News comes after evening of acrimony

Charles Slert

City Councilman Charles Slert announced Monday night that he plans to resign, citing “the current economic conditions,” a “major medical condition of an immediate family member and the need to relocate,” as the reasons for a Jan 5. departure with 11 months left in his term.

Slert looked on as Mayor Kathryn Murray read his letter of resignation at Monday night’s council meeting, an understated closing for a three-year period punctuated by natural disaster, continued fallout from a contentious wastewater treatment overhaul and three recall attempts spearheaded by Councilwoman Donna Westfall.

Police are scrambling with 2 investigations

No charges have been filed in connection with the shooting death of a local business owner Nov. 20 during a scuffle at an associate’s house.

The Crescent City Police Department is awaiting results from evidence gathered by the Department of Justice and trying to create a timeline and gather more information about the incidents that led up to the shooting of Mike Napoli, Plack said.

Rodger Farren

Rodger Farren, 45, of Crescent City, was walking across the highway near Mouth of Smith River Road around 7:33 p.m. when he was struck by a car driven by Walter Reyes, 20, of Brookings, said Officer Pete Gonzalez of the  California Highway Patrol.

A blighted building in Crescent City will be burned this week as part of a fire training session.

The former El Patio Motel at  655 H St., will burn during training that begins Friday and continues through the weekend.

Portions of I, H, 6th and 7th streets that surround the building  will be closed by 4 p.m. Friday until about mid-day on Sunday. Econowash Laundromat will remain open and accessible, however.

Local man, 88, recalls Japan’s surprise attack

Paul Stroud with a painting of the destroyer, USS Ralph Talbot. Del Norte Triplicate/Rick Postal

That notion inspired a 17-year-old Stroud to join the Navy in 1941.

Eleven months later, he found himself staring at Pearl Harbor in flames. Wednesday marks the 70th anniversary of the Japanese attack, which began as Stroud was standing aboard the USS Ralph Talbot, a destroyer moored in the harbor.

27 guards began new jobs Monday

Pelican Bay State Prison has added 30 correctional officers as part of a statewide prison realignment meant to reduce prison populations by at least 30,000 inmates over the next few years.

As a result of the reduction, 3,400 state prison employee positions are in danger, so the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation has given employees options to transfer to understaffed prisons as a way to mitigate some layoffs.

A local man who complained about receiving an empty package from a postal delivery company was arrested after authorities said they found 311 marijuana plants and 30 pounds of processed marijuana at his home.

Del Norte County Sheriff’s Office deputies showed up at John M. Fildes’ residence, 3101 Cunningham Lane, south of Fort Dick, to deal with a report of stolen property last Thursday about noon, said sheriff’s Sgt. Steve Morris.

“It appears it was a package that had been delivered and the contents of the package were missing,” said Morris. “Consequently law enforcement got involved to investigate.”