Monthly Archives: March 2025

Articles, Community News, Local Government

Week of Activities Planned For Next Month’s Kamome Festival, Including A Cardboard Boat Regatta

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Thumbnail: A delegation from Rikuzentakata, Japan celebrates the unveiling of a mural commemorating its Sister City relationship with Crescent City at the inaugural Kamome Festival in 2023. | Photo by Jessica Cejnar Andrews

Del Norters have less than a month to shore up their finest cardboard boat for a regatta celebrating the 20-foot long fishing vessel that led to a friendship between Crescent City and Rikuzentakata, Japan.

The first-annual Kamome Cardboard Race will be held at the Fred Endert Municipal Pool on April 11, City Manager Eric Wier told the Crescent City Council on Monday. It’s a new component to the third-annual Kamome Festival, which has grown into a week-long shoulder-season — spring or autumn — event that includes involvement from local businesses as well as several different government agencies.

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Newscast

An EPIC Offshore Wind Panel Retrospective – Redwood Voice Community News

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March 19th, 2025 – For Redwood Voice Community News, a production of Redwood Voice Youth Media, today’s news: road work updates from Caltrans District 1; info on this past weekend’s atmospheric river; a retrospective on last Friday’s Offshore Wind Panel hosted by EPIC; a Del Norte EMT gets recognized by the California Ambulance Association; DNUSD hears the community’s frustration on preliminary layoff notices; Curry County Emergency Management releases info on flood damage; Kenek remains on a boil water notice; Oregon State Parks announce Spring Whale Watch Week; two US Senators introduce the Smith River NRA Expansion Act to Southwest Oregon; and California Postal workers protest tomorrow over suggested privatized mail services. 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, and KCIW 100.7FM at 6PM!

Today’s news card image is courtesy of KFUG Station Manager Paul Critz, which has been edited.

Agriculture, Articles, Community News, Fort Dick, Humboldt

Alexandres Caught Up In Class Action Lawsuit A Year After Cruelty Allegations Surfaced; Defendants Include Certified Humane

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Thumbnail: Cows mill about at Alexandre Family Farm’s operation on Lower Lake Road last spring. | Photo by Jessica Cejnar Andrews

The matriarch of Alexandre Family Farm says a new consumer class-action lawsuit against her family’s dairy operation, stemming from allegations of animal cruelty that are nearly a year old and revealing new claims, is without merit.

The animal cruelty allegations levied against the Alexandres in an April 11, 2024 exposé from the nonprofit organization Farm Forward forms the basis of this new lawsuit, Taylor v. Humane Animal Farm Care and Alexandre Family Farm. It also accuses the Alexandres and Humane Animal Farm Care — the organization behind the Certified Humane logo — of deceiving consumers.

According to the complaint, Humane Animal Farm Care allowed the Alexandres to continue to display its logo despite knowing that the farm didn’t meet the organization’s “advertised standards of animal welfare.”

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Articles, Community News, Emergencies, Weather

Curry County Declares Emergency Following Weekend Atmospheric River

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Thumbnail: In the wake of an atmospheric river that brought flooding to Curry County, the National Weather Service is warning of gusty winds on Wednesday. | Image courtesy of the U.S. National Weather Service Medford office.

A “severe rain event” that led to flooding and road damage in Curry County prompted the Board of Commissioners to issue an emergency declaration on Tuesday.

The same atmospheric river that brought gusty winds to Del Norte County over the weekend caused the Rogue River to flood near Lobster Creek as well as near the mouth, Curry County Director of Operations Ted Fitzgerald said.

Flooding plugged culverts, causing streams to wash out Floras Creek and Six Rivers roads, said Fitzgerald, who also serves as the county’s roadmaster. It also brought down a lot of debris, he said.

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Articles, Community News, Environment, Science

EPIC Offshore Wind Panel Stirs Little Local Interest

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Only about a dozen Del Norters showed up on a cold Friday evening to hear the latest science concerning offshore wind energy’s potential impact on marine wildlife. The event, held in the United Methodist Church in Crescent City and hosted by the Environmental Protection Information Center (EPIC) of Arcata, was billed as an Offshore Wind Information Panel. Featured speakers addressed the possible interaction between marine mammals, birds and turtles and the giant floating wind turbines proposed for the waters off Del Norte and Humboldt counties.

Before the presentations began, Tom Wheeler, executive director of EPIC, explained the purpose of the event to Redwood Voice. “Under the Biden administration, Del Norte county was slated to have an offshore wind lease executed in the next four years. That’s obviously in question now with the Trump administration, but it’s still important for us to have these conversations and to understand the potential benefits and costs of offshore wind. And so we’re here tonight to help the community have that conversation.”

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Guest Submission, Youth

Tsunami All-Starz Ride a Wave of Success: Local Junior Cheer Team Earns Coveted Nationals Bid!

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This article is a guest submission. To submit your own work for consideration, send your piece to redwoodvoicedn@gmail.com. Thumbnail photo courtesy of Annie Nehmer.

Written and Submitted by Annie Nehmer.

A tidal wave of talent is surging from our very own community! The Tsunami All-Starz Junior cheerleading team, a powerhouse of 15 dedicated local youths, has achieved an extraordinary feat: they’ve earned a bid to the prestigious D-II Summit National Championship in Orlando, Florida!

Forget the pom-pom stereotypes. These young athletes are fierce competitors, spending countless hours perfecting their routines, building strength, and fostering unwavering teamwork. Their dedication has paid off, as they’ve proven themselves among the best in the nation. This isn’t just a hobby; it’s a demanding, high-energy sport that requires discipline, precision, and heart.

“We are incredibly proud of these athletes,” says Coach Coco Soule, the team’s enthusiastic coach. “They have poured their hearts and souls into this season, and their hard work has truly shone through. Earning a bid to Summit is a dream come true, and we are thrilled to represent Del Norte County on the national stage.”

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Newscast

Watch Your Step for Snowy Plovers! – Redwood Voice Community News

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March 18th, 2025 – For Redwood Voice Community News, a production of Redwood Voice Youth Media, today’s news: road work updates from Caltrans District 1; a weather report from Jessica Cejnar Andrews of Redwood Voice; Community System Solutions now has grant writing as part of their contract with the Harbor District; other items discussed at the Crescent City Harbor District’s recent meeting; staff and parents continue to share their distaste with trustees, following the School District’s approval of preliminary layoff notices; Oregon State Parks’ Spring Whale Watch Week is coming up at the end of the month; background on Yurok mixed martial artist Austin Mitchell; a boil water notice for Kenek; and tips from Wild California on keeping Snowy plovers safe during nesting season. 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, and KCIW 100.7FM at 6PM!

Today’s news card image is courtesy of California State Parks, which has been edited.

Articles, Community News, Crime

Man Convicted of Second-Degree Murder, In Connection With Deputy’s Death

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Thumbnail photo: Deanna Esmaeel (left) is sworn in as a Del Norte County Sheriff’s deputy by then-sheriff Erik Apperson. | Photo courtesy of the Del Norte County Sheriff’s Office.

Davies

A 55-year-old man faces 15-years to life in prison after a jury found him guilty of second-degree murder earlier this month in connection with the death of Del Norte County Deputy Deanna Esmaeel.

Edward Patrick Davies was also found to be sane when he killed Esmaeel, District Attorney Katherine Micks told Redwood Voice Community News on Monday. The jury reached a verdict in the case on March 6 and ruled on Davies’ insanity defense on March 10, she said.

Esmaeel was found dead at her North Bank Road home the morning of Oct. 12, 2023. One of her colleagues at the sheriff’s office was sent to investigate when she didn’t show up for work and wasn’t answering phone calls.

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Articles, Community News, Education, Infrastructure

DNUSD To Undergo $698,000 Upgrade To Its Wifi Access Points

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Thumbnail image by RRZEicons via Wikimedia Commons. Creative Commons License

Trustees green lit a proposed $698,000 upgrade to Del Norte Unified School District’s wireless network infrastructure, replacing wireless access points that are at the end of their life with new units that came out in November.

Ryan Bahten, DNUSD’s director of information network services, said he plans on replacing 379 access points that are currently housed indoors. There are 13 others that provide internet access outdoors, but “we’re just talking about the inside ones,” he said.

DNUSD currently uses Wifi 5, which is the fifth generation of WiFi technology, Bahen said. Its hardware is currently at the end of its life and is no longer warrantied. He proposed upgrading to Wifi 7, which became available in November.

“[Wifi] 6 has been out for almost 10 years so we’re going straight to [Wifi] 7,” he said. “[It] offers simultaneous connections, better range. We expect to see more benefit in our classrooms for our students and our staff.”

According to Bahten, the total cost breakdown for the upgrade is about $155 per user, which includes students and staff. He said the $698,285.98 cost would come out of a special reserve DNUSD set aside for technology infrastructure, called Fund 40.

Bahten also pointed out that state testing is done via Chromebooks and iPads as are other district assessments.

According to Assistant Superintendent of Business Jeff Napier, DNUSD has contributed to Fund 40 every year after the DNUSD had to borrow $3.5 million for technology upgrades.

District 3 representative Frank Magarino was absent.

Articles, Community News, Education

Del Norte Unified’s Financial Challenges Persist, Though Projected Deficit Has Decreased

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Del Norte Unified School District’s director of fiscal services painted a slightly brighter financial picture for the Board of Trustees on Thursday, though he said the district is still in an overall deficit.

In his second interim financial report, Greg Bowen said the district had a positive budget, which means DNUSD can make its payroll for the current and next two fiscal years. The district’s projected deficit also decreased to $3.3 million from the $5.89 million figure Bowen gave during his first interim financial report in December.

But he cautioned that many of the assumptions included in his report, especially for fiscal years 2025-26 and 2026-27, are based on California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s budget workshop held in January. That workshop occurred before the fires in the Los Angeles area as well as changes in the federal government, Bowen said.

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