We want to continue to encourage these creative partnerships. The state parks belong to all of us, and we’re all going to have to work together to keep them going.”

Evans is the author of two bills complimentary to the Sustainable Parks Proposal. SB 974 requires transparency and public involvement in future closures and a planning process to reopen parks. SB 1078 helps focus DPR on innovative revenue generation projects.

A full copy of the eight-point Sustainable Parks Proposal can be seen below.

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – A Clearlake man was arrested Tuesday morning for allegedly stabbing his ex-girlfriend and a man in a homeless encampment.

Anthony Kropaczewski, 42, was arrested in the case, according to a report from Det. Ryan Peterson of the Clearlake Police Department.

Peterson reported that Clearlake Police officers on Tuesday responded to the area of Ray’s Food Place on the report of a male and female in a verbal fight. Witnesses reported that the female appeared to have blood on her face.  

Once officers arrived they located a female, identified as 29-year-old Rachel Patterson of Clearlake, who advised officers that she had been stabbed in the stomach in the homeless encampment behind Ray’s Food Place. Patterson identified the person who stabbed her as Kropaczewski, her ex-boyfriend, Peterson reported.

Lake County Fire medical personnel arrived and transported Patterson to St. Helena Hospital Clearlake for medical treatment. She subsequently was flown via REACH air ambulance to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital due to the injuries, according to Peterson's report. Patterson later was released from Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital after she was medically treated.  

During the investigation, Peterson said police officers were advised by a bystander that a second possible stabbing victim was located in the same homeless encampment where Patterson had been assaulted.

Officers responded and located 31-year-old Clearlake resident Brian Fitzke. Peterson said Lake County Fire medical personnel responded to attend to Fitzke’s injuries, which were determined not to be life threatening and he was not transported to a medical facility.  

Fitzke also identified Kropaczewski as the person who had stabbed him, Peterson said.

Kropaczewski was located and detained at his residence. After in-field lineups were conducted and statements from witnesses were obtained, Kropaczewski was placed under arrest for violations including criminal threats, domestic violence, assault with a deadly weapon and possession of a concealed dagger, according to Peterson.

With Kropaczewski’s assistance, the knife used in this incident was located and booked into evidence at the Clearlake Police Department, Peterson said.

Anyone with information in regard to this incident is requested to contact Peterson at the Clearlake Police Department, 707-994-8251.

NICE, Calif. – On Tuesday several families that had been subject to tribal disenrollment several years ago were evicted from their homes on Robinson Rancheria.

Tribal member E.J. Crandell said about five homes were evicted beginning Tuesday morning.

The tenants evicted on Tuesday were tribal members disenrolled in late 2008, including Karen Ramos, Inez Sands, Robert Quitiquit and Reuban Want, Crandell said.

The home of Luwana Quitiquit, who had died in December, also was targeted for the eviction, according to Crandell.

Sgt. Steve Brooks of the Lake County Sheriff's Office said the evictions were conducted by the Robinson Rancheria Police Department and the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

He said personnel from the Lake County Sheriff’s Office were present during the evictions and acting in a support role only. Brooks said they were only on scene in case a crime was committed against the officials who were conducting the evictions.

Northshore Fire was staged in case of emergency, according to Chief Jay Beristianos.

District Attorney's Office staff also were reported to be on scene, Crandell said.

The disenrollments arose in the wake of a disputed June 2008 election during which Crandell challenged Tribal Chair Tracey Avila.

Crandell won the election, which he alleged later was overturned by an election committee composed of Avila's family members.

The tribal council, led by Avila, later would disenroll approximately 67 individuals, one of them posthumously.

An effort to evict the families began after the Bureau of Indian Affairs upheld the disenrollments. The tribal council formed a tribal court, which ruled against the five tenants in January 2011, according to court documents.

In documents associated with a federal court action the tribe brought against the tenants in August 2011, the tribe alleged that it was evicting the group for failure to pay a monthly administration fee as rent in violation of tenant agreements.

However, the tenants argued in their response that they resided in homes they contracted to purchase through a federally funded, low-income housing program, and that they were actually targeted because they had been disenrolled.

That federal case was dismissed, on the agreement of both parties, this past March.

Crandell said tenants were presented with eviction documents from the tribal court. He said the documents had not been presented to the group's current attorney.

The move comes less than a week before tribal leaders are set to meet as part of the Lake County Indian Gaming Local Community Benefit Committee to discuss giving grants from the Indian Gaming Special Distribution Fund – to which Robinson Rancheria and Big Valley Rancheria contribute – to local agencies. Both the sheriff's office and the District Attorney's Office have applied for those funds.

That meeting is set to take place at 9 a.m. Monday, May 14, in conference room B in the Lake County Courthouse, 255 N. Forbes St., Lakeport.

Last year, a dispute between Sheriff Frank Rivero and Robinson Rancheria resulted in his department getting none of the funds, as Lake County News has reported.

Avila, meanwhile, is scheduled to appear in court later this month for the scheduling of a preliminary hearing in a felony grand theft case against her.

She is alleged to have stolen more than $60,000 from the Elem Indian Colony of Pomo Indians in Clearlake Oaks while she worked for that tribe as a fiscal officer from February 2006 to September 2008.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Nearly two dozen of Lake County's most valued volunteers and leaders were honored during the Stars of Lake County Awards ceremony, held Sunday night in Clearlake Oaks.

Humanitarians, students, volunteers and those who have given of themselves over the years were celebrated during the Sunday reception and dinner.

The winners are listed below.

• Humanitarian of the Year: Dr. Paula Dhanda, Kelseyville
• Senior of the Year: Janet Taylor, Lakeport
• Volunteer of the Year: Phyllis Kelsey, Middletown
• Female Student: Cheyanne Horvath, Cobb
• Male Student: Eli Wade, Clearlake
• Youth Advocate – Professional: Bill MacDougall, Kelseyville
• Youth Advocate – Volunteer: Bill Stone and Alvaro Valencia, Clearlake
• Agriculture Award: Farm to School Program, Kelseyville
• Organization – Nonprofit: Healthy Start, Lakeport
• Organization – Volunteer: Any Positive Change, Lower Lake
• Environmental Award    : Gae Henry and Henry Bornstein, Anderson Marsh Interpretive Association, Lower Lake
• New Business    of the Year: 2 Women Traders, Middletown
• Small Business of the Year: Here for the Holidays/Accents on the Lake, Kelseyville
• Large Business of the Year: Calpine Corp., Middletown
• Best Idea of the Year: Window Treatments for Vacant Storefronts, Lake County
• Local Hero Award: Amy Zingone, Clearlake Oaks
• Arts Award – Professional: Verna Wicks-De Martino, Lakeport
• Arts Award – Amateur: Lake County Quilt Trail
• Spirit of Lake County: Voris Brumfield
• Selection Committee Special Award: John Fulton
• Woman of the Year: Antoinette Funderburg, Lakeport
• Man of the Year: Tom Lincoln, Lakeport
• Lifetime Achievement: Stephen R. Elias, Esquire, Lakeport

LAKEPORT, Calif. – An elderly Lakeport man had to be flown to a regional trauma center for treatment Tuesday night after falling from his sailboat and spending several hours in Clear Lake.

The 77-year-old man, whose name was not released, was found by paramedics in tules near Konocti Vista Casino’s marina at around 9:30 p.m. Tuesday, according to Dan Copas, a firefighter/paramedic with Lakeport Fire Protection District.

About an hour before the man was located firefighters and sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to the casino on the report of a subject in the water near the marina.

Copas said nine Lakeport Fire personnel, along with an engine and two medic units, responded to the scene to look for the man.

Copas said the man had launched his sailboat between 4 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. with his daughter’s help, then went sailing by himself.

The circumstances that led to the man falling into the water aren’t entirely clear, but Copas said the information emergency personnel received indicated that a rope on one of the boat’s sails broke and the man went to fix it.

From there, they aren’t sure if he was knocked into the water or lost his balance and fell, Copas said.

“He was out there for an extended period of time,” said Copas.

Just how long he was in the water wasn’t certain, but Copas estimated four to five hours.

The man’s daughter went looking for him, found him and tried unsuccessfully to get him into her boat, Copas said.

She then tried to drag her father’s sailboat to shore, which Copas said also didn’t work.

Next, the woman gave her father a rope and towed him to shore. Copas said she somehow managed to get 150 feet into the tules, near a tree. She tied a life vest in the area as a marker.

“So we ended up finding him in the tules in about a foot of water, lying down,” said Copas.

Copas and two others got out of the sheriff’s boat being used in the search and swam through the water and tules to reach the man.

It took them quite a while to locate the man, Copas said.

“We had to find our way to him because he was not visible from the water at all,” Copas said.

When they did find him he was hypothermic, Copas said.

Paramedics got the man to shore at Konocti Vista, and Copas said the man was flown by REACH air ambulance to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital.

There was no word on his condition Wednesday.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

LUCERNE, Calif. – Three people were injured as the result of a Tuesday night crash between a motorcycle and a vehicle in Lucerne.

The head-on wreck was reported at about 8:45 p.m. on Highway 20 at Oakcrest Drive, according to the California Highway Patrol.

Both lanes of traffic were blocked as Northshore Fire Protection District firefighters and the CHP responded to the scene, radio reports indicated.

REACH and CalStar air ambulances responded, landing at Lucerne Harbor Park.

Two of the crash victims were subsequently flown to regional trauma centers, according to radio reports. A third patient was transported to Sutter Lakeside Hospital.

The CHP said the highway was reopened shortly before 9:30 p.m., with fire officials clearing the scene about an hour after the call was first dispatched.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake County Animal Care and Control is featuring a number of friendly, adoptable cats for adoption this week.

Through Friday, May 11, the county is waiving the county adoption fee, which reduces the overall cost to adopt a cat by $20.

Cats that are adopted from Lake County Animal Care and Control are either neutered or spayed and microchipped before being released to their new owner. License fees do not apply to residents of the cities of Lakeport or Clearlake .

If you're looking for a new companion, visit the shelter. There are many great pets there, hoping you'll choose them.

The following cats at the Lake County Animal Care and Control shelter have been cleared for adoption (other cats pictured on the animal control Web site that are not listed here are still “on hold”).

Gray domestic short hair mix

This male gray domestic short hair mix is 8 weeks old.

He has blue eyes, weighs 1 pound and has not yet been altered.

He’s in cat room kennel No. 100a, ID 32478.

Female tabby kitten

This gray and black female tabby is 8 weeks old.

She has blue eyes and is not yet spayed.

Find her in cat room kennel No. 100b, ID No. 32479.

Male orange tabby

This male orange tabby is 7 months old.

He has a short coat, gold eyes and has been neutered.

Find him in cat room kennel No. 1, ID No. 32499.

Female black domestic short hair mix kitten

This female domestic short hair mix is 12 weeks old.

She weighs nearly 2 pounds and has been spayed.

She is in cat room kennel No. 52b, ID No. 32501.

Male black domestic short hair mix kitten

This male domestic short hair mix is 12 weeks old.

He weighs 2.2 pounds and has been neutered.

Find him in cat room kennel No. 52c, ID No. 32502.

Black female short hair

This black domestic short hair mix is 1 year old.

She weighs 8 pounds and has been spayed.

Shelter staff said she is a very mellow cat that would like nothing more in life than to curl up on the couch or chair. She also likes to sit in your lap.

Find her in cat room kennel No. 13, ID No. 32378.

Gray female tabby

This gray female tabby is 2 years old.

She has a short coat, weighs 7 pounds and has been spayed.

Shelter staff said she is playful and enjoys the company of other cats.

She is in cat room kennel No. 16, ID No. 32431.

Gray domestic short hair

This male domestic short hair mix is 11 months old.

He weighs 5.4 pounds, has green eyes and has been neutered.

See him in cat room kennel No. 40, ID No. 32494.

Brown male tabby

This brown male tabby is 2 years old.

He has green eyes, a medium-length coat and has not yet been altered.

Find him in cat room kennel No. 8, ID No. 32632.

Lynx point Siamese

This female lynx point Siamese is 1 year old.

She has blue eyes and a short coat.

She is in cat room kennel No. 7, ID No. 32558.

Adoptable cats also can be seen at http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Animal_Care_And_Control/Adopt/Cats_and_Kittens.htm or at www.petfinder.com .

Please note: Cats listed at the shelter's Web page that are said to be “on hold” are not yet cleared for adoption.

To fill out an adoption application online visit http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Animal_Care_And_Control/Adopt/Dog___Cat_Adoption_Application.htm .

Lake County Animal Care and Control is located at 4949 Helbush in Lakeport, next to the Hill Road Correctional Facility.

Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday. The shelter is open from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and on Saturday from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Visit the shelter online at http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Animal_Care_And_Control.htm .

For more information call Lake County Animal Care and Control at 707-263-0278.

LUCERNE, Calif. – A Lucerne woman whose vehicle collided with a motorcycle in Lucerne Tuesday night has been arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence.

Jolyn Jennifer Johnson, 31, was arrested after being treated at Sutter Lakeside Hospital for injuries she received in the wreck, which the California Highway Patrol said occurred at 8:45 p.m. Tuesday.

Johnson hit a 2003 Harley Davidson motorcycle ridden by Orland residents Bobby Glen Hendry Jr., 33, and Terra Noel England, 24, injuring both, the CHP said.

The CHP report said Johnson was driving her 2004 Infiniti eastbound on Highway 20. As she was making a left turn onto Oak Crest Avenue she pulled directly into the path of the motorcycle, driven by Hendry.

Hendry was unable to avoid the collision and the right front of Johnson’s Infiniti hit the front of the motorcycle, the CHP said.

The crash’s impact caused both Hendry and England to be thrown from the motorcycle and into the westbound lane of traffic, according to the CHP report.

Two air ambulances landed at Lucerne Harbor Park and transported Hendry and England to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital for treatment of moderate injuries, the CHP reported.

The CHP said Hendry was knocked unconscious, and suffered a laceration to his left knee and abrasions. England had a fractured right arm, and complained of pain to her left leg and hip.

Johnson was transported to Sutter Lakeside Hospital where she was treated for neck and back pain, the CHP said. She subsequently was arrested for DUI.

The crash in Lucerne was one of two serious wrecks occurring in the county on Tuesday night, both involving allegations of driving under the influence.

An earlier crash near Hidden Valley Lake claimed the life of 19-year-old Leah Hernandez of Clearlake, as Lake County News has reported.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Unusual cloud formations and vivid rainbow colors in the sky got the attention of many county residents on Tuesday.

A picture taken by Joe Steiner was posted by friend Shannon Kimbell-Auth on Facebook Tuesday. It showed a mass of clouds with an explosion of color.

Pictures Lakeport resident Russell Bishop posted on his Facebook page also showed the colors against an unusual cloud column.

Lake County News asked Alan Buis, a spokesman for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Jet Propulsion Laboratory at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, about the cloud formations and what they were.

Buis consulted with a number of scientists, and Steve LaDochy, a meteorologist at California State University, Los Angeles, and a Jet Propulsion Lab employee, offered the scientific explanation of what Lake County residents witnessed.

In Steiner's photo, what's seen is cloud iridescence, which is diffraction of sunlight by different sized cloud droplets. The typical clouds associated with cloud iridescence are cirrocumulus and altocumulus, LaDochy explained in an email.

Regarding the cloud shown in Bishop's photo, LaDochy notes in his email response, “I’ve seen these in Canada, but not quite like this down here. It is called a circumzenithal arc and is associated with ice crystals (often in thin cirrus clouds at very cold temperatures).”

He said the ice crystals cause a refraction of sunlight that enters the top of plate-like crystals and exits out one of its sides. It requires a fairly low sun, at less than 32 degrees, to accomplish it.

“A more common refraction is a halo around the sun due to ice crustals or sundogs, where the halo is brightest on the sides of the halo making it look like 3 suns. Romans thought this brought good luck,” LaDochy said.

The ice crystals that give rise to the optical wonders come from cirrus clouds high in the atmosphere, where temperatures are below -20 degrees Fahrenheit, LaDochy explained.

“They are not rain clouds, but can cause some pretty optical effects when the sun shines through them. Sometimes contrails will get a bit of these effects, but not often,” He said.

LaDochy added, “People should look up more often.”

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

COBB, Calif. – A quake that followed a larger 4.5-magnitude earthquake early Saturday, May 5, has been upgraded in size.

The U.S. Geological Survey reported Monday evening that an earthquake it originally had reported as 2.3 in magnitude – occurring just a minute after the 4.5 magnitude quake Saturday – was in fact a 3.3.

The 4.5-magnitude temblor was centered three miles east of The Geysers geothermal steamfield and three miles southwest of Cobb, the U.S. Geological Survey reported.

The 3.3-magnitude quake that followed – the largest of numerous aftershocks – was centered two miles east of The Geysers and four miles southwest of Cobb, according to the agency's report.

The larger quake elicited 220 shake reports from 46 zip codes, but as of Monday evening the U.S. Geological Survey had not received shake reports on the 3.3-magnitude quake.

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