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SACRAMENTO – The California Community Colleges will join with others this month to celebrate its workforce mission as part of the national Career and Technical Education Month, initiated by the Association for Career and Technical Education.
Career and Technical Education Month, or CTE, Month, is a public awareness campaign that takes place each February to celebrate the value of career technical education and the achievements and accomplishments of these programs across the country.
“California needs a strong workforce to meet the needs of employers in our many regional economies,” said Van Ton-Quinlivan, vice chancellor for Workforce and Economic Development. “Students look to our colleges for guided pathways to current and future jobs. Career technical education has shown to be effective enabler of social mobility.”
According to a recent EducationDive article, “The system’s Salary Surfer database provides prospective and current students with a median view of earning potential before pursuing a degree, and potential income for two and five years following completion.”
California is experiencing a remarkable resurgence in career technical education. An unprecedented $200 million in new Strong Workforce Program funds from the state will spur “more and better” career technical education amongst the 113 community colleges.
This week local colleges and their regions completed their plans with strategies on how best to utilize the funding towards the goal of creating one million more middle-skilled workers.
The California Community Colleges is the largest system of higher education in the nation composed of 72 districts and 113 colleges serving 2.1 million students a year.
For more information about the community colleges, please visit http://californiacommunitycolleges.cccco.edu , https://www.facebook.com/CACommColleges or https://twitter.com/CalCommColleges .
James Allen Hance
'Sam'
March 2, 1955 – Jan. 31, 2017
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – A memorial service will be held for Sam at Chapel of the Lakes Mortuary in Lakeport on Friday, Feb. 3, at 2:30 p.m.
Please contact Chapel of the Lakes Mortuary for further information at 707-263-0357 or 707-994-5611, or visit www.chapelofthelakes.com .
CLEARLAKE, Calif. – Authorities have located and arrested a man sought earlier this week for failing to register as a sex offender.
Lawrence Clayton Jelks, 69, was found and taken into custody by the Clearlake Police Department at 6 p.m. Wednesday, according to Lt. Steve Brooks of the Lake County Sheriff's Office.
Jelks was transported to the Lake County Hill Road Correctional Facility and booked on the arrest warrant for failing to register as a sex offender. His bail was set at $35,000, Brooks said.
Brooks said the Lake County Sheriff’s Office is very appreciative of the Clearlake Police Department's work to locate and arrest Jelks, and for all of the information received by the public concerning Jelks’ location.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – This winter's heavy storms have had a major impact on the region's roadways due to an increase in rock and mudslides.
Along Highway 20 in Lake County, between Lucerne and Clearlake Oaks, seasonal mudslides are common, and on Wednesday Caltrans crews were busy cleaning up minor slides that had intruded into the westbound lane.
On that stretch of highway crews also had been working at the site of a pine tree that came down the hill, triggering a slide with its collapse.
Across the region, “We are having a lot of slide activity right now,” said Phil Frisbie, the Caltrans public information officer for Lake and Mendocino counties.
Frisbie told Lake County News that, as far as the number of slides and emergency work orders the agency has so far, “This is the worst winter we've had since the winter of 2005 to 2006.”
It was during that winter season that there was heavy rain all around California, with downtown Upper Lake flooding.
The slides in Lake County are occurring in areas where they've taken place due to past storms, and as such are being monitored and handled by maintenance crews, Frisbie said.
In the case of major slides, such as those that trigger highway closures, a storm damage group within Caltrans would move forward with an emergency construction project that would include hiring contractors to do repairs, he explained.
Frisbie said that Caltrans has some other major incidents it's dealing with on the North Coast, including a 900-foot-long slide near Piercy. That slide resulted in a closure of Highway 101 for several weeks, with a detour on the old Highway 101 nearby.
He said the slides are coming at a time when the area is getting what is considered a normal amount of rainfall after several years of drought.
One of the main impacts of the drought was to cause vegetation – especially trees – to die, Frisbie said.
He said that vegetation issue is likely a factor in some of the areas now experiencing slide activity.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
LAKEPORT, Calif. – The attorney for a man accused of setting fire to the residential care home where he lived has raised issues about her client's mental competency, which has delayed the anticipated entry of a plea in the case.
Anthony Wayne Conley, 29, was arrested last Thursday for the fire at the San Sousee adult care facility in Clearlake, as Lake County News has reported.
San Sousee is a state-licensed adult residential facility that has a contract with Lake County Behavioral Health for clients being treated for mental health issues.
Chief Deputy District Attorney Richard Hinchcliff said Conley is charged with one count of arson, four counts of attempted murder and three counts of elder or dependent abuse.
Conley was arraigned last week and on Tuesday appeared in court for entry of a plea along with his appointed attorney, Tracy Gatlin.
However, Deputy District Attorney Rachel Abelson, who is handling the case, said no plea was entered.
“His attorney declared a doubt as to his competency. Two doctors were appointed to examine him on that issue,” said Abelson.
The case is due to return to court on Feb. 28 for receipt of the doctors' reports, Abelson said.
She said the criminal proceedings have been suspended until Conley is either found not to be incompetent or is restored to competency.
“Once that happens and criminal proceedings are reinstated than he would likely enter a plea,” she said.
Conley remains in custody at the Lake County Jail, with bail set at $800,000.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake County Special Olympics is inviting brave individuals or teams to take a jump into the cold waters of Clear Lake this month to benefit the organization's athletes.
The eighth annual Lake County Special Olympics Polar Plunge will be held on Saturday, Feb. 18, at Lakeside County Park, 1985 Park Drive in Kelseyville.
All are invited to participate: Join the plunge as an individual, team or business.
Those who raise the minimum of $100 will receive a long-sleeved “Feel the BRRR” Polar Plunge t-shirt and after the plunge will be treated to lunch.
Awards will be presented to top fundraisers and best costumes. Additional incentive rewards are offered depending on how much money individuals or teams raise.
Everyone is encouraged to dress in costume, which is part of the fun.
For those too chicken to enter the plunge, they can enter the “chicken coop” and stay dry while collecting donations and participating.
The money raised will help the organization continue to provide sports training and competition opportunities to Lake County's Special Olympics athletes, who train in basketball, track and field, bocce, soccer and golf.
Lake County Special Olympics must raise its money locally to pay for uniforms, equipment and transportation.
The athletes participate free of charge with the coaches donating their time.
Athletes involved in Special Olympics are empowered with self-confidence and self-esteem, which carries over into their everyday lives. They also gain physical fitness while enjoying the social aspects of training.
To register visit http://specialolympics.donordrive.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=donorDrive.event&eventID=507 .
For those who would rather not plunge but still want to support Special Olympics, checks can be mailed to Lake County Special Olympics, P.O. Box 94, Lakeport, CA 95453.