KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – After being rained out last week, Kelseyville's first “Kickin' in the Country” street dance of the season has been rescheduled for Thursday, June 23.

The Kelseyville Business Association will host the free event with live music from 7 to 10 p.m. on Main Street.

This week's featured band is Beatz Werkin', a lively bunch that plays many fun and popular dance tunes from the 1970s.

Dances this summer also will take place on July 21, Aug. 18 and Sept. 15.

For more information contact the Kelseyville Business Association at 707-279-9022, or visit the association's Web site at http://www.visitkelseyville.com/ or its Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/visitKelseyville .

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Rep. Mike Thompson’s (CA-5) bipartisan legislation, the Small Business Healthcare Relief Act (H.R. 5477), passed the House of Representatives on Tuesday.

Last week, H.R. 5477 was passed out of the House Committee on Ways and Means.

This legislation allows small employers to continue to offer Health Reimbursement Arrangements, or HRAs, to their employees so that they can choose a quality, affordable health insurance plan that fits their individual budget and health care needs.

Existing Treasury Department guidance under the Affordable Care Act limits the use of HRA’s for small businesses.

“The passage of the Small Business Healthcare Relief Act is a prime example of what we should be doing in Congress – working across party lines to make health coverage available to our constituents,” said Rep. Thompson. “This legislation will help small business owners, workers and their families. By ensuring that small business owners can continue to offer HRAs to their employees, we not only arm our small business owners with a competitive advantage to recruit and retain employees, but we also help ensure that hard-working Americans can receive quality, affordable coverage.”  

“The Small Business Healthcare Relief Act is a common-sense, bipartisan solution ensuring our small businesses aren’t penalized for trying to do the right thing. HRAs are an affordable solution for both employees and employers to combat the escalating cost of health insurance. I thank my colleague, Congressman Mike Thompson, for continuing to work with me to find ways to increase access to high-quality health care for all Americans,” said Rep. Charles Boustany (R-LA).

On Sept. 13, 2013, the Department of Treasury issued guidance disallowing businesses from using HRA’s as a tax-free means to reimburse employees, stating these arrangements were disqualified under Affordable Care Act’s annual dollar cap.

– Ensuring that small businesses are allowed to use pre-tax dollars to give employees a defined contribution.
– Allowing employees to use these funds as an HRA to purchase health coverage on the individual market, as well as for qualified out-of-pocket medical expenses.
– Protecting small business employers from being unnecessarily financially penalized for providing this option to employees.

The legislation is budget-neutral, meaning it won’t add a single dollar to our deficit.

The bill is supported by the United States Chamber of Commerce, the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), the Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA), the National Association of Homebuilders (NAHB), the National Association for the Self-Employed, and the Coalition for Affordable Healthcare (CAHC).

The legislation now goes to the Senate.

Thompson represents California’s Fifth Congressional District, which includes all or part of Contra Costa, Lake, Napa, Solano and Sonoma counties.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Highland Springs Picnic Area, from the horseshoe pits to the bathroom facilities, will be closed this weekend due to a special event.

The area will be closed from 5 p.m. Friday, June 24; all day Saturday, June 25; and will reopen at noon on Sunday, June 26.

For more information please call the Lake County Department of Water Resources at 707-263-2344.

KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – The Lake County Historical Society will hold its June barbecue meeting on Saturday, June 26.

The event will take place from 1:30 to 4 p.m. at the Ely Stage Stop and Country Museum at 9921 State Highway 281 (Soda Bay Road) in Kelseyville.

Phil Smoley will speak about the mysterious death of Lake County heiress Harry “Hallie” Floyd.

In 1903, 30-year-old Harry Floyd married Milos Gopcevic, a San Francisco cable car grip who claimed to be of European royal descent.

Three months later she was dead, and her new husband inherited nearly everything.

Officially, she died of an illness. Her family claimed she was murdered. The outcome of the trial changed Lake County's history forever.

Smoley will explore the background of the bizarre chapter of Lake County history and try to get to the bottom of how Harry Floyd died.

Smoley, is a 35-year resident of Lake County, and a former president and current director of the society, in addition to being a founder of the Lake County Historical Roundtable and a local real estate broker.

The Lake County Historical Society will supply hamburgers, hot dogs, buns, plates, utensils, napkins, bottled water and soft drinks. Please bring a dish to share. If your dish needs to be cold keep it on ice.

There is no charge for historical society members; admission for guests is $5 at the door. If guests join the society at the barbecue, the $5 will apply to their memberships.

The Ely Stage Stop is on Highway 281 – also called Soda Bay Road – about one mile north of the traffic signal at the Kit’s Corner intersection of Highway 29 and Highway 281. Watch for the Ely sign beside the road.

For more information contact Bonnie Skee at 707-262-1432 or Jackie Ridgel at 707-279-4062.

The Web site at http://www.lakecountyhistory.org/ has information about the society’s programs and activities.

This year, Caltrans and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) are asking thousands of Californians how they get around.

Surveys are being distributed now through April 2017 and Caltrans is asking the public to take part and help plan for future transportation needs.

“The data from this survey helps us build a complete picture of how, when and why we travel in our daily lives,” said Caltrans Director Malcolm Dougherty. “This information helps policymakers and transportation planners decide how to best invest and spend transportation dollars, now and in the future.”

The National Household Travel Survey is a study conducted by the FHWA that provides characteristics of travelers, trip activities and travel habits. It is a nationwide survey mailed to randomly selected households.

The year-long data collection effort will help Caltrans and the FHWA better understand and plan for the future of transportation.

This information is also used by air quality agencies to better understand how vehicles contribute to the types and amount of emissions.

Improving air quality by reducing vehicle emissions is an important part of transportation planning and decision making.

Learning about the public’s walking, biking, driving and public transit use will help planners understand the impact of travel on air quality and plan for policy and infrastructure improvements that would support more non-motorized trips to reduce carbon emissions.

Selected households that participate in the survey will be assigned a specific “travel day.” On the assigned day, every member of the household will keep track of all the trips they take – whether by car, public transit, walking or biking.

The household will submit the results of their travel log online or by phone, a process that takes about 25 minutes.

This important survey is conducted every five to seven years by the U.S. Department of Transportation and Caltrans has joined FHWA to include additional survey questions related to transportation issues specific to California.

Caltrans and the FHWA have put in place numerous safeguards to ensure that all personal information and survey data is kept secure, and all information collected will be used for travel data analysis and research purposes only.

For more information about the National Household Travel Survey, visit www.NationalHouseholdTravelSurvey.com .  

SACRAMENTO – An app with an unparalleled resource directory for victims of crime is now available on both iOS and Android devices.

The Victims of Crime Resource Center app offers a vast resource directory, which provides information and referrals statewide to victims, their families, victim service providers, and victim advocates.

It is broken down by county and crime type and has also been recognized on a national level.

In 1984, the California Legislature enacted Penal Code §138978 et seq., which provided for the establishment of the Victims’ Legal Resource Center.

The center was entrusted with the task of providing legal counsel to victims, referral to local service providers and dissemination of information and educational materials about victims’ rights to local law
enforcement and victim service providers.

The VCRC app provides information on such matters including victims’ compensation, victims' rights in the Justice System, restitution, civil suits, right to speak at sentencing and parole board hearings, as well as information on specific rights of victims of domestic violence, elder abuse, child abuse, and abuse against disabled.

The app is now available on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store free of charge.

It is compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch and requires iOS 9.0 or later.

UPPER LAKE, Calif. – Upper Lake High School has released the list of honor roll students for the second semester of the 2015-16 school year.

The following groups of students are ranked by grade point average.

12th Grade Trustee Scholars, 4.0+:

Jessica Mooney, Collin McVey, Nachee Williams, Jing (Melissa) Li and Kaylee O’Bryant.

12th Grade Principal’s Honor Roll, 3.0-3.9:

Justin Lewis, Patrick Dever, Katie Foster, Chase Goetjen, Santos Obedoza, Zachary Sneathen, Jerrod Ankeny, Ashley Clarke, Danielle Donohue, Shably Navarro, Cole Miller, Wroehnyn Milks, Angelica Cardoza-Romero, Angel Sanchez, James Heryford, Abigail Williams, Jessica Arroyo, Anthony Percival, Travis Rife, Alberto Lopez, Isaac Nevarez, Mercedes De Los Santos, Alexander Durbin and Edgar Valencia.

12th Grade Dean’s List, 2.0-2.9:

Molly Sivertsen, Maria Mendoza, Alejandro DeJesus Merino, Matthew Willard, Andrew Rowe, Kristen King, David Becerra-Lopez, Desiree Knight, Dyani Crandell, Kevin Coburn, Shamron Anderson, Thomas Byerly, Jaquelyn Wilson and Jessica Hickey.

11th Grade Trustee Scholars, 4.0+:

Megan Franco, Emily Dunn and Rhianna Eby.

11th Grade Principal’s Honor Roll, 3.0-3.9:

Brianna Tartaro, Natalie Karlsson, Jasmine Sparks, Cristal Nieves Renteria, Alejandro Sanchez, Crystal Carroll, Carson Whitfield, Haley Sheets, Emilyann Heiartz-Martin Kayla Nevarez, Kejhana Taylor, Chelsie Valdez, Angel Stith, Rebecca Garner, Alverto Solano, Isabel Rorabaugh, Dakota Fugate and Salvador Sanchez.

11th Grade Dean’s List, 2.0-2.9:

Valeria Robles, Miranda Huntley, Chase Clark, Francisco Gregorio Flores, Dylan Carr, Isaiah Garcia, Jazlyn Bonilla, Luke Sorenson. Anthony Serrano, Derek Pritchard, Savannah Portlock, Mya Woodford, Timothy Beffa and Elijah Jarrett.

10th Grade Trustee Scholars, 4.0+:

Nicholas Warner, Jessica Jordan, Delaney Love, Daniela Estrada Flores and Anisha Kalan.

10th Grade Principal’s Honor Roll, 3.0-3.9:

Colton Goetjen, Casey Herman, Steven Stump, Nastasia Cullen, Brenna Sanchez, Lyndsay Wade, Angelica Ayala, Bailee Byrd, Julia Mooney, Brianna Brackett, Alexis Martinez Mendoza, Jasmine Soliz, Andrew Brackett, Jacob Kalawaia, Christina Wilson, Kristen Hamel, Ashley Aceves, Ravon Wilczewski and Camden Goetjen.

10th Grade Dean’s List, 2.0-2.9:

Sierra Galloway, Blake Noble, Kahlil George, Victoria Baca, Darren Swaney, Adrianna Saldana, David Espino Mireles, Rylan Robinson, Nathan Sneed, Anthony Lopez, Stacy Johnson, Darin Harmon, Terrence Mitchell, Diana Salgado, Jazmine Serafin, Joshua Williams and Christopher Johnson.

Nine Grade Principal’s Honor Roll, 3.0-3.9:

Elisa Zelaya, Adriana Teresita Martinez Lopez, Tyler Mendenhall, Anna Jordan, Katlyn Minnis, Chad Ferguson, Rosemary Su, Rebecca Harper , Kenneth Hodges, Cheyanne Obedoza, Alexander Serrano, Jose Fernandez, Amanda Maxwell, Jesus Valencia, Sarah Williams and Alissa Sparks

Ninth Grade Dean’s List, 2.0-2.9:

Christopher Fecht, Daymion Martinez, Hailey Elliston, Kehlani McKelvey, Robert Porterfield, Armando Santos, Logan Demello, Caitlin Lucientes, Wiley Kirk, Cyndal Ader, Haley Holleman, Lauren Phelps and Garret Martini.

MENDOCINO NATIONAL FOREST, Calif. – The United States Forest Service will hold a surplus vehicle and equipment Internet auction Tuesday, June 21, and Wednesday, June 22.

The property is at 19777 Greenley Road, Sonora.

The inspection period will be June 21 and June 22 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Bidders must register on the auction Web site at www.gsaauctions.gov .

Internet auction registration and payment information are located on the web site.

Enter sale number 91QSCI16028120 thru 91QSCI16028130 to view items for bid.

The Internet sale closes June 22, 2016.

The auction is open to the public.

For more information, please contact Fronnie Shackelford at 209-532-3671, Extension 250.