Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-05) announced that he is now taking applications for interns in his Washington, D.C. office for the spring 2022 semester.

Potential interns from California’s Fifth Congressional District are strongly encouraged to apply.

“Each semester it’s an honor to have some of our district and our nation’s future leaders serve as interns in my Congressional office,” he said. “Interns get a first-hand look at how government operates and they work with me and my staff to serve our district. With the spring semester fast approaching, I encourage all interested students in our district to apply, but be sure to submit your application before Dec. 6. I can’t wait to see all that you accomplish.”

Internships in Thompson’s Washington, D.C. office are available to college-aged students.

Interested applicants should submit a resume, cover letter, writing sample and three references to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by Monday, Dec. 6.

Click here to learn more.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — California Water Service has filed an application with the State Water Resources Control Board to help provide financial support to customers who were unable to pay their water bills during the coronavirus pandemic.

The funding, which Cal Water advocated to help secure, will enable the utility to forgive past-due balances incurred by its customers between March 2020 and mid-June 2021.

In the application, Cal Water requested $20.8 million in relief for customers across its California service areas.

The company anticipates receiving final approval by the State Water Resources Control Board around the first of the year. Customers do not have to apply for the debt forgiveness; if approved,

Cal Water will apply any credits to affected customers’ accounts within 60 days after receiving funding from the state, expected to be in early 2022.

“While life is returning to some sense of normalcy from the coronavirus, we know that many of our customers continue to struggle to make ends meet,” said Martin A. Kropelnicki, president and chief executive officer. “Providing debt forgiveness is one way we can keep our customers who are experiencing financial hardship from having to worry about their water bill.”

This measure is the latest step by Cal Water to support customers who have been financially affected by the pandemic.

In addition to the debt forgiveness application, customers with remaining balances that pre-date the pandemic or have accrued after June 15, 2021, can take advantage of interest- and penalty-free payment plans or extensions, preventing them from becoming subject to potential disruptions in water service after the moratorium on disconnections for non-payment expires. Income-eligible customers may also enroll in Cal Water’s Customer Assistance Program, which provides qualifying customers with a discount on their monthly service charge.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — North Coast Opportunities has launched its new website, www.ncoinc.org.

The website was redesigned to provide a more user-friendly experience and a comprehensive overview of the agency’s impact across the six counties and many populations it serves.

The site features a new layout and an updated navigation bar with various pathways to find NCO programs and projects, in addition to an alphabetized “NCO Program Directory” at the top of each page.

From the homepage, visitors can easily locate application instructions for disaster relief and assistance, news and announcements, volunteer opportunities and other ways to support NCO programs.

“We are a large agency with diverse programming and broad geographic and demographic reach,” said Molly Rosenthal, NCO Communications director. “This new website and design will help us tell our stories in a way that reflects the sheer scope of our work as a community action agency.”

NCO is inviting visitors to explore the new site and its updates. A multilingual translation feature, which will allow users to toggle seamlessly between languages, will be available a few weeks post-launch. In the meantime, non-English speakers should use the language settings on their internet browser to view NCO website content in their preferred language or type www.ncoinc.org into https://translate.google.com/ to see a translation of the website.

The NCO Head Start Child Development Program’s website has also been redesigned. Please visit www.ncoheadstart.org to view their page. All other program websites will be rolling out in the coming months. NCO encourages users to check the website frequently for additional updates.

If you have any feedback or questions about the new website, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

NCO is the Community Action Agency that serves Lake and Mendocino Counties, as well as parts of Humboldt, Sonoma, Del Norte, and Solano Counties. NCO reacts and adjusts to community needs, including disaster response and recovery. More information at 707-467-3200 or www.ncoinc.org. NCO is a proud member of the National Community Action Partnership.

The Caymus Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, or DAR, honored member Virginia “Ginny” Craven at their Nov. 17 meeting for her extraordinary volunteer work.

The Ellen Hardin Walworth Medal for Patriotism was presented to her by Elizabeth Julian, District III Regent. The medal was named for one of DAR’s founders.

Craven also recently received the National DAR Excellence in Community Service Award and the State DAR Project Patriot Award. These awards show the importance placed on the work that Craven has accomplished.

Craven started a nonprofit called Operation Tango Mike in 2003. Tango Mike translates from military jargon to “Thanks Much.”

With the community’s help, the group gathers in Lakeport at packing parties and packs and sends about a hundred care packages per month to deployed troops worldwide to support and thank the military. To date they have sent 24,000 boxes.

Monthly shipping costs averaging $2,000, and these costs, as well as the cost of care package items, are covered through donations and fundraising of which the Caymus Chapter is a part.

The DAR membership is open to any woman who can prove a direct lineage to any Revolutionary War patriot, either a soldier or civilian, who aided the cause. Membership gives verification to their ancestor’s part in the Revolutionary War.

Many members join DAR because of their interest in genealogy. Once the genealogy is completed the chapter registrar will help a prospective member prepare and submit an application.

Those interested in becoming members are asked to call Regent Dianne Fraser at 707-963-7329.

The winter travel season is nearly upon us. But before you head to the mountains this year, make sure you and your vehicle are ready for the road conditions heavy snowfall brings.

In this Caltrans News Flash, Public Information Officer Christopher Andriessen shares the items every driver should consider packing before traveling to higher elevations, as well as the one item that is required by law.

This News Flash is the 234th in a series of videos highlighting Caltrans’ activities that present the wide-ranging and critical work that Caltrans does to enhance California’s economy and livability.

To see more of these and other videos, search for #CaltransNewsFlash on Twitter or visit the Caltrans News Flash page.

If out at the mailbox rises a clatter, the household should not worry to see what’s the matter. The jingle and jangle are not the sounds of Santa getting any early start. Instead, it’s your neighborhood letter carrier making their rounds as early as 6 a.m. to ensure your packages are delivered right “in the nick of time.”

“To keep our promise to deliver the best holiday for you and your loved ones, our carriers will be out making early morning deliveries in many communities throughout the Bay Area,” the Postal Service reported.

As the hustle and bustle of the holiday season gains momentum, the Postal Service wants to keep up the pace.

The fact is parcel volume is still high as online shopping continues to grow, and the Postal Service wants to make sure it meets its commitment to deliver every piece every day.

The holiday is always about people sending their best in greeting cards and gifts to extended family and friends.

“As we continue to navigate through the impacts of the pandemic it is hard to determine what that best might be, but rest assured we will deliver our best in providing certainty and continuity during the holiday, and that means starting early in the morning,” the Postal Service said.

For the 2021 peak season — the period between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day — the Postal Service (nationwide) will deliver more mail and packages to homes than any other shipper.

It’s anticipated that between 850 million and 950 million packages will be delivered for the holidays. The total number of letters, cards and packages processed and delivered is estimated to be more than 12 billion.

The notion of the “busiest day” is a thing of Christmas past, due to the early online shopping. The forecast shows the busiest week will be Dec. 13 to 18, when nearly 2.3 billion pieces of mail, including greeting cards and packages, will be processed and delivered the week of Dec. 13.

The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.