On April 7, NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission will give asteroid Bennu one last glance before saying farewell.
Before departing for Earth on May 10, the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft will perform a final flyby of Bennu – capturing its last images of sample collection site Nightingale to look for transformations on Bennu’s surface after the Oct. 20, 2020, sample collection event.
The OSIRIS-REx mission team recently completed a detailed safety analysis of a trajectory to observe sample site Nightingale from a distance of approximately 2.4 miles (3.8 kilometers).
The spacecraft’s flight path is designed to keep OSIRIS-REx a safe distance from Bennu, while ensuring the science instruments can collect precise observations.
The single flyby will mimic one of the observation sequences conducted during the mission’s Detailed Survey phase in 2019.
OSIRIS-REx will image Bennu for a full 4.3-hour rotation to obtain high-resolution images of the asteroid’s northern and southern hemispheres and its equatorial region. The team will then compare these new images with the previous high-resolution imagery of Bennu obtained during 2019.
This final flyby of Bennu was not part of the original mission schedule, but the observation run will provide the team an opportunity to learn how the spacecraft’s contact with Bennu’s surface altered the sample site.
Bennu’s surface was considerably disturbed after the Touch-and-Go, or TAG, sample collection event, with the collector head sinking 1.6 feet (48.8 centimeters) into the asteroid’s surface while firing a pressurized charge of nitrogen gas. The spacecraft’s thrusters also mobilized a substantial amount of surface material during the back-away burn.
During this new mission phase, called the Post-TAG Observation phase, the spacecraft will perform five separate navigation maneuvers in order to return to the asteroid and position itself for the flyby.
OSIRIS-REx executed the first maneuver on Jan. 14, which acted as a braking burn and put the spacecraft on a trajectory to rendezvous with the asteroid one last time.
Since October’s sample collection event, the spacecraft has been slowly drifting away from the asteroid, and ended up approximately 1,635 miles (2,200 km) from Bennu.
After the braking burn, the spacecraft is now slowly approaching the asteroid and will perform a second approach maneuver on Mar. 6, when it is approximately 155 miles (250 km) from Bennu.
OSIRIS-REx will then execute three subsequent maneuvers, which are required to place the spacecraft on a precise trajectory for the final flyby on Apr. 7.
OSIRIS-REx is scheduled to depart Bennu on May 10 and begin its two-year journey back to Earth. The spacecraft will deliver the samples of Bennu to the Utah Test and Training Range on Sep. 24, 2023.
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, provides overall mission management, systems engineering, and the safety and mission assurance for OSIRIS-REx. Dante Lauretta of the University of Arizona, Tucson, is the principal investigator, and the University of Arizona also leads the science team and the mission’s science observation planning and data processing.
Lockheed Martin Space in Denver built the spacecraft and provides flight operations. Goddard and KinetX Aerospace are responsible for navigating the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft. OSIRIS-REx is the third mission in NASA’s New Frontiers Program, which is managed by NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, for the agency’s Science Mission Directorate in Washington.
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – This week, Sen. Mike McGuire was again named assistant majority leader of the California State Senate by Senate President Toni Atkins.
McGuire, whose district includes Lake County, has held the post for the last two years.
“I am deeply honored to work with President Atkins and I’m grateful for the opportunity to help lead the Senate during what has been one of the most difficult times for our state and nation. Tackling this pandemic, expediting vaccine distribution and economic recovery will remain our top priorities here in 2021. And, we must be relentless in our continued pursuit to build more affordable housing, tackle our homelessness crisis and invest more in resources that will keep our communities safe from the growing threat of wildland fires,” Sen. McGuire said.
Sen. McGuire will continue to serve as chair of the Senate’s Governance and Finance Committee, which is responsible for hearing legislation related to tax and revenue, most housing and housing financing bills, all land use and development policy, proposed new local government laws and district revenue legislation.
He also will continue to serve as vice chair of the Democratic Caucus.
Additionally, Sen. McGuire sits on the following committees: Budget and Fiscal Review, Budget Subcommittee No. 2 on Resources, Environmental Protection and Energy, Special Committee on Pandemic Emergency Response, Joint Legislative Committee on Emergency Management, Energy, Utilities and Commerce, Transportation, Housing, Education, Joint Rules and he Chairs the Joint Committee on Fisheries and Aquaculture.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Pacific Gas and Electric Co. is planning an interactive safety town hall to gather input on its efforts to reduce wildfire risks in Lake and Napa counties.
The meeting will take place from noon to 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 17.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake County’s Public Health officer reported that the COVID-19 situation appears to be improving locally, with changes planned for the county’s vaccination clinics and an ethics committee assembled to help address the equitable distribution of the vaccine.
“While we are seeing generally positive trends with regard to case rates and testing positivity in Lake County, COVID-19 remains widespread,” Dr. Gary Pace said Thursday.
As of Thursday, Lake County had 2,942 COVID-19 cases, with 36 deaths. Five Lake County residents currently are hospitalized because of the virus, Public Health reported.
The numbers of new cases in Lake County and across California have been declining in recent weeks as the impacts of the holiday surge start to diminish.
Statewide, there were more than 3,440,550 cases and nearly 46,000 deaths as of Thursday night, according to reports from Public Health departments in California’s 58 counties.
There is a new concern that has arisen since the start of the year: The coronavirus variant L452R, has also been identified in Lake County, as Lake County News first reported in January.
Pace told Lake County News that the state is doing surveillance testing on specimens from different areas around California, meaning that they randomly pick some specimens that are sent to Quest or another lab and conduct genomic sequencing.
In early January, Pace said the state sampled 40 specimens from Lake County and nine of them had L452R, known as the “California variant.”
“We don’t know the clinical significance of this yet,” Pace said.
Pace said L452R is considered a “variant of interest” as opposed to a “variant of concern,” which is how health officials refer to the variants found in the United Kingdom and South Africa.
The British variant, B117, has been found in the Bay Area, as has a Brazilian variant, according to recent news reports.
On Tuesday, Pace told the Board of Supervisors, “The variant gives me a little bit of anxiety.”
He is continuing to encourage people to be as careful as possible and not go back to normal life yet, noting, “This variant could change the equation in the next couple of weeks.”
Public Health changing to drive-thru vaccination clinics
With the emphasis in the coronavirus fight increasingly emphasizing vaccinations, Pace said Lake County Public Health is changing its vaccination clinics to drive-thru sites beginning next week.
The clinics will be held in Lakeport on Mondays and Tuesdays, and in Clearlake on Thursdays and Fridays, Pace said.
Pace said Public Health has been extremely fortunate to get a lot of community volunteer support to help run the vaccination sites, as his staff can’t do it all on their own.
With operations expanding, Pace said they will be calling all Medical Reserve Corps members and are inviting new volunteers as well. If you would like to sign up to volunteer, contact the Health Department at 707-263-1090 and ask to be connected with Dean.
“While we anticipate a greater number of people will ultimately be able to be served at these new outdoor locations (subject to vaccine availability), appointments are still required, and eligibility will be verified prior to administration of the vaccine,” Pace said.
Community members can visit the Public Health website to find if they are eligible under the current priority tiers and check on the availability of vaccination appointments. Links for the current state vaccination registration platform and appointment scheduling are available there.
When appointments are available, people eligible to be vaccinated that have trouble using the online platform are encouraged to call 707-993-4644 for assistance.
If you already received your first dose through one of the Public Health clinics, Public Health staff will contact you to confirm the date, time and location for your second dose appointment. These appointments are typically scheduled four weeks following the first dose. You will be notified five to seven days in advance. If you have not heard from Public Health at the expected interval, write to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 707-263-8174.
Pace said that, due to changes in location and days of the vaccination sites, people may need to go to a different site than the one where they received their first dose, and possibly on a different day of the week.
Pace convenes COVID-19 Ethics Ad Hoc Committee
Pace said the state provides general vaccine priority guidance, and all counties use the same eligibility tiers. Age- and sector-based risk criteria must be balanced by an emphasis on reaching people in “disproportionately impacted communities, settings and populations.”
At the same time, he said the vaccine distribution must be both swift and equitable.
Lake County’s Latino and Native American communities have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19, and Pace said local data also has demonstrated that protecting agricultural workers must be an immediate point of emphasis. Ag workers are in tier Phase 1B and currently are eligible to receive the vaccine; vaccinations for that group started this week.
To assist in setting areas of Lake County-specific vaccination priority, Pace has established the COVID-19 Ethics Ad Hoc Committee.
Pace said the group includes strong advocates from the Latino and Native American communities, business and agriculture, hospital and primary care medicine, and an “at-large” representative.
The committee had its first meeting on Tuesday. So far, the names of its members have not been reported, and during this week’s Board of Supervisors meeting, the discussion suggested that those names may be kept confidential.
Deputy County Administrative Officer Matthew Rothstein told Lake County News that Pace will give the first report on the committee’s work at the next Board of Supervisors meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 23.
Pace said requests for consideration by the committee should include the name or group making the request, the group or category of people recommended for reprioritization and the basis or justification for the request (not to exceed 200 words).
Requests can be submitted by contacting the Medical Health Operational Area Coordinator, or MHOAC, addressed to “Ethics Committee,” at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., via mail at MHOAC, attention COVID-19 Ethics Committee, 922 Bevins Court, Lakeport, CA 95453, or by phone, 707-263-8174.
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.
Scott N. Schiffres, Binghamton University, State University of New York
Some practices – such as taking your mask off to speak or wearing your mask below your nose – are clearly problematic. Other mistakes may be less obvious. Everyone still needs to be wearing masks as much as possible – even if you’ve been vaccinated or have previously been infected with COVID–19. So how do you get the most out of a mask?
Mask materials
Your mask material is the most important consideration. Certain manufacturing techniques can make masks more efficient at filtering out the tiny droplets and aerosols that can carry the coronavirus.
During the past year, my graduate students and I at Binghamton University teamed up with scientists from the surgical robot company Intuitive Surgical and the Intuitive Foundation to test the effectiveness of different fabrics at filtering out airborne particles. Our work has been used by the CDC to inform mask guidelines.
Researchers believe that an infected person who talks expels droplets that can spread COVID-19 – especially in the 2- to 5-micron range, about 10 times smaller than the width of a typical human hair. One reason to wear masks is to catch these relatively big particles before they dry out and shrink into smaller particles, called aerosols, which linger in the air longer because of their diminished size.
For example, a 3-micron saliva droplet could shrink down to about 1 micron. Researchers think that droplets in the 2- to 5-micron range are most transmissive of COVID-19. This range is the sweet spot for droplets to linger in the air due to their small size, while still having a high probability of containing the virus.
N95 masks are the gold standard among lightweight respirators and are at least 95% effective at filtering out particles at 0.3 microns, well below the average size thought to dominate COVID-19 transmission. They are typically greater than 99% effective for particles 2 to 5 microns across. When leakage around the mask seal is taken into account, the performance typically drops to 90% to 95%.
KN95 masks, which have become more prevalent in the U.S. over the past few months, are the Chinese equivalent of N95 masks and are often the next best mask option in terms of performance. While KN95 masks often meet the N95 specifications, some researchers found their performance to be inconsistent in a study that has not yet been peer reviewed. The CDC maintains a list of internationally produced masks and their filtration performance that you can use to confirm the performance of masks before purchase.
Cotton masks are among the most commonly worn and can also provide decent filtration. The filtration varies according to the tightness of the weave, and one study found that two layers of various widely available cotton fabrics filtered out between 34% and 66% of particles in the 2- to 5-micron range. This is good for catching particles from a person talking, but it won’t block small aerosols in the environment.
In our research, we tested a wide range of fabrics to see which worked best. Some samples were washed as many as 10 times with a variety of detergents and then retested for effectiveness. In our study, which is currently under peer review, we found the best combination was soft flannel on the inside for comfort, thin-as-possible cotton on the outside and an efficient filter in the middle.
Two masks are good, but make sure they fit
No matter how good a mask’s material is, it won’t work well if it doesn’t fit well. A lot of filtration efficiency is lost from leakage around the face mask, such as around the bridge of the nose or at the gaps between any facial hair and the mask. A well-fitting mask is one that seals tightly onto your face, ensuring that almost all the air you breathe goes through the filtering material rather than through gaps in the sides.
Double-masking is wearing a cotton mask over a medical-procedure mask. Knotting and tucking entails tying a knot in the elastic loops that go over your ears, close to where they attach to the mask. Then, you tuck the extra mask fabric into the gap that is often present where the ear loops attach to the mask, and flatten that part as much as possible. Both of these tricks to make a better fit decrease the mask-wearers’ exposure to potentially infectious aerosols by 95% as compared with wearing no mask at all. That’s a 15% improvement over the 80% efficiency found when using a single surgical mask.
DIY fit test
To get the best fit when using a mask, bend the metal nosepiece so that the mask tightly fits the curve of your nose. It is also important to make sure your mask fits beneath your chin and to remove any facial hair – air will take the path of least resistance through stubble rather than through the fine fibers of the mask.
Some places, such as hospitals and labs, do mask fit tests that are certified by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. But these are impractical for home use. You can do your own qualitative fit test at home by lighting a citronella or other oil-scented candle and trying to smell it with and without a mask. The aerosols from a citronella candle are 0.01 to 0.02 microns across – much smaller than typical droplets from humans that would contain COVID-19. If you can’t smell the candle, or the smell is significantly reduced, you’re likely wearing your mask correctly.
Keep in mind, however, that this test is far from exact. For instance, cotton masks won’t filter out these tiny candle aerosols, but are still an important tool to block the majority of coronavirus droplets.
Making sure you are getting the most out of your masks is critical to slowing this pandemic. Double-masking or knotting and tucking, as well as using the right materials, can ensure that you and those around you are safer.
Trillions of barely visible pieces of plastic are floating in the world’s oceans, from surface waters to the deep seas. These particles, known as microplastics, typically form when larger plastic objects such as shopping bags and food containers break down.
Researchers are concerned about microplastics because they are minuscule, widely distributed and easy for wildlife to consume, accidentally or intentionally. We study marine science and animal behavior, and wanted to understand the scale of this problem. In a newly published study that we conducted with ecologist Elliott Hazen, we examined how marine fish – including species consumed by humans – are ingesting synthetic particles of all sizes.
In the broadest review on this topic that has been carried out to date, we found that, so far, 386 marine fish species are known to have ingested plastic debris, including 210 species that are commercially important. But findings of fish consuming plastic are on the rise. We speculate that this could be happening both because detection methods for microplastics are improving and because ocean plastic pollution continues to increase.
Since then, well over 100 scientific papers have described plastic ingestion in numerous species of fish. But each study has only contributed a small piece of a very important puzzle. To see the problem more clearly, we had to put those pieces together.
This story is part of Oceans 21 Our series on the global ocean opened with five in depth profiles. Look out for new articles on the state of our oceans in the lead up to the UN’s next climate conference, COP26. The series is brought to you by The Conversation’s international network.
We did this by creating the largest existing database on plastic ingestion by marine fish, drawing on every scientific study of the problem published from 1972 to 2019. We collected a range of information from each study, including what fish species it examined, the number of fish that had eaten plastic and when those fish were caught. Because some regions of the ocean have more plastic pollution than others, we also examined where the fish were found.
For each species in our database, we identified its diet, habitat and feeding behaviors – for example, whether it preyed on other fish or grazed on algae. By analyzing this data as a whole, we wanted to understand not only how many fish were eating plastic, but also what factors might cause them to do so. The trends that we found were surprising and concerning.
A global problem
Our research revealed that marine fish are ingesting plastic around the globe. According to the 129 scientific papers in our database, researchers have studied this problem in 555 fish species worldwide. We were alarmed to find that more than two-thirds of those species had ingested plastic.
One important caveat is that not all of these studies looked for microplastics. This is likely because finding microplastics requires specialized equipment, like microscopes, or use of more complex techniques. But when researchers did look for microplastics, they found five times more plastic per individual fish than when they only looked for larger pieces. Studies that were able to detect this previously invisible threat revealed that plastic ingestion was higher than we had originally anticipated.
Our review of four decades of research indicates that fish consumption of plastic is increasing. Just since an international assessment conducted for the United Nations in 2016, the number of marine fish species found with plastic has quadrupled.
Similarly, in the last decade alone, the proportion of fish consuming plastic has doubled across all species. Studies published from 2010-2013 found that an average of 15% of the fish sampled contained plastic; in studies published from 2017-2019, that share rose to 33%.
We think there are two reasons for this trend. First, scientific techniques for detecting microplastics have improved substantially in the past five years. Many of the earlier studies we examined may not have found microplastics because researchers couldn’t see them.
Second, it is also likely that fish are actually consuming more plastic over time as ocean plastic pollution increases globally. If this is true, we expect the situation to worsen. Multiple studies that have sought to quantify plastic waste project that the amount of plastic pollution in the ocean will continue to increase over the next several decades.
Risk factors
While our findings may make it seem as though fish in the ocean are stuffed to the gills with plastic, the situation is more complex. In our review, almost one-third of the species studied were not found to have consumed plastic. And even in studies that did report plastic ingestion, researchers did not find plastic in every individual fish. Across studies and species, about one in four fish contained plastics – a fraction that seems to be growing with time. Fish that did consume plastic typically had only one or two pieces in their stomachs.
In our view, this indicates that plastic ingestion by fish may be widespread, but it does not seem to be universal. Nor does it appear random. On the contrary, we were able to predict which species were more likely to eat plastic based on their environment, habitat and feeding behavior.
For example, fishes such as sharks, grouper and tuna that hunt other fishes or marine organisms as food were more likely to ingest plastic. Consequently, species higher on the food chain were at greater risk.
We were not surprised that the amount of plastic that fish consumed also seemed to depend on how much plastic was in their environment. Species that live in ocean regions known to have a lot of plastic pollution, such as the Mediterranean Sea and the coasts of East Asia, were found with more plastic in their stomachs.
Effects of a plastic diet
This is not just a wildlife conservation issue. Researchers don’t know very much about the effects of ingesting plastic on fish or humans. However, there is evidence that that microplastics and even smaller particles called nanoplastics can move from a fish’s stomach to its muscle tissue, which is the part that humans typically eat. Our findings highlight the need for studies analyzing how frequently plastics transfer from fish to humans, and their potential effects on the human body.
Our review is a step toward understanding the global problem of ocean plastic pollution. Of more than 20,000 marine fish species, only roughly 2% have been tested for plastic consumption. And many reaches of the ocean remain to be examined. Nonetheless, what’s now clear to us is that “out of sight, out of mind” is not an effective response to ocean pollution – especially when it may end up on our plates.
On Thursday, the California Public Utilities Commission voted in support of a policy to protect customers who use landline phones during emergencies.
The decision requires companies providing wireline communications, including landline phone service and Internet service, to have 72 hours of backup power during power outages.
This new policy is meant to protect Californians in areas with high wildfire risk, including low-income people and the elderly, who are least likely to have cell phones during emergencies.
The Public Advocates Office, the independent consumer advocate at the California Public Utilities Commission, said it supports the CPUC’s decision on the policy.
However, the Public Advocates Office raised concerns that delayed timelines for implementing these requirements may impact some residential customers.
“These difficult times are making Californians more dependent than ever on our phones and the Internet for communications to telework, visit a doctor via telehealth, attend school via distance learning, and be in touch with loved ones,” said Elizabeth Echols, director of the Public Advocates Office.
“Everyone should be able to rely on their phones and Internet during power outages, regardless of where they live or what kind of phone technology they have,” Echols said. “That is why the Public Advocates Office will continue to advocate for holding telephone companies accountable so that everyone has access to essential communications services.”
The CPUC’s backup power requirement for wireline communications service providers must be met in eight months for three types of facilities in areas with high fire risk: 1) critical facilities such as hospitals and fire departments, 2) facilities providing service to wireless networks, and 3) facilities serving communities lacking sufficient wireless service coverage.
However, for all other facilities located in areas with high wildfire risk, the commission is delaying implementation of the backup power requirement for 18 months.
The Public Advocates Office urged the commission to require the 72-hour backup power requirements be in place by no later than October 2021 for all facilities in high fire threat areas to protect the public health and safety of Californians.
“We will continue to push for backup power so all communities can rely on their phone and Internet service, especially if they live in an area with high wildfire risk,” the Public Advocates Office said in a Thursday statement.
The Public Advocates Office recommendations can be found here.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The National Weather Service is forecasting that three incoming storm systems will impact Lake County and the North Coast region until early next week.
The incoming storms are expected to bring modest rainfall to Lake County, where precipitation for the season so far is well below normal, according to National Weather Service data,
Forecasters said the first of the storms will arrive on Thursday, the second on Saturday and the third on Monday.
The storms will bring rain, snow in high altitudes and gusty winds, the agency said.
The National Weather Service’s forecast anticipates Lake County could receive a little more than an inch of rain from Thursday through Monday.
The Lake County forecast predicts up to half an inch of rain during the day on Thursday and another quarter of an inch that night, accompanied by winds of just under 10 miles per hour.
On Friday, daytime conditions are expected to be partly sunny before rain and winds of up to 15 miles per hour arrive on Friday night, with gusts of more than 20 miles per hour in the south county. Less than a tenth of an inch of rain is expected.
Rain is forecast during the day on Saturday, with as much as a quarter of an inch of precipitation, again with lighter winds of about 7 miles per hour.
The forecast calls for chances of rain on Sunday night and during the day on Monday, with conditions to be mostly sunny on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Nighttime temperatures through early next week will range from the high 30s to low 40s. Daytime temperatures will be in the low to high 50s.
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. – With more COVID-19 vaccine doses arriving this week, Lake County Public Health said it’s opening up a limited number of appointments for county residents aged 65 and older to receive their first dose.
Public Health Officer Dr. Gary Pace told the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday morning that the increase in new COVID-19 cases is slowing in Lake County.
About 10 percent of Lake County’s 64,000 residents have received the first dose of the vaccine so far, while about 1,000 people have received both doses, he said.
Altogether, he said the county has 50,000 residents age 18 or older who are eligible to receive the vaccine when their respective priority tiers open.
The challenge remains the supply, with Pace explaining that his department is trying to line up appointments with available vaccine doses one week at a time.
He said Lake County’s latest allocation is for 1,000 doses that is to arrive this week.
Both Sutter Lakeside Hospital and Adventist Health Clear Lake Hospital have been receiving their own supplies, but Pace said they’ve had to slow down their vaccination effort due to supply issues.
“They’re a big part of why we’ve been able to get so many people vaccinated so quickly in the county,” Pace said.
He said Public Health will be switching its vaccination efforts to a drive-thru model starting next week.
Pace said they have been getting a lot of help with running their clinics from volunteers.
“The community just keeps showing up day after day,” he said, adding that Public Health staff can’t do it by themselves.
Public Health said later on Tuesday that it’s opening up a limited number of vaccination appointments for Friday, Feb. 12, and Saturday, Feb. 13, in Clearlake for those age 65 and older.
Residents 65 and older who do not have the ability to schedule online can call 707-993-4644 for assistance. Staff at that number do not have access to any additional appointments. Do not call this number if appointments are filled.
Appointments will fill up quickly. If you are eligible to be vaccinated, check the above link often, as additional appointment links will be added as they receive the vaccine.
For those health care providers and educators who are eligible for vaccination but missed earlier opportunities, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and you will be contacted when a spot is available.
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.
On Thursday, Chairman of the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Select Revenue Measures Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-05) voted to advance certain measures of the American Rescue Plan through the Ways and Means Committee.
Provisions under the jurisdiction of the committee will help boost the health care response to the pandemic and support workers, families and businesses that have been hit hard financially.
“The coronavirus pandemic is unprecedented and continues to hurt working families and small businesses. We have to do everything we can to get people the help they need to stay afloat and save lives,” said Chairman Thompson. “That’s why I was proud to vote to advance key provisions that will support our district and communities across the nation.”
He continued, “This legislation will support families, so they are able to provide for their children and stay healthy, even if they’ve lost their job or their employer-sponsored health coverage. This also includes an additional $1,400 in Economic Impact Payments, to boost this round of relief to $2,000. It will also position our economy and our local businesses for a strong recovery. We have to act boldly now to help our families and businesses and I will do all I can to get this bill passed on the House floor in the coming weeks.”
The key measures that were considered in the markup in the Ways and Means Committee include:
– An additional Economic Impact Payment for working families; – An extension of the enhanced Federal unemployment insurance benefits; – Expanded tax credits that help working families, including the Earned Income Tax Credit, the Child Tax Credit and the Child and Dependent Tax Credit; – A boost to health coverage affordability and accessibility; – Important protections for older Americans in nursing homes; – Aid for vulnerable children, workers and families that are struggling to make ends meet; and, – A boost to retirement security.
You can click here to read more about the provisions advanced through the Ways and Means Committee today and you can click here to read more about the American Rescue Plan.
Thompson represents California’s Fifth Congressional District, which includes all or part of Contra Costa, Lake, Napa, Solano and Sonoma counties.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Local leaders are asking a state agency to adjust a business relief program to make it more equitable to Lake County and other rural communities.
The outreach is part of an ongoing effort by county and community leaders to help local businesses struggling to overcome challenges brought by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Late last year, the Lake County Small Business COVID-19 Recovery Team was established as a collaborative advocacy group, with the intent of ensuring Lake County businesses have a fair and equitable opportunity to access high demand COVID-19 relief funding programs, such as the state’s California Relief Grants and the Federal Paycheck Protection Program.
Rural communities, such as Lake County, frequently have fewer businesses, even in the best of times.
U.S. Census Bureau data from 2018 and 2019 show that there are just over 17 “employer establishments” for every 1,000 Lake County residents, significantly lower the ratios of neighboring Mendocino, Sonoma and Napa Counties, which range from 28.5 to 31.3 per 1,000.
The loss of one Lake County business has a significant community effect and the representatives of the county of Lake, cities of Clearlake and Lakeport, Lake County Chamber of Commerce, Lake County Economic Development Corp. and Middletown Area Merchants Association that comprise the Lake County Small Business COVID-19 Recovery Team want to see that fact recognized in the distribution of public COVID-19 relief funding.
On Tuesday, the group approved a letter to the California Office of the Small Business Advocate, or CalOSBA, urging the following changes to the California Small Business COVID-19 Relief Grant Program:
· An equitable share of grant funding for Lake County businesses;
· An equitable share of grant funding for California’s rural counties;
· Consideration of the “economic weight” a business carries within a county in the prioritization formula for distribution of funds.
The letter, which can be seen below, demonstrates the alignment of Lake County leaders across sectors.
Local business owners are likewise encouraged to add your voices, and share your stories, with Director Isabel Guzman and CalOSBA, at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – During a short meeting on Tuesday night, the Clearlake Planning Commission approved a new drive-thru bakery and coffee shop.
The commission gave unanimous consent for the new drive-thru at 15090 Olympic Drive, proposed by Pascal Hue De Laroque, who owns a drive-thru in Clearlake Oaks, Marcel’s French Bakery & Cafe, as well as a coffee shop by the same name in downtown Lakeport.
The city’s zoning code defines drive-thrus as a “special use” that are required to secure a use permit.
Senior Planner Mark Roberts’ written report to the commission noted that drive-thrus are recognized as having some “objectionable characteristics, such as noise, idling vehicles and traffic conflicts,” so that “special regulation review” of these special uses is necessary.
Assistant Planner Susanna Amaro-Gutierrez told the commission that the drive-thru aspect of the project triggered review, otherwise, it would have been an over-the-counter business license check.
Roberts told the commission that Hue De Laroque’s proposal does not currently include indoor or outdoor sitdown dining.
The building that will be used for the shop – previously a single-family residence – was remodeled in 2017 for the use of a bakery, Classy Cakes, which operated in that location until recently, according to the staff report.
Roberts said the project involves minor renovations, including the installation of a drive-thru window on the west side of the building and new signage, upgrading the exterior lighting fixtures, trimming the overgrowth off the entryway tree, installing a brand-new security system with generous coverage of traffic on Olympic Drive, and other aesthetic improvements.
He said there will be one-way traffic through the drive-thru, with customers to enter through the existing 19-foot-wide driveway located on the eastern portion along Olympic Drive. They would exit on the western portion of Olympic Drive through another existing driveway which is 35 feet wide.
Commissioner Lisa Wilson asked if a traffic study was conducted for the project. Roberts said no, as it wasn’t required.
As proposed, Hue De Laroque’s drive-thru would accommodate stacking of up to seven vehicles at a time, with two employees present at any given time, according to the staff report.
Commissioner Erin McCarrick asked Hue De Laroque if people would be able to wait for orders in parking spaces. He said they would have stalls to pull into, so they would be able to stack a total of 15 vehicles.
Commissioner Fawn Williams asked about signage to indicate the one-way traffic through the site. Hue De Laroque said he plans on putting up “do not enter” signage and paint on the pavement to direct traffic.
During public comment, Roberts read emails that included messages from two individuals who are negotiating with the city to open a drive-thru coffee kiosk, a Mudslingers franchise, near the recycling center in the Burns Valley Mall.
They said their project will not have an impact on traffic on Olympic Drive, and questioned the close proximity of Hue De Laroque’s project to theirs; mapping shows the two sites are about a third of a mile apart. One of the Mudslingers representatives asked for his project to be denied.
On the issue of fairness raised by Mudslingers, Commissioner Robert Coker asked if it’s fair to allow the Mudslingers drive-thru to locate near the Sisters Coffee House, which also is in the Burns Valley Mall.
Roberts said the city gives everyone equal opportunity to apply to open a business, operate, bring revenue and better the community.
“I’m good with that answer,” Coker said.
Commission Chair Kathryn Davis asked Hue De Laroque if he would still want to do a drive-thru if it weren’t for COVID-19.
He replied that he wanted to put in a drive-thru in Clearlake two years ago, before he opened his drive-thru in Clearlake Oaks, but at that time there wasn’t a location available.
Davis also asked him about his hours of operation. He said he wants to operate 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., seven days a week.
McCarrick moved to approve a resolution approving the use permit application, which Coker seconded and the commission approved 5-0.
City Manager Alan Flora told Lake County News that Clearlake has only one other drive-thru coffee shop currently operating, Catfish Coffee. A Starbucks on Dam Road that hasn’t been built yet also has been permitted for a drive-thru.
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