How to resolve AdBlock issue? 
News
NICE, Calif. – Caltrans’ new roundabout project in Nice is expected to be functional within the next several days.
Construction on the $4.6 million project – located at the intersection of Highway 20 and the Nice-Lucerne Cutoff, just west of Nice – began in May. Granite Construction of Ukiah is the contractor.
Caltrans spokesman Phil Frisbie said the project is on track to be completed this winter.
Drivers have been detoured around the construction onto Stokes Road since July 23.
However, this Friday or next Monday, the detour is set to be removed, according to Frisbie.
“The roundabout will be functional at that point,” he said in an email to Lake County News. “There will still be some restrictions for people entering the highway from Pyle Road, but that 'leg' will be fully tied in over the next few weeks.”
When it’s complete, Caltrans said the project also will include sidewalks, enhanced drainage and median islands to create pedestrians access across the highway.
Caltrans undertook the project to address the intersection’s collision rate – five times higher than the statewide average for similar intersections – as well as to slow traffic and reduce vehicle emissions.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
SACRAMENTO, Calif. –The California Highway Patrol (CHP) will observe National Child Passenger Safety Week during the week of Sept. 16-22 by conducting child safety seat events throughout the state.
During these events, CHP personnel will assist the public by demonstrating the proper way to install an infant or child’s safety seat and will perform safety inspections for all children in the vehicle who are required to be in a safety seat or a seat belt.
“Children depend on adults to keep them safe. For this reason, we are committed to providing parents in communities throughout the state with this free service to help ensure their child’s safety on the road,” said CHP Commissioner Joe Farrow.
Hundreds of children are killed or injured every year in California as a result of safety seats that are improperly fastened by parents or caretakers.
The most recent annual statistics show that 18 of 25 children under the age of eight who were killed in a collision were not properly restrained, and 467 children under the age of eight were injured.
California’s new child passenger safety seat law, which went into effect January 1, 2012, requires children to ride in the back seat of a vehicle, in either a car seat or booster seat, until the age of 8, or until they are 4 feet 9 inches in height.
“Our goal as a traffic safety agency is to ensure every person, regardless of age, is safe on the road,” added Commissioner Farrow. “The first step in making that a reality is for every person in the vehicle to buckle up, every time.”
Parents are invited to call their local CHP Area office to make an appointment with a child safety seat technician for a free car seat inspection.
Call the CHP’s Clear Lake Area office in Kelseyville at 707-279-0103.
LAKEPORT, Calif. – The wildland fire burning northwest of Lakeport remains on track to be fully contained by this coming weekend, officials said Wednesday.
The Scotts Fire remained at 4,618 acres, with containment up to 80 percent on Wednesday night, Cal Fire reported.
The cause of the fire, burning since last Friday on North Cow Mountain between Scotts Creek and Scotts Valley Road, remains under investigation.
Cal Fire is still anticipating having the fire fully contained on Saturday.
Three injuries have occurred on the incident so far, Cal Fire said.
More firefighters were being released on Wednesday, with 1,231 personnel, 86 engines, 48 fire crews, three helicopters, 13 bulldozers and 21 water tenders assigned.
The Bureau of Land Management said Wednesday that the Cow Mountain Recreation Area is expected to remain closed until next week due to the firefighting effort.
The incident management team remains based at the Lake County Fairgrounds in Lakeport, where the Lakeport Speedway's weekend races were canceled due to the base camp's presence, as Lake County News has reported.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake County officials have reopened Lampson Field to general aviation traffic after closing it last weekend due to the Scotts Fire.
The County Administrative Office announced that the airport had reopened as of 8 a.m. Wednesday.
Lampson Field airport had been closed to general aviation for three days in order to support aerial fire suppression efforts for the Scotts Fire, which on Wednesday morning remained at 4,618 acres, with containment at 75 percent.
The Scotts Fire began early Friday afternoon at the north end of Cow Mountain, west of Scotts Valley Road and east of Ukiah.
Cal Fire has used the airport as its helibase, according to Incident Commander Eric Hoffman.
Officials had implemented the closure at 7 a.m. last Sunday. It had been set to continue for five days unless modified.
The closure did not affect REACH Air Ambulance, which continued operations from Lampson Field.
Pilots using Lampson Field should be aware of an advisory caution through Thursday afternoon due to continued presence of fire equipment, with most of the activity concentrated near the taxiway, county officials reported.
MENDOCINO COUNTY, Calif. – Mendocino County Sheriff’s officials said this week that an agency K9 died while in training.
The Tuesday report from Liz Evangelatos of the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office said sheriff’s K9 “Morgan” died during training on Aug. 20.
Evangelatos said Morgan died at a facility operated by the department's contract K-9 trainer.
Morgan was engaged in narcotics detection training with his handler at the time he began to show signs of distress, she said. In the time it took for his handler to describe the animal's symptoms to a veterinarian, Morgan had died.
Officials suspect that Morgan died from an accidental ingestion of methamphetamine, Evangelatos said.
Morgan, a 15-month-old German Shepherd that had been imported from the Czech Republic, went into service with the department on Feb. 12 and was assigned to Deputy Sheriff Joey DeMarco, according to Evangelatos.
Evangelatos said Morgan was being trained for patrol work and detection of methamphetamine, heroin, marijuana, cocaine and MDMA.
Deputy DeMarco is one of the most experienced K-9 handlers in the department and has been a leader in the MCSO K-9 Unit since its inception over 20 years ago, Evangelatos said .
Morgan was not only a part of the MCSO family, but a treasured member of the DeMarco family as well. Deputy DeMarco is coping with the loss given how fast he bonded with his K-9 partner, she said.
Morgan is the first MCSO K-9 Deputy to die in either a training accident or field deployment since the origination of the Mendocino MCSO K-9 Program in the 1980s, according to Evangelatos. The training methods used had been in place for more than 25 years without incident.
Sheriff Allman has ordered a review of MCSO K-9 training protocols and is committed to ensuring the safety of the agency’s service dogs, she said.
Evangelatos said Morgan will be remembered as courageous, loving and loyal.
LAKEPORT, Calif. – Firefighters continued to make advances on a wildland fire burning northwest of Lakeport on Tuesday.
Cal Fire said the Scotts Fire remained at 4,618 acres, with containment rising to 70 percent by Tuesday night.
The fire has been burning since last Friday on North Cow Mountain, between Scotts Creek and Scotts Valley Road. The cause remains under investigation.
The Tuesday night report said containment lines had been constructed around the fire’s perimeter, with firefighters working on active fires within the perimeter area.
Fire suppression repair operations have begun and will continue in the fire area for several weeks, Cal Fire said.
The number of personnel on scene was reduced by about 140 on Tuesday, with a total of 1,480 on scene by nightfall. Resources included 151 engines, 44 fire crews, four helicopters, 13 bulldozers and two water tenders, Cal Fire said.
Cal Fire expects the fire to be fully contained by Saturday.
Email Elizabeth Larson at