The Humboldt County District Attorney’s Office has filed an eight-count criminal complaint against Fortuna Union High School teacher Gary Landergen, charging him with four felonies and four misdemeanors based on allegations that he sexually assaulted three 15-year-old girls over a four-day span this year. Landergen, who teaches math and coaches athletics at Fortuna High School, […]
Crime
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NCJ Preview: The Search for Emmi and the Relief of Rage Runs
May 5 was a day of awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and 2 Spirit People. For contributor Cutcha Risling Baldy, it’s personal, as her cousin Emmilee Risling is among the missing. This week we have Risling Baldy’s personal account and how a nonprofit brought resources for a massive search that isn’t over […]
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Yurok Tribal Chair to Address Legislature on MMIWG Epidemic
With the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons approaching Thursday, a Jeans for Justice event was held Friday in Hoopa, kicking off a week of events on the North Coast. Awareness of a Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples epidemic has spread since 2020, when the Sovereign Bodies Institute released a groundbreaking […]
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Murder Defendant Allegedly Assaults Correctional Officer
Accused murderer Austin Michael Medeiros attacked a correctional officer in the Humboldt County jail Wednesday with an “improvised weapon,” the Sheriff’s Office announced today. Medeiros, 27, of Rhode Island, was arrested April 10 in Santa Cruz while allegedly in possession of 30 grams of psychedelic mushrooms and trying to steal a boat about a week […]
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APD Investigating Rash of Possible Overdose Deaths
The Arcata Police Department is investigating the city’s fourth possible overdose death since Wednesday. APD issued a press release at noon today with information about the deaths, saying it was intended “to inform community members of recent deaths in Arcata that could be related to the ingestion of dangerous drugs to include fentanyl.” At 4 […]
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NCJ Preview: Redacted Reports and Piping Hot Pupusas
The Journal finally got the requested report on the investigation into deeply misogynistic, violent and dehumanizing messages sent between Eureka Police Department officers centering on Rodrigo Reyna-Sanchez and Mark Meftah. But its heavily redacted text reveals more about obstacles to transparency than it does about the texting scandal. We’ll talk about what all those blank […]
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Can a Conservative Break Through for California Attorney General?
The last time California voters elected a Republican to statewide office, Gavin Newsom was the youthful mayor of San Francisco, Mark Zuckerberg had just opened up Facebook to non-college students and Donald Trump was a Democratic celebrity tycoon wrapping up the sixth season of “The Apprentice.” That was 16 years ago. Now Newsom is the […]
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Burl Thieves Strike Humboldt Redwoods State Park
California State Parks rangers are asking for the public’s help to identify burl thieves who recently struck in Humboldt Redwoods State Park, the latest in a rash of incidents involving old growth redwood trees. The most recent damage left a 4-foot by 3 foot by 2 foot gorge in the base of a tree. “The […]
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Justice for Josiah Vigil
Charmaine Lawson spoke Friday at a courthouse candlelight vigil, continuing her call for justice five years after the still unsolved fatal stabbing of her son, David Josiah Lawson, at a house party in Arcata. On the same day, the Arcata Police Department once again put out the call for witnesses to come forward, stating that […]
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Vigil Today to Mark Fifth Anniversary of Josiah Lawson’s Killing, Arcata Police Renew Call for Witnesses to Come Forward
Today, on the fifth anniversary of the still unsolved killing of David Josiah Lawson, his mother is holding a 4 p.m. candlelight vigil at the courthouse to call for justice for her son and the Arcata Police Department is once again putting out the call for witnesses to come forward. “It is paramount that witnesses […]
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Suspect in Garberville Motel Arson Arrested
A 30-year-old suspect was arrested early this morning on suspicion of arson in connection with a Monday afternoon fire at the Sherwood Forest Motel on the 800 block of Redwood Drive in Garberville that caused an estimated $750,000 in damage, according to the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office. Spencer Reuben Jordan was taken into custody just […]
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Armed Kneeland Murder Suspect Arrested in Santa Cruz
A 27-year-old Rhode Island man wanted in connection with the homicide of a woman found dead in her home April 2 was arrested in Santa Cruz on Sunday, according to the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office. The victim has been identified as Emily Rose May Lobba. She was 28. Austin Michael Medeiros was taken into custody […]