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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – A big group of shepherd mix puppies are joining a variety of other mixed-breed dogs available at the Lake County animal shelter this week.
In addition to the shepherds, there are Labrador Retrievers, Shap Peis and a German Shepherd, boxer and fox terrier mixes, and more in a variety of sizes, ages and temperaments.
Dogs that are adopted from Lake County Animal Care and Control are either neutered or spayed, microchipped and, if old enough, given a rabies shot and county license 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 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 dogs at the Lake County Animal Care and Control shelter have been cleared for adoption (additional dogs on the animal control Web site not listed are still “on hold”).
Female Shar Pei mix
This female Shar Pei mix is 9 months old.
She has a short tan coat, weighs almost 30 pounds and has been spayed.
You can find her in kennel No. 5, ID No. 36465.
Toy fox terrier mix
This female toy fox terrier mix is 1 year old.
She has a medium-length tricolor coat, weighs 11 pounds and has been spayed.
Find her in kennel No. 8, ID No. 36659.
Male boxer mix
This male boxer mix is 2 years old.
He has a short brown brindle and white coat, weighs 47 pounds and has been neutered.
He’s in kennel No. 9, ID No. 36409.
Labrador Retriever mix
This male Labrador Retriever mix is 2 years old.
He has a short brown coat and weighs 112 pounds. He has been neutered.
Find him in kennel No. 10, ID No. 36407.
Labrador Retriever mix
This female Labrador Retriever mix is 3 years old.
She has a short gold coat, weighs 82 pounds and has been spayed.
She's in kennel No. 15, ID No. 36675.
Male shepherd mix
This male shepherd mix is 3 years old.
He has a short red coat, weighs 79 pounds and has been neutered.
He's in kennel No. 16, ID No. 36505.
Female shepherd mix pup
This female shepherd mix is 11 weeks old.
She has a short red tan and black coat, weighs 17 pounds and has been spayed.
She's in kennel No. 18a, ID No. 36609.
Female shepherd mix pup
This female shepherd mix is 11 weeks old.
She has a short tan and black coat, weighs 17 pounds and has been spayed.
She's in kennel No. 18b, ID No. ID: 36610.
Female shepherd mix pup
This female shepherd mix is 11 weeks old.
She has a short tan and black coat, weighs 17 pounds and has been spayed.
She's in kennel No. 18c, ID No. ID: 36611.
Female shepherd mix pup
This female shepherd mix is 11 weeks old.
She has a short tan and black coat, weighs nearly 17 pounds and has been spayed.
She's in kennel No. 20a, ID No. ID: 36612.
Female shepherd mix pup
This female shepherd mix is 11 weeks old.
She has a short tan and black coat, weighs 17 pounds and has been spayed.
She's in kennel No. 20b, ID No. ID: 36613.
Female shepherd mix pup
This female shepherd mix is 11 weeks old.
She has a short tan and black coat, weighs 17 pounds and has been spayed.
She's in kennel No. 20c, ID No. ID: 36614.
'Boom Boom'
“Boom Boom” is a 3 year old German Shepherd mix.
He has a long tan and black coat, weighs 92 pounds and has been neutered.
Find him in kennel No. 24, ID No. 36721.
Pit bull terrier-shepherd mix
This male pit bull terrier-shepherd is 1 year old.
He has a short tan and black coat and weighs 48 pounds. It was not reported if he has been altered.
He's in kennel No. 25, ID No. 36577.
Male pit bull terrier mix
This male pit bull terrier mix is 1 year old.
He has a short white and brown coat, weighs 60 pounds and has not yet been neutered.
Find him in kennel No. 34, ID No. 36701.
Please note: Dogs listed at the county 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, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday. The shelter is open from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and on Saturday from 1 p.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
Astronomers using NASA's Hubble Space Telescope have found compelling evidence of a planet forming 7.5 billion miles away from its star, a finding that may challenge current theories about planet formation.
Of the almost 900 planets outside our solar system that have been confirmed to date, this is the first to be found at such a great distance from its star.
The suspected planet is orbiting the diminutive red dwarf TW Hydrae, a popular astronomy target located 176 light-years away from Earth in the constellation Hydra the Sea Serpent.
Hubble's keen vision detected a mysterious gap in a vast protoplanetary disk of gas and dust swirling around TW Hydrae. The gap is 1.9 billion miles wide and the disk is 41 billion miles wide.
The gap's presence likely was caused by a growing, unseen planet that is gravitationally sweeping up material and carving out a lane in the disk, like a snow plow.
The planet is estimated to be relatively small, at 6 to 28 times more massive than Earth. Its wide orbit means it is moving slowly around its host star. If the suspected planet were orbiting in our solar system, it would be roughly twice Pluto's distance from the sun.
Planets are thought to form over tens of millions of years. The buildup is slow, but persistent as a budding planet picks up dust, rocks, and gas from the protoplanetary disk.
A planet 7.5 billion miles from its star should take more than 200 times longer to form than Jupiter did at its distance from the sun because of its much slower orbital speed and the deficiency of material in the disk. Jupiter is 500 million miles from the sun and it formed in about 10 million years.
TW Hydrae is only 8 million years old, making it an unlikely star to host a planet, according to this theory. There has not been enough time for a planet to grow through the slow accumulation of smaller debris. Complicating the story further is that TW Hydrae is only 55 percent as massive as our sun.
“It's so intriguing to see a system like this,” said John Debes of the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, Md. Debes leads a research team that identified the gap. “This is the lowest-mass star for which we've observed a gap so far out.”
An alternative planet-formation theory suggests that a piece of the disk becomes gravitationally unstable and collapses on itself. In this scenario, a planet could form more quickly, in just a few thousand years.
“If we can actually confirm that there's a planet there, we can connect its characteristics to measurements of the gap properties,” Debes said. “That might add to planet formation theories as to how you can actually form a planet very far out.”
The TW Hydrae disk also lacks large dust grains in its outer regions. Observations from the Atacama Large Millimeter Array in Chile show dust grains roughly the size of a grain of sand are not present beyond about 5.5 billion miles from the star, just short of the gap.
“Typically, you need pebbles before you can have a planet. So, if there is a planet and there is no dust larger than a grain of sand farther out, that would be a huge challenge to traditional planet formation models,” Debes said.
The team used Hubble's Near Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer (NICMOS) to observe the star in near-infrared light.
The researchers then compared the NICMOS images with archival Hubble data and optical and spectroscopic observations from Hubble's Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS). Debes said researchers see the gap at all wavelengths, which indicates it is a structural feature and not an illusion caused by the instruments or scattered light.
The team's paper was published online June 14 in The Astrophysical Journal.
LOWER LAKE, Calif. – A man died and a woman was seriously injured when their vehicle went off Highway 29 and hit a power pole early Saturday evening.
The crash, involving a four-door sedan that hit a power pole on Highway 29 just north of Manning Flat, occurred shortly before 5:20 p.m., according to the California Highway Patrol.
Shortly before the crash, witnesses reported the car had been traveling at around 100 miles per hour and was passing other vehicles in an unsafe manner.
When the sedan hit the power pole the pole was sheered off, but didn't knock the wires completely to the ground, according to Kelseyville Fire Engineer/Paramedic DJ Kennedy.
At about the same time Lake County News received reports from area residents that their power went off.
The female was ejected from the vehicle and the male was trapped inside it, according to radio reports.
Kelseyville Fire, Lake County Fire and Cal Fire units responded, arriving to find both crash victims still alive and breathing, scanner reports stated.
The incident commander called for two air ambulances, assessing the victims as having major injuries, according to radio traffic. A landing zone was set up at Kit's Corner for REACH and CalStar air ambulances.
There also were reports to the California Highway Patrol of a possible third victim, but emergency personnel could not locate another crash victim at the scene and so a third air ambulance that was being called was canceled.
A short time later, medical personnel at the scene reported the male patient had died, which Kennedy later confirmed, and the CalStar air ambulance was canceled, based on reports from the scene.
REACH 6 reported lifting off with one patient for Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital at about 6 p.m.
Additional information will be posted as it becomes available.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
LAKEPORT, Calif. – With a chance to see Twice As Good and the mud bogs for only a $5 admission ticket, a strong crowd turned out for opening night of the inaugural Lake County Spring Fair.
“With nothing to compare to it's hard guess what a new event will do, but we're quite pleased with the first night,” said Lake County Fair Chief Executive Officer Richard Persons.
Officials are hoping for more of the same on Saturday and Sunday. In addition to the carnival, musical acts, and grandstand racing activities, the weekend afternoons will also feature a car show shine spread throughout the fairgrounds.
Antique, classic and custom car owners are invited to the fair both afternoons. Cars with drivers and one passenger will be admitted between noon and 2 p.m. through the C Street entrance to the fairgrounds.
Weekend events in the grandstand arena include tuff truck, buggy and ATV races on Saturday evening, and an invitational auto race on Sunday evening. All grandstand shows start at 7:30 p.m.
Local participants are also encouraged all three nights, and entry can be made through Lakeport Speedway at 707-279-9577.
On Saturday, the Theater Main Stage will host the Lake County Diamonds, playing several sets throughout day. The stage hosts the Mark Weston Band on Sunday. The Mediacom Gazebo Stage will host the Cherry Road Gang for several sets all three days.
In addition to the musical acts, Fill-up the Clown will be strolling the grounds performing magic tricks, creating balloon animals, and generally creating laughter. A face painter will be active near the carnival entrance from the grandstands area.
Other activities at the Lake County Spring Fair include the Midway of Fun carnival, a home and garden pavilion, the car show, and vocational education exhibits. A variety of food, a laser tag building, and various commercial displays round out the event.
Spring Fair gates open each day at 2pm, and admission is $5 per person for ages six and older. Children under six are free. Carnival unlimited ride wristbands will be $25 each at the Fair. Parking is $5 per car, and benefits the Kelseyville High School softball program.
More information about the Lake County Spring Fair can be found at www.lakecountyfair.com or at the fair's Facebook page.
MENDOCINO NATIONAL FOREST, Calif. – Officials said Friday night that the largest of 15 lightning-caused fires on the Mendocino National Forest was nearing full containment.
The Daves Fire remained at 300 acres Friday night, with containment having more than doubled to reach 70 percent during the day, according to a forest report.
It was found on the Grindstone Ranger District Wednesday afternoon following hundreds of lightning strikes earlier in the week.
Late Friday, approximately 670 personnel were committed to the incident, which since Friday morning has been under the command of the Northern California Interagency Team 2.
Officials said fire crews made good progress on Friday, continuing to construct and strengthen line and initiating mop up to 50 feet within the fire perimeter.
Steep slopes and poor access continue to challenge firefighters. Additionally, severe drought conditions exist across California, resulting in drier, more receptive fuels and high potential for increased fire intensity and a faster rate of spread, officials said.
The fire has resulted in the temporary closure of County Road 55/ Forest Road M4 southwest of Paskenta, including Black Bear Camp, and Forest Road M9 from County Road 313 west to Log Springs. Officials said a temporary flight restriction is in effect for the area around the fire.
Forest officials said the incident is on track to be fully contained on Monday, June 17.
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – Spearheading efforts to dismantle sex trafficking networks in California, state Attorney General Kamala Harris on Friday announced the arrest of four individuals accused of pimping young women in a network of brothels located in Northern California.
The arrests are the culmination of a five-month investigation into an organized prostitution ring that trafficked women from Boston and New York to brothels located in residential areas of Sacramento and San Mateo counties.
Once in Northern California, the defendants rotated the women between their brothels on an organized schedule.
“Sex trafficking rings like the one we dismantled yesterday destroy the lives of young women and degrade the social fabric of our communities,” said Attorney General Harris. “I am committed to using all of the law enforcement tools at my disposal to bring to justice those who profit from the cruel and depraved business of sex trafficking.”
On Thursday night, agents with the California Department of Justice’s Bureau of Investigation, with the assistance of the Sacramento Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, served arrest and search warrants at multiple locations in Sacramento and San Mateo counties.
As a result of the sweep, four individuals operating the brothels were charged with pimping and/or pandering: Xiu Juan Bai, 43, Sacramento County; Ken Wong, 58, Sacramento County; Yoon Chin, 55, Sacramento County; and Zhi Liu, 49, San Mateo County.
The charges in the complaints are only allegations and the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless they are proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
The operation was part of an ongoing campaign by Attorney General Harris to investigate, prosecute and punish sex traffickers in California.
Last year, Attorney General Harris released “The State of Human Trafficking in California.” The report outlines the growing prevalence of the crime of human trafficking in the state, the increasing involvement of sophisticated transnational gangs in perpetrating the crime and the modern technologies that traffickers use to facilitate it.
The report was released at a Human Trafficking Leadership Symposium, where Attorney General Harris was joined by leaders from law enforcement, victim service groups, non-government organizations, and other groups to share the best strategies and tactics to use in the fight against forced labor and sex trafficking.
Attorney General Harris regularly convenes law enforcement officials in the state to discuss how to recognize, investigate and prosecute human trafficking cases.
Last month, three defendants in a human trafficking ring in which women from Mexico were used as prostitutes in five Northern California cities were sentenced to three years in jail.
For more information on human trafficking, go to: http://www.oag.ca.gov/human-trafficking .