California Attorney General Xavier Becerra on Monday filed a friend-of-the-court brief in the Ninth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals in State of Washington v. Trump, a case opposing the Trump Administration’s travel ban.

California was joined in filing the amicus brief by Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia, Vermont, and the District of Columbia.

Attorney General Becerra released the following statement after the filing:

“On behalf of the nearly 40 million people of California, I stand shoulder-to-shoulder with attorneys general in Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia, Vermont, and the District of Columbia, in filing an amicus brief in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals to preserve the suspension of the Trump Administration's travel ban,” Becerra said.

He added, “The administration's reckless dismissal of the Constitution threatens to rip apart California families, risks their economic well-being and defies centuries of our American tradition.”

Becerra said the brief he joined tells the appeals court that immigrants are the life-blood of the United States who work hard to build the country, especially in California.

“Our universities, medical institutions, businesses, and our tax base are all harmed by President Donald Trump’s unconstitutional and un-American order,” Becerra said.

Becerra offered examples of how states and California would be harmed if the ban were implemented, as detailed in the brief:

• Medical school programs would “risk having insufficient medical residents to meet staffing needs” (p. 5).
• Medical residents would be “unable to renew or extend their nonimmigrant visas” and schools would be left “with unfilled positions in their years-long programs for training physicians; and staffing gaps will open up at hospitals” (p. 8).
• The process of admitting students to state college and universities would be disrupted.
• ”The University of California’s ten campuses have almost 500 affected graduate students and 40 affected undergraduates. . . the California State University System has more than 1,300 students from the affected countries with immigrant status and more than 250 students on student visas” (pp. 5-6).

Becerra said the California Department of Justice's Civil Rights and Government Law sections and its Solicitor General’s Office worked day and night to make the filing happen.

“We in California will continue to coordinate with like-minded states in a concerted effort to fight the travel ban that denies the rights of law-abiding people to travel freely here and abroad. And I will do everything possible as attorney general to make sure that the executive order by the Trump administration does not see the light of day,” Becerra said.

The full brief can be seen below.

Washington v Trump.states Amicus Memo of Law in Support of Appellees-1-1 by LakeCoNews on Scribd

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lakeport Planning Commission this week will consider possible amendments to the city's zoning ordinance related to recent changes in state law regarding marijuana.

The commission will meet beginning at 5 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 8, in the council chambers at Lakeport City Hall, 225 Park St.

The main item on the agenda is the discussion on the possible amendments and revisions to the zoning ordinance, specifically, to add a procedure for noncommercial marijuana cultivation for personal use to medical marijuana cultivation, reflecting Proposition 64.

Associate Planner Dan Chance's report to the commission explained that a working group composed of two city council members, City Manager Margaret Silveira, City Attorney David Ruderman, Police Chief Brad Rasmussen and Community Development Director Kevin Ingram have reviewed possible revisions to the medical marijuana regulations contained in the city's municipal code.

He said the working group has split the possible revisions into two categories – commercial and noncommercial.

The working group has asked that the commission consider first the cultivation of cannabis for noncommercial personal use on residential parcels, with commercial uses related to dispensaries, retail sales, processing and large commercial cultivation to be addressed in the future, Chance said.

The commission will look at proposals for plant numbers, outdoor and indoor cultivation, and the permitting process, Chance's report said.

In other business, the commission will get an update on projects pending Lakeport Planning Department approval as of Feb. 2.

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 number of Lake County roads have been impacted by the heavy storm overnight.

The Lake County Department of Public Works issued a roundup of current road closures and advisories, which is posted below.

The agency reported that flooding, downed trees and mudslides have caused closures of several county-maintained roads.

A list of storm-impacted Napa County roads, compiled from the Napa County Sheriff's Office, also is included.

All closures were in effect as of 10 a.m.

CLEARLAKE OAKS

• Twin Valley Road: Closed due to mudslide.

COBB

• Anderson Springs Road: Slide blocking the roadway – crews are in route.
• Deiner Drive: Trees down blocking the roadway.
• Rose Anderson Road: Slide blocking the roadway – crews in route.
• Salamina Road: Trees down blocking the roadway.
• Socrates Mine Road: Road slip out at MPM 3.8. Down to one lane in this area.

KELSEYVILLE

• Argonaut Road: Closed to through traffic from Thomas Drive to Big Valley Road due to flooding.
• Bell Hill Road: Closed at Adobe Creek Low water crossing.
• Clark Drive: Closed from Soda Bay Road to Gaddy Lane due to flooding.

LAKEPORT

• Hill Road: Effective immediately Hill Road, between Sutter Lakeside Hospital entrance and Lakeshore Blvd due to mudslides across the roadway.
• Scotts Valley Road: Closed at Hendricks Road due to flooding.
• South Main Street: Flooding across the roadway at the transfer station.

NICE

• Lakeshore Drive: Closed from Hammond Ave to Stokes Ave due to flooding.

UPPER LAKE

• Bartlett Springs Road: Four-wheel drive recommended.
• Elk Mountain Road: Roadway closed at MPM 29.6 due to road washout. No estimate of when road will be reopened.
• Elk Mountain Road: Four-wheel drive recommended from Upper Lake to Lake Pillsbury.
• Scotts Valley Road: Closed at Highway 20 due to flooding.

NAPA COUNTY

• Big Ranch Rd from Rose Lane to Oak Knoll Ave is closed due to flooding.

• Deer Park Road between Highway 29 and Silverado Trail is closed due to flooding.

• 4450 block of Dry Creek Road closed in both directions due to a downed tree. Crews on scene.

• Highway 29 at Mee Lane is flooded. The road is still open but traffic is very slow. Drive with caution.

• Oak Knoll Ave from Big Ranch Rd to Silverado Trail is closed due to flooding.

• Oakville Cross Road is now closed due to flooding.

• Silverado Trail at Trancas Street is closed due to flooding and rapidly rising water.

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – Firefighters on Monday stopped a house fire and saved the home's elderly resident.

The fire was first dispatched just before 11:45 a.m. Monday at a residence in the 3600 block of Old Highway 53.

Radio reports indicated a stove and cabinets were on fire at the home, with both Lake County Fire and Cal Fire dispatched.

Lake County Fire Chief Willie Sapeta said firefighters arrived at the stick-built single family home to find the house filled with smoke and a room and its contents on fire.

Crews entering the home found a medically fragile woman in a hospital bed, Sapeta said.

He said firefighters successfully removed the woman from the home and took her to St. Helena Hospital Clear Lake for evaluation for smoke inhalation.

Sapeta said they originally had planned to have her flown out of county, but no air ambulance was available due to weather.

Sapeta said the fire crews were able to keep the fire confined to the one room and the contents of cabinets and drawers, with minimal overall fire and smoke damage in the home.

The quick arrival of firefighters stopped the fire and saved the woman's life, according to Sapeta.

“Another five minutes and we wouldn't have had the same outcome,” Sapeta said.

Sapeta said Monday that the fire's cause remained under investigation.

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. – Heavy rainstorms forecast for this week are expected to push Clear Lake well above the flood stage, with the National Weather Service issuing flood and wind warnings.

The National Weather Service said two primary rainstorms are anticipated. The first began moving across Northern California Monday night and throughout Tuesday, with the second expected on Thursday.

The warm and potentially very wet storms are expected to bring heavy rain overnight and throughout Tuesday, the agency said.

On Tuesday in particular, the National Weather Service said that storm is expected to be a “once every five to 10 years” rain event across portions of Northern California.

Those storms will be followed by continued showers through Saturday, with a break in the rain expected into early next week, according to the specific Lake County forecast.

Due to the storms and rising lake level, the National Weather Service issued a flood watch for much of Lake County that went into effect on Monday night and will continue until 4 p.m. Friday.

A wind advisory also has been issued for Lake County from 12 a.m. to 12 p.m. Tuesday.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on Monday night issued an update on Clear Lake's depth predicting that the lake will move beyond the 9-foot Rumsey flood stage late Wednesday.

The lake was at 8.25 feet Rumsey late on Monday night, according to the US Geological Survey.

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.