After a group of about 30 protesters shut down an Arcata City Council meeting for the second consecutive night to demand justice for a slain Humboldt State University student, Interim Police Chief Richard Ehle offered a brief update on the case, saying he hopes to conclude the investigation and forward it on to the district attorney’s […]
Arcata City Council
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‘Justice for Josiah’ Protest Disrupts Arcata Council Meeting
Wednesday’s Arcata City Council meeting was rescheduled for 6 p.m. Thursday after protesters demanding movement on an investigation into the fatal stabbing of Humboldt State University student David Josiah Lawson took over the council chambers. Video footage from local media outlets showed the group lined up along the aisles of the room and in front […]
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UPDATE: Arcata Council Sends McKinley Initiative to Voters
UPDATE: Multiple news outlets are reporting that the Arcata City Council voted unanimously last night, with Mayor Sofia Pereira absent, to put an initiative before voters seeking to prevent the removal of the President William McKinley statue from the Arcata Plaza. The council voted 4-1, with Councilmember Michael Winkler dissenting, to remove the McKinley statute […]
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HSU Working to ‘Finalize’ Agreement on Massive Arcata Housing Project
Humboldt State University is touting its effort to “finalize a partnership” with a private developer on a massive student housing project near campus that is the subject of a special Arcata City Council meeting tonight. According to President Lisa Rossbacher’s June 6 letter to council members, the university had been receiving information about The Village […]
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Interim Chief, Controversial Housing Project Before Arcata Council
The Arcata City Council will consider Wednesday appointing an interim police chief and conduct a public hearing on a massive student housing complex — a controversial project expected to bring in such a large crowd that staff recommends shifting public comment on the item to a special meeting Thursday. While the city is searching for […]
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Mother of Slain HSU Student Expected to Call for Reinstatement of Investigator
The city of Arcata’s Community Dialogue on Race series, which began after the fatal stabbing of Humboldt State University student Josiah Lawson last year, continues tonight with his mother expected to call for the reinstatement of an outside investigator brought on to help solve the case. According to a release from the family, Charmaine Lawson, […]
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UPDATE: Arcata Council Directs Staff to Bring Back Gun Safety Ordinance
UPDATE: A gun safety ordinance will be coming forward at a future Arcata City Council meeting after members directed staff to research various options and bring back some examples from other cities and counties for their consideration. Several councilmembers at the May 16 meeting noted that law enforcement would not be coming into private homes […]
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Arcata to Vet Bringing Back Former FBI Agent in Lawson Investigation, Other Measures
The Arcata City Council directed staff to look at bringing back a retired FBI agent who recently stepped down from the David Josiah Lawson murder investigation or hiring another expert during Wednesday’s meeting after hearing demands for action from a packed room that included the slain 19 year old’s mother. While not taking an official […]
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Long Road to Nowhere on McKinley Vote
“What the fuck? It’s been four fucking hours,” a frustrated audience member exclaimed incredulously at the end of Wednesday’s Arcata City Council meeting. “Why did you do this?” The remarks were directed squarely at Councilmember Susan Ornelas, who had just dropped her second President William McKinley’s statue bombshell in as many weeks. “At this point, […]
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Eureka NAACP Calls for Censure of Arcata Councilmember After ‘Lynch Mob’ Comment
The Eureka branch of the NAACP has sent a letter to the Arcata City Council urging it to consider passing a resolution of censure against Councilman Michael Winkler for an open letter he sent to Mayor Sofia Pereira — and published in two local newspapers — that likened the crowd at a recent city council […]
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Another Twist in the McKinley Statue Saga
So, remember two weeks ago, when the Arcata City Council voted 4-1 to take down the statue of President William McKinley? Well, things just got a bit more complicated. Now it appears the statue’s situation might go to some sort of vote after all — one of the options staff had recommended in the first […]
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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 […]