Damon Arthur|Redding Record Searchlight
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Questions are edited for clarity, length and accuracy.
About the Whiskeytown webcam
Q. The webcam atop the Whiskeytown National Recreation Area Visitors Center has been offline since September.It is a valuable tool for tourists, local visitors and sailors to check weather conditions at the lake (possibly saving a trip and gas). Will it be replaced — and, if so, when?
A. Whiskeytown Superintendent Josh Hoines said the camera was about 15 years oldand after security upgrades to equipment in the area, the device became inoperable.
The camera was set up atop the visitors center, with the lens pointed down at the water, taking still images of the lake, whichwere updated about once a minute, Hoines said.
The photos, which were displayed on the National Park Service webpage for Whiskeytown, gavevisitors a preview of conditions on the water and the weather in the area, hesaid.
"It really helps people make decisions before they decide to drive out here, to see what the conditions are. There is a little bit different weather that occurs (out here). And so I think atjust eveneight miles (from Redding), it's nice to know before you come out," Hoines said.
The park service hopes to have a camera again perched atop the visitor center and relaying photos to the recreation area's webpage by March, he said.
— Damon Arthur
Jury service and a diverse pool
Q. Do people over the age of 70 have to perform jury duty?
A. They don'tif they feel they have a problem that would make it impossible to serve—but they're notautomatically removed from the jury pool.
The law says if — at age 70 or older — a person is mentally or physically impaired and isunable to serve on jury duty for that reason, they can request their name be removed from the jury pool,Shasta Superior CourtExecutive Officer Melissa Fowler-Bradley said.
Anyoneover age 69 who feels they can't servemustrequest an exemption from theShasta County CourthouseinRedding. Email jury@shasta.courts.ca.govand include your name, your juror badge number and the date you were summoned. If you don't have email access, call 530-225-5645.
Prior to age 70, people withother disabilities that make it impossible for them to serve on a juryneed to submit a doctor's note to be considered for exemption.
"But we don't want to exclude people 70 and older," Fowler-Bradley said.
She said the courthouse strives to have a jury pool that represents a large cross-section of the community.
The Shasta County Courthouse summons about 1,600 jurors per week. Not all serve on a jury.
— Jessica Skropanic
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Damon ArthurandJessica Skropanicarepart of a team of dedicatedRecord Searchlight journalists whose work centers on local issues, including business, government, housing, land development, politics, the criminal justice systemand coverage of breaking news. They also bring inspiring, feel-good news stories and multimedia content from around the North State.Visit thestaff directoryto contact them.To support and sustain their work,pleasesubscribe today!
