On Wednesday night, in the wake of reports that Russia has launched an attack on Ukraine, Lake County’s members of Congress condemned Russia for its actions, calling for accountability and swift action to end the conflict.
Congressman John Garamendi and Congressman Mike Thompson both spoke out on the situation.
Garamendi (D-CA-03) is chair of the Armed Services Subcommittee on Readiness.
“Tonight, Russia launched an unjustified and unprovoked attack against Ukraine. My prayers are with the people of Ukraine as they withstand this meritless incursion from Vladimir Putin and the Russian military” Garamendi said.
“Vladimir Putin’s justifications for this strike are ludicrous and predicated on lies. His attempt to provoke war in Europe and usurp the democratically elected government of Ukraine will bring widespread suffering and loss of life at a scale the continent of Europe has not witnessed in a generation. I condemn these actions in the strongest possible terms,” Garamendi continued.
“As chair of the Armed Services Subcommittee on Readiness, I am monitoring the situation closely,” Garamendi said. “These actions will further unite the United States and its allies — including NATO and the European Union — and Russia will be held accountable. My heart is with the people of Ukraine and my prayers are for their safety.”
In his remarks, Thompson (D-CA-05) said the decision by Putin to invade Ukraine “is pure evil and a direct attack on democracy.”
He added, “The response to this transgression must be swift — and that means cutting Putin, Russia, and their financial elites off from the global market and imposing further crippling sanctions.
“The United States and our allies must be steadfast in the face of blatant disregard for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
“My thoughts are with the people of Ukraine and I am hoping for a rapid resolution of this conflict and for lasting peace,” Thompson said.
LAKEPORT, Calif. — The federal government has agreed to an exemption that will allow a Lakeport apartment complex to be opened up to more low-income community members, including fire survivors.
The city of Lakeport was notified last week that the U.S. Department of Agriculture approved the exemption for the 48-unit Martin Street Apartments, phase two, at 1255 Martin St.
Lakeport Community Development Director Jenni Byers said the apartment complex received its certificates of occupancy at the end of July.
The developer, Lakeport Family Associates LLC, had received agriculture housing credits which required that the housing be made available to farm laborers. However, Byers said those limitations resulted in only two of the units being rented.
In August, the month after the apartment complex was approved for occupancy, the Cache fire destroyed dozens of homes in Clearlake.
Byers said Lakeport city staff reached out to the developers to see if the housing could be made available to those victims. However, because they received tax credits, they were limited to only renting the units to agriculture industry workers.
She said the developer began the process of reaching out to USDA to see if they could get a waiver that allowed them to not limit the individuals they could rent to, however, by January, there had been very little progress in receiving the waiver from USDA.
Byers said Mayor Stacey Mattina then reached out to Congressman Mike Thompson’s office to see if he could assist in the discussions.
The USDA subsequently reviewed the market study by the developer and granted the appeal, Byers said.
“Martin Street II apartments will now be available to any qualifying low-income family but USDA required that there be priority occupancy to farm labor applicants,” she said.
She added, “The Cache fire victims were why we reached out to see if the housing could be provided, but at this point the housing is not limited to only those individuals.”
Byers said she and City Manager Kevin Ingram received word of this USDA decision only 30 minutes before the Lakeport Planning Commission began on Wednesday, Feb. 16.
Clearlake City Manager Alan Flora reported that, of the families they are tracking who were impacted by the Cache fire, three still needed housing.
He said he planned to follow up with Ingram, as they welcome any options to get all of the fire victims rehoused.
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The Board of Supervisors and the Clearlake City Council last week presented proclamations recognizing February as Black History Month.
Gov. Gavin Newsom earlier this month also issued a proclamation declaring February 2022 as Black History Month.
Last Tuesday, the Board of Supervisors presented its proclamation — which also celebrates the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. — to Rick Mayo, president of the Lake County Branch of the NAACP, which he founded in 1982.
The proclamation, given to Mayo by Supervisor Bruno Sabatier, recognized the NAACP for its diligent efforts on social programs that aim to eliminate racial hatred, bigotry and poverty.
Mayo noted how far the organization has come in the 25 years the county has offered the proclamations.
“Our nation is at a crossroads,” he said, questioning whether the country is going to continue as a democracy or fall into some kind of autocracy.
“It’s up to us to maintain this democracy that we have,” said Mayo, who called for the protection of voting and other rights.
He added that the Lake County government reflects the diversity of the community.
His cousin, St. Elmo Mosby, was with him to receive the presentation.
Mosby, who has lived in Lake County since 2004, said they both grew up in the South. He said he looks forward to the annual proclamations.
On Thursday, the Clearlake City Council followed up by offering its own proclamation to Mayo and the NAACP.
Mayo and his board members were on hand to receive the proclamation.
Mayo said the Clearlake community stands out in the state for recognizing diversity.
“Black history is American history,” said board member Kenneth Bagsby, adding they can look forward to a better day.
Board member Bessie Bell said she was proud of the police department under Chief Andrew White, noting the changes he’s brought. “I like what I see.”
She added, “Keep the good work up,” and said she is here to help.
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 Scotts Valley Community Advisory Council will meet next week to discuss projects and monitoring programs.
The group will meet at 5 p.m. Monday, Feb. 28, via Zoom. The public is invited to attend.
The meeting ID is 986 2616 1748, pass code is 173031. The meeting also can be accessed via phone at 1-669-900-6833 or +16699006833,,98626161748#,,,,*173031# for one tap mobile.
The council will host guest speaker William Fox, program manager with Lake County Water Resources.
Fox will discuss the status of the Fish and Wildlife permit to clear Scotts Creek and the highest priority areas to be cleared in Scotts Creek, as well as offer an update on the Blue Ribbon Committee for the Rehabilitation of Clear Lake and the status of the well monitoring program for Scotts Valley residents. There also will be time for questions and answers.
Under old business, there will be an update on the request to clear Scotts Creek beginning at the bridge at Hendricks and Scotts Valley Road and ending downstream from the newly installed culvert. Permits for the project are in process.
In new business items, they will discuss new use permits, the Multi-Tribal Fire Prevention Grant application to Cal Fere to support the Scotts Valley Firewise Community, updates on the Firewise Committee and broadband or Scotts Valley,
They also will talk about the North Bay Forest Improvement Program, and get updates from the Scotts Valley Groundwater Protection Committee,the South Cow Mountain Management Area implementation and the free drinking water testing program offered through Cal-WATCH.org.
The number of U.S. Black-owned businesses grew from 2017 to 2019 in all sectors of the U.S. economy, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s Annual Business Survey, or ABS.
We reviewed business patterns among Black business owners, drawing on Census Bureau data since 2017.
Among our findings:
• In 2019, there were 134,567 Black-owned employer businesses (businesses with more than one employee) in all sectors of the U.S. economy, an 8% hike from the 124,551 Black-owned employer businesses in 2018, according to the ABS. • In 2018, there were about 3,115,000 nonemployer businesses with Black owners, up 5.6% from 2,951,000 in 2017, according to the Census Bureau’s 2018 Nonemployer Statistics by Demographics, or NES-D. • Census Bureau data shows that American entrepreneurship as a whole has been increasing. The Census Bureau’s most recent Business Formation Statistics showed that Americans applied for a record 5.4 million business ID numbers in 2021.
Resources for minority-owned businesses
The U.S. Department of Commerce or DOC — the Census Bureau’s parent agency — has long been a leader in promoting and providing resources to minority-owned businesses.
DOC’s Office of Minority Business Enterprise created the Minority Business Development Agency, or MBDA, on March 5, 1969.
The MBDA has several key initiatives designed to promote and support minority-owned businesses.
Among them: the Enterprising Women of Color Initiative, which recognizes the impact of minority women-owned businesses in communities. In fact, minority women are the fastest growing population of entrepreneurs, according to MBDA.
The MBDA also set up business centers throughout the country designed to help minority populations expand their businesses and/or markets by, for example, helping them identify strategic partners or become export-ready.
The Census Bureau also offers multiple resources for small- and minority-owned business owners, including:
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — A nonprofit group is undertaking a fundraising effort to rebuild trails in the Boggs Mountain Demonstration State Forest, which was devastated in the 2015 Valley fire.
Redwood Trails Alliance is launching its “Bring Back Boggs” fundraising campaign.
In partnership with Trail House of Santa Rosa and various stakeholders, Redwood Trails Alliance is raising funds to rebuild Boggs Mountain Demonstration State Forest trails and give away an awesome trail bike to one lucky winner.
Redwood Trails Alliance, a 501(c)(3) trail stewardship organization, is launching the “Bring Back Boggs'' bike giveaway. Trail House of Santa Rosa donated a Specialized Stumpjumper Expert mountain bike worth $5,900 to raise funds to rebuild the trails at Boggs Mountain Demonstration State Forest.
The forest has been a popular mountain bike destination for years, and home of the Bike Monkey Boggs 8 hour race and the NorCal Interscholastic Cycling League’s state championship race.
After nearly 90% of the 3,100 acres of forest was burned, rebuilding is underway, but the Redwood Trails Alliance said it needs community support to get the job done.
This forest is so important to the local community, Lake County District 5 Supervisor Jessica Pyska announced actions to make healthier living more accessible in District 5.
Pyska is dedicating $25,000 in cannabis tax funds to the Friends of Boggs and Redwood Trails Alliance, kicking off a $100,000 “Bring Back Boggs” fundraising campaign to rebuild trails in Boggs forest.
You too can donate towards Boggs recovery. Each $5 donation goes toward one chance to win the giveaway prizes. The campaign closes on Sunday, Feb. 27, at 6 p.m. Pacific Time.
Interested parties can enter to win here at www.trailsalliance.org or https://trailsalliance.givingfuel.com/bringbackboggs.
Further support of the Bring Back Boggs campaign comes from Calpine Corp. Calpine donated $15,000 towards the $100,000 goal to rebuild trails in the forest.
“Calpine Corp. and Supervisor Pyska’s donations give us a $40,000 boost to our Bring Back Boggs campaign. We are optimistic for a successful campaign and grateful to work in partnership with Friends of Boggs Mountain,” said Debbie St. Cyr, executive director of Redwood Trails Alliance.
“None of the work we do would be possible without support from our members, loyal sponsors, partners and the many visitors from around the Bay Area who cherish our trails,” said St. Cyr. “Trail House of Santa Rosa has supported Redwood Trails Alliance from the very beginning, and together, we’ve brought world-class trails to the community. With the Specialized Bicycles Stumpjumper Expert, they've bottled up that ‘new bike day’ feeling and put it into a radical new trail bike so agile, so lively, so in-tune with the trail, that it feels like an extension of your body. Levitate up the climbs. Decimate the descents. It’s the perfect NorCal trail bike!”
St. Cyr said they also have runner-up prizes for more chances to win, including a set of Reserve 30 29 inch carbon mountain bike wheels donated by Reserve Wheels and a Wahoo Roam bike computer donated by RIDE Napa Valley. Click here to enter to win one today.
For more information, click here or email Tom Boss at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
No one likes tax season. It’s complicated, it’s stressful, and it’s getting worse.
Last year was already the “most challenging year taxpayers and tax professionals have ever experienced,” according to the Taxpayer Advocate Service, an independent part of the Internal Revenue Service. According to the agency’s annual report, taxpayers had trouble reaching the IRS, tax returns took months to process, almost a quarter of refunds didn’t go out until 2022, and collection notices were sent out even after the tax owed was paid.
And with millions of returns from 2021 still waiting to be processed, 2022 may be worse. That prospect has prompted lawmakers and others to press the IRS to offer taxpayers relief, as it did in 2021, in the form of suspended penalties, delayed collections and extended tax deadlines.
As a tax expert, I believe taxpayers will face at least three main challenges this year. While the onus for solving these problems should be on the federal government – not the taxpayer – I do have a few suggestions for getting you through tax season 2022.
1. Backlogs and delays
The IRS started the 2022 tax season already significantly behind.
Over 15 million returns and 5 million pieces of taxpayer correspondence from 2021 sit untouched – including 6 million original 1040s. Amended 2021 returns are taking more than 20 weeks to process.
And it’s not just complicated returns that are getting delayed. Even simple individual returns are caught in the backlog.
Most people are eager to get their money. Often, refunds make a big difference to a household’s finances. One out of 4 recipients report that they will use their refunds to cover everyday expenses. One-third will try to catch up on debt. Others may use the sudden infusion of cash to make big purchases that they have put off all year, such as dental work or a down payment on a new car.
IRS actions are often triggered by automated systems that generate notices and letters to taxpayers. For example, if the IRS system shows that a taxpayer owes the government money but doesn’t show payment by a given date, the automated system triggers a notice demanding immediate payment and assessing penalties. These IRS communications can leave taxpayers petrified.
Because of the antiquated computer system and dwindling personnel, you might very well receive a notice reprimanding you for a failure that you took care of months ago.
The IRS recently announced that it would suspend some automatic notices until its backlog clears, but others are required to go out within a certain time frame. It’s important to note that regardless of whether you receive a notice, you may still be on the hook for interest or penalties if the IRS thinks you owe money.
3. Hello? Anyone there?
But this challenge is compounded by the fact that taxpayers and preparers are finding it nearly impossible to get help from the IRS, whether in person, by telephone or via mail.
Face-to-face meetings have naturally become more limited due to COVID-19 precautions. IRS offices remain open but require appointments, while all Taxpayer Advocate Service offices are closed to in-person visits.
But don’t expect much more luck getting help over the phone. Last year, the IRS received a record 282 million phone calls, but answered only 11% of them. In other words, 250 million calls went unanswered.
And, as old-fashioned as it sounds, people still seek help from the IRS with snail mail. But the 2021 backlog is around 5 million letters, which suggests if you need help this year, mail may not be your best bet.
What you can do
And that brings me to what, if anything, you can do to steer through some of these challenges. Fortunately, there are a few best practices that can help.
File as early as you can. And if possible, file electronically – for example, by using the IRS’ free fillable forms, which allow you to prepare and file your own return without using any tax software.
Do your best to ensure your return is accurate the first time you file. Filing an amended return is sure to stretch out your wait.
It is also a good idea to keep copies of everything and not freak out if you get an IRS notice. There is at least some chance that the notice is wrong and the problem is already solved.
Calling the IRS seems like a nearly fruitless activity. If you must pick up the phone, you might have more luck calling in the morning when there’s less demand rather than in the afternoon. But expect a long wait even if you’re lucky enough to be among the 1 in 9 callers who get to talk to a human being.
For some taxpayers, such as those who are low-income or disabled, you could try reaching out to your local Volunteer Taxpayer Assistance Clinic, which may have more bandwidth to help. There is also the Taxpayers Assistance Center, which makes appointments and helps with more complicated matters.
Of course, the problem with all this advice is that it puts the onus on you, the individual taxpayer, to figure out how to sort through the mess created by years of severely underfunding the IRS. Annual funding for the agency has declined about 20% from 2010 levels, after adjusting for inflation, resulting in severe staffing shortages. I believe the only way to truly rectify the situation is for Congress to reverse the cuts it made and shore up the IRS with enough funding to do its job.
You shouldn’t have to be skilled or savvy in order to honestly pay your taxes.
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On Feb. 22, 2022, AT&T is scheduled to turn off its 3G cellular network. T-Mobile is scheduled to turn its off on July 1, 2022, and Verizon is slated to follow suit on Dec. 31, 2022.
The vast majority of cellphones in service operate on 4G/LTE networks, and the world has begun the transition to 5G, but as many as 10 million phones in the U.S. still rely on 3G service. In addition, the cellular network functions of some older devices like Kindles, iPads and Chromebooks are tied to 3G networks. Similarly, some older internet-connected systems like home security, car navigation and entertainment systems, and solar panel modems are 3G-specific. Consumers will need to upgrade or replace these systems.
So why are the telecommunications carriers turning off their 3G networks? As an electrical engineer who studies wireless communications, I can explain. The answer begins with the difference between 3G and later technologies such as 4G/LTE and 5G.
Picture a family trip. Your spouse is on the phone arranging activities to do at the destination, your teenage daughter is streaming music and chatting with her friends on her phone, and her younger sibling is playing an online game with his friends. All those separate conversations and data streams are communicated over the cellular network, seemingly simultaneously. You probably take this for granted, but have you ever wondered how the cellular system can handle all those activities at the same time, from the same car?
Communicating all those messages
The answer is a technological trick called multiple access. Imagine using a sheet of paper to write messages to 100 different friends, one private message for each person. The multiple access technology used in 3G networks is like writing every message to each of your friends using the whole sheet of paper, so all the messages are written on top of each other. But you have a special set of pens with different colors that allows you to write each message in a unique color, and each of your friends has a special pair of glasses that reveals only the color intended for that person.
However, the number of colored pens is fixed, so if you want to send messages to more people than the number of colored pens you have, you will need to start mixing colors. Now when a friend applies their special lenses, they will see a little bit of the messages to other friends. They won’t see enough to read the other messages, but the overlap might be enough to blur the message intended for them, making it harder to read.
The multiple access technology used by 3G networks is called Code Division Multiple Access, or CDMA. It was invented by Qualcomm founder Irwin M. Jacobs with several other prominent electrical engineers. The technique is based on the concept of spread spectrum, an idea that can be traced back to the early 20th century. Jacobs’ 1991 paper showed that CDMA can increase the cellular capacity manyfold over systems at the time.
CDMA lets all cellular users send and receive their signals at all times and over all frequencies. So if 100 users wish to initiate a call or use a cell service at around the same time, their 100 signals will overlap with each other over the entire cellular spectrum for the whole time they communicate.
The overlapping signals create interference. CDMA solves the interference problem by letting each user have a unique signature: a code sequence that can be used to recover each user’s signal. The code corresponds to the color in our paper analogy. If there are too many users on the system at the same time, the codes can overlap. This leads to interference, which gets worse as the number of users increases.
Slices of time and spectrum
Instead of allowing users to share the entire cellular spectrum at all times, other multiple access techniques divide access by time or frequency. Division over time creates time slots. Each connection can last over multiple time slots spread out in time, but each time slot is so short – a matter of milliseconds – that the cellphone user doesn’t perceive the interruptions from alternating time slots. The connection appears to be continuous. This time slicing technique is time-division multiple access (TDMA).
The division can also be done in frequency. Each connection is given its own frequency band within the cellular spectrum, and the connection is continuous for its duration. This frequency slicing technique is frequency division multiple access (FDMA).
In our paper analogy, FDMA and TDMA are like dividing the paper into 100 strips in either dimension and writing each private message on one strip. FDMA would be, for example, horizontal strips, and TDMA would be vertical strips. With individual strips, all messages are separated.
4G/LTE and 5G networks use Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA), a highly efficient combination of FDMA and TDMA. In the paper analogy, OFDMA is like drawing strips along both dimensions, dividing the whole paper into many squares, and assigning each user a different set of squares according to their data need.
End of the line for 3G
Now you have a basic understanding of the difference between 3G and the later 4G/LTE and 5G. You might still reasonably ask why 3G needs to be shut down. It turns out that because of those differences in the access technology, the two networks are built using completely different equipment and algorithms.
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3G handsets and base stations operate on a wideband system, meaning they use the whole cellular spectrum. 4G/LTE and 5G operate on narrowband or multi-carrier systems, which use slices of the spectrum. These two systems need completely different sets of hardware, from the antenna on the cell tower down to the components in your phone.
So if your phone is a 3G phone, it cannot connect to a 4G/LTE or 5G tower. For a long while, the cellular service providers have been keeping their 3G networks going while building a completely separate network with new tower equipment and servicing new handsets using 4G/LTE and 5G. Imagine bearing the cost of operating two separate networks at the same time for the same purpose. Eventually, one has to go. And now, as the carriers are starting to deploy 5G systems in earnest, that time has come for 3G.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — U.S. Rep. Mike Thompson announced that he has filed to run for reelection in the newly numbered Fourth Congressional District.
The district includes all of Lake and Napa counties and portions of Solano, Sonoma and Yolo counties.
“I’m excited to run for reelection in the newly drawn Fourth Congressional District,” said Rep. Mike Thompson. “I was born, grew up and have lived my entire life in our district and I consider it the honor of my life to represent our beautiful region in Congress.
“Families here want a fair shake: well-paying jobs, affordable health care, a clean environment, quality education, and dignity in retirement. They want to know that if they work hard and play by the rules, they can leave more for their children than they themselves had — that the American Dream is alive and well. Folks here want to put food on the table and gas in the car, cover their mortgage payment, and provide an education for their kids without going broke.
“From my first day in Congress, I’ve made these shared priorities the focus of my work. I will continue pushing for sensible, responsible policy solutions that bolster the middle class, create jobs, lower the cost of housing and health care, and strengthen Medicare and Social Security for future generations. I will continue working to empower young people by advancing bold policies that protect our environment and invest in education. And, as Chair of the House Gun Violence Prevention Task Force, I will not stop until H.R. 8, my Bipartisan Background Check Act, is enacted into law to help prevent senseless gun violence and save lives.
“In the current Congress, I also authored the most sweeping climate policy ever to pass the House of Representatives. It is the flagship climate policy of President Biden’s agenda. As chairman of the Select Revenues Subcommittee, which has jurisdiction over tax policy, I advanced the Child Tax Credit, a tax cut for working families with children that has already significantly reduced child poverty in the months since it was first enacted.
“The past two years have been challenging for all of us. The COVID-19 pandemic is an unprecedented test, one that has taken hundreds of thousands of lives, has repeatedly pushed our health care system to the brink, and has disrupted our economy in every conceivable way. Know that as we continue to battle the virus, I will always place our community at the forefront.
“For all of these reasons, I have earned the endorsement of mayors, supervisors, sheriffs and district attorneys from every county in our district as well as hundreds of business owners, farmers, educators, community leaders and countless other hardworking men and women in our district.
“We have a shared commitment to our great country: because we share the responsibility of building and maintaining a great nation, we share in its challenges and we share in its successes. We are in this together and I will continue to fight for our district in Congress,” he said.
A list of those signing Rep. Thompson’s nomination papers includes:
Kelly Cox, retired Lake County administrative officer Lake County Supervisor Eddie Crandell, Madelene Lyon, former trustee, Lake County Board of Education Lake County Sheriff Brian Martin, Stacy Mattina, Lakeport mayor and Realtor Lakeport Police Chief Brad Rasmussen Denise Rushing, retired Lake County supervisor and entrepreneur Lake County Supervisor Bruno Sabatier Dirk Slooten, mayor of Clearlake Karen Slooten, retired David Weiss, vineyard management firm owner, Kelseyville Peter Windrem, retired attorney at Law, Kelseyville
Elizabeth Alessio, Napa councilwoman Christopher Canning, mayor of Calistoga Amelia Ceja, winery owner and business woman Leon Garcia, mayor of American Canyon Rolando Herrera, business owner Ricardo “Ricky” Hurtado, community advocate and leader Hope Lugo, community leader John Robertson, retired Napa County sheriff Scott Sedgley, mayor of Napa Janet Thompson, nurse Jon Thompson, lieutenant, Napa County Sheriff’s Department Robert “Bob” Torres, owner, Trinchero Family Estates
Steven C. Bird, mayor of Dixon Thomas Ferrara, Solano County sheriff/coroner Caitlin O’Halloran, Dixon School Board member Marjorie Olson, community advocate and leader Annette L. Porini, retired public servant Ron Rowlett, mayor of Vacaville John Vasquez, Solano County supervisor Jeanie White, community advocate and leader Jeanette Wylie, Vacaville City councilmember CC Yin, Solano County business owner
Madolyn Agrimonti, Sonoma City Council member Connie Codding, business owner Karen Collins, former Alcaldessa Cheryl Ann Diehm, retired Jackie Elward, mayor of Rohnert Park Margaret Fishman, Santa Rosa Junior College Board trustee Gerard Giudice, business owner and Rohnert Park Council member Susan Harvey, vice mayor of Cotati Herman G. Hernandez, Sonoma County Board of Education trustee Maddy Hirschfield, community leader and labor advocate Mark Landman, Cotati mayor Frankie Lemus, business owner Willy Linares, vice mayor, Rohnert Park John C. Moore, Cotati City Council member Steve Page, retired business leader Chris Rogers, Santa Rosa Mayor Steve Sangiacomo, Sonoma grape grower John Sawyer, Santa Rosa Councilmember Tim Smith, former Sonoma County Supervisor
Cecilia Aguiar-Curry, California Assembly member Angel Barajas, Yolo County supervisor Jody Bogle, business owner Linda Deos, community advocate and leader Mike Hall, Yolo County farmer Stephen F. Heringer, Clarksburg farmer, business owner Garth Lewis, Yolo County Superintendent of Schools Gloria Partida, mayor of Davis Bruce J. Rominger, Yolo County farmer Chris Turkovich, Winters farmer, business owner Mayra Vega, mayor of Woodland Lois Wolk, former State senator
For information about the newly drawn and numbered Fourth Congressional District visit here.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — After a Tuesday that saw some rain, hail and snow falling across Lake County, the area’s updated forecast anticipates more cold weather and precipitation into next week.
The National Weather Service’s observation stations reported small amounts of rain — up to a tenth of an inch in areas like Upper Lake — but there also were small accumulations of hail and snow that occurred on Tuesday afternoon.
Based on the updated forecast, a cold and dry air mass is expected to settle over the region and persist through the week.
The National Weather Service is forecasting more rain and mountain snow through this weekend, primarily Saturday night into Sunday, with still more precipitation expected into the middle of next week.
The specific Lake County forecast calls for patchy frost early Wednesday, and on Wednesday night and into early Thursday morning, with overnight temperatures dipping into the low 30s this week.
Daytime conditions this week will be in the 50s, with some light winds predicted on Friday.
Friday and Saturday are expected to be partly sunny, before chances of rain return.
The National Weather Service’s forecast calls for the possibility of rain from Saturday night through Tuesday.
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 Planning Commission will once again consider a large commercial cannabis operation to be located near Hidden Valley Lake that the Board of Supervisors overturned on appeal last year.
The meeting will begin at 9 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 24, in the board chambers on the first floor of the Lake County Courthouse, 255 N. Forbes St., Lakeport.
To participate in real-time, join the Zoom meeting by clicking this link.
The webinar ID is 987 3297 2508, the pass code is 425122.
Access the meeting via one tap mobile at +16699006833,,98732972508#,,,,*425122# or dial in at 669-900-6833.
The meeting also can be viewed on the county’s website or Facebook page.
In an item scheduled for 9:20 a.m., the commission will hold a public hearing to consider a major use permit and mitigated negative declaration sought by Zarina Otchkova, owner of We Grow LLC., for a project to be located at 16750 Herrington Road, 17610 Sandy Road and 19678 Stinson Road in Middletown.
The property size is 300 acres but the cannabis-related operations will cover about nine acres and include 34 greenhouses, four drying buildings, a shed, 20 water tanks and privacy fencing. An estimated 130 blue oak trees will need to be removed.
The commission approved a slightly different version of the project — with one more greenhouse and fewer water tanks — in April of last year.
However, two months later, the Board of Supervisors — citing a faulty environmental document — upheld the appeal by a group of concerned neighbors, but did so without prejudice, leaving the door open for Otchkova to resubmit the project.
The project continues to face opposition from neighbors and area residents, who in letters to the commission are raising a host of issues — from water supply, to noise, smell, traffic and appropriate land use.
The full agenda follows.
AGENDA
Consideration of the adoption of Assembly Bill 361 findings authorizing teleconference meetings during a state of emergency.
Consideration of the approval of the minutes from the Dec. 16, 2021, and Jan. 13, 2022, Planning Commission hearings.
9 a.m.: Public hearing on consideration of a major use permit (UP 20-75) and a mitigated negative declaration (IS 20-88). The project applicant, North Coast Select Inc., is proposing a co-location/clustering of permits for cannabis cultivation operation to allow 70,560 square feet mixed-light canopy area within greenhouses equipped with air filtration systems in a total of 168,680 square feet cultivation area. The project includes additional greenhouses for immature plants, a processing facility,a drying building, thirty-two 2,500 gallon water tanks, security and a perimeter fence. The project is located at 1496 Bell Hill Road, Kelseyville, and further described as APNs 017-002-02, 007-010-24 and 017-002-01.
9:10 a.m.: Public hearing on consideration of a major use permit (UP 20-68) and a mitigated negative declaration (IS 20-83). The project applicant, Cristhian Hernandez, is applying for a two-acre outdoor canopy area within 170,730 square feet cultivation area to include 12 shipping containers with a total of 4,000 square feet solar panels and eight outdoor drying tents on existing agricultural land located at 2000 Clover Valley Road in Upper Lake, also known as APN 004-007-25.
9:15 a.m.: Public hearing on consideration of a major use permit (UP 21-42) and a mitigated negative declaration (IS 21-44). The applicant Linodhi Inc. is proposing three A-Type 3 medium outdoor commercial cannabis cultivation licenses and one A-Type 13 Self Distribution license to allow legal transport of cannabis to and from the site. The project location is 6680 Wilkinson Road (cultivation site) and 6690 Wilkinson Road, Kelseyville, and further described as APNs 007-018-14 and 007-018-15.
9:20 a.m.: Public hearing on consideration of a major use permit (UP 20-22) and a mitigated negative declaration (IS 20-25). The applicant Zarina Otchkova/We Grow LLC., proposes 15 A-Type 3B mixed light commercial cannabis cultivation licenses and one A-Type 13 ‘Self Distribution’ license. Proposed are 32 90-foot by 125-foot greenhouses; two 90-foot by 125-foot greenhouses for immature plant starts; four 50-foot by 100-foot drying buildings; one 200 square foot shed; 20 5,000 gallon water tanks; one 6-foot tall galvanized woven wire fence covered with privacy mesh to screen the greenhouses from public view. Total proposed cultivation area is 387,600 square feet, or roughly nine acres; total proposed canopy area is 330,000 square feet. The applicant is also proposing the removal of 130 blue oak trees. The project is located at 16750 Herrington Road (cultivation site), 17610 Sandy Road and 19678 Stinson Road in Middletown; and further described as APN 013-060-40 (cultivation site) and A.P.N.s 013-014-03 and 013-014-11 (clustering sites).
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. — February so far has been unseasonably dry, but the National Weather Service said that could change this week.
Forecasters said clouds are expected to begin gathering during the day on Monday, Presidents Day, leading to slight chances of rain in the evening. Winds of nearly 25 miles per hour in parts of Lake County also are forecast.
Beginning at 10 p.m. Monday, the forecast calls for a six-hour period during which there are chances of rain and snow showers, then a chance of snow showers after 4 a.m. Tuesday.
Chances of rain and snow showers also are in the Tuesday forecast, with conditions expected to clear later in the day and the evening.
The National Weather Service reported that, based on its latest weather models, an inch or so of snow “now seems possible” above the 2,000 foot elevation mark in Mendocino and Lake counties, “though impacts to populated areas will be minimal.”
The weather is supposed to be mostly clear and sunny for the rest of the week, with chances of showers against forecast for Saturday and Sunday.
Daytime temperatures this week will range from the high 40s on Monday to the low 60s on Saturday. Nighttime temperatures will be in the 30s for much of the week, dropping into the high 20s on Tuesday, reaching the low 40s by Saturday.
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.