CLEARLAKE, Calif. – Four friendly dogs are waiting at Clearlake Animal Control for new homes this week.

This week's featured animals include three female dogs and one male.

To meet the animals, contact Marcia Taylor, the animal control outreach technician, at 707-994-8201, Extension 103, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Thursday, or leave a message.

Below are this week's available pets.

‘Betty’

“Betty” is a 4-month-old black Labrador Retriever mix.

She has a short, all-black coat.

Shelter staff said she is a wonderful dog that gets along with everyone.

‘Chamaca’

“Chamaca” is a 2-year-old female pit bull mix.

She has a short tan coat with white markings.

She is a pretty girl who likes to go for walks on a leash.

‘Charlie’

“Charlie” is a 5-month-old mastiff-shepherd mix.

He has a short tan coat with white markings.

Shelter staff call him a "sweet loving little boy.”

‘Lucy’

“Lucy” is a 2-year-old Labrador Retriever-pit bull mix.

She has a short, all-black coat.

Shelter staff said she is a very sweet dog.
 
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.

April is recognized as National Distracted Driving Awareness Month.

In California, the California Highway Patrol, the Office of Traffic Safety and Impact Teen Drivers, as well as community partners and law enforcement agencies throughout the state, are working together to make the roads safer.

The campaign aims to end distracted driving through education and raise awareness about the associated dangers. The goal is to change motorist behaviors and save lives, not just in the month of April, but year-round.

The week of April 3 to 9 is California Teen Safe Driver Week and in conjunction with the National Distracted Driving Awareness Month, safety presentations will be held at various high schools and venues throughout the state to teach teens the reality and consequences of distracted driving.

“Distracted driving is absolutely avoidable, but it continues to be a serious problem among drivers. Too many lives are lost every year due to distracted driving,” CHP Commissioner Joe Farrow said. “We believe that through continued education and enforcement, the number of deaths and injuries can be reduced.”

To better understand the dangers and consequences of smartphone distracted driving, AT&T is bringing its virtual reality simulator to more than 50 California schools and communities for National Distracted Driving Awareness Month this year as part of its IT CAN WAIT initiative.

“AT&T is proud to join the California Highway Patrol, the Office of Traffic Safety, and Impact Teen Drivers in this important effort to remind everyone that smartphone distracted driving is not only extremely dangerous, it is completely preventable,” said Ken McNeely, president, AT&T California. “We encourage everyone to take the IT CAN WAIT pledge – to keep your eyes on the road, not your phone – and help keep our roads safe. No text, email or social media post is worth a life.”

California drivers under the age of 18 are prohibited from using a cell phone or a hands-free device while operating a motor vehicle (VC §23124).

Lawmakers agree that distracted driving continues to be a problem among California’s motorists. On Jan. 1, Assembly Bill 1785 went into effect, requiring all California drivers to keep a cell phone out of their hands while operating a motor vehicle.

Under the new law, a driver may activate or deactivate a feature or function of the cell phone or wireless communication device by swiping or tapping its screen only if it is mounted or not being held in a driver’s hand.

In California, there were 85 people killed in collisions in which distracted driving was a factor in 2015, 87 in 2014, and 84 in 2013. The number of injured victims due to these collisions for the same three-year period shows an increase: 10,078 in 2013, 10,540 in 2014, and 11,262 in 2015.

“These statistics are likely much higher and are often under-reported to law enforcement since motorists don’t always admit to driving distracted,” said Commissioner Farrow.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that 71 percent of young people admit to sending a text while driving. Furthermore, 10 percent of all drivers ages 15 to 19 involved in fatal collisions were reported as distracted at the time of the collisions.

The NHTSA reports that 3,477 people were killed and an estimated 391,000 injured in motor vehicle collisions involving distracted drivers in 2015. That is a 9 percent increase in fatalities as compared to the previous year.

“The message is out, and people know that distracted driving is dangerous,” said Dr. Kelly Browning, executive director of Impact Teen Drivers. “Unfortunately, we still have a long way to go to change attitudes and behaviors about distracted driving. Just as it took a change in the driving culture through education and enforcement to reach a 98 percent seat belt compliance rate in California, so too will it take a multifaceted approach to eliminate distracted driving.”

According to a study conducted by NHTSA and Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, distracted driving is “anything that diverts the driver’s attention away from the primary tasks of navigating a vehicle and responding to critical events.”

A distraction can be: visual – something that takes your eyes off the road; cognitive – something that takes your mind off of the road; or manual – something that takes your hands off the steering wheel.

The CHP will join other law enforcement agencies throughout the state to conduct education and zero tolerance enforcement efforts to discourage distracted driving. Officers will enforce cell phone and texting laws as well as other Vehicle Code violations.

“Law enforcement would rather see everyone off their cell phones than hand out a lot of tickets,” said Rhonda Craft, director of the Office of Traffic Safety. “Take care of calling, texting, setting your GPS, and everything else before you hit the street. Apps are great, but not while you’re driving.”

The Governors Highway Safety Association projects an 11-percent increase in the number of persons on foot killed on U.S. roadways last year, compared to 2015.

This would represent the steepest year-to-year increase since record-keeping began, both in terms of number of deaths and percent increase.

The annual Spotlight on Highway Safety report from the association, or GHSA, offers a first look at state-by-state trends in pedestrian traffic fatalities for 2016, using preliminary data provided by all 50 state highway safety offices and the District of Columbia.

The report was authored by Richard Retting of Sam Schwartz Transportation Consultants.

“This is the second year in a row that we have seen unprecedented increases in pedestrian fatalities, which is both sad and alarming,” said Retting.

From 2014 to 2015, the number of pedestrian deaths spiked more than 9 percent. “It is critical that the highway safety community understand these disturbing statistics and work to aggressively implement effective countermeasures,” Rettig said. “The information in this report will help states and localities pursue engineering, enforcement and education solutions to reverse this trend.”

States reported 2,660 pedestrian fatalities for the first six months of 2016, compared to 2,486 deaths during the same time period in the previous year.

Adjusting for underreporting and past full-year data trends, GHSA estimates an 11 percent rise in pedestrian fatalities from 2015 to 2016.

Compared to 2014, the number of pedestrians killed in 2016 increased by 22 percent. Pedestrians account for approximately 15 percent of all motor vehicle deaths.

More than twice as many states reported an uptick in pedestrian fatalities in the first six months of 2016 than had decreasing numbers.

Thirty-four states saw an increase, while 15 states and the District of Columbia reported decreases, and one state had no change.

There are many possible factors contributing to this spike.

As economic conditions improve and gas prices remain low, the U.S. has seen an increase in motor vehicle miles traveled.

At the same time, a growing number of Americans are choosing to travel by foot for health, transportation, economic or environmental reasons.

Another potential factor is a sharp rise in the use of smartphones to send and receive multimedia messages, a frequent source of mental and visual distraction for both walkers and drivers.

“Everyone walks, and we want to encourage that, but at the same time we want to make sure that we all get to our destinations safely,” said Jonathan Adkins, GHSA executive director. “Unfortunately, this latest data shows that the U.S. is not meeting the mark on keeping pedestrians safe on our roadways. Every one of these lives represents a loved one not coming home tonight which is absolutely unacceptable.”

GHSA also asked its state members, which are responsible for addressing behavioral safety, to provide examples of their efforts to reduce pedestrian and motor vehicle collisions.

Promising strategies include high visibility enforcement and public information campaigns aimed at both motorists and pedestrians; identifying high-risk zones and conducting educational outreach in these areas; adoption of Complete Streets policies, which ensure streets are safe for all users regardless of mode, age and ability; and strategic partnerships with local universities and community organizations to advance pedestrian safety.

State Highway Safety Offices also collaborate with state DOTs that are tasked with infrastructure improvements. The report provides specific examples of these efforts in 41 states and the District of Columbia.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The National Weather Service is forecasting the arrival of a big storm late this week that’s expected to bring a lot of rain to parts of Northern California, as well as snow to higher elevations.

Lake County, like much of the rest of the North State, has been enjoying warm early spring temperatures and plenty of sunshine after heavy late winter storms.

The National Weather Service said the large storm moving in over the state is set to arrive with rain on Thursday.

Forecasters are calling for heavy rain on Friday and Saturday, as well as the possibility of thunderstorms.

There also is the potential for snow in the mountains around Northern California, particularly the Sierras. The agency urges people to watch the forecast if they plan mountain travel this weekend.

The specific Lake County forecast calls for a mix of partly sunny and partly cloudy conditions through Wednesday, with a 40-percent chance of rain beginning on Thursday, with heavy rain possible on Thursday night.

Rain is expected to continue in Lake County through Sunday night, based on the forecast.

This week’s temperatures are forecast to be in the mid-60s during the daytime hours and high 40s at night, with those temperatures dropping into the low 50s in the day and high 30s at night after the arrival of the storm system.

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 a theme of “Strength, Resilience and Justice” Lake County Victim Advocates will join officials across the nation to mark the 37th annual National Crime Victims’ Rights Week April 2 to 8.

Thirty-seven years ago, President Ronald W. Reagan declared the first National Crime Victims’ Rights Week to focus more attention on crime victims and survivors and the professionals and volunteers who assist them.

“This year’s observance provides an opportunity to pay tribute to all who have been harmed by crime and to recommit our energies to ensure that victims are aware of their rights and the services available to help them,” said Crystal Martin, program administrator, Victim Witness Division of the Lake County District Attorney’s Office.

In Lake County the celebration will include a barbecue of gratitude for our law enforcement and community partners who help us inform and enforce victims’ rights every day.

“Our Victim Witness Assistance Center staff can help victims navigate through the criminal justice system and direct them to a variety of resources in the community. Advocates can also help victims apply for financial compensation through the Victim Compensation Program,” Martin said.

“This program can provide qualifying victims reimbursement for a wide range of crime related expenses such as medical/dental treatment, mental health counseling, funeral or burial expenses, home or vehicle modifications, job retraining, and lost income. Program costs are paid entirely by fines and penalties from offenders, not by taxpayers,” she added.

During 2016, Lake County received applications for help from more than 180 victims of violent crime and their family members and provided services to 700 victims in fiscal year 2015-16 including case status, resource referral, restraining orders and court accompaniment.

For information about crime victims’ rights and services in Lake County, please contact the Victim Witness Division of the Lake County District Attorney’s Office at 707-262-4282.