With recovery efforts continuing in the Eel River Valley following Tuesday’s magnitude 6.4 earthquake that left dozens of homes red-tagged and Rio Dell’s water infrastructure badly damaged, the Humboldt County Office of Emergency Services has put together a list of available services for those affected. The list, copied in its entirety below, includes everything from […]
Rio Dell
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Humbodlt Quake Updates: Power Still Out in the Eel River Valley, Fendale Post Office Closed, Boil Water Advisories, California AG Warns Against Price Gouging
Huge swaths of the Eel River Valley remain without power today after taking the brunt of the early morning magnitude-6.4 earthquake that struck just off the coast of Ferndale on Dec. 20. The latest damage assessments, which are continuing, “show at least 30 residences and one commercial structure have been determined structurally unsafe,” according to […]
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Quake Update: State of Emergency Declared, Two Dead, A Dozen Injured, Shelter Opened in Fortuna, State Funds for Fernbridge and Boil Water Advisories
Humboldt County Sheriff William Honsal has declared a state of emergency in response to this morning’s magnitude-6.4 earthquake, which left two dead and potentially hundreds displaced while severely damaging Fernbridge. According to a news release, the declaration allows “the county to seek state and federal reimbursement for damage repairs and other associated impacts. The amount of […]
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Boil Water Advisory for Rio Dell, Parts of Fortuna
A boil water advisory has been issued for the city of Rio Dell and parts of Fortuna due to today’s magnitude-6.4 earthquake and responding power outage. Residents in Rio Dell and the Forest Hills Subdivision in Fortuna are warned not to drink water without boiling it first or to use bottled water. Water should be […]
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Supes to Consider Bushnell Censure
The Humboldt County Board of Supervisors is set Tuesday to consider the public censure of Supervisor Michelle Bushnell after an investigation sustained an allegation that the Second District representative mistreated a Planning Department staff member during a December of 2021 meeting. The staff report states the “board action is limited to public censure,” which would […]
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CHP IDs Rio Dell Resident as Bicyclist Killed on 101
The California Highway Patrol has identified the bicyclist killed on the evening of Oct. 23 on U.S. Highway 101 south of Herrick Avenue as Rio Dell resident Donald Ferguson. He was 51. In a news release, the CHP states a preliminary investigation indicates Ferguson was struck around 7:45 p.m. within the No. 1 lane by […]
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NCJ Preview: Women in Policing, Fall Food and More
This week we’ve got a profile of Cpl. Crystal Landry of the Rio Dell Police Department and the recruitment effort to get more women in local policing. And since it’s officially fall, we’ve got seasonal garden clean-up advice and a dumpling recipe for young green pumpkins. Finally, we’ve got a little satire about reproductive freedom […]
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‘Edge of the Cliff’: PG&E’s Lack of Electricity Capacity Puts Eel River Valley Projects at Risk
City officials in Fortuna and Rio Dell are raising concerns about PG&E’s inability to provide new electric hookups in the Eel River Valley, leaving major economic development plans in the lurch and putting future projects, including new housing, at risk. Fortuna City Manager Meritt Perry said he is bringing the issue before the City Council […]
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Election Countdown: Council, Mayor Races Set for November
The list of candidates vying for open city council seats across Humboldt County is now set for the November election, which will also see dozens of local school and special district board races on the ballot. Over in Arcata, six candidates are seeking to fill two open seats, including incumbents Meredith Matthews, who was appointed […]
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Initial Candidate Filing Period Drawing to a Close
The door is closing for candidates interested in entering a slew of local races in the upcoming November election, with dozens of seats on the boards of special districts and school boards across Humboldt County, as well as city councils, going before voters. The candidate filing period ends today unless an incumbent chooses not to […]
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Two Quakes Hit Near Rio Dell
Two earthquakes hit near Rio Dell in quick succession this morning. The first, a magnitude-4.1, struck at 8:16 a.m. and was followed two minutes later by a magnitude-3.9, according to USGS, both about 5 miles west of Rio Dell.
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High COVID Case Counts Being Reported by Schools, Youth Sports, Businesses in the Greater Fortuna Area
A group of ZIP codes encompassing parts of Fortuna, Carlotta, Rio Dell, Scotia and Hydesville are showing an “unusually high number” COVID-19 cases being reported by schools, youth sports leagues and businesses over the last few weeks, according to Humboldt County Public Health. The specific ZIP codes that have had 60 percent more cases than […]