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- Written by: LAKE COUNTY NEWS REPORTS
LAKEPORT, Calif. — The Lakeport Police Department has launched a foot patrol program for the downtown business district and parks, with Officer Katie Morfin assigned as the downtown officer.
The patrol area includes Main Street, Museum Park, Library Park and Xabatin Community Park, and is bounded by Clear Lake to the east, Forbes Street to the west, Clear Lake Avenue to the north and C Street to the south.
City officials said this initiative aims to enhance police visibility, foster relationships with business owners, staff, residents and visitors. It will address crime and other issues affecting the quality of life in these areas.
Officer Morfin patrols during daytime hours from Tuesday through Friday.
The police department is currently fully staffed and said in a statement that it’s pleased to be able to offer enhanced services like these to the community.
For more information about the program, contact Officer Morfin at
For immediate police assistance or to report a crime, please call dispatch at 707-263-2690.
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- Written by: LAKE COUNTY NEWS REPORTS
Following the Board of Supervisors’ closed session discussion on Tuesday, the county announced that Robin Ruddock Borre has been appointed Special District administrator.
Ruddock Borre’s appointment is effective July 8.
She will succeed Scott Harter, who is retiring from county service following more than 27 years of dedicated service with public agencies, including the city of Lakeport and county of Lake.
Ruddock Borre was born and raised in Lake County, and brings more than 25 years of governmental management and administrative experience.
The county said she has a strong theoretical foundation in business administration, has decades of progressively responsible practical experience in public works and administration roles, and has been recognized by peers and leaders as an exceptional fiscal administrator, capable of managing all aspects of infrastructure finance and capital improvements.
Immediately prior to accepting her new role with the county of Lake, Ruddock Borre served as director of public works and community development for the city of Rio Vista.
This “working director” role encompassed departmental budgeting and purchasing responsibilities, as well as oversight of operations including maintenance, water and wastewater operations, an airport, and planning, building and business licensing-related functions.
“We are very pleased Ms. Ruddock Borre is coming home to Lake County as Special Districts Administrator,” said Bruno Sabatier, chair of the Lake County Board of Supervisors. “Her broad-based experience will make her an effective collaborator across county departments. Lake County has deep infrastructure-related needs, and funding those is critical to responsible growth; Ms. Ruddock Borre has the background to be a strong contributor to those efforts.”
“My family has deep roots in Lake County, and I am honored the Board of Supervisors has trusted me with this crucial leadership position,” said Ruddock Borre. “I look forward to applying the organizational, communication and administrative skills I have gained over my career to developing creative solutions to meet the needs of Lake County’s communities.”
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- Written by: LAKE COUNTY NEWS REPORTS
A bill to give tax relief to fire victims passed the House of Representatives on Tuesday.
Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-04) applauded the House’s vote to pass the Federal Disaster Tax Relief Act (H.R. 5863).
The bill includes Thompson's legislation that would exempt thousands of qualified wildfire victims in California, including Pacific Gas and Electric fire victims, from having to pay federal income tax on their settlement money or pay tax on attorney fees that are included in the settlement.
This relief would also apply retroactively to qualified victims.
“Fire survivors have been through enough in the wake of losing their homes and livelihoods to wildfires — it’s wrong to tax them on the settlement money meant to help them rebuild their lives,” said Rep. Thompson on Tuesday. “Today’s bipartisan vote to provide tax relief to fire survivors is an important step towards recovery for those who lost homes, businesses, and loved ones and sends a clear message to Senate Republicans: It’s time to work with us to pass much-needed relief for disaster victims.”
Rep. Thompson serves as the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Tax for the Ways and Means Committee.
He introduced the original legislation to provide tax relief to PG&E fire victims in the 117th Congress and has worked to advance the legislation ever since.
Last week, Rep. Thompson and Rep. Greg Steube (FL-17) led a bipartisan group of 218 Members of Congress to successfully advance a discharge petition which forced House Speaker Mike Johnson to bring the Federal Disaster Tax Relief Act to the House floor for Tuesday’s vote.
The historic advancement of Rep Thompson and Rep. Steube’s petition marked only the third time a House discharge petition has succeeded in the 21st century.
The Federal Disaster Tax Relief Act excludes from taxpayer gross income, for income tax purposes, any amount received by an individual taxpayer as compensation for expenses or losses incurred due to a qualified wildfire disaster (a disaster declared after 2014 as a result of a forest or range fire).
It also excludes relief payments for losses resulting from the East Palestine, Ohio, train derailment on Feb. 3, 2023 and designates Hurricane Ian, among other federally declared disasters, as a qualified disaster for the purposes of determining the tax treatment of certain disaster-related personal casualty losses.
The bill now goes to the Senate for a vote before going to President Biden’s desk for his signature.
Thompson represents California’s Fourth Congressional District, which includes all or part of Lake, Napa, Solano, Sonoma and Yolo counties.
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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The state has awarded $3 million for a highway project meant to reduce crashes on Highway 29 near Middletown in its latest round of transportation funding.
On Monday, the California Transportation Commission allocated $1.9 billion to support transportation infrastructure projects across the state, including the Middletown project.
The approved funding provides significant investments for bridges, roadways, transit, and improved facilities for people who walk and bike, the state reported. Also included are projects that will build or renovate shoreline embankments, bus, bicycle, and pedestrian infrastructure, and railroad overcrossings.
“California’s transportation infrastructure is critical to the economic and cultural lifeblood of our state, and this funding provides key support in our mission to provide a safe, equitable and sustainable transportation system for all users,” said Caltrans Director Tony Tavares.
The state said the latest allocations also include nearly $430 million from the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021, also known as the “Bipartisan Infrastructure Law,” and $740 million via Senate Bill 1, the Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017.
Since 2021, California has received more than $42 billion in IIJA funds, including more than $29 billion for transportation-related projects, officials said.
Regarding Lake County’s award, approximately $3 million in support allocations will go toward roadway and culvert upgrades and the installation of a radar feedback sign on Highway 29 from north of Butts Canyon Road to south of Grange Road near Middletown.
Manny Machado, spokesman for Caltrans District 1, told Lake County News that this safety project is located approximately 1.6 miles north of Middletown on Highway 29 between postmile 7.4 and 8.9.
“This project proposes to widen the roadbed to create a soft median with centerline rumble strips. The proposed work includes shoulder widening, roadway excavation, culvert extension, rumble strip, and pavement delineation,” said Machado. “The purpose of this project is to reduce traffic collisions.”
Machado said the 2018 Crossover Collision Monitoring Report identified this location as an area with crossover collisions that involve two or more vehicles traveling in opposite directions.
“Currently there is no median to create distance or separation between opposing traffic. In addition, existing shoulders are 4 feet wide, limiting the recovery area for errant vehicles and space for stalled vehicles, maintenance vehicles, maintenance personnel and non-motorized users,” Machado said.
He said construction is expected to start in May of 2028.
In addition to the Lake County project, the latest CTC-approved projects include the following:
• $27.4 million for the Interstate 405 improvement project in Los Angeles County.
• More than $4 million to repair bridge damage along Interstate 80 in Alameda County.
• $600,000 to replace the Ackerman Creek Bridge in Mendocino County.
• $1.2 million in support of allocations toward the construction of a left-turn lane, install lighting and other roadway improvements on U.S. 101 from the Rowdy Creek Bridge to Timbers Boulevard near Smith River in Del Norte County.
• $1.8 million in support allocations toward guardrail and other roadway safety improvements on U.S. 101 from north of the Wilson Creek Bridge to south of Crescent City in Del Norte County.
• $527,000 in support allocations toward revegetation mitigation and monitoring for culvert rehabilitation along U.S. 101 from south of Old Sherwood Road to north of Route 271 at various locations near Laytonville, Leggett and Piercy in Mendocino County.
• $28.5 million including more than $25.2 million in federal IIJA funding and $3.3 million in SB1 funding in support allocations toward roadway and guardrail improvements from south of Shimmins Ridge Road to north of Old Sherwood Road near Willits in Mendocino County.
• $830,000 toward roadway, guardrail, sign panels and Americans with Disabilities Act improvements on Route 128 from the Mill Creek Bridge to the Robinson Creek Bridge near Boonville in Mendocino County.
• $900,000 toward the construction of left-turn lanes, a merge lane and other roadway improvements on U.S. 101 from the Hopland Overhead to Mountain House Road near Hopland in Mendocino County.
• $1.1 million toward roadway, guardrail, lighting and other improvements on U.S. 101 from north of the Robinson Creek Bridge to the Pomo Lane Undercrossing near Ukiah in Mendocino County.
• $2.6 million in SB1 funding in emergency allocations toward roadway and culvert repairs and debris removal on U.S. 101 from north of the Newton Road Undercrossing and on Route 254 to north of Lum Street/Newton Road near Weott in Humboldt County following heavy rainfall that started on Feb. 14, 2024.
• $3.2 million in emergency allocations toward culvert and embankment repairs with rock slope protection along U.S. 101 south of Hookton Road near Loleta in Humboldt County following heavy rainfall that started on Jan. 9, 2024.
• $2.5 million in SB1 funding in emergency allocations toward culvert and embankment repairs, rock slope protection and erosion control on Route 1 north of Pacific Drive near Gualala in Mendocino County following heavy rainfall that started on Jan. 31, 2024.
• $4.5 million in SB1 funding in emergency allocations toward roadway and embankment repairs, rock slope protection and erosion control on U.S. 101 south of Route 271 near Leggett in Mendocino County following heavy rainfall that started on Jan. 31, 2024.
• $6.5 million in emergency allocations toward roadway, viaduct, retaining wall and culvert repairs and erosion control on Route 1 south of the Juan Creek Bridge near Rockport in Mendocino County following heavy rainfall that started on Jan. 31, 2024.
Email Elizabeth Larson at