Humboldt State University Chief of Police Donn Peterson was with university Vice President of Administration and Finance Douglas Dawes when he first learned of the no-confidence vote from his officers through a press release from their union Monday. Speaking to the Journal, Peterson said he was so shocked at the news that he asked Dawes […]
Iridian Casarez
Iridian Casarez was a staff writer at the North Coast Journal from 2019-2023.
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California Department of Public Health: ‘Refrain from Vaping’
The California Department of Public Health has issued a health advisory recommending people stop vaping, no matter the substance or source, until current investigations are complete. According to a release, as of Sept. 24, the CDPH had received 90 reports of people with a history of vaping who have been hospitalized for “severe breathing problems […]
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Hundreds Turn Out as Humboldt Participates in Global Climate Strike (With Slideshow)
As community members waited on the Arcata plaza, their climate-action signs in hand, loud chanting emerged from Ninth and G streets, “Save the Earth!” “Save the Earth!” Hundreds of Humboldt State University and Arcata High School students started to flood the plaza in a massive wave. They were ready to set make mark as part […]
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Two Killed in Crash on State Route 299
Two people were killed in a head-on collision yesterday morning on State Route 299 west of Willow Creek. CHP responded at 11:45 a.m. to a report that a Mazda Sedan traveling eastbound on State Route 299 at an unsafe speed for wet roadway conditions had lost control and driven into the westbound lane, where it […]
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‘Responsible Resilience’ on Display at Cooperation Humboldt’s Edible Garden Tour
As you walk into Karen Shepherd and Bradley Thompson’s backyard in Arcata, you are met with a beautifully diverse food forest with an array of vegetables, flowers and fruits, from asparagus and pears to onions and cabbage. Shepherd and Thompson began working on their food forest after they moved into their house 19 years ago. […]
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Local Officials Warn Against Cannabis Use During Pregnancy
Officials from the local group Perinatal Substance Use Disorder Project presented research on the risks of cannabis use during pregnancy to the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday. The group — which started meeting in 2016 to examine the high rates of perinatal substance use in the county — informed the board that research […]
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Gist Hall Re-Opens After Asbestos Shutdown
After a presence of disturbed asbestos found in a “space used to help circulate air” closed down Gist Hall in May, Humboldt State University has announced the building reopened this week. Right before the spring semester ended, HSU closed down the building to test for traces of asbestos. Tests later confirmed no asbestos fibers were […]
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Outstanding: A Report Expected to Shed Light on David Josiah Lawson’s Killing Remains MIA
In the aftermath of the April 15, 2017 stabbing death of David Josiah Lawson, as criticism swirled about the city of Arcata’s emergency and police responses and protests mounted, officials pledged the incident would be reviewed by an outside organization. Nearly two and a half years later, the city has yet to see the $30,000 […]
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The Grove
Seven years ago, Annamarie Whipple moved to Humboldt County but when her partner died unexpectedly a couple of years later, she found herself homeless, living at the Eureka Rescue Mission. Struggling to find a job while living at the mission, Whipple decided to save up some money for a motorhome and, most importantly, to go […]
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Eureka City Manager Greg Sparks to Retire by Year’s End
Eureka City Manager Greg Sparks has announced his plan to retire at the end of the year in a letter sent to the mayor and city council. “It has been my great personal and professional pleasure to have served as City Manager of Eureka since May 2014,” Sparks wrote in his retirement letter. “After 40 […]
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Man Arrested in 2018 Homicide Investigation
Jason Barnes, 46 of Eureka, has been booked into the Humboldt County jail on suspicion of killing 58 year-old Bernhard “Ben” Bertain. On Dec. 22, 2018, a verbal altercation between Barnes and an unnamed female reportedly occurred at the Burre Center in Eureka. An employee working at a nearby business witnessed the altercation and placed […]
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Late HSU Professor Honored for LGBTQ Work
Humboldt State University professor of education Eric Rofes, who died of a heart attack in 2006, was honored at the National LGBTQ Wall of Honor at the historic Stonewall Inn in New York City on June 27. “Eric was a whirlwind of energy and brilliance at HSU and in the world, and I miss him […]