Hambro Recycling Coming to Arcata
Get ready to finally have a chance of redeeming your California Refund Value deposits, Humboldt. Hambro Recycling of Crescent City is opening a CRV buyback center in Arcata in the next few months. “We’ve been looking at [opening a CRV buyback center] for a while. You know there wasn’t really any movement in Humboldt. We’ve…
Humboldt State Foresees Significant Enrollment Increase as Cal Poly Humboldt
As Humboldt State University gears up to welcome the first wave of students back on Saturday, the campus released its “near-final draft” of a self-study conducted as part of the process for becoming California’s third polytechnic campus, a final version of which is slated to go before the California State University Board of Trustees for…
Monument Fire Suppression Efforts Hampered by Limited Resources, Command Staff Tells Huffman (With Video)
Efforts to fight the Monument Fire burning east of Willow Creek along the Trinity River have been hamstrung by a lack of personnel and resources, officials told North Coast Congressmember Jared Huffman this morning in a briefing. “Here’s the deal, I’ve got seven crews — on a 60,000-acre fire. I’d love to have about 30…
HumCo Hits COVID Hospitalization Record as County Confirms 33 New Cases
Humboldt County Public Health confirmed 33 new COVID-19 cases today — making 340 so far this week — as well as four new hospitalizations. The recent spike in cases and a corresponding threat to local hospital capacity prompted Health Officer Ian Hoffman to announce a new countywide masking mandate that went into effect Aug. 7. A…
Fire Updates: Smoke Intensifies, River Complex Estimated Containment Date Oct. 1
A handful of fires burning east of Humboldt continued to grow overnight with minimal containment, bringing air quality and travel impacts as far west as the coast, with State Route 299 still closed in Trinity County and no timetable for reopening. Parts of State Route 36 have reopened to controlled traffic. Overall hot, dry conditions…
Offshore Wind Energy Offers ‘Tremendous Promise’
Excitement and promise were in the air yesterday afternoon as North Coast Congressmember Jared Huffman, along with U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland, White House Council on Environmental Quality Chair Brenda Mallory and California Energy Commissioner Karen Douglas toured Humboldt Bay, getting a glimpse of where offshore wind turbines will be placed for a…
California First State to Require Teacher Vaccinations or COVID Tests
UPDATE: Gov. Gavin Newsom announces order requiring teachers to be vaccinated or regularly tested for COVID-19, making California the first state to do so. According to his office, the new policy goes into effect tomorrow and school are required to be in compliance by Oct. 15. “To give parents confidence that their children are safe…
Hops in Humboldt Cancels Amid Rising COVID Cases; Fair Still Moving Forward
Hops in Humboldt is the latest in a long list of local events to postpone or cancel in recent days as local COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations surge due to the Delta variant but the Humboldt County Fair Association’s board has voted to go forward with next week’s opening day. So far this week, Humboldt County…
Public Health Confirms 57th Local COVID-19 Death, 91 New Cases
A 57th Humboldt County resident has died of COVID-19, Public Health reported today, while also confirming 91 new cases — making 307 already this week — and six new hospitalizations. The resident who died — who was in their 70s, according to Public Health— is the fourth lost to the virus since Aug. 3. Today’s…
Sutter Coast Hospital Opening Surge Tents, Postponing Surgeries as COVID19 Cases Climb
Del Norte County’s only hospital, Sutter Coast, is setting up “two surge tents” and has postponed non-emergency surgies amid a rapid increase in COVID-19 patients, according to a memo today from CEO Mitch Hanna, who urged those who are not yet vaccinated to do so. Last week, the hospital announced it had actived its surge…
Fire Updates: Momument Fire Continues to Spread, Parts of State Route 36 Open to Controlled Traffic
A handful of fires east of Humboldt continued to grow overnight with minimal containment, bringing air quality and travel impacts as far west as the coast, with State Route 299 still closed in Trinity County and no timetable for reopening. Parts of State Route 36 have reopened to controlled traffic. Overall hot, dry conditions are…
Public Health Reports 216 COVID Cases Since Friday; Del Norte Has the State’s Highest Hospitalization Rates
Humboldt County’s skyrocketing COVID-19 count continues, with Public Health today reporting 216 new cases confirmed since Friday and seven new hospitalizations. Three local residents died due to COVID-19 last week — one in their 30s, one in their 40s and another in their 50s — bringing the county’s total to 56 amid record breaking single-day…
Interior Secretary Haaland is Coming to Town
Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland will be in Humboldt County this week to meet with local, state, federal and Tribal leaders on a number of issues, ranging from clean energy and a massive redwood forest restoration project to investments in Tribal communities and govermental efforts on the crisis of murder and missing Indigenous people.…
The Crabs’ Season Wraps Early
The 2021 Humboldt Crabs season has come to an abrupt end, with the final two games of the season canceled due to two positive cases among team personnel. The decision came Saturday afternoon about an hour before the team was set to meet for batting practice and it brought an early end to a memorable…
Sheriff’s Office Investigating ‘Suspicious Death’ of 73-Year-Old Woman
The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the suspicious death of a 73-year-old woman who was found with severe injuries on Aug. 3 and died after being sent out of the area for treatment. According to a news release, Hoopa Valley Tribal Police officers responded to Barbara Jean McNeil’s home on Pine Creek Road just…
Fire Updates: Monument Fire Continues to Spread, Evacuation Order in Effect for Burnt Ranch
A handful of fires east of Humboldt continued to grow this weekend with minimal containment, bringing air quality and travel impacts as far west as the coast, with state routes 299 and 36 still closed with no timetable for reopening. Overall hot, dry conditions are expected to complicate fire suppression efforts. Here’s a brief look…
California Lawmakers, Teachers Unions Stop Short of Vaccine Mandate
Maribel Ahumada says she lost her sister and nephew to COVID-19 last December. So when the vaccine became available this spring she took her 16-year-old triplet sons to the grand opening of a vaccination center at San Pedro High School in Los Angeles so they could all get their shots. Today, as California confronts another…
Fire Updates: Monument Fire Continues to Spread
A handful of fires east of Humboldt continued to grow yesterday with minimal containment, bringing air quality and travel impacts as far west as the coast, with state routes 299 and 36 still closed with no timetable for reopening. Overall hot, dry conditions are expected to complicate fire suppression efforts, though westerly winds are currently…
NCJ Preview: Return of the Mask and the Best of Humboldt
Here we go again: Humboldt County COVID-19 cases are spiking, with the more contagious Delta variant in the mix. To stem the tide, Public Health announced a masking order, requiring facial coverings in public and indoors when outside the home or outside where 6 feet of distance isn’t possible. We’ll break down how we got…
HumCo Records 56th COVID Death, 100 New Cases with Mask Order Taking Effect Tonight
For the second consecutive day, a Humboldt County resident has died of COVID-19, Public Health reported, while confirming a single-day record 100 new cases and two new hospitalizations. The county’s 56th COVID death — this one of a resident in their 40s — is the third reported over the past four days, with today marking the…
Arts Alive Canceled Due to COVID
You might as well keep your PJs on Saturday because Arts Alive is now among the growing number of events and gatherings canceled due to the spike in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations amid the spread of the highly contagious Delta variant. Eureka Main Street notes in its announcement, artwork is still up around town and…
Supes to Continue Meeting Virtually as COVID Cases Surge
The Humboldt County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously, with Third District Supervisor Mike Wilson absent, to continue meeting virtually amid a surge in local COVID-19 cases. Health Officer Ian Hoffman, who recently issued a mandatory masking order that will take effect at midnight tonight, told the board that things are “changing very rapidly” in the…
Bohn Tests Positive for COVID-19, Feels ‘Fine’
Humboldt County First District Supervisor Rex Bohn has tested positive for COVID-19, he announced on Facebook this morning. “Have not had symptoms just tested at the Wharfinger for my own knowledge as I have a lot of interactions and it takes less than five minutes,” Bohn wrote. In the post, Bohn said he feels “fine”…
Fire Updates: Highways Remain Closed, Air Quality Improved
A handful of fires east of Humboldt continued to grow overnight with minimal containment, bringing air quality and travel impacts as far west as the coast, with state routes 299 and 36 still closed with no timetable for reopening. Overall hot, dry conditions are expected to complicate fire suppression efforts today and through the weekend.…
HumCo Loses 55th Resident to COVID-19, 50 New Cases, Nine Hospitalizations Reported
A 55th Humboldt County resident has died of COVID-19, Public Health reported today, while also confirming 50 new cases of the virus and nine new hospitalizations. Today’s cases — which make 327 so far this week, on the heels of 217 last week, which was the highest weekly tally since the post-holiday surge in January…
Del Norte Hospital Activates Surge Plan, Urges Residents to Stop Gathering
Del Norte County’s only hospital has activated its surge capacity plan after seeing a “significant” increase in the number of COVID-19 patients seeking emergency care in recent days and is pleading with residents to follow public health recommendations and avoid large gatherings. “It is vital that the community do everything possible to reduce the spread…
PG&E Activates ‘Islanding’ Mode Due to Fires
Due to the Monument and McFarland fires in Trinity County, PG&E has shut off power from the main grid and isolated the Humboldt Bay Generating Station, a process known as “islanding,” to power parts of the region, although some customers in Willow Creek, Burnt Ranch, Salyer and areas of southern Trinity County are without power.…
Fires East of Humboldt Grow Overnight, Bringing Continued Travel, Air Quality Impacts
A handful of fires east of Humboldt continued to grow overnight with minimal containment, bringing air quality and travel impacts as far west as the coast. A Red Flag warning in much of the region and overall hot, dry conditions are expected to complicate fire suppression efforts today and through the weekend. Here’s a brief…
Best of Covid-19
Best Local cause, Best COVID-Related Community Support Group and Best Local Nonprofit: Food for People Back in March of 2020, Food for People was struck a devastating blow when a sewer backup caused tens of thousands of dollars in food losses and damage to its main building just as the COVID-19 pandemic was hitting, leaving…
Waltzing Mephisto
As I blearily write this, I am up too late, thinking about a last-minute camping trip I’m sneaking away on in the hopes of removing some of the crude nanoparticles that the year’s nonsense has disgorged into my psyche. I had hoped that last week would be the last time I would have to write…
Best of Weddings
Best Place to Get Gifts for Your Wedding Party: Good Relations Used to be if you were chosen to stand up for a loved one at their wedding, your thanks for attending multiple fittings for the pricey matching outfit you are never wearing again was a great party, a grateful newlywed and maybe an engraved…
Summer on the Plate
I did it again: In the spring, blinded by dreams of zucchini and their golden blossoms, I planted two seedlings in my raised bed (the land of experiments, I call it). As I write, I have harvested two small zucchini from one plant. And my dream is destined to end there. Fortunately, the zucchini harvest…
Best of Cannabis
Best Budtender: Monty Mifflin Don’t call it a comeback but for the second time in three years Monty Mifflin has clawed his way back to the top of Humboldt County budtending. Mifflin, who came out of nowhere to edge out 2018 champ Michelle Seelye to take the Journal’s 2019 Best Budtender crown, had fallen out…
First Saturday Night Arts Alive—CANCELED
CANCELED DUE TO RISE IN COVID CASES Presented by Eureka Main Street. Opening receptions for artists, exhibits and performances are held the first Saturday of each month. Individual businesses are taking precautions to keep patrons and staff safe – including the request to wear masks when entering their stores and limiting the number of people…
Best of Bonus
Best Place to Break Up with Someone: Hatchet House Throwing Club Does the phrase “We need to talk” sound better followed by “at the Hatchet House?” Probably not. Then again, the ax-throwing spot didn’t win Best Place to Get Dumped; it won best place to do the dumping. I kind of get it. Breaking up…
Slings and Arrows
You may know more lines from William Shakespeare’s Hamlet off the top of your head than you think you even do; it’s just that great packed with excellent lines and modern society is just that full of people who want to sound smart at work meetings. It’s a magnificent play of the bard’s but also…
‘Witnessing the Collapse’
Imagine six or seven thirsty people sitting in a hot room around a small table, at the center of which sits only one medium-sized glass of water. Who gets to drink? If everybody takes a single swallow and passes it on, there could be enough to temporarily quench everyone’s thirst. Unfortunately, this is not likely…
Slugging Toward the Sunset
Arcata Ball Park has seen its fair share of excitement over the summer and this week was no exception. A winning streak extended to 11 games, pitchers took to the field as position players, a player sang the national anthem and a home run record fell as the season started to wind down for the…
The Barnstable Effect
To understand the abrupt about-face in masking recommendations from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the state of California and Humboldt County Public Health, you have to take a hard look into what happened in Barnstable County, Massachusetts. Entering the Fourth of July weekend, it looked like Barnstable County largely had COVID-19 under…
KMZ Closes, Shelter Cove Best Bet for Ocean Salmon
The ocean sport salmon season ended Sunday just like it began 34 days ago –quietly. Some nice kings were caught the week prior off Eureka, which led us to believe the season could potentially end on a high note. Didn’t happen. So now it’s rockfish only within the KMZ (Klamath Management Zone). However, if you’re…
The Forever War
By now, most have heard the ominous line from a leaked internal document of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control warning about the highly contagious Delta variant of COVID-19: “The war has changed.” A year ago, in the last week of July of 2020, Humboldt County recorded 28 new cases with a test-positivity rate of…
Purple Urchin Profits
As you may know, due largely to the loss of its primary predator to sea star wasting disease, the population of purple urchins ( Strongylocentrotus purpuratus) has exploded along the California coast. These urchins are eating enough algae to seriously impact the kelp forest ecosystem. So, I ordered the Washed Up LLC branch chiefs to…
I’m Going to Disneyland
REVIEW JUNGLE CRUISE. Somewhere in another corner of the Multiverse Marvel/Disney’s Loki series has failed to help me conceptualize, there is a version of me with the wherewithal to join a friend at the movie theater to enjoy The Green Knight and the glory of Dev Patel in period costume. But you’re stuck with this…
Global Pandemic
Plodding along now Like dinosaurs on parade, With no hands clapping. Kirk Gothier
Golden Representation
Editor: Simone Biles received a lot of coverage for her well-founded efforts to take care of her mental health. It did open up a spot for Sunisa Lee to shine as all Around gymnastics gold medalist, and America’s new golden girl as a result. Suni is Hmong American. Hmong tribes people originated in southeast China…
Free Will Astrology
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Filmmaker Federico Fellini had an unexpected definition of happiness. He said it was “being able to speak the truth without hurting anyone.” I suspect you will have abundant access to that kind of happiness in the coming weeks, Aries. I’ll go even further: You will have extra power to speak the…
Intercontinental Kudos
Editor: I just want to let you know how much I love Wendy Chan’s contributions to the Journal (most recently, “Tomato and Egg Stir-Fry,” July 29). I lived in Humboldt County for 15 years, between 1982 and 2000, first earning my BA and MA at Humboldt State University, then practicing law in Eureka and Arcata,…
‘Unnecessary and Wrong’
Editor: So counties and health officials are again thinking about requiring all people to wear masks regardless of vaccination status (A Pandemic of the Unvaccinated,” July 22). This is an unnecessary and wrong idea, because virtually every COVID death and hospitalization occurs in the unvaccinated. The numbers in your article bear this out: no deaths…
Doubling Down
OK, when we started the nomination and voting for the Best of Humboldt 2021, we thought of it as a kind of do-over after 2020. Turns out we’re not out of the woods yet on the pandemic and its attending troubles. But we’re still betting on Humboldt, doubling down, in fact. Flipping and scrolling through…
Best of Food & Best of Drink
Best Buffet: Tandoori Bites I regret to inform you that although Tandoori Bites Indian Cuisine won Best Buffet in Humboldt County, it no longer has a buffet on offer. (And to be honest, the buffet will not be coming back anytime soon. These are COVID times, people!) But fret not! Tandoori Bites has introduced a…
Best of Arts & Entertainment
Best Karaoke: Richards’ Goat Tavern & Tea Room Is this thing on? When Mr. Bennett of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice said, “For what do we live, but to make sport for our neighbors, and laugh at them in our turn?” the sentiment uncannily foretold the joys of karaoke. Add to that laughter the unconditional…
Best of Retail & Services
Best Pet Store: Fin-N-Feather Pet Shop Let’s hear it for family owned and operated businesses! Fin-N-Feather Pet Shop has been serving your furry, feathered and scaly friends for more than 40 years (and has one of the best local jingles to boot). And you’ve voted them Best Pet Store. What sets them apart from the…
