Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Speaker A: Foreign.
[00:00:15] Speaker B: Good evening and welcome to the local news. Today is Wednesday, February 25th and I'm Nat Cardos reporting for KMUD. In tonight's news, today's flood warning for Eel river at Fern Bridge.
Dr. Sheba Sommasi speaks about colon cancer screening for Colon Cancer Awareness Month. And the Scotia Lodge changes ownership.
So stay tuned. Those stories and more coming up.
[00:00:44] Speaker A: Redwood Community Radio acknowledges that its transmitter sites are located on the unceded territory of the Sinkyon, Wailaki, Wiat, Wilkut and Kato people. We honor ancestors past, present and emerging
[00:00:57] Speaker C: and acknowledge the ongoing cultural, spiritual and
[00:01:00] Speaker A: physical connection these tribes have to this region.
[00:01:05] Speaker B: Over the past two days, Humboldt's seen a couple of inches of rain, ranging from 2 to 4 inches in Humboldt Bay to 6 to 10 inches down in some parts of the Lost Coast. Yesterday, the National Weather Service in Eureka issued a flood warning for Eel river at Fern Bridge, one of the many flooding results seen across Humboldt. From the rain which ended around broadcast time at 6:00pm this evening. There are still currently several roads closed and flooded as a result of the Eel river flooding as well as a full highway closure on the one due to a mudslide from a result of the rain. The K1 News spoke with James White, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Eureka for more information on the Eel river flood warning.
[00:01:40] Speaker A: The Eel is just cresting about now. It's around 23ft and it should start to pull back and it'll pull back by 9am tomorrow outside. Well, sorry, it'll pull back by 6pm tonight outside of flood stage and 9am tomorrow outside of monitor stage. And the impacts with the eel at that level doesn't usually close any major roads, but it'll flood a lot of the farmlands there around Ferndale and Fernbridge and a lot of those kinds of lower lying areas. So the biggest impact of those levels, usually people can have a lot of livestock and it'll close a few of the rural roads down there.
[00:02:14] Speaker B: The Eel river crested at about 23ft earlier this afternoon and many roads around Lolita and other parts of the Eel river are still closed or flooded. However, the rain's already been clearing up throughout the course of the day and the forecast is looking like there will still be a little rain along the coast for the following few days.
[00:02:30] Speaker A: So we did see some pretty heavy rainfall yesterday. You know, widespread rain amounts anywhere between 3 and 6 inches and some even higher amounts, like in the King Range where we had anywhere between 7 and even 10 inches of rain over just about 24 hours yesterday, so that's definitely heavy rainfall. We're still getting just a little bit of drizzle at the coast right now, but it's in comparison to all that very little rain and that'll really start clearing out of here by this afternoon and then we're not looking at any more rain for the rest of the week except for maybe some light showers this weekend.
[00:03:02] Speaker B: During this time, it's important to remember never to drive your car into an unknown depth on flooded roadways and to turn around. Don't drown. For more weather information, the website is weather.goveka Be careful out there tonight. As the past two days of rain have left a lot of Humboldt flooded, a lot of roads around Ferndale are currently flooded or closed due to flooding as well as along the coast. By the 101 the following Humboldt county roads are flooded as of an update from Humboldt county road conditions at 4pm today.
Starting off Several roads around Ferndale are flooded or closed. The following roads are currently flooded Fernbridge Drive, Port Kenyon Road from Market street to California Street, Ambrosini Lane at the end of the road, Meridian Road from mile marker point five to nine, Dillon Road from mile marker point two to point four and the following roads in Ferndale are currently closed due to flooding Coffee Creek Road, Meridian Road at mile marker point four to nine Dillion Road from the intersection of Goble Lane at the end of Camp Wiatt Fulmer Road from the intersection of Goble Lane to the end of the road Goble Lane from Fulmore Road to Highway 211 Neeson Road from Goble Lane to the end of the road and Waddington Road from Pleasant Point road to Highway 211.
Several other roads around Humboldt have seen flooding, including the Cannibal Island Road in Lolita, Elk River Road at mile marker 3.34 in Eureka Brita Road in Eureka Old Arcata Road between Graham Road and Jacoby Creek Road in Arcata Mad River Road at the intersection of Miller Lane and and Mad River Road in Arcata and Crandall Road near the intersection of Dowes Prairie Road in Mckinleyville and the following Humboldt county roads are currently closed Eel River Drive at Hookton Road in Lolita and Freshwater Road between Howard Heights and Garfield School in Freshwater.
February is Colon Cancer Awareness month and with the recent death of Dawson's Creek actor James Vanderbeck from colorectal cancer at 48 years old, there has been more attention on the growing trend. Colon and rectal cancer is rising in younger adults. Colon and rectal Cancers are now one of the leading causes of cancer death in people under 50, according to a report from the American Cancer Society.
While overall cancer mortality has decreased by 44% in people younger than 50 in the United States between 1990 and 2023, colorectal cancer has increased by 1.1% each year since 2005, moving from the fifth leading cause of cancer deaths in that age range to the first.
KMUD News spoke with Dr. Shiva Salmasi for more about this trend and what are likely contributors.
[00:05:52] Speaker D: Good evening. Thank you for having me. My name is Dr. Salmasi and I'm internal medicine physician here with Dignity Health Medical Group, Sequoia. I provide a comprehensive adult care at Dignity Health and I'm very passionate about preventive care and screening.
So yes, the trend is real and it's concerning. During the past decade, colon cancer has been on the rise among adults younger than 50. There is no one single cause for it, but several likely contributors. These include like diet high in processed food and also red meat, sedentary lifestyle, rising rate of obesity and diabetes, and possible changes in the gut microbiome. But what makes it especially concerning is that young like patients, adults often they don't think that they are at risk which delay diagnosis and that's wide awareness and timely screening is very important.
[00:06:55] Speaker B: Most adults are recommended to begin screening at 45, which is five years earlier than previously recommended in the past. Here's Dr. Samasi with more There are
[00:07:04] Speaker D: like average risk people and also high risk. And also I want to emphasize that screening is meant for like healthy and like asymptomatic patients. People like should pay attention for persistent change in the bowel habits, blood in the stool, ongoing abdominal discomfort or pain, unexplained unexpected weight loss or prolonged fatigue or like weakness. And these symptoms should never be ignored, especially if they're ongoing and they're persistent. If someone experiences any of these warning signs, they should like contact their primary care physician office to discuss and start this screening and evaluation. Regarding the screening, we start screening at age 45 for average adult risk. But for higher risk which includes first degree family history of colon cancer, personal history of colon polyps or inflammatory bowel disease includes like Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis, we start this screening earlier and usually it's recommended to start at age 40 or like 10 years earlier than the youngest affected family member. But the exact timing always be discussed with the physician based on the individual risk like stratification and the factors. But it always needs to be discussed with the primary care physician regarding the symptoms and the risk factors.
[00:08:38] Speaker B: While there is currently no direct linked cause to this uptake in colorectal cancer in younger adults, there are still preventative measures that can be taken such as staying active, increasing fiber intake and more.
[00:08:49] Speaker D: Prevention begins with the healthy lifestyle and lifestyle choices, staying physically active, maintaining a healthy weight, increasing fiber intake in the diet, limiting processed food and red meat, avoid like smoking and also limiting alcohol consumption. These are the like preventive measures that can help with reducing the risk. And most importantly we recommend do not delay screening Screening like Saves lives Colon cancer is just one of the like few cancers we can actually prevent by removing the precancerous polyps during the colonoscopy. So if detected early it can be highly treatable and also like we can cure it. So I highly recommend to start this screening when they are at the age of 45 and older. If they are 45 year and older, if they have not started their screening, call their primary care physician office to discuss about it because as I said, screening saves lives and the rate of colon cancer has been on rise and it's important to start a screening.
[00:10:04] Speaker B: According to Yale Medicine, despite the uptick in colorectal cancer for young people, the 1.1% a year increase incidence is still too low to justify routine colonoscopies. It's recommended for young people to speak with their primary care physician if they are experiencing symptoms.
[00:10:20] Speaker D: Knowledge is power and I think the primary care physician is the key resource for the patients to talk about the modality available options. But they can go into the CDC website to look for like the screening risk factors and when to start and they can find out what risk, if they are like average risk or if they are high risk for the screening.
[00:10:46] Speaker B: Once again more information can be found at the Centers for disease control website cdc.gov colorectal cancer on February 17th last week it was announced that the Scotia Lodge located in southern Humboldt in Scotia has changed ownership. Blocks Capital, a Southern California based hospitality investment and operator company acquired the lodge back on January 29th of this year. The company focuses on boutique hospitality and properties in historically significant culturally vibrant or natural destinations. KMUN News spoke with Sunny Sunny, the new owner of the Scotia Lodge for more information on Blocks Capital.
[00:11:28] Speaker A: So Blocks Capital is a small family run investment group and we focus on boutique type properties that has some history behind it or there is some sort of a value behind the property. We look for unique community spaces rather than a large commercial development.
What drew us to Scotia Lodge was obviously the history, its character and Also, the importance of Scotia Lodge to the community drove us into it. We saw it as more than just a hotel. It's a local landmark with the potential to be both a destination for visitors and a putting place for locals.
[00:12:08] Speaker B: The Scotia Lodge was originally constructed in 1923 as the Moatak Hotel, before becoming known as the Scotia Inn. Since then, it's undergone major restoration in 2021. And under this new ownership, the third floor is looking to get an upgrade as well.
[00:12:23] Speaker A: So that's one of the biggest excitements that both me and Kristin share is the planned transformation of the third floor more into a luxury style suite. It will take take a couple of years, maybe a year or two to all the approvals. And we also want to make sure that the hotel is running to full its full capacity before we start anything. But yes, the plan is to transform the third floor completely into luxury style suites.
It will still offer a boutique but rustic needs comfort, kind of large, larger upgraded rooms, much more elevated finish and a relaxing getaway atmosphere. While we still preserve the lodge original
[00:13:02] Speaker B: comfort before this renovation is made, the Scotia Lodge will also be bringing back their historical tours for those who want to see what it looks like before it's converted into luxury style suites. Despite the ownership change, the lodge retained their staff, including Kristen Fine, current manager at the Scotia Lodge, who's been working there for about five years now.
[00:13:21] Speaker A: It's incredible. I mean, I have been with this building for a long time. I have fallen in love with the building, the aesthetics, the entire history of the town and just the building alone is, is kind of my draw to why I do what I do.
So the building is kind of my purpose with a lot of things and just making sure that the locals get to see what it used to be and trying to bring it back into the world again of a good aesthetic. But that's just our main, you know, the main focus with all of that.
[00:13:51] Speaker B: Much like other owners in the past with the lodge, there's a lot of emphasis on maintaining the historical spirit of the building. Aside from that, some key changes are still being made, including additional hot tubs and expanding the lodge.
[00:14:03] Speaker A: From my perspective, some of the immediate things, we are being very intentional about keeping the soul of the lodge intact. Our focus is on mostly enhancing the experience, standing and beautifying the lawn for events, opening it up to a much larger lawn and making it available for bigger events. We are in the process of adding, or we are planning to add some more hot tubs and saunas that both the guests and the locals can Enjoy through day passes. So improving overall guest services in the next coming months is one of the one of the key changes that we are expected to make immediately.
[00:14:45] Speaker B: The lodge is also adding a new concierge service in collaboration with other local Humboldt businesses to curate a Humboldt experience by connecting guests with local businesses.
[00:14:56] Speaker A: The concierge service, it is new to the lodge. The idea is to offer more than just a stay. We want to help guests plan a memorable experience in Scotland or in Humboldt County. Whether it's outdoor adventure, romantic getaways, celebrations, connecting all of our guests with the local activities is what the concierge service will start offering. So it is about creating a personalized small town luxury experience for all of our guests. Now having said that, we are encouraging all of the local small businesses to please reach out to us, to Kristin, to our lodge phone number and we would love to partner with all the locals around Scotia Lodge. Anything that just involves the local aspects, the local aesthetic, so you know, the local rivers, going on hikes, going and adventuring in the redwoods and just bringing the local businesses as a part of our business. So it's just anything we can do to boost the community as well as us.
[00:15:59] Speaker B: Last week the lodge soft reopened the Main and Mill Kitchen and Wonder Bar which has been closed for the past two years due to staff reduction. There are also plans to bring back karaoke as well as introduce other events hosted by the lodge.
[00:16:13] Speaker A: So last week we did a soft opening for the Maiden Mill Waffles and we are doing a little waffle style sandwich that has local flavors. Thomas Brennan is our inspired vision behind the entire waffle process. And then we are just expanding our bar hours, trying to bring in local brewer and distilleries and have more of local options available for guests and for guests alike. So just the locals and the guests just having the same experiences when it comes to food being back in the building, eventually bringing in a dinner service in the future and having possibilities kind of popping up here and there throughout the next couple of months is definitely something we're looking forward to bringing karaoke back. We're trying to bring trivia back and just have more local events and stuff where guests can also join in too if they choose to.
[00:17:08] Speaker B: They are also planning on introducing different retreats such as wellness retreats, corporate off sites and specialty getaways during the slower seasons to support both the lodge and other local businesses.
[00:17:19] Speaker A: We heard about the reopening of the Winima Theater next door. I was told that it is supposed to open sometime end of this year which to me will create great opportunities for events and further partnerships that we could do and bring events into Scotia. Most importantly, I just want everyone to understand that this is not some big corporate takeover. It's a family investing back into the community.
And our goal is simple. It is to create a where locals feel proud and visitors feel truly welcomed.
[00:17:51] Speaker B: For more information about the Scotia Lodge, the website is scotia-lodge.com in national news, Colorado activists campaign forces relocation of surveillance company palantir used by ICE in Israel KPFA's Lawrence Schmidt reports.
[00:18:10] Speaker C: Palantir has relocated its headquarters to Miami, the second move for the mass surveillance AI tech firm since 2020, according to the company's annual report. The relocation follows ongoing protests at its properties that executives say have diverted staff time and financial resources.
Meanwhile, organizers with Denver Anti War Action are calling the move a victory.
[00:18:39] Speaker A: This is proof that coordinated and collaborative action by the people is the most
[00:18:45] Speaker B: effective means of creating a better world.
[00:18:48] Speaker C: That was Michael Hughes with Denver Anti War Action.
He says the group formed after Palantir moved its headquarters from Palo Alto to Denver in 2020, also following months of protests, Hugh says. When Palantir opened up its Denver headquarters, community groups and unions, including seiu, organized coordinated demonstrations.
Protesters objected to the company's contracts to build surveillance tools for ICE and the Israeli Defense Forces, in Palantir's own words,
[00:19:21] Speaker A: automate and optimize the kill chain.
[00:19:24] Speaker C: A part of their campaign organizers would hold noise demonstrations outside Palantir's office.
Dahua also pressured elected officials, noting that Colorado lawmakers received campaign donations from the company.
[00:19:47] Speaker A: In Colorado, those have been primarily or entirely Democrats. So we started disrupting their town halls, confronting them, really. You know, it turned more and more disruptive as they tried to ignore us.
[00:19:58] Speaker B: But we started confronting them back in
[00:20:01] Speaker A: spring of 2025 and we kept that pressure on for the politicians and at Palantir's headquarters for the for the entire past year.
[00:20:09] Speaker C: In April 2025, organizers with Dahua attended Congressman Jason Crow's town hall, questioning him about the nearly $60,000 in campaign contributions he received from Palantir.
[00:20:29] Speaker B: This is a private event, so you're
[00:20:30] Speaker D: gonna have to I signed up for it.
[00:20:32] Speaker A: Why is Jason Crowe taking money from Palantir? Palantir is committing genocide. Their AI is being used to deport people.
[00:20:40] Speaker C: In the wake of mounting pressure, Congressman Jason Crow and Senator John Hickenlooper announced earlier this month that they would donate their Palantir linked campaign funds to local immigrant rights non profits.
And on February 16, Palantir quietly announced it would move its headquarters from Denver to Miami, Florida, which has been celebrated as a win for Dawa.
[00:21:08] Speaker B: We know that direct action works.
[00:21:10] Speaker A: There's a, you know, centuries of history proving that.
We know that it had an effect. Our politicians certainly know that it had an effect.
And Palantir themselves said it had an effect.
[00:21:23] Speaker C: Palantir has not responded to requests for comment on the relocation by media.
However, the Miami Herald reports that Florida has stronger anti protest laws than Colorado. In California, Governor Ron DeSantis signed legislation in 2021 expanding the definition of a riot and increasing penalties for demonstrations.
For KPFA News, I'm Lauren Schmidt.
[00:21:54] Speaker B: And in National Native News, Antonia Gonzalez reads today's headlines.
[00:21:59] Speaker C: This is National Native News. I'm Antonio Gonzalez. Canadian energy firm Enbridge will reimburse a northern Wisconsin county for the cost of policing protests expected with construction of the company's Line 5 reroute. As Danielle Kading reports, the Ashland County Board approved the deal Tuesday. The Wisconsin Counties association negotiated an agreement where Enbridge will reimburse local governments for public safety costs tied to the Line 5 project in northern Wisconsin. Funds will be deposited into an escrow account managed by the association.
Some residents worried the deal would turn local authorities into a private security force. Bad River Tribal member Edith Lioso warned against signing the agreement to get reimbursed by Enbridge.
[00:22:44] Speaker A: They will not be honest with you. They will feed you what you want to hear and then they will take everything from this area and leave you to pick up the pieces.
[00:22:54] Speaker C: An Enbridge spokesperson said the company volunteered to fund the account. Enbridge also said it received a final U.S. army Corps permit that the company says will allow construction to move forward. But state approvals for the project are being challenged in court. Enbridge previously paid millions for public safety costs tied to protests of its Line 3 Replacement Project in Minnesota. For National Native News, I'm Danielle Kading. A civil lawsuit filed in Maricopa County Superior Court in Arizona alleges a factory on the Navajo Nation was, quote, squandering millions on improper and mysterious expenditures before suddenly shutting down in July.
KJZ's Gabriel Pietrazio has more.
[00:23:36] Speaker B: The Albuquerque based firm Indigenous Design Studio and Architecture, or IDSA, alleges that Mesa subcontractors any home breached its $50 million deal to build 160 modular homes. There's a whole lot of money that
[00:23:53] Speaker A: got dumped into Zenny and obviously only to produce 18 homes. It's a mystery.
[00:23:58] Speaker B: Attorney Jay Curtis says IDSA is looking to repair the reputation of its founder, Tamara Begay. In addition to recouping roughly 22 million American Rescue Plan assets dollars for the Navajo Nation Zenny Home CEO Bob Worsley says there won't be a refund of any amount.
[00:24:17] Speaker A: No, the money's gone. It's not setting in somebody's account somewhere.
So the company has been liquidated. There's no more assets. It's just almost theater when we spent every dime they gave us and about 4 million more than that out of my pocket. So yeah, that's not going to happen.
[00:24:34] Speaker B: Worsley also faces a separate federal class action lawsuit after laying off more than 200 employees last year.
For National Native News, I'm Gabriel Pietrazio.
[00:24:47] Speaker C: Former Navajo Nation Vice President Rexley Jim is being remembered for his advocacy for Navajo people, including in education, culture and as an international diplomat. Jim served as vice president from 2011 to 2015 with Navajo President Ben Shelley. He also served on the Navajo Council, was a poet, playwright, author and traditional medicine man. The Navajo Nation Council said he passed away on Tuesday and recognized his dedication to Navajo people, cultural preservation and global indigenous advocacy.
Former Executive Director of the National Congress of American Indians, Joanne Chase is being remembered for strengthening NCAI's national presence and advocating for Native rights. Chase, Mandan Hidatsun Arikara, served as executive director from 1994 to 2001. In a statement Tuesday, NCAI said of Chase's passing that her leadership helped the organization become stronger and more visible, working with tribal leaders, Congress and others. She later worked in philanthropy, policy and arts, including most recently serving as Vice Chair of the Board for the Southwestern association for Indian Arts. I'm Antonia Gonzalez.
National Native News is produced by Kiwanick
[00:26:12] Speaker A: Broadcast Corporation with funding by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
Tribal Development Partners supporting tribal sovereignty through 105L leasing and essential Infrastructure Development. Tribal Development partners will attend Rez 2026
[00:26:29] Speaker C: in Booth and are proud to support this show.
[00:26:34] Speaker A: Support by the Gathering of Nations Powwow the Last dance is this April 24th and 25th at Expo New Mexico. The gathering of Nations Traders Market will
[00:26:43] Speaker C: be in the Creative Arts and Lujan Buildings both days. Tickets available at gatheringofnations.com and at the Gates.
[00:26:54] Speaker A: Native voice more one the native american radio network.
[00:27:05] Speaker B: That's all for tonight's broadcast. Thanks for listening. Thanks to our engineer Larry Lashley and thanks to our reporters Lawrence Schmidt and Antonia Gonzalez. KMUD News is online and you can find us on kmud.org and now streaming on most podcast platforms including Apple Podcasts and Spotify Spotify where you can download our stories and newscasts for offline listening during your rural commutes. You can also follow us on social media. If you have questions or suggestions, you can give us a call at 707-923-2605 or send an email to newsmud.org Redwood Community Radio, Inc. Is funded by Press Forward, the national movement to strengthen communities by reinvigorating local news.
Learn more at PressForward News. Reporting for KMUD, I'm Nat Cardiffs.
