Via a NASA-led citizen science project, eight people with no formal training in astrophysics helped discover what could be a fruitful new place to search for planets outside our solar system – a large disk of gas and dust encircling a star known as a circumstellar disk.

A paper, published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters and coauthored by eight citizen scientists involved in the discovery, describes a newly identified red dwarf star, AWI0005x3s, and its warm circumstellar disk, the kind associated with young planetary systems.

Most of the exoplanets, which are planets outside our solar system, that have been imaged to date dwell in disks similar to the one around AWI0005x3s.

The disk and its star are located in what is dubbed the Carina association – a large, loose grouping of similar stars in the Carina Nebula approximately 212 light years from our sun. Its relative proximity to Earth will make it easier to conduct follow-on studies.

"Most disks of this kind fade away in less than 30 million years," said Steven Silverberg, a graduate student at Oklahoma University and lead author of the paper. "This particular red dwarf is a candidate member of the Carina association, which would make it around 45 million years old. It's the oldest red dwarf system with a disk we've seen in one of these associations."

Since the launch of NASA’s Disk Detective website in January 2014, approximately 30,000 citizen scientists have performed roughly two million classifications of stellar objects, including those that led to this discovery.

Through Disk Detective, citizen scientists study data from NASA’s Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer mission (WISE), the agency’s Two-Micron All Sky Survey project, and other stellar surveys.

"Without the help of the citizen scientists examining these objects and finding the good ones, we might never have spotted this object," said Marc Kuchner, an astrophysicist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, who leads Disk Detective. "The WISE mission alone found 747 million objects, of which we expect a few thousand to be circumstellar disks.”

The eight citizen scientist co-authors, members of an advanced user group, volunteered to help by researching disk candidates. Their data led to the discovery of this new disk.

“I’ve loved astronomy since childhood and wanted to be part of the space program, as did every boy my age,” added Milton Bosch, a citizen scientist co-author from California. “I feel very fortunate to be part of such a great group of dedicated people, and am thrilled to partake in this adventure of discovery and be a co-author on this paper.”

Disk Detective is a collaboration between NASA, Zooniverse, the University of Oklahoma, University of Córdoba in Argentina, National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, Space Telescope Science Institute, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Carnegie Institution of Washington, University of Hawaii and Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute.

To learn more about opportunities for the public to participate in NASA science and technology projects, visit http://www.nasa.gov/solve .

LAKEPORT, Calif. – A local businessman and Lake County Chamber of Commerce Board member pleaded on Friday to two counts related to the sexual battery of a former girlfriend last year.

Richard Alvin Hamilton, 60, pleaded no contest to misdemeanor counts of sexual battery and false imprisonment at an appearance in Lake County Superior Court on Friday, according to Senior Deputy District Attorney Ed Borg.

Messages left by Lake County News for Hamilton's attorney, J. David Markham, were not returned.

Hamilton was held over for trial following a July preliminary hearing, and was set to go to trial on Nov. 2.

In July 2015, during a visit to his ex-girlfriend's home in Lakeport, Hamilton jumped on the woman, held her down and tried to push up her clothes while removing his own. He did not stop despite the woman telling him to, and the incident only ended after the woman managed to kick him off of her.

The woman did not go to police immediately, but after she made a report in October 2015, Lakeport Police Det. Dale Stoebe launched an investigation that ended days later with Hamilton's arrest.

The District Attorney’s Office initially charged Hamilton with attempted rape, rape by force, assault with the intent to commit rape, sexual battery and false imprisonment.

Court records also revealed that Hamilton – who owns a local sign company, works as a Realtor and has remained a Lake County Chamber of Commerce Board member since his arrest – had been accused of raping a woman in Sacramento County in 2001. That case was dismissed after two mistrials.

Borg said that by Hamilton pleading to the sexual battery and false imprisonment charges, the remaining charges against him were dropped.

Hamilton was sentenced to 30 days in jail, three years' summary probation and 20 hours of work service, and must complete a 52-week batterer's treatment program, which is required by law because Hamilton and the victim had a prior dating relationship, Borg said.

Additionally, Borg said a restraining order preventing Hamilton from approaching his victim is in effect for 10 years.

The plea agreement also results in Hamilton being required to register as a sex offender, Borg said.
         
Sex offender registration requirements include registering with the law enforcement agency in whose jurisdiction the convicted offender lives; updating their information annually with law enforcement within five working days of their birthday; and notifying law enforcement of a change of address within five days of a move, according to the Megan's Law Web site, which includes an online registry of most registered sex offenders, except for those granted exclusions, based on their charges.

Borg said the case resolution was discussed with the victim prior to settling the case, and that she was OK with the outcome.

Additionally, District Attorney Don Anderson had no involvement in the case due to a distant acquaintance with Hamilton, Borg 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. – The California Department of Fish and Wildlife is partnering with researchers at the University of California, Davis on an innovative multi-year study of tule elk herds in Colusa and Lake counties.

CDFW and UC Davis researchers plan to collect elk pellets and study DNA extracted from the pellets during a two-part study scheduled to begin later this month.

While fecal DNA has been used to estimate abundance and other population data in several deer populations in California since 2011, this study will be the first on free-ranging tule elk.

The effort will help CDFW staff determine the population, distribution, movement and habitat use of tule elk within the study area, and the results will guide conservation planning efforts.

The Cache Creek, Lake Pillsbury and East Park Reservoir tule elk herds often roam public land, offering viewing and hunting opportunities for the public, and the herds also frequent private land.

This presents an opportunity for landowners to aid CDFW's elk conservation goals by facilitating research activities on their property.

In the opening phase of the study, biologists will use helicopter net-gunning and ground-based tranquilizer darting to capture and place satellite collars on 56 tule elk in the Cache Creek, Lake Pillsbury, Bear Valley and East Park Reservoir herds.

The collars will log GPS coordinates for an elk's location every 13 hours and the locations will be stored in an online database accessible to CDFW biologists.

Collar data will also guide site selection for the second phase of the study, a DNA-based survey to estimate numbers of individuals in the population and measure gene flow among herds. This phase is scheduled to begin in late summer of next year.

DNA profiles will be obtained from elk fecal pellets collected by CDFW and UC Davis personnel. The pellets will be analyzed at the Mammalian Ecology and Conservation Unit of the Veterinary Genetics Laboratory at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine and the DNA used to identify individuals, their sex and familial relationships to other elk.

The use of DNA extracted from fecal pellets to estimate the size of wildlife populations is a recently developed technique that has become more favorable among wildlife researchers  over the past decade.

This safe, non-invasive approach minimally disturbs animals, enables surveys in low-visibility habitats where sight-based surveys may be relatively ineffective, and can be implemented more frequently than other costlier survey methods.

Tule elk are a native subspecies of elk unique to California. Prior to the arrival of European settlers, they numbered more than half a million statewide. The population rapidly declined in the mid-1800s due to unregulated market hunting and habitat loss.

Tule elk dropped to such low numbers that they were once thought to be extinct.

In 1875, an estimated two to 10 tule elk were discovered on a ranch near Lake Buena Vista in Kern County.

The ranch owner, Henry Miller, is credited with protecting the last remaining tule elk and allowing them to multiply on his property.

Tule elk have since been closely managed. Beginning in the early 1900s, they were captured and relocated to reestablish herds throughout their historical range in California.

The Cache Creek herd was established in 1922, and is the oldest free-ranging tule elk herd in the state.

The Lake Pillsbury herd was released in 1978 and many of those elk dispersed throughout the Mendocino National Forest and into surrounding areas. By the early 1990s, some settled near Stonyford and established the East Park Reservoir herd.

Since 1975, CDFW has captured and relocated more than 1,500 elk and currently it is estimated that there are more than 5,100 tule elk distributed in 22 herds throughout California.

Landowners willing to provide access and become partners in tule elk conservation can contact CDFW Wildlife Biologist Josh Bush at 916-374-9137, or at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

For more information about tule elk, visit www.wildlife.ca.gov/conservation/mammals/elk/tule-elk .

LUCERNE, Calif. – Local officials will join with Lucerne's Neighborhood Watch group to host a town hall on Tuesday, Oct. 25.

The town hall will begin at 6 p.m. at the Northshore Community Center, 3985 Country Club Drive.

Supervisor Jim Steele, Northshore Fire Protection District Chief Jay Beristianos and a representative from the Lake County Sheriff's Office will be on hand for the meeting.

Topics to be discussed include Neighborhood Watch, Lucerne water rate changes and fire preparation, Steele said.

Steele told Lake County News that he also plans to discuss introducing a permanent town hall group for the Lucerne area.

“There are many issues that could use a consistent community involvement, such as the neighborhood watch reports, water quality and pricing, community development, etc.,” he 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.

NORTH COAST, Calif. – Homelessness – and how to best tackle the issue – has been in the headlines across the state of California this year as cities and counties have been trying to proactively address this growing challenge.

State Sen. Mike McGuire, who has been a statewide leader on the issue, is hosting an informative town hall next week on how North Coast communities can secure a portion of the $2 billion that will be available from the state starting in 2017 for permanent housing that will be connected to services.

The town hall is open to the public and will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 27, at the Ukiah Valley Conference Center, 200 South School St. Snacks and refreshments will be available.

McGuire's office said the event will be streamed online for those who cannot attend in person.

Federal agencies will be on hand to discuss opportunities for ongoing operational funding for the housing, and nonprofits from across the region will be presenting on successes and challenges associated with housing chronic homeless.

Anyone interested in tackling homelessness is encouraged to attend.

“Homelessness, especially the lack of resources for housing and services, is at a crisis point across California – and our North Coast communities have been struggling to meet the need with limited resources and support,” McGuire said. “While there is still an incredible amount of work to be done, we have made great strides by securing $2 billion statewide that will be invested in permanent homeless housing, tens of millions of dollars will flow into Northern California alone.”

For more than a year, Sen. McGuire has been working with state agency leaders, local nonprofits and city and county officials to ensure the North Coast began to receive funding for emergency homeless shelters and housing-first projects to address homelessness in Northern California.

California Housing and Community Development recently announced grant awards for counties across the state via the Emergency Solutions Grant program, which supports rapid rehousing, emergency shelter, and other services to address homelessness.

“Due to an amazing amount of teamwork, the North Coast will benefit from these desperately needed homeless services funds. No Emergency Solutions Grant dollars had been invested in Mendocino, Lake or Humboldt counties for a few years, and it took nonprofit leaders and local officials working together to get the job done,” McGuire said. “We are thrilled that North Coast communities who have such significant need will now see state dollars invested in homeless services and we have been grateful to partner with so many over the past several months.”

Projects throughout Northern California will receive Emergency Solutions Grant program funds including emergency shelter and street outreach through Arcata House Partnership, three projects in Mendocino County are receiving state funds and a rapid rehousing initiative managed by North Coast Opportunities will be funded in Lake County with a $201,894 grant.

This spring, Sen. McGuire held a Homeless Services Summit bringing civic and nonprofit leaders together to discuss strategies to address the lack of funding available for homeless services and programs.

From that summit, valuable feedback helped shape state policy this year and since then, a lot has been accomplished.

The governor signed the State Senate’s $2 billion Homeless Services initiative – the No Place Like Home bill – which Sen. McGuire helped lead. The initiative will build a minimum of 14,000 units across our state.

In addition, Sen. McGuire fought hard along with North Coast leaders to ensure the state Emergency Solutions Grant program would benefit rural California.

The 2016-17 budget has $35 million available to support rapid rehousing, emergency shelter, and other services to address homelessness throughout the state through the Emergency Solutions Grant program.

Between the Emergency Solutions Grant awards and the $2 billion No Place Like Home initiative funding which will begin to roll out in 2017, Sen. McGuire believes it is a top priority to get all stakeholders together in the same room – or watching online – for an informative and accessible Town Hall later this month.

The list of speakers includes:

– Sen. Mike McGuire: Tackling homelessness across the State of California and the No Place Like Home initiative.
– Lisa Bates, deputy director of Housing Policy Development: Report from Housing and Community Development, lead State Agency, on the No Place Like Home initiative.
– Danica Bogicevic, US Department of Veterans Affairs: Briefing on issues facing veterans regarding homelessness, housing & federal grant funds.
– Christina DiFrancesco, specialist, Division of Financial Assistance, California Housing & Community Development: Accessing funding through state and federal programs.
– Nikka Rapkin, HomeBase SF: Creating projects to make the greatest impact to reduce homelessness while accessing the highest levels of funding.
– Georgia Berland, Sonoma County Task Force for the Homeless: Introduction to understanding the unique needs of the chronically homeless.
– Ellen Frieboes, Housing Connections Director Hamilton Families: Rapid re-housing for homeless families in San Francisco.
– Doreen Best, Special Projects Manager, Catholic Charities: The Palms Inn: hotel to homeless housing conversion.
– Mary Kay Sweeney, Homeward Bound Marin: Supportive housing programs and community engagement.