Yreka’s City Council passed an ordinance over the summer that outlawed camping in public areas targeting several persistent homeless encampments including a hill near Siskiyou County Behavioral Health Services dotted with dozens of tents The City Council’s decision came after a U.S. Supreme Court ruling in June allowing localities to ban public camping, even if no shelters exist for those ticketed. In July, California Governor Gavin Newsom, in support of the court’s decision, signed an executive order directing agencies to remove homeless encampments on state land But although Yreka now has the power to clear encampments authorities have been waiting for the county’s first adult homeless shelter to open before they enforce the law “A lot of our homeless individuals that have some of the biggest challenges — these are people that are homegrown,” said Tara Kilcollins program manager for Yreka's planned shelter Our board of supervisor representatives have known them since they were little kids And they know that this isn't a problem that can just be pushed somewhere else.” The city set a Nov. 1 deadline to clear homeless encampments, figuring that was plenty of time for Kilcollins’ 32-bed shelter, Yreka Basecamp, to open But Kilcollins said there were delays as North Valley Catholic Social Services the non-profit group building the facility faced challenges like finding contractors in the rural area and meeting California building codes strict Americans with Disabilities Act requirements have contributed to keeping the shelter from becoming operational as quickly as possible “We're looking at a situation where people that are bound to wheelchairs are literally living on a dirt hill that's very steep,” said Kilcollins “So if they can't go over a tiny little bump to get into the building But we don't care that they're living on a hill.” Kilcollins said a declaration of a shelter crisis by local government could have cut some of that red tape she said getting the shelter up and running has been a struggle “Our kitchen has been a significant issue,” said Kilcollins any area that you have your permit for has to be completely up to code.” Yreka authorities have held off clearing encampments so far knowing the Yreka Basecamp as well as the city's own 15-unit tiny home village need more time for completion Kilcollins said the shelter would open in January under a best-case scenario That opening wouldn’t beat the cold Yreka winter but would be in time for next year’s fire season She said concern over wildfires is a major motivation for wanting the encampments cleared we've had so many unexpected things happen with this building that every time that we think that we have a date or a timeline — The California Highway Patrol (CHP) reported that officers responded to a big rig fire on Sunday night in Yreka CHP received reports of a big rig car hauler that had caught fire on southbound I-5 at Anderson Grade Summit identified as a 53-year-old male from Springfield was uninjured and is cooperating with the investigation The cause of the fire is still under investigation a small diesel leak was discovered on the right shoulder The California Highway Patrol Yreka Area is continuing to investigate the incident Leases for seven federal agencies in the North State and North Coast were among the more than 60 being cancelled throughout California, according to the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) website. Weaverville and Chico were on the government shutdown list There were also two Arcata offices and one in Eureka earmarked for closure on the DOGE list Cost savings to be realized from the closings will amount to $623,779 the website said there would be about 61 lease cuts It was not clear when the termination notices were sent or when the shutdowns would be effective The website listed a total of 748 federal facility leases that are scheduled for termination The leases account for more than 9.5 million square feet in property and $660 million in savings was created by President Donald Trump's administration to find ways to cut spending the website listed cutbacks in federal agencies and cancellations of contracts Michele Chandler covers public safety, dining and whatever else comes up for the Redding Record Searchlight/USA Today Network. Accepts story tips at 530-338-7753 and at mrchandler@gannett.com. Please support our entire newsroom's commitment to public service journalism by subscribing today Six candidates are competing for two available seats on the Yreka City Council offering a range of ideas related to their own vision for the future of Siskiyou’s county seat and some of the larger projects and challenges facing the city Voters will select two candidates for council with the top two vote-getters becoming council-members The candidates range in backgrounds and ages from real estate and retired health care to public service The Siskiyou Daily News is providing brief profiles of each candidate has been a regular attendee of city council meetings as well the many other public government meetings including the city’s finance committee She currently serves on the the Yreka Planning Commission who grew up in Etna and moved to Yreka in 2005 has positioned herself as a voice for the city’s homeless population Autry has served as a cook for catering operations and was an Etna business owner She is currently disabled and is often seen with her service dog Max There’s a lot of misunderstanding about the homeless,” said Autry who supports the idea of developing an urban campground for homeless residents and a “car camping location.” Autry also hopes to bring more housing to Yreka So that the employers can add more jobs,” said Autry “The hospital is expanding and we need places for those people to live One key capital and quality-of-life project the council will be faced with is the future of Ringe Pool Yreka’s non-operating and all-but-abandoned city swimming pool near Yreka High School City officials have been exploring a replacement plan for the site and the next City Council will be charging with either moving forward or taking some other course Autry believes grant funding could be available for the project’s construction and wants to loosen Yreka’s ban on cannabis dispensaries eying the businesses as a source of tax revenue to be used to pay for the pool’s operation and upkeep How to register to vote in Siskiyou County, California: Key dates for Election Day 2024 But we have to have a way to maintain it every year,” said Autry “I support rebuilding the pool and finding a way to get the tax dollars.” Autry has also proposed other parks and recreation type of projects like developing a dog park in Greenhorn Park She has proposed also proposed revisiting dog licensing fees Economic and community development are central to what motivates James Clair who has been living in the area on and off for about 40 years grew up in Yreka and recalls fondly the kinds of community spirit that animated his childhood This is the kind of future and vision he said he holds for the city But just with me living here for so long…it’s a great place to live a great placed to be raised in,” said Clair Clair’s professional background is in law enforcement He has worked for the Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office and Weed Police Department He now serves as an investigator for the Siskiyou County District Attorney’s Office Clair also serves on the Board of Directors for the Siskiyou Family YMCA and has been an advocate for the redevelopment of Ringe Pool in Yreka “There’s no reason why we can’t have something to enjoy calling attention to public pools in nearby communities including Montague “The importance of it is pretty high to me “You have kids here locally that don’t even know how to swim.” as well as exploring public-private partnerships Seeing the development of more housing — single-family multi-family and affordable — is another area where Clair wants to focus his energies More election news: Yreka Fire Department sales tax proposal is on the ballot “More housing could actually get our workforce built up a little bit as well,” said Clair Gliatto is another familiar face at council and Board of Supervisor meetings following a long career as a registered nurse in the Bay Area She has been an organizer of politically conservative movements like the Tea Party following the election of President Barack Obama in 2008 She now helps to lead the Siskiyou Patriots group which has staked its position firmly behind former President Donald Trump The Siskiyou Patriots group supports Trump's falsehoods about his election loss in 2020 and has questioned the safety and efficacy of vaccines Gliatto has opposed the expansion of cannabis dispensaries and even opposed the city’s recent United Against Hate proclamation Gliatto would like to see the development of more mental healthcare services this may be outside of the scope of the city Gliatto has characterized the city’s housing shortage as the result of over-regulation from the state she opposed a move designed to make the city more attractive for housing-related grant funding and development That "Prohousing Designation" from the state would have allowed builders to reduce required parking construct more multi-family housing and streamline the approval development process — all changes that advocates say would make housing easier and cheaper to build Related: Yreka passes on initiative to grow housing Gliatto has remained uncommitted to redeveloping Yreka's now closed Ringe Pool saying she wants a thorough examination of the project’s costs “Do we have money in the budget to do that Do we have money to maintain it?” Gliatto offered Gliatto continued: “If your roof is leaking you don’t go out and build a swimming pool We’ve got a lot of things that need taking care of in this city Corey MiddletonLocal real estate agent Corey Middleton is the only incumbent seeking one of the two available seats on the City Council Councilman Duane Kegg opted to not seek a third term is finishing up his first term and serving as the city’s mayor it’s about continuing on some of the projects I haven’t been able to achieve and ran on,” said Middleton when asked what he’d like to accomplish in a second term Having a functioning public swimming pool is one of those projects Working toward more solutions around homelessness is another The city recently approved an ordinance to outlaw camping in public places where the court ruled cities and counties may enact laws to prohibit what is generally regarded as public camping by those who are unhoused having a law on the books making it illegal to camp does not solve the homeless crisis the council has been reminded both by its own members and the public “I think there’s a misconception with the citizens of Yreka that it (homelessness) is going to go away This is a first step toward a major problem we’ve been dealing with,” said Middleton Constructing a public policy that creates more attainable housing is a focus for Middleton who concedes housing costs are too high for many residents “If you’re making $18 an hour and your average rent is $900 a month A redeveloped public swimming pool is another quality-of-life issue Middleton says he intends to fight for "Not only do we have to find the funding source to build the pool we have to find the funding source to operate it,” he added “Our community and our school — swim team — deserve a pool in our community,” said Middleton Pope has been living in the area since 1964. In 2016, he retired after 13 years with Siskiyou County, where he served as an Equipment Services Worker Pope has been a volunteer with the Yreka Fire Department He also served more than 20 years in the Army National Guard “I do this because we have a good community And they expect us to be there,” Pope told the Yreka City Council at its Jan when the council was hearing from members of the fire department and the struggles the agency faces Pope said he does the job because he enjoys it we beat the ambulance there 98% of the time Pope says listening to people has been at the heart of his leadership philosophy “The best thing you can do to be a good leader is listen to your people And they will do your job for you,” said Pope hosted by the Siskiyou County Republican Central Committee a local real estate agent with Heritage Properties looks to the Yreka he used to know as the kind of place he hopes to help the city return to what he describes as helping to “move Yreka back to the amazing city I remember...from growing up.” has spent much of his life in Siskiyou County Shasta and raised in Montague until his family moved to Yreka when Williams was in seventh grade He graduated from Yreka High School in 1995 “I believe that running small businesses has prepared me with experience a knowledge base and the soft skills that the position requires,” said Williams who with his wife owned and operated ABC Cleaning & Disaster Restoration from 1996 until it was sold in 2002 The couple then bought Fergie's Qwik Stop in Grenada in 1999 “To be a successful business owner is not what most people visualize it to look like,” he reflected hardest and (have) commitment to something much bigger than yourself.” Skip Descant is a freelance journalist. He’s written for newspapers in California, Arkansas, Mississippi and Louisiana. He lives in downtown Yreka. he can be reached at edescant@me.com Please join the Watershed Stewards Program in collaboration with the City of Yreka for a day of removing invasive blackberry and trash Our work will ensure that this space can serve as habitat for important species for years to come Parking is available outside of the Siskiyou County Museum and north of the site near the Siskiyou County Probation Department but please arrive with a full water bottle to refill please email Christy.Wheatley@Wildlife.ca.gov Officials in Yreka are already quietly putting piece in place place to move forward with the development of a new fire station in hopeful anticipation that voters will approve a sales tax increase to provide the funding Along with planning a new $20 million fire station project the city has proposed a restructured Yreka Fire Department as a hybrid paid and volunteer force Several sites are being considered as a possible location for the fire station but the long-abandoned Shop Smart retailer on Main Street has surfaced as the most likely spot “If the city receives funding to stand up the fire hall that we are currently designing will make the argument…that we need to buy the Shop Smart building and we need to tear it down,” said City Manager Jason Ledbetter It’s a move that could accomplish multiple goals at once by redeveloping a prime site that has sat abandoned and fenced off for more than a decade while also giving the fire station a new facility in the center of town A realistic redevelopment for a lingering community eyesore may also be the sort of move to drum up support for the tax measure More: How to register to vote in Siskiyou County, California: Key dates for Election Day 2024 The challenges for the fire department have been long known The department has been operating out of the outdated 90-year-old Ley Station on Miner Street fielding a growing number of calls for service which have overburdened the 30-member volunteer staff calls for service have increased from slightly more than 100 per year to 2,000 the Yreka department would reorganize to include a paid staff consisting of three fire captain positions and three fire engineer positions with the addition of a paid assistant in the following three to five years The debt servicing for a fire hall and the six staff member proposal would work within the 1% sales tax initiative which is expected to generate $2.4 million to $2.8 million annually the only paid fire department staff member is the fire chief We need somebody who is officially working at the site so that we don’t have an instance where we’re reliant only on volunteers,” said Ledbetter Selling a new tax to voters is always an uphill climb More: Sales tax increase heading to Yreka? Voters will decide A sales tax was seen by city officials as an approach that would have the smallest impact on Yreka residents since it is paid by anyone shopping in Yreka This would include drivers pulling off of Interstate-5 or other consumers driving in from neighboring communities One rough estimate offered by the city speculates that only about 60% of sales tax collections are actually paid by Yreka residents and no one in the state pays sales tax on groceries A restructured professional fire department could also improve the city’s overall fire safety possibly helping to control what has become a problem of escalating property insurance rates City officials have refrained from offering this argument but they also don’t want to overlook the potential impact Fire fighters are “not just sitting around waiting for the next fire or med call 'how am I improving the community?'” said Juliana Lucchesi More: Overworked: Yreka Fire Department takes its call for relief to the City Council “And all of those go into the calculation for your insurance ratings,” added Lucchesi it’s not that we’re just going to raise this revenue for the city this revenue is going to be reinvested back into this town." Lucchesi continued: “This has bigger impact beyond just the city’s going to get more money to hire some fire staff and build a fire hall This is a long term strategy to help people not lose their homes.” The long-term effects of hiring a full-time fire department will result in improved response times and more consistency in training City council candidates speakA sales tax increase requiring a simple majority for passage was not the only idea the council could have put in front of voters Some residents advocated for a “special tax,” one that would generate funding which could only be applied toward the fire department This option would have had a higher threshold for passage which Ledbetter described as “dead on arrival.” Even the fire department steered away from this option advocating for a “general sales tax,” which would generate money for the general fund and only require 50% approval for passage Critics of this idea said the council could renege on paying for the fire department offering far-fetched scenarios where the city doesn’t bother to make the annual payments on a new fire station — estimated at $745,000 to $1.2 million annually — ideas city officials and the council characterized as wildly overstated “We’re not going to default,” Councilman Paul McCoy said flatly at the June 4 council meeting during a discussion of the issue Several of the six candidates have not got behind the sales tax saying the council should have opted for the special tax to be dedicated to the fire department and you don’t know what the next City Council is going to do,” said Louise Gliatto a candidate for one of two available seats on the City Council The event was organized by the Siskiyou County Republican Central Committee Gliatto was an organizer of the Tea Party movement — a reaction to the election of President Barak Obama in 2008 — which morphed into the Siskiyou Patriots organization a politically conservative group strongly supportive of former President Donald Trump that has questioned the outcome of the 2020 election and the efficacy of vaccines The Patriots have followed the evolution of the modern day Republican party with its generally dismissive attitude toward the media and government for the media and the newspaper and government,” said Gliatto in an interview with the Siskiyou Daily News if the people feel confident that” the sales tax would only go toward supporting the fire department “I support the fact that they (fire department) need the money saying she would “even go out and campaign” for a dedicated tax “If it were all earmarked for the fire department in an interview with the Siskiyou Daily News let’s look at our options and what we can try to do to figure this out,’” said Clair in an interview But I would like to look around to see what our options are.” supports the sales tax proposal “100 percent.” Incumbent councilman Corey Middleton also supports the proposal the council will be faced with what can only be described as difficult options One idea is to transition the volunteer fire staff to “reserve” status where they are paid a stipend for their shifts This model is used by the city of Anderson “It’s a way to schedule volunteers,” said Ledbetter As to the future of a building a new fire station or redeveloping the former Shop Smart site that would almost certainly be put on hold Ledbetter said the message is “the town at that point has not valued the proposition Skip Descant is a freelance journalist. He’s written for newspapers in California, Arkansas, Mississippi and Louisiana. He lives in downtown Yreka. he can be reached at edescant@me.com     With the passage of a one percent sales tax measure last November the volunteer fire department in Yreka will no longer be all-volunteer city council members approved hiring six firefighters to help with an increasing number of medical calls which make up the majority of emergencies the department responds to City HR Director John Elsnab said they are hoping to have the firefighters start working in July “There's still quite a lot of work to do in preparation for them to come on," he said "But this is a major step forward to start the recruitment process while we can finish some of those other internal policies.” The fire department has been struggling to attract volunteers as the number of emergency calls they respond to has skyrocketed The city will be using just over a million dollars annually to fund the six positions The firefighters salary will range from around $60,000 to $90,000 A number of different positions will be filled Any extra money from the tax would be used to help build a new fire station Their current station is over 90 years old Pitching an unauthorized tent in Yreka could soon be met with a police citation and a fine as the city responds to shifts in the legal landscape allowing it to take firmer action against people without a permanent place to live the Yreka City Council voted 4-1 to advance an ordinance making it illegal to camp in public areas like Greenhorn Park or the hill on Campus Drive near the Siskiyou County office where Behavioral Health Services is located It will be considered again at the next council meeting Penalties for violating the ordinance would start at $50 for a first offense climbing to $200 for the second offense and amounting to $500 for a third or more These offenses can be treated as a misdemeanor “and charged criminally,” said Yreka City Attorney Andrew Jared The move was opposed by Councilman Paul McCoy who saw ordinance as rushed and full of unintended consequences related to the disbanding of campsites without other shelter alternatives “We’ve got a problem with homelessness and they’ve got no place else to go,” said McCoy But the ordinance does not solve the problem.” More: Yreka Council hears results from a one-day tally of homeless people in Siskiyou County Up and down the West Coast and into other parts of the United States as well as risk factors like drug and alcohol addiction or mental health issues Housing options available to cities have been largely limited by decisions made by federal courts which have said public agencies cannot reasonably remove homeless residents from public spaces if the cities lack shelter alternatives But that provision ended with the recent U.S where the court’s conservative majority ruled that cities and counties may enact laws to prohibit what is generally regarded as public camping by those who are unhoused Mayor Corey Middleton asked the city attorney to explore the development of an ordinance given the new direction by the Supreme Court “Our hands have been tied for a little while,” said Middleton at the July 16 meeting “I would like to have a discussion about that.” The Yreka council is certainly prone to offering ample time to discuss an issue The council deliberated for nearly six months around the proper funding mechanism and ballot language for a proposed sales tax to support the Yreka Fire Department solving homelessness,” said Councilwoman Colleen Baker all but closing the door on what might surely have launched a wider conversation around the causes of and solutions for homelessness More: Yreka narrowly approves $280,000 contract with Siskiyou Economic Development “The homelessness issue is huge and complex And there’s no easy answer,” said Debbie Scott adding she was in support of the ordinance the former operator of Zephyr Books and Coffee on Miner Street downtown described the ordinance as “another tool in the tool-belt of our law enforcement as a whole” for a problem she said has exposed businesses and residents to repeated incidents of crime drug use and other problems by the unhoused operator of Black Barts Grill on Miner Street also expressed frustration as he recalled the front door of his restaurant being damaged by a woman who he says was homeless and possibly suffering from the effects of illegal drugs “We see these zombies that are walking our streets… and there’s nothing being done And these are people that are mentally ill and they’re drug addicts We all know that,” said Barnes in his public comments at the meeting nobody in mental health and Behavioral Health has any contact with these people on a regular basis.” City officials pointed to the development of several shelter options to open in Yreka in the coming months. Yreka Basecamp while the city and county are also developing a Pallet shelter project of tiny homes that can be easily erected Other projects include the No Place Like Home housing development a 50-unit supportive housing project for low-income residents and the chronically homeless A range of housing options is needed to get people out of tents pitched in parks and other areas, said Elizabeth Funk, CEO of Dignity Moves a maker of transitional housing for homeless people “The right thing to do is to have enough dignified interim options that are appealing to people So that no one needs to resort to — and nor are they allowed — to sleep on the streets,” said Funk “I think cities that are going to start criminalizing homelessness are going to have it come back at them fast,” Funk said “Because the cost of filling your jails is three times the cost of doing something the right way That sentiment was shared by Tara Kilcollins a social worker with Northern Valley Catholic Social Services who is program manager of Yreka Basecamp “The approach of criminalizing homelessness has proven neither compassionate nor effective in reducing the number of people experiencing homelessness,” Kilcollins told the council “Arresting and penalizing people for being homeless does nothing to resolve these root causes it merely punishes people for their circumstances More: What rural civic group is restarting to do 'positive things' in Yreka? managed to sum up the issue’s daunting complexity “There’s a lot of negative stigma on being homeless It has lots of sides to it,” Taylor told the council and the hope that tomorrow’s going to be a better day.” If you're running late with your holiday grocery shopping you can still get it done on Christmas Eve Some Siskiyou County grocery stores are open special holiday hours on Dec and all listed below are open for some hours on Dec The following are when grocery store administrators plan to be open Holiday hours may change at the last minute due to staffing They recommend calling before you come to make sure hours haven't changed Berryvale Grocery at 305 S Mount Shasta Blvd Cortright Market & Deli in MontagueCortright Market & Deli at 250 E Webb St Grocery Outlet in YrekaGrocery Outlet at 121 Montague Road is open from 7 a.m Mount Shasta Super Market in Mount ShastaMount Shasta Super Market at 112 E Alma St Raley's in YrekaRaley's at 1842 Fort Jones Road is open from 6 a.m Fort Jones: Ray's Food Place at 11307 Main St Happy Camp: Ray's Food Place at 143 Davis Road is open from 7 a.m Mount Shasta: Ray's Food Place at 160 Morgan Way is open from 7 a.m Weed: Ray's Food Place at 175 North Weed Blvd in McCloud may close a bit early on the holidays If you run out of cranberry sauce during Thanksgiving dinner Weed and other Siskiyou County grocery stores will keep their doors open for customers on Thanksgiving Day Most stores that are open will have fewer staff to help customers and will open for limited hours on the holiday Here’s a list of grocery stores and their open hours on Thanksgiving Day Call the store to check for updates before you go Note to readers: If you appreciate the work we do here at the Redding Record Searchlight, please consider subscribing yourself or giving the gift of a subscription to someone you know Ray's Food Place in Fort JonesRay's Food Place at 11307 Main St Ray's Food Place at 143 Davis Road is open from 7 a.m Reginatos Mini-Mart in McCloudReginatos Mini-Mart at 116 Broadway Ave Ray's Food Place at 160 Morgan Way is open from 7 a.m Grocery Outlet at 268 Vista Drive is open from 8 a.m Raley's at 1842 Fort Jones Road is open from 6 a.m Sorry, you have been blocked. You are unable to access kobi5.com This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. The action you just performed triggered the security solution. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. If you feel this has is an error, please perform a WhoIs lookup on kobi5.com and contact the registered owner. Yreka will begin the process of planning for a significant expansion of its fire department with a new fire station and full-time staffing following the passage of a 1 percent sales tax.  “I do want to thank the citizens who voted for that,” said Councilman Paul McCoy in some of his comments at the Nov. 19 council meeting.  The tax proposal, known as Measure V, was approved, with  53.2% of votes cast in favor. It needed a simple majority for passage. The funding is expected to generate about $2.4 million annually, which will fund both the annual payments toward a new $20 million fire station, and six full-time fire department staffers.  In January, the council is set to begin the process of phasing the project to develop the new fire station, which includes land acquisition and applying for state and federal grants to assist in site remediation and preparation. The long-abandoned Shop Smart retailer on Main Street has surfaced as the most likely location for the new station.  “We’ll also be doing a number of communications campaigns, just to increase the transparency of what we’re doing with those tax measure funds,” Juliana Lucchesi, Yreka planning director, told the council. “I know that was a concern of the general public, and we hope to continue to keep everyone informed as those projects move forward.” The tax initiative met opposition from a number of residents who advocated for a “special tax,” one that would generate funding which could only be applied toward the fire department. This option would have had a higher threshold for passage, requiring a two-thirds approval by voters. As it stands, the funding generated from the sales tax — which merchants will likely begin collecting March 1 — will be placed in the city’s general fund, to be used however the council deems necessary.  July 2025 will be the soonest the city coffers may begin seeing revenues from new sales tax, said Lucchesi.  In the meantime, the city’s staff will be busy taking steps to prepare the site, which will involve demolishing the old retail center, and taking the proper remediation and engineering steps, said Yreka City Manager Jason Ledbetter.  Most of the other initiatives to address fire protection across the county were also approved.  A parcel tax to maintain and improve Tulelake Multi-County Fire Protection District services was approved with 71.4% of the vote. The amount property owners would pay per parcel would range from $45 to $150, raising approximately $85,000 annually. Voters in the South Yreka Fire Protection District easily approved Measure T, which raises the spending cap on the 7-square-mile district's fire-related needs to $90,000 for the next four years. Measure T passed with 82.6% in favor.  Dunsmuir voters approved Measure A, which raises the city's hotel tax to 12% from 10%. Measure A is expected to bring in an estimated $60,000 a year to fund fire and law enforcement services. It received 72.6% for passage.  Mt. Shasta voters turned down a a 1% special sales tax, raising the tax, which would have generated approximately $1.6 million annually to fund police and fire costs. The tax, known as Measure B, needed a 2/3 majority for passage. It received only 50.8% approval.  Join us for a 12-hour food drive Friday, 6am to 6pm, in Redding or Chico. Help stuff a RABA or B-Line bus at Les Schwab with food donations! LIVE UPDATESCrash and jackknifed big rigs close I-5 near Siskiyou Summitby Adam Robinson — A crash on northbound Interstate 5 near the Siskiyou Summit has led to significant traffic disruptions according to Caltrans District 2 and the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) involves several jackknifed big rigs affecting both directions of the highway Maintenance personnel are currently on the scene but drivers should anticipate extended delays both northbound and southbound lanes of I-5 are closed from the Oregon/California state line to post mile 11 To report errors or issues with this article please email the editorial team. LIVE UPDATESWinter weather forces chain checks along Interstate 5 in Dunsmuirby Adam Robinson chain checks are in effect for northbound drivers on Interstate 5 (I-5) in Dunsmuir Due to the continued winter weather conditions they said all vehicles must have chains to proceed north The California Highway Patrol said I-5 was temporarily shut down in Yreka at noon on Friday due to the weather conditions Stay updated with the latest traffic conditions by visiting Caltrans's QuickMaps site To report errors or issues with this article please email the editorial team This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page please perform a WhoIs lookup on kobi5.com and contact the registered owner The all-volunteer Yreka Fire Department has been struggling to keep enough firefighters on their roster to respond to around 2000 emergency calls every year said they have just around 26 volunteers right now Lemos said they need some full-time firefighters to relieve the pressure currently faced by volunteers “We've just known that what will solve the problem Lemos said if the tax measure is approved by voters in November it could pay for around six professional staff 24/7 to get that engine or that medical response out the door quicker is going to help," Lemos said "It's going to help even more than people realize.” The city estimates the 1% increase to the sales tax would generate around $2.4 million annually for the fire department Lemos said any additional money from the tax would also help them build a new fire station Their current station in downtown Yreka is over 90 years old in some places Lemos said they worry about an earthquake that could make it hard to get their fire engines out of the bays Ballots for the November 5th election need to be postmarked or dropped in a drop box by 8 p.m A dropbox in Yreka is located at the Miners Inn Convention Center at 112 E There's a tiny creek in Yreka that has a huge responsibility in the ecosystem: it is a spawning ground for Coho Salmon The babies leave the creek and make their way to the ocean Then they make the journey back as adults to spawn But the creek has fallen into ecological trouble She's the Watershed Stewards Program Corpsmember for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and California Trout are hosting a volunteer restoration day at the Lower Yreka Creek Side Channel Project Volunteers will plant native species and pull invasive plants on April 19th from 10am to 2pm. This work will benefit native biodiversity, salmonids, and water quality. For directions, more information, and to RSVP, visit YrekaCreek.Eventbrite.com SIGN UP HERE TO VOLUNTEER! Surprisingly the Yreka Creek is a spawning ground for anadromous (go to the sea and come back) like the Coho Salmon Restoring the creek will provide additional habitat for juvenile coho salmon in the summer and good spawning grounds for mature Salmon Travel to and from the ocean from the creek via the Shasta and Klamath rivers The creek and other tributaries provide safer and more sheltered spawning areas than the larger rivers The fish go up the creek as far as they can to find gravel which can have good places to leave eggs etc Restoring the creek will also benefit other fish and animal species as well as humans by ALEXX ALTMAN-DEVILBISS | The National News Desk (TNND) — The "Smallville" actor known for playing Superman had a run-in with the law Sunday and ended up with a DUI Tom Welling was arrested just after midnight on Jan. 26 for driving under the influence in Yreka, California, according to reports obtained by USA Today Police said his blood alcohol level was at least 0.08% He was booked into the Siskiyou County Sheriff's Office around 2 a.m An arraignment date is scheduled for March 11 Welling is also known for his roles in "Cheaper by the Dozen" and "Lucifer." The actor had just celebrated his wife, Jessica Rose Lee's birthday and shared a loving tribute on Instagram "Happy Birthday to our Angel who makes our dreams come true and inspires us even more We love you to the moon and back!" he wrote alongside the photos Search Tip: Use quotes to find results containing your phrase The Soldotna girls and boys track and field teams swept the 21-team… Continue reading The visiting Homer softball team split a pair of Northern Lights Conference… Continue reading The Kenai Central girls and Soldotna boys won matches against their Peninsula… Continue reading The visiting Soldotna baseball team defeated Grace Christian 16-1 in five innings… Continue reading The visiting Soldotna softball team swept Redington by scores of 14-2 and… Continue reading The visiting Kenai Central baseball team toppled Redington 15-2 in five innings… Continue reading The host Homer boys soccer team defeated Nikiski 15-0 on Friday in… Continue reading A pair of athletes from Top of the World Swimming, the area… Continue reading The visiting Kenai Central softball team swept a pair of Northern Lights… Continue reading The Kenai Central baseball team defeated Soldotna 4-3 on Monday in Northern… The Kenai boys soccer team defeated Nikiski 13-0 on Tuesday in Peninsula… The Soldotna girls and boys track and field teams swept the 21-team… The visiting Soldotna softball team swept Redington by scores of 14-2 and… The visiting Soldotna baseball team defeated Wasilla 8-5 on Thursday in nonconference… The visiting Kenai Central softball team swept a pair of Northern Lights… The Kenai Central girls and Soldotna boys won matches against their Peninsula… Yreka will join dozens of other cities and counties across the nation to oppose divisive rhetoric and foster a sense of community civility The Yreka City Council approved a “United Against Hate” proclamation and will participate in the United Against Hate Week Sept This is the third year the city council has recognized the United Against Hate movement created in response to rising rates of hateful acts and uncivil language used largely against communities of color or other marginalized groups The effort is led by Yreka resident Molly Aumack “Anyone that has the slightest access to news knows that our country is facing divisions increasing extremism that has led to shameful behavior threats to public officials and the overall normalizing of aggressive and violent behavior,” Aumack told the council at its Aug The proclamation is a message by the city to both acknowledge that hateful and unsupportive language exists in Yreka and stake a position opposing it The action by the council makes no attempt at restricting free speech and spends no public money the move has generated controversy with residents arguing it was unnecessary or overstepping characterizing the proclamation itself as discouraging free speech Yreka civic group eager to reboot will strategize at a public meeting on Sept. 12 and did not reply to an email seeking comment Councilwoman Colleen Baker — who has opposed the proclamation in the past — took a long pause "It was simply a matter of me thoughtfully making my decision weighing my personal philosophy and the overall good of the city and casting my vote,” said Baker in a follow up email dismissed the council’s action as “a waste of time,” and instead called for the display of the Ten Commandments in place of United Against Hate posters “I think what we need to do is just to post the Ten Commandments you wouldn’t need a proclamation like this Once-in-a-lifetime celestial show: Watch a star explode from Siskiyou County In 2023, Gliatto — who leads the conservative group Siskiyou Patriots — advised that group to protest an LGBTQ+ Pride gathering at the Karuk Tribe’s Kahtishraam Wellness Center The event was described as a “family-friendly Pride event,” organized by Youth Empowerment Siskiyou a youth services organization charged with finding housing and shelter for homeless youths “A proclamation does not change attitudes and behavior,” said Gliatto “Your heart changes attitudes and behaviors If we just got back to the Ten Commandments we wouldn’t need a proclamation like this.” Zion Lutheran Church in Yreka and a supporter of the United Against Hate movement recalled reports of bullying and other incidents at local schools this is an automatic,” said Keyser-Boswell “As a community we need to be united against hate the Yreka Friends of the Library will host a discussion of the book "The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store” by James McBride The story is set in 1923 in a neighborhood of Black and Jewish residents in Pennsylvania The book discussion will take place on Nov Skip Descant is a freelance journalist. He has written for newspapers in California, Arkansas, Mississippi and Louisiana. He lives in downtown Yreka. he can be reached at edescant@me.com     Efforts are underway to restart the Yreka Chapter of the Greenhorn Grange a move to add to the city’s landscape of social and civic groups — this one with a foot in the agriculture community The fourth in a series of community meetings for people interested in revitalizing the group will be held at 6 p.m 12 at the Greenhorn Grange hall at 300 Ranch Road in Yreka “We want people that want to come participate in the community,” Chad Smith communications director for the California State Grange told a small gathering at the Greenhorn Grange Hall in Yreka during an informational meeting earlier this summer and pancake breakfasts and whatever you can think of,” Smith added listing off some of the possible social functions that were once common in the Grange Hall on Ranch Lane Local Grange organizations were once common pieces of the civic landscape in rural communities often with a meeting hall as a center for civic and entertainment events Grange groups can be found in Scott Valley The Greenhorn Grange in Yreka was last operational several years ago the hall has attracted the attention of homeless residents The California Grange organization has been holding and maintaining the space with the goal of restarting the Yreka chapter “The elbow grease that’s going to be needed to make this place shine is considerable And it’s enough to scare people off before they even get started,” said Smith another state Grange official who is also leading the effort to get the Yreka chapter afloat “This building is solid,” Shaw told the roughly dozen community members gathered in the hall earlier this year with an aim to rebuild the agricultural capabilities of the eastern United States following the Civil War as leaders stress membership is open and welcome for all members of the community We still maintain a connection to agriculture You don’t have to be involved in agriculture production,” said Joseph Stefenoni President & CEO of the California State Grange 'if you go to the refrigerator at least once a day and eat something New pavilion stands as a symbol of recovery for Klamath River community The group’s advocacy portfolio touches on a range of issues “It’s a very broad umbrella and the service element of that is really where the Grange has built its visibility And where communities see Granges doing the positive things for their community,” said Stefenoni Officials also stressed the Grange’s apolitical mantra “The Grange is not a political organization It’s politically active in furthering the collective voice of 'Grangers'” through a consensus-building process The ultimate guide to 17 cool California waterfalls in the North State. Search our map. It takes at least 13 people to get a Grange chapter up and operating And those people don’t necessarily need to be adults Full voting membership starts as young as 13 and a half years old “Those young people have the same amount of voice and influence…as people the same age as their parents grandparents or great grandparents,” Stefenoni remarked The Grange also offers a “junior” membership available to children younger than 13 and a half “We really are a cohesive place where the whole family in it can participate together,” said Stefenoni Membership starts at about $35 a year per member The higher the local Grange organization sets the membership fee the more it keeps locally to be used within the community He added that operational costs including insurance premiums and and other expenses “will eventually become yours when you’re ready to take on that responsibility." For more information about the upcoming meeting contact Will Shaw at 530-623-0302 or via email at willginger@netzero.net