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Representatives Mike Thompson (CA-5), chair of the House Gun Violence Prevention Task Force, Alan Lowenthal (CA-47) and Elizabeth Esty (CT-5) on Thursday introduced a House Resolution that calls for renewed congressional action in dealing with the ever-growing impact of gun violence on American communities.
The legislation is endorsed by the Newtown Action Alliance.
The House Resolution expresses that gun violence is a public health issue and commits Congress to enacting by the end of the 113th Congress common sense steps to curb gun violence without hindering Americans’ Second Amendment rights.
The House Resolution is as follows:
“Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that gun violence is a public health issue and Congress should enact by the end of the 113th Congress comprehensive Federal legislation that protects the Second Amendment and keeps communities safe and healthy, including expanding enforceable background checks for all commercial gun sales, improving the mental health system in the United States, and making gun trafficking and straw purchasing a Federal crime.”
“When more than 30 people a day are killed by someone using a gun, inaction isn’t an option,” Thompson said. “Congress needs to act and we need to start by passing my bipartisan bill to expand comprehensive and enforceable background checks to all commercial firearm sales so that criminals, terrorists and domestic abusers can’t bypass the background system by going to a gun show or buying a gun online with no questions asked.”
“There is no need to lay out another statistic about the prevalence of gun violence. It is, as we are seeing on the news on almost a weekly basis, a public health epidemic,” Lowenthal said. “The only thing more heartbreaking than the damage gun violence has done to families across our nation is the fact that Congress has failed to do anything meaningful about it.”
“It’s simply shameful that Congress has not acted to pass commonsense gun violence prevention reform despite the overwhelming support of the American people,” Esty said. “More than a year after the horrific murders at Sandy Hook Elementary School in my district, the price of political inaction is unacceptable and inexcusable.”
Of the dozens of bills introduced in the 113th Congress that aimed to reduce the prevalence of gun violence, none of them have been brought to the House Floor for a vote.
Reps. Thompson, Lowenthal and Esty are members of the Gun Violence Prevention Task Force, chaired and established by Rep. Thompson in December 2012.
Rep. Esty represents the town of Newtown, Conn., which experienced the massacre of 20 children and six adults at Sandy Hook Elementary on Dec. 14, 2012.
Thompson represents California’s Fifth Congressional District, which includes all or part of Contra Costa, Lake, Napa, Solano and Sonoma counties.
NORTH COAST, Calif. – The 11th and final science grant was announced Thursday to collect ecological information on mid-depth and deep-water (65 – 1,650 feet) ecosystems inside and outside North Coast marine protected areas, or MPAs.
The project will use remotely operated vehicles to survey these often inaccessible and thus difficult to monitor habitats.
“This project adds an important component to the program because it includes habitats that sustain California’s recreational and commercial fisheries,” said Erin Meyer, an associate scientist from the California Ocean Science Trust, one of the collaborating partners launching this program.
“As we work in partnership with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, California Ocean Protection Council, and California Sea Grant to steward this program, we are excited to broaden the range of projects and scientific information that are part of this important baseline program,” Meyer said.
“As a member of the North Coast community, I'm excited about the opportunity to explore deep-water habitats in the region's MPAs,” said Andy Lauermann, with Marine Applied Research and Exploration and the ROV project lead. “Having surveyed California's other MPA regions, I have learned to expect the unexpected. I look forward to sharing new discoveries from seafloor ecosystems in my own backyard.”
This project is part of a comprehensive baseline monitoring program for the North Coast region.
Scientists, fishermen, tribal governments, and citizen groups from 32 organizations will work together to develop a baseline of ocean conditions and human uses.
Over the course of the next three years, projects will monitor habitats inside and outside MPAs including kelp forests, rocky shores and beaches as well as commercially important fish populations and iconic seabirds.
Projects also will document human uses and the socioeconomic dimensions of MPAs, including changing patterns of fishing and recreational ocean use, and examine patterns of ocean currents across the whole region.
These awards are the culmination of 18 months of collaborative planning, informed by extensive input from the North Coast community and tribal governments.
Many local organizations and institutions, tribal governments (four projects), and commercial and recreational fishermen (six projects) will participate in the program.
“I’ve invested many years of my life supporting community partnership-building during the MPA creation process for the North Coast region. I look forward to volunteering with the collaborative fisheries project to help contribute data that will show the benefits, or not, of the MPAs. The ocean is my church; I want to see that it stays healthy,” said Brandi Easter, member of the North Coast Regional Stakeholder Group and North Coast community liaison.
"The importance of long and short-term monitoring is extremely valuable to the overall management of our marine resources. Throughout the entire scoping and Request for Proposals process, the focus has been on what's best for our coastal environment. With the research projects now funded we can begin the work necessary to take the pulse of the habitats and species that are invaluable to people and, ultimately, the planet," said Bill Lemos, member of the North Coast Regional Stakeholder Group and North Coast community liaison.
Baseline MPA monitoring provides a benchmark against which future MPA performance can be measured, and a more thorough understanding of the condition of ocean ecosystems and ocean-based human activities.
This information is vital to help inform adaptive management and guide long-term MPA monitoring. It provides a foundation for science-informed decision making on ocean issues including fisheries management and climate adaptation.
The North Coast region encompasses approximately 1,027 square miles of state waters from the California/Oregon border south to Alder Creek near Point Arena in Mendocino County.
A regional network of 20 MPAs and seven Special Closures went into effect on Dec. 19, 2012, completing California’s redesigned statewide network.
The North Coast MPA Baseline Program is overseen by a partnership among the California Ocean Protection Council, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, California Ocean Science Trust and California Sea Grant. The announced projects were solicited through a public call for proposals and selected through a competitive peer-review process.
Visit www.oceanspaces.org to view descriptions of the awarded projects, receive news and updates about the baseline program and learn more about California’s statewide network of MPAs.
KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – Kelseyville businesses have been alerted to a burglary suspect who broke into a Main Street store on Wednesday night.
Kelseyville's Napa Auto Parts, located at 3576 Main St., was the target of the break-in, according to store owner Deanne Padel.
Padel said the burglary occurred at about 9 p.m. Wednesday and involved a single male subject.
“He busted in the front glass door,” Padel told Lake County News.
The responsible subject, captured on surveillance footage, was wearing a green-hooded sweatshirt, white painter pants, a mask and gloves. Padel estimated he was about 6 feet tall and weighed 220 pounds.
Padel said he repeatedly kicked and pried out the store's front door window and wasn't deterred either by the cameras or the alarm system.
The subject, who appeared to know where the cameras were located, made off with $700 in cash, Padel said.
Padel said the subject parked next door to her business, at either at the car wash or Premier Auto Body. She didn't have information on the type of vehicle he was driving.
The break-in is being investigated by the Lake County Sheriff's Office, Padel said.
Padel also owns the Lakeport Napa Auto Parts store, where a box truck was stolen on Tuesday morning. The truck was recovered later that morning in Nice through the efforts of the Lakeport Police Department and California Department of Fish and Wildlife officers.
Sara Nelle Hendrix, 30, of Kelseyville was arrested for stealing the truck, being under the influence of a controlled substance and possessing drug paraphernalia, according to police.
Padel said her Clearlake store was burglarized several months ago, with a Clearlake Police investigation later recovering the stolen items.
Anyone with information about the break-in or who has seen a suspicious subject at Kelseyville-area businesses should call the Lake County Sheriff's Office at 707-262-4200.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lakeport Police officers on Tuesday recovered a truck stolen from a Lakeport business and arrested a Northshore woman for the theft.
Lakeport Police Chief Brad Rasmussen said officers arrested Sara Nelle Hendrix, 30, of Kelseyville after the vehicle was found in Nice.
Rasmussen said officers were dispatched to Napa Auto Parts, located at 1015 S. Main St., at 8 a.m. Tuesday to investigate the report of a stolen company box truck.
He said that upon their arrival the officers learned that store employees were conducting business operations and had the box truck unlocked with the keys in the vehicle.
Several minutes later, the employee associated with the vehicle found that it was gone and immediately called the police, Rasmussen said.
Rasmussen said Lakeport Police issued a “be on the lookout” for the truck to Lake County law enforcement.
At approximately 9 a.m., the Lakeport Police Department was notified that California Department of Fish and Wildlife officers located the box truck on Highway 20 in Nice, Rasmussen said.
The Fish and Wildlife officers stopped the vehicle and detained the driver and only occupant, identifying her as Hendrix, according to Rasmussen.
Rasmussen said Lakeport Police officers responded to the location and arranged for the return of the vehicle to Napa Auto staff, then arrested and booked Hendrix into the Lake County jail.
Her booking sheet listed charges including a felony count of taking a vehicle without the owner's consent, with bail set at $15,000. She also was remanded on misdemeanors of being under the influence of a controlled substance and possession of controlled substance paraphernalia.
She remained in custody late Wednesday, according to jail records.
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – Obtaining a driver license is a rite of passage for teenagers. However, the reward of being a new driver comes with a real risk.
Traffic collisions are the leading cause of death for teens in the United States, taking the lives of an average of eight teenagers every day.
The chance of a teen being involved in a collision is at a lifetime high within the first two years of driving.
The California Highway Patrol developed, “Start Smart,” a program specifically designed to address newly licensed teen drivers and their parents.
“Through interactive educational programs like ‘Start Smart,’ the CHP is working to influence California’s teen drivers so they develop good driving habits early,” said CHP Commissioner Joe Farrow. “Accidents do happen, but collisions are avoidable.”
“Start Smart,” is a free class, offered at local CHP offices throughout the state.
During each two-hour “Start Smart” class, testimonials are provided by both CHP officers who have investigated fatal collisions involving teens, and parents whose children have been killed in collisions.
CHP officers also discuss collision avoidance techniques, collision causing elements, driver responsibilities, seat belt restraints, proper decision making, as well as parental roles and responsibilities.
During the 2012-13 grant year, the CHP presented 787 “Start Smart” classes impacting 38,183 teenagers along with their parents or guardians.
The CHP also conducted 563 “Start Smart” traffic safety presentations impacting 61,136 people.
“Our goal is to have teenagers and their parents leave the class more aware, more educated, and better prepared,” added Commissioner Farrow. “Our ‘Start Smart’ program has had a positive impact on thousands of parents and teens throughout the state.”
Parents and teenagers can sign up for a “Start Smart” class by contacting their local CHP office. To locate a CHP office near you, visit www.chp.ca.gov .
Officer Kory Reynolds of the Clear Lake Area office said local classes are expected to take place beginning in the late spring.
Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
AccuWeather.com reports that though Punxtawney Phil has a few more days to prognosticate the next six weeks, the AccuWeather.com long-range forecasting team already predicts that the nation will be split in half: cold and snow will linger in the Northern states, while spring will get an earlier start in the southern half.
Wintry weather is forecast to hold longest across the the Great Lakes, Northeast and mid-Atlantic.
Cold air masses and a few snowstorms will continue to impact the regions as late as March before the winter season comes to an end.
A steady stream of warmth may not arrive for cities from Detroit to Boston and New York City until mid- to late spring.
“For the next six weeks in the Northeast, we're going to be dealing with some pretty good cold coming down out of northern Canada,” AccuWeather.com Lead Long-Range Forecaster Paul Pastelok said.
“I still think there's going to be a few systems of significance before the winter season is over with,” Pastelok added.
Similarly, snow and shots of cold air will persist across the northern Plains and Upper Midwest.
The best chances for an early spring will be found in the Southwest. Below-normal snowpack and dry conditions will contribute to a mild end of winter.
California, Nevada, Utah and Arizona, where severe drought conditions persist, will warm early. Area farther east, into Colorado, New Mexico, Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas, will begin feeling spring's warmth in March.
A slower transition to spring will sweep the nation's midsection, however, from Washington across the central Plains and down to the interior Southeast.
Florida will mark the exception, where a quick warmup is in store.
Spring flooding versus drought concerns
There is a slight chance for spring flooding for the Tennessee Valley and lower Ohio Valley. Above-normal snowfall has fallen across the Ohio Valley this winter so far, and potentially more wet systems in the forecast could result in a moderate rise in rivers and streams.
On the other side of the spectrum, little improvement is coming for the dire drought situation in the West.
Pastelok believes March could usher in some rain for California, but the impact will be minimal and the situation will remain serious moving forward, with no significant relief in sight.
As of Jan. 21, more than 60 percent of the West was experiencing moderate to exceptional drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.
Earlier this month, the San Francisco National Weather Service office called the situation a phase of drought “largely unseen by many alive today.”
Dryness also will prevail in Florida through the springtime, though the situation will be far less severe than in the West.
According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, portions of the state are abnormally dry for late January. Since Oct. 1, Orlando, Fla., has received less than 30 percent of the city's normal rainfall for the period.
“I do feel they'll get a little bit of rain going forward in the next few weeks; however, I think they could back in a dry pattern before they actually get into their wet season in June,” Pastelok said.
Severe weather threats
After a below-normal severe weather season in 2013, this year is forecast to follow suit.
“Last year's severe weather season was a quiet season,” Pastelok said. “A lot of it had to do with a lot of cold, stable air in place and I see that same situation setting up for this year.”
While the season is anticipated to be below normal, it will be more eventful than 2013.
A few episodes of severe weather are possible in the Gulf Coast, where some severe tornado outbreaks occurred in 2013, Pastelok warns.
“I think you have to be concerned there again this year,” he said.
Justin Roberti writes for www.accuweather.com .