Far North

Eureka Police Responding to a Possible Armed Home Invasion on Glen Street

By CaliNews 3 hours ago

About 8:24 p.m., a dispatcher sent officers to a possible armed home invasion in the 3100 block of Glen Street in Eureka. Reportedly, a man in the home had managed to text his mother that armed men were in the home and robbing it. She contacted 911. Officers responded and suspects fled the home. “Runners out the back,” an officer relayed over the radio at 8:37 p.m. By 8:46 p.m., officers were reporting they had five people detained. Officers are searching the area around the home and questioning those detained. Please remember that information gathered from initial reports is subject to revision as more facts become available. …

Arcata Recreation Summer Camp Enrollment Begins June 3

By CaliNews 8 hours ago

The city of Arcata’s Recreation Division has been certified by Humboldt County’s Emergency Operations Center to open its summer camp programs. Open enrollment for the 2020 summer camp season will begin Wednesday, June 3 at 9 a.m. The city has modified its camp operations to ensure compliance with state and county health and safety of campers and employees, for example, each camp will be limited to 10 campers and two camp leaders, facial coverings, physical distancing and other COVID-19 health and safety protocols will be in place. Read the city’s full press release below: Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE

Public Health: Humboldt Confirms its 100th COVID-19 Case

By CaliNews 8 hours ago

Humboldt County has now surpassed 100 confirmed COVID-19 cases, after Public Health announced two new positive tests this afternoon. The county reported today that after an additional 196 tests were processed, two new cases were confirmed, bringing the county’s tally to 101. Three Humboldt County residents have died of the highly contagious virus, all residents of Alder Bay Assisted Living Facility in Eureka, which has seen seven residents and seven staff members test positive for the disease. Read this week’s stories here and here. Today’s positives continue a spike that had seen 47 new cases confirmed since May 9. According to Public Health, about 4.4 percent of Humboldt County’s population has been tested to date. Basics of COVID-19 The California Department of Public Health and the Centers for Disease Control, state that symptoms of novel coronavirus include cough and shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, or at least two of the following: fever, chills, repeated shaking with chills, muscle pain, headache, sore throat or a new loss of taste or smell. Emergency warning signs needing immediate medical attention include difficulty breathing or shortness of breath,…

Black Lives Matter and George Floyd Protest Happening in Eureka (VIDEO)

By CaliNews 8 hours ago

Humboldt County residents are protesting the death of George Floyd in Eureka. Protesters started marching at the Humboldt County Courthouse and made its way to Highway 101 on V and Fifth Street. Demonstrators gathered outside the Eureka courthouse on May 30th at around 3:00 p.m. to protest the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police officer Derek Michael Chauvin. All across the country, protests have been taking place calling for justice for Floyd as well as an end to police brutality. Locally, demonstrators took to the streets starting at the courthouse marching north on 4th street and eventually briefly occupying the Eureka Slough bridge before crossing the embankment and made their way back South on 5th street. Demonstrators brought, signs, chanted, as well as marched in the middle of the streets. Many passers-by showed their support by honking horns and those who opposed the protest shouted and made obscene hand gestures at the marchers. by Zach Lathouris.    Watch more videos on NCJ’s Twitter page here. …

Humboldt County Law Enforcement Responds to Death of George Floyd

By CaliNews 13 hours ago

Humboldt County Sherrif William Honsal, Arcata Police Chief Brian Ahearn and Eureka Police Chief Steve Watson have released statements regarding the arrest and death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Floyd died after a white officer Derek Chauvin of the Minneapolis Police Department knelt on his neck for more than eight minutes during an arrest. In a recording of the altercation by a bystander, Floyd is heard saying that he can’t breathe, which is similar to the death of Eric Garner, who died from a chokehold applied by a New York Police Officer in 2014. Floyd’s death has sparked many protests around the U.S. demanding justice against police brutality against people of color, but especially of black people.  In an email to all employees at the Arcata Police Department, Ahearn writes “Chief [Steve] Watson [of Eureka Police] and I have both received inquiries from community members to make a statement regarding the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.  … This email is not intended to discuss in-depth what should be said, how it should be said and the risks of saying anything publically.  However, this is an…

Pandemic Widens Gaps in Regional Food Supply Chain

By CaliNews 18 hours ago

Can we feed ourselves? This is a question the staff of the Humboldt Food Policy Council (a branch of the larger California organization) has been asking since 2012. Now, with COVID-19 crimping the distribution chain for larger grocery stores and more local residents going hungry due to economic losses, the question seems more important than ever. The answer is complicated. “It’s been a big question for a while,” says May Patino, HFPC coordinator. “Do we have enough food to sustain the people who live in this region? The reality is we don’t actually know.” In 2018, the California Department of Public Health released a study revealing that roughly one quarter of Humboldt County children experience food insecurity. Food deserts – census tracts where residents live more than 10 miles from a major grocery store or have little access to transportation to get to fresh food – are one cause of food insecurity. Humboldt County has 10 such census tracts (out of 25 total). HFPC recently received a grant from the Humboldt Area Foundation to create an emergency food system response that would help pool and…

Vehicle Overturned on Highway 101 by Miranda

By CaliNews 18 hours ago

Traffic is temporarily being diverted off U.S. Highway 101 and across the Salmon Creek exit and onramp near Miranda after a black Nissan Rouge hit the guardrail and overturned about 8 a.m., according to the CHP Traffic Incident Information Page. An ambulance was called to the scene as an occupant had a head injury. There is quite a bit of debris in the roadway and Caltrans was dispatched over the scanner to deal with a large area of torn up guardrail. Update 9:50 a.m.: CHP is reporting that the patient received minor injuries. It also reports that both northbound and southbound lanes are open.…

Salvation Army to Host Drive-Thru Food Box Distribution

By CaliNews 1 day ago

The Salvation Army of Eureka is hosting a drive-thru food box distribution at its Tydd Street location from noon to 4 p.m. Sunday to help those in need during the COVID-19 outbreak. A news release states 400 boxes will be available on a first-come, first-serve basis and individuals are asked to bring identification. The idea of the drive-thru is to help “ensure the safety of clients, employees and volunteers amid the pandemic,” according to the Salvation Army. “The Salvation Army’s mission is to meet human need without discrimination,” the release states. “When this crisis began, the nonprofit stepped up its services to help those most vulnerable. Providing food has been a main part of that response.” The Salvation Army of Eureka is located at 2123 Tydd St. For more information, click here or call 442-6475. …

Sign of the Times: McKinleyville High Seniors Receive a Special Delivery, LoCO Reports

By CaliNews 1 day ago

The Lost Coast Outpost reports that faculty and staff at McKinleyville High School trekked from Orick to Eureka today to place homemade signs on the lawns of graduating seniors, who along with others across the county and the nation are missing out on the traditional rites of passage at this major milestone. According to the story, about 30 people were involved with organizing, creating and transporting the special deliveries. Other communities, including Fortuna and Southern Humboldt, have embarked on similar efforts to celebrate the class of 2020. Read the full story here. …

Humboldt COVID-19 Cases Now Total 99

By CaliNews 1 day ago

Another Humboldt County resident has tested positive for COVID-19, bringing the county’s total to 99. according to today’s report from Public Health. Three Humboldt County residents have died of the highly contagious virus, including one death reported yesterday. All were residents of Alder Bay Assisted Living Facility in Eureka. Read this week’s stories here and here. There were no confirmed cases yesterday and four on Wednesday, all of which were acquired through contact with another known case, continuing a spike that had seen 45 new cases confirmed since May 9. According to Public Health, about 4.4 percent of Humboldt County’s population has been tested to date. Basics of COVID-19 The California Department of Public Health and the Centers for Disease Control, state that symptoms of novel coronavirus include cough and shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, or at least two of the following: fever, chills, repeated shaking with chills, muscle pain, headache, sore throat or a new loss of taste or smell. Emergency warning signs needing immediate medical attention include difficulty breathing or shortness of breath, persistent pain or pressure in the chest, new confusion…

Lotter Receives $129K to Part Ways with Eureka

By CaliNews 1 day ago

A separation agreement between the city of Eureka and former City Manager Dean Lotter sees him receiving just more than $129,000 to part ways, including a lump sum severance, accrued vacation time and threes-month of pay — almost as long as he served. The agreement, which serves as Lotter’s resignation, states that both parties have determined that “they are not effective as a team as they mutually had expected, hoped and demanded of themselves to serve the city’s residents.” It also states that “Lotter has decided that he would like to pursue other professional opportunities.” The Midwest native was selected for the post after a months-long nationwide search that saw the Lotter compete with 40 other candidates. His resignation after a scant four months on the job shook up the city’s leadership structure just as Eureka is preparing to tackle difficult budget decisions amid the COVID-19-related economic downturn. City Attorney Robert Black told councilmembers when they accepted Lotter’s resignation on May 19 that “the separation is a clean one in that both sides are allowed to go their own way and put this situation behind…

Eureka Council to Consider Putting Ranked Choice Voting on November Ballot

By CaliNews 1 day ago

The Eureka City Council will consider on June 2 placing a measure on the November ballot asking voters to amend the city charter to allow for what is known as ranked choice voting for the mayor and council seats. The council has been discussing the issue for several months and May 19 directed staff to prepare the resolution for consideration. Ranked choice voting, as its name suggests, differs from traditional methods by allowing voters to rank their choices in order of preference, in essence creating an instant run-off. According to the proposed resolution, the measure would need a simple majority to pass. Under Eureka’s current election system, the individual who receives the most votes wins, regardless of how many candidates or how close the tally, as opposed to the county’s version, in which a run-off is triggered if one candidate does not carry a majority. This is not the first time the idea has been tossed around in Eureka. As far back as 2005, ranked choice was floated by community groups but never gained traction and, in some case, was met with backlash. An attachment…

Third Humboldt County Resident Dies of COVID-19

By CaliNews 2 days ago

Another Humboldt County resident has died of COVID-19, according to Public Health. Public Health sent out a press release this afternoon announcing the death, the county’s third to date, all of them residents at Alder Bay Assisted Living, which has seen a total of seven staff members and seven staff test positive for the virus. The release states the individual was “very elderly” and previously tested positive for COVID-19. Humboldt County Health Officer Dr. Teresa Frankovich said, “Our thoughts are with the resident’s loved ones.” The county also announced today that laboratory testing confirmed no new cases of the virus a day after four additional cases were confirmed, bringing the county’s total to 98. Yesterday’s four new cases, all of which were acquired through contact with another known case, continued a spike that had seen 44 new cases confirmed since May 9. Today’s results came after the county Public Health Laboratory processed 31 samples and corporate labs reported results from another 21, for a total of 52. To date, 5,922 local residents have been tested for the virus, according to Public Health, about 4.3 percent…

Eureka Offers Free Café Permits

By CaliNews 2 days ago

In support of restaurants offering dine-in service with the state and OSHA requirements for social distancing, the city of Eureka is offering free permits for café tables and chairs on sidewalks. Patio and indoor seating are allowed starting Friday, May 29 for those businesses with safety plans already approved by the Office of Emergency Services. Read the full press release below: [pdf-1]…

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