News

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – Clearlake Animal Control has several new dogs joining its pack of canines available for adoption.

The following dogs are ready for adoption or foster.

‘Bella’

“Bella” is a female American Bully mix.

She has a short beige and tan coat.

She is dog No. 3537.

‘Charlie’

“Charlie” is a male adult Chihuahua with a short tan coat.

He has been neutered.

Charlie is recovering from surgery to fix a broken leg.

He is dog No. 4277.

‘Chop’

“Chop” is a male Rottweiler mix with a black and tan coat.

He is dog No. 4267.

‘Chuckie’

“Chuckie’ is a small male adult German Shepherd mix.

He has a short tan and black coat.

He is dog No. 4297.

‘Ella’

“Ella” is a female Miniature Pinscher mix.

She has a short black and tan coat.

She is dog No. 4296.

‘Gozer’

“Gozer” is a female shepherd mix with a black and white coat.

She is dog No. 4288.

‘Isis’

“Isis” is a female American Staffordshire Terrier mix with a brindle and white coat.

She has been spayed.

She is dog No. 3732.

‘Jack’

“Jack” is a male Labrador Retriever mix with a short yellow coat.

He is dog No. 4155.

‘Lady’

“Lady” is a female German Shepherd mix.

She has been spayed.

She is dog No. 3683.

The shelter is open by appointment only due to COVID-19.

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.

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. – More than 6.1 million Californians – including several thousand Lake County residents – will take part in earthquake-readiness drills and education on Thursday as part of the Great California ShakeOut.

Also known as International ShakeOut Day, the Great ShakeOut takes place each year on the third Thursday of October.

A statewide drill will take place at 10:15 a.m., but the event highlights the importance of ongoing preparedness.

Participants will practice "Drop, Cover, and Hold On," the protocol recommended by earthquake safety experts as essential for avoiding injury and even death.

Organizers said more than 27.7 million people across the United States and in more than 60 other countries will hold their own earthquake drills too in 2020 as part of the Great ShakeOut Earthquake Drills movement.

"Damaging earthquakes can strike at any time, and the Great California ShakeOut drill is an important reminder of what we need to do in order to survive and recover. Earthquakes are a reality, but they don't have to be devastating; strengthen your home now and get prepared," said Glenn Pomeroy, CEO of the California Earthquake Authority. "With our healthcare system already stressed by COVID-19, we all need to take steps to keep ourselves safe when the ground shakes."

Earthquake Warning California is coordinating a statewide test to coincide for the first time with ShakeOut on Thursday. People who have downloaded the MyShake app to their phone will receive a TEST warning around 10:15 a.m. with guidance to “drop, cover and hold on!”

ShakeOut participants in the Western United States are also encouraged to join a Facebook Live event from 8:45 to 10:20 a.m. known as "The Great Online ShakeOut." This online, live broadcast – available to anyone, even without a Facebook page – will feature a drill for everyone to participate in, presentations from earthquake experts representing government, emergency management, and science, key videos and other resources, and a Q&A.

In Lake County, approximately 8,418 participants are registered to take part in the ShakeOut, including 7,974 in school districts, 240 in health care, 108 in local government, 50 in nonprofit organizations and 40 in preparedness organizations.

Among the local participants is Adventist Health. Its Adventist Health Clear Lake Medical Center and Medical Offices will conduct Great ShakeOut drills Thursday morning.

“While damaging earthquakes here may be fewer in number when compared to other areas, they can occur at any time wherever we work, live, or travel within the region and beyond,” said Adventist Health Emergency Manager Kimberly Baldwin. “Everyone, everywhere should know how to protect themselves from an earthquake.”

Earthquakes are a common occurrence in parts of Lake County, especially the Cobb area, where quakes related to the Geysers Geothermal Steamfield are commonly felt. Those quakes often are in the 3- and sometimes 4-magnitude range.

On Aug. 9, 2016, a 5.1-magnitude earthquake with an epicenter 11 miles north of Upper Lake shook Lake County. Lake County News has been unable to find documentation of a larger quake recorded within Lake County’s boundaries in records going back to 1900.

In 1906, Lake County felt the impact of the 7.8-magnitude earthquake that devastated San Francisco. That quake led to the collapse of the Masonic Hall and damaged the Lakeview and Giselman hotels, damaged the original bell tower as well as the roof on the Lower Lake Schoolhouse, damaged residences around the county and shook walnut trees in Upper Lake, according to historical accounts.

When an earthquake occurs, the safe response is to:

– Drop where you are, onto your hands and knees. This position protects you from being knocked down and also allows you to stay low and crawl to shelter if nearby.
– Cover your head and neck with one arm and hand.
– If a sturdy table or desk is nearby, crawl underneath it for shelter.
– If no shelter is nearby, crawl next to an interior wall (away from windows).
– Stay on your knees; bend over to protect vital organs
– Hold on until shaking stops.
– Under shelter: Hold on to it with one hand; be ready to move with your shelter if it shifts.
– No shelter: Hold on to your head and neck with both arms and hands.

ShakeOut organizers recommend people follow the Seven Steps to Earthquake Safety, a brochure for which can be downloaded at the California Earthquake Authority website.

Those steps notably begin with securing your space, as officials said most earthquake injuries are entirely preventable and are caused by the furniture and other objects that move or break when shaking occurs, resulting in trips, bruises, cuts, and more.

Officials urge California residents to be proactive and prepare now by moving heavy objects down to lower shelves, relocating tall furniture away from entrances and exits, and securing cabinets with latches.

"We have come a long way since ShakeOut began in 2008," said Mark Benthien, global ShakeOut coordinator and outreach director for the Southern California Earthquake Center at the University of Southern California. "More people have not only been practicing earthquake safety, but also securing furniture and objects around them, discussing safety plans, and even retrofitting their homes. For 2020, they are also adapting their drill plans because of COVID-19."

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. – Congressman Mike Thompson (CA-05) has announced that the Federal Emergency Management Agency will cover 100 percent of the cost-share for debris removal and emergency protective measures for the LNU Lightning Complex fires.

This is an increase from the usual 75 percent of cost-share by the federal government for declared disasters, Thompson’s office reported.

Thompson had previously requested additional federal assistance for these fires, which started on Aug. 14 and burned 363,220 acres in Colusa, Lake, Napa, Solano, Sonoma and Yolo counties.

The LNU Lightning Complex killed three people in Napa County and two in Solano County, injured several civilians and firefighters, and destroyed nearly 1,500 structures – including nine in Lake County – and damaged more than 230 others.

“This fire season has caused an immense strain on us all, whether you were evacuated, lost your home, work in public safety, or are part of the local, state and federal team working to rebuild. That’s why I wrote to the FEMA asking the agency to lessen the financial burden on our state and local governments,” said Thompson.

In his Wednesday announcement, Thompson noted, “I am thrilled to see that FEMA will cover 100 percent of the cost of debris removal and emergency protective measures. This much-needed relief will help our communities already struggling due to the pandemic have the resources they need to recover and rebuild from the LNU Lightning Complex fires. Know that I will continue working to bring back every federal dollar and resource to help with our recovery process.”

Click here to read a copy of the notice from FEMA regarding approval for 100 percent cost share for Category A debris removal and Category B emergency protective measures.

Thompson represents California’s Fifth Congressional District, which includes all or part of Contra Costa, Lake, Napa, Solano and Sonoma counties.

NORTH COAST, Calif. – The search for a Willits man who went missing last week has turned into a homicide investigation, with the man’s body found on his property and his son arrested on suspicion of having killed him.

James Presley Whetstone, 29, was arrested for the murder of his father, 69-year-old James Andrew Whetstone, according to a Wednesday night report from Mendocino County Sheriff’s Capt. Gregory Van Patten.

On Monday, the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office posted a call for information about the whereabouts of James Andrew Whetstone on its Facebook page.

At that time, the agency said it was actively investigating Whetstone’s reported disappearance.

He was last seen on the morning of Friday, Oct. 9, at the family residence in the 1500 block of Valley Road in Willits.

At that point, authorities said he was believed to have “either walked away or received a ride from someone in a vehicle, although that is not his usual behavior.”

Late Wednesday night, the agency issued an update on the case, reporting that earlier in the day investigators revisited the Whetstone family property.

While there, they developed information that led them to the discovery of a fresh grave that had been concealed with debris, according to Van Patten’s report.

Van Patten said a search warrant was granted for an in-depth search of the property, prompting a further search by sheriff's detectives with the assistance of investigators with the Mendocino County District Attorney's Office.

He said sheriff's detectives excavated the area of the fresh grave and recovered the elder Whetstone’s remains.

Sheriff's detectives were able to link his death to his biological son, James Presley Whetstone, who was arrested upon probable cause, Van Patten said.

Van Patten said the father and son had lived together on the family property.

The younger Whetstone was booked into the Mendocino County Jail on Wednesday night on a charge of murder, according to jail booking records. Van Patten said he was being held in lieu of an as-yet-undetermined amount of bail.

A forensic autopsy of James Andrew Whetstone's body is pending, Van Patten said.

In the meantime, Van Patten said Mendocino County Sheriff's detectives are continuing investigations into the incident.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – For the second day in a row, growth on the August Complex has been held to under 500 acres as a new team prepares to begin assessing the damage to lands in the northern portion of the incident.

The August Complex was up to 1,029,605 acres and 77 percent containment across all four of its management zones on Wednesday night, according to the US Forest Service.

Officials said 4,254 personnel remain assigned across all zones of the complex, burning since Aug. 17.

The Southwest Area Incident Management Team 1 and Cal Fire Team 5 are working to protect Covelo area, officials said.

The Forest Service said firefighters completed the dozer line in the Middle Fork of the Eel River area. Control efforts in this area remain a priority. Aerial resources will be used to support firefighters on the ground as needed, the Forest Service reported.

As fuels dry out, officials said smoke may be visible in some areas within the fire’s perimeter. Fire will also likely be visible at night as it’s expected to remain active with the dry conditions. Remote sensing data helps inform firefighters where heat exists, to help them focus their efforts.

Firefighters continue to mop-up and cold trail the fireline near Bloody Rock where heat was detected in dozer berms. The Forest Service said cold trailing is a method of controlling a partly dead fire edge by carefully inspecting and feeling with the hand for heat to detect heat, digging out that heat and mopping it up.

Fire personnel and equipment are clearing road hazards, including downed and standing hazard trees, on the southwest side of the fire. The Forest Service said this will allow access for heavy equipment in preparation for suppression repair activities.

The incident’s managers also are watching weather conditions, as the region is under a red flag warning that signals the potential for critical fire weather.

Also on Wednesday, the Forest Service said a Burned Area Emergency Response, or BAER, team has been assigned the task of assessing the northern portion of the burned areas for the
August Complex.

The team will be coordinating with the Shasta-Trinity, Six Rivers and Mendocino national forests as well as the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, National Weather Service, US Geological Survey, Trinity County, Tehama County, Mendocino County and other federal,
tribal, state and local agencies as they assess potential post-fire impacts to the burned watersheds.

BAER surveys are rapid assessments that evaluate the burned area to identify watersheds having increased potential for post-fire flooding, sediment flows, falling trees, and rockslides. The BAER survey assists land managers in preparing the burned area for rainstorms and wind events.

The teams focus on potential emergency impacts to life and safety on National Forest System lands and share the team’s findings with the responsible downstream agencies.

The BAER team reported earlier this week that it had completed an assessment of the complex’s south area, as Lake County News has reported.

As Californians prepare to celebrate Halloween and Dia de los Muertos, the California Department of Public Health released guidance for safer Halloween and Día de los Muertos celebrations during COVID-19.

“COVID-19 continues to pose a severe risk and requires all Californians to follow necessary precautions to keep themselves and their communities safe,” said Dr. Erica Pan, acting state Public Health officer. “As a parent I know the difficulty of explaining the need to modify annual traditions because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and that’s why the Department of Public Health is highlighting low-risk ways families can celebrate these holidays. Our ability to protect lives and limit the spread of COVID-19 depends on all of us taking the virus seriously. Wear a face covering, maintain physical distance and limit mixing with people outside your household.”

The guidance strongly discourages traditional trick-or-treating and encourages families to plan safer alternatives.

Suggestions include a candy scavenger hunt at home, scheduling online activities like pumpkin carving and costume contests, and car-based tours of Halloween displays.

The guidance also covers Día de los Muertos, a Mexican tradition celebrated in the Latino community honoring the deceased.

Día de los Muertos celebrations often include gatherings of extended family as well as cemetery visits.

Families are encouraged to place traditional indoor alters outside so others can view them from a safe distance, create virtual altars online and keep cemetery visits short in duration and limited to people within the same household.

Families and individuals are also urged to check in with their counties so they are aware of any local guidance that applies to both holiday celebrations.

For more information about what Californians can do to prevent the spread of COVID-19, visit www.covid19.ca.gov.