How to resolve AdBlock issue? 
News
- Details
- Written by: Lake County News reports
The Budget Center released its updated California Women’s Well-Being Index, an interactive tool that provides a multifaceted statewide look and breakdown by all 58 California counties of how women are doing in their communities.
The index pulls together an array of measures for women and shares data by race and ethnicity, including health, personal safety, employment and earnings, economic security and political empowerment data.
Women living in the northern region of California face significant barriers to physical and mental health resources and are less safe compared to women in other regions of California.
Women in counties in the far north and North Coast are far less likely to have health care coverage, access to health care and prenatal care, and have lower life expectancy than women in all other parts of California.
Women in far north counties are more likely to experience serious psychological distress.
Women in counties in the far north and North Coast regions have a lower level of well-being in the Safety Dimension.
In Del Norte County, the rates of interpersonal violence far outpace rates in other counties in California.
The suicide rate for women is high in counties in the far north.
“Gender and racial discrimination are hurting California women — even with statewide policy advances in recent years such as expanded paid family leave and funding for child care that are particularly important for women,” said Kristin Schumacher, creator of the California Women’s Well-Being Index and Senior Policy Analyst with the California Budget & Policy Center. “The data and information in the Budget Center’s new Index by race, ethnicity, region, and our own stories show that lacking access to quality health care and child care, not having financial resources to turn to in crisis, and still being kept out of decision-making at many levels of government – women are not receiving the support and investment we need to thrive in California.”
A snapshot of statewide data and findings that can be found in the Index:
California women lack access to health care.
1 in 10 women in California do not have health insurance.
17 percent of Latinx women do not have health insurance compared to just 5.6 percent of white women.
California women are blocked from earning a living wage or affording the cost of living.
Nearly 4 in 10 women in California earn low wages.
More than half of Latinx women earn low wages (52.6%) – nearly double the rate for white women in California (27.5%).
The median earnings for Latinx women working full-time, year-round were just 42 cents for every dollar earned by white men in California.
California women are kept out of decisions about their lives.
Overall, women make up just 32% of the seats in the California Senate and Assembly.
In 22 counties, women are not represented by women in any of the state Assembly or Senate seats for the county.
The index is being released when local, state, and federal leaders must consider policy and budget investments for people and communities, and how to support millions of Californians who have lost jobs and income, cannot safely return to work, do not have access to child care, and are supporting children in distance learning.
A recent report by the Budget Center found at the worst point of the recession so far, 1 in 4 women were out of work and the unemployment rate reached 20 percent or more for Asian, Black, Latinx and other Californians of color.
Meanwhile, state leaders have yet to propose revenue or borrowing policy proposals to adequately address the ongoing needs of the state, local communities and Californians.
- Details
- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
The company said that changes in the weather forecast resulted in it reducing the number of customers expected to be impacted by 31 percent.
The PSPS event will now affect approximately 37,000 customers in targeted portions of 15 counties including Alameda, Butte, Colusa, Contra Costa, Glenn, Humboldt, Lake, Napa, Plumas, Santa Clara, Shasta, Sonoma, Tehama, Trinity and Yolo.
Lassen, Solano, Stanislaus and Yuba counties were removed from the shutoff’s scope, PG&E said.
In Lake County, previously PG&E had estimated that nearly 1,000 customers would be impacted in the Cobb, Clearlake Oaks, Lower Lake and Middletown areas.
In its late Wednesday afternoon report, PG&E said 127 Lake County customers – including six Medical Baseline customers – would be impacted.
Mapping of the outage area in Lake County shows that it continues to include some customers in Cobb, Lower Lake and Middletown, with Clearlake Oaks removed from the scope.
The PG&E website indicates that the customers in Lake County to be included in this new shutoff will have their power turned off between 4 and 6 a.m. Thursday.
With the reduced scope for Lake County, a community resource center is not planned to be opened, based on the PG&E website.
Portions of nearly all of Lake’s neighboring counties will be included in the shutoff, including Colusa, with four impacted customers; Glenn, 162 customers; Napa, 3,296 customers; Sonoma, 135 customers; and Yolo, 10 customers.
Once the weather all-clear is called on Friday, PG&E will begin power equipment inspections to find possible damage from the winds before reenergizing lines.
The company is maintaining a goal of restoring power to all impacted customers within 12 daylight hours after severe weather has passed.
More information can be found at PG&E’s website.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
- Details
- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Although Election Day is two weeks away, voting is well underway as Lake County residents return vote-by-mail – or absentee – ballots early.
Ballots, which were mailed out at the start of this month, are now being returned by US Mail, in person to the Elections Office or in secure drop boxes on county properties.
Voters should only use official county drop boxes. Official ballot drop boxes are clearly recognizable, designed to meet standards for security, and bear the official Lake County Official Ballot Drop Box logo, elections officials said.
The Lake County Registrar of Voters Office said there are drop boxes located in five locations: at the Lake County Courthouse, 255 N. Forbes St., Lakeport; at the Lakeport Library, 1425 N. High St.; the Redbud Library, 14785 Burns Valley Road, Clearlake; Middletown Library, 21256 Washington St.; and Upper Lake Library, 310 Second St.
The boxes are available for dropoff around the clock, seven days a week, until 8 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 3, Election Day.
While there have been reports in some areas of the state about unofficial drop boxes for ballots, Registrar of Voters Maria Valadez said she’s received no reports of any such boxes in Lake County.
Those using the US Mail to return their ballot are urged to mail them back no later than Oct. 27 to ensure they arrive in time to be counted.
Ballots also can be dropped off at the Registrar of Voters Office, Room 209, second floor of the Lake County Courthouse, 255 N. Forbes St., Lakeport, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Thursday.
Valadez also will open her office on Friday, Oct. 30, Saturday, Oct. 31, and Sunday, Nov. 1, to allow for voters to come in and cast or deliver their ballots.
For those who want to vote at the polls, Valadez said there will be 22 polling places on Nov. 3, the same number that the county had for the primary as well as for previous elections for quite some time.
A list of those polling places can be found here or seen below.
If a voter who received a vote-by-mail ballot decides they want to vote in person, Valadez said they must go to their assigned polling place and surrender their unopened and unvoted ballot. Valadez said she included information in the sample ballot booklet that explains the process; it can be found on the inside cover.
The Lake County Registrar of Voters Office will test the equipment to be used for the November presidential election on Thursday, Oct. 22, beginning at 11 a.m. The public is invited to observe the testing.
Tips for voters
The Registrar of Voter Office offers the following tips for voters.
– Make a plan to vote. You can return your vote-by-mail ballot using the prepaid postage return envelope or by bringing it to any official drop box, voting location, or county elections office.
– Voters can also choose someone to return their ballot. Only choose someone you trust to return your ballot. You and the authorized person must sign the authorization statement on the return envelope. Never give your ballot to someone else unless you have completed, signed and sealed the return envelope.
– Sign up for ballot tracking. You can sign-up at wheresmyballot.sos.ca.gov to receive automatic notifications by text message, email or voice message about the status of your vote-by-mail ballot. You’ll be notified once your county has received your ballot, once it is counted, and if there are any issues with the ballot.
Additional voter resources
For more information, to report unofficial ballot drop boxes or to ask about other election-related matters, contact the Lake County Registrar of Voters Office at 707-263-2372 or
A full rundown of information for Lake County voters regarding the Nov. 3 general election is here: http://www.lakecountyca.gov/Government/Directory/ROV/Upcoming/110320.htm .http://www.lakecountyca.gov/Government/Directory/ROV/Upcoming/110320.htm
Locations of official Lake County drop boxes can be found on at https://caearlyvoting.sos.ca.gov/ .
To find your polling place: http://www.lakecountyca.gov/Government/Directory/ROV/Upcoming/110320.htm .
The Secretary of State also has resources for California voters at www.vote.ca.gov .
Email Elizabeth Larson at
List of Polling Places in Lake County by LakeCoNews on Scribd
- Details
- Written by: Lake County News reports
New California Highway Patrol Commissioner Amanda Ray. Courtesy photo.
On Tuesday Gov. Gavin Newsom appointed the first woman commissioner of the California Highway Patrol.
Amanda L. Ray, 54, of Sacramento, has been deputy commissioner of the California Highway Patrol since 2020.
Her appointment as commissioner is effective Nov. 17.
She will be the first woman and the second African American ever to lead the agency.
“I would like to thank Gov. Newsom for the outstanding opportunity to lead this great Department and to continue to work each day with the women and men of the California Highway Patrol. I couldn’t be more honored and proud to accept this appointment and further the CHP’s mission of providing the highest level of Safety, Service and Security, and ensuring California is a safe place to live, work and travel,” said Ray.
Commissioner Ray served in several positions in the California Highway Patrol from 1990 to 2020, including cadet, officer, sergeant, lieutenant, captain, assistant chief, chief and assistant commissioner.
Ray was Special Response Team Tactical Commander at the California Highway Patrol for Superbowl 50 in 2016. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $282,528. Ray is a Democrat.
She will succeed Commissioner Warren Stanley, who Newsom announced is retiring following nearly four decades of service to the people of California. Stanley was the first African American to lead the CHP.
“I thank Commissioner Stanley for his distinguished service at the head of the California Highway Patrol,” said Gov. Newsom. “As the leader of the fifth-largest law enforcement agency in the country, Commissioner Stanley championed causes to enhance public safety for everyone who travels on California’s roads and freeways. We are grateful for his forward-looking vision and pursuit of innovative strategies to prevent injuries and save lives. I am confident that Deputy Commissioner Ray will be a crucial partner as we continue the important work ahead to strengthen community engagement in public safety and advance reforms to our criminal justice system that will help foster a more just and inclusive future for all Californians.”
Commissioner Stanley has served the people of California within the CHP since 1982 and has held every uniformed rank within the department, including Lieutenant of the Border Division Investigative Services Unit and Commander of the California Highway Patrol Academy.
“I’m very proud of my career, but what I’m most proud of is the current and past CHP employees who I have had the privilege and honor to work with,” said CHP Commissioner Stanley. “All of you are the primary reason I believe the CHP is one of the finest law enforcement agencies in the world. I also want to thank Governor Newsom for his support of me, the 11,000 women and men of the CHP and for selecting Deputy Commissioner Amanda Ray as the next CHP Commissioner.”
During his tenure, Commissioner Stanley spearheaded a number of innovative highway and traffic safety initiatives. Under his leadership, CHP created the Impaired Driving Section, which is responsible for revising current enforcement policies to ensure they are consistent with a new law that approved the adult use of cannabis and facilitate new research into how cannabis affects driving behaviors.
Commissioner Stanley also worked to bolster the Highway Safety Corridor Program, which has promoted education, enforcement and coordination on California’s roadways with high crash rates.
He also helped the CHP establish a national leadership role in addressing the special needs and concerns of elderly drivers and collaborated on initiatives to promote responsible driving among teens.