When it comes to buckling up, daily efforts by the public and the California Highway Patrol (CHP) are making a difference.

Every click of a seat belt represents another life potentially saved, and the CHP said that's a trend it is striving to continue throughout the state.

“Motorists are to be commended because seat belt usage is at an all time high in California,” said CHP Commissioner Farrow. “However, there are still a small percentage of people who have yet to realize the benefits of passenger restraints and continue to ignore the warnings about not buckling up. This education and enforcement campaign is aimed at saving their lives.”   

To assist in this safety mission through September 30, 2012, the CHP has obtained the Vehicle Occupant Restraint Education and Instruction (VOREI) grant.

The money from this grant will be used to support statewide community outreach and enforcement efforts by CHP officers who will encourage Californians to not only buckle up themselves, but to ensure their passengers are properly secured as well, the CHP said.

The grant also will provide child passenger safety certification training to personnel from CHP and other law enforcement agencies.

According to data from the Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System, an average of five vehicle occupants were killed in collisions everyday in California during 2009 (the most recent year for which finalized data is available).

Among those five vehicle occupants killed daily, statistics indicate at least one of them was not properly secured inside the vehicle.

In addition to lives lost for failure to wear a seat belt, hundreds of citations are issued daily. The cost of a citation for an adult not wearing a seat belt is at a minimum $142, while the cost of a ticket for an unrestrained child under 16 starts at $474, along with a point against your driving record.

“This is an unnecessary risk and a needless expense,” added Commissioner Farrow. “Buckle up, it saves lives.”

Funding for this campaign is provided by the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

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CLEARLAKE, Calif. – On Wednesday Golden State Water Co. will break ground on a new $418,600 pipeline replacement project as part of its infrastructure improvement plan for its Clearlake Customer Service Area.

The project involves installing 2,175 feet of new 8-inch diameter pipeline at San Joaquin Avenue east of the intersection of Lakeshore Drive at Island Drive, proceeding east to Parkview Drive and Park Terrace Drive at 12480 San Joaquin Ave., the company reported.

Existing 2-inch steel water mains that are more than 50 years old will be replaced with new polyvinyl chloride pipe (PVC), Golden State Water said.

The company said the replacement project will result in reduced leaks and improved fire protection for the Clearlake Customer Service Area.

In addition to this project, which was budgeted in a previous year, Golden State is authorized to invest another $480,000 in local improvements in 2012. More information about these projects is available at www.gswater.com/csa_homepages/clearlake.html.

“This project is one of several scheduled in our Clearlake Water System this year to help us maintain our critical infrastructure for our customers,” said Golden State Water Company District Manager Paul Schubert.

Golden State believes that proactive system maintenance is critical to protecting water service now and for future generations. Delaying or deferring needed improvements can be more costly and jeopardize water quality.

The work will consist of cutting through the existing concrete to remove the older pipeline and to install the new one.

The streets will remain open to traffic during the construction period but traffic and parking may be restricted during the working hours. The construction crews will make every effort to keep dust to a minimum.

Residents may experience periods with an increased level of noise during construction. Weekly activities such as trash pickup will not be interrupted.
The work is scheduled to last up to 45 days. Normal water service will not be interrupted except as needed to connect the new water mains to the existing system.

Customers will receive advance notification if their service will be temporarily interrupted.

Customers with questions about the project can call Golden State’s 24-hour Customer Service Center at 800-999-4033.

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – California members of Congress have stepped up their demands for help for homeowners amid the continuing national foreclosure crisis that has impacted millions of Americans.

A unilateral decision by Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) to block all forms of principal writedown for loans backed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac has prevented the housing market from recovering more quickly, said U.S. Reps. George Miller (D-Martinez) and Mike Thompson (D-St. Helena), who on Monday ramped up pressure on the FHFA to reverse the decision that has stymied a more buoyant housing recovery.

Miller and Thompson joined Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Place) and more than 110 Democratic members of Congress in writing to FHFA Acting Director Ed DeMarco on Monday urging him to allow Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to engage in principal forgiveness in cases where it benefits both homeowners and taxpayers.

DeMarco has categorically prevented principal reduction on Fannie- and Freddie-backed loans despite the fact that his own analysis shows that a properly structured principal reduction program could save billions of taxpayer dollars compared to sending underwater homeowners into foreclosure.

The lawmakers wrote, “Despite this weight of expert opinion, you have refused to permit Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to write down the principal balances of any underwater mortgages, even in cases where it can be demonstrated that doing so would yield the greatest long-term savings for taxpayers … Your unilateral decision to block all forms of principal write-down has prevented the housing market from recovering more quickly.”

Miller, who helped lead the charge on the issue among his colleagues, said “We cannot allow this crisis to continue. It’s time for Director DeMarco to get to work on stabilizing the housing market and providing real help to homeowners. It makes no sense to send families in the Bay Area and across the country into foreclosure simply because one regulator is ideologically opposed to solutions that work better for everyone. This is a serious issue for too many families and for our country – the FHFA should take it seriously as well.”

“The FHFA’s refusal to help underwater homeowners is slowing our economic recovery and costing taxpayers billions of dollars as more and more homes are sent into foreclosure,” said Thompson. “We need a responsible principal reduction plan that will help keep people in their homes and keep neighborhood values up – it is good for homeowners, good for communities and good for our economy.”

“Our country faces a national foreclosure crisis,” the lawmakers also wrote in the letter. “The American people expect government officials, whether elected or part of the civil service, to solve the complex problems that our nation confronts. We therefore urge you to harness your agency’s powers, resources, and financial expertise to prevent more foreclosures and reduce negative equity.”

The letter sent Monday is part of ongoing efforts by California Democrats pressuring the FHFA to make the best decisions on behalf of homeowners. Most recently, the lawmakers wrote to President Obama asking for a recess appointment of a new FHFA director.

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California Attorney General Kamala D. Harris on Wednesday announced the California Homeowner Bill of Rights designed to protect homeowners from unfair practices by banks and mortgage companies and to help consumers and communities cope with the state's urgent mortgage and foreclosure crisis.

Joined by Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg and Assembly Speaker John A. Pérez, Attorney General Harris announced her sponsorship of six bills designed to guarantee:

• Basic standards of fairness in the mortgage process, including an end to dual-track foreclosures.
• Transparency in the mortgage process, including a single point of contact for homeowners.
• Community tools to prevent blight after banks foreclose upon homes.
• Tenant protections after foreclosures.
• Enhanced law enforcement to defend homeowner rights – paid for by fees imposed on banks.
• A special grand jury to investigate financial and foreclosure crime.

"California communities and families are being devastated by the mortgage and foreclosure crisis. We must ensure the deceptive practices that caused it never happen again," said Attorney General Harris. "The California Homeowner Bill of Rights will provide basic fairness and transparency for homeowners, and improve the mortgage process for everyone."

The legislation builds on the California commitment announced by Attorney General Harris earlier this month, which is expected to result in $18 billion of benefits for California homeowners.

That agreement included reforms for mortgages owned by the five banks that were signing parties. The California Homeowner Bill of Rights will strengthen those protections, make them permanent, and apply them to all mortgages in the state.

"When I secured the California commitment, I made clear it was only one of many steps I am taking to comprehensively address the mortgage and foreclosure crisis," Harris said. "I want to thank Senate President Pro Tem Steinberg, Assembly Speaker Pérez and all the other lawmakers who are supporting this urgent package of legislation for homeowners."

"I want to congratulate the Attorney General on the victory she won on behalf of the people of California," said Speaker John A. Pérez. "Our state has suffered greatly as the result of bad actors in the banking and financial industries, and this settlement holds them accountable as we continue the difficult work of recovering the housing market and stemming the tide of foreclosures, evictions and auctions."

"Millions of Californians have already lost their homes to foreclosure and the mortgage crisis is far from over," said Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg. "This landmark settlement negotiated by Attorney General Harris helps thousands of Californians but thousands more need the same help. We need to put these protections into law so that more people can save their homes."

CALIFORNIA HOMEOWNER BILL OF RIGHTS LEGISLATIVE PACKAGE

ASSEMBLY BILL 1602 / SENATE BILL 1470- THE FORECLOSURE REDUCTION ACT OF 2012

Authors: Assemblymen Mike Eng and Mike Feuer; Senators Mark Leno, Fran Pavley and Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg.

• Requires creditors to provide documentation to a borrower that establishes the creditor's right to foreclose on real property prior to recording a notice of default.
• Requires creditors to provide documentary evidence of ownership, the chain of title to real property, and the right to foreclose, at the time of the filing of a notice of default.
• Prohibits creditors from recording a notice of default when a timely-filed application for a loan modification or other loss mitigation measure is pending.
• Prohibits creditors from recording a notice of sale when a timely-filed application for a loan modification or other loss mitigation measure is pending.
• Prohibits creditors from recording a notice of sale while a borrower is in compliance with the terms of a trial loan modification or after another loss mitigation measure has been approved.
• Requires creditors to disclose why an application for a loan modification or other loss mitigation measure has been denied.
• Requires that notices of foreclosure sales be personally served, including notices of foreclosure sale postponement.
• Provides homeowners with a private right of action in instances in which the requirements set forth in the legislation are not followed

ASSEMBLY BILL 2425 / SENATE BILL 1471 - DUE PROCESS REFORM LEGISLATION

Authors: Assemblywoman Holly Mitchell; Senators Mark DeSaulnier and Fran Pavley.

• Requires creditors to provide a single point of contact to borrowers in the foreclosure process who will be responsible for providing accurate account and other information related to the foreclosure process and loss mitigation efforts.
• Requires creditors to provide a dedicated electronic mail address, facsimile number and mailing address for borrowers to submit information requested as part of a loan modification, short sale or other loss mitigation option.
• Authorizes borrowers to challenge the unlawful commencement of a foreclosure process in court.
• Imposes a $10,000 civil penalty on the recordation or filing of "robosigned" documents, defined as documents that contain information that was not verified for accuracy by the person or persons signing or swearing to the accuracy of the document or statement.
• Requires that certain documents be recorded in a county recorder's office.

ASSEMBLY BILL 2314 / SENATE BILL 1472 - BLIGHT PREVENTION LEGISLATION

Authors: Assemblywoman Wilmer Carter; Senator Fran Pavley.

• Prevents blight enforcement actions from being taken against new purchasers of blighted property for 60 days, provided that repairs are being made to the property.
• Requires banks that release liens on foreclosed property to inform local code enforcement agencies of the release so that demolition of blighted property can proceed.
• Increases fines against owners of blighted property from $1,000 per day to $5,000 per day, and allow the imposition of the costs of a receivership over blighted property to be imposed directly against the owner of blighted property.

ASSEMBLY BILL 2610/ SENATE BILL 1473 - TENANT PROTECTION LEGISLATION

Authors: Assemblywoman Nancy Skinner; Senator Loni Hancock.

• Requires purchasers of foreclosed homes to honor the terms of existing leases and give tenants at least 90 days notice before commencing eviction proceedings.

ASSEMBLY BILL 1950 - ENHANCEMENT OF ATTORNEY GENERAL ENFORCEMENT

Author: Assemblyman Mike Davis.

• Imposes a new $25 fee to be paid by servicers upon the recording of a notice of default. The fee would be deposited into a real estate fraud prosecution trust fund that would support the Attorney General's efforts to deter, investigate and prosecute real estate fraud crimes, including the work of the Mortgage Fraud Strike Force.
• Extends the statute of limitations from one year to four years from the date of discovery for violations of law commonly occurring in connection with foreclosure-related scams, including acting as a real-estate agent without a license and charging up-front fees for loan modification services.

SENATE BILL 1474 / ASSEMBLY BILL 1763 - ATTORNEY GENERAL SPECIAL GRAND JURY

Authors: Assemblyman Mike Davis; Senator Loni Hancock.

• Authorizes the attorney general to impanel a special grand jury for the purposes of investigating and indicting multi-jurisdictional financial crimes against the state.

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SACRAMENTO – Department of Water Resources snow surveyors on Tuesday confirmed that California’s mountain snowpack holds far less water than normal for this time of year.

Manual and electronic readings show that statewide, snowpack water content is only 30 percent of historic readings for the date.

That is a mere 26 percent of the average April 1 measurement, when the snowpack is normally at its peak before it begins to melt with rising spring temperatures, the state reported.

“The weather news so far this winter has not been good,” said DWR Director Mark Cowin. “We still have good reservoir storage due to last winter’s storms, but we would like to see more rain and snow this season.”

Due to persistent dry weather, DWR on Feb. 22 dropped by 10 percent its estimate of the amount of water the State Water Project (SWP) will deliver this calendar year.

The delivery estimate – or allocation – was reduced from 60 percent to 50 percent of the slightly more than 4 million acre-feet of water requested by the 29 public agencies that supply more than 25 million Californians and nearly a million acres of irrigated farmland. An acre-foot is 325,851 gallons, enough to cover one acre to a depth of one foot.

The 50 percent allocation is not severely low, and could be increased if late season storms significantly improve hydrologic conditions.

One area visited by DWR snow surveyors on Tuesday was off Highway 50 near Echo Summit, approximately 90 miles east of Sacramento.  

Electronic readings from remote sensors indicate that snowpack water content in the northern mountain ranges is 31 percent of normal for the date and 28 percent of the April 1 seasonal average.

Electronic readings for the central Sierra show 26 percent of normal for the date and 23 percent of the April 1 average.

The numbers for the southern Sierra are 33 percent of average for the date and 28 percent of the April 1 average.

Statewide, the snowpack water content is 30 percent of normal for the date and 26 percent of the April 1 average.

DWR and cooperating agencies conduct manual snow surveys around the first of the month from January to May.  The manual surveys supplement and check the accuracy of real-time electronic readings.

Mountain snow that melts into streams, reservoirs and aquifers in spring and summer normally provides approximately one-third of the water for California’s households, farms and industries.

But unless conditions change this winter, water from the snowpack will be substantially less than normal this year, DWR reported.

One bright spot is good reservoir storage carried over from last winter.

Lake Oroville in Butte County, the State Water Project’s principal storage reservoir, is at 100 percent of average for the date (71 percent of its 3.5 million acre-foot capacity), Lake Shasta north of Redding, the federal Central Valley Project’s largest reservoir with a capacity of 4.5 million acre-feet, is at 94 percent of its normal storage level for the date (69 percent of capacity), according to DWR.

San Luis Reservoir in Merced County, an important storage reservoir south of the Delta, is at 99 percent of average for the date (85 percent of its capacity of 2,027,840 acre-feet). DWR said San Luis is a critically important source of water for both the State Water Project and Central Valley Project when pumping from the Delta is restricted or interrupted.

Statewide, reservoir storage is 110 percent of normal for the date.

Unusually wet conditions last winter allowed the State Water Project to deliver 80 percent of the slightly more than 4 million acre-feet requested for calendar year 2011.

The final allocation was 50 percent in 2010, 40 percent in 2009, 35 percent in 2008, and 60 percent in 2007.

The last 100 percent allocation – difficult to achieve even in wet years because of fishery agency restrictions on Delta pumping to protect threatened and endangered fish – was in 2006.

This winter’s unusually dry conditions to date have principally been caused by a high pressure ridge along California’s coast that has diverted most storms to the north.

Electronic snowpack readings are available on the Internet at http://cdec.water.ca.gov/cgi-progs/snow/DLYSWEQ.

Electronic reservoir level readings may be found at http://cdec.water.ca.gov/cdecapp/resapp/getResGraphsMain.action.

See DWR’s new Water Conditions page at http://www.water.ca.gov/waterconditions/ .

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KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – Two proposed American Viticultural Areas (AVAs) in Lake County are a step closer to becoming established, the Lake County Winegrape Commission has learned.

Such designations can be very beneficial to the county’s wine industry, according to consultants who have been seeking the establishment of the AVAs.

The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) of the U.S. Department of the Treasury recently informed the commission that it has completed its initial review of the petitions for the “Kelsey Bench – Lake County” and “Big Valley District – Lake County” AVAs.

In a letter dated Jan. 30, 1012, Gerald Isenberg, TTB director of the Regulations and Rulings Division, informed the commission that the petitions for establishment of the AVAs “meet TTB’s regulatory requirements for AVA petitions.”

The letter goes on to say that the TTB has determined that the petitions “contain sufficient supporting information for the TTB to proceed with rulemaking for the proposed AVAs.”

The news has given the commission hope for succeeding with this project, said Shannon Gunier, president of the Lake County Winegrape Commission.

There are more than 50 winegrape growers in the Big Valley area who stand to gain much deserved notoriety for their unique terroir if the AVA designation is obtained, she said.

The commission president noted that members of the organization, led by consultants Terry Dereniuk and Rick Gunier, have been working toward this goal for more than two years.

“We are thrilled that we got this far,” said Rick Gunier of CPI Marketing. “The fact that the TTB acknowledges we have written a worthwhile argument for these AVAs is the first big hurdle. Although we still have to remain optimistic (that final approval will occur), this step goes a long way in recognizing that Big Valley and Kelsey Bench are distinctive AVAs from which premium wines are produced.”

There are several advantages to establishing an AVA, according to Dereniuk, commenting on the news from the TTB.

She said she sees each of the AVAs as providing benefits on three levels.

The first is to the winegrape grower. Because an AVA defines the distinguishing features of an area, the farmer growing grapes within the AVA “will have more of a story to tell,” she said. That AVA allows the grower to define his or her story and “tie it to the land.”

The second level of benefit is for the winery that uses grapes from the AVA. With the winery, the message or story is “amplified” and the winery can use it to distinguish itself from other wineries “down the road.”'

The consumers make up the third level of benefit, said Dereniuk. “They want to know where their food, and that includes wine, comes from,” she said, “not only from the perspective of food safety and sustainability but also about the unique characteristics that define grapes grown in a particular AVA.”

“After 20 years of growing premium winegrapes, the two areas are finally getting the recognition they deserve with their unique attributes,” Rick Gunier noted, “the Big Valley region with its fertile soil from the old lake bed and the Kelsey Bench region with its rich volcanic soil resulting from some of the most recent flow from Mount Konocti.”

The attributes are detailed in one of the Talking Points brochures created by the commission.

It states, “Big Valley’s mix of gravel, clay and loam, bright sunlight from the 1,400 feet elevation, and cool nights produces remarkable Sauvignon Blancs, establishing Lake County as one of the premier California regions for the varietal. Volcanic Kelsey Bench and the gravel seams in Big Valley produce intense and balanced Zinfandels and Cabernet Francs. Big Valley growers were among the first visionaries to discover the region’s winegrape potential and began planting vineyards in the 1960s, the first in Lake County since Prohibition.”

An added benefit to the designation, says Rick Gunier, is that as Lake County winegrape acreage approaches 9,000 acres, future wines that carry the Big Valley – Lake County and Kelsey Bench – Lake County AVA distinction will help sub-appellate wines get the credit they deserve.

Lake County is currently home to the Red Hills Lake County Appellation, the High Valley Appellation, Guenoc Appellation and Lake County/Clear Lake Appellation.

An appellation is “a winegrowing region with officially recognized boundaries,” states information on the Appellation America Web site, http://wine.appellationamerica.com.

An American Viticultural Area is one of three classes of appellations. The Web site notes there are 311 officially recognized wine growing regions in North America, of which only 191 are AVAs in the United States.

Additional information about Lake County appellations and the winegrape industry can be found on the Lake County Winegrape Commission Web site, www.lakecountywinegrape.org.

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LAKEPORT, Calif. – A man whose travel trailer burned last week has been arrested for allegedly setting it on fire.

John Austin Mitchell, 48, was arrested Friday, Feb. 24, by Lake County Sheriff’s Deputy Jay Vanoven on suspicion of arson.

Lakeport and Kelseyville firefighters responded early last Friday evening to the report of a burning travel trailer on Mission Rancheria Road outside of Lakeport, as Lake County News has reported.

Lakeport Fire Chief Ken Wells said the travel trailer was destroyed and the occupant was gone by the time firefighters arrived.

Shortly after 6 p.m. Friday sheriff’s deputies responded to the scene based on a report that it may have been arson, according to a report from Capt. Chris Macedo.

Macedo reported that the deputies met with Wells, who informed them that a bystander had told him the fire had been intentionally set.

When the deputies met with Mitchell to interview him, Mitchell allegedly told them that he recently had been despondent and wanted to get rid of “some of the bad things” in his life, according to Macedo.

Based on the interview with Mitchell, deputies learned that he allegedly started the fire by igniting a blanket in the dwelling, Macedo said.

Mitchell also is alleged to have told deputies that he used no accelerants in starting the fire, and that he had no intention of harming anyone.

Mitchell was arrested and booked into the Hill Road Correctional Facility for maliciously setting fire to an inhabited structure, Macedo said.

Jail records showed that Mitchell remained in custody on Tuesday, with bail set at $100,000.

Chief Deputy District Attorney Richard Hinchcliff said the case against Mitchell has been submitted to the District Attorney’s Office, and that he charged Mitchell with arson of an inhabited dwelling.

Hinchcliff said Mitchell will be in court next Monday for appearance of counsel.

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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Forecasters are predicting a strong storm system will bring winter weather to Northern California and the county over the next few days.

The National Weather Service on Monday issued a winter storm warning for northern Lake County and other parts of the state’s northern half.

The agency said the storm system is expected to pass from north to south through Northern California between late Tuesday night and midday Wednesday.

The storm is expected to bring rain, large amounts of snowfall in areas with elevation over 3,000 feet – where snow showers could continue until later in the week – and gusting winds, the National Weather Service said.

In Lake County, rain is expected to arrive after 4 p.m. Tuesday, with 1 to 2 inches possible overnight, forecasters said.

In addition, the forecast predicts south southwest winds up to 20 miles per hour and wind gusts up to 28 miles per hour in the evening.

Rain and wind is expected to continue Wednesday, with snow fall down to the 2,500-foot level Wednesday night, the National Weather Service said.

Warmer weather and sunshine is expected to return later in the week and over the weekend, according to the forecast.

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LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lakeport Fire District recently received a $20,000 donation from Sutter Lakeside Hospital for their Ambulance Replacement Program.

This program is in place to raise funds to purchase a new ambulance unit for the fire district.

“We currently have four ambulance units in service,” said Lakeport Fire Chief Ken Wells. “But the issue is that each of these units has 100,000 to 200,000-plus miles on them and requires continual maintenance.”

In 2011, Lakeport Fire transported more than 1,900 patients, 573 of them to medical facilities out of Lake County for specialty medical care needs.

“Some days our transporting ambulances travel over 500 to 600 miles a day,” said Fire Captain/Paramedic Bob Ray. “The wear and tear on these vehicles has created daily maintenance work. Although the units might look shiny and new on the outside, it’s the inner mechanisms that are starting to wear out.”

The funds donated by Sutter Lakeside will help replace one of the current ambulances already in service.

Wells and Ray are looking into the possibility of purchasing what they call “retrofit” of one of the current units.

This process will save $20,000 to $30,000 and allow the district to recycle many of the parts on the unit which are still viable.

“It is the engine and mechanical parts that need replacement,” said Ray. “There is an option to purchase a new chassis and engine, and then have the ‘box’ (section where the patient sits) repaired and cleaned up. We like the idea of recycling as much as possible while saving our tax paying community members money.”

Lakeport Fire currently transports their 911 calls to Sutter Lakeside Hospital and answers all of Sutter Lakeside’s discharge patient transportation needs to local care facilities, as well as about half of the out of county transports. Both of these account for more than 1,300 transports annually.

“The hospital is excited to provide the kick-off donation for the Lakeport Fire Ambulance Replacement Program,” stated Sutter Lakeside Hospital Chief Administrative Officer Siri Nelson. “One of my own family members recently needed ambulance transportation service to the hospital, so I know firsthand the importance of receiving reliable ambulance transportation help when you need it.”

“We hope that other community groups and individuals will join us in our efforts to meet the needs of the fire district,” continued Nelson. “The entire community benefits from the services and I believe we have a responsibility to help take care of those that take care of us.”

If you would like to make a donation toward the purchase of a new ambulance for the Lakeport Fire District, please specify that the funds be attributed toward the “LFD Ambulance Replacement Program.”

Donations may be made in person or by mail to the Lakeport Fire District, 445 North Main St., Lakeport.

For more information, call Fire Chief Ken Wells at 707-263-4396.

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The problem of drugged driving continues to rise, according to figures released Tuesday by the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS).  

Based on data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 30 percent of all drivers who were killed in motor vehicle crashes in California in 2010 tested positive for legal and/or illegal drugs, a percentage that has been increasing since 2006.

Drugged driving is a problem not widely recognized by the public, but increases in crashes, fatalities and injuries point out that society must acknowledge this serious problem and work to curb it, the agency reported. The problem of drugged driving is growing, even while DUI fatalities have been in decline.  

Drugs which can impair driving are not only illegal narcotics and stimulants, but can be prescription and over-the-counter drugs as well as marijuana and its synthetic substitutes.  Many, when combined with alcohol, heighten the effect of both, the report noted.

“You can be as deadly behind the wheel with marijuana or prescription drugs as you can with over-the-limit alcohol,” said Christopher J. Murphy, director of the Office of Traffic Safety.  “The bottom line is drugs and driving do not mix.”

Drug-impaired driving is often under-reported and under-recognized and toxicology testing is expensive, the agency said. Additionally, because there is no established impairment level for drugs, prosecuting drug impaired driving cases can be difficult.

With the increased awareness of this growing problem, the Office of Traffic Safety and the California Highway Patrol are working together to provide officers statewide with specialized training to detect and apprehend drug-impaired drivers.

The federally funded program, new to California and developed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, is called Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement (ARIDE).

In the past five months alone, more than 700 officers from police departments across the state have attended ARIDE training.

Police departments also are being encouraged to send officers to the most advanced drug recognition program to become Drug Recognition Experts (DRE).

CHP manages the statewide program that currently has over 1000 officers as active DRE’s – the most in the nation.

Drug detection experts will be in place more often at DUI checkpoints and federally funded grant support will be used to fund operations to detect and apprehend drug-impaired drivers, OTS reported.

“This invaluable ARIDE and DRE training for law enforcement is the key to successfully removing drug-impaired drivers from the road, ultimately reducing the number of people killed and injured by irresponsible behavior and making our communities a safer place,” said CHP Commissioner Joe Farrow. “It’s also imperative that the public realize the synergistic effect of combining alcohol with prescription or over-the-counter drugs, and the danger this presents while driving.”

OTS announced last month that Sacramento and Orange counties were awarded federal funding to purchase state-of-the-art drug testing equipment.

In addition, district attorney offices in eight counties are being funded to create special “vertical prosecution” teams that will follow drug-impaired driving cases from arrest through trial.  

Regional traffic safety resource prosecutors are providing training to district attorney offices on how to successfully prosecute drug impaired driving cases.

“Drug impaired driving is the new challenge for not only law enforcement and the judicial system, but for DUI prevention efforts as well,” said Ventura County District Attorney Greg Totten, president of the California District Attorneys Association. “We need to make sure that drivers displaying objective signs of drug impairment either through bad driving or failed standardized field sobriety testing are arrested and prosecuted.”

Research shows drugs have an adverse effect on judgment, reaction time, motor skills and memory – critical skills for safe and responsible driving.

Recently, experts at the Dalhousie University in Canada released the results of a study that found that drivers who had used marijuana within three hours of driving had nearly double the risk of causing a crash as those not under the influence of alcohol or drugs. The Canadian research reviewed nine studies of more than 49,000 people involved in crashes.

In fall 2010, six cities in California conducted nighttime weekend “voluntary” roadside surveys and found that the percentage of drivers who tested positive for marijuana (8.4%) was greater than the percentage that were using alcohol (7.6%).  

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LAKEPORT, Calif. – Lake County Live! returned to the Soper-Reese Community Theatre last Sunday for its second show.

The new variety show's second performance featured musicians Travis Rinker, Vim Natura and Michael Barrish with Scott Sommers.

The show played to an audience of more than 100 people in the theater, and to the radio audience of KPFZ 88.1 FM as well as streamed on the web via www.kpfz.org.

A very lively and appreciate group in the theater laughed, applauded and enjoyed the stories of the “Ladies of the Lake” as well as “The Dogs of Clearlake” mixed with humor, talk and music.

Opening was the show’s host and creator, Doug Rhoades, who conceived the program a year ago, and brought it to the local theater last month for their first broadcast and live performance.

The first musical act this past Sunday was Travis Rinker, a gifted guitarist, who delighted the audience with two of his own compositions.

The second act featured Vim Natura, a trio of Clovice Lewis, Erin Call and Keely Southwick, who performed three original songs composed by Lewis, with Call and Southwick on vocals, and Call also on violin.

Closing out the show were Michael Barrish and Scott Sommers, performing original songs in a down-home style.

Along the way, Lewis played cello to accompany Rhoades in a reading called “Sleeping” to the delight of the audience.

Lake County Live! is and original one-hour radio show, performed before a live audience a the Soper-Reese Community Theatre on the last Sunday of each month.

The next performance will be on Sunday, March 25, at 6 p.m. featuring Andy Rossoff, a wonderful keyboard artist, and Uncorked, with music influenced by Ireland and bluegrass.

The program is provided under the sponsorship of KPFZ, the Soper-Reese Theatre and Lake County News.

Tickets for the next program will be available at the theater box office on Fridays from 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and at the Travel Center in Lakeport.

The in-theater audience will enjoy music for the performers after the broadcast as well as before the radio show.

For more information, visit www.lakecountylive.com.

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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Five adult cats are offered for adoption at the county’s animal shelter this week.

An orange and a gray tabby, two calicos and a friendly gray cat all are waiting for new homes.

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”).

Female Siamese mix

This 1-year-old female domestic short hair is a Siamese mix.

She has “lynx point” coloring and blue eyes.

Find her in cat room kennel No. 59, ID No. 31914.

Long-haired tortie

This female domestic long hair mix is called a “dilute tortie” for her unique calico coloring.

Shelter staff have not provided an age estimate for her.

She is in cat room kennel No. 70, ID No. 31900.

Gray male tabby

This gray male tabby is estimated to be 4 years old.

He is a domestic long hair mix, and is not yet altered.

Find him in cat room kennel No. 31, ID No. 31885.

Orange tabby

This male orange tabby is estimated to be 6 months old.

He’s a domestic medium hair mix. He is not yet altered.

Find him in cat room kennel No. 29, ID No. 31840.

Long-haired calico

This female calico is a year and a half old.

She has a long coat and is not yet spayed.

She is in cat room kennel No. 17, ID No. 31786.

Kevin

This is Kevin, and he’s a fun guy.

He loves to cuddle and is personable. He would prefer to be an only cat.

Because Kevin is already neutered, his adoption fee is only $45, or $35 for seniors.

He’s in cat room kennel No. 5, ID No. 31753.

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.

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