Another step closer to annexing part of South Main Street in Lakeport. Lake Co News reports the Lake Local Area Formation Commission approved moving forward with an application to annex a part of South Main. It comes after the Lakeport City Council had a special meeting regarding the application for 50 parcels on 136 acres along South Main Street south of the city. There had been a dispute over the land, between the county and the city of Lakeport over tax sharing. But the city decided to agree with the Local Area Formation Commission’s proposal and the Board of Supervisors approved the process. But the Commission still has to settle who gets what out of any tax revenue. The Commission is charged with overseeing development and to protect natural resources and agricultural lands. The next meeting of the Commission is March 18th in Lakeport.
An update on the Hope Center project in Clearlake will reportedly include asking the city for money. The Council meets Thursday on the matter after Councilman Russell Perdock asked for a discussion with a request for $500,000 from the city for the project. The Clearlake Planning Commission approved the use permit to convert an old office building into a medical support and residential care facility. That would be for people who cannot recover alone from an illness or injury, like a rehab facility. So the City Council will be getting an update this week on the project and possible funding to finish it. The council will also consider cannabis related violations of the city’s ordinance. The council is also going to be in closed session with lawyers regarding a lawsuit involving PG&E.
A load of milk spilled into Clearlake after a big rig crashes. It happened Sunday morning on Highway 20 at Cora Drive outside of Lucerne. The CHP says the big rig went partially into the lake, but the driver got out safely. The semi’s load of milk starting gushing into the lake. Firefighters rushed to the scene with the Northshore Dive Team. One person had minor injuries but they were flown by a REACH air ambulance to a trauma center to be checked out. Lake Co News reports Lake County Environmental Health, Lake County Water Resources and the Lake County Office of Emergency Services were all informed about the incident.
The federal government now investigating too after a bunch of middle-schoolers at Yosemite National Park got sick. About ten students visiting the park had what might be Norovirus, sick with stomach pain, nausea, diarrhea and fever. But that’s not all, as many as 170 visitors and employees also got sick after the New Year. Now the National Park Service and other health care agencies are investigating how it spread. The concession company is working with federal officials to clean and disinfect the food service facilities and the Ahwahnee hotel. The students seemed to fall ill three days into their five day trip, after dining in Curry Village. Reports of week old yogurt served, eggs that tasted bad, fruit and Jell-O sharing utensils.
A backup on the 101 north of Leggett after a minivan crashed a half mile south of the Peg House. The van went off the highway and traffic slowed to a crawl as emergency vehicles made their way to the scene. Some passersby say they turned around to spot the accident better and saw a man inside the badly damaged van who couldn’t get out. They say the windshield was cracked, so they peeled it back and helped the man unlock the door of the van so he could get out. He said he passed out for a time but was said to be okay. Apparently nobody else stopped to make sure the man was ok.
California said to be behind in where it should be to reach self-imposed climate change goals. A new report released last week by Energy Innovation shows many other places are looking to Calif. to make their own changes after the U-S pulled out of the Paris Climate Agreement. Former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger set goals so Calif. would lower carbon emissions by 2020 to below 1990 levels, which has been done. Also the state had planned to get at least 33% of its electricity from solar, wind and other renewable energy and that’s done too. But Gov. Brown signed a law so the state would further reduce greenhouse gas emissions 40% below 1990 levels by 2030. The report says the state will have to double emissions reductions to get there.
A new report from the Little Lake Fire District says they have a slew of new volunteers. The so-called “Chief’s Report” says they got 835 calls last year, two or three calls a day and it looks like this year is already falling in line with those numbers. The Chief Chris Wilkes also thanked volunteers in his report. He also stresses there’s not enough Emergency Medical Service help though which means more volunteers are being called. The report also says they’ve been training during the New Year, with first aid, CPR and their yearly Chief’s Academy, which has 30 volunteer participants. They got a new fire duty rig too. A couple of volunteers were promoted to Fire Captain, Eli Owen and Tim Caldwell.
A tuition hike could be in the offing at University of California campuses. Administrators reportedly looking at raising tuition for the first time since 2017 for in-state undergraduates. The nearly 3% hike or $348 is based on inflation, so it could go up more over the following four years. Administrators also looking at freezing costs for those already enrolled but increase it instead for freshman by $606 as they enter. The UC Board of Regents should take up the two plans over the next week. They may vote on either idea or hold off until lawmakers set aside more money for the university system than the Gov. allowed in his recent budget proposal.
A commonly used over the counter drug could soon be listed as a carcinogen in Calif. Acetaminophen, known outside the U.S. as paracetamol or here in the states as Tylenol which is used to treat pain and fevers. It’s also in more than 600 prescription and over-the-counter meds for adults and kids, besides Tylenol, it’s in Excedrin, Sudafed, Robitussin and Theraflu. But a state law says consumers need to be warned if there’s a chemical that’s known to cause cancer or reproductive toxicity. The FDA says if Calif. moves ahead with the warning it would be false and misleading and illegal under federal law. It’s also not listed with the International Agency for Research on Cancer because it’s a weak link. Calif. scientists appointed by the Governor’s office can add chemicals to the list, and in 2011 acetaminophen was voted as a “high priority” for consideration. A meeting on the matter set for the spring after the public comment period closes next week.
