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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake County Animal Care and Control has several new dogs this week, including younger canines needing homes.

Dogs available for adoption this week include mixes of Australian Shepherd, beagle, Chihuahua, Labrador Retriever, pit bull, pug, shepherd and terrier.

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

If you're looking for a new companion, visit the shelter. There are many great pets hoping you'll choose them.

The following dogs at the Lake County Animal Care and Control shelter have been cleared for adoption (additional dogs on the animal control Web site not listed are still “on hold”).

‘Marley’

“Marley” is a male terrier mix with a tan coat.

He is in kennel No. 14, ID No. 13047.

Male terrier

This male terrier has a short tricolor coat.

He is in kennel No. 15, ID No. 13027.

‘Trooper’

“Trooper” is a young male Labrador Retriever-boxer mix with a black and white coat.

He is in kennel No. 16, ID No. 12971.

Male Labrador Retriever

This male Labrador Retriever has a short yellow coat.

He is in kennel No. 19, ID No. 12930.

‘Lola’

“Lola” is a female pug with a short tan coat.

She already has been spayed.

She’s in kennel No. 22, ID No. 12974.

‘Pluto’

“Pluto” is a male Labrador Retriever with a short black and white coat.

He is in kennel No. 25, ID No. 12850.

Male beagle

This male beagle has a short tan and white coat.

He’s in kennel No. 26, ID No. 13028.

‘Benny’

“Benny” is a young male shepherd with a short brindle coat.

He has been neutered.

He is in kennel No. 27, ID No. 12717.

‘Bella’

“Bella” is a young female Australian Shepherd-terrier mix with a short brown and spotted coat.

She has already been spayed.

She is in kennel No. 28a, ID No. 13016.

‘Edward’

“Edward” is a young male Australian Shepherd-terrier mix with a medium-length black and white coat.

He already has been neutered.

He’s in kennel No. 28b, ID No. 13017.

‘Hanzel’

“Hanzel” is a young male Australian Shepherd-terrier mix with a medium-length brindle and whit ecoat.

He already has been neutered.

He’s in kennel No. 29, ID No. 13020.

Male Chihuahua

This male Chihuahua has a short tricolor coat.

He is in kennel No. 32, ID No. 13025.

Male Chihuahua

This male Chihuahua has a short brindle coat.

He is in kennel No. 33, ID No. 13018.

‘Coco’

“Coco” is a female Labrador Retriever with a short black and white coat.

Coco is in kennel No. 34, ID No. 12764.

Lake County Animal Care and Control is located at 4949 Helbush in Lakeport, next to the Hill Road Correctional Facility.

Office hours are Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday. The shelter is open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday and on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Visit the shelter online at http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Animal_Care_And_Control.htm.

For more information call Lake County Animal Care and Control at 707-263-0278.

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.

Joe Nuth loves dust. Among astronomers, that puts him in a minority.

“The traditional astronomers — the people looking at galaxies and stars — they hate dust,” said Nuth, a planetary scientist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. “It’s the stuff that’s in their way.”

Like the Earthly dust that gathers under your bed, cosmic dust is hard to avoid. “It’s about two percent of the total stuff, from here to anywhere,” said Nuth. But it doesn’t take up all that space for nothing.

Dust condenses into asteroids and planets. Giant dust clouds can carry gases from a dying star to fertilize a new one. Dust surrounding young planets can keep them warm, providing surfaces for water to collect and organic molecules to form. But whether any of these effects occurs depends on just how these tiny dust grains are constructed, at the smallest of scales.

That’s why Nuth is launching the Determining Unknown yet Significant Traits, or DUST sounding rocket.

A collaboration between NASA and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, the rocket will make a brief flight into space, carrying lab equipment into a zero-gravity environment.

There, Nuth and his team will build dust grains of their very own, hoping to shed light on the outsized role these tiny specks play in our universe. DUST’s first opportunity to launch from the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico begins on Oct. 7, 2019.

As prevalent as it may be, cosmic dust doesn’t form easily. Dust grains are born when individual atoms collide and stick to one another. But in space, direct collisions are rare (the space where dust forms is about 2.7 billion times less dense than air at sea level).

Even when atoms collide, they may not stick. In a previous experiment, Nuth found that for every 100,000 collisions between zinc atoms, only three stick to a growing dust crystal.

Once a few atoms cram together, a wobbly Jenga-like tower emerges. “You’re going up a ladder of instability,” said Nuth. “Small clusters really want to fall apart.” But if you can surround enough atoms on all sides, the system starts to stabilize. You have a growing dust grain.

It’s when dust grains themselves collide that things get interesting. If they pack together like snow into snowballs, they don’t react much with light or heat. But if they instead link together into lacy, snowflake-like structures, they do much more. Such crystalline dust aggregates catch starlight like a sail, whisking gases from one star to the next. They also trap heat, potentially changing the fate of planets they cover.

“If you’ve got a growing planet surrounded by a dusty blanket, that’s a different thermal environment than without,” said Nuth. “Dust affects the way planets grow.”

But how these dust grains form and aggregate together is still not well understood. Figuring that out may pay major returns across space physics.

Collecting dust

So far, Nuth has done most of his work in the lab, but Earth’s gravity imposes severe limitations. His experiments require heating materials to well over 1000 degrees Fahrenheit.

But such high temperatures create convection — the churning of air that happens in your oven — that doesn’t happen in deep space. “To measure dust grain growth, we need a constant environment,” said Nuth. To get that, you need to go to microgravity.

Nuth teamed up with his former postdoc Yuki Kimura of Hokkaido University in Japan to launch lab equipment into space. The payload, designed by Kimura, weighs about 330 pounds. “It’s about as big as a small motorbike,” said Kimura.

Inside, a set of metal wires coated with magnesium silicates — would-be dust particles — are waiting for launch. Once the rocket enters space and experiences microgravity, the wire heats up and the atoms and molecules diffuse away. Some collide, stick, and begin to form dust grains; others won’t.

Using spectroscopy and other measures, the DUST experiment will measure when grains start to grow and link together into aggregates, noting at what temperature and density they do the best. The payload will then fall back to Earth to be collected for further analysis.

When the dust settles

Even before retrieving the payload, Nuth will be in the lab working on the Earth-based part of the experiment. His question is whether dust grain formation could be simpler than expected.

In principle, dust grains can form from any of the 92 naturally-occurring elements in the periodic table. “But it’s very tough to model,” said Nuth. Each element has its own quirks; taking them all into account at once is a major challenge.

In previous experiments, Nuth learned that some elements block one another: If iron gets into a growing dust grain, for instance, it tends to keep magnesium out. He’s exploring this behavior in the lab, hoping to reduce a 92-variable equation into something much more manageable. “It’s much easier if you only have to worry about one or two particular materials,” said Nuth.

The results from the rocket, paired with Nuth’s work in the lab, aim to shed light on how the dusty two percent of our visible universe works. Overall, the DUST experiment reminds us that the key to the unimaginably large sometimes lies in the incredibly tiny.

The DUST sounding rocket will launch from the White Sands Missile Range on a Black Brant IX rocket. During its approximately 14 minute flight, the rocket will reach an estimated altitude of 200 miles before falling back to Earth for recovery.

NASA's Sounding Rockets Program is managed at the agency's Wallops Flight Facility, which is managed by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. NASA's Heliophysics Division funds the Sounding Rockets Program for the agency.

Miles Hatfield works for NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – Key accomplishments in the city of Clearlake from the past year as well as plans and goals for the future were highlighted at the fourth annual “State of the City” this week.

The event was held on Wednesday evening in Austin Park.

The annual State of the City was instituted by former Clearlake City Manager Greg Folsom as a way of sharing with the community how the city is striving to improve and what it has accomplished over the previous year.

Folsom left earlier this year to take the helm at Suisun City, so this was the first year Folsom’s successor, Alan Flora, oversaw the event.

The State of the City’s most notable change is that it moved from the Clearlake senior center to Austin Park, across from City Hall, where a big white tent was set up in the middle of the park.

Holding the event at Austin Park provided the opportunity to hold a groundbreaking for the major upgrades that will take place at the park over the coming year, with a new playground, band shell and dog park, along with new parking lots, lawn areas, irrigation and lighting among the key new amenities. Flora said the goal is to have the park improvements completed by May.

The event started with a Clearlake Police K9 demonstration in the area of the park that’s slated for the new dog park, along Olympic Drive near City Hall.

Officer Mark Harden put his K9 partner Zip through his paces, explaining his training and breeding and what he does – he specializes in apprehension – before letting him bite Officer Calli Batz, who had a large thick protective suit on. Zip enthusiastically bit into the protective suit as Batz – as the baiter – told him he was a good boy.

The crowd was then invited over near the park’s gazebo, where Clearlake Public Works staff demonstrated new road repair equipment in a pothole patching operation. The equipment is funded by the city’s Measure V road sales tax.

The groundbreaking for Austin Park then took place, with city council members and community leaders grabbing golden shovels and hefting some dirt to commemorate the occasion.

Collaboration, achievements highlighted

The event’s featured speakers shared a key theme, not just of achievement but how they are getting there, and that’s through collaboration and cooperation.

Clear Lake Chamber President Denise Loustalot, the city’s former mayor and a longtime local business owner, said the last four years in the city have been some of the best.

She said the chamber is now in its forever home, a redeveloped lakeside property which was made possible with the city’s help.

“I just think it’s been getting better and better every year,” she said.

Supervisor Bruno Sabatier said he believes the city has turned a corner, citing the Austin Park project as an example.

Sabatier, who until he took his seat on the Board of Supervisors in January had been a Clearlake City Council member, said the city has brought back code enforcement which has resulted in major improvements, as has the addition of universal garbage.

Like Loustalot, he pointed to the importance of collaboration, crediting it for getting Measure V passed.

As a supervisor, he said collaboration is key, and he’s working with city leaders to make sure they have the resources they need. He called his work as a supervisor one of the biggest challenges of his life, but added that he loves it.

Sabatier also mentioned his effort to make sure tax auctions take place so the city can recoup unpaid taxes, pointed to the fully staffed Clearlake Police Department and the work to staff up the sheriff’s office.

“Let’s keep the collaboration going,” he said.

Mayor Russ Cremer highlighted road improvements funded by Measure V. Previously, he said the city had only been able to dedicate about $100,000 a year to road work. However, Measure V has made possible $4.7 million in repairs, new equipment and increased staffing in the three years it’s been in effect.

At the same time, the city has invested $6.5 million in capital projects such as Dam Road Extension and the civic center upgrades.

The council also recently approved a major upgrade to the animal shelter – adoptable animals also were featured at the event – and City Hall is undergoing upgrades, with solar upgrades being made on city facilities including the senior center, he said.

He recognized Adventist Health Clear Lake for its contributions. President David Santos had handed Cremer a check for $100,000 during the groundbreaking, with that money to go toward a new playground for the community’s children.

Cremer said during his remarks that the new version of Austin Park will be a focal point for the city, and that effort – along with cleanup along Lakeshore Drive – is meant to draw more investment and business, especially those geared toward the county’s tourism industry.

He said he, Flora and Sabatier have been meeting with developers who are interested in building new housing in the city.

It’s an exciting time in Clearlake, said Cremer, adding that he hopes to see it regain the spirit it had when he was growing up there.

Drop in crime reported

Police Chief Andrew White, who just marked his first year with the city, said he was gratified by the community’s support.

White said department priorities include engagement through social media, recruitment and retention, training and increased code enforcement. He outlined accomplishments so far, which included replacing the department’s outdated vehicle fleet, upgrading radios, improving the animal shelter, becoming a 911 public safety answer point and new Tasers and training.

In 2018, there was a 16-percent drop in violent crime and a 14-percent decrease in property crime, which followed previous years, he said.

White reported that statistics through the end of September show that the city is experiencing yet another crime decrease, this time totaling 13 percent.

He said the agency has significantly increased its proactive work in the community, thanks to additional staffing, with a 46-percent increase in traffic stops and arrests. They also regularly do special enforcement operations around the city which are based on crime trends and community input.

“We’re happy to be able to be responsive to the issues that have plagued our community and to try to make a difference,” White said.

He also noted that the council has enacted new ordinances to help with code enforcement, and is looking at the city’s rental inspection ordinance.

Flora, in his turn at the microphone, thanked White and other city staff, including City Clerk Melissa Swanson – noting he didn’t there is anyone more dedicated to the city – along with Finance Director Jill Martin and Consulting City Engineer David Swartz.

He went on to outline the city’s increased investment in infrastructure, community policing and code enforcement, all of which are shifting the needle. Clearlake, he said, is now leading by example.

Flora said the city is dedicated to leading change in the community, and driving transformation and revitalization. But all of that requires community support and a new approach.

“I ask you not to accept that negativity that is often associated with the city when you talk to people,” he said.

He offered thanks to Adventist Health; Councilman Dirk Slooten and his wife Karen, who have purchased commercial properties, fixed them up and rented them to increase the business property inventory; Citizens Caring For Clearlake, founded by Barbara Christwitz, which has undertaken a massive cleanup campaign in the city, including partnering with Clearlake Code Enforcement on some projects; and the Lake County Chamber, which has created a committee to help address the city’s image problems.

“The city cannot solve every problem,” said Flora, who called on everyone to join in making a difference any way they can.

“Are you committed to a new Clearlake? Today is the day we make the change,” Flora said.

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.

KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – To improve traffic flow on Konocti Road between 7:30 and 8 a.m. when students are dropped off for school, the Lake County Road Department just changed the road to a no-stopping/no-parking zone.

The agency has painted the curbs red to display the change.

Kelseyville Unified School District Superintendent Dave McQueen said, “This has been in the works for a while; the traffic is terrible in the mornings. To improve the situation, people dropping off high school students at the crosswalk in front of the school on Konocti Road will need to drive up to the high school and drop off their students there.”

Kelseyville High School, Kelseyville Elementary School and Mountain Vista Middle School are located in close proximity.

“Parents of students at all three schools end up waiting for kids to jump out at the crosswalk, which brings everything to a standstill,” McQueen said.

McQueen recognizes that the red curbs “won't totally fix the long wait lines in the morning, but they will at least help some, and more importantly, they’ll help keep kids safe.”

He encourages parents to heed the new status for safety and because he does not want parents to get ticketed.

“I spoke with California Highway Patrol Sergeant Josh Dye who let me know CHP officers will be patrolling the area and may ticket people who don’t obey the no-stopping and no-parking restrictions,” McQueen said.

McQueen explained that Kelseyville Unified School District is continuing to work with the Lake County Road Department to develop ways to help the flow of traffic on Konocti Road in the mornings.

In the meantime, if parents do not have time to drop off their students and make it to work, Kelseyville Unified offers free bussing for all students who live within the district boundaries.

To stay up to date with Kelseyville Unified news and events, visit https://kvusd.org/.

KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – Authorities took a Lakeport man into custody on Thursday for theft of an expensive mountain bike this spring.

Jon Hayden Ferrer, 41, was arrested in the case, according to Lt. Corey Paulich of the Lake County Sheriff’s Office.

Paulich said that on Thursday the Lake County Sheriff’s Office was contacted by a citizen who had previously reported a Specialized mountain bike stolen from the Kelseyville area in May. The mountain bike was valued at $7,300.

The victim told deputies that they had located their stolen bike on eBay and someone was currently trying to sell it, Paulich said.

Paulich said sheriff’s detectives were able to obtain information from eBay related to the person who had posted the bike online.

Detectives were able to make contact with this person, who told them they had posted the bike on eBay for a friend. Paulich said detectives were provided information for the location of the bike and the person who was in possession of it, identified as Ferrer.

The detectives attempted to make contact with Ferrer at his residence on Alterra Drive in Lakeport, but no one would answer the door, Paulich said.

Paulich said detectives later obtained and served a search warrant at Ferrer’s residence. As deputies were entering the residence, Ferrer attempted to flee by jumping over a fence at the rear of the residence and was taken into custody.

Detectives located the stolen bike inside the residence as well as a small amount of methamphetamine, according to Paulich’s report.

Ferrer told detectives he had purchased the bike from a Hispanic male three to four months ago in Kelseyville. Paulich said Ferrer could not provide any information regarding the Hispanic male and claimed he did not know the bike was stolen.

Paulich said Ferrer was booked into custody at the Lake County Jail on charges of grand theft, receiving stolen property, possession of a controlled substance and resisting arrest. Ferrer later posted bail and was released.

Ferrer’s booking sheet said he is due to appear in Lake County Superior Court for arraignment on Monday.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – Assemblymember Cecilia Aguiar-Curry’s (D-Winters) has succeeded in her efforts to secure $2.2 million in state funding to replace County Road 40 low water bridge in Yolo County, a project that will give improved access to surrounding counties, including Lake.

The funding was included Senate Bill 109, which was signed by Gov. Newson last week, to provide funding for the project through Cal Fire local assistance grants.

The existing CR 40 low water bridge is a critical fire access road into the rural reaches of Yolo, Lake and Napa counties.

The bridge has deteriorated significantly since being built over 100 years ago and is unable to support the weight of fire-fighting apparatuses or other vehicles, hampering Cal Fire’s efforts to gain access to this fire-prone region.

“Through the fierce and tireless advocacy of Assemblymember Aguiar-Curry, funding for the CR 40 low water bridge has been secured,” said Yolo County Board of Supervisors Chair Don Saylor. “This project will greatly enhance fire safety in northern Yolo County and the region.”

“Replacing the CR 40 low water bridge has been a longstanding priority for me as a measure of both fire protection and recreational use,” said Yolo County Supervisor for District 5 Duane Chamberlain. “I applaud Assemblymember Aguiar-Curry for this remarkable achievement.”

“Forcing emergency response personnel to take extra hours to respond to wildfires and other disasters in Yolo, Napa and Lake Counties is inexcusable,” said Aguiar-Curry. “Just like our efforts to respond to the wildfires of the past several years, this victory was a true partnership with my colleagues on the Yolo County Board of Supervisors and county staff, and the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation. I appreciate Assembly Budget Chair Phil Ting and Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon’s efforts to fight for this critical project, and the Governor for supporting it with his signature.”

In 2017, Aguiar-Curry and Yolo County secured $800,000 in the state budget for design and engineering of the replacement bridge.

Bridge construction is slated to begin in 2020.