Leslie Norlene Lollich June 14, 1959‐March 22, 2022
Leslie was born on Flag Day in Nevada City to James Lollich and Melanie LeGate. She was the
oldest child in a blended family of 10 children. As her dear friend Kym Pokorny put it, a big wonderful
complicated family. She kept us in line and kept us together.
Leslie made many accomplishments throughout her life. She graduated in the top of her class at
Cordova Senior High in 1977 receiving several scholastic awards. Having spent many summers and
school vacations in her beloved Orleans, she decided Humboldt State would be where she attended
college. She at first studied forestry but then discovered journalism and changed her major beginning a
long successful career in that field.
Leslie started in radio as a news announcer at KINS then moved on to TV to become the face of the
nightly news in Humboldt County for many years.
She loved to travel and thought nothing of jumping into the car and going on a road trip. She also loved
camping and back packing. She took many trips overseas visiting China, Switzerland, France, England,
Scotland, Ireland, Sweden, Norway, and Denmark. She also made trips to Mexico and Canada.
Leslie is predeceased by her parents Jim Lollich and Melanie Kuhnel and her stepmom Marion Lollich.
She leaves behind her husband Paul, son Nick, wife Caprice and granddaughter Brenna Leslie, and son
Nathan Allen. Her sisters, Martha McLaughlin and husband Clifford, Becky Woodman and husband
Lloyd, Crystal Petersen and husband Kelly. Brothers, Steven Berry and wife Shannon, Joshua and wife
Becca Kuhnel, David and wife Darlene Kuhnel, Bobby Pete Erickson, John “Gunner “Erickson, and Scott
Berry. Leslie is also survived by Uncles Spencer, Lawson and Chris LeGate, Aunt Celeste LeGate, and
Stepfather Ron Kuhnel. As well as, many nieces, nephews and grandnieces and nephews and many
cousins.Leslie passed peacefully at home surrounded by her family.
A memorial will take place later this spring in Eureka.
Donations in her honor can be made to a charity of your choice if you would like. Leslie donated to many
charities and gave selflessly throughout her life.
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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Leslie Lollich’s loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here.
Eugene (Gene) Philip Horning passed away Monday morning, March 21, 2022, at the age of 63, with his wife by his side. Gene was preceded in death by his parents, Eugene and Sheila Horning, brother, Stephen Horning, father-in-law, Thomas Sanders, and many other friends and family.
Gene is survived by his wife, Kim Horning, of 43 years, his daughters Rebecca Horning and husband Jonathan Wilson, Cynthia and husband Ted Herman, grandchildren Joaquin and Sloane Wilson (Rebecca), sister Francine Michelsen, lifelong friend/brother Rick Johnson, mother-in-law, Carolyn Sanders, brother-in-law, Kevin Sanders, nieces and nephews, his beloved dog, Lucy, and many other friends and family, many of which reside in England.
Gene was born in San Diego on June 9, 1958, to Eugene and Sheila Horning. He started working on vehicles in high school, where he specialized in Volkswagens. He graduated from Granite Hills High School in 1976. Gene, Kim, and their oldest daughter, Rebecca, moved to Northern California in 1981 and welcomed their youngest daughter, Cynthia, into the world two months later. Gene continued his career when he started working for Dave Ansley at Dave’s Shell. He remained at the business for 41 years, working through multiple name changes from Dave’s Shell, to Dave’s BP, and then Dave’s 76 Station; the last 10 years, he enjoyed working for Shannon McWhorter at Sequoia Gas, where he remained loyal to his community and customers. If you brought Gene a car to fix, and he didn’t already know how to fix it, he figured it out; he loved his customers, and he met so many wonderful people and made many lifelong friends. He will he missed by his coworkers Daniel, Hunter, and Laura.
He was known by many titles, including husband, dad, grandpa, brother, crew chief, fisherman, and friend.
Gene started working on race cars in San Diego, with his dad, at the age of 12; this is where his love of fixing cars and working on race cars began. He worked for many different race teams in San Diego, and after moving to Humboldt County in 1981, he was crew chief for Don McKay, Terry Gardner, and three time champion, Glenn Shewry; he also helped with Luke Hall’s race car and built many engines for Wendt Construction. Gene was also the crew chief for Preston O’Dell at Redwood Acres and went to Mexico twice for the Pan American Road Race. Gene retired from the racing scene 9 years ago, but any time someone needed a part, help, or advice, Gene was always willing to offer his time and expertise.
Gene was an avid fisherman, and would drop just about anything, if it meant a day of fishing. Anytime he heard fish were biting, he was more than willing to head to the nearest fishing hole. He loved fishing any rivers, especially the Klamath, which became an annual fishing trip with friends from all over. He went on many fishing trips with Chuck Lukas (Coyote), John Miranda, Guy Gin, and Jim Goodale. He also loved fishing in the ocean with John Senestraro and Dale Westman. He always looked forward to fishing in the annual bass tournament at Ruth Lake with Chas Jenson for the last 28+ years. He fished with many other friends, but there are too many to list.
When gene wasn’t wrenching or fishing, he loved spending time at home working in his vegetable and flower gardens, barbecuing for his family, watching NASCAR, playing with his dogs, and working on home improvement projects. He loved hanging up Christmas lights and decorating the whole yard at Christmas. He also loved the Fourth of July, and many of his friends and family have great memories of the fireworks and barbecues he hosted. He started doing fireworks at Newburg Park before it was even a park.
Gene passed away after a very brief battle with cancer. He was incredibly strong, courageous, and brave, and he will be missed by many. A special thanks to Hospice of Humboldt for making his final days as comfortable as possible.
A celebration of life will be held on April 22, 2022 from 4-6 p.m. at the Veteran’s Hall in Fortuna. Please bring your favorite stories about Gene to share. All friends and family are invited.
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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Gene Horning’s loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here.
Louis Henry Walton, Jr. May 2, 1942 - December 30, 2021
Louis Henry Walton Jr., 79, passed away peacefully on December 30, 2021. He was prepared to go and was able to say goodbye to his family. Louie was a storyteller and loved to convey a good one, long or short, given the opportunity. We get to share his story now.
Louie was born May 2, 1942 in Glendale, California to Clare Ostrander Walton and Louis Henry Walton Sr. The family moved to Willow Creek, and then on to Arcata where Louie attended High School. He would later spend the better part of his adult life, and raise a family in Willow Creek. Louie and Judith Kjer were married in 1960 and had their first child, a daughter, Barbara. sons, Jeff and Greg, were not too far behind. He and his family would live in Arcata dairy farming; Klamath Falls potato farming, and Willow Creek, where he would develop his tough work ethic working on the Fountain Ranch.
He was a jack of all trades to support his family - he did plumbing work, ranching, farming, big equipment labor and just about anything involving his hands. He worked for McCullough Plumbing doing backhoe and dump truck work - and that is where he found his passion. Eventually he went out on his own to become a backhoe and dump truck operator full time for himself. A special thank you to Jim Pelley for his friendship along with the numerous hours spent helping Louie keep his equipment running as his business thrived.
Louie never met a piece of lumber, metal, scrap or tin that he didn’t like. If you visited his shop and property, you know it was in fact, a treasure trove of “needed” materials. If you could think of it, Louie could design and make it. He was an innovative and amazing inventor of equipment that could get the job done, or at the very least, make it much easier. He subscribed to the adage that necessity is the mother of invention.
He would spend early mornings and late nights working hard to finish the job, and as many of you know, if you needed a final resting place, you could count on him to do it…rain or shine. He would crawl under your house to unclog a pipe, show up to move a humongous boulder, or drive the long mile to deliver a few yards of rock or change a flat tire. It was his work, but really it’s what made him happy.
He would have liked an outhouse and a shop with a stove, but tolerated indoor plumbing and electricity. He loved to pack up the travel trailer and hit the road; enjoyed camping at Indian Mary Campground, and loved to take the houseboat out on Shasta Lake. He loved the idea of a transcontinental train ride back to St. Louis. He loved spending time in Alaska, Canada, Quartzite, Hawaii, Mexico…but mostly he loved being in Willow Creek with a project to work on, and one to back that up just in case.
Louie married Caroline Fleming in 1998, after sharing many years together. They enjoyed running the backhoe business, traveling, as well as a tremendous love for an ever-growing, blended family. Caroline’s siblings became his own, and her grown became his family too. Together, they’d take nine of the twelve grandkids (three lived out of the area) for the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day - as a gift to their adult children. They relished being Papa and Granny, and lived up to their titles. All the grandkids sat in the backhoe seat with Papa and took a turn at doing what he loved to do. Dig holes in the dirt. They enjoyed many years together until Caroline’s unexpected passing in 2008.
In the last season of his life, Louie spent his years with Mary Roberts - a treasure to all that know her. She, and her family, loved and treated Louie with kindness and care. He was thankful for her friendship and love, and he wasn’t shy about it. He picked her flowers, wrote her notes and genuinely loved spending the rest of his days with her. He enjoyed having bonus grandkids and their families in his life. We are thankful for Mary, her family, and the “soft place” she provided for Louie to land.
Louie loved to talk about times gone by, and if you bumped into him at the PO or the store, you better hope you had time to spare - because there would be storytelling. When you were ready to leave the house, you’d best plan on an hour to say goodbye because there was a story to tell. If he was visiting, showing you the ropes, making breakfast or calling, plan an hour…you get the picture. He enjoyed many lifelong friendships, and acquaintances along the way; so many of you were a part of the story of his life, and he wanted to share it with you. In his later years, Louie was able to reconnect with friends from early childhood, and with family far away. He was truly happy to take a call or receive a letter from those he did not get the chance to see more frequently. How truly fortunate he was to find so many great people willing to listen.
Louis Walton Jr. is preceded in death by his wife Caroline; mother, Clare Ostrander Walton Marx (Larry); father, Louis Henry Walton Sr (Phyllis); son-in-laws Robert Boyer; Gary Hignite and his nephews Eric, Micheal, and Scott.
He is survived by his brother, Otis (Sharon) Walton; daughter, Barbara Boyer; son Jeffery (Wendy) Walton; son Greg (Mandee) Walton; Cathy Hignite; Chris (Mindy) Fleming; Carol (Robert) Benson; Larry’s Family; and Phyllis’s Family. Companion Mary Roberts and her family, as well as fourteen grandchildren; and fifteen great-grandchildren.
Louie’s family would like to give a special thank you to the Willow Creek Volunteer Fire Department for their quick responses, the entire staff at St. Joseph’s Hospital, and Pastor David Groe. To honor Louie’s wishes there will be no services, but there will be a celebration of life for the family in Redding.
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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Louie Walton’s loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here.
It’s whale season once again along our shores, and once again we are indebted to Kayak Trinidad for sending along video of some lucky oceangoers’ close encounter with one of these behemoths.
Kayak Trinidad’s Hallie Heath shot the video above early today. Check out that blowhole action! Also kind of a tepid tail-flop in there.
Says Kayak Trinidad:
We run whale watching kayak tours daily coinciding with the gray whale migration March through May. This was an especially good close encounter with a cow & calf pair and another adult feeding near our group for about an hour, but there are 25,000 gray whales passing by over the next month and a half or so odds of encounters and sightings are easy to come by.
We’d also like to remind folks on the water to keep it safe for the whales and maintain distance. If you find yourself in close proximity the best thing to do is stop your motor or stop paddling to avoid causing any harm to these awesome giants of the sea.
Press release from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office:
The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office has received numerous reports today of a phone scam targeting our community, claiming to be a Sheriff’s Office Sergeant.
As part of this scam, the caller claims they are from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office and may identify as current and/or former employees. The scammer tells the victim that he is with the “Citations and Warrants Division” of our office and claims the victim has a warrant for their arrest. The scammer uses fear of being jailed to elicit personal information and money from the victim. Some victims even report the scam to have spoofed the HCSO’s phone number (707-445-7251), with their caller ID identifying the caller as our office.
The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office would like the community to know that this is a scam. While law enforcement may contact you regarding a warrant or investigation, we will never demand payment in exchange for dropping a warrant or stopping an investigation, nor will we encourage you to seek a bail bond to avoid being booked into our correctional facility. Additionally, no government agency will ask you to mail large sums of cash or pay with gift cards.
Remember these tips to help protect yourself from fraud:
1. Spot imposters
Scammers often pretend to be someone you trust, like a government official, a family member, a charity or a company with which you do business. Don’t send money or give out personal information in response to an unexpected request – whether it comes as a text, a phone call or an email.
2. Do online searches
Type a company or product name into your favorite search engine with words like “review,” “complaint” or “scam.” Or search for a phrase that describes your situation, like “IRS call.” You can even search for phone numbers to see if other people have reported them as scams.
3. Don’t believe your caller ID
Technology makes it easy for scammers to fake caller ID information, so the name and number you see aren’t always real. If someone calls asking for money or personal information, hang up. If you think the caller might be telling the truth, call back to a number you know is genuine.
4. Talk to someone
Before you give up your money or personal information, talk to someone you trust. Con artists want you to make decisions in a hurry. They might even threaten you. Slow down, check out the story, do an online search, consult an expert — or just tell a friend.
5. Don’t rely on personal information
Living in the digital age, access to information is easier than ever. Scammers are often able to get their hands on very personal information, providing it to their victims to make their scam look more legitimate. Don’t trust a scammer who is able to provide your personal information. If you followed the above tips and still aren’t sure, call back at a publicly listed number for the organization from which the scammer claims to be or contact your loved one directly.
Sign up for the Federal Trade Commission’s scam alerts at ftc.gov/scams.
The Humboldt County COVID-19 Joint Information Center (JIC) will close its doors at the end of the day Friday, April 1, after taking thousands of calls from county residents over the past two years.
Starting Monday, April 4, callers can contact Public Health at 707-445-6201 with COVID-related questions. Case count news releases will continue to be issued weekly.
Humboldt County Public Health Director Sofia Pereira said, “We are at the stage now where we can incorporate the JIC Call Center and media functions into our normal business operations. As case counts have continued to drop and vaccination demand has slowed, inquiries to the Call Center have diminished substantially. We are still managing Public Health’s response to COVID-19 and paying close attention to the state and local trends, and we are scaling our operations to meet the community’s needs.”
On Feb. 20, 2020, Humboldt became the first rural county in the state with a confirmed COVID-19 case. The JIC, staffed by employees from the Department of Health & Human Services, and other county departments and partner agencies, opened soon after when the County of Humboldt activated its Emergency Operations Center in response to virus spread. Since March 2020, JIC staff have answered more than 61,000 calls and emails from the public.
At its height in March 2021, Call Center staff were answering more than 2,000 calls a week, assisting in signing up thousands of county residents for vaccine appointments, directing callers to testing locations, providing guidance to area businesses about state and local health orders and more.
Pereira said the efforts of the JIC are credited with diverting thousands of calls from the 911 system. “Thank you to our Joint Information Center staff for providing two years of public information for Humboldt County and answering the call to serve during a critical moment.”
As of April 1, at 5:01 p.m., the 707-441-5000 number will no longer field COVID-related questions. Callers can direct their questions to Public Health at 707-445-6201. Calls will be answered Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Public Health is closed for lunch from noon to 1 p.m.
Weekly case count numbers will continue to be issued on Wednesdays and social media will be updated as needed. For additional information about COVID-19 in Humboldt, visit humboldtgov.org/COVID.
Please note, the JIC will be closed Thursday, March 31, in honor of Cesar Chavez Day. Operations will resume the following morning at 8 a.m.
Press release from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office:
On March 27, 2022, at about 09:11 p.m., Humboldt County Sheriff’s deputies on patrol on the 1800 block of Central Avenue in McKinleyville conducted a traffic stop for a vehicle code violation.
While speaking with the driver of the vehicle, 32-year-old Daniel Alan Byrd Jr., the deputy observed an open bag of approximately two pounds of cannabis underneath the driver’s seat of the vehicle.
Deputies detained Byrd Jr. and conducted a search of the vehicle for any additional prohibited substances. During the search of the vehicle, deputies located multiple ammunition rounds.
Byrd was arrested and booked into the Humboldt County Correctional Facility on charges of possession of cannabis (HS 11357(b)(2)), felon in possession of ammunition (PC 30305(a)) and possession of cannabis while driving (VC 23222(b)(1)).
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.
