It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our mother, Shirley Mae Barnhart. She went to be with her beloved Lord Jesus on January 10, 2021.

Shirley was born in Iowa and grew up in Longmont, Colorado, where she met the love of her life, Roger A Barnhart. They married in June of 1955. Roger preceded her in death on September 14, 2016. They were married 61 years. They regularly attended Faith Center Church in Eureka and lived for 45 years in Bayside on Jacoby Creek Road.

Shirley leaves behind many who loved her dearly, including her daughters Cindy Spangler and Michael, Lisa Harder and Myrdden, and Elaine Barnhart. She also leaves behind five grandchildren: Nathan Spangler and Amanda and their three children, Christopher Spangler and Chloe with their two sons, Jason Spangler, and Katie and Sarah Harder. While we are sad for our loss, we are pleased and grateful that we will be reunited with our mother in eternity.

We wish to express our appreciation to Alder Bay, Cleo’s Care Home and Hospice of Humboldt.

Humboldt County Drug Task Force press release:

On January 14th, 2021 special agents with the Humboldt County Drug Task Force (HCDTF), with the assistance of the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO), conducted a probation search and warrant service on James Dildine (47 years old) at his residence on Pine Creek Rd. in Hoopa. Dildine had an active felony warrant for multiple weapons and narcotics violations and was on Humboldt County probation. The HCDTF had received numerous community complaints about Dildine again selling drugs from his residence.

When the HCDTF arrived at the residence they gave verbal commands for Dildine to exit his residence. Dildine complied and was taken into custody on his warrant. Agents conducted a search of Dildine and his residence and located approx. 2.5 ounces of methamphetamine. Agents also located Dildine’s sister, Sheileah Nicholson (38 years old) walking on the property. Nicholson admitted to having methamphetamine in her possession. Agents located ½ ounce of methamphetamine in her pockets.

The HCDTF booked James Dildine into the Humboldt County Jail for the following charges:

• H&S 11378 Possession of methamphetamine for sale
• Felony Warrant

Sheileah Nicholson was issued a citation and court date to appear for the following misdemeanor charge:

• H&S 11377 Possession of methamphetamine

Anyone with information related to this investigation or other narcotics related crimes are encouraged to call the Humboldt County Drug Task Force at 707-267-9976.

Your mouth may commence watering, HumCo. After a much-delayed start to this year’s crab season, Humboldt’s crab fisherman fleet is finally on the water with industry insiders predicting commercially caught crustaceans could be on local tables as soon as next week, thank God.

PREVIOUSLY: Dungeness Crab Season to Start This Week, After Fishermen and Seafood Processors Settle Price Negotiations

Local photographer Matt Filar awoke way too early this morning to head to Trinidad to capture some images of our hopeful crabbers as they headed out to sea to drop pots. LoCO is pleased to share some of Matt’s snaps below.

One of the proposed locations for HACHR’s mobile syringe exchange, under the Samoa Bridge | Image from HACHR’s proposal submitted to the City of Eureka

Following a string of meetings surrounding the syringe exchange program (SEP) operated by the Humboldt Area Center for Harm Reduction (HACHR), the Eureka City Council will again discuss the controversial topic and will consider allowing HACHR to operate a mobile needle exchange in the city during the pandemic.

HACHR is currently not permitted to offer syringe exchange services within the City of Eureka, after the council voted last month to temporarily ban SEPs until it could rewrite and adopt a new ordinance governing them. Though the county — not subject to the city’s jurisdiction — has continued to operate a syringe exchange in Eureka and even expanded the program’s hours, there have been concerns that the county’s syringe exchange alone cannot provide the level of service necessary to help prevent blood-borne disease and other health issues related to intravenous drug use, especially during the pandemic.

At its Jan. 6 meeting, the council adopted a resolution allowing for mobile-only SEPs to operate within city limits during the COVID-19 emergency and requiring all applicants to submit an operations plan for review. The emergency resolution also requires that programs adhere to a one-for-one exchange rate — dispensing only one new needle for every used one handed in — and cap the amount of credit someone may accrue at 100 needles.

On Tuesday, the council will review HACHR’s proposal for an emergency mobile SEP, the first and only proposal the city has received so far. The plan proposes to offer services for two to four hours, three days a week and proposes several different locations for parking the outreach vehicle, including under the Samoa Bridge, near the Hikshari’ Trail off of Hilfiker, the Humboldt Waste Management Authority (HWMA) parking lot and around the corner from the St. Vincent De Paul free meal. 

In the proposal, HACHR also states that the program would adhere strictly to the one-for-one exchange and the credit cap, but condemns the restrictions, saying they are only implemented for the purpose of “optics” and  “community relations” and go against the policies of harm reduction.

“HACHR will abide by the parameters of the Emergency Resolution Amendment voted into effect by city council on 1/5/21 under duress, as this amendment is not based in science nor the recommendations of the CDC or CDPH Office of AIDS, and does not take into account the needs of our service population,” the proposal states.

HACHR Executive Director Lasara Firefox Allen told the Outpost that, although the nonprofit does not support the restrictions adopted by the council, the organization will do whatever it takes to provide syringe exchange services. “As always, we are dedicated to serving our population in the safest way possible,” they said.

Before the council voted to suspend SEPs, HACHR had agreed to move to a mobile exchange and discontinue the service at its location on Third Street, but asked for six months to make the transition. When asked how HACHR will be able to provide the service now,  Allen said that it will be very challenging. The nonprofit only has one vehicle, which is not in great shape and only holds two people, they said. Allen added that without the time to plan for this change, the transition to operating a mobile exchange may require HACHR to reduce hours and services offered at the brick and mortar location. “It would have been immensely more graceful to have had more time,” Allen said.

Eureka City Manager Miles Slattery told the Outpost on Wednesday that, although he was concerned about the condescending tone of the proposal, he is recommending approval. The proposal meets all of the guidelines, with the exception of two of the proposed locations — the HWMA parking lot and the lot near Hilfiker — which are both nearly environmentally sensitive habitats, Slattery said.

“We welcome any other proposals, because the more harm reduction we can have the better,” Slattery added. “As long as they can comply, it would be great to have more [syringe exchange] services.”

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In other business, the council will vote — again — on an ordinance that would ban public camping in the city during daylight hours and during any hours in parks, near trails and in several business districts. The ordinance would replace the city’s existing anti-camping ordinance, bringing the city into compliance with a court ruling on camping bans.

Map of districts where camping would be prohibited during nightime hours | From the City of Eureka

Sound familiar? Well, that’s because the council already voted 4-1 to adopt the ordinance at a meeting on Dec. 1. But according to the staff report, the vote was ineffective “due to a technical error on the posted agenda.” The council was scheduled to reconsider the ordinance at its last meeting, but pushed the item to its next meeting because of the lengthy debate on syringe exchange.

Usually taking the vote again would probably be pretty straightforward, but with two new council members since the last vote, the topic may require a bit of additional discussion. This also means the item is again open for public comment and advocates for the houseless are urging people to show up to the meeting, in the hopes that the council will reconsider its vote entirely. You can find more information in this press release from the Legal Services of Northern California.

The Eureka City Council will meet on Tuesday, Jan. 19 at 6:00 p.m. You can view the agenda and directions on how to participate here.

You can view HACHR’s proposal for emergency SEP services here.  

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Murder suspect Wesley Lee Starritt will be re-evaluated to determine whether he is still mentally incompetent to stand trial, Judge Timothy Canning ruled this morning.

Canning issued the order at the request of Starritt’s attorney, Deputy Public Defender Luke Brownfield, who said Starritt may not be fully competent but “is much better.” Starritt was found mentally incompetent shortly after his May 26 arrest for the alleged murder and torture of an elderly Eureka man and the attempted murder of a 38-year-old woman who was stabbed multiple times.

The judge also signed an order today saying Starritt can be forced to take anti-psychotic medication if he refuses to do so. Brownfield said Starritt has been taking medication willingly “but does not want to be forced.”

Heather Cooper of the Humboldt County Counsel’s Office requested the order for involuntary medication, citing both Starritt’s safety and the safety of others in Humboldt County Correctional Facility.

Starritt, 22, should have been transferred to a mental hospital months ago, but there is a moratorium on transfers because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

He is accused of three bizarre, unprovoked knife attacks on strangers. A broken knife blade was left at each crime scene.

Starritt is charged with murdering and torturing 84-year-old Roger “Mitch” Clark, whose body was found May 20 in his home on Campton Road. A week earlier, Starritt allegedly approached a woman in the Cooper Gulch area and stabbed her repeatedly.

And just a few weeks before that, Starritt reportedly stabbed a 43-year-old man who was walking near the 1900 block of Holly Street in Eureka.

In both cases the victims  were “gravely wounded,” Eureka police said at the time of the arrest. And in both cases the stabbing ended only when the knife blade broke.

Starritt faces assault and weapons charges for the Holly Street attack. That stabbing, reported on April 20, occurred less than two months after Starritt was released from a Los Angeles correctional facility. He served a little more than two years for stabbing a man on Third Street in Eureka.

As with the other attacks, EPD said, Starritt “walked up to the victim and began stabbing him without saying anything.”

Starritt did not appear in court today. Inmates generally appear via Zoom from the jail’s video conference room.

His next court date is Feb. 16, when the doctor’s report is due.

PREVIOUSLY:

• Eureka Police Arrest ‘Person of Interest’ in Last Week’s Campton Road Homicide Investigation
• Criminal Proceedings Against Campton Road Murder Suspect Delayed After Attorney Questions His Mental Competence
• (VIDEO) Eureka Police Department Holds Press Conference on Campton Road Murder Investigation
• Two Jail Staff Members Assaulted Over the Weekend, Says Sheriff’s Office; Overall Inmate Attacks on Jail Personnel Way Up This Year
• Suspect in Eureka Murder, Two Other Recent Stabbings Ruled Mentally Incompetent to Stand Trial

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In a Zoom call with reporters this afternoon, Dr. Ian Hoffman, the county’s health officer, said that the county is ready to start distributing COVID-19 vaccine to be given to local residents aged 75 and up.

Starting next week, Hoffman said, local health care providers and the county’s Public Health Division itself will be announcing specifics on how people in that age group can sign up for appointments to receive the vaccine.

“We have met with all the local healthcare leaders today to alert them to this plan,” Hoffman said. “They’re aware that we will be opening up Phase 1B. They’ve been preparing for this for weeks. They’re aware that in the coming days and weeks they will be ramping up their clinics and sending out information to their patients to let them know when and where they can get their vaccine.”

The Public Health Division and its partners will handle vaccination for people without current healthcare providers, Hoffman said.

Unlike some other places in the state, this next phase of vaccination schedule will not include people aged 65-74. Earlier this week, the state public health department announced that this younger cohort will now be eligible to get their shots. But Hoffman and his colleague Michele Stephens, the county’s public health director, said that there is not enough vaccine available locally to open up appointments to that group yet.

Hoffman and Stephens underlined the fact that different California counties are proceeding through their vaccination schedules at different rates – not only due to the availability of vaccine, but because the demographic and professional makeup of each county is different.

“Jurisdictions that are moving on to teachers now – maybe they’ve been done with Phase 1A for quite some time because they don’t have as many [healthcare professionals],” said Stephens, in response to a question. “We don’t really know the specifics of each county. It stands to reason that there would be some variation across counties and across jurisdictions for that reason.”

Humboldt County should soon be receiving vaccine on an accelerated schedule, Hoffman said. Local officials have been told that they’ll soon be getting around 3,000 doses on a weekly schedule.

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UPDATE: Highway 36 is open to one-way traffic control. Drivers can expect one-hour delays, Caltrans says.

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Days after a slide closed Highway 101 at Last Chance Grade, a mudslide has completely shut down Highway 36 one mile west of Dinsmore.

According to the CHP incident report, the slide occurred yesterday at approximately 9:46 p.m. and crews are still working to clear the roadway.

Caltrans said this morning that no detour routes are available and that there is no estimated time for reopening the highway.

Caltrans will be posting live updates for the closure on the QuickMap section of its website. The Outpost will update this story when more information is available.