In an urgent attempt to prepare California for a surge of critically ill coronavirus patients, state lawmakers Monday allocated up to $1 billion for an unprecedented ramp-up of hospital capacity, and then, in an extraordinary move, went home for a month — or perhaps longer — effectively shutting down business at the state Capitol as […]
emergency
Posted inNews
Humboldt County Superior Court Looks to Suspend Operations Amid State of Emergency
Pending the approval of California Supreme Court Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye, the Humboldt County Superior Court has announced it will suspend operations for the rest of the week in the face of the state of emergency spurred by the COVID-19 virus. Then, beginning March 20 and extending at least 30 days, the court will look […]
Posted inNews
UPDATE: Blackout Could Hit Humboldt Hours Earlier Than Expected, Sheriff Warns to Prepare to Lose Power at Any Time
UPDATE: In the company’s latest press release, PG&E is notifying the public that power will be shut off to more than 900,000 customers across 36 California counties in phases this afternoon. And the list of scheduled phases indicates power may be cut in Humboldt County earlier than the company is reporting. PG&E has repeatedly told […]
Posted inLetters + Opinion
Forewarned
Ignorance is no longer an excuse, if it ever was. In the wake of the PG&E blackout that darkened Humboldt County for some 28 hours last week, two things should be abundantly clear: The bankrupt power company is not going to be a reliable community partner going forward and we as a community are woefully […]
Posted inNews
BLACKOUT
It was 5:22 a.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 8, when Dorie Lanni’s cell phone rang. It had already been a hectic 36 hours for Lanni, the county’s emergency services manager tasked with running the three-person office that coordinates major emergency responses in Humboldt County. The prior Sunday, she’d joined a 6 p.m. conference call hastily assembled […]
Posted inNews
Flood Watch
If you think the government is going to bail you out if a flood comes, think again. While a dozen or so public agencies will do their darndest to save your life and maybe even your house, once the disaster is over, you are largely on your own. If you are a homeowner, you probably […]
Posted inNews
Rescue Operation Underway in Flooded Eel River
There is a rescue operation underway in the floodwaters of the Eel River, where a rescue boat has responded to reports of multiple people on a tractor, according to scanner traffic and reports from people at the scene. The incident was first reported at 7:45 p.m. and, at 8:25 p.m., a responding officer reported being […]
Posted inNews
Eureka Motorcyclist 16th Vehicle Fatality of 2017
A motorcyclist who collided with a car yesterday on Broadway is the 16th roadway fatality of 2017. The biker, a 39-year old man whose name has not yet been released, was riding southbound at around 6:20 p.m. yesterday when he collided with a northbound car near the intersection of Broadway and Sunset Road. The reason for […]
Posted inNews
Yurok Tribe Declares Emergency After Rash of Suicides
The Yurok Tribe has declared a state of emergency after seven young tribal members took their own lives over an 18-month span. The tribe is working with tribal, state and federal agencies and developing a “broad, collaborative plan to identify the root causes of this epidemic,” according to a press release. All of the suicides […]
Posted inNews
CALFIRE Academy: Drama, Trauma & Baby Dolls
CALFIRE’s third and final seasonal firefighter training of the year took place last week at the Hilkfiker Training Site. What are they training for? Everything. Literally every scenario that might require their response, from a burning school bus to running up six flights of stairs in full protective gear. On the day we visited, returning […]
Posted inNews
Seventh Drowning Death of 2015: Don’t Assume a Shallow River is a Safe River
The May 27 drowning death of Brian H. Hone in the Trinity River was the seventh such incident in 2015. Hone, 27, was overcome by the swift current immediately after jumping in, according to the accounts of his two friends. They attempted to rescue Hone but were also overwhelmed and struggled to make it back […]
Posted inNews
UPDATE: Third Person Dies from Weekend Crashes
A second person died from injuries in Saturday’s State Route 36 crash. in Saturday’s State Route 36 crash. The coroner’s office announced 21-year-old Savannah Kiana Kindred, of Capitola, died in the hospital on the morning of Feb. 23. PREVIOUSLY: Two people were killed in separate crashes Friday and Saturday nights. Just before 10 p.m. Friday, motorcyclist Jerry […]