Sure, you know all about the Eureka Theater. 

Or do you?

If you’re only a kid, maybe you don’t!

So here comes Emmett, a student in Eureka High’s media production program, to school you youngsters on why the Eureka Theater is one of the town’s most overlooked assets. Press play on the video above for Emmett’s report.

You over-18 oldsters are invited to watch, too! For you, Emmett’s got some drone footage of the theater that’ll give you some angles on the building that you’ve likely never seen before.

While we have you here: Why don’t you head on over to the EHS YouTube channel and smash that like on the Redwood Bark, the periodic video magazine produced by the media production kids under the tutelage of Mr. Brooks? The latest episode has features on the school’s K-Pop Hip Hop Club, the Homecoming Parade, LatinX events and more, and it even includes a full student-produced horror film in the middle. It’s really well done!

Gabriela “Gabby” Murphy passed away peacefully at home on April 1, 2026 — a life filled with love, service, and gratitude.

Gabriela was the second of twelve children born to Amelia and Jose Homem on October 25, 1927, in Terceira, Açores. As one of the eldest children, she was tasked with caring for her younger siblings. They spent their days playing along the rock wall that bordered their property, often speaking a version of “English” they created themselves, dreaming of one day living in the United States. Gabriela valued education deeply, though she had to cut her own schooling short to help support her family.

At just eight years old, she began working as a nanny, caring for infants through the night and assisting working mothers during the day, including families connected to the American base. While nannying for her cousin Irma Azevedo, who worked as a chief telephone operator at the American Army base, Gabriela met the love of her life, Robert “Bob” Murphy — a handsome 6’2” military police officer with the U.S. Army. It was love at first sight. Gabriela spoke no English, and Bob spoke no Portuguese, but they shared a language beyond words. With Irma serving as both translator and chaperone, their bond grew quickly.

Bob knew he did not want to lose this irreplaceable Portuguese girl with an unforgettable hour glass figure and soon asked for her hand in marriage. On March 31, 1947, they were married at nineteen, in a civil ceremony and began their journey to the United States aboard an Army cargo plane. They first lived in Louisiana, Bob’s home state, before settling in Arcata, to be closer to her aunt, Jesuina.

It was in Arcata that Gabriela began the work that would define her life and change the course of generations. After becoming a United States citizen in 1952, she took on the immense responsibility of navigating the sponsorship process to bring her family to America.

Through her work as a nanny for local business owners and physicians, Gabriela built lasting relationships that would prove instrumental. These families became sponsors, offering employment opportunities for her siblings upon their arrival. Gabriela and Bob also ensured that each family had a place to live, often sharing homes until they were able to stand on their own. Over the next 15 years, she successfully helped bring her parents and all of her siblings to the United States — turning childhood dreams into reality.

Once her family was settled in Arcata, Gabriela naturally stepped into the role of guide, advisor, and caregiver. She helped with everything — renting homes, setting up utilities, finding doctors, and accompanying family members to appointments. She was, in every sense, an angel on earth.

Her home became the center of family life. Holidays were always celebrated there, with Thanksgiving being especially memorable. Tables filled the kitchen and living rooms, and the house overflowed with food, laughter, conversation, and love. Many of the family’s most cherished memories were made under her roof. She was also the first to bathe many of the babies born into the family — a quiet but meaningful role she carried with pride.

Though she once believed she would not have children of her own after helping raise so many others, she and Bob were ultimately blessed with seven: Bobby, Billy, Rita, Dreena, Linda, Larry, and Christina. Her children were her world, and she raised them with the same devotion, strength, and sense of responsibility that defined her life.

Later, Gabriela worked at Mad River Hospital in the kitchen and as a custodian at Humboldt State University, where she developed a special connection with colleagues and students. She loved being around young people and often shared wisdom drawn from her remarkable life experiences.

Gabriela worked tirelessly well into her 70s as a housekeeper for the families who had helped sponsor her siblings. She never forgot their kindness and felt a deep sense of gratitude and responsibility to give back.

Her home was always open. Guests came and stayed — for a day, a week, or even a year. She believed in helping anyone in need, just as others had once helped her family.

When Bob could convince her to step away from work, they enjoyed traveling to Louisiana and Hilmar to visit family. She loved trips to Reno with her mother and sisters and especially cherished attending the Our Lady of Miracles Celebration in Hilmar, where she would stay up through the night in prayer, giving thanks for the many blessings in her life. One of our favorite memories was at 78, while on cruise to the Caribbean she kicked her leg as high as a rockette on a dare. She continued these high kicks till she was 98. For the last 25 years she looked forward to yearly family trips with her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren spending quality time together watching movies, building puzzles, singing songs and dancing. She enjoyed every minute with a smile on her face and joy in her heart.

Gabriela and Bob dedicated countless hours volunteering at St. Mary’s Church, helping with bonanzas, securing donations from local businesses, and raising funds for the construction of the church. Their faith and service were central to their lives.

For their 50th anniversary, Gabriela and Bob were married in the very church they helped build — a moment filled with love, pride, and the presence of family and friends.

Gabriela approached life with unwavering gratitude, even in difficult times. She often reminded others, “You have to take the good with the bad,” and would point to the sky and say, “Only God knows” and “A lingua diz tudo”

It is impossible to fully capture who she was to her family. How do you honor someone who dedicated her life to making others’ lives better? You live as she did- with an open heart and home, filling others with care and love, never forgetting where you came from, and believing in where you can go with “GRIT” and a dream. She will be heavily missed by everyone who was blessed with her presence and her signature pinky swear.

She was immensely proud of her grandchildren — Nick, Neil, CJ, Alex, Nick, Bella and Rae — her great-grandchildren, Aliyah, Giana, Alyus, and Zora. She encouraged them to pursue education, follow their dreams, and believe that anything was possible. She was especially proud of her granddaughter Alex, who graduated from medical school and starts residency in June — a full-circle moment for a woman who held deep respect for the physicians who helped her family.

She is survived by her children Rita -Steve, Dreena, Larry, and Christina-Michael; her grandchildren and great-grandchildren; her brother Jose-Gloria and sister Durvalina; and many beloved nieces, nephews, and extended family members.

She was preceded in death by her husband Robert; children Bobby, Bill, and Linda; her parents Amelia and Jose; and her siblings Maria dos Santos, Fernando, Maria Jose, Antonio, Natalia, Albino, David, and Avelino.

Gabriela’s casket bearers will be her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

The service will be held on Thursday, April 9, 2026, at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Arcata, with the Rosary at 10:30 a.m. and the Funeral Mass at 11 a.m. with a reception to follow in the narthex and Interment will be at St. Mary’s Catholic Cemetery.

Memorial contributions may be made in Gabriela’s honor to Hospice of Humboldt, 3327 Timber Fall Court, Eureka, CA 95503. A special thank you to Hospice care; Lisa, Melissa, Rose, Samantha, Deane and deeply grateful to her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren for their tireless love and care during this difficult time.

Arrangements under the direction of Sanders Funeral Home, Eureka.

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

A faded VHS cover of the 1987 film.

For anyone worried that Humboldt County might be losing its cannabis clout, fear not: Here comes “Ganjasaurus Rex.”

Disney-owned streaming giant Hulu is celebrating the upcoming stoner holiday of 4/20 with an anthology of documentary shorts — aptly titled “4X20: Quick Hits” — that includes a segment on the low-budget, Humboldt-filmed creature feature from 1987.

Here’s the blurb from Hulu:

“The Legend of Ganjasaurus Rex,” directed by Alex Ross Perry, (“Pavements,” “Videoheaven”), celebrates a Humboldt County cult classic film. Made by local pot growers as an act of protest against the War on Drugs, this “comically dreadful” film was panned by critics as “one of the worst movies of all time,” before becoming a beloved local legend.

And here’s the trailer:

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During my first career as a video store clerk/manager, the VHS copy of “Ganjasaurus Rex” didn’t get rented often, but when it did it was typically brought to the counter with the likes of “Up In Smoke,” “The Harder They Come,” “Waking Life,” and “Baraka.” 

But the ultra-low-budget movie spread beyond the Emerald Triangle, invading video stores across the country and eventually becoming something of a stoner cult classic.

Set during the height of the federal government’s notorious Campaign Against Marijuana Planting (CAMP), the movie “captures the spirit of the back-to-the-land movement in Humboldt County — depicting how local communities peacefully resisted government efforts to eradicate their cannabis gardens, culture and way of life.”

That quote’s from the promotional blurb for a recent screening and discussion of the film as part of Cal Poly Humboldt’s Cannabis Studies Program.

You can actually watch “Ganjasaurus Rex” in its entirety on YouTube, but if you’re looking for the historical and cultural context around it, you’ll have to wait a couple of weeks. 

Produced by Jimmy Kimmel, “4X20: Quick Hits” debuts on April 20 (of course). Here are synopses of the other three segments:

• “Highly Unlikely,” directed by Brent Hodge (“I Am Chris Farley,” “Freaks and Geeks: The Documentary”) recounts how Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle ended up on the big screen. With two unknown Asian American lead actors, this unexpected stoner classic has become synonymous with weed since its release in 2004.
• “High Times,” directed by Kyle Thrash (“The Turnaround,” “The Seat”), tells the story of High Times Magazine and its founder, Tom Forcade. Motivated by the Free Press movement, Forcade smuggled cannabis to pay for a magazine that impacted Marijuana culture forever.
• “Bong Voyage,” directed by Todd Kapostasy (“Rodman: For Better or Worse,” “Meddling”) focuses on Deadhead and hand-blown glass artist Jason Harris. After building the most well-known bong company in the world, the federal government set its sights on Jason and the paraphernalia industry with Operation Pipe Dreams.

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Facebook update from the Sequoia Park Zoo:

Folks who followed Kunabulilh the black bear’s rehabilitation at Gold Country Wildlife Rescue  have been asking for updates, and we have some fun ones!

Kunabulilh (aka Nabu aka Baby Bear) experienced torpor from December through early March and was the least active of the three black bears. He only lost six pounds during torpor, which is not unusual since he is still growing up.

Like Tule, Nabu is an expert den builder, stuffing his den full of straw and other vegetation. During torpor, he even pulled straw in front of his den hole, closing himself inside.

He’s woken up from torpor completely now, and zoo keepers were met with a much more comfortable and confident bear than when he first arrived in 2025. His personality is shining through. He is very playful, especially in the evening. He spends hours playing with firehose puzzles, giant balls, branches, water tubs, and all sorts of toys. He seems to like it all! He spends a particularly long time interacting with piles of sheared wool.

He is getting so big! His coat is a very light brown color, making him stand out clearly from Tule (dark brown) and Ishŭng (black). His outer guard hairs are long, though he has scruffy areas on his back. His undercoat is still relatively thin for a black bear, which was expected after his long medical journey.

While he lounges on top of his den inside most mornings, Nabu usually chooses to spend his afternoons in part of the front yard habitat. His comfort in this space is growing. He relaxes on Ishŭng’s fidget spinner platform (which he also plays with!) and interacts with different toys and logs. Having partial access to the front yard allows keepers to train with Nabu, helping him learn important skills like quickly coming back into the night house in case of an emergency.

From the yard, he also has the opportunity to see what Tule and Ishŭng are doing. Nabu and Tule spend a lot of time together, each on one side of the temporary fence in the front yard. Tule even tries to solicit play from Nabu. Nabu watches Tule calmly but also bluff charges at him sometimes, so they’re still getting to know each other.

Once Nabu’s training progresses more, he will take turns having access to the entire front yard! We don’t expect him to share space physically with the bigger bears until he grows up a little bit more, too.

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PREVIOUSLY: NEW CRITTER ALERT! Sequoia Park Zoo Announces Impending Arrival of Baby Black Bear; Crested Screamers Hatch a Chick

Press release from the Eureka Police Department:

During the month of April, the Eureka Police Department will conduct an enforcement operation focused on drivers suspected of violating the hands-free cell phone law.

Under current law, drivers are not allowed to hold a phone or electronic communications device while operating a vehicle. This includes talking, texting, or using an app. Using a handheld cell phone while driving is punishable by a fine. Violating the hands-free law for a second time within 36 months of a prior conviction for the same offense will result in a point being added to a driver’s record.

“A driver’s focus should be on the road, not their phone,” Eureka Police Department’s Admin Patrol Sergeant Omey said. “That text, phone call, email or social media post is not worth the risk to yourself and other people on the road.”

If you have an important phone call or need to program directions, pull over to a safe parking spot. Before driving, either silence your phone or put it somewhere you can’t reach.

Funding for this program is provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Anna Mae Logan (Lamebear) passed away on March 31,2026. Born in Heart Butte, Montana on April 22, 1948 to Thomas Lamebear and Nancy Gaurdipee.

During her time at the Manpower program, she met her husband Buck in Oakland where she worked as a secretary. She moved to Wautek in 1978. She was a summer camp counselor for NCIDC, and a cook at Jack Norton School. Her peach pies were the best. She supported her husband while he was commercial fishing. She learned basket weaving from Eleanor Logan and Ollie Foeside. One of her baskets is displayed at the Smithsonian American Art Museum.  She learned all the traditional ways of the Yurok people due to the mentoring she received over the years. 

She only fished with her husband once, and he told her, “to get out of the boat.” She responded with , “I will.” And she never got back in.

She enjoyed BBQ with family at Blue Creek and Patrick’s Point. She was a trusted mother and wife, who often took care of her family business.

She was well respected by the community that she called home. Having three sons to raise wasn’t always easy but she was a great mom.

Preceded by her loving husband Buck Logan, sisters Bernice Whitequills, Frances Trimbli, Delma Martinson, and grandson William Logan Sr. 

She is survived by brother Tom Lamebear Jr., sons Shawn Logan Sr., John Logan III, Rafey Logan, grandchildren “lil” Shawn , Chemooch, Mikayla, Finley, Sly, “lil” Buck, Fawn, Izzabella, Keet-Kay, Mavaney , Zachariah, grace; great-grandchildren John, William Jr, Wesomet, Orchid, and Oscar Jr., and numerous nieces and nephews.

Special thank you to Susan McNeal-Nix and all who were a part of her life.

Wake will be held on Monday April 6, 2026, and celebration of life will be held on Tuesday April 7, 2026, at 1 p.m. at the Johnson Indian Shaker Church with a potluck to follow.

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

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Thousands of immigrant California truck drivers are in legal limbo after the Trump administration ordered the state to revoke their licenses earlier this year. Many are now out of work and unable to support their families.

Multiple lawsuits seek to restore the commercial driving licenses, otherwise known as trucking licenses, but so far, none of the cases have succeeded in keeping those drivers on the road.

As many as 61,000 California truck drivers will lose their licenses in the coming years as a result of the federal actions, representing between 5% and 10% of the state’s licenseholders. Roughly 13,000 drivers have already lost their licenses, which industry experts say could raise shipping costs across the state.

Many of the affected drivers are asylum seekers or those with Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals status. They have the legal right to live and work in the U.S. but the Trump administration has alleged, without rigorous data, that these truckers drive more dangerously than U.S. citizens or immigrants with more permanent status, such as green card holders. To justify its crackdown, the federal government cited a few fatal crashes last year involving Punjabi truck drivers, including one in Ontario in October that killed three people.

For affected immigrant drivers, the loss of their trucking licenses puts their livelihoods in jeopardy.

One, whose last name is Singh, has two kids and lives in the San Francisco Bay Area. For years he was rarely home as a long-haul truck driver carrying freight across the country. CalMatters agreed not to use his first name because he fears immigration officials will target him.

Singh is legally able to live and work in the U.S. because a judge approved his asylum case. He applied for a green card three years ago, but it has yet to arrive. If it had, he would be exempt from the federal enforcement actions and policies.

As an independent contractor, Singh contracts with companies to deliver goods, making between $11,000 and $16,000 a month. But expenses are high. Four years ago, he bought his own truck for $160,000 and he has monthly $3,000 loan payments, plus $1,500 a month in insurance.

Because of the new enforcement actions, Singh lost his commercial license on March 6 and is no longer able to drive his truck. The California DMV issued him a temporary license that allows him to drive a car, but that license is inadequate as a form of ID, said Singh, since many employers don’t recognize its validity. The temporary license isn’t a hard copy and doesn’t have a photo.

Singh said his wife has started working as a nanny while Singh searches for a job.

“What kind of job is going to pay off the rent and all these payments?” he said during a phone interview with CalMatters while his kids, ages 4 and 8, yelled for him in the background.

A year-long wait for resolution

In September, the Trump administration criticized the California DMV for giving commercial licenses with expiration dates that didn’t align with the dates of drivers’ work permits. The federal government then ordered California to rescind thousands of trucking licenses for certain non-citizens and created a new policy banning such immigrant drivers from obtaining licenses in the future. Gov. Gavin Newsom said the accusations were unfair or false but the state ultimately complied.

In February, an Alameda County Superior Court judge ordered the state to give drivers such as Singh a chance to restore their licenses after a law firm and two legal advocacy groups, the Asian Law Caucus and the Sikh Coalition, sued on behalf of the truckers.

But California has yet to reissue a single one of the 13,000 licenses it rescinded.

“The court ruled that DMV must accept new applications and act on those applications within a ‘reasonable time frame,’” a DMV spokesperson, Jonathan Groveman, told CalMatters in an email. The DMV has told Singh and other affected drivers that they can reapply for their licenses and that the DMV will take up to a year to process them. Even then, the DMV told the Alameda County Superior Court judge that it may not be able to make a decision on the licenses.

The DMV is delaying because it is under pressure from the U.S. Department of Transportation, which has threatened to punish California if it issues commercial licenses to these immigrants. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy already said he will withhold roughly $160 million in federal highway funds from the state over its previous handling of the trucking licenses. He also said if the state reissues the licenses, the transportation department would consider more severe actions, including revoking the state’s ability to issue trucking licenses entirely.

The California DMV sued the transportation department in February in response to the threats. Other lawsuits, including a Washington, D.C. case, could reverse some of the policies affecting California’s immigrant drivers, but they are still pending.

In March, Singh called his bank to ask about a deferment for the loan payments on his truck while he waits for a decision about restoring his license. He said the bank was familiar with his situation because it had received a number of similar calls that week from other truck drivers. It denied his request, he said.

On April 2, the Alameda judge held another hearing, seeking an update on the DMV’s attempts to restore the licenses. The state said that it is still sorting out its feud with the Trump administration and is awaiting the status of related legal developments, which could take months. The judge agreed to discuss the matter again in October.