‘Worsening’
As the Journal went to press Jan. 12, the state moved Humboldt County into its most restrictive purple “widespread” risk category, as officials had predicted would happen for more than a week, and the county sat at the precipice of falling under a regional stay-at-home order. The county’s return to purple status means that, beginning…
Eating in the Purple Tier
On Tuesday, the state moved Humboldt County back into the purple “widespread” tier. Some of the restrictions under the state’s highest risk tier have shifted over the course of the pandemic, so here’s a rundown of what’s allowed at eating and drinking establishments under current conditions. Bars that don’t serve food must remain closed. Indoor dining…
Public Health Confirms 33 New COVID-19 Cases, Urges Cooperation with Contact Investigations
Humboldt County Public Health confirmed 33 new COVID-19 cases today and issued a plea to local residents who test positive for the virus to cooperate with county contact tracing investigators. “If you test positive, Public Health is here to offer support in keeping you and your loved ones safe,” Health Officer Ian Hoffman said in…
Trump Impeached for Second Time
The House of Representatives has voted to impeach Donald Trump, making him the first president to be impeached twice in the nation’s history. It was also an unprecedented bipartisan impeachment, with 10 Republicans voting in favor, at 232 to 197. North Coast Rep. Jared Huffman was among those supporting House Resolution 24 to impeach Trump…
Huffman on Impeachment: ‘History is Watching and Saving the Receipts’
North Coast Rep. Jared Huffman took to the House Floor earlier this morning to support the impeachment of Donald Trump and his removal from the office of president in the wake of last week’s deadly siege at the U.S. Capitol. In a post on his Facebook page, Huffman released his remarks in full: “Madam Speaker,…
Last Chance Slide Clean-up Continues After Record Rain; Nighttime Closures Returning
Caltrans reports the slide at Last Chance Grade that came down Tuesday amid record rains has been mostly cleared and the roadway should be open to normal two-way traffic by this afternoon. According to the Eureka National Weather Service, Crescent City — located just north of the unstable 3-mile-long stretch of U.S. Highway 101 in…
WATCH: Huffman Discusses Impeachment, Capitol Security During Town Hall
North Coast Rep. Jared Huffman held a virtual town hall meeting yesterday to discuss the last week’s Capitol riot, efforts to again impeach President Donald Trump and efforts to ensure a peaceful transfer of power next week. Huffman said he received more than 200 questions from constituents in advance of the hour-long meeting. He didn’t…
Humboldt Records 24th COVID Death
Public Health reported today that a 24th local resident has died, two additional hospitalizations and 15 new COVID cases were confirmed, bringing this week’s total to 108 as the state moved Humboldt County back into the most restrictive purple “widespread” tier as officials have warned would happen for weeks. The person who died was in their…
Largest Fentanyl Bust in HCDTF History
The Humboldt County Drug Task Force seized 4 ounces of fentanyl, the largest seizure amount in HCDTF history, earlier this morning after serving a search warrant on a vehicle belonging to Roscoe Reidel of Eureka. According to the release, HCDTF had been investigating Reidel since December for allegedly transporting large quantities of fentanyl from San…
Humboldt Moves Back into State’s Purple Tier
The state of California updated its COVID-19 risk tiers today, moving Humboldt County back into the most restrictive purple “widespread” tier as officials have warned would happen for weeks. The new purple designation — imposed as state data shows the county having recorded an average of 25.1 new COVID-19 cases daily per 100,000 residents and…
UPDATE: Landslides Hit Last Chance, SR299
UPDATE: Caltrans reports one-way traffic control is underway at Last Chance Grade and motorists are warned to expect delays of at least 20 minutes. PREVIOUS: U.S. Highway 101 at Last Chance Grade is shutdown and one-way traffic is in effect on State Route 299 west of Willow due to slides amid heavy rains. Caltrans reports…
Rough Seas Delaying Crab Pot Deployment
It’s beginning to look a lot like local Dungeness crab will soon be heading to tables across Humboldt County now that price negotiations have been settled, according to multiple media reports. But all things being Humboldt, dangerous conditions, including a gale warning, an atmospheric river ladened with rain and heavy seas are delaying the deployment…
Nearly 100 New COVID Cases Reported
Public Health reports that 93 new COVID-19 cases have been confirmed since Friday. Two more hospitalizations were also reported. Last week saw a record 270 cases and the region crossing the 2,000 threshold. While it took Humboldt County 290 days to confirm its first 1,000 COVID-19 cases, the next 1,000 came in just 35 amid a…
UPDATE: Fortuna High on Lockdown Due to Armed Person Nearby
UPDATE: The Fortuna Police Department reports via Facebook that the “situation has been resolved.” Few other details were immediately available. The incident was taking place near 12th and L streets, with those nearby asked to shelter in place. ***Update The situation has been resolved. Thank you for your cooperation.**** The department is currently working an…
Op-ed: Resolution Recklessly Injects Politics into Local COVID Response
Make no mistake, the resolution being brought before the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors tomorrow by First District Supervisor Rex Bohn does nothing but further politicize Humboldt County’s COVID-19 response, undermining our local health officer and exerting undue pressure on local school districts in the process. Bohn has asked the board to consider approving the “Healthy…
Opera Alley Bistro Redux
The keen sense of déjà vu you may be experiencing passing Opera Alley Bistro where once Café Nooner slung its falafel and burgers is warranted — another business by the same name operated there years ago. But this venture, opened officially Dec. 1 of last year, is run by Autumn and Kyall Widmier, who also…
Next Secretary of State Aims to Teach Californians ‘How Fragile the Democracy is’
Seventy years ago, sharecroppers David and Mildred Nash refused to back down in a dispute with a white farmer, and fled from a lynch mob in Hope, Arkansas. With their 2-year-old daughter in tow, they found a new home out west in a place so different her grandfather, who would die without ever being able…
Sheriff, Coroner Investigating Fatal Manila Fire
Arcata Fire Battalion Chief Sean Campbell confirmed this morning that last night’s fire in a travel trailer on Manila’s Carlson Drive was fatal. At this time, he said, “We don’t suspect foul play,” even though there were items pushed against the back door. Campbell said there was a lot of junk in the backyard and…
NoHum Superintendents: ‘Condemn’ Trump Supporters’ Attack on U.S. Capitol
A group of 11 Northern Humboldt school superintendents has penned an open letter to the community in the wake of the riot Wednesday in the U.S. Capitol building, saying they “condemn the attacks … and any further efforts to use violence to impede our democracy.” The letter notes the hours-long violent occupation of the Capitol building…
Huffman to Hold Virtual Town Hall On Capitol Riots
North Coast Rep. Jared Huffman will be holding a virtual town hall to provide a report on the Jan. 6 assault on the Capitol and Congress next Tuesday, Jan. 12 at 4 p.m. On Wednesday, Jan. 6, members of Congress were evacuated as a mob of angry Trump supporters stormed the Capitol and Congress destroying…
HumCo Confirms 2,000th COVID-19 Case
Humboldt County crossed the threshold of 2,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases today with public health announcing 34 new cases, making a record 270 this week. While it took Humboldt County 290 days to confirm its first 1,000 COVID-19 cases, the next 1,000 have come in just 35 amid a local, statewide and national surge officials say…
Planetary Trifecta: Triple Conjunction of Saturn, Mercury and Jupiter
Jupiter and Saturn put on quite the Solstice show last month by coming together to form the “Christmas Star” but now Mercury is coming into view, setting the celestial scene for a triple conjunction. The planetary trifecta will be visible at dusk starting tonight through Monday, with NASA saying, “the planet Mercury will appear to…
California’s New Goal: 1 Million Vaccinations in 10 Days
Getting the coronavirus vaccines into the arms of as many Californians as possible has become a race against time as COVID-19 cases continue to spiral upward and a more infectious variant of the virus takes root. Many questions remain unanswered about how the next — and much larger — wave of Californians will be vaccinated,…
Arcata Seeks Help Documenting Upcoming King Tides Events
Local residents will get a glimpse of what scientists predict will be normal in the years to come when King Tide events raise water levels along the coast next week, and the city of Arcata is asking for help photographing the impact to help plan for sea level rise. The tides, which are expected to…
Humboldt Teeters on Cusp of 2K COVID Cases
Humboldt County Public Health confirmed 42 new COVID-19 cases today, bringing the countywide total to 1,998 after one case was removed from the total due to a determination the individual was from outside the county. Four additional hospitalizations were also reported. With vaccinations ongoing, a news release from Humboldt’s Joint Information Center notes that the…
Stormy Weather, Dangerous Surf Heading to Humboldt
Another round of wild weather is heading to Humboldt, with winds forecast to begin increasing this afternoon as a storm system moves into the area, according to the Eureka office of National Weather Service. More dangerous surf is also expected to hit the coast early Friday morning and last into the evening, with breaking waves…
We all Need this Video Right Now. Cue the Guinea Pigs!
Amid everything that’s going on in the world — from the COVID pandemic to the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol — the Sequoia Park Zoo has come through with the video we all need right now. Cue the Guinea pigs’ bedtime parade!
Local Tribes Support AG’s Effort to Continue CWS Monitoring
Four local tribes have announced they are “vigorously supporting” an effort by California Attorney General Xavier Becerra to extend third-party monitoring and other provisions of a 2018 court ruling that found the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office and Department of Health and Human Services were not in compliance with the California Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act. In…
Humboldt Dem Headquarters Hit During Siege at U.S. Capitol
As a violent mob stormed the U.S. Capitol yesterday in an unsuccessful attempt to upend the certification of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris’ election, the Humboldt County Democratic Central Committee’s headquarters was broken into and vandalized. ( North Coast Rep. Jared Huffman was forced to lockdown in his office during the siege and tweeted as…
HCDTF Confiscate More Than One Pound of Meth
Humboldt County Drug Task Force seized approximately 1.31 pounds of methamphetamine, 1.5 ounces of cocaine and $7,900 after serving a search warrant on two Eureka residents yesterday. According to the release, HCDTF agents had been investigating Miguel Jose SierraHerrera, 25, and his girlfriend Micheal Clair Guyette, 25, before making a traffic stop that led to…
Correction
Correction In the wall calendar inserted into the Dec. 31, 2020 edition of the North Coast Journal, the Journal inaccurately credited the April photo titled “Lupin Bloom on Bald Hills Road.” The photograph was taken by Dana Utman, of Bayside. The Journal regrets the error.
Surf Smelt Crime Spree
I’ve noticed recently that once a person commits enough crimes in plain sight, all their subsequent crimes are basically freebies. One life sentence, 12 life sentences … who cares? And there are only so many times you can be executed. I’d like to achieve this exciting state of crime freedom. So I’m going to start…
Free Will Astrology
ARIES (March 21-April 19): The pandemic has made it challenging to nurture our communities. In order to make new connections and keep our existing connections vibrant, we’ve had to be extra resourceful. I hope you will make this work one of your holy quests in 2021, Aries. In my astrological opinion, you should be ingenious…
Lies of Omission
Every year since 1976, Project Censored has performed an invaluable service — shedding light on the most significant news that’s somehow not fit to print. Censorship in an authoritarian society is obvious, from a distance, at least. There is a central agent or agency responsible for it and the lines are clearly drawn. That’s not…
Bracing for Purple
On Nov. 30, Humboldt County Public Health reported that it had confirmed 47 new cases, bringing the county’s cumulative tally nine months into the pandemic to 898 cases and capping the record-setting month with 327 new cases confirmed. Conditions, officials warned, were worsening. In the 36 days between Nov. 30 and Jan. 5, when this…
The Missing Mustard
Earlier last year, the toilet paper shortage made headlines across the country but another shortage became a pressing but silent issue across Humboldt County: the Larrupin Dill Sauce shortage. Confusion over who makes it, combined with the pandemic, historic California wildfires, food shortages, lockdowns, power shutoffs and other anomalies the last few years have thrown…
The Scoop
As a 15-year-old student at Eureka High School in the roaring ’20s, Laurence Beal got a job with the Humboldt Times newspaper as a part-time high school sports reporter and sports cartoonist, his passion at the time. He also answered phones, stuffed inserts and sold newspapers on the streets. By the age of 17, he…
Smith River Best Bet for Green Water
If you’re in pursuit of steelhead-green water this weekend, you’ll probably need to head north. With the Chetco blown out for potentially another week, the Smith may be the only game in town for quite some time. It looks to be a little unstable through the Saturday but is forecasted to remain at fishable levels.…
Good Movies from the Bitter End of 2020
I have no intention to recap, relive or relitigate the year just past. I would not suggest I understand what happened to those of us who, so far, have survived. Further, I think anyone claims to is likely a liar, maybe a bigot and probably has something to do with attempts to overturn elections and…
Carbon and Environmental Racism
Editor: The North Coast is an information bubble. Nothing provides better evidence of the hermetic media realities of the region than forest and climate politics. For instance, over the past decade the California cap-and-trade program has massively transformed dynamics for regulating the fossil fuel and timber industries in the state, and beyond. Yet there is…
Like Herding Criminals
Editor: The failed right-wing Trump regime’s unofficial policy all along in regards to the COVID-19 pandemic was the so-called public health strategy of herd immunity (“A Deadly Finale,” Nov. 26). This pathetic policy of complete surrender to the coronavirus is a direct result of the racist Republican party’s malign neglect and “herd mentality,” as deranged…
Bold Move
I am a white male in my eightieth year. When I read your headline stating “Top Ten Dick Moves of 2020” (Dec. 31), I was stumped. The only dick move I know is an erection. Reading the article, I learned “Dick Moves” include: stockpiling toilet paper; conspiracy theories and media hoaxes; tearing down a rainbow…
In Defense of Christmas and Christians
Editor: Responding to a submission bemoaning Merry Christmas salutations rather than Happy Holidays: I have no problem with sending seasonal cards out with Happy Holidays instead of Christmas greetings to folks of other faiths that don’t celebrate the religious part of Christmas (Mailbox, Dec. 31). The letter writer should consider that her response to the…
Again?
Editor: What??? Another Election in Humboldt — now?? (“Top 10 Stories of 2020,” Dec. 31.) Yes! and all over California! An important election for Democrats. We have an opportunity to vote for candidates to represent our progressive views in the California Democratic Party. Voting is easy this time: Click on www.adem.cadem.org and request a mail-in…
