CLEARLAKE, Calif. — The Lake County Campus of Woodland Community College is set to open a first-of-its-kind facility to help meet student needs.
The campus will hold the grand opening of its Eagles’ Basic Needs Center on Tuesday, Aug. 31.
The Eagles’ Basic Needs Center is a one-stop shop for students with food, housing, school supply and other basic needs insecurities.
Located in the former campus bookstore, the Eagles’ Basic Needs Center is the first of its kind in Northern California, campus officials reported.
Other California Community College campuses have food pantries and provide aid for homeless students.
The Eagles’ Basic Needs Center is unique in the fact that it will house a “community office” where representatives from local agencies, such as Pinoleville Pomo Nation Vocational Rehabilitation, Catholic Charities and New Digs, will hold office hours to assist students with things like signing up for CalFresh and MediCal, accessing mental health services and applying for housing programs.
In addition, Eagles’ Basic Needs Center has funding available to help students with obtaining school supplies and gift cards for books.
The goal of the center will be to support our students with the essential resources required to thrive while attending LCC.
The mission of the Eagles’ Basic Needs Center is to address the gaps students have with accessing nutritious food, hygiene products, school supplies and books, stable housing, employment services and health services.
The college said its staff are committed to minimizing basic needs challenges for students and the surrounding community.
Following a private ribbon-cutting ceremony on Monday, Aug. 30, with college and community dignitaries, a two-day community celebration will run from Tuesday, Aug. 31, to Wednesday, Sept. 1.
The celebration will include an open house and receptions for specific populations, including students, staff, faculty and alumni.
The Eagles’ Basic Needs Center operates thanks to the generous funding of local individuals and organizations.
CLEARLAKE, Calif. — With a new and immediate need for fire recovery arising due to the Cache fire, the Lake Area Rotary Club Association is restarting its fundraising efforts.
The nonprofit association, known more commonly as LARCA, has relaunched its website, where donations can be made to help with Cache fire recovery.
During the course of several years, beginning in 2015 after the Valley fire, LARCA raised more than $3 million for fire relief, said Clearlake City Councilman Russ Cremer.
Both Cremer and Mayor Dirk Slooten, before they joined the Clearlake City Council, had significant involvement in LARCA’s past fundraising successes.
Cremer, working to set up an evacuation shelter at the city of Clearlake’s senior and community center on Saturday night, said LARCA also worked with other groups — such as the Lower Lake Community Action Agency — to make upgrades to the senior center to outfit it for emergencies. That included the shower trailer now housed at the center.
The Cache fire, fully contained at 83 acres, has destroyed and estimated 56 homes and 81 outbuildings.
City officials have reported that among those living in the fire area were some of the community’s poorest members, and that many of them did not have insurance.
So Cremer said LARCA is once again taking up the fundraising standard with its Emergency Relief Fund.
Cremer said 100% of the funds go to providing fire relief. Donations are tax-deductible.
Donations can be made online or checks may be sent to the LARCA Emergency Relief Fund, P.O. Box 2921, Clearlake, CA 95422.
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 Board of Supervisors will consider water-related issues on Tuesday, including a presentation on proposed water conservation measures and an action to stop water trucks from delivering water to cannabis grows.
The board will meet beginning at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 24, in the board chambers on the first floor of the Lake County Courthouse, 255 N. Forbes St., Lakeport.
The meeting can be watched live on Channel 8, online at https://countyoflake.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx and on the county’s Facebook page. Accompanying board documents, the agenda and archived board meeting videos also are available at that link. To participate in real-time, join the Zoom meeting by clicking this link. The meeting ID is 977 0231 7163, pass code 190915. The meeting also can be accessed via one tap mobile at +16699006833,,97702317163#,,,,*190915#.
All interested members of the public that do not have internet access or a Mediacom cable subscription are encouraged to call 669-900-6833, and enter the Zoom meeting ID and pass code information above.
On Tuesday, in an item timed for 9:45 a.m., a letter will be presented to the board on behalf of the Lake County Drought Task Force recommending the board enact water conservation measures.
The letter states, in part, “The Lake County Drought Task Force strongly recommends that the Lake County Board of Supervisors enact conservation measures (in conjunction with the Lake County Water Resources and Environmental Health Departments, and other private and public water purveyors) to restrict the use of water, and to identify and develop enforcement tools to encourage conservation and prevent water wastage. If pursued, this restriction among Lake County residents would align with Executive Order N-10-21 signed by Governor of California, Gavin Newsom on July 8, 2021 calling all Californians to voluntarily reduce water use by 15% from their 2020 levels.”
At 10:30 a.m., the board will consider an urgency ordinance to stop water halters from delivering water to cannabis cultivations.
In a memo to the board, Chair Bruno Sabatier explained, “We all have been receiving many complaints about the number of water haulers delivering water across our entire county. Many of these complaints have been regarding water deliveries for cannabis cultivations. It is already currently illegal for water deliveries to occur for legal cannabis grows, illegal grows are already illegal. However, there are no repercussions for water trucks taking part in this endeavor. They can drop off all the water they want to cannabis grows and there are no consequences.
Sabatier said he’s been discussing a plan to try to curb water trucks delivering to cannabis grows in light of the exceptional drought.
“This urgency ordinance would provide guidance to our water haulers and staff. The urgency ordinance would provide administrative penalties for water haulers who do deliver water to cannabis operations. The idea is not to punish water haulers who have many opportunities to haul water for legitimate uses for people having negative experiences with the drought. However, it would punish mainly illegal grows whose plants rely on water to continue to grow, with hopes that if we can't get their grows eradicated, maybe it will be possible to eradicate their garden due to lack of water access,” Sabatier said.
In another item timed for 9:40 a.m. the board will present a proclamation designating Tuesday, Aug. 31, as International Overdose Awareness Day.
The full agenda follows.
CONSENT AGENDA
5.1: Approve agreement between the county of Lake and Visit Lake County California for the provision of administrative services in the amount of $78,000 from July 1, 2021 to June 30, 2022, and authorize the chair to sign.
5.2: Adopt a resolution approving a Cooperative Agreement No. 21-0224-000-SA with the California Department of Food and Agriculture State Organic Inspection Program for the county of Lake.
5.3: Adopt proclamation designating Tuesday, August 31, 2021 as International Overdose Awareness Day.
5.4: (a) Waive the formal bidding/RFP process, pursuant to Lake County Code Section 38.2, as it is not in the public interest due to the unique nature of goods or services; (b) approve the agreement between county of Lake and Kingsview Corp. for support services for state mandated cost reporting for fiscal years 2020-21 and 2021-22 for a contract maximum amount of $120,000 and authorize the board chair to sign the agreement.
5.5: Approve Board of Supervisors minutes for July 27, 2021.
5.6: Adopt resolution exempting Lake County from the organic waste collection requirements of SB 1383, reducing short-lived climate pollutants in California.
5.7: Adopt resolution expressing support for Rotary Club of Lakeport’s Konocti Challenge bicycling event.
5.8: Approve the Sun Ridge Systems software support services agreement for the FY 2021/22 in the amount of $45,283.63 for the support of its law enforcement software suite, and authorize the chairman to sign.
5.9: Approve agreement between the county of Lake on behalf of CSA-02, Spring Valley and Anchor QEA, LLC for Engineering and Design Services for the Spring Valley Lake Recovery Project for an amount not to exceed $429,457, and authorize the chair to sign.
5.10: Sitting as the Board of Directors of the Lake County Watershed Protection District, authorize the Lake County Watershed Protection District to sign and enter into an agreement with the Local Government Commission for independent contractor services through the AmeriCorps CivicSpark Fellowship in the amount of $26,000 for one CivicSpark Fellow to develop a Clear Lake Shoreline Stewardship Program.
TIMED ITEMS
6.2, 9:06 a.m.: Consideration of update on COVID-19.
6.3, 9:40 a.m.: Presentation of proclamation designating Tuesday, Aug. 31, as International Overdose Awareness Day.
6.4, 9:45 a.m.: Presentation of letter on behalf of the Lake County Drought Task Force recommending the board enact water conservation measures.
6.5, 10:30 a.m.: Consideration of urgency ordinance regarding water haulers delivering water to cannabis cultivations.
6.6, 11 a.m.: Public hearing, appeal of Vicious Animal Abatement Case Number #859, located at 21852 Jerusalem Grade Lower Lake (Brandon Strausser).
UNTIMED ITEMS
7.2: Consideration of third amendment to the joint powers agreement creating the Lake County Community Risk Reduction Authority and authorize the chair to sign.
7.3: Consideration of the following advisory board appointments: Lake County Childcare Planning Council.
7.4: Consideration and approval of joint funding agreement with the U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. Dept. of the Interior for annual maintenance of the Kelsey Creek flow gauge station in the amount of $16,890 and authorize the chair to sign.
CLOSED SESSION
8.1: Conference with legal counsel: Significant exposure to Litigation pursuant to Gov. Code sec. 54956.9(d)(2),(e)(3) – Claim of Dano.
8.2: Public employee evaluation: Health Services Director Denise Pomeroy.
8.3: Public employee appointment pursuant to Gov. Code Section 54957(b)(1): (a) Interviews of Community Development director (b) appointment of Community Development director.
8.4: Conference with legal counsel: Existing litigation pursuant to Gov. Code sec. 54956.9(d)(1) — Sabalone v. County of Lake.
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. — Aug. 31 is International Overdose Awareness Day, the world’s largest annual campaign to end overdose, the cause of more deaths in the US than breast cancer, guns and car accidents combined.
Lake County's death rate due to drug use is more than four times higher than the state of California’s.
To honor Lake County lives lost to overdose, and to support overdose prevention activism, Hope Rising and SafeRx are bringing an International Overdose Awareness Day tribute event on Tuesday, Aug. 31, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with speakers at 12:30 p.m. in Lakeport’s Library Park.
Lake County Behavioral Health, Tribal Health and Public Health, along with Tobacco Free North Coast, Redwood Community Services and other local agencies, will be providing information and access to their resources.
To highlight the grievous losses, community members who have lost loved ones due to overdose are invited to pay tribute to them by creating a poster board headstone at the event, to be placed alongside others who have suffered similar losses.
SafeRx will also be providing training in Narcan, a life saving overdose reversal drug.
In addition to remembrance of those whose lives ended prematurely, the purpose of this event is to overcome the stigma often associated with overdose, and to stimulate conversations around the challenges of addiction with key agencies and other community members.
Event partners will provide education on the science of addiction, Lake County’s overdose statistics and guidance on how to access local support resources.
Hope Rising Lake County is a nonprofit that mobilizes partnerships and activities that support community health and wellness.
SafeRx is an initiative of Hope Rising that aims to reduce overdose deaths by providing education and resources in Lake County.
This female domestic shorthair kitten is in cat room kennel No. 11d, ID No. LCAC-A-1145. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Female domestic shorthair kitten
This female domestic shorthair kitten has a black coat.
She is in cat room kennel No. 11d, ID No. LCAC-A-1145.
This 3-year-old female domestic medium hair cat is in cat room kennel No. 58, ID No. LCAC-A-1029. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Domestic medium hair cat
This 3-year-old female domestic medium hair cat has a brown tabby coat.
She is in cat room kennel No. 58, ID No. LCAC-A-1029.
This male domestic shorthair kitten is in cat room kennel No.66, ID No. LCAC-A-1505. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Male domestic shorthair kitten
This male domestic shorthair kitten has an orange tabby coat.
He is in cat room kennel No. 66, ID No. LCAC-A-1505.
“Marmalade” is a 5-year-old female domestic shorthair cat in cat room kennel No. 68, ID No. LCAC-A-1444. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. ‘Marmalade’
“Marmalade” is a 5-year-old female domestic shorthair cat with a calico and white coat.
She is in cat room kennel No. 68, ID No. LCAC-A-1444.
This female domestic shorthair kitten is in cat room kennel No. 101, ID No. LCAC-A-1504. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Female domestic shorthair kitten
This female domestic shorthair kitten has a black coat.
She is in cat room kennel No. 101, ID No. LCAC-A-1504.
These two male domestic shorthair kittens are in cat room kennel No. 101, ID Nos. LCAC-A-1501 and LCAC-A-1502. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Domestic shorthair kitten
These two male domestic shorthair kittens have all-black coats.
They are in cat room kennel No. 101, ID Nos. LCAC-A-1501 and LCAC-A-1502.
This male domestic shorthair is in cat room kennel No. 120, ID No. LCAC-A-874. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Male domestic shorthair
This male domestic shorthair has a gray and white coat.
He is 1-year-old and weighs nearly 6 pounds.
He is in cat room kennel No. 120, ID No. LCAC-A-874.
This 2-year-old female domestic shorthair cat is in cat room kennel No. C123, ID No. LCAC-A-1152. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Female domestic shorthair
This 2-year-old female domestic shorthair cat has a white coat and blue eyes.
She is in cat room kennel No. C123, ID No. LCAC-A-1152.
This male domestic shorthair kitten is in cat room kennel No. 125B, ID No. LCAC-A-1139. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Domestic shorthair kittens
A male kitten from this litter remains available for adoption.
He is in cat room kennel No. 125B, ID No. LCAC-A-1139.
This 1-year-old female domestic shorthair cat is in cat room kennel No. 135, ID No. LCAC-A-1133. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Female domestic shorthair
This 1-year-old female domestic shorthair cat has a black coat.
She is in cat room kennel No. 135, ID No. LCAC-A-1133.
“Goldie” is a male domestic shorthair kitten in cat room kennel No. 142, ID No. LCAC-A-1442. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. ‘Goldie’
“Goldie” is a male domestic shorthair kitten with a yellow tabby and white coat.
He is in cat room kennel No. 142, ID No. LCAC-A-1442.
“Ophir” is a male domestic shorthair kitten in cat room kennel No. 142, ID No. LCAC-A-1443. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. ‘Ophir’
“Ophir” is a male domestic shorthair kitten with a red and white coat.
He is in cat room kennel No. 142, ID No. LCAC-A-1443.
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.
A property that was destroyed in the Cache fire on Wednesday, August 18, 2021, in Clearlake, California. The property was photographed on Sunday, August 22, 2021, during a brief repopulation operation. Photo courtesy of Jacqueline Snyder. LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — While firefighters have fully contained the Cache fire, fire district and city officials said Sunday that work in the fire’s footprint is still underway to make conditions safer for residents ahead of the lifting of the final evacuation order.
The fire, which began Wednesday afternoon in the area of Sixth Street and Cache Avenue in Clearlake, has burned 83 acres.
Lake County Fire Protection District Board President Jacqueline Snyder said Sunday afternoon that the fire was fully contained.
Snyder said firefighters will still be patrolling and monitoring the fire area over the next several days.
The fire did significant damage to power infrastructure. Snyder said Pacific Gas and Electric has mitigated most of the hazards related to damaged power equipment and has crews conducting work related to trees.
Those tree crews are expected to be on the scene for the next four days, Snyder said.
AT&T was in the fire area on Sunday, removing damaged phone lines. Snyder said the company won’t start phone service restoration until Monday.
City and fire officials issued an update on the situation on Sunday, reporting that a limited repopulation of the fire area was allowed from 5 to 7 p.m. Fire district personnel were there to hand out N95 masks to those going into the evacuation area.
City Manager Alan Flora said the final evacuation order, for zone CLE-E157-A, will be lifted at 8 a.m. Monday.
That zone covers everything in the city of Clearlake to the south of 18th Avenue and east of Highway 53 except for Adventist Health Clear Lake Hospital.
The Red Cross and the city of Clearlake opened a temporary evacuation shelter on Saturday evening at the Clearlake Senior Community Center, located at 3245 Bowers Ave.
Showering, restroom facilities, a place to stay for humans and pets, and a limited supply of drinking water are available at the shelter.
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 Fire Protection District personnel handed out N95 masks to residents who entered the Cache fire area for a limited repopulation on the evening of Sunday, August 22, 2021. Photo courtesy of Jacqueline Snyder.
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