News

CLEARLAKE, Calif. — Are you looking for a new best friend for your family? Clearlake Animal Control has many dogs waiting to fill that role.

The City of Clearlake Animal Association also is seeking fosters for the animals waiting to be adopted.

Another way to help is through donations. A wish list has been posted at Amazon and on Chewy. For those who wish to shop local and drop off items, call 707-273-9440 to schedule a delivery or donate at the association’s Facebook page.

Call the Clearlake Animal Control shelter at 707-273-9440, or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to inquire about adoptions and schedule a visit to the shelter.

Visit Clearlake Animal Control on Facebook or on the city’s website.

‘Andy’

“Andy” is a male pit bull terrier mix with a short gray and white coat.

He is dog No. 5150.

‘Bear’

“Bear” is a male American Staffordshire terrier mix with a short brown coat.

He has been neutered.

He is dog No. 3476.

‘Bella’

“Bella” is a female pit bull mix with a short brindle coat.

She is dog No. 5080.

‘Blue Eyed Jack’

“Blue Eyed Jack” is a male German shepherd mix.

He is dog No. 5046.

‘Edgar’

“Edgar” is a male American Staffordshire terrier mix with a short black and cream coat.

He is dog No. 5189.

‘Mara’

“Mara” is a female Rottweiler mix.

She has a short black and tan coat.

He is house-trained.

She is dog No. 4628.

‘Mitzy’

“Mitzy” is a female shepherd mix with a medium-length black and white coat.

She is dog No. 4648.

‘Sassy’

“Sassy” is a female American bully mix with a short black coat.

She has been spayed.

She is dog No. 4602.

‘Tanisha’

“Tanisha” is a female shepherd mix with a short orange and white coat.

She is dog No. 4647.

‘Terry’

“Terry” is a male Dutch shepherd mix with a smooth brindle coat.

He is dog No. 4880.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — Forecasters are predicting windy and dry conditions in the coming days which could increase fire conditions, with the potential for rain to arrive next week.

The National Weather Service is forecasting dry weather with cool mornings and above average afternoon temperatures through the weekend.

Breezy conditions over ridgetops are expected through Friday, with the forecast noting that the dry air and winds would increase the fire danger for the ridges of eastern Mendocino County and eastern and southern Lake County.

The windy, dry and warm conditions in neighboring Sonoma and Napa counties led the National Weather Service to issue a red flag warning for the North Bay mountains that went into effect Wednesday night and will continue until 11 a.m. Thursday.

In those areas, north to northeast winds are forecast to peak on Thursday morning, with wind speeds of up to 25 miles per hour and wind gusts up to 35 miles per hour.

In Lake County, daytime temperatures are forecast to be in the mid 80s to low 90s through Monday, dropping into the high 70s to low 80s beginning on Tuesday.

Nighttime conditions are forecast to have temperatures ranging from the high 50s to low 60s through the weekend, with colder conditions — from the high 40s to low 50s — expected in the south county.

The National Weather Service said there is the potential for rain next week.

It said rain and showers could arrive by midweek if the weather models prove correct.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The Ladies of the Lake Quilt Guild will once again usher in fall with its annual Falling Leaves Quilt Show this weekend.

The guild is presenting the 19th annual show on Saturday, Oct. 2, and Sunday, Oct. 3, at the Lake County Fairgrounds, 401 Martin St. in Lakeport.

Show hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.

Donations at the door are $10 for adults, $2 for 12 and under.

The 2020 show, like many other events around Lake County, was canceled due to COVID-19 restrictions.

However, the show is making its return this fall, featuring more than 150 quilts, a silent auction, door prizes, theme baskets, a country store, scissor sharpening, demonstrations, vendors and an opportunity quilt drawing.

"I think the ladies have really outdone themselves this year,” said Quilt Show Chairperson Linda Morrison, adding, there are “many very beautiful quilts."

This year’s featured textile artist is Marjan Kluepfel, a fabric artist, teacher and lecturer who came from the Netherlands. She has taught and participated in lectures around the world.

Kluepfel is inspired by nature — including landscapes, flowers, trees, the land and sea.

Her artistic design is influenced by fabric texture, and her work utilizes many different surface design techniques, from dying to painting, printing to pleating.

She will display some of her unique quilts and sculptural designs.

For more information about the guild and the show, visit the guild’s website.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.

As the season changes and Californians prepare to turn their clocks back an hour in fall, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife is urging drivers to be extra alert for wildlife on the state’s roads and highways.

Watch out for Wildlife Week happens in late September, and that’s no accident. The time change means fewer daylight hours, and it coincides with the time of year that deer, elk, bears and other animals are on the move — either for migration, mating or foraging.

An unfortunate and new California fact of life also lends urgency to the plea for drivers to be cautious.

After yet another serious fire season, about two million acres of forest have burned, and many of the animals who live there have been temporarily displaced. They may be crossing roads and highways in search of suitable habitat, often with their young in tow.

Earlier this month in Mono County, on back-to-back days, two adult female bears with cubs were killed during vehicle collisions. One cub has not been located while two others were captured and taken to a rehab facility for the winter.

“Many wildlife species have been displaced by wildfires or affected by drought this season,” said CDFW Conflict Programs Coordinator Vicky Monroe. “Wildlife sightings and human-wildlife conflict reports have increased. Drivers should remain cautious and vigilant while driving, as more wildlife — such as deer, elk, mountain lions and black bears – travel farther for food, water and habitat.”

According to the California Highway Patrol, there were 1,791 traffic collisions with animals in 2020, which — perhaps due to fewer people commuting to work during the pandemic — is an improvement from the 2,204 accidents from the year before. Unfortunately, the number of fatalities from these incidents increased from three to four.

These crashes are not only tragic, but costly as well. The UC Davis Road Ecology Center estimated the total cost of animal-vehicle conflicts in 2020 to be more than $180 million.

It’s never a bad time to remind drivers of the basic safety tips that might help collision numbers continue in a downward trend.

— Be extra alert when driving near areas that wildlife frequent, such as streams and rivers.
— Reduce your speed, especially around curves.
— Don’t text and drive! Leave your phone alone; it can wait.
— Pay extra attention when driving during the morning and evening hours, when wildlife is active.
— If you see an animal on or near the road, know that others may be following.
— Don’t litter. Trash and food odors can attract animals to roadways.
— Pay attention to road shoulders. Look for movement or reflecting eyes.
— Slow down and honk your horn if you see an animal on or near the road.
— Respect wildlife. California is their home too.

For related information on how to live and recreate safely in the wild, please see CDFW’s Keep Me Wild webpage.

On Wednesday, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a suite of bills to help address the homelessness crisis and enhance California’s response to people suffering from mental health issues on the streets.

Newsom’s office said the bills are a critical part of his $22 billion housing affordability and homelessness package.

Altogether, the efforts highlighted on Wednesday represent a comprehensive strategy to get more Californians off the streets faster than ever before and into the health services and housing they need — all at a fraction of the cost of previous efforts, Newsom’s office reported.

“We can’t nibble around the edges of the homelessness crisis, we need to implement bold, transformative solutions — investing more money than ever before to get folks off the street and provide the mental health and other services they need to stay off the streets,” said Gov. Newsom.

Newsom said the legislation, along with the $22 billion housing affordability and homelessness package, “will move the needle on creating more housing for the homeless and will allow us to tackle the homelessness crisis in ways California has never done.”

The governor on Wednesday signed a package of bills to increase coordination and accountability of the state’s homelessness spending, including AB 1220 by Assemblymember Luz Rivas (D-Arleta) which reforms the former Homeless Coordinating and Financing Council, renaming it the California Interagency Council on Homelessness, and bolsters the Council’s powers through new data mandates and oversight authorities.

Further linking housing with health care, the legislation names California Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly and Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency Secretary Lourdes Castro Ramírez as Co-Chairs of the Council.

AB 977 by Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel (D-Encino) implements new data mandates under the state’s Homeless Management Information System, allowing policymakers to better track and evaluate the effectiveness of homelessness funding around the state.

The California Interagency Council on Homelessness will also be the entity responsible for receiving, reviewing and ultimately approving homelessness plans submitted by cities, counties and continuums of care as part of the state’s $2 billion local homelessness assistance package through the Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention Program, or HHAP.

Starting now, local governments must commit to quantifiable goals across six standardized metrics and make progress towards meeting or exceeding them in order to receive their full share of HHAP funding. Gov. Newsom demanded this new accountability as part of his multibillion-dollar homelessness investment, and worked with the Legislature to craft these new oversight laws.

The following bills were signed on Wednesday:

AB 27 by Assemblymember Luz Rivas (D-Arleta) — Homeless children and youths and unaccompanied youths: reporting.

AB 362 by Assemblymember Sharon Quirk-Silva (D-Fullerton) — Homeless shelters: safety regulations.

AB 816 by Assemblymember David Chiu (D-San Francisco) — Homelessness: Housing Trust Fund: housing projects.

AB 977 by Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel (D-Encino) — Homelessness program data reporting: Homeless Management Information System.

AB 1220 by Assemblymember Luz Rivas (D-Arleta) — Homelessness: California Interagency Council on Homelessness.

AB 1443 by Assemblymember Kevin McCarty (D-Sacramento) — Mental health: involuntary treatment.

SB 400 by Senator Brian W. Jones (R-Santee) — Homeless children and youths: local educational agencies: collaboration, training, and reporting.

The bills, along with the four housing bills signed earlier this month and the housing affordability bills signed on Tuesday, represent the most comprehensive strategy to address the homelessness and housing affordability crisis in state history.

California is investing an unprecedented $22 billion to tackle these systemic issues, with $12 billion allocated for homelessness and behavioral health services to help get tens of thousands of people off the streets or avoid homelessness altogether.

Combined, the funding will lead to the creation of over 84,000 new affordable homes for Californians, including over 44,000 new housing units and treatment beds for people exiting homelessness.

The new homelessness funding also includes $5.8 billion to add more than 35,000 new housing units through Homekey — a national model for homeless housing.

Gov. Newsom is especially focused on rebuilding the state’s portfolio of housing and treatment options for people with severe behavioral health challenges.

The California Comeback Plan calls for the biggest expansion of this kind of housing and treatment since Gov. Reagan began dismantling California’s mental health system in the late 1960s.

To that end, $3 billion of the homelessness investment is dedicated to housing for people with the most acute behavioral and physical health needs and will create approximately 22,000 new beds and treatment slots.

In addition to the investments addressing homelessness and housing affordability, the California Comeback Plan includes $1.1 billion to clean up the streets of California by partnering with local governments to pick up trash and beautify downtowns, freeways and neighborhoods across California. The program is expected to generate up to 11,000 jobs over three years.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The Middletown Unified School District Board this week ended the employment of its latest superintendent just 15 months after he started the job.

Following a special Monday night closed session, the district’s board of trustees released Superintendent Michael Cox from his contract.

“We appreciate the service and effort that Superintendent Cox provided to MUSD during his tenure. We thank our MUSD community for their patience and support,” said Middletown Unified Board President Misha Grothe in a brief written statement released to Lake County News on Tuesday evening.

Lake County News was unable to reach Cox for comment on Tuesday.

In April 2020, Middletown Unified announced the hiring of Cox, then the principal of the Alternative Education Center located in Silver Valley Unified School District in Southern California.

He began the job with Middletown Unified on July 1, 2020.

At the time of his hire, the board said it was “extraordinarily pleased” with Cox’s selection, saying he “proved himself the best fit to carry forward the vision of the district” and lauding him for a record of driving academic excellence.

So far, the district has not publicly indicated what led to the decision to terminate Cox’s contract.

However, a review of agendas going back to July of 2020 show that the board had held 10 closed session evaluations of Cox, beginning in August of last year.

Since this past June alone, there had been three special meetings called to discuss the superintendent’s performance and three closed session evaluations held during regular meetings.

At the same time, the district was navigating the work of bringing students back to campuses after the COVID-19 pandemic forced a closure to in-person classes last year.

The school board held a brief meeting on Sept. 22 to discuss the acting superintendent. They emerged from closed session, with Grothe announcing that Dr. David Miller would be appointed acting superintendent while the existing superintendent wasn’t available.

Grothe said at the Sept. 22 meeting that the board will negotiate a contract with Miller and it will come before them during their regular meeting on Oct. 13, pursuant to the Brown Act.

At that time, the board voted unanimously to approve Miller’s appointment until Cox was able to return to work.

Then, on Monday, the board followed up with another special session in which the closed session discussion was agendized as an evaluation of the superintendent’s performance. It was at that meeting that the board terminated Cox’s employment.

Miller’s appointment as the district’s acting superintendent is not his first time working with Middletown Unified.

Miller, a retired Mendocino Unified School District superintendent, was appointed Middletown Unified’s interim superintendent in October 2019 following the board’s termination of then-Superintendent Catherine Stone, who had served four years in the job.

In its Tuesday statement, the school board said it will keep the community updated on a regular basis about its next steps in recruiting a new superintendent.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.