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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — Lake County Behavioral Health Services invites residents to join in spotlighting Transgender Awareness Week, which takes place Nov. 13 to 19, and Transgender Day of Remembrance on Sunday, Nov. 20.

Transgender Day of Remembrance was first observed in 1999 and is now recognized in more than 20 countries. This day honors Rita Hester, a transgender woman who was murdered in Allston, Massachusetts in 1998.

On Nov. 20, we remember transgender individuals who have lost their lives.

The Human Rights Campaign documented 57 “violent fatal incidents against transgender and gender non-conforming people” in 2021 — the highest number since their monitoring began in 2015, and more than 2.7 times the 2015 and 2016 totals.

HRC reports at least 32 such instances have been documented in 2022, thus far.

The week prior to Transgender Day of Remembrance, Transgender Awareness Week seeks to “help raise the visibility of transgender people and address issues members of the community face.”

“At Behavioral Health Services, we ensure our doors are open to all, regardless of gender identity,” states Todd Metcalf, director of Lake County Behavioral Health Services. “We embrace and celebrate differences, offering a haven of safety and security. The majority of people we serve have experienced some sort of trauma. Transgender and gender non-conforming people are too often targeted with violence, and we must create safe places to heal.”

Mental health challenges are common. In fact, about one in five Americans are currently living with a mental illness such as anxiety or depression.

Unfortunately, in the transgender community, that number is much higher. A cross-sectional analysis of electronic health record data published in 2019 found diagnoses of mood disorders (e.g. depression, bipolar disorder) among transgender patients five times more prevalent than in the general population.

More than 80% of transgender individuals have considered suicide and over 40 percent have attempted suicide, with suicidality highest among transgender youth.

Homelessness is also a critical issue for transgender people. In November 2021, the White House’s Interagency Working Group on Safety, Opportunity, and Inclusion for Transgender and Gender Diverse Individuals reported, “One in three transgender adults [had] experienced homelessness.”

Mental health issues can be exacerbated by a transgender or gender non-conforming individual’s response to stigma, discrimination, lack of acceptance and abuse faced on a regular basis.

For many, having to deal with discrimination results in heightened stress responses, which can lead to depression and/or anxiety. Beyond threats to psychological wellbeing, transgender people are at far greater risk of experiencing violence and death.

Lake County Behavioral Health Services provides recovery-oriented mental health, substance use disorder and homeless services to those in need.

For more information, please contact Lake County Behavioral Health Services at 707-274-9101 or 707-994-7090.

If you are a transgender person of any age, support is also available via the Trans Lifeline, at 877-565-8860. Visit https://translifeline.org/ for more information.

The effort to build a new monument commemorating Native Americans in California’s capital took another step forward on Monday.

Assemblymember James C. Ramos (D-Highland), Sacramento-area tribal leaders and other dignitaries on Monday broke ground in Sacramento’s Capitol Park for a monument honoring Native Americans on whose ancestral the Capitol now sits.

The groundbreaking comes as the state and nation celebrate Native American Heritage Month.

California has a greater number of Native Americans than any other state, and tribal leaders noted that the new tribute is a welcome, if long overdue, acknowledgment.

Ramos — the first California Native American elected to the Legislature since statehood 172 years ago — introduced AB 338 in 2021, which authorized erection of the monument.

He authored the measure after the removal of the Junipero Serra sculpture.

The new statue will stand where the Serra sculpture was located.

Capitol Park’s newest memorial will highlight respected Miwok leader and cultural dancer, the late William Franklin.

Franklin, played a critical role in preserving Miwok dances and traditions and helped build three Northern California roundhouses, dedicated spaces for Native Americans ceremonies, songs, dances and gatherings.

Sacramento sculptor Ronnie Frostad will undertake the design of the project.

“Once this new monument is completed, it will serve to remind students and all visitors to this historic Capitol Park that Native Americans lived on this land — and cared for it — long before California statehood and its preceding eras,” Ramos said.

“It is truly a momentous occasion to finally have a depiction of California’s first inhabitants on Capitol grounds,” said Wilton Rancheria Tribal Chairman Jesus Tarango, who also is a bill sponsor. “Our people have lacked representation for far too long on our own lands, but this moment is a step in the right direction for all California Indigenous people.”

"In our culture it is customary to show appreciation and gratitude when invited to another nation's ancestral homelands. This is a monumental moment for all of California’s First People – to have the ability to not only share a rendering but to share our culture, resiliency and legacy of survival shown by our ancestors,” said Andrea Reich, chairwoman of the Tuolumne Band of Me-Wuk Indians.

Lloyd Mathiesen, chairman of the Chicken Ranch Rancheria Tribal Council, added, “After 200 plus years the native people of this land will be represented at our state capital.”

AB 338 sponsors included six Northern California tribes: Wilton Rancheria, Buena Vista Rancheria of Me-Wuk Indians, Chicken Ranch Rancheria of Me-Wuk Indians, Ione Band of Miwok Indians, Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians and the Tuolumne Band of Me-Wuk Indians.

Other bill supporters included Nashville-Enterprise Miwok-Maidu-Nishinam Tribal Council, Paskenta Band of Nomlaki Indians, Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians, San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation, The Yurok Tribe, Mechoopda Indian Tribe of Chico Rancheria, Northern Chumash Tribe San Luis Obispo County and Region, the Coyote Valley Band of Pomo Indians, Central California Tribal Chairs Associations, California Tribal Business Alliance, Tribal Alliance of Sovereign Indian Nations and the California Nations Indian Gaming Association.

LUCERNE, Calif. — The Lucerne Area Town Hall will meet at 6 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 17.

The meeting will take place at the Lucerne Hotel, 3700 Country Club Drive.

It also will be available via Zoom; the meeting ID is 932 6070 2591, pass code is 071816.

On the agenda is a discussion about crime in Lucerne.

The group also will discuss county Maintenance Issues Within The Lucerne Community Growth Boundary.

LATH on Thursday also will discuss the need for a definite date from the county for the dredging of the harbor at Lucerne Harbor Park. This is the group’s second request of the county to provide a date for the project, which has been delayed numerous times over the last four years.

Other items include updates from the Northshore Fire Protection District and the Lake County Sheriff’s Office.

The council includes Chair Kurt McKelvey, Vice Chair Jason Mohon, Secretary Rebecca Schwanger, and members Kevin Waycik and Melanie Lim.

The California Department of Public Health, or CDPH, on Monday reported the first death of this winter season of a child under the age of 5 due to flu and respiratory syncytial virus, also known as RSV.

Young children are most vulnerable to severe complications from RSV and the flu, especially if they have underlying medical conditions or were born premature.

To protect patient confidentiality, no additional information, including where the death occurred, is being released at this time.

“Our hearts go out to the family of this young child,” said State Public Health Officer and CDPH Director Dr. Tomás Aragón. “This tragic event serves as a stark reminder that respiratory viruses can be deadly, especially in very young children and infants. We are entering a busy winter virus season — with RSV, flu and COVID-19 spreading — and urge parents and guardians to vaccinate their children as soon as possible against flu and COVID-19. It’s also important to follow basic prevention tips like frequent hand washing, wearing a mask, and staying home when sick to slow the spread of germs.”

To help address the current and anticipated further surge in hospitalizations from an early winter virus season, CDPH issued new Guidance for Response to Surge in Respiratory Viruses among Pediatric Patients.

The guidance, in part, allows health facilities to reconfigure space as needed to accommodate patient surge.

In addition, CDPH is recommending that all health care facilities, including inpatient and outpatient facilities without existing pediatric services, explore short-term measures to expand capacity for evaluation and treatment of pediatric patients.

Vaccines continue to be the most effective tool to limit the risk of severe illness and death from circulating winter viruses. Vaccinating an entire household against flu and COVID-19 helps boost immunity and lowers the risk of severe outcomes from these viruses. It will also keep hospital beds open for those who need urgent medical attention.

The 2022–2023 RSV season began earlier than usual, with activity rapidly increasing throughout October. Usually, activity rises in December and peaks in February.

On Oct. 3, CDPH released a health advisory addressing both this early activity and the use of the preventative antibody treatment palivizumab in eligible high-risk infants. An updated health advisory was sent to health facilities on Nov. 12.

Overall influenza and COVID-19 activity is increasing in California.

CDPH encourages all Californians to follow these five tips to protect themselves and others from severe illness and hospitalization:

• Get vaccinated, boosted and treated if you test positive. Flu and COVID-19 vaccines continue to be your best defense to limit severe illness and death – and you can get both at the same time. If you test positive for COVID-19, contact your doctor or a test-to-treat site immediately to seek treatment. Treatments for flu and COVID-19 work best when started soon after symptoms begin.

• Stay home if you’re sick! It’s crucial to stay home if you are feeling ill. Avoid close contact with others to protect them, and take the time you need to heal. This is especially important for respiratory viruses like the flu, RSV and COVID-19, which can lead to more severe illness.

• Wear a mask. There is no vaccine for RSV, so wearing a mask can significantly slow the spread and protect babies and young children who do not yet have immunity and are too young to wear a mask themselves. Wearing a mask in indoor public places is a good way to limit the spread of germs.

• Wash your hands. Frequent handwashing, with soap and warm water — for at least 20 seconds, is an easy and very effective way to prevent getting sick and spreading germs.

• Cover your cough or sneeze. Remember to cough or sneeze into your elbow, your arm, or a disposable tissue to help prevent the spread of winter viruses. Just make sure to wash your hands or sanitize and dispose of your tissue after.

For more information about the flu, visit the CDPH Influenza Resource page. To find a flu or COVID-19 vaccine location near you, visit My Turn - California COVID-19 Vaccine Scheduling & Notifications.

Safety is a two-way street. First responders are on our state’s highways aiding people along roadsides, but also rely on safe drivers to protect them when they are clearing crashes or responding to other incidents.

To raise awareness about the safety of first responders, the California Highway Patrol, California Department of Transportation, or Caltrans, and California Office of Traffic Safety, or OTS, are joining to promote “Crash Responder Safety Week” beginning today.

Nearly every week throughout the country, a first responder is killed while helping clear a roadway crash, and many more sustain life-altering injuries.

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration established this week to bring attention to the dangers of working at traffic incidents and to promote compliance with “Move Over” laws.

Crash Responder Safety Week reminds drivers to safely move over for crash responders or slow down when approaching crash scenes if it is unsafe to change a lane.

California’s “Move Over” law has been in effect for 15 years, but nearly 25% of people surveyed by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety were unaware there was a Move Over law in their state.

The lives of crash responders — law enforcement, fire and rescue, emergency medical services, public works, transportation, towing and other roadway workers — are put at risk due to speeding, distractions, and careless drivers.

These personnel provide critical aid as first responders and are called to duty at all hours of the day and night, in adverse weather conditions, and next to traffic moving at high speeds.

In California, from 2017 through 2021, three CHP officers were killed and 146 injured — nine severely — while on the freeway shoulder or median performing their job.

Nationally, in 2019 alone, 11 officers were struck and killed while conducting traffic stops or other law enforcement activity, accounting for 41% of all emergency responders killed on the job.

In addition, five officers were struck and killed while working motor vehicle crash scenes, and two officers were killed while assisting motorists with disabled vehicles.

Also in 2019, 14 tow truck operators and three mobile mechanics, and nine fire/EMS personnel were struck and killed by vehicles, according to the Emergency Responder Safety Institute.

“Each day our officers put their own safety at risk conducting traffic enforcement duties, investigating a crash, or assisting the public alongside our busy freeways statewide,” said CHP Commissioner Amanda Ray. “Tragically, many have been killed or injured merely performing their job. This week and throughout the year, we strive to raise awareness of these risks so our personnel return home safely to their families each day.”

“First responders work tirelessly and risk their own safety to save lives at collision scenes,” said Caltrans Director Tony Taveras. “We need motorists to do their part to protect responders by slowing down, moving over a lane, and staying alert when approaching traffic incidents.”

“First responders put themselves in harm’s way to help strangers,” said OTS Director Barbara Rooney. “But they also have loved ones who need them to come home. We want drivers to understand the risks that they take every day, and the importance of slowing down and moving over for first responders so they can do their job safely.”

Motorists should be extra careful when approaching flashing emergency lights — red, blue and amber — on stopped emergency vehicles working at roadway incidents.

Avoid distractions like phones while driving and don't drive if you're tired or have been drinking or are under the influence of any drugs.

Help protect the first responders who are working to protect you and other motorists on the highway.

For more information about Caltrans safety campaigns, visit BeWorkZoneAlert.com.

CLEARLAKE, Calif. — The Clearlake Police Department said a woman reported missing on Sunday has been located.

Angelina Trisha Fagundo, 34, was reported overdue on the way home to Clearlake from the Vacaville area.

Police said Monday Fagundo was located.