Search and rescue members recover body of missing man ................................... A9
Vielbig to exhibit at Graves Museum of Art .................................................... A8
SERVING DEL NORTE COUNTY SINCE 1879 www.triplicate.com
FRIDAY, JANUARY 21, 2022
Crescent City, CA
COVID cases surge as Omicron takes hold By DAVID RUPKALVIS The Triplicate
As Omicron surges in California, Del Norte County is not escaping the massive increase in new cases. On Tuesday, Del Norte County Public Health reported 118 new cases were confirmed over the holiday weekend. The new cases bring new cases in the last two weeks to 340, with the county
reporting 386 active cases. Very little of the current surge is linked to Pelican Bay State Prison, with the prison reporting just three new cases in the last two weeks and no new cases over the weekend. Since the pandemic began, there have been 4,403 confirmed COVID cases in the county, with just more than half reported in men. Forty-one people have died
in the county after contracting the virus. While cases are surging, there has not been much impact at local hospitals. According to public health, just one person in the county is hospitalized with COVID, a decrease from five in the hospital a week earlier. Most public health officials say the best way to avoid COVID, especially hospital-
ization or death is to get vaccinated against the virus. In that threshold, Del Norte County is well behind most of California. According to the county’s public health department, 53.8 % of residents over age 12 have been fully vaccinated. Statewide just more than 67% of people have been vaccinated. Local health officials expect the case counts to continue
to grow in the coming weeks thanks to the high transmission rate of Omicron. Studies have shown every person who gets Omicron passes it to 3.2 other people, a rate that makes it twice as contagious as the common flu. Many health officials expect the surge to continue until at least the middle of February, when they expect case counts to rapidly fall.
Council moving to require license for tabaccoo retailers By Diana Bosetti The Triplicate
Photo by Diana Bosetti/The Triplicate
Several Monterey Cypress trees will be removed in Crescent City after an arborist determined they were diseased or infested.
More trees to be cut down in Crescent City By Diana Bosetti The Triplicate
Several more trees - 22 of them - will be removed in Crescent City at and near Beachfront Park. The latest batch of trees to be removed were inspected as part of a recent study by an arborist, who also determined last year that a cluster of 70-year-old
Monterey Cypress trees in front of the Crescent City Library also need to be removed due to bacterial and fungal infections. Turner Chopping, LLC will be removing the most recently-identified trees for $12,605, which will be funded through the city’s Risk Management Accreditation Program. RMAP funds are rebates that
go back to the city through the Golden State Risk Management Authority insurance program, which allows city officials to use the monies to improve safety and reduce risk and liability. The city has used some of its RMAP funds in the past for safety-related improvements, such as sidewalk grinding, playground repairs and updated vests for the
police department. The types of trees to be cut down include eucalyptus, cedar, pine and cypress trees. Over half of them are located behind the Cultural Center, and the rest are near the Fred Endert Pool, Beachfront Park, the Del Norte Library parking lot and the parking lot on Front Street between G and H Streets.
Photos by David Rupkalvis/The Triplicate
An underground earthquake in Tonga caused a tsunami warning in California and Oregon, more than 5,000 miles away. While the tsunami waves caused little damage, they did lead to large waves in the Pacific Ocean along the coast.
Tsunami threat passes with little impact By DAVID RUPKALVIS The Triplicate
An underground volcano that erupted near Tonga caused concern along the Oregon and California coasts Saturday morning. The volcanic eruption Friday night caused significant damage from tsunamis and ash in Tonga, but it sent waves more than 5,000 miles across the Pacific Ocean. Around 7 a.m., notices from the
Coos County Sheriff’s Office, Curry County Sheriff’s Office and the National Weather Service warned of tsunamis along the Pacific Northwest. The waves were expected to reach Northern California shortly after 7 a.m., parts of Curry County by 7:30 and the Charleston and Bandon areas in Coos County shortly after 8 a.m. The warnings urged those in low-lying areas near the coast
to be cautious an to evacuate to higher grounds. When the waves did arrive, the impact was minimal with waves rising less than three feet. But the impact in the ocean could be seen for hours as massive waves could be seen up and down the coast. In Charleston, waves crashing into rocks sent plumes of water soaring 50 feet or more into the air. Park ranges at Sunset Bay shut down the beach for several
Founders of lighthouse society honored Salute to U.S. Coast Guard AT TRIPLICATE.COM
hours as the active waves and strong tides presented a danger. There were no reports of damage in the region, although the active ocean did draw large crowds interested in seeing the after effect of the volcano more than 5,000 miles away. Big parts of Coos County, Curry County and Del Norte County are in the tsunami danger Please see TSUNAMI, Page A2
Despite differing opinions about balancing free enterprise while protecting the health of Crescent City minors, the city moved a step closer to requiring gas stations, vape shops and other tobacco retailers to get a tobacco retail license. In a 3-2 vote, the Crescent City Council directed city staff to return with a draft TRL - a document that’s likely to result in more debate about how restrictive the city should be. “I’m not saying that there’s no role for the city in this, but it is about balancing,” said Mayor Jason Greenough, who along with Councilor Beau Smith opposed pursuing the ordinance. The discussion at a recent Monday meeting was not the first time councilor’s discussed a TRL. In April of last year, Amber Wier, project director for NorCal 4 Health - a California Collaborative project focused on reducing tobacco influences - advocated for Crescent City to consider regulating tobacco advertisements, where nicotine-based paraphernalia is displayed in stores, and banning the sweeter-flavored vape products altogether. An ad hoc committee composed of advocacy groups, business owners, Crescent City Police Chief Richard Griffin, as well as Greenough and Smith, met several times last year to discuss the city’s tobacco policies. Citing a student-led survey at Castle Rock Charter School and Sunset High School, Wier said 58 percent of those schools’ students said they had vaped within the last 30 days, and that vaping use among 11th graders in all of Del Norte County increased from 16 percent to 22 percent over the last six years. “What is really scary to me is that we are not just talking about a few kids, we’re talking about a lot of kids and they come from all different socioeconomic backgrounds,” Wier said. Student’s from Del Norte High School’s Standing Together Overcoming addiction with Radical Movement, or STORM for short, joined Wier in the presentation and took turns speaking before the council. “We are here to tell you what our experiences are, what we’re seeing and why we think it is so important for you to Please see TOBACCO, Page A8
INDEX Crossword................................................A3 Classifieds................................................A5 Crossword Answers..................................A6
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