‘Policing our Own’
The story of reinstated sheriff’s Sgt. Jason Daniels and why holding problematic officers accountable is harder than it seems.
Redwood Curtain Revisits Good People This Sunday
Redwood Curtain Theatre continues its live Zoom performances of prior plays with one of its best reviewed and most memorable productions, David Lindsay-Abaire’s Good People, this Sunday, June 20 at 6 p.m. ($5 donation per guest). Originally performed in 2017 at Redwood Curtain Theatre, Good People — nominated for the 2011 Tony award for Best Play and…
Summer Arts Faire This Weekend at the Mateel
The Mateel Community Center presents the 44th Summer Arts Faire Saturday and Sunday, June 19 and 20 with indoor and outdoor stages packed with music to make up for all you’ve missed this past year and a half. The family friendly event features a mix of regional bands and DJs, over 50 craft and food vendors, local…
Folie Douce to Become The Kitchen Arcata
Last week, a joyful Chris Hollen announced the sale of her restaurant Folie Douce to Jacob Masslich, who’ll be spending the summer transforming it into The Kitchen Arcata. Hollen says she’s excited for Masslich and relieved the sale is completed, as it never was when Reda Salhi briefly took it over in 2019. The Folie Douce…
Music, Music, Everywhere!
This week, COVID-19 restrictions are lifting and so are our spirits. As if meeting the moment, the hills, gardens, bars and parks are alive with the sound of music. Every third Sunday of the month through summer, catch live Music in the Garden in the beautiful setting of Humboldt Botanical Garden. This Sunday, June 20,…
County Marks Second COVID-19 Death in Two Days
Public Health today reported the county’s second COVID-19 death in as many days and the confirmation of nine new cases of the virus. No additional hospitalizations were reported. The person who died was in their 70s. Today’s case results came after laboratories processed 344 samples with a test-positivity rate of 2.6 percent. According to a…
Is California Still Facing an Eviction Tsunami When the Moratorium Ends?
California’s eviction moratorium is coming to an end June 30. Since the earliest days of the pandemic, housing analysts have worried about a tsunami of evictions whenever the state lifts protections for renters. Will there be an eviction tsunami when the moratorium ends? Or a smaller wave? CalMatters asked Carolina Reid, associate professor of city…
Ralph Christensen: 1948-2021
Ralph passed away the evening of May 28, 2021, after a long struggle with Alzheimer’s. Born in Washington state to Melba and Eugene “Chris” Christensen, Ralph was the second of six surviving children. The family moved to Eureka when Ralph was young and he attended kindergarten at Lincoln School before the family moved to a…
Masking in an Age of Reopening
Two of Humboldt County’s local COVID-19 health orders were lifted today as the state moves toward reopening. All California residents are now covered by an order from the state Department of Public Health, which lifts mask and social distancing protocols for fully vaccinated individuals in many situations, although local businesses may apply their own requirements.…
47th Humboldt Resident Dies of COVID-19, 9 New Cases, 2 More Hospitalizations
Humboldt County Public Health reported today that another local resident has died of COVID-19 as well as two new hospitalizations, a resident in their 60s and another in their 80s. None were vaccinated. The person who died was in their 60s. Nine new cases were also confirmed after laboratories processed 167 samples with a test-positivity…
Francine Tuft Peterson: 1942-2021
On Sunday, May 9, 2021, Francine Dezzie Tuft Peterson, loving wife and mother, passed away peacefully at the age of 78. Francine was born on August 22, 1942, in Salt Lake City, Utah, to Frank and Dezzie Tuft. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Utah and later went on to…
David Peterson: 1941-2021
On Friday, March 19, 2021, David Humphrey Peterson, loving husband and father, passed away peacefully at the age of 79. David was born on July 8, 1941, in Ephraim, Utah, to Eric and Ellen Peterson. David attended Snow College where he wrestled and played football. While at Snow College, David won two wrestling championships and in…
HSU Expanding Curriculum with Polytechnic Push
As a way of prioritizing Humboldt State University’s push to become polytechnic, the university is expanding its curriculum to include more STEM-related degree programs as soon as fall of 2023. “This is what a 21st-century education looks like: programs where students build the skills to have meaningful careers and a nuanced understanding of society’s complex…
Godzilla vs. Monster Zero at the ATL
Go! Go! Go! to the Arcata Theatre Lounge on Wednesday, June 16 for the return of Sci Fi Night with Godzilla vs. Monster Zero (1965) at 6 p.m. ($5). Watch all the kaiju action on the big screen in your best rubber monster suit (cosplay encouraged). Masks required unless actively eating or drinking or burning…
Humboldt Sees 19 New Confirmed Cases, 2 Hospitalizations
Humboldt County Public Health reported 19 new COVID-19 cases today and two new hospitalizations, a resident in their 50s and another in their 60s. The cases were confirmed after laboratories processed 347 samples with a test-positivity rate of 5.5 percent. According to a state database, four people are currently hospitalized with COVID-19 locally, including two…
Crabs Off to a Hot Start
The Humboldt Crabs have gotten off to a flying start to their 2021 campaign, winning six straight games following their season opening loss. The Crabs took both games of a two-game series against the Bay Area Force on Tuesday and Wednesday nights. Manny Casillas got the start for the home team on Tuesday and put…
Sofia Pereira Stepping Down from Arcata Council, Named New Humboldt County Public Health Director
Arcata Mayor Sofia Pereira, who has also served as the county’s Emergency Operations Center operation chief during the COVID-19 pandemic, announced she will be stepping down from the Arcata City Council by June 25 after being named Public Health’s new director, replacing Michele Stephens. “Starting June 27, I will begin a new chapter as the…
Higher Temps Coming on the Heels of Record Rain
It was a wet and record-setting weekend. According to the Eureka office of the National Weather Service, two sites hitting precipitations record for June 13, one dating back more than 100 years. On Sunday, Eureka saw 0.73 inches and Crescent City had 1.94 inches, breaking records set in 1992 (0.62 inches) and 1907 (0.63 inches),…
Carol Ann DelBiaggio: 1936-2021
Carol was born in Wisconsin. At an early age, she and the family moved west to Ferndale, California. Her family didn’t have much, but she always talked of the family joy during those years. She loved Ferndale, the town, the people and the community spirit. It is where she went to school, made forever friends and…
Yvette Jean Tucker: 1946-2021
Yvette Jean Tucker passed away peacefully at her home in Eureka, California on April 21, 2021. Yvette will be remembered for her kindness and her gentle soul. She was a loyal friend that could be depended upon anytime, night or day. She was always there to help her fellow human beings and she had a…
NCJ Preview: Policing the Police, Return of the Crabs and Rice Dumplings
This week we’re talking about the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office and Sgt. Jason Daniels, who remains on the payroll despite documented misconduct, and why it’s so hard to make “separation from employment” stick. We’re also celebrating the return of Humboldt Crabs baseball and learning to make zongzi rice dumplings at home. Hit subscribe for weekly…
Take in the Trinidad Art and Otter Walk this Sunday
You otter have art. And Trinidad does! Discover it at the Trinidad Art and Otter Walk on Sunday, June 13 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Trinidad. Check out five of those adorable otter art statues from the North Coast Otters Public Arts Initiative at spots throughout town. Start at Trinidad Art Gallery to…
Public Health Confirms Seven New COVID-19 Cases, One New Hospitalization
Humboldt County Public Health reported seven new COVID-19 cases today, making 66 this week, and one new hospitalization. The cases were confirmed after laboratories processed 238 samples with a test-positivity rate of 2.9 percent. According to a state database, five people are currently hospitalized with COVID-19 locally, including three under intensive care. Tuesday, the county…
Interior Secretary Pens Letter Supporting Klamath Dam Removal
Interior Secretary Deb Haaland released a letter today to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in support of Klamath dam removal. “Dam removal will restore salmonid fisheries, reestablish fish passage, improve water quality and bring new recreation and economic opportunities to the Basin,” Haaland, the nation’s first Native Interior Secretary, wrote. “Moreover, removal will advance the…
Get Outside and Explore with Trinidad Coastal Land Trust
Smell the fresh sea air and interact with some of our coastal creatures this weekend with two fun outings offered by Trinidad Coastal Land Trust. First, there’s a Geology of Trinidad Walk on Saturday, June 12 from 9 to 11 a.m with Danny O’Shea. He’ll take you on an in-depth journey back into the geologic history of…
Four New COVID-19 Cases, Two New Hospitalizations
Humboldt County Public Health reported four new COVID-19 cases today and two new hospitalizations. The cases were confirmed after laboratories processed 167 samples with a test-positivity rate of 2.4 percent. According to a state database, five people are currently hospitalized with COVID-19 locally, including two under intensive care. The county also reported that the state…
Clarification
A Views column in the June 3, 2021, edition of the North Coast Journal headlined “GET Vaccinated!” included a potentially misleading sentence. The three COVID-19 vaccines currently being administered in the United States have received emergency use authorizations from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The Journal regrets any confusion.
Everyday Wonder
A burst of sunshine At the end of a long stalk, A dandelion. Sherman Schapiro
Free Will Astrology
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Aries actor Leonard Nimoy became mega-famous by playing the role of Spock, an alien from the planet Vulcan in the Star Trek franchise. He always enjoyed the role, but in 1975 he wrote an autobiography called I Am Not Spock. In it, he clarified how different he was from the character…
Start-up No More
Resolution Care, Humboldt County’s groundbreaking palliative care company, has been sold to Vynca, an advanced care planning technology company, in a merger that Resolution Care founder Michael Fratkin hopes will ultimately allow for a national expansion of the patient-centered care the company has prided itself on providing. Founded in 2014, Resolution Care’s palliative care teams…
Wrapping Up Zongzi
Zongzi (sticky rice dumplings) are a classic treat to celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival for Chinese all over the world. This festival falls on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month and when I was growing up in China, I always looked forward to it. There was so much preparation for making the dumplings…
Humboldt Crabs Back With a Bang, WinningFirst Series
Baseball and beer are back at the Arcata Ballpark as the Humboldt Crabs are up to their usual winning ways to get the season started, taking two out of three games against the visiting Lincoln Potters to win their first series. For the first time since 2019, fans were welcomed back into the ballpark at…
Break in the Wind Puts Boats Back on the Water
The wind and seas finally relented Tuesday, allowing the Eureka-based fleet of boats to get back on the water. A few of the boats went south, reacquainting themselves with Cape Mendocino. The rockfish bite was good, according to the few boats who made the run. The majority had halibut on their minds and headed north…
Power Couple
REVIEWS THE CONJURING 3: THE DEVIL MADE ME DO IT. When The Exorcist (1977) aired on television in 1980, I watched it from the cracked pleather recliner I was still small enough to share with my grandmother, who loved supernatural horror and evidently didn’t put much stock in movie ratings. It was even more terrifying…
In Favor of a Police Review Board
Editor: We have now seen the true colors of at least two Eureka Police Department officers (‘Mission, Values, Vision,’ June 3). It is obvious that Sgt. Rodrigo Reyna-Sanchez and officer Mark Meftah need to be immediately terminated. These are people officially charged with protecting and serving the most vulnerable, unempowered and defenseless segments of society.…
‘Policing our Own’
By the time Jason Daniels was criminally charged in 2014 with committing rape and sexual battery while on patrol as a Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office deputy, he’d already been “separated from his employment,” as the county put it. And as the case wound its way through court, local headlines all had a familiar refrain: “Ex-sergeant’s…
