Press release from Coast Central Credit Union:

In a concerning development reported on March 19, Coast Central Credit Union has issued an urgent warning to its members about a sophisticated phone scam designed to defraud them. Members have reported receiving fraudulent calls from an individual posing as a Coast Central employee, with the caller ID misleadingly displaying the credit union’s main number, (707) 445-8801.

The scammer, claiming to be affiliated with the credit union, has been contacting members under the guise of needing to verify recent or pending transactions. These include wire transfers, ACH transactions, fraud alerts, or issues related to Online Banking. The caller cunningly requests personal financial information, purportedly to assist the member.

Coast Central Credit Union wishes to clarify that these calls are not originating from their offices and are, in fact, a deliberate attempt to deceive and defraud our valued members.

We strongly urge the community to remain vigilant and exercise caution when receiving such calls. Members are advised to never disclose personal account information over the phone. Instead, inquire about the caller’s name, department, and direct contact information, then promptly terminate the call. Following this, members should directly contact our Member Support team at (707) 445-8801 to verify the legitimacy of any communication.

Your security is our utmost priority. Coast Central Credit Union is committed to safeguarding your personal and financial information. We appreciate your immediate attention to this matter and your cooperation in helping us prevent these fraudulent activities. Stay alert, and protect yourself against these unscrupulous scams.

More information can be found at https://www.ftc.gov/ and https://www.coastccu.org/security/

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If you’ve been driving in Arcata this week, you’ve probably already noticed that the two blocks of Eighth and Ninth Streets between K and I are closed, and that traffic on K Street has been a bit of a shitshow. 

The reason behind the chaos is that the City of Arcata is busy converting those sections of Eighth and Ninth into one-way traffic — a change the City has been planning for years to help calm traffic conditions and beautify the downtown area as a part of the City’s 8th and 9th Street Improvement Project

Construction began at the beginning of the week and is expected to be complete by Thursday, Mar. 21. Once complete, both streets will be one lane instead of two, with Eighth Street running eastbound and Ninth Street running westbound. In addition to removing one traffic lane, both streets will have new crosswalks and buffered bike lanes. 

Assuming that the construction timeline is on track, the streets could be reopened with their new one-way lanes on Friday, so make sure you are paying extra close attention when turning onto Eighth or Ninth. Both streets are already one-way between F and I Streets, so the change only extends the one-way traffic by two blocks. 

Seems easy enough to remember. But this Arcata driver knows that old habits die hard, so remembering that you can’t turn left onto Ninth Street from K Street to get to the Co-op anymore is going to take some getting used to! 

Safe driving, Arcata! Here’s more from a City of Arcata press release:

As planned Eighth and Ninth streets will be converted from two-way travel to one-way travel between I and K streets as part of the Eighth and Ninth Streets Improvement Project. The one-way conversion is scheduled to begin on Monday, March 18 with anticipated completion by Thursday, March 21, weather permitting.

Eighth and Ninth streets will be temporarily closed to through traffic between I and K streets while new pavement markings and striping are being installed for the conversion of the roadways to one-way travel. Residents and traffic going to and from businesses will have access during the closure; however, it may be limited at times and/or detours may be in place.Activities may take several days to complete depending on the weather. Once the new pavement markings and striping have been installed and existing new signage is uncovered, the streets will be re-opened with the new one-way travel configuration in phases as sections of the roadway are completed.

Changeable Message Signs (CMS) will be placed throughout the project area to provide additional notification and scheduling details for regular users of the roadways. Also, once the one-way conversion is in place, temporary signage will remain onsite for two weeks to help provide additional awareness and reminders of the new traffic pattern. Members of the community are encouraged to follow all safety directional signs and messages on the CMS.

Additional information about the project and traffic control changes will be posted online at the City’s Active Construction webpage cityofarcata.org/413/Current-City-Construction-Projects. For more information on the project’s planning process, check out the City’s Featured Project webpage at: cityofarcata.org/980/8th-and-9th-Street-Improvement-Project.

If problems are encountered with this project, please contact RAO Construction at (707) 443-2118 or the City of Arcata at (707) 825-2175.

Paskenta Band of Nomlaki Indians release:

Today, the Paskenta Band of Nomlaki Indians announced the acquisition of the Mad River Brewery from the Yurok Tribe in Northwestern California. Based in Blue Lake, California, Mad River Brewery has distinguished itself as a producer of premium craft beers, recognized for their quality and dedication to environmental stewardship.

In November 2021, The Paskenta Band of Nomlaki Indians opened The Paskenta Brewery and Distillery, becoming the first tribal-owned distillery in California. With the acquisition of Mad River Brewery, the Paskenta Tribe continues to build its economic portfolio.

“Acquiring Mad River Brewery is another milestone in Paskenta’s commitment to building an economically sustainable future for our tribe and serving as an economic growth driver for our neighbors,” said Tribal Chairman Andrew “Dru” Alejandre. “We’ve enjoyed great community response since opening Paskenta Brewery & Distillery. Now, with the acquisition of Mad River Brewery, we’re honored to extend our expertise in blending tribal identity and craft beer to the Northern California community and tribes across the nation. As we continue to innovate, we proudly lead the way in crafting beers and spirits within Indian Country.” added Alejandre.

In 2019, Mad River Brewery became one of the first Tribal Breweries in the United States, making it a trailblazer in the craft beer industry. A women-led company formed the first partnership between a tribally owned brewery and a professional baseball team, making Mad River Brewery hand-crafted a staple at San Francisco Giants home games at Oracle Park. Mad River Brewery has won notable local, national, and international awards, including the Word Beer Cup and the Great American Beer Festival.

“It fills my heart to know the business will remain in tribal hands and continue supporting the tribal community. I have no doubt Mad River Brewery will continue its growth with this Paskenta Partnership.” said Linda Cooley the CEO of Mad River Brewery.

Californians without health insurance are again facing tax penalties this year, and some may pay more in fines than they’d spend buying coverage, state officials say.

That’s because some of them may qualify for heavily subsidized insurance and not know it. California’s insurance marketplace, Covered California, offers health insurance for as little as $10 a month, with rates depending on household income and size, as well as location and age.

“There are alot of people who are paying more for the penalty by a large margin, in some cases, than they would pay to have the peace of mind of coverage. We should all take that to heart as a call to action because that should not be happening,” said Jessica Altman, executive director of Covered California, the state’s insurance marketplace, during her board’s February meeting.

During the 2022 tax season, the latest year for which data is available, more than 271,000 households paid fines for lacking health insurance the year prior, according to the Franchise Tax Board. All together those Californians paid the state about $312 million.

The average penalty per household that year? $1,149.

California is one of four states, plus the District of Columbia, that penalizes residents for not having health insurance. This tax season, Californians are seeing health insurance penalties of up to $850 per adult and $425 per child.

Who pays the California health insurance penalty?

Lower-income households bear the brunt of the state’s insurance penalty. About 60% of those who paid the fines earned $50,000 or less.

About 600,000 uninsured Californians are eligible for subsidized insurance through Covered California, according to estimates by the UCLA Health Policy Research Center cited by the agency.

Of those, 260,000 could sign up for a health plan for less than $10 a month or snag a high-deductible plan with free monthly premiums, Covered California spokesperson Jagdip Dhillon said in an email.

For example, a family of four in Los Angeles earning $50,000 could qualify for a standard plan for $28 a month or a high deductible plan with no monthly premiums, according to Covered California’s quote tool. Meanwhile a single person making the same amount in the same city would have to pay about $295 a month for a standard plan.

People may be going without insurance because it is still unaffordable for them, or because they’re unaware of the generous subsidies, said Alicia Emanuel, a staff attorney and advocate with the National Health Law Program.

“Californians continue to really struggle between having to pay for health care and think about basic needs,” Emanuel said.

“As good a job as Covered California does in all of their marketing and outreach efforts, I think that health care continues to be a scary topic for people. It’s complicated. I think that means we have to work harder collectively to get the word out.”

Privacy law limits direct outreach

While the state may have an idea of who is going without insurance and who may qualify for a low-cost plan, targeting those individuals is not as easy as having an insurance agent call them. Covered California officials said that by state law, the agency cannot proactively share information about consumers with enrollment counselors. The agency instead sends information to individuals so that they then can seek help on their own.

Not all Californians who lack insurance are penalized. There are exemptions for reasons such as living only part of the year in California, reporting a hardship or going without coverage less than three months. People can also seek an exemption if health coverage is considered unaffordable, if that coverage would cost more than 8.17% of their household income.

Undocumented immigrants are also exempt from the insurance mandate because the federal Affordable Care Act bars them from buying health coverage on states’ insurance marketplaces. California allows low-income undocumented people into the Medi-Cal program, but they are not penalized if they don’t sign up.

The open enrollment period to buy a plan through Covered California is now closed, but people can still sign up if they have a life-changing event, such as having a child, getting married or if they lose a job.

California’s subsidized health care coverage

Insurance plans bought through the marketplace are heavily subsidized for thousands of Californians because of federal aid provided first by the American Rescue Plan in 2021 and continued by the Inflation Reduction Act in 2022. Extra federal funding means Californians can receive enhanced subsidies for health insurance through 2025.

Experts say the extra help makes a difference. Last month, Covered California announced that a record number of people — close to 1.8 million — had selected a plan through the marketplace for 2024, that includes about 300,000 new enrollees. Emanuel said she would expect this to translate into fewer households paying penalties next year.

In 2019, Congress and the Trump administration eliminated a provision in the 2010 Affordable Care Act that required people to buy insurance or pay a tax penalty. Soon after, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a law requiring Californians to buy insurance and instituting a penalty for those who go uninsured..

The health mandate has been regarded as unpopular but effective in nudging people to get covered.

In 2022, California reached an uninsured rate of 6.2% in people under 65 — a historic low. Experts and state officials say that as California reduces its number of uninsured people, those remaining will simply be the toughest to reach.

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Supported by the California Health Care Foundation (CHCF), which works to ensure that people have access to the care they need, when they need it, at a price they can afford. Visit www.chcf.org to learn more.

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

Two weeks after voting ended in California’s primary, there are 220,000 ballots left to be counted, and a dozen congressional and legislative races remain too close to call, along with Proposition 1.

While the uncounted ballots are only about 3% of the nearly 7.8 million cast, readers have again asked why it takes so long for California to finish counting votes.

California started mailing ballots to all registered voters for the November 2020 election. This year, about 50% of ballots cast were counted on primary night March 5, compared to 41% in June 2022, according to data from the California Voter Foundation.

But processing mail-in ballots can take time. Any ballots postmarked by March 5 and received by March 12 still get counted. Also, there are a number of steps county elections offices take to ensure the integrity of each voter’s ballot, some of which can’t start until after election day. And counties have varying levels of staffing or resources that can impact how quickly the work is done. As of Monday night, 10 of 58 counties reported completing their tallies.

“It’s not just about counting ballots, although that is critically important,” said Ryan Ronco, president of the California Association of Clerks and Election Officials and registrar of voters for Placer County. “It’s also about counting ballots accurately with staff that you have that can commit to that project — knowing that there are also other legally required projects that we need to complete during this period.”

Those counties that have finished counting include several small ones, but also a few larger ones such as San Francisco. California’s most populous county, Los Angeles, has counted more than 1.6 million ballots, and has about 5,000 left to go.

While part of the delay is due to ensuring accuracy, lengthy vote counts can create distrust among some voters.

The state passed some laws to try and speed up the process. One new law allows counties to immediately scan vote-by-mail ballots from people who bring them in person. Placer County did so this primary: About 8,000 people used the system of the nearly 13,000 who came to vote centers.

Another new law allows counties to contact voters via email or text for signature verification. But both laws just went into effect on Jan. 1, and not all counties have had the time or resources to opt in yet.

In Orange County, the last batch of notification letters were sent out March 13, according to Bob Page, the county’s registrar of voters. Voters have until two days prior to certification of the election to respond.

The county is also working on processing provisional and conditional ballots, and resolving issues with ballots that were damaged or marked improperly. As of Monday evening, the county had processed about 673,000 ballots, and had more than 16,000 left to count.

Counties have until April 2 to report the final results of the presidential primaries to the Secretary of State’s office, and until April 5 for other state races. The Secretary of State will certify the final primary results by April 12.

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

Our beloved Leah Rae Darlington passed away at 40 years of age on Saturday, March 2, 2024, after courageously fighting gastrointestinal cancer for the past eighteen months.

Leah was born on May 1, 1983, in Eureka, to Frederick John Darlington and Jami Lynn (Baun) Darlington. They will always remember her as their smiling, happy-go-lucky, little girl with auburn pigtails who lit up their world with her open, genuine, loving heart.

She shared an unbreakable bond as the eldest sister to her brother Benjamin and sister Jennifer. Together, they formed an inseparable trio whose connection went far beyond siblinghood. They were not only family, but also each other’s best friends, confidants, and biggest champions. Their unconditional love and unwavering support for each other defined the true essence of companionship and solidarity as they navigated life knowing they had each other.

Leah’s greatest source of pride and fulfillment in life is her 15 year old daughter, Janaiyah Rae, who illuminated her world with boundless joy and love. Motherhood flowed effortlessly from Leah’s heart, and she cherished every moment watching her “cutest girl” grow into the confident, intelligent, outgoing, and talented young woman she has become. She also took immense joy in loudly cheering her daughter on at all her sport’s events. Janaiyah’s remarkable outlook is a testament to Leah’s own exceptional qualities of authenticity, warmth, and genuine openness. It reflects the nurturing environment Leah had cultivated, echoing the beauty and depth of Leah’s own soul. She savored every moment of her journey with Naiyah, filling it with unconditional love, laughter, and playful sarcasm.

In 2015, Leah met Alfate Cosey, whom she lovingly dubbed him “Fate.” A name that embodied their profound connection, depth of love and loyal companionship. An everlasting bond.

Spending time with her family was everything to Leah. She loved to cook and hostess dinners, holidays, as well as family and friend’s game nights with snacks and good ol’ sweet iced tea. She had a penchant for spontaneous road trips, shopping sprees and fun vacations with her sister and their children, and her brother and his family. Her most favorite place was the beach, which she termed her “happy place” where she could spend hours relaxing and enjoying the ocean breeze, the roar of the waves and watching the sun set. She also was known for, and loved, making the best espresso drinks at her home and sipping yummy coffee with loved ones and friends while enjoying nice, long chats. And if you knew Leah, you would know that they really were “nice, long chats”.

In addition to her cherished role as a devoted mother, Leah extended her nurturing embrace to the wider community by opening a daycare. Here, her boundless love for children became a beacon of hope and support for families seeking solace and assistance. Leah’s innate nurturing nature and genuine affection created a sanctuary of warmth and security, with her daycare quickly becoming a sought-after haven for families. Leah’s caring nature was most evident while, even in her suffering, she refused to close her daycare because of the love she had for the children and the close bond they shared.

Leah’s genuine interest in others caused people to immediately feel comfortable in just being themselves, which endeared her to all who knew her. A gathering with Leah was pure energy. Her sense of humor and quick-witted sarcasm, being the kind that made you laugh yourself out of your chair with tears streaming down your face, would leave her friends and loved ones with lasting memories of joy and camaraderie. She lived her life with an unwavering sincerity that touched the hearts of all who knew her. She meant every word she said, with no room for pretense — just pure, heartfelt honesty. Such sincerity was the cornerstone of her character, guiding her actions and words with genuine authenticity. Whether offering a word of encouragement, sharing a laugh, or lending a helping hand, Leah’s intentions were always clear and true. She approached every interaction with an open heart, and a listening ear, which left you feeling lighter and loved because you had been in her presence. In a world often filled with superficiality, Leah stood out as a beacon of sincerity and wholehearted living. Her words carried weight, her actions spoke volumes, and her presence left an indelible mark on all who crossed her path. She approached life with humor and grace, navigating its challenges with resilience and unwavering faith in God. Leah’s legacy of strength, humor, and wholehearted, authentic living — is a reminder to us all to live with open hearts filled with faith, love and laughter, inspiring others to embrace integrity and authenticity and to cherish the relationships that enrich our lives. To those fortunate enough to have known Leah, her absence leaves an immense void that can only be filled with cherished memories of her laughter, kindness, and unwavering strength and faith in the face of adversity. She will be deeply missed by all who knew her and had been touched with her genuine spirit and boundless love.

Leah is survived by her pride and joy, her beloved daughter, Janaiyah. Her father, Frederick (Karan) Darlington of Tidioute, PA. Her mother Jami (Baun) Darlington of Eureka, CA. Her devoted siblings; Her favorite and best brother, Benjamin F Darlington, his wife Karianne, and their sons Silas and Sterling. Her best friend and confidant, sister Jennifer R. Darlington and her son Kingsley. She will be dearly missed by her grandmother, Kathy Baun, and her aunts: Vicky (David) Baun Barry, Eureka, CA., Kelly (Garrett) Baun Douglass, Colville, WA., and Gale (Ray) Darlington Kocis, Sharpsville, PA. Her uncle: Douglas (Lori) Baun, Jackson Center, PA. Leah’s absence will be deeply felt by her many cousins and extended family members who shared in her love and cherished memories.

As a lifetime member of Eureka the Pentecostal Church, she very much loved and held in high regard Bishop and Pastor McDonald. She also developed a love for good ol’ gospel music which she turned to often when needing to soothe and uplift her spirit. She loved her entire church family, and was so humbly grateful for the outpouring of love and support that was shown to her and her family, throughout her journey. A special shout out to her lifelong friends for rallying together and organizing fundraisers, as well as many special, spur of the moment prayer meetings for Leah, that were willingly attended by so many and brought Leah so much comfort. It would make her day when they would stop by for a visit just to encourage her, razz her a bit and lovingly give her a hard time.

We extend our heartfelt thanks to her oncologist Dr. Walker and his nurse Julie, her oncology surgeon, Dr. Nakakura and all the hospital staff at UCSF. We also are so grateful for the “chemo nurses” and radiology nurses at Providence, St Joseph Hospital in Eureka who provided extraordinary care to Leah. Their unwavering commitment and compassion, akin to rolling out the red-carpet in-patient care, brought comfort and solace during a challenging time. We are deeply grateful for their professionalism, kindness, and unwavering support.

A huge thank you to family, friends and community for the overwhelming, heartwarming flow of messages, phone calls, meals, flowers and cards.

In lieu of flowers, we kindly request donations to support Leah’s 15-year-old daughter, Janaiyah. Contributions can be made to a fund set up for Janaiyah’s care at https://gofund.me/9b84c4e0 or via Venmo to her sister and guardian, @Jdarlington87. Your generosity will help provide for Janaiyah’s future and honor Leah’s memory in a meaningful way.

A special thank you to Mark Gilliam, Funeral Arranger at Humboldt Cremation & Funeral Services, for taking above and beyond care of our Leah. The kindness you showed while helping us to ensure Leah’s wishes were carried out was professionally and compassionately executed.

Please join us in honoring and celebrating the life of Leah Rae Darlington on Saturday, April 13 at 11 a.m. The service will be held at Eureka The Pentecostal Church, located at 1060 Hoover Street, Eureka, CA.

Pudda, you will forever remain intertwined within the tapestry of our hearts. May you rest peacefully in the embrace of God’s eternal love until we meet again.

Evelyn “Evie” Irene Fuller was born November 19, 1927, in Tulsa, Oklahoma to Clarence and Edith Borders. She was the oldest of four and their only girl. At the age of five, she accompanied her father to the family farm in the Ozark Mountains of Missouri to make the property livable for the family. She grew up on this farm with her brothers and her mother who cooked fresh foods grown on the farm. After spending most of her early life in Missouri, the family moved to Vancouver, Washington during World War II so Clarence could work at the Kaiser Shipyard building ships for the war effort. Evie graduated high school in Vancouver, Washington where she started working at the shipyards and then the telephone company. During this time, she met her husband Richard “Dick” Fuller at a dance hall when he returned from World War II. They were married in a small ceremony on July 3, 1946.

Together they lived up and down the West Coast and Hawaii as Dick worked and ran several businesses. They had three boys: Sam, Rick, and David. In the late 1960s Evie started college and eventually earned her teaching credential as well as a master’s degree in education from Cal Poly Pomona. She taught many ages, but her favorite class was the sixth graders. She made them feel like adults and was always proud of her connection with kids and how fondly she was remembered by many former students. After retiring from teaching, she continued to be a lifelong learner and educator, always looking for opportunities to learn new skills, crafts, and information, and share them with her grandchildren.

In 1988 Evie and Dick purchased a property in McKinleyville overlooking Clam Beach and the Pacific Ocean. She loved being able to see the sunset and smell the salty air from her front porch. They split their time between the house in McKinleyville during the summers and a place in Desert Hot Springs during the winters before they moved full time to McKinleyville. After Dick’s passing in 2003, Evie started volunteering at the McKinleyville Senior Center, where she continued to work until she was 93. She also took advantage of OLLI through Cal Poly Humboldt, taking many history, art, and nature classes. She loved walking and always signed up for the fundraising walks, often winning awards as she was one of the only participants in her age group.

She was a loving grandmother and great-grandmother, a supporter of local theater, a crime show and Court TV fan, an artist, a story teller, a caregiver, and an accomplished home cook. She was fiercely independent and told jokes right up to the end.

She passed away on March 11, 2024. She will be missed by her family, but her long life will live on in the memories we have. The family would like to thank Timber Ridge McKinleyville and Hospice of Humboldt for their compassion and support during this last year.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her brothers, her husband, and her son Sam. She is survived by her son Rick (Glenda) of Upland, California, her son David (Karen) of Eureka, her seven grandchildren, and her nine great-grandchildren.

A memorial will be planned for a later date. In lieu of flowers please donate to the McKinleyville Senior Center and Hospice of Humboldt.

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