Press release from the Humboldt County Drug Task Force:

Over the past several months, the Sheriff’s Office received several complaints and reports of drug activity in the Hoopa Valley.  On Jan. 22, 2026, the Humboldt County Drug Task Force (HCDTF) assisted by the Humboldt County Problem Oriented Policing (POP) team served a search warrant in the Hoopa Valley after a month-long investigation into the distribution of Fentanyl.

The search warrant was served on Robert Hodge Jr., 50 years old of Hoopa, and his associated residence located in the Hoopa Valley. During the service of the search warrant, Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office K9 Yahtzee alerted to the presence of narcotics in multiple areas of the residence.

Upon a search of the residence, Agents located 1.65 pounds of suspected fentanyl, 400 suspected Xanax bars, 11 functional firearms, several high-capacity magazines, a large sum of ammunition and just under $15,000.00 in cash. 

At the conclusion of the investigation, Hodge was arrested and booked into the Humboldt County Correctional Facility for the following charges:

• HS 11351 – Possession of an opiate for the purpose of sales
• PC 29800(a) – Felon in possession of a firearm
• PC 30305 – Felon in possession of ammunition

The Sheriff’s Office would like to thank the Hoopa Tribal Chairman, Hoopa Tribal Council, and Tribal Police for their support in the Fentanyl Crisis.  We cannot do our job without the community support.  

If anyone has information related to this investigation or other narcotics related crimes, please call the Humboldt County Drug Task Force at 707-267-9976.

PREVIOUSLY

• The County Could Cease Funding Security Screening at Public Entrances to the Courthouse
• Humboldt Supervisors Vote to End Security Screening at Eureka Courthouse Entrances Due to Funding Constraints

###

The Humboldt County Courthouse won’t go unguarded after all — at least, not for the next year and a half or so.

After informing the county last June that it could no longer afford to pay its share of the bill for public security screening at the courthouse’s two public entrances, the Humboldt County Superior Court this week managed to secure stopgap funding through the county’s Community Corrections Partnership (CCP), a probation advisory body financed primarily through through the state. 

Sheriff William Honsal informed the Outpost this afternoon that this temporary solution had been found. It comes two weeks after the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors voted to pull the county’s share of funding for security screening, citing budget constraints.

On Tuesday, Honsal told the Outpost via email that he and County Administrative Officer Elishia Hayes met last week with Presiding Judge Kelly Neel and Court Executive Officer Meara Hattan to continue the courthouse security discussion. 

Given the county’s budget woes, the Sheriff’s Office had developed a plan with the county’s ADA Compliance Office to move security screening to the second floor, where all the courtrooms are located.

“Although it is not ideal, we had to work within budget constraints to ensure security needs are met,” Honsal said. “We all agreed that keeping security screening at the [first and ground floor] entrances would be the best case scenario.”

To that end, the officials present at last week’s meeting discussed appealing to the state for additional court security funding. On Tuesday, Honsal said, “The courts are preparing a funding request, and we believe there is a good possibility the funding will be approved, allowing screening to be funded for the remainder of this fiscal year and next fiscal year.”

Today, he confirmed that the request had been granted. 

“CCP voted on Wednesday to accept the Superior Court’s proposal for stopgap funding for Courthouse entry screening,” he said via email. The partnership granted $400,000 to cover security through next fiscal year (June 2027).

“This will provide time for the Superior Court and the County to work together to request more state funding for court security and court security screening,” Honsal said.

For many years now, the two main public entrances to the courthouse — one on Fourth Street and the other on Fifth — have maintained security screening for everyone coming into the building, complete with private security guards, body scanners and X-ray machines to check for weapons. 

Since 2012, the cost of these services has been split between the Sheriff’s Office (17 percent) and Humboldt County Superior Court (83 percent). But last June, the court told the county that it could no longer pay its share of the bill (about $17,790 per month), and despite months of back-and-forth negotiations, no solution was found.

At the January 7 board meeting, County Administrative Officer Elishia Hayes said she and Honsal recommended ceasing all courthouse security screening services as soon as feasible. The supervisors agreed, though they directed Honsal to develop an alternative plan. 

The impulse to maintain some level of security screening makes a lot of sense when you consider what people have tried to bring into the courthouse over the years. The Sheriff’s Office used to proudly announce what-all had been confiscated and/or rejected by security screeners. Way back in 2011, for example, the HCSO released an 18-month inventory that included three guns, more than 2,000 knives, hundreds and hundreds of other sharp objects, 52 bullets and much more.

In 2015, the office issued a more comprehensive tally that included two dozen guns, 28,400 knives, 1,102 metal forks, 687 can openers, 33 pairs of handcuffs and more than 1,000 handcuff keys. 

Two years later, a local attorney “forgot” he was carrying a loaded handgun in his briefcase when he tried to enter through security, according to the Sheriff’s Office. Four years later, a Eureka resident was arrested after allegedly trying to get through with a loaded gun in his backpack. 

The Sheriff’s Office hasn’t released a security screening tally in years. On Jan. 7, the Outpost filed a Public Records Act request, asking for a comprehensive list of the items confiscated at the courthouse last year. The Sheriff’s Office responded 13 days later, saying, “There were no illegal weapons or drugs confiscated in 2025.” Our bad, for using the word “confiscated.”

The Sheriff’s Office explained that prohibited items are not confiscated; rather, those who try to bring them in are simply asked to remove them from the building before entering.

We wrote back, saying we what we were after was a list of those things — the prohibited items people tried to bring in over the course of last year — and we reminded Sheriff Honsal that his department used to publicize such lists in press releases. 

Earlier this week, Honsal said his office would work on that refined request. Thanks to the stopgap funding, though, the results will be more of a curiosity than a warning of what the public might encounter inside the courthouse in the near future. 

From the California Department of Fish and Wildlife:

The Director has declared that the last closed area of the commercial Dungeness crab fishery in Humboldt County [southern boundary of the Reading Rock State Marine Protected Areas (41o 17.6’ N. latitude) to Cape Mendocino (40° 10.0’ N. latitude)] will open at 12:01 a.m., Jan. 30 to be preceded by a 64-hour gear setting period beginning at 8:01 a.m. on Jan. 27 under a 15% gear reduction. State health agencies determined that Dungeness crab no longer poses a significant human health risk due to domoic acid and recommended lifting the delay in the area. With this announcement, all areas of the commercial Dungeness crab fishery are open. 

The Fair Start Provision is triggered when there are commercial season delays along the West Coast for Dungeness crab. This provision prohibits vessels that fished in another area prior to the opening of a delayed area from fishing, landing and transiting in the newly opened area for a period of 30 days. This will apply to the fishing area that is scheduled to open Jan. 30 and vessels subject to Fair Start may not begin fishing in this area until Mar. 1. 

For more information, please see the Frequently Asked Questions for the current 2025-26 commercial Dungeness crab season. 

The latest information on current fishing season closures related to domoic acid will be updated on CDFW’s fishery closure information and health advisories website or by calling CDFW’s Domoic Acid Fishery Closure Information Line at (831) 649-2883. 

The latest domoic acid test results for Dungeness crab are posted on the CDPH’s Domoic Acid website (subsection Analytical Data – Crabs). 

For the latest consumption warnings, please check for any Dungeness crab health advisory information on the CDPH’s shellfish advisories page or by calling the CDPH’s Biotoxin Information Line at (510) 412-4643 or toll-free at (800) 553-4133. 

CORRECTION: The headline to this post initially misidentified the fire in question, referring to a more recent and less devastating warehouse fire in Arcata. The Outpost regrets the error. 

###

###

###

Joint press release from the Arcata Police Department and Arcata Fire District:

The Arcata Fire District, in coordination with the Arcata Police Department, has completed a joint investigation into the origin and cause of the Fire on the Square incident involving properties near 10th and H Streets.

Based on the investigation, there is no evidence that the fire was intentionally set, and no foul play has been identified. Investigators identified several possible ignition sources within the area of origin; however, none could be conclusively confirmed. As a result, the fire has been classified as “Undetermined” in accordance with nationally accepted fire investigation standards. The case will remain open, and the affected properties will be released back to the property owners.

An “Undetermined” classification means that the available information does not clearly indicate a single cause. It reflects the responsibility of investigators to avoid speculation when evidence does not support a definitive conclusion.

The Arcata Fire District conducted the fire origin and cause investigation, which included examining fire damage, reviewing scene conditions, and evaluating potential ignition sources.

The Arcata Police Department assisted the investigation by conducting witness interviews and reviewing available video footage to help establish a timeline of events.

If new credible information becomes available, it will be reviewed using established investigative practices.

The Arcata Fire District and Arcata Police Department remain committed to public safety, fire prevention, and providing accurate information to the community.

UPDATE, MONDAY: They’ve put together a GoFundMe for Agnes Johnson Charter School, which can be found here.

Seems like an uphill battle. The organizers are looking to raise $700,000 in the next two and a half weeks. They’ve raised $1,000 so far.

###

Press release from Mary Halstead, executive director of Agnes J. Johnson Charter School in Weott:

Earlier this week, I shared with staff and families of Agnes J. Johnson Charter School the painful reality that the school is facing a financial crisis with no clear path forward. That communication was sent ahead of last night’s Board meeting so families would hear the truth directly and with care.

At the Board meeting held last night, no formal action was taken to close the school. However, the Board did approve moving forward with the creation of a plan to wind down operations. Barring any substantial, unexpected financial relief, the Board expects to consider and potentially adopt a closure resolution at its next regular meeting on February 12, 2026. Based on the school’s current financial position, February 28, 2026 has been identified as an anticipated closure date, with February 27 expected to be the last day of instruction for students, should closure be approved.

Since 2020, Agnes J. Johnson Charter School has experienced a 35% decline in enrollment due to families moving out of the area, with the most significant losses occurring during the current school year. Because charter schools are funded on attendance and subject to midyear recalculation, the resulting revenue loss is severe and cannot be absorbed. Despite exhausting every available option, there is no fiscal path that allows the school to continue through the end of the academic year.

Agnes J. Johnson School has served this community for more than 73 years. In 2019, a small group of parents came together to prevent its closure by converting it to a charter school. That effort was rooted in a belief that rural families deserved choice, stability, and a school that reflected their community. Over the past five years, even amid a pandemic, natural disasters, and ongoing economic hardship, we honored that belief.

We built something real and meaningful here. We provided small class sizes, individualized instruction, enriching programs, and a school culture centered on belonging, responsibility, and care for the whole child. We did the work. We kept our promises. We served children with integrity and love.

If a closure resolution is ultimately adopted, we will walk alongside families through that transition. We will ensure student records are transferred promptly, assist families in identifying next placements, and work closely with the District and neighboring schools to support our students.

This loss is profound. It is felt deeply by students, families, staff, founders, Board members, and the wider community. While we cannot save this school again, the legacy of what was built here, and the children who were shaped by it, will not disappear.

Mary Halstead

Executive Director and Founding Member

Agnes J. Johnson Charter School

Press release from the Humboldt & Del Norte Labor Council:

The Humboldt & Del Norte Central Labor Council affirms our solidarity with working people and families of Minneapolis and across Minnesota who are standing together to defend their communities.

Labor Unions throughout Minnesota have united to endorse January 23 as a Day of Truth and Freedom — No Work, No School, No Shopping. This action, led by the Minneapolis Regional Labor Federation alongside regional councils across the state, is a response to the violent ICE occupation of their cities and the direct harm it has caused to union members, workplaces, and families.

While this call to action comes from Minnesota labor, I believe it is important for us, here in Humboldt, to practice solidarity in our own communities — to talk with our members, to educate, to support one another, and to stand firmly against attacks on working people, regardless of immigration status.

An injury to one is an injury to all. What is happening in Minneapolis affects all of us, and labor’s strength has always come from our willingness to stand together across geography, trade, and background.

Minneapolis Regional Labor Federation Press Release

Lisa Jouaneh
President
Central Labor Council of Humboldt & Del Norte Counties

Press release from Big Brothers Big Sisters of the North Coast:

Big Brothers Big Sisters of the North Coast (BBBSNC) announces, with deep gratitude and heavy hearts, that following careful deliberation, the Board of Directors has voted to permanently close the organization after 57 years of service to youth, families, volunteers, and the greater Humboldt County community.

This decision follows the loss of primary operational funding that sustained the organization’s core services. Despite extensive efforts to secure replacement funding and reduce expenses, the Board determined there was no viable or responsible path forward that would allow BBBSNC to continue providing mentoring services at the level of quality, safety, and support that youth deserve. As a result of the closure, this year’s Bowl For Kids’ Sake fundraiser has been canceled. Any contributions already received for this year’s event will be fully refunded. This event has long been a beloved community tradition and a critical source of support for the agency for the last 42 years. BBBSNC extends heartfelt gratitude to the thousands of supporters, donors, businesses, volunteers, and families who have helped ignite the potential of local youth for nearly six decades. We are profoundly grateful for every Big, every Little, every donor, and every partner who made this mission possible.

The organization is committed to an orderly and responsible wind-down. Staff is focused on concluding existing matches with care and compassion. While this was a difficult decision, the BBBSNC board is proud of the fact that the lives of thousands of families in this community have been positively impacted over nearly six decades of work. BBBSNC recognizes the impact of this closure on the community and appreciates the understanding and support shown during this challenging time.