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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The Lake County Air Quality Management District said air quality in the county will continue to be impacted until later this week due to fires to the north.
Smoke impacts to Lake County, which began over the weekend, are from the Six Rivers Lightning Complex fire and other minor regional fires throughout Northern California, the district reported.
The Six Rivers Complex, currently made up of three individual wildfires having burned 19,272 acres and 17% containment.
The Air Quality Management District said air monitor readings throughout Lake County on Monday showed “moderate” air quality levels.
All areas of Lake County have experienced moderate to unhealthy air quality on Monday. However, the air quality forecast through Thursday will range from “moderate” (AQI of 51-100) to “unhealthy for sensitive groups” (AQI of 101-151), and intermittently areas may experience “unhealthy” air quality for all.
Areas at lower elevations expected to experience the most smoke impacts in the morning hours, with higher elevations likely to experience impacts throughout the day. Expect fluctuating periods of poorer air quality.
Late this week, forecasts indicate a chance of improving conditions. This district said this smoke forecast is based on the latest weather, monitoring, fire activity information and will be updated as necessary.
The district is actively monitoring the smoke impacts throughout the county. Additionally, you may go to www.lcaqmd.net and follow the quick links for air monitoring for current smoke and air quality conditions.
Concentrations of smoke may vary depending upon location, weather, elevation, and time of day. Smoke from wildfires and structure fires contain harmful chemicals that can affect your health. Smoke can cause eye and throat irritation, coughing, and difficulty breathing.
People who are at greatest risk of experiencing symptoms due to smoke include: those with respiratory disease (such as asthma), those with heart disease, young children, and older adults.
These sensitive populations should stay indoors and avoid prolonged activity. All others should limit prolonged or heavy activity and time spent outdoors. Even healthy adults can be affected by smoke. Seek medical help if you have symptoms that worsen or become severe.
Follow these general precautions to protect your health during a smoke event:
• Minimize or stop outdoor activities, especially exercise.
• Stay indoors with windows and doors closed as much as possible.
• Do not run fans that bring smoky outdoor air inside — examples include swamp coolers, whole-house fans, and fresh air ventilation systems.
• Run your air conditioner only if it does not bring smoke in from the outdoors.
• Change the standard air conditioner filter to a medium or high efficiency filter. IF available, use the “recirculate” or “recycle” setting on the unit.
• Do not smoke, fry food, or do other things that will create indoor air pollution.
If you have lung disease (including asthma) or heart disease, closely monitor your health and contact your doctor if you have symptoms that worsen. Consider leaving the area until smoke conditions improve if you have repeated coughing, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, wheezing, chest tightness or pain, palpitations, nausea, unusual fatigue and lightheadedness.
Localized areas of unhealthy air quality are possible throughout this fire season. Take appropriate measures whenever smoke is present.
LAKEPORT, Calif. — The Lake County Fair is just around the corner.
Opening day is Thursday, Sept. 1, with gates opening at 6 p.m., starting with the Blue-Ribbon Dinner where they will introduce Grand Marshal Jane Alameda.
Highlights Thursday evening include the second annual “Guns N Hoses” event. Can Fire beat Law this year? It will surely be entertaining as local law enforcement squares off against local fire in some hilarious games coordinated by Capt. Chris Chwialkowski from the Lake County Sheriff’s Office.
Friday’s fun headliner will be Mud Drags, sponsored by Twin Pine Casino & Hotel at 7 p.m. Anyone can enter at https://wgasmotorsports.com/registration/.
Also, don’t forget the Mr. & Miss Lake County Fair toddler contest at 6 p.m. and the themed floral contest at 5:30 p.m.
Starting the Labor Day Weekend off right, Saturday, is the Junior Livestock Auction with brunch at 10 a.m. and auction at noon.
The grandstand headline is the famous boat races, so come cheer on the Shark Car or participate in family karaoke.
Sunday will be Fiesta Day, sponsored by Lake County Tribal Health featuring a Jaripeo in the grandstands with bulls, dancing horses and bandas and Lake County Idol on Fiesta lawn.
This will be a fantastic fair with lots of local music, two carnivals (the kiddie carnival is back), amazing food and our own hometown community exhibits.
All grandstand events are free with admission.
Presale tickets at local businesses now or at the fair office, Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. or Tuesday and Thursday, from 1 to 5 p.m.
There will be extra free parking during the fair at Tribal Health with an afternoon shuttle by Anytime Rides.
“Social Security has been a promise to our country’s workers and their families for generations to reward them for decades of hard work,” said Thompson. “This year’s anniversary is yet another reminder of the longevity of the program and the importance of ensuring its solvency for years to come. That’s why I am a proud cosponsor of Social Security 2100 to enhance benefits and improve the cost-of-living adjustment for every beneficiary.”
Thompson said 145,474 constituents in his district receive Social Security benefits every year, “and we must ensure these benefits keep up with the needs of beneficiaries.”
Thompson continued, “Each month, Social Security pays $236 million in benefits to people in our district. That money, in large part, is spent in our district. This program is not only vital to our seniors, but to their families and our local economy as well. As our nation combats the COVID pandemic and addresses rising prices, we must enhance and protect the program American workers pay into with each and every paycheck.
“While Democrats are working to protect and expand Social Security, extreme MAGA Republicans have unveiled a plan to end Social Security and Medicare in five years. They have also proposed raising taxes on middle class families, which would make it even harder for Californians to prepare for retirement.
“Social Security beneficiaries are made up of our brothers and sisters, our mothers and fathers, and our children. Unjustified attempts to end the program as we know it will target some of our country’s most vulnerable communities, including seniors, women, people of color, and people with disabilities. Countless retirees, widows, and their children rely on their well-earned Social Security funds to survive. I will always be committed to fighting to protect Social Security in Congress,” he said.
Social Security was established on Aug. 14, 1935, when President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Social Security Act into law. This provided for a new federally administered insurance program for the elderly.
It started off as old-age insurance for individuals, but has grown into a cornerstone of American life, providing comprehensive benefits for retirees and persons with disabilities and their families.
Congressman Mike Thompson represents California’s Fifth Congressional District, which includes all or part of Contra Costa, Lake, Napa, Solano and Sonoma counties.
The Research Brief is a short take about interesting academic work.
The big idea
The world’s largest multinational tobacco companies are advertising cigarettes to kids near playgrounds and schools in 42 majority low- and middle-income countries. That’s the key finding of our recently published paper.
Through our on-the-ground data collection at 19,500 points of sale, we identified tobacco industry advertising and promotions demonstrating four common tactics. These include displaying cigarettes near snacks, sweets and sugary drinks; placing cigarette advertisements near children’s eye level; marketing flavored cigarettes through ads and/or product displays; and selling single cigarette sticks.
We collected data on how cigarettes are marketed and sold within 250 meters, or about 820 feet, of one or more schools and/or playgrounds in more than 100 cities around the globe. The locations included most capital cities and spanned Africa, Asia, Central America, Europe, North America and South America.
Our findings correspond with similar research conducted in high-income countries. Taken together, our research and that of others suggests that in the absence of strong restrictions and enforcement, the tobacco industry is employing similar marketing strategies all around the world with what we believe is the specific intention to attract and addict children and youth.
Why it matters
Many jurisdictions throughout the world have implemented laws prohibiting advertising of tobacco products on radio, television and billboards. As a result, comparably less restricted point-of-sale opportunities have become a critical component of tobacco company marketing strategies. This includes the “Big Four” global giants: Philip Morris International, British American Tobacco, Japan Tobacco International and Imperial Tobacco.
Previous research has established that in the face of advertising restrictions, the tobacco industry will refocus its marketing efforts – and dollars – on unregulated channels such as the point of sale. Tobacco companies themselves have acknowledged the effectiveness of the point-of-sale channel, developing effective marketing strategies and resources geared toward maximizing potential sales. Tobacco companies provide incentives to retailers to market their products in this manner.
Our findings, summarized below, show that the tobacco industry uses point-of-sale advertising widely, and consistently targets youth.
• In 90% of the countries we studied, cigarettes were displayed near junk food or sugary drinks, including some self-serve displays within children’s reach.
• We found ads or displays promoting flavored cigarettes, which are known to appeal to minors, in 76% of the countries we studied.
• Stores selling tobacco in 78% of countries sold single cigarettes, making the product more affordable.
• Points of sale in all 42 majority low- and middle-income countries displayed cigarette advertising at kids’ eye level, featuring “Big Four” tobacco products or ads.
Research is clear that kids who are frequently exposed to tobacco advertising and promotion at points of sale have higher odds of trying smoking and are more likely to be susceptible to smoking in the future compared to those who are less frequently exposed. Smoking kills 8 million people worldwide each year and is the leading cause of preventable death.
Experts have also established links between point-of-sale advertising and smoking-related behaviors and beliefs, like misperceptions that smoking is less harmful than it really is and a lower likelihood of quitting smoking.
What’s next
Our work focused on what consumers see and did not differentiate between products that were on sale legally versus those sold illicitly.
The World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, an international treaty ratified by 182 parties and covering more than 90% of the world’s population, recommends a variety of evidence-based strategies to counteract these marketing tactics. These include comprehensive bans on tobacco advertisement, promotion and sponsorship, plain tobacco packaging, large graphic health warnings on tobacco packs, bans on single-stick cigarette sales, and regulation of flavors.
Jennifer Brown, Researcher in Public Health, Johns Hopkins University
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — An Upper Lake man has entered a plea in a 2020 homicide as part of an agreement with the Lake County District Attorney’s Office.
On Friday, Christopher Jon McDonald, 45, pleaded no contest to first-degree murder for the killing of 48-year-old John Turner Dickerson of Nice, said Deputy District Attorney Daniel Flesch.
Flesch said McDonald is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 26.
McDonald is facing a stipulated 25 years to life when sentenced. Andrea Sullivan, McDonald’s defense attorney, told Lake County News that McDonald will be eligible for parole.
The plea came ahead of McDonald’s trial, which was scheduled to begin on Wednesday, Flesch said.
“Had Mr. McDonald gone to trial and lost, he could’ve faced 50 years to life, because of California’s 25 year to life enhancement for great bodily injury events or deaths resulting from a firearm,” Sullivan told Lake County News in an email.
“Additionally, a prosecutor can add a special circumstance allegation at any time prior to trial. If that were to occur, and Mr. McDonald was convicted, he would have been sentenced to life In the state prison without the possibility of parole,” Sullivan said.
Dickerson reportedly came to Lake County from the East Coast. His badly decomposed remains were found in the Mendocino National Forest on Aug. 9, 2020, as Lake County News has reported.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office said the remains were believed to have been in the forest for several weeks by the time they were discovered.
An autopsy that took place the same week that the remains were recovered determined they were those of Dickerson, and that he had died from a gunshot wound.
The investigation led to a search warrant service at McDonald’s property and, in early May 2021, the sheriff’s office obtained an arrest warrant for McDonald, who was taken into custody shortly after the warrant was issued.
At the time of McDonald’s arrest, authorities did not disclose a possible motive for the killing.
However, Flesch told Lake County News that it was “likely a drug deal gone bad.”
Flesch said Dickerson had allegedly “lost” 30 pounds of marijuana that belonged to McDonald.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
The council will meet at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 16, in the council chambers at Lakeport City Hall, 225 Park St.
The agenda can be found here.
The council chambers will be open to the public for the meeting. Masks are highly encouraged where 6-foot distancing cannot be maintained.
If you cannot attend in person, and would like to speak on an agenda item, you can access the Zoom meeting remotely at this link or join by phone by calling toll-free 669-900-9128 or 346-248-7799.
The webinar ID is 973 6820 1787, access code is 477973; the audio pin will be shown after joining the webinar. Those phoning in without using the web link will be in “listen mode” only and will not be able to participate or comment.
Comments can be submitted by email to
On Tuesday, City Manager Kevin Ingram will ask the council to award a construction contract to Builder Solutions Inc. for the Lakefront Park Project in the amount of $4,399,381, and authorize Ingram to execute the construction contract subject to legal review.
The contract originally had been on the council’s July 19 agenda, but it had been pulled due to a bid protest filed by the other bidder, Granite Construction Co., on July 18 over Builder Solutions’ failure to provide the Public Works Contractor Registration number for themselves and all the subcontractors, Ingram wrote in his staff report.
Ingram said staff has determined this fact was immaterial because they were able to confirm the numbers through the California Department of Industrial Relations’ online registration portal.
He said the city researched all the claims made by Granite as well as those in a letter from the Construction Industry Force Account Council and a bid “advisory” from the Foundation for Fair Contracting.
Staff is recommending awarding the bid in the amount of $4,499,381 to Builder Solutions, Ingram said.
Builder Solutions has a business model that utilizes a professional employment organization, which leases employees to the company as a form of “co-employment,” so Building Solutions itself claims no employees.
As a result, Ingram said staff is recommending the city hire a labor compliance consultant using the city’s consultant procurement policy to mitigate potential for violations and claims. That will cost an estimated $100,000.
Also on Tuesday, Public Works Superintendent Ron Ladd will ask the council to adopt the resolution approving the Forbes Creek Neighborhood Improvement Project Study and authorize the city manager or designee to implement this plan.
The council also will hold a public hearing to introduce proposed text amendments to the city’s sign ordinance, which Community Development Director Jenni Byers said will allow signs to be seen from State Route 29 for Major Centers, as well as clarify the maximum height requirements for signage.
Utilities Superintendent Paul Harris also will give an update on current drought conditions and review existing water conservation measures and seek council direction to begin the development of a comprehensive drought response plan.
In other business, Police Chief Brad Rasmussen will present the 2022 police after action report on the Independence Day fireworks operations and the council will consider approving the purchase of a utility truck for the Park Department.
On the consent agenda — items usually accepted as a slate on one vote — are ordinances; minutes of the regular council meeting on Aug. 2; warrants; adoption of a resolution authorizing continued remote teleconference meetings of the Lakeport City Council and its legislative bodies pursuant to Government Code section 54953(e); approval of event application 2022-023, with staff recommendations, for the 2022 Climb Out of the Darkness event; approval of event application 2022-022, with staff recommendations, for the City Wide Sidewalk Sale; authorize the city manager to sign a three-year purchase agreement with Cartegraph Systems LLC; cancellation of the regular City Council meeting on Oct. 4 and approve the participation of the city of Lakeport in the National Night Out event, with street closures and the Gazebo reserved for the event.
Email Elizabeth Larson at