LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — A Lucerne man was killed in a solo vehicle wreck on Highway 20 Friday afternoon.

The California Highway Patrol’s Clear Lake Area office did not release the 56-year-old man’s name on Friday pending the notification of his family.

The crash occurred at 1:23 p.m. on Highway 20 near Upper Lake, the CHP said.

The CHP said the man was driving a 1996 Ford Ranger eastbound on Highway 20, just east of Upper Lake Lucerne Road, at an unknown speed when the pickup went off the south roadway edge, turned to the left and crossed all lanes of traffic.

The pickup continued off the north side of the roadway and overturned as it traveled down the north side embankment and landed on its roof, coming to rest in a ditch containing water, the CHP said.

The driver was not wearing a seat belt, according to the report.

First responders attempted to save his life and he was transported to Sutter Lakeside Hospital where he was pronounced dead at 2:41 p.m., the CHP said.

The CHP said it is unknown at this time if drugs or alcohol were contributing factors in the cause of this crash.

This collision is still under investigation by CHP Officer J. Lindsey.

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. — Lake County Office of Emergency Services, in coordination with the County Administrative Office, has submitted a request to the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services for any and all support available to aid Lake County and its residents in recovery from the 2024 January and February winter storm.

In part, this request will open the door for state or federal assistance for residents who have extensive damage to their primary residence or business, county officials reported.

Renters, homeowners and business owners who sustained damage can continue to report damages for inclusion in any possible assistance that becomes available by visiting https://lakesheriff.com/1448/Response or calling the Community Development Department at 707-263-2221 during regular business hours.

Sheriff Howe declared the existence of a local emergency on Monday, Feb. 5, in response to the damage caused by the winter storms. The emergency proclamation was thereafter ratified by the Lake County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, Feb. 6.

This latest round of storms is Lake County’s 14th disaster in the last six years.

During the event, approximately 40% of Lake County households lost power. Of those, about 5% remained without power four days after the peak of the storm. High winds fell trees into homes, across power lines and roads while excessive rains caused flooded roadways and homes. One fire district ran close to 100 calls for service in a ten-hour period.

The cities of Clearlake and Lakeport issued their own proclamations in response to the widespread damage and threat to their citizens. Schools county-wide closed and several schools experienced damage.

Staying prepared and safe travel

Lake County OES has pinned a post with important links to help you stay informed on their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/lakecountyoes.

Additional winter weather systems may impact the County before winter turns to spring and summer, residents are encouraged to stay prepared. Steps may include:

• Maintain at least a half tank of gas at all times;
• Maintain drinking water, nonperishable food items and medications on hand;
• Keep phones and other electronic devices charged;
• Keep cash on hand, as electronic payment systems may go down; and,
• Ensure drainage systems on your property are free of debris.

Additional updates and information will continue to be provided via Facebook and online at https://lakesheriff.com/1448/Response.

CLEARLAKE, Calif. — Following the heavy winter storms that hit last week, peaking on Sunday, the city of Clearlake has issued an emergency declaration.

City Manager Alan Flora, acting as the city’s director of emergency services, issued the declaration on Friday.

The declaration follows one for all of Lake County issued on Monday by Sheriff Rob Howe.

The city did not immediately respond to a question about estimates of damage to public infrastructure.

The Clearlake City Council is expected to ratify the declaration when it meets on Thursday.

The full proclamation follows.


WHEREAS, City of Clearlake Municipal Code Section 2-11.6 empowers the Director of Emergency Services (City Manager) to proclaim the existence or threatened existence of a local emergency when the city is affected or likely to be affected by a public calamity and the City Council is not in session; and

WHEREAS, Government Code Section 8550 et seq., including Section 8558(c), authorize the City Manager to proclaim a local emergency when the City is threatened by conditions of disaster or extreme peril to the safety of persons and property within the City that are likely to be beyond the control of the services, personnel, equipment, and facilities of the City; and

WHEREAS, starting on February 2, 2024 a winter storm resulted in high winds and heavy rain; and

WHEREAS, these conditions have caused a loss of stability to trees and hillsides, including significant damage to property, infrastructure and public safety within the city limits; and

WHEREAS, the mobilization of local resources, ability to coordinate interagency response, accelerate procurement of vital supplies, use mutual aid, and allow for future reimbursement by the state and federal governments will be critical to successfully responding to the impacts of the winter storms; and

WHEREAS, the City Manager, as the City’s Director of Emergency Services, has the power to declare a local emergency as authorized by Government Code section 8630 and Clearlake Municipal Code section 2-11.6.

NOW, THEREFORE, IT IS PROCLAIMED AND ORDERED by the City Manager of the City of Clearlake as follows:

A. A local emergency exists based on the existence of conditions of disaster or of extreme peril to the safety of persons and property, as detailed in the recitals set forth above.

B. The area within the City which is endangered and/or imperiled.

C. During the existence of this local emergency, the powers, functions, and duties of the emergency organization of this City shall be those prescribed by state law and by ordinances, resolutions, and orders of this City, including but not limited to the City of Clearlake Emergency Operations Plan.

D. The City Council shall review and ratify this proclamation within seven (7) days as required by state law, and if ratified, shall continue to exist until the City Council proclaims the termination of this local emergency. The City Council shall review the need for continuing the local emergency as required by state law until it terminates the local emergency, and shall terminate the local emergency at the earliest possible date that conditions warrant.

E. That a copy of this proclamation be forwarded to the Director of California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services requesting that the Director find it acceptable in accordance with State Law; that the Governor of California, pursuant to the Emergency Services Act, issue a proclamation declaring an emergency in the City of Clearlake; that the Governor waive regulations that may hinder response and recovery efforts; that recovery assistance be made available under the California Disaster Assistance Act; and that the State expedite access to State and Federal resources and any other appropriate federal disaster relief programs.


DATED: February 9, 2024


_______________________________________
Alan D. Flora
Director of Emergency Services

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — With power still out in some parts of Lake County due to the heavy winter storms that peaked over the weekend, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office of Emergency Services shared an update from Pacific Gas and Electric on the effort to restore power to customers.

“This week’s winter storm is now the largest single storm producing multiple customer outages in nearly 30 years, affecting more than 1.85 million customers. High gusts and strong sustained winds caused an incredible amount of damage across our service area, including breaking or toppling 946 poles, requiring us to restring or repair more than 2,839 spans of powerlines and damaging or destroying 485 crossarms and 378 transformers. Parts of Lake County were particularly hard hit,” PG&E said.

PG&E said it has approximately 600 crews on the ground continuing to restore customers throughout the day and night. When customers are restored in one area, they move them into areas where outages remain to speed up restoration there.

In Lake County, PG&E reported that on Friday afternoon it had approximately 539 customers without power due to the storms, including 398 in Cobb, 115 in Kelseyville, 20 in Loch Lomond and 10 in Upper Lake. Those customers were in areas where damage to the system required a more complex restoration as the damage was the most severe and involved the need to remove fallen trees.

By 10 p.m. Friday, that number had been reduced to about 100 customers.

Most of PG&E’s customers are expected to be restored by Saturday night, although a few of the most isolated customers may be without power into the weekend. The company said it provided all of its customers with estimated times of restoration.

PG&E said it’s aware of reports of customers seeing wires on the ground in some Lake County communities. Some of these wires may belong to other utilities, such as phone companies, and some of these may be PG&E wires which will be reinstalled to restore power to customers or will be removed by PG&E in the coming days.

“As a best practice, if you see a wire down in your community, assume it’s energized and stay away from it,” PG&E said.

The statement continued, “It’s important for customers to remember that the timing we provide is an estimate; in some cases, as repair work continues, we may discover additional damage or encounter access issues that change the timing. We want customers to know that we absolutely understand how frustrating it is to be without power, especially for multiple days. This storm was incredibly intense and our crews are out in force making these final repairs. We won’t stop until the last customer has their power restored.”

 

For the first time since 1972, NASA is putting science experiments on the Moon in 2024. And thanks to new technologies and public-private partnerships, these projects will open up new realms of scientific possibility. As parts of several projects launching this year, teams of scientists, including myself, will conduct radio astronomy from the south pole and the far side of the Moon.

NASA’s commercial lunar payload services program, or CLPS, will use uncrewed landers to conduct NASA’s first science experiments from the Moon in over 50 years. The CLPS program differs from past space programs. Rather than NASA building the landers and operating the program, commercial companies will do so in a public-private partnership. NASA identified about a dozen companies to serve as vendors for landers that will go to the Moon.

NASA buys space on these landers for science payloads to fly to the Moon, and the companies design, build and insure the landers, as well as contract with rocket companies for the launches. Unlike in the past, NASA is one of the customers and not the sole driver.

CLPS launches

The first two CLPS payloads are scheduled to launch during the first two months of 2024. There’s the Astrobotics payload, which launched Jan. 8 before experiencing a fuel issue that cut its journey to the Moon short. Next, there’s the Intuitive Machines payload, with a launch scheduled for mid-February. NASA has also planned a few additional landings – about two or three per year – for each of the next few years.

I’m a radio astronomer and co-investigator on NASA’s ROLSES program, otherwise known as Radiowave Observations at the Lunar Surface of the photoElectron Sheath. ROLSES was built by the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center and is led by Natchimuthuk Gopalswamy.

The ROLSES instrument will launch with Intuitive Machines in February. Between ROLSES and another mission scheduled for the lunar far side in two years, LuSEE-Night, our teams will land NASA’s first two radio telescopes on the Moon by 2026.

Radio telescopes on the Moon

The Moon – particularly the far side of the Moon – is an ideal place to do radio astronomy and study signals from extraterrestrial objects such as the Sun and the Milky Way galaxy. On Earth, the ionosphere, which contains Earth’s magnetic field, distorts and absorbs radio signals below the FM band. These signals might get scrambled or may not even make it to the surface of the Earth.

On Earth, there are also TV signals, satellite broadcasts and defense radar systems making noise. To do higher sensitivity observations, you have to go into space, away from Earth.

The Moon is what scientists call tidally locked. One side of the Moon is always facing the Earth – the “man in the Moon” side – and the other side, the far side, always faces away from the Earth. The Moon has no ionosphere, and with about 2,000 miles of rock between the Earth and the far side of the Moon, there’s no interference. It’s radio quiet.

For our first mission with ROLSES, launching in February 2024, we will collect data about environmental conditions on the Moon near its south pole. On the Moon’s surface, solar wind directly strikes the lunar surface and creates a charged gas, called a plasma. Electrons lift off the negatively charged surface to form a highly ionized gas.

This doesn’t happen on Earth because the magnetic field deflects the solar wind. But there’s no global magnetic field on the Moon. With a low frequency radio telescope like ROLSES, we’ll be able to measure that plasma for the first time, which could help scientists figure out how to keep astronauts safe on the Moon.

When astronauts walk around on the surface of the Moon, they’ll pick up different charges. It’s like walking across the carpet with your socks on – when you reach for a doorknob, a spark can come out of your finger. The same kind of discharge happens on the Moon from the charged gas, but it’s potentially more harmful to astronauts.

Solar and exoplanet radio emissions

Our team is also going to use ROLSES to look at the Sun. The Sun’s surface releases shock waves that send out highly energetic particles and low radio frequency emissions. We’ll use the radio telescopes to measure these emissions and to see bursts of low-frequency radio waves from shock waves within the solar wind.

We’re also going to examine the Earth from the surface of the Moon and use that process as a template for looking at radio emissions from exoplanets that may harbor life in other star systems.

Magnetic fields are important for life because they shield the planet’s surface from the solar/stellar wind.

In the future, our team hopes to use specialized arrays of antennas on the far side of the Moon to observe nearby stellar systems that are known to have exoplanets. If we detect the same kind of radio emissions that come from Earth, this will tell us that the planet has a magnetic field. And we can measure the strength of the magnetic field to figure out whether it’s strong enough to shield life.

Cosmology on the Moon

The Lunar Surface Electromagnetic Experiment at Night, or LuSEE-Night, will fly in early 2026 to the far side of the Moon. LuSEE-Night marks scientists’ first attempt to do cosmology on the Moon.

LuSEE-Night is a novel collaboration between NASA and the Department of Energy. Data will be sent back to Earth using a communications satellite in lunar orbit, Lunar Pathfinder, which is funded by the European Space Agency.

Since the far side of the Moon is uniquely radio quiet, it’s the best place to do cosmological observations. During the two weeks of lunar night that happen every 14 days, there’s no emission coming from the Sun, and there’s no ionosphere.

We hope to study an unexplored part of the early universe called the dark ages. The dark ages refer to before and just after the formation of the very first stars and galaxies in the universe, which is beyond what the James Webb Space Telescope can study.

During the dark ages, the universe was less than 100 million years old – today the universe is 13.7 billion years old. The universe was full of hydrogen during the dark ages. That hydrogen radiates through the universe at low radio frequencies, and when new stars turn on, they ionize the hydrogen, producing a radio signature in the spectrum. Our team hopes to measure that signal and learn about how the earliest stars and galaxies in the universe formed.

There’s also a lot of potential new physics that we can study in this last unexplored cosmological epoch in the universe. We will investigate the nature of dark matter and early dark energy and test our fundamental models of physics and cosmology in an unexplored age.

That process is going to start in 2026 with the LuSEE-Night mission, which is both a fundamental physics experiment and a cosmology experiment.

Jack Burns, Professor of Astrophysical and Planetary Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder

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

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — A certified letter from the State Water Resources Control Board that’s been arriving in the mailboxes of thousands of Lake County residents this month has caused concern and consternation, but officials with the water board and the Lake County Farm Bureau offered guidance on how to meet the requirements.

The letter, dated Jan. 31, is the result of a regulation the State Water Resources Control Board approved in December that allows it to ask for information from a large area around Lake County, said Jessica Bean, assistant deputy for drought and water rights modernization in the Water Board’s Division of Water Rights.

Bean said the Water Board’s quest for information traces back to the Board of Supervisors’ unanimous approval, a year ago this month, of the proclamation of a local emergency as a step toward trying to save the Clear Lake hitch, a native minnow, from potential extinction. The board voted on Tuesday to continue that emergency.

The Board of Supervisors’ action was followed by a direction issued by Gov. Gavin Newsom in March that the Water Board begin to evaluate instream flows, work with tribes and other water users on voluntary actions, and consider emergency regulations to protect the hitch.

As a result, Bean said the Water Board started digging into the available information to see how water use is impacting the hitch.

She said that, often, there is a connection between groundwater and streamflow. “The problem is, we just don’t know much about that in Clear Lake, what is happening,” and the state is trying to understand how it could impact flows, she said.

The Water Board hired an environmental consultant to do a groundwater and surface water study. “We need data to do that,” Bean said.

So in September, the Water Board released draft emergency regulations, which were open for public comment for 60 days, that focused on streams and headwaters across Clear Lake’s watershed, although Bean said the study area doesn’t include the entire watershed. That led to the information regulation accepted in December.

Bean said the letter requesting information has been sent to about 1,300 property owners representing 2,300 parcels in Lake County.

The letter states, “The Order is being sent to people who own or are responsible for properties located within the Big Valley Groundwater Basin; within approximately 1,000 feet of Rodman Slough, Middle Creek, Lyons Creek, Clover Creek, Tule Lake, Blue Lakes, Scotts Creek, Adobe Creek, Kelsey Creek, Cole Creek, Manning Creek, and/or McGaugh Slough; upstream of hitch spawning habitat that may have substantial surface water diversions; and/or in areas where groundwater may be connected to key hitch spawning habitat.”

The Water Board’s information regulation went into effect on Jan. 22 and will continue through Jan. 21, 2025, unless the board readopts it, Bean said. That means that the information gathering going on now is not expected to continue beyond next year.

She said it’s a tight timeline for information gathering, and that it is unlikely that there will be additional reporting requirements from water users in the impacted areas in 2024.

Many of the people who received the order may only have domestic water usage, not usage for agriculture. In that case, Bean said, those with domestic water for home or hobby ranching can complete a simple certification by Feb. 29.

Those who are doing large commercial agricultural irrigation will be required to do more, including measuring groundwater extraction and completing reports. They must also certify that they received the order and choose a reporting pathway — either directly to the Water Board or through the Lake County Farm Bureau — by Feb. 29.

Larger water users must then submit two more reports.

The first, due by March 31, must report on water diversions, extractions and use for the month of March. The second report, due Aug. 31, will cover usage through July 31.

Detailed guidance is available in the information order letter and online at the Water Board’s webpage set up for the hitch order.

Bean emphasized a key point: “We're not requiring people to use meters,” she said, noting that people have been very concerned about that.

There also is guidance on how to calculate water usage without a meter on the webpage.

Bean said they have so far received a lot of calls and emails from people asking questions — especially domestic water users.

“The main people that have been reaching out to us are folks unfamiliar with the hitch issue,” said Bean.

At the same time, earlier this week the Water Board was still developing its guidelines. The weekend storm caused internet outages that resulted in tech issues for the rollout of their online guidance, Bean said.

Lake County News received reports from those who had received letters that the informational phone number was going immediately to voicemail. Bean said that’s because they don’t have a phone bank and only a small team that’s working on the process.

Bean said they are responding to people as quickly as they can, working with them one-on-one when necessary. Anyone with questions is encouraged to call or email and leave specifics about their concerns along with their parcel number.

“If people can be a little patient with us and know that we are actively working on it even if you haven’t heard back from us,” Bean said.

She said they are happy to walk people through the process. “We respect and understand the fact that it is complex” and that people would need help, Bean said.

Farm Bureau offers guidance and support

At the Lake County Farm Bureau, which is a second reporting pathway, Executive Director Rebecca Harper said she’s been inundated with calls and emails from people who are upset about the order, which is vague in its wording.

She said she’s been contacted by many older people who don’t have computer access to fill out the information online.

“That’s been a good chunk of what I’m hearing,” said Harper.

Harper explained that it’s important for people to read the entire order. She said that there is a tendency to start freaking out when opening a certified letter from the state, and it’s key to be familiar with what is required.

Once they’ve read the entire order, she said people should seek help from the listed resources — either the Water Board or the Farm Bureau.

She emphasized that while domestic water users have exemptions, they still must complete the outlined steps, including certification.

When it comes to the reporting pathways, Harper said those who use the Lake County Farm Bureau — instead of going direction to the Water Board — are given privacy protection.

Call Harper at 707-263-0911 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to register for the Farm Bureau’s reporting pathway.

For additional help, an in-person compliance workshop will take place at 11 a.m. Friday, Feb. 16, in Room 109 at the Lake County Courthouse, 255 N. Forbes St. in Lakeport.

The text of the information order is 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.



This letter requires your immediate attention. You are receiving this letter because you own, occupy, or are responsible for the properties listed at the end of this letter. As such, you are required to comply with the enclosed Information Order (Order) from the State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board or Board). The Order is being issued under the authority of the Emergency Information Order Regulations for the Clear Lake Watershed (Regulations). This letter explains why the Order is needed, when and how to comply with the Order, and where you can find more information.

Purpose of the Order

The purpose of the Order is to gather information from water users in the Clear Lake watershed to better understand how groundwater pumping and surface water diversions affect creek flows critical for the Clear Lake hitch (hitch). The hitch population, which is a threatened species under the California Endangered Species Act, has been declining for some time and recent droughts have further impacted the population. A primary threat to hitch survival is water availability in creeks where the hitch spawn and migrate. Degraded habitat, passage barriers, predation, competition with invasive species, and pollution also can affect the health of the species.

Whv You Are Receiving the Order

The Order is being sent to people who own or are responsible for properties located within the Big Valley Groundwater Basin; within approximately 1,000 feet of Rodman Slough, Middle Creek, Lyons Creek, Clover Creek, Tule Lake, Blue Lakes, Scotts Creek, Adobe Creek, Kelsey Creek, Cole Creek, Manning Creek, and/or McGaugh Slough; upstream of hitch spawning habitat that may have substantial surface water diversions; and/or in areas where groundwater may be connected to key hitch spawning habitat.

Where to Access Reporting Platforms and Resources

All information related to the Order is available on the State Water Board's Clear Lake Order webpage, which is located at waterboards.ca.gov/clearlakehitch/order. This webpage includes links to the Board's online reporting platform, guidance documents, and more. You can also access the webpage from the Board's main Clear Lake Hitch website at waterboards.ca.gov/clearlakehitch/order.

What You Need to Do

Recipients of the Order are required to complete the following activities:

(1) Certify receipt of the Order and confirm reporting pathway by February 29, 2024.

(2) Measure and record groundwater extractions by well from March 1, 2024 through July 31, 2024.

(3) Submit two reports that provide information related to diversion, extraction, and/or use of water relevant to the Board's Clear Lake hitch protection efforts: Report 1 is due by March 31, 2024. Report 2 is due by August 31, 2024. The information you must provide in each report and a list of items to gather before you report are available on the Clear Lake Order webpage.

Even if you are not currently pumping groundwater or diverting surface water, you must comply with the Order. If you fail to comply with the Order, you may be fined or subject to other enforcement action. This Order does not replace any other reporting requirements. Please continue to comply with all reporting requirements you may be subject to.

How to Comply

This section explains how to complete the required activities:

(1) How to Certify Receipt of the Order and Confirm Reporting Pathway

You must certify that you received the Order and confirm your reporting pathway through the State Water Board's online reporting platform. Reporting pathways are discussed below. The link to the Board's online reporting platform can be found on the Clear Lake Order webpage. The platform requires you enter the following access code: ClearLake.

(2) How to Measure Groundwater Extractions

You are required to measure and record weekly groundwater extractions by well from March 1, 2024, through July 31, 2024, using a method acceptable to the Board. You will provide these measurements in Report 2. For a list of acceptable measurement methods and templates for collecting measurements, please visit the Clear Lake Order Webpage.

(3) How to Report

There are two pathways for reporting. You can either directly report to the State Water Board or you can report through the Lake County Farm Bureau Education Corporation (LCFBEC) Alternative Compliance Pathway (Pathway).

• Pathway A: Directly report to the State Water Board

This is the default option for anyone who receives the Order. If you choose this option, you must submit your reports through the Board's online reporting platform. This is the same platform you will use to certify receipt of the Order and confirm your reporting pathway. However, the platform will open for Report 1 submissions no later than March 1, 2024, and Report 2 submissions no later than Aug. 1, 2024.

• Pathway B: Report through the LCFBEC Pathway

To report through the LCFBEC Pathway, you must register with the Lake County Farm Bureau (LCFB) by Feb. 29, 2024. Details are available on the Clear Lake Order webpage.

Once you register for the LCFBEC pathway, you will submit reports to the LCFB and the LCFB will submit report summaries and datasets to the Board. The LCFB will provide instructions on how to report after you register. You must call or email Rebecca Harper with the LCFB at (707) 263-0911 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to register for the LCFBEC Pathway.

Due dates are the same no matter which reporting pathway you choose.

How to Learn More and Ask Questions

We understand these are new requirements and you may have questions. The following resources are available to help:

• Clear Lake Hitch Website — waterboards.ca.gov/clearlakehitch
Details on the Order, resources to help you comply, and information about other hitch activities are available on the State Water Board's Clear Lake Hitch website. You can access the Clear Lake Order webpage from this website.

• Compliance Workshop — Friday, Feb. 16, 2024, 11:00 am in Lakeport
Ask questions and receive details on reporting pathways, deadlines, resources, and more at the in-person workshop (255 N. Forbes St., Room 109, Lakeport, CA 95453).

• Virtual Office Hours
We will hold office hours to help you fill out reports. Dates and times will be posted on the State Water Board's Clear Lake Hitch website.

• Email Subscription List
Receive key updates from our email subscription list. Sign-up information is available on the Board's Clear Lake Hitch website.

• Email or call us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 916-341-5355.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The Lake County Association of Realtors’ latest report showed that median home prices rose in December, while overall sales were down slightly.

Over the month of December 2023, a total of 54 single family homes were sold through the multiple listing service, compared to 59 in November and 73 sold a year ago during the month of December 2022.

These include traditionally built “stick-built” houses as well as manufactured homes on land.

In 2023, the county offices were closed during the last two weeks of the year and there were home sales that were unable to close in December because the Recorder’s Office was not open. This may be part of the reason for the fewer number of sales in December.

There were six sales of mobile homes in parks in December, compared to four in November and five sold a year ago during the month of December 2022.

For bare land — lots and acreage — 16 were sold in December, compared to 25 closed land sales in November and the 15 sold during that time the previous year in December 2022.

There are 347 “stick built” and manufactured homes on the market right now. If the rate of sales stays the same at 54 homes sold per month, there are currently 6.4 months of inventory on the market at the moment. That means that if no new homes are brought to the market for sale, in 6.4 months, all of these homes would be sold and there would be no homes available for sale.

Less than 6 months of inventory is generally considered to be a “sellers’ market” while more than 6 months of inventory is often called a “buyers’ market.”

December’s data is substantially the same as November, when there was 6.6 months of inventory available.

Agents are currently reporting an uptick in requests for property tours in January, so perhaps the market will be picking up somewhat.

The total percentage of homes bought for all cash in December:

• 35%, compared to 41% for November and 34% for December 2022;
• 37% were financed by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac (“conventional loans”) compared to 29% for November and 44% for December 2022;
• 20% were financed by FHA, compared to 17% in November and 10% in December 2022;
• 1% were financed by the VA or CalVet, compared to 7% in November and 4% for December 2022;
• 4% had other financing such as private loans, USDA, or seller financed notes, compared to 3% in November, and compared to 6% for December 2022.

None of the closed sales in December were reported as assumable loans that were assumed by the buyer.

The homes in December sold at an average of 94.6% of the asking price at the time the property went under contract, but an average of 88% when compared to the original asking price when the property first came on the market. This means that the asking home prices had been reduced from their original list prices on the homes that sold before they actually sold.

In November, homes also sold for 96% of the asking price at the time the property went under contract, and 89% of the original asking price.

In December 2022, homes were selling at 95% of the asking price at the time the property went under contract and at 88%when compared to the original asking price.

The median time on the market in December was 62 days, compared to 32 days in November and 54 days in December 2022.

The median sale price of a single family home in Lake County in December was $305,000, which is higher than the $269,000 median sale price for November but lower than the median sale price of $320,500 during December 2022.

This would indicate that last month, the higher priced homes were selling in greater numbers to bring the median sale price up compared to November 2023.

The median asking price of homes on the market right now is $360,000, which is about the same as November’s $357,000.

In December, 37% of homes sold had seller concessions for an average concession of $7,679; the rate of concessions is higher compared to November 2023’s numbers, when 31% of homes sold had seller concessions with an average concession of $11,286. In December 2022, 29% of homes sold had an average seller concession of $7,614.

In December 2023, average concessions were highest for FHA loans, with an average concession of $14,206.

VA loans had an average concession of $7,600; conventional loans had an average concession of $3,325.

The 19 cash sales had no seller concessions (rather, they show up this month as a lowered sale price instead of seller credits being given in escrow).

COBB, Calif. — Cal Fire reported this week that its Boggs Mountain Demonstration State Forest has experienced significant damage from the winter storms that began last month and culminated with the pineapple express that hit on Sunday.

The storms resulted in downed trees in recreation sites, on roads and trails, creating safety issues for the public, Cal Fire reported.

As a result, Cal Fire said vehicle access will be restricted to the main parking lot until further notice while crews work to clear the roads.

Cal Fire asked community members to use special caution due to the downed trees, limbs and debris.

Boggs has been in winter season management since Nov. 1 but remains open for day use only from sunrise to sunset by foot, bicycle and equestrian use. Forest roads are subject to temporary closure pending wet weather conditions.

Call the Boggs Mountain Demonstration State Forest office at 707-928-4378 or visit them online at www.fire.ca.gov for more information.

 

Suicide in the U.S. is a societal epidemic and a staggering public health crisis that demands attention from medical experts.

In 2021, someone in the U.S. died by suicide every 11 minutes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That rate equates to nearly 50,000 Americans every year. Another 1.7 million people in the U.S. attempted suicide in 2021, and over 12 million more had suicidal thoughts.

And the numbers appear to be getting worse: Preliminary numbers for 2022 show a 2.6% increase in suicide deaths from 2021.

Suicide particularly affects younger people – it remains one of the top three causes of death for those between ages 10-34. High school students identifying as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning, or LGBTQ+, attempt suicide four times more often than heterosexual students.

These statistics make it clear that far more attention needs to be given to how to talk about suicide, both with loved ones and in medical and other professional settings.

As a team of experts who educate medical students on how to identify and treat suicidal patients, we are well aware that most medical schools do not yet adequately address the topic of suicide.

In turn, many of their students, once they become physicians, are not adequately equipped to identify, assess and refer suicidal patients. Yet, these health care providers are expected to play a key role in the battle to prevent suicide. But as the numbers make clear, this approach is not enough.

Destigmatizing suicide

Suicide has a long history of stigma, made worse by how it’s portrayed in the media. Often, when someone dies by suicide, the media uses euphemistic phrases such as “no foul play suspected,” rather than clear and accurate language describing the death as a suicide. This type of coded language implies the subject of suicide should not be addressed directly and leaves questions about what actually happened.

When a person takes their own life, the phrase “committed suicide” is often used, as if it were a sin or a crime. This is partly because, historically, most religions have considered suicide to be sinful and as a result it is treated as taboo. Although laws against suicide have been repealed in the United States and many other places, attempted suicide is still considered a crime in some states.

The verb “commit” in the context of suicide can suggest a criminal act. In contrast, using language such as “died from suicide” or “took her own life” is less stigmatizing and more neutral, which is why these phrases are recommended by advocates of mental health as best practices. Consistent with this approach, many media organizations have developed specific guidelines for reporting about suicide. For example, the Associated Press Stylebook recommends avoiding use of the phrase “committed suicide.”

Similarly – largely because of the societal and historical stigma surrounding suicide, which medical education is not immune to – medical schools do not equip up-and-coming doctors with the language and skills needed to recognize it and properly address it with their patients.

Shortage of mental health care

The first point of contact for patients seeking treatment for mental health conditions is usually their primary care physician. About 44% of those who died by suicide worldwide between 2000 and 2017 had visited their primary care provider within one month of their death.

This could be due to a combination of factors, including the continued stigma of mental health, limited access to mental health professionals and ease of access to and comfort with their primary care practitioner as a first step. Research shows that gaps between general medical services and specialty mental health options are preventing adults and kids from getting the mental health care they need.

In addition, the vast majority of patients with depression are treated by their primary care physicians rather than psychiatrists.

The shortage of available psychiatrists means that primary care physicians provide treatment and prescribe mental health care by default, especially for children, adolescents and geriatric patients. In fact, primary care providers – in other words, practitioners who are not psychiatrists – prescribe more than half of all psychiatric medication. And a 2023 study found that approximately one-third of patients received mental health care from their primary care provider.

Finally, many psychiatrists in private practice do not accept insurance, including Medicare and Medicaid, leading to reduced availability of psychiatric care.

Thousands of additional lives might be saved if primary care physicians and other practitioners who are not psychiatrists were better trained to ask the vitally important questions about suicide. In addition, better recognition of the warning signs of suicide, readily available psychiatric care and the elimination of stigma of mental illness would facilitate better quality of care.

Training the next generation of doctors

Why do so many Americans take their lives shortly after seeing a primary care provider?

It may be because many doctors are unprepared or uncomfortable discussing suicide or don’t pick up on the signs of suicidal ideation. It’s also possible that the doctors simply don’t have the necessary time to spend with the patients, even when intervention is needed.

At Florida International University, we train all medical students, beginning in the first year, on how to discuss suicide with patients. This helps to normalize the topic as just another part of their medical training, which, in turn, destigmatizes it.

We then emphasize the need for comfort and familiarity with the topic, as well as the many myths surrounding it. For example, there’s a false belief that asking a patient about suicide will increase the likelihood they will act upon the suicide. Research indicates otherwise.

Finally, students are told that doctors must create a safe environment for their patients to be open about discussing sensitive topics. In short, doctors must ask questions about suicide in a way that’s not pejorative or dismissive. They must not apologize to the patient or shy away from the subject.

Statements like “I’m sorry to have to bring this up” or “I’m sorry if this question seems too personal” can be an indication of discomfort or uneasiness. Instead, doctors should ask direct and specific questions like “Have you had any thoughts about ending your life” or “Are you having any thoughts of suicide?”

After a risk assessment is completed, then a patient would be hospitalized if they are at risk – there is no mandate for doctors to report on or act on depression.

The need for universal suicide screening

Although universal suicide screening has yet to be made the best practice nationally, there are multiple reasons why a standard screening process would be beneficial. Training in suicide assessment and prevention can be made mandatory for medical license renewal, which would include universal screening practices.

For example, adopting best practices could include offering suicide screening during routine health care visits to identify people at risk who might not otherwise be identified.

Another example: More than half of 15,000 children and adolescents who were seen in a pediatric hospital emergency room for nonpsychiatric reasons between March 18, 2013, and Dec. 31, 2018, were also experiencing suicidal ideation and behaviors. These examples emphasize the critical need to train doctors in suicide assessment and prevention. Currently there are fewer than 10 states that require any training on suicide assessment and prevention for doctors to renew their medical license.

In addition, doctors can use empathy, compassion and a nonjudgmental approach, rather than making the patient feel like they are being cross-examined by a lawyer. Interacting empathically leaves the patient feeling more understood and comfortable disclosing sensitive information.

There is a growing movement toward addressing mental health issues in medical schools. Our program prioritizes training a new crop of physicians who will be prepared and motivated to discuss suicide with their patients.

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please call or text 9-8-8 for confidential, free support.

Rodolfo Bonnin, Assistant Dean for Institutional Knowledge Management and Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Florida International University; Leonard M. Gralnik, Chief of Education and Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Florida International University, and Nathaly Shoua-Desmarais, Assistant Dean for Student Success and Well-Being and Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Florida International University

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

LAKEPORT, Calif. — The Lakeport City Council on Tuesday night voted unanimously to return to the Lakeport Fire Protection District a surplus ambulance that the district plans to refurbish.

Lakeport Fire donated the vehicle to the city in June 2021. City Manager Kevin Ingram said the city had planned to refurbish it for use as a police command vehicle, but they had not been able to secure the necessary grant funding and so had not done anything on that planned conversion.

Chief Patrick Reitz is moving forward the process of upgrading the district’s existing ambulances, which Ingram said is estimated to take 18 months.

The fire district wants to take the surplus ambulance and refurbish it for use as a backup ambulance while the others are being upgraded, Ingram said.

The ambulance has 141,000 miles on it and an estimated value of under $10,000, according to the staff report.

Councilman Brandon Disney moved to approve the return of the ambulance, with Councilmember Stacey Mattina seconding and the council approving it 5-0.

In other business on Tuesday, Community Development Director Joey Hejnowicz presented a 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.

Hejnowicz said the city is seeking $750,000 for the Bevins Street Senior Apartments project at 447 Bevins St.

The project will be a three-story building on an undeveloped parcel. Hejnowicz said it’s proposed to include 40 units, 32 of which will be one-bedroom units, with eight two-bedroom units. One unit will be reserved for a manager.

The income range will be 30 to 60% of the area’s annual median income, which he said is between $22,000 to $44,000 for a family of three.

The funding would actually be loaned to the Pacific Companies, which Ingram said owns another apartment complex at Martin and Bevins streets.

The council approved the resolution unanimously.

The council also approved a design immunity ordinance authorizing Ingram to sign written contracts and conveyances and have design approval authority, and accepted the Annual Comprehensive Financial Report for Fiscal Year 2022-23 presented by Assistant City Manager/Finance Director Nick Walker.

Mayor Michael Froio called the audit an “amazing document” that he learns from every year. He added that he appreciated the work Walker put into it and that it was good to see an outside auditor give him high marks.

Ingram acknowledged a lot of work goes into the document and that he also learns a lot from it.

With that work completed, Walker said the budget cycle starts next week.

Froio recommended people read it, adding it’s a government transparency measure. The council approved it unanimously.

Toward the end of Tuesday’s hour-long meeting, during which staff gave updates, Public Works Director Ron Ladd reported on the work by his crews and utility workers to respond to the storms on Sunday night and into early Monday.

He said they called in some people on their day off. “They were here immediately.”

Ladd said every other person in Public Works and utilities also called to see if they were needed. He added that they have a great group of workers that responded to the situation.

“They were amazing. Good job,” said Mattina.

Froio said he was sad to lose the cypress tree in Library Park. That tree fell on Sunday, pushing up the sidewalk and resulting in an overnight closure of Park Street.

Overall, however, Froio said the city of Lakeport seemed to fare well in the storms.

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.

CLEARLAKE, Calif. — The city of Clearlake will host an open house later this month on the plans to turn the former Pearce Field airport into a commercial hub.

The open house will take place from 4 to 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 21, in the council chambers at Clearlake City Hall, 13050 Olympic Drive.

Community members also will be able to comment remotely by emailing input to Senior Planner Mark Roberts at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. prior to the commencement of the open house. Be sure to identify the subject you wish to comment on in the subject line.

Join the city to re-envision the old airport site as clearlake’s community hub, commercial and medical center.

The open house will include a chance to view early programming concepts for the site.

Community members are invited to share their valuable insights and feedback on the proposed
Development and to engage in discussions about the project's potential impact on the site and community.

City staff and representatives from the design team will be available to answer your questions and provide insights into the project's environmental review process.

Learn about the steps involved and gain a deeper understanding of how your input can shape the future of this development.

Light refreshments will be provided.

For more information, contact Mark Roberts at 707-994-8201.

On Wednesday, Gov. Gavin Newsom thanked first responders for their efforts over the past few weeks to help keep Californians safe during record-breaking winter storms.

Starting in late January, Gov. Newsom directed an all-of-government response to storms that have impacted nearly all residents.

The response included over 8,500 boots on the ground to support communities with roadways, flood operations, rescue teams, sheltering, and more.

State swift water rescue teams, composed of both California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services and Cal Fire assets, made a combined 47 rescues and assisted six locally-led rescue operations. These state operations complemented the work of local governments conducting their own rescues.

The storm brought more than a foot of rain to certain parts of Southern California, hurricane-force wind gusts in Northern California, broke daily rainfall records, and resulted in the second highest amount of rainfall ever recorded in a 72-hour period in downtown Los Angeles.

Since late January, these combined storms have killed at least 12 people.

“Just in the last few weeks, California has lost 12 lives to successive storms. Our thoughts are with their families and friends, as well as with communities across the state as they begin efforts to clean up damage and recover.

During these storms, we mobilized an all-of-government response, including our swift water rescue teams that have made 47 rescues. We’re grateful to our thousands of first responders who have saved countless lives and kept our state going in the face of record-breaking rainfall and snow.”