On November 2, 2020, at about 11:30 a.m., the Eureka Police Department began
investigating a suspicious death that occurred at J and 3
rd Streets in Eureka. Officers
located a 48-year-old male laying on the sidewalk with an apparent puncture wound to
his neck. A broken wine bottle with blood on it was also located. The male was
transported to the hospital where is was pronounced deceased. Due to the nature of
the wound, EPD Detectives responded and began processing the scene as an apparent
homicide.
Over the course of the week, investigators discovered video surveillance from multiple
angles and locations. Surveillance showed the male had purchased a bottle of wine
shortly after 11:00 a.m. near 4th and J Streets. Further video surveillance shows the
male walking alone to the area of J and 3rd Streets where he was found down on the
ground. Video surveillance does not depict the exact events that resulted in his death
but it does show him alone in the area. He was not approached by anyone until the
reporting party found him and called police.
On November 6, 2020, the Humboldt County Coroner’s Office conducted an autopsy.
The cause of death was determined to be sharp force trauma to the neck. The autopsy
results coupled with the video surveillance and lack of any disturbance reports during a
high traffic time, lead the Eureka Police Department to believe that a homicide did not
take place. Based on the investigation, it appears the fatal injury was somehow self-
inflicted with the wine bottle.
Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to contact Detective Sergeant
Terry Liles at tliles@ci.eureka.ca.gov or (707) 441-4010.
Eureka Police Department spokesperson Brittany Powell confirms that the vehicle in question belongs to the EPD, and was stolen from the city’s corporation yard about nine hours before the arrest.
Press release from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office:
On Nov. 8, 2020, at about 8:55 a.m., Humboldt County Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to the 5200 block of Rohnerville Road near Fortuna for the report of an unresponsive male sitting in the front seat of a parked vehicle.
Due to a possible medical emergency taking place, Sheriff’s deputies requested the assistance of the Fortuna Police Department to provide aid to the individual prior to deputy arrival. However, when Fortuna police officers arrived on scene, the individual was no longer inside the vehicle.
Deputies arrived on scene and through further investigation learned that the vehicle had been stolen from the Eureka Police Department. Deputies searched the area surrounding the vehicle for evidence and located 32-year-old Lance Eric Ostlund of Fortuna hiding in the brush.
Based upon evidence located on scene and statements from Ostlund, Ostlund was taken into custody and booked into the Humboldt County Correctional Facility on charges ofpossession of stolen property (PC 496(a)), possession of a stolen vehicle (PC 496d(a)), vehicle theft (VC 10851(a)), vandalism (PC 594(b)(1)), petty theft (PC 488) and violation of probation (PC 1203.2(a)(2)).
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.
With the changing weather conditions, the CAL FIRE Humboldt – Del Norte Unit is lifting the burn suspension effective Monday, November 9th, 2020 at 8:00 AM. Burn permits are still required.
The North Coast Unified Air Quality Management District (NCUAQMD or Air Quality) requires permits year-round. The NCUAQMD regulates debris burning under two general categories: Standard Permit: For residents burning piles four-feet in diameter or less, only an Air Quality permit is required.
Non-Standard Permit: Residents wishing to burn larger piles are required to have both a Non-Standard permit from Air Quality and a CAL FIRE LE-5 permit. The LE-5 requirement for Non-Standard permit holders will continue until hazardous fire conditions are determined completely abated for the year. After this time, the NCUAQMD permits are still required.
Air Quality permits are available online at www.ncuaqmd.org. Contact your local CAL FIRE station for information on how to obtain an LE-5 permit.
Debris Burning Requirements · ALWAYS contact Air Quality at 1-866-BURN-DAY (1-866-287-6329) to verify it is a permissive burn day prior to burning. · DO NOT burn when windy or when strong winds are predicted. · Only burn dry, natural vegetation such as: needles, leaves, brush, and tree trimmings. · The burning of trash, painted wood, or other debris is not allowed. · Debris piles should be no larger than permit allows. As a pile burns down, more material can be added. · Maintain ten feet of clearance to bare mineral soil around piles. · Have water and a shovel or another tool nearby. · An adult is required to be in attendance at all times. Residents can be held criminally and/or civilly liable for burning violations or escaped debris burns. Residents are urged to read and understand any permits prior to burning.
Press release from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office:
On Nov. 3, 2020, at about 1:30 p.m., Humboldt County Sheriff’s deputies were contacted regarding missing person Michelle Ann Mehalopoulos.
Mehalopoulos, age 44, was reported missing by a friend after she failed to check in with her friend for approximately two weeks. Deputies immediately began contacting all known associates of Mehalopoulos and checking areas in which she was known to frequent.
On November 5, Mehalopoulos was found deceased in a rural portion of a property that she owned, located in the area of Iron Gate Road in Weitchpec. No evidence of foul play was located on scene.
This case is still under investigation and no cause of death determination has been made at this time. Mehalopoulos’ autopsy is scheduled for today, November 9. More information will be released when available and appropriate.
Anyone with information about this case is encouraged to call the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office at (707) 445-7251.
This week, in advance of Veterans Day this Wednesday, your President of Positivity has recruited the Rotary Club of Southwest Eureka to join her in thanking Humboldt’s veterans for their service. In non-pandemic years, these Rotarians usually stage an event at the Adorni Center to honor those who’ve served. Since that wasn’t possible for 2020, they’ve sent along the following message:
Each year, the Rotary Club of Southwest Eureka, in partnership with the City of
Eureka, has presented a program to honor and thank more than 9,000 veterans
and servicemen and women of the North Coast, almost two million California
veterans, and more than 21 million American veterans living in the United
States.
“For more than forty years it has been our privilege to organize an annual event
at the Adorni Center to recognize our veterans, to honor their commitment and
service to our country,” said club President John Vandermolen. “This year we
can’t thank them in person, we can’t honor them with music and ceremony—but
our gratitude is steadfast. We thank them for their devotion to duty, for their
generosity of spirit, for their sacrifice.”
Next year, said Vandermolen, Southwest Eureka Rotary hopes to offer its
annual Veterans Day event in its traditional form and to, once again, thank the
veterans of the North Coast in person.
Happy Veterans Day, Humboldt. Enjoy this new week.
Kathe Elizabeth Lyth was born in Berkeley to Karol and Ruth Hok on
March 4th, 1948. She grew up in the Oakland Hills and was raised to
be a free-spirit, always walking to the beat of her own drum with a
passion for nature, adventure, and music which permeated every aspect
of her life. Her fondest memories were of times spent with her
adoring father, who instilled in her a profound appreciation of
nature. She coveted weekends away with him when they would load
their gear into his old Chevy station wagon and head for the
mountains to backpack to pristine alpine lakes - just the two of them
with the silence and beauty of the wilderness.
When
Kathe was five years old, she decided to be like the Three Little
Pigs and “seek her fortune.” In the wee hours of the morning,
she put on red suspenders, packed a handkerchief with food, tied the
kerchief to a stick, and wandered out alone into the hills behind her
house. She returned home hungry but safe to her worried parents late
in the evening, having had a wonderful time. This foreshadowed her
journey as a fearless, adventurous spirit. She later claimed that she
was half wood nymph. She sang to the cows in the meadow and birds in
the trees, and always preferred sleeping outside in a sleeping bag to
a bed. She was a natural-born composer and musician who discovered
harmony in nature. Her phenomenal talent, creativity, and desire to
bring peace to the world through music ultimately became her life and
legacy.
She
met her future husband, Kjeld Lyth at the age of 14 on a blind date
arranged by her brother, Greg. Kjeld loved that Kathe was quirky and
unique from other girls. Sharing a mutual passion for the outdoors,
they embraced every opportunity to escape to the mountains, which
included their honeymoon in 1974. Over the years Kathe and Kjeld
spent much time apart; from Kathe’s years teaching on the Navajo
Reservation, in Hungary, and in Spain, to Kjeld’s time as a Force
Recon Marine in Vietnam and pursuing his career as an actor. They
both agreed that their love of nature and the wilderness was the glue
that held them together.
Kjeld
moved to Humboldt County in 1975 to pursue his master’s degree in
Theater at Humboldt State University, and was joined by Kathe in 1978
when she founded the Redwood Coast Children’s Chorus. Beginning
with 5 young students in a friend’s basement, the chorus later
expanded into an internationally acclaimed professional singing group
with as many as 7 chorus levels from Preschool to High School. The
RCCC was her life’s work and impacted the lives of hundreds of
families throughout Humboldt County.
In
1982, Kathe and Kjeld brought their daughter Sonja into the world,
and in 1985 their daughter Sasha. The girls were raised backpacking
and singing/ touring with the chorus, instilling in them a deep
respect for nature, music, creativity, and adventure alike. In 1993
while Kjeld was acting in the Colorado Shakespeare Festival, Kathe
decided to take the girls on a three-week West Coast road trip,
visiting Kjeld along the way. She chose never to stop at designated
camping grounds. Instead, she would stop at ranger stations and ask
where to find the most naturally beautiful, remote locations. With a
map and two young girls, she drove off into the sunset.
Kathe
was a dreamer who brought her dreams to life. Her passion for music
and teaching radiated into the hearts and minds of her students and
their families, and her conviction that music can change the world
became reality. With support from the community, her chorus raised
$60,000 to send its then 40 participants on their first “World
Harmony Tour.” The Chorus departed for a three-week tour to Russia
and Romania on March 12, 1989, Sonja’s 7th birthday. The novelty of
the tour at that time was amplified by the fact that the RCCC was one
of the first groups to travel to Communist Russia, following the
collapse of the Soviet Union. Tensions were still high, but the
group persevered, spreading peace, hope, and love through music,
building international bridges, and making connections that lasted
lifetimes. The success of this first tour was the catalyst for a
tradition that has since brought hundreds of Humboldt County Youth to
17 Countries on 9 World Harmony Tours. Participants of the RCCC
unanimously agree that times spent with the chorus and on tour were
some of the most impactful moments of their lives - from singing in
airports and airplanes, to ancient cathedrals and castles, to
impromptu performances in storefronts, on sidewalks, and in remote
villages, to schools, hospitals, and churches - the sharing of music
in these settings was profound and truly life-altering. While for
most “changing the world” is a lofty ideal for one human to take
on, for Kathe, it was a simple truth. Kathe changed the world. Her
students are now spread out all over the world, from professional
musicians and performers to teachers, to those involved in social
projects affecting change, her legacy lives on in each of them - and
in us - her light continues to shine brightly in our hearts and
minds.
Kathe
was a fighter. In fact, she had more lives than a cat! The multitude
of close calls and struggles that she survived throughout her life
were more than any person should endure, but her “Pollyanna”
attitude and will to live always kept her “marching 4th,” as she
liked to say (in reference to her birth date). One of these close
calls, however, had lingering repurcussions. When she was 25 years
old, she was hiking with Kjeld in celebration of receiving a music
scholarship to Holy Names College and was bitten by a rattlesnake.
While being treated for the bite, she suffered an allergic reaction
to penicillin, and to save her life, she received a blood
transfusion. At the time it was not tested for disease, and she
unknowingly contracted Hepatitis C. After laying dormant in her
system for over 40 years, The hepatitis turned to cirrhosis of the
liver, and ultimately liver cancer.
Kathe
left this world on Thursday, October 22nd after a brave and
determined battle with cancer that was compounded by a fractured
pelvis. She fought like a warrior until the very end. Her family is
moved by the outpouring of love and support from the community, the
friends who stayed by her side through an impossibly difficult time,
and the chorus alumni who came together in her final days to honor
her through music before her passing. While the void she has left in
our lives is expansive, there is peace in knowing that she is no
longer in pain, and we envision her now, with her radiance and
infectious smile, walking with her father to some alpine lake,
fishing poles in hand, singing and laughing together.
Kathe
is survived by her devoted and loving husband, Kjeld Lyth, their
daughters Sasha and Sonja Lyth, her brother Jerry Hok and his
daughters and their families, her brother Greg Hok and his children,
her aunt Kitty Hok and her children, her stepsister Pam Rhodes and
her family, her “adopted” sisters, Jill Vollmuth and Charlotte
Nygren, her many loyal friends, family, and extended family, and the
RCCC community who remain dedicated to her infinite legacy.
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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Kathe Lyth’s loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here.
Karen Christine Parr was born January 30, 1940 in Stockton and went home to be with her Heavenly Father on November 4, 2020.
Karen was the second child and oldest girl of five children born to Paul and Gretta Larsen. Her family lived on a ranch north of Stockton until they moved to Manteca just before her father’s death when she was 9. Karen skipped two grades in school and during high school she played piano for the Key Notes, a brass trio who traveled the U.S. One of the members of that trio was Bob Parr. Their families became friends, with Karen’s brothers becoming very close with Bob.
At the age of 16 Karen graduated from Manteca high and got a scholarship to UC Berkeley. She started college, and one day Bob, who had joined the Navy, stopped to see her after a visit home. He was smitten from the instant he saw her, not as the sweet sister of his friends but as a beautiful woman. They were married on June 15, 1958.
On March 12, 1959 they welcomed their first child and rapidly grew their family while moving constantly. They bought their first home in Hawkinsville and lived there until Bob was transferred with his company to Eureka in 1967. They bought 2 1/2 acres in Fieldbrook, had two more children, moved to Manteca for two years to care for Bob’s mom, and moved back to Fieldbrook.
They made lifelong friends and had great adventures in Fieldbrook. Over the years gardening, canning, raising livestock for milk, eggs, and food, sewing, playing piano for church and every other function, volunteering, writing, and adding two nephews and their friends and families to the mix kept Karen very busy.
In 1977 Karen moved to Arcata and the Fieldbrook home was sold. She got a job with Simpson at the plywood plant, pulling green chain. The next year she and Bob bought the E Street house that would be home for the next 29 years. The door and their hearts were always open. Kids and grandkids, their friends and many others remember the E St house and many memories were made there.
Karen worked with Bob at the Open Hearth Stove Shop and Country Wood Stoves. Later she worked in the office at Arcata First Baptist and for One Way Christian Book Store. When Bob was diagnosed with dementia she became his constant companion. During this time she was diagnosed with Neuroendicrine Tumor or Carcenoid Syndrom, a rare form of cancer. Living with the pain of a poorly done surgery and the cancer, for which there is only treatment to slow it down and no cure, she continued to live her life to the fullest extent possible. She fought this battle for almost 15 years with amazing perseverance.
She was a loving wife, mom, gramma, great-gramma, aunt, cousin and friend who loved every person she came into contact with. She was smart, talented, and loved Jesus. Her greatest desire was that everyone would have the relationship and assurance of Heaven that she had.
Karen is preceded in death by her husband Bob, her son Timothy, her brother David, and her sister Mary. She is survived by her sister Martha and her brother John, her sons, Geoffrey (Gina), Stephen (Lisa), and Jonathan (Laura) and her daughter’s, Kathryn (Chris) and Janet (Bruce), so many grandchildren and their children, nieces and nephews, cousins, and friends, all of whom she loved deeply.
Karen will be laid to rest on Saturday, November 14, 2020 at 11 a.m. at the Greenwood Cemetary in Arcata. Donations in her honor can be made at this link.
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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Karen Parr’s loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here.
