News

A Monday report released by the state said gasoline and diesel prices surged in California in January 2012 while consumption dropped.

According to a report released today by the California State Board of Equalization (BOE), gasoline prices jumped 10.6 percent to an average of $3.75 a gallon, while consumption declined 3.2 percent compared to a year ago.

“Higher gasoline prices are challenging for every Californian and leading to tough choices about fuel consumption,” said BOE First District Member Betty T. Yee, whose constituency includes Lake County.

In California, diesel fuel prices were up 15.2 percent to $4.10 as consumption decreased 5.4 percent in January from a year earlier, the report showed.

Diesel consumption, used largely by commercial transportation, often reflects the pace of economic activity such as imports and exports through California ports, supply and demand conditions in residential and nonresidential construction, and agriculture, according to the report.

Nationally, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) reported that the average price of a gallon of gasoline was up 9.2 percent to $3.44 in January from a year ago. The EIA also reported that the national average price of a gallon of diesel was up 13.0 percent to $3.83 in January from a year earlier.

The high price of gasoline was a primary factor in the rise in consumer prices. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported in January 2012 that its consumer price index rose 2.9 percent in January 2012 from a year earlier.

Consistent with using less gasoline, the Federal Highway Administration data show a 1.2 percent decline in vehicle miles traveled by Californians in January 2012 from a year earlier.

California gasoline and diesel fuel figures are net consumption, including audit assessments, refunds, amended and late tax returns, and the State Controller’s Office refunds.

BOE, which is able to monitor gallons through tax receipts paid by fuel distributors in California, updates the fuel reports at the end of each month.

Fuel statistics and reports are available at www.boe.ca.gov/sptaxprog/spftrpts.htm .

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Pacific Gas and Electric Co. reported Monday that it has paid franchise fees and property taxes of almost $286 million to the 49 counties and 243 cities in which it operates, with more than $1.1 million paid to Lake County's three local governments.

The 2011 franchise fee payments total more than $138 million – nearly $41 million for natural gas and more than $97 million for electric service. This sum is $582,308 more than last year’s payments.

Franchise fees are payments that PG&E makes to cities and counties for the right to use public streets for its gas and electric facilities.

PG&E’s property tax payments of $148 million cover the period from Jan. 1 to June 30, 2012. Total payments for the fiscal year 2011-2012 were $296 million.

The company’s property tax payments to counties for tax year 2011-12 increased by $14.6 million over the previous year’s payments as a result of an increase in assessments reflecting PG&E’s infrastructure investments and an overall increase in tax rates.

Property taxes paid to North Coast counties include Sonoma, $4,102,467.81; Humboldt, $1,830,956.53; Mendocino, $1,015,188.27; and Lake, $563,381.46, totaling $7,511,994.07.

Franchise fees paid for electric services to the county of Lake totaled $397,727.19, while the city of Lakeport received $32,570.41 and Clearlake received $123,153.09.

Payments to Lake County and the cities of Lakeport and Clearlake for franchise fees and property taxes totaled approximately $1,116,832.10.

The full list of PG&E franchise payments to all North Coast cities and counties follows.    
    
City/County     Electric     Gas     Grand Total
Arcata         $64,272.80     $46,791.37     $111,064.17
Blue Lake     $5,426.11     $5,024.05     $10,450.16
Clearlake     $123,153.09         -       $123,153.09
Cloverdale     $29,957.02     $17,837.45     $47,794.47
Cotati        $52,675.84     $16,065.60     $68,741.44
Eureka     $143,325.31     $92,195.37     $235,520.68
Ferndale     $6,208.93                -       $6,208.93
Fort Bragg     $37,792.80                  -       $37,792.80
Fortuna     $36,670.10     $28,569.88     $65,239.98
Healdsburg     $6,143.11     $35,550.17     $41,693.28
Lakeport     $32,570.41                   -       $32,570.41
Petaluma     $267,205.93     $162,460.01     $429,665.94
Point Arena     $5,354.98           -       $5,354.98
Rio Dell     $23,715.92     $6,530.82     $30,246.74
Rohnert Park     $285,386.31     $82,293.43     $367,679.74
Santa Rosa     $689,714.05     $401,323.93     $1,091,037.98
Sebastopol     $38,584.86     $23,561.88     $62,146.74
Sonoma     $53,389.11     $36,953.02     $90,342.13
Trinidad     $8,411.33                   -       $8,411.33
Ukiah         $2,705.89     $42,921.70     $45,627.59
Willits         $59,634.71     $16,036.30     $75,671.01
Windsor     $189,155.20     $56,068.70     $245,223.90
Humboldt Co. $493,775.59     $103,535.69     $597,311.28
Lake County     $397,727.19     -         $397,727.19
Mendocino Co. $493,258.14    $39,826.29     $533,094.33
Sonoma County     $1,056,644.71     $242,960.03     $1,299,604.74
Grand Total     $4,602,859.44     $1,456,515.69     $6,059,375.13

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – For many people in need, minor home repairs can prove challenging, either physically, financially, or both. A new nonprofit corporation – Hammers for Hope – has formed to provide free and low-cost home repairs and upgrades to those in need in Lake and Sonoma counties.

The mission of Hammers for Hope is to assist seniors, low-income individuals and families, and people with disabilities in making minor home repairs to improve comfort and safety.

“Our hope is that we can make things a little easier for people,” said Mark Borghesani, Hammers for Hope’s chief financial officer and president and general manager for Kelseyville Lumber. “If we can help by installing a wheelchair ramp to make it easier for someone to get around their house or upgrading windows to make a drafty house warmer, that’s what we want to do.”

The primary focus of the program is to assist with short-term home repair projects under $5,000 in materials and labor.

Examples of repair projects include minor roof repairs, painting, weatherproofing and insulation, and minor carpentry, electrical, and plumbing repairs, as well as installation of wheelchair access ramps.

Hammers for Hope is a collaborative effort made possible by the work of local contractors and community volunteers with major funding provided by Calpine Corp. and assistance from Kelseyville Lumber.

Upon learning about the program, several local contractors have stepped forward to pledge their support, many lowering their costs and, in some cases, volunteering much of their time and talent to make a project happen.

“The goal is to make the funds go as far as possible, and we can do that with local volunteer help, in-kind support, and donations,” said Danielle Matthews Seperas, Hammers for Hope’s vice president and manager of government and community affairs for Calpine Corp. “We want to reach as many people in our community as we can.”

Project eligibility will be determined based on several factors, including the applicant’s need, the type and extent of repairs, the availability and ability of volunteers and/or contractor crews, and available funds. Proof of income and other documentation may be required.

“If it weren’t for the generosity and community commitment of Calpine, Kelseyville Lumber, and our local contractors, none of this would be possible,” said Rob Brown, Hammers for Hope’s president. “Each of these businesses understands the importance of giving back to those in need and has made the commitment to helping others right here in our own community.”  

For more information about Hammers for Hope or to apply for assistance, donate, or volunteer, call 707-349-2628.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Young cats and a kitten are at the county's animal shelter, waiting for homes.

The cats available this week range in age from 11 weeks to 2 years.

Cats that are adopted from Lake County Animal Care and Control are either neutered or spayed and 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.

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”).

Male orange tabby

This male orange tabby is 6 months old.

He has a short coat, gold eyes and has been neutered.

Find him in cat room kennel No. 1, ID No. 32499.

Black domestic short hair mix kitten

This female domestic short hair mix is 11 weeks old.

She weighs nearly 2 pounds and has been spayed.

She is in cat room kennel No. 52b, ID No. 32501.

‘Tilly’

Tilly is a 10-month-old female domestic short hair mix.

She is a brown tabby, and has not yet been spayed.

She is in cat room kennel No. 126, ID No. 32385.

Black female short hair

This black domestic short hair mix is 1 year old.

She weighs 8 pounds and has been spayed.

Find her in cat room kennel No. 13, ID No. 32378.

Gray female tabby

This gray female tabby is 2 years old.

She has a short coat, weighs 7 pounds and has been spayed.

She is in cat room kennel No. 16, ID No. 32431.

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, 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.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection – or Cal Fire – has announced burn permits are required effective Tuesday, May 1.

Burn permits are required for any type of open burning in the State Responsibility Areas (SRA) of Sonoma, Lake, Napa, Solano, Yolo and Colusa counties.

State Responsibility Areas are generally the unincorporated, rural, grass, brush and timber covered lands of California.

Cal Fire burn permits requirements are in addition to any air quality control district and local fire agency permits.

It is the responsibility of anyone planning to have a control burn to ensure they meet all permit requirements.  

Lake County has a countywide ban on open burning beginning May 1.  Some open burning exemptions may be granted for agricultural burning.  Contact the Lake County Air Quality District at 707-263-7000 for burn ban information in Lake County.  

Anyone conducting open burning must adhere to all burning regulations on their permit.  Failure to maintain control of a fire may lead to the permit holder/ landowner being held responsible for fire suppression cost, fines and civil damages.    

Basic requirements include continual monitoring of the open fire by a responsible adult, at least 10 foot clearance to bare mineral soil around the burn pile and adequate control resources (tools, water, etc.).  Opening burning should not be conducted when winds exceed 10 miles per hour.

Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit Chief Tim Streblow reminds local residents to be mindful regarding open burning.

“It will only take a few weeks of warm weather and spring winds to dry out the grasses and transition us into peak fire season,” Streblow said.

Streblow encourages property owners living in the SRA to maintain a defensible space around their homes and outbuildings.

Cal Fire's mandatory state law requires 100 feet of defensible space around all structures.

MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – Community members in a Middletown neighborhood were shaken up by two Friday night fights, one of which involved gunfire.

The fights – one at around 6 p.m. and one at about 11 p.m. – occurred in the area of Lincoln and Wardlaw, according to area residents.

Staff at Store 24 on Calistoga Road, near where the fights took place, reported hearing the two fights, but did not see them.

The second fight is alleged to have involved gunfire, according to witness Sharon Dawson.

Messages left for Lake County Sheriff Frank Rivero and his administrative staff were not returned on Saturday.

Dawson, who lives on Wardlaw, returned home from work at around 10:30 p.m. Friday, and was on the phone with a friend when the confrontation outside of her home got started.

It was her dogs’ behavior that initially concerned her. “They got real low in stealth mode, and started to growl,” she said.

Dawson said it was pitch black, due to the street light not working, but she could still make out figures. “I saw a couple kids on bikes and bodies moving around.”

She also saw a large vehicle, which she believed was an SUV or a van.

Dawson said she heard a lot of yelling, and she went outside to yell at the group to try to break up what was happening.

“One of them yelled at me, ‘Sharon, get back in the house, they have a gun,’” Dawson said.

At about the same time she saw what she believed was a small two-door car drive by.

Dawson yelled at the boys to come in the house to safety. They refused. So Dawson, who had spotted a teenage girl with the group, grabbed the girl and brought her inside, taking her to the middle of the house, away from the windows.

While this was taking place, Dawson’s friend who she had been talking to on the phone called the sheriff’s office.

Within three to four minutes, Dawson said she and the girl heard two loud “pops,” which were shots from a gun. The girl wanted to go outside to help her boyfriend but Dawson said she kept her in the house.

No one appeared to have been injured by the gunfire, according to Dawson’s account.

Within 15 minutes sheriff’s deputies arrived, rushing down Lincoln and then Wardlaw, then slowly driving through the area, Dawson said. Two deputies also were on foot in the area, and a California Highway Patrol unit and another deputy were at Store 24.

“They were on it,” said Dawson.

During the subsequent investigation, Dawson said sheriff’s deputies found shell casings by her garden, a few feet from where the teenage girl had been standing in her yard before she took her in the house.

Dawson didn’t witness the initial fight earlier in the evening – which reportedly involved more than a dozen people with several people assaulted – but she said it had frightened her neighbors.

Dawson said she was told by the teenagers at the scene that the suspects who shot at the group were from Clearlake, and that the shooting had been connected to the earlier fight.

Clearlake Police Sgt. Dominic Ramirez said his agency had received information from Central Dispatch that the suspects in the shooting incident were from Clearlake.

“We received a be on the lookout notice,” he said.

Ramirez didn’t have other details on the incident, which is under the sheriff’s jurisdiction.

Some of Dawson’s neighbors did not want to speak to Lake County News about the incident out of concerns over the potential for retaliation. Lake County News could not reach another neighbor for comment on Saturday evening.

Dawson, who has lived in the area for 25 years, said Friday’s violence was something new for her neighborhood.

“It’s peaceful here as a rule,” she said.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .