Our Most-Read Stories of 2022

In 2022, with only one full-time staff member, we published more than 120 stories, mostly focused on government accountability, religious and political movements, the environment, and Indigenous Affairs. Here are our most-read stories of 2022.

1. How Serious is California’s Water Crisis and What’s Causing It?

Water is of central importance to our community’s future. We provide in-depth answers to a few deceptively simple questions about California’s water. Plus, resources on where to learn more.

2. Bethel Claims Miracles. What Proof Do They Have?

Stories of healings at Redding’s Bethel Church draw faith-filled visitors each year. But Bethel has not yet provided proof of a single medically verified miracle. Shasta Scout discusses the medical research organization hoping to change that, and how faith tourism contributes to Bethel’s revenue.

3. Redding’s Rapid And Secretive Sale of Public Land Violated State Laws and City Policy, Court Finds

A small parcel of land that provided important access to the Redding Rancheria’s proposed new casino site off I-5 was declared surplus and sold within eleven days by the City of Redding in mid-2020. New court documents indicate city staff engaged in behind the scenes conversations with a local land holder before negotiating a property sale in closed session in a process that violated both state laws and city policy. The case bears important similarities to recent riverfront land dealings which created community concerns about city transparency.

4. Bethel Church’s Bill Johnson Compares COVID Vaccines to “Mark of the Beast”

Bethel Church, a Redding megachurch that claims to perform miraculous healings, has been the center of controversy over statements and actions related to COVID. Neither Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry nor Bethel Christian School require masks for students.

5. With Closing of Lim’s Café, Local Native Community Mourns a Beloved Sanctuary of Cross-Cultural Connection

For many years Lim’s Café on Market Street was known as an oasis of hospitality for the Native community. Its closure this September marked the end of a remarkable space of connection created by two communities with complicated histories. Their collective pasts contain more intersections and encounters than is widely known.

6. Hey National Media, Shasta County Hasn’t Been Taken Over by the “Militia” Quite Yet.

Simplistic and inaccurate media portrayals of Shasta County’s political process risk contributing to deepening polarization and extremism. In this Building Democracy editorial column, we’re sharing what the regional and national media are getting wrong about Shasta County’s contentious recall. And why it matters.

7. Meet James Crockett for Redding City Council

There are three seats open for this November’s election for Redding City Council. Candidate James Crockett says he’s running to ensure that Bethel Church won’t hold a majority on the Council.

8. Building Shasta Dam Flooded Out A California Tribe. Why Are They Still Not Included in the Dam’s History?

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, which operates Shasta Dam, uses its Visitor Center to share a comprehensive history of the Dam’s construction and purpose. What that history omits is any mention of the Winnemem Wintu, a local Tribe that was flooded out of their homes along the McCloud River when the Dam was built. Leaving the Tribe out of the Visitor Center’s official narrative is intentional, scholars and Tribal members say, because it helps deny legal claims to their ancestral waters and lands now. In recent years, the Visitor Center has become the center of ongoing tensions over how the Dam’s history is told.

9. Court Rules Redding Must Undo Illegal Bechelli Land Sale But Won’t Be Required To Pay Tribe’s Legal Fees

The city sold a small parcel of land in 2020, effectively blocking the Redding Rancheria’s access to a piece of land they plan to use for casino development. The Tribe sued and on Monday the court issued a final ruling saying that the city must revoke its earlier land sale but will not be required to pay the Tribe’s legal fees.

10. Tribal Picnic at Shasta Dam Triggered Federal Security Response

In July, Run4Salmon participants say they were discriminated against by Dam staff who closed the visitor center and activated increased security protocols in response to their presence. A federal official who manages the Dam said security’s actions were necessary because the group had previously caused a disruption by demonstrating on site. The incident is the latest chapter in ongoing tension between the Tribe and federal officials over the erasure of Tribal history from Dam visitor center narratives.

Of note: At Shasta Scout we write to reveal the truth and provide critically important information, not to generate traffic or views. Analytics don’t drive our coverage but they can provide a limited window into what information readers have found most beneficial. We serve the people, not profit or power.