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Press release from the Arcata Volunteer Firefighters’ Association:

The Arcata Volunteer Firefighters’ Association (AVFA) is pleased to announce the sale of its Arcata Downtown Fire Station, located at 631 9th Street, to the Arcata Fire Protection District (AFPD), a public agency that has provided essential fire protection and emergency services to the community since 1944. This significant transaction marks the next chapter in the fire station’s history, which has long served as a cornerstone of Arcata’s emergency response infrastructure. The AFPD has been renting the 9th Street station from the Association since the 1970s and occupying it with career firefighters since 2012.

After Arcata experienced several devastating fires, on January 24, 1884, the Arcata Fire Company #1 was established. Between 1884 and 1923 fire suppression equipment was stored at various rented spaces around the east side of the Arcata Plaza. On September 21, 1923, Chief Mathews and Secretary Stromberg were authorized to purchase the property at the corner of 9th Street and F Street on behalf of the Arcata Volunteer Fire Department. The property included Excelsior Hall, which later became Firemen’s Hall.

Fireman’s Hall served as a major social and athletic venue for the residents of Arcata and office space for the Volunteer Fire Department until it experienced a major fire on July 30, 1945, and was demolished. Fireman’s Hall was replaced with a new fire station in 1949. The building was able to house six vehicles and a few small offices. Prior to that, the fire engines were housed at the Old City Hall on the northeast corner of 9th and G Streets.

Arcata Volunteer Fire Department, October 1950, prior to addition of the two-story dining room and upstairs clubroom. | Submitted.

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In 1956 the Arcata Station was expanded to include a dining room/classroom, living quarters and a 2nd story fireman’s clubroom. The apparatus bays were expanded in 1963 to allow for longer vehicles. In 1990, the building was seismically upgraded and two of the apparatus bays were converted into additional offices and a conference room.

In the 1990s the Arcata Volunteer Firefighters’ Association started fundraising efforts to either remodel or replace the 9th Street station. As the need for fire department services was increasing, management of the fire department transitioned to the Arcata Fire Protection District and the Arcata Volunteer Firefighters’ Association asssumed a supportive role for the Fire District. In 2015, thanks to fundraising efforts by the Arcata Volunteer Firefighters’ Association and the generous support of the Orvamae Emmerson Endowment, the Lucchesi Family, the Rotary Club of Arcata, and many public donations, enough funds were raised to completely remodel and expand the 9th Street station.

At the request of the Arcata Fire Protection District, the Arcata Volunteer Firefighters’’ Association obtained additional financing to remodel the McKinleyville fire station owned by the Arcata Fire Protection District. The Arcata Volunteer Firefighters’ Association agreed to use the rent collected from the Arcata Fire Protection District’s use of the 9th street fire station to service the new debt.

In 2021 the Arcata Volunteer Firefighters’ Association started the process of transferring ownership of the 9 th Street Arcata fire station to the Arcata Fire Protection District. This would allow the Arcata Volunteer Firefighters’ Association to retire the additional debt incurred by the remodel of the District owned McKinleyville fire station. After 100 years of Arcata Volunteer Firefighters’ ownership, on December 17, 2024, the 9th Street Station was sold to the Arcata Fire Protection District.

Roy Willis, President
Arcata Volunteer Firefighter’s AssociationZ
avfa.pres@arcatafire.org

Californians accused of certain drug and retail theft crimes may already be facing stiffer penalties under an initiative voters passed this year, alongside related bills Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law.

Voters this November overwhelmingly approved Proposition 36, which both modifies and adds key changes to California law.

That includes prosecutors being able to charge people convicted of various third-time drug offenses with a so-called treatment-mandated felony, which would direct them to substance use disorder or mental health treatment in lieu of up to three years in jail or prison.

Under the new law, courts are also obligated to warn people convicted of selling or providing certain drugs, such as fentanyl, that they could face murder charges for later distributing illegal drugs that kill someone.

And heavier consequences may also extend to petty theft and shoplifting offenses, including the possibility of up to three years in jail or prison if a person has already been twice convicted for certain theft offenses.

Several district attorneys and police departments announced arrests this month that they planned to charge under the new law, including in San Francisco, Solano and Shasta counties.

The measure partially reversed a different initiative voters approved a decade ago, which reduced penalties for certain lower-level drug and petty theft offenses from felonies to misdemeanors. The initiative, Proposition 47, was intended to develop new public safety strategies and reduce incarceration after the state’s prison population exploded due to tough-on-crime policies dating back to the 1980s.

But prosecutors, law enforcement and large retailers who rallied in favor of Prop. 36 said those sentencing reforms went too far and created a revolving door for people to repeatedly commit crimes without being held accountable.

“It’s a clear mandate from the public that we need to take a new approach on public safety issues, specifically hard drugs, retail theft and fentanyl,” said Jeff Reisig, Yolo County District Attorney.

Those who opposed the measure warned that it will worsen homelessness, drug use and crime by cutting funding for treatment programs, and increasing court and prison costs in the hundreds of millions of dollars.

Behavioral health experts across the state have voiced concern over the efficacy of a treatment-mandated felony, given that most California counties lack the resources needed to provide ‘mass treatment’ that has been promised by the measure’s proponents.

“I believe that (proponents) have also received a mandate to embrace problem solving and supportive services for people who are struggling,” said Cristine Soto DeBerry, executive director of the Prosecutors Alliance of California, a nonprofit organization that opposed Prop. 36.

“I don’t believe the mandate was (to) put more people in prison. It was not what people believed they were voting for. I hope that people with the discretion to enforce this law will think very carefully about the communities they serve and what they were asking for in this moment,” she said.

Gov. Gavin Newsom tried to keep Prop. 36 off of the fall ballot and for a time considered putting a competing crime measure before voters. Instead, he signed a package of 10 bills in August that will make it easier to prosecute retail and vehicle theft. Those laws go into effect on Jan. 1.

Although Gov. Newsom didn’t put any money into fighting Prop. 36, he referred to the initiative as an “unfunded mandate” that will take California back to the War on Drugs. Indeed, the measure included no new funding streams. But supporters like Reisig voiced optimism that funding opportunities already exist in the law, pointing to a $6.4 billion from the mental health bond voters approved in March.

“I hope that lawmakers and the governor embrace the mandate and work collaboratively to make sure that we’re successful in delivering the promise of Prop. 36,” Reisig said.

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CalMatters.org is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media venture explaining California policies and politics.

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UPDATE, SATURDAY: BSA Troop 47 will handle tree-hauling duties in Fortuna on Sundays, January 5 and 12. More information can be found here.

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Press release from the Scout troops listed below:

Boy Scout Troop 15 and Cub Scout Pack 95 will again be picking up Christmas trees in the Arcata, Eureka, and McKinleyville areas and hauling them to green waste for the community.  We will be doing this on Saturday December 30 Sunday, December 29 and again on Saturday January 4 between 10am and 4pm. [NOTE: This post has been edited to reflect the correct dates.]

Anyone who would like to schedule a pickup should text or call 707-273-1997 or email arcatacubscouts@gmail.com with their name, address, phone number and preferred pickup date (12/30 or 1/6).

This is a community service project for the Scouts and there is no fixed cost to pick up a tree - donations are accepted and appreciated but not required.  All donations will help fund camping and other outings and summer camp for the Scouts.

Robert “Beau” Robbins, March 18, 1964 — Dec. 18, 2024, passed away peacefully, after a long illness. He will be remembered for his uniqueness, his quick wit and his kindness. He loved music and his family and the people who stuck with him and became his family.

He spent the majority of his life in the Humboldt area, growing up in Willow Creek. Beau was always a wandering soul, first running away to the hills of Denny to grow weed, at the age of 16, and from then on he always chose to live life on his own terms. The years after that included traveling and playing music with his lifelong friend, James Forbes. One of the bands they played in together locally was Spud Dogma. He would tell stories of his band opening for the Circle Jerks and the Dicks years before. Many road trips to SF and LA were taken, to play and to go to shows.

Sometimes you could never tell which stories were true or at least heavily embellished, but they always made you shake your head and laugh. Beau worked for the U.S. Forest Service for years, stationed in the Six Rivers District, and was very proud of that. In recent years he could be seen jetting around on his motorized scooter, in the Arcata/Westwood area. He would start many a conversation with people in his travels around the neighborhood, looking like Tom Waits on wheels. He was always the most interesting man in the room and will live on in the stories of those that love him. Those who knew him know that there will never be another like him. We would like to thank his care provider, Jessica McGruder, for her care. She treated him with love and respect, like a family member.

He is preceded in death by his father and mother, Darrel and Florence Robbins, of Willow Creek.

He is survived by his sister Katherine Robbins and brother-in-law Daniel Schneider of Elk Grove, Calif.; sister Cynthia McClure and brother-in-law Chris McClure of Ames, Iowa; sister Amber Van Dunk and brother-in-law Michael Van Dunk of Arcata; nieces Crystal Kirk, Ashley Kirk, Catie Kirk, Alaira Hudson, Constance Hames; nephews Alex Kirk, Xander Jackson, Trey Van Dunk, Raheim Lamb, Aedan Kirk and Albert Hames. A small celebration of life for close friends and family will be planned in the future.

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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Beau Robbins’ loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here. Email news@lostcoastoutpost.com.

Press release from Humboldt Bay Fire:

At approximately 6:15 pm on Wednesday, December 25th, Humboldt Bay Fire (HBF) was dispatched to a reported structure fire on the 3000 block of Jacobs Ave. HBF responded with a first alarm assignment consisting of three fire engines, one ladder truck and a Battalion Chief.

The Battalion Chief arrived on scene first and reported a working fire with black smoke visible from the building, reported missing occupants, and access problems and thus, requested more assistance from neighboring Fire Departments requesting a second and third alarm. Battalion 8104 removed one female trapped by smoke in an office adjacent to the fire building that was becoming overwhelmed with smoke.

Truck 8181 arrived at scene and began to open up the structure and search for occupants. E8115 and E8114 arrived on scene and established a water supply while E8112 began attacking the fire. E8115 located an occupant who had burn injuries and removed him from the structure, transferring medical care to City Ambulance at scene. He was transported to the hospital for medical care. The rest of the structure was confirmed to have no other trapped victims.

Fire control was achieved in approximately 20 minutes. The pre-fire value of the structure was approximately 1.5 million dollars with estimated fire loss totaling $90,000. Fire crews did an excellent job protecting the majority of the interior of the building and contents through aggressive fire attack and salvage work. PG&E responded to the scene and secured the gas and electrical service from the building.The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Humboldt Bay Fire would like to thank our mutual aid partners from City Ambulance, Arcata Fire, Samoa Fire, Loleta Fire, and Blue Lake Fire along with the Eureka Police Department and PG&E who all assisted in either the direct fire suppression efforts or providing coverage for the rest of the emergency calls in our area while the fire was being mitigated.

Humboldt Bay Fire would like to remind everyone that smoke detectors save lives! Smoke detectors give you crucial early warning that there may be a fire in your home or business and allots you time to escape. Once you’ve exited a home go to your family meeting place and ensure that everyone has made it out.

Every day people across the country skip medical care because of cost. Those who do seek medical help may end up with a balance they can’t pay off. That debt can hurt people’s credit scores, resulting in long-term financial burdens.

Starting Jan. 1, a new state law will prohibit health providers and debt collectors from reporting medical debt information to credit agencies. That means unpaid medical bills should no longer show up on people’s credit reports, which consumer advocacy groups say is a boon for patients with debt.

Here’s why: While the law will not forgive someone’s debt, by keeping it off credit reports, it might provide some reassurance that a hospital stay or trip to urgent care won’t later affect their credit standing. Lower credit scores usually result in higher interest rates and make it harder for people to qualify for a home rental, a car loan or even employment.

During legislative hearings, the law’s author, Sen. Monique Limón, a Democrat from Santa Barbara, contended that because people don’t choose to have a medical emergency or illness, this type of debt should not count against them. Supporters also argued that medical debt is more prone to inaccuracies because of billing mistakes by health providers and insurers.

The main three credit bureaus – TransUnion, Equifax and Experian — stopped reporting medical debt under $500 in 2023. But most people with medical debt owe far more than that. The national average for medical balance is $3,100, according to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. In California, an estimated 38% of residents carry some type of medical debt; that figure climbs to more than half for low-income residents, according to the California Health Care Foundation.

One key caveat is that patients can only take advantage of this law if the debt is owed directly to a medical provider or collection agency, but not when the debt is charged on a medical credit card or a general credit card.

This new law follows similar ones enacted in a handful of other states, including New York and Colorado. It also mirrors a proposal put forth by the Biden administration to do the same nationwide. However, with a new administration taking over in January, it is unclear whether the federal proposal will go anywhere.

Limón’s office explained that under the law patients have the right to sue a debt collector or provider who reports a medical debt to a credit bureau. Consumers may also choose to file a complaint with the state’s Department of Financial Protection and Innovation, which has authority over debt collectors. Consumers can also file a complaint with the California Attorney General’s office.

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Supported by the California Health Care Foundation (CHCF), which works to ensure that people have access to the care they need, when they need it, at a price they can afford. Visit www.chcf.org to learn more.

CalMatters.org is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media venture explaining California policies and politics.

To understand what happened with the state budget in 2024, you have to go back to 2023.

That year Gov. Gavin Newsom and Democrats who control the Legislature decided against raiding the state’s roughly $37 billion rainy-day fund despite a shaky fiscal picture. Those dollars came in handy as lawmakers grappled to plug an estimated $56 billion shortfall this year and next.

That the state had a major deficit is partly the fault of flying fiscally blind. In response to devastating storms, federal and state tax collectors extended filing deadlines last year well past the date lawmakers normally finalize the state budget. As a result, the revenue picture was incomplete. Basically, the state spending plan last year assumed more revenue than what ultimately flowed in, all because key data wasn’t available in time.

What are these deficit numbers in context? The state’s general fund budget — spending on schools, health care, prisons, green energy initiatives and more — from July 1 to next June is $298 billion, among the highest ever.. As recently as 2021, the state was spending $270 billion.

How’d lawmakers close this year’s budget chasm? For starters, they pulled $12 billion from the state’s reserves for the next two years. Lawmakers also cut most state agency allocations by almost 8%, eliminated thousands of vacant government jobs and got rid of a handful mid-sized spending programs — savings of $16 billion. Gone was a plan to have the state lend colleges money to build more student housing, $1.1 billion in affordable housing and about $500 million for a new program that would have paid college students to work in jobs tied to their majors.

Other savings came from freezing business tax credits. Then there’s the budget “fund shifts” lawmakers apply to the numbers that move money around to notch savings.

Among the few state programs that actually saw their budget grow? Public colleges and universities, though the University of California and California State University are slated to see those 8% cuts next year, unless the state budget picture improves.

2025 outlook

Revenues so far are higher than what was anticipated — thanks to big gains in the stock market, particularly in tech, and the income tax those investors pay. But the Legislature’s independent budget analysts say all that extra revenue doesn’t mean there’s room to spend more, in part because they’re projecting multi-billion dollar deficits through 2028-29. Plus, so much of what California spends money on now is expected to get more expensive.

Ultimately how much the state decides to spend on its vast array of programs — we’re not the fifth largest GDP in the world for nothing — depends considerably on the stock market and the incomes of California’s richest residents. Capital gains taxes from a hot Wall Street means big bucks for the state’s programs.

A Republican-led White House and Congress with an eye toward tax cuts might spur stocks to soar (though tax cuts often mean federal program cuts). But President-elect Donald Trump’s plan for heavy tariffs and mass deportations of undocumented workers could crimp the economy because of higher inflation and worker shortages.

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CalMatters.org is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media venture explaining California policies and politics.