“We are a place-based people,” Emily Reed said as a map of the Del Norte coast appeared on the screen behind her. Gone are the familiar landmarks, the names of local towns replaced with the traditional Tolowa names of the villages that came before. “And the locations of where we are and where we are going hold deep significance.”
Reed is the Administrative Services Director for the Tolowa Dee-ni’ Nation as well as the current president of the Crescent City – Del Norte Chamber of Commerce. Either role could have landed her the gig as first presenter at the 2025 Del Norte Economic Summit, the yearly confab held by the Chamber in which local leaders gather to discuss the community’s collective economic future.
As the Chamber’s executive director Cindy Vosburg explained, the economic summit is “an opportunity to bring the business community together and share what’s happening, what the city’s going to be working on, what the county’s working on. It’s a time to celebrate good things, it’s not the time to talk about what’s bad in our county, but to celebrate what’s good here. It also brings business people together and our local governments together and a lot of good things come out of that type of collaboration.”
April 22nd, 2025 – For Redwood Voice Community News, a production of Redwood Voice Youth Media, today’s news: roadwork updates from CalTrans District 1; with the Del Norte Senior Center’s funding up in the air, the Area 1 Agency on Aging will contribute $96,000 to the program; Brookings Mayor Isaac Hodges turns down his appointment as Commissioner Brad Alcorn’s replacement; highlights from District 2 Assemblyman Chris Rogers’ Community Office Hours; Del Norte’s Assistant Administrative officer is charged with a felony hit & run whilst driving under the influence; Nautical News from Kenny Priest of Fishing the North Coast; this weekend the City of Brookings will be celebrating Elmo Williams Day at the Capella by the Sea; while California’s commercial salmon fishing season remains closed for the third year in a row, salmon and steelhead numbers in NorCal rivers are on the rise; the Yurok Fire Department will be holding a cultural burning seminar later this week; PBS and BBC cover the Klamath Dam removal in their documentary series “Changing Planet”; and a proposed California Bill will charge oil and gas companies a one time fee as compensation for the costs associated with pollution. 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 taken as a screenshot from Google Maps, which has been edited.
The AI Task Force Steering Committee came back to the Del Norte Unified School District Board of Trustees with a draft policy on the acceptable use of Artificial Intelligence, or AI, April 10.
The policy is meant to outline the acceptable uses of AI within schools, with goals to foster safe and ethical use, enhance learning and teaching, and develop digital literacy. It also outlines guidelines for use by teachers, staff, and students. The criteria needed to vet AI tools, frequently asked questions, and the consequences for violating the policy are also included.
(Updated at 4:08 p.m. Monday to clarify the location of the collision.)
Del Norte County’s assistant county administrative officer has been charged with felony hit and run and with driving under the influence in connection with a two-vehicle collision that took place Saturday evening.
Randy Hooper, 44, was booked into the Del Norte County Jail and released on $225,000 bond, according to the Del Norte County Sheriff’s Office Public Information Portal. According to the California Highway Patrol’s public information officer, Pete Gonzalez, the collision took place on Sand Mine Road just east of U.S. 101 near Sand Mine Road and U.S. 101 at about 10 p.m. Saturday.
The other party in the incident sustained possible minor injuries, Gonzalez told Redwood Voice Community News on Monday. Though the report on the incident is not yet complete, Gonzalez said it didn’t appear that either party had passengers in their vehicles.
Gonzalez was unable to say how far from the scene of the accident officers detained Hooper. According to the DNSO’s Public Information Portal, the sheriff’s office was the arresting agency.
April 21st, 2025 – For Redwood Voice Community News, a production of Redwood Voice Youth Media, today’s news: roadwork updates from CalTrans District 1; Curry County Commissioners are hesitant to sign over authority of the $300,000 in opioid treatment funds to the Sheriff; Brookings Mayor Isaac Hodges declined his appointment as Commissioner Brad Alcorn’s replacement; the Del Norte Sheriff’s Office is seeking community input regarding an arson case; California Assemblymember Chris Rogers hosted a community office at Paragon Coffee House Wednesday; Del Norte Child Care Council’s Little School of the Redwoods preschool program will cease operations August 22nd; nautical news from Kenny Priest of Fishing the North Coast; Brookings Police Department takes a moment to acknowledge their 911 dispatchers; April 27th Brookings will be celebrating Elmo Williams Day at the Capella by the Sea; the Yurok Watershed & Roads Department is offering a heavy equipment operator training program; the BBC and PBS cover the Yurok Tribe’s dam removal in their documentary series “Changing Planet”; topics discussed by the Tolowa Dee-ni’ Nation at Crescent City’s recent economic summit; and information on fire restrictions from the Gold Beach Fire Department. 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 newscast image is courtesy of KFUG Station Coordinator Amanda Dockter, which has been edited.
Charlaine Mazzei acknowledged the truth in a statement Chris Howard made at the last Board of Supervisors meeting: There’s no word yet on whether the Del Norte Senior Center will get the federal dollars it needs to feed more than 800 individuals.
But during a conversation with Redwood Voice Community News last week, Mazzei, the senior center’s executive director, added a couple of caveats. One, things change every day, and two, the Area 1 Agency on Aging will contribute $96,000 to the program.
“That’s going to help a lot, but it really is kind of patching things together because we have no clue when the state is going to do anything with the CDBG,” she said. “They kind of do things in their own time. We can’t reliably say, as of this date, we’re going to have funding.”
Digital Event Flyer for the “Community Office Hours” event.
Chris Rogers was elected to represent California’s 2nd Assembly district last year. This Northern California district is sparsely populated in comparison to other Californian regions, meaning there is only one representative tasked with covering Del Norte, Humboldt, Mendocino, Trinity, and Sonoma counties. This poses a stark contrast relative to the twenty-seven representatives afforded to Los Angeles County.
As such, Rogers has quite a bit of ground to cover during his week “off” to consult with his constituents. Not just geographically, but ideologically. These five counties embody wildly different cultural values and economic realities – not only from the rest of California, but from each other.
In addition to attending the Crescent City-Del Norte County Chamber of Commerce Economic Summit, Rogers hosted “community office hours” at Paragon Coffee House on Wednesday. The event drew 20 to 30 of his constituents, young and old, who gathered around the assemblyman’s table in a small corner of the cafe.
April 18th, 2025 – For Redwood Voice Community News, a production of Redwood Voice Youth Media, today’s news: roadwork updates from CalTrans District 1; Pebble Beach Drive reopens after a prior winter rainstorm; the Del Norte County Sheriff’s Office is requesting community help for an ongoing investigation; the Curry County Board of Commissioners calls for a workshop pertaining to their Jail Grant; Brooking City Council approves a vacant property fee; the Mayor of Brookings and Chief Nursing Officer of Curry Health Network, Isaac Hodges, has been appointed as a new Curry Commissioner; the Brookings Police Department shows appreciation for their 911 Dispatchers; the DNUSD community update from Superintendent Jeff Harris; a Public Service Announcement from the Del Norte Child Care Council; a fire safety reminder from the Gold Beach Fire Department; information on the Tolowa Dee-ni’ Nation’s presentation from the 2025 Economic Summit; the Tolowa Dee-ni’ Nation invites the community to support the upcoming Missing & Murdered Indigenous People Awareness Walk; the Yurok Watershed Restoration and Roads Department is seeking trainees, as well as a coordinator; the CDFW announces their Golden Mussel Response Framework along with $1 million in grant funding; a Hands Off rally will be taking place tomorrow in Grants Pass; and some helpful tips to combat this years allergy 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 newscast image is taken as a screenshot from Google Maps, which has been edited.
Brookings Mayor Isaac Hodges declined his appointment as Brad Alcorn’s replacement on the Curry County Board of Commissioners, the county announced Friday.
In a letter to the Board of Commissioners — and provided to Redwood Voice Community News by Brookings City Council President Andy Martin — Hodges said he would be unable to fulfill the responsibilities of county commissioner “due to my personal and professional obligations.”
“I believe it is in the best interest of the county to respectfully decline the appointment,” Hodges wrote. “I sincerely apologize for the additional work and time this decision has caused.”
On Friday, Martin said praised the work his colleague and the entire City Council has done to foster transparency and openness in the City of Brookings. There have been few closed executive sessions since the community’s new city manager, Tim Rundel, was hired, Martin said, and more city businesses and workshops have been open to the public.
“Isaac brings institutional knowledge about Brookings to the Council and a common sense approach to local governance,” Martin said. “We will continue to be fortunate to have him as our mayor.”
The new deadline to apply for the county commissioner position is 5 p.m. Tuesday. Those who had submitted applications previously will be considered for the post and don’t need to submit a new position.
The Board will conduct interviews and make a decision at a special meeting at 1 p.m. Wednesday.
Those who are interested in applying for the position can visit the county’s website or visit the Board of Commissioners Office in person at 94235 Moore Street in Gold Beach.
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Brad Alcorn essentially chose his predecessor on Tuesday, though he didn’t vote.
Praising the way he approached a shoplifting incident involving the now-former city manager that eventually led to City Council recalls about a year and a half ago, Alcorn recommended Brookings Mayor Isaac Hodges to take on the role of Curry County commissioner.
Before making his recommendation, however, Alcorn said he doesn’t have a personal relationship with Hodges, though they have interacted with each other in their capacity as elected officials. Alcorn said Hodges also reached out to him after he submitted his application for the commissioner seat.
“It was very in depth and it was very detailed and the questions Isaac was asking me were pretty deep questions about our issues,” Alcorn said of their conversation. “I could sense in our conversation your desire to move things forward and continue to progress [on] the positive things we’ve been able to impact here. And, man, did you do your homework and research, and I applaud you for that
Thumbnail photo courtesy of the Del Norte County Sheriff’s Office. Above: The DNSO is asking residents in the vicinity of the 1400 block of West Macken for assistance in seeking a person-of-interest connected with a suspected arson.
The Del Norte County Sheriff’s Office is seeking a person-of-interest connected with a suspected arson that took place at a home on the 1400 block of West Macken Avenue in Crescent City at about noon Wednesday.
The fire has rendered the home uninhabitable, Undersheriff Devon Perry told Redwood Voice Community News on Thursday. The DNSO is currently building a case and is seeking information about an individual who was wearing dark colored clothing and was seen on video surveillance leaving the area, though Perry said he was unable to release further details about the subject.
“A neighbor saw smoke coming out from underneath the residence, contacted the tenant of that residence and discovered there was a fire going on underneath,” Perry said. “The fire department was contacted and upon arrival requested deputy assistance for suspected arson.”
