Del Norte County supervisors gave Crescent City the financial boost it needs to proceed with a project to underground most of the utility lines at its southern gateway.
Four members of the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday authorized the transfer of $2.4 million in Rule20 work credits the county has with Pacific Power to the city before they expire in about six weeks.
“Improvements to the city are improvements to the county,” District 2 Supervisor Valerie Starkey told City Manager Eric Wier, who went before the Board with City Attorney Martha Rice to provide a brief overview of the city’s plans for using those work credits. “We don’t have a current project earmarked for this and so I’m very much for this and hope that you meet the deadline.”
Thumbnail: Del Norte County supervisors Valerie Starkey and Dean Wilson join the former Crescent City Council at a groundbreaking ceremony of the new Battery Point Apartments in September 2024. | Photo by Jessica Cejnar Andrews
Among the items discussed at Monday’s Crescent City Council meeting:
Opposition to Housing Bill: Though nearly 300 new housing units are being constructed in Crescent City, the City Council opposed a bill the League of California Cities says streamlines development at the expense of local environmental and public review.
Assembly Bill 647 would allow for up to eight housing units — only one of which would be set aside for affordable housing — on lots housing single-family homes, City Manager Eric Wier said, citing the nonprofit organization that advocates for local municipalities.
Introduced by Los Angeles-area assemblyman Mark Gonzalez in February, the legislation would supersede “a lot of our planning ordinances,” Wier said, and would allow those housing units to be developed without review by the Planning Commission or the City Council.
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.”
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
April 17th, 2025 – For Redwood Voice Community News, a production of Redwood Voice Youth Media, today’s news: roadwork updates from CalTrans District 1; North Coast Rape Crisis team’s executive director issued a call to action to Del Norte County supervisors; Brookings City Council approved an ordinance to require an annual $25 payment from owners of vacant properties; a community update from DNUSD superintendent Jeff Harris; the State of California has developed a Golden Mussel Response Framework to address the invasive species; California’s commercial salmon fisheries will remain closed for the third year in a row; the Tolowa Dee-ni’ Nation recognized April as alcohol awareness month; Del Norte’s 3rd annual Missing & Murdered Indigenous Persons Awareness Walk is coming up in May; Grants Pass will be having a Hands Off rally this weekend; and tips to aid allergies this 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 courtesy of the California Department of Fish & Wildlife, which has been edited.
With one of its members citing the broken windows theory, the Brookings City Council on Monday approved an ordinance that would charge vacant property owners a $25 annual fee and require them to fill out a registration form.
The decision wasn’t unanimous. Council President Andy Martin said he felt the city should invest in economic development and make decisions that would attract businesses to Brookings. Requiring the owners of vacant properties to pay an annual fee and register with the city was government overreach, he said.
“I think government should get involved as little as possible in telling people what they can and can’t do with their property,” he said.
