LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The Clearlake City Council is set to consider approving a school resource officer contract for the first time in nearly three years and approving traffic signal updates.
The council will meet at 6 p.m. Thursday, July 20, in the council chambers at Clearlake City Hall, 14050 Olympic Drive.
The meeting will be broadcast live on the city's YouTube channel or the Lake County PEGTV YouTube Channel. Community members also can participate via Zoom or can attend in person. The webinar ID is 878 6022 4577.
One tap mobile is available at +16694449171,,83085917604# or join by phone at 669 444 9171 or 720 707 2699.
Comments and questions can be submitted in writing for City Council consideration by sending them to City Clerk Melissa Swanson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
To give the council adequate time to review your questions and comments, please submit your written comments before 4 p.m. Thursday, July 20.
On Thursday the council will consider approving a memorandum of understanding with the Konocti Unified School for a school resource officer for the 2023-24 school year.
The report on the item to the council from Police Chief Tim Hobbs explained that the Clearlake Police Department has not had a school resource officer, or SRO, assigned to work for it since October 2020.
“The police department's current staffing level allows one officer to be assigned full-time to the SRO position,” Hobbs wrote.
The memorandum of understanding calls for Konocti Unified to pay $142,956.32 to fund the cost of a full-time SRO, which includes salary, benefits, overtime, training and vehicle usage costs, Hobbs wrote. “The City can also recover additional overtime costs for other officers used at school events.”
Other business include the proposed award of a contract to DC Electric in the amount of $46,715 for traffic signal updates.
Public Works Director Adeline Leyba’s report to the council explains that the upgrades will take place at the intersection of Olympic Drive and Old Highway 53 and include replacement of the traffic signal controller and cabinet monitoring unit and a new video detection system.
Leyba said the city received Coronavirus Response and Relief supplemental appropriations through Caltrans for the project and solicited proposals.
The city received three bids. In addition to DC Electric, which had the lowest bid, the other two bidders were Mike Brown Electric, $79,710; and St. Francis Electric LLC, $97,350.
Also on Thursday, the council will meet July’s adoptable dogs, and consider awarding a contract for guardrail installation with Midstate Barrier for $46,500 and authorize the city manager to approve up to 10% for additional unforeseen contract amendments.
On the meeting's consent agenda — items that are considered routine in nature and usually adopted on a single vote — are warrants and minutes.
The council also will hold a closed session after the meeting to discuss a liability claim by Cari McCormick against the California Public Employees' Retirement System, state of California, county of Lake and city of Clearlake, et al.
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 state has awarded a major grant to Lake County Parks and Recreation for improvements at Nice’s Hammond County Park.
The county will receive approximately $2,326,963.
Proposition 68, the $4 billion dollar “Parks, Environment & Water Bond Act of 2018,” funds the Statewide Park Development & Community Revitalization Program to assist in new park development, existing park revitalization and new recreation opportunities in underserved communities across California.
The Lake County Public Services Department, which includes the Parks and Recreation division, solicited public input for the grant application through several community meetings and surveys which provided the department with input about the communities’ desires for the park.
Improvements will consist of an upgraded main playground and areas for specific age groups.
Two new picnic shelters will be added to the center of the park that will include four picnic tables each, waste receptacles and grills.
There will also be a multi-sports court to include at a minimum basketball, pickleball and futsal.
A fitness court will also be constructed to provide an opportunity for outdoor fitness and wellness.
Hammond Park is adjacent to a wetland area which includes local wildlife such as birds and otters. An overlook will be built at the perimeter of the wetland and will include interpretive signs about wetlands and wildlife.
Two local Native American Tribes are partners on this project and will provide key input on the use of native plants and the importance of wetlands and the local land to their heritage for the interpretive signs, as well as contributions for the content of a land acknowledgment sign.
The unimproved open field area will be renovated to create a grass field for sports and play, the existing baseball/softball field will be improved with shade structures over the existing bleachers, and the existing parking lot will be improved.
Additionally, the dog park will be renovated to include two separate spaces for large and small dogs.
There also will be new shaded seating added to extend use during hot and sunny days. Lighting, drought-tolerant landscaping, and other minor amenities will also be added throughout the park.
Design of the project will begin this year, with construction estimated to be complete in 2026.
The grant award is one of several park improvement grants recently received by the county of Lake.
In August 2022 the county was successful in a $1,358,545 grant application to the state’s Clean California Local Grant Program for improvements to a number of county parks that were eligible for that program.
Those parks include Alpine Park, Clearlake Oaks Boat Launch, Davis Beach, Hammond Park, Hinman Park, Keeling Park, Kelseyville Community Park, Lakeside Park, Russell Rustici Park, Lucerne Harbor Park,Middletown Square Park, Nylander Park, Pioneer/Saderlund Park and Rodman Slough Park.
Improvements at these parks include new restrooms at two specific parks (Hinman Park and Middletown Square Park), and at all parks a variety of improvements such as shade structures, benches, drinking fountains, waste and recycle receptacles, trees, security systems, art and educational signage regarding waste, recycling and litter prevention.
All improvements under the Clean California grant will be completed by June 2024.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The California Public Utilities Commission has approved Golden State Water Co. request to acquire Crescent Bay Improvement Co.
The aging water system will be consolidated into the company’s Clearlake Customer Service Area.
“Golden State Water is committed to using its resources and technical experience to rebuild Crescent Bay’s failed water system,” said Paul Schubert, general manager of Golden State Water Co.’s Northern District. “By investing in the treatment and delivery of water, there will come the day when our new customers will no longer have to think twice about their water quality.”
The Crescent Bay Improvement Company was formed in the 1930s and serves approximately 24 residential service connections. The current source of water is surface water from Clear Lake.
The water system has been unable to meet federal and state water quality standards due to the inability to finance infrastructure improvements critical to the treatment and delivery of water.
“Our water system is simply broken, and the state says our tap water is unsafe to drink,” said Mary Benson, a resident of Crescent Bay. “Our community is thrilled that Golden State Water is committed to replacing an aging water system that cannot provide safe drinking water or fire hydrants critical to protecting our homes.”
As part of the acquisition, Golden State Water will replace the water system’s infrastructure, tanks and treatment plant and install fire hydrants that currently do not exist.
The acquisition helps the State Water Resources Control Board and the CPUC achieve their policy goals of upgrading small water systems throughout the state so that all Californians have access to reliable, quality water regardless of their ZIP code.
Golden State Water is seeking grant funding from the State Water Resources Control Board to pay for the rehabilitation of the water system.
Crescent Bay customers will receive free bottled water from the company until the water system meets federal and state water standards.
All Clearlake customer service area customers have access to the company’s customer assistance program that provides monthly credit for low-income customers.
LAKEPORT, Calif. — During a quick Tuesday night meeting, the Lakeport City Council held two brief public hearings on utility-related matters and selected a voting delegate to a statewide conference.
During the half-hour-long meeting, Assistant City Manager/Finance Director Nick Walker presented to the council the items for the public hearings.
The first public hearing was for the purpose of approving a resolution identifying delinquent utility accounts to be submitted to the Lake County Auditor-Controller’s Office for inclusion on the property tax roll.
Walker said that, initially, the list accounted for delinquent accounts totaling $40,000. As of Tuesday night, that total had dropped to $14,000. Last year, the delinquent account totaled $10,000.
“This process did what it’s supposed to do,” said Walker, adding they will continue to collect delinquent funds until the deadline to submit the list to the county.
Councilman Kenny Parlet moved to approve the resolution, with Councilwoman Kim Costa seconding and the council voting 5-0.
Next up was a hearing to adopt a resolution changing the fees collected for the Water and Sewer Expansion Fee Program, which also can be described as developer fees.
Walker was careful to explain that the fees to be collected for the program are completely separate from the regular water and sewer rates paid by utility customers. Those rates were adjusted a few years ago.
He said this program is an attempt to equitably share the cost of the existing infrastructure between current customers and new customers connecting to the city’s water and sewer utility systems.
The fees, he said, are collected from developers.
Willdan Financial Services, which the city contracted with in June of 2022, completed the water and sewer expansion fee study. Walker said that’s the same company that did the study on utility rates a few years ago.
It took about a year for this latest study to be completed. Walker said the goal was to update the fees to reflect the cost of providing services to new or expanded development.
The last time the city conducted a water and sewer expansion fee study was in 2007. “It was very dated,” Walker said, adding the recommendation is to conduct such a study every five years.
He said a lot of the assumptions used in the 2007 study are outdated, particularly those involving population growth, which had followed the city’s general plan. The previous study called for a great deal of residential growth, “which just hasn’t happened,” Walker said.
The new study includes updated assumptions and actually lowers the fees for the expansion program, said Walker.
Mayor Stacey Mattina said the new study was long overdue.
Parlet moved to adopt the resolution, with Mayor Pro Tem Michael Froio seconding and the council approving the resolution 5-0.
The council also unanimously selected Froio as the voting delegate for the annual League of California Cities conference, with Mattina as the first alternate and Costa as the second alternate.
City Manager Kevin Ingram said the city usually gets one or two resolutions a year to decide on at the September conference, and will get the information packets on the resolutions in August so that the council can take its own action on them at the end of August or beginning of September.
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. — A COVID-19 outbreak at another Lake County shelter has been resolved, according to the facility’s managers.
Sunrise Special Services Foundation confirmed to Lake County News that an outbreak began earlier this month at the warming shelter, located at the former juvenile hall on Whalen Way in Lakeport.
Over the weekend, Adventist Health also confirmed an outbreak at the Hope Center transitional housing facility in Clearlake that has been resolved, as Lake County News has reported.
Dr. Rayan Aava, Sunrise Special Services Foundation’s chief executive officer, said 31 individuals at the warming shelter were tested on July 6, with 18 confirmed positives.
Two days later, they tested 18 individuals and 13 were confirmed positive, with continued testing of those 18 people showing reduced numbers of positives until Monday, when there were no further positive tests reported, Aava said.
Aava said the shelter implemented stringent safety protocols, monitored the situation, diligently followed guidelines provided by health authorities, implemented comprehensive safety measures and continuously adapted its protocols based on the evolving situation.
“By prioritizing the well-being of everyone involved, SSSF has successfully mitigated the risk of COVID-19 transmission within its facilities,” Aava said.
Aava said the foundation “will continue to monitor the situation closely, adapt protocols as necessary, and work diligently to protect the health and well-being of its clients and staff.”
In other news about the shelter, last week its new director of operations, Chris Bloodworth, was arrested and booked on domestic violence charges.
Aava released a separate statement that said the incident happened outside of the workplace “and does not reflect the values and principles we uphold as an organization.”
The parties involved have voluntarily sought counseling and Aava said the charges against Bloodworth have been dropped.
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 Board of Supervisors will discuss economic development and workforce matters and a military equipment report by the sheriff’s office when it meets this week.
The board will meet beginning at 9 a.m. Tuesday, July 18, in the board chambers on the first floor of the Lake County Courthouse, 255 N. Forbes St., Lakeport.
The meeting ID is 972 4989 6742, pass code 286213. The meeting also can be accessed via one tap mobile at +16694449171,,97249896742#,,,,*286213#.
All interested members of the public that do not have internet access or a Mediacom cable subscription are encouraged to call 669-900-6833, and enter the Zoom meeting ID and pass code information above.
At 9:15 a.m., the board will hear a report from Bruce Wilson, executive director of the Workforce Alliance of the Northbay.
That will be followed at 9:45 a.m. by the Lake County Sheriff’s annual “military equipment” report, required under AB 481.
At 10 a.m., there will be a presentation and consideration of the economic development work plan.
In an untimed item, the board will consider establishing just compensation for several properties to be purchased for the Hill Road Slide Repair and Restoration Project in Lakeport.
The full agenda follows.
CONSENT AGENDA
5.1: Approve agreement between county of Lake and California Psychiatric Transitions for acute inpatient psychiatric hospital services, inpatient competency restoration services, and professional services associated with acute inpatient psychiatric hospitalization in the amount of $100,000 for Fiscal Year 2023-24 and authorize the board chair to sign.
5.2: Approve agreement between county of Lake and Redwood Community Services Inc. for the MHSA Lake County Family Stabilization Program for Fiscal Years 2023-24, 2024-25 and 2025-26 in the amount of $796,116 and authorize the board chair to sign.
5.3: Approve Board of Supervisors minutes for Jan. 24, 2023 and June 14 and 15, 2023.
5.4: Approve amendments to the county of Lake COVID-19 Public Health Emergency Worksite Protocol and amendments to Chapter 14 of the county of Lake Policies and Procedures.
5.5: Approve contract renewal between the county of Lake Health Services and Sheila McCarthy for occupational therapy services in support of the California Children’s Services Program and the Medical Therapy Program for a term starting July 1, 2023, through June 30, 2024, and a maximum amount of $49,948.80; and authorize the board chair to sign.
5.6: Adopt proclamation designating the week of July 16-22, 2023, as Probation Services Week.
5.7: Approve agreement between county of Lake and State of California for the housing and training of incarcerated individuals for the period of July 1, 2023, through June 30, 2026, for an amount not to exceed $28,714; and authorize the chair to sign.
5.8: a) Waive the formal bidding process pursuant to county Ordinance 3109 Section 28.2 due to 38.2(3), not in the public interest as competitive bidding would produce no economic benefit to the county; and, b) approve contract between county of Lake and Five Pasco Brothers Inc. c/o Omarshall, Inc. for lease agreement, in the amount of $49,440.00 per fiscal year from Nov. 1, 2023, to June 30, 2028, and authorize the chair to sign.
5.9: Approve contract between county of Lake and People Services Inc. for yard maintenance, in the amount of $9,656.87 per fiscal year from July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2026, and authorize the chair to sign.
5.10: Sitting as the Board of Directors, Lake County Watershed Protection District, adopt resolution authorizing the county of Lake Water Resources Director to (a) accept and execute 2023 Nonpoint Source Grant Program - Clean Water Act section 319(h) Planning Grant and Agreement Award for $145,098 (b) Waive the formal bidding process, pursuant to Lake County Code Section 38.2, as it is not in the public interest due to the unique nature of the goods and services, (c) approve and authorize the Water Resources director to sign the service agreement with California Rural Water Agency and MC Engineering to fulfill the 319(h) Grant deliverables, and (d) Approve and authorize the Water Resources director to sign the attached reimbursement agreements between the district and the cities of (i) Lakeport and (ii) Clearlake to complete the project and authorize the Water Resources director to sign.
5.11: Sitting as the Board of Directors of the Lake County Watershed Protection District, authorize the county of Lake Water Resources director to accept and execute a California Department of Pesticide Regulation Alliance Grant, not to exceed $346,038 for the grant project titled “Using Integrated Pest Management Methods to Create Strong and Sustainable Shorelines on Clear Lake, CA.”
5.12: Sitting as the Board of Directors of the Lake County Watershed Protection District, approve the agreement between the Lake County Watershed Protection District and Bullfrog Underwater Services and authorize the Water Resources director to sign and execute the agreement.
5.13: Sitting as the Board of Directors, Lake County Watershed Protection District, (a) waive the formal bidding process, pursuant to Lake County Code Section 2-38.2 (2) & (3); (b) approve the agreement between the Lake County Watershed Protection District and Dr. Jeanine Pfeiffer to conduct specialized services to meet grant deliverables, and authorize the Water Resources director to sign and execute the agreement.
TIMED ITEMS
6.2, 9:07 a.m.: Pet of the Week.
6.3, 9:08 a.m.: New and noteworthy at the Library.
6.4, 9:10 a.m.: Presentation of proclamation designating the week of July 16 to 22, 2023 as Probation Services Week.
6.5, 9:15 a.m.: Consideration of Report from Bruce Wilson, executive director of the Workforce Alliance of the Northbay, or WANB.
6.6, 9:45 a.m.: AB481 / Lake County Sheriff’s Annual “Military Equipment” report.
6.7, 10 a.m.: Presentation and consideration of the economic development work plan.
UNTIMED ITEMS
7.2: Consideration of resolution authorizing cancellation of reserve accounts in the amount of $3,167,543 to provide sufficient cash flow.
7.3: Consideration of the following Advisory Board appointment: Mental Health Board.
7.4: Consideration and establishment of just compensation for properties to be purchased for the Hill Road Slide Repair and Restoration Project.
7.5: Sitting as the Lake County Sanitation District Board of Directors, consideration of resolution revising the Fiscal Year 2022-2023 Adopted Budget of the county of Lake by canceling reserves in Fund 255 NW Regional Sewer System O&M Reserve Designation, in the amount of $150,000 to make appropriations in the Budget Unit 8355, Object Code 785.30-00 Utilities to pay for sewer utility costs.
CLOSED SESSION
8.1: Conference with legal counsel: initiation of litigation pursuant to Gov. Code section 54956.9(d)(4) – One potential case.
8.2: Public Employee Appointment pursuant to Gov. Code Section 54957(b) (1): Interviews for Public Health officer; appointment of Public Health officer.
8.3: Addendum, conference with legal counsel: Existing litigation pursuant to Gov. Code sec. 54956.9 (d)(1) – FERC Project No. 77, Potter Valley Hydroelectric Project.
8.4: Addendum, public employee appointment pursuant to Gov. Code Section 54957(b) (1): Interviews for chief public defender, appointment of chief public defender.
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.
The world just sweltered through its hottest June in the 174-year global climate record.
Additionally, Earth’s ocean surface temperature anomaly — which indicates how much warmer or cooler temperatures are from the long-term average — were the highest ever recorded, according to scientists from NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information.
Here’s a closer look into NOAA’s latest monthly global climate report:
Climate by the numbers
June 2023
The average global surface (land and ocean) temperature in June was 1.89 degrees F (1.05 degrees C) above average, ranking June 2023 as Earth’s warmest June on record. June 2023 was 0.23 of a degree F (0.13 of a degree C) warmer than the previous record set in June 2020.
June 2023 also marked the 47th-consecutive June and the 532nd-consecutive month with temperatures above the 20th-century average.
For the third consecutive month, the global ocean surface temperature hit a record high as weak El Nino conditions that emerged in May continued to strengthen in June. Globally, June 2023 set a record for the highest monthly sea surface temperature anomaly of any month in NOAA’s climate record.
The year to date (YTD, January through June)
The first half of 2023 ranked as the third warmest such YTD on record, with a global temperature of 1.82 degrees F (1.01 degrees C) above the 20th-century average of 56.3 degrees F (13.5 degrees C).
According to NCEI’s Global Annual Temperature Outlook, there is a greater than 99% chance that 2023 will rank among the 10-warmest years on record and a 97% chance it will rank among the top five.
Other notable climate events in the report
Sea ice coverage hit a record low: Globally, June 2023 saw the lowest sea ice coverage (extent) for any June on record. This primarily was a result of the record-low sea ice in the Antarctic that occurred for the second consecutive month. Earth’s global sea ice extent in June 2023 was 330,000 square miles less than the previous record low from June 2019.
The tropics were active last month: Nine named storms occurred across the globe in June. Four of the storms reached tropical cyclone strength (winds of 74 mph or higher) with one of those reaching major tropical cyclone strength (winds of 111 mph or higher). These counts are all above 1991–2020 averages for June. The Atlantic basin saw three tropical storms this June, which ties eight other years for the most storms in June.
LAKEPORT, Calif. — Two mosquito samples collected in Lake County have tested positive for West Nile virus.
The mosquitoes were trapped on July 11 near Lakeport and Kelseyville, according to the Lake County Vector Control District.
“West Nile virus shows up each year in Lake County, usually in July,” said Jamesina Scott, Ph.D., district manager and research director of the Lake County Vector Control District. “A positive mosquito sample means that West Nile virus could be transmitted by mosquitoes now, and is a reminder to use mosquito repellent outside during dusk and dawn when mosquitoes are biting.”
No other West Nile virus has been detected in Lake County in 2023.
Statewide, 21 California counties have detected WNV this year, mainly in mosquitoes and dead birds.
No human cases have been reported in California this year, but one human case of another mosquito virus, St. Louis encephalitis virus, was reported in a Kern County resident.
Residents are urged to help reduce their risk of contracting mosquito-borne diseases by following these guidelines:
• Dump or drain standing water. Mosquitoes grow in standing water. • Defend yourself with mosquito repellents containing Picaridin, DEET, IR3535, Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus, or PMD. • Avoid being outdoors when mosquitoes are biting, typically dawn and dusk. • Maintain neglected swimming pools. Just one can produce more than 1 million mosquitoes and affect people up to five miles away. • Report dead birds to the toll-free state hotline, 1-877-968-2473, or online.
The mosquitoes that transmit WNV develop in out-of-service swimming pools and spas, animal watering troughs, ornamental ponds, and other sources of standing water.
The Vector Control District offers free mosquito-eating fish to control mosquitoes in these sources.
Residents are encouraged to contact the district to report neglected pools, request service for mosquito problems, or to get mosquito fish at 707-263-4770 or to fill out a service request online at www.lcvcd.org.
The Lake County Vector Control District traps and tests mosquitoes throughout the county to identify the areas that have the highest risk, and targets those areas for source reduction and treatment using an integrated vector management program.
Residents with questions, or who would like help with a mosquito problem should contact the Lake County Vector Control District at 707-263-4770 (Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.) or visit their website.
The council chambers will be open to the public for the meeting. Masks are highly encouraged where 6-foot distancing cannot be maintained.
If you cannot attend in person, and would like to speak on an agenda item, you can access the Zoom meeting remotely at this link or join by phone by calling toll-free 669-900-9128 or 346-248-7799.
The webinar ID is 973 6820 1787, access code is 477973; the audio pin will be shown after joining the webinar. Those phoning in without using the web link will be in “listen mode” only and will not be able to participate or comment.
Comments can be submitted by email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. To give the city clerk adequate time to print out comments for consideration at the meeting, please submit written comments before 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, July 18.
On the agenda is a public hearing for adoption of a resolution to confirm and approve the utility billing delinquency list and the associated resolution and direct staff to submit the list to the Lake County Auditor-Controller for inclusion on the property tax roll.
Under council business, Assistant City Manager Nick Walker will ask the council to adopt a resolution changing the capacity charges collected for the water and sewer expansion fee program.
In other news, City Manager Kevin Ingram will ask the council to nominate voting delegates for the League of California Cities Annual Conference, to be held Sept. 20 to 22.
On the consent agenda — items considered noncontroversial and usually accepted as a slate on one vote — are warrants; ordinances; minutes of the regular council meeting on June 20; approval of application 2023-021, with staff recommendations, for the Recovery Happens event; receipt and filing of the third quarter financial update; approval and authorization for the city manager to execute the proposed professional services agreement with Paul Curren dba Curren Consulting; adoption of an ordinance amending Chapter 2.48, Personnel System, of the Lakeport Municipal Code; and approval of a resolution rescinding Resolution 2900 (2023) and revising the Master Pay Schedule in conformance with California Code of Regulations, Title 2, Section 570.5.
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.
Because of climate change, summers are getting hotter and more humid – much more humid. SciLine interviewed Dr. W. Larry Kenney, professor of physiology and kinesiology at Penn State University, who discussed why humid heat can be dangerous to human health and, in some cases, life-threatening; how heat stresses the body, particularly the cardiovascular system; and why infants, athletes and older adults are especially susceptible.
Below are some highlights from the discussion. Answers have been edited for brevity and clarity.
How is climate change affecting the frequency and severity of heat waves in the U.S.?
Kenney: When climatologists talk about the changing climate and global warming, the focus is on the average temperature on Earth – the average surface temperature, the average ocean temperature and so on. Humans are tropical animals; we evolved in tropical climates. And so a change of a couple of degrees Fahrenheit in the average Earth’s temperature doesn’t have much of an effect on human health directly.
However, if you think of the range of climates as a bell-shaped curve, and then think of that whole curve shifting toward hotter temperatures, it’s the extremes that are dangerous. So we’ll have more hot days and more extremely hot days, which result in an increased frequency, duration and intensity of environmental heat waves.
Kenney: The primary means by which humans get rid of body heat that’s built up is by evaporation of sweat. The more humid it is, the less of the sweat that we produce evaporates, and the less of that powerful cooling mechanism we have at our disposal.
Other than sweating, how does the body respond to heat stress?
Kenney: The other way we cope with increased body temperature is unique to humans. We pump a lot of blood to the skin to dissipate heat to the environment. So under extremely hot resting conditions, we may pump as much blood to the skin as we pump to the entire rest of the body.
And as we pump more and more blood to the skin, the heart has to work harder and heart rate increases. And in some cases, in some vulnerable populations, that can put a great strain on an already-compromised heart.
Why are infants and older adults particularly vulnerable to heat and humidity?
Kenney: Infants are particularly vulnerable to high heat and humidity, primarily because they’re at the mercy of adults to make good decisions to make sure that they’re protected from hot conditions, adequately hydrated, properly fed and so on.
Coupled with that, infants don’t have a very well-developed thermoregulatory system. Their ability to dissipate heat, once body temperature is elevated … is lower than that of adults.
And so, unfortunately every summer, there are a number of deaths of children left in hot cars by accident, which is a real tragedy.
On the other part of the age spectrum, the elderly are also particularly vulnerable to high heat and humidity for a number of reasons, including socioeconomic factors – lack of access to air conditioning, becoming more sedentary and less fit, and going outdoors less often.
And then physiological changes occur with aging, including a lesser ability to pump blood to the skin, accompanied by more strain on the heart and a lower ability to produce sweat and evaporate that sweat for cooling.
So individuals on both ends of the age spectrum tend to be particularly vulnerable to what we term classic heatstroke.
Are there any government regulations in place to protect workers from heat?
Kenney: The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health provides guidance on work/rest cycles, depending on how hard people are working and how hot and humid the environment is.
There is also good information available on heat acclamation procedures for those workers, getting them ready to better tolerate conditions of high heat and humidity. Unfortunately, this is not an enforceable standard.
What should coaches and athletes know about staying safe when exercising in hot conditions?
Kenney: Most of the athletes who succumb to heat-related disorders do so during the first few days of training for their sport – in particular football players during late July and early August, when the players have not really become truly acclimated to exercise in those hot environments.
Coaches need to be knowledgeable about gradually acclimating their athletes to the heat. They also need to be knowledgeable about proper hydration practices. And another thing that coaches need to realize is that many heat-related deaths in athletes across many sports are associated with coaches having the players run wind sprints or do intense exercise at the end of, or very late in, the practice.
The athletes already have a high heat buildup. That’s then exacerbated by pushing themselves really hard at the end of practice and core temperature soars. In terms of the athletes, they first and foremost need to listen to their bodies and not push themselves beyond their physiological limits.
There’s no way that really trying to tough it out when you have signs and symptoms of heat-related strain or illness makes sense, because your attitude can’t overcome physiology.
Is the heat index a good measurement of how hot it feels and how people’s bodies are affected by heat?
Kenney: The heat index was developed in 1979 and popularized by the National Weather Service as a measure of how hot it feels when temperature is combined with relative humidity. And there’s a long, complex equation that’s used for calculating the heat index.
The problem with using the heat index for human health and safety is that it’s a perceptual index – it’s truly an estimate of how hot we feel in that environment, not the effects of that heat and humidity on the human body.
A better measurement that many people have used is something called wet-bulb temperature. That involves taking a typical mercury thermometer, putting a wick over the bulb and then saturating that wick with water. And as water evaporates from that wick, it cools down the temperature measured by the thermometer. In many ways, it mimics a human sweating and evaporating that sweat.
So wet-bulb temperature is becoming known as a better index of heat strain. It’s not perfect. It doesn’t account for radiation from the Sun, for example‚ but it’s much better than the heat index because it’s much more physiological.
Watch the full interview to hear more about how heat and humidity affect your health.
SciLine is a free service based at the nonprofit American Association for the Advancement of Science that helps journalists include scientific evidence and experts in their news stories.
LAKEPORT, Calif. — The Lake County Registrar of Voters Office reported that there will be an election this fall for two seats on the Scotts Valley Water Conservation District Board.
The general election, scheduled to be held on Nov. 7, will be for two four-year terms that become vacant on the first Friday in December 2023 or until a successor is elected and qualifies for office.
The two seats up for election are for the board’s Division 1 and Division III seats.
Official declaration of candidacy forms for eligible candidates desiring to file for any of the offices enumerated above may be obtained from the Lake County Registrar of Voters Office, located at 325 N Forbes St. in Lakeport during regular business hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.
The filing period began on Monday, July 17, and ends on Friday, Aug. 11, at 5 p.m.
For more information, call the elections office at 707-263-2372 or 888-235-6730.
NORTH COAST, Calif. — Lightning may have sparked a fire that began on Sunday night in Colusa County.
The Lodoga fire was first reported at around 9:45 p.m. Sunday south of East Park Reservoir in Colusa County, off Leesville Lodoga Road and Cook Springs Road.
The fire was reported on a ridge in an area where lightning strikes had occurred shortly beforehand as the result of a brief lightning storm that had passed through the region.
Initial estimates of the fire’s size put it at about three acres.
Cal Fire reported overnight that the fire is in a remote area and burning in grass and oak woodland. Firefighters were challenged in their attempts to find better access to it.
Copter 102 flew the incident after midnight and estimated the fire was between 20 and 25 acres. Radio reports said they hoped to hold it at that size.
At that point the fire resources at the scene were making their way to the fire’s perimeter, Cal Fire said, with more engines requested to respond.
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