The council chambers will be open to the public for the meeting. In accordance with updated guidelines from the state of California and revised Cal OSHA Emergency Temporary Standards, persons who are not fully vaccinated for COVID-19 are required to wear a face covering at this meeting.
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, Oct. 5.
Indicate in the email subject line "for public comment" and list the item number of the agenda item that is the topic of the comment. Comments that are read to the council will be subject to the three minute time limitation (approximately 350 words). Written comments that are only to be provided to the council and not read at the meeting will be distributed to the council before the meeting.
During presentations, the council will meet new Lakeport Police Officer Nicholas Steward and will receive an update on the Westside Community Park Committee’s work on the park.
Under council business, Assistant City Manager and Finance Director Nick Walker will present the city’s fourth quarter financial statement and ask for approval of recommended amendments to the fiscal year 2021-22 budget.
The council also will consider directing staff to conduct public outreach on coronavirus state and local Fiscal Recovery Funds spending options and report back their findings.
On the consent agenda — items usually accepted as a slate on one vote — are ordinances; the Sept. 27 warrant register; minutes of the regular council meeting on Sept. 21; approval of a resolution rescinding Resolution 2808 (2021) and revising the master pay schedule in conformance with California Code of Regulations, Title 2, Section 570.5; and adoption of a resolution authorizing remote teleconference meetings of the Lakeport City Council and its legislative bodies pursuant to Government Code section 54953(e).
The council also has scheduled a closed session to discuss labor negotiations with unrepresented management employees.
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.
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.
LAKEPORT, Calif. — A Lakeport man arrested numerous times over the past month was booked into the Lake County Jail on Friday after being found with an expensive mountain bike that’s believed to have been stolen as well as methamphetamine.
Matthew Alan Wratislaw, 36, was taken into custody on Friday, according to the Lakeport Police Department.
On Sept. 19 shortly after 4:30 p.m., Lakeport Police officers were dispatched to the area of North Forbes Street at Fourth Street for a report of a male working on a vehicle that did not belong to him. Officers arrived on scene and contacted Wratislaw, who was actively working on the reported vehicle.
The police department said the officers determined through their investigation that Wratislaw was not the owner of the vehicle and did not have any legal connection to the vehicle to be working on it. Wratislaw further admitted to trying to “get” the vehicle.
The officers placed Wratislaw under arrest for tampering with a vehicle and possession of burglary tools. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic bail-related restrictions, officers were unable to have Wratislaw booked into the Lake County Jail and issued Wratislaw a criminal citation and released him.
Just after 10:30 p.m. Thursday, Lakeport Police officers were patrolling the area of 11th Street at High Street when they observed Wratislaw riding a bicycle without any lights or reflectors in violation of the California Vehicle Code.
Lakeport Police officers attempted to stop Wratislaw using the emergency lights on their patrol vehicle but Wratislaw continued north on High Street and then east through an unpaved alleyway, Rose Avenue.
Officers attempted to pursue Wratislaw on foot while verbally commanding him to stop. They ultimately lost sight of Wratislaw as he continued north on North Main St.
The officers then conducted a search of the area and located Wratislaw sitting behind a residence on Lakeshore Boulevard at Ashe Street and placed him under arrest.
During a search of Wratislaw’s person and belongings following his arrest, officers located 0.9 grams of suspected methamphetamine as well as methamphetamine paraphernalia. Officers also located suspected burglary tools including lock picks.
Wratislaw was transported to the police department where he was issued a criminal citation and released as he was again not bookable due to the current COVID-19-related bail schedule.
On Friday, another Lakeport Police officer observed Wratislaw in a fenced area of a closed business on North Forbes Street at 11th Street.
The officer noted that Wratislaw had walked away from a large black dirt bike gear bag. Police said the officer moved closer to the bag and realized that it matched the description of stolen property that had been reported to the police department earlier in the day.
The bag and the items it contained, which mostly consisted of dirt bike-related gear, were valued to be worth approximately $2,000.
The officer detained Wratislaw and additional Lakeport Police officers responded to the scene. Officers contacted the victim of the theft and were able to confirm that the items were those that had been reported stolen.
A further search of the bag containing the reported stolen items yielded additional suspected methamphetamine and methamphetamine paraphernalia. Wratislaw was then placed under arrest.
Police said those crimes were not bookable due to current California laws. However, due to Wratislaw’s history of recent arrests and suspected criminal activity, officers believed that Wratislaw would continue to victimize Lakeport residents if not booked into jail, police said.
The officers contacted a Lake County Superior Court judge to apply for a bail increase. The bail increase was granted and officers transported Wratislaw to the Lake County Jail.
Authorities said he was booked without further incident on charges of felony possession of stolen property, possession of a controlled substance and possession of controlled substance paraphernalia with bail set at $15,000.
During Wratislaw’s latest arrest, a Specialized mountain bike, with an approximate value of over $2,000 was also found to be in his possession. The bike is currently believed to possibly be stolen.
If you recognize the bicycle in the photos published here, contact the police department at 707-263-5491.
Additionally, in recent days several other thefts have been reported to the police department in which Wratislaw is a suspect.
If you have been the victim of theft or other criminal activity in the city of Lakeport, and you have not yet made a police report, please contact the police department.
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.
One is an unprecedented update of the Thrifty Food Plan – an estimate of the minimum cost of groceries to meet a family’s needs. That revision is behind the largest-ever permanent increase in benefits and puts a healthier diet within reach for the 42 million Americans enrolled in SNAP, which replaced food stamps.
The other change, the expiration of a temporary 15% increase in SNAP benefits to offset some of the economic hardship caused by the coronavirus pandemic, will have the opposite effect.
Initially, most households enrolled in the program will see their benefits rise from US$12 to $16 per person per month, the USDA says.
In doing the research for an upcoming book on the history of the food stamps program, I have found that the government has often temporarily expanded nutritional assistance during tough economic times. Long-term increases in benefits, however, are unusual. And the origins of this change are quite surprising.
How high will SNAP benefits be?
The maximum SNAP benefit for a family of four with little or no income will rise to $835 per month. That’s 21% above pre-pandemic levels after inflation is taken into account.
Without the emergency help, a single person might get a benefit as low as $20 a month. With it, they get $250.
This policy has given many families who would otherwise qualify for lower SNAP benefits hundreds of extra dollars a month to buy food.
The Trump administration did not offer emergency help to the lowest-income SNAP participants already getting the maximum benefit, but the Biden administration reversed this policy starting April 1, 2021.
Once the federal government declares an end to the public health crisis, these extra benefits will end. States can opt out sooner, and some began to do that in the spring of 2021.
What’s the Thrifty Food Plan?
The Thrifty Food Plan is a blueprint for a budget-conscious and nutritionally adequate diet for a family of four with two kids under 12.
The USDA relies on this standard when it sets monthly SNAP benefit amounts.
The new plan allows people getting benefits to spend more on prepared foods, vegetables and grains, as well as dairy products and other sources of protein.
Why didn’t benefits rise more in the past?
Until 2021, the USDA had updated the Thrifty Food Plan in 1983, 1999 and 2006 only to accommodate changing nutritional guidance and food preferences.
But the USDA had never revised the Thrifty Food Plan in such a way that it would cost more, aside from inflation-related adjustments, to buy the recommended food. Therefore the government never increased the purchasing power of nutrition benefits.
The USDA acknowledged in 2006 that the Thrifty Food Plan fell short of what was needed for a nutritious diet. But it didn’t revise the Thrifty Food Plan to fix that problem because the agency concluded it wasn’t possible to do so without spending more on SNAP.
The 2018 farm bill required the USDA to update the Thrifty Food Plan by studying “current food prices, food composition data, consumption patterns and dietary guidance.”
It called for a review to take place by 2022 and every five years thereafter. The USDA completed the review in August 2021.
Even in a strong economy, more than 1 in 5 SNAP recipients would use up their benefits by the middle of the month, and 1 in 3 depleted them by the end of the third week.
And 61% of SNAP recipients said the cost of healthy food prevented them from eating better, according to USDA research released in June 2021.
Researchers estimate that the maximum benefit will now cover the cost of modest meals in 79% of counties, compared with only 4% of counties under the old formula.
This update to national nutrition standards could pull 2.4 million SNAP recipients out of poverty, including more than 1 million children, the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities, a think tank, has estimated.
How did this happen?
In making this change, the Biden administration continued with a process the Republican-controlled Congress set in motion three years earlier.
Former Rep. K. Michael Conaway, a Republican who played a pivotal role when Congress passed the bill, has said the law was drafted under the assumption that the USDA would refrain from changes to the Thrifty Food Plan that would increase benefits.
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The USDA has insisted that data drove these changes and that complying with the farm bill’s requirements made them essential.
Without further action by Congress, future administrations will revisit the Thrifty Food Plan every five years and may again use it to adjust the amount of SNAP benefits.
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.
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.