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California will soon be sending out $600 one-time stimulus payments to millions of low-income California households, with extra help for undocumented workers left out of the federal government’s pandemic relief. The Golden State Stimulus is part of a $7.6 billion economic stimulus package that Gov. Gavin Newsom signed today that also includes billions in relief for small businesses.

“Those who have been left behind in that federal stimulus, California’s not going to leave you behind,” Newsom said during the signing ceremony in Sacramento with legislative leaders.

An estimated 5.7 million checks will go to low-income Californians, including families with children enrolled in CalWORKS, as well as elderly, blind and disabled recipients of Supplemental Security Income or the state’s Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants.

“Lower-wage workers have often been on the front lines in service jobs with high levels of exposure,” said Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon. “This will give them an additional tax rebate to help them make ends meet.”

The $3.8 billion stimulus payment program is the result of weeks of negotiations between lawmakers, after Newsom first proposed a narrower version of the stimulus in January.

Here’s who will receive a Golden State Stimulus check:

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This article is part of the California Divide, a collaboration among newsrooms examining income inequality and economic survival in California. CALmatters.org is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media venture explaining California policies and politics.

A few moments ago, the California Department of Public Health has lowered Humboldt County’s COVID rating from the purple zone (“widespread”) to the red (“substantial”).

The move, which was expected today, means that more businesses can open up to more activity. Indoor dining will be allowed at local restaurants, for example, and retail stores can move up to 50 percent capacity. (See a full list at the state’s “Blueprint for a Safer Economy” website, and expect a statement from the county on the redesignation shortly.)

The changes take effect at midnight tonight, and will last for a minimum of two weeks.

The redesignation also means that local schools that are still closed to in-person learning may now open up to hybrid or in-person classes. A wider variety of youth sports — including baseball, softball, cheerleading and outdoor volleyball — may now be practiced in the county, as per an advisory on the subject released late last week. 

Earlier today, at the Board of Supervisor meeting, Humboldt County health officer Dr. Ian Hoffman said that unlike in January, when the county briefly dipped down into the red for a couple of weeks only, there is every indication that the current reassignment may be more permanent.

“We feel we’re in a much better position than in January, when we barely made it into the red tier,” Hoffman said. “This time [our epidemiological data] is much more solid.”

Hoffman urged the public to continue to avoid indoor gatherings, and to continue to do as much outdoors as possible.

UPDATE, 5:45 p.m.:

Highway 101 will remain open at last chance grade tonight, Caltrans reports.

Drivers can expect 30-minute delays tonight and three-hour delays between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. tomorrow.

The highway could close again if slide conditions worsen in the area.

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Highway 101 will reopen at 10 a.m. at Last Chance Grade today.

Caltrans reports that it will once again open the roadway between the hours of 10 a.m. and 6 p.m.

“Motorists should anticipate at least two-hour delays today as we focus on removal and prevention efforts,” Caltrans said. “Please note your wait time is dependent on when you arrive, and this plan is subject to change with slide conditions.”

The Del Norte County Sheriff’s Office is asking that no one attempt to use alternative routes in the area due to impassable snowy conditions.

Press release from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office:

A Eureka woman wanted in connection to an Elk River burglary last month has been taken into custody.

On Jan. 31, 2021, at about 1 p.m., Humboldt County Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to the 9000 block of Elk River Road near Eureka for the report of a burglary.

The victims told deputies that sometime between 8 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. that day, an unknown number of suspects reportedly entered the residence without permission, stealing electronics and jewelry. A nearby neighbor reportedly witnessed a suspicious vehicle near the residence during this timeframe and was able to provide deputies with a specific, identifying description of the vehicle.

Hawk

Deputies recognized the vehicle due to prior contacts and further investigation led deputies to a residence on the 2300 block of Togo Street in Eureka. Deputies obtained a search warrant for the residence that afternoon and during the search located several of the stolen items, in addition to stolen electronics from other area burglaries. Additionally, deputies located approximately 11.2 ounces of methamphetamine, approximately 14 ounces of heroin, prescription narcotics, drug paraphernalia and items consistent with the sale of controlled substances. The responsible party of the residence, 39-year-old Jessiekate Hawk, was not on scene at the time and a warrant was issued for her arrest.

On Feb. 21, 2021, at about 7:18 a.m., Sheriff’s deputies served an additional search warrant and arrest warrant at the Togo Street residence. Deputies located and arrested Hawk on scene. During a search of Hawk, deputies located approximately 7.7 grams of heroin and 3.49 grams of methamphetamine on her person. During a search of the residence, deputies located approximately 2.55 ounces of heroin and a large amount of cash.

Hawk was booked into the Humboldt County Correctional Facility on fresh charges of: possession of a controlled substance for sale (HS 11351), knowingly permitting manufacture/storage/distribution of a controlled substance at a residence (HS 11366.5(a)) and possession of a controlled substance (HS 11377(a)), in addition to warrant charges of: possession of a controlled substance for sale (HS 11351), knowingly permitting manufacture/storage/distribution of a controlled substance at a residence (HS 11366.5(a)), possession of a controlled substance (HS 11378), possession of stolen property (PC 496(a)) and possession of a controlled substance requiring a prescription (BP 4060).

Adkins

An additional suspect connected to the Elk River burglary remains outstanding and a Ramey Warrant has been issued for his arrest. The suspect has been identified as 36-year-old Harley Joe Adkins. Adkins is described as a Hispanic male, approximately 5 feet 5 inches tall, 140 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes.

This case is still under investigation.

Anyone with information about this case or Adkin’s whereabouts 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.

Patricia Jean O’Rourke Gibbens
June 14, 1955 – Feb. 18, 2021

Patti passed away at the age of “29” surrounded by family and love after a long, courageous battle with cancer. Patti grew up at Morekw village on the Yurok Reservation and was a proud member of the Yurok Tribe. She was a middle child and one of 12 children, which enabled her to hone her skills as both a mediator and a caretaker.

Patti grew up fishing and playing on the Klamath River. She graduated grade school from Jack Norton Elementary and went on to graduate from Hoopa High School. She then moved to Arcata to start college at Humboldt State University (HSU). She completed one year of college before choosing to postpone her education to marry Roger Gibbens on March 22, 1975 and start a family. She went on to have four children and worked as a teacher’s aide for 14 years before she and her husband made the difficult decision for her to go back to college. Patti re-enrolled at HSU and went to school full-time for the next four years to complete her teaching credential. She would commute over two hours each way to complete her credential and attributed part of her success to the ITEPP program at HSU. At home, Patti often had to leave before her children were awake and would return after they had gone to sleep. Roger would get up early, braid Adia’s hair and make the kids pancakes before sending them to school.

Patti began her career as a teacher at Orleans Elementary before transferring to Jack Norton, where she worked until she retired in 2017. Patti poured her blood, sweat, tears, money and most of all her heart into the Jack Norton school and its community. She created lifelong friendships and cared deeply for the students and families she worked with. She was also highly involved with the ceremonies of her people and cherished her time with her Dance family. She will be remembered most for her thoughtfulness, kindness, her smile and her ‘O’Rourke laugh.’ Her favorite days were those spent on the river visiting family and watching the little ones play.

Though the passing of Patti will weigh heavy on our hearts, it was her deepest wish that people not be sad. Instead, she wanted us to smile, remember her infectious ‘O’Rourke laugh’ and spread her kindness and light to others.

She is preceded in death by her grandparents Minnie & Daniel Reed, her parents Lorraine & Richard O’Rourke, In-laws Helen & Paul Gibbens, her aunts Pat, Kaye and Chris, and her brothers, Gregory, Mickey, Dennis, Richard and Dan. She is survived by her husband, Roger Gibbens, and their children, Rose Gibbens, Carlton Gibbens & Neva, Jade Tyner & Joe, Adia Supahan & Luke. She will be lovingly remembered by her grandchildren, Aneekah, Oleana & brother, Joey & Reed, and Shasti. Also by her siblings, Carole Lewis & Vernon, Valerie O’Rourke, Kay Inong & Rudy, Tiger O’Rourke & Liz, Tom O’Rourke & Sherry, and Margo Robbins, In Laws Steve “Sea Dog” Gibbens, Daniel Gibbens, Jan Hesse, Jane Gibbens & Jim, Suze Walker, Tom Gibbens & Rubi. In addition, she will be remembered by numerous nieces, nephews, cousins, close friends, and her hundreds of students and their families whom she taught over the years and considered family. Special thank you to Taralyn & Phil, Nancy, Mary & Dave, Tony & Stacy, and Kris at the Cancer Society.

Per Patti’s request and due to COVID concerns; there will not be any services. For those who wish to leave flowers or notes, you may do so at Lower Kepel off Highway 169 on Wednesday Feb. 24. Donations in Patti’s memory can be made to American Cancer Society.

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

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Leda Seghetti Rossi
August 5, 1921 — February 12, 2021

Leda was born in Santa Maria Del Giudice, Italy on August 5, 1921, the third of six children of Pierto and Teresa Fustini.

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

PREVIOUSLY:

• With Apparent Backing From Danco, Community Group to Propose New Charter High School in Samoa at Special NoHum School Board Meeting Tonight
• Teachers, Students Raise Concerns About Proposed Samoa Charter High School at School Board Meeting

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The Northern Humboldt Union High School District administration has recommended that their board deny a charter petition from the Samoa Beach Academy, a career and technical education (CTE) focused school that hopes to open this fall. In a document citing over a dozen logistical, fiscal and educational concerns, NoHum’s district staff deem the charter’s proposal a “subpar alternative to better CTE programs” available at other local schools.

The charter petition was submitted to NoHum’s administration in November by Catherine Scott, who formerly was superintendent of the Southern Humboldt Unified School District. The proposed institution would start by enrolling 150 students, but hope to eventually serve 400, and would offer three CTE pathways: building and construction trades, health and science medical technology, and business and finance. In their petition, SBA’s leaders claim there is a “strong community need” for workforce-ready high school graduates locally, and tout the natural and industrial resources Samoa would bring to their students’ education.

In January, Scott and her fellow petitioners presented plans for the charter during a special board meeting, and the public was invited to comment. Though some appeared in support of the program, most comments came from students and faculty concerned about what a new 400-student high school would mean for enrollment and the existing CTE programs offered at NoHum’s schools.

With a host of sub concerns, there are three primary reasons district administrators have suggested that their board rejects the Samoa Beach Academy. After scouring the 300-plus page petition, Northern Humboldt’s staff has concluded that SBA’s educational program is “unsound,” that the petitioners are “unlikely to successfully implement the program,” and that the charter would “substantially undermine” existing “superior” programs. These reasons are in accordance with California’s legal grounds to disapprove a charter.

Staff anticipate that the charter would rely too heavily on online classes. The school’s proposed mathematics curriculum is an online program, and the report states that the description for this class “reads more like a sales pitch for a product, rather than a well-thought-out description of how students will benefit from an online math program.”

The district also predicts that students interested in Advanced Placement courses will have to take them online, citing SBA’s plan to do that if the number of students who sign up for AP classes is too low to fill a class.

Reliance on online curriculum will seep into the CTE programs, too, staff worries, arguing that SBA’s wages won’t attract the few local teachers who are credentialed in CTE. The district compared the proposed salary of an SBA CTE teacher to the average NoHum CTE teacher, finding a disparity of $44,183. The SBA petition noted that while they intend to hire their own teachers, they would turn to an online program in the event staffing is difficult.

“It seems highly likely that many students will have at least two online courses each grading period, which, in a six period day, is 33% of such students’ week,” the staff report states.

Petitioners said in their proposal that CTE pathways will be supported by local partnerships, but staff is doubtful that will be possible in the medical realm. “Medical CTE is an area that local districts have explored exhaustively, but it is simply not possible to recruit qualified CTE teachers in this area, as people with expertise in this field have many more lucrative options,” they wrote.

In that vein, the district has apprehensions that SBA will work with “novel industry partners” at all, noting that several of the partners SBA listed in their proposal have already committed to supporting CTE elsewhere in the county.

“Humboldt County schools have been careful not to overuse or over-extend the ‘asks’ we make upon our industry partners, and the LEAs [local educational agencies] work together collaboratively on this effort,” staff explained in the report. “We believe that the burdens this proposal places on existing partners will exhaust the resources for all LEAs, particularly given the reliance placed upon donations from such partners, and will lead to fatigue on the part of all the community’s CTE partners. This would be to the collective community’s detriment.”

Staff is skeptical about SBA’s plans for equipment as well, citing the petition’s failure to specifically identify funding for CTE materials. In correspondence regarding this concern between the district and charter, SBA’s leaders said that local business partnerships would help supply CTE workshops. In their document, the district wrote that “reliance on others’ goodwill and donations to run a school is not a path likely to lead to a successful school or CTE program.”

Beyond the CTE curriculum, the administration believes that staffing and finances toward special education are lacking. For the first year, SBA has budgeted for one resource teacher, who will teach an estimated 28 students, assuming SBA’s student demographics are proportional to the district’s. However, the district noted that “in our experience, the hands-on nature of learning and the application of knowledge that is a component of a CTE program attracts a disproportionate number of special education students.” SBA doesn’t plan to hire any student aides.

SBA outlined procedures that conflict with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, which protects students with disabilities. Staff fears those policies will “invite litigation in addition to failing to meet students’ needs,” which would ultimately impact the district as well as the charter.

Red flags about finances popped up all over the petition, according to the staff report. In addition to “non-competitive” compensation, staff says the proposed budget “does not account for all expenses,” and identified that “some numbers are drawn from unknown sources and do not add up.” In order to stay afloat with the budget they’ve proposed, SBA would need to attract 400 students by their fifth year in operation, but staff has doubts they’ll be able to, claiming the charter’s offers are “inferior” to existing CTE programs.

The NoHum board will vote whether to approve or deny the charter at a special meeting on March 4. If the board approves it, NoHum will be responsible for the charter in terms of ensuring its legal compliance with special education laws.