Cover Story
In the Wind
As legalized recreational cannabis takes hold in California, some Humboldt County officials think the local economy’s future isn’t tied to farms in the hills. It might be in the wind. A triad of factors has state and local officials, as well as energy companies, increasingly excited about the potential of offshore wind energy in Humboldt…
A Mess of Ribs
If fighting over politics isn’t intense enough for you, may I suggest ribs? Even within the guidelines of competition judging, our personal and regional aesthetics make the whole business like drawing from a deck of wild cards. Still, the pros will generally tell you that for competition ribs, the meat should cling lightly to the…
Fatal Crash on Myrtle Avenue
A 24-year-old Eureka man was killed today after his pickup truck crossed into oncoming traffic and collided head-on with a tractor trailer, according to the California Highway Patrol. The crash, which occurred just before noon on Myrtle Avenue north of Pigeon Point Drive, closed the road for more than two hours. The unidentified driver of…
Eureka Council to Tackle Needle Regulation
The Eureka City Council is expected to vote on an ordinance Tuesday that may offer more oversight of syringe exchange programs within city limits. Syringe or needle exchange has become a hot button issue in recent months, with some residents blaming the harm reduction programs for large amounts of discarded needles on public property. (A…
Eureka, Paris, Eureka: An Interview with Flautist Paula Thomas
Eureka native Paula Thomas is based out of Paris but in any given year, the flautist can be found all over Europe performing music from the classical, baroque and contemporary musical repertoire. She is in town for two performances with the Eureka Symphony at 8 p.m. on March 2 and 3 at the Arkley Center…
Feds Considering Protections for Klamath Spring Chinook
The National Marine Fisheries Service today triggered a 12-month review process on whether the Klamath River’s spring Chinook should be listed as endangered after finding the Karuk Tribe and Salmon River Restoration Council presented scientific evidence showing the “actions may be warranted.” And the decision may very well rest in part on a cache of…
Fang Club: Blade Comes to ATL
Before Black Panther pounced from the comic page to the big screen, another black superhero from the Marvel universe blessed us with a trilogy of movies, starting with the eponymous Blade (1998). Three things you should know about this film: 1) It’s showing at the Arcata Theatre Lounge on Wednesday, Feb. 28 at 6 p.m.…
Music Tonight: Wednesday, Feb. 28
I was going to suggest going to the Old Steeple to check out the folk stylings of Greg Brown but it looks like that act is sold out. So let me hit you with two free shows and a curve ball. Local jazz trio RLA plays the Mad River Brewery Tasting Room with a little…
Board of Supervisors Declare Shelter Crisis
Following more than a month of meetings and deliberation by an ad hoc committee and intense public comment on the issue, the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously today to declare a shelter crisis and create a committee to explore housing trust funds and solutions to homelessness. The decision, which came after over an…
Gov. Appoints Another HumCo Judge
California Gov. Jerry Brown has appointed county Conflict Counsel Kaleb Cockrum to step in as Humboldt County’s next superior court judge. Cockrum, 43, will step into the seat vacated by the retirement of Judge Marilyn Miles, who retired in July. He is the third new judge Brown has appointed to the Humboldt County bench since…
Huffman Cosponsors Articles of Impeachment
Citing his pledge to “support and defend the Constitution,” North Coast Congressman Jared Huffman has cosponsored a resolution with five articles of impeachment against U.S. President Donald J. Trump. The Articles of Impeachment were introduced by Tennessee Congressman Steve Cohen in November. Huffman has been an active critic of Trump, consistently criticizing and insulting him…
Music Tonight: Tuesday, Feb. 27
It’s a singer-songwriter night of sorts at the Outer Space as Portland’s Sunbathe is supported by local tune-smiths. Blood Honey is the stage name of Ariel Fishkin, whose tunes have a bluesy and sad cadence, while Skyler McCormick and her unstoppable synth-flavored ukulele is Mother Munchie. Sleeper.Wav rounds out the team with acoustic experimentation. And…
Películas
Clear your schedule for the 20th annual International Latino Film Festival, lighting up Mill Creek Cinema with three nights of Spanish language movies starting Tuesday, Feb. 27 ($5 per night, free to students enrolled in Spanish 396 and Spanish 99A). If your Espagnol is rusty, just make sure to bring your glasses — there’ll be…
UPDATE: Preliminary Autopsy Results For Centerville Beach Body
UPDATE: The body has been confirmed as male, but its identity is pending. According to the sheriff’s office, preliminary autopsy results show signs of death consistent with drowning. Previously: An autopsy is scheduled tomorrow to help determine the identity and cause of death of a body found Saturday afternoon on Centerville Beach, approximately a quarter…
Music Tonight: Monday, Feb. 26
It’s the free bluegrass jam at Redwood Curtain Brewing Co. again this evening. Come on down to the marsh around 6 p.m. for some pickin’ and grinnin’.
Music Tonight: Sunday, Feb. 25
Arcata Pirate Radio presents an all-ages benefit show at The Jam today for Big Brothers Big Sisters of the North Coast. (2 p.m.) Join the all-local cast of rockers Lord Ellis, stoners Ultramafic and one-man punk band The BoredAgain for a daytime blitzkreig bop bounce-house for the kiddies young and not so young ($5-$20 sliding…
Bid to Alter Squireses’ Bankruptcy Case Cites ‘Gross Mismanagement’
A federal judge is set to consider a motion Wednesday to lift Floyd and Betty Squires’ Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection or convert the couple’s case to Chapter 7 based on claims of “gross mismanagement of the estate.” The request is being made by the Office of the U.S. Trustee, part of the Department of Justice,…
Music Tonight: Saturday, Feb. 24
Local rhythm generating sextet Timbata has an 8 p.m. show at the Arcata Playhouse ($15). Featuring Humboldt State music program alums and professors, Timbata is a favorite on the scene, noted for its finely crafted Latin and Afro-Cuban beats inspired by the musical panoply that is the legacy of the Caribbean/African diaspora. Motherlode, the best…
Music Tonight: Friday, Feb. 23
It’s the end of the work week and the beginning of that all-too-brief recess we call the weekend, so let’s not waste any time — or money — and go straight to the inexpensive thrills with two $5 dance options. Over at Humbrews at 9 p.m. it’s the ninth installment of Soul Party and this…
Unidentified Remains Found by Hiker Near Petrolia
Officials believe the unidentified person whose body was found by a hiker in the Mattole Beach area on Wednesday afternoon died some time ago, according to a Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office press release. An autopsy has been scheduled for Friday. Few details were immediately available, including whether the remains were those of a man or…
McKinley Statue is Coming Down, But Not Quite Yet
Arcata Councilmember Paul Pitino didn’t waste any time after listening to nearly three hours of public comment on whether the statue of President William McKinley and an offensive plaque should come down from the Plaza. “I’d like to get right into it and say I’d like to make a motion to remove the statue and…
Sessions v. Everyone
Here’s (almost) everything that’s happening in cannabis-related news, near and far. Bill v. Memo As things in Washington grow ever more hyper-partisan, it seems important to take note when Democrats and Republicans actually seem willing to meet in the middle, such as the recent introduction of the “Sensible Enforcement of Cannabis Act” brought by Reps.…
HumBug: Bumbling into Spring
It snowed here Monday night and has been cold for the rest of the week. Because insects are cold blooded, this means there just weren’t many out and about, but I did get buzzed by a bumblebee feeding on the newly emerged pussy willows. I don’t think they get much nectar from any individual catkin,…
Black Panther Goes Big
Reviews BLACK PANTHER. It seems important, maybe necessary, to set a few things straight: I hope Black Panther breaks all of the records, that it somehow financially bankrupts the already creatively and ethically destitute elements of the movie industry, that it creates broad, sweeping change in media, in attitudes and in our national conversation. The…
Learning New Commands
Squirt is impatient. The young dachshund wriggles in his owner’s arms as she gets out of the car and slowly crosses the parking lot of the Eureka Elk’s Lodge. Waiting for the pair in the breezeway are a line of chairs and a group of people from both the Elk’s club and the Eureka Veteran’s…
Ending Gun Violence Takes a Different Kind of Bravery
Let me get right to it: There is never an easy, unemotional time to talk about gun violence. And if we’re serious about saving innocent lives, we’re going to need to make some sacrifices, to be brave. We know the drill. After every mass shooting, we’re reminded not to politicize the wounding and deaths of…
Declare a Crisis
Editor: Linda Stansberry’s article “Crisis Delayed” (Feb. 7) speaks to the county Board of Supervisors’ postponement yet again of a declaration of a shelter crisis for Humboldt. The evidence of an overwhelming problem with our homeless population is apparent in all districts of Humboldt. The declaration of a shelter crisis would increase the availability of…
Back Your Candidate
Editor: As you noted in your last issue incumbents for the Humboldt County 4th and 5th district supervisorial races have significant financial advantages over their opponents. Supervisor Bass and Supervisor Sundberg at the end of January had contributions totaling 87 percent of the total amount of money raised for all candidates. I would like to…
For the Glory!
Editor: We are excited about the opportunity for change on our town plaza. The movement is strong to change the McKinley statue to something more reflective of our current community. The idea of replacing the existing statue with a kinetic sculpture has been proposed. We are building on this concept, hoping to make it more…
A Display of Tragedy
Editor: There have been many mass shootings in recent years; the largest being the Las Vegas shooting last fall with 59 fatalities and another 422 injured and the most recent being the high school shooting in Parkland, Florida, with 17 dead. Each time there has been public outrage calling for Congressional action to limit access…
American Moloch
I dreamed of Moloch Its many arms brandishing rifles while prostrate before It men with American flags stitched to greasy ball caps bowed down in worship and tossed their children pleading and screaming into Its fiery belly to be roasted alive for the God’s entertainment.
A Tale of Young Grief
Fortuna author J. Lynn Bailey’s emotional second YA novel begins with the death of Jasper Stone. His twin sister Livia is plunged into a grief so profound that she finds herself clutching at anything that will dull her pain, even for a moment. Having lived a rather sheltered life, 17-year-old Liv can’t find the inner…
Preach, Manic Street Preachers
As I write this, I am watching the snow melt on my porch in the early afternoon of a bank holiday Monday. What could be more wholesome and Peanuts-esque than snow on President’s Day? Well, how about living in a country where children don’t get slaughtered at school on Valentine’s Day? All because a group…
Mushrooms and Tofu
This New Year started differently from previous ones: I made a resolution. I also read about New Year’s resolutions and their meager chances for surviving January’s cold. I decided to ignore the naysayers and plow on. My New Year’s resolution is to add weight training to my exercise routine. Like broccoli, weight training is good…
Making Amends on the Plaza
I grew up at the base of Fort Humboldt, in the cul-de-sac right across the street. As a child, I played over every inch of that land, including the boggy area at the bottom of the bluff. We would lay boards down into the blackberry thickets, moving forward until we were in the center of…
Music Tonight: Thursday, Feb. 22
It’s going to be a night of intricate low-fi rock exploding into artful blasts of pop splendor at The Outer Space, when Los Angeles and ANTI- Records’ own Girlpool turn on the bright lights. Supported by the likeminded — though noisier — Special Explosion from Seattle and local queer punk kids Slop this show starts…
Perpetual Motion Machines
Around the year 1180, an Indian mathematician, Bhaskara II, invented what is generally claimed to be the world’s first perpetual motion machine. It was a vertical wheel with mercury-filled tubes attached to the rim; as the wheel turned, mercury flowed to the lowest parts of the tubes, maintaining the rotation indefinitely — you can see…
