Don Anderson, who took office in January, said he's implementing a new diversion program that allows offenders from out of state to make monetary restitution in lieu of community service.

When people from outside of California are convicted of crimes and sentenced to community service, they can get clearance to complete their community service out of state, which Anderson said doesn't benefit Lake County, where the crimes were committed.

Instead, in eligible cases, he and his staff are presenting to defendants the option of paying $10 per hour of community service – the rate approved by the courts – to settle the requirement.

That payment, once approved by the court, wipes out the community service requirement and can be used to assist with local causes, said Anderson.

In January, New Yorker Justin Lazard, who reached a plea deal on a misdemeanor count of lewd conduct in public for exposing himself in Library Park in July 2006, agreed to pay $7,500 to Lake Family Resource Center. That was the first case in which Anderson said he and his staff offered the diversion option.

“I think the courts see the benefit,” Anderson said.

On Wednesday, at an event for Victim-Witness advocates at the Lodge at Blue Lakes where Anderson was a special guest, Debbie Wallace, head of the Lake County Victim-Witness Division, presented another check – this time, for $9,600 – to Lake Family Resource Center interim Executive Director Lisa Fronsman.

That check came from the second case that's fallen under the diversion program, said Anderson.

Lake Family Resource Center, which works with Victim-Witness and the District Attorney's Office to offer support services for crime victims – and also runs the county's domestic violence shelter – is grateful for the support, Fronsman told the group Wednesday.

With the first two cases already generating approximately $17,100 for local causes, Anderson said there's the expectation of more to come, as he said he's seen many such cases in the local justice system that would be eligible for such a diversion program.

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Goodwin is replacing Linda Tyner, current alternative education director, who is retiring in July 2011, the Lake County Office of Education reported.

The Lake County Office of Education Alternative Education includes the Renaissance School for students in juvenile hall, the Clearlake Community School and the Lloyd P. Hance Community School.

These schools provide an alternative learning environment for students in grades seventh through 12th who are experiencing difficulties in a traditional school setting or who are exhibiting negative behavior patterns in school or in the community.

All three programs offer a complete high school graduation curriculum and support course work that will help students earn a diploma.

Goodwin will finish out the school year with Terrace Middle School, and Tyner and Goodwin are working together to develop a plan that will ensure smooth transitions for students and staff.

Goodwin has served at Terrace Middle School in Lakeport for the past three years, and brings with him more than 16 years of experience in education, working primarily in alternative education settings.

“Approximately 20 percent of our students are being served in alternative education settings,” Goodwin said. “There is a huge need in our communities for a strong positive influence in the lives of troubled kids, and this position really feels like a great fit for me.”

He added, “My time with Lakeport Unified and the Terrace Middle School community has been a wonderful opportunity and an experience that I will cherish and miss. I look forward to continued collaboration with this district as well as the six others. I’m looking forward to new opportunities for growth both for myself and for the county.”

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The walk will begin at 10 a.m. at Library Park, located on Park Street in Lakeport. Walk-up registration will be open beginning at 9:30 am.

The event begins with a special opening ceremony that includes the raising of the Flag of the Missing Child, a statewide initiative to raise awareness on child abuse prevention.

Children, families, teachers, groups, agencies and community members are welcome to show your public commitment to children.

Following the walk, the community is invited to all-day children’s festival.

Everything is free, and more than 30 Lake County agencies and organizations will provide fun children’s activities, giveaways and information on Lake County resources.

Both events are intended to unify the community around the common goal of caring for Lake County’s children by preventing child abuse and victimization, and providing a quality education for every child.

If you would like more information on any of these programs, please contact The Lake County Child Care Planning Council, 707-994-4795, www.lakecountychildcareplanning.com, or The Lake County Children’s Council at 707-262-4146.

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The workshop will be held at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, April 21, at the Sons of Italy Hall, located at 2817 E. Highway 20 in Nice.

Presented by the Lake County Redevelopment Agency and Mogavero Notestine Associates, this community workshop will open with an update by Supervisor Denise Rushing on community events and projects.

David Mogavero, principal at Mogavero Notestine Associates will provide observations regarding the Holiday Harbor site, including opportunities and constraints.

Community input will include both specific questions from Mogavero and an open forum.

Lake County Redevelopment Agency officials will outline the proposed next steps in the process, including the public presentation of the conceptual plan.

The Lake County Redevelopment Agency purchased the Holiday Harbor Resort and Marina, located at 3605 Lakeshore Boulevard, Nice, in June 2008.

The site includes 134 boat slips, picnic areas, restrooms, a boat launch and on-site caretaker.

The agency envisions development of the site and surrounding area as the future town center for Nice.

The short-term goal of the agency is to develop a market development plan, including conceptual plans and other marketing pieces, to attract investment in the site by a private developer.

Funding for the creation of the market development plan is provided by a Community Development Block Grant Planning and Technical Assistance grant.

The agency awarded a contract for development of the plan to Mogavero Notestine Associates through a competitive request for proposals in February.

Mogavero Notestine Associates is an award winning architecture, planning, urban design and development firm that specializes in innovative urban infill projects, such as the Holiday Harbor site.

Not only does MNA provide traditional architecture and planning services, but the agency expects their experience in feasibility analysis and private development to provide both a creative and tangible plan for the Holiday Harbor site and the future town center of the community of Nice.

Formed in 1999, the Lake County Redevelopment Agency works to eliminate blight and promote economic development in communities within the Northshore Redevelopment Project Area, which includes parts of Upper Lake, Nice, Lucerne, Glenhaven and Clearlake Oaks.

For more information about the project, contact the Lake County Redevelopment Agency at 707-263-2580 or visit www.co.lake.ca.us/redevelopment.

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“Not only is the minimum coverage provision necessary to carry out Congress' goals of lowering the costs of medical care and expanding insurance coverage, it is a proper exercise of federal authority that does not alter the essential attributes of state sovereignty,” the amicus brief states. “The Affordable Care Act continues a longstanding and necessary partnership between the states and the federal government in the healthcare policy arena.”

In January, a federal judge in Florida ruled that the law's minimum coverage requirement, which mandates that individuals maintain health insurance or pay a fine, is unconstitutional because it regulates “inactivity” – or the decision to forgo coverage.

Harris, joined by nine other attorneys general, rejected that view in the amicus brief filed Monday in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, which is based in Atlanta.

They argued that the Constitution gives Congress broad powers to regulate interstate commerce – and that an individual's decision to purchase health insurance has a significant impact on interstate commerce because it allows formation of risk pools, lowers healthcare costs nationally and reduces the cost of uncompensated care.

The failure of millions of Americans to purchase health insurance has a significant impact on the states, the group argued.

In 2009, more than 7.2 million Californians – nearly one in four people under the age of 65 – lacked insurance for all or part of the year. More than 5.5 million Californians who could not afford private health insurance are enrolled in government-sponsored health plans, which will cost the state a projected $42 billion in the next fiscal year.

According to the amicus brief, $27.1 billion of those funds comes from the General Fund, which faces a $25 billion deficit.

The minimum coverage provision of the Affordable Care Act will reduce the need to shift the cost of uncompensated care of the uninsured – and will thus reduce the expenses now absorbed by the states and by individuals with health insurance.

Others joining California in this brief are Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Iowa, Maryland, New York, Oregon and Vermont.

In January, the same group of attorneys general – except the District of Columbia – filed an amicus brief in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit arguing for the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act: http://oag.ca.gov/news/press_release?id=2032&p=3.

In March, those attorneys general filed an amicus brief supporting the law's constitutionality in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit: http://oag.ca.gov/news/press_release?id=2047&p=3.

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On Tuesday, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson announced the California Distinguished Schools for 2011.

Included on the list of 97 California schools was Clear Lake High in Lakeport.

Lakeport Unified Superintendent Erin Hagberg said it's the first California Distinguished School award for the district.

“It's extremely exciting and I couldn't be prouder,” said Hagberg.

The highly sought after award, now in its 25^th year, has recognized more than 5,300 exemplary California public middle and high schools since it began in 1986, the state reported. Elementary and secondary schools are recognized during alternate years.

“These schools are being recognized for attaining high levels of performance and sustained growth, and for making significant progress in closing the academic achievement gap,” Torlakson said. “Becoming a Distinguished School is a direct reflection of the dedication, hard work, and vision of each school's education community. They have succeeded despite a bleak economic environment and have endeavored to maintain their momentum and focus.”

The California Department of Education said this year's winning schools are to be found in areas ranging from rural communities to large cities, with most of the schools having significant populations of students living in poverty or learning English.

Clear Lake High is one of those rural schools, with 440 students, 25 faculty and five staff, according to Principal Steve Gentry.

Hagberg credited the achievement to several factors – outstanding instruction, the relationship that teachers maintain with students and collaboration among staffers that has not only helped Clear Lake High cope with a tough financial climate but continue to improve student performance.

“We've really tried to focus on what is essential to maintain in our district,” Hagberg said. “I think that the high school staff has to be credited for making those decisions.”

Gentry, Clear Lake High's principal since 1995 and a staffer since 1978, credited the school's remarkable students and excellent teachers for winning the award.

The California Department of Education reported that schools were identified for eligibility on the basis of their state Academic Performance Index and federal Adequate Yearly Progress results, which are school accountability models.

“You have to be moving in a positive direction for both of those numbers to be eligible,” said Gentry.

Clear Lake High School has had moderate increases in API scores since 1999, when California’s Public School Accountability Act created the current scoring system, the Lake County Office of Education reported.

When the school's API scores started to plateau after several years of increases, teachers and administrators worked together to create a system of incentives and teaching and testing strategies to address the issue, according to district officials.

In order to qualify to begin the Distinguished School application process, a school must have an API growth score of greater than 746, according to the Lake County Office of Education. Clear Lake High School far surpassed that with a 2010 API score of 790. The California average API score is 767.

“Clear Lake High School is very deserving of this recognition. This is difficult to achieve, and it is the result of a focus on student achievement,” said Tim Gill, senior director of Educational Services at Lake County Office of Education.

Once schools are determined to be eligible, they receive letters inviting them to apply, Gentry said.

The state required the applying schools to describe two “signature practices” that have led to an increase in student achievement and a narrowing of the achievement gap.

Gentry said the programs Clear Lake High listed were AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) and Project CRISS (Creating Independence through Student-Owned Strategies), the latter an instructional strategy for student engagement that gives teachers different strategies and tools they can use to help their students succeed.

A team of three people from the state then visited the school for a day on March 21 to validate the signature practices. Gentry said the team toured classrooms, and talked to teachers and students.

He said he got the news of the award on Tuesday afternoon, and informed the school's teachers at a Wednesday morning faculty meeting.

The 2011 California Distinguished Schools will be honored during an awards ceremony and dinner at the Disneyland Hotel in Anaheim on May 20, the state said. Gentry said school representatives may not be able to make the trip due to the cost.

As for a celebration at the school, Gentry said nothing is planned yet. However, he said after upcoming school testing is completed, he believes they'll put together an event.

Hagberg, who notified the Lakeport Unified School District Board of Trustees of the award on Wednesday afternoon, said she expects the board will discuss how to honor the school for its achievement at its Thursday evening board meeting.

Other winning schools north of the Bay Area included Sonoma County's Healdsburg Junior High and Santa Rosa High School, with the latter one of five schools statewide to earn the Exemplary Career Technical Education Program Award; Calistoga Junior-Senior High School in Napa County; Sierra Ridge Middle School in El Dorado County; Del Oro High School in Placer County; East Nicolaus High School in Sutter County; and Shasta County's Shasta Union High School in Redding, the state reported.

The California Department of Education said the schools winning the Distinguished School title this year have agreed to share their signature practices with other schools and serve as mentors to other educators who want to replicate their work.

Those practices will be included in a searchable database that will be updated and available later this spring at www.closingtheachievementgap.org/cs/ctag/print/htdocs/success_sig_search.htm.

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The fire, which occurred early on April 1, destroyed a home in the 10000 block of Fairway Drive in the Clear Lake Rivieras.

The home's resident, 85-year-old Preben Rauholt, is believed to be the victim, although Capt. James Bauman of the Lake County Sheriff's Office said an official identification of the body found in the home is still pending.

Kelseyville Fire Protection District firefighters found the body in the back of the home in a hallway between a bathroom and a bedroom. The blaze's origin was believed to be located in the home's living room, as Lake County News has reported.

Bauman said preliminary reports indicate that the cause of the fire is unknown and that Rauholt died from smoke inhalation.

“We are waiting for some other test results to come in, relating to toxicology screening for the victim and some items being tested for the fire investigation,” Bauman said.

The sheriff's office previously stated that it had deemed the fire's circumstances as suspicious and therefore was treating it as a possible homicide.

However, Bauman said Tuesday, “At this point we have not identified any evidence of criminal intent with regards to the fire.”

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Demetri Gilbert Amaya, 50, was taken into custody on Sunday, April 10, according to Capt. Kurt Smallcomb of the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office.

Smallcomb said at 2:30 p.m. Sunday Mendocino County Sheriff's Deputies were patrolling the Four Mile Glade area of Cow Mountain when they observed a vehicle parked at the end of the roadway, which is just inside the Lake County jurisdiction.

When the deputies approached the vehicle it appeared unoccupied at first, but then they found the driver – later identified as Amaya – to be asleep across the front seat with a 40-ounce beer bottle perched on the steering wheel, Smallcomb said.

He said deputies also observed numerous firearms inside the vehicle and in the bed of the truck.

The deputies awakened Amaya and removed him from the vehicle, Smallcomb said. Due to the weapons in the vehicle, they asked and were given permission to search the vehicle.

Smallcomb said a records check revealed that two guns were reported stolen, one from Sonoma County and the second reported by the Federal Bureau of Investigation as being stolen from San Francisco.

He said both guns were confirmed to be stolen and Amaya was placed under arrest.

Amaya was transported to the Lake County Jail, where jail records indicated he was booked on a charge of receiving stolen property. Bail was set at $15,000.

Jail records indicated Amaya remained in custody late Monday.

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The California Highway Patrol reported that a sedan hit the hydrant in the area of Park Way, just west of Lakeshore Boulevard, at about 7:43 a.m. Wednesday.

There were no injuries to anyone in the vehicle, the CHP reported.

However, Special Districts Administrator Mark Dellinger said the car knocked the hydrant off, which had to be reinstalled. The hydrant was replaced about mid-afternoon Wednesday.

Dellinger said approximately 153 customers in County Service Area 21, which covers north Lakeport, were affected.

Water to those customers was restored by about 9 a.m., he said.

Lake County News was contacted by a resident of the area who reported the water from his faucets was cloudy and brownish Wednesday morning.

According to California Department of Public Health guidelines, whenever water supply is lost – even for a brief time – a district must issue a boil water notice as a precaution, Dellinger explained.

That's what Special Districts did in this case, issuing the notice to the affected residents in the southern part of CSA 21, mostly along Park Way and Oak Park, who were served by the 6-inch water pipe that feeds the hydrant, he said.

No commercial customers were impacted, just residents, Dellinger said.

“We had a few complaints but we responded to those,” he said.

Dellinger said Special Districts also notified Supervisor Anthony Farrington of the situation.

Special Districts will have to take samples before the notice can be lifted, which Dellinger estimated should happen within 24 to 36 hours of the incident.

“This should be straightened out by Friday,” he said.

Dellinger said it's difficult to assess how much actual damage the crash caused. He said the matter will go through the county's risk management process.

Dellinger said Special Districts hasn't had to issue a boil water notice since last August, when construction to increase the size of a water main in downtown Kelseyville caused low water pressure and, in some cases, resulted in no water for some Kelseyville and Finley customers.

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Chesbro was coauthor of state Sen. Joe Simitian’s Senate Bill 2X, which requires utilities to get at least 33 percent of electricity from renewable sources by the year 2020.

“This bill will bring many important benefits to California, including stimulating investment in green technologies in the state, creating tens of thousands of new jobs, improving local air quality, promoting energy independence, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions,” said Brown in his signing message.

“While reaching a 33 percent renewables portfolio standard will be an important milestone, it is really just a starting point – a floor, not a ceiling,” Brown continued in the message. “Our state has enormous renewable resource potential. I would like to see us pursue even more far-reaching targets. With the amount of renewable resources coming on-line, and prices dropping, I think 40 percent, at reasonable cost, is well within our grasp in the near future.”

“When the governor signed SB 2X today, California confirmed its position as the world leader in green energy technology,” Chesbro said. “This breakthrough legislation will create a large number of new living-wage jobs, attract new businesses to California, preserve the environment, improve air quality and protect public health.”

Senate Bill 2X applies to all electricity retailers in the state – investor-owned utilities (IOUs), municipal utilities and independent sellers.

The current 20-percent renewable energy requirement applies only to investor-owned utilities and independent sellers.

Municipal utilities have adopted renewable energy goals, which only some have met. Achieving 33 percent renewable energy by 2020 is a key element of the state's plan to meet the limits on greenhouse gas emissions established by AB 32.

Senate Bill 2X does not require utilities to reach the goal at any cost.

The California Public Utilities Commission must approve renewable energy contracts, and utilities may be granted exemptions if the price of energy, or the difficulty of moving it into the state’s grid, make the cost excessive.

For these reasons the bill was endorsed by the CPUC’s Division of Ratepayer Advocates and consumer watchdog The Utility Reform Network (TURN).

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The 3.3-magnitude temblor occurred at 2:48 a.m. Sunday, April 10, according to the US Geological Survey.

Its epicenter was three miles west southwest of Anderson Springs, four miles southeast of The Geysers geothermal steamfield and five miles south of Cobb, at a depth of nine-tenths of a mile, the survey reported.

The US Geological Survey received no shake reports on the quake.

A 3.5-magnitude earthquake was reported near The Geysers on March 20, as Lake County News has reported.

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