Saturday, January 31, 2009

CELEBRATE!



h/t: KT

Obama's brother arrested for alleged marijuana possession.


◼ BBC Obama half-brother on drug charge
George Obama was arrested in Nairobi with one joint of marijuana, police chief Joshua Omokulongolo said.

"He is not a drug peddler. But it is illegal, it is a banned substance," he said. Mr Obama has denied the allegations.

..."They took me from my home," George Obama told reporters in Nairobi from his jail cell. " I don't know why they are charging me."

h/t: jihadpress

Ransom?

◼ Guardian Obama's brother on drugs charge President's relative denies police charge after arrest for possession of a single marijuana joint
◼ Scotland on Sunday Obama's half-brother arrested over drugs

◼ ChinaView Kenyan police free Obama's half brother

Sometimes hard copy isn't, well, as ENTERTAINING as the online version w/UPDATE

Just check out the COMMENTS thread on this TS article!
☛TS Teenage girls allegedly assault Eureka man
A group of five teenage girls were arrested at a Ferndale residence Thursday night after one of them allegedly stabbed a man in the head and arm.

According to Humboldt County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Brenda Godsey, at around 10:30 p.m., deputies were called to a residence on the 800 block of Waddington Road, where they found a 20-year-old Eureka man, Juan Pedro Sanchez, who had been stabbed in the top of the head and in the arm with a pocketknife....

Janice Lee Chandler, 18, of McKinleyville, (Fortuna?) was the only adult in the group. She was transported to the Humboldt County jail, where she was booked for allegedly committing assault with a deadly weapon, conspiracy and disorderly conduct. Her bail was set at $50,000 and her arraignment is scheduled Monday.

The remaining teenagers were arrested for alleged assault and battery, conspiracy and disorderly conduct. They remain in custody at the Humboldt County Juvenile Hall, Godsey said....

☛ TS 120 125 138 296 314 373 COMMENTS! and counting... The girls go wild...
☛ TS 2nd Comment thread, a little calmer
☛ Chandler's MySpace http://www.myspace.com/janoaxaca suddenly changed to Private
HCSO Press release

From those comments: banadanadog says
another view wrote:
"...I'm starting to think that the Sub-Standard is letting this circus continue as a means to boost online reading of its daily edition of **** wipe!

Nothing here is making any sense, it is all going around in circles....WOW.. what causes people to run around in circles... Im outta here..."

How can you say that?

This is like hearing a noise outside your house and going out into the street and seeing a parade of cats wearing clown suits juggling dogs who in turn are dressed like Benjamin Franklin.

How could you stop watching?"


☛TS Bail denied for Chandler
Janice Chandler, an 18-year-old woman arrested in Ferndale last week on suspicion of stabbing a man in the head and arm, was denied bail by a Humboldt County Superior Court judge Wednesday afternoon....
☛TS And more comments...

ANOTHER ONE?!?
☛TS Another stabbing -- this one in Fortuna
☛TS Series of pranks may be behind Fortuna stabbing
A series of neighborhood pranks may have been the reason one Fortuna woman allegedly stabbed another woman at least four times Monday, a Fortuna Police Department detective said Thursday.
Brandy Bemis, a 30-year-old woman from Fortuna, was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon and probation violation Tuesday after a stabbing occurred on the 300 block of North Fortuna Boulevard...

Bemis has been booked into the Humboldt County jail, where she remained Thursday on $50,000 bail.

Thursday, January 29, 2009

Push it through. Don't look at it.

A request to seal documents?

Getting weirder.

☛TS Second search warrant issued in missing woman case 1/29/09

A request to seal documents related to the ongoing quest to find a missing McKinleyville woman refers to the case as “an ongoing investigation of a homicide,” although authorities say they continue to treat it as a missing persons investigation.

Monica Bradshaw, 53, was reportedly last seen by neighbors in September 2008 when she and her husband, Robin Bradshaw, set off together to bury a neighbor's horse. She was never reported missing.

The Humboldt County Sheriff's Office began investigating the case after being contacted by an insurance claims adjuster, who became suspicious after Robin Bradshaw allegedly acted strangely while submitting a claim on his wife's policy.

Neighbors also told the Times-Standard that Robin Bradshaw had allegedly offered different accounts as to his wife's whereabouts -- first saying she'd died of cancer, then later saying she suffered from depression and disappeared -- which made neighbors suspicious.

Investigators served a search warrant on Robin Bradshaw's home the weekend of Jan. 17, reportedly using an excavator to dig up portions of the property. According to court documents, investigators seized more than two dozen items during the search, including financial records, a computer, medications, receipts, a can of Campbell's soup and four items from the backyard.

The Sheriff's Office has repeatedly referred to the case as that of a missing person and has called Robin Bradshaw a “person of interest,” not a suspect...


Not clear from the article - are the records sealed? Who is asking for them to be sealed? And why?
***

Related:
☛TS Case of missing McKinleyville woman continues
☛TS Search continues for missing woman
Previous post: Monica Bradshaw: MISSING
☛TS Detectives search vehicle for evidence in missing woman case 1/30/09
Sheriff's investigators removed the door panels and carpet in a vehicle belonging to a McKinleyville man whose wife has been missing under suspicious circumstances since September 2008, a court-filed document said.

A search warrant affidavit filed in the Humboldt County Superior Court Thursday reveals that on Tuesday, Humboldt County Sheriff's Office investigators searched a 1993 Jeep Grand Cherokee registered to Robin and Monica Bradshaw. The vehicle had been seized from the Bradshaw residence on Dows Prairie Road in McKinleyville on Jan. 17.


MORE:
DA's office (Paul Gallegos) still undecided in Bradshaw case; Gallegos to talk to pathologist next week May 28, 2010
Bradshaw sentencing postponed, Gallegos "weighing" decision May 5, 2010
...Humboldt County District Attorney Paul Gallegos received Super's report last week, but has yet to decide how to proceed with the case. At Tuesday's hearing, Bradshaw's attorney, Peter Martin, said Gallegos had contacted him asking that the sentencing hearing be postponed.

”He wants more time, I believe, to review the medical report and to request supporting materials from the medical examiner,” Martin said....

”It's going to be something Paul's going to have to think about.” April 27, 2010
-- Bradshaw autopsy report with Humboldt County DA; indicates blunt force trauma as cause of death
Autopsy report coming in Bradshaw case; plea agreement hinges on results for McKinleyville man accused of wife's murder APRIL 24, 2010
Bradshaw positively identified; full autopsy report pending more test results FEBRUARY 01, 2010
Autopsy set for Sunday in Bradshaw case JANUARY 23, 2010
ANOTHER PLEA DEAL - Bradshaw agreed to give location of body in plea deal JANUARY 09, 2010
Robin Stuart Bradshaw entered into a plea agreement with prosecutors last month, agreeing to disclose the location of his wife's body and plead guilty to voluntary manslaughter, court records show.
Authorities believe they have found the body of missing McKinleyville woman JANUARY 08, 2010
The person further told investigators, according to the affidavit, that Robin Bradshaw confessed to first burying his wife in a shallow grave in the backyard of his home, only to later dig her body up and bury it on an undeveloped Danco subdivision off of Fieldbrook Road in McKinleyville.
Hearing for McKinleyville murder case continued NOVEMBER 05, 2009
Bradshaw Prelim continued to Nov. 5 SEPTEMBER 30, 2009
Prelim for Robin Stuart Bradshaw JULY 07, 2009
Bradshaw pleads not guilty to murdering wife June 16, 2009
Robin Stuart Bradshaw, arrested JUNE 16, 2009
Second search warrant issued in missing woman case - and a request to seal documents January 29, 2009
Monica Bradshaw: MISSING January 27, 2009
To recap: The husband of a McKinleyville woman who has been missing since September 2008 allegedly had his girlfriend impersonate his wife in an effort to retrieve her car from a local tow yard months after his wife's disappearance, according to an affidavit for a search warrant filed with the Humboldt County Superior Court on Monday....

...A Sheriff's Office investigator was later dispatched to the Bradshaws' home on Dow's Prairie Road in McKinleyville and spoke with Robin Bradshaw, who allegedly told the investigator that he and his wife had been married for 30 years before she “up and vanished,” according to the affidavit.

Robin Bradshaw, according to the affidavit, then allegedly changed his story to say that his wife was down south with some friends, before changing it again to say that she went to visit her brother in Utah.

”As (the investigator) was speaking with Robin, he noticed that he was sweating and shaking throughout the interview,” the affidavit states, adding that Robin Bradshaw also could not stand still as if he were “tense and very nervous.”

The investigator later called Monica Bradshaw's brother in Utah and was told by the brother he had not talked with his sister in about eight years, according to the affidavit. The affidavit also states that Robin Bradshaw reportedly told the investigator that he had been seeing a girlfriend for about three months.

Last week, neighbors of the Bradshaw's property said they last saw Monica Bradshaw in August or September, when she and her husband set off to bury a neighbor's horse on a nearby property with a backhoe. They said the backhoe remained on the couple's property for some time, and they witnessed the husband doing some excavating work in the yard.

Some neighbors said they grew suspicious after Robin Bradshaw offered differing accounts as to his wife's location. Several neighbors said Bradshaw's husband first told them that his wife died of cancer, then later said she died years ago. He told them the woman they had come to know for the six or so years that he had lived in the neighborhood was actually Monica Bradshaw's sister. Then, neighbors said, Robin Bradshaw told them that his wife suffers from depression and had left the area.

Sheriff's Office Detective Karen Quinnel also interviewed Robin Bradshaw on his property, according to the affidavit, and reportedly learned that he had poured a concrete patio in the summer of 2008, soon after his wife's disappearance.

”Again, throughout the contact, Robin Bradshaw appeared nervous and tense,” the affidavit states....

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

You can’t even get one curve of a road WIDENED without a fight.

How do you propose to boost the economy with infrastructure improvements?

The strange case of Andrew Belant

☛TS Belant requests attorney; jury trial postponed
After representing himself in court for months leading up to his trial, Andrew Brian Belant requested an attorney Monday morning, just as his jury selection was set to begin.

Belant requested the appointment of a public defender after a Humboldt County Superior Court judge denied his latest motion to postpone his jury trial. Since taking over his own case in late September, Belant has repeatedly asked for more time to prepare before his trial date. On Monday, Judge Marilyn Miles agreed to delay the trial in order to give Belant's new attorney, Public Defender Andy Truitt, time to prepare.

Belant faces more than 20 charges related to accusations of child sexual abuse and child pornography. The alleged victims were 9, 10, 11 and 13 years old at the time of their alleged abuse.


☛TS Trial set for Andrew Belant 1/22/09
☛TS Watson declines motion to close Belant's trial 12/11/08
☛TS Belant files motion to exclude public from trial 12/9/08
...(Judge) Watson declined to hear the motions Monday, as District Attorney Paul Gallegos was unable to attend the hearing. Those motions were reset for a Wednesday hearing....

☛TS Andrew Belant stabbed in jail 12/3/08
☛TS Belant motion to suppress evidence denied 11/14/08
☛TS Belant represents himself at Wednesday hearing 10/09/08
☛TS Belant to stand trial for child molestation 8/9/08

Ken Miller's 'boondoggle' costs up to $1.5 million

Just for the record. Mad River bluffs stabilized Knowing this, can anyone take his cries about potholes and Richardson Grove seriously?

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Now online:

Searchable text version of Senate Generational Theft Act; House Dems’ package tops $1.1 trillion .... VIEW IT HERE

Sickening. It has passed.

Assassins of the Mind

vanityfair.com/politics/ Christopher Hitchens
When Iran’s Ayatollah Khomeini issued a fatwa on novelist Salman Rushdie for The Satanic Verses, it was the opening shot in a war on cultural freedom. Two decades later, the violence continues, and Muslim fundamentalists have gained a new advantage: media self-censorship....

Uproar over Trinidad Councilman’s Blog

The story: From The McKinleyville Press: A Trinidad City Councilman’s personal blog has aroused a furor of controversy, leading to accusations by other councilmembers of an invasion of their privacy and a violation of trust.

Councilmembers Kathy Bhardwaj and Julie Fulkerson said they were disturbed to find their private correspondence about city issues posted on Councilman Mike Morgan’s personal blog.

Morgan was careful to say that he was not accusing anybody of violating the Brown Act, but maintains that the councilmembers’ e-mail conversation was “a precarious step in the wrong direction,” and should never have happened in the first place.


◼ McKinleyville Press Uproar over Trinidad Councilman’s Blog

Seems to me... he has a point.

The Blog in Question: ◼ councilmembermikemorgan.blogspot.com
The E-Mails in Question: ◼ Encouraging Controversy and Eroding Trust? - Previous Council's Email "Discussions"

"These are the images the Jews are using to make people feel sorry for them."

according to Egyptian Cleric Amin Al-Ansari, who "Hopes It Will Happen Again But,Allah Willing,At The Hand Of Muslims."

WARNING: Very Disturbing.

Monica Bradshaw: MISSING

☛TS Case of missing McKinleyville woman continues
The husband of a McKinleyville woman who has been missing since September 2008 allegedly had his girlfriend impersonate his wife in an effort to retrieve her car from a local tow yard months after his wife's disappearance, according to an affidavit for a search warrant filed with the Humboldt County Superior Court on Monday....

...A Sheriff's Office investigator was later dispatched to the Bradshaws' home on Dow's Prairie Road in McKinleyville and spoke with Robin Bradshaw, who allegedly told the investigator that he and his wife had been married for 30 years before she “up and vanished,” according to the affidavit.

Robin Bradshaw, according to the affidavit, then allegedly changed his story to say that his wife was down south with some friends, before changing it again to say that she went to visit her brother in Utah.

”As (the investigator) was speaking with Robin, he noticed that he was sweating and shaking throughout the interview,” the affidavit states, adding that Robin Bradshaw also could not stand still as if he were “tense and very nervous.”

The investigator later called Monica Bradshaw's brother in Utah and was told by the brother he had not talked with his sister in about eight years, according to the affidavit. The affidavit also states that Robin Bradshaw reportedly told the investigator that he had been seeing a girlfriend for about three months.

Last week, neighbors of the Bradshaw's property said they last saw Monica Bradshaw in August or September, when she and her husband set off to bury a neighbor's horse on a nearby property with a backhoe. They said the backhoe remained on the couple's property for some time, and they witnessed the husband doing some excavating work in the yard.

Some neighbors said they grew suspicious after Robin Bradshaw offered differing accounts as to his wife's location. Several neighbors said Bradshaw's husband first told them that his wife died of cancer, then later said she died years ago. He told them the woman they had come to know for the six or so years that he had lived in the neighborhood was actually Monica Bradshaw's sister. Then, neighbors said, Robin Bradshaw told them that his wife suffers from depression and had left the area.

Sheriff's Office Detective Karen Quinnel also interviewed Robin Bradshaw on his property, according to the affidavit, and reportedly learned that he had poured a concrete patio in the summer of 2008, soon after his wife's disappearance.

”Again, throughout the contact, Robin Bradshaw appeared nervous and tense,” the affidavit states....


☛TS Search continues for missing woman
”We received a call from the insurance company dealing with an outstanding claim they were trying to resolve,” Godsey said. “They were having difficulty with that and there was some concern over (Bradshaw) and their difficulty contacting her.”

Neighbors of Bradshaw's McKinleyville property said they last saw her in August or September, when she and her husband set off to bury a neighbor's horse on a nearby property with a backhoe. They said the backhoe remained on the couple's property for some time, and that they witnessed the husband doing some excavating in the yard.

Some neighbors said they grew suspicious after Bradshaw's husband -- whose name is being withheld by investigators -- offered differing accounts as to her location. Several neighbors said Bradshaw's husband first told them that Bradshaw died of cancer, then later said she died years ago. He told them the woman whom they had come to know for the six or so years that he had lived in the neighborhood was actually Bradshaw's sister. Then, Bradshaw's husband said that his wife suffered from depression and had left the area, neighbors said.

When contacted by sheriff's deputies, Godsey said, Bradshaw's husband was unable to provide them with any details about his wife, her whereabouts or provide them with a picture of her.

”We're not calling him a suspect,” Godsey said, “but he's certainly a person of interest to us because he seems to be the person who could give us the most information on her. ... We're trying to see if she's voluntarily missing or if she's been the victim of foul play. It's interesting to note that she was not reported missing.”

Godsey said the search warrant served over the weekend aimed to find evidence or information that might lead to Bradshaw's discovery, and neighbors said they observed investigators using heavy equipment to dig up large sections of the home's backyard.


Suspicious?

***

PREVIOUSLY:
DA's office (Paul Gallegos) still undecided in Bradshaw case; Gallegos to talk to pathologist next week May 28, 2010
Bradshaw sentencing postponed, Gallegos "weighing" decision May 5, 2010
...Humboldt County District Attorney Paul Gallegos received Super's report last week, but has yet to decide how to proceed with the case. At Tuesday's hearing, Bradshaw's attorney, Peter Martin, said Gallegos had contacted him asking that the sentencing hearing be postponed.

”He wants more time, I believe, to review the medical report and to request supporting materials from the medical examiner,” Martin said....

”It's going to be something Paul's going to have to think about.” April 27, 2010
-- Bradshaw autopsy report with Humboldt County DA; indicates blunt force trauma as cause of death
Autopsy report coming in Bradshaw case; plea agreement hinges on results for McKinleyville man accused of wife's murder APRIL 24, 2010
Bradshaw positively identified; full autopsy report pending more test results FEBRUARY 01, 2010
Autopsy set for Sunday in Bradshaw case JANUARY 23, 2010
ANOTHER PLEA DEAL - Bradshaw agreed to give location of body in plea deal JANUARY 09, 2010
Robin Stuart Bradshaw entered into a plea agreement with prosecutors last month, agreeing to disclose the location of his wife's body and plead guilty to voluntary manslaughter, court records show.
Authorities believe they have found the body of missing McKinleyville woman JANUARY 08, 2010
The person further told investigators, according to the affidavit, that Robin Bradshaw confessed to first burying his wife in a shallow grave in the backyard of his home, only to later dig her body up and bury it on an undeveloped Danco subdivision off of Fieldbrook Road in McKinleyville.
Hearing for McKinleyville murder case continued NOVEMBER 05, 2009
Bradshaw Prelim continued to Nov. 5 SEPTEMBER 30, 2009
Prelim for Robin Stuart Bradshaw JULY 07, 2009
Bradshaw pleads not guilty to murdering wife June 16, 2009
Robin Stuart Bradshaw, arrested JUNE 16, 2009
Second search warrant issued in missing woman case - and a request to seal documents January 29, 2009
Monica Bradshaw: MISSING January 27, 2009
To recap: The husband of a McKinleyville woman who has been missing since September 2008 allegedly had his girlfriend impersonate his wife in an effort to retrieve her car from a local tow yard months after his wife's disappearance, according to an affidavit for a search warrant filed with the Humboldt County Superior Court on Monday....

...A Sheriff's Office investigator was later dispatched to the Bradshaws' home on Dow's Prairie Road in McKinleyville and spoke with Robin Bradshaw, who allegedly told the investigator that he and his wife had been married for 30 years before she “up and vanished,” according to the affidavit.

Robin Bradshaw, according to the affidavit, then allegedly changed his story to say that his wife was down south with some friends, before changing it again to say that she went to visit her brother in Utah.

”As (the investigator) was speaking with Robin, he noticed that he was sweating and shaking throughout the interview,” the affidavit states, adding that Robin Bradshaw also could not stand still as if he were “tense and very nervous.”

The investigator later called Monica Bradshaw's brother in Utah and was told by the brother he had not talked with his sister in about eight years, according to the affidavit. The affidavit also states that Robin Bradshaw reportedly told the investigator that he had been seeing a girlfriend for about three months.

Last week, neighbors of the Bradshaw's property said they last saw Monica Bradshaw in August or September, when she and her husband set off to bury a neighbor's horse on a nearby property with a backhoe. They said the backhoe remained on the couple's property for some time, and they witnessed the husband doing some excavating work in the yard.

Some neighbors said they grew suspicious after Robin Bradshaw offered differing accounts as to his wife's location. Several neighbors said Bradshaw's husband first told them that his wife died of cancer, then later said she died years ago. He told them the woman they had come to know for the six or so years that he had lived in the neighborhood was actually Monica Bradshaw's sister. Then, neighbors said, Robin Bradshaw told them that his wife suffers from depression and had left the area.

Sheriff's Office Detective Karen Quinnel also interviewed Robin Bradshaw on his property, according to the affidavit, and reportedly learned that he had poured a concrete patio in the summer of 2008, soon after his wife's disappearance.

”Again, throughout the contact, Robin Bradshaw appeared nervous and tense,” the affidavit states....

the argument against Infill

You can't do this...

'nuff said

Monday, January 26, 2009

The Age of Anti-Carbonism

The Age of Anti-Carbonism
It's a little bit highbrow but you might enjoy it....
"...By gripping and allocating the supply of energy the politicians gain a major additional instrument of political power.

Promoting alternatives to coal and oil requires government interventions in the form of selective taxation, subsidies, quotas, and price controls. Anti-carbonists hold that government is untainted by the greedy quest for profits and thus is morally superior to private actors. Any industrial clients that government creates with energy policies will also be subject to non-economic but virtuous pressures to hire minorities, locate in favored districts, contribute to political groups, and conform to fashionable agendas of the moment....

The Arcata Collection

Seriously!

From Martha Stewart - and not a pot leaf in sight.

Sunday, January 25, 2009

John Matthews/Ann Coulter podcast

khum.streamguys.us/John_Matthews-KSLG_Ann_Coulter

In case you missed it.

h/t: The Goracle, He Come, Mon...

And, don't miss this one - ◼ Global Warming Contradictions: Record Snowfall in United Arab Emirates
Snow covered the Jebel Jais area for only the second time in recorded history yesterday.
So rare was the event that one lifelong resident said the local dialect had no word for it.
h/t: Rides a Pale Horse

Not so good in da Nabahood!


☛TS Editorial Not a good fit
Nabahood Community Development Inc.'s proposal to transform the small town of Bridgeville into a homeless rehabilitation center for 200 clients is simply not a good fit.

Even if the organization was able to jump all the hurdles needed to make the center a reality, it would first and foremost mean the destruction of the small, close-knit community that already exists there. While we can appreciate the healing opportunities such a setting would provide for those the project aims to help, where would they go from there?


Bridgeville's been a bouncing ball since it first appeared for sale on ebay. And granting that the $1.3 million asking price is the cheap part, IMAGINE how much fun it would be to buy it and fix it up, and turn it into something picture postcard perfect!

What would you do if you owned Bridgeville?

Venezuela voted against ceasefire in Gaza

This is interesting:
Venezuela voted against ceasefire in Gaza
Venezuela voted against ceasefire in Gaza (resolution 1860) during the UN's General Assembly celebrated on 16 January. Venezuela's vote, through Ambassador to the UN Jorge Valero, contradicts policy dictated by President Chavez, who had Israel's Ambassador, and its diplomatic corp, expelled from Venezuela on 7 January.

Saturday, January 24, 2009

Anon.r.mous' helpful picture guide to STAA trucks.


◼ Saturday, February 23, 2008 As you can see above, the ENORMOUS interstate highway sized trucks really aren't that much larger than the trucks that can currently get into Humboldt County. It's just the room for the sleeper. The Volvo VNL 300 (above) has a wheelbase of approx 166" and the VNL 670 (below) has one of approx 221". You can order them longer or shorter. We already allow large STAA style trucks into Humboldt County, and have for years. Some of the longest trucks on the roads are moving vans, which are allowed, and have been allowed on 101 for years. So far, the chaos that the special interest groups such as Paul Cienfuegos and Richard Salzman support has failed to happened, for years. YEAR these trucks have been coming in and out of Humboldt County (moved Richard Salzman's home up here my guess) without the problems or death of companies in Humboldt County.

Also, even though the size is under '65 feet, the truck in the first picture is not legal to drive in California, the tandems are not set for California's '40 bridge law, but would fit under California Legal Only law. Let's stop pussy-footing around the subject that the lies that the no-growthers are spreading. And let's not even cover the lies about emissions or fuel mileage that they are spreading.

It's time to bring Humboldt County into 1983.
Swiped from Anon.R.mous' blog (may he rest in peace :))



Word of the day: OFFTRACKING
Richardson's Groves low-speed causes more offtracking problems, one because of it's tight corners, and two, it's low speed. What it means it the corners need to be wider, and gentler so you don't have people sharing the same lane. You ever see the sign on the back of the trailers that say "Wide Right Turns?" That's offtracking.

Put up or shut up time?
Enviros and no-growthers crack me up. I think it is time that THEY put there theories to the test.

Oh, only one problem with the story though, the new trucks have new engines which already meet the new standard (2007) there was a major change at that time, the next major step is in 2010, where the big trucks will most likely be cleaner then your Pruis...

Salzman does have an opinon on large trucks though.
STAA trucks mean more protection for the drivers, legally.
Bigger STAA trucks mean less truck traffic.
Most of the items getting trucked in and out of Humboldt County are under 80,000 pound gross. Sun Valley would have a hard time stuffing enough flowers in the back of a trailer to try and overload a truck. They would, and have said, that they could use 160 trucks less per year with the longer trucks. Why is this? It's because they are using more space than weight. I'd be surprised if the trucks leaving Sun Valley had more than 10,000 pounds in the box.

What causes more damage to the roads? Truck v RV
F.U.D. from Paul Cienfuegos and Richard Salzman
Sue Northcoast Environmental Center first!
Cattle Trucks, reporters and what it means to you.
Richard Salzman is a stupid man, and here is the proof.
In answering Salzman's "points" - Humboldt County already allows 80,000 pound trucks into the area, guess what, that is the normal weight limit for large trucks. The realignment isn't for HEAVIER trucks, but LONGER ones. The weight will remain the same.

Each one of those "bigger" trucks pays over $12,000 dollars a year in road taxes, so the more larger truck traffic, the more money we will have to fix our roads.

So remembers folks, longer isn't always heavier. There will be NO MORE WEIGHT ON THE ROADS THEN THERE ALREADY IS!

The Cattle Truck debate goes on!

Related posts:

Ken Miller's LTE/Journal
We should not underestimate the socioeconomic or aesthetic consequences of the CalTrans’ Richardson Grove widening proposal, which increases our dependence on obsolete, unreliable global market strategies, including big diesel trucks...

...Twisty highways are like potholes in a country road. Fix ’em, and trouble follows. 
Widening roads is as irreversible as the consequences are inevitable, which we ignore at great peril....


Ken Miller's second attempt

The glass is half full


After people laughed at Ken Miller's alarmist Letter to the Editor in The Journal "if you fill the potholes trouble will follow," Mr. 'Mad River Bluffs funds beneficiary - yes, that's Ken's house that gets saved by this "boondoggle"' Miller tried a different tach in a My Word in the TS; same theme, same scare tactics couched in Lakoffian terms... a kinder-gentler fear-monger. You ALMOST have to feel sorry for Ken.

Bryan Plumley's response in today's TS points out some of the flaws in Miller's thinking.

Isolationism is equal to suffocation The “Imagine Humboldt” piece by Ken Miller has significant misinformation and flawed economic biases that cannot be left unchecked.

1) No one is proposing that Richardson Grove become a thoroughfare. His choice of words like thoroughfare and widening are designed specifically to mislead and inflame. The project at Richardson Grove is, in fact, the absolute minimum required to facilitate the use of newer, more efficient, industry standard trucks while preserving the experience of the grove. Take a look at the plans and you will see that, for the most part, the road is actually being made curvier.

2) In nature, geographic isolation fosters unique, often bizarre evolutionary changes that are the result of a shallow genetic pool that increases the chances of mutations due to interbreeding and lack of competition that allows unproductive mutations to survive. This is known as the “Island Effect.” Indeed the results can be spectacular. Unfortunately such communities, as they become more specialized, also become more susceptible to even small changes in their environment. Do we really want to become weaker in a world that is more dynamic and competitive than ever?

3) From an economic standpoint, isolationism equals suffocation. Few communities can survive economically as an enclave. Those that do, are places like Carmel, whose residents derive their immense wealth from elsewhere and create economic barriers specifically to keep the rest of us out.

I, for one, believe that this incredible area should not become another scenic preserve accessible only to the elite.
Such a scenario is actually pretty unlikely, however. Reality shows that in the vast majority of cases, nations, states, regions and communities that have isolated themselves have become impoverished, backward and poor stewards of their natural resources. Look at places like China or India. Self-imposed isolation led to poverty, desperation and the over exploitation of their natural resources. Exactly the opposite of what their leaders originally intended.

Ironically, in our own experience, it was these very transportation improvements that made Humboldt County accessible and threw open the shades to expose to the world the environmental destruction that was happening behind the Redwood Curtain.

There is an alternative however. We can replace fear with hope. There are plenty of examples around the world of communities who have prospered by creating unique and special places, not through isolation, but through good planning and high development standards. Such standards, when implemented fairly and transparently, foster innovation, attract talent, export ideas instead of natural resources and create opportunity for everyone along the economic spectrum. While Dr. Miller sees transportation links as a pathway the world will use to change us for the worse, I see them as a path for us to change the world for the better.


Where are Ken's legions of letter writers? I think they have gotten tired. Weary of his never-ending battle. Moving on with their lives. Leaving him to preach, exposed in all his hypocrisy, unable to hide behind others. 'Bout time.
***

AND, speaking of LAUGHING! ◼ The Mirror with Many thanks from Ken Miller

Update: Apparently a letter of Thanks from the McKinleyville Bluff residents was read into the record at yesterday's BOS meeting (1/27), not by any of the residents, and not by Ken Miller.

Here's a report on the up to $1.5 million dollar project: Mad River bluffs stabilized
The saga began in late December 2005 and early January 2006 when virulent storms sent 13 feet of the Mad River bluffs into the river along a quarter-mile stretch at the west end of School Road. The storm-related retreat took the bluff within 15 feet of one Verwer Drive home.

The Natural Resources Conservation District subsequently authorized funding for the bluff stabilization project. However, those involved struggled with liability issues -- whether legal responsibility would fall to the homeowners or the county or McKinleyville Community Services District.

The county had agreed to act as the project's administrator and was seeking indemnification from the owners of the potentially affected property. That was eventually established and the private property owners contributed $100,000 for parts of the project that were not grant-funded.

Prelim for Kinder

☛TS Preliminary begins for man accused in New Year's shooting

If you read the police reports in the TS, the name McCovey is certainly familiar. Wouldn't it be interesting to see the list of priors on the victim?

Thursday, January 22, 2009

Damn! If I'd only known about this in time for Christmas!

Eco-Moonbat Watch Scrubs Carbon Footprints


From the ◼ product description:
Fashioned as an athletic wristwatch it uses kinetic energy as a clean power source. Although it does function as a regular watch, it also constantly keeps pulling in air through the intake vents collecting CO2, and expels new clean air via the exhaust vents. A step in the right direction for an individual, the eCO2 has the potential to make a powerful impact if worn collectively.

Now, Bob, and Ryan, this is your chance to get in on the ground floor, open a franchise!
h/t: moonbattery.com

Trial set for Andrew Belant

☛TS On Wednesday, ...Humboldt County Superior Court Judge Bruce Watson denied a motion filed by Andrew Belant to continue his jury trial scheduled for later this month.

Belant, who is representing himself against accusations he sexually molested four young boys, argued he has not had enough time to prepare his case. Watson denied the motion, saying a continuance would not be fair to the four alleged victims who are set to testify against Belant at trial, which is set to begin Jan. 26.

Murder suspects ordered to face trial

A Humboldt County Superior Court judge ruled this morning there is sufficient evidence to try two men in connection with the alleged drug-related murder of a 27-year-old Eureka man.

According to information from the Humboldt County District Attorney's Office, Jason Leon Belles, 31, and Jonathan Henry Watson, 30, were bound over for trial after their preliminary hearing, which concluded today.

The men are suspected of going to the home of Garrett Ryan Benson on the evening of Dec. 3. The District Attorney's Office has alleged, at least one of the men entered the home with a weapon in an attempt to rob Benson. In an ensuing struggle, Benson was shot three times.

After searching the house, investigators reported finding a significant amount of marijuana was being grown and processed inside the home, according to the Humboldt County Sheriff's Office.

The men are scheduled for arraignment on Feb. 5.


Plea deal announced in 1 - 2 - 3 - - taking odds, whaddya say? 6 years? Out in 3? But "they're going away." Uh huh.
☛TS Murder suspects ordered to face trial

Crackpots and scams

Do we have more per capita than anywhere on earth?

☛TS Community currency gaining visibility

With the continuously bleak predictions for our nation's economy, a group of local consumers is urging the community to invest in itself through paper currency that can only be used in Humboldt County.

The Humboldt Exchange Community Currency Project, a volunteer-run group promoting the use of community currency in exchange for local services, produces the colorful bills, featuring local images created by local artists.

”The overall idea is not to displace U.S. currency, just to offer an alternative currency to meet people's needs,” said Jon Zaglin, the project's business outreach coordinator....


But can you pay for your pancake breakfast with it?

From the ☛ TS comments: TomTom Pssstttt...wanna buy the plates for making this Humboldt Home Grown fake money. All you need is a color printer and some Hemp toilet paper...

Let's get it straight - "The Humboldt Exchange Community Currency Project" is "Democracy Unlimited" (DUHC) is David Cobb Is Kaitlin Sopoci Belknap is _________ is ______________ is ______________ is ______________ - how many group names do these guys have anyways?

And how much did they pull in in the Measure T scam? Where's that check to reimburse the County for its REAL expenses that they were collecting money for?

none of the men can associate with one another, or wear clothing or patches identifying them as gang members.

Mongols members sentenced for shooting
Four men arrested in connection to the non-fatal shooting of a suspected Hells Angels member in November were sentenced in Humboldt County Superior Court Tuesday afternoon to terms ranging from three years in prison to 180 days in jail.

All four men, three of whom were found to be card carrying members of the Mongols Motorcycle Club, pleaded guilty in a plea agreement offered during their preliminary hearing, after evidence surfaced that the victim -- Robert Thompson -- may have fired first.

Deputy District Attorney Ben McLaughlin said although there are no current plans to charge Thompson as a felon in possession of a firearm, the matter is still under investigation.

The accused gunman in the case, 28-year-old Mongols gang member Eric Gunner Lundin, was sentenced by Judge Dale Reinholtsen to three years in prison for felony charges of assault with a firearm and participating in a criminal street gang.

Lundin's attorney, Glenn Brown, said his client will likely serve “a little over two years.”

Dustin Liebes, a 36-year-old who the prosecution named as the president of the area Mongols chapter, was sentenced to one year in jail with five years probation. Shasta County resident Eric Garcia, 28, was also given a one year jail sentence with five years probation. Both men had pleaded guilty to participation in a criminal street gang, and both were granted 110 days time served.

Brad Miller, 26, was sentenced to 180 days in jail, with 110 days credit.

The prosecution alleged Miller -- who was not part of the gang -- was a prospective member. Miller pleaded guilty to being an accessory to a felony after the fact, but denied attempting to gain entry to the gang.

In addition to various fines, Reinholtsen stipulated that none of the men can associate with one another, or wear clothing or patches identifying them as gang members....


UPDATE:
☛ TS Four arrests follow shooting outside bar
☛ Merced Sun Star Robert Thompson shot outside Eureka bar
☛ Modesto Bee Detectives kept an eye on Thompson because of his Hells Angels membership
☛ The AgingRebel.com Biker Motive Alleged In Shooting
☛ TS Hells Angel shot Friday was cleared of murdering girls in Merced
☛ TS Four arrests follow shooting outside bar
☛ Merced Sun Star Robert Thompson shot outside Eureka bar
☛ TS Prelim begins for alleged Mongols shooters
☛ TS Expert links shooting suspects to Mongols motorcycle gang
☛ TS Suspected Mongols accept plea agreement
12/18/2008 - Members of the Mongols biker gang implicated in the shooting of a suspected Hells Angel in early November have all accepted plea agreements offered by the Humboldt County district attorney.

It is not correct to say, "The science is not in dispute."

...as the late Michael Crichton used to say, "If it's consensus, it isn't science: if it's science, it isn't consensus."...
Obama on the 'urgency' of combating 'global warming'

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Geert Wilders to be Prosecuted for “Hate Speech”


Geert Wilders to be Prosecuted for “Hate Speech”
A Dutch court has ordered prosecutors to put a right-wing politician on trial for making anti-Islamic statements.

Freedom Party leader Geert Wilders made a controversial film last year equating Islam with violence and has likened the Koran to Adolf Hitler’s Mein Kampf.

“In a democratic system, hate speech is considered so serious that it is in the general interest to… draw a clear line,” the court in Amsterdam said.

Mr Wilders said the judgement was an “attack on the freedom of expression”.

“Participation in the public debate has become a dangerous activity. If you give your opinion, you risk being prosecuted,” he said.

Not only he, but all Dutch citizens opposed to the “Islamisation” of their country would be on trial, Mr Wilders warned.

“Who will stand up for our culture if I am silenced?” he added.


I guess pointing out that Islamists stone their teenage girls to death for having boyfriends is 'hate speech.' Pointing out that they behead their women in soccer stadiums in front of cheering crowds is 'hate speech.' Pointing out that they behead school girls and leave their heads on the police station steps is 'hate speech.'

Fitna, the movie.

Ezra Levant on Wilders: Holland's national suicide note
Amsterdam, 21 january 2009 - On 21 January 2009 the Court of Appeal in Amsterdam ordered the criminal prosecution of the member of parliament Geert Wilders for the incitement to hatred and discrimination based on his statements in various media about moslims and their belief.
Did you catch that? It's just like the execrable section 13 of the Canadian Human Rights Act. Incitement to... what? Violence? Murder? Riot? No. Incitement to hatred.

Defend Geert Wilders.wordpress.com
Shooting The Messenger….This is Sharia Law!
Is This the END or Just the BEGINNING? Geert Wilders charged over Fitna movie

I highly recommend you watch the movie, Fitna. Click on the link. It isn't even that extreme, not that inflammatory, he actually pulls back from some of the most egregious scenes, stops before the head is sawed off for example.

Then think about what this means to you.
***
As Wilders puts it, “If I have to stand trial, I will not stand trial alone, but also with the hundreds of thousands of Dutch people who reject the Islamization of The Netherlands.” He will also stand trial with those in The Netherlands and beyond who reject government prosecutions of free speech. In recognition of this dire situation, the IFPS immediately calls on every supporter of free speech to come to the aid of Geert Wildest assist in this effort, the IFPS has launched an international campaign in defense of Geert Wilders and his freedom of speech.



To support these efforts, we urge you to contribute to the Geert Wilders Defense Fund. Donation information can be found at the IFPS website at http://www.internationalfreepresssociety.org.

We also urge defenders of free speech to sign this letter of protest against the Dutch Government

http://www.petitiononline.com/wilders/petition.html

Lars Hedegaard
President of the IFPS
lhedegaard@freepressmonitor.com


Update:
BRITS CAVE TO ISLAMIC SUPREMACISTS: CANCELS FITNA SCREENING

Related: ◼ vanityfair.com/politics/ Christopher Hitchens, Assassins of the Mind
When Iran’s Ayatollah Khomeini issued a fatwa on novelist Salman Rushdie for The Satanic Verses, it was the opening shot in a war on cultural freedom. Two decades later, the violence continues, and Muslim fundamentalists have gained a new advantage: media self-censorship....

Sunday, January 18, 2009

Martin Luther King Jr.


was a Republican. Yet not a single person you meet will know this, not a single newspaper will mention this. Even though:

◼ The Republican Party - the party of Abraham Lincoln - was borne in 1854 out of opposition to slavery.

◼ The party of Jim Crow and the Ku Klux Klan was, as Jeffrey Lord points out in an article at the WSJ, the Democratic Party. And Sen. Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.) is the only living member of the Senate who was once a member of the KKK.

◼ The 13th (abolishing slavery), 14th (due process for all citizens) and 15th (voting rights cannot be restricted on the basis of race) Amendments to the Constitution were enacted by Republicans over Democratic opposition.

◼ The NAACP was founded in 1909 by three white Republicans who opposed the racist practices of the Democratic Party and the lynching of blacks by Democrats.

◼ In fairness, it was the Democrat Harry Truman who, by Executive Order 9981 issued in 1948, desegregated the military. That was a truly major development. Yet - the military has been the single greatest driving force of integration in this land for over half a century.

◼ It was Chief Justice Earl Warren, a former Republican Governor of California appointed to the Supreme Court by President Eisenhower, also a Republican, who managed to convince the other eight justices to agree to a unanimous decision in the seminal case of Brown v. Board of Education. That case was brought by the NAACP. The Court held segregation in schools unconstitutional. The fact that it was a unanimous decision that overturned precedent made it clear that no aspect of segregation would henceforth be considered constitutional.

◼ Republican President Ike Eisenhower played additional important roles in furthering equality in America. He "proposed to Congress the Civil Rights Acts of 1957 and 1960 and signed those acts into law. . . . They constituted the first significant civil rights acts since the 1870s." Moreover, when the Democratic Governor of Arkansas refused to integrate schools in what became known as the "Little Rock Nine" incident, "Eisenhower placed the Arkansas National Guard under Federal control and sent Army troops to escort nine black students into an all-white public school."

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was championed by JFK - but it was passed with massive Republican support over 80%) in Congress and over fierce opposition from Democrats who made repeated attempts at filibuster. Indeed, 80% of the vote opposing the Civil Rights Act came from Democrats.( Women were added to the Act as a protected class by a Democrat who thought it would be a poison pill, killing the legislation. To the contrary, the Congress passed the Act without any attempt to remove the provision....

◼ Martin Luther King Jr. was the most well known and pivotal Civil Rights activist ever produced in America. His most famous speech, "I Had A Dream," was an eloquent and stirring call for equality. If you have not read the speech or heard it, you can find it here. I would highly recommend listening to it. Rev. King was, by the way, a Republican.

◼ h/t, and credit to: Wolfhowling: Standing At The Crossroads - Identity Politics, Multiculturalism & The Melting Pot (Updated & Bumped)
◼ article in WSJ

DR. ALVEDA C. KING founded King for America, Inc. "to assist people in enriching their lives spiritually, personally, mentally and economically." She is the daughter of the late slain civil rights activist Rev. A. D. King and his wife Naomi Barber King. Alveda is the grateful mother of six children and she is a doting grandmother. She says, among other things: (...) My grandfather, Dr. Martin Luther King, Sr., or “Daddy King”, was a Republican and father of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. who was a Republican. (...)

Saturday, January 17, 2009

FIND 5 THINGS WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE...

This is funny on so many levels. If you can get through it...

Editor:

We should not underestimate the socioeconomic or aesthetic consequences of the CalTrans’ Richardson Grove widening proposal, which increases our dependence on obsolete, unreliable global market strategies, including big diesel trucks (“Drive-Thru Redwoods,” Jan. 8).

We should utilize 21st century know-how and exploit the minor inconveniences attributable to our geography and weather to develop regional self-reliance, while enhancing RG and its local businesses with slowed traffic and a safe bike lane.

CalTrans makes much of the alleged economic benefits of STAA trucks to some businesses, but never evaluates the impacts on local businesses of the inevitable chain store invasions and urbanization that soon follow highway thoroughfares. The environmental report mentions but never analyzes the impacts of STAA connection from 101 to I-5, so the whole area can be “served,” and developed. It doesn’t analyze the impacts of compressing big redwood tree roots, either.

The RG and Eureka-Arcata corridor projects are wasteful and destructive boondoggles that needlessly threaten our small-town lifestyles with rapid, overwhelming, faceless, exploitative development. Our geography buffers us, and we should exploit it to foster creative socio-economic solutions that enhance, rather than degrade, our quality of life.

With innovative, sustainable local development of our unparalleled recreational, agricultural, fishery, timber, manufacturing and other resources, using emerging energy, transportation (electric vehicles?), communication, and other technologies, we can retain what we love while improving our lot.

Twisty highways are like potholes in a country road. Fix ’em, and trouble follows. 
Widening roads is as irreversible as the consequences are inevitable, which we ignore at great peril.

— Ken Miller, McKinleyville
In The Journal this week.

This is like the FIND 5 THINGS WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE...

Oh, crap, Mr "Mad River Bluffs Boondoggle" himself has ANOTHER one in the TS! Really toned it up, took out the "If you build potholes trouble will come" crap... his version of I have a dream, I guess.. ☛TS Imagine Humboldt. Channeling Lakoff?

Response: Isolationism is equal to suffocation

Save the Roosters.com follow up

☛TS Cockfighting breeder suspect faces misdemeanor charges
Ray Christie, a McKinleyville rooster breeder suspected of rearing birds for cockfighting, was arraigned in Humboldt County Superior Court on related misdemeanor charges Friday afternoon.
Appearing with his attorney Ken Bareilles, Christie, 45, pleaded not guilty to five counts of possession of cockfighting implements and one count of possessing a bird with intent to use it in a fighting exhibition.
If convicted, Christie would face a maximum of six years in jail and a $30,000 fine for the six misdemeanor offenses.

...if Christie is convicted, it will be up to a judge to determine what to do with the birds. That could include finding it is more humane to euthanize the birds due to the colossal difficulties associated with finding homes for over 1,000 roosters.

A pretrial for Christie was scheduled for Feb. 24 at 2 p.m.


☛ JN Alleged cockfight kingpin arraigned
...No one reached at the DA’s office Friday afternoon could say why Christie’s being charged with just six misdemeanors despite the nearly 1,400 roosters, 72 knives and 13 pairs of gaffs seized from his property last month

I dunno. It's interesting. Alot of noise for a few misdemeanors. But comparing the possible 6 yr sentence to last week's 6 year sentence for Isaias Felix-Romero's extreme child abuse, I just shake my head and wonder what is wrong with this County. Think Arnie Klein'll put as much effort into this as he put into the child molest case? Maybe Gallegos can take in on personally.

Friday, January 16, 2009

Ann Coulter with John Matthews on KSLG 94.1 FM

Ann Coulter, the author of Guilty: Liberal "Victims" and Their Assault on America will discuss her new book with John Matthews this Monday (1/19/09) at 9:00 AM. Coulter is the legal correspondent for Human Events and writes a syndicated column for Universal Press Syndicate. Her weekly column can be found at anncoulter.com.

Listeners can tune in on the dial at 94.1 KSLG FM or online at kslg.com

This ought to be interesting!

◼ PODCAST khum.streamguys.us/John_Matthews-KSLG_Ann_Coulter

When you take the oath of office

aren't you promising - swearing - to uphold the laws of the land?

When you become an elected official, you are in a position to pass laws/rules/ordinances that affect other people, and potentially cost them money, or even jail time. Therefore, as an elected official, you have an obligation to be squeaky clean. You do not have the right to break laws - and if you do, you should be held to the highest standard, given the harshest penalty x3 that is allowed. Because of your position of power and your apparent willingness to use that power over others.

In that spirit - I hope this lady gets the book thrown at her...
Mount Shasta councilwoman arrested in countywide drug bust
MOUNT SHASTA — Six juveniles and seven adults, including a newly appointed Mount Shasta city councilwoman, were arrested Wednesday in the Mount Shasta area after a four-month undercover operation targeting drug activities at two Siskiyou County high schools.

The operation, which overall netted at least 32 arrests, 16 of which were adults, was led by the Siskiyou County-Wide Interagency Narcotic Task Force, and involved numerous law enforcement agencies.

Mount Shasta Police Chief Parish D. Cross said that among those arrested was City Councilwoman Katrina Howard, 40, who was sworn into office in November.

Howard, the manager of the Woodsman Hotel in Mount Shasta and a former Mount Shasta Chamber of Commerce board member, was arrested on suspicion of marijuana sales and possession of marijuana for sale following the execution of a search warrant at her home.

She also was arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to sell marijuana, maintaining a residence where marijuana is sold and being armed in the commission of a felony. Deputies said that 34 pounds of processed marijuana were seized from her home.

James Parker, senior special agent in charge with the state Department of Justice, Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement in Redding, said Howard is accused of selling marijuana to an undercover sheriff's deputy who was posing as a Mount Shasta High School student.

"She was involved in several negotiations" with the undercover deputy, Parker said...

..."The goal of the operation was to identify drug dealers in and around the school grounds and adults dealing drugs to our youth of Mount Shasta" and Yreka.

He said the operation yielded nine arrest warrants and six search warrants, all within the Mount Shasta area.

The arrests and warrants were for the sale of marijuana, Ecstasy and psilocybin mushrooms, he said.

Ross Martin, the narcotic task force's commander, said that more than 100 law enforcement officers took part in the massive drug "take-down" in Siskiyou County....

...Martin said the task force enrolled an undercover Siskiyou County sheriff's deputy at Yreka High School in August.

The deputy attended classes, socialized with classmates during lunch period and attended school functions.

Over the course of two months, Martin said, the undercover agent made arrangements to purchase drugs from a dozen classmates.

Many of those arrangements were made before, during and after school hours and most of the undercover purchases occurred within 500 feet of the school and during after-hour school functions, he said.

Martin said that the investigation revealed that a large number of adults were congregating around Yreka High School, during lunchtime and after-hour school functions.

As a result, he said, the undercover deputy was successful in purchasing marijuana from four of the adults. In addition, while posing as a high school student, the deputy made additional drug buys from seven adults within the city. The drugs included marijuana, hashish and Ecstasy, he said....

Fighting fire with fire

Former candidate to represent HumCPR

A little more than two months after ending a hard-fought battle to represent the 2nd District on the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors, former candidate Estelle Fennell is now the public face and executive director of the Humboldt Coalition for Property Rights.

Since in essence protecting property rights means blocking the efforts of the activist groups to curtail and restrict those rights by way of the HC General Plan Re-Write - Humboldt Watershed Council/Healthy Humboldt most notably - this is an interesting pick. To say the least. Could be a formidable pick.

But it is sure to put her at loggerheads with people who formerly used her as a PR conduit.

Speaking of property rights: Out of Oregon, ◼ Attorney urges counties to assert their rights in public land decisions

...Nampa-based attorney Fred Kelly Grant used to prosecute organized crime in Baltimore before he became president of Stewards of the Range, a group that helps local governments coordinate land-use actions taken by federal agencies....

The only difference between the Syndicate and the federal government, Grant quipped, is that “the Syndicate is better organized and more efficient.”...


He's talking about protecting rights via ...coordination... a more effective way for local communities to affect federal land-use decisions on public lands....

...A community writes a coordination plan ...the federal agency must be consistent with as it takes its actions. It gives local government a seat at the table...

...coordination is a tool reserved for local governments, Grant said, producer groups and environmental groups aren’t allowed to use it....

Barger sentenced for vehicle theft

David Gabriel Barger, a 23-year-old man acquitted in October of first-degree murder, was sentenced Thursday to three years in prison for stealing a vehicle.

Humboldt County Superior Court Judge Dale Reinholtsen sentenced Barger to the maximum possible term for felony vehicle theft -- a charge he was convicted of at trial.

Reinholtsen granted Barger 1,020 days credit for time served, giving him 75 total days remaining on his prison term. Following his release, the judge ordered Barger be placed on parole for three years.

In late October, a jury found Barger not guilty of murder, and hung on the lesser count of second-degree murder, with eight of 12 jurors in favor of acquittal. Those jurors heard evidence indicating that in mid-July of 2003, Barger, Rex Shinn and three other passengers, drove in Shinn's truck to a marijuana farm in Honeydew operated by Scott Starnes.

Witness testimony indicated that at the time, Barger was being paid by Starnes to work on the marijuana growing operation, and Shinn had recently been fired by Starnes.

Barger and Shinn parked the truck at the gated entrance to the Honeydew property, and left their passengers inside as they walked up the mountain road to Starnes' residence.

At trial, the passengers who waited in the truck testified after Barger and Shinn left, they heard the sound of gunshots before Barger -- who was reportedly high on methamphetamine at the time -- returned to the truck alone.

Barger drove the truck, and passengers, away from the Honeydew property, and later abandoned the vehicle near Petrolia. At the conclusion of his trial, the jury found Barger guilty of felony vehicle theft for taking Shinn's truck.

”It seems to me, under those circumstances, the callousness of the offense (vehicle theft) makes the matter more serious,” Reinholtsen said Thursday, explaining why he was choosing the aggravated sentence.

Shinn's body was later discovered by investigators, buried on the Honeydew property. An autopsy showed Shinn had been shot twice in the head and once in the neck.
☛TS Barger sentenced for vehicle theft

Related:
☛TS Barger not guilty of first-degree murder
☛TS Barger murder trial to begin this week
☛TS a 2003 murder case

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Gazacam

live

Interesting post

Del Norte case on The Mirror - Meet Kirk Stewart, Prop. 215 poster boy

Pot grower sues for ‘lost profit’
A Gasquet man currently facing marijuana-sales charges has sued the Del Norte County Sheriff’s Office for “lost profit” after his marijuana plants were destroyed prior to the dismissal of a previous marijuana-sales case.

Kirk David Stewart, 45, filed the suit Jan. 2, claiming the Sheriff’s Office should have returned 93 confiscated plants to Stewart — or at least the cash amount that could have been made by harvesting them.

The suit states that “Mr. Stewart is requesting the fair market value” of the 93 marijuana plants that were destroyed.

“If there is any truth to the true market value of the marijuana the (Drug) Task Force say they are taking off the streets, then Mr. Stewart’s plants are worth upwards of several hundred thousand dollars,” said Jon Alexander, Stewart’s attorney....

made the uk Marijuana grower sues for Sheriff's Office 'lost profit'

He's holding multiple 215 permits as an excuse for growing dope, and that excuse used to work, but the law has changed...
Here's Eric's post on that Primary Care Giver needs to give more than marijuana
Mendo D.A. says that the caregiver decision will change everything
http://www.courtinfo.ca.gov/opinions/documents/S148204.PDF

Convicted sex offender faces 6 years, deportation

☛TS Convicted sex offender faces 6 years, deportation

A Mexican national, who will face deportation for a second time after serving an expected six-year sentence, pleaded no contest Monday to allegations he sexually abused his 8-year-old daughter.

Isaias Felix-Romero, 33, pleaded no contest to the sexual abuse of his daughter-- referred to as Jane Doe-- according to Deputy District Attorney Arnold Klein.

Eight years ago Felix-Romero was convicted of unlawful intercourse with a 13-year-old minor, the mother of Jane Doe. Felix-Romero later married Jane Doe's mother.,,,

...In early September, Felix-Romero was arrested as part of a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raid on Sun Valley Floral Farms.

ICE reported Felix-Romero has already been deported from the United States once, and he will be detained and ultimately deported by ICE after his sentence is completed.

”We definitely have flagged this case for follow-up, and a detainer will be lodged against the individual,” said ICE Communications Director Virginia Kice.

Felix-Romero's previous deportation may be reinstated, which would result in expedited removal. Because of Felix-Romero's criminal history and felony reentry, his case is subject to review by the Department of Justice and the U.S. Attorney's Office....

***
This report says he pled "no contest to allegations..." but does not say what the CHARGES (Penal Code Sections), and resultant minimum and maximum penalties were.
***
Reminiscent of the Martinez-Hernandez case except this time, the immigration authorities really have been contacted. The similarities are incredible. Child victim, turned bride, second victim the child born of that abuse.

But in 6, really 3, years he'll get to rape another 8 year old, and next time, he may not want to leave any witnesses behind.)

RELATED STORIES:
TS - Plea bargain made with molester - Jan 24, 2004
TS - Gallegos responds to molester's plea - Jan 27, 2004
TS - Albin Sheets accuses Gallegos of incompetence - Jan, 2004
NCJ - MOLESTATION CASE TAKES CENTER STAGE:
...a copy of this article is also at watchpaul-articles
TS - Investigating deputy speaks out on molest case - Feb 13, 2004
Gallegos v. Martinez-Hernandez

This is why Gallegos "losing" virtually all of our experienced prosecutors matters. He wasn't then, and isn't now, capable of handling these cases properly.

Monday, January 12, 2009

Black Navy Blue Nissan Altima 5GWG391 stolen, still at large, w/UPDATE

☛TS Sheriff's Deputy crashes during vehicle pursuit

The stolen vehicle is a black 2005 Nissan Altima with a California plate of 5GWG391. It was being driven by an unknown white female adult and was last seen traveling eastbound on Myrtle Avenue from Hall Avenue.

The investigation is continuing. Anyone who may have witnessed the collision at Harris and K streets, knows the identity of the driver of the stolen vehicle, or knows the location of the stolen vehicle is asked to contact Officer Tim Jones at the Eureka Police


I am curious though - According to an EPD news release, the owner of the stolen car had followed it to Winco where the driver parked it near the entrance. The passenger exited the vehicle and entered the store. When officers arrived moments later, the female driver of the stolen car fled the scene heading eastbound on Harris Street. why didn't the owner just park his/her car behind their stolen vehicle, or surround it with shopping carts, preventing the crook from being able to move it again. No need for a confrontation, they could just pretend to be stalled or walk away til the cops came. Problem solved.


UPDATE: ☛TS Car thief remains at large
The stolen car, described as a dark blue 2005 Nissan Altima with after-market rims and a bumper sticker reading “End this endless war,” belongs to McKinleyville resident Robert West.

West said at 7:35 a.m. Sunday he had left his car to warm up in his driveway. He was walking outside when he saw its taillights disappear around the corner.

The car was reported nearly two hours later by a man who spotted it parked in the Harris Street Winco parking lot. The vehicle was occupied by two women, one of whom had entered the Winco.

EPD spokesman Lt. Murl Harpham said the second woman, who was identified in the Winco, has been questioned by officers, and the driver of the vehicle has been identified, but no arrests have yet been made.

As police approached the parked car, the driver fled the parking lot, alone in the vehicle.

As the driver made her way eastbound on Harris Street, a Eureka Police officer reported she approached speeds of 80 mph before he discontinued the chase due to safety concerns.


Ahhhh - that explains it! Two passengers, one went into the store, the OTHER one drove away.

Looks like crime is up in McKinleyville lately.