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Notice from the Caltrans District 1 Facebook page:

Route 255 in Eureka is scheduled to be closed overnight from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m., beginning Sunday evening, Jan. 25, and wrapping up Friday morning, Jan. 30. The closure will be in effect from U.S. 101 (Fourth Street) to just south of Woodley Island, with a turnaround available for southbound travelers heading toward Eureka.

Crews will be conducting bridge and broadband work during the overnight hours. Due to the nature of the work and the limited space available to keep workers safe, a full closure is necessary rather than one-way traffic. Travelers should plan accordingly. U.S. 101 is available as a detour.

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The dramatic story of the house once known as the “Dean Victorian,” after its architect, began in 1895 when it was towed on a barge across Humboldt Bay from Arcata to Eureka by its original owner.

One of my earliest recollections is of a second dramatic event in the life of that Victorian. My grandmother, Dominga Cabrera, had purchased the house at Sixth and N Streets (which by that time was called the “Sevier House” after the Eureka attorney who had owned it), and I was living there, with my parents, on April 2, 1933, when at 3:50 a.m. fire broke out.

Loud noises! Bright lights! Voices shouting! I was two years old; I remember a blanket covering me as my father carried me across the street to safety in his strong arms. Those are my memories of that early morning blaze that destroyed the roof and the entire top floor of the house.

Across the street, Zelma Cooper hurried to help our family, offering my parents her home as a refuge. John Cooper. Jr., then eleven, recalls: “I was watching the fire from our front room windows as my mother went to get your family to come here.”

When the blanket was lifted from my face, I saw — and I can still see in my mind’s eye — the most wonderful array of dolls around the bed upon which I was lying. Jean Cooper, the older Cooper daughter, had given up her bedroom for me.

Maria Romero, in her Eureka High graduation photo.

My grandparents, Dominga and Quirino Cabrera, had only been married for ten years when the influenza epidemic reached their ranch in Santa Catarina, Jalisco. Mexico. Grandfather Quirino died, leaving seven children. They were: Beatriz (my mother), Santos, Josefina, Jose, Maria, Jesus (later changed to John), and Francisca (Frances).

My Aunt Josefina (the first to leave the family) married Alvaro Toscano. Josefina would often tell me that revolutionary unrest in Mexico motivated them to make their way to the United States. They arrived in Samoa to work in the Hammond Lumber Company. Their neighbors, Filiberto and Cecelia Carranco, lived directly across from the Toscanos. I used to play with Helen Carranco. We graduated together from Eureka Senior High School in 1948. I remember Eva, an older daughter, and Lynwood. Lynwood became a highly respected authority on Humboldt County history, and was, at one time, president of the Humboldt County Historical Society.

What brought my grandmother, my mother and her sisters and brothers to California? Alvaro, Josefina’s husband, was killed in an accident at the Hammond Lumber mill in 1921. Josefina was left alone with a son, Ruben. She sent to Mexico for her mother, Dominga, who came alone in February 1922. Josefina then helped bring four of her siblings. In March 1922, Beatriz, Maria, Francisca and John crossed the border on the El Paso Railway, at El Paso, Texas, each having paid the eight-dollar “head tax.”

After a short while, Dominga moved her young adult children to a house on A Street in Eureka. There, the Cabrera girls helped their mother sew men’s fine linen shirts as well as dainty brides’ trousseaus. Jose, who by this time had also joined the family, worked for the Hammond Lumber Company. John also worked in the mill for a short time: he later left Eureka for San Francisco and a career as a cosmetologist.

Dominga moved into the Sevier House in 1923 with her sons, Joseph and John, and her daughters, Beatriz, Mary and Frances. Daughter Josefina stayed in Samoa; she later married Alexander Mason, a Russian immigrant. Son Santos visited Eureka but did not stay long. He moved to Chicago and never returned.

All the Eureka Cabreras, including the matriarch Dominga, were enrolled in Miss Lena Guidery’s English and Americanization classes. Those classes were popular. My father Joseph met my mother, Beatriz (which she changed to the English spelling of Beatrice) at one of Miss Guidery’s class socials.

My adventurous father had left his town of Santa Maria de Los Angeles, also in Jalisco, with his father Maximiano’s blessing and eighteen shiny silver pesos in his pocket. He was eighteen years old. In 1922. he arrived in Eureka after having heard that there was work at the huge lumber mill across the bay.

As there was no Mexican community in Humboldt County, and the climate was quite different from Jalisco, Dominga had to learn how to cook without the usual Mexican ingredients. Instead of tortillas made from corn, she did what Josefina already had been doing, making her tortillas out of flour. However, Dominga had brought her old worn grinder (molcajete) with her from Jalisco to make her own salsa.

Many traditional dishes changed with creativity and resourcefulness and were — and still are — delicious. Aunt Frances Burger made the very best tamale pie ever. I remember my grandmother planting flowers beside artichokes, cabbages. carrots, potatos and raspberries behind the house. She and my dad also kept rabbits and chickens.

Traditions and family celebrations, too. took on new aspects. At all my Burger cousins’ birthdays, my aunt Frances carefully filled a soft cardboard box with nuts, oranges, apples and little candies. Uncle Ernest tied a rope around the box. heaved the long end of the rope over the top of the family’s swing and pulled up and down while we took turns trying to hit and break the box to release the contents. That was our piñata! What fun!

The Cabrera family in front of the Sixth Street Victorian, circa 1931 — before the fire. From left: Beatriz Cabrera Romero, Domingo Cabrera, Maria Cabrera Whynott (holding nine- month-old Maria Romero). In front is cousin Rose Ann Burger (Hurst).

In my family, our religious traditions remained intact. We had a devout respect and love for Our Lady of Guadalupe, and Dominga’s statue of the Madonna always had a prominent place in our home.

In Eureka, I was the only child whose parents were both Spanish-speaking Mexicans. I remember my first day in kindergarten at the Nazareth Convent Catholic School. I was so happy that my cousin Arthur was in the class. I did not understand the directions to the class that Sister Gertrude was giving. I remember how embarrassed I was when I lined up behind Arthur discovered it was the boys’ time for a potty break! Sister Gertrude gently took me aside and put me in the girls’ line. That first day I learned the English word “lavatory.” However. I soon had the glorious distinction of being the official translator for my grandmother.

Another Spanish-speaking Maria (Mary) family in Eureka was the Lopez family. Mr. Lopez was from Mexico and Mrs. Lopez was from Spain. Their daughter. Virginia, and was an accomplished pianist and became a prominent bilingual legal secretary. My parents always looked forward to meeting with the Lopez family.

Except for Josefina, all of Dominga’s daughters lived in Eureka after they married. In addition to my mother. Beatriz, who married Joseph Romero, married James Whynott of Canadian ancestry. Mary died in 1939, leaving James and little son Robert.

Aunt Frances married Ernest Burger, an immigrant of Swiss-German descent. They had one daughter, Rose Ann Hurst, and three sons: Arthur, John, and Thomas. My Burger cousins all live in Eureka. Dominga’s son Santos did not marry. Son Joseph married Martha Simpson and had Ramon. (They later divorced and Joseph married Teresa Flores from Guadalajara, Jalisco. Mexico.) In San Francisco, John married Lucy Llanos from Culiacan, Mexico. Their children were John Jr,. Richard and Susan.

Joe Cabrera and his son, Ramon, moved into the renovated Victorian in 1937 when Dominga died. My father had previously started building a smaller home on the adjacent Sixth Street lot which he completed that same year. This house became the Romero family home and remained so until 1978. By that time my retired and failing parents had come to live with me in Sunnyvale. My father died in 1978 and my mother, in 1980. Both are resting in Eureka in the family plot overlooking Humboldt Bay. The Victorian and the Romero house still stand side by side on Sixth Street.

The Victorian still remains in the family. One of Dominga’s grandsons, John Burger, and his wife, Arlene, are the caring owners now.

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Joyce Louise Jury passed away in the comfort of her home on January 20, 2026 surrounded by her family who she loved beyond measure. She was born April 14, 1935 in Martinez, California to the late Dora and Hugh Rodgers. She later moved to Anderson, California where she met her high school sweetheart and the love of her life, the late Boyd Jury Jr.

They were married on November 21, 1953 and had three beautiful children before moving to Hoopa in 1969, where Joyce and her husband partnered with Pritch Jordan as owners of Jordan’s Shopping Center. After the shopping center burnt down in 1987, they partnered with their son and daughter-in-law, Gary and Tina Jury, to open Jury’s Ace Hardware. This helped solidify Boyd and Joyce’s role as economic pillars of the community. While running the hardware store they employed and served many individuals where they built lifelong friendships. Joyce and Boyd then opened the Jury’s Mini Storage in 1991 and later took over Weitchpec Nursery, now lovingly known as Jury’s Nursery. Being business owners meant a great deal to both Joyce and her husband, and Joyce reminisced often about these days and the great visits she had with so many community members.

It was important to Joyce to be involved in her community, and she carried many roles during her lifetime. In the early 1970’s she was a girl scout leader, which is where she met her lifelong best friend Elinor Foust. She was part of the Hoopa High Boosters club where she worked with her husband and many others to raise money for the kids, and was instrumental in getting the first set of lights at the Hoopa High Football field. From 1991 to 2020 Joyce was a dedicated Coast Central Credit Union Board member, where she always advocated for the Hoopa community and ensured Hoopa High students were eligible for the Coast Central Scholarship.

When she wasn’t busy supporting the community she was having enormous amounts of fun with her husband and friends, from traveling North America in their RV, to making a splash at their houseboat on Trinity Lake, and always supporting Dreamquest. She loved to take her great grandchildren to all the youth sporting events and volunteered as much as possible. Although she retired in 2000, she consistently supported her daughter as the new owner of Jury’s Nursery for as long as she lived.

Joyce was a caring and thoughtful woman. She was also a woman of strong morals, dignity, grace and stubbornness. Her happiness was contagious and her smile brightened up every room she entered. She could almost always be found chatting with an old friend, whether it was on her daily trips to the Post Office, Ace Hardware, or at her daughter’s nursery. When she wasn’t out visiting she could often be found at home with family watching her 49ers with her loving cat, Stuffy, on her lap. She was also a member of the Willow Creek Bible Church where she found strength in praying to the Lord and also built many lasting friendships.

Joyce made it known that the highlight of her life was her family. She and her husband raised their three children in a home filled with love and light. They then became grandparents and showed their grandchildren and great grandchildren just how big their hearts were. Joyce spent the majority of her life raising her family who returned the love she gave to them with open arms. Not only was Joyce an amazing mother to her children, she also played a very significant role in raising her grandchildren Rhianna Lynn, Shaonna Chai and Leah Rose and her great grandchildren Michael Allen, Sharissa Rose and Danielle Ray. Joyce also enjoyed having lunch with her son Gary and her visits with her grandchildren Gary Jr and Julia, and great grandchildren Ryker and Violet. She loved the children in her life like no other and could often be found spoiling them rotten in many different ways. Throughout her life she found an immense amount of happiness in tending to her family and the best parts of her will live on through all of the children she raised.

Joyce is survived by her daughter Bonnie Sergeys; son-in-law Michael “Ejon” Sergeys; son Gary Jury and Tina Jury; grandchildren Rhianna Sergeys (Willy Boy), Shaonna Sergeys Chase (Phil), Leah Sergeys (Paulos), Gary Jury Jr. and Julia Jury (Matt); great-grandchildren Michael Montgomery (Ana), Sharissa Sergeys (Tony), Danielle Frank, Rian Tracy, Ryker and Violet Jury; bonus great-grandchild Juliana Pole; loving cat Stuffy Jury; sister-in-law Gayle Grafe; and brother-in-law Bob Jury. She also leaves behind numerous nieces and nephews and lifelong friends Diana Vanduzer, Ginnie and John Larson, Greg and Michele Leitner, Danny Casebier, Norma McConnell, Karen Johnson and many others who held a special place in her heart.

She is preceded in death by her loving husband Boyd Verner Jury Jr.; son Danny Ray Jury; parents Hugh and Dora Rodgers; brother Bob Rodgers and Jeannie Rodgers; sister-in-law Gloria Matthews and Frank Matthews; brother-in-law Paul Grafe; sister-in-law Carmen Jury; grandson-in-law Joel Chase; bonus daughter Laurie Gray; and lifelong best friends Elinor and Bill Foust, Anna Sparks, Gene Champlin and many others.

Pallbearers: Michael Montgomery, Michael “Ejon” Sergeys, Gary Jury Sr, Gary Jury Jr, William “Willy Boy” Magana, Paulos Ghebre-Ab, Antonio “Tony” Meza, Phil Elcock, Rian Tracy, Greg Leitner, Danny Casbier, Darrel Jury, Terry Grafe and Carl Avery Sr.

Honorary Pallbearers: Bob, David, and Ron Jury, Barry Grafe, John Larson, Rod Johnson, Jan Meyer, Gene Avery, Zane Grant Sr, Walter “Bud” Gray, Augie Montgomery, Robert “Bob” Davis, Stuart “Stu” McConnell, and Glen Pitsenbarger.

Special thank you to all of the amazing medical professionals who cared for Joyce throughout her journey; Fortuna Redwood Memorial Hospital, Providence St. Joseph Hospital, Dr. Young, Nurse Melissa Kane, and CHR Vivian McCovey Tello at Kimaw Outreach, and Rod Johnson at the Hoopa Ambulance Station.

Funeral services will be held at the Willow Creek Bible Church at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, January 27, 2026 with a viewing prior from 11:30 to 12:30 p.m. A gathering will follow.

Arrangements are under the direction of Goble’s Funeral Home, and flowers can be ordered at Country Living Florist in Arcata.

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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Joyce Jury’s family. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here. Email news@lostcoastoutpost.com.

Thomas Henry Peters passed away at Timber Ridge Assisted Living in Eureka, California, on Friday evening, January 9, 2026. Tom penned his own obituary, as follows:

Well, I’m gone. Never having been a religious man, I have no way of knowing where. I do know I leave my abiding love for my departed wife, Barbara, and for all my family and friends.

I was born on August 23, 1945, the apparent result of Christmas leave in 1944. I grew up in Walnut Creek and Piedmont, California, graduating from Piedmont High School in 1963. I then served four years in the US Navy before attending and graduating from Humboldt State University in Arcata, California. A brief job in Fort Bragg, California led me to a career in commercial fishing, catching mostly salmon, herring, and beach fish.

For many years I sang in Humboldt State University’s Humboldt Chorale, where I met Barbara Stratton in 1980. It was a strong match, even if it did take me until 1984 to propose to her. Smartest thing I ever did! We did not have children, but we had five Springer Spaniels and two litters of puppies over the years. In 1985 we bought a fine old Victorian house in Eureka and there we lived the rest of our lives.

Mine was not a flashy life, but with the love of my Barbara, it was a good one.

I was preceded in death by my precious wife, Barbara, in September 2023, and by my father Dr. Henry B. Peters, my mother Carol M. Peters, my older sister, Lynn, and my younger brothers Jim and Chris. I am survived by my cousins and my nephews and nieces.

By and large I’ve enjoyed my life. It was a great adventure. I’d do it again any time!

Tom’s friends and family would like to extend their appreciation to Tom’s medical team, and their gratitude to the entire care team at Timber Ridge Assisted Living, particularly Patrick, who held and comforted Tom in his final moments.

A private gathering is tentatively planned for mid-April 2026. Please contact the offices of Hansen & Pereira for more information, (707) 444-9364.

“Growth” was the main theme linking together speeches from Arcata’s leaders in business, education, and government at the State of the City speeches Thursday. 

Speakers, including Arcata Chamber of Commerce Director Meredith Maier, City Manager Merritt Perry, and Cal Poly Humboldt administrators Michael Fisher and Chrissy Holliday, focused on how Arcata is evolving to better serve its residents amidst changes both nationally and locally. 

The Chamber of Commerce

Maier and chamber Event Manager Gloria Baker focused on the dozens of events the chamber has worked to coordinate, including the Arcata version of the Friday Night Market, an Oyster Fest attended by 12,000 people, and various business mixers. 

Baker said 75% of Oyster Fest attendees went to a local business before or after (according to AI data that Baker said was “so insanely legit”), and 30% of them were tourists. $65,000 went to local vendors, bands, artists, and local businesses. 

“It’s really wonderful knowing that we have so many people here that we can pay to do the things we need,” Baker said. “We don’t need to outsource. And all of the talent, all of the art, and all of the beer is here. It’s really remarkable.”

The news wasn’t all rosy. Maier said many businesses were earning less than they needed to survive at the moment. However, she hopes a slate of fire-relief events over the next couple weeks helps alleviate the pain.

The City

City Manager Merritt Perry crammed what could have been an hour’s speech worth of dense material into half of that, touching on everything from the Jan. 2 fire, to the city’s budget and priorities, to the big-picture General Plan. 

Perry thanked the many individuals and organizations that prevented the Jan. 2 fire from consuming more of Arcata’s downtown, which could easily have happened with the heavy winds that day. He mentioned that the Arcata Fire District would finish its investigations later this week, and the insurance investigators would begin their assessments soon. The cleanup will commence after that and will be led by the property owners. 

Perry said the city was working with Cal Poly Humboldt to figure out a way to clear the site for a “fraction” of the cost some contractors have quoted. 

Arcata needs to beef its firefighting infrastructure up, Perry said, saying the current setup “doesn’t even meet residential standards.” Addressing that will be a priority. 

Arcata’s budget was worth a few minutes; Perry said that despite a 2% dip in sales tax revenue, Arcata was doing alright fiscally. New tax revenues, from Measure H and Measure G, have paid for road pavings and more police officers and allowed the city to do lots of little things that improve the quality of life in the city. City staff secured $147 million in grant funding over the last four years, almost 50% of Arcata’s total revenue. Perry guessed that Arcata’s staff brought in more dollars per staff member than any other city in California. That $147 million has paid for new trails, mobile home renovations, housing grants and low-interest loans, and rental assistance. 

The U.S. at large has been rocked in recent months by the federal government’s anti-immigration actions, something Perry mentioned a few times in his speech. He reaffirmed that Arcata is a sanctuary city and that both the council and the city would like to avoid its police department doing anti-immigration work. 

Bringing Arcata together as a community is crucial. Perry showed some photos from the divisive city council meetings during the summer.

“How can we choose a path that doesn’t exclude people, and doesn’t blame people?” Perry asked. “…How can we find a way to unite people? Sometimes it’s easy — the Fairy Festival, the Kinetic [Sculpture] Race, the Oyster Festival, all these wonderful things that everybody supports — those are easy. How do you choose a path forward that is inclusive of everybody and seeks to unite people?”

It seems part of that is keeping Arcata somewhere worth living, something Perry dwelt on for a little while. He complimented the availability of opportunities to enjoy the outdoors and walkability, and reminded listeners that Arcata’s 2045 General Plan was structured to support that goal. 

“People want to be close to home,” Perry said. “They want experiences. They want outdoor experiences. They want to have those local, niche businesses that they can go to. And I was just thinking about our general plan. A lot of people think about the policies: ‘Is it tall buildings? Is it parking?’…But really, what people are looking for is experiencing quality of life. And I think Arcata does an amazing job with that, and a lot of our general plan policies support that.”

The University

Cal Poly Humboldt’s Vice President of Enrollment Management Chrissy Holliday kicked her speech off with a list of figures: the student population grew 4% in the last year, up to almost 6,300 students. The share of the student population that comes from Humboldt increased to 18%, up from 16%. Many of the poorer students are taking advantage of their programs for them; many of the new students are transfers. They’ve launched 15 new programs since becoming a polytechnic. Holliday said CPH was optimistic about continued growth. 

“The good news for us is that it’s manageable,” Holliday said. “That’s good news for the community as well. We are trying to be very responsible with the growth we have, but we also have some pretty significant expectations because of all the [polytechnic] money that the state gave us.”

Michael Fisher, CPH’s Interim Vice President for Administration and Finance, focused almost entirely on their upcoming and completed building projects, including the Hinarr Hu Moulik dorms, the Engineering and Technology Building, the refurbishing of Jenkins Hall, and a planned $170 million Health, Dining, and Housing project slated to be built on the former site of the Campus Apartment dorms and done by 2029. 

“Our success is Arcata’s success, is our region’s success,” Fisher said. “We all have to move in the same direction, and that is a monumental task.”

Press release from the Humboldt County Drug Task Force:

Over the past several months, the Sheriff’s Office received several complaints and reports of drug activity in the Hoopa Valley.  On Jan. 22, 2026, the Humboldt County Drug Task Force (HCDTF) assisted by the Humboldt County Problem Oriented Policing (POP) team served a search warrant in the Hoopa Valley after a month-long investigation into the distribution of Fentanyl.

The search warrant was served on Robert Hodge Jr., 50 years old of Hoopa, and his associated residence located in the Hoopa Valley. During the service of the search warrant, Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office K9 Yahtzee alerted to the presence of narcotics in multiple areas of the residence.

Upon a search of the residence, Agents located 1.65 pounds of suspected fentanyl, 400 suspected Xanax bars, 11 functional firearms, several high-capacity magazines, a large sum of ammunition and just under $15,000.00 in cash. 

At the conclusion of the investigation, Hodge was arrested and booked into the Humboldt County Correctional Facility for the following charges:

• HS 11351 – Possession of an opiate for the purpose of sales
• PC 29800(a) – Felon in possession of a firearm
• PC 30305 – Felon in possession of ammunition

The Sheriff’s Office would like to thank the Hoopa Tribal Chairman, Hoopa Tribal Council, and Tribal Police for their support in the Fentanyl Crisis.  We cannot do our job without the community support.  

If anyone has information related to this investigation or other narcotics related crimes, please call the Humboldt County Drug Task Force at 707-267-9976.

PREVIOUSLY

• The County Could Cease Funding Security Screening at Public Entrances to the Courthouse
• Humboldt Supervisors Vote to End Security Screening at Eureka Courthouse Entrances Due to Funding Constraints

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The Humboldt County Courthouse won’t go unguarded after all — at least, not for the next year and a half or so.

After informing the county last June that it could no longer afford to pay its share of the bill for public security screening at the courthouse’s two public entrances, the Humboldt County Superior Court this week managed to secure stopgap funding through the county’s Community Corrections Partnership (CCP), a probation advisory body financed primarily through through the state. 

Sheriff William Honsal informed the Outpost this afternoon that this temporary solution had been found. It comes two weeks after the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors voted to pull the county’s share of funding for security screening, citing budget constraints.

On Tuesday, Honsal told the Outpost via email that he and County Administrative Officer Elishia Hayes met last week with Presiding Judge Kelly Neel and Court Executive Officer Meara Hattan to continue the courthouse security discussion. 

Given the county’s budget woes, the Sheriff’s Office had developed a plan with the county’s ADA Compliance Office to move security screening to the second floor, where all the courtrooms are located.

“Although it is not ideal, we had to work within budget constraints to ensure security needs are met,” Honsal said. “We all agreed that keeping security screening at the [first and ground floor] entrances would be the best case scenario.”

To that end, the officials present at last week’s meeting discussed appealing to the state for additional court security funding. On Tuesday, Honsal said, “The courts are preparing a funding request, and we believe there is a good possibility the funding will be approved, allowing screening to be funded for the remainder of this fiscal year and next fiscal year.”

Today, he confirmed that the request had been granted. 

“CCP voted on Wednesday to accept the Superior Court’s proposal for stopgap funding for Courthouse entry screening,” he said via email. The partnership granted $400,000 to cover security through next fiscal year (June 2027).

“This will provide time for the Superior Court and the County to work together to request more state funding for court security and court security screening,” Honsal said.

For many years now, the two main public entrances to the courthouse — one on Fourth Street and the other on Fifth — have maintained security screening for everyone coming into the building, complete with private security guards, body scanners and X-ray machines to check for weapons. 

Since 2012, the cost of these services has been split between the Sheriff’s Office (17 percent) and Humboldt County Superior Court (83 percent). But last June, the court told the county that it could no longer pay its share of the bill (about $17,790 per month), and despite months of back-and-forth negotiations, no solution was found.

At the January 7 board meeting, County Administrative Officer Elishia Hayes said she and Honsal recommended ceasing all courthouse security screening services as soon as feasible. The supervisors agreed, though they directed Honsal to develop an alternative plan. 

The impulse to maintain some level of security screening makes a lot of sense when you consider what people have tried to bring into the courthouse over the years. The Sheriff’s Office used to proudly announce what-all had been confiscated and/or rejected by security screeners. Way back in 2011, for example, the HCSO released an 18-month inventory that included three guns, more than 2,000 knives, hundreds and hundreds of other sharp objects, 52 bullets and much more.

In 2015, the office issued a more comprehensive tally that included two dozen guns, 28,400 knives, 1,102 metal forks, 687 can openers, 33 pairs of handcuffs and more than 1,000 handcuff keys. 

Two years later, a local attorney “forgot” he was carrying a loaded handgun in his briefcase when he tried to enter through security, according to the Sheriff’s Office. Four years later, a Eureka resident was arrested after allegedly trying to get through with a loaded gun in his backpack. 

The Sheriff’s Office hasn’t released a security screening tally in years. On Jan. 7, the Outpost filed a Public Records Act request, asking for a comprehensive list of the items confiscated at the courthouse last year. The Sheriff’s Office responded 13 days later, saying, “There were no illegal weapons or drugs confiscated in 2025.” Our bad, for using the word “confiscated.”

The Sheriff’s Office explained that prohibited items are not confiscated; rather, those who try to bring them in are simply asked to remove them from the building before entering.

We wrote back, saying we what we were after was a list of those things — the prohibited items people tried to bring in over the course of last year — and we reminded Sheriff Honsal that his department used to publicize such lists in press releases. 

Earlier this week, Honsal said his office would work on that refined request. Thanks to the stopgap funding, though, the results will be more of a curiosity than a warning of what the public might encounter inside the courthouse in the near future.