Randall Galen Sheesley Sr.
Aug. 12, 1960 - Dec. 29, 2025

Randall Galen Sheesley Sr., 65, passed away at his home in Arcata on Dec. 29, 2025. A celebration of life will be held on Feb. 22 at 1 p.m. at the clubhouse, Ocean West — 1090 Murray Road, McKinleyville.

Randall was born in Manhattan Beach, Calif. in 1960. His parents are Janice and Galen Sheesley. In high school he loved to run track. After graduation Randall went into the plumbing trades but soon after became a mechanic. Randall moved to Humboldt county in 1984 with his family. He worked at Opie’s Fine Cars until they closed their doors around 2020. He worked until he retired in 2025.

Randall (Randy), sometimes known as Red or Big Red because of his fire-red hair, was a great husband, father and grandfather. He always loved making everyone laugh. He was an amazing cook, meatloaf being one of his favorites. Everyone always looked forward to his pumpkin bread around the holidays and his BBQ in the summer. He loved taking care of his home and could really fix anything! Randy cherished spending time with his wife, going to church and traveling to visit their family. Randall loved animals — he was especially fond of bearded dragons and his beloved dogs. He will be greatly missed by his family and friends.

Randall is survived by his wife, Janine Sheesley; his children, Trisha Thurmond, Melissa Greenfield, Leslie Sheesley, Jessica Greenfield, Randall Sheesley Jr; his grandchildren, Ryan, Chloe, Taryn, Micah, Sierra, Malikai, Jaxon, Emmitt; his great-grandson, Brandon; his siblings John Sheesley, Sherri Ifversen, Richard Sheesley, Susan Roberts, Robert Sheesley, Diane Tauzer and Laurie Dutra.

Press release from KEET:

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If you’re ever unsure whether a message is legitimate, we encourage you to contact KEET directly through the contact information listed on keet.org.

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Let it be known: the Arcata City Council is not OK with offshore oil drilling. 

The city council unanimously adopted a resolution stating its opposition to offshore oil drilling at a special meeting this afternoon. The resolution emphasizes the city’s traditional commitment to the environment and its protection, and the dangers offshore oil drilling presents to marine life and ecosystems. 

The resolution will be sent to Gavin Newsom, the California Coastal Commission, state and local representatives, and relevant federal agencies. It’ll go on the record with the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management as part of the public comment period as required by the Outer Shelf Continental Lands Act. (If you’d like to comment, you’ve got one day left: go here.)

This meeting follows a similar one on Sunday in Eureka, where politicians and local leaders heavily criticized the Trump administration’s plan to lease land off the coasts of California and Florida for offshore drilling in 2029.

Arcata City Manager Merritt Perry said the council wanted to be “reactive” to oppose drilling; Mayor Kimberley White and councilmember Alex Stillman asked that the resolution be brought to the table. They didn’t discuss the item before adopting it.

“[The council] strongly opposes any new or expanded offshore oil and gas drilling, exploration, or seismic testing along the Northern California coastline, including waters adjacent to Humboldt County,” reads the resolution. “And…the City of Arcata urges the President of the United States, the U.S. Department of the Interior, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, members of Congress, and all relevant state and federal agencies to permanently prohibit offshore oil and gas drilling along California’s coast.”

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PREVIOUSLY

• TODAY in SUPES: Board Censures Bushnell, Removes Her From Chair Role and Asks Grand Jury to Review the Board’s Own Code of Conduct

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Press release from the Humboldt Chapter of the Civil Grand Jurors’ Association of California:

The Humboldt County Civil Grand Jury has been in the news lately. On November 4, 2025, the Board of Supervisors asked two of its members to draft a letter to the Civil Grand Jury. They requested that the Grand Jury not only study the Board of Supervisors Code of Conduct and Ethics to see if it needs improvement, but also to recommend any possible changes. To read the Code yourself, go to [this link].

This request is not a slam dunk; the Civil Grand Jury may or may not act on this request. The Board of Supervisors can only request a study from the Civil Grand Jury; they cannot demand or commission a study. The Civil Grand Jury is an entity unto itself, it does not answer either to the County or the Board of Supervisors. Instead, it is a part of the Humboldt County Superior Court, and the Civil Grand Jury decides for itself what it will study, investigate and issue reports on. 

By law, the Civil Grand Jury acts by a supermajority vote. Here in Humboldt, our jury is considered full at 19 members, making a supermajority consisting of 12 people. No public action can be taken until at least 12 agree. Even if the membership falls to less than 19, any and all actions must be approved by the supermajority of 12. This ensures a Grand Jury that acts slowly and deliberately, not on a whim or impulse.

When the Board of Supervisors sends its letter, it may also request a meeting with the Civil Grand Jury. This meeting would be confidential as are all Grand Jury meetings and interviews. The Grand Jury does not explain or publicize any of its meetings or actions.

All complaints and requests for an action are handled exactly the same way, no matter who makes them. All complaints are judged only on their merits. Complaints are submitted several ways. You may use the form shown on the Civil Grand Jury website. But it can also be in the form of a letter, email, or phone call.

The State Penal Code requires that the Grand Jury discuss them all; then vote by supermajority whether or not to pursue a study. The Grand Jury will only send out a confirming letter or phone call that the complaint was received but not what was decided. Instead, if the specific complaint or request for an action was studied, it may be included in a Humboldt County Civil Grand Jury Report. These Reports are usually released beginning in the Spring of each year. 

Because the Civil Grand Jury sessions run from July 1st of one year through June 30th of the following year, some complaints or requests for action may be received too late in the session for the Grand Jury to study. When that happens, the Grand Jury may vote (again by supermajority) to carry the complaint over for next year’s Grand Jury to consider. 

A complaint to the Civil Grand Jury may start an investigation and even result in a report. The Grand Jury investigates a variety of subjects during its term but only decides to issue reports on only a few. Reports require much time and preparation and are released only by a supermajority vote. Prior to publishing, each report is sent to the Presiding Judge of the Superior Court. Once the Judge has signed it, the report will be released to the public and published on the County’s website. 

Please read the 2024-25 Grand Jury reports on that same website. Responses to the various recommendations and findings are published there, too. The reports are the culmination of a year’s work, thought, effort, and commitment. If this sounds interesting to you, please contact the Humboldt County Superior Court for an application. You may also pick up a paper copy on the Grand Jury’s door on the first floor of the Courthouse, or download an application at [link].

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We’re nearly two decades into the pitched legal battle over a proposed highway realignment project through Richardson Grove State Park, and while Caltrans says its ready to finally start construction this spring, a local environmental group is saying, “Not so fast.”

This week, Caltrans construction crews have been marking and removing small trees along the one-mile stretch slated for realignment. In an emailed statement, the agency said this “limited” tree work is necessary to protect birds ahead of construction.

“Crews are marking and removing only younger, newer-growth trees in advance of nesting bird season. No old-growth trees are being removed, nor will any be removed by the project itself,” Caltrans spokesperson Myles Cochrane said.

But representatives for the Environmental Protection Information Center (EPIC), which has been the primary litigant challenging this project in court, say this tree-removal work violates an established agreement to provide at least a 45-day warning for activities affecting the project site. 

Members of EPIC who recently drove through the grove noticed at least two redwoods removed along the north shoulder of the road near the former Singing Trees Recovery Center, prompting group leaders to question Caltrans about the work.

“Only after the agency was approached did it admit that it had begun construction and that trees were logged to prevent birds from nesting prior to road widening,” EPIC said in a prepared statement.

EPIC’s executive director, Tom Wheeler, went further.

“For years, Caltrans has maintained that they should be trusted on this project — that the public should take their word for it that no old-growth redwoods will be harmed. But Caltrans apparently can’t even be trusted to warn the public when construction activity begins,” he said.

“The bulldozers of ‘progress’ are firing their engines, ready to scrape over State Park land to allow for ever-bigger trucks, despite speculative economic justification and skyrocketing costs,” Wheeler continued. “It’s long past time for the folks in Sacramento to put a stop to this boondoggle before Caltrans does irreparable harm to Richardson Grove.”

The state has long argued that the Richardson Grove Improvement Project amounts to a minor but necessary modification to the narrow and winding roadway. The project intended to address a longstanding bottleneck on U.S. 101 where industry-standard STAA truck tractor-semitrailers are currently unable to travel through the park.

“Because of that restriction, some suppliers and carriers don’t serve the North Coast or need a separate fleet just for this stretch of highway,” Caltrans said in its statement to the Outpost. As currently designed, the project calls for for the removal of 38 trees, including two small redwoods of 4-8 inches in diameter at breast height [a Caltrans measurement].

“Methods such as hand digging and air spades are planned to minimize impacts to roots and surrounding resources, which extends the construction timeline compared to similar work elsewhere,” Caltrans says. The agency, which has produced before-and-after photo simulations of the project, says its ready to start construction this spring.

It will take two years to complete, Caltrans says. “While the scope of the project is relatively small, the work entails a careful approach due to the sensitive setting within Richardson Grove State Park.”

But environmental groups have repeatedly argued that the construction work could still damage ancient redwoods by severing roots and paving over them. A series of lawsuits have challenged the agency’s environmental analyses, forcing the state agency to prepare multiple Environmental Impact Reports.

In recent years, however, the courts have tended to rule against EPIC and its allies. In 2021, for example, a federal judge granted a summary judgment in favor of Caltrans, and in 2024 Humboldt County Superior Court Judge Timothy Canning dismissed a writ of injunction that challenged Caltrans’ compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). 

Wheeler says the fight’s not over.

“Litigation has stopped the project for more than a decade, with multiple court rulings finding that Caltrans failed to take a hard look at the likely impacts to old-growth redwoods,” he said. “The current lawsuit challenging Caltrans’ shoddy environmental review will be decided in state appellate court in the coming months.”

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PREVIOUSLY

• Caltrans Ordered to Redo Richardson Grove Environmental Documentation
• EPIC Claims Victory in Latest Richardson Grove Ruling
• EPIC: Richardson Grove Realignment Project “Not Active At All” Anymore
• Caltrans: Richardson Grove Realignment Project Still Going Forward
• Judge Denies Environmental Groups’ Request for Attorney Fees in Richardson Grove Case
• Caltrans Relaunches Richardson Grove Project; Agency Issues New Environmental Documentation For Controversial Highway 101 Realignment at the South End of the County
• As Expected, EPIC and Others Launch New Lawsuit Against Caltrans’ Richardson Grove Improvement Project
• Here We Go Again: Fifth Lawsuit Filed Against Caltrans’ Richardson Grove Project
• Court Halts Richardson Grove Highway Project Yet Again; Environmental Groups ‘Elated’ at Federal Judge’s Order
• Another Court Puts the Brakes on Caltrans’ Richardson Grove Project; Local Judge Orders Agency to Revise Environmental Impact Report
• Federal Judge Rules For Caltrans in Lawsuit Over Road-Widening Project Through Richardson Grove
• Richardson Grove Conflict Heads to Round Four as Conservation Groups File Legal Challenge to Caltrans’ 101 Realignment Project
• Judge Tosses the Latest Injunction From Environmental Groups Over Caltrans’ Richardson Grove Improvement Project

A short Arcata City Council meeting last night was highlighted by a presentation on combating the effects of sea levels rising on the Arcata Wastewater Treatment Facility over the course of the next century. They also decided to fund more bicycle sharing stations and increased the maximum amount people can donate to candidates for city office. 

Wastewater Treatment Facility vs. Sea Level Rise

GHD Engineering Consultant Rebecca Crow shared the results of a two-year-long study done on negating sea-level rise on Arcata’s wastewater treatment facility. Because it lies next to Humboldt Bay, it’s especially sensitive to the bay rising even a little bit. It’s likely that some of the facility might be damaged within the next five decades. 

Crow laid out a few solutions. They could elevate the levee that protects much of the facility to 15 feet and also increase its length, a solution that would work until 2105 or thereabouts. It would cost between $20-25 million. Adding a living shoreline would bump that up to about $35 million.

Moving the facility is another option; Arcata would need to find a 10-15 acre parcel and between $100-213 million to do it, but the facility would be safe and functional beyond 2105. Crow said she didn’t have any certain picks for a new location. 

Maintaining the height of the existing 10-foot berm is a cheaper option, but Crow said that might only work until 2055. 

City Engineer Netra Khatri said Arcata would have until 2030 to pick a strategy. The city will have the next 40 years to implement it. 

“I think hearing from the public will be really important,” said councilmember Stacy Atkins-Salazar. “Most communities aren’t as vocal and tied to their wastewater treatment facilities as ours is…the more input we can get for our decision-making, the better.”

Bicycles

The council voted to add another two ridesharing stations at the end of 11th Street and in Sunny Brae, adopting a $412,500 contract with Tandem Mobility. There are currently 10 stations, each with five bicycles, scattered around Arcata. Many of them are near or on Cal Poly Humboldt’s campus. 

The funding will come from a mix of federal grants ($216,000), money from Cal Poly Humboldt ($129,000) and Measure H funds ($67,500). The new contract also pays for the existing stations. 

Tandem Mobility will also be adding a few e-bikes to the pool; their maximum speed will be capped electronically.

Khatri said the bicycles were rented 1,716 times last year and ridden for 1,526.9 hours, a record for the program. 

Councilmember Meredith Matthews said she was “strongly encouraging” Eureka to consider adding a few Tandem Mobility stations of their own around the city, so residents could ride on the Humboldt Bay Trail either way and take the bus or run back. 

The bicycles are equipped with GPS trackers. According to councilmember Sarah Schaefer, one is stuck out in Hoopa. 

Other stuff

The council decided to send a letter to the Humboldt County Planning Department voicing their opposition to a proposed cell tower on Shirley Boulevard in Sunny Brae. Though it lies just outside the city limits, about a dozen people have complained about the location of the cell tower during public comment periods at city council meetings during the last few months. The proposed location, near an attractive stand of forest, a creek and several homes, is a sore point for some residents, as is the tower’s 186-foot height. The site is within the city’s Planning Area, and the letter mentions forcing Pacific Towers, the project’s developer, to adhere to Arcata’s permitting process for driveways and encroachment.

The council adjusted the maximum amount people can donate to local election campaigns to $250 from $240. In 1992, Arcata voters passed a proposition capping the maximum allowed donation to city office candidates to $100; it’s upped every other year to account for inflation.

Finally, they decided to waive $2,500 in fees for the Kinetic Grand Championship in May. 

Press release from the City of Eureka:

The City of Eureka will be performing Road Construction work at the above locations in Eureka beginning Thursday, January 22th, 2026.

Asphalt paving preparations work is anticipated at the following location: January 22nd, 2026, work will begin on Henderson Street between S Street and I Streets.

Asphalt paving work is anticipated to begin on January 23rd, 2026 at the location of Henderson Street between I Street and S Street.

Intersection will have closures between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. Monday-Friday, WEATHER PERMITTING. Noticing will follow describing the location and extent of future work.

There will be controlled traffic and detours at these locations, and motorists should expect short delays.

The patience and cooperation of motorists, bicyclists and pedestrians in the vicinity of the work zone is greatly appreciated. 

The City of Eureka realizes that this disruption is an inconvenience, but maintaining the City’s streets and sidewalks is vital to the health and safety of our residents.