Press release from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office:

Andrea “Chick”White

The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office would like to announce a $20,000 reward for information leading to the location of Andrea “Chick” White.

The reward is a combination of $15,000 from the Hoopa Valley Tribe, and $5,000 from the Bureau of Indian Affairs Missing and Murdered Unit.

White was last seen on July 31st, 1991, on Highway 299 near the Blue Lake offramp. She is described as a Native American woman, brown hair, brown eyes, approximately 5 feet tall and weighing approximately 115 pounds. 

Anyone with information on this case is asked to call Cold Case Investigator Mike Fridley with the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office at 707-441-3024.

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

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California showed it was serious about regulating Big Tech in 2025 — and Big Tech showed it was serious about coming to the statehouse and fighting back.

The upshot was a barrage of laws designed to curb tech harms but often in watered down form.

Take San Francisco Democratic Sen. Scott Weiner’s legislation to keep artificial intelligence systems from enabling catastrophes like biological weapons attacks. The original version would have mandated safeguards over AI systems and imposed possible liability on their developers.Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed it amid concerns that it would stifle innovation in the state’s booming AI industry. This year’s version, signed into law, merely requires big AI companies to publish safety frameworks and creates a pathway for reporting safety incidents.

Similar dilutions occurred over other tech proposals. Of various bills to regulate data centers, those mandating disclosure of water and power use failed while one merely letting regulators look into those uses passed. On AI chatbots talking to kids, a bill outright banning any harmful chats failed while one just requiring protocols for suicidal users became law. A similar process winnowed six bills to regulate algorithmic pricing down to one signed by the governor, forbidding tech platforms from requiring their business customers to use their pricing recommendations.

That came after another year of aggressive lobbying by tech companies, sometimes behind the scenes.

Still, advocates for more regulation won some outright victories, including a new browser setting to forbid websites from transferring personal data. Experts say this “opt out” will end up helping consumers across the U.S.

Meanwhile, California’s executive branch struggled with the process of guarding against online hackers, losing its top cybersecurity official amid discord in the office that position oversees. Law enforcement agencies across the state also struggled to correctly handle the digital data they collected, with many local police departments illegally sharing information on vehicle movements, gleaned from automated license plate readers, with federal agencies like Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

2026 outlook

Next year will see no end to the tension between protecting Californians from artificial intelligence and the impulse to protect the flow of money into the industry. An ambitious bill requiring disclosure of AI use in consequential decisions, such as in housing and education, will return. Data centers will stir controversy as AI spikes their power use, potentially opening the door to nuclear power. Lastly, the Trump administration and Republicans in Congress have drawn up proposals — thus far not acted upon — to preempt state laws regulating AI. If enacted, such plans would hit California hardest.

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

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Days after 2025 began, two fires scorched through Los Angeles neighborhoods, the most destructive in California’s history. The Eaton and Pacific Palisades fires also renewed attention to issues such as utility oversight, insurance coverage, and the broader challenges of wildfire planning in a changing climate. And their harms rippled outward, leaving thousands of low-income workers and immigrants without jobs.

But California found pushing its climate agenda forward to be an uphill battle this year: Ambitious climate goals faced a hostile federal government economic pressures.

Anticipating opposition from President Donald Trump, state leaders chose to abandon important clean-air rules before he even took office, including plans to phase out diesel trucks and transition to cleaner trains. Nearing mid-year, Trump and his allies in Congress blocked the state’s clean-car mandate, a blow to emissions reduction plans.

Nevertheless, as part of budget negotiations, Gov. Gavin Newsom sought to reauthorize California’s landmark cap-and-trade program, launching a debate that would resolve in the final hours of the legislative session.

Blaming climate and environmental regulation, Phillips 66 and Valero followed through on plans to shutter oil refineries, raising concerns about gas prices and the future of the state’s oil industry. In Wilmington, Phillips 66 is now closed. A high-profile explosion at Chevron’s El Segundo refinery nearby underscored persistent safety and environmental risks tied to remaining facilities.

By the end of the legislative session, these issues converged, as legislators passed a six-bill deal that included a plan to boost oil drilling, relief for ratepayers who fund wildfire mitigation, and an extension of the now rebranded “cap-and-invest” program.

As lawmakers passed sweeping reforms to California’s landmark environmental review law, critics warned exemptions may make it easier for potentially high-polluting advanced manufacturing facilities to take root in already vulnerable areas.

Longstanding conflicts over water continued to simmer this year. The governor continued pressing to fast-track a $20 billion tunnel around the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta to send more water south — to the outrage of Delta lawmakers. And dry conditions led to dire projections for the Colorado River, a vital water supply for Southern California. They ramped up the tensions — and the urgency — as negotiators from states that rely on the river tried, and failed, to reach a deal portioning out water supplies.

2026 Outlook

Affordability, the cost of climate adaptation, and pollution harms, in the skies and in the waste stream, continue to be key issues for California. As Gov. Gavin Newsom’s balancing act continues, the state will navigate tensions with environmental justice advocates unhappy with compromises. Emerging risks include the cost – in energy and water – of data centers, and the environmental consequences of the battery economy.

Gabriela “Gabi” Anne Didion
December 29, 1994 — November 28, 2025

Gabriela “Gabi” Didion was born on December 29, 1994, in Pasadena, California. She studied mathematics at the University of California, Santa Cruz, before moving to Arcata in 2019. Prior to settling in Humboldt County, Gabi lived in Santa Cruz, where she also formed many meaningful friendships that remained important to her throughout her life.

From a young age, Gabi carried a strong sense of acceptance, warmth, and quiet strength that naturally drew people toward her. She had an unmistakable spirit — resilient, compassionate, intelligent, and deeply alive — and she showed up for others with sincerity and heart, even if it sometimes took hours for her to get there. To know Gabi was to feel seen, supported, and genuinely cared for.

Gabi loved good food, travel, spending time with friends, and the finer things in life. She had a keen eye for clothes and jewelry, a deep appreciation for beauty, and a natural affinity for her home, her plants, and the spaces she nurtured.

She was a huge and vital part of her community and a friend to many. Gabi had a rare ability to connect people from all walks of life, bringing warmth and humanity wherever she went. She carried herself with courage and resilience through life’s challenges, maintaining a positive and hopeful spirit even in moments of uncertainty. Her laughter, sense of humor, presence, and loyalty will be remembered by all who were fortunate enough to share life and space with her.

Gabi was a beloved daughter, friend, community member and radiant presence in the lives of so many. 

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

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Press release from the California Department of Fish & Wildlife:

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) is initiating efforts in northern California to capture deer, elk and wolves by helicopter and outfit the animals with GPS collars.

Helicopter captures for deer and elk will be conducted in portions of Alameda, Colusa, Humboldt, Lake, Lassen, Modoc, Plumas, Santa Clara, Sierra, Siskiyou and Tehama counties throughout the month of January 2026. 

Capturing and collaring mule deer, tule, and Rocky Mountain elk improves CDFW’s understanding of species distribution, habitat use, abundance, migration patterns, recruitment rates and survival.

Capture teams will be targeting wolves in Siskiyou, Lassen and Tehama counties and potentially other uncollared packs or wolf groups in Modoc, Shasta and Plumas counties. Any captured wolves will be returned to the nearest suitable public land habitat after processing.

Deployed collars will transmit data to CDFW scientists daily for up to three years and provide detailed information about animal movements, habitat preferences and locations. For collared wolves specifically, CDFW will share animal location information with cattle and sheep producers with the goal of reducing negative interactions with the understanding GPS tracking collars do not transmit data in real-time. Wolf movement and location data will automatically feed into CDFW’s online Wolf Tracker mapping tool.

Wildlife capture operations will take place on lands managed by CDFW, the USDA Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management as well as on private properties with permission from landowners. CDFW is grateful to the USDA Forest Service, BLM, timberland owners and other private parties for providing access to their lands for these wildlife capture efforts.

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Eureka Police Commander Leonard La France tells the Outpost via email that the incident described below (and pictured above) marks the third injury-inducing traffic collision today.

Press release from the Eureka Police Department:

On December 29, 2025, at approximately 11:15 a.m., EPD Patrol Officers responded to the intersection of H Street and Hodgson Street following a report of an injury traffic collision.

Upon arrival, officers located a collision involving three vehicles, one of which had rolled over. At least one individual sustained injuries and was transported to a local hospital; the injuries appeared to be non-life-threatening. Preliminary investigation indicates the collision was caused by one of the drivers failing to yield to oncoming traffic. Alcohol or impairment do not appear to be a factor.

This incident remains an active investigation. Anyone who witnessed the collision or has information that may assist investigators is urged to contact the Eureka Police Department at 707-441-4300 (Officer Sollom).

This collision underscores an ongoing concern for traffic safety within our community.

Compared to 2024, during the first eleven months of 2025, EPD increased traffic enforcement efforts by 233%, from 2,415 traffic stops to 8,060. These efforts include addressing speeding on major roadways, distracted driving, unsafe driving behaviors, driving under the influence, and reckless driving. EPD has also taken steps to arrest drivers operating vehicles at dangerous speeds and in a reckless manner throughout the city.

In addition to enforcement, EPD has launched public awareness efforts such as the Slow Down Eureka campaign, increased transparency by sharing information about significant collisions, and ongoing advocacy for improved traffic control measures at high-risk locations.

Despite these efforts, overall traffic collisions have only decreased slightly (by approximately 3%) and officers continue to observe dangerous driving behaviors that negatively impact the safety and well-being of our community.

EPD no longer has a dedicated Traffic Unit, meaning traffic enforcement is handled by a small number of Patrol Officers (often only four to six) who must balance these efforts while responding to emergency calls across the city. Despite these limitations, EPD remains committed to improving roadway safety; however, enforcement alone is not enough to address the ongoing challenges we face. We need the community’s help.

Drivers, pedestrians, and bicyclists all play a critical role in roadway safety. We ask everyone to slow down, remain alert, be patient, and follow the rules of the road. Take extra time to look both ways (more than once) before entering intersections, and pause briefly when a traffic light turns green to ensure it is safe to proceed.

Together, through shared responsibility and awareness, we can reduce preventable collisions and make Eureka’s roadways safer for everyone.

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Press release from the Klamath Indigenous Land Trust and PacifiCorp:

Klamath Basin, CA/OR — Today, as salmon return to the headwaters of the Klamath River for the first time in over a century, the newly formed Klamath Indigenous Land Trust (KILT) and PacifiCorp announced the landmark purchase of 10,000 acres in and around the former reservoir reach of the river. This transaction represents one of the largest private land purchases by an Indigenous-led land trust in U.S. history. 

“Dam removal allowed the salmon to return home. Returning these lands to Indigenous care ensures that home will be a place where they can flourish and recover,” said Molli Myers (Karuk), President of the Klamath Indigenous Land Trust Board of Directors. “Our communities spent generations fighting for this moment and we honor our ancestors who carried this vision forward. The healing that’s underway is real, and this acquisition reflects the future we’re building together as People of the Klamath Basin.  

PacifiCorp, the previous landowner, partnered with KILT to complete the sale following a decades long Indigenous-led effort to remove four dams on the Klamath River, completed last year. The purchase includes lands upstream and adjacent to the former hydropower project that are central to the future health of the river and its fisheries. With this transfer, stewardship of these lands will be guided by Indigenous values and ecological restoration goals for the first time in over a century.

“PacifiCorp is gratified to see these lands transition to a stewardship model that honors their cultural and ecological significance,” said Ryan Flynn, president of Pacific Power, the division of PacifiCorp that serves customers in California, Oregon and Washington. “We recognize the leadership of the Klamath Basin Tribes and KILT in shaping a restoration vision that will benefit the entire region.”

KILT was formed by Indigenous leaders from four different Klamath Basin Tribes who met after the 2002 Fish Kill and spent the next two decades committed to the grass roots movement to un-dam the Klamath and bring their salmon home. “We are from different Tribes and we each have our own cultural traditions, but it was through working together and by bringing Tribal People from all over the Basin together that created this moment,” said KILT Board Vice President Wendy Ferris-George (Hupa/Karuk).

With the acquisition complete, KILT’s next steps include developing comprehensive land management plans with input from area Tribes, ensuring stewardship reflects both cultural values and ecological priorities. These plans will address habitat recovery, cultural resource protection, fire management, and public access considerations.

“This is the next chapter in the Klamath River’s renewal,” Board member Jeff Mitchell (Klamath/Modoc) added. “It’s proof that Indigenous leadership and community partnerships can achieve transformational change at a landscape scale.”

Funding for the purchase was kindly provided by The Catena Foundation, the Community Foundation of New Jersey, and an anonymous donor.

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About KILT:

The Klamath Indigenous Land Trust was formed last year by a group of colleagues and friends who worked together for over two decades on the Bring the Salmon Home campaign that led to the eventual removal of the lower four Klamath River dams. KILT’s Mission is to protect and preserve land for the benefit of Klamath Basin Tribal communities and to advance public interest purposes such as fish and wildlife habitat restoration and enhancement, public education, and public recreational access. In this way we seek to empower Klamath Basin tribal communities by providing them with greater control over their land and resources through facilitating and supporting land returns, conservation easements, and other mechanisms.

About PacifiCorp:

PacifiCorp is one of the lowest-cost electrical providers in the United States, serving more than 2 million customers. The company operates as Rocky Mountain Power in Idaho, Utah and Wyoming and as Pacific Power in California, Oregon and Washington. PacifiCorp provides safe and reliable service through a vast, integrated system of generation and transmission that connects communities with the largest regulated utility owner of wind power in the West. For more information, visit PacifiCorp.com.