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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
The CHP’s Clear Lake Area office said 24-year-old Amanda Arney of Nice died after being struck by what authorities believe to be a Toyota minivan.
Arney was walking eastbound on the south shoulder of Highway 20, west of Sayre Avenue in Nice at 12:10 a.m. Sunday, the CHP said.
The vehicle that hit her was traveling eastbound in the same area at an unknown speed. For reasons the CHP said are still under investigation, the as-yet unidentified driver allowed their vehicle to veer onto the south shoulder, where the right side of it hit Arney.
The CHP said Arney was thrown down an embankment and came to rest near a fence, partially concealed by vegetation.
After the collision, the CHP said the vehicle that hit Arney fled the scene in an easterly direction on Highway 20 and failed to report the collision or check on Arney’s welfare.
At 7:40 a.m. Sunday, the CHP’s Ukiah Communications Center was notified after Arney was discovered at the location of the collision and dispatched the fire department and CHP to the scene.
Fire department personnel arrived on scene and determined that Arney had died of her injuries, the CHP said.
The CHP said it has identified a silver 2013 Toyota Sienna minivan with damage to the right front as a vehicle of interest.
The vehicle’s right-side mirror and headlight assembly and windshield were damaged during the collision, the CHP said.
Clear Lake Area Office Commander Dan Fansler told Lake County News late Monday morning that investigators did not yet have an identification on the driver and the vehicle also remained at large.
Fansler asked that anyone with information about the crash or the vehicle of interest contact investigating Officer Joel Skeen at 707-279-0103 or email at
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The Employment Development Department said Lake County’s preliminary May jobless rate was 3.8%, down from 4.5% in April and 7.5% in May 2021.
Last month’s jobless rate for Lake County was its lowest unemployment recorded since 1990, according to Employment Development Department records. Second lowest was 4.1% recorded in September 2019.
California’s unemployment rate dropped to 4.3% from 4.6% in April, compared to 8.3% in April 2021.
On the national level, unemployment has remained unchanged at 3.6% since March, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The national jobless rate in May 2021 was 5.8%.
In Lake County, total farm jobs increased by 12.9% in a month-over comparison, with total nonfarm jobs up by 0.8%.
Unemployed residents totaled 1,090 in May, down from 1,280 in April and 2,140 in May 2021. At the same time, the civilian labor force grew from 28,420 in April to 28,490 in May; that number for May 2021 was 28,500.
Statewide, employers added 42,900 nonfarm payroll jobs to the economy in May, with California’s jobless rate now just 0.2 percentage points higher than the pre-pandemic unemployment rate of 4.1 percent in February 2020.
California has now regained 93% — or 2,565,100 — of the 2,758,900 nonfarm jobs lost during March and April of 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The state has enjoyed month-over gains in nonfarm jobs in 15 of the past 16 months totaling a 1,481,800 job gain over that time period.
Of the 390,000 U.S. nonfarm jobs gained in May, California accounted for 11% of them.
At 869,300 jobs, California had the largest absolute year-over seasonally-adjusted job increase in the nation in May 2022.
California payroll jobs totaled 17,498,100 in May 2022, up from 16,628,800 in May 2021.
The number of Californians employed in May was 18,469,200, an increase of 121,000 persons from April’s total of 18,348,200 and up 1,054,500 from the employment total in May 2021.
At the same time, the number of unemployed Californians was 835,100 in May, a decrease of 45,900 over the month and down 663,500 in comparison to May 2021.
The report said total nonfarm jobs increased by 869,300, or 5.2%, from May 2021 to May 2022 compared to the U.S. annual gain of 6,541,000 jobs, a 4.5% increase.
The number of jobs in the agriculture industry increased from April by 6,300 to 420,200 jobs in May. The agricultural industry had 17,300 more farm jobs in May 2022 than it did in May a year ago, the report said.
The Employment Development Department said eight of California’s 11 industry sectors gained jobs in May with Information (+8,800) posting the largest increase. The sector’s growth was due in part to increases in the Motion Picture and Sound Recording industries.
Leisure and hospitality, which suffered some of the largest losses in the pandemic, showed strong growth yet again with 8,800 jobs added and has now gained 816,900 jobs since April 2020 after losing nearly one million jobs due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In Lake County, leisure and hospitality grew by 2.3%, or 30 jobs, in a month-over comparison, and has grown by 10.1%, or 120 jobs, since May 2021.
Trade, transportation, and utilities suffered the largest month-over job loss — a drop of 3,700 jobs — due to reductions in retail trade, specifically general merchandise stores.
In Lake County, trade, transportation, and utilities grew by just 0.3%, or 10 jobs, and was down by 1.9%, or 60 jobs, in a year-over comparison.
Lake County’s unemployment rate ranked it No. 38 statewide of the state’s 58 counties.
San Mateo had the lowest jobless rate, at 1.7%, while Imperial had the highest with 11.4%.
Lake’s neighboring county jobless rates and ranks were: Colusa, 8.5%, No. 57; Glenn, 4.1%, No. 41; Mendocino, 2.9%, No. 22; Napa, 2.3%, No. 7; Sonoma, 2.3%, No. 7; and Yolo, 2.8%, No. 19.
In related data that figures into the state’s unemployment rate, the Employment Development Department said there were 330,412 people certifying for Unemployment Insurance benefits during the May 2022 sample week. That compares to 345,743 people in April and 569,512 people in May 2021.
Concurrently, 39,610 initial claims were processed in the May 2022 sample week, which was a month-over decrease of 3,943 claims from April and a year-over decrease of 31,649 claims from April 2021.
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The board will meet beginning at 9 a.m. Tuesday, June 21, in the board chambers on the first floor of the Lake County Courthouse, 255 N. Forbes St., Lakeport.
The meeting can be watched live on Channel 8, online at https://countyoflake.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx and on the county’s Facebook page. Accompanying board documents, the agenda and archived board meeting videos also are available at that link.
To participate in real-time, join the Zoom meeting by clicking this link.
The meeting ID is 980 6310 6695, pass code 027825. The meeting also can be accessed via one tap mobile at +16699006833,,98063106695#,,,,*027825#.
All interested members of the public that do not have internet access or a Mediacom cable subscription are encouraged to call 669-900-6833, and enter the Zoom meeting ID and pass code information above.
To submit a written comment on any agenda item visit https://countyoflake.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx and click on the eComment feature linked to
the meeting date. If a comment is submitted after the meeting begins, it may not be read during the meeting but will become a part of the record.
At 10:15 a.m. Tuesday, the board will get the monthly update from the Lake County Department of Health Services.
In untimed items, the board will consider voluntary collection agreements for transient occupancy tax, cannabis equity grant applications processing, appointments to the commercial cannabis ordinance task force and the proposed findings of fact and decision in the appeal of David Hughes of approvals for the Lake Vista Farms cannabis project.
The full agenda follows.
CONSENT AGENDA
5.1: Adopt proclamation recognizing the Friends of Boggs Mountain for outstanding contributions to outdoor recreation and economic development in Lake County.
5.2: Adopt proclamation recognizing the Girl Scouts of Lake County.
5.3: Adopt resolution establishing 2022-2023 appropriations limit for the county of Lake and Special Districts governed by the Board of Supervisors.
5.4: Approve Amendment No. 2 to the agreement between county of Lake and the Lake County Office of Education for the Safe Schools Program increasing the contract maximum to $300,000 for FY 2021-22 and authorize the board chair to sign.
5.5: Approve the agreement between county of Lake and North Valley Behavioral Health LLC for fiscal years 2022-23 in the amount of $400,000 and authorize the board chair to sign the agreement.
5.6: Approve purchase order for Sutter Center for Psychiatry for acute inpatient psychiatric hospital services in the amount of $50,000 for FY 2021-22 and authorize Lake County Behavioral Health Services Department Head to sign the purchase order.
5.7: Approve purchase order for Heritage Oaks Hospital for acute inpatient psychiatric hospital services in the amount of $30,000 for FY 2021-22 and authorize Lake County Behavioral Health Services Department head to sign the purchase order.
5.8: Approve agreement between county of Lake and the Lake County Office of Education for the Safe Schools Healthy Students Program in the amount of $300,000 for fiscal year 2022-23 and authorize the board chair to sign.
5.9: Approve Board of Supervisors minutes for April 26, 2022.
5.10: Approve late travel claims in the amount of $765 for the Community Development Department.
5.11: Second reading of an ordinance rescinding Lake County Ordinance No. 3093.
5.12: Second reading of an ordinance rescinding Lake County Ordinance No. 3094.
5.13: Second reading of an ordinance rescinding Lake County Ordinance No. 3095.
5.14: Approve late travel claim for Registrar of Voters Maria Valadez in the amount of $28.08 for CSAC training held in Ukiah and authorize the auditor-controller to process payment.
5.15: Approve the California Mutual Aid County and intra-medical health regional and cooperative agreement for emergency medical and health disaster services.
5.16: Approve amendment one to agreement for abatement services of sunken/abandoned vessels between the county of Lake and All in One Auto Repair and Towing, to extend the agreement through June 30, 2023.
5.17: Approve first amendment to the lease agreement between county of Lake and Schall Investments Corp. for the property located at 805 and 809 S. Main St., Lakeport, CA 95453, in the amount of $34,020 per fiscal year, from July 1, 2022, to June 30, 2023, and authorize the chair to sign.
5.18: Approve agreement between the Kelseyville County Water Works District #3 and LACO Associates Inc. for engineering and design services for the Live Oak Drive Water Line Replacement Project for an amount not to exceed $100,695 and authorize the chair to sign.
5.19: Approve letter of support and disadvantaged community waiver of match to the application for the 2022 Nonpoint Source Grant Program and authorize the Lake County Board of Supervisors to sign.
TIMED ITEMS
9:05 a.m.: Pet of the week.
6.3, 9:07 a.m.: a) Presentation of proclamation recognizing the Friends of Boggs Mountain for outstanding contributions to outdoor recreation and economic development in Lake County; and b) presentation of a plaque honoring Debbie St. Cyr for extraordinary dedication to bringing back Boggs.
6.4, 9:10 a.m.: Presentation of proclamation recognizing the Girl Scouts of Lake County.
6.5, 9:30 a.m.: Public hearing on account and proposal assessment for 13204 Second St., Clearlake Oaks.
6.6, 9:45 a.m.: Presentation on California advancing and innovating Medi-Cal (CalAIM).
6.7, 10:15 a.m.: Lake County Department of Health Services monthly update.
6.8, 10:45 a.m.: a) Consideration of request to waive fees for the appeal of the Planning Commission's decision for Major Use Permit UP 19-19 Mombacho Mountain Organics, LLC (Dan Westphal and Kathy Mcguire) located at 9205 Mombacho Road, Kelseyville, CA and 9261 Wildcat Road, Kelseyville, CA on May 26, 2022 due to hardship; and b) consideration of policy regarding the consideration of requests for reduction or waiver of certain land use appeal filing fees.
UNTIMED ITEMS
7.2: Consideration of transient occupancy tax - voluntary collection agreements.
7.3: Consideration of cannabis equity grant applications processing.
7.4: Consideration of the following Advisory Board Appointments: Lucerne Area Town Hall.
7.5: Consideration of appointments to the commercial cannabis ordinance task force.
7.6: Consideration of proposed findings of fact and decision in the appeal of David Hughes Appeal AB 21-05 (Lake Vista Farms).
7.7: Consideration of award of bid for the Cooper Creek at Witter Springs Road Bridge Replacement Project,Bid No. 22-03, Federal Aid Project No. BRLO-5914(078) to West Coast Contractors, of Coos Bay, Oregon in the amount of $1,492,809.74.
CLOSED SESSION
8.1: Public employee evaluation: Public Works / Water Resources Director Scott De Leon.
8.2: Public Employee Evaluation: Public Health Officer Dr. Erik McLaughlin.
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The workgroup provided its confirmation to the governors of California, Nevada, Oregon and Washington Sunday afternoon.
The Moderna two-dose vaccine series and the Pfizer three-dose vaccine series are now available to children as young as 6 months old.
On Friday, June 17, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized the use of the vaccines in children as young as 6 months old, and the CDC affirmed that decision on Saturday.
The workgroup reviewed the federal decisions on Saturday and affirmed them Sunday.
The workgroup thoroughly reviewed safety and efficacy data for the vaccines. The workgroup found that completion of either vaccine series produced antibody levels similar to those achieved in individuals aged 16 to 25 years.
Observed vaccine reactions among infants aged 6 to 12 months and children aged 1 through 5 years were consistent with reactions to other vaccines routinely recommended for these age groups.
The workgroup concluded that the benefits of completing either vaccine series substantially outweigh any known or likely risks. Immunization can be expected to reduce the numbers of COVID-19-related serious illnesses, hospitalizations, and deaths in young children while facilitating their participation in normal educational, social and recreational activities.
Washington, Oregon, and Nevada joined California’s COVID-19 Scientific Safety Review Workgroup in October 2020.
The workgroup, made up of nationally-acclaimed scientists with expertise in immunization and public health, has concurrently and independently reviewed the FDA’s actions related to COVID-19 vaccines.
It will continue to evaluate other COVID-19 vaccines as they go through the federal process.
“Vaccines are safe, effective, and widely accessible — we’re strongly encouraging parents to protect their kids from COVID-19 with these vaccines, and California has preordered nearly 400,000 doses that can be administered at the more than 8,500 vaccine sites throughout the state,” said Gov. Gavin Newsom of California.
“Many families have been waiting for the opportunity to vaccinate their youngest members and I am happy that day has come,” said Gov. Steve Sisolak of Nevada. “Families can have the peace of mind of the thorough review process these vaccines have gone through, but I encourage families to speak to a trusted health care provider about any questions they have. Vaccines protect against serious illness, and I offer my thanks to all those who continue to serve on the Western States Scientific Safety Review Workgroup to confirm the recommendations and guidance for COVID-19 vaccines.”
“This is a long awaited moment for so many families. With today’s review by leading doctors, pediatricians, and health experts, Oregon parents and children can be confident in the safety and effectiveness of the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines for children as young as 6 months old,” said Gov. Kate Brown of Oregon. “It is completely normal for parents and kids to have questions about vaccines —— I urge you to reach out to your family doctor, health care provider, or pharmacist and get your questions answered today.”
“This is excellent news for Washington families and I know many parents who have been eagerly awaiting the opportunity to get their youngest children vaccinated,” said Gov. Jay Inslee of Washington. “I encourage parents to contact their trusted providers to discuss any questions or concerns. These vaccines remain the most important tool in our continued efforts to keep people safe from severe COVID illness or hospitalization.”
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