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SERVING DEL NORTE COUNTY SINCE 1879

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www.triplicate.com

FRIDAY, JANUARY 1, 2021

Crescent City, CA

Crescent City man found guilty of murder Hughes sentenced to 15 years to life for strangling wife in 2018 By David Rupkalvis The Triplicate

A Crescent City man will spend at least the next 15 years in prison after being convicted last month of murdering his wife. Edward Culver Hughes, 37, was convicted by a Del Norte County jury of second-degree murder and cruelty to a child and was sentenced to 15 years to life in prison.

Assistant District Attorney Todd Zocchi prosecuted the case, which lasted eight days. Hughes was convicted of killing his wife, Emiley Tesch Hughes, who was last seen alive on Christmas Eve in 2018. Her body was not located until Valentine’s Day in 2019. During a preliminary hearing in July 2019, Dr. James Olson, a forensic pathologist from Oregon, testified Emiley Hughes

likely died from strangulation. Investigators say Edward Hughes killed his wife on Christmas Eve in 2018 and hid her body in a closet. Her body remained in the closet until it was discovered by Emiley’s 10-year-old son on Valentine’s Day 2019. A sheriff’s deputy testified that while being interviewed by police following his arrest in February 2019, Edward Hughes

gave three different stories on how his wife died. In the first story he told, Edward Hughes said he was trying to stop his wife from going out and using drugs when she struck him. He claimed he passed out and woke up to find his wife dead in bed next to him. In his second story, he told authorities his wife tried to strike him and in self defense he used his right hand and hit her in the

2020 year in review

Fire near Gasquet top story of 2020

throat. He said she was alive but breathing strange when he fell asleep but dead when he woke up. In a third story, Edward acknowledged grabbing his wife by the throat and strangling her to death. Zocchi said Edward’s lies caught up to him at the trial. “He tried to give different stories,” he said. “At the trial, Please see Murder, Page A6

Economic resiliency, development is city focus in new year By Zack Demars The Triplicate

Photo by David Hayes

Volunteers from CERT and the local American Red Cross provide evacuees with fresh coffee, information, snacks, water and masks to people who evacuated near Gasquet at the Del Norte County Fairgrounds in Crescent City. Below, the opening of the Redwood Canopy Trail was also a big moment in 2020.

Skeletal remains found, Redwood Canopy Trail also popular Editor’s note: Every year, we at The Triplicate take a look back at the top stories of the previous year. This year, we are using analytics on our website to help decide the top 10 stories. The following stories were the top 10 based on page views at triplicate.com.

By David Rupkalvis The Triplicate

1 - Fast-moving fire forces evacuation of Gasquet area In September, a fast-moving fire caused havoc in Gasquet and other areas of Del Norte County. The Slater fire grew from 150 acres to 22,000 acres in one day, closed portions of Highway 199 and quickly moved toward Gasquet. As residents were evacuated, they met at the Del Norte County Fairgrounds. Due to COVID-19, the county was unable to house residents there. Eventually, the fire was controlled, and residents were allowed to return, but fire officials said the fire was within a few hours of reaching and destroying the community. Portions of Highway 199 were closed for 10 days but the fire stalled in the Oregon Mountain Road and Knopki Creek areas, which saved Gasquet. 2 - Human skeletal remains

found in Crescent City In January, the Del Norte County Sheriff’s Office reported finding human remains in an abandoned camp trailer in Crescent City. The sheriff’s office was called to the trailer Jan. 9 and confirmed the remains were of a man. The remains were probably in the trailer for a year before they were found. At the time the body was found, sheriff’s investigators said

they likely knew who the man was, but they were waiting to notify next of kin and cause of death before releasing any more information. The man was later identified as Anthony Salazar.

to prisoners at Pelican Bay State Prison. As of Tuesday, only one person was in the hospital and two people have died with COVID since the beginning of the pandemic. Christmas day saw the biggest spike in cases with 10 cases reported in the community and 11 at Pelican Bay State Prison.

There were 30 active cases in Del Norte County as of Wednesday. While the virus is raging across California, with close to 42,000 new cases reported Tuesday, Del Norte County continues to buck the trend. California has had 2.2 million confirmed COVID cases since the pandemic with more than

3 - Redwood Canopy Trail opens at Trees of Mystery In July, the Trees of Mystery in Klamath revealed its newest attraction, the Redwood Canopy Trail. The Canopy Trail features a

526-foot path over eight suspension bridges and 10 platforms that range from 50-100 feet above the ground. “The experience puts you into the canopy of the redwood trees,” park office manager Brenda Lopez explained. “There isn’t another canopy trail in old growth redwoods, anywhere.” 4 - Roseburg man killed in hit and run in Smith River

Please see TOP 10, Page A3

Majority recovering as COVID cases climb The Triplicate COVID-19 cases in Del Norte County continue to climb, but the vast majority are recovering without many problems. The Del Norte County Department of Public Health reported that over the long Christmas weekend, 28 new cases were reported with 13 of those linked

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24,000 deaths linked to the virus. It remains one of the hot spots for COVID in the nation. Del Norte County remains one of 54 counties in the state in the purple tier for widespread use. Three counties, including neighboring Humboldt County, are in the substantial risk category with only one, Sierra County, in the moderate risk level.

With 2021 just around the corner, Crescent City’s leadership is looking ahead to what’s next. According to City Manager Eric Weir, a slate of economic development projects and strategic planning processes will help the city move out of the COVID-19 pandemic and its deep economic cuts. The year will start with the completion of a few highly visible projects in the city: In January, the city plans to reopen Front Street between B and F Streets, complete with an improved storm drain, new crosswalks and diagonal parking on the other side of a new meridian. And in February, the pedestrian improvement project on Sunset Circle is slated to open, connecting the harbor to the pedestrian bridge at Elk Creek. That will establish a seamless pathway between the harbor and the lighthouse pier, Wier said. “Hopefully, it’s a sign of a good 2021 to come,” Wier said. Aside from those infrastructure projects, and initiating the design of the Pebble Beach bank stabilization project, Wier said there will be three main areas of focus for city leaders in 2021: Economic development and recovery from the pandemic, the Beachfront Park master plan and the implementation of Measure S. Planning for economic resiliency One of the city’s key projects this year will be the completion of its Economic Strategic Action Plan, Wier said. The work started before the pandemic began, but the lost jobs, shuttered businesses and slowing of tourism have made it all the more important. “It’s definitely been highlighted by the pandemic,” Wier said. The goal of the project is to create a tool box of strategies — or “cookbook” of recipes, as Wier said — to promote economic development in the city. From those strategies, city leaders hope to recruit new businesses to the city, assist existing businesses and create jobs within the city. It could also include promoting the city state-, nation- and worldwide. Now that people and companies have learned how to effectively work remotely, Wier said Crescent City can become a work-from-home destination, with broadband capabilities and attractive natural resources. “That’s where a place like Crescent City is in a great position,” he said. “This is a great place to accomplish that.” The city will also be using new grant funds in the new year to promote economic development. A combined $750,000 in Please see New Year, Page A8

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