Feature Archives

Laurel Krause writes: Ongoing medical marijuana busts throughout Mendocino County have been arresting local residents daily. I was one of five busts made and charged with two felonies (cultivation and intent to sell/distribute) on February 20th, even though I had my doctor recommendation and was growing with the guidelines published at the Mendocino County website.

After a lengthy budget stalemate, state lawmakers have reached a compromise spending plan-increasing taxes and cutting education and social services. That means social services are in decline, at a time when demand is increasing-given the nations economic downturn. In the town of Ukiah, California, some rural community organizations are unable to keep up with the increased demand.

In a new interview, San Francisco journalist and former Black Panther Kiilu Nyasha writes that San Quentin Six prisoner "Hugo L. A. Pinell, nicknamed 'Yogi Bear,' will go to Board again on January 17. His last Board appearance was November 14, 2006 when he was denied two years, despite having no rule infractions for 24 years. Make that nearly 27 years clean time now. One of George Jackson's closest comrades, Yogi has now been incarcerated in California prisons for almost 45 years, nearly 39 in solitary confinement, the last 19 in the Pelican Bay SHU (Security Housing Unit, or 24/7 lockup)."

On December 3rd, tree-sitters unfurled a 30 ft. wide banner on the edge of the Great Redwood Forest, east of Eureka, CA. The banner read “Hey Green Diamond, Stop Clear-cutting -Earth First!”. The Green Diamond Resource Company plans to log 60 acres of large second growth and residual old growth Redwoods in the near future. The two groves represent the oldest remaining forest and best habitat for old-growth dependent species like the northern spotted owl.

People from the Klamath Basin and throughout California are urging the State Water Resources Control Board to not grant Warren Buffett-owned PacifiCorp a clean water permit because of the degradation of water quality resulting from the operation of company's dams on the river.

The Republican National Committee has sent non-Republican voters in Northern California a letter identifying them as Republicans. The letters include a registration card with a fake voter ID number and a do-not-forward stamp on the outside of the envelope. Voting rights activists say the letters are part of a voter caging campaign and an attempt to undermine non-Republican voters in the November election.

Eureka, CA-Community residents and forest activists from the redwood region and far beyond Humboldt County in Northern California, were relieved and elated as news spread of an unprecedented commitment by Humboldt Redwood Company (HRC) owners of what was Maxxam/PL land to spare the Nanning Creek and Fern Gully ancient groves where tree-sits have been keeping chain saws at bay. The message was delivered directly to tree-sitters and included a commitment to further protect from future cutting all old growth 250 years old or more.