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- Written by: Lake County News reports
Every October, the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation sponsors the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Weekend, the official national tribute to those firefighters.
In 2017, the foundation created “Light the Night for Fallen Firefighters” to recognize the 25th anniversary of the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation and the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Weekend.
Since then, Light the Night for Fallen Firefighters has expanded to include fire departments and families lighting their homes in red.
As dusk turns to dark, landmarks, homes, fire service organizations and businesses across the country will again glow in respect from Sept. 26 to Oct. 3 to honor the fallen and their families.
City Manager Kevin Ingram said the city of Lakeport is joining this opportunity to reflect on the sacrifice of America’s fallen heroes.
Learn more here.
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- Written by: Lake County News reports
The order applies to all adult and senior care facilities, certain persons who provide In-Home Supportive Services, certified home care aides, and Waiver Personal Care Services providers, hospice workers who provide services in the home or a licensed facility, and all employees, as well as service provider workers, who provide services through the state’s regional centers that serve individuals with developmental and intellectual disabilities.
“We can and must continue to protect our most vulnerable communities from the ongoing threat of COVID-19,” said Dr. Tomás J. Aragón, CDPH director and state Public Health officer. “These care settings are home to Californians with complex medical conditions, all of whom are at high risk of having severe but preventable outcomes including hospitalization, severe illness, and death. Increasing vaccination rates among those who are providing care will help curb the spread of COVID-19 in these high-risk settings.”
California has reported 19,830 confirmed COVID-19 outbreaks throughout the pandemic, and nearly 50% of those were reported in health care, congregate care, and direct care settings.
Of these outbreaks, the most — 22% — have occurred in adult and senior care facilities and in-home direct care settings and cases and outbreaks often include workers and unvaccinated individuals.
The new vaccine requirement mirrors the state’s vaccine requirement for health care workers announced on Aug. 5.
Workers covered by Tuesday’s order must have their first dose of a one-dose regimen or their second dose of a two-dose regimen by Nov. 30, 2021.
California is leading the nation in vaccinations according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, with more than 50.4 million doses administered and 83.8% of the eligible population having received at least one dose.
However, in recent months the state has seen increasing numbers of individuals – overwhelmingly unvaccinated – contracting COVID-19 and being admitted to the hospital and ICU.
State officials said California remains committed to increasing vaccination rates and urges businesses and local communities to encourage individuals to get vaccinated, as COVID-19 vaccines are safe, effective and free.
Unvaccinated Californians age 12 and up and individuals who are eligible for boosters can go to http://myturn.ca.gov or call 833-422-4255 to schedule an appointment or go to http://myturn.ca.gov/clinic to find a walk-in clinic in their county.
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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — As the state of California is preparing to implement new food and yard waste collection and recycling rules in January, the Lakeport City Council last week voted to seek a waiver to those rules.
During a brief discussion at its meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 21, the council voted unanimously to adopt a resolution opting to affirm an exemption from the mandatory organics collection requirements of SB 1383.
Compliance Officer Andrew Britton told the council that the law has “significant implications and requirements for governments” that provide disposal services.
HIs written report explained that in 2015 the Lakeport City Council approved Resolution 2540 which was needed to allow an exemption from all requirements of AB 1826, which required jurisdictions to implement an organics recycling program for businesses by Jan. 1, 2016.
He said Lakeport, the city of Clearlake and the county of Lake all received exemption waivers from the state for AB 1826. Those waivers initially expired in early 2020 but were extended by CalRecycle until Dec. 31, 2026.
Britton explained that in September 2016, the state adopted SB 1383, which expanded the scope of AB 1826 and established methane emissions reduction targets in a statewide effort to reduce emissions of short-lived climate pollutants in various sectors of California's economy.
CalRecycle reported that the Short-Lived Climate Pollutant Reduction law, or SB 1383, is part of a comprehensive strategy to fight climate change, calling for a 75% reduction in organic waste disposal by 2025, as well as actions to ensure 20% of currently disposed edible food is redirected to Californians in need.
The law goes into effect on Jan. 1.
CalRecycle reported that food, yard and other organic waste rotting in landfills is a top source of climate super pollutants in the state, and recycling those items is one of the fastest and easiest ways Californians can fight climate change right now.
The agency said 56% of what Californians throw in landfills is food, yard scraps and other organic waste, 1.8 billion still edible meals are thrown away in California every year and 20% of California’s methane comes from landfilled food and other organic waste.
The agency told Lake County News that SB 1383 requires cities and counties to have programs to collect organic waste like food scraps, yard trimmings, cardboard and paper and turn them into compost, biofuel and energy, and grocery stores and other large, food-generating businesses to send still fresh, surplus food to feed people without enough to eat.
By Jan. 1, jurisdictions must provide mandatory organics collection services to all residents and businesses, conduct education and outreach to the community, procure recycled organics products, establish food recovery programs, secure access to recycling and food recovery capacity and monitor compliance and conduct enforcement, CalRecycle reported.
However, the agency said it has included in the regulations waivers and exemptions from certain requirements for low population, high elevation and rural areas, which either delay or exclude implementation of some of the requirements.
CalRecycle told Lake County News that for a county to be considered a rural jurisdiction, it must have a population of less than 70,000 people. Lake County’s last population estimate by the state put it at just under 64,000.
A rural county exemption is common in California solid waste regulations due to the unusually high cost of providing service to generators in these areas, CalRecycle reported.
Action needed to take advantage of exemption
Britton told the council that it needed to accept the resolution regarding the waiver in order to take advantage of the rural jurisdiction exemption CalRecycle offered for SB 1383.
He said CalRecycle’s Local Assistance liaison had received, edited and approved the resolution.
The new exemption waiver will be valid until Dec. 31, 2026, if approved by CalRecycle, Britton said.
When this new waiver concludes in 2026, Britton said the city may qualify for a low population waiver.
Councilman Michael Green moved to approve the resolution affirming the exemption, which the council approved 5-0.
During the meeting, Britton noted that both the city of Clearlake and the county of Lake are taking similar action, having also initiated the process for applying for a waiver to SB 1383.
CalRecycle said that Lake County is eligible for a rural exemption under the SB 1383 regulations and it currently has an exemption from the mandatory commercial organics recycling law also, meaning it will not have to implement the organics recycling collection requirements until Jan. 1, 2027.
“This exemption means they will be waived from some of the other requirements related to organic waste collection, such as education on collection, capacity planning for organic waste collection, organic waste product procurement, and some of the reporting, inspections, and enforcement requirements,” CalRecycle told Lake County News.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
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- Written by: Lake County News reports
Individuals who own a mobile home, residential home, or a property destroyed by the Cache fire are eligible for free hazardous waste removal by Cal OES, regardless of insurance status.
The city of Clearlake and North Coast Opportunities, or NCO, are urgently seeking property owners whose homes were severely damaged by the Cache fire. Please share this information with applicable property owners.
In order to be eligible, impacted residents must either attend the workshop on Oct. 4 or contact NCO to complete the “right of entry,” or ROE, form.
The ROE form requires homeowners’ insurance information (if applicable), automobile insurance information (if applicable), and a list of any lost vehicles, boats or trailers, septic, propane, water tanks or construction equipment.
This form is due by Oct. 6.
Property owners are legally responsible for debris cleanup; therefore the city of Clearlake and NCO encourage all Cache fire survivors whose property was severely burned to take advantage of this free cleanup opportunity.
Property owners who do not take advantage are responsible for debris removal and all associated costs.
Residents who lived in the areas impacted but whose homes were not severely damaged, or those who were renting, are not required to attend or submit an ROE.
A workshop to answer questions and assist with completion of the form will be held at Clearlake City Hall, 14050 Olympic Drive, on Monday, Oct. 4, from 2 to 6 p.m. Food and snacks will be provided by NCO’s Community Kitchen Project.
NCO and City staff will be available to help fire survivors complete the form, answer questions, and offer other forms of assistance.
“We are grateful to Cal OES for offering this service to our impacted residents,” said Clearlake City Manager Alan Flora. “We strongly encourage anyone who owns a lot within the Cache fire area to apply.”
In addition, NCO is continuing to provide immediate needs support and interim housing support to Cache fire survivors.
If you lost your home during the Cache fire and have not yet applied, please do so here.
You may be eligible for cash assistance and/or temporary housing if you are homeless as a direct result from the Cache fire.
Forms are also available at the city of Clearlake’s website or on NCO’s website.
For more information, please contact the city of Clearlake at 707-994-8201 or NCO at 707-994-2910.