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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
City Manager Alan Flora gave a brief update on the fire’s recovery process to the Clearlake City Council at its Thursday evening meeting.
The fire, which began on Aug. 18, destroyed 138 structures, including 57 homes, and burned more than 80 acres.
In early September, Gov. Gavin Newsom proclaimed a state of emergency for Lake County as a result of the fire, which opened the door for the city and impacted residents to get more help with cleanup and recovery.
Flora told the council that about 90% of the cleanup, which is being led by the state, is now complete.
He said no work is taking place now, with crews set to return soon to complete the work.
He said the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, or Cal OES, which is overseeing the cleanup, recently approved cleanup of some additional properties.
Cal OES and Federal Emergency Management Agency representatives recently visited the city, he said.
So far, Flora said state and federal officials haven’t made a final determination as to whether the Cache fire will be included in a federal disaster declaration.
However, he said it sounds like there is still some hope that may happen.
If it does, “It could be a real benefit to those who have property that was damaged,” with more resources available to them, he said.
Flora also reported that funding administered through the Small Business Administration was approved to help residents.
He said the SBA directly contacted the fire-impacted residents about the available assistance.
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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
The City of Clearlake Animal Association also is seeking fosters for the animals waiting to be adopted.
Call the Clearlake Animal Control shelter at 707-273-9440, or email
Visit Clearlake Animal Control on Facebook or on the city’s website.
‘Andy’
“Andy” is a male American pit bull mix with a short gray and white coat.
He is dog No. 48995415.
‘Arnold’
“Arnold” is a male American Staffordshire terrier mix with a short brindle coat with white markings.
He is dog No. 49029348.
‘Bear’
“Bear” is a male Labrador retriever-American pit bull mix with a short charcoal and fawn coat.
He has been neutered.
He is dog No. 48443153.
‘Bella’
“Bella” is a female American pit bull mix with a short gray brindle coat.
She has been spayed.
She is dog No. 48448381.
‘Levi’
“Levi” is a male golden retriever-Labrador retriever mix.
He has a short golden coat.
He is dog No. 48975687.
‘Maria’
“Maria” is a female Shar-Pei mix with a short tan coat.
She is dog No. 49047315.
‘Mitzi’
“Mitzi” is a female Australian cattle dog mix with a medium-length black and white coat.
She has been spayed.
She is dog No. 48443306.
‘Nala’
“Nala” is a 1-year-old female German shepherd mix.
She has a medium-length black and tan coat.
She is dog No. 48289638.
‘Sassy’
“Sassy” is a female American pit bull mix with a short black coat.
She has been spayed.
She is dog No. 48443128.
‘Snowball’
“Snowball” is a male American Staffordshire mix terrier with a white coat.
He is dog No. 49159168.
‘Tanisha’
“Tanisha” is a female Australian cattle dog mix with a short red and white coat.
She has been spayed.
She is dog No. 48443302.
‘Terry’
“Terry” is a male shepherd mix with a short brindle coat.
He is dog No. 48443693.
‘Turk’
“Turk” is a male chocolate Labrador retriever mix.
He is dog No. 48911836.
‘Willie’
“Willie” is a male Chihuahua mix with a short black coat and white markings.
He is dog No. 49141640.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
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- Written by: DENNIS FORDHAM
Anyone receiving community based Medi-Cal or long term (skilled nursing) Medi-Cal is familiar with the stringent, long-standing nonexempt asset limitations for eligibility (i.e, $2,000 in available, countable nonexempt assets for a single individual).
Two recent developments affect present day and future Medi-Cal eligibility planning for persons either already receiving or applying for Medi-Cal.
First, the federal Center for Medical Services, or CMS, renewed and extended the Public Health Emergency, or PHE, to Jan. 16, 2022.
The PHE protects continued receipt of benefits for existing Medi-Cal beneficiaries even if they receive assets in excess of their resource allowance during the public health emergency.
During the period of the public health emergency existing beneficiaries receiving Medi-Cal for long term care can gift away excess resources without creating any penalty period after the term of emergency ends.
CMS will provide a 60-day notice before the end of the public health emergency.
Moreover, any federal stimulus payments received can be spent or gifted either within the PHE period, or up to 12 months from date of stimulus receipt, whichever time frame is later. Such timely gifting does not have any negative impact on Medi-Cal eligibility.
Second, under recent California legislation, effective July 1, 2022, the nonexempt asset limitations for community based Medi-Cal, for long term (skilled nursing) Medi-Cal, and for certain other programs, increases from $2,000 (for a single individual) to $130,000.
An additional $65,000 exemption is allowed for each family member who lives in the beneficiary’s household, up to 10 family members.
Thus, as of July 1, 2022, a Medi-Cal beneficiary with two family members could retain $260,000 in nonexempt assets. Who qualifies as a family member still remains is yet to be defined. It will include a person’s spouse and children under age 21, but may also include others.
Furthermore, pending federal approval, California plans to altogether abolish the asset Medi-Cal requirements altogether on or after Jan. 1, 2024.
The limited income requirements, however, will still apply to eligibility both for community based Medi-Cal and for share of cost determination for long term care Medi-Cal.
The above changes present both planning challenges and opportunities for existing and future Medi-Cal recipients (other than those receiving Expansion Medi-Cal).
Existing Medi-Cal beneficiaries with excess resources will need to consider whether to spend down or gift excess assets before the end of the PHE (or 12 months from the receipt of stimulus moneys) or, if possible and desirable, perhaps to transfer part or all of such excess assets into a first party special needs trust.
Family members whose estate planning includes special needs trusts to receive future gifts for beneficiaries on Medi-Cal may wish to reconsider that approach. That is, it may then no longer be necessary or desirable to use a special needs trust depending on what asset limitations (eligibility) and the facts and circumstances apply at the time the gift is made in the future (under the new rules).
The analysis requires consideration of the size of the additional (disqualifying) assets received, family circumstances and goals, when any excess (disqualifying) assets are received (in relationship to July 1, 2022 or January 1, 2024), and whether the beneficiary can afford to temporarily lose Medi-Cal eligibility until when he or she can again qualify — either after July 1, 2021 or possibly after January 1, 2024.
These changes do not affect persons who receive so-called Expansion Medi-Cal under the Affordable Care Act. Eligibility for Expansion Medi-Cal is based on a person’s Modified Adjusted Gross Income (so-called, “MAGI” Medi-Cal) presently not exceeding $1,482/month (for 2021).
These changes also do not affect anyone who receives Supplemental Security Income benefits subject to the $2,000 per individual, and $3,000 per couple, asset limitations on SSI eligibility.
The foregoing discussion is not legal advice. Anyone confronting these Medi-Cal eligibility issues should consult with a qualified attorney for guidance regarding their particular facts and circumstances.
Dennis A. Fordham, attorney, is a State Bar-Certified Specialist in estate planning, probate and trust law. His office is at 870 S. Main St., Lakeport, Calif. He can be reached at
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- Written by: Preston Dyches
What are some skywatching highlights in December 2021?
See three planets after sunset, but say goodbye to Venus as the "evening star" at the end of the month. Then have a hunt for newly discovered Comet Leonard in the early morning through mid-month. Finally, get up early on Dec. 14 to watch for Geminid meteors after local moonset, around 2 a.m.
From Dec. 6 to 10, look westward following sunset for the moon visiting Venus, Saturn and Jupiter in turn. The moon's crescent fills out as it appears higher in the sky each evening over the course of the week.
Enjoy the view of dazzling Venus as the "evening star" while it lasts, though. Our cloud-covered neighbor planet will sink ever closer to the horizon during the month, disappearing for most of us by New Years'. It'll reappear in late January as a morning planet preceding the sunrise, and won't be back in evening skies until December of next year.
Next in December, there's a recently discovered comet on its way into the inner solar system that might be worth trying to observe. It's known as Comet Leonard, and it will be at its closest to Earth on Dec. 12, just a couple of weeks before it reaches its closest distance from the sun.
Now, comets are notoriously difficult to predict in terms of brightness and visibility. Comet Leonard is predicted to peak at a brightness that will probably require binoculars to spot it. There's a chance it could be bright enough to see with the unaided eye, but again, with comets, you really never know.
In the first couple of weeks of December, Comet Leonard can be found in the east before sunrise, passing between Arcturus and the handle of the Big Dipper. It approaches the horizon right around the time of its closest approach to Earth, meaning it'll likely be brighter but more challenging to observe.
It then switches over to being an evening object after around Dec. 14, for just a little while after the sun sets — as it begins its long haul outward from the Sun again, progressively fading in brightness.
Finally, the Geminid meteors are a highlight of December skies each year. This year's meteor shower peaks overnight on Dec. 13 and 14. Apart from the weather, the phase of the moon is usually the main factor in whether a meteor shower will have good viewing any given year.
This year, the moon will be almost 80% full at the peak of the Geminids, which isn't ideal. However, that bright moon will set somewhere around 2 a.m. wherever you're located, leaving a couple of hours for meteor watching before dawn.
The meteors appear to radiate from the constellation Gemini, which you'll find high in the west. Now while most annual meteor showers are caused by Earth passing through trails of dust-sized particles of comet debris, the Geminids are one of the few meteor showers that are caused by debris from an asteroid that crosses Earth's orbit — in this case, one called Phaethon.
Recently, NASA scientists shared findings that suggest the difference between an asteroid and a comet might be less clear than we realized, with fizzing sodium on Phaethon playing the same role as vaporizing ice on comets.
And whether you catch a glimpse of Comet Leonard, or meteors from Asteroid Phaethon, both are reminders of the deep connections between Earth and the rest of the solar system that we discover because we look outward, and we explore.
You can catch up on all of NASA's missions to explore the solar system and beyond at www.nasa.gov.
Preston Dyches works for NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.