UPDATE: A memorial service has been scheduled to celebrate the life of former 1st District Humboldt County Supervisor Jimmy Smith at 5 p.m. Friday, May 27, at the Jimmy Smith Fields Landing Boat Launching Facility. PREVIOUSLY: Former 1st District Humboldt County Supervisor Jimmy Smith has died. He was 67. Smith, who tirelessly served the 1st […]
Linda Stansberry
Linda Stansberry was a staff writer of the North Coast Journal from 2015 to 2018. She is a frequent contributor the the Journal and our other publications.
Posted inNews
Bye Bye Stars and Bars?
A ban on using federal taxpayer funds to fly Confederate flags in military cemeteries is one step closer to implementation. North Coast Congressman Jared Huffman’s office announced today that the amendment he helped introduce to the 2017 Veteran’s Affairs funding bill has been passed through the House of Representatives. Many Southern Republicans balked at a […]
Posted inNews
Stumpin’ the 2nd District
Like most political races between incumbents and upstarts, the scrimmage for the 2nd District is a tug-of-war between vision and experience. In one corner, there’s Bud Rogers, the banjo maker and KMUD DJ whose platform is the hyper-localization of commerce, legislation and food. In the other corner is Estelle Fennell, also a KMUD alum, who […]
Posted inLetters + Opinion
Dude, Where’s My Impairment Test?
The American Automobile Association’s name cropped up in several articles this month on the topic of driving while under the influence of marijuana. On the basis of headlines alone, the organization, which often weighs in on issues effecting motorists, appears to have added its influence to a conflicting array of opinions. Tests that examine marijuana […]
Posted inNews
Human Remains Found on Eel River
A person canoeing the Eel River on Sunday found human remains close to Stafford. Due to their extreme state of decomposition, the coroner’s office has not been able to learn the sex or any other identifying features of the body. Chief Deputy Coroner Ernie Stewart said it appeared the body had been there “quite some […]
Posted inNews
Local Conservationists Ask FLOTUS to Dance
Hey, Michelle Obama, have any plans for May 20 and 21? That’s when three members of our local Fortuna California Conservation Corps will be in Washington, D.C. to help celebrate the National Parks Service centennial with a nature-inspired dance. And, yeah, they want you to join in. The BioBlitz Dance came about as part of […]
Posted inNews
Remains Found at Cuneo Creek Park Identified
Human remains found in Cuneo Creek State Park in 2014 have been identified by the county coroner’s office as those of a Mexican citizen, 31-year-old Luis Eduardo Raya. The Journal originally broke the story here. (Heads up: the original story includes a photograph of the remains.) While the press release says the remains were identified […]
Posted inNews
A Court of Their Peers
The judge is chewing gum. Her hair is piled in a messy bun on top of her head, where a pair of sunglasses also rests. She giggles shyly as she walks up to the podium and adjusts the microphone. Teen Court is now in session. A national diversion program, Teen Court is operated locally through […]
Posted inNews
A Celebration of Life for Lucille Vinyard
The “Mother of Redwood National Park,” a woman who once gave a funny, irreverent interview to the Journal about activism, widowhood and Ronald Reagan’s predilection for makeup, Lucille Vinyard, is being honored at Humboldt State University on Sunday, May 22. Vinyard, who passed away in December, a day after her friend and fellow activist, Susie […]
Posted inNews
Sorry, Kids: Tobacco Buying Age Hiked to 21, Vaping Restricted
Beginning June 9, you’ll have to prove you’re 21 to buy tobacco. Thanks to a bill sponsored by Assemblymember Jim Wood, California is joining Hawaii as the second state in the nation to raise the minimum age for tobacco purchases. Members of the armed services are exempt. The announcement that Gov. Jerry Brown had signed […]
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The Marsh Eviction’s Lone Protest Arrest: A Grandmother Who Stood Her Ground
Although a handful of advocates and homeless people shouted as the PalCo marsh was forcibly vacated by the Eureka Police Department on Monday, and the Vagabus, bedecked with signs of protest, made a surprise return appearance after eking its way as far south as Garberville, the only protester to actually be arrested was 73-year-old Hollie […]
Posted inLetters + Opinion
Cannabis in the Centennial State
The Colorado Department of Public Safety released early findings on the effects cannabis legalization has had on law enforcement, commerce, health and juveniles. The study, mandated as part of the 2014 initiative decriminalizing recreational marijuana use in the state, is bracketed by a series of caveats. It’s not comprehensive; many of its statistics are self-reported. […]