CLEARLAKE, Calif. – Clearlake Animal Control has many nice dogs waiting for their new homes.
The kennels also have many dogs that need to be reunited with their owners. To find the lost/found pet section, click here.
The following dogs are ready for adoption.
“Barkley.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control. ‘Barkley’
“Barkley” is a male American Pit Bull Terrier mix with a short red coat.
He is dog No. 3528.
“Blue.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control. ‘Blue’
“Blue” is a female Staffordshire Bull Terrier with a short blue and white coat.
He has been neutered.
He is dog No. 2420.
“Chris.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control. ‘Chris’
“Chris” is a male American Staffordshire Terrier mix with a short brindle and white coat.
He has been neutered.
Chris is dog No. 3319.
“Eve.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control. ‘Eve’
“Eve” is a female American bully with a short brindle and white coat.
She is dog No. 3480.
“King.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control. ‘King’
“King” is a male purebred Staffordshire Bull Terrier with a short brindle coat.
He has been neutered.
He is dog No. 3034.
“Lola.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control. ‘Lola’
“Lola” is a female pit bull terrier mix with a short red and white coat.
She has been spayed.
She is dog No. 3337.
“Mack.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control. ‘Mack’
“Mack” is a male Labrador Retriever mix with a short black coat and white markings.
He has been neutered.
He is dog No. 3570.
“Naomi.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control. ‘Naomi’
“Naomi is a female American Pit Bull Terrier with a short red coat.
She has been spayed.
She is dog No. 1293.
“Phoebe.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control. ‘Phoebe’
“Phoebe” is a female American Pit Bull Terrier mix with a short black and white coat.
She is dog No. 3483.
“Woodrow.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control. ‘Woodrow’
“Woodrow” is a male Staffordshire Bull Terrier with a black and white coat.
He is dog No. 3281.
Clearlake Animal Control’s shelter is located at 6820 Old Highway 53, off Airport Road.
Hours of operation are noon to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. The shelter is closed Sundays, Mondays and major holidays; the shelter offers appointments on the days it’s closed to accommodate people.
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.
Visit Clearlake Animal Control on Facebook or at the city’s Web site.
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. – On Tuesday, officials reported that a county-owned clinic was the target of a burglary nearly two months ago that has since been discovered to have led to a breach of personal information for an estimated 1,200 people.
Todd Metcalf, administrator of Lake County Behavioral Health Services, said staff discovered a break-in on the morning of Dec. 6 that had occurred the previous night at the Lake County Behavioral Health Services clinic, located at 7000-B South Center Drive in Clearlake.
Metcalf said the protected health information taken varied by client, and generally included some or all of the following elements: full name; prescribed medication; case number; appointment dates and times; phone number; payments; and amounts due for services received.
One compromised client file additionally contained a full Social Security Number, date of birth, disability status, medical history, substance use history, Medi-Cal beneficiary identification number, and income verification information,” Metcalf said.
Metcalf told Lake County News that the total number of potential individuals compromised is approximately 1,200.
“We have sent state-approved letters to each informing them of the incident,” Metcalf said.
The notices, according to Metcalf, detail the type of information potentially accessed.
Metcalf said the reason for the two-month delay between the break-in and the county’s public report on it was because his agency was unaware of the state’s protocol.
“Rest assured we did our due diligence and reported the incident immediately to the California Department of Health Care Services, but were just made aware of the necessity of a press release last Thursday due to the number of potential clients affected,” Metcalf said.
State civil code, which was updated with new legislation last year, includes numerous protections for consumer and health information and requirements for reporting them.
The California Attorney General’s Office reports that businesses, state and local government agencies that report personal information breaches that involve more than 500 state residents must submit to the state a data breach report.
So far, the Attorney General’s Office’s online searchable breach reports don’t include Lake County Behavioral Health’s incident.
Police investigation under way
Metcalf said the Clearlake Police Department was notified immediately of the break-in.
Based on the investigation so far, the single point of entry was a locked front window that was kicked in, he said.
From there, access was gained through a locked office, resulting in the theft of a locked filing cabinet used for storage of client protected health information, Metcalf reported.
Clearlake Police Chief Andrew White told Lake County News Tuesday that the incident initially was reported to police as a break-in, at which point it wasn’t known that a theft had occurred.
Officers went to the scene to investigate and were unable initially to locate a point of entry but found a point of exit, White said.
White said at the time the break-in was reported in December, his officers dusted for fingerprints but were unable to recover any due to issues with the surface, which he explained can include excessive dust.
It wasn’t until a county press release on the data breach and theft came out on Tuesday morning that White said he became aware that the filing cabinet had been stolen.
“We are unclear at this point as to what caused it not to be relayed to us,” White said.
White said he has since talked to Metcalf and a Behavioral Health staffer and is working with them.
“We’ll be following up on this new information we learned today on the compromised data,” White said Tuesday afternoon.
Metcalf explained that the Clearlake Police Department was informed immediately once Behavioral Health discovered the break-in, however, the missing filing cabinet was not discovered until after the report was made.
“Oddly enough, the filing cabinet is on wheels and is often moved about the building, so that’s why it was not noticed until after the police report was made,” he said.
Clearlake Police Det. Steve Hobb is assigned to the investigation. White asked that anyone with information about the case contact Hobb at 707-994-8201, Extension 321.
Taking new security measures
Metcalf said they’ve had a few recent break-ins, and are now taking a series of new measures to further secure protected health information.
Those measures include relocating any cabinets containing protected health information into a locked room that has no windows, located deep in the interior of the clinic complex, he said.
They’ve also initiated the installation of a security system in the Clearlake building that includes video surveillance and 24-hour monitoring, Metcalf said.
He said an alarm system also is being installed at the agency’s Lucerne clinic to ensure these situations will not happen in the future.
“We’re trying to cover all the bases,” Metcalf said.
Due to the risk of identity theft, White encouraged people to closely follow their credit reports.
For those individuals who are impacted, Behavioral Health encourages them to consider taking immediate action to protect their identity.
Precautions include the following.
Registering a fraud alert with the three credit bureaus:
For those with additional questions, they may contact Vanessa Mayer at 707-274-9101.
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. – As concerns about the novel coronavirus 2019 continue to grow across the globe, Lake County’s Public Health officer is reporting that the risk locally remains low.
Lake County Public Health Officer Dr. Gary Pace, MD, MPH, said concerns about the spread of novel coronavirus 2019, or nCoV-2019, are increasing as the disease expands its reach.
“At the Lake County Health Department, we are regularly in touch with state and federal experts, we communicate about updates with local health providers, and we are making preparations for the possibility of any cases showing up in our area. Currently, the immediate health risk from nCoV-2019 to the general public remains low,” Pace said.
As of Tuesday night, media reports were putting the number of global cases at more than 24,000 and the number of deaths at nearly 500. The majority of the cases, however, are in China.
The latest report from the Centers for Disease Control said 11 cases have been identified in the United States with six in California.
The closest location to Lake County that has a case is Santa Clara County, as Lake County News has reported.
The Centers for Disease Control said the nCoV-2019 is a betacoronavirus, like MERS and SARs, all of which have their origins in bats.
Pace said there is no evidence of person-to-person transmission in the general public in California. The main risk for getting the virus has been identified as recent travel to Hubei Province in China, where Wuhan is located, or person-to-person close exposure or close contact with someone who is infected with the virus.
The dramatic health care response to the spread of nCoV-2019 is because no one has immunity since this is a new virus, the lack of an effective vaccine or treatment, and poor understanding about how long it will last or how deadly it can be, according to Pace’s report.
“Health officials worry that this virus could become very widespread and cause extensive illness and death for which we have few available defenses,” Pace said.
The US Department of Homeland Security has taken steps to dramatically decrease entry into the US by people who have traveled to Hubei province. Pace said the aim is to slow the spread of the virus, in efforts to allow time for the science to evolve to the point that a large outbreak can be more effectively managed.
The California Department of Public Health, or CDPH, has activated an Emergency Operations Center for the nCoV-2019.
“We will continue working with our partners to monitor for any additional cases that may occur in California, to ensure that persons can be safely and effectively evaluated for this novel virus, and to protect the health of the people of California,” said CDPH Director Dr. Sonia Angell.
Officials said it is very important for persons who have recently traveled and who become ill to notify their health care provider of their travel history. People who have recently visited Wuhan, China, or who have had contact with a person with possible novel coronavirus infection should contact their local health department or health care provider.
State health officials, with cooperation from the local health departments, are continuing with the following actions:
● Providing information about the outbreak and how to report suspected cases to local health departments and health care providers in California.
● Coordinating with CDC personnel who are doing screening of travelers from Wuhan, China at SFO and LAX airports.
● Assuring that health care providers know how to safely manage persons with possible nCoV-2019 infection.
● Supporting hospitals and local public health laboratories for collection and shipment of specimens for testing at CDC for nCoV-2019.
● Activating CDPH’s Emergency Operations Center to coordinate response efforts across the state.
As with any virus, especially during the flu season, CDPH reminds you there are a number of steps you can take to protect your health and those around you.
These are all ways to reduce the risk of infection with a number of different viruses:
● Wash hands with soap and water.
● Avoid touching eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands.
● Avoid close contact with people who are sick, are all ways to reduce the risk of infection with a number of different viruses.
● If someone does become sick with respiratory symptoms like fever and cough, they should stay away from work, school or other people to avoid spreading illness.
CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The Clearlake City Council this week is expected to adopt new building and traffic codes.
The council will meet beginning at 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 6, in the council chambers at Clearlake City Hall, 14050 Olympic Drive.
Thursday’s meeting will include the introduction of new Police Department office assistant Katelind Brown and the presentation of a proclamation declaring February 2020 as Black History Month.
On the agenda is consideration of a first reading of an amendment to Clearlake Municipal Code Section 9-1.4, the Building Code. The amendment would adopt the 2019 California Building Standards Code, which includes residential, green building, plumbing, electrical, fire, mechanical and energy standards.
The council also will hold an initial reading of an amendment to Chapter VIII, Section 5 of the city’s traffic code relating to excavation of streets that have recently been reconstructed or overlaid.
On the meeting's consent agenda – items that are not considered controversial and are usually adopted on a single vote – are warrant registers; hold a second reading and adoption of an ordinance clarifying and correcting Ordinance No. 222-2019 amending Chapters 1, 10 and 18 of the Clearlake Municipal Code related to the issuance, handling, appeals and penalties of administrative citations, amending the general penalty for violations, adjusting penalties for cannabis-related violations and providing for immediate imposition of fines in specified circumstances; and consider continuing a declaration of local emergency issued on Oct. 9, 2017, and ratified by council action on Oct. 12, 2017, and set review for the next council meeting.
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. – Absentee ballots, as well as sample ballot booklets for the March primary, are on their way to voters this week, according to the Lake County Registrar of Voters Office.
Interim Registrar Diane Fridley said that the official vote-by-mail ballots – more commonly known as absentees – were delivered to the San Francisco Sorting Center by the county’s official ballot printing vendor on Monday.
Voters should begin receiving their vote-by-mail ballots in the mail within three to 10 days from the mailing date, Fridley said.
If voters need their vote-by-mail ballot sooner than the estimated delivery date, Fridley said they may visit the Registrar of Voters’ office – in Room 209 on the second floor of the Lake County Courthouse, 255 N. Forbes St. in Lakeport – and a vote-by-mail ballot will be issued to them.
Alternately, Fridley said voters may call the Registrar of Voters Office at 707-263-2372 and staff will mail them a vote-by-mail ballot.
Fridley said any registered voter who would like to be issued an official vote-by-mail ballot in lieu of voting at his or her polling place may either personally phone the Registrar of Voters Office at 707-263-2372 or complete the application for vote-by-mail voter’s ballot on the back of their sample ballot booklet and the request must be received by the Registrar of Voters Office no later than 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 25 to request a vote-by-mail ballot by mail.
The applications also can be filled out at the Registrar of Voters Office in Lakeport prior to the close of the polls at 8 p.m. on Election Day – Tuesday, March 3 – to be issued a vote-by-mail ballot, Fridley said.
Fridley also reported that the sample ballot/information booklets will be delivered to the San Francisco Sorting Center by the county’s sample ballot printing vendor on Friday morning.
The Upper Lake High School Academic Decathlon team at the North Bay Region Academic Decathlon at Solano Community College in Fairfield, California, on Saturday, February 1, 2020. Photo courtesy of Anna Sabalone.
UPPER LAKE, Calif. – Upper Lake High School’s Academic Decathlon team will once again represent Lake County as it advances to California’s Academic Decathlon competition.
The 2019-20 theme is, “In Sickness and in Health: An Exploration of Illness and Wellness.”
Students compete in three categories: varsity, 2.99 grade point average and below; scholastic, 3.0 to 3.74 GPA; and honor, 3.75 to 4.0 GPA.
The Upper Lake State Team includes: varsity, William Cromwell, Jisel Horne and Sierra Manley; scholastic, Atlantis Jones, Georgia Schmit and Annalise Smith; and honors, Deeya Kalan, Nobalie Snow and Maria Tinoco.
This year, the shape of the Lake County Academic Decathlon competition has changed significantly.
While the team over the years has drawn participation from high schools all over the county, last year it had dwindled to just Clear Lake High School and Upper Lake High, with Willits High School joining them for a combined competition that took place in Upper Lake.
For the 2019-2020 event, the only remaining Lake County High School was Upper Lake, according to a December announcement from Beth Hampson, the new Academic Decathlon coordinator for the Lake County Office of Education.
In her announcement to competition supporters, Hampson said Upper Lake was invited to participate in the North Bay Region Academic Decathlon this year, sponsored by the Solano County Office of Education.
Upper Lake High took online tests in academic subjects as part of the regional competition on Saturday, Jan. 25, before the Saturday competition at Solano Community College in Fairfield. There, students competed in speech, interview and the Super Quiz.
Anna Sabalone, Upper Lake’s coach, told Lake County News that 15 schools from six counties participated on Saturday.
The top 10 finishers are as follows:
– First: Vanden High School, 44,643 points; will represent Solano County at state. – Second: Willits High School, 40,051 points; will represent Mendocino County at state. – Third: American Canyon High School, 38,288 points; will represent Napa County at state. – Fourth: Casa Grande High School, 36,638 points; will represent Sonoma County at state. – Fifth: Rodriguez High School, Solano County, 34,480 points. – Sixth: Upper Lake High, Lake County, 32,169 points; will represent Lake County at state. – Seventh: MIT Academy, Solano County, 31,706 points. – Eighth: Jesse Bethel High School, Solano County, 30,178 points. – Ninth: Petaluma High School, Sonoma County, 28,598 points. – Tenth: Davis Senior High School, 28,008 points; will represent Yolo County at state.
Other schools in the competition were Buckingham High School, Dixon High School, Maria Carrillo High School, River City High School and Vallejo High School.
Upper Lake team members who won individual medals are listed below.
Highest scoring decathletes by category and grade level, 10 events combined:
Upper Lake’s dedicated academic decathletes will now get to work preparing for the state competition, which takes place March 26 to 29 in Sacramento.
The Lake County Friends of Mendocino College has approved $500 for travel expenses to support Upper Lake’s trip to the state competition.
For information on making a donation to help the Upper Lake team travel to the state competition, call Upper Lake High at 707-275-2338.
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.
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