LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lakeport Economic Development Advisory Committee this week will continue its work to prepare the city's economic development strategic plan.

The meeting will take place from 7:30 to 9 a.m. Wednesday, April 13, at Lakeport City Hall, 225 Park St.

The main item on LEDAC's agenda is the working session on the Lakeport Economic Development Strategic Plan.

As part of preparing that final plan, LEDAC working groups have been reviewing documents including the city's former redevelopment agency five-year implementation plan; the 2016 Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy; Lake County 2030 – A Blueprint for our Future (Lake County/City Area Planning Council); Lake County Economic Development & Marketing Strategic Plan, 2011-2013; and the Downtown Improvement Plan, Phase II.

Chair Wilda Shock said LEDAC members will hold the final discussion on those documents ahead of finalizing the plan.

In other business, there will be an update on the vacant commercial buildings and lands inventory, with an informational presentation on alternative design approaches.

There also will be time for citizen input.

LEDAC advocates for a strong and positive Lakeport business community and acts as a conduit between the city and the community for communicating the goals, activities and progress of Lakeport’s economic and business programs.

Members do not have to be Lakeport residents.

In addition to Shock, the membership includes Vice Chair Christine Hutt, Secretary Rebecca Southwick, and members Bill Eaton, Melissa Fulton, Pam Harpster, Chris King, George Linn, Taira St. John and Panette Talia.

Lakeport City Community Development Director Kevin Ingram and City Manager Margaret Silveira serve as ex-officio committee members.

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.

The California Highway Patrol is honoring the men and women who serve as call-takers and dispatchers during National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week, April 10 to 16.

This is an opportunity to thank those who are too often forgotten, despite the invaluable service they provide to first responders and the general public.

“I am very proud of our public safety dispatchers and the indispensable services they provide to the public every day,” said CHP Commissioner Joe Farrow. “They are often the first and most critical contact people have with emergency services. In addition to assisting the public, they help our officers in the field by providing valuable information, so officers can get the job done on the front lines.”

A large majority of California’s wireless 9-1-1 emergency calls are handled by CHP dispatchers. They ensure the caller on the other end of the line receives proper assistance in an emergency.

The calls dispatchers handle are never routine. In an instant, a dispatcher must be ready to engage with the caller and determine the proper response to ensure safety.

In between handling emergency calls, dispatchers are in constant communication with patrol officers, often assisting them by looking up vehicle identification numbers, license plates, driver license numbers and running criminal record checks on wanted subjects.

The CHP has 25 communications centers statewide that employ more than 900 public safety dispatchers. Last year these employees were responsible for handling approximately 10.1 million service calls.

Calling 9-1-1 can be stressful. The following tips will help callers and dispatchers during an emergency:

– Remain calm.
– Be prepared to provide your name, phone number, address or location, and a detailed description of the incident or vehicle being reported.
– Wireless devices do not always give the call-taker your location. Providing an accurate location of the emergency may be the single most important information for the dispatcher. This allows them to send help to the correct place.
– Listen carefully and follow all directions provided by the dispatcher.
– Wait for the dispatcher to ask questions, and then answer clearly and calmly.
– Be prepared to provide a physical description if the emergency involves a criminal suspect.
– Remember, 9-1-1 is for life-threatening emergencies. Misuse of the emergency 9-1-1 system will result in a delay for callers with real emergencies.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – Lakeport Police officers on Tuesday afternoon arrested a Clear Lake High School teacher who had been seen driving erratically near the campus, was found to be under the influence of marijuana and attempted to hide evidence in an administrative office.

Michael Alan Oleson, 58, of Kelseyville was arrested at the school campus, according to Lakeport Police Chief Brad Rasmussen.

Rasmussen said his department was contacted by the Lakeport Unified School District administration, which requested a response and investigation regarding the report of a district employee having been seen driving erratically on two streets leading into the Clear Lake High School campus. 

At 2:45 p.m. Lakeport Police officers responded and contacted the teacher, identified as Oleson, Rasmussen said.

Officers met with, interviewed and evaluated Oleson in an administrative office at the high school. Based on their investigation, Rasmussen said officers found that he was currently displaying signs and symptoms of marijuana influence and believed that he was under the influence. 

During the investigation officers stepped out of the office so that they could talk to school administrators and gather further information, Rasmussen said. Oleson remained seated in the office with the officers continuing to watch him.

At that point, an officer saw Oleson concealing an item inside an office bookcase. Rasmussen said the officers immediately entered the office and searched the area, recovering the item which was identified as a personal use quantity of marijuana hash oil. 

Oleson was placed under arrest on misdemeanor charges of driving under the influence of marijuana, possession of marijuana on school grounds and concealing evidence – in this case, hash oil – to prevent its discovery, Rasmussen said.

Rasmussen said the officers searched Oleson’s vehicle, which was parked on the campus, and located further evidence of marijuana use and possession. 

Oleson was transported to the Lakeport Police Department where he submitted to a urine test. He was then transported to the Lake County Correctional Facility where he was booked, Rasmussen said.

Jail records showed that Oleson's bail was set at $5,000. On Tuesday evening he posted the required portion of bail and was released.

He's tentatively scheduled to appear in court on June 7, according to booking records.

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – Clearlake Animal Control has seven dogs ready to join new families this week.

The dogs available include mixes of American Bulldog, boxer, coonhound, Doberman Pinscher, Labrador Retriever, pit bull, Rottweiler and Staffordshire Bull Terrier.

To meet the dogs, 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 contact Animal Control Officer Jenna Tuller at Extension 115 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. those same days.

Also follow Clearlake Animal Control on Facebook for the latest updates.

Below are this week's available dogs.

'Bailey'

“Bailey” is a 7-month-old male Labrador Retriever-pit bull mix who came in with two other female littermates.

Shelter staff said he would make a wonderful family member. He likes to play, gets along with cats and would be good with kids, and has that “Labrador personality.”

'Blacky'

“Blacky” is a male Doberman Pinscher and coonhound mix.

He is a favorite at the shelter. Staff said he a laid back kind of a guy and gets along with everyone – including cats and dogs.

He's also a bit of a goofball that loves to chase flies, which staff said is very entertaining to watch.

He's kind-hearted, and gentle easy to walk on a leash. He was already neutered when he came in so his adoption fee is only $40.

'Buster'

“Buster” is a 3-year-old male pit bull terrier mix.

He walks nicely on leash and has a mellow personality.

Shelter staff said he's good with cats and will make a good family member.

'Katie'

“Katie” is a young female Labrador Retriever and pit bull terrier mix.

Shelter staff said she is a kind girl who will be your best friend. She's a littermate to Bailey and Molly.

Katie would be great in all sorts of activities, from camping trips to going for a job or a walk.

'Molly'

“Molly” is a 7-month-old Labrador Retriever and Pit Bull mix, and a littermate to Bailey and Katie.

Shelter staff said she is very sweet, loves to play and will make a wonderful family addition. She must be seen to be appreciated.

'Mona'

“Mona” is a young female Rottweiler-boxer mix with a low-key personality.

She is already spayed.

Shelter staff said she walks well on a leash, and is good with children, cats and other dogs.

'Toby'

“Toby” is a mix of Staffordshire Bull Terrier and American Bulldog.

Shelter staff said he is strongly built but is an absolute love bug.

He gets along well with other dogs, and walks great on a leash.

Toby also is potty trained, vaccinated and very friendly, and ready to go to a new home.

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.

UPPER LAKE, Calif. – This week the Upper Lake Unified School District Board will consider approving job descriptions and contracts with firms for professional services, and hold a hearing on classified negotiations.

The board will meet for a 4 p.m. closed session before the regular public session at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, April 12, in the library/student center at Upper Lake High School, 675 Clover Valley Road.

Documents and background information for agenda items are available to the public at http://www.boarddocs.com/ca/ulusd/Board.nsf/Public . 

On the agenda is a public hearing for the sunshine openers on the contract negotiations between the district and the Upper Lake Classified School Employees Association.

The board also will receive a special technology report from Ron Rosser and Sandy Coatney, and informational reports from Business Manager Sue Milhaupt and Superintendent Patrick Iaccino.

Under action and discussion items, the board will consider approving a resolution for workers' compensation coverage for volunteer personnel, and also will take up whether or not to approve contracts with School Innovations & Achievement and Caldwell Flores Winter Inc., the latter offering professional state aid services.

In other business, the board will review job descriptions for the positions of food services manager; building, grounds and maintenance supervisor; and technology director.

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 average, California women employed full-time, year round are paid just 84 cents for every dollar paid to men – a yearly pay gap of $8,053.

That means, in total, women in California lose more than $39 billion every year, which is money that could strengthen the state economy and the financial security of California’s women and families, including the nearly 1,751,000 California households headed by women.

These are some of the findings of a new analysis conducted by the National Partnership for Women & Families and released for Equal Pay Day on Tuesday.

The analysis spans all 50 states, all 435 congressional districts in the country, and the District of Columbia. It can be found at www.NationalPartnership.org/Gap .

The full set of findings for California, which can be seen below, include that, for every dollar paid to white, non-Hispanic men in California, African American women, Latinas and Asian women who work full time, year round are paid 63 cents, 43 cents and 72 cents, respectively.

“This analysis is a sobering reminder of the serious harm the wage gap causes women and families all across the country,” said Debra L. Ness, president of the National Partnership. “At a time when women’s wages are so critical to the economic well-being of families, the country is counting on lawmakers to work together to advance the fair and family friendly workplace policies that would promote equal pay. There is no time to waste.”

According to the new analysis, if the gap between women’s and men’s wages in California were eliminated, each woman who holds a full-time, year-round job in the state could afford to buy food for 1.1 more years, pay for mortgage and utilities for four more months, or pay rent for more than six additional months.

Basic necessities like these would be particularly important for the 28 percent of California’s woman-headed households currently living below the poverty level.

California is not the only state with a wage gap. In fact, every state and 98 percent of the country’s congressional districts have one.

The National Partnership’s national analysis finds that the 10 states with the largest cents-on-the-dollar wage gaps in the country – from largest to smallest – are Louisiana, Utah, Wyoming, West Virginia, North Dakota, Alabama, Idaho, Oklahoma, Montana and Michigan.

A ranking of all 50 states and the District of Columbia can be found at http://www.nationalpartnership.org/research-library/workplace-fairness/fair-pay/americas-women-and-the-wage-gap.pdf .

Nationally, women who are employed full-time, year round are paid, on average, 79 cents for every dollar paid to men.

The gap is larger for African American women and Latinas who are paid 60 cents and 55 cents, respectively, for every dollar paid to white, non-Hispanic men.

For Asian women in the United States, the gap is smaller but persists. On average, Asian women are paid 84 cents for every dollar paid to white, non-Hispanic men, although some ethnic subgroups fare much worse.

“It is unacceptable that the wage gap has persisted, punishing the country’s women and families for decades,” Ness continued. “Some state lawmakers have taken steps to address the issue by passing legislation to combat discriminatory pay practices and provide other workplace supports. It is past time for federal lawmakers to do the same. We need Congress to pass the Paycheck Fairness Act, which is a common sense proposal that has languished for much too long.”

Currently before Congress, the Paycheck Fairness Act is meant to close loopholes in the Equal Pay Act, help to break patterns of pay discrimination, and establish stronger workplace protections for women.

The National Partnership argues that the bill, along with other supportive policies – such as paid sick days, paid family and medical leave, minimum wage increases, fair scheduling and protections for pregnant workers – are what is needed to close the gap and should be top priorities for lawmakers.

The National Partnership’s analysis of the wage gap was released in advance of Equal Pay Day on Tuesday – which marks how far into the new year women must work in order to catch up with what men were paid the year before. The analysis uses data from the U.S. Census Bureau.

California Women and the Wage Gap