PREVIOUSLY

• Cal Poly Humboldt Activist Arrested, Three Students Handed Interim Suspensions for Nelson Hall Occupation
• I Saw the Shit Buckets. They Were Real. Inside Nelson Hall During the Occupation

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The Humboldt County District Attorney’s office is in the process of filing misdemeanor charges against Cal Poly Humboldt activist Rick Toledo ahead of a hearing later this month.

The charges are a piece of an ongoing legal battle between the university and the activist related to a March protest.

Toledo was arrested March 6 by the University Police Department, on suspicion of battery, assault, conspiracy and false imprisonment — alleged crimes which stem from protest activity on campus the week before.

UPD forwarded a report seeking felony charges.

The District Attorney’s office has yet to finalize the criminal charges, but DA Stacey Eads said in an email “misdemeanor charges will be filed against Mr. Toledo in time for his anticipated April 20 arraignment date.  The paperwork is being processed by our staff for filing with the court.”

Toledo, a masters engineering student who is currently temporarily suspended, said his cell phone, computer, school laptop, a gaming hard drive and two cameras were seized by police on March 19. One camera he used while he was a legal observer.

“The raid is a definite escalation against me,” he told the Outpost. 

The March building occupation called for university divestment from Israel and a smattering of other requests. Since then, Toledo was arrested and released on a $25,000 bail, barred from campus under an interim suspension and faced a workplace violence restraining order.

Toledo, who was among the very few unmasked protesters at the building occupation, was accused by the university in legal documents and suspension paperwork of leading the protest and assaulting a university official, both of which he denies.

Officials pointed to Toledo blocking the man who was attempting to halt protesters as they tried to enter the occupied building with supplies.

An image university officials claim shows Toledo assaulting a staff member. Photo: Dezmond Remington.

The workplace violence restraining order was dismissed March 24, according to court records. Toledo said it was dismissed after his pro-bono attorney from the Civil Liberties Defense Center and the university, represented by the Attorney General’s office, came to an agreement he said did not include meaningful restrictions.

He said these developments have taken a toll on him. His life was disrupted when police seized his devices.

“It’s had a big impact on me; all my research, my homework and everything was on there,” he said.

And he said the efforts of the police has a psychological effect on him.

“You don’t really feel comfortable in your own home anymore, because when are they going to come again? What are they going to do next?” he said.

He was unable to access accounts and said he struggled to keep up with classwork. He is skeptical he will be able to finish this final semester given his suspension and the device seizure, with missed projects and midterms.

Under an academic conduct case, he recently attended an interim suspension appeal hearing he said went well, but generally called the process a “kangaroo court.”

Toledo and his attorneys are working to file a motion related to the items seized from him, and he’s used crowdfunded money to replace some devices.

Toledo believes the efforts of the university are political in nature. He argued the university is trying to scare people out of taking similar protest actions.

“The university has invested a lot in making me looking like a criminal terrorist,” he said.

“They’ve been wanting to get rid of me for a long time. I’ve been an outspoken organizer on campus for three years, and I think that this is just like… they just saw a big opportunity,” he said.

He urged activists to continue protesting, arguing the university wouldn’t take the actions unless what activists were doing was working.

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Eureka’s aging and largely empty Bayshore Mall, which SFGate recently proffered as a metaphor for region-wide decline (rude), will soon be auctioned off to the highest bidder on the steps of the Humboldt County Courthouse.

Our esteemed crosstown rival Robert Schaulis of the Times-Standard broke the story yesterday, and Humboldt County Clerk/Recorder and Registrar of Voters Juan Cervantes confirmed that a notice of trustee sale has been filed.

The property, which is held by a Delaware entity called Bay Shore, LP, has accumulated nearly $39 million in debt, according to the sale notice. The mall’s previous owners agreed to a friendly foreclosure in 2021, and for the past few years it has been leased and managed by the Spinoso Real Estate Group, based in Syracuse, New York.

It’s been a rough couple of decades for indoor shopping malls as online retail has steadily eroded the consumer base for brick-and-mortar businesses, and anyone who’s recently ventured into the Bayshore Mall’s internal corridors can attest to its status as a ghost mall — or close to it.

We submit the following video, in which a group of young content creators waltzed in with a large TV under an arm and video game console in a DoorDash bag just to see if they could plug the setup into a floor outlet and play a full game of Wii Bowling before being stopped by security.

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Anyway, the trustee sale will be held outside the Fifth Street entrance of the Humboldt County Courthouse on April 17 at 10 a.m.

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Press release from the Humboldt-Del Norte Film Commission:

Humboldt-Del Norte Film Commission is proud to announce it has been selected as a 2026 California Nonprofit of the Year by Assemblymember Chris Rogers. 

Humboldt-Del Norte Film Commission is one of more than one hundred nonprofits that will be honored by their state senators and assemblymembers for their outstanding contributions to the communities they serve. 

The Humboldt Del Norte Film Commission (HDNFC), operating as Redwood Region Entertainment and Education Liaisons, Inc., serves as the official film commission for Humboldt and Del Norte Counties. Our mission is to bring film and television production to California’s Redwood Coast while creating opportunity through education, workforce development, and film tourism. We support productions from scouting to wrap, promote local businesses and locations, and produce programs like the Redwood Coast Museum of Cinema and the Forest Moon Festival. Our work has helped bring major productions to the region, including the Academy Award winning One Battle After Another, driving economic impact, supporting local jobs, and strengthening quality of life by connecting our communities to the global film industry.

“We are deeply honored to be recognized by Assemblymember Rogers as a 2026 Nonprofit of the Year,” said Cassandra Hesseltine, Executive Director and Film Commissioner. “This recognition reflects the growing role regions like ours play in California’s film economy. Film is not just an industry, it is a driver of jobs, small business growth, and long-term cultural tourism. Through our work locally and our leadership within Film Liaisons in California Statewide, where I will serve as incoming President, we are committed to ensuring rural communities are part of the future of this industry and to supporting programs like the California Film and Television Tax Credit that help keep production and jobs in our state.”

“We are grateful for the work of Humboldt-Del Norte Film Commission and want to extend our congratulations for this well deserved recognition,” said Geoff Green, CEO of the California Association of Nonprofits (CalNonprofits) which sponsors the initiative. “Nonprofits are among our country’s most trusted organizations and an integral part of civil society. There’s likely never been a more important time to lift up the contributions nonprofits make within the communities they serve.”

Nonprofits are well known for being problem-solvers, innovators, helpers, and advocates, but they are also a major economic force. According to “Causes Count 3.0,” a new report soon to be released by CalNonprofits, the nonprofit sector is now the 3rd largest employer in the state, with approximately 1.5 million Californians working for nonprofit organizations. Collectively our state’s 110,000 501c3 public charities generate more than $430 billion in revenue each year.

Now in its eleventh year, the California Nonprofit of the Year initiative provides the opportunity for each California state legislator to recognize a nonprofit organization doing outstanding work in their district. The program culminates with a celebratory luncheon at the Capitol on California Nonprofits Day, which this year is May 20. 

The program is sponsored by the CalNonprofits in partnership with the state Senate and Assembly Select Committees on the Nonprofit Sector. CalNonprofits, the leading policy voice for California’s nonprofit sector, focuses on advocacy, education, and research to build a more powerful and politically engaged nonprofit network across the state.

Unfortunately for drivers, the Redwood Curtain isn’t a completely impenetrable barrier from the outside world. The ongoing Iran War has forced the price of crude oil to exceed $100 a barrel, up from about $70 before the war’s start. Gas is edging $6.50 a gallon here in Humboldt; the price of diesel threatens to climb to a dizzying (probably false) summit of $8 per gallon. 

Anecdotally, I’ve heard people chattering about alleviating their gas station-induced misery by taking advantage of the public bus system, perhaps commuting to work and back every day. But it doesn’t sound like too many of them have actually taken the ride. 

It usually takes several months of elevated gas prices before a noticeable amount of people start taking the bus, the Humboldt Transit Authority’s deputy general manager Katie Collender told the Outpost in an email. If the price of gas stays high, she predicted more people would “definitely” start taking the bus more often. 

Has public transportation usage has increased anywhere else? We couldn’t find an answer to that anywhere. It may be too soon to tell.

Nationally, the average price of a gallon of gas is a tad over $4. The last time that happened was in 2022 following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. 

Collender hasn’t responded to a request for follow-up information.

Press release from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office:

Identification of Charles Marrs

In May 1993, Charles Marrs (63 years old) fell into the Trinity River near the Big Rock River Access area in Willow Creek. A California Highway Patrol officer and Humboldt County Sheriff’s deputies responded to the call. The CHP officer observed Marrs’ body floating past the north end of Clover Flat. The river was searched by boat, roadway, and with the assistance of a Coast Guard helicopter; however, Marrs’ body was never located.

In 1995, a skeletonized human arm and hand were discovered in the Trinity River near the north end of the Hoopa Airstrip. A DNA sample was obtained from the remains and entered into both the California Missing Persons DNA Database and the National Unidentified Persons DNA Index. The DNA profile was routinely compared against profiles from missing persons and other human remains in the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS), but no matches were identified.

The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) and the California Department of Justice (CA DOJ) partnered with Othram Inc., a forensic genealogy laboratory, to determine whether advanced forensic DNA testing could help establish an identity for the unidentified remains or a close relative. With funding provided through Representative Jared Huffman’s Community Funding Grant, a DNA extract from the remains was sent to Othram Inc. Othram scientists used forensic genome sequencing to develop a comprehensive DNA profile. Once completed, Othram’s in-house genealogy team used forensic genetic genealogy to generate investigative leads.

In July 2025, the HCSO received a report from Othram indicating the DNA profile may belong to Charles Marrs. The report identified several genetic relatives, including a nephew. HCSO investigators contacted the nephew, who confirmed that his uncle, Charles Marrs, had drowned in the Trinity River. The nephew provided a DNA sample, which was sent to the CA DOJ for comparison to the unidentified remains.

In March 2026, the CA DOJ notified the HCSO that the two DNA samples were related, confirming the remains belonged to Charles Marrs.

The HCSO extends its gratitude to the California Department of Justice DNA Laboratory and Othram Inc. for their outstanding work and assistance in resolving this case and providing closure to the family of Charles Marrs. The HCSO also thanks Representative Jared Huffman for securing the funding necessary to complete this important work.

Identification of Gregory Hugh Oliver

In August 1996, the Arcata Police Department responded to a report of a human skull found off Fickle Hill Road in Arcata. The Humboldt County Coroner’s Office also responded and took possession of the remains. A DNA sample was obtained; however, it was determined to be degraded due to exposure to the elements. The partial DNA profile was entered into both the California Missing Persons DNA Database and the National Unidentified Persons DNA Index. The DNA profile was routinely compared against profiles from missing persons and other unidentified human remains in the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS), but no matches were identified.

The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) and the California Department of Justice (CA DOJ) later partnered with Othram Inc., to determine whether advanced forensic DNA testing could help establish an identity for the unidentified remains or a close relative. With funding provided through Representative Jared Huffman’s Community Funding Grant, a DNA extract from the remains was submitted to Othram Inc. Othram scientists used forensic genome sequencing to develop a comprehensive DNA profile. Once completed, Othram’s in-house genealogy team used forensic genetic genealogy to generate investigative leads.

In December 2025, the HCSO received a report from Othram indicating the DNA profile may belong to Gregory Hugh Oliver, who had been reported missing to the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office in Florida. Oliver was last seen by family in 1983. The report also identified several potential genetic relatives. HCSO investigators located a DNA sample from Oliver’s mother, which was submitted to the CA DOJ for comparison to the unidentified remains.

In March 2026, the CA DOJ notified the HCSO that the two DNA samples were related, confirming the remains belonged to Gregory Oliver.

The HCSO extends its gratitude to the California Department of Justice DNA Laboratory and Othram Inc. for their outstanding work and assistance in resolving this case and providing closure to the family of Gregory Oliver. The HCSO also thanks Representative Jared Huffman for securing the funding necessary to complete this important work.

Anyone with information regarding this case or any missing person or cold homicide investigation is encouraged to contact Investigator Mike Fridley at (707) 441-3024.

PREVIOUSLY

• Inside the Efforts to Identify Humboldt County’s Missing Dead

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This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters.

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California clocked its second-worst snowpack on record Wednesday, a potentially troubling signal ahead for fire season.

It’s an alarming end to a winter that saw abnormally dry conditions briefly wiped from California’s drought map in January, for the first time in a quarter-century.

Though precipitation to date has been near average, much of it fell as rain rather than snow. Then March’s record-breaking heat melted most of the snow that remains. The state’s major reservoirs are nevertheless brimming above historic averages and are flirting with capacity, and a smattering of snow, rain and thunderstorms are dousing last month’s heat wave.

But experts now warn that California’s case of the missing snowpack could herald an early fire season in the mountains.

On Wednesday, state engineers conducting the symbolic April 1 snowpack measurement at Phillips Station south of Lake Tahoe found no measurable snow in patches of white dotting the grassy field.

“I want to welcome you call to probably one of the quickest snow surveys we’ve had — maybe one where people could actually use an umbrella,” joked Karla Nemeth, director of the California Department of Water Resources. “We’re getting a lot of questions about are we heading into a hydrologic drought? The answer is, I don’t know.”

State data reports that California’s snowpack is closing out the season at an alarming 18% of average statewide, and an even more abysmal 6% of average in the northern mountains that feed California’s major reservoirs.

Only the extreme drought year of 2015 beat this year’s snowpack for the worst on record, measuring in at just 5% of average on April 1st, when the snow historically is at its deepest.

“I think everyone’s anticipating that it will be a long, busy fire season,” said Lenya Quinn-Davidson, director of the UC Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources Fire Network.

“Without a snowpack, and with an early spring, it just means that there’s much more time for something like that to happen.”

‘It’s pretty bizarre up here’

In the city of South Lake Tahoe, which survived the massive Caldor Fire in the fall of 2021 without losing any structures, fire chief Jim Drennan said his department is already ramping up prevention efforts.

“It’s pretty bizarre up here right now. It really seems like June conditions more than March,” Drennan said. “People are already turning the sprinklers on for their lawns.”

Without more precipitation, an early spring may complicate prescribed burning efforts. But Drennan said fire agencies in the Tahoe basin can start mechanically clearing fuels from forest areas earlier than usual.

“That means we can get more work done,” he said.

It also means homeowners need to start hardening their homes now, said Martin Goldberg, battalion chief and fuels management officer for the Lake Valley Fire Protection District, which protects unincorporated communities in the Lake Tahoe Basin’s south shore.

Goldberg urges residents to scour their yards for burnable materials, create defensible space and reach out to local fire departments with questions. The risks are widespread — from firewood, wooden fences, gas cans, plants, pine needles — even lawn furniture stacked against a house.

“In years past, I wouldn’t even think of raking and clearing until May,” Goldberg said. “But my yard’s completely cleared of snowpack, and it has been for a couple weeks now.”

‘A haystack fire’

Battalion chief David Acuña, a spokesperson for Cal Fire, said fire season is shaped by more than just one year’s snowpack.

Climate change has been remaking California’s fire seasons into fire years. And California’s recent average to abundant water years have fueled what Acuña called “bumper crops of vegetation and brush.”

“Most of California is like a haystack. And if you’ve ever seen a haystack fire, they burn very intensely because there’s layers of fuel,” Acuña said.

Like Quinn-Davidson, Acuña wasn’t ready to make specific predictions about fires to come.

But John Abatzoglou, a professor of climatology at UC Merced, said the temperatures and snowpack conditions this year offer a glimpse of California in the latter decades of this century, as fossil fuel use continues to drive global temperatures higher.

How this year’s fires will play out will depend on when, where and how wind, heat, fuel and ignitions combine. But it foreshadows the consequences of a warmer California for water and fire under climate change.

“This,” Abatzoglou said, “is yet another stress test for the future in the state.”

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Press release from the Eureka Police Department:

On March 31, 2026, at approximately 8:00 a.m., Officers with the Eureka Police Department (EPD) responded to Sangha Tattoo Studio in the 500 block of F Street for a report of a burglary.

Upon arrival, officers discovered that multiple windows to the business had been broken, and access had possibly been made to the interior. Officers conducted a search of the building and did not locate any suspects inside.

Officers obtained video surveillance footage from nearby businesses, which showed a male subject wearing a facial covering breaking the windows of the business.

Video footage indicates the incident occurred at approximately 1:00 a.m. Additionally, a vehicle described as a silver or gray Ford truck was observed parking near the business prior to the incident and leaving the area shortly after the incident occurred.

The investigation is ongoing.

The Eureka Police Department is requesting anyone with information related to this incident to contact the Criminal Investigations Unit at 707-441-4300.

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