Widely used insecticides that harm bees and songbirds would face far-reaching restrictions in California under regulations proposed by the state’s pesticide agency. The new limits would be among the nation’s most extensive for agricultural use of neonicotinoids, a class of insecticides used to kill plant-damaging pests like aphids. The highly potent pesticides have been shown […]
Science
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Fourth California Condor Readied for Release (with Video)
The Northern California Condor Restoration Program is readying to release a fourth California condor Tuesday to join three others currently flying free in the skies over Humboldt County. Known as A1, the young male’s first out-of-enclosure debut was delayed by a faulty satellite transmitter, which was replaced last week (see video below). If all goes […]
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Hot Opening to Summer
It’s going to warm up tomorrow and the next day, especially inland, for the first official two days of summer. According to the Eureka office of the National Weather Service, a high pressure aloft “will result in increasingly hot interior temperatures through mid-week.” Garberville and Hoopa are forecast to hit 100 degrees Tuesday and 98 […]
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Climate Controversy: California’s Plan for Handling Crisis is Flawed, Advisors Say
As California races to prevent the irreversible effects of climate change, some experts are questioning key policies that the state is counting on to meet its ambitious goals and accusing state officials of failing to provide substantial details to back up its claims. The California Air Resources Board’s proposal, called a scoping plan, outlines policies […]
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On This Day: 30th Anniversary of the Cape Mendocino Earthquake
Editor’s note: Thirty years ago today, a magnitude-7.2 earthquake struck near the coast of Petrolia, shaking the ground with the strongest accelerations ever before measured in California, the first of three strong temblors that would rock the region over 24-hours. To mark the date, the Redwood Coast Tsunami Work Group today announced a new web page […]
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Two Additional COVID Deaths Reported in Humboldt County
Humboldt County Public Health reported today that the county has confirmed two COVID-19 deaths since its last report April 6: One was a resident age 80 or older and the other was an individual in their 50s. One new hospitalization was also reported today but, according to a state database, eight people are currently hospitalized […]
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Report to California Legislature: Prepare for Devastating Effects of Climate Change
Painting alarming scenes of fires, floods and economic disruption, the California Legislature’s advisors on Tuesday released a series of reports that lay out in stark terms the impacts of climate change across the state. The typically reserved, nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office outlined dire consequences for Californians as climate change continues to alter most aspects of […]
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Two Quakes Hit Near Rio Dell
Two earthquakes hit near Rio Dell in quick succession this morning. The first, a magnitude-4.1, struck at 8:16 a.m. and was followed two minutes later by a magnitude-3.9, according to USGS, both about 5 miles west of Rio Dell.
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Sierra Snowpack Worsens, Falls to Lowest Level in 7 Years
Seven years ago today, during the height of the last drought, California Gov. Jerry Brown stood on the barren slopes of the Sierra Nevada, watching as engineers measured the worst snowpack in state history. Today, snow measurements aren’t quite so bleak. But the snowy scene belies the severity of the drought. The snowpack — which […]
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It’s Only A Test: Tsunami Warning System Drill
The annual Tsunami Warning Communications Test takes place tomorrow (Wednesday), giving local emergency officials the chance to tryout the local warning system and residents an opportunity to learn more about the ways those same officials will be getting out the word if a distance-source tsunami is heading to Humboldt’s shores. The drill is scheduled to […]
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State Unveils Long-awaited Standard for Drinking Water Contaminant
On Monday, California proposed a long-awaited standard for a cancer-causing contaminant in drinking water that would require costly treatment in cities throughout the state. Traces of hexavalent chromium are widely found in the drinking water of millions of Californians, some naturally occurring and some from industries that work with the heavy metal. The proposed standard […]
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Quake-Up Call: Tsunami Drill in Manila
Heads up, Manila. A tsunami drill taking place tomorrow is going to make for a noisy morning, with sheriff’s deputies and Arcata Fire Department trucks making their way through neighborhoods there while sounding hi-lo evacuation sirens. To be clear, this is only a drill. “Humboldt County is prone to a variety of natural and human-caused […]