LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — Lake County Economic Development Corp. has received $80,000 in Economic Development Administration funding to complete an update to the Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy, or CEDS.
To complete the project, the county of Lake, and cities of Lakeport and Clearlake have contributed a total of $20,000 in matching funds.
The CEDS update is a locally driven effort to guide the economic prosperity and resiliency and serves to engage community leaders, private sector firms and industries in the development of the five-year plan.
The completed CEDS will act as a road map for future economic development efforts and provide supporting documents when seeking federal grant funding to complete projects that fit within priorities named within the CEDS.
Lake EDC will be seeking community input and collaboration during the 12-month process.
Steps in the process will include data analysis, community listening sessions and engagement with agencies involved in infrastructure, private sector industry, healthcare, resiliency, education, natural environment, and government.
Additionally, Lake EDC will be publishing a request for proposals, or RFPs, to assist in the development of the CEDS.
To find out more about the CEDS process, how you can participate, or how to bid on the RFPs, visit https://lakecountycaedc.org/CEDS/.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The National Weather Service’s Eureka Office has issued an excessive heat watch for much of Lake County, in effect Friday morning, July 14, through Sunday evening, July 16.
Triple-digit temperatures are forecast in Lake County during the warmest portions of at least Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and many members of our communities will be seeking opportunities to escape the heat.
Residents are encouraged to take precautionary measures. The National Weather Service recommends the following:
• Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors. Young children and pets should never be left unattended in vehicles under any circumstances. • Take extra precautions if you work or spend time outside. When possible, reschedule strenuous activities to early morning or evening. Know the signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Wear lightweight and loose-fitting clothing when possible. To reduce risk during outdoor work, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration recommends scheduling frequent rest breaks in shaded or air-conditioned environments. Anyone overcome by heat should be moved to a cool and shaded location. • Heat stroke is an emergency! Call 9-1-1.
In recognition of expected high temperatures, staff from the Lake County Library system and County-operated Peer Support Centers want to ensure members of the public know their facilities’ doors will be open Friday and portions of this weekend.
Many thanks, particularly, to the staff of The Big Oak Peer Support Center in Clearlake Oaks for opening their doors this Sunday, July 16, when temperatures could reach 105 to 110 degrees in portions of Lake County.
Shopping at local businesses and eating at local restaurants with air-conditioned facilities during the warmest hours of the day can also be great ways to support your communities while cooling off!
Friday-Sunday excessive heat warning in effect: What facilities are open?
Friday, July 14
Clearlake: Redbud Library, open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (14785 Burns Valley Rd, 707-994-5115); La Voz de la Esperanza Centro Latino, open 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (14092 Lakeshore Drive, 707-994-4261).
Clearlake Oaks: The Big Oak Peer Support Center, open 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (13300 East Highway 20, Suite O, 707-998-0310).
Lakeport: Lakeport Library, open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., (1425 N. High St., 707-263-8817); Circle of Native Minds Cultural Center, open 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (525 N. Main St., 707-263-4880).
Middletown: Middletown Library, open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (21256 Washington St., 707-987-3674).
Upper Lake: Upper Lake Library, open noon to 5 p.m. (310 Second St., 707-275-2049).
Saturday, July 15
Clearlake: Redbud Library, open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (14785 Burns Valley Road, 707-994-5115).
Clearlake Oaks: The Big Oak Peer Support Center, open 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (13300 East Highway 20, Suite O, 707-998-0310).
Lakeport: Lakeport Library, open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (1425 N. High St.t, 707-263-8817).
Middletown: Middletown Library, open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (21256 Washington St., 707-987-3674).
Upper Lake: Upper Lake Library, open 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. (310 Second St., 707-275-2049).
Sunday, July 16
Clearlake Oaks: The Big Oak Peer Support Center, open 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (13300 East Highway 20, Suite O, 707-998-0310)
Beating the heat at Lake County’s libraries and peer support centers
While none of these are formal cooling centers, and capacity is limited at each site, they are invaluable community resources, as temperatures rise.
Here is information on normal operating hours and services available at each facility.
County library facilities
Lake County’s four public library branches are open and accessible to all during their normal business hours. While you cool off, check out the many new materials and digital services the library has to offer – there is something for everyone.
Here is a list of Lake County Library locations, and their customary hours of operation:
Lakeport Library 1425 N. High St. 707-263-8817 Tuesday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Wednesday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.: Thursday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Redbud Library 14785 Burns Valley Road, Clearlake 707-994-5115 Tuesday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Wednesday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.: Thursday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Middletown Library 21256 Washington St. 707-987-3674 Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Upper Lake Library 310 Second St. 707-275-2049 Tuesday through Friday, noon to 5 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Please note, all county library branches are closed each Monday (including July 17).
Peer support centers
Lake County Behavioral Health Services also reminds their peer support centers are open as a refuge from the heat. Each provides an air-conditioned place to sit and rest. Water and light snacks are offered to guests, and restrooms are available. Referrals to social services can also be made. All are welcome.
Below is a list of peer support centers, with their customary hours and locations (Please note, only The Big Oak Peer Support Center will be open Saturday, July 15, and Sunday, July 16):
The Big Oak Peer Support Center 13300 East Highway 20, Suite O Clearlake Oaks 707-998-0310 Sunday-Saturday: 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Open Saturday, July 15, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Open Sunday, July 16, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Circle of Native Minds Cultural Center 525 N. Main St., Lakeport 707-263-4880 Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Closed Saturdays and Sundays (including July 15 and 16)
The Harbor on Main 154 South Main St., Lakeport 707-994-5486 Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Closed Saturdays and Sundays (including July 15 and 16)
La Voz de la Esperanza Centro Latino 14092 Lakeshore Drive, Clearlake 707-994-4261 Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Closed Saturdays and Sundays (including July 15 and 16)
The share of U.S. jobs worked on-site dropped roughly 10 percentage points from 84% in 2019 to 74% in 2021, the first full year of the pandemic, according to the Survey of Income and Program Participation, or SIPP.
The share of jobs done exclusively from home (fully home-based jobs) roughly doubled from 11% of all jobs in 2019 to 23% in 2020, before declining to about 21% in 2021.
Jobs worked some days on-site and other days from home — referred to as mixed or hybrid work — represented the smallest share of all jobs worked each year, but increased from around 4% in 2020 to 6% in 2021.
Essential work more commonly performed on-site
The category of essential worker was created by the Department of Homeland Security to characterize workers employed in occupations considered vital to the continued operation of the economy during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to DHS methodology, around 7 in 10 jobs overall were deemed essential in each survey year.
A significantly larger percentage of on-site jobs (compared to mixed and fully home-based jobs) were considered essential in 2019 through 2021. By 2021 roughly 75% of on-site jobs were classified as essential, compared to about 60% of hybrid and 61% of fully home-based jobs.
Other highlights of the table package include:
Work schedule
• Workers with mixed schedules were more likely to work from home at the start or end of the work week. For this set of workers, the most common days to work from home in 2021 were Fridays (53%) and Mondays (50%). • The share of mixed jobs with a standard, predictable schedule increased from 81% in 2019 to 84% in 2021. And among jobs that allowed working fully from home, the share that offered a standard, predictable schedule went from 66% in 2019 to about 77% in 2021. The percentage of on-site jobs offering a standard, predictable work schedule decreased from 73% in 2019 to 71% in 2021.
Industry and occupation
• The share of jobs in finance and insurance, real estate and rental and leasing industries that were conducted on-site dropped from 67% in 2019 to 43% in 2021. • The percentage of on-site public administration jobs declined from 86% in 2019 to 67% in 2021. • Computer and mathematical occupations had a noticeable shift from the majority of jobs worked on-site in 2019 (60%) to a majority not worked on-site in 2020 (32%) and 2021 (30%). • The material moving occupations, which include jobs that often must be performed on-site such as stocker and order fillers, hand packers and packagers and industrial truck and tractor operators, had relatively low percentages of home-based jobs: 97% of jobs were on-site in 2019 and 2020, and 96% in 2021.
Recently released American Community Survey data shed some light on the effect of increased remote work on the commuting landscape since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2019-2021 SIPP Home-Based Workers Table Package offers substantial new detail on how home-based work has changed over the past few years.
Related information
All comparative statements in this report have undergone statistical testing and, unless otherwise noted, all comparisons are statistically significant at the 10% significance level.
Survey statistics are subject to sampling and nonsampling error. For further information on the source of the data and accuracy of the estimates, including standard errors and confidence intervals, refer to the SIPP website.
Clayton Gumber is a survey statistician in the Industry and Occupation Branch of the Census Bureau’s Social Economic, and Housing Statistics Division, or SEHSD. Michael Burrows is a survey statistician in the Journey to Work and Migration Statistics Branch in SEHSD.
Derek Lemoine, University of Arizona; Jeffrey Shrader, Columbia University, and Laura Bakkensen, University of Arizona
Weather forecasts have gotten quite good over the years, but their temperatures aren’t always spot on – and the result when they underplay extremes can be lethal. Even a 1-degree difference in a forecast’s accuracy can be the difference between life and death, our research shows.
We found that when the forecasts underplayed the risk, even small forecast errors led to more deaths.
Our results also show that improving forecasts pays off. They suggest that making forecasts 50% more accurate would save 2,200 lives per year across the country and would have a net value that’s nearly twice the annual budget of the National Weather Service.
Forecasts that are too mild lead to more deaths
In the U.S. alone, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issues 1.5 million forecasts per year and collects around 76 billion weather observations that help it and private companies make better forecasts.
We examined data on every day’s deaths, weather and National Weather Service forecast in every U.S county from 2005 to 2017 to analyze the impact of those forecasts on human survival.
We then compared deaths in each county over the week following a day with accurate forecasts to deaths in the same county over the week following a day with inaccurate forecasts but the same weather. Because weather conditions were the same, any differences in mortality could be attributed to how people’s reactions to forecasts affected their chance of dying in that weather.
We found similar results when the forecast was wrong on hot days with temperatures above 86 degrees Fahrenheit (30 Celsius) and on cold days with temperatures below freezing. Both summer days that were hotter than forecast and winter days that were colder had more deaths. Forecasts that went the other way and overestimated the summer heat or winter cold had little impact.
That doesn’t mean forecasters should exaggerate their forecasts, however. If people find that their forecasts are consistently off by a degree or two, they might change how they use forecasts or come to trust them less, leaving people at even higher risk.
People are paying attention
People do pay attention to forecasts and adjust their activities.
The American Time Use Survey, conducted continuously for the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, shows what Americans across the country are doing on any given day. We found that on days when the forecast called for temperatures to be milder than they turned out to be – either cooler on a hot day or warmer on a cold day – people in the survey spent more time on leisure and less in home or work settings.
Electricity use also varies in sync with forecasts, suggesting that people’s use of air conditioning does not just respond to the weather outside but also depends on how they planned for the weather outside.
However, forecasts are not used equally across society. Deaths among racial minorities are less sensitive to forecast errors, we found. That could be due in part to having less flexibility to act on forecasts, or not having access to forecasts. We will dig into this difference in future work, as the answer determines how the National Weather Service can best reach everyone.
The value of better forecasts
It’s clear that people use forecasts to make decisions that can matter for life and death – when to go hiking, for example, or whether to encourage an elderly neighbor to go to a cooling center.
So, what is the value of accurate forecasts?
We combined our theoretical model with federal cost-benefit estimates of how people value improvements in their chances of survival. From those, we estimated people’s willingness to pay for better forecasts. That calculation accounts for the risk of dying from extreme weather and for the costs of using forecasts to reduce their risk of dying, such as the costs of altering work and play schedules or using electricity.
Weather forecasts have gotten steadily better over the past decades. About 68% of the next-day temperature forecasts now have an error of less than 1.8 degrees. Our results suggest investing in improved forecast accuracy would probably be worth the cost.
Past improvements have come from better models, better observations and better computers. Future improvements could come from similar channels or from applying recent innovations in machine learning and artificial intelligence to weather prediction and communication.
The role of climate change is becoming increasingly evident in these types of deluges.
Studies by scientists around the world show that the water cycle has been intensifying and will continue to intensify as the planet warms. An international climate assessment I co-authored in 2021 for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change reviewed the research and laid out the details.
It documented an increase in both wet extremes, including more intense rainfall over most regions, and dry extremes, including drying in the Mediterranean, southwestern Australia, southwestern South America, South Africa and western North America. It also shows that both wet and dry extremes will continue to increase with future warming.
Why is the water cycle intensifying?
Water cycles through the environment, moving between the atmosphere, ocean, land and reservoirs of frozen water. It might fall as rain or snow, seep into the ground, run into a waterway, join the ocean, freeze or evaporate back into the atmosphere. In recent decades, there has been an overall increase in the rates of precipitation and evaporation.
A number of factors are intensifying the water cycle, but one of the most important is that warming temperatures raise the upper limit on the amount of moisture in the air. That increases the potential for more rain.
This aspect of climate change is confirmed across all of our lines of evidence. It is expected from basic physics, projected by computer models, and it already shows up in the observational data as a general increase of rainfall intensity with warming temperatures.
Understanding this and other changes in the water cycle is important for more than preparing for disasters. Water is an essential resource for all ecosystems and human societies, and particularly agriculture.
What does this mean for the future?
An intensifying water cycle means that both wet and dry extremes and the general variability of the water cycle will increase, although not uniformly around the globe.
Rainfall intensity is expected to increase for most land areas, but the largest increases in dryness are expected in the Mediterranean, southwestern South America and western North America.
Globally, daily extreme precipitation events will likely intensify by about 7% for every 1 degree Celsius (1.8 degrees Fahrenheit) that global temperatures rise.
Many other important aspects of the water cycle will also change in addition to extremes as global temperatures increase, the report shows, including reductions in mountain glaciers, decreasing duration of seasonal snow cover, earlier snowmelt and contrasting changes in monsoon rains across different regions, which will impact the water resources of billions of people.
The IPCC does not make policy recommendations, but the results show what the implications of different choices are likely to be.
One thing the scientific evidence in the report clearly tells world leaders is that limiting global warming to the international target of 1.5 C (2.7 F) will require immediate, rapid and large-scale reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.
As the evidence shows, every fraction of a degree matters.
This updates an article originally published July 29, 2022, with flash flooding in the Northeast.
On Wednesday, Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-04) and Select Committee on Strategic Competition between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party Chairman Mike Gallagher (WI-08) introduced bipartisan legislation to strengthen and expand protections around national security sites, critical infrastructure, and farmland.
In addition to Thompson and Gallagher, the bill is led by Reps. John Garamendi (CA-08), Dan Newhouse (WA-04), Ed Case (HI-01), Bill Johnson (OH-06), Jim Costa (CA-21), Elise Stefanik (NY-21), Jimmy Panetta (CA-19), Frank Lucas (OK-03), Jason Crow (CO-06), Rob Wittman (VA-01), Salud Carbajal (CA-24), Randy Feenstra (IA-04) and Mary Sattler Peltola (AK-AL).
“Protecting national security and food security go hand in hand in our region — which is why it is vital to know who owns land around national security sites,” said Rep. Thompson. “The bipartisan legislation I am introducing with Chairman Gallagher will help identify foreign actors who are seeking to purchase land near military installations while maintaining food security throughout our country.”
Rep. Thompson sent a letter to the United States Department of the Treasury Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, or CFIUS, calling for a review of the purchases in Solano County.
“The United States cannot allow foreign adversaries like the Chinese Communist Party and its proxies to acquire real estate near sensitive sites like military bases or telecom infrastructure, potentially exploiting our critical technology and endangering our service members. This bill gives CFIUS jurisdiction over foreign adversary real estate transactions to guard against the threat of the CCP and other adversaries purchasing land for malign purposes, and it also encourages CFIUS to consider food security issues as it evaluates the national security risk of a given transaction,” said Rep. Gallagher.
“Safeguarding our food supply chains and national security from foreign adversaries like the Chinese Communist Party will always be a top priority of mine. We must ensure our government agencies have the necessary resources to stop bad actors from gaining a foothold in our homeland. I am proud to introduce this legislation as a continuation of my efforts to stop the CCP and all foreign adversaries from putting our food supply and national security at risk,” said Rep. Newhouse.
“As the proud Representative of Travis Air Force Base in Congress for over a decade, the recent land purchases near the base by unknown investors raise serious questions and concerns. Travis, also known as the ‘Gateway to the Pacific,’ is one of the most strategically valuable installations within the U.S. military. We must do everything in our capacity to ensure Travis is fully protected and supported,” said Rep. Garamendi. “Though Flannery Associates claims that it is not controlled by foreign entities, they have shockingly failed to provide any proof to local and federal officials. This issue raises serious security concerns for our community and the critical military operations at Travis. That's why I greatly appreciate this important bipartisan legislation and look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues to protect our communities and defend our national security.”
“Food security is national security, and I’ve been fighting to get the Secretary of Agriculture a seat at the table for a long time — this bill builds on that fight. As we witness growing threats from foreign adversaries on American soil, Congress should work overtime to ensure our military bases, food sources, and research facilities are protected. Our bill provides CFIUS with the tools needed to keep America’s enemies away from our most sensitive areas,” said Rep. Johnson.
“The People’s Republic of China has an alarming history of leveraging foreign investment to gain access to sensitive information,” said Rep. Case. “ This type of foreign espionage is a serious threat to national security. This bill will help close the gaps in our oversight of foreign purchases and their use of agricultural land, especially near our military bases and training sites. This will help ensure that the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States can fully assess investments that can compromise our security and intelligence sites.”
“Food security is national security. Communist China buying up U.S. agricultural land is just one of the CCP’s many attempts to subvert our sovereignty and threaten our national security. I will continue to fight to protect our agricultural land and to ensure that our country’s food security and national security are prioritized. I am proud to support this legislation that will mandate heightened scrutiny over adversarial land purchases near our military installations,” said Chair Stefanik.
"Food is a national security issue. Increasing foreign ownership of American farms and farmland is a threat to our food security,” said Rep. Costa. “We need to prevent foreign adversaries like China from undermining the American agricultural industry. This bill will ensure American agriculture is operated by American businesses.”
“A resilient food supply is essential to national security, which is why the rise of foreign investments in our nation’s farmlands deserves increased scrutiny. I have long supported adding the Secretary of Agriculture on CFIUS, which will equip the Committee with the expertise needed to identify potential threats to our national security,” said Rep. Lucas. “I’m pleased to be an original cosponsor and commend Congressman Gallagher for his work on this important legislation.”
“Our geopolitical adversaries are exploiting loopholes in regulations to purchase farmland and other agricultural assets, threatening our national and food security,” said Rep. Panetta. “I’m proud to join this bipartisan effort to ensure CFIUS has the jurisdiction and mandate needed to properly vet these foreign purchases as in the best interest of the United States. This is a necessary step to counter any malign efforts to weaken U.S. agricultural independence and security.”
“The scope and scale of the Chinese Communist Party’s activities in the United States is deeply alarming,” said Rep. Wittman. “Entities with clear ties to foreign adversaries should not be permitted to purchase land near U.S. military bases, intelligence facilities, or national laboratories. I’m proud to join this effort to equip the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States with the tools it needs to protect our national interests.”
American farmland belongs to American farmers — period. For the sake of our national, energy, and food security, we cannot let China, or any other foreign adversary, buy our fertile farmland, prevent our young producers from planting their roots, or jeopardize our agricultural supply chains,” said Rep. Feenstra. “I am proud to work with my colleagues to introduce legislation to protect American farmland from foreign acquisition, particularly the Chinese Communist Party, and keep American farmland where it rightfully belongs — in the hands of American farmers.”
An entity called Flannery Associates has spent nearly $1 billion over the last five years to become the largest landowner in Solano County. The land purchases go up to the fence of Travis Air Force Base, the home of the largest wing of the Air Force’s Air Mobility Command.
CFIUS is an interagency committee authorized to review certain transactions involving foreign investment in the United States and certain real estate transactions by foreign persons, in order to determine the effect of such transactions on the national security of the United States. However, there are significant gaps in the current process.
The Protecting U.S. Farmland and Sensitive Sites From Foreign Adversaries Act would:
• Give CFIUS jurisdiction over all land purchases (with exceptions for real estate in urban areas and single housing units) by foreign adversary entities. This would avoid a repeat of the “FuFeng incident” where, despite a clear national security concern to a military installation in North Dakota, CFIUS claimed it was unable to even review (let alone block) the transaction because the land was outside the scope of CFIUS jurisdiction. • Authorize CFIUS to consider U.S. food security, including via biotechnology acquisition, as a factor in its national security reviews and require the Secretary of Agriculture have a vote in CFIUS reviews of transactions that involve farmland or agriculture technology. • Establish a “presumption of non-resolvability” by CFIUS that raises the approval threshold for CFIUS transactions by a foreign adversary entity purchasing near sensitive sites (e.g., major military sites, acknowledged intelligence facilities, etc.) CFIUS will be required to review these transactions with the presumption that the national security concerns cannot be resolved. • Mandatory CFIUS filing for foreign adversary entities making land purchases near sensitive sites. This will ensure CFIUS remains apprised of ongoing real estate purchases by foreign adversary entities. • Expand the list of sensitive national security sites designated for CFIUS jurisdiction. Require CFIUS to expand the list of sensitive national security sites to all military facilities, acknowledged intelligence sites, national laboratories, and defense-funded university-affiliated research centers, critical telecommunication nodes, and more. Current CFIUS regulations only cover a limited number of sensitive sites, and does not include all military facilities, national laboratories, and other sites. CFIUS is also limited to sensitive sites that are U.S. government property.
I am an astronomer who studies astrobiology and planets around distant stars. For the last seven years, I have been co-leading a team that is developing a new kind of space telescope that could collect a hundred times more light than the James Webb Space Telescope, the biggest space telescope ever built.
Almost all space telescopes, including Hubble and Webb, collect light using mirrors. Our proposed telescope, the Nautilus Space Observatory, would replace large, heavy mirrors with a novel, thin lens that is much lighter, cheaper and easier to produce than mirrored telescopes. Because of these differences, it would be possible to launch many individual units into orbit and create a powerful network of telescopes.
The need for larger telescopes
Exoplanets – planets that orbit stars other than the Sun – are prime targets in the search for life. Astronomers need to use giant space telescopes that collect huge amounts of light to study these faint and faraway objects.
Existing telescopes can detect exoplanets as small as Earth. However, it takes a lot more sensitivity to begin to learn about the chemical composition of these planets. Even Webb is just barely powerful enough to search certain exoplanets for clues of life – namely gases in the atmosphere.
The James Webb Space Telescope cost more than US$8 billion and took over 20 years to build. The next flagship telescope is not expected to fly before 2045 and is estimated to cost $11 billion. These ambitious telescope projects are always expensive, laborious and produce a single powerful – but very specialized – observatory.
A new kind of telescope
In 2016, aerospace giant Northrop Grumman invited me and 14 other professors and NASA scientists – all experts on exoplanets and the search for extraterrestrial life – to Los Angeles to answer one question: What will exoplanet space telescopes look like in 50 years?
In our discussions, we realized that a major bottleneck preventing the construction of more powerful telescopes is the challenge of making larger mirrors and getting them into orbit. To bypass this bottleneck, a few of us came up with the idea of revisiting an old technology called diffractive lenses.
Conventional lenses use refraction to focus light. Refraction is when light changes direction as it passes from one medium to another – it is the reason light bends when it enters water. In contrast, diffraction is when light bends around corners and obstacles. A cleverly arranged pattern of steps and angles on a glass surface can form a diffractive lens.
The first such lenses were invented by the French scientist Augustin-Jean Fresnel in 1819 to provide lightweight lenses for lighthouses. Today, similar diffractive lenses can be found in many small-sized consumer optics – from camera lenses to virtual reality headsets.
Thin, simple diffractive lenses are notorious for their blurry images, so they have never been used in astronomical observatories. But if you could improve their clarity, using diffractive lenses instead of mirrors or refractive lenses would allow a space telescope to be much cheaper, lighter and larger.
A thin, high-resolution lens
After the meeting, I returned to the University of Arizona and decided to explore whether modern technology could produce diffractive lenses with better image quality. Lucky for me, Thomas Milster – one of the world’s leading experts on diffractive lens design – works in the building next to mine. We formed a team and got to work.
Over the following two years, our team invented a new type of diffractive lens that required new manufacturing technologies to etch a complex pattern of tiny grooves onto a piece of clear glass or plastic. The specific pattern and shape of the cuts focuses incoming light to a single point behind the lens. The new design produces a near-perfect quality image, far better than previous diffractive lenses.
Because it is the surface texture of the lens that does the focusing, not the thickness, you can easily make the lens bigger while keeping it very thin and lightweight. Bigger lenses collect more light, and low weight means cheaper launches to orbit – both great traits for a space telescope.
In August 2018, our team produced the first prototype, a 2-inch (5-centimeter) diameter lens. Over the next five years, we further improved the image quality and increased the size. We are now completing a 10-inch (24-cm) diameter lens that will be more than 10 times lighter than a conventional refractive lens would be.
Power of a diffraction space telescope
This new lens design makes it possible to rethink how a space telescope might be built. In 2019, our team published a concept called the Nautilus Space Observatory.
Using the new technology, our team thinks it is possible to build a 29.5-foot (8.5-meter) diameter lens that would be only about 0.2 inches (0.5 cm) thick. The lens and support structure of our new telescope could weigh around 1,100 pounds (500 kilograms). This is more than three times lighter than a Webb–style mirror of a similar size and would be bigger than Webb’s 21-foot (6.5-meter) diameter mirror.
The lenses have other benefits, too. First, they are much easier and quickerto fabricate than mirrors and can be made en masse. Second, lens-based telescopes work well even when not aligned perfectly, making these telescopes easier to assemble and fly in space than mirror-based telescopes, which require extremely precise alignment.
Finally, since a single Nautilus unit would be light and relatively cheap to produce, it would be possible to put dozens of them into orbit. Our current design is in fact not a single telescope, but a constellation of 35 individual telescope units.
Each individual telescope would be an independent, highly sensitive observatory able to collect more light than Webb. But the real power of Nautilus would come from turning all the individual telescopes toward a single target.
By combining data from all the units, Nautilus’ light-collecting power would equal a telescope nearly 10 times larger than Webb. With this powerful telescope, astronomers could search hundreds of exoplanets for atmospheric gases that may indicate extraterrestrial life.
Although the Nautilus Space Observatory is still a long way from launch, our team has made a lot of progress. We have shown that all aspects of the technology work in small-scale prototypes and are now focusing on building a 3.3-foot (1-meter) diameter lens. Our next steps are to send a small version of the telescope to the edge of space on a high-altitude balloon.
With that, we will be ready to propose a revolutionary new space telescope to NASA and, hopefully, be on the way to exploring hundreds of worlds for signatures of life.
CLEARLAKE, Calif. — Clearlake Animal Control’s selection of dogs is large and the dogs need to go to new homes.
The Clearlake Animal Control website continues to list 35 dogs for adoption.
This week’s dogs include “Red,” a male German shepherd mix.
There also is Maya,” a female German shepherd mix and Atlas, another German shepherd.
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.
Immo A. Hansen, New Mexico State University and Hailey A. Luker, New Mexico State University
Now that summer is in full swing, mosquitoes have come out across the United States. The use of mosquito repellents can protect both your health and sanity this summer.
While mosquitoes leave bothersome, itchy bites on your skin, they can also pose a serious and sometimes deadly risk to your health. When a mosquito bites you, it may transmit harmful pathogens that cause dangerous diseases like malaria, Dengue fever, Zika and West Nile.
Avoiding mosquito bites
Mosquito females bite people to get vital nutrients from our blood. They then use these nutrients to make their eggs. One single blood meal can give rise to about 100 mosquito eggs that hatch into wiggling larvae.
There are several ways to avoid getting bitten by mosquitoes, from wearing long, loose clothing and limiting time outside to placing screens over your windows and getting rid of standing water that mosquitoes might use to breed.
However, one of the best ways to protect yourself when you’re going to a place where hungry mosquitoes will be buzzing around is by using mosquito repellents.
The use of mosquito repellents goes far back in history, certainly predating written historical accounts. Some of the oldest records of the use of mosquito repellents date back to early Egyptian and Roman history. During this period, smoke from smudge fires was often used to repel mosquitoes.
Today, we have more options than our ancestors when it comes to choosing what type of mosquito repellent to use – sprays and lotions, candles, coils and vaporizers, to name some.
These repellents interfere with a mosquito’s sense of smell, taste or both. The repellent either blocks or overstimulates these senses. Scientists understand how certain repellents like DEET work at the molecular level, but for many of them, it is still unknown why exactly they repel mosquitoes.
Testing repellents
We used a variety of scientific laboratory experiments and field tests to find out what works. For some products, testing was as simple as putting a volunteer’s treated arm into a cage with 25 mosquitoes and waiting for the first mosquito bite.
For others, like citronella candles, we used a slow-speed wind tunnel and put a candle or device between a person and a cage of mosquitoes. Depending on the repellent efficacy of the device, mosquitoes either flew toward the person or away. Another experiment we conducted was the Y-tube choice assay where mosquitoes chose to fly toward someone’s hand or, if repelled, fly toward the blank or empty option.
Mosquito repellents that don’t work
Bracelets don’t work. Department stores and pharmacy chains sell hundreds of different varieties of bracelets. They are marketed as “mosquito repellent” bands, wristbands and watches, and their materials can vary from plastic to leather. Even if they are loaded with repellents, they can’t protect your whole body from mosquito bites.
Ultrasonic repellent devices don’t work. These come as electrical plug-ins, free-standing varieties or watchlike accessories that claim to emit a high-frequency sound that deters mosquitoes by mimicking bats. However, in scientific studies, ultrasonic repellent devices fail to repel mosquitoes. In fact, when our lab tested one of these devices, we found a slight increase in mosquito attraction to the wearer.
Dietary supplements – vitamin B, garlic and so on – don’t work. No scientific evidence shows these supplements protect people from mosquito bites.
Light-based repellents don’t work. These devices come as colored light bulbs, and they don’t attract insects that fly toward white light. This approach works well on moths, beetles and stinkbugs, but not on mosquitoes.
Mosquito repellents that work
And here is our ranking of what does work, starting with the best repellent/active ingredient.
Oil of lemon eucalyptus, or OLE, works. OLE, with the active ingredient PMD, is a plant-based alternative to DEET and picaridin. Its repellent properties can last for up to six hours.
Other essential oils – some work, some not so much. We applied 20 different essential oils in a 10% essential oil lotion mixture to volunteers’ skin. Here’s what we found:
Clove oil works. This oil, with the active ingredient eugenol, can protect from mosquito bites for over 90 minutes at a 10% concentration in lotion. Cinnamon oil works. This oil, with the active ingredients cinnamaldehyde and eugenol, can protect from mosquitoes for over 60 minutes at a 10% concentration in lotion. Geraniol and 2-PEP, or 2-phenylethyl propionate, work for about 60 minutes at a 10% concentration in lotion. Citronella oil works, just not so great. We found citronella oil at a 10% concentration only protected from mosquito bites for about 30 minutes.
If you are planning to mix your own plant-based mosquito repellent this summer, remember that essential oils are complex mixtures of plant-made chemicals that can cause skin irritations at high concentrations.
Based on our study, we recommend using repellents with the active ingredient DEET if you live in or are traveling to regions with a high risk of vector-borne disease transmission. However, plant-based repellents will work just fine to prevent nuisance mosquito bites in low-risk areas, as long as you reapply them as needed.
NICE, Calif. — The Robinson Rancheria Band of Pomo Indians marked a milestone in its history as a sovereign nation on Thursday evening.
As his family, tribal members and local dignitaries looked on, Officer Kyle Wheeler became the first federally commissioned police officer in Robinson Rancheria's history to attend and successfully complete a police academy while representing the Robinson Rancheria Police Department.
His proud chief, Derrell Hochstein, called it a “historical evening.”
It’s not just historical for the tribe but for the community as a whole, as Robinson Rancheria is Lake County’s only tribal police department.
Probably the most heartfelt tribute of the evening came from Wheeler’s wife, Kaitlyn Carter, who called him “our wonderful man in blue.”
Together, Hochstein and Wheeler make up the tribal police department, with Hochstein recruiting to continue to build the agency’s sworn personnel.
Hochstein lauded the tribal leadership and members for supporting Wheeler’s training and education as part of elevating the department.
However, Wheeler’s achievement of reaching Special Law Enforcement Commission, or SLEC, status came in no small part due to Hochstein’s efforts.
Hochstein took over as the chief at the Robinson Rancheria Police Department in January of 2022.
He brought with him almost 20 years of law enforcement experience, including working with other tribes at Fort Independence in Inyo County and with the Lovelock Tribal Police in Nevada, as well as serving in policing in Kern County.
Dignitaries taking part in the Thursday evening ceremony and dinner included Tribal Chair Beniakem Cromwell and Secretary-Treasurer Irenia Quitiquit; Sheriff Rob Howe; District 1 Supervisor Moke Simon, who chairs the Middletown Rancheria of Pomo Indians; District 4 Supervisor Michael Green; Terre Logsdon, the county’s climate resiliency officer and tribal liaison; sheriff’s Lt. Corey Paulich; and sheriff’s public information officer Lauren Berlinn.
They were joined by Wheeler’s family, including his wife, their children, his parents, grandparents and mother-in-law.
Simon and Green presented a certificate from Congressman Mike Thompson, who was unable to attend, recognizing Wheeler’s achievement.
Simon said that, from the county perspective, the milestone was about collaboration and cooperation.
He said he’s always admired how Robinson Rancheria has handled its police force.
During his remarks, Simon said that the milestone was one that all tribal nations in Lake County can be proud of.
“It’s a good night to be here,” Simon said.
For tribes, having a police department isn’t just another administrative function, but a way of reflecting their sovereignty, explained Christopher Lorenz, special agent in charge for the Bureau of Indian Affairs’ District IX, based in Sacramento.
Lorenz oversees the 104 tribes located completely within the state of California. Altogether, there are 109 tribes with a presence in the state.
Of those, Lorenz said Robinson Rancheria is one of only 22 with a federal cross-deputization agreement for policing, which Chief Hochstein said was a six-month process to complete.
Lorenz underlined the importance of having a police department, adding that it says a lot about what Robinson Rancheria wants in the future.
It sets a good example for other tribes and encourages them to have departments of their own, Lorenz said.
“Partnership is really the key,” said Lorenz, adding that he sees tribe officers as “free” officers for the county in which they are located, as they can be available to assist other agencies.
Sheriff Howe said that in today’s society, making the decision to get into law enforcement is a difficult one, with the work being important but often thankless.
He thanked Wheeler for getting into the profession at a time when society needs him the most.
Howe emphasized three words to Wheeler: Honor, integrity and respect.
He said for Wheeler to honor himself, the tribe and his family, to live his life and do his job with integrity, which no one can take from \him; and to treat all with respect, remembering that some may not respect him in turn, and others may not deserve his respect.
If Wheeler did those things, Howe added, he would make a difference.
Wheeler’s family also spoke, including his parents, Kelly and Becky Willard, and grandmother, Arlene Willard, who expressed to him how proud they are of his achievements.
His wife said he’s dedicated his life to protecting people, and has run through fires to save people, protected children from predators and given first aid.
“This is what he was meant to do,” Carter said, adding that his family will be there to support him.
The highlight of the evening was when Cromwell led Wheeler through a code of ethics before Hochstein gave him his oath and Carter pinned on his new badge.
Wheeler, who started with the tribe’s casino security department, recounted how tribal members welcomed his questions, and shared with him their culture and language.
He said he started his new journey into policing on Jan. 18, and on April 1 started the academy in Artesia, New Mexico, where he spent long days but created deep bonds with other officers in training from tribes around the country.
“I came back home with a larger fire inside of me,” Wheeler said, adding that he wants to learn more about the Pomo tribe and that he’ll do his best every day.
Hochstein pledged to support Wheeler and give him everything he needs to succeed in the days ahead.
Hochstein said anyone interested in joining the Robinson Rancheria Police Department can call the agency’s duty phone number at 707-533-0011 for more information.
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.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The Lake County Association of Realtors’ latest report on home sales shows an increase both in the number of homes sold and the sales prices.
The report covers the month of May, when a total of 92 single family homes were sold through the multiple listing service, compared to 67 in April and 109 sold during the same time last year.
These include traditionally built “stick-built” houses as well as manufactured homes on land.
There were five sales of mobile homes in parks, compared to 5 in April and nine sold during the same time period last year, and 21 sales of bare land (lots and acreage) sales, compared to 24 in April and 33 during the same time last year.
There are 382 “stick built” and manufactured homes on the market right now, compared to 344 listed in April.
If the rate of sales stays the same at 92 homes sold per month, there are currently 4.15 months of inventory on the market at the moment compared to 5.1 months of inventory in April, and 3.6 months of inventory in March.
That means that if no new homes are brought to the market for sale, in 4.15 months all of these homes would be sold and there would be none available.
Less than six months of inventory is generally considered to be a “sellers’ market” while more than 6 months of inventory is often called a “buyers’ market.
Total percentage of homes bought for all cash in May was 21%, compared to 27% for April and 28% for this same time last year; 47% were financed by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac (“conventional loans”) compared to 48% in April and 41% for the same time last year; and 21% were financed by FHA (compared to 15% for in April and 18% for this time last year); and 5% were financed by the VA or CalVet (compared to 4% for March and 7% for this time last year); 5% had other financing such as private loans, USDA, or seller financed notes (compared to 6% in April and 6% last year at this time).
The homes in May were selling at an average of 96% of the asking price at the time the property went under contract, but an average of 92% when compared to the original asking price when the property first came on the market.
In April it was roughly the same at 97% of the asking price at the time the property went under contract, but 92% of the original asking price.
A year ago at this time, homes were selling at 98% of the asking price at the time the property went under contract and 96 % when compared to the original asking price.
The median time on the market in May was 39 days, compared to 41 days for the previous month and 22 days for this time last year.
The median sale price of a single family home in Lake County in May was $341,000, compared to $307,500 for the previous month and similar to the median sale price of $339,000 during this time period last year.
This would indicate that in May the higher priced homes were selling in greater numbers to bring the median sale price up compared to the previous year.
In May, 46% of homes sold had seller concessions for an average concession of $8,540. In April, 42% of homes had seller concessions for an average concession of $6,648 and a year ago 34% of homes sold had an average seller concession of $6,773.
CLEARLAKE, Calif. — The city of Clearlake is embarking on a renovation of the building that has housed the City Hall administration offices for the past 27 years.
At its meeting on Thursday, the Clearlake City Council unanimously approved the renovation of the building, located at 14085 Olympic Drive, as part of its consent agenda.
The City Hall Remodel Project was released on May 31, with the six bids the city received opened on June 26.
Adams Commercial General Contracting Inc. submitted a $1,281,110 bid and won the contract. The high bidder, coming in at $1,615,000, was GCCI Inc.
As part of its approval, the City Council authorized City Manager Alan Flora to approve change orders up to 10% of the contract price, a common practice on city projects.
With the project set to start, officials said the City Hall administration offices — which include The Building and Planning, Public Works, Administrative Services and Finance Departments — will move operations temporarily to the Lake County Campus of Woodland Community College, located at 15880 Dam Road in Clearlake.
Administration operations will be closed for staff transition on Thursday, July 13, and will reopen at the Woodland Community College site on Monday, July 17.
The Police Department operations, including Code Enforcement, will not be impacted by the renovations and will continue normal operations at 14050 Olympic Drive in Clearlake.
Additionally, City Council and Planning Commission meetings will continue to be held in the City Council chambers, the city reported.
Due to the renovations, there may be times when the public restrooms will be temporarily unavailable.
The funding for the project comes from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, or ARPA.
The $350 million that ARPA distributed to state and local governments was meant to mitigate the fiscal effects of the COVID-19 emergency, Administrative Services Director/City Clerk Melissa Swanson explained to the council in her written report for the meeting.
“ARPA also established the Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (“CLFRF”) for local government allocations and provide flexibility for each government to meet local needs to respond to the COVID-19 public health emergency and to support various activities to decrease the spread of the virus. The funds must be encumbered by Dec. 31, 2024 and spent by Dec. 31, 2026,” Swanson explained.
The city of Clearlake’s ARPA allocation totaled $2.87 million, Swanson reported.
The city reported that the funding will be used, in part, “to fund capital improvements to City Hall geared toward mitigating the spread of COVID-19 and other infectious diseases.”
Those measures include updating the public and employee restrooms to touchless fixtures, improved privacy stalls and shower facilities, improving the security at the administration front counter with electronic entry points for employees that’s identical to the system at the Clearlake Police Department entrances, transitioning the administration workplace from open and shared cubicle spaces to individual offices to prevent the spread of COVID-19 or other infectious disease, improving public lobby areas, and creating more open space and an improved customer service window for the police lobby and window area.
“City operations have existed at the Olympic Drive location since the mid-1990s,” said Flora in a Tuesday statement from the city. “In the last few years, we have renovated the police department, police dispatch center and City Council chambers. The ARPA funds will allow us to complete the renovations and improve our ability to serve the community in a cleaner and safer City Hall.”
Swanson reported that during its existence, the City Hall building has had several different uses, including a Safeway grocery store in the late 1970s and early 1980s, and a clothing store in the late 1980s and early 1990s before finally becoming City Hall in 1996.
“Since then, there have been little improvements or changes to the office spaces or restrooms, including flooring, shelving, cubicles and furniture,” Swanson wrote in her report to the council.
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.