Press release from the Humboldt County Drug Task Force:

On Tuesday August 23rd, 2022 the Humboldt County Drug Task Force (HCDTF) responded to a residence in the 2300 block of Fischer Ln. on Humboldt Hill in Eureka. HCDTF was following up on multiple neighbor complaints of suspected drug activity taking place at a travel trailer parked in the driveway. During their investigation agents had determined that Joseph Titus (41 years old) was living in the trailer with his girlfriend. Titus was found to be out of compliance with his required annual registration as a sex offender. Titus had not registered in over two years.

HCDTF agents placed Titus under arrest for the violation of PC 290, due to his failure to register. Agents searched Titus, incident to arrest, and found him to be in possession of methamphetamine. It is a felony for a PC 290 registrant to possess any quantity of controlled substances.

Titus was transported to the Humboldt County Jail where he was booked for the above charges:

• 11377 H&S Possession of methamphetamine

• 290 PC Failure to register as a sex offender

Anyone with information related to this investigation or other narcotics related crimes are encouraged to call the Humboldt County Drug Task Force at 707-267-9976.

A young bear cub walks across the road at the Six River Lightning Complex. Photo/caption: CIIMT14, via Inciweb.

Press release from the unified command of the Six Rivers Lightning Complex:

The Six Rivers Lightning Complex remains in unified command with California Interagency Incident Management Team 14, California Highway Patrol, Trinity County Sheriff, and Humboldt County Sheriff. The Six Rivers Lightning Complex is currently 28,107 acres with 80% containment and 1,845 personnel assigned to the incident.

CURRENT SITUATION

Wednesday, the tail end of a passing marine layer kept fire activity low through most of the day. Once the weather trend had passed, fire activity increased in the afternoon hours. A positive aspect of the change in weather was clear skies which allowed aircraft to fly and support firefighters on the ground.

On the Ammon Fire, commitment to ensuring lines are holding is clear. For several days the footprint has remained the same because of the constant monitoring and improvement of containment lines. At the Campbell Fire, the number one priority has been to prepare the primary control line along Lone Pine Ridge and contingency line along Tish Tang Ridge. Containment lines around the perimeter are also being monitored and strengthened.

After days of preparation and line construction, defensive firing operations got underway Wednesday night. The firing began around 8:00 p.m. in areas of Lone Pine Ridge determined to have the most favorable terrain to conduct the operations safely. These strategic firing operations will allow firefighters to strengthen control lines ahead of the advancing fire front. With the increased size and complexity of operational tasks, additional resources have arrived to assist. To accommodate the influx of resources a second fire camp has opened at the Burnt Ranch campground.

Updated forecasts show temperatures for the week peaking today along with lower humidity. Moderate to high fire activity is expected and fire resources are being positioned accordingly. Defensive firing operations are expected to be utilized today to stay ahead of the advancing fire front in the northeast areas of the Campbell Fire.

Please check this link for air quality resources.

CLOSURES

Due to a large presence of fire personnel and machinery working to build containment lines for the Ammon Fire, residents are asked to limit travel on Titlow Hill Road/Route 1 in zones HUM-E052 and HUM-E062 to essential traffic only. The following roads into evacuation zones have been closed. Residents may still use these roads to travel out of evacuation order zones:

• Forest Route 7n15 at Six Rivers Forest Boundary

• Horse Linto Creek Road at Saddle Lane (Open to residents only)

• 6N06 Sandy Bar (Route 6)

• Titlow Hill Road (Route 1) at Horse Mountain Botanical Area

State Route 299 remains open to through traffic. Residents are encouraged to visit The Caltrans QuickMap to check for state highway closures.

EVACUATION UPDATES

For the latest evacuation information go to Humboldt County Office of Emergency Services or Trinity County Office of Emergency Services. For an interactive map of evacuation zones visit: Zonehaven Aware To sign up for alerts at this link..

EVACUATION ORDERS remain in effect for zones: HUM-E058 and HUM-E061-A.

EVACUATION WARNINGS remains in effect for zones: HUM-E032, HUM-E056, HUM-E057, HUM-E061- HUM-E062, HUM-E063, HUM-

An EVACUATION WARNING remains in effect for Campbell Ridge Road from Salyer Heights to Seeley McIntosh Road. Salyer area, including Galaxy Road, and the area of Ziegler Point Road/Forest Service Road 7N04 have been reduced to an Evacuation Warning.

ANIMAL EVACUATION CENTER

Hoopa Rodeo Grounds
1767 Pine Creek Rd., Hoopa, CA 95546
Phone: (707) 492-2851

MORE INFORMATION

For more information visit Inciweb.

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Press release from the office of Jared Huffman:

Building on months of close collaboration and engagement with Klamath Basin stakeholders, Tribes, and federal, state and local leaders, the Department of the Interior today announced that nearly $26 million from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law has been allocated for Klamath Basin restoration projects, including nearly $16 million for ecosystem restoration projects in the basin and $10 million to expand the Klamath Falls National Fish Hatchery.

Additionally, the Bureau of Reclamation, in collaboration with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, will fund 10 grants totaling $2.2 million to improve fish and wildlife habitat as part of two programs: the Klamath River Coho Restoration Grant Program, and the Trinity River Restoration Program. The grants will generate $777,000 in matching contributions for a total conservation impact of almost $3 million.

“Over the years, I’ve hosted forums, briefings, and hearings to spotlight the significant toll that climate change-induced drought and poor management have taken on the Klamath Basin and to advance policy solutions to improve conditions. It is a satisfying victory to see this funding to revive an ecosystem on the brink of collapse,” said Rep. Huffman. “These funds will be used to prepare the Klamath River for one of our best opportunities to restore the Basin: dam removal. By making sure the river is primed for restoration once the dams come out, we can ensure the project will be as effective as possible. I’m pleased to see DOI recognize the incredible stewardship of the tribes in my congressional district and the hard work of many state and local agencies that are committed to reviving the river.”

“Clean water, healthy forests and fertile land made the Klamath Basin and its surrounding watershed home to Tribal communities, productive agriculture, and abundant populations of migratory birds, suckers, salmon and other fish. But recent water scarcity has had a tremendous impact on the area’s fishing, farming and ecosystems,” said Secretary Deb Haaland. “With millions of dollars being invested in water and habitat resilience from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, help is on the way to restore this once abundant ecosystem for the benefit of all its inhabitants, human or otherwise.”

Over the past 20 years, the Klamath Basin has met unprecedented challenges due to ongoing drought conditions, limited water supply, and diverse needs. As drought conditions persist throughout the region, the Klamath Basin’s fragile ecosystem will depend on collaborative partnerships among a wide variety of stakeholders and the development of holistic solutions.

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law makes a $1.4 billion down payment in the conservation and stewardship of America’s public lands that will lead to better outdoor spaces and habitats for people and wildlife for generations to come, with the Klamath Basin set to receive $162 million over the next five years to restore the regional ecosystem and repair local economies. The funding announced today represents an historic effort dedicated to restoring the Basin.

Rep. Huffman has been an active partner in the efforts to remove the Klamath River dams and restore the Klamath River Basin. Earlier this year, Rep. Huffman joined with the Interior Department for an engagement session with Tribes, state and country officials, interagency partners, and water users to discuss near- and long-term solutions related to drought impacts in the Basin. He also joined Commissioner Touton on a visit to the Klamath River earlier this month, where she got an up-close view of the how deeply important the Klamath River is to native communities.

Following signs in July 2020 that PacifiCorp might walk back its commitment to dam removal, Rep. Huffman held a public forum to examine the terrible impacts the dams have had on salmon and downstream water quality. In September of that year, he successfully offered an amendment to the Clean Economy Jobs and Innovation Act, which was approved by the House, to safeguard tribal communities against further harm to the Klamath River and its ecosystem caused by PacifiCorp’s delays.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Investments in Ecosystem Restoration

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service began soliciting project proposals for fiscal year 2022 funds from Tribes, local and state agencies, non-governmental organizations, and other conservation partners in March. The nearly $16 million will be allocated to projects that focus on water quality and habitat restoration, supporting Endangered Species Act listed fish, sustain critically important wetlands for migrating waterfowl, and related natural resources issues.

The $10 million investment in the Klamath Falls National Fish Hatchery’s expansion will increase rearing capacity for two federally listed fish — the Lost River and shortnose suckers (C’waam and Koptu) — found only in the Klamath Basin, and support restored and resilient ecosystems in the face of climate change. When completed, the expansion of the hatchery facility will increase the annual rearing capacity to 60,000 fish, which can support and stabilize the imperiled, declining wild populations of both sucker species in Upper Klamath Lake.

These investments represent the initial phase of enhanced restoration work in the Klamath Basin. Planning for 2023 and future years will include continued close coordination with Tribes, localities and stakeholders, beginning with a workshop this fall to refine the draft Klamath Basin Integrated Fisheries Restoration and Monitoring Plan. This science-based, collaborative effort will help build consensus on prioritization of restoration and monitoring projects and provide additional assurance that available funding is spent wisely.

More information about the Klamath Bipartisan Infrastructure Law projects can be found on the Fish and Wildlife Service’s website.

Bureau of Reclamation and National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Grantmaking

The 10 grants, funded through the Klamath River Coho Restoration Grant Program and the Trinity River Restoration Program, prioritized projects that remove fish passage barriers, improve access to coldwater refugia, enhance instream habitat, conserve water, and reduce fine sediment. All projects will work to enhance the survival and recovery of the Southern Oregon/Northern California Coast coho salmon, as well as support long-term conservation goals for watershed connectivity and resilience in the Klamath River Basin, from its headwaters in Oregon to the Pacific Coast in California.

More information about the Klamath and Trinity River Programs can be found on NFWF’s website.

Leo C. Carpenter III went to be with the Lord on August 19, 2022, in Eureka at the age of 29. He was born October 19, 1992, in Arcata to Sally Carpenter Slater. Leo was an enrolled member of the Hoopa Valley Tribe and was a descendant of the Mojave (CRIT) Tribe. He was also a lifelong resident of Hoopa. Leo attended Hoopa Elementary in his earlier years. He later attended and graduated from 8th grade at Pacific Union in Arcata, and then attended Hoopa Valley High School.

Leo was a great athlete in all sports but excelled at football. He played Little League Baseball and Triple A Football, also high school baseball, basketball and football. After returning to Hoopa, he worked and was involved at the Hoopa Youth Center. In his entire career, and later he worked as Security at the Hoopa Valley Tribal Police Department, and Kimaw Medical Center Security. He enjoyed working and caring for the people. He was known for his big smile and kind heart. Leo loved his mother more than anything, he also loved and cherished his four daughters. He was heartbroken and devastated when his girls moved away in 2018. He was a hard worker and great provider for his daughters throughout his life.

Leo is survived by his mother, Sally Carpenter Slater and father who raised him, Delane Slater, Jr., his beautiful daughters, Jossalynn, Jaiyde, Tessla and Summer Carpenter and his siblings Darin Marshall, Jr., Delane Slater, III., Richard Michael Dale Carpenter, Lori Slater and Lola Bone all of Hoopa; his aunts Debra Carpenter, Cherie & Charlie Bone, Tammy Carpenter, Sherrell Masten, Linda Miller and Uncle Leo Carpenter, Jr., all of Hoopa; and numerous cousins and friends, whom he loved very much.

He is preceded in death by his grandparents, the late Leo and Lola Carpenter, of Hoopa, his aunts Lori Carpenter, Jeannie Kirk, and his uncle, Richard Michael Dale Carpenter and Angela Lynne McConnell.

Visitation hours will be 4:30-6:30 p.m. on Thursday, August 25 at Sanders Funeral Home at 1835 E Street in Eureka, CA 95501. Services will be held Fri day, August 26th, 2022 at 11:00 a.m. at the Hoopa Baptist Church in Hoopa, with Pastor Aaron Smith, Sr. officiating.

Interment will be at the Carpenter Family Cemetery in Hoopa. Pallbearers are Delane Slater, III., Richard Michael Dale Carpenter, Eugene Masten, Sr., Walter “Billy” Kirk, Mitchell Kirk, Oscar Colegrove, Sam Jones, Arlen Doolittle, Jr., and Robert “Wolf” Colegrove.

Honorary Pall Bearers are Darin Marshall, Jr., Delane Slater, Jr., Charlie Bone, Roderick Antone, Craig Lewis, Brian Lewis, Dave Harper, Cornell Patch, Albert Bender, Jeffrey Bender, Leo Carpenter, Jr., George Moon, Jesse James and Joe Davis.

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The obituary above was submitted by Leo Carpenter’s loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here. Email news@lostcoastoutpost.com.

Nicole Pamela Murray passed away peacefully on August 10, 2022, in Eureka.

Nicki was born in San Mateo, California on June 28, 1961, and spent her youth in the Bay Area, as well as Montana. She often spoke of how beautiful Montana was and of her many adventures there. When Nicki was a teenager, she returned to the San Francisco Bay Area and lived in Palo Alto, where she formed many lifelong friendships. In 1991, Nicki moved to the Humboldt area, living in Fieldbrook, Arcata and Eureka.

Nicki was well known at the Arcata Farmers Market and enjoyed her friendships with the farmers, as well as many local merchants whose shops and restaurants she frequented. When a small family farm was established near Nicki’s home, she made frequent excursions to the farm to enjoy the outdoors, the company of folks on the farm and the animals for whom she always brought treats.

Nicki loved her life here in Humboldt and would have wanted everyone to know how grateful she was for her community, where she felt supported and loved. She will always be remembered for her positive attitude, optimism, compassion, sense of humor, and tenacity. She was an inspiration to us all.

Nicki is survived by her father, Ed Murray (Char) of Reno, Nevada, her sisters, Betty Howard of Applegate, Oregon, and Kathy Morris of Jackson, Oregon, and other siblings. Nicki will be greatly missed by her longtime caregiver and friend, Kevin Zimmerman, her dear friends, Tami Hamilton and family, Susan Yule and family, Albert and Marina, Janet, and Ruth. Nicki also leaves behind her beloved birds Molly, Dahlia and Kirby.

A celebration of Life will be held on September 3, 2022 at 2:30 pm at:

Humboldt Unitarian Universalist Fellowship
24 Fellowship Way, Bayside, Ca. 95524

In lieu of flowers please make a donation to:

Miranda’s Rescue in Fortuna

Remember to shop locally and buy organically, as this was very important to her.

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The obituary above was submitted by Nicki Murray’s’ loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here. Email news@lostcoastoutpost.com.

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During a nearly three and a half hour long joint study session on Arcata’s Gateway Area Plan Tuesday night – it’s that plan to rezone 138 acres of the city to bolster housing development – the Arcata City Council and Planning Commission made no decisions and gave no clear direction to staff on how to move forward with the planning process. 

Unlike a regular meeting, a study session is meant to serve as an opportunity to go over documents, receive presentations and provide feedback, and no formal action is usually taken. This particular study session was held so that the Arcata Council and the Planning Commission could hear each other’s thoughts on the draft Gateway Area Plan and to provide feedback – particularly on proposed building heights, traffic circulation and the community engagement process – that City staff could use to create a second draft plan to bring back in September. But what exactly that will look like is still unclear. 

A large portion of the meeting, as expected, was taken up with discussing proposed building heights for housing developments. City staff has separated the Gateway Area, which includes and surrounds Arcata’s Creamery District, into four sub-areas: the Barrel District (named for the barrel company that used to be there) the Gateway Hub, the Gateway Corridor and the Gateway Neighborhood. To accommodate the need for housing, staff recommended that the plan allow up to eight-story developments in the Barrel District, up to seven stories in the Gateway Hub, up to six stories in the Gateway Corridor and up to five stories in the Gateway Neighborhood.

The hope was that Tuesday’s study session would have resulted in a clear consensus on what building heights would be permitted in the final draft of the Gateway Plan. But the council and planning commission gave no clear direction on building heights. What they did do was take a straw poll on what heights they felt comfortable with, giving a slight idea of what direction they may go in the future. But for the most part, the numbers were pretty split. 

For example: During the vote on building heights in the Barrel District, 36 percent (or four people out of the 11 councilmembers and commissioners present) voted that they would cap the building height at eight stories. A seven-story cap received two votes, six stories also received two votes and a four-story cap received three votes. 

There was also a lot of talk about how the City could encourage more community engagement and gather more accurate feedback on what building heights residents would like to see. Julie Vassaide-Elcock, planning commission chair, suggested that the City do more targeted discussions and outreach, tackling one Gateway district at a time and finding ways to gather feedback from residents of each individual Gateway sub-area. But some other commissioners and councilmembers felt that it wouldn’t be that helpful, because people who live in those neighborhoods are not the only ones who are affected by the Gateway Plan. 

[CORRECTION: This article previously misstated that Vassaide-Elcock suggested “going door-to-door” in the Gateway Area to gather community feedback. What she actually suggested was “going district by district”, which she explained to the Outpost meant that she wants to find ways to gather more community feedback from residents of each Gateway sub-area, to find out what they would like to see in their neighborhood. She is not sure what the best method of doing that would be, but plans to discuss it at the next Planning Commission meeting.]

Councilmember Brett Watson suggested that the city hire an outside polling consultant, similarly to what the city did when drafting Measure A, to gauge how people in the community feel about aspects of the Gateway Plan. Some other councilmembers voiced support for that idea. 

So what will happen next? Again, that is a little unclear. Arcata city staff had hoped to receive enough feedback to bring back another version of the Gateway Area Plan in September, but no date has been set for that yet.  The Outpost reached out to members of the Planning Department, but had not received a response by the time of publication. 

David Loya, Arcata’s director of community development, addressed the issue of hitting deadlines that would affect the City’s eligibility for funding and said that all of the deadlines City had mentioned in the past have been resolved. The most pressing Aug. 31 deadline was for the state’s low-income housing requirement, which Loya said the City fulfilled with approval of the conversion of two Valley West motels into housing projects. 

“At this point we have no upcoming deadlines that are putting us risk for any financial or other implications,” Loya said during the study session.

You can check out the full recording of the study session here. 

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PREVIOUSLY:

• ARCATA’S GATEWAY PLAN: City Releases Draft Plan For Developing Housing in the 138-Acre ‘Gateway Area’ of Town, and Wants Your Input
• Arcata City Council Approves Plan to Convert Valley West Hotels to Homeless Housing, Reviews ‘Gateway Area Plan’ to Create High-Density Housing in Town
• GUEST OPINION: Gateway Plan Does Housing the Right Way
• ARCATA’S GATEWAY PLAN: Planners Propose Converting K and L to One-Way Streets; Transportation and Safety Committee Will Review Plan This Evening
• Confused About Arcata’s Gateway Area Plan? There are Still Opportunities to Learn More and Provide Feedback About How You Want the City to Create More Housing
• Arcata Mayor Atkins-Salazar Can’t Participate in Gateway Plan Work, Says State’s Fair Political Practice Commission in Response to City’s Request for Guidance
• (UPDATE) Arcata’s Mayor Can’t Participate in the City-Defining Gateway Area Plan; These Two Current Candidates for City Council Probably Can’t Either, for the Same Reason
• HUMBOLDT HOLDING UP: Catching Up on the Arcata Gateway Plan With Senior Planner Delo Freitas
• Want to Learn More About Arcata’s Gateway Plan? City Holding Public Meeting on Wednesday to Answer Your Questions
• A Big Week for the Arcata Gateway Area Plan: Planning Commission, Historical Landmarks Committee to Look at the Area’s Past and Future 
• A Big Public Meetings on Nordic Aquafarms and Arcata’s Gateway Area Plan Tonight
• ARCATA’S GATEWAY PLAN: Big Meetings Coming! Planning Commission to Consider New Public Engagement Approach Ahead of Big Study Session Later This Month
• TONIGHT at ARCATA CITY COUNCIL: Council to Review Request for ‘Gateway Plan Advisory Committee’, Receive Update on Wastewater Treatment Plant
• ‘Gateway Plan Advisory Committee’; Councilmembers Brett Watson and Alex Stillman Argue Over Stillman Not Recusing Herself From Gateway Meetings
• ARCATA’S GATEWAY AREA PLAN: Arcata City Council and Planning Commission Joint Study Session Tonight; Maximum Building Heights May be Set

Corky Cornwell, the beloved, often-deafening local television cell phone pitchman who starred in countless in-your-face television commercials promoting “free phone” deals at his Redwood Coast Cellular stores, has passed away. He was 79 years old.

Cornwell was well into his working life when he found the calling most people would ultimately remember him for. According to a 2014 North Coast Journal article, he spent over three decades as a chip buyer for Louisiana Pacific before sensing in 1994 that cell phones might be a lucrative industry to hitch his energy to. 

“Cell phones was an area that had some interest,” Cornwell said at the time, not fully anticipating how widely used they’d become. “It just went nuts.”

Over the next 20 years, Cornwell would grow his cell phone empire to six stores and over 12,000 customers, all the while producing and starring in his own colorful advertisements that left many viewers struggling to quickly turn down the volume on their televisions. 

Longtime Humboldt residents will be quite familiar with Cornwell’s sales methods. But if you’re unfamiliar with exactly what this community has lost today, the Outpost has dug up a video sampling of the kindhearted buffoonery that was the small town legend’s stock and trade.

Hit play, below, and crank it up.