Press release from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office:

On April 20, 2026, at approximately 8:10 a.m., the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office POP team with the assistance of the Humboldt County Drug Task Force served a search warrant in the 400 block of Blue Lake Boulevard, in Blue Lake.

The search warrant was served on John Edward Hames and his residence after an investigation was initiated after reports were received that Hames was dealing drugs from the residence.  During the service of the warrant, deputies located approximately 60 grams of Fentanyl.   Hames was arrested without incident and transported to the Humboldt County Correctional Facility where he was booked on the following charges:

• HS 11351 Possess/purchase for sale narcotic/controlled substance
• HS 11366 Keep place to sell narcotics/controlled substances

This investigation is a part of the Sheriff’s Office’s ongoing proactive efforts to combat illegal narcotics activity and enhance public safety throughout Humboldt County.  If you are selling dangerous drugs in our community, you will be identified and arrested.

Anyone with information related to illegal drug activity is encouraged to contact the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office at (707) 445-7251 or the Humboldt County Drug Task Force at (707) 267-9976.

UPDATE, 2:05 p.m.: The Sheriff’s Office says:

At-risk missing person, 80-year-old Bert Snyder, has been safely located in Eureka. The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office extends its sincere gratitude to the public for keeping an eye out and assisting in the effort to find him.

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Press release from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office:

The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office is asking for the public’s assistance in locating a missing at-risk person, Bert Snyder, 80, of Hoopa, CA. Bert is considered at risk due to dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.

Bert was reported missing by his wife on April 20, 2026, at approximately 7:51 a.m. He is believed to have left their residence sometime between 10:00 p.m. on April 19 and 7:51 a.m. on April 20.

Bert is believed to be driving a red 2015 Buick Encore (California license plate #8SWA394). He was possibly seen this morning traveling from Hoopa toward Willow Creek.

Physical Description:

• White male adult (WMA), 80 years old 

• Gray hair and full beard 

• Blue eyes 

• Height: 6 feet 3 inches 

• Weight: approximately 225 pounds 

A Silver Alert has been issued by the California Highway Patrol.

Anyone with information regarding Bert Snyder’s possible whereabouts is urged to contact the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office at (707) 445-7251.

To receive updates from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office, subscribe to alerts at: humboldtsheriff.org/

Press release from the University Police Department:

On Sunday, April 19, at approximately 4:22 p.m., officers from the University Police Department (UPD) at Cal Poly Humboldt responded to a report of a possible dispute involving a man and a Cal Poly Humboldt student who were associated with a dark colored Mercedes on St. Louis Road in Arcata.

Upon arrival, officers contacted both parties and initiated an investigation. It was determined that the individuals, who did not know each other before the incident, had met earlier that day at a local business. While en route to the victim’s residence hall, the suspect abruptly turned the vehicle around and began driving at a high rate of speed. Fearing for their safety, the victim attempted to exit the moving vehicle. The suspect grabbed the back of the victim’s shirt and ordered the victim back into the car. After a brief struggle, the victim managed to escape by falling out of the moving vehicle and then fled on foot.

The suspect pursued the victim on foot until officers arrived and intervened.

The suspect, 53-year-old Michael Nilsson of Arcata, was arrested at the scene and transported to the Humboldt County Correctional Facility, where he was booked on charges of Attempted Kidnapping (PC 664/207), False Imprisonment (PC 236), and Disorderly Conduct (PC 647(f)). His bail has been set at $75,000.

The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with additional information is encouraged to contact UPD at (707) 826-5555.

PREVIOUSLY:

• Eureka Ward One Resident Victor Garcia Announces Campaign to Succeed the Termed-Out Leslie Castellano on the City Council This Fall

Press release from Audra Sisson:

Eureka native, business leader, and community advocate, Audra Sisson has officially announced her candidacy for City Council in Ward 1, bringing over two decades of experience in business operations, infrastructure systems, and community engagement to the race.

A proud native of Eureka, California, Audra Sisson was raised exploring the Eel River, Mad River, and Van Duzen River, where she grew up and developed a strong connection with the community and the natural environment and the values of resilience, independence, and hard work.

Audra comes from a deeply rooted Humboldt County family. Her mother is from North County (McKinleyville) and her father is from South County (Fortuna and Carlotta), reflecting a multigenerational connection across the region. Her parents have been married for 57 years, and family values of service, respect, and community care were central to her upbringing. Her father managed a local flooring department for over 35 years, building long-standing relationships throughout the community and instilling a strong understanding of small business, trust, and local responsibility.

Sisson.

As a young mother, she left Humboldt County to create a greater opportunity for her daughter, relocating to San Diego, California. There, she worked multiple jobs while raising her child and earned her degree in Business Management and Finance from San Diego State University.

Over the past 20 years, Audra built a career in technology, sales, operations, and business leadership. She helped small, mid-sized, and enterprise companies grow, improve efficiency, and scale operations across industries including transportation, logistics, software systems, security infrastructure, and water treatment. Her work included collaboration with organizations such as the California Trucking Association (CTA), the Department of Transportation (DOT), Water Quality Association (WQA), and the American Society of Plumbing Engineers (ASPE), with a focus on safety, compliance, and operational performance across multiple sectors of the national infrastructure and industrial economy.

Beyond her professional career, Audra is deeply committed to service and community impact. She has supported youth mentorship programs, community cleanups, and fundraising efforts through organizations such as the Make-A-Wish Foundation. She has also participated in international efforts to help fund and build elementary schools in rural villages in Laos, creating safer and more stable learning environments for children in underserved communities.

Audra is also a mental health advocate focused on expanding access to care, strengthening connections between local service providers, and supporting individuals and families navigating trauma, addiction, and mental health challenges. She believes communities are strongest when support systems are connected, accessible, and easy to navigate.

She is passionate about strengthening small businesses, supporting working families, investing in youth mentorship, and rebuilding community connections across cultural and neighborhood lines in Eureka.

After years building her career across California, Audra returned home to Eureka to care for her mother and reconnect with the community and landscape that shaped her upbringing.

Audra is running for City Council to bring practical, community-centered leadership to Ward 1. She is focused on strengthening access to mental health resources, supporting local businesses, and improving how residents connect with the services and support systems they rely on every day. Her approach is grounded in listening to the community and building on what is already working.

In her spare time, Audra enjoys dancing, writing, attending cultural events, spending time with family, hiking, and is currently working towards becoming a certified yoga instructor.

“This campaign is about listening first, building trust, and making sure the people of Ward 1 feel seen, supported, and represented.” - Audra

Audra’s vision is simple:

A stronger, more connected Eureka where every person feels seen, supported, and able to thrive.

Tagline: Rooted in Community. Focused on You.

Kickoff Event: TBD

For more information or to get involved, please contact: Audra Sisson 619-609-6100.

Facebook Page

Press release from the Humboldt Builders Exchange:

Humboldt Builders Exchange is calling on Humboldt County high school seniors planning careers in the construction industry to apply now for scholarship opportunities, with a deadline of May 1.

The scholarships are designed to support local students pursuing education and training in construction-related fields. Whether a student plans to attend College of the Redwoods for an electrician certificate, enroll in a plumbing, HVAC, roofing or welding program, study project management or attend a four-year university for an engineering degree, applicants are encouraged to apply.

“These scholarships are meant to invest in the next generation of builders, leaders, and skilled tradespeople right here in Humboldt County,” said Jada Brotman, Executive Director of the Humboldt Builders Exchange. “We want to help young people build strong careers while strengthening our local workforce.”

Fields considered under the construction trades umbrella include:

• Electrical
• Plumbing
• HVAC
• Roofing
• Concrete and cement work
• Construction management
• Engineering
• Carpentry
• Heavy equipment operation
• Welding
• Other construction-related careers

Preference may be given to applicants who intend to remain in Humboldt County and contribute to the local community and workforce after completing their education or training.

Students, parents, counselors, and educators are encouraged to act quickly, as the May 1 deadline is approaching fast.

For questions or to request an application, contact:

Jada Brotman
Executive Director,
Humboldt Builders Exchange
707-617-3382
info@humbx.com

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

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School closures are an incendiary issue in nearly every corner of California, as enrollment declines and expenses climb. The topic has sparked parent revolts, teacher strikes and school boards’ desperate attempts to keep districts financially afloat.

And then there’s Orick.

The picturesque town in northern Humboldt County has a historic school with five classrooms, a gym, a vegetable garden and an expansive play field. Its current enrollment: nine. Its expenses: $118,000 per student per year, more than five times the state average.

California has dozens of school districts with enrollments under 100 and higher-than-average expenses. Most of these districts are in remote areas miles from the next nearest school. But as urban districts grapple with the threat of school closures and the inevitable backlash from families and staff, rural schools face an even more heart-wrenching scenario: close the school and decimate the town.

“Close the school? It comes up all the time,” said Orick Elementary School District Superintendent Justin Wallace. “But I’d say it’s an equity issue. We have families who can’t afford a lot, and this school provides the most consistent setting for our kids. They’re safe, they’re well fed, they’re learning.”

Most of these rural towns once had booming local economies. Logging, ranching, farming, mining and other industries employed generations of families. In the 1960s Orick had 3,000 people and nearly 300 students in its school. There were seven lumber mills, grocery stores, restaurants, churches, even a movie theater.

But as California’s economy changed and jobs in these towns vanished, many communities struggled to find a new purpose. In Orick, the lumber mills gradually closed, the National Park Service claimed much of the surrounding land and residents moved elsewhere. Now, Orick has about 300 people and an average household income that’s just under $39,000 a year — a third of the state average. According to Orick School’s accountability plan, Orick residents “experience high rates of poverty, unemployment, food insecurity, domestic violence, substance abuse, and run-ins with the criminal justice system due to limited resources and high community rates of intergenerational trauma.”

‘Terrified’ of closure

In towns like Orick, the school serves as a savior, of sorts. It’s a community hub, one of the few sources of decent-paying jobs and a symbol of hope for the future. It’s a central part of the town’s identity. The school in Orick operates as a food pantry for the community, gives away clothes to families in need, hosts Narcotics Anonymous meetings and runs a toddler playgroup. The district bought a washer and dryer so residents have a place to do laundry.

Kimberly Frick is the fifth generation in her family to attend Orick School. She remembers when the classrooms were full, students won trophies and the town was like a close-knit family. Now she’s president of the school board and fights to keep the school open. Saving the school, she said, is tantamount to saving the town.

She and Wallace scour the area to find new students for the school. Every time a new family moves to town, they visit and try to persuade them to enroll their children. Other community members chip in, as well, by fixing up homes, keeping the town clean and participating in the volunteer fire department, water district and other local services.

“I feel terrified about the possibility of the school closing. I’d hate to see it happen on my watch,” Frick said. “The facility is clean, safe, well maintained. We provide a high-quality, individualized education for each child.”

Orick School provides a resource room where community members can access a food pantry, clothing and a washer and dryer. Orick on April 2, 2026. Photos by Alexandra Hootnick for CalMatters

Justin Wallace, superintendent and principal of Orick School, padlocks the school garden to keep it safe from elk that frequently wander onto the school grounds, in Orick on April 2, 2026. Wallace built the garden and enclosure with Kimberly Frick, the president of the Orick School Board of Directors. This year, the students are growing radishes, carrots, onions, turnips and leafy greens, which are utilized in school lunches. Photo by Alexandra Hootnick for CalMatters

Orick, whose name originates from the language of the nearby Yurok tribe, sits in a lush valley along Redwood Creek, nestled between the Pacific Ocean and the Coast Ranges. A herd of about 60 elk roam through the town and are frequent visitors to the school play field. There’s a pizza truck, a small convenience store and a newly refurbished hotel. A rodeo draws crowds every July.

But much of the town is abandoned or dilapidated. A trailer park near the school is strewn with trash and broken furniture. Many of the buildings are boarded up. There’s no gas station. The post office is only open a few hours a day.

Budget breakdown

California funds its schools based on how many students show up every day. But small districts get most of their money in grants, in order to protect them from wild fluctuations in revenue. Last year Orick received $774,000 from the state and federal governments. The school gets extra money because so many of its students have high needs: all are low-income and more than half receive special education services. Some years, numerous students are homeless or in foster care.

Most of the budget goes toward salaries. The school has four full-time staff: two teachers, an administrative assistant and Wallace’s position, which includes serving as superintendent, principal, literacy coach and special education director. A janitor, cook, counselor, special education teacher and after-school teacher all work part time. Maintaining the school buildings is expensive: heating bills can cost $1,100 a month. So is transportation, because everything is far away. When the students take swim lessons, for example, a driver transports them 30 miles south to McKinleyville. Whatever funds are left over go toward student supplies and enrichment activities like field trips.

Students work on projects inside a classroom at Orick School in Orick on April 2, 2026. Justin Wallace, the school’s superintendent and principal, and Matt Schroeder, an after-school teacher, are filling in for the school’s teacher, who is out sick. Photo by Alexandra Hootnick for CalMatters

An obvious way for the state to save money would be to merge Orick School District with its neighbor, Big Lagoon Union Elementary District, 15 miles south. But the merged district would only save money on facility costs and one superintendent’s salary, totaling less than $200,000 a year, because the new merged school would have higher expenses, such as the cost of transporting students 30 miles round-trip every day.

A merger would also alienate one of the communities, Wallace said. Both communities are highly invested in their schools and prize their independence and local control, he said.

How to close a district

In the early 20th century, California had more than 3,500 school districts, each with its own school board, superintendent and unique traditions. To save money, the state gradually winnowed the number down to the 1,000 that exist today. But there are holdouts. Sonoma County, for example, has 40 school districts, some with only a handful of students.

“It’s one of the most common questions we get: Why do we have 40 school districts?” said Eric Wittmershaus, spokesman for the Sonoma County Office of Education. “Everyone in the community agrees it’s too many. The problem is that no one wants to close their school.”

California has a lax attitude toward closing under-enrolled schools. The state lets a district’s average daily attendance slip below six before it intervenes. In those cases, the county can request a temporary waiver, in hopes that enrollment increases, or start the process of consolidating the district with one of its neighbors. But consolidation rarely happens because local officials and voters have the ultimate say.

Orick School students eat lunch in the cafeteria, which doubles as a gymnasium, in Orick on April 2, 2026. Nine students attend the school, which ranges from kindergarten to eighth grade. Photo by Alexandra Hootnick for CalMatters

In 2011, the Legislative Analyst’s Office recommended upping the minimum district size to 100, but the recommendation was never implemented. In fact, Gov. Gavin Newsom’s current budget includes a 20% boost in funding for schools that the state deems to be “necessary small schools,” which are elementary schools with fewer than 97 students – or high schools with fewer than 287 students – at least 10 miles from the nearest other school.

Grand juries in Santa Clara and Sonoma counties have recommended consolidating small districts to save money, but neither of those reports led to changes.

Still, some experts say that financial realities may force the issue. Enrollment is declining nearly everywhere and it might not be the best use of taxpayer money to pay for half-empty classrooms and deserted playgrounds.

“Do we need to provide a school in every community? A post office? What if that community barely exists?” said Carrie Hahnel, senior associate partner at Bellwether, an education research nonprofit. “We guarantee a free public education to every child, but do we guarantee a school in every community?”

Now and then, districts will shutter. Last year, Green Point Elementary District, deep in the Klamath mountains, consolidated with a neighboring district when its enrollment fell to three (its per-pupil spending was $108,000 a year). In Sonoma County, Kashia Elementary District, with eight students last year, is at risk of closing next year.

Schools reclaimed by nature

Enrollment in Humboldt County has been declining steadily since at least the 1990s, and isn’t expected to rebound any time soon. A century ago the county had about 100 school districts, essentially one in every mill town, but as the mills closed the districts gradually closed, too.

Some of those towns — and their schools — have been swallowed up by the redwood forests. The old logging town of Falk, for example, had a school, mill, post office, dance hall and about 400 residents. After the mill closed, the town gradually emptied out and the Sierra Pacific lumber company, which owned the land, tore down whatever buildings were left in 1979. “Aside from the rose bushes and English ivy, the town of Falk has literally disappeared,” according to the county’s visitor guide.

Students play frisbee golf at Orick School in Orick on April 2, 2026. Nine students attend the school, which ranges from kindergarten to eighth grade. Photo by Alexandra Hootnick for CalMatters

Michael Davies-Hughes, the county superintendent of schools, encourages small districts to plan ahead to avoid abrupt mid-year closures, which are disruptive to students, families and staff.

“We want districts to be proactive, so they have options,” Davies-Hughes said. “For some, the current model may be increasingly difficult to maintain.”

Outdoor ed and Native traditions

In Orick, older students take a bus 40 minutes every day to attend high school in McKinleyville. Wallace and Frick said it’s unrealistic to put younger children on a bus for long distances, especially in bad weather. Humboldt County has long, dark, rainy winters, with roads often blocked by fallen trees, floods or mudslides.

Besides, Frick and Wallace said, Orick School does a great job educating its students, which is reason enough to keep it open. It has an exemplary outdoor education program, with students going on regular excursions into the nearby wilderness, learning about the local flora and fauna, the seasons and forest ecosystem. They raise trout and steelhead to be released in local waterways, test water quality in the creek and watch pollywogs turn into frogs in classroom terrariums.

Wildlife is all around them. In addition to the elk, students can observe condors and falcons soaring overhead, deer and coyotes hanging around the field and even the occasional bear. Students learn to fish, camp, raft and surf.

About half the students are Native American, and the school offers a robust education in Native traditions and history. A Yurok volunteer comes regularly to teach Yurok culture through activities such collecting acorns and making mash, and extracting pine nuts from pinecones to make beads.

“I mean, come on, how many other schools are in such an incredible setting?” Frick said. “Orick is a great place to go to school.”

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

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Unions representing private security guards would gain a new advantage in organizing under California legislation that would compel companies to reach labor contracts if the firms want to provide use-of-force training.

State Sen. Lola Smallwood-Cuevas’ Senate Bill 1203 also seeks to raise pay for security guards and it would require their companies to offer more rigorous training.

Smallwood-Cuevas, a Democrat from Los Angeles, said guards on average make around $44,000 a year, the state poverty line, despite their companies generating an estimated $34 billion in revenue. She said guards also are being asked to take on increasingly dangerous roles without enough training.

“This bill asks us to stand up with these officers to strengthen and improve these working conditions and to ensure that across California that we are not only improving safety, but we’re also helping to build a safety pathway for workers in this sector,” Smallwood-Cuevas told the Senate Business, Professions and Economic Development Committee last week.

The committee voted to advance her bill to the Senate Public Safety Committee which is scheduled to discuss the measure Tuesday.

Security companies say the measure would add at least $1 billion to their costs each year and lead to fewer guards protecting the public.“California has led the nation in training requirements, and we applaud that,” Dean Grafilo, a lobbyist for private security firm Allied Universal told the committee. “However, this bill goes much further than is necessary or reasonable, and we simply cannot ignore the staggering financial burden this bill will impose on our industry and, by extension, California.”

There are an estimated 330,000 private security personnel in California, making the industry one of the state’s largest workforces, Smallwood-Cuevas said. California businesses and local governments are increasingly hiring guards to protect them from smash-and-grab robberies and other crimes. Security firms also will be called upon at this year’s World Cup games in Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area, the 2027 Super Bowl in Inglewood and the 2028 Olympics in California.

The measure, according to the business committee’s analysis, would expand training standards, increase annual training for security guards and require companies to compensate guards for time spent training.

It would only allow companies to provide “power to arrest” and use-of-force training if agreed to in union contracts. Those agreements would require workers to earn at least 30% above California’s $16.90 minimum wage and get overtime.The bill also would require state regulators to review and set minimum wages for security guards by 2028. Security industry officials say even a $1-an-hour raise for security workers would add $750 million to their costs each year.“SB 1203 will eliminate jobs making companies that seek to automate security functions more competitive thereby displacing the very people the bill intends to help,” David Chandler, president of the California Association of Licensed Security Agencies, Guards & Associates, wrote in a letter to lawmakers.

Labor is a powerful Capitol force

The bill is the latest effort by labor unions to use the Legislature to pressure companies to allow unionization. The most notable recent effort was a multi-year legislative push that successfully got ride-share companies to back legislation that allowed their drivers to unionize.

About 20% of private security guards are unionized, according to the industry, slightly higher than the rest of the state’s workforce, in which about 15% of workers are unionized.

Unions have tremendous clout in the Legislature, due in large part to the money they spend on the political campaigns of Democratic lawmakers. Unions also deploy their networks of organizers to advocate for their chosen candidates.Service Employees International Union, the bill’s sponsor, is arguably the most influential labor organization in the state. The union and its affiliates have donated at least $21.4 million to lawmakers’ campaigns since 2015, according to the CalMatters Digital Democracy database.

Meanwhile, 33 of the 120 members of the Legislature are current or former union members, according to a California Labor Federation tally.

Some, like Smallwood-Cuevas, used to work for the unions that would benefit from their legislation.

Before entering politics, Smallwood-Cuevas once worked as an organizer for a local affiliate of SEIU that unionized security officers. Her campaigns have received at least $119,100 from SEIU and its affiliates since 2021, according to Digital Democracy.

Committee backs union bill

The union’s political clout as well as lawmakers’ sympathies for underpaid workers doing a dangerous job was on display last week at the business and professions committee. No committee members voted against the bill.Sen. Bob Archuleta, a Democrat representing Norwalk, asked Smallwood-Cuevas if he could be added to the bill as a symbolic co-author.“We use the term ‘first responders,’” he told the committee. “Sometimes it is these individuals and individuals like them that are first responders.”

Archuleta, a former reserve officer at the Montebello Police Department, said he used to arrive at crime scenes and “sure enough, there was a security officer there,” telling police “I got your back.”

Archuleta’s campaign has received at least $79,600 from SEIU and its affiliates, according to Digital Democracy.

One Democrat on the business committee expressed concerns.

Sen. Caroline Menjivar, a Democrat representing the Van Nuys area, said she didn’t have a problem with the bill’s intent to raise wages for guards. After all, she said she worked for five years as a security guard.But she said she felt the bill’s training requirements were duplicative or would override a law that the Legislature had passed last year on security personnel standards and training.

She said she also had concerns the requirements in the bill could end up preventing companies from hiring qualified training consultants due to restrictions limiting who’s authorized to do that work.“Right now, there are certain retired police officers that are turned to by security companies to provide that training,” she said. “And they’re no longer going to be given that option.”

Despite her concerns, she did not vote on the bill instead of casting a formal “no” vote.

As CalMatters has reported, legislators regularly dodge tough votes instead of voting “no” to avoid angering influential lobbying organizations.

Menjivar’s campaign has received at least $16,900 from SEIU, according to secretary of state filings.

“There were provisions within SB 1203 that she liked and a hard ‘no’ vote would send the signal that there is nothing the author or sponsors can do to move her to an ‘aye’ vote down the line,” Menjivar’s spokesperson, Teodora Reyes, said in an email.