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28-05-2025
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After seeing land sinking in Red Bluff and Corning areas, Tehama County calls meeting
Parts of Tehama County, including around Red Bluff, Corning and Antelope, are sinking, officials have discovered, prompting an emergency meeting to decide next steps to intervene. In a statement announcing the June 3 meeting, county officials said they found the mid- to southwestern part of Tehama had "observable land subsidence on a scale that has never been recorded." Land subsidence is a drop in the Earth's crust — sudden or gradual — into empty underground space, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. In Tehama County, some of the area's groundwater dried up during years of heavy drought, according to the announcement. The soil is now collapsing into the cavity left by the absent water, making the ground above it sink. Note to readers: If you appreciate the work we do here at the Redding Record Searchlight, please consider subscribing yourself or giving the gift of a subscription to someone you know. Other factors are further stressing what's left of the underground water supply, according to the county. These include changes in agricultural practices and less surface water available from lakes, creeks and other water bodies. As empty underground water channels fill with collapsed soil from above, the space available for water sources to fill them becomes smaller. That means even during wet years, when there's more water, there's less opportunity for those water sources to refill or 'recharge' those underground reservoirs fast enough to save them. All this doesn't bode well for county plans to expand agriculture wells in areas where the ground is sinking, the county reported in the announcement. The Tehama County Groundwater Sustainability Agency gave county supervisors the results of their findings after monitoring groundwater levels and rate of sinking. Supervisors plan to look at the agency's latest data, figure out how serious the situation is, look for possible solutions and intervene as needed, according to the county. The meeting — scheduled for 9 a.m. on Tuesday, June 3 in board chambers (727 Oak St., Red Bluff) — is a chance for residents to hear the results and participate in the discussion, the announcement said. People can get more information and submit comments to Tehama County Deputy Director of Public Works Justin Jenson at 530-690-0700, extension 201. They can also email Jenson at jjenson@ Jenson didn't return a phone call from the Record Searchlight late Tuesday afternoon. Land subsidence in other parts of California is most often caused by people pumping out the groundwater for a variety of uses. These include directing water to urban centers and using it for agriculture and industrial projects, according to the USGS. For more information about land subsidence in the state, go to Jessica Skropanic is a features reporter for the Record Searchlight/USA Today Network. She covers science, arts, social issues and news stories. Follow her on Twitter @RS_JSkropanic and on Facebook. Join Jessica in the Get Out! Nor Cal recreation Facebook group. To support and sustain this work, please subscribe today. Thank you. This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: Tehama finds land is sinking in Red Bluff, Corning areas after drought
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27-05-2025
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New Shasta County elections chief 'terminates' popular assistant registrar of voters
Shasta County's assistant registrar of voters was "terminated" from her position working for the County Clerk's Office by the new head of the department, who was appointed to the post just two weeks ago. Joanna Francescut, who made the announcement Tuesday, worked in the elections department for the past 17 years and was passed over for the position twice in the past two years, this year in favor of a Florida attorney with no elections department management experience. "I am deeply disappointed that during his first week in office, the new county clerk and registrar of voters (Clint Curtis) did not make any effort to meet with me or provide an opportunity to work collaboratively," Francescut said in a statement. "Most of all, I am saddened to leave a department and a team I have proudly served for the past 17 years. It has been an honor to contribute to Shasta County elections with integrity, experience, and dedication," Francescut said. Francescut did not say why she was terminated. The Record Searchlight left a message with her but did not receive a reply. Curtis also could not be reached at the elections department. On a 3-2 vote, the Board of Supervisors voted to hire Curtis over Francescut and two others who interviewed for the job during public interviews earlier this month. Francescut announced recently that she plans to seek election to the post when it comes up for election in 2026. Offering no evidence of wrongdoing, Curtis cast doubt on the legitimacy of the 2020 presidential election. He also was an advocate of hand-counting ballots, which is illegal in California, except in races with fewer than 1,000 registered voters. As registrar of voters he told the board he planned to install more cameras in the department while ballots were being tabulated. He also advocated for fewer ballot drop boxes around the county. He also claimed that while he lived in Florida, he said he was asked to write a computer program that would enable elections workers to change votes, without the changes being detected. The application was never used, though, he said. While living in Florida, Curtis was a registered Democrat who ran for Congress multiple times. But he changed his party affiliation to Republican when he moved to Shasta County and noted on his registration that he lived at the same address as Patty Plumb, a local conservative activist and member of county Elections Commission. As part of her announcement that she no longer worked for the county, Francescut included a photo of a memo she received from Curtis that said she was an "at-will" employee and that her employment with the county ended on Tuesday, May 27. At will employees are subject to termination with an explanation. Reporter Damon Arthur welcomes story tips at 530-338-8834, by email at Help local journalism thrive by subscribing today! This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: New elections chief 'terminates' popular assistant registrar of voters
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27-05-2025
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22 California cities north of Sacramento with slight population losses
Redding and 21 other far Northern California cities lost residents over the past year, even as the state's overall population grew. Redding got a slight population boost during the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown and when state sanctions were in place; but those population gains were gone as of Jan. 1, 2025, according to state Department of Finance population estimates, released in May. While Redding lost the same number of residents or more than all but one North State city on the list, that loss made a smaller dent in the city's overall population. The Shasta County seat is home to 93,534 people, more than than any other city on the list. Anderson and Shasta Lake in Shasta County, too, were among 240 California cities where the population went down. More: 12 California cities in North Coast, North State that are growing Note to readers: If you appreciate the work we do here at the Redding Record Searchlight, please consider subscribing yourself or giving the gift of a subscription to someone you know. Montague, Mount Shasta, Fort Jones, Etna, Tulelake, Dorris and Dunsmuir: These Siskiyou County cities saw small declines in their population ranging from five people each in Etna, Fort Jones and Montague to 15 in Dunsmuir and 23 in Mount Shasta. Anderson, Redding and Shasta Lake: These Shasta County cities each saw population declines that ranged from 76 people in Shasta Lake and 81 each in Anderson and Redding. Gridley and Biggs: These Butte County cities each saw population declines that ranged from 25 people in Biggs and 81 in Gridley. Grass Valley and Nevada City: These Nevada County cities each saw population declines that ranged from 29 in Nevada City to 97 in Grass Valley. Eureka, Fortuna, Ferndale, Trinidad, Blue Lake and Rio Dell: These Humboldt County cities each saw population declines that ranged from 50 people in Eureka and 47 in Fortuna to 6 in Ferndale and 2 in Trinidad. Alturas: This Modoc County city saw a population decline of 5 people. Williams: This Colusa County city saw a population decline of 27 people. More: Shasta County sees more people leave while California population rebounds post-COVID Jessica Skropanic is a features reporter for the Record Searchlight/USA Today Network. She covers science, arts, social issues and news stories. Follow her on Twitter @RS_JSkropanic and on Facebook. Join Jessica in the Get Out! Nor Cal recreation Facebook group. To support and sustain this work, please subscribe today. Thank you. This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: Redding, other far Northern California cities losing population
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27-05-2025
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12 California cities in North Coast, North State that are growing
California's population grew for a second year. It's now home to approximately 39,529,101 people, according to state population data released in May. That means the Golden State recouped almost all of the population it lost in 2020 and 2021 — an estimated 358,543 people. It started 2025 with just 9,122 fewer residents than it had in 2020, state Department of Finance population estimates show. Pockets of growth were spread across far Northern California or the North State and North Coast. Among cities that saw significant growth was Paradise in the Sierra foothills of Butte County, in a sign of ongoing rebuilding since the Camp Fire in 2018 leveled the town. Overall, 241 California cities had population gains, while 240 other cities saw declines and one — Morro Bay in San Luis Obispo County — saw no change, the report found. Note to readers: If you appreciate the work we do here at the Redding Record Searchlight, please consider subscribing yourself or giving the gift of a subscription to someone you know. More: Shasta County sees more people leave while California population rebounds post-COVID Crescent City: This Del Norte County community picked up 468 new residents and saw its population increase to 6,056, an 8.38% growth since 2024. Paradise: This Butte County city gained 805 new residents and saw its population increase to 11,088, a 7.83% growth since 2024. Susanville: This Lassen County city picked up 766 new residents and saw its population increase to 12,270, a 6.66% growth since 2024. Chico: This Butte County city, and Redding's larger neighbor to the south, gained 2,876 new residents and saw its population increase to 113,847, a 2.59% growth since 2024. Oroville: This Butte County city gained 432 new residents and saw its population increase to 19,653, a 2.25% growth since 2024. Arcata: This Humboldt County city gained 310 new residents and saw its population increase to 19,001, a 1.66% growth since 2024. Willows: This Glenn County city gained 103 new residents and saw its population increase to 6,475, a 1.62% growth since 2024. Corning: This Tehama County city gained 106 new residents and saw its population increase to 8,268, a 1.30% growth since 2024. Yuba: This Sutter County city gained 672 new residents and saw its population increase to 70,453, a 0.96% growth since 2024. Yreka: This Siskiyou County city gained 50 new residents and saw its population increase to 7,879, a 0.64% growth since 2024. Live Oak: This Sutter County city gained 56 new residents and saw its population increase to 9,658, a 0.58% growth since 2024. Woodland: This Yolo County city gained 217 new residents and saw its population increase to 61,623, a 0.35% growth since 2024. More: 22 California cities north of Sacramento with slight population losses Jessica Skropanic is a features reporter for the Record Searchlight/USA Today Network. She covers science, arts, social issues and news stories. Follow her on Twitter @RS_JSkropanic and on Facebook. Join Jessica in the Get Out! Nor Cal recreation Facebook group. To support and sustain this work, please subscribe today. Thank you. This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: Which California cities are growing north of Sacramento?
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07-05-2025
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Redding high school principal charged with resisting police, public drunkenness
The principal at Enterprise High School in Redding has been charged with resisting a police officer and public intoxication in connection to an incident at his home in February. Ryan Johnson pleaded not guilty to the charges on May 2 during an arraignment in Shasta County Superior Court. Johnson, 47, volunteered to take time off work after his arrest. Shasta Union High School Superintendent Jim Cloney said the principal was off work for about a week. Police were called to Johnson's home shortly before 10:30 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 22 because Johnson was allegedly standing in front of his ex-wife's car, blocking her from driving away, according to a Redding police report of the incident. Johnson told the Record Searchlight he called police that night for assistance with a child custody issue. A Redding police report says Johnson's ex-wife was taking their daughter with her as she left in her vehicle. When police arrived at his home officers told him and his ex-wife to "disperse." Johnson, who has been a principal at Enterprise for the past nine years said he went into his home, but he was arrested after he went back outside to seek clarification with the officers. Enterprise High School Principal Ryan Johnson speaks during the Sept. 29, 2024, dedication of a sculpture created in the memory of the five EHS cheerleaders who lost their lives in a 1968 crash on Highway 44. Johnson's current wife told police that her husband drank a bottle of Captain Morgan rum and that "when he starts drinking he doesn't stop and gets angry," according to a police report. "I asked her if he assaulted her (and) she told me he did not, and she hid from him while (Johnson) was arguing with his son," the report says, referring to his current wife. His wife asked the officer when her husband "would be getting out of jail due to her wanting to get away from him due to her being concerned for her and her child's safety," the officer wrote in a report. The report does not specify which child she referred to. Johnson's wife, Tammy, told the Record Searchlight that the police report was inaccurate, saying she was not hiding from her husband, and she was not afraid he would hurt her or her children. On Tuesday, Johnson told the Record Searchlight he did not drink an entire bottle of rum and that he did not engage in any domestic violence or threaten anyone the night he was arrested. He said he was horsing around with his 18-year-old son and another one of his children misinterpreted that and thought they were fighting. He said he has not been accused of or charged with domestic violence. In a follow-up report, police interviewed Johnson's wife, who told an officer that her husband had never abused her. "I guess my thing is, I just want to make sure that that's noted because I'm not a violent person, nor have I ever been accused of it, nor have I ever come close to doing that ― and clearly the charges aren't reflective of that. The charges are drunk and disorderly and obstructing an officer," Johnson told the newspaper. One witness told police Johnson was a "six or seven" on a scale of one to 10, with one being a single drink and 10 being heavily intoxicated, according to a police report. Johnson said he was not administered a blood-alcohol test the night he was arrested. Police said Johnson resisted when officers tried to put handcuffs on him, but Johnson said he was not resisting. It was difficult for him to put his arms behind his back because he is so big, listing his height at 5 feet, 11 inches and his weight at 250 pounds. After they arrested him, police took him to the Shasta County Jail, where he was booked and released on his own recognizance, he said. Asked if anyone brought up his arrest after he returned to work at school and what students should take from his incident, Johnson said he has taken responsibility for his actions and has tried to be transparent about what happened. "I'm holding myself accountable. I did so publicly, and I'll continue to just work through the process, just like anyone else would," he said. "So if anything, I'd like to publicly thank my staff and students and parents for supporting me through this process," Johnson said. Cloney said he continues to support Johnson, and said there is a lesson for students in what Johnson is going through. "I think Ryan did a good job as far as being very transparent about what he was dealing with for both staff, students and parents. I think he was proactive in communicating that he obviously had some things to work on, and I think he's been very sincere in that. "So I think, if anything, I would hope students would take away that obviously adults and people in their lives they see as mentors can certainly make mistakes, but how you respond to that is really the important part," Cloney said. (This story has been updated with new information.) Reporter Damon Arthur welcomes story tips at 530-338-8834, by email at and on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @damonarthur_RS. Help local journalism thrive by subscribing today! This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: Enterprise principal charged with resisting police, public drunkenness
