Agriculture, Articles, Community News, Environment, Local Government

Special District Focused On Resource Conservation Expands Boundaries To Include All Of Del Norte County

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Thumbnail photo: The Del Norte Fire Safe Council held a workshop in March 2025 to teach people how to harden their properties against wildfire. | File photo by Ethan Caudill-DeRego

A special district previously focused on agricultural issues in the Smith River and Fort Dick areas received the green light to annex all of Del Norte County into its jurisdiction on Monday.

The Del Norte Resource Conservation District’s expanded boundaries allows for greater collaboration with organizations focusing on wildfire resiliency, stream and forest health restoration and those that support new farmers, District Manager Becky Crockett told Redwood Voice Community News.

The expanded boundaries also means the Del Norte RCD can pursue state and federal grant dollars, which in turn can lead to larger projects, she said.

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Articles, Health, Local Government

Del Norte DHHS Nets $33 Million State Grant For Behavioral Health Campus

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Thumbnail: This conceptual comparison of a new Behavioral Health Campus versus the current Behavioral Health Branch facility was included in the county’s grant application for BHCIP dollars. | Image courtesy of District 2 Supervisor Valerie Starkey

Shiann Hogan sees many possibilities for Del Norte County’s new Behavioral Health Campus, but one thing it won’t be is a locked facility.

The deputy director for the county Behavioral Health Branch says the new facility will allow for expanded substance abuse and mental health programming. There will be a new sobering center and a mental health crisis respite center and the facility will complement the new EmPATH unit Sutter Coast Hospital is developing.

But those will be voluntary services, Hogan told Redwood Voice Community News on May 11. 

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Articles, Crescent City, Crime, Local Government

Crescent City Council Approves 10-Year Contract With Axon For Cameras, Tasers, Data Storage

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Despite calling Axon the “best company out there,” Police Chief Richard Griffin couldn’t convince everyone on the City Council that entering into a 10-year contract for Tasers, body cameras, dashboard cameras and data storage was the best thing for Crescent City.

According to Griffin, Axon has great equipment, their data storage capabilities frees up the city’s server and allows for easy searching. The company also offers the ability to upgrade to new cameras and Tasers without needing to pay extra, the chief said. 

Appointed Councilman Steve Shamblin had misgivings.

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Articles, CC Harbor, Infrastructure

Permitting Delays Have CCHD Pondering Other Construction Options For Citizens Dock, Seawall

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Thumbnail photo: Conditions on a seawall that’s been slated for replacement have worsened as the Crescent City Harbor District seeks final in-water construction permits needed to start project. | Photo by Jessica Cejnar Andrews

The Crescent City Harbor District’s efforts to reconstruct Citizens Dock and replace a failing seawall have run into a permitting delay that may limit the amount of in-water construction that can be completed this year.

The CCHD Board of Commissioners received this piece of news with frustration on Wednesday with Gerhard Weber pointing out that state and federal agencies have known for the last two years that the project would require in-water work permits.

Harbormaster Mike Rademaker noted that the environmental review phase had already been delayed due to changes to California’s seismic safety standards. This new obstacle comes as the already-condemned seawall’s conditions have worsened.

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Articles, Education, Klamath, Youth

‘This Situation Could Make Us Fail Our Finals’; Klamath Students, Parents Approach School Board, Again, About Late Buses

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Thumbnail photo by Jessica Cejnar Andrews

Skylar Lambeth was blunt — the bus being late 48 times is inexcusable.

The Del Norte High School student said her first grade has suffered and she’s missing “entire units” of history due to the late bus. Her peers could have made similar statements to the school board, she said Thursday, but they rely on the bus to return home.

“I feel Klamath kids have been forgotten about too many times,” Skylar said. “Klamath kids often get seen as lazy and not caring about grades, but that’s just not true. Us Klamath kids have bright futures, but this takes education away from us and that’s just not fair. This situation could make us fail our finals.”

Continue reading ‘This Situation Could Make Us Fail Our Finals’; Klamath Students, Parents Approach School Board, Again, About Late Buses →
Articles, CC Harbor, Infrastructure, Local Government

Harbor District Proposes New Plan To Make USDA Loan Payment And Fund Maintenance Needs

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Thumbnail photo: Crescent City Harbor’s inner boat basin. | Photo by Gavin Van Alstine

Harbor Board Chairman Rick Shepherd insisted that a plan to both make a loan payment to the U.S. Department of Agriculture and address maintenance issues would “save our ass,” though he admitted it was convoluted.

The plan involves a trust account with the county that houses the transiency occupancy tax (TOT) revenue the Measure C has generated for the Harbor District since voters approved it in 2018.

On Wednesday, CCHD Fiscal Officer Sandy Moreno informed commissioners that there is $602,396 in that trust account — more than enough to make two loan payments to the USDA. She proposed using roughly $263,888 to satisfy a delinquent payment the Harbor District should have made to the USDA in September 2025 and using $129,841 to address the district’s maintenance needs.

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Articles, Emergencies, Local Government, Smith River, Tribal Affairs

Del Norte Supervisors Take Issue Tolowa Dunes SP Closure; Praise Tax Relief Bill Named For LaMalfa

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Thumbnail photo by Paul Critz

District 1 Supervisor Darrin Short was absent. Among the items discussed at Tuesday’s Del Norte County Board of Supervisors meeting.

Tolowa Dunes SP Closure: Three county supervisors said they fielded calls and complaints regarding the temporary closure of parts of Tolowa Dunes State Park over the weekend.

The California State Parks North Coast Redwoods District authorized the closure of several access points and trails to allow the Tolowa Dee-ni’ Nation to observe the Lhuk Rite Ceremony. The annual ceremony celebrates the importance of salmon and its annual return to its river habitat.

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Articles, Law, Local Government

Probation Chief Raises Concerns About Potential County Use of Modular Structures On Williams Drive

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Before county supervisors approved a lease agreement concerning modular trailers at Williams Drive, Lonnie Reyman asked that they not forget about probation.

The Del Norte County Probation Department had leveraged its good relationship with the buildings’ owners, the Del Norte County Office of Education, and used the space for training and to hold programs for its adult offenders, the probation chief said Tuesday. According to him, there is no other space available for adult programming.

“Over the last five or six years we’ve worked to try and increase that availability we provide to our adult offenders and to be able to provide those programs directly. That is one of the key places we do that,” Reyman said of the trailers at 250 and 254 Williams Drive in Crescent City. “As the county goes through this transition to use that property in a different manner, that will be something I’ll be watching closely. …”

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Articles, Community News, Just For Fun

Charley Tygart Volunteered in Peru, Returned With A New Best Friend

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Charley Tygart visited Peru to volunteer at an animal rescue organization and brought Camila home to Crescent City. | Photos courtesy of Billie Kaye Tygart

As she prepared to take Camila home, Charley Tygart took Maite’s parting words to heart: “Never abandon her. You’re with her forever.”

Camila was one of about 20 dogs at El Refugio Privado de Perritos Soy Callejerito in Cusco, Peru. Maite had rescued her about seven years prior after her owner had gouged out her eye for attacking a rabbit. 

Charley, who had spent 10 weeks volunteering at the animal rescue, said she knew she would have a special relationship with the dog when she kept coming up to her asking for belly rubs.

“Those first four to five weeks when I was by myself, I was with her every day,” Charley said. “Once we got more volunteers, I wasn’t seeing her as much. But when I finally made the decision that I want to adopt her, (Maite) made it an effort for me to spend more time with (Camila) daily.”

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Articles, Parks, Tribal Affairs

Tolowa Salmon Ceremony Prompts Temporary Closure of Some State Park Access Points, Trails

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Thumbnail photo by Tim Rochte via Wikimedia Commons. Creative Commons license

Portions of Tolowa Dunes State Park will be closed to the public to allow the region’s original inhabitants space to celebrate a cornerstone of their nutritional health and culture.

The Lhuk Rite Ceremony signifies the importance of salmon and celebrates its annual return, according to the Tolowa Dee-ni’ Nation website. Occurring before any fishing takes place, Tolowa Dee-ni’ adults attended the ceremony to pray for a plentiful harvest.

The partial park closure will take place from 7 a.m. Saturday through 5 p.m. Sunday, according to a Superintendent Order from the North Coast Redwoods District of the California State Parks. It will impact access points at Pala Road, Silva Lane and the Kellogg Trailhead Road, according to the order. 

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