From the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office:

On Mar. 12, 2026, at approximately 10:41 p.m., 19-year-old Tse-Lin Lincoln who was wanted in connection to the Hoopa Shooting that occurred on Mar. 10, 2026, turned himself into deputies at the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office.

Lincoln was taken into custody on the arrest warrant and booked into the Humboldt County Correctional Facility.

Anyone with information about this case 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.

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PREVIOUSLY:

• One Person Hospitalized With ‘Life-Threatening’ Injuries Following Yesterday’s Shooting in Hoopa; Suspect Remains At-Large, Says HCSO
• Hoopa Valley Tribe Offers $10K Reward for Information Leading to Arrest of Suspect in Tuesday’s Shooting; Emergency Community Meeting in Council Chambers Tonight
• 15-Year-Old Arrested in Connection With Hoopa Shooting, Sheriff’s Office Says; Two Other Teenage Suspects Still at Large
• Another Suspect in Monday’s Shooting in Hoopa Taken Into Custody

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This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters.

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Three years ago, California built a first-in-the-nation system aimed at protecting drivers when oil markets turn calamitous. The legislature passed it. Gov. Gavin Newsom signed it. He proclaimed “California took on Big Oil and won.”

Its author, then-Sen. Nancy Skinner called it a “landmark law” that “will allow us to hold oil companies accountable if they pad their profits at the expense of hard-working families.”

But the law — which gave regulators the power to cap refinery profits and penalize oil companies for price gouging — has never been used. Instead, last year, the California Energy Commission voted to delay the rules for five years. Skinner – who wrote the law as a Senator – was absent when her own commission voted to delay it.

Now, with gas topping $5.30 a gallon statewide, that decision is under a new spotlight. The Iran war has sent global oil prices soaring — but the war is only part of the story. California has a structural problem: fewer refineries, a captive market and no easy outside supply options. When prices rise nationally, they can rise even more here.

Proponents say this is precisely the moment the 2023 law was designed for. The commissioners last year left the door open to rescind the delay — and move forward with the rule before the five years — if they change their minds.

“These are the moments we need them, because when the price of a commodity goes through the roof — be it crude oil or refined gasoline — that’s when companies make outrageous profits,” said Jamie Court, president of Consumer Watchdog.

But those who backed the delay argue it was a necessary concession — that penalizing refiners risked driving them out of the state entirely. It’s a tension that cuts to the heart of California’s energy predicament: how to protect consumers today from an industry the state can’t yet afford to lose, while still making good on its promise to leave that industry behind.

California’s unused gas-price tools

When the California Energy Commission met last August Newsom was already retreating from his confrontation with the oil industry. The question before commissioners was whether to move ahead with aggressive rules targeting refinery profits — or step back, as the governor was doing.

It was a sharp reversal. Newsom had declared special legislative sessions in 2022 and 2024, pushing through sweeping new powers to curb gasoline price spikes — including requirements that refiners store more fuel and replace lost supply during maintenance, and the profit-cap rules now sitting dormant. A new energy commission oversight division created by the law found an unexplained gasoline premium of about 41 cents per gallon between 2015 and 2024, costing drivers an estimated $59 billion.

“Those are critically important laws,” said Kassie Siegel, director of the Climate Law Institute at the Center for Biological Diversity. “What that information shows is that Californians are at the mercy of a very few refiners with immense power.”

California’s oil industry strongly opposed the measures, and some economists remain skeptical of them. UC Berkeley energy economist Severin Borenstein warned that capping refinery profits during shortages could backfire.

“The last thing we need is to start trying to regulate refinery margins,” he said. “As much as people don’t like high gasoline prices, they really, really hate gas lines.”

By last August, refinery closures were looming and warnings of $8-a-gallon gasoline circulated in Sacramento. Newsom and Democratic leaders were negotiating with the oil industry to boost production in Kern County — talks that produced a law that has since driven an uptick in drilling permits.

After Valero said it would close its Benicia refinery, Newsom directed Siva Gunda, vice chair of the California Energy Commission, to “redouble the state’s efforts to work closely with refiners on short- and long-term planning” and ensure a “reliable supply of transportation fuels.” Gunda responded with a series of recommendations that aligned largely with industry’s desires — among them a pause in the state’s profit-cap rule.

Against that backdrop, energy commissioners voted on Aug. 29 to delay the rules for five years. Ahead of the vote, Gunda said the delay would help boost “investor confidence” in the state’s oil refiners, “thereby ensuring a reliable in-state refining capacity.”

Oil industry representatives say the decision made sense – the profit-cap measures, they argued, miss the real problem.

“The real problem is California is an energy island — we’re losing 17% of our refining capacity,” said Zachary Leary, a lobbyist for the Western States Petroleum Association.

But Court, of Consumer Watchdog, said the governor “panicked,” leaving the state without the “hammer” it now needs.

“When you have this type of level of gas run up, you’re going to need those tools,” Court said.

The difficult middle of the energy transition

California has committed to phasing out fossil fuels by 2045 — but it still depends heavily on gasoline, and it is losing the refineries that produce it.

Phillips 66 last year shut its Los Angeles refinery, citing concerns about the sustainability of the California market. Valero is closing its Benicia refinery next month, pointing to a challenging regulatory environment.

“If you start losing refineries — as we are going to — and you don’t have an alternative source of supply, we’re going to start getting price spikes when there’s any sort of disruption at one of our refineries,” Borenstein said. “Or just during high demand periods.”

The challenge of reducing fossil fuel use while maintaining adequate supply has created what Gunda — Newsom’s point person in negotiations with the oil industry — calls the “mid-transition.

“This is not going to be a smooth transition,” Gunda said last month in testimony to a state Senate committee. “Every time you lose a refinery, it’s going to be a double-digit percent of refined fuel lost in California. So that abrupt transition will mean an abrupt increase in imports.”

A global oil shock hits California

The recent jump in gasoline prices reflects a global oil shock tied to the war with Iran — not a policy change unique to California, experts said. But the surge highlights how exposed the state remains to global energy markets as it loses refining capacity and imports more crude and gasoline.

Since the conflict began, the international benchmark for crude oil has climbed more than $25 a barrel — a shift that typically translates to about 60 cents per gallon at the pump, in line with the increase in California retail prices, argues Borenstein, of UC Berkeley.

“All of the change we’ve seen in the last couple of weeks is in line with the change in crude oil prices, and therefore is not California specific,” he said.

Newsom has made a similar argument, blaming the spike on global oil markets and the war with Iran rather than California policies. But analysts note that the state’s shrinking refinery base means global shocks land harder here than elsewhere.

A key concern is the Strait of Hormuz. Before the conflict, the narrow waterway carried more than 20 million barrels of oil a day — roughly one-fifth of global supply. Traffic is now at a standstill, and crude prices topped $100 a barrel again — even after more than 30 countries announced releases from emergency reserves.

Ryan Cummings, chief of staff at the Stanford Institute for Economic Policymaking, said a prolonged closure could push crude prices above $130 or $140 per barrel — driving California prices closer to $7, with a worst-case scenario approaching $10 at some stations.

Most analysts consider that outcome unlikely but no longer unthinkable.

“Right now, this doesn’t appear likely, but it is a worst-case scenario that is growing by the day,” Cummings said.

Competing ideas for what comes next

Siegel, of the Center for Biological Diversity, said California should move forward immediately to implement the profit-cap rules and require companies to hold larger fuel inventories.

“Our leaders shouldn’t rest until the rules are in place to prevent price gouging on top of volatility, and should not rest until people get their money back,” she said.

Economists say California’s biggest challenge may be infrastructure. Valero plans to close its Benicia refinery, which produces about 10% of the state’s gasoline, next month. In an analysis posted last year, Stanford economist Neale Mahoney and Cummings said California could offset lost refinery production with gasoline imports – if permitting allows refineries like Benicia to convert to fuel import terminals. Newsom said in January his administration is working with the company to continue importing gasoline into Northern California after its refinery operations close.

“If I was in the Legislature right now, all of my energies and effort would be built on, one, making sure that Benicia gets turned into an import terminal — and two, making sure whoever owns or operates that is not an incumbent,” Cummings said.

Court, of Consumer Watchdog, pointed to a proposed Phillips 66 pipeline that could bring refined gasoline from Midwest refineries into the state – something California has never had, relying instead on in-state refining and marine imports. Dubbed the Western Gateway Pipeline, the project would build a new pipeline and reverse an existing one to move gasoline and diesel from central U.S. refineries to Arizona and California.

One state lawmaker has proposed expanding access to E85, a cheaper ethanol blend. Both ideas remain proposals without clear timelines.

Meanwhile, some oil companies and even some Democrats are warning California’s climate policies could raise production costs enough that refineries reconsider operating in California — adding another pressure point to an already strained supply picture.

The profit-cap rules that could penalize oil companies remain on hold until 2029. By then, California may have lost more refineries — and may still be grappling with the problem Newsom once promised to solve: gasoline price shocks in the country’s most unaffordable market.

Evan Lennard Olson, a resident of Fortuna, crossed over the rainbow on March 5, 2026, after a three-year fight against cancer. He was surrounded by his loved ones. The son of Howard E. and Evelyn E. (Brisbin) Olson, he came to bless our world on July 9, 1953, at the small hospital in Garberville, California.

Evan grew up in Garberville and graduated from South Fork High School. He married Wendie Johnson, and they started a family, adding their son, Brian, to the story of Evan’s life. A few years after Wendie’s early tragic death, Evan married Keven Carney and they added a daughter, Kortney, to the family.

Early in his adult life Evan started working at the post office in Redway, which turned into his lifelong career. Over the years he was a cheerful presence at a variety of post office locations, retiring as Postmaster from the Scotia office in 2008. The postal service also brought him the love of his life, Barbara, who remained by his side to the end of his life.

Evan was a jovial, social person who loved listening to music and spending time with friends and family. After retirement, Evan and Barb enjoyed a variety of activities together, including travel, with Maui, Hawaii, a place they returned to several times. He enjoyed playing golf with his brother and friends. For the last 10 years he enjoyed a weekly visit at the Eel River Brewery’s Peanut on the Floor Night with his son and friends.

Evan is survived by his wife of 34 years, Barbara Olson, Brian Olson and partner Liz Hilderbrand, Kortney Olson and husband David May, Stephen and Danielle Quenell, Bryan and Sara Quenell, Elizabeth Quenell; grandchildren Karlie (Olson) Kowalska and husband Filip, Connor Olson of Arcata, Kody and Kayden Quenell, Autumn Atkins; and three great-grandchildren, Niko Kowalski, Ayla and Shae Kowalska; sister Annamarie Olson Ahmed, and numerous cousins, nieces, and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, son Karl Olson, sister Kerstina (Olson) Clark, and brother Eric Olson.

A celebration of life will be announced at a later date.

Roger Stephen Weston
April 25, 1952 – December 28, 2025

It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Roger Stephen Weston, at the age of 73. Roger passed away at the Mad River ER. He was born in Auburn, California, to parents Noel and Jimmie Weston and spent his life in San Leandro and Humboldt. He graduated from Arroyo High school, class of 1970. 

In his twenties, Roger demonstrated a strong work ethic, hired with De La Valle working on large equipment. This is where he met his long time friend Jim Brown. 

Roger then proudly worked for the city of San Leandro for over 30 years, as a water pollution control supervisor. When working with the city, he worked in a variety of roles, as a mechanic, electrician and pump specialist. This is where he retired from at the age of 58.

He loved music, good conversation, and shared countless laughs with family and friends. Roger had many instruments that he loved playing, and found joy listening to music at local venues. His art is where he found peace, completing many works of art in his spare time. He was an outdoor lover, which included taking photos of nature, walking around the marsh, fishing, as well deep sea fishing. 

Roger was known for his compassion and generosity. He would always give the shirt off his back if someone needed it. That is the kind of person Roger was. He kept various crystals in his pockets, and would give them out to people that needed them.

Roger was preceded in death by his parents, Noel and Jimmie Weston, and his two older brothers Larry and Phillip Weston. He is survived by his daughter Kelly Real (husband Saul); son Joel Weston; grandchild Nicholas Real; his brother, Richard Weston; and sister Susan Weston.

A celebration of life will be held for those who knew Roger in Blue Lake, at Paskenta Mad River Brewing Company, on Saturday, March 28 at 1 p.m. 

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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Roger Weston’s family. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here. Email news@lostcoastoutpost.com.

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Mark your calendars, Ferndale! Caltrans officials are hosting a community meeting on Thursday, March 26 to discuss next steps for repairing — or possibly replacing — your beloved Fernbridge. 

The 115-year-old bridge, nicknamed the the “Queen of Bridges” by the engineers who built her, sustained major structural damage during the 6.4 magnitude earthquake and numerous aftershocks that struck the region in December 2022 and January 2023, prompting numerous short-term closures. Caltrans completed emergency repairs in March 2023 to keep Route 211 open to two-way traffic, but a long-term solution is sorely needed.

Caltrans engineers have come up with several potential solutions to either rehabilitate Fernbridge or build a brand-new bridge. Some alternatives include demolition, which seems to be the least favorable option, according to LoCO Pollz. Let’s take a look at what Caltrans is proposing…

Alternative 1: Rehabilitate the existing bridge at its current width for all traffic. This approach would keep Fernbridge’s iconic arches and superstructure (everything above the bridge bearings) intact, though new railing may be considered in the new design.

Alternative 2: Rehabilitate and widen the existing bridge for all traffic. This alternative would widen each lane from 11.3 feet to 12 feet and add eight-foot shoulders to the bridge. “This option would attempt to preserve the architectural appearance and identity of the structure as much as possible,” as stated in the Notice of Preparation.

Under both alternatives, a temporary bridge would be constructed to accommodate traffic in and out of Ferndale. These alternatives would also require the use of both upstream and downstream trestles during construction, as seen in the figure above.

Alternative 3: Construct a new bridge on a new alignment and rehabilitate Fernbridge for non-motorized use. A new bridge would be built upstream from the existing bridge. The new bridge would have 12-foot lanes, eight-foot shoulders and a pedestrian/bicycle path. This option would not require a detour bridge as Fernbridge would remain open to traffic during construction. 

Alternative 4: Construct a new bridge on a new alignment and rehabilitate Fernbridge for non-motorized use with a modified superstructure. Unlike Alternative 3, this option would replace the superstructure of Fernbridge with a “lighter-weight steel structure or equivalent,” but the bridge would remain intact for non-motorized use.

Under both alternatives, temporary trestles would be built to accommodate construction.

Alternative 5: Construct a new bridge and demolish Fernbridge. The new bridge would have the same dimensions as the last two alternatives, but this option would include “arching design elements reminiscent of Fernbridge” to make up for the loss of the Queen. Again, a detour bridge wouldn’t be necessary in this case because Fernbridge would carry traffic, but an in-water trestle would be built for construction and demolition.

Alternative 6: Construct a new bridge on a new alignment and maintain Fernbridge as a monument. This option is almost exactly the same as Alternative 3, but the existing bridge would not be modified for non-motorized use. 

Alternative 7: Construct a new bridge on the existing alignment of Fernbridge. Under this option, a temporary bridge would be built ahead of demolition. The new bridge would be built in the footprint of Fernbridge with the same design standards mentioned in previous alternatives. Temporary in-water trestles would be built to accommodate construction. 

Alternative 8: No build alternative. Do nothing!

Caltrans engineers will go over the pros and cons of each alternative at the March 26 meeting at 5:30 p.m. at Ferndale City Hall – 834 Main Street in Ferndale. Attendees will have a chance to ask questions and share their two cents on the proposals.

Those interested can submit a formal comment on the Notice of Preparation at this link. The public scoping period ends April 17. More information on the Ferndale Access Project can be found here. 

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Residents of Scotia were under a boil water advisory for six days after turbidity spiked in the water treatment system.

The advisory was lifted Tuesday after operator efforts to flush the system resulted in tests coming back within regulatory limits — but structural problems with old water infrastructure remain.

The state water board is pushing for the district to get funding for infrastructure replacement.

The state Water Board, which regulates drinking water, got involved Wednesday when the Scotia Community Services District (SCSD) reported a turbidity of 16 Nephelometric Turbidity Unit (NTU) measured at the plant. This is about 50 times above the state’s standard of 0.3 or below.

This level of turbidity, a measure of water clarity, “was really high,” said Barry Sutter, Klamath District Engineer for the water board, prompting an immediate response.

Turbidity in drinking water is a concern, he explains, because some parasites like Cryptosporidium are resistant to chlorination and must be physically removed or treated with UV. He noted regulations surrounding turbidity were tightened after the 1993 Milwaukee Cryptosporidiosis outbreak that affected hundreds of thousands of residents and killed 69.

Humboldt County Public Health is not aware of any illnesses associated with Scotia’s water disruption, a spokesperson told the Outpost in an email.

Within the hour, the water board ordered SCSD to issue a boil water advisory to residents in the district. About 680 residents were told to only use boiled  or bottled water for drinking and cooking.

SCSD was also mandated by the state to keep chlorine residual at 2 parts per million while the notice was in effect.

In a community advisory, the SCSD said complaints about cloudy or turbid water had begun two days before the notice was issued. But levels at the plant were within California State mandated levels until Wednesday, March 4, when turbidity spiked, according to SCSD.

As detailed in a SCSD update, work included inspecting parts of the plant, which the district plans to ultimately replace.

“Filter inspection showed they were working properly. The next step was to drain and clean the sediment settling tank. Our third action was to adjust the treatment processes. As a result, the turbidity level at the Water Treatment plant dropped significantly to California State mandated requirement,” a March 6 update noted.

The issue causing the turbidity was under control by the next day, but due to concern that turbid water was still in the system, operators needed to flush it multiple times, according to Sutter, causing the week-long notice.

Now, the District is reporting to the water board that turbidity is meeting the performance standard below 0.3 (NTU). Tests came back within regulatory levels and the water board lifted the order Tuesday.

Scotia Community Services District believes the cause of the turbidity spike was a filter issue, according to the state water board. Scotia Community Services District staff did not want to comment on specifics at this time.

“The notice has been lifted and the problem has been corrected,” said Steve Coppini, General Manager of SCSD, when asked for comment.

Sutter said old infrastructure failing is nothing new for rural, disadvantaged communities in northern California.

“The filters are so old, they don’t have a lot of the features that new filters have,” said Sutter.

SCSD’s website notes some of the system components were built and installed as early as the 1930s.

Scotia’s water system is considered “failing” by the State Water Board’s Safe and Affordable Funding for Equity and Resilience Drinking Water program. According to Blair Robertson, a spokesperson for the Water Board, the system was designated as failing once the Boil Water Notice was issued.

“A system is considered ‘failing’ when it has an unresolved treatment technique issue, such as relying on unreliable filtration or having an open violation in the State database,” wrote Robertson in an email to the Outpost. 

The water board aims to keep Scotia on the “failing” list for the time being, he said.

“That designation is primarily used to prioritize funding projects – in this case, to replace the old filters with new filters meeting our current standards. The water can otherwise be used normally by the public now that the boil water notice has been lifted,” he said.

Overall, Sutter pointed out the system is using old technology, and  compared to to trying to keep an old car on the road.

He said the operators are doing great considering what they have. 

“We’ve seen old infrastructure fail before, and it fails dramatically, and that’s what happened in this case. So we don’t have a lot of confidence in the filter system. We’re going to do whatever we can to try to help expedite the project,” said Sutter.

The department can help prioritize this system through the Water Board’s Division of Financial Assistance.

The Scotia CSD Water Treatment Facility Replacement Project is an endeavor estimated at 3 million dollars, according to the SCSD website. Sutter said in cases like this, consolidation with other systems like nearby Rio Dell is another option.

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Like many youngsters who grew up playing baseball and watching Humboldt Crabs games each summer, Conor Fitzgerald dreamed of making it to the Major Leagues. Unlike most kids, he did — just not in the way he expected. 

Fitzgerald is a cameraman and filmmaker. Since graduating in 2020 with a film degree from the University of Notre Dame he has shot footage for the NBA on TNT, college football on Fox, college basketball for ESPN and most other major NCAA sports, including baseball, golf and hockey. And for the past four years, he has operated a camera for live broadcasts of A’s games.

“So I guess I made it to the majors as a cameraman instead,” he said during a phone interview this morning. 

Fitzgerald. | LinkedIn.

We reached out to Fitzgerald yesterday after finding an online trailer for his new feature-length documentary, “Lou’s Team: The Story of the Humboldt Crabs” (above). As the title suggests, the film examines the 80-year history of the country’s oldest continuously operated summer collegiate baseball team, based right here in Arcata.

After graduating college during the pandemic, Fitzgerald had time to wrap up production and editing on his first documentary feature, “PLUM: A Baseball Life.” It’s a profile of his friend Bill Plummer, who was Hall of Famer Johnny Bench’s backup on the Cincinnati Reds in the 1970s. 

“As I was finishing that one up I told myself, ‘That was a lot of work, to do the whole project and edit and all of this. I might not do another one.’”

But then he realized that the Humboldt Crabs were approaching their 80th birthday, and he couldn’t think of any project that really dug into the team’s early days. So he reached out to some friends on the board of directors and other people he’d known growing up, including former Crabs players. The project really took off after he landed an interview with Yankees bullpen coach and former Major League player Mike Harkey, who was on the 1985 Crabs squad.

“Once I got that interview set I was like, ‘OK, I can build around this.’”

Fitzgerald was born in Eureka but spent most of his childhood in Redding, coming back to Humboldt each summer. His mom worked for the Simpson Timber Company and was friends with several Crabs board members, including volunteer treasurer Mary Ellen Barthman. 

These connections helped Fitzgerald secure a few old photos, programs and other memorabilia. Eventually he was put in touch with Maria Briggs, daughter of Crabs legend Lou Bonomini, the team’s co-founder, longtime manager and eventual namesake of the documentary.

Briggs had the goods.

“She has the whole history of the team that her parents kept: the newspaper clippings all the way back to the ‘40s, all the programs, a lot of a lot of old news file photos, some old archive footage. Without what she gave me [the film] would be a fun little project to do, but it wouldn’t be what it is now,” Fitzgerald said.

With a runtime of just over two hours, the documentary includes interviews with many notable former Crabs, including Bob Milano, who would go on to coach college baseball at Cal; Mark Marquess, the first Crabs alum to make it to the majors and, later, a legendary coaching career at Stanford; and former Santa Clara head coach John Oldham, all of whom have since passed away. [CORRECTION: Oldham, not Marquess, was the first Crab to make it to the majors.] 

“I was able to interview them all at their houses and talk for hours about their time playing for the Crabs and sending their college players to play for the Crabs as well,” Fitzgerald said.

His favorite story in the film is that of Jack Fimple, a local Coast Guardsman who, in 1979, attended an open tryout for the Crabs. He landed a spot on the roster, and his standout play earned him an invitation to play college baseball at Humboldt State University. After just one season as a Lumberjack, Fimple was drafted by the Cleveland Indians in the 29th round of the 1980 MLB draft. He would go on to play for the L.A. Dodgers and California Angels.

Fitzgerald said stories like Fimple’s could help his documentary appeal to an audience beyond local Crabs fans and other baseball diehards. 

“I think it’s those kind of stories that anyone can look at [as] just a good, fun story,” he said. 

Fitzgerald is currently trying to line up a screening at one of Arcata’s movie theaters in early to mid-June. His hope is to host a Saturday matinee sandwiched between the Arcata Farmer’s Market and an evening Crabs game at Arcata Ball Park. 

He’s nearly done with editing the film but said he’s still open to squeezing in some more footage.

“If there is anyone out there who happens to have footage from 1995 or earlier” — whether that’s home video shot by family members of players or old TV news clips — “if anyone does have any old footage, I’ll still take it,” Fitzgerald said.

He can be reached via the “Contact” button on his website, where you can find historical Crabs photos and more information about “Lou’s Team,” among other projects.