Monthly Archives: October 2024

Alerts, Articles, Environment

Severe Geomagnetic Storm May Light Up The Skies & Interfere With Communication Technology

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Graphic presented during a SWPC / NOAA press briefing regarding the threat of severe space weather.

The Space Weather Prediction Center of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, also known as SWPC, held a press conference on Wednesday October 9th to alert the media about a Severe Geomagnetic Storm Watch. This storm was ignited by a Coronal Mass ejection that erupted from our sun on the evening of October 8th, 2024.

Video coronagraph footage from the SWPC shows the Coronal Mass Ejection alongside a coincidental photobomb from the Tsuchinshan-ATLAS Comet

This fast-moving solar flash sent radiation particles hurdling towards earth, with the potential to envelop earth’s magnetic field causing a G4 Class or severe Geomagnetic Storm. This particular storm was analyzed and anticipated to reach earth on October 10th. Indeed the CME arrived Thursday at 11:15 AM Eastern Time, causing SWPC to upgrade its Storm Watch to a Storm Warning.

Continue reading Severe Geomagnetic Storm May Light Up The Skies & Interfere With Communication Technology →
Newscast

First Salmon Swims Past the Former Iron Gate – Redwood Voice Community News

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October 10th, 2024 – For Redwood Voice Community News, a production of Redwood Voice Youth Media, today’s news: roadwork updates from CalTrans District 1; the first Klamath Salmon pass through the former site of the Iron Gate dam; Crescent City Councilors discussed changing the City’s landscaping standards; a geomagnetic storm gets its very own press conference; Del Norte supervisors brainstorm new sign ideas to compete with Oregon; Brookings City councilors further discuss the beach camping ban; marine biotoxins in Oregon shellfish return to safe levels; and the US Forest Service is giving funding the forestland owners to help combat climate change. All this and our regular segments from the Pacifica Radio Network and National Native News.

We’re broadcasting on KFUG 101.1FM and tinyurl.com/listentoKFUG every day at 12PM, with a rebroadcast at 5PM. We’re also airing on KZZH 96.7FM at 6AM, and KCIW 100.7FM at 6PM!

Today’s news card image is courtesy of Michael Humling / U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, which has been edited.

Articles, Community News, Crescent City, Health, Just For Fun

Pump Track Ribbon Cutting Set For Saturday, And Other City Council News

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Crescent City councilors approved bike pump track rules ahead of its Saturday grand opening.

The new rules require users to wear a helmet, elbow pads and knee pads and states that kids under age 12 must be under adult supervision, City Attorney Martha Rice said Monday. The regulations set the facility’s hours from dawn to dusk and limit its use to “non-motorized wheeled devices.”

Anyone flouting those rules will either be suspended from the facility or receive an administrative citation, Rice said. Though the ordinance won’t take effect for another 30 days, the rules will be posted at the pump track’s entrance.

The pump track grand opening will start at 11 a.m. Saturday at Beachfront Park and will include giveaways and riding demonstrations. Kids are also urged to bring their helmets and bicycles. The city and the Del Norte Trail Alliance are sponsoring the event.

Continue reading Pump Track Ribbon Cutting Set For Saturday, And Other City Council News →
Articles, Community News, Crescent City, Infrastructure, Local Government

Muni Code Cleanup Uncovers Landscaping Standards Crescent City Councilors Didn’t Realize Existed

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An effort to set parameters for the amount of open space housing developers need to provide their residents made Crescent City councilors realize that the municipal code contains landscaping standards that likely aren’t applied consistently.

Some don’t make sense, Councilor Kelly Schellong Feola said Monday. One example she gave is a requirement that at least one tree from an approved list be planted in a residential front or side yard every 30 feet. The other is limiting the use of non-vegetative material in residential landscaping to 25 percent, Feola said.

“I know a lot of older people that can’t get out and mow their lawns,” she said. “They like to decorate their yards with river rock and such, and this is saying you can’t do that for more than 25 percent of your property.”

It’s these inconsistencies the Community Development Department and the Planning Commission have been working through, according to Ethan Lawton, a planner with SHN, a Eureka-based engineering and planning firm that is contracted with the city. When it comes to landscaping standards in residential zones, developments that are less than four units aren’t required to submit site plans to the city that verifies their landscaping plans, he said.

But, while there’s no special permit required for a single-family home, for example, under the municipal code, city staff should still review those landscaping standards, City Attorney Martha Rice said.

“No building permit should be issued unless [the development] meets these landscaping requirements,” she said.

Continue reading Muni Code Cleanup Uncovers Landscaping Standards Crescent City Councilors Didn’t Realize Existed →
Newscast

Weighing in on the New Firework Ordinance – Redwood Voice Community News

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October 9th, 2024 – For Redwood Voice Community News, a production of Redwood Voice Youth Media, today’s news: roadwork updates from CalTrans District 1; representatives from Rikuzentakata joined in at the recent RCRC meeting; another candidate joins in the Harbor District’s election; Del Norte Supervisors consider the County-wide firework crackdown; Oregon’s five year housing plan comes to completion; the Tolowa Dee-ni’ Nation is seeking feedback on their video; University of Southern California Sol Price School of Public Policy is hosting a webinar on understanding rural voters; the draft environmental statement for Northwest forests will be available in November; Del Norte supervisors discussed ideas for cool signs at yesterday’s meeting; Brookings City Councilors further debate the camping ban; and shellfish in Southern Oregon are now safe to catch and consume. All this and our regular segments from the Pacifica Radio Network and National Native News.

We’re broadcasting on KFUG 101.1FM and tinyurl.com/listentoKFUG every day at 12PM, with a rebroadcast at 5PM. We’re also airing on KZZH 96.7FM at 6AM, and KCIW 100.7FM at 6PM!

Today’s news card image is courtesy of Visit Del Norte County, which has been edited.

Articles, CC Harbor, Community News, Local Government

Del Norte’s New Fireworks Law Aims To Deter Illegal Pyrotechnics Via Fines

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Del Norte’s legal counsel called the new fireworks ordinance an administrative tool that uses fines to discourage people from bringing their Roman candles, sky rockets and other “dangerous” pyrotechnics into the community.

California law already makes it a crime to possess “dangerous fireworks,” County Counsel Jacqueline Roberts said Tuesday. These include sky rockets, bottle rockets, Roman candles, aerial shells, firecrackers and other pyrotechnics that explode, go in the air or move on the ground in an uncontrollable manner.

Possessing less than 2,000 pounds in California is “just a misdemeanor,” Roberts told supervisors.

“What this ordinance does is give the county an administrative way of dealing with them — through the fine process,” she said. “It’s sort of another tool in our tool belt to try to deal with the dangerous fireworks situation in town because, as you know, it’s difficult to prosecute criminally, especially when you’re dealing with something as low-level as a misdemeanor. But, perhaps if someone is getting a $1,000 fine, it might deter that behavior.”

Continue reading Del Norte’s New Fireworks Law Aims To Deter Illegal Pyrotechnics Via Fines →
Articles, Community News, Infrastructure, Transportation

Caltrans Unveils Fancy New Welcome Signs; More From Tuesday’s Board of Supervisors Meeting

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Caltrans representative Julia Peterson unveiled new welcome signs that will be built on U.S. 101 and 199. | Screenshot

Using an oft-quoted phrase involving beer, District 2 Supervisor Valerie Starkey warned that California’s new monument signs on U.S. 101 and 199 may prompt Oregon to step up its game.

Clean California Coordinator Julia Peterson unveiled the sign that will be constructed and installed on U.S. 199 later this year. Though Caltrans is still figuring out the color scheme, the new sign will feature the Golden State’s iconic shape and state flower. A momma bear and her cub will flank the sign welcoming motorists through Del Norte County’s northeastern gate.

The sign’s back side will encourage motorists to “drive safely,” Peterson said.

“Bears was a theme everyone wanted,” she told supervisors Tuesday, adding that Caltrans had deployed a survey via the Wild Rivers Outpost.

Continue reading Caltrans Unveils Fancy New Welcome Signs; More From Tuesday’s Board of Supervisors Meeting →
Newscast

Releasing the Last of this Year’s Cohort – Redwood Voice Community News

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October 8th, 2024 – For Redwood Voice Community News, a production of Redwood Voice Youth Media, today’s news: roadwork updates from CalTrans District 1; representatives from Rikuzentakata recently attended the RCRC meeting; another person joins in the Crescent City Harbor district election; Del Norte supervisors will discuss a proposed firework ordinance at their meeting today; Oregon’s Housing and Community Services releases the final report on the statewide housing project; last Friday, Grants Pass hosted Art Along the Rogue; the last of this year’s condors are released; the Tolowa Dee-ni’ Nation is seeking feedback on their videos; the UC Sol Price School Of Public Policy will be holding a webinar to better understand rural voters; the US Forest Service announces the release of their Draft Environmental Impact Statement; and Pacific power sends support assets to Georgia following the devastating Hurricane Helene. All this and our regular segments from the Pacifica Radio Network and National Native News.

We’re broadcasting on KFUG 101.1FM and tinyurl.com/listentoKFUG every day at 12PM, with a rebroadcast at 5PM. We’re also airing on KZZH 96.7FM at 6AM, and KCIW 100.7FM at 6PM!

Today’s news card image is courtesy of Matt Mais/Yurok Tribe, which has been edited.

Articles, CC Harbor, Crescent City, Elections

Harry Adams Announces Write-in Candidacy For Harbor District; Del Norte Ballots Mailed This Week

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Your Vote Counts badge. | Photo: LALeBan via Wikipedia. Creative Commons License

A familiar face has joined the race for Crescent City Harbor District this election, though Del Norters won’t find him on their ballot.

Harry Adams, who’s currently president of the Harbor District Board of Commissioners, announced Friday that he’s running as a write-in candidate. He’s running against Linda Sutter, Annie Nehmer, Dan Schmidt, Devon Morgante and John Evans. Adams said he submitted the signatures he needed to be an official write-in candidate.

“I just feel like my job wasn’t done yet,” he said. “Why quit when you’re just starting to get good at it? I don’t totally agree that three seats should be vacated at one time.”

Continue reading Harry Adams Announces Write-in Candidacy For Harbor District; Del Norte Ballots Mailed This Week →
Articles, Community News, Crescent City, Local Government

Fireworks Ordinance Set To Go Before Del Norte Board of Supervisors

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Del Norte County supervisors will get their first look at an ordinance that seeks to discourage folks from bringing illegal fireworks into the community.

The proposed regulations are expected to come before the full Board on Tuesday about three months after a fireworks explosion created a mass casualty incident on South Beach during the Fourth of July.

They’re consistent with an ordinance Crescent City already has on the books, said District 2 Supervisor Valerie Starkey. The proposed regulations also coincide with an ordinance the Harbor District Board of Commissioners is considering, though Starkey noted that harbor commissioners are considering banning all fireworks.

“That was super important for us to have very consistent ordinances across the board,” she told Redwood Voice Community News on Monday. “At our last ad-hoc meeting we decided that we couldn’t really move forward with messaging and education until we have those ordinances in place.”

Continue reading Fireworks Ordinance Set To Go Before Del Norte Board of Supervisors →