Insurrection in the Capitol
North Coast Rep. Jared Huffman on the siege that occupied Congress … and the path forward
Cover Story
The Path Forward
On the afternoon of Jan. 6, North Coast Rep. Jared Huffman was coming out of an hours-long lockdown during which he was forced to shelter in place alone in his Capitol office, keeping away from windows with his doors locked and a go-bag at the ready. Periodic explosions pierced the constant din as Capitol Police…
DHHS’s Behavioral Health Warm Line is There to Listen
It would be an understatement to say this pandemic has changed our lives, that the Black Lives Matter movement was merely amplified after George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis, that California witnessed one of the worst wildfire seasons, that this past election was one of the most contested and that the dire consequences from the spread…
UPDATE: Slide Shuts Down 96 Near Happy Camp (With Video)
UPDATE: Caltrans has released a video showing the slide coming down on Highway 96, which the agency reported Wednesday was open to one-way controlled traffic. CHECK THIS OUT: New video from our crew in the field shows the jaw dropping moment a slide on Highway 96, 4 miles west of Happy Camp, came down and…
The Big Humboldt Jam – Virtual Concert
Big Brothers Big Sisters of the North Coast and Fatbol Farms host The Big Humboldt Jam, a virtual concert event rocking screens on Saturday, Jan. 23 at 7 p.m. ($15-$100). The concert features local and national talent like Pato Banton, The Duet with Bobby Vega, George Porter Jr., Object Heavy, Lyndsey Battle, David Starfire and…
Rush Hour at Humboldt Bay Social Club
Pull over and park for Rush Hour, the 1998 buddy-cop flick starring Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker. Watch it from the socially distant comfort of your car when Community Drive-in Cinemas present the fun Saturday, Jan. 23 from 5 to 8:30 p.m. at Humboldt Bay Social Club, where there’ll be an outdoor bar and lounge…
A ‘Selfless’ Life Cut Short: Esteban Gonzalez’s unlikely journey into the hearts of Arcata
Esteban Gonzalez, an Arcata restaurant owner beloved by many, known in equal parts for his tireless work ethic, his good food and willingness to offer a hand up to anyone who needed it, died Jan. 12 of pneumonia. He was 55. Amid an outpouring of support in the wake of his death, Gonzalez is being…
Photos: The Crab Has Landed
After delays due to weight and price negotiations, and despite rough seas over the weekend that led to one fishing boat requiring rescue by the Coast Guard, Humboldt welcomed crab boats to its docks and their haul of Dungeness to its tables. Boats like the Sandy B, The Corregidor, the Josie L and the Jenna…
Eureka Man Arrested After Allegedly Threatening Mass Shooting
Police arrested a 49-year-old Eureka man shortly after midnight this morning after he allegedly told a Weaverville restaurant employee he had plans to commit a mass shooting at a Eureka government building after the employee asked him to wear a mask. Eureka Police Chief Steve Watson said the man, identified as Darin Michael Ward, told…
Humboldt Marks 25th COVID Death
Public Health reports a 25th Humboldt resident has died and 36 new cases were confirmed, bringing the county’s total to 2,427. Two cases reported previously were removed from the county’s case tally, as one was a duplication and the other the result of a lab error, according to Public Health. Today’s tally makes 167 cases…
UPDATE: 911 Outage in Shelter Cove, Blue Lake
UPDATE: The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office Emergency Communications Center is reporting that 911 service on landlines in Blue Lake and Shelter Cove has been restored. PREVIOUS: The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office is cautioning Blue Lake and Shelter Cove residents that a 911 outage is affecting some landlines. According to HCSO tweets, 157 Frontier landline customers…
Scenes from Inauguration Day
North Coast Rep. Jared Huffman shared some photos from today’s inauguration of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, calling it a “very special day.” “As President Biden said today, if enough Americans join us in a spirit of unity, truth, and decency, we can move the entire nation forward. I think we can…
Humboldt Nears 2.5K COVID Cases Amid ‘Enormous Setback’ of Vaccine Pause
Humboldt County Public Health has confirmed 131 new COVID-19 cases since Friday, bringing the county’s total to 2,393 after one was removed due to a duplication. Three additional hospitalizations were reported. Last week saw 232 positive tests on the heels of a record 269 the previous week. Under state data released today, Humboldt County remains…
Sequoia Park Zoo Conservation Lecture
Ecosystems need saving? Leave it to beaver. Learn how these buck-toothed rodents of slightly larger than usual size can help fight drought, flooding, wildfire and climate change (dam!) when environmental journalist Ben Goldfarb presents Partnering with Beavers to Heal the Planet, a Sequoia Park Zoo conservation lecture, on Wednesday, Jan. 20 at 7 p.m. on…
Dining Local for the Win
On Jan. 11, the Choose Humboldt Coalition kicked off its Restaurant Month via social media with a giveaway meant to boost sales at locally owned restaurants. Diners are invited to snap photos of their meals, whether takeout or at outdoor dining setups, and post them with a couple of hashtags (#dineouthumboldt and #choosehumboldt) for a…
Local Health Officials to Pause COVID-19 Vaccinations After Severe Allergic Reactions Reported in SoCal
Last night the California State Epidemiologist told all county local health officials to “pause” administration of the Moderna 041L20A COVID-19 vaccine lot after “a disproportionate number of severe adverse reactions were reported at a vaccination clinic in San Diego.” This is the same vaccine lot that makes up 90 percent of doses Humboldt County Public…
COVID Variant Spreading Across State Found in Humboldt
A variant of COVID-19 has been identified in Humboldt County and is increasingly being found in counties across California, according to state health officials, who said the effort is on to learn more about 452R and how it spreads. To date, Humboldt has seen 2,263 cases, with 233 positive tests confirmed last week on the…
U.S. Coast Guard Rescues Distressed Fishermen
A spokesperson for the U.S. Coast Guard confirmed this evening. that members of the agency “rescued three fisherman” this afternoon near Patricks Point State Park north of Trinidad but said he wasn’t able to provide more information until he had gathered more facts. Southern Humboldt businessman Garth Epling, who took the above photo, said he…
Eureka Council to Consider HACHR Needle Exchange Plan
The Eureka City Council on Tuesday will consider an operations plan submitted by the Humboldt Area Center for Harm Reduction to run mobile syringe exchange programs at multiple locations, two of which city staff has determined to be unsuitable. The proposed locations, which the plan states are based on the county’s exchange sites, include a…
North Coast Night Lights: 2020 A New Light Review
The year 2020 was something of an off year. I, for one, took fewer photographs; I simply had less creative energy this year. There was the never-ending pandemic, followed by the raging, record-setting wild fires of summer and fall. On top of that, with very little time to prepare I was asked to teach a…
NCJ Preview: Huffman Hunkers Down and Chocolate on the Waterfront
Huffman, impeachment, Capitol, Dick Taylor, Humboldt Bay Coffee Co., purple tier, COVID-19
43 New COVID Cases Confirmed
Humboldt County Public Health confirmed 43 new COVID-19 cases today, bringing the county’s total to 2,263. An additional hospitalization was also reported. This week has seen 233 positive tests on the heels of a record 269 last week. On the vaccine side, the county is moving into the next phase, starting with those age 75…
Humboldt-Del Norte Medical Society Presents Award to Teresa Frankovich
The Humboldt-Del Norte Medical Society presented three “Outstanding Contribution” awards to local physicians recognizing their contributions to the area including former Humboldt County Public Health Officer Dr. Teresa Frankovich. Frankovich was awarded the “Outstanding Service to Our Community” award for “her tireless work in coordinating efforts to deal with the COVID pandemic in Humboldt County,…
Blustery Seas Over the Weekend, Gale Watch Starting Sunday
The Eureka office of the National Weather Service has issued a small craft advisory along the coast due to a series of swells bringing 10 to 15 foot seas through Saturday night. North winds of 6 to 17 mph with gusts up to nearly 30 mph are forecast from Cape Mendocino to Pt. Arena. Those…
Ink People’s Annual Color Show: Metallic
Blingity bling. Don’t miss the newest online exhibit at www.InkPeople.org: The Ink People’s Annual Color Show: Metallic, now through Jan. 30, online. And by metallic, they mean, “Copper and pewter. Steel and chrome. Traps and grills. Silver and gold. The bling and the mirage. The platinum level. The shiny crayons. It’s industry and androids. It’s…
Blue Room Lounge Closes
Garberville lost a stalwart watering hole on Sunday when the Blue Room Lounge announced on Facebook it had poured its last cocktail. The bar’s owner did not respond to messages from the Journal but patrons replied to the post with their lamentations. It is the start of a new year but the end of an…
Friends of the Arcata Marsh Lecture
Repeat after us: Rodenticides are bad, bad, bad. Not only do they kill the intended target (rats), but the poison is also often ingested by other wildlife (and pets) in the food chain. There are safe alternatives to your rat problem. Learn more at the Friends of the Arcata Marsh lecture Rat Poison Is Wildlife…
49 New COVID Cases Confirmed as Humboldt’s ICU Capacity Drops
Humboldt County Public Health confirmed 49 new COVID-19 cases today, bringing the county’s total to 2,220. On the vaccine side, the county is moving into the next phase, starting with those age 75 and older. (Read more about the process here.) “We’re vaccinating groups in tandem,” County Health Officer Ian Hoffman said in a release.…
Humboldt to Begin Vaccinating Residents 75 and Older Next Week
Humboldt County expects to move into the next phase of COVID-19 vaccine distribution next week, opening the door to anyone age 75 or older to get immunized. During a press conference this afternoon, Health Officer Ian Hoffman said that while state and federal guidelines have changed to include anyone over the age of 65 into…
Humboldt GOP and DCC Jointly Denounce the Violence at the Capitol
The Humboldt County Republican Central Committee and the Humboldt County Democratic Central Committee has released a joint statement denouncing the fatal riots at the Capitol last week, calling on the community to stand with them against using violence as a form of protest. “These are extremely difficult and trying times. People fear COVID infection, job…
UPDATE: Slide Closes State Route 36
UPDATE: Caltrans reports one-way traffic control is in effect on State Route 36 as crews work on clearing the slide debris. Motorists should anticipate one-hour delays. PREVIOUS: A slide closed State Route 36 near Dinsmore last night and there is currently no estimated time for learning and reopening the roadway, according to Caltrans. The slide…
The Day We Stormed the Capitol
The day we stormed the capitol I was out among the trees I saw the weavers weave their web I heard the vultures screech I heard we won not one but both Yet I learned we also lost Our peaches thus cut much the same And greater is the cost The day we stormed the…
Free Will Astrology
ARIES (March 21-April 19): As you ripen into a more fully embodied version of yourself, you will summon ever-greater discrimination about where to seek your inspiration. I trust that you will increasingly divest yourself of any tendency you might have to play around with just any old mediocre fire. More and more, you will be…
Insurrection in the Capitol
Speaking to the Journal by phone the afternoon of Jan. 6 from his Capitol office during a mandatory lockdown instituted by Capitol Police as officers worked to clear the building of a violent pro-Trump crowd, North Coast Congressmember Jared Huffman said he entered the day braced for the possibility of conflict but couldn’t have imagined what was…
A Coffee and Chocolate Pairing on the Waterfront
If all goes to plan, by this time next year, the sea air along Eureka’s waterfront could carry notes of coffee and chocolate. The former home of the North Coast Co-op, empty since 1992 and rehabilitated by the late Pierre LeFuel and Karen Banning, is to be home to an expanded Dick Taylor Craft Chocolate…
A Statement from the Interim President of the Cult of Ictharel
After the events of last week, I choose to step forth and condemn the violence of the army of the undead commanded by Ichtharel the Unclean, Bringer of Armageddon and Devourer of All, for whose return to Earth I and the other members of the Cult of Ictharel have repeatedly prayed and made sacrifices, both…
Our Newest Public Space: Samoa Dunes and Wetlands Conservation Area
You may know it as Dog Ranch or perhaps Dead Man’s Drop Forest, but forget that. The parcels immediately to the west of Samoa Bridge are now officially the Samoa Dunes and Wetlands Conservation Area. “We’re looking to re-introduce this place to our community,” says Mike Cipra, who heads up Friends of the Dunes, the…
Steelhead Fishing on Hold as Storm Blows Through
A powerful yet quick storm blew through the area on Tuesday, forcing winter steelhead anglers to hit the pause button. The bad news is it dumped a bunch of water quickly, turning coastal rivers brown. The good news is it didn’t stick around long. As quickly as the rivers rose, they are forecast to drop…
Ladies and Gentlemen and Gangsters
The first quarter of almost any normal year yields very little from the movie watching perspective, at least theatrically. The sprint to screen awards contenders in New York and Los Angeles having ended with the ringing in of the new year, the ensuing months become a sort of protracted sloughing-off of the dead weight of…
Truth and Reconciliation
There’s no escaping the fact that on Jan. 6 five people died over a lie. This is indisputable. The president of the United States spawned the first lie, insisting falsely that it was only widespread fraud and theft that kept him from a landslide election victory on Nov. 3. Others repeated it. The next lie…
Reflecting on the Capitol Riot
Editor: So … five people died stemming from the events of Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington, D.C., and many more have been injured. The People’s House has been breached and desecrated. A crowd of Trump supporters, exhorted to violence by President Trump, Donald Trump Jr. and Rudy Giuliani was responsible. That this would happen was…
Words of Wisdom
Editor: I was recently drawn to PBS News commentator Mark Shields’ response when asked for the basis of his political philosophy. He cited the second sentence of this excerpt from Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s 1937 inauguration speech. “We are determined to make every American citizen the subject of his country’s interest and concern; and we will never…
RE: Eureka’s Camping Ordinance
Editor: “Two Different Ways of Camping,” Terry Torgerson’s Dec. 3 cartoon showed desired campers in expensive motor homes and our neighbors with no place to live except make shift tents. People also live in campers. This is illegal under Eureka’s current camping ordinance and under the proposed ordinance likely to be on the council’s Jan.…
Herd Immunity
We’ve been hearing a lot about the holy grail of herd immunity lately, especially with the introduction of vaccines to counter COVID-19 and a general sense of seeing the light at the end of this yearlong tunnel. As soon as we’ve achieved herd immunity, goes the meme, we’re out of the woods (to mix my…
