LUCERNE, Calif. — Authorities have arrested a Lucerne woman who they said set a house fire on Saturday night.
Dallas Darlene Lyons, 36, was taken into custody shortly after 10 p.m. Saturday.
An hour before Lyons’ arrest, firefighters were dispatched to a home in the 6000 block of Second Avenue in Lucerne on the report of a house fire that was also threatening other structures, as Lake County News has reported.
Reports from the scene on Saturday night indicated one residence and a second structure were damaged, with the Red Cross called to house displaced residents.
Lake County Sheriff’s Lt. Corey Paulich said the deputy conducting the investigation with the assistance of Northshore Fire Protection District’s arson investigator believed that Lyons was under the influence of narcotics, which caused her to recklessly start the fire.
Paulich said Lyons was arrested and transported to Lake County Jail.
Charges on her jail booking sheet included two felonies, causing the fire of an inhabited dwelling and arson during a state of emergency, and a misdemeanor of being under the influence of a controlled substance.
Her bail was set at zero for the felonies and $5,000 for the drug charge, and on Monday jail records indicated she had posted bail and been released.
Jail records showed she is scheduled to appear in court on March 1, 2022.
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 is set to discuss amending an urgency ordinance regarding water hauling to unpermitted cannabis grows, and get updates on COVID-19 and fire prevention efforts.
The board will meet beginning at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 5, in the board chambers on the first floor of the Lake County Courthouse, 255 N. Forbes St., Lakeport.
The meeting ID is 939 8784 0732, pass code 846973. The meeting also can be accessed via one tap mobile at +16699006833,,93987840732#,,,,*846973#.
All interested members of the public that do not have internet access or a Mediacom cable subscription are encouraged to call 669-900-6833, and enter the Zoom meeting ID and pass code information above.
At 10:40 a.m., the board will consider an urgency ordinance amending the water hauler ordinance prohibiting water hauling to commercial agricultural operations including cannabis cultivation sites.
In his report to his fellow supervisors, Board Chair Bruno Sabatier explained that on Aug. 24 the board approved an urgency ordinance prohibiting water hauling to unpermitted cannabis sites.
“After reviewing the changes that were made on the day it was approved, it became apparent that the changes made to the originally submitted ordinance prohibited the enforcement as it is not apparent as to what is a legal grow and what is an illegal grow for cannabis cultivation for water haulers,” Sabatier wrote.
“Upon further conversations about traditional agriculture, it was decided that since traditional agriculture does not rely on water trucks for crop cultivation that I would bring back an amendment to the ordinance to include all commercial agricultural operations including cannabis cultivation therefore helping to make this ordinance enforceable,” he said.
Sabatier said there are exceptions to this ordinance such as grazing animals, the raising of small animals and poultry, domestic livestock farming, dairying and animal husbandry.
He said it’s meant for commercial crop activity only and provides guidance that the ordinance shall not apply to hauling for the purpose of construction use nor for residential use.
“I am also requesting to reimplement a clarification for part of the cannabis ordinance that allows for water delivery during an emergency. I am again offering that a declared drought, one that is constant and known prior to harvesting this year is not an emergency that would allow for water delivery. Cannabis permits are provided based on land use reviews, providing water from unknown outside sources has not been reviewed and could be detrimental to other areas outside of the scope of the project if allowed to continue,” Sabatier wrote.
In other business on Tuesday, at 9:06 a.m., the board will get an update on the COVID-19 situation in Lake County and at 9:30 a.m. will present a proclamation designating October as Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month in Lake County.
At 9:40 a.m., Northshore Fire will give the board a presentation on its fire fuels crew project and the board will consider the Lake County Community Risk Reduction Authority report at 10:30 a.m.
In untimed items, the board will consider forming a county comprehensive drought planning work group and hear a presentation on the Big Valley Groundwater Basin Sustainable Groundwater Management Act progress and Groundwater Sustainability Plan engagement activities.
The full agenda follows.
CONSENT AGENDA
5.1: Adopt proclamation designating the month of October 2021 as Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month in Lake County.
5.2: Approve Budget transfer for purchase of fixed asset for Behavioral Health.
5.3: Approve the agreement between the county of Lake and the Lake County Office of Education for the Mental Health Student Services Act Program for Fiscal Year 2021-26 in the amount of $2,112,250 and authorize the chair to sign.
5.4: Approve Board of Supervisors minutes for meetings on Aug. 24 and Sept. 21, 2021.
5.5: Approve Agreement No. 2 for planning services for Lake County Community Development for a maximum of $25,000 and authorize the chair to sign.
5.7: Approve Agreement No. 2 with Aram Bronston for professional services for a maximum of $40,000 and authorize the chair to sign.
5.8: Approve the continuation of a local health emergency related to the 2019 Coronavirus (COVID-19) as proclaimed by the Lake County Public Health officer.
5.9: Approve the continuation of a local health emergency and order prohibiting the endangerment of the community through the unsafe removal, transport and disposal of fire debris for the LNU Complex wildfire.
5.10: Approve the continuation of a local emergency due to the Mendocino Complex Fire incident (River and Ranch fires).
5.11: Approve the continuation of a local emergency due to COVID-19.
5.12: Approve the continuation of an emergency declaration for drought conditions.
5.13: Approve the continuation of a local emergency in Lake County in response to the LNU Lightning Complex wildfire event.
5.14: Approve the continuation of a local emergency due to the Pawnee fire incident.
5.15: Approve continuation of a local health emergency by the Lake County Public Health officer for the Cache fire.
5.16: Approve continuation of a local emergency by the Lake County sheriff/OES director for the Cache fire.
5.17: Approve a budget transfer in Budget Unit 1671, Facilities Maintenance, for $177,519 for two trailer-mounted generators.
5.18: Approve long distance travel for Sgt. John Drewrey to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to attend the ninth Police Recruitment and Retention Summit from Jan. 23 to 26, 2022, for an amount not to exceed $4,000.
5.19: (a) Approve purchase of civil software and (b) authorize the sheriff to enter into a contract with Teleosoft Inc.
5.20: Approve contract between the county of Lake and Lake Transit Authority for local public transportation services in the amount of $45,600, from July 1, 2021, to June 30, 2022, and authorize the chair to sign.
TIMED ITEMS
6.2, 9:06 a.m.: Consideration of update on COVID-19.
6.3, 9:30 a.m.: Presentation of proclamation designating the month of October 2021 as Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month in Lake County.
6.4, 9:40 a.m.: Presentation by Northshore Fire regarding its fire fuels crew project.
6.5, 10:30 a.m.: Consideration of report from the Lake County Community Risk Reduction Authority.
6.6, 10:40 a.m.: Consideration of urgency ordinance amending water hauler ordinance prohibiting water hauling to commercial agricultural operations including cannabis cultivation sites.
6.7, 11 a.m.: Consideration of Local Jurisdiction Assistance Grant Program.
UNTIMED ITEMS
7.2: Consideration of forming a county comprehensive drought planning work group.
7.3: (a) Consideration of agreement for training services “Leading for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in County Government,” and (b) direction to appointed management employees and encouragement to elected department heads to attend this training .
7.4: Consideration to approve staff recommendation to apply for grant funding from the National Association of County and City Health Officials.
7.5: Presentation of Big Valley Groundwater Basin Sustainable Groundwater Management Act progress and Groundwater Sustainability Plan engagement activities.
CLOSED SESSION
8.1: Public employee evaluation: Community Development director.
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
The 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. — With just days left to finish approving bills passed by the Legislature in this session, Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed a bill to increase control burning and knowledge of the practice across California while another to address prescribed burning liability is still waiting on his desk.
Gov. Newsom signed AB 642 by Assemblymember Laura Friedman (D-Glendale) on Sept. 28.
Still waiting to be signed by the Oct. 10 deadline is SB 332 by Sen. Bill Dodd (D-Napa), who formerly represented Lake County in the State Assembly.
“You never know when the governor’s going to pick them up and think about signing them,” said Lenya Quinn-Davidson, area fire adviser for the University of California Cooperative Extension and director for the Northern California Prescribed Fire Council.
Quinn-Davidson works to provide capacity and training to get the prescribed burning tool back in the toolbox of property owners.
She said AB 642 — introduced in February — has several components. The provision Quinn-Davidson is excited about is that the bill requires the state fire marshal to develop a proposal to establish a prescribed fire training center.
It would also require Cal Fire’s director to appoint a cultural burning liaison to serve on the State Board of Fire Services and advise Cal Fire on developing increased cultural burning activity.
Quinn-Davidson said that tribal liaison, in working with tribes and cultural practitioners, would make sure sovereignty and customs are protected. Tribes, she noted, have struggled with permitting and other issues related to prescribed burns.
Cal Fire must make recommendations on how to understand and model wildfire risk for a community and specific parcels, and establish an advisory work group to consult with in developing the recommendations; and Cal Fire must work with California State Universities, California tribes, tribal organizations and cultural fire practitioners to enhance its public education efforts regarding restoring fire processes and cultural burning.
The bill also directs Cal Fire to engage in recruitment efforts with tribes and cultural fire practitioners to fill vacancies in positions that engage in fuel reduction.
Quinn-Davidson said Cal Fire has hired prescribed fire crews over the last couple of years, but the positions haven’t been well paid and so they’ve seen a large amount of attrition with crew members transferring to other jobs.
The bill requires Cal Fire to assess those positions, make sure they pay well and focus on recruitment and retention. Quinn-Davidson said that the workforce needs to be developed. “So that’s an exciting piece.”
Then there is SB 332, the bill Quinn-Davidson has worked closely on with Dodd’s office.
Dodd introduced the bill as part of an 11-bill “Blueprint for Fire Safe California” legislative and budget package unveiled by the Senate Wildfire Working Group in May.
The bill received unanimous, bipartisan support. The Assembly passed SB 332 on Sept. 1 and the Senate approved it the following day. It was sent to the governor on Sept. 9.
“The destructive wildfires that are now threatening our state are a painful reminder that we must do all we can to reduce fuels in our parched forests and wild lands. Controlled burning is a valuable tool in addressing this problem,” Dodd said when the Legislature passed the bill.
Dodd’s office, which said the bill has a good chance of getting signed, reported that it is meant to protect the state from loss of life and property by expanding the use of prescribed burning to control combustible fuels.
Because the concern over being billed for wildfire suppression costs has prevented more widespread use of prescribed burning, Dodd intended the legislation to encourage more controlled burns by raising the legal standard for seeking state suppression costs, requiring a showing of gross negligence rather than simple negligence, Quinn-Davidson said.
Quinn-Davidson, who has worked with prescribed fire for more than a decade, said she is very excited that Dodd took up the issue and its barriers, liability being one of them.
If something goes wrong and a landowner needs help or has to have Cal Fire get a burn under control due to an unpredicted wind event, they could get a big bill. That matter of cost recovery “keeps me up at night,” Quinn-Davidson said.
“We’re not burning down houses. That's so rare,” she said, explaining that prescribed burns are incredibly safe. The number of such fires that have escaped and caused damage is well below 1% of all that are done.
Needing to call for support is also rare but more likely to happen, and so she said SB 332 changes the standard for cost recovery and what Cal Fire can bill property owners for in such situations.
If you’re being diligent and not grossly negligent, and if you are following best management practices to benefit the public, SB 332 would not allow Cal Fire to bill you, Quinn-Davidson said.
She said it’s a way for the state to show its support for prescribed burn projects.
“It’s a pretty basic premise but it’s actually a huge deal,” she said, noting SB 332 is a “simple and beautiful” bill that lays out best management practices and contains pieces for cultural practitioners, also offering them protections.
“It’s a pretty big deal because it’s saying that cultural burners have standing in California as well and we care about the work that they're doing and recognize it,” she said.
A complementary piece of legislation to SB 332 is SB 170, the Budget Act of 2021 by Sen. Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley), which included a $20 million prescribed fire claim fund in the state budget. Gov. Newsom signed that bill on Sept. 23.
Returning to the practice of burning
Quinn-Davidson said native peoples have been using control burns for millenia, and have had a very significant impact on fire in California. However, those practices were interrupted by the arrival of white settlers.
“That was the early big picture, we wiped out native peoples who were using fire constantly,” she said, noting that millions of acres were burned annually by tribes.
Ranchers were an early group to pick up some of those practices, mimicking fire to keep the landscape more open. Quinn-Davidson said ranchers became predominant users of the practice into the 1940s and 1950s.
There came a point when state and federal agencies didn’t want people lighting fires. Quinn-Davidson said the feds wanted to preserve timber, while the state had concerns about liability and the belief that it should be conducting the work.
In the 1980s, Cal Fire took over prescribed burning and developed a vegetation management program. “Over time they divested from their own program,” said Quinn-Davidson.
From the 1980s until recent years, only Cal Fire and federal agencies were doing major prescribed burns. With private landowners being taken completely out of the practice, ranchers and landowners lost their skills and native peoples had lost their connection with the practice, she said.
“What we have now is a generational gap in fire knowledge in California,” Quinn-Davidson added.
The California Environmental Quality Act, or CEQA, can cause delays for Cal Fire when it pursues prescribed burns; it can sometimes take five or 10 years of planning and the project still doesn’t get done. Because the state is now funding a lot of prescribed fire work, it triggers CEQA, Quinn-Davidson explained.
However, she said private landowners don’t need to adhere to the law unless they have state funding or are working with a state agency.
She said a lot of people have been sending letters to the governor in support of the legislation. “People are very passionate about this.”
Groups as diverse as the California Cattlemen’s Association, the Karuk Tribe and Defenders of Wildlife have joined forces to support SB 332, which Quinn-Davidson said speaks volumes about its importance.
She said she loves that prescribed fire brings people together.
“The natural role of fire is so important,” she said.
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
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.
On Monday, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a package of consumer financial protection legislation to expand consumer rights and increase transparency, protecting Californians from scams and unscrupulous practices in automatic renewal subscriptions, debt settlement and collection and other financial services.
“These bills curb predatory and abusive practices used to target vulnerable Californians, and empower consumers to make informed decisions with their hard-earned money,” said Gov. Newsom. “With the nation's strongest state consumer financial protection watchdog and these new measures, California continues to have the backs of working families recovering from the pandemic.”
Gov. Newsom last year signed legislation establishing the Department of Financial Protection and Innovation, significantly expanding the state’s capacity to protect consumers by bringing on additional investigators and attorneys to supervise financial institutions and crack down on financial predators.
Modeled on the federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the department’s creation was a key idea in the governor’s January 2020-2021 budget proposal.
The governor on Monday signed AB 1405 by Assemblymember Buffy Wicks (D-Oakland), which protects Californians from predatory debt settlement practices, ensuring providers disclose important information about the process to consumers. Under the legislation, customers who enroll in a debt settlement plan will have a three-day window to review the disclosures before the contract takes effect.
SB 531 by Sen. Bob Wieckowski (D-Fremont) allows consumers to request verification that collectors have the authority to collect a debt and prohibits a creditor from selling a consumer debt unless notice has been provided to the debtor at least 30 days before selling the debt.
AB 390 by Assemblymember Marc Berman (D-Menlo Park) strengthens protections under California's Auto Renewal Law by ensuring that consumers can cancel automatic renewal and continuous service subscriptions online. The legislation also requires businesses to notify consumers before the expiration of a free trial or promotional price included as part of a subscription offer.
AB 1221 by Assemblymember Heath Flora (R-Ripon) clarifies that the terms of extended warranties which continue until they are canceled must be made clear to the buyer.
AB 1320 by Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan (D-Orinda) requires licensed companies offering money transfer services to prominently provide a live customer service toll-free telephone number, ensuring consumers can readily seek assistance.
A full list of the bills signed by the governor to protect consumers and expand access to financial services is below:
AB 390 by Assemblymember Marc Berman (D-Menlo Park) – Advertising: automatic renewal and continuous service offers: notice and online termination.
AB 1177 by Assemblymember Miguel Santiago (D-Los Angeles) – California Public Banking Option Act.
AB 1221 by Assemblymember Heath Flora (R-Ripon) – Consumer warranties: service contracts: cancellation: disclosures.
AB 1320 by Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan (D-Orinda) – Money transmission: customer service.
AB 1405 by Assemblymember Buffy Wicks (D-Oakland) – Debt settlement practices. SB 531 by Senator Bob Wieckowski (D-Fremont) – Consumer debt.
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.
To help fund the California Highway Patrol’s yearlong effort to promote safety for bicyclists and pedestrians, the Department has been awarded the California Pedestrian and Bicyclist Enforcement and Education Project IX grant.
Beginning Oct. 1, this grant enables officers to conduct enhanced enforcement patrols and public awareness campaigns throughout the state.
“It is important for motorists to scan each intersection for foot and bicycle traffic before entering, and it is especially important during hours of darkness,” CHP Commissioner Amanda Ray said. “Pedestrian and bicycle fatalities account for nearly one-third of all traffic-related deaths annually in California with the vast majority occurring at night.”
In 2019 and 2020 combined, 7,594 people were killed in crashes throughout California, with pedestrians and bicyclists accounting for 2,354 of those deaths.
October is National Pedestrian Safety Month, and on National Walk to School Day, Oct. 6, the CHP will focus its education and enforcement efforts in locations with high numbers of pedestrian and bicyclist crashes.
Officers in plain clothes will work with uniformed officers to monitor crosswalks and areas surrounding schools for motorists who fail to yield the right-of-way or who drive unsafe and illegally.
The educational component of the grant funds traffic safety skills and training courses and informative presentations related to safe traffic behavior for high-risk populations, including older community members and youth.
The grant also supports the distribution of safety equipment such as bicycle helmets and reflective gear.
Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
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.