PREVIOUSLY

• (PHOTOS) A Pro-Dog, Anti-Miranda’s Rescue Courthouse Vigil is Drawing a Large Crowd

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A stray dog hopped into an open car in a Cutten mechanic’s shop one afternoon in February, a shaggy Great Pyrenees. He was dirty, filthy enough it took three baths to clean him to a brilliant shining white. The mechanic was instantly taken with him. She named him Marco. 

For the next two weeks, the dog, the mechanic, and four of her friends did their best to take care of Marco. He was about a year old, they thought, a boisterous, happy-go-lucky animal. They fed him, took turns hosting him. One of them had just moved into a place in Eureka, and she was sleeping on the floor; he slept on top of her. 

He was poorly trained but learned to take instructions well — but Marco was huge, too huge for any of them to house permanently in any of their small apartments. He had to go elsewhere, Rose, one of the people who took care of Marco, told the Outpost at yesterday’s vigil. He was a rowdy, massive dog; beautiful, Rose said, holding a picture of him on a sign, HAVE YOU SEEN ME? written on the side. “He wanted to be good, really bad,” she said. “You just had to give him a chance.” They decided to give him up. 

Miranda’s Rescue seemed like the best option to them, she said; the large property would allow Marco to run around, happy-go-lucky. The rescue wanted $500 for a surrender fee, Rose said, and they started a GoFundMe to scrape together the money. They got the cash and gave Marco to Miranda’s Rescue. Soon afterwards, she was told that someone adopted the dog, a woman in Oregon. Rose was thrilled. 

The woman in Oregon, “Tammy,” was evasive, Rose said. She wouldn’t share exactly where she lived, and she wouldn’t send them any more photos of the dog. Despite only having spent a few weeks with him, she was attached, and wanted some; the only photo she ever saw was one photo of Tammy with Marco. She had multiple leashes strung around her neck, Rose said, something that led her to believe Tammy was actually a volunteer at Miranda’s Rescue. She let it rest for a while, deciding to believe the dog was OK.

A couple months later, the Humboldt County Sheriff’s office served a search warrant at Miranda’s Rescue, based on an affidavit by a detective saying that he had reason to believe Shannon Miranda, the operator of the rescue, had killed and buried at least eight dogs on his property. (Miranda denied the accusations.) Rose found out.

“It was this horrible, crushing feeling,” she said, tearing up. “Like a big sack of rocks.”

She and her friends have been unable to determine if Marco is alive or not, and the uncertainty continues to crush her. 

“I think I’m still kind of in denial, partially in a benefit-of-the-doubt kind of way, but partially because I can’t fully believe that somebody would do that,” she said. “I’m like, ‘there’s no way that somebody is that evil.’ The idea that Marco’s laying somewhere with a hole in his head, surrounded by dirt, is something that I haven’t fully processed yet, but it’s definitely something I’m having a hard time handling.”

Much of the crowd at yesterday’s vigil had a similar story, grateful for a chance to show the thousands of people who passed by the courthouse how they felt. 

“Oh! Anger,” Joe said, his wife Maurine nodding next to him. “Absolute anger. Just — just disgust! We trusted him. We gave him money!”

“And betrayal,” Maurine added. “We trusted him.” 

They had, over the years, helped to raise money for Miranda’s rescue after adopting a dog from him, hosting bake sales and yard sales, and donating everything they made. Joe and Maurine are both big animal lovers, they said; the dog they adopted died a few years ago at the age of 13. They were so happy with him they didn’t mind all the fundraising. They felt Miranda was doing so much “goodness,” Maurine said. Their daughter and her friends, very young at the time, pitched in. Hearing that Miranda may have killed untold numbers of dogs upset them both. 

“I want to strangle that guy,” Joe said. “Well, I don’t want to be violent, but it was so — phony, so opposite of the truth, and so false.”

“I just want justice,” Maurine said. “Because if there’s no justice, the message it sends to the young generation that I helped is that it’s OK to get away with greed and murdering dogs. He needs jail time.”

“Some retribution,” Joe added. “Some awareness, because a lot of people trusted him. When you give your pet with trust to someone and you find this out…” He shook his head and sighed. 

Though many people at the vigil were there to commemorate the dogs they think Miranda may have killed (it was billed as a “quiet,” “no-yelling” event — it definitely wasn’t either), plenty of others turned out to advocate for Miranda’s arrest. Mary Murphy, an older woman with Noel and Kingston, her two nine-year-old French bulldogs tattooed on her arm, brought a pair of handcuffs she said she purchased solely for Miranda. 

“I swallowed the key,” she said. “So he’ll never get out.” 

She wasn’t joking. 

Several protestors carried signs with photos of dogs they claim were once in Miranda’s care, digitally altered to make them look like they were crying. They were made by Jenna Moore, one of the women responsible for bringing attention to Miranda. She, and several other attendees, had also been to a Humboldt County Board of Supervisors meeting earlier in the day to advocate during the public comment period that Miranda be arrested, or at least investigated further.

Murphy gestured at one of the signs, featuring a black pitbull mix named Zora. 

“I want Shannon Miranda to be arrested,” she said. “He’s killed dogs and put them in a grave, and we’ve got video of it. They dug those dogs up. Look at this beautiful — look at this beautiful dog. They killed her.” She turned towards 5th Street and screamed “Arrest Shannon Miranda!” on and off for the next half hour. 

Dan Martinez, the operator of San Jose dog rescue Adopt My Block, also spoke at the meeting and attended the vigil afterwards. He drove up to Humboldt from San Jose last Wednesday to retrieve a pit mix, Oliver, from Miranda’s Rescue. A person fostering Oliver sent him to Miranda’s after he bit another dog, but Martinez drove up and got Oliver back after hearing about the allegations. 

Oliver was in “rough shape” after spending time at Miranda’s, Martinez told the Outpost. He was “emaciated” and scarred; his spine was visible through his coat, which was missing patches of fur. The person who surrendered him paid $1,000 to Miranda, Martinez said. 

Despite the macabre accusations, Martinez said he thought they could be a catalyst for change. In the future, he said, maybe somebody will notice when one rescue gets hundreds of dogs more than it could possibly adopt out. 

“Crises precipitate change, and this is the crisis,” he said. He sounded a lot more hopeful than everyone else there. 

“Well,” he said, “I got my dog back.”

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PREVIOUSLY:

• The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office Appears to be Violating Its Own Policy and State Law on Automated License Plate Readers
• Humboldt Sheriff’s Office Responds to Outpost Investigation Into Its Automated License Plater Reader Program
• ’A Climate of Fear and Mistrust’: Petition Urges Humboldt Sheriff, Board of Supervisors to Cancel Flock Safety Contract Amid Privacy Concerns

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In response to mounting concern over the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office’s use of Flock Safety’s automated license plate-reading (ALPR) cameras, the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors is directing the department to take extra steps to improve transparency and prevent potential misuse of the surveillance technology. 

The board’s four-hour discussion, which touched on a wide range of issues surrounding modern surveillance tactics and data sharing, largely focused on the HCSO’s contract with Flock Safety, an Atlanta-based company that provides ALPR technology to more than 5,000 law enforcement agencies and 1,000 private businesses nationwide. Flock has come under fire in recent years, especially here in California, for allowing out-of-state and federal agencies to access information captured by its ALPR cameras, which violates Senate Bill 34. 

Ultimately, the board voted 4-1, with First District Supervisor Rex Bohn dissenting, to form an ad hoc committee to look into alternatives to Flock Safety that would allow the HCSO to have greater control over its data, which is encrypted and stored in a cloud hosted by Amazon Web Services. 

The board passed a second motion to direct Public Works staff to come up with a policy that will prevent the private use of ALPR cameras and other similar technology on county rights of way. The motion came in response to news that a Westhaven resident had installed a Flock camera at Westhaven Drive and Scenic Drive, just south of Trinidad. (We’ll explain what happened in further detail, below.)

‘This is not about being anti-law enforcement’

Before we dig into the board’s discussion, a little bit of background on how these license-plate reading cameras work. ALPR technology employs high-resolution cameras to record and analyze the license plates of passing vehicles along with the make, model and color of each car and other identifying features, including scratches and dents. ALPR does not use facial recognition technology, though it does use AI to transform the image into alphanumeric characters using optical character recognition. 

The footage and metadata, which is “encrypted throughout its entire lifecycle,” according to Flock, is deleted after 30 days.

Humboldt Sheriff William Honsal implemented the HCSO’s ALPR program in April 2024. The department currently operates seven permanently mounted cameras and two mobile ALPR devices across the county, which cost about $21,000 per year to operate. The cameras were purchased with grant funding from the Department of Homeland Security.

At the start of Tuesday’s discussion, Fifth District Supervisor Steve Madrone explained that he brought the agenda item because “many Humboldt residents are deeply concerned about the continued use of Flock Safety cameras in our county.” 

Madrone | Screenshot

“We all want our sheriff’s office to have the tools needed to solve crime, [but] public trust requires real oversight, not just promises,” he said. “… This is not about being anti-law enforcement; it is about making sure powerful surveillance technology is used lawfully, transparently, and with meaningful accountability to the public that pays for it. … The central question remains: When the data and audit trail are controlled by a private contractor, how can we honestly tell the people of Humboldt that their privacy is protected?”  

Madrone raised concerns about the HCSO’s compliance with SB 34, which, among other things, requires operators to state their purpose every time they access the information. The search logs can be viewed in the HCSO’s transparency portal, linked here.

“Humboldt deputies continue to log nearly every search with vague one-word reasons, like … ‘investigation’ or ‘drug trafficking,’ while California Highway Patrol officers properly document a specific case or a call number for each query, which is required by [SB] 34,” he continued. “More troubling [is that] all of this data lives on Flock’s private servers, and the sheriff has no independent access to the full audit logs. That means when federal agencies access Humboldt’s data, or when searches are conducted without proper justification, our office has no way of knowing.”

Speaking at Tuesday’s meeting, Honsal said he takes the issue of privacy “very, very seriously,” but emphasized that ALPR technology has helped local law enforcement solve “numerous” crimes, including missing persons cases and homicides, that may have otherwise gone unsolved.

“We have a hard time maintaining our deputies on the street and making sure that there’s a patrol element on the street, and we owe our community the best investigative efforts we possibly can, and if that’s incorporating technology, we are going to do it,” he said. “I think we have to look at the hypotheticals here, but we also have to look at the facts and know what actually is occurring by utilizing this use of technology.”

Honsal acknowledged that there have been issues with data sharing in the past, as detailed in an Outpost investigation last year, but said his department has “tightened things up” and imposed additional limits on which departments can access the county’s data. 

Undersheriff Justin Braud, who oversees the ALPR program, added that the HCSO has created memorandums of understanding (MOUs) for data sharing with 22 agencies, including the California Highway Patrol, local law enforcement agencies and several other county sheriff’s departments across Northern California. 

“Flock has implemented safeguards that ensure all data is controlled by the originating agency,” Braud said. “There are now options to lock out sharing with federal or out-of-state agencies; we are currently utilizing these restrictive options. Additionally, each request to share information with an outside agency is reviewed by the assigned administrator. … A monthly internal audit is conducted to ensure compliance within the HCSO and any agencies we share with … and even that sharing is very minimal, often only allowing them to check for a major crime involvement, a stolen vehicle, an endangered person or a missing person vehicle.”

“If it’s something that is tied to a crime, we have to download that data into our evidence, which is then secured by us and under our control, and Flock still deletes the data,” Braud continued, adding that the ALPR cameras “only record the plate and vehicle description,” and do not log “occupant characteristics” or “data associated with the plate,” such as DMV records.

Like Honsal, Braud said he could understand the community’s privacy concerns, but emphasized that the cameras are placed in public areas “where there is no reasonable expectation of privacy.”

“I would hate to think that somebody I cared about or a loved one might have been saved with technological advances like this, which improve our ability to respond [and] investigate things,” he said. “If we got rid of it just because of concern that it could be misused, I think we’ve taken more steps than any agency I’m aware of in the state of California to restrict the use.”

Honsal chimed in to note that the HCSO is not the only local law enforcement agency using Flock cameras, referring to the CHP and Blue Lake Rancheria’s tribal police department. He also touted his department’s success in using Flock cameras to track down the suspect who stole the Pride flag from the flagpole in front of the county courthouse in 2024.

“Those are the kind of uses of [this] technology that we utilize here. … I mean, what if we had this technology when Karen Mitchell went missing?” he asked, referring to the Eureka teenager who vanished in 1997. “We have a vehicle description of someone that may have kidnapped Karen Mitchell, but that case has gone unsolved for 35 [to] 40 years. … If we had this technology back then, then we would have something to follow up on, and that is very important.”

Before delving into public comment, Fourth District Supervisor Natalie Arroyo asked about jurisdiction and whether the Board of Supervisors even has the authority to tell the HCSO how it spends its funding. 

“The board does have budgetary control over my overall budget, but the board does not have the ability to tell me how to investigate crime and can’t interfere with my investigative element here in the county,” Honsal said. “If I need an investigative tool here that I feel is important and valid, I can install that investigative tool, like I did the ALPR cameras.”

Bohn asked Honsal if the HCSO had had any issues with deputies using Flock cameras “to track their girlfriends and boyfriends,” referring to a Milwaukee police officer who was criminally charged last year for using the technology to surveil the person he was dating, as well as their ex.

“No,” Honsal said. “We’ve had no documented use violations of our policy for ALPR, and no one’s been disciplined for that.”

‘De-Flock Humboldt’

All but two of the three dozen-odd people who spoke during public comment raised concerns about the potential for misuse of ALPR cameras and urged the board to end HCSO’s contract with Flock immediately. Some speakers held handmade signs that said “De-Flock Humboldt” and “No AI Dystopia.”

McKinleyville resident Hilary Mosher acknowledged that the ALPR cameras may have “seemed like a good idea at the time,” but asserted that Flock had changed their initial agreement with the HCSO and could no longer be trusted.

“Flock also recently announced that they have launched a Flock Business Network, a collaborative hub designed to help private sector organizations work together to solve and prevent crimes,” Mosher said. “This means private companies [are] creating watch lists, blacklists and databases about everyday people like you and me. I remember being on a watch list as a Vietnam War protester in my college days, and I ended up having to go to college in Europe rather than subjecting my neighbors, teachers, friends, employers and family to the Inquisition of the FBI — and that was before Flock cameras.”

Mosher emphasized that “the attack on Flock cameras is not an attack on law enforcement.”

Others raised concerns about misuse of data and the hackability of Flock’s system, which has been discussed in a white paper written by a cybersecurity researcher and demonstrated by YouTuber Benn Jordan. Flock stated in response that “none of the vulnerabilities detailed in the report have an impact on our customers’ ability to carry out their public safety objectives.”

One speaker, who claimed to be an AI consultant and a “high political target,” asserted that he could use a large language model to “cause President Trump to catch a stray bullet from the Secret Service.” Third District Supervisor and Board Chair Mike Wilson interjected immediately, discouraging any references to violence.

Eureka resident Pat Hansler and several other speakers raised concern about Flock data being shared with federal immigration authorities, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

“I’m very upset about this because of the political atmosphere right now,” she said. “[Law enforcement] … can use these Flock cameras [to] start looking at just regular citizens, not just for migrants or criminals — and they shouldn’t be looking for migrants, but we know they do anyway. … I also want to remind you [that] you work for me, all right? We voted for you. … We’re talking about surveillance here, and I expect you to do your duty.”

Charles Blassingame, who indicated he works in law enforcement, was one of two speakers who spoke in favor of Flock cameras. He dismissed concerns about ALPR technology, noting that, if people are actually concerned about their personal data, they should throw away their cellphones.

“I have to agree with what the sheriff and the undersheriff both said; Flocks are very useful tools in solving crimes,” he said. “I work mainly … down in the Bay Area [and] LA, and that’s how I get to fulfill my job is using Flock, finding people and then arresting them. I mean, this is crucial.”

‘[This] mass surveillance tool clearly reduces public trust.’

Following public comment, Honsal addressed some of the speakers’ concerns about “vague” searches in HCSO’s transparency portal and potential violations to SB 34. Honsal said his deputies do attach case numbers to their searches, but, for one reason or another, the numbers aren’t visible to the public. The numbers are visible on the HCSO’s audit logs, he said, which are accessible via a Public Records Act request. Honsal said he would work with Flock to update the page. 

On the issue of Flock’s data storage being hosted on Amazon servers, Honsal said he would be willing to look at other options, including on-site storage through a local server.

Honsal also disputed claims made during public comment that there is no evidence that Flock cameras have helped reduce violent crime. “Oakland had 300 cameras put up, — yeah, that’s a lot of cameras — but it … lowered their violent crime by 40%,” he said. “That’s a real number, and people in Oakland are benefiting from those Flock cameras.”

The Outpost wasn’t able to verify that figure, though we did find a report from KTVU FOX that said “crime clearance rates in Oakland have increased 11% since the cameras were installed in 2024, and that roughly one-third of homicides are solved using Flock data.”

Asked if he had anything more to add, Braud reiterated that the Flock cameras are “just tools to help us do our job,” like body-worn cameras, which he described as a “violation of my privacy.”

“I think it’s funny that people want [body-worn cameras], but don’t want this,” he said. 

During the board’s deliberation, Madrone noted the disparity in the number of people who spoke for and against the use of Flock cameras and encouraged his peers to take that into consideration. 

“I hope that maybe weighs heavily on you that so much public opinion clearly is in opposition to the use of this mass surveillance tool,” he said. “I’ve heard you say, Sheriff Honsal, that one of your best tools of all is public trust and the public’s willingness to call you, call your department and report crimes and provide you with information when you’re trying to solve crimes. … I think you have made great inroads towards improving trust on many levels. … [This] mass surveillance tool clearly reduces public trust.”

In a tense exchange about the issue of jurisdiction, Madrone asked Honsal if he truly believed that the Board of Supervisors does not have the authority to regulate Flock cameras on county property. 

Honsal | Screenshot

“I believe that I have the investigative autonomy to put up tools throughout the county … through the normal process,” Honsal said. “If it’s on the county road, then I would have to go through the county permit process. [If] it’s on a state highway, that would go through the Caltrans permit process.

“So, you do not believe that we have the authority to set a policy up that does not allow Flock cameras on county property,” Madrone asked.

“You’re gonna have to go through your county counsel to figure out what your authority is. I’m not going to tell you what your authority is, sir,” Honsal said. “What I’m telling you right now is I had the authority to put up the cameras lawfully, and you know what you want to do here today is going to be up to you and your four [peers].”

Wilson attempted to interject, but Madrone maintained that he was asking “very important questions about jurisdiction” and pressed on. He asked Honsal if the board were to develop a policy to disallow the use of Flock cameras on county property, if he would sue.

“I don’t know what your ordinance would look like, so what you would need to do is … create something, and then I would have my attorneys look at that and see if [it would be] justified under the law,” Honsal said. “That’s the separation of powers, and so we can look at that, and we can figure out what the law states.”

After another interjection by Wilson asking the two to avoid personal jabs, Madrone said he respected Honsal’s authority, but encouraged him to work with the board to “honor the public’s concerns to maintain the highest level of public trust that we possibly can around solving crimes.”

Arroyo said she could see both sides of the argument, noting that “multiple things can be true at the same time.”

Arroyo | Screenshot

“This can be an important tool for solving crimes, and it can also be a really serious concern about privacy that people have,” she said. “I think both of those things can exist simultaneously. … I think this technology and the tools available are expanding really quickly, and I do think it is time for us to consider having some form of ordinance that lays out how we will handle requests for …  installation of surveillance apparatus on county property or how these things will be handled in our county.”

Arroyo said she had found an ordinance from Santa Clara County that sets use and transparency standards for surveillance technology, which could be used as a template for a local ordinance if the board decided to go in that direction. 

Arroyo also asked Honsal about the Westhaven resident who installed a Flock camera at the intersection of Westhaven Drive and Scenic Drive. He emphasized that the HCSO “never assisted any private citizen [in] putting a Flock camera on county property,” and said it was actually Flock that told him about the device.

“They had put it on county property without permission,” he said. “I think that there’s something underway to get that removed as it is. That person offered to share their information with us, but we declined access to their camera. We didn’t think it was in line with what we were using the cameras for and where we put them.”

A little later in the discussion, Public Works Director Tom Mattson asked the board for direction on how to handle the Westhaven situation and future requests. 

“I’m hoping that the county can come to some kind of agreement … on the placement of these items, which are technically illegal,” he said, adding that he had informed the owner that he would not make a decision on the request for an encroachment permit until the board adopted a surveillance device policy.

During her comments, Bushnell said the three dozen-plus people who spoke during public comment represent “a pretty small percentage” of the entire county. Still, she said she could understand privacy concerns and being recorded. 

Bushnell | Screenshot

“That’s not a very comfortable feeling for anybody, she said. “I do want to recognize also that this same group of population requires and wants [law enforcement officers to wear] body-worn cameras, which … turn on a lot sometimes, not even when you’re doing a stop or a call. … If we remove Flock cameras, CHP has Flock cameras in Humboldt County. They’re not going to listen to us say [to take] them down.”

Bushnell said she agreed with Arroyo that a policy could “make folks feel better” and floated the idea of an ad hoc committee to draft such a policy. Honsal said he would be willing to participate. 

Bohn was largely dismissive of the public’s privacy concerns, noting that he’s “jaded as hell.” 

“They don’t bother me,” he said, referring to the Flock cameras. “I have full trust [in the sheriff’s office]. … There’s 240 people over there. Do I trust every one of them? ‘Til they break my trust, yeah. And somebody’s going to break our trust over there, I guarantee you. We see it all the time in all the departments, but I don’t know if a camera is going to change that — fix it or not fix it — but this is an important tool.”

During his comments, Wilson emphasized the “fundamental difference” between body-worn cameras and ALPR technology. “The movement to have more body cameras was for both the protection of the officer [as well as] the people that they interact with,” he said. “That is different than what we see with a Flock camera, because it’s kind of a one-way thing.”

Wilson | Screenshot

Wilson also expressed concern about how the data is managed, joining calls for on-site storage and additional oversight. “If we’re going to move forward with having any of this technology being used in Humboldt County, we do need oversight,” he said.  

As the conversation approached the three-and-a-half-hour mark, Bushnell made a motion to direct Public Works staff to create a policy for the use of ALPR cameras on county property. She made a second motion to create an ad hoc committee to review Flock’s policies and look at potential alternatives to Flock’s ALPR system, as well as on-site data storage options. Bushnell and Madrone would serve on the ad hoc committee along with an HCSO representative and a Public Works staffer. 

Madrone said he would second both motions if Bushnell was open to a friendly amendment to the first that would include all surveillance technology on county property, not just ALPRs. She agreed.

After some additional discussion, the board voted 4-1, with Bohn dissenting, on both motions. But as the board prepared to move on to the next item, Madrone proposed a third motion.

“I would like to make a motion that we direct staff to develop an ordinance that does not allow placement of any ALPRs on any county property, rights of way or facilities,” Madrone said.

“Wait, didn’t we — didn’t we just do this?” a flabbergasted Wilson asked.

Madrone said he wanted to take the action another step further “to eliminate these from our toolbox.” The board briefly discussed the motion with county counsel, but it died lacking a second. 

Madrone made yet another motion to pull “any funding” the sheriff’s office would use to deploy and maintain Flock cameras on county property in the upcoming fiscal year, which begins on July 1. Again, the board discussed the motion, which garnered a second from Wilson. However, it did not pass in a 3-2 vote.

Madrone made a final motion to pull $21,000 from the sheriff’s budget. Wilson described the series of motions as being “very unusual.” Again, the motion died without a second.

Press release from Friends of the Dune:

On the morning of June 2, 750 local students spent their school day being stewards of the coastal dunes during the 21st Annual Kids Ocean Day event at the Mike Thompson Wildlife Area, South Spit of the Humboldt Bay. After spending the day restoring dune habitat and picking up trash, students, teachers, and volunteers formed an aerial art image of marine invertebrates with the message “Coast for All.” The aerial art image was designed by Jess Barger and captured by photographer Justin Legge via drone.

Friends of the Dunes organized the Kids Ocean Day event, which took place locally as part of the statewide Adopt-a-Beach program, funded by the California Coastal Commission’s Whale Tail Grant Program. Kids Ocean Day is a significant day of action and celebration that aims to empower young individuals to become nature heroes. Humboldt County joined four other locations along the California coast in hosting student-led beach cleanups and awe-inspiring aerial art displays. These events lead up to the globally recognized World Ocean Day, empowering collective efforts to protect and preserve our precious ocean ecosystems.

Prior to the event, students participate in educational classroom presentations that explore the causes and impacts of marine debris, as well as identify possible solutions. Through these educational presentations, students gain a deeper understanding of environmental stewardship. They also learn about restoration efforts in our local dune systems, instilling a sense of responsibility and the power to make a positive impact. Kids Ocean Day serves as a platform to emphasize the significance of individual choices to make a collective impact for our planet.

In addition to Humboldt County’s event, Kids Ocean Day events took place in San Diego, Orange County, Los Angeles, and San Francisco throughout May. At the five events held along the California coast, over 5,000 students spent a school day caring for their coast by cleaning up litter. In Humboldt County, students clean up trash and remove non-native, invasive plant species to create space for native plants to thrive, increasing biodiversity.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the California Coastal Act, a landmark environmental law that regulates development, protects public access, and mandates sustainable resource management along California’s coastline. The statewide theme, “Coast for All,” was selected to underscore the importance of the California Coastal Act in safeguarding public access to California’s 840-mile coastline for everyone. The image of three marine invertebrates, a scallop, sand dollar, and moon snail, serves as a reminder that even the smallest ocean creatures play an important role in the health of marine ecosystems. Marine invertebrates are bioindicators, or living organisms that help scientists understand the health of ocean ecosystems. Changes in their populations can warn us when the environment is being harmed.

“We are excited to host another Kids Ocean Day event in Humboldt County, our organization’s 21st Annual,” said Suzie Fortner, Friends of the Dunes Executive Director. “The purpose of this event is two-fold - on one hand, it’s getting hundreds of local kids to the coast to spend a day at the beach, some of whom have never been to an ocean beach despite living near the coast. On the other hand, it engages youth in a day of collaborative action that benefits coastal biodiversity. These students are passionate about caring for this planet and excited to contribute to tangible, local solutions. It’s inspiring to see them work together to accomplish something that wouldn’t be possible alone.”

“For 50 years now, the California Coastal Act has protected our right to access and enjoy the coast,” said Annie Kohut Frankel, Public Education Program Manager for the California Coastal Commission. “The students at Kids Ocean Day are sending the message that preservation of those rights is a shared responsibility across communities, generations, and cultures. Thank you to these incredible students – the next generation of protectors of the coast!”

Participating schools included: Alice Birney Elementary, Blue Lake Elementary, Cutten Elementary School, Garfield School, Jacoby Creek School, Laurel Tree, McKinleyville Middle School, Orleans Elementary, Pacific Union, Sunny Brae Middle School, Trinidad Elementary, Union Street Charter School, Washington Elementary School, and Winship Middle School.

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Eureka muralist Blake Reagan, whose hyper-vivid work has proliferated across local buildings in recent years, is currently painting his latest creation, titled “Eureka is Otter Space.”

The project is part of the “You Found It! Festival,” which is rolling in to Eureka’s state-designated Cultural Arts District this spring, bringing a host of free events to the city. 

A tiny version of the full image taped to the scissor lift Reagan’s using to reach up high.

The mural, which is being applied to the eastern wall of Game On Laser Tag and More (formerly HealthSport), features a pair of river otters drifting in zero gravity amid ocean life as a full moon hovers in the background.

North American river otters can often be spotted in Humboldt Bay, where they are sometimes misidentified as harbor seals.

“We used to have sea otters [in Humboldt Bay], but they were hunted for their really dense fur and so we don’t have sea otters here anymore,” Reagan said when we caught up with him this morning. “Hopefully [this mural] brings up a discussion about reintroducing them to Humboldt Bay, and that will help re-establish our kelp beds.”

Kelp will feature in the finished version of “Otter Space,” which measures 18 feet tall by 44 feet long.

The You Found It! Festival is produced by the Eureka Cultural Arts District, a partnership of Wiyot Tribe, the Ink People Center for Arts & Culture, the City of Eureka and Eureka Main Street. All events are free and open to the community. 

Reagan plans to bring in a DJ for the official unveiling of his mural, which is scheduled for June 12 from 5 - 8 p.m. You can find information about festival events by clicking here. 

With 19,370 ballots counted by the time the Humboldt County Elections Office threw it in last night, the only two contested races on the local ballot were very dramatic blowouts.

In the Fifth District, with 3,710 votes counted, supervisor candidate Mary Burke — the heir apparent, endorsed by Steve Madrone and most mainstream organizations that customarily endorse people — has 2,725 of those votes, or 73.5 percent.

Her opponent, Evan Schwartz, has 985 votes, or 26.5 percent.

Same story in the countywide race for assessor, where aspirant Ben Larson ended up running something of an insurgent campaign, inveighing against the current standards and practices of the office. It did not resonate. With 16,977 votes counted, Larson has only 3,792 of them — 22.3 percent.

Audrey Hanks, the current deputy assessor, has 13,185 votes, or 77.7 percent.

But how many votes are left to count, in this era of slow, slow counting in California? Unknown. Clerk-Recorder/Registrar of Voters Juan Pablo Cervantes will likely spend the next couple of days rounding up an estimate.

We can look to history for a guess. Four years ago, in the last off-year primary, there were 34,862 votes counted, by the time all was said and done. If that were the case this year, that would mean a little bit less than half the votes have been counted.

Doesn’t that mean that Schwartz and Larson could flip it? 

Technically … sure? But not really. 

If Larson and Schwartz were to pull it out, that means the remaining ballots would have to be as lopsized as the the ones already counted — only in the other direction. And this is so mathematically improbable that it might as well be impossible.

Fifty percent of the vote is a huge sample of the entire electorate. If you’re want to believe that it is wrong — that Schwartz and/or Larson still have a chance — you’d have to believe that the people whose votes have been counted so far are dramatically, dramatically different than the people whose votes have yet to be counted.

And though past elections have shown that these populations are historically a little different — the people who vote as soon as they receive their ballot are a little more likely to be more conservative, on the whole, and so conservative people show up disproportionately in the early returns — they’re not so crazy different as all that. Maybe a couple of percentage points here and there.

I write all this here because of backlash, in recent years, against the media calling elections. The media doesn’t get to call elections! That is the job of election officials!

Which — sure. But c’mon, now.

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

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It was a good night for normie Democrats, a bad one for self-funded campaigns, a mixed bag for state legislators aspiring to higher office and another electoral reminder of President Donald Trump’s dominant role in our politics — even in deepest blue California.

At the top of the ticket, Republican former Fox News host and British political adviser Steve Hilton and longtime Democratic politico Xavier Becerra hold the top two spots needed to progress to the November election for governor. Tom Steyer, the billionaire former hedge fund manager turned left-leaning political donor, is holding a distant though technically viable third. The Associated Press has not called the race.

Veteran state election observers will know that it may be weeks before the final score of the June primary election is tallied. But a few early takeaways are already coming into focus:

Money can’t (always) buy you love

Whether Steyer ultimately claws his way into the top two spots in the governor’s race after spending a record-setting sum on his self-funded campaign, it’s got to be a disappointing return on investment.

Steyer ultimately spent nearly a quarter of a billion dollars on his populism-coded gubernatorial bid. The fact that all that advertising didn’t translate to an electoral blowout is no surprise, said Garry South, a longtime California Democratic strategist.

“It may sound facetious to say that you can have too much money in a campaign, but in fact the way these rich self-financing candidates spend their money becomes a liability. …They wear out their welcome.”

Steyer isn’t the only candidate to have drawn deeply on his personal finances only to flounder at the ballot box. Patrick Wolff put $600,000 of his own money toward his insurance commissioner campaign, Yvonne Yiu invested $750,000 in her race to join the state Board of Equalization and Saikat Chakrabarti put up the bulk of the millions he spent in his bid to replace Nancy Pelosi in Congress. In Los Angeles, Zach Sokoloff put up $1 million — with millions more coming from his mother — to unseat the sitting city controller.

Chakrabarti couldn’t crack the top two in his race, losing to state Sen. Scott Wiener and San Francisco Supervisor Connie Chan. As of Wednesday morning, the remaining three trailed in their respective races.

A good night for ‘standard’ Democrats

Anti-incumbent populism may be in the national zeitgeist, but California voters seem perfectly happy with — or at least, fine settling with — experienced, garden variety Democrats.

“What they want is a Democratic elected official who can go and fight Donald Trump,” said Andrew Sinclair, a Claremont McKenna University political science professor.

Hence the sharp, sudden rise of Becerra following the political implosion of former frontrunner Eric Swalwell. Swalwell was also well known as an experienced politician who “Donald Trump didn’t like,” said Sinclair. Mild-mannered Becerra with a deep political resume and limited baggage was the next logical choice. “What’s your standard, out-of-the-box Democrat who you can get to fight Republicans? Becerra is probably that guy.”

It helped that Becerra’s main Democratic opponent, the self-styled populist Steyer, had the easily-attacked billionaire status, and Democrats worried about being locked out of the general election wanted to get behind whoever was polling best.

Many of the Democratic incumbents in Congress also appeared to be fending off challenges from younger, more progressive insurgents — or at least keeping them firmly in second place. Those include Mike Thompson, Brad Sherman and Doris Matsui.

Party still matters

Back in 2010 when California adopted the top-two primary system, proponents pitched it to voters as a way to shake the partisan gridlock out of California politics. Rather than have Democratic and Republican primary voters predictably electing candidates who appeal to the ideological poles, a system that lets every candidate from every party compete on the same ballot was supposed to encourage across-the-aisle reaching candidates who can appeal to voters in the middle.

Voters in the middle are less likely to show up in primary elections, said South.

Nor has the state’s top-two system ever produced a general election race for governor with two Democrats. For all the talk of then-Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom squaring off against Antonio Villaraigosa in 2018 or the possibility of a Becerra vs Steyer showdown this year, California governor races have always reverted to the partisan pattern with energized Democratic voters gravitating around their candidate and Republicans doing the same.

Similarly, the top two spots in both the lieutenant governor and treasurer’s races are also blue vs. red. The one exception: As of Wednesday, two Democratic candidates to become the next insurance commissioner — Jane Kim and Sen. Ben Allen — appear to be headed to the November election.

The shut out that wasn’t

Democrats can now officially stop worrying about a dreaded “shut out” scenario.

With so many Democrats packed into the race and none dominating the field, many party members worried early on that the two most prominent Republicans running, Hilton and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, could claim the first and second place spot in the primary.

Concerns over such a paradoxical, and for Democrats, nightmarish outcome prompted party chair Rusty Hicks to commission a poll to push some of the lowest-polling Democratic candidates to step aside for the good of the party and state.

Almost none did. But either because Democratic voters were sufficiently spooked into strategically avoiding that outcome — or because a shutout was never that likely in the first place — it doesn’t appear likely to happen.

Democrats have dodged such electoral bullets before. In 2018, a glut of anti-Trump Democratic congressional candidates threatened to hand Republicans both top spots in competitive races across the state. There were no shutouts in that year’s primary. California Democrats ended up cleaning up in the subsequent “blue wave” general election. There was similar Democratic hand-wringing in the run-up to the recall election over a possible procedural fluke that could have handed the governor’s office to a Republican. Newsom swatted down the recall in a landslide.

Despite the recurring bouts of Democratic angst, the most prominent top two “lock out” in recent memory was in a deeply conservative state Senate district in the Sierra foothills in 2022 which a crowded pack of Republicans ended up cannibalizing the GOP vote leaving two Democrats in first and second.

The victor in that race, Sen. Marie Alvarado-Gil, ended up switching parties to join the Republicans anyway. As of early Wednesday, she is trailing in third place in her re-election contest behind Jaron Brandon, a Democrat, and Alexandra Duarte, a Republican.

Senator who?

Anthony Rendon was the former speaker of the California Assembly. In an org chart of state governance, that made him one of the three most influential people in the Capitol, alongside his counterpart in the Senate and the governor.

Alas, that wasn’t enough star power for Rendon to secure the largely symbolic position of superintendent of public instruction. As of Wednesday, he sits in fourth place.

Likewise, state Sen. Anna Caballero, a Merced Democrat who once served as the state Senate’s powerful appropriations chair, is a distant third in her bid to become treasurer — far behind Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis and little-known Republican Jennifer Hawks. Assemblymember Jasmeet Bains, a moderate Democrat, is also trailing in her race to unseat Republican Rep. David Valadao in the Central Valley, currently boxed out of the second place spot by Sen. Bernie Sanders-backed college professor Randy Villegas. And former state Sen. Steven Bradford is bringing up eighth place in the insurance commissioner contest.

It wasn’t all bad news for state lawmakers looking for other employment opportunities. Sen. Ben Allen is in second place in the insurance race, while Wiener and Sen. Aisha Wahab, two Democratic legislators from the San Francisco Bay Area, both easily claimed the top spots in their respective races for Congress.

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Jeanne Kuang contributed reporting.

Ana Margarida Homem
April 21, 1944 – May 26, 2026

It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of Ana Margarida Homem, who entered eternal rest on May 26, 2026, surrounded by the love of her family.

Ana was born on April 21, 1944, in São Paulo, Brasil, to Francisco and Olinda Gomes. As a young girl, her family relocated to Rio de Janeiro. She often spoke fondly of her childhood, especially the days spent playing beneath the tamarind tree near her family home. Growing up alongside her siblings Nicolau, Antonio Joaquin, Afonso, Florinda, and Linda, Ana learned the values that would define her life: faith, hard work, generosity, humility and an unwavering devotion to family.

One of the most influential people in Ana’s life was her grandfather, Nicolau. Throughout her entire life, she spoke of him with tremendous admiration and respect. She often credited him for shaping her outlook on life and admired his ambition, intelligence and discipline to provide for his family. He acquired and developed properties that provided homes and opportunities for his family — many of which continue to be enjoyed by his descendants to this day. Ana was deeply proud of the legacy he created and often pointed to him as an example of what foresight, determination and hard work could accomplish. She would also speak of her grandmother Ana, whom she was named after, as being an “angel” on earth.

Another profound influence on Ana’s life was her father and mother, Francisco Gomes, a respected Portuguese fado lyricist and performer, and Olinda Gomes, a well-spoken and respected accountant. Ana often spoke lovingly of her parents and grandparents and carried their lessons with her throughout her life.

Ana was exceptionally bright from a young age and was the most educated member of her family. She earned admission to a prestigious secondary school through her academic achievements, and later pursued higher education before working at the renowned Oswaldo Cruz Institute laboratory.

It was during her years working in Rio de Janeiro that she first noticed a young butcher named Avelino Homem. Each day, she would pass his butcher shop on her way to and from the bus stop while commuting to work. Though they noticed one another, their paths had not yet formally crossed.

That changed one evening when Ana’s father was performing. Ana’s mother suggested inviting Avelino and his sister Maria José, knowing they would appreciate Portuguese music. That evening proved life-changing, as Ana and Avelino formally met for the first time.

They began dating soon afterward and they married on January 10, 1965, beginning a love story that would span more than six decades. Later that year, they immigrated to the United States. Sponsored by Avelino’s sister Gabriela Murphy and brother-in-law Robert Murphy, they settled in Arcata, California. Ana and Avelino never forgot the opportunity Bob and Gabriela provided for their young family.

Leaving Brasil was one of the most difficult moments of Ana’s life. Throughout the years, she would often tell the story of saying goodbye to her family. Even decades later, tears would fill her eyes as she recalled the heartbreak of leaving them behind. Though separated by distance, she remained deeply connected to her brasileiro roots.

Although Ana left Brasil in 1965, she never truly left her family behind. She remained a source of support, encouragement and generosity for relatives across Brasil. She believed that blessings were meant to be shared and took enormous pride in seeing her family thrive. Though she built her life in America, her love and generosity continued to reach across borders and generations, touching the lives of countless relatives throughout Brasil.

Modern technology became one of her greatest joys, and she faithfully stayed connected with family through daily WhatsApp conversations. Hardly a day passed without her checking in on her family and friends. She especially treasured the family group chat affectionately known as “Casa da Vovó Linda,” where stories, photographs and daily updates flowed constantly. Whether offering encouragement during difficult times or sharing in life’s happy moments, Ana remained a central figure in the lives of her family members across Brasil. Her voice, wisdom and unwavering love were a daily presence for those she cherished most.

Upon arriving in Arcata, Ana was embraced by Avelino’s large Portuguese family. She developed a close relationship with her mother-in-law, Amelia Homem. The two spent countless days together running errands, shopping, paying bills and sharing life’s joys and challenges. Ana often spoke of the wisdom Amelia passed down to her and treasured their bond. Amelia would often tell her, “Uma boa nora é como uma filha, ou mais” — “A good daughter-in-law is like a daughter, or more.” It was a sentiment that perfectly reflected the love and respect they shared.

Ana was a pillar of St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Arcata and could almost always be found seated in her beloved front-center pew at Sunday Mass. She generously volunteered her time supporting church activities, festas at the Portuguese Hall and community gatherings. Some of the best times of her and Avelino’s life were serving at the Portuguese hall with friends and family.

One of the first goals Ana and Avelino achieved in America was becoming citizens. Ana was immensely proud of her citizenship and grateful for the opportunities America provided her family. They fully embraced the American Dream and built a life centered on faith, family and opportunity, never forgetting the blessings they had been given or the loved ones who helped them along the way.

One of those lasting friendships was Lois Leigh, a real estate agent, who guided them in purchasing properties around Arcata. Maintaining those rentals kept them busy and led to lifelong friendships with many exceptional tenants.

Simple pleasures brought her happiness. Few things delighted her more than a beautiful sunny day — a “dia de sol.” She loved hanging laundry outside on her clothesline, tending to her home and enjoying the comforts of everyday life. She often reminded those around her, “There’s no place like home.”

Ana was a devoted wife, loving mother, proud grandmother and great-grandmother. Nothing brought Ana greater joy than her family. She took immense pride in raising her four children and watching her family grow. To her grandchildren, she was simply Grandma and Vovó. She delighted in attending their activities, hearing their stories, and celebrating every milestone. Her love was constant, unconditional and deeply felt by every member of her family.

Ana’s greatest gift was caring for others. She expressed her love through food, hospitality and service. Her garage kitchen became legendary amongst all, serving as the setting for countless meals, holiday gatherings and family celebrations. She was widely known as an exceptional cook whose recipes could never quite be replicated. Many were nursed back to health with her chicken soup made with so much love. Family members often joked that every attempt to recreate her recipes somehow fell short. Ana found immense joy in bringing people together around the table. Their home was always open, their table always full, and their hearts always ready to help someone in need.

Ana’s wisdom was one of her defining traits. Family members often sought her advice, knowing she would have the perfect saying for any situation. Her memorable expressions included “Fé em Deus e pé na tábua” (“Faith in God and foot on the pedal”), “Um rei nunca perde a sua majestade” (“A king never loses his majesty”) and “I don’t want it, I don’t need it, I don’t deserve it.” Her humor, practical wisdom and one-liners became part of the fabric of family life and will continue to be repeated for generations.

Ana especially loved family vacations — the planning, the road trips, the food and the simple pleasure of being together in a new place. Over the years, Avelino and Ana visited loved ones across Brasil and Portugal and created treasured memories with close friends on cruises to Alaska, through the Panama Canal and to the Hawaiian Islands. She especially loved visiting her grandchildren who lived in the sun. Though she loved her travels, nothing brought her more joy than a day at home with Avelino.

For more than sixty-one years, Ana and Avelino shared a love that was extraordinary. They were true soulmates, best friends and constant companions. They never grew tired of talking with one another. They delighted in the simple moments, whether taking a drive, planning a vacation, dressing alike on trips, attending Mass, or simply sitting side by side at the end of the day. Together they built a family, raised children, cherished grandchildren and created a legacy rooted in love.

Following Avelino’s passing earlier this year, Ana spoke daily of how much she missed him. Though her family wished for more time, they find comfort in knowing that the reunion she longed for has finally come. The love story that began more than sixty years ago did not end with goodbye. Ana has returned to the arms of her beloved husband. As she would always say: “Meu querido, meu velho, meu amigo” — my love, my old man, my friend.

Ana was preceded in death by her beloved husband and best friend, Avelino Homem, her parents, Francisco and Olinda Gomes; her siblings Linda Gomes Cabral and Antonio Joaquin Gomes; her parents-in-law, Amelia and José Homem; and her brothers- and sisters-in-law, Dulcinea Gomes, Sylvio Abreu da Silva, Fernando Sergio Cabral, Gabriela and Robert Murphy, Jose Homem, Fernando Lourenço, Albino Homem, David Homem, Antonio Lourenço, Maria José Dematos, Maria dos Santos Rafael and Natalia Oliveira.

She is survived by her siblings Florinda Gomes da Silva, Afonso Gomes (Neide) and Nicolau Gomes; her children Frank Homem (Betsy), Richard Homem (Wendy), Diana Cavinta (George) and Margo Shimy (Camron); her sisters-in-law Durvalina Machado, Gloria Homem, Jorlanda Lourenço, Maria de Lourdes Homem and Ana Paula Homem; her cherished grandchildren Briana Cavinta, John Homem, Dillon Homem (Nichelle), Georgie Cavinta, Mason Homem, Andrew Cavinta, Mike Homem, Gabriela Cavinta, Lucas Shimy and Liam Shimy; her beloved great-grandchild Makana Homem; as well as numerous nieces, nephews, great-nieces, great-nephews and loving relatives throughout Brasil, Portugal and the United States.

A recitation of the Rosary will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, June 5, 2026, at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Arcata, followed by the Mass of Christian Burial at 11 a.m. with a reception to follow in the narthex and Interment will be at St. Mary’s Catholic Cemetery.

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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Ana Homem’s family. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here. Email news@lostcoastoutpost.com.