CLEARLAKE, Calif. – A free community Thanksgiving dinner and health clinic will be held on Thursday, Nov. 27, at the Clearlake Youth Center.

The free checkup clinic by St. Helena Hospital Clear Lake will take place from 10 a.m. to noon, with the dinner from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the youth center, 4750 Golf Ave.

All are welcome.

The youth center also is accepting donations for the meal. For more information contact Joyce Overton at 707-350-2898 or the Clearlake Youth Center at 707-994-KIDS (5437).

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – All branches of the Lake County Library system will be closed Nov. 27 to 28 to observe Thanksgiving.

Normal hours at all branches will resume on Nov. 29.

Call your local branch if you have any questions.

Lakeport Library, located at 1425 N. High St., is open Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Wednesday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. The phone number is 707-263-8817.

Redbud Library, 14785 Burns Valley Road, Clearlake, is open Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Wednesday, noon to 7 p.m. The phone number is 707-994-5115.

Middletown Library, 21256 Washington St., is open Tuesday through Friday, noon to 5 p.m., and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The phone number is 707-987-3674.

Upper Lake Library, 310 Second St., is open Tuesday through Friday, noon to 5 p.m., and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The phone number is 707-275-2049.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lakeport Senior Activity Center will host a free Thanksgiving dinner on Wednesday, Nov. 26.

The meal will be served from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the center, located at 527 Konocti Ave.

Come by the center for some fun and fellowship. All ages are welcome.

For more information, call the center at 707-263-4218.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), AAA and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce announced that California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) and the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) earned the Grand Prize and the People's Choice awards in the 2014 America's Transportation Awards competition.

A record 73 transportation projects from 36 states and the District of Columbia were nominated in the 7th annual competition.

The 10 projects that received the highest number of points in four regional competitions were in the running for the top prizes announced today, at the AASHTO Annual Meeting in Charlotte.

"There were many projects worthy of recognition in this year's competition," said Bud Wright, AASHTO executive director. "But the Caltrans and Florida DOT projects exemplify the best of the best. Their use of innovation and creative problem-solving improved the lives of the nearby communities and their economies. We sincerely tip our hats to all the hard working professionals who helped make these projects a reality."

Caltrans' San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge East Span project received the Grand Prize, determined by a panel of judges.

The $6.3 billion project replaced a nearly 80-year-old structure with a new, modern bridge featuring advanced seismic response technology.

The bridge, which was constructed to last more than 100 years, is designed to accommodate future expansions of light rail and other modes of transportation.

FDOT's Mathews Bridge Impact and Emergency Response Project earned more than 300,000 online votes, making it the winner of the People's Choice Award.

In September 2013, a vessel collided with the Mathews Bridge – causing $3.8 million in damage to the structure. FDOT's emergency repair plan reopened the vital Jacksonville crossing to vehicle traffic only 33 days after the collision and 12 days ahead of schedule.

"AAA congratulates Caltrans and Florida DOT for these two award-winning projects that clearly illustrate the mobility and safety benefits gained from well planned and executed transportation projects," said Jill Ingrassi, AAA managing director of government relations and traffic safety advocacy. "Shining a spotlight on projects like these that are under budget, innovative and add value to the community and quality of life reinforces how important transportation investment is to our daily lives."

All of the projects in the competition were judged in three categories: "Under Budget," "Best Use of Innovation," and a new category this year "Quality of Life/Community Development."

"The Chamber is proud to help highlight the creative and effective work being done around the country to improve America's transportation and infrastructure systems," said Janet Kavinoky, executive director of Transportation and Infrastructure at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. "Projects like Caltrans' and the Florida DOT's are making a real difference in repairing and modernizing our nation's infrastructure. Their positive impacts are evident and should serve as examples of the potential for innovation and improvement in other states and communities."

The Grand Prize and People's Choice award winners were presented with $10,000 cash prizes to be used to support a charity or transportation-related scholarship program of the agencies' choosing.

Learn more about the contest and this year's entries at www.americastransportationawards.org .

LAKEPORT, Calif. – On Thursday, Nov. 27, Iglesia Divino Salvador will be hosting a Thanksgiving dinner.

The dinner, which will be served at 4 p.m., is for people who don't have family, don't have enough money to provide a meal for their families on this special day, or are homeless – basically, anyone in need of a meal or company.

The church is located at 275 Second St., Lakeport.

KELSEYVILLE Calif. – Join the Taylor Observatory on a journey back 2,000 years to Bethlehem as they seek to discover which ancient star was the one the wise men followed to find the baby Jesus.

The observatory will again this year present “Mystery of the Christmas Star” from 7 to 8 p.m. every Saturday from Nov. 29 through Jan. 3.

This modern retelling of the Christmas story also investigates possible dates for the birth of Christ and looks at recorded sightings of significant astronomical events during this important time in history.

What signs in the sky could have been so intriguing as to cause the wise men to cross a desert in search of the newborn King?

“Mystery of the Christmas Star,” produced by Evans & Sutherland, will answer all of these questions and more, while charming audiences of all ages.

Show prices are $5 for adults and $3 for children under age 12.

The Taylor Observatory and Norton Planetarium is located at 5725 Oak Hills Lane, Kelseyville.

For more information, visit www.taylorobservatory.org .