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A federal court again rejected a former murder suspect’s lawsuit. The court sided with the City of Arcata and a detective, rejecting Kyle Zoellner's second attempt to win a large sum of money in claims he was unlawfully arrested, maliciously prosecuted, provided inadequate medical care, and defamed, among other things. So once again a court is saying officers had probable cause when they arrested Kyle after the 2017 knife murder of David Josiah, or “DJ,” Lawson. A new mural honoring DJ was recently painted near Cal Poly Humboldt as his case remains unsolved seven years later. *** NCJ / Loco / TS [After DJ was killed, Kyle saw murder charges dismissed due to a lack of evidence at the time, and a criminal grand jury refused to move the case forward when more evidence was presented. Reportedly, DNA evidence links a bloody knife to both DJ and Kyle.]
Documents revealed officials expected violence from pro-Palestinian protesters at Cal Poly Humboldt in April. Officers responded with the mass arrest of over 30 people, saying they would prioritize health and safety while eliminating the threat of “domestic violent extremism and criminal behavior.” That’s how Cal Poly Humboldt police worded it. The clash saw injuries to cops and protesters and was symbolized by a protester hitting an officer with a plastic water cooler bottle. The school suffered millions in losses from the events. *** TS
Anti-pride signs were stolen and defaced at a church in Ferndale. The pastor at St. Mark’s posted the anti-LGBTQ+ signs and then aimed video surveillance at ‘em, leading to his promotion of the footage on social media. At least one sign was returned with a painting of a dick with the tag ‘I ♥ gay sex.” The theft and vandalism coincides with the recent theft of a Pride Flag from the Humboldt County Courthouse. *** RHBB
A wanted ‘dangerous’ suspect was arrested near Fortuna after a high-speed chase. Officers noted the fugitive had threatened "suicide by cop" and was running a chop shop in addition to other charges including kidnapping. The chase saw speeds up to 90 mph, the dodging of spike strips, and plunging his car into a riverbed. He apparently tried and failed to flee on foot while the pulse-pounding chase concluded with no injuries. *** RHBB / RHBB
Officers say they busted a Southern Humboldt woman with over 1,000 pounds of illegal cannabis. Initially pulled over for speeding near Mount Shasta, a person sharing the same name as the Redway woman arrested is a well-known figure for her work with a women's shelter. *** RHBB
An apparent ‘Scarface’ fan was arrested with pounds of mixed cocaine and fentanyl. Officers in Eureka say they pulled over an LA traveler with 2.2 pounds of the mixture in his car. With this arrest, investigators shared a photo of a drug container marked with an image of Al Pacino as Tony Montana, the notorious drug lord character in 1983’s ‘Scarface.’ *** RHBB
County Supervisors are allowing Sheriff’s Officers to star in the reality series ‘On Patrol: Live’ for up to a year. Despite concerns from some about liability and the potential for camera crews to distract officers, Sheriff Honsal said the show would spotlight their professionalism and serve as a recruitment tool. In a Loco poll, nearly half of respondents were not in favor of being on a show like ‘Cops’ citing the potential to showcase people in their worst moments for entertainment. 39% were in favor. How do you feel about it? *** Loco
A man was rescued by helicopter after hikers found him badly injured along the Lost Coast Trail. He was covered in blood, hypothermic, and couldn’t remember how he got there, with deep cuts on his arms and torso. The teenagers who found him helped until the ‘copter arrived. In a twist, the hiker said he thinks he may’ve been assaulted but could not recall details. The Lost Coast Trail is a coveted remote coastal hiking experience, but it often requires planning, preparedness, permits, camping, caution, and careful timing with the tides. In an earlier report, it was noted this fella was on his first backpacking trip. *** Loco / RHBB
A $7M parking lot project at ACV will see major improvements after construction impacts this summer. During construction, parking spaces will be down 25 percent, but afterward, parking spaces will be up 40 percent with automated booths. *** MRU
Eureka DMV is looking to move from the mall to the old Harley dealership on the north end of town. The spot would offer more parking, vehicle charging stations, and a motorcycle testing area. The move is awaiting Coast Commission approval. *** Loco
Eureka officials approved the wording of a ballot item that pits parking against housing. The "Housing for All…" initiative would prevent some city-owned parking lots from being replaced by affordable housing. You can read the wording in the article I linked, but it basically changes the rules for 21 lots and allows housing and commercial use at the former Jacobs Middle School campus in southwest Eureka. The ballot item is backed by previously controversial businessman Rob Arkley and his company Security National. *** Loco
Wildlife officials confirmed the bears removed from a Eureka tree are the same ones spotted in Arcata and Samoa. Drawn by easy food, the mom and her cub were relocated 30 miles away from Eureka but returned, crossing highways and rivers. The mama bear reportedly collided with a car but is still mobile. Definitely secure your food as these two may have to be relocated again. *** Loco
The remains of a popular fisherman who disappeared in a 1987 storm off Humboldt Bay were IDed with DNA tech. Milton Pelligrini Jr. was one of three fishers who died in the storm as his remains were discovered near Trinidad in 1991. The 2024 closure in the case comes as local investigators have ramped up work to ID a backlog of recovered bodies. *** RHBB / Nice comments on the Loco FB
Tractor Supply Company including their Arcata and Fortuna stores have ditched so-called ‘’woke’ policies. The company with over 2,000 locations is no longer participating in Diversity Equity and Inclusion (or DEI), they’re avoiding environmental goals, they won’t submit human rights data, and they’re discontinuing support for pride festivals and voting campaigns. These moves come after an anti-trans activist shunned Tractor Supply Company for those aforementioned policies in a post on X or Twitter. Tractor Supply said this was a shift towards "rural America priorities'' and they’d be committed to land and water conservation. *** Forbes
Multiple injuries were reported in a fireworks incident at South Beach in Crescent City. Officials reported several injuries, possibly related to a box of mortars that exploded. Facts have yet to be verified, but one post noted mass casualties, severed fingers, a huge fight breaking out, and severe injuries to a 3-year-old. *** gofundme
(REMINDER) A free clinic will allow healthcare and dental services for anyone. That means visits with doctors, nurses, and dentists, regardless of income, insurance, or pre-registration, no questions asked. A third of California faces poverty and inadequate healthcare. The California Care Force’s Humboldt County Clinic is set for July 12 and 13 at the Adorni Center in Eureka. *** CaliforniaCareForce [Thanks to friend of the show Ross for passing this along.]
The Supreme Court authorized removing homeless encampments from public property. The decision reversed a lower ruling protecting encampments on public property when communities lack shelter space. Activists say the Supreme Court’s decision worsens and criminalizes homelessness, while proponents including Governor Newsom have said it helps address public health and safety concerns: “There is no compassion in stepping over people in the streets, and there is no dignity in allowing people to die in dangerous, fire-prone encampments.” We’ll see how this impacts California and Humboldt County. *** RHBB
Humboldt County watched the first presidential debate as Biden stumbled and Trump lied. In Biden, we saw his childhood stutter, unclear responses, missed opportunities, a raspy voice, and a reported cold, while at least attempting to answer the questions posed. In Trump, we saw a talented salesperson, skillful misdirection, and most of the night’s false claims. In their stronger moments, Biden won points on taxing the rich, veterans, the environment, infrastructure, election integrity, and Trump’s legal problems, while Trump appeared strong and firm while steering responses to crime, inflation, immigration, his relationship with Putin, black jobs, and Biden criticisms, with little to zero real-time fact-checking. The debate probably won’t sway any local voters, but it was on-brand with two old men talking shit about their golf capabilities. We’ll see how Humboldt County votes in the election in November. In a Loco poll, 23 percent of respondents favored Trump. *** factcheck.org / AP fact check / Loco poll
Jared Huffman told CNN the Democratic presidential nominee should be Kamala Karris if Biden steps down. Huffman, Humboldt County’s U.S. representative, said it’s going to be ‘very difficult’ for Biden to change the minds of folks who think he should exit the race against Donald Trump. *** CNN
Editorial: Bear River’s family arcade shifted away from games I criticized as grooming for gambling. I want to recognize what I believe is a great move by the ‘Rancheria’s Family Entertainment Center in Loleta, shifting from sometimes skillless games that provide tickets for prizes, to a full lineup of games that are just enjoyable to play with no tickets and prizes. In a 2022 editorial, I’d criticized the Loleta arcade for potentially grooming kids to become gamblers (buzz kill, I know). One of their old games that comes to mind just had you spin a wheel for the possibility of tickets — they had about four games that borderline operated as kiddo slot machines. But no longer. The Loleta arcade now has a sweet new batch of just-for-fun games including a fantastic Mario Kart experience, with no tickets and prizes. I’m not sure what motivated the change, but a hat tip is due now that the only gambling at Bear River will be done by adults at their casino. Millions of Americans suffer from severe gambling addiction which can often be tied to a range of additional significant quality-of-life downsides.
This is a test of the non-emergency broadcast system.