Flying high
Del Norte High students win first Drone League competition.
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WEDNESDAY, MAY 17, 2023
Crescent City, CA
Sheriff moves forward on drug asset forfeiture BY ROGER GITLIN The Triplicate
Del Norte County Counsel, on behalf of the district attorney, officially requested the court disperse the majority of the drug cash forfeiture that was seized February 18. Appearing before superior court Judge Darren McElfresh on May 5, counsel Joel Campbell-Blair told the court there have been no claims made for the cash which was discovered by deputies in the trunk of a suspect vehicle. Judge McElfresh also reported his office has received no claims. Campbell-Blair then requested a motion for default on this civil matter. Here is the background on this matter: Del Norte Deputy Dustin McQuillan pulled over a suspect vehicle this past February when he observed the driver moving very slowly along 101 south near Washington Boulevard. The driver, Quirate Jimenez, produced an Arizona driver license but failed to produce proof of auto insurance. McQuillan suspected DUI and asked to search the vehicle, where he discovered a small amount of a
substance which was later determined to be cocaine. The deputy called in for assistance and K9 Zuko was dispatched. With Zuko’s scent skills, the K9 bee lined to the trunk. Suspect Jimenez granted permission to access the trunk, where deputies discovered hundreds of thousands of dollars in neatly wrapped bundles of cash. Jimenez was charged with a felony of transporting over $100,000 in cash. The suspect posted bond and was released. To date, the district attorney has not arraigned suspect Jimenez. The civil matter was calendared three weeks from May 5 in division 1 where the court will hear corroborating evidence from three Del Norte deputies on the vehicle search. Should the county prevail on this asset forfeiture case, the court could allocate the forfeiture on the following terms: • Del Norte Sheriff, 65 percent, ($243,750); • Attorney General, 25 percent, ($93,750); • Del Norte District Attorney 10 percent, ($37,500). The matter returns to court Friday, May 26.
Contributed photo
$375,500 in cash was located in rental car after a suspected drug dealer was stopped for driving too slowly by a Del Norte County Sheriff’s Office deputy.
Photo by Roger Gitlin/The Triplicate
Redwoods Hostel supporters surround a hostel resident at the hostel that has a Dead Sea influence.
Unique hostel to open soon Silas Scott Johnson in Crescent City lives on will be able to bunk about 12 travelers with shared kitchens and privacy partitions for families. Steeped in rich western civilization history, Amir has worked closely with the Jordanian government in exporting a three-ton Dead Sea monolith and meticulously carving out a spa from this biblical boulder. The spa will be filled with Dead Sea water, six times more salty than
BY ROGER GITLIN The Triplicate
Hosteling is returning to Del Norte… this time with the influence of the Dead Sea. Jordanian Amir Alghusin plans to have his low-cost Redwood Hostel open by July. The hostel will serve budget-conscious travelers at an estimated $25 per night. Redwood hostel and Spa
Silas Scott Johnson
the ocean. Amir and Redwoods hostel will offer Dead Sea baptism in the holy water. The Dead Sea water utilized will be stored, recycled and sent back to its ancestral home…a truly unique experience. The invited guests experienced the satin-like texture of the Dead Sea water. Amir gave the folks on hand a gift of a
BY ROGER GITLIN The Triplicate
Silas Scott Johnson lives on. Johnson was involved in a single vehicle accident on West Harding Avenue at Bess Maxwell School on April 21. He was taken to Sutter Coast Hospital where after a series of tests, including the ApPlease see HOSTEL, Page A3 nea test, the final test measuring brain activity, doctors determined Silas had no brain wave stimulus. The Triplicate incorrectly reported family had decided to donate Silas Johnson’s vital 2022, a Request for Qualificaorgans for transplant harvesting. tions for engineering, planning, This information was mistakenly environmental, architectural and reported. The Triplicate apologizrelated services was published. es for this error. Silas’ drivers’ There were a dozen responsive license possessed the prominent statements. pink dot denoting organ donation In May of 2022, a Professional upon the untimely passing of an Services Agreement (PSA) was individual. The family told The signed and executed with Calpo, Triplicate Silas was moved to Horn and Dong of Sacramento. donate his organs based upon an experience some years ago conPlease see HALL, Page A10 cerning a 2-year-old girl in need
Public sees future city hall BY ROGER GITLIN The Triplicate
Crescent City is moving forward on a new city hall. At the Monday, May 1 council meeting, councilors approved tentative floor plans to renovate the 11,000 square feet former Bank of America building, located at 240 H St. The vote was unanimous.
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In 2017, upon Bank of America closing its Crescent City office, the city purchased the building for $200,000. City Hall has and continues to operate at 377 J St., a two-story building that is approximately 7,000 square feet and was acquired in 1990. For the last six years, the council has pondered how it will proceed in remodeling the H Street property. In February of
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of a liver transplant. The toddler in fact ultimately did receive the liver and lives today as a healthy teenager, according to the family. Silas returned to Del Norte County on Friday, April 28, after a series of harvest procurement procedures which donated his liver, lungs, kidneys, vital tissues, veins, menisci knee cartilage and heart valves to awaiting needy patients. As there was no active recipient for Silas’ heart, his cardiac muscle could not be harvested. Silas Johnson was never disconnected from life support enroute to San Francisco as was originally reported. The family wanted the community to remember 29-year-old Silas Johnson the eldest of eight children, as a talented musician, kind, sweet man who loved to garden. Services will be handled by Wier’s Chapel and are scheduled for May 21 at 2:30pm.
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