Two days and 600 miles apart, a pair of governing bodies held very different conversations about the need for local input into development decisions that will impact Humboldt County for decades to come. It was a bit jarring. First, on May 7, the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors had a testy exchange over a seemingly […]
Estelle Fennell
Posted inNews
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 […]
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Supes Evaluate Public Defender as His Office Sends Another Blistering Letter
UPDATE: The Humboldt County Board of Supervisors issued a press release after emerging from closed session today, reaffirming its support for embattled Public Defender David Marcus. “During this meeting, Mr. Marcus reaffirmed his commitment to carrying out the mission of the Public Defender’s Office, which is to provide aggressive, competent and ethical representation to indigent […]
Posted inLetters + Opinion
Out of Order
Let’s get one thing out of the way: I hope David Marcus succeeds. I want him to take the helm of what is already a strong office and make it better, ensuring that Humboldt County’s indigent get the constitutional protections they — and every member of our society — deserve. I hope he finds new […]
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Defense Attorneys Urge Supes to Scrap Public Defender Hire, Start Over
It’s very hard to say exactly what recently hired Public Defender David Marcus has been doing for the last five years since his controversial tenure leading Lassen County’s defense services for the indigent came to a close. The resume Marcus submitted to the county indicates that, since leaving Lassen County in 2012, he has worked […]
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Board of Supervisors Talks ‘Band Aid’ Funding for Roads
The Humboldt County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously yesterday to direct $575,000 in leftover Measure Z money to the county public works department rather than rolling it over into the next fiscal year. The decision came after a long discussion among the supervisors and public comment by a resident of the Petrolia area, who shared concerns […]
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Why Some Feel the Deck was Stacked for the Prosecution in HumCo’s Public Defender Hiring
After a process that some perceive as deeply troubling, the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors announced Tuesday that it is tapping David Marcus, a Florida attorney, to be the county’s next public defender. The three-month search to replace recently retired Public Defender Kevin Robinson, who packed up his briefcase in December, caused controversy in local […]
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Planning Commission Vote: Ulansey Out, Mitchell In
The Humboldt County Board of Supervisors voted 4-1 today, with Third District Supervisor Mike Wilson dissenting, to appoint McKinleyville resident and accountant Brian Mitchell to the at-large planning commission seat currently held by Lee Ulansey. Mitchell, a former McKinleyville school board member and current member of the county’s Assessment Appeals Board, addressed the supervisors, saying […]
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3rd UPDATE: Fennell Strolls to Reelection in 2nd
3rd UDPATE: The final election night report is up and shows incumbent Estelle Fennell cementing her landslide re-election bid, having won 77 percent of the vote to challenger Glen “Bud” Rogers’ 22 percent. While there are still votes to be tallied, the final election night count has Fennell finishing with 3,503 of the 4,563 votes […]
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Garberville Court Closed Due to Mold
The Garberville branch of the Humboldt County Superior Court has been closed due to mold issues, reports Humboldt 2nd District Supervisor Estelle Fennell. A recent inspection confirmed that there was enough mold in the walls to constitute a health threat. The Garberville court is an arraignment, pretrial court on criminal misdemeanor matters and other low-level […]
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Roads, Safety About to Get a Big Boost from Measure Z
No pitchforks were actually being waved, but Mattole Valley residents who turned out Wednesday night to talk roads and safety with Supervisor Rex Bohn and other officials weren’t optimistic. That was before they got a whole lot more good news than they’d bargained for. In January 2016 the Measure Z Citizens Committee recommend that $125,000 of […]
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County Moves Forward with Tax Hike
There’s a tax measure coming to a ballot near you. In fact, if you live in a city, you’re likely to see a couple of them. The Humboldt County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously this morning to move forward with putting a county-wide sales tax before voters in November, though there’s still some questions as […]