Elisa Ballard

Former Shasta County Supervisor, Redding City Councilmember, and Mayor Patrick Jones made a startling disclosure during a Sunday morning appearance on KQMS radio’s “Poke the Hornet’s Nest” with host Nick Gardner. Jones detailed what he described as illegal harassment directed at Assistant Registrar of Voters Brent Turner by county personnel. According to Jones, Turner recently received a phone call from someone in Shasta County’s Support Services Department—believed to be an individual named...

After a long and emotional NICU journey, Lorenzo Leone Pasini was discharged and welcomed home by his loving parents, Jessi and Alessio. In their heartfelt new YouTube video “Welcome Home, Lorenzo,” the family captured the joyful moment of the final car seat test — the “click” that meant freedom — and the emotional walk out of the hospital on May 1st. Alessio and Jessi described it as the end of an incredible chapter, with tears flowing as they realized they were finally leaving the NICU...

Redding, CA – May 3, 2026 — Shasta County Board of Supervisors candidate for District 1, Richard Gallardo, appeared on the KCNR (1460 AM/ 96.5 FM) radio show “The Jefferson State of Mine” this morning and highlighted what he described as a troubling item on Tuesday’s Board agenda. Item C7 under the Consent Calendar is a proposed Personal Services Agreement with Runbeck Election Services, LLC for ballot printing and mailing services for an amount not to exceed $3.5 Million. The agreement would...

Heather Hadwick, Darin Hale, and Dianna James answer questions posed by Susan Wilson REDDING, Calif. — Incumbent Assemblymember Heather Hadwick (R) and challengers Darin Hale (R) and Dianna James (D) faced off in a spirited League of Women Voters candidate forum Friday evening, May 1, 2026, as they vie to represent California’s sprawling Assembly District 1. The event, held from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at the Riverfront Playhouse in Redding, was moderated by Susan Wilson, who read audience-submitted...

Parallels Drawn to Local Case Against Registrar of Voters Clint Curtis May 1, 2026 A Bay Area teacher who spent 18 years at the Oakland School for the Arts is suing his former school district and the Oppenheimer Investigations Group for millions after what he describes as a deeply flawed third-party investigation that led to his termination and a criminal charge that was later dropped. The case, detailed in a Feb. 28, 2026, San Francisco Chronicle article by Jill Tucker titled “‘Everyone...

REDDING — Four Republican candidates seeking local and federal office shared their records, visions, and challenges during a candidate forum hosted by the Shasta County Republican Central Committee on Thursday, April 30, 2026, at Sequoia Middle School auditorium. The roughly 90-minute event, moderated by Erin Ryan, featured opening statements, Central Committee and audience questions, and closing remarks from incumbent Supervisor Kevin Crye (District 1), Supervisor Chris Kelstrom (District...

Restaurant Review If you are in the mood for a special dining experience, you should check out the amazing cuisine and atmosphere at DeVINE in Redding, located at the former View 202 location, at 202 Hemsted Drive, overlooking the Sacramento River. My husband and I recently wanted to treat ourselves after having an especially busy week of babysitting, shuttling grandkids to and from their activities, and working late into the night at our computers. We only had time for lunch on a Monday...

How FDA's Vaccine Safety Algorithm May Have Hidden Serious Side Effects — And What Happened to the Scientist Who Tried to Fix Three Wise Monkeys symbolize the suppression or masking of vaccine safety signals. Imagine you're running a giant complaint box for car accidents. Every time someone reports a crash, you throw the note into the box. To spot patterns — like “this one model of car keeps having brake failures” — you use a computer program that compares new complaints against everything...

A special meeting of the Shasta County Board of Supervisors was held Tuesday morning, April 28, 2026, to consider censuring Registrar of Voters (ROV) Clint Curtis over substantiated findings of managerial misconduct following an investigation.

Six candidates for Shasta County Board of Supervisors faced off Monday evening, April 27, 2026, in a fast-paced forum hosted by the Greater Redding Chamber of Commerce at the Sheraton Hotel. In front of a packed ballroom, candidates fielded business-focused questions with strict time limits: 90-second opening statements and 60-second answers, plus 30-second rebuttals.

Residents of the River Ranch neighborhood are pushing to preserve city-owned land near Eastside Road as open space and recreational trail connections rather than see it developed into a correctional facility, with attorneys reporting progress toward a potential settlement following a court hearing Monday. In a status hearing held April 27, 2026, in Department 64 of Shasta County Superior Court, Judge Ryan H. Biras set a follow-up status hearing for June 15 at 9 a.m.

Shasta County Board of Supervisors to Consider Censuring Curtis at Special Meeting on Tuesday April 26, 2026 — Shasta County Registrar of Voters Clint Curtis disclosed to Shasta Unfiltered on Sunday that he intends to file a defamation lawsuit against one or more Elections Office employees who lodged false complaints against him with the County’s Human Resources Department. The Shasta County Board of Supervisors has scheduled a special meeting for Tuesday, April 28, to consider Item R1:...

April 26, 2026 ANDERSON, Calif. — A concerned parent in the Anderson Union High School District has formally complained to district leaders, calling for disciplinary action against a teacher who allegedly posted content on social media encouraging people to harass and obstruct U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers through vandalism, false information, and other disruptive tactics. Anderson Union High School - Image Home.com In an email sent last week to Superintendent Brian...

Comparison of Changes to District Boundaries in 2021 Final Report REDDING — Redistricting is required every 10 years, if the census changes. Although the 2020 Census showed Shasta County’s five supervisorial districts were already relatively close to equal in population, the Board of Supervisors ultimately approved a redistricting plan in December 2021 that moved more than 44,066 residents into new districts. The 2020 Census counted 183,199 residents in Shasta County, setting an ideal...

“Throughout this investigation, I have learned that there is voter fraud happening in Shasta County, but I am unable to identify a true source or person to file criminal charges against.” That stark conclusion came from Shasta County Sheriff’s Deputy Casey L. Barnhart in his final report dated August 30, 2023, for Case #22SO35986. The investigation began on February 27, 2023, after citizens submitted evidence obtained from the 2020 Election voter records.

In a standing-room-only crowd at the Redding Library community room, the two candidates for Shasta County Registrar of Voters traded pointed criticisms of each other’s records Tuesday evening during a one-hour candidate forum. Incumbent Clint Curtis, the current Registrar of Voters who was appointed by the Board of Supervisors in 2025 following the retirement of Thomas Toller, faced off against Joanna Francescut, who served for many years as Assistant Registrar of Voters under former Clerk Allen

The Shasta County Board of Supervisors held its regular meeting on Tuesday morning in Redding. The agenda included presentations from the Fire Safe Council and the Sheriff's Department, as well as a request for studies on senior suicide and homelessness. However, two topics generated the most discussion: continued planning and potential county support for a proposed rural medical school, and a sharp divide over how California should fund its roads as the state shifts toward electric vehicles.

An online MAHA (Make America Healthy Again) Town Hall held Monday, April 20, 2026, brought together four candidates seeking to lead California out of its chronic disease crisis. Hosted by Jeff Dornick on the Pickax platform, the nearly 2-hr. event featured leading Republican contenders Steve Hilton and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, along with underdog candidates Leo Zacky (R) and Lewis Herms (No Party Pref.). All four candidates expressed strong agreement on core MAHA principles.

On Sunday morning, April 19, 2026, three Shasta County citizen election observers were interviewed on the KQMS radio program “Poke the Hornet’s Nest” with host Nick Gardner (9:00 - 10:00 a.m.; 1670 AM 105.7 FM). They detailed multiple concerns they observed during ballot processing and tabulation for the November 2024 General Election and the subsequent canvass.

The three candidates vying for Shasta County’s District 5 Board of Supervisors seat offered sharply contrasting visions Thursday evening, April 16, 2026, during a candidate forum hosted by the League of Women Voters at the Frontier Senior Center. Incumbent Supervisor Chris Kelstrom, Anderson City Councilmember Michael Gallagher, and retired nurse and business owner Gary Oxley each highlighted their backgrounds while sparring over public safety, infrastructure funding, family values and the jail.

Incumbent Supervisor Kevin Crye, challenger Richard Gallardo, and Redding City Councilmember Erin Resner squared off Wednesday night, April 15, 2026, in a League of Women Voters forum, laying out contrasting visions for Shasta County’s future as voters prepare for the June primary.

An important election will take place this June to decide who will serve as Shasta County's Registrar of Voters for the next four years. Clint Curtis, the current Shasta County Registrar of Voters (ROV), was appointed on April 30, 2025, by the Board of Supervisors after the retirement of Thomas Toller (who only held the position for approximately 10 months). Until Curtis's appointment, citizen election observers were treated poorly, kept behind metal fences and other barriers.

On April 7, 2026, quick thinking and extraordinary courage prevented a potential tragedy at Pauls Valley High School in Oklahoma. Surveillance video captured the dramatic moment when Principal Kirk Moore charged at an armed former student, tackling him to the ground and stopping what authorities say was intended to be a Columbine-style mass shooting.Victor Lee Hawkins, a former student, entered the school's lobby carrying two handguns. Principal Moore was shot in the leg during the incident.

On Tuesday, April 7, 2026, the Redding City Council unanimously approved an emergency resolution to accelerate permanent repairs to a critically damaged section of Tarmac Road and its underlying storm drain system, which was severely eroded during December’s heavy flooding. Other items addressed at the meeting included a proclamation by Mayor Mike Littau designating April 11 - 18 as the "Week of the Young Child," highlighting the importance of supporting young children's earliest years.