As it faces flooding from sea level rise along the U.S. Highway 101 Arcata-Eureka, CalTrans is seriously considering a “living shoreline” instead of throwing riprap up against the tides. In a workshop yesterday, it also seemed clear the agency is going to keep the current road alignment at the edge of Humboldt Bay. Clancy DeSmet, […]
Government
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Watson to Step Down as Eureka Police Chief
Eureka Police Chief Steve Watson announced his sudden retirement today. He will leave the post at the end of November after serving for four years. In a city announcement, Watson says the decision comes with a “feeling of bittersweet peace” as he move onto a new chapter in life after 24 years in law enforcement, […]
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Time to Dial it Up to 10 for Local Phone Calls
The days of seven-digit dialing for local calls in the 707 area code — as well as 81 others across the country — came to an end today. From now on, the 707 will need to be included. Why? Well, it’s because parts of those areas use “988 “ as the first three digits of […]
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NCJ Preview: Native Boarding School Deaths, COVID Update and More
As the U.S. and Canada face a reckoning over the abuse of Indigenous children in their forced boarding school systems, researchers in Oregon have been working to document the deaths of children at the Chemawa Indian School. Some of those children were from here in Humboldt County. We’ll talk about the effort to bring their […]
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Watson Releases Statement Saying He is Entering a Rehab Program
Arcata Councilmember Brett Watson issued a statement this evening saying he was entering “a 30-day residential rehabilitation program to focus on depression and personal issues.” Watson, who was replaced as mayor at a special meeting earlier this week, states that he informed the council and staff on Oct. 11 that he intended to step down […]
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Arcata Council Casts ‘No Confidence Vote’ After Removing Mayor for ‘Alleged Behaviors’
The Arcata City Council voted unanimously Wednesday evening to remove Brett Watson from the position of mayor and followed up the decision with a no confidence vote in his ability to serve as a councilmember. Watson was not present “due to personal reasons,” according to Stacy Atkins-Salazar, who was selected to serve as mayor until […]
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Newsom Declares Drought Emergency Across California
Gov. Gavin Newsom on Tuesday declared a drought emergency for the entire state of California, as conservation efforts continue to fall far short of state targets. Newsom also authorized California’s water regulators to ban wasteful water use, such as spraying down public sidewalks, and directed his Office of Emergency Services to fund drinking water as […]
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Arcata Council Set to Select a New Mayor, Vice Mayor
Arcata Mayor Brett Watson has not submitted a resignation letter but the city council is scheduled to select his replacement and chose a new vice mayor during a special meeting tomorrow. The item on the 5:59 p.m. agenda just before the regularly scheduled meeting states simply: With a mid-term vacancy of the mayor’s position, the […]
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NCJ Preview: Vaccines and County Staff, Police Shooting Footage and Restoring the Eureka Theater
This week we’re looking at why the board of supervisors declined to require vaccines for county employees, going for weekly testing for the unvaccinated instead. We’re also going into what’s on newly released footage from last month’s police shooting of a suspect on Mad River Road, as well as how law affects what’s made public […]
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Hospitals Brace for Strikes as California Workers Protest Staff Shortages
As weary health care workers across California enter the 19th month of the pandemic, thousands are walking off the job and onto the picket line, demanding more staffing. The strikes and rallies threaten to cripple hospital operations that have been inundated by the COVID-19 Delta surge as well as patients seeking long-delayed care. More than […]
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Humboldt Residents Could See a Change in Representation Under Draft Redistricting Maps
Humboldt County residents’ representation on the board of supervisors, in Congress and in the state Legislature is on the line as two commissions look at redrawing boundaries of those districts. The process happens ever 10 years after the federal government publishes census data to ensure the populations of the districts are evenly distributed. The last […]
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Huffman, Ocasio-Cortez Hosting Town Hall on ‘Build Back Better’
North Coast Representative Jared Huffman will join fellow Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York at a virtual townhall on Friday afternoon with a focus on the “Build Back Better” plan now before Congress. The $3.5 trillion infrastructure bill would also provide for social services, including free childcare, and add dental coverage to Medicare, as well […]