Ignorance is no longer an excuse, if it ever was. In the wake of the PG&E blackout that darkened Humboldt County for some 28 hours last week, two things should be abundantly clear: The bankrupt power company is not going to be a reliable community partner going forward and we as a community are woefully […]
Editorial
Posted inLetters + Opinion
In Praise of Sunshine
They say sunshine is the best disinfectant and North Coast readers need only look at Senate Bill 1421 for evidence. The landmark police transparency law, which the California Legislature passed last year and took effect in January, reverses decades of institutionalized obfuscation by mandating that law enforcement agencies throughout the state release certain types of […]
Posted inLetters + Opinion
We’ve Come to PreferThey/Them Pronouns
Now and then, the Associated Press, which dictates the grammar and style for most American newspapers, sends us updates on its rules and guidelines. Mostly we follow them. AP Style is why we’re stingy with commas, spell “ax” without an e and abbreviate the words street, avenue and boulevard when used with an exact address. […]
Posted inLetters + Opinion
31 Points About Mass Shootings
We were at a loss for words. Two shootings — in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio — in less than 24 hours. Thirty-one dead. Fifty-one injured. As information trickled in, the pit in our stomachs grew. A hate-filled manifesto indicating the El Paso killer had targeted Mexicans. Reports that the Dayton killer had been […]
Posted inLetters + Opinion
Dog Whistles and Racists Among Us
Over the past week, we’ve heard two dog whistles blown loudly, one via the bulletin board at a local coffee shop and the other through the Twitter account of the president of the United States. At least locally, the backlash was swift after someone — later determined to be a teenage boy — posted fliers […]
Posted inLetters + Opinion
Wagging the Dog
There are currently six people whom Eureka voters have entrusted to make city decisions on their behalf. Five councilmembers and a mayor. That’s it. But these six people — all of whom have volunteered to work long hours and take on a bunch of responsibility (not to mention public scrutiny) in exchange for a modest […]
Posted inLetters + Opinion
‘Incredibly Disappointing’
Two days and 600 miles apart, a pair of governing bodies held very different conversations about the need for local input into development decisions that will impact Humboldt County for decades to come. It was a bit jarring. First, on May 7, the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors had a testy exchange over a seemingly […]
Posted inLetters + Opinion
Journal Snags a Dozen Awards
We at the Journal find ourselves with some thanks to pass around. We’re gratified on a weekly basis when you pick up our new edition, finding that it adds some value to your lives, and when you come to our website, looking to learn of Humboldt County’s latest triumphs and tragedies. We appreciate when you […]
Posted inLetters + Opinion
Good Night and Good Luck
It’s no secret that KHSU had been in some state of turmoil since the seemingly abrupt firing of longtime operations and program director Katie Whiteside last May, and more changes have long been rumored and feared. But nobody expected what came April 11, when Humboldt State University administrators went with what can only be described […]
Posted inLetters + Opinion
Sad Days in the First District
It’s been a rough couple of weeks for voters in Humboldt County’s First District. First, they watched as challenger Allen McCloskey’s campaign to unseat two-term incumbent Rex Bohn in next year’s election imploded in spectacular fashion. The Lost Coast Outpost’s Ryan Burns published an investigative report April 2 detailing an assortment of allegations of dishonesty […]
Posted inLetters + Opinion
My Conversation with Richard Ehle
As a reporter, there are moments you remember with incredible clarity. Sometimes it’s because the moments are monumental, like when a source called in 2007 to tell me a criminal grand jury had just indicted two Eureka police commanders on manslaughter charges. Other times, it’s because they pull at your heart strings, like when I […]
Posted inLetters + Opinion
Triggers and Lifelines
The news is depressing. Not all of it but enough. Scrolling through Twitter, Facebook and news websites can be overwhelming, one awful headline after another. Hell, our staff can get worn down writing those stories. Gallows humor is common enough in newsrooms — sometimes the ping of a text message prompts a sigh and a […]