An earthquake that registered 6.0 on the Richter scale struck just off the Pacific Coast at 12:20 p.m. Thursday. Some folks in Redding felt the quake, but no reports of damage so far.
The 6.5-magnitude quake that hit the same area on Jan. 9 did millions of dollars of damage along the coast, but initial reports say Thursday’s was much less severe.
For updates, click here.
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We now resume your regularly scheduled Corner Booth:
Thanks in part to unemployment and the struggling economy, the Redding Library is getting more use than ever.
As I’ve mentioned before, I’m a member of the Shasta County Libraries Citizens Advisory Committee. Library director Jan Erickson told us on Wednesday that library use nationwide grows whenever the economy is down. People use libraries for computers, job search info, etc.
The numbers for 2009 are impressive: More than 550,000 items circulated through the libraries in Redding, Anderson and Burney. Nearly 9,500 first-time users registered at county libraries. Computer use was up, as the libraries hosted more than 132,000 Internet sessions last year. About 174,000 people viewed the library’s website.
Erickson also presented a report on how the library is measuring up to the library’s Strategic Plan, and the year-end numbers surpassed the goals in almost every category.
The Redding Library will be three years old on March 27. Watch this space for news about celebration plans.
- Mark Your Calendars for Saturday, Feb. 13, when the Behrens-Eaton Museum Players present their first program. The 2:30 p.m. event in the Redding Library’s community room is called “The Ladies of the Club.” It’s a light-hearted look at life in the 1890s. For tickets ($10), call the museum at 241-3454.
- Alarming News: While overall it’s still very safe to have a baby, California has seen a surge in deaths related to pregnancy. The spike in deaths, worst since the 1930s, may be related to obesity and related health problems. Much more here.
- Amazing photos were captured during a recent photo safari in Africa. Three cheetahs came upon a young antelope, but rather than kill it, they nuzzled and played with it for a while. Experts say the cheetahs had probably dined on something else and were too full for dessert. See the photos here.
- Rules for Successful Living #33: Some things — juggling, fire-eating, brain surgery — should be left to the experts.
A journalist since 1975, Steve Brewer is the author of 16 books, most recently the thriller “Cutthroat.” He moved to Redding from New Mexico in 2003.