MENDOCINO NATIONAL FOREST, Calif. — Officials said the work to contain a lightning-caused fire on the Mendocino National Forest is continuing to progress, with acreage holding steady and containment growing.
The Slide 1 fire, burning in the Yolla Bolly Middle Eel Wilderness, remains at 473 acres, and containment has increased to 75%.
Firefighters reported little to no movement of the Slide 1 fire during Sunday's shift.
Crews continue to make progress with containment. Plans for suppression repair and resource demobilization are underway.
For the weather forecast firefighters are expecting more clouds, cooler temperatures and potentially .25" of precipitation over Monday and Tuesday.
A drying and warming trend is expected Wednesday through the rest of the week.
MENDOCINO NATIONAL FOREST, Calif. — Firefighters have managed to hold in check the growth of a lightning-caused fire on the Mendocino National Forest.
The Slide 1 fire in the Yolla Bolly Middle Eel Wilderness remains at 473 acres and 50% containment.
On Saturday, the fire stayed in its current footprint. As of 5 p.m. Saturday, the fire area was getting precipitation from storms moving through the area.
The remote, steep terrain is challenging, but firefighters are making steady progress on containment, forest officials said.
Firefighters have secured a containment line along the eastern edge of the fire. Two hotshot crews are working to secure the lines along the northern edge of the fire to keep it south of Buck Creek.
On the southern flank, aircraft are assisting crews working on that portion of the line. No new resources have been ordered, and several crews are being released.
There is a 30% chance of showers this evening and that weather will continue through the weekend with higher chances of showers Sunday afternoon. Temperatures are cooling and humidity is increasing gradually.
A wetter pattern is in the forecast for early next week. Higher humidity, cooler temperatures and precipitation can help keep fire behavior at low to moderate intensity, though gusty and erratic winds near thunderstorms remain a concern.
On the west side of the forest, thunderstorm activity will increase this evening, with high risk for lightning on dry fuels and potential for strong outflow winds in portions of Trinity, Mendocino and Lake counties.
Chances for rain will increase beginning Sunday night through Tuesday. Fire personnel are patrolling and monitoring for any new lightning starts.
This weekend the forest has seen an increase in visitors during the opening weekend of B zone archery hunting. Forest officials remind visitors that fire restrictions are in effect and a closure is in effect in the Slide 1 fire area.
LAKEPORT, Calif. — After several particularly challenging years in which it struggled to find officers, the Lakeport Police Department is once again fully staffed.
During the Lakeport City Council’s regular Tuesday night meeting, Police Chief Brad Rasmussen introduced his department’s newest trainee and officers.
They include Alex Pizano, who is heading off to the police academy; officers Jonatan Moreno and Austin Eldred; and Sgt. Sarah Hardisty.
Before they were brought forward, Todd Freitas, the new president of the Lakeport Police Officer’s Association, spoke during public comment, telling the council, “Today is an important day,” with the introduction of the new department members.
Freitas said he’s pleased to see the new department members’ careers blossom, and he thanked city management for their work to fill the jobs.
“The last several years have been difficult times for law enforcement, not just locally but across the nation,” he said.
The police department is composed of a diverse group of law enforcement professionals, and Freitas commended Rasmussen, City Manager Kevin Ingram and Administrative Services Director/City Clerk Kelly Buendia, who he said have worked to provide open and honest communication with him and his association.
Freitas said his work is to ensure the association and the city retain quality staff. He added that he’s grateful to be a city of Lakeport employee, as he feels valued and supported.
Rasmussen, in his introduction of the new officers, thanked Freitas, the council, Ingram and Buendia, offering his gratitude for the help in restaffing his department, which has 13 sworn officers positions budgeted.
Rasmussen said Pizano is headed to the police academy in Santa Rosa, with an anticipated graduation date in December.
Pizano was born in Mexico and at age 2 came with his family to the United States, where he has grown up.
Rasmussen said Pizano was working at a local business when he applied for the Lakeport Police Department’s trainee program, testing well and being accepted. The program pays for the cost of a police officer candidate to attend the police academy.
Moreno is a veteran of the United States Navy, attended the police academy and had been working as a correctional deputy for the Lake County Sheriff’s Office when he was hired.
A community resident, Moreno is now in the field training process, required before he can go solo on the streets.
Eldred previously worked at the Ukiah Police Department.
Rasmussen said Eldred wanted to work in Lakeport since he lived here, so he also tested and was hired. He also is now in field training.
The fourth new hire is Hardisty, a 16-year law enforcement veteran who started her career with the Clearlake Police Department before moving on to the Lake County Sheriff’s Office for the last 15 years.
Hardisty found out the Lakeport Police Department was testing for sergeants and she applied, and was hired at that rank. Rasmussen said she started with his agency four weeks ago, and she required a shorter training before immediately being put to work training other officers.
“She is the first female that has ever held a supervisory position in our entire existence, which goes back to 1888,” Rasmussen said of the department.
Ingram said it wasn’t an accident that there were four new employees being introduced, as the city has been working very hard on recruitment.
“This is a national problem where we’ve seen shortages of officers,” Ingram said.
While it has been a challenge, Ingram said they have had success going out to the community to look for new hires. Trying out those new things “has been a huge help.”
He said it’s still a process, and it can take up to a year to get an officer on the street. With the new hires, “We’ve crossed a threshold that we haven’t been at in a long time,” he said, adding that all positions in the department are now allocated although the training requirements for the new officers mean they are still short of officers on the street.
Ingram added that Hardisty’s daughters have said she looks better in the blue uniform of the Lakeport Police Department. The sheriff’s office’s uniforms are tan and green.
“They are all a sight for sore eyes. We are really happy to have you,” Mayor Stacey Mattina told the new officers.
Councilwoman Kim Costa said she was glad they were there.
Later in the meeting, Costa recounted how she had seen a bull and cow heading onto the city streets near her home by Westside Park, and she called in the Lakeport Police Department.
The cows ended up heading back into the park. “Public safety was maintained,” Costa said.
She said police brought out a cowboy who she could hear calling to the cow, “Come on, Matilda.”
Hardisty responded to that incident. It was noted that the cows were owned by the same person who owned an emu that had escaped.
Costa said it was a lighthearted police interaction.
In other police department-related news, the council held a public hearing and unanimously approved a military equipment policy that is being updated to authorize the department to purchase a Daniel Defense SOCOMMK18 SBR CAL NATO 5.56mm x 45mm 10.3-inch barrel rifle.
Rasmussen also reported that the city will host its National Night Out event from 4 to 7 p.m. Oct. 3 at Library Park.
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
Science is only beginning to understand how smoke affects our health, but its secret may lie in the size of the particles it emits.
Wildfires are bigger, more severe and more common today in the western United States than at any time in the last four decades, with Maui, Hawaii’s devastating blaze being just the latest tragic example. In California, nearly half of the state’s largest fires on record occurred in the past three years.
We asked UC San Francisco professors of medicine Arianne Teherani, PhD, and Sheri Weiser, MD, why wildfire smoke is particularly bad for your health. Teherani and Weiser cofounded UCSF’s Center for Climate, Health and Equity as an education and research hub to shape climate action by ensuring health systems respond to the climate crisis.
Why have wildfires increased in California?
Climate change intensifies droughts, boosts strong winds, and increases lightning strikes, creating the perfect conditions for wildfires. Meanwhile, more people than ever live on the edges of wildlands that have changed to become more fire-prone. Grazing lands, for example, replaced harder-to-burn native landscapes.
Drier conditions in California and a move away from historical, indigenous controlled-burn practices also means there are more dry plants and trees to burn in these spaces.
Can wildfire smoke make you sick?
Wildfire smoke enters the air as particle pollution, which is sometimes called “particulates” or “particulate matter.” Particulate matter is all around us, both indoors and outdoors, all the time, but wildfires emit massive amounts of particulate matter.
Wildfire smoke contains a mix of chemicals, including those released by homes as they burn – from household cleaners to asbestos siding. Depending on what’s fueling the fire, wildfire smoke can include things like sulfuric acid, dust and mold.
Why is particulate matter from wildfires so bad?
The bulk of wildfire smoke is made up of particulate matter that is about 30 times smaller than a human hair. This type of particulate matter poses the greatest risk to your health because it can work its way deep into your lungs and into your blood.
What are the health risks of inhaling wildfire smoke?
Wildfire smoke can make respiratory conditions like asthma and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) worse and increase your risk of respiratory infections, such as bronchitis and pneumonia. Not surprisingly, wildfire smoke leads to more emergency room and doctor’s visits.
UCSF researchers are continuing to study wildfire smoke’s health effects. UCSF School of Medicine Associate Professor Jennifer Mulliken, MD and UCSF colleagues found that in California, large wildfires coincide with an 18% to 22% spike in invasive fungal infections like Valley fever.
Valley fever, so called because it was first discovered in California’s San Joaquin Valley, can cause fatigue, body pains and shortness of breath. In some people, Valley Fever causes long-term lung damage.
What can I do to stay safe from wildfire smoke?
• Stay indoors and close your windows and doors. • Avoid heavy physical activity or being active for long periods of time. • If you have an air conditioner, set it to recirculation mode and make sure to maintain its filter. • Use portable air cleaners with HEPA filters. • Consider using an N95 or K95 mask but be aware that even these masks can’t filter out certain gases released by wildfires. Wearing a mask doesn’t mean that you can work or play as normal outside. Remember that these masks are not suitable for very young children. • If you have heart or lung disease, ask your health care provider if it is safe for you to wear a respirator.
Who is most at risk of falling ill from wildfire smoke?
• People with asthma and other respiratory diseases. • People with cardiovascular disease. • Children. • Pregnant people. • Older adults. • Outdoor workers. • Low-income communities and those of color.
Can wildfire smoke disproportionately impact low-income communities and people of color?
Although most Americans in wildfire hazard zones are more socioeconomically secure, thousands of low-income communities are also on the frontlines for fire risk and lack the resources to prepare or recover from disasters.
For example, some communities may not have the money to pay to insure their homes or belongings or replace them after a fire.
Folks like this may already be at a higher risk for some chronic illnesses due to a lack of access to health care and poor working conditions, making them more vulnerable to smoke.
Laura Lopez Gonzalez writes for the University of California, San Francisco.
Laura Fleszar, University of Washington; Allison Bryant Mantha, Harvard University; Catherine O. Johnson, University of Washington, and Greg Roth, University of Washington
Black women were more likely to die during pregnancy or soon after in every year from 1999 through 2019, compared with Hispanic, American Indian and Alaska Native, Asian, Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, and white women. That is a key finding of our recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The risk of maternal death increased the most for American Indian and Alaska Native women during that time frame.
Maternal deaths refers to death from any cause except for accidents, homicides and suicides, during or within one year after pregnancy.
Notably, maternal mortality rates more than doubled for every racial and ethnic group from 1999 through 2019. Most maternal deaths are considered preventable because, in the U.S., maternal deaths are most often caused by problems that have very effective treatments, including bleeding after delivery, heart disease, high blood pressure, blood clots and infections.
For Black women in 2019, the states with the highest maternal mortality ratios – meaning the proportion of maternal deaths per 100,000 live births – were Arizona, New Jersey, New York and Georgia, along with the District of Columbia. Each had a maternal mortality ratio greater than 100 for Black women. In comparison, the national maternal mortality ratio for all women in the U.S. was 32.1 in 2019.
Among American Indian and Alaska Native women, the states with the largest increases in maternal mortality between the first half of the time period (1999-2009) and the second half (2010-2019) were Florida, Kansas, Illinois, Rhode Island and Wisconsin. In each of these states, risk of maternal death increased by more than 162%. Across the whole U.S., maternal mortality for American Indian and Alaska Native women was higher in 2019 than in all other years. Some individuals other than women, including girls, transgender men and people who identify as nonbinary, are also at risk of maternal death.
Why it matters
In order to prevent maternal deaths in the U.S., it’s crucial to understand who is most at risk. Prior to our study, estimates of maternal mortality for racial and ethnic groups within every state had never been released.
Because most maternal deaths are preventable, interventions have the potential to make a significant difference. Better prevention of related events, such as preterm birth, is also necessary. We hope that our research continues to help policymakers and health care leaders put solutions in place to better prevent these deaths from happening.
We would like to investigate how the most common causes of maternal death, such as blood clots, high blood pressure and mental health issues, are contributing to the overall estimates.
Understanding these trends will help clinicians and policymakers tailor solutions to be as effective as possible.
Our study did not include data from the pandemic years. So far, maternal mortality has only been reported at the national level for those years, but reports suggest that maternal mortality rates have increased since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and that racial disparities have only gotten worse.
The Research Brief is a short take about interesting academic work.
CLEARLAKE, Calif. — Clearlake Animal Control has many dogs of various breeds needing new homes.
The Clearlake Animal Control website continues to list 32 dogs for adoption.
This week’s dogs include “Goliath,” a 6-year-old male Rottweiler mix.
“Emma” is another Rottweiler mix also available for adoption.
The shelter is located at 6820 Old Highway 53. It’s open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.
For more information, call the shelter at 707-762-6227, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., visit Clearlake Animal Control on Facebook or on the city’s website.
This week’s adoptable dogs are featured below.
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
Hakan Yilmazkuday, Florida International University
The formerly pristine reputation of the U.S. government’s debt lost a little more luster after another prominent rating agency demoted Uncle Sam from its AAA perch.
What does a downgrade of U.S. creditworthiness like this actually mean?
While the downgrade is unlikely to have much of an impact in the short term, its implications about the state and size of U.S. indebtedness will likely reverberate on Capitol Hill, where stalled negotiations over the budget could mark a step toward the Biden administration’s first government shutdown.
Fitch Ratings’ decision on Aug. 1, 2023, led to small declines in the stock and bond markets. But as an economist who studies the effects of monetary and fiscal policies, I’ve got longer-term concerns about the downgrade’s implications for U.S. economic growth.
To understand why, you have to look at both the reasons for Fitch’s downgrade and what it means for U.S. borrowing going forward.
Why Fitch downgraded the US
Just like people, the federal government has to balance the income it takes in and the money it spends for each fiscal year. Most federal income consists of tax revenue.
Since 2001, that revenue has rarely covered enough of the costs of everything the U.S. government pays for, from roadways to wars. When federal income falls short, the government fills the gap by borrowing money from investors.
That gap has gotten a lot bigger in recent years as the U.S. has spent trillions fighting COVID-19, contending with financial crises and funding several wars. As of Aug. 1, the U.S. Treasury owed US$32.6 trillion, both to bondholders and other parts of the federal government.
That’s part of the reason that Fitch cut the U.S. government’s long-term creditworthiness by one notch, from AAA – its highest rating – to AA+. Fitch also cited an “erosion of governance,” specifically pointing to recent efforts by conservatives to prevent the U.S. from raising its debt ceiling.
What happened last time
This was not the first time that a rating agency lowered the credit of the U.S. government.
At the time, Fitch issued a warning but it didn’t cut the U.S.’s credit rating until now.
The 2011 episode had no long-term effects on financial markets, including Treasury bonds – meaning investors remained happy to continue lending to the U.S. at favorable rates.
Does that mean Fitch’s downgrade will similarly have little long-term impact? Not necessarily.
Why things might be different
Any country seeking to borrow money in perpetuity needs lenders who are happy to lend.
Investors of all kinds around the world find Treasurys attractive. They’re seen as safe, because the U.S. government is considered less likely to default than, say, a company going bankrupt.
Rating agencies like Fitch assess these risks and periodically adjust their credit rating scores based on their assessment on the ability of the federal government – and other borrowers – to keep up with their debt obligations.
“Repeated debt-limit political standoffs and last-minute resolutions have eroded confidence in fiscal management,” Fitch said in its announcement, in a reference to recurring fights among lawmakers over raising the debt ceiling.
But if economists and financial analysts deem Treasurys to be growing riskier, then investors may become less interested in buying them. Alternatively, they may demand a higher interest rate in exchange for taking on the risk that the U.S. may default on its debts.
So, however the market reacts, I believe that this downgrade reflects the real deterioration of America’s fiscal standing as well as its ability to safeguard it.
And as economists and financial analysts decide Treasurys are becoming a riskier security to hold – whether because of the size of overall U.S. debt or because political brinkmanship is making a once-unthinkinkable default more likely – then investors may become less interested in buying them. Or, at least, they may demand the U.S. pay them more to take on the risk, resulting in higher borrowing costs for the government.
Ultimately, this means there will be less money for everything else the U.S. might want to spend money on – or the overall debt load will rise even faster.
Limited options
To cover its growing borrowing costs, the federal government has few options – none good.
It can borrow more money, which is seen as riskier – like taking out one loan to pay off another – and could result in an even lower credit rating and a continuous spiral of rising borrowing costs. Or it could hike tax rates or cut spending, both of which have political consequences and could be hard to accomplish given the degree of polarization in Congress.
Furthermore, research has shown that higher government debt is generally associated with lower long-term economic growth, which reinforces the problem by reducing revenue and thus requiring more debt.
So, while Fitch’s downgrade doesn’t signal an imminent financial crisis, it does serve as a warning as Congress engages in its fiscal fights – including the one over the budget that will heat up in September.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — Lake County Animal Care and Control has more new dogs waiting to be adopted.
Dogs available for adoption this week include mixes of Anatolian shepherd, Belgian malinois, border collie, collie, Dogo Argentino, German shepherd, Great Pyrenees, hound, husky, kelpie, mastiff, pit bull, pointer and terrier.
Dogs that are adopted from Lake County Animal Care and Control are either neutered or spayed, microchipped and, if old enough, given a rabies shot and county license before being released to their new owner. License fees do not apply to residents of the cities of Lakeport or Clearlake.
The following dogs at the Lake County Animal Care and Control shelter have been cleared for adoption.
Call Lake County Animal Care and Control at 707-263-0278 or visit the shelter online for information on visiting or adopting.
Female German shepherd
This 7-year-old female German shepherd has a black and tan coat.
She is in kennel No. 30, ID No. LCAC-A-5629.
Male border collie
This 1-year-old male border collie has a black and white coat.
He is in kennel No. 9, ID No. LCAC-A-5643.
‘Cheetos’
“Cheetos” is a 6-year-old male Great Pyrenees with a white coat.
He is in kennel No. 17, ID No. LCAC-A-4849.
Female Dogo Argentino
This 3-year-old female Dogo Argentino has a short white coat.
She is in kennel No. 18, ID No. LCAC-A-5729.
Male pit bull terrier
This 4-year-old male pit bull terrier has a short gray coat.
He is in kennel No. 29, ID No. LCAC-A-5478.
Female pointer puppy
This 3-month-old female pointer mix has a black and white coat.
She is in kennel No. 20, ID No. LCAC-A-5730.
Male Great Pyrenees
This 1 and a half year old male Great Pyrenees has a white coat.
He is in kennel No. 3, ID No. LCAC-A-5469.
‘Jake’
“Jake” is a 3-year-old male Anatolian shepherd-mastiff mix with a short fawn coat.
He is in kennel No. 5, ID No. LCAC-A-5276.
‘Roasie’
“Roasie”is a 2-year-old female pit bull terrier with a short black and white coat.
She is in kennel No. 7, ID No. LCAC-A-5434.
Female pit bull
This 3-year-old female pit bull has a short brown coat.
She is in kennel No. 8, ID No. LCAC-A-5505.
Female pit bull terrier
This 3-year-old female pit bull terrier has a brown and white coat.
She is in kennel No. 10, ID No. LCAC-A-5400.
Female German shepherd
This 2-year-old female German shepherd has a black and tan coat.
She is in kennel No. 12, ID No. LCAC-A-5488.
Male shepherd
This 2 and a half year old male shepherd has a short black and tan coat.
He is in kennel No. 14, ID No. LCAC-A-5479.
Female shepherd mix puppy
This 6-month-old female shepherd mix puppy has a short tricolor coat.
She is in kennel No. 15, ID No. LCAC-A-5659.
‘Zeta’
“Zeta” is a 1-year-old female pit bull terrier with a black and tan coat.
She is in kennel No. 16, ID No. LCAC-A-5427.
Male pit bull
This 1-year-old male pit bull has a short brindle coat.
He is in kennel No. 21, ID No. LCAC-A-5616.
Male shepherd
This 2-year-old male shepherd has a black and tan coat.
He is in kennel No. 22, ID No. LCAC-A-5423.
Female pit bull terrier
This 6-year-old female pit bull terrier has a short tan coat.
She is in kennel No. 24, ID No. LCAC-A-5410.
Male pit bull terrier
This 1-year-old male pit bull terrier has a short tan coat.
He is in kennel No. 25, ID No. LCAC-A-5628.
Male shepherd
This 1 and a half year old male shepherd has a short tricolor coat.
He is in kennel No. 26, ID No. LCAC-A-5424.
Female shepherd
This 2-year-old female shepherd has a short yellow and white coat.
She is in kennel No. 27, ID No. LCAC-A-5369.
Female collie mix
This 3-year-old collie mix has a black coat.
She is in kennel No. 28, ID No. LCAC-A-5514.
Male shepherd puppy
This 7-month-old male shepherd puppy has a short black coat with white markings.
He is in kennel No. 32, ID No. LCAC-A-5408.
‘Nana’
“Nana” is a 2-year-old female shepherd mix with a short yellow coat.
She is in kennel No. 33, ID No. LCAC-A-5277.
‘Dory’
“Dory” is a 1-year-old female German shepherd-Belgian malinois with a black and tan coat.
She is in kennel No. 34, ID No. LCAC-A-5323.
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
MENDOCINO NATIONAL FOREST, Calif. — The work to contain a lightning-caused fire on the Mendocino National Forest continues to progress.
The Slide 1 fire burning in the Yolla Bolly Middle Eel Wilderness is at 20% containment.
A recent reconnaissance flight has provided a more accurate picture of the fire’s size, which is at 473 acres.
Forest officials said fire behavior on Friday was mellow, and firefighters made progress on the line.
Firefighters are using a confine and contain strategy to keep the fire within the wilderness, building containment lines off of existing trails and natural barriers. This strategy helps to minimize risk and firefighter exposure in this challenging terrain.
On Friday a closure was issued for roads, trails and recreation sites in the Yolla Bolly Middle Eel Wilderness within the Grindstone District to protect public safety and emergency operations.
With the opening of B zone archery season tomorrow, forest officials urge hunters to use caution and expect fire-related traffic on the M22 Road.
The Rock fire in the Sanhedrin Wilderness remains at an estimated 2.5 acres, and crews on scene are working to contain the fire.
Chance of showers and thunderstorms overnight were reported to be slight. Temperatures are trending down through the weekend, and there is potential for a cooler and wetter pattern early next week as Hurricane Hilary moves into the region.
LAKEPORT, Calif. — In response to the recent wildfires that have ravaged the beautiful island of Maui, Wine in the Willows and the Lakeport Club of Rotary are proud to announce a special fundraising event aimed at providing support to those affected by the fires.
The Maui fire fundraiser will take place on Aug. 23, from 5:30 to 8 p.m. at the Wine in the Willows venue, 125 Park St.
This event promises to be an evening of compassion, community and contribution. Guests are invited to come together in a show of solidarity to help those impacted by the Maui fires.
Event highlights include:
• Wine delights: Wine enthusiasts and supporters alike will have the opportunity to enjoy a selection of exquisite wines available for purchase by the glass or bottle. Savor the flavors and raise a glass to support a vital cause. • Charcuterie tray for donation: Indulge in a delectable charcuterie tray available for donation. Guests can enjoy an assortment of gourmet cheeses, cured meats, and artisanal accompaniments while making a meaningful contribution to the Maui Fire Fund. • Silent auction: Exciting bidding wars are on the horizon with a captivating silent auction featuring an array of unique items and experiences. From local wines to dinner for four, they will have something to inspire you. • Generosity in action: Wine in the Willows is committed to making a difference. With every donation and 20% of each purchase made during the event, the Maui Fire Fund will receive much-needed financial support to aid in recovery and relief efforts. • Hawaiian spirit: Attendees are encouraged to embrace the island vibes and show their support by wearing a Hawaiian shirt. Let's come together as a community and create a colorful tapestry of unity that will shine as bright as the Maui sun.
No RSVP required and the event is open to all.
This Maui Fire Fundraiser at Wine in the Willows is an opportunity for everyone to join hands and hearts in support of a community facing challenging times.
“Through collective efforts, we can make a tangible difference in the lives of those affected by the fires,” the organizers said.
NASA’s New Horizons team calls for the amateur astronomical community to augment the mission’s observations of Uranus and Neptune
NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft plans to observe Uranus and Neptune from its location far out in the outer solar system this fall, and the mission team is inviting the global amateur astronomy community to come along for the ride — and make a real contribution to space science — by observing both ice giants at the same time.
In September — in tandem with the Hubble Space Telescope — New Horizons will turn its color camera toward Uranus and Neptune. From New Horizons’ position in the Kuiper belt, more than 5 billion miles from Earth, these unique images acquired from “behind” the two giant planets will provide new insights into the atmospheres above and the energy balance within both worlds.
“By combining the information New Horizons collects in space with data from telescopes on Earth, we can supplement and even strengthen our models to uncover the mysteries swirling in the atmospheres of Uranus and Neptune,” said Alan Stern, New Horizons principal investigator from the Southwest Research Institute in Boulder, Colorado. “Even from amateur astronomer telescopes as small as 16 inches, these complementary observations can be extremely important.”
With New Horizons and Hubble focused on the details of the planets' atmospheres and the transfer of heat from their rocky cores through their gaseous exteriors, observers on Earth can measure the distribution of bright features on Uranus or characterize any unusually bright features on Neptune. They can also track those features much longer than either spacecraft.
Following the campaign, observers can post their images — as well as the details of when they were made and in what filter passbands — on X (formerly Twitter) or Facebook using the hashtag #NHIceGiants. The New Horizons team will see and collect the images and supporting information placed on these platforms using this identifying hashtag.
Full details on the campaign — including finder charts and observation tables — are available on the New Horizons website at (URL to come).
The Hubble images of Uranus and Neptune will be made publicly available in late September on the Mikulski Archive for Space Telescopes, or MAST, at https://archive.stsci.edu/.
The New Horizons team expects to receive the images of Uranus and Neptune from the spacecraft by the end of 2023 and will make them available as well.
The Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland, designed, built and operates the New Horizons spacecraft, and manages the mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate. Southwest Research Institute, in San Antonio and Boulder, Colorado, directs the mission via Principal Investigator Alan Stern, and leads the science team, payload operations and encounter science planning.
New Horizons is part of the New Frontiers Program managed by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama.
MENDOCINO NATIONAL FOREST, Calif. — Forest officials have issued a closure order for a portion of the Yolla Bolly Middle Eel Wilderness, including several trailheads, trails and roads, effective Friday, Aug. 18 through April 1, 2024.
The Slide 1 Fire, which began on Aug. 15 after more than 150 lightning strikes on the forest, prompted officials to issue the closure order.
Firefighters are actively using the roads, trails and recreation sites in the closure area.
Access for any recreation activities including hunting or hiking is prohibited in the closure area.
“We know it is hunting season, and people want to camp and hunt in their favorite spots. However, this closure is necessary to protect the public as well as our fire personnel from potential injury due to hazards in the fire area,” said Forest Supervisor Wade McMaster.
Except for this closure and the State Game Refuge, the rest of the forest is open to hunting during the seasons designated by the California State Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Officials also want to remind visitors that fire restrictions are in effect, prohibiting campfires, open flames or stove fires while dispersed camping. Within designated fire-safe recreation sites and wilderness areas, campfires are allowed with a valid permit.
The M22 Road remains open, however visitors should drive with caution and expect fire traffic.
Areas closed include:
Yolla Bolly Middle Eel Wilderness area within the Grindstone Ranger District Ides Cove Backpacker Trailhead Ides Cove Horsepacker Trailhead
Trails closed include:
9W01 9W03 9W04 9W51 9W54 9W80 10W09 10W93 10W91
Roads closed include:
25N14 25N24 25N19 25N19A 25N19C 25N21 25N21C
Emergency personnel on official duty and anyone with a permit specifically exempting them are exempted from this order.