Press release from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office:

On 04/30/2026, deputies with the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Problem Oriented Policing Team (POP) served a search warrant in the 2500 block of Baldwin Street in Arcata, as a part of a month-long investigation into a drug house. This investigation began after receiving numerous community complaints regarding suspicious drug activity at the residence.

Upon arrival at the residence, deputies located fourteen (14) individuals. Two of these individuals were found to be victims of elder neglect and were provided resources through Adult Protective Services.

As a result of this investigation, it was determined that eleven (11) subjects, located on scene, were in violation of a litany of drug-related charges as well as crimes against elderly people. The following people were arrested:

• Jerry Bachus, age 49 of McKinleyville. Booked on H&S 11365(a), visiting a drug house.
• Cecil Elliott, age 48 of Arcata. Booked on felony warrant & H&S 11365(a), visiting a drug house
• Ancheri Johnston, age 35 of Arcata. Booked on H&S 11365(a), visiting a drug house.
• Thomas Jordan, age 48 of Arcata. Booked on PC 368(b)(1), felony elder abuse; H&S 11366, maintaining a drug house.
• Christopher Lenahan, age 51 of McKinleyville. Booked on H&S 11365(a), visiting a drug house.
• Whiski Moran, age 48 of McKinleyville. Booked on misdemeanor warrant & H&S 11365(a), visiting a drug house.
• Patrica Young, age 47 of McKinleyville. Booked on H&S 11365(a), visiting a drug house; H&S 11377, possession of methamphetamine.
• Dustin Cantrell, age 26 of Arcata. Cited on H&S 11365(a), visiting a drug house.
• Jonathan Smart, age 47 of Arcata. Cited on H&S 11365(a), visiting a drug house. 
• Jamey Wilson, age 62 of Arcata. Cited on H&S 11366, maintaining a drug house.
• Shelly Wilson, age 69 of Arcata. Cited on H&S 11365, maintaining a drug house. 

During the service of the warrants, deputies seized drug paraphernalia, scales, and user amounts of methamphetamine.

HCSO would like to extend a thank you to the Arcata Police Department for their assistance in this operation.

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.

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When California State University paid OpenAI $17 million last year to give campuses unlimited access to a high-powered educational version of ChatGPT, the goal was to help students learn to use artificial intelligence for their education and future careers. However, the announcement came as a surprise to faculty and students, who were left on their own to figure out how to use AI ethically.

Afraid students would use ChatGPT Edu to cheat, many professors turned to in-class tests using bluebooks and scantrons, or employed faulty AI detectors like TurnItIn to catch AI-generated work. Meanwhile, other faculty have embraced ChatGPT and made it part of their curriculum. This all has left students confused over the use of AI in their courses.

A recent Cal State survey of over 94,000 students and university employees found 52% of faculty reported AI having a negative affect on their teaching and 67% of students felt their professors don’t teach them how to use AI effectively.

Now, as Cal State approaches the end of its 18-month contract with OpenAI this July, the university system has not announced whether it will renew the deal. Some faculty at San Francisco State University have begun a petition calling on Cal State Chancellor Mildred Garcia to end the partnership.

The Cal State Chancellor’s office points out that the AI survey found 64% of students, faculty and staff said AI has affected their learning experience at their university positively, and 63% said they’ve seen more opportunities on their campus to learn about AI.

“Our systemwide AI survey results reflect what we are seeing across our universities — widespread engagement with AI tools and technologies,” wrote Cal State spokesperson Amy Bentley-Smith in an email.

The university system left it up to campuses to dictate the proper uses of the chatbot while offering tools and training on a website called AI Commons. But students and faculty say those resources have not been enough. As of April, only 0.7% of students and 16% of faculty have completed the voluntary training, based on data provided by Bentley-Smith.

Assemblymember Mike Fong introduced Assembly Bill 2392 in February, which would require Cal State and California Community Colleges, as well as request University of California schools, to provide training on any AI product deployed on campuses.

Last fall, Fong and the Assembly Standing Committee on Higher Education questioned Cal State officials about planning around the AI initiative.

“During the joint hearing on higher education and privacy, discussions revealed that California State University campuses have adopted AI tools without consistent guidance or training, raising concerns around data privacy, academic integrity, and equitable use,” said Fong in an email to CalMatters.

While a few students and faculty testified at the hearing, others have continued to echo those issues.

“I’m not sure [Cal State] realized how much new work it would require, how much revision to the old way of doing things it would require,” said Ryan Jenkins, the chair of the AI Task Force for Cal Poly San Luis Obispo’s faculty union chapter.

Students want to be a part of AI decisions

Cal State Northridge communications major Katie Karroum was shocked when she saw the announcement about ChatGPT Edu last year. As the vice president of systemwide affairs for the Cal State Student Association, she would have expected the chancellor’s office to meet with the student organization that represents over 470,000 students throughout the state.

“We were not consulted when the contract was signed, and we weren’t even given a heads up,” Karroum said.

Cal State chose OpenAI as the least-costly option, according to assistant vice chancellor of academic technology services Leslie Kennedy. The contract aimed to give everyone free access to ChatGPT Edu across all 22 campuses. Previously, campuses and individuals were paying for their own upgraded ChatGPT accounts that allow users to generate content like images and research reports without the limitations of the free version.

The contract with OpenAI was signed in January 2025, revealed later that month at a Board of Trustees meeting, and formally announced through a systemwide press release in February 2025, which is how Karroum found out.

Katie Karroum, communications major and vice president of systemwide affairs for the Cal State Student Association, at Cal State Northridge on April 9, 2026. Photo by Ariana Drehsler for CalMatters

In a meeting of the Cal State Student Association last October, student representatives from each campus told Karroum that they saw a lack of justice for students accused of using generative AI to cheat, and that they were concerned about the data collected from the chatbot being shared.

ChatGPT Edu at Cal State is defaulted to not use data for training models, but users can opt to allow their data to be shared, according to testing by CalMatters.

Students have also complained about the absence of a consistent AI policy in their classes, according to an open letter published by Karroum. At most campuses, professors get to decide their classroom policies, including about AI.

Yagmur Wernimont, a sophomore at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, said that although AI is used for automation and robotics in her intended agriculture field, she still does not use the technology herself because she thinks “it’s making us dumber” and doesn’t promote learning. She also watched herself fall behind while a classmate used ChatGPT to get a 100% on an assignment.

While her professor verbally told the class at the beginning of the quarter not to use AI, the rule was not on the syllabus, nor was a clear consequence for using AI. Wernimont said this may have given students a loophole for using it.

At Cal State Bakersfield, Emily Callahan, dean of students for academic integrity, said there has been a steady uptick of students reported for improper use of AI. She said students are using the chatbot to gain an unfair advantage over others.

Wernimont has also witnessed a divide between professors over AI. While one of her professors required the use of Google NotebookLM, an AI-powered note-taking app, an English teacher told Wernimont’s class that she was sad students would be using AI for writing, but shared a presentation on ways to cite the tool anyway.

“They’re all having different ways and ideas how to do it,” she said. “And it’s kind of conflicting as a student.”

First: Students walk through the Cal Poly San Luis Obispo campus. Last: Ryan Jenkins, a philosophy professor, sits in his office at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo campus in San Luis Obispo on April 10, 2026. Photos by Julie Leopo-Bermudez for CalMatters

Kennedy said the university system hasn’t excluded anybody from the discussion around AI. The Chancellor’s Office started a generative AI committee in 2024 that includes students and faculty.

“It was the committee’s recommendations that served as the basis for the CSU to identify, evaluate, and negotiate with multiple companies who at the time offered plans designed specifically to help bring AI tools to higher education institutions,” said Cal State’s chief information officer Ed Clark in an email. “Their assessment and feedback have been and continue to be essential to how the CSU implements its AI strategy that is both cost-effective and secure.”

A new board formed after the implementation of ChatGPT Edu focuses on California’s workforce by including representatives from technology companies. Cal State Student Association President Tara Al-Rehani said that while she is part of that board, it makes no final policy or guidance decisions on AI use.

Karroum said although students need to learn how to use AI, she doesn’t like feeling part of an experiment.

“I think that we’re being treated as, like, test rats right now because there’s no policy and there’s no guidance,” Karroum said.

Faculty introduce new classroom policies on AI

Faculty leaders said they also were caught off guard with the ChatGPT deal. According to the Cal State survey, 59% of faculty regularly use AI in teaching and research, and 68% said they include an explicit statement on AI use.

According to a repository of more than 200 AI syllabus policies housed on Cal Poly San Luis Obispo’s website, one criminal justice professor from Cal State Fullerton describes in the syllabus when, why and how students should use AI. The professor also includes an example of a good AI disclosure statement from a student who outlined their use of ChatGPT for an assignment.

The AI Commons website states that faculty ultimately decide how they want to implement generative AI into their curriculum,taking into consideration whether it might improve teaching and learning in their classroom like any new technology.

Jenkins, who teaches philosophy at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, gives exams in class using blue books and scantrons to avoid any potential for students to cheat with AI. When ChatGPT was first released in 2022, Jenkins tested the chatbot by giving it a reading quiz. It gave all the right answers, alarming Jenkins that his students might use the technology while taking tests online. Today, Jenkins tells his students to treat AI like any other source when using its outputs for an assignment, but still proctors exams in-class.

“The bread and butter of philosophy is reflecting on your own ideas and trying to sort out what you believe and why,” Jenkins said. “If you have a tool that does that for you, then you’re being denied an opportunity to practice that skill.”

Ryan Jenkins, a philosophy professor, at the Cal Poly San Luis Obispo campus in San Luis Obispo on April 10, 2026. Photo by Julie Leopo-Bermudez for CalMatters

Jenkins said he does not have an AI statement in his syllabus because neither the department nor Cal Poly has provided one to use. On its website, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo links to the AI Commons as well as an AI statement builder from Pepperdine University for faculty to use. But the university does not require any specific statement from professors.

At Cal State Fullerton, Shelli Wynants helps faculty decide how to use AI in their classrooms through her role in the university’s faculty development center. She also teaches students in her child and adolescent studies courses to critically review AI output, and make sure they are remaining “the thinker and the decision maker” in the process.

Wynant said she refers to AI as an “assistant” or “teammate,” but emphasizes it should never replace human judgement. She has found that many of her students who plan careers in teaching want to learn how to use AI responsibly for the sake of their future students. “These students need to get up to speed because they’re going to be the ones teaching students digital literacy,” she said.

In August 2025, the Assembly Standing Committee on Higher Education questioned Cal State officials about planning around the AI initiative. Representatives of the Academic Senate, Cal State Student Association, California Faculty Association and Cal State Employees Union spoke to the Assembly committee about their discontent over the contract with OpenAI.

“We understand all these criticisms and concerns, and they’re valid,” said Cal State’s chief information officer Ed Clark at the meeting. “The best way to deal with those concerns is to have our universities participate in helping to shape the future of these technologies. We can’t just sit back and let it go by.”

Students still need support, even with AI chatbots

Staff at university tutoring centers are struggling to advise students who say faculty are blaming them for cheating by using the very AI tools the university system wants them to learn to use. According to the Cal State AI survey, 78% of students, faculty and staff said the ethical use of AI is a major concern.

Students walk through campus at Cal State Northridge on April 9, 2026. Photo by Ariana Drehsler for CalMatters

Seher Vora, the coordinator for San Jose State University’s writing center, created an AI Writer Toolbox after conversations with tutors about students who were being penalized by professors for using AI. The toolbox helps students work with AI responsibly, including how to properly cite AI use and not using the chatbot for generating work that is not their own.

The toolbox also includes a disclosure tool that allows students to fill out a form outlining their use of AI for an assignment. The form generates a certificate for students to submit with their work.

The writing center at San Jose State advises students to check with their professors if they are unsure what uses of AI they accept. Vora hopes her work with the toolbox will encourage education around AI, for both students and faculty.

“We have to stay on top of it,” she said. “It’s changing every day.”

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California voters could cast the deciding votes this November that flip control of the U.S. House. If Democrats win a majority, they could block President Donald Trump’s legislative agenda, grill his cabinet officials and launch investigations into his administration.

The road to a House majority runs through California. Democrats are on offense after voters last year approved new congressional maps that forced nine incumbent Republicans into more left-leaning districts. Three are designed to flip, and two others favor Democrats.

Most national investment will focus on two remaining tossup races — one in the Central Valley and one in San Diego.

Several incumbent Democrats also face challenges from younger, progressive candidates who say it’s time for new leadership. While incumbents traditionally have the fundraising advantage, newcomers are betting that voters want change.

Before the November election, California’s open primary system narrows each race to the top two vote-getters regardless of party — meaning many contested congressional races pit Democrats against each other.

Here are the races CalMatters is watching closely before the June 2 primary.

Congressional District 22: Fresno, Kings, Tulare and Kern counties

In the Central Valley, two Democrats are fighting for the chance to take on Rep. David Valadao, the vulnerable Republican incumbent whose only election loss came in 2018 during Trump’s first term.

As the sole remaining GOP congressmember who voted to impeach Trump after Jan. 6, Valadao brands himself as a moderate despite frequently voting in line with his party. He cast the deciding vote for Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill,” which cuts an estimated $1 trillion from Medicaid over 10 years while extending tax cuts that disproportionately benefit the wealthy.

Both Democratic opponents are attacking that vote as a “betrayal” of the nearly two-thirds of his constituents who rely on Medicaid for health insurance and SNAP for food assistance.

Assemblymember Jasmeet Bains, a physician who has spent most of her career in hospitals and clinics that rely on Medi-Cal, has positioned herself as a moderate willing to buck her party. She was stripped of a notable committee position for refusing to support an anti-oil and gas bill. She’s backed by powerful labor groups including SEIU California and the California Labor Federation.

First: Assemblymember Jasmeet Bains speaks during a caucus meeting at the California Democratic Convention in San Francisco on Feb. 21, 2026. Last: Randy Villegas speaks to a crowd at Bakersfield College on April 15, 2026. Photos by Jungho Kim and Larry Valenzuela for CalMatters

But Bains has faced stiff competition from Randy Villegas, a college professor and school board trustee running as a progressive with support from the Working Families Party, the Congressional Progressive Caucus and Sen. Bernie Sanders. The son of Mexican immigrants, Villegas emphasizes his working-class roots and boasts that his campaign doesn’t take corporate PAC money, unlike both of his opponents.

Valadao leads in fundraising, with close to $2.9 million on hand as of April 15. Villegas trails with nearly $719,000, while Bains has about $700,500.

Congressional District 48: San Diego and Riverside counties

Further south, Democrats are jockeying to flip a Republican seat vacated by Rep. Darrell Issa, who announced his retirement in March after Prop. 50 redrew his district.

Issa endorsed San Diego County Supervisor Jim Desmond, a moderate Republican who Democratic strategists say will be tough to beat given his weaker ties to Trump.

Two Democrats have emerged as frontrunners: San Diego City Councilmember Marni von Wilpert and Ammar Campa-Najjar, a former Obama aide who has lost to Issa twice before. Palm Springs businessman Brandon Riker is also competing for the seat after shifting districts post-Prop. 50.

Von Wilpert and Campa-Najjar have traded sharp criticisms. She called him anti-LGBTQ for questioning whether she could win votes outside gay-friendly Palm Springs; he accused her of racism for questioning his name changes and residence.

Riker leads in fundraising with about $1.08 million cash on hand, followed closely by Desmond with about $1.06 million. Von Wilpert has about $545,800, while Campa-Najjar has about $456,400.

The next Nancy Pelosi?

Congressional District 11: San Francisco

After nearly 40 years in Congress, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced last November she would retire at the end of her current term. She has declined to formally endorse a successor.

Three Democrats are now vying to replace her as San Francisco’s next member of Congress, a position that the winner could hold for decades given the city’s liberal bent.

State Sen. Scott Wiener leads in name recognition and fundraising, touting his record of passing controversial bills like those to speed up housing construction by bypassing state environmental regulations. He has staked his campaign on legislative accomplishments and promises to bring that same diligence to Congress.

State Sen. Scott Wiener addresses lawmakers at the state Capitol in Sacramento on Jan. 23, 2025. Photo by Fred Greaves for CalMatters

Wiener caused controversy by initially refusing to call the Gaza conflict “genocide,” then reversing course with a lengthy explanation on social media. He subsequently stepped down as leader of the Legislative Jewish Caucus. By San Francisco standards, he is rather moderate. He has about $2.62 million in cash on hand.

Saikat Chakrabarti, a former tech entrepreneur who made billions as an engineer at Stripe, is marketing himself as a political outsider who can shake up Washington — much as he did running Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez’s 2018 upset campaign and serving as her chief of staff. He’s largely self-funding and has contributed nearly $5 million already.

Trailing both is Connie Chan, the progressive San Francisco supervisor who appears to have informal support from Pelosi herself, plus endorsements from U.S. Sen. Adam Schiff and former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown. She only has $156,600 in cash on hand with only a month until primary day.

A battle of the ages

Congressional District 7: Sacramento, El Dorado and San Joaquin counties

While Pelosi decided it was time to step aside, some of her peers have not. One exciting race is in the 7th Congressional District, where incumbent Democrat Rep. Doris Matsui, 81, faces Mai Vang, 41, a left-leaning Sacramento City councilmember.

Vang is Matsui’s first serious challenger in the 20 years since Matsui succeeded her late husband in office. She is supported by the progressive Working Families Party and has criticized Matsui for her lack of availability to constituents and accepting donations from corporate PACs and wealthy donors. Vang has about $315,000 in cash on hand.

Matsui has insisted that experience and institutional knowledge are critical as Democrats try to get as much federal funding as possible in the second Trump administration, saying it’s a bad time to throw out expertise. She has about $1.05 million.

The formerly solidly blue district primarily encompassed the city of Sacramento until it was redrawn under Prop. 50 to include more rural and conservative areas in El Dorado and San Joaquin counties, though it is still considered a solid Democratic seat.

Sacramento City Councilmember Mai Vang during a caucus meeting at the California Democratic convention in San Francisco on Feb. 21, 2026. Photo by Jungho Kim for CalMatters

Congressional District 4: Napa, Sonoma, Sacramento, Placer, Sutter, Yuba, Yolo, Lake and Colusa counties

Another longtime incumbent, Rep. Mike Thompson also faces a younger progressive and political newcomer.

Eric Jones, 35, a philanthropist and former venture capitalist, is centering his campaign on the affordability crisis. He casts Thompson, 75, as out-of-touch with the financial struggles of younger generations on housing and retirement.

Nonetheless, Thompson earned the endorsement of the California Young Democrats, as well as from the California Democratic Party, SEIU California and the California Federation of Labor Unions.

Jones seeded his campaign with about $350,000 of his own money and has more than $1.45 million cash on hand, largely from big-dollar donors. Thompson has $2.56 million.

More races to watch

Congressional District 3: Sacramento, El Dorado, Placer and Nevada counties

Democratic incumbent Rep. Ami Bera moved to this district after voters passed Prop. 50 with the goal of unseating Rep. Kevin Kiley. But Kiley decided to run in Bera’s former district, and days later he left the GOP to become an independent.

Bera faces two Democrats and two Republicans.

Democrat Heidi Hall, a Nevada County supervisor, launched her campaign before the gerrymandering when the district was far more conservative and Kiley was her opponent. Hall said she was frustrated by Bera’s blatant political opportunism. She criticized him for not living in the new district (he lives in Elk Grove) and lamented how he, with the incumbency advantage, had bigfooted what would’ve been a clear path to victory for her post-redistricting.

Democrat Chris Bennett, a disabled Army veteran running as a progressive prioritizing housing affordability and reforming campaign finance, also switched to run in this district.

The two Republicans are Robb Tucker, a small business owner and fellow Nevada County supervisor and perennial candidate Christine Bish.

Steven Walker works on his ballot at the Sacramento County Voter Registration and Elections office in Sacramento on Nov. 5, 2024. Photo by Miguel Gutierrez Jr., CalMatters

Congressional District 6: Sacramento, Placer and Yolo counties

Bera’s departure from the 6th District prompted a flurry of Democrats to run in it, including former state Sen. Richard Pan, a pediatrician, the presumed frontrunner. He faces Sacramento County District Attorney Thien Ho, former Planned Parenthood executive director Lauren Babb-Tomlinson and West Sacramento Mayor Martha Guerrero, all Democrats.

Kiley is also competing for this seat as an independent.

Congressional District 14: Alameda County

The race for former Rep. Eric Swalwell’s seat was already crowded before his alleged sexual abuse was reported in early April. State Sen. Aisha Wahab is endorsed by the California Democratic Party and has emerged as the frontrunner.

She faces five other Democrats in the safely Democratic district:

• Victor Aguilar, a San Leandro city councilmember
• Matt Ortega, a Democratic digital strategist
• Rakhi Singh, an educator and nonprofit attorney
• Melissa Hernandez, a healthcare services director
• Carin Elam, a businesswoman and nonprofit director

Voters in this district will go to the polls again June 16 for a special election to fill the remainder of Swalwell’s term, following his resignation. Some Democrats are rallying behind a caretaker candidate who is not in the race to take over next year, Democratic former state Sen. Bob Wieckowski.

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Press release from the City of Eureka:

The City of Eureka will be performing a traffic signal light replacement project at the above location in Eureka beginning Friday, May, 2026 at 9 a.m.

The eastbound and westbound travel directions on Buhne Street will have new traffic signal lights featuring a protected left turn traffic pattern. This new traffic signal configuration at Buhne Street and S Street will service eastbound Buhne Street travel lanes singularly and then terminate, followed by the service of westbound travel lanes, indicated with new left turn signals lights featuring protected left turn indicators.

The intersection will be in all-red flash while the reconfiguration is being performed. The intersection will also have signage on Buhne Street notifying users of the new signal work reconfiguration.

The patience and cooperation of motorists, bicyclists and pedestrians in the vicinity of the of the Buhne and S Streets is greatly appreciated while the traffic signal reconfiguration is being implemented.

The City of Eureka realizes that this disruption is an inconvenience, but maintaining the City’s streets infrastructure is vital to the health and safety of our residents.

Press release from the Eureka Police Department:

On April 29, 2026, at approximately 1 p.m., an officer with the Eureka Police Department (EPD) conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle for speeding near the intersection of I and Buhne Streets.

The driver was identified as Ernest Rocha, a 65-year-old Arcata resident. A records check revealed that Rocha was on probation.

During a subsequent search of the vehicle conducted pursuant to his probation terms, officers located approximately 12.5 grams of methamphetamine, along with pepper spray and bear spray.

Rocha was taken into custody and booked into the Humboldt County Correctional Facility on charges of possession of a controlled substance for sale, transportation of a controlled substance, unlawful possession of pepper spray, and violation of probation.

Every year, the Humboldt County Civil Grand Jury spends time studying up on various questions or controversies involving local government, and at the end of the year publishes its findings. It’s a wonderful institution.

And though the current Grand Jury runs through the end of June, it’s kicking things off early with a report on the Eel River Conservation Camp, the Redway-area institution that houses convicted felons nearing the end of their sentence and employs them in various productive, outdoorsy activities — most notably, fighting wildfires.

This year the Grand Jury takes us inside for a tour of the conservation camp, which is run by the state Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. And it’s no exaggeration to say that the GJ really likes what it found!

From the report:

Overall, the Grand Jury was impressed with the condition, operation and function of the Conservation Camp during our inspections. The Grand Jury observed that safety precautions were in place, safety equipment was up to date, and inmates appeared healthy, adequately clothed, housed and fed. Inmates seemed at ease, cooperative with, and respectful of, each other and staff, proud of the work they do, and of the skills they are acquiring.

In sum, the Grand Jury has one and only one recommendation to improve conditions at the Conservation Camp: Get a better internet connection!

But you can read the full report below for a more complete look at how the camp operates and what it aims to accomplish, and you can check out the Grand Jury’s summary in press release form underneath that.

Note: The next Grand Jury year is coming up fast, and they’re always looking for more citizens to sign up. If you have some free time that you’d like to devote to good governance, they’d love to hear from you.

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DOCUMENT:

• “Fighting Fires, Changing Lives: Eel River Conservation Camp Civil Grand Jury Report,” April 30, 2026 (PDF)

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Press release from the Humboldt County Grand Jury:

Fighting Fires, Changing Lives - Eel River Conservation Camp

“Without a doubt, if there is a program within the state that can help somebody go from an incarcerated life to never coming back to an incarcerated life, this is the program that can do it.”

– Fred Money, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, quoted in the Sacramento Bee Article on the “Importance of Fire Crews,” 05/31/24.

The Civil Grand Jury Report, “Fighting Fires, Changing Lives - Eel River Conservation Camp” was published today on the Humboldt County Civil Grand Jury website.

The Grand Jury is required by state law to “inquire into the condition and management of the public prisons within the county.” Beyond the need to know whether these institutions are well run and pose no threat to our community, isn’t it important to know how your tax dollars are being spent and whether this investment of your money is benefiting you?

Among the Grand Jury’s findings:

The Eel River Conservation Camp meets or exceeds goals for contributions to the community, leading to a healthy, trusting relationship between the camp and the community.

Basic job skills are learned and practiced, making Eel River Conservation Camp inmates more employable and thus benefitting themselves, their families and their communities.

Through training, education, and on-the-job work experience, inmate employment opportunities post-incarceration increase, helping the Eel River Conservation Camp recidivism rate decline.

The Grand Jury Responsibilities:

The Humboldt County Superior Court annually appoints 19 county residents as grand jurors to serve as citizen watchdogs over local government.

The Humboldt County Civil Grand Jury has jurisdiction over Humboldt County districts, cities, agencies, and departments and examines all aspects of county and city government to ensure honest, efficient government in the best interests of the people.

The Jury receives and investigates complaints from individuals concerning the actions and performances of county or public officials. Additional information about the Civil Grand Jury, complaint forms, and juror applications can be found on the website.

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PREVIOUSLY: Five Old-Growth Redwoods Were Cut Down in Lower Redway. How Could That Happen?

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The removal of a massive old-growth redwood tree in Southern Humboldt is currently underway. 

The towering 252-foot tree — estimated to be between 350 and 370 years old — is one of several “hazardous” old-growth redwoods removed from a residential parcel on the corner of Oakridge Drive and Briceland Road in Lower Redway in recent months, sparking outrage among some neighbors and environmental advocates, though the action appears to comply with state law.

This afternoon, a handful of locals gathered at the corner lot with signs that read “Stop Logging Old Growth” and “Honor the Elders,” hoping against hope that their efforts would stop the centuries-old tree from being cut. (A video of the protest signs can be seen in this video posted to Facebook.)

Redway resident Sue Maloney told the Outpost that six sheriff’s vehicles had shown up at the property this morning to deter a group of protestors from parking within the work zone. “We parked too close to the fence, thinking we could stop them from sending the limbs down, but we were told to move our vehicles.”

Maloney shared the following video from the scene:

Asked how Scarlett responded to their presence, Maloney said, “We’ve talked to each other a little bit, and he said, ‘I don’t have any problem with you guys being here,’ but we’re clearly on opposite sides of the issue.”

Reached by phone this afternoon, Scarlett declined the Outpost’s offer to comment on this story. We’ve reached out to his attorney, Tonya Farmer, for comment as well, but we’ve yet to hear back. 

Since the first round of old-growth redwoods was chopped down at the end of last year, Maloney and several other long-time environmental advocates have called on county officials to take immediate action, expressing concern that the case sets a dangerous precedent for old-growth trees throughout Lower Redway.

“We’ve had several conversations with [Humboldt Planning Director] John Ford and [Second District Supervisor] Michelle Bushnell, as well as the director of CalFire and [Hank Seemann], the deputy director of environmental services,” Maloney said. “It’s a lot of run around about who has jurisdiction, and ‘We’ll meet with you in the future!’ but, in the meantime, this tree [is being] climbed to be cut.”

The Lower Redway Q Zone is depicted in yellow. | Map: County of Humboldt

Maloney and others were under the impression that the trees were protected by a county-designated “Q Zone,” a special zoning ordinance created in 1996 to safeguard old-growth redwoods near the John B. DeWitt State Natural Reserve. Under the county policy, trees exceeding 12 inches in diameter can only be cut “in an emergency situation” when trees are “threatening people or property.” 

As the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, CalFire has permitting and enforcement jurisdiction over timber operations on timberland pursuant to the Forest Practice Act of 1973. The county also has a hand in the permitting process, but it’s taken a step back in recent years due to a provision in the act that precludes the county from requiring permits that would supersede an exemption from the state.

A request to clear up the confusion around state versus county jurisdiction and potentially increase protections provided by the Q Zone was placed on the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors’ April 20 agenda, but the item was removed from the docket at the beginning of the meeting without explanation.

As previously reported by the Outpost, last year, Scarlett secured a hazard tree exemption for the removal of “approximately five” old-growth redwoods at his Lower Redway property. The trees were inspected by CalFire Supervising Forester Lucas Titus, who made the following determination in his report:

“During the inspection approximately five trees/clumps were identified all within 30 feet of structures as having the defect and site conditions indicative of tree failure. These identified trees have already damaged the roof and deck of the main habitable structure and caused damage to the adjacent shed and adjacent property and continue to pose a safety threat.”

The county issued a stop-work order last month to prevent the remaining old-growth redwood from being cut down, but that order was lifted last month after an arborist determined the tree “poses a threat to multiple residential structures and the people who reside there, as well as the power lines and roads that are in the vicinity.” 

“Mitigation options such as pruning would be unfeasible without retaining a high level of risk due to the lack of remaining canopy and the severe trunk damage the tree has suffered,” according to a March 24 report written by Stephen Hohman, an arborist with Hohman and Associates Forestry Consulting, Inc. “It would be unreasonable to expect the residents of this house to continue to live at this address without addressing the risk posed by this tree. Therefore, I would recommend the immediate removal of this tree due to the potential of severe consequences that would result in the case of this tree’s failure.”

When we spoke earlier this afternoon, Maloney said the tree was in the process of being topped, and suspected it would be taken down in the next day or two.

The Outpost’s request for comment from CalFire and Planning and Builder Director John Ford was not returned before publication. We’ll update this post with their responses if we hear back.

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