Numerous Los Angeles-area media outlets are reporting on a death investigation being handled by the Los Angeles Police Department after a body was discovered near the 110 and 105 highways interchange. 

The woman’s body was found early on the morning of Friday, June 18. The Los Angeles County coroner’s office on Saturday identified her as Veronica Strawbridge Magneson of Arcata. 

No cause of death was released by police. 

Press release sent by Tom Wheeler, executive director of the Environmental Protection Information Center:

Conservation organizations, including the Environmental Protection Information Center, Klamath-Siskiyou Wildlands Center, Californians for Alternatives to Toxics [and the] Northcoast Environmental Center, filed a formal notice of intent to sue the [U.S.] Forest Service for failing to clean up hazardous waste associated with trespass cannabis grows on Forest Service lands in California.

At the heart of the lawsuit is a novel legal question: Is the federal government obligated to remove hazardous waste on its property? By deliberately leaving hazardous waste in the forest, often without warning or marking, conservation groups assert that the Forest Service is putting the public and the environment at risk.

Trespass cannabis cultivation is routine on public lands in California and the Forest Service—the largest landowner in the state—busts dozens of grow sites per year. While trash and other solid waste is often removed from grow sites after law enforcement, deadly pesticides, including some that are banned for use in the United States, are routinely left at the former grow site because of the cost and complexity of removal. This presents a legacy problem for humans and the environment.

“Our public lands should not be warehouses for toxic chemicals,” said Tom Wheeler, executive director of the Environmental Protection Information Center and the author of the notice letter. “The Forest Service has an obligation under the law to deal with hazardous waste left on their lands. Their failure to do so harms the environment and puts human lives at risk.”

Hazardous waste discovered yet left in the forest include carbofuran, warfarin, zinc phosphide, strychnine, methomyl, carbaryl, and aluminum phosphide. The risk to humans is acute. Take carbofuran for example. Carbofuran, a potent neurotoxic insecticide, is so hazardous that it can kill an adult human with “just a drop” —1/16th of a teaspoon—and is “one of the most toxic carbamate pesticides ever produced.” Carbofuran is found at approximately 32-34% of trespass grow sites in California. Often found in unmarked containers, like chemical sprayers and Gatorade bottles, simply picking up a bottle of carbofuran without gloves exposes a person to the poison. Carbofuran is so dangerous that as of 2009, there are no legally permitted uses for carbofuran. The risk is also not abstract, as law enforcement officers have been injured by pesticide exposure at trespass grow sites.

“Access to our National Forests is a minefield for campers, hikers and wildlife with extremely hazardous toxic chemicals left dumped and leaking downstream who knows how far,” said Patty Clary of Californians for Alternatives to Toxics. “With its huge footprint in California, the Forest Service is completely remiss and cannot be allowed to ignore the ongoing poisoning of our land and water caused by unfettered criminal marijuana grows as if this horrendous problem doesn’t exist.”

Hazardous waste also continues to make its way into the environment. Recent research shows that pesticide residue is commonly found in the blood endangered species, such as the northern spotted owl and the Pacific fisher, so much so that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has recognized toxicants associated with trespass cannabis production as a threat to these species.

By filing the notice of intent to sue, conservation organizations hope to forestall actual litigation by forcefully encouraging the Forest Service to budget and plan for the full remediation of all known grow sites on their lands in the state.

Conservation groups are represented by William Verick of the Klamath Environmental Law Center.

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DOCUMENT: Notice of Intent to Sue

Ryan Tanner

Murder suspect Ryan Anthony Tanner changed his plea this morning to not guilty by reason of insanity.

Defense attorney Russ Clanton, on behalf of the 33-year-old Ettersburg man, entered a dual plea of not guilty and not guilty by reason of insanity, meaning a jury would first decide whether Tanner murdered Jason Todd Garrett, then whether he was legally insane at the time.

“Does he understand that (a finding) of not guilty by reason of insanity could mean a life sentence in a state hospital?” Judge Larry Killoran asked Clanton. Tanner does understand, Clanton said.

 “And these are your pleas then?” Killoran asked Tanner.

“Yeah.”

PREVIOUSLY: Witness Describes Execution-Style Murder of a Man and Dog in a Bathtub During Ryan Tanner Prelim Hearing

Two doctors were appointed to evaluate Tanner, with their reports expected by Aug. 2.

Over the objection of Deputy District Attorney Whitney Timm, Killoran also granted a defense request to continue the trial, which was set to begin next week. It’s now pushed ahead to March 23, 2022.

Timm pointed out that seven months ago, when the June 28 trial date was chosen, Clanton said he would be ready.

“The state of the evidence is the same,” she said.

Because she will begin a six-month leave in September, Timm requested that if a continuance was granted the new date be set for next year. It would be unfair, she said, to assign such a massive case to a new prosecutor.

The People are expected to call 40 witnesses and display 1,000 photographs.

Clanton, in requesting the delay, said the Tanner case “has been a virtual mountain of discovery,” and he and his staff have been working diligently to process the information. He said he recently received “a pretty hefty report on DNA analysis that is the heart of this case.”

The transcript of Tanner’s preliminary hearing is 2,000 pages. Clanton intends to file a motion to dismiss the charges and needs to rely on that transcript.

As to the issue of insanity, Clanton said Tanner is able to understand the legal proceedings because he is heavily medicated with anti-psychotic drugs. He has had mental problems since the age of 12, the attorney said.

At the preliminary hearing, several people testified Tanner had been on a violent rampage in the days leading up to Feb. 12, 2020, when he allegedly forced Garrett into a bathtub and shot him in the head with an AK-47 rifle.

Shortly after Tanner’s arrest, Clanton declared a doubt about his competence to stand trial. Two doctors evaluated him, with one saying he was competent and another saying he was schizophrenic. Judge John Feeney ruled he was competent.

Clanton told Judge Killoran this morning that the decision to enter an insanity plea was not made lightly. He said that in four of his previous cases with a defendant entering the plea, all were found legally insane.

MORE PREVIOUS ETTERSBURG HOMICIDE COVERAGE:

• HOMICIDE IN ETTERSBURG: Sheriff’s Office Arrests One After SWAT Operation Yesterday
• Investigators Locate Ettersburg Suspected Homicide Victim’s Remains
• Ettersburg Murder Suspect Enters Not Guilty Plea; Also Charged With Assaulting Two Other Men With AK-47
• Suspect in Homicide Near Ettersburg is Sane Enough to Face Charges, Judge Rules
• Witness Describes Execution-Style Murder of a Man and Dog in a Bathtub During Ryan Tanner Prelim Hearing
• Main Prosecution Witness Garbles Testimony
• Witness Provides Gruesome, Hallucinatory Testimony in Ettersburg Murder Trial
• Girlfriend of the Accused Testifies That He Abused Her and Threatened Her With Death
• Another Neighbor Testifies That the Accused Had Been on a Paranoid, Violent Rampage for Weeks Before the Killing
• Police Investigators Testify to the Discovery of the Body and Possible Murder Weapons
• Defense Attorney Grills Lead Detective, Attempts to Cast Doubt on Witnesses, Evidence, Investigation
• ETTERSBURG MURDER CASE: Judge Rules That Ryan Tanner Must Stand Trial For Murder
• ETTERSBURG MURDER CASE: Trial Date Set for May; Accused’s Laywer Enters Pleas of Not Guilty

Eleven mayors, including two in California, announced today their commitment to support federal reparations legislation and establish pilot programs for Black residents in their cities as part of a new nationwide coalition.

The mayors of Los Angeles and Sacramento will join nine other mayors, from cities as populous as Denver to tiny Tullahassee, Okla., one of the oldest surviving Black towns in the West, on the Mayors Organized for Reparations & Equity coalition.

The Los Angeles mayor and Black members of the city council will also convene a seven-member Reparations Advisory Committee, which will recommend the goals and format of a reparations pilot program in Los Angeles and make suggestions on how to pay for it.

On Thursday, President Biden signed a bill establishing Juneteenth, the date marking the end of slavery, as a federal holiday being observed today, which he hopes adds momentum to discussions and recommendations underway across the nation to address racial injustices going back centuries.

Juneteenth builds momentum for reparations

Earlier this month, a nine-member state reparations task force met for the first time to study the consequences of slavery and systemic racism against African Americans in California. The state committee is planning to spend the first year studying the lasting impacts of slavery, while recommending how the state should make amends in its second year.

More than 2.5 million people identify as Black or African American in California, about 6.5% of the overall population. But by many measures, Blacks have lower attainment on education, homeownership and wealth. They account for more than 40% of California’s homeless population and experience worse health outcomes.

Reparations advisory commission

LA Mayor Eric Garcetti selected four of the seven-member advisory commission, including Michael Lawson, a former ambassador and president and CEO of the Los Angeles Urban League; Charisse Bremond-Weaver, president and CEO of Brotherhood Crusade; Mark Wilson, founding executive director of the Coalition for Responsible Community Development; and Khansa Jones-Muhammad, co-chair of the Los Angeles chapter of the National Assembly of American Slavery Descendants.

Black members of the city council members named Mandla Kayise, an expert on economic and land use development; Katrina VanderWoude, president of Los Angeles Trade Technical College; and Cheryl Harris, a leading scholar of critical race theory and systemic discrimination at UCLA School of Law.

This article is part of the California Divide, a collaboration among newsrooms examining income inequality and economic survival in California.

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CALmatters.org is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media venture explaining California policies and politics.

It’s starting to feel like old times again out here. Michaele is out in Old Town creating a ruckus, visiting with her new artsy friend Ceak Kytrell, when who does she come across? Why it’s those pesky Rotarians again! Look out!

As always, the Rotarians are up to good. This time out they are simply asking you to take a moment to nominate a deserving local business for their newly established Ethical Behavior in Business Award. That’s all. Oh, and they were kind enough to send along a press release to explain themselves further:

Northern California Rotary clubs are launching their inaugural North Coast Ethics in Business Awards and are seeking nominations for those recognitions.  Rotary District 5130, comprised of 47 Rotary clubs, six Rotaract clubs, and more than 2700 members in Del Norte, Humboldt, Lake, Mendocino, Napa, and Sonoma counties, will honor businesses and organizations that exemplify exceptional ethical business practices in the workplace, in the marketplace, and in their communities.

There will be four categories of recognition for Northern California organizations:  large, medium, and small business (based on numbers of employees) and non-profit organization.  Award recipients will be honored for going beyond expected standards in the ethical conduct of their organizations.

The North Coast Ethics in Business Award is a vision of Rotary District 5130 Governor Doug Johnson.  Johnson strongly believes Rotary’s core values are closely aligned with the consistent organizational practice of ethics in business. “As Rotarians, we want to honor businesses that are doing things right—and that embody the Rotarian values of public service, fairness, integrity, and community spirit,” said Johnson.


The public is invited to nominate businesses and non-profit organizations for the award.  Customers, clients, employees, friends, and others who know of organizations that incorporate extraordinary ethical behavior into their professional conduct are asked to submit nominations. Deadline for nominations is July 31.

Organizations receiving recognition will be selected by a blue ribbon committee of North Coast business leaders with awards presented at a District 5130 District Conference luncheon scheduled for October 8 in Rohnert Park.

The District Conference event will also feature the award of educational scholarships for the 2022 academic year to high school seniors.  The deadline for submitting scholarship applications is July 15.  

More information about nominations, scholarship applications, and sponsorship opportunities can be found on the North Coast Ethics in Business Award website:   www.northcoastethics.com and on the Rotary District 5130 website:  www.rotary5130.org/ethics.

So there. Ciao Bella!

# # #

Perhaps You’d Like to Explore Previous Mondays With Michaele For Some Reason!

Elsie Anderson Hebert passed away on Monday, June 14th. She was born May 6th, 1938 in Fortuna, Ca. She attended South Fork High School and graduated in 1956. She then attended Bethany Bible College in Santa Cruz, Ca. She lived in South San Francisco for a time with her Aunt and Uncle. She married Harmon Hebert in 1967 in Scotia and they were married for 54 years. Elsie went to work for St. Luke’s Convalescent Hospital and then worked at The Pacific Lumber Company for 17 years where she retired in 1994.

She loved to crochet and sew. She donated everything she made to local hospitals and charities. Elsie was one of the most loving, accepting and generous people that we were honored to know. She always saw the good in everyone and was the biggest cheerleader for anyone that was down and out. She always showed unconditional love for those around her and had a love for God that was very evident. She could always put a smile on anyone’s face and never met a stranger. Elsie showed great strength in faith and in her physical will to keep going especially when times were tough.

Elsie is preceded in death by Roy Anderson (Father) Mabel Anderson (Mother) Charles Anderson (Brother). She is survived by her husband Harmon Hebert, her children Ronda James, Roy Steeves (Denise), David Hebert (Staci), Danette Lentz (Laughn), grandchildren Teresa Niles (Danny), Carl Steeves, Bre’Ann Hanger (Andrew), Holly De La Rosa (Joel), Stephanie Lentz, Brooke Hebert, Patrick Steeves, Bailey Hebert, and great grandchildren Dyllan and Easton Hanger, Brooklyn and Raedon Niles, Damien De La Rosa, David and Jackson Dedmore.

It is Elsie’s wish that there will be no service.

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

Video of the rescue provided by the U.S. Coast Guard.

U.S. Coast Guard press release:

MCKINLEYVILLE, Calif. —Coast Guard crews from McKinleyville and North Bend, Oregon, rescued six people from their 79-foot sailboat Saturday, approximately 80 miles west of Crescent City.

Coast Guard Sector Humboldt Bay watchstanders received a VHF distress call at 3:45 p.m. from the crew of the sailboat Barlovento reporting the boat was disabled, taking on water and had a person aboard with a head and arm injury in approximately 60 mile-per-hour winds and 20-foot seas.
 
Watchstanders directed the launch of a Coast Guard Air Station Sacramento C-27J Spartan fixed-wing crew to provide air support and a Coast Guard Sector Humboldt Bay MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew.
 
The Dolphin crew arrived on scene and hoisted the injured person from the Barlovento and transported the person to local emergency medical services personnel at Coast Guard Sector Humboldt Bay.
 
With the Barlovento expected to lose power, Sector Humboldt Bay watchstanders requested additional air support from a Coast Guard Air Station North Bend MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew.
 
The Sector Humboldt Bay Dolphin crew returned to the scene and hoisted three people from the Barlovento and the Air Station North Bend Dolphin crew arrived on scene and hoisted the remaining two people. All survivors were transported to Sector Humboldt Bay.
 
“This case was a great example of a successful, multi-unit effort and highlights the importance of standardized procedures,” said Lt. Ryan O’Neill, a Dolphin aircraft commander at Sector Humboldt Bay. “The careful coordination between the two helicopters with support from the C-27 allowed us to save all six sailors.”

Sector Humboldt Bay watchstanders issued a broadcast to mariners regarding the abandoned Barolvento and requested that mariners transit the area with caution.