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Press release from the Eureka Police Department:

On Monday, November 24, 2025 at approximately 12:28 p.m., Eureka Police Department Patrol and CSET officers were dispatched to a report of a physical altercation involving security personnel at a Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) building in the 900 block of Koster Street. Prior to officers’ arrival, the involved parties had separated.

During the subsequent investigation, which included interviews with multiple witnesses, officers learned that 53-year-old Henry Robert James, of Loleta, entered the facility and, after exiting the restroom, engaged in a verbal altercation with a security officer. During this encounter, James reportedly directed racial slurs toward another security officer regarding the officer’s ethnicity and immigration status. When told to leave, James reportedly struck a security officer with his hand and raised a clenched fist in a threatening manner. The security officer pushed James to the ground in response.

While on the ground, James allegedly scratched and attempted to bite the security officer, used a pen to stab at the officer, and made derogatory statements regarding the officer’s sexual orientation. The security officer sustained visible injuries.

As the struggle continued, additional security officers responded to assist. James allegedly attempted to pull responding officers to the ground and attempted to spit on one of them. During the incident, 21-year-old Kylie Renee James, also of Loleta, attempted to push past security officers and reportedly used racial slurs referencing another security officer’s ethnicity and immigration status.

City Ambulance personnel responded and transported Henry James to a local hospital.

Based on witness statements and evidence, officers developed probable cause to believe Henry James committed felony assault involving a hate crime. Because he was unable to be medically cleared for booking at the Humboldt County Correctional Facility, the Eureka Police Department will coordinate with the Humboldt County District Attorney’s Office to obtain a warrant for his arrest.

Kylie Renee James was arrested and booked into the Humboldt County Correctional Facility for assault and battery involving a hate crime. This case remains under active investigation. Anyone with additional information is asked to contact the Eureka Police Department Criminal Investigations Unit at 707-441-4300.

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

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In summary

California utilities regulators are bringing down “return on equity” payments to power company shareholders. It’s the lowest profit margin in 20 years for PG&E and Southern California Edison, but will be hard to notice in your payments.

With California electric rates stuck at nearly the highest in the nation, the state’s utility regulator is poised to lower the payout shareholders can receive from California’s three large investor-owned power companies.

In a proposed decision, the California Public Utilities Commission recommended dropping the “return on equity” by 0.35% each for Pacific Gas & Electric, Southern California Edison and San Diego Gas & Electric. If approved, shareholders of all three companies would see a potential return next year of just under 10%. Such returns for PG&E and Edison haven’t dipped below double digits in at least 20 years.

Utilities said the decline would affect their ability to bring in needed investment for their work. Critics of the decision said that the decline is too small to meaningfully impact ratepayers’ bills, even if it’s a step in the right direction.

“California and other [public utility commissions] authorize rates of return that are far in excess of the statutory requirement,” said Mark Ellis, former chief economist at Sempra, which owns San Diego Gas & Electric.

The California Public Utility Commission is expected to vote on the decision in December.

Californians pay the second-highest electric rates in the U.S. after Hawaii, according to the most recent figures from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. A number of factors go into those rates, including wildfire mitigation costs. PG&E in particular has attracted the ire of California customers for its frequent rate hikes within the last year.

Baked into those bills is the return on equity, money meant to compensate shareholders for the risk of doing business. These shareholder return rates are set by each state’s utility regulators and hover nationally around 10%. If approved, PG&E’s rate would be 9.93% (down from 10.28%), Edison would be 9.98% (down from 10.33%), and San Diego Gas & Electric would be 9.88% (down from 10.23%). These rates are not automatically guaranteed – utilities can fall short of this return if they don’t keep down costs, such as project overruns or unexpected lawsuit fees.

A small change in this rate can be a difference of millions of dollars for ratepayers. The return is a percentage of the rate base, the total value of a utility’s assets it can earn a return on; this includes projects such as building a new power plant, for example. The rate bases for California’s three large investor-owned utilities have steadily grown each year as they add new customers and projects, increasing the amount that shareholders can receive.

PG&E, for example, had a 10% shareholder return in 2023, a possible return of about $125 million. Had it been 1% lower, the potential return would have been $12.5 million less.

“The proposed cost of capital decision needs refinement to better reflect California’s unique risks and market realities,” said Edison spokesperson Jeff Monford. “Making those refinements in the final decision will enhance SCE’s ability to finance essential infrastructure projects for a more reliable, resilient and ready electric grid.”

PG&E spokesperson Jennifer Robison echoed this sentiment, saying the decision “fails to acknowledge current elevated risks to help attract the needed investment for California’s energy systems.”

Anthony Wagner, spokesperson at San Diego Gas & Electric, said, “A decision that accurately reflects these realities is essential to enabling investments that reduce wildfire risk, strengthen reliability, replace aging infrastructure and advance California’s clean energy transition for the benefit of the communities we serve.”

Utilities routinely request these rates be pushed higher because they are a key part of what goes into utilities’ credit rating, affecting the interest they pay on loans for infrastructure investments. But in recent years, experts and consumer advocates point to a mismatch – the utility industry is typically considered low-risk, but critics say the shareholder return rates don’t reflect that. Rates for U.S. 10-year treasury bonds, which are considered the benchmark for a risk-free investment, are about half of the national average for approved utility shareholder return rates. And it’s costing utility ratepayers across the country as much as $7 billion annually, according to academics.

Ellis, the former Sempra economist, said there is a way to lower shareholder returns while keeping customer bills in check and maintaining credit ratings that the commission has not yet explored – changing the balance of debt and equity each utility has.

“You really need to understand credit,” he said. “This is where they’re going to get you.”

The commission is allowed to set the debt-equity balance when it determines shareholder returns, but it left this unchanged for all three utilities in its proposed decision for 2026. Keeping shareholder return rates high as the main means for keeping credit ratings up, Ellis said, unnecessarily burdens ratepayers.

Jean Pauline Rusk-Hiler Dumas was born February 2 1937. She passed away with family by her side on November 3, 2025.

Jean was well known for her cheerful, hospitable spirit. She loved creation, camping, travel throughout the United State and Canada, and her kitties. Jean dearly loved her family and friends, always making time for them. 

Jean lived most of her life in California, from Southern California to her home in Eureka. Jean graduated from Eureka High School and worked as a bookkeeper and proofreader for the Times-Standard newspaper.  She spent a brief time in Washington, DC, where she met the love of her life, Jack Dumas.

They were married in 1957 and moved to Eureka, where they began their family. Jack and Jean had a second home in  Salyer, where they spent many happy years entertaining friends and family, fishing, canning produce from their garden and enjoying the beauty of the Trinity River. 

Jean would say the most important accomplishment in her life was deep respect for the Bible. In 1960, through her study of the Bible, she learned God has a name, Jehovah, and shared that and the promises from him with everyone who would listen. 1965 saw her make a dedication to Jehovah and become a baptized Jehovah’s Witness. Jean proved her love for her faith, dedicating many hours to volunteer work. The family incorporated vacations with the annual Bible conventions they attended across the country and Canada. 

Jean helped with the family business as the bookkeeper and secretary. She also had a small floral business, “Heirloom Bouquets,” where she created floral bouquets for weddings and other special events. 

Jean is survived by daughters Dawn Larson (Louis Emmerik), Denise “Dee Dee” Lowery (Lyle), and DeAnne Dumas (Chris Phillips); grandchildren Brandon, Trevon, and Shiloh; great grandson Daniel; nieces, nephews, sisters in law, brothers in law, and many other family and beloved friends.

Jean is predeceased by her husband of 64 years, Jack Dumas; parents Lily Mae Rusk Hiler and John Rusk; sisters Bobbie Bayich and Margerette Smith; several nieces an nephews; sisters in law and brothers in law; dearly loved grandmother Dora Barnhill; and mother- and father-in-law Myrtle and Edward Dumas.

The family wishes to thank all those who sent cards, meals and other messages of condolence. We truly appreciate the outpouring of love. 

Thank you to all the many Doctors and caregivers who were so kind to Mom. She appreciated each one of you, and thank you to Ayres Family Cremation for helping through this difficult time.

A memorial service will be held on December 13, 2025, at 2 p.m.

Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses
4511 Campton Road
Eureka, CA 95503
Zoom login available, no passcode needed: 840 1962 9852

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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Jean Rusk-Hiler Dumas’ loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here.

PREVIOUSLY

• Bridgeville Home Burns to the Ground; Recovered Remains ‘Tentatively’ ID’d as Animal

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Press release from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office:

Following a detailed examination, an anthropologist has confirmed that the remains recovered from the China Mine Rd. fire that occurred on Nov. 17 in Bridgeville are human. Formal identification of the deceased is still pending; however, based on the investigation, it is likely that the remains are those of the 63-year-old male resident.

The official identification process of the deceased will be completed using DNA testing and will likely take several months to complete.

The next of kin has been updated on this development.

Further information will be released as it becomes available.

Anyone with information about this case or related criminal activity is encouraged to call the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office at (707) 445-7251 or the Sheriff’s Office Crime Tip line at (707) 268-2539.

PREVIOUSLY: State and Local Reps React to Trump Plan to Open More than 1 Billion Acres to New Offshore Oil and Gas Drilling

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The Trump Administration has announced its intention to expand offshore oil and gas development off the coast of California. The Department of the Interior released its “11th National Offshore Leasing Program,” which proposes as many as 34 potential offshore lease sales, covering approximately 1.27 billion acres, including six sales in California. The North Coast of California is home to three offshore oil and gas fields, including the Eel River Basin, Point Arena Basin, and the Bodega Basin. At this time it is unclear the degree to which oil and gas development is a true threat. In 2018, Trump issued a similar call for new offshore fossil fuel development, which resulted in new offshore leases in the Gulf of Mexico, although none in California. But we believe we should approach this threat as if it is serious, as we have seen the consequences of oil spills related to offshore oil and gas development in Santa Barbara in 1969 and 2015, Port Angeles in 1985, Grays Harbor in 1988, Alaska’s Prince William Sound in 1989, Coos Bay in 1999, and the Gulf of Mexico in 2010.

Here’s what we can do as a community to minimize the threat to the North Coast.

Support Local Government Policies that Frustrate Oil and Gas Development

While there are limits to local control of oil and gas development, particularly in offshore waters, local governments can control land use associated with onshore support facilities. In 1988, Humboldt County voters overwhelmingly approved Measure B, which requires that all onshore oil and gas support facilities be approved by a vote of the people. It does not appear that the County has codified Measure B into County Code, although we believe that the prohibitions contained in the measure still stand. In 2023, the Governor signed Senate Bill 704, which ended offshore oil and gas exemptions in the Coastal Act dating back to the 1980s. The result is that it will be much more difficult to build new or expanded oil and gas facilities such as oil terminals, pipelines, or support facilities on land zoned for Coastal-Dependent Industry. These uses could still be proposed, but now they are required to comply with the Coastal Act. Furthermore, in 2025, the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors approved a resolution in opposition to potential oil and gas development.

While these measures form an initial bulwark against onshore support facilities, we urge further action. The Board of Supervisors should ensure that the voter-approved Measure B is codified into County Code and review the Measure to ensure that it is sufficient to meet the current threat. Additionally, we urge other coastal jurisdictions, including the City of Eureka and the Humboldt Bay Harbor District to pass similar resolutions and take additional further actions.

Support Alternatives to Fossil Fuels

The threat to drill for oil and gas offshore exists because we do not have adequate renewable energy. Full stop. In addition to reducing our energy usage through improved efficiency and conservation, we need to develop more renewable energy. For the North Coast, this means taking a hard look at floating offshore wind energy generation, solar, battery storage, and other actions to generate and store renewable energy.

Fight Like Hell

Should the Trump Administration move forward with any offshore oil and gas development, your North Coast environmental organizations will stand together to fight like hell in opposition. We urge you to join in this fight.

Tom Wheeler
Executive Director, EPIC

Jennifer Kalt
Executive Director, Humboldt Waterkeeper

Alicia Hamann
Executive Director, Friends of the Eel River

Alicia Bales
Chapter Director, Sierra Club Redwood Chapter

Kathryn Wendel
President, Redwood Region Audubon Society

Dan Chandler
350 Humboldt

Wendy Ring
Humboldt Coalition for Clean Energy

Sue Lee
Chair, Climate Action Campaign at Humboldt UU Fellowship

Michael Welch
Director, Redwood Alliance

Lee Dedini
Arcata Presbyterian Earth Care

Larry Glass
Northcoast Environmental Center

Joe Gillespie
President, Friends of Del Norte

Nick Joslin
Policy and Advocacy Director, Mount Shasta Bioregional Ecology Center

Jessie Misha
Chair, Surfrider Foundation Humboldt Chapter

Suzie Fortner
Executive Director, Friends of the Dunes

Luke Ruediger
Siskiyou Crest Coalition

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Press release from Providence St. Joseph:

Eureka, Calif. — November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month, and Providence St. Joseph Hospital Eureka is leading the way in advanced lung cancer detection and care with the addition of a groundbreaking tool to diagnose lung cancer: the Ion Robotic Bronchoscopy Platform, a new technology that’s reshaping lung biopsy procedures.

Lung cancer remains one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths in the United States. In Humboldt County, 17 percent of residents smoke, compared to the state average of 10 percent, putting them at higher risk. Fewer than one-third of people diagnosed with lung cancer survive beyond five years, but early detection through screening can save lives and give patients more options.

The Ion robot performs minimally invasive, precise biopsies of lung nodules, enabling earlier diagnosis and treatment. Providence St. Joseph Hospital Eureka pulmonologist Dr. Robert Young, board-certified in pulmonary critical care, leads the use of the Ion robotic bronchoscopy platform, which is improving patient outcomes.

“The Ion robot represents a major advancement in lung cancer diagnostics in our area,” said Dr. Young. “The precision allows us to safely reach and biopsy small nodules deep within the lung that were previously difficult to access. This means we can diagnose cancer earlier, reduce complications and provide patients with answers faster, which is critical in guiding treatment decisions.”

The hospital also provides annual low-dose CT scans for eligible adults. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends screening for adults who are 50 to 80 years of age and have a 20 pack-year smoking history, including current smokers and those who quit within the past 15 years.

Radiologists review all scan results and assign a Lung-RADS score. Suspicious findings are evaluated by a team of specialists in radiology, pulmonology, oncology and surgery. The screening coordinator tracks results and ensures patients receive timely follow-up and support.

“Early detection is the most powerful tool we have in the fight against lung cancer,” said Priscilla Lynn, director of cancer and infusion services, Providence St. Joseph Hospital Eureka. “The Ion robot’s advanced technology and local access to low-dose CT screening gives our patients the best chance at timely diagnosis, effective treatment and improved outcomes.”

By combining innovation with compassionate care, Providence continues to lead efforts to improve outcomes and raise awareness about lung cancer prevention and screening.

Patients who meet screening criteria are encouraged to talk with their provider or call 707719-0550, option 2 to schedule an exam.

Learn about our Cancer Program here: Cancer Program | St. Joseph Hospital Eureka | Providence 

Humboldt County Department of Health & Human Services press release:

The Humboldt County Department of Health & Human Services Division of Environmental Health (DEH) is reminding the community to practice safe food handling to help keep holiday meals healthy.

DEH Supervising Environmental Health Specialist Benjamin Dolf said, “Practicing proper food handling can help prevent easily avoidable illnesses.”

The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) says bacteria including Clostridium perfringens can grow in cooked foods left at room temperature and that many outbreaks have been linked to foods commonly served during the holidays, such as turkey and roast beef.

DEH along with the CDPH recommend following four simple steps to lessen the chance of foodborne illness: Clean, separate, cook and chill.

Clean your hands with warm, soapy water for at least 20 seconds before and after handling food. Thoroughly wash all surfaces, utensils and dishes with hot, soapy water and rinse with hot water before and after each use. Wash fruits and vegetables under cool, running water to prevent the spread of bacteria, even if you plan to peel them.

Separate raw and cooked foods to avoid cross contamination. Keep fruits and vegetables away from raw meat, poultry, eggs and seafood. Also, keep raw animal products separate from each other. Frozen turkeys and other meat should be thawed in the refrigerator, in a sink with cool water that is changed every 30 minutes or in the microwave.

Cook food to proper temperatures. Set the oven temperature no lower than 325 F, and be sure turkey and other meats are completely thawed before cooking. Using a food thermometer, make sure that the internal temperature of the turkey is at least 165 F at the thickest part, including the stuffing if it’s cooked inside the bird. Cooking times will vary.

Chill turkey and other perishable foods in the refrigerator within two hours of being cooked, and do not eat leftover meat, stuffing or gravy that has been refrigerated for longer than three-to-four days.

For more information about food safety, call the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition’s Safe Food Information Line at 1-888-723-3366 or the U.S. Department of Agriculture Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-888-674-6854.

Holiday food safety tips are also available at www.foodsafety.gov.