June 28, 2025. Taken far too soon. Kelli Ann Welch was born May 15, 1962 in Eureka. Kelli was raised in Humboldt and Trinity counties. Living with her Auntie in Salyer is where she had her fondest childhood memories. As an adult Kelli favored Humboldt County because it was neither too hot nor cold.

After graduating from Hoopa High School Kelli worked in hospitality at a motel her mom, Betty, managed. Later at a clothing store called Bistrin‘s. At first she was timid approaching customers. But honestly she found her calling here. Kelli worked at the Times-Standard newspaper in advertising, and then at Cox Cable.

In 1989 Kelli gave birth to her son, Shan. Everything she did evolved around him. Kelli started a jewelry business when Shan was young. Shan would help his mom, sometimes setting up for jewelry parties. To expand her jewelry business Kelli took classes at the College of the Redwoods to become a silversmith. She excelled in silversmithing and over the years made some exceptional pieces of jewelry.

As Kelli continued her jewelry business part time, she caught the Fire and Light “bug.” With much excitement, Kelli would attend Fire and Light seconds sales. Kelli loved finding the great deals!

Years later, Kelli would go to work for Fire and Light full-time. She was enamored by this job. She love talking to people and she love the glass product. She sometimes got to take small groups on tours of the facility. Kelli would often tell us how many thousands of pounds she would move in one day. It was hard to imagine but completely believable. Kelly lived a life with a spirit full of kindness and brought joy and love to people around her.

Losing our Auntie Rose and her job with Fire and Light (closed permanently) in 2019 was really hard on Kelli. Auntie Rose and Kelli were more like sisters, with only nine years between them. Kelli was a survivor. She had a great sense of humor, and was competitive by nature. Kelli was independent in life and loved spending time with family and friends. She’d loved card games, going to ladies bingo, playing pool and checking out all the local thrift stores. She loved camping and swimming. Kelli was an excellent baker, baking homemade pies and chocolate chip cookies. During the holidays Kelli never showed up empty-handed. She always had a gift or goodies in hand. It was important to her that everyone feel included.

Kelli was proud to say she paid off her house. She was tickled that she had something to leave Shan when it was her time to go.

The world should’ve stopped the day she died. She is missed.

There will be a celebration of life Saturday, October 25. Pop in from noon to 4 p.m. Food and dessert will be served. For information, call 707-839-1203. A head count will be appreciated.

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Press release from North Edge:

Households in Humboldt County spend an average of 43% of their income on child care for two children, far above the California average of 30% and the national average of 27%. A recent survey also found that 75% of parents report missing work or relying on household members for care due to high costs, limited availability, and scheduling challenges.

To address this urgent need, families in Humboldt County now have additional support through the Humboldt Child Care Stabilization Fund Parent Subsidy.

The program provides one-time payments of $600 for part-time care and $1,200 for full-time care for parents with children under the age of five who are enrolled in child care or preschool. The payments are made directly to licensed child care providers, ensuring funds go toward covering the cost of care. Providers also receive a small administrative stipend. Because the subsidy is paid to providers rather than families, the assistance does not count as income and will not affect eligibility for other income-tested programs.

Parents who live or work in Humboldt County are eligible if their household income is at or below 105% of the threshold required for existing child care subsidies. To date, about $400,000 has already been distributed to parents. A total of $1.5 million has been set aside for these parent subsidies, which will continue until October 2026 or until funds are depleted.

In spring 2022, the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors allocated $4.86 million of State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF) to support the county’s child care industry. The Parent Subsidy Program is one part of that investment.

“This program provides immediate relief for families while also strengthening our child care system,” said North Edge Program Director, Susan Seaman. “Access to affordable, quality care supports parents, children, and our local economy.”

Applications can be completed online at this link. The application requires information from both the parent and the child care provider. Completed applications can be emailed to Child Care Stabilization Administrator, Kelly McGowan at kelly@northedgefinancing.org, mailed, or dropped off at North Edge, 707 K Street, Eureka, CA 95501. The program will remain open until October 2026 or until all funds are distributed.

North Edge, the administrator for this program, is a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) committed to delivering responsible, affordable lending to help economically disadvantaged people and communities join the economic mainstream. North Edge provides loans and support to entrepreneurial, innovative business and community endeavors, such as the Humboldt Child Care Stabilization Fund. Head to www.humboldtchildcare.org to learn more about the financial aid available to Humboldt Child Care providers and families, or contact Kelly McGowan at kelly@northedgefinancing.org with any questions. 

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PREVIOUSLY:

• Armed Man Arrested at Arcata City Council Meeting Last Night

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Press release from the Cal Poly Humboldt University Police Department:

On October 2, 2025, at approximately 9 a.m., the Cal Poly Humboldt University Police Department (UPD) arrested 36-year-old Shaine Scott Haugen at the University’s Samoa Corp Yard facility.

At about 3 a.m., UPD officers, assisted by the Arcata Police Department, responded to a motion-activated burglary alarm at the facility. Haugen was discovered barricaded inside an overhead storage space inside the facility and refused to come out. At about 9 a.m., after several hours of negotiation, officers were able to safely take him into custody.

Haugen was transported to the Humboldt County Correctional Facility and booked on the following charges:

• PC 459—Burglary (entering a structure with intent to commit theft or any felony)
• PC 594—Vandalism (malicious destruction or defacement of property)
• PC 69—Resisting an Executive Officer (using force or intimidation to prevent an officer from carrying out duties)
• PC 148—Resisting Arrest
• PC 12022.1—Commission of a Felony While Released on Bail or Own Recognizance
• HS 11377—Possession of a Controlled Substance

Haugen’s bail has been set at $55,000.00.

Haugen was previously arrested on September 17, 2025, by the Arcata Police Department for disrupting an Arcata City Council meeting.  

UPD would like to thank the Arcata Police Department, the Eureka Police Department, and the Arcata Fire District for their assistance during this incident.

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PREVIOUSLY

• NEW LAND ABOVE THE HIGHWAY? The ‘Arcata Cap’ Project Would Build Five Acres Suspended Over Highway 101

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An Arcata city council member voted “no” on a motion for the first time in a year and a half last night — the first time that’s happened in almost 130 straight votes — but a motion to award a $300,000 contract to design firm Smith Group Inc. to start development on the Reconnecting Arcata project still passed 4-1.

The project, a complex, ambitious plan to facilitate pedestrian and cycling travel over Arcata’s freeways, has been in limbo since it was announced last year. Though Caltrans promised Arcata a portion of $128 million from their Reconnecting Communities fund, California’s recent budget woes means the city still hasn’t received it — and some city staff and council members worry it never will, though City Engineer Netra Khatri said Arcata was likely to. 

Without that funding, the project, which may involve building five very expensive acres of land suspended over Highway 101, will be dead on arrival. Any money spent on designing the project would have been wasted. By funding the design process, the council members hope that they’ll be buying time, and a vision that will likely take a couple decades to complete might be done a little sooner, and it also signals to grant-givers that Arcata is serious about actually starting construction.

The funding will pay for “planning, community outreach and preliminary concept design” from Smith Group.

A motion to kickstart the process at the last city council meeting two weeks ago by awarding a larger $500,000 contract to Smith Group was tabled, and spending the multiple hundreds of thousands of dollars it’ll take to start designing Reconnecting Arcata spooked some of the councilmembers. 

Meredith Matthews, the sole dissenter, pointed out that Arcata has a lot of other fish to fry at the moment, including the Annie and Mary Trail, a water fund slowly drying up and other street improvement programs. Finance Director Tabatha Miller also said that Arcata is overspending its street tax fund by about $1.5 million annually.

“It’s a great program, but it’s money that we don’t have,” Matthews said. “This is money that we’re taking out of our reserves… I feel like we funded a lot of things and there’s a lot of great projects, but I am really hesitant to pull money out of reserves for something that will happen eventually, but I think we should focus on what we need to happen in the next one, two, three years [rather] than in the next 10 or 20 years.”

The council decided that they would try and ask Cal Poly Humboldt, whose students would benefit from easier access to and from campus, to kick in some money for some future development.

Councilmember Kimberley White was an outspoken advocate for the project. She lives in the Valley West neighborhood, which is difficult to get in or out of without a car, at one point calling trying to get over the freeway “real-life Frogger.”

“Valley West is always losing out…right now we are so isolated that if there was anything that would happen, we don’t have anywhere to go,” White said. “People out there don’t have cars. Most of the unhoused community don’t own a car. They ride bikes, and there’s just no safe pathway for that.”

Mayor Alex Stillman took a slightly longer-term view.

“Maybe my grandchildren will see it happen,” she said. “I know I won’t.”

Some interesting data

Matthews’ “no” vote was the first nay on any motion in the Arcata City Council since March 20, 2024, when White voted against re-electing Scott Davies to the planning commission. Since then, the council voted 125 times straight without a single “no,” though there were some abstentions and plenty of absences. 

Press release from the Humboldt County Sheriff's Office:

On October 1, 2025, at approximately 1:15 p.m., the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a man making criminal threats toward a community member and their family at a residence on Spring Road in Shelter Cove.

The victim, a 43-year-old male, reported that a person known to him, 39-year-old Matthew James Hayes, arrived at his residence and threatened to kill the victim and his family. Hayes then left but returned a short time later, acting aggressively and attempting to lure the victim outside.

Deputies arrived and learned that Hayes was wanted on an outstanding felony warrant for assault on a peace officer with a deadly weapon and additional charges stemming from a prior vehicle pursuit that occurred on Sept. 21, 2025.

Deputies then responded to Hayes’ residence, located on the 100 block of Eileen Road in Shelter Cove. Hayes initially refused to comply with commands and attempted to barricade himself inside a bedroom. Deputies were ultimately able to take Hayes into custody without incident.

Hayes was transported to the Humboldt County Correctional Facility, where he was booked on the following charges:

• P.C. 148(a)(1) - Resisting arrest
• P.C. 422(a) - Criminal threats
• P.C. 978.5- Bench warrant / failure to appear on felony charge

Anyone with information about this case or related criminal activity is encouraged to call the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office at (707) 445-7251 or the Sheriff’s Office Crime Tip line at (707) 268-2539.

I’m grateful that I live in Arcata, because many social, cultural, recreational, educational events happen in Arcata and Eureka. I mostly have ready access to both cities either by bike or by the bus, but still, there are barriers to being fully free-range.

Travelling to nighttime social soirees

I am a sucker for discounts. (It’s well known that I consume way more day-old pastries than I want to.) So, when my friends told me that they go en masse to the $5 Tuesday Nite at the Broadway Cinema, I was dying to go with them! But they all live in Eureka. And the northbound bus would leave before the movie credits. So I always missed the movie party.

Good news! Ride Humboldt’s RTS (Redwood Transit System) bus now has a later run, which departs Eureka at 9:20 p.m., so there are a few movie showings that I can flex the discount on. Even better news! The completely! open! Humboldt Bay Trail South now gives me a (bike)way to get to Eureka fun, pretty much 24-7. I have already biked on the trail twice to go to nighttime movies. It’s so fun riding there and back that I have lowered my standards about what movies I am willing to see there.

Old news: I don’t have drive-free options to get to Blue Lake for Dell’Arte nighttime shows or Blue Lake Casino concerts. I have to depend on having a friend who I can carpool with. The same is true for Trinidad Art Night, concerts at The Old Steeple in Ferndale, fancy dinner at Larrupin Café or Moonstone Grill… You get the picture.

Some important community places you cannot get to, in a practical way, without driving

For example, Woodley Island or Indian Island. I’m not saying that Harbor District agendas are all-the-rage all the time and not to be missed, but I can’t attend their meetings in person, as they are held at the Woodley Island Marina. I also typically miss meetings at the Humboldt Area Foundation on Indianola in Bayside. The location is bucolic and the grounds are beautiful, but without driving there is no decent way to get there. Not to shame HAF, though. Quite the contrary; I bring it up so that I can add a rejoinder. HAF staff have helped facilitate carpools for me when I have told them that I wanted to attend a meeting. Staff have even driven to Arcata to pick me up at my house(!).

Another example, Redwood Acres in Eureka. I hear Frankie’s NY Bagels are really good. If I were to do lunch there on a work day, according to an online map app, I could hypothetically drive there in 8 minutes, or bike there in 16 minutes, or bus there in (fastest time) 39 minutes. Although I could ride in bike lanes on much — not all — of Myrtle Avenue and Harris Street, it’s a ride I dismiss out of hand. I have biked to Redwood Acres once. It was on a weekend, and it wasn’t bad. Honestly, it was kind of empowering. But I have to want to go there for a pretty unique, one-chance event to make me stop and really consider getting myself there by bus or bike. Although, if the occasion is so unique, it will be popular with other people, too. And by “people” I mean drivers with cars. At those times, carpooling options open up.

For example, Ferndale and Humboldt County Fairgrounds. In years past and younger, I went to the Fairgrounds for the Tour of the Unknown Coast bike ride (Please. Fifty miles or metric century max). This was thanks to going with friends who could hitch up our bikes and drive me there. Friends with cars are also the singular way I can see a play at the Ferndale Repertory Theatre. Lucky for me, I do have friends who are happy enough to pick me up from the bus stop in Fernbridge and bring me to Ferndale for a good ol’ Victorian time (Sundays excluded: no bus service).

But some important community places are easy to get to by public transit

For example, College of the Redwoods. Yes, we’re always wishing and striving for more frequency, but for dropping me smack dab in the heart of campus, the bus can’t be beat. Plus: no parking fee. Same goes for the Cal Poly Humboldt campus, to which the bus runs approximately every 30 minutes from 6:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., plus four additional later runs.

For example, Eureka and Arcata downtowns. Bus stops are one or a few blocks — or mere doorways — away from umpteen fun and functional destinations. To commute to work, I ride my bike one happy mile to the Transit Center in downtown Arcata. I store my bike there in my bike locker rental. I ride the bus to Old Town Eureka, where the traditional blocks were built short and walkable. I walk two blocks to the office. My non-driving commute is easy. One difference between my commute and driving to work in an SOV (single occupancy vehicle) is that I cannot be a few minutes late to work. I either arrive at my regularly scheduled time, or I arrive on the next bus in 30 minutes, or the one after that, another 30 minutes later.

Working without driving

When I have work meetings out of town, I often can carpool with coworkers. If I need to transport tables, chairs, easels, or other bulky items, I depend on coworkers or other colleagues. If that fails, I can rent a car in Eureka, which takes time and extra coordination (and, closed on Sundays). When I have meetings in Sacramento, I take the Amtrak Thruway bus to Martinez, then get on the train. I love riding the train. The trip takes a whole work day (and a long one at that), but I can get a lot of work done. Unless I am just looking out the window, enjoying the scenery.

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So that’s what it’s like for me during the Week(s) Without Driving. The good, the bad, the mundane. If you’re keen to try not driving as an automatic default, I imagine you will develop new neural pathways as you immerse yourself in a new, or dormant, experience. Maybe you’ll even feel 15 again, before the learner’s permit kicked in.

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Oona Smith is the senior regional planner for the Humboldt County Association of Governments.

The national Week Without Driving runs from September 29 through October 5, 2025. It is an opportunity for participating public officials and other community members to get first-hand insights into the way many seniors, kids, people with disabilities, low-income people, and other non-drivers navigate our communities. Each day during the week, the Lost Coast Outpost is publishing reflections from local participants. For more information, visit this link.

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

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At least 20 teachers in California’s K-12 schools are facing disciplinary action after they made derogatory comments about right-wing political activist Charlie Kirk in the wake of his assasination last month.

Most of the disciplinary investigations are based on comments that teachers made on social media during non-working hours, a possible violation of their right to free speech, said David Goldberg, president of the California Teachers Association, the state’s largest teachers union.

“People are ready to pounce on educators. The goal is to sow fear,” Goldberg said. “It’s part of a larger attempt to bring the culture wars into schools and silence teachers.”

Kirk was fatally shot during a campus event at Utah Valley University on Sept. 10, in what officials described as a political assassination. Following his death, hundreds of people who criticized Kirk’s ideology have been fired, disciplined or doxxed — had their private information posted online to stoke harassment.

Other states have seen far more teachers fired or disciplined for Kirk-related comments. In California, state laws protecting free speech and strong union contracts have so far kept the numbers relatively low. Texas, for example, is investigating at least 280 teachers for criticizing Kirk.

‘Safe and respectful environment’

In California, one of the incidents happened in the Pacheco Union School District in Redding, where a teacher allegedly posted, “You reap what you sow, Mr. Kirk” on their personal social media account. The district has not named the teacher. Other news organizations have published his name but CalMatters was unable to independently confirm it.

Earlier, the teacher had also allegedly posted a video of Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene with the words, “Will someone please kill her?” The teacher was placed on paid leave and then the school board fired him.

“We are committed to ensuring that our classrooms and our entire school community remain a positive and secure place for all students to learn and grow,” Superintendent Jakob Fuller wrote on the school’s website. “The district does not condone violence in any form and is committed to maintaining a safe and respectful environment for all.”

Another incident occurred at the Dry Creek Unified School District, a TK-8 district in Roseville, near Sacramento. A middle school teacher apparently called Kirk “a piece of s — ,” among other things, on their personal social media account, prompting a swift backlash from parents and others.

The district would not confirm the teacher’s identity, and while it has been reported by other news organizations, CalMatters was unable to independently confirm it. The teacher, who did not respond to emails from CalMatters, is on paid leave until the district completes an investigation.

“The post is both unprofessional and concerning,” the district said in a statement. “The personal comments allegedly made by the employee do not reflect the values, standards, or mission of the district. We are taking this matter seriously.”

Jonathan Zachreson, a conservative education activist in California, said he’d like to see accountability for the teacher and condemnation from the union. A board member for a different Roseville school district, Zachreson has been an outspoken advocate for K-12 policies notifying parents if students identify as LGBTQ, a policy Kirk also championed. Dry Creek board members could not comment on the case because the investigation is ongoing.

Zachreson said incidents such as these should be handled on an individual basis, depending on the nature of the comments and how private the posts were. But if the Dry Creek district’s investigation concludes that the teacher did write that comment, the teacher should be fired, he said.

“Many parents don’t want their kid in a classroom with someone like that,” Zachreson said. “Freedom of speech doesn’t mean freedom from consequences.”

A dangerous precedent?

California has laws that prohibit employers from firing workers over their political views. And the First Amendment guarantees freedom of speech, but there are some limits: Employers have a right to restrict workers’ speech if it’s disruptive to the workplace.

Erwin Chemerinsky, dean of the UC Berkeley Law School, said that teachers posting to their private social media accounts during non-work hours is not likely to disrupt their classroom work.

“There’s always the impulse to punish speech we don’t like. But the First Amendment protects all speech,” Chemerinsky said. “Once you open this door, it could set a very dangerous precedent. What about teachers who criticize Donald Trump?”

The California School Boards Association hasn’t provided school boards with specific guidance on handling Charlie Kirk comments because each district has its own contract with teachers, and personnel matters are considered a local issue.

But typically, a teacher who’s suspected of disrupting the workplace through inappropriate speech would be subject to a district investigation and, if found to be at fault, discipline from the school board. New employees who are still on probation have fewer protections, but any employee could face consequences ranging from a reprimand to termination. The teacher could protest the action by filing a grievance, and if that fails, they could appeal the decision. Some teachers in other states have filed lawsuits. Teachers at private schools typically have fewer protections.

Regardless of the outcome, the process can be disruptive to staff and harmful to students, Goldberg said. Students could lose their teacher midway through a school year, and teachers “could have their lives turned upside down,” he said. Most teachers lack the resources and patience to take on a protracted legal fight that in the current political climate might not be successful, he said.

That’s why the union recently advised its members to be extra cautious when posting online.

“We tell educators, know your rights and bring in your union rep,” Goldberg said. “We need to be careful in this climate and look out for each other.”