Housing & Development · Humboldt County
During a Tuesday webinar led by Tanner Etherton of the Schatz Energy Research Center, Humboldt Bay shellfish growers and researchers outlined risks posed by the proposed Humboldt Bay Offshore Wind Heavy Lift Marine Terminal on the Samoa Peninsula, including introduction of oyster herpesvirus (OSHV-1), dredging-released contaminants, chemical exposure, and harmful algal blooms. The bay's aquaculture sector supports 57 full-time equivalent jobs, generated $4.8 million in labor income, and supplies roughly 66% of West Coast shellfish seed; growers warned vessel traffic could jump from 10–15 to 380–400 annually. NOAA has funded hydrodynamic modeling through the Danish Hydraulic Institute to study pathogen spread via ship traffic. The Humboldt Bay Harbor District's Notice of Preparation is open for public comment through Nov. 30.
Crime · Humboldt County
In Humboldt County Superior Court, prosecutors said an autopsy for Bill Spenceley, the 75-year-old Arcata resident attacked in the Arcata Community Forest on Jan. 30 who died Oct. 5, will determine whether defendant Shawn Kolpak faces a murder charge; final results are expected in two to three months, with the next hearing set for Jan. 13. In a separate case, Deputy District Attorney Carolyn Schaffer offered a plea deal to Christopher Diven, accused of fatally shooting Vincent McKenney at a remote abandoned grow along State Route 299 in October 2025; Diven would plead guilty to second-degree murder with a firearm enhancement, and the next hearing is set for Oct. 29. A third case involving the fatal shooting of 17-year-old Hoopa resident Dylan Moon was further delayed after court-appointed attorney Kevin Davenport was seriously injured in a September car accident; the next hearing for codefendant William Warren is set for Oct. 23.
Transportation · Arcata, CA
The San Joaquin Joint Powers Authority, which manages Gold Runner bus Route 7 between Arcata and Martinez, is considering reducing midweek service due to high operating costs that have risen 146% since 2022 while ridership grew only 47%. The route carried more than 46,000 passengers from October 2024 through September 2025 but cost $1.9 million to $3.2 million to operate, making it the third most expensive of Gold Runner's 13 routes. Tuesdays and Wednesdays, which see the fewest riders, would be the first days targeted for reduced service, though no decisions have been made and none are expected until early next year. Humboldt Transit Authority general manager Katie Collender voiced support for maintaining current service levels, while transit advocate Colin Fiske warned that cuts would harm car-free residents who rely on midweek buses to access health care further south.
Public Safety · Humboldt County
The Surgone Fire, first discovered at 12:25 p.m. on Oct. 11 along State Highway 169 near Surgone in Humboldt County, California, has burned 64 acres and reached 75% containment by the morning of Oct. 16. The Cal Fire Humboldt-Del Norte Unit is managing the incident, though the cause remains unknown. Containment means 75% of the fire perimeter is enclosed by control lines, while 25% remains uncontrolled.
Public Safety · Humboldt County
A wildfire named the Glendale Fire was first discovered at 4:34 p.m. on October 16, burning on private land in Humboldt County, California. As of publication, containment status is unknown and the cause remains undetermined, according to the National Interagency Fire Center.
Community News · Arcata, CA
The Annie and Mary Trail, a 3.5-mile paved multi-use path from Sunset Avenue in Arcata to a park on the Mad River, will officially open with a ribbon-cutting ceremony Friday, Nov. 13 at noon at the Foodworks Culinary Center. All paving is complete; remaining work includes bridge installation, permanent fencing, and line painting. Arcata's director of environmental services Emily Sinkhorn said more than 300 people already use the trail daily despite its incomplete status. The project, built by Granite Construction with collaboration from Caltrans, Cal Poly Humboldt, Humboldt Bay Municipal Water District, and Yurok Indian Housing Authority, fulfills advocacy that began in the late 1990s after the rail line was abandoned. The trail is part of the city's plan to connect Valley West to the rest of Arcata, with future extensions toward Blue Lake through Glendale along Highway 299.
