Category Archives: Articles

Alerts, Articles, CC Harbor, Community News, Humboldt

Coastal Del Norte Evacuates Following M7.0 Earthquake Off Humboldt Coast; Tsunami Warning Lifted An Hour Later

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Map courtesy of the U.S. Geological Survey

Coastal Del Norte County sought higher ground late Thursday morning after a magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck near Humboldt County at about 10:44 a.m. and generated tsunami warnings in Northern California and Southern Oregon.

The earthquake struck about 61.5 miles off the coast of Ferndale at a depth of 6.21 miles, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

As of about 11 a.m., the Del Norte County Office of Emergency Services were advising people in the inundation zone to evacuate to an area north of 9th Street in Crescent City, Emergency Services Manager Deborah Otenberg told Redwood Voice Community News on Thursday. At the time, she said, surges were predicted to come ashore at about 11:20 a.m.

Continue reading Coastal Del Norte Evacuates Following M7.0 Earthquake Off Humboldt Coast; Tsunami Warning Lifted An Hour Later →
Articles, Brookings, Community News, Local Government

Brookings Repeals ‘Benevolent Meal Service Ordinance’ Following St. Tim’s Court Victory

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Photo courtesy of Bernie Lindley

Nine months after a federal judge sided with St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church, the Brookings City Council last week repealed the ordinance that prompted the church to sue back in 2022.

Councilors unanimously approved an ordinance repealing its benevolent meal service ordinance without comment at their Nov. 25 meeting. The decision comes after the city reached a settlement agreement with St. Timothy’s that had it paying $357,000 to Stoel Rives LLP, the law firm that represented the church before U.S. Magistrate Mark D. Clarke in Medford on Feb. 15, and $43,000 to the Oregon Justice Resource Center.

Repealing the benevolent meal service ordinance was part of that settlement agreement, the church’s pastor, Rev. Bernie Lindley told Redwood Voice Community News on Monday.

Continue reading Brookings Repeals ‘Benevolent Meal Service Ordinance’ Following St. Tim’s Court Victory →
Articles, CC Harbor, Crescent City, Infrastructure, Transportation

Transportation Officials Seek Public Input South Beach Climate Change Resiliency Plan

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Photo courtesy of the Del Norte Local Transportation Commission

Transportation officials are holding the second of two public meetings today to come up with a plan that ensures U.S. 101 and Anchor Way continue to function in the face of rising sea level and extreme weather associated with climate change.

These meetings are part of a joint effort between the Crescent City Harbor District, Elk Valley Rancheria and the Del Norte Local Transportation Commission to create a South Beach Climate Resilience Plan.

Caltrans District 1, Del Norte County, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife as well as consultants GHD and GreenDOT are also participating in the project, DNLTC Executive Director Tamera Leighton said.

Caltrans is expected to take over the project on June 30, 2025, when the planning phase is completed, Leighton said. Today’s meeting, which will be held from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at Elk Valley Rancheria, will give people the opportunity to learn more about why a resiliency project is necessary and will enable them to provide input, she said.

Continue reading Transportation Officials Seek Public Input South Beach Climate Change Resiliency Plan →
Articles, Community News, Education

From Broken Axles to Warped Brake Rotors, DNUSD Staff Raise Concerns Over Vehicle Breakdowns

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Photo by Persephone Corvid Rose

A trailer’s broken axle added more drama to the Del Norte High School marching band’s tale of triumph at the Festival of Bands field show in Eugene earlier last month.

But Music Director Dan Sedgwick says the axle is an example of several concerns he and other faculty have raised regarding the safety of vehicles transporting students to and from activities outside of Del Norte County.

Sedgwick, his wife Lisa Sedgwick, who teaches at Mary Peacock Elementary School, and his colleague in the music department at Del Norte High, Collin Kirkwood, described warped brake rotors, leaking brake fluid, a bus that ran out of diesel exhaust fluid and seat belts held together with duct tape.

Continue reading From Broken Axles to Warped Brake Rotors, DNUSD Staff Raise Concerns Over Vehicle Breakdowns →
Articles, Community News, Curry, Law

Curry County Law Enforcement Levy Proponents Say It’ll Free Up General Fund Dollars, Commissioners, Staff Still Have Questions

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The spokesperson for a Curry County citizens’ group behind a proposed law enforcement levy broke the numbers down for elected officials on Monday, stating if voters approve the measure, $1.2 million could go back into the general fund.

But commissioners were no closer to supporting a levy than they were at last Thursday’s regular meeting when they said they were uncertain about how many patrol deputies it would fund.

On Monday, commissioners, staff and the few residents who showed up to the workshop had more questions for Georgia Cockerham, who spoke along with Sheriff’s Lt. Jeremy Krohn, in favor of the levy. They asked if they would consider using the levy to fund correctional deputies or if they thought about paying for a detective who could follow up on cases patrol deputies initially respond to.

Continue reading Curry County Law Enforcement Levy Proponents Say It’ll Free Up General Fund Dollars, Commissioners, Staff Still Have Questions →
Articles, CC Harbor, Infrastructure

Crescent City Harbor Roundup, Nov. 19, 2024

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The old Fashion Blacksmith building at the Crescent City Harbor. | Photo by Gavin Van Alstine

(Updated at 8:53 a.m. Monday to correct an error. The Crescent City Harbor District received a proposal to site a wave energy pilot project at the port.)

Among the items discussed at the Nov. 19 Harbor District meeting:

Old Fashion Blacksmith Building: Harbor commissioners unanimously approved contracting with SHN, a Eureka-based consulting firm, to conduct the first phase of an environmental assessment on the old Fashion Blacksmith building at 121 Starfish Way.

Phase one of the project is expected to cost $7,500 and would be paid for with Harbor Mitigation Grant Program dollars, interim harbormaster Mike Rademaker told commissioners.

Continue reading Crescent City Harbor Roundup, Nov. 19, 2024 →
Articles, CC Harbor, Community News, Economy

Pacific Seafood Said It Was Going To Take Ice Plant Equipment, Harbor Locked Them Out — Briefly

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Thumbnail photo by Paul Critz

(Updated at 9:16 a.m. Wednesday to correct an error. Pacific Seafood sold about 1,300 tons of ice last year, according to Interim Harbormaster Mike Rademaker.)

Mike Rademaker thought the Crescent City Harbor’s potential takeover of the ice plant was a good solution given the impending crab season — until the plant’s previous operator decided it was going to remove the equipment.

The interim harbormaster received this news Nov. 5, about a month after Pacific Seafood vacated the premises. With the Harbor District’s legal counsel stating that its previous tenant had abandoned its equipment when it ceased operations, Rademaker locked them out of the building.

But that lockout was short-lived, he told Redwood Voice Community News on Monday.

Continue reading Pacific Seafood Said It Was Going To Take Ice Plant Equipment, Harbor Locked Them Out — Briefly →
Articles, CC Harbor, Local Government

Current Harbor Board Bequeaths New Admin/Finance Policy, Revised Bylaws To Their Successors

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Thumbnail photo by Gavin Van Alstine

Despite a request from Commissioner-elect Dan Schmidt to table most of their Tuesday agenda, current Crescent City Harbor commissioners, including the “lame duckers,” approved their revised bylaws and updated finance and administration policy.

Outgoing commissioner Brian Stone urged his colleagues to vote on the latter item, which was listed on the agenda for discussion only. He said the Del Norte County Civil Grand Jury had asked the Harbor District to approve a credit card policy by Sept. 30.

Stone said he and his colleagues Wes White and Gerhardt Weber had also been working on revising the bylaws since June and urged them to finish up that unfinished business. 

Continue reading Current Harbor Board Bequeaths New Admin/Finance Policy, Revised Bylaws To Their Successors →
Articles, Curry, Law, Local Government

Service District Proposal For Curry County Sheriff Turns Into Pitch For Another Tax Levy

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Right after the Curry County Board of Commissioners heard a proposal to send another law enforcement tax levy before voters, a North Bank Chetco River Road resident said “unsavory people” frequenting Social Security Bar were destroying his property.

The property owner, whose name is Rob, said those “unsavory people” are known to Oregon State Police and are drug addicts. They have cut down his trees and left their refuse, including needles, behind. He asked commissioners on Thursday if they planned to install gates, recruit hosts or institute “any of that campground stuff” for the gravel bar that’s on the Chetco River four miles from U.S. 101 near Brookings.

“I’m at the point now, when it dries up, I’m going to import some riprap and I’m going to block the lower section of Social Security Bar to vehicle access,” Rob said, adding that the sheriff’s office doesn’t pick up his calls. “I’m at my wits’ end and I was wondering if there’s anything in the works.”

Continue reading Service District Proposal For Curry County Sheriff Turns Into Pitch For Another Tax Levy →
Articles, Community News, Local Government

Crescent City Finalizes Dispatch Agreement With the DNSO

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Photo courtesy of the Del Norte County Sheriff’s Office

Four Crescent City councilors approved an updated agreement with Del Norte County on Monday to receive dispatch services from the sheriff’s office.

The Council’s decision comes roughly a week after the Board of Supervisors agreed to the updated agreement on Nov. 12. According to Del Norte County Sheriff Garrett Scott, the arrangement between the city and county hadn’t been updated since 2009.

Councilor Jason Greenough was absent on Monday.

The city’s costs will be based on the actual staffing levels in the county dispatch center, with Crescent City paying for two dispatchers, City Manager Eric Wier told councilors. The sheriff’s office will provide dispatch services for the Crescent City Police Department and Crescent Fire & Rescue.

Continue reading Crescent City Finalizes Dispatch Agreement With the DNSO →