Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Speaker A: Foreign.
[00:00:09] Speaker B: Welcome to your KMUD Local News. I'm your host, April Lewis, and I'm glad to be with you for this broadcast. First, I want to emphasize that there is still time to give for our membership drive that lasts through April 22nd. We are currently at around $32,000 raised and our stated goal is to raise $60,000 to keep our station going. We need your help. Please call 707-923-3911 or go to kmud.org to donate. We'll start off with the rundown of today's top stories, followed by in depth reporting from our news team. Tonight, we'll have in depth coverage of stories from the local cannabis industry. Daniel Mintz has news on the updated approval process for a southern Humboldt cannabis nursery in the Bryceland area, while Gabriel Zucker is reporting on last week's cannabis and environmental stewardship symposium at Cal Poly Humboldt. But first, the rundown. This is KMUD News.
Starting off with local news. Cal Poly Humboldt student and activist Rick Toledo was arraigned yesterday, Monday, April 20, on three misdemeanor charges of assault, battery and false imprisonment. The charges arose from an arrest made in relation to an incident on Cal Poly's campus on February 27, where Toledo was accused of blocking a school administrator from entering a doorway. Toledo served time in the Humboldt county jail from March 6th to the 8th under a Raimi warrant before being released through bail. Remie warrants are obtained directly from a judge by local law enforcement, speeding up the warrant process versus traditional warrants that are filed by a district attorney. While on the steps of the Humboldt County Courthouse ahead of the arraignment, Rick Toledo made a statement and answered questions from local reporters. He stated, I just want to make a quick statement and make it clear that I stand strongly with Palestine. I still believe that protesting is not a crime. I stand for free speech and I think what they are doing to me is a sign of the times and it's a sign they are facing pressure from the Trump administration and federal bodies with far right agendas that would love to silence people who stand up for what's right. And I think it's crucial at this time that we stand up and fight back against that and we let them know that we are not going to let our speech be silenced. Rick Toledo remains suspended from his studies at Cal Poly Humboldt. Whether he will be allowed to return is currently unclear. Toledo called the proceedings at the university a, quote, kangaroo court. The trial date is set for July 13th and we will continue to update you on on this story as information becomes available, the City of Eureka is looking for feedback on the G Street Bike Corridor. The recommended corridors best establish a network of bicycle facilities that would improve the comfort and safety for and encourage bicycling in the City of Eureka. G Street between 7th and Henderson street was one of the proposed bicycle boulevard corridors. Based on the bike Plan recommendation and awarded funding from Link Housing, the G Street Bike Boulevard has been selected as the next City of Eureka Bicycle Boulevard Project. The G Street Bike Boulevard Survey is designed to gather input before the design process begins. Bicycle boulevards can have many different elements that can change the cyclist's experience and level of traffic stress. The feedback received in this survey will help inform the design of the G Street Bike Boulevard. Questions can be sent to the Project Manager, Brittany Powell, at bpowellurekaca.gov or or 707-441-4127 in both national and local news, the Trump administration is attempting a new strategy to thwart efforts to remove two dams on the Eel river that are part of the Potter Valley project. US Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins, in a post on social media, stated, last week I heard from the Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District, a legitimate buyer who expressed strong interest in purchasing the project from PGE this this would allow restarting and expanding reliable hydroelectric electric generation while keeping both in place. I hope PGE is taking them seriously. Why a municipal water district in Southern California is so keenly interested in purchasing the Potter Valley project is unclear, PGE said in a statement. The window to take over the project and continue to operate it as a hydroelectric project closed years ago, after which the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission directed PGE to develop a license surrender application and decommissioning plan. PGE no longer has the ability to transfer the operating license at this late stage of the regulatory process. The Friends of the Eel also issued a statement where Alicia Heyman, executive director of Friends of the Eel river, is quoted as saying, why anyone would be interested in paying money for a failed money losing and risky project is beyond me, Let alone a water district nearly 600 miles away from the dams, the project simply isn't worth investing in. The existing dams are failing, face very serious seismic threats, and cannot be relicensed as a hydroelectric project under the current Federal Energy Regulatory Commission license. We'll keep you updated as this story develops and as we learn more about why the Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District wants to purchase the Potter Valley project in Mendocino. News at approximately 6am on April 19, the Mendocino County Sheriff's office was contacted regarding a possible victim with gunshot wounds. He was being transported to the Cavello Volunteer Fire Department. The shooting incident occurred on a dirt road near Charlie Hurt Highway. The victim was identified as a 38 year old female from Cavelo who was reportedly shot. When the victim arrived at the fire department, they were unable to locate any emergency medical personnel so they transported her to a nearby address on South Airport Road in Cavelo to summon emergency assistance. When sheriff's deputies arrived at the address on South Airport Road, they contacted numerous parties who were attempting to assist the female victim. Law enforcement personnel examined the victim and determined she was unconscious and had numerous suspected gunshot wounds. Sheriff's deputies and Round Valley Tribal Police officers initiated CPR and requested emergency medical personnel respond. Law enforcement personnel continued to administer CPR until emergency medical personnel arrived and took over life savings procedures for the victim. Life saving efforts were determined unsuccessful and the female victim was pronounced deceased by a paramedic at the scene. Sheriff's detectives responded and took over the homicide investigation of the death of a 38 year old female victim. Numerous interviews have been conducted and search warrants have been authored and served related to the homicide investigation. Interestingly, during the homicide investigation, Sheriff's detectives identified a 16 year old male juvenile from Cavelo as the suspect in the shooting. It was also determined that the male juvenile was previously in a dating relationship with a 15 year old female juvenile from Cavelo. There was a domestic violence incident involving the male juvenile and female juvenile which was unreported to law enforcement during the early morning hours of Sunday, April 19th. The female juvenile was driving a vehicle in Covelo and was being chased by a vehicle driven by the male juvenile suspect. The suspect followed the female to numerous locations in Cavelo and was reportedly discharging a firearm to out of the vehicle while he was driving. The female juvenile eventually stopped the vehicle and the male suspect approached and ordered her out of the vehicle at gunpoint. The female juvenile was physically assaulted by the male juvenile suspect and was in sustained fear for her safety. The female was able to drive away from the incident and reported the details to other family members later. The Same morning of April 19, the female juvenile victim was on the phone with a family member. The female juvenile heard several gunshots in the background while on the phone which was determined to be the shooting where the 38 year old woman was murdered. By connecting the earlier domestic violence incident between the male and female juveniles with the ongoing homicide investigation, Sheriff's detectives developed probable cause that the 16 year old male juvenile was responsible for the shooting death of the 38 year old woman on a dirt road near Charlie Herd highway in Covelo. An arrest warrant was sought and authorized for the male juvenile suspect for stalking, criminal threats and domestic battery. Investigators received information indicating the suspect left the Cavelo area and was possibly in the Oroville area in Butte County. During the evening of April 19, investigators and Butte county law enforcement personnel searched numerous locations and interviewed possible witnesses in the Oroville area but were unable to locate the male juvenile suspect. On April 21, at approximately 11am Mendocino Sheriff's detectives received information from the Orville Police Department regarding the whereabouts of the male juvenile suspect. Orville police officers located the male juvenile at a restaurant in Orville. When attempting to arrest the male juvenile, he fled the location after a foot pursuit. Orville Police Department officers were able to apprehend the 16 year old without further incident. The teenage male suspect is being held at a juvenile detention facility in Butte County. Pursuant to the arrest warrant, investigators are facilitating the extradition of the suspect to Mendocino county where he will be booked at the Mendocino County Juvenile Hall. A forensic autopsy has been scheduled for the 38 year old female homicide victim and additional information will be released as this investigation progresses. Anyone with information related to this incident and tragedy is requested to contact the Mendocino County Sheriff's office at 707-463-4086. Information can also be provided anonymously by calling the non emergency tip line at 707-234-2100. In native news the Toloadin Nation has received a $2.5 million federal grant to fund the early stage effort to construct a monument, gateway and pedestrian bridge near a hazardous intersection area on Highway 101 in Smith River. At the same time, the Nation has established a cooperative partnership with the California Department of Transportation to move forward on the Nation's multi year Connected Communities Plan of which the pedestrian bridge is one aspect. The Nation established the plan in 2023 to address long standing safety concerns and build a multi use path system in the area. Julian Marcuson, a planner for the Nation's Community Development Department, states, this funding is a huge win for our community. It will improve safety for the residents and visitors alike while creating a meaningful cultural landmark along Highway 101 that reflects the Nation's identity and presence. In other local news, there is a public meeting being held to discuss Amazon's proposed distribution center in Humboldt County. The proposed project would operate as an Amazon distribution facility that spans across six parcels located within the Airport Business park in McKinleyville an informational community meeting to discuss the permit application and the county's permit review process will be held at 6pm on Wednesday, April 29. This in person meeting will take place at Azalea hall, located next to Pearson park at 1620 Pickett Road in McKinleyville. All interested community members are encouraged to attend to ask questions and share concerns about this proposed project.
No final decisions regarding this project will be made at the meeting. Additional opportunities for public comment will be provided before a final decision is reached. For more information about the public meeting, please call 707-268-3741. Last in the rundown A press release from the Schatz center at Cal Poly Humboldt Join Cal Poly Humboldt Research faculty member Vincent Ilenti as he explores America's nuclear waste gridlock and the future of Humboldt Bay's storage site, one of over 70 stranded nuclear waste sites across the country. Learn how legal, financial and cultural forces have influenced the US Nuclear waste program and where Humboldt Bay sits within the broader national challenge of governing radioactive materials as societies attempt to make credible, long term promises about safety, stewardship and justice. The event is free and open to the public and will be held on Thursday, April 30 from 5:30 to 7pm in BSS 166 Cal Poly Humboldt. For questions about the event, contact 707-826-4345. And now to our main stories. The amount of a streamside setback figured prominently as Humboldt County's Planning Commission revisited a Brycelyn area cannabis nursery permit, Daniel Mintz reports.
[00:13:09] Speaker C: In an unusual turn, a permit for a southern Humboldt cannabis nursery has been revisited and reapproved. At its April 16 meeting, Humboldt County's Planning Commission approved a special permit for a Bryceland area nursery a second time.
The first time was last February, but after the approval it was determined that the hearing was incorrectly noticed, bringing the permit back to the commission.
Located near the intersection of Old Bryceland Road and Bryceland thorne Road, the 10,000 square foot operation began as a bamboo nursery in 2005 and converted to cannabis in 2012.
The nursery's driveway, parking area and the footprint of an on site residence are within a 100 foot streamside management area.
The permitting involves land use changes including a zoning change from commercial to agricultural and reduction of the SMA streamside buffer from 100ft to 20ft.
County senior planner Steven Santos explained the reasons for allowing the zoning change from commercial use to agricultural Staff believes it
[00:14:23] Speaker A: is in the public interest to allow the continued operation of the cannabis nursery on operation parcel that already allows the operation of a of a non cannabis nursery.
There is a need for cannabis nurseries to support the local cannabis industry.
There are cannabis operations in the vicinity and there would be no impact to
[00:14:43] Speaker C: roads or adjoining parcels, Santos said. The SMA reduction is one of the permit's primary issues.
Santos said Michael Jacobal doing business AS Plant Humboldt LLC, the permit applicant, disagrees with a 20 foot SMA setback and believes no setback is needed.
But Santos said both county staff and the California Department of fish and Wildlife CDFW are firm on not allowing more than the 20 foot reduction.
[00:15:16] Speaker A: The applicant is now proposing a complete elimination of the streamside management area and have it reduced all the way to the top of bank.
That proposal is not supported by the county and it's not supported by cdfw. CDFW wants all development as far away from the stream as possible.
Staff continues to support a reduction from 100ft to 20ft.
Based on the content of the applicant submitted from yesterday, I want to make it clear that we're not imposing any new restrictions. The stream site management area has been in existence for quite some time dating all the way back to the 1985 framework plan.
What staff is supporting is reducing that.
[00:16:06] Speaker C: Responding to Jackabal's zero setback proposal, Santos said the SMA reduction is quote unquote extraordinary in itself.
It's being allowed because it will take the nursery's parking area and residence which is unpermitted and needs an after the fact permit out of the sma.
Santos added that the stream site in question, Redwood Creek, is a perennial class 1 fish bearing stream in an impacted watershed.
There were no takers for a public comment period and Jackabal wasn't in attendance.
The SMA reduction was discussed in this exchange between Commissioner Todd Fulton and Santos.
[00:16:49] Speaker D: The reduction from 100 to 20ft to me seems a little excessive in reduction size, but if you went out there and you looked, I'm assuming that you felt that 20ft was acceptable or were you being accommodating just to try to get this through?
[00:17:06] Speaker A: This site as a whole is flat because it has been graded over time and Phil has been added.
As I mentioned in my presentation, a reduction from 80 to 20 is extraordinary.
But one of the things that staff endeavors to do is take into consideration all of the information, including the site's historical use, what its environmental setting is historically. It is an edge between a small meadow and the stream, santos added.
[00:17:45] Speaker C: The reduction size came about through a site visit and conferring with the cdfw.
The commission unanimously voted to Reapprove the permit with the staff. Recommended requirements in Eureka for KMUD News, this is Daniel Mintz.
[00:18:09] Speaker B: At Cal Poly Humboldt. Cannabis isn't just an industry, it's a lens for studying culture, environment, equity and community.
That focus was on full display on April 17th when the university hosted its third annual cannabis environmental Stewardship Symposium. The day long event brought together tribal leaders, policymakers, scientists, farmers and students to talk about land stewardship, equity and the future of cannabis on the North Coast. KMUD's Gabriel Zucker reports.
[00:18:39] Speaker E: On Friday, April 17, Cal Poly Humboldt's cannabis studies program held its third annual cannabis and Environmental Stewardship Symposium. Sponsored by the Resource Legacy Fund and the Campbell foundation, the student organized event brought together policymakers, tribal leaders, scientists, farmers, faculty and students to explore equitable and environmentally responsible practices for California's $5 billion cannabis industry. Speakers included regional water quality officials, tribal representatives, environmental scientists, local farmers, Assemblymember Chris Rogers, and Cal Poly Humboldt's President Richard Carvajal. Students, alumni and faculty also presented research on topics ranging from tribal youth programs to the ergonomics of cannabis farming. KMUD spoke with Daniel Marr, a lecturer, research associate and faculty lead for the Cannabis Studies Lab. He said the symposium is designed to bring the full spectrum of the cannabis world into one room.
[00:19:37] Speaker F: We try to bring together all the various aspects of the the cannabis industry and cannabis culture. So from researchers to tribal leaders to policymakers, we have a lot of our faculty who's presenting this year as well as our students. And this year we're really focused on highlighting our student involvement not just in the planning of the event, but we also have two master's students who are doing research on cannabis. One's looking at race and gender inequities in the can cannabis industry and the other one's looking at her own, you know, home community of the Round Valley and what cannabis culture is like there, what policies and regulations have done and market pressures from a local perspective.
[00:20:23] Speaker E: He also went into detail about what the Cannabis Studies program entails, emphasizing that Cal Poly Humboldt's Cannabis Studies program is not an agricultural program, but an interdisciplinary one focused on environmental perspectives, policy, equity and social justice.
[00:20:38] Speaker F: I really want to highlight the involvement of the students in the Cannabis Studies program.
We're doing a lot of work on outreach and kind of explaining what the Cannabis Studies program is and what it does. We're not an ag school, so we're not teaching students how to cultivate cannabis right. But there's so much other work that can be done environmentally with policy, equity, race and gender, social justice, it's really, really big. And that's been one of the highlights of this symposium and of this semester as a whole, is highlighting the program and the work that the students are doing from our undergraduate students and the classes that they're taking and the interdisciplinary approach to the program all the way up to our grad students doing research.
And I think it's really evident by the fact that President Carvajal, Cal Poly Humboldt's president, is speaking today, today. And Assemblymember Rogers, our 2nd district assembly member, is here to speak as well. And I think that's demonstrating like what we're trying to do up here and bring all of these folks together to share in this collaborative endeavor to seek equitable solutions.
[00:21:48] Speaker E: One of the biggest moments of the day came from Cal Poly Humboldt's president, Richard Carvajal, who shared a personal story about how cannabis significantly improved his father's quality of life during the final months of a terminal cancer diagnosis. He said the experience showed his family firsthand how cannabis can support people facing serious illnesses from cancer to epilepsy, depression and anxiety. Carvajal then announced a historic investment from the Campbell Foundation.
[00:22:14] Speaker G: The foundation has tackled significant issues for nearly 30 years and when cannabis was legalized back here in California back in 2016, they became committed to supporting collaborations between the industry, community groups and environmental advocates, all with a focus on equity, responsible cultivation, watershed health and sustainable agriculture.
So today I am beyond thrilled to announce to you all into the world the Campbell foundation has enabled Cal Poly Humboldt to launch a fully endowed professorship in Cannabis studies. Thanks to a historic $3 million gift.
[00:23:04] Speaker E: It is the largest single cash gift in the University's history and will establish Cal Poly Humboldt's first fully funded endowed professorship. The position will support long term research, strengthen interdisciplinary collaboration and expand student opportunities. A national search begins this fall. The Campbell foundation also awarded a one million dollar grant for the first of its kind study. Led by researchers at Cal Poly Humboldt and Chico State, the two year project will evaluate regenerative agricultural practices on cannabis farms across six Northern California counties, measuring impacts on water use, soil health, fertilizer, pesticide needs and farm economics. The researchers will also document the cultural history and lived experience of cannabis farmers and develop a cannabis Farm Assessment Protocol to help cultivators adopt more sustainable practices. Throughout the day, panels and presentations explored equity, land stewardship and community based research. The first panel examined what equity means across different regions of California and how it connects to environmental stewardship in the cannabis industry. The second panel focused on relational restoration, reimagining the role of cannabis in land stewardship and how different worldviews can align to strengthen ecosystems and communities. Panelists included researchers, tribal leaders, policy experts, and local agricultural advocates. Students and faculty also presented work on race and gender in cannabis, the ergonomics of cannabis farming, tribal youth programs, and the lived experience of cannabis farmers in the Emerald Triangle. Assemblymember Chris Rogers spoke as well, discussing the challenges facing small cannabis farmers, the need for better access to state programs, and the importance of aligning cannabis policy with environmental stewardship and tribal partnership. By the end of the day, one theme was clear Cal Poly Humboldt is positioning itself at the center of a rapidly evolving industry not through cultivation, but through research, policy, environmental science and community collaboration. With students leading panels, faculty presenting new findings, tribal leaders sharing cultural knowledge, and state officials weighing in on policy gaps, the symposium showcased the breadth of work happening across the region and with the Campbell Foundation's historic $3 million endowed professorship, along with the 1 million dollar grant to launch new regenerative agricultural research, the University now has long term support to expand that work even further. For organizers like Daniel Marr, the investments reflect exactly what the program is trying to build a space where science, culture, policy and lived experience can meet and where students are at the center of shaping the future of cannabis in California. As the symposium wrapped up, the message was one of momentum. Cal Poly Humble's Cannabis Studies program is growing, the research is deepening and the partnerships are widening, all pointing towards a more equitable, environmentally grounded and community driven cannabis industry on the North Coast.
This is Gabriel Zucker with kmud.
[00:25:54] Speaker B: That's all for our news broadcast. Thanks for listening. Thanks to our engineer and thanks to our reporters Daniel Mintz and Gabriel Zucker. KMUD News is online. You can find us on kmud.org and now streaming on podcast platforms including Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can download our stories and newscasts for offline listening. You can also follow us on social media amood News, including Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. If you have story tips, you can give us a call at 707-923-2605 or send an email to newsamewood.org I'd also like to remind folks before the end of our broadcast that our spring membership drive is still on until April 22. Please click the green donate button on kmud.org or call 707-923-3911. Your donations keep our local news on the air and we need your help. For just $120 you can get a family membership that entitles you and one other person to vote directly for our board members. We encourage folks to do this on a recurring basis to stay involved with our station and the community.
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Reporting for Kemada hi, I'm April Lewis. Stay tuned. In.
