Closed … Again
As cases spike, Newsom takes action and local push and pull continues
Yurok Broadband Connect Project a ‘Game Changer’ for the Tribe
The Yurok Tribal Council recently approved a $2.1 million project to boost internet speeds and provide access to homes that have never been connected, according to an announcement today. The Yurok Connect Broadband Project received funding from the CARES Act and is expected to be completed by the end of the year, the release states.…
Face Masks, Hand Sanitizer Available for Small Local Businesses
Local small businesses across Humboldt County with fewer than 50 employees are eligible to receive free personal protection equipment in the form of face masks and hand sanitizer procured from the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services and the Office of the Small Business Advocate. The Arcata Economic Development Corporation will be overseeing the distribution of…
Humboldt County Hits 200 COVID-19 Cases
Humboldt County Public Health reported five new confirmed COVID-19 cases today, bringing the total to 200 since February, with 67 in July alone. COVID-19 cases are spiking across the nation, including in California and Humboldt County, which has seen 19 cases this week alone. Today’s milestone number includes the results of 162 tests. There were…
CSU Students Will Need to Take an Ethnic Studies, Social Justice Course Starting in 2023
Starting in the fall of 2023, students attending a California State University campus will be required to take a course addressing ethnic studies and social justice to graduate under a decision made today by the system’s board of trustees. According to a news release, this is first time in 40 years that a significant change…
Supes to Consider Creating a Business Grant Program, LoCO reports
The Humboldt County Board of Supervisors will be presented next week with a proposed budget for spending around $13 million in CARES Act funding it received, Lost Coast Outpost reports. According to the article, included in the proposal is the development of a “Business Restart and Recovery Program” to distribute grants to local businesses that…
Fire Near Weitchpec Grows to 150 Acres
The MP 21 Fire, which began July 20 and temporarily closed State Route 96 about two miles south of Weitchpec, is now estimated to be about 150 acres and 30 percent contained, according to the Northern California Geographic Coordination Center. “The fire is established in the Bull Creek Drainage in steep and rugged terrain,” the…
Local Educators Call for Collaborative Approach to Navigating Next School Year
In an open letter to the community, educators from Humboldt and Del Norte counties are calling for a united approach as decisions are made about how to approach the 2020-2021 school year amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The letter — sent out by the Eureka office of the California Teachers Association and signed by representatives of…
Huffman Joins House Majority in Approving Defense Budget; Trump Threatens Veto Over Confederate Names on Bases
North Coast Rep. Jared Huffman today voted with the House majority to approve the National Defense Authorization Act, noting that while he has concerns about its size, he worked with his Congressional colleagues to include amendments addressing climate change, protecting public lands and cleaning polluted waterways, among others, in the bill. Passed by a bipartisan…
Public Health Confirms Six New COVID-19 Cases
Humboldt County’s spike in confirmed COVID-19 cases continues, as Public Health announced another six today, making 14 this week and total of 62 so far in July, by far the most recorded in any month since the pandemic hit the North Coast. The 14 cases so far this week come after the county confirmed 16…
Siren’s Song to Sing Again
In these difficult times, here is a glimmer of hope: The Siren’s Song Tavern will sing again. The announcement that the Old Town bar and music venue has officially changed hands was made today on its Facebook page. “We wish the new owner all the luck in this brave new world that is being crafted…
COVID-19 Testing Site Coming to Fortuna as Humboldt Cases Spike
A free COVID-19 testing site will be available at the Gene Lucas Community Center in Fortuna on July 28 from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Appointments can be made by calling 268-2503. COVID-19 cases are spiking across the nation, including in California and Humboldt County, which has seen 56 cases in July as of Monday,…
Shooting in Eureka Sends One to Hospital
UPDATE: The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office issued a press release this morning indicating the shooting appears to have occurred during a cannabis robbery gone wrong. See the full release copied below our original post. PREVIOUSLY: The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a shooting that occurred at approximately 1:30 a.m. in a possible attempted home…
New Craft Brewery Opens in Blue Lake
Where a casino’s doors have (temporarily) closed, a new craft brewery has opened. Housed within the Blue Lake Casino — which recently shut down for the second time due to the pandemic — Powers Creek Brewery, which remains open, has started serving craft beer in the outdoor seating area for Alice’s restaurant. Owned by the Blue Lake Rancheria…
COVID-19 Infiltrated Little Learners Child Care Facilities in Arcata in Early July, LoCo reports
Four people from the Little Learners child care centers in Arcata tested positive for coronavirus in early July, the Lost Coast Outpost has reported. Little Learners operates three daycare sites in Arcata and one in Eureka, with programs newly adapted to accommodate the children of healthcare workers employed by Open Door Community Health Centers during…
Public Health: Eight New COVID-19 Cases Confirmed
Humboldt County Public Health confirmed eight new COVID-19 cases today, making 56 so far this month, the most in any month since the pandemic began. The eight new cases come after the county saw 16 — and another hospitalization — confirmed last week. To date, the county has seen 189 local cases. Today’s cases also…
T-S: After Just 4 Days Open, Blue Lake Casino Again Closes
In step with the recent, mandated closures of California’s indoor restaurants, movie theaters, museums, zoos and other businesses, Blue Lake Casino again shuttered its doors on July 16, the Times-Standard has reported. The Blue Lake Rancheria Tribe had only reopened the casino four days prior, on July 12, after keeping it closed due to the…
Fires Close State Route 96
State Route 96 is being shut down after four spot fires were discovered burning alongside the roadway about 11:30 a.m., according to the scanner and the California Highway Patrol Traffic Incident Information Page. The spots are near Bull Creek, the dispatcher told emergency personnel. According to Myles Cochrane, spokesperson for Caltrans District 1, “The closure…
How COVID is Deepening California’s Income Inequality in 5 Charts
The decade dawned on a California that was both “the richest and poorest” state in the nation, in the words of Gov. Gavin Newsom. Wages for the top 10% of California’s earners had grown three times as fast as those of the bottom 10% of earners since 1980 — all as the cost of buying or…
![[UPDATE: Fatal Crash; Deceased Motorcyclist Identified as Michael Anthony Tulley] Motorcycle Crash on 101 North of Redcrest](https://i0.wp.com/www.northcoastjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/mc-tc.png?resize=400%2C300&ssl=1)
[UPDATE: Fatal Crash; Deceased Motorcyclist Identified as Michael Anthony Tulley] Motorcycle Crash on 101 North of Redcrest
A motorcycle crashed 2 miles north of Pepperwood at 11:38 a.m. An air ambulance has been requested, according to the dispatcher speaking to emergency responders over the scanner. The motorcyclist is in the roadway. According to the CHP Traffic Incident Information Page, multiple motorcyclists are now stopped along the roadside in the area. Please remember…
KMUD Accepting Submissions for Virtual Talent Show
KMUD Redwood Community Radio is now accepting submissions for its first ever Virtual Talent Show. Children and adults who reside in Humboldt, Trinity, Del Norte and Mendocino counties who want to share their talent (and perhaps win a prize) are encouraged to enter. Submissions will be accepted between July 20 and Aug. 2. KMUD will…
38th Annual Arcata Lantern Floating Ceremony Submissions Deadline is July 20
If you would like to contribute to the community video compliation taking place this year in lieu of the Arcata Lantern Floating Ceremony, the deadline is Monday, July 20. More on that from the City of Arcata: The City of Arcata would like to remind the community that the 38th Annual Arcata Lantern Floating Ceremony deadline…
Attempted Murder Suspect Taken into Custody
A press release from the City of Arcata states a man suspected in the stabbing of another man in the Valley West area on Friday, July 17 turned himself in to the Arcata Police Department Sunday and was subsequently booked for attempted murder. For more information on the stabbing, read the full press release below. On…
Sequoia Park Zoo Remains Open, Online Reservations Required
In a press release sent out Friday, the Sequoia Park Zoo announced that it is still open. In light of the latest state mandates related to COVID-19 that have led to some sectors having to reduce operations again, the Zoo announced that its outdoor operations do not fall under these restrictions and, with exception of its gift…
![[UPDATE 2 P.M] Traffic Collision on 101 by Big Lagoon](https://i0.wp.com/www.northcoastjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/chp.webp?resize=200%2C150&ssl=1)
[UPDATE 2 P.M] Traffic Collision on 101 by Big Lagoon
Two vehicles – a blue Titan and an SUV – collided on northbound Hwy 101 near Big Lagoon in the Kane Road area about 12:09 p.m., according to the CHP Traffic Incident Information Page. According to first reports, two adults and four children are injured. Two ambulances have been requested. [Note: at 12:32 p.m. a…
Manzanilla Blooms in Henderson Center
On Thursday, visitors to the Henderson Center Farmers Market got a sneak preview of Manzanilla, the Spanish and Mediterranean spot opening in Le Monde’s former spot. Starting this week, the restaurant will be open Tuesdays through Saturdays from noon to 6 p.m. for takeout and outdoor dining. So far the lunch menu is brief and…
Fire at Benbow
Just before 4 p.m., Cal Fire dispatched aircraft and firefighters to a fire on the east side of Hwy 101 in the Benbow area. According to the person who provided us with the photo above. The fire is near Red Rock Road below the Rockpit. UPDATE 4:12 p.m.: One of the Cal Fire planes has…
Without a Trace: This California County has Stopped Contact Tracing as Coronavirus Surges
A month ago, everyone in Merced County infected with the coronavirus got a call from county officials, asking questions about whom they’d come in contact with. It’s a tracing process that experts say is critical to stopping the spread of the highly infectious disease. Now, facing a five-fold increase in infections, Merced County officials have…
County Breaks Down First Five Months of COVID-19 Pandemic Response; Costs Exceed $4.3 Million
Humboldt County’s COVID-19 pandemic response, both in unincorporated areas and cities, has cost more than $4.3 million, which includes pay for more than 200 staff who have been assigned to Public Health and the Emergency Operations Center (EOC). “The Sheriff and I, as well as Public Health Director Michele Stephens, have directed this response, and…
H Street Closed South of Harris After Crash in Eureka
UPDATE 4:49 p.m.: According to a Humboldt Bay Fire official on the scene, they have a witness that said the Prius was driving east on Harris and ran the light and was hit by the truck towing a boat. The truck was headed south on H Street. The female driver of the Prius was transported…
Public Health Confirms Three New COVID-19 Cases, Making 16 This Week
For the second consecutive day, Humboldt County Public Health confirmed three new COVID-19 cases today, bringing the countywide total to 181, including 16 new cases this week and 48 confirmed since July 1. Public Health also reported a new hospitalization. Today’s results came after 171 tests were processed and on the same day Gov. Gavin Newsom…
A Pandemic Homecoming: As COVID Spreads Through Prisons, the State is Releasing Inmates Early with Little Planning
It was just days before the July Fourth weekend when Humboldt County Chief Probation Officer Shaun Brenneman got the official word: A handful of state inmates were being released early as COVID-19 continued to tear through state facilities. The released inmates would arrive in a couple days, Brenneman was told, including one who’d tested positive…
Nearly All California Schools Ordered to Shut Down
Gov. Gavin Newsom announced today that more than 5.5 million California students will not be allowed to attend school for in-person education this fall. Instead, all education for at least 90% of the state’s children must be held online. Under the requirements, California school districts cannot reopen campuses until their counties stabilize coronavirus infections and…
Eureka to Launch Scavenger Hunt to Revitalize Old Town and Downtown Eureka
The Eureka Community Services District will launch a self-led scavenger hunt in Old Town and downtown Eureka starting Monday, July 20. “We know there is a positive shift and an improved collective attitude in our community when we bring people together for a common goal, and since the pandemic has challenged us on so many…
Local Implementation of Gov. Newsom Order to Close Bars and Begin Outdoor-Only Operations Takes Full Effect Today
According to the HumCo COVID Facebook page, Gov. Gavin Newsom’s order to close all the bars in the state and transition six industry sectors to outdoor-only operations to limit the spread of COVID-19 will take full effect in Humboldt County today. The six industry sectors that can only operate outdoors include cardrooms, restaurants, movie theaters,…
Humboldt County Seeks Input on Draft Airport Land Use Compatibility Plan
Humboldt County Board of Supervisors is seeking feedback on the new Draft Airport Land Use Compatibility Plan. According to the release, the planning document is an update to the state-mandated airport land use for airports in Humboldt County, such as the California Redwood Coast – Humboldt County Airport, Dinsmore Airport, Garberville Airport, Kneeland Airport, Murray…
Humboldt County Unemployment Rate Improves Slightly in June to 11.6 Percent, T-S Reports
The Times-Standard is reporting that Humboldt County’s unemployment rate slightly decreased to 11.6 percent from 12 percent in May. However, the report states that the improvement might be overshadowed by another increase in unemployment rates due to the shutdown of services in some sectors on Friday. Read the full story here.
Public Health Confirms Three New COVID-19 Cases, Making 45 This Month
Humboldt County Public Health confirmed three new COVID-19 cases today, bringing the countywide total to 178 and making 45 cases confirmed since July 1. Today’s results came after 116 tests were processed and on the heels of Gov. Gavin Newsom re-tightening restrictions in the state’s shelter-in-place order Monday, including the shuttering of all bars and…
Local Photographers Capture Nightly Appearances of NEOWISE Comet
It’s not every day that a 3-mile wide ball of ice and dust hurling through space comes so close to the Earth that humans can behold it and even snap photos. But NASA scientists say that on clear nights in the Northern Hemisphere, the NEOWISE comet will likely be ready for its “close-up” about an…
NCJ Preview: How COVID-19 Hits Latinx Humboldt Hardest and Closing Bars and Dining Rooms
This week we’re talking with Access Humboldt about the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on Latinx and Hispanic communities in Humboldt. And as confirmed cases spike in California, spurring the closure of bars and ending indoor dining service, we’ll share what restaurant and bar owners and workers are going through and how they’re coping. Hit subscribe…
‘A Win-win Situation’
Editor: I have been following with interest the ongoing dispute over water rights between The Trinidad Rancheria and the city of Trinidad (‘Our Sovereign Right,’ July 2). Truth is, this entire country belonged to the Native Americans before it was stolen from them. If they were not being civilized and acted like today’s protesters, they…
Trump’s Risky War Strategy
Editor: You would think President Trump has no plan to win the war against COVID-19? New daily cases are now approaching 70,000, with daily deaths trending higher, too (“Crossroads,” July 9). In many places, hospital intensive care units (ICUs) are at full capacity with COVID-19 patients making it more difficult to give them the proper…
‘All Beautifully Composed’
Editor: I was a little late in reading the July 2 edition of the North Coast Journal. Having done so, I would like to acknowledge and thank the following: Michael Evenson, Emily Seigel, Harry Kavich, Sherman Shapiro, Lynn McKenna, Fionna M. Davis, Robert Cherry, Nancy Short and Andrew Offenbacher. And the North Coast Journal for…
Clarification
An article in July 9, 2020 edition of the North Coast Journal headlined “Hundreds of HumCo Businesses Got PPP Funds” contained potentially misleading information. While only those businesses and organizations that received more than $150,000 in Paycheck Protection Program funding under the CARES Act were identified publicly, the majority of loans issued nationally under the…
Vaccine Mirage?
In theory, a vaccine is simple: It induces the body to create antibodies to a particular virus. When that virus enters the body, the immune system will recognize it and block it from harming the host. Of course, the vaccine itself must be harmless, hence the twin goals of vaccine development: effectiveness and safety. Traditionally,…
Shively in July
Pepperwood dust hung in sausage curls by the long, sweet face of the river. We ate Co-op bread from paper sacks as our bare feet thrummed nature’s anthem, accompanied by ants, choired by trees, in perfect harmonic summerese. Jenny Lovewell
Free Will Astrology
ARIES (March 21-April 19): “If the time is not ripe, we have to ripen the time,” wrote Aries educator and activist Dorothy Height. This approach worked well during her 98 years on the planet. Her pioneering advocacy for African American women generated a number of practical improvements in their employment opportunities and civil rights. In…
Closed … Again
When Gov. Gavin Newsom took to the podium July 13 for a noon press conference, nobody in Humboldt County was sure what was coming. For well over a week, the state had seen ballooning COVID-19 infection and hospitalization numbers, with a daily average of 8,200 new cases confirmed over the past seven days. Not coincidentally,…
‘Emotional Roller Coaster’
On Monday morning, Jennifer Metz, co-owner of Phatsy Kline’s Parlor Lounge and the Inn at 2nd & C, said she was feeling good about going with the flow and making the best of things despite shelter-in-place restrictions. The hotel had already been open for weeks with guests at half capacity and plans were underway to…
Community Responsibility
A friend of the Journal recently said that opening one part of the country — or one part of the state — amid the COVID-19 pandemic is akin to having a peeing section in a public swimming pool. The analogy is crude but accurate. We were reminded of this July 13 when, faced with soaring…
