News Blog

Landslide Closes Down 299 in Trinity County

by Kym Kemp on December 29, 2018 at 10:35AM

State Route 299 remained closed this morning after a landslide came down on the roadway around 7:45 p.m. the night before about 3 miles west of Junction City in Trinity County. About 9 a.m., Caltrans reported that “the slide was still active” and there was “no ETA for opening.” Message signs had been turned on near Willow Creek to warn of the closure, but a request went out this morning to extend the alert out to U.S. Highway 101.

Coast Guard Members to Get Paid Despite Shutdown, for Now

by Thadeus Greenson on December 28, 2018 at 5:13PM

The Journal is working to determine how many of the county’s approximately 800 federal employees have been impacted by the shutdown, which began Dec. 21 after the Trump administration and Congress failed to reach agreement on a spending bill due to an impasse over the administration’s demand for $5 billion in funding to erect a wall along the United States’ border with Mexico. While members of other branches of the military are unaffected by the shutdown as it doesn’t affect the Department of Defense, which was funded through a previous spending measure, the shutdown does impact the Department of Homeland Security, which includes the U.S. Coast Guard and its 42,000 service members.

Reports Find Cannabis Bank Infeasible; Five Things You Need to Know About Public Banking in California

by Felicia Mello and Ben Christopher, CALmatters on December 28, 2018 at 11:19AM

Both reports gave the idea a hard “no”. “No state-backed financial institution designed to support the cannabis industry is feasible.

Brown Commutes Sentences of Two Local Women Convicted of Murder

by Kimberly Wear on December 27, 2018 at 4:05PM

Just before the shooting, police had told Preston and her daughter that DNA evidence exonerated LaPorta of harming the 18-month-old girl, his biological daughter. He was not married to the child’s mother — Preston’s daughter — and the two were reportedly having issues with visitation rights.

On Feb. 21, 2018, the Galactic Core (I think of it in capitals) rose at 02:57AM, appearing just a little south of east. By 05:00 when I photographed it, it was 18º above the horizon, and the dawn would soon chase it away. The streaks of light in this self portrait are from my light as I walked up the hill during the exposure.

North Coast Night Lights: The Changing Milky Way

by David Wilson on December 27, 2018 at 10:58AM

By late February, the Milky Way’s core is once again visible but only in the wee hours of the morning. The earliest in the year I have photographed it (so far) was on the cold, snowy morning of Feb. 21, 2018, up by the Kneeland airport.

Before the $4.7 Billion Baby Powder Verdict, There Was One in Humboldt

by Thadeus Greenson on December 26, 2018 at 2:31PM

After the verdict, the company released a brief statement: “While we deeply sympathize with anyone suffering from any form of cancer, the science and facts show that her disease was not caused by her use of our talcum-based products.” According to verdict forms from the case, the jury found that Allen was exposed to asbestos from Johnson and Johnson’s Baby Powder due to a “manufacturing defect,” but that Allen failed to prove that was a “substantial factor” in causing her mesothelioma.

Local Healthcare Company Focus of WaPo Story

by Thadeus Greenson on December 26, 2018 at 10:03AM

Hailey has access to palliative care through MediCal thanks to Senate Bill 1004, which mandates that the state provide in-home palliative care to MediCal recipients. Surber, meanwhile, is insured through a combination of Medicare and a policy through his wife, neither of which cover palliative care, limiting him to more traditional treatment options.

Alann Steen (left) in 1992 at HSU as a Hadley Lecture speaker, following his release from captivity, with Mark Larson (center) and Howard Seemann of the journalism department.

A Hostage For 5 Years, Former HSU Professor Alann Steen Dies

by Kimberly Wear on December 23, 2018 at 1:26PM

“Beirut was a fantastic city – the crossroads of the world. Even though it’s in the midst of a war, there’s a magnetism to it,” Steen said.

Major Leak Causing Water Woes in Miranda

by Kym Kemp on December 22, 2018 at 11:34AM

Miranda residents are being asked to conserve water this morning due to a leak impacted the system. Some re

UPDATE: 1 Arrested, 1 Sought After SWAT Standoff South of Laytonville

by Kym Kemp on December 21, 2018 at 11:37PM

A dispatcher was reporting over the scanner at 10:17 p.m. that, “It’s turning into a SWAT operation,” with Humboldt deputies reportedly telling Mendocino deputies via dispatchers that the suspects stole firearms. A short time later, the deputy at the scene reported over the scanner that the suspect is holding up a large shiny object,” but, “I’m not sure what it is.”

North Coast Journal