After more than six hours of often meandering deliberation on Tuesday, the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors opted to punt the decision on Sun Valley’s proposal for an eight-acre cannabis farm in the Arcata Bottoms. The hearing for this controversial project was continued to July 13.
All five supervisors expressed a willingness to allow Arcata Land Company (a Sun Valley-controlled entity) to establish a grow operation next to the existing flower bulb farm, but they had widely divergent criteria in mind for the appropriate size and conditions of approval.
In the end, three of the five — First District Supervisor Rex Bohn, Second District Supervisor Michelle Bushnell and Fourth District Supervisor Virginia Bass — said they’d be willing to consider permitting a grow of more than two acres. Bushnell’s support is contingent on the effectiveness of odor-control technology, and she asked county staff to reach out to officials in Santa Barbara County and ask how well the proposed technology is working at established cannabis farms there.
Third District Supervisor Mike Wilson, meanwhile, said he is unwilling to approve a grow any larger than two acres because that’s the established limit on lands zoned for agriculture. While the property in question is currently zoned heavy industrial, during the county’s long general plan update process a previous iteration of the Board of Supervisors decided to convert it to ag zoning, in part because the City of Arcata requested that change. County staff, however, has yet to implement that zoning change due to various bureaucratic and litigation-related delays.
Public comment was pretty hot in this one. The Outpost will have a more thorough recap of the meeting on Wednesday.
Warning: The story below contains graphic, disturbing testimony concerning a murder and torture case that was presented in Humboldt County Superior Court today.
###
Nineteen-year-old Eureka resident Hannah Hayhurst was not only repeatedly stabbed and bludgeoned, her killer ripped vital organs out of her body while she may still have been alive.
Today Dr. Mark Super, testifying during the preliminary hearing for murder suspect Daniella Patricia Moore, described the injuries he documented during Hayhurst’s autopsy on July 5, 2019, the day after her mangled body was found. The teen was injured from head to foot, with the most severe injuries to her abdomen.
Super observed “10 separate jagged stab wounds” that were not inflicted by a typical single-edged blade. Among them were what he called “aggravated” wounds.
“The abdomen was exposed and basically opened up,” Super testified under questioning by Deputy District Attorney Stacey Eads. Hayhurst’s stomach, spleen, bowel and left kidney had been “jerked” out, the doctor said. The organs were lying next to her corpse.
Inside her body, the remaining organs had all been stabbed: the lungs, the liver, the pancreas. There also were numerous wounds to the main artery and main vein in her body.
“There’s some evidence she was still alive when some of these organs were injured,” Super said. He based that opinion on seeing fresh bleeding, meaning Hayhurst still had blood pressure.
All over her body, Hayhurst had M-shaped cuts characteristic of being stabbed by scissors or shears. She also had numerous smaller cuts that appeared in almost a “Tic Tac Toe” pattern, Super said.
He found defensive wounds on her left hand.
“The victim is aware and they take their hand and try to block (the weapon) or grab it … overall these (wounds) look like she’s moving around. She’s moving; the assailant’s moving.”
Hayhurst was no longer moving when the attacker inflicted the abdominal wounds, Super said. He believes she was in a “perimortem” state, meaning shortly before or after death. When Deputy Public Defender Casey Russo asked Super whether she may have been dead when the organs were removed, Super said “Yes. I hope so.”
He also told Russo it’s possible Hayhurst may have been unconscious, because the autopsy revealed blunt-force trauma to the head.
One of the charges against the 41-year-old Moore is torture. Super said it’s possible Hayhurst’s ordeal may have gone on for hours. Then again, it could have been over “in a few minutes.”
No motive has been discussed. But at the time Moore allegedly murdered Hayhurst, her boyfriend had abandoned her and their twin babies. She has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity.
Moore was arrested in the early morning hours of July 4 in Garberville, where she was seen walking down the road carrying scissors and making stabbing motions. Questioned by Humboldt County sheriff’s Deputy Lucas Brittain, Moore told him she was on her way to Chico to calm herself down, but she didn’t know how to get to Chico.
Brittain, testifying today during the hearing, said Moore’s explanation for the bandaged cuts on her hand was “when she gets upset she cuts herself.”
Moore told the deputy she had cut herself the previous day. He spotted what looked like a pair of pliers in her right front pocket. He took them and placed them on the roof of her car, “out of her reach.”
The more Brittain looked, the more blood he saw. There was blood all over the exterior and interior of her Chevy sedan, as well as on Moore herself.
On the pants she was wearing, Brittain saw a blood stain running from thigh to ankle. That much blood “was not consistent” with Moore cutting her fingers, the deputy said.
The pliers he took turned out to be scissors, and “they were covered in blood.”
Moore seemed disoriented, so Brittain was initially going to place her on a “5150 hold” because he believed she could be a danger to herself or others. Then he learned Eureka police wanted to question Moore. So instead of being taken to a mental health facility, Moore was transported to EPD headquarters. She has been in Humboldt County Correctional Facility for the nearly two years since.
Today was the second day of the preliminary hearing. It is expected to last one more full day, but that is not scheduled to happen until July 7.
Press release from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office:
Long
On June 19, 2021, at about 10:10 p.m., Humboldt County Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to a residence on Perch Street in King Salmon for the report of a burglary in progress.
The victim told dispatchers that he had heard a noise inside of his home and upon investigating, located an unknown male suspect who had forced entry into the residence. The male, later identified as 31-year-old Robert Alan Long, fled the residence in a black Ford Mustang.
Deputies arrived in the area within two minutes of receiving the call for service and located Long’s vehicle stalled further down on Perch Street. Deputies attempted a traffic stop on the vehicle, however, Long failed to comply with deputies’ requests to exit the vehicle. Long was able to re-start the vehicle’s engine and flee onto Buhne Dr. While fleeing, the vehicle again stalled. Long continued to resist deputies and was forcibly removed from the vehicle. Long became combative with deputies and was placed into custody after a brief struggle.
Long was booked into the Humboldt County Correctional Facility on charges of burglary (PC459/461(a)), evading a peace officer (VC 2800.2), driving without a license (VC 12500), violation of probation (PC 1203.2(a)(2)), resisting a peace officer (PC 69) and Post Release Community Supervision revocation (PC 3455(A)).
This case is still under investigation.
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.
On June 21, 2021, at about 10 a.m., the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Emergency Communications Center was contacted by the Eureka Police Department (EPD) regarding a deceased individual located in the area of the 4700 block of Fairway Drive in Eureka.
According to EPD, maintenance workers clearing brush along the roadway located the deceased individual in heavy brush approximately 10-15 feet from the roadway. A deputy coroner was dispatched to respond and took custody of the remains.
The deceased has been identified as 57-year-old Stacy Lynn French of Eureka. French was reported missing to the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office on May 10, 2021.
Foul play is not suspected at this time. An autopsy is being conducted today, June 22, 2021.
This case is still under investigation.
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.
Flora Egidia O’Donald was born September 16, 1930, and passed away June 10, 2021.
She was 90 years old, born at Scotia hospital to Giovanni and Emma Mela. She was the
youngest of three. After attending grammar school in Rio Dell and then graduating from Fortuna
High school in 1948, she moved to San Francisco to study Fashion Design. At age 21 she
contracted polio and spent weeks in the hospital. The polio had weakened her legs and stomach
muscles for the rest of her life.
In 1956 she married Robert (Buster) O’Donald and had two children, Dana and Kelly.
Flora was a devout Catholic. She also was a talented artist, painting murals for St. Patrick’s
Church and nature scenes or portraits for family and friends. She was also exceptionally good
at sculpting and sewing.
When her daughter Dana was diagnosed with leukemia, Flora dropped everything and
rushed up to Oregon to help Dana’s husband Rod take care of their two young sons Ross and
Ryan for a year. Flora was the most unselfish and giving person. Her concerns were always for
others. Flora was a true cancer survivor. In 1980 she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She went
through surgery, chemo and radiation treatments. And the cancer went into remission, only to
have it come back a year later. She went through the same treatments again, and the doctor told
her the prognosis was poor. But the cancer stayed in remission for the rest of her life.
Flora was preceded in death by her parents, Giovanni and Emma Mela, her husband Robert
(Buster) O’Donald, her daughter Dana Marie Wilson, sister and brother in law Alice and Pete
Silbernagel, sister in law Jackie Mela, nephews Ron and Paul Mela, nieces Danielle Saffell,
Janice Mela, good friends Wilma and Jack Thompson, Lillian Pasquini, and more.
Flora leaves behind her brother Albert Mela, her son Kelly and wife Sandy O’Donald,
granddaughters Hayli and Alli O’Donald, son in law Rod Wilson (Clare), grandsons Ross
Wilson (Lauren), Ryan Wilson (Katy), niece Denise Sweaney ( David), and nephews John Mela
and Jack Saffell, and good friends Gloria Grundman and Carol Richardson, and others.
Special thank you to the caring staff at Mad River Hospital, Dr. Kim Ervin, her
hospice care team, and Dr. Dittmer.
Services will be held June 24 at the Ferndale Catholic Church with the Rosary starting
at 10:15 a.m., followed by the Chaplet of Divine Mercy and Mass. Graveside service at 1:00 p.m. at
Oceanview Cemetery. Funeral arrangements by Gobles Mortuary. Donations may be made in
Flora’s name to Hospice of Humboldt.
###
The obituary above was submitted on behalf ofFlora Egidia O’Donald’s loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here.
Is this a mockup for the proposed Saudi Arabian city of Neom? Or could it be Eureka in five years? Only attendees of tonight’s meeting can know for sure. | Image: Government of Saudi Arabia
###
If you live, work or spend any time in Eureka, then you likely care (or at least you should) about the city’s economy. And you probably have some ideas on what sectors you’d like to see Humboldt’s largest city prioritize when it comes to economic development, yes? Well, you can share your two cents with city staff and learn more about Eureka’s draft Economic Development Strategic Plan during a virtual public meeting tonight!
Here’s more information and directions on how to participate, from the City of Eureka :
The City of Eureka Economic Development Department is
currently updating its Economic Development Strategic Plan. The updated plan will outline
critical initiatives and highlight milestone projects and focus areas that will govern economic
development staff resourcing for the next five years.
An initial draft plan has is being developed with input from many critical community
stakeholders, but city staff wants to ensure every interested citizen has an opportunity to learn
about, fully consider, and help shape the final document.
On June 22nd at 5:00 p.m., the City of Eureka will host a virtual meeting to share the draft plan,
answer questions, and seek public input. All citizens and community stakeholders are
encouraged to attend. Pre-registration is not required, and interested participants can join via
Zoom using the link below.
Audio Access Phone Numbers: 1-669-900-6833 OR 1-408-638-0968
“I want to encourage everyone to join the virtual meeting on June 22. COVID-19 recovery is
underway, tourism is coming back, and essential momentum is building. Every citizen needs to
understand just where we are focused and why. And, of course, if we’ve missed anything along
the way, we want to hear about that too. Now is a great time to get involved,” City Manager
Miles Slattery said.
The Humboldt State University Police Department is aiming to create a new unarmed campus security position by January in response to recent requests from the campus community.
UPD Chief Anthony Morgan told the Outpost that the unarmed, non-sworn-in employee will patrol campus with little more than a uniform, radio and flashlight, and respond to non-urgent problems like noise complaints and vehicle lockouts.
“HSU’s sworn officers have an important role in campus safety,” Morgan said. “At the same time, members of the campus community wanted to see unarmed civilian responders to help students feel safer. In response to that, we’re updating an existing position as a Community Service Specialist position.”
Instead of requesting funds for an additional employee, Morgan said that UPD will replace its Clery Coordinator position — a job that is now handled by an HSU employee outside of UPD — with the new unarmed campus patrol position.
While other universities have taken more extreme measures — like Portland State University, which announced earlier this month that it will disarm all of its patrolling police officers by the fall semester — the California State University System told the Outpost that it has no plans to disarm its officers.
“During our May Board of Trustees meeting, CSU Chancellor Joseph I. Castro took the opportunity to confirm the important value that university police departments provide in maintaining the safety of CSU campuses,” CSU Director of Strategic Communications and Public Affairs Toni Molle said. “He shared that CSU will not defund, disarm or dissolve police departments, so we are not considering actions similar to those [at Portland State University].”
While HSU’s new unarmed patrol position will start with one employee, Chief Morgan said that he hopes to build upon the position by adding more employees and training them to handle additional duties like mental health responses.
“There are going to be times, as we get them training for mental health response, where they will be able to respond to calls for mental health concerns,” he said.
While Morgan plans to have the unarmed employee on duty by early next year, he said that UPD still has to advertise the position, go through the recruitment and background process and give students a say in the hiring before a candidate can be selected.
“I look forward to working with students, faculty, and staff representatives of our Campus Safety and Police Committee to strategize ways UPD can enhance the student experience,” he said.
