Dustin’ off this silly graphic we made a thousand years ago

It’s been a while, but we’d like to welcome you all to the latest edition of LoCO SPORTS — the only online sports feature powered entirely by proud parents sending LoCO the arguably interesting exploits of their talented children. Let’s get ready to rumble! 

This time out: Mega kudos are in order for 10-year-old McKinleyville resident Calvin Koczera, after he and a turtle named “Flash” bested roughly 500 other competitors during the 62nd annual Nisswa, Minnesota Turtle Races. Can we get a cowabunga? 

To claim the title, Calvin and his swift-shelled sidekick had to speed through three separate heats. We’ve compiled the videos Calvin’s parents sent us into a sporty montage, which you can watch below. (Note: We’ve condensed the action a bit because, as you might have heard, turtles are slow.)

There you have it. Calvin is a big winner and, by extension, one could make the case that makes all of us in Humboldt big winners. CONGRATULATIONS, CALVIN AND US! 

For his part, we are told Flash received some lettuce. 

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* - Comparable to other turtles only

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

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Calling a statewide special election sounds simple in theory. But executing one with fewer than 75 days notice? As one California county election official put it, that’s a “herculean” effort.

California voting officials are scrambling behind the scenes to prepare for the special election Gov. Gavin Newsom wants this November on his proposal to redraw the state’s congressional districts. But to do so, Newsom needs voters to approve a ballot initiative in an off-year special election that the state has yet to officially approve and schedule.

Democrats want the proposed California maps to offset President Donald Trump and Republicans’ efforts to stack the next congressional election in the GOP’s favor by squeezing more Republican seats out of red states like Texas, Florida and Missouri.

Newsom only released his proposed maps late last week, and state lawmakers — who just returned from a month-long summer recess — are staring down a hard deadline of Friday to greenlight the ballot language before voters in time for a Nov. 4 election.

County election officials are hustling as if the election is happening so they can make sure they lock down everything from vendors to print their ballots, locations for voting centers and election workers to staff those polling places come Nov. 4. They’ve pushed hard for the state to cover the hefty costs of an unplanned special election, and some have noted that without additional appropriations, they might need to cut back on vital public safety and social services.

“It’s difficult for us, just in a regular election, being a smaller rural county,” said Juan Pablo Cervantes, the registrar of voters for Humboldt County, which has just over 85,000 registered voters. Usually Cervantes and his staff have at least five months of lead time to find voting sites, hire staff and procure all the machines, pens and ballots for a statewide election.

“That’s usually a Herculean effort on its own,” Cervantes said.

A mad dash to find ballots and vote centers

One of the biggest challenges for counties is lining up vendors to print enough ballots – including one absentee ballot for every registered voter in the state, as well as a sufficient number to keep onsite for on-site voting at polling stations. California’s secretary of state has only approved seven vendors to print ballots, not including Orange County, which operates its own printing facility.

The other two logistical hurdles are securing enough sites to serve as vote centers, and hiring and training staff to work them.

Soon after Newsom declared on July 31 that he would call a special election, Orange County Registrar of Voters Bob Page gathered his staff for an emergency planning meeting. He instructed them to identify which supplies they needed to order as soon as possible, prioritizing products like ballot paper, ballot envelopes and toner for their ballot printers – which might not arrive in time to meet deadlines if they waited for official confirmation of a special election.

Should the governor end up abandoning his plan, Orange County would also be able to use those materials in next year’s June primary election, minimizing potential waste of taxpayer dollars.

“I had to make a decision that I couldn’t wait until Aug. 22 to make sure that I could pull this off,” Page said. “I don’t want to be in a position where my county fails in some way to conduct a free and fair election.”

The county also started emailing people with past experience as election workers to gauge potential interest in working at a vote center during the special election.

California’s last special election

California last had a short-notice, off-year statewide special election in September 2021 when Newsom defeated an attempt to recall him from office.

But because the recall campaign was triggered by a signature drive rather than ordered by the state Legislature, Page said counties had plenty of early warning signs to help them prepare.

“We knew when there were enough signatures to require the recall election,” Page said. “We were very involved when the legislature was pitching ideas of trying to shorten the timeline and have the recall election in August of that year rather than September.”

Even then, when the Legislature was hashing out the fine print about when the election would take place, county registrars brought their vendors to testify that they didn’t have enough paper stock to print ballots in time for an August recall election. The date was ultimately set for Sept. 14.

How much will it cost?

The Legislature and the Department of Finance have yet to release official cost estimates for the statewide special election, but experts say that given inflation, the Nov. 4 special election will almost certainly surpass the recall’s price tag.

During that 2021 effort, the state sent counties more than $240 million and an additional $35 million to the secretary of state’s office to administer the election. In the end, the contest cost less than planned — about $200 million in all, with the counties’ costs totaling just over $174 million.

Newsom has repeatedly promised the state will cover the steep cost counties will incur to administer an unplanned statewide off-year election. Yet in the absence of official statewide numbers, county officials and even Assembly Republicans have released their own estimates. The GOP caucus’s budget analysis projected the statewide contest would cost taxpayers $235.5 million.

A voter fills out their ballot at a vote center at Santa Ana College in Santa Ana on March 5, 2024. Photo by Lauren Justice for CalMatters

Page estimated Orange County’s costs will land somewhere between $11.2 million to $12.7 million depending on whether the ballot and county voter information guide will fit in the same envelope or need to be sent separately. Riverside County’s registrar projected upwards of $15 million in costs, and Fresno County was bracing for at least $4 million in unbudgeted expenses.

The counties have implored state leaders to provide them money up front rather than reimburse them after the election.

“The additional expenses tied to a statewide special election would fall almost entirely on counties — imposing a significant and unfunded financial burden on already strained local budgets,” wrote the California State Association of Counties, which represents county supervisors, in partnership with its subsidiary organization that represents clerks and registrars.

H.D. Palmer, spokesman for the Department of Finance, said that the legislation will provide the money to counties in advance, as it did in 2021 before the gubernatorial recall election, although the department has yet to determine the precise amount..

“The state of California is going to pay for it,” Newsom said at a press conference last week, dismissing concerns from county registrars about how they’d afford to administer the election as “deeply disingenuous.”

“There’s no price tag for democracy,” Newsom said.

The governor has also stated that unlike during the recall election, several counties already plan to hold local off-year elections and can add the redistricting question to the existing ballot. As of Monday, only 21 counties are listed as having elections scheduled for Nov. 4, according to the Secretary of State’s website.

But Cervantes, who estimates his county will incur at least $700,000 in additional costs, emphasized that it makes a “massive difference” whether the state pays upfront or requires counties to submit expenses for reimbursement. His vendors won’t allow him to defer payment until he receives the state’s check in the mail.

Cervantes noted that counties pay for elections administration from the same pot of money that funds sheriff’s departments, county jails and the district attorney’s offices, as well as some local wildfire prevention efforts. That’s why it’s so important for the state to cover the costs, he argued.

“You’re talking about taking deputies off the street. You’re talking about reducing social services. Like, it’s a zero-sum game,” Cervantes said. “If I have to spend that money, then other departments won’t be able to.”

Hazel Jean Petty passed away on May 18, 2025.

She was born an identical twin. Jean and Marlene were adopted at the age of three due to the death of their father and the severe depression of their mother. This separated them from their mother and baby brother.

Jean married twice, having two children with her first husband. Marlene always lived nearby, so the first cousins—six in total—were raised together. Both twins were accomplished artists, winning prizes at state fairs.

In the 1970s, Jean struck a couple of blows for women’s liberation. She was featured in the newspaper as the only female coach in the local little league, with a large picture of her and her son on the front page of the Lifestyle section.

Jean and Marlene were the first two female bus drivers of the OCTD (Orange County Transit District).

Jean decided to go to college and was the first member of her family to graduate from the University of California, Irvine, earning a bachelor’s degree in psychology. Several years later, both her children also graduated from UCI.

She moved to Humboldt County to pursue her master’s degree in sociology at Humboldt State University. With her art background and interest in all things self-improvement — yoga, self-hypnosis, creative expression—she became an excellent recreational therapist. She worked for many years at the in-patient psychiatric health facility, Sempervirens. Around town, she would run into former patients who often said she had changed their lives for the better.

Jean had vision issues that gradually worsened and ultimately left her completely blind by her mid-80s. Being a visual artist, this was very difficult for her, but she faced it bravely. Courage was an attribute she exhibited all her life. Her family will miss her dearly.

She is survived by her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, niece, nephew, and their families, as well as great-nieces and great-nephews.

Jean chose cremation in accordance with her final wishes. Her ashes will be spread with immediate family in attendance at a future date.

Jerry Lowitz, a beloved husband, father, grandfather, musician, and friend to many, went home to the Lord on his 71st birthday, June 22, 2025.

A lifelong musician, Jerry’s passion for music was a defining part of his life. He was a beloved member of the Calvary Baptist Church worship team and played in multiple bands over the years, including a popular Humboldt County band, the Roadmasters. Jerry also had a career as a dedicated logger, working for PL.

Jerry had a special way with animals and found great joy in the outdoors, spending his time fishing and hunting. He truly loved his dog, Tank, who now lives with his wife, Kathy. Jerry will be deeply missed by his family and friends.

Jerry is survived by his beloved wife, Kathy Lowitz; daughter, Kimberly Lowitz; and stepchildren, Lynette Smith and Jeffrey Hernandez. He is also survived by his grandchildren, Britney, Colton, Ember-Lynn, Navaeh, Travis, and Waelyn, and also great-grandchildren.

A memorial service to celebrate Jerry’s life will be held on August 30th at 4:30 p.m. at Calvary Baptist Church, located at 3400 F Street, Eureka. The family would be deeply touched if those who knew and cared for him would join them in remembering and celebrating his life.

A potluck and fellowship will follow the service. Please text the number of people attending the potluck to 707-499-3783.

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Joyce Novelo-Clark was born on July 5, 1957, in Eureka. She passed away peacefully in her home in Eureka on August 4, 2025, after a long battle with cancer. Despite treatments and overcoming cancer, it returned in different areas of her body.

Joyce graduated from Eureka High School in 1973. In 1987, she moved to Veracruz, Mexico, where she made many lifelong friends whom she called family. Around 2009, she returned to Eureka to be close to her family again. In 2011, she traveled to Tennessee for approximately two years, spending time with and getting to know more of her family, before returning to her hometown of Eureka to stay.

Joyce was always the person you could go to for advice on anything. She somehow always knew how to word things perfectly to guide you and help you look at situations from every angle, often adding her quick wit and humor. Joyce never judged and loved with all her heart. She always found the good in bad situations.

Joyce was preceded in death by her grandparents, Jim and Eva Markin; her mother, Barbara Clark; her father, Bill Clark; and her nephew, Steven.

She is survived by her two sons, Michael and Donald Pettitt; her brother, Willie Clark; her sisters, Debbie (Don) Smith and Terri (Orval) Crowl; nieces Deanna (Brian) Hopkins and Amber Dominguez; nephews John (Daphne) Taylor, Wayne Bukowski, David (Lorissa) Dias, Billy Clark, Christopher Clark, and Clayton Clark; along with many cousins and great-nieces and great-nephews.

A celebration of life will be held at Trinidad Town Hall on August 23, 2025, at 1 p.m.

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Patrick Martin O’Shea
October 22, 1944- June 25, 2025

Pat was born in Eureka to Bill and Helen O’Shea. He grew up in Eureka and attended local schools: Grant, Marshall, and Washington elementary schools, Eureka Junior High, and was a 1963 graduate of Eureka High School. In his early days, he spent a lot of time with his lifelong friend Joe Walund, playing in the woods and gulches, damming creeks, building tree forts and riding bikes. Pat was a true fun-loving character.

After graduation, Pat worked as a salesman for Glaser Bros., a wholesale distributing company. After leaving Eureka in 1970, he continued working in sales for other distributing companies, including Sysco. He spent many years living in Hollister before moving to Bakersfield in his retirement.

He and his wife Linda enjoyed many relaxing trips to Morro Bay and numerous fun trips to Reno. Pat was a long-time member of the Clampers, Elks, and Moose Lodge. He was the life of the party and always had an entertaining story to share. Pat recently moved back to Eureka.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Bill and Helen O’Shea, and his older brother, Mike. He is survived by his wife, Linda, as well as his longtime friends Joe Walund, Ralph Norling, and Bill Stringer.

An informal gathering in remembrance of Pat will be held in the back room of the Vista Del Mar on Saturday, August 23, from 2 to 4 p.m.

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A 70-year-old fishermen from the tiny fishing community of Quilcene, Wash., recently vanished without a trace while on a solo fishing trip.

The man, Joel William Kawahara, disappeared shortly after he embarked, a week ago Wednesday Friday. Maritime GPS tracked his unmanned vessel, the Karolee, as it continued slowly south — still rigged for fishing, its lights on, life raft secure in its cradle — until it was intercepted by the crew of a U.S. Coast Guard cutter on Wednesday morning and towed into Humboldt Bay.

After the boat was recovered, the Coast Guard suspended its search for Kawahara. 

On a memorial website, friends shared photos and stories, with one poster describing him as “a person of the highest order, with a rare mix of integrity, intelligence, optimism, passion, and humility, all in one so very likable human.” 

Here’s the press release from the U.S. Coast Guard:

The Coast Guard suspended its search for a missing fisherman off the coast of Oregon and Washington around 1:30 p.m. Wednesday.
Missing is a 65-year-old man. [NOTE: Kawahara was 70, according to his memorial website.]

Coast Guard crews searched over 18 hours, scouring an area of 2,100 sq. miles, including over 430 miles of trackline.

The man departed alone on his fishing vessel, the Karolee, the week prior and was last heard from at 7:30 a.m., Friday, Aug. 8. The boat could be seen via its automatic identification system (AIS) and was traveling a constant southerly course at approximately four knots for several days.

Coast Guard watchstanders made numerous call outs to the Karolee and asked mariners in the area to do the same. No communication was ever received from the Karolee.

On Tuesday morning, a Coast Guard C-27 fixed-wing aircrew from Air Station Sacramento responded to the position of the vessel and attempted to make contact but nothing was heard. The aircrew visually noticed that the vessel was rigged for fishing, lights were energized, and a life raft was observed in its cradle.

The aircrew flew over the vessels’ previous course but did not find any signs of distress. The crew then flew back to Sacramento.

Around noon, watchstanders at the Coast Guard’s Northwest District command center dispatched an MH-60 helicopter from Air Station Astoria and Coast Guard Cutter Douglas Denman to assist in the search efforts. In addition, a boat crew from Coast Guard Station Neah Bay was launched and completed a shoreline search from Cape Flattery towards La Push, Wash.

The MH-60 searched for several hours in the waters west of Grays Harbor, Wash., and then returned to Astoria. The Douglas Denman arrived at the designated area by 8 p.m. and began searching. The Douglas Denman’s search lasted through the night.

The crew searched the trackline where the vessel traversed off the coast of Washington and Oregon to look for any signs of distress.

Watchstanders at the Coast Guard’s Southwest District command center diverted the crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Sea Lion to intercept the vessel and confirm if anyone was onboard.

The crew of the Sea Lion arrived on scene with the Karolee around 10 a.m., Wednesday, conducted a boarding, and confirmed no one was onboard. The Coast Guard crew also noted that all safety equipment was located onboard the vessel.

With no additional reports of distress or responses to callouts, the Coast Guard suspended the search. 

The crew of the Sea Lion took the Karolee in tow and brought it to Eureka, Calif., where it was transferred to a Station Humboldt Bay boat crew. The vessel is now moored in Eureka.

“Suspending a search for someone is the toughest decision we make in the Coast Guard” said Cmdr. Chelsey Stroud, search and rescue mission coordinator for the Coast Guard’s Northwest District. “Our crews diligently search hundreds of miles. We are grateful for the numerous Coast Guard crews along the West Coast who assisted in this search. We send our deepest condolences to the family, friends, and loved ones of the missing man.”