With heavy hearts, we announce the passing of Bruce Cheney at the age of 72. Bruce passed in Willow Creek. Bruce grew up in Philadelphia before moving to the West Coast in the 1980s. In Philadelphia growing up he was known as a bit of a boy scout, who shared fond memories with siblings canoeing, fishing, swimming, and riding bikes around the neighborhood with friends. He landed in Humboldt in the 1980s and told stories of how he traveled until he found trees he liked. He was a decorated Army veteran who served in Vietnam. Bruce was a retired welder/fabricator from Johnson Industries.

Bruce is preceded in death by his parents, Oliver Frank Cheney and Marjorie Cheney, as well as his forever love, Vicki Acosta. He is survived by his siblings: Phillip Cheney, Carol Vollman, Judy Moy, Jill Thomas, and Suzanne Duffy; his stepdaughter, Melissa Sanchez; his stepson, Carlos Acosta; and many grandchildren who already miss him dearly. He is also survived by his brothers- and sisters-in-law Jack and Leilani Deaver, Dan and Autumn Deaver, and Diana Carpenter; and numerous amazing nieces and nephews spanning from the East Coast to the West Coast.

Bruce became apart of the Deaver/Acosta family when he met and fell in love with Vicki Acosta. They had many happy years together and eventually landed in the community of Willow Creek where they enjoyed life. Bruce was a master storyteller. He was a tinkerer and fixed everything he laid his hands on. He never met a stranger, and his vibrant personality, quick wit and stories made him a beloved presence wherever he went. His ability to make others smile was a gift that will be deeply missed by all who knew him.

He was a member of the VFW in Willow Creek, where he could be found making pancakes for monthly breakfasts, supporting other veterans, telling stories, having drinks and building community. The VFW Post 9561 is a gathering spot that I will never forget or stop visiting. The support that the VFW Post 9561 has given will always hold a special place in our hearts.

Rest in peace, Bruce. You are loved beyond measure and your humor and warmth will be deeply missed but never forgotten.

A celebration of Bruce’s life will be held on Saturday, January 18 from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., at VFW Post 9561, 20 Gower Ln., Willow Creek. Sunday will be a pancake breakfast from 8 a.m.-11 a.m.

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Shortly after 5 p.m. on Monday, the Eureka Police Department sent at least nine units to E Street, just south of the intersection with Humboldt Street, in response to a “slow-speed pursuit” following a traffic violation. The driver of a late-model black Corvette had barricaded himself in his car, blasting music from the car stereo while acting erratically, according to EPD spokesperson Laura Montagna.

E Street was closed to through traffic as numerous armed officers and the K-9 unit closed in on the vehicle, with officers shouting commands to the man inside. At one point, an officer deployed pepper spray toward the suspect, who was detained shortly thereafter. The man was belligerent, shouting curses and insults at the officers as he was loaded into a patrol vehicle. 

After a few of the cop cars had left the scene, an officer told one bystander that the suspect had been taken to St. Joseph Hospital to be medically cleared. 

The officers who remained on the scene searched the Corvette. Montagna said that after being released from the hospital, the suspect will be booked for misdemeanor failure to yield and resisting arrest. There will be more information on this incident tomorrow.

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Press release from the Humboldt County Clerk-Recorder’s Office:

For those looking for a special day to tie the knot, the Humboldt County Clerk-Recorder’s Office is excited to announce extended hours and special marriage services available for couples wishing to say “I do” on Valentine’s Day, Friday, Feb. 14.

In person civil wedding ceremonies will be performed for extended hours from 9:30 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. to accommodate couples seeking to make their love official on this romantic holiday. 

Ceremonies will be held by appointment at the Humboldt County Clerk-Recorder’s Office, located on the fifth floor of the Humboldt County Courthouse at 825 Fifth St. in Eureka, which will be specially decorated for the occasion.

Additionally, the Clerk-Recorder’s Office will be offering civil marriage ceremonies, by appointment, on location at Table Bluff County Park, located on South Jetty Rd. in Loleta, and Clam Beach County Park, located on Clam Beach Dr. in McKinleyville. Ceremonies scheduled at these locations will be held rain or shine.

How to Book a Valentine’s Day Wedding Ceremony

Civil wedding ceremony bookings must be done in person at the Humboldt County Clerk Recorder’s office. The fee to book a wedding ceremony is $100. Spanish language ceremonies are available upon request. 

Due to high demand, couples must book their Valentine’s Day ceremonies no later than Thursday, Feb. 13 and are reminded that a marriage license is required for a wedding to be performed. All couples must arrive to their ceremony with marriage license materials on hand. 

How to Obtain a Marriage License

A marriage license can be obtained up to 90 days before the ceremony date. A marriage license application may be completed in person in the Humboldt County Clerk-Recorder’s office, or you may begin the application process online at tinyurl.com/HumCoValentines2025. 

Please note that the couple must appear in person to complete the application process and provide a valid government-issued ID. The marriage license application process takes about 30 minutes and costs $78 for a public license or $80 for a confidential license.

Choose Your Own Wedding Officiant

For an additional $50 fee, couples can make prior arrangements with the Humboldt County Clerk-Recorder’s Office for the ceremony to be performed by a person of their choice, age 18 or older.  The person must be an ordained officiant or deputized to perform the ceremony by the Humboldt County Clerk-Recorder. The Humboldt County Clerk-Recorder’s Office will provide comprehensive wedding ceremony packets containing ceremony wording, instructions and sample license completion guides for all officiants.

The Humboldt County Clerk-Recorder’s Office is located on the fifth floor of the Humboldt County Courthouse at 825 Fifth St. in Eureka. For more information or to schedule your wedding ceremony, please call 707-445-7593 or visit humboldtgov.org/Clerk-Recorder.

About the Humboldt County Clerk-Recorder’s Office

The Humboldt County Clerk-Recorder’s Office maintains vital records and provides essential services to the public, including the issuance of marriage licenses and performance of civil marriage ceremonies. The office is committed to providing efficient, professional service to all Humboldt County residents. For more information on services the Humboldt County Clerk-Recorder’s office provides, please visit humboldtgov.org/Clerk-Recorder.

Well, what do you know? Looks like clear skies are in the forecast on the Humboldt coast tonight, so you might as well cast your eyes skyward this evening to catch the slightly rare occurrence the heavens are brewing up. 

For starters, tonight is 2025’s “wolf moon.” (Awooo!) That’s the name given to the first full moon of the calendar year, so named because long ago people believed that wolves were more likely to be heard howling during winter months. (Is that true? Seems dubious.)

But adding to the sky fun: at approximately 6:04 p.m. tonight Humboldt-time, the moon will occult Mars — which is just a fancy way to say that the moon will pass in front of Mars. (A more fun way to say that, we’d argue, is to say that the moon will EAT Mars, but astronomers like the language they like.) 

After being consumed, Mars will spend over a half an hour inside the moon’s cheese-filled digestive tract until 6:43 p.m., when … well, if we were to continue with our analogy, you could say the moon will… eh, never mind.

Mars will reappear at 6:43 p.m., children. Have fun. 

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BY THE WAY: There’s even more reasons to stare upward this month. Four planets will be especially bright — a “planetary parade,” according to the excitable NASA nerd in the clip below. Watch and learn! 

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As fires rage through Southern California and exacerbate the state’s insurance crisis, the California Senate has no one in charge of its Insurance Committee due to questions surrounding a federal corruption investigation.Senate President Pro Tem Mike McGuire said he is waiting to hear from federal prosecutors about Sen. Susan Rubio, who’s been questioned in a federal corruption probe, before making a decision about reappointing her to her previous position as chair of the Senate Insurance Committee.

“We have requested and are awaiting additional information from the U.S. Attorney’s Office before finalizing any decisions,” McGuire’s office told CalMatters in an email.

Rubio, a Democrat from Baldwin Park, said she’s “currently not involved” in the federal corruption investigation that has already ensnared a handful of other officials in San Bernardino County, Compton, Commerce and Baldwin Park.

Federal officials have not identified Rubio by name in the case. However, there is nobody else matching the description of “Person 20,” who is accused in recently released federal court documents of asking for $240,000 in bribes from a cannabis company and accepting $30,000 in illegal campaign contributions. The allegations stem from when Rubio was a member of the Baldwin Park City Council.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles is overseeing the case. A spokesperson declined to comment about who Person 20 is or say when – or if – charges would be filed against them.

Experts in federal corruption cases suggest that McGuire is right to be concerned.

At CalMatters’ request, three former federal prosecutors reviewed the court documents.

The prosecutors – one of them a former U.S. Attorney – said there’s no way the U.S. Department of Justice would make public that much identifying information about a suspect in a corruption investigation if they didn’t think they could convince a jury of his or her guilt.

“If federal prosecutors are putting that level of detail — especially in a public corruption matter — into a public-facing document, they are fairly confident that information is 120% correct,” said Carrie H. Cohen, a former assistant U.S. Attorney in New York and former chief of the public integrity bureau at the New York State Attorney General’s Office.

Mark D. Chutkow, the former chief of the U.S. Attorney’s public corruption unit and criminal division in Detroit, said “it would appear that there is more due to drop in this case.”

Chutkow said when it comes to public corruption cases, federal prosecutors typically have their sights on the “highest-ranking public officials and not necessarily on … middle persons and the bribers themselves.”

“This Person No. 20 would be a higher-ranking (official) and the more important target of the federal investigation,” he said. “So one would think that they would want to finish the job.”

Last week, Rubio declined to be interviewed by a CalMatters reporter as she departed the Senate after the first floor session of the new year. Instead, her office responded with an emailed statement.

“It’s unfortunate that Senator Rubio continues to receive questions based on a case that she is currently not involved with,” her spokesperson, Matthew Z’berg, said in an email. “Senator Rubio’s focus is on serving the constituents of the 22nd Senate District and addressing important issues affecting California families.”

Spokesperson says Rubio didn’t want insurance chair

Rubio did respond to Senate Pro Tem McGuire’s decision not to give her a committee leadership post when he recently announced his assignments for the two-year session that kicked off last Monday.

Last session, Rubio chaired the Senate Insurance Committee. The post was listed as a “vacancy” on McGuire’s list.

Z’berg said that Rubio told McGuire she wasn’t interested in being the insurance committee chair any more. She “encouraged (McGuire) to appoint a new chair to be announced with all other assignments.“She also conveyed to him that by leaving the position open, he would be feeding into false narratives and speculation,” Z’berg said.

Rubio also took a thinly-veiled shot at McGuire, suggesting that he’s playing politics by leaving the seat vacant due to speculation McGuire is eying a run for California Insurance Commissioner when he terms out in 2026.“Insurance issues affecting consumers across the state are of particular interest to him,” the statement read. “It is a critical issue that he has been very vocal about in the past, and will likely continue to do so.”In a statement emailed Friday, McGuire said “we’ve been leading on consumer-focused insurance reform for years — it’s personal for me because of the wildfires that have devastated the communities I represent. And this year will be no different.“The Southern California fires make it all the more clear how critical this issue is. Any premise that any legislation would be delayed is unequivocally BS,” he said. “A committee has been formed and we will name an insurance chair in the very near future.”The Insurance Committee is not scheduled to meet until March. Bills need to be in print for at least 30 days before legislators can act on them, so any new insurance-related legislation introduced this week wouldn’t be heard until at least February.

Is Sen. Rubio “Person 20”?

The recently released federal documents are a plea agreement signed by former Baldwin Park City Attorney Robert Tafoya. Federal officials released the agreement late last year. In the agreement, Tafoya says he helped facilitate bribes to local officials from companies seeking marijuana permits.

The Los Angeles Times was the first news outlet to report that Rubio matched the description of “Person 20.” The plea agreement describes Person 20 as a public official, in a position to be able to fire the city attorney, who won a primary for state office in 2018. No other local officials match the description.

The plea agreement says Person 20 sought $240,000 from a marijuana company seeking a city permit, but the company refused to pay that much so the deal fell through. Person 20 also sought and received $30,000 from Tafoya in a scheme to drum up support for Person 20’s 2018 state campaign, the documents say. Tafoya said he agreed to pay Person 20, in exchange for assurance he’d keep his city job and get state work from Person 20 after the election, according to his plea agreement.

Tafoya admitted to federal tax evasion and bribery charges in 2023, but prosecutors kept the plea agreement secret until last month since Tafoya had agreed to participate in the ongoing investigation.

“I have no idea who Person 20 is, but I am completely confident that the U.S. Attorney’s Office would not include these declaratory statements about Person 20’s actions unless they were very confident they could prove the truth of those statements in a court of law,” said McGregor Scott, a twice-appointed former U.S. Attorney based in Sacramento.Rubio has not directly answered whether she’s “Person 20.” She told the LA Times in a statement that she “volunteered hours of her time” aiding the authorities in their investigation and that she “has no reason to believe that she would be included in any criminal allegations.”

State Sen. Susan Rubio speaks during a session at the state Capitol in Sacramento on Feb. 20, 2024. Photo by Fred Greaves for CalMatters

Senate reviewing ethics complaint

Bill Essayli, a Republican Assembly member from Corona, requested the Assembly and Senate ethics committees to take up investigations after the LA Times report last month. Essayli spent about four years as a federal prosecutor in the U.S. Attorney’s Office that unsealed Tafoya’s plea agreement.

Essayli said he has no first-hand knowledge about this case since he left that job in 2018, but he said the allegations outlined in the plea agreement are troubling enough for the Legislature to act on its own without waiting for prosecutors. His ethics complaint also doesn’t identify Rubio by name.“When the Biden DOJ actually makes specific allegations like that against a sitting legislator, I don’t think we can wait as a public body for that investigation to play out – criminal investigations can take years to develop,” Essayli told CalMatters. “Meanwhile, this individual is still sitting in office. They still wield power in the name of the public, and they could be engaged in the same activity.”

Erin V. Peth, the chief counsel for the Senate Ethics Committee, told CalMatters Essayli’s complaint is under review, but provided no other details.

No woman California legislator has ever been indicted on public corruption charges while in office. Several male Assemblymembers and senators have been charged with such crimes over the years.

In 2010, state charges were filed against Los Angeles County Democratic Sen. Roderick Wright for voter fraud, perjury and other crimes stemming from him lying about actually living in his district. Then-Gov. Jerry Brown later pardoned Wright.

In 2016, a federal judge sentenced San Francisco’s Democratic Sen. Leland Yee to five years in prison for doing political favors in exchange for campaign cash.

Also in 2016, a federal judge sentenced Sen. Ron Calderon of Montebello to 42 months in federal prison for receiving over $150,000 in bribes. His brother, Assemblymember Tom Calderon, was sentenced to a year in prison for laundering his brother’s bribe money.

Following the Yee and Calderon indictments, voters in 2016 approved Proposition 50, which gives legislators the authority to suspend a disgraced colleague without pay. Doing so requires a two-thirds vote of the lawmaker’s chamber.

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CalMatters.org is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media venture explaining California policies and politics.

Charred skeletons of beloved homes. Desperate homeowners endangering their lives as they hose down their burning roofs. Emergency workers carefully carrying a body bag out of the rubble. An American flag in blackened tatters.

The images arriving in the wake of the wind-driven wildfires in Los Angeles County are haunting, giving all of us a window into the pain, grief and devastation facing hundreds of thousands of people.

CalMatters contributing photographers Ted Soqui and Jules Hotz were dispatched to Pacific Palisades and Malibu, along the Los Angeles coast, and Altadena, in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains, to chronicle the impact of one of the worst disasters in California history.

As of Sunday, an estimated 12,000 houses, businesses, schools and other structures have been damaged or destroyed, at least 24 people have died and about 150,000 people were ordered or warned to evacuate.

The Eaton Fire burns in the community of Altadena. Because of overwhelming demand, firefighters were unable to get water from hydrants that ran dry, as homes and businesses burned, on Jan. 8, 2025. Photos by Ted Soqui for CalMatters

People fleeing the fire carry their belongings as they evacuate their homes during the Palisades Fire, near Sunset Boulevard and the Pacific Coast Highway, on Jan. 7, 2025. Photo by Ted Soqui for CalMatters

First: Super Scooper firefighting aircraft load up with water off the coast of Los Angeles on Jan. 7, 2025. Last: Firefighters attempt to put out a fire at a home in Altadena, on Jan. 8, 2025. The community was devastated by the Eaton Fire. Photos by Ted Soqui for CalMatters

A person uses a hose to spray water on the flames of a house to prevent the Eaton Fire from spreading to more homes in Pasadena on Jan. 8, 2025. Photo by Jules Hotz for CalMatters

Burned homes smolder in the aftermath of the Palisades Fire on Pacific Coast Highway near Malibu, on Jan. 9, 2025. Photo by Ted Soqui for CalMatters

First: A burned and tattered American flag waves on a flagpole after the Palisades Fire on Jan. 9, 2025. Photo by Ted Soqui for CalMatters Last: A fireplace remains standing after a home was burned down by the Eaton Fire in Altadena on Jan. 8, 2025. Photo by Jules Hotz for CalMatters

Firefighters work to put out a fire in the rubble of a home that burned on Pacific Coast Highway near Malibu, as a result of the Palisades Fire. Jan. 9, 2025. Photo by Ted Soqui for CalMatters

First: Smoke from the Eaton Fire and surrounding wildfires fills the air around downtown Los Angeles. Last: A vivid sunset as smoke from the Palisades Fire fills the sky in Santa Monica. Jan. 9, 2025. Photos by Jules Hotz for CalMatters

Emergency crews remove a body from a burned home off Pacific Coast Highway, near Pacific Palisades, on Jan. 9, 2025. Photo by Ted Soqui for CalMatters

Two people survey the damage of their home that was burned to the ground in an Altadena neighborhood during the Eaton Fire on Jan. 8, 2025. Photo by Jules Hotz for CalMatters

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CalMatters.org is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media venture explaining California policies and politics.

Regina Anglin (Wood) left this world peacefully, at the age of 74 on November 25, 2024 surrounded by family at her bedside after a brief illness.

Born Regina Louise Wood on March 1, 1950 to Bernard and Margaret Wood in Omaha, Nebraska, Gina (as she was known) was the fourth of what would become 12 Wood children.

Gina was preceded in death by her loving husband, Steven Harvey Anglin; her grandchildren, David Woodruff, Marriah Woodruff and Christopher McClaren; her siblings, Thomas, Barbara and Joseph Wood; and her parents, Bernard and Margaret Wood. She is survived by her siblings, Christine Burton, Catherine Phipps, Margie Wood (Virginia), Michael Wood (Katie), Bernie Wood (Lidia), Lori Wood, Angela Papstein and Charles Wood (Mundz); her stepdaughter, Annette McClaren; her stepson, Will Woodruff (Dawn); and numerous grandchildren, nieces and nephews.

She attended St. Bernard’s High School in Eureka and worked for 45 years as a pharmacy technician at St. Joseph Hospital until her retirement. Gina had a deep faith in God and was an active member of the Seventh Day Adventist Church, where she fostered many friendships.

To those who had the privilege to know her she was the most kind, gentle and sweetest person in the world. She had a love of gardening and the outdoors, sewing, quilting, soap making and camping, throughout her life she shared these passions freely with friends and family.

A celebration of life for Gina will be held on Saturday February 15, 2025 at 2:30 p.m. at Seventh Day Adventist Church: 4251 F Street, Eureka.

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