Bombardment of Earth’s surface by asteroids six or more miles long likely delayed the accumulation of oxygen in Earth’s atmosphere.
New evidence shows the number of ancient, large celestial bodies that crashed into Earth was up to 10 times higher than previously believed. This finding has led a team including a UC Riverside scientist to conclude that these collisions likely shaped the development of Earth’s chemistry early in its history.
The team’s work is detailed in a recent Nature Geoscience article. Impacts by asteroids or comets during the earliest years of Earth’s history likely contributed to the beginnings of life and its early evolution, yet later they delayed the development of more complex life-forms that require oxygen.
“Asteroid impacts can enhance the release of gases from the Earth that consume oxygen,” explained research team member and UCR biogeochemistry professor Tim Lyons.
“In addition, it’s common for meteorites to contain large amounts of iron that can interact with water and generate gases that affect the composition of the atmosphere,” he said. For example, iron can increase the flux of hydrogen and methane, both of which consume oxygen.
The revised understanding of our atmosphere is based on recent discoveries in Earth’s crust that point to a frequency of impacts roughly 2.4 to 3.5 billion years ago that greatly exceeds previous estimates. When large asteroids or comets struck, energy was released and it vaporized rocky materials in the planet’s crust. Small droplets of molten rock in the impact plume condensed, solidified, and fell back to Earth, creating round, sand-sized particles.
These particles, or impact spherules, are markers of ancient collisions. “In recent years, a number of new spherule layers have been identified in drill cores and outcrops, increasing the total number of known impact events during the early Earth,” said Nadja Drabon, a Harvard University professor and research team member.
The research team, led by Simone Marchi at Southwest Research Institute, found that the impacts tapered off around 2.4 billion years ago. This reduction coincided with a major shift in surface chemistry triggered by the rise in atmospheric oxygen, dubbed the Great Oxidation Event.
“For eons, there was a dance between the rise and fall of oxygen before it became a permanent feature of our atmosphere,” Lyons said. “Then, finally, the balance tipped for a number of reasons, one of which was the declining frequency of impacts.”
Readers need not be concerned about the re-emergence of an era in which we are again bombarded by giant asteroids. Impacts are far less common over the second half of Earth’s history. And while there are thousands of near-Earth objects today, some with the potential to hit Earth, the vast majority are quite small, and NASA closely monitors the larger ones.
Remarkably, though, impacts played a major role in shaping the history of life on Earth over billions of years. In addition to affecting oxygen, they caused major extinction events and changed the composition of the atmosphere in ways that warmed Earth’s surface and triggered the formation of organic molecules that likely served as the initial building blocks of life.
Impacts were particularly large and frequent in our early history. As the frequency and size of extraterrestrial object impacts declined, their ability to hold back the accumulation of oxygen in the atmosphere also declined, contributing to the initial rise of oxygen in Earth’s atmosphere roughly 2.4 billion years ago.
“This change,” Lyons said, “set the stage for the complex, oxygen-requiring life that followed, including the first animals more than a billion and a half years later.”
Jules Bernstein is senior public information officer for the University of California, Riverside.
For more than 50 years, Snoopy has contributed to the excitement for NASA human spaceflight missions, helping inspire generations to dream big.
NASA has shared an association with Charles M. Schulz and Snoopy since Apollo missions and continues under Artemis with new educational activities. Up next — Snoopy will ride along as the zero gravity indicator on Artemis I.
Artemis I is an uncrewed flight test of the Space Launch System, or SLS, rocket and Orion spacecraft around the Moon launching in early 2022 before missions with astronauts. Zero gravity indicators are small items carried aboard spacecraft that provide a visual indicator when a spacecraft has reached the weightlessness of microgravity.
Without astronauts aboard Orion, Snoopy will help share the journey with the world as he rides along in the cabin with a manikin and two other “passengers.”
Apollo era
Already a well-known household character, Snoopy was used to encourage NASA’s spaceflight safety initiative during the time of Apollo. Schulz created comic strips of Snoopy on the Moon, capturing public excitement about America’s achievements in space.
In May 1969, Apollo 10 astronauts Gene Cernan, John Young and Thomas Stafford traveled all the way to the Moon for one final checkout before the lunar landing attempt.
The mission required the lunar module to skim the Moon's surface to within 50,000 feet and "snoop around" scouting the Apollo 11 landing site, leading the crew to name the lunar module "Snoopy."
The Apollo command module was labeled "Charlie Brown," after Snoopy’s loyal owner. Snoopy’s first flight to space was in 1990 when he was able to catch a ride on the space shuttle Columbia during the STS-32 mission.
The agency’s Silver Snoopy award was created during the Apollo era and remains to this day. It is a high honor awarded to NASA employees and contractors by astronauts, celebrating achievements related to mission success and human flight safety.
Each silver pin given with this award, depicting astronaut Snoopy, was flown in space. Continuing the tradition, Artemis I will also carry a package of silver snoopy pins for future recognitions.
Apollo 50th anniversary
In 2019, NASA and Peanuts Worldwide celebrated the 50th Anniversary of the launch of Apollo 10 and the history of their partnership in NASA’s safety and human space flight awareness program.
Leading up to the anniversary, NASA and Peanuts collaborated on STEM activities, a mini-documentary and other new products that share the excitement of science, technology, engineering and math with the next generation of explorers.
The collaboration, formalized through a Space Act Agreement, provided an opportunity to update Snoopy’s spacesuit and introduce new space-themed programming with content about NASA’s deep space exploration missions, 50 years after the initial collaboration began during the Apollo era.
Under the anniversary collaboration, NASA provided support for a number of new Peanuts programs that focused on modern-day astronaut Snoopy and space themes, including a STEM-based curriculum for students in kindergarten through fifth grade about America’s deep space exploration objectives.
NASA centers across the nation joined the celebration as well with local exhibits or STEM activities capitalizing on the Apollo 10 mission’s unique call sign for the Lunar Lander of Snoopy. Snoopy also participated in the celebration on the National Mall in Washington to celebrate the 50th Apollo 11 Moon landing, which also took place in 1969.
NASA participated in other Apollo anniversary collaborations with Peanuts and its partners. Peanuts partnered with McDonalds for a "Discover Space with Snoopy" Happy Meal featuring Snoopy in his persona as the "world famous astronaut" and "the first beagle on the Moon," as well as STEM-focused books, activities, and toys.
Peanuts and its partner company WildBrain also premiered the first season of “Snoopy in Space,” on Apple TV+ in 2019. NASA supported Peanuts and its partners with reviews of STEM content and NASA mission information.
Astronaut Snoopy was featured as a balloon in the 2019 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and as a plush doll floating aboard the International Space Station. During coverage of the holiday celebration, NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Christina Koch delivered a message alongside Snoopy from aboard the space station, highlighting the partnership along with the 20th anniversary of continuous human presence on station, which is helping prepare future exploration with Artemis.
Astronaut Snoopy launched to the station aboard a Cygnus spacecraft on Northrop Grumman’s 12th cargo resupply mission. In the parade and on the space station, Snoopy sported a spacesuit modeled after NASA's Orion Crew Survival System, which is worn by astronauts while inside the Orion spacecraft on Artemis missions to the Moon. The Astronaut Snoopy balloon will appear again in the 2021 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.
Snoopy, Artemis generation
Today, the partnership continues. For Snoopy’s flight on the Artemis I mission, he will be outfitted in a custom orange flight suit complete with gloves, boots, and a NASA patch. Peanuts is releasing a new suite of curriculum and short videos with its partner, GoNoodle, to encourage kids to learn about gravity, teamwork, and space exploration while they follow Snoopy along on his Artemis I journey.
In addition to the doll and Silver Snoopy pins, a pen nib from Charles M. Schulz’s Peanuts studio will make the trek on Artemis I wrapped in a space themed comic strip as part of a collection of mementos selected by NASA to fly aboard the Orion spacecraft.
A new season of “Snoopy in Space” will also be released on Apple TV+ that explores the planets and what conditions are necessary to find life in the universe. NASA supported Peanuts with the series through reviews of STEM content and NASA mission information.
Under Artemis, NASA is working to land the first woman and the first person of color on the Moon and lead the next steps of human exploration for future missions to Mars. Artemis I will pave the way for a series of increasingly complex missions to establish a long-term presence at the Moon.
Every year, thousands of people are seriously injured or killed statewide in vehicle crashes caused by distracted drivers.
To combat this issue, the California Highway Patrol received the Adult Distracted Drivers (ADD) XII grant to keep California roads safe through education and enforcement.
“Distracted driving is a serious issue that is 100 percent preventable,” said CHP Commissioner Amanda Ray. “We are encouraging drivers to make a conscious choice to not drive distracted. This simple decision can have a tremendous positive impact on the safety of California’s roadways.”
Drivers who choose to drive distracted exponentially increase the odds of being involved in a vehicle crash.
According to data from the CHP’s Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System, in 2019 there were nearly 19,000 crashes where driver inattention played a role.
Of the 9,371 drivers involved in a fatal or injury distracted driving crash that year, nearly 10 percent cited cellphone use as the source of inattention.
Though there are numerous distractions for a driver, cellphones are the most prevalent. Handheld cellphone use while driving is not only illegal in California, it is an unsafe activity behind the wheel.
In California, drivers under the age of 18 are prohibited from using a cellphone while driving for any reason, including hands-free devices.
“Driving safely requires complete attention, so it is best to stay focused on the road. Distraction behind the wheel jeopardizes your safety, your passengers’ safety, and the well-being of those around you,” Commissioner Ray added.
Funds from the ADD grant will help support the CHP’s completion of at least 400 traffic safety presentations statewide and a minimum of 80 distracted driving enforcement operations between Oct. 1, 2021, and Sept. 30, 2022.
Funding for this program is provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — Officials said Friday that dropping cyanotoxin levels have led to the lifting of a health advisory for individuals who have household intakes in the Lower and Oaks Arms of Clear Lake.
High cyanotoxin levels in September prompted the advisory for individual household intakes, not public water systems.
With the generous help and support of Golden State and Mt. Konocti Mutual Water companies, alternative water filling stations were established to provide safe drinking water for affected residents. County officials said this likely helped prevent acute health issues for many.
The most recent Clear Lake cyanotoxin sampling, conducted Oct. 26, showed one shoreline site is at the danger level for cyanotoxins, five sites are at the warning level and two sites are at the caution level.
The highest microcystin level, at Redbud Park in Clearlake, was 25.11 µg/L and there were no detections of anatoxin-a. View the most recent data here.
Now that microcystin and anatoxin levels in the lake are significantly reduced, the drinking water health advisory is being lifted.
Alternative water-fill stations will remain in place until the end of the year, to give people time to service their systems as recommended below. Recreational water advisory signs are also being updated.
Officials cautioned that the fact Clear Lake cyanotoxin levels have improved does not ensure it is safe to drink water from individual privately managed water systems. Earlier testing showed other contaminants may also be present in these systems. People using these private water systems must make sure they are regularly maintained and tested; for cyanotoxins, and also coliform and nitrates.
As high cyanotoxin levels subside, officials urge residents not on public water systems to flush their water treatment systems before starting to use the water for drinking, cooking, and other uses. Filters may be contaminated with algal — or cyanobacterial — matter that can release toxins, so it’s recommended that treatment system filters be replaced.
Toxins can also remain in holding tanks and pipes, so holding tanks should be drained and indoor spigots run for five to 10 minutes. Consult the company that services your treatment system for instructions or assistance specific to your system.
Find helpful guidance — issued by the Thurston County Public Health and Social Services Department in Washington state — for purging household plumbing after a cyanobacteria bloom here.
Remember: If you are getting water from a public water system, your drinking water is being monitored and treated for cyanotoxins, and meets state and federal standards. These precautions are listed only for people drawing water directly from the lake for their individual household use. Boiling and bleach will not reduce cyanotoxins, and may make the problem worse.
“Now that we have seen drought and climate change are bringing about historically high cyanobacteria toxin levels, we need to prepare for the coming season,” the Lake County Health Services and Water Resources departments and Big Valley Band of Pomo Indians said in a joint statement.
People who have their own water systems should consider alternative water sources or more robust treatment with frequent testing and monitoring.
Public Health and local water districts are planning community forums in the coming months to explore potential solutions.
LAKEPORT, Calif. — The Lakeport Main Street Association is planning to kick off the holiday season with its Dickens Fair and Christmas Market later this month.
The fourth annual Dickens Fair takes place from 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 27, in downtown Lakeport.
In 2016 the Lakeport Main Street Association was asked to bring back the Dickens Fair to downtown Lakeport and the group reports that it is pleased that the event has been growing each year since.
The association’s aim is that the Dickens Fair becomes a “must attend event'' for not only Lake County residents, but for visitors that seek out this small town as a holiday destination.
The fair has grown over the years with the addition of a sledding hill and many activities for young and old.
A highlight is the lighting of the holiday tree in Museum Park, where dozens were gathered singing holiday favorites and awaiting the countdown to light it up.
In 2021 organizers are looking forward to presenting a Dickens Fair that has lots of activities for “kids” of all ages.
They will offer the sledding hill, cookie decorating, kids crafts, kids games, a snow globe for cute family pictures, a pet parade, costume contest, an ugly sweater contest, strolling carolers, craft vendors, food vendors, beverages for sale, dance performances, doughnut walk, photos with Santa and music all day.
There will be plenty of shopping available with vendors and downtown businesses.
The tree lighting will take place at 5:30 p.m. with none other than Santa himself.
For more information, contact the Lakeport Main Street Association at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 707-263-8843.
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA — A narrow majority of the Yuba Community College District Board of Trustees voted Wednesday night to pause the recruitment for a new permanent chancellor.
Following a lengthy discussion, the board approved a motion offered by Trustee Bill Roderick — whose coverage area includes Lake County — to direct Associate Vice Chancellor Jake Hurley to present an adjusted timeline to the board to extend the chancellor’s search six to 12 months.
That additional time, Roderick said, is to allow the district to deal with human resources and fiscal issues. He clarified that it isn’t restarting the process, but that the intention is, “We hit pause.”
Chancellor Douglas Houston left at the end of April, and in June the board appointed Dr. James Houpis interim chancellor, effective July 1.
Houpis’ contract calls for him to serve through June 30, 2022. That was to allow for the recruitment for a permanent chancellor. According to statements at Wednesday’s meeting, Houpis’ contract precludes him from applying for the job on a permanent basis.
Since he joined the district, Houpis has earned praise from classified staff and faculty for the way he has worked with them and addressed the district’s problems.
It’s a particularly challenging time for the district, which is facing dropping enrollment — exacerbated by the pandemic — and the accompanying financial challenges.
In October, the board received a report from the state’s Fiscal Crisis and Management Assistance Team, or FCMAT, that pointed to the potential for the district to face a “fiscal cliff” in the 2024-25 academic year should it not be able to increase enrollment across the district.
Board members raise concerns about timing
During public comment, before the discussion on the chancellor’s search, Jennifer Hanson, professor of economics at the college as well as a governing board member of the Lakeport Unified School District, encouraged the board to take its time selecting the next chancellor.
She recounted how Lakeport Unified had an interim superintendent for a year and a half. “I hope you don’t rush this search. It’s really important,” she said.
Hanson added, “Waiting is sometimes a very good thing. It worked well for us.”
The board also heard from search committee members Olga Nevarez and Marcia Stranix, both of whom felt the recruitment should move forward.
“We have a process that is set up that is thoughtful and timely,” said Nevarez, explaining that the district can always reopen the recruitment if it doesn’t find the right person.
Houpis, who attended the meeting via Zoom, recused himself from the chancellor’s search discussion.
Hurley said the board had asked for discussion of the process during a special board meeting on Oct. 27.
Trustee Jesse Ortiz, who supported continuing the search, said one of the concerns had been about the timeline. He asked if the timeline was doable, and Guy Lease of PPL Inc., the firm conducting the search, said it absolutely was.
Lease said the recruitment has been progressing right on schedule and was on track to open for applications on Nov. 15.
The district’s timeline includes two months to accept applications, with the deadline set for Jan. 14. The following week, PPL was scheduled to review applications for minimum qualifications, with a ranking summary due to be completed on Feb. 22.
The 23-member screening committee formed to be a part of the interview process would hold the first interviews in the middle of March, with the first board interviews with candidates at the start of April, in order to have a new chancellor in place by July 1.
Lease said that there had been an issue raised at the Oct. 27 meeting regarding time conflicts for the screening committee, but he said having time conflicts for such a large group isn’t unusual.
He said they’ve already begun conversations with people within California and from out of state who they think would be good candidates.
The next step was for the board to approve the position announcement, another item on the Wednesday night agenda.
If the board chose to stop, Lease said the firm would be ready to work with the district in the future. He said they didn’t see the timeline as being rushed or there being a need to stop.
Lease said now is the prime time for the recruitment process in order to get candidates looking to start a new job in July or August. He said they risked losing great candidates to other districts that get ahead of them.
Trustee Richard Teagarden, who chairs the steering committee, said they had already gone through a lengthy process and there was 100% participation from the committee. He recommended staying on track, adding the board could extend or revise the schedule in the future if necessary.
Two 500-pound gorillas
Roderick explained that two 500-pound gorillas — human resources issues that have been uncovered and are being cleaned up by Dr. Houpis and Hurley, and the FCMAT findings regarding the district’s financial position — are what brought the discussion forward.
He said it would be a disservice to bring in a new chancellor in the middle of the situation while, at the same time, losing the momentum that Houpis and Hurley have developed in working with staff and addressing the financial challenges.
Roderick said he wanted to give Houpis a chance to clean house and set up a new chancellor for long-term success.
Trustee David Wheeler said the board’s primary duty is to hire a chancellor, and he saw it as an abdication of duty not to move forward.
“It is the chancellor who is going to lead us out of our problems,” Wheeler said, suggesting the board was overstepping and changing policy by not actively recruiting a long-term chancellor.
“Since we’ve started this process, a lot has been uncovered,” said Trustee Dennise Burbank, referring to the human resources issues and the FCMAT report. She said she was supportive of waiting as long as a year to continue the recruitment.
Board President Susan Alves asked Hurley about what significant functions and challenges the district has now that would make it not the best time to bring in a new chancellor.
Hurley said there are concerns around the FCMAT report and addressing structural concerns in the district’s finances that the report raises. There also are ongoing issues with COVID-19, including board policies going into effect in December requiring staff to be vaccinated or tested and a similar requirement for students that begins in January.
There also are labor negotiations with the district’s four bargaining units in January, Hurley said.
“This is an incredibly busy time for the district, and I don't think there would be much disagreement about that,” Hurley said.
Ortiz said it was because of the district’s issues that it needed a permanent chancellor sooner rather than later, in order for that individual to be involved in creating the solutions.
“We have the authority to stop this search at any time,” Ortiz said, adding that it could be halted if they didn’t get the quality of candidates they wanted.
He offered a compromise that the board ultimately rejected that would have allowed the recruitment to go forward, revisiting the status of the search at the Feb. 10 meeting.
Alves said she had “a major concern” about waiting that long, and allowing people to put the work into an application process that could be suddenly halted. She felt the decision needed to be made immediately.
“This is one of the most important jobs that we have as a board,” and if it takes time, that’s fine, said Alves.
Alves said so much work needs to be done to get the district on the right footing fiscally, and she also was concerned about bringing a new chancellor into the middle of the process, losing momentum and impacting students and the district as a whole.
Board splits over action
Trustee Juan Delgado offered a motion to restart the search at a future date. Ortiz then offered an amendment to revisit the search at the board’s Feb. 10 meeting, which the board voted down.
Delgado then withdrew his motion, and Roderick offered a new motion to have Hurley present a timeline adjusted by six months to a year.
“I am totally against this motion and what we’re doing in terms of stopping this search from going forward,” said Wheeler.
He said it seemed like there was another agenda beyond FCMAT and he wanted to know what it was.
Ortiz said he also opposed it, adding that believing problems will go away if they waited another year is a misrepresentation of how education works today.
Teagarden said he also was against the motion, adding that if Houpis is doing a good job, his contract could be revised and he could apply for the job, which would offer continuity.
Delgado said staff is finally working as a team under the current leadership and employees are being allowed to do their jobs. “I really strongly feel this is the right path for all of us.”
Wheeler suggested that Roderick’s motion put Hurley in charge of running the district, and that they were creating a transparency issue, with a hidden agenda at work.
“It is absolutely outrageous. I am totally opposed to this. You ought to be ashamed of yourselves,” Wheeler said.
Alves replied by asking Wheeler not to make comments pointed at other trustees.
In the vote that followed, Roderick, Burbank, Delgado and Alves voted yes, with Ortiz, Teagarden and Wheeler voting no. Student representatives Maria Ornelas and Donovan Hutchins cast no votes, but their votes are only advisory.
Later in the meeting, the board unanimously approved the chancellor’s job announcement, which has no dates in it. Ortiz moved to approve it just before Roderick moved to table it.
Ultimately, the entire board agreed to honor the work of the committees so far and approve the document. Ortiz said that, when the district gets serious about recruiting a new chancellor, they will have to review the announcement.
Burbank said she wanted to see the current and previous recruitment announcements side by side at some point.
Correction: The student representatives cast no votes, not yes votes, for the final motion to pause the search.
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 determined to help drivers age 65 and older maintain their driving independence through the support of a yearlong federal grant, Keeping Everyone Safe, or KEYS, XIII.
The CHP will continue to offer this in-person and virtual traffic safety program emphasizing roadway safety and mobility for California’s senior drivers.
The Age Well, Drive Smart class is an education program specifically designed to help seniors tune up their driving skills, refresh their knowledge of the rules of the road, and discuss normal age-related physical changes and how they affect driving ability.
Since 2015, the CHP has conducted over 1,800 senior driver traffic safety presentations, reaching more than 100,000 people.
“The CHP is committed to helping seniors drive safer,” said CHP Commissioner Amanda Ray. “This course is designed to assist the state’s most experienced drivers in refreshing their driving skills and ultimately saving lives.”
The CHP invites California’s older drivers to attend a free two-hour Age Well, Drive Smart class that provides senior drivers the tools to drive safer and drive longer.
The class is offered at local CHP Area offices as well as many community centers. It is a great way for seniors to educate themselves, evaluate their driving abilities, and improve their driving skills.
To attend a class, either in person or virtually, contact a CHP Area office near you for available dates and times.
The CHP’s Clear Lake Area office can be reached at 707-279-0103.
Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — Lake County’s property sales have continued to show increases in prices and in listings, while the number of sales is down compared to last year.
Each month, as we consider Lake County’s real estate sales, we look at last year’s statistics compared to this year with an overview of changes from the previous month. This helps to see how the market is trending month over month and changes from last year at this time.
Countywide changes from August to September show that sales were down, from 93 to 70; the median price was up, from $335,000 to $372,000; active listings rose from 228 to 251; median days on the market went from 13 to 17; the sales to list price dropped slightly, from 100% to 99.7%; and price reductions were up from 33.3% to 43%
Sales numbers range across communities
Countywide, existing single-family residential sales were at 70 in September, which is down from 93 in August and down 38.6% from last year, showing an overall slowing of home sales.
Lakeport’s sales were at 13, which is up by three over August and up by 8.3% over September of last year.
Kelseyville’s sales totaled were at 12, that’s down 50% from last month and down 63.6% from the previous September.
In Clearlake, sales totaled 13, up only one from August and down 7.1% from September of 2020.
Hidden Valley Lake’s sales were at 14, down by one in August and down 36.4% from September last year.
Median price continues to increase
Lake County’s median price for existing single family residences totaled $372,000 in September, compared to August’s $335,000 and up 21% in a year-over comparison.
By community, the median prices for September broke down this way:
• Lakeport: median price, $435,000, up from $389,000 in August, up 12.3% from September 2020. • Kelseyville: median price, $360,000, up from $353,000 in August and up 9.6% from the previous September. • Clearlake: median price, $255,000, up from August’s $223,000, and up 32.5% from September 2020. • Hidden Valley Lake: median price, $377,000, up from $355,000 in August and up 14.1% in a year-over comparison.
Active listings up
Countywide, active listings were at 251, which is up over August’s 228 and up 55.9% over September of last year.
By community, listings for September were as follows:
• Lakeport: active listings, 45, up two from August; up 125% over September 2020. • Kelseyville: active listings, 56, up five from August; up 55.6% over last September. • Clearlake: active listings, 31, up two over August; down 6.1% from September 2020. • Hidden Valley Lake: active listings, 31, up three from August; up 34.8% in a year-over comparison.
Days on market
Across Lake County, the median days on the market was 17, sales to list price was 99.7%, and 43% of active listings had reduced prices.
Lakeport’s median days on the market was 13, sales to list price was 99.5% and 53.3% of active listings had reduced prices.
Kelseyville’s median days on the market was 11, sales to list price was 100% and 50% of active listings had price reductions.
Clearlake’s median days on the market was 14, sales to list price was 100% and 41.9% of active listings had price reductions.
Tama Prokopowich is president-elect of the Lake County Association of Realtors.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — Each year, millions of Americans come together to remember the fallen, honor those that serve and their families, and teach others about the true value of freedom as part of National Wreaths Across America Day.
This gathering of volunteers and patriots takes place in local, state, and national cemeteries in all 50 states — including Hartley Cemetery, Kelseyville Cemetery, Upper Lake Cemetery, Lower Lake Cemetery, Middletown and St. Mary’s Lakeport Cemeteries.
This year, National Wreaths Across America Day is Saturday, Dec. 18. The event is free and open to the public.
The observance will begin at 9 a.m. all the cemeteries noted above in Lake County.
In 2020, approximately 1.7 million veterans’ wreaths were placed by volunteers on headstones at 2,557 participating locations around the country in honor of the service and sacrifices made for our freedoms, with each name said out loud.
“Wreaths Across America volunteers work year-round to ensure military laid to rest are remembered, their families and living veterans are honored, and the next generation is taught about the value of freedom,” said Toni Funderburg, site coordinator for Hartley Cemetery. “Each year a new theme is chosen to help volunteers and supporters focus their messaging and outreach in their own communities. The theme for 2021 Wreaths Across America is ‘Live Up to Their Legacy.’”
The inspiration for this year’s theme came from a statement made by United States Army Chief of Staff General James C. McConville, in an interview with Chris Wallace on ‘Fox News Sunday’ in November 2020.
General McConville was speaking on behalf of the United States Army and the opening of the National Museum of the United States Army.
In the discussion, he said, “We stand on the shoulders of heroes that have gone before us, and really what we strive to do is live up to their legacy.”
His message was heard by Wreaths Across America Executive Director Karen Worcester, and many others, and resonated deeply.
“Listening to this man, who is a hero in his own right, spoke about what and who motivates him is inspiring,” said Worcester. “It is the men and women who serve, everyday people, giving of themselves for their country and communities. I urge everyone to look to the people and the families that have made these sacrifices to keep this country free and live up to their legacy.”
Wreaths Across America is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded to continue and expand the annual wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery begun by Maine businessman Morrill Worcester in 1992.
The organization’s mission — “Remember, Honor, Teach” — is carried out in part each year by coordinating wreath-laying ceremonies in December at Arlington, as well as at thousands of veterans’ cemeteries and other locations in all 50 states and beyond.
Boy Scout Troop 42 in Lakeport, Girl Scouts and Big Valley 4-H in Kelseyville, the Lake County 4-H Group in Lower Lake and FFA in Upper Lake and Middletown will be accepting donations for wreaths until Nov. 29.
It is the goal of each sponsoring group to place a holiday wreath on each veteran gravesite at the cemeteries listed. To do this, they need your help.
Individual sponsorships cost $15 for one wreath and the family option costs $60 for four wreaths.
Small businesses can fund 10 wreaths for $150 and corporations can sponsor 100 or more wreaths for $1,500 or any amount can be sponsored for $15 per wreath.
Funderburg said sponsorship forms can be picked up at Lakeport Tire & Auto Service, 1901 S. Main St. Lakeport or you can call 707-263-5422 and they will fax or email you a sponsorship form.
The last day to sponsor wreaths is Monday, Nov. 29.
People can register to volunteer or sponsor a wreath at Hartley Cemetery by visiting https://wreathsacrossamerica.org/CA0090P or choose another cemetery in Lake County or sponsor a group in Lake County by visiting this website.
There is no better time to express appreciation for our veterans than during the hustle and bustle of the holiday season. Everyone knows or has known a veteran.
Join them by sponsoring a wreath to be placed in honor of a veteran this December. The group will ensure that the sacrifice of veterans is remembered yet again and passed on to a new generation of Americans.
BERKELEY — Rockfish is on the menu around the Pacific Rim, for the most part with little regard for the fish’s origin or which of the 137 species is on the plate — it’s typically identified simply as rockfish or, incorrectly, as rock cod or red snapper.
But this seemingly anonymous fish — among the longest-lived vertebrates on Earth — holds clues to the genes that determine life span and the pluses and minuses of living longer.
In a study appearing this week in the journal Science, biologists at the University of California, Berkeley, compare the genomes of nearly two-thirds of the known species of rockfish that inhabit coastal waters around the Pacific Ocean and uncover some of the genetic differences that underlie their widely varying life spans.
Some rockfish, like the colorful calico rockfish (Sebastes dallii), live for little more than a decade, while the most long-lived of the genus Sebastes — the rougheye rockfish (Sebastes aleutianus), which can be found from Japan to the Aleutian Islands — can hang out on the seabed in cold, deep coastal waters for more than 200 years.
Their wide range of life spans, not to mention differences in size, lifestyle and ecological niche, which scientists call their phenotypes, evolved over a mere 10 million years — one of the most rapid radiations among all fishes.
To uncover the genetic determinants of life span in rockfish, the researchers obtained tissue samples — and occasionally tasting samples — from 88 species and sequenced their complete genomes with a state-of-the-art technique known as Pacbio, or SMRT, sequencing.
They found a variety of genes associated with longer life span, though some of these genes involve adaptations to living at greater depth and growing larger, both of which are associated with increased life span. Among mammals, for example, elephants live longer than rats.
The findings also highlight the trade-offs of a long life span, which include smaller populations — something also seen in mammals, with short-lived rats vastly outnumbering long-lived elephants.
"In this study, we identified both the genetic causes and consequences of adaptation to extreme life span," said senior author Peter Sudmant, UC Berkeley assistant professor of integrative biology. "It's very exciting to be able to look at a group of species and see how their phenotype has been shaped through time and the genetic changes that drive that phenotype, and simultaneously, how that phenotype then feeds back and influences the genetic diversity of that population."
Sudmant acknowledges that many of the biological pathways he and his team found to be associated with life span have been identified before in genetic studies of variation within a single animal species, though this study does implicate several new genes in these pathways. Nevertheless, the natural variation within this one genus of fish that has radiated throughout the Pacific Ocean uniquely encapsulates most of the many genetic factors that influence life span.
"You could think of rockfish as sort of the perfect storm. in some ways, both on an individual level — having individual fish able to live for a really long time because of size and depth adaptations — but also just having all these different species that are showing these different trends," he said. "They're a perfect set of individuals to look at, where other people just had a single species to look at."
The study also has implications for understanding human life span. Sudmant and his colleagues found that longer-lived species had more immune modulating genes — in particular, a group called butyrophilins — than shorter-lived species. Because the immune system is involved in regulating inflammation, and increased inflammation has been implicated in human aging, the findings point to genes that could be targets of therapeutics to slow age-related damage in the body.
"There is an opportunity here to look in nature and see how natural adaptations have shaped life span and to think about how those same sorts of genes are acting in our own bodies," he said.
Size and habitat explain a lot of life span variation in fishes
The researchers looked for DNA variations that were more common in fish with longer lives and found 137 longevity-associated gene variations.
Not all of these have a direct effect on life span, however. The researchers took care to separate out the genetic variations that allowed rockfish to adapt to deeper depths and grow to larger size, since those adaptations themselves have the side-effect of increasing life span. Deeper, cooler waters slow metabolism, for example, which is associated with a longer life span in many animals.
"We can explain 60% of the variation in life span just by looking at the size at maturity and the depth at which a fish lives," Sudmant said. "So, you can predict life span with pretty high accuracy just from these factors. This allowed us to identify the genes that allow them to do those things."
The remainder of the longevity-associated variation primarily involved three types of genes: an enrichment in the number of genes for repairing DNA; variations in many genes that regulate insulin, which has long been known to influence life span; and an enrichment for genes that modulate the immune system. More DNA repair genes could help protect against cancer, while more immune genes could help ward off infections, as well as cancer.
"Six different members of the insulin signaling pathway are under selection in these fish," Sudmant said. "If you look at the textbooks, there's about nine or 10 core members of the pathway, so the majority of them are under selection in rockfish."
Essentially, Sudmant said, some rockfish species extended their life span simply by adapting to live in deeper, colder waters and increasing their size. The longest-lived species, however, boosted their life span even further by tweaking their DNA repair, insulin signaling and immune-modulation genes.
From the 88 rockfish genomes, the researchers also were able to infer what the ancestral rockfish genome looked like and how species evolved from that common ancestor 10 million years ago.
With increased life span, they found, also came decreased population levels. Some of the longest-lived species survive today in small numbers that rely on very old, but very fertile, females to replenish the population.
These big, old, fat, fecund female fish, or BOFFFF, as they are known in fish conservation circles, produce the majority of offspring — sometimes in the millions per year, though with a low survival rate — that seed the next generation.
"In these rockfish, we can actually watch this evolution happening over this 10-million-year time period, and we observe that when some species evolve a short life span, their population sizes expand, and when they evolve a long life span, their population sizes contract," he said. "We can see a signature of that in their genomes, in the genetic variation that exists in these species. So, there is a consequence to adapting to long and short life."
One intriguing finding, he said, is that long-lived species have an excess of certain kinds of DNA mutations — specifically, the conversion of the nucleotide pair CG (cytosine-guanine) to TG (thymine-guanine) — known to accumulate in tumors with aging. Because the oldest females of these long-lived species produce most of the offspring, these unusual genetic alterations are passed along to the rest of the long-lived population.
Sudmant and his lab colleagues are currently involved in similar genome comparisons among bats, primates and other organisms, looking at the genes correlated with life span, aging, stress and other phenotypic differences. But the rockfish project was something special, he said.
"Often, in genetics, we're derided for doing experiments that are fishing expeditions," he said. "This was both literally and figuratively a fishing expedition."
UC Berkeley postdoctoral researchers Sree Rohit Raj Kolora and Gregory Owens, now at the University of Victoria in British Columbia, Canada, are co-first authors of the paper. Other co-authors are Juan Manuel Vazquez, Alexander Stubbs, Kamalakar Chatla and professor Doris Bachtrog of UC Berkeley; Conner Jainese, Katelin Seeto, Merit McCrea and Milton Love of UC Santa Barbara; Michael Sandel of the University of West Alabama; Juliana Vianna of the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile; and Katherine Maslenikov and James Orr of the University of Washington. The work was funded by an award from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences of the National Institutes of Health (R35GM142916).
Robert Sanders works for the UC Berkeley News Center.
Sara Sawyer, University of Colorado Boulder; Arturo Barbachano-Guerrero, University of Colorado Boulder, and Cody Warren, University of Colorado Boulder
Early on in the pandemic, it wasn’t unreasonable to expect that SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) might just go away, since historically some pandemic viruses have simply disappeared.
For instance, SARS-CoV, the coronavirus responsible for the first SARS pandemic in 2003, spread to 29 countries and regions, infecting more than 8,000 people from November 2002 to July 2003. But thanks to quick and effective public health interventions, SARS-CoV hasn’t been observed in humans in almost 20 years and is now considered extinct.
On the other hand, pandemic viruses may also gradually settle into a relatively stable rate of occurrence, maintaining a constant pool of infected hosts capable of spreading the virus to others. These viruses are said to be “endemic.”
Examples of endemic viruses in the United States include those that cause the common cold and the seasonal flu that appear year after year. Much like these, the virus that causes COVID-19 likely won’t die out, and most experts now expect it to become endemic.
So why did the first SARS virus from 2003 (SARS-CoV) go extinct while this one (SARS-CoV-2) may become endemic?
The ultimate fate of a virus depends on how well it maintains its transmission. Generally speaking, viruses that are highly contagious, meaning that they spread really well from one person to the next, may never die out on their own because they are so good at finding new people to infect.
When a virus first enters a population with no immunity, its contagiousness is defined by scientists using a simple mathematical term, called R0, which is pronounced “R-naught.” This is also referred to as the reproduction number. The reproduction number of a virus represents how many people, on average, are infected by each infected person. For example, the first SARS-CoV had an R0 of about 2, meaning that each infected person passes the virus to two people on average. For the delta variant strain of SARS-CoV-2, the R0 is between 6 and 7.
The goal for public health authorities is to slow the rate by which viruses spread. Universal masking, social distancing, contact tracing and quarantines are all effective tools to reduce the spread of respiratory viruses. Since SARS-CoV was poorly transmissible, it just took a little bit of public health intervention to drive the virus to extinction. Given the highly transmissible nature of the delta variant, the challenge for eliminating the virus will be much greater, meaning that the virus is more likely to become endemic.
Is COVID-19 ever going away?
It’s clear that SARS-CoV-2 is very successful at finding new people to infect, and that people can get infected after vaccination. For these reasons, the transmission of this virus is not expected to end. It’s important that we consider why SARS-CoV-2 moves so easily from one person to the next, and how human behavior plays into that virus transmission.
SARS-CoV-2 is a respiratory virus that is spread through the air and is efficiently transmitted when people congregate. Critical public health interventions, like mask use and social distancing, have been key in slowing the spread of disease. However, any lapse in these public health measures can have dire consequences. For instance, a 2020 motorcycle rally brought together nearly 500,000 people in Sturgis, South Dakota, during the early phases of the pandemic. Most of the attendees were unmasked and not practicing social distancing. That event was directly responsible for an increase in COVID-19 cases in the state of South Dakota and nationwide. This shows how easily the virus can spread when people let their guard down.
The virus that causes COVID-19 is often associated with superspreading events, in which many people are infected all at once, typically by a single infected individual. In fact, our own work has shown that just 2% of the people infected with COVID-19 carry 90% of the virus that is circulating in a community. These important “supercarriers” have a disproportionately large impact on infecting others, and if they aren’t tracked down before they spread the virus to the next person, they will continue to sustain the epidemic. We currently don’t have a nationwide screening program geared toward identifying these individuals.
Finally, asymptomatically infected people account for roughly half of all infections of COVID-19. This, when coupled with a broad range of time in which people can be infectious – two days before and 10 days after symptoms appear – affords many opportunities for virus transmission, since people who don’t know they are sick generally take few measures to isolate from others.
The contagious nature of SARS-CoV-2 and our highly interconnected society constitute a perfect storm that will likely contribute to sustained virus spread.
What will our future with COVID-19 look like?
Given the considerations discussed above and what we know about COVID-19 so far, many scientists believe that the virus that causes COVID-19 will likely settle into endemic patterns of transmission. But our inability to eradicate the virus does not mean that all hope is lost.
Our post-pandemic future will heavily depend on how the virus evolves over the coming years. SARS-CoV-2 is a completely new human virus that is still adapting to its new host. Over time, we may see the virus become less pathogenic, similar to the four coronaviruses that cause the common cold, which represent little more than a seasonal nuisance.
Global vaccination programs will have the greatest impact on curbing new cases of the disease. However, the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine campaign so far has touched only a small percentage of people on the planet. In addition, breakthrough infections in vaccinated people still occur because no vaccine is 100% effective. This means that booster shots will likely be needed to maximize vaccine-induced protection against infection.
With global virus surveillance and the speed at which safe and effective vaccines have been developed, we are well poised to tackle the ever-evolving target that is SARS-CoV-2. Influenza is endemic and evolves quickly, but seasonal vaccination enables life to go on as normal. We can expect the same for SARS-CoV-2 – eventually.
How will we know if and when SARS-CoV-2 becomes endemic?
Four seasonal coronaviruses circulate in humans endemically already. They tend to recur annually, usually during the winter months, and affect children more than adults. The virus that causes COVID-19 has not yet settled down into these predictable patterns and instead is flaring up unpredictably around the globe in ways that are sometimes difficult to predict.
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Once rates of SARS-CoV-2 stabilize, we can call it endemic. But this transition may look different based on where you are in the world. For instance, countries with high vaccine coverage and plentiful boosters may soon settle into predictable spikes of COVID-19 during the winter months when the environmental conditions are more favorable to virus transmission. In contrast, unpredictable epidemics may persist in regions with lower vaccination rates.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The Lakeport Police Department said it has received several reports of theft through false pretenses involving rental properties.
An individual has been reported as posing as a landlord at properties in the city, informing victims that they have been approved to rent and that they need to provide them with security deposit money.
The victims are then instructed to give the suspect money online via a cash app.
One of the recently reported victims of this scam reported that they were scammed out of over $2,000, the agency said.
“We are releasing this information in the hopes that it will serve as a warning to reduce the growing number of victims of this scam. Do not let yourself or your loved ones become a victim,” the department said.
Police said it is never a good idea to provide someone, under these or similar circumstances, with money online.
If you have not been to the rental in person, met the manager/landlord in person first, or signed any sort of legitimate legal documentation for the rental you should be wary of making any online transfers of money.
If you have been a victim of a similar scam in the City of Lakeport or have any tips that may help us identify and prosecute the suspect(s) in this case please contact Officer Katie Hutchins at 707-263-5491, Extension 118 or e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
You can also send us a private message on our Facebook page @LakeportPolice or send us an anonymous message through Nixle on your cellular telephone by texting the words TIP LAKEPORT followed by your message to 888777.