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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The National Weather Service said stormy conditions will continue through the end of the week, with Thursday expected to have the most precipitation and wind from the storm coming in from the Pacific.
For Lake County, a high wind warning remains in effect through 2 p.m. Thursday, with a flood watch in effect until 10 p.m. Friday, the National Weather Service reported.
Residents around the county on Wednesday evening reported varying amounts of rain, although there were fewer reports of the high winds that forecasters had predicted.
Some posts on social media voiced the opinion that the storm isn't turning out to be as severe as predicted.
However, the National Weather Service's Sacramento office reported late Wednesday that the storm forecast remains on track, with the worst of the storm still on the way and expected to arrive Thursday.
The National Weather Service reported rainfall totals of as little as 0.07 of an inch of rain at Bartlett Springs to 1.20 inches at Whispering Pines over the six-hour period ending at 1 a.m. Thursday.
Clear Lake's level showed marked improvement on Wednesday thanks to the rain, starting out the day at about 0.02 feet Rumsey, with the lake at 0.13 feet Rumsey shortly after 12 a.m. Thursday, according to the US Geological Survey.
For Thursday, forecasters are predicting rain totals ranging between 2 and 4.5 inches around Lake County.
There also is the possibility of thunderstorms between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., and after 4 p.m. Thursday in the south county, the agency said.
Forecasters also are predicting wind gusts in the county of up to 48 miles per hour.
While the weather conditions have led many school districts around the Bay Area to plan Thursday school closures, most Lake County schools appeared to be waiting to assess conditions early Thursday before making closure decisions.
The only district to post an update on its Web site Wednesday evening was the Middletown Unified School District.
Middletown Unified reported that it will be checking conditions early Thursday morning and making determinations about the need to close or delay the start of school.
The decision will be posted on the district's Web site, http://www.middletownusd.org , and added to the stormy weather hotline, 707-987-4149. A message also will be sent out through the Infinite Campus message system, district officials reported.
Lake County International Charter School reported that it will have a “storm day” on Thursday, so there will be no school.
The school is expected to reopen on Friday, but the school will notify families if there is a reason to remain closed that day.
No power outages were reported in Lake County on the storm's first night, although there were a number of outages in neighboring Mendocino County and in the Bay Area early Thursday, according to the Pacific Gas and Electric outage center.
In other news, Caltrans reported that it had more than 1,500 pieces of storm-related equipment and more than 3,000 maintenance employees around the state ready to respond to the storm.
Crews have been busy checking pumping stations, readying equipment and clearing roadside drainage ditches across the state. Generators have been checked and have plenty of fuel for operation throughout the anticipated storms, and crews have been busy filling sandbags, the agency said.
Caltrans said traffic management centers throughout the state will be monitoring highway and weather conditions and are ready to dispatch crews and equipment to trouble spots and respond to traffic incidents. Changeable message signs and highway advisory radios will be activated to communicate to the public about highway conditions.
Drivers are urged not to venture out if possible during the stormy weather. However, those who do need to travel are urged to check road conditions frequently through the Caltrans Web site at www.dot.ca.gov or http://quickmap.dot.ca.gov/ , or call 800-427-7623 (1-800-GAS-ROAD) and follow the prompts.
Motorists also can tune to the Caltrans Highway Advisory Radio, which broadcasts road conditions on low-frequency radio transmitters located along some mountain highways.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – Narcotics detectives responded to an address in Middletown last week to conduct followup on a case and seized 354 pounds of processed marijuana.
On Dec. 4 narcotics detectives responded to a parcel of property located in the 2000 block of Jerusalem Grade in Middletown, according to Lt. Steve Brooks of the Lake County Sheriff's Office.
Brooks said detectives were conducting a followup investigation on a large-scale cultivation operation containing more than 17,000 marijuana plants, which were eradicated in July.
While on scene detectives observed evidence that indoor cultivation and marijuana processing was still occurring on the property, according to Brooks' report.
Brooks said a metal storage container was located with a vehicle blocking the doors. Detectives also noticed that the doors were heavily secured with multiple chains and locks.
The narcotics detectives utilized a narcotics detection canine to conduct an exterior sniff of the metal storage container. As the canine approached the container doors, Brooks said she produced a positive alert, indicating there was the odor of a controlled substance present.
Detectives secured the property and secured a search warrant, which they served on the same day, Brooks said.
During the search of the storage container, detectives located a total of 354 pounds of processed packaged marijuana and a rifle. Brooks said the marijuana and the firearm were seized as evidence.
This investigation is ongoing and detectives are following up on all leads, Brooks reported.
The Sheriff’s Narcotics Task Force can be reached through its anonymous tip line at 707-263-3663.
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – The Napa Sheriff’s Office has been awarded two grants by the California Department of Boating and Waterways for the cleanup of local waterways, primarily Lake Berryessa and the Napa River.
Altogether, the agency will receive $90,100, all of which will be used to cover costs related to the
actual cleanup. Those funds will not be used to reimburse the sheriff’s office's associated costs, according to Capt. Doug Pike.
Pike said that the Napa County Sheriff’s Office applied for the grants earlier in the year because officials believed it was the right thing to do for the environment and community safety.
The grants are referred to as the Abandoned Watercraft Abatement Fund, or AWAF, and the Vessel Turn in Program, or VTIP, according to Pike.
The Napa Sheriff’s Office Marine Patrol will administer the AWAF and VTIP grant funds, which Pike said are expected to be available for use beginning this year.
One of the primary goals of the AWAF grant is to clean up debris, such as sunken boats, docks, hazardous materials, and other large debris that create both navigational hazards for boaters and environmental concerns for waterways and surrounding watersheds, Pike said.
Pike said the VTIP grant is geared toward the removal and destruction of old boats that are no longer in use or that have been abandoned and create an environmental hazard due to issues such as leaking fuels, oils and hazardous materials into the ground or waterways.
Boats removed under this program do not need to be in the water as this also applies to boats abandoned in yards for long periods of time, Pike said.
The VTIP program, Pike said, also provides a means for community members to turn in boats they no longer use and which are cost prohibitive to dispose of on their own.
Citizens will be able to contact the sheriff’s office about vessels they wish to have destroyed and then grant funds can be used to remove their boat at no cost to the community member, Pike said. Funds are limited so discretion will be utilized to prioritize the removals.
If the program is successful, Pike said the Napa County Sheriff’s Office will consider pursuing the grant in future years to maximize environmental impact.
The cleanup of significant environmental hazards will be addressed and removed through licensed salvage contractors hired through grant funds. Pike said barges and cranes may be brought in by contractors for removal of large hazards.
Pike said all environmental guidelines for safe cleanup will be followed.
On Wednesday State Controller John Chiang published the financial records for more than 4,800 special districts as part of his continued efforts to make public finance information more readily available.
The new figures, totaling 50 million fields of data, allow users to track revenues, expenditures, liabilities, assets, and various fund balances across water, sewage, health care and other service-oriented local agencies for 11 fiscal years.
The data can be found at https://bythenumbers.sco.ca.gov/ .
Chiang, joined by Controller-elect Betty T. Yee, also issued a wide open invitation challenging Californians – from programmers and students to financial news publishers and nonprofit organizations whose objective is to promote civic engagement – to take part in a build-a-thon to create apps, databases or interface tools with the new data.
The best submissions will be showcased on the controller’s Web site.
“Today’s update broadens the public’s view of local government operations by more than quadrupling the amount of data available,” said Chiang. “For most Californians, special districts are the least visible and understood form of government agency. However, because they have been charged to provide critical public services – from water supply to fire protection – these entities often possess vast powers to tax, issue debt, and manage public resources. I hope this Web site will shine more attention on these often-unknown but important public agencies and make more transparent their stewardship of the public’s trust and money.”
Neil McCormick, chief executive officer of the California Special Districts Association (CSDA), said, “As the most local form of government, communities have entrusted special districts to deliver core local services to their homes and communities. CSDA is proud to work with the State Controller in using technology to empower communities to be informed and involved in local decision making.”
The raw special district data can be found at https://bythenumbers.sco.ca.gov/browse?category=Raw+Data&utf8=%E2%9C%93 .
A user-friendly search interface similar to those currently available for the site’s data for cities, counties and pension funds will be offered for special districts’ data in February 2015.
Users can search the data to find, for example, that in 2013:
– Special districts provided 60 different services, including staples like water and fire protection but also weed abatement, broadband Internet, pest control and snow removal.
– Electric districts sold $1.3 billion worth of self-generated energy and $969 million worth of purchased energy.
– Hospital districts reduced service charges with $160 million in charitable discounts.
– Airport districts collected $88.6 million from concession sales, their largest source of revenue.
During the period before the special districts interface is launched, Controller Chiang, along with Controller-elect Yee, invite all those interested in advancing government transparency to use the raw data to create an app, a program, a database or any new tool to show how special districts manage public resources.
“Simply by virtue of their quantity and diversity, special district disclosures pose a distinct challenge for individual Californians to view and absorb,” said Controller-elect Yee. “Making these data broadly and easily available is an essential government function. We must also make it a priority to organize and display data so it can be viewed meaningfully and in context.”
Build-a-thon entries are due by Jan. 16, 2015.
Submissions that take the most innovative and effective approach to making the data serve the public’s best interests will be showcased at the same time the Controller’s Office unveils the public interface for special district information.
Build-a-thon rules can be found at http://www.sco.ca.gov/eo_btn_guidelines.html .
Controller Chiang already has posted more than 15 million fields of data covering 12 fiscal years for cities and counties and 11 years for public pension systems.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – With a major storm expected to hit Northern California Wednesday night, the National Weather Service has upgraded high wind watches to warnings for Lake County and other parts of the region.
The National Weather Service in Sacramento also issued a major storm watch, reporting on Tuesday that forecasters' confidence is increasing that the storm will be a severe one.
Part of what is driving the storm is a weather feature called an “atmospheric river,” a 250- to 400-mile-wide region that transports water vapor.
County residents are being urged to prepare for the storm, which is expected to bring heavy rain and high winds that could result in widespread power outages, downed trees, urban and small stream flooding, debris flows over recent burn scars and hazardous travel until Friday.
The National Weather Services' high wind warning is in effect from 9 p.m. Wednesday through 2 p.m. Thursday.
Forecasters are predicting wind gusts in Clearlake up to 35 miles per hour and as high as 60 miles per hour at higher elevations in Lake County.
Due to the anticipated heavy rain, a flood watch also is in effect from 10 p.m. Wednesday until 10 p.m. Friday, the National Weather Service said.
A report from the Lake County Office of Emergency Services said heavy rains are expected to begin Wednesday night, with the heaviest precipitation on Thursday, lasting through Friday.
Rainfall totals could range from 3 to 8 inches, according to the updated forecast. Areas of the county along the Northshore and in the Cobb area are expected to have the highest precipitation amounts.
The Lake County Office of Emergency Services warned that the heavy rain could lead to excessive runoff on local creeks and streams, flooding, and ponding of water in urban areas, highways, streets and underpasses as well as other poor drainage areas and low lying spots. Country roads and farmlands along the banks of creeks, streams and other low lying areas are subject to flooding.
County residents also are advised to ensure their emergency supply kits are ready and available in case of power outages, keep trees trimmed and yard debris to a minimum, protect areas vulnerable to flooding with sandbags, and secure items such as lawn furniture, trash cans, hanging plants, or anything else that can be picked up by the wind and become a projectile.
Those needing information on sandbags can find more information here: bit.ly/131TbUM .
On Tuesday, Pacific Gas and Electric said it was implementing its emergency preparedness plans and utilizing advanced technology to be ready to restore service to impacted customers safely and as quickly as possible.
PG&E crews are prepared and ready to respond to power outages as soon as weather conditions permit the safe restoration of power. The utility also is prepositioning contract power restoration and vegetation management crews.
PG&E urged customers to have a personal or family preparedness plan in place.
In order to ensure safety, PG&E said low-hanging or downed power lines should always be treated as if they are energized and extremely dangerous. If you see damaged power lines or electrical equipment, call 911 immediately and then notify PG&E at 1-800-743-5002.
Those impacted by power outages also are urged to use battery-operated flashlights – not candles – due to the risk of fire, and to unplug or turn off all electrical appliances to avoid overloading circuits and to prevent fire hazards when power is restored.
One lamp can be left to as an alert when power returns. When power is restored, PG&E said it's best to turn your appliances back on one at a time.
During and after a storm, area residents also are urged to keep away from flooded areas and downed trees, as these areas could be hiding an energized power line.
For additional storm, power outage and power line safety information, visit http://www.pge.com/en/safety/naturaldisaster/stormsoutagessafety/index.page .
Email Elizabeth Larson at
KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – The fourth event of the Lake County Poet Laureate Reading Series takes place this Friday, Dec. 12, and will feature the poetry of Lake County Poet Laureate Emerita Sandra Wade.
The reading, which begins at 6:30 p.m., will take place at the Riviera Common Grounds Coffee House at 9736 Soda Bay Road, Kelseyville.
Presented by current Lake County Poet Laureate Casey Carney and Common Grounds proprietor Andrea Williams, the series is held on the second Friday of each month through April and is designed to showcase local poetry by presenting each of Lake County’s eight poet laureates in sequence, along with a guest poet and musician.
Admission is free, with a $5 suggested donation.
The poet laureate is an official appointment by a government or conferring institution for the purpose of promoting poetry in that jurisdiction. These appointments occur from local to national levels.
In Lake County, the two-year position began in 1998 with the appointment of Jim Lyle. In 2006, Sandra Wade was selected as the fourth poet laureate of Lake County.
Wade – who is well known as a driving force in the development and promotion of the Lake County literary and artistic communities – currently lives in Hailsham, England.
Wade’s poetry will be read by her longtime friends Jacqueline Farley and Fran Ransley, both of whom are valuable contributors to the Lake County arts and literary communities.
Born in Hertfordshire, England, Wade came to Lake County in 1970, settling in Lower Lake in 1977.
During her 44 years as a Lake County resident, Wade served as president of the Lake County Writer’s Guild, helped publish the Wildflower Press, Clear Lake Clarion and Lake Currents magazines, and was instrumental in helping to establish the Lake County Arts Council in the early 1980s.
Selected as Lake County’s poet laureate in 2006, Wade encouraged creative writing and open mics throughout the county, spearheaded the Poetry Out Loud program in local high schools, and represented Lake County by attending statewide gatherings of poets laureate, and the convention of United Poets Laureate in Montgomery, Alabama.
Wade was instrumental in the creation and growth of KPFZ 88.1 FM, the county’s first FCC-licensed, listener-supported radio station, serving as a board member and board president, and hosting “Accent on Words,” a weekly literature program.
According to KPFZ founder and Station Manager Andy Weiss, “Sandra was always a great lover of community radio – because community radio is composed of unique sounds and ideas – both of which she embraced. She brought those qualities to the early days and the seeding of KPFZ.”
Wade’s poetry is described as ranging from the elegiac to the political, and from the spiritual to the nuts and bolts of living.
Her poetry has been published in numerous literary journals and magazines, and can be read online at http://lakecountyartscouncil.com and at www.poetslane.net .
Wade currently is participating and promoting poetry in her community. As a committee member for the annual Hailsham Festival of Arts and Culture, she introduced the first ever Poetry Contest for 2014, as she did for the Lake County Fair back in the 1970s.
Wade also continues to pursue her 33-year career as a massage therapist and yoga instructor, and is active the 12-step recovery community, as she was in Lake County.
The Dec. 12 reading also will feature guest poet David Agasi from Middletown and guest musician Herb Gura of Clearlake Oaks.
Casey Carney is the current Lake County poet laureate.