Cover Story
‘Long Overdue’
In an effort to reshape the way schools teach about Indigenous issues, two local student activists are pushing to get a new Native American-focused curriculum in schools throughout the region. In 2020, local Indigenous leaders and educators from Cal Poly Humboldt and local nonprofit Save California Salmon released a curriculum called the Advocacy and Water…
HumCo Public Health Reports Another COVID Death
Humboldt County Public Health reported today that the county has confirmed another COVID-19 deaths since its last report April 27, a resident in their 60s. Four new hospitalizations were also reported today but, according to a state database, seven people are currently hospitalized with the virus locally, including two under intensive care, and there is…
Rally for Reproductive Rights in Eureka
A group of about 50 demonstrators gathered at a rally for reproductive rights in front of the Humboldt County Courthouse Tuesday night after a leaked draft U.S. Supreme Court majority opinion indicts the court may overturn the landmark Roe vs. Wade decision, which instilled the legal right to abortion. As members of the crowd held…
Condors Return to the North Coast’s Skies (with Video)
Just around 10:30 a.m. today, two young California condors made their first venture into the wild and the Northern California Condor Restoration Program took flight, bringing the bird known to the Yurok Tribe as prey-go-neesh back to the skies over their ancestral lands after more than a century of absence. The moment culminates 15 years…
Yurok Tribal Chair to Address Legislature on MMIWG Epidemic
With the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons approaching Thursday, a Jeans for Justice event was held Friday in Hoopa, kicking off a week of events on the North Coast. Awareness of a Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples epidemic has spread since 2020, when the Sovereign Bodies Institute released a groundbreaking…
Local Candidate Forums Set
Election Day is just five weeks away, with much at stake on the local ballot, with countywide races for district attorney, superior court judge, auditor-controller and clerk/recorder, as well as two supervisorial seats to be decided. It’s a lot. Fortunately, there are a host of opportunities in the coming weeks to get to know the…
First Condor Release Set for Tomorrow
Two California condors are slated to be released into Redwood National and State Parks tomorrow, becoming the first to soar over the North Coast in more than a century. It’s a moment the Yurok Tribe has been working toward for 15 years, with the flight not only marking the captive-born birds’ first foray into the wild…
Fortuna Celebrates the Life of Former Chief
Humboldt’s finest came out in force to pay respects to former Fortuna Police Chief William Dobberstein, 53, who died March 26, during a celebration of life held at the River Lodge Conference Center on Saturday to honor the contributions of a man who served his nation and his community. A gleaming Fortuna fire truck provided…
Geopolitics Undermine Energy Authority’s Solar Project
When local politics nixed Terra-Gen’s wind farm energy project near Rio Dell in 2019, regional electricity aggregator Redwood Coast Energy Authority (RCEA) turned to a solar project hundreds of miles away to meet its renewable energy goals. Now, world politics have botched up that second choice, according to Jaclyn Harr, client specialist manager with an…
NCJ Preview: A Native Curriculum and New Restaurants in Old Spaces
A pair of local high school students are trying to bring Native perspectives and knowledge into the curriculum. We’ll talk about what that would look like and how it would impact Native and other students, as well as what they’re doing to make it happen. We’ve also got the latest on how chefs are transforming…
Dive Team Set to Look For Missing Fishermen
Humboldt Bay Fire’s Dive Recovery and Rescue Team is preparing for a recovery dive in Humboldt Bay, looking for a father and sonwho went missing near King Salmon while boating in Humboldt Bay on Tuesday. The team, working in conjunction with the Humboldt Bay Harbor, Recreation and Conservation District and California Fish and Wildlife, performed…
Who’s Missing from California’s Community Colleges?
California community colleges have seen their enrollment drop by about a fifth during the coronavirus pandemic, with more than 300,000 fewer students enrolled in fall 2021 compared with fall 2019. “This raises critical concerns about equitable access to higher education as well as the ability to meet workforce needs,” said Paul Feist, vice chancellor of…
Murder Defendant Allegedly Assaults Correctional Officer
Accused murderer Austin Michael Medeiros attacked a correctional officer in the Humboldt County jail Wednesday with an “improvised weapon,” the Sheriff’s Office announced today. Medeiros, 27, of Rhode Island, was arrested April 10 in Santa Cruz while allegedly in possession of 30 grams of psychedelic mushrooms and trying to steal a boat about a week…
Auditor-Controller
Editor: Cheryl Dillingham has the integrity and experience to successfully serve Humboldt County as auditor-controller. Cheryl has generously dedicated her time and talents to Jacoby Creek Land Trust. Under her leadership, the trust has partnered with the community to steward land and water in the Jacoby Creek valley. Her extensive knowledge and creativity propelled the…
Superior Court Judge
Editor: I am writing in support of Ben McLaughlin who is running for superior court judge. Ben holds all the qualities for an excellent judge. He is equitable and experienced. He practiced both civil and criminal law. Ben held positions as a deputy prosecutor and deputy public defender. He is an expert in evidence —…
Josiah Gregg in California
“Here commenced an expedition, the marked and prominent features of which were constant and unmitigated toil, hardship, privation, and suffering.” From the journal of Lewis Keysor Wood, published in the Humboldt Times, April, 1856 Picking up where we left off last week (“Josiah Gregg: Prairie Years,” April 21): After two decades of prairie living in…
The Pecking Order
Watching the pecking order firsthand At the bird feeder under the awning Outside my kitchen window where, This day, finches rule the roost. The males sport bright red feathers, Flashing flags sure to attract females. Along comes a slender siskin, a diminutive Tyrant who drives the larger birds away. But soon the finches return to…
Free Will Astrology
ARIES (March 21-April 19): I recommend you adopt a limitation that will enable you to claim more freedom. For example, you could de-emphasize your involvement with a lukewarm dream so as to liberate time and energy for a passionate dream. Or you could minimize your fascination with a certain negative emotion to make more room…
Watch These Spaces
Curry Leaf to sprout at the former Gonsea Years of sitting empty have left the exterior of Gonsea run down and graffiti covered, a grim greeting upon entering Eureka from the north. Before its closure by the health department for refrigeration, storage and sanitation violations in 2017, the spacious Chinese restaurant at 2335 Fourth St.…
Here’s the CAP
The long-awaited draft Climate Action Plan (CAP) was released on April 21. Technically, this is a second draft: The first was released in 2021 but quickly rescinded for additional work. Unfortunately, this 2022 edition cannot be considered complete either, since most of the calculations are in the appendices, which are still being worked on. Nonetheless,…
Weekenders
As is sometimes the case in the re-emerging world of local live entertainment in which we find ourselves, the good shows are simply not spread out evenly across the week. Drat. Don’t worry about it because the offerings this weekend are top-notch, with national touring talent vying with some of our best local acts for…
Trinidad Arts Night
Venues throughout town will be open for art viewing and music, including the Jimmie Lahman Band at Saunders Plaza East. Other free activities include a skate park, games and face painting. At the end of the evening, head to Trinidad Town Hall for a special blues event from 8 to 10 p.m. with Jenni and…
Down the Hikshari’ Trail
Robbie and I lock our bikes a couple of minutes before the Herrick Avenue Park and Ride off U.S. Highway 101, where the Hikshari’ Trail veers left. Then we walk ¼ mile over a wooden bridge and along the railroad track, turn right and stroll through grass to the closest thing to a beach this…
Super Sunday Awaits Saltwater Anglers
The Super Bowl of saltwater sport fishing will take place this Sunday on the North Coast as salmon, rockfish and Pacific halibut are all set to open. It’s pretty rare for the big three to all open on the same day, and there’s a ton of excitement around the docks. And it’s looking like the…
The Northman’s Ferocious Power
THE NORTHMAN. In hindsight, I should probably have been kinder to The Witch (2015). At the time, I damned it with faint praise, basically comparing it unfavorably to some of the cheekier arthouse horror movies of the moment. As I think I said then, this was due to shortsightedness on my part but also to…
It Pays to Pay Forward!
Editor: With all the negative stuff we seem to hear so much about, here’s how a small act of kindness can turn into something bigger. At the checkout line at the supermarket recently, my husband and I offered to let the gentleman behind us go ahead of us in the checkout line. We were not…
Fourth District
Editor: I am a Democrat living in Humboldt’s Fourth Supervisorial District. Although we have two capable Democratic candidates running, I choose to vote for Natalie Arroyo because of her breadth of experience, her commitment to environmental issues and the effectiveness of her campaign organization. That last is particularly important because the third candidate in the…
Fifth District
Editor: Humboldt County is a unique and beautiful place. We have so much to look forward to. It is time for a change. We need a supervisor who is responsive to our communities needs and has the vision and experience to bring us together. Larry Doss is that person. He Loves Humboldt County and has…
