Shining a light on the loose ends, delays, and questions that deserve tighter accountability in Siskiyou County.
We all know how it works: important CPRA requests crawl through the system, official answers take forever, and in the meantime the public loses interest while problems quietly continue. That’s why we’re launching Loose Screws — a weekly column that keeps the spotlight on stories we’re actively investigating, even before every official document lands.
This is your early warning system. These are the issues we’re turning the wrench on right now.
Stories You Should Watch For:
1. How does an 8-year prison sentence for kidnapping with firearms become 5 years probation? We’re investigating a case where the individual has been repeatedly seen in Medford (well outside the county and apparently without proper travel permission) and later received a DUI that was reduced to “wet and reckless” with yet another year of probation. Multiple CPRA requests have been met with responses like “not our business” or heavy privacy protections. We’re still digging for answers on how these outcomes were reached and whether the law was applied evenly.
2. Dog attacks, an in-house dog catcher, and an uncontrolled burn A recent city council meeting highlighted multiple dog attacks — including one involving the child of a sheriff’s deputy — that appear to have received little to no public reporting. The city runs its own animal control instead of using county services. We’re examining how that setup affects response times and transparency. Separately, a “controlled” burn without proper permits reportedly got out of control and threatened a neighbor’s property and hay barn. We’re looking into permitting, oversight, and safety failures.
3. Building permits: one large shop on the hill gets approved while others are denied Some residents can’t get permits for basic construction, yet a large shop has gone up on a hill. We’re requesting the permits and approvals to check for consistent enforcement — or signs of favoritism and selective rule-bending.
4. Gannett/USA Today, legal notices, and the local media shell game We’re examining how Gannett/USA Today handles legal notices in Siskiyou County. Questions include: no physical office in the county, the use of a mail permit from a business that left the area in 2019, and what appears to be a shell game with publication requirements. We’re also looking at the broader issue of why it’s so difficult to get local authorities to investigate or press charges in matters that could draw backlash from large media conglomerates — the same ones accused of whitewashing problems in our community for years.
Got tips, documents, photos, or firsthand information? The county doesn’t want a watchful eye on these matters — they prefer things stay exactly as they are: you in the dark, scrolling Facebook while the pages stay blank and the problems continue.
We’re bucking that system.
A healthy, informed Siskiyou is a strong Siskiyou. Together we have power. If you’ve seen something, know something, or have documents on these issues (or any other “loose screws” in the community), send them our way. Tips are confidential and protected.
Social media alone doesn’t tighten the screws. Real, independent reporting does.
Email your tips to [email protected] or message us directly. The more eyes we have on these issues, the harder it is for anyone — officials or outside media conglomerates — to keep operating in the shadows.
Loose Screws drops every week. Stay tuned as we keep turning the wrench and demanding accountability.
Jay A. Martin
Publisher — Siskiyou.News
Poetry recital of a poem that has helped guide me along lives journey.
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