Eureka Council Sets Sights on Serenity Inn (AUDIO)
In response to the revelation by the Eureka Police Department that the agency responded to over 200 calls in and around the Serenity Inn over the past year, the council took the first steps toward what might end being a nuisance declaration for the low-income housing complex.
Owned by Alcohol Drug Care Services, a Eureka-based non-profit, the Serenity Inn is one of several facilities the organization owns across Eureka. The organization has multiple treatment facilities and low-income housing complexes like this one. The Inn has 34 rooms geared for families, Social Security and General Relief recipients, and four rooms for staff, including a manager.
The long list of calls, which city officials decry as an indicator that the Inn is draining scare resources from the city’s police department, details a host of incidents, including welfare checks, assaults, disturbing the public, theft, and traffic stops. It is unknown, however, how many of the incidents directly involved Inn or just occurred nearby.
The city took steps to meet with officials from the organization overseeing operations there in order to find a resolution to what it considers a drain on city resources and a blight to the neighborhood. The organization contends that the situation is being exaggerated and that it is being unfairly targeted.
The city has long had a history with halfway houses and treatment homes in the city, with the most recent public explosion occurring several years ago when Redwood Teen Challenge tried to set up shop in one of the neighborhoods.
Listen to the Full KHSU Story here.
New Dorms Helps Alleviate Arcata Housing Crunch (AUDIO)
Anyone familiar with Arcata, particularly when they play the great housing hunt game during college season, knows that there is quite a crunch there. It’s not uncommon to hear tales about students moving up here for school only to be bogged down with a horrific scenario, “where am I going to live,” only to discover that their car, a friend’s couch, or even the forest will become their temporary home.
As part of its Master Plan, Humboldt State University embarked on a project to expand the number of dorms on campus two years prior, and this upcoming Fall semester the new College Creek dorm complex, nested on the corner of 14th Street and LK Wood, opens its doors. The project cost about $40 million to complete, with monies garnered from State bond funds and housing revenue at HSU.
The university conducted tours last week showing off the fresh dorm units which, in total, will house 430 more students than previous years. Getting into the dorms has always been a game of timing and luck, and this year is no different. Dorms new and old are already at capacity, and a signal that the even with the new dorms the housing demand in Arcata still outpaces supply.
Listen here to the story aired on KHSU today.
Eureka Approves Medical Marijuana Ordinance (AUDIO)
On August 3, Eureka became the second city in Humboldt County to hammer out comprehensive rules on the cultivation of medical marijuana for personal use and a cap to the number of dispensaries within the city limits. Although city officials hope the new regulations will help reduce the amount of illegal and dangerous grows within the city, there is also concerns about whether or not the city can handle what is expected to be an influx of complaints.
Full report here. Originally aired on KHSU – 90.5 on Aug. 5.
KHSU Story About Eureka’s Smoking Ordinance (Audio)
As frightening as this may sound, The Reporta has taken yet another technological leap and discovered…the radio!
In my first ever radio news segment on KHSU-90.5, I talk about Eureka’s recently approved no smoking ordinance, which prohibits smoking throughout most of the city.
You can listen to the story here.