A Facebook post chronicling recent damage aesthetic damage at Eureka’s Highland Park

Eureka Police Department release

On July 22, 2025, at approximately 7:56 AM, a Community Service Officer (CSO) from the Eureka Police Department (EPD) responded to a report of vandalism at Highland Park. A building and other park items had been tagged with spray paint.

EPD’s Criminal Investigation Unit (CIU) were called to assist with the case. During the investigation, a juvenile suspect was identified. Upon contact, the suspect admitted to the vandalism. This case is now being referred to Juvenile Probation for prosecution.

Anyone who witnessed the incident or has relevant information is asked to contact EPD’s Criminal Investigations Unit at 707-441-4300.

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What seemed a few weeks ago like a far-fetched political fantasy ahead of the 2026 midterms has quickly evolved into a high-stakes showdown enveloping states across the country.

As Texas this week began an off-cycle redistricting process meant to shore up Republicans’ slim House majority, Gov. Gavin Newsom appeared Friday with a group of Democratic legislators from that state, reaffirming his intention for California to respond with new maps of its own that would benefit Democrats.

Following a meeting with the Texas lawmakers at the historic governor’s mansion in downtown Sacramento, Newsom told reporters that “everything is at stake if we’re not successful next year in taking back the House of Representatives” — not only blunting President Donald Trump’s agenda, but protecting American democracy.

“If we don’t put a stake into the heart of this administration, there may not be an election in 2028,” he said. “They’re not screwing around. We can’t afford to screw around either. We have got to fight fire with fire.”

There’s one major obstacle to the governor’s ambitions, however: While the Legislature draws district lines in Texas, California relies on a bipartisan citizen redistricting commission protected by the state Constitution.

In 2008, voters narrowly approved an amendment removing California legislators’ power to draw their own seats. Two years later, voters overwhelmingly passed another amendment expanding the commission’s authority to congressional maps.

The independent commission in California became a national model for advocates who hoped to end the partisan gerrymandering that has contributed to a decline in competitive House seats and the country’s fractious, sectarian politics.

Now Newsom, who said he otherwise supports independent redistricting, is exploring multiple options for working around the commission to squeeze more Democratic districts out of California, if Texas follows through on its plan.

That would probably involve calling a special election, Newsom said, though he is still discussing with the Legislature what sort of proposal they might present to voters. Would it include a new map to approve or create another process to draw on? Would the commission be temporarily or permanently repealed?

“This is a fluid conversation,” he said. “We’re gaming all those things out.”

Trump turns up the heat in Texas

States typically redraw their congressional seats once per decade, after the census, to ensure the districts are all roughly equal in population. The most recent maps were drawn after the 2020 election and took effect in 2022.

But last month, Trump’s political team began pressuring Republican leaders in Texas to revisit the state’s district lines and create additional GOP seats. The party won a five-seat majority in the House last November, the narrowest in nearly a century, leaving little room for error as Trump tries to enact his legislative agenda and putting control of the chamber at risk if next year’s midterm is a wave election against the unpopular president.

Despite opposition from Republicans in the Texas congressional delegation — who worried that diluting their conservative voter bases in redistricting could inadvertently make their seats vulnerable — Gov. Greg Abbott earlier this month called a special session of the Legislature to redraw the maps. He is targeting four Democratic seats in the Dallas and Houston areas that the Trump administration has deemed “unconstitutional racial gerrymanders” because they have high numbers of Black and Latino voters. The first public hearing took place on Thursday, with Texas Democratic lawmakers slamming the move as a “power grab.”

The boldly political maneuver juiced similar efforts in other Republican states, including Ohio and Missouri, that could further pad a GOP majority, while setting off alarm bells among Democrats nationally.

But even as party leaders voice their out### rage, they have fewer options to fight back, because congressional districts in many of the largest Democratic states, such as California, New York and New Jersey, are drawn by independent commissions.

No one has been more outspoken than Newsom, who weeks ago began publicly floating the idea of sidestepping California’s commission to redraw more congressional districts in Democrats’ favor if Texas moves forward with its plan.

But it’s no sure thing in California

It’s a legally dubious and politically fraught endeavor. Even some of Newsom’s fellow Democrats have expressed skepticism because of the precedent it would set, including Assemblymember Alex Lee of Milpitas, whose vote may be needed to place a measure on the ballot. Common Cause California, a nonprofit that advocates for government in the public interest and backed the formation of the independent commission, blasted it as a “dangerous move” that would “put our state’s democracy on the line during a time of national instability.”

Meanwhile, Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton is already threatening to sue to stop a new map and has added to his platform a plan to require the redistricting commission to include more GOP seats.

Because of the legal risks in having the Legislature simply draw new congressional districts, the most likely route is a special election asking voters to overturn the independent commission, said Paul Mitchell, a Democratic redistricting consultant.

The problem is that the commission remains highly popular with voters in polling, Mitchell said. To get around that, Newsom may need to make concessions, like a temporary pause that resumes the independent redistricting process in 2031, after the next census.

“It’s ‘in emergency, break glass,’ not ‘let’s burn down the whole building,’” Mitchell said.

Even then, he said, Democrats would need to maintain the drumbeat of frustration over how the party is being harmed in Texas for months to turn out a motivated electorate in an unusual special election.

“It’s like lightning in a bottle right now,” Mitchell said. “Are they going to be able to keep this a front-burner issue for people?”

As all eyes focus on Los Angeles for this summer’s Olympic competition, one of Ferndale’s leading ladies is enjoying a rebirth of public interest in her historic athletic achievements.

“It is really nice to have all this attention,” says 76-year old Elta Henricksen, who lives with the honor of becoming the first woman to win a place on a USA Olympic track and field team.

“All this attention” for the woman who in the late 1920s was hailed as the greatest female athlete in America, is evident in recent San Francisco Bay Area and Sacramento press accounts as well as local news stories and radio and television appearances.

And in May, she was the guest of honor at another first for women athletes — the first women’s trials for 1984 Olympic marathon running. The trials were held in Olympia, Washington.

Her rise to fame from Eureka schools and Humboldt State Teachers College, now Humboldt State University, never diminished her calm, humble view of the events that have shaped her life. And for the twenty-year-old from rural Humboldt County who competed under the family name of Elta Cartwright, the events were momentous. “I never got a big head,” she says, “and I never had any regrets.”

Coach Laura Herron is shown in a 1928 passport photo.

Elta says her mainstay and inspiration through these days was her coach Laura Herron, a physical education teacher at Eureka High School who recognized and nurtured Elta’s running talent. It is to her that Elta attributes much of the success she attained as an athlete.

Elta had planned to attend Stanford Lane Nursing School in the San Francisco Bay Area but after she and her parents conferred with Eureka High School track coach Lloyd Markham, if was decided that she should go to Humboldt State Normal School in Arcata where her workouts could be supervised.

Coach Markham and Alice Lambert, a physical education instructor, had succeeded Miss Herron who, had moved on to San Jose State Teachers College. Miss Herron soon transferred to Humboldt State to teach physical education and to coach Elta, who now combined studies for a teaching career with intensive track training. She came to Humboldt State with a solid background of track triumphs at Eureka High School.

It was in high school that her name became a fixture in the Telegraph Meets founded in 1923. Individual teams wired results to a central point and invariably Elta would come up with the fastest running time.

Under the tutelage and inspiration of Miss Herron, Elta starred in track meets throughout California, winning time after time in the long jump (then called broad jump) and sprints. She set a number of records including the Humboldt State record in the long jump of seventeen-feet-ten-inches, a record that still stands today. [UPDATE FROM THE YEAR 2025: No longer, but still fifth on the list!]

In the 1925 Third Annual National Women’s Championship in Pasadena, Elta won the 50-yard dash. She repeated this feat in Philadelphia the next year.

Then came the story-book scene of the hometown girl appearing in national competition before 5,000 spectators at Eureka High School’s Albee Field, named after the late George Albee, School Superintendent. It was in 1927 and Eureka had been chosen as the site for the fifth national meet. Albee was on the sidelines to shout encouragement.

Elta thrilled the crowd by defeating the favorite, Helen Filkey of Chicago, in the 100-yard dash and then, for the third consecutive year, won the 50-yard dash.

The big test came the following year in Newark, N.J., where the first Olympic trials for women and the sixth national meet were combined on the 4th of July.

It was a grueling schedule. Elta recalls she had to run three 100-meter dashes, all of which she won. Then she had to run three 50-yard dashes and again won all. In addition, she won the long jump event.

She explains that the 100-meters was the only one of her three events in the Olympic trials and it was the first of the five Olympic events to be finished. Thus came the honor of being the first woman in the U.S. named to the Olympic track and field team.

Her time of 12 and 2/5ths seconds in the 100-meter dash equalled the world record and she was never defeated in the 50-yard dash,

Elta joined the 268 Olympic athletes headed out of New York for Amsterdam aboard the Olympic-chartered SS President Roosevelt.

Elta became acquainted with Major (later general) Douglas MacArthur, honorary chairman of the 1928 Olympics. They are shown aboard ship during the Atlantic crossing.

Those aboard the ocean liner included swimmers Eleanor Holm, Johnny Weissmuller and Buster Crabbe, Another passenger was Major (later General) Douglas MacArthur, honorary chairman of the Olympics. Elta has a picture showing her standing with MacArthur, who told her, “If you win, I’ll take you to Paris.” Another passenger was Tex Edwards, who later went down with his ship as captain of the Reuben James, the first United States destroyer to be sunk in World War II. He was the captain of the Olympic wrestling team and served as tour guide for Elta and her friends who visited parts of Europe after the games.

The Atlantic crossing was far from smooth for Elta. She became ill with a digestive ailment during the five-day trip and was put under the care of a doctor upon arrival in Amsterdam.

Weakened but unbowed, she decided to give her best in competition. She placed second in her first heat and qualified for the 100-meter semifinals.

Speaking of the semifinals, she said, “Twice there were false starts. The girls who jumped were set back as a penalty.”

“Once we got a legal start, I gave it all I had, but I couldn’t run at all. I placed sixth and was eliminated.” The victory went to another member of the U.S. Team, Elizabeth Robinson, defeated by Elta in the national trials.

“I just walked off the track and waved to the crowd the same as I would if I’d won,” recalls Elta. “I was glad for Robinson. I was happy when they raised the flag while she received her gold medal.”

The pain of disappointment was eased by the outpouring of love and support from her fans, friends and coach. When she returned that day to her stateroom aboard the SS President Roosevelt, she found a beautiful bouquet of roses and the message “Defeat as in victory.” It was signed by Miss Herron.

Humboldt County was anxious for Elta’s return. When her decorated train arrived in Eureka bearing a sign that said, “Our Elta,” she was given a warm welcome and feted with a parade in her honor. There were five marching bands, 35 organizations and groups and colorfully decorated vehicles, including the family car carrying Elta and her track friends.

This drawing of Elta “on the mark” was made by former Eureka Times Standard Editor Scoop Beal at the time when her track exploits were big news across the nation.

Miss Herron, who later left Humboldt State to join the faculty at the University of Arizona at Tempe, hoped that Elta would try for the 1932 Olympics in Los Angeles. But instead, Elta heeded her parents when they advised, “You have had your day in the sun.”

As it turned out, she did go to the 1932 Olympics, as a spectator and a newlywed. After starting a teaching career, she married Leslie Stromberg, an Arcata insurance man. She taught school in Petrolia, Orick and Arcata and then ran a nursery school for ten years in Arcata and three years in Ferndale. She spent an additional four years working as director at a summer camp at Redway.

In Arcata, she operated “The House of Stromberg,” a boarding center for students and, later, for tourists. In Ferndale, she operated Cinder-Elta’s Imports, using the “Cinder-Elta” name given to her in press accounts of her performance on the cinder track.

Elta’s parents were the late Mattie Hambree and George Cartwright.

George Cartwright was a building contractor in Eureka and built the Cartwright family home in the early 1900’s. The two story house still stands at C and Long Streets. In addition, he was employed by the H.H. Buhne Hardware located in the Old Town area. One of his favorite sidelines was photography.

During her 25-year marriage to Leslie Stromberg, Elta had three daughters, Mary Lee Stromberg, Nancy Murray and Judy Dresser.

Mary Lee lives in Ferndale and is on the staff of Humboldt County Mental Health Services in Eureka. Judy lives in Fortuna and has been a teacher at College of the Redwoods since its founding Nancy lives in Pacifica and works in San Francisco for Union Oil Company.

In addition to Elta, three of her sisters graduated from the Humboldt State teaching program. They are Ivy Glenn and Ruth Spinas of Eureka and Mary Ellis of Berkeley. A fourth sister, Louise Pollock, of Eureka studied business and worked for many years as office manager for Harper Motors.

Three years after her first husband died, Elta went to Sweden to visit relatives and to attend the 1960 Olympics in Rome. During a stopover in London, she met Mernard Henricksen of Ferndale, a dairy farmer who was with a tour group also headed for the Olympics. Their marriage followed in 1961.

During that tour, she made a “sentimental journey” to the Olympic stadium in Amsterdam and to the spot where she had run the race of 1928.

The years have brought additional blessings for Elta. On Oct. 23,1959, she became the only woman to be inducted into Humboldt State University’s Athletic Hall of Fame. [UPDATE FROM THE YEAR 2025: No longer true, of course.] And, in 1981, she was chosen to preside as the university’s homecoming queen.

Along with her seven gold medals won in four national championship meets, Elta has a fascinating collection of photos and press clippings tracing the history of her days in athletic competition.

She and her husband live in a neatly kept home on Ferndale’s California Street, surrounded by a pastoral setting of green fields and dairy cattle. Elta pursues a strong interest in bridge and counts bowling and golf among other favorite activities.

Though she won’t be attending this year’s Olympics at Los Angeles, she is sure to “get on the mark” and follow closely the women’s events that had their beginning in those exciting days of her memorable youth.

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Here are excerpts from a letter written to Elta Cartwright in 1925 by her father, George Cartwright, when Elta competed in the Third Annual National Women’s Championship in Pasadena and another track meet in San Francisco:

“… No less than three members of the Bank of Eureka told me they expected you to win the 100 in S.F.

“To do this, you must have cool and steady nerves, do not let yourself get the least bit excited or nervous, or worried in the least.

“Go into the race not doubting your ability in the least to win but confident that you are going to win and then scratch gravel.

“… Remember that your next meet is among friendly San Francisco people who will be there to cheer you on to victory.

“.. .It is a nice thing to have a reasonable amount of publicity and be a favored one among the world’s successful athletes, but after all is said and done it is temporary success.

“It will befar better for you to have a good profession to rely on whereby you can make an easy living than to depend on something that is only temporary.

“Should you be thrown on your own resources at any time during life, a good profession would prove a valuable life preserver … whereas an athlete’s prowess fades with the bloom of youth.”

PREVIOUSLY:

• EPD Provides Timeline Of Yesterday’s Fatal Collision on Broadway, Confirms Deceased Driver Was Female

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In response to an inquiry from the Outpost, Lt. Jesse Taylor of the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office has released the name of the person killed in the awful crash on Broadway on Monday.

Taylor writes:

I can confirm that the decendent, and driver of the van, has been identified as Kendra Leighanne Beni Yao Moore, age 25, from Eureka. The cause and manner of death are still pending.

According to the Eureka Police Department, the van being driven in the crash had been stolen from a Fortuna location less than half an hour earlier.

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PREVIOUSLY

• Humboldt’s Ryan Petersen Brings Home the Win in His First BKFC (Bare Knuckle Fighting) Bout

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Hydesville resident Ryan “Ryu” Petersen looks to prolong his undefeated record tonight in the tough-as-nails realm of the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship as he headlines the main event, facing off against fellow welterweight Dustin “The Disciple” Pague in Philadelphia. 

Last we checked in with Petersen, back in November, he had just earned his first BKFC victory with a technical knockout over Canadian Dan Godoy. You can see highlights from that bout via Fox Deportes on YouTube.

In his second bout, in January, Petersen went the distance and won a unanimous decision against another Canadian, the dreadlocked Matt Socholotiuk. The (much longer) highlights from that matchup are also on YouTube.

Petersen emailed us last month to let us know that he’ll be headlining his next fight as he looks to go 3-0. 

“It’s a massive opportunity and will put me into the top 5 in the world if I am victorious,” he wrote, adding that he also considers this “a great opportunity to put another feather in the cap of Humboldt County.”

Here he is getting introduced at last night’s weigh-in:

Petersen’s official profile describes him as a “Muay Thai-style striker” who is “quietly racking up an impressive BKFC resume.”

The quiet part of his bare-knuckle fighting career appears to be over. Check the poster for tonight’s event:

Petersen tells us that the event will be broadcast on Amazon Prime, DAZN, Fubo TV and the BKFC app.

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It’s that time of year again! No, we’re not talking about the annual “Get Out and Play Day,” though that’s awesome, too. We mean the summertime crop of reports from our invaluable Humboldt County Civil Grand Jury.

This is a big deal for fans of government accountability. Unlike a criminal grand jury, which focuses on indictments, the civil grand jury is an independent body of 19 citizen volunteers tasked with investigating the operations of local government agencies to ensure accountability, efficiency and transparency.

The Civil Grand Jury serves a watchdog function, complete with subpoena power, and local agencies are legally required to respond to the findings and recommendations included in each report. When it works the way it should, this process can lead to meaningful reforms and improved public trust.

In a brief phone conversation with this year’s foreperson, Melanie McCavour, she pointed out that California is one of only two states in the country — along with Nevada — to mandate annual civil grand juries. Pretty cool.

As you can probably tell, we at the Outpost love this annual exercise in accountability, and yet somehow this year we were caught off guard. The CGJ’s first report of the 2024-25 session was published to the county website more than a week ago. Ack, we missed it!

In fact, six of the eight reports set to be released this year are already out! Let’s binge.

‘Pension Tension’

By our estimation, the report on Humboldt County’s unfunded accrued pension liabilities is the most substantive and meaningful of the batch released thus far. It serves as a follow-up to a 2017 investigation into the same issue. 

At that time, the county’s unfunded pension obligations through CalPERS (California Public Employees Retirement System) had ballooned to $232 million. The situation had become so dire that officials considered the looming responsibilities a threat to the county’s financial viability within three to five years.

But a plan had already been set in motion. In 2015 the Board of Supervisors established a Section 115 Irrevocable Trust — a tax-exempt fund employed by public agencies to set aside money for future obligations. Humboldt County’s, like many others, is managed by Public Agency Retirement Services (PARS).

In 2017, the board formed the Pension Rate Stabilization Program (PRSP) to address the situation. The new report explains how it works:

They did so by giving all employees a 2% “raise” and simultaneously deducting the “raise” as a payroll pension contribution to fund the Section 115 Trust. This was done across all departments.

Unfortunately, those approved contributions were not actually withheld for at least part of three fiscal years — between 2019 and 2022 — due to “challenges within the County Auditor Controller’s office,” the report says. (A previous Civil Grand Jury offered its own unflattering assessment of that office three years ago.)

Nevertheless, the county’s pension funding policy appears to be working, according to this year’s report. The numbers are still daunting — the unfunded liability has grown to more than $378 million, with $13.65 million in the trust fund — but the ship is being slowly turned around.

“Assuming the policy continues to be implemented appropriately, the County appears to be on track to fully fund its UAL [unfunded accrued liabilities] pension plan obligations over the coming decades,” the report says.

The Civil Grand Jury’s primary concern at this point is a lack of transparency. Citizens can’t easily track progress because required annual reports aren’t being posted to the county website, the report says, and it lists eight recommendations, all of which concern the publishing of those reports and the things they should include, such as:

• contribution amounts and a brief discussion on strategies
• historical performance data comparing the trust’s returns to CalPERS
• a brief discussion on management fees charged by PARS
• long-term funding projections, and
• progress assessments.

The Board of Supervisors is required to respond within 90 days. Meanwhile, both the County Administrative Officer and the Auditor-Controller have been invited to respond as well.

DOCUMENT: Pension Tension Relieved? An Investigation into the County’s Unfunded Accrued Pension Liabilities

Inmate Voting Rights

This report, titled “Locked Up But Not Locked Out,” gives high marks to the county’s inmate voting program, calling it “excellent” and saying it has produced positive results. 

While many people falsely assume that all convicted felons lose the right to participate in elections, or that incarcerated people simply won’t vote, that’s not the case. 

“The Grand Jury learned that in past elections, only one or two inmates [in the Humboldt County jail] voted,” the report says. “During the November 2024 election cycle, 72 inmates participated in the voting process. This number is remarkable. It resulted from improvements employed by County Correctional Deputies and the Office of Elections.”

The report cites a list changes made in 2024 that contributed to this success, including: 

• providing comprehensive election materials upon request
• staff assistance with registration and voting processes
• same-day registration and voting opportunities
• privacy protections and verification systems
• posting voting information throughout the facility, and
• one-on-one assistance for inmates with reading disabilities.

The report lists just one recommendation: that staff at the Humboldt County Correctional Facility prepare an elections manual for approval by the Sheriff’s Office by the end of the year.

DOCUMENT: Locked up but not Locked Out: Inmate Voting Rights in Humboldt County

Eel River Fire Camp

Speaking of incarcerated folks, another of this year’s reports follows an investigation into the Eel River Fire Conservation Camp #31, a minimum-security rehabilitation facility in the state prison system that trains inmates as firefighters while giving them educational and vocational opportunities.

The camp operates on an honor system, with no fences or other physical barriers — just boundary signs posted every 40 feet or so around the perimeter of the camp.

“Inmates know that going beyond these signs is a violation of the rules that will result in a return to prison,” the report says. “This consequence provides inmates an opportunity to learn self-restraint and self-control.”

Current staffing levels allow up to 60 inmates, though full capacity is considered 132. 

“Recruiting staff is challenging due to the remote location of the camp and the dire need for proper staff housing,” the report says. Some staffers resort to living in their own RVs or travel trailers. 

Still, the Civil Grand Jury gives high marks to facilities at the camp, including its “spacious” dining quarters, an egg-producing chicken coop, well-kept recreation facilities and a newly painted room for religious services and music appreciation. 

The “cornerstone” of this facility is rehabilitation, and it seems to be serving that function. While the state doesn’t keep stats specific to the Eel River Fire Camp, it does report that inmates who participate in at least a year of special rehab programs like fire camps have a recidivism rate of 25 percent, well below the rate of 44 percent among those who don’t.

The report concludes with just one recommendation: build more staff housing by this time next year. The Civil Grand Jury suggests funding that endeavor via appropriations from the next fiscal year or, failing that, offsetting building costs via donations from local lumber companies and other businesses.

DOCUMENT: California State Prison - Eel River Fire Camp #31: From Incarceration to Firefighting: Pathways to Second Chances

Animal Shelter and Rescues

There truly is an uncommon theme of positive reports in this year’s batch. Reporting on the Humboldt County Animal Shelter and the network of local animal rescue organizations that feed into it, the Civil Grand Jury observes that their “incredible” work results in a euthanasia rate that’s well below that of similar facilities across the state — this despite the large amount of strays ‘round here.

“Animal Shelter staff and volunteers working together provide a safety net for animals and much needed assistance to an unappreciated, understaffed shelter,” the report says.

The facility itself needs some upkeep, however. The report recommends that the Board of Supervisors direct Public Works to finish much-needed reroofing and repair work before Halloween, and replacement and repair of outside lighting before the end of the year. 

The report also recommends that the board establish an annual Volunteer Appreciation Day and start offering weekend hours for the public by Sept. 1.

DOCUMENT: Humboldt County Animal Shelter: Animal Shelter + Animal Rescues = Lifesaving Paw-tnership

Sempervirens

Anyone who has even a little familiarity with Humboldt County’s 120-year-old inpatient psychiatric health facility, Sempervirens (SV), knows that the place is run down and far too small. Fortunately, the county received a $45.3 million state grant in December to build a larger, more modern replacement, expected to be completed by 2030.

In the meantime, there’s a staffing crisis.

“SV does not have any psychiatrists on staff who are employees of Humboldt County or even reside in Humboldt County,” the report notes. “All psychiatrists, including the Interim Medical Director, are contracted through Traditions Behavioral Health, and they all live outside of Humboldt County. This has been the case since 2015.”

There hasn’t been a permanent medical director since January 2024, and the contract psychiatrists work grueling 16-hour shifts for seven to 10 days straight.

And then there are the county’s budget woes. The Behavioral Health division of the Humboldt County Department of Health and Human Services is facing a $2.7 million deficit all on its own. That’s despite the fact that psychiatrists who work here make well below the salaries paid elsewhere in the state: $265,692 per year locally compared to as much as $440,000 elsewhere.

The county’s lengthy hiring process can take three to six months, which leads many qualified candidates to find work elsewhere before landing a job here.

The Civil Grand Jury has three recommendations:

• fix the leaky roof by Sept. 30
• exempt the vacant psychiatrists from the county’s hiring freeze to fill those positions ASAP, and
• streamline the hiring process so that it takes six weeks or less.

DOCUMENT: Sempervirens Psychiatric Health Facility: A Key Support System for Humboldt County

The Coroner’s Office

The Humboldt County Coroner-Public Administrator Office, which falls under the jurisdiction of the sheriff, lives in the same 1906 building as Sempervirens, the shell of a run-down old hospital with some additions built in 1970. 

A Civil Grand Jury report from nine years ago found that the conditions in this place “are deplorable and represent substandard working conditions for dedicated professionals.” These conditions do not appear to have changed since, according to the new report. 

Budget constraints are contributing to short-staffing here, as well, with the coroner position itself vacant along with one of four deputy positions. The coroner position was recently reclassified from sworn to civilian status, which will provide some savings, the report says.

Despite such challenging conditions, the report finds that office staff and volunteers provide exceptional service. A robust volunteer program, primarily involving local medical students, contributed 4,722 hours last year — equivalent to 2.5 full-time positions and saving the county over $78,000.

One long-term volunteer, who’s not identified in this report, has donated more than 14,000 hours and received the President’s Volunteer Lifetime Achievement Award.

This report lists three recommendations: 

• finish digitizing evidence records by next April
• replace old countertops and cabinets with stainless steel or other non-permeable surfaces by January, and
• install a modernized locking system on the evidence/storage room door by October 15.

DOCUMENT: Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office - Coroner: Serving the Community, Involving the Community

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That wraps up our summary of the first six reports from this year’s Civil Grand Jury. You can access the full reports by clicking the links provided above or by visiting this page on the county website.

In a press release announcing the publication of these reports, the Civil Grand Jury vows to do its part to address the county’s fiscal shortfall, saying the judicial body has agreed to reduce its annual budget and “welcomes community organization and individual contributions toward printing, meeting venue rental, and office supplies.”

Check back next week for news about the final two reports due to be released. In the meantime (from the press release):

The Humboldt County Civil Grand Jury encourages the public to send their concerns or “complaints” of potential or actual inefficiencies and misconduct in county, municipal, school, and special-district government operations using the official complaints form (found at https://humboldtgov.org/510/Civil-Grand-Jury ) to complaints@humboldtcountygrandjury.org

As part of its civil function, the Civil Grand Jury maintains legal confidentiality of all written complaints from citizens and reviews them for their validity. If the complaint is substantive, and the matter is under the authority of the Civil Grand Jury, the Civil Grand Jury may open an investigation and may issue a report recommending action. More information can be found at: https://cgja.org/faqs/

PREVIOUSLY:

• Humboldt Supervisors OK Potter Valley Water Diversion Plan, Paving the Way for Eel River Dam Removal

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Press release from PG&E:

On July 24, PG&E filed its Surrender Application and Decommissioning Plan for the Potter Valley Project with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). PG&E previously made available two drafts for public comment. FERC will now review the application and in the process will seek input from all interested parties through its open and transparent public comment period. In addition, the public will have opportunities to participate in FERC’s National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) review and the California State Water Resources Control Board’s (SWRCB) California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) review through their public comment processes.

Furthermore, with the application filed, PG&E will begin the process of developing management and construction plans that will further detail the decommissioning process and aspects of the project.

“Today’s filing marks the next step of a thoughtful and transparent decommissioning journey for the Potter Valley Project—but it does not change our operational responsibilities or obligations,” said Dave Gabbard, vice president of power generation for PG&E. “We remain fully committed to meeting all current FERC requirements as we work through the decommissioning up until the license is terminated by FERC. As stewards of public resources and partners to the communities we serve, our priority is clear: to move forward responsibly, collaboratively, and with the continued reliability our stakeholders expect.”

The FERC submittal includes a request to allow the Eel-Russian Project Authority (ERPA) to construct the New Eel-Russian Facility (NERF) at the current location of Cape Horn Dam. The NERF will provide diversion flows from the Eel River to the Russian River watershed after PG&E’s removal of Cape Horn Dam and Scott Dam. The removal of the two PG&E dams will allow fish to access habitat in the Upper Eel River watershed.

“Decommissioning the Potter Valley Project and removing the dams is in the best interest of our customers,” said Dave Canny, vice president of PG&E’s North Coast Region. “We recognize that change of this magnitude is significant, and we are proud of our work with ERPA. We believe that the NERF proposal provides a good path forward for all communities. We are committed to serving customers in the North Coast for many years to come.”

The Potter Valley Project in Mendocino and Lake counties has a long history of generating renewable power and providing water from the main stem of the Eel River to Potter Valley and the Russian River, which has extensively benefited agriculture and communities along the Russian River. The Potter Valley Project consists of Cape Horn Dam and Van Arsdale Reservoir (built in 1908), Scott Dam and Pillsbury Reservoir (built in 1922), and other facilities such as the powerhouse and water conveyance tunnels. A fish passage structure and salmon and steelhead counting station was also constructed at the Cape Horn Dam site.

While salmon and steelhead are able to use a fish passage structure to navigate around Cape Horn Dam, the migratory fish are currently unable to move above Scott Dam.

As its infrastructure continued to age, and after years of internal analysis, it was determined the Potter Valley Project was uneconomical for PG&E’s customers. In 2019, PG&E informed FERC it would not pursue a renewed operating license. However, understanding that many communities rely upon the facility’s water supply and diversion benefits, the company devoted years working with various external entities on a potential alternative to transfer the project to new ownership.

Ultimately, no new prospective owner filed an application to license the project with FERC, which led FERC to direct PG&E to submit a surrender application and decommissioning plan.

The Potter Valley Project has been important to local communities, tribes, agricultural interests, and environmental interests for over 100 years. PG&E has publicly committed to an open, respectful process that strives to balance the needs of many interested entities.

As PG&E moves forward with plans to decommission and eventually remove Cape Horn and Scott dams, PG&E continues to coordinate closely with parties to support a new water diversion facility, including Sonoma County Water Agency, Inland Water & Power Commission of Mendocino County, Round Valley Tribes, Humboldt County, Cal Trout, Trout Unlimited and California Department of Fish & Wildlife.

Throughout the decommissioning process, PG&E will continue to operate the Potter Valley Project in compliance with all existing FERC requirements, including recreation, minimum in-stream flows, water diversions, etc.

Included in the Surrender Application and Decommissioning Plan (SADP) is a request for FERC to authorize PG&E to permit the “Non-Project Use of Project Lands” which will allow ERPA to construct the NERF, while utilizing some of the existing Potter Valley Project facilities.

While PG&E strongly believes this coordinated effort is the best path forward, ERPA will be responsible for the construction, operation, and maintenance of the NERF. The close coordination between PG&E and ERPA is critical to ensure the construction of the NERF will not delay the decommissioning of the Potter Valley Project and will allow for a smooth transition to ERPA operations. The timing will follow the FERC process for approval.

With the SADP now filed with FERC, the official FERC proceeding will begin. A public comment period of 30 days will be led by FERC, and the timing of that comment period will be determined by FERC and announced via their distribution list. To be added to the FERC distribution list for the Potter Valley Project visit FERC’s website and follow the steps outlined.: eSubscription | Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

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On Aug. 11, from 3 to 5 p.m., PG&E will host an online meeting to share information on the SADP, discuss the overall regulatory process, and public participation opportunities in the regulatory processes. Learn more.

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DOCUMENT:

• PG&E’s entire 2,324-page “Surrender of License” application to FERC can be found in one enormous PDF at this link.