Press release from the Eureka Police Department:

In the early morning hours of August 29, 2025, at approximately 4:00 a.m., a Patrol Sergeant conducted a traffic enforcement stop on a bicyclist near 3rd and M Streets for operating a bicycle without the required safety equipment.

The bicyclist, later identified as 45-year-old Jonathon Tucker, initially complied by dismounting and placing his bicycle on the ground. However, he immediately fled the scene on foot. During the ensuing foot pursuit,

Tucker was observed discarding a firearm. Officers quickly apprehended Tucker and recovered the firearm, which was found to be loaded with a high- capacity magazine and confirmed to be stolen. Additionally, Tucker was found to be in possession of suspected methamphetamine.

Tucker was arrested and transported to the Humboldt County Correctional Facility. He faces multiple felony and misdemeanor charges, including:

• PC 25850(a) – Carrying a loaded firearm in public
• PC 32310(a) – Possession of a high-capacity magazine
• PC 148(a)(1) – Resisting, delaying, or obstructing a peace officer
• HS 11377(a) – Possession of a controlled substance
• HS 11370.1(a) – Possession of a controlled substance while armed with a loaded firearm
• HS 11395(b)(1) – Possession of a controlled substance with two or more prior convictions
• PC 666.1(a)(1) – Petty theft with two or more prior convictions
• PC 496(a) – Possession of stolen property
  

If you have any information in regard to this incident, please contact EPD’s Criminal Investigations Unit (CIU) at 707-441-4300.

Maura-Anne Therese Eastman
November 12, 1949-August 21, 2025

Maura-Anne Therese Eastman passed away peacefully at her home in Ferndale, California, on August 21, 2025, with her beloved daughter, Amy, holding her hand. Maura was born on November 12, 1949, in Albuquerque, New Mexico, to James and Marion Grady. She spent her early childhood there with her older brother and younger sister before the family relocated to LIvermore, California, in 1956. She attended St. Michael’s Elementary School and graduated from Livermore High School. Maura went on to study at Merritt College in Oakland and began her administrative career at Jackson and Perkins Roses, followed by Lehar Sales.

After moving to Montclair in the early 1970’s, she began working as the administrative assistant for Cowell Memorial Hospital at UC Berkeley. While working in Berkeley, she met her future husband, Tom Eastman, and within a year, on July 19, 1975 they were married in Pleasanton, California. It was at their home in Montclair where their love and passion for landscaping and gardening evolved. In 1982 they decided to leave the hustle and bustle of the big city and purchased the Fortuna Nursery and Flower Shop. Shortly after, they found their forever-home and discovered a love for Victorian architecture, buying the Alford-Neilson House on Main Street in Ferndale, where they lived the rest of their lives. In 1985 Tom and Maura welcomed their daughter, Amy, into the family. Amy loved to spend time at the Nursery and Flower Shop where Maura instilled her love of floral design in Amy, which she treasures to this day.

After the sale of the Nursery and Flower Shop in 1995, Maura returned to administrative work. She briefly worked for Banker Benefits of California before beginning her career with two local Native American tribes. Maura worked for the Bear River Band of Rohnerville Rancheria as they initiated the casino project and quickly moved into the Social Services Department. She built strong connections to the families and staff, which she maintained after making a move to the Wiyot Tribe, also located in Loleta. Maura was the Social Service Director for the Wiyot Tribe before becoming the Tribal Administrator. Over the next decade, Maura took enormous pride in serving the members of the tribe and was honored to be included in many family gatherings and to learn about their traditions. She cherished the friendships she made there for the rest of her days.

Maura spent the next decade of her professional life at Redwood Community Action Agency, serving as the Director of the Youth Service Bureau. She led programs for homeless and runaway youth in her community, including the youth shelter, drop-in center, and programs for foster youth aging out of the system. She was instrumental in the purchase of The Sarah Turner House, an apartment building for youth aging out of foster care and served on many local and state advisory committees. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Maura took on the role of CEO of Vector Rehabilitation in Eureka before ending her career in 2023.

Throughout her life, Maura gave so generously of her time and energy, serving on numerous community boards and committees, including: Redwood Memorial Hospital Benefit Ball Committee, California Nursery Association, Humboldt County Human Rights Commission, Humboldt State University President’s Native American Advisory Council, the Workforce Investment Board-Youth Council, Access Humboldt Board of Directors, Humboldt County Alcohol and Other Drug Committee, Southwest Rotary Club of Eureka, Humboldt Housing and Homeless Coalition-Executive Committee, Humboldt Community Task Force as well as the Multi-Agency Juvenile Justice Coordinating Council and many others.

Above everything else in her life, Maura cherished being a mother. Her greatest joy was raising Amy, and considered it the most important role she had. She was a devoted mother and loving wife, as well as a dear friend to many. Maura enjoyed cooking, baking, gardening and visiting with her friends in her spare time. She had award-winning pies and jams she would enter into the Alameda County Fair and floral displays she and Tom would create for the Humboldt County Fair. She was a proud member of the Ferndale Community Choir for over 20 years, which she shared with Amy and sang in her church choir for many years as well. Maura met every challenge life gave her face-on. She was a breast cancer survivor and long-term care giver to her husband. In 2017, after 6 years on dialysis, she was given the ultimate gift of life when she received a kidney donation from her dear friend, Angela Smith-an act of generosity Maura never took for granted. Maura’s strength, sense of humor, grace, compassion, and selflessness were just some of the incredible qualities that so many loved about her.

Maura is survived by her loving daughter, Amy (Korsen Yu); her brother, Jim Grady (Carollane); her sister, Kathleen Tomari (Kazuo); niece, Yumi RIcciardi (Rick); nephews Billy Priest (David), Michael Grady (Maryanne) and Kenji Tomari; great niece Aria Ricciardi; great nephews Declan and Kian Ricciardi; as well as many cousins and extended family. Maura was preceded in death by her parents, James and Marion Grady; her mother and father in law, Joe and Mary Storti; her husband, Tom Eastman; and her niece, Misa Tomari.

A funeral mass will be held on Sunday, September 14, 2025 at 4 p.m. at the Church of the Assumption, 546 Berding Street in Ferndale. A reception to follow at the Sitka Wine Lounge at 475 Main Street in Ferndale. If you wish to make a donation in Maura’s name, please consider the dedicated Ferndale Volunteer Fire Department (PO Box 485, Ferndale, CA 95536) or a charity of your choice.

Robert Eugene (Bob) Hitchcock, my love, passed into the arms of our Lord on August 20, 2025, at the age of 87.

Bob was born in Davenport, Iowa, to Gail (Bob) Robert and Elizabeth Chapman Hitchcock on May 17, 1938. He was the oldest of six children. Bob attended Manual High School in Peoria, Illinois, and enlisted in the Marine Corps, serving at Camp Pendleton, 29 Palms, California. After leaving the service, he applied and was hired as a police officer for the city of Pasadena. After a few years and enough riots, he thought he would enjoy a small town and applied to the Eureka EPD, an unknown, somewhere up north, and was hired.

At that time, EPD was stationed at the County Courthouse, and that was where I worked and first met him. We became good friends, nothing more, until I moved to the Eureka Fire Department dispatch. At that time, we decided dating would be a good thing, and it was. We were married 53 years last January.

We both liked the sun and decided to move to Arizona. He worked for the Arizona Justice Planning Agency for seven years and then the Arizona Drug Control in Tucson as assistant director and head of a five-state drug control district. He loved it there but I was called back to Eureka for family emergencies, thinking it would be temporary. Needless to say it wasn’t, and Bob gave up what he loved to come back to help me and here we stayed. He was truly an unselfish, wonderful man. I was truly blessed.

He hadn’t smoked in 20 years when he had open heart surgery at age of 72. He also developed emphysema and later on bladder cancer. The emphysema took its toll on his heart and weakened him greatly this past two years.

We were able to take road trips across the US, spending time in Canada Hawaii and Alaska, which was his favorite place of all.

We belonged to three great dance clubs, making wonderful and fun-loving friends. And when Bob could no longer dance, we headed to the casinos where he could just sit, push buttons and visit.

Bob is survived by his wife Gene, daughter Jennifer, his sister Patricia Hathaway and her daughter Marie, brother Larry Hitchcock (Lisa), several nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his father and the woman he called “Mom” Bob and Anne Hitchcock, father and mother-in-law Ralph and Marge Pentin. Brother Raymond Hitchcock and wife Alice, sister Sandra Smith and her son Jeffrey Smith, infant sister Ruth Hitchcock, very special niece, Terry Hitchcock, and his special friend Calvin Hamblin.

A heartfelt thank you to my dear friends Earlene and Priscilla for their help and support at this time. Also, a huge thank you to the staff at Providence St. Joseph ICU and PCU for the tender and gentle care of Bob during his stay, and Ayers Cremation for their much-appreciated help.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Miranda’s Rescue or charity of your choice. At Bob’s request, there will be no memorial service.

My heart holds him close.

Back in the day, Sarah Leiteritz had it good on Eye Street. One-lane. Narrow. Near the highway, but not always too loud. “NOT A THROUGH STREET,” the sign at the top of the hill near the tennis courts says, and that was true. It went nowhere. 

But when the Hinarr Hu Moulik (HHM) dorms opened several weeks ago, suddenly it went somewhere. Though there’s no direct access to the dorm’s parking lot, it’s simple to park on Eye and step around the bollards separating the street from university grounds. 

Currently, the open building is home to upwards of 500 students, with room for another 400 when the other building opens at the start of spring semester. The parking lot has 328 spaces. One week after the start of the fall semester, residents on Eye are already complaining that they’re feeling squeezed out. 

“There are way more cars here than there used to be,” said Leiteritz, 37, in an interview with the Outpost. She and her husband moved into a house on a short, dead-end street off of Eye in 2021. “There are, like, five times more cars now. They’re parking so close to the mailbox we can’t get up to it. Our neighbors can’t park in front of their own houses. Sometimes they can’t even park on the entire street.”

Arcata’s preferential parking system requires a parking permit for some of Eye, but it ends at the opposite end of the street from the dorms. In an (extremely informal) survey conducted by the Outpost, more than half of the vehicles parked along Eye St. and its side streets had Cal Poly Humboldt parking permit stickers from the 2024-2025 academic year or either the Fall ‘24 or Spring ‘25 semester.

Leiteritz feels fortunate that she and her husband have a driveway and a lawn to use as a parking spot, but the dwindling street parking isn’t just a simple inconvenience for them. Their son is autistic and sometimes requires the help of health care providers. They too have had issues finding places to park near their house, and Leiteritz worries they someday might not be able to park anywhere near.

She’s resorted to putting some traffic cones on the side of the street and putting up some signage claiming it’s “reserved,” which has kept a little space free for her when it’s needed. She doesn’t even want to consider the idea of another 400 students moving in just a quarter of a mile away in a few months. Leiteritz and her husband had been considering buying the house they moved into when it hits the market soon, but now they’re reconsidering it.

“It’s going to be so crazy,” Leiteritz said. “I don’t understand how they’re letting this happen.”

Representatives for Cal Poly Humboldt said in a written statement that they had anticipated this issue and were working on some solutions. They haven’t oversold parking permits for the lot, so students who want to bring a car will know if they’ll be able to consistently secure a space. If not, they can park on Humboldt’s campus proper.

There are plenty of alternative options to get around; a shuttle runs from the dorms to campus every 15 minutes, and they’re within a 20-minute walk of campus. There’s also a locked bicycle storage building with space for hundreds of bicycles on the premises.

“For students who don’t secure a parking permit at HHM, we strongly encourage considering whether bringing a car is necessary — this helps reduce overall parking demand and can also save students money,” the statement reads. “…All of these measures are designed to provide our students with clear information, enabling them to make informed decisions for their individual situations, while encouraging the use of our university-owned parking facilities, which allows us to manage capacity better. We recognize that parking isn’t always ideal, but we’re committed to collaborating with both our campus community and the City of Arcata to find solutions that work for everyone. We thank everyone for their patience as we continue to refine these systems.”

“It’s gotta be frustrating for them too,” Leiteritz said about the students living in the HHM dorms. “I’m sure they’re having to just, like, spend gas driving around up and down streets that aren’t the easiest to drive on trying to fit their car somewhere.”

UPDATE, 2:40 p.m.: The Sheriff’s Office has some additional intel:

On Sept. 2 at about 1:30 p.m., a friend of missing person, Jesse Austin, contacted the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) to report he had given Austin a ride.  The friend stated he picked Austin up from the airport on Aug. 24, 2025, and transported him to the Cedar Flat Rest area on Highway 299. 

According to the friend, Austin stated he was meeting a family member and was last seen sitting at a picnic table.  Austin was in possession of a backpack, possibly gray in color, a blue waterproof bag, a gallon of water and some food.

If you have any information about Jesse or his whereabouts, please contact Investigator Mike Fridley at (707) 441-3024.

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ORIGINAL POST:

Press release from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office:

The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office needs the public’s help to locate missing person Jesse Bill Austin, 80, of McKinleyville. 

On 08-24-25, a concerned citizen contacted the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) to report a friend, Jesse Bill Austin, had left a concerning note at their residence. The note stated Austin had left his Silver/Gold 2001 GMC van at the airport in McKinleyville. Deputies responded to the airport and located Austin’s van parked in long term parking. Deputies viewed the airport security video where Austin parked the van and walked towards the terminal. He entered an area which was not recorded and was not seen leaving. At about the same time a silver sedan, possibly Toyota, is seen leaving from the same location. 

During the initial investigation, deputies checked with the airlines and rental car companies which had no record of Austin making a purchase. Austin’s cell phone information provided his most recent activity was near Railroad Dr. in McKinleyville. The reporting party also stated that Austin had been a white-water rafting guide. 

At this point in the investigation, it is unclear where Austin went after airport. It is possible that a citizen gave Austin a ride from the airport. He is described as an 80-year-old white male, gray hair, blue eyes, 5’9”, and about 180 pounds and is known to walk with a cane.

Anyone with information on Austin’s whereabouts is asked to call the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office at (707) 445-7251 or Investigator Mike Fridley at (707) 441-3024.

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Press release from Pacific Gas & Electric Company: 

SANTA ROSA, Calif. — Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) is hosting an interactive virtual town hall for customers in the North Coast Region on Thursday, September 4, from 5:30 – 6:30 p.m. to share more about what we are doing to reduce wildfire risk and make our system safer.

During the meeting, we’ll provide the latest updates on local wildfire safety work and safety resources available to customers. This is also an opportunity for participants to ask questions, share feedback and connect with their local PG&E leaders, including North Coast Regional Vice President Dave Canny.
 
The event can be accessed via the below link, by phone or through PG&E’s website, pge.com/webinars.   
 
Counties: Humboldt, Lake, Marin, Mendocino, Napa, Siskiyou, Solano, Sonoma and Trinity
Date: Thursday, September 4, 2025
Time: 5:30 – 6:30 p.m.
Link: https://bit.ly/4nzVg36
Dial-In: +1 888-810-3952
Conference ID: 1345040#       
 
American Sign Language interpretation will be available, along with dial-in numbers for those who aren’t able to join online. For the full virtual events schedule, additional information on how to join and recordings and presentation materials from past events, visit pge.com/webinars. 
 
Customers can find opportunities to engage with PG&E representatives in the area by visiting: pge.com/openlines » 
 
More information and resources to help you and your family prepare for and stay safe in the event of an emergency can be found at safetyactioncenter.pge.com.    

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Press release from the Six Rivers National Forest: 

Dillon Fire: 7,706 acres; 7% containment

Email: 2025.Dillon@firenet.gov

Personnel: 1,016

Online Fire Information: www.linktr.ee/srffirepio

Red Flag Warning Today

Extreme fire activity is expected today with hot, dry, unstable weather, and possible dry lightning forecast for this afternoon. Temperatures are expected to be above 100 degrees. Relative humidity will be in the mid-teens, and wind gusts up to 30 miles an hour with the potential for higher gusts from thunder cells creating outflow winds are possible. Predicted weather increases the potential for spot fires throughout the day.

Air operations conducted water drops yesterday and hand crews dug handline to tie the spot fire northeast of Dillon Creek Campground into the Klamath River. Structures northeast of the spot fire have been prepped by the structure defense group with hose lays and sprinklers in place, operations will continue today. Six fire crews, supported by helicopters, conducted operations between Forest Roads 14N21 and 13N13. Handlines and hose lays will be completed in the area today. Firefighters are working closely with resource advisors and cultural resource specialists to ensure natural and cultural resources are protected.

Firefighting resources continue to arrive daily. With additional resources mobilizing in the area, traffic will increase on Highway 96. There is limited one-way traffic control on Highway 96 at various locations from 10.7 miles west to 2.2 miles west of Cottage Grove due to fire operations. Debris is rolling into the roadway, and visibility remains low during early morning hours. Drive with caution.

Air quality can change quickly. Know your smoke risk and plan ahead: www.airnow.gov/wildfires.

Evacuations and Closures: Highway 96 is closed from 3.2 mi west to 5.3 mi east of Seiad Valley (Siskiyou County) due to wildfire activity. Motorists are advised to use an alternate route.

The Six Rivers National Forest has issued a closure order in the vicinity of the Dillon Fire.

All the structures in the Ti-Bar have been placed in a level 3-GO status, Somes Bar, Calif.

Below are the current evacuation order and warning zones for the Dillon Fire.

• Evacuation ORDERS: SIS-1405, SIS-1402-A, SIS-1503-A, SIS-1509-B and SIS-1506.
• Evacuation WARNINGS: SIS-1402-B, SIS-1509-A, SIS-1604, SIS-1503-B, SIS-1300, SIS-1301 and SIS-1408.

The latest evacuation information can be found at https://protect.genasys.com. For shelter information and resources related to the fire evacuations, please call (530) 340–3539.

Siskiyou County Office of Emergency Services for fire-related resources and general safety information.

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