News

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lakeport City Council is set to get an update from Sutter Lakeside Hospital and consider awarding a construction project.

The council will meet for a closed session at 5:15 p.m. regarding negotiations for property located at 910 Bevins St. and 902 Bevins Court before the public portion of the meeting begins at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 18, in the council chambers at Lakeport City Hall, 225 Park St.

Among the items on the agenda is a presentation by Sutter Lakeside Hospital Chief Administrative Officer Dan Peterson, who will offer an update on the hospital and its response to the wildfires.

Under council business, Police Chief Brad Rasmussen will present the 2018 police after action report on the Independence Day fireworks operations.

Public Works Director Doug Grider will take to the council a construction contract with Granite Construction Co. for the Lakeshore Blvd Roadway Repair Project.

On the consent agenda – items considered noncontroversial and usually accepted as a slate on one vote – are ordinances; minutes of the council’s special meeting of Aug. 29 and regular meeting on Sept. 4; confirmation of the continuing existence of a local emergency in the city of Lakeport; approval of the first reading of the proposed Ordinance amending Sections 3.05.011 and 3.05.013 of Chapter 3.05 to the Lakeport Municipal Code to comply with the Uniform Public Construction Cost Accounting Act; and adoption of a resolution approving the addendum to the Compensation and Benefits Program for the city of Lakeport Unrepresented Employees and providing these terms to the city manager.

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.

091818 Lakeport City Council agenda packet by LakeCoNews on Scribd

KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – The California Highway Patrol will offer a free “Start Smart” traffic safety class for soon to-be-licensed, newly licensed, and teenage drivers and their parents or guardians on Wednesday, Sept. 26.

The class will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Clear Lake Area CHP office, located at 5700 Live Oak Drive in Kelseyville.

The CHP said a teenager is killed in a traffic collision every four hours nationwide. That equates to more than 1,870 teenagers killed each year. Another 184,000 teenagers are injured in traffic collisions.

These deaths and injuries can be substantially reduced or prevented by eliminating high-risk driving behaviors through education, and the CHP said its “Start Smart” program can help prevent these tragedies.

The Start Smart program focuses on providing comprehensive traffic safety education classes for teenagers and their parents.

Start Smart employs innovative techniques to capture the attention of teenagers and parents, providing a lasting experience.

The curriculum includes information on collision statistics, teen driver and passenger behaviors, graduated driver’s license laws, cultural changes in today’s society and the need for stronger parental involvement in a teenager’s driving experience.

Space is limited for this class. For more information or reservations, call Officer Efrain Cortez at the CHP office, 707-279-0103, or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – To help reduce collisions, Caltrans and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife remind motorists to be on the lookout during Watch Out for Wildlife Week, which runs Sept. 16 to 22.

“With every project we build, we look for innovative ways to protect drivers and wildlife,” said Caltrans Director Laurie Berman. “That can be as simple as installing flashing warning signs or putting in specialized fencing and crossings to provide wildlife with safe passages. Drivers can make a difference too, just by staying alert.”

Watch Out for Wildlife Week coincides with the season when California’s deer and elk migrate and look for mates, and California’s roadways often cut through these animals’ migration routes.

It’s vital that drivers be especially alert now through December to avoid collisions with wildlife. These crashes not only harm wildlife, but collisions with large animals can damage vehicles and cause injury and death to drivers and passengers.

“In the fall, wildlife exhibit natural behaviors that can lead them to more unpredictable movements, and nearer to humans and roadways,” said Vicky Monroe, CDFW Statewide Conflict Programs coordinator. “Deer, bears and other wildlife are most likely to be killed or injured by vehicle collisions between September and December. Bucks fight for mates during breeding season, does travel more with their fawns, and many deer herds migrate to their winter ranges. Black bears travel farther for food as they enter a period of excessive eating and drinking to fatten up for hibernation.”

According to the California Highway Patrol, 12 people died and 383 people were injured in 2,134 collisions with wildlife on state, county and local roadways throughout California in 2017.

Wildlife experts offer the following tips for motorists:

· Be extra alert when driving near areas wildlife frequent, such as streams and rivers, and reduce your speed so you can react safely.

· Pay extra attention driving during the morning and evening when wildlife are often most active.

· If you see an animal on or near the road, know that another may be following.

· Don’t litter. Trash odors can attract animals to roadways.

· Pay attention to road shoulders. Look for movement or reflecting eyes. Slow down and honk your horn if you see an animal on or near the road.

The Watch Out for Wildlife campaign is supported by Caltrans, CDFW, Defenders of Wildlife, and the Road Ecology Center at the University of California, Davis.

Here are a few examples of what Caltrans, CDFW, and their partners are doing to reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions, improve awareness of key issues, and improve ecological sustainability:

Highway 395, Improving Wildlife Connectivity in Lassen County
Caltrans is modifying existing undercrossings that were installed on U.S. Highway 395 in Lassen County near the California-Nevada border more than 25 years ago. To improve the area for wildlife, Caltrans will remove deer gates, install escape ramps for mule deer, and extend fencing to guide animals to existing undercrossings. The project area will be monitored with wildlife cameras.

Highway 101, Liberty Canyon Undercrossing in Los Angeles County
The completed environmental document for the famous U.S. Highway 101 Liberty Canyon Project was signed in September 2017. Until a large overpass can be constructed, Caltrans has managed several short-term improvements in the Liberty Canyon area to entice mountain lions to cross safely underneath US-101. New fencing is designed to prevent animals from trying to cross the highway, and a former streambed south of Agoura Road has new vegetation to guide animals safely under the highway.

Highway 101, Wildlife Monitoring Cameras in Sonoma County
Caltrans is monitoring wildlife movement on U.S. Highway 101 north of Santa Rosa. Cameras have been installed on culverts that cross under the highway, and Caltrans regularly downloads images from the cameras to understand more about wildlife in the project area. Mountain lions are just one species that have been observed checking out the culverts along US-101. Camera data will be used to determine potential future improvements that will allow animals to safely cross US-101.

Highway 74, Bighorn Sheep Warning Signs in Riverside County
Efforts are underway to decrease vehicle collisions with Peninsular bighorn sheep, a federally endangered species, on a windy portion of State Route 74 above Palm Desert. In June 2018, Caltrans installed four bighorn sheep warning signs with two flashing beacons to alert drivers that sheep may be in the area. This was a coordinated effort with the Bighorn Institute, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and CDFW.

MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – Harbin Hot Springs this week is planning an evaluation of the effectiveness of an emergency siren notification system.

The testing will take place from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 19.

A sound truck will be driven to various locations at 18424 Harbin Springs Road, Middletown.

Middletown residents in the vicinity of Harbin may hear intermittent sounds during the four-hour testing period.

Please call 707-987-2477 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with any questions or concerns.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – There have been a few mountain lion sightings in our region over the past several months.

Some have speculated that the wildfires force them down into rural and suburban areas, but there has been no proven correlation between the recent sightings and the wildfires.

What’s more likely is that the big cats are simply walking through their territories – which can be over 100 miles wide – looking for food and won’t linger for very long.

You might remember, too, the story that hit the news in August of 2017 about two hikers who encountered a mountain lion along the trails at Sequoia National Park.

Watching the video the men made of their encounter, it was obvious that their lack of knowledge about the big cats and what to do when crossing paths with one was staggering.

You hear them asking each other what to do, if they should run away ... These are the kinds of questions you need answers to BEFORE you hike out into mountain lion country.

Mountain lions (Puma concolor) are indigenous to our region and encounters, although few and far between, can happen. Knowing a few facts about the cats can help you understand their behaviors and be more prepared if you encounter one.

Mountain lions hunt between the hours of dusk and dawn and are solitary animals; they don’t hunt in prides like African lions. If you see several together in one place, it’s usually a mother and her cubs (who stay with mom until they’re about 2 years old).

A good rule of thumb is to not walk or hike alone in mountain lion territory, especially at night. Also, pay attention to news reports about where the cats have been spotted and be smart: avoid those areas.

Some reports of “mountain lions” to Animal Control offices have actually turned out to be reports of unusually large domesticated cats. The mistake is made because many folks simply don’t fully grasp the size of a real mountain lion.

These cats are BIG – and fast. A full-grown mountain lion is about seven to eight feet long, weighs upwards of sixty pounds (the males can get up to 150 pounds) and can achieve running speeds up to 50 miles per hour in a sprint.

So remember, if you come across a mountain lion, DON’T RUN. If its instinct to chase kicks in, it can run you down within seconds; and the impact of its body hitting yours at full speed can knock the wind out of you and break bones.

The Mountain Lion Foundation and other experts provide excellent tips on what to do if you come face-to-face with a mountain lion.

· Assess the situation as quickly as you can. Are you between the lion and its cubs? Are you near the lion’s den, its cache of food or its newly-downed prey?

· Don’t corner the mountain lion. Make sure it always has an easy route of escape. If it feels trapped, it will defend itself.

· Don’t act or sound like prey. Don’t run, don’t crouch down, don’t play dead. And DO NOT TURN YOUR BACK on a mountain lion. Their most common kill-technique is to bite at the back of the neck in order to crush and sever the spinal cord.

· Mountain lions are excellent swimmers and climbers. Remember the story from 2016 of two mountain lions swimming across Shasta Lake? Domestic cats may not like water, but mountain lions do; so, jumping into a stream or lake isn’t going to protect you. Climbing a tree won’t help you either. Tree-climbing is something mountain lions themselves do to catch their breath if they’re winded from a chase or want to bask in the sun.

· Make yourself look as intimidating as possible. Look the mountain lion in the eyes. Appear defiant. Open your jacket and wave your arms. Pick up your pets and your children if they’re with you and stand close to others in your group. All of these will make you appear larger to the cat. Make a lot of noise, using a loud and confident voice.

· Slowly create distance by BACKING AWAY while you maintain eye contact and continue to “look big”. Again, do not run or turn your back on the animal.

· If you are attacked, fight back with everything you have while protecting your neck and throat.

There was some speculation that the hikers in the Sequoia National Park in 2017 had actually seen the cat first at a distance and then followed after it to try to get video footage of it. That kind of behavior not only puts you in danger, it also puts the mountain lion in danger. Use common sense. If you see or hear a mountain lion, vacate the area as quickly and as safely as you can.

For all their strength and agility, mountain lions are generally elusive, self-composed and silent animals.

If you leave them alone and stay out of their ranges, they’ll leave you alone.

Mary K. Hanson is a Certified California Naturalist, author, nature photographer and blogger at https://chubbywomanwalkabout.com/. She also teaches naturalist classes through Tuleyome, a501(c)(3) nonprofit conservation organization based in Woodland, Calif. For more information, visit www.tuleyome.org.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The city of Lakeport’s National Night Out Against Crime will be held on Monday, Sept. 17, from 6 to 8 p.m. in Library Park.

Park Street between Second and Third Streets will be closed during the event.

This event is coordinated by us to increase and improve police, city and other government community partnerships in the city.

City of Lakeport management and staff, Lakeport City Council members, Lakeport Police officers and staff, Lakeport Fire Protection District, and other local officials will be on site to meet and greet local residents.

The event will feature free hot dogs, popcorn and sno-cones.

There also will be a youth game area and bicycle decorating contest and parade, sponsored by the Lakeport Main Street Association, so children are asked to bring their bicycles and helmets to participate.

In addition, there will be raffle prizes for children and adults.

There is no cost to community members to attend. The event is being sponsored by donations of services, supplies, raffle prizes and other resources by numerous local businesses and organizations.

See the Facebook event page for a list of all activities and donating businesses.