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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Lake County Air Quality Management District said the smoke making its way into the county’s air basin is coming primarily from a fast-burning fire to the north.
Air Pollution Control Officer Doug Gearhart said the Carr fire burning in Shasta County is resulting in smoke and haze in Lake County.
He told Lake County News that fires in Southern Oregon also are believed to be having local impacts.
According to the National Interagency Coordination Center Situation Report, as of just before 4:30 p.m. the Carr fire has burned over 28,763 acres and is only 10-percent contained. Expected containment of this fire is unknown.
The fire is burning in timber and brush with extreme fire behavior. Weather forecasts indicate continued hot dry conditions which may result in intermittent smoke impacts for the Lake County air basin through the weekend.
An eight-acre fire, the McNab fire, also was burning near Hopland in Mendocino County on Thursday evening, when Cal Fire said it was 20-percent contained.
Air quality conditions in Lake County on Thursday were good with smoke visible in the basin though it remains elevated, said Gearhart. As the temperature cools overnight, some impacts from the smoke settling may occur in the county.
He said ultrafine particulate levels may be elevated into the moderate to unhealthy for sensitive individuals range. Localized areas may experience intermittent particulate levels in the unhealthy range should worst case weather conditions develop.
The air quality forecast for Lake County on Thursday night and Friday is “good” to “moderate,” with localized higher concentration areas possible, according to Gearhart.
All areas of Lake County may be significantly impacted should meteorological conditions worsen. Meteorological forecasts models indicate the smoke may be present over eastern and southern Lake County for the next couple days, but with the west winds developing, smoke impacts should start to clear through the weekend.
Smoky conditions can cause irritation of the eyes, nose and air passages, Gearhart said. These conditions can be hazardous for sensitive individuals including young children, the elderly, and individuals with heart conditions, and those with chronic lung disease such as asthma, bronchitis and other respiratory conditions. Remember to take precautions and plan ahead as smoke conditions can change quickly.
Gearhart said the “good” to “moderate,” with the potential for localized areas in the “unhealthy for sensitive individuals” air quality forecast results from visible smoke over Lake County and the potential for smoke to settle into the basin.
The potential for degraded air quality, haze, and particulate from the ongoing wildfires are expected to continue throughout Lake County, until the wildfires are contained, Gearhart said.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, a program administered through the Lake County Office of Education, delivered its 50,000th free book to Lake County’s youngest residents this month.
To celebrate this milestone, LCOE’s early literacy program Bloom teamed up with the Lake County Library to bring arts and crafts, games and even free giveaway books to a special story time at each library in Lake County in mid-July.
Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is a book-gifting program that mails free, age-appropriate, high-quality books to children from birth until their fifth birthday, no matter their family’s income.
Six years ago, in 2012, in an effort to improve early literacy for Lake County’s children and help prepare them for kindergarten, the Lake County Office of Education began participating in Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.
This year, LCOE's Bloom continued that initiative and saw the growth of the program explode.
Currently, more than 2,100 Lake County children are receiving books through Imagination Library. This is approximately 56 percent of Lake County’s age 0 to 5 population.
“Research shows that when children are read to at an early age, there is a positive parent/child connection, and it is also associated with higher measures of early language and math development,” said Lake County Superintendent of Schools Brock Falkenberg.
Although the books from Imagination Library are free for the children, there is an associated cost to the Lake County Office of Education of $25 per child, per year.
This program is funded by donations from local businesses, community organizations and individuals.
Financial partners include First 5 Lake County, Lake County Wine Alliance, Sutter Lakeside Hospital, Charlotte Griswold and Adventist Health Clear Lake.
Registration Partners include Sutter Lakeside Hospital, Adventist Health Clear Lake, Lake County Department of Social Services, Lake County Tribal Health Consortium, Dr. Barbara Gardner, Lake Family Resource Center, Women, Infants and Children, LCOE preschools, Easter Seals and First 5 Lake County.
To find out more information about Imagination Library, or to sign up your child – or children – for free books, go to www.ImaginationLibrary.com.
To make a tax-deductible contribution please contact Carly Swatosh 707-262-4163 or
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The fifth annual Lake-Mendocino Homeless Veterans Stand Down/Veterans Resource Fair is coming this September.
The stand down, organized by Lake County Vet Connect, will take place from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 19 , and Thursday, Sept. 20 at the Lake County Fairgrounds, 401 Martin Street, Lakeport.
Free lunch will be served to all attendants.
The stand down/resource fair event last year at the fairgrounds hosted more than 150 veterans and offered a variety of services, assistance and information provided by more than 25 agencies and organizations.
This year's stand down will offer access to on-site medical services, enrollment in healthcare and supplemental nutrition programs, as well as other programs relating to educational, employment, and food resource issues that are important to our veterans.
Numerous VA resources will be onsite in addition to other federal, state, county and community organizations offering programs and avenues of assistance.
Organizers are again seeking volunteers to assist with the event. Volunteers will assist in capacities including helping to set up and tear down the venue, staging and issuing materials and supplies to Veterans, and preparing food.
United Veterans Council of Lake County is still seeking financial assistance for the purchase of additional material and supplies.
If you would like to donate financial assistance or volunteer to assist with this event, please contact Frank Parker, Lake County Vet Connect Committee chairman, at 707-274-9512.
The stand down, organized by Lake County Vet Connect, will take place from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 19 , and Thursday, Sept. 20 at the Lake County Fairgrounds, 401 Martin Street, Lakeport.
Free lunch will be served to all attendants.
The stand down/resource fair event last year at the fairgrounds hosted more than 150 veterans and offered a variety of services, assistance and information provided by more than 25 agencies and organizations.
This year's stand down will offer access to on-site medical services, enrollment in healthcare and supplemental nutrition programs, as well as other programs relating to educational, employment, and food resource issues that are important to our veterans.
Numerous VA resources will be onsite in addition to other federal, state, county and community organizations offering programs and avenues of assistance.
Organizers are again seeking volunteers to assist with the event. Volunteers will assist in capacities including helping to set up and tear down the venue, staging and issuing materials and supplies to Veterans, and preparing food.
United Veterans Council of Lake County is still seeking financial assistance for the purchase of additional material and supplies.
If you would like to donate financial assistance or volunteer to assist with this event, please contact Frank Parker, Lake County Vet Connect Committee chairman, at 707-274-9512.
CLEARLAKE, Calif. – Two Clearlake residents were arrested this week on weapons charges after police received a report of a man brandishing a weapon a handgun.
Julio Cesar Zaragoza, 37, and 45-year-old Shanti Rebecca Gallon were taken into custody on Monday morning, according to Clearlake Police Sgt. Tim Hobbs.
At around 9 a.m. Monday the Clearlake Police Department received a report that Zaragoza brandished a handgun at a person in the 15900 block of 21st Avenue. Hobbs said Zaragoza then left the scene, driving a silver Mazda car.
While officers were headed to the call, Zaragoza passed by Officer Mike Perreault heading the other way. Hobbs said Perreault turned around and conducted a traffic stop on Zaragoza’s vehicle.
Hobbs said Zaragoza and the only passenger, Gallon, were detained. The victim responded to the location of the stop and identified Zaragoza as the one who had brandished the firearm.
Zaragoza was arrested for brandishing a firearm, Hobbs said.
During a search of the vehicle, a loaded 9-millimeter semiautomatic handgun was located. Once the handgun was located Gallon stated the handgun belonged to her and Zaragoza had never seen it before, according to Hobbs.
Hobbs said Gallon was arrested for possession of a loaded firearm in public and possession of a concealed firearm.
Zaragoza is a convicted felon and is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition. Hobbs said Zaragoza was additionally charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm, felon in possession of ammunition, possession of a concealed firearm, and possession of a loaded firearm in public.
Zaragoza and Gallon were transported to the Lake County Jail, Hobbs said.
Hobbs said Officer Perreault obtained a bail enhancement raising Zaragoza’s bail to $150,000 and a source of bail order, requiring proof be shown money used for his bail was lawfully obtained.
At the time of this arrest, Zaragoza was out on bail for an arrest on June 27. In that case, Hobbs said Zaragoza was arrested for felon in possession of a firearm, felon in possession of ammunition, possession of a concealed firearm, and possession of a loaded firearm in public, possession of controlled substances for sales, felony resisting arrest and others charges.
These charges were a result of Zaragoza running and violently resisting an officer during a traffic stop in which Zaragoza was found to be in possession of a loaded 10 millimeter semiautomatic handgun and more than 1 pound of methamphetamine, Hobbs said.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – A Wednesday evening earthquake in Sonoma County was felt by Lake County residents and others around the North Coast.
The 3.4-magnitude quake occurred at 5:38 p.m. 1.4 miles south of Caldwell pines and 13 miles southwest of Clearlake, at a depth of just over a mile, according to the US Geological Survey.
The survey received shake reports from Clearlake, Hidden Valley Lake, Kelseyville and Middletown, as well as numerous locations in Sonoma and Napa County, with reports coming in from as far away as Daly City and San Ramon.
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.
The 3.4-magnitude quake occurred at 5:38 p.m. 1.4 miles south of Caldwell pines and 13 miles southwest of Clearlake, at a depth of just over a mile, according to the US Geological Survey.
The survey received shake reports from Clearlake, Hidden Valley Lake, Kelseyville and Middletown, as well as numerous locations in Sonoma and Napa County, with reports coming in from as far away as Daly City and San Ramon.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
BERKELEY, Calif. – Millions of California parents face slim odds in finding child care or preschool slots, especially in fast-growing edges of metro-areas and the Central Valley, says a new report from UC Berkeley.
Just 52 percent of the state's children, 3 to 4 years of age, are enrolled in a pre-k program, a shortage that besets middle-class and poor families alike, researchers found after compiling data from a variety of state and local agencies.
A half-century of research has detailed the benefits of preschool on children's early learning and later school achievement, including recent studies in four California counties.
The new analysis – Achieving Fair Access to Early Education – takes an unprecedented look at pre-k enrollment rates statewide, along with disparities in supply across regions and among local communities (zip codes). It was conducted by researchers at American Institutes of Research (AIR) and UC Berkeley.
"California has shown discernible progress in widening access to preschool for 4-year-olds," said Karen Manship, principal researcher at AIR and lead author of the study. Over two-thirds attended preschool in 2016, the most recent year with complete data. Almost 70 percent of children from low-income families gained access to local centers.
"But pre-k remains painfully scarce for families with 3-year-olds across California," Manship said. Just over one-third (34 percent) of the state's 3-year-olds attend preschool statewide, far below other states nationwide. "And only one in eight infants and toddlers are in licensed care arrangements."
The study did not examine the quality of pre-k programs statewide, which varies radically, at times staffed by poorly paid teachers, researchers said. "We must ensure that quality rises along with enrollment rates," said Bruce Fuller, professor of education at UC Berkeley, who led the project. "We don’t want to expand access to mediocre pre-k."
California families pay over $9,100 yearly for preschool on average, unless they qualify for public support, according to the state’s parent resource network.
Several lower-income counties face a “double-edged disparity,” researchers say, where child care supply has historically been low and child populations are projected to continue to grow. On the other hand, counts of young children have begun to fall in major urban counties, which provides these counties an opportunity to get closer to universal access.
Large gaps in ‘commuter counties’ and the Central Valley
There are notable shortages in farther-out suburbs, where metro-area commuters reside, and there are scant programs in the Central Valley. In San Joaquin County, an hour from Silicon Valley, just 44 percent of all 4-year-olds enroll in pre-k. Riverside County suffers from meager supply as well, where only 43 percent attend preschool.
The picture remains mixed for major urban counties. The pre-k enrollment rate for all 3 and 4-year-olds stands just below half (48%) in Los Angeles County. But over three-quarters of 4-year-olds from low-income families now attend a center, thanks in part to L.A. Unified’s aggressive effort to lift early learning.
Some 77 percent of 4-year-olds attend preschool in comparatively affluent Santa Clara County. But supply ranges much higher in metro-areas, compared with farther out “commuter settlements” and the Central Valley. One quarter of all 3-year-olds have access to licensed child care or preschool in San Joaquin County, relative to 53 percent in San Francisco.
A policy opportunity?
At least one gubernatorial candidate is highlighting the importance of affordable early care and education. "We need to focus on building the architecture of the brain in those first three critical years [of life]," Lieut. Governor Gavin Newsom said during a candidate forum last spring. "I'm the only person on this stage who actually did it — fully implemented universal preschool as mayor of San Francisco."
The Republican candidate for governor, John Cox, has expressed no position on child care or preschools for the state’s young children.
California was home to over 2.4 million children, 0 to 4 years of age (in 2016). About one million of these kids are raised in middle-class or upper-income families who do not qualify for public support of child care or pre-k slots.
Three-fifths (60 percent) of married mothers with a child 3 years old or younger had entered or returned to the labor force in 2017 nationwide, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This rate rises to over two-thirds (67 percent) for unmarried mothers with a young child.
The new study was conducted for the Berkeley Early Childhood Think Tank, an independent panel that’s devising policies to improve family access to, and the quality of, child care and pre-k programs. The panel’s work is funded by the Heising-Simons Foundation in Los Altos.
A statewide map showing enrollment rates for California counties appears here.
The analysis was led by Karen Manship, principal researcher at AIR based in San Mateo, and co-directed by Bruce Fuller, professor of education and public policy at UC Berkeley.
Just 52 percent of the state's children, 3 to 4 years of age, are enrolled in a pre-k program, a shortage that besets middle-class and poor families alike, researchers found after compiling data from a variety of state and local agencies.
A half-century of research has detailed the benefits of preschool on children's early learning and later school achievement, including recent studies in four California counties.
The new analysis – Achieving Fair Access to Early Education – takes an unprecedented look at pre-k enrollment rates statewide, along with disparities in supply across regions and among local communities (zip codes). It was conducted by researchers at American Institutes of Research (AIR) and UC Berkeley.
"California has shown discernible progress in widening access to preschool for 4-year-olds," said Karen Manship, principal researcher at AIR and lead author of the study. Over two-thirds attended preschool in 2016, the most recent year with complete data. Almost 70 percent of children from low-income families gained access to local centers.
"But pre-k remains painfully scarce for families with 3-year-olds across California," Manship said. Just over one-third (34 percent) of the state's 3-year-olds attend preschool statewide, far below other states nationwide. "And only one in eight infants and toddlers are in licensed care arrangements."
The study did not examine the quality of pre-k programs statewide, which varies radically, at times staffed by poorly paid teachers, researchers said. "We must ensure that quality rises along with enrollment rates," said Bruce Fuller, professor of education at UC Berkeley, who led the project. "We don’t want to expand access to mediocre pre-k."
California families pay over $9,100 yearly for preschool on average, unless they qualify for public support, according to the state’s parent resource network.
Several lower-income counties face a “double-edged disparity,” researchers say, where child care supply has historically been low and child populations are projected to continue to grow. On the other hand, counts of young children have begun to fall in major urban counties, which provides these counties an opportunity to get closer to universal access.
Large gaps in ‘commuter counties’ and the Central Valley
There are notable shortages in farther-out suburbs, where metro-area commuters reside, and there are scant programs in the Central Valley. In San Joaquin County, an hour from Silicon Valley, just 44 percent of all 4-year-olds enroll in pre-k. Riverside County suffers from meager supply as well, where only 43 percent attend preschool.
The picture remains mixed for major urban counties. The pre-k enrollment rate for all 3 and 4-year-olds stands just below half (48%) in Los Angeles County. But over three-quarters of 4-year-olds from low-income families now attend a center, thanks in part to L.A. Unified’s aggressive effort to lift early learning.
Some 77 percent of 4-year-olds attend preschool in comparatively affluent Santa Clara County. But supply ranges much higher in metro-areas, compared with farther out “commuter settlements” and the Central Valley. One quarter of all 3-year-olds have access to licensed child care or preschool in San Joaquin County, relative to 53 percent in San Francisco.
A policy opportunity?
At least one gubernatorial candidate is highlighting the importance of affordable early care and education. "We need to focus on building the architecture of the brain in those first three critical years [of life]," Lieut. Governor Gavin Newsom said during a candidate forum last spring. "I'm the only person on this stage who actually did it — fully implemented universal preschool as mayor of San Francisco."
The Republican candidate for governor, John Cox, has expressed no position on child care or preschools for the state’s young children.
California was home to over 2.4 million children, 0 to 4 years of age (in 2016). About one million of these kids are raised in middle-class or upper-income families who do not qualify for public support of child care or pre-k slots.
Three-fifths (60 percent) of married mothers with a child 3 years old or younger had entered or returned to the labor force in 2017 nationwide, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This rate rises to over two-thirds (67 percent) for unmarried mothers with a young child.
The new study was conducted for the Berkeley Early Childhood Think Tank, an independent panel that’s devising policies to improve family access to, and the quality of, child care and pre-k programs. The panel’s work is funded by the Heising-Simons Foundation in Los Altos.
A statewide map showing enrollment rates for California counties appears here.
The analysis was led by Karen Manship, principal researcher at AIR based in San Mateo, and co-directed by Bruce Fuller, professor of education and public policy at UC Berkeley.