It’s Thursday evening. You pack up your things at work and hit the road. Maybe you’re thinking about a lunch plan you’ve got with a friend or a show you plan to binge. But you’re not thinking about clocking in tomorrow: You’ve got a three-day weekend. All your weekends, in fact, are three-day weekends. It’s […]
Business
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Court Upholds California Prop. 22 in Big Win for Gig Firms Like Lyft and Uber
In the winding story of California’s gig worker laws, another chapter has come to a close. Justices in a California court of appeals ruled Monday that Proposition 22 — a 2020 ballot measure that allowed Uber, Lyft, and other platforms to classify their workers as independent contractors rather than employees – is largely constitutional, but […]
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California’s Fast Food Bill Could Link Chains to Wage Theft and Other Workplace Violations
California lawmakers this month are considering a fast food bill that would significantly shift the relationship between restaurant workers and the corporate chains whose products they sell. If Assembly Bill 257 passes, California would be the first state to assign labor liability to fast food corporations and not just their individual franchise owners. The bill’s […]
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How Much Do Wildfires Really Cost California’s Economy?
Not a single structure burned down in the city of South Lake Tahoe. And yet, the threat of the fast approaching Caldor Fire cost surrounding El Dorado County tens of millions of dollars, if not more. In South Lake Tahoe, Domi Chavarria, co-owner of Verde Mexican Rotisserie, felt the devastation of the Caldor Fire even […]
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California Mask Mandate Likely to End Soon
If you’re looking for a sign that California is approaching the end of the pandemic, here it is: The state may soon ease workplace rules that require employees to wear face masks and physically distance from each other. Next week, California’s workplace safety agency is set to consider proposed changes to its emergency coronavirus standards […]
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County Officials Talk Vaccinations, Government Reopening and Preparing for Fire Season at Press Conference
A panel of public officials held a press conference this week to update local media on the ongoing COVID-19 response and vaccination effort. The press conference about an hour and featured Board of Supervisors Chair Virginia Bass, Health Officer Ian Hoffman, Emergency Services Manger Ryan Derby, Economic Development Director Scott Adair and Humboldt County Vaccine […]
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Supes Allocate $600k for Small Business Program
The Humboldt County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved allocating an additional $600,000 to the Small Business Restart and Recovery grant program to help provide relief amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The board recently extended the program to allow nonprofits and special districts to apply for grants in addition to local small businesses. According to the […]
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Humboldt ‘Not Far” From Losing ‘Moderate’ COVID Rank
The county’s Emergency Operations Center will be folding the state’s new four-tiered business reopening outline into its process, and businesses with local certified plans can reopen as soon as today, according to a news release. Under the state program, counties are assigned one of four tiers based on seven-day COVID case rates and positivity rates. […]
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Frankovich: New State Guidelines Will Go Into Effect Locally Next Week
Humboldt County Health Officer Teresa Frankovich is still reviewing a new state COVID-19 monitoring system, which places tiered restrictions on individual counties, and hopes to implement the new framework early next week. In a press release, Frankovich said the new system — which places Humboldt County in Tier 3, or “moderate” risk status — will […]
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During the COVID Crisis, Southern Humboldt Dealt Another Bitter Blow as Only Pharmacy for 40 Miles Closes Tomorrow
The Southern Humboldt Community, already reeling from a struggling economy due to the change in the cannabis industry and the current COVID crisis, now takes another blow as their only local pharmacy will close abruptly tomorrow which will create travel times of an hour or more one way to the nearest pharmacy and require more […]
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Fortuna Businesses Struggle with Ripple Effects of SIP
The COVID-19 shelter-in-place order has had mixed impacts on the Friendly City. Fortuna’s small-business-dense Main Street has weathered trouble before: The 2008 financial crisis and recession shuttered some retail spaces, but the town rebounded. In 2015 a fire burned down the historic Star Hotel, which housed a music store and pharmacy. The town rebuilt. But as […]
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Did COVID Change Your Hours of Operation?
COVID-19 and sheltering in place have changed everything for local businesses and we’ve all got to adapt. If you’ve changed hours, switched to curbside pick-up or no-contact delivery to keep your customers and staff safe, you can let North Coast Journal readers know by adding or updating your free online listing here. Once approved, it’ll […]