Street View Still Irking You

Google’s ongoing little-big stunt gets another round of scrutiny. The writer of the piece goes on a fair bit about how criminals might use the maps and snaps to burgle you while you were away…. He also refers often to the Santa Rosa Press Democrat‘s boot-leathering which found that the Google bug traveled down more than 100 private drives in Sonoma County alone with that nosy camera, and says it had every right to do that. ‘course, there’s a lawsuit. And there’s at least one angry woman in Humboldt.

Clarification: Google claims it was within its rights to take pics on the private roads, not the Press Dem.

 

Another one – Union Street by HSU closed due to bomb threat

lock down at 14th and Union

A portion of the Humboldt State University campus is in lock-down mode today due to the second bomb threat is the space of 10 days. According to Sergeant Dave Brown of the Arcata Police, speaking just after 3 p.m., University Police located a suspicious device somewhere in the vicinity of the HSU Gym and the BSS building and were preparing to detonate it as they did with the faux bomb found last week . An explosion heard by this reporter at 3:15 indicates that the device has likely been destroyed. According to HSU the grand opening and dedication of the new gym has not been canceled by the incident.

5 p.m. Update: According to HSU infomation officer Paul Mann, the device was discovered near the front of the BSS Building during a routine perimeter check at around 12:45 p.m. — just a little while before Lt. Gov. John Garamendi was scheduled to meet with the public in advance of the dedication of the new Kinesiology and Athletics Building. It appeared to be similar to the fake bomb found found last week, although it is still uncertain whether this one contained any gunpowder or other explosives. The HSU Police and the HumCo Sheriff’s bomb detail are investigating possible connections between the two incidents.

Saturday update: According to Sergeant Dave Brown the “alleged pipe bomb” destroyed by authorities on Friday was not a faux bomb after all. It was a cardboard tube that contained an artist’s paintbrushes.

Another update: Campus authorities are now saying the mystery tube was a container for a contractor’s tools.

The latest (Oct. 7) version from HSU:

Second Bomb Hoax Termed ‘Accidental’

Arcata – The October 3 pipe bomb hoax that disrupted a corner of the Humboldt State University was an accidental occurrence, but investigation of the September 23 hoax continues, according to the University Police Department.

Witness statements and physical evidence examination positively linked the double-capped, 18-inch length of black plastic two-inch diameter pipe to a flooring contractor who had been working in the north Union Street neighborhood on Friday.

 

Memorial ride for killed cyclist

This Sunday, a group of cyclists will be riding in memory of Greg Jennings, who was killed by a car Monday, Aug. 26, while he was commuting home to Blue Lake from work on his bike. Tim Daniels, president of the Bigfoot Bicycle Club, put out a notice, copied below, of the ride on his club’s website — and please note the special caveat that this ride is not intended as a “free for all ‘Critical Mass’ type ride, as he puts it. “If you are in the mood for anarchy I respectfully ask you do not join this group,” says Daniels.

Greetings Fellow Cyclists,

As you all know, fellow cyclist Greg Jennings, was struck and killed
by an irresponsible motorist last week. There is a memorial ride
planned for Sunday, September 7th at 12:00 noon. We will be meeting
in the lot where Renner Petroleum’s cardlock fuel station (a little
ironic huh?) is located on West End Road in Arcata. In case you’re
not familiar with the location, it is near where Guintoli Lane,
crosses over 299 at the intersection of Alder Grove Road and West End
Road. I would like to encourage you all to ride your bike from home
to the meeting place, but if this would preclude you from joining us
and you need to drive, there is plenty of room to park on Ericson
Way. I don’t recommend parking in the Renner lot.

The ride will be slow paced so everybody can easliy stay with us. We
will be riding single file and obeying all traffic laws. Safety is
paramount. I recommend you wear a helmet and bright colors. There
will be a briefing at noon before the ride. Please don’t miss it.

We will ride to Blue Lake on 299, through the roundabout and will
regroup at the 76 service station on Blue Lake Blvd. We will return
the via 299 as well. The route will be about fourteen miles with a
couple mild rises along the way. Please be self sufficient, though if
you do get a flat, there will certainly be somebody to help you repair
it if need be.

This will not be a free for all “Critical Mass” type ride. If you are
in the mood for anarchy I respectfully ask you do not join this group.

Thank you very much.

Sincerely,

Tim Daniels
President, Bigfoot Bicycle Club
Humboldt County, CA

 

Rogue Nuke Truck Closes 36

That massive truck wipeout that has closed Highway 36 by Dinsmore since about noon? Get this — it’s 110 feet long, just about twice as long as the legal limit for Humboldt County — and it’s intended for carrying nuclear material. Although everyone assures us that its contents were innocent at the time of the crash.

“It’s the biggest truck I’ve ever seen,” said Officer Paul Dahlen of the California Highway Patrol about the super-truck just a few minutes ago. “It shouldn’t have even been here. It shouldn’t have been on 36, on 299, on 101 — it shouldn’t have been up here.”

The truck is 110 feet long. The longest truck you can legally drive into Humboldt County is 65 feet long (unless you have a cattle exemption, I believe).

Presumably the fellow was contracting with PG&E, which in the process of slowly dismantling the Humboldt Bay Nuclear Power Plant. But why Big Man took Hwy 36, of all routes, is still a mystery. To hide?

In any case, according to Dahlen you can put away your Geiger counter. “There’s nothing HAZMAT about this,” he said.