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LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lake County Republican Party will hold its next meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 13.
The meeting will take place at Round Table Pizza, 821 11th St. in Lakeport.
Social time will start at 6 p.m. with no host food and beverages.
At 6:30 p.m. there will be a committee strategy meeting as the group prepares for the November election.
Follow the local Republican Party on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Lake-County-CA-Republican-Party-401224996588222/?fref=ts or for more information contact Lake County Chair Dee Cuney at 707-235-2902.
SACRAMENTO – Legislation sponsored by Board of Equalization Member George Runner and fellow BOE members cleared the Legislature Thursday when the State Assembly voted unanimously to approve AB 1559.
Authored by Assemblyman Bill Dodd, AB 1559 gives the Board of Equalization authority to extend emergency tax relief by up to three months in the event of a disaster.
"The last thing people need to worry about during a tragedy is taxes," said BOE Member Runner. "This bill will provide much-needed relief to those who have been affected by the recent fires and other emergencies."
Current law allows the BOE to provide a one-month extension for tax payments, and relieve any late payment penalties.
AB 1559 extends that period to up to three months, provided the taxpayer files a request for relief before or within the allotted time frame.
"This bill is good news for taxpayers, especially during this disastrous time. As residents continue to put their businesses and lives back together after these fires, I want them to know the BOE is here to help," said Chairwoman Fiona Ma. "During this terrible ordeal, BOE is doing everything we can to provide information about tax and fee relief to those affected by these fires."
AB 1559 now heads to the governor's desk.
The governor has until Sept. 30 to sign or veto the bill. As an urgency measure, the bill would take effect immediately.
LAKEPORT, Calif. – This week authorities identified the woman who died in a Lakeport senior apartment complex fire last weekend, reported that one of the injured residents who had been hospitalized had died and that accommodations for the displaced residents have been secured while repairs are made.
On Friday the repairs were under way at the Lakeview Senior Housing complex at 525 Bevins St., where security guards were posted and chain link fence had been placed around the facility to secure it in the wake of the Sunday evening fire.
The 36-unit complex, originally built in 1988 and renovated last year, is managed by Rural Communities Housing Development Corp. of Ukiah and owned by an entity of RCHDC called Pine Gardens I.
“Both are nonprofit organizations committed to providing decent and affordable housing to low income persons and families,” said RCHDC Chief Executive Officer Brad McDonald.
One woman died during the incident. Lakeport Police Chief Brad Rasmussen identified her as 52-year-old Deborah Dianne Dowdy.
Rasmussen said investigators believe Dowdy had gotten out of the 36-unit complex but had gone back in for an unknown reason.
Firefighters found her body in an elevator during a sweep of the building, Rasmussen said.
Dowdy's cause of death is pending the results of an autopsy conducted this week and toxicology testing, Rasmussen said.
Four other people were injured in the incident, including one woman who was burned and transported to UC Davis Medical Center and three people taken to Sutter Lakeside Hospital for treatment of smoke inhalation, according to Rasmussen.
On Friday, word came that one of the three patients at Sutter Lakeside Hospital had died, according to McDonald.
“We were not formally informed what the cause of death was but have heard that it was the result of a heart attack,” he said.
McDonald said the other two patients at Sutter Lakeside Hospital were released on Friday.
He said all of the complex's 36 units had tenants at the time of the fire.
This week, city officials, working with RCHDC, worked to find accommodations for the displaced residents, about a third of whom had stayed at a shelter run by the Red Cross at the Lakeport Seventh-day Adventist Church, as Lake County News has reported.
As of Friday afternoon, McDonald said all residents who had requested or needed interim housing had been taken care of and are in three different lodging facilities in Lake County.
“The Lakeport Senior Center has been invaluable assisting with transportation necessary to get folks to their interim lodging,” he said.
The center also had been a short-term stopover for the complex's residents on Sunday night, where officials assessed their needs before moving those who needed shelter via Lakeport Transit buses to the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
McDonald recognized the “tremendous support and an incredible response from volunteers” for the temporary placement and care of the residents at the church's shelter.
He also recognized RCHDC staff, including the regional manager responsible for the property and the corporate facilities director for doing an outstanding job of meeting the needs of tenants and facilitating their transition to interim housing, and quickly mobilizing the insurance company and ServPro, the company hired to prepare the property for the residents to return.
In addition, the complex's site manager and site maintenance supervisor did an outstanding job assisting with the transition of residents plus helping at the scene of the fire with the evacuation and care of the residents the night the fire occurred, McDonald said.
McDonald said that while there was no serious structural damage to the property, it will not be able to be reoccupied for eight to 10 weeks while repairs are under way.
He said RCHDC won't know the full extent of the cost of the damages for two to three weeks more, once the nonprofit's insurance adjuster has reported back.
Work to remediate smoke and water damage began on Tuesday, and by Friday McDonald said “great progress” had been made.
Rasmussen said the investigation into the cause of the fire is still ongoing.
“We're still interviewing residents and different folks and working with the fire investigators,” said Rasmussen, who reported that Lakeport Police Det. Dale Stoebe is participating in the inquiry.
Rasmussen said he expects the investigative process to take up to six weeks in order for the completion all of the reports – including those related to Dowdy's death – and witness interviews.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
LOWER LAKE, Calif. – Thirteen days after it started, the Clayton fire was fully contained on Friday evening.
The fire began off of Highway 29 and Clayton Creek south of Lower Lake on the evening of Aug. 13, burning a total of 3,929 acres and nearly 300 structures, two-thirds of which were homes.
Cal Fire originally had estimated the fire would be fully contained on Sunday, but work has continued this week in the fire area as firefighters continued mop up and repairing damage from the suppression effort, according to Cal Fire.
Even on Friday evening, there were signs that some hot spots in the fire area were still active.
Just after 6:15 p.m., firefighters were dispatched to a smoke check in the 18000 block of Cantwell Ranch Road, where a stump and some burning debris were found. The small fire was quickly put out, according to radio reports.
Cal Fire determined that the fire's cause was arson, and two days after the fire began 40-year-old Damin Anthony Pashilk of Clearlake was arrested for setting it.
Pashilk, who appeared in court on Aug. 17, is charged with 19 counts, including 15 for felony arson with special allegations of causing multiple structures to burn and committing a crime in a disaster area.
Authorities believe he set 11 other fires going back to July 2015.
Those fires did not include the Rocky fire, which investigators said were caused by the failure of an outdoor gas water heater strapped to a tree near an outbuilding that contained flammable liquids, or the Valley fire, determined to have been caused by faulty wiring to a Cobb residence's hot tub. The Jerusalem fire's cause has not yet been determined.
Pashilk is scheduled to return to court on Sept. 7 for the entry of plea.
He remains in the Lake County Jail on an enhanced $5 million bail.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
LAKEPORT, Calif. – Put Saturday, Sept. 10, on your calendar for the Anderson Marsh Interpretive Association’s annual Bluegrass Concert at the Soper Reese Theatre in Lakeport.
This will be a great evening of bluegrass and traditional American music featuring Blithedale Canyon from Marin County and the thin Air String Band from Mendocino County, along with the California State Old Time Fiddlers and local musicians.
Wine will be poured by Thorn Hill Winery which donates a portion of their proceeds to the Anderson Marsh Interpretive Association, or AMIA, the organization that supports Anderson Marsh State Historic Park near Lower Lake.
Proceeds from the concert also go to AMIA to help support the group’s effort to keep Anderson Marsh State Historic Park available to the public.
Tickets for the event are available at the Soper Reese box office and can be purchased online at www.soperreese.com or purchased the night of the event.
Ticket price is $25 per person with sponsorships being offered: two tickets, $100; four tickets, $200 and eight tickets, $400. Sponsors will enjoy reserved seating at tables up front with complimentary wine and snacks.
To sponsor the event, contact AMIA at 707-995-2658. Go to www.andersonmarsh.org or www.soperreese.com for more information about the event.
A spectacular sky show will take place on Saturday night.
The conjunction of Venus and Jupiter will occur within an hour after sunset.
See the video above for the full details.