As if I didn’t love her then, flash forward to my tenure at Lassen High School. Sweet, sweet Kelli and I became good friends as she took the job working in the office. Unfortunately for poor Joshua Blackburn, he then had to deal with the two of us, often ganging up on him. (But of course, he deserved it).

Through the years, I got to see Kelli in a new light. She was smart. She was tough. Most importantly she was so, so, so kind. She was, and is, the absolute right person to sit in that office and deal with our teens day in and day out. They love her, and it is so easy to see why.

I absolutely cannot write about my dear friend Kelli without sharing this story, which cemented our friendship into eternity.

There I was, acting as the Student Resource Officer at Lassen High. I was six weeks pregnant, and no one, aside from Frankie of course, knew yet. I, being the non-prudent person that I am, thought that the exact thing my morning sickness needed was a Subway salad with extra onions. (I know, I know!)

So naturally, as I am eating the salad, I get a wave of nausea, which caused me to upchuck in the bathroom, right outside Kelli’s office. I emerged a couple of minutes later to see Kelli staring at me.

"You. Are. Pregnant!" She proclaimed.

I tried to tell her it was food poising, but like I said, she is smart, and wouldn’t ya know, little miss Kelli was the first person in this county to know I was pregnant with little June Bug.

During my pregnancy Kelli helped create diversions while I would get sick, to try and help me keep my secret. And once the secret was out, Kelli would always offer me snacks and sweets in an attempt to help my nausea.

I really do love her. She is the only person that could make me laugh about my vomit. She has a sense of humor, but not in an overbearing way. She is just a delightful human being all around.

Aside from her work at the school, Kelli stays busy helping her husband with their ranch, being the loving middle sister to the other William girls and as if that wasn’t enough, in her spare time Kelli is an avid member of the Lassen County Cattlewomen’s Association.

Kelli loves Lassen County and you can catch her and her hubby at almost all local events. They are good honest people, who work hard. She is a great friend, a great softball player and one of the reasons that I love the place we live.

Locally there are more than a dozen social workers at agencies as diverse as Northeastern Rural Health, Banner Lassen, Lassen Family Services, Lassen Indian Health and the Veteran’s Administration.

Social workers touch millions of lives each day and it is likely a social worker at some time will assist you, a family member or a friend.

According to the National Association of Social Workers, these individuals choose their profession because they have a fervent desire to help others and make our society a better place to live for all.

Do you want a better relationship with your spouse, partner, children, or parents? A social worker can help you forge stronger connections.

Are you living with depression, anxiety, or a substance use disorder? A social worker can help you overcome them and thrive.

Social welfare professionals here in California work with all kinds of people and help treat or provide relief for a growing number of issues. They are present nearly everywhere. From California’s small towns to its big cities, social workers are called on in schools, community centers, and at all kinds of mental and emotional health facilities to help guide and support vulnerable people through trying circumstances and conditions.

Unfortunately, the good work done by social workers is often overlooked because it is done quietly, one on one, with little fanfare. But these professionals help improve lives all around us in spectacular ways every single day of the year. Thank you, Social Workers, for all you do!

Your voice does matter, and you are invited to share stories of share stories of crashes, near misses or places you fell safe or unsafe travelling in Lassen County. You can leave your stories at this website.

There will be two open houses to discuss the Transportation Plan, one at the Westwood Depot Visitor Center, March 30th from 4:30 to 6:00p.m., and at the Susanville Railroad Depot on Richmond Road from 4:30 to 6:00p.m. on March 31st.

For more information contact Genevieve Evans at 1.530.583.4053.

Please bring your photo ID with you. You can complete your health screening ahead of time to make the process a little faster at the drive. Click here to complete the screening.

Organizers suggest that you drink plenty of water before your donation and reminds donors that masks are optional on campus.

The blood drive will be held from 9:00a.m. to 2:30p.m. in the cafeteria at the college.

Click here to book an appointment.

Dry icing of clouds in the Susanville area was undertaken for the first time Monday afternoon when two enterprising weathermen took things in their own hands and went up to milk a few clouds. At the milk stoll was Julian Mapes, prominent Litchfield rancher, and veteran air corps pilot Chesley Agee. Playing milkmaid to a 25-pound carton of dry ice was Lassen Advocate reporter Billy Riley.

The sky heavily overcast all day with an 1800 foot ceiling, leaving slight traces of rain and snow. Taking off in a four-place Stinnon voyager, the cloud milking team scattered dry ice out above Susanville at 12,100 feet, at 4:15 p.m.

Vapor trails from the action were visible in streams about 500 feet long.

Climbing to about 12,500 the remaining dry ice particles were released, dropping through a large black cloud at 4:27 p.m. Observers in Susanville noted that the time the rain fell in town was almost coincident to the dry ice bombardment.

Commenting on his rainmaking project, Mapes said “Some non-believers may attach the success of the mission and maintain that it would have rained anyway. “I’m not discouraged over the meager rainfall and have hopes of sending up a group of planes in the future when the clouds are in better shape and more operative.”