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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – A Fortuna woman died following a two-vehicle crash near Clearlake Oaks on New Year’s Eve.
The California Highway Patrol’s Clear Lake Area office reported that the crash occurred just before 1:20 p.m. Sunday on Highway 20 at Harvey Boulevard.
The woman who died in the crash was identified as Donna Jean Farfan, 57, according to Lt. Corey Paulich of the Lake County Sheriff’s Office.
The CHP said Farfan was driving her 2011 Ford sedan westbound on Highway 20 while Ronald Kern, 67, of Elk Grove was driving his 2017 Chevrolet SUV eastbound with 63-year-old Patricia Sholian riding as his passenger.
For an unknown reason, the CHP said Farfan allowed her car to cross over the double yellow lines into the eastbound oncoming traffic lane.
As a result, Farfan’s sedan collided head-on with Kern’s SUV, the CHP said.
The CHP said that, following the collision, Farfan was pronounced dead at the scene.
Kern and Sholian were transported to Sutter Lakeside Hospital and treated for major injuries, the CHP said.
The report said Kern and Sholian were wearing their seat belts but Farfan was not.
As of the Tuesday report, the CHP said it was unknown if alcohol or drugs were factors in the crash.
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 California Highway Patrol’s Clear Lake Area office reported that the crash occurred just before 1:20 p.m. Sunday on Highway 20 at Harvey Boulevard.
The woman who died in the crash was identified as Donna Jean Farfan, 57, according to Lt. Corey Paulich of the Lake County Sheriff’s Office.
The CHP said Farfan was driving her 2011 Ford sedan westbound on Highway 20 while Ronald Kern, 67, of Elk Grove was driving his 2017 Chevrolet SUV eastbound with 63-year-old Patricia Sholian riding as his passenger.
For an unknown reason, the CHP said Farfan allowed her car to cross over the double yellow lines into the eastbound oncoming traffic lane.
As a result, Farfan’s sedan collided head-on with Kern’s SUV, the CHP said.
The CHP said that, following the collision, Farfan was pronounced dead at the scene.
Kern and Sholian were transported to Sutter Lakeside Hospital and treated for major injuries, the CHP said.
The report said Kern and Sholian were wearing their seat belts but Farfan was not.
As of the Tuesday report, the CHP said it was unknown if alcohol or drugs were factors in the crash.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
LAKEPORT, Calif. – After three decades of dedicated service, Lake County’s Environmental Health director has decided to retire.
Ray Ruminski was honored for his years of service during the Board of Supervisors’ final meeting of 2017 on Dec. 19.
Ruminski worked for the county for more than 32 and a half years, working his way up through the ranks until he eventually was appointed to lead Environmental Health 17 years ago.
Over the last several years, Ruminski has played a pivotal role in the county’s response to the Rocky, Jerusalem, Valley, Clayton and Sulphur fires.
As Environmental Health director, he’s taken on oversight of the county’s part in the debris cleanup, working with state and federal agencies and assisting the city of Clearlake regarding the Sulphur fire response.
Supervisor Rob Brown read a proclamation honoring Ruminski for his record of outstanding service.
Brown said Ruminski began with the Health Services Department in May 1985 as an assistant sanitarian for Environmental Health.
In 1992 Ruminski was commended for his work on the redesignation of Lake County with the State Integrated Waste Management Board as the Local Enforcement Agency. Brown said Lake County was one of 20 out of 60 redesignated due to Ruminski’s research.
From there, Ruminski held hazardous materials and environmental health specialist roles before he was promoted to Environmental Health director on Jan. 1, 2001.
The proclamation lauded Ruminski for his “mentorship and guidance, calm commitment, willingness and ability to work with the public, contractors, County departments, and many community members to solve seemingly un-solvable problems.”
It also recognized his instrumental role in working with state and federal governments during the wildland fire response and recovery, “dedicating many hours of help and encouragement to the communities and the many citizens impacted throughout the debris cleanup and recovery process.”
Brown said Ruminski’s “outstanding performance, superior dedication and extraordinary contributions” ranged from pulling a small child’s tooth in the office lobby to solving problems in the field.
He added that Ruminski will be greatly missed, and that was echoed by staffers who rose to praise him and thank him for his service.
“I’d like to thank everyone I worked with very much,” said Ruminski. “I happened to land in one of those situations where I could be successful based on the work of other people. It’s a cool thing.”
He added that he recommended those who get the opportunity to be a country health inspector take it.
Ruminski has previously said he would come back and volunteer to help the Public Services Department, which Brown said they hadn’t forgotten.
Health Services Director Denise Pomeroy also thanked Ruminski for his service, calling him a remarkable man and a true steward who was also humble and kind.
Pomeroy said Ruminski has claimed he has no passion, that he’s a scientist, but she said she thinks he has a passion for the people of the community.
Environmental Health staffer James Scott called Ruminksi “the complete package.”
Scott explained, “You brought out the best in every one of us” and in those he met, a quality that not everyone has.
Ruminski also never asked someone to do something he wasn’t willing to do himself, worked in the field with such stamina that most people couldn’t keep up with him and had an eye for detail, Scott said.
Ruminski’s retirement went into effect at the end of December.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
LOWER LAKE, Calif. – All members of the public who are interested Lake County and its history are invited to welcome new Lake County Museum Curator J. Clark McAbee on Saturday, Jan. 6.
The free event will begin at 2 p.m. at the Lower Lake Schoolhouse Museum's Weaver Auditorium.
“It is a distinct honor to come to the Lake County in a stewardship and leadership role for such a diverse, exciting and unique heritage that dates back tens of thousands of years,” said McAbee.
“I look forward to partnering with the entire county community in the preservation, conservation, and educational opportunities we are presented with for our citizens and visitors alike,” he said. “Please stop in, say hello, and meet like-minded and passionate folks whose shared vision is protecting our non-renewable, rich cultural resources not only for our generation but for seven generations to come. “
McAbee has many years of professional experience managing museums.
Members of the Friends of all three county museums and Ely Stage Stop & Country Museum will make brief presentations to share with Mr. McAbee an understanding of their part in promoting Lake County as a destination and exposing residents, businesses and school children to our rich Lake County history.
The program also will provide information from the four Lake County Museums and their supporting organizations.
The Lower Lake Schoolhouse Museum is located at 16435 Main St. For more information call 707-263-7918.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Storms arriving from the Pacific this week led the National Weather Service on Monday to issue an updated forecast and a special weather statement for parts of Northern California including Lake County.
The National Weather Service reported that, after an extended dry period – including one of the driest Decembers on record in Northern California – wet weather returns midweek as a couple of Pacific storms move through Northern California.
Rain is forecast to begin over the coastal and northern mountains Wednesday afternoon and into the evening before moving over all of interior Northern California Wednesday night into Thursday.
Another storm is anticipated to bring more widespread rain and mountain snow Thursday night into early Saturday, the National Weather Service said.
The forecast calls for light to moderate precipitation from these storms.
In Lake County, the forecast expects up to 2 inches of rain in the northern mountains and between half an inch to an inch across most of the rest of the county.
After the main storms, the specific Lake County forecast calls for lesser chances of rain from Saturday through Monday.
The National Weather Service said there will be snow above the 7,500 foot level on Friday, lowering to between 5,500 to 6,500 feet Saturday morning. Snowfall is expected to be between 2 and 6 inches above the 7,000 foot level, with the highest elevations seeing up to 1 foot.
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 National Weather Service reported that, after an extended dry period – including one of the driest Decembers on record in Northern California – wet weather returns midweek as a couple of Pacific storms move through Northern California.
Rain is forecast to begin over the coastal and northern mountains Wednesday afternoon and into the evening before moving over all of interior Northern California Wednesday night into Thursday.
Another storm is anticipated to bring more widespread rain and mountain snow Thursday night into early Saturday, the National Weather Service said.
The forecast calls for light to moderate precipitation from these storms.
In Lake County, the forecast expects up to 2 inches of rain in the northern mountains and between half an inch to an inch across most of the rest of the county.
After the main storms, the specific Lake County forecast calls for lesser chances of rain from Saturday through Monday.
The National Weather Service said there will be snow above the 7,500 foot level on Friday, lowering to between 5,500 to 6,500 feet Saturday morning. Snowfall is expected to be between 2 and 6 inches above the 7,000 foot level, with the highest elevations seeing up to 1 foot.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
NASA scientists conducting research on the connection between fuel moisture and fires have uncovered a paradox: a wet winter corresponds to more small wildfires in the following fire season, not fewer, as is commonly assumed.
Large fires behave more "logically," with fewer large fires after a wet winter and more after a dry one.
"This is the most surprising result from our study, because we would expect small fires to follow suit with larger fires," said Daniel Jensen, a Ph.D. candidate at UCLA who worked on the project under the direction of scientist J.T. Reager of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. When there is ample moisture for plant growth, Jensen pointed out, "It seems that the buildup of fuel content alone causes there to be more fires – but not necessarily more devastating fires."
The research is a step toward understanding the role of fuel moisture in wildfires, which could help in determining how severe a fire season may be several months before it arrives. A paper on the research is online in the journal Environmental Research Letters.
As anyone who has ever lit a campfire knows, dry fuel catches fire and burns faster than damp fuel.
Knowing the moisture of a fuel supply can improve predictions of how fast a wildfire may spread, but measuring it from samples collected in the field is time-consuming and labor-intensive.
Remote sensing offers a possible alternative, and earlier studies have shown that soil moisture (the water contained in the soil) correlates well with fuel moisture.
Jensen and co-authors correlated records of wildfire occurrences across the contiguous United States from 2003 through 2012 with soil moisture measurements from the U.S./German Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment, or GRACE, satellite mission and U.S. Geological Survey data on vegetation and landscape types.
They found that although each landscape type varied in average soil moisture and average number of fires, in every landscape type, the number of small fires increased after a wet pre-season.
Jensen explained that a wet winter causes grasses and other small plants to grow profusely. These plants dry out and die at the end of the growing season, leaving abundant fuel for a wildfire.
Trees and larger shrubs, however, retain more moisture after a wet winter. That might hamper the ability of small fires to grow into large ones in landscapes containing trees.
To obtain their results, the researchers developed techniques to assimilate GRACE data into a high-resolution U.S. hydrology model called the Catchment Land Surface Model, from NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, for a product with both accuracy and high resolution.
They parceled each GRACE estimate, which covers a region about 186 miles (300 kilometers) square, into dozens of smaller "boxes" to match the resolution of the model, using data assimilation techniques to refine the "fit" until the results added up correctly to match the GRACE data.
Data assimilation, a technique commonly used with weather forecasting models, adds ongoing observational data throughout the course of a simulation to keep a model on track.
The scientists chose GRACE because of the mission's longevity, said Reager.
Other missions such as NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) satellite offer higher resolution, but none has been in orbit as long as GRACE.
"Without that long record, we wouldn't have been able to do the model fitting," Reager said. "Now that we've built the model, we can plug in SMAP data. This methodology will help us get a better look at the ecosystem dynamics of fire activity."
For more on GRACE and GRACE-Follow-On, which is launching next spring to continue the GRACE measurement, see http://www2.csr.utexas.edu/grace/ or https://gracefo.jpl.nasa.gov/.
Carol Rasmussen is a member of NASA's Earth Science News Team.
LAKEPORT, Calif. – At its first meeting of 2018, the Board of Supervisors will elect its leadership for the year and consider a request to expedite the permitting process for the installation of a wall on a property burned by the Sulphur fire.
The board will meet beginning at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 2, in the board chambers on the first floor of the Lake County Courthouse, 255 N. Forbes St., Lakeport.
The meeting can be watched live on Channel 8 and online at https://countyoflake.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx. Accompanying board documents, the agenda and archived board meeting videos also are available at that link.
In an item timed for 10:02 a.m., outgoing Board Chair Jeff Smith will hold the election for the board’s new chair and vice chair for 2018.
That will be immediately followed by election of the chair and vice chair of the Lake County Local Board of Equalization and the chair and vice chair of the Lake County In-Home Supportive Services Public Authority Board of Directors.
In an untimed item, the board will consider a request that all involved county departments expedite the permitting process for the emergency placement of a stone rubble wall at Holiday Island Mobile Home Park in Clearlake.
Water Resources Director Phil Moy’s report to the board on the request explains that the forecast is for weather conditions that are wetter and windier.
“Rising lake levels with concomitant wind-driven waves will place at risk the failure and sliding of the exposed fill at Holiday Island Mobile Home Park where the wooden seawall burned in the Sulphur Fire incident. This poses a potential significant risk to the quality of the drinking water supply for City of Clearlake residents,” Moy’s report explains.
As a result, the proposal is to replace the burned wooden wall with a rubble or rip-rap stone wall. Moy said the US Army Corps of Engineers is currently considering the federal permit for the replacement seawall.
“In order to protect the water quality of the lake, it is critical that the normal County permitting process not impede placement of the proposed rock wall that will contain the fine granular material behind the burned seawall,” Moy said.
The full agenda follows.
CONSENT AGENDA
7.1: Approve minutes of the Board of Supervisors meeting held Sept. 19 and Oct. 17.
7.2: Adopt resolution establishing salaries and benefits for employees assigned to the Management Unit for the period from July 1, 2017, through June 30, 2018.
7.3: (a) Waive the formal bidding process, pursuant to Lake County Code Section 38.2, as it is not in the public interest due to the unique nature of goods or services; and (b) approve the agreement between the county of Lake and Redwood Community Services Inc. for the MHSA funded Lake County Family Stabilization Program for Fiscal Year 2017-18 for a contract maximum of $141,698.40 and authorize the board chair to sign the agreement.
7.4: Approve purchase of network switches for Lakeport Courthouse facility through NASPO (formerly CMAS) contract from ConvergeOne in the amount of $84,976.80.
7.5: Approve notice of project completion and authorize release of retention to Warner Enterprises Inc. for the Valley Fire Hazard Tree Mitigation Phase II Project completed on Aug. 30, 2017, in the amount of $25,742.31.
7.6: (a) Waive the formal bidding process, per Ordinance #2406, Purchasing Code 38.2, as it is not in the public interest due to the unique nature of goods and services; and (b) approve service agreement between the county of Lake and the county of Mendocino to provide technical services for Lake County radio systems in the amount of $20,000; and authorize chair to sign.
TIMED ITEMS
8.1, 10:02 a.m.: Election of chair of the Board of Supervisors and vice chair of the Board of Supervisors for 2018 (outgoing chair conducts election).
8.2, 10:04 a.m.: Sitting as the Lake County Board of Equalization, election of chair and vice chair of the Lake County Local Board of Equalization for 2018.
8.3, 10:05 a.m.: Sitting as the Lake County In-Home Supportive Services, election of chair and vice chair of the Lake County In-Home Supportive Services Public Authority Board of Directors for 2018.
8.4, 10:10 a.m.: (a) Consideration of continuation of a proclamation of a declaration of a local emergency due to wildfire conditions, pertaining to the Rocky, Jerusalem and Valley fires; and (b) update on Valley Fire Debris Insurance Collection Project.
8.5, 10:11 a.m.: Consideration of continuation of a proclamation of a declaration of a local emergency due to Clayton Fire.
8.6, 10:12 a.m.: Consideration of continuation of a proclamation of a declaration of a local emergency due to the atmospheric river storm.
UNTIMED ITEMS
9.2: Consideration of chairman's recommended 2018 committee assignments for members of the Board of Supervisors.
9.3: Consideration of the following appointments: Child Care Planning and Development IHSS Public Authority Advisory Committee, Law Library Board of Trustees, Vector Control District Board of Trustees.
9.4: Consideration of the request that all involved county departments expedite the permitting process for the emergency placement of a stone rubble wall at Holiday Island Mobile Home Park.
CLOSED SESSION
10.1: Conference with legal counsel: Decision whether to Initiate Litigation Pursuant to Gov. Code sec. 54956.9(d)(4): County of Lake v. PG&E.
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 board will meet beginning at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 2, in the board chambers on the first floor of the Lake County Courthouse, 255 N. Forbes St., Lakeport.
The meeting can be watched live on Channel 8 and online at https://countyoflake.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx. Accompanying board documents, the agenda and archived board meeting videos also are available at that link.
In an item timed for 10:02 a.m., outgoing Board Chair Jeff Smith will hold the election for the board’s new chair and vice chair for 2018.
That will be immediately followed by election of the chair and vice chair of the Lake County Local Board of Equalization and the chair and vice chair of the Lake County In-Home Supportive Services Public Authority Board of Directors.
In an untimed item, the board will consider a request that all involved county departments expedite the permitting process for the emergency placement of a stone rubble wall at Holiday Island Mobile Home Park in Clearlake.
Water Resources Director Phil Moy’s report to the board on the request explains that the forecast is for weather conditions that are wetter and windier.
“Rising lake levels with concomitant wind-driven waves will place at risk the failure and sliding of the exposed fill at Holiday Island Mobile Home Park where the wooden seawall burned in the Sulphur Fire incident. This poses a potential significant risk to the quality of the drinking water supply for City of Clearlake residents,” Moy’s report explains.
As a result, the proposal is to replace the burned wooden wall with a rubble or rip-rap stone wall. Moy said the US Army Corps of Engineers is currently considering the federal permit for the replacement seawall.
“In order to protect the water quality of the lake, it is critical that the normal County permitting process not impede placement of the proposed rock wall that will contain the fine granular material behind the burned seawall,” Moy said.
The full agenda follows.
CONSENT AGENDA
7.1: Approve minutes of the Board of Supervisors meeting held Sept. 19 and Oct. 17.
7.2: Adopt resolution establishing salaries and benefits for employees assigned to the Management Unit for the period from July 1, 2017, through June 30, 2018.
7.3: (a) Waive the formal bidding process, pursuant to Lake County Code Section 38.2, as it is not in the public interest due to the unique nature of goods or services; and (b) approve the agreement between the county of Lake and Redwood Community Services Inc. for the MHSA funded Lake County Family Stabilization Program for Fiscal Year 2017-18 for a contract maximum of $141,698.40 and authorize the board chair to sign the agreement.
7.4: Approve purchase of network switches for Lakeport Courthouse facility through NASPO (formerly CMAS) contract from ConvergeOne in the amount of $84,976.80.
7.5: Approve notice of project completion and authorize release of retention to Warner Enterprises Inc. for the Valley Fire Hazard Tree Mitigation Phase II Project completed on Aug. 30, 2017, in the amount of $25,742.31.
7.6: (a) Waive the formal bidding process, per Ordinance #2406, Purchasing Code 38.2, as it is not in the public interest due to the unique nature of goods and services; and (b) approve service agreement between the county of Lake and the county of Mendocino to provide technical services for Lake County radio systems in the amount of $20,000; and authorize chair to sign.
TIMED ITEMS
8.1, 10:02 a.m.: Election of chair of the Board of Supervisors and vice chair of the Board of Supervisors for 2018 (outgoing chair conducts election).
8.2, 10:04 a.m.: Sitting as the Lake County Board of Equalization, election of chair and vice chair of the Lake County Local Board of Equalization for 2018.
8.3, 10:05 a.m.: Sitting as the Lake County In-Home Supportive Services, election of chair and vice chair of the Lake County In-Home Supportive Services Public Authority Board of Directors for 2018.
8.4, 10:10 a.m.: (a) Consideration of continuation of a proclamation of a declaration of a local emergency due to wildfire conditions, pertaining to the Rocky, Jerusalem and Valley fires; and (b) update on Valley Fire Debris Insurance Collection Project.
8.5, 10:11 a.m.: Consideration of continuation of a proclamation of a declaration of a local emergency due to Clayton Fire.
8.6, 10:12 a.m.: Consideration of continuation of a proclamation of a declaration of a local emergency due to the atmospheric river storm.
UNTIMED ITEMS
9.2: Consideration of chairman's recommended 2018 committee assignments for members of the Board of Supervisors.
9.3: Consideration of the following appointments: Child Care Planning and Development IHSS Public Authority Advisory Committee, Law Library Board of Trustees, Vector Control District Board of Trustees.
9.4: Consideration of the request that all involved county departments expedite the permitting process for the emergency placement of a stone rubble wall at Holiday Island Mobile Home Park.
CLOSED SESSION
10.1: Conference with legal counsel: Decision whether to Initiate Litigation Pursuant to Gov. Code sec. 54956.9(d)(4): County of Lake v. PG&E.
Email Elizabeth Larson at