All posts by Jessica Cejnar Andrews

Articles, Curry, Local Government

Hollinger Accuses OSSA, Curry County Sheriff Of Trying to ‘Intimidate and Silence Him’; County’s Declaratory Judgment Petition Gets July 1 Hearing

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Patrick Hollinger

A defiant Patrick Hollinger accused the Oregon State Sheriff’s Association (OSSA) and Curry County Sheriff John Ward of trying to intimidate and silence him “through the deliberate twisting of state law.”

The Curry County commissioner’s statement Wednesday comes after the sheriff’s association issued a letter stating that a presentation Hollinger gave at a May 20 Board of Commissioners meeting incorrectly implied that OSSA supported the commissioners in their ongoing conflict with Ward.

“This is an attempt to discredit an elected official advocating for accountability and transparency, which is all I have ever done,” Hollinger said. “Oregon law is intended to ensure justice and fairness. What we are witnessing is a deliberate distortion of the law intended to discredit an elected official and erode the public trust in those who are sworn to uphold it.”

Continue reading Hollinger Accuses OSSA, Curry County Sheriff Of Trying to ‘Intimidate and Silence Him’; County’s Declaratory Judgment Petition Gets July 1 Hearing →
Articles, Crescent City, Local Government

Crescent City Pursues New Design For Gateway Project Despite Tight Deadline

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Thumbnail: Consultants Don Arambula and Gill Williams convinced the new Crescent City Council last month that the gateway should incorporate redwoods into the design. | Screenshot

Crescent City leaders have scrapped the nautical theme they chose late last year for a gateway, listening to a new consultant who urged them to incorporate redwoods into the design.

Don Arambula, co-founder of the Portland-based architect and urban design firm Crandall Arambula, pointed out that 2.5 million tourists don’t necessarily visit the North Coast for the beach, though it’s important to the local community.

“There’s an expectation for those visitors who are coming from across America and sometimes internationally to see things that they associate with the redwood parks,” he told Councilor Jason Greenough who had misgivings about the new gateway proposal being constructed largely of wood. “If you’re building things in metal and it’s colored and doesn’t reflect that, you’re losing a big opportunity to reinforce this idea that your downtown is the gateway, or the starting point, for any journey that goes into Redwood National Park that is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.”

Continue reading Crescent City Pursues New Design For Gateway Project Despite Tight Deadline →
Community News

Oregon State Sheriff’s Association Says Curry County Commissioner’s Implication That It Sides With BOC On Dispute With John Ward Is False

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Thumbnail: Oregon State Sheriff’s Association logo

Patrick Hollinger appears to have run afoul of the Oregon State Sheriff’s Association, whose executive director says that the Curry County commissioner’s recent recitation of a question-and-answer session he had led incorrectly implies that OSSA supports the county’s position in its conflict with Sheriff John Ward.

Tim Svenson, former Yamhill County sheriff and current OSSA executive director, said he initially wasn’t aware Hollinger was recording him during the presentation he gave at a recent Association of Oregon Counties County College training session. 

And though Svenson later gave Hollinger permission to report back to his Board some of the content of the Q/A, the OSSA executive director said the transcript Hollinger read into the record at the Board’s May 20 meeting was taken out of context.

“The transcription of the Q/A was done in a way to attempt to … show a theme where OSSA is supporting Curry County’s position with their argument they’re having down there with the sheriff,” Svenson told Redwood Voice Community News on Tuesday. “And OSSA as a whole has not taken a position on any of the things going on down there. Politics are local. It’s up to the sheriff to deal with that. We don’t get into those types of issues because it doesn’t affect the entire state.”

Continue reading Oregon State Sheriff’s Association Says Curry County Commissioner’s Implication That It Sides With BOC On Dispute With John Ward Is False →
Articles, Law, Local Government

Crescent City Councilors Weigh In On Body Cameras, Military Equipment Policy, Wastewater Treatment Study

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Crescent City Mayor Ray Altman and Councilor Jason Greenough were absent. Among the items discussed at Monday’s Crescent City Council meeting:

Axon body cameras: Crescent City renewed a five-year agreement with Axon that will equip its police officers with body cameras and Tasers as well as provide evidence storage. The Council’s decision included equipping three additional officers with body cameras. 

This will include two reserve officer positions as well as a community service officer, Crescent City Police Chief Richard Griffin said. The contract’s total cost will be just under $300,000 with the funding coming from Measure S.

Continue reading Crescent City Councilors Weigh In On Body Cameras, Military Equipment Policy, Wastewater Treatment Study →
Articles, Local Government, Youth

Probation To Partner With County Office of Ed On Substance Abuse Programs For Youth

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Two years after receiving nearly $3 million in Prop. 64 grant money, Del Norte’s probation chief will enlist the County Office of Education to help figure out how to use those dollars to benefit local youth.

Del Norte County Chief Probation Officer Lonnie Reyman said he hopes to develop programs centered around youth,substance abuse prevention and early intervention as well as treatment and rehabilitation. 

Since the grant dollars come from the Control, Regulate and Tax Adult Use of Marijuana Act approved by California voters in 2016 as Proposition 64, the programs will focus on marijuana, he said.

Continue reading Probation To Partner With County Office of Ed On Substance Abuse Programs For Youth →
Articles, Community News, Crime

CCPD Still Searching For Shooting Suspects, Arrest A Third

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Russell Walters Jr. (left) and Russell Walters Sr. (right) | Courtesy CCPD

Crescent City police are still searching for 17-year-old Russell Walters Jr. and his father Russell Walter Sr., 65, in connection with last week’s shooting at the Jedediah Smith Shopping Center.

Police have also arrested a third person, 32-year-old Joshua Roberts, who they say helped the two suspects evade police, Crescent City Police Chief Richard Griffin told Redwood Voice Community News on Monday. 

“We have evidence of him picking [Walters Jr. and Sr.] up after the shooting and driving away from the house,” Griffin said. “He’s on parole and a search was done and that’s where the firearms, an AR-15 and semiautomatic handgun were located with ammo and he was arrested [on suspicion of] aiding and abetting.”

Continue reading CCPD Still Searching For Shooting Suspects, Arrest A Third →
Articles, CC Harbor, Community News, Local Government

Commissioner Levies Court Complaint Against Crescent City Harbor District, Harbormaster

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Annie Nehmer

The day before she accused Mike Rademaker of falsifying public records, Harbor Commissioner Annie Nehmer formally petitioned the courts to halt the release of a report looking into the harbormaster’s alleged misconduct.

Nehmer also states in her petition for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction, filed Tuesday in Del Norte County Superior Court, that the Harbor District Board of Commissioners violated the Brown Act by not publicly reporting a May 13 vote to release the report.

The report is based on an investigation conducted by Sacramento consultant HRtoGO, and though Harbormaster Mike Rademaker states otherwise, it is not yet finished, Nehmer told Redwood Voice Community News on Friday.

“We have not received notification that it’s complete or final,” she said.

Continue reading Commissioner Levies Court Complaint Against Crescent City Harbor District, Harbormaster →
Articles, CC Harbor, Community News, Local Government

Harbor Board, Minus One Commissioner, Approve Rademaker’s Contract Amid Insolvency Rumors

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Harbormaster Mike Rademaker

Before asking her colleagues to consider taking protective action against potential insolvency, Crescent City Harbor Commissioner Annie Nehmer stood at the podium, invoked state and federal whistleblower laws and said the port may run out of cash within four to nine months.

There’s been no spending freeze or emergency budget discussion, Nehmer said, and the Harbor District Board in April gave their CEO a $24,000 raise “without disclosing the financial impact or explaining the decision to the public.”

Nehmer urged her colleagues to think twice about continuing to employ Harbormaster Mike Rademaker and voted no when, at the end of a closed-session meeting Wednesday, they finally approved his five-year contract.

Continue reading Harbor Board, Minus One Commissioner, Approve Rademaker’s Contract Amid Insolvency Rumors →
Articles, Infrastructure, Local Government

Proposed $1,500 Rock Contribution Leads To Debate Over Repairs to Non County-Maintained Roads

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Thumbnail photo by Paul Critz

Despite her initial worry that approving a purchase for a private road would open a tin of segmented invertebrates, Valerie Starkey came around to the idea of contributing $1,500 in rock for the Carole Lane area north of Crescent City.

The Del Norte County District 2 supervisor had initially told County Engineer Jon Olson on Tuesday that she would oppose adding the purchase to the budget set aside for repairs to roads not maintained by the county. Starkey’s no vote turned into a yes after her colleague, District 1 representative Darrin Short, made a motion to approve the purchase but only if the rock were used on parts of Carole Lane that are public.

“Just the public road intersections of Carole, Monopoly and Embarcadero,” Short said.

Continue reading Proposed $1,500 Rock Contribution Leads To Debate Over Repairs to Non County-Maintained Roads →
Alerts, Articles, Crescent City, Crime

CCPD Investigating Shooting At Safeway Parking Lot; One Victim Hospitalized

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Updated at 10:18 p.m. to correct the suspects name.

Update May 29 at 1:00PM

CCPD has arrested Joshua Roberts in connection with the investigation regarding the shooting Wednesday evening. Officers gathered evidence that Roberts picked up the two individuals CCPD is searching for and drove them out of Crescent City. Officers contacted Roberts,
who was on parole, and conducted a search of his vehicle. During the search an AR15, semi-automatic shotgun, and several hundred rounds of ammunition were located.

Roberts is currently being held at the Del Norte County Jail, and there are active arrest warrants for Russell Walters, Sr. and Russell Walters, Jr. in connection with the shooting Wednesday evening.

Del Norte Unified School District Director of Communications Michael Hawkins stated that there is an increased police presence surrounding Del Norte schools at this time, including patrols. Del Norte High School has elected to undergo further precautions including entrance monitoring and locking its classroom doors. As of 11:50 AM there have been no apparent threats made to Del Norte County schools, Hawkins told Redwood Voice Community News.

Update at 10:13 p.m.

Crescent City police are seeking the public’s help in finding Russell Walters Jr., the suspect involved in a shooting that took place at Safeway earlier this evening.

Walters will be charged with attempted homicide, Crescent City Police Chief Richard Griffin said. CCPD is working with the Del Norte County District Attorney to obtain an arrest warrant in case the suspect leaves the area, Griffin said.

According to the police chief, Walters was seen leaving the area as a passenger in a black Chevrolet Traverse. The vehicle has a disabled license plate, number EP007. Griffin said his department is actively working with the DA’s office and the Del Norte County Sheriff’s Office.

Continue reading CCPD Investigating Shooting At Safeway Parking Lot; One Victim Hospitalized →