All posts by Aisling Bludworth

Born in Humboldt but raised in Del Norte County, Aisling has been telling stories for as long as she can remember and holding a camera just about as long. She likes to tell the stories of forgotten people, places, and things. Some of her notable visual works include "My Visit to the Loneliest Lighthouse on the West Coast," "Steve Mattson, a Portfolio in Short," and her live play debut "Orick 95555."

Local Family Responsible for Community Scares Is Met With Love After House Fire

“I woke up to flames six feet from my bed,” JoAnn Holcomb said. “I could spend hours listing the things lost, I want to list the things we have received. We are blessed to have homeowners’ insurance. While it may not cover the cost of everything, it gives us hope that rebuilding our home is possible.” 

JoAnn and David Holcomb are the owner-operators of David’s Haunted Manor, the only haunted house attraction in Del Norte County. Every year they and their two kids spend weeks putting on a show for the community, and donate a portion of their proceeds to a scholarship fund in collaboration with the Humboldt Area Foundation. 

On Feb. 12, the master bedroom and hallway of their family home was engulfed in flames, forcing them to flee. Luckily, the Holcombs survived with minimal injury.

“Our Haunt family reached out immediately to ask what they could do for us. Some brought clothing, others gave us a place to keep our reptiles and amphibians until a long-term solution is found. Others have offered their hands and all have sent their love,” Holcomb said via text Thursday.

Continue reading Local Family Responsible for Community Scares Is Met With Love After House Fire

Del Norte High’s First Poetry Out Loud Champion Advances To State Competition

“I have a lot more hope for the future,” 

J.Rowe, one of the three guest teachers participating in Sunset High School’s Poetry Out Loud competition, came from the Sacramento area to teach poetry to local students. She is a social activist and spoken word artist who explores themes of empowerment, social justice and love through her poetry. The students at Sunset High have a lot of big ideas and the courage required to put those ideas into motion, she says. 

“These students I’ve been blessed to work with are very much ahead of their time.” Rowe told Redwood Voice Community News at the Poetry Out Loud Open Mic event Friday.

Continue reading Del Norte High’s First Poetry Out Loud Champion Advances To State Competition

Inscore, Feola Pass Torch to New Councilors In Heartwarming Ceremony

The board chambers were filled with an outpouring of love Monday. Monday was the last day that Mayor Blake Inscore and Kelly Schellong-Feola were members of the Crescent City Council. The meeting started with a PowerPoint presentation from City Manager Eric Wier about the accomplishments of the two outgoing councilors over the past ten years of service. This PowerPoint was not a straightforward affair, it instead took on the air of a roast. As Wier continued through the slideshow, the audience was treated to a number of amusing pictures caught of Inscore and some surprise pictures of Schellong-Feola.

“Time has a way of changing people and it’s always interesting to see how time does affect people,” Wier said, “and a lot of times you see aging with presidents and whatnot, I don’t know what to say about this aging process.” This statement was punctuated with two images juxtaposing Inscore’s appearance at the beginning of his mayoral term with his appearance at the end.

Following this hazing of Inscore, the flood of public comments on their tenure began. Many members of the First Baptist Church of Crescent City spoke to his commitment to his work as a pastor, as a mayor of Crescent City, and as a family man. A sentiment that cropped up again and again during these comments is that no one ever felt neglected by Inscore in these arenas of his life. He was always there to listen, to consider, and to move forward when he had his facts straight.

Continue reading Inscore, Feola Pass Torch to New Councilors In Heartwarming Ceremony

SEIU 1021 Confronts Board of Supervisors Over Poor Wages for County Employees

There was a sea of purple shirts in the Board Chambers. The people wearing these purple shirts were all supporters and people represented by SEIU 1021, a union that bargains on behalf of Del Norte County employees.

After the Consent Agenda concluded at the Del Norte County Board of Supervisors meeting Tuesday, several employees of the County confronted the Board of Supervisors. The volley opened with Norma Williams, Chapter President of the SEIU 1021 branch for Del Norte County.

Continue reading SEIU 1021 Confronts Board of Supervisors Over Poor Wages for County Employees

Del Norte Board of Supervisors Discuss Energy Redundancy

During the Del Norte Board of Supervisors meeting — September 24th, at the Flynn Center in Crescent City — the Board received a presentation on how Del Norte County can implement microgrids to provide sustainability and resilience to our electricity in times of crisis. SitelogIQ’s presentation explained what a microgrid is to the Board as an interconnected, self-sufficient energy system within a clearly defined electrical boundary that can act as a single controllable entity.

Continue reading Del Norte Board of Supervisors Discuss Energy Redundancy

4th of July Retrospective: South Beach Mortar Misfire, Chaos, & Our First Pride Float

Listen to the full audio version of this report, as taken from the Redwood Voice Community Newscast—or read it below! Thumbnail courtesy of Cory AG via Facebook, as a screenshot from a video taken at the time of the incident.

Forbes described Independence Day as the 3rd most dangerous holiday in the United States. This year has lived up to that reputation, with many incidents occurring throughout the night. The largest event was the explosion on South Beach at approximately 11PM, which injured 14 people and left a 3 year old in critical condition, according to a post in the Del Norte and Curry County Scanner Feed Facebook group. The 3 year old has a crowdfunding campaign on his family’s behalf which has steadily gained support since the incident. Redwood Voice’s Monique Camarena was nearby and described the scene.

Continue reading 4th of July Retrospective: South Beach Mortar Misfire, Chaos, & Our First Pride Float

Talking Queer Joy with Joanie Lindenmeyer

Redwood Voice’s Sebastian Monroe sits down with Joanie Lindenmeyer, author of Nun Better, about her two soon-to-be-released books regarding queer joy and healing religious trauma. If you’re interested in Joanie’s books visit twosisterswriting.com, or find her where books are sold.

My Day at the Occupation of Cal Poly Humboldt

All information from this video was accurate as of April 24th, 2024. For live on the ground updates tune to KRFH 105.1FM in Humboldt, as well as the publications of the Humboldt Lumberjack and El Leñador. This account was put together solely by Sebastian Monroe of Redwood Voice Youth Media.

For information from the occupation itself, visit @occupycalpolyhumboldt on Instagram.

Talking Southern Coast Oregon Pride with Alexa and Will

Curry County is a notoriously conservative county in our area, and yet they’re having a pride festival in June. Redwood Voice’s Sebastian Monroe spoke with some of the youth behind the festival, and what it takes to build community during adversity. You can find out more about Southern Coast Oregon Pride at socpride.org.