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- Written by: Jan Cook
However, Lake County residents can access a wide selection of popular digital ebooks and audiobooks free from Lake County Library.
With a library card, members of the community can borrow from the digital collection by visiting the library website or downloading Libby, the award-winning one-tap reading app from Rakuten OverDrive.
If you don't yet have a library card, you can get an online library card instantly at the library website.
Named one of TIME's Best iPhone and Android Apps of 2018, Libby seamlessly connects first-time users and experienced readers with the popular digital library collections.
These tailored collections offer ebooks and audiobooks including bestsellers and new releases in a variety of topics.
Readers of all ages can select from virtually every subject ranging from mystery, romance, and children’s books to business and more.
Users can also listen to audiobooks, the fastest-growing segment of the publishing industry with the convenience of listening on the go. Libby provides an easy way to access ebooks and audiobooks all together on one app.
Readers may browse Lake County Library’s digital collection, instantly borrow titles and start reading or listening for free with a valid library card and a PIN. Your library PIN is usually the last four digits of the phone number on your library card registration. This service is compatible with all major computers and devices, iPhone, iPad, Android phones and tablets and Chromebook.
Through Libby, readers can also “send to Kindle”. All titles will automatically expire at the end of the lending period and there are no late fees. Readers can also download titles onto Libby for offline use.
To get started enjoying ebooks, audiobooks and more, visit library.lakecountyca.gov or download Libby today. For more information call the library at 707-263-8817.
Jan Cook is a library technician for the Lake County Library.
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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
Dr. Gary Pace said the case was identified on Tuesday.
“Apparently, the initial contact with an infected person occurred out of the county, but there may have been some interactions in our community over the past few weeks,” Pace said in a Wednesday evening press release.
“This third case illustrates the importance of everyone maintaining ‘shelter in place,’ and wearing a mask when in the public because virus transmission can occur from people with no obvious symptoms,” Pace said.
So far, 211 negative tests have been received by Lake County Public Health, which said the total number of tests administered is not available.
The first two positive COVID-19 cases in Lake County were confirmed on Sunday and Monday. Pace said those two cases are close family members, with the initial case coming from a contact with a known COVID-19 case at an out-of-county workplace.
Lake County News asked Pace if the third case was related to the first two and how it was tracked. He would not answer the questions.
The news about Lake County’s third confirmed case comes as California’s overall case count closes in on 19,000, with about 500 deaths.
Earlier this week, Pace extended the county’s shelter in place order through May 3.
The three patients identified so far in Lake County have been very observant of the stay at home orders and have been cooperative with Public Health’s contact tracing and isolation plans, Pace said.
“Even with all of these steps that are being taken to slow the spread of the virus, we continue to monitor for signs of community transmission,” said Pace.
Pace said there has been a great deal of interest in learning where these patients live, and people have been trying to obtain some information about them.
“Public Health is legally responsible for protecting personal health information, including demographics that may lead to identification. In order to protect the identity of those community members who test positive for COVID-19, Public Health will not provide city/town of residence at this time. That being said, should a Lake County resident test positive for COVID-19, it is their personal choice as to whether to release information publicly regarding their location and/or identity,” Pace said.
He added, “In a small, tight-knit community like ours, even location may lead to patient identification. Sharing location information does not provide any benefit to the public in helping to prevent illness.”
In order to prevent the spread of illness, Pace recommended that everyone wear a mask when leaving their homes.
N95 and surgical masks are in short supply, and should be reserved for use by healthcare professionals at this time, he said.
Now that there are confirmed cases in Lake County, Pace said the public should consider every public place as a place that one could be exposed.
He asked that community members continue to follow all other recommended precautions, including following shelter-in-place and other public health orders, stopping all nonessential activities, and practicing good hygiene and routine cleaning.
Guidance and options for making your own cloth masks are provided here.
For Lake County-specific Coronavirus information, visit the Lake County Health Services Department’s website.
If you still have questions, send an email request to
Email Elizabeth Larson at
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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
The Lake County Registrar of Voters Office completed the official canvass for the primary this week in line with the normal schedule determined by state law, and well ahead of the April 24 extended deadline the governor granted due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Interim Registrar Diane Fridley – whose last official day on the job was March 31 – reportedly had to deal with reduced staff, as extra help employees were not available to help with finishing up the official canvass as they were determined to be “nonessential” and sent home to shelter in place, based on a Board of Supervisors decision made last month.
Fridley’s completed count showed that Judge J. David Markham won election to continue as Superior Court judge over challenger Lisa Proffitt-O’Brien, a deputy district attorney.
The vote count was 2,435 votes, or 92.62 percent for Markham, to 194 votes or 7.38 percent for Proffitt-O’Brien.
Markham has served as a judge since February 2018. He was appointed in late 2017 by then-Gov. Jerry Brown to the bench to succeed Judge Richard Martin, who retired.
Both Markham – who missed the earlier filing deadline – and Proffitt-O’Brien were write-in candidates.
Another key race on the March 3 ballot was for the District 5 supervisorial seat, currently held by Rob Brown, who did not seek reelection.
In a four-person race, Jessica Pyska of Cobb, a businesswoman and educator, led the field with 1,923 votes, or 47.65 percent of the vote.
She will be in a runoff with Kelseyville resident Bill Kearney, a retired pharmacist, who received 1,120 votes or 27.75 percent of the vote.
Rounding out the field are educator Lily Woll of Kelseyville, with 898 votes or 22.25 percent, and Cobb resident and activist Kevin Ahajanian, with 95 votes, or 2.35 percent of the ballots cast.
Also on the ballot were the District 1 and 4 supervisorial seats.
For District 1, the final results confirmed that incumbent Moke Simon won a second term in a race with challenger Julia Mary Bono. Simon received 2,795 votes, or 78.82 percent of the vote, to Bono’s 751 votes, or 21.18 percent.
In the District 4 race, voters returned incumbent Tina Scott to office for a second term, giving her 2,506 votes or 62.71 percent of the vote. Challenger Chris Almind received 1,490 votes or 37.29 percent.
Based on the official canvass, turnout for the March primary was 52.86 percent, with approximately 17,902 of Lake County’s 33,866 registered voters participating, the majority of them by vote-by-mail, or absentee, ballot.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – An influx of garbage – including rags and wipes – is causing damage to sewer systems around Lake County and, most recently, in the city of Lakeport.
In the wake of the toilet paper shortage that has occurred in response to the COVID-19 pandemic – particularly due to the need to shelter in place – local officials last month began reporting damage to sewer equipment because people are putting wrong materials into the systems.
This week, the city of Lakeport reported that its sewer system is getting overwhelmed due to large amounts of garbage being put into it.
Lakeport’s sewer division operates and maintains nearly 40 miles of sewer main lines, eight sewer lift stations, and a secondary treatment and disposal facility.
The city said that its Public Works Department’s personnel are having to clean the system’s debris screen on a daily basis and maintenance at the sewer pump stations is also being increased daily.
“People are advised that the public sewer system is designed for toilet paper and human waste only,” city officials said in a Tuesday statement. “Not allowed are baby wipes, disinfectant wipes, ‘flushable’ wipes, paper towels, or latex and disposable gloves. Please deposit these items in the appropriate trash and recycle containers.”
More information is available from the Lakeport Public Works Department at 707-263-3578.
Lakeport isn’t the first to report these issues.
In mid-March, the Clearlake Oaks County Water District asked people to remember that rags, paper towels, baby wipes, napkins and similar items are not flushable and were causing problems with their sewer system.
Then, Lake County Special Districts reported similar issues, putting out the call on its social media accounts to the public to “stop using the public sewer system as a garbage can.”
The agency said that the staff at the Southeast Regional Sewer Treatment Plant are removing almost 4 feet of non-flushable items – including wipes, paper towels and rags – from the intake bar screen on a daily basis.
Special Districts said the garbage puts the system in danger of sanitary overflows which contaminate waterways and land, and can create backups inside homes. It’s also likely to increase sewer fees.
“We are aggressively working to identify any connection that is abusing the sewer system and putting everyone at risk. We have new equipment that may help us identify the households that are doing this so the extra costs to remove and address this can be passed on to the offending parties. Videos of non-flushable items in one’s lateral will result in penalties and extra charges for that customer,” Special Districts said on its Facebook page.
Special Districts Administrator Jan Coppinger told Lake County News on Tuesday that the problem doesn’t seem to be decreasing any.
“Since the shelter in place, we had one sewer spill that was caused by wipes and rags,” Coppinger said.
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