PREVIOUSLY

• Judge Holds Providence St. Joseph to Prior Agreement as Emergency Abortion Care Lawsuit Proceeds

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Press release from Attorney General Rob Bonta’s office:

OAKLAND — California Attorney General Rob Bonta today announced filing a motion for a preliminary injunction in People of the State of California v. St. Joseph Health Northern California. On September 30, 2024, Attorney General Bonta filed a lawsuit in Humboldt County Superior Court alleging that Providence St. Joseph Hospital (Providence) in Eureka, California violated multiple laws — including California’s Emergency Services Law (ESL), the state level analogue to the federal Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA), and the Unruh Civil Rights Act — by refusing to provide emergency abortion care when needed to save the life and health of patients.

Most recently, on August 29, 2025, the Humboldt County Superior Court left a stipulation and order in place that Attorney General Bonta secured from Providence, ensuring that women of Humboldt County have access to emergency abortion care, and ordered the People to file a preliminary injunction motion. In the motion for a preliminary injunction, Attorney General Bonta once again details the harrowing stories of two women, Jane Roe and Anna Nusslock, who were harmed by Providence’s unlawful conduct.

Absent judicial intervention, Attorney General Bonta underscores that they will not be the last, particularly in light of Providence’s newly announced, unlawful policy dictating that a physician may only perform an emergency abortion if it is the “only alternative to the certain death” of the mother.

“Providence is currently the only available option for women in Humboldt County to seek emergency pregnancy care. Despite previously assuring my office, the court, and the people of California that it would follow state law and allow women to access emergency abortion care, Providence is seeking not only to go back on its word, but to make things far worse by requiring ‘certain death’ before allowing doctors to offer treatment,” said Attorney General Bonta.

“We refuse to let that happen. We are filing a motion for a preliminary injunction to ensure that Providence continues following state law. This is not a game. It can be a matter of life or death.”  

Two Providence policies are at issue. The former — under which Jane Roe and Anna Nusslock were treated — allowed the physicians to intervene once the patient’s “life is at risk.” However, under Providence’s newly announced policy, even a substantial risk to the patient’s life would not be enough: a physician may only perform an emergency abortion if it is the “only alternative to the certain death” of the mother. While the new policy requiring certain death before intervention has not been implemented due to the prior stipulation and order entered by the court, Attorney General Bonta argues in the motion for a preliminary injunction that both versions of the policy violate the ESL. 

If you were denied an abortion you needed in a medical emergency, or if you were denied any other emergency medical care, you can contact abortion.access@doj.ca.gov. Attorney General Bonta recently announced the launch of a statewide survey to assess how hospital emergency departments are following emergency reproductive healthcare laws. Results from the survey will inform oversight, guide enforcement efforts, and ensure hospitals are fully complying with the ESL.

A copy of the motion for a preliminary injunction can be found here. 

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After years of searching for new office space, the Humboldt County Office of Education (HCOE) is expanding its operations to the former CVS location at 1105 Myrtle Avenue in Eureka, just one block away from the agency’s headquarters. 

Escrow for the sale of the property is expected to close on Oct. 31.

Once the property is secured, HCOE’s architect will get to work on the designs for new offices and meeting rooms, as well as some repairs to the roof and minor improvements to the building’s exterior. If everything goes according to plan, the site should be ready for staff in the next two years.

“Right now, it’s just an empty box, but it’s going to be a really beautiful space,” said Humboldt County Superintendent of Schools Michael Davies-Hughes. “We’ve been looking for a new space for about three years, but have been unsuccessful in finding a property that meets our office needs, including parking for our 80 to 90 staff.”

The Franklin Campus, located behind the Burre Center, has served as HCOE’s primary headquarters for many decades. A few years back, HCOE began renting office space at two locations on E and H streets to accommodate its rapidly expanding staff. Those combined leases cost the district approximately $20,000 per month, according to Davies-Hughes.

“If you think about that, over the course of the year, that’s almost a quarter of a million dollars that we’re not investing and not getting any equity on,” he said. “We’ve been here since 1853… and we intend to be here for a very long time in the future, so it’s not going to be too long before we actually see cost savings. As responsible stewards of public funds, we want to try to make sure that we’re building for the future of HCOE.”

Davies-Hughes could not confirm the final sale price of the two-acre property since escrow hasn’t closed, but he did note that the asking price from CVS Pharmacy Inc. was $2.6 million. The funds will come from the agency’s general fund.

Once staff are moved into the new offices, HCOE plans to reconfigure its main campus to bring on more student-focused services and programming. 

“This will enable us to move some of the office staff that we have [at the Franklin Campus] over to the CVS site and actually open up some classroom space for some additional student programs and expand the career and technical education opportunities that students have,” Davies-Hughes said. “I think it’ll provide some efficiencies for our organization so that we can provide students and staff at Humboldt County schools with more effective services.”

Hat tip to Sage Alexander at the Times-Standard, who first reported this story on Thursday.

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PREVIOUSLY

• Trump Administration Pulls Funding for ‘Fantasy Wind Projects,’ Including $426 Million Grant for Humboldt Bay Offshore Wind Terminal
• Humboldt’s Offshore Wind Terminal Project ‘Full Speed Ahead’ Despite Federal Funding Cuts, Says Harbor District Executive Director

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The Trump administration may be doing its darnedest to kneecap the nation’s burgeoning offshore wind industry, but California remains bullish on the renewable energy sector. 

On Wednesday, the California Energy Commission (CEC) awarded an $18,250,000 grant to the Humboldt Bay Harbor, Recreation and Conservation District to advance the design of the district’s planned Offshore Wind Heavy Lift Marine Terminal.

That represents just a drop in the fiscal bucket compared to the $435 million in federal funding that the feds recently yanked away from the Harbor District, with U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy suggesting that money should instead go towards “revitalizing America’s maritime industry.”

But Harbor District Executive Director Chris Mikkelsen recently told the Outpost that the agency is moving “full speed ahead” on plans to develop a new industrial terminal on the Samoa Peninsula designed specifically to facilitate development of floating offshore wind projects.

This latest CEC grant, which was first announced in March but not officially awarded until this week, is part of the commission’s Waterfront Facility Improvement Program. 

“These funds will advance the Heavy Lift Marine Terminal Project through expanded technical studies, further examination of mitigation measures for community and environmental impacts, and expands our robust community engagement, ensuring equitable development of the terminal project,” Mikkelsen said in an email to the Outpost. 

The Harbor District’s goal with this project, according to its grant application, is to build a modern heavy lift terminal that will serve as “a primary west coast facility for the manufacturing, import, staging, pre-assembly, and vertical integration of large offshore wind energy components.”

California has established a goal of developing 2 to 5 gigawatts (GW) of offshore wind energy by 2030 and 25 GW by 2045. 

Press release from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office:

On Oct. 9, 2025, deputies with the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office Marijuana Enforcement Team served two search warrants to investigate illegal cannabis cultivation in the Island Mountain area. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Bureau of Land Management assisted with the service of the warrants.
The parcels did not possess the required county permit and state license to cultivate cannabis commercially.

During the service of the warrants, assisting agencies discovered multiple water pollution violations, which carry fines of up to $20,000 per day, per violation. Deputies eradicated approximately 280 cannabis plants and seized more than 1,092 pounds of processed cannabis bud and shake. Deputies also located and confiscated 15 pounds of hash.

Additional violations with civil fines are expected to be filed by the assisting agencies. No arrests were made during the service of the warrant. The case will be forwarded to the DA’s Office for review.

Anyone with information about this case or related criminal activity is encouraged to call the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office at (707) 445-7251 or the Sheriff’s Office Crime Tip line at (707) 268-2539.

Press release from Humboldt Bay Fire:

At approximately 10:00 a.m. on Friday, October 10, 2025, Humboldt Bay Fire responded to a first alarm fire at a two-story single-family residence located at 3115 Summer Street. First arriving units observed light smoke pushing from the chimney and eaves of the attic. Firefighters quickly initiated an aggressive fire attack, bringing the fire under control and preventing further spread.

Fire investigation revealed that the fire originated from a woodstove in the living room, where the fire spread from the stovepipe transition at the ceiling and extended into the attic. Damage was confined to the living room and areas around the woodstove, with estimated structural damage totaling approximately $10,000.

As winter approaches, Humboldt Bay Fire reminds residents to have their woodstoves and fireplaces inspected by a professional to ensure safe operation and prevent similar incidents. Regular maintenance and inspections are critical to keeping homes and families safe during the colder months.

For more information, please contact Humboldt Bay Fire at (707) 441-4000 or visit www.hbfire.org

Press release from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office:

On Oct. 9, 2025, at about 7:45 p.m. Humboldt County Sheriff deputies were dispatched to the 100 block of Main Street in Loleta for the report of a physical altercation in which a victim had reportedly been struck in the head with a glass bottle.

While responding, deputies requested emergency medical personnel stage nearby until the scene was secured and safe for them to enter. Upon arrival, deputies located the victim, a 29-year-old male, suffering from a laceration to his head. The victim was treated at the scene and later transported to a local hospital, where he received additional care and was released.

During their investigation and through witness statements, deputies learned that the victim had been ambushed and assaulted by 21-year-old, Miguel Angel Moreno of Rio Dell. Moreno reportedly fled the scene prior to deputies’ arrival.

A short time later, deputies located Moreno at a local hospital, where he was receiving treatment for minor injuries sustained during the altercation. Moreno was arrested and transported to the Humboldt County Correctional Facility, where he was booked on the following charges:

• P.C. 245(a)(1) – Assault with a deadly weapon
• P.C. 243(d) – Battery with serious bodily injury
• P.C. 1203.2(a) – Violation of probation

Anyone with information about this case or related criminal activity is encouraged to call the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office at (707) 445-7251 or the Sheriff’s Office Crime Tip line at (707) 268-2539.

Really bad traffic scenes out there today. There are at least two separate crashes on the Safety Corridor at the time of this writing, as well as a bad one in Fortuna.

The southbound Safety Corridor is currently badly backed up before Indianola. 

Follow our CHPWatch page for current traffic conditions, and for goodness sakes take it slow today.