Press release from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office:
On Feb. 19 at about 1 a.m., a Humboldt County Sheriff’s deputy was on patrol near New Navy Base Rd. and Bay St. in Samoa where a vehicle investigation was initiated. While in contact with the vehicle’s occupants, the deputy observed methamphetamine paraphernalia in the vehicle.
The driver, identified as Ronald Patterson, 45, of Eureka, was detained for possession of paraphernalia (H&S 11364(a)) and notified the deputy that there was also an unregistered and loaded handgun in the vehicle.
Patterson admitted that he used methamphetamine and that he was in fact in possession of a loaded firearm in the vehicle. Patterson also exhibited signs of being under the influence of a central nervous stimulant. Patterson was subsequently placed under arrest without incident. He was transported and booked into the Humboldt County Correctional Facility for the following charges:
Carrying a loaded firearm, not registered owner—PC 25850(c)(6)
Possession of firearm while under the influence—HS 11550(e)
Possession of controlled substance paraphernalia—HS 11364(a)
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.
The Fortuna Police Department remains steadfast in its commitment to justice for victims and their families. No
case is ever forgotten; we diligently pursue new leads as they emerge, ensuring that every avenue for resolution
is explored.
On February 19, 2014, the Fortuna Police Department received a report of a missing person, Danielle Bertolini.
Danielle was last seen in the Swains Flat, Carlotta area, and her mother, Billie Jo, reported her missing after
losing contact with her for several weeks.
Through extensive investigation, detectives determined that Danielle had accepted a ride from 51-year-old
James Eugene Jones, a Fortuna resident. Jones transported her from Swains Flat back to Fortuna. However,
despite numerous interviews with Danielle’s friends and acquaintances, no one reported seeing or hearing from
her after receiving that ride.
On March 9, 2015, a human skull was discovered along the Eel River, just north of Rio Dell, California. DNA
analysis confirmed the remains to be those of Danielle Bertolini. Despite an exhaustive investigative effort, all
available leads were pursued, and the case was ultimately classified as a cold case. However, a cold case is not a
closed case—it remains open, ready for renewed investigation should new evidence or information arise.
Recently, Fortuna Police Detectives received new information regarding Danielle’s case, prompting the
reopening of the investigation. Detectives are actively pursuing these leads, determined to uncover the truth and
deliver justice for Danielle and her family.
The Fortuna Police Department urges anyone with information to come forward. Even the smallest detail could
prove vital. If you have any information regarding Danielle Bertolini’s case, please contact Fortuna Police
Detectives Brian Taylor or Thomas MacLeod at the Fortuna Police Department: (707) 725-7550.
We extend our deepest gratitude to the community members who have remained engaged with this case over
the years. Your unwavering support and willingness to share information are invaluable in our pursuit of truth
and justice. We also commend our dedicated detectives for their relentless commitment to ensuring that no case
is ever forgotten.
A rendering of “Sunset Heights,” an 88-unit affordable housing project planned for a 4.18-acre plot of land near Winco. | Image via City of Eureka
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The City of Eureka is making progress on its plans to bring workforce housing to the “Sunset Heights” property — a 4.18-acre site overlooking Highway 101, between Harris and Henderson streets near Winco. Having cleared most of the bureaucratic hurdles that come with housing projects, city staff are now focused on securing the funding needed to bring the project to life.
Image: City of Eureka
Need a little refresher? In 2022, the city traded three publicly owned downtown parking lots for the mostly vacant Sunset Heights site to facilitate the development of affordable housing. The project will include 88 units (86 one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments and two manager’s units) in four buildings, as well as two indoor community centers and two outdoor plazas. The plans — linked here and here — include on-site laundry and bicycle storage space. The Eureka Planning Commission and Eureka Design Review Committee gave the project a final stamp of approval in December 2024.
Now, the city, Rural Communities Housing Development Corporation (RCHDC) and Humboldt Transit Authority (HTA) are applying for funding through the Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities (AHSC) program, a state initiative that funds eco-friendly housing and transportation projects. The state funding would support pedestrian improvements and public transit needs within the two-mile radius of the Sunset Heights property.
Here’s where you come in! What kind of transit-related improvements would you like to see in that neighborhood? More bike-friendly infrastructure? More bus stops? You can share your thoughts with city staff at a community meeting at Alice Birney Elementary on Monday night.
“We’ve already gone through design review, so this meeting is more focused on the development and potential impacts to the neighborhood that could be mitigated with this grant funding,” Eureka City Manager Miles Slattery told the Outpost. “[This meeting] is focused on transit-related things. You know, vehicle access to and from the site, bike paths, mass transit.”
Despite concerns about impacts to the viewshed and potential traffic issues on Harris Street, Slattery said the project has received broad support from people living in the neighborhood.
“But if you have concerns, come to the meeting,” he said. “We’re doing this so that we can get input and mitigate any concerns that people may have.”
The project’s timeline is hinged on funding. If the city receives the AHSC grant award it would serve as a match for tax credits down the line and “go a long way” in closing the funding gap,” Slattery said.
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The community meeting will take place on Monday, Feb. 24, at 6:30 p.m. at Alice Birney Elementary — 717 South Ave. in Eureka. If you can’t make it to the meeting, you can attend a virtual meeting on at 12 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 26. Register for the Zoom meeting here.
A Florida attorney this week filed a class action lawsuit against the Humboldt Independent Practice Association, alleging that the organization’s lax security measures allowed “an unauthorized actor” to access patients private health information.
Humboldt IPA, an organization that partners with local health care providers to process claims and provide other administrative services, issued a letter to patients earlier this month alerting them to a “data security incident,” according to the complaint.
Plaintiff Susan Fraser represents the proposed class of more than 100 current and former patients affected by the alleged breach, which resulted in the theft of names, contact information, emails, telephone numbers, dates of birth, driver’s licenses, medical diagnoses or conditions and health insurance information, the lawsuit alleges.
“Defendant’s woefully inadequate data security measures made the Data Breach a foreseeable, and even likely, consequence of its negligence,” reads a summary of the case, which was filed by attorney Kristen Lake Cardoso with the firm of Kopelowitz Ostrow Ferguson Weiselberg Gilbert (KO), based in South Florida.
According to the suit, Humboldt IPA did not encrypt patients’ private information or delete it when it was no longer needed, and the breach puts those patients at risk of further “identity theft crimes, fraud, scams, and other misuses of their Private Information.”
Much of the complaint’s 27-page length is filled with general information about regulatory requirements, standard industry practices and the importance of keeping private information private.
The class action suit accuses Humboldt IPA of negligence, breach of contract and unjust enrichment, and it seeks injunctive relief, a yet-to-be-determined amount of financial relief plus interest, attorneys’ fees, costs and expenses to be determined at trial.
You can read a copy of the complaint via the link below. A voice message seeking comment from Humboldt IPA was not immediately returned. We’ll update this post if the organization provides a statement or any further information.
In a surprising twist, California’s controversial new fuel standard — a key part of its effort to replace fossil fuels — has been rejected by the state agency that reviews the legality of state regulations.
The fuel standard enacted by the Air Resources Board last year was the subject of a rancorous debate, largely because it will potentially increase the price of gasoline and diesel fuels by an unknown amount.
The rules were rejected by the state Office of Administrative Law, a state agency whose mandate is to ensure “regulations are clear, necessary, legally valid, and available to the public.” The law office informed the air board that the rule does not conform with a provision in state code that requires “clarity” in rulemaking “so that the meaning of regulations will be easily understood by those persons directly affected by them.”
The air board said it would review the order and then resubmit the rules, which would be required within 120 days. Any substantial changes, however, would require a delay, including a public comment period.
The low carbon fuels program, which offers financial incentives to companies to produce cleaner transportation fuels, aims to help transition the state away from fossil fuels that contribute to smog and other air pollution and greenhouse gases that warm the planet.
The program, which has existed since 2011, is a $2-billion credit trading system that requires fuels sold in California to become progressively cleaner, while giving companies financial incentives to produce less-polluting fuels, such as biofuels made from soybeans or cow manure.
Republican legislators, who protested the rule and introduced a bill to repeal it, applauded the law office’s decision to reject them.
“Families in this state are already grappling with soaring living costs, and a gas price hike of 65 cents or more will only deepen their financial strain,” Sen. Rosilicie Ochoa Bogh, a Republican from Redlands, said in a statement. “It’s deeply frustrating that the governor’s administration ignored calls for reconsideration from the start.”
Supporters say the new rules are necessary to keep California on track for its ambitious climate goals, including net-zero emissions by 2045. But critics have warned that the new standards could push gas prices even higher in a state where drivers already pay some of the highest fuel costs in the nation.
Imogene “Genie” Cancellier passed away peacefully to be with her Lord on January 14 at St. Joseph’s Hospital at the age of 95.
She was born in Erwin, Tennessee, August 17,1929, the youngest of four to Rex and June McKinney. She graduated from Unicoi County High School in 1946 where she enjoyed playing on the Blue Devils girls basketball team while being every bit of 5‘2” tall. She and Russell C. Cumbie married August 29, 1946, her fresh out of High School and he just back from serving in the Navy on a destroyer in the Pacific during WWII. Russell and Genie moved to Klamath in 1950, welcoming their only child Michael in 1953 and where they resided until the 1955 floods in the town of Klamath and the Klamath Glen. It was at this time she started a long career of civic engagement by volunteering in the Red Cross during the flood, later moving to Eureka with Russell and their son Michael, where she lived the rest of her life.
Working at the old Lincoln’s art, books and gift store in downtown Eureka she developed friendships with many local artists and supported the arts in Eureka. She continued working in the community as a Den Mother for Cub Scouts, the PTA, Eureka Women’s Club, and Eastern Star. She loved her Scottish heritage and proudly sported her Clan MacKenzie tartan. Frequently working as a volunteer for Hobart Brown’s Kinetic Sculpture Races, she enjoyed the spectacle of it all.
Her great love though was for Coast Guard Humboldt Bay and the Navy League where she started as a local member, working through to being a state and then national director. Known as “The Coast Guard Mom” she worked to provide support and encouragement to service members and their families. She found great joy in organizing events for families through the holidays and never took no for an answer when she asked for donations for those celebrations. She made no distinction between Admiral or Seaman and was there for them. She was justifiably proud of being able to have Eureka designated one of the first two Coast Guard Cities in the United States. She was also a strong voice in support for the Humboldt Bay Maritime Museum and Leroy Zerlang and the historic vessel “Madaket.”
In her personal life she enjoyed decorating her home for the holidays, hosting parties and dressing to the nines. When she threw a party she threw a party. She was small in stature, but larger than life. She was direct and never left any doubt where she was coming from. Caring, she could be counted on to come through for both those she loved and those she just met. She will be missed by all who knew her. To her friends and caregivers who worked compassionately so Genie could stay in her home which was her desire and wish, Blessings to you all. It was Genie’s desire that no memorial services be observed and she was interred at Sunset Memorial Park between her husbands, who preceded her in death, Captain Norman J. Hubbenette and Michael “Ren” Cancellier. Genie’s family asks that she be remembered for the joy she brought to others in life, not the sadness of her passing.
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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Genie Cancillier’s loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here. Email news@lostcoastoutpost.com.
Melanie Jean Lorenzetti Stearns, born on April 12, 1970, was a beloved daughter, sister, wife, mother, grandmother, and friend. As the youngest of four siblings, she grew up in the close-knit community of Fortuna, where her childhood was filled with love, laughter, and adventure. From a young age, Melanie’s warm heart and her spirited vibrant personality shone brightly, qualities that remained at the core of who she was throughout her life. For Melanie, family was the essence of her being, the heart and soul fueling her every action.
Melanie attended Fortuna Elementary School and Fortuna High School, where she cultivated a passion for learning. She went on to earn dual degrees from Humboldt State University, demonstrating her commitment and determination to succeed in all aspects of her life.
During her high school years, Melanie met her high school sweetheart, Brad Stearns. Together, over the next 38 years, they built a beautiful life filled with love, joy, and cherished memories. Their bond, forged through the trials and triumphs of life, became a beacon of enduring love, inspiring all who witnessed it. Their union was blessed with three wonderful children: Ryan, Sara, and Kayla, who were the light of Melanie’s life. Her unwavering love, protection, support, and kindness formed her family’s foundation.
Melanie embraced the role of “Mimi” to her twin granddaughters, Sienna, and Deslynn DeGraff. Watching them grow, play sports, and attend to their many other activities, brought her immeasurable joy and pride, and they became a source of endless love in her life. Melanie’s dedication to her family was unparalleled and a testament to her boundless love and compassion.
Beyond her family, Melanie’s dedication to others extended far and wide. For nearly two decades, she worked in the medical field, offering compassionate care to countless individuals in her community. Her warm gentle smile could light up even the darkest of days, offering hope and encouragement to those around her.
Melanie’s legacy is a woman of remarkable strength, always ready to lend a hand, offer support and encouragement, or share a laugh. Melanie’s laughter was infectious, her stories captivating, and her presence both comforting and inspiring. The warmth of her spirit resonated with everyone she met, touching the lives of numerous friends and loved ones. Her influence lies in the kindness and warmth she selflessly shared with those around her. Melanie made everyone feel appreciated and cherished, leaving an indelible mark on all who were fortunate enough to know her. Her love was a gift that transcended her immediate family, creating a ripple effect that impacted many lives.
Melanie’s life was a beautiful testament to the power of love, kindness, and resilience. She faced challenges with unwavering strength and grace, often putting the needs of others before her own. Her ability to find joy in the simple pleasures of life and her persistent optimism endeared her to everyone she met.
Melanie’s influence is one of love and compassion, and her memory will be forever a guiding light for those who were fortunate to have known her, inspiring those who knew her to live with the same dedication and generosity that defined her life.
Melanie was preceded in death by her beloved mother Jean Lorenzetti; her sister, Valerie Pasdera; father-in-law, Norman Stearns; cousin, David Harper; uncle, Delmar Lorenzetti; and uncle, Tom Harper. She is survived by her husband, Brad Stearns; son, Ryan Stearns; daughters, Kayla Stearns, her fiancé Ely Schoenfield, and Sara Stearn; grandchildren Deslynn DeGraff, Sienna DeGraff, Roger Lorenzetti; Mother-in-Law Rita Stearns, Greg Lorenzetti (wife Christine), Brad (wife Heidi) Nephew Josh, Niece Jessica, Brother-in-Law Rick Pasdera, Niece Nicole Pasdera; Cousin Bruce Harper (daughters Brenna and Brooke); Aunt Linda, Aunt Diane, and Dr. John. Moriarty; cousins Kevin Moriarty and Joanne Moriarty; Aunt Sharon Lorenzetti, ousins Angela Sanborn, Tara Johnson, Michelle Wigginton, Lori Bravo; Aunt Carolyn, Cousins Jennifer and Rochelle, and many more extended relatives and friends who she was devoted, dedicated, and loved so dearly.
To honor Melanie, a celebration of life will be held March 1 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at the Eureka Elks Lodge.
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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Melanie Stearns’ loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here. Email news@lostcoastoutpost.com.
