March 29th, 2024 – For Redwood Voice Community News, a production of Redwood Voice Youth Media, today’s news: the lowdown on last year’s mysterious oil spill; Curry County’s law enforcement faces a 31% department cut; 2024 may be the year of the California Grizzly Bear; a Road Work update; Crescent City Councilors forward the construction 56-unit housing development; Valerie Starkey’s pitch to represent Del Norte County at the National Association of Counties fails; California Fish and Game change the 2024 Groundfish season; and St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church gains support from a Federal Judge. All this and our regular segments from the Pacifica Radio Network and National Native News.
We’re broadcasting on KFUG 101.1FM and kfugradio.org every day at 12PM, with a rebroadcast at 5PM. We’re also airing on KZZH 96.7FM at 6AM!
On February 27th of 2023, there was an approximately one square mile spill of oil into Elk Creek adjacent to the Cultural Center in Crescent City. This spill originated from the Sheriff’s Office generator fuel tank which was installed in 1995. The tank spilled approximately 13 gallons into a storm drain where it reached the ocean. The day after the diesel fuel oil appeared on the water, Coast Guard officers were informed of the source of the leak. The Del Norte County Department of Building Maintenance and Parks sent several staff to clean up the sheen from Elk Creek, whilst also cleaning the oil water mixture from a secondary catch basin that tipped the Sheriff’s Office that the tank was leaking. After repairing the faulty line, booms were placed to soak up the remaining diesel coming from the storm drain. With all of the cleanup efforts they could manage complete, the Sheriff’s Office received a Notice of Federal Interest and a warning.
This full timeline took almost a year to get from the Coast Guard through a Freedom of Information Act request. I requested this information on March 30th. I had the information pertaining to the 13 gallons that spilled into Elk Creek, that booms were placed at the storm drain, that the leak did in fact come from the Sheriff’s Office and there was a large removal tank next to the Sheriff’s Office for some time. Everything else was hidden behind a wall of red-tape and Del Norte secrecy. First I called the local Environmental Health branch, who directed me to the Department of Maintenance, who then redirected me to the Environmental Health branch. I managed to break the circular call structure by asking the Coast Guard. I was very quickly brushed off however, the Coast Guard told me I needed to fill out a Freedom of Information Act request to get that information. So as a journalist, I did just that. I called back and forth with the Coast Guard for the full year, with my contact at the San Francisco branch equally as perplexed by the red-tape as I was.
Only after I had voluntarily elected to redact all personal information pertaining to the case from my request by calling a higher-up and stating as much, did the Coast Guard provide the information I was looking for. The final report leaves a lot to be desired. Above are official pictures from the released documents. Most of the information I sought was within the purview of personal information, and the actual numbers in the report were already known to me. The only reason I found out about the booms, tank and the source of the leak originally was through an anonymous source who contacted KFUG. The source told us none of the clean up was done with any documenting paperwork on the part of County Maintenance. The Sheriff’s Department, Department of Maintenance, and Coast Guard were willing to sweep this under the rug. This is a symptom of the good old boys club that our local government is known for. If we hadn’t been contacted by someone on the inside, we never would have found out a lot of this information.
If you need to find out information from a public agency and they’re pushing you aside, here’s how to make a Freedom of Information Act Request. First, see if you can find the information on the public internet, as some things have already been made public for your viewing. Assuming you did not find what you were looking for on the public internet, determine what agency has the information you seek. Each agency handles its own FOIA requests, and having the correct agency in mind gets you one step closer to finding that information. After determining which agency has your information visit foia.gov/#learn-more. This webpage will lead you through the rest of the FOIA request process. There are no immediate fees to make an FOIA request, nor is there any special form that you need to fill out to file the request. Fees may be assessed as the request grows in complexity. When writing your request, be as specific as possible. Good luck out there truth-seekers.
March 28th, 2024 – For Redwood Voice Community News, a production of Redwood Voice Youth Media, today’s news: the story of last year’s Elk Creek oil spill and FOIA turmoil; Curry Health Network receives two million in federal appropriation funds; CCPD will be decorating cookies with kids the day before 4-20; meanwhile Brookings PD seeks the public’s help in identifying a person pertaining to an ongoing investigation; 2024 is declared “Year of the California Grizzly Bear”; Hunter and Panther Creek bridges open to one-way traffic; a 56-unit housing development is planned to move forward in the former site of California Auto Image; Starkey’s hopes of representing Del Norte at the California State Association of Counties were crushed; a California political duo will go on a tribal listening tour this Spring; St. Timothy’s continues to win their battle against the City of Brookings; and tonight, a candle-lit vigil to commemorate the 11 lives lost in the tsunami that happened 60 years ago to the day. All this and our regular segments from the Pacifica Radio Network and National Native News.
We’re broadcasting on KFUG 101.1FM and kfugradio.org every day at 12PM, with a rebroadcast at 5PM. We’re also airing on KZZH 96.7FM at 6AM!
Today’s news card image is courtesy of the Crescent City City Hall, which has been edited.
March 27th, 2024 – For Redwood Voice Community News, a production of Redwood Voice Youth Media, today’s news: Curry Health Network receives two million in federal appropriation funds; Crescent City PD will be decorating cookies with kiddos; this year is declared the year of the California Grizzly Bear; Hunter and Panther Creek bridges are now open to one-way traffic; Crescent City Councilors approve the development of 56 new housing units where California Auto Image once was; at yesterday’s board meeting Supervisor Starkey’s pitch to represent Del Norte at the National Association of Counties was shot down; California politicians recently visited the Yurok on their Tribal Listening Tour; the Yurok Education Department recently had a Big Buddy Day at Margaret Keating School; short term impacts from sediment continue to affect Klamath water quality; the Brookings PD needs your help in identifying a suspect; tomorrow is a candlelit vigil to commemorate the eleven lives lost in the 1964 tsunami; and an update from Eureka’s National Weather Service. All this and our regular segments from the Pacifica Radio Network and National Native News.
We’re broadcasting on KFUG 101.1FM and kfugradio.org every day at 12PM, with a rebroadcast at 5PM. We’re also airing on KZZH 96.7FM at 6AM!
Today’s news card image is courtesy of Vahe Martirosyan via Flickr, which has been edited.
March 26th, 2024 – For Redwood Voice Community News, a production of Redwood Voice Youth Media, today’s news: Curry Health receives federal appropriation funds to better their facilities; April 19th Crescent City PD will decorate cookies with kiddos; meanwhile Brookings PD is looking for someone connected with an ongoing investigation; tomorrow a Tsunami Warning Communications ESA Test will take place 11am to noon; Hunter and Panther creek bridges are now open to one way traffic; Crescent City Councilors approve the development of 56-unit housing in an old auto body shop; some of the Measure S improvements planned for this quarter; State Assembly Members Marie Alvardo-Gil, and James C. Ramos will go on a Tribal listening tour this spring break; the Yurok Tribe hosted a Big Buddy Reading Day at Margaret Keating School; Klamath dam removal will result in short term water quality impacts; the Del Norte County Parks Department is looking for new Camp Hosts; Dogs Of Del Norte is in need of volunteers; with the Rockfish fishery opening back up next month, fishing of “colored rockfish” is still discouraged; and a weather update from Eureka’s National Weather Service. All this and our regular segments from the Pacifica Radio Network and National Native News.
We’re broadcasting on KFUG 101.1FM and kfugradio.org every day at 12PM, with a rebroadcast at 5PM. We’re also airing on KZZH 96.7FM at 6AM!
Today’s news card image is a screenshot from Google Maps, which has been edited.
March 25th, 2024 – For Redwood Voice Community News, a production of Redwood Voice Youth Media, today’s news: a recap about what happened at last week’s Crescent City Council Meeting; a Road work update; a Tsunami Warning Communications EAS Test is happening this Wednesday; Crescent City Council struggle with Zoom; Measure S improvements planned for this Spring; the Yurok Tribe takes its first steps into regaining ownership of ‘O Rew; a highlight on the Big Buddy Reading Day hosted by the Yurok Education Department; an update on the Klamath River’s water quality; Del Norte County Parks seeking volunteers; Dogs of Del Norte also seeking volunteers; and Fishing opening up this April, but with a catch. All this and our regular segments from the Pacifica Radio Network and National Native News.
We’re broadcasting on KFUG 101.1FM and kfugradio.org every day at 12PM, with a rebroadcast at 5PM. We’re also airing on KZZH 96.7FM at 6AM!
Today’s news card image is courtesy of Adam Fagen/Creative Commons, which has been edited.
March 22nd, 2024 – For Redwood Voice Community News, a production of Redwood Voice Youth Media, today’s news: an overview of Monday’s City Council meeting; Roadwork updates from CalTrans District 1; the last of the Klamath Promise Neighborhood grant events for this week; how the Smith River Collaborative curbed structure damage during the Smith River Complex of fires; the Crescent City Council retires Zoom comments; where your Measure S dollars are going; the Yurok Tribe partners with the Save the Redwoods League to gain custody of ancestral lands; Del Norte Parks need camp hosts; and rockfish are back on the menu starting April 1st. All this and our regular segments from the Pacifica Radio Network and National Native News.
We’re broadcasting on KFUG 101.1FM and kfugradio.org every day at 12PM, with a rebroadcast at 5PM. We’re also airing on KZZH 96.7FM at 6AM!
Today’s news card image is courtesy of CalTrout/Michael Wier, which has been edited.
March 21st, 2024 – For Redwood Voice Community News, a production of Redwood Voice Youth Media, today’s news: an overview of Monday’s City Council meeting; roadwork updates from CalTrans District 1; some of the upcoming Klamath Promise Neighborhood grant events; how the Smith River Collaborative curbed structure damage during the Smith River Complex of fires; the Crescent City Council retires Zoom comments; the Klamath River Renewal Corporation moves some sediment downstream; where your Measure S dollars are going; an underage drinking sting operation from the CCPD; the Yurok Tribe partners with the Save the Redwoods League to gain custody of ancestral lands; Del Norte Parks need camp hosts; and how you might witness the Aurora Borealis from your backyard this month. All this and our regular segments from the Pacifica Radio Network and National Native News.
We’re broadcasting on KFUG 101.1FM and kfugradio.org every day at 12PM, with a rebroadcast at 5PM. We’re also airing on KZZH 96.7FM at 6AM!
Today’s news card image is courtesy of the Klamath River Renewal Corporation, which has been edited.
March 20th, 2024 – For Redwood Voice Community News, a production of Redwood Voice Youth Media, today’s news: an overview of Monday’s City Council meeting; Roadwork updates from CalTrans District 1; some of the upcoming Klamath Promise Neighborhood grant events; Advanced Air now provides nonstop flights between Crescent City and Oakland; a look at how fuel reduction efforts aided the fight against the Smith River Wildfire Complex; the Crescent City Council votes to retire zoom; Smith River school seeks money for revitalization of their soccer field; the timeline for Klamath sediment evacuation is extended; a weather update from the National Weather Service in Eureka; some of the measure S funded improvements planned for this year; the Crescent City PD performs a sting operation against adults purchasing alcohol for minors; the Del Norte Library celebrates the birthday of children’s television’s favorite neighbor, Mr Rogers; Del Norte County Parks are looking for camp hosts; and this month provides Del Norters with a chance to see the elusive Aurora Borealis. All this and our regular segments from the Pacifica Radio Network and National Native News.
We’re broadcasting on KFUG 101.1FM and kfugradio.org every day at 12PM, with a rebroadcast at 5PM. We’re also airing on KZZH 96.7FM at 6AM!
March 19th, 2024 – For Redwood Voice Community News, a production of Redwood Voice Youth Media, today’s news: the lowdown on this week’s Crescent City Council meeting at the Flynn Center; updates on current local roadwork; Info on upcoming Klamath Promise Neighborhood events; a new airplane company joins Crescent City Airport; voters will have to decide on a local measure regarding schools; Smith River School acquires help renovating their field; and a weather update from the Eureka National Weather Service. All this and our regular segments from the Pacifica Radio Network and National Native News.
We’re broadcasting on KFUG 101.1FM and kfugradio.org every day at 12PM, with a rebroadcast at 5PM. We’re also airing on KZZH 96.7FM at 6AM!
Today’s news card image is courtesy of Advanced Air, which has been edited.
Telling the untold stories of Del Norte and Tribal Lands through amplified youth voices.
