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NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – Congressman Mike Thompson is leveling criticism against the new Republican tax bill, saying it would harm fire survivors.
Thompson (D-St. Helena), represents California’s Fifth District, which includes all or part of Contra Costa, Lake, Napa, Solano and Sonoma counties.
With Lake, Napa, Solano and Sonoma having undergone catastrophic wildland fires, Thompson said he’s particularly concerned about the provision in the proposed tax bill that would repeal a tax law that would allow fire survivors to deduct uninsured property loss as a result of a fire.
“Buried in the Republican tax bill is one of the most cold-hearted provisions I’ve seen in my tenure in public service. In an attempt to offset the cost of tax breaks for wealthy and corporate interests, Republicans are repealing a measure that allows survivors of fire disasters to write-off some costs of property destroyed in a fire,” Thompson said.
“Simply put, this is a cruel act against the families who have lost everything in the devastating fires we just experienced in California. I will not stand for it,” he said.
He added, “Every single American should be outraged that Republicans now want to take from those who literally have nothing, to give tax breaks to the wealthy.”
Thompson said the bill doesn’t reflect the country’s values. “Our country stands up and lends a helping hand to those who have been struck by disaster – it doesn’t swoop in and pick their pockets while they’re down.”
He concluded, “I will fight the repeal of this deduction tooth and nail, and I urge my Republican colleagues to drop this flawed bill altogether.”
Thompson (D-St. Helena), represents California’s Fifth District, which includes all or part of Contra Costa, Lake, Napa, Solano and Sonoma counties.
With Lake, Napa, Solano and Sonoma having undergone catastrophic wildland fires, Thompson said he’s particularly concerned about the provision in the proposed tax bill that would repeal a tax law that would allow fire survivors to deduct uninsured property loss as a result of a fire.
“Buried in the Republican tax bill is one of the most cold-hearted provisions I’ve seen in my tenure in public service. In an attempt to offset the cost of tax breaks for wealthy and corporate interests, Republicans are repealing a measure that allows survivors of fire disasters to write-off some costs of property destroyed in a fire,” Thompson said.
“Simply put, this is a cruel act against the families who have lost everything in the devastating fires we just experienced in California. I will not stand for it,” he said.
He added, “Every single American should be outraged that Republicans now want to take from those who literally have nothing, to give tax breaks to the wealthy.”
Thompson said the bill doesn’t reflect the country’s values. “Our country stands up and lends a helping hand to those who have been struck by disaster – it doesn’t swoop in and pick their pockets while they’re down.”
He concluded, “I will fight the repeal of this deduction tooth and nail, and I urge my Republican colleagues to drop this flawed bill altogether.”
People expect scary stories at Halloween. Below are some stories involving estate planning blunders that might give you a shiver.
Let us see what lessons can be drawn before it’s too late.
What happens when a person's outdated estate planning documents are preserved but the current estate planning documents are missing?
Consider a decedent who preserved a living trust that was no longer relevant after she transferred her residence into a different trust.
The old trust was preserved and to-hand after her death. The current trust holding title to the mother's residence, however, was not to-hand.
The daughter, not knowing better, began administration of the old trust. She incurred unnecessary legal expenses that never would have occurred had the correct trust been preserved.
Not only is it dangerous to misplace important documents but the problem is exacerbated when the wrong documents are preserved and thus appear what should be administered. Be careful about what documents you keep and what documents you destroy.
Consider a mother who puts all her money into a joint bank account with her son. The mother's residence and personal property, however, are held in her living trust for distribution amongst all her children.
When the mother dies the surviving son claims the joint account as his own as the surviving joint tenant. The joint bank account monies are not part of mother's trust.
When the successor trustee administers the trust estate he or she may not have enough money on hand to pay for the mother's funeral, her debts and the expenses of trust administration.
Also, the money in the joint account goes entirely to her son and not equally amongst all the children which may or may not have been what the mother intended.
Consider a trust or will in which a father specifically gifts different pieces of real property to each of his children.
One of these real properties is sold, the father's trust or will is not updated, and the father dies.
If the child who was to receive the real property that was sold survives then he or she has a claim for any remaining portion of the unspent sale proceeds or to any subsequent assets so purchased. This depends on whether the unspent proceeds can be traced.
Had the father updated his estate planning documents to adjust for the sale it would be much better.
Consider the trust of a once-married couple who after the dissolution of their marriage leave assets titled to themselves as trustees of their trust.
The husband is awarded 100-percent of the residence. The wife individually signs an interspousal deed over to the husband. It is ineffective because title to the residence is held by both as co-trustees, and not individually.
The deed needs to be signed by both as co-trustees. Now the ex-wife has since remarried, has a different surname, and has an address unknown by the ex-husband. Getting a deed signed is now more complicated.
To be forewarned is to be forearmed. Having your estate plan regularly reviewed every five years – and sooner when there are material changes that affect your plan – is to be forewarned.
Taking action may make the difference between whether or not there is a happy ending.
Dennis A. Fordham, attorney, is a State Bar-Certified Specialist in estate planning, probate and trust law. His office is at 870 S. Main St., Lakeport, Calif. He can be reached at
Space may seem empty, but it's actually a dynamic place populated with near-invisible matter, and dominated by forces, in particular those created by magnetic fields.
Magnetospheres – the magnetic fields around most planets – exist throughout our solar system.
They deflect high-energy, charged particles called cosmic rays that are spewed out by the Sun or come from interstellar space. Along with atmospheres, they happen to protect the planets' surfaces from this harmful radiation.
But not all magnetospheres are created equal: Venus and Mars do not have magnetospheres at all, while the other planets – and one moon – have ones that are surprisingly different.
NASA has launched a fleet of missions to study the planets in our solar system – many of which have sent back crucial information about magnetospheres.
The twin Voyagers measured magnetic fields as they traveled out to the far reaches of the solar system, and discovered Uranus and Neptune's magnetospheres.
Other planetary missions including Galileo, Cassini and Juno, and a number of spacecraft that orbit Earth, provide observations to create a comprehensive understanding of how planets form magnetospheres, as well as how they continue to interact with the dynamic space environment around them.
Earth
Earth's magnetosphere is created by the constantly moving molten metal inside Earth. This invisible "force field" around our planet has a general shape resembling an ice cream cone, with a rounded front and a long, trailing tail that faces away from the sun.
The magnetosphere is shaped that way because of the near-constant flow of solar wind and magnetic field from the Sun-facing side.
Earth's and other magnetospheres deflect charged particles away from the planet -- but also trap energetic particles in radiation belts.
Auroras are caused by particles that rain down into the atmosphere, usually not far from the magnetic poles.
It's possible that Earth's magnetosphere was essential for the development of conditions friendly to life, so learning about magnetospheres around other planets and moons is a big step toward determining if life could have evolved there.
Mercury
Mercury, with a substantial iron-rich core, has a magnetic field that is only about 1 percent as strong as Earth's.
It is thought that the planet's magnetosphere is compressed by the intense solar wind, limiting its extent.
The MESSENGER satellite orbited Mercury from 2011 to 2015, helping us understand our tiny terrestrial neighbor.
Jupiter
After the Sun, Jupiter has by far the strongest and biggest magnetic field in our solar system – it stretches about 12 million miles from east to west, almost 15 times the width of the Sun. (Earth's, on the other hand, could easily fit inside the Sun – except for its outstretched tail.)
Jupiter does not have a molten metal core; instead, its magnetic field is created by a core of compressed liquid metallic hydrogen.
One of Jupiter's moons, Io, has powerful volcanic activity that spews particles into Jupiter's magnetosphere. These particles create intense radiation belts and auroras around Jupiter.
Ganymede, Jupiter's largest moon, also has its own magnetic field and magnetosphere – making it the only moon with one. Its weak field, nestled in Jupiter's enormous shell, scarcely ruffles the planet's magnetic field.
Saturn
Saturn's huge ring system transforms the shape of its magnetosphere. That's because oxygen and water molecules evaporating from the rings funnel particles into the space around the planet.
Some of Saturn's moons help trap these particles, pulling them out of Saturn's magnetosphere, though those with active volcanic geysers – like Enceladus – spit out more material than they take in. NASA's Cassini mission followed in the Voyagers' wake, and studied Saturn's magnetic field from orbit around the ringed planet between 2004 and 2017.
Uranus
Uranus' magnetosphere wasn't discovered until 1986, when data from Voyager 2's flyby revealed weak, variable radio emissions and confirmed when Voyager 2 measured the magnetic field directly.
Uranus' magnetic field and rotation axis are out of alignment by 59 degrees, unlike Earth's, whose magnetic field and rotation axis are nearly aligned.
On top of that, the magnetic field does not go directly through the center of the planet, so the strength of the magnetic field varies dramatically across the surface.
This misalignment also means that Uranus' magnetotail – the part of the magnetosphere that trails behind the planet, away from the Sun – is twisted into a long corkscrew.
Neptune
Neptune was also visited by Voyager 2, in 1989. Its magnetosphere is offset from its rotation axis, but only by 47 degrees.
Similar to Uranus, Neptune's magnetic field strength varies across the planet. This means that auroras can appear across the planet – not just close to the poles, like on Earth, Jupiter and Saturn.
And beyond
Outside of our solar system, auroras, which indicate the presence of a magnetosphere, have been spotted on brown dwarfs – objects that are bigger than planets but smaller than stars.
There's also evidence to suggest that some giant exoplanets have magnetospheres, but we have yet to see conclusive proof.
As scientists learn more about the magnetospheres of planets in our solar system, it can help us one day identify magnetospheres around more distant planets as well.
Magnetospheres – the magnetic fields around most planets – exist throughout our solar system.
They deflect high-energy, charged particles called cosmic rays that are spewed out by the Sun or come from interstellar space. Along with atmospheres, they happen to protect the planets' surfaces from this harmful radiation.
But not all magnetospheres are created equal: Venus and Mars do not have magnetospheres at all, while the other planets – and one moon – have ones that are surprisingly different.
NASA has launched a fleet of missions to study the planets in our solar system – many of which have sent back crucial information about magnetospheres.
The twin Voyagers measured magnetic fields as they traveled out to the far reaches of the solar system, and discovered Uranus and Neptune's magnetospheres.
Other planetary missions including Galileo, Cassini and Juno, and a number of spacecraft that orbit Earth, provide observations to create a comprehensive understanding of how planets form magnetospheres, as well as how they continue to interact with the dynamic space environment around them.
Earth
Earth's magnetosphere is created by the constantly moving molten metal inside Earth. This invisible "force field" around our planet has a general shape resembling an ice cream cone, with a rounded front and a long, trailing tail that faces away from the sun.
The magnetosphere is shaped that way because of the near-constant flow of solar wind and magnetic field from the Sun-facing side.
Earth's and other magnetospheres deflect charged particles away from the planet -- but also trap energetic particles in radiation belts.
Auroras are caused by particles that rain down into the atmosphere, usually not far from the magnetic poles.
It's possible that Earth's magnetosphere was essential for the development of conditions friendly to life, so learning about magnetospheres around other planets and moons is a big step toward determining if life could have evolved there.
Mercury
Mercury, with a substantial iron-rich core, has a magnetic field that is only about 1 percent as strong as Earth's.
It is thought that the planet's magnetosphere is compressed by the intense solar wind, limiting its extent.
The MESSENGER satellite orbited Mercury from 2011 to 2015, helping us understand our tiny terrestrial neighbor.
Jupiter
After the Sun, Jupiter has by far the strongest and biggest magnetic field in our solar system – it stretches about 12 million miles from east to west, almost 15 times the width of the Sun. (Earth's, on the other hand, could easily fit inside the Sun – except for its outstretched tail.)
Jupiter does not have a molten metal core; instead, its magnetic field is created by a core of compressed liquid metallic hydrogen.
One of Jupiter's moons, Io, has powerful volcanic activity that spews particles into Jupiter's magnetosphere. These particles create intense radiation belts and auroras around Jupiter.
Ganymede, Jupiter's largest moon, also has its own magnetic field and magnetosphere – making it the only moon with one. Its weak field, nestled in Jupiter's enormous shell, scarcely ruffles the planet's magnetic field.
Saturn
Saturn's huge ring system transforms the shape of its magnetosphere. That's because oxygen and water molecules evaporating from the rings funnel particles into the space around the planet.
Some of Saturn's moons help trap these particles, pulling them out of Saturn's magnetosphere, though those with active volcanic geysers – like Enceladus – spit out more material than they take in. NASA's Cassini mission followed in the Voyagers' wake, and studied Saturn's magnetic field from orbit around the ringed planet between 2004 and 2017.
Uranus
Uranus' magnetosphere wasn't discovered until 1986, when data from Voyager 2's flyby revealed weak, variable radio emissions and confirmed when Voyager 2 measured the magnetic field directly.
Uranus' magnetic field and rotation axis are out of alignment by 59 degrees, unlike Earth's, whose magnetic field and rotation axis are nearly aligned.
On top of that, the magnetic field does not go directly through the center of the planet, so the strength of the magnetic field varies dramatically across the surface.
This misalignment also means that Uranus' magnetotail – the part of the magnetosphere that trails behind the planet, away from the Sun – is twisted into a long corkscrew.
Neptune
Neptune was also visited by Voyager 2, in 1989. Its magnetosphere is offset from its rotation axis, but only by 47 degrees.
Similar to Uranus, Neptune's magnetic field strength varies across the planet. This means that auroras can appear across the planet – not just close to the poles, like on Earth, Jupiter and Saturn.
And beyond
Outside of our solar system, auroras, which indicate the presence of a magnetosphere, have been spotted on brown dwarfs – objects that are bigger than planets but smaller than stars.
There's also evidence to suggest that some giant exoplanets have magnetospheres, but we have yet to see conclusive proof.
As scientists learn more about the magnetospheres of planets in our solar system, it can help us one day identify magnetospheres around more distant planets as well.
NORTH COAST, Calif. – The California Highway Patrol said a portion of Highway 20 near Ukiah has been closed in response to a multi-vehicle collision.
The crash occurred at around 1:40 p.m. Friday at Highway 20 and Highway 101, in the area of Road 144, according to the CHP.
Initial reports stated that all lanes of Highway 20 were blocked by the wreck, which involved a white semi, a Pepsi big rig and a sedan.
The CHP’s Ukiah office reported shortly before 3 p.m. that Highway 20 will be shut down for several hours for investigation and cleanup efforts.
As of 3:30 p.m., there were no reports from CHP about possible injuries for those involved.
Reports from the scene stated that traffic around the scene is extremely backed up.
Additional information will be posted as it becomes available.
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 crash occurred at around 1:40 p.m. Friday at Highway 20 and Highway 101, in the area of Road 144, according to the CHP.
Initial reports stated that all lanes of Highway 20 were blocked by the wreck, which involved a white semi, a Pepsi big rig and a sedan.
The CHP’s Ukiah office reported shortly before 3 p.m. that Highway 20 will be shut down for several hours for investigation and cleanup efforts.
As of 3:30 p.m., there were no reports from CHP about possible injuries for those involved.
Reports from the scene stated that traffic around the scene is extremely backed up.
Additional information will be posted as it becomes available.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Board of Supervisors this week held a special meeting to approve several Sulphur fire-related matters and also discussed taking fire debris at the landfill from neighboring Mendocino County, which board members ultimately decided they couldn’t do.
The first item on the special Tuesday morning meeting’s agenda related to an agreement with the city of Clearlake.
County Administrative Officer Carol Huchingson said staff put the agreement together on the advice of the California Office of Emergency Services in order to clarify the county’s relationship with the city of Clearlake for the debris cleanup.
Pursuant to the agreement, Lake County Environmental Health staff will oversee the cleanup effort; the county would then claim labor and mileage costs related to that project directly from state, and the city also would reimburse the county for other required costs.
The Clearlake City Council approved the agreement at its meeting last week. Since that time, Huchingson said the county had been advised that there may be a need to fine-tune the contract so the process of claiming reimbursement is facilitated properly.
Staff asked the supervisors to approve the agreement as written, with the understanding that it will be brought back at the next regular board meeting with changes. Huchingson said she had a conference call with CalOES later that day about the needed changes.
The board voted 5-0 to approve the contract.
Most of the meeting, which ran just over 70 minutes, was devoted to a discussion of whether the county’s Eastlake Landfill should receive debris generated by the Redwood fire in Mendocino County.
Public Services Director Lars Ewing, who advised against taking the materials, said a contractor for the US Army Corps of Engineers – which is overseeing the debris cleanup in Lake and Mendocino counties – approached the county to ask if it would accept debris at its landfill.
The Eastlake Landfill, Ewing explained, is the closest to the Redwood fire in Potter and Redwood valleys; otherwise, the contractor will have to truck it twice the distance to either Vacaville or Suisun City.
“That raises concerns, which we’ll talk about here, primarily air space,” said Ewing, explaining that air space is how area in the landfill is measured.
At the beginning of this calendar year, the landfill had eight to 10 years of air space left, which puts its life out to 2025 or 2027, Ewing said.
Ewing said his department is in the preliminary stages of the landfill expansion project. He said the best estimate is that we are five to six years out from being able to take the first load of garbage in the landfill’s newly expanded areas.
He said there is some “wiggle room” between the time the landfill’s air space runs out and being able to move into the new portion of the landfill.
The debris from Mendocino County, based on the best estimates that the county received from the Army Corps’ contractor, is expected to total 75,000 tons, Ewing said.
Based on the experience from previous fires, that’s about one year of air space at the landfill. “It reduces our wiggle room, is the best way to put it,” Ewing said.
Ewing said the county code indicates the landfill is for county residents and businesses; only the board can waive that rule.
In addition to the impact on the landfill’s air space, Ewing said there would be the need to ramp up operations and no guarantees that state officials would allow the county to expedite its landfill expansion project.
Supervisor Rob Brown he wanted to help but was torn over concerns about having already used a lot of landfill air space in recent years because of Lake County’s wildland fires.
However, he said the revenue from the debris could also help the expansion project.
Ewing agreed, noting they have a shortfall for the landfill expansion project. “This would bridge that gap.”
Board Chair Jeff Smith, who has been a member of the Solid Waste Task Force since he’s been on the board, said a previous Public Services director had always emphasized the importance of protecting the landfill.
The county did so well at recycling that it had a shortfall in revenue, so for a time the county had accepted garbage from Mendocino County, he said.
Smith said the county used a year and a half of its air space just from the fires in 2015 and 2016. He was also concerned about having another disaster that might take up more of that space.
“We’ve got to really be careful here,” Smith said.
County Counsel Anita Grant also pointed out that there are potential changes in laws and regulations that can speed up or slow down the landfill expansion project, plus challenges at every phase.
Grant said she thought Ewing’s time estimate on the expansion project was probably accurate and perhaps even hopeful.
Supervisor TIna Scott also was concerned about the risks. “We want to help our neighbors but do we have the ability to do that.”
In response to statements by board members that they were torn because they wanted to help their neighbors, Huchingson said county staffers have been working closely with their counterparts in the other fire-stricken counties.
“They fully acknowledge that Lake County is in own distress with all the wildfires, the compounded five disasters,” she said, referring to the Rocky, Jerusalem, Valley, Clayton and Sulphur fires.
She added that she didn’t believe there was any expectation on the part of Mendocino County that Lake County would accept the debris.
Due to the overarching concerns of using up the landfill’s air space before the expansion was completed, the board chose not to allow the landfill to accept the Redwood fire debris.
In other business, the board approved resolutions relating to rebuilding nonconforming structures destroyed by the Sulphur fire and allowing for the occupancy of temporary dwellings in the fire area, actions similar to those taken by the board in response to the Valley fire.
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 first item on the special Tuesday morning meeting’s agenda related to an agreement with the city of Clearlake.
County Administrative Officer Carol Huchingson said staff put the agreement together on the advice of the California Office of Emergency Services in order to clarify the county’s relationship with the city of Clearlake for the debris cleanup.
Pursuant to the agreement, Lake County Environmental Health staff will oversee the cleanup effort; the county would then claim labor and mileage costs related to that project directly from state, and the city also would reimburse the county for other required costs.
The Clearlake City Council approved the agreement at its meeting last week. Since that time, Huchingson said the county had been advised that there may be a need to fine-tune the contract so the process of claiming reimbursement is facilitated properly.
Staff asked the supervisors to approve the agreement as written, with the understanding that it will be brought back at the next regular board meeting with changes. Huchingson said she had a conference call with CalOES later that day about the needed changes.
The board voted 5-0 to approve the contract.
Most of the meeting, which ran just over 70 minutes, was devoted to a discussion of whether the county’s Eastlake Landfill should receive debris generated by the Redwood fire in Mendocino County.
Public Services Director Lars Ewing, who advised against taking the materials, said a contractor for the US Army Corps of Engineers – which is overseeing the debris cleanup in Lake and Mendocino counties – approached the county to ask if it would accept debris at its landfill.
The Eastlake Landfill, Ewing explained, is the closest to the Redwood fire in Potter and Redwood valleys; otherwise, the contractor will have to truck it twice the distance to either Vacaville or Suisun City.
“That raises concerns, which we’ll talk about here, primarily air space,” said Ewing, explaining that air space is how area in the landfill is measured.
At the beginning of this calendar year, the landfill had eight to 10 years of air space left, which puts its life out to 2025 or 2027, Ewing said.
Ewing said his department is in the preliminary stages of the landfill expansion project. He said the best estimate is that we are five to six years out from being able to take the first load of garbage in the landfill’s newly expanded areas.
He said there is some “wiggle room” between the time the landfill’s air space runs out and being able to move into the new portion of the landfill.
The debris from Mendocino County, based on the best estimates that the county received from the Army Corps’ contractor, is expected to total 75,000 tons, Ewing said.
Based on the experience from previous fires, that’s about one year of air space at the landfill. “It reduces our wiggle room, is the best way to put it,” Ewing said.
Ewing said the county code indicates the landfill is for county residents and businesses; only the board can waive that rule.
In addition to the impact on the landfill’s air space, Ewing said there would be the need to ramp up operations and no guarantees that state officials would allow the county to expedite its landfill expansion project.
Supervisor Rob Brown he wanted to help but was torn over concerns about having already used a lot of landfill air space in recent years because of Lake County’s wildland fires.
However, he said the revenue from the debris could also help the expansion project.
Ewing agreed, noting they have a shortfall for the landfill expansion project. “This would bridge that gap.”
Board Chair Jeff Smith, who has been a member of the Solid Waste Task Force since he’s been on the board, said a previous Public Services director had always emphasized the importance of protecting the landfill.
The county did so well at recycling that it had a shortfall in revenue, so for a time the county had accepted garbage from Mendocino County, he said.
Smith said the county used a year and a half of its air space just from the fires in 2015 and 2016. He was also concerned about having another disaster that might take up more of that space.
“We’ve got to really be careful here,” Smith said.
County Counsel Anita Grant also pointed out that there are potential changes in laws and regulations that can speed up or slow down the landfill expansion project, plus challenges at every phase.
Grant said she thought Ewing’s time estimate on the expansion project was probably accurate and perhaps even hopeful.
Supervisor TIna Scott also was concerned about the risks. “We want to help our neighbors but do we have the ability to do that.”
In response to statements by board members that they were torn because they wanted to help their neighbors, Huchingson said county staffers have been working closely with their counterparts in the other fire-stricken counties.
“They fully acknowledge that Lake County is in own distress with all the wildfires, the compounded five disasters,” she said, referring to the Rocky, Jerusalem, Valley, Clayton and Sulphur fires.
She added that she didn’t believe there was any expectation on the part of Mendocino County that Lake County would accept the debris.
Due to the overarching concerns of using up the landfill’s air space before the expansion was completed, the board chose not to allow the landfill to accept the Redwood fire debris.
In other business, the board approved resolutions relating to rebuilding nonconforming structures destroyed by the Sulphur fire and allowing for the occupancy of temporary dwellings in the fire area, actions similar to those taken by the board in response to the Valley fire.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Lake County Civil Grand Jury has received a major statewide award.
At its 36th annual conference Oct. 29 through 30, the California Grand Jury Association presented the Best Grand Jury Reporting Award to the 2015-16 Lake County Grand Jury for its report entitled “Role of the Office of Emergency Services in County Disaster Preparedness.”
The award is given annually for excellence in reporting and the recipient is chosen from final reports submitted from the 58 California counties in the state. Traditionally, the competition for this honor is considerable throughout the state.
The award reads, “The 2017 Best Grand Jury Report Award [was] for reporting on the disorganized coordination of emergency services in the midst of one of the largest disasters in California. The report described the complexity of the situation and the critical nature of the various county agencies’ responses to the devastation fires suffered by Lake County in 2015, underscoring the importance of disaster preparedness before a catastrophic event takes place. The Excellence in Reporting Award program recognizes grand jury reports that bring to the public’s attention matters of vital importance and thereby lead to positive changes within their communities.”
The Lake County report was chosen before the recent fires in Sonoma and Napa counties, though it turned out to be rather prescient, and generated substantial inquiries from representatives of those counties on the processes, procedures and references used in the writing of the document.
The association found that the report was an excellent example of how grand juries can help effect change in their counties.
Lake County agencies, such as the disaster council having regular meetings, and the Office of Emergency Services reorganizing to be more proactive and visible in Lake County, are making changes as highlighted in the report’s findings and recommendations.
The grand jury is always looking for representatives to serve.
As long as you are over the age of 18 and a county resident you are eligible to apply.
For more information about the grand jury, visit http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Boards/Grand_Jury.htm.
Applications can be found at www.lake.courts.ca.gov or obtained by mailing a letter with a self-addressed, stamped envelope to the Grand Jury Coordinator, 255 N. Forbes, Fourth Floor, Lakeport, CA 95453.
Applications are also available at each Superior Court Clerk’s Office; located at 255 N. Forbes, Fourth Floor in Lakeport, or at 7000 A South Center Drive in Clearlake.
At its 36th annual conference Oct. 29 through 30, the California Grand Jury Association presented the Best Grand Jury Reporting Award to the 2015-16 Lake County Grand Jury for its report entitled “Role of the Office of Emergency Services in County Disaster Preparedness.”
The award is given annually for excellence in reporting and the recipient is chosen from final reports submitted from the 58 California counties in the state. Traditionally, the competition for this honor is considerable throughout the state.
The award reads, “The 2017 Best Grand Jury Report Award [was] for reporting on the disorganized coordination of emergency services in the midst of one of the largest disasters in California. The report described the complexity of the situation and the critical nature of the various county agencies’ responses to the devastation fires suffered by Lake County in 2015, underscoring the importance of disaster preparedness before a catastrophic event takes place. The Excellence in Reporting Award program recognizes grand jury reports that bring to the public’s attention matters of vital importance and thereby lead to positive changes within their communities.”
The Lake County report was chosen before the recent fires in Sonoma and Napa counties, though it turned out to be rather prescient, and generated substantial inquiries from representatives of those counties on the processes, procedures and references used in the writing of the document.
The association found that the report was an excellent example of how grand juries can help effect change in their counties.
Lake County agencies, such as the disaster council having regular meetings, and the Office of Emergency Services reorganizing to be more proactive and visible in Lake County, are making changes as highlighted in the report’s findings and recommendations.
The grand jury is always looking for representatives to serve.
As long as you are over the age of 18 and a county resident you are eligible to apply.
For more information about the grand jury, visit http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Boards/Grand_Jury.htm.
Applications can be found at www.lake.courts.ca.gov or obtained by mailing a letter with a self-addressed, stamped envelope to the Grand Jury Coordinator, 255 N. Forbes, Fourth Floor, Lakeport, CA 95453.
Applications are also available at each Superior Court Clerk’s Office; located at 255 N. Forbes, Fourth Floor in Lakeport, or at 7000 A South Center Drive in Clearlake.