Crossroads at Potter Valley
Catching everyone ‘off guard,’ PG&E looks to return project to full operational status
Cover Story
Crossroads at Potter Valley
The future of the Potter Valley Project that diverts water from the Eel River to the Russian River is more uncertain than ever, with a regional coalition declaring it will not file for the license application and PG&E unexpectedly taking steps to continue operating the project under an annual license until the next development. PG&E,…
Do-over: Cal State’s Resubmitted Application Increases Affordable Student Housing Projection by 800 Beds
After the California State University system realized it misread the fine print for a new state grant to build affordable student housing, officials went back to the drawing board, ran new numbers, and told lawmakers they have a plan to develop more discounted student homes. The application do-over means as many as 800 more Cal…
Mask Protestors on Campus Put South Fork High School on Temporary Lockdown
South Fork High School was placed on a modified lockdown for a time yesterday morning and Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office deputies were called to the scene after a group of parents and students protesting state-mandated mask requirements for school settings entered the campus. There were reports that some protestors tore down masking signs at the…
Public Health Reports 38 New COVID-19 Cases, No New Hospitalizations
Humboldt County Public Health today reported 38 new COVID-19 cases, with no new hospitalizations. Today’s cases come on the heels of 614 reported last week, which were down from 1,055 the week before, as the recent local surge fueled by the highly contagious Omicron variant appears to be on the back end of its peak,…
Sentence Handed Down in Bear River Triple Homicide
One year after a newly engaged couple and a 16-year-old girl were shot to death at a home on the Bear River Band of the Rohnerville Rancheria Reservation, the now 19 year old who pleaded guilty to their murders was sentenced today to 150 years to life in prison. Judge Timothy Canning handed down the…
No End in Sight: California Drought on Course to Break Another Record
The first two months of 2022 are shaping up to be the driest January and February in California history, prompting state officials to warn of dire water conditions ahead. “There’s no precipitation forecast through the remainder of February. And there’s very little precipitation in the long-range forecast for March,” Erik Ekdahl, a deputy director with…
Public Health Reports Three New COVID-19 Hospitalizations, 144 New Cases
Humboldt County Public Health today reported 144 new COVID-19 cases, as well as three new hospitalizations. Today’s cases come on the heels of 614 reported last week, which were down from 1,055 the week before, as the recent local surge fueled by the highly contagious Omicron variant appears to be on the back end of…
Chico Man Convicted of Murdering Couple in SoHum
A Chico man was convicted Monday of double murder and other charges in connection with the shooting deaths of a couple at a marijuana farm in Southern Humboldt. “Because he committed multiple murders, a ‘special circumstance’ under California homicide law, Mr. Rodriguez faces a maximum sentence of life without the possibility of parole,” a Humboldt…
Ag Producers Urged to Apply Now for Emergency Access Passes
With the need to prepare for wildfires before winter even draws to a close becoming more critical as megablazes move into year-round threats — with each new fire season surpassing the last — Humboldt agricultural producers are being encouraged to apply now for a Restricted Area Access Pass. Having the annually issued pass is a…
Some Parents Lose Patience Over School Mask Mandate
Since California health officials decreed the end of the mask mandate for restaurants and grocery stores last week, frustrated parents have been asking: When can their kids take their masks off at school? They didn’t get any answers during a much anticipated press conference Monday hosted by California Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mark…
Carol Lee: 1953-2022
On a sunny Saturday afternoon as she visited with a friend in the sunroom at Eureka’s Hospice, Carol said, “I’ve had a good life!” She died Tuesday morning, Feb. 8, 2022, of ovarian cancer peacefully with Jody and Vickie Victorine by her side. Carol was born on June 2, 1953, in Eureka to Glen and Evelyn…
Public Health Reports 347 New COVID-19 Cases, Three New Hospitalizations
Humboldt County Public Health today reported that 347 new COVID-19 cases have been confirmed since Thursday, with three new hospitalizations, including one of a local resident in their 20s. Today’s cases come on the heels of 614 confirmed last week, which were down from 1,055 the week before, as the recent local surge fueled by…
A Democrat Wants to Crack Down on Employers that Exploit Workers. Will this help?
Fresno Assemblymember Joaquin Arambula introduced a new bill that would establish a labor trafficking unit within Cal/OSHA to investigate and prosecute people who force or coerce vulnerable people into jobs with little or no pay, often under unsafe working conditions. The bill is cosponsored by the Western Center on Law and Poverty and the Sunita…
William G. Troiano, Jr.: 1946-2021
William G. Troiano, Jr, passed away after a brief illness on October 2, 2021, in Eureka, California. His passing has left his life partner, family, and friends with disbelief and sadness. Bill suffered from a heart condition and aspirated pneumonia, which came on suddenly and left us behind to wonder why the good have to…
Eureka to Consider Hiring Police Auditor
The Eureka City Council will consider Tuesday a staff recommendation to hire a Los Angeles firm serve as the city’s independent police auditor as a part of the council’s plan to implement the most robust police oversight policy in Humboldt County. The agenda item that, if passed, will authorize the city manager to enter into…
NCJ Preview: Potter Plans, Measure S, Masks and Analog Art
PG&E changes course to continue operating the Potter Valley hydroelectric dams, which divert water from the Russian River, instead of shutting down as previously stated — we’re looking at what this means for the salmon, the stakeholders, water rights and the “two-basin solution.” We’ve also got an update on Measure S as the Board of…
Eureka Releases Video of Dec. 30 Police Shooting
The Eureka Police Department has released body-warn-camera footage of detective Joseph Couch shooting a suspect during a multi-agency task force operation Dec. 30. The video — which offers a limited vantage point of the shooting — is the only one available, according to EPD, as Couch was the only officer on scene with a body-worn…
‘A Change in Narrative’: Ethnic Studies Program Helps Incarcerated Youth Navigate Identity
When Nate Tan, a professor of ethnic studies at San Francisco State University, logs on to virtually teach his 8 a.m. class, he sees several dozen students sitting at desks with laptops, some framed by towering bookshelves. But these students aren’t Zooming in from campus dorms. Instead, they’re taking classes in three different youth prisons…
Public Health Confirms 121 New COVID-19 Cases, One New Hospitalization
Humboldt County Public Health reported 121 new COVID-19 cases today, as well as one new hospitalization. Today’s cases come on the heels of 1,055 confirmed last week, which were down from 1,779 the week before, as the recent local surge fueled by the highly contagious Omicron variant appears to be on the back end of…
Arcata Council Calls June Election for Council Vacancy
The Arcata City Council voted 4-0 last night to call a special June 7 election to fill the upcoming vacancy on the dais when Vice Mayor Emily Goldstein steps down at the end of the month for family reasons. The top vote-getter will serve out the rest of Goldstein’s term, which runs through November of…
Public Health Press Conference: Mask Mandate to Lift
During yesterday’s Public Health COVID-19 press conference Health Officer Ian Hoffman further explained why the county has chosen to lift its mask mandate next week, stating that the current Omircon COVID-19 surge has shown a “different scenario” than what the county faced during the Delta-fueled surge. On Tuesday, Hoffman told the Humboldt County Board of…
‘Unseat Them’
Editor: Assembly Bill 1400, California’s Medicare for All bill, failed, joining former attempts at reforming our broken healthcare system (NCJ Daily, Feb. 3). Why is it so hard in the world’s richest country to provide this basic human necessity? The answer is clear: Profiteering health and pharmaceutical companies are loath to give up the enormous…
Put the Earth on Top
The Earth flag flies on the Arcata Plaza. That is good. But wait! The plaza flagpole order is not logical. The American flag flies at the top, the California flag beneath it and the Earth flag at the bottom. Doesn’t the Earth encompass all nations and all states? Isn’t the well-being of the Earth essential…
Praising Torg
Editor: We have been meaning for a long time to express our admiration and enjoyment of Terry Torgerson’s cartoons. They are clever, expressive, appealing, as well as very amusing works of art. However, last week’s (Feb. 3) cartoon of the burly lumberjack singing “Poly Wolly Doodle all the Day” caused us to go into hysterics,…
‘Victim’ Blaming
Editor: In the third year of a pandemic that has killed more than 900,000 Americans, Adrienne Floreen (“As a Victim…,” Feb. 3) provides some much-needed comic relief with a remarkable joke: She is offended that we expect her to vaccinate! She’s a victim! One suggestion, Ms. Floreen: if you and your boyfriend should find yourselves…
‘Bring it On’
Editor: We’ve seen and heard a lot about growth in Humboldt County, whether it’s wind farms, fish farms or improvements to our colleges. There seems to be two sides: Bring it on! We need the local job opportunities, or: Not in my backyard; figure out another way. To those of you in the second group, there is no…
‘Jello’
Editor: As an emeritus member of the Seismological Society of America, I have grave concerns about building multi-story structures on the unconsolidated sediments that lie beneath Arcata’s Gateway Project footprint. During an earthquake, ground shaking in these bay and river deposits can be amplified by two to five times as compared to bedrock sites, such…
A Brief History of QR Codes
“I used to play Go on my lunch break. One day, while arranging the black and white pieces on the grid, it hit me that it represented a straightforward way of conveying information. It was a eureka moment.” — Masahiro Hara, quoted on Nippon.com, Feb. 10, 2020. If you’ve eaten out lately, you might have…
Sharpening Roots
(rewritten) Do dull tools lead to dull bodies and minds dim bodies and minds bearing dull hearts which only reflect light like a knife’s flat cutting edge and are no longer the keen source of Light. The edge is in the center and the center on the edge. Dan Brewer
Free Will Astrology
ARIES (March 21-April 19): “Real love is a pilgrimage,” declared author Anita Brookner. “It happens when there is no strategy, but it is very rare because most people are strategists.” That’s the bad news, Aries. The good news is that you have more potential than ever before to free your love of strategic maneuvering and…
Supes Move Forward with Cannabis Tax Reprieve
The Humboldt County Board of Supervisors is moving forward with providing local cannabis farmers some tax relief after a flooding of the wholesale market sent prices plummeting in recent months. The board voted 3-1, with Second District Supervisor Michelle Bushnell having recused herself due to a potential financial conflict of interest and Fifth District Supervisor…
A Safe Harbour for Coffee Lovers
In addition to a brewery tasting room and a solid rotation of food trucks, Myrtletown can now add an adorably hip coffee and wine bar to its list of rad new additions. Harbour Coffee and Wine (1651 Myrtle Ave., Suite B, Eureka) had its soft opening in early December and since then has settled into…
Analog Wisdom, Analog Weight
Walking into Bernadette Vielbig’s ANALOG at the Morris Graves Museum, the wooden yoke suspended along the gallery’s back wall doesn’t demand immediate attention among the careful arrangement of found-object sculptures. Yet this piece, minimal in its color and construction, embodies several themes of the show, which include reflection on balance, explorations of certain dualities, transformation…
Arts! Arcata
For a list of artists, venues and hours for Arts! Arcata, visit www.ArcataMainStreet.com. This month will also feature music and local art vendors in the plaza center circle along with Valentine’s fun. Thank you for wearing your mask, staying safe and supporting local arts. Arcata Artisans 883 H St. Featured artists Steven Taylor, Jeff Langdon…
Scouting for Beginner’s Birding Binoculars
For my 11th birthday, my parents surprised me with a pair of Jason Statesman zoom binoculars from a discount catalog. I was crazy about birds and while by today’s standards the Statesmans weren’t exactly cutting-edge, to me, they were perfect. It’s a common misconception that birding is an expensive hobby. It certainly can be. By…
Most Coastal Rivers Remain Open for Now
Another week of beautiful rain-free weather on the North Coast, which is exactly what we don’t need. Two of our coastal rivers have succumbed to low flows and are now closed to angling. With the forecast calling for more dry weather, a few other rivers will likely close soon. To date, the Mattole and Redwood…
And the Faculty?
Editor: The article about the future impact and requirements of the change from Humboldt State University to Cal Poly Humboldt mentioned many factors to make it work (“Introducing Cal Poly Humboldt,” Feb. 3). Housing, facilities, curriculum and new majors, student recruitment and funding. There seemed to be a glaring omission of the need for new…
Del Toro and Scott for Gold
I’ve had occasion, these last 10 days or so, to do some catching up — obvious, probably inevitable reasons. Circumstances notwithstanding, this period of isolation has coincided nicely with a few notable movies from the last year finally migrating to streaming services. And so, in addition to watching all eight episodes of the lamentably, somehow…
