LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Following a day of rainfall on Wednesday, Lake County could see more rain during the day on Thursday.

The National Weather Service said there are chances of rainfall on Thursday morning before conditions clear and the sun returns.

The National Weather Service’s observation stations reported the following 24-hour rainfall totals in inches through 1:40 a.m. Thursday:

– Bartlett Springs: 0.92.
– Cache Creek near Lower Lake: 0.38.
– County line (at Colusa side): 0.43.
– Hidden Valley Lake: 0.44.
– High Glade Lookout (above Upper Lake): 0.72.
– Kelseyville: 0.50.
– Knoxville Creek: 0.45.
– Lyons Valley (northwest of Lakeport): 0.82.
– Soda Creek: 1.04.
– Whispering Pines: 0.80.

The local forecast calls for winds of up to 14 miles per hour on Thursday, with lighter winds on Thursday night and continuing through Saturday.

Conditions are forecast to be mostly sunny and clear through the middle of next week, the forecast said.

Daytime temperatures over the coming week are expected to rise into the low 50s, with conditions at night seeing temperatures in the high 30s.

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.

NORTH COAST, Calif. – Mendocino County District Attorney David Eyster said he plans to ask an appellate court to review the reduced sentencing handed down Wednesday for a Caspar woman who shot a dog in what a probation officer said was a “sickening” case of cruelty.

Eyster criticized Mendocino County Superior Court Judge Clayton Brennan for his actions during the sentencing in Fort Bragg of Katie Rhiannon Smith, 35, with Eyster’s office calling Brennan’s sentencing decision “a travesty of justice.”

In April Eyster personally charged Smith with felony animal cruelty, as well as a sentencing enhancement for personally using a firearm in the course of that crime.

Smith was charged for shooting a German Shepherd in December 2019.

The injured and abused dog, who became known as “Thunder the Wonder Dog: The Cone Dog from the Woods,” was found wandering in Jackson State Forest in Mendocino County and rescued by two horseback riders.

The veterinarian who saved Thunder’s life found that he was suffering from gunshot wounds, dehydration and malnutrition, and opined that the cause of Thunder’s severe malnourishment was likely owner neglect since he was able to return to a healthy weight following multiple surgeries to repair injuries inflicted by the bullets.

The investigation concluded that Smith took Thunder out on a remote logging road in the Caspar area and shot him multiple times in a botched attempt at do-it-yourself euthanasia. At the time of the shooting, the dog was being forced to wear a plastic cone around its neck and head.

The gunshots severely injured the canine, but did not kill him. The gravely injured dog fled Smith and went into the woods, where he wandered injured for a week before the good Samaritans rescued him, officials said.

On Oct. 5, the day before jury selection was set to begin in her trial, Smith pleaded no contest to felony animal cruelty. The personal use of the firearm enhancement was dismissed when Judge Brennan told the parties that he would exercise his discretion to strike and dismiss that enhancement after trial if found true by the jury.

Leading up to Wednesday’s sentencing hearing, Smith was ordered to cooperate with a background investigation by the Mendocino County Adult Probation Department.

As required by law, the probation officer prepared a written summary of her findings and submitted a written sentencing recommendation based on all available information.

In this case, it was the Probation Department’s recommendation that the defendant be sentenced to the maximum term allowed by law for felony animal cruelty – 36 months in the local prison.

The assigned prosecutor also prepared in advance and filed a 16-page brief that analyzed the people’s evidence and applicable sentencing laws.

Citing the callous nature of Smith’s cruelty and her dishonesty throughout the course of the investigation, Deputy District Attorney Josh Rosenfeld independently concluded that the defendant’s cruelty – and justice for Thunder – mandated that the defendant receive the modified maximum term allowed by law.

Smith returned to the Fort Bragg courthouse Wednesday afternoon for her formal felony sentencing hearing.

During the course of the four-hour sentencing hearing, the reporting deputy probation officer characterized this case as one of the worst cases she had seen in her 15 years of public probation service and she referred to Smith’s cruelty as “sickening.”

Probation stuck by its written recommendation asking for 36 months in jail, the District Attorney’s Office said. Likewise, the prosecutor stuck by his written arguments and orally argued for the maximum sentence.

Near the end of the sentencing hearing, Brennan unexpectedly invited Smith’s public defender to make a motion to have her felony conviction immediately reduced to a misdemeanor. That motion was made and Judge Brennan granted the reduction over the prosecution’s objection.

Brennan then placed Smith on a grant of unsupervised probation for a term of 36 months, understanding that come Jan. 1 that 36 months may be reduced to 12 months as a matter of law pursuant to Assembly Bill 1950.

Judge Brennan also decided that Smith need not serve any jail time for her now-reduced conviction. Instead, he sentenced her to 360 days in jail but suspended execution of that time. This means that Smith will not serve a single day in jail as a result of her cruelty unless and until the prosecution is able to prove sometime in the next 12 months that she has violated her probation.

As for the terms of Smith’s unsupervised probation, Judge Brennan ordered that she submit to a Fourth Amendment waiver – a search clause – and that she attend counseling so she can avoid committing animal cruelty in the future.

Judge Brennan denied the prosecution’s request that Smith be prohibited from owning or possessing animals during the term of her probation.

He also declined to address the prosecution’s request that the defendant be ordered to reimburse the county for all or part of the cost of the legal services provided to her by the taxpayer-funded public defender, despite the defendant’s self-reported income of $11,000 per month.

Brennan ordered Smith to complete 500 hours of community service, but the District Attorney’s Office said he suggested that Smith be allowed to serve her hours working side-by-side with the kind-hearted volunteers who save and protect abandoned and neglected animals at the Mendocino Coast Humane Society.

At Eyster’s direction, the prosecution has filed a notice of appeal seeking appellate review by the higher court.

When asked for comment, DA Eyster paused, shook his head and then said, “It is tough to find justice for victims and the community when there are two defense attorneys in the courtroom – one sitting at counsel table and one wearing a black robe. Today’s actions by the coast judge diminish ongoing community and law enforcement efforts to hold animal abusers accountable for their crimes. What kind of message does this send? Not a good one.”

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Lakeport City Council bid farewell to two members who have served over the past four years and welcomed three newly elected councilmen who voters selected in the November election.

In a virtual meeting on Tuesday night, the council unanimously approved a resolution accepting the election results from Nov. 3 in which Michael Froio and Michael Green, who served on the Lakeport Planning Commission, were elected to the seats held by Tim Barnes and George Spurr, and incumbent Kenny Parlet was elected to a third term.

After approving the election results, Parlet, along with council members Stacey Mattina and Mireya Turner, thanked Barnes and Spurr for their service over the past four years.

Parlet, who has served as mayor pro tem this past year, noted that the terms of the two men coincided with four years punctuated by one disaster after another – from wildland fires to floods, public safety power shutoffs to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“You’ve been through it all,” said Parlet.

Parlet said both Barnes and Spurr came through the experience “with flying colors” when it came to looking out for the best interests of the city in every situation, trying to do the right thing and being prepared.

He offered his deep gratitude to Spurr on behalf of the city and its residents.

“Thank you very much. I appreciate that a lot,” said Spurr, who has served as mayor this past year. While there were a lot of disasters, Spurr said they also completed a lot of big projects, too.

Parlet said he had encouraged Barnes to run for the council and that he enjoyed Barnes’ perspective. Barnes served a term as mayor in 2019.

“It’s been an insane four years,” Barnes acknowledged.

He said serving on the city council was nothing like he thought it would be, but that he enjoyed working with his fellow council members and staff and learning the mechanisms that run the city.

“We made it,” Mattina told Barnes and Spurr. “I’m really proud of everything we’ve gotten done in the last four years and I’m going to miss you both.”

Turner said she appreciated how Barnes kept local businesses at the forefront, adding that he was trustworthy and sincere, and she was honored to work with him on the council.

City Manager Kevin Ingram acknowledged the disasters but then pointed to the many positive accomplishments under the council’s leadership over the past four years. Those accomplishments include a new seawall in Library Park, work on the lakeside promenade, the purchase of the former Natural High School property for the new Lakefront Park, a new community center and solar upgrades on city facilities. He said the list goes on and on.

Police Chief Brad Rasmussen, Public Works Director Doug Grider, City Clerk/Administrative Services Director Kelly Buendia and City Attorney David Ruderman all offered their thanks to Barnes and Spurr for their services.

After the two departing council members left the virtual meeting, Buendia administered the oath of office separately to the newly elected council members, starting with Parlet and then moving to Green and then to Froio.

With the oaths taken and the three formally – if virtually – seated, the council then turned to the business of electing its leadership for the coming year.

Mattina nominated Parlet as mayor, a motion which the council unanimously approved.

Turner then nominated Mattina for mayor pro tem, which also was carried by a unanimous vote.

This will be Parlet’s second term as mayor. He previously held the post in 2014.

He joked that “it’s been a while” and said he wasn’t sure he could remember how to do the job.

This will be the fifth time Mattina has served as mayor pro tem. She’s previously held the mayor’s job twice.

The Tuesday meeting also included an update from Lake County Public Health Officer Dr. Gary Pace, who told the council that the COVID-19 vaccine is due to arrive in the county this week but that the effort to vaccinate local residents will be the work of many months to come.

Pace also warned that a few particularly difficult months are expected ahead as cases continue to climb, and he emphasized the need for people to continue to shelter in place and not travel during the holidays while also continuing to observe masking and other preventive measures.

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.

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – Santa Claus is coming to town this week.

Santa will be visiting Clearlake on Friday, Dec. 18, via a “Santa drive-around,” spearheaded by the Rotary Club of Clear Lake.

He’ll be riding on a Lake County Fire Protection District Fire engine and will be joined by the Clearlake Police Department, a Konocti Unified School District decorated school bus with principals and teachers, and a fire department ambulance as part of his convoy.

They will start out from near Highway 53 on Lakeshore Drive. at 3 p.m., and continue down Lakeshore Drive to Olympic Drive where they’ll make a right and continue down Olympic to the Fire Department.

Community members are invited to join in welcoming Santa to the city.

 

Editor’s Note: With the Food and Drug Administration issuing emergency use authorization for a vaccine to limit the spread of coronavirus, you might have questions about what this means for you. If you do, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and we will find a physician or researcher to answer them. Here, Dr. Jason McKnight, a primary care physician at Texas A&M University, answers five questions about the rollout and distribution underway.

I hear that I might still have to wear a mask even after I get vaccinated. Why?

It will likely be the continued recommendation that everyone wear a mask when in public even after receiving the vaccination for COVID-19. While these vaccines appear to be highly effective in preventing infection from the disease, even at 95% efficacy, that means approximately 5% of people receiving the vaccination may still become infected. Wearing a mask helps decrease the transmission of the virus in those situations in which the vaccine does not prevent the illness.

Further, continuing to wear a mask may help prevent the spread of other respiratory illnesses, which can help prevent overwhelming the health care system, as we are already seeing during the pandemic. Finally, it is possible that some individuals receiving the vaccine may have an asymptomatic infection, and wearing a mask also helps prevent the spread of illness in that situation.

If I get the Pfizer vaccine for the first dose, how can I make sure I get the Pfizer vaccine the second time?

The distribution of the Pfizer vaccine is meant to match the need for the second dose. The clinic, hospital or pharmacy where you are vaccinated will keep a record of the vaccine that you received, as will you, to help ensure that your second dose matches the first dose.

How will public health experts track the safety of the vaccine as it rolls out to bigger groups of people?

Public health experts as well as the vaccine manufacturers will continue to track the safety of the vaccine in multiple ways. First, the people who are vaccinated in the clinical trials will continue to be followed to ensure there are no long-term safety issues. Further, there is what is called a phase IV post-marketing surveillance trial, which will allow many people who are vaccinated to be followed long term to ensure no safety complications arise and to ensure that the vaccine remains as effective as originally thought.

How will I know when it’s my turn to get a vaccine?

To know when it is your turn to be vaccinated, contact either your state department of health or your health care provider. They will be receiving updates and further information about who is to be vaccinated and when. If you have questions about the vaccine and timing of administration, contact your health care provider.

Where will I get a vaccine?

While the exact distribution of vaccines is not yet solidified, and is dependent on the state in which you reside, most vaccines will likely be sent to hospital systems, health care providers’ offices, and some pharmacies. To find out the nearest location where you can be vaccinated, contact your local health department or your health care provider.

[Deep knowledge, daily. Sign up for The Conversation’s newsletter.]

Jason R. McKnight, Clinical Assistant Professor, Primary Care and Population Health, Texas A&M University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

The U.S. Census Bureau on Tuesday released its 2020 Demographic Analysis, which provides a range of estimates — low, middle and high — for the nation’s population as of April 1, 2020.

Instead of collecting responses from households like the 2020 Census, Demographic Analysis uses current and historical vital statistics records and other data to estimate the size of the U.S. population.

By releasing these estimates ahead of the first results from the 2020 Census, Demographic Analysis offers an independent measure of the population for comparison with the official census counts.

Based on varying assumptions about the population, Demographic Analysis produced three different estimates for the size of the U.S. population on April 1, 2020:

– Low: 330,730,000;
– Middle: 332,601,000;
– High: 335,514,000.

“The Census Bureau goes to great lengths to ensure the quality of our work,” said Dr. Ron Jarmin, Census Bureau deputy director and chief operating officer. “Demographic Analysis is a valuable resource to help us analyze the completeness of the 2020 Census population count.”

Demographic Analysis estimates are developed using birth and death records, data on international migration, and Medicare records. The range accounts for the levels of uncertainty in the input data and methods used to produce the estimates.

For example, birth and death estimates are regarded as relatively precise since they’re based on the National Vital Statistics System which is very accurate and complete. However, there is greater uncertainty in the estimates of international migration because administrative records are not available to produce those estimates. Instead, we use data from the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey and other sources to estimate international migration.

“Demographic Analysis enables us to utilize already existing data, such as current and historical administrative records and survey data, to estimate the size of the population,” said Dr. Eric Jensen, senior technical expert for Demographic Analysis in the Population Division. “We have done Demographic Analysis since the 1960 Census, and over time our estimates have benefited not only from methodological improvements, but improvements to the available administrative records.”

The final 2020 Census results will be compared against the 2020 Demographic Analysis estimates to produce estimates of potential net coverage error by age, sex, broad race and Hispanic origin groups. A report detailing the 2020 Demographic Analysis estimates of net overcounts and undercounts is planned for release in 2021.

Additionally, in 2021 and 2022, the Census Bureau plans to produce new, experimental sets of estimates, including:

– Estimates for the Hispanic and non-Hispanic populations by sex for ages 0 to 39 (expanded from ages 0 to 29 released today) in 2021.
– Estimates for young children (ages 0 to 4) will be available for the first time at the state and county levels in 2022. These estimates will incorporate current birth records, which are not yet available from local jurisdictions.
– Estimates for the population ages 0 to 17 for White, Black or African American, American Indian and Alaska Native, Asian, Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, and Two or More Races, and by Hispanic origin in 2022. These estimates incorporate race detail available in both birth and death records since 2003.

The Demographic Analysis estimates are one of two methods used to measure coverage in a census and help understand what population groups may have been undercounted or overcounted.

The other method is part of the Coverage Measurement Program and uses information from the Post-Enumeration Survey, an independent Census Bureau survey, to estimate how many people and housing units were missed or counted erroneously in the 2020 Census. Coverage estimates from the Post-Enumeration Survey are scheduled to be available in November 2021.

The Census Bureau said it is working hard to process 2020 Census data in order to deliver complete and accurate state population counts as close to the Dec. 31, 2020, statutory deadline as possible.

Demographic Analysis highlights

In addition to the estimates of the total population for the nation, 2020 Demographic Analysis also provides national-level estimates of the U.S. population by age, sex, broad race and Hispanic origin groups.

Specifically, estimates are available for the number of people who are:

– Black alone/non-Black alone by sex for ages 0 to 85 and above.
– Black alone or in combination/non-Black alone or in combination by sex for ages 0 to 85 and above (expanded from 0 to 29 in the 2010 Demographic Analysis).
– Hispanic/non-Hispanic by sex for ages 0 to 29 (expanded from 0 to 19 in 2010).

These estimates can only be produced in limited race detail because they rely on historical records and measures of race that have changed over time.

Other highlights from the release include, in order of low, middle and high estimates:

– The median age of the U.S. population was estimated to be 38.4, 38.5 and 38.7, respectively.
– The percentage of the U.S. population estimated to be Black alone was 13.5, 13.7 and 13.9, respectively.
– The percentage of the population estimated to be Black alone or in combination with other races was 14.9, 15.1 and 15.4, respectively.
– The sex ratio (number of males per 100 females) for the total population was 98.1 in the low and high series and 98.2 in the middle series. The sex ratio for the population under the age of 30 was 104.2 in the low series and 104.3 in the middle and high series.
– For the population under the age of 30, the percentage estimated to be Hispanic was 23.0, 24.6 and 26.0, respectively. Demographic Analysis estimates of the population by Hispanic origin are not produced for all ages because the Hispanic origin option was not widely available on birth and death records until the 1990s.

Demographic Analysis only estimates the national population for these demographic categories, so its estimates cannot be compared to more detailed 2020 Census data that will show the population in states, cities, counties, census tracts and at the block level.

The complete tables can be found on the 2020 Demographic Analysis home page.