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CLEARLAKE, Calif. – Clearlake Animal Control has four adult dogs waiting for their new homes this week.

The dogs are Brownie, Tater, Robbie and Magnolia.

To meet the animals, call Clearlake Animal Control at 707-994-8201 and speak to Marcia at Extension 103 or call Extension 118, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Thursday, or leave a message at any other time.

Below are this week's available pets.

‘Brownie’

“Brownie” is an energetic 1-year-old.

She weighs about 30 pounds and has been spayed.

Shelter staff said she’s good with both children and adults.

‘Tater’

“Tater” is a lovable fellow who already is neutered and vaccinated, and is heartworm negative.

Shelter staff said Tater likes being with people and ignores other dogs.

‘Robbie’

“Robbie” is a young and happy-go-lucky mix – possibly Labrador Retriever and Rottweiler.

Shelter staff said is he around a year and a half old and weighs 50 pounds.

He walks well on a leash, makes friends with other dogs, and is playful but not super active.

Robbie is vaccinated and will be neutered prior to adoption.

‘Magnolia’

“Magnolia” has a short brown and white coat.

Shelter staff said she loves walks and commands you rub her belly. She wiggles over then flops over for the rubs.

She came in as a stray and is already spayed. Staff estimated she is around 2 years old and weighs about 60 pounds.

Magnolia is very social and friendly. She is fine with other dogs, and walks well on leash.

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.

California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones on Wednesday announced that insurers have received nearly 45,000 insurance claims totaling more than $11.79 billion in losses from the devastating wildfires that burned across the state in October and December 2017.

The fires damaged and destroyed more than 32,000 homes, 4,300 businesses, more than 8,200 vehicles, watercraft, farm vehicles and other equipment, Jones reported.

"At nearly $12 billion in insured losses, these claim numbers are staggering and represent the costliest fires in California history," said Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones. "The fires were unprecedented for their severity and disastrous consequences. Whole neighborhoods were wiped out, as wind-driven flames destroyed thousands of homes, upended tens of thousands of residents' lives and tragically killed more than 45 people across the state."

Commissioner Jones took extraordinary actions under his authority to protect survivors and make sure insurers deliver on their promises to policyholders, so they may begin to recover and rebuild their lives after the wildfires ripped through more than 14 counties in October and December.

One of Jones' most recent actions included issuing a formal notice to insurers asking them to waive the requirement for policyholders to submit a detailed home inventory and pay up to 100 percent of contents coverage to spare survivors the arduous task of trying to recreate lists of every item they lost in the fires.

Insurers that did agree to Jones' December notice make up more than 98 percent of the total loss claims filed as a result of the 2017 wildfires.

The department continues communicating with insurers that have not agreed to increase their advance payment on contents claims to determine if they will reconsider their position.

Policyholders should contact their insurer to confirm how much advance payment will be issued and if there are any exceptions that may exist for their claim.

Department personnel continue to assist consumers at local assistance and disaster centers in Ventura and Santa Barbara, including the hard-hit area of Montecito where tons of mud and boulders tore through neighborhoods destroying and damaging more than 400 homes and businesses and killing 21 people.

The department is encouraging residents and business owners in Santa Barbara County affected by the recent disasters, to file a claim with their insurance company. If consumers have issues navigating the claims process, or they think their claim was wrongfully denied they are encouraged to contact the Department of Insurance, 800-927-4357 or online at www.insurance.ca.gov for assistance.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – A deputy county counsel has entered the race to succeed retiring Superior Court Judge Stephen Hedstrom.

Shanda Harry has formally announced her her candidacy for Department 4 Superior Court judge.

“I am seeking the office of Lake County Superior Court Judge to continue my service to our community,” said Harry.

Also in the race is District Attorney Don Anderson, as Lake County News has reported.

With a strong belief in justice and integrity, Harry is committed to protecting the people of Lake County while making the system work fairly.

“The system has to be understandable and function based on what the law is, not who you are, using facts and circumstances. Most importantly, all who enter my courtroom will be listened to and treated with the dignity and respect to which they are entitled,” she said.

Harry’s family has lived in Lake County for three generations, giving her deep roots here. “I cherish this county and will work to ensure a safe, strong, successful community while protecting and preserving our county’s history, unique resources and diverse culture.”

Harry has 17 years of legal expertise and an extensive and impressive background as deputy county counsel, deputy district attorney, tribal prosecutor/ICWA attorney and litigation associate for several large law firms.

She has experience in all aspects of criminal, governmental and civil law including environmental, child welfare, employment, entertainment, copyright, contract, land use and general business litigation at the federal and state court level.

Harry is a member of the Lake County and Federal Bar Associations. She is a graduate of UCLA and UCLA School of Law.

As well as being dedicated to her legal career, Harry loves spending time with her family, volunteering with animal rescue organizations and raising money for the American Cancer Society and Pediatric AIDS.

Harry belongs to Soroptimist International of Clear Lake and 100+ Women Strong and supports Lake County’s annual high school Mock Trial competition.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The member of Congress representing southern Lake County weighed in on President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address on Tuesday night, giving it mixed grades on substance and pointing to a variety of topics it left out.

Congressman Mike Thompson (D-St. Helena), whose Fifth Congressional District includes the southern half of Lake County, has been a consistent critic of the president.

Nonetheless, Thompson called the speech “a great show,” in a Tuesday night interview with Lake County News.

“It was clearly the best speech that he’s ever read,” he said.

However, “It was very short on substance,” according to Thompson.

Thompson said the speech’s only detailed drill down came on immigration reform, “and he was talking about policy that he has no agreement on in the Congress.” Trump also talked about the border wall, which he pitched as a way to keep out terrorism and drugs.

Immigration – an issue that is important to Thompson’s district – is “up in the air,” with little evidence that federal officials are actually pursuing criminals. Thompson said he’s also getting a lot of reports of raids in his district.

The speech also covered the new tax law, which Thompson said will only benefit the middle class temporarily.

“The big benefits accrue to the super rich and corporations,” he said, noting that 83 percent of the tax cuts are going to the top 1 percent of rich Americans and corporations, middle class families will see little benefits, with 9 million families actually seeing a tax increase next year. Worse, Republicans added $2.3 trillion to our national debt to pay for these cuts.

Thompson said there also were many things the president didn’t discuss that he had hoped he would – everything from health care to the gun violence prevention that claims 30 American lives a year, climate change, investment in infrastructure and the $81 billion disaster relief package the House passed for fire and hurricane survivors that is currently collecting dust in the Senate. All of those things are important to his district.

Nonetheless, “It was a great win for him tonight,” said Thompson. “I’m assuming that he’ll get a good bump out of this.”

The speech also was notable to Thompson for another reason: “It wasn’t a divisive speech that everyone suspected it would be.”

As for whether he expects the speech’s topics to become key issues over the coming year, Thompson said the president shifts course quickly, so it’s hard to tell – you don’t know if what’s on his mind today will be on his mind tomorrow.

Thompson said the president’s quick changes in mood and interests absolutely impact Congress in its work. “You don’t know where to start and you don’t know where to go.”

Thompson on Tuesday night already was looking toward other hurdles ahead, including another looming government shutdown at the start of February.

He said there’s lots to do to keep the government going, including a promise from Senate leadership that an immigration bill will be brought forward. But Thompson said that’s yet to be seen.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The Clearlake City Council will hold a special meeting this week to discuss an urgency cannabis ordinance and the process to hire a new police chief.

The council will meet in closed session beginning at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 1, to discuss two cases of potential litigation, with the open portion of the meeting to begin at 6 p.m. in the council chambers at Clearlake City Hall, 14050 Olympic Drive.

On the agenda is a public hearing to consider an urgency ordinance extending a moratorium on commercial cannabis cultivation businesses west of Highway 53.

The council first implemented the moratorium in December due to unclear language in an ordinance governing commercial cannabis activities approved in the fall.

Then-Mayor Russ Perdock said the ordinance’s intent had been to encourage retail, resorts and tourism on the west side of the highway with the east side available for cultivation purposes. The unclear language of the ordinance can be interpreted as allowing cannabis on both sides of the highway.

While the urgency ordinance is in effect, the city will work to update the main ordinance.

Under business, the council will consider a firm to select the new police chief.

Staff is recommending Ralph Anderson and Associates be selected at a cost of $24,000, with up to $1,500 in change orders.

City Clerk Melissa Swanson’s report to the council on the item explained that, once the contract with the company is finalized, the timeline calls for a potential hire in about 12 weeks.

Interim Chief Tim Celli told Lake County News last month that he doesn’t intend to seek the chief’s job on a permanent basis.

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.

NORTH COAST, Calif. – The Mendocino County District Attorney's Office has settled three major abalone poaching cases involving Fort Bragg, Sacramento and Bay Area abalone poachers, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife announced.

Two of the settled cases resulted in hefty fines and other penalties for restaurant owners.

Steven Yuan Qin Liang, 47, of Fort Bragg pleaded guilty to felony conspiracy involving the purchase and black market sales of sport-caught abalone for personal profit.

Liang, owner of the Asian Buffet restaurant in Fort Bragg, was ordered to serve 360 days in the Mendocino County Jail, placed on probation for 36 months and ordered to pay a fine of $15,000. He is prohibited from obtaining a sport or commercial fishing license for life.

Bryant Chiu Shiu Lee, 44, of Sacramento, pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of purchasing abalone for black market resale.

Lee, owner of the Sushi Café in Sacramento, was placed on probation for 36 months and ordered to pay a fine of $40,000. He is prohibited from obtaining a sport or commercial fishing license for life.

Liang and Lee were both convicted in late 2017, following a joint investigation by the CDFW Special Operations Unit and Mendocino Coast squad that began in June 2015.

In the third case, the strange circumstances surrounding an emergency rescue led to an investigation and eventual conviction.

Justin Joseph Adams, 44, of Alameda, pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy and taking abalone for black market sale.

He was ordered to serve 210 days in the Mendocino County Jail, was placed on probation for 36 months and was ordered to pay a fine of $15,000. He is also prohibited from obtaining a sport or commercial fishing license for life.

In April 2017, wildlife officers received information from the Mendocino County Sheriff's Department, Elk Volunteer Fire Department and Mendocino Volunteer Fire Department about odd circumstances surrounding a cliff rescue in Elk in Mendocino County.

Adams had been dropped off by a friend the day before at the headlands just north of Cuffy's Cove in Elk. He climbed down a steep cliff to the water's edge and harvested abalone during low tide, but when the tide returned, his return route was blocked.

When he failed to appear at a predetermined pickup location, a friend called in a missing persons report. Rescuers found Adams stranded on the side of a steep cliff and extracted him around 2 a.m.

Wildlife officers suspected poaching activity may have factored into Adams' predicament.

The day after the rescue, CDFW Lt. Joel Hendricks and Warden Don Powers donned wetsuits and swam to the location below where Adams was rescued to look for evidence of poaching.

In a deep cut under the bluff, directly under the location of Adams' rescue, they found two bags containing 38 abalone. One of the bags also contained a half-consumed plastic bottle of water.

After obtaining a DNA sample from Adams via a search warrant, they sent the sample and the water bottle to the California Department of Justice Forensics Laboratory. The lab matched the DNA evidence from the bottle to Adams.

Trafficking of illegally harvested abalone on the black market continues to pose a significant enforcement problem and further exacerbates the pressure on the abalone population. Black market values will likely increase with the closure of the 2018 sport abalone season.

Wildlife officers continue to conduct in-depth investigations and arrest those who continue to poach and commercialize abalone.

"It is immensely important for wildlife officers to work with District Attorneys who understand the importance prosecuting poaching crimes against the dwindling abalone resource," said CDFW Deputy Director and Chief of Law Enforcement David Bess. "The Mendocino County District Attorney's office has an excellent track record in this regard.”

CDFW's wildlife officers and biologists alike hope to see the return of a recreational abalone harvest as soon as the abalone population rebounds.