Cover Story
Dinner from the Dock
Capt. Harrison Ibach lifts a redbanded rockfish through a hatch from a lower deck. The fish’s eyes bulge like a Muppet’s, and its striped carnelian body dwarfs Ibach’s rubber-gloved hand. “Wendy, do you want this one?” he asks from behind a mask. “No!” cries Wendy Chan, peering over her own mask at the fish. “I…
Mazzotti’s Shutters in Response to Statewide Closures
Following Gov. Gavin Newsom’s order today shutting down indoor restaurants and other indoor businesses in 19 California counties due to rising COVID-19 infection rates, Mazzotti’s on the Plaza owner Joseph Mazzotti has closed the Italian eatery, at least for now. In a Facebook post, Mazzotti wrote the closure would be until further notice. “Our staff,…
Public Health Confirms Three New COVID-19 Cases
Humboldt County Public Health confirmed three new COVID-19 cases today. The news continues a recent spike that has seen 28 cases confirmed locally over the past two weeks, bringing the countywide tally to 136. According to a news release, 84 cases were contracted through a known case, 28 via travel and 23 were from community…
Humboldt County Health Leaders Commended for ‘Outstanding Work During These Unprecedented Times’
In a letter addressed to the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors, a collection of local healthcare organizations has sung the praises of the Humboldt County Department of Health & Human Services (DHHS) and the Humboldt County Emergency Preparedness & Response Team. Made up of more than a dozen local health-related entities, the North Coast Health Leadership…
County Urges Cannabis Employers to Encourage Staff to Get Free COVID-19 Tests
The Humboldt County Joint Information Center has released a handy information sheet for the cannabis industry during the COVID-19 Crisis. In it, they suggest employers encourage staff to participate in free COVID testing. The center also notes that employees who carpool with others should “always wear a mask and keep windows open to improve vehicle ventilation…
Local Movie Theaters Approved to Reopen, But Not All Will
You could get away from the heat and incessant boom of amateur fireworks this weekend and sit in the air-conditioned cool of Broadway Cinema, escaping from the endless cycle of bad news for the big screen spectacle about a looming, mostly-unseen threat that picks off the unwary and reckless. Jaws will be playing, along with…
Indoor Restaurants Shut Down in 72% of California for Three Weeks
Beaches and bars were just the beginning. California Gov. Gavin Newsom today ordered indoor portions of restaurants, entertainment centers, museums and other businesses in counties with growing coronavirus outbreaks to shut down for at least three weeks. As the Fourth of July weekend approaches, the indoor facilities must close in 19 “watch list” counties that…
Eureka’s Clarke Historical Museum to Reopen July 8
Humboldt County’s distinguished history will be back on display at the Clarke Museum starting July 8. Tucked into the Bank of Eureka within the city’s Old Town, the museum features exhibits on Native American art ans cultures, the Gold Rush and the county’s lumber, agricultural and fishing industries. The museum will be open from 9…
Controversial Water/Sewer Rate Hikes, COVID-19 grants on Tonight’s Arcata City Council Meeting Agenda, LoCO reports
Tonight at 6 p.m. the Arcata City Council meeting will include a discussion of new water and sewer rates that could kick in a few months from now, the Lost Coast Outpost is reporting. “If eventually approved, average sewage rates could go up around 50 percent over the next five years, and water rates by…
Morris Graves Museum of Art to Reopen July 22
“At this extraordinary moment in time, we believe that the need for art has never been greater,” a press release from Humboldt Arts Council, owner and operator of the Morris Graves Museum of Art, states. “We believe in its ability to lift people up, and to give them hope, comfort and strength.” In that spirit,…
Eureka Man Dies in Fatal High Speed Pursuit Near Red Bluff
Multiple news agencies are reporting that a Eureka man, Jacob Weber Gabriel, is dead after a high speed pursuit that began near State Route 36 in the Red Bluff area. Law enforcement had been on the lookout for the 2006 Infinity he was driving in connection with multiple armed robberies and an assault of a…
Hundreds of Humboldt Cannabis Felonies Reclassified as Misdemeanors
To align cannabis-related convictions of the past with current laws, the Humboldt County District Attorney’s Office identified 801 relevant felony cases and re-designated them as misdemeanors, according to a press release from the DA’s office. The health and safety code violations included marijuana possession, cultivation, possession for sale and transportation dating back to 1982, the…
Flat Fire Stretches to 100 Acres, Long Delays Expected on 299
The Flat Fire that began a little after 3 p.m. yesterday near Burnt Ranch in western Trinity County when a crash on State Route 299 caught the hillside on fire, as of this morning, has spread to approximately 100 acres and is zero percent contained, according to the Northern California Geographic Coordination Center. The fire…
‘It Is Not Safe:’ Frankovich Warns Against Gatherings, Mingling Households
With Humboldt County Public Health having confirmed 21 new COVID-19 cases over the past week and statewide case counts increasing by the thousands day after day, county Health Officer Teresa Frankovich began her June 30 media availability not with a reporter’s question but with a warning. “I’m guessing most people in the county have been…
SECOND UPDATE: Growing Fire Near Burnt Ranch, Some Structures Threatened
2nd UPDATE According to Shasta Trinity Forest Service: “The Flat Fire was reported at 3:02 p.m. this afternoon near the Cedar Flat Picnic Area east of Burnt Ranch. It is currently approximately 80-100 acres in size and burning north towards Ironside Mountain. Highway 299 is closed in both directions and several structures in the area…
Humboldt County at a COVID-19 Crossroads, County Health Officer Cautions
Public Health reported no new confirmed COVID-19 cases today after a spike last week pushed the county’s total to 133. According to a news release, 82 cases were contracted through a known case, 28 via travel and 23 were from community transmission, meaning the person who tested positive had no known contacts to another case…
Power Outage Hits Areas of SoHum
A power outage that began about 2:45 p.m. has left over 1,800 without electricity from Whitethorn to Petrolia from the coast to Garberville, according to the PG&E Outage site. PG&E says they are investigating the cause. They are giving 7 p.m. as the estimated restore time. Those are usually not based on information about the…
Fortuna Selects New Police Chief Formerly Featured on the Colbert Show
The city of Fortuna, whose police department’s top job was held most recently by former county Sheriff Mike Downey, announced yesterday the hiring of Sgt. Casey Day, a 19 year veteran of the Anderson Police Department in Shasta County. According to the city’s press release, Day is a former United States Marine with a master’s…
Making the Grade: No Bummer Beaches for Humboldt this Year
Here’s some good news: Humboldt County’s shores didn’t make the “Bummer Beach” list in this year’s Heal the Bay report card on California’s coastline. Clam Beach has been at the top of list in recent years and Luffenholtz Beach has also made an appearance or two. In fact, the Humboldt report shows above average grades…
PG&E to Talk Power Shutoffs in Webinar for Humboldt, Surrounding Counties
PG&E is hosting a webinar tomorrow for residents of Humboldt, Trinity and Siskiyou counties to hear details of its Community Wildlife Safety Program and plans for making any needed Public Safety Power Shutoffs “smaller in size, shorter in length and smarter for customers.” Humboldt was plunged into darkness twice in October when wildfire dangers in…
Fortuna Rodeo Canceled Amid COVID
The Fortuna Rodeo Association announced today that the annual event has been canceled this year. “A lot of time and effort was put in with the hopes of having the rodeo this year,” the news release from association President Shannon McWhorter states. “Unfortunately, the current conditions make it unrealistic to hold even a drastically paired…
Public Health Announces Four New Confirmed COVID-19 Cases
Humboldt County Public Health confirms four new COVID-19 cases, bringing the county total to 133. Today’s test results come after 17 cases were confirmed last week and continue a spike that has seen 28 new local cases since June 12. To date, the county has seen 133 cases, including 15 patients who were hospitalized at…
Paycheck Protection Program to Close to New Applicants Tomorrow
The North Coast Small Businesses Development Center announced that the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) will close to new applicants tomorrow. “The Paycheck Protection Program closes to new applications TOMORROW Tuesday, June 30. If you haven’t yet applied, please note the PPP loan shuts down to new applications by the end of Tuesday, June 30.…
Fire Safety Reminders for Six Rivers National Forest
Six Rivers National Forrest is reminding residents ahead of the Fourth of July weekend that fire restrictions are in effect in the forest to protect visitors, communities, employees and natural resources. “Every unwanted wildfire causes needless damage and during this COVID-19 pandemic, increases virus exposure to our firefighters and the public,” Interagency Fire Chief Josh Mathieson…
Where to Get Financial Help During Coronavirus in California — and Is It Enough?
From hotel rooms for people who are homeless to restaurant meals for seniors isolating for their lives, California has rapidly expanded its safety net in an attempt to catch millions of residents impacted by the coronavirus and its economic aftershocks. In daily press conferences during the pandemic’s first months, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced new “first-in-the-nation”…
Community Caravan Will Call for Rent and Mortgage Forgiveness
Centro del Pueblo, Cooperation Humboldt, North Coast People’s Alliance, the Humboldt and Del Norte Central Labor Council, Buenlucha, the Party for Socialism and Liberation and other community organizations will host caravan through Eureka calling for banks to forgive mortgages for landlords and tenets who can’t pay rent due to COVID-19 related unemployment on Wednesday, July…
First 5 Humboldt and Changing Tides Provides Emergency Supplies to Child Care Facilities with Children of Essential Workers
First 5 Humboldt and Changing Tides Family Services recently donated Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and other essential supplies to child care facilities serving children of essential workers and vulnerable populations during the COVID-19 pandemic. The supplies included masks, disinfectants, children’s books, wipes, non-contact thermometers and diapers. “We are committed to helping child care providers adapt…
38th Annual Arcata Lantern Floating Ceremony is Going Virtual This Year
The City of Arcata announced that the Arcata Lantern Floating Ceremony that takes places annually at the Arcata Marsh & Wildlife Sanctuary will be held virtually this year in light of COVID-19. The Lantern Floating Ceremony commemorates the U.S. atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945 and affirms Arcata’s dedication to the cause of peace. The city said…
Friends of the Dunes Presents the Dispersed Sand Sculpture Festival
Friends of the Dunes announced that a physically-distanced version of its 25th Annual Sand Sculpture Festival will take place during the entire month of July. The modified event, called the Dispersed Sand Sculpture Festival, will take place in lieu of the annual Sand Sculpture Festival previously scheduled for July 25, 2020 at Samoa Drag Strip. Getting…
The First Days of COVID-19 in Humboldt Via Email, LoCO Reports
The Lost Coast Outpost looks at the first days of the COVID-19 response through the lens of county officials’ emails, including discussions on when to declare an emergency and the effort to supply local healthcare providers with needed equipment. Read the full story here.
Mother Ordered to Stand Trial in Fatal Shooting of Son, T-S and LoCO Report
The Times-Standard and Lost Coast Outpost are reporting that a Superior Court judge has ordered a Eureka woman to stand trial for allegedly fatally shooting her teenage son. Pamela Millsap, 38, is facing charges of voluntary manslaughter and two counts of child abuse. Read the full story here and here.
Could Racially Motivated 911 Calls Become Hate Crimes?
Barbecuing at Lake Merritt in Oakland. Selling water without a permit. Both instances in which a Black person was doing something deemed criminal by a white person. Both instances in which a white person called the police. Now, as racial tensions continue to flare as the nation protests the death of George Floyd and others,…
Upcoming Ramp Closures in Arcata
Ramp closures will be happening in the Arcata area over the next few days, according to a Caltrans Facebook post. On Sunday, the westbound State Route 299 off-ramp to southbound U.S. Highway 101 ramp and the southbound U.S. Highway 101 on-ramp to eastbound Route 299 ramp will be fully closed for guardrail and barrier work…
County Launches New COVID-19 Data Tool
A new dashboard of COVID-19 data was released today by the Humboldt County Emergency Operations Center to provide an easier to use format for members of the public. According to a news release, the online site will help residents track local trends, including seven-day totals, long-term rates and how long it takes for cases to…
Public Health Confirms Two New COVID-19 Cases, Making 19 this Week
Humboldt County Public Health confirmed two new COVID-19 cases today, making a total of 19 for the week and bringing the countywide tally to 129, as well as another hospitalization. The news comes after Wednesday saw nine cases confirmed — matching the county’s single day high set back in early April — as well as…
Blue Lake Rancheria’s Microgrid Efforts Make HuffPost
A HuffPost story published today on the role microgrids play in keeping the lights on during natural disasters — focusing mainly on a community located on the Bay of Bengal in the wake of a cyclone — gives a cameo appearance to the Blue Lake Rancheria’s efforts. The story describes the Rancheria’s microgrid system —…
NCJ Preview: Fish off the Boats and Oysters Online
This week, the conversation is heavy on seafood. As COVID-19 closed restaurants, Humboldt fishermen started selling fish to the public at the docks, rather than sending it out of the area. Now the lines are long and the boat and business captains are looking at keeping it going. And how did virtual Oyster Fest go?…
Fortuna Businesses Struggle with Ripple Effects of SIP
The COVID-19 shelter-in-place order has had mixed impacts on the Friendly City. Fortuna’s small-business-dense Main Street has weathered trouble before: The 2008 financial crisis and recession shuttered some retail spaces, but the town rebounded. In 2015 a fire burned down the historic Star Hotel, which housed a music store and pharmacy. The town rebuilt. But as…
UPDATE: DOJ Warns of Fake Mask Exemption Cards
The county’s COVID-19 information center is sharing a U.S. Department of Justice warning about reports of fake cards purporting to exempt an individual from mask requirements in public spaces. While there are some exceptions to the mandate — which is the law of the land in California and many other states to help prevent the…
Dell’Arte Board Responds to Equity Criticism
After nine current and former Dell’Arte International staff members penned an open letter to the theater school outlining what they see as major problems with the organization’s treatment and advancement of Black and Indigenous people and people of color, Board of Directors Chair John Bartholomew has written response to the Dell’Arte community. In it, Bartholomew…
Tribal Chair: ‘Huge Discrepancy’ in Hoopa Election Results Being Referred to U.S. Attorney, Sheriff’s Office for Investigation
Hoopa Valley Tribal Chair Byron Nelson Jr. said in a statement today that a recount of election results “indicated a huge discrepancy in the number of calculated votes” for one district and findings suggest “individuals and potentially groups of individuals have engaged in efforts to manipulate election results.” The matter, he said, will be referred…
Appointments for June 29 COVID-19 Testing in McKinleyville Filled; Another Date Set
The county’s COVID-19 information center reports that appointments to be tested at a pop-up site in McKinleyville on June 29 have filled up. A second pop-up site has been scheduled for July 6 from 8:30 a.m. to noon. To schedule a test for that date, call 268-2503. Humboldt County residents can also visit the mobile…
COVID-19 Spike Continues as Public Health Confirms Five New Cases
Humboldt County Public Health confirmed five new COVID-19 cases today, making a total of 17 for the week and bringing the countywide tally to 127. Public Health reports that it has traced four of today’s five positive cases back to contact with a known COVID-19 case, while the source of the fifth case remains under…
Rio Dell Mayor Debra Garnes Featured in Statewide PSA
The League of California Cities recently released a statewide Public Service Announcement featuring mayors in California cities thanking the public for following safety precautions during COVID-19 and offering words of support and encouragement. Along with Mayor Darryl Steinberg of Sacramento and Mayor Libby Schaff of Oakland, Rio Dell’s mayor Debra Garnes appears, shouting out the…
Sacred Surfboard Up for Auction
A sacred surfboard hand-painted by artist Alex Escudero Ochoa as part of the Paddle out for Peace — a floating ceremony at sea that honored black and brown lives cut short by police brutality — is now up for auction. The June 14 event took place in the cove south of the Samoa Peninsula’s Coast Guard…
Local Poets Look ‘Behind the Mask’ at Humboldt During COVID-19
The chapbook Behind the Mask: 40 Quarantine Poems from Humboldt County is now available and can be download for free from several local websites. Eureka Poet Laureate David Holper and podcaster Anne Fricke put together the collection for release, with a host of local poets contributing their reflections on these unprecedented times. Read the full…
House Fire in McKinleyville Last Night (with video)
The Arcata Fire District responded to a house fire on Thiel Avenue in McKinleyville around 10 p.m. on Wednesday that caused major damage but no injuries. The initial responding crew was limited in their ability to battle the blaze due to a requirement that four firefighters be on scene before a building can be entered,…
HumCo Resident Tests COVID-19 Positive in Trinity
Trinity County Public Health announced yesterday that a Humboldt County resident who’d been residing over the county line for the past two weeks has been confirmed to have COVID-19. “This individual has returned to Humboldt County and will be monitored by Humboldt County Public Health,” Trinity County announced in a press release, adding that it…
‘It’s Really Our Choice’
Toward the end of her June 23 presentation to the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors, Health Officer Teresa Frankovich seemed to cut to the chase. Humboldt County has moved “pretty damn fast” to prepare to meet the COVID-19 pandemic — expanding its capacity to test local residents and conduct the contract tracing investigations needed to…
Oyster Fest Re-imagined
For those of us who don’t make it to the blocked-off plaza early enough, the annual Arcata Bay Oyster Festival begins with the distance event of hiking from somewhere in the belly of the Creamery District where we’ve parked. It can end with the same challenge, though with increased wobbliness and decreased navigational skill. This…
Hail to the King
THE KING OF STATEN ISLAND. Nobody could accuse me of being on trend or up on what the kids are into. But even I know Pete Davidson is a pop-cultural big deal and I don’t get it. To clarify, I enjoy his work: He’s brought an irreverence and unexpectedly insightful point of view to Saturday…
Pandemic Beach Finds
I was born on the beach. Actually, it was about 4 feet above the beach. My mother was a competitive beach volleyball player. She leapt for a big spike and I found myself momentarily suspended in mid-air before falling on my face in the sand. Mom screamed, “Game point!” and scooted me and my placenta…
East Through the Pandemic
I had not been more than 10 miles from home since March as, like most of us, my family has adhered to the protocols and shelter-in-place restrictions aimed to reduce the spread of COVID-19. I was stunned as I drove up State Route 299 along the Trinity River by how alive everything felt. Despite living…
A Morning in June
This morning I came down the stairs put water on to boil for tea opened the door to get the paper first breath of a new day and there at my feet sweet roses in a jam jar vase smiling up at me unmasked I asked the usual suspects “No, not me,” they said though…
Free Will Astrology
ARIES (March 21-April 19): In addition to being a magnificent storyteller, Aries author Barbara Kingsolver raises chickens at her home. “There are days when I am envious of my hens,” she writes, “when I hunger for a purpose as perfect and sure as a single daily egg.” Do you ever experience that delightful rush of…
