###

PREVIOUSLY:

• Someone Painted an Image of a Hanged Man Holding a Flower All Over Eureka and Arcata; Police Investigating
• POLL! What is the Meaning of This ‘Art’?

###

Press release for Humboldt Showing Up for Racial Justice and the Ink People:

Humboldt Showing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ), the Ink People Center for Arts and Culture, Black community leaders, and elected officials condemn a series of stenciled images discovered on September 18 and 19 in Eureka and Arcata depicting a hanged person, some accompanied by the words “Don’t be the next.” These images — discovered by Black community members on September 19, after a week of escalating racialized violence and speech across the nation, including the alleged lynching of a Black student in Mississippi — evoke the history of lynching in the United States and are widely understood as messages meant to intimidate and instill fear in Black communities.

Why this matters

A known symbol of racial intimidation. Noose/lynching imagery in public spaces is historically tied to racial terror and modern hate intimidation. Cultural and civil-rights institutions have repeatedly documented its use as a threat (Smithsonian Magazine).

The current climate. The U.S. Department of Justice reports that anti-Black incidents constitute a majority of race-based hate-crime incidents nationally (2023), and agencies recorded 11,679 incidents in 2024 (Department of Justice).

California context. California’s Attorney General reports anti-Black bias remains the most prevalent race-based motivation in the state’s hate-crime data (California Department of Justice).

Applicable law. California Penal Code §11411 prohibits displaying terrorizing symbols (including nooses) at homes, workplaces, schools, or public places with the purpose — or reckless disregard — of terrorizing others.

In this period of growing unrest, these images have caused concern in the local community, striking fear and grief among those whose ancestors and families have experienced the long history of racial violence and terrorism in this country. Nearly 5,000 lynchings occurred in the U.S. from 1882 to 1968, though the actual number is likely higher due to underreporting. Lynching was also a tool of white supremacy used against Latinos and Indigenous peoples in California. While lynchings aren’t as frequent today, lynchings and references to lynchings continue to be tools of white supremacy and racial terrorism inflicted on Black communities.

Local Black community members have expressed the terror and distress they have felt since seeing these images in our communities’ business and arts districts — including on the building of at least one Black-owned business. One local Black community member, who wished to remain anonymous for their own safety, shared:

“It’s the reality — the harm was done, the fear was stoked in people. Sometimes carelessness causes real palpable harm. And I understand why people don’t necessarily believe what’s being said. It’s hard to imagine anyone claiming to stand for the message that is supposedly being intended would be so careless as to use imagery synonymous with the murder of Black folks while we are actively being lynched all over the country in the last week. Who in their right mind would even do that? How much privilege do you have to carry to not understand how that image will inevitably be interpreted?”

The pairing of lynching imagery with “Don’t be the next” is reasonably perceived by Black residents as a direct threat. In a national environment where documented hate-crime levels remain high, incidents like these heighten fear, retraumatize communities, and chill participation in public life. As community members and leaders here in Humboldt County — where extreme episodes of racial terror and violence have taken place — we collectively condemn the use of racist imagery, regardless of the intent of the message behind it. Using an image of a hanged person at any time causes harm and instills fear in local Black community members, and the use of it in the current political climate is ignorant and indifferent to the very real harms that Black people in particular continue to experience with racist violence. These recent acts demonstrate that, at best, we have a lot of learning and work ahead of us to fight ignorance and racial violence.

Against this backdrop, public displays invoking lynching — paired with the phrase “Don’t be the next” — do not read as “mere graffiti.” They echo historic mechanisms of racial terror, and for many Black residents and other communities of color, they function as threats aimed at silencing, isolating, and driving people out of public space.

This is a moment of community action and learning

The coalition calls for continued investment in:

• Education & prevention on the history and present realities of racialized violence.
• Visible solidarity. Public agencies, schools, businesses, and civic groups should affirm that Black residents belong and are safe here — and back those words with action.
• Reporting & support. If you see similar graffiti or have information, report it immediately.

Take action: We have a collective community responsibility to one another to resist racial ignorance and violence and take action in support of the safety and belonging of our Black, Indigenous, and People of Color friends, families, neighbors, and colleagues. We invite you to take tangible action today. Some ways you can do this are:

• Meet your neighbors and look out for each other.
• Learn more about the history of lynching in this country and state (link).
• Join and support the Eureka chapter of the NAACP (link).
• Learn more and take action on issues of racial and economic justice with Humboldt SURJ (Showing Up for Racial Justice) (link)

Press release from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office:

On Sept. 21, 2025, at approximately 10:03 p.m., Humboldt County Sheriff’s deputies were patrolling eastbound on Shelter Cove Road near Redwood Road when they observed a white Jeep Cherokee traveling westbound at a high rate of speed.

Deputies attempted to catch up to the vehicle to initiate a traffic stop, but lost sight of it due to its speed. Shortly after, the same Jeep was seen traveling at an excessive speed southbound on Lower Pacific Road. The driver made a rapid turn onto Machi Road and into the parking lot of Mario’s Marina Bar, narrowly missing pedestrians and parked vehicles.

Once deputies caught up, they activated their emergency lights and siren. However, the driver failed to yield and fled the area at a high rate of speed. Due to the danger posed to public safety, deputies initiated a pursuit eastbound on Shelter Cove Road.

The Jeep came to a temporary stop near Toth Road. Deputies issued multiple commands to the driver, later identified as Matthew James Hayes, 39, of Shelter Cove. While attempting to detain him, Hayes suddenly accelerated, striking the front passenger door of the patrol vehicle. As the Jeep fled, both deputies were struck by the Jeep, sustaining minor arm injuries.

The pursuit continued due to the immediate threat to public safety. Approximately three miles outside of Redway, the California Highway Patrol (CHP) took over the pursuit, which continued southbound on Highway 101 to the Willits area. CHP successfully disabled the vehicle using a spike strip. Hayes was taken into custody without further incident and booked into the Mendocino County Jail.

One deputy was treated at a local hospital and released. Both sustained minor injuries.

An arrest warrant has been submitted for Hayes in Humboldt County on the following charges:

• VC 2800.2(a) – Felony Evading
• PC 245(a)(1) – Assault with a Deadly Weapon
• PC 69(a) – Obstructing/Resisting an Executive Officer

The case has been forwarded to the Humboldt County District Attorney’s Office for review and prosecution.

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

Mary Ann Wehmeyer (Dalton)
November 8, 1947 – September 4, 2025

Mary Ann Wehmeyer (Dalton), born in Memphis, Tenn. to Cecil Earl Dalton and Nora Faye Dalton (Holden), passed away on September 4, 2025, at the age of 77. She was the second of five children.

In her early years, Mary Ann’s family moved to Willits, where she spent much of her childhood. She often fondly recalled running around with her older sister, Carolyn, and the numerous cousins she grew up with. Her childhood was filled with memorable friendships and a love for learning. She was an academically gifted child, often helping her siblings with their schoolwork. Though quiet and shy, she always exhibited kindness and compassion.

In high school, her family moved to Arcata, where she met Ron Millsaps. They married and had three wonderful daughters: Shonnie, Marni and Brandi. Though they later separated, they stayed friends through the years. Mary Ann later met and married Bob Wehmeyer, and together they shared 25 years of love and companionship until his passing in 2009.

Mary Ann was the ultimate caregiver. Whether at work, as a mom, or grandma, she always made you feel special and cared for. She was the person you could always count on to listen, comfort and patch you up after a fall. She loved unconditionally and always put others first.

Mary Ann had a deep love for the outdoors. She enjoyed camping, fishing and hunting, and passed those passions on to her kids and grandkids, especially in the many memorable trips to Ruth Lake. She loved the sound of rain, especially when it fell on her porch, and she cherished those quiet moments in nature.

She believed in family traditions and spending time with family and made sure her kids and grandkids felt the importance of family time. Whether it was her sister trips with Carolyn and Diane, or passing on her passion for gardening and cooking, or of course, the wild Easter egg hunts in the backyard, she created memories that will last forever.

Mary Ann was a true role model. She showed us what strength and perseverance really meant, and how to speak our minds when needed. She was feisty, and we loved her for it. And of course, she gave the best hugs. She was an incredible daughter, sister, mom, grandma and great-grandma. She cherished every moment with her four great-grandchildren.

Mary Ann is preceded in death by her parents, Cecil and Faye, her husband Bob, her first husband Ron, her son-in-law Dennis Holweg, and many loved family members.

She is survived by her daughters, Shonnie (Jim) Bradbury, Cable (Allison) Kurwitz, Marni Shultz (Mike Britton), and Brandi Holweg; her grandchildren, Jessica (Jordan) Maciel, Dylan (Jamie) Millsaps, Shylby Shultz, Sydney Shultz, Abby Kurwitz, Mason (Faith) Holweg, Gus Kurwitz and Olivia Holweg; her great-grandchildren, Raegan Millsaps, Damon Bock, Sophie Maciel, and Adaline Germen; and her siblings, Carolyn (C.W.) Carrington, Gene (Jodie) Dalton, Bennie (Ruth) Dalton, and Diane (Vernon) Rossig; and many nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends who loved her dearly.

Mary Ann has left a huge hole in our hearts, but we’re comforted knowing she’ll be reunited with the loved ones she’s missed so much.

Services will be held at Ocean View Cemetery on September 27, 2025, at 10 a.m. All are welcome.

###

PREVIOUSLY

• ‘This Tax Could Kill This Industry.’ California Cannabis Operators Brace for Increase
• The State May Soon Pass a Cannabis Tax Cut. Critics Say It Will Cost Kids and the Environment
• Weed Tax Hike Repealed: California Legislature Passes AB 564, Which Will Bring the Cannabis Excise Tax Rate Back Down to 15 Percent Once Gov. Newsom Signs It Into Law

###

As expected, California Governor Gavin Newsom today signed into law Assembly Bill 564, rescinding a recent increase in the state excise tax on cannabis. That tax rate jumped from 15 percent to 19 percent on July 1, but the passage of this bill means it will drop back down to 15 percent on October 1 and remain there through at least June 30, 2028. 

From that point onward, the California Department of Cannabis Control (DCC) will decide every other year whether or not to increase the rate, with the eventual goal of recouping the revenue lost when the state discontinued its cannabis cultivation tax in June 2022. However, the excise tax rate can never exceed 19 percent.

While weed industry professionals are applauding the new law, others are less excited.

For example, Dr. Lynn Silver, director of a Public Health Institute initiative called Getting it Right from the Start, said in a press release:

We are profoundly disappointed that the legislature passed, and Governor Newsom chose to sign, AB 564 (Haney), siding with the cannabis industry’s false narrative of being ‘in crisis’ instead of standing with California’s children, families, and environment. In doing so, the Governor has embraced a massive tax giveaway to Big Cannabis — one that will permanently cut the legally guaranteed baseline for future annual funding for childcare, youth substance use prevention, environmental restoration, and law enforcement — the very programs Proposition 64 promised voters.

You can read more about opposition to the bill in our previous stories, linked above. 

Here’s a press release from Newsom’s office:

SACRAMENTO – As California’s legal cannabis market continues to mature, Governor Gavin Newsom today signed legislation, AB 564 (Haney), that eliminates a 25% tax increase on California’s legal cannabis industry, building on the Administration’s ongoing work to ensure the long-term success of the legal cannabis market.

We’re rolling back this cannabis tax hike so the legal market can continue to grow, consumers can access safe products, and our local communities see the benefits.

Governor Gavin Newsom

“California’s cannabis economy can bring enormous benefits to our state, but only if our legal industry is given a fair chance to compete against the untaxed and unregulated illegal market,” said Assemblymember Matt Haney (D–San Francisco). “AB 564 helps level the playing field. It protects California jobs, keeps small businesses open, and ensures that our legal cannabis market can grow and thrive the way voters intended.”

California’s regulated cannabis market is the largest in the world, fostering environmental stewardship, compliance-tested products, and fair labor practices, while driving economic growth and funding vital programs in education, public health, and environmental protection. AB 564 reverses a 25% tax increase on California’s legal cannabis industry and sets the state’s cannabis excise tax rate at 15% until 2028, allowing legal businesses to remain competitive and promoting the industry’s long-term growth.

The Administration recently enacted measures to bolster long-term enforcement efforts against illegal operators by dedicating cannabis tax revenue to fund civil and criminal enforcement activities. This will reduce the burden on legal businesses while ensuring sustained actions against illegal operators. In addition, Board of State and Community Corrections (BSCC) grant eligibility has expanded to local jurisdictions, especially those allowing retail access, to further enhance and support local enforcement efforts against illegal cannabis activity. 

A unified strategy across California 

So far, the Unified Cannabis Enforcement Taskforce (UCETF), which was established in 2022 by Governor Newsom, has seized and destroyed over 317 tons, or over 635,303 pounds, of illegal cannabis worth an estimated retail value of $890 million through nearly 230 multiagency operations.

UCETF has enhanced collaboration and enforcement coordination between state, local, and federal partners. Partners on the task force include the Department of Cannabis Control, the Department of Pesticide Regulation, the Department of Toxic Substances Control, and the Department of Fish and Wildlife, among others. 

To learn more about the legal California cannabis market, state licenses, and laws, visit cannabis.ca.gov.

Goats are, apparently, amazing swimmers and can stick to a paddleboard like glue, something I never would have guessed. But watching two of them cavort around in a swimmin’ hole somewhere east of Kneeland several weeks ago, taking turns wading in and diving off of owner Jedidiah Martin’s paddleboard shut down all of my (previously completely unconscious) biases against Churro and Buttercup. I had to see more; Martin acquiesced. 

“They’re naturals,” Martin said, swinging Churro up and around onto his 11-foot board, floating a foot offshore in Stone Lagoon. “Just grab ‘em and throw ‘em on. There’s nothing really fabricated about it.”

They live in paradise. Martin, 37, bought Churro and Buttercup in January, as a way to give his 10-year-old daughter Aurora some responsibilities (one of the first was naming them). She bathes the goats every Saturday and also mucks their stalls for allowance money. They have a redwood board jungle gym to play on and an ocean view from their property in Kneeland, which they share with chickens and Tico, an old stallion. They aren’t allowed in the house. 

Both Churro and Buttercup are female Nigerian Dwarfs a little short of a year in age. They are incredibly soft and are good foragers, capable of finding mounds of vines and shrubs they munch with gusto. Finding their aquatic talents didn’t take a lot of effort; Martin just took them to the river one day, and they hopped on his paddleboard. Buttercup is more of a water-lover than Churro, but they both love to hang out on the board and swim around. Eventually, Martin plans on teaching them how to surf with a soft-top board and dog lifejackets.

It’s a great way to get out, said Martin, who works 3 p.m. to 5 a.m. hauling wood scraps up to Oregon and often needs to burn off steam. He goes hiking with them and Aurora in places a lot of humans don’t bother going, down steep beach trails guided by ropes stretched between stands of pine. It’s easy for the goats; not so much for the bipedals.

“My daughter’s always like, ‘Is this a dad hike?’” Martin said, a huge laugh following. 

He’s not shy about sharing Churro and Buttercup. He brought them to the Annie and Mary parade in Blue Lake over the summer, and anyone who wants can get pet them. Trucking can be a hard fit for him, a self-proclaimed “social butterfly” who couldn’t work enough hours as a chef to make ends meet. The goats help a bit — everyone’s interested. He makes it work.

“It’s a nice escape, away from all the drama that the world’s going through,” Martin said, gliding smoothly over the flat morning water away from shore. “Especially in a place like this.” 

“You got the otters, the elk — the elk seem to like to sit over there in those reeds,” he said, pointing to a golden marsh across the lagoon. “And then there’s always two or three otters over there in that cove.” 

A few more strokes from the oar; Churro and Buttercup stay relaxed. Their hooves do not move from the board.

“Always! They’re always out there.

###

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

###

Gov. Gavin Newsom today signed a set of bills meant to check the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration crackdown in California, including measures that limit their access on schools and force them to identify themselves in public.

The new laws echo the “resistance” measures California adopted during the first administration, when it passed a so-called sanctuary law to limit local law enforcement from cooperating with immigration agents, among other policies.

President Trump promised a historic deportation effort and assault on sanctuary-style policies when he took office for the second time. His administration criticized the state’s new immigration laws even before Newsom signed them.

The Department of Homeland Security earlier this week called on Newsom to veto the mask bill — one of the more contentious pieces of immigration legislation — calling it “despicable.”

“Once again sanctuary politicians are trying to outlaw officers wearing masks to protect themselves from being doxed and targeted by known and suspected terrorist sympathizers,” said Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin in a Sept. 16 press release.

California may struggle to enforce the new laws, some of which have already raised constitutional questions around the state’s role in federal operations, but lawmakers maintain that they are legally defensible.

California political consultant Mike Madrid said in signing the laws Newsom is showing that he can stand up and fight, whether or not he has a chance of winning.

“In this moment, when there are very few cards to play for state governments and state legislatures, California has done what no other state has done: establish itself as the tip of the spear on resisting a lot of these efforts that are an affront to its values,” said Madrid, a longtime Republican consultant who co-founded the anti-Trump Lincoln Project.

“99% of this is the purview of the federal government. So a lot of it is just symbolic, but symbolism matters. It’s both politically astute but also morally right,” he said.

The package of bills Newsom signed included:

• Senate Bill 627 widely prohibits federal and local law enforcement officers from wearing face masks while conducting their duties.
• Senate Bill 805 requires that law enforcement officers identify themselves while conducting their duties, with some exceptions.
• Senate Bill 81 prohibits immigration enforcement from entering restricted areas of a health facility without a judicial warrant or court order.
• Senate Bill 98 requires schools and higher education institutions to send community notifications when immigration enforcement is on campus, and prohibits immigration enforcement from entering certain areas without a judicial warrant or court order.

California Democrats began drafting immigration-related bills almost as soon Trump took office in January. Those efforts accelerated after the Trump administration launched aggressive immigration sweeps throughout Los Angeles, which led to weeks of protests and a subsequent National Guard deployment.

“All of this legislative resistance is to protect Angelenos from their own federal government. That is profound,” Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said at a news conference with Newsom and other Democratic leaders.

Will the laws make a difference?

Kevin Johnson, an immigration law professor and former dean of the UC Davis School of Law, said the legislation may have a marginal impact on federal immigration enforcement operations.

In 2018, for instance, California passed a law to restrict immigration arrests at superior court buildings. That hasn’t stopped the Trump administration from detaining people at those courts this year.

“The federal government is going to continue doing what it’s doing, in one form or another,” he said. “I do think the legislation gives some hope and optimism to communities that feel under fire, vulnerable and basically hated by the federal government.”

Shiu-Ming Cheer, deputy director at California Immigrant Policy Center, remains hopeful that the package of bills will ensure safety for people attending school and accessing health care.

“With most laws, there has to be really vigorous monitoring, both by the state as well as by advocates to ensure that it’s truly being implemented and followed,” she said.

California police opposed mask ban

The most controversial bill in the package was Democratic Sen. Scott Wiener’s proposal to widely ban federal and local law enforcement officers from wearing face masks while conducting their duties. The law, also known as the “No Secret Police Act,” does not apply to certain forms of face coverings, such as face shields, and it exempts some officers, including those who are undercover. Officers who violate the law will face an infraction or misdemeanor.

Wiener and Democratic Sens. Jesse Arreguín, Sasha Pérez and Aisha Wahab championed the legislation after seeing footage of masked and unidentifiable agents carrying out operations.

“ICE’s recklessness creates chaos as agents run around with what are effectively ski masks and no identification, grabbing people, throwing them in unmarked vehicles, and disappearing them,” Wiener of San Francisco said at a legislative hearing in August. “When law enforcement officers hide their identities, it destroys community trust.”

California’s law enforcement groups widely opposed the bill, arguing it will largely apply to local police, rather than federal agents, because the federal government is likely to sue on constitutional grounds.

“It’s using an emotionally charged issue on a federal level to pass a bill that will only affect local peace officers,” said Brian Marvel, president of the Peace Officers Research Association of California, an umbrella labor organization that lobbies on behalf of police unions. “You’re upset with the feds, but you’re going to punish us.”

Other law enforcement experts echoed those concerns, arguing that it’s illegal to interfere with federal operations.

“California cops are not going to enforce this law,” said Ed Obayashi, a longtime California police officer who now is a special prosecutor and policy adviser to the Modoc County Sheriff’s Office. “You cannot regulate lawful federal conduct, whether the Legislature likes it or not.”

The law allows officers to be sued personally for “tortious conduct,” including if they assault or falsely arrest someone while masked.

“Private enforcement could be the avenue where enforcement is the likeliest,” said Johnson.

The bill caused hours of contentious debate on the Senate and Assembly floors, with many Republicans calling it misguided.

“My immigrant family is not afraid” of ramped-up immigration enforcement, Fresno Republican Assemblymember David Tangipa said, “because we did not break the law.”

But Democrats were animated because just days before, the U.S. Supreme Court had sided with the Trump administration and ICE for conducting roving sweeps through Los Angeles, apparently catching bystander day laborers or anyone who appeared Latino in their dragnet. The bill, they said, was their way of pushing back.

“We need a full front defense for the violence that is coming from this regime,” said Hector Pereyra, policy manager for the nonprofit Inland Coalition for Immigrant Justice, which co-sponsored the mask bill and another bill to protect the private data of street vendors. “We have to respond with a united front of strength and aggressiveness, not of passiveness.”

###

Cayla Mihalovich is a California Local News fellow.

Walter Sam Del Biaggio
March 10, 1933 – August 26, 2025

Walt was born in Ferndale and grew up in Rio Dell with his two older brothers, Hank and Arthur. He lived in Humboldt County his entire life, except for a short time in San Francisco, where he attended and completed barber college.

While in San Francisco, Walt made the most important decision of his life: he learned the personal name of God, Jehovah, and in 1955 was baptized as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Throughout his life, he continued to learn about his God and zealously talk about Him in the community.

Also in San Francisco, Walt made the second most important decision of his life — he met and married Diane Birkenseer. This October would have marked their 69th year of marriage.

Many in the community, as well as their children and grandchildren, received a haircut from Walt. He operated Walt’s Barbershop for over 40 years. If you were a youngster, you left with a very short haircut and a bag of chips. Over the years, customers enjoyed watching the tarantulas, seahorses, fish and other critters he kept in tanks. In the aviary connected to the shop, he raised finches, canaries, pigeons and more.

Walt enjoyed many hobbies throughout his life, including playing the accordion, painting and watch repair. He and Diane filled their yard with beautiful roses and their home with African violets and orchids. He loved working on the computer (his nemesis) and was always trying to better himself.

Walt is survived by his beloved wife of 69 years, Diane; his children Rose Marie (Bill), Walt (Pam), Debbie (Marty), and Sam (Terri); his grandchildren Jessie, Radenna, Rachel, Joshua, Staci, Nathan, Sean, Lyndsey, and Sophie; and his great-grandchildren Jacob, Addyson, Ariana, Cadence, Levi, Lincoln, and Penelope. He was preceded in death by his daughter Ruth and his granddaughter Kelley.

A memorial service was held Friday, August 29, 2025. The family extends heartfelt thanks to Doug Chez for his beautiful and comforting talk, and to the many family and friends who joined in person and on Zoom. Your support and kindness have been deeply appreciated.

In Walt’s memory, the family invites you to visit JW.org to find Bible-based answers to life’s most serious questions.