Cover Story
From Garden to Table in the Hall
From lettuce to berries to garlic and parsley, vegetables color the blacktop at the Humboldt County Juvenile Detention Center as part of a garden project that started with a single chef. Beth Bailey, who has been cooking at the juvenile hall for more than 10 years, started the garden as the capstone project for her…
Patti M. Falk July 1, 1946-April 3, 2025
Patricia Mildred “Patti” Falk of Eureka, California, passed away on April 3, 2025, while in hospice care for seven months at A Will And Grace Care in Concord, California. Patti Falk was born in San Francisco, California, on July 1, 1946, to parents Eugene Irvin and Mildred (née Meadows) Falk, and spent much of her…
Aryay Kalaki: 1934-2025
Aryay came to Humboldt County, like many others, to live out some of the visionary propositions of the 1960s. He had so far been rewarded with beatings, arrests and a fat file in the offices of the FBI. His photo had made the front page of the San Francisco paper when HUAC (the House Unamerican…
Judge Denies St. Joseph Motion to Dismiss AG Abortion Lawsuit
Humboldt County Superior Court Judge Timothy Canning has rejected Providence St. Joseph Hospital’s request to dismiss a landmark lawsuit brought by the California Attorney General’s Office alleging it violated state law when it refused to provide a medically necessary abortion in February 2024, putting the mother’s life at risk. Attorneys representing the hospital filed for…
EPD Investigating Fatal Bicycle Crash
A bicyclist was killed after being struck by a semi-truck at West Harris and Union streets in Eureka yesterday morning, the Eureka Police Department announced today. According to a press release, emergency personnel were summoned to the scene shortly before 8:30 a.m. and declared the cyclist deceased shortly after arriving. The collision is being investigated…
Child Porn Allegation, Missed Filing Deadline Delay Sexually Violent Predator Placement Hearing
A hearing to determine whether a residence in Manila is a suitable placement for a sexually violent predator ordered released from a state hospital into a community supervision program has been rescheduled for July. But before deciding on a suitable placement for Richard Stobaugh, who was convicted of a series of brutal attacks in the…
DNA Matches Skull Found in 1993 to Missing Trinity County Woman
The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office announced today that human remains found decades ago have been identified as those of a Trinity County woman reported missing in 1987. According to a press release, Hyampom School teacher Kay Josephine Medin was reported missing by her husband Nickolas Medin on Aug. 3, 1987, after he said he returned…
‘Millions Out on the Street Virtually Overnight’: How Trump’s Budget Proposal Could Affect California
On May 2, President Trump released a budget blueprint for the next fiscal year that would take a chainsaw to social, environmental and education programs. Some of the sharpest cuts are directed at housing programs that are meant to serve the poor, housing insecure and unhoused. In California, millions are served by these funds and…
A Garden at Juvenile Hall, Havana Stories and Trump So Far
This week we’re digging into a vegetable garden feeding residents at Eureka’s juvenile detention center. We’re also sharing experiences of Cuba as told by workers at an Arcata restaurant and checking in on the impacts of Trump’s first 100 days. Hit subscribe for weekly updates on Humboldt stories.
‘No Kings, No Oligarchs’ Protest Draws Hundreds in Eureka
Despite the weather forecast and a packed social-event calendar on Saturday, several hundred people showed up under the theme “No Kings, No Oligarchs” to again protest President Trump and his administration’s actions in front of the Humboldt County Courthouse in Eureka. Humboldt Musicians for Peace provided an energetic soundtrack for the two-hour local version of…
Comedy Tonight: Monday, May 5
The Basement has a rare Monday night gig going down at 7:30 p.m., with comedian Steve Hofsteller, famous on YouTube for his crowd work, particularly with hecklers, on the bill. However, as of press time the show appears to be mostly sold-out, with the exception of a few front row, meet-and-greet tickets left going for…
Music Tonight: Sunday, May 4
Speaking of Reno, Nevada, experimental emo act Antiprono enjoys its second night in the area, having played Redwood Retro is Arcata at 7 p.m. last night. Tonight the band will be at Savage Henry Comedy Club at the same time, and for the same price, $5-$20 sliding scale. However, the line-up will be slightly different,…
Music Tonight: Saturday, May 3
True North Duo are Kristen Grainger and Dan Wetzel, who together have crafted a sound built of the finest aspects of bluegrass, pulling off large feats of instrumental prowess and vocal intensity that break containment from the usual restrictions of a less populated act in this genre of music. You can enjoy that sound this…
Music Tonight: Friday, May 2
Back at it again at the Miniplex tonight at 8 p.m., this time for an evening of experimental electronic music, with two touring acts that feature live drums and bespoke visuals. Portland’s Bl_ank is rolling through the West Coast with Spanish sound manipulator Alex Silva, who is now based in Baltimore. This should be a…
Fair Association Continues Push for Race Dates, Holds Moment of Silence for Longtime Member
The Humboldt County Fair Association reiterated its intent to again apply for horse racing dates during the August fair from a state board next month, despite a tightening timeline and a host of uncertainties. During a report from the association’s Racing Committee at its April 28 board meeting, committee Chair Greg Gomes said he’s “trying…
Music Tonight: Thursday, May 1
The Miniplex is hosting a very special breed of power trio tonight at 7:30 p.m., a punk and free jazz outfit called mssv, which stands for Main Steam Stop Valve. Mike Watt from outsider punk pioneers the Minutemen joins with guitarist Mike Baggetta and drummer Stephen Hodges, who has beaten the skins for artists like…
Fear and Frustration in Manila
Editor’s note: Be advised, this story covers violent sexual assaults and may be disturbing to readers. During a standing-room-only town hall at the Manila Community Resource Center on Monday, residents voiced fears and frustrations about a proposal to house a man legally deemed a sexually violent predator at a single-family residence in the small town…
Damaged Goods
This column begins on May 1, International Worker’s Day in most of the world. But we don’t celebrate that here because it simply isn’t allowed in the curdling nexus of industry and finance we call home. This isn’t by accident but rather design, as our nation’s relationship with labor oscillates between revulsion and fantasy. We…
At Havana, Bittersweet Memories of Cuba
During a busy lunch rush at Havana, a Cuban restaurant in Arcata, Executive Chef Lisvany Ortega sat at a small wooden table, the pulse of salsa music echoing in the background. Between bursts of activity from the kitchen, he shared the story of how he journeyed from Old Havana to this quiet corner of Northern…
Bloody Havoc
HAVOC. The most linear, lowest resistance path to Gareth Evans’ latest is most likely an accidental one. Dropped unceremoniously onto Netflix, where algorithmic manipulation, more than fandom or genuine interest, is intended to steer traffic its way, Havoc would hardly seem positioned for lasting — even fleeting, viral — success. Casual Tom Hardy fans might…
Aspirin: The World’s Most Popular Drug
About 2,400 years ago, Hippocrates, the so-called Father of Medicine, wrote about the curative and pain-killing properties of willow leaves. In particular, he recommended willow leaf tea to relieve the pain of women in childbirth. He was following a long tradition: Ancient Sumerian tablets had recommended willow leaves to treat rheumatoid arthritis, while the Egyptian…
First Saturday Night Arts Alive
Experience the vibrant atmosphere as galleries, museums, theaters, bars and restaurants extend their hours for your enjoyment. 4TH STREET MERCANTILE 215 Fourth St. Various artists. ART CENTER FRAME SHOP 616 Second St. Sandra Henry, Sara Starr, Lynne Bryan and Judy Lachowsky, watercolors. ART CENTER SPACE 620 Second St. Various local artists. BELLE STARR 405 Second…
The Real Cost of Eggs
In the runup to the November election, eggs took on an almost mythical status, their price tags acting as both a kind of poster for the Trump campaign and a symbol for Democrats’ perceived inability to speak directly to inflation, the issue we were told most concerned voters. In the election’s final days, the average…
‘Better Ways to Own the Libs’
Editor: Thank you for the article about the demonstration in Eureka (“‘If Only We’d Done More to Save Her,'” April 24). There are, indeed, lots of things to be concerned about lately. The top of my list is habeas corpus. Per the American Heritage Dictionary: “A writ to bring a person before a court or a judge, most frequently used…
Clarification
A story headlined “There’s Magic in the Redwoods (Even for Beginners)” contained incomplete and potentially misleading information. The Magic in the Redwoods event was hosted by North Coast Supports and Rec, LLC, which obtained grant funding from the Humboldt Lodging Alliance. Gina Venturino was a contracted organizer for the event. The Journal regrets any confusion.…
I am so close
Redwoods willing Every drip rises Above forest floors Towards horizons Calling forever To just let go — Kirk Gothier
