Humboldt Last Week

Humboldt’s celebrity chef from Ferndale went viral on the internet once again last week, garnering over 31,000 upvotes on the social site Reddit for officiating gay weddings in honor of his late sister. Also: The high-profile arrest of Ray Christie for animal cruelty, another Sara Bareilles update, High Times taking on Reggae on the River, the former Eureka K-Mart building is no longer an option for County offices, win tickets to see Wyclef Jean at the Mateel March 28, Arcata moves forward with their McKinley statue removal after a hiccup, a student protest at HSU over cuts, Jon Goldberg is convicted of second-degree murder, crime updates, and more.

Efforts are currently underway looking into the possibility of building a community pool in Fortuna, potentially at the site of an upcoming community center off Newburg Road (11:56). Also: Sara Bareilles is likely getting involved in an “Alice in Wonderland” musical, suspects plead guilty to manslaughter and other charges in a hash lab explosion in Rio Dell, a wrongful death claim in Arcata, our neighbors up north say no to commercial cannabis, hundreds of Humboldt students participated in events hoping for less gun violence, Leafly lists the best places to “blaze up” (or just visit) in Humboldt, crime updates, and other top stories from last week.

The Eureka City Council passed an ordinance requiring needle exchange programs to keep needle distribution records, refer drug users to treatment, and do weekly community cleanups. City Council Member Austin Allison supports the ordinance but wants amendments, for one something that provides incentive for higher needle return rates. City Council candidate John Fullerton wants the city to switch to one-for-one exchange rather than needs-based. (Begins at 12:47) Also: Sara Bareilles is getting a huge honor, Ferndale gets kudos, a wild story involving a bounty hunter, the upcoming jail expansion, thieves steal from kids, crab fishers rescued a deer from drowning, Arcata voters might weigh in on the McKinley statue, Disney’s “A Wrinkle in Time” hits theaters, free tuition for first-time college students at CR, crime updates, and other top stories from last week.

A jury trial began for a man accused of murdering a man he once believed was a friend, but was reportedly found to be involved in an intimate relationship with his wife. A self-defense tragedy or cold-blooded murder, Lost Coast Outpost reporter Rhonda Parker discusses her coverage and the trial so far. Also: Humboldt is getting a doctor residency program as early as this summer, Eureka’s potential amendment to policy on needle exchange, Marci Kitchen’s lawyers dropped her as a client, a big win for the Yurok Tribe, Fortuna settles a wrongful death lawsuit, HSU alum Alex Cappa continues to thrill at the NFL scouting combine, crime updates, and more.

Journalist Kym Kemp discusses an article she was interviewed for about Eastern Europeans -- including doctors and lawyers -- moving to Humboldt in large numbers to work on cannabis farms, hearing sometimes exaggerated tales of the riches earned here. She also discusses the state of legal recreational cannabis in Humboldt so far (12:12). Also: A man is accused of murdering his sister in Hoopa, Netflix is shooting here, Arcata’s vanished mystery cabin pops up online again, Fern Canyon gets some love, HSU’s interim head football coach wants the official role, air travel news, two bodies found, crime updates, and more.

A girl who testified against a ‘spooky storyteller’ accused of child molestation was backed in the courthouse by members of Bikers Against Child Abuse. The president of the local chapter said they show up in situations such as this only when invited and stressed their mission to protect and empower abused children while following a number of protocols. Also: Cannabis farmers tell local officials taxes and fees are preventing them from success, an actor joins us in spreading the word about the disappearance of Hana Hammer, local schools will reportedly roll out sex trafficking education soon, the Wiyot Tribe supports removing the McKinley statue from the Arcata Plaza, a settlement formalizes recent changes in how child abuse and neglect cases are being handles, a major guinea pig problem in Eureka, and other top stories.

HSU grad and SpongeBob creator Stephen Hillenberg was given lifetime achievement nod at the Annie Awards. “...Hillenberg, who was diagnosed with ALS this past year was (in attendance) and received a standing ovation,” wrote The Hollywood Reporter. “Tom Kenny, who is the voice actor for SpongeBob, made the stage presentation and accepted the award...” Also: Win tickets to see Afroman in Blue Lake Feb. 15, Lonely Planet selects Humboldt as the most compelling vacation destination of 2018, Humboldt also has the highest rate of found people in the state, a celebrity TV host gets involved in local politics, sitting ducks, crime updates, and other top stories from last week.

(11:43)A late HSU student and theater standout was awarded a posthumous degree with honors. Also: An alleged serial killer awaiting an unrelated trial is possibly linked to one of Humboldt’s missing, the “missing woman” starring on a show with millions of viewers, Humboldt is enticing if you know how to do it right, a Supervisor’s private flight to Sacramento is questioned, crime updates, and other top stories from last week.

Named by the DA’s office, a teenager accused of murdering his former foster parent is likely headed to adult court. The victim had two adopted sons and dozens of foster children over the years. Two of the victim’s family members provide details on the victim, the teenager, and how they interacted over the years... Also: Finders keepers in not the HSU way, rent went up and the home vacancy rate went down, a hotline aimed to fight ICE, a pure and udder debate on raw milk, more college football drama as a talented head coach resigns, crime updates, film updates, and other top stories.

(10:48) A family member is praising a lifesaving dog after a house fire in Eureka. They're also in need of housing. Also: A Eureka mom said a woman tried to steal her truck with her baby inside, a condemned property displacing families, a Humboldt-shot film makes a Rolling Stone list, illegal outdoor cannabis woes, Mateel woes, good news for Eureka’s economy, the HSU alum headed for the NFL draft gets a huge nod, a hero, the Chronicle’s choice of the coolest thing to do in Humboldt, top crime stories, and other highlights.

Humboldt County Aviation Program Coordinator Emily Jacobs discusses what what it’ll take for the upcoming LA flight to remain long-term, the benefits of the flight, price expectations, the airport’s name, and much more. Also: The memorial lighthouse in Trinidad is moved, Safeway no longer open 24 hours, the Fortuna ice rink won’t happen next winter unless they find new organizers, another Nickelodeon cartoonist with Humboldt ties, an officer who fought cancer is back on the job, a local novelist is donating proceeds from her new book to a good cause, top stories from two weeks ago (since I took a week off), crime updates, and other top stories.

A Eureka woman discusses she and her boyfriend’s appearance on “The Jerry Springer Show” a few months back. The poor character they exemplified on the show was exaggerated. Also: A great achievement by a local cheerleader, a Kringle arrested in Arcata before Christmas, dumb criminals, a heartfelt thank-you and good advice from a family going through a difficult time, an Arcata art educator gets a major nod from the Governor, memorial lighthouse issues in Trinidad, an Arcata mom continues to fight deportation, the top three main podcast stories with the most listens this year, and much more.

TS reporter Will Houston discusses an incident near Ferndale that has a Mexican national accused of shooting a Sheriff's Deputy. Regarding the incident he discusses a press conference, court appearance, national coverage, and how the suspect’s citizenship status could impact his case moving forward. Also: Fortuna High School’s football team wins state, an incredible act of anonymous kindness, needle disposal kiosks are now installed in Eureka, AT&T talks outages, protecting the Humboldt brand, a criminal lifestyle actually bites someone in the ass, a kind holiday service continues, a “pretty boy” refrains from “going back to Hollywood,” crime updates, and other stories from last week.

LoCO reporter Rhonda Parker discusses what’s believed to have happened the night of a high-profile murder in Manila, who the suspects are in relation to each other, unproven accusations of child molestation as a possible motive for the murder, and how a flipped suspect could impact the case moving forward. Also: An alleged hitman hiring, a school district looks to resolve past complaints of racial discrimination against Native American students, a national hat-tip to a couple HSU football players, a former wanted attempted murderer pleaded guilty to lesser charges, some things you maybe didn’t know about Sara Bareilles, a huge radio station takes a hard look at Eureka, crime updates, poor decisions, and other top stories from last week.

Actor Craig Robinson (The Office, This Is The End, Pineapple Express) discusses shooting the indie comedy "An Evening With Beverly Luff Linn" in Humboldt County. The film is set to premiere next month at the Sundance Film Festival. Also: Bill Murray impressed Humboldt, a local artist continues to achieve amazing things, a section of uplifting stuff, a ticket giveaway to see Flobots in Arcata Dec. 12, crime updates, and other top stories from last week.

An LA director is developing a scripted series based on her experiences as a "trimmigrant" in Humboldt. An anonymous seasonal cannabis worker analyzes her article for Salon, a website which according to them reaches 20 million unique visitors a month. Also: A local lawyer boss exits after a controversial nine months, Humboldt wins as a vacation destination, an NFL-bound HSU student achieves another first, that heart-warming dad proud of his musician son, crime updates, movie updates, and much more.

These real scratch and sniff cannabis ads are possibly the first of their kind. Humboldt Seed Company's founder discusses how they came up with the idea, how they prevented the inclusion of psychoactive elements in the ads, how an organization in Britain was conversely using scratch and sniff cannabis cards (probably without real terpenes) as a law enforcement tool, and perceptions of cannabis in the “brave new world.” Also: A date is set to determine if our Public Defender boss meets the requirements for his job, a caped cartoon squirrel with a hypodermic needle has a local organization facing criticism, more reports of negligent bullets whizzing around, that fake tale of men in SWAT gear robbing people at a national park, results of the opioid town hall, a date is set to determine if HSU football will be iced, ice skating, a reporter helps solidify an arson conviction, and other top stories from last week.

North Coast Congressman Jared Huffman isn't sure if God exists -- he made a rare announcement that he is a Humanist. A local pastor and two local politicians share different perspectives. Also: Those “killer” robbers in SWAT-style gear, potentially sick sea lions, NFL-bound HSU student Alex Cappa is smart, a defendant turns on another in the Manila murder case, statue perspective, fresh-cut karma for local thieves, and other top stories from last week.

Public Defender David Marcus has faced criticism over how he was hired back in Feb., a lawsuit over his eligibility, 17 of his own employees alleging he is unqualified, and even an alleged verbal assault on one of his employees. North Coast Journal Editor Thadeus Greenson is interviewed about his coverage so far. Also: A missing 14 year old, the Sheriff visits HACHR, big changes for pediatrics, President Trump nominated a Humboldt native for U.S. Attorney, an arts and crafts bar opening soon, crime updates, a clown, that teenage beer brouhaha, and other top stories from last week.

After a woman fatally stabbed her boyfriend earlier this year, it was concluded as "self defense." The Sheriff's Office provides background on domestic violence and domestic violence statistics. Also: The former suspect in the murder of an HSU student filed a claim against Arcata, the woman accused of drunkenly running over and killing her daughter and her daughter’s friend gets another trial delay, Humboldt’s opioid problem, fines for illegal growers, one of the teenagers recently accused in a murder reportedly used to be the victim’s foster child, Humboldt on “Jeopardy,” in his ninth NFL season former Eurekan Rey Maualuga has a first with the Miami Dolphins, and other top stories.