Humboldt horse racing doomed? Plus bombs, border reform, bogus bling, a soccer-playing bear, and more (348)

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The Humboldt County Fair is asking the community to speak up to help save horse racing. This comes as race horses are becoming even more expensive than they already were, concerns have been growing about the welfare of race horses, and efforts to consolidate horse-racing gambling profits in the southern end of California. However, folks behind the races in Ferndale are urging people to contact elected officials and defend the century-old Humboldt County tradition. *** T-S / Fair PR via LoCo /  NCJ

Sheriff Honsal has thoughts on immigration reform. Billy backs a tougher border but an easier path to citizenship for law-abiding people. Given his analysis on local crime and deportation fears, he thinks our country’s rising deportation efforts are hindering our battles against terrorism and drugs. As Humboldt relies on immigrant labor, while at the same time battling drug challenges, our Sheriff is urging Congress to balance security with humanity. What do you think? *** NCJ

Triplets pulled over in SoHum allegedly had guns and homemade bombs. Cops say all three brothers were arrested at this routine traffic stop in Garberville, as this led to them finding more guns, bomb-making stuff, and ammo of theirs in Alderpoint and the Bay Area. Local bomb squads controlled detonations in SoHum. What were these fellas planning? *** CBS News

A thief smashed a jewelry case and made off with a whopping $20 worth of phony rings. This was reportedly at Harry Ritchie’s in Eureka’s Bayshore Mall, as a criminal took around 10 fake rings that were just out for display. Officially named the Bogus Bling Burglar by Humboldt Last Week, the suspect has not yet been found as of this posting. *** LoCo

Failed burglars bailed after an alarm and a swarm of cops ruined their attempted Eureka cannabis heist. Six hoodie‑wearing suspects were slower than the police response, and several of the suspects have already been arrested. Statewide, cannabis break‑ins have doubled since 2021. *** RHBB

A mega megaquake could sink the Humboldt coast by several feet. A new study of a major quake along the Cascadia zone could lead to a sudden coastal drop by up to 6.5 feet, massively worsening flood risks, especially around Humboldt Bay. Combine that with sea-level rise, and we’ve got some serious concerns for our coastal folks. The last supreme quake on the Cascadia was in 1700, and they hit every 200 to 800 years. *** LoCo

Report: Most extremely low-income Humboldtians spend over half their income on rent. 85 percent, to be exact, which is more than anywhere else north of Sonoma. And with slightly higher income brackets, pretty much all low-income renters here are still paying way too much. *** California Housing Partnership

A woman’s battle with our Catholic hospitals went national on PBS. As you may know, the California Attorney General and other powerful advocates are now involved after a woman was allegedly denied life-saving care while suffering a miscarriage in Eureka. While the hospital is now under a temporary order to provide emergency care in similar situations, Providence St. Joseph argues that they should be able to deny abortion-related care in the name of religious freedom. We'll see how it all plays out in court. *** PBS NewsHour on YouTube

Eureka export Mike Patton is reportedly refusing to do shows with Faith No More. The Bay Area rock band plucked Mike from relative obscurity and helped his rise to international fame. In recent years, Mike backed out of Faith No More shows due to his mental health, which the band supported, but now he’s playing shows with Mr. Bungle while keeping his distance from Faith No More. Faith No More’s drummer essentially said he’s bummed but not burning any bridges. We’ll see what happens as Mike Patton is one of Humboldt’s most influential musical exports. *** Stereogum

Hundreds keep rallying locally to push back against Trump. People gathered at the Humboldt County Courthouse in Eureka and in towns like Garberville and Blue Lake. Folks also donated to a food drive, and another similar event is planned for May 3. *** RHBB / LoCo

The zoo’s new black bear is now available for our viewing pleasure. Ishŭng is large, and his name means that he likes to eat. He is apparently a soccer player and is slowly sniffing out a future friendship with the Sequoia Park Zoo’s other bear,  Tule. Both bears at the Eureka zoo are non‑releasable rescues. *** SPZ post

Eureka got a little economic boost from over 800 cruise ship travelers. Visitors had options including the redwoods, Old Town Eureka, chocolate, oysters, and Trinidad kayaking during their day-long visit on April 27. *** PR via RHBB

A local man is internationally known for free seed distribution. FreeHeirloomSeeds.org gives away hundreds of varieties of heirloom seeds to anyone who asks, as the Facebook group has over 150K members. Michael Reeves started out in Arcata in 2011 with strawberry plants and has now given away over 300,000 packs of seeds — for free — all in the name of conservation and growing locally. Donations make it all possible. *** LoCo