Our news coverage of Shasta County is centered around the topics and stories most important to shaping our community. Much of our work centers on government accountability at the county and the three cities. We also report regularly on elections, law enforcement, public health and public safety.
County Counsel Joseph Larmour said Planning Commissioner Steve Kerns was being removed without cause. Supervisors who attempted to delve into what was behind Kerns’ removal received pushback from the county’s attorney.
After Circle 6 Consulting recommended the council consider a data center project in Redding, council members expressed their disapproval of such a plan. There’s little word yet on how the efficiency study Circle 6 produced will be used by the council to improve city finances.
According to state law, the ballots were supposed to be retained only through Sept. 5, 2026. Litigation filed last week in an attempt to delay the destruction of ballots has failed, the county’s attorney said. Curtis did not respond to a request for comment.
Joseph Bowers, an assistant director at Redding Electric Utility, could temporarily step into a department head role that was recently vacated by Greg Robinett. If appointed, Bowers would split his time between his current role at REU and Redding’s top finance role, at no additional cost to the city.
The firm that completed the study said a data center project could attract hundreds of millions in private capital investment. The recommendation comes amid significant public pushback against data centers across the state and nation.
Events are being held by three local organizations. They will publicly interview candidates about their approach to business, the environment and other topics of interest to local community members.
Curtis has been instructed to bring voted ballots from the June election to a federal grand jury in Sacramento. Discussing how complex that will be, Curtis said he’d be happy to hand off the ballots to federal law enforcement or state election officials instead. Doing so would violate the law, some experts say.
ROV Clint Curtis has been subpoenaed to appear before a federal grand jury. The summons also instructed him to produce records from the June 2026 election, including tens of thousands of voted ballots, some of which he has referred to as “suspect.”
Earlier this year, long-term planning commissioner Steve Kerns pushed back on the environmental process for a solar project in Manton, referencing a judge’s decision in another project, a proposed Millville shooting range. In August, Kerns found his seat at risk.
The grant will go toward extending a portion of the park to allow for the opening of additional parcels for future development.
