PREVIOUSLY: Eureka Police Arrest Food Delivery Driver on Sexual Assault, Burglary Charges

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Press release from the Eureka Police Department:

Eureka, CA — The Eureka Police Department (EPD) is issuing a public safety advisory following a recent incident involving an alcohol delivery service. A delivery driver — while purportedly verifying the recipient’s identification — forced his way into a residence and assaulted a female victim. The driver was apprehended.

The incident, which remains under active investigation, is a reminder that while convenience services like alcohol delivery offer many benefits, they also pose unique safety challenges.

Chief Brian Stephens stated:

“We are deeply concerned about this incident and want to assure our community that we are taking this matter very seriously. The safety of our residents is our top priority. While this appears to be an isolated event, we are asking the public to take extra precautions when accepting deliveries, especially those that involve alcohol and ID verification.”

Recommended Safety Tips for Alcohol Delivery Services:

• Choose a Well-Lit, Secure Area: Keep the front of your house well-lit and avoid letting strangers into your home.

• Verify the Driver: Use the app or website to confirm the name and photo(if available) of the delivery driver before answering the door.

• Have Someone With You: If you live alone, consider asking a friend or neighbor to be present when accepting alcohol deliveries.

• Trust Your Instincts: If something feels off, do not open the door. Contact the delivery service to verify the driver’s identity, or call 911 if you feel threatened.

• Report Suspicious Behavior Immediately: Contact EPD’s non-emergency line at (707) 441-4044 or call 911 in the event of a crime or emergency.

Community Involvement

We urge all residents to remain vigilant and to report any suspicious or inappropriate behavior involving delivery services. If you or someone you know has experienced a similar incident, please contact EPD immediately.

For ongoing updates and safety resources, follow the Eureka Police Department on social media or visit our website at http://www.eurekapd.net

PREVIOUSLY: 

• Hoopa Tribal Chairman Joe Davis Disputes Allegations of ‘Gross Negligence’ as Tribal Council Attempts to Remove Him
• At Contentious Public Meeting, Hoopa Tribal Council Removes Chairman Joe Davis From Office

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Joe Davis

Joe Davis has been reelected as chairman of the Hoopa Valley Tribe, just 15 months after he was ousted by the tribal council over allegations of gross negligence, neglect of duty and abuse of power. A tribal court judge later determined that the council acted unlawfully in removing Davis. During the tribe’s General Election earlier this month, Davis secured nearly 55 percent of the vote, beating out his opponent, Angela Jarnaghan.

The Outpost sat down with Davis this morning to talk about his history on the tribal council and to learn more about what’s to come. Our interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

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LoCO: How does it feel to be back in your role as chairman of the Hoopa Valley Tribe?

Joe Davis: It feels great. It’s a great blessing to serve my tribe in any role. I’ve worked in various roles over the years, and it’s great to contribute to your own tribe and community. But having the opportunity to serve as chairman is something I really want to make the most of. It’s a tremendous opportunity, and I’m looking forward to seeing a lot of great progress for our tribe because I believe we have a tremendous amount of potential.

I don’t know if you check the Hoopa Community Facebook page, but someone posted a photo montage of you set to “Hey Daddy (Daddy’s Home)” by Usher. What’d you think of that? That seems like a pretty warm welcome back to the council.

I didn’t see it directly, but a few people did send it to me. I thought it was pretty funny, though! You gotta have a sense of humor when you deal with tribal politics [on Facebook]. It can be dark at times, as far as the anonymous posts and the bitterness and anger that’s behind some of that. It was nice to see something that was a little more lighthearted.

Definitely! I wish Facebook as a whole were a little more light-hearted. On a more serious note: Can you describe the role of a tribal chairman? I don’t think many non-tribal members of our community know how tribal governance structures differ from city or state governments. Can you talk about that as well?

Well, it’s similar to a president or CEO. You’re responsible for representing the tribe at the federal, state and local levels, but it also involves management and oversight of our more than 60 tribal departments. It’s also about being accessible to over 3,600 tribal members. It’s a really big job.

One of my goals is to work with our tribal council to reorganize our tribal government to make it more efficient. I want to empower different sectors of our tribal government and the community so it doesn’t all just fall on one person or one elected body’s shoulders. We all have a responsibility to lift up our tribe. 

You were removed from the position as chairman following a tribal council vote in March of 2024. What’s happened in the time since, and how did you find yourself back in the chairman’s seat?

I think it’s been difficult for the tribe as a whole. Our tribal election ordinance says a special election must be held within six months [of a chairman vacating the position], but that never happened. Our tribe has kind of been in a period of uncertainty. 

For myself, I’ve had the opportunity to come to work at the Northern California Indian Development Council (NCIDC), and it’s allowed me to get out and visit over 30 tribes across Northern California. It’s been an awesome opportunity, but my heart has always been at home with my own tribal community. I’m really thankful for the opportunity to be able to serve my community. I feel like I learned a lot during my first stint as a council member and chairman, and I feel those things will serve me well going forward. I’m looking ahead to the future and trying not to dwell on anything negative in the past.

You were reelected to the position with nearly 55 percent of the vote during the June 17 General Election. Who has served as the interim tribal chair over the last year or so?

The vice-chair, Ryan Jackson, served as the interim chair. He had previously served as chair, I think, between 2015 and 2019. He’ll remain a council member, but there wasn’t an officially elected chair, as per our tribal constitution.

When you were ousted from the council last year, you were accused of gross negligence, neglect of duty and abuse of power — which you denied — and were even prohibited from entering tribal buildings. And if I recall correctly, you and your wife sued the tribal council. Did anything come of that?

Well, we were initially successful in getting an injunction from the Hoopa Valley Tribal Court, which ruled that the tribal council had violated our civil rights. However, all that really did was lift the restrictions that they had placed on me when they said I wasn’t able to speak with any tribal departments without a police escort. … Later on, we sued for monetary damages, but the tribal court ultimately ruled that the council — while they were in violation of their tribal constitution and tribal rights — were immune from monetary damages due to sovereign immunity because they had acted within their official capacity as council members. I decided not to appeal and to just move forward. I don’t want to dwell on the negative things from the past, but I do want to make sure that something like that never happens again. It’s a really dangerous path to go down when you allow a tribal council to take away somebody’s most basic human rights.

Not to dwell on it any longer than we need to, but do you feel the dust has settled on the controversy from last year? I know there are some new faces on the council, but do you feel that there is any residual resentment there?

I do feel that things have settled down. There’s only one councilmember left from that group that removed me; the rest have either stepped down or been voted out. And again, my focus is on the future and looking at the bigger picture and moving forward as a tribe. We have more important things to deal with. 

You mentioned wanting to improve efficiency within the tribe. Do you have any other goals or projects you’d like to tackle during your time as chairman?

I want to have an official strategic plan for the tribe to ensure that all the goals and priorities of the tribe are clear and that every tribal member has an opportunity to provide input on that. Education is also very important to Native people, you know, making sure that our young people are exposed to opportunities and career pathways. Tribal health is also very important, and that includes environmental health and protecting our fishing rights. 

I want to set a great example of somebody who is appreciative of their opportunities with the tribe by getting up early every day, working hard for our community and spreading the love amongst our people. We’re all in this together, so we need to come together as a tribe and fulfill our own purpose in life. Everybody has a purpose and calling, and so it’s important to make sure that every tribal member feels valued because every tribal member is extremely valuable to our tribe. When people are forgotten, they lose hope. We have to inspire our tribal members to understand their own value.

Are there any other exciting projects in the works?

Yeah! We have a new elders housing village coming up, and we also have a new education center in the works. 

The Bureau of Reclamation recently awarded the tribe $600,000 to expand and upgrade our irrigation system. We’ve also received $1 million to create an agricultural plan to promote food sovereignty and be less dependent on outside food sources. Our young people can learn how to raise livestock or how to raise crops. Ideally, all the meat and all the vegetables that come through our own grocery store will be produced locally. 

We’re still a “timber tribe,” if you will, so we’re looking to upgrade our sawmill so we can sell value-added lumber products, but in a sustainable way.

And when is your first meeting back on the tribal council?

I believe it’s July 3. That date may change because of the holiday, but we usually meet on the first and third Thursday of the month. I’ll be sworn in on Friday at noon, and I intend to hit the ground running. I’ll probably be working all day on Friday, and then come Monday, I’ll be out meeting with tribal departments and setting up meetings with the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI), because they have a finger on the pulse of federal government and all of the changes that are happening under the administration. We’re going to have to come up with a plan to address that as a tribe and work with other tribes to form a unified voice that supports all tribal rights.

There’s much water imminent, we’re told. 

The Eureka arm of the National Weather Service notes that a gnarly high tide tonight could result in minor flooding around Humboldt Bay, possibly both tonight and Wednesday night. As such, they’ve issued a coastal flood advisory for between 9 p.m. and 1 a.m. tonight. The current might be stronger, too.

Now you know. 

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At a special meeting last night, the Blue Lake City Council voted 4-0 in closed session to terminate the city’s exclusive negotiating agreement with PowerTransition LLC, a Texas-based energy developer that was in line to transform the city’s defunct power plant into a 20-megawatt lithium-iron-phosphate battery energy storage facility.

The council had approved the agreement with PowerTransitions last year after a company representative approached the city with a plan to demolish some power plant infrastructure and build a battery energy storage system (BESS) that would repurpose the existing transformer and substation. PowerTransitions proposed to pay for site clean-up and remediation, with an estimated price tag between $750,000 and $1.5 million.

For the past four years, city staff have worked closely with the Redwood Coast Energy Authority (RCEA) to develop a small-scale BESS that would collect and store excess energy from the grid in rechargeable batteries for future use. At a meeting in February, PowerTransitions Senior Advisor Jeff Goldstein said the project would provide a five-day energy supply during a long-term power outage.

But the proposal drew criticism from some Blue Lake residents who argued that the project posed significant risks, including fire, environmental damage, such as potential contamination of Mad River. They also worried that it would create noise and light pollution. 

PowerTransitions’s proposal came in response to a request for offers (RFO) issued in December by RCEA, our region’s community choice aggregation energy provider. That agency was seeking offers for new or incremental capacity projects that include solar energy generation plus battery storage.

Last night, when Blue Lake Mayor John Sawatzky announced the council’s vote to terminate its agreement with PowerTransitions, he said the decision was made due to the fact that the company had not been shortlisted as a finalist in RCEA’s procurement process.

Reached via phone today, Blue Lake City Councilmember Elise Scafani, who represents the city on RCEA’s Board of Directors, said that the city’s agreement with PowerTransitions was contingent on its inclusion on RCEA’s shortlist, because without a purchasing agreement from that agency, PowerTransitions wouldn’t have a customer willing to buy the energy stored at the facility.

Scafani added that the termination of this agreement doesn’t preclude a different project from being developed at the former biomass power plant site. Scafani noted that the city has a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with RCEA, established in early 2023, to explore possibilities at that property. 

“This MOU said, ‘We understand that the biomass plant is kaput,’ but we have this grid interconnection — nobody can put a dollar figure on that,” Scafani said, highlighting the value of the plant’s transmission lines linking to the statewide energy grid. “To get those [built] now costs millions,” she said.

RCEA Executive Director Beth Burks said the power plant location remains a valuable asset, and the MOU to explore possible uses for it remains valid.

“We’re willing to work with the city to explore what could go out there and be a partner with that, to help the city evaluate what to do,” Burks said. She added that the proposals shortlisted in the RFO process will be revealed at the next RCEA board meeting, this Thursday. 

Asked what comes next from the city council, Scafani said, “Next is we start at the beginning where maybe we should have started in the first place — that’s my opinion. The beginning needed to be town hall meetings so there was a full understanding of our potential and determining a direction with our citizens [for] where we want to go with this power plant. Very honestly, we don’t understand what we have and what our potential could be, and that should be a decision our community makes together.”

The Outpost reached out to PowerTransitions seeking a comment on last night’s decision but did not hear back before publication time.

RCEA will be hosting an informational community meeting and workshop on battery storage on July 23, 5:30 p.m. at the D Street Community Center in Arcata. Burks said it will offer a broad overview of the technology, addressing why it’s important, what communities should be concerned about and debunking some misinformation. 

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PREVIOUSLY

• Blue Lake City Council to Consider Controversial Battery Storage Facility at Tomorrow’s Meeting
• After Chaotic Public Meeting, Blue Lake City Council Opts to Extend Timeline for Proposed Battery Storage Facility

David Thomas (Tom) Ford, a beloved husband, father, grand-father, and great-grand father, paramedic, firefighter, veteran, actor and larger-than-life figure in Ferndale, California, passed away at home on June 16th, 2025, at the age of 77. 

Tom, a Ferndale resident of 58 years, embodied the spirit of community. Born in Vermont, Tom and his family moved from their small farm in Bennington to Southern California when he was 6 years old. After graduating from Garden Grove High School in 1966, Tom hitchhiked across the U.S and into Canada, and eventually returned to the West Coast, joining the family in Ferndale where he helped to refurbish their new home, the historic Shaw House. It was there, shoveling gravel for the new driveway, that he met his wife of 55 years, Lorie Jean Titus. The rest, as they say, was history. 

After a short stint in Alaska serving in the U.S. Air Force in military intelligence, Tom was transferred to Omaha, Nebraska, where he spent his time analyzing photographs from the SR-71 spy plane. It was there that he and Lorie were married. Once discharged, Tom and Lorie returned to Ferndale with the addition of their first born, Greg. A few short years later the Fords grew by one when Sara joined them, completing their small family. 

Tom’s path was not a straight line, but it led straight through Humboldt for his remaining years. He explored his interest in marine biology, attending College of the Redwoods and then Humboldt State University; was a small business owner; worked in the lumber/pulp industry; and ultimately found his passion, working as a paramedic for City Ambulance. Wherever he was and whatever he was doing, Tom made an impact with colleagues and the community alike, making friends that would last a lifetime.

Tom was committed to his community almost as much as his family and found a hundred different ways to serve. With wife Lorie, he opened the Fern Café on main street, a high school hangout and town gathering place. He joined the Ferndale Volunteer Fire Department in 1977 serving as a firefighter on Company 3 and later as an EMT. With their help, he continued his studies, becoming a paramedic. He rose through the ranks from Lieutenant to Captain, Assistant Chief and ultimately Fire Chief. And he didn’t stop there, he joined the Arson Task Force and served on the Ferndale Fire Protection District Board even after retiring from active duty. He served as the department’s EMT-1 program director, CPR instructor, babysitter course coordinator and more, training generations of emergency responders and fellow Ferndalians. 

Tom also joined the community in other ways; he wrote a weekly column for the Ferndale Enterprise “Tom Foolery”, tried his acting chops in multiple musicals at the Ferndale Repertory Theater, he served on the school board, was a part of the museum’s annual event at the Ferndale Cemetery, and he even created the Ferndale Area Rapid Transit (F.A.R.T) and entered it in one of the first Kinetic Sculpture Races, delighting everyone with his humor.

Tom was truly a fixture in Ferndale. He supported the community as a volunteer, walking Russ Park cleaning up downfalls and repairing trails. He was a member of the Ferndale Hooligans, coming together each year to clean up Francis creek and protect the residences along main street. And most notably, he was the one who fearlessly scaled Ferndale’s massive Christmas Tree each winter to string the lights. 

No one that met him forgot him, from his patients who would refer to the “calm of Tom” to his family, friends, fellow firefighters, city ambulance crew, actors and more, Tom was bigger than life and no one will ever take his place. He will be missed by all. 

Tom was preceded in death by his parents, David and Marjorie Jeanette Ford, his sisters Dora and Jane Ford, his sister-in-law Catherine Ford and his niece Renee Ford. He is survived by his wife Lorie Jean (Titus), his son Greg Ford (and wife Dena) and their two daughters Kelli and Jodi. His daughter Sara Cortes (and husband Michael) and their three children Alissa (Sean) and their two children Griffin and Joanna, Ethan (Ashley) and Elena. 

Tom also leaves behind his brother Tim (Sheila) his nieces and nephews, Sharon (Mark) Gary (Debbie) Brian, Emily, Lauren (Mathew) and Jonathan. As well, he will be missed by the extended Titus family. 

Tom was proud of Ferndale, of HIS town, of those he taught and worked with, but no one could be prouder of his family, his wife/children/grandchildren and their commitment to service than Tom/Dad/Papa was. From firefighters, veterans, instructors and medical professionals they have followed his path and are serving their communities just as he served his. 

“A legacy is not leaving something for people. It’s leaving something IN people.”

A memorial will be held for Tom at the Community Church on Main Street in Ferndale at 11 a.m. on Saturday, June 28th, 2025, followed by a celebration of life at the Portuguese Hall in Ferndale. 

In lieu of flowers, please consider providing a donation to the Ferndale Volunteer Fire Department or the Ferndale Repertory Theater.

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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Tom Ford’s loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here.

On May 16, 2025, Rita Consuelo Orlandini lost her long battle with cancer. With her passing, we lost a warrior woman who meant so much to so many.

Rita was born on April 29, 1941, in Vallejo, California, to Cecilia Orlandini (Keiser), a city clerk, and Antonio (Tony) Orlandini, the Vallejo Assistant Postmaster and the Northern California Superintendent of U.S. Mail. She grew up with an older sister, Mary, a younger brother, Anthony (Tony), and extended family living in the same neighborhood. She graduated from St. Vincent High School with honors in 1959, receiving a scholarship to Dominican College in San Rafael. With her thick, long, wavy blonde hair, Rita would have been the envy of every influencer today. She sang in several choral groups, and often broke spontaneously into song: sometimes old favorites, other times impromptu verses that bubbled with her joie de vivre. Her indescribable laughter helped form the camaraderie of every group she joined. She graduated from college in 1963 with a degree in American Studies and a teaching credential. 

After graduation, she began her teaching career in San Rafael, CA. It was at that time that she met her first husband at a garden party at the Mare Island Naval Base in Vallejo. Thomas Rossa was a recent graduate of the United States Naval Academy, specializing in nuclear submarines. They married in 1964 and moved to the East Coast, where their daughter Jeannine and son Steve were born. When the marriage ended in 1973, Rita returned to California, where she and the children settled in Humboldt County.

Rita was passionate about sparking and nurturing children’s curiosity about art, music, and nature. Rita co-founded “Centering School,” with Stewart Sundet, an HSU art professor. The school was a small, experiential, art and nature-centered K-6 — decades ahead of its time. Rita was a powerful driving force supporting her students desire to learn; she remained in close contact with most of her fellow teachers and former students and their parents throughout her life. It was while she was teaching at Centering School that she met her second husband, Scott Sway. With Scott, Rita added supporting the Northcoast Environmental Center, rehabilitating wildlife, and outdoor adventures to her already full and vibrant life.

After a decade, Rita took a position with the Humboldt County Office of Education as the leader of their Science Action Mobile (SAM). Rita led a team to design hands-on exhibits and lesson plans on specific science topics such as the oceans, the moon and the human heart. Rita drove a 35-foot trailer to every elementary school, no matter how remote, where she taught classes and led the children through the hands-on activities in SAM. When the SAM program ended, Rita became a science education consultant. Eventually, her second marriage ended. 

Rita was later asked to be part of the California Science Implementation Network, designing new state-wide science curricula with an exciting team of science teachers. It was here that she met Jim Knerl, the love of her life, whom she married in 1992. They relocated to San Francisco, where she earned a master’s degree in science education (in her 50’s!). In 1994, they moved to Humboldt County, where she taught “big ideas” as the 7th grade science teacher at Winship Junior High School in Eureka. Always the innovator, Rita received a grant to involve her students with hands-on native plant restoration, even building a greenhouse for the kids to raise plants.

After retiring from Winship, Rita fulfilled her childhood dream of being a cowgirl with the purchase of her first horse, the second love of her life, her Appaloosa mare, Frannie. With a desire to have Frannie on their property, Rita and Jim moved to Southern Oregon in 2005. During the next 14 years, Rita and Jim became famous for their yearly Oktoberfests: food, music, and dancing with Rita in her dirndl and Jim in his lederhosen. With her usual enthusiasm, Rita joined a book club, a calligraphy club, and several riding groups; took yoga classes; became a certified Master Gardener; and sang with a local choir. She and Jim were also big supporters of the arts.

In 2019, they returned to Humboldt County. Rita stated that she would not join any group, and she stuck to it. This was in part due to her declining health — a third bout of cancer in 2022. Then in just two years, she was struck again. This time it was untreatable. She entered Hospice care while remaining at home. She died at home after many visits from family, friends and former students. 

She is survived by her husband, James Knerl, her children Jeannine Rossa and Steve Rossa (Sabine), her stepdaughter Alison Peltz (Danny), her stepson Joel Knerl, and her grandchildren Zoe, Gregor, Kelsey, River, and Benedikt. She is also survived by her sister, Mary Smart, her brother, Anthony Orlandini (Judy), her Aunt Dixie Paussa, and all of their children and grandchildren. She is also survived by many dear friends from childhood, college, teaching, horse activities, the Rogue Valley years, and of course, the SOPs. She is preceded in death by her parents and many beloved aunts, uncles, and cousins.

There will be two celebrations of Rita’s life. The first will occur at the Humboldt Unitarian Universalist Fellowship in Bayside, California (Humboldt County) on Sunday, July 13th at 2:00 p.m. You are welcome to bring desserts, stories, and music to share. The second will be a requiem mass on Saturday, July 19th at St. Anne’s Catholic Church in Grants Pass, Oregon at 11:00 a.m. This will be followed by a light lunch and more sharing of stories and music.

In lieu of cards and flowers, we are asking you to consider donations to Hospice of Humboldt; the Equamore Horse Sanctuary in Ashland, Oregon; Miranda’s Animal Rescue in Fortuna, California; or to some environmental organization you may already support.

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(AUDIO) Brandon Dixon talks Humboldt Crabs on KHUM

Let’s talk Humboldt Crabs baseball with Brandon Dixon!

Dixon, a longtime beat writer and friend o’ the Humboldt Crabs, recently popped by the KHUM studios to discuss all things baseball (terminology, roster spots, road trips, coaching notes, etc.) with Toby in the Morning as we delve into another exciting season with our favorite minor league team.

Dixon tiptoed very close to the edge of professional baseball before an injury sidelined him, but not before he made it to the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) College World Series twice. As a pitcher, he brings more to the field than just his writing prowess — he brings deep knowledge of the sport.

The Crabbies are off to a hot start this season, but is it sustainable? Can they make a run at the championship now that they’re part of conference play in the Pacific Empire League? Click “play” on the link up top for Dixon’s take!