After hearing nearly two dozen residents plead with Councilmember Brett Watson to resign in the wake of a scathing investigative report that he abused his power and harassed a city employee, the Arcata City Council passed a series of measures tonight aimed at protecting city staff, while limiting Watson’s access to City Hall. Watson, meanwhile, […]
Government
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Arcata Council to Consider Restraining Order, Censure of Watson
The Arcata City Council has scheduled a special May 17 meeting to discuss possible courses of actions, including a recommendation that the city obtain a workplace violence restraining order, after an outside investigation found Councilmember Brett Watson sexually harassed a city employee. Other options include a public censure, removing Watson from his council assignments and […]
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‘Earth on Top’ Initiative Qualifies for Arcata Ballot
An initiative aiming to direct the city of Arcata to fly the Earth flag atop all city-owned flagpoles — above the American and California flags — has qualified for the November ballot, proponents announced today. According to a press release, proponents were able to gather 1,381 valid signatures backing the effort, more than the 10 […]
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Voter Guide Contains Error on Arcata City Council Race
Heads up, Arcata voters. There is an error in the Voter Information Guide instructions for the single Arcata City Council seat up for grabs on the June ballot. Instead of saying, “Vote for One,” the guide mistakenly has, “Vote for no more than THREE candidates.” “The instruction is correct on the Vote by Mail ballots […]
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California Democrats Lean into Abortion Rights as ‘Defining Issue’
When a draft Supreme Court ruling that would overturn the constitutional right to abortion leaked Monday night, Democratic leaders in California reacted swiftly with shock, grief and fury. It didn’t take long for the personal devastation to turn political. By Wednesday morning, Gov. Gavin Newsom, who is running for re-election this year, had already cut […]
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Rally for Reproductive Rights in Eureka
A group of about 50 demonstrators gathered at a rally for reproductive rights in front of the Humboldt County Courthouse Tuesday night after a leaked draft U.S. Supreme Court majority opinion indicts the court may overturn the landmark Roe vs. Wade decision, which instilled the legal right to abortion. As members of the crowd held […]
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Local Candidate Forums Set
Election Day is just five weeks away, with much at stake on the local ballot, with countywide races for district attorney, superior court judge, auditor-controller and clerk/recorder, as well as two supervisorial seats to be decided. It’s a lot. Fortunately, there are a host of opportunities in the coming weeks to get to know the […]
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Fortuna Celebrates the Life of Former Chief
Humboldt’s finest came out in force to pay respects to former Fortuna Police Chief William Dobberstein, 53, who died March 26, during a celebration of life held at the River Lodge Conference Center on Saturday to honor the contributions of a man who served his nation and his community. A gleaming Fortuna fire truck provided […]
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Dive Team Set to Look For Missing Fishermen
Humboldt Bay Fire’s Dive Recovery and Rescue Team is preparing for a recovery dive in Humboldt Bay, looking for a father and sonwho went missing near King Salmon while boating in Humboldt Bay on Tuesday. The team, working in conjunction with the Humboldt Bay Harbor, Recreation and Conservation District and California Fish and Wildlife, performed […]
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Huffman Introduces Bill to Return Land to the Yurok Tribe
North Coast Congressmember Jared Huffman on Tuesday introduced legislation known as the “Yurok Lands Act,” a bill that seeks clear the way for the transfer of more than 1,000 acres of ancestral lands back to the tribe from the U.S. Forest Service and redraws the reservation boundary line to encompass that area and others acquired […]
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Medical Malpractice Deal Could Replace Ballot Measure, Still Raise Monetary Awards
A measure slated for California’s November ballot that sought to raise the cap on medical malpractice awards could be pulled, under an agreement announced today. Instead, a bill will seek to raise the cap for a patient’s “non-economic damages,” or pain and suffering, although in a more incremental approach than the ballot measure would have. […]
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Police and Prison Guard Misconduct and Bias: Audit Asks State to Step In
Police departments and state prisons aren’t doing enough to identify and punish bias among their officers and the state should do more to combat the problem, a state audit found. The audit, released this morning, recommended that the state Justice Department more regularly investigate how local police departments and sheriff’’s offices handle such alleged incidents, […]