LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — A forecast for gusty winds from the north coupled with low humidity has prompted the National Weather Service to issue a fire weather watch for Lake and many other counties around the region for Monday and Tuesday.
The watch, issued on Friday, will be in effect from 2 a.m. Monday until 5 p.m. Tuesday, the National Weather Service said.
A fire weather watch means that critical fire weather conditions are forecast to occur, the agency reported.
The National Weather Service said gusty northerly winds will increase through the day Monday in the wake of a dry cold front, with winds ramping up and poor humidity recoveries over the ridges of eastern Lake County late Sunday Night.
Forecasters said the strongest winds will be found over exposed high terrain and north to south oriented valleys Monday afternoon and evening.
Minimum humidity of 15 to 25% is expected on Monday; overnight, recoveries could range from 25 to 50%, and 60 to 70% in sheltered areas like valleys, the National Weather Service said.
During the fire weather watch, north winds are forecast to range from 15 to 25 miles per hour, with gusts of 30 to 40 miles per hour over exposed ridgetops.
Winds are expected to calm and humidity to recover on Tuesday morning, but the forecast said that the winds will remain brisk across mountain ridges over Lake County with poor recoveries. Those windy conditions will continue through Tuesday afternoon and evening.
The National Weather Service said it’s those breezy conditions combined with low humidity that could lead to critical fire conditions.
Ahead of the fire weather watch, the forecast expected the potential for scattered showers overnight Friday and into early Saturday.
The long range forecast also contains the potential for very light rain in the county on Wednesday.
During the coming week, the forecast expects daytime temperatures ranging from the low 60s early in the week to the high 70s late next week.
Nighttime conditions are forecast in the coming days to range from the high 30s to low 40s.
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — Faced with a termination action by the Board of Supervisors, Lake County’s Health Services director resigned on Thursday.
In a statement released by the county on Thursday night, Board Chair Bruno Sabatier said the supervisors accepted the resignation of Denise Pomeroy — whose department has played a key role in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic and health emergency — earlier that day.
“Out of respect and appreciation for her service to Lake County residents and the Health Services Department for many years, we will not publicly announce the reasons that prompted this leadership change; it is a confidential personnel matter,” Sabatier said.
In May 2016, the board initially appointed Pomeroy — then the Health Services fiscal officer — as the department’s interim director. The board followed up in November 2016 by voting unanimously to officially make her Health Services director.
As Health Services director, Pomeroy had overseen not just the Public Health branch but also Environmental Health, which handles a wide range of services involving food safety, home kitchen operations, temporary food events, and a land program that covers services for wastewater treatment and disposal systems and water wells.
Sabatier said the County Administrative Office’s Human Resources Division has already begun efforts to recruit the county’s next Health Services director, “and we are poised to move efficiently through the process. It is important to not only attract quality applicants, but fill the position with a long-term director.”
By Thursday night, the Health Services director job had already been posted on the county’s website under “Job opportunities.” The closing date for applications is Oct. 20.
The Health Services director position’s pay range is $10,469 to $12,724 monthly, a five-step pay range the Board of Supervisors increased in late September when it voted to update all county job classifications and implement millions of dollars in raises for the second year in a row.
While the recruitment is taking place, Sabatier said County Administrative Officer Carol Huchingson will also serve as interim Health Services director.
He said Huchingson has been involved with and led Public Health-focused efforts as incident commander for the COVID-19 health emergency.
“CAO Huchingson looks forward to collaborating with the many members of the Health Services team to ensure the continuity of each area of the scope of this key county department,” Sabatier said.
The board has previously placed Huchingson in other interim department head positions, including for Community Development and the Registrar of Voters Office.
Termination action scheduled during evaluations
The events leading up to the board’s decision to terminate Pomeroy — which led to Pomeroy’s resignation — appeared to have coalesced quickly early this week.
On Tuesday, at the start of its regular meeting, the board added an extra item for a closed session evaluation of the Health Services director at the request of Huchingson, who said the necessity of it had arisen since the agenda was posted, which was on Friday.
Other extra items also added to the board agenda that day at Huchingson’s request included reestablishment of the deputy Health Services director as a county classification, consideration of the appointment of Jennifer Baker to interim Deputy Health Services director effective Tuesday and consideration of appointing Huchingson as the interim Health Services director.
Baker formerly served as staff services analyst in the Health Services Administration and had most recently been serving as risk coordinator in the County Counsel’s Office.
However, those items were not added at the start of the meeting when the other extras were approved.
In reviewing the available meeting video, it is not clear if the extra items regarding Baker’s appointment or making Huchingson interim Health Services director were actually announced during the public session.
The board sat in open session for several hours before going into the closed session shortly before 1 p.m. to discuss Pomeroy’s evaluation. When the board reconvened in public at 2:15 p.m., no announcement of action was made and the rest of the existing agenda items were discussed.
The board finished its public discussion items and went back into closed session to continue to discuss Pomeroy’s evaluation as well as that of the Community Development Department director.
No report on a closed session action was made following the Tuesday meeting, as has become the recent practice by the County Administrative Office.
In September, the board had scheduled a special meeting for Thursday afternoon as part of a new process for conducting employee evaluations of department heads in the fall, ahead of beginning the budget process early next year.
When the county released the special meeting agenda on Wednesday morning, it included closed session evaluations for the directors of air quality control, information technology, animal control and the county administrative officer.
Less than an hour after that agenda was released, an addendum was issued titled “Employee Evaluation/Termination: Title: Director: Health Services Director.” That item also was to be conducted behind closed doors.
Late on Thursday afternoon, Johanna DeLong, assistant clerk of the Board of Supervisors, issued to Lake County News a report about the closed session during the special meeting.
“The Health Services Director has tendered her resignation. Therefore, previous action to terminate is rescinded, and her resignation is accepted,” DeLong reported in an email.
She said Supervisor EJ Crandell moved to approve Pomeroy’s resignation, which was seconded by Supervisor Jessica Pyska and approved in a 5-0 vote.
Challenges and staff changes
During Pomeroy’s tenure, the county has struggled to keep a Public Health officer, a position the state requires counties to have in order to enforce local health orders and ordinances, and state public health regulations and statutes.
Since 2017, there have been three, including Dr. Gary Pace, who also has done several stints as an interim Public Health office for the county. Recently, the county also has had Dr. Evan Bloom and Dr. Charlie Evans assist with temporarily filling that job.
In February of this year, during a board discussion about recruiting a new Public Health officer after Pace announced he was stepping down from the full-time position, Pomeroy said she had been on leave for a few months before returning to work on a part-time basis.
Sabatier said Thursday that county leaders are grateful that Pace has remained Lake County’s Public Health officer of record, despite having left the job on a full-time basis in the spring in order to return to private practice. Pace continues to serve as interim Health Officer under contract.
“Dr. Pace’s insight and leadership throughout the pandemic have been invaluable, and he will remain a key figure in ensuring the Health Services Department’s efforts are effectively oriented, moving forward,” Sabatier said.
Sabatier said Eileen VanCleave recently was appointed director of nursing “and has brought a tremendous skill set and quality leadership,” while Jennifer Baker has stepped up and is serving as interim Deputy Health Services director.
“These latest additions and changes will ensure our Health Services Department remains focused on the ongoing pandemic and the health of our community through its various programs,” Sabatier said.
He added, “The past 19 months have demonstrated the resilience and many great strengths of our tireless Public Health staff. We truly appreciate and value the sacrifices they have made to keep Lake County residents safe.”
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
On Wednesday, a bill to address liability in order to encourage more prescribed burning in California became law.
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed SB 332 by Sen. Bill Dodd (D-Napa).
“Today we take an important step toward protecting our state from the kinds of wildfires that have been so destructive over the past few years,” Dodd said, thanking Newsom for signing the bill into law.
SB passed the Assembly and Senate with unanimous, bipartisan support in September before being signed by the governor on Wednesday.
Dodd said SB 332 is meant to help prevent future loss of life and property by expanding the use of prescribed burning to control combustible fuels.
“We know control burning is one of the best ways to reduce combustible fuels in our tinder-dry forest. My bill, SB 332, will expand our use of this proven tool and make our state safer as we face ever-worsening conditions caused by drought and climate change. To do that we must raise the legal standard for seeking state suppression costs, requiring a showing of gross negligence rather than simple negligence,” Dodd said in a statement released Wednesday evening, within hours of the bill’s signing.
Newsom signed the legislation just over a week after he signed a complementary bill, AB 642 by Assembly member Laura Friedman (D-Glendale), which — among other things — calls for the creation of a prescribed fire training center, the appointment of a cultural burning liaison to serve on the State Board of Fire Services and development of Cal Fire’s prescribed burning crews, as Lake County News has reported.
Prescribed burning is the controlled application of fire to the land to reduce wildfire hazards, clear downed trees, control plant diseases and improve wildlife habitats.
It is conducted by trained professionals — called “burn bosses” — and is one of the most cost-effective tools to manage wildfire.
California’s tribes used the practice for centuries and, more recently, it was used by ranchers to keep landscapes more open. However, the state and federal governments began to discourage the practice by private landowners.
Recently, with so much of California beset by larger and more damaging wildland fires, the importance of the practice has once again begun to be recognized, with more landowners and agencies seeking to use it.
Rarely have prescribed burns caused unintended damage. However, Lenya Quinn-Davidson, fire adviser for the University of California Cooperative Extension and director of Northern California Prescribed Fire Council, told Lake County News that concern over being billed for wildfire suppression costs has hampered the practice’s use.
Dodd’s office said the liability concern’s impact on prescribed burns has caused a buildup in forests of brush and unhealthy trees, which is why SB 332 changed the legal standard for seeking state suppression costs.
“The passage of SB 332 is monumental,” said Quinn-Davidson. “Those of us who work on prescribed fire have felt the need for these changes for years, but we never thought we’d see them happen. We are so thankful to Sen. Dodd for his vision and leadership, which will effect real, positive change around prescribed burning and fire resiliency in California.”
Quinn-Davidson said the bill had the support of a broad coalition of groups, from ranchers to conservationists and tribal governments.
The bill builds on legislation Dodd advocated to create a $20 million insurance pilot program to encourage prescribed burning.
SB 170, the Budget Act of 2021, was signed Sept. 23. It included a $20 million prescribed fire claim fund in the state budget.
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
New bills signed into law this week aim to modernize and expand the internet across California.
Assembly Bill 14, written by Assembly member Cecilia Aguiar-Curry (D-Winters), and Senate Bill 4 by Sen. Lena Gonzalez (D-Long Beach), were signed into law this week by Gov. Gavin Newsom.
AB 14 and SB 4 are meant to revolutionize the state’s broadband deployment program under the California Advanced Services Program, and provide increased funding to bring California into the technological 21st Century.
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has laid bare the massive gaps in internet connectivity at sufficient speeds for too many Californians.
As more Californians have struggled to conduct distance learning, virtual work, access telehealth services and safeguard small business participation in the virtual marketplace, the need to connect the State at sufficient speeds with adaptable technology has reached crisis proportions.
"Gov. Newsom’s approval of AB 14 and SB 4 is a historic development for California," Aguiar-Curry said Friday (D-Winters), whose district includes Lake County. "In partnership with my colleague Sen. Gonzalez, and two dozen of our colleague co-authors, we have highlighted the critical need to modernize our state’s broadband policy and programs, and a commitment to long-term funding to guarantee internet connectivity for all California communities, rural and urban.”
She added, “I am immensely proud that our efforts also contributed to a budget deal between Gov. Newsom, Pro Tem Atkins and Speaker Rendon that provided a generational $6 billion investment in broadband infrastructure. Modern, adaptable technology in every corner of our state will provide access to education and job training, health care, ag-tech, and small business participation in the digital economy. Today, Gov. Newsom’s signature has delivered on our commitment to Internet for All."
“This is huge news that will make a significant positive difference in the lives of Californians,” said Sen. Lena Gonzalez (D-Long Beach). “Enacting SB 4 and AB 14 means that children will no longer have to do their homework outside of fast-food restaurants. It means medically fragile individuals will have more access to care via telehealth, and small businesses and workers will have more access to online resources, greater upward mobility, and economic opportunity. The need for high-quality internet and future-proof infrastructure has never been more important than now and I am pleased that my colleagues in the Legislature and Gov. Newsom have taken this bold step to help us close the digital divide. Today, California leads stronger than ever toward digital equity and Broadband for All.”
The Internet for All Act of 2021 prioritizes the deployment of broadband infrastructure in California’s most vulnerable and unserved rural and urban communities by extending the ongoing collection of funds deposited into the California Advanced Services Fund to provide communities with grants necessary to bridge the digital divide.
AB 14 and SB 4 offer a vital pathway to connect California’s workforce to gainful employment, harness the lifesaving technology of telemedicine, democratize distance learning, enable precision agriculture, and sustain economic transactions in the 21st Century E-Marketplace.
These historic votes build upon the Governor’s $6 billion Broadband Trailer bill that extends eligibility for grants administered by the California Public Utilities Commission to local and tribal governments, who are willing and able to quickly and efficiently connect households, community anchor institutions (including educational institutions, fairgrounds for emergency response, and health care facilities), small businesses, and employers.
AB 14 and SB 4 are measured and meaningful approaches to building a statewide fiber middle-mile network that will provide higher speeds and access to connectivity to all those who are unserved along the path of deployment.
Aguiar-Curry represents the Fourth Assembly District, which includes all of Lake and Napa Counties, parts of Colusa, Solano and Sonoma counties, and all of Yolo County except West Sacramento.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The Board of Supervisors this week heard about the cycles being observed in the COVID-19 pandemic and what it means for the case rate locally as fall arrives.
Dr. Charlie Evans, who has been assisting with Public Health officer duties, told the board that the picture in Lake County in recent weeks is looking better, important news after a late summer and early fall that witnessed climbing case rates and deaths.
August and September, with 16 and 13 deaths, respectively, were the months with the second- and third-highest numbers of COVID-19 deaths in Lake County since the start of the pandemic, Lake County Public Health reported in response to an information request from Lake County News. Public Health said that due to the lag in reporting COVID-19-related deaths, September’s numbers may change.
January had the most deaths, 19, with Lake County’s total deaths at 97, Public Health reported.
Public Health said that 35.1% of Lake County’s 97 total COVID-related deaths have occurred since July 1.
“We have seen a constant but steady decline in our numbers of new COVID-19 infections,” Evans said in a video update presented to the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday. Evans called that decline “very encouraging.”
He said the virus appears to run in cycles, and that Lake County’s declining number of cases is consistent with what other counties, states and countries are seeing.
Those cycles tend to be every two to three months. “It’s poorly understood why it runs this way,” said Evans.
Just as fast as the infections go up, after 8 to 12 weeks the infection rate starts to go down. “We have seen this phenomenon across the world,” Evans said.
He said the first time that cycle was seen was in India. “Unfortunately, in India and in many other places across the world, when we saw the decline, the decline didn’t come down to the same low baseline from which it started.”
In May, Lake County saw its lowest case rate, at three per 100,000. As of Tuesday, it was at 38 per 100,000. Evans said Lake County peaked at about 70 per 100,000 in early August.
While the current numbers are better, Evans said the case rate is still dangerously high with a lot of the virus circulating in the community.
He said those numbers need to continue to decline as the winter and the holidays approach, when more community transmission is likely with people moving indoors and temperatures dropping.
That’s what’s happening in Alaska, where Evans said the infection rate is 150 per 100,000.
Evans said current statistics have shown that many of the 100,000 people across the country who have died since July 1 were much younger than those who died at the beginning of the pandemic.
“The process of dying from COVID-19 is a horrible experience,” said Evans, noting the isolation and aloneness for the patients and their families. It’s something he said he sees every day in his work as an emergency room physician in Sonoma County.
Evans maintained that vaccinations are the ticket to getting out of the pandemic.
Between Sept. 1 and 25, 2,700 vaccinations were given in Lake County. At a rate of more than 100 shots a day, it was an increased rate of vaccination over August, said Evans.
As of this week, 61% of Lake County residents are fully vaccinated, compared to 70% statewide, based on Lake County Public Health numbers.
Statewide, those who are eligible but haven’t been vaccinated total 22% of the population; in Lake County, it’s 32%, Evans said. “We are doing better and we still have opportunities.”
He also updated the board on the outbreak in the Lake County Jail, where the peak was 83 cases — 11 staff and 72 inmates. As of this week, there was just one active case in a staffer.
Evans said hospitals are still struggling with staffing. As of Tuesday, there were three ICU beds available in Lake and Mendocino counties combined. Sonoma County has similar challenges.
As an ER physician, Evans said he constantly struggles to get placements, sometimes waiting 24 hours to transfer someone as far as 200 to 300 miles away. “We’re still struggling with bed availability.”
On Saturday, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a mandate for all students in schools to be vaccinated against COVID-19, which Evans said follows mandates for measles, mumps, polio, rubella, diphtheria, pertussis and tetanus vaccinations.
California is the first state to mandate the vaccine for COVID-19. “It’s likely that other states will follow suit in the coming weeks,” Evans said.
He expects the school mandate to be in effect as early as January.
Evans said there have been numerous COVID-19 infections in Lake County’s schools, but no schools have had to be closed. Statewide, 12 schools have been closed because of outbreaks and the virus has closed 2,000 schools nationwide. Evans credited the masking mandate and the state’s higher vaccination rates with so few schools closing.
He said California also has a modified quarantine protocol for keeping children in school. When an unvaccinated student is exposed to an active case, they can still come to school if they are asymptomatic, they are tested twice weekly, wear the proper mask and continue to be quarantined from all extracurricular activities. That seems to be working in Lake County.
“As we muddle our way through this pandemic, the one item we can count on, I think, is change. Everything changes with new data. We don’t know where we’re going exactly or how we’re going to get to the end of this,” Evans said.
The information available currently helps to reduce and manage risk, with Evans anticipating another surge in the winter months. That’s why he said it’s all the more important for people to be vaccinated.
The delta virus is out there and active in the community, and Evans said it will find and infect the unvaccinated. It makes people sick, some critically so, and some will die.
At the same time as he urged people to get the COVID-19 vaccine, Evans also urged them to get their flu shot, which is now being rolled out for the coming flu season.
Information on vaccination availability and clinics in Lake County is available here.
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — Lake County Behavioral Health Services, in partnership with the Lake County Office of Education, has been awarded a Mental Health Student Services Act grant through the California Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission.
This competitive grant is designed to incentivize partnerships between Behavioral Health and educational agencies, for the purpose of increasing access to mental health services in locations easily accessible to students and their families.
Importantly, this grant will support the mental health needs of Lake County students now returning to in-person school after over a year of shelter-in-place isolation.
Behavioral Health and LCOE have enjoyed a strong working relationship, serving youth in the community for many years. The organizations recognize how critical it is to identify and address mental health issues early on.
Mental, behavioral, and developmental disorders can begin early in childhood. According to the Centers for Disease Control, one in six children aged 2-8 years (17.4%) have a diagnosed condition.
Poverty is also a well-established risk factor for a variety of health issues, including mental health conditions. Overall, about 32% of children in Lake County live in poverty, and in the communities of Clearlake and Lower Lake, this percentage jumps to 48% and 51%, respectively. This is dramatically higher than the State average of 25%.
The Mental Health Student Services Act grant is designed to provide support services that include, at a minimum, mental health services on school campuses, suicide prevention services, drop-out prevention services, placement assistance and service plans for students in need of ongoing services.
The grant also includes outreach to high-risk youth, including foster youth, youth who identify as LGBTQ, and youth who have been expelled or suspended from school.
Behavioral Health and LCOE designed a proposal that would include additional mental health staff who will collaborate with teachers and other school staff to provide services and increase access to mental health interventions.
Grant activities will begin in October, and will continue through 2026.
Decedents typically die owing a variety of unpaid debts. Probate acts as a legal clearinghouse for a decedent’s unsecured creditors to file claims demanding payment of a monetary liability, or debt, owed them by the decedent.
In California, creditor claims are required to be filed regardless of whether the liability was due, accrued, contingent, or reduced to a cash value when the decedent died (Probate Code section 9000).
Generally, most creditor claims must be filed in the probate court proceeding within one year of a decedent’s death (section 366.3 California Code of Civil Procedure). If necessary, a creditor may even commence a probate to file a timely creditor claim.
While the personal representative of a decedent’s estate is required to mail a notice of probate and creditor claim form to all reasonably ascertainable creditors, creditors should be vigilant.
Any creditor aware that a debtor has died should inquire with the superior court in the county where the decedent resided whether a probate was commenced.
Also, petitioner’s seeking to commence probate are required to publish a legal notice in a local newspaper of general circulation in the county to put potential creditors on notice.
Once a creditor knows that a probate has commenced the creditor should notify the decedent’s personal representative and request a notice of probate and creditor claim.
The personal representative has 30 days from knowing of a creditor to provide the creditor a notice and creditor claim form.
In California, creditors must use the Judicial Council form DE-172 creditor claim form. The completed claim must be filed with the court overseeing the probate proceeding and be mailed to the personal representative and his or her attorney. The filed claim must also be timely and complete.
Timely means that the claim is filed either within four months after probate commenced — i.e., issuance of letters — or within 60 days of when the notice of the probate was given to the creditor, whichever is later.
Creditor claims must be supported by a sworn statement of the creditor or his or her representative, e.g., debt collections company (Probate Code section 9151).
First, if the claim is due when filed then the statement must state that the amount is justly due, that no payments have been made that are not credited, and that there are no offsets.
Second, claims that are not yet due — i.e., unmatured or contingent claims (including pending lawsuits against the decedent’s estate) — must be supported by an affidavit showing the facts supporting the claim. Supporting documents can be provided.
The DE-172 has instructions. Creditors who complete their own creditor claim forms must do so carefully. An incomplete or inadequate creditor claim form invites rejection by the personal representative.
If a creditor claim is partially or entirely rejected, the rejection typically starts a ninety day period for the creditor to file a timely lawsuit to dispute the rejection.
Only demands for monetary compensation require a creditor’s claim. Thus, claims that do not demand money, such as a demand for specific property, do not require a creditor claim.
Also, secured creditors who claims are adequately secured by a lien do not need to file a creditor claim.
The foregoing discussion is not legal advice. Consult an attorney for guidance.
Dennis A. Fordham, attorney, is a State Bar-Certified Specialist in estate planning, probate and trust law. His office is at 870 S. Main St., Lakeport, California. He can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and 707-263-3235.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — On Thursday evening, the Clearlake City Council received an update from staff on the Cache fire recovery process, and voted to approve a property purchase and remote meeting rules.
During the hourlong meeting, the council hosted a swearing-in and awards ceremony for new and promoted Clearlake Police officers, and presented proclamations declaring October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month and Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
The meeting included a brief update by staff regarding progress on the Cache fire recovery process.
The fire began Aug. 18 in the city limits, burning more than 80 acres and destroying 138 structures — 57 of them homes.
City Manager Alan Flora said a few weeks ago staff met with representatives of the state Office of Emergency Services, the State Water Board, California Department of Water Resource, California Conservation Corps and Lake County Water Resources due to concerns about stormwater mitigation measures that had been put into place in the fire area.
He said the city, state and county representatives walked the entire fire site, determined a number of solutions and those additional improvements have all been installed.
He said state Sen. Mike McGuire toured the site with the city last Friday and talked about issues like water supply.
Finance Director Kelcey Young said staff has been working on getting right of entry forms from property owners in order for the debris removal process to move forward.
She said the city — along with the state Office of Emergency Services and North Coast Opportunities — held a workshop on Monday on the cleanup process, with about 15 households attending.
In addition, the city has received 41 rights of entry, “which is excellent,” Young said.
There are still four property owners the city is trying to contact via phone and email, Young said. Later in the discussion, Councilman Russ Cremer said he had a list of property owners he’s compiled as part of his efforts to raise recovery funds and he offered to share that list with Young.
Young said property owners who want to have debris removed should contact the city. Information is available on the city’s Cache fire resources page.
The city submitted the 41 complete right of entry forms to Cal OES on Thursday, Young said.
She explained that those without insurance are still eligible to have debris from their homes and properties removed.
Cal OES is in the process of selecting the contractor who will conduct the debris removal, with Young estimating that the removal process could begin in early November.
Flora said Cal OES has done a great job, largely with the influence of Sen. McGuire. He also recognized City Clerk/Administrative Services Director Melissa Swanson for her efforts in getting the rights of entry forms processed.
He said that because of the anticipated impact on rainfall into the Cache Creek watershed — and with the amount of burned vehicles in the fire area — there is an effort to prioritize the Cache fire cleanup ahead of other larger fires in the state.
Councilman Russ Perdock asked staff if the city has heard anything from its members of Congress about possible federal help.
Flora said a federal declaration for the state’s wildfires has already happened and it’s unclear what disasters are included.
While the Cache fire is not mentioned in that declaration, Flora said they’ve gotten some indication from the state that it may be rolled into that larger federal declaration.
Also on Thursday, the council voted unanimously to purchase a 5,000-square-foot vacant lot at 6388 Vallejo Ave. to be used as part of the future development of the retail center at the former Pearce Field.
The lot is currently surrounded by city-owned property, Flora said. It’s also in proximity to property the city has agreed to sell for a hotel development.
The property’s current owners, who inherited it from their parents, offered it to the city. Flora said the city agreed to purchase it for $15,000, and to cover the $5,000 closing costs.
Cremer moved to approve the purchase, Perdock seconded and the council voted 5-0.
In other business, the council voted unanimously to authorize the implementation and use of teleconference accessibility to conduct public meetings pursuant to Assembly Bill 361.
Swanson said the bill allows the city to continue to hold meetings remotely through the end of 2023 as long as it makes at least one of three findings, including:
— state or local officials have imposed or recommended measures to promote social distancing; — the legislative body is holding a meeting for the purpose of determining whether as a result of the emergency, meeting in person would present imminent risks to the health or safety of attendees; — and by majority vote, the legislative body determined that as a result of the emergency, meeting in person would present imminent risks to the health or safety of attendees.
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
State Controller Betty T. Yee has published the 2020 self-reported payroll data for University of California institutions and California Community College districts on the Government Compensation in California website.
The data cover more than 411,000 positions and approximately $22.77 billion in total wages.
All 11 UC institutions – including 10 campuses and the Office of the President – voluntarily filed compliant reports with the State Controller’s Office. UC data cover 293,024 employees and nearly $18.11 billion in total wages.
Forty-nine CCC districts voluntarily filed compliant reports with SCO. CCC data published cover 118,652 employees and nearly $4.67 billion in total wages.
Twelve CCC districts did not file a report with SCO, while another 11 filed reports that were not compliant.
Among those that did not file was the Mendocino-Lake Community College District. The other community college district serving Lake County, the Yuba Community College District, was noncompliant.
California law requires cities, counties, and special districts to annually report compensation data to the state controller.
The state controller also maintains and publishes state and CSU salary data. No such statutory requirement exists for UC, CCCs, superior courts, fairs and expositions, First 5 commissions, or K-12 education providers; their reporting is voluntary.
Users of the site can view compensation levels on maps and search by region; narrow results by name of the entity or by job title; and export raw data or custom reports.
Since the website launched in 2010, it has registered more than 13 million pageviews. The site contains pay and benefit information on more than two million government jobs in California, as reported annually by each entity.
Melissa Rice, Western Washington University and Briony Horgan, Purdue University
In the short time since NASA’s Perseverance rover landed in Mars’ Jezero Crater on Feb. 18, 2021, it’s already made history.
At the moment, Mars and the Earth are on opposite sides of the Sun, and the two planets cannot communicate with each other. After working nonstop for the past 216 Martian days, the science teams are taking the first real break since the mission started.
We are twomembers of the Perseverance team, and with the rover hunkered down for the 20 days of conjunction, it is the perfect time to step back and reflect on the mission thus far.
Perseverance has tested out all of its engineering capabilities, driven 1.6 miles (2.6 kilometers) over rough terrain and taken tens of thousands of photos with its 19 cameras. Of all of these incredible successes, there are three major milestones that we’re particularly excited about: collecting the first rock core samples, flying the Ingenuity helicopter and publishing our first scientific results about the Jezero Crater delta.
Return shipping
One of Perseverance’s primary objectives is to use its sample caching system to extract small rock cores – roughly the size of dry-erase markers – and seal them in special sample tubes. A future mission will then pick them up and bring them on a long, interplanetary journey back to Earth.
For Perserverance’s first drilling attempt in August, our team picked a nice flat rock that was easy to access with the drill. After six days of assessing the bedrock – and finally drilling into it – we were thrilled to see a hole in the ground and get confirmation that the sample tube had sealed successfully. However, the next day the rover sent photos of the inside of the tube, and we saw it was actually empty. Some of Mars’ atmosphere is trapped inside and will be useful to study, but it’s not what the team was hoping for.
Ultimately, our team concluded that the rock itself was much softer than expected and it was completely pulverized during the act of drilling.
Three weeks and 1,800 feet (550 meters) later, we came across some promising-looking rocks protruding up above the red surface. This suggested that the rocks were harder and therefore easier to take a sample of. This time Perseverance successfully extracted and stored two core samples from the grayish, wind-polished rock. After collecting up to a few dozen more, it will drop the samples at a safe and easily accessible location on Mars’ surface. NASA’s Mars Sample Return mission, which is currently in development, will pick up the sample tubes in the late 2020s and bring them home.
But scientists don’t have to wait that long to learn about the rocks. At both sites, Perseverance used the SHERLOC and PIXL spectrometers on its arm to measure the composition of the rocks. We found crystalline minerals that suggest the rocks formed in a basaltic lava flow, as well as salt minerals that could be evidence of ancient groundwater.
First in flight
Perseverance may be a long way from Earth, but it has a sidekick. The Ingenuity helicopter detached from the rover shortly after they landed on Mars and became the first craft to fly in the atmosphere of another planet.
Ingenuity is solar powered, weighs 4 pounds (1.8 kg), and its main body is roughly the size of a grapefruit. On April 19, 2021, the helicopter took its first flight, hovering 10 feet (3 meters) above the ground for 39 seconds before coming straight down. This short hop showed that its long blades could generate enough lift to allow flight in Mars’ thin air.
The next flights tested the helicopter’s ability to move horizontally, and it covered longer distances each time, traveling as much as 2,050 feet (625 meters) in its farthest trip to date.
Ingenuity has now flown 13 times and has captured detailed photos of the ground to scout out the rough terrain ahead of Perseverance. These images are helping the team decide how to navigate around obstacles on the way toward the rover’s eventual destination, a large delta in Jezero Crater.
Zooming into the Jezero delta
NASA selected Jezero Crater as Perseverance’s landing site specifically because it gives the rover access to a large stack of rocks that sits at the end of a dry river valley. Based on satellite images, scientists think that these rocks are made of sediment deposited by an ancient river that flowed into a lake roughly 3.5 billion years ago. If true, this location could have been an excellent environment for life.
However, the resolution of the satellite data isn’t high enough to say for sure whether the sediments were deposited slowly into a long-lived lake or whether the structure formed under drier conditions. The only way to know with certainty was to take images from the surface of Mars.
Perseverance landed over a mile (roughly 2 kilometers) away from the cliffs at the front of the delta. We are both on the team in charge of the Mastcam-Z instrument, a set of cameras with zoom lenses that would allow us to see a paper clip from the opposite side of a football field. During the first few weeks of the mission, we used Mastcam–Z to survey the distant rocks. From those panoramic views, we selected specific spots to look at in more detail with the rover’s SuperCam, a telescopic camera.
When the images got back to Earth, we saw tilted layers of sediments in the lower parts of the 260-foot-tall (80 meters) cliffs. Toward the top we spotted boulders, some as large as 5 feet (1.5 meters) across.
From the structure of these formations, our team has been able to reconstruct a geological story billions of years old, which we published in the journal Science on Oct. 7, 2021.
For a long time – potentially millions of years – a river flowed into a lake that filled Jezero Crater. This river slowly deposited the tilted layers of sediment we see in the cliffs of the delta. Later on, the river became mostly dry except for a few big flooding events. These events had enough energy to carry big rocks down the river channel and deposit them on top of the older sediment; these are the boulders we see atop the cliffs now.
Since then, the climate has been arid and winds have slowly been eroding away the rock.
Confirming that there was a lake in Jezero Crater is the first major science result of the mission. In the coming year, Perseverance will drive up to the top of the delta, studying the rock layers in microscopic detail along the way and collecting many samples. When those samples eventually make their way to Earth, we will learn if they contain signs of microbial life that may once have thrived in this ancient lake on Mars.
CLEARLAKE, Calif. — Clearlake Animal Control continues to offer a number of friendly dogs to new homes.
The City of Clearlake Animal Association also is seeking fosters for the animals waiting to be adopted.
Another way to help is through donations. A wish list has been posted at Amazon and on Chewy. For those who wish to shop local and drop off items, call 707-273-9440 to schedule a delivery or donate at the association’s Facebook page.
Call the Clearlake Animal Control shelter at 707-273-9440, or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to inquire about adoptions and schedule a visit to the shelter.
Visit Clearlake Animal Control on Facebook or on the city’s website.
‘Andy’
“Andy” is a male pit bull terrier mix with a short gray and white coat.
He is dog No. 5150.
‘Bear’
“Bear” is a male American Staffordshire terrier mix with a short brown coat.
He has been neutered.
He is dog No. 3476.
‘Bella’
“Bella” is a female pit bull mix with a short brindle coat.
She is dog No. 5080.
‘Blue Eyed Jack’
“Blue Eyed Jack” is a male German shepherd mix.
He is dog No. 5046.
‘Edgar’
“Edgar” is a male American Staffordshire terrier mix with a short black and cream coat.
He is dog No. 5189.
‘Mara’
“Mara” is a female Rottweiler mix.
She has a short black and tan coat.
He is house-trained.
She is dog No. 4628.
‘Mitzy’
“Mitzy” is a female shepherd mix with a medium-length black and white coat.
She is dog No. 4648.
‘Sassy’
“Sassy” is a female American bully mix with a short black coat.
She has been spayed.
She is dog No. 4602.
‘Tanisha’
“Tanisha” is a female shepherd mix with a short orange and white coat.
She is dog No. 4647.
‘Terry’
“Terry” is a male Dutch shepherd mix with a smooth brindle coat.
He is dog No. 4880.
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
At California State University, Northridge on Wednesday, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed legislation to improve college affordability and increase access to higher education, and highlighted the historic $47.1 billion higher education package — the most ever invested in higher education in modern history.
“We’re turning commitments into reality by ensuring that our students have more access to high-quality educational opportunities, creating a change of course for generations to come and bolstering California’s innovation economy,” said Gov. Newsom. “Californians have thrived at our world class universities for decades, but not everyone has had similar access — today that’s changing. Everyone deserves a shot at the ‘California Dream’ — we’re eliminating equity gaps and increasing opportunities at our universities to make those dreams a reality for more California students.”
“Over the last five years I’ve held hearings across California to discuss higher education issues,” said Assemblymember Marc Berman, chair of the Assembly Select Committee on the Master Plan for Higher Education in California. “When students discussed their experience with the transfer process from community college to four-year university their message was loud and clear: transfer is too complex, confusing, and difficult to navigate. Instead of being a clear path, it’s a maze, and it’s costing students time and money that they can’t afford. Together, Assembly Bills 928 and 1111 will make it easier for students to achieve their educational goals. I am grateful that Gov. Newsom signed these historic bills, and for the advocates and students who inspired these reforms.”
“From historic investments in financial aid and student housing that will benefit students to a radical revamping of transfer, 2021 is a landmark year for public higher education in California,” said California State University Chancellor Joseph I. Castro. “We appreciate the bold vision demonstrated by Governor Newsom and his commitment to further improving education access and outcomes throughout the Golden State.”
Increasing transfer rates for underserved students
Gov. Newsom on Wednesday signed legislation to help facilitate access to the University of California, or UC, and California State University, CSU, systems for students to attain four-year degrees and help further prepare them for the economy of tomorrow:
— AB 928 by Assembly member Marc Berman (D-Menlo Park): Requires the CSU and UC to jointly establish a singular lower division general education pathway for transfer admission into both segments. Also requires California Community Colleges (CCC) to place students who declare a goal of transfer on an Associate Degree for Transfer (ADT) pathway for their intended major, and establishes the ADT intersegmental implementation committee as the primary oversight entity.
— AB 1111 by Assembly member Marc Berman (D-Menlo Park) - Requires, by July 1, 2024, the CCCs adopt a common course numbering system (C-ID) at all community colleges and for each community college campus catalog. This common course numbering system is required to be student-facing and ensures that comparable courses across all community colleges have the same course number.
Finding solutions to the student housing crisis
On top of the $2 billion investment to significantly increase affordable housing for students and help address the student housing crisis, Gov. Newsom signed legislation to create long-overdue housing plans at the UC and CSU systems:
— AB 1377 by Assembly member Kevin McCarty (D-Sacramento): Requires the CSU system, and requests the UC system, to conduct a student housing needs assessment for each campus, and create a student housing plan outlining how projected student housing needs will be met.
— SB 330 by Sen. María Elena Durazo (D-Los Angeles): Requires the Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD) to develop a pilot program to provide affordable housing to students or employees of LACCD. This bill also allows LACCD to enter into agreements with nonprofit or private entities to lease real property under certain conditions, in order to develop affordable housing.
Making financial aid more accessible
Governor Newsom’s California Comeback Plan requires all students to submit a Free Application for Federal Aid or California Dream Act application in order to significantly increase federal aid opportunities for California students, and on Wednesday he signed legislation to further expand such supports:
— AB 340 by Assembly member Chris Ward (D-San Diego): Conforms the state's 529 college savings plan statute to recent changes in federal tax law, expanding allowable withdrawals from 529 plans to include expenses associated with participation in a registered apprenticeship program and student loan repayment.
— AB 469 by Assemblymember Eloise Gómez Reyes (D-San Bernardino) - Requires, on or before Sept. 1, 2022, and each year thereafter, the California Student Aid Commission and the California Department of Education to facilitate the completion of the Free Application for Student Aid and the California Dream Act Application, through the sharing of specified data.
— SB 737 by Sen. Monique Limón (D- Santa Barbara): Modifies and expands criteria for which the California Student Aid Commission may apportion funds to support projects under the California Student Opportunity and Access program, and additionally expands the duties and responsibilities of funded projects.
Overall $47.1 billion higher education package
The budget’s unprecedented level of investment in higher education reflects a continued commitment to affordability, more accessible institutions, higher quality programs, equitable outcomes, and more efficient degree pathways — all of which are critical for driving upward mobility across the state.
The budget includes total funding of $47.1 billion ($25.7 billion General Fund and local property tax and $21.4 billion other funds) for all higher education entities in 2021-22.
The state’s three public segments — the University of California, the California State University (CSU), and the California Community Colleges, or CCC — receive substantial ongoing base augmentations, and the Budget includes significant investments to make postsecondary education more affordable, including expanding the state’s Cal Grant program to additional CCC students.
Also included are investments to make college savings accounts widely available to low-income children; provide grants to advance training and education for workers impacted by the COVID-19 Pandemic; promote learning-aligned, long-term career development opportunities; and support regional K-16 education collaboratives focused on streamlining educational pathways leading to in-demand jobs.
A full list of the bills signed by the Governor is below:
AB 245 by Assemby member David Chiu (D-San Francisco) — Educational equity: student records: name and gender changes.
AB 275 by Assembly member Jose Medina (D-Riverside) — Classified community college employees.
AB 340 by Assembly member Chris Ward (D-San Diego) — Golden State Scholarshare Trust: Personal Income Tax Law: gross income: deductions.
AB 417 by Assembly member Kevin McCarty (D-Sacramento) — Rising Scholars Network: justice-involved students.
AB 424 by Assembly member Mark Stone (D-Monterey Bay) — Private Student Loan Collections Reform Act: collection actions.
AB 469 by Assembly member Eloise Gómez Reyes (D-San Bernardino) — Pupil instruction: financial aid applications.
AB 543 by Assembly member Laurie Davies (R-Laguna Niguel) — Public postsecondary education: student orientation: CalFresh.
AB 576 by Assembly member Brian Maienschein (D-San Diego) — Community colleges: apportionments: waiver of open course provisions: military personnel.
AB 615 by Assemblymember Freddie Rodriguez (D-Pomona) — Higher Education Employer-Employee Relations Act: procedures relating to employee termination or discipline.
AB 914 by Assemblymember Akilah Weber (D-San Diego) — Public postsecondary education: California State University: proficiency level of entering students.
AB 927 by Assemblymember Jose Medina (D-Riverside) — Public postsecondary education: community colleges: statewide baccalaureate degree program.
AB 928 by Assemblymember Marc Berman (D-Menlo Park) — Student Transfer Achievement Reform Act of 2021: Associate Degree for Transfer Intersegmental Implementation Committee.
AB 1002 by Assemblymember Steven Choi (R-Irvine) — Postsecondary education: course credit for prior military education, training, and service.
AB 1111 by Assemblymember Marc Berman (D-Menlo Park) — Postsecondary education: common course numbering system.
AB 1113 by Assemblymember Jose Medina (D-Riverside) — Public postsecondary education: exemption from tuition and fees: qualifying survivors of persons providing medical or emergency services deceased during COVID-19 California state of emergency.
AB 1326 by Assemblymember Joaquin Arambula (D-Fresno) — Public social services: county liaison for higher education.
AB 1377 by Assemblymember Kevin McCarty (D-Sacramento) — Student housing plans.
SB 330 by Senator María Elena Durazo (D-Los Angeles) — Los Angeles Community College District Affordable Housing Pilot Program.
SB 436 by Senator Brian Dahle (R-Bieber) — Community colleges: nonresident tuition.
SB 512 by Senator Dave Min (D-Irvine) — Public postsecondary education: support services for foster youth: Cooperating Agencies Foster Youth Educational Support Program.
SB 737 by Senator Monique Limón (D-Santa Barbara) — California Student Opportunity and Access Program.