Humboldt Bay Generating Station at King Salmon. File photo: Andrew Goff
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Get ready to pay more on your electric bill. PG&E rates are going to jump by nearly 13 percent on Monday.
Last month, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) approved PG&E’s 2023-2026 General Rate Case (GRC), a proceeding that takes place every four years to evaluate the costs of operating and maintaining the utility system and determine whether PG&E is authorized to charge its customers more for its services.
The average residential customer will pay about $384 more in 2024 for utilities to help PG&E pay for “critical safety investments for its customers and hometowns.” That amounts to about $32.50 more per month.
“As part of the GRC, the CPUC approved placing 1,230 miles of power lines underground in PG&E’s highest fire-risk areas,” PG&E stated in a Nov. 16 news release. “Undergrounding is permanent risk reduction that eliminates nearly 98% of risk of wildfire ignition from electrical equipment, increases electric reliability by reducing the need for safety-related power shutoffs, and saves customers billions of dollars in reduced annual tree trimming and overhead line maintenance costs.”
The rate hike will be followed by a much smaller increase of $4.50 per month in 2025. Average bills are expected to decrease by about $8 per month in 2026.
Income-eligible customers should look into bill assistance through PG&E. The California Alternate Rates for Energy (CARE) program provides a monthly discount of 20 percent or more on gas and electricity. The Family Electric Rate Assistance (FERA) program provides a monthly discount of 18 percent on electricity for households of three or more people.
More information on the rate increase and additional resources can be found here.
Edited photo by Matt Filar. The full photo can be seen via this link.
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From the County of Humboldt:
Heads up Humboldt! The Humboldt County Planning & Building Department is working on making improvements to the digital permit application process. Upgrades to the process will take effect on Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2024.
𝗕𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱
The Humboldt County Planning & Building Department began requiring permit application packages to be submitted digitally in 2023. This new requirement has met the department’s goals to streamline the permit application process for both staff and the community by reducing travel, in person waiting time, and costs to produce paper plans.
To ensure the continued success of the digital permit application process and provide more support to applicants, the Planning & Building Department has taken additional steps to make further improvements.
𝗣𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗶𝘁 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗨𝗽𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀
Beginning Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2024, all permit applications, including building permits and planning permits, will be submitted directly to the county’s permit processing system.
Using the Accela Citizen Access Customer Portal, you can submit your digital pre-applications and pay the appropriate application fee or deposit online by credit card or e-check directly.
Additionally, contractors can obtain instant building permits online for all “over the counter” permits without having to visit the department in person.
To learn more on how to use Accela and find support resources, please visit the county’s Online Permit Management webpage:https://humboldtgov.org/3159/Permitting
Community members who are unable to submit a digital application should email planningbuilding@co.humboldt.ca.us or call 707-445-7245 for assistance.
Ed. note — To forestall the inevitable flood of outraged comments, or at least to stem their tide somewhat: It’s a curious fact of California law that law enforcement agencies must announce DUI checkpoints in advance. See, for example, here.
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Press release from the California Highway Patrol:
The California Highway Patrol (CHP), Humboldt Area, will conduct a driving under the influence (DUI) and driver license safety checkpoint on December 30, 2023, somewhere within the unincorporated area of Humboldt County.
Captain Larry Depee stated, “The goal of conducting a sobriety and driver license checkpoint is to send a clear message that driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, or while unlicensed, is unacceptable.”
The goal of the CHP is to ensure the safe passage of each and every motorist by targeting roads where there is a high frequency of intoxicated or unlicensed drivers. A sobriety / driver license checkpoint is a proven effective tool for achieving this goal and is designed to augment existing patrol operations.
Captain Depee emphasized, “Too many lives are lost to impaired and unlicensed drivers throughout the State of California. This checkpoint will be staffed by officers trained in the detection of alcohol and/or drug-impaired drivers. Those officers will be evaluating drivers as they come through the checkpoint to assess their sobriety and check for a valid driver license.”
Funding for this program was provided from the statewide “Reducing Impairment Statewide” federal grant.
Eureka Police Department’s K9 Bolo will receive a bullet and stab protective vest thanks
to a charitable donation from non-profit organization Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. K9
Bolo’s vest is sponsored by Butch and Shelly Cooper of Colorado Springs, CO and will
be embroidered with the sentiment “Gifted by Butch and Shelly Cooper”. Delivery is
expected within eight to ten weeks.
Vested Interest in K9s, Inc., established in 2009, is a 501(c)(3) charity whose mission is to
provide bullet and stab protective vests and other assistance to dogs of law enforcement
and related agencies throughout the United States. This potentially lifesaving body armor
for four-legged K9 officers is U.S. made, custom fitted, and NIJ certified. Since its
inception, Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. has provided over 5,379 vests to K9s in all 50 states
at a value of $6.9 million, made possible by both private and corporate donations.
The program is open to U.S. dogs that are at least 20 months old and actively employed
and certified with law enforcement or related agencies. K9s with expired vests are also
eligible to participate. There are an estimated 30,000 law enforcement K9s throughout
the United States.
Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. accepts tax-deductible contributions in any amount, while a
single donation of $985 will sponsor one vest. Each vest has a value of $1800.00, weighs
an average of 4-5 lb., and comes with a five-year warranty. For more information, or to
learn about volunteer opportunities, please call 508-824-6978. Vested Interest in K9s,
Inc. provides information, lists events, and accepts donations at www.vik9s.org, or you
may mail your contribution to P.O. Box 9, East Taunton, MA 02718.
A law that classifies human trafficking of a minor for the purposes of a commercial sex act as a “serious felony” will take effect Jan. 1, less than six months after debate around the bill roiled the Capitol.
Under current law, human trafficking of a minor for purposes of commercial sex incurs a sentence of up to 12 years in prison. If the crime involves force, fear, fraud, deceit, coercion, violence, duress, menace, or threat of unlawful injury to the victim or to another person, the sentence is 15 years to life. If the person is convicted of inflicting great bodily harm on the victim while trafficking them, a judge can add up to 10 years to a prison sentence.
Under the new law, people convicted of commercial child sex trafficking would face longer prison terms and potential life sentences.
Lawmakers from both parties had made numerous previous attempts to reclassify the crime as a serious felony, which makes a conviction of the crime a strike under California’s three-strikes law. In 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2017 and three times in 2021, legislators tried and failed to reclassify child sex trafficking as a serious felony.
In July, the latest legislative effort from Sen. Shannon Grove, a Bakersfield Republican, seemed destined for the same fate in an Assembly committee.
But after the bill failed in committee, debate spilled onto social media and a three-day maelstrom ensued. A Democratic legislator who originally voted against the bill reported getting death threats. One of the bill’s Republican supporters in the Legislature accused its opponents of supporting pedophilia.
Gov. Gavin Newsom, at a press conference, expressed dismay at the committee vote. Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas, a Salinas Democrat, also said he was “very much engaged” in trying to move the bill forward.
Within two days, the bill was back for a rehearing in the Assembly Public Safety Committee, and this time it passed.
“Human trafficking is a sick crime,” Newsom said in a written statement he signed the law in September. With this new law, California is going further to protect kids. I’m grateful for the leadership of Sen. Grove, Speaker Rivas, and (Senate president) Pro Tem Atkins in spearheading this bipartisan effort to make our communities and children safer.”
Those who originally opposed the bill at the committee said it would overwhelmingly target low-level traffickers who may be trafficking victims themselves.
They also argued that research shows longer sentences have very little effect on crime deterrence, and the harshest penalties would be disproportionately levied on people of color.
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CalMatters.org is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media venture explaining California policies and politics.
To bring more attention and resources to missing Black youth, a new law that establishes “Ebony Alerts” takes effect Jan. 1. The California Highway Patrol has the authority to activate this new emergency alert system, which notifies the public of missing Black youth and women ages 12 to 25.
The first-in-the-nation law works similar to other emergency alerts for specific individuals, including Feather Alerts for missing indigenous people and Silver Alerts for senior citizens. When activated, the highway patrol can disseminate information about the victim and urge the public to be on the lookout through electronic highway signs. Broadcast outlets including radio and television stations, as well as social media networks, are also “encouraged to, but not required to” circulate Ebony Alerts.
Law enforcement can consider other factors in addition to the victim’s age when issuing an Ebony Alert. This includes if the person has a mental or physical disability, if the person may be a victim of human trafficking and if the person “has gone missing under unexplained or suspicious circumstances.”
The Ebony Alert system is based on the Amber Alert System, or America’s Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response. It’s named for Amber Hagerman, a 9-year-old girl who was kidnapped and murdered in Arlington, Texas in 1996. The alert system did not reach full nationwide adoption until 2005, when Hawaii joined. Since then, technological advancements, such as integration with Google and Facebook platforms have expanded the reach of Amber alerts. As of Sept. 30, 2023, the alert system has assisted in recovering 1,146 missing children in the U.S.
In 2022, the National Crime Information Center reported more than 140,000 Black children age 17 and younger went missing for at least some period, including more than 77,000 girls. This accounted for about 39% of missing children in the U.S. that year, despite the fact that the Black or African American population makes up only 12.4% of all people living in the U.S.
The Black and Missing Foundation also reports that missing minority children are often initially classified as “runaways” — which prevents them from being eligible for an Amber Alert — and minority adults who go missing are often associated with “criminal involvement,” including gangs and drugs.
In response to these statistics, Sen. Steven Bradford, a Democrat from Gardena, authored the bill to establish Ebony Alerts. Describing the law as “bold and needed action,” Bradford said in a press statement how Black children and young women are “disproportionately represented” on missing persons lists.
“This is heartbreaking and painful for so many families and a public crisis for our entire state,” he said. “The Ebony Alert can change this.”
The measure passed with no votes in opposition, and Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the law in October. The highway patrol did flag concerns, however, about the public becoming “desensitized” to emergency alerts if they are more frequently activated.
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CalMatters.org is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media venture explaining California policies and politics.
Heads up Humboldt!
The Humboldt County Planning & Building Department is working on making improvements to the digital permit application process. Upgrades to the process will take effect on Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2024.
