Jerry Sullivan passed away peacefully on April 4, 2026, surrounded by the love of his family. Born on December 3, 1928, in Sacramento to Gene and Carolyn Sullivan, Jerry lived a rich, hardworking life marked by strength, creativity and kindness.

Jerry grew up in Ferndale and on Cock Robin Island where he enjoyed 4-H in high school and proudly showed cows as a young man.

At just 17, he enlisted in the Army in 1945 by overstating his age. When the Army discovered the truth, his mother stepped in to sign for him to continue serving. He did his basic training at Fort Ord. He was on leave in Seattle in 1947 when he met the love of his life, Delphine Barnett. Nineteen days later, they were married a beautiful union that lasted 63 cherished years until Delphine’s passing in 2010.

He was stationed in Fairbanks, Alaska for 5 years. He was an army engineer, specifically a steamfitter. He built a cozy cabin from used lumber that he obtained from the base. Delphine spent her days removing nails from the lumber. It was there that their first son, Lawrence Eugene (Larry), was born,a special chapter in their adventurous early years together.

After leaving the Army in Kansas, the family lived briefly in Lincoln, Nebraska and Jerry worked for Goodyear making radiator hoses. He left because of a strike and moved back to Humboldt County where he remained for the rest of his life.

He started an apprenticeship in masonry that lasted for 5 years. He became a master mason and bricklayer. During this time their second son, Edward Gerard, was born, adding another joyful chapter to their growing family. Jerry took great pride in repairing the boilers at the old pulp mills. There are many chimneys and brick walls that were built in the Eureka area that were a testament to his skill. He retired from bricklaying in the mid-1990s but continued to do handyman work for many more years.

Jerry was also a remarkably talented woodworker. He crafted detailed wooden cars and trucks, carefully studying and photographing old vehicles before recreating them in wood with intricate features such as gear shifts, floor pedals, dashboards, and delicately hand-turned spoked wheels. On his lathe, he created beautiful wooden bowls that were true works of art.

Jerry’s greatest joy was his family. As a grandfather and great-grandfather, he had a special way of making each grandchild feel important-whether through laughter, stories, or time spent side by side. Many will remember him in his shop, patiently creating or fixing something, always willing to share what he knew. His love, humor and quiet guidance will live on in each of them.

Jerry loved to go hunting and fishing in his younger days. He had a special affinity for Deer Lick Springs where a friend’s mother lived. He enjoyed being outdoors.

Above all, Jerry was a kind and gentle soul, deeply loved by everyone who knew him. He had a wonderful sense of humor and was famous for his wonderfully bad jokes that never failed to bring a smile. His warmth, resourcefulness, and steady presence touched the lives of all around him.

He was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Delphine, his son, Larry, and his brothers, Richard, Don, Roger and Jim.

He is survived by his son, Edward Gerard (wife Judy), his daughter-in-law Linda; his grandchildren, Lonnie Eugene (Chrissy), Lance Edward (Linda), Lars Eric (Tina), Lane Eldon (Arlene), Nathan Edward and Garth William. He had 10 great grandchildren and 3 great-great grandchildren with one on the way; his brothers, Philip and Larry, and his sister Joan; and many dear nieces, nephews and cousins.

There will be no memorial service.

In lieu of flowers, the family invites you to honor Jerry’s memory by sharing a story about him, telling one of his classic bad jokes, or simply spending time with those you love.

PREVIOUSLY:

• Charges Filed Against Alleged Bridgeville Human Trafficker in Case Sparked by Mexican Consulate Tip
• Sheriff’s Office Arrests Alleged Bridgeville Cultivator on Human Trafficking Charges Following Tip From the Mexican Consulate

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Last week, a Humboldt County Superior Court judge dismissed some human trafficking charges levied against a man accused of stranding a worker on a remote Bridgeville cannabis farm without pay or food.

The court found there wasn’t enough evidence that two alleged victims were trafficked during a preliminary hearing.

Still, the court found enough evidence to continue with criminal proceedings against 45-year-old Georgi Tonev on charges of trafficking one John Doe, according to court records.

He was also held to answer by Judge Kelly Neel on other charges; including felony theft of wages, possessing more than 6 marijuana plants and possession of marijuana for sale, according to court minutes. She found sufficient evidence for the District Attorney’s office to file three counts of theft of wages for the alleged victims.

Tonev has pleaded not guilty to all charges, and was released on bail this week after it was reduced to $45,000. According to the conditions of release, Tonev must stay 100 yards away from and not contact alleged victims.

The court did not find enough evidence to hold Tonev to answer for charges for two of the alleged victims, who previously worked for him.

“I really think that these John Does preyed against my client’s generosity. He is an immigrant himself, and had a soft spot for people that come to this country and try to make a better life,” alleged Andrea Sullivan, Tonev’s attorney, when speaking to the Outpost Friday.

She said Tolev is a U.S. citizen who has lived in the country for 25 years, hailing from Bulgaria.

Sullivan argued against the accusations of human trafficking, comparing the nature of working on cannabis farms to work in other remote areas, like fishermen at sea or workers on oil rigs.

“For all three John Does, there is absolutely no allegations that he used any threats — no threats of physical assault, no implied threats of physical violence,” she emphasized.

“They’re not saying that they were being threatened if they didn’t work,” she said.

A human trafficking conviction comes with a maximum sentence of 12 years.

According to the initial complaint, Tonev is accused of withholding more than $2,350 in wages for two employees. His attorney similarly contested the wage theft allegations.

Tonev was arrested in an elaborate effort following a tip from the Mexican consulate. The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office Marijuana Enforcement Team served a search warrant on a remote property northeast of Bridgeville using a swift water rescue team to arrest Tonev and locate the alleged victim.

An arraignment on information for the case is set for April 17.

On the outside of a now-closed indoor cannabis consumption lounge in Eureka, there once read a message painted in huge black letters: “YES! YOU CAN SMOKE WEED INSIDE.” There aren’t any of those signs plastered around Arcata, because those lounges aren’t legal — yet. Arcata’s city council may pass a resolution next week legalizing the lounges. Maybe a few more dispensaries will be sporting a similar message soon. 

A cannabis consumption lounge is exactly what it sounds like: a business that, as the example above put it, lets people get high on the premises. Eureka legalized them in 2019; there’s currently one operating. It’s legal to grow, sell, and manufacture cannabis products in Arcata, and apparently an update to the Land Use Code created a “pathway” for indoor weed smoking several years ago, but the city put off finalizing the legalization of indoor consumption until business owners expressed interest, according to the staff report on the item. Apparently, one established business, and someone else interested in starting one, both want to found a lounge. (The Outpost doesn’t know who; city staff have not yet responded to a request for comment.)

To start one, owners will have to be licensed to sell cannabis and hold several cannabis-related permits. The lounges have to be enclosed and authorized to operate by city hall. Only people aged 21 and up can use them; they can’t drink or use any other drugs; they can’t operate between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m.; if enough people complain about the smell, the business has to quit operating until they find a solution; and if someone is “visibly intoxicated,” employees aren’t allowed to sell them any weed.

The amendments to the municipal code would also create a permit allowing temporary onsite consumption for events like Cannifest; they won’t be allowed to sell alcohol during the days event-goers can smoke and buy weed. 

The city says permitting the lounges will enhance “public safety and liveability,” will reduce “conflicts and impacts associated with unregulated or public cannabis smoking,” and will support “responsible economic development” and small, local cannabis businesses.

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PREVIOUSLY

• Eureka’s Long-Awaited EaRTH Center Awarded $12 Million in Grant Funds; Construction Slated to Begin Spring 2026

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The City of Eureka has partnered with Humboldt Transit Authority to explore the prospects of a multi-story parking structure that would transform the city’s humble downtown skyline. 

As the start of construction approaches for the Eureka Regional Transit & Housing (EaRTH) Center — to be built on the city-owned parking lots behind the Lost Coast Brewery & Cafe — Eureka and HTA are studying a grant opportunity that could finance a multi-story parking facility and convention center across the street, on the corner of Third and G streets.

“A feasibility study is in the early stages to determine if it is a viable project for a grant application,” HTA Deputy General Manager Katie Collender told the Outpost in an email.

A consultant was hired to prepare some preliminary conceptual designs for a structure that meets the grant criteria. We’ll take a closer look at those designs below, but first, both Collender and Eureka City Manager Miles Slattery sought to make one thing clear: The primary purpose of this parking tower would not be added convenience for shoppers, tourists and car commuters.

Instead, the intent is a park & ride — a “first mile/last mile” facility that reduces overall vehicle miles traveled by encouraging people to park their cars so they can, say, ride a bike to Cal Poly Humboldt, take a ride share to work or catch a bus to the airport.

“That’s a big component of the grant that they’ll be going for,” Slattery said. The grant is funded by the California State Transportation Agency’s Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program (TIRCP), and Collender explained that the feasibility study currently under way will need to show that the structure would significantly reduce vehicle miles traveled; otherwise there’s no point in applying. It will also need to show that the building would be cost-neutral to operate.

“Other transit agencies own and operate park & rides to bolster ridership and diversify revenue,” Collender said. “This study will help us understand if one would make sense in Eureka.”

With all that said, let’s look at some more conceptual images of the very preliminary designs. In fact, Slattery said this particular design has already been modified to include even more parking spaces (this version has 216 stalls), increased bike storage and slightly decreased retail space.

The concept, here, is an eight-story parking structure with an 8,500-square-foot convention center on the top floor and, on the ground floor, bike storage and new retail space. The existing buildings along F Street (including a massage parlor and the former Mazzotti’s restaurant) would remain, with parking built atop them. [CORRECTION: The parking structure would not extend west as far as those buildings, according to Slattery.]

The structure would be built on the northeast corner of the city block between Third and Fourth and F and G streets. Here’s a Google Earth image to orient you:

And here are a few conceptual images from the same vantage:

At eight stories high, this would easily be the tallest building in Eureka. 

“I would say north of San Francisco, maybe. I don’t think Santa Rosa has anything that big,” Slattery said. (The boiler building at the former Samoa Pulp Mill would still be taller, at 200 feet, but it’s no longer in use.)

Below is a cutaway image showing the ground floor, the top floor and one in the middle:

Collender reiterated that this is still very early in the process. The state is looking to transit agencies to do more to generate revenue, and this parking structure with rentable event space could help HTA diversify its income. Grant applications are due May 18. 

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Press release from the California Department of Fish & Wildlife: 

Late spring and early summer are peak times for California’s deer herds to give birth to fawns, and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) is issuing a reminder to well-intentioned residents and visitors to not interact with the baby deer – even if they find one that appears to be abandoned or hungry.

Adult female deer regularly stash their fawns in tall grass or brush for as long as a day while they are out foraging for food.

“Every year we receive calls from concerned individuals and families about fawns and other young wildlife that appear to be abandoned or in distress,” said Jeff Stoddard, Wildlife Program Manager from CDFW’s Northern Region. “Our direction most often is to stay clear of the animal so the mother feels safe to return and so your presence does not attract unwanted attention to the fawn by people or other animals. In almost every case, the mother returns after dark or when it appears quiet and the mother feels safe to do so.”

Each year, CDFW and wildlife rehabilitation facilities are called to assist with fawns that have been removed from the wild by local residents and those recreating outdoors. The fawns lack the survival skills their mothers would have taught them and cannot be released back into the wild. Long-term captivity in zoos or other wildlife sanctuaries is unlikely due to limited space availability. Consequently, the fawns are often euthanized.

Only a limited number of wildlife rehabilitation facilities are permitted to accept fawns. Due to disease concerns, it is not recommended to move fawns outside of their home county. If a fawn is found on a road or another dangerous location, it is often better to use a towel or blanket and move the animal a short distance to suitable vegetation and allow it to reunite with its mother. A doe will not abandon her fawn merely because it has been touched by a person.

It is both illegal and unethical to feed deer and keep deer in your personal possession. Both crimes are misdemeanors, each subject to penalties of up to $1,000 and/or six months in jail.

Learn more about the dangers and consequences of feeding deer in the following video: CDFW Reminds Californians Why It’s Illegal to Feed Deer.

To report an injured, sick or suspected orphaned fawn, contact your local CDFW regional office directly.

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After an extremely dry March — one of the driest on record — the North Coast is getting some much-needed dose of rainfall, with showers expected to continue through the weekend. 

Hail! | Photo: Michael Stearns via NWS

“Thunderstorms are likely again across the area, though storms will likely be slightly weaker than Thursday,” according to a Facebook post from the National Weather Service (NWS) Office in Eureka. “Areas of Trinity, Humboldt, and Del Norte Counties could see some isolated near-severe storms. Frequent lightning, gusty winds, hail, and localized heavy rain are all possible today.”

Orleans residents reported “dime to quarter-sized” hail as storms swept across the region on Thursday afternoon, and more hail can be expected today. If you feel so inclined, you may share your hail reports with the NWS at this link. Be sure to include your location, time and the approximate size of the hail.

In keeping with typical local weather patterns, this weekend’s thunderstorms will be concentrated in inland areas of the county, with weaker storms along the coast. More information can be found here.

Stay dry out there, folks!

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From the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office:

On April 9, at approximately 4:09 p.m., Humboldt County Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to the 1600 block of Sutter Road in McKinleyville to investigate a domestic-related incident involving a report that a male subject had broken the windshield of a vehicle belonging to his girlfriend.

While deputies were en route, additional callers reported that a female subject had struck the male with the vehicle. Emergency medical services were requested and staged nearby.

Upon arrival, deputies contacted a 44-year-old female, who reported that her 50-year-old boyfriend, Robert Willis Slavens, had jumped onto the hood of her vehicle as she attempted to leave their residence and kicked the windshield. She stated that while she was trying to drive away, Slavens fell off the vehicle onto the ground.

Through statements and evidence gathered at the scene, deputies determined that an earlier incident had occurred in which the victim attempted to leave the residence, and Slavens followed her outside and forcibly brought her back into the home.

Slavens, who is on active CDC parole for prior domestic violence-related offenses, was taken into custody. He was evaluated by emergency medical personnel and transported to a local hospital for treatment. After being medically cleared, he was transported to the Humboldt County Correctional Facility, where he was booked on the following charges:

• PC 207(a): Kidnapping
• PC 3056: Violation of Parole

The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office urges anyone experiencing domestic violence to seek help. Victims are not alone, and support is available through local law enforcement, advocacy organizations, and confidential hotlines. If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, call 911. For ongoing support, contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or visit www.thehotline.org for confidential assistance.

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.