A commentator recently wrote, in response to something I’d written about nuclear fission reactors, “There’s no such thing as safe nuclear power.” Which is true, but that’s on a par with, “There’s no such thing as safe anything” — driving, eating, sex, drugs, colonoscopies…All have their risks. The question is, of course, “Compared to what?” While not 100% safe — in this life, nothing is — nuclear fission probably the safest form of power generation we’ve got, certainly hundreds of times safer than coal, while contributing a fraction of global-warming carbon dioxide that coal does. You don’t have to be “pro” or “anti” nuke to take the alternatives into account when deciding what your stance is going to be; just look at the numbers.

Currently, fossil fuels — coal, oil and gas — provide two-thirds of the world’s electric power needs. Of the rest, half comes from hydro power, with nuclear, solar and wind making up the balance. Nuclear accounts for about 10% of all electricity generation.

Climate Change

A few years ago, the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) compared the lifetime values of the carbon footprints of coal, gas, nuclear plants, taking into account initial construction and final demolition. Coal was the clear winner — 820 grams of CO2 per kilowatt-hour of electricity sent to the grid — with gas being the runner-up at 490. Hydro, solar and gas are way less, while nuclear power scored a mere 12 grams per kilowatt-hour. These are all median values, of course, and different groups come up with different numbers, but the very highest I’ve seen for nuclear comes from a Dutch anti-nuclear group: 117 grams per kWh, still a fraction of that for coal. (Thanks to Sabine Hossenfelder for providing links to these numbers.)

Safety

Coal sucks. That is, our lungs suck up pollution from fossil-fuel power plants (coal, oil and natural gas), causing, by a recent estimate nearly 9 million deaths per year — one in five of all deaths. Here’s a summary in the Guardian (not known for its pro-nuclear stance) if you don’t want to wade through the fine print. 

Nuclear power is benign in comparison. The worst nuclear power accident, Chernobyl, in 1986, killed 40-50 people directly, and a hundred times that—maybe 5,000—from long-term cancer. Virtually all the deaths resulting from the 2011 Fukushima disaster resulted from the evacuation, mostly ill and old people whose continuous care was interrupted. Just one worker died several years after the accident from radiation-induced lung cancer. (Somewhere between 5,000 and 10,000 people died in the tsunami, which caused the Fukushima accident.)

Other Pros and Cons

The generation of electrical power from hydro and solar sources is environmentally destructive by its very nature. Hydro — think of those four damn dams on the Klamath that (1) should never have been built in the first place and (2) are proving devilishly difficult to remove. And while solar has been getting cheaper and more ubiquitous in the US, it still accounts for less than 3% of the power we now use. (Wind = 9%, hydro = 6% for comparison.) Nuclear power plants, OTOH, have relatively small footprints.

Nuclear has solar and wind beat in providing on-demand power, not just when the sun shines or the wind blows.

Nuclear power plants are scary-expensive, each one costing several billion dollars to build, plus it takes decades from inception to actually producing power. And the cost of nuclear fuel — uranium 235 — is only going to increase as world supplies are depleted. Unlike solar and wind (I don’t even want to think about more dams for hydro plants), uranium, along with coal and natural gas, is non-renewable.

And then there’s the problem of dealing with used radioactive fuel bundles. Right now we have six hugely expensive (both to build, to transport and to fill) dry casks sitting on the PG&E Buhne Point site. Which are designed to be transported (in the unlikely event engineers can’t stem the coastal erosion), but — with Yucca Mountain dead, to where??? I wrote about them here.

Alternative nuclear energy

Current proposals for a new generation of nuclear fission power plants incorporate passive fail-safe mechanisms: if they overheat, they automatically shut off without and human involvement. (That’s compared with some of the older designs: accidents waiting to happen. Or which did happen. For instance, the Russian RBMK “Generation II” reactor at Chernobyl that underwent an uncontrolled nuclear chain reaction — causing an explosion that released massive clouds of radioactivity across Europe — was known to be unstable at low power levels.)

Most of my own hopes for future electricity generation from nuclear fission lie with small modular units built in a factory and transported to the site where power is needed. I wrote about the most promising venture, at least in the US, five years ago under the cutesy header “Nuclear Batteries.” NuScale’s 65 foot high x 9 foot diameter light water reactor stems from a design that originated at Oregon State.

As I wrote then, “the module’s passive-safe design needs no external power to cool it down in an emergency…a bank of 12 could supply the needs of a million-plus population. Building identical units at a central manufacturing facility is inherently safer than in-situ construction of a conventional nuclear power station, while the cost of a single [60 megawatt] NuScale SMR [Small Modular Reactor] is estimated at about one-twentieth of that of a 1,000-megawatt [conventional] plant.” The plan was to have a 12 prototypes working by 2027, but Utah-based NuScale has since pushed that target date back by three years while adding 50% to the original $4 billion R&D cost estimate.

This is far too complicated a topic to be dealt with in a quick ‘n’ dirty summary. I encourage you to do your own research before jumping on the “no safe nuclear” bandwagon.

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When we moved into our new apartment this summer, it needed an extensive renovation. The workers were there all day for a couple weeks. With typical Turkish hospitality, my mother-in-law would make them lunch and offer tea. One afternoon, we were all sitting in the newly remodeled dining room, having lahmacun, when one of the workers and I, for some odd reason, found ourselves in a debate about Russia and the ongoing war to the north.

In the midst of the argument, the worker insisted adamantly that America was finished, that Russia would win the war against its neighbor Ukraine. I objected, and pointed out the string of losses and setbacks that the Russians had already incurred. Of course, politics can spoil the appetite, and seeing the bewildered looks on everyone else’s faces at the table, we both swallowed our nationalism and went on with the lunch.

Later, the incident stuck with me. Since the war began last winter, Turkey has officially been a neutral mediator in the conflict. Readers may even recall a trip I made last spring to Dolmabahçe Palace here in Istanbul, where Russian and Ukraine delegations met briefly for the first of several failed peace talks. Since then, other meetings were more fruitful: for example, the agreement that allows grain and wheat from Ukraine to be shipped through the Bosphorus, and on the other side, some Russian yachts have reportedly been anchored here, safe from seizure. The Turkish government has also publicly denounced the recent annexations of Ukraine provinces by the the Russians in controversial referendums.

Yet as my run-in with the construction worker seemed to indicate, one cannot always regulate the feelings of the people, to paraphrase a scene from “Casablanca.” Surely, that worker was not alone in his opinion. Are some Turks rooting for a Russian victory? I guess the answer is, it’s complicated.

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From the 19th Century Crimean War, which pitted the Russian Empire against the Ottomans (with the British and French), through to the present-day war, Turkey and its giant neighbor to the north have had a complicated relationship, at times at odds, other times benevolent, generally mixed. The same could be said of its relationship with its Nato allies, I suppose. And why not? Both the East and West see Turkey as a valuable strategic partner, particularly for its access to the Dardenelles and the Mediterranean, and as a power player in the region. Think also about how the U.S relied on Incirlik Air Base during the Afghanistan and Iraq Wars.

Turkey, perhaps because of its location, has always been sought as a partner and ally, pulled back and forth. The West employs diplomatic measures, reminding Turkey of its role as a NATO ally, and the EU for years has frustratingly dangled the possibility of EU membership in exchange for cooperation – this came into play especially during the Syrian Civil War, when a desperate Europe pleaded with Turkey to take ownership of the refugee crisis – to which an annoyed President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan refused, declaring that his country alone would not be the world’s warehouse for refugees. And so on … there are many twists and turns in the story of the East and West and Turkey. Let’s focus on the more immediate.

Here in Istanbul, not a day passes that I don’t look out at the Bosphorus and see all the vessels, big and small, bearing names from near and far, passing north and south, a reminder that this slender waterway is one of the world’s busiest, important not only for commerce, but also in that it connects not only people but cultures.

Since the war began last winter, we have read daily news reports about Turkey’s oft-stated role as mediator. Erdoğan met with Ukraine President Zelensky in Lviv in August, and reportedly was set to meet with Russian President Putin in the Kazakhstan capital Astana this past week to discuss, among other things, the importance of economic ties, and he has spoken to both men over the phone on several occasions.

While all of these gestures, and others, give evidence of Turkey’s commitment to a neutral stance, again one has to wonder how much public policy differs from the person on the street. Isn’t that always the case? For most, honor will not feed an empty stomach, nor will it pay the bills. With Turkey’s economic situation, already bad before the war, and not appearing to be improving, you wonder if at some point these pressures will force Turkey to choose with its stomach rather than its head, to put it crudely.

You may have read of the crippling inflation we are facing here in Turkey – 83 percent according to a BBC article just a week ago (To which my Turkish friends and colleagues scoffed, waving their hands dismissively. “It’s a lot higher than that! Much more!”). I can personally attest that even basic necessities like bread and milk cost five times what they cost just a few years ago. One of my teacher friends, an American, related going to a restaurant in his Taksim neighborhood one day to see the prices had gone up, and then going back a few days later, only to find the prices had gone up yet again. The cost of a monthly metro pass, which millions here in the city rely on to commute, went up this year from roughly 200 lira to more than 600 lira.

The causes of this hyperinflation trace back to well before the war, when Turkey borrowed billions internationally to fund a series of mega-projects like the Marmaray, the subway that runs beneath the Bosphorus and connects Europe and Asia, as well as a third span bridge, an undersea car tunnel and the new international airport, said to already be the busiest in Europe. Well, of course this money had to be paid back, but when Turkey’s economy stalled in recent years, and its currency sank (it’s now about 18-1 down against the dollar), and its political situation grew unstable with a failed coup attempt in 2016, foreign investors lost some confidence. All of these pre-War factors have, in one way or another, contributed to the soaring rise in costs.

At the start of this year Turkey was emerging from the pandemic and hoping that a return of tourism would put the economy back on course. Then, unhappily, the war came along.

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Which brings us to the Ukrainians and Russians here. In 2019, some 7 million Russians visited the country, whereas this year the number fell to a little over 2 million so far. Just for comparison, a “record” number of Americans visited Turkey this past year – 477,000, which illustrates that even in a bad year, the Russian tourists far outnumber those coming from the U.S. Of course, distance accounts for some of that. For many Russians, Turkey is an ideal summer destination, with Istanbul and the calming waters of the Med to the south only a few hours’ flight away.

I can attest to that. Every summer my wife and I (and now our son) fly down to the south coast, where her family has a house in Anamur, and on every flight the plane is filled with Russians. Most are bound for Alanya and Antalya, popular coastal towns where even the signs and menus are in Russian as well as Turkish. So for many years, the Turkish tradespeople have welcomed the Russians, as well as Ukrainians, since they are a vital part of the tourism economy.

In the wake of Putin’s recent call for the draft, we have read of many fleeing Russia. According to news reports, more than a few have chosen to flock to the south coast, and are buying up properties, which suggest they are choosing to stay for the long term. At any rate, they appear invested.

Meanwhile, here in Istanbul, merchants and vendors who depend on tourism say the war has negatively affected their businesses. In a September story on Euronews, the owner of a Bosphorus fish restaurant claimed that half of his customers are Russian tourists. With sanctions imposed by the West, many customers find that their credit cards don’t work. Imagine you are a restaurant owner, already dealing with rising costs (rent, utilities) as well as many locals (like my wife and myself) choosing to stay home. How would you feel if your best customers aren’t able to pay?

“I am not happy, and my guests are not happy,” the fish restaurant owner told Euronews, an online news outlet, last month. “For Russian people, it’s difficult.”

One can suppose it’s not much easier for him as well. As I said, locals like my wife and I would love to show our support for these restaurants, but the fact is that with these prices, we simply cannot afford to eat out very often. It has become almost a luxury. A meal that cost 200 lira a couple years ago will run over a thousand now – for the same meal! You just feel ripped off, but you realize that it’s not anyone’s fault, everybody is just trying to get by.

Anyway, if you reflect on the dependence these locals have on Russian tourism, then perhaps it’s easier to understand why some, like my construction worker, get defensive when the subject of the war is brought up, and even more so if it is suggested that Russia may well be losing. After all, maybe they don’t agree with the invasion, but they do feel a vested interest in Russia’s long-term well-being as it is inexorably tied to their own, at least in terms of everyday living. As I said, for some here, perhaps ideals or “the good fight” are luxuries they feel they can ill-afford.

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A few years ago, I wrote a story about Trotsky’s house on one of the Prince Islands here in Istanbul. The house was up for sale, so that story provided the opportunity for me to explore the 1917 Revolution and its aftermath, of the White Russians who fled to Istanbul. To this day, in some parts of the city, vestiges of the White Russians remain, such as an old Russian Orthodox church in the neighborhood of Karaköy.

Last spring, I visited both the Ukraine and Russian embassies, just to get a glimpse of some of today’s refugees. Some were going to stay in Turkey, while others were anxiously hoping to get travel visas to Europe or the States. Seeing these people standing patiently, some with children, in queues, clasping bags and paperwork, was like déjà vu, reminding me of the numerous Syrian families I’d seen camped out on the streets of my neighborhood at the height of that conflict. Most of them have gone – either enculturated (many opened businesses, their children enrolled in schools), or else continued on to points West). Nowadays, one doesn’t hear much about the Syrians. Does that mean the conflict is over, or that the world’s interest just moved on to the latest crisis du jour? Or to other refugees: At this point, there are a reported 145,000 Ukrainians in Turkey, while the number of Russians who have fled their country since the war began is estimated at 200,000 – although it is difficult to find an official number on how many have come to Turkey.

Personally, I hope that one day, the war and all its attendant misfortunes and tragedies will end soon, and these stories entered into the long book of history on Turk-Russian relations, along with those of their long-vanished ancestors. But whatever happens, Turkey and Russia, as well as Ukraine, will continue to co-exist, to depend on each other economically, well into the future. For that reason, one understands why the country is hoping to keep its neutral role, mediating a hopefully peaceful end soon. Some would suggest that it’s a disingenuous route at best, dangerous at worst, as JFK warned in his inauguration speech at the height of the Cold War, “Those who foolishly sought power by riding the back of the tiger ended up inside.”

But what can you say? Given the situation, perhaps striking the middle ground is the only course the Turks have, and they must make it work, with help from its Western allies. Their livelihood in a sense depends on them resolving this bloody dispute between two very valued neighbors. I, and most others, have always seen Turkey as a bridge between East and West. If that is the case, then it is a bridge that’s strength is being sorely tested. Since we are ending with metaphors, let us hope that it is made of sterner stuff than the Crimea bridge that went up in smoke last week.

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James Tressler, a former Lost Coast resident, is a writer and teacher living in Istanbul.

If you see some smoke drifting out of the manholes around H Street, south of Harris over the next few weeks, don’t worry! There is no need to call the Fire Department! This is just the City of Eureka performing a standard smoke test on the sewer system. 

Map of the area where smoke testing will occur | Image from the City of Eureka

The test — which will begin Wednesday, Oct. 19 and last for the next several weeks — involves pumping smoke through the sewer pipes to identify any defects in the system. When this test is performed some smoke may drift out of the manholes in the street, and even from some building vents and sewer cleanouts. 

Again, this is nothing to worry about. You might remember that a few years ago, the smoke coming out of the sewers in Old Town prompted a minor panic. The City would like to avoid that happening again. So consider yourself warned. 

You can find more information in this City of Eureka press release:

Sanitary Sewer Smoke Testing Near H Street, south of Harris Street

The City of Eureka will be performing smoke testing of the sanitary sewer system at the above locations in Eureka beginning at 8:00am, on Wednesday, October 19th and will continue for the next few weeks. This testing involves introducing a non-toxic smoke into sewer manholes where it is forced through the sewer mains and laterals to locate defects in the system. Smoke will be visible in the area, and may travel to nearby sewer lines as well. There is no need to contact the Police or Fire Department, they have already been notified.

Traffic will remain open during testing; however, smoke may be visible exiting manholes. Please use caution while driving in the area. In addition to manholes, smoke will be visible coming from building vents and external cleanouts. This smoke is non-toxic, will not leave a residue, and will dissipate shortly after the test. Smoke should not enter buildings unless there is defective plumbing or dry drain traps. It is recommended that you flush all toilets and run water down all sinks, tubs, laundry drains, and floor drains prior to testing. Door hangers will be distributed before the testing occurs, notifying of the date and time of the testing. This work will be performed between the hours of 8:00am and 4:00pm, WEATHER PERMITTING.

The City of Eureka’s Contractor, National Plant Services, will be on site with information, should there be any questions. A representative of the company can be reached at (562) 896-1439.

The patience and cooperation of residents and business owners in the vicinity of the testing zone is greatly appreciated. Repairing and maintaining our sewer collection systems is vital to the health and safety of our residents.

On October 10, 2022, Jonathan ‘Lance’ Lister passed away peacefully in Eureka, surrounded by his family. Lance was born on July 27, 1965 in Victoria, British Columbia (B.C.).

Preceded in death by his mother, Margaret Jean Islip.

He is survived by many family members, including his sister, Rebecca Lister (John Hoag), his first-born child Margaret L. Lister (Guthrie) and Andrew J. Lister (Kelsey), stepchildren Bryian and Amanda Marquardt. Then Lance met his life-long partner, Molly Rombalski, and had his third child, Aaron Rombalski Lister. Also survived by his grandchildren Epona L Siggins and Ryder Michel Lister.

Lance was a well-known commercial fisherman on the Jennette P. with his “brother” Steve Salo. Lance also enjoyed his fishing, Disneyland and camping trips with friends and family.

Lance will be missed by so many loved family and friends, too many too list.

Lance worked for Wayne Bare and then with Pacific Earthscapes logging up until his time of death.

For information about lances service, please call his daughter, Margaret, at (707) 499-0931.

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

A San Francisco jury has ordered the City of Arcata and Arcata Police Department detective Eric Losey to pay Kyle Zoellner more than $750,000 in compensatory and punitive damages for maliciously fabricating evidence that led to Zoellner’s arrest as the primary suspect in the stabbing death of David Josiah Lawson in 2017. The jury also called for Losey to issue a public apology “to all the victims and families,” to state the nature of his reporting inaccuracy and “what he learned about the importance of accurate reporting.” 

Zoellner, at the time of his arrest.

However, the jury’s decision could be overturned. The final legal determination will be made by presiding U.S. District Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley in the coming weeks.

To be clear, this week’s civil proceedings are not focused on whether or not Zoellner was involved in Lawson’s death. The civil trial was brought forth to determine whether or not Losey had acted maliciously to frame Zoellner.

Zoellner’s attorney Elizabeth Zareh contends that Losey acted with “malice” and “reckless disregard of [Zoellner’s] rights” following his arrest. “There is no doubt that APD’s investigation was bias[ed] toward Kyle Zoellner to frame him,” Zareh wrote in an email to the Outpost. “They chose to ignore significant and important exculpatory evidence and excluded [it from] their investigation. …It appears they framed [Zoellner] to cover their incompetence.”

Patrick Moriarty, an attorney representing Losey and the City of Arcata, argued that APD detectives had no unlawful purpose in arresting Zoellner, “and the decision to charge him with the murder of [Lawson] was based on evidence.” Moriarity maintains that there was ample probable cause to charge Zoellner.

“The City [of Arcata] is confident that the trial judge will set aside Mr. Zoellner’s verdict,” Moriarty wrote in an email to the Outpost. “At trial, Mr. Zoellner was required to prove that [Losey] lacked probable cause to have Zoellner charged. The trial record confirms that the plaintiff did not satisfy his burden. If the Court decides probable cause existed, it will set aside the verdict and enter judgment in favor of [Losey].”

The civil rights action initially came before the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California in 2018, after Zoellner filed suit against the city of Arcata, Losey and several other APD employees and people in City Hall, accusing them of unlawful arrest, malicious prosecution, defamation and other civil rights violations 

In March of this year, U.S. District Judge Edward Chen dismissed the bulk of Zoellner’s suit against the City of Arcata and all its employees, with the exception of Losey.

“The Court holds that all of the defendants, except for Det. Losey, are entitled to summary judgment on the malicious prosecution claim because, even if probable cause was lacking (a reasonable jury could so find), no reasonable jury could find that they acted with malice based on the record presented,” Chen wrote in his March 1 Order on Motion for Summary Judgment. 

Chen explained that the situation is different for Losey due to a “genuine dispute of material facts on malice,” because he included false information in his police report, stating that an eyewitness had identified Zoellner as the assailant in the killing of Lawson when the witness had not identified Zoellner by name.

Losey admitted that he was mistaken and told the Humboldt County District Attorney’s Office about the error before the preliminary hearing began on May 1, 2017. The DA’s Office nevertheless decided to proceed with the hearing.

Chen asserted that “a reasonable jury could infer that Det. Losey deliberately lied because of the significance of the false information” as no other witnesses from the party had claimed to see Zoeller stab Lawson “or even with a knife at all.”

“Even though Det. Losey included false evidence in his report, that does not necessarily mean probable cause was lacking to keep Mr. Zoellner in custody,” Chen continued. “[Zoellner] must show that the officer who applied for the arrest warrant ‘deliberately or recklessly made false statements or omissions that were material to the finding of probable cause’ – i.e., that ‘the magistrate would not have issued the warrant with false information redacted, or omitted information restored.’”

Chen concluded that only one claim – malicious prosecution by Losey – could proceed to trial. That’s where we’re at now.

A U.S. District Court judge is expected to make the final legal determination in the civil case in the next two weeks. If the judge determines probable cause existed at the time of Zoellner’s arrest, the court will set aside the verdict and enter a judgment in favor of Losey. If that were to happen, Zoellner would not receive any of the $750,000 ordered by the jury.

Could the impending judgment impact future investigations into the unsolved killing of Lawson? Humboldt District Attorney Maggie Fleming told the Outpost that “every review of the evidence in a particular criminal case – including those that occur during civil trials – has the potential to inform and impact ongoing investigations.”

“[However], I don’t anticipate that the outcome of any civil case will affect the commitment of law enforcement agencies  – including the Arcata Police Department – to continue investigations of unresolved homicide cases within their jurisdictions,” Fleming added.

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[Note: This post has been updated to include a comment from Humboldt County District Attorney Maggie Fleming.]

DOCUMENTS:

• Jury Verdict Form #1
• Jury Verdict Form #2
• Jury Special Request
• Eric Losey’s Memorandum Re: Probable Cause

PREVIOUS LoCO COVERAGE OF THE LAWSON CASE:

• Jail Records Reveal Name of Suspect in Fatal Arcata Stabbing
• Arcata Police Receive Anonymous Email Detailing Specifics of Arcata Homicide, Beg Author to Come Forward; Suspect Officially Named
• ‘He Was the One’: Josiah Lawson, Humboldt State Student and President of Brothers United, Remembered at Campus Prayer Service
• Zoellner Pleads Not Guilty to Arcata Stabbing Murder; Bail Set at $1 Million
• United by Tragedy, HSU Community Celebrates the Life and Mourns the Death of David Josiah Lawson
• ‘It Should Not Have Happened’: Friend of Arcata Murder Victim Believes Racism Delayed the Emergency Medical Response That Could Have Saved His Life
• ARCATA MURDER HEARING: First Witnesses Cast Doubt on Whether the Police Department’s Suspect Could Have Stabbed Victim; More Testimony Coming Tomorrow
• ARCATA MURDER HEARING: Witness Testifies That Lawson and Zoellner Were Grappling as the Victim Bled; Police Officer Describes Chaotic Crime Scene
• ARCATA MURDER HEARING: Friends Testify on ‘Girl Fight’ Between Lawson and Zoellner’s Girlfriends Prior to Fatal Stabbing
• ARCATA MURDER HEARING: More Testimony on the Knife Found at the Scene; Lawson’s Friend Testifies He Saw Zoellner Drop Something Shiny
• Judge Dismisses Case Against Kyle Zoellner, McKinleyville Man Arrested in Stabbing Death of HSU Student David Josiah Lawson
• Arcata’s Police Chief, Vice Mayor React to Zoellner Hearing Ruling
• ARCATA MURDER HEARING: Kyle Zoellner to Be Released After Judge Reinholtsen Rules Not Enough Evidence to Hold Him For Stabbing Death of Josiah Lawson
• (PHOTOS) Protesters March Through Arcata Demanding ‘Justice for Josiah’
• HSU Faculty, UPD, Brothers United Participate in Radio Town Hall on Lawson Case Tonight; Arcata Mayor Releases Statement; HSU Walk Out Planned Tuesday
• (PHOTOS/VIDEO) After Busy Week, Family and Friends of Josiah Lawson Still Seeking Justice
• Josiah Lawson’s Mother Offers $10k Reward for Information Leading to the Conviction of Son’s Killer
• Arcata Calls in Outside Investigators, Approves $21K Reward for Info Leading to Conviction of Lawson Killer
• Kyle Zoellner Appears in Court to Request Law Enforcement Return His Cell Phone, Laptops; Judge Says No
• (VIDEO) This Morning’s Lawson Murder Press Conference Offers Few Updates
• Public Investigator Working With APD in Josiah Lawson Case
• Kyle Zoellner, Once Suspected of Homicide in David Josiah Lawson Slaying, Files Claim Against City of Arcata For Defamation, Pain and Suffering, Emotional Distress
• (PHOTOS) Hundreds Turn Out for Eureka MLK Day People’s Rally and March for Justice
• DA: Grand Jury Declines to Indict Anyone in David Josiah Lawson Case
• (VIDEO) Justice for Josiah Activists Hold First Monthly Vigil Since Grand Jury Decision; Charmaine Lawson Vows to Keep Fighting
• ‘Justice For Josiah’ Advocates Demand Arcata City Council Turn Lawson Case Over to the State
• Arcata Police Release Images of Potential Josiah Lawson Stabbing Witnesses, Ask Public’s Help
• TWO YEARS
• (WATCH) ‘Who Killed Josiah?’: Documentary Takes a Look at the Lawson Case
• California Attorney General’s Office Says it Will Not Take On Josiah Lawson Case
• ‘Racism Kills!’ Supervisor Bohn Adjourns Meeting and Leaves Chambers Amid Outcry Over Derogatory Joke
• Humboldt High Schoolers Announced as First David Josiah Lawson Scholarship Recipients
• Josiah Lawson Documentary Set to Air on Los Angeles Television Later This Month
• (AUDIO) Charmaine Lawson, Arcata Police Chief Ask Witnesses to Josiah Lawson Slaying to Come Forward in Public Service Announcement.
• (VIDEO) ‘Justice for Josiah’ Activists Shut Down Arcata City Council Meeting
• Outside Review of Lawson Case Complete; Emergency Response Deemed Appropriate But More Training Recommended
• On the Third Anniversary of Josiah Lawson’s Death, Arcata Police Once Again Ask for Witnesses to Come Forward
• (VIDEO) Charmaine Lawson Interviewed for TV Documentary Series ‘Still a Mystery’; Episode on the Murder of HSU Student Josiah Lawson to Air Tonight
• Civil Grand Jury Finds ‘Failures’ and ‘Ineptitudes’ But No Direct Evidence of Racial Bias in Review of Josiah Lawson Homicide Investigation
• Submissions Sought for David Josiah Lawson Oration Festival
• Charmaine Lawson Settles Lawsuit Against City of Arcata; Terms Include $25,000 Contribution to Scholarship Fund, New City Mural and Additional, Undisclosed Terms
• Eureka City Schools Board Overturns Mural Ban, Making Way for BIPOC Student Art
• Five Years
• Charmaine Lawson Continues to Seek ‘Justice for Josiah’ Five Years After Her Son’s Death

Humboldt County Drug Task Force press release:

On Tuesday October 11th , 2022, the Humboldt County Drug Task Force (HCDTF), received information that a package containing one pound of methamphetamine had been located after its arrival at a Eureka parcel center. Agents wrote a search warrant for the package and anybody who attempted to pick up the package. The HCDTF initiated a surveillance at the business and identified the receiver of the package when they arrived. Agents detained Jasmine Mahina Lucero Kahoalii (44 years old from Eureka).

Kohoalii and her vehicle were searched and additional quantities of methamphetamine, a digital scale, packaging, and a safe with drug price amounts were located. Kahoalii was arrested and booked at the Humboldt County Jail for the below listed charges:

• 11378 H&S Possession of methamphetamine for sale
• 11379 H&S Transportation of methamphetamine

Anyone with information related to this investigation or other narcotics related crimes are encouraged to call the Humboldt County Drug Task Force at 707-267-9976.

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California is sending money directly to millions of residents to help with rising costs and high gas prices.

The payments, which started going out Oct. 7, range from $200 to $1,050, depending on income and other factors. About 18 million payments will be distributed over the next few months, benefiting up to 23 million Californians. The cash payouts are part of a June budget deal.

CalMatters talked to the state’s Franchise Tax Board to parse what all this means for you. Check out our tool at the bottom of this article to find out how much you’ll get.

Are you eligible?

To be eligible, you need to have filed a 2020 California tax return by Oct. 15, 2021. There’s an exception for people who did not file by the October deadline because they were waiting on an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (so long as they filed by Feb. 15, 2022).

People who didn’t file taxes for 2020, including some seniors and disabled people, will be left out.

People who can be claimed as dependents for tax purposes won’t get their own payments.

The payments also won’t go to married or domestic partners who have an adjusted gross income over $500,000. Same goes for many individuals who have adjusted gross incomes over $250,000.

You also had to be a California resident for at least six months of 2020, and be a resident when your payment is issued.

Undocumented Californians with a valid taxpayer number or Social Security number, who filed complete 2020 tax returns and meet all of the eligibility requirements, can receive the payments.

You don’t need to send any additional forms, or fill out any application to get the payment.

How will you get the payment?

People who are eligible for the payment will get it either via a direct deposit to their bank account or by mailed debit card, according to the tax board. Generally, people who filed their 2020 tax return online and received their state tax refund via direct deposit will get a direct deposit. Most other people who are eligible will get debit cards in the mail. The envelope will be clearly marked with the phrase “Middle Class Tax Refund.”

When will you get the payment?

The first round of payments will go to people who received one of the two Golden State Stimulus payments from 2021 and are eligible for a direct deposit. The first round of payments are expected to go out between Oct. 7 and Oct. 25.

The rest of the direct deposits are expected to go out between Oct. 28 and Nov. 14. The tax board expects 90% of direct deposits to be sent out in October, according to its website.

Debit cards for people who got one of the Golden State Stimulus payments are expected to be mailed out between Oct. 25 and Dec. 10. All of the remaining debit cards are expected to be mailed by Jan. 15

Why can’t they all be sent out at once? “There are constraints on the number of direct deposits and mailed debit cards that can be issued weekly,” Franchise Tax Board spokesperson Andrew LePage told CalMatters. “Logistically it takes time to deliver approximately 18 million payments to Californians effectively and accurately, protecting both taxpayers and California.”

How much will you get?

We’ve made a tool for you to look that up. The Franchise Tax Board also has information, as well as a customer help line, which can be reached by dialing 800-542-9332. The help line has assistance in English, Spanish, Mandarin, Hindi, Vietnamese, Korean, and Punjabi. The board says other languages may be supported by request.

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