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Press release from the Six Rivers National Forest:

Dillon Fire: 4,016 acres; 0% containment

Fire Information: 707-502-4837

Email: 2025.Dillon@firenet.gov

Personnel: 284

Online Fire Information: www.linktr.ee/srffirepio

Operational Updates: California Complex Incident Management Team 1 assumed command of the Dillon Fire this morning. The top priority is public and firefighters’ safety. The Dillon Fire is being managed with a full suppression strategy. The fire remained active yesterday and through the night.

Hose lays have been established near structures east of Highway 96 near Ti Bar Ranch. Today crews continue to focus on the fire in the area, doing structure protection and constructing control lines near structures. Heavy equipment completed a dozer line along Beans Ridge, and hand crews plan to finish a handline to tie into Forest Service Road 13N13. Fire personnel are scouting the southern and west sides of the fire looking for opportunities to establish control lines. Firefighters are working closely with resource advisors and cultural resource specialists to ensure natural and cultural resources are protected. The fire is backing down to Dillon Creek on the north side of the fire and fire activity is being monitored closely, but no crews are in this area due inaccessibility.

Weather will continue to be dry and warm with temperatures in the mid 80’s. Relative humidity will remain in the upper teens, and wind gusts up to 25 miles an hour are possible.

CalTrans: Operating 1-way controlled traffic on Highway 96 at various locations from 10.7 miles west to 2.2 miles west of Cottage Grove due to fire operations.

Evacuations: 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 here.

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

If you are in an Evacuation Order Zone, LEAVE IMMEDIATELY. This lawful order is not only to protect your life, but the lives of firefighters, law enforcement, and emergency medical personnel.

For shelter information and resources related to the fire evacuations, please call (530) 340–3539.

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When California Governor Gavin Newsom started talking about holding a special statewide election this November to counteract partisan gerrymandering in Texas, Juan Pablo Cervantes’s brain immediately went to logistics: lining up polling places, hiring election workers, designing and printing ballots.

“We’re basically tasked to do something that usually takes us six to seven months in two and a half months,” Cervantes said. As the county’s registrar of voters, he’s in charge of organizing all those logistical matters in time for the Nov. 4 election, without the usual six-month runway. “And it’s a very difficult endeavor even [when we have] those six months,” he added.

A major initial concern was over who will foot the bill for this unplanned election, which he expects to cost at least $700,000 in Humboldt County alone, as he recently told CalMatters. Cervantes was worried that the county might have to pay those costs upfront in the midst of its ongoing budget crisis.

Fortunately, California elections law requires the state to cover such costs.

“We haven’t received any money yet, but we’re assured through that legislation that we will be pre-funded for it,” Cervantes said.

Meanwhile, Humboldt County’s rural nature presents another host of challenges, such as lining up ADA-compliant polling locations (which is hard when so many local buildings were built decades ago) and hiring enough people to staff up polling locations in such far-flung communities as Hoopa and Garberville. 

The Elections Office actually hires employees during statewide elections, rather than relying on volunteers. And not just a few people for extra help.

“We’re shooting for 150,” Cervantes said. “I don’t know if we’re going to hit that.” 

His office has hired about 60 people thus far, though he said it gets harder as time goes on to find new people. To be eligible, people just have to be registered voters over the age of 18.

Since this is a special election, the state allows counties to scale back on the number of vote centers, “which was crucial,” Cervantes said. “The idea that any county, let alone rural counties, would be able to scale up to a full [complement] of vote centers like that,” he said, snapping his fingers, “was just non-viable from get-go.”

While there will be fewer vote centers than usual, Cervantes said he and his staff tried to place them strategically throughout the county. And thanks to the 2016 Voter’s Choice Act, whose provisions took effect locally just last year, there will be a variety of ways to cast your vote, with mail-in ballots sent to every registered voter and multiple days of in-person voting available in most locations.

The compressed timeline is also challenging for vendors, including the limited number of certified printers that can produce election ballots. Humboldt County’s ballots are printed and mailed by Everett, Washington-based K&H Election Services, which, in 2022, produced ballot packets for nearly 23 million voters. The company currently serves about 70 jurisdictions across 11 states and has served as Humboldt County’s ballot printer since 2023, according to Cervantes.

On top of all these challenges, Cervantes and his staff are also in charge of running the City of Blue Lake’s upcoming recall election. At a meeting last night, the council opted not to set a date for that election, instead postponing that task until a special meeting scheduled for Sept. 9. That means the election won’t be held until early next year, which gives Cervantes and his team a bit more time. 

But still, Cervantes has had a lot on his plate since he was elected in 2022.

“When I decided to run for office I thought there’d be an off year every once in a while,” he said with a laugh. “I have yet to see one. It’s been go, go, go — nothing but sprinting.”

He and his office’s employees are up for the challenge, though.

“Running an election in less than half the usual time is no small task, but our team is meeting it with focus and determination,” he said. “I am thankful for their hard work, and for the voters of Humboldt who continue to show that democracy is strongest when people come together to make their voices heard.”

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Below is a rundown of the key dates with information about voting centers and ballot box locations:

• October 6, 2025
• Vote by Mail ballots begin mailing
• Vote Center Opens (29 days before Election Day):
• Humboldt County Office of Elections, 2426 6th Street, 
• October 7, 2025
• Ballot Drop Boxes open countywide (secure, monitored, checked regularly) 
• Willow Creek: Ray’s Food Place, 38915 Hwy 299 
• Trinidad: Murphy’s Market, 1 Main St 
• McKinleyville: Ace Hardware, 2725 Centra/l Ave; Murphy’s Market, 1451 Glendale Dr 
• Arcata: Murphy’s Market, 785 Bayside Rd; Murphy’s Market, 100 Westwood Ct; Ray’s Food Place, 5000 Valley West Blvd 
• Eureka: Office of Elections, 2426 6th St; Murphy’s Market, 4020 Walnut Dr 
• Fortuna: Ray’s Food Place, 2009 Main St 
• Redway: Shop Smart, 3430 Redwood Dr
• October 20, 2025
• Last day to register to vote •
• October 25, 2025
• Vote Center Opens (10 days before Election Day):
• Jefferson Community Center, 1000 B Street, Eureka 
• November 1, 2025
• Vote Centers Open (3 days before Election Day):
• Arcata Community Center, 321 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Pkwy, Arcata
• Fortuna Veterans Memorial Building, 1426 Main Street, Fortuna
• McKinleyville Middle School, 2285 Central Avenue, McKinleyville
• November 4, 2025 – Election Day
• Vote Centers open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
• Election Day-only Vote Centers: 
• Hoopa Neighborhood Facility, 11860 Highway 96, Hoopa 
• Redwood Playhouse, 286 Sprowel Creek Rd, Garberville
• Ballot Drop Boxes close at 8 p.m.
• Ballots returned by mail must be postmarked on or before this date
• November 12, 2025
• Deadline for mailed ballots to be received

Forrest “Ben” Hurd passed June 12, 2025. Ben passed away, in his home, in the middle of his Christmas Tree Farm with friends by his side. Ben had a long life and had recently celebrated his 93rd birthday.

Ben was born April 26, 1932 in Massachusetts and he carried a bit of that New England accent, along with that Yankee Spirit, until his death. Following high school Ben enlisted in the Air Force and ended up being stationed in California where he met his wife, Wanda. They were married almost 50 years until her death. They shared many adventures and raised two sons.

Ben was a retired CHP officer, which he was very proud of. He continued to be active in various careers and activities during retirement including teaching classes, building and repairing firearms, and managing the Christmas Tree Farm. Ben’s favorite time of the year was Christmas. In the season you could find him on his deck from morning until dusk greeting his customers.

Ben requested that we have a celebration to remember him and a life well lived. We well gather on September 13, 2025, 1 p.m. at the Christmas Tree Farm to remember, smile, share stories, and have an ice cream social, ice cream being Ben’s favorite food. As Ben would say, ”Come on over! If you don’t have friends when you get here, you will have some by the time you leave!”

Please let us know if you will be attending by sending a note with how many will be in your group to rsvpbensfarm@gmail.com.

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PREVIOUSLY

• “Providence is In the Wrong,’ Attorney General Rob Bonta Says Ahead of Tomorrow’s Court Hearing on Emergency Abortion Care

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Press release from Providence:

At Providence St. Joseph Hospital Eureka, we are unwavering in our commitment to high-quality emergency care for pregnant patients. We have and will continue to fully comply with California’s Emergency Services Law (ESL) and the federal Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA). Both state and federal agencies have found no violations that relate to patient care. We have also recently enhanced our training, education and escalation protocols to ensure the health and safety of pregnant patients who are miscarrying or facing life-threatening situations. 

On July 22, 2025, we filed a motion to clarify a stipulation – a type of legal filing – that was drafted by the California Attorney General’s office and entered into court in October 2024. We took this action because we believe the stipulation, as currently written, goes beyond the scope of the ESL by mandating specific procedures we are to perform in pregnancy-related emergencies. By contrast, the ESL does not mandate or dictate specific procedures. It only states that hospitals are required to provide essential emergency care, including screening, treatment and surgery to address emergency medical conditions. 

The stipulation also fails to recognize our right, as a faith-based organization, to evaluate each case individually. This is a critical part of how we deliver care. Under the Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services (ERDs), we are permitted to provide life-saving treatment to a pregnant patient, even if that treatment may unintentionally result in the loss of the pregnancy. These decisions are never taken lightly and must be made thoughtfully and respectfully on a case-by-case basis. 

Without acknowledging this approach, we are concerned that the Attorney General’s office is overreaching and seeking to require us to provide abortions in situations that fall outside the scope of emergency care. We are also concerned that the stipulation disregards a 2016 agreement with the state, which affirmed our right to follow the ERDs as a core part of our Catholic identity. 

To be clear, we are not seeking to reduce or restrict the emergency care we provide to pregnant patients. Our intent with this motion is to ensure our concerns are clearly addressed and that our right to evaluate clinical and ethical decisions on a case-by-case basis is protected. 

Again, our care teams provide a full range of medical interventions to ensure the health and safety of pregnant patients. We take this responsibility incredibly seriously and remain deeply committed to delivering the best possible care to every patient. We are grateful for the trust our community has placed in us for more than 100 years and will continue to provide updates as this legal process moves forward. 

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Press release from Attorney General Rob Bonta’s office:

Bonta

OAKLAND — California Attorney General Rob Bonta issued a statement ahead of tomorrow’s hearing in People of the State of California v. St. Joseph Health Northern California. On September 30, 2024, Attorney General Bonta filed a lawsuit in Humboldt County Superior Court alleging that Providence St. Joseph Hospital (Providence) in Eureka, California violated multiple laws — including California’s Emergency Services Law, the state level analogue to the federal Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA), and the Unruh Civil Rights Act — by refusing to provide emergency abortion care when needed to save the life and health of patients.

On October 29, 2024, he secured a voluntary stipulation from Providence, in which it agreed to provide access to emergency abortion care. That same day, the court signed an accompanying order, requiring Providence to abide by the terms of the stipulation. On June 5, 2025, Attorney General Bonta filed a motion to enforce the stipulation and order due to Providence’s attempt to modify or dissolve altogether the stipulation, which will be the focus of tomorrow’s hearing. 

“Providence is attempting to go back on its word. It agreed to provide emergency abortion care, yet it is now asking the court to allow it to reverse course. This is not only disappointing, it’s troubling: It stands to put the women of Humboldt County back in harm’s way,” said Attorney General Bonta. “My team and I look forward to tomorrow’s hearing. We firmly believe that Providence is in the wrong. Earlier this year, we successfully blocked Providence’s meritless attempt to dismiss our lawsuit, and I am confident that we will prevail again. Whether the attacks are coming from the Trump Administration or from within our state, I am committed to doing everything in my power to ensure that California remains a safe haven for those seeking essential reproductive healthcare.”  

Providence is currently the only available option for women in Humboldt County to seek emergency abortion care. Providence’s effort to modify or dissolve the stipulation escalates a deeply concerning position: that the stipulation and order do not mean what they plainly state and that Providence does not have to fully comply with them. 

If you were denied an abortion you needed in a medical emergency, or if you were denied any other emergency medical care, you can contact abortion.access@doj.ca.gov. Attorney General Bonta also recently announced the launch of a statewide survey to assess how hospital emergency departments are following emergency reproductive healthcare laws. Results from the survey will inform oversight, guide enforcement efforts, and ensure hospitals are fully complying with California’s Emergency Services Law.

A copy of Attorney General Bonta’s latest filing — a consolidated brief that supports his motion to enforce and opposes Providence’s effort to modify or dissolve the stipulation — can be found here.

The hearing is scheduled to begin in Humboldt County Superior Court’s Department 4 at 10:30 AM PT tomorrow, and will be accessible virtually here.

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PREVIOUSLY

• Attorney General Sues St. Joseph Hospital for Denying a Woman Emergency Abortion Care
• Providence Offers ‘Profound Apologies’ to Woman Denied Emergency Abortion Care at St. Joseph Hospital
• A Local Doctor Urged St. Joseph Hospital to Change Its Anti-Abortion Policies Long Before State Lawsuit, According to Court Declaration
• BREAKING: St. Joseph Hospital Denies Allegations in State Abortion Care Lawsuit But Agrees to Follow State Health Care Laws as the Case Proceeds
• Judge Signs Order Committing St. Joseph Hospital to Providing Emergency Abortions, At Least For the Duration of AG Lawsuit
• Citing Religious Freedom and Catholic Doctrine, St. Joseph Health Challenges State’s Emergency Abortion Care Lawsuit on a Variety of Legal Grounds
• State Responds to St. Joseph Health’s Attempt to Get Emergency Abortion Lawsuit Dismissed
• ‘Providence Must Follow the Law’: At the Humboldt Reproductive Health Care Rally Before the Latest California vs. St. Joseph Hospital Hearing
• St. Joe’s Abortion Care Lawsuit: In a Packed Courtroom, Hospital’s Attorneys Ask Judge to Dismiss the Case
• New Abortion Care Lawsuit Filed Against St. Joseph Hospital by the National Women’s Law Center
• PBS NewsHour Reports From Eureka on the Limits of Reproductive Health Care at Catholic-Run Hospitals
• Judge Denies St. Joseph Health’s Motion to Dismiss State Lawsuit Over Emergency Abortion Care
• CalMatters: Her Miscarriage Showed the Limits of California’s Abortion Protections. Where You Live Matters
• Attorney General Says Providence is Trying to ‘Shirk Its Duty’ to Follow the Law In Emergency Abortion Care Suit
• Providence’s Effort to Back Out of Emergency Abortion Care Agreement Would Put Humboldt Women ‘Back in Harms’ Way,’ AG’s Office Argues in Latest Court Filing

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

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As he publicly mocks concerns that crime in California is out of control, Gov. Gavin Newsom is also surging law enforcement resources across the state.

Newsom announced Thursday that he would deploy new “crime suppression” teams of California Highway Patrol officers to partner with local officials in six regions: San Diego, the Inland Empire, Los Angeles, the Central Valley, Sacramento and the San Francisco Bay Area.

It’s an escalation of a strategy that Newsom has already tried in cities such as Oakland and Bakersfield, sending in state officers to assist with cracking down on retail theft, stolen vehicles and drug dealing.

And it appears closely related to political considerations, as President Donald Trump ramps up threats of military action to “clean up” Democratic-led cities across the country. In a statement, Newsom alluded to the president, suggesting that communities were better left to handle the issue themselves.

“While the Trump Administration undermines cities, California is partnering with them — and delivering real results,” Newsom said. “With these new deployments, we’re doubling down on these partnerships to build on progress and keep driving crime down.”

Crime has again become a hot-button national topic. Earlier this month, Trump deployed thousands of National Guard troops in Washington, D.C. and took control of its local police force, arguing that federal intervention was needed because of unsafe conditions in the city — though reports of violent offenses are at their lowest in three decades.

Since then, Trump has publicly mulled expanding the operation into numerous other cities that he claims Democrats have destroyed, including San Francisco and Oakland.

On social media, Newsom’s provocative press team has responded by highlighting murder rates and other crime statistics from Republican-led states that are far higher than California’s.

But his latest “crime suppression” program also provides an opportunity to get ahead of Trump and show that California is already taking action with an approach that Newsom claims is highly effective. Last year, CHP officers made more than 9,000 arrests, recovered nearly 5,800 stolen vehicles and confiscated more than 400 firearms in Bakersfield, Oakland and San Bernardino, according to the governor’s office.

“These crime suppression teams will provide critical support to our local partners by focusing on crime where it happens most,” CHP Commissioner Sean Duryee said in a statement. “By combining resources, intelligence, and personnel, we can better disrupt criminal activity and strengthen the safety and security of communities across California.”

Newsom and Trump are in the midst of an ongoing struggle over the president’s deployment of National Guard troops and Marines into Los Angeles earlier this summer to quell fierce protests against immigration enforcement. The governor sued to stop what he alleges was an illegal military action, and though most of the troops have since been demobilized, a potentially precedent-setting case is still ongoing.

Press release from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office:

 On Aug. 28 at about 12:26 a.m. A Humboldt County Sheriff’s deputy on patrol around the Blue Lake Casino observed a motorcycle fail to stop at a stop sign near Chartin Rd, and Casino Way in Blue Lake. 

 

The deputy activated his emergency lights and attempted a traffic stop on the motorcycle. The driver of the motorcycle failed to yield to the deputy and continued driving toward the Blue Lake Blvd., onto westbound Blue Lake Blvd. and continued driving towards Glendale Dr.

 

As the deputy continued to pursue the motorcycle on Glendale Dr. with his lights and siren activated it continued at a high rate of speed westbound Glendale Dr and drove into the opposite lane of traffic. The deputy terminated the pursuit as it entered State Hwy 299 at Essex Lane traveling westbound in the eastbound lanes 

 

A short time later, deputies located the motorcycle on Giuntoli Ln at Heindon Rd. in Arcata and re-initiated the pursuit. The motorcycle fled on Mad River Road and drove across the Hammond Foot Bridge towards McKinleyville. Deputies searched the area but were unable to locate the motorcycle. 

 

A deputy called The Heights Casino in Trinidad and spoke to casino security who advised a motorcycle matching the description and with the same license plate had just arrived and the rider was still sitting on it. 

 

Deputies responded to the casino and took the rider, 32-year-old, James Luther Vernon Williams, of McKinleyville into custody with the assistance of the California Highway Patrol. He was transported to the Humboldt County Correctional Facility and booked on the following charges:

 

• V.C. 2800.2(A) Evading a Peace Officer with Willful and Wanton Disregard for Safety
• V.C. 2800.4 Evading a Peace Officer by Driving in the Opposite Lane of Traffic
• V.C. 23152(A) Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol
• V.C. 23152 (B) Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol (BAC) 0.08%
• V.C. 14601.2(A) Driving with a Suspended Driver’s License

This case is still under investigation.

 

The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office would like to thank the California Highway Patrol for their assistance with this case.

 

Anyone with information about this case or related criminal activity is encouraged to call the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office at (707) 445-7251 or the Sheriff’s Office Crime Tip line at (707) 268-2539.

 

Receive HCSO news straight to your phone or email. Subscribe to news alerts at: https://humboldtgov.org/list.aspx?ListID=219