The Arcata City Council, meeting this morning with Councilmember Michael Winkler absent, having recused himself from the issue, deadlocked on The Village, a controversial off-campus student housing project, leaving the development’s future uncertain. The council voted 2-2, with Councilmember Paul Pitino and Mayor Sofia Pereira dissenting, on a motion from Councilmember Susan Ornelas that would […]
Sofia Pereira
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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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‘Too Far to Turn Back:’ Arcata Continues Community Dialogue on Race
People of color don’t feel safe in Humboldt County. That was the message reiterated over and over by speakers at Thursday night’s Community Dialogue on Race at Arcata’s D Street Neighborhood Center. The forum, attended by almost 100 community members, came as part of a series of dialogues and updates following the slaying of Humboldt […]
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Another Twist in the McKinley Statue Saga
So, remember two weeks ago, when the Arcata City Council voted 4-1 to take down the statue of President William McKinley? Well, things just got a bit more complicated. Now it appears the statue’s situation might go to some sort of vote after all — one of the options staff had recommended in the first […]
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McKinley Statue is Coming Down, But Not Quite Yet
Arcata Councilmember Paul Pitino didn’t waste any time after listening to nearly three hours of public comment on whether the statue of President William McKinley and an offensive plaque should come down from the Plaza. “I’d like to get right into it and say I’d like to make a motion to remove the statue and […]
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How to Get Involved 101
“How do we get rid of the ‘old boys club?” was the first question posed at Sunday’s Run, Serve, Lead! conference hosted by North Coast People’s Alliance to educate residents about becoming involved in the political landscape. The alliance grew out of the local efforts to elect Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sander to office. The […]
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Arcata, Meet Your New Mayor and Vice Mayor
The Arcata City Council today selected Sofia Pereira to serve as mayor for the next year and Brett Watson, who was appointed to his seat in April, to serve as vice mayor. The council rotates the honorary positions on an annual basis. Pereira, a Humboldt State graduate and the community manager for She Should Run, a […]
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Press Conference Sheds Little Light on Lawson Case
Two months and two weeks after the April 15 death of David Josiah Lawson, a 20-year-old Humboldt State University student who was fatally stabbed at an off-campus party, little in the way of new information has been made public. Today a group of Lawson’s family members and friends holding Justice for Josiah posters joined Arcata city officials […]
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Arcata Affirms Commitment to All Residents, Stops Short of ‘Sanctuary City’
The Arcata City Council last night threw its support behind a California bill that would bar the use of state and local law enforcement resources for federal immigration enforcement, but stopped short of taking on the designation of “sanctuary city” — for now. After hearing from a steady stream of speakers overwhelmingly in favor of […]
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Arcata’s Medical Marijuana Innovation Area Gets a Go-ahead
The Arcata City Council played to a packed house last night as the public weighed in on a proposal for a Medical Marijuana Innovation Area. The council ultimately voted unanimously in favor of the proposal, but not before an antsy, standing-room-only crowd stood by while the council burned through two hours wading through the night’s […]
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5TH UPDATE: The Council Races
5th UPDATE: The final tallies are in… The only nail biter race appears to be in Eureka’s Ward 3, where challenger Kim Bergel trails incumbent Mike Newman by just 104 votes. It’s currently unclear how many provisional and vote by mail ballots remain to be counted in Eureka, so it’s hard to tell if Bergel […]