How to resolve AdBlock issue? 
News
- Details
- Written by: LAKE COUNTY NEWS REPORTS
The burn ban’s lifting is effective as of 8 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 30.
Burn permits are required for all outdoor burning in the Lake County Air Basin.
Those burn permits can be obtained from Lake County’s fire agencies through an electronic permitting system hosted on the South Lake County Fire Protection District website.
“There is no processing fee, electronic burn permits save gas, and residents can access the permit program anytime,” said Cal Fire Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit Division Chief Paul Duncan.
“A paper copy will need to be maintained by anyone conducting burning and presented when asked,” Duncan said of the permits.
A smoke management plan is required for multiday burns, overnight burns, standing vegetation burns, whole tree or vine removal, burns over 20 acres, and any other burn where significant smoke impacts may occur or sensitive receptors may be impacted.
Smoke management plans can be obtained at the Lake County Air Quality Management District office; call 707-263-7000 to make an appointment.
When visiting the Air Quality Management District office to get the plan, bring a map showing the burn location, burn site coordinates (GPS locations), parcel number or address, acres to be burned, and details of vegetation to be burned. A fee is required for all burn permits, payable at the time the permit is issued.
Smoke management plans, agricultural burn permits and residential burn permits are $31, land development/lot clearing burn permits are $95. The fee can be paid with cash or check only (exact change is appreciated).
Only clean dry vegetation that was grown on the property may be burned. Residential burn permits require a one acre or larger lot of record, a burn location that is at least 100 feet from all neighbors, and at least 30 feet from any structure in order to qualify.
Lot clearing/land development burns require special permits available through the local fire protection districts.
Read your burn permit carefully and follow all the conditions. Please be considerate of your neighbors. A permit does not allow you to create health problems for others. You can be liable for health care costs, fines, and other costs resulting from your burning.
Officials urge community members to consider composting or using the vegetative waste pickup provided with your waste collection service as an alternative to burning leaves.
Lake County’s joint fire agencies and Air Quality Management District’s open burning program has incorporated both fire safety and air quality management since 1987. Officials thank community members for their cooperation this burn season.
- Details
- Written by: GOVERNOR’S OFFICE
The California Energy Commission on Tuesday held a hearing on the record gas price spike of 86 cents in 10 days earlier this year that resulted in record profits for oil companies, digging into the fact that no state regulations or costs had changed and refinery maintenance only accounted for 5.8% of California’s gas supply.
The five major oil refiners — Chevron, Marathon, Phillips 66, PBF Energy and Valero — all rejected invites to the hearing.
While the oil industry refused to provide any answers, experts stressed the need for new transparency and accountability measures to help prevent oil companies from spiking prices in the future.
The California Energy Commission hosted the public hearing with oil industry representatives and experts to get answers about this year’s gas price hikes that resulted in record profits of $63 billion in just 90 days, and how to prevent such price increases in the future.
“Every Californian deserves to know why we were being fleeced at the pump even as gas prices declined across the country and crude oil prices were going down. The oil industry had their chance today to explain why they made record profits at our expense but they chose to stonewall us. That’s because they have no explanation — big polluters are lining their pockets while they cause financial pain for millions of California families and threaten the very future of our planet. With the Legislature’s support and engagement, we’re going to hold these companies accountable with a price gouging penalty that will deliver relief to Californians,” said Gov. Gavin Newsom.
At the hearing, experts laid out in detail the unprecedented divergence between California’s gas prices and prices across the country and that periodic price spikes have intensified in recent years, disproportionately affecting low- and middle-income families.
However, with the oil refiners’ absence at the hearing, commissioners were unable to get adequate explanation for this year’s price spike.
Gov. Newsom is calling a special session of the Legislature on Dec. 5 to pass a price-gouging penalty on oil companies that choose to rake in excessive profits at the expense of Californians.
Tuesday’s hearing follows the California Energy Commission having requested written responses to questions about price spikes despite the cost of crude oil going down — questions that the companies largely failed to answer in writing.
In the third quarter of 2022, from July to September, oil companies reported record high profits:
• Phillips 66 profits jumped to $5.4 billion, a 1243% increase over last year’s $402 million;
• BP posted $8.2 billion in profits, its second-highest on record, with $2.5 billion going toward share buybacks that benefit Wall Street investors;
• Marathon Petroleum profits rose to $4.48 billion, a 545% increase over last year’s $694 million;
• Valero’s $2.82 billion in profits that were 500% higher than the year before;
• PBF Energy’s $1.06 billion that was 1700% higher than the year before;
• Shell reported a $9.45 billion haul that sent $4 billion to shareholders for stock buybacks;
• Exxon reported their highest-ever $19.7 billion in profits;
• Chevron reported $11.2 billion in profits, their second-highest quarterly profit ever.
Newsom ordered the switch to winter-blend gasoline and demanded accountability from oil companies and refiners that do business in California.
Since California’s record-high gas prices of $6.42, Newsom’s office said his actions have reduced those prices to $4.99 most recently — a decrease of $1.43 since the peak.
- Details
- Written by: LAKE COUNTY NEWS REPORTS
FINLEY, Calif. — Plans are underway to get the long-awaited project to restore the Kelsey Creek Schoolhouse off the ground early next year.
The 151-year-old schoolhouse is located on Finley Road East in Finley.
The Lucerne Area Revitalization Association, or LARA, is a 501c(3) nonprofit formed in 2018 by John Jensen and Elizabeth Larson, owners of Lake County News, in order to work on important projects around the community.
Despite its name, LARA isn’t limited to work just in Lucerne, but was created to pursue a countywide mission and was conceived while the founders were hiking the hills picking up trash.
In 2021, the Kelseyville Unified School District granted LARA the Kelsey Creek Schoolhouse at the end of a process that began before the pandemic with a request for proposals.
LARA and the school district also have entered into a 50-year lease for the property where the schoolhouse sits in Finley.
The organization is now launching a fundraising campaign as part of #GivingTuesday in order to begin the renovation and restoration in 2023.
Priority work will include the expensive process of removing the decades of lead paint that coat the interior and exterior of the building, which is important in order to make the building safe and available for use to the community, especially for children and into the future.
Other aspects of the restoration will include fixing the windows, making critical repairs to the interior and exterior, including repairing water damage to the floor; conducting well and septic tank testing; rewiring; and stabilizing the building.
Tax-deductible donations can be made through LARA’s online donation platform or mailed to LARA, P.O. Box 1792, Lucerne, CA 95458-1792.
In addition to funding, LARA also is looking for people with expertise about historical buildings willing to share their knowledge and time volunteering during the restoration project.
For more information, contact LARA at 707-200-4709, or email Elizabeth Larson at
- Details
- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
The council will meet at 5 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 1, for a closed session to discuss the police chief appointment before the public portion of the meeting begins at 6 p.m. in the council chambers at Clearlake City Hall, 14050 Olympic Drive.
The meeting will be broadcast live on the city's YouTube channel or the Lake County PEGTV YouTube Channel. Community members also can participate via Zoom or can attend in person.
The agenda can be found here.
Comments and questions can be submitted in writing for City Council consideration by sending them to City Clerk Melissa Swanson at
To give the council adequate time to review your questions and comments, please submit your written comments before 4 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 1.
Each public comment emailed to the city clerk will be read aloud by the mayor or a member of
staff for up to three minutes or will be displayed on a screen. Public comment emails and town hall public comment submissions that are received after the beginning of the meeting will not be included in the record.
On Thursday, the council will present a proclamation in remembrance of retired Judge Richard Freeborn, who died in September; recognize city employees and volunteers for their services; and hear a presentation on Public Works maintenance projects.
Under business, council members will consider beginning the process to annex 302 acres at 2050 and 2122 Ogulin Canyon Road.
The council will look at adopting a resolution of intent to amend the city’s sphere of influence and general plan, adopt prezoning designations, prepare an environmental analysis and initiate proceedings with the Lake Local Agency Formation Commission for those parcels.
Earlier this year, the owners of that property, Lake Vista Farms, approached the city to ask about being annexed to the city.
At the council’s July 21 meeting, they heard a presentation on the proposal and agreed to direct staff to explore the proposal further.
The council on Thursday also is being asked to provide direction to staff allowing the Community Development director to review projects within the Sulphur Fire area for legal nonconforming status and approve permits consistent with previous development if they do not hinder the general health and welfare of the community.
Also on Thursday, the council will hold a public hearing to confirm assessments totaling $29,383.90 for city funded abatements and also will discuss a resolution to extend the term of the existing commercial cannabis development agreements and temporarily reduces the production fee.
On the meeting's consent agenda — items that are considered routine in nature and usually adopted on a single vote — are warrants; the first reading for the adoption of the 2022 California Building Standard Codes, the 2021 Uniform Swimming Pool, Spa/Hot Tub Codes, the 2021 Uniform Solar, Hydronics & Geothermal Codes, the 2021 International Building Codes, the 2021 International Residential Codes and the 2021 International Fire Codes, with the second reading to be held Jan. 5; approval of the reorganization of a Maintenance Worker II position to a Maintenance Worker III; consideration of renaming communications officer job to communications and records supervisor and adopting changes to the job description; purchase of K-rails for the Public Works yard from Eiffel Trading in the amount of $33,930; award of the $59,715 contract for electrical services related to the Public Works Yard Project to DC Electric; adoption of the second amendment to the FY 2022-23 Budget (Resolution 2022-43) adjusting appropriations and transfers; consideration of acceptance of the property located at 3332 Sixth St.; authorization of an amendment of the contract with the Koi Nation for tribal monitoring contract on the Austin Park Splash Pad Project in the amount of $5,000; approval of an amendment to the Government Services Authority consultant contract; minutes of the November City Council meeting; minutes of the Oct. 12 Lake County Vector Control District Board Meeting; warrants; appointment of the city manager as acting city treasurer through November 2026; adoption of the 2022 Conflict of Interest Code; approval of the annual calendar of meetings for 2023; continuation of authorization to implement and utilize teleconference accessibility to conduct public meetings pursuant to Assembly Bill 361; and a memo regarding the holiday closure of the City Hall administration offices.
The council will hold a second closed session after the main meeting to discuss property negotiations for 6885 Old Highway 53.
Email Elizabeth Larson at