About a week after the Eureka City Schools board blindsided the public by approving an unusual land exchange agreement to offload its old Jacobs Middle School campus in a $6 million deal, the details of which were disclosed just an hour or so before the vote, it issued a press release pledging that it is […]
Editorial
Posted inLetters + Opinion
A Culture War’s Collateral Damage
In case you missed it — and unless you follow “news” websites of a certain political persuasion, you likely did — a story out of Humboldt County made national headlines last week. And if you missed the coverage, we’ve probably got you wondering what story was deemed so noteworthy or important that it pierced the […]
Posted inLetters + Opinion
Feedback
Journalism is not a one-way form of communication. Once a story publishes, readers (and a few who definitely did not read) let us know what they think. Strangers, subjects, sources, coworkers, friends and the somewhat less friendly regularly tell us what they value, are curious about, and what they agree or disagree with in the […]
Posted inLetters + Opinion
Lessons of a Drag Hag
The first time I saw drag, it was Bugs Bunny. Maybe it was the time he wore red lipstick and a crown of fruit like Carmen Miranda. Could have been when he rode an impossibly fat white horse sidesaddle downhill in a winged helmet and gold bustier as Brunhilda. As a flapper, a femme fatale […]
Posted inLetters + Opinion
Sunlight and Systems
Sunlight, they say, is the best disinfectant. It’s an adage we believe in, and one we hope will hold true with the publication of this week’s cover story, which is the product of a years-long Journal investigation into a string of use-of-force incidents involving a single local officer. But the story isn’t solely about him. […]
Posted inLetters + Opinion
For the People
The California Public Records Act is a vital piece of legislation, enshrining the rights of access and the principles of sunshine into the state’s constitution, asserting that “access to information concerning the conduct of the people’s business is a fundamental and necessary right of every person in this state.” Unfortunately, as history has taught us, […]
Posted inLetters + Opinion
‘Uncomfortable’
Before anyone reflexively talks about political correctness, “cancel culture” or good-natured jokes, let’s consider the facts. On Jan. 27, the Eureka Chamber of Commerce hosted its annual awards gala and fundraiser, drawing more than 200 people, including a host of local business leaders and officials. To this effort, a local restaurant owner donated a dinner […]
Posted inLetters + Opinion
Accountable
In the Nov. 17, 2022 issue, we ran a cartoon depicting Shlomo Rechnitz with a laundry list of his specific offenses as owner of Brius Healthcare, the skilled nursing corporation through which he has funneled tens of millions of dollars to other companies he owns, while providing patients with substandard care. Specifically, the cartoon points […]
Posted inLetters + Opinion
It All Adds Up
Humboldt County Planning Commissioner Alan Bongio got one thing right during brief remarks to his fellow commissioners Oct. 6, as they prepared to send a letter to three local tribes apologizing for his “insensitive,” “racist” and “biased” comments. “There’s some things that didn’t add up that night,” Bongio said defiantly of the commission’s Aug. 18 […]
Posted inLetters + Opinion
Bongio Must Go
We begin this editorial by acknowledging two plain, undeniable truths: We are on unceded Wiyot land and, as such, Humboldt County Planning Commission Chair Alan Bongio must resign or be removed from his post because has revealed himself unfit to serve here. We encourage anyone doubting the first truth to double back to last week’s […]
Posted inLetters + Opinion
This is Not the Story We Wanted
This week’s Journal is not the issue we planned a week ago. On Tuesday, as the Journal staff read copy on its way to press, it was with the Jan. 6 hearings in the background, with all its attending shocks and scandals, showing us moment by moment how close we came to watching a petulant […]
Posted inLetters + Opinion
Why Brett Watson Needs to Resign
If Arcata City Councilmember Brett Watson cares about his city, he needs to resign. Immediately. The third-party investigative report sustaining allegations that Watson engaged in the prolonged harassment of a city employee and abused his authority is damning. But even more damning are the hundreds of pages of emails and texts included with the report, […]