LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The Lake County Library's Winter Reading Challenge begins Tuesday, Jan. 4.
Participating in the library program is a fun way for residents to challenge themselves to start out the year by reading more. Making a resolution to read more has a host of benefits that can really have a positive impact on your life.
The library has programs for pre-K, kids, teens, and adults. Children who can't quite read on their own can still sign up and parents can record the books that they read together.
Beginning January 4 residents can register for the challenge on the Library's website. Registration is open at any time until the end of the challenge on March 19. Anyone who wants to sign up can head to the library website at http://library.lakecountyca.gov and click “Winter Reading Challenge”.
Residents don't have to go online. They can also register and take part by visiting their local branch.
Once registered, residents can start reading library books to get points by logging their reading, either online or by visiting the library. The library believes all reading counts! Residents can read eBooks, print books, audiobooks, comics, or whatever participants like to check out from the library and read.
Participants complete the challenge by earning 1,000 points. Those who finish the challenge get to pick out a brand new book and be the very first person to check it out. This book will then become part of the library collection with their name inside commemorating their reading achievement. These books are provided by the Friends of the Lake County Library, a community non-profit membership organization.
Reading is such an important way to build literacy skills and keep them sharp throughout life. Literacy is more than just the ability to read and write. A high level of literacy helps people understand complex ideas and communicate effectively with the world around them. People with strong reading skills tend to be more inquisitive, creative and have a positive outlook on life in general.
The James Webb Space Telescope was launched into space on Dec. 25, 2021, and with it, astronomers hope to find the first galaxies to form in the universe, will search for Earthlike atmospheres around other planets and accomplish many other scientific goals.
To see deep into the universe, the telescope has a very large mirror and must be kept extremely cold. But getting a fragile piece of equipment like this to space is no simple task. There have been many challenges my colleagues and I have had to overcome to design, test and soon launch and align the most powerful space telescope ever built.
It works kind of like a satellite dish. Light from a star or galaxy will enter the mouth of the telescope and bounce off the primary mirror toward the four sensors: NIRCam, which takes images in the near infrared; the Near Infrared Spectrograph, which can split the light from a selection of sources into their constituent colors and measures the strength of each; the Mid-Infrared Instrument, which takes images and measures wavelengths in the middle infrared; and the Near Infrared Imaging Slitless Spectrograph, which splits and measures the light of anything scientists point the satellite at.
This design will allow scientists to study how stars form in the Milky Way and the atmospheres of planets outside the Solar System. It may even be possible to figure out the composition of these atmospheres.
Ever since Edwin Hubble proved that distant galaxies are just like the Milky Way, astronomers have asked: How old are the oldest galaxies? How did they first form? And how have they changed over time? The Webb telescope was originally dubbed the “First Light Machine” because it is designed to answer these very questions.
One of the main goals of the telescope is to study distant galaxies close to the edge of observable universe. It takes billions of years for the light from these galaxies to cross the universe and reach Earth. I estimate that images my colleagues and I will collect with NIRCam could show protogalaxies that formed a mere 300 million years after the Big Bang – when they were just 2% of their current age.
Finding the first aggregations of stars that formed after the Big Bang is a daunting task for a simple reason: These protogalaxies are very far away and so appear to be very faint.
Webb’s mirror is made of 18 separate segments and can collect more than six times as much light as the Hubble Space Telescope mirror. Distant objects also appear to be very small, so the telescope must be able to focus the light as tightly as possible.
The telescope also has to cope with another complication: Since the universe is expanding, the galaxies that scientists will study with the Webb telescope are moving away from Earth, and the Doppler effect comes into play. Just like the pitch of an ambulance’s siren shifts down and becomes deeper when it passes and starts moving away from you, the wavelength of light from distant galaxies shifts down from visible light to infrared light.
Webb detects infrared light – it is essentially a giant heat telescope. To “see” faint galaxies in infrared light, the telescope needs to be exceptionally cold or else all it would see would be its own infrared radiation. This is where the heat shield comes in. The shield is made of a thin plastic coated with aluminum. It is five layers thick and measures 46.5 feet (17.2 meters) by 69.5 feet (21.2 meters) and will keep the mirror and sensors at minus 390 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 234 Celsius).
The Webb telescope is an incredible feat of engineering, but how does one get such a thing safely to space and guarantee that it will work?
Test and rehearse
The James Webb Space Telescope will orbit a million miles from Earth – about 4,500 times more distant than the International Space Station and much too far to be serviced by astronauts.
Over the past 12 years, the team has tested the telescope and instruments, shaken them to simulate the rocket launch and tested them again. Everything has been cooled and tested under the extreme operating conditions of orbit. I will never forget when my team was in Houston testing the NIRCam using a chamber designed for the Apollo lunar rover. It was the first time that my camera detected light that had bounced off the telescope’s mirror, and we couldn’t have been happier – even though Hurricane Harvey was fighting us outside.
After testing came the rehearsals. The telescope will be controlled remotely by commands sent over a radio link. But because the telescope will be so far away – it takes six seconds for a signal to go one way – there is no real-time control. So for the past three years, my team and I have been going to the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore and running rehearsal missions on a simulator covering everything from launch to routine science operations. The team even has practiced dealing with potential problems that the test organizers throw at us and cutely call “anomalies.”
Some alignment required
The Webb team continued to rehearse and practice until the launch date, but our work is far from done now.
We need to wait 35 days after launch for the parts to cool before beginning alignment. After the mirror unfolds, NIRCam will snap sequences of high-resolution images of the individual mirror segments. The telescope team will analyze the images and tell motors to adjust the segments in steps measured in billionths of a meter. Once the motors move the mirrors into position, we will confirm that telescope alignment is perfect. This task is so mission critical that there are two identical copies of NIRCam on board – if one fails, the other can take over the alignment job.
This alignment and checkout process should take six months. When finished, Webb will begin collecting data. After 20 years of work, astronomers will at last have a telescope able to peer into the farthest, most distant reaches of the universe.
Early winter storms this month provided a strong start to the season and some drought relief, but California remains in a drought.
That was the report from the California Department of Water Resources, which conducted the first snow survey of the season at Phillips Station on Thursday.
Thursday’s manual survey recorded 78.5 inches of snow depth and a snow water equivalent of 20 inches, which is 202 percent of average for this location on this date.
The snow water equivalent measures the amount of water contained in the snowpack and is a key component of DWR’s water supply forecast. Statewide the snowpack is 160 percent of average for this date.
“We could not have asked for a better December in terms of Sierra snow and rain,” said DWR Director Karla Nemeth. “But Californians need to be aware that even these big storms may not refill our major reservoirs during the next few months. We need more storms and average temperatures this winter and spring, and we can’t be sure it’s coming. So, it’s important that we continue to do our part to keep conserving – we will need that water this summer.”
Californians only need to look to last winter and the state’s disappointing snowpack runoff due to high temperatures, dry soil and evaporation as a reminder that changes to our climate mean it will take more than an average year to recover from drought.
“California continues to experience evidence of climate change with bigger swings between wet and dry years and even extreme variability within a season. A wet start to the year doesn’t mean this year will end up above average once it’s all said and done,” said Sean de Guzman, Manager of DWR’s Snow Surveys and Water Supply Forecasting Unit.
December is the first of the three typically wettest months of California’s water year. Significant January and February precipitation would be required to generate enough runoff to make up for the previous two winters that were California’s fifth- and second-driest water years on record.
California has experienced wet Decembers before only to have storms disappear for the remainder of the season.
In 2013, the first snow survey provided promising results after a wet December, similar to this year. However, the following January and February were exceptionally dry, and the year ended as the driest on record, contributing to a record-breaking drought.
On average, the Sierra snowpack supplies about 30 percent of California’s water needs and the snowpack is an important factor in determining how DWR manages the state’s water resources. Its natural ability to store water is why the Sierra snowpack is often referred to as California's “frozen reservoir.”
As spring sets in, the snowpack begins to melt. Water that is not absorbed into the ground, called “runoff,” trickles into mountain streams, which feed rivers and eventually aqueducts and reservoirs, where it can be stored for use throughout the dry season. Climate change is affecting California’s snowpack, as more precipitation falls as rain and less as snow. Excessively dry soils and dry, warm spring temperatures are also reducing yearly runoff.
Due to these climate-induced changes, DWR is investing in partnerships and implementing emerging and proven technologies to improve forecasts of precipitation, seasonal snowpack, and runoff to support more efficient water management now and to help estimate the impacts of climate change on future flood and drought conditions. Forecast improvements and monitoring enhancements increase the reliability of data used to inform water managers about flood risks, allowing opportunities to create more storage in reservoirs ahead of big storms while also ensuring water supply reliability in periods of dry or drought conditions.
DWR conducts five media-oriented snow surveys at Phillips Station each winter near the first of each month from January through April and, if necessary, May.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The National Weather Service is predicting that the first week of the new year will see more rain falling in Lake County.
The forecast says a winter storm will produce periods of strong south winds, locally heavy rainfall and high elevation snow Sunday night through Tuesday.
The first round of rain arriving on Sunday night is expected to only bring a few tenths of an inch in Lake County, with up to a half an inch on Monday.
Rain is forecast to continue in Lake County through Friday.
Cold temperatures also are expected during the coming week.
Daytime temperatures will continue in the high 40s through Wednesday, topping out in the high 50s on Thursdsay and the low 50s on Friday.
Nighttime conditions will range from the high 20s on Saturday night to the low 30s on Sunday. From Monday night through the weekend, night temperatures will rise to the 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. — Lake is among a number of counties included in an emergency declaration issued by Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday in response to a series of December storms.
Newsom proclaimed a state of emergency in Alameda, Amador, Calaveras, El Dorado, Humboldt, Lake, Los Angeles, Marin, Monterey, Napa, Nevada, Orange, Placer, Sacramento, San Bernardino, San Luis Obispo, San Mateo, Santa Cruz, Sierra and Yuba counties to support the ongoing response to the recent storms, which have included heavy rainfall and snow.
The proclamation notes that, beginning on or about Dec. 10, 16 and 21, “a series of winter storm systems struck California, bringing substantial precipitation, including record-breaking snowfall, damaging winds, and flooding, and storms continue to impact significant portions of the state.”
Lake County has not been as hard hit as other areas. While some snow has fallen down to the lake level it quickly melted off. Deeper snowfall has taken place at higher elevations, with the mountains ringing Clear Lake capped with snow on Thursday.
In other parts of the state, the situation has been more severe.
This week, Caltrans urged drivers to avoid traveling to the Sierra due to record snowfall.
Caltrans also has closed 45 state highways since Dec. 24 due to record snowfall in the Sierra Nevada. Most of those highways have reopened although there are areas where chain controls and delays continue.
Newsom’s Thursday emergency proclamation supports response and recovery efforts, including expanding access to state resources for counties under the California Disaster Assistance Act to support their recovery and response efforts, directing Caltrans to request immediate assistance through the Federal Highway Administration's Emergency Relief Program in order to obtain federal assistance for highway repairs or reconstruction, and easing access to unemployment benefits for those unemployed as a result of the storms.
“This order clears regulatory hurdles and increases the states capacity to rapidly respond to the impact of these storms and will bolster long term recovery,” said Mark Ghilarducci, director of the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, or Cal OES.
Ghilarducci said the governor activated the State Operations Center to monitor storm conditions and coordinate the states response and support requests for assistance from local governments.
“We are also closely coordinating with and supporting the work of state partners like Caltrans, the California Highway Patrol, Cal Fire and others to rapidly respond to issues as they arise,” he said.
Caltrans has 1,350 field staff clearing mountain highways, working around the clock in 12-hour shifts and has deployed more than 600 snowplows statewide, Ghilarducci said, while the CHP is monitoring road conditions, responding to calls for assistance and working to keep travelers safe.
The state also is working to ensure supply chain continuity and to make sure utility companies restore power as quickly as possible with support to the most vulnerable in the community , he said.
Other efforts include staging fire and rescue resources near burn scar areas in case of significant new weather events, which Ghilarducci said will allow teams to quickly mobilize in the event of mud flows, avalanches or flash floods.
The full proclamation is below.
EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT STATE OF CALIFORNIA
PROCLAMATION OF A STATE OF EMERGENCY
WHEREAS beginning on or about December 10, 2021, December 16, 2021, and December 21, 2021, a series of winter storm systems struck California, bringing substantial precipitation, including record-breaking snowfall, damaging winds, and flooding, and storms continue to impact significant portions of the state; and
WHEREAS these storms affected communications and other critical infrastructure, resulted in power outages to thousands of households and businesses, and caused trees and free limbs to fall, damaging structures and obstructing major highways and local roads; and
WHEREAS these storms damaged and forced the closure of dozens of major highways and local roads, including primary corridors into the Tahoe Basin; and
WHEREAS these storms have resulted in the threat of mud and debris flows, particularly on burn scars from recent wildfires, necessitating the prepositioning of emergency response resources; and
WHEREAS under the provisions of Government Code section 8558(b), I find that conditions of extreme peril to the safety of persons and property exist due to these storms; and
WHEREAS under the provisions of Government Code section 8558(b), I find that the conditions caused by these storms, by reason of their magnitude and combined impact, are or are likely to be beyond the control of the services, personnel, equipment, and facilities of any single local government and require the combined forces of a mutual aid region or regions to appropriately respond; and
WHEREAS under the provisions of Government Code section 8625(c), I find that local authority is inadequate to cope with the magnitude of the damage caused by these storms; and
WHEREAS under the provisions of Government Code section 8571, I find that strict compliance with various statutes and regulations specified in this Proclamation would prevent, hinder, or delay the mitigation of the effects of these storms.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, GAVIN NEWSOM, Governor of the State of California, in accordance with the authority vested in me by the State Constitution and statutes, including the California Emergency Services Act, and in particular, Government Code section 8625,
HEREBY PROCLAIM A STATE OF EMERGENCY to exist in Alameda, Amador, Calaveras, El Dorado, Humboldt, Lake, Los Angeles, Marin, Monterey, Napa, Nevada, Orange, Placer, Sacramento, San Bernardino, San Luis Obispo, San Mateo, Santa Cruz, Sierra, and Yuba counties due to these storms.
IT IS HEREBY ORDERED THAT:
1. All agencies of the state government utilize and employ state personnel, equipment, and facilities for the performance of any and all activities consistent with the direction of the Office of Emergency Services and the State Emergency Plan. Also, all residents are to obey the direction of emergency officials with regard to this emergency in order to protect their safety
2. The Office of Emergency Services shall provide assistance, if appropriate, under the authority of the California Disaster Assistance Act, Government Code section 8680 et seq., and California Code of Regulations, Title 19, section 2900 et seq.
3. As necessary to assist local governments and for the protection of public health and the environment, state agencies shall enter into contracts to arrange for the procurement of materials, goods, and services necessary to quickly assist with the response to and recovery from the impacts of these storms. Applicable provisions of the Government Code and the Public Contract Code, including but not limited to travel, advertising, and competitive bidding requirements, are suspended to the extent necessary to address the effects of these storms.
4. The provisions of Unemployment Insurance Code section 1253 imposing a one-week waiting period for unemployment insurance applicants are suspended as to all applicants who are unemployed as a direct result of these storms and who applied for unemployment insurance benefits during the time period beginning December 10, 2021 and ending on the close of business on June 21, 2022, and who are otherwise eligible for unemployment insurance benefits.
5. The California Department of Transportation shall formally request immediate assistance through the Federal Highway Administration's Emergency Relief Program, United States Code, Title 23, section 125, in order to obtain federal assistance for highway repairs or reconstruction.
I FURTHER DIRECT that as soon as hereafter possible, this Proclamation be filed in the Office of the Secretary of State and that widespread publicity and notice be given of this proclamation.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Great Seal of the State of California to be affixed this 30th day of December 2021.
GAVIN NEWSOM Governor of California
ATTEST: SHIRLEY N. WEBER, PH.D. Secretary of State
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.
LOWER LAKE, Calif. — Earlier this month, at its final regular meeting of the year, the Konocti Unified School District Board offered a fond and heartfelt farewell to a couple that has served the district and community for decades.
It was during the district’s Dec. 8 board meeting that it formally accepted the resignations of Ed and Sarah Fuchs.
Their last day with the district is this Friday, Dec. 31.
They’ve been in the community for 25 years and said they are excited for the next adventure, which will take them to Wisconsin.
Ed Fuchs is an eighth grade physical education teacher, eighth grade class adviser and boys’ wrestling coach, while his wife has worked as the College and Career Center adviser, testing coordinator and athletic director at Lower Lake High School.
Beginning as an assistant football coach and working up to a PE position, Ed Fuchs said in his resignation letter that he was “beyond grateful to have been able to give back to my community that I grew up in for over 20 years.”
He said the decision to leave wasn’t an easy one. “I will bleed Trojan Blue for as long as I live and I will never forget where I come from,” and he concluded by thanking the board and Superintendent Dr. Becky Salato for the “the greatest opportunity that I have experienced in my life.”
Sarah Fuchs also grew up in the community, graduating from Lower Lake High in 2002 and coming back to work in the district. “Coming to work for Konocti was one of the best decisions I could have made for my career and future,” she wrote in her resignation letter.
They also spoke briefly during the meeting’s public comment portion, and received a standing ovation.
Ed Fuchs said he was “beyond grateful.”
“You’ll be greatly missed. Greatly missed,” said Board member Mary Silva.
During the agenda item in which the board needed to accept personnel changes, including the resignations, Board member Bill Diener thanked the couple, noting the difficulty of losing staff members who are so special to the community and are in the middle of their careers.
“I love both of you,” said Diener, who has worked with Sarah Fuchs and coached with her husband.
He said he’s going to miss them a lot. “I can’t explain how much you’ve done for the community, this district and the students you’ve touched,” noting they’ve touched a lot of students’ lives and changed things for the better.
Despite them moving to Wisconsin, Diener said he will “never, ever” be a Green Bay Packers fan.
Board member Joan Mingori said that as athletic director, Sarah Fuchs didn’t miss games. She also took over ACT and SAT testing.
“You don’t realize how much you have touched the lives of this community,” said Mingori.
The board then voted unanimously to accept the resignations. As they did so, Sarah Fuchs, who had a box of tissue sitting beside her, wiped her eyes.
Salato told them they will never be gone due to the hearts they’ve touched in the community.
“Always remember where you came from,” Silva said.
In her resignation letter, Sarah Fuchs offered her gratitude for opportunities to grow professionally, and to work with incredible co-workers “whose dedication to these students has always been a constant reminder of why we do what we do.”
She said she will be forever grateful to everyone who gave her the chance to make a difference in the lives of students.
She concluded, “How lucky am I to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard?”
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.
CLEARLAKE, Calif. — Clearlake Animal Control has numerous dogs ready to meet their new families.
The City of Clearlake Animal Association also is seeking fosters for the animals waiting to be adopted.
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 American pit bull mix with a short gray and white coat.
He is dog No. 48995415.
‘Arnold’
“Arnold” is a male American Staffordshire terrier mix with a short brindle coat with white markings.
He is dog No. 49029348.
‘Bear’
“Bear” is a male Labrador retriever-American pit bull mix with a short charcoal and fawn coat.
He has been neutered.
He is dog No. 48443153.
‘Bear No. 2’
“Bear No. 2” is a male American pit bull mix with a short tan coat.
He has been neutered.
He is dog No. 48731556.
‘Bella’
“Bella” is a female American pit bull mix with a short gray brindle coat.
She has been spayed.
She is dog No. 48448381.
‘Gingy’
“Gingy’ is a female terrier mix with a tan and white coat.
She is dog No. 49228146.
‘Holly’
“Holly” is a female terrier mix with a beige coat.
She is dog No. 49159116.
‘Isabella’
“Isabella” is a female Chihuahua mix with a short tan coat.
She is dog No. 49292130.
‘Levi’
“Levi” is a male golden retriever-Labrador retriever mix.
He has a short golden coat.
He is dog No. 48975687.
‘Maria’
“Maria” is a female Shar-Pei mix with a short tan coat.
She is dog No. 49047315.
‘Mitzi’
“Mitzi” is a female Australian cattle dog mix with a medium-length black and white coat.
She has been spayed.
She is dog No. 48443306.
‘Nala’
“Nala” is a 1-year-old female German shepherd mix.
She has a medium-length black and tan coat.
She is dog No. 48289638.
‘Priscilla’
“Priscilla” is a female Brittany spaniel mix with a white and copper coat.
She is dog No. 49089138.
‘Sassy’
“Sassy” is a female American pit bull mix with a short black coat.
She has been spayed.
She is dog No. 48443128.
‘Snowball’
“Snowball” is a male American Staffordshire mix terrier with a white coat.
He is dog No. 49159168.
‘Tanisha’
“Tanisha” is a female Australian cattle dog mix with a short red and white coat.
She has been spayed.
She is dog No. 48443302.
‘Terry’
“Terry” is a male shepherd mix with a short brindle coat.
He is dog No. 48443693.
‘Turk’
“Turk” is a male chocolate Labrador retriever mix.
He is dog No. 48911836.
‘Willie’
“Willie” is a male Chihuahua mix with a short black coat and white markings.
He is dog No. 49141640.
‘Winnie’
“Winnie” is a female Doberman pinscher-Australian shepherd mix with a short tricolor coat.
She has been spayed.
She is dog No. 49228128.
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 California Highway Patrol is asking drivers to continue to be careful this weekend, as winter weather is combined with holiday celebration.
The CHP is planning its New Year’s maximum enforcement period, or MEP, from 6:01 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 31, through 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 2.
The agency also held a maximum enforcement period to ensure road safety over the Christmas weekend, from Friday, Dec. 24, to Sunday, Dec. 26.
Officer Efrain Cortez of the Clear Lake Area CHP office reported that during that Christmas enforcement, 28 people were killed in vehicle crashes throughout California.
Cortez said no fatalities occurred in Lake County over the Christmas weekend.
That's compared to at least 38 people who were killed in crashes throughout the state during the Christmas holiday enforcement period of 2020, Cortez said.
As wet weather and heavy snow continue to cover Northern California, Cortez said the CHP is advising drivers to pay attention to road hazards, Caltrans employees and emergency personnel.
“Please be aware of the road conditions, wear your seat belt, turn on your headlights when your windshield wipers are activated, and please don’t drive while impaired,” he said.
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. — While California is still considered to be in a drought, 2021 has been a better year for rainfall based on National Weather Service data.
The US Drought Monitor reported that all of California is in a drought, with much of it in the “extreme” designation and an area of the state’s southern portion is in the “exceptional” category.
Lake County is among the areas reported as being in an extreme drought, for a second year in a row.
The US Drought Monitor reports that Lake County has been in some state of drought — ranging from abnormally dry to extreme and exceptional drought — seven of the last 11 years.
This year, Clear Lake has fallen to its lowest since the drought of the late 1970s, reaching nearly -2.5 feet Rumsey, the special measure for the lake, in November, according to United States Geological Survey data.
However, the rains so far this fall and winter are improving conditions.
As of 1 a.m. Thursday, Clear Lake was at -0.02 feet Rumsey, having risen nearly a foot and a half since the second week of December, according to the US Geological Survey gauge on the lake.
The National Weather Service’s Eureka office said it didn’t have reliable or consistent snow data for Lake County for 2020 or 2021, but it did have rainfall totals for five sites for both years. Totals for 2021 are as of Tuesday afternoon.
That information showed that southeast Clearlake received 4.35 inches of rain in 2020, compared to 13.13 inches in 2021; northeast Clearlake Oaks, 5.59 inches in 2020 and 22 inches in 2021; north Lakeport, 6.96 inches in 2020 and 24.01 inches in 2021; southeast Middletown, 20.48 inches of rain in 2020, 43.61 inches in 2021; and western Upper Lake, 16.11 inches in 2020, 36.53 inches in 2021.
The fall and winter storms have bulked up California’s snowpack.
Following the early winter storms, the California Department of Water Resources said it will conduct the first Phillips Station snow survey of the season on Thursday.
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.
Without a valid will a person’s estate passes to their surviving heirs under intestate succession (i.e., “succession without a will”).
A valid will can determine who inherits assets in a decedent’s estate, who is the executor of the estate, what powers the executor has over the estate, and more (or less).
Litigation over the validity of a will can occur if an heir is unhappy because they inherit less under the will than under the laws of intestacy or if a beneficiary inherits less under the current will than the prior will.
To be valid, a will must be properly executed by a person who, at the time he or she signs the will, is of sound mind and is acting both with testamentary intent and voluntarily, that is without duress, menace, fraud or undue influence (which the law sometimes presumes exists in certain untrustworthy situations, like gifts to paid caregivers).
In California, a will is properly executed if it satisfies any one of various standards, as relevant, to the document’s execution (section 6113 of the Probate Code).
First, a will is valid if it either satisfies the standard will requirements or there is clear and convincing evidence supporting a will that does not meet the standard requirements (section 6110 of the Probate Code). Otherwise, a handwritten will is valid if it satisfies the holographic (handwritten) will requirements (section 6111 of the Probate Code).
The standard will requirements are that the will be signed by the testator, i.e. the person making the will, and be witnessed by two persons at the same time. The two witnesses must see the testator either sign the will or else acknowledge the will in their presence and the witnesses must understand that it is the testator’s will.
Otherwise, failing to meet all standard requirements, the will may still be valid if, “clear and convincing evidence” is provided to the probate court to show that, “at the time the testator signed the will, the testator intended the will to constitute the testator’s will.”
Alternatively, the testator may write a holographic (handwritten) will with the material provisions in his or her own handwriting; no witnesses are required. The holographic will should demonstrate testamentary intent, i.e., the testator’s intention to gift property at death, and be signed and dated by the testator.
Second, the will is also valid if it takes the form of a California Statutory Will set out in section 6200 et. seq of the Probate Code. California’s statutory will form allows for a person to select from amongst different distribution scenarios by signing his or her name in the associated box to indicate a choice of distribution and by writing in relevant information, such as the names of the beneficiaries and the specific gifts.
The statutory will must be signed and dated by the testator in the presence of two witnesses who sign and date a witness declaration.
Third, a will is also valid in California if it was validly executed elsewhere under another state’s law or was validly executed, either at the time of executing the will or at the time of the testator’s death, under the laws of the place where the testator was domiciled (i.e., usually lived as a permanent resident), had a dwelling (i.e., including a part time residence), or was a national (section 6113c of the Probate Code).
Next, an adult person of sound mind may execute a will in California (section 6100 of the Probate Code). A person is presumed to have capacity to execute a will, unless the presumption is rebutted (section 810 of the Probate Code).
More specifically, California requires the testator (1) to understand the nature of making a will; (2) understand and remember the nature and situation of their property; and (3) remember and understand their relations to their living family and those whose interests are affected by the will (section 6100.5 of the Probate Code).
The foregoing is not legal advice. Consult an attorney if confronting these issues.
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, Calif. 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. — Lake County’s interim Public Health officer said that while the Omicron variant of COVID-19 has not yet been identified in Lake County, risks associated with it are growing.
Dr. Gary Pace said surrounding counties are finding Omicron, which he said “almost certainly is spreading through our community.”
“We anticipate a large climb in cases in the coming weeks, and encourage businesses, schools, and families to prepare for many people testing positive and getting sick. Unvaccinated people are considered especially vulnerable to severe illness,” Pace said Thursday.
Statewide, Pace said there is a rapid increases in cases, with a slower increase in the hospitalizations. Death rates have remained stable.
“The lower proportion of serious illness may be due to Omicron causing milder disease, or simply lag time from catching the virus and having the infection become severe. Hospitals locally and around the state are pretty full, as is often the case this time of year. Further surges in COVID cases could quickly become overwhelming,” Pace said.
Pace said businesses and health care facilities are concerned about staffing. If large numbers of workers get sick and have to isolate, or have to quarantine as a close contact, it can cause real strain.
He urged residents to get vaccinated. “Without a doubt, the best strategy to slow this wave of Omicron-driven COVID-19 infections is to get fully vaccinated and boosted.”
Vaccination with a booster seems to provide good protection from serious illness, as seen in the United States and around the world. Pace said vaccinated people are still getting infected and can be contagious, although at lower rates than unvaccinated people. “The booster offers important additional protection, and everyone who is eligible should get one ASAP.”
In Lake County, Pace said more than one-third of the total population, greater than 20,000 people, have no vaccine-related immunity (residents younger than age 5 remain ineligible to be vaccinated, and 32-33% of those eligible are unvaccinated).
Lake County’s eight regular ICU beds and ongoing shortages in EMS ambulance transport out of county make it particularly vulnerable if large numbers of people get ill at once, Pace said.
Pace said the Health Department, county leaders, healthcare partners, and community organizations are all trying to work together to prepare, in case things get worse.
He encouraged people to wear masks indoors, and to upgrade to KN95 or N95 masks, when possible as Omicron appears especially able to transmit through the air.
In addition, Pace suggested those who are symptomatic or who have come into close contact with an infected person to get tested. Testing resources are available here.
Pace said the county is requesting state resources to help get a van that can be part of providing mobile vaccine sites in the coming weeks.
In other parts of the world, Pace said the Omicron spike rose rapidly, then dropped four to six weeks later.
“We encourage people to take extra precautions in the next few weeks, especially if you are at higher risk or unvaccinated. Hopefully, this wave will pass fairly quickly, and we can return to a more regular lifestyle. Taking some extra steps these next few weeks could be critical in preventing severe outcomes,” Pace said.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The ushering in of a new year brings with it the anticipation of a fresh start, positive changes and healthy resolutions. What it should not bring are headlines of tragedies caused by drivers under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
To encourage safe travel for those who are out on the road, the California Highway Patrol will conduct a maximum enforcement period, or MEP, starting at 6:01 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 31, through 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 2.
“Ringing in the new year should be an exciting time filled with celebration and hope,” CHP Commissioner Amanda Ray said. “To help keep the roadways safe through the holiday and beyond, our officers will be out in force to deter, detect, and remove impaired drivers.”
During the previous New Year’s Day MEP, 56 people were killed in crashes in California. The CHP said half of the vehicle occupants killed in the crashes were not wearing a seat belt.
During that same 78-hour MEP, CHP officers made 709 arrests for driving under the influence throughout the state.
To help bolster this year’s holiday traffic safety effort across state lines, the CHP will again partner with the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration and the Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Arizona, Nevada, Colorado, Utah, Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota, and South Dakota state patrols in a Western States Traffic Safety Coalition for the “Drive High, Get a DUI,” campaign.
With the focus of the New Year’s operation to identify and remove impaired drivers from the road, the CHP will have all available personnel on patrol, including Drug Recognition Evaluators to conduct evaluations of suspected impaired drivers.
For daily MEP updates and other valuable traffic safety-related information, follow @CHP_HQ on Twitter.