Sen. Mike McGuire joined a group of his colleagues in the California Senate on Monday in introducing a resolution to condemn President Donald Trump's recent executive orders on immigration and border security.

McGuire, whose district includes Lake County, called Trump's orders “dangerous and ill-conceived.”

“California is a state of immigrants,” McGuire said. “Diversity is a part of who we are. It’s what makes our communities strong, economy prosper and it’s what distinguishes us from everyone else.”

With the resolution, he added, “We have drawn a line in the sand.”

McGuire added, “The tragically ironic fact about President Trump’s dangerous actions is that there has not been one deadly terrorist attack by a refugee from any of the countries listed in the executive order on US soil since the passing of the 1980 Refugee Act. This weekend’s actions were shameful and we stand ready for the court fight.”

Separately on Monday, Congressman Mike Thompson (D-CA-05), one of the two members of Congress representing Lake County, said he was cosponsoring a bill to overturn and defund the president’s executive orders banning refugees and those from Muslim-majority countries from entering the United States.
 
“These bans are not just anti-Muslim, they are anti-American,” said Thompson. “Barring refugees or members of any religion runs counter to our country’s principles, values, and history. I stand in strong opposition, and will do everything in my power to see they are reversed.
 
“I had the deep privilege of working with a refugee from Afghanistan. He put his life on the line serving as a translator for our troops, and later worked as an intern in my office. I am better for having known him, and our country is better for having opened its doors to him. This is the America we must protect – not one that would let hate and fear govern its policies.”
 
Thompson is the cosponsor of the Statue of Liberty Value (SOLVE) Act, which would defund the President’s executive order and establish that it has no value.
 
Below is the full text of Monday's California Senate Resolution, No. 16, introduced by Senators De León, Allen, Atkins, Beall, Bradford, Dodd, Galgiani, Glazer, Hernandez, Hertzberg, Hill, Hueso, Jackson, Lara, Leyva, McGuire, Mendoza, Mitchell, Monning, Newman, Pan, Portantino, Roth, Skinner, Stern, Wieckowski and Wiener.

Senate Resolution No. 16 — Relative to immigration.
 
WHEREAS, The United States was founded as a refuge for those escaping religious and political persecution; and

WHEREAS, Wave after wave of immigrants seeking a better life have enriched our nation’s culture, increased our productivity and innovation, and bolstered our economy; and

WHEREAS, President Donald J. Trump signed an executive order on January 27, 2017, that desecrates our American values and panders to fears and nativist instincts that have resulted in some of our nation’s most shameful acts; and

WHEREAS, The executive order bans individuals from the predominately Muslim countries of Sudan, Syria, Yemen, Iran, Iraq, Libya, and Somalia from entering the United States for 90 days, prevents all refugees from entering the United States for 120 days, and indefinitely suspends the entry of refugees from Syria; and

WHEREAS, The executive order titled “Protecting the Nation From Foreign Terrorist Entry Into the United States” ignores the fact that those being denied entry are themselves victims of terrorism and are fleeing the savagery, death, and destruction of the Syrian civil war; and

WHEREAS, The executive order is an affront to religious freedom — a principle so cherished by our nation’s founding fathers that it was included in the First Amendment to the United States Constitution; and

WHEREAS, The executive order was executed in a haphazard manner without having been fully vetted by the very departments charged with protecting our national security, such as the federal Department of Homeland Security, the United States Department of Justice, the United States Department of State, and the United States Department of Defense; and

WHEREAS, As an immediate result of the executive order, individuals in possession of current visas have already been detained or turned around at airports across the country, resulting in chaos, confusion, deep anxiety, and hardship; and

WHEREAS, Under this executive order, an estimated 134 million people are now temporarily barred from entering or reentering the United States, in addition to hundreds of thousands of current United States visa holders, including dual nationals who were born in one of the impacted countries but who also have citizenship in another unlisted country; and

WHEREAS, The executive order is against our national interests as it exacerbates the United States’ anti-Muslim reputation, providing a recruitment tool for terrorist organizations while alienating the more than 3.3 million Muslims living in the United States; and

WHEREAS, While President Trump has falsely stated there is no refugee-vetting system in place, refugees are subjected to the most stringent vetting system of any traveler seeking entry into to the United States — a system that can take up to two years or longer to complete; and

WHEREAS, While the executive order references the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks as why his executive order is necessary, the 19 terrorists who carried out the attacks were from countries not listed in the ban — Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Lebanon, and the United Arab Emirates; and

WHEREAS, Over fifty years ago, the federal Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 banned all discrimination against immigrants on the basis of national origin, in order to eliminate prejudice and bias from the immigration process and provide all countries with equal access to the quotas; and

WHEREAS, The federal Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 explicitly limits presidential authority by stating that no person could be “discriminated against in the issuance of an immigrant visa because of the person’s race, sex, nationality, place of birth, or place of residence,” and the only exceptions are those expressly granted by the United States Congress; and

WHEREAS, The executive order seeks to resurrect discriminatory immigration policies based on national origin and, therefore, is in direct violation of this long-standing federal law; and

WHEREAS, The history of the United States includes shameful actions beginning in the late nineteenth century, including exclusionary laws targeted at the Chinese, Japanese, and all Asians in the so-called Asiatic Barred Zone, and the “national-origins system,” which aimed to exclude most Eastern Europeans, Asians, and Africans from entry into the United States; and

WHEREAS, There is no darker stain on the moral character of our nation’s refugee history than the refusal to accept hundreds of German Jews who, in 1939, sought to escape the Third Reich; and

WHEREAS, 937 mostly German Jews boarded the transatlantic liner St. Louis at Hamburg, Germany, but the ship was refused permission to dock in Cuba and then in the United States; and

WHEREAS, The St. Louis returned to Europe where 254 of its passengers were murdered during the Holocaust; and

WHEREAS, President Trump’s signing of his executive order on Holocaust Remembrance Day is an insult to the six million Jews who were exterminated by the Nazis and displays an immoral callousness toward the welfare of the children, women, and men fleeing a brutal civil war; and

WHEREAS, The day after the executive order was issued, a class action lawsuit was filed and a federal district court in New York issued an emergency stay, which will stop federal officials from deporting individuals with approved refugee applications, holders of valid visas, and people from the seven impacted countries who have secured authorization to enter the United States; and

WHEREAS, This court decision by Judge Ann M. Donnelly states, “There is imminent danger that, absent the stay of removal, there will be substantial and irreparable injury to refugees, visa holders, and other individuals from nations subject to the January 27, 2017, executive order”; and

WHEREAS, Federal courts throughout the nation have also issued emergency stays, which will stop federal officials from deporting individuals with approved refugee applications, holders of valid visas, and people from the seven impacted countries who have secured authorization to enter the United States; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the Senate of the State of California, That the Senate condemns this executive order as a discriminatory overreach that illegally targets immigrants based on their national origin and religion, and urges the President of the United States to immediately rescind the executive order; and be it further

Resolved, That the Senate urges the federal Department of Homeland Security to comply with the federal court orders as quickly as feasible and immediately permit detained individuals to have timely access to legal counsel; and be it further

Resolved, That the Senate commends the hundreds of attorneys across the nation who volunteer their time and services to ensure the due process rights and equal protection of these refugees and legal permanent residents, and the thousands who have peacefully protested to uphold our American values; and be it further

Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.

LUCERNE, Calif. – One person was seriously injured as the result of a structure fire on Monday night in Lucerne.

The fire at 5890 Grove St. was first reported at 10:15 p.m., according to radio reports.

The initial report from a neighbor was that there was an explosion with flames seen at the home, with one person possibly trapped inside. The caller told Central Dispatch that they couldn't access the front door, because it was blocked.

The crew of the first Northshore Fire Protection District engine on scene reported that flames were coming out of a window, according to Deputy Chief Mike Ciancio.

Firefighters were able to rescue one person from the home, who Ciancio said had burns and was transported by Northshore Fire Protection District ambulance to Sutter Lakeside Hospital.

There, the CalStar 4 air ambulance was expected to meet them for transport. However, at the scene Ciancio could not yet confirm if the patient would in fact be transported out of county.

The fire at the stick-built home was said to be out within about 15 minutes of the dispatch, with Ciancio reporting that firefighters were looking for the source of the smoke.

Units remained on scene into the early morning hours on Tuesday for mop up operations, according to radio reports.

Along with Northshore Fire, Lakeport Fire responded on mutual aid, Pacific Gas and Electric sent a truck and two Lake County Sheriff's units also were on scene.

Ciancio told Lake County News that the cause of the fire remained under investigation.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.

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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake County's unemployment showed a minor increase in December, while the jobless rate in California dropped and the nationwide number went up slightly.

The California Employment Development Department's latest report on unemployment rates showed Lake County registered a 6.8-percent rate for December, down from 6.6 percent in November and 7.8 percent in December 2015.

In December California’s unemployment rate fell to 5.2 percent, down from 5.3 percent in November and 5.9 percent the previous December, the Employment Development Department said.

The number of unemployed Californian’s was 1,009,000 in December, down by 29,000 over
the month, and down by 115,000 compared with December of last year, according to the report.

The state also reported that California's employers added 3,700 nonfarm payroll jobs in December; with December’s job gains, the state has gained a total of 2,420,100 jobs since the economic expansion began in February 2010.

Nonfarm jobs in California totaled 16,606,600 in December, up by 332,500 jobs, or 2 percent, over the year.

The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics said unemployment increased from 4.6 percent in November to 4.7 percent in December, while employers nationwide added 156,000 nonfarm payroll jobs. The national unemployment rate in December 2015 was 5 percent.

Lake County's civilian workforce totaled 29,260 individuals in December, down from 29,520 in November but improved from the 28,590 reported the previous year.

The number of unemployed Lake County residents totaled 1,980 in December, up from 1,950 in November but down from 2,230 reported the previous December, according to state data.

The Employment Development Department reported that all of Lake County's industries showed a cumulative 4.6 percent increase in jobs over the past year, with the “total farm” category having a 25-percent increase, the “total nonfarm” subcategory of mining, logging and construction showing a 30-percent increase and durable goods production a 33-percent increase.

Categories showing drops included wholesale trade, 13.3 percent, and nondurable goods, 12 percent, the data showed.

In a monthly comparison, most local job categories dropped during the typical December slowdown, with the only subcategories showing growth in Lake County being service providing, up by 0.1 percent, and durable goods, up by 14.3 percent.

Lake County's December unemployment rate ranked it No. 36 out of California's 58 counties. San Mateo had the lowest rate, 2.7 percent, while Colusa had the highest unemployment rate, 19.5 percent.

The Employment Development Department also reported that there were 367,944 people receiving regular Unemployment Insurance benefits during the December survey week, compared with
358,096 in November and 393,350 in December of last year.

In December, new claims for Unemployment Insurance were 52,953 in December, compared with 54,252 in November and 53,248 in December of last year, the agency 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.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake County has had its first flu-related death in a person under age 65 so far this season, which state officials said has been especially severe.

Lake County Health Officer Dr. Karen Tait said her department received a report on Monday of a woman in her 40s who had died with a positive flu test.

Tait said she had essentially no background information at that point about risk factors the woman had for flu complications.

Lake County hasn't had a reportable flu-related death since the 2013-14 flu season, according to state records. Tait had confirmed that fatal case – in a woman between 30 and 40 years of age, in February 2014.

Earlier this month, the California Department of Public Health reported that the state was experiencing more severe influenza activity than last year, with “significantly higher numbers of hospitalizations and outbreaks.”

The last information on reportable flu deaths released by the agency, through Jan. 21, confirmed 23 influenza-associated deaths statewide.

CDPH said the numbers it has are only a fraction of the statewide flu deaths because only deaths in people younger than 65 are reported to the state and not all influenza-related deaths are easily attributable to influenza.

Overall, Tait said Lake County is experiencing a lot of flu activity this year.

She did not have total case numbers, but added that they are confirmed to be up from last year, just as they are all around California.

She said outbreaks in health care facilities are reportable to the county Public Health Department, which – along with CDPH’s Licensing and Certification Division – works with those facilities to take measures to interrupt the spread of infection. Tait said she does not make public specific facility information when it comes to such outbreaks.

“I will say that we have had some reports of outbreaks in congregate settings, and one of them was probably another respiratory illness other than influenza,” she explained. “There are various viruses circulating at this time of year that can look like flu, including parainfluenza viruses and, in young children, respiratory syncytial virus, which has been confirmed in a number of pediatric cases of illness.”

Tait encouraged people to get vaccinated, noting that it's not too late in the season to do so, although she said it takes a couple of weeks for the protective effects to kick in.

“There is a good match between the vaccine and circulating strains this year,” she said. “Even so, vaccination is not 100-percent effective at preventing infection, but a vaccinated person is less likely to be hospitalized or die from any infection that occurs.”

Since this is the season for all kinds of respiratory virus infections, Tait also suggested taking other measures to be protected from illness, including good hand hygiene and respiratory etiquette – coughing into an elbow rather than into one's hand – and staying home when sick.

She said people with chronic medical conditions should contact their health care provider right away if they develop fever with sore throat or cough because they might benefit from antiviral treatment for influenza.

Tait said anyone interested in a flu shot can call the Lake County Public Health Department at 707-263-1090 to arrange for a vaccination.

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's real estate market had a strong year in 2016, according to the latest report from the Lake County Association of Realtors.

The association, or LCAOR, reported that the median sales price of single family residences for Lake County rose from $208,500 in 2015 to $235,000 in 2016, a 12.7 percent gain.

The number of units selling in 2016 decreased by 1.7 percent, going from 874 units in 2015 to 859 units in 2016, LCAOR said.

The report said the 2015 median sales price showed a 23.4-percent increase over the 2014 median of $169,000, suggesting that market gains are leveling off.

In 2006 the median sales price in Lake County peeked at $310,000 before falling to a low of $107,000 in 2011 during the great recession, LCAOR said. Since 2011 the median sales price has increased in each of the subsequent years.

Distressed property sales accounted for 10.6 percent of the 2016 sales, down from 14.6 percent of the sales in 2015, the association said. While this number has been on the decrease over the last few years the percentage is still high when compared to the statewide median. In 2011 more than 72 percent of the single family residential sales were considered distressed.

On a year-to-year basis, financing of property sales remained relatively the same, according to the association.

In 2016, 30.5 percent of the sales were financed with cash and, in 2015, 32.2 percent of the transactions were cash financed, LCAOR reported.

LCAOR said conventional loans were used in 36.4 percent of the 2016 deals and 36.2 percent of the 2015 deals. FHA loan financing was used in 15.4 percent of the sales up from 11.4 percent in 2015.

Land sales in the county had a total dollar sales volume of $20.8 million on 310 sales, which the association said was up from 2015 land sales of $17.3 million and 233 sales.

Over the last 11 years, 2006 had the highest volume and number of sales, with $53.2 million and 563 sales recorded, the association said.

The dollar volume for reported commercial sales in 2016 was $18.6 million, up from $8.5 million in 2015. LCAOR said the number of sales in 2016 was 29 compared to 23 sales in 2015. There were six transactions that were above the $1M in 2016 compared to one in 2015.

LCAOR President Bobby Dutcher said 2016 was an excellent year for Lake County real estate values.

“The market performed well on all levels, residential, land and commercial. Lake County continues to offer a more relaxed lifestyle than many other areas in the state and that is attractive to potential buyers,” Dutcher said.

The California Association of Realtors is forecasting a 4.6-percent increase in the statewide median sales prices in 2017, which would be down from an estimated 6.2 percent gain in 2016.

The California housing market continues to be constrained by a number of factors most notably housing affordability and the lack of new housing starts, the association said.

LAKE COUNTY NUMBERS AT A GLANCE

Single family residential sales
Median price: $235,000
Median days to sell: 79
Units sold: 859

Single family residential sales 2015
Median price: $208,500
Median days to sell: 87
Units sold: 874

Land sales
Sales dollar volume: $20.8 million
Median days to sell: 111
Units sold: 310

Land sales
Sales dollar volume: $17.3 million
Median days to sell: 146
Units sold: 233

Commercial sales
Sales dollar volume: $18.6 million
Median days to sell: 241
Units sold: 29

Commercial sales 2015
Sales dollar volume: $8.5 million
Median days to sell: 183
Units sold: 23

LAKEPORT, Calif. – A Clearlake man charged with setting fire last week to a residential care and mental health facility where he lived is due to appear in court on Tuesday to enter a plea in the case.

Anthony Wayne Conley, 29, was arrested early Thursday morning shortly after police officers and firefighters arrived at the fire at San Sousee adult care facility on Konocti Street in Clearlake, as Lake County News has reported.

The Clearlake Police Department reported that its officers arrested Conley for setting the fire at the facility, where the agency confirmed he was a resident.

Conley was arraigned in Lake County Superior Court on Friday, and is due to reappear on Tuesday morning along with his appointed legal counsel to enter a plea, according to Chief Deputy District Attorney Richard Hinchcliff.

Hinchcliff said Conley is charged with one count of arson, four counts of attempted murder and three counts of elder or dependent abuse.

He said the latter three charges were for other residents at the facility, which is for individuals with mental health issues. A fourth attempted murder charge was for a staff member present at the time.

Hinchcliff did not have details on why Conley was at the facility, and said even if he did he did not believe they could be released due to health care privacy laws.

Conley has no adult criminal history in Lake County, according to Hinchcliff, who added that he could not discuss any possible juvenile issues.

Since his arrest, Conley has remained in custody at the Lake County Jail, with bail set at $800,000.

San Sousee is an adult residential facility with a capacity of six clients, ages 18 through 59, that's been licensed since 2009 with the California Department of Social Services' Community Care Licensing Division, according to state records.

The county of Lake has a $133,000 agreement with the facility for adult residential support services and specialty mental health services for this fiscal year that was updated in September.

Lake County Behavioral Health's report on the contract said it places at San Sousee clients ready to be transitioned from mental health institutes or whose who have been brought back to Lake County from out-of-county placements.

Asked if there are likely to be issues with the prosecution because of Conley's mental health, Hinchcliff replied, “We don't know yet, but I would expect that under the circumstances.”

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 three cats that are prepared to go to new homes this week.

The cats, all female, include an adult and two younger felines, with one tortie and two tabbies.

Several of the cats are being offered for $10 each – including spay/neuter, vaccination and microchip – thanks to a sponsorship begun last week that so far has resulted in five other cats getting new homes. The cats offered for $10 are noted below. The all-black cat also has been sponsored and is available for free to an approved home.

If you're looking for a new companion, visit the shelter. There are many great pets there, hoping you'll choose them.

For those looking for a barn cat to keep the rodents at bay, be sure to ask about the barn cat adoption program. Feral barn cats are adopted out for $1 each, which includes altering, ear notching and vaccines. 

In addition to the animals featured here, all adoptable animals in Lake County can be seen at http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Animal_Care_And_Control/Shelter_Animal_Search.htm .

The following cats at the Lake County Animal Care and Control shelter have been cleared for adoption (other cats pictured on the animal control Web site that are not listed here are still “on hold”).

Female domestic medium hair

This female domestic medium hair mix cat has a brown tabby coat and green eyes.

She already has been spayed.

She's in cat room kennel No. 38, ID No. 5022.

Female domestic short hair

This young female domestic short hair has a tortie-colored coat and yellow eyes.

She already has been spayed.

She's in cat room kennel No. 74, ID No. 6722.

Female domestic short hair

This young female domestic short hair has a white and gray tabby coat, and blue eyes.

She already has been spayed.

She's in kennel No. 120, ID No. 6814.

To fill out an adoption application online visit http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Animal_Care_And_Control/Adopt/Dog___Cat_Adoption_Application.htm .

Lake County Animal Care and Control is located at 4949 Helbush in Lakeport, next to the Hill Road Correctional Facility.

Office hours are Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday. The shelter is open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Visit the shelter online at http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Animal_Care_And_Control.htm .

For more information call Lake County Animal Care and Control at 707-263-0278.

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.