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Four years after its public debut, Avelo Airlines is ending air service on the West Coast. The airline will end flights between Humboldt County and the Hollywood Burbank Airport (BUR) on Dec. 2.

In an emailed statement shared with the Outpost, Avelo spokesperson Courtney Goff said the ultra-low-cost carrier will reduce flights out of Burbank next month before closing the base completely. “Avelo will be exiting the Eureka/Arcata market, and the last flight will be December 2. Customers have been notified about the changes to their reservations and all their refund options.”

“We will be pulling out of the West Coast completely but still operate at over 40 cities across the East Coast and internationally,” Goff continued. “Avelo has previously made several changes over the past few years to our West Coast operations to improve our financial results. Despite the investment of significant time, resources and efforts, our West Coast operations have not produced the results necessary to continue our presence there.”

As many of our readers are aware, Avelo has come under fire in recent months after it brokered a deal with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to run U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) deportation flights out of its new hub at the Mesa Gateway Airport in Arizona, sparking a nationwide boycott against the airline.

Asked whether its decision to pull out of West Coast airports had anything to do with the boycott, Goff said: “Protests nor our contract with DHS had any effect on our decision and did not impact our business.”

“This was not an easy decision,” the statement continued. “Our company’s deepest operational roots are in BUR, having launched our first flight there over four years ago during the COVID pandemic. There is rarely one singular reason why decisions like this are made, and this one is no different. We believe the continuation service from BUR in the current operating environment will not deliver adequate financial returns in a highly competitive backdrop. The aircraft in BUR are expected to support growth in our East Coast bases, where we have significantly more opportunity to continue our path to sustainable cash flow generation.”

Avelo’s last flight out of Humboldt County is Dec. 2.

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PREVIOUS AVELO COVERAGE:

• FLY TO L.A. FOR $20? Brand New Budget Airline Launches with Humboldt to Hollywood as Inaugural Route
• VEGAS, BABY! Cheap, Twice-Weekly Direct Flights Between Humboldt and Las Vegas Begin Nov. 18
• NO MORE VEGAS, BABY: Avelo Air Cancels Direct Route (Again) Between Humboldt and Sin City, Effective Jan. 8
• Soon You Will be Able to Fly to Burbank Any Day of the Week You Like, Provided That Day is Not Tuesday or Saturday, County Announces
• Avelo Airlines to Launch ICE-Led Deportation Flights Out of Arizona (But Not California, the Company Says)
• ‘Tell Avelo to Go to Hell’: Eureka Residents Applaud City Council Decision to Boycott Airline Over ICE Deportation Flights

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PREVIOUSLY:

• Arcata May Be Getting a Friday Night Market of Its Own for Three Days in September

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Facebook commenters, please for God’s sake note: It will not compete with Eureka’s Friday Night Market, which ends in August.

But if — and more likely, when — the Arcata City Council agrees to terms at its meeting this Wednesday, then the new Arcata Friday Night Market will be something close to fulfilling the original vision of the popular weekly festival.

That’s according to Humboldt Made executive director Rosa Dixon, who told the Outpost this morning that the original plan was for Friday Night Market to spend a month at town each summer, before upping stakes and moving to another town the next month. So in one summer you’d have a month of markets in Eureka, another month in Arcata, another month in Fortuna, Blue Lake, McKineyville, Garberville, etc., etc.

That was before Eureka proved such a welcome home for a semi-permanent home for the weekly festival. But earlier this year, Dixon said, she was approached by Arcata City Councilmember Alex Stillman, who wanted the market to come to her town after this year’s Eureka stint was concluded. And somewhat to her surprise, Dixon and partners at the Arcata Chamber of Commerce put it together in time.

The proposed Arcata Friday Night Markets will be a little different, Dixon said. They’ll start at 5 p.m. instead of 5:30. There’ll be only about 60 vendors, as compared with Eureka 130 or so. There’ll be one stage for musical acts, and all the activities will be confined to the Plaza and the streets that surround it. And with September being the first full month of students back at Cal Poly Humboldt, the party will undoubtedly have something of a collegiate flair.

Again: Technically, this is all pending the Arcata City Council’s approval Wednesday night, at the meeting starting at 6 p.m. Here’s a PDF of Humboldt Made’s full written proposal to the council.

Press release from Humboldt Made:

As the beloved Eureka Friday Night Market comes to its season end on August 29th, Humboldt Made is excited to announce a new collaborative partnership with the City of Arcata and the Arcata Chamber of Commerce to host three Friday Night Markets on the Arcata Plaza this fall. These events will take place on September 5th, 12th, and 26th, building on the success and community spirit of the Eureka Friday Night Market, and will mark the beginning of a new tradition in Arcata.

“We’re incredibly excited to bring the Friday Night Market to Arcata,” said Rosa Dixon, Executive Director of Humboldt Made. “With the success of the Eureka market, we’re thrilled to bring this event to a new community. Arcata has such a unique charm, and this market will celebrate that while providing an incredible opportunity for local businesses and the Humboldt community to connect. It’s a perfect way to welcome students back for the fall semester and continue supporting local entrepreneurs.”

“Friday Night Markets are about more than just shopping – they are about building community,” Rosa continued. “With the full support of the City of Eureka, we have created a space where Humboldt’s vibrant local economy thrives. Now, with Arcata joining the fold, we will continue to choose Humboldt, supporting our local businesses and enriching our community. This is the spirit of Humboldt, and we are proud to see it grow.”

“Throwing events on the Plaza has become my specialty and something I truly love doing for the community and I’m thrilled to be able to work with the Humboldt Made team to try something new out on the Plaza but keep the unique flare that Arcata has!” said Glo Baker, Operations and Events Manager of the Arcata Chamber of Commerce.

The Friday Night Market in Eureka has become a beloved tradition, drawing thousands of attendees each week to Old Town Eureka. The event features over 150 local vendors, live music across multiple stages, a certified farmers market, and a beer garden showcasing Humboldt-made beverages. It has become a cornerstone of community engagement, supporting local artisans, farmers, and performers, and fostering a sense of unity among residents and visitors alike.

Building upon this success, the Arcata Friday Night Market will offer a similar experience, tailored to the unique character of Arcata. The key elements of the proposal include:

• 60+ Vendors: Featuring food trucks, farmers, makers, artists, and community organizations showcasing local talent and products.
• Live Music and Entertainment: A diverse range of performances to create a festive environment.
• Cal Poly Humboldt Student Welcome Zone: A designated area to welcome students back to Arcata with fun activities and local resources.
• Humboldt Made Bar: Featuring local breweries, wineries, and distilleries, the beer garden will offer a taste of Humboldt’s craft beverage scene.
• Family Activities and Youth Programming: Kid-friendly activities and programs designed to engage the whole family.
• Choose Humboldt Activation Booth: Promoting local businesses, storytelling, and giveaways to raise awareness about supporting Humboldt County’s economy.
• Projected Attendance: 5,000-7,000 attendees per market, creating a vibrant community atmosphere.
• Plaza Street Closures: Streets around the plaza will be closed from approximately 3:00 PM to 9:00 PM to ensure safety and maximize space for the market.
• Free Booths for Plaza Businesses: Arcata Plaza businesses will be offered free booths to participate in the event, with additional exposure for surrounding businesses.
• Discounted Booths for Chamber of Commerce Members or Humboldt Made Members.

For more information or to inquire about vendor opportunities, please visit Arcata Friday Night Market Event Page or contact Gloria Baker at gloria@arcatachamber.com.

Weren’t you just saying your life was lacking drag disco aliens? Well, then your Lost Coast Outpost invites you to kick off your week on the good/weird foot by allowing the new music video starring Jacki & The Jollies to invade your senses. Resistance, as they say, is futile.

A vehicle for The Jollies’ track “Don’t Go,” the Tyson Ritter-produced clip uses both Eureka’s Friday Night Market and The Basement in Arcata as settings and features background vocals and stylish strutting from local performer Komboujia. 

If you like seeing Humboldt artists in Humboldt places, give the video your precious three minutes. Then — should you crave more of these sounds for your brain/butt — note that Jacki & The Jollies are scheduled to funk up the Gazebo Stage at the July 25 edition of Eureka’s Friday Night Market.

Do go.

(UPDATE: We have also been informed that J&TJ will play some tunes and be interviewed on KSLG sometime mid-morning on Wednesday. Turn your dials.) 

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“Don’t Go” video credits, via YouTube:

Directed by Tyson Ritter

-Vocals: Jacki Maxwell + Komboujia
-Bass: Paul Sundberg
-Drums: James Forrest
-Guitars: Christian Figueroa & Mike Dronkers
-Cello - Jesse Alm
-Guitar solo - Chris Reynoso

Starring Jacki & TheJ, Komboujia, Thrash and Recycling, Ultra Payne, with special guests William English III and Nate Zwerdling.

Why do I support offshore wind development in Humboldt County? It’s not just about economics, though the potential for a few dozen to a few hundred long-term jobs is certainly welcome. Every job matters. But the real reason goes deeper — it’s about reversing a dangerous cycle of decline and stepping into a role that serves both our local community and the wider world.

Wil Franklin.

Humboldt County, like many rural communities, is caught in a downward disinvestment cycle. As opportunities vanish, people leave. As people leave, businesses shutter. As businesses disappear, fewer jobs remain — and so more people move away. It’s a self-reinforcing loop, a kind of economic gravity pulling everything downward. It starts with one or two closures on Main Street and ends with boarded-up storefronts, declining school enrollment and homes sold below value because there’s no one left to buy them. This is what disinvestment looks like, and it feeds on itself. The longer it continues, the harder it is to reverse.

Offshore wind presents one of the most meaningful opportunities we’ve had in decades. Let’s be clear: no action comes without a reaction. A project as large and complex as floating offshore wind will have impacts — on our port, our landscape, our ecosystems and our way of life. We must face that honestly. There will be difficult conversations, trade-offs, and things we’ll have to manage with care and responsibility. But avoiding change doesn’t mean avoiding consequences — it just means choosing a different kind. Inaction, too, has a cost.

And yet, there’s something extraordinary — almost cosmic — in Humboldt Bay’s position. By pure geographic coincidence, we sit just miles from some of the most powerful wind resources on the entire planet. The winds off our coast are world-class, unmatched in consistency and strength. And Humboldt Bay just happens to be one of the only ports that can facilitate the staging and assembly of wind turbines. That natural gift isn’t just an opportunity. It’s a responsibility.

We have the chance to contribute to something much larger than ourselves: the global shift away from fossil fuels and toward a cleaner, more sustainable future. That’s not hyperbole. If we capture even a portion of that offshore wind potential, we’ll be helping to reduce carbon emissions, fight climate change and accelerate a necessary transformation for all of humanity. Here in Humboldt, we don’t have to look far to see the impacts of a changing climate. Warming oceans are changing fisheries, changing feeding grounds and changing primary productivity. Grey whales showing up to their historical feeding grounds are finding food deserts and distress. Rising sea levels threaten our coastlines and our culturally significant religious sites and ancestral homes. We all see and live in the smoke from catastrophic forest fires each summer.

We know from lived experience that more extreme weather events are becoming the norm, not the exception.And yes, a decentralized bottom-up approach like putting solar on every home is also important. As is conserving and generally consuming less. All-of-the-above will be required of us. But none of the bottom-up approaches help solve the energy demands across California, the nation and the world. We can do so much more with the gift of the serendipitous providence of the Port of Humboldt Bay.

That’s a legacy we can be proud of. Our community — long defined by resilience, independence and a strong relationship with the natural world — can wear this effort as a badge of pride. Helping the world transition off destructive fossil fuels isn’t just a moral imperative. It’s a service. And it’s a service Humboldt County is uniquely equipped to provide.

Offshore wind won’t solve every problem we face. But it offers a chance to change the trajectory — from disinvestment to investment, from decline to revitalization, from despair to hope. With careful planning, community engagement, and a clear-eyed view of both the challenges and the potential, we can make this work for Humboldt. And we can do it in a way that our children — and the planet — will thank us for.

Let’s not walk away from that responsibility. Let’s rise to it.

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Wilfred Franklin was born and raised in Humboldt. He is the Director of North Coast Small Business Development Center where he combines his teaching and entrepreneurial past to help build a connected, diverse and equitable economic base in our region.

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Press release from the Six Rivers National Forest:

Butler Fire: 8,156 acres ; 0% containment

Red Fire: 116 acres; 50% containment

Operational Update:

Butler Fire: Fire reached the outer edges of the Butler Flats and Nordheimer communities July 13, but structure protection measures put in place by firefighters earlier in the week held. Helicopters provided support through much of the day, both around Butler Flats and along the Salmon River Road corridor to keep the fire west of the Salmon River.

Crews will continue providing structure protection and monitoring the Salmon River Road corridor for spot fires across the river as winds out of the northwest are expected to increase, including gusts up to 25 miles an hour.

Firefighters are also working with Tribal representatives and cultural resource advisors to reopen dozer and handlines constructed during previous fires in the event of any southern or westerly spread of the fire.

Red Fire: Containment of the Red Fire stayed at 50 percent as crews continued to construct direct control line in order to keep the fire within the smallest possible footprint.

Evacuations:

Butler Fire: Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office has issued evacuation orders for the following zones impacted by the Butler Fire: SIS-1703, SIS-1704 (Butler Creek, Lewis Creek, Bloomer Mine residents and Nordheimer Campground), SIS-1707-A and SIS-1803-A. Zones SIS-1705, SIS-1707-B, SIS-1708, and SIS-1802 are under an evacuation warning, where residents are advised to be prepared to evacuate if conditions become more threatening.

The latest evacuation information can be found at https://protect.genasys.com.

Closures:

Butler Fire: The road between Butler Flat and Nordheimer Campground remains closed as rocks and burning debris continued to fall into the roadway. Nordheimer and Oak Bottom campgrounds are also closed.

Weather and Fire Behavior:

Extreme heat continues today with highs forecast at 105 degrees. Winds will slightly pick up out of the northwest with occasional gusts up to 25 miles an hour.

Fire Safety and Prevention:

Persistently high temperatures will keep fuels dry and increase potential fire danger. Individuals seeking relief from the heat by recreating in streams or rivers or in the forest need to be mindful of their vehicles’ condition or where they park. Roadside sparks or dried vegetation against the heated undercarriage of a vehicle could quickly result in a wildfire.

The Six Rivers and Klamath National Forests are not currently in fire restrictions. However, campfires should never be left unattended and should be dead out and cool to the touch before leaving. Remember, drown, stir, feel, REPEAT. Please report suspected wildfires by calling 911.

PREVIOUSLY:

• Multiple Agencies Searching for 45-Year-Old Man Swept Downstream in the Klamath Last Night, Sheriff’s Office Says

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Note: A GoFundMe for Shawn Nomura has been set up at this link.

Press release from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office:

Update for the Klamath River search that was initiated on July 10, 2025.

On July 13, 2025, the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) Special Services Division recovered the body of a deceased male in the Klamath River. Following notification of next of kin, the deceased was identified as Shawn Nomura, who had fallen into the river two days prior.

The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office extends its heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of Mr. Nomura during this difficult time.

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This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters.

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California’s drive to run its electric grid entirely on wind, solar and other clean sources of energy just got harder after President Donald Trump signed a sweeping new budget law.

The changes in federal tax incentives could affect the feasibility of new solar and wind projects as the state is counting on them to provide more electricity for Californians. A state law requires 100% of electricity to be powered by renewable, carbon-free sources by 2045, at the same time it’s moving to electrify cars and trucks.

Incentives championed by former President Joe Biden were rolled back, shortening the timeline for the industry to obtain tax credits. Developers of wind and solar projects now face a new, shorter deadline for obtaining tax credits — most now expire at the end of 2027 instead of no sooner than 2032.

In addition, the new federal rules bar companies from accessing tax credits if they rely on major components from China or other “foreign entities of concern.” This restriction could hit California’s solar and wind industry especially hard, experts said.

The changes to tax credits are estimated to save the federal government approximately $499 billion from 2025–2034.

“For too long, the Federal Government has forced American taxpayers to subsidize expensive and unreliable energy sources like wind and solar,” Trump wrote in an executive order last week. “The proliferation of these projects displaces affordable, reliable, dispatchable domestic energy sources, compromises our electric grid, and denigrates the beauty of our Nation’s natural landscape.”

Projects can still be built without tax credits. But it puts more of a financial burden on their investors. In California, 11 solar projects and one onshore wind project now face potential delays or cancellation, according to an analysis of federal data by Atlas Public Policy provided to CalMatters. The projects are spread across the Central Valley, Inland Empire and Northern California.

Sean Gallagher, senior vice president of policy for the Solar Energy Industries Association, said in a statement that the industry was still “assessing what the federal tax bill means for them.” He warned the changes could jeopardize up to 35,700 solar jobs and 25 solar manufacturing facilities in California — including existing positions and factories as well as future projects that may now never materialize.

“The reality is, with or without clean energy tax credits, California’s energy demand is growing at a historic rate, and solar and storage are the fastest and most affordable way to meet that demand,” Gallagher said.

California in recent years has been fast-tracking massive floating offshore wind farms 20 miles off the coasts of Humboldt County and Morro Bay. The federal changes add some uncertainty that could chill investment. But experts say it’s not a death knell for the industry because the projects weren’t set to seek federal permits or generate electricity for at least several years.

“Offshore wind is what we would call a long-lead project. It does take years and years to develop,” said Assemblymember Dawn Addis, former chair of the Assembly’s Offshore Wind Select Committee. “Solar is a little bit shorter of a time frame…but it’s also his incredibly erratic behavior when it comes to market stability overall that is also going to affect these projects in a negative way.”

Experts say in the long-run, the federal changes could drive up energy costs.

“Tax credit savings are typically passed onto ratepayers through lower contracting costs. In the long term, the repeal of the tax credits will result in higher future electricity rates for customers,” the California Energy Commission told CalMatters.

Rising utility bills are already a major political headache for state leaders and a challenge for clean energy advocates who want the state to lead the way in making electricity cleaner, cheaper, and more reliable.

“The whole point of California’s climate policy is not just to reduce California’s carbon footprint — because we are less than 1% of global emissions — but to set an example and show that this can be done,” Berkeley economist Severin Borenstein told CalMatters. “There are going to be fewer other states following our example because it’s going to be more expensive.”