Vaxed
The steep climb ahead to get a COVID-19 vaccine into the arms of tens of thousands of Humboldt County residents
The Humboldt Jewish Music and Culture Festival, Feb. 4-11
If you’re kicking yourself because you missed Temple Beth El’s Yiddish Music Festival last year, don’t kvetch, it’s back! The Humboldt Jewish Music and Culture Festival, a celebration of Yiddish and Sephardic culture, music and cuisine, is happening Feb. 4-11 via Zoom. The event was renamed this year in order to include increased diversity of…
Fred Korematsu Day Of Civil Liberties and the Constitution
Jan. 30 is civil rights leader Fred Korematsu’s birthday and California honors his legacy with the annual Fred Korematsu Day Of Civil Liberties and the Constitution. This year, join Humboldt Asians & Pacific Islanders in Solidarity (HAPI, formerly Taiko Swing Humboldt) and Humboldt State University’s Asian Desi Pacific Islander Collective, the HSU Library, and the…
McKinleyville High School Acknowledges Racism, Vows to Make Changes
In a letter sent to the McKinleyville High School community, Principal Nic Collart and the school’s administration acknowledged the racism students of color faced and vowed to make the school a more inclusive and safe space for them. The letter comes from the school’s Race and Equity Committee, which was formed after an Aug. 18…
NCJ Sit, Stay, Home: Quarantine Pet Photo Contest
Entries to the contest have closed. Pick up a copy or see the pet photos online in the Feb. 25th edition of the Journal. Although you may find staying at home during quarantine very boring or frustrating, your pets love it! You’re finally home with them all day to keep them entertained and…
Brunch (To Go) in Bayside
Snap up a savory and tasty vegetarian meal courtesy of local chefs Casandra Kelly and Rachael Patton at Brunch (To Go) in Bayside happening Sunday, Jan. 31 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Bayside Community Hall. They’ve prepared a healthy and hearty meal of white beans, greens and sweet things with all proceeds supporting…
HCSO Investigating Death on Bell Springs Road
The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the death of a gunshot victim found in his vehicle on Bell Springs Road near Island Mountain Road. Sheriff’s Deputies found Richard Grayson Drewry, 85, of Garberville in a vehicle with a gunshot wound, after trying life-saving efforts Drewry succumbed to his injuries and died. The manner of his…
Scenes from the Storm as Blustery Weather Continues (Slideshow)
The winter storm that came bearing down on the region — leaving thousands without power, shutting down major roadways, including sections of U.S. Highway 101 and State Route 169, and bringing down trees — packed quite a punch. But the blustery weather isn’t over yet. The National Weather Service reports more rain, gusty winds and…
Deputies Rescue Snow Trapped Trio Amid Treacherous Conditions
Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office deputies came to the rescue early this morning after three motorist became snowed in on Mattole Road near Bull Creek during the winter storm. Using special snow equipment, deputies made their way through dangerous conditions, traversing miles of road and having to remove down trees and powerlines along the way, before…
Public Health Reports Five New COVID-19 Hospitalizations, Pushing County Past Single-Week Record
Humboldt County Public Health reported five new COVID-19 hospitalizations today, making 13 so far this week, already more hospitalizations than have been tallied in any single week locally since the pandemic began. Public Health also reported it had confirmed 20 new COVID-19 cases today after processing 428 samples with a test-positivity rate of 4.7 percent.…
Supes Send Letters Seeking Help in TV Programming Standoff
To the annoyance of thousands of Suddenlink customers, access to two local stations – KIEM (Channel 3) and KVIQ (Channel 6) — disappeared Jan. 8 and Third District Supervisor Mike Wilson brought the matter to the attention of the Board of Supervisors at its meeting Tuesday, though the board has no real power over the situation.…
SECOND UPDATE: US Highway 101 Reopens Near Willits
SECOND UPDATE: Caltrans reports U.S. Highway 101 has fully reopened. UPDATE: A section of U.S. Highway 101 between Willits and Laytonville has reopened but the roadway remains closed from Cummings to north of Laytonville in Mendocino County. PREVIOUS: U.S. Highway 101 remains closed in both directions north of Willits due to heavy snow, downed trees…
Toddy Thomas Middle School Moves to Online Instruction After Students Test Positive for COVID-19
In a Facebook post, Fortuna’s Toddy Thomas Middle School Principal Mat Bigham announced the school would move to distance learning as soon as tomorrow after “one or more students” tested positive for COVID-19 and multiple students “may have been exposed.” According to the post, sixth, seventh, and eighth graders were exposed, and several fifth graders…
County Tracking ‘Several Small Outbreaks’ of COVID Cases, Nearly 200 Transmission Chains
Public Health confirmed an additional hospitalization and 28 new COVID-19 cases today, bringing the county’s cumulative tally to 2,652, with 892 reported this month alone and surpassing December’s single month record of 863 cases. Humboldt County Public Health contact investigation teams are currently tracking 194 chains of transmission and several small outbreaks throughout the county,…
UPDATE: Snow Shuts Down 101, Thousands Without Power
SECOND UPDATE: Snow has shutdown U.S. Highway 101 from Cummings to just north of Laytonville in Mendocino County, Caltrans reports. As of 5:45 p.m. the roadway remained closed. TRAFFIC ALERT: All lanes of U.S. 101 have been fully closed from Cummings to just north of Laytonville (Mendocino County) due to snow. We will provide updates…
UPDATE: Coast Guard Rescues Crab Boat Crew
UPDATE: Three crab fishermen were rescued by the Coast Guard on Sunday night after their boat hit the jetties after losing propulsion while attempting to go through Humboldt Bay’s entrance channel. After Coast Guard Sector Humboldt Bay received a distress call from the Sunup around 6:20 p.m. saying the boat was on the South Jetty…
County Reports Two COVID Deaths, 132 New Cases
Two additional Humboldt residents have died and Public Health confirmed 132 new COVID-19 cases since Friday, bringing the county’s cumulative tally to 2,624 after two previous cases were removed from the total. One of the individuals who died was in their 70s and the other was in their 90s. Seven additional hospitalizations were also reported.…
County Launches COVID Vaccine Interest Form
Humboldt residents who are interested in receiving a COVID-19 vaccination can now fill out an interest form with the county to be notified when their tier comes up. A news release from the county’s COVID Joint Information Center notes that vaccinations are currently only available to healthcare workers and those who are 75 or old…
UPDATE: NWS Warns of Walloping Winter Storm
UPDATE: Snow levels could go as low as 500 feet, according to information from the Eureka office of the National Weather Service on Tuesday morning, but are expected to quickly rise above 1,000 feet. The heaviest snow is anticipated tonight with a second round Wednesday morning. PREVIOUS: An approaching winter storm is expected to pack…
Home State Advantage: What Vice President Kamala Harris Could Mean for California
Goodbye, state of resistance. Hello, state of influence. California’s status has shifted dramatically with the inauguration of Joe Biden as the next president. The reasons are both political — deep blue California will have more inroads to a White House controlled by Democrats — and personal: For just the second time in American history, a…
A Little Sugar at Mi Little Oaxaca Bakery & Cafe
Where once Tasty Tacos sold its generous namesake in Cutten, Mi Little Oaxaca Bakery & Cafe has opened its doors. Owner Jose Chavez Posos started turning out custom cakes, cupcakes, sandwiches and tortas in early December of last year after selling cakes out of his home. Chavez Posos’ says this is his first business in…
NCJ Preview: Vaccination, Losing a Local Icon and Small Restaurant Survival
This week we’re looking into the plan to vaccinate Humboldt residents — how it’s going and what’s in the way. We’ll look back at the life of local restaurant owner Esteban Gonzales, who died last week, and the lives he impacted. And while the pandemic has been brutal on restaurants, we talked to folks at…
County Reports 37 New Confirmed COVID Cases
Public Health confirmed 37 new COVID-19 cases today, bringing the county’s cumulative tally to 2,494 after one previous case was determined to be a duplicate. The week’s cases continue a surge that saw 232 cases confirmed last week, on the heels of a record 269 the week before. Humboldt County has already confirmed 733 cases…
Lanphere Dunes and Ma-le’l Dunes Named National Natural Landmarks
Lanphere Dunes and Ma-le’l Dunes were designated as National Natural Landmarks this week by the U.S. Department of the Interior along with sites in West Virginia and Colorado. The more than 900 acres adjoining Manila and Arcata are biological hotspots, boasting a range of rare plant species amid the dune forests, coastal dunes and diverse…
Weekend of Winter Weather Bringing Snow
A weekend of winter weather is ahead, with snow showers possible today at around 3,000 feet during the morning hours but moving up to the 4,000-foot range by this afternoon before another storm moves in Sunday. According to the Eureka office of the National Weather Service, today’s snow accumulation will likely be less than an…
Lawson Civil Trial Pushed Back
The trial date for Charmaine Lawson’s civil lawsuit alleging the city of Arcata violated her constitutional rights by inadequately and incompetently investigating the 2017 stabbing death of her son has been pushed back to late this year. The case — in which Lawson alleges racism and discrimination contributed to the city’s “deliberately indifferent” policies, practices,…
Public Health Confirms 31 New COVID-19 Cases, Resume Vaccine Distribution
Public Health confirmed 31 new COVID-19 cases today, making 198 so far this week and bringing the county’s cumulative tally to 2,458, as well as four new hospitalizations The week’s cases continue a surge that saw 232 cases confirmed last week, on the heels of a record 269 the week before. Humboldt County has already…
State Awards $8.6 Million for Hoopa Broadband Project
The California Public Utilities Commission has approved an $8.6 million grant application that will bring high-speed broadband internet service to the Hoopa Valley. “The beautiful and rural Hoopa Valley Indian Reservation has needed technological upgrades for decades,” Tribal Chair Byron Nelson Jr. said in a press release. “As Chairman, I thank the CPUC for helping…
Arcata Doctor Reaches Settlement with Medical Board in Opioid Prescriptions Case
An Arcata doctor embroiled in a protracted fight with the California Medical Board over allegations that she excessively prescribed opioids has reached a deal that will allow her to retain her license. Connie Basch admitted no wrongdoing in the settlement, which will allow her to continue practicing under a monitoring system and require her to…
Humboldt Grange Drive-Thru Beef Stew Dinner
This is how we stew it. Grangers are cooking up some comfort food, y’all. Get some at the Drive-Thru Beef Stew Dinner on Saturday, Jan. 23 from 4 to 6:30 p.m. at Humboldt Grange Hall ($10). Dinner includes a hearty bowl of beef stew with a dollop of sour cream, bread, a side salad and a…
State Gives OK to Resume Moderna Vaccine Distribution
The state of California has given county health officials the go-ahead to continue distribution of a batch of Moderna COVID-19 vaccinations that had been potentially linked to a cluster of adverse reactions in San Diego, saying the findings of a state investigation should “give Californians confidence that the vaccines are safe and effective.” When he…
Rivers Are Prime but Steelhead are Lacking
Last week’s storms finally provided some of the flushing and scouring our coastal rivers desperately needed. As they’ve all now dropped back into fishable shape, the question has become, “Where are the fish?” Other than the Chetco, which is dealing with some slides, all the coastal rivers are some shade of green and fishable. There…
Hope and History
No sooner than I had published last week’s whinging lament that certain exciting new releases (Promising Young Woman and News of the World) were only to be seen theatrically, both became available streaming, albeit as Premium Video On-Demand (PVOD) selections — hubris, though mild. Why the studios chose to attempt a box office cash grab…
Shameful
It’s understandable if you missed it. After all, the bombshell report dropped on New Year’s Eve amid a torrent of headlines about surging COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths, as well the president’s election denial, just days before an insurrection at the U.S. Capitol turned the world on its head. But the Washington Post published a devastatingly…
Lies, Damned Lies and the Capitol
Editor: Thank you to the editors of the North Coast Journal for last week’s editorial, “Truth and Reconciliation,” stating the facts about the insurrection in the U.S. Capitol. At the local and national levels, we can all benefit from the use of free speech and calling out lies. Rep. Peter Meijer, (R-Michigan) recently spoke out…
Unforgivable
Editor: On Jan. 12, Lisa Montgomery was executed on Trump’s order. She had a life of unrelenting hell, of sexual and physical abuse from early childhood on. Her mother gave her to men to do what they pleased. She was forced to marry a half brother who forced her to have a hysterectomy. The only…
Where are the Vaccines?
Editor: Now that the state has issued guidance that all people over 65 should be able to receive their vaccination, I fail to understand why Humboldt County is not following this guidance. We are not advocating for local control as far as the tier system goes and I have seen the importance of a unified…
That Tobacco Ad
Editor: It is alarming to see a full-page ad for tobacco in the North Coast Journal (Jan. 14). This shows us that the Journal may be in financial trouble, and big tobacco companies see the Journal and our entire community as a prime target for marketing their addictive and deadly products. The proof is in…
2020 A New Light Review
The year 2020 was something of an off year. I, for one, took fewer photographs; I simply had less creative energy this year. There was the never-ending pandemic, followed by the raging, record-setting wildfires of summer and fall. On top of that, with very little time to prepare, I was asked to teach a new…
Night Poems
This is Old Mexico, land of rattle-snakes. Drifting high in the night sky, An airplane’s light illuminates the clouds. The darkness is more easily seen with light. On the low hillsides, the city sighs Palm trees hover ridiculously and majestically. Birds of Paradise guard the sidewalks Amidst disembodied laughter. A stranger in their neighborhood, I…
Free Will Astrology
ARIES (March 21-April 19): On May 4, 2019, my Aries friend Leah woke up in a state of amazement. During the night, she felt she had miraculously become completely enlightened. Over the next 16 hours, she understood her life perfectly. Everything made sense to her. She was in love with every person and animal she…
Vaxed
If mass vaccination is the road that will ultimately lead Humboldt County and the nation out of the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s proving a bit bumpy, with a series of blind turns that seemingly just keep coming. There were glimmers of hope in a Jan. 14 press conference — one of just a handful held since…
Small and Scrappy
On Thursday afternoon, after a morning spent prepping and cooking, Patricia Cambianica is writing the week’s menu out on the chalkboard. In the past, diners at Arcata’s La Trattoria would crane their necks from their tables to choose but these days a snapshot of the offerings — shitake risotto, chicken and polenta, chocolate cake with…
Pitchers — Past and Future
Recently I spoke with the best pitcher in baseball, this year’s American League Cy Young award winner Shane Bieber, who was in town visiting his girlfriend’s family. He is a nice-looking kid but blends in without an overpowering look. As a college walk-on, he just kept getting better and produced an extensive repertoire of great…
