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SERVING DEL NORTE COUNTY SINCE 1879 Crescent City, CA

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2025

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Ofﬁcer-Involved Shooting

Leaves Surf Apartments Resident Dead BY ROGER GITLIN Country Media, Inc.

Late Monday afternoon, an officer involved shooting occurred at the Surf Apartments, in Crescent City. Details remain sketchy due to the sensitive nature of the investigation, according to Police Chief Richard Griffin. The decedent has been identified as John Spencer, 67 of Gasquet and Crescent City. Here’s what The Triplicate has learned: Del Norte Sheriff/Coroner Garrett Scott reports on February 17, 2025 at 1630 hours (4:30PM), the DNSD assisted the Crescent City Police Dept.(CCPD) at the Surf Apartments regarding a man with a gun.

Photo credit,Gasquet Mike

Surf Apartments

Please see SHOOTING Page 8

Smith River Fire: A Look at Its New Digs homeowners on discounts on their fire insurance policies.” Both agreed the building’s size will allow Smith River Fire flexibility in expanding services. Currently, Smith River Fire serves about 2,800 businesses and residents in Hiouchi and another 1500 in Smith River. When completed, the new station can accommodate eight apparatus(es), training rooms, public lobby, administrative offices and other supplies, captain’s office, kitchen, sleeping quartets, hazmat area, and exercise room. The cost to operate the Fire station is about $2 million, annually. SRF is a volunteer department which saves the tax payer about $170,000 per year. With emphasis on non-fire response, fully 70 percent of all calls are medical emergencies, 15 percent are motor vehicle accidents, the remainder are structure and brush fires. SRF

BY ROGER GITLIN Country Media, Inc.

Alas, the former Ray’s Food Store in conveniently located Smith River on 101 at Fred Haight Dr. will soon open as the new Smith River Fire Department. Smith River Fire District (SRFD) Fire Chairperson, Elaine Fallgren and Captain Geoff Antill, Medical Resident EMT shared details of the acquisition of the 21,000 sq.ft.former Ray’s Food Market in the heart of downtown Smith River. Captain Antill said, “We learned early on our current building was woefully inadequate, unsafe, and would need to be torn down. The Board went out looking for a new site with limited success. Then, the call from Ray’s Food came in; it was just too good an offer to pass up.” Fallgren added, “We weren’t looking for a building as large of what was offered. The location was superb which saved

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Smith River Fire Department.

Please see SMITH RIVER Page 8

Cal Trans updates Last Chance Grade Tunnel Project

Newsom Announces Judicial Appointments BY ROGER GITLIN Country Media, Inc.

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Crescent City Women’s Club

Project Manager Lianna Winkler-Prins target date to begin construction by 2030. Winkler-Prins shared the current Environmental phase comes to a close by year’s end. The ﬁnal Environmental Document will be published in December. Cal Trans District 1 is working on procuring a Construction Manager/General Contractor (CMCG) and obtaining funding for the Design Phase which begin in January 2026. Then existing 101 highway alignment will be decommis-

BY ROGER GITLIN Country Media, Inc.

The Crescent City Women’s Club hosted the Project Manager of Dept. of Transportation (Cal Trans) on Last Chance Grade for an update on the proposed Tunnel Project along Highway 101. Lianna Winkler-Prins addressed Club members at the Second Street Art Gallery, this past Tuesday. The Tunnel Project bypass on 101 at Last Chance Grade has a

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Phone Number: 707-460-6727

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sioned and restored to pre-highway condition, to the extent feasible. This involves removal of retaining walls and recontouring and replanting the landscape. Winkler-Prins continued, “The target to award the Construction project is October, 2030. Ground-disturbing activities would likely begin Spring 2031.” The length of the tunnel is approximately 6,000 feet (1.1 miles). The current capital cost estimate (in 2031 dollars) is $2.1 to $2.5 billion.

Gov. Gavin Newsom announced his appointment of 13 Superior Court judges: • Seven in Los Angeles County. • One in Modoc County. • Two in Riverside County. • One in San Diego County. • One in San Mateo County. • One in Tulare County.

The political party breakdown is eight Democrats, four No Party Preference and one Republican. Del Norte voters elected Karen Olson to the Superior Court in November to replace retiring Judge Robert Cochran. Judge Olson took ofﬁce January 5. The compensation for each position is $244,727 annually.

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• Address: 445 Elk Valley Road, Crescent City, CA 95531 • Email: Circulation@CountryMedia.net

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