The Outpost would like to thank Access Humboldt, the League of Women Voters and the sponsors of last night’s “Illuminate 2026!” event at the Eureka Theater for recognizing something you and I and everyone else in the county already know, which is that Isabella Vanderheiden is great at her job.

Izzy’s Ray of Sunshine award. It’s a glass marble that catches the light.

The “Illuminate” event is organized to honor and amplify Sunshine Week, a national reflection on the importance of open government. As part of the festivities, Access Humboldt presented three “Ray of Sunshine” awards to local journalists, and Izzy was the top pick for investigative journalist of the year.

Huzzah for Izzy!

As I said at the event — or attempted to say, after pulling a calf muscle while springing up to the stage — Izzy is a wonderful person and a deeply humane reporter. Her best work, the work that’s most important to her and to us, is about the effects of public policy on people at the margins. Her series on Orick — which she spent months and months researching in the run-up to publication, in between all the other work she was doing — is a prime example. Read that story here, if you haven’t already. 

Anyway, Izzy rules. We’re all lucky to have her.

Congratulations to all the other nominees. Congratulations to Humboldt County eminence Mark Larson for winning the photojournalism award. Congratulations to the Cal Poly Humboldt students representing the Lumberjack and El Leñador who shared the youth journalism award.

Back to work, now.

P.S.: It was great to meet prolific Outpost commenter “Pat,” the county’s top-ranked volunteer proofreader, at the conclusion of last night’s proceedings. Funnily enough, seeing her in person provoked none of the dread that spotting her byline in the comment section does. Give her an award next year.