The Covid Conjuncture & the Little School that could
A pair of very different organizations step up to meet community needs, whatever and wherever they may be
Public Health: No New Cases for Seventh Straight Day
Humboldt County Public Health again announced no new positive tests today, leaving the county’s COVID-19 tally at 52 for the seventh day in a row. The announcement comes after the county recorded one positive case each on April 14 and April 15, the sole new cases locally since April 7, and a day after county officials…
Preguntas Comunes Acerca del Coronavirus
1. ¿Cuáles son los síntomas comunes del coronavirus COVID-19? Los síntomas más comunes de la enfermedad son fiebre, cansancio, tos seca y falta de respiración. La persona también puede experimentar molestias y dolores, congestión nasal, secreción nasal, dolor de garganta y / o diarrea. En las situaciones más graves la persona comienza a sentir dificultad…
Update: Eureka City Council Approved Allowing Betty Chinn to Open Temporary Homeless Shelter for Women and Families
Update: The Eureka City Council unanimously approved a resolution Tuesday to add a retail building across the street from the Betty Kwan Chinn day center to its 2016 Shelter Crisis Declaration, paving the way for its conversion into a temporary shelter for women and families. Before the shelter opens, the Betty Chinn Foundation must…
Forever Homes Wanted: Shelters, Rescues Continue Adoptions During COVID-19 (With Video of Puppies!)
While much of daily life has been turned upside down amid the COVID-19 outbreak, at least one thing remains the same: Animals at local shelters and rescues are looking for forever families. The process has changed a bit due to social distancing protocols but the Humboldt County Animal Shelter, the Sequoia Humane Society and Companion…
End of the Spell
Societies all over the world are caught in a terrible dilemma. Taking refuge in our houses and socially distancing are the only ways we know to protect ourselves and each other from Covid-19. Factories are shuttered, schools and stores are closed. So far, we’re lucky here in Humboldt where the death toll is zero. In…
Public Health: HumCo Still at 52 COVID Cases, Only Two Positives in Past Two Weeks
Humboldt County Public Health again announced no new positive tests today, leaving the county’s COVID-19 tally at 52 for the sixth day in a row. The announcement comes after the county recorded one positive case each on April 14 and April 15, the sole new cases locally since April 7, and on the same day county…
Sheriff Calls on Government, Essential Businesses to ‘Open Up’ as Public Health Announces Mandatory Mask Order
Humboldt County Sheriff William Honsal announced today that the sheriff’s main office in Eureka will re-open to public access Friday, so people can come in to obtain copies of police reports, get Live Scan fingerprints and access other services. “Government needs to open up,” Honsal said in a video that was released this afternoon answering reporters’…
All But Five Local COVID Patients Have Recovered
In an email to reporters this afternoon, Humboldt County Joint Information Center spokesperson Heather Muller said that 47 of the 52 local residents who have tested positive for COVID-19 have recovered, meaning they have met Centers for Disease Control and Prevention criteria and are no longer in isolation. The email also notes that the Humboldt…
Predicting a Pandemic’s Path: What Models Can and Can’t Do
Every day, while we’re all stuck at home, politicians and health officials and news anchors point to graphics showing the latest statistics on the coronavirus pandemic to indicate what might happen next, in your region and around the world. Underlying those visuals are disease forecasting models — complex mathematical algorithms that predict disease spread and…
Public Health to Cannabis Farmers: Hire Local
In a nod to 420, the international stoner holiday celebrated every April 20, that seemed odd yet entirely fitting, Humboldt County Public Health Officer Teresa Frankovich posted a “COVID Minute” video today to social media urging local farms not to hire trimmers from out of the area this year. “I’d like to have farmers prioritize…
Front Window: Janessa Johnsrude’s Sheltering in Places portraits
In one of Janessa Johnsrude’s photos, a mother and daughter sit perched in an open window, smiling at one another, a big, milky-eyed dog between them. Their tableau, framed by the window of the house, is overlaid with the branches of an apple tree bright with pink blossoms and a set of copper wind chimes…
Public Health: No New COVID Cases
Humboldt County Public Health again announced no new positive tests today, leaving the county’s COVID-19 tally at 52 for the third day in a row. The announcement comes after the county recorded one positive case each on Tuesday and Wednesday, the sole new cases locally since April 7. In a press release, Humboldt County Public Health…
News Roundup: Hospitals Ready for COVID Surge, Businesses Lend a Hand and More
Humboldt County hospitals are preparing surge capacity in intensive care units, the Times-Standard reports, and have plans in place to more than double the number of beds currently available should it become necessary amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The story, reported by the Times-Standard’s Sonia Waraich, details efforts at three Humboldt County hospitals and notes that…
What Next for California Cities? Deficits, Bailouts and Long Recoveries
Cities have been ground zero in California’s coronavirus response — with many initiating shelter-in-place orders, organizing emergency housing for homeless people and supporting health and essential workers. But even before restrictions get lifted, mayors, managers and city councils are being tested in a new way: pandemic-induced budget deficits. Already, unemployment is projected to be higher than…
State Projections Show Humboldt Could See 40 COVID-19 Deaths by June, According to Butte Health Officer (VIDEO)
The Times-Standard reported last night on a “Covid-19 Check in” video that Butte County Public Health Officer Andy Miller posted yesterday morning explaining state modeling projections, which include that Humboldt County may see 40 deaths from the disease before June 1. “Even though it’s disturbing to think about and talk about, it’s out there and…
Public Health Reports No New COVID Cases, Private Lab Results Continue to Dwindle
Humboldt County Public Health again announced no new positive tests today, leaving the county’s tally at 52 for the second day in a row. The announcement comes after the county recorded one positive case each on Tuesday and Wednesday, the sole new cases locally since April 7. Humboldt County Public Health Officer Teresa Frankovich said…
Recreational Salmon Season to Open May 1, State Announces
After a brief pandemic-triggered delay, opening dates have been set for the local recreational salmon fishing season, according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Waters south of Horse Mountain will open to sport anglers May 1, with the season slated to run through Nov. 8, with a minimum size limit of 20 inches…
Local Job Losses Continue to Mount as More Businesses Close
More than 1,800 Humboldt County residents have already lost their jobs as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to an ongoing survey conducted by the Humboldt County Office of Emergency Services. The 608 business responding — about 19 percent of local employers, per the U.S. Census — are reporting a combined $26.5 million in…
CSU Suspends College Entrance Exam Requirements
The California State University system has announced it will temporarily suspend the use of college entrance examinations in determining admission eligibility across all of its campuses. The announcement comes on the heels of Humboldt State University’s announcement that it is facing a ballooning budget deficit projected to reach more than $20 million over two years…
The Show Must Go Online: Dell’Arte’s Virtual Season
Despite the Mad River Festival being pushed back to September and a handful of scheduled performances canceled due to shelter-in-place orders, Dell’Arte International is not sitting idle. In a press release, Artistic Director Michael Fields says, “Uncharted times call for innovative creativity and collaboration.” Sounds like a job for Dell’Arte. The theater folk in Blue…
Public Health: No New COVID Cases After 49 Additional Tests
Humboldt County Public Health announced no new positive tests today, leaving the county’s tally at 52. The announcement comes after the county recorded one positive case each Tuesday and Wednesday, the sole local positive cases over a week’s span. But testing remains limited. Today’s results come after the Humboldt County Public Health Laboratory processed 30…
Superior Court Announces Sweeping COVID-19 Changes
The Humboldt County Superior Court just announced sweeping changes that will effectively reschedule the bulk of local cases to future dates, while live-streaming essential proceedings open to the public, in effort to keep everyone safe through the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, the court is rescheduling all small claims and traffic cases, as well as all civil…
Help for Bookworms
Four weeks into sheltering in place, some of you have burned through all the books within reach and are starting to eye the junk mail for entertainment. Before you dive into that sweepstakes letter, review a few more interesting options, including your local library and bookstores. Let’s start with the Humboldt County Library. Even if you’ve…
NCJ Preview with Access Humboldt: A Little Good News
This week: Some much-needed good news. We’re looking at how local nonprofits Cooperation Humboldt and Food for People, as well as a tiny school district, are turning their talents and volunteers to help those in need amid COVID-19 and sheltering in place. We’re also talking about the meditative benefits of making pasta by hand. Hit subscribe…
The COVID Conjuncture
Do you know what a historic conjuncture is, David Cobb asks. Told no, the already quick cadence of his voice quickens over the phone. The term, the 2004 Green Party presidential nominee excitedly explains, was coined by Antonio Francesco Gramsci while the philosopher was imprisoned by Benito Mussolini’s fascist regime and describes a moment when…
The Little School that Could
As Humboldt County school districts stepped up to continue feeding their students amid the COVID-19 shutdown, one of its smallest districts in one of its poorest areas decided it needed to do much more. Peninsula Union School District has one small school house that sits tucked between dunes in Samoa, serving 45 students, 95 percent…
Trapped
It is a beautiful Monday in Humboldt County, one of those days where the blue accentuates the deep green ridge of the tree line and reminds one of the grandeur that surrounds us. And for school districts and their communities, this gorgeous day kicks off the beginning of spring break. I have the interesting vantage…
For the Love of Children: Unsung Heroes
As a society, our children are our most precious resources, with nurturing and protecting them one of our most sacred duties. Children deserve safe, happy childhoods and it is up to all of us together to make that a reality. This week we honor children and those who care for them during the Week of…
The Joy of Handmade Pasta
Editor’s note: The Journal’s website is a treasure trove of recipes to explore while you shelter in place. This week we’ve plucked a Simona Carini’s simple, three-ingredient homemade pasta from the stash (May 23, 2013), as comforting to eat as it is meditative to make. In the beginning there is flour and water. Make the…
Atonement
The rain and the burning sun entwine; and what becomes of water and fire but spirit-lifting mists, vaporous and lovely, rising like a host at the height of prayer. True, it’s cold now; but remember the heat and how it slows and softens us. We are blown into flame; bellowed and molded. Oh! look at…
