Richard Allen Griffith was born on July 3, 1955 in Eureka. He was the
fifth child of seven born to Frank and Jewel Griffith. He passed on
Thanksgiving night, Nov. 24, 2022 in Oroville of complications from
heart disease.
Richard
spent his early years in Eureka, where he attended Eureka City
Schools. The family moved to Loleta in 1965. His early years were
spent playing Little League baseball, participating in 4-H and
running amok on the family farm. He’s credited with getting his
sister Karen started in basketball by insisting that she be included
in his 8th grade morning pick-up games when she was only six years
old.
Richard
graduated from Fortuna High School in 1973. He was an FFA member all
four years, taking mostly livestock to the Humboldt County Fair.
After high school, Richard joined the U.S. Navy and was a proud
veteran. He served on the flight deck of the U.S.S. Enterprise and
the U.S.S. Constellation. He enjoyed tours of duty that took him to
South Korea, the Philippines and other places in Southeast Asia. Upon
his discharge from the Navy he enrolled at College of the Redwoods,
where he completed the welding program and graduated with honors.
This led to several jobs in the area of heavy equipment repair, which
he loved doing. Later he worked as a long-haul truck driver, which he
also enjoyed a lot.
In
his later years, he moved to Phoenix to be near his son, Dwight. He
enjoyed the warm weather of Arizona, his dogs and being close to his
son. Recently, he had moved to Oroville to be close to his daughter,
Alyssa, and his grandchildren. He was a lifelong Democrat and always
kept up on politics and enjoyed a lively discussion. He had a sharp
wit and a great sense of humor.
Richard
was a loving son, father, grandfather and brother. He loved his
family deeply and enjoyed all the large family gatherings. With 24
aunts and uncles and a gazillion cousins there was always a lot going
on in the family! He’ll be remembered fondly as the mechanical
genius that he was — he loved anything with a motor.
Richard
will be missed deeply, but will never be forgotten. The family would
like to recognize and thank his daughter, Alyssa, for doing so much
for him. He loved her so much and appreciated everything she did for
him.
Richard
was preceded in death by his son, Dwight (in 2021), his parents,
Frank and Jewel, his brother, Donald, and his sister, Judy. Richard
is survived by his children, Keeley Griffith (Ashley), Alyssa Hornsby
and James Crist, along with grandchildren Peyton and Addie Hornsby,
Aniyah Griffith and Garrett, Sawyer and Ingrid Crist. He is also
survived by his brothers David (Susie) and Doug (Nancy) and sisters,
K. Joan (Carol) and Karen (Marty) and a gazillion incredible cousins,
nieces and nephews.
We
will love and miss him forever. He truly was a “one of a kind!”
Services
will be held at Sunset Memorial Cemetery in the chapel on Friday,
January 27 at 2 p.m. with military honors. Cards may be sent to the
family at P.O. Box 6732, Eureka, 95502. Memorial contributions can be
made to the Judy Griffith Scholarship fund at the Humboldt Area
Foundation.
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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Richard Griffith’s loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here. Email news@lostcoastoutpost.com.
Passed
away at the age of 85 on November 28, 2022.
Carlton
Reid Carroll was the only child of Elizabeth Ellen Healy of Eureka
and Max Wilson Carroll of Illinois.
Carl
was born Sept 27, 1937 in Oakland and raised in Eureka.
Carl’s
mother’s family were early pioneers of Humboldt County. When Carl
was two
years old, he and his mother moved to Eureka. to live close to his
mother’s family.
He
attended St. Bernard’s grade school and graduated from Eureka
Senior High School.
Carl
work career started as a mechanic, pulling and rebuilding engines, as
well as other auto repair work. While working as a mechanic at one of
his jobs, he realized that his passion was to drive a bus.
Carl
achieved his goal and spent the rest of his work career driving buses
for charter
companies and city
transit systems from Eureka to LA and
San
Diego, as well as driving
charter
buses
to out-of-state
destinations.
His
driving passion didn’t stop with driving buses as a profession. He
spent much of his time when not on the job driving all across the US
many times in his VW bus, camping in his VW along the way, but
sometimes driving his Goldwing motorcycle instead.
Carl
thoroughly
enjoyed a good long conversation talking of culture and politics
while sipping on a beer. Carl had a network of friends that he truly
valued. He had a kind of schedule where he would spend his time at
Adel’s, Star’s Hamburger, Don’s Donuts and various other
businesses between Arcata, Eureka and Fortuna to enjoy the food and
the good company of those businesses that he had built his
friendships.
Carl
enjoyed multitude of musical
artists. He
enjoyed watching National Geographic and other nature shows.
He
had a very good memory about his ancestral family history and sharing
his travel adventures.
Carl
served in the United State Coast Guard. Carl joined as a Seamen
recruit on July 30, 1955 at the US
Coast Guard Station Humboldt Bay, Eureka. Carl
completed his military obligation with an honorable
discharge on July 29, 1959.
Carl
was laid to rest at the Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Igo,
California.
Carl
will be truly missed by all those who loved him.
Anyone
wishing to make a donation to Hospice of Humboldt and or the Veterans
Memorial Cemetery in Igo
would
be welcomed and appreciated.
Thank
you to Austin from Sanders Funeral Home in Eureka, CA and Kacy &
Judy at the Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Igo for helping us make the
burial arrangements.
Thank
you from Hospice of Humboldt for all your support and caregiving.
And
a special thank-you
to his friend and companion Nancy Engel, who cared for Carl during
his illness.
###
The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Carlton Carroll’s loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here. Email news@lostcoastoutpost.com.
Wesley
Merlyn Ammer, age 60 years, passed peacefully on January 8, 2023. He
was born March 12, 1962 in Eureka to parents Wesley & Jerri
Ann Ammer.
Wes grew up in Humboldt living Fields Landing,
Bridgeville, Carlotta and Fortuna. He went to school at Cuddleback
Elementary and Fortuna High School, graduating in 1980. In 1983 he
married Christie McNaughton. They were blessed with a daughter, Brooke, in 1984; a son, Travis, in 1986; and another son, Trent, in 1991. They
later divorced in 2016.
Wes worked many jobs over the years in
Humboldt. He was an equipment operator for Woody Murphy Logging for
many years. He worked for Maple Plumbing and also for his father-in-law at
McNaughton Plumbing. He worked at Humboldt Creamery, Scotia Power
Plant and Tom Bess Asphalt. Many times he said he was a jack of all
trades and a master at none! He moved to Oregon in 2018 to help his
parents. In August 2019 he met Lori Shumate, who became the love of
his life and caregiver.
He
enjoyed golfing, hunting and camping with family and friends. Wes was
an avid San Francisco 49er’s fan!
Survivors
include his daughter Brooke (Ashley) Williams of Merced, son’s
Travis (Mickelle) Ammer of Fortuna, and Trent (Lauren) Ammer of
Grants Pass, mother Jerri Ammer of Central Point and sister
Brenda (Brian) McKenzie of Carlotta. Proud Papa to grandchildren
Tracy, Anthony, Cassidy, Rhett, Cadence, Brixton and another arriving
in June. Christie Ammer his wife of 33 years Grants Pass and his
fiancé Lori Shumate of Central Point. Many nieces, nephews,
cousins and lifelong friends. And his beloved dog Bentley!
He was preceded in death by his father.
Please join the
family in a Celebration of Life at the River Lodge in Fortuna on
Sunday, January 29, 2023 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. He will be interred locally.
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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Wes Ammer’s loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here. Email news@lostcoastoutpost.com.
TODAY in HUMBOLDT: Security footage of a Wildberries employee’s confrontation with a shoplifter causes a stir, an update on yesterday’s tragic accident in Arcata, Humboldt gets drenched, and more in today’s newscast with John Kennedy O’Connor.
(NOTE: This is day two of our newsy experiment. After your feedback, we’ve decided horizontal video is the way to go. We appreciate your comments and critiques ❤️.)
UPDATE 10:20 a.m.: Highway 36 is open to one-way controlled traffic.
###
Original Post: Highway 36 is closed … again.
The roadway is closed in both directions just east of Carlotta, between Swimmer’s Delight and the Van Duzen River Bridge, due to slide removal. Our friends at Caltrans District 1 are hoping to clear the roadway by tomorrow morning.
Highway 36 remains open west of Grizzly Creek Redwoods State Park. “For safety concerns, the section of roadway will only be open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily and only one vehicle will be allowed through the slide area at a time,” according to Caltrans. “Because this is a dynamic situation, this is subject to change. Motorists can anticipate delays of up to 30 minutes or longer if necessary.”
Coming off their third consecutive loss, the Cal Poly Humboldt Lumberjacks will look to gain some positive momentum on the road this weekend with a pair of road matchups down in Southern California against Cal Poly Pomona and Cal State San Bernardino. This weekend also marks the official halfway point of the CCAA regular season, meaning this trip will be a chance for head coach Michelle Bento-Jackson and her squad to gain crucial victories to stay alive in the conference tournament hunt.
Humboldt (6-8, 4-6 CCAA) comes off a weekend that saw them drop two games at home, including a Saturday night heartbreaker to No. 23 Cal State San Marcos (12-2, 9-1 CCAA). Despite this, the coach believes there were many positive takeaways from the way her girls played.
“I was very proud of the fact that I thought they stepped out on Saturday against a very tough opponent,” Bento-Jackson said. “We were consistent in our effort and our intensity.”
The North Coast squad will need that energy and intensity this upcoming weekend, particularly from the dynamic duo of Devon Lewis and Madison Parry. Lewis averaged 13.5 points, 7.5 assists and nine rebounds over the weekend while nearly securing a triple-double in the team’s game against San Marcos. The junior from Vacaville currently ranks first in the CCAA in assists and assists-per-game with 5.4 per-contest. She is also ranked 11th nationally in assists-per-game. She also occupies the top five statistical categories for steals (fifth) and steals-per-game (fourth).
“Devon leads the way on the court for us,” Bento-Jackson said. “The ball’s in her hand a lot. We trust her with the ball and her decision making and we really rely on her to get us going on the offensive end. I also thought Thursday and particularly Saturday were some of her better defensive games as well.”
On the flip-side, Parry has soared in her second season with the Lumberjacks. The sophomore from Newcastle, California currently ranks second in the conference in scoring with just under 17 points-per-game. She also ranks second in blocks and blocks-per-game, fourth in rebounds and third in rebounds-per-game.
“She’s a double-double pretty much every night,” the coach said. “I’m really challenging her right now on the defensive end. We know she’s going to give us the rebounds. We know she puts herself in positions to be a scorer for us as well and now we need to get her consistent on both ends of the floor.”
Cal Poly Pomona (11-3, 8-2 CCAA)
The Broncos currently sit at third in the conference and have won three straight. They are paced by Ally Bates, who averages 15.2 points-per-game and 6.4 rebounds-per-game. She also sits second in the conference in 3-point percentage and third in 3-pointers-per-game. The Broncos will also expect contributions from Kalaya Buggs, who is averaging just over four assists-per-contest and Ciara James, who sits second in the conference in blocked shots.
“They’re just a quality team,” Bento-Jackson said. “Ally Bates is a tough one. Not only is she a scorer, but she’s physical. She’s very tough. She’s certainly not the only player that makes them go. They do have a balance between the inside-outside game. As always we’ve got to be efficient on the defensive end.”
The team’s matchup zone defense will also prove to be a unique challenge for Bento-Jackson’s young squad.
“One thing Pomona is known for is they play a little bit different defensively,” the coach added. “They play matchup zone. With so many new players that we have that have never faced that type of defense before, we’ve been talking about that a lot in practice. I just want us to be loose and really get the best shot selection we can get.”
Tip-off for Thursday’s game is set for 5:30 p.m. at Kellogg Arena in Pomona.
Cal State San Bernardino (8-8, 3-7 CCAA)
The Coyotes come into Saturday’s matchup having split their previous weekend of games against Stanislaus and Chico State. San Bernardino will look to their top scorer, Destiny Jackson, who has been averaging just under 12 points-per-contest.
Tip-off for that game is scheduled for 1 p.m. on Saturday, Jan.21 at Coussoulis Arena in San Bernardino.
For more information on Cal Poly Humboldt women’s basketball, please visit humboldtathletics.com and follow us on all social media platforms.
Video footage submitted to the Outpost anonymously. Edited to obscure the identity of minors.
# # #
Photos by Andrew Goff
A clip of security camera footage from inside Arcata’s Wildberries Marketplace — a fuzzy version of which was posted to Reddit this morning — shows a prolonged physical struggle between the store’s general manager, Aaron Gottschalk, and a teenage girl who was suspected of shoplifting.
The video, captured shortly after 9 a.m. on September 30, shows Gottschalk pursuing the girl and reaching out as she attempts to leave the store. After the two momentarily disappear from the frame, Gottschalk can be seen pulling the girl back inside by her backpack.
As the girl tries to free herself, Gottschalk pins her against a wall by her wrists before apparently yanking her into a row of nested shopping carts. From there he appears to pull her by the backpack’s shoulder straps and then push her to the ground, where he again pins her arms as she continues to resist.
About three minutes into the video, an officer from the Arcata Police Department arrives, handcuffs the girl and escorts her out of the store.
Reached by phone this morning, Gottschalk read the following statement:
This was a serial shoplifting incident that happened some months ago. They were detained until police arrived at which point it was determined they were a minor. The issue of use of force was handled internally. We have no further comment at this time.
The video was posted anonymously to the r/Humboldt subreddit with the headline, “Manager of store violently assaults minor in broad daylight for stealing a small bottle of milk under $10.”
California law includes a provision — known colloquially as “shopkeeper’s privilege” — that allows merchants to physically detain a customer if they have probably cause to believe the person is guilty of shoplifting, though the law says the detention must be used solely for the purpose of investigating the suspected shoplifting offense and must be for a reasonable time.
The girl’s mother, interviewed by the Outpost back in October, said she believes Gottschalk’s actions qualify as an assault on her daughter, who had turned 16 not long before the incident occurred.
“He did not have to put his hands on my kid,” she said. “I’m not okay with that at all. Like whatsoever. … That makes me mad.”
The Arcata Police Department confirmed that an officer responded to the scene and detained the teenager, as documented in the call log for that day, but no one pressed charges at the time, and the girl was released and sent back to class.
The mom, who we’re keeping anonymous to protect the identity of her daughter, acknowledged that her daughter was shoplifting but said that doesn’t justify the way Gottschalk treated her. She added that the other girl visible in the video is her niece, also a minor, who came to her defense during the altercation.
She told the Outpost at the time that she was considering pressing charges or filing a lawsuit, but she has not responded to follow-up attempts to reach her.
