The crash occurred at around 3:30 p.m. on Highway 175 in Cobb, the CHP said.

A Ford Focus and a Toyota Tercel collided near Cobb Mountain Elementary School, according to the CHP.

The report indicated that the roadway was blocked as medical personnel worked to extricate one subject.

Officials said the roadway was clear and most of the units cleared from the scene by about 5 p.m.

Information about those involved and the full extent of their injuries was not immediately available.

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Jess Jackson, founder of Kendall-Jackson Wines, died on Thursday, April 21, 2011. Photo courtesy of Kendall-Jackson.

GEYSERVILLE, Calif. – Jess Stonestreet Jackson, the wine visionary who popularized Chardonnay in America in the early 1980s with his immediately-successful Kendall-Jackson winery and then became a pioneering architect of the ascendant American wine industry, died Thursday at his Geyserville, Calif.

Jackson's death came at the end of a long and courageous battle with cancer. He was 81.

Jackson was considered a giant in the wine industry both nationally and locally.

“He was an icon in Lake County for sure,” said Shannon Gunier, executive director of the Lake County Winegrape Commission.

Gunier said that Jackson got his start growing wine in Lake County, where his company still has vineyards, a custom crush facility on Mathews Road in Lakeport and buys a lot of local grapes for use in its wines.

A one-time longshoreman and police officer, who put himself through University of California Berkeley's Boalt Hall law school, Jackson became one of the best-known figures in American viticulture, as Kendall-Jackson became the best-selling Chardonnay in America for over two decades, the company said in a Thursday statement.

Jackson was born Feb. 18, 1930. Raised in San Francisco during the Great Depression, Jackson worked as a farmer, policeman and land-use lawyer.

Local lore holds that Jackson was introduced to the winegrape industry by local winegrape grower Hank Bartolucci, after the two men happened to sit next to each other on an airplane flight back from Hawaii.

He started the Kendall-Jackson wine business with the family's 1974 purchase of an 80-acre pear and walnut orchard in Lakeport, which he converted to a vineyard.

Gunier said Kendall-Jackson has helped promote Lake County's Sauvignon Blanc, considered one of its most successful varietals.

In 1982, he produced his first bottle of wine under the Kendall-Jackson label, and the following year the wine won the first double Platinum Award ever presented by the American Wine Competition. Kendall-Jackson Wine Estates remains today one of the most awarded wineries in the United States.

Jackson's original winemaker was Jed Steele, who left in 1990 and went on to found the award-winning Steele Wines in Kelseyville.

The two men at one point ended up in Lake County Superior Court, with Judge John Golden issuing a 1992 decision that the New York Times called a “milestone ruling” for the California wine industry.

Golden found “that a winemaking process constitutes a trade secret belonging to a winery and may not be divulged by the winemaker to subsequent employers or consulting clients,” according to reporter Lawrence M. Fisher in an article published July 2, 1992.

Said Gunier, “It was pretty contentious back in the day.”

Jackson's vision and outspoken manner often ran counter to conventional industry practices. When he realized that the quality of the French oak barrels used to age his wine was inconsistent, he invested in his own mill in France to provide barrel staves, and became a partner in a cooperage located in Missouri.

He created his own California distribution company to remain free of industry consolidation there. He was a leader in the sustainable farming movement within the wine industry, implementing dozens of environmentally-friendly farming innovations throughout the vineyards of Jackson Family Wines. As a philanthropist he and his wife Barbara Banke quietly donated millions of dollars in support of local and national charitable organizations.

Jackson was a founding member of Family Winemakers of California. In 2009, Jackson was inducted into the Vintner's Hall of Fame.

At that time he remarked, "Wine is entirely different from liquor and beer, and I'd like to see our industry free itself from the images that are used to sell those products. Wine is a part of our cultural heritage. It has always been the traditional partner with food. Wine celebrates friends, family, and love – all of the best things in life.

“When my family and I founded Kendall-Jackson in 1982, we simply wanted to create extraordinary wine from California's best vineyards,” Jackson wrote in his biographical notes. “We grow grapes on our own 14,000 acres of California coastal vineyards. We take the no-compromise, high road approach to quality required to grow our world-class grapes and produce acclaimed award-winning wines.

“From day one we have been a family-owned and family-run business,” he said. “It is a distinction that is rapidly becoming a rarity in our industry. Our family culture is built on the time-honored principles of hard work, integrity, and uncompromising desire for quality and the long-term stewardship of the land.”

Among the wines made in the Jackson Family collection are Kendall-Jackson Wine Estates, Cambria, Stonestreet, Edmeades, La Crema, Cardinale, Lokoya, Hartford Family Winery, Verite, Atalon, Carmel Road, Murphy Goode, La Jota, Freemark Abbey, Bryon Estates, Arrowood, all in the U.S.; Chateau Lassegue in France; Tenuta di Arceno in Italy; Yangarra in Australia; and Calina in Chile. Jackson Family Wines is one of California's few remaining family-owned winery groups, with family members working full-time in a variety of positions.

Jackson's passion for farming and horses led him later in life to thoroughbred breeding and racing. In 2007, he became majority stakeholder in the racehorse Curlin who then won Horse of the Year for two consecutive years (2007 and 2008).

The following year, Jackson's filly, Rachel Alexandra became the first filly to win the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico in 85 years. She also won 2009 Horse of the Year. An outspoken leader in the reform of racing, Jackson won the Sportsman of the Year 2008 Insider Award.

He is survived by his wife, Barbara Banke, five children: Jennifer Hartford, Laura Giron, Katie Jackson, Julia Jackson and Christopher Jackson and two grandchildren, Hailey Hartford and MacLean Hartford.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests a donation to one of the following organizations:

• Family Justice Center of Sonoma County, 600 Administration Drive, Room 103-J, Santa Rosa, CA 95403, telephone 707-565-8257, www.fjcsc.org/content.aspx?sid=1029&id=1511 .

• Redwood Empire Food Bank, 3320 Industrial Drive, Santa Rosa, CA 95403, 707-523-7900, www.refb.org/waystodonate.html .

• Boys & Girls Club Central Sonoma County, P.O. Box 7460, Santa Rosa, CA 95407, 707-528-7977, www.bgccsc.org/give.aspx .

• Racetrack Chaplaincy of America, 2365 Harrodsburg Road, Suite A120, Lexington, KY 40504, 859-410-7822, http://rtcanational.org/giving/ .

• Belmont Child Care Association, Gate 6, 2150 Hempstead Turnpike, Elmont, NY 11003, 516-488-2103, www.belmontchildcare.org/a-bcca-give.html .

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The Eurasian Eagle Owl, one of the largest owls in the world, is part of the live birds show on Sunday afternoon, May 1, 2011, at the Heron Festival at Clear Lake State Park near Kelseyville, Calif. A wide range of fun (and free of charge) educational activities are available for kids to learn about nature, including how to make owl masks and peanut butter birdseed feeders. Photo by Susan Mesick.

KELSEYVLLE, Calif. – Children and their parents will find many free activities designed just for them at this year’s Heron Festival on Saturday, April 30, and Sunday, May 1, at Clear Lake State Park.

Although both days offer many kids activities, Sunday is considered Family Day because of two free special events.

“We want to encourage families to spend fun time together outdoors with nature, and the festival is a great time to do that,” said Joyce Anderson, education chair for Redbud Audubon Society.

Returning for the fourth year is the very popular “Raptor Speak” with live owls and birds of prey.

This show offers an opportunity to see raptor behavior up close. Learn about these lively non-releasable birds in a fun and informative talk and bird demonstration.

More than 200 people in all attended this show last year, which again will be at 1 p.m. Sunday in the big tent outside the visitor center. Because of its popularity, the show is repeated at 2 p.m.

The singalong puppet show “Salty’s Search for a Habitat” was new to the festival last year and was so popular it’s back again this year.

Enjoy watching how Salty the salt marsh harvest mouse tries to find a good home.

A San Pablo Bay National Wildlife Refuge ranger brings to life the critters that live in marshes, and leads an interactive Mucky Marsh Music sing-along.

This show for kids (and for grown-ups if they promise to sing!) is at 11:30 a.m. and repeated at 3:15 p.m. on Sunday.

On both Saturday and Sunday during a one-hour family nature walk at noon, kids can learn from park docents about the birds, animals and plants in the park. Susie Kaplar leads the Saturday walk, and Tom and Val Nixon lead it on Sunday.

All weekend at the Children’s Activities Area near the big tent, children can make small bird feeders by spreading peanut butter and seeds on mini-bagels, create owl masks to wear and take home a window decal to discourage birds from flying into glass windows. They also can create their own art designs by gluing assorted beans on paper.

Volunteers working with the children are from Redbud Audubon Society and the Children’s Museum of Art and Science (CMAS).

A children’s My Audubon Bird Journal will be available for kids to record the birds they see as they walk around the park. Those who bring back a completed journal will be awarded bird stickers for their booklets.

Children’s artwork from several local public schools will be displayed in the Children’s Activities area. The creative drawings feature herons and local birds.

Besides all these special children’s activities, the Heron Festival offers pontoon boat tours on Clear Lake, an omelet brunch, nature walks, speakers, and more.

To see the full schedule of activities, go to www.heronfestival.org or call 707.263.8030.

Except for the Wildflower Brunch and the pontoon boat tours, all other activities are free, as is entrance to the park for festival attendees.

This 17th annual Heron Festival is co-sponsored by Redbud Audubon Society and Clear Lake State Park Interpretive Association.

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Shortly before 9:30 p.m. Thursday a corrections deputy completing required cell checks found the 29-year-old male inmate, whose name was not released, in the process of the suicide attempt, according to a report from Capt. Timothy Pearce of the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office.

Pearce said the corrections deputy summoned assistance and assessed the condition of the inmate, who had no pulse and was not breathing.

Life saving measures were immediately initiated and the fire department was notified, Peace said.

Upon their arrival, fire department personnel were able to detect a pulse. Peace said the inmate was then transported to Ukiah Valley Medical Center. The inmate was subsequently transferred to St. Helena Hospital.

Pearce said the inmate's name is being withheld pending notification of family members.

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John Burciaga, 57, of Kelseyville, Calif., was arrested for allegedly threatening to shoot his neighbor, brandishing a firearm and vandalism on Wednesday, April 20, 2011. Lake County Jail photo.

KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – A Wednesday argument between neighbors that appeared to start over an offer of pork chops resulted in shots being fired and the arrest of one of the men.

John Joseph Burciaga, 57, of Kelseyville was arrested for felony criminal threats, and misdemeanor charges of brandishing a firearm, discharging a firearm in a negligent manner and vandalism, according to Capt. James Bauman of the Lake County Sheriff's Office.

On Wednesday, April 20, at approximately 2:45 p.m., sheriff’s deputies responded to the Live Oak Mobile Home Park in Kelseyville on a report that Burciaga had fired a shotgun at a camper belonging to his neighbor, 49-year-old Jerry Wesley Cobb, Bauman said.

Bauman said that, upon their arrival, deputies located Burciaga in his mobile home and detained him without incident.

The investigation revealed that shortly after 2:30 p.m., Burciaga and Cobb had encountered each other at their mail boxes and Cobb had offered Burciaga some pork chops to have for his dinner later, Bauman said.

Burciaga declined the offer and when Cobb allegedly persisted, Burciaga pushed Cobb away and the two got into a brief physical altercation. Bauman said the altercation ended and both men returned to their respective homes.

Approximately one minute later, Cobb was outside of his home working on his motorcycle when Burciaga came out of his home with a shotgun. As Burciaga walked towards Cobb, he fired one shot into the air and then pointed the gun at Cobb, stating he would shoot him, according to Bauman.

Bauman said Burciaga then pointed the gun at the cab-over camper on Cobb’s parked truck and fired another shot, causing an estimated $1,000 in damage.

Burciaga then pushed Cobb’s motorcycle down on the ground, breaking one of the sideview mirrors, and returned to his home with the gun, Bauman said.

It is unknown exactly why the altercation erupted over one man offering the other food and Burciaga had no plausible explanation for retrieving the shotgun and discharging it when the altercation had already ended. Bauman said no injuries reported as a result of the incident.

Burciaga was arrested and booked at the Lake County Hill Road Correctional Facility, Bauman said.

Burciaga's bail was set at $10,000. Jail records indicated he later posted bail and was released.

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A fire demonstration at the 2010 Wildfire Safety Expo in Kelseyville, Calif. Photo courtesy of Linda Juntunen.

The expo will take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Kelseyville Lumber Home Improvement Center, 3555 N. Main St. in Kelseyville.

Presented by the Lake County Fire Safe Council, this free community event will provide information to homeowners to help them prepare for a wildfire.

“We hope to provide helpful information so citizens will be better prepared in the event of wildfire,” said project coordinator Linda Juntunen. “Along with fire safety information, we have quite a few activities lined-up that we think both adults and children will enjoy.”

Partners for this event include all of Lake County's Fire Protection Districts – Kelseyville, Lake County, Lake Pillsbury, Lakeport, Northshore and South Lake; the Lake County Fire Chiefs’ Association; Cal Fire; the Bureau of Land Management; and U. S. Forest Service.

A vendor fair will focus on fuel reduction methods, fire-resistant building materials, home fire safety information and fire safe landscaping tips. Home fire protection products also will be demonstrated.

Representatives from Lake County’s Animal Care and Control will be on hand to answer homeowners’ questions and provide information on their large animal evacuation project.

Smokey Bear and Sparky the Fire Dog, along with Jeff Tunnell of the Bureau of Land Management, at the 2010 Wildfire Safety Expo in Kelseyville, Calif. Photo courtesy of Linda Juntunen.

The Master Gardeners and Pacific Gas & Electric also will be there with tips on fire safe landscaping. Information for the National Fire Protection Association's Firewise Communities program will also be available.

Smokey Bear and Sparky the Fire Dog will be on hand for the kids, along with the Kid’s Fire Safety House, children’s games, and drawings for free prizes throughout the day.

Firefighting-training demonstrations will be conducted, and present-day and antique fire equipment will be on display.

“This event is for Lake County residents and will provide ‘one stop shopping’ for homeowners to take responsibility for their own safety and protection during the upcoming fire season,” said Jeff Tunnell, fire mitigation and education specialist for the Bureau of Land Management.

“One of our themes is ‘Help them (firefighters) help you,'” said Tunnell. “Make it possible for the fire agencies to protect your homes safely and effectively”

Take responsibility by learning how to protect your home and create the defensible space. Be fire wise and fire safe this season – attend the Wildfire Safety Expo.

For more information contact Juntunen at 707-263-4180, Extension 106.

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Daniel Wood, 29, of Middletown, Calif., is facing a series of additional charges alleging crimes against children following his conviction on indecent exposure charges on March 30, 2011. Lake County Jail photo.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – A 29-year-old Middletown man who a jury found guilty last month of committing sex crimes now faces as many as 15 additional charges alleging crimes against children under the age of 14.

Daniel Laine Wood is the focus of the new charges, according to Capt. James Bauman of the Lake County Sheriff's Office.

On March 30, Wood was found guilty of two misdemeanor counts of indecent exposure and annoying or molesting a child, as Lake County News has reported.

That case related to an August 2010 incident in Middletown, in which Wood reportedly exposed his genitals to two 12-year-old girls.

Since Wood's arrest in December for the August 2010 incident, sex crimes detectives with the Sheriff’s Major Crimes Unit continued to investigate Wood and have developed new information on cases alleging that he had committed criminal acts on several young girls between 2002 and 2003, Bauman said.

The allegations, according to Bauman, relate to crimes that reportedly occurred in or around Wood’s home in Anderson Springs and involve three female victims who were either 8 or 9 years of age at the time.

Last Friday, April 15, a complaint was submitted by sheriff’s sex crimes detectives alleging 15 new felony violations of lewd and lascivious acts with a child under the age of 14 years against Wood, Bauman said.

Bauman said Lake County Superior Court Judge Stephen Hedstrom signed a warrant on Monday, April 18, charging Wood with the new allegations. Wood subsequently was booked on the new charges at the Lake County Hill Road Correctional Facility.

Bauman said sheriff’s detectives sought and acquired a bail enhancement on Wood, who remains in the custody of the sheriff with a $250,000 bail and is scheduled to be arraigned on the new charges on April 24.

As a result of his March 30 conviction, Wood is already required to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life, Bauman said.

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Qiong Wang, 32, pleaded guilty to felony conspiracy and taking abalone for commercial purposes in Mendocino County Superior Court, according to a report from the California Department of Fish and Game.

Officials said Wang was sentenced to one year in jail and three years of probation, in addition to being fined $20,000 and forced to forfeit his vehicle and all dive equipment. His fishing license also was revoked for the rest of his life.

Wang illegally took 96 abalone over the course of 17 days in February 2011, according to the Department of Fish and Game.

The last of the three arrests occurred near Van Damme State Park on Feb. 19, just five days after he was released from jail for the last poaching incident, officials said.

Abalone season closed Dec. 1, and did not reopen until April 1, the state reported.

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Blame the professionalism of a volunteer force that is able, into a tenth straight year, to wage war against enemies far from the homeland.

The uncomfortable reality is that only one percent of U.S. adults serve in our military, and an even smaller number does most of the fighting. They’re trained for it, they’re good at it and they do it willingly.

But sustained warfare using only volunteers, we now know, results in multiple deployments and a pace of operations unimagined when conscripts filled the ranks.

That has led to long and frequent separations from home, unprecedented levels of stress, higher rates of divorce and suicide, and higher levels of anxiety among military children.

Don’t feel, however, that there’s nothing you can do about it.

Whether you’re a neighbor, business owner, corporate executive, community leader or ordinary citizen, you can help close the sacrifice gap by showing military families and veterans that you appreciate their service.

That’s the purpose behind of a new nationwide initiative, “Joining Forces,” launched this month by First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden, the vice president’s wife.

“It’s our hope,” said Mrs. Obama during the White House kickoff ceremony, “that what we’re launching today becomes part of the fabric of the country.”

“This campaign,” she said, “is about all of us joining together, as Americans, to give back to the extraordinary military families who serve and sacrifice so much, every day, so that we can live in freedom and security.”

In an interview later that day with Mrs. Obama and Dr. Biden, the First Lady explained that, until four years ago, she had no understanding of the strain felt by military families.

Then she began hearing their stories first hand while campaigning for her husband in his run for the presidency.

Unlike the Bidens whose son Beau serves in the National Guard and deployed to Iraq in 2008, Mrs. Obama said, “we’re not a military family.”

Her father served in the Army before she was born. Besides photos of him in uniform, the military had no role in her life on the south side of Chicago

“I’m sure I have cousins who have served. But is there anyone in my life today who is being deployed? Do I know anyone who’s been deployed? And the answer is no,” she said.

That’s also true of most Americans.

Inspired by “the amazing military spouses and children who we’ve met all across the country, Michelle Obama said she became committed to raising awareness of what families and veterans contribute, so public support stays strong or even deepens.

As one military mom recently wrote to her, Mrs. Obama said, “Please don’t let Americans forget or ignore what we live with.”

“Jill and I have spent the last two years listening, learning, developing the relationships, building credibility within the military community so people actually believe we mean what we say,” the First Lady explained.

In January the administration announced that for the first time ever the well being of military families would become a priority throughout the federal government, not just at departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs.

For example, the department of Health and Human Services has partnered with DoD to help lower suicides across military and veteran populations; the department of Housing and Urban Development is working with VA and Labor to end veterans’ homelessness by 2015; DoD, Labor, Commerce and the Small Business Administration are encouraging corporate America to expand career opportunities for military spouses.

A total of 50 such commitments by federal departments are being implemented.

“Joining Forces,” said Mrs. Obama, is to get “the rest of the country” involved in lifting whatever burdens they can off of military families.

Neighbors can offer to their lawns, shovel snow or take more turns with the kids’ carpool while service members are deployed.

Teachers identify military children in their classrooms and strive to recognize signals of stress and learn how to deal it. Employers can enhance job opportunities for military spouses.

Those with no clue how to reach out to military families can find ideas, local contact information on a new website, www.joiningforces.gov.

Forces deployed today include tens of thousands of Reserve and National Guard members. So families and vets needing support can be found in any town in the country, said Mrs. Biden.

“We always knew we wanted to create a broad, national awareness program,” she said. “But, boy, we were amazed at the nonprofits … and the businesses who said, ‘We want to help.’ And it just grew and grew and grew. And we expect it to grow even more.”

The campaign will have more famous faces behind it, including Oprah Winfrey and Tom Hanks, and some large employers like Walmart and Sears. Key goals will be to enhance spouse employment, children’s education and the overall “wellness” of military families. But the motto of the movement is that “everyone can do something,” said Mrs. Obama.

Blue Star Families, a support group of military families to support military families, conducted a survey of spouses in 2010. It found that 92 percent feel the “country doesn’t care or isn’t aware of their challenges,” Mrs. Obama said. “I’d love to see that number go down.”

Before she and Jill Biden embarked on a three-day tour of military bases to spotlight Joining Forces, we asked Mrs. Obama if she has detected raised anxiety among military families over Libya and the prospect of deeper U.S. involvement in one more war in the Middle East.

“You know families don’t say that. Soldiers don’t say that,” she said. “They say ‘Where am I needed? What do I need to do? I’m ready to go.’

“That’s the beauty of these families,” she continued. “They’re proud to serve and they’re trained to serve. Now that doesn’t mean we can take advantage of that [or] ignore the ramifications of long deployments.”

All Americans need to be more aware, she added, that when conflict happens and troops respond, there are families impacted who need support.

To comment, send e-mail to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or write to Military Update, P.O. Box 231111, Centreville, VA, 20120-1111.

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The California Employment Development Department's report on unemployment for March showed that the state's unemployment rate was 12 percent for March, compared to the revised percentage of 12.1 for February and down from 12.4 percent in March 2010.

In March unemployed Californians totaled 2,176,000 – down by 25,000 over the month, and down by 79,000 compared with March of last year, the Employment Development Department reported.

In Lake County, unemployment was at 19.5 percent in March, up from 19.2 percent in February and up from the 19 percent recorded in March 2010, the state reported.

Nationwide, unemployment decreased in March to 8.8 percent, down from 8.9 percent in February and 9.7 percent in March 2010, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. That's the lowest nationwide unemployment since March 2009.

Lake County's most recent unemployment rate earned it a statewide rank of 49 out of 58 counties, the same as its February rank.

In March, Lake County's labor force included 24,510 people, of which 4,780 were unemployed, according to state figures. In February there were 24,440 local residents in the workforce, and 4,700 were out of work.

Marin continued to be the county with the lowest unemployment, at 8 percent, while Colusa County was ranked last of the state's counties, with 26.7 percent unemployment.

Lake's neighboring counties registered the following unemployment rates and statewide ranks: Colusa, 26.7 percent, No. 58; Glenn, 18.6 percent, No. 46; Yolo, 14.8 percent, No. 33; Mendocino, 12.5 percent, No. 22; Napa, 10.3 percent, No. 9; and Sonoma, 10.4 percent, No. 11.

In Lake County, Clearlake Oaks was the area with highest unemployment, 28.5 percent, followed by Nice, 27.8 percent; the city of Clearlake, 27.4 percent; Lucerne, 20.5 percent; Kelseyville, 19.8 percent; Middletown, 19.7 percent; city of Lakeport, 18.8 percent; Cobb, 17.5 percent; Lower Lake, 16.5 percent; Hidden Valley Lake, 16.2 percent; and north Lakeport, 15.6 percent. Upper Lake had the lowest unemployment rate, 10.3 percent.

Dennis Mullins of the Employment Development Department's Labor Market Information Division said total Lake County industry employment increased by 10 in March, ending the month-over period with 12,180 jobs.

He said 10 industries gained or were unchanged over the month and two declined. Government jobs remained down over the year, with a loss of 130 jobs.

Mullins said month-over job growth occurred in mining, logging and construction, 10; manufacturing, 10; professional and business services, 10; private educational and health services, 10; and government, 20.

Month-over job losses occurred in the farm category, down 20 jobs, and leisure and hospitality, down by 10, Mullins said, while industries with no change in March were trade, transportation and utilities; information; financial activities; and other services.

Surveys show mixed results for state job numbers

While California’s unemployment rate decreased in March, nonfarm jobs in California totaled 14,049,300 in March, a decrease of 11,600 jobs during the month, according to the Employment Development Department, which uses two separate surveys to gauge unemployment statewide – a federal survey of 5,500 California households and a survey of 42,000 California businesses.

The year-over-year change – March 2010 to March 2011 – shows an increase of 188,100 jobs, up 1.4 percent, the state said, while the federal survey of households showed a decrease in the number of employed people.

That federal survey estimated the number of Californians holding jobs in March was 15,902,000, a decrease of 14,000 from February, and down 61,000 from the employment total in March of

last year.

The Employment Development Department's report on payroll employment – wage and salary jobs – in the nonfarm industries of California totaled 14,049,300 in March, a net loss of 11,600 jobs since the February survey, which officials said followed a gain of 84,600 jobs in February.

There were 630,829 people receiving regular unemployment insurance benefits during the March survey week, which the state said compared with 666,260 last month and 768,583 last year. At the same time, new claims for unemployment insurance were 61,076 in March, compared with 68,203 in

February and 70,450 in March 2010.

The report's detailed breakdowns showed that four categories – information; professional and business services; educational and health services; and government – added jobs over the month, gaining 9,100 jobs. Educational and health services posted the largest increase over the month, adding

5,100 jobs.

Seven categories – mining and logging; construction; manufacturing; trade, transportation and utilities; financial activities; leisure and hospitality; and other services – reported job declines this month, down 20,700 jobs, the state said.

The report also stated that eight industry divisions – mining and logging; construction; manufacturing; trade, transportation and utilities; information; professional and business services; educational and health services; and leisure and hospitality – posted job gains over the year, adding 235,900 jobs.

Professional and business services posted the largest gain on a numerical basis, adding 83,800 jobs, a 4.1 percent increase. The state said information posted the largest gain on a percentage basis, up by 5.3 percent, an increase of 22,800 jobs.

Other report findings included three categories – financial activities, other services and government – posting job declines over the year, down 47,800 jobs, while government posted the largest decline on

both a numerical and percentage basis, down by 42,500 jobs, a 1.7 percent decrease.

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The quake, which occurred at 6:32 p.m. Thursday, was centered eight miles southeast of Arcata and 11 miles east of Eureka, according to a preliminary earthquake report from the US Geological Survey.

It was recorded at a depth of 15 miles, the survey reported.

By early Friday morning the US Geological Survey reported receiving 215 shake reports from 12 zip codes around the North Coast.

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“It’s shocking that the state has apparently failed to collect millions of dollars in salary and travel advances owed by state employees,” Brown said. “This situation reinforces the worst stereotype of ineffective and inefficient government, and I have ordered state agencies to immediately investigate the backlog of uncollected debts and find every penny owed to taxpayers. State agencies must regain control of this program.”

Audits from the California State Controller’s Office have uncovered serious collection and internal accounting lapses at state agencies tied to salary and travel advances.

An audit conducted by the Controller’s Office in 2009, for example, found that $13.3 million in advances had not been collected at eleven state agencies.

This total included more than $500,000 in advances outstanding more than three years after they were issued. In most cases, employees were granted advances and agencies were either slow to collect funds or failed to collect at all.

“The state’s poor debt collection and accounting practices are fleecing public coffers at a time when vital public programs are being decimated by unprecedented budget cuts,” California State Controller John Chiang said. “I applaud Governor Brown’s commitment to making every dollar count.”

The controller is continuing to examine these programs at state agencies, including the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR), and the audits may uncover millions more in uncollected salary and travel advances.

State law allows for advances under certain circumstances including when there are delays in issuing checks, when an employee separates and needs a final check, when an employee travels, when a hardship request is made or when a vendor requires immediate payment.

The longer a debt goes uncollected, the more likely it will not be recovered. If the employee’s agency or department does not initiate collection proceedings within three years, the agency or department cannot collect the debt without the employee’s consent.

The Governor’s Executive Order seeks to recover taxpayer dollars by directing state agencies and departments to clear salary and travel advances within 30 days through an expense claim. If advances are not cleared, agencies and departments will be expected to deduct what’s owed from the employee’s next paycheck. The Executive Order also calls for improvements in record keeping, oversight, training and collection practices.

Since taking office, Brown has issued executive orders to freeze hiring across state government and cut state cell phones and the passenger vehicle fleet in half and has directed state agencies and departments to stop spending taxpayer dollars on free giveaway and gift items.

These actions are part of Brown’s efforts to save money this fiscal year and to cut millions in operational costs next fiscal year.

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