Arcata will have a new police chief in town, at least for a while. The Arcata City Council voted last night to appoint Richard “Rick” Ehle interim chief of the Arcata Police Department and he is slated to assume the role Monday. Ehle is a 47-year veteran in law enforcement who served the bulk of […]
David Josiah Lawson
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Few Answers and Much Frustration as Pending Lawsuits, Lawson Questions Stymie Dialogue on Race
With several attendees expressing frustration over a lack of concrete steps coming out of previous events, the May 24 Community Dialogue on Race at the D Street Neighborhood Center was marked by a barrage of questions directed at the two city officials present: City Manager Karen Diemer and City Councilmember Paul Pitino. The questions largely […]
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Arcata Police Chief Forum Tonight
The city of Arcata is hosting a public forum tonight (May 30) to take input on what residents would like to see in their next police chief. “Public input is crucial to selecting the best individual to lead Arcata’s police department. I encourage all interested residents to attend the upcoming forum to share their thoughts […]
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McKinley Draped in ‘Justice for Josiah’ Banner in Dual Act of Protest
The thousands of people who descended on the Arcata Plaza this morning to watch the Kinetic Grand Championship race begin were greeted by an unusual sight. The McKinley statue in the plaza’s center — the source of months of public debate — was shrouded in a white sheet painted with the words “Justice for Josiah” […]
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Arcata Official: FBI Agent Tom Parker Unlikely to Return to Lawson Investigation
With several attendees expressing frustration over a lack of concrete steps to come out of previous events, Thursday night’s Community Dialogue on Race at the D Street Neighborhood Center was marked by a barrage of questions at the two city officials present: City Manager Karen Diemer and City Councilmember Paul Pitino. The questions largely revolved […]
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Where is HSU? Questions Go Unanswered at Community Dialogue on Race
Community members are urging the city of Arcata and Humboldt State University for honesty and transparency. Of the nearly 50 people who attended Thursday’s Community Dialogue on Race at Arcata’s D Street Neighborhood Center, there was no one there to represent HSU’s administration. The dialogue began with about half as many attending as did last […]
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NAACP Calls on HSU to Stop Recruiting Students of Color Unless it Can Support Them
The Eureka branch of the NAACP is asking that Humboldt State University cease all efforts to recruit students of color until certain conditions are met, including ensuring that sufficient support systems are in place so “students of color thrive in this community.” The NAACP’s one-page press release notes that students of color at HSU have […]
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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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Languishing or Progressing?
Tom Parker, a retired FBI agent who recently stepped down from assisting the Arcata Police Department’s investigation into David Josiah Lawson’s killing, says he’s convinced the case could be solved in just a few months, if not weeks, if he were able to bring the right people on board. “We’d have this thing finished up,” […]
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UPDATE: Mother of Slain HSU Student Files Claim Against Arcata, Council Responds
The civil rights attorney for the mother of slain Humboldt State University student David Josiah Lawson has filed a claim seeking at least $500,000 from the city of Arcata, alleging Charmaine Lawson suffered injuries including emotional distress and anxiety due to a “negligent” police investigation into her son’s death. The 13-page document, the precursor to […]
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Retired FBI Agent: Lawson’s Murder Can and Should Be Solved
Tom Parker, a retired FBI agent who recently stepped down from assisting the Arcata Police Department’s investigation into David Josiah Lawson’s killing, says he’s convinced the case could be solved in just a few months, if not weeks, if he were able to bring the right people on board. “We’d have this thing finished up,” […]
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David Josiah Lawson Remembered
Two students stood alone in the middle of the Arcata Plaza in the pelting rain, redirecting mourners. Due to the weather, the vigil and memorial for David Josiah Lawson, a Humboldt State University student who was killed on April 15, 2017, was moved to the D Street Neighborhood Center near campus. By the time Charmaine […]