Samoa poss debris fire, somewhere in area of the Boat Ramp & Bunker Rd; caller isn’t familiar with the area and that’s their best guess; for Samoa FD… Engine 8614 responding

HumBayFire is now canceling Loleta Fire WT 7556, they’re not required

Elk River area, HumBayFire requesting a mutual aid water tender from Loleta FD to a possible structure fire, 8100 block of Elk River Road; 7500 series WT is responding

Friend o’ the LoCO Lilach Assayag spotted a troupe of otters doing otter things in the bay near King Salmon this afternoon. Delightful little shitheads, ain’t they?

Apparently they’ve taken to the bay. Assayag tells us that she saw the same squad — or one suspiciously like it — down by Elk River the other day.

Emergency personnel are on scene at Hilfiker Pipe Co. on Broadway in Eureka after what appears to be a single-vehicle collision involving a driver who careened off the road. A tow truck is in the process of pulling a white sedan off a pile of concrete culverts piled in front of the business.

The far right lane of Highway 101 south is closed for the time being while crews deal with the wreckage. No word on if anyone was injured. 

🆕𝗥𝗘-𝗣𝗢𝗣𝗨𝗟𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡 𝗨𝗣𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘: EVACUATION ORDERS for zones HUM-E063-B, E063-A, E077-C, and E077-B downgraded to warnings. Residents who live in these zones may begin to return home with caution. Learn more: https://t.co/vEuJY1MyRl #SixRiversLightningComplexfire pic.twitter.com/peS90ky39Q

— Humboldt Co OES (@HumCoOES) August 22, 2022

For the record, it’s a scorching 70°F in Eureka today. Not saying that that’s what is responsible for this unfortunate Old Town scene, but it crossed LoCO’s fragile, coastal-dwelling minds.

The California Retired Teacher Association is giving away lots and lots of money in the form of $100 grants to current teachers and classroom projects. All you gotta do, Humboldt teacher, is fill out what they promise to be a “30-second form” and cross your fingers.

There are three rounds of grants, with 35 winners in each round. First round opens Wednesday. Here’s the link.

These are statewide grants, so competition will presumably be fierce. But all you have to lose is 30 seconds! Flyer below.

“The government has actually managed to do in just a few years what the war on drugs couldn’t do in decades,” says Natalynne DeLapp,  executive director of the Humboldt County Growers Alliance, in a new article published yesterday by the Washington Post. “It has killed the cannabis market.”

In the piece, WaPo writer Scott Wilson and photographer Melina Mara tour a struggling weed farm near Petrolia to get a sense of the toll cannabis legalization and state regulations have taken on small-scale farmers who chose to bring their operations into compliance. 

Give it a read here.

The casualties of California legalizing pot: Growers who went legal

The state voted to legalize marijuana for private use. Now small farms are dying off because of high taxes and baffling regulations.

WASHINGTON POST

King Salmon Traffic Collision: Report of a vehicle vs. motorcycle on King Salmon at 101 with one down in the roadway; HCSO, CHP, Humboldt Bay Fire and City Ambulance are on scene; CHP is reporting this is a major injury accident and King Salmon Ave is shut down

###

Who doesn’t love a good listicle, especially when someplace in Humboldt makes the list? If you don’t find them helpful, they are at least fun to pick apart and argue about.  And that’s precisely what LoCO staffers did when we read a recent Los Angeles Times piece, “What to do, see and eat in California’s nine best college towns.”

Arcata makes the list, and for that we are proud. But we did have to wonder if every other “college town” deserves that title. I mean, is Berkeley — with a population of well over 100,000 — really a town? We’ll leave that up to our readers to decide. 

But what is much more debatable is a quote about Humboldt County, from “local guide” Matt Kurth, owner of Humboldt Cannabis Tours. Kurth makes some great recommendations like checking out the Arcata Farmer’s Market, going to a Crabs game, getting some weed from HPRC. But then, he apparently said that eggs Benedict seems to be the “unofficial breakfast of Humboldt County.” 

While we agree that we love a good Benedict, never have we heard that it is particularly popular or famous in Humboldt County. Are we missing something? 

ARF E8215 clear & returning from the Old Arcata Road call

Bayside hazardous condition, Carbon Monoxide alarm, 3400 block Old Arcata Road, Arcata Engine 8215 responding and acknowledged the hazardous condition

Law enforcement is staged near the confluence of Highway 36 and Rohnerville Road, where reportedly a subject is barricaded in a residence. Area residence have been told to shelter in place. North Coast News is live at the scene and provides some pertinent details above

We will always cherish the memories of all the commerce that occurred within its walls, but the day has arrived when we must bid fond farewell to Eureka’s old Chamber of Commerce building on Broadway. Crews had just about flattened the former property when LoCO happened by this morning. RIP, friend. 

If you somehow shamefully missed our previous coverage of what type of development is slated for the space, catch your butt up here. We straddle a river of money. 

UPDATED PHOTO: Patricia Ribeiro, age 71, was last seen Aug. 18 walking west along HWY 36 in the area of MM 32, near Upper Larabee Valley Road. Ribeiro suffers from medical conditions and may be disoriented. Please call 707-445-7251, ex. 0, to report whereabouts. pic.twitter.com/VJTcWapzQ2

— HumCoSO (@HumCoSO) August 19, 2022

AT-RISK #MISSINGPERSON: Patricia Ribeiro, 71, was last seen Aug. 18 walking west along HWY 36 in the area of MM 32, near Upper Larabee Valley Road. Ribeiro suffers from medical conditions and may be disoriented. Please call 707-445-7251, ex. 0, to report whereabouts. pic.twitter.com/aBlXmPHFlk

— HumCoSO (@HumCoSO) August 19, 2022

Copter 909 has the rattlesnake bite patient from Spanish Ridge and is flying them directly to Saint Joseph’s Hospital in Eureka. The balance has been canceled.

REACH has an ETA of 1835 to the Shelter Cove airport (it appear that it will be REACH 7 out of Yuba County). Cal Fire Copter 909 is now directly over the patient on Spanish Ridge. The plan seems to be for Copter 909 to conduct an air rescue and transfer the patient to REACH in Shelter Cove for medical care

Kings Range Air Rescue: Report of an adult female with a rattlesnake bite in the Spanish Ridge area; For Engine 2764, Honeydew Fire, Cal Fire Copter 909, REACH air ambulance on order; First unit at scene will be the “Spanish IC”

Today we dropped off a new supply of N95 masks at Dream Quest Teen & Youth Center! The masks and other supplies are available for free to those impacted by the #sixriverslightningcomplexfire at Dream Quest (100 Country Club Drive, Willow Creek) M - F, 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. pic.twitter.com/t5tyXQXwLN

— Humboldt Co OES (@HumCoOES) August 18, 2022

Arcata Engine 8215 clearing, false alarm; and UPD requested Facilities personnel to investigate and re-set the alarm

University Housing requesting permission to turn of the alarm. UPD advise yes, they and Arcata Fire are almost finished with the building check.

Engine 8215 on scene, alarm still sounding, they’re out investigating. University Police are also out, checking all levels of Cypress Hall

Arcata at Cal Poly Humboldt, commercial fire alarm in Cypress Hall, a kitchen alarm activated; for Arcata Fire and University Police; Arcata Engine 8215 responding

McKinleyville bicyclist injury [unk if a traffic collision] Hiller Rd at Berg Ave, adult male down, for Arcata Fire & Ambulance; Engine 8217 responding

[I’ll take the chance of assuming that the “Fabrication IC” name was selected due to the large building just east on 299 with a “North Coast Fabricators” sign on its west-facing wall]

Fabrication IC reports fire on 299 is controlled, cancel all companies not at the scene

“Fabrication IC” (Chief 8201) reports the #1 eastbound lane on 299 is closed temporarily

Arcata Chiefs 8200 and 8201 at scene on 101/299, “Fabrication IC,” continue all responding companies