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Caltrans announced Tuesday that it has approved $146 million in Low Carbon Transit Operations Program funding for 166 local public transportation projects.

These projects will improve the sustainability of transportation systems and help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Approximately $140 million for 158 projects will benefit disadvantaged communities most affected by climate change.

“This investment will help reduce our impact on the environment and improve transit service, particularly for those facing economic barriers to mobility,” said Caltrans Director Toks Omishakin. “Greater access to transit options will lead to decreased dependence on driving and cleaner air for all Californians.”

The Low Carbon Transit Operations Program, or LCTOP, was created in 2014 to provide operating and capital assistance for transit agencies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve mobility, with a priority on serving disadvantaged communities.

These projects support new and expanded bus, rail and intermodal transit facilities that include equipment acquisition, fueling and maintenance.

This year’s funding process took place during the COVID-19 pandemic, and some projects were revised to fit emerging health and safety priorities.

For example, some agencies expanded dial-a-ride and fare-free services to increase access and protection for their riders and operators.

Some of the projects that will benefit from LCTOP funding include:

– Fifty-five projects offering free or reduced fares to encourage lifelong transit users, including young riders, seniors and veterans:

North Coast transit agencies including the City of Arcata, Humboldt Transit Authority and Lake Transit Authority: Approved $339,997 for three projects offering free fares to populations that include low-income residents, youth, and college students.

City of Los Angeles: Approved $1.37 million for the second operating year of free fares on Los Angeles Department of Transportation Downtown Area Short Hop services for Los Angeles Unified School District students K-12 and Los Angeles Community College students.

San Joaquin and Stanislaus counties: Approved $1.79 million for nine projects to expand free or reduced fares.

Monterey-Salinas Transit: Approved $846,826 for six projects to allow free weekend fares in Salinas, summer youth passes, and free fares for college students.

– Thirty-seven projects providing new and expanded transit service for better access to jobs and educational sites, as well as expanding transit options on nights and weekends:

Sacramento Regional Transit District: Approved $3.38 million for four projects that include core bus routes and expanding light rail from the Sunrise station to Folsom.

City of Fresno Department of Transportation: Approved $832,746 for changes to five bus routes and the creation of a new route to increase transit ridership, convenience and reliability of service.

Kings County Area Public Transit Agency: Approved $118,000 to increase bus frequencies to 30-minute intervals on eight weekday routes.

Ventura County Transportation Commission: Approved $550,000 for continuation of the new Cross County Transit Service connecting communities in eastern and western Ventura County. These routes serve low-income populations with stops that connect disadvantaged communities.

– Twenty-six projects purchasing replacement zero-emission vehicles:

San Diego Metropolitan Transit System and North County Transit District: Approved $8.42 million for continued projects to procure zero-emission buses.

City of Arvin: Approved $41,362 to complete its fourth year of roll-over funding to replace diesel buses with zero-emission versions and install charging stations.

Livermore Amador Valley Transit Authority: Approved $471,778 to purchase four 40-foot, zero-emission buses and provide necessary improvements to replace diesel-electric hybrid buses at the end of their lifespan.

– Fourteen projects purchasing, constructing, or installing passenger amenities at transit stops/stations to encourage increased transit ridership:

County of Siskiyou: Approved $84,191 for upgrades to 50 bus stops featuring bus schedule holders and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) concrete work.

Mountain Area Regional Transit Authority: Approved $102,167 to improve bus stops by including ADA compliant access, and providing protection from inclement weather conditions and seating accommodations for disabled and senior riders while waiting for buses.

Plumas County Transportation Commission: Approved $38,973 for construction of solar illuminated bus stop shelters.

LCTOP is funded by the Cap‑and‑Trade Program from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund.

The Cap-and-Trade Program is one of many programs developed under AB 32, the California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 implemented to fight climate change. It is designed to reduce greenhouse gases from the largest sources of emissions in California, to drive innovation and steer the state toward a clean energy economy.

To better understand the impact of COVID-19 on California’s diverse communities, the California Department of Public Health took regulatory action on Tuesday which goes into effect immediately, expanding data reporting requirements for providers and laboratories.

The regulations require providers to continue to collect and report race and ethnicity data and also collect and report a patient’s gender identity and sexual orientation, so the state has more information on patients who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender.

The action also requires labs to collect and report race and ethnicity data to the state.

“Complete data is essential to addressing health inequities and better designing public health interventions that save lives,” said Dr. Sonia Angell, State Public Health Officer and Director of the California Department of Public Health. “These changes apply to COVID-19, and all reportable diseases, to help us understand their impact by race, ethnicity, gender identity and sexual orientation.

While providers are currently required to report race and ethnicity data to the state, the information received is often incomplete. Race and ethnicity data are still missing from nearly 36 percent of cases in California.

In addition to expanding reporting requirements, Tuesday’s action reminds providers that collecting and reporting this data is essential to California’s public health response.

The regulations, which become effective immediately, apply to all reportable diseases in California, not just COVID-19, giving the state broader insight into racial and ethnic disparities and disparities among LGBT individuals.

California continues to evaluate additional steps it can take to improve the collection and reporting of data both from providers and laboratories.

The regulations filed Tuesday affect Title 17 of the CCR, sections 2500 and 2505.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake County has started off the new week with additional cases of COVID-19.

On Monday Lake County Public Health reported that the case count had increased to 175. That’s up from 168 reported on Friday. The agency now publishes updates on weekdays.

Public Health said that of the 175 cases, 12 are active – meaning they are continuing to be monitored by Public Health staff – and 162 recovered. One death attributed to the virus was reported earlier this month.

The California Department of Public Health said Monday that 460,550 COVID-19 cases have been reported statewide.

Deaths reported by county Public Health departments on Monday night totaled more than 8,530.

The state said local health departments have reported 21,895 confirmed positive cases in health care workers and 119 deaths statewide.

Lake’s neighboring counties reported the following case totals on Monday night: Colusa, 273 cases, two deaths; Glenn, 280 cases, one death; Mendocino, 274 cases, six deaths; Napa, 766 cases, nine deaths; Sonoma, 2,617 cases, 24 deaths; and Yolo, 1,424 cases, 37 deaths.

Three individuals currently are hospitalized, bringing the total number of cases hospitalized during the course of treatment to 15, according to the Public Health COVID-19 dashboard.

Lake County Public Health said there have been 6,702 tests conducted to date, with 6,527 negative results.

The California Department of Public Health said there have been 7,296,578 tests conducted in the state, an increase of 128,439 over the prior 24-hour reporting period.

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. – New COVID-19 case demographics for Lake County show that cases among females continue to grow at a faster pace, a trend now mirrored by the state’s numbers, while the first cases of community transmission have been reported.

Lake County Public released the new demographics on Monday afternoon, based on the 175 positive cases current at that time. That’s an increase of 24 cases since the last demographics update on July 20.

This week’s numbers show that females continue to lead males among COVID-19 patients, 94 to 81. Cases among females have increased by 14 since last week while there were 10 new cases involving males.

Lake County’s gender case numbers flipped earlier this month, at that point going opposite of the state trend which had shown more cases in males. But based on numbers provided by the California Department of Public Health, the state’s gender trend last week also changed and now matches Lake County’s, with more cases now confirmed in females.

This is the second week that Lake County Public Health has given a wider number of age ranges for cases.

The age range that continues to lead with the most cases is 25 to 34, 44 cases, up by nine over last week; 35 to 44, 27 cases, up by one; 13 to 24, 30 cases, up by five; 45 to 54, 22, up by two; 55 to 64, 20 cases, up by two; 65 and older, 17, up by four; and birth to age 12, 15 cases; up by one. Since last week, the 65 and above age group surpassed the birth to 12 group.

Regarding cases by source, for the first time this week, the demographics report attributes the source of three cases to presumed community transmission.

The largest number of cases have been traced to close contacts to a known case, which are responsible for 88 cases, up by 16 over the previous week; followed by 53 cases that are listed as under investigation, up by two; out of county contacts, 18, up by one; and other/unknown source, seven, up by two.

Two sources that showed no change in numbers over the previous week are presumed occupational contacts, four, and congregate living situations – in this case, the Lake County Jail – two.

This week’s numbers by supervisorial district shows the following:

– District 1, Middletown and the south county along with portions of Clearlake: 17 cases, an increase of two over the week;
– District 2, Clearlake area: 61 cases, up 11;
– District 3, Northshore area: 34 cases, up by three;
– District 4, greater Lakeport area: 31, increase of three;
– District 5, Kelseyville, Loch Lomond and Cobb: 29 cases, up by two.
– Three cases are labeled “unknown” for location.

This week’s case breakdown by zip code shows the first cases reported in Clearlake Park and Finley.

The breakdown, with the increased number over last week in parentheses, is as follows:

– 95422, Clearlake: 60 (10);
– 95453, Lakeport: 30 (2);
– 95451, Kelseyville: 25 (3);
– 95423, Clearlake Oaks: 11 (no change);
– 95457, Lower Lake: 9 (no change);
– 95485, Upper Lake: 9 (1);
– 95458, Lucerne: 8 (no change);
– 95467, Hidden Valley Lake, 8 (2);
– 95464, Nice: 6 (2);
– 95426, Cobb: 4 (no change);
– 95435, Finley: 1 (1);
– 95424, Clearlake Park: 1 (1);
– Unknown: 3 (2).

Public Health said the next set of data will be released on Monday, Aug. 3.

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.

Amid congressional debates about whether or not to extend or modify the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation Program, a new Data Point from the California Policy Lab at UCLA focuses on how the extra $600 payment has helped keep California workers financially afloat during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“For more than half the Californians receiving unemployment benefits, that extra $600 has boosted their benefit amounts above the threshold for ‘Very Low Income’,” explained Till von Wachter, a co-author of the analysis, UCLA economics professor and faculty director at the California Policy Lab. “Given the low benefit amounts for those particularly hard hit by the current crisis, reducing this amount to $200 could put a lot of unemployed in serious financial difficulties.”

Among its key findings, the analysis determined that Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation, or FPUC, payments have been made to Californian recipients from the start of the program to late June, totaling $26 billion.

Because lower-income workers have been the most impacted by job losses during this pandemic, it's likely most of these benefits have helped support the state's economy as these workers used this money to pay for necessary household expenses like food and rent.

The analysis also found that without the $600 FPUC payment, California’s median unemployment insurance benefit amount will drop down to $339 per week.

In comparison, California’s Median Family Income is $86,165, on a weekly basis, that equals $1,657. Without the FPUC payment, the median payment of $339 would be less than a quarter of California’s Median Family Income.

The study reported that the average actual payment in California without FPUC is $270.

While each Unemployment Insurance claimant is assigned a weekly benefit amount based on their prior earnings when they file their claim, for claimants who report income from part-time work, their benefit payment is reduced accordingly, and they receive a payment less than their WBA.

When looking at actual payments received while FPUC has been in effect, the average actual payment was $270, the difference arising to some claimants receiving reduced payments because they are working, incomplete certifications, or payments deemed ineligible for other reasons.

Average actual benefit amounts are even lower for the workers who have been most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, including women workers ($253); young workers aged 20-24 ($215), Black workers ($255) and Asian workers ($263). See the Data Point for a table with demographic breakdowns.

The study also determined that the most impacted are women workers, Black workers, younger workers and lower-educated workers.

These groups have been hardest hit by COVID-19 related layoffs and will be most harmed if the $600 extension is not renewed or is reduced.

NORTH COAST, Calif. – Sonoma County officials said a Rohnert Park Police officer is facing charges related to his alleged embezzlement from his police union.

David Sittig-Wattson, 34, Rohnert Park turned himself in on Monday afternoon, according to a report from the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office’s community engagement liaison, Misti Wood.

Wood said the Rohnert Park Public Safety Officers Association previously requested that the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office start a financial crimes investigation related to the association.

Property crimes detectives conducted a thorough investigation and submitted it to the Sonoma County District Attorney’s Office. After reviewing the investigation, the District Attorney’s Office filed charges and issued a warrant for Sittig-Wattson’s arrest, Wood said.

Sittig-Wattson, who is the association’s former treasurer, is being charged with embezzlement over a four-year period, according to Wood’s report.

On Monday, Wood said Sittig-Wattson was booked on one felony count of grand theft by embezzlement.

Wood said Sittig-Wattson was released on $5,000 bail to appear in court at a later date.