UPDATE: Some 17 fires have raced through areas of California over the past two days with 15 confirmed deaths, another 100 people reported missing and an estimated 115,000 acres burned when a perfect storm of gusty winds and low humidity swept across the state. Gov. Jerry Brown has declared a state of emergency in Mendocino, […]
Kimberly Wear
Kimberly Wear is the assistant editor of the North Coast Journal.
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UPDATE: Arcata’s 911 Back Up, Eureka and Fortuna Having Issues With Non-Emergency Lines
UPDATE: Arcata’s 911 system is back up after a phone outage connected early today due to the devastating wildfires burning to the south. At least two other Humboldt County cities are also experiencing phone issues, but not with emergency service lines. The Eureka City Hall’s lines are down and the Fortuna Police Department reports that […]
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Wayward Passage
Oregon State University biologist John Chapman can remember the exact moment his scientific world was turned upside down. It was June 5, 2012, and he was standing on Agate Beach, just 5 miles from his Newport home, staring at a large dock that had washed ashore. The 66-by-20-foot platform had been ripped from its mooring […]
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Humboldt Deputy on Vegas Shooting: ‘Everyone Was Helping’
A local couple, Humboldt County Sheriff’s Deputy Dustin Del Biaggio and Ferndale Police Officer Tierra Shumard, were standing in front of the stage on the last day of the Route 91 Harvest Festival in Las Vegas when the shooting started. They saw people around them fall to the ground, but were able escaped unharmed and […]
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No Apparent Link in Cases of Homeless Men Awaking to Flames
The recent incidents set exactly one week apart in Arcata and Eureka appeared remarkably similar at first: Homeless men sleeping on the steps of a building waking up to flames. One was severely injured while the other managed to get out of his sleeping bag before getting burned. Police department officials in the two cities […]
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Alderpoint Shooting Leaves 1 Dead, ‘Armed and Dangerous’ Suspect Sought
The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office is searching for a 27-year-old man in connection with a fatal shooting in Alderpoint on Saturday. Officials said Zachary Cordell Harrison was last seen leaving the scene of the Sixth Street homicide just before 3 p.m. in a black Ford F250 with Oregon plates. He is considered armed and dangerous, according to […]
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Enabling or a Lifeline?
To some, the concept of government sanctioned injection centers is akin to simply giving addicts a free pass to shoot up. To others, it’s a proven safety net used around the world to combat a growing opioid crisis already taking lives at an alarming rate. A controversial bill that would allow six California counties — […]
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House Says No to Sessions’ Asset Forfeiture Plans
The House of Representatives has just said no to U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ attempts to lessen restrictions on taking money and property from people suspected but sometimes never even charged let alone convicted of a crime — a practice called asset forfeiture. Read the Journal’s previous coverage about the controversial legal procedure in the […]
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Stanford Project Looking For Humboldt Voices
Across the vast swaths of California, there are different tells — certain turns of phrase or inflections used in everyday conversation — that can reveal quite a bit about where a person was raised. From the, like totally, stereotypical rising lilt of Valley Girl speak (along with the gratuitous use of the word “like”) to […]
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‘Tipped Over the Edge’
When city officials released a salacious, unsubstantiated, third-hand allegation of impropriety against the city’s most notorious landlord, Eureka City Manager Greg Sparks says the action was meant to impart a message. “We thought that it just added some gravitas in terms of what we are dealing with when it comes to Mr. Squires and his […]
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Update: Man Killed in Single Car Crash Behind Costco ID’d
UPDATE: The coroner’s office has identified the man killed in last night’s Eureka crash as 22-year-old Humboldt County resident Kendall Schroeder. PREVIOUS: The Eureka Police Department responded to a single car crash on Railroad Avenue behind Costco just before 9 p.m. on Tuesday, where the vehicle’s only occupant was pronounced dead at the scene. The […]
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TL;DR: Cemetery Rising
Busy week? No worries. We understand. You just haven’t found time to read “Cemetery Rising,” this week’s cover story about restoration efforts at Eureka’s historic Myrtle Grove Memorial Cemetery. While we encourage you to take a look, here’s the long story short: A group of dedicated volunteers has been working for nearly two years to […]