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LAKEPORT, Calif. – On Friday, Dec. 16, a group of concerned citizens will hold a candlelight vigil that organizers said will be dedicated to uniting citizens in support of a national movement of electors voting their conscience.
The vigil will take place on the steps of the Lake County Courthouse in downtown Lakeport, beginning at 6 p.m.
Saro Deacon, one of the event's organizers, said the vigil will be in support of electors in the Electoral College voting for a Republican “compromise candidate” rather than Donald Trump.
She said the primary goal of the vigil is to bring citizens of all political persuasions together to put party aside and put the good of America first. Participants will wear purple and hold lighted candles as a symbol of unity and wisdom. This will be a peaceful and respectful gathering.
Christopher Suprun, a Republican elector from Texas, and Polly Baca, an elector from Colorado, have spoken out to say that electors need to choose an alternative candidate.
Many of the presidential electors who have stepped forward in opposition to Trump refer to Alexander Hamilton’s words in Federalist 68: “The process of election affords a moral certainty, that the office of President will never fall to the lot of any man who is not in an eminent degree endowed with the requisite qualifications.”
The vigil is in anticipation of a larger, nationwide vigil to be held in every state capitol around the nation on the evening of Dec. 19, when electors will cast their votes to decide who will be the next president.
LAKEPORT, Calif. – The city of Lakeport reported that two areas of the city will be impacted by roadwork on Thursday, Dec. 15.
From midnight Thursday to 6 a.m. and again from 8 p.m. until 6 a.m. on Friday the turn lane will be closed at Lakeport Boulevard just west of Main Street. Please follow traffic control devices in the area.
Additionally, on Thursday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. work will take place in the right-of-way roadway shoulder at the corner of Second and Main streets. There will be no lane closures, but please drive safely in the area.
UPPER LAKE, Calif. – The Lake County Land Trust has suspended its Saturday morning walks at the Rodman Preserve near Upper Lake until April due to the condition of the trails.
“Excessive rain is being expected which renders the trails very soggy and impossible to walk without completely soaking your boots,” said Land Trust Board member Roberta Lyons.
For information about the Lake County Land Trust, go to www.lakecountylandtrust.org .
The Land Trust is a local nonprofit organization dedicated to preservation of open space and natural habitat in Lake County.
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is amending its regulation on copayments for veterans’ outpatient medications for non-service connected conditions.
VA currently charges non-exempt veterans either $8 or $9 for each 30-day or less supply of outpatient medication, and under current regulations, a calculation based on the medication of the Medical Consumer Price Index (CPI-P) would be used to determine the copayment amount in future years.
“Switching to a tiered system continues to keep outpatient medication costs low for veterans,” said VA Under Secretary for Health Dr. David J. Shulkin. “Reducing their out-of-pocket costs encourages greater adherence to prescribed outpatient medications and reduces the risk of fragmented care that results when multiple pharmacies are used; another way that VA is providing better service to veterans.”
This new regulation eliminates the formula used to calculate future rate increases and establishes three classes of outpatient medications identified as Tier 1, Preferred Generics; Tier 2, Non-Preferred Generics including over-the-counter medications; and Tier 3, Brand Name.
Copayment amounts for each tier would be fixed and vary depending upon the class of outpatient medication in the tier.
These copayment amounts will be effective Feb. 27, 2017:
– $5 for a 30-day or less supply - Tier 1 outpatient medication;
– $8 for a 30-day or less supply - Tier 2 outpatient medication;
– $11 for a 30-day or less supply - Tier 3 outpatient medication.
These changes apply to veterans without a service-connected condition, or veterans with a disability rated less than 50 percent who are receiving outpatient treatment for a non-service connected condition, and whose annual income exceeds the limit set by law.
Medication copayments do not apply to former prisoners of war, catastrophically disabled veterans, or those covered by other exceptions as set by law.
Copayments stop each calendar year for veterans in priority groups 2 to 8 once a $700 cap is reached.
More information on the new tiered medication copayment can be found here.
SACRAMENTO – Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones on Tuesday issued new Anti-Steering in Auto Body Repair regulations that increase consumer protections to prevent consumers from being misled or claims delayed when a collision-damaged vehicle needs to be repaired.
The new rules prohibit insurers from making untruthful, deceptive, or misleading statements to consumers that unreasonably influence a consumer's right to select the repair facility.
These new regulations complement existing state consumer protection laws that prohibit insurance companies from requiring that repairs be done in an insurance company-chosen shop and guarantee that consumers have the absolute right to select where they have their vehicles repaired.
The new rules also provide guidelines for reasonable timeframes for insurers to inspect damaged vehicles and identify what constitutes unreasonable distances in cases where an insurer requires the consumer to travel to obtain a repair estimate or have a vehicle repaired.
"Consumers who suffer from collision damage should not be misled by insurance companies or forced to wait weeks for an inspection in order to steer them away from their chosen shop and into insurer-contracted repair shops just so the insurance company can save money at the expense of proper and safe repairs," said Commissioner Jones.
These new regulations follow the recently approved Auto Collision Repair Labor Rate Survey regulations, which set forth standards for insurers, which, if followed, will ensure that auto body repair labor rate surveys are accurate and reliable so that insurers pay the reasonable and proper amount and consumers are therefore not paying out-of-pocket for collision repairs.
The Office of Administrative Law, which independently reviews all new regulations, approved the commissioner's regulation on Monday.
The regulation goes into effect by operation of law on Jan. 1, 2017. However, these newly adopted regulations are part of the Fair Claims Settlement Practices Regulations, which contain a delayed compliance date in order to give insurers additional time to comply.
The compliance date for the Anti-Steering in Auto Body Repair regulations is March 12, 2017.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – A storm making its way over Northern California is bringing heavy rain and winds, and has resulted in weather advisories for area residents.
The National Weather Service issued a wind advisory that's in effect through noon on Thursday and a flood watch that ends at 4 a.m. Friday.
The wind watch urges area residents to be prepared for strong, gusty southerly winds that are expected to increase Wednesday night and into Thursday as a powerful weather system moves in from the Pacific and across Northern California.
Winds in Lakeport are forecast to have gusts up to 26 miles per hour Wednesday night and 23 miles per hour Thursday morning, with Cobb likely to have gusts into the low 30s Wednesday night and mid-30s on Thursday morning, based on the specific forecast.
In the Clearlake area, gusts are predicted in the low 30s both Wednesday night and Thursday morning, with similar wind speeds expected on the Northshore.
At the same time, a large amount of rain is in the forecast.
The National Weather Service said moisture from the Pacific will interact with a cold front and bring periods of heavy rainfall and snow in the higher elevations through early Friday, when it starts to taper off.
The forecast calls for conditions to clear on Friday and continue early into next week, when the next chances of rain are expected on Wednesday.
On Wednesday the Lakeport Public Works Department issued its own advisory about the series of storm systems developing over the eastern Pacific and approaching the area, in addition to the heavy winds.
Officials said several inches of rain could fall in the area through midday Thursday.
The department warned that downed limbs are likely and downed trees are possible. Officials asked that people be aware of the possible driving hazards and of emergency crews out in the storm, and that they drive with care and be safe.
Email Elizabeth Larson at