How to resolve AdBlock issue? 
News
- Details
- Written by: Lake County News reports
MENDOCINO NATIONAL FOREST, Calif. – Lightning sparked multiple new fires on the Mendocino National Forest after early morning thunderstorms moved across the area Sunday.
Fire managers have identified and staffed six fires. Additional resources have been ordered to assist.
The largest fire is the Doe fire located near Valley View Orchard approximately 35 miles northwest of Willows. in Glenn County.
Forest officials reported on Sunday evening that the Doe fire was estimated at 100 acres with an engine, two air tankers, one helicopter and an air attack assigned.
The other fires are scattered around the Grindstone Ranger District and range in size from half an acre to 15 acres, except for the Bean fire on the Covelo Ranger District which is estimated at five acres, officials said.
The forest’s primary wildfire response strategy for 2020 is aggressive initial attack and rapid containment to minimize the number of large wildfires.
- Details
- Written by: Lake County News reports
The Flex Alerts are in effect from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. each day.
A persistent, record-breaking heatwave in California and the western states is causing a strain on supplies, and consumers should be prepared for likely rolling outages during the late afternoons and early evenings through Wednesday.
There is not a sufficient amount of energy to meet the high amounts of demand during the heatwave, California ISO reported.
However, officials said consumers can actively help by shifting energy use to morning and nighttime hours and conserving as much energy as possible during the late afternoon and evening hours.
Consumer conservation can help lower demand and avoid further actions including outages, and lessen the duration of an outage.
Consumers are urged to lower energy use during the most critical time of the day, 3 to 10 p.m., when temperatures remain high and solar production is falling due to the sun setting.
Extended periods of heat also can cause generator equipment failures that can lead to more serious unplanned losses of power.
The ISO recognizes that reducing energy use during the hot time of the day is a hardship, especially for those working from home or with children schooling at home.
However, if a large number of consumers do their part in small ways, conservation can make a difference.
Between 3 p.m. and 10 p.m., the ISO is urging consumers to:
– Set air conditioning thermostats to 78 degrees, if health permits.
– Defer use of major appliances.
– Turn off unnecessary lights.
– Unplug unused electrical devices.
– Close blinds and drapes.
– Use fans when possible.
– Limit time the refrigerator door is open.
Consumers can also take steps to prepare for the Flex Alert by doing the following before 3 p.m.:
– “Pre-cool” their homes, or lower air conditioning thermostats to 72 degrees.
– Charge electric vehicles.
– Charge mobile devices and laptops.
– Run dishwashers, washing machines and other major appliances.
– Set pool pumps to run in the early morning or late at night.
For information on Flex Alerts, and to get more electricity conservation tips, visit the ISO’s Flex Alert website.
- Details
- Written by: Lake County News reports
Forest officials said a few fires are reported on the Grindstone Ranger District including one in the Snow Mountain Wilderness.
One fire has been reported on the Covelo Ranger District northeast of Covelo near Leech Lake.
Additional resources have been ordered to assist with the initial attack.
Forest officials said their primary wildfire response strategy for 2020 is aggressive initial attack and rapid containment to minimize the number of large wildfires.
In other fire news around the region, on Sunday morning officials ordered an evacuation at around 9 a.m. for the community of Fruto west of Willows in the area of Highway 162 and County Road 303 due to another lightning-caused fire.
That incident, the Elk fire, was reported to be 700 acres and 5-percent contained at around noon on Sunday.
The Glenn County Sheriff’s Office reported just before 1:30 p.m. that forward progress on the fire had been stopped, with evacuation orders lifted.
- Details
- Written by: Esther Oertel
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Dozens of Lake County teachers are able to purchase needed student art supplies, thanks to the Teacher Art Supply Grants offered by the Lake County Rural Arts Initiative.
Forty grants have been awarded thus far and more will be given throughout the month of August.
During this time of distance learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic, students aren’t able to share classroom art supplies as usual and many families are unable to purchase them for the home.
Enter the Lake County Rural Arts Initiative, or LCRAI, which is offering $100 grants to Lake County teachers, enabling them to purchase basic art supplies for students such as crayons, construction paper, paint, and glue.
Art-related equipment purchases for the classroom and specialized project-based supplies are also funded by the grant.
This is the first time the Teachers Art Supply Grant has been offered by LCRAI. They hope to also offer grants in future years.
The grants are especially timely now that distance learning is in place in most Lake County schools, said LCRAI Board member and Arts in Schools Committee member Kim Lewis.
As of last week, they’d received 115 grant applications and were able to award 40 grants. Thanks to an anonymous donation of $1,500 and an ongoing fundraiser, they’re now able to fund more.
“We have received an overwhelming number of applications for the Teachers Art Supply Grant. We are hoping to raise more funds through our online and offline fundraising efforts, in hopes of awarding as many grants to teachers as we are able to. They are all so deserving,” said Lewis.
The Arts in Schools Committee is comprised of several board members who, along with LCRAI President Alicia Brisker, will vet and select grant recipients.
Any teacher serving transitional kindergarten through 12th grade students in a Lake County public or charter school (i.e., not privately funded) is eligible for a grant.
Grant applications are available on the LCRAI website and will be received throughout the month of August.
It’s their hope to fund each request received; however, that depends on the amount of money raised.
LCRAI was founded in February of 2018 by Lake County residents Martha Mincer and Connie Lemen-Kosla with the goal of making Lake County an arts and culture destination as a means to boost the local economy through tourism.
One such project, a mural trail, has been installed by five local artists. Murals are located in Kelseyville, Lakeport and Clearlake and the trail will be updated with more locations added in the future.
A second mission of LCRAI is integrating arts for children into the community and Lake County schools. Research shows that participation in the arts by children and teens raises self-esteem as well as their classroom grades in other subjects.
In the past, the LCRAI has sponsored a kids’ mural station at the Kelseyville Pear Festival and children’s craft activities at the holiday fair at the Twin Pines Casino in Middletown.
To learn more about the LCRAI, its mural trail or to apply for or donate to the Teacher Art Supply Grants, visit the group’s website or Facebook page.
The LCRAI is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and all donations are tax-deductible.
Esther Oertel is a writer and food columnist for Lake County News. She lives in Middletown, Calif.