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Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday signed a package of 15 bills aimed at strengthening gun violence protections.
The bills are meant to strengthen gun violence restraining orders, regulate ghost guns to mitigate the use of untraceable firearms by criminals, and will prohibit the sale of firearms and ammunitions at the Del Mar Fairgrounds in the county of San Diego, the city of Del Mar and the city of San Diego starting next year.
“Gun violence is an epidemic in this country, one that’s been inflamed by the inaction of politicians in Washington,” said Gov. Newsom. “While Washington has refused to act on even the most basic gun safety reforms, California is once again leading the nation in passing meaningful gun safety reforms.”
“California continues to be a leader in fighting the threat of gun violence,” said former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, co-founder of Giffords: Courage to Fight Gun Violence. “The legislative package Gov. Newsom signed today will help make California safer for all who call it home, and it shows the nation what committed, active, and thoughtful leadership on gun safety looks like.”
Giffords said she is proud to have played a strong role in helping craft this package and to have partnered with Gov. Newsom, the legislature's gun violence working group and other leaders.
The bills signed Friday by Gov. Newsom include the following.
Strengthening gun violence restraining orders
AB 12 by Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin (D-Thousand Oaks) extends the duration of a gun violence restraining order (GVRO) to a maximum of five years.
AB 61 by Assemblymember Philip Ting (D-San Francisco) allows an employer, coworker, or an employee or teacher to file a petition requesting a gun violence restraining order.
AB 164 by Assemblymember Sabrina Cervantes (D-Riverside) holds any person subject to a valid restraining order, injunction, or protective order issued out of state to the same restrictions on buying or possessing firearms in California as they are under in the state where the order or injunction is operative.
AB 339 by Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin (D-Thousand Oaks) requires law enforcement agencies to develop and adopt written policies and standards regarding the use of gun violence restraining orders.
AB 1493 by Assemblymember Philip Ting (D-San Francisco) authorizes a person who is the subject of a gun violence restraining order to petition to submit a form to the court voluntarily relinquishing their firearm rights.
Regulating firearms sales
SB 61 by Senator Anthony Portantino (D-La Cañada Flintridge) prohibits the sale of a semiautomatic centerfire rifle to any person under 21 years of age, and applications to purchase more than one semiautomatic centerfire rifle in any 30-day period, with a few exceptions.
SB 376 by Senator Anthony Portantino (D-La Cañada Flintridge) prevents individuals from selling large numbers of firearms without a license by capping the number of annual sales at five transactions or 50 firearms.
AB 645 by Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin (D-Thousand Oaks) requires packaging for firearms to contain a warning statement on suicide prevention.
AB 879 by Assemblymember Mike Gipson (D-Carson) requires, starting in 2024, that the sale of firearms precursor parts be conducted through a licensed firearms precursor part vendor.
AB 1669 by Assemblymember Rob Bonta (D-Alameda) updates existing law by applying the same gun show regulations that already apply to firearms dealers to ammunition vendors, and ensures that sufficient funding is available for firearm regulatory efforts.
AB 1297 by Assemblymember Kevin McCarty (D-Sacramento) requires any local authority issuing concealed firearm licenses to charge an applicant a fee sufficient to cover the reasonable costs of processing, issuing and enforcement of the license, and eliminates the existing $100 limit on processing fees for concealed firearm licenses.
AB 893 by Assemblymember Todd Gloria (D-San Diego) prohibits the sale of firearms and ammunitions at the Del Mar Fairgrounds in the County of San Diego, the City of Del Mar, the City of San Diego.
Additional legislation
AB 1548 by Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel (D-Encino) codifies the California State Nonprofit Security Grant Program to improve the physical security of nonprofit organizations that are at high risk of violent attacks or hate crimes due to ideology, beliefs, or mission.
AB 1603 by Assemblymember Buffy Wicks (D-Oakland) codifies the California Violence Intervention and Prevention Grant Program to help reduce violence in communities that are disproportionately impacted by violence.
AB 521 by Assemblymember Marc Berman (D-Palo Alto) requires, with the adoption of a resolution by the University of California, the UC Firearm Violence Research Center at the University of California, Davis to develop multifaceted education and training programs for medical and mental health providers on the prevention of firearm-related injury and death.
In the 2019-20 state budget, Governor Gavin Newsom and the Legislature made significant investments in gun violence prevention, security for hate-crime targets, and gun safety measures.
The budget triples funding for the California Violence Intervention and Prevention Program, which funds support services such as community education, diversion programs, outreach to at-risk transitional age youth and violence reduction models.
The budget also secures long-term funding for the Firearm Violence Research Center at the University of California, Davis to circumvent NRA-backed federal limits on research.
Previously, the governor signed AB 1292 by Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan (D-Orinda) which specifies circumstances following the death of a firearm owner, and circumstances in which a person takes a gun from someone committing a crime against them, which allow a firearm to be transferred from one person to another by operation of law without the need to go through a firearms dealer.
In total, the governor signed the following gun-related bills:
AB 12 by Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin (D-Thousand Oaks) – Firearms: gun violence restraining orders.
AB 61 by Assemblymember Philip Ting (D-San Francisco) – Gun violence restraining orders.
AB 164 by Assemblymember Sabrina Cervantes (D-Riverside) – Firearms: prohibited persons.
AB 339 by Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin (D-Thousand Oaks) – Gun violence restraining orders: law enforcement procedures.
AB 521 by Assemblymember Marc Berman (D-Palo Alto) – Physicians and surgeons: firearms: training.
AB 645 by Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin (D-Thousand Oaks) – Firearms: warning statements.
AB 879 by Assemblymember Mike Gipson (D-Carson) – Firearms.
AB 893 by Assemblymember Todd Gloria (D-San Diego) – 22nd District Agricultural Association: firearm and ammunition sales at the Del Mar Fairgrounds.
AB 1297 by Assemblymember Kevin McCarty (D-Sacramento) – Firearms: concealed carry license.
AB 1493 by Assemblymember Philip Ting (D-San Francisco) – Gun violence restraining order: petition.
AB 1548 by Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel (D-Encino) – California State Nonprofit Security Grant Program.
AB 1603 by Assemblymember Buffy Wicks (D-Oakland) – California Violence Intervention and Prevention Grant Program.
AB 1669 by Assemblymember Rob Bonta (D-Alameda) – Firearms: gun shows and events.
SB 61 by Senator Anthony Portantino (D-La Cañada Flintridge) – Firearms: transfers.
SB 376 by Senator Anthony Portantino (D-La Cañada Flintridge) – Firearms: transfers.
The Legislature also passed the following resolution, not requiring the governor’s signature:
AJR 4 by Assemblymember Cecilia Aguiar-Curry (D-Winters) – Firearms.
The bills are meant to strengthen gun violence restraining orders, regulate ghost guns to mitigate the use of untraceable firearms by criminals, and will prohibit the sale of firearms and ammunitions at the Del Mar Fairgrounds in the county of San Diego, the city of Del Mar and the city of San Diego starting next year.
“Gun violence is an epidemic in this country, one that’s been inflamed by the inaction of politicians in Washington,” said Gov. Newsom. “While Washington has refused to act on even the most basic gun safety reforms, California is once again leading the nation in passing meaningful gun safety reforms.”
“California continues to be a leader in fighting the threat of gun violence,” said former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, co-founder of Giffords: Courage to Fight Gun Violence. “The legislative package Gov. Newsom signed today will help make California safer for all who call it home, and it shows the nation what committed, active, and thoughtful leadership on gun safety looks like.”
Giffords said she is proud to have played a strong role in helping craft this package and to have partnered with Gov. Newsom, the legislature's gun violence working group and other leaders.
The bills signed Friday by Gov. Newsom include the following.
Strengthening gun violence restraining orders
AB 12 by Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin (D-Thousand Oaks) extends the duration of a gun violence restraining order (GVRO) to a maximum of five years.
AB 61 by Assemblymember Philip Ting (D-San Francisco) allows an employer, coworker, or an employee or teacher to file a petition requesting a gun violence restraining order.
AB 164 by Assemblymember Sabrina Cervantes (D-Riverside) holds any person subject to a valid restraining order, injunction, or protective order issued out of state to the same restrictions on buying or possessing firearms in California as they are under in the state where the order or injunction is operative.
AB 339 by Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin (D-Thousand Oaks) requires law enforcement agencies to develop and adopt written policies and standards regarding the use of gun violence restraining orders.
AB 1493 by Assemblymember Philip Ting (D-San Francisco) authorizes a person who is the subject of a gun violence restraining order to petition to submit a form to the court voluntarily relinquishing their firearm rights.
Regulating firearms sales
SB 61 by Senator Anthony Portantino (D-La Cañada Flintridge) prohibits the sale of a semiautomatic centerfire rifle to any person under 21 years of age, and applications to purchase more than one semiautomatic centerfire rifle in any 30-day period, with a few exceptions.
SB 376 by Senator Anthony Portantino (D-La Cañada Flintridge) prevents individuals from selling large numbers of firearms without a license by capping the number of annual sales at five transactions or 50 firearms.
AB 645 by Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin (D-Thousand Oaks) requires packaging for firearms to contain a warning statement on suicide prevention.
AB 879 by Assemblymember Mike Gipson (D-Carson) requires, starting in 2024, that the sale of firearms precursor parts be conducted through a licensed firearms precursor part vendor.
AB 1669 by Assemblymember Rob Bonta (D-Alameda) updates existing law by applying the same gun show regulations that already apply to firearms dealers to ammunition vendors, and ensures that sufficient funding is available for firearm regulatory efforts.
AB 1297 by Assemblymember Kevin McCarty (D-Sacramento) requires any local authority issuing concealed firearm licenses to charge an applicant a fee sufficient to cover the reasonable costs of processing, issuing and enforcement of the license, and eliminates the existing $100 limit on processing fees for concealed firearm licenses.
AB 893 by Assemblymember Todd Gloria (D-San Diego) prohibits the sale of firearms and ammunitions at the Del Mar Fairgrounds in the County of San Diego, the City of Del Mar, the City of San Diego.
Additional legislation
AB 1548 by Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel (D-Encino) codifies the California State Nonprofit Security Grant Program to improve the physical security of nonprofit organizations that are at high risk of violent attacks or hate crimes due to ideology, beliefs, or mission.
AB 1603 by Assemblymember Buffy Wicks (D-Oakland) codifies the California Violence Intervention and Prevention Grant Program to help reduce violence in communities that are disproportionately impacted by violence.
AB 521 by Assemblymember Marc Berman (D-Palo Alto) requires, with the adoption of a resolution by the University of California, the UC Firearm Violence Research Center at the University of California, Davis to develop multifaceted education and training programs for medical and mental health providers on the prevention of firearm-related injury and death.
In the 2019-20 state budget, Governor Gavin Newsom and the Legislature made significant investments in gun violence prevention, security for hate-crime targets, and gun safety measures.
The budget triples funding for the California Violence Intervention and Prevention Program, which funds support services such as community education, diversion programs, outreach to at-risk transitional age youth and violence reduction models.
The budget also secures long-term funding for the Firearm Violence Research Center at the University of California, Davis to circumvent NRA-backed federal limits on research.
Previously, the governor signed AB 1292 by Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan (D-Orinda) which specifies circumstances following the death of a firearm owner, and circumstances in which a person takes a gun from someone committing a crime against them, which allow a firearm to be transferred from one person to another by operation of law without the need to go through a firearms dealer.
In total, the governor signed the following gun-related bills:
AB 12 by Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin (D-Thousand Oaks) – Firearms: gun violence restraining orders.
AB 61 by Assemblymember Philip Ting (D-San Francisco) – Gun violence restraining orders.
AB 164 by Assemblymember Sabrina Cervantes (D-Riverside) – Firearms: prohibited persons.
AB 339 by Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin (D-Thousand Oaks) – Gun violence restraining orders: law enforcement procedures.
AB 521 by Assemblymember Marc Berman (D-Palo Alto) – Physicians and surgeons: firearms: training.
AB 645 by Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin (D-Thousand Oaks) – Firearms: warning statements.
AB 879 by Assemblymember Mike Gipson (D-Carson) – Firearms.
AB 893 by Assemblymember Todd Gloria (D-San Diego) – 22nd District Agricultural Association: firearm and ammunition sales at the Del Mar Fairgrounds.
AB 1297 by Assemblymember Kevin McCarty (D-Sacramento) – Firearms: concealed carry license.
AB 1493 by Assemblymember Philip Ting (D-San Francisco) – Gun violence restraining order: petition.
AB 1548 by Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel (D-Encino) – California State Nonprofit Security Grant Program.
AB 1603 by Assemblymember Buffy Wicks (D-Oakland) – California Violence Intervention and Prevention Grant Program.
AB 1669 by Assemblymember Rob Bonta (D-Alameda) – Firearms: gun shows and events.
SB 61 by Senator Anthony Portantino (D-La Cañada Flintridge) – Firearms: transfers.
SB 376 by Senator Anthony Portantino (D-La Cañada Flintridge) – Firearms: transfers.
The Legislature also passed the following resolution, not requiring the governor’s signature:
AJR 4 by Assemblymember Cecilia Aguiar-Curry (D-Winters) – Firearms.
After successfully launching Thursday night, NASA’s Ionospheric Connection Explorer spacecraft is in orbit for a first-of-its-kind mission to study a region of space where changes can disrupt communications and satellite orbits, and even increase radiation risks to astronauts.
A Northrop Grumman Stargazer L-1011 aircraft took off at 8:31 p.m. EDT from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida carrying the Ionospheric Connection Explorer, or ICON, on a Northrop Grumman Pegasus XL rocket, to launch altitude of about 39,000 feet.
The first launch opportunity at around 9:30 p.m. was skipped due to communication issues between the ground team at Cape Canaveral and the aircraft.
On the second attempt, the aircraft crew released its payload at 9:59 p.m. EDT and automated systems on the Pegasus rocket launched ICON, a spacecraft roughly the size of a refrigerator, into space.
The spacecraft’s solar panels successfully deployed, indicating it has power with all systems operating. After an approximately month-long commissioning period, ICON will begin sending back its first science data in November.
ICON will study changes in a region of the upper atmosphere called the ionosphere. In addition to interfering with communications signals, space weather in the ionosphere can also prematurely decay spacecraft orbits and expose astronauts to radiation-borne health risks.
Historically, this critical region of near-Earth space has been difficult to observe. Spacecraft can’t travel through the low parts of the ionosphere and balloons can’t travel high enough.
“ICON has an important job to do – to help us understand the dynamic space environment near our home,” said Nicola Fox, director for heliophysics at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “ICON will be the first mission to simultaneously track what’s happening in Earth’s upper atmosphere and in space to see how the two interact, causing the kind of changes that can disrupt our communications systems.”
ICON explores the connections between the neutral atmosphere and the electrically charged ionosphere with four instruments. Three of the instruments rely on one of the upper atmosphere’s more spectacular phenomena: colorful bands called airglow.
Airglow is created by a similar process that creates the aurora – gas is excited by radiation from the Sun and emits light. Though aurora are typically confined to extreme northern and southern latitudes, airglow happens constantly across the globe, and is much fainter.
But it’s still bright enough for ICON’s instruments to build up a picture of the ionosphere’s density, composition and structure. By way of airglow, ICON can observe how particles throughout the upper atmosphere are moving.
ICON’s fourth instrument provides direct measurements of the ionosphere around it. This instrument characterizes the charged gases immediately surrounding the spacecraft.
“We put as much capability on this satellite that could possibly fit on the payload deck,” said Thomas Immel, the principal investigator for ICON at the University of California, Berkeley. “All those instruments are focused on the ionosphere in a completely new science mission that starts now.”
ICON’s orbit around Earth places it at a 27-degree inclination and altitude of about 360 miles. From there, it can observe the ionosphere around the equator. ICON will aim its instruments for a view of what's happening at the lowest boundary of space, from about 55 miles up to 360 miles above the surface. This rapid orbit circles Earth in 97 minutes while precessing around the equator, allowing ICON to sample a wide range of latitude, longitude and local times.
ICON is an Explorer-class mission. NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, manages the Explorer Program for NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington.
The University of California at Berkeley developed the ICON mission and the two ultraviolet imaging spectrographs, Extreme Ultra-Violet instrument and the Far Ultra-Violet instrument.
The Naval Research Laboratory in Washington developed the Michelson Interferometer for Global High-resolution Thermospheric Imaging instrument.
The University of Texas in Dallas developed the Ion Velocity Meter. The spacecraft was built by Northrop Grumman in Dulles, Virginia. The Mission Operations Center at UC Berkeley’s Space Sciences Laboratory is tasked with operating the ICON mission.
For more information on ICON, visit https://www.nasa.gov/icon.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Pacific Gas and Electric began restoring power to Lake County late Thursday, nearly 48 hours after it cut power to the area as part of a massive public safety power shutoff in response to high winds and fire danger.
Approximately 37,403 Lake County customers were included in the shutoff, which began early Wednesday and was rolled out over dozens of counties and ultimately impacted 738,000 customer accounts, according to PG&E’s revised numbers.
The utility gave the “all clear” and began system inspections in Lake County to look for possible wind damage at 3 p.m. Thursday.
Company officials said there are 44 helicopters and 6,300 PG&E staff and contractors assigned to carry out inspections of the 25,000 miles of line that were deenergized across PG&E’s service area.
Early on Thursday evening, a helicopter was flying low over lines between Kit’s Corner and Lower Lake in what appeared to be a line inspection.
Safety patrols and inspections, which can only take place during daylight hours, concluded at nightfall. PG&E said customers will be restored once safety patrols, inspections and necessary repairs are complete.
PG&E said Thursday night that it had identified 11 instances of weather-related damage to its system in the shutoff-impacted areas.
Sumeet Singh, PG&E’s vice president for asset and risk management and the Community Wildfire Safety Program, said 77-mile-per-hour winds were tracked on Mount St. Helena, with wind speeds of 53 miles per hour reported in Placer County, 56 miles per hour in Butte County and 54 miles per hour in Santa Cruz County.
Late Thursday, PG&E said that more than half of customers impacted by the public safety power shutoff have had their power restored. About 426,000 out of a total 738,000 customers have been restored, including full restoration in Humboldt, Siskiyou and Trinity counties. At that point, about 312,000 customers remained without power.
Areas where all-clear has not yet been declared include portions of Butte, Plumas and Yuba counties as well as Kern County, where a third shutoff phase was implemented late Thursday morning impacting approximately 4,000 customers. PG&E said the weather conditions in Kern County are expected to continue into early Friday.
Residents in parts of Lake County reported that their power began to come on shortly after 10 p.m. Thursday.
Three percent of Lake County’s impacted customers had power restored as of 11:15 p.m. Thursday, PG&E said.
Clearlake and Lakeport officials said they were told by PG&E that 98 percent of power is expected to be restored to Lake County be 11 p.m. Friday.
Twenty-seven PG&E community resource centers remain open throughout the service area to provide water, phone charging stations, air-conditioned seating and restrooms for customers. More than 3,300 customers utilized the centers on Thursday.
The Clearlake Senior Center, 3245 Bowers Ave., is where Lake County’s community resource center is located. It’s open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Clearlake City Manager Alan Flora told the Clearlake City Council at its Thursday night meeting that the center had been busy.
Flora also reported that the Lake County Office of Emergency Service listed the Lake County Jail and Sutter Lakeside Hospital as priority facilities and asked PG&E to restore power to them first.
He lauded city employees who kept facilities working, with police conducting extra patrols. In addition, city staff, including Police Chief Andrew White, rigged some equipment to ensure that the wifi in Austin Park continued to work and was available to community members.
The Lakeport Police Department, like the Clearlake Police Department, also has put emphasis on increased patrols during the shutoff to protect the community, and both city halls have remained open and on generator power during the shutoff, with Lakeport also continuing to operate its water and sewer services.
The county of Lake, which purchased more generators earlier this year in response to the shutoff threat, kept facilities including the Lake County Courthouse open and operating, which in turn allowed the Lake County Superior Court to continue to operate this week.
Schools plan to reopen
In Lake County, the outage led to school closures beginning on Wednesday morning.
On Thursday night, the different districts were attempting to update parents through social media posts to let them know of the latest plans for resuming classes.
Lakeport Unified said that if power service was restored by 6 a.m. Friday, schools would reopen.
Likewise, Lucerne Elementary School reported at about midnight that classes would reopen on Friday. “We’ve missed you and are happy to have you back to school!” the school posted on its Facebook page.
However, Konocti Unified, Middletown Unified and Upper Lake Unified reported that they would be closed on Friday.
Kelseyville Unified did not post a status late Thursday.
Governor criticizes shutoff action; PG&E says shutoffs may be needed in future
In a Thursday afternoon briefing, Gov. Gavin Newsom said the shutoffs needed to be done in a more surgical way, and that this week’s event was done with broad strokes, impacting areas that didn’t have extreme weather.
He called the situation “unacceptable,” and promised to drive reforms and hold PG&E accountable.
Later on Thursday, PG&E President and CEO Bill Johnson acknowledged problems with how the company handled the public safety power shutoff, which he said is believed to be the largest event of its kind.
Johnson said they may need to do such shutoffs again but they will do them better next time.
He said the company commits to communicating with customers and communities with as much notice as possible, with as much clarity as possible and as frequently as possible.
“We did not deliver on that commitment this time,” Johnson said, referring to the Web site being overwhelmed by traffic, inconsistent maps and an overloaded call center.
“We were not adequately prepared to support the operational event,” Johnson said, adding, “This will improve.”
Johnson also said such shutoffs are “the best we can do today.”
PG&E also reported on Thursday that during the shutoff period, customers in impacted areas will not be billed. The company has paused disconnection and collection activities in those areas.
Email Elizabeth Larson atThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
Approximately 37,403 Lake County customers were included in the shutoff, which began early Wednesday and was rolled out over dozens of counties and ultimately impacted 738,000 customer accounts, according to PG&E’s revised numbers.
The utility gave the “all clear” and began system inspections in Lake County to look for possible wind damage at 3 p.m. Thursday.
Company officials said there are 44 helicopters and 6,300 PG&E staff and contractors assigned to carry out inspections of the 25,000 miles of line that were deenergized across PG&E’s service area.
Early on Thursday evening, a helicopter was flying low over lines between Kit’s Corner and Lower Lake in what appeared to be a line inspection.
Safety patrols and inspections, which can only take place during daylight hours, concluded at nightfall. PG&E said customers will be restored once safety patrols, inspections and necessary repairs are complete.
PG&E said Thursday night that it had identified 11 instances of weather-related damage to its system in the shutoff-impacted areas.
Sumeet Singh, PG&E’s vice president for asset and risk management and the Community Wildfire Safety Program, said 77-mile-per-hour winds were tracked on Mount St. Helena, with wind speeds of 53 miles per hour reported in Placer County, 56 miles per hour in Butte County and 54 miles per hour in Santa Cruz County.
Late Thursday, PG&E said that more than half of customers impacted by the public safety power shutoff have had their power restored. About 426,000 out of a total 738,000 customers have been restored, including full restoration in Humboldt, Siskiyou and Trinity counties. At that point, about 312,000 customers remained without power.
Areas where all-clear has not yet been declared include portions of Butte, Plumas and Yuba counties as well as Kern County, where a third shutoff phase was implemented late Thursday morning impacting approximately 4,000 customers. PG&E said the weather conditions in Kern County are expected to continue into early Friday.
Residents in parts of Lake County reported that their power began to come on shortly after 10 p.m. Thursday.
Three percent of Lake County’s impacted customers had power restored as of 11:15 p.m. Thursday, PG&E said.
Clearlake and Lakeport officials said they were told by PG&E that 98 percent of power is expected to be restored to Lake County be 11 p.m. Friday.
Twenty-seven PG&E community resource centers remain open throughout the service area to provide water, phone charging stations, air-conditioned seating and restrooms for customers. More than 3,300 customers utilized the centers on Thursday.
The Clearlake Senior Center, 3245 Bowers Ave., is where Lake County’s community resource center is located. It’s open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Clearlake City Manager Alan Flora told the Clearlake City Council at its Thursday night meeting that the center had been busy.
Flora also reported that the Lake County Office of Emergency Service listed the Lake County Jail and Sutter Lakeside Hospital as priority facilities and asked PG&E to restore power to them first.
He lauded city employees who kept facilities working, with police conducting extra patrols. In addition, city staff, including Police Chief Andrew White, rigged some equipment to ensure that the wifi in Austin Park continued to work and was available to community members.
The Lakeport Police Department, like the Clearlake Police Department, also has put emphasis on increased patrols during the shutoff to protect the community, and both city halls have remained open and on generator power during the shutoff, with Lakeport also continuing to operate its water and sewer services.
The county of Lake, which purchased more generators earlier this year in response to the shutoff threat, kept facilities including the Lake County Courthouse open and operating, which in turn allowed the Lake County Superior Court to continue to operate this week.
Schools plan to reopen
In Lake County, the outage led to school closures beginning on Wednesday morning.
On Thursday night, the different districts were attempting to update parents through social media posts to let them know of the latest plans for resuming classes.
Lakeport Unified said that if power service was restored by 6 a.m. Friday, schools would reopen.
Likewise, Lucerne Elementary School reported at about midnight that classes would reopen on Friday. “We’ve missed you and are happy to have you back to school!” the school posted on its Facebook page.
However, Konocti Unified, Middletown Unified and Upper Lake Unified reported that they would be closed on Friday.
Kelseyville Unified did not post a status late Thursday.
Governor criticizes shutoff action; PG&E says shutoffs may be needed in future
In a Thursday afternoon briefing, Gov. Gavin Newsom said the shutoffs needed to be done in a more surgical way, and that this week’s event was done with broad strokes, impacting areas that didn’t have extreme weather.
He called the situation “unacceptable,” and promised to drive reforms and hold PG&E accountable.
Later on Thursday, PG&E President and CEO Bill Johnson acknowledged problems with how the company handled the public safety power shutoff, which he said is believed to be the largest event of its kind.
Johnson said they may need to do such shutoffs again but they will do them better next time.
He said the company commits to communicating with customers and communities with as much notice as possible, with as much clarity as possible and as frequently as possible.
“We did not deliver on that commitment this time,” Johnson said, referring to the Web site being overwhelmed by traffic, inconsistent maps and an overloaded call center.
“We were not adequately prepared to support the operational event,” Johnson said, adding, “This will improve.”
Johnson also said such shutoffs are “the best we can do today.”
PG&E also reported on Thursday that during the shutoff period, customers in impacted areas will not be billed. The company has paused disconnection and collection activities in those areas.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
LAKEPORT, Calif. – The city of Lakeport and Lakeport Disposal Co. announced that the Community Cleanup Day for city of Lakeport residents will take place Saturday, Oct. 19.
The event will take place from 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. in the public parking lot north of the Fifth Street boat ramp in downtown Lakeport.
This event is limited to city of Lakeport residents and those dropping off trash and waste will be required to provide photo identification and copy of a Lakeport utility bill.
Household trash, televisions, specified appliances, electronic waste, mattresses, household furniture, unusable clothes/blankets/towels and similar materials will be accepted.
Refrigerators, hot tubs/spas, construction debris and household hazardous waste will not be accepted.
For more details please see the city’s Web site, its Facebook page or contact Lakeport Disposal at 707-263-6080.
The event will take place from 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. in the public parking lot north of the Fifth Street boat ramp in downtown Lakeport.
This event is limited to city of Lakeport residents and those dropping off trash and waste will be required to provide photo identification and copy of a Lakeport utility bill.
Household trash, televisions, specified appliances, electronic waste, mattresses, household furniture, unusable clothes/blankets/towels and similar materials will be accepted.
Refrigerators, hot tubs/spas, construction debris and household hazardous waste will not be accepted.
For more details please see the city’s Web site, its Facebook page or contact Lakeport Disposal at 707-263-6080.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake County’s Tourism Improvement District and Cubic Creative revealed a new logo, creative campaign and a marketing strategy for 2020 to a packed audience at the Robinson Rancheria Resort and Casino on Wednesday.
The goal of this effort is to attract more overnight visitors to Lake County.
Cubic partnered with the TID after a lengthy selection process.
“They asked the right questions from the start, put boots on the ground to understand who we are and backed up everything they did with research and data,” said Michelle Scully, deputy Lake County administrative officer and TID Board member, “We are fortunate to be working with them.”
The immersion process included four insight group sessions with over 60 lodging, business, attraction, government and education representatives. Cubic also conducted street interviews and had several personalized tours of the county by boat, plane and automobile.
A market segmentation study helped to identify target audiences for the area. This study evaluated the profile of travelers that have been to key locations throughout the county.
The result of this in-depth research is the brand identity and marketing campaign that was presented to the community this week.
Lake County’s new logo is an earthy, hand-drawn font next to the icon of a mountain and the sun or the moon depending on execution.
“It says Lake County with a touch of playfulness, class and a lot of confidence,'' said Lynne Butcher, owner of The Tallman Hotel and TID Board member.
“The Clearly Different creative campaign is designed to reflect only the natural beauty of Lake County but also the spirit of its diverse people,'' said Libby Bender, chief
branding officer at Cubic.
“Lake Countians are archetypical explorers who are strong, independent and just a little bit eccentric,” Bender added. “This has been an interesting and welcoming place for
millions of years, and it’s easy for visitors to feel that right away.”
“Research tells us that those most likely to visit Lake County will share similar traits with the people who live here,” Bender said. “So the goal of the campaign is to stand out
from all of our competitors in a way that is really authentic for Lake County.”
A series of highly targeted, digital messages reflect Lake County characteristics in humorous, playful executions, and will target people within driving distance of Lake
County that match residents’ behavioral characteristics.
The TID’s 2020 Marketing Strategy will also include a rebuild of Lake County’s visitor website and the establishment of an asset bank for creative work.
Formed in December 2018, the Lake County Tourism Improvement District is a nonprofit organization funded by accessing visitors a 1.5 percent fee on lodging revenues.
The proceeds are in turn used to market Lake County to draw more visitors. More information can be found at www.discoveryourlake.com.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – October is Sudden Infant Death Syndrome Awareness Month, a time to raise awareness of sudden infant death and promote safe sleep for all Lake County’s babies.
SIDS is the sudden death of an infant less than 1 year of age that cannot be explained despite a thorough investigation, including a complete autopsy, examination of the death scene and a review of the medical history.
The three most commonly reported types of sudden unexpected infant death, or SUID, include Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, unknown cause, and accidental suffocation and strangulation in bed.
In the United States, 3,600 SUID deaths were reported in 2017. Of those, an estimated 1,400 deaths were due to SIDS, 1,300 were due to unknown causes, and 900 deaths were due to accidental suffocation and strangulation in bed.
In 2015, around 222 cases of SUID were reported in California, 131 of which were identified as SIDS.
Since there is no known cause of SIDS, it cannot be prevented. However, the Academy of Pediatrics released its Safe Sleep Policy Statement in 2016 that includes some of the following recommendations to reduce the risk of SIDS:
· Place the baby on its back to sleep, for every sleep.
· Use a firm sleep surface.
· Keep soft objects and loose bedding away from the infant’s sleep area.
· Avoid smoke exposure, alcohol, and illicit drug use during pregnancy and after birth.
· Avoid the use of commercial devices that are inconsistent with safe sleep recommendations.
· Supervised awake tummy time is recommended to facilitate development.
· There is no evidence to recommend swaddling as a strategy to reduce the risk of SIDS.
The ABC’S of Safe Sleep can be a quick and easy reminder for families and caregivers. Sleep is Safest: Alone, on their Back in an empty Crib on a firm mattress.
The Lake County Public Health Department’s Maternal Child and Adolescent Health Program focuses on raising awareness and educating all community members and providers in Lake County on the current safe sleep recommendations.
This year, the MCAH Program will be present at the Heroes of Health and Safety Fair at the Lake County Fairgrounds on Oct. 12. Information and resources will be available.
Additionally, the MCAH Program offers safe sleep training for medical providers, child care providers, and other professional agencies who are interested.
If you have any questions regarding SIDS or Safe Sleep recommendations, or would like to request a training, please contact the Lake County Public Health SIDS Coordinator at 707-263-1090.
SIDS is the sudden death of an infant less than 1 year of age that cannot be explained despite a thorough investigation, including a complete autopsy, examination of the death scene and a review of the medical history.
The three most commonly reported types of sudden unexpected infant death, or SUID, include Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, unknown cause, and accidental suffocation and strangulation in bed.
In the United States, 3,600 SUID deaths were reported in 2017. Of those, an estimated 1,400 deaths were due to SIDS, 1,300 were due to unknown causes, and 900 deaths were due to accidental suffocation and strangulation in bed.
In 2015, around 222 cases of SUID were reported in California, 131 of which were identified as SIDS.
Since there is no known cause of SIDS, it cannot be prevented. However, the Academy of Pediatrics released its Safe Sleep Policy Statement in 2016 that includes some of the following recommendations to reduce the risk of SIDS:
· Place the baby on its back to sleep, for every sleep.
· Use a firm sleep surface.
· Keep soft objects and loose bedding away from the infant’s sleep area.
· Avoid smoke exposure, alcohol, and illicit drug use during pregnancy and after birth.
· Avoid the use of commercial devices that are inconsistent with safe sleep recommendations.
· Supervised awake tummy time is recommended to facilitate development.
· There is no evidence to recommend swaddling as a strategy to reduce the risk of SIDS.
The ABC’S of Safe Sleep can be a quick and easy reminder for families and caregivers. Sleep is Safest: Alone, on their Back in an empty Crib on a firm mattress.
The Lake County Public Health Department’s Maternal Child and Adolescent Health Program focuses on raising awareness and educating all community members and providers in Lake County on the current safe sleep recommendations.
This year, the MCAH Program will be present at the Heroes of Health and Safety Fair at the Lake County Fairgrounds on Oct. 12. Information and resources will be available.
Additionally, the MCAH Program offers safe sleep training for medical providers, child care providers, and other professional agencies who are interested.
If you have any questions regarding SIDS or Safe Sleep recommendations, or would like to request a training, please contact the Lake County Public Health SIDS Coordinator at 707-263-1090.