LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — After a rainy start to the week, Lake County and the greater North Coast region are forecast to receive more precipitation through the rest of the week, with there being the potential for snow in higher elevations.
The National Weather Service’s weather station network showed rainfall totals in inches for the 24-hour period ending at 11:30 p.m. Tuesday as follows:
• Hidden Valley Lake: 0.72. • Indian Valley Reservoir: 0.53. • Kelseyville: 0.85. • Lake Pillsbury: 0.87. • Lower Lake: 0.59. • Lyons Valley: 0.54. • Whispering Pines: 1.16.
The National Weather Service’s forecast synopsis for the North Coast calls for showers to taper off during the day on Wednesday, to be followed by progressively colder storms with lower snowfall from Friday through Sunday, and more precipitation expected beginning early next week.
In Lake County, rain is forecast for much of the rest of the week and into next week.
Snow is possible on Friday and Saturday in the mountains north of Upper Lake and in Cobb beginning on Saturday night.
The forecast also calls for breezy conditions from Wednesday through Saturday.
Daytime temperatures through the week will hover in the high 40s to low 50s, and remain in the 30s at night, dropping to near or below freezing from Friday through Monday nights.
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.
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.
Joanna Fong-Isariyawongse, University of Pittsburgh
As a neurologist specializing in sleep disorders, I have studied the profound importance of sleep in optimizing the body and mind. I believe insufficient sleep among adolescents is a public health crisis. This is why I reached out to my local state representative in Pennsylvania, Rep. Jill Cooper, a member of the House Education Committee, in October 2023 and pushed for legislative change. The resulting proposed bill would mandate that middle and high schools start no earlier than 8:15 a.m. by the 2026-27 school year.
While parents, educators and school administrators cannot alter biology, they can change school start times to allow students to obtain sufficient sleep for academic success and physical and mental well-being. In fact, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends pushing back school start times to 8:30 a.m. or later.
Around the world, school start times vary considerably, from 7 a.m. in Brazil to 9 a.m. in Finland. While I’m not aware of any global dataset or research on the relationship between school start times and academic performance, Finland was ranked No. 2 on the list of best educational systems in the Global Citizens for Human Rights report in 2020. Canada, where the average school day begins at 8:30 a.m., was ranked No. 4.
Sleep and the teenage brain
Parents may notice that their kids, who were once early birds, start to sleep later and later as they hit their teen years. This is not just due to typical teen behavior like playing video games late at night, but rather it’s a biological response.
During adolescence, changes in hormone levels, along with physical and brain maturation, lead to natural shifts in the circadian rhythm. The body tends to delay the release of melatonin, the hormone responsible for bringing on drowsiness at night.
Consequently, teens often find it challenging to fall asleep early, leading to a later bedtime. This delayed circadian rhythm also results in a preference for waking up later in the morning. These changes clash with societal and cultural expectations such as early school start times, often contributing to sleep deprivation among teenagers.
More than 80% of public middle and high schools across the United States start before 8:30 a.m., with 42% starting before 8 and 10% before 7:30. Consequently, bus pickup for some children can be as early as 5 a.m. in some districts. What follow are four negative outcomes associated with early school start times.
Hindered academic success
Numerous studies have linked early school start times to poorer performance on academic tests.
One study looked at school start times, graduation rates and attendance rates for 30,000 students in 29 high schools across seven states. It found a significant improvement in attendance rates, from 90% to 93%, and graduation rates, from 80% to 90%, four years after delaying school start times to 8:30.
A recent advisory from the U.S. surgeon general raised the alarm on the harmful impacts of social media on youth mental health. Researchers have unearthed mounds of evidence on the negative effects, including poor body image. In these discussions, however, a simple yet powerful solution for improving mental well-being is often overlooked – the profound impact of sleep.
During REM sleep – or the dream state – our memories consolidate and we process emotions. Insufficient sleep increases the risk of depression, anxiety and suicide among adolescents. One study showed that for every extra hour of sleep among adolescents, their risk of suicide decreased by 11%.
Impaired physical health and social behavior
Sleep is fundamental for physical well-being. For both children and adults, it plays a key role in essential bodily functions. During slow-wave sleep – or deep sleep – our bodies restore themselves: Our immune system strengthens to keep us healthy. And our waste-clearing glymphatic system eradicates neurotoxic proteins, which are linked to diseases like Alzheimer’s.
Sleep-deprived students are also more likely to demonstrate aggression, struggle with social communication and engage in risk-taking behaviors. One study found that the amount of sleep that high school students get is directly related to their engagement in unsafe behaviors, such as substance abuse, risky driving, aggressive behavior and tendency toward self-harm.
The study showed that a universal shift to 8:30 a.m. school start times would result in an $8.6 billion gain in the U.S. economy over two years. Investing in delayed school start times, therefore, isn’t a drain on resources. Instead, it contributes to a healthier future for generations to come.
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.
CLEARLAKE, Calif. — The Clearlake City Council will hold its first meeting of the year this week with a new mayor, and will consider appointments to boards and committees.
The council will meet at 6 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 4, in the council chambers at Clearlake City Hall, 14050 Olympic Drive.
Comments and questions can be submitted in writing for City Council consideration by sending them to City Clerk Melissa Swanson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
To give the council adequate time to review your questions and comments, please submit your written comments before 4 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 4.
At its Dec. 7 regular meeting, the council unanimously appointed Councilmember David Claffey as the mayor for 2024. Councilmember Joyce Overton was appointed vice mayor.
Claffey takes over the mayor’s seat for the first time on Thursday, and will make a presentation.
The council also will offer a proclamation declaring January 2024 as Human Trafficking Awareness Month and present certificates of appreciation for the annual Breakfast with Santa volunteers.
In council business, the council will consider appointing members as representatives to represent and vote on behalf of the city at the CalCities, Redwood Empire division business meetings, which take place on a quarterly basis, and represent the city and vote at the division legislative committee meetings.
In addition, the council will consider Mayor Claffey’s proposed appointments to various committees, boards and commissions for 2024.
The council also will hold a closed session with legal counsel to discuss a liability claim filed by June Linet Cejavasquez and two cases of anticipated litigation.
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.
A new law has created another specialized alert for endangered missing individuals in California.
On Jan. 1, SB 673, which created the new “Ebony Alert,” went into effect.
The legislation was authored by Sen. Steven Bradford (D-Gardena) and sponsored by the NAACP California Hawaii State Conference.
It allows law enforcement agencies to request that the California Highway Patrol activate an alert for Black youth — including young women and girls between 12 to 25 years of age — who are reported missing under unexplained or suspicious circumstances, at risk, developmentally disabled, cognitively impaired, or who have been abducted, the CHP reported.
Bradford’s office said that, with the bill becoming law, California will become the first state in the nation to enact a law to combat the crisis of missing Black youth and young Black women.
While Black Americans make up 13% of the nation’s population, Bradford said Black children make up about 38% of all missing child cases and they receive less media attention.
In addition, Bradford’s office said missing young Black women are often subjected to human trafficking. A Congressional Black Caucus Foundation report on human trafficking also found 40% of sex trafficking victims nationally were identified as Black women.
In a support statement for the legislation, Oakland City Councilmember Treva Reid pointed to Oakland Police Department data that shows that Black people make up 22% of Oakland’s population yet account for about 60% of reported missing persons cases.
The Black and Missing Foundation reported that California ranks in the top states where people of color are disappearing at an alarming rate.
“It is important to continue to raise awareness about this issue and advocate for policies that prioritize finding missing people of color. We must ensure that every missing person is given the same amount of attention and resources, regardless of their race or socioeconomic status,” the foundation said.
Berry Accius, founder and chief executive officer of Voice of the Youth, said of the new legislation, “The Ebony Alert will be a game changer for our communities and a necessary tool to bring missing Black girls and women home.”
Bradford’s office said that, unlike the Amber Alert — which can only be used for children younger than age 18 — the Ebony Alert is broader and can be used to help locate young people between the ages of 12 and 25, including those that are considered runaways and those that are subject to human trafficking.
However, that broader aspect of the Ebony Alert was noted as a concern by Gov. Gavin Newsom, who signed the bill into law on Oct. 8.
In his signing message, the governor thanked the Legislature for addressing the “well documented disproportionality in the number of children of color who go missing every year.”
However, while he was signing the bill, Newsom added, “my Administration has broader concerns that were clearly expressed to the author throughout the process. The criteria in this bill are expansive and do not align with the criteria in existing alerts such as the Amber Alert, Endangered Missing Advisory, Feather Alert and Silver Alert. Our emergency alert system is dependent on people not being fatigued by it and thus ignoring it. Our challenge is to achieve balance between the imperative to notify the public quickly in cases of missing persons or dangerous situations, but to not desensitize that same public by sending too many notifications.”
In response, Newsom said he’s directed the CHP and the Office of Emergency Services to propose reforms through the budget “to ensure consistency for all of California's alert programs.”
The Ebony Alert joins a suite of other alerts managed by the CHP.
In 2022, two new alerts were approved: The Feather Alert, meant to help locate missing Indigenous people, and the California Statewide Yellow Alert Program, introduced through Assembly Bill 1732, which the CHP said is activated when a person has been killed due to a hit-and-run incident and the law enforcement agency has specified information concerning the suspect or the suspect’s vehicle.
Other alerts include:
• The AMBER Alert — which stands for America’s Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response — that’s been used since 2002 when children age 17 or younger have been abducted;
• The Blue Alert, approved in 2011, that notifies the public when a suspect in the assault or killing of a police officer remains at large and the search is active.
• The Silver Alert, used since 2013 when elderly, developmentally or cognitively-impaired persons are missing and determined to be at-risk.
• The general endangered missing advisory is used when an individual is missing under unexplained or suspicious, and is believed to be in danger due to issues with age, physical and mental health issues, weather, being with a potentially dangerous person or other circumstances.
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.
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.