LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The Board of Supervisors will have another discussion on how to structure the Lake County Water Resources Department when it meets this week.

The‌ ‌board will meet beginning ‌at‌ ‌9‌ ‌a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 6, in the board chambers on the first floor of the Lake County Courthouse, 255 N. Forbes St., Lakeport.

The‌ ‌meeting‌ ‌can‌ ‌be‌ ‌watched‌ ‌live‌ ‌on‌ ‌Channel‌ ‌8, ‌online‌ ‌at‌ ‌https://countyoflake.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx‌‌ and‌ ‌on‌ ‌the‌ ‌county’s‌ ‌Facebook‌ ‌page. ‌Accompanying‌ ‌board‌ ‌documents, ‌the‌ ‌agenda‌ ‌and‌ ‌archived‌ ‌board‌ ‌meeting‌ ‌videos‌ ‌also‌ ‌are‌ ‌available‌ ‌at‌ ‌that‌ ‌link. ‌ ‌

To‌ ‌participate‌ ‌in‌ ‌real-time, ‌join‌ ‌the‌ ‌Zoom‌ ‌meeting‌ ‌by‌ ‌clicking‌ ‌this‌ ‌link‌. ‌ ‌

The‌ ‌meeting‌ ‌ID‌ ‌is‌ 823 5946 6317, ‌pass code 183998.‌ ‌The meeting also can be accessed via one tap mobile at +16699006833,,82359466317#,,,,*183998#.

In an untimed item, the board will consider proposed structural changes to the Water Resources Department.

The board is considering the changes in the wake of Public Works Director Scott De Leon’s announcement that he intends to retire at the end of June. He currently also oversees Water Resources, which is part of Public Works.

At its Jan. 9 meeting, the board directed staff to come up with cost estimates for separating the two departments. That includes adding a new Water Resources director position.

County Administrative Officer Susan Parker’s report said the estimated additional cost of the Water Resources director position is between $179,242.64 and $213,962.65, depending on the step level.

Parker said that cost isn’t likely to be funded through “Water Resources standard practices,” so they will have to find another funding source, such as hte general fund.

“Staff is requesting direction from your Board on whether to proceed with creating the new Water Resources Director position and having the Human Resources Department start recruitment,” Parker wrote.

The full agenda follows.

CONSENT AGENDA

5.1: Adopt proclamation designating the month of February 2024 as Black History Month and Celebrating Martin Luther King Jr.'s Birthday.

5.2: Approve continuation of emergency proclamation declaring a shelter crisis in the county of Lake.

5.3: Approve continuation of proclamation of the existence of a local emergency due to low elevation snow and extreme cold.

5.4: Approve continuation of an emergency declaration for drought conditions.

5.5: Approve continuation of proclamation of the existence of a local emergency due to pervasive tree mortality.

5.6: Approve continuation of proclamation declaring a Clear Lake hitch emergency.

5.7: Approve change of category for Ag Advisory Committee Member Pat Scully from crop grower to ag processor.

5.8: Approve travel exceeding 1,500 miles for Jenavive Herrington, auditor controller/clerk, to attend the annual GFOA Conference in Orlando, Florida, from June 7 to 13, 2024.

5.9: Approve California Mental Health Services Authority Participation Agreement for data archive solution in the amount of $58,704.00 for fiscal year 2023-26 and authorize the board chair to sign.

5.10: Approve agreement between county of Lake and Health Management Associates for support services for consulting services in the amount of $44,551 for fiscal year 2023-24 and authorize the board chair to sign.

5.11: Approve agreement between county of Lake and Victor Treatment Centers for specialty mental health services in the amount of $50,000 for fiscal year 2023-24 and authorize the board chair to sign.

5.12: Approve agreement between county of Lake and Sutter Center Psychiatry for acute inpatient psychiatric hospital services and professional services with acute inpatient psychiatric hospitalizations in the amount of $50,000 for fiscal year 2023-24 and authorize the board chair to sign.

5.13: Approve Amendment No. 3 to the agreement between the county of Lake and the Lake County Office of Education for the mental health student services act grant program in the amount of $1,337,266.83 for fiscal years 2021-26 and authorize the board chair to sign.

5.14: Approve Board of Supervisors minutes for Dec. 8, Dec. 12 and Dec. 19, 2023, and Jan. 23, 2024.

5.15: (a) Adopt Resolution approving an application for funding and the execution of a grant agreement and any amendments thereto from the 2023-2024 funding year of the State CDBG Mitigation (CB+DBG-MIT) Resilient Planning and Public Services (MIT-PPS) Program; and (b) Authorize Community Development Department director to submit the grant application.

5.16: Approve purchase of one vehicle for Code Enforcement from Ford Corning, in the amount of $47,743.85, and authorize Community Development director to issue purchase order.

5.17: (a) Waive the Competitive Bidding Process pursuant to section 2-38.2(2) as it is not in the public’s interest due to the unique nature of the goods or services; and (b) approve agreement between the county of Lake and ExamWorks LLC for independent medical examinations and peer review services with an amount not to exceed $25,000 per fiscal year and authorize the chair to sign.

5.18: Approve purchase order to AMS.net in the amount of $39,709.10 for Verkada camera system for the Lake County Library and authorize the IT director to sign the purchase order.

5.19: Approve the addition of a fixed asset titled ‘Network Datacenter Switches’ in 2023-2024 capital asset listing in the amount of $24,865.95 and lower ‘Dell PowerEdge servers’ fixed asset by the same amount.

5.20: Approve inspection agreement with Kelseyville Christian Academy and authorize the chair to sign.

5.21: Approve plans and specifications for the Nice-Lucerne Cutoff Asphalt Rehabilitation Project; State Project No: CRASL-5914(126), Bid No. 24-16.

5.22: Approve plans and specifications for the Hill Road PM 7.75 Landslide Repair Project; Bid No. 24-19, Federal Aid Project No: ER-(078).

5.23: Approve the Supplemental Services Agreement Number 4 between the county of Lake and Armstrong Consultants for consulting services related to Lampson Airfield and authorize the chair to sign the agreement.

5.24: Sitting as the Board of Directors, Lake County Watershed Protection District, approve agreement between the Lake County Watershed Protection District and Luhdorff & Scalmanini, Consulting Engineers for the preparation of the Big Valley Groundwater Sustainability Plan annual report and authorize the chair to sign the agreement.

5.25: Approve Change Order No. 2 Middletown Multi-Use Path Improvements Project, State Project No. ATPL – 5914(102) Bid No. 22-05 for a decrease of $114,481.12 and a revised contract amount of $1,161,688.48.

5.26: (a) Approve purchase of law enforcement night vision binocular and helmet mounts; and (b) authorize the sheriff to issue a purchase order.

5.27: Approve Contract Change Order No. 1 for the CSA #2 Spring Valley Quail Trail Water Project Bid No. 22-24 to decrease the contract by $26,186, for a revised amount of $424,610, and authorize the chair to sign.

5.28: Adopt resolution authorizing the Special Districts Administrator to sign the notice of completion for the CSA #2 Spring Valley Water Quail Trail Water Main Replacement Project, Bid No. SD 22-24.

5.29: Approve first amendment to master contract between county of Lake and qualified contractors in amounts up to $100,000, and authorize the chair to sign.

5.30: Sitting as Board of Directors Lake County Watershed Protection District, adopt resolution approving the application for grant funds from the Wildlife Conservation Board for the hitch habitat improvement planning and assessment for Tule Lake, Scotts Creek and Adobe Creek Project not to exceed $2,730,970.

TIMED ITEMS

6.2, 9:04 a.m. Pet of the Week.

6.3, 9:05 a.m.: Presentation of proclamation designating the month of February 2024 as Black History Month and celebrating Martin Luther King Jr.'s Birthday.

6.4, 9:10 a.m.: New and Noteworthy at the Library.

6.5, 9:25 a.m.: Public hearing, consideration/discussion of naming a certain existing unnamed road – Sgt. Giffy Road in Lower Lake.

6.6, 9:45 a.m.: Public hearing, review and consideration of ordinance amending Article XXVII of Chapter 2 of the Lake County Code to address membership of county of Lake Health Services in the existing Partnership Health Plan of California Commission.

6.7, 10 a.m.: Consideration of presentation from the Lake County Fire Safe Council.

6.8, 11 a.m.: Consideration of recommendations from the Cannabis Ordinance Task Force regarding Zoning Districts and permit types for various cannabis-related businesses; and request for board direction.

6.9, 11:30 a.m.: Public hearing, consideration of an ordinance amending the purchasing ordinance: Article X of Chapter Two of the Lake County Code to include increased purchasing limits, additional definitions, modify a requirement for exemptions from competitive bidding and additional procedures for informal and formal bidding.

6.10, 1 p.m.: Sitting as Lake County Sanitation District Board of Directors, consideration of request approving exception to Lake County Sewer Code Section 205, which would require APN 039-402-390-000 (3944 Pine Ave., Clearlake) to connect to the public sewer.

6.11, 1:30 p.m.: Consideration of (a) resolution amending Resolution No. 2023-116 to amend the FY 2023-24 Adopted Budget by adjusting reserves, fund balance carry over, revenues, and appropriations; and (b) resolution amending Resolution 2023-117 to amend the position allocations for FY 2023-24 to conform to the mid-year budget adjustments.

UNTIMED ITEMS

7.2: Consideration of update to the 2024 Board of Supervisors meeting calendar.

7.3: Consideration of letter of support for Middletown Rancheria of Pomo Indians of California’s Barnes Street Housing Project.

7.4: Review and consideration of structural changes to the Water Resources Department, and provide direction to staff.

7.5: Sitting as the Lake County Air Quality Management District Board of Directors, re-appoint Nancy Perrin to the LCAQMD Hearing Board pursuant to Health and Safety Code.

7.6: Sitting as the Lake County Air Quality Management District Board of Directors, consideration of amendment to the memorandum of understanding (MOU) by and between county of Mendocino and the Lake County Air Quality Management District for Air Pollution Control Officer duties, and a request for direction regarding updates to the board on the MOU.

7.7: Consideration of second reading of Ordinance No. 3136 Amending Section 21-3.7 of Chapter 21 of the Ordinance Code of the county of Lake by Adopting a Sectional District Zoning Map No. 3.7(b) 1.406.

7.8: Consideration of Amendment No. 1 to the agreement between county of Lake and North Valley Behavioral Health LLC for acute inpatient psychiatric hospital services and professional services associated with acute inpatient psychiatric hospitalization in the amount of $750,000 for fiscal year 2023-24 and authorize the board chair to sign.

7.9: Consideration of California Mental Health Services Authority Participation agreement for interoperability solution in the amount of $222,948.00 for fiscal year 2024-26 and authorize the board chair to sign.

7.10: Consideration of Amendment No. 2 to the agreement between the county of Lake - Lake County Behavioral Health Services as lead administrative entity for the Lake County Continuum of Care and Adventist Health Clear Lake Hospital Inc. in the amount of $443,000 for fiscal years 2021-2024 and authorize the board chair to sign.

7.11: Consideration of the following advisory board appointments: Cobb Area Advisory Council, Fish and Wildlife Advisory Committee, Glenbrook Cemetery, Law Library Board of Trustees, Library Advisory Board, Lower Lake Cemetery District, Maternal Child and Adolescent Health, Middletown Area Town Hall, Western Region Town Hall.

7.12: A) Consideration of the award of a 300KW generator purchase to Leete Generators, and authorize the Public Services director to sign the attached purchase order in the amount of $176,959.28; and b) consideration of change order No. 2 to the agreement with G.D. Nielson for the Hill Road Correctional Facility Standby Generator Project 22-08 in the amount of $174,651, for a revised agreement total of $713,145, and authorize the chair to sign change order No. 2.

CLOSED SESSION

8.1: Public employee appointment pursuant to Gov. Code Section 54957(b)(1): Interviews for Health Services director; appointment of Health Services director.

8.2: Public employee evaluation: Agricultural commissioner.

8.3: Public employee evaluation: Special Districts administrator.

8.4: Conference with legal counsel pursuant to Gov. Code sec. 54956.9 (d) (2), (e)(3) – Claim of Robinson.

8.5: Conference with legal counsel: Existing litigation pursuant to Government Code section 54956.9 (d)(1): Earthways Foundation Inc. v. County of Lake, et al.

8.6: Conference with legal counsel: Existing Litigation pursuant to Gov. Code sec. 54956.9 (d)(1) – FERC Project No. 77, Potter Valley Hydroelectric Project.

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.

LAKEPORT, Calif. — The Lakeport City Council this week will consider returning an ambulance to the Lakeport Fire Protection District and discuss a grant application for a senior apartment complex.

The council will meet Tuesday, Feb. 6, at 6 p.m. in the council chambers at Lakeport City Hall, 225 Park St.

The agenda can be found here.

The council chambers will be open to the public for the meeting. Masks are highly encouraged where 6-foot distancing cannot be maintained.

If you cannot attend in person, and would like to speak on an agenda item, you can access the Zoom meeting remotely at this link or join by phone by calling toll-free 669-900-9128 or 346-248-7799.

The webinar ID is 973 6820 1787, access code is 477973; the audio pin will be shown after joining the webinar. Those phoning in without using the web link will be in “listen mode” only and will not be able to participate or comment.

Comments can be submitted by email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. To give the city clerk adequate time to print out comments for consideration at the meeting, please submit written comments before 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 6.

On Tuesday, the council will consider returning to the Lakeport Fire Protection District a surplus ambulance.

The vehicle was donated by the fire district to the city in June 2021, with the goal of using it for a police command vehicle. However, with the city unable to secure the necessary grant funding to complete the vehicle’s conversion, the council will consider returning to the district, which has expressed interest in taking it back, refurbishing it and using it as a backup ambulance.

The city reported the ambulance has 141,000 miles on it and an estimated value of under $10,000.

Also on Tuesday, the council will consider approving a proposed resolution authorizing the submittal of an application to the California State Department of Housing and Community Development for funding under the HOME Investment Partnership Program.

The city is seeking up to $750,000 for the Bevins Street Senior Apartments project located at 447 Bevins St.

The council also will consider a design immunity ordinance authorizing the city manager to sign written contracts and conveyances and have design approval authority and accept the Annual Comprehensive Financial Report for Fiscal Year 2022-23.

On the consent agenda — items considered noncontroversial and usually accepted as a slate on one vote — are ordinances; minutes of the City Council’s regular meeting on Jan. 16 and the special meeting on Jan. 29; approval of Application 2024-003, with staff recommendations, for the 2024 Shakespeare at the Lake event; approval of Application 2024-004, with staff recommendations, for the 2024 Children’s Festival event; approval of Application 2024-005, with staff recommendations, for the Home Winemakers event; approval of Application 2024-006, with staff recommendations, for the 2024 Cinco de Mayo event; approval of Application 2024-007, with staff recommendations, for the 2024 Mental Health Matters event; adopt the resolution accepting construction of the Storm Drain Slip Line Project, Bid 22-09 by Miskis Services Inc. and authorize the City Manager to execute and file the Notice of Completion with the Lake County Clerk; adopt the resolution accepting installation of the Lakefront Park Fence Project by Humboldt Fence Company and authorize the City Manager to execute and file the Notice of Completion with the Lake County Clerk; receipt and filing of the draft minutes of the January 17, 2024, meeting of the Measure Z Advisory Committee.

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.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — Sunday’s heavy storm has left numerous incidents of flooding and road closures around Lake County.

The following reports from the California Highway Patrol and Caltrans were current as for 3:30 a.m. Monday.

Flooding:

• Soda Bay Road at S. Main Street, Lakeport: Roadway flooded.

Closures:

• Scotts Valley Road at Hendicks Road, Lakeport: No details.
• Highway 175 at Salmina Road, Middletown: Multiple treds down.
• Bartlett Springs Road at Highway 20, Lucerne: Road closed by Cal Fire.
• Park Street from Second to Third streets, Lakeport: Damage from a downed treet.
• Red Hills Road to Salmina Road, Kelseyville: Due to electrical work.
• Highway 175 from Buckman Drive to 0.56 miles south of the Granite quarry, Lakeport: Due to flooding. No estimated time for reopening of closure.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — A heavy winter storm barreled in from the tropical Pacific on Sunday, dropping heavy rain and — in some areas — snow and pummeling Lake County with high winds.

The atmospheric river storm, which began early Sunday, continued wreaking damage most of the day.

On Sunday morning, areas including Cobb and Kelseyville found themselves under a blanket of snow, with snow plows working roadways in those locations.

Snow also was reported along Highway 20 near Highway 16 east of Clearlake Oaks.

The Lake County Sheriff’s Office of Emergency Services said a high wind warning issued for Lake County, which remains in effect until Sunday night, was upgraded due to guests of 50 miles per hour on the north end of the lake and gusts of up to 70 miles per hour over ridges.

Due to the conditions, OES urged people to refrain from unnecessary travel, treat all lines down as live and report them, and check in on neighbors, especially those who may not have access to internet or phone services.

The conditions led to a steady stream of reports of downed trees, trees into houses, fallen power lines and flooding throughout the day.

Shortly after 3 p.m. Sunday, a tree was reported to be down and blocking Highway 20 at Burpee Drive in Nice.

Portions of Highway 20 also were partially flooded between Nice and Lucerne throughout the day.

Then just after 4 p.m. Sunday, the Lakeport Police Department said there were multiple roadways closed in the city due to the ongoing storm, with damage reported at Library Park.

Police said N. Main Street was closed from Clearlake Avenue to Sixteenth Street, with live power lines down. That closure is expected to last for several hours, into Sunday night.

Park Street was closed from Second to Third Street, due to downed trees and damage. The city said it's expected to last into Monday.

Authorities asked people to stay out of the area.

The National Weather Service said more heavy rain — and possibly a thunderstorm — are expected into Sunday night, with wind gusts of about 30 miles per hour, raising concerns about the potential for more downed trees and power lines.

The agency issued updated high wind warning and flood watches for Lake County on Sunday. Both remain in effect until Sunday night.

On Monday, the storm is supposed to taper off, with the National Weather Service reporting that chances of rain are in the forecast for the rest of the week.

Pacific Gas and Electric reported hundreds of outages in their vast coverage area on Sunday.

In Lake County, there were more than a dozen outages on the company’s outage map as of 3 p.m., from Kelseyville and Cobb to the Northshore and north of Upper Lake — all attributed to the storm.

Based on the map, about 2,000 customers appeared to be out of power at that point.

Elsewhere around the state, the heavy storm prompted Gov. Gavin Newsom to declare a state of emergency across eight Southern California counties which were taking a hard hit.

Road conditions

As of 4:15 p.m. Sunday, road hazards and closures were reported by the California Highway Patrol and the Lake County Public Works Department’s Road Division in the following locations:

Chains:

• Elk Mountain Road: Chains/four-wheel drive recommended.

Hazards:

• Westlake Drive and Highway 29, north Lakeport: Unspecified.
• Grove Street at Highway 20, Lucerne: Tree fell on a parked vehicle.
• 1005 Nice Lucerne Cutoff Road, Nice: Tree into a vehicle.
• 5115 Highway 20, Lucerne: Large tree blocking entire roadway.

Closures:

• Highway 20 at Burpee Drive, Nice: Fallen tree across the roadway.
• Highway 175 at Salmina Road: Multiple trees across the roadway with lines down.
• Bartlett Springs Road at Highway 20, Lucerne: Closed by Cal Fire.
• Red Hills Road at Highway 29, Kelseyville: Unspecified, likely due to snow.
• Black Oak Drive, Cobb: Roadway closed due to a downed tree.
• Spruce Grove Road Extension, Hidden Valley Lake: Closed near USS Liberty Lane (Quarry Road) due to road slipout.
• Dry Creek Cutoff Road, Middletown: Seasonal road closure at the low water crossing.

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.

Historian Carter G. Woodson launched Black History Week in 1926 to recognize the significant contributions of African Americans during the second week of February to coincide with the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln (Feb. 12) and abolitionist/writer Frederick Douglass (Feb. 14).

Congress expanded it to National Black History Month 50 years later during the nation’s bicentennial celebration at which time then-President Gerald Ford urged the country to “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.”

On Thursday, the Clearlake City Council presented a proclamation declaring Black History Month, with the Board of Supervisors to present a similar proclamation as well as one to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr.'s Birthday on Tuesday.

The following facts are possible thanks to the invaluable responses to U.S. Census Bureau surveys.

“We appreciate the public’s cooperation as we measure America’s people, places and economy,” the Census Bureau said.

Did You Know?

50,087,750
The Black or African American alone or in combination population in the United States in 2022.

2,237,044
The Black or African American alone or in combination population in California.

1,199
The Black or African American alone or in combination population in Lake County.

90.1%
The percentage of African Americans age 25 and older with a high school diploma or higher in 2022.

30.3%
The percentage of Black or African Americans with a high school diploma or higher in California in 2022.

34.4%
The percentage of the employed Black population age 16 and older working in management, business, science and arts occupations in 2022.

161,031
The number of Black-owned employer businesses in the United States in 2021.

2.0 million
The number of Black civilian veterans in the United States nationwide in 2022.

954
The number of Black veterans in Lake County.

Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that California has mobilized more than 8,300 boots on the ground ahead of the next set of winter storms anticipated to bring serious impacts to much of the state this weekend and into early next week.

In addition to increased personnel, California has activated its State Operations Center, Flood Operations Center, Caltrans Emergency Operations Center and the Medical Health Coordination Center — all coordinating a unified response with our local and federal partners.

The National Weather Service said an atmospheric river will move into California starting early morning on Sunday and will continue through Tuesday and possibly Wednesday.

Heavy rainfall is possible nearly statewide, but the most likely focus will be on coastal central to southern California.

Significant flooding is becoming increasingly likely, including the potential for flooding on roadways, creek and main stem river flooding, mud/rockslides and debris flows.

Additional heavy mountain snowfall is expected across virtually the entire state, with snow levels on Sunday starting as low as 2,500 to 4,500 feet across northern California and 5,000 to 6,000 feet in southern California.

Multiple feet of new snow accumulation are likely in several mountain ranges, and extremely difficult mountain travel conditions are expected.

Periods of strong, gusty winds will likely lead to outdoor property damage, tree damage, and power outages.

California has mobilized 8,300-plus boots on the ground, including:

• Cal OES, through the California Fire and Rescue Mutual Aid System, has deployed more than 550 local government firefighters and support staff, as well as 19 swift water rescue teams, one local government urban search and rescue team, in 19 counties.

• More than 4,000 Caltrans personnel deployed throughout the state.

• California Highway Patrol officers and other personnel are available in impacted regions and can activate limited emergency operations centers.

Cal Fire has prepositioned five hoist-rescue helicopters, two swift water rescue teams, additional four-wheel drive engines and six handcrews.

• The California National Guard is ready to rapidly deploy if called upon. These resources include high-water vehicles, aviation search and rescue assets, military police, general transportation, and heavy engineering equipment units.

• 500 California Conservation Corps members available to support.

The state also has deployed the following equipment:

• 1,200+ pieces of winter equipment from Eureka to El Centro – such as snow blowers, graders and sweepers – are available to remove snow and ice from the highways.

• Caltrans has prepositioned water pumps in flood-prone areas, and is ensuring storm drains are clear of debris, checking portable backup generators, and stocking up on reflective signs in the event of power outages.

• 7 million-plus sandbags prepositioned

• Sheltering and food supplies for 37,000+ people, including cots, blankets, water and food.

Other state efforts include:

• The State Operations Center is activated, whole of state government expertise responding 24/7.

• Community partner phone banking effort making thousands of calls to sign up Californians for local emergency alerts in the most at-risk counties.

• The Flood Operations Center is activated and coordinating flood planning and response. DWR Flood Fight Specialists are also on standby and are patrolling priority levees 24/7. The California Nevada River Forecast Center is in a 24-hour operation, producing updated forecasts every 6 hours throughout the duration of the event.

• State Parks continues to actively monitor the storm’s impacts on state parks and making real-time decisions on closures as needed. As of this morning, California has fully closed 7 state parks and partially closed 6 and have staff on the ground to respond. The public is advised to stay out of the ocean during the storm. For the latest closure information, please visit parks.ca.gov/incidents.

“California has more than 8,300 boots on the ground as we prepare for this next set of serious storms.

All Californians in the storm’s path – especially those in Southern California – should prepare now and follow the guidance of local government officials and first responders.”

Five things you can do to stay safer:

• Stay connected. Dial 311 to get help or ask questions. If you have a critical emergency, call 911. Stay informed by signing up for emergency alerts including warnings and evacuation notices at CalAlerts.org.

• Get your information from trusted sources. Check state and local government or emergency management websites and social media accounts for trusted information specific to your area. Local news outlets and meteorologists are also a good source of information. Be wary of posts from unknown sources on social platforms or from online ‘experts’ without credentials.

• Prepare for high winds. Before a high wind event: remove any dead trees or overhanging branches near structures, remove loose roofing material, bring in unsecured objects from patios and balconies, secure outdoor objects that could blow away, shutter windows securely and brace outside doors. During a high wind event: take cover next to a building or under shelter, stay away from windows, stay clear of roadways and train tracks, avoid elevated areas such as roofs, watch for flying debris.

• Travel safely. Avoid non-essential travel during the peak of the storm expected Sunday and Monday. If you must drive, download the QuickMap app or visit QuickMap (ca.gov) to learn up-to-the-minute information on road conditions, traffic, closures, and more. Do not walk, swim or drive through flood waters. Turn Around, Don’t Drown! Remember, just six inches of moving water can knock you down, and one foot of moving water can sweep your vehicle away.

• Be ready in case of power outages. Take inventory of the items you need that rely on electricity. Keep your devices charged. Plan for batteries and other alternative power sources to meet your needs if the power goes out such as a portable charger or power bank. Have flashlights for every household member.

Get more tips here.

Additional resources

Storm Season Safety Guide: the state is sharing multilingual resources, deploying a network of community-based organizations through the Listos California campaign, and highlighting other work underway to protect at-risk communities this rainy season.

Prepare Yourself through Texts: Californians can sign up for a 5-lesson text message course through Listos California on what to do before, during and after floods, high winds, debris flows and other storm impacts. This course is available in English, Spanish, Hmong and Punjabi. Text “CAWINTER” to 20202 via SMS to sign up.

Visit National Weather Service for current weather patterns in your area.

 

“Teen with special needs makes thrilling buzzer beater shot.”

“Special needs student offered shot of a lifetime.”

“High school basketball manager gets his time on the court.”

These inspirational headlines may sound familiar. They highlight brief but exhilarating moments of disabled students in sports.

They represent what’s commonly referred to in the disability community as “inspiration porn,” but they often miss an injustice that deserves far more attention. Student athletes with disabilities are sidelined or, even worse, never granted the opportunity to try out, even though they gained equal rights to extracurricular activities such as school sports more than 50 years ago.

The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability. As a professor who studies sport and physical activity participation of children with disabilities, it’s clear to me that this public law has been misinterpreted for more than 50 years, in ways that deny students equal opportunities.

Clarifying the issue

Just over 10 years ago, the U.S. Department of Education had to broadly issue a “Dear Colleague” letter to schools across the country to communicate and clarify their responsibilities under the act. In other words, school districts had to be reminded not to generalize information about students with disabilities based on stereotypes.

Section 504 of the act says students with disabilities must receive the same equal rights and opportunities afforded to their peers without disabilities in extracurricular activities such as school sports. It further states that school districts should work directly with athletic associations to ensure that students with disabilities are granted an equal opportunity to participate.

The precedent for this broad-stroke communication came from a U.S. Government Accountability Office report, which found that disabled students were not afforded equal opportunities to participate in school sports, including club, intramural or interscholastic. The content in the letter wasn’t new information – it clearly reiterated key components of Section 504, reminding school districts not to act on generalizations or stereotypes of disability. It also provided examples about how to ensure equal opportunities for disabled students.

So where do things stand now?

Participation rates unclear

Students with disabilities make up 15% of U.S. public school students, which is about 7.3 million K-12th graders. It’s impossible to know if the “Dear Colleague” letter made a difference, because there still isn’t much data on this issue.

Data on the general makeup of school sports teams or intramural activities is lacking, despite the fact that research shows participating has physical, social, academic and mental health benefits.

As someone who sees students with disabilities and their families on a regular basis, the stories I hear haven’t changed. Students with disabilities are still put in so-called manager roles or aren’t taken seriously when they express an interest in interscholastic sports.

A recent conversation with a parent echoed the stagnant nature of this subject: “It was just never presented as an option. If we knew more, we may have been able to help facilitate (participation in sports), but it just didn’t come up …”

The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights is responsible for enforcing Section 504. Since 2013, civil rights lawsuits still arise. While these lawsuits often are resolved in favor of the student, they can be finalized or settled long after the egregious act. In other words, the legal action doesn’t always have immediate effects on the student athlete.

What can be done

While schools and their administrators have a responsibility to implement the 1973 Rehabilitation Act, there’s a collective public responsibility to ensure equal access and to uphold civil rights laws. There are tangible ways to start making changes now.

For starters, coaches should practice inclusive recruiting efforts for all school sporting activities, including direct outreach to disabled students. School districts can ensure training opportunities for all coaches and athletics directors focused on the best inclusive coaching practices.

I envision a future where headlines will reflect diverse teams, strengths of the student athletes and equal opportunity. Ignoring the civil rights of students with disabilities devalues their athletic skills. It’s also a violation of children’s civil rights. It shouldn’t take another 50 years for students with disabilities to get into the game.

Megan MacDonald, Professor of Kinesiology and School Head, School of Exercise, Sport, and Health Sciences, Oregon State University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — Lake County Animal Care and Control has more new dogs ready to be adopted this week.

Dogs available for adoption this week include mixes of Alaskan husky, Australian cattle dog, Australian shepherd, border collie, boxer, bulldog, chihuahua, Doberman pinscher, English bulldog, German shepherd, hound, Labrador retriever, pit bull, poodle, Queensland heeler, Rottweiler, shepherd and terrier.

Dogs that are adopted from Lake County Animal Care and Control are either neutered or spayed, microchipped and, if old enough, given a rabies shot and county license before being released to their new owner. License fees do not apply to residents of the cities of Lakeport or Clearlake.

Those dogs and the others shown on this page at the Lake County Animal Care and Control shelter have been cleared for adoption.

Call Lake County Animal Care and Control at 707-263-0278 or visit the shelter online for information on visiting or adopting.

The shelter is located at 4949 Helbush in Lakeport.

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.

 

Planets orbit their parent stars while separated by enormous distances – in our solar system, planets are like grains of sand in a region the size of a football field. The time that planets take to orbit their suns have no specific relationship to each other.

But sometimes, their orbits display striking patterns. For example, astronomers studying six planets orbiting a star 100 light years away have just found that they orbit their star with an almost rhythmic beat, in perfect synchrony. Each pair of planets completes their orbits in times that are the ratios of whole numbers, allowing the planets to align and exert a gravitational push and pull on the other during their orbit.

This type of gravitational alignment is called orbital resonance, and it’s like a harmony between distant planets.

I’m an astronomer who studies and writes about cosmology. Researchers have discovered over 5,600 exoplanets in the past 30 years, and their extraordinary diversity continues to surprise astronomers.

Harmony of the spheres

Greek mathematician Pythagoras discovered the principles of musical harmony 2,500 years ago by analyzing the sounds of blacksmiths’ hammers and plucked strings.

He believed mathematics was at the heart of the natural world and proposed that the Sun, Moon and planets each emit unique hums based on their orbital properties. He thought this “music of the spheres” would be imperceptible to the human ear.

Four hundred years ago, Johannes Kepler picked up this idea. He proposed that musical intervals and harmonies described the motions of the six known planets at the time.

To Kepler, the solar system had two basses, Jupiter and Saturn; a tenor, Mars; two altos, Venus and Earth; and a soprano, Mercury. These roles reflected how long it took each planet to orbit the Sun, lower speeds for the outer planets and higher speeds for the inner planets.

He called the book he wrote on these mathematical relationships “The Harmony of the World.” While these ideas have some similarities to the concept of orbital resonance, planets don’t actually make sounds, since sound can’t travel through the vacuum of space.

Orbital resonance

Resonance happens when planets or moons have orbital periods that are ratios of whole numbers. The orbital period is the time taken for a planet to make one complete circuit of the star. So, for example, two planets orbiting a star would be in a 2:1 resonance when one planet takes twice as long as the other to orbit the star. Resonance is seen in only 5% of planetary systems.

In the solar system, Neptune and Pluto are in a 3:2 resonance. There’s also a triple resonance, 4:2:1, among Jupiter’s three moons: Ganymede, Europa and Io. In the time it takes Ganymede to orbit Jupiter, Europa orbits twice and Io orbits four times. Resonances occur naturally, when planets happen to have orbital periods that are the ratio of whole numbers.

Musical intervals describe the relationship between two musical notes. In the musical analogy, important musical intervals based on ratios of frequencies are the fourth, 4:3, the fifth, 3:2, and the octave, 2:1. Anyone who plays the guitar or the piano might recognize these intervals.

Orbital resonances can change how gravity influences two bodies, causing them to speed up, slow down, stabilize on their orbital path and sometimes have their orbits disrupted.

Think of pushing a child on a swing. A planet and a swing both have a natural frequency. Give the child a push that matches the swing motion and they’ll get a boost. They’ll also get a boost if you push them every other time they’re in that position, or every third time. But push them at random times, sometimes with the motion of the swing and sometimes against, and they get no boost.

For planets, the boost can keep them continuing on their orbital paths, but it’s much more likely to disrupt their orbits.

Exoplanet resonance

Exoplanets, or planets outside the solar system, show striking examples of resonance, not just between two objects but also between resonant “chains” involving three or more objects.

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This article is part of Art & Science Collide, a series examining the intersections between art and science.

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The star Gliese 876 has three planets with orbit period ratios of 4:2:1, just like Jupiter’s three moons. Kepler 223 has four planets with ratios of 8:6:4:3.

The red dwarf Kepler 80 has five planets with ratios of 9:6:4:3:2, and TOI 178 has six planets, of which five are in a resonant chain with ratios of 18:9:6:4:3.

TRAPPIST-1 is the record holder. It has seven Earth-like planets, two of which might be habitable, with orbit ratios of 24:15:9:6:4:3:2.

The newest example of a resonant chain is the HD 110067 system. It’s about 100 light years away and has six sub-Neptune planets, a common type of exoplanet, with orbit ratios of 54:36:24:16:12:9. The discovery is interesting because most resonance chains are unstable and disappear over time.

Despite these examples, resonant chains are rare, and only 1% of all planetary systems display them. Astronomers think that planets form in resonance, but small gravitational nudges from passing stars and wandering planets erase the resonance over time. With HD 110067, the resonant chain has survived for billions of years, offering a rare and pristine view of the system as it was when it formed.

Orbit sonification

Astronomers use a technique called sonification to translate complex visual data into sound. It gives people a different way to appreciate the beautiful images from the Hubble Space Telescope, and it has been applied to X-ray data and gravitational waves.

With exoplanets, sonification can convey the mathematical relationships of their orbits. Astronomers at the European Southern Observatory created what they call “music of the spheres” for the TOI 178 system by associating a sound on a pentatonic scale to each of the five planets.

A similar musical translation has been done for the TRAPPIST-1 system, with the orbital frequencies scaled up by a factor of 212 million to bring them into audible range.

Astronomers have also created a sonification for the HD 110067 system. People may not agree on whether these renditions sound like actual music, but it’s inspiring to see Pythagoras’ ideas realized after 2,500 years.

Chris Impey, University Distinguished Professor of Astronomy, University of Arizona

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — Forecasters said another major storm — one of the largest of the winter season so far — is set to hit Lake and Mendocino counties on Sunday and continue through much of the coming week.

AccuWeather’s meteorologists said the storm, which originated near Hawaii, will tap into moisture from atmospheric rivers, heightening flood risk.

Called a “pineapple express” because it brings moisture from the tropical pacific, the storm is forecast d to drop the heaviest rain from San Francisco south to Los Angeles.

However, at the same time heavy rain is expected throughout Lake County.

The National Weather Service has issued a flood watch and wind advisory for most of Lake County, as well as a winter storm warning for the northern third of the county, all of them in effect through Sunday.

The forecast calls for the storm to begin late on Saturday or early Sunday.

Moderate to heavy rain — up to 2.5 inches on Sunday in parts of the county — will fall along with strong and gusty winds and snow in the higher elevations. On Monday, close to another inch of rain could fall.

From Tuesday through the rest of the week, chances of showers remain in the forecast, although rain is expected to taper off during that time.

Due to the already saturated soils, the National Weather Service issued the flood watch for
southern Lake County, which will last much of the day on Sunday.

The rain so far this year has caused the level of Clear Lake to quickly rise.

Since Jan. 1, the lake has risen from 3.02 feet Rumsey — the special measure for Clear Lake to 6.16 feet Rumsey as of early Saturday. That’s more than a foot and a half higher than this time last year.

For context, the lake is full at 7.56 feet Rumsey.

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.

 

“You have blood on your hands.”

“I’m sorry for everything you have all been through.”

These quotes, the first from Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., speaking to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, and the second from Zuckerberg to families of victims of online child abuse in the audience, are highlights from an extraordinary day of testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee about protecting children online.

But perhaps the most telling quote from the Jan. 31, 2024, hearing came not from the CEOs of Meta, TikTok, X, Discord or Snap but from Sen. Graham in his opening statement: Social media platforms “as they are currently designed and operate are dangerous products.”

We are university researchers who study how social media organizes news, information and communities. Whether or not social media apps meet the legal definition of “unreasonably dangerous products,” the social media companies’ business models do rely on having millions of young users. At the same time, we believe that the companies have not invested sufficient resources to effectively protect those users.

Mobile device use by children and teens skyrocketed during the pandemic and has stayed high. Naturally, teens want to be where their friends are, be it the skate park or on social media. In 2022, there were an estimated 49.8 million users age 17 and under of YouTube, 19 million of TikTok, 18 million of Snapchat, 16.7 million of Instagram, 9.9 million of Facebook and 7 million of Twitter, according to a recent study by researchers at Harvard’s Chan School of Public Health.

Teens are a significant revenue source for social media companies. Revenue from users 17 and under of social media was US$11 billion in 2022, according to the Chan School study. Instagram netted nearly $5 billion, while TikTok and YouTube each accrued over $2 billion. Teens mean green.

Social media poses a range of risks for teens, from exposing them to harassment, bullying and sexual exploitation to encouraging eating disorders and suicidal ideation. For Congress to take meaningful action on protecting children online, we identify three issues that need to be accounted for: age, business model and content moderation.

How old are you?

Social media companies have an incentive to look the other way in terms of their users’ ages. Otherwise they would have to spend the resources to moderate their content appropriately. Millions of underage users – those under 13 – are an “open secret” at Meta. Meta has described some potential strategies to verify user ages, like requiring identification or video selfies, and using AI to guess their age based on “Happy Birthday” messages.

However, the accuracy of these methods is not publicly open to scrutiny, so it’s difficult to audit them independently.

Meta has stated that online teen safety legislation is needed to prevent harm, but the company points to app stores, currently dominated by Apple and Google, as the place where age verification should happen. However, these guardrails can be easily circumvented by accessing a social media platform’s website rather than its app.

New generations of customers

Teen adoption is crucial for continued growth of all social media platforms. The Facebook Files, an investigation based on a review of company documents, showed that Instagram’s growth strategy relies on teens helping family members, particularly younger siblings, get on the platform. Meta claims it optimizes for “meaningful social interaction,” prioritizing family and friends’ content over other interests. However, Instagram allows pseudonymity and multiple accounts, which makes parental oversight even more difficult.

On Nov. 7, 2023, Auturo Bejar, a former senior engineer at Facebook, testified before Congress. At Meta he surveyed teen Instagram users and found 24% of 13- to 15-year-olds said they had received unwanted advances within the past seven days, a fact he characterizes as “likely the largest-scale sexual harassment of teens to have ever happened.” Meta has since implemented restrictions on direct messaging in its products for underage users.

But to be clear, widespread harassment, bullying and solicitation is a part of the landscape of social media, and it’s going to take more than parents and app stores to rein it in.

Meta recently announced that it is aiming to provide teens with “age-appropriate experiences,” in part by prohibiting searches for terms related to suicide, self-harm and eating disorders. However, these steps don’t stop online communities that promote these harmful behaviors from flourishing on the company’s social media platforms. It takes a carefully trained team of human moderators to monitor and enforce terms of service violations for dangerous groups.

Content moderation

Social media companies point to the promise of artificial intelligence to moderate content and provide safety on their platforms, but AI is not a silver bullet for managing human behavior. Communities adapt quickly to AI moderation, augmenting banned words with purposeful misspellings and creating backup accounts to prevent getting kicked off a platform.

Human content moderation is also problematic, given social media companies’ business models and practices. Since 2022, social media companies have implemented massive layoffs that struck at the heart of their trust and safety operations and weakened content moderation across the industry.

Congress will need hard data from the social media companies – data the companies have not provided to date – to assess the appropriate ratio of moderators to users.

The way forward

In health care, professionals have a duty to warn if they believe something dangerous might happen. When these uncomfortable truths surface in corporate research, little is done to inform the public of threats to safety. Congress could mandate reporting when internal studies reveal damaging outcomes.

Helping teens today will require social media companies to invest in human content moderation and meaningful age verification. But even that is not likely to fix the problem. The challenge is facing the reality that social media as it exists today thrives on having legions of young users spending significant time in environments that put them at risk. These dangers for young users are baked into the design of contemporary social media, which requires much clearer statutes about who polices social media and when intervention is needed.

One of the motives for tech companies not to segment their user base by age, which would better protect children, is how it would affect advertising revenue. Congress has limited tools available to enact change, such as enforcing laws about advertising transparency, including “know your customer” rules. Especially as AI accelerates targeted marketing, social media companies are going to continue making it easy for advertisers to reach users of any age. But if advertisers knew what proportion of ads were seen by children, rather than adults, they may think twice about where they place ads in the future.

Despite a number of high-profile hearings on the harms of social media, Congress has not yet passed legislation to protect children or make social media platforms liable for the content published on their platforms. But with so many young people online post-pandemic, it’s up to Congress to implement guardrails that ultimately put privacy and community safety at the center of social media design.

Joan Donovan, Assistant Professor of Journalism and Emerging Media Studies, Boston University and Sara Parker, Research Analyst at the Media Ecosystem Observatory, McGill University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

CLEARLAKE, Calif. — Clearlake Animal Control has dozens of dogs waiting to be adopted this week.

The Clearlake Animal Control website lists 45 adoptable dogs.

The adoptable dogs include “Rock,” an American Staffordshire terrier mix with a white and brown coat. He has been neutered.

There also is “Dandelion,” a female Doberman pinscher mix with a tricolor coat. She has been spayed.

The shelter is located at 6820 Old Highway 53. It’s open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.

For more information, call the shelter at 707-762-6227, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., visit Clearlake Animal Control on Facebook or on the city’s website.

This week’s adoptable dogs are featured below.

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.