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- Written by: Lake County News reports
“Gun violence is the leading cause of death for children and teenagers in America. Parents across our country now live with the reality that if their child dies, the most common reason for that death is not because of cancer or a car crash, but a bullet,” the members wrote. “As you assume the responsibility of Speaker of the House, we stand ready to work with you on legislation that will reduce gun violence and urge you to commit to putting gun violence prevention legislation on the floor as soon as possible.”
The letter’s statistics on shootings do not include the number of dead and injured in a Wednesday night shooting in Maine.
The full letter can be read below.
Dear Speaker Johnson,
As Members of the Gun Violence Prevention Task Force, we write with a somber update about the lives lost to gun violence while the U.S. Congress has been paralyzed without an elected Speaker of the House.
Gun violence is the leading cause of death for children and teenagers in America. Parents across our country now live with the reality that if their child dies, the most common reason for that death is not because of cancer or a car crash, but a bullet.
Since former Speaker McCarthy was removed from his leadership role on October 3rd 1,030 people have died from gun violence including 15 children and 60 teenagers. Another 2,072 people were injured by gun violence and our country was traumatized by 33 more mass shootings.
Although we can never get back the time that was wasted by the chaos caused by the lack of leadership in the House of Representatives, we must not let that dysfunction prevent us from working together to address the gun violence crisis moving forward. We suggest that the House first start by considering the numerous gun violence prevention bills that are supported by a majority of Democrats, Independents and Republicans.
The Gun Violence Prevention Task Force sent multiple letters to former Speaker McCarthy with the earnest request that the House take action on gun violence which is the largest killer of children. As you assume the responsibility of Speaker of the House, we stand ready to work with you on legislation that will reduce gun violence and urge you to commit to putting gun violence prevention legislation on the floor as soon as possible.
Thompson represents California’s Fifth Congressional District, which includes all or part of Lake, Napa, Solano, Sonoma and Yolo counties.
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- Written by: Lake County News reports
LAKEPORT, Calif. — The city of Lakeport invites the community to the grand opening ceremonies for Xabatin Community Park on Thursday, Oct. 26.
The event will take pace beginning at 4 p.m. at the park, located at 800 N. Main St.
Parking will be available in lots adjacent to the park and at the Silveira Community Center and near the Fifth Street boat ramp.
Visitors are requested to admire the new grass from a short distance while it takes root to become a permanent amenity in the park.
The Clear Lake High School band, Lake County Military Honors Team and the Sweet Adelines will precede the welcome by Mayor Stacey Mattina, followed by the invocation and speakers representing Senate Majority Leader Mike McGuire and the Office of Grants and Local Services of the California State Parks.
Xabatin “Big Water” Community Park is derived from the original Native American name for Clear Lake in the Pomo language.
The Lakeport City Council adopted the name to acknowledge the significance of the site to native peoples for centuries at its Oct. 17 meeting.
A land acknowledgement by City Manager Kevin M. Ingram and the blessing by Ron Montez of the Big Valley Band of Pomo Indians will reflect the cultural heritage and importance of the site to Native peoples.
The dedication and ribbon cutting ceremony will be conducted by Mayor Mattina and councilmembers Kim Costa, Brandon Disney, Michael Froio and Kenny Parlet.
Activities during the evening will feature traditional native dance performances by the Big Valley Band of Pomo Indians and the Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians.
Professional skateboarders Eli Reams and Devin Bales will be joined by BMX rider Ethan Reams for an exhibition of skills in the new skatepark area.
Video footage taken during the park construction by Hobby Dave Noland will be available for viewing in the Amphitheatre while music is provided by DJ Larry Thompson.
The city of Lakeport is providing complimentary cotton candy, popcorn and snow cones at the concession stand while Big Eats Grill and Terped-Out Kitchen will offer food from their vending trucks.
The city thanks Building Solutions Inc., SSA Architects, Lake Event Designs, Lake County Chamber of Commerce and the California Department of Parks and Recreation for their respective roles with park construction and the opening ceremony event.
State grant funded park
The city of Lakeport was awarded a $5.9 million grant in April 2020, funded by the state of California Parks and Water Bond, Proposition 68, for the development of a new community park along the city’s lakefront.
The grant provided funding to purchase a seven-acre site from the Lakeport Unified School District and to construct the park with amenities identified through extensive public participation in outreach events.
The City Council awarded a contract to SSA Landscape Architects for planning, design, engineering and project management.
After preliminary work it was determined that the grant funding would not cover all of the features outlined in the plan adopted by the community.
In November 2020 the Council authorized $201,336 in one time funding to the city through the California Parks and Recreation Prop 68 Per Capita allocation and $805,570 from the city’s general fund reserve, for a total additional amount of $1,006,906 for the project.
A construction contract was awarded to Builders Solutions Inc., in August 2022 for $4,399,381.
The first working day for the park project was Oct. 17, 2022, with 150 working days in the contract.
The wet winter weather and time extensions for extra work contributed to schedule delays with fast progress made in the last two months.
Park offers wide variety of features
Amenities included in the park are the result of input from the public at multiple events conducted during 2020, resulting in high scoring on the grant application.
Special features include the extension of the promenade along the lakefront, basketball court, skatepark, Ninja gym, amphitheater, splash pad, public art, multi-use lawn area, sheltered picnic areas, and a bathroom/concession building.
Funding also includes a parking lot, landscaping and lighting throughout the park, and a dedicated area for a future boathouse.
Funding from the city made it possible to demolish and remove the remaining school district building on the site and open more space for future development.
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- Written by: LAKE COUNTY NEWS REPORTS
A Mendocino County Sheriff’s deputy was dispatched at 6 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 21, to contact a person who had located potential human skeletal remains in Covelo, said Capt. Gregory Van Patten.
Van Patten said the deputy learned that the man who found the remains had been hunting on his property, located in the 45000 block of Bauer Ranch Road in the vicinity of Mendocino Pass Road, when he discovered several scattered bones that are suspected to be human.
The man also found out-of-state photo identifications belonging to an adult male which was in the general area of the bones, Van Patten said.
Due to darkness and an impending rainstorm, Van Patten said it was decided a search of the property would be delayed for the safety of Sheriff's Office searchers.
Just before 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, sheriff’s deputies and members of the Mendocino County Search and Rescue Team conducted search efforts for the bones, which resulted in the discovery and recovery of several human skeletal remains, Van Patten said.
Investigations into the identity of the human skeletal remains are ongoing at this time and Van Patten said investigators have requested the assistance of the Anthropology Department at California State University, Chico in an effort to determine a cause and classification of death.
Anyone with information that may assist investigators in this coroner's investigation are urged to contact the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office Tipline by calling 707-234-2100 or the WeTip Anonymous Crime Reporting Hotline by calling 800-782-7463.
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- Written by: GOVERNOR’S OFFICE
New data show California has built out more than 6,600 megawatts, or MW, of battery storage, enough electricity to power 6.6 million homes for up to four hours.
The total resource is up from 770 MW four years ago and double the amount installed just two years ago, significant progress towards California’s goal of a 100% clean electric grid by 2045.
As greenhouse gas emissions accelerate climate change, energy storage is a critical part of California’s strategy to cut pollution and create a cleaner, more reliable grid — storing excess power from solar, wind and other renewable sources generated during the day to meet demand in the evening when the sun sets.
“The more homes and businesses we can power with clean energy, the more we can clean our air and cut pollution. California — 40 million people strong and the 5th biggest economy in the world — is showing the rest of the globe how to fight climate change while making the grid more reliable and creating new jobs. This is essential to how we fight climate change and protect Californians,” said Gov. Gavin Newsom.
Gov. Newsom has streamlined clean energy infrastructure and invest billions of dollars to build more faster.
Another 1,900 MW of energy storage projects are expected to be online by the end of the year, for a total of 8,500 MW.
The state is projected to need 52,000 megawatts of energy storage capacity by 2045 to meet clean energy goals.
Click here for more information from the California Energy Commission.