Pretty Disappointing
California work safety agency’s response to COVID complaints: letters, not inspections
UPDATE: Hundreds in Humboldt Slated to Lose Power
UPDATE: While PG&E has reduced the size of an upcoming Public Safety Public Shutoff, Humboldt County remains in the scope, with a little under 300 customers in Alderpoint, Blocksburg, Bridgeville, Dinsmore and Kneeland expected to be impacted starting around 9 p.m. or 10 p.m. on Thursday. A Community Resource Center is slated to be opened…
Humboldt Marks 8 Months Since First COVID Case
Eight months after Humboldt had its first confirmed COVID-19 case, becoming the first rural county in the United States to do so, the case total stands at 560, with Public Health reporting two positive tests today. “We’ve all been living through this pandemic for quite a while, and that can take a toll,” County Health…
Updates: Progress on Red Salmon, Slater Fires
Red Salmon Complex: 143,300 acres Containment: 72 percent With containment increasing, firefighters are pivoting from suppression to repair work and the task of recollecting equipment to take back to camp, including miles of hose, water pumps, and portable water tanks, according to today’s update. Areas in the South Fork of the Salmon River, Methodist Creek,…
August Complex: Perimeter Mostly Contained, Fire Weather Watch Tonight
August Complex: 1,032,264 acres Containment: 91 percent The majority of the August Complex’s perimeter is contained, according to this morning’s update, with the lines are secure and mopped up and no “significant heat sources” around the edge. A fire weather watch goes into effect for the fire area and much of the region, beginning this…
Garberville Homicide Victim Identified as 21-year-old Redding Woman
The Humboldt County Coroner’s Office has positively identified the human remains discovered near the south Fork of the Eel River in Garberville Oct. 9 as those of 21-year-old Kadie Lynn Jones, of Redding. The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office is investigating Jones’ death as a homicide after her body was found in a brush fire near…
Virtual Veils: Photos of Saturday’s Remote Dance Performance
My original plan for Saturday evening was to stay home and watch the live-streamed Arcata Playhouse Arts presentation Intersections, Where We Meet. The Playhouse’s theater venue has been closed for months and I was intrigued by the potential of seeing more than 40 performers and eight pieces featuring dancers, classical musicians, storytellers, a clown, poets…
Humboldt Holds onto ‘Minimal’ Risk Tier
Public Health confirmed four new COVID-19 cases today, bringing the county’s total at 558. Another hospitalization was also reported. Under new California Department of Public Health data, Humboldt County continues its stay in the yellow or minimal tier under the state’s “Blueprint for a Safer Economy,” with a positivity rate of 0.5 percent and an…
NWS Issues Freeze Watch
The National Weather Service Eureka has issued a freeze watch for inland areas as cold temperatures are expected on Thursday morning. According to the warning, frost and freezing temperatures are expected in valleys of interior Humboldt and Trinity counties by early Thursday. The freeze watch has been issued for Thursday, Oct. 22, from 2 a.m.…
Crash by the Bayshore Mall
About 5:45 p.m., two vehicles collided at the Bayshore Mall. Southbound traffic is backed up from Truesdale to Vigo on Broadway with both lanes closed. But northbound traffic is open though slightly slowed. Southbound traffic is being diverted through the mall.
Head-on Crash on Samoa Bridge
Humboldt Bay Battalion Chief Chris Emmons said four patients were taken to the hospital with moderate and major injuries after a Dodge truck and a SUV collided head on while crossing the Samoa Bridge just before 4 p.m. The road was temporarily closed in both directions but one lane is now open and both will…
Humboldt Sees Ninth COVID-Related Death: A Person in Their 30s
Public Health reported a person in their 30s has become Humboldt County’s ninth COVID-related death, with 10 new cases confirmed since Friday, bringing the county’s total at 554. County Health Officer Dr. Teresa Frankovich offered her sympathies. “To those who have been impacted by this loss, our thoughts are with you,” she said in a…
Babetta’s is Back
When Eureka Italian family restaurant Babetta’s moved from its Myrtletown location, people adjusted. But when it closed its Broadway location, leaving only memories and a trail of marinara-stained shirts behind, regulars were hit hard. But this week proprietress and chef Babetta Francis returns with a takeout-only menu of family dinners three days a week. “My…
UPDATE: No Local Tsunami Impact from Alaska Quake
UPDATE: There is no tsunami threat to the West Coast. No tsunami threat for the U.S. West Coast. https://t.co/ozG6RhFj5S — NWS Eureka (@NWSEureka) October 19, 2020 PREVIOUS: The Eureka office of the National Weather Service is awaiting word from the National Tsunami Warning Center about any potential tsunami warnings, watches or advisories for local areas…
Humboldt Man Found Dead in Pelican Bay Prison Cell
Pelican Bay State Prison authorities are investigating the death of Joshua E. Kirtley, who was in prison for the 1998 murder of Paul Sanders at a marijuana grow in the Southern Humboldt area, as a homicide. Staff found 42-year-old Kirtley dead in his cell on Oct. 17. Jesse A. Rippee, Kirtley’s cellmate, who was in…
Humboldt Evacuation Warnings Lifted for August Complex
The evacuation warnings for Southern Humboldt areas due to the August Complex have been lifted, according to the Office of Emergency Services. Residents are reminded to stay “fire ready” amid yet another devastating year in California. The 1.32 million acre August Complex is 88 percent contained, with the West Zone at 100 percent. All traffic…
Man Rescued After Being Stuck in Bay Mud
A man was rescued just after 6 p.m. today after becoming stuck in the mud in Humboldt Bay near Hilfiker Lane off Broadway in Eureka. He declined medical treatment, according to the incident commander. The call came in about 5:55 p.m. The Coast Guard, Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office deputies and the Humboldt Bay Fire Department…
Slater and Devil Fires Update
Slater Fire: 156,618 acres and 80 percent containment “Yesterday, patrols identified hot spots in the northeast corner of the fire near Sucker Creek. Hot spots were also spotted on the west of the fire, east of Little Sanger Peak in the Chicago Creek drainage. Helicopters will continue air operations and bucket drops today as needed,”…
Drone Intrudes on Restricted Airspace Over Red Salmon Fire
Red Salmon Complex: 142,989 acres and 63 percent contained A drone flying in restricted airspace over the Red Salmon Complex yesterday hindered fire crews’ efforts and prompted this reminder in today’s update: “Yesterday, there was an intrusion into the restricted airspace over the fire by a drone. Temporary Flight Restrictions remain over the entire Red Salmon…
Last Day For Marines Working Northeast Zone of August Complex
August Complex: 1,032,264 acres, Containment: 86 percent Weather today will be similar to yesterday with temperatures in the upper 70s and low 80s over the fire area. Humidity remains low. Winds are expected to be mild from the north-northwest at 5 to 10 mph. In the Northwest Zone, firefighters worked to improve containment lines near…
Otter Watch Out (Spoiler Alert: Cute Video)
Once COVID-19 closed down the Humboldt State University campus, professor Jeff Black realized he wouldn’t be walking to campus for his wildlife lectures, so he decided to get his daily exercise by going to the Arcata Marsh, while also keeping an eye out for otters. And, he’s asking others to do the same. Spearheaded by…
Eureka to Consider Opening Council Meetings with Land Acknowledgement
The Eureka City Council will consider Tuesday whether to begin each of its meetings with a public acknowledgement that it is taking place on “uncededed” Wiyot land. “The city of Eureka acknowledges that we are located on the unceded ancestral lands of the Wiyot Tribe,” reads sample land acknowledgement language, which the council directed staff…
Slater Fire: Pressed Containment Lines Held
Slater and Devil Fires: 156,618 acres Containment: 80 percent While pressed during the red flag conditions over the last two days, containment lines of the Slater Fire, which saw moderate activity, due in part to residual moisture from recent rains, held. “Aerial and ground observers reported little fire activity near the perimeter,” the latest update…
Red Salmon Complex: Fire Remained in Planned Containment Lines
Red Salmon Complex: 142,766 acres Containment: 63 percent Fire activity increased around the South Fork Salmon River, Methodist Creek, Plummer Creek, East Fork New River and Horse Linto Creek during the Red Flag Warning period of the last two days. Between helicopter drops and crews using firehose on hot spots, the fire stayed within the…
August Complex: Focus on Containment
August Complex: 1,032,209 acres Containment: 80 percent While there is no Red Flag Warning today, humidity levels are expected to be around 15 to 20 percent with north-northwest winds at 5 to 10 mph and the potential of 15 mph gusts in some areas. Northwest Zone – This area saw an increase in fire activity…
The Yurok Tribe Receives $2.2 million Grant for Homelessness
The Yurok Tribe received a $2.2 million grant from California’s Homekey Program to address homelessness, the same grant St. Joseph Health received for its Providence Eureka housing project. According to a release, the Yurok Indian Housing Authority will purchase a motel in Eureka for permanent housing for 30 people who are experiencing or are at…
Last Day to Register to Vote is Oct. 19
The last day to register to vote and receive your mail-in ballot in California for the Nov. 3 election is on Monday, Oct. 19. You can register to vote online at RegistertoVote.ca.gov. or by using the registration form that you can find at post offices or at the Humboldt County Office of Elections (2426 6th Street,…
Public Health: No COVID-19 Cases Confirmed Today
For the first time in nearly a month, Humboldt County Public Health reported no new confirmed COVID-19 cases today, leaving the county’s total at 544. Today’s confirmed report comes after laboratories processed 223 samples, with a positivity rate of 0 percent. In a press release, Humboldt County Health Officer Teresa Frankovich said that while residents…
DA Charges Driver Who Hit George Floyd Protester with Reckless Driving
Humboldt County District Attorney Maggie Fleming has charged the driver of a red Jeep that drove through a crowd of protestors May 30 with reckless driving. In its investigation, the DA’s Office found that as the driver of the red Jeep was driving through a group of protestors who were walking in the road outside of a…
Arkley’s ‘Dog Ranch’ Peninsula Property Sold to Conservation Coalition
It turns out “never, ever, ever, ever, ever” isn’t so long after all — sometimes it’s a little more than 15 years, in fact. Back in 2005, after swooping in at the 11th hour to outbid Friends of the Dunes and the Humboldt Bay Harbor District for a 200-acre property on the Samoa Peninsula known…
New Wildfire Burning Northwest of Hoopa
A wildfire is burning northwest of Hoopa near the border of tribal lands. The fire started this morning and was first reported to be about a half-acre in size when spotted. Air Attack 120 has been circling above the fire since a little after 8 a.m. and is still circling just a few minutes before…
NCJ Preview: Humboldt in the Yellow Zone and Hoarding Frankie’s Bagels
What does Humboldt County’s move into the “yellow” minimal tier of the state’s COVID-19 categories mean and how does the “equity metric” impact us? Learn why the reopening options the new level offers may be precarious. And is a strongly worded letter enough to fix COVID safety violations? Cal Osha is hoping so. Finally, we’ll…
Tri-County Independent Living Services Pilots Program for PG&E PSPS Services
Tri-County Independent Living (TCIL) is piloting a Disability Disaster Access and Resource program that will help seniors and people with disabilities prepare for a PG&E Public Safety Power Shutoff. The TCIL program, in partnership with the California Foundation for Independent Living Centers “CFILC” and PG&E, will ensure that people with disabilities and seniors who use assistive…
Sequoia Humane Society Rescue Pup Among Top 10 Shelter Dog Makeovers
A Sequoia Humane Society rescue dog named Chloe was named a finalist in the ninth annual Dirty Dogs Contest after an extreme makeover. Chloe came into the humane society with severely matted fur— to the point where she could barely see through the hair covering her eyes. It took shelter employees and volunteers hours of careful grooming…
Public Health Confirms Two New COVID-19 Cases
Humboldt County Public Health reported two new confirmed COVID-19 cases today, bringing the county’s total to 544. Today’s report comes after the county confirmed eight new cases yesterday, the largest single day tally in a month. Today’s confirmed cases came after laboratories processed 278 samples, with a positivity rate of 0.7 percent. Humboldt County Health…
High Winds and Low Humidity May Increase Fire Activity
The National Weather Service has issued a Red Flag Warning in some areas near each of the surrounding fires (Red Salmon, August and Devil-Slater fires), meaning that there’s potential for easier fire starts and rapid fire spread. High winds with gusts of up to 40 mph and low levels of humidity are expected through Friday in…
Texting 9-1-1 is Now Available in Humboldt County
The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office announced today that texting 9-1-1 for emergencies is now available in unincorporated areas of Humboldt County, the city of Fortuna, Arcata, Humboldt State University and California Highway Patrol (other local cities will be launching Text to 9-1-1 capabilities soon). Calling 9-1-1 during an emergency is still the preferred way to ask…
Head-On Collision Near Orick
California Highway Patrol responded to a head-on collision north of Orick near Bald Hills Road, where one of the drivers is suspected of driving under the influence. According to the report, a 2001 Jeep Cherokee that was driven by 35-year-old Jamie Vaughn of Eureka was traveling northbound on US-101 when it crossed into the southbound lane…
A Plea for Understanding
I grew up in a neighborhood in Queens, New York, which was probably about a quarter Jewish, a quarter Catholic, a quarter Protestant and a quarter other. I didn’t realize what a tiny minority Jews were until I left New York. And I never had people react with surprise when I told them I was…
Waiting for the Next Ax
Editor: When Humboldt State University’s Administration and its enabling Board of Trustees killed the football program and all local programming on the campus radio station, they thereby removed those economic and cultural benefits from our North Coast community (“‘Their Success is our Success,'” Oct. 8). Adding insult to injury, they scorned our opposition to these…
Vote!
Editor: As an Arcata property owner and one who uses the Arcata open spaces on a daily basis, a $37 per year parcel tax is a modest amount to fund the city’s wonderful parks, trails and open spaces that enhance the local economy, property values and quality of life. These funds will be used to expand programs that help protect and restore fish and wildlife habitat, protect water quality, provide for parks…
Molluscs and Murder
Well, I was acquitted of murder again. This time I had beaten a man to death with my bare knuckles because he called a scallop a “clam.” The judge agreed it was justifiable homicide, saying, “If the victim had read Washed Up regularly like a good citizen, he wouldn’t have been so ignorant and Mr.…
Autumn’s Eve at Sandy Bar
Pantoum I see why the Karuk created here Earth’s air, water’s fire, soil’s wind, ash’s rain All their materials readily near While Klamath curates floods in her veins Earth’s soil, air’s wind, fire’s ashes, water’s rain Minerals form, fall, flow rock over rock While Klamath recalls floods forming her veins And geese honk on high…
Free Will Astrology
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Would you be willing to meditate on how you might become more skilled in the arts of intimacy? Would you consider reading books and websites that offer guidance about strategies for being the best partner and ally you can be? Are you receptive to becoming more devoted to practicing empathy and…
‘Pretty Disappointing’
Paz Aguilar continued working seven days a week at two fast food restaurants and as a janitor, even as Oakland seemed to be grinding to a halt around her. Then in late June, her life did, too. By then two of her coworkers at a combo Taco Bell and Kentucky Fried Chicken joint stopped showing…
Yellow with a Chance of Orange
When the state announced Oct. 6 that Humboldt County was going to be upgraded in California’s tiered COVID-19 risk assessment, it was cause for celebration in many circles. After all, the news means shopping centers can re-open common areas and restaurants can increase dine-in capacity to 50 percent, while movie theaters and gyms could similarly…
Frankie Goes it Alone
On Saturday, Frankie Baker turned on the lights at Frankie’s NY Bagels tucked behind the Turf Club at Redwood Acres Fairgrounds at 2 a.m. He came in an hour earlier than usual to manage the extra eight dozen bagels on pre-order. He worked in solitude for six hours — boiling and baking 40 dozen with…
Game Plans
The Humboldt Del Norte League (HDNL) successfully petitioned the North Coast Section (NCS) on Oct. 2 to allow our HDNL schools to have our own model for athletics this year. Due to the COVID-19 crisis, most California high schools are attempting a two-season model for sports, where the HDNL will follow the more traditional three…
Chetco Estuary Best Bet for Kings
If you’re looking for fresh kings with the potential for a big one, the Chetco estuary is the place to be. Salmon have been staging in the tidewater since the latter part of September. And they’ll continue to do so until ample rain allows them to make their way upriver. Following last Saturday’s rain, which…
Fun-size Assortment
I ‘d say I’m fairly neutral, as far as Halloween goes. I don’t particularly like or dislike costumery. The proliferation of candy is fine, if eventually problematic — I’m thinking of gasping adults devouring “fun size” chocolate bars like they’re emergency rations. And the aesthetics and iconography, while fun, conjuring sense memories of times of…
For Gerrianne Schulze, Died Aug. 22, 2020
I met Gerrianne through a picture taken on a camera loaned to someone for a birthday party in the summer of 2015. That fall I looked over a pot of pasta at the Bayshore Mall parking lot Services Faire and asked her if she knew my friend. She didn’t say anything, just looked at me…
