What each of us can do to make our community more resilient It’s been a difficult start to the year in our corner of far Northern California, with record tidal flooding that inundated more than 40 homes in King Salmon Jan. 4-6, the same weekend as the fire in downtown Arcata. Just over a year […]
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It’s Time to Make Fourth and Fifth Streets Safe for Everyone
Humboldt County is dangerous for people walking, and U.S. Highway 101 in Eureka is the most dangerous place to walk in our dangerous county. It’s time to do something about it. If you already agree with that sentiment, I’ve got a petition for you to sign. But if you need a little more information, please […]
The Ocean Is Coming: King Tides Offer Preview of Rising Seas
The highest King Tides of the year arrived in Humboldt County last week, offering both a spectacle and a warning. Unlike waves or swell, which are wind-driven, tides are the daily rise and fall of the ocean, created by the gravitational pull of the moon and sun. They become “King” tides when the sun, moon, […]
Gov. Newsom and Pres. Trump Tell the Same Inadequate Tale About Native America
Native American Heritage Month turns a spotlight on how we treat issues of importance to Indigenous peoples. Below: An assistant professor specializing in Indigenous people’s history describes how U.S. political leaders fail to respect Native American governments. Another view: A former museum curator describes how museums and universities neglect the remains of ancestors and artifacts […]
Honoring Transgender Figures in a Difficult Time
When I walk to my classes in Founders Hall on the Cal Poly Humboldt campus, I pass by a poster that maps every transgender person who has been murdered in the United States in the past 10 years. Most of the time I’ll stop and bow, paying respect and honoring those who have come before […]
How Rescinding the Public Lands Rule Harms Humboldt County
Little more than a year after celebrating a major step forward for the conservation of our public lands, we’re now faced with its likely repeal. On Sept. 11, the administration began the process of repealing the Public Lands Rule, a science-based, bipartisan and publicly popular policy designed to safeguard the health and the public’s access […]
Justice in Humboldt:A Life-Saving Precedent in the Making
At 18 weeks pregnant, Tamesha Means’ water broke, an event that generally results in a stillbirth or the baby’s death. Means lived in a rural area, much like Humboldt, where she had access to one hospital: Mercy Health, a Catholic institution. The hospital sent Means home without treatment, despite her dangerous condition. Means had already […]
In Solidarity
We, the undersigned, are medical providers in Humboldt County invested in the care of pregnant people in our community. We want to share a message directly from us regarding the hearing held on Aug. 29, 2025 where Providence Health and Services called into question their duty to follow the California Emergency Services Law (ESL). This […]
Huffman: Democrats Given a Hobson’s Choice on Kirk Resolution
Today, at a critical moment when Americans should stand united against political violence, and when every member of Congress was prepared to put our differences aside and condemn the heinous murder of Charlie Kirk and express our heartfelt condolences for his family, House Republicans unfortunately chose to play political games with H. Res. 719, a […]
So Now What
Editor’s note: This is the third of a three-part series exploring ableism and the rhetoric that sustains it. This may sound stupid, but there used to be these bushes on a railing where I work at Cal Poly Humboldt that made me mad nearly every day for two years. The railing is there to keep […]
A Grape Idea
The Humboldt County economy has been based on a cycle of boom and bust from its inception. From the time the gold rush first drove settlers through the redwood curtain to the timber and fishing industries, Humboldt County has always adapted and survived after economic crashes. Today, Humboldt gets by in no small part due […]
Walkies Only
Editor’s note: This is the second of a three-part series exploring ableism and the rhetoric that sustains it. In the fall of 2015, I had no idea what I was walking into. My wife and I had agreed to a huge gamble. We gave up job security, a considerable chunk of our first ever consistent […]
