The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire, is teaming up with the National Fire Protection Association — the official sponsor of Fire Prevention Week for more than 90 years — to promote this year’s Fire Prevention Week campaign, “Learn the Sounds of Fire Safety.”
This year’s campaign, Oct. 3 to 9, works to educate everyone about simple but important actions they can take to keep themselves and those around them safe.
“What do the sounds mean? Is there a beep or a chirp coming out of your smoke or carbon monoxide alarm? Knowing the difference can save you, your home, and your family,” said Lorraine Carli, vice president of outreach and advocacy at NFPA.
Cal Fire encourages all residents to embrace the 2021 Fire Prevention Week theme by taking time to familiarize yourself with the smoke detector(s) and carbon monoxide detector(s) in your home.
“It’s important to learn the different sounds of smoke and carbon monoxide alarms. When an alarm makes noise — a beeping sound or a chirping sound — you must take action,” said Chief Thom Porter. “Make sure everyone in the home understands the sounds of the alarms and knows how to respond. To learn the sounds of your specific smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, check the manufacturer’s instructions that came in the box, or search the brand and model online.”
“This Fire Prevention Week we want to provide the public with knowledge to help them take action in preventing injuries and/or fatalities due to fire, smoke and toxic gases,” said State Fire Marshal Mike Richwine. “We want residents to understand that working smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors are critical to ensure home fire safety. These safety devices are required in every residence, hotel/motel, dormitory, and lodging house. It is imperative that everyone is familiar with the emergency notification signals to enable them to safely exit the home.”
Safety tips to help you “Learn the Sounds of Fire Safety”:
• A continuous set of three loud beeps—beep, beep, beep—means smoke or fire. Get out, call 9-1-1, and stay out. • A single chirp every 30 or 60 seconds means the battery is low and must be changed. • All smoke alarms must be replaced after 10 years. • Chirping that continues after the battery has been replaced means the alarm is at the end of its life and the unit must be replaced. • Make sure your smoke and CO alarms meet the needs of all your family members, including those with sensory or physical disabilities.
In California all new individually sold smoke alarms contain a nonreplaceable, nonremovable battery capable of powering the smoke alarm for a minimum of 10 years. While residents should still test them monthly, these new alarms wouldn’t need new batteries each year. If the alarm chirps, warning that the battery is low, replace the entire smoke alarm right away.
For more general information about Fire Prevention Week and fire prevention in general, visit www.fpw.org.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — Lake County Animal Care and Control has an eclectic mix of dogs waiting for adoption this week.
Dogs available for adoption this week include mixes of American bulldog, beagle, border collie, cattle dog, Chihuahua, Doberman, German shepherd, husky, pit bull, pug, Rottweiler, shepherd and terrier.
Dogs that are adopted from Lake County Animal Care and Control are either neutered or spayed, microchipped and, if old enough, given a rabies shot and county license before being released to their new owner. License fees do not apply to residents of the cities of Lakeport or Clearlake.
The following dogs at the Lake County Animal Care and Control shelter have been cleared for adoption (additional dogs on the animal control website not listed are still “on hold”).
“Ace” is a 1-year-old male shepherd and Doberman mix with a short black and tan coat.
He is in kennel No. 6, ID No. LCAC-A-1731.
Male border collie
This 1-year-old male border collie has a short black and white coat.
He’s in kennel No. 13, ID No. LCAC-A-1723.
Female German shepherd mix
This 2-year-old female German shepherd mix has a short black and tan coat.
She’s in kennel No. 20, ID No. LCAC-A-1660.
‘Oscar’
“Oscar” is a 6-year-old pug-beagle mix — or a puggle — with a short tan coat.
He is in kennel No. 21, ID No. LCAC-A-1709.
‘Groover’
“Groover” is a 1-year-old male German shepherd-cattle dog mix with a short black and tan coat.
He’s in kennel No. 25, ID No. LCAC-A-1659.
‘LuLu’
“LuLu” is a 1-year-old female Rottweiler with a short black and tan coat.
She is in kennel No. 27, ID No. LCAC-A-1658.
Male shepherd mix
This 2-year-old male shepherd mix has a short black and tan coat.
He is in kennel No. 28, ID No. LCAC-A-1743.
Male pit bull
This young male pit bull has a short black and white coat.
He is in kennel No. 29, ID No. LCAC-A-1699.
Female pit bull
This 1-year-old female pit bull mix has a short gray coat with white markings.
She is in kennel No. 31, ID No. LCAC-A-1683.
‘Cookie’
“Cookie” is a 1-year-old female husky mix with a long red and white coat.
She is in kennel No. 32, ID No. LCAC-A-1682.
‘Dozer’
‘Dozer’ is a 5-year-old American pit bull terrier mix with a short brindle coat.
He is in kennel No. 33, ID No. LCAC-A-1483.
‘Milo’
“Milo” is a 3-year-old male American bulldog-pit bull mix with a short white coat.
He is in kennel No. 34, ID No. LCAC-A-1657.
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 Friday, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced plans to add the COVID-19 vaccine to the list of vaccinations required to attend school in-person when the vaccine receives full approval from the Food and Drug Administration for middle and high school grades, making California the first state in the nation to announce such a measure.
Following the other first-in-the-nation school masking and staff vaccination measures, Gov. Newsom announced the COVID-19 vaccine will be required for in-person school attendance — just like vaccines for measles, mumps, rubella and more.
“The state already requires that students are vaccinated against viruses that cause measles, mumps, and rubella — there’s no reason why we wouldn’t do the same for COVID-19,” Gov. Newsom said Friday. “Today’s measure, just like our first-in-the-nation school masking and staff vaccination requirements, is about protecting our children and school staff, and keeping them in the classroom.”
He added, “Vaccines work. It’s why California leads the country in preventing school closures and has the lowest case rates. We encourage other states to follow our lead to keep our kids safe and prevent the spread of COVID-19.”
Thanks to the state’s public health measures, California continues to maintain the lowest case rate in the entire country and is one of only two states to have advanced out of the CDC's “high” COVID-19 transmission category.
The vast majority of school districts have reported that over 95% of students have returned to in-person instruction this school year, as can be seen on the state’s Student Supports & In-Person Dashboard.
Thanks to unprecedented resources and public health measures (measures shown to be highly effective), California is leading national trends in preventing school closures and keeping kids in classrooms, accounting for only 14 out of over 2,000 school closures nationwide, or roughly 0.7% — despite the fact that California educates an estimated 12% of the nation’s public school students. If California’s rates had aligned with national trends, the state would have seen upwards of 240 school closures.
In order to further protect students and staff and continue supporting a safe return to in-person instruction for all students, the governor directed the California Department of Public Health, or CDPH, to follow the procedures established by the Legislature to add the COVID-19 vaccine to other vaccinations required for in-person school attendance — such as measles, mumps and rubella — pursuant to the Health and Safety Code.
COVID-19 vaccine requirements will be phased-in by grade span, which will also promote smoother implementation.
Upon full FDA approval of age groups within a grade span, CDPH will consider the recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the American Academy of Family Physicians prior to implementing a requirement.
Following the existing statute, full approval of ages 12+ corresponds to grades 7 to 12, and full approval of ages 5 to 11 corresponds to grades K-6.
Students who are under the age of full approval, but within the grade span, will be required to be vaccinated once they reach the age of full approval (with a reasonable period of time to receive both doses), consistent with existing procedures for other vaccines.
The requirement will take effect at the start of the term following full approval of that grade span, to be defined as Jan. 1 or July 1, whichever comes first.
Based on current information, the requirement is expected to apply to grades seven to 12 starting on July 1, 2022.
However, local health jurisdictions and local education agencies are encouraged to implement requirements ahead of a statewide requirement based on their local circumstances.
MIDDLETOWN, Calif. — The Middletown Art Center, or MAC, has plans for a diverse slate of programs focused in great part on cross-cultural projects for communities throughout Lake County.
Adapting to the challenges of a pandemic hasn’t been easy, but through creativity, willpower and the support of community, the MAC is weathering the storm while ambitiously striving to extend its reach by weaving the arts further into Lake County communities.
“MAC is committed to providing inclusive, affordable and equitable arts access in a safe and welcoming environment for all peoples in Lake County,” said Lisa Kaplan, MAC’s executive director. “Countywide, we grapple with issues of poverty and the trauma of recurring wildfires and recognize that local underrepresented communities in particular have specific needs and barriers that require distinct and varied outreach efforts to help facilitate equity.”
To realize MAC’s vision of extending the reach of the arts into Lake County’s diverse communities, the organization expanded its board, committees and staff to reflect the county’s various populations. This facilitated new collaborations and outreach opportunities.
MAC’s staff applied for an Impact Project Grant from the California Arts Council for “Weaving Baskets, Weaving Bridges,” a program which was collaboratively designed by MAC team members, Middletown tribal elder Millie Simon, cultural educator Rose Steele and Pomo basket weaver and cultural educator Corine Pearce. They recently welcomed the good news that the project was funded.
“Weaving” will begin in early November and will run through the summer of 2022.
A multifaceted project, “Weaving” uses the art of basketry as a vessel for healing and understanding with a holistic approach, from native plant cultivation and preparation to weaving in community.
The project comprises basketry workshops, a native plant demonstration garden and a variety of cross-cultural engagement opportunities to provide historical and cultural context. Pomo storytelling, readings, art presentations and film screenings will all be included.
The project will culminate in an exhibit of contemporary and traditional Indigenous art at MAC with Pomo basketry exhibits at Lake County’s three historical museums.
In addition to programs that honor local Indigenous culture, the experiences of African American musicians living and working in Lake County are being highlighted through another project, “Sounds of Liberation: Discovering Wisdom and History in African American Music,” a series of intimate conversations and performances about race and music.
Events in 2020, including George Floyd’s tragic death and the wide participation in the calls for justice that followed, were in part the inspiration for Sounds of Liberation.
A collaboration with local African American composer, cellist, and educator Clovice Lewis, Sounds of Liberation was launched on Juneteenth (June 19) at the MAC with a conversation with and performance by Lewis. Lewis was interviewed by arts professional and social justice advocate Sabrina Klein-Clement, and this was followed by a Juneteenth celebration.
The second event in the series was a conversation between Lewis and singer-songwriter Gloria Scott. Additional events will follow in the months to come.
Both “Weaving” and Sounds of Liberations provide options for in-person and Zoom-based remote participation.
Sounds of Liberation is funded in part by a grant from California Humanities, a partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities.
“We are honored that our current projects have been funded by state agencies,“ said Kaplan. “The awards cover a significant portion of project costs, but not all, and they are designated to the project only, not to general operations or facilities.”
Kaplan said MAC relies heavily on community support through membership, donations and program attendance, all of which have been much lower during the pandemic.
During COVID-19, MAC benefited from CARES Act support which enabled it to adapt, continue operations and develop programs during a time of distancing.
Before COVID, many of MAC’s community-focused arts and culture activities happened on site, from classes and exhibit openings to live music performances and dances.
MAC continues to weave the arts into the fabric of Lake County through gallery shows, events, school field trips to the gallery and studio, and many other educational programs for youth and adults, now to include multigenerational weaving workshops.
As to the EcoArts Sculpture Walk at Trailside Park in Middletown, there are currently eight works on view, including a couple of new or refreshed pieces. Due to the pandemic, proposals for sculpture installations continue to be accepted on a rolling basis. MAC hopes to hold a festive opening in 2022.
Much more is in store for MAC as it serves the community in the coming months.
A “MAC for Lake County” celebration of MAC’s 7th year of operations is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 9, from 4:30 to 7 p.m. This will include an interactive sound and light installation that is part of the new “LIGHT” exhibit, which is on view through the end of 2021. Learn more and RSVP to this free milestone event on the MAC website.
As MAC Board President Amanda Martin said, “Looking to the year ahead, we have a full slate of activities planned, including Weaving and Sounds of Liberation, additional virtual exhibits, artistic work at the MAC building, and new marketing programs, collaborations and partnerships. We also plan to expand the MAC’s committees and volunteer base.”
The MAC continues to encourage and welcome new community volunteers, committee and board members, and, of course. new artists. Calls for artwork are posted at www.middletownartcenter.org/calls-for-work. To learn more about volunteer opportunities, you may email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
The MAC is located in Middletown at 21456 State Highway 175.
To support their work, to learn more, or to sign up for current programs, please visit their website at www.middletownartcenter.org.
Esther Oertel is a features contributor and columnist for Lake County News.
NASA has tested the functions of Lucy, the agency’s first spacecraft to study Jupiter’s Trojan asteroids, filled it with fuel, and is preparing to pack it into a capsule for launch Saturday, Oct. 16.
Named after characters in Greek mythology, these asteroids circle the Sun in two swarms, with one group leading ahead of Jupiter in its path, the other trailing behind it. Lucy will be the first spacecraft to visit these asteroids.
By studying these asteroids up close, scientists hope to hone their theories on how our solar system’s planets formed 4.5 billion years ago and why they ended up in their current configuration.
“With Lucy, we’re going to eight never-before-seen asteroids in 12 years with a single spacecraft,” said Tom Statler, Lucy project scientist at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “This is a fantastic opportunity for discovery as we probe into our solar system’s distant past.”
Following all pandemic protocols, Lucy team members have spent the past eight weeks at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, preparing the spacecraft for flight.
Engineers have tested the spacecraft’s mechanical, electrical, and thermal systems and practiced executing the launch sequence from the mission operations centers at Kennedy and Lockheed Martin Space in Littleton, Colorado.
In early August, engineers installed the spacecraft’s high-gain antenna, its second most prominent feature after the expansive solar arrays, which will allow the spacecraft to communicate with Earth.
“There has been a lot of hands-on work,” said Donya Douglas-Bradshaw, Lucy project manager at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. “This summer has gone by so fast; it’s hard to believe we’re nearly at launch.”
On Sept. 18, propulsion engineers finished filling Lucy’s fuel tanks with approximately 1,600 pounds of liquid hydrazine and liquid oxygen, which make up 40% of the mass of the spacecraft.
The fuel will be used for precise maneuvers that will propel Lucy to its asteroid destinations on schedule, while the solar arrays — each the width of a school bus — will recharge the batteries that will power spacecraft instruments.
The Lucy spacecraft will soon be packed into the two halves of the launch vehicle fairing, which will close around it like a clamshell. After the spacecraft is encapsulated, the Lucy team will be able to communicate with it electrically through an “umbilical cord.”
“Launching a spacecraft is almost like sending a child off to college — you’ve done what can for them to get them ready for that next big step on their own,” said Hal Levison, the principal investigator of the Lucy mission, based at the Southwest Research Institute in Boulder, Colorado.
In early October, the encapsulated spacecraft will be transported to the Vehicle Integration Facility at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, where it will be “mated” with the United Launch Alliance Atlas V 401 rocket.
The Atlas V will lift off from Space Launch Complex 41.The rocket will carry Lucy outside Earth’s atmosphere to begin the long journey to the Trojan asteroids.
A few days prior to launch, engineers will power up the Lucy spacecraft in preparation for the mission. This process will take about 20 minutes.
“The spacecraft will sit in launch configuration and the engineering team will continuously monitor its health and status to make sure Lucy is ready to go,” said Jessica Lounsbury, the Lucy project systems engineer at Goddard. “And then it’s launch day.”
Lucy’s first launch attempt is scheduled for 5:34 a.m. EDT on Oct. 16. That day, the team will be “called to stations” at 1 a.m., which is when everyone is expected to arrive at mission control and other stations to monitor the spacecraft and run through the full launch countdown procedures. If weather or any other issues prohibit a launch that day, the team will have additional launch opportunities beginning the following day.
Lucy’s principal investigator is based out of the Boulder, Colorado, branch of Southwest Research Institute, headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. Goddard provides overall mission management, systems engineering, and safety and mission assurance. Lockheed Martin Space in Littleton, Colorado, built the spacecraft. Lucy is the 13th mission in NASA’s Discovery Program. NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, manages the Discovery Program for the agency’s Science Mission Directorate in Washington. The launch is managed by NASA’s Launch Services Program based at Kennedy.
Wildlife officials said Friday that a gray wolf that’s traveled from Oregon to Ventura County may be the first gray wolf to be found that far south in California in nearly a century.
Between Sept. 20 and 26, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife received three separate reports of a gray wolf with a purple collar in northern Ventura County.
CDFW staff began site inspections and have confirmed recent wolf tracks in the vicinity.
Though CDFW does not have forensic evidence to confirm this at this time, the wolf could be OR-93.
The recent reports match the description of OR-93, who was fitted with a purple tracking collar by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs in Oregon in June 2020.
The collar was monitored by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, or ODFW, but it stopped transmitting in April.
Neither CDFW nor ODFW can determine the wolf’s current location, but if an opportunity arises, CDFW may attempt to capture and re-collar the wolf to continue tracking its journey.
Though historically all of California is wolf habitat, this is the farthest south in California that any gray wolf has been documented since one was captured in San Bernardino County in 1922.
OR-93 is a male wolf born in 2019. He dispersed from the White River pack in northern Oregon.
When his collar was providing information, he was tracked entering Modoc County on Jan. 30.
After briefly returning to Oregon, he reentered Modoc County on Feb. 4. On Feb. 24, he entered Alpine County after passing through portions of Lassen, Plumas, Sierra, Nevada, Placer, El Dorado, Amador and Calaveras counties.
On Feb. 25, he entered Mono County. In mid-March, he was in western Tuolumne County. By late March he was in Fresno County, and then entered San Benito County after crossing Highway 99 and Interstate 5.
He was in Monterey County on April 1 and his last collar transmission was from San Luis Obispo County on April 5.
Through April 5 he had traveled at least 935 air miles in California, a minimum average of 16 air miles per day.
In August, CDFW received trail camera video from May 15, showing a collared gray wolf in southwest Kern County that may have been OR-93.
The trail camera records wildlife use at a water trough on private property. Though the video was from May, the trail camera was not checked until August, when it was provided to CDFW.
CDFW strongly encourages the public to be aware that the wolf population continues to grow in California and to know the difference between wolves and coyotes.
Though gray wolves are generally much bigger than coyotes, they can sometimes be misidentified.
Officials encourage the public to review this page that provides tips for differentiating between wolves, coyotes and dogs.
Gray wolves are listed as endangered pursuant to California’s Endangered Species Act, or CESA. It is unlawful to harass, harm, pursue, hunt, shoot, wound, kill, trap or capture gray wolves.
Anyone who believes they have seen a wolf in California can report it to CDFW here.
Gray wolves pose very little safety risk to humans. CDFW is working to monitor and conserve California’s small wolf population and is collaborating with livestock producers and diverse stakeholders to minimize wolf-livestock conflicts.
Gray wolf management in California is guided by CESA as well as CDFW’s Conservation Plan for Gray Wolves in California, finalized in 2016.
More information is available on CDFW’s wolf webpage.
LUCERNE, Calif. — Two structures sustained damage in a fire in Lucerne on Saturday night.
The fire in the 6000 block of Second Ave. was first dispatched just after 9 p.m.
Initial reports said one structure was well involved and there were several others threatened.
Northshore Fire arrived minutes after dispatch, with Cal Fire requested shortly before 9:10 p.m. The Northshore Fire Support Team also responded.
Utility lines also were reported to be down, although Pacific Gas and Electric did not report any outages.
The California Highway Patrol also responded to close Second Avenue from Highway 20 to Highland Avenue while firefighters were at work, according to radio traffic.
Officials at the scene told Lake County News after the fire was brought under control that one house and another structure were damaged.
Red Cross was asked to respond to help displaced residents.
Radio traffic indicated that firefighters remained on scene for mop up for several hours.
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The Lake County Sheriff’s Office said this week that DNA technology has helped it solve a decades-long mystery involving the identity of a murdered man whose remains were found near Lower Lake.
Lt. Corey Paulich said this week that the investigation has identified the remains as belonging to Leopoldo Torres Melendez, whose family said he had gone missing nearly 50 years ago.
Paulich said that on Nov. 28, 1976, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office received a report regarding human remains located in a heavily wooded area near Highway 29 in Lower Lake.
Throughout the investigation, it was determined the death was a homicide due to blunt force trauma to the head, Paulich said.
Despite exhaustive investigative efforts, Paulich said the remains were not identified and the murder victim’s identity remained a mystery.
In January 2007, the victim’s skull and teeth were sent to the California Department of Justice for analysis. In December 2007, a partial DNA profile was uploaded to the Combined DNA Indexing System, or CODIS. However, Paulich said the sheriff’s office never received a match due to the degradation of the bone and the victim’s DNA likely not being in CODIS.
In January 2020, Det. Jeff Mora requested assistance from Parabon Nanolabs, which is a DNA technology company, regarding the possibility of identifying the decedent through investigative genetic genealogy, Paulich said.
In August 2020, the remains were sent to Marshall University Forensic Science Center in West Virginia. Paulich said a DNA sample suitable for genetic genealogy was extracted from the skull.
In June 2021, Parabon Nanolabs delivered a genetic genealogy report. Paulich said the report listed possible matches for the victim and a list of family members to contact.
After numerous family interviews, Paulich said authorities believed the remains to be those of Leopoldo Torres Melendez, who was born in Puerto Rico and mentioned in the genetic genealogy report as a potential match.
An oral swab was obtained from a family member who identified herself as his biological sister. The swab was sent to the California Department of Justice to be compared to the DNA extracted from the victim’s skull, Paulich said.
This past August, the DNA results confirmed the family member was in fact the biological sister of the victim. Based on the totality of the evidence, Paulich said the sheriff’s office was able to positively identify the victim as Torres Melendez and notify his family.
Through interviews with the family, it was discovered that Torres Melendez was believed to have gone missing in the early 1970s, Paulich reported.
Paulich said Torres Melendez would have been approximately 41 years old at the time of his death and was last known to live in the San Francisco area.
Family members searched for Torres Melendez, but were never able to figure out what happened to him until now, Paulich said.
The sheriff’s office thanked Parabon Nanolabs, Marshall University Forensic Science Center and the California Department of Justice for their assistance.
Paulich said the sheriff’s office will continue this investigation, noting they hope to have provided a sense of closure to the family.
“Obviously this investigation is old and the suspect(s) are likely elderly or deceased,” Paulich said.
If anyone believes they have information regarding this case, please contact Det. Jeff Mora by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or by telephone at 707-262-4224.
What's up for October? What to look for this month at sunrise and sunset, and two brilliant stars vying for the “pole” position.
On Oct. 10 look for the five-day-old crescent Moon to join Venus and bright, orange-colored Antares in the southwest after sunset. Then watch as Venus closes on Antares, for a close conjunction on the 15th and 16th, where the two will be only about a degree and a half apart.
During the last week of October, Mercury pops briefly into view for early risers.
Look for it about 10 degrees above the eastern horizon, or about the width of your fist held at arm's length, about 30 to 45 minutes before sunrise.
Then on Oct. 30, in the last couple of hours before daybreak, look for the 24-day-old crescent Moon to join the brilliant blue-white star Regulus.
All month long, look high overhead early in the evening to find two bright stars that take turns with Polaris being the North Star. Their names are Vega and Deneb. Both of these stars are part of the Summer Triangle, and we introduced the other member of the trio, Altair, in last month's video.
To find Vega and Deneb, look high overhead in the first few hours after it gets dark. They'll be two of the brightest stars you can see up there.
Vega is a bluish-white star, and like Altair, it's a fast rotator, spinning every 12 and a half hours, compared to the Sun's 27-day rotation. NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope found Vega to have a debris disk around it that could be similar to regions in our own solar system.
Deneb is a blue-white supergiant star that is fusing hydrogen at a phenomenal rate.
With this sort of fury, the party won't last all that much longer. Deneb is likely headed for an explosive end as a supernova within a few million years. Deneb is much farther away than most bright stars in our night sky. This means it's SUPER luminous to be that bright from so far away. Because it's so bright, it's one of the most distant stars you can see with the unaided eye.
These stars rotate around the northern celestial pole, and this time of year, they dip toward the western horizon before setting in the pre-dawn hours. Both Vega and Deneb are part of a special group of stars that take turns being the pole star in the north, as Earth's axis wobbles in a circle over a period of 26,000 years.
For now the distinction of "North Star" belongs to Polaris, for at least a few hundred years more.
Finally, Oct. 16 is International Observe the Moon Night, when everyone is invited to learn about the science and exploration of the Moon. Visit the link onscreen to find out how you can take part.
You can catch up on all of NASA's missions to explore the solar system and beyond at www.nasa.gov.
Preston Dyches works for NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
Lynée Turek-Hankins, University of Miami and Katharine Mach, University of Miami
The summer of 2021 was devilishly hot across much of the U.S. Just five minutes in an attic guest room with no air conditioning could be enough to leave a person drenched in sweat and lightheaded, as one of us discovered during a heat wave in Washington state. It’s the kind of heat where it’s impossible to move, to think, to do anything.
In parts of the U.S., people work in heat and then go home to heat all summer long. Research shows that chronic heat exposure is a growing threat to health and productivity, yet it’s often overlooked by employers.
A new federal initiative to combat unhealthy heat exposure for vulnerable populations, including workers, could finally provide some relief. By bringing multiple agencies together to solve the problem of heat, the Biden administration has the opportunity to help workers avoid dangerous acute and chronic heat exposure at work and at home.
But the plan has some important gaps and ambiguities that, as infrastructure and policyresearchers, we believe should be addressed to keep people safe.
Who’s at risk
Heat is not a health and safety issue if you’re sitting in a well-constructed, air-conditioned building. But people who work primarily outside, whether in agriculture, construction or mining, in military training or on a utility or wildfire crew, may have limited access to a cool environment on hot days, and that can raise their risks.
Heat indoors can also be a threat to workers, such as cooks in a steamy kitchen or factory workers on an assembly line without adequate airflow. Personal protective equipment and clothing like hazmat suits can also intensify the impact of excessive heat.
When heat combines with other hazards, like humidity, particulate matter or ozone in the air, the health risks increase. Even if none of the hazards on its own is considered “extreme,” combined they may pose a threat. At many points in the day, a worker may face a large cumulative burden of environmental hazards that add up, with few options for adequately dealing with them.
Workers who are exposed to excess heat on the job are more likely than average Americans to be low-income, to be immigrants, to have chronic health problems, to lack health insurance or to live in poor-quality housing without air conditioning. That suggests they may also lack a cool environment at home and may be at higher risk.
People have different thresholds for heat exposure. Preexisting health conditions, such as those affecting the heart or lungs, can increase the likelihood that extreme heat will harm the person’s health.
Whether a person is acclimatized, meaning they have adjusted to the heat, is also important. One hundred degrees Fahrenheit in Seattle (38 Celsius) is different from 100 F in Las Vegas. However, getting used to a climate can only take you so far. The body’s ability to cool itself off diminishes significantly beyond 95 F (35 C). Hence, there are upper limits to acclimatization. Likewise, acclimatization may not prevent health effects from chronic heat exposure.
Adapting workers for the increasing extreme heat
There are many strategies for reducing occupational exposure to heat. A workplace may require breaks and offer water; implement technologies that keep workers cool, such as cooling vests; reduce expected rates of productivity when temperatures climb; or even stop work.
The Biden administration’s new efforts, announced in late September 2021, provide direction for adapting to extreme heat in and out of the workplace. Some of the proposed strategies include creating standards for heat exposure at work, improving enforcement and inspections for the heat safety of workers, increasing opportunities to direct federal funds to household cooling assistance and technologies, and transforming schools into locations with free air conditioning access.
As presented, the strategies for workers are isolated to the workplace and hot days. However, chronic heat exposure, whether from living in a hot home or a habitually hot climate, is an emerging risk. Worker-specific responses that target social determinants of health and chronic exposure may be necessary, such as improving access to cooling among itinerant workers in temporary housing.
The proposal for addressing the most pressing heat risks across America also has important gaps.
First, other environmental threats like air pollution exacerbate heat-related health impacts but aren’t currently factored in with high temperatures and humidity when developing workplace health and safety standards and heat-health policies. From emergency responders exposed to toxic dust at the Surfside Condo collapse to farmworkers facing wildfire smoke in Fresno, California, addressing heat and poor air quality together is a critical need.
Second, the proposal doesn’t address heat risk in other facilities, including prisons and migration detention centers. Here, heat protections and proper enforcement of those protections are critical for both the workers and the people in those facilities.
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Third, in addition to increasing federal spending on cooling assistance, utilities could be required to stop residential utility shut-offs during extreme heat events. Although many utilities provide such protections to people with medical waivers, this process can be arduous.
Solutions should consider what influences a person’s vulnerability to heat, as well as their threat of chronic exposure. Ambitious heat safety policies are critical in a rapidly warming world.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — During the first full week of October, Lake County Behavioral Health Services is raising awareness of mental illness.
Every year millions of Americans deal with the reality of living with a mental health condition. Mental illness affects all of us directly or indirectly, through family, co-workers or friends.
Each day, Lake County Behavioral Health Services staff provide support, fight stigma, advocate for equal care and strive to educate the community around mental health.
The United States Congress established Mental Illness Awareness Week in 1990, to recognize efforts by the National Alliance on Mental Illness, or NAMI, to educate and increase awareness about mental illness.
“This year’s campaign is ‘Together for Mental Health,’ an appropriate and community-minded theme which resonates during these unprecedented times,” said Todd Metcalf, director of Lake County Behavioral Health Services. “Mental Illness Awareness Week provides a time for people to unite, and recognize the passion and strength of those working to improve the lives of those affected by mental illness.”
According to NAMI, about one in five adults is believed to be experiencing some form of mental illness. That number may be even higher, as stigma tends to reduce reporting.
In addition, the National Comorbidity Survey Replication Study showed 45% of adults affected by mental illness meet criteria for two or more mental disorders.
These range from common mood disorders to the much more serious anxiety, depression and schizophrenia disorders. Anxiety disorders tend to be the most common, affecting approximately 40 million American adults.
Mental health programs and services provided by Lake County Behavioral Health Services are designed to offer robust community-based partnerships with individuals and families grappling with serious mental illness, including those who have co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders.
Recovery-oriented services include assistance establishing stable housing, medications management, access to physical health care, trauma-informed counseling and peer supports.
During Mental Illness Awareness Week, Sunday, Oct. 3, through Saturday, Oct. 9, please join Lake County Behavioral Health Services in shining a light on mental illness and replacing stigma with hope.
For more information, please contact Lake County Behavioral Health at 707-274-9101 or 707-994-7090.
California’s COVID-19 Rent Relief Program reported that it has received nearly $3 billion in assistance requests to help households across the state that have suffered financial hardship because of the pandemic.
The program’s dashboard early Friday showed that it has received 309,168 applications — from both tenants and landlords — of which 227,388 household applications are complete.
The funds requested to date total approximately $2,963,969,356.
The program said 54,974 households have been served with $649,356,911 paid so far. Average assistance totals $11,812.
The state reported that 779 applications have been received from Lake County, of which 777 are complete.
Lake County applicants have sought $9,987,925 in assistance so far, with $1,768,474 paid.
A total of 160 Lake County households have been served, with assistance averaging $11,053.
At the city level, residents from the city of Clearlake have submitted 314 applications, of which 313 are complete.
Clearlake residents have requested $4,232,188, with $606,256 paid for 54 households. Average assistance is $11,227.
In Lakeport, 51 applications — all of which are complete — have been submitted, seeking $712,439 in assistance. To date, $16,569 has been paid to assist three households, with assistance averaging $5,523.
The program is not first-come, first-served. Applications are reviewed and assistance payments are processed based on tenant vulnerability factors.
On June 28, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed AB 832, which increased the level of assistance to 100% for both back rent and prospective rent and gave California the strongest eviction protections in the nation.
The extension of state-level eviction protections, which were initially established over a year ago, have provided much-needed housing stability for Californians throughout the pandemic, state officials said.
“The COVID-19 pandemic brought so much pain and economic disruption, particularly to low-wage workers and low-income renter households,” said Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency Secretary Lourdes Castro Ramírez. “Working with over 130 community-based partners, we are reaching families hardest hit — 85% being very low- or extremely low-income — and making landlords whole. Rent relief has been a game changer for Californians at greatest risk of displacement or becoming homeless.”
Additional protections will be in place through the spring.
Beginning Oct. 1 and continuing through March 31, 2022, tenants earning less than 80% of the area median income will be protected through a pre-eviction diversion process through the courts, so long as they have submitted a completed application for rental relief through either the state or a locally administered program.
“We have been moving with a sense of urgency to ensure that renters and landlords who need assistance can get it as quickly as possible,” said Department of Housing and Community Development Director Gustavo Velasquez. “Keeping families stably housed continues to be a critical public health measure, as we continue to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.”
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.