Press release from Calfire Humboldt-Del Norte Unit:

The Fortuna Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) recently dedicated time from their busy schedules to help restore one of CAL FIRE’s local signs, demonstrating their ongoing commitment to community service and disaster readiness. The project highlights the strong partnership between CERT and CAL FIRE, as well as their shared goal of supporting public safety across Humboldt County.

The sign refinishing project was led by Emily Mazzone-Clementi, leader of Fortuna Teen CERT, who oversaw the effort from start to finish, along with Dr. Lane Thomsen of the Fortuna Junior Academy. Two youth groups collaborated on the restoration: Fortuna Teen CERT and the Fortuna Pathfinder youth, a local organization similar to Scouts and part of the Seventh-day Adventist Youth program. Their teamwork underscores the important role young volunteers play in supporting and strengthening the community.

Battalion Chief Andrew Gonzales of the CAL FIRE Fortuna Command Center expressed his appreciation for the team and the ongoing partnership. “We are grateful for the Fortuna CERT volunteers and the work they do,” he said. “Whether responding to emergencies or supporting community projects like this, their efforts strengthen our mission and help keep residents safe. Their dedication is recognized and truly appreciated.”

The Fortuna Emergency Command Center supports CAL FIRE operations by handling emergency communications and dispatching resources throughout the region. The center plays an important role in ensuring timely and coordinated response during incidents.

Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT) are trained volunteers who empower communities to be ready, resilient, and confident in the face of emergencies. Through hands-on learning and essential preparedness training, CERT equips individuals and organizations with the practical skills needed to protect themselves and support others during the critical first hours and days of a disaster.

Fortuna’s CERT team operates under the guidance and support of the Fortuna Fire District and works closely with other CERT members throughout the Humboldt County CERT Council. Together, these volunteers transform readiness into action and neighbors into lifesavers.

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Press release from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office:

With the holiday season underway, the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office is reminding residents to take proactive steps to protect themselves from mail and package theft.

Residents are encouraged to follow these guidelines to safeguard their mail and packages:

• Pick Up Mail Promptly: Avoid leaving letters or packages in your mailbox or on your porch for extended periods.
• Arrange for Alternate Pickup: If you cannot be home to receive a delivery, ask a neighbor to retrieve it, or have packages sent to your workplace.
• Customize Delivery Instructions: By using the United States Postal Service website at: https://www.usps.com/ Track a Package and select Delivery Instructions to designate a secure location for delivery.
• Use USPS Hold for Pickup: When mailing or expecting important items, consider USPS’s Hold for Pickup option, which keeps packages securely at the Post Office until retrieved. Packages can also be redirected using Intercept a Package under Track & Manage.
• Request a USPS Mail Hold: If you will be away from home, sign up for Hold Mail service. Notify your mail carrier at least three days before leaving.
• Inform a Trusted Neighbor: Ask a reliable neighbor to collect mail or packages while you are out of town.
• Avoid Sending Cash: Do not mail cash or other high-risk valuables.
• Follow Up on Missing Items: If an expected check, credit card, or other important mail does not arrive, contact the sender immediately.
• Install Secure Mailboxes: A USPS-approved locking mailbox or package delivery box can help prevent theft. Also maybe consider using a post office box.
• Use Home Security Cameras: Ensure your camera system covers your front door and mailbox.

The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office wishes everyone a safe and happy holiday season. We also want to thank our community for staying alert and helping us keep our neighborhoods safe during this busy time of year.

To report mail theft or other crime in the county’s unincorporated area, contact the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office at (707) 445-7251 or the Sheriff’s Office Crime Tip line at (707) 268-2539.

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

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Five California correctional officers who were accused of sexually assaulting incarcerated people over the last dozen years remain employed by the state, according to a new audit from the state prisons’ inspector general.

The audit, released last week, is a twice-a-year summary of how the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation addresses complaints about its staff members. Overall, the inspector general found fault with the internal affairs department’s investigations into prison guard misconduct.

The audit labeled 86% of the prison system’s internal affairs disciplinary and criminal caseload as “inadequate” or “needs improvement” — only 14% of the cases handled by the internal affairs department were rated “adequate.” Inadequate means there were significant problems with the investigation that affected its final outcome. The less-serious label, “needs improvement,” meant that the process had problems, but none so serious that they compromised the investigation.

It comes as the department faces what the report called “a wave” of lawsuits from incarcerated and formerly incarcerated women who allege they were sexually abused by prison staff. The audit said at least 279 women have sued the department, and they have accused at least 83 prison employees of sexual misconduct.

The inspector general report does not include the names of the officers or even identify the prisons where they work, which is in keeping with its past disciplinary audits. The Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation did not immediately return calls and emails seeking comment for this story.

California has two prisons that primarily house women. At the larger prison, the Central California Women’s Facility in Chowchilla, former guard Gregory Rodriguez was found guilty of 64 counts of sexual abuse in January, The Fresno Bee reported, and later sentenced to 224 years in prison.

Thirteen incarcerated or formerly incarcerated women testified against him. A 2023 investigation by The Guardian found that women had made reports about Rodriguez as early as 2014. He worked at the prison until 2022.

As Rodriguez’s case unfolded, the inspector general’s office learned of other sex assault lawsuits. The inspector general’s office in the new report said it looked at 68 cases and it faulted prison lawyers for being too slow in referring names to internal investigators who could have developed disciplinary cases against officers.

On average, the audit said it took nine months for the corrections department’s legal staff to send cases to internal investigators. “Delayed investigation of sexual assault significantly impairs the integrity and effectiveness of the investigative process,” the audit said.

The audit then described three cases involving six officers, five of whom continue to work for state prisons.

In a separate case not connected to the “wave” of lawsuits, internal investigators took so long to review allegations of sexual assault that a lieutenant accused by a dozen women was able to retire before facing discipline, the audit said.

The inspector general’s office wrote that the officer allegedly traded chewing gum, a radio and marijuana for sexual favors between 2021 and 2023, and then lied to the prison system’s internal affairs unit when asked about it.

The internal affairs unit “unnecessarily delayed the completion of the investigation, which prevented the department from imposing discipline for some allegations,” the audit found.

Other violations ranged from minor administrative chicanery, like two guards who allegedly faked the numbers in a prisoner count so they could use the time to eat Thanksgiving dinner instead, to allegations that a prison guard loudly, publicly and untruthfully indicated to other inmates that a prisoner was acting as an informant.

The audit reflects a chaotic process for even routine investigations. In a January 2024 case, one of eight prison guards who had broken up a fight struck an incarcerated person with a baton, even though the incarcerated person had already “disengaged.”

The Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation was aware of the case in January 2024, according to the lawsuit, but didn’t refer it to internal affairs until June 2024, according to the audit. An investigator didn’t start conducting interviews until August 2024. Then the case was reassigned to a second investigator, who didn’t start interviews until November 2024, and tried to close the case without interviewing the incarcerated person, the guard who allegedly struck him or any witnesses.

Then, the second investigator went on extended leave, handing the case off to a third investigator who had weeks to wrap up an investigation that is supposed to take months to complete. Ultimately, the prison system was handed a case four days before the deadline for disciplinary action with “a wholly deficient investigative report.”

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Fresh off the news that President Donald Trump’s offshore wind ban has been overturned in federal court, the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors today received a presentation on the various opportunities and challenges of developing the industry locally.

In short, our region has a lot of work ahead if it hopes to develop the workforce and supply chain necessary to play a leading role in floating offshore wind on the West Coast. That’s the takeaway from a series of reports prepared by consulting firm Xodus Group, which spent more than two years researching and coordinating with regional partners.

Andy Logan, the head of industry development with that firm, called in to today’s meeting to deliver a presentation summarizing his reports, which assess workforce development needs and supply chain challenges and offer a long list of 22 strategic recommendations. 

As locals may recall, two federal lease areas off our coast were auctioned off in December of 2022, with the international energy firms RWE and Vineyard Wind emerging victorious. The Board of Supervisors later adopted a resolution committing the county to ensuring community benefits and sustainable economic opportunities.

However, there has been significant community skepticism about potential impacts to ocean fisheries and the level of industrialization that would be required to equip our harbor with a heavy-lift marine terminal capable of assembling and installing the massive floating wind turbines.

In 2023, the Humboldt County Workforce Development Board received a $1.5 million grant from the state Employment Development Department for offshore wind education and early planning. The reports delivered at today’s meeting are the fruit of that investment.

Logan, in his presentation, repeatedly stressed the importance of planning ahead. He recommend that the county quickly designate an offshore wind coordinator, form a regional task force and launch a centralized “source of truth” on offshore wind progress in order to cut through confusion and misinformation.

Addressing the region’s workforce, Logan said there’s relatively little manufacturing experience, at least when it comes to supporting offshore infrastructure projects. 

“Around 10 percent of all employed individuals in the Redwood Coast are performing jobs that are required by the offshore wind industry,” he said. He also warned about the limited scale and capacity of local companies, “many of which struggle to secure a larger contract without some targeted support.”

Logan identified significant threats to industry development here, including “uncertainty around project timelines and federal infrastructure policies, as well as the strong competition that will come from experienced suppliers in more established offshore wind markets.”

But there are opportunities, too, given the global supply chain pressures and California’s ongoing support for offshore wind. Logan said our local educational institutions, including Cal Poly Humboldt, College of the Redwoods and tribal entities, can serve as hubs for training and “up-skilling.”

He recommended that local leaders pursue “targeted investment” in training opportunities in construction, maritime trades and STEM fields (science, technology, engineering and math) tailored to offshore wind.

It sounded like maybe Logan hadn’t heard the news about the overturning of Trump’s offshore wind ban, though of course it’s likely that the court ruling will be appealed by the administration, At any rate, Logan said the “slowdown” at the federal level could be a good thing.

“[It] offers some breathing room to do careful planning and research, to grow community awareness participation, to consult and collaborate with tribal nations and to strengthen healthy partnerships,” he said.

The reports prepared by Xodus include a list of 22 recommended actions to “maximize economic development and job creation opportunities for the residents of the Redwood Coast.” 

You can access all four reports produced by the firm via the links below.

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DOCUMENTS

• Humboldt Offshore Wind Community Engagement and Mapping 
• Redwood Coast Region Offshore Wind Workforce Assessment 
• Redwood Coast Region Offshore Wind Supply Chain Assessment 
• Redwood Coast Region Offshore Wind Supply Chain and Workforce Assessment Strategic Recommendations

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Eurekans with a propensity for urban planning gathered at Eureka City Hall on Monday night for a town hall discussion on proposed design standards for infill housing and new developments. By setting comprehensive guidelines for new developments, the city aims to streamline its design review process while maintaining and protecting the character of Eureka.

Imagine there’s a mid-rise apartment complex planned for your neighborhood, which is full of Victorian-era and Craftsman-style architecture. A big, boxy building would stick out like a sore thumb among the pitched roofs, ornate eaves and turrets, right? The proposed standards would require architects and developers to take those design elements into account when drawing up new plans.

“The idea, here, is that we’re going to come up with a really good, comprehensive list of specific rules for developers to follow, so that when they go to their architect and say, ‘We want to do this on this piece of property!’ they already know what it is that we are after as a community,” Councilmember Kati Moulton said at last night’s meeting. “That’s why you’re here.”

The city’s design standards haven’t really changed since the city council approved a zoning code update in 2019, which better aligned the code with the city’s 2040 General Plan. 

To illustrate the before and after of the 2019 update, Ben Noble, a Bay Area-based urban and regional planning consultant, presented “The Tale of Two Starbucks.”

“These two projects were constructed around the same time, [but] they look very different,” Noble said, referring to the image above. “The Starbucks on the left was proposed before the city had established the new design standards in the zoning code, and the Starbucks to the right was proposed after those design standards were established, and therefore needed to comply with them.”

“I think the building on the right is a superior design for a variety of reasons,” he continued. “There’s more articulation [and] there’s a presence on the street. There’s an entry that faces and connects with the sidewalk. It’s definitely more pedestrian-friendly than the example on the left, which is largely just a blank wall that faces the street.”

Design standards go beyond architectural design, Noble said. Other important elements of design include building placement, parking location, building massing, entries, façade and roof design.

“It’s very important to understand and identify what these design features are that contribute positively to neighborhood character,” he said. “Once we’ve identified those features, then we can make sure that the design standards that are in the zoning code require new development to incorporate these design features, to maintain and enhance the positive design character of neighborhoods. That’s our guiding principle for how we’re proceeding with this work.”

Throughout the meeting, attendees were asked to answer questions about design priorities and local housing needs. The word cloud below features some of their top responses.

During the Q&A section of the meeting, an attendee raised concerns that the new design standards would hinder housing development due to increased costs.

Development Services Director Cristin Kenyon offered reassurance that “this is something that all California cities and counties are going through right now,” noting that there will be increased analysis of objective design to see how it affects cost down the line.

“The concern with objective standards is [whether] we are being overly burdensome,” Kenyon said. “Something that we want to pay attention to and think about — as with any new regulations — is the unintended consequences of that. … That’s also why we want to have this Zoom [meeting] next week with design professionals to hear from them about which of these design standards might be burdensome and affect their bottom line.”

Moulton added that proposed standards will help developers “know exactly what we want them to do ahead of time” to avoid a “back-and-forth kind of process.”

“Developers who are coming in to build housing are selling it,” she continued. “They’re building something, and they’re either going to turn around and sell it, or they’re going to manage that property. In either case, they want it to be appealing to the community it’s in. So, we’re doing them a favor by doing some of that market research for them and giving them clear, data-driven information about what Eureka likes and what Eureka doesn’t like.”

Other attendees underscored the importance of preserving green space and encouraged the city to repurpose and revamp properties that have “lost their primary economic value,” like the Bayshore Mall and Eureka Mall. 

Twice during the meeting, Eureka resident Daniel Smith criticized staff for prioritizing design standards over what he said was the city’s “$13.5 million debt,” though his source for the claim was not immediately clear. 

Fifth Ward city council candidate Daniel Smith speaking at last night’s town hall. | Screenshot. 

“[The city is] $13.5 million in debt, and what we’re doing right now is worrying about how to design our houses? You guys have to be kidding me!” Smith shouted. “$13.5 million in debt here in Eureka, and we’re sitting here doing this? What is wrong with everybody?!”

“Daniel Smith is running for Fifth Ward for city council,” Moulton explained to the audience.

“And I’m here to save money,” Smith said, apparently taking Moulton’s introduction as an opportunity to let his stance be known to prospective voters. “I’m here to save taxes – taxpayer money. To reinvest in the community. It’s not about ‘Oh my gosh, let’s try and change what it looks like’ — whatever, man! Are you serious?”

Someone in the audience asked if he had a question, to which Smith replied that he was “making a point,” and handed the microphone back to Moulton.

Following the Q&A, staff provided a tentative timeline for the new guidelines. If everything goes according to plan, the Eureka Planning Commission will review the draft standards at its Jan. 14 meeting, with a subsequent hearing scheduled for Feb. 11. The city council will hold a public hearing on March 17.

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The Humboldt County Board of Supervisors today granted a reprieve to hundreds of local cannabis growers who collectively owe millions of dollars in Measure S cultivation taxes. 

In a four-to-one vote, with Fifth District Supervisor Steve Madrone dissenting, the board agreed to nix the looming December 31 tax deadline, though only for growers who’ve already entered into payment plans with the county. Those folks will now have up to four more years to square their debts, with 25 percent of the balance due by the end of each calendar year, starting in 2026.

But for tax-delinquent growers who have yet to enter payment plans — most of whom have ignored the county’s attempts to collect — the board opted to bring down the hammer. If those farmers don’t pay their tax bills in full by the end of this year, then the Planning and Building Department will begin the process of revoking their permits.

These moves come six weeks after the board unanimously agreed to eliminate Measure S taxes altogether due to collapsing revenues from the struggling industry as well as burdensome administrative costs. Earlier this year, the board agreed not to enforce a previously established deadline of March 31 for Measure S taxes, extending it to the end of the year. 

Today’s vote represents the latest gesture of leniency toward the county’s remaining legal weed farmers. Supervisors justified the decision by noting that revoking their permits would only drive them back to the black market while likely eliminating any possibility of collecting what’s owed.

Planning and Building Director John Ford informed the board that of the 1,006 cannabis cultivation permits issued countywide since legalization, only 518 growers still have active permits. 

In all, he said, 815 current or former permit-holders owe a total of $8.9 million in Measure S taxes. The 518 active growers collectively owe about half of that amount ($4.3 million). And less than half of those folks (240 permit holders, representing $3.35 million in delinquent taxes) have entered into payment plans.

At the risk of getting too deep in the weeds, another 63 weed farmers have permit applications still in process. They collectively owe the county a bit over $1 million in Measure S taxes, having been granted interim permits. Of those 63 growers, 33 have entered payment plans. They collectively owe $561,456 in Measure S taxes.

Summing up this state of affairs, Ford said, “Over half of the community of cultivation sites owe Measure S taxes.” He asked the board whether it was prepared to start revoking all those permits, given the real humans behind them.

“Every number up there represents a person,” Ford said. “Some of them have stories that it’s hard for me not to be sympathetic to — I’ll just say that. I know this is a hard decision, and that’s why I wanted to bring it back and make sure this is really the direction the board wanted to go.”

First District Supervisor Rex Bohn said that while he’s aware that the board has been “kicking this can down the road,” he also believes, “We’re going to drive everybody back underground if we suspend these licenses.”

He and Second District Supervisor Michelle Bushnell said they’d feel fine revoking the permits of people who have yet to enter payment plans, most of whom have likely gone belly-up and left the county. Their colleagues agreed. There was some debate over how to structure a repayment plan for the balance of permit holders, and Bohn advanced a proposal that had been suggested via email by the Humboldt County Growers Alliance: Four years to pay up, with 25 percent due each year.

“I’m not willing to go out four years,” Fifth District Supervisor Steve Madrone said. “I think that’s a long time. It increases the administrative burden on the county. We’re in a bad budget place.”

During the public comment period, quite a few growers called in to voice support for the four-year plan, with many describing severe economic woes. One said he’s paid more than half of his Measure S tax bill and recently sent in a $4,000 check, adding, “But that was all my money from sales, so I don’t really have any money for Christmas.”

Suzanne Maese of cannabis consulting firm Margro Advisors was emotional, her voice shaking as she said, “This county has asked far too much of these folks. … I want you to know that you’re dealing with people’s livelihoods. For you folks, it’s just a vote. For our farmers, it’s a matter of putting food on their table.”

Appearing in person, farmer Nya Hessler said the recent federal ban on intoxicating hemp was a rare example of good news for local cultivators. 

“We might see the best year we’ve seen in years,” he said.

Gordon

Ross Gordon of the Humboldt County Growers Alliance was among those urging support of the four-year repayment plan.

“Doing it over a longer period of time is going to provide more people with an opportunity to pay, an opportunity to bring that revenue in,” he said.

Ultimately, the board agreed. Bohn made the motion, and after some discussion about moving the annual due dates or maybe offering discounts for early payment, the supervisors coalesced around a plan, though Madrone still objected.

“I think going out four years is way too much,” he said. But he recognized that he was in the minority. “Looks to me like this is going to pass probably four to one, and that’s fine. I have no problem with that.”

And that is indeed how it passed.

A recap of 2024’s Food Drive.

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Every year our colleagues at KHUM Radio link up with local high schoolers and — for the last eight years — Sen. Mike McGuire to throw the biggest danged fundraiser/foodraiser for Food For People, our local food bank, that they can possibly throw. 

It’s the annual food drive, and it’s on right now!

Every day this week, KHUM will be broadcasting live from the following locations between noon and 6 p.m.:

• Tuesday Dec. 9th - Wildberries
• Wednesday Dec. 10th - North Coast Co-Op (Eureka)
• Thursday Dec. 11th - Safeway (Eureka)
• Friday Dec. 12th - Eureka Natural Foods (Eureka)

Thursday at Safeway is the big day, when the senator will be on hand to welcome and tally up the donations collected by local high schools. A winner will be declared! You are welcome to come by!

What else can you do to help? Bring down some non-perishable foods — or throw some extras in your cart, if you happen to be shopping at one of those places at one of those times — and give it to your friendly local KHUM deejay at the front of the store. And say hello!

Or: Money! Food For People will take money, too. That kind of donation has the advantage of never going bad, plus it allows Food For People to be a little more flexible based on need.

Make the scene! Here’s a press release from Sen. Mike McGuire:

Sen. McGuire’s TENTH ANNUAL Humboldt Holiday Food Drive is this Thursday, December 11th from 3-6 p.m. at the Eureka Safeway. 

Now the largest on the North Coast, the Food Drive will benefit Humboldt’s Food Bank, Food for People, and the 21,000 Humboldt residents who rely on the organization each month. Behind the scenes of the annual six-week Food Drive are thousands of students from six area high schools (Arcata, Eureka, Ferndale, Fortuna, McKinleyville & St. Bernard’s) who have been hosting their own food drives on school campuses across Humboldt this fall. All the proceeds from the student food drives will be delivered between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. on Thursday, December 11 to the Eureka Safeway.

Since 2016, the Food Drive has raised more than a quarter million dollars and 177,000 pounds of food for our neighbors in need. The Holiday Food Drive makes a life-changing impact in Food for People’s ability to sustain their work to feed hungry families and seniors. Each year, enough food and funds are raised from the Holiday Food Drive to sustain the food bank’s needs through early spring.

This year, Food for People is facing the biggest challenges yet in their organization’s history with the massive cuts to SNAP, the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which will strip food assistance for 5.5 million needy Californians each year. This has created a perfect storm in our community and historic demand at Food for People as we enter the holiday season.  

That’s why Senator McGuire and Food for People are rallying to collect truckloads of food – and monetary donations – to help neighbors in need.

What: Humboldt Holiday Food Drive
When: December 11 from 3-6pm
Where: Eureka Safeway, 2555 Harris Street
Why: The need has never been greater.
Donate Here: Donation Form