Press release from the Eureka Police Department:

On November 7, 2025 at approximately 9:48 p.m., Eureka Police Department Officers were dispatched to the 600 block of G Street for a report of a strongarm robbery. The reporting party/victim stated while riding in a vehicle operated by Ryan Taylor Landowski, age 41 of Eureka, he pulled her hair and forced her to provide him her ATM card. Landowski refused to allow the victim out of the vehicle and drove to an ATM. Landowski removed money from the victim’s account and while doing so the victim was able to escape and phoned EPD for assistance.

The victim provided officers with a description of Landowski’s vehicle. EPD Officers began patrolling an area of town where they knew Landowski frequented and located his vehicle traveling on Highland Avenue. An enforcement stop was conducted by Officers and Landowski was detained without incident and subsequently identified by the victim. During a search of Landowski’s person, incident to his arrest, Officers located the monies stolen from the victim’s account.

Landowski was transported and booked at the Humboldt County Correctional Facility, on charges of Kidnapping to Commit Robbery and Robbery.

If you have any information in regard to this incident, please contact Eureka Police Department Criminal Investigations Unit at 707-441-4300.

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As the government shutdown stretches into its sixth week, millions of Medicare patients who rely on telehealth services to see their doctors are being forced to either pay out-of-pocket for virtual visits or forgo appointments entirely. While in-person appointments are still available, telehealth services provide a lifeline to elderly or disabled patients who have a difficult time traveling, especially those who live in rural or underserved areas like Humboldt County.

In a recent interview with the Outpost, Dr. John Aryanpur, a neurosurgeon at St. Joseph Hospital and Chief Medical Officer for NorCal Providence Medical Group & Clinical Network, estimated that telehealth visits accounted for “between 10 and 18 percent” of outpatient visits before the government shut down on Oct. 1. 

“These actions, unfortunately, have impacted our patients in Humboldt and all across northern California,” Dr. Aryanpur said. “We’ve had a number of folks who have canceled appointments or deferred care that we feel is time sensitive. Many of our clinicians are feeling very stressed because they have folks who they need to provide care to who are not coming in or who are deciding to defer care because of these actions.”

Medicare, which provides federal health insurance for people over 65, stopped paying for telehealth services and in-home hospital care programs when the government shut down on Oct. 1. A Senate vote on Sunday cleared the way for a spending deal to end the shutdown this week. If the deal moves ahead, it is still unlikely that the government would reopen before Wednesday, according to The New York Times. 

However, even if the government reopens in the coming days, that doesn’t mean telehealth services and in-home hospital care programs will automatically resume for Medicare patients. Those programs lapsed on Sept. 30, and to receive federal funding, Congress must approve the Hospital Inpatient Services Modernization Act, which would extend telehealth services through the end of 2030.

Telehealth services were meant to be a temporary alternative to in-person visits during the COVID-19 pandemic, but have increased in popularity over the years, especially among the elderly and people living in rural communities.

A report from the Brown University School of Public Health found California had the highest rate of telehealth usage, with 26 percent of Medicare beneficiaries using remote health care services at least one time during the first half of 2025.

“In Humboldt County, we have a fair number of folks with chronic medical conditions who live in very inaccessible areas that are far from our cities, and the ability to provide them with medical care via telehealth has — in my opinion and in some cases — been life-saving,” Dr. Aryanpur said. “It’s very difficult to not have that ability since October 1. It seriously impacts folks across the spectrum.”

Dr. James Goldberg, St. Joseph and Redwood Memorial Hospital’s Chief Medical Officer, added that telehealth services allow patients to seek care locally, rather than travelling out of the area.

“On the hospital side, it’s actually been a way for us to bring specialty care to our inpatients so that we don’t need to transfer them out of the area,” Dr. Goldberg said. “They could stay in Humboldt in our hospitals with their families and not have to worry about the travel. … When you have a rural community like this, it can be difficult to recruit specialists, too. [Telehealth] really opens that door to allow [us] to provide that necessary specialist care.”

There are some exceptions for rural residents. Guidance from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) notes that Medicare beneficiaries “will generally need to be in a medical facility and in a rural area to receive Medicare telehealth services.” That means people who are seeking telehealth services still have to travel to a brick-and-mortar clinic to get remote health care services.

Tory Starr, CEO of Open Door Community Health Centers, said Open Door’s clinics have leaned on this exemption to provide Medicare patients with the care that they need. However, whether or not Open Door will be reimbursed by Medicare for its services remains to be seen.

“As a cautionary approach, we have been having folks come into the clinic and see some of our remote providers that way,” Starr told the Outpost, noting that Open Door can provide transportation to its facilities for some patients. “Therefore, they’re considered inside the four walls of the health center, and that qualifies under Medicare. … If somebody really needs to communicate with their provider and they’re not able to get in [to the clinic], we are still serving folks, and we will work through the reimbursement issues if they arise later.”

Open Door has ingrained telehealth into its services since the pandemic, Starr said, noting that remote appointments account for about 20 percent of all visits. 

“If somebody literally can’t get in, we will still do a telehealth visit with them, and we’ll see what happens with our payment in the long run,” Starr said. “We believe that we do qualify under the rural exemption, so we’re being cautious, but if people really do need a virtual visit, we will do that. … We’ve tried to make sure that people aren’t being negatively impacted by this change … but it could definitely be negatively impacting Open Door’s finances.”

“We always put patient care first,” he added. “We certainly have the ability [at] both the state and federal level to advocate for payment, even if it’s retroactive. … It’s just, instead of getting paid for a visit, we may not get paid for that visit.”

Similarly, Dr. Aryanpur said Providence will “still provide telehealth care to those who need it,” and staff will “sort it out later.” Still, some patients are choosing to put off appointments out of fear that they won’t be reimbursed.

“However, there are some Medicare patients who are uncomfortable with that, because, as it stands now, they might have to pay out of pocket,” he said. “For example, last week, I was made aware of a patient who needed to see a specialist for an urgent condition. The initial visit was telehealth in order to set up a surgery, but the patient decided to decline the telehealth visit and delay care until this issue is resolved. I’m hoping that doesn’t result in a poor outcome, but I’m quite worried.”

Providence Humboldt County Communications Manager Shannon Garcia provided the following additional statement:

Before the U.S. federal government shut down on October 1, Providence proactively prepared for immediate changes to our health care operations and reimbursement policies for certain services. While we expect essential programs like Medicare and Medicaid to continue to process payments in the immediate future, disruptions to federal oversight and the expiration of health waivers have impacted care delivery across the Providence family of organizations.

Most notably, telehealth waivers first adopted during the pandemic expired without Congressional action, jeopardizing care for many Medicare patients who often relied on these virtual services for timely treatment. In response, Providence proactively prepared for telehealth services to return to pre-pandemic guidelines, which limited the type of telehealth services that qualify for reimbursement including restrictions for audio-only visits, types of service and sites of service. Due to this change, some Medicare patients are being asked to come in for appointments that were originally scheduled as telehealth to ensure their care is covered.
 
In addition, the Acute Hospital at Home (HaH) waiver lapsed, requiring all patients who were receiving inpatient-level care at home to be transferred to a hospital or discharged to another appropriate setting. Like other health systems, Providence actively coordinated transitions for affected patients to minimize disruptions and ensure safe, high-quality care.
 
Despite these challenges, Providence remains committed to reducing impacts to our patients and ensuring continuity of care for the communities we serve. We continue to advocate for the restoration of essential waivers that support flexible and accessible care delivery. Most importantly, Providence’s hospitals, outpatient clinics and medical offices remain open and operational to provide high-quality, compassionate care to our communities, ensuring that every patient receives the essential care they need.

Below: An urgent message from Pastor Tyrel Bramwell of St. Mark’s Lutheran Church, Ferndale.

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From Green Diamond:

Weather conditions permitting, Green Diamond Resource Company plans to conduct prescribed burning for fuel hazard reduction today, Monday November 10th, 2025, approximately 6.5 miles northeast of the town of Orick.  Burning operations are implemented in coordination with CAL FIRE and North Coast Unified Air Quality Management District.  Please note that smoke may be visible in surrounding areas, including Orick and Highway 101 north of Orick, while prescribed burning activities are being conducted. 

From the Humboldt Redwood Company:

The Humboldt Redwood Company expects to conduct prescribed burning north of the McCann area on Monday, November 10th.  Smoke will be visible from Dyerville Loop road.  The project area is approximately 3.5 miles north of McCann.

The Humboldt Redwood Company expects to conduct prescribed burning south of the Fruitland Ridge area on Tuesday, November 11th.  Smoke will be visible from Elk Creek Road, Tsarnas Road, and Dyerville Loop Road. The project areas are approximately 1 mile southwest and 1.25 mile southeast of the intersection of Elk Creek and Dyerville Loop roads.

PREVIOUSLY:

• Sheriff’s Office Asks for Public’s Help to Locate Missing McKinleyville Man

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Press release from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office:

On Nov. 8, 2025, at approximately 12:55 p.m., Humboldt County Sheriff deputies were dispatched to Mad River Beach in Arcata for the report of a human body that had washed ashore.

Upon arrival, the deputies located the deceased body of an adult male.  No signs of physical trauma were observed. The Humboldt County Coroner responded to the scene and took over the investigation.

The Humboldt County Coroner’s Office has positively identified the human remains discovered as that of 33-year-old Corey Shannon-Johnson of McKinleyville, who was reported missing on Nov. 1, 2025.

Shannon-Johnson’s next of kin have been notified and an autopsy is scheduled for later today to determine the cause and manner of death.

The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office extends our deepest sympathies to Shannon Johnson’s family during this difficult time. 

Photo via the campaign website.

Press release from the Colby Smart campaign:

Colby Smart, an educator, community leader, and lifelong advocate for rural and coastal Northern California, today announced his candidacy for the U.S. House of Representatives as an independent.

Born in Lake County and raised in a working-class family, Colby has spent his career serving the public through education. He has resided in Humboldt County for nearly three decades, where he and his wife raised their three children. As Deputy Superintendent at the Humboldt County Office of Education, he has led initiatives in workforce development, global education, curriculum and instruction, and community partnerships that strengthen local economies and opportunities for young people.

Beyond his work in education, Smart has been deeply engaged in community service and civic leadership. He serves on the boards of the College of the Redwoods Foundation, the Greater Eureka Chamber of Commerce, and is a member of Rotary International. Smart also collaborates with the California Global Education Project to expand opportunities for international learning and exchange, and works with local foundations to promote workforce and global education initiatives.

With California’s 2nd Congressional District newly redrawn under Proposition 50, Smart says the region deserves leadership that listens to everyone. “When maps change, representation should change with them to ensure equal representation,” Smart said. “No community should ever feel ignored or taken for granted.”

Dr. Smart’s campaign priorities include:

• Revitalizing rural economies through sustainable industries, workforce training, and small-business innovation.
• Strengthening public education for all students, regardless of ZIP code.
• Promoting public-private partnerships that create jobs and invest in local prosperity.
• Protecting natural resources while supporting tourism, agriculture, and responsible growth.
• Restoring trust in government through accountability, transparency, and service.

“I’m running because District 2 deserves representation that puts people before politics. Northern California needs leadership grounded in service, not party lines — leadership that stands up for every voice and works for the common good.”

About Colby Smart

Colby Smart is an educator, community advocate, and Deputy Superintendent at the Humboldt County Office of Education. A lifelong Californian with deep roots in rural and coastal communities, he has devoted his career to improving schools, supporting small businesses, and strengthening local partnerships. His community service has included leadership roles with the College of the Redwoods Foundation, the Greater Eureka Chamber of Commerce, Rotary International, the Humboldt County Historical Society, and the California Global Education Project. Smart is committed to practical, people-first leadership that brings unity and opportunity to Northern California.

Learn more at www.colbysmart.com.

Press release from the Arroyo campaign:

Natalie Arroyo, currently serving as Humboldt County’s elected Fourth District Supervisor, has officially launched her 2026 campaign to continue representing Eureka, Myrtletown, and the Samoa Peninsula communities of Samoa, Finntown, and Fairhaven. She announced her candidacy on Saturday, November 8th at Madaket Plaza in Eureka overlooking Humboldt Bay, surrounded by a crowd of supporters and community partners. The primary election will take place on June 2, 2026.

Longtime Finntown resident, Peninsula Community Services District Board President, and maritime industry expert Leroy Zerlang welcomed the crowd, sharing stories about Madaket Plaza and his many years working closely with Natalie to improve the Samoa Peninsula. Captain Zerlang was followed by local engineer Sheri Woo, who serves on the Humboldt Bay Municipal Water District Board of Directors and frequently engages with Supervisor Arroyo on matters related to everything from energy services to community celebrations. Sheri warmly introduced Natalie Arroyo through many anecdotes of their time together.

Natalie shared several examples of recent positive accomplishments and her passion for serving the community at the local government level, especially in this moment. She thanked the many fellow community leaders present for their collaboration and care in serving Humboldt County. The announcement was followed by a reception just steps away at Phatsy Kline’s Parlor Lounge inside the Historic Eagle House, featuring the lovely music of local duo Ponies of Harmony.

Natalie is thrilled to be bringing her breadth of experience and heartfelt enthusiasm to this role once more. A longtime Eureka resident, Natalie has previously served as a Eureka City Councilmember, watershed restoration specialist, trail planner, college educator, and a proud veteran. Natalie’s message for voters in her district is: “Simply put, I love Humboldt County and am honored to serve as your representative in District 4. These are challenging and dynamic times, and I bring experience, relationships, and knowledge you can count on. Thank you for the opportunity and I hope to earn your vote for a second term!”

Natalie has already been endorsed by Congressman Jared Huffman, Senator Mike McGuire, and Assemblymember Chris Rogers, with more endorsement announcements soon to come. You can learn more and connect with the campaign by visiting www.arroyoforsupervisor.com