Bidding has closed for the day in the Bureau of Ocean Land Management’s big offshore lease auction.

So far, the bids for the two areas off Humboldt up for lease have reached $141.5 million, and the three larger areas off Morro Bay have reached $260.6 million.

You can follow along with the bids as the resume tomorrow morning at 7 a.m. Just click this link and refresh every 20 minutes. Unfortunately, we don’t get to know who currently has the winning bids — that’ll all be revealed after the auction is closed.

Rich Silacci has resigned from his role as general manager of the Humboldt County Fair Association, according to a report in the North Coast Journal.

In a letter to the HCFA, Silacci said his departure is unrelated to recent events at the fair, including the arrest of the fair’s bookkeeper on suspicion of embezzlement and the resignation of three directors. He added that the job had taken a toll on him and that he plans to remain in Ferndale to offer support as the association searches for his replacement.

The fair association’s bank statements show a healthy balance of over a million dollars. A meeting to discuss the recruitment process for Silacci’s successor is scheduled for December 12.

More at the North Coast Journal.

# # #

The above summary was generated in part by OpenAI’s Assistant language model.

A woman known to sleep in front of Arcata City Hall was found deceased in the alcove outside the building’s front door Monday morning, according to Redheaded Blackbelt. Arcata Police Chief Brian Ahearn confirmed that foul play was not suspected in her death and that the coroner had taken custody of the decedent.

The woman’s dog was found safe and is currently in the care of the Arcata Police Department. The department is waiting for contact with the woman’s next of kin to determine the dog’s long-term care.

Read more at Redheaded Blackbelt.

# # #

The above summary was generated in part by OpenAI’s Assistant language model. 

History has proven, time and again, that there is no group of sophisticates  more qualified to appreciate, interpret and judge art than LoCO readers. Thus, who better to weigh in on the fifth annual Humboldt Correctional Facility Holiday Art Contest than y’all. Your talents are needed, people! Let’s get to work.

In order to encourage the creation of this year’s crop of entries, each of the correctional facility’s housing dorms was asked to create a holiday scene with a provided large canvas, paint and supplies. Click here to view this year’s entries. Votes will be tallied until Dec. 18 and the winning dorm will be given a movie and popcorn night as reward. 

“The holidays can be difficult for everyone, especially those incarcerated and away from family,” said HCCF Programs Sergeant Delia Garcia in an HSCO release about the contest. “The Inmate Holiday Art Contest helps boost morale in the Correctional Facility, promoting positive rehabilitation and creating a safer environment for both the inmates and our correctional deputies.” 

If you’d like to view this year’s art in person you can find it — as well as entries from years past — on the ground floor of the Humboldt County Courthouse.