How to resolve AdBlock issue? 
News
KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – The 67th quilt block on the Lake County Quilt Trail is “Hearts and Fish.”
It has been installed on the Kelseyville Presbyterian Church, located at 5340 Church St., above the friendship hall that was built in 1989.
The friendship hall is used for church activities as well as community and youth organizations.
Kelseyville Presbyterian Church was founded in 1872.
Since its beginning it has served Kelseyville and surrounding communities of Lake County.
It is a vital church following Jesus by worshiping, serving, praying, learning and sharing its faith.
The “Hearts and Fish” design was chosen because Kelseyville Presbyterian Church is known as “the little church with the big heart.”
The fish is an early symbol of Christianity. The red, white and blue color scheme represents the Christian flag and the flag of the Presbyterian Church USA.
The hearts represent hope, peace, joy and grace, and – most of all – love, which also symbolize the Kelseyville Presbyterian Church family.
The Lake County Quilt Trail is an agricultural and tourism project designed to promote community pride.
The 4-foot by 4-foot quilt block was drawn and painted by the Lake County Quilt Trail team, a group of dedicated quilters, graphic artists, painters, writers, carpenters and a videographer.
For more information about the Lake County Quilt Trail visit www.lakecountyquilttrail.com or https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lake-County-Quilt-Trail/187014251326163 .
KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – Lake Family Resource Center will host its ninth annual fundraiser, Wine & Chocolate … and More, this Saturday, Feb. 7.
The benefit will take place from noon to 4 p.m. at Mt. Konocti Winery & Event Center, 2550 Big Valley Road in Kelseyville.
The occasion spotlights Lake County’s award-winning, ultra-premium wines, and includes lovely pairings of local wines not only with incredible chocolates, but also with savory bites from local restaurants and caterers.
Local Sommelier Stephanie Green provides the pairing expertise.
The event also includes an auction/raffle, fabulous original artwork by local artist Gail Salituri, a special VIP room, workshops on wine and food pairing, and olive oil sensory.
Chacewater Olive Mill’s own Emilio De La Cruz will share his secrets in producing the finest extra virgin olive oil and Stephanie Green will share the secrets of wonderful wine and how to pair that complex libation with savory food.
Visitors also will be able to purchase bottles of the wines they discover at the on-site wine store.
Seventeen Lake County wineries won awards at this year’s San Francisco Chronicle completion. Wine & Chocolate is a great opportunity to taste these amazing wines in one place.
General admission tickets are $40 per person in advance or $50 per person on the day of the event and at the door.
Tickets include an event wine glass and wristband allowing you to taste offerings from all participating wineries and food purveyors.
The VIP Cellar experience offers additional amenities including reserved tables and a buffet catered by Bellisimo! Catering.
The VIP Cellar is available to Platinum Sponsors and also to groups and individuals for an additional fee.
The special VIP Cellar package includes tickets for eight, a special reserved table in the VIP Cellar and appetizers for you and your guests for $500. Individual tickets for the VIP Cellar are $62.50 in advance and $75 on the day of the event and at the door.
Tickets are available online at www.lakefrc.org , at Lake Family Resource Center’s main office at 5350 Main Street in Kelseyville, or via phone by calling 707-279-0563. Saw Shop Gallery & Bistro and some local wineries are also selling tickets.
Come join the fun and support Lake Family Resource Center in its efforts to strengthen families in Lake County communities.
Lake Family Resource Center provides vital services to children and families throughout Lake County.
Programs include child abuse prevention and treatment, domestic violence services, rape crisis center, comprehensive child development and family support, nutritional education and counseling.
Sponsorship opportunities also are available. If your company would like to participate, call Lake Family Resource Center Executive Director Gloria Flaherty at 707-279-0563.
AccuWeather reports at sunrise on Monday, Feb. 2, Punxsutawney Phil caught sight of his shadow and officially declared his prediction of six more weeks of winter.
Phil braved a major snowstorm that clobbered much of the Northeast on Sunday night and left icy, snow-packed roads for spectators in a quest to watch the famed groundhog's 129th prediction in western Pennsylvania.
Phil calls for winter's grip to hold strong across the entire U.S. for six more weeks.
AccuWeather.com's full spring 2015 forecast will be issued on Feb. 4 with highlights across the U.S.
Spring will officially kick off on March 20, lining up with Phil's 2015 prognostication.
Phil last declared for an early spring in 2013, only the 18th time to call for a premature arrival of the next season.
CLEARLAKE PARK, Calif. – Lake County Fire Protection District responded to the 3100 block of Second Street in the Clearlake Park area Monday morning following a report of an appliance fire.
Upon arrival, firefighters found a double-wide mobile home to be fully involved with flames seen.
The structure was completely destroyed in the blaze, according to reports from the scene.
Residents of the home safely evacuated.
Units were requested shortly after 9 a.m., based on radio reports.
Lake County Fire Protection District's response included an engine, water tender and medic units.
Northshore Fire Protection District Station 75 in Clearlake Oaks and Cal Fire each responded with a water tender as well, with Clearlake Police Department also on the scene.
Fire crews fought the blaze for about an hour before it was extinguished.
Clean-up activities continued for more than an hour with the final unit released from the scene just after 11:30 a.m.
Email Denise Rockenstein at
A new report shows that the chances of dying in a crash in a late-model vehicle have fallen by more than a third in three years.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety conducted the study. It has published death rates by make and model periodically since 1989, at first for cars only and later for all passenger vehicles.
“This is a huge improvement in just three years, even considering the economy's influence,” said David Zuby, IIHS executive vice president and chief research officer. “We know from our vehicle ratings program that crash test performance has been getting steadily better. These latest death rates provide new confirmation that real-world outcomes are improving, too.”
The report showed that among 2011 models, a record nine vehicles have driver death rates of zero.
Those nine models include the Audi A4 4WD car, Honda Odyssey minivan, Kia Sorento 2WD SUV, Lexus RX 350 4WD SUV, Mercedes-Benz GL-Class 4WD SUV, Subaru Legacy 4WD four-door car, Toyota Highlander hybrid 4WD SUV, Toyota Sequoia 4WD SUV large and the Volvo XC90 4WD SUV.
Two thirds of the top models are SUVs. Today's SUVs have the lowest driver death rate of any vehicle type; that's a sharp contrast to the situation a decade ago, when SUVs had some of the highest rates, due to their propensity to roll over.
Now, that issue has been reduced because of the advent of electronic stability control, leading to the finding that the rollover death rate of five per million registered vehicle years for 2011 models is less than a quarter of what it was for 2004 models.
SUVs are now so far improved in their stability that law enforcement agencies like the California Highway Patrol are adopting them for patrol vehicles. The patrol SUV models are now being deployed in Lake County, as Lake County News has reported.
While there is a higher number of models with zero fatalities, the study also showed that the gap between the safest and riskiest models remains wide, and three cars have death rates exceeding 100 per million registered vehicle years.
Those vehicles are the Kia Rio, the Nissan Versa sedan and the Hyundai Accent, according to the report.
The report attributes the continuing decline in fatality numbers to improved vehicle designs and safety technology.
Institute researchers, in a related study, also estimated how much of the decline was due to changes in the vehicle fleet during the years 1985 to 2012.
They found that vehicle changes – including improved structural designs, the addition of safety features and an evolving mix of vehicle types – were the main source of declining risk from 1993 through 2006.
These changes continued to contribute to later declines as well, though other factors such as the weak economy also appear to have played a role.
There were 7,700 fewer driver deaths in 2012 alone than there would have been had vehicles remained the same since 1985.
The latest death rates by make and model confirm the rapid pace of improvement. Among 2011 models, there were 28 driver deaths per million registered vehicle years through the 2012 calendar year, down from 48 for 2008 models through 2009. A registered vehicle year is one vehicle registered for one year.
Although the numbers reflect 2011 models, data from earlier model-year vehicles as far back as 2008 are included if the vehicles weren't substantially redesigned before 2011. Including older, equivalent vehicles increases the exposure and thus the accuracy of the results.
To be included, a vehicle must have had at least 100,000 registered vehicle years of exposure during 2009-12 or at least 20 deaths.
As they did in the earlier study, the study's authors estimated the effect of vehicle age and calendar year on death rates.
The researchers found that 1985-95 fleets weren't as protective of their drivers as the 1984 fleet, but vehicles steadily improved after that. From 1993 through 2006, vehicle changes were the main source of the decline in driver death risk.
Had vehicles not improved during that time, the longstanding downward trend of driver fatality rates would have ended in 1993.
"In some ways, the '90s weren't a great time for highway safety policy. Speed limits increased, and belt use gains leveled off," says IIHS President Adrian Lund, a co-author of both the 2006 study and the new one. "However, consumers began to think more about the safety of vehicles, thanks at least in part to the increasing availability of crash test ratings from both the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Institute. Manufacturers responded to the ratings by making improvements, and this process has accelerated in recent years, thanks to shorter design cycles."
A review of the vehicles involved in fatal crashes in Lake County in 2014 showed that older model vehicles were involved, from model years 1986 up through 2003.
While the number of lives saved from vehicle improvements is good news, the flip side of the study is the missed opportunities for reducing fatality risk by other means.
Lower speed limits, stronger safety belt laws and wider use of automated enforcement are just a few examples of policies that could have reduced the death toll even further.
Since 2006, improvements in vehicle design have continued to play a big role in declining fatality risk, though the risk would have fallen somewhat even without vehicle changes, the study showed.
A small increase in safety belt use and other improvements in driver behavior may have contributed to this reduced risk by calendar year, but the biggest factor was probably the weak economy.
This means that fatality rates could be expected to rise again when the economy improves unless better traffic safety policies are put in place.
“The complete elimination of traffic deaths is still many decades away, and, along with vehicle improvements, getting there will require changes in road design and public policy that can help protect all road users,” Zuby said. “Still, the rise in the number of vehicles with zero driver deaths shows what's possible.”
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Four friendly cats are waiting to meet you at Lake County Animal Care and Control this week.
Claudia, George, Oscar and Zack are waiting at the shelter for the opportunity to have new families and homes where they can play and be loved.
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”).
'Zack'
“Zack” is a 4-year-old male domestic short hair mix, with a brown and white coat.
Shelter staff said he was found as a stray in Kelseyville. He's very friendly and personable, and loves to play with toys.
He's been neutered, and given a rabies and FVRCP vaccination good for one year.
Zack is in cat room kennel No. 48, ID No. 1364.
'Claudia'
The lovely and sweet Claudia has been at Lake County Animal Care and Control a long time, and needs a home as soon as possible.
She is 6 years old, and a coat with white and brown tabby markings, and is already spayed so she has a low adoption fee.
Claudia greets visitors, loving to get attention and pats. She loves to play with toys and to be cuddled.
She's in cat room kennel No. 73, ID No. 1316.
'George'
“George” is a male domestic short hair mix with an all almost entirely black coat and a white mark on his chest.
He is 3 years old and already neutered, so he has a low adoption fee.
George is a talker who wants to be out of his cage to play and visit with everyone.
Shelter staff said he will grab your attention, not just by his handsome gold eyes, but by coming to the front of the cage in the hope he will get a pat.
George needs a home to where he can explore in a safe environment, according to shelter staff.
He's in cat room kennel No. 79, ID No. 1605.
'Oscar'
This young black cat with a short black coat has been dubbed “Oscar” by shelter staff.
This super-friendly kitty is 9 months old, and wanted to be petted constantly.
He has a lot of years ahead of him and would love to spend it with one person or a family.
Come give Oscar a treat or a toy – he likes both, according to shelter staff.
Oscar is in cat room kennel No. 99, ID No. 1618.
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 .
Please note: Cats listed at the shelter's Web page that are said to be “on hold” are not yet cleared for adoption.
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