The Death of Jeannie Newstrom
Was it elder abuse, neglect or a failure of the system?
Cover Story
The Death of Jeannie Newstrom
Before you read the details of Jeannie Newstrom’s death or the painful, gruesome and — if the allegations are to be believed — entirely preventable indignities that led up to it, there are some things you should know about her life. “She was a great cook,” says her son Sherman Newstrom. “She made jams and…
Former Care Home Owner Sentenced
Gina Chamberlain, convicted in March of stealing from residents in her Eureka care home, is now in the midst of serving a 286-day jail sentence, after which she will spend three years on probation. Chamberlain, who was initially investigated by California Community Care Licensing over the course of five months, had her license suspended in…
Report Details Last Minutes of Cal-Ore Life Flight Before Crash
The pilot of a Cal-Ore medical transport flight that crashed near McKinleyville on July 29 relayed worsening conditions on board just before radio communication was lost, according to the National Transportation Safety Board’s preliminary report. In a series of communications with a Seattle air route traffic controller that span just over a minute, pilot Larry…
Sheriff’s Office Deems Shooting a Homicide
The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office has determined the Aug. 6 shooting of Brials McCutcheon to be a homicide, making it the county’s sixth of the year. Detectives have been tight lipped about the shooting, which occurred at about 5:30 p.m. and left McCutcheon, 41, of Arcata, dying near a pickup truck on Crestview Drive, south…
Ticket to Ride: Veteran Helps to Bring About Bus Pass Program
U.S. Navy veteran John Gengenbach arrived in Eureka two years ago this month with his remaining possessions packed in the Chevrolet Tahoe that he slept in at night. This was not how he planned to come to the West Coast. The now 58-year-old Gengenbach and his longtime partner Lynn Brascugli-Damberg had been readying for retirement. They were…
‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’: Sizzla Speaks at Reggae on the River
Reggae dancehall artist Sizzla Kalonji has given few interviews in recent years. So it was sort of a big deal when Kalonji’s camp confirmed at the last minute that the artist would be talking to the press at Reggae on the River immediately after his headlining show Saturday night. The interview appeared to be part…
In Like Flynn
Summer is a grand time when fairs and fishing occupy lazy vacation days, and, if we’re lucky, a bit of nostalgia works its way into our repertoire. Something like, say, an old-timey circus? Where ringleaders sport handlebar mustaches, striped pants and suspenders, and tip their top hats to acrobats soaring high. Where cotton candy is a…
Housing 30 People in 60 Days: The Clock Starts Today
Today the city of Eureka and county of Humboldt officially launched their Housing First campaign. The get-together from noon to 1 p.m. at city hall featured light refreshments and a discussion on how to house 30 people in 60 days, an “achievable goal” recommended as the initial step for implementation of a larger Housing First…
HumBug: Ethics of Annihilation
The Olympics in Rio and the Zika virus have brought an ongoing ethical debate to the fore. If in the future mankind can use genetic engineering to wipe out mosquitoes that carry horrible diseases, should we? Previously, I mentioned that the humble mosquito is considered to be the single deadliest animal on the planet, transmitting…
The Fairest One of All
The Arkley Center for the Performing Arts is a gorgeous venue restored to its stately 1920s architectural glory. With sweeping rows of red velvet seats, dramatic theater drapes and ornate walls rising to a high ceiling with chandeliers, it is the perfect setting to enjoy ballet, theater, music and, now, movies. As part of the Arkley Center’s classic family films series happening the…
UPDATED: Reggae Ready to ‘Pull the Plug’ on Sizzla if Assurances not Met
UPDATE: Humboldt Pride has called on Reggae on the River to cancel Sizzla’s performance and issue a public apology to the Humboldt queer community. If Reggae organizers do not comply, Pride will call for ticket holders to boycott the performance. “It’s a slap in the face to the LGBT Community,” said Zakkary Zoah, Board Member…
Hitched
Come in from the August heat for some thrills and chills during the Eureka Theater’s Summer of Suspense featuring weekly splashes of ice-cold Alfred Hitchcock movies ($5). You can scratch your itch for Hitch every Friday night at 7:30 p.m. this month with plot twists, tracking shots, poised blondes and a game of Where’s Alfred…
Content Management
Asher and Ellis Russo’s collection of poultry wishbones looks like a series of spider-fine, upside-down capital Ys, hung neatly in order from small to large on parallel wires. It is one of the most visually arresting groupings at this month’s small and engaging exhibition of collections made by Humboldt County residents at the Morris Graves…
Arts Alive!
Arts Alive! Saturday, August 6, 6-9 p.m. Presented by Eureka Main Street. Opening receptions for artists, exhibits and performances are held the first Saturday of each month. For more information, call 442-9054 or go to www.eurekamainstreet.org ADORNI CENTER 1011 Waterfront St. Steve Coach, photography; Steve Ladd, oil paintings; Paul Rickard, artwork; Barbara Saul, artwork. ALIROSE…
The Outsiders
Reviews JASON BOURNE. Bourne (Matt Damon), who spent most of the 14 years since we met him (The Bourne Identity, 2002) trying to reconstruct his pre-CIA past, has by now given himself over to semi-therapeutic, non-lethal violence. On the Greek-Albanian border, he dominates bare-knuckle boxing matches in refugee camps. Then he holes up in squalid…
Opera to Opry
Phantom of the Opera traces its lineage back to to a 1910 novel of the same name by French author Gaston Leroux. For many people, the point of creation for the story is either the classic 1925 silent film starring Lon Cheney or the 1943 talkie with Claude Rains. But let’s face it, the best-known…
Wrong Target
Editor: The Text Trail, a limited path indeed. Thadeus Greenson’s article “The Text Trail” (July 21) does not include some background details in the case and trial of former Humboldt County Sheriff’s Department Sgt. Jason Daniels. The case was filed within only a few days of the deadline during the term of then District Attorney…
Kind of a Big Deal
Editor: Small win? Oh, heck no. (“A Small Win for Transparency,” July 28.) It’s a very big deal when citizens and the Constitution are once again recognized as possessing inalienable rights. Thanks for such a clear, precise article. I am thrilled that a court has ruled that, yes, public records mean just that. The…
A Smokin’ Story
Editor: Wow! What a great story by Amy Barnes (“Pit Boys,” July 28). What could have been a “how to barbecue for the masses” instead became a personalized behind the scenes story at the Rodeo. Amy is a wonderful story teller. Bob Oswell, Arcata
Last Phase
Sitting in my cozy chair Late into the night Looking up at stars By my campfire, Built with care Only elders know Everything is possible.
NOMRL
Damn, but we love our views. We love them so much that, back in 2011, some of us successfully levied this love into stopping the big baddies at Shell Energy from installing wind turbines on Bear River Ridge, just south of Ferndale. “Unsightly!” was the argument. OK, well, there were other arguments, like the prospect…
Trinidad Art Nights
Shuttle Service available from top of the hill down to the bay. BEACHCOMBER CAFE 363 Trinity St. “Wild and Wooly Felt Work,” mixed media wool sculpture by Corbin Brashew. Music TBA. Free face painting by Tess Kraus, free art supplies provided by Westhaven Center for the Arts. BERGERON WINERY 359 Main St. Charles Klabunde, black and…
Will You do the Fandango?
We all have daily struggles in our modern lives, trying to scrape by and hustle a living out of the crushing jaws of the free market. Money issues aside, it’s easy to overlook the small things in life that we find meaningful and create joy. Stop and smell the roses, it has been said. The…
Feds Probe Plane Crash
A federal investigation is underway to determine what caused a medical transport plane bound for the Bay Area to crash just north of McKinleyville in the early morning hours on July 29, killing all four — including a patient — on board. Cal-Ore Life Flight identified the crew as pilot Larry Mills, flight nurse Deborah…
Stuffed
An order of gyoza at a Japanese restaurant is almost never bad — a row of six pan-fried dumplings, translucent skins browned and crisped, the pork filling spiked with garlic, ginger and scallions. You dip one into the tart sauce and bite daintily or scarf the whole thing, huffing a little around the steamy mouthful…
