LAKEPORT, Calif. — The Lakeport Fire Protection District Board is planning a hearing next week to consider increasing its mitigation, or development impact, fees.
The board will hold a public hearing at 5 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 9, at the headquarters station, 445 N. Main St.
The documents are available on the district’s website and at the headquarters station during business hours of 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.
The Jan. 9 hearing will allow community members to provide input on the mitigation fee study, completed by Ridgeline Municipal Strategies. The firm’s overview presentation is published below.
The mitigation fee, also known as the development impact fee, is a one-time fee imposed on new development as a condition of approval. It’s meant to pay for public facilities needed to serve new development.
The report explains that mitigation fees can be used to expand the district’s facilities to serve new development, but they cannot be used for maintenance, deficiencies or operations.
The mitigation fee ordinance was adopted in September 1992 in Lake County and in April 2005 in the city of Lakeport.
The report said there have been no significant updates to the fee program in 31 years, other than the city of Lakeport increasing the fee to match the Lake County amount in 2007. The program set the fee ceiling of $1 per square foot but did not include an inflation adjustment provision.
Since the program was implemented, the district has added emergency medical services, and construction costs went from $64 to $70 per square foot to more than $600 per square foot. At the same time, class A engine/pumper trucks have grown in cost from $200,000 to $350,000 to $700,000, and water tenders have risen from between $110,000 to $125,000 to between $400,000 and $550,000, the report said.
The report said the fire mitigation fee methodology is based on future development’s share of existing and future public facility costs.
There are currently 10.8 million square feet of development within the district. Within the next 18 years, it’s projected that there will be 1.1 million square feet of new development.
They’re proposing a total fee of $2 per square foot for residential development and $2.45 per square foot for commercial development.
The new fee is expected to raise revenue of $2.3 million over 18 years.
During that time frame, there will be planned facilities costs of $24.7 million, with $480,000 in available mitigation fee funds and $22 million needed from other sources, according to the report.
In related news, in September, the board voted to raise the Measure M parcel tax rate.
Measure M, passed by voters in 2019, had a beginning rate per benefit unit of $6.14. The ordinance authorizing the measure allowed the board to approve an annual rate increase of up to 3%, based on the San Francisco Consumer Price Index.
The board voted to raise the tax to $6.65, splitting the difference between the minimum increase that would have made the new rate $6.50 and the maximum allowable increase that would have changed the rate to $6.81.
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.
With the new year comes changes in California, including an increase in the minimum wage.
As of Jan. 1, California’s minimum wage has increased to $16 per hour for all employers, up from $15.50 for all employees regardless of employer size in 2023.
The state reported that some cities and counties have a local minimum wage that is higher than the state rate.
As of April 1, fast food restaurant employees will have a $20 per hour minimum wage, while health care facility employees will have a minimum wage of $18, $21 or $23 — based on the type of facility — beginning on June 1.
Another group who has new rules for their pay as of Jan. 1 is sheepherders and goat herders. Their monthly minimum salary increases to $2,444.48 plus $1,830.75 required overtime pay for a total of $4,675.23 per month for employers who employ over 25 employees and $2,844.48 plus $1,179.88 in required overtime pay for a total of $4,024.36 for employers who employ 25 or fewer employees. Wages paid to sheepherders and goat herders may not be offset by meals or lodging provided by the employer.
The change in the minimum wage affects the minimum salary an employee must earn to meet one part of the overtime exemption test.
Exempt employees are not subject to the payment of overtime for hours worked. An employee must earn no less than two times the state’s minimum wage for full-time work to meet this initial requirement of the exemption test.
As of Jan. 1, employees in California must earn an annual salary of no less than $66,560 to meet this threshold requirement.
Employers must post the minimum wage order and the wage order applicable to their workplace at a worksite area accessible to employees. The wage orders can be downloaded and printed from the workplace postings page on the DIR website.
Employers must ensure that the wage rate is displayed on the employee’s pay stub, and that employees are paid at least the minimum wage even when employees are paid at piece rate.
Most employees in California must be paid at least the minimum wage per hour, with some exceptions explained in the FAQs here.
At this time of year many of us resolve to prioritise our health. So it is no surprise there’s a roaring trade of products purporting to guarantee you live longer, be healthier and look more youthful.
While an estimated 25% of longevity is determined by our genes, the rest is determined by what we do, day to day.
There are no quick fixes or short cuts to living longer and healthier lives, but the science is clear on the key principles. Here are five things you can do to extend your lifespan and improve your health.
1. Eat a predominantly plant-based diet
What you eat has a huge impact on your health. The evidence overwhelmingly shows eating a diet high in plant-based foods is associated with health and longevity.
If you eat more plant-based foods and less meat, processed foods, sugar and salt, you reduce your risk of a range of illnesses that shorten our lives, including heart disease and cancer.
Plant-based foods are rich in nutrients, phytochemicals, antioxidants and fibre. They’re also anti-inflammatory. All of this protects against damage to our cells as we age, which helps prevent disease.
No particular diet is right for everyone but one of the most studied and healthiest is the Mediterranean diet. It’s based on the eating patterns of people who live in countries around the Mediterranean Sea and emphases vegetables, fruits, wholegrains, legumes, nuts and seeds, fish and seafood, and olive oil.
2. Aim for a healthy weight
Another important way you can be healthier is to try and achieve a healthy weight, as obesity increases the risk of a number of health problems that shorten our lives.
Obesity puts strain on all of our body systems and has a whole myriad of physiological effects including causing inflammation and hormonal disturbances. These increase your chances of a number of diseases, including heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, diabetes and a number of cancers.
In addition to affecting us physically, obesity is also associated with poorer psychological health. It’s linked to depression, low self-esteem and stress.
One of the biggest challenges we face in the developed world is that we live in an environment that promotes obesity. The ubiquitous marketing and the easy availability of high-calorie foods our bodies are hard-wired to crave mean it’s easy to consume too many calories.
3. Exercise regularly
We all know that exercise is good for us – the most common resolution we make this time of year is to do more exercise and to get fitter. Regular exercise protects against chronic illness, lowers your stress and improves your mental health.
While one of the ways exercising helps you is by supporting you to control your weight and lowering your body fat levels, the effects are broader and include improving your glucose (blood sugar) use, lowering your blood pressure, reducing inflammation and improving blood flow and heart function.
While it’s easy to get caught up in all of the hype about different exercise strategies, the evidence suggests that any way you can include physical activity in your day has health benefits. You don’t have to run marathons or go to the gym for hours every day. Build movement into your day in any way that you can and do things that you enjoy.
4. Don’t smoke
If you want to be healthier and live longer then don’t smoke or vape.
Smoking cigarettes affects almost every organ in the body and is associated with both a shorter and lower quality of life. There is no safe level of smoking – every cigarette increases your chances of developing a range of cancers, heart disease and diabetes.
Even if you have been smoking for years, by giving up smoking at any age you can experience health benefits almost immediately, and you can reverse many of the harmful effects of smoking.
If you’re thinking of switching to vapes as a healthy long term option, think again. The long term health effects of vaping are not fully understood and they come with their own health risks.
5. Prioritise social connection
When we talk about living healthier and longer, we tend to focus on what we do to our physical bodies. But one of the most important discoveries over the past decade has been the recognition of the importance of spiritual and psychological health.
People who are lonely and socially isolated have a much higher risk of dying early and are more likely to suffer from heart disease, stroke, dementia as well as anxiety and depression.
Although we don’t fully understand the mechanisms, it’s likely due to both behavioural and biological factors. While people who are more socially connected are more likely to engage in healthy behaviours, there also seems to be a more direct physiological effect of loneliness on the body.
So if you want to be healthier and live longer, build and maintain your connections to others.
In the hit dystopian TV series Severance, employees at biotech corporation Lumon Industries find it easy to separate work and home life. A computer chip is inserted in their brains to act as a “mindwipe”. They leave all thoughts of home behind while at work, and completely forget about their work when at home.
While the show explores the pitfalls of such a split in consciousness, there’s no denying it’s a tantalising prospect to be able to “flick the off switch” and forget about work whenever you’re not actually supposed to be working.
This is known as “psychological detachment”. People who can do it are happier and healthier, and experience less fatigue. But many of us struggle to detach and disconnect mentally from work, particularly when our jobs are demanding and stressful.
It may not be enough simply to be physically away from work, particularly in an era when so many of us work from home. We also have to stop thinking about work when we’re not there – whether it’s fretting over your to-do list while out at dinner, thinking about your unanswered emails while you’re at your daughter’s soccer game, or lying in bed pondering what you’ll say at tomorrow’s board meeting.
The art of detachment
Your choice of activity outside work can be crucial to this process of psychological detachment. To learn more about what strategies are most effective, my research surveyed nurses who were working shifts in hospital emergency departments in 2020, a highly stressful work environment.
My colleagues and I collected data from 166 nurses, using a survey called the Recovery Experience Questionnaire. This included collecting information about the underlying psychological experiences associated with home-time activities, such as feeling relaxed while reading a book or going for a walk.
Importantly, our survey results also showed nurses who were better able to forget about work had less fatigue and better physical and mental health.
Our results identified three key strategies that helped our survey participants to reduce fatigue and mentally recover from work:
exercise
spending time with family and friends
leisure pursuits.
The physical benefits of exercise are well known. But exercising – whether it’s doing yoga, going for a run or playing netball – also brings mental benefits by encouraging you to focus deeply on what you’re doing rather than dwelling on outside thoughts.
Friendship and social connection are also good for our wellbeing. Research suggests people who have plenty of friends and confidants are less likely to die from chronic disease. And one study found people who undertake a difficult task with the help of a friend have fewer abrupt changes in heart rate than those who tackle the task alone.
Deliberately making time to spend with family, friends or pets can help us forget about work at home, and to centre our attention instead on what is important to us besides work.
Many of the nurses in our study reduced the effects of fatigue during home time by pursuing hobbies and interests such as sewing or gardening. But you shouldn’t worry too much about what specific activity you pursue – the main thing is to pick something you find pleasurable and engaging, and which fits comfortably around your existing commitments.
Leave your work at work
Finally, switching off from work also means not letting your work come home with you. Where possible, complete all your daily tasks so these aren’t on your mind at home. Unplug from work-related technology by not checking work emails or texts.
Of course, technology and working from home have now made separating work and home even harder. But setting healthy routines can help put mental as well as physical boundaries around your work time – even when your workplace is in the next room.
They go by many names – pigs, hogs, swine, razorbacks – but whatever you call them, wild pigs (Sus scrofa) are one of the most damaging invasive species in North America. They cause millions of dollars in crop damage yearly and harbor dozens of pathogens that threaten humans and pets, as well as meat production systems.
The wild pigs in Canada are unique because they were originally crossbred by humans to be larger and more cold-hardy than their feral cousins to the south. This suite of traits has earned them the name “super pigs” for good reason. Adults can reach weights exceeding 500 pounds, which is twice the size of the largest wild pigs sampled across many U.S. sites in a 2022 study.
As a wildlife ecologist, I study how wild pigs alter their surroundings and affect other wildlife species. Early detection and rapid response is of utmost importance in eradicating an invasive species, because invasions are more manageable when populations are small and geographically restricted. This is especially true for species like wild pigs that have a high reproductive rate, can readily move into new areas and can change their behavior to avoid being captured or killed.
Omnivores on the hoof
Much concern over the spread of wild pigs has focused on economic damage, which was recently estimated at about US$2.5 billion annually in the United States.
Wild pigs have a unique collection of traits that make them problematic to humans. When we told one private landowner about the results from our studies, he responded: “That makes sense. Pigs eat all the stuff the other wildlife do – they just eat it first, and then they go ahead and eat the wildlife, too. They pretty much eat anything with a calorie in it.”
More scientifically, wild pigs are called extreme generalist foragers, which means they can survive on many different foods. A global review of their dietary habits found that plants represent 90% of their diet – primarily agricultural crops, plus the fruits, seeds, leaves, stems and roots of wild plants.
Wild pigs also eat most small animals, along with fungi and invertebrates such as insect larvae, clams and mussels, particularly in places where pigs are not native. For example, a 2019 study reported that wild pigs were digging up eggs laid by endangered loggerhead sea turtles on an island off the coast of South Carolina, reducing the turtles’ nesting success to zero in some years.
And these pigs do “just eat it first.” They compete for resources that other wildlife need, which can have negative effects on other species.
However, they likely do their most severe damage through predation. Wild pigs kill and eat rodents, deer, birds, snakes, frogs, lizards and salamanders. This probably best explains why colleagues and I found in one study that forest patches with wild pigs had 26% fewer mammal and bird species than similar forest patches without pigs.
This decrease in diversity was similar to that found with other invasive predators. And our findings are consistent with a global analysis showing that invasive mammalian predators that have no natural predators themselves – especially generalist foragers like wild pigs – cause by far the most extinctions.
Altering ecosystems
Many questions about wild pigs’ ecological impacts have yet to be answered. For example, they may harm other wild species indirectly, rather than eating them or depleting their food supply.
Our work shows that wild pigs can alter the behavior of common native wildlife species, such as raccoons, squirrels and deer. Using trail cameras, we found that when wild pigs were present, other animals altered their activity patterns in various ways to avoid them. Such shifts may have additional cascading effects on ecosystems, because they change how and when species interact in the food web.
Another major concern is wild pigs’ potential to spread disease. They carry numerous pathogens, including brucellosis and tuberculosis. However, little ecological research has been done on this issue, and scientists have not yet demonstrated that an increasing abundance of wild pigs reduces the abundance of native wildlife via disease transmission.
Interestingly, in their native range in Europe and Asia, pigs do not cause as much ecological damage. In fact, some studies indicate that they may modify habitat in important ways for species that have evolved with them, such as frogs and salamanders.
So far, however, there is virtually no scientific evidence that feral pigs provide any benefits in North America. One review of wild pig impacts discussed the potential for private landowners plagued with pigs to generate revenue from selling pig meat or opportunities to hunt them. And it’s possible that wild pigs could serve as an alternative food source for imperiled large predators, or that their wallowing and foraging behavior in some cases could mimic that of locally eradicated or extinct species.
But the scientific consensus today is that in North America, wild pigs are a growing threat to both ecosystems and the economy. It is unclear how invading super pigs would contribute to the overall threat, but bigger pigs likely cause more damage and are generally better predators and competitors.
While efforts to control wild pigs are well underway in the U.S., incursions by Canadian super pigs may complicate the job. Invasive super pigs make for catchy headlines, but their potential effects are no joke.
This is an updated version of an article originally published on Aug. 26, 2019.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — Lake County Animal Care and Control has many dogs who need a new home for the new year.
Dogs available for adoption this week include mixes of border collie, Boxer, Doberman pinscher, German shepherd, Great Pyrenees, hound, Labrador retriever, pit bull, Queensland heeler, shepherd 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.
Those dogs and the others shown on this page 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.
The shelter is located at 4949 Helbush in Lakeport.
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.
As we wrap up 2023, the U.S. Census Bureau projects the U.S. population will be 335,893,238 on New Year’s Day, an annual increase of 1,759,535 or 0.53%.
By comparison, just before the nation’s independence nearly 250 years ago, the 13 colonies had about 2.5 million residents, according to the American Battlefield Trust.
In January 2024, the United States is expected to experience a birth every 9.0 seconds and one death every 9.5 seconds.
Meanwhile, net international migration is expected to add one person to the U.S. population every 28.3 seconds.
The combination of births, deaths and net international migration increases the U.S. population by one person every 24.2 seconds.
The projected world population on Jan. 1, 2024 is 8,019,876,189, up 75,162,541 (0.95%) from New Year’s Day 2023. During January 2024, 4.3 births and 2.0 deaths are expected worldwide every second.
Population estimates from the U.S. and world population clock
The U.S. clock shows the population by age (0 to 100+) and sex, and the most populous and highest density states, counties and cities.
The world clock shows the most populous countries, as well as the top U.S. export and import partners.
Population projections from the International Database
Created in the 1960s, the Census Bureau’s International Database (IDB) now produces population projections for 227 countries and equivalent areas, plus 15,237 subnational areas.
Population size (by single year of age and sex) and components of change (fertility, mortality and migration) are available for each calendar year through 2100 (through 2060 for the United States).
Around 2025, the IDB Trends shows India passing China in total population (around 1.42B each) to become the world’s most populous country.
The United States is expected to still be third with about 344 million people. However, Nigeria is projected to pass the United States around 2045 to become the world’s third most populous country with about 388 million people.
International Database (IDB)
The IDB is an interactive data tool. Visit the Country Dashboard and view tables for six reports: Demographic Overview, Components of Population Growth, Fertility, Mortality, Migration and Custom Report. You can map numerous measures by these categories: Population, Fertility, Mortality and Migration.
Explore Population by Age in pyramids or tables. Lastly, consider trends by country from 1950 to 2100 (2060 for the U.S.).
When did the world population reach eight billion?
Using data from the IDB, the Census Bureau estimates the world population hit 8 billion on September 26, 2023. The United Nations Population Division estimates this occurred on Nov. 15, 2022.
Either way, population growth has been slowing since the 1960s. While it took 12.5 years for the world to go from 7 billion to 8 billion people, we project it will likely take 14.1 years to go from 8 billion to 9 billion, and 16.4 years to go from 9 billion to 10 billion, which could occur around 2055.
Derick C. Moore is a senior communications specialist in the Census Bureau’s Communications Directorate.
MIDDLETOWN, Calif. — There is a sweet spot of nature in Middletown called Rabbit Hill.
The site is owned by the Lake County Land Trust.
This nine-acre serpentine outcropping is a geologically and culturally significant piece of property, with 360-degree views.
Rabbit Hill also has a sculpture (Invitation — Gateway to the Sky 2020-22) created by artist Marcus Maria Jung in collaboration with community members and the Middletown Art Center, in remembrance of the 2015 Valley Fire.
Soon residents, visitors and those passing through will see significant improvements on the 9-acre preserve.
The Lake County Land Trust is working with Cal Fire on vegetation management. Shaded fuel breaks near the road and property lines will lessen the danger from wildfire.
The goal is to keep the neighborhood safe while at the same time considering the importance of wildlife habitat provided by the chaparral/leather oak community that makes up the preserve.
An exciting public art project on Rabbit Hill is currently in progress. It’s a partnership between the Middletown Art Center, the Middletown Rancheria of Pomo Indians of California, and the Callayomi County Water District.
The partners are seeking design proposals for 360-degree murals inspired by Pomo basketry to be painted on Callayomi's water tanks.
As Rabbit Hill is the highest point in town, the murals will be visible from multiple locations in Middletown and from the highway, and will enhance the property.
The project is funded by the partners with additional support from the National Endowment for the Arts and community members. Learn more at https://middletownartcenter.org/waterbasket.html.
Beginning in 2022 several Middletown High School students have been conducting their community service hours at Rabbit Hill with pruning, trash collection and erecting a very fine directional post that points to the mountain peaks visible from the hilltop.
Unfortunately, over this time Rabbit Hill has experienced extensive vandalism. Graffiti on the cement picnic table, water tower, and rocks including some hate symbols have been a disappointing and common occurrence.
The new directional signs have been broken off, bent, and then tossed around the area. The Land Trust will be replacing these directional signs for the third time.
The Lake County Land Trust is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit whose mission is to conserve lands of natural and cultural significance. The funding for improvements and stewardship of Rabbit Hill Preserve comes from local contributions and volunteers.
Many people live near Rabbit Hill and walk it often. The Land Trust appreciates that many of those folks pick up trash and enjoy the views and calm of this small gem.
The hope is that more people will volunteer to monitor and report problems to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or leave a message at 707-262-0707.
The Land Trust is beseeching parents to remind their youth that vandalism is not only an annoying prank but also a serious crime.
Hate symbols or words and the monetary value of the damage done by vandalism can increase the crime level. When vandalism, including graffiti, malicious damage, destroying, or defacing someone else's property happens, it is disappointing and expensive to replace and repair.
The cost is borne by all those who support the Land Trust. Those costs and possibly jail time will be borne by those caught committing the crime.
Please remind youth and adults of the moral and legal consequences of their actions.
Where possible, the Land Trust opens its privately owned preserves, including Rabbit Hill, to the public. It is a gift to the people of Middletown and visitors that Rabbit Hill remains open, and improvements are made.
Please help the Lake County Land Trust continue to safely keep Rabbit Hill open to the public by keeping an eye on it, reporting crimes to the Land Trust and the local sheriff and reminding young people to be responsible citizens.
The year 2023 proved to be an important one for space missions, with NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission returning a sample from an asteroid and India’s Chandrayaan-3 mission exploring the lunar south pole, and 2024 is shaping up to be another exciting year for space exploration.
The latter half of the year will feature several exciting launches, with the launch of the Martian Moons eXploration mission in September, Europa Clipper and Hera in October and Artemis II and VIPER to the Moon in November – if everything goes as planned.
I’m a planetary scientist, and here are six of the space missions I’m most excited to follow in 2024.
1. Europa Clipper
NASA will launch Europa Clipper, which will explore one of Jupiter’s largest moons, Europa. Europa is slightly smaller than Earth’s Moon, with a surface made of ice. Beneath its icy shell, Europa likely harbors a saltwater ocean, which scientists expect contains over twice as much water as all the oceans here on Earth combined.
The mission plans to do this by flying past Europa nearly 50 times to study the moon’s icy shell, its surface’s geology and its subsurface ocean. The mission will also look for active geysers spewing out from Europa.
The launch window – the period when the mission could launch and achieve its planned route – opens Oct. 10, 2024, and lasts 21 days. The spacecraft will launch on a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket and arrive at the Jupiter system in 2030.
Artemis II is the first crewed step in this plan, with four astronauts planned to be on board during the 10-day mission.
The mission builds upon Artemis I, which sent an uncrewed capsule into orbit around the Moon in late 2022.
Artemis II will put the astronauts into orbit around the Moon before returning them home. It is currently planned for launch as early as November 2024. But there is a chance it will get pushed back to 2025, depending on whether all the necessary gear, such as spacesuits and oxygen equipment, is ready.
3. VIPER to search for water on the Moon
VIPER, which stands for Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover, is a robot the size of a golf cart that NASA will use to explore the Moon’s south pole in late 2024.
This robotic mission is designed to search for volatiles, which are molecules that easily vaporize, like water and carbon dioxide, at lunar temperatures. These materials could provide resources for future human exploration on the Moon.
The VIPER robot will rely on batteries, heat pipes and radiators throughout its 100-day mission, as it navigates everything from the extreme heat of lunar daylight – when temperatures can reach 224 degrees Fahrenheit (107 degrees Celsius) – to the Moon’s frigid shadowed regions that can reach a mind-boggling -400 F (-240 C).
VIPER’s launch and delivery to the lunar surface is scheduled for November 2024.
4. Lunar Trailblazer and PRIME-1 missions
NASA has recently invested in a class of small, low-cost planetary missions called SIMPLEx, which stands for Small, Innovative Missions for PLanetary Exploration. These missions save costs by tagging along on other launches as what is called a rideshare, or secondary payload.
One example is the Lunar Trailblazer. Like VIPER, Lunar Trailblazer will look for water on the Moon.
But while VIPER will land on the Moon’s surface, studying a specific area near the south pole in detail, Lunar Trailblazer will orbit the Moon, measuring the temperature of the surface and mapping out the locations of water molecules across the globe.
However, because it is a secondary payload, Lunar Trailblazer’s launch timing depends on the primary payload’s launch readiness. The PRIME-1 mission, scheduled for a mid-2024 launch, is Lunar Trailblazer’s ride.
PRIME-1 will drill into the Moon – it’s a test run for the kind of drill that VIPER will use. But its launch date will likely depend on whether earlier launches go on time.
While Earth’s Moon has many visitors – big and small, robotic and crewed – planned for 2024, Mars’ moons Phobos and Deimos will soon be getting a visitor as well. The Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency, or JAXA, has a robotic mission in development called the Martian Moon eXploration, or MMX, planned for launch around September 2024.
The spacecraft will spend three years around Mars conducting science operations to observe Phobos and Deimos. MMX will also land on Phobos’ surface and collect a sample before returning to Earth.
6. ESA’s Hera mission
Hera is a mission by the European Space Agency to return to the Didymos-Dimorphos asteroid system that NASA’s DART mission visited in 2022.
The kinetic impact technique smashes something into an object in order to alter its path. This could prove useful if humanity ever finds a potentially hazardous object on a collision course with Earth and needs to redirect it.
Concerns about maternity ward closures throughout California have resulted in some new legislation.
Assemblymember Akilah Weber, M.D. (D- La Mesa) announced that she will be introducing legislation to address the issue of abrupt maternity ward closures.
The bill will enhance the existing state review process before a maternity ward closes which would include an assessment of the impact of the closure on the surrounding community.
According to a CalMatter’s article from last month, at least 46 maternity wards have closed since 2012, leaving 12 counties, most of them rural, without any hospitals delivering babies.
“These birthing deserts make it difficult for pregnant persons to ensure that they will have a place that is equipped with the properly trained personnel to deliver their baby,” said Weber. “Traveling long distances to find a hospital with an open labor and delivery unit should not be something a pregnant person should have to worry about in California.”
The bill will require a state review process before a maternity ward closes as well as a report measuring the impact of the closure on the surrounding community.
“According to a recent JAMA study, the maternal mortality rates have increased in California over the past few decades and I am concerned that with the closure of these maternity wards, those mortality rates will continue to increase. As a practicing OB/GYN, I look forward to working with relevant stakeholders and state departments to develop a feasible proposal,” Weber said.
“The land that you’re on, it came with a price.” — Sonja Thinn-Miller, Round Valley Indian Tribes
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA — Across the country, national forests are cared for by the Forest Service, but native people have lived, traversed and taken care of these lands long before the land management agency existed.
For the Forest Service, it’s important to understand this piece of American history and learn from native communities.
The Nome Cult Walk — also known as the Konkow Trail of Tears — was one of many forced removals of Indigenous people from their homelands across what is known today as the Mendocino National Forest.
The Nome Cult Walk Cultural Committee invited Forest Service staff to walk the old trail and listen to the stories of the descendants who walked those sorrowful footsteps long ago.
Early on a Sunday morning in September, about 60 people gather in a circle near the Sacramento River just west of Chico.
Most are wearing good walking shoes, sun hats and safety vests. The women wear beautiful handmade skirts adorned with ribbons and butterflies.
It is the beginning of the 28th annual Nome Cult Walk.
This ceremonial walk covers over 100 miles from Chico to Covelo and commemorates the California Indians who were forcibly detained and marched across the valley and North Coast Mountains in September 1863. It was one of many forced marches that occurred in Northern California following the establishment of reservations in the 1850s.
“It started out as just a walk for our ancestors,” said Ronnie Hostler, an elder born and raised at Round Valley Indian Reservation, about the origins of the Nome Cult Walk. “How were they feeling, leaving their home and looking at that mountain, not knowing where they were going?”
Over the course of a week, the Nome Cult Walk participants traverse an average 15-25 miles each day while their supporters drive water, food, camping supplies, and porta-johns alongside them. Support vehicles display handwritten safety messages of “Walkers Ahead!” and flashing lights to slow oncoming traffic.
Each day, organizers prepare walkers for the hard journey, reminding them of the importance of staying hydrated, taking breaks, and applying moleskin to any blisters.
During the morning circle, they remember their ancestors who were forced along these roads under the most severe conditions. Each person has their own reasons for doing the journey, and some participants reflect on who they walk for each day.
“I walk for my mom, my grandmother, my father, my son. Now I walk for my granddaughter. So that's why I'm here today,” said Ronnie.
As the day warms, each step becomes heavier, harder. Raw spots become blisters. Physical discomfort mirrors the pain of interior wounds and loved ones now gone. The walkers — supporting each other — push on.
“We’ve been doing a remembrance walk for the Nome Cult Trail. Not just remembering it through story. It's reliving the history and getting a better idea of what my ancestors had to go through for me to be here today,” said Kyle Miller of Round Valley Indian Tribes.
“This walk is my heritage,” said Brandon Miller, Kyle Miller’s brother and also from Round Valley.
Past and present merge on Nome Cult Walk
That original walk 160 years ago was unimaginably difficult. Native Americans had been rounded up in encampments with little food or water. Many were malnourished and sick before the walk even began.
Soldiers guarded them on horseback and brutally forced them, like cattle, to march from Chico, across the valley, over the eastern spur of the North Coast Mountain range, and down into Covelo to the Round Valley Reservation (then called the “Nome Cult Farm”).
Of the 461 who began the journey in 1863, only 277 survived.
On the third day of the current Nome Cult Walk, the trail climbs into the foothills. Participants enter lands managed by the Mendocino National Forest along the 23N35 Road, locally known as Mud Flat Road.
This is one of the hardest days of the journey. The walkers ascend during the late afternoon, in full sun with no relief from the shade.
Memories of their ancestors haunt each step. Leaders of this year’s walk remind participants that this was the section of the trail when soldiers separated the babies from their mothers, then killed the babies with bayonets. This is also where many of the elderly or those who were too sick to continue were left behind.
“People don’t realize how America became America,” said Sonja Thinn-Miller, member of the Round Valley Indian Tribes, and mother of Kyle and Brandon Miller. “The land that you’re on, it came with a price.”
As much as the walk is full of physical and spiritual pain, it is also a walk of healing, gratitude and resilience.
“It’s healing our ancestors and ourselves and future generations,” said Jack Cunningham of the Mountain Maidu Tribe, who is on his 16th Nome Cult Walk.
On some nights, singers and dancers share beautiful songs, stories and prayers underneath the stars. In between the songs there is plenty of laughter. As much as it is about remembrance, the Nome Cult Walk has grown into something new, a celebration of life, family and traditions.
“This walk really helps bring us back together,” said Victor Alvarez, member of Paskenta Band of Nomlaki Indians. “We are mending our family ties that were once broken by generational trauma. I believe it will make us better as a whole, as a family.”
Today the Nome Cult Walk brings together many generations and members of several tribes in the area, including descendants of the Concow Maidu, the Round Valley Indian Tribes, Paskenta Band of Nomlaki Indians, Berry Creek Rancheria of Maidu Indians of California, Redding Rancheria, Grindstone Nomlaki, the Mechoopda Tribe, Pit River, Wintu, Nisenan and Greenville Maidu. Over the course of the week, the walkers’ connections to each other grow deeper.
A granddaughter helps lead the way
One of the original walkers was only 8 years old when he was forced on the journey. Now 14 of his descendants walk a similar path.
“My grandfather was one of the children that were able to make it over into Round Valley,” said Charlotte Bauer, who is Concow and Wailaki, born and raised on the Round Valley Indian Reservation.
Bauer was one of the “Crazy Eight” who worked with a Forest Service archaeologist in locating the Nome Cult Trail and began the annual commemorative walk in 1996.
“The reason I still do this walk is to not only honor my grandfather but all of the ancestors and also the people that walked with us and are no longer here,” she said.
“I also walk for the future,” Bauer added. “We have been encouraged, from the beginning, to hand this down to future generations where we want to keep it going on indefinitely.”
For nearly 30 years, tribal members have walked through their ancestral lands to honor the memory and retrace the footsteps of their ancestors, as part of an ongoing healing process.
As the walkers descend the mountains toward the Eel River, a new group of young children from Round Valley school joins them.
Kyle Miller, great-great-grandson of one who was forced on the original march, picks up the lead staff and guides the walkers home to Round Valley.
Laura Leidner works for the Mendocino National Forest. This video and article were produced in collaboration with the Nome Cult Walk Cultural Committee and the Forest Service.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — With several more days of rain and wind in the forecast, combined with the New Year’s holiday, the Lakeport Police Department is urging community members to use extreme caution on area roadways.
The National Weather Service forecast for the week expects rain every day, with the exception of a sunny New Year’s Day, but rain is expected that night.
The Lakeport Police Department encourages drivers to check vehicle equipment — from headlights to wiper blades.
If you have not installed new wiper blades on your vehicle since summer, police say to make that a top priority. Most Lake County auto parts stores will install them for free.
If you plan on drinking alcoholic beverages, they also recommend you plan on a sober designated driver.
Law enforcement officers from all county law enforcement agencies will be looking for intoxicated drivers. “Don't make us ruin your fun,” Lakeport Police said.
The California Highway Patrol also is in the midst of a maximum enforcement period for the New Year’s holiday.