Press release from the Northern California Community Blood Bank: 

The Northern California Community Blood Bank is sounding the alarm as supplies of O+ blood have reached critically low levels. This urgent shortage is attributed to increased local use, highlighting the pressing need for donations from individuals with this vital blood type.

O+ blood is essential for numerous medical treatments and emergencies, as it is one of the most commonly needed blood types. Its versatility allows it to be used for patients with multiple blood types, making it a crucial component of our healthcare system.

In light of this urgent situation, the Northern California Community Blood Bank calls upon all individuals with O+ blood to step forward and donate. Your contribution can directly impact the lives of patients in need, ensuring they receive the critical care and transfusions that can save lives.

Donating blood is a simple yet powerful way to give back to the community. We invite you to make a difference by donating today!

Please visit the Northern California Community Blood Bank’s website at nccbb.org, or call 707-443-8004 for more information.

Thank you for your immediate attention to this urgent matter and for your generosity in helping to replenish our O+ blood supplies. Together, we can ensure that patients receive the care they deserve.

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

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Gov. Newsom today announced that he has signed Senate Bill 243, legislation that adds guardrails to AI-powered chatbots that operate in the state.

The legislation had divided tech industry representatives and child safety advocates. Newsom left unsigned another bill regulating such bots, Assembly Bill 1064, which child advocates argued better protected kids.

Under SB 243, companies that offer chatbots, such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT, would be required to institute specific safeguards. Among those would be requirements to monitor chats for signs of suicidal ideation, and to take steps to prevent users from harming themselves, such as by referring them to outside mental health assistance.

Makers of the chatbots would also be required to remind users that responses are artificially generated, and to create “reasonable measures” to prevent children from seeing sexually explicit content when using the bots. Kids using the bots would also get reminders to take breaks.

The legislation, among the first in the nation regulating chatbots, comes after a series of disturbing reports. Stories around the country have highlighted how the chatbots can seemingly feed delusions, or fail to pick up on signs of suicidal ideation. Meta, Facebook’s parent company, faced backlash this year after a leaked copy of its chatbot rules revealed the company allowed its bots to have “sensual” conversations with children.

SB 243 received support from a changing mix of backers, with tech industry group the Computer and Communications Industry Association ending up supporting it. After initially opposing the legislation, the group said after changes that it would “provide a safer environment for children, while also not creating an overbroad ban on AI products.”

But child safety advocates, after initially supporting SB 243, soured on the legislation after those changes, saying they had conceded too much to the tech industry. Two groups, Tech Oversight and Common Sense Media, instead threw their support behind AB 1064, saying the bill “establishes critical regulations for the development and use of artificial intelligence systems that interact with children.”

Under AB 1064, chatbots would not be allowed without tech companies showing they are “not foreseeably capable” of harming a child, such as by encouraging self-harm.

“We’ve seen some truly horrific and tragic examples of young people harmed by unregulated tech, and we won’t stand by while companies continue without necessary limits and accountability,” Newsom said in a statement announcing his signing of SB 243.

The statement did not mention any action on AB 1064. The governor has until the end of the day to veto or sign the bill, although it going unmentioned suggested his office was unlikely to move forward with that legislation.

Loren Russell Jaques, age 77, passed away peacefully at home surrounded by his loving family in Salyer on October 2, 2025.

Loren was born November 30, 1947 in Bismarck, ND a son of Avalon and Edna Jaques.

He had been a resident of Salyer since 1989, and lived on the same property for 36 years.

Loren worked at Simpson Saw Mill in Klamath for several years before moving to Concord, Ca and working with his father in-law on the Bart System. Loren found his true interest in Janitorial work. Moving back to Humboldt County in 1975 he worked for the City of Arcata as their maintenance person, caring for five buildings till his retirement in December 2002.

Loren’s life centered around his family and the Kingdom Hall. He became one of Jehovah’s Witness in 1965 and loved telling others about the Bible and the wonderful hope it contained. A fond memory for ones who knew him was he would always carry peppermint candy and offer it to anyone that would take it. His unfortunate accident hit by a drunk driver, while riding his motorcycle, on May 22, 2022 left him totally disabled. His hobbies included fishing, camping, riding his motorcycle in the back roads of Trinity and Humboldt counties, gardening and walking.

Loren will be missed by his loving wife of 57 years, Brenda Jaques of Salyer; by his beloved son, Mark Jaques and his wife Patricia of Salyer; by his loving sister, Donna Hamann of Redding; by his adoring grandchildren, Desire’ Jaques of Roseburg, Oregon, and Kacey Jaques of Hermiston, Oregon: and 1 great grandchild, Freya Jaques. He was proceeded in death by his parents, 1 brother, two brothers and their wives, one sister and her husband.

A memorial service will be held at the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses, 65 Blue Jay Lane, Willow Creek, Saturday November 1 at 5 pm. Finger food and snacks will follow.

Memorial contributions may be made online to jw.org or support.apdaparkinson.org

In Loving Memory of Craig Charles Hansen
May 18, 1951 – September 25, 2025

Craig Charles Hansen was born on May 18, 1951, to Harlan and Susan Hansen in San Bruno, California. At an early age, the family moved out of the busyness of the Bay Area to Loleta. After the 1964 floods, they resettled in Ferndale, where Craig was baptized at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church and graduated proudly with Ferndale High School’s Class of 1969. He remained a devoted resident of Humboldt County for the rest of his life.

Craig was blessed with a large and loving family. He is survived by his wife of 27 years, Lisa (who was the love of his life and stayed by his side during his battle with cancer). Craig had four children: Michelle (husband Philip), Michael (fiancée Sheryl), Scott, and the late Scotty. His grandchildren were the light of his life: Emma and Bennie (Michelle), Mya (Michael), Ari (Scotty) and Angel (Scott).

Craig shared many memories and adventures with his six siblings: his best friend Chris (wife Stacy), Kevin (wife Augie), Darren (wife Karen), Darcy (husband Ken), and his late siblings Roger and Marcia. He is also survived by his stepmother Beverly (husband Bob), and many nieces and nephews he adored.

Raised on a dairy farm, Craig learned the value of hard work early on—milking cows, baling hay in Carlotta, and, of course, getting into plenty of mischief with his brother Chris. In high school, nicknamed Pontiac, he played as a guard on the Ferndale Wildcats football team - his JV year was one in which the team was undefeated and only one team scored on them. After graduation, he attended College of the Redwoods and went on to build a remarkable career defined by grit and determination. He hauled logs, drove for UPS, and worked alongside his brother Roger at RH Hansen Towing before being nudged by his father into what was deemed a more “sensible” career: insurance. With two very young children in tow, in 1978 Craig joined the insurance business, which proved to be a perfect fit. Craig and his dad worked alongside each other for many years, faithfully sharing lunch every Thursday—a tradition later continued with his son Michael when he joined the business. Craig had great success; he truly valued his clients and the longstanding relationships and friendships throughout the years.  He remained committed to helping his clients right up until the final weeks of his life.

One of Craig’s proudest accomplishments was earning his pilot’s license in the late 1980s. In his early flying days, he would occasionally whisk his family off to Shelter Cove for breakfast after church — because why drive when you can fly? Though he eventually stepped out of the cockpit, he was thrilled to sit in the co-pilot’s seat and land a jet just weeks before he left this world.

A man of deep faith, Craig lived with unshakable confidence in the promise of reunion with loved ones in heaven. He faced cancer with extraordinary courage, beating every prognosis and gaining 17 more years of life. He eagerly participated in clinical trials, always hopeful, not only for his own healing, but for the chance to help others — often joking with doctors, “I’d eat dirt if it would cure me.” If 17 bonus years isn’t a miracle, what is?  

A man of action and connection, Craig poured himself into his community. He was actively involved with the Eureka Rescue Mission, the Rotary Club of Eureka, the Ingomar Club, and Baywood Golf and Country Club. He loved to travel, play golf, sip a good glass of red wine, and swap stories with friends old and new. A passionate hunter, he was fiercely proud of the adventures—and lifelong bonds—formed at “The Hunting Club.”

A celebration of Craig’s life will be held on Saturday, October 25, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. at Faith Center Foursquare Church, 1032 Bay Street, Eureka, California. A reception with shared stories will follow at Baywood.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the UCSF Prostate Foundation, The American Cancer Society or any of the charities Craig supported. Our family would like to thank the entire oncology team at both St Joseph’s Hospital and UCSF; their compassion and care was exceptional.

Dianne Ella Caracappa was born September 27, 1940 to Ella (Flosi) Caracappa and Vito Caracappa in Eureka.

In 1958, Dianne was part of the 2nd class to graduate from St. Bernard High School. She graduated from Humboldt State College in 1961 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Liberal Studies (Social Science). She married Ray Luzzi in 1962 and they later had daughters Alisa and Gina.

Dianne was a life-long and enthusiastic learner. She took many classes throughout her life, including finance, art history, yoga, and painting. When she came home from her first painting class, her teenage daughters thought they’d have to dig deep to find positive things to say about her first work of art. But the small still life she brought home with its nuanced shading was beautiful! They were speechless.

She shared her enthusiasm for learning by becoming a teacher’s aide and substitute teacher at St. Bernard Elementary and Winship Junior High. She loved her students and no doubt remembered everyone’s names years after she taught them.

For all of her 85 years, Dianne was a devout member of St. Bernard parish. Her faith was strong and she lived it in a variety of ways. She welcomed others into the Catholic faith through her role as a leader of the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults at St. Bernard Church for many years. She helped feed the hungry at St. Vincent de Paul Dining Facility, bringing along her young teen children to show them the importance of caring for those who had less. 

She provided care to those diagnosed with breast cancer by serving as the coordinator for the Reach to Recovery program. She extended that care to countless patients at St. Joseph hospital by volunteering in the gift shop for many years.

Dianne had a special place in her heart for elders, especially those who had known her parents. Continuing to connect with those friends was important to her and they were certainly thrilled to see her arrive every Christmas, bringing them homemade bourbon balls and other holiday goodies. She also regularly visited an elderly Italian man at Pacific convalescent home for several years, simply because he reminded her of her beloved father and had no family or friends left in the area. 

Dianne always loved animals, starting with her childhood dog Tobey, a cute little Beagle mix who used to dig up carrots in their garden. As an adult, she had 2 beloved Pomeranians and later rescued a scruffy older dog who she named Francis (after the saint). She had him only a matter of weeks before his passing, but loved him dearly. She welcomed a long line of feline friends to her home, concluding with her last cat, Sasha.

She loved to travel: Europe, Mexico, New York, New Orleans, and within California. Her favorite trips were to the blackjack tables in Reno. Never any big winnings, but always a lot of fun.

Having lived her entire life in Eureka, Dianne not only knew lots of people, but also who was related to whom, where they went to school, whose cousin was married to the brother of the neighbor down the street. She couldn’t go to the symphony or the grocery store without running into at least 1 person she knew, usually more. Her family knew all too well that when she spotted someone she knew, they should take a seat because it’d be another 20 minutes before she was ready to leave. Within all of those acquaintances, she was blessed with a network of dear friends who were very important to her, whether they talked frequently or only occasionally as the years went on. They made up her birthday groups, coffee socials, spiritual gatherings, and bridge partners. Of special note are Carla Munther, Nick Giannini, and Jim Matthias. She met all three of them in elementary school and those friendships endured for the rest of her life.

Dianne passed away on October 7, 2025. She was preceded in death by her parents, Ella and Vito Caracappa, her sister Florence D’Ambrosio, and many aunts, uncles, cousins, and cherished friends. 

She is survived by daughters Alisa Luzzi and Gina Luzzi (Michelle Weston), ex-husband Ray Luzzi, the entire Luzzi family whom she loved dearly, and numerous nieces and nephews throughout the country. 

Many thanks to the tireless caregivers at St. Joseph Hospital, Fortuna Rehabilitation & Wellness Center, Granada Rehabilitation & Wellness Center, and Timber Ridge in McKinleyville. All of them attended to her with such love. A special thank you to her friend of 61 years, Jeanne Michael, for adopting Sasha.

A rosary will be held on Tuesday, October 28 at 11 a.m. at St. Bernard Church in Eureka, followed by a funeral Mass, which will conclude the formal services for the day. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the American Cancer Society (www.donate.cancer.org) or Miranda’s Rescue (mirandasrescue.org/donate).

Assemblymember Damon Connolly joins the program to break down what was a historic legislative session. The legislature made major revisions to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) with the stated purpose of helping to build more housing but some folks — like Assemblymember Damon Connolly — are concerned that the legislature may have gone too far and a “clean-up bill” is needed. Asm. Connolly shares his thoughts on how we balance environmental protection with the “Abundance agenda” sweeping Sacramento. 

The legislature is set to distribute billions of dollars from the state climate bond. What is coming for the North State that excites the Assemblymember? 

And we celebrate a win. Governor Newsom recently signed AB 263, legislation sought by the Yurok and Karuk Tribes and sponsored by Asm. Rogers, Connolly and Ramos. What responsibilities does a legislator have when representing sovereign tribal nations? 

On November 1932, Ruth Dunn, a pretty 26-year-old physical therapist, rode the Pickwick Stages from Los Angeles to Humboldt County to assume her duties as a therapist with the county. She recalls her excitement coming into the redwood country and seeing the big sign announcing the Humboldt County line. Since then her role in the county has been that of an angel for many generations of crippled children who, even in their late adulthood, still recall her smile and skillful hands, and many keep in touch with her, attributing their successful and active lives to her patience and professional dedication.

It was Tony Costa, one of Ruth’s crippled children and now a grandfather, who suggested this article be written, bringing attention to Ruth’s contribution to Humboldt County health care.

Runn Dunn. Photos via the Humboldt Historian.

Ruth, one of a family of six, always loved children. She was among the first class to graduate from Highland Hospital in Oakland. A few years later, she registered in Los Angeles and was called as a private nurse to the Malibu beach house of George Olsen, a band leader, and his wife, Ethel Shutta, a follies dancer, to care for their child. She was driven by their chauffeur when the child was scheduled to visit his pediatrician.

Life at Malibu was colorful because the Olsens were involved in making the movie “Whoopee,” and Ruth’s room was next door to that of houseguests Eddie Cantor, the star of the show, and his wife Ida. She thought them both charming. Weekends she observed the movie crowds socializing from one house to the next along the beach. She preferred playing cards with the chauffeur and his wife.

The child’s pediatrician, Rothman, suggested Ruth learn physical therapy and teach posture at a private girls’ school, a job that seemed far too dull for Ruth. She did, however, go on to study physical therapy at Children’s Hospital in Hollywood, received her certificate, and was recommended for the position in Humboldt.

The need for a therapist was dramatized by the polio epidemics of the late 1920s, 1930s and 1940s. Those of us who were children then recall summertime meant polio season. Often the fear in the minds of parents and children clouded the joyful, sunny days of summer vacation. Newspapers with big, black headlines and dramatic stories recorded the epidemics as they spread across the country. The Pathe Newsreels often showed the feeding of polio patients encased iron lungs with only their heads protruding. Every class in school had one or two victims of the crippling disease to remind us that the mysterious affliction could strike at home as well, and as soon as a case was reported locally, was on the alert.

“Don’t get too tired — perhaps you shouldn’t go swimming,” was often heard, for one of the myths was that one caught it from swimming. Frequently several in a family would succumb. Humboldt County’s polio patients, as well as children with other crippling diseases, awaited Ruth at the County Hospital. She checked in with Lantz Smith, secretary of the Chamber of Commerce, “…in the Eureka Inn where the bar is now located.” He was also chairman of the Crippled Childrens’ Dr. Philip Committee, comprised of active community leaders who were generously supporting the program for crippled children. Whenever a case was brought to her, she had to clear it with Smith and the committee at the Eureka Inn. This was the Depression, and money was scarce.

“I always came back to the office smelling like a cigar,” she laughed. “Whenever they rejected a patient, I would have the parent take my report to them, and they would always accept my recommendation. They were concerned, big-hearted men.”

The Kiwanis Club was especially active in helping the program, and each year the committee and doctors took the children, therapists and volunteers to Dr. Orris Myers’ summer home near everyone Miranda for an all-day picnic, an event many of the children remember as special indeed, for there was great camaraderie among them. They supported and felt comfort for one another in their fight to recover the use of their bodies.

Tony Costa describes this aspect vividly. Costa was a handsome nine-year-old with curly black hair when he contracted polio on Aug. 5, 1935. He recalls how a sharp pain ran up his spine at first; the next day he had a high fever and lost his ability to use his muscles. It was a week before a diagnosis was made, and a quarantine sign was posted on the front of his home. Dr. Lane Falk was his doctor, but when it was determined that he had polio, Tony was turned over to Dr. Charles Falk because he had no children. Doctors feared the disease too.

Tony was placed in the isolation ward behind the TB School by the County Hospital on Harrison Avenue for three weeks. During this time, no one was allowed to visit him. His poor mother, devastated by the situation, collapsed. He is forever grateful to his cousin Marie Cummins, who came every night and stood outside until he fell asleep, and later, with her husband Dave, visited him nightly when he was in the hospital. His mother continued under medical care, and when he was released from the hospital, he went to live with Dorlinda Rocha.

When his fever subsided at the isolation ward, he could move a little. He was then taken to a private room at the main hospital and later to the ward with the other children, where he stayed for two years.

Those years were filled with pain, boredom and loneliness. But the children tried hard to fill the void — and did with mischief. “We were real devils,” Tony recalls. “Lots of spitball, water and pillow fights. My chief regret is losing two years of education.” Later Sister Alphonse helped him catch up when he entered seventh grade at the convent school.

It was during his hospitalization that Ruth gave him his life-saving therapy. Like sunshine she came into the lives of these children. As Tony describes: “She was always smiling and joking, but she was a stern taskmaster and made us do our exercises, which could be very painful.” It was her massaging that Costa remembers the most. “She had very strong, knowing hands that worked our muscles like dough, and it made us feel good.”

Beyond the massage and exercise to stimulate the muscles, Ruth supervised nurses who applied hot packs on the new cases of polio. Volunteers, including Hazel Myers, Dr. Orris Myers’ wife, helped with this task. There was also a large tub, called a “Hubbard Tank,” used for therapy in warm water. This was later moved to the hospital.

Although Ruth was a dedicated professional, she enjoyed a social life with the nurses and new friends she made in Humboldt. She hadn’t been here long before an energetic young reporter, Dwight O’Dell, came to interview her and proceeded to court her. They married in 1934 at the home of Assemblyman Robert Fisher and his wife Bess near Carlotta. In 1936 the O’Dells had a son, whom they named Robert, after their friend. Robert now lives in London, England, with his wife and family.

For several years Ruth, known as “Mrs. O’Dell” to the children, worked in the old county building at Sixth and J streets across from the Sumner Carson house (now replaced by the Times-Standard newspaper building).

She recalls the county building well: “As you entered, the therapy office was on the left, the Agriculture Department on the right, and the probation offices were upstairs. At first the children were brought to me.”

Tony Costa remembers those trips. Frank Machado, crippled by multiple sclerosis; Melba Carlson, impaired by a severe arthritis; and he were driven to their treatments in a taxi by Cliff Kirkemo, who owned his cab, and was paid by the county with March of Dimes funds for the service. The children became close friends.

Frank Machado was always cheerful, according to Ruth. As a man, after he had successfully operated his own store in west Arcata for many years, he traveled to Portugal to visit the village of his family, where he rode at the head of a parade the villagers formed to honor him. When he returned, he visited Ruth, who claims she’ll never forget his joy in describing this climax to his life.

“I just loved all those children,” she says, “and it always thrilled me to see them succeed as so many have.”

A source of pride for Tony Costa, his wife Joanne, and their family is the large, attractive home which, in spite of his handicap, he built largely by himself, “…with a little help,” he grins. “I did carry the stone and mix the mortar for the huge fireplace and hearth.”

Ruth’s career as a therapist continued, with two short breaks, until 1957. The period at the Sixth and J streets house did not last long. Instead of having the children come to her, she went to the children at the hospital.

Polio continued its course until 1955 when the Salk vaccine was finally approved for general use. Other crippling diseases have not been as effectively attacked. However, as Ruth points out, therapy and surgical techniques have improved. It was difficult in the early days because there was no orthopedic surgeon in Humboldt. “We depended on Dr. Howard Markel from San Francisco, who came here to hold clinics and care for our patients.

“Today,” Ruth continued, “we have discovered among aging former polio victims a weakening of the muscles, a postpolio syndrome.”

Among her patients in the later years was John Argo, who had a career with the city schools. He says that he owes much to Ruth for her patience in treating him after polio. “Therapy is very tedious and repetitive, but she would always keep my spirits up.”

Ruth has many happy memories of successes, but she has tragic memories too. Young Jim McGowan was a plucky youngster who eventually was placed in an iron lung. Ruth had to leave the county for a brief time to follow her husband, and it broke her heart to leave this little fellow, for she knew he did not have long to live.

Her patients were not always children. Ruth was called in to help adult patients too. During one of the later epidemics, she met Rasmus Beck, born near Ferndale, grandson of an early Danish settler. “He was an exceptionally strong man who had loved his work as a cowboy,” she said, “and seeing him immobilized with polio was particularly moving for me.” By then alone, they each discovered a deep mutual attraction and eventually married. Rasmus, strong and determined, recovered enough to earn his living at a new occupation. “He was a wonderful cook and gardener,” Ruth said, “and we were happy together until he died in 1972.”

Ruth found children adapted to paralysis more readily than adults, for the disease seemed to hit older persons harder. “For children life goes on,” she said. “What was most painful was mothers being ill and marriages breaking up under the stress.” Often she volunteered to nurse older patients because it was difficult to find nurses willing to help, especially on weekends. She nursed Dr. Philip Rummel and his wife when they were stricken.

Today, at 86, Ruth enjoys her own home and friends in Eureka, among them many of her former special children. “I just loved those kids—like my own,” she said. Undoubtedly her loving was the underlying secret of her success and the wellspring of her joyous personality that even now fills any rooms where she is with sunlight.

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The story above was originally printed in the September-October 1992 issue of the Humboldt Historian, a journal of the Humboldt County Historical Society. It is reprinted here with permission. The Humboldt County Historical Society is a nonprofit organization devoted to archiving, preserving and sharing Humboldt County’s rich history. You can become a member and receive a year’s worth of new issues of The Humboldt Historian at this link.