MIDDLETOWN, Calif. — The Middletown Area Town Hall this week will get updates from the county Community Development Department and take final board nominations.
MATH will meet at 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 8, in the Middletown Community Meeting Room/Library at 21256 Washington St., Middletown. The meeting is open to the public.
To join the meeting via Zoom click on this link; the meeting ID is 659 964 1209. Call in at 669-900-6833.
In a discussion timed for 7:05 a.m., MATH on Thursday will host guest speaker Mireya Turner, director of the Lake County Community Development Department, and Andrew Amelung, Community Development’s Cannabis Program manager.
Turner and Amelung will speak about department changes, cannabis, Middletown area projects, cell tower regulations, new state fire safe regulations and the area plan. There also will be time for questions.
Also on Thursday, at 8 p.m. the group will accept final nominations for the 2023 board and discuss Zoom.
At 8:15 p.m. they will discuss a cell tower.
The MATH Board includes Chair Monica Rosenthal, Vice Chair Ken Gonzalez, Secretary Todd Fiora, Rosemary Córdova and Bill Waite.
MATH — established by resolution of the Lake County Board of Supervisors on Dec. 12, 2006 — is a municipal advisory council serving the residents of Anderson Springs, Cobb, Coyote Valley (including Hidden Valley Lake), Long Valley and Middletown.
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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 Lakeport City Council is set to hold the second reading of an ordinance that will allow a developer to move forward with a new apartment complex next to Westside Community Park.
The council will meet at 5 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 6, for a closed session performance evaluation of City Manager Kevin Ingram before the public portion of the meeting begins at 6 p.m. in the council chambers at Lakeport City Hall, 225 Park St.
The council chambers will be open to the public for the meeting. Masks are highly encouraged where 6-foot distancing cannot be maintained.
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, Dec. 6.
On Tuesday, Ingram will present to the council an ordinance amending the Lakeport zoning maps for the Parkside Residential Project, proposed by Peter Schellinger and his company, Waterstone Residential.
If the final approval is given on Tuesday, Schellinger will be able to build a 64-unit apartment community on a section of the 15.16-acre property at 1310 Craig Ave., which is on a portion of the 96-lot Schellinger Subdivision that was approved in three phases in 2005 next to Westside Community Park.
Only a portion of the first phase was built, including 17 homes, in the Parkside Subdivision, developed by Schellinger Brothers, Peter Schellinger’s father and uncle.
Also on Tuesday, the council will consider approving a police recruitment and retention program policy as well as a budget adjustment in the amount of $300,000 and a revised position allocation summary.
Police Chief Brad Rasmussen also will ask the council to authorize Ingram to award bids to Matt Mazzei and Precision Wireless and to sign purchase orders and supporting documents for the procurement of one fully outfitted Dodge Charger Patrol Car and two fully outfitted Dodge Ram SSV Command Vehicles and associated equipment in the amount of $192,312.12.
The council also will be asked to approve a 60-month term contractual purchase agreement with Axon Enterprises, Inc. for the purchase of 13 Taser Brand model 7 CEWs as a basic bundle plus cartridges prior to Dec. 31 with the total amount not to exceed $36,810.80, including tax.
In other news, Utilities Superintendent Paul Harris will ask the council to introduce and hold the first reading of an ordinance amending Chapter 13.08 of the Lakeport Municipal Code relating to cross-connection control. A second reading would be set for Dec. 20.
He said it will allow the city to continue to protect its water system from potential cross-connection hazards. The city first adopted a cross-connection ordinance in 1984, with the regulations last updated in 1992.
On the consent agenda — items usually accepted as a slate on one vote — are the Nov. 21 warrant register; ordinances; minutes of the regular council meeting on Nov. 15; adoption of a resolution authorizing continued remote teleconference meetings of the Lakeport City Council and its legislative bodies pursuant to Government Code section 54953(e); adoption of the ordinance modifying Title 17 Land Use, Zoning and Signs to incorporate language referencing the Outdoor Dining Design Guidelines; direction to the city clerk to prepare the 2023 Maddy Act Appointments List and post at City Hall and the Lakeport Public Library; approval of the modified Police Officer III classification; approval of a resolution rescinding Resolution 2874 (2022) and revising the Master Pay Schedule in conformance with California Code of Regulations, Title 2, Section 570.5.
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. — Lake County Animal Care and Control has a whole new lineup of adoptable dogs waiting for homes.
Dogs available for adoption this week include mixes of border collie, Catahoula leopard puppy, Doberman pinscher, German shepherd, husky, Labrador retriever, pit bull, shepherd and wirehaired terrier.
Dogs that are adopted from Lake County Animal Care and Control are either neutered or spayed, microchipped and, if old enough, given a rabies shot and county license before being released to their new owner. License fees do not apply to residents of the cities of Lakeport or Clearlake.
The following dogs at the Lake County Animal Care and Control shelter have been cleared for adoption.
Call Lake County Animal Care and Control at 707-263-0278 or visit the shelter online for information on visiting or adopting.
‘Chico’
“Chico” is a 5-year-old male bull terrier with a short white coat and black markings.
He is in kennel No. 6, ID No. LCAC-A-4314.
Male German shepherd
This 1-year-old male German shepherd has a short black and tan coat.
He is in kennel No. 8, ID No. LCAC-A-4310.
Male Labrador retriever
This 1.5 year old male Labrador retriever has a short black coat.
He is in kennel No. 10, ID No. LCAC-A-4273.
Female husky
This 2-year-old female husky has a short brown coat with white markings.
She is in kennel No. 11, ID No. LCAC-A-4269.
Male Catahoula leopard puppy
This 2-month-old male Catahoula leopard puppy has a red, tan and white coat.
He is in kennel No. 12a, ID No. LCAC-A-4263.
Female Catahoula leopard puppy
This 2-month-old female Catahoula leopard puppy has a red, tan and white coat.
She is in kennel No. 12c, ID No. LCAC-A-4261.
Female Labrador retriever
This 3-month-old female Labrador retriever has a short black coat.
She is in kennel No. 13, ID No. LCAC-A-4162.
Male Labrador retriever
This 2-year-old male Labrador retriever has a short black coat.
He is in kennel No. 14, ID No. LCAC-A-4112.
Male Doberman pinscher
This 1-year-old male Doberman pinscher has a short brown coat.
He is in kennel No. 15, ID No. LCAC-A-4313.
Female border collie mix
This 4-year-old female border collie mix has a short tricolor coat.
She is in kennel No. 18, ID No. LCAC-A-4285.
Female pit bull puppy
This 2-month-old female pit bull puppy has a short white and red coat.
She is in kennel No. 23c, ID No. LCAC-A-4120.
‘Faith’
“Faith” is a 10-year-old female wirehaired terrier with a short black and tan coat.
She is in kennel No. 26, ID No. LCAC-A-4280.
Female husky
This 2-year-old female husky has a short tricolor coat and one blue and one brown eye.
She is in kennel No. 27, ID No. LCAC-A-4257.
Female German shepherd
This 10-month-old female German Shepherd has a short light-colored coat.
She is in kennel No. 28, ID No. LCAC-A-4297.
Female Doberman pinscher
This 1-year-old female Doberman pinscher has a short black and tan coat.
She is in kennel No. 29, ID No. LCAC-A-4279.
Male shepherd
This 3-year-old male shepherd has a short black and tan coat.
He is in kennel No. 31, ID No. LCAC-A-4312.
Female pit bull
This 1-year-old female pit bull has a short tan coat.
She is in kennel No. 32, ID No. LCAC-A-4283.
Male shepherd mix
This 2-year-old male shepherd has a red and white coat.
He is in kennel No. 34, ID No. LCAC-A-4337.
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.
Before the 2007-2009 Great Recession, homeownership among households headed by adults ages 25 to 34 spiked as risky lending practices greatly expanded access to mortgage credit. Soon after, the nation experienced a housing market crash and economic downturn.
Since then, lending options tightened and home prices soared. This limited young householders’ ability to own a home, driving down ownership rates which had yet to return to pre-recession levels by 2019.
Homeownership among households headed by adults ages 25 to 34 was highest from 2003 to 2007. Rates for those years, just prior to the Great Recession, ranged from 46.4% to 47.0%, according to data from the 2000-2019 American Community Survey, or ACS, one-year estimates.
By 2010, right after the recession ended, homeownership among young heads of household had declined to 41.3% and continued to decline to 36.8% in 2015.
The impact on the housing market of the COVID-19 pandemic, which began in 2020, is not captured in this dataset.
What changed?
Following the Great Recession, the financial landscape and opportunities for young adults to become homeowners shifted.
Stricter lending practices and credit standards made it difficult for young adults without a stable employment history and financial resources to buy a home.
At the same time, especially in the latter half of the most recent decade, home prices rose substantially, creating another barrier to homeownership for young buyers.
Young adults at the time were also delaying major life events such as forming their own households and getting married, typical precursors to homeownership.
Homeownership before and after the Great Recession
Homeownership among young householders peaked in the years prior to the 2007-2009 Great Recession (Figure 1) but plunged almost 10.0 percentage points from 2007 to 2015.
The lowest rates of homeownership among young householders occurred between 2014 and 2016. They saw a slight increase after that, but not to their high pre-recession levels.
Education and homeownership
Higher levels of educational attainment are typically associated with greater economic stability, employment and full-time work, and lower levels with lower incomes and greater economic hardship.
The economic effects of higher educational attainment also tend to protect individuals during economic downturns.
According to ACS data, homeownership rates among young householders differed by educational attainment. This is largely because higher education usually results in higher earnings critical for obtaining home loans and purchasing first homes.
We reviewed estimates of homeownership rates between 2000 and 2019 among young householders by four education categories: less than a high school degree; high school degree but no college; some college or an associate degree; and a bachelor’s degree or higher (Figure 2).
In 2000, homeownership rates were most similar among householders with a bachelor’s degree or higher (47.8%), some college (46.6%), and a high school degree (44.8%). But the rate for householders with less than a high school education was approximately one-third lower than the other educational categories (31.2%).
Homeownership rates have been stratified by educational attainment throughout the first decade of the 21st century.
The rates for householders with a bachelor’s degree or at least some college peaked just before the Great Recession.
Rates for householders with at least a bachelor’s degree were highest (between 54.3% and 55.3%) from 2004 to 2007, and for householders with some college (between 46.6% and 48.3%) from 2000 to 2006. Meanwhile, rates for householders with a high school degree or less declined through the first decade of the 21st century.
Post-recession homeownership rates were lower than pre-recession rates for all education groups, but there were significant differences between education groups.
The decline in homeownership halted between:
• 2012 and 2016 for householders with less than a high school education (19.9% to 20.8%). • 2016 and 2018 for those with a high school degree (30.8% to 31.4%). • 2013 and 2016 for those with some college (35.7% to 36.5%). • 2015 and 2016 for those with a bachelor’s degree or higher (43.4% to 43.5%).
In 2019, young householders with a bachelor’s degree or higher had the highest homeownership rate (44.0%), followed by those with some college (37.9%), a high school degree (32.3%), and less than high school (23.0%).
Homeownership rates decreased for all education levels among young householders after the recession and were still below pre-recession level highs in 2019.
The education gap in homeownership – the difference between householders with less than a high school education and those with a bachelor’s degree or higher – still existed but narrowed after the recession.
The education gap in young household homeownership was 16.6 percentage points in 2000. It increased before and during the recession, plateauing at 28.9 percentage points in 2009. It declined to 21.0 percentage points in 2019.
Rise in diversity
The nation’s young population has become increasingly diverse during the past two decades. Both younger and non-White households have historically had lower homeownership rates than older and White households.
One might expect higher education to reduce differences in homeownership by race and Hispanic origin. However, there are substantial differences even among this most highly educated group.
For example, highly educated young Black householders experienced the greatest post-recession declines in homeownership, while young and highly educated Asian householders experienced the smallest declines (Figure 3).
In 2000, over half of young householders with a bachelor’s degree or higher identifying as White alone (51.8%) or non-Hispanic White (52.6%) owned homes.
In contrast, just over a third of similarly educated Hispanic (36.4%) and Black alone young householders (34.7%) owned homes. Young householders with a bachelor’s degree or higher identifying as Asian alone – who experienced the smallest declines after the recession – had the lowest rates of homeownership (28.9%).
Young household homeownership rates among the more educated peaked just before or in the early days of the Great Recession for each race category and Hispanic origin.
Peak rates of homeownership for non-Hispanic White and White alone young householders with a bachelor’s degree or higher were 59.3% to 60.0% and 57.7%-59.5%, respectively, followed by young Hispanic householders (50.3%), Other race (48.1%), Black alone (42.5%-43.0%), and Asian alone (39.0%-39.2%).
In 2019, only Hispanic homeownership rates had returned to their 2000 rates among more educated young householders, and no analyzed racial category had returned to the elevated homeownership rates experienced just before the recession. Less than half of young householders with a bachelor’s degree or higher identifying as White alone (48.6%) or non-Hispanic White (49.6%) owned homes.
In contrast, roughly one-third of similarly educated Hispanic (36.3%) and Asian alone young householders (32.6%) owned homes. Young householders with a bachelor’s degree or higher identifying as Black alone – who experienced the largest declines after the recession – had the lowest rates of homeownership (26.0%).
As the nation moves through this decade and experiences its economic challenges, we will continue to analyze the effects of educational attainment and diversity on homeownership among young householders.
Erik L. Hernandez and Christopher Mazur are survey statisticians in the Census Bureau’s Social, Economic, and Housing Statistics Division.
Toria Herd, Penn State and Sarah A. Font, Penn State
More than 44% of teens reported persistent feelings of sadness and hopelessness in the first half of 2021, according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The early 2022 report, which was based on an online survey, also found that nearly 20% had seriously considered suicide, and 9% attempted suicide.
The COVID-19 pandemic is a likely contributor to these startling figures, but rates of teen mental illness have been rising over the past decade.
One crucial factor that has received little attention in supporting teen mental health is the role that parents can play.
This is surprising, since research has clearly established that participation by a caregiver in their child’s mental health treatment is directly related to a successful outcome. A key reason for this is that parents generally interact with their teen on a daily basis and can model and cultivate coping skills.
Yet, for mental health professionals, it can be challenging to integrate parents into teens’ treatment when there are discrepancies between the perspectives, goals and expectations of teens and parents. In addition, consent and privacy laws sometimes limit providers’ abilities to disclose key details about a teen’s mental health to parents.
Parents often dread the teenage years, anticipating mood swings, risk-taking behaviors and endless arguments. Some of this is developmentally normal: Teens are developing their identities, testing limits and asserting their autonomy. These combined factors can lead to hostility and a lower-quality parent-teen relationship.
Mental health problems in teens can sometimes take unexpected forms. Depression and anxiety can manifest as irritability and noncompliance, which parents may reasonably view as disrespect and laziness. Understanding what is beneath those behaviors is challenging. Teens are quite secretive, so they may not disclose the extent of their struggles.
Although anxiety is a normal emotional response at any age, about a third of adolescents have some type of anxiety disorder, and about 10% experience severe impairment as a result. Teens struggling with chronic anxiety may experience agitation or irritability, issues with sleep, perfectionist tendencies, or may try to avoid stressful things altogether.
Among teens, 17% struggle with depression. Depression generally involves a loss of interest or pleasure in daily activities, but it is more than feeling blue. For teens, symptoms of depression may look like withdrawing from family or social activities, shutting down during conversations or conflict, lethargy, difficulty concentrating, hopelessness about the future or negative feelings of self-worth.
Depression can also be associated with self-harm and suicide.
In determining whether a teen is experiencing a mental illness, parents should consider how behaviors are affecting their teens’ everyday lives and plans for the future. Those who are falling behind in school, damaging important relationships or engaging in high-risk behaviors may be most likely to be experiencing a mental health issue – as opposed to typical teenage challenges.
A shortage of mental health care
Despite the growing need for mental health care, the U.S. has a dire shortage of professionals to meet the demand. Insurance companies create barriers to accessing mental health care by restricting the numbers of in-network providers and approved sessions. As a result, many providers prioritize patients who will pay out of pocket.
Parents and teens may wait months for an appointment, and the quality and effectiveness of the services they receive are highly variable. All the while, symptoms may worsen, straining the family and compromising teens’ social and academic opportunities.
The powerful role parents can play
This is where parents come in, since they can serve as role models for teens’ coping and emotional development.
While good sleep, consistent exercise and quality meals can often be the first line of defense in preventing and managing symptoms of mental health problems, there are several behavioral strategies for parenting struggling teens. Indeed, foster parents care for children with complex histories of trauma, and many of the behavior management strategies taught to foster parents may be useful for traditional family settings as well.
When teens are unkind or disrespectful, parents may take it personally. But parents who are aware of and able to manage their own triggers can react calmly to challenging behavior, creating opportunities for effective communication with their teen.
Building and maintaining the parent-teen connection, such as by watching a TV show together or other low-pressure opportunities to be together, is key. These experiences create safe spaces and opportunities for teens to communicate about difficult emotions or situations. Parents who assist teens in recognizing, talking about and dealing with difficult thoughts and feelings help them to understand how their thoughts and feelings can affect their behavior.
Parents can also help their teens manage negative emotions by reinforcing their self-esteem and strengths and encouraging self-efficacy. Parents who offer praise to their teens who are working hard to overcome challenges – as opposed to focusing solely on the outcome – can help teens see their worth beyond their accomplishments.
At the same time, teens require boundaries that allow them to build self-reliance, exercise independence and practice compromise in certain situations. Behavior contracts – in which teens and their parents agree to certain conditions in writing – can provide a structured way to establish shared expectations.
When consequences are necessary, natural consequences allow teens to learn without parental intervention. For example, if a teen stays up late the night before a big softball game, their coach may bench them for playing poorly. Parents can help teens to connect the frustration and disappointment they experience to their choices regarding sleep, which can be more helpful for their future decision-making than getting into an argument with a parent about their decision or receiving a parent-imposed consequence, such as removing phone privileges.
When natural consequences are not an option, discipline should be specific, time-limited and focused on a specific outcome, such as not allowing preferred activities until homework and chores are complete.
It is also important that parents avoid power struggles with their teens by modeling respectful communication without trying to manage the teen’s reaction or perspective. Teens are unlikely to admit to being wrong – particularly in a heated moment – and if the point is made, there is rarely a benefit to insisting upon a particular reaction such as a forced apology.
Parents can best support their teens by maintaining connection alongside enforcing structure and discipline. While challenging behaviors can be the status quo of adolescence, parents should be on the lookout for signs that might reflect a pervasive mental health issue, since early detection and treatment is crucial.
A biodiversity crisis is reducing the variety of life on Earth. Under pressure from land and water pollution, development, overhunting, poaching, climate change and species invasions, approximately 1 million plant and animal species are at risk of extinction.
Since 30x30 focuses on protecting space for wild nature, many people assume it means setting swaths of land or ocean aside and keeping people out of them. But that’s not always true.
Protected area with sustainable use of natural resources
Many countries’ 30x30 conservation pledges are likely to include areas such as forests and grasslands that are open for recreation, logging, livestock grazing and other uses.
Few intact ecosystems remain
Scientists agree that protected areas need to include a large variety of species, ecosystems and habitats that the 30x30 initiative aims to conserve. There are many ways to choose and prioritize new areas for protection. Criteria can include the species, habitats and ecosystems that an area contains; its connections to other protected areas; how large and intact an area is; and the benefits it provides to people who live in, near and far from it.
Over 58% of our planet’s land and 41% of its oceans are already under moderate to intense human pressure. This means that most newly protected areas will effectively be works in progress, with restoration projects to help species recover, improve habitat quality and make ecosystems healthier.
Another 40% of land and 10% of oceans have experienced relatively low impacts from human activities. Terrestrial ecosystems with the lowest human footprints include tundra, boreal forests and deserts. At the other extreme, tropical, subtropical and temperate forests are at the highest risk.
It isn’t always possible to protect large areas. Some scientists argue that small areas can still successfully protect species, but others disagree. In our view, what ultimately matters is how multiple protected areas are connected and how close they are to each other.
Connections can develop naturally, like the flyways that migrating birds use to travel between continents. Or they can be structures built by humans, such as wildlife bridges over highways. Connecting protected areas is important because it promotes genetic diversity and makes it possible for species to move in response to climate change and other threats.
The metacoupling approach
Given all these factors, selecting protected areas can get complicated. Based on our research, we think that a holistic approach can make 30x30 feasible and effective. It has three parts.
First, protected areas should meet both conservation needs and human needs. Second, in creating newly protected areas, researchers and managers should consider how they will interact with adjacent areas. Third, researchers and officials should assess how newly protected areas will interact with areas far away – including in other countries.
This approach is guided by the metacoupling framework, which is an integrated way to study and manage human-nature interactions within and between different places. It recognizes that human and natural systems in a given place can be affected for better or worse by people, policies and markets both nearby and far away.
At Wolong Nature Reserve in southwestern China, one of us, Jack Liu, has worked with Chinese collaborators to understand and manage human-nature interactions in ways that support the recovery of a global wildlife icon – giant pandas. Wolong, which is now part of China’s Giant Panda National Park, was one of the first and largest panda reserves in China, and also houses numerous other rare animals and plants. It is also home to almost 6,000 people.
Forest is an important part of panda habitat, but over time the human population in Wolong grew and needed more resources, such as wood for cooking and heating or to make goods for visiting tourists. In a 2001 study, our team showed that panda habitat in Wolong declined faster after the reserve was established in 1975 than it had before that time. Increasing demand for wood was degrading and fragmenting the forest and negatively affected panda population numbers.
To reverse this trend, our team worked with the Chinese government to provide more financial support to the local community in the early 2000s. This increased household incomes and reduced the need to harvest wood.
Taking a broad geographic view of the pandas’ situation helped to produce a positive outcome. Recognizing that panda habitat was being affected not just by human-nature interactions inside Wolong but also by interactions between Wolong and adjacent and distant places showed that conservation subsidies from the faraway central government in Beijing could improve protection for Wolong forests.
In 2016 the International Union for Conservation of Nature downlisted and reclassified giant pandas from endangered to vulnerable. Today there are an estimated 1,800 giant pandas in the wild, thanks partly to government subsidies that helped strike a balance between humans’ needs and those of pandas.
All protected areas are influenced by human actions both nearby and far away. We believe that creating and managing protected areas using a holistic metacoupling approach will make it easier to achieve the 30x30 goal and make sound decisions that sustain nature and human well-being around the world.
SACRAMENTO — Following unexplained gas price hikes that led to record profits for Big Oil, Gov. Gavin Newsom and state Sen. Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley) on Monday unveiled a proposed price gouging penalty on oil companies’ excess profits to deter excessive price increases and keep money in Californians’ pockets.
The language of the proposed price gouging penalty can be read below.
“California’s price gouging penalty is simple — either Big Oil reins in the profits and prices, or they’ll pay a penalty,” said Gov. Newsom. “Big Oil has been lying and gouging Californians to line their own pockets long enough. I look forward to the work ahead with our partners in the Legislature to get this done.”
“Putting the governor’s proposal in print allows the Legislature and the public to begin discussions on this important issue. No one can deny that California’s gas prices were outrageously high compared to other states. And those high prices hurt California consumers and businesses,” said Skinner.
The proposal introduced Monday by Sen. Skinner comes as the California Legislature is assembling in a special session called by the governor to pass a price gouging penalty.
The Legislature will also consider efforts to empower state agencies to more closely review gas costs, profits and pricing as well provide the state with greater regulatory oversight of the refining, distribution and retailing segments of the gasoline market in California.
The proposal would discourage oil refiners from fleecing Californians by making it unlawful to charge excessive profits — excessive refiner margins would be punishable by a civil penalty from the California Energy Commission, or CEC.
The amount of the maximum margin and the amount of the penalty will be determined through the legislative process.
Any penalties collected by the penalty will go to a Price Gouging Penalty Fund and then given back to Californians.
The proposal also improves transparency and oversight of the oil industry by the state, expanding the CEC and the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration’s ability to investigate and obtain information on costs, profits and pricing so that the state can better address the causes of pricing irregularities and minimize the likelihood of future supply or price shocks.
According to a recent poll from Consumer Watchdog, 60% of California voters support a price-gouging penalty.
In the third quarter of 2022, from July to September, oil companies reported record high profits:
• Phillips 66 profits jumped to $5.4 billion, a 1243% increase over last year’s $402 million; • BP posted $8.2 billion in profits, its second-highest on record, with $2.5 billion going toward share buybacks that benefit Wall Street investors; • Marathon Petroleum profits rose to $4.48 billion, a 545% increase over last year’s $694 million; Valero’s $2.82 billion in profits that were 500% higher than the year before; • PBF Energy’s $1.06 billion that was 1700% higher than the year before; • Shell reported a $9.45 billion haul that sent $4 billion to shareholders for stock buybacks; • Exxon reported their highest-ever $19.7 billion in profits; • Chevron reported $11.2 billion in profits, their second-highest quarterly profit ever.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — Lake County Animal Care and Control’s shelter has three adoptable cats this week.
Call Lake County Animal Care and Control at 707-263-0278 or visit the shelter online for information on visiting or adopting.
The following cats at the shelter have been cleared for adoption.
‘Sampson’
“Sampson” is a male domestic shorthair with a black coat.
He is in cat room kennel No. 77, ID No. LCAC-A-4317.
Male domestic shorthair
This 3-year-old male domestic shorthair cat has an orange tabby coat.
“This guy can be shy at first, but once he knows that you are all about the pets, he will roll right over and start his purr machine. He has a unique curly tail which he flicks around when curious,” shelter staff said.
He is in cat room kennel No. 13, ID No. LCAC-A-4021.
Male domestic shorthair
This 8-year-old male domestic shorthair cat has an orange tabby coat.
He is in cat room kennel No. 47, ID No. LCAC-A-4319.
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.
BERKELEY, Calif. — The James Webb Space Telescope has turned its infrared cameras on Saturn’s moon Titan, giving astronomers another eye on the largest and one of the most unusual moons in the solar system.
The only satellite with a dense atmosphere, it’s also the only world besides Earth that has standing bodies of liquid on its surface, including rivers, lakes and seas — though the liquid is thought to be methane, ethane and other hydrocarbons that are toxic to humans.
The new observations, combined with those from Earth-bound telescopes, will help astronomers understand the weather patterns on Titan in advance of a NASA mission to the moon, called Dragonfly, that is scheduled for launch in 2027.
A multirotor lander, Dragonfly will assess the habitability of Titan's unique environment, investigate the moon’s unusual chemical stew, and search for signatures of water-based or hydrocarbon-based life.
Astronomers have observed Titan for decades, since before the Voyager encounter in 1980. Over approximately the past 25 years, they focused powerful ground-based and orbital telescopes on the satellite, complementing observations by NASA’s Cassini mission to Saturn, which observed Titan between 2004 and 2017.
University of California, Berkeley, astronomer Imke de Pater led many Titan observations using high-resolution adaptive optics on the Keck Telescopes in Hawai’i.
After the James Webb Space Telescope, or JWST, imaged Titan on Nov. 4, the telescope’s Titan team saw what looked like two clouds in the atmosphere.
Titan team lead Conor Nixon quickly emailed de Pater and Katherine de Kleer — a UC Berkeley Ph.D. who is now an assistant professor of planetary science and astronomy at the California Institute of Technology — to help confirm the clouds and track their movement with the Keck Telescope.
A series of Keck images taken about 30 and 54 hours later showed similar clouds — likely the same ones — but slightly displaced because of the moon’s rotation relative to Earth.
“We were concerned that the clouds would be gone when we looked at Titan one and two days later with Keck, but to our delight there were clouds at the same positions, looking like they might have changed in shape,” said de Pater, a UC Berkeley Professor of the Graduate School.
The power of JWST
Though the quality of the JWST and Keck images may look about the same to the untrained eye, de Pater noted that JWST has instruments that can measure aspects of Titan’s atmosphere that Keck cannot, complementing one another. In particular, JWST’s infrared spectroscopic capability allows it to pinpoint the altitudes of clouds and hazes with much better accuracy.
“By using spectrometers on JWST together with the optical image quality with Keck, we get a really complete picture of Titan,” she said, such as the heights of clouds, the atmosphere’s optical thickness, and the elevation of haze in the atmosphere.
In particular, at wavelengths where Earth’s atmosphere is opaque — that is, Titan cannot be seen from any Earth-based telescope — JWST can observe and provide information on the lower atmosphere and surface.
In early September, and again earlier this week, de Pater and de Kleer participated in an international observing campaign to catch the occultation by Titan of a distant star.
Organized by Eliot Young, a senior program manager at the Southwest Research Institute in Boulder, Colorado, the occultation offered an opportunity to probe Titan’s atmospheric structure in more detail using the Keck Telescope and the Very Large Telescope in Chile.
These observations are coordinated with occultations observed from other large telescopes and Doppler wind retrievals on Titan from the Atacama Large Millimeter Array, a radio telescope in Chile.
In conjunction with recent wind modeling results, these observations contribute to a broader understanding of atmospheres on Earth, on planets around other stars, and on our neighboring planets and moons in the solar system.
“This is some of the most exciting data we have seen of Titan since the end of the Cassini-Huygens mission in 2017, and some of the best we will get before NASA’s Dragonfly arrives in 2032,” said Zibi Turtle of Johns Hopkins University, who is Dragonfly’s principal investigator. “The analysis should really help us to learn a lot about Titan’s atmosphere and meteorology.”
Robert Sanders writes for the UC Berkeley News Center.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The Board of Supervisors this week will consider how to proceed with appointing a sheriff-coroner now that the current sheriff has announced his retirement.
The board will meet beginning at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 6, in the board chambers on the first floor of the Lake County Courthouse, 255 N. Forbes St., Lakeport.
The meeting ID is 984 2104 8682, pass code 206625. The meeting also can be accessed via one tap mobile at +16694449171,,98421048682#,,,,*206625#.
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.
A memo to the board from Martin and County Administrative Officer Susan Parker explains that California Government Code Section 24105 says that the highest-ranking officer may temporarily discharge the duties of sheriff-coroner, “until the vacancy is filled in the manner provided by law.”
Martin has identified Captain Christopher D. Chwialkowski as the highest ranking and senior deputy next in line of authority based on his promotion date to the rank of captain at the Sheriff’s Office as of April 2015.
“Captain Chwialkowski will temporarily discharge the duties of the office of Sheriff-Coroner beginning on December 31, 2022 and continue until the Board of Supervisors has interviewed candidates and formally appointed a permanent Sheriff-Coroner to serve until January 2, 2025,” the memo said.
Additionally, it’s being recommended to the supervisors that, in order to provide a smooth transition, they immediately notice the Lake County Sheriff-Coroner vacancy as a promotional opportunity, open for five days, and schedule public candidate interviews for the permanent sheriff-coroner, to serve through Jan. 2, 2025.
The Board of Supervisors will then conduct the interviews on Dec. 20.
In other business, at 10:30 a.m., the agriculture department will present the 2021 Lake County Annual Crop Report.
In another timed item, at 1 p.m., the board will get the Lake County Health Services bimonthly update.
The board also will consider adding Juneteenth as a county paid holiday.
The full agenda follows.
CONSENT AGENDA
5.1: Appoint Jenavive Herrington as interim auditor-controller/county clerk for the period from Dec. 14, 2022, to Jan. 2, 2023.
5.2: Appoint Patrick Sullivan as interim treasurer-tax collector for the period from Dec. 31, 2022, to Jan. 2, 2023.
5.3: Adopt resolution amending Resolution No. 2022-129 to provide a temporary loan from Non Departmental Revenue Fund 001 Budget Unit 1120 to CDBG PI Capital Projects Fund 936 Budget Unit 1796, to provide a temporary loan from Non Departmental Revenue Fund 001 Budget Unit 1120 to CDBG PI Business RLF Fund 091 Budget Unit 1891.
5.4: Adopt resolution amending Resolution No. 2022-118 adopting the Final Recommended Budget for Fiscal Year 2022-2023 to move revenues and appropriations associated with four CDBG grants for Small Business Loans from Fund 936 Budget Unit 1796 CDBG Capital Projects to Fund 091 Budget Unit 1891 CDBG PI Business RLF.
5.5: Approve Amendment No. 2 to the agreement between county of Lake and Hilltop Recovery Services for Substance Use Disorder ASAM Levels 1.0, 2.1, 3.1, intensive outpatient and outpatient drug free treatment services for fiscal year 2022-23 in the amount of $386,150.00 and authorize the board chair to sign.
5.6: Approve Board of Supervisors minutes for Nov. 8, 2022, and Nov. 15, 2022.
5.7: Appoint Health Programs Coordinator Kim Tangermann to serve on the Partnership Health Plan Board of Commissioners and represent Lake County for a period of four years.
5.8: Adopt resolution establishing an extra help English as a Second Language Program Coordinator for the Library Budget Unit 6011.
5.9: Authorize IT Director to issue a purchase order to SAITECH in the amount of $40,480 for 20 Cisco Catalyst 9200L switches.
5.10: Approve contract between county of Lake and Public Consulting Group Inc. for the California Outcome and Accountability Program in the amount of $249,360, for the term of Oct. 1, 2022, to July 31, 2027, and authorize the chair to sign.
5.11: Approve contract between county of Lake and Tennyson Center for Children for the Families Together Neighbors Program in the amount of $32,500 for the term of April 1, 2022, to June 30, 2025, and authorize the chair to sign.
5.12: Approve contract between county of Lake and North Coast Opportunities Inc. for stage one child care services, for the term of July 1, 2022, to June 30, 2025, in the amount of $90,000 per fiscal year, and authorize the chair to sign.
5.13: Approve contract between county of Lake and Mendocino Private Industry Council Inc. for the CalWORKs Expanded Subsidized Employment Program, in the amount of $240,000 for the term of Sept. 1, 2022, to June 30, 2025, and authorize the chair to sign.
TIMED ITEMS
6.3, 10:15 a.m.: Hearing on account and proposed assessment for 10849 E. Highway 20, Clearlake Oaks.
6.4, 10:30 a.m.: Presentation of the 2021 Lake County Annual Crop Report.
6.5, 11:30 a.m.: a) Presentation of the current status and next steps for the Big Valley Groundwater Sustainability Plan; and b) consideration and approval of resolution authorizing the board of directors of the Lake County Watershed Protection District acting as the Big Valley Groundwater Sustainability Agency to file a grant application for the implementation of the Big Valley Groundwater Sustainability Plan and authorize the chair of the board of directors to sign.
6.6, 1 p.m.: Lake County Health Services bimonthly update.
UNTIMED ITEMS
7.2: Review and consideration of adding Juneteenth as a county paid holiday.
7.3: Review and consider process to appoint permanent sheriff-coroner to serve until Jan. 2, 2025.
7.4: Consideration of the following Advisory Board Appointment: Geothermal Advisory Committee.
CLOSED SESSION
8.1: Public employee evaluation: Health Services Director Jonathan Portney.
8.2: Conference with legal counsel: Existing litigation pursuant to Gov. Code section 54956.9 (d)(1) — Citizens for Environmental Protection and Responsible Planning, et al. v. County of Lake, et al.
8.3: Conference with legal counsel: Existing litigation pursuant to Gov. Code section 54956.9 (d)(1) — Flesch v. County of Lake, et al.
8.4: Conference with legal counsel: Significant exposure to litigation pursuant to Gov. Code section 54956.9(d)(2), (e)(1) — One potential case.
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. — Over the past month, members of the Konocti Fire Safe Council, or KFSC, have launched community outreach efforts by going door to door to educate residents along Soda Bay Road and Point Lakeview Road on evacuation preparedness in the event of wildfire.
“Residents have been very receptive to learn more on how to be ready in the event of wildfire,” said KFSC Community Education and Outreach Committee Chair Cathy Sylar.
KFSC volunteers have visited an estimated 150 residents in the Westwind Mobile Home Park, Walnut Cove Mobile Home Park, and surrounding neighborhoods.
Additionally, KFSC board members were present at the Ely Stage Stop’s Fiddler Jam on Nov. 6 to engage community members and distribute educational materials.
Educational materials handed out to Konocti area residents included Zonehaven magnets, sign up information for wildfire notifications from both Lake County Alerts and Watch Duty, and how to prepare emergency go bags.
Konocti Fire Safe Council considers getting this information out especially critical to residents along the Soda Bay corridor, as they share a single road in and out should an evacuation occur.
The Konocti Fire Safe Council was recently formed to unite residents in the Konocti area and address the challenges of living in a location that is highly vulnerable to wildfire. This includes fire risk reduction and hazardous vegetation mitigation, defensible space, home hardening and evacuation preparedness.
The geographic coverage of the Konocti Fire Safe Council encompasses seven designated Zonehaven evacuation zones that include Gaddy Lane, along Soda Road to the intersection of Kit’s Corner & Hwy 29, Point Lakeview Road and State Highway 281.
The zones are KEL-E103, KEL-E109, KEL-E117, KEL-E120, KEL-E122, KEL-E134, KEL-E146 and KEL-E152.
The KFSC represents such communities as Soda Bay, Kelseyville Riviera, Riviera Estates, Lakeview Estates, Konocti Shores, Riviera West, Buckingham, Riviera Heights and numerous mobile home parks, private homes, and businesses along the Soda Bay Road corridor.
If you would like the KFSC Outreach Committee to visit your neighborhood or would like to request additional information about the Konocti Fire Safe Council, please contact Cindy Jassar at 707-279-2245 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
KELSEYVILLE, Calif. — Downtown Kelseyville was filled with Christmas cheer and lights on Friday evening for the annual “Christmas in the Country” celebration.
The event, organized by the Kelseyville Business Association, had the feel of pre-pandemic days, with more families filling up the town’s business district, where there were activities at shops beginning in the early afternoon.
Starting with a merchants open house in the early evening, visitors were able to find a variety of foods, visit businesses and catch up with friends.
The theme was “Christmas in Toyland,” and that was especially visible in the Parade of Lights, which lasted about 40 minutes as it wound its way through town.
The floats included Santa Claus, several Grinches, community groups and businesses, singers and cartoon characters. Interspersed were classic cars and trucks, horses, a Kelseyville Unified School District bus outfitted with a train horn, marching bands and dancing Christmas trees.
Bringing up the rear of the parade once again was the bubble machine, followed by excited children.
After the parade, children were able to visit with Santa Claus at the recently opened Lady Luck Garage.
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.