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The following dogs are ready for adoption or foster.
‘Dorito’
“Dorito” is a male American Staffordshire Terrier mix with a short white and gray coat.
He has been neutered.
He is dog No. 4576.
‘Hector’
“Hector” is a male American Pit Bull Terrier mix with a short brindle coat.
He is dog No. 4697.
‘Inky’
“Inky” is a male German Shepherd mix with a long black coat.
He has been neutered.
He is dog No. 4324.
‘Ranger’
“Ranger” is a male husky mix with a long red and white coat.
He has been neutered.
Ranger is dog No. 4443.
‘Tia’
“Tia” is a female American Bully with a short black with white markings.
She is dog No. 4602.
‘Toby’
“Toby” is a friendly senior male boxer mix.
He has a short tan and white coat.
He is dog No. 4389.
Call the Clearlake Animal Control shelter at 707-273-9440, or email
Visit Clearlake Animal Control on Facebook or on the city’s website.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
If you’ve been vaccinated for COVID-19, is it safe to gather with friends and loved ones in person? According to guidelines issued Monday by the Centers from Disease Control and Prevention, yes, fully vaccinated people can gather in small groups with other fully vaccinated people. And you can do that without the encumbrance of a mask or social distancing.
More than 30 million people in the U.S. are now fully vaccinated against coronavirus, meaning that a fraction of the population is immune to COVID-19. This is because vaccination with the Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines offers very high levels of protection against the coronavirus. However, there is still a small risk that vaccinated people could transmit the disease to others.
As an infectious-disease doctor, I’ve been fielding a lot of questions from my patients as well as my friends and family about what someone is allowed to do once vaccinated. Do vaccinated people need to wear masks, socially distance and avoid travel?
If you are fully vaccinated – that is, if you are more than 10 days out from receiving both doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines or one dose of the Johnson & Johnson – you can visit other fully vaccinated people without socially distancing or wearing masks, according to the new CDC guidelines. You can even visit indoors with unvaccinated people from a single household who are at low risk for severe COVID-19 disease without wearing masks or physical distancing.
The CDC does suggest you be tested if you develop symptoms that could be COVID-19. You should then stay isolated until you are shown to be uninfected. If you are fully vaccinated, you should still avoid social settings that include multiple unvaccinated households. And, you should avoid medium to large crowds because of the increased risk. You also should continue to wear a well-fitted mask, wash your hands frequently and maintain physical distance when outside the home. Worshipping indoors at a synagogue, mosque or church is still not advisable unless all attending are vaccinated.
Also unchanged are travel recommendations: The CDC recommends avoiding travel even if you are fully vaccinated. The aim of delaying travel is to protect yourself and others from the small risk of acquiring or transmitting COVID-19, since travel on public transportation exposes you to unvaccinated people from multiple households.
So in the face of continued pandemic transmission and new viral variants, we all need to remain vigilant and observe good health practices even after being vaccinated. However, it is very good news that we can prudently lift some of the restrictions that have so limited our ability to be with loved ones. This is especially good news for seniors who are particularly vulnerable to the downside of isolation.
[Research into coronavirus and other news from science Subscribe to The Conversation’s weekly science newsletter.]
William Petri, Professor of Medicine, University of Virginia
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Breweries, wineries and distilleries
Beginning March 13, breweries, wineries and distilleries that do not serve meals may open outdoors only with modifications in the purple (widespread) and red (substantial) tiers.
The modifications include ensuring that patrons have reservations and patrons observe a 90-minute time limit. Service for on-site consumption must end by 8 p.m.
Previously, and through March 12, breweries and distilleries not serving meals were closed in the purple and red tiers.
In the orange (moderate) tier, indoor operations may begin with 25 percent of maximum capacity or 100 people, whichever is fewer.
In the yellow (minimal) tier, indoor operations may increase to 50 percent of maximum capacity or 200 people, whichever is fewer.
The updated guidance does not apply to breweries, wineries and distilleries that provide meals. Those establishments should continue to follow the restaurant guidance.
Bars
Beginning March 13, bars that do not serve meals remain closed in the purple (widespread) and red (substantial) tiers.
In the orange (moderate) tier, bars may begin outdoor operations with modifications.
In the yellow (minimal) tier, bars may begin indoor operations with modifications of 25 percent maximum capacity or 100 people, whichever is fewer.
Overnight sleepaway camps
Beginning June 1, overnight sleepaway camps will be allowed to resume with modifications in the red, orange and yellow tiers.
More information about these updates, and which activities are allowed in the various tiers, is here.
The man, whose name has so far not been released pending notification of next of kin, was found by sheriff’s deputies shortly after 2 p.m. Wednesday near Clark’s Island and E. State Highway 20, as Lake County News has reported.
Lt. Rich Ward of the Lake County Sheriff’s Office said the man, described as a middle-aged Caucasian, was found unconscious with visible head injuries and a puncture wound to his stomach.
The assault victim was transported to Adventist Health Clear Lake Hospital. Ward said the man succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead at 4:42 p.m. Wednesday.
Ward said the man’s death is being treated as a homicide and is under investigation by the Lake County Sheriff’s Office Major Crimes Unit.
A cause of death will be determined at the conclusion of an autopsy, Ward said.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office encourages anyone with information pertaining to this investigation and/or surveillance footage in the area to contact Det. Richard Kreutzer at the Central Dispatch nonemergency line at 707-263-2690 or
Email Elizabeth Larson at
Jeffery Scott Cramer, 59, entered the no contest plea to felony possession of child pornography on Tuesday, a day after he had been set to go to preliminary hearing, said District Attorney Susan Krones.
Cramer’s attorney, Jane Gaskell of Santa Rosa, declined comment on the case when contacted by Lake County News.
Lake County Sheriff’s detectives arrested Cramer in May as the result of an investigation spanning several months.
Detectives served search warrants at Main Street Bicycles – which Cramer owned at that time – and at a residence on Seventh Street in Lakeport in May, seizing digital devices from both locations, as Lake County News has reported.
The sheriff’s office reported that detectives were able to identify social media accounts associated with Cramer that had been used to upload child pornography on at least five occasions between August 2019 and February 2020.
Cramer has been a coach for high school mountain biking teams at Clear Lake and Kelseyville high schools, but authorities said the case was not linked to his involvement with the schools.
Krones said that the prosecution and defense agreed to Cramer serving felony probation due to his lack of a prior criminal record.
She said the term of the probation is two years. As of Jan. 1, a new law limits felony probation to two years except in limited circumstances pursuant to Penal Code 1203.1.
In addition, Cramer is facing a jail sentence. Krones said it will be up to a judge to determine the amount of jail time, up to 364 days local jail.
“He will participate in a 52-week sex offender counseling program starting when he completes any jail time imposed,” said Krones. “He will be required to register for his lifetime.”
Krones said Cramer will be sentenced at 3 p.m. May 10.
On March 6, Main Street Bicycles reported on its Facebook page that it is now under new ownership.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
Snow began to fall in parts of the county, including Cobb, Lakeport and Upper Lake, on Tuesday night, and was followed early Wednesday afternoon by nearly an hour’s worth of steady snowfall along the Northshore. In the case of Wednesday’s snow, it quickly melted off.
The National Weather Service’s observation stations reported the following 24-hour precipitation totals in inches through 12 a.m. Thursday:
– Bartlett Springs: 0.46.
– Cache Creek near Lower Lake: 0.17.
– County line (at Colusa side): 0.11.
– Hidden Valley Lake: 0.48.
– Kelseyville: 0.17.
– Knoxville Creek: 0.28.
– Lyons Valley (northwest of Lakeport): 0.49.
– Soda Creek: 0.82.
– Upper Lake: 0.47.
– Whispering Pines: 0.52.
Frosty conditions are expected Thursday morning and possibly Friday morning as well, based on the forecast.
The National Weather Service said high pressure will bring quiet and dry weather with a fair amount of sunshine and light winds Thursday through Saturday.
Forecasters said the next cold front is projected to swing through the region around Sunday or Sunday night, with snow levels forecast to be at around the 4,000 foot elevation mark on Sunday.
About half and inch to an inch of rain expected for most of northwest California, with lighter amounts likely in Lake County, the forecast said.
Across much of Lake County, the forecast calls for chances of rain on Saturday and Sunday, with the potential for snow to return on Monday morning, dropping to as low as the 1,500-foot elevation mark, the forecast said.
Once that front passes, the forecast calls for clearer weather through midweek.
Through the weekend, daytime temperatures are expected to climb into the high 50s and low 60s around Lake County, dropping into the high 30s at night.
Cooler temperatures are expected early next week, with some parts of the county likely to see daytime temperatures in the high 40s and nighttime conditions in the mid to high 30s.
Email Elizabeth Larson at