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Two Humboldt County residents were charged in federal court last week for participating in the Jan. 6, 2021, invasion of the U.S. Capitol.

The FBI identified Kristen “Kris” Oliver Cunningham, 53, and his partner, Stacey Lynne Urhammer (aka Stacey Loeser), 54, on surveillance footage at multiple locations within the U.S. Capitol building and grounds, according to a federal indictment filed a week ago. The charges were first reported by Bay Area Fox affiliate KTVU.

In September 2021, eight and a half months after the Capitol attack, the FBI received information that Cunningham and Urhammer had participated in the riots. Almost a year after that, the FBI interviewed an unidentified “tipster” who knows the pair.

This tipster provided the FBI with copies of Instagram direct messages in which Urhammer says it was her idea to attend the Jan. 6 events and Cunningham joined to protect her, according to a statement from FBI Special Agent Chelsea Gutierrez. 

The tipster identified Cunningham and Urhammer from the photo at the top of this post and the one below:

The FBI then reviewed security camera footage along with photos and videos from people in the crowd and found images of Cunningham and Urhammer at various location in and around the Capitol building. The two entered the Capitol at approximately 2:18 p.m. through the Senate Wing Door, according to the FBI.

The image below, taken at about 2:28 p.m., shows Cunningham and Urhammer pushed against the wall next to the Memorial Door arch after a police line pushed the crowd back into the area, according to the court filing.

About half an hour later, after police had pushed rioters out of the Memorial Door area, Cunningham and Urhammer were caught on camera walking down the hallway near the House Wing Door. See below.

Just seconds later, an image appears to show officers pointing for them to leave the Capitol:

All told, the pair was inside the Capitol building for about 40 minutes, according to investigators. 

Arrest warrants were issued last Wednesday. Cunningham and Urhammer appeared at the federal courthouse in McKinleyville last week and are currently free on bond, according to KTVU. They’ve been charged with:

• Entering and Remaining in a Restricted Building or Grounds (
• Disorderly and Disruptive Conduct in a Restricted Building or Grounds
• Disorderly Conduct in a Capitol Building
• Parading, Demonstrating, or Picketing in a Capitol Building

The maximum penalties for each of those first two charges include imprisonment for up to a year, probation for up to five years and a fine of up to $100,000. The second two charges each have maximum penalties of six months in prison, five years of probation and $5,000 fines.

A call to a number listed online for Cunningham went unanswered. We also called a number listed for Urhammer and were either disconnected or hung up on in the middle of leaving a voicemail. When we called back we were instructed by a male voice not to call there again.

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DOCUMENT: Notice of Proceedings and Criminal Complaint

Press release from CalFire:

Prescribed Burn, Table Bluff Lighthouse Area

WHAT: Professionally controlled prescribed burn planned for the consumption of non-native grass on approximately 4 acres.

WHEN: The prescribed burn will take place as conditions allow on Friday, September 13th, 2024.

WHERE: Table Bluff Ecological Reserve. Four miles northwest of Loleta.

WHY: This burn is conducted in partnership with California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) and the Wiyot Tribe. This initial treatment will help to enhance the health of native plant communities, aid in the control of non-native plant species, protect and enhance habitat for culturally significant plant species, and aid in the reduction of hazardous fire fuels.

WHO: CDFW, Wiyot Tribe, Mattole Restoration Council, CAL FIRE.

During these prescribed fire operations, residents may see an increase in fire suppression resource traffic; smoke will be visible and traffic control may be in place. Please be cautious for your safety as well as those working on prescribed burns.

Learn more how you can prepare for wildfire by visiting: www.ReadyForWildfire.org.

Eureka Police Department release: 

The Eureka Police Department is seeking the community’s assistance in identifying the following individuals associated with a series of recent, organized retail thefts. They are likely associated with a grey, 2000 Lexus sedan.

If you have information, please contact EPD’s Criminal Investigations Unit at 707-441-4300.

It’s been a little more than two months since the U.S. Supreme Court gave cities the green light to crack down on homeless encampments. Already, Santa Monica is considering barring its homeless residents from using sleeping bags, San Joaquin County is poised to force unhoused people to move 300 feet every hour, and Fresno has made it illegal to camp anywhere at any time — even if no shelter is available.

At least 14 California cities and one county have passed new ordinances that prohibit camping or updated existing ordinances to make them more punitive, another dozen are considering new bans, and at least four have dusted off old camping bans that hadn’t been fully enforced in years.

The cities taking action span the state, from the Bay Area, to the Central Valley, to Southern California. Many are places where voters lean conservative, but a few are cities run by Democrats, such as San Francisco, Long Beach and Antioch.

The trend toward criminalization marks a significant shift in how California manages the more than 120,000 people who sleep on its streets and sidewalks, and it could lead to more arrests, citations and fines.

“The problem is out of control, and residents are demanding a solution,” said Vista Mayor John Franklin. The city in San Diego County recently voted to resume enforcement of a 1968 ordinance that bans encampments city-wide.

But advocates for the rights of unhoused people worry the push toward enforcement will make the problem worse. Without opening more shelters or affordable housing, breaking up homeless camps will do nothing but shuffle people from one spot to another. Activists say displacing people from encampments can sever their ties to case workers, medical clinics and other vital services. That disruption — in addition to fines and arrests — makes it harder for people to find housing.

“A lot of communities, I think, rather than doing the hard work of providing housing and other services, are criminalizing homelessness and making it illegal for people to stand, sit, sleep or use anything like a blanket,” said Alex Visotzky, senior California policy fellow for the National Alliance to End Homelessness. “And these policies, of course, fail to reduce homelessness and also create additional barriers to housing people.”

‘We’re going to have zero tolerance’

In 2018, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled it was unconstitutional to punish someone for sleeping outside in a public place if there was nowhere else for them to go. For six years, California cities interpreted that to mean they couldn’t unilaterally ban camping, and they couldn’t remove a homeless encampment unless they had a shelter bed available for every person they displaced.

In the summer of this year, that all changed. The U.S. Supreme Court in June determined it was OK for the city of Grants Pass, Oregon to ban camping on all public property, even if there was no room in local homeless shelters. That ruling untied the hands of cities throughout California and other western states, allowing them to impose all manner of restrictions on camping.

A month after the court ruling, Newsom issued an executive order directing state agencies to clear encampments on state property, and encouraging local governments to do the same.

Not long after, the Vista City Council voted to resume enforcing an encampment ban that passed in the 1980s, but hadn’t been enforced since the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It doesn’t allow any daylight or any funny business,” said Mayor Franklin. “It very clearly does not allow you to sleep in any public space, or have a tent or anything else.”

Federal health guidelines recommended cities stop clearing encampments during the pandemic, in an effort to slow the spread of the virus. Vista, like many California cities, complied. As a result, the city saw a massive explosion in encampments, Franklin said.

Vista opened its first homeless shelter this year, with 36 beds for city residents. The city had 170 unsheltered homeless residents this year, according to its most recent point-in-time count. But Franklin says on most days, there are shelter beds available, and people decline them when offered.

Franklin hopes the ordinance will get people to agree to addiction treatment and other services as a way to stave off prosecution. But so far, many of the people who received a citation haven’t shown up in court — – and continue to live on the street.

“We’re going to have zero tolerance. We’re going to have definitive enforcement.”
— Tom Patti, supervisor, San Joaquin board

The San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors this week OK’d changes to its camping ordinance that would prohibit sleeping in a tent, sleeping bag or car for more than 60 minutes. It would also prohibit someone from sleeping within 300 feet of anywhere they had previously slept within the past 24 hours.

“We’re going to have zero tolerance,” Supervisor Tom Patti told CalMatters. “We’re going to have definitive enforcement.”

The county will continue to offer people shelter, he said. But if they refuse, “We’re going to offer them the opportunity to visit our local county jail.”

The changes to the camping ordinance are up for final approval Sept. 24.

Homelessness more than doubled in San Joaquin County this year compared to 2022 — the largest increase of any county in California, according to a CalMatters analysis of point-in-time count data. The county changed the way it counted this year, which could account for at least some of the significant increase. But Krista Fiser, chair of the organization that conducted the count, acknowledged: “Anecdotally, you can see it’s getting worse.”

Several projects designed to help have yet to be completed, including new shelters in Stockton, Tracy and Manteca.

Other cities are ramping up enforcement without changing the rules. The Folsom Police Department created a new homeless outreach team in July, which will enforce the city’s existing camping ban, Police Chief Rick Hillman told ABC10.

San Francisco Mayor London Breed also has been vocal about her intention to aggressively crack down on encampments.

Court orders, and camping bans with caveats

For at least one city, cracking down on encampments isn’t as simple as passing a new ordinance.

In 2022, the city of Chico settled a lawsuit filed by eight homeless residents over the city’s enforcement of its anti-camping ordinances. Under the terms of that agreement, the city now has to jump through a series of hoops before it can remove an encampment, such as: Notifying plaintiffs’ lawyers, giving a 10-day warning to the camp occupants, and making sure there are enough shelter beds available for everyone about to be displaced. The city can’t clear more than three encampments at one time.

But that settlement was based on outdated legal precedents, according to Chico officials. Now that the tide has turned, with the Supreme Court giving cities more power to enforce camping bans, Chico wants out of the agreement.

“It’s absurdly restrictive,” City Manager Mark Sorensen said. The city filed a motion asking the judge to vacate the settlement, and is awaiting a ruling.

Other cities, at least on paper, are taking a cautious approach by allowing law enforcement to cite and arrest homeless people — but only in specific situations.

“The problem is out of control, and residents are demanding a solution.”
— John Franklin, Vista mayor

In July, the Palm Springs City Council banned camping on sidewalks and in parks and other public spaces — if shelter is available. The ban won’t go into effect until the city finishes construction of its new homeless shelter, which likely will be later this month.

“We want to do everything possible to ensure people have a roof over their heads and a place to stay, as opposed to just sweeping away the problem,” said Mayor Jeffrey Bernstein.

The Berkeley City Council on Tuesday green-lighted a resolution that says the city will continue to offer people shelter whenever “practicable.” When no shelter is available the city would be able to cite or arrest people only if their encampment meets certain criteria: If it poses a fire or health hazard, is on a street median, is a public nuisance or interferes with construction work.

That proposal didn’t pass muster with local activists, who sent a letter in opposition to the mayor and City Council. Council members will vote once more on the measure before it becomes final.

“If approved, the City will have moved forward with a resolution that undermines the City’s stated commitment to best practices and to housing first principles without taking any steps to actually resolve the homelessness crisis,” wrote the East Bay Community Law Center, joined by several other organizations. “ Instead, this resolution would effectively criminalize individuals for being unhoused; place unhoused residents at increased risk and subject them to loss of community.”

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CalMatters.org is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media venture explaining California policies and politics.

Malena Russell passed away on July 21, 2024 at the age of 49, after a battle with pancreatic cancer. Malena was born in Banning, Calif. on September 22, 1974 to her parents Bette Rosamond and Dave Kindley. Malena grew up in Eureka, where she loved to be outdoors with her two brothers, David and Willis. You could also always find Malena at her dad’s woodworking Shop, Kindley’s Burl. Family was Malena’s core value even as a child.

Malena went on to attend Eureka High School. During her junior year she met the love of her life, James Russell. Shortly after graduating Malena gave birth to their daughter, Holley, on Halloween of 1993. Not long after she gave birth to her son, Cody, May 26, 1997. Being a mom came easy to Malena. She made sure she gave her children a beautiful and loving childhood, and taught them strong family values. Her greatest joy, though, was becoming a “Mimi” to her seven grandchildren: Cadance, Kinsley, Gabriella, Swasey, Winslow, Arlo and Malinda.

Malena was not only a selfless and caring mother, but also human. Malena worked as a caregiver at many local facilities, some of which include: Adult Day Health Care, Humboldt County Adult Rehabilitation and Idaho State Mental Institution. She had a passion for helping others, which speaks strongly to her character and who she was as a person. She was always putting others before herself.

Malena was an amazing human, who always had a smile on her face and a joke ready. She loved making the people around her laugh, and feel loved/appreciated. She will be missed greatly by all who knew her.

Malena will be missed dearly by her husband James Russell, daughter Holley Stevenson (husband Trent Stevenson, and grandchildren Winslow & Kinsley Stevenson, Cadance Biane.) son Cody Russell (wife Olivia Smith, grandchildren Gabriella, Swasey, Malinda Russell, & Arlo Smith), brothers David and Willis Kindley, mother Bette Kindley, nieces, nephews, and countless friends and extended family.

Malena is preceded in death by her father Dave Kindley, grandparents Elmer and Doris Kindley, and sister-in-law Glenna Kindley.

She was interred in Eureka. Her celebration of life will be held on September 14 at the Portuguese Hall in Arcata. If you would like to be invited, please reach out to the family directly for specific information. The family is asking for everyone to please pray for them during this tragic time.

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Danny Eugene Olson Jr. was born September 13, 1982 to Danny Sr. and Brenda Olson in Eureka, and passed away August 26, 2024 in Mineral Springs, Arkansas.

Danny was an incredibly kind, loving, gentle soul. Always looking for the positive in life. He had the sweetest smile and infectious laugh. He loved music, fishing, animals and nature in general. He loved to tinker and could fix anything that was broken, especially cars and electronics.

Danny proudly served his country in the U.S. Air Force Reserves. He then went on to driving truck, mostly long haul. Although he stepped away a few times to challenge himself in other professions, he would ultimately find himself back in the driver’s seat seeing the countryside and making friends along the way.

Although Danny has left us far too soon and completely heartbroken, he has given us all the beautiful lasting memories of his 42 years of life that will never ever be forgotten and will help to carry us through this unbelievable loss.

Danny is preceded by his grandfather Melvin “Mel” Gross, his great grandfather John Mitts Sr, his great grandmother Florence Mitts, his grandmother Joyce Gross and his great uncle Jon Mitts.

Danny is survived by his mother Brenda Olson, his father Danny Olson Sr. (Jan), his brothers Shane and Cole Olson, his grandfather Robert Olson, his grandmother Cheri Olson, his aunts, Teresa Welch (Herman), Teri Gross and Melanie Noe (Larry).

Rosalie Agnes Watts (Kayser)
February 26, 1947 - August 29, 2024

Rosalie was born and raised in Vancouver, Canada. She was the second eldest of her four siblings: Marlene, Janice, Ken and Terry Kayser.

When she was 18, she moved to the States, and started her adult life in San Francisco. She attended Simpson Bible College, worked various jobs, and started a family. Rose was a very loving, caring, uplifting person to know, always finding and focusing on the positive things in life. She had a special way about her that influenced others to enjoy an active lifestyle outdoors.

She found beauty in God’s creation and had a strong desire for adventure and exploring the outdoors. You would always find her out in the fresh air, from hiking in the woods, quad riding in the desert or beach, boogie boarding at the beach, exploring caves, backpacking into volcanoes, to taking her daily walks. She was talented in her crafts with nature, rock collecting, natural furniture making, etc.

She had many friends and family who will miss her dearly. Rose is survived by her four children and their spouses: Jed and Janera Watts, Starline and Mark Pitlock, Mindy and Brad Adorador, Larz and Summer Watts. She is also survived by her eight grandchildren: Janessa, Chandler, Sharlene, Kendall, Bella, Nicolas, Oliver and Reid.

Rose also left behind her special companion, Kelly Rarey, whom she enjoyed the last year of her life with, as they still traveled, and lived life to the fullest together. At 77 years old, Rosalie (Rose) passed away peacefully to join our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ in Heaven, where her husband of 55 years, Lawrence Watts, is also. We are comforted in knowing she is in eternity with God.

Friends and family are invited to attend her Celebration of Life on Saturday, September 28 at 2 p.m., held at Freshwater Park: 3100 Freshwater Rd. Eureka, CA 95503. Please email to RSVP: mlwatts76@yahoo.com

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