Those in need of some extra warmth can pick up a pair of socks on Thanksgiving Day, thanks to the volunteers who have been accepting donations of warm apparel in preparation for the holiday. “It’s something I’ve wanted to do for a few years,” says Samantha Sweeney, who lives and works in Old Town. “It’s […]
homelessness
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The Impossible Possible
With roughly three weeks on the clock, members of the Humboldt Homeless and Housing Coalition are fighting time, weather and the specter of past failures to accomplish an utterly reachable but seemingly audacious goal: A six-month, 24-hour homeless shelter that will shield people from the rain and cold, beginning Dec. 1. Sally Hewitt, senior program […]
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Eureka Mayor Slams County, Legal Cannabis
The Eureka City Council unanimously approved several hot-button issues on Tuesday night despite an unprecedented amount of pushback from Mayor Frank Jager and a smatter of spirited public comment. The first item to be pulled from the consent calendar for discussion, and the least controversial, was the official swearing-in of Police Chief Steve Watson. City […]
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Eureka Council to Ponder True Ward Map, Watson’s Hiring and Another Chinn Village Tuesday
On Tuesday the Eureka City Council will decide whether to approve new ward boundaries under the city’s True Ward system and whether to move forward with a new transitional housing project spearheaded by Betty Chinn. Included on the city’s consent calendar (items to be passed in one motion without discussion) are a change to the […]
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Goodbye, Chief
Downstairs at Eureka’s Wharfinger Building, a man is sleeping on a bench next to his bike. Upstairs, the family of Thomas McClain, a 22-year-old Eureka resident shot dead by Eureka Police Department officers in 2014, wait for their chance to step up to the podium and confront the departing chief. But between these two signposts […]
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Three Years On, The Edge Tries to Stay Sharp
Humboldt County’s only newspaper exclusively focused on coverage from and about the region’s homeless is still plugging along, three years after its debut in October 2013. Some things have changed ― such as the original staff and funding sources. Some big plans have not come to pass, like the street vendor program originally scheduled to […]
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From the Camps to the Courthouse
On Nov. 3, the city of Eureka’s temporary sleeping area program abruptly ended. Around 30 people were given 16 hours notice that they would have to leave in the morning and that a low-enforcement/sanctuary area for overnight camping would no longer be offered. These are some of the people impacted by the change as they […]
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UPDATE: Temporary Homeless Sleeping Area Abruptly Halted (with Video)
As on many other mornings, the deadline for campers to leave the temporary sleeping area came and went with people packing their belongings onto shopping carts in the mud as the Eureka Police Department stood by and waited. The official deadline was 9:30 a.m., but at 11:30 the last of the 30-plus people staying in […]
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Eureka’s Temporary Homeless Sleeping Areas Here to Stay
It has been six months since the city dissolved the long-standing homeless camp in the Palco Marsh. The fall’s first storm has visited, bringing with it ripping winds and record rain. At least 30 people spent the storm newly housed, thanks to the efforts of Betty Chinn, the city of Eureka and the Humboldt County […]
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Housing 30 People in 60 Days: The Clock Starts Today
Today the city of Eureka and county of Humboldt officially launched their Housing First campaign. The get-together from noon to 1 p.m. at city hall featured light refreshments and a discussion on how to house 30 people in 60 days, an “achievable goal” recommended as the initial step for implementation of a larger Housing First […]
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City of Eureka: Pick Up Your Stuff
On Tuesday night the Eureka City Council voted 4-0, with councilmember Kim Bergel absent, to approve a Storage of Personal Property Ordinance that will allow the police department to tag, then bag property left on city land. The ordinance comes as a response to recent issues with people leaving items behind after staying in designated […]
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Eureka Seeks Dismissal of PalCo Marsh Lawsuit; Plaintiffs Look to Make it a Class Action
The city of Eureka is asking a federal judge to dismiss the lawsuit brought by 11 people challenging the city’s May 2 eviction of the PalCo Marsh homeless encampments. Meanwhile, Peter Martin, an attorney representing the plaintiffs, has informed the court he intends to turn the case into a class action suit, which could bring […]