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• Wanted Felon Shot Dead Near Blue Lake in Standoff With Humboldt County Sheriff’s Deputies, Agency Reports

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Press release from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office:

The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) is providing an update on the officer-involved shooting that occurred on July 26, 2025, in the Glendale community.

The deceased has been identified as Jared Randell Nelson, 35, of Eureka, California. Mr. Nelson was pronounced deceased upon arrival at a local hospital.

Prior to the incident, HCSO deputies were in the area of the 1300 block of Glendale Drive attempting to locate Mr. Nelson, who was wanted on multiple charges. These included active arrest warrants for felon in possession of a firearm, probation violation, and an out-of-county warrant. Additionally, Mr. Nelson was reportedly involved in a prior incident involving the brandishing of a firearm.

Following a foot pursuit, Mr. Nelson discharged a .45 caliber handgun at pursuing deputies. The firearm was recovered at the scene. In accordance with standard protocol, three HCSO deputies involved in the incident have been placed on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation.

This remains an active investigation, and further details will be released as appropriate. The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office encourages anyone with information regarding this incident to contact the HCSO at (707) 445-7251.

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At Hospice of Humboldt, memories are everywhere. Just look around as you walk through the organization’s tranquil property, nestled up against the McKay Community Forest on the outskirts of Eureka, and you’ll find evidence of them. 

Look down as you walk the meandering “Heart of Hospice” path and you’ll see engraved bricks bearing the names of loved ones whose final weeks and months were eased through the end-of-life care provided by the physicians, nurses, social workers, home health aides and volunteers who work in the facility and spread out to serve people all over the community.

Keep looking and you’ll find more names. They’re on the redwood benches by the meditation labyrinth, on plaques tucked into blooming flowerbeds and on signs outside the property’s three buildings, a chapel, the administrative building and the inpatient Hospice House, where the terminally ill have access to care around the clock. 

These memorial engravings serve to honor departed loved ones, and for Hospice of Humboldt they’re also a vital part of the fundraising necessary to provide a broad range of services, including not just hospice care (reserved for patients who’ve been given a diagnosis of six months or less to live) but also palliative care (for patients given a year or less to live), spiritual care, social work and up to 13 months of grief support for anyone in the community mourning the death of a loved one.

CEO Dianne Keating has a sense of humor about the fundraising. On a recent tour of the grounds she quipped, “Everything is for sale, so if something catches your eye, just let us know.”

Tia Baratelle, the organization’s director of development, leads these fundraising efforts, and as we entered the chapel, with its floor-to-ceiling views of the redwood forest, she said the offer is legit. “I’ll sell anything. You can put your name on my door.”

“She sells redwood trees,” Keating said with a laugh. The engravings aren’t limited to departed friends and relatives. Some people buy them just to support the organization. Baratelle purchased one in honor of her dog after it passed away.

Such enthusiastic fundraising has allowed Hospice of Humboldt to take meaningful strides in expanding care in recent years. Founded in 1979, the nonprofit moved to its current, much larger location near Redwood Acres in 2015, and the Hospice House opened a year later. A palliative care program was launched in 2022, allowing medical care providers and social workers to deliver a range of services to patients wherever they’re living in the community.

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Just last week, the Hospice House doubled its capacity from six beds to 12. Keating explained that the facility has always been licensed to house 12 live-in patients but hiring enough licensed clinicians to staff that many beds proved challenging. (This is a common problem across Northern California and rural communities throughout the country.)

“It’s really rare for a hospice agency to have a Hospice House, especially in a rural setting like ours because of the financial drain on the organization,” Keating said. (The organization budgets to lose almost a million dollars per year operating the Hospice House.) “But our board knew that going in, and it really completed our mission. And we just felt that’s what we needed to do.”

The mission to build the Hospice House was led by former Executive Director Marylee Bytheriver, who died in 2015. The house offers three levels of care, including respite for caregivers and family members who need a break from the often exhausting demands of providing end-of-life care.

“Before the Hospice House was here the only option people had was the hospital,” Baratelle said. “And people want to stay out of the hospital at the end of life. They don’t want to be there. So it’s amazing that we have this option.”

As the tour progressed into the main building we came to a spacious room with an area for kids to play, a big table for group meals and a large stone fireplace. There’s also a full kitchen, and with the house open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, Keating said families can come and go as they wish and even spend the night with their loved ones. 

“We really encourage them to use the house as they would their own,” she said. “I mean, we’ve had Super Bowl parties and Christmas parties with families in the living room, Thanksgiving dinners in the dining room — it’s amazing.”

Each of the house’s 12 beds are in private rooms, each with its own bathroom. Most have patios that open to the manicured outdoor grounds. Some families have brought grills to have a patio barbecue with their loved one. During the COVID pandemic, when some people were dying alone in hospitals, patients at the Hospice House could receive visits from loved ones, one at a time.

“It was just such a gift, really, to the family,” Keating said.

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Through a fundraising effort called the Compassionate Growth Campaign, Hospice of Humboldt was able to raise $750,000, enough to recruit another team of caregivers and double the capacity of the Hospice House. 

“We’re very fortunate in Humboldt County,” Keating said. “We’ve been here for so long and we’re so well respected by our referral sources. …  We couldn’t do it without the donors. I mean, operations lose money every year, but the donor support helps fill the gaps.”

“Our community shows up and is generous,” Baratelle agreed.

Dr. Knoll

Hospice of Humboldt recently hired a new full-time medical director, Dr. Charlie Knoll, who said he’s excited to expand access “to help more people get the care they deserve, whether at home or at the Hospice House.”

With a staff of around 111 people, with a similar number of volunteers, Hospice of Humboldt currently serves about 190 patients, with about 110 in hospice care and the other 80 or so in palliative care. 

While that program started just three years ago, it’s already “remarkably successful” due to the large need in the community, Keating said. Designed to help people who aren’t ready for hospice but still have a life-limiting illness, the palliative care program helps patients navigate the often challenging local health care system while building relationships and discussing end-of-life goals.

“This year we are trying to actually double the capacity of that program, because the need is so great in our community that we just can’t, we can’t serve the need,” Baratelle said. “I mean, as you can imagine, there’s a lot of people who need help coordinating their care, who are seriously ill, which impacts the entire family around them. Even the most resourced people reach out to us in crisis, like, ‘What do I do?’”

Roughly 85 percent of Hospice of Humboldt’s patients have Medicare while about 10 percent have insurance through Medi-Cal or Partnership HealthPlan, with a smattering of people with private insurance or none at all. But nobody is ever turned away for an inability to pay. There’s a sliding scale payment structure, and some patients are unhoused. Baratelle said staff will serve people wherever they call home. 

“We’ve served people in shipping containers with no running water and no electricity,” she said. “Our staff are incredible.”

As with the Hospice House, the palliative care program is not a money-maker. There’s very little reimbursement available for palliative care through Medicare or insurance, so the program is “at best break-even for us,” Keating said.

Regardless, fundraising efforts are currently underway in hopes of bringing in another team of caregivers and doubling the palliative care program’s capacity by next year. 

President Donald Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” could upend Medicare reimbursement and lead to instability in health care coverage among underserved patients in particular, according to hospice industry professionals, though much of the changes aren’t scheduled to take effect until 2027. 

Funding challenges aside, though, Keating said hospice care is what the entire health care industry should be, with a whole team working holistically and gathering at least once a week to discuss their patients’ needs and goals. Often, they’re able to make last wishes come true. 

This past December, for example, staff organized a surprise visit from Santa Claus for a four-year-old girl whose firefighter father was receiving end-of-life care at the Hospice House.

Another patient’s dying wish was to marry her longtime partner so she’d have his last name on her death certificate. She was too sick to leave the Hospice House, so a social worker and chaplain traveled around the county, securing a marriage license, a wedding dress from The Hospice Shop thrift store in Arcata and helping friends and family gather flowers and decorations. The woman was just 57 years old, and she died six days after the outdoor wedding ceremony. But she did so knowing her wish had come true.

Keating’s own father died in the Hospice House a few years ago. “And it was just so interesting to be on the other side of that, you know, being a daughter and being supported by the team,” she said. “And it was just like, ‘I’m so glad I work here! This is why I work here!”

The tour came to an end behind the Hospice House, where a gurgling outdoor fountain stands at the head of a long, narrow expanse of round rocks that wends through the forest like a riverbed. Keating explained that each rock represents a past patient of the Hospice House. 

“Our team meets weekly to talk about patients and the patients that have passed away,” she said. “They take a stone, and staff shares what was memorable about that patient and family. And then once a year we take all the stones and put them on the Stream of Blessings in the back.”

The rock path meanders through the underbrush and into the distance.

Keating and Baratelle said they and the rest of the staff are proud of the recent expansion and eagerly looking forward to serving more people in the palliative care program.

“It’s going to be another heavy lift [financially],” Baratelle said, “but it’s what our community needs.”

Anyone interested in supporting Hospice of Humboldt can visit the donation page on its website. Those interested in joining the team of staff and volunteers can visit the “Join Our Team” page.

Oh were it mine with sacred Maro’s art
To wake to sympathy the feeling heart,
Then might I, with unrivaled strains deplore
Th’ impervious horrors of a leeward shore.

— William Falconer, The Shipwreck

We don’t feel the impervious horrors of the leeward shore as once we did, now that we have diesel engines and metal hulls, but still it’s no fun to run aground, even on the soft, soft sand of the South Spit.

The U.S. Coast Guard was called in the wee hours of Friday morning to pluck five folks off the stranded hulk of the Miss Jessie, which had beached itself like a dying humpback for reasons unspecified.

This is what the Coast Guard had to say about that, but stick around after the jump for what happened after.

Press release from the United States Coast Guard Southwest District:

The Coast Guard rescued five people aboard the 37-foot commercial fishing vessel “Miss Jessie” after it ran aground south of Humboldt Bay near Eureka, California, Friday morning.

Coast Guard Sector Humboldt Bay watchstanders received the report at 12:02 a.m. via VHF-FM channel 16 from a crew member aboard the fishing vessel, requesting assistance after the vessel became disabled in the surf and ran aground.

Watchstanders issued an urgent marine information broadcast and coordinated the launches of an Air Station Humboldt Bay MH-65 Dolphin helicopter aircrew and a Station Humboldt Bay 47-foot Motor Lifeboat crew.

The helicopter aircrew arrived on scene at 1:27 a.m., hoisted all five people off the vessel and transported them to the Samoa Field Airport over two separate trips.

The vessel’s fuel tanks have a maximum capacity of 7,000 gallons, and there is an estimated 800 gallons of diesel onboard.

No injuries or pollution have been reported.

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Rescuing the mariners was relatively easy. The Miss Jessie herself? Not so much. According to an informant on the scene who wishes to remain anonymous, and who sent the pictures below, a team assembled to work round-the-clock to float the boat again.

This team included personnel from Figas Construction, Corbet Diving and Zerlang & Zerlang Marine Service, and it had to put together a whole land-sea plan to coax the Miss Jessie back into open water. This involved carving a huge ditch into the sand, waiting for the tide to come in, then pulling like hell with an offshore tugboat. 

“Good example of decades combined experience, and roughneck elbow grease at work to do something really cool, and return the beached boat to its owners,” our informant says. Agreed!

Enjoy his photos of the operation below.

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Press release from Six Rivers National Forest:

Orleans Complex Incident Update

Size: 21,070

Percent Contained: 38%

Personnel: 1,880

CURRENT SITUATION:

YESTERDAY – Predicted thunderstorms did not materialize yesterday as predicted, and crews reinforced control lines throughout the fire area. In the northern area from Orleans Mountain to Pollack Gulch remained quiet as crews added more depth to current containment lines and added additional containment around Salmon River Road and Quail Ridge. In the southeastern area near Cecilville, crews continue to experience large amounts of debris in the roadways and are assessing methods to remove hazards in effort to ensure safe travel. Control line has been extended west of Knownothing Creek to the 10N07 Road along the highpoint ridge. Westward in the areas of Lunch Creek and Horn Creek, crews coordinated waterdrops to lower the fire intensity of interior fuels within the containment lines.

TODAY – Crews will remain on high alert for new starts and increased fire activity due to predicted dryer conditions and thunderstorms over the fire area today. Firefighters will be scouting containment options west of Lunch Creek while continuing suppression actions towards Nordheimer, the wilderness boundary, and previously burned Red Salmon Fire area. In the east, crews will continue to brush roads to open access on the 39 and 39N30 roads east of Cecilville Road near Godfrey Ranch.

Debris (falling rock and hazard trees) on road systems remains of heightened concern, creating hazards to emergency response personnel, visitors, and residents. Reopening Sawyer’s Bar and Salmon River Roads remains a top priority for incident managers, and crews will continue to focus their efforts to reopen those roads by conducting hazard tree and debris removal activities.

WEATHER – A slight warming trend begins today with temperatures climbing the daily maximum a few degrees each day, beginning at an expected 90-93 degrees today. Very low relative humidities in the teens will cause substantial drying and create a high probability of ignition of new starts. Similar winds are expected in the valleys, upslope 3-5 mph, up-valley 5-10 mph out of the northwest with potential gusting up to 18 mph. The predicted path of storms now covers the Butler Fire area, as well as the Etna base camp, beginning early in the afternoon. These predicted storms could bring lightning and erratic winds, causing fire behavior to increase.

EVACUATIONS: There are evacuation orders and warnings in the immediate vicinity of the fire. For current evacuation status, visit www.facebook.com/SiskiyouCountySheriff and www.facebook.com/SiskiyouCountyOES. Additional evacuation information and a map can be found on the Genasys site at https://protect.genasys.com/search?z=14…

CLOSURES: An official forest closure around the Orleans Complex went into effect on July 16th. Hikers are not permitted and will be asked to leave the area. For details and a map of the closure area, please visit https://www.fs.usda.gov/…/SRF%2010-25-09%20KNF%2025-05.

FIRE RESTRICTIONS: Forest fire restrictions are currently in effect. Please visit the local forest pages for more information: Klamath National Forest: https://www.fs.usda.gov/r05/klamath/alerts and Six Rivers National Forest: https://www.fs.usda.gov/r05/sixrivers/alerts.

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

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As California intensifies its fight with the Trump Administration, the race for the state’s top schools job is becoming ever more crowded.

Today, former Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon formally entered the race to succeed Tony Thurmond as State Superintendent of Public Instruction. He joins a host of other state lawmakers and local school board members vying to replace Thurmond, who terms out in 2026 after eight years on the job.

The next state superintendent faces daunting challenges. The most urgent priority may be responding to President Donald Trump’s funding cuts and policy shifts, including the dismantling of the U.S. Department of Education and increased immigration enforcement. Those policies will have a deep impact on thousands of California’s 5.8 million K-12 students, at least 20% of whom have at least one parent who lacks legal status, according to the Children’s Partnership, a policy and advocacy nonprofit.

“There’s no question the Trump administration is going to continue to weaponize K-12 education,” said Morgan Polikoff, an education professor at the University of Southern California. “The state superintendent can serve as a buffer, helping districts navigate funding cuts and policy changes while continuing to push against the Trump administration. It’s important that California keeps fighting.”

From the classroom to the Legislature

Rendon, a Democrat from Lakewood, spent 12 years in the Legislature, the last eight as speaker. While he was speaker, the state nearly doubled its K-12 funding and introduced a new grade, transitional kindergarten – a particular priority for Rendon, who started his career as an early education administrator.

A former UC regent, Rendon said he’d try to protect California schools from Trump’s policies, particularly those related to immigration, but also work at the state level to advocate for more funding and accountability.

“California has the best public universities in the world,” Rendon said. “We need to have the best K-12 schools in the world, too.”

Vague job duties

California has a murky hierarchy when it comes to schools. The governor, Legislature, State Board of Education and superintendent all share duties, but the superintendent has the least amount of power. The superintendent oversees the California Department of Education, but California also has a system of local control, which means local school boards have plenty of latitude over day-to-day operations. Superintendents often find themselves balancing the needs of at least a dozen stakeholders, with not much power themselves.

In 2023, a bill by former Assemblymember Kevin McCarty would have banned state superintendent elections altogether, turning the position into a governor-appointed role, like it is in 41 other states.

Still, despite very limited authority, state superintendent can be an important job, said Julie Marsh, a professor at USC and executive faculty director for Policy Analysis for California Education, a research center. Despite the obstacles, the state superintendent oversees the largest, most complex school system in the U.S. and has a wide platform to “do something good.”

“They can’t create policy, but they can help set the agenda. They can use their bully pulpit to defend the policies and values that Californians overwhelmingly support,” Marsh said.

Muratsuchi jumps in

Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi, chair of the Assembly education committee, is also running for superintendent. An adjunct professor at El Camino Community College and former school board president at Torrance Unified, Muratsuchi has a long history of advocating for schools.

He’s authored numerous school bills, including AB 49, which would make it harder for immigration agents to enter schools, and AB 477, which would increase state education funding and raise salaries for teachers and other school staff. He was also the lead author of Proposition 2, a $10 billion school facilities bond that passed last year.

As state superintendent, Muratsushi said he’d continue to push for more funding while standing up to the Trump administration.

“As California’s top elected education leader, the state superintendent should have a strong record of fighting Trump’s attacks on public education and our most vulnerable students,” said Muratsuchi, a Democrat from Torrance. “I believe I’m that person.”

Newman enters race

Muratuchi’s former counterpart in the state Senate is also running for superintendent. Josh Newman, a Democrat from Fullerton who served as chair of the Senate education committee from 2023-24, said that in addition to fighting Trump he’d focus on students’ physical and mental health, boosting civics education and revitalizing the Department of Education.

Accountability and compliance should be a priority, he said.

“We’ve increased funding substantially in California for 20 years, yet we haven’t seen a corresponding increase in test scores or a narrowing of the achievement gap,” Newman said.

“That points to a systemic issue where the superintendent and Department of Education must play a bigger role.”

Shaw looks beyond Chino

Sonja Shaw, president of the Chino Valley school board, made national headlines for her attempts to require school staff to notify parents if a student identifies as transgender. Thurmond actually attended a Chino Valley board meeting to oppose the measure, and she had police escort him out.

Now, Shaw is running for Thurmond’s job, saying she wants to take her fight statewide.

“Parents want schools to focus on reading, writing and math, not social justice and LGBTQ ideology,” said Shaw, a Republican. “I feel like we can take this fight beyond Chino.”

Several other candidates have also filed initial paperwork with the Secretary of State, including two members of the Los Angeles Community College District: Nichelle Henderson and Andra Hoffman.

The state superintendent position pays $194,587 annually.

Donald Eugene Schmitter
April 3, 1944 - April 16, 2025

Donald Eugene Schmitter, age 81, passed away peacefully on April 16, 2025. He was a resident of Rio Dell, California, since 2021. He was born on April 3, 1944, in Kansas City, Missouri, to Dorothy Lorene (Anderson) Smay and Norman Schmitter. He was lovingly raised by his father, Noel Eugene Smay, who raised him as his own son.

Donald was preceded in death by his parents; his sister, Sandra (Schmitter) Kerr; and his beloved daughter, Rebekka Schmitter. He is survived by his loving wife, Ruth Schmitter, whom he credited with “saving his life.” He also leaves behind his sister Terry (Smay) Cuadras; brother Gary Smay and his wife Dorothy; and sister Toni (Smay) Habets and her husband Keith.

Don was the quintessential “free spirit” who approached life with his whole heart and sometimes with little regard for common sense. He was a true lover of animals, especially his cherished little dog Tilly, who preceded him in death. Tilly’s ashes will be spread with his, a testament to their special bond.

Donald was an incredible artist, particularly gifted in pen and ink, creating works that reflected his unique perspective on the world. Throughout his battle with cancer, Don’s deep faith in God provided him strength and comfort.

Don was someone who, once you met him, you would never forget. He will be remembered dearly as a devoted husband and beloved big brother whose free spirit and generous heart touched all who knew him.

Patricia Ann Fales
December 22, 1969 - May 25, 2025

Tricia came into this world with an extra portion of exuberance. She was energetic, curious, and found joy everywhere.

She loved all life, especially her dogs, most recently Paladin.

She was kind and helpful. She believed deeply in the power of gratitude and generosity and live her convictions daily. She was known for her cards and tokens of thanks throughout the community.

Tricia lived most of her life in Ferndale, where she was a beloved member of the community.

She was taken abruptly. She is finally pain-free.

She is preceded in death by her numerous dogs and her mother, Susan Fales. She is survived by her father, Bill Fales, her sister, Barbara Fales, and her niece, Rachael Fales. She is also survived by her chosen grandchildren, Zaia, Forrest, Kamaile and Weston Ziganti.

Services will be held at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Ferndale at 10:30 a.m. on August 16, 2025 with light lunch following.

A Celebration of her life will also take place in Fortuna at Miranda’s Rescue at 2 p.m. 

Donations can be made in Tricia’s honor to:

Catherine Ponder’s Unity Church Worldwide
Ferndale Museum
Miranda’s Rescue