If you’ve been around for a long time (multi decades!), maybe even born and raised in the North State, attending that very first Redding Rodeo Parade on a Saturday morning in the late 1940s, when you were “knee-high-to-a-grasshopper,” you might say that this year’s Redding Rodeo Parade, held on a splendid May 16, 2026, Saturday morning……”was the best ever.” The late 1940s was when the Redding Rodeo Parade started, 1949 to be exact, and it debuted as the Shasta County Sherif

Redding, CA — A Shasta County Superior Court ruling delivered a clear message on May 18, 2026: citizens who successfully defend the integrity of the election process are entitled to basic protections under the law — just like everyone else. In Katske v. Shasta County Board of Supervisors, et al. (Case No. 26CV-0209919), Judge Benjamin Hanna upheld his tentative ruling, ordering Petitioner Jennifer Katske to pay $3,084.25 in court costs to the five citizen intervenors who step

For several days in October and November 2024, I served as a citizen observer at the Shasta County Elections Office located at 1643 Market Street in Redding. The processing of mail-in ballots for the November 5, 2024, election was overseen by Registrar of Voters Thomas Toller and Assistant Registrar of Voters Joanna Francescut. In my observations, Mr. Toller was never present in the office areas where the work was being conducted. He seemed to remain inside his own office, w

You know what would be fun to do regarding the Asphalt Cowboys? Find out how many of them were taken, in 1948, in the grasps of their Moms and Dads, to the very first Redding Rodeo; Or six years later, how many of them were bubbling over with excitement when they were chowing down “great tastin’” fluffy pancakes, scrambled eggs and sausage with Mom and Dad, brothers and sisters, relatives and friends, at the very first Asphalt Cowboys Pancake Breakfast, started in 1954 as on

MT. SHASTA, Calif. — Mount Shasta Fire Captain Jasen Patrick Vela was arrested on the morning of March 3, 2026, inside the Mt. Shasta Fire Department by investigators from the Siskiyou County District Attorney’s Office. Vela, who had served as captain with the department for only a few months, faces two felony counts: embezzlement by a public officer/employee (Penal Code 508) and misappropriation of public funds (Penal Code 424(A)(1)). Authorities allege he stole more than $1

As we reported back on February 23 in “Shasta County Attorney Convicted in DUI Scooter Crash That Severely Injured Elderly Pedestrian,” local criminal defense attorney Lisa Marie Jensen (State Bar #284968) was found guilty by a Shasta County jury of felony DUI causing injury and reckless driving causing injury, plus a great bodily injury enhancement. The charges stemmed from the November 17, 2023, incident on Placer Street in which Jensen, riding an electric scooter downhill

A beloved Northern California tradition, known as the Redding Rodeo with the theme—Buckin’ By The River—kicked off for the 78th time on Wednesday, May 13, 2026, invading the hearts and minds of a stadium full of thousands of cheering, clapping, and—indeed—approving rodeo enthusiasts. Nothin’ better than that, huh? According to Jack Potter, the self-deprecating, albeit charming, Chairman of the Redding Rancheria and Win-River Resort and Casino, the members had a great time at

REDDING — Shasta County District Attorney Stephanie Bridgett continues to highlight a severe prosecutor shortage that is forcing her office to file fewer criminal cases. The primary culprit, according to Bridgett, is uncompetitive pay that makes it difficult to attract and retain talent. High workloads strain the Shasta County DA's office. More pay may not fix it | Jefferson Public Radio Credit: ijpr.org The DA’s office is funded for 28 prosecutor positions, but by the end of

The panel stated that during the March 2024 election, Shasta County experienced over 20 different time changes many of which occurred in 60-second increments and many occurred in the middle of the night (which indicates possible remote access.) In this same election, a thumb drive containing 100 votes disappeared and did not make it into the Cast Vote Record data, in a race that was decided by just 14 votes

The 78th annual Redding Rodeo, ranked as one of the “60 best rodeos in the country,” kicked off with a high energy, family friendly Launch Party, held smack dab in the middle of the Redding Rodeo Grounds, featuring live music, country and line dancing by Better in Boots, plus Tri tip sandwiches served by the Redding Rodeo Auxiliary Association, more commonly known as the “The Ladies Behind The Red Shirts” who’ve been assisting the Redding Rodeo Association since the ‘50s. Fr

As a new board member of YOS in 2024, Crye took his oversight responsibilities seriously. He began examining the organization’s daily operations and structure and asked why Executive Director (ED) Susan Wilson was not involved in operational activities. YOS staff informed him that Wilson had not been in the office for months, yet was still receiving full pay while on medical leave. Crye’s review of documents revealed inappropriate payments of medical benefits, sick leave, and

Cottonwood, CA — A late-night traffic stop on northbound Interstate 5 turned into a major drug bust Friday morning when Tehama County Sheriff’s deputies seized approximately 50 pounds of methamphetamine and nearly $12,000 in cash. At 12:39 a.m. on May 9, 2026, deputies pulled over a vehicle in the Cottonwood area. During the stop, they contacted the driver, identified as Javier Mendoza-Zamora, 48, of Washington. Sheriff’s K9 Silas was brought in and alerted to the odor of nar

Joseph Larmour at the Shasta County Board of Supervisors. Credit: anewscafe.com Shasta County taxpayers are once again footing the bill for County Counsel Joseph Larmour’s questionable legal maneuvers — and this time, fresh allegations in a high-profile wrongful termination lawsuit paint an even darker picture of what’s happening inside the County Counsel’s office. It started with a citizen-led push for basic election integrity. In early 2025, a group of Shasta County residen

Downtown Redding on Friday, May 8, 2026, evening was the “place-to-be” If you wanted to be treated to five hours of dancing to the bouncy country tunes spun by DJ Jennifer Fontana on her space-age Jenn Easy turntable, and actual live country music performed on the expansive Whistlestop stage by Nashville recording artist Joe Peters, and the All Cash Band. And as Mr. Peter’s himself said in a video, recorded in his bus traveling to Redding on the I-5, “Hey, everybody, me and

MMIP Walk begins on Hwy 299/Main Street in Burney Indigenous communities across the United States of America have come together to honor loved ones gone missing or have been murdered (MMIP), including the Pit River Tribe, one of over 574 federally recognized Native American tribes in the United States of America, of which 229 are located in Alaska. Pit River Tribe Elder, Theodore Martinez, with Pit River Tribe Chairman, Yatch Bamford. And on Tuesday, May 5, 2026, several doz

Redding, CA — The Shasta County Sheriff’s Office Major Crimes Unit (MCU) has arrested a local man after recovering stolen chain-link fence panels valued at more than $1,000 from a Redding residence. On Tuesday, May 5, 2026, deputies responded to a theft report from a home on Victoria Drive in Redding. The property, which had previously been impacted by the Carr Fire, had chain-link fence panels taken. Initial evidence gathered during the investigation led the case to the Majo