Press release from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office:
The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office has been receiving reports of licensed cannabis farms and nurseries selling products on the black market. During the week of May 9, 2022, the Sheriff’s Marijuana Enforcement Team (MET) conducted a compliance investigation into the sale of cannabis plants online via Facebook Marketplace. The seller was known to deputies to be a licensed cannabis cultivator, authorized to both cultivate cannabis to full term and function as a nursery for clones/starts.
Members of the Marijuana Enforcement Team contacted the seller via the social media platform and arranged to purchase 1,500 cannabis clones. Under California Commercial Cannabis Regulations, the sale of cannabis clones/starts can only be conducted between licensees. The seller agreed to sell the clones to undercover deputies without a license.
On May 16, MET deputies conducted an undercover operation to attempt to complete the illegal purchase of 1,500 clones with the seller at a licensed nursery in the Dinsmore area. Upon arrival to the property, undercover deputies met with the seller who agreed to sell the clones with no paperwork and provided untagged clones to the deputies, in violation of California Track and Trace requirements. Following the illegal transaction, deputies executed a search warrant on the property with the assistance of Humboldt County Code Enforcement and the California Department of Food and Agriculture.
During the service of the warrant, deputies inspected the nursery operation, in addition to a full-term cultivation operation. The seller was found to be in compliance with their full-term cultivation license and no full-term plants were eradicated. However, during the investigation, deputies found the seller to be out of compliance with their nursery license, noting a discrepancy of thousands of plants reported as “lost” to the Department of Cannabis Control. Evidence of illegal clone sales was found during a search of the property, with many of the “lost” plants believed to have been sold outside of the State’s Track and Trace program.
Due to the violation of the nursery license, approximately 22,000 cannabis plants associated with the nursery were eradicated. Approximately 15 pounds of untagged, packaged cannabis bud were seized and destroyed.
No arrests were made during the service of this warrant. The case is being forwarded to the Humboldt County District Attorney’s Office for review and prosecution.
Anyone with information about this case or related 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.
On Monday May 16th , 2022, the Humboldt County Drug Task Force (HCDTF) served a search warrant in
the 1300 block of Santa Clara St. in Eureka. This warrant was the result of an investigation into multiple
community complaints about drug activity at the residence negatively affecting the entire neighborhood.
Agents detained four subjects inside the residence without incident.
During a search of the property agents located 2 ounces of fentanyl, 2 ounces of methamphetamine, 3
ounces of heroin, and 1 ounce of cocaine. Agents also located a digital scale & packaging material. Charles
“Chuck” Gay (47 years old from Eureka) was arrested and booked for the following charges:
11351 H&S Possession of fentanyl/heroin/cocaine for sale
11378 H&S Possession of methamphetamine for sale
11366.5 H&S Maintaining or operating a drug house
Anyone with information related to this investigation or other narcotics related crimes are encouraged to
call the Humboldt County Drug Task Force at 707-267-9976.
Timothy Paul Tanner (Timmy, 70) passed peacefully in his sleep at home in Rio Dell on May 13, 2022. Timothy was born on May 1, 1952 in Pasadena. He grew up in Duarte, Calif. and attended Duarte High School. Timmy was the student body president of his high school for all four years and graduated in 1969. His classmates called him Sunshine Smile, a nickname that was true ‘til the end.
In his early adult years he was a genuine hippie and a mad scientist. He owned and operated a nightclub called the Wood Sound where he hosted many bands, such as The Rolling Stones. He raved about his peak in the ‘70s when he owned Persian rugs and even a few Porsches. ‘In the 80s he found himself in love and raised his first family in Southern Oregon. While in Oregon he built log cabins from scratch and tried his hand at living off the land. He gained a green thumb and perfected his art of wood carving. In the early ‘90s he met his soul mate, Christianne, and asked her children for their blessing to marry her. The only tattoo he ever got was her name across his heart.
He raised his second family in Sacramento, where he worked hard at various construction jobs and Caltrans. He raised four step kids, from two marriages, as his own, and was always true to his word, keeping every promise he made to his kids, and not making promises he knew he couldn’t keep.
Timmy continued his passion for wood carving, winning first place for his work at the Humboldt County Fair in Ferndale. To get inspiration for his carvings he would wander the woods looking for burls or roam the beaches looking for driftwood, then ask his loved ones what they saw. He would turn an abstract thought into reality in the wood, taking weeks or even months to get it right. He was a passionate man, not afraid to cry, which often made us laugh because he wouldn’t hold back even in public. This passion and emotion bled into his outstanding poetry. He was a true poet and when he fell in love with his wife, he wrote her a love poem daily for years. He wrote a poem for everyone he loved, and he loved deeply.
He enjoyed fishing, especially with his mother, but everyone knows he would never beat her in a derby – even in her 90s. Timmy also cherished his mother, spending her and his last years together as much as possible. They would talk politics and play cards; they would laugh and cry together. He truly was his mother’s son, and it was always obvious how much she loved him back.
Timmy made a great dad to his kids. Some of the best times were spent in his garden having deep conversation or weekends at the family lake house on Lake of The Pines in Auburn, Calif., but he also gave the best lectures when they were in trouble and never let his kids leave the house without saying, “Make good decisions,” which continues to resonate with them still as adults. More than that though was his ability to really listen and be fair. As his kids grew up and also became parents he quickly fell in love with his grandkids, and he stole all of their hearts with his Papa charm. Timmy’s inner child came out around his grandkids, and he was always so impressed by their individual talents and beauty. He was a deep listener to all his friends and loved ones, showing the kind of interest in people that they only dreamed of. His life was a wild ride and he gained and gave many nicknames: Sunshine Smile, Mugz Mcgerk, Baby Butthead, Papa, Poppy Seed, and Love Queer to name a few. His laugh was genuine and contagious; his tears were unstoppable whether he was happy or sad. He was incredibly loyal, and he loved his wife tenderly. He found joy in “nature tripping” with her and had a need for aesthetic views in mother nature.
Timothy is survived by his wife of 28 years, Christianne Tanner (56); his brother, Christopher Tanner (of New York) (Anthony Rocanello); his children: Amanda Foltz (47, of Florida), Brent Foltz (45, of Florida) (May Mercado-Foltz (45)), Jillian Dwyer (36, of San Diego, CA) (Charles Marcus Alvarez (37)), and Brittany Berger (33, of Portland, OR) (Aaron Berger (36)); his grandchildren: Blake Schmidt (13), Ash (Sally) Berger (13), Alice Berger (11), Emma Berger (11), Fernanda Berger (7), Maggie Foltz (7), Vida Alvarez (6), and Ezra Alvarez(1); as well as many cousins. He is preceded in death by his mother, Hon. Sally Tanner (Hon. Patricia Hofstetter), his father, Paul (Pat) Tanner, and many dear friends.
Services for local friends and immediate family will be held at the Rio Dell Fire Hall at 50 West Center St., Rio Dell, on Friday May 20th at 10 a.m. with lunch and refreshments to follow. A later memorial is being planned to occur in August in El Monte with actual date TBD.
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The obituary above was submitted by Timothy Tanner’s loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here. Email news@lostcoastoutpost.com.
Press release from Arcata City Councilmember Brett Watson:
On May 17th at 6pm at Arcata City Hall there will be a
meeting to discuss the false allegations against me.
The allegations
against me are from a time in my life when I was recovering from a
personal tragedy. That, in addition to some ongoing personal
challenges, contributed to the present circumstances.
It should be
clear that at no time did I sexually proposition anyone. Also at no
time did any staff advise me that any interactions were unwelcome.
The investigation and findings seem to be a political play meant to
take advantage of my tragedy for the power of a select few.
For anyone who
cross references the 29 page report summary against me with the
provided texts and emails within the 600 page report, it will be
clear that much of the report comes to false and biased conclusions.
There is no
evidence that I ever expected anything from the staff member at
issue. In the report produced by the City’s own investigator, there
is an abundance of evidence showing she enjoyed spending time with
me, she looked forward to it, and she encouraged it. She baked me
cookies, offered me food she brought from home, sent me pictures of
her vacations, and she sent me many unsolicited texts and emails
after work hours and on the weekends. Our relationship was 100%
consensual. The 600-page report is filled with this evidence and it
was completely ignored by the investigator, showing the
investigator’s clear bias against me.
The Arcata
taxpayers paid for this report and own it so I implore you to take
the time to read the entire report to make your own determination, as
there is an abundant amount of evidence that the investigation was
poorly done and conducted by an investigator looking to justify a
negative conclusion against me. If you don’t have the time to read
all 600 pages, open the report to any of the texts and emails and
start reading.
I was never
notified by any legal document approved by the City Council to change
any of my behaviors, and I don’t take direction from attorneys who
have demonstrated clear biases against me. All of these actions are
merely a charade to appear as if the City has acted responsibly
rather than predetermined my guilt. It’s customary for an attorney
like Tom O’Connell to advise the Council not to say they believe
any of the allegations to be true because it would expose the City to
lawsuits. Typically, a council would be advised to make statements
such as, “…if the allegations are true…” without saying they
actually believe them to be true. If the City Council can’t look
the public in the eye and say they believe these allegations to be
true, then it makes no logical sense for them to consider any form of
limitations on my actions or behaviors. There is not one shred of
evidence showing I’m a danger to the Staff or anyone for that
matter.
The City
continues to this day to violate its own harassment and
discrimination policy. In late January of this year, I made a formal
complaint of harassment and discrimination by the city attorney, the
personnel director, and the city manager. My complaints were ignored
for months. I haven’t received a letter acknowledging the
complaints per the City’s harassment and discrimination policy and
there is only now talk of an investigation four months after I made
complaints, and after the investigation into me has concluded
(assuring my complaints are downplayed). Again, this is in violation
of the City’s own harassment and discrimination policy.
These same people
who have been harassing and discriminating against me were also
allowed to be witnesses against me in the report and had regular
communication with the investigator, influencing the investigation.
This makes no sense at all as they have clear conflicts of interest
and have shown strong biases against me.
I encourage the
community to attend the City Council meeting on May 17th
at 6pm at Arcata City Hall, join via Zoom, or watch it on channel 10.
It’s time the community gets a true and clear understanding of the
false allegations against me and the abundance of evidence that
demonstrates I’ve never harassed or have ever been a danger to
anyone.
We at the Lost
Coast Outpost love and esteem
our crosstown colleagues at the Eureka Times-Standard.
Let the ad salespeople at our respective publications rip out each
others’ throats on the field of battle. Let the money men Spy v.
Spy their way to victory over cocktails at the Ingomar. All that is
as it should be, and sometimes it is a really amazing spectacle!
But
never suppose that any of that could fracture the rock-solid
fraternity that we content creators enjoy. I will say it again: We
love and esteem our crosstown colleagues at the Times-Standard.
More than one of us were among their ranks, once upon a time! Before
we GTFO’d outta there, I mean.
Why
is it incorrect? Well, in the story, reporter Sonia Waraich, who does
lots of great work, takes a look at the quarterly
affordability data gathered by the California Association of
Realtors, which is a useful thing to do. There she finds that the
association’s “Housing Affordability Index” for Humboldt County
has dropped to 30 – down from 39 one year ago.
What
is the housing affordability index? The California Association of
Realtors explains:
C.A.R.’s Housing Affordability Index (HAI) measures the
percentage of households that can afford to purchase a median-priced,
single-family home in California. C.A.R. also reports affordability
indices for regions and select counties within the state.
So what does that mean? It means, according to the association’s
estimates, that 30 percent of Humboldt County families could afford
the median-priced home for sale in Humboldt County – down from 39
percent of families a year ago.
But what does the T-S say it means? It says:
At the start of 2021, about 39% of households could
afford a single-family home in the county, but that dropped to 30% at
the start of this year, according to data released earlier this month
by the California Association of Realtors.
Do you notice the missing word,
there? That word is “median.” It should say: “At the start of
2021, about 39% of households could afford the median-priced
single-family home in the county, but that dropped to 30 percent at
the start of this year…”
Saying
that only 30 percent of households can afford to buy a home
is a lot different than saying that only 30 percent of households can
afford to buy the
median-priced home. Because why? Because there are many homes for
sale that are cheaper
than the median-priced home. Exactly half of them, in fact!
Thank
you for allowing me this gentle correction, for
which I deeply apologize, and
#savelocalnews.
A paraglider leaps from Scenic Drive. | Video by Scott Hammond.
For eons, man hath dared to achieve the miracle of flight. Over the weekend, one Humboldt County resident successfully slipped the gravelly bonds of Scenic Drive and did soar among the birds.
Footage of a paraglider repeatedly taking off from Scenic Drive made the rounds on social media over the weekend.
McKinleyville resident Scott Hammond told the Outpost that he and his wife were enjoying their usual date night at Houda Point on Saturday when they spotted the man gracefully soaring into Houda Cove.
“He was there two days in a row, Friday night and Saturday night,” Hammond said.
While paragliders are a common sight at Table Bluff, it’s far less common to see one gliding over the treacherous cliffside near Camel Rock.
Onlookers say they didn’t catch the man’s full name. However, Hammond said that the daredevil told him he was originally from Ashland, Oregon, and that he now lives in Humboldt County.
Welcome to Humboldt, crazy paraglider man.
Fun fact: Houda Cove is also where Hollywood’s Daniel Radcliffe and Paul Dano filmed the opening scene of “Swiss Army Man” in 2015.
Press release from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office:
On May 14, 2022, at about 1:31 a.m., a Humboldt County Sheriff’s deputy on patrol in the Hoopa area conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle in the area of Pine Creek Road and Loop Road. The Hoopa Valley Tribal Police Department responded to assist.
The driver of the vehicle, 25-year-old Maxine Rose White, was known to law enforcement to be on probation with a search clause. Additionally, the passenger of the vehicle, 30-year-old Timothy Robert Ulrich Jr., was found to have an outstanding felony warrant for his arrest. During a search of the vehicle, deputies located a firearm, ammunition, approximately .96 grams of suspected methamphetamine, approximately 7.46 grams of suspected fentanyl and drug paraphernalia.
Ulrich Jr. was arrested and booked into the Humboldt County Correctional Facility on charges of felon in possession of a firearm (PC 29800(a)(1)), possession of a controlled substance while armed (HS 11370.1(a)), possession of a narcotic controlled substance (HS 11350(a)), possession of a controlled substance (HS 11377(a)), possession of a controlled substance paraphernalia (HS 11364(a)), person prohibited in possession of ammunition (PC 30305(a)) and parole revocation (PC 3000.08(f)).
White was cited and released on charges of possession of a narcotic controlled substance (HS 11350(A)) and violation of probation (PC 1203.2(A)).
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.
