It has taken months for the respective orbits of the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors and the Eureka City Council to align, but tomorrow they will finally sit down to discuss the estimated 844 people who sleep unsheltered in Humboldt County. The majority of those people are in Eureka, which has borne the brunt of […]
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 (NCJ)
After Bitter Debate, Eureka Declares Shelter Crisis
Public comment was brief, compared to previous meetings on the subject of homelessness. Only around 30 citizens came up to the podium to address the city council about the proposed declaration of a citywide shelter crisis. The declaration, originally proposed by Councilmember Linda Atkins, was reworked by city staff before being put before the council […]
Posted inNews (NCJ)
Breaking the Cycle
For the third time in 15 months, the medical director of the Mental Health Branch of the Humboldt County Department of Health and Human Services has resigned. The latest resignation, by Dr. Raja Dutta, comes just two months after the local medical society called for a grand jury investigation into the department’s ongoing staffing crisis, […]
Posted inLetters + Opinion
This Old Grow House
According to the latest Humboldt County Economic Index, local home sales have dipped slightly, while mortgage prices have risen. Median home prices — while at nowhere near pre-recession levels — have been climbing steadily since 2012, when your financially secure friends were snapping up starter homes for pennies on the dollar. And quite a few […]
Posted inNews (NCJ)
City Council, Harbor District, Make Moves on Homelessness
As the Eureka City Council prepares to once again discuss declaring a city-wide shelter crisis on Tuesday, the Humboldt Bay Harbor District has moved forward with a plan to reinstall Porta-Potties near the PalCo Marsh. District Chairman Richard Marks, who spearheaded installation of Porta-Potties in the Bayshore Mall’s north parking lot last July, said that […]
Posted inNews (NCJ)
Local Harm Reduction Team Becomes Authorized Naloxone Distributor
The Humboldt Area Center for Harm Reduction (HACHR) took a step toward helping reduce local overdose and infection rates yesterday, as a physician has agreed to carry a prescription for Naloxone and bulk syringes. HACHR would not disclose the name of the physician, but spokesperson Michelle Ellis said they were lucky to find someone who […]
Posted inNews (NCJ)
The Sticking Point
A newly approved spending bill that partially lifts the ban on federal funding to support needle-exchange programs may make 2016 the turning point for those trying to combat infectious disease in Humboldt County. The ban, originally lifted by the Obama administration in 2009 but reinstated by a Republican-controlled Congress in 2011, prevented federal money from […]
Posted inLetters + Opinion
More Swag, Less Schwag
“I’m not sure brand dilution can get any worse than it has up to now,” says Chrystal Ortiz, marketing and branding coordinator for True Humboldt. True Humboldt, a co-op of local cannabis farmers, is one of several organizations trying to turn the region into a brand and realign that brand with values that will sell. […]
Posted inNews (NCJ)
What’s Humboldt Funding? Wrecks, Pets and Murder on the Internet
If you’re looking for evidence of Humboldt’s generosity, anecdotes alone usually suffice. We have an abundance of local non-profits, volunteer organizations and do-gooders, both in and out of the limelight. Every weekend, offers a dozen different opportunities to dance, pun, sculpt or drink for a good cause. But what about those of us who don’t […]
Posted inNews (NCJ)
Orleans Woman First Road Death of 2016
A 24-year-old woman traveling on State Route 96 yesterday morning was the first road death of 2016. Drugs and alcohol are suspected to be a factor in the collision. Neither the woman nor the 2-year-old also in the car were restrained by seatbelts. The woman died as a result of her injuries; the infant was […]
Posted inNews (NCJ)
Eureka City Council Butting Heads With Staff & Each Other on Homelessness
The restless crowd packed into city council chambers Tuesday night gradually filtered out until only the most hardcore civics enthusiasts remained, as the Eureka City Council meeting was extended, then extended again, stretching until 10:30 p.m. The majority of the four-and-a-half-hour meeting was taken up by public comment on two contentious items: whether or not […]
Posted inNews (NCJ)
The State of the Grange
On Dec. 14, 1934, the meeting hall where the Mattole Grange held events burned to the ground due to an unattended woodstove. Grange members rallied the community, collecting funds and promises of labor, and obtaining a tract of land for a permanent hall. By July of 1935, Mattole Grange #569 had risen from the ashes. […]