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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Home sales and prices were down in April, but overall prices remain stronger than last year, according to a new report.
The Lake County Association of Realtors, or LCAOR, reported that the number of single family residence sales decreased from 84 sales in March to 63 sales in April.
On a percentage basis the month-to-month change was down by 25 percent, LCAOR said.
The median sales price for April was $227,500, which LCAOR said was down by 5 percent from the March median sales price of $239,450.
The median days on market for April sales was 60, which was down from the March median days on market of 76. LCAOR said the days on market is measured from the time a listing agreement is signed by all parties until all contingencies are released during the escrow process.
With regards to the availability of homes for sale 2016 LCAOR President Erin Woodward said, “This year we have about 100 less homes on the market than we did last year. Based on previous years we expect more homes to come on the market with the peak number of available homes being in the months of July and August. From that point on we will see a decrease with December usually having the least number.”
Cash financing was used in nearly 33 percent of the April transactions with the remaining 67 percent being financed through various types of loans, according to the report.
On a year-to-year basis, the April median sales price increased by 13.9 percent. LCAOR said that in April 2015 the median sales price was $199,765, compared to the $227,500 for April 2016.
The number of sales decreased from 72 in April 2015 to 63 in April 2016. LCAOR said this accounted for a decrease of 12.5 percent.
On a statewide basis the California Association of Realtors reported that a constrained housing supply accounted for a slow start to the summer buying season, a pattern also seen in Lake County.
Existing, single family home sales in California totaled 406,800 in April, down 2.6 percent from March and 5.4 percent from April 2015, the association reported.
LCAOR said April’s statewide median home price was $509,100, up 5.3 percent from March and 5.1 percent from April 2015.
LAKE COUNTY NUMBERS AT A GLANCE
April 2016
Median price: $227,500
Median days to sell: 60
Units sold: 63
March 2016
Median price: $239,450
Median days to sell: 76
Units sold: 84
April 2015
Median price: $199,765
Median days to sell: 81
Units sold: 72
NORTH COAST, Calif. – A Dos Rios man was arrested following a crash that claimed the life of a motorcyclist Saturday afternoon.
Jesse Bourdeaux, 28, was taken into custody for vehicular manslaughter and driving under the influence, and booked into the Mendocino County Jail, according to a report from the California Highway Patrol's Ukiah Area office.
The motorcyclist who died as a result of the wreck was a 56-year-old woman from Pacheco. Authorities did not release her name pending the notification of next of kin.
The CHP said the crash occurred at 4:45 p.m. Saturday on Highway 20 near the Jackson State Demonstration Forest. Conditions were cloudy and the roadway was wet, the report said.
Bourdeaux was driving his 2006 Ford F250 pickup eastbound on Highway 20 with the woman driving her 2016 Beta Motorcycle westbound, the CHP said.
Due to his level of intoxication, Bourdeaux lost control of his pickup, which crossed the double yellow lines into the westbound lane, directly in the motorcycle's path, according to the report.
The CHP said the motorcyclist was unable to avoid the pickup, and she collided with the right side of the Ford as it traveled through the westbound lane.
The woman died of her injuries at the scene, the CHP said.
CHP Officer Owen investigated the collision and subsequently arrested Bourdeaux, who was uninjured in the crash.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake County Animal Care and Control has adult cats and a group of new kittens available for adoption this week.
The kittens include several tiny tuxedos in various coat types, while the adults include tabbies in orange and gray, a calico and two black cats.
In addition to spaying or neutering, cats that are adopted from Lake County Animal Care and Control are microchipped before being released to their new owner. License fees do not apply to residents of the cities of Lakeport or Clearlake.
If you're looking for a new companion, visit the shelter. There are many great pets there, hoping you'll choose them.
In addition to the animals featured here, all adoptable animals in Lake County can be seen here: http://bit.ly/Z6xHMb .
The following cats at the Lake County Animal Care and Control shelter have been cleared for adoption (other cats pictured on the animal control Web site that are not listed here are still “on hold”).
Male domestic long hair
This male domestic long hair has a buff-colored coat.
He's in cat room kennel No. 11, ID No. 4877.
Male domestic medium hair kitten
This male tuxedo kitten has a medium-length coat.
He's in cat room kennel No. 32a, ID No. 4953.
Domestic short hair kitten
This male domestic short hair kitten has a black and white coat.
He's in cat room kennel No. 32b, ID No. 4954.
Domestic short hair kitten
This female domestic short hair kitten has a black and white coat.
She's in cat room kennel No. 32c, ID No. 4955.
Domestic short hair kitten
This female domestic short hair kitten has a brown and white coat.
She's in cat room kennel No. 53b, ID No. 4913.
Domestic short hair kitten
This female domestic short hair kitten has a white coat with blue eyes.
She's in cat room kennel No. 53c, ID No. 4914.
'Little Bit'
“Little Bit” is a female domestic short hair cat with a shiny, all-black coat that makes her look like a tiny panther.
She is in cat room kennel No. 62, ID No. 4886.
Female domestic short hair
This female domestic short hair has a black coat with a white mark on her chest.
She's in cat room kennel No. 73, ID No. 4911.
'Mom'
“Mom” is a female domestic short hair mix with a gray tabby coat.
She's in cat room kennel No. 114, ID No. 4823.
Female domestic short hair
This female domestic short hair mix has a very colorful calico coat.
She's in cat room kennel No. 142, ID No. 4760.
Adoptable cats also can be seen at http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Animal_Care_And_Control/Adopt/Cats_and_Kittens.htm or at www.petfinder.com .
To fill out an adoption application online visit http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Animal_Care_And_Control/Adopt/Dog___Cat_Adoption_Application.htm .
Lake County Animal Care and Control is located at 4949 Helbush in Lakeport, next to the Hill Road Correctional Facility.
Office hours are Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday. The shelter is open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Visit the shelter online at http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Animal_Care_And_Control.htm .
For more information call Lake County Animal Care and Control at 707-263-0278.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Westside Community Park Committee will hold a two-mile “Fun Walk” to support future development at the Park on Sunday, May 29.
The walk will start and finish at the Kiwanis Club of Lakeport’s Craft Fair located on the grounds of Natural High at 810 N. Main St. in Lakeport.
Registration begins at 7:30 a.m. with the walk commencing at 8 a.m. The registration fee is $20.
Each participant will receive a Westside Community Park T-shirt and an entrant’s bid. Pets are welcome on a leash.
Advanced registration can be completed at the committee’s booth at the Kiwanis Craft Fair on Saturday, May 28, between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. or on the morning of the walk beginning at 7:30 a.m.
Registration also is available on the committee’s Web site, www.westsidecommunitypark.org .
MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – Parades have been a part of summer in Middletown since the town was born in 1870.
But the fun and festivities – and the parade – enjoyed by so many every Father’s Day weekend when Middletown Days comes around started in 1961.
The birthing of that event will be the subject of Gibson Museum’s Fireside Chat on Sunday, May 29.
Bob Donley will be guest speaker at the chat, which begins at 3 p.m. at the museum, 21267 Calistoga Road in Middletown.
Admission is free, refreshments will be offered before the question period.
Donley was among the movers and shakers of the time who helped found Central Park, the Middletown Central Park Association and all the Middletown Days festivities.
It began with setting up gymkhanas and rodeo events for young people who wanted to prove their horsemanship.
The Pope Valley Riders, many of whom lived in south Lake County, were promoters of that, and Donley was one of them. It evolved to add a barbecue, a dance, a breakfast, a parade and other fun.
As an octogenarian, Donley finds few of the event’s founding folk still around.
Donley himself still frequently participates in rodeos throughout Northern California. He has some fascinating tales to tell.
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LAKEPORT, Calif. – Sutter Lakeside Hospital partnered with local and statewide agencies to participate in a county-wide disaster preparedness drill earlier this month.
The drill simulated a mass contamination incident and involved the National Guard, FBI, Homeland Security, Department of Energy Radiological Assistance, Lake County Fire Department, Lake County Sheriff Department, St. Helena Clearlake Hospital, Kelseyville Community Organization for Rescue and Public Service ( K-CORPS), Lake County Ambulance service and the Medical Reserve Corps.
K-CORPS student volunteers acted as patients, complete with moulage makeup simulating trauma injuries.
The students arrived via ambulance to Sutter Lakeside Hospital, where members of the National Guard and the Department of Energy Radiological Services simulated screening them for hazardous chemical contamination.
“Each mock victim receives a triage tag,” said Cyndy Forbes, RN, Pre-hospital Care Nurse Coordinator, Sutter Lakeside Hospital. “The patient is rated according to acuity, or severity of injuries, and given a unique number that corresponds to them and their belongings. Hurricane Katrina brought to light the fact that during a disaster, it’s very hard to keep track of patients and reunite them with their families. One of our goals in practicing this exercise is to refine our ability to know where an individual is being treated despite a large volume of patients, and improve reunification of patients with their families.”
The students received hospital gowns as well as plastic bags in which to place personal items. Nurses then tagged the students’ bags with a corresponding number.
“This exercise tests our health care facilities’ capabilities, resources and overall preparedness for response to radiological threats or contamination, patient tracking and mass influx of patients,” said Kim Baldwin, Emergency Preparedness Health Program coordinator, Lake County Public Health. “Such an exercise ensures the hospitals are prepared to track and manage patients as well as gauges decontamination response capabilities and appropriate use of resource requests.”
After initial triage, nurses, first responders, and National Guard sergeants ushered students into coordinating treatment areas, where more care providers practiced treating each student according to his or her simulated injury.
Afterwards, all participants of the exercise met to debrief and discuss opportunities for future improvements.
“We learned that we have more resources available to us than we were aware,” said Forbes. “We plan to continue mass casualty triage training because the process is so different than what we’re used to in the emergency department. Mass casualty triage is about judiciously allocating limited resources for more patients.”
“We hope to never need the extensive resources available to us in case of a disaster,” said Siri Nelson, chief administrative officer, Sutter Lakeside Hospital. “However, it’s imperative that our staff feels prepared, educated, and empowered in an event such as a chemical contamination. By practicing in partnership with other agencies that a disaster would affect, we ensure organization and efficient care when it’s the most time sensitive.”
Nearly all hospitals have response plans for chemical emergencies, natural disasters, epidemics and biological incidents, according to a 2011 National Health Statistics report.
Hospitals and other disaster-responders expanded preparedness for emergency incidents following the 2001 World Trade Center attacks.
National awareness about disaster planning has increased in response to Hurricane Katrina, and outbreaks of illnesses such as swine flu and Ebola, according to the report.
“Hospitals are a critical element within the disaster medical response system and work collaboratively with local government, other health care providers and other agencies to plan, prepare for and respond to the needs of victims of natural or manmade disasters, bioterrorism and other public health emergencies,” said Baldwin. “Hospital emergency preparedness is a priority for government at all levels, as well as a key focus of regulatory and accrediting agencies. Better prepared health care facilities ensure a better prepared community.”
Morgen Wells is the Community Relations and Fund Development specialist for Sutter Lakeside Hospital.