Local Nonprofit Buys 14.6 Acres in McKinleyville Town Center With Plans to Build 101 Senior Apartments and Cottages

LoCO Staff / Friday, June 27 @ 11:25 a.m. / Community Services , Housing

Susan Mazur and Jeff Jordan join Life Plan Humboldt Board President Dr. Ann Lindsay, Chair of the McKinleyville Advisory Committee Mary Burke, and Humboldt County Supervisor Steve Madrone. | Photo by JoAnn Schuch.


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Press release from Life Plan Humboldt:

Life Plan Humboldt (LPH), a not-for-profit organization developing Humboldt County’s first resident-driven 62+ living community for active adults, has officially closed escrow on 14.58 acres in the McKinleyville Town Center. LPH represents one of a very few grassroots, community-driven senior housing projects to be developed in decades across the United States.

In an effort to provide residences for older adults in Humboldt County, this local nonprofit was founded in 2020 to create a lifestyle-focused neighborhood for adults aged 62 and older. Across America, rural and remote communities face a growing challenge: how to provide older adults with vibrant, connected options for aging in place, allowing people to age in the communities they love.

Life Plan Humboldt answers that call — offering a thoughtful, nonprofit model of independent living that’s rooted in community and designed for sustainability.

With the land purchase now complete, LPH moves closer to realizing its vision: a community of approximately 101 cottages and apartments designed to support active aging, complete with walking trails, dining options, group activities, and independent living features.

Board President Ann Lindsay, MD, noted, “We want to thank landowner Anne Pierson for letting us develop the project under an initial ‘Purchase Option Agreement.’ This gave us time to fundraise, develop a site plan and begin the permitting process for this complex project. Gratitude to Anne Pierson for her commitment to and compassion for the people of Humboldt County.”

AFFORDABLE HOUSING

LPH is splitting off a two-acre parcel for the Rural Community Housing Development Corporation (RCH) to begin its own development of up to 50 affordable senior apartments. Residents of the affordable senior housing will have access to the same amenities and activities as the LPH residents. This range of income levels is unique in the senior living communities across the United States, and LPH hopes to be a model for other rural areas.

NAMING CAMPAIGN

Local support for LPH has been phenomenal. To mark the milestone, LPH is inviting the community to help with a campaign to find a name for this special community that reflects the spirit of Humboldt County.

“We got some feedback that ‘Life Plan Humboldt’ was too clinical, so we are looking for a name for the community that will mean more to people,” said Lindsay. “It will be fun to see what people come up with!” Details of the campaign will be in the LPH newsletter. (Subscribe at lifeplanhumboldt.org)

It requires many steps to create a financially feasible, livable community as ambitious as this, according to Lindsay.. Architects will refine plans based on the results of a recent survey sent to 4,000 potential residents county-wide. LPH will open a Welcome Center office in McKinleyville this year and start a “Future Residents Priority List” for people interested in living in the community. Construction could start as early as 2026, with plans for an opening date in 2028.

ABOUT LIFE PLAN HUMBOLDT

Founded by a local grassroots effort, Life Plan Humboldt (LPH) is a not-for-profit organization committed to establishing Humboldt County’s first and only resident-driven senior lifestyle community for adults aged 62+. The community of cottages and apartments will be built on a walkable 14.6-acre site in the McKinleyville Town Center and will feature many walking paths and gardens, communal spaces for dining and activities, an outdoor kitchen and more. A separate nonprofit will develop affordable senior housing on the same campus. Construction could begin as early as 2026, with the community opening as soon as 2028.

For more information lifeplanhumboldt.org.

Life Plan Humboldt supporters celebrate the purchase of 14.60 acres in the McKinleyville Town Center, the future home of Life Plan Humboldt’s new, resident-led, senior community. | Photo by JoAnn Schuch.


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(VIDEO) Eureka Home Deemed ‘Total Loss’ After Thursday Night Blaze

LoCO Staff / Friday, June 27 @ 11:14 a.m. / Fire

Humboldt Bay Fire

Humboldt Bay Fire release:

On June 26th at 2206 hours, Humboldt Bay Fire was dispatched to a reported structure fire in the area of 2nd and V Streets in Eureka. Three engines, one truck, and one battalion chief responded. The first arriving unit, Engine 8114, reported heavy fire and smoke showing from a large, single-story residential structure and immediately requested a second alarm.

Engine 8114 established a water supply and advanced a 21⁄2-inch hose line into the structure to begin fire attack. Battalion Chief 8103 arrived and assumed Incident Command, while Truck 8181 performed a primary search of the interior for any trapped occupants. Engine 8115 arrived and deployed additional hose lines to support fire suppression efforts. Engine 8113 accessed the roof via ground ladders and conducted vertical ventilation operations.

The fire had extended into the attic and other concealed spaces, requiring firefighters to pull ceilings from the interior and cut additional ventilation openings in the roof to fully extinguish the fire. No victims were found inside the building. The fire was fully extinguished after approximately three hours of firefighting operations.

The structure sustained significant fire and water damage, with estimated losses totaling $400,000. The building is considered a total loss. There were no civilian or firefighter injuries. The cause of the fire is considered suspicious and is currently under investigation.

Humboldt Bay Fire would like to extend sincere thanks to the following agencies for their invaluable assistance at the fire scene and for providing coverage for additional emergency calls during the incident: Arcata Fire District, Samoa Peninsula Fire District, Blue Lake Fire District, Loleta Fire District, CAL FIRE, City Ambulance, City of Eureka, Eureka Police Department, California Highway Patrol, and PG&E.

We also remind the public to exercise caution when driving near emergency scenes. Please slow down and remain alert for firefighters and other emergency personnel working in and around active incidents. Your awareness helps keep everyone safe.



Surveillance Footage at McKinleyville Dollar General Helps Sheriff’s Deputies Nab Vehicle Thief, HCSO Says

LoCO Staff / Friday, June 27 @ 10:37 a.m. / Crime

Press release from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office:

On June 26, 2025, at approximately 2:30 p.m., deputies from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office conducted a follow-up investigation related to a burglary and stolen vehicle report filed on June 25, 2025. It was reported the stolen vehicle had entered the parking lot of the Dollar General store in McKinleyville.

Deputies responded to the location and reviewed surveillance footage, which confirmed that a suspect, later identified as Justin Raymond Stephanson (age 35), was operating the stolen vehicle prior to the deputies’ arrival. Deputies proceeded to Stephanson’s residence, where they located the stolen vehicle. Pursuant to the terms of his probation, a search was conducted, resulting in the recovery of multiple items of stolen property linked to the burglary.

Stephanson was arrested and booked into the Humboldt County Correctional Facility on charges of burglary (PC 459) and possession of stolen property (PC 496). The stolen vehicle and recovered property were returned to the victim.

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. 



(AUDIO) Ten Mile Creek Revival Returns for Another Family-Friendly Bash at Black Oak Ranch, and the Festival’s Producer Popped by KHUM to Tell Us All About It

Toby Tullis / Friday, June 27 @ 9 a.m. / On the Air

(AUDIO) Ten-Mile Creek Revival Producer Biasha Mitchell on KHUM

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Now in its second year, the three-day Ten Mile Creek Revival — named for Ten Mile Creek, which runs through the festival grounds — is set to take place this weekend!

The family-friendly festival aims to continue both the legacy of the Kate Wolf Music Festival and the 30-plus-year tradition of heartfelt events at Black Oak Ranch, celebrating bluegrass and Americana music in the immersive natural beauty of the Laytonville Valley.

This year’s lineup includes many Black Oak Ranch and Kate Wolf Music Festival favorites, such as Los Lobos, The Wailin’ Jennys, Old Blind Dogs, Rainbow Girls, The Sam Chase & The Untraditional, and The Real Sarahs, as well as newcomers like Miko Marks, Two Runner, and Broken Compass Bluegrass. The festival features two stages of music, the Shady Oak Bar, creekside camping, family activities, and food and craft vendors.

Biasha Mitchell is a second-generation “Hog Farmer,” a steward of Black Oak Ranch, and grew up helping produce events there, including the Hog Farm Pignic, Earthdance, and the Kate Wolf Music Festival.

Biasha joined Toby in the Morning in the KHUM studios this week to chat about the upcoming festival and the decades-long legacy of Black Oak Ranch— the longest-running hippie commune in the United States — best known for its role in the original Woodstock Music & Art Fair and the counterculture movement of the 1960s. 



OBITUARY: Kathleen “Kady” Frances Dunleavy, 1948-2025

LoCO Staff / Friday, June 27 @ 6:59 a.m. / Obits

With deep sorrow, we share the passing of Kathleen Frances Dunleavy, RN — known affectionately as Kady — on June 6, 2025, in Orange County, California. Kady was a beloved mother, friend, nurse, educator, and devoted member of her community.

Born on May 18, 1948, at Lennox Hill Hospital on Park Avenue in New York City, Kady was the eldest of six children and the first grandchild in the Dunleavy family. She was the cherished daughter of John and Frances Gilmartin Dunleavy, and older sister to Tim, Margaret, Sean, Mary Elizabeth, and Declan.

Kady’s passion for learning and caring for others shaped her life from an early age. She graduated from Mother Butler Memorial Girls High School in 1966 and went on to earn her nursing degree from D’Youville College in Buffalo, NY, in 1970. She furthered her education with an advanced nursing degree from New York University in 1973.

Her professional journey began where her life had begun — Lennox Hill Hospital in Manhattan — where she worked as a pediatric nurse. She later joined NYU Medical Center in the Murray Hill neighborhood, continuing in pediatric care while earning her master’s degree at NYU.

Kady’s adventurous spirit took her across the country. She served as head nurse in the neonatal intensive care unit at Tulane University Medical Center in New Orleans, then moved west to work as a private duty nurse at John Wayne Hospital in Orange County, California. Later, driven by a commitment to service, she accepted a special grant to help build a clinic for the Hoopa Indian Reservation in Northern California.

In 1998, she settled in Ferndale, California, and began a new chapter as an instructor in the Registered Nursing Program at the College of the Redwoods, where she shared her knowledge and love of pediatrics with first-year nursing students. Around 1999, Kady’s life was forever enriched when she welcomed her daughter, Cody.

Kady was deeply spiritual and active in her faith. She served as a Eucharistic Minister at St. Joseph Catholic Church and later became a Secular Franciscan. In retirement, she continued to give back to her community as a volunteer chaplain and Eucharistic Minister at Redwood Memorial Hospital in Fortuna.

A lifelong lover of travel, Kady explored Ireland and many parts of Europe. She cherished visits with family in New York and loved attending Broadway musicals, as well as shows in San Francisco and Sacramento.

A Celebration of Life will be held in her honor on June 29, 2025, from 1:30 PM to 4:00 PM at 1011 Meadow Lane, Fortuna, CA. Please join us in remembering Kady with joy. In lieu of traditional mourning attire, we kindly request guests to wear light or pastel colors — especially her favorites: lavender and purple. Finger foods are welcome.

For questions, please contact Irma Silva at (707) 682-6769.

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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Kathleen Dunleavy’s loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here.



OBITUARY: Gerald Enlo Hale, 1939-2025

LoCO Staff / Friday, June 27 @ 6:58 a.m. / Obits

Gerald (Gerry) was born and raised in the small town of McKinleyville, in Humboldt County, California. Despite the best efforts of the paramedics, doctors, and nurses at St. Joseph Hospital, he passed away peacefully on June 14th, 2025, surrounded by his loving family. In his 85 years, he experienced life fully, felt deeply, and was cherished in return.

Throughout his life, he valued the foundation provided by growing up in Humboldt County. He never imagined the remarkable life he would eventually lead. As a young man, he worked at local mills, service stations, area farms, and at the family restaurant known as the Bella Vista Inn, now Six Rivers Brewery. This was his home for the first ten years of his life, and in later years, when dining there, he would exclaim, “You are now sitting in my bedroom.” Living close to a steady flow of customers and being surrounded by friends and family, he learned how to work hard as well as be social with a great variety of people. It was there he developed the skills of a lifetime. He was a people person to the end and loved telling stories of the adventurous life he led.

As a young man, Gerry’s free time was spent playing sports or exploring the outdoors. In high school, he was an integral member of the 1957 undefeated Arcata Tigers football team. In one legendary game against Crescent City, he broke off five teeth during a tackle but didn’t miss a single play. It was an early glimpse of the true grit that defined his character. He loved to go hunting, enjoyed fishing, and also spent time water skiing on Big Lagoon. One time he even water skied from Eureka to Trinidad on the open ocean with lifelong friends Don Miller, George Berry, and Don Daniels.

Later he attended Humboldt State, where he met his wife Carol in the pottery studio, “helping her center her pots.” It was a love that would last three days short of 64 years. They were a dynamic duo that shared a full and meaningful life.

After they married, Gerry joined the Air Force, where he became a cryptologist. In his work, he was exceptionally gifted at seeing patterns and connections that others missed. He attributed his special skill at decoding to his dyslexia. Recognizing his abilities combined with his desire to serve his country was a union that would shape the journey of his life’s work. He was stationed in Texas, Germany, and was later recruited by the National Security Agency (NSA) in Maryland. He loved the challenges of his job and the people he worked with.

Throughout the course of Gerry’s career, he was recognized as a gifted leader and received numerous awards. They include three NSA Meritorious Civilian Service Awards; the Exceptional Civilian Service Award; a National Intelligence Medal from the Director of the CIA; and a Presidential Rank Award from President George H. W. Bush. He received the Cross of Honor from the Federal Armed Forces of Germany for his work at NATO and a special recognition from England’s Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. As a crowning achievement, Gerry was inducted into NSA’s “Hall of Honor” in 2016.

Gerry and Carol moved back to Humboldt County to rekindle childhood friendships and start new ones in their old stomping grounds. His retirement was filled with giving back to the community from which he started. When he was not outdoors, his activities included serving on the Board of Directors of the Clarke Historical Museum, the Eureka Rotary and then Mad River Rotary Club. He was also active in the Native Sons of the Golden West and the Humboldt County Pioneer Society. He was integral in supporting fundraising events and service projects.

He is survived by his loving wife Carol; sons Greg (Marja), Dan (Chris); and daughter Lisa. He also has five outstanding grandchildren. He was extremely proud of them all and excited about the future they will shape. He is also survived by one brother, five sisters-in-law, two brothers-in-law, cousins, and numerous special nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his father George Hale and mother Matilda Ricci Hale.

Gerry was a force for good in the world that will be greatly missed. He loved his family, his home, and his country. His legacy lives on in the stories he shared, the people he touched, and the values he instilled. Memorial donations may be made to Clarke Historical Museum on behalf of Gerry Hale. The museum is located at 240 E Street, Eureka, California 95501. 

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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Gerald Hale’s loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here.



OBITUARY: Bettie Faulks, 1940-2025

LoCO Staff / Friday, June 27 @ 6:57 a.m. / Obits

With a heavy heart, I announce the passing of my mom, Bettie Faulks — born in Oak Grove, Louisiana, on October 23, 1940. Her family moved to Eureka, California, in 1946. She attended Lincoln and Franklin Elementary Schools in Eureka and graduated from Eureka Senior High in 1958.

She married Don Faulks in June 1958. Together, they made their home on Cummings Road in Eureka, in a house she designed. The house was completed in late 1960. By that time, she was a mother and pregnant with baby #2.

During this period, local lumber mills gave lumber on loan to build houses. Once completed, you would go to the bank to get a loan to pay the mill back for the lumber. Her story was that, as a minor — a woman under the age of 21 — she couldn’t apply for the loan, even though she was married and handled the finances. She told the bank manager, “I pounded the nails and helped build the house, but I need to have my husband come in?”

Her legacy was her family. She was more than a housewife — very active in the Freshwater community as we kids were growing up. She was involved in Blue Birds, 4-H, Webelos, Boy Scouts, and youth sports.

Summer vacations were spent traveling to the Bay Area to pick up Don’s daughters, who spent summers with the family. Many of those summers were also spent at Trinity Lake.

Always eager to further her education, she took night classes at College of the Redwoods in accounting. In the mid-1970s, she completed real estate courses and obtained her realtor’s license. By the 1980s, she went to work at Eureka Oxygen as a bookkeeper. They retired in 1983, bought a motorhome, and began traveling. They would go to Yuma, Arizona, in the winter to escape the rain in Northern California.

Always wanting to know her history, she started actively researching her roots which entailed going to the library and searching on microfiche.. She and Don traveled back to Mississippi and Louisiana so she could do further research into her heritage.

After Don passed away, she met Glen Reed. Together they traveled as she always wanted to go to Hawaii. They went on an Alaskan cruise and a trip with her brother and sister-in-law to their cabin in Canada.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Don Faulks; son, Don Faulks Jr.; stepdaughter, Sandy Faulks-Moller; brother, Jesse Grammer; her parents, Ray and Susie Grammer; and her long-time partner, Glen Reed.

She is survived by her brother, Johnny Grammer (Beverly); daughter, Nora LeAnn Doyle (John); stepdaughter, Debbie Kennedy (Tim); five grandchildren; 14 great-grandchildren; one great-great-granddaughter; and numerous cousins, nieces, and nephews.

A celebration of life will be held on August 16th at her home. The family wishes to express their sincere gratitude to the staff at St. Joseph Hospital, including the palliative care nurses and her doctor. A special thank-you to her neighbors Joyce and Jeff Woodard, and Ron and Sarah Owens, for looking after Bettie these past few years.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society. Interment will be at Oceanview Cemetery.

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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Bettie Faulks’s loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here.