KUKI News

The Lakeport Unified School District reports that an employee has tested positive for COVID 19. The district is in the process of contact tracing and informing all of those that came in contact with the affected staff member, which does include some students. The affected staff member is currently in isolation and will return to work according to local and CDPH guidelines.

A loaded weapon was recovered during a traffic stop i Mendocino County. After the deputy stopped the vehicle, driven by 28-year-old Raven Young, of Covelo, a consent search of the vehicle was conducted. The Deputy found a loaded Sig Sauer .40 caliber pistol in a backpack belonging to Young. Also in the back pack was a glass methamphetamine pipe and a baggie of crystal methamphetamine. Young was arrested and booked into the Mendocino County Jail and released in accordance with the COVID-19 emergency order set by the state.

The number of people getting vaccinated in Mendocino County keeps rising. Public Health Officer Dr. Andy Coren reports that as of the end of last week, over 55-percent of eligible citizens have had at least one dose. – including 72 percent of those over age 65. Dr. Coren says 57-percent of the Caucasian population and 40-percent of the Hispanic population are least partially vaccinated.

OptumServe’s sites in Lakeport and Lower Lake are now open Monday through Friday. The Lakeport location is the Silveira Community Center, and hours weekdays are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., You can get the COVID-19 vaccine on Mondays and Fridays; and COVID-19 testing on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. The Lower Lake location is Lower Lake Town Hall. Hours are 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. weekdays with Vaccines on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and testing on Mondays and Thursdays.

A variant of the COVID-19 virus has been identified in Mendocino County. Public Health Officer Dr. Andy Coren announced Friday that they were just notified that testing at the state level showed a variant B117, the UK variety, in Mendocino County test results from last month. According to Dr. Coren, the UK variety is 50-percent more transmissible, and is more virulent. With this new development, Coren is urging all those who have not yet been vaccinated to do so.

The City of Lakeport and Public Works Department is thanking those who participated in this spring’s Lakeport Community Cleanup Day. In total, they collected: 21,900 lbs of household trash and junk; 478 lbs worth of appliances, and 286 lbs of electronics. The Community Cleanup Day is a semi-annual event intended to help keep the community clean and beautiful and is sponsored by the City of Lakeport and Lakeport Disposal Inc.

The Restaurant Revitalization Fund application portal opens today. According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, online application will remain open to any eligible establishment until all funds are exhausted. Register for an account at restaurants.sba.gov. This program provides emergency assistance for eligible restaurants, bars, and other qualifying businesses impacted by COVID-19.

The city of Lakeport is asking residents to prepare for wildfire season by clearing defensible space around homes and properties. It’s the buffer that homeowners are required to create on their property between a structure and the plants, brush and trees or other items surrounding the structure that could catch fire. This space is needed to slow the spread of wildfire and improves the safety of firefighters defending your home.

A pilot suffered only minor injuries following an aircraft crash near the south boat ramp at Lake Mendocino yesterday morning. The 71-year-old pilot said the ultralight airplane lost power shortly after takeoff. He was able to escape and crawled to exposed land near the decreased lake water level. The airplane is believed to be submerged in approximately 15-30 feet of water and recovery efforts had to be postponed until today as specialized personnel and equipment are needed.

Firefighters in Lake County responded to two vegetation fires yesterday. According to Cal Fire, the Sky fire was first spotted at around 12:45 PM at Morgan Valley Road and Sloan Ranch Road. As of yesterday, evening it was 45 acres and 50-percent contained by evening. The other fire reported after 5 PM was a 2–3-acre fire that was an escaped controlled burn near Scotts Valley.