News

In the aftermath of his alcohol-fueled confrontation and arrest on Aug. 18, Eli LaRue has relinquished his half-ownership of Redwood Curtain Brewing Co., the business he co-founded with Drake Mollberg in 2010.

In a phone interview this morning, Mollberg said LaRue's behavior is unacceptable.

"Eli has a drinking problem. He needs to focus on himself and his family and really work on becoming a better person." The two men met as Oregon State University students in the 1990s, according to the HSU Lumberjack. 

Mollberg said LaRue's behavior on Aug. 18 does not reflect the values of the company or its 12 employees. "We want to be a part of this community. We want to grow this community. And we want to offer our deepest apologies to the women who were affected by this."

Mollberg said he is writing a full apology and submitting an advertisement addressing the issue, both of which will appear in the print edition of the Journal. LaRue confirmed via email that he relinquished his share of the company to Mollberg, who will now be the sole owner. LaRue also resigned from the Arcata Planning Commission, to which he'd been appointed on Aug. 15.