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By Mikhail Zihnshteyn and Yue Stella Yu

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No deficits. A “modest” surplus. Almost $17 billion more in revenue than planned.

Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office is scheduled to formally lay out its vision today for how California should spend its considerable bounty, a total budget of $322 billion — projected to be the second largest state spending plan ever.

In a preview of his proposal, Newsom told reporters Monday that the state budget’s main tranche of cash, the general fund, will rise to $229 billion in 2025-26. That’s about $10 billion more than what his office and lawmakers predicted last June and roughly $17 billion more than what’s in this year’s budget.The fiscal outlook is far rosier than the pall that hung over California last year when lawmakers and the governor scrambled to plug a more than $46 billion budget hole. In June, they struck a deal to cut $16 billion in spending, delay another $3 billion in funding for various services and draw a total $12 billion from the state’s rainy day fund for two fiscal years.

“Last year, we endeavored to make this year’s budget a non-event,” Newsom said during a Monday press conference.

While much of this budget plan will change before it’s finalized between Legislature and the governor by late June, the January budget is often seen as an opening statement of fiscal values and a political starting point for negotiations between Newsom and the leadership in the Senate and Assembly.

Even with a projected revenue increase, Newsom acknowledged Monday that California’s fiscal outlook is still uncertain, in part due to the state’s brewing conflicts with the incoming administration of president-elect Donald Trump.

Trump has repeatedly threatened to withhold federal disaster aid from California, which is facing one of its most destructive wildfires this week. While outgoing President Joe Biden has approved Newsom’s request for a major disaster declaration — allowing the state to tap into federal funding and assistance programs — the state could still need more federal disaster funding under Trump’s administration. In October, Newsom told Politico he planned to establish a state fund for disaster relief in case Trump does withhold federal funds.The economic impact of the ongoing Los Angeles-area fires alone is estimated to be at least $135 billion, increasing its earlier estimate of around $50 billion. That’s based on damage caused to homes, cars, businesses and lost economic activity, said Dan DePodwin, senior director of forecasting operations at AccuWeather. A spokesperson for the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services said it’s too soon to calculate the cost of the fires to the state.

Additionally, state lawmakers are planning to spend more money on “Trump-proofing” California, including $25 million to the Attorney General’s office for legal expenses.

Newsom’s budget proposal includes $17 billion in reserves. But, he cautioned, the state may decide to set aside more money because of the economic uncertainty his administration anticipates from Trump’s trade and immigration policies.He’s also sticking to last year’s deal with the Legislature to pull $7.1 billion from the state’s main reserve account — even though his office projected on Monday that revenues are up by $16.5 billion more than planned.Those higher revenues are more than double what the Legislative Analyst’s Office projected in a November report, though that office and the governor’s budget wonks regularly arrive at somewhat different conclusions about the shape of the budget and economy.

Newsom said earlier this week that his administration has been tightening spending, including by eliminating 6,500 vacant positions. By eliminating those positions, the state saves $1.2 billion, Newsom said. Last year Newsom and lawmakers said eliminating various vacancies would lead to $1.5 billion in savings.

The state budget is actually hundreds of accounts filled by the bonds voters approved; taxes, licenses and fees that support specific programs; and the general fund, by far the largest coffer of cash lawmakers use to approve spending on a wide array of programs, such as hospitals, prisons, the court system and education.

It’s the general fund that is typically the focus of budget deals between the Legislature and the governor.

Federal funds, which this year add more than $150 billion in spending in California on top of the state budget, overwhelmingly flow to health insurance and social services for low-income residents, plus smaller infusions of cash to K-12 schools, universities, workforce development programs and transportation.

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

About 800 incarcerated firefighters are battling the unprecedented fires raging across Southern California, according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. They join thousands of firefighting and emergency personnel who have been dispatched to respond to multiple fires throughout the Los Angeles area.

California’s incarcerated firefighters have long provided critical support to state, local and federal government agencies in responding to various emergencies, including wildfires and floods.

Over 1,800 incarcerated firefighters live year-round in minimum-security conservation camps, also known as “fire camps,” located across 25 counties in California, according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Those numbers have dwindled in recent years due to a declining prison population.

“Wildfires are a constant and formidable challenge for California, and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitations’ conservation fire camps remain dedicated to supporting the state’s response,” said Jeff Macomber, secretary of California’s Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation in a statement to CalMatters on Wednesday. “The work of our incarcerated firefighters and staff is an essential part of this effort, and their commitment to protecting lives and property during these emergencies cannot be overstated.”

The corrections department compensates incarcerated firefighters anywhere between $5.80 and $10.24 per day, depending upon experience. During active emergencies, the Cal Fire pays incarcerated firefighters an additional $1 per day, according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.

Over the course of three fire seasons, Princess Griffen fought more than 30 fires. The 32-year-old, formerly incarcerated firefighter was based at the Rainbow Conservation Camp, which has since closed, when the Woolsey Fire in Malibu broke out in November 2018.

“At camp, when it got windy, we would sleep with our boots on,” she said. She and her crew of 14 were deployed for two weeks. “It felt like you were doing something that mattered instead of rotting away in a cell,” she said.

Griffen paroled in July 2019. Today she lives in Inglewood, where she owns a tattoo shop. She pursued a career as an entrepreneur because she knew firefighting would require more time away from home. But for incarcerated firefighters who want to continue the work upon their release, Griffen says it’s difficult to get hired.

“They look at our education like it doesn’t count,” she said. “For people who have found some kind of purpose or solace within firefighting, there needs to be a pipeline that goes straight from the prisons to firefighting. I’d urge the government to give inmates a second chance, considering that they are fighting these fires for pennies – risking their lives for pennies.”

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

On the evening of January 3, 2025, Natalia Botelho Avelar slipped away peacefully in the company of her daughters, Helena and Paula.

Natalia was born on February 10, 1936, in the parish of Santo Antonio, Sao Miguel, Açores. She was the second of seven children, Constantina the eldest, and João, Manuel, Antonio, Eduarda, and José following.

In those years, life in the Açores was difficult and families made the most out of the very little they had. Wanting better opportunities for his growing family, Natalia’s father moved them to Ponta Delgada, Sao Miguel, the capital of the Açores archipelago where they had more opportunities to study and work.

Having already finished her studies and loving to work with her hands, Natalia quickly found employment at an established embroidery house. Artisan quality hand-embroidery works were vital to the island’s economy and rooms filled with skilled artisans quickly turned out luxurious embroidered linens to be exported all around the world. In addition, Natalia and her older sister became seamstresses and between the embroidery work and making garments for others, they added to the family’s income to help feed the increasing number of mouths to feed.

With the assistance of mutual friends, Natalia met a handsome young man, José Maria Avelar. In search of better opportunities himself, he had come to Ponta Delgada (from the island of Flores, Açores) to apprentice as a tailor. Two young dreamers, they learned they had much in common; they loved to dance, they loved the movies, they loved fashion, they were both gifted at sewing, and they dreamed of big adventures.

On April 30,1961, they were married and by 1962 they had emigrated to the United States. Due to paperwork delays Natalia wasn’t able to travel to the states with her husband, so they spent the first several months of their marriage apart. José Maria traveled ahead and settled in Arcata, CA where he found work in the timber industry and had some family members nearby. Natalia arrived in Arcata on April 5,1962 expecting to find the Hollywood Hills, red convertibles, and Rock Hudson of her dreams but instead, found 1960s Arcata. Although it took some adjustment, Natalia quickly acclimated and fell in love with the rural charm of the small town life. For those who knew her best, they will remember her often exclaiming “There’s no place like home!”

Big adventure brought them to a new country where they didn’t understand the language, or the customs and it left them feeling isolated and yearning for connection with familiar community. Natalia and José Maria began attending St Mary’s Catholic Church and became actively involved at the Arcata Portuguese Hall, ingraining themselves in the fabric of the local Portuguese community, celebrating the traditions and festas that tied them, and others across Humboldt County, together.

They soon began volunteering for both and over the years spent thousands of hours giving of their time, talents, and helping where they could. It was during this time they made life-long friendships and cherished memories. They both studied English and learned the US government’s fundamentals and proudly became naturalized American citizens, Natalia in 1967 and Jose Maria in 1970.

They worked hard, made sacrifices, and the following year were able to purchase their own home and soon after, a new car. They put down roots and had their first child, Helena. They lived modestly but always made fun out of very little. Short trips to nearby destinations, picnics nearly every Sunday during the summer, fishing on Mad River beach, long and lazy Sunday drives to gaze upon beautiful homes and gardens while the car radio blasted, exploring the beauty of the HSU campus on foot, and photos taken on the then immaculately manicured Arcata Plaza; it was all fun. They also traveled further away, making their first trip back home to the Açores in 1972.

In 1975 they were blessed with their second daughter, Annapaula. This completed their family and they were able to build a lasting place in their community.

They never lost the love to travel and explore. They vacationed with friends and family to Reno, Lake Tahoe, and all over California and later they traveled through western Europe, Canada, took several cruises, and made many trips to the east coast to visit with family.

Natalia worked in various jobs in the early years and when her eldest daughter was five and ready to attend school, she stayed home to run the household. Natalia demonstrated her love for others with her gifts of hands and heart. She sewed all of her children’s clothing as well as her own, organized and worked hundreds of bake sales, and she was a fantastic cook and baker. A delivery person fortunate enough to deliver on a baking day would be sent off with a loaf of Portuguese sweet bread or bag filled with cookies.

Years later Natalia went to work for Holly Yashi Jewelry where she worked for over 22 years. She loved her job, the many friendships she made, and all the fun that was had while working there. Natalia retired when her granddaughters, Ava and Sophia Walton, were born. She cooked for them, made them frilly dresses, played with them, and she and José Maria helped raise them while their parents, Paula and Jeff, were at work. Ava and Sophia were the brightest and most precious jewels in her family crown and she will now be their special angel.

In September 2019 Natalia suffered a stroke that left her in a wheelchair and without the ability to do the things she loved the most. Typical of her personality she made the most of her situation and while life became more isolated due to her stroke and then the pandemic, she and José Maria found a new way to live. It was quieter and less active, but it was a sweet time spent reminiscing about their lives together, dreams realized, their adventures, and all the fun they had together and with their friends. They felt they had done pretty well for a couple of young dreamers who traveled from two tiny islands in the Atlantic to an unknown country with little more than the clothes on their back and a few dollars in their pockets.

Natalia was preceded in death by her parents, João and Constantina Botelho, and two of her younger brothers, Antonio and José. She leaves behind her husband of nearly 64 years, José Maria Avelar, who took such beautiful care of her. He tended to her every need over the last five years, and we are forever grateful to him for his loyalty and selflessness. Daughters, Helena Avelar and Annapaula Walton (and husband Jeff) and Granddaughters Ava and Sophia Walton, and her remaining siblings Constantina Medeiros, João (Filomena) Botelho, Manuel Botelho, and Eduarda (Januario) Pereira, including many nieces and nephews, and their spouses and children.

For most people who only knew Natalia in passing they’d think of her as a quiet woman with a lovely, warm smile. For her inner circle, they knew she was hilarious and known for her zippy one-liners. Natalia leaves an immeasurable void, but our hearts are filled with gratitude that her passing was peaceful and she’s now free.

Funeral mass will be held Saturday, January 11, 2025, at 11 a.m., St Mary’s Catholic Church, Arcata. Private interment to follow.

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

Charles (Charlie) Albert Womack passed away peaceful- ly on December 30, 2024, at age 101, in Eureka, after a brief illness.

Charlie was born at home near Pineville, Louisiana, and at age one traveled in a Ford Model T to Northern California with his parents, grandmother, and aunt and uncle. The trip took over a month, stopping to sleep at friendly farmers’ houses.

They settled in Crannell, where his father worked at the Little River Redwood Company. As a teenager, Charlie delivered milk door-to-door.

Charlie served in WWII as a Navy Seaman 2nd Class radio operator aboard a Liberty ship in the Pacific Ocean. The ship visited Guam, New Guinea, Hawaii, and Australia. After the war, he used the GI Bill to study accounting.

Charlie met his future wife, Marguerite, at Arcata First Baptist Church youth group. They were married in 1949 and settled in the Sunnybrae area of Arcata where they lived for over 65 years and raised their three children. He applied for a mechanic’s job at PC Sacchi Chevrolet in Arcata, but the bookkeeper had just resigned so he was given that position, which he held for over 25 years.

His final employment was at Opie’s Cars in McKinleyville. He was an entrepreneur, owning the Stump House in Eureka, building the Arcata Carwash, owning several rental properties and a laundromat, all while working full-time at various car dealers in accounting.

After becoming empty nesters, he and Marguerite enjoyed years of square dancing and going to garage sales. They travelled to Hawaii twice, enjoyed cruises, and made long road trips to visit family well into their golden years.

He was predeceased by his wife, Marguerite, in 2017, his sister Gloria, and his parents Watson and Willie. Survivors include his three children: Leland (Margaret) of Escondido, California; Barry (Claudia) of Joseph, Oregon; Cheryl Maple (John) of Eureka; seven grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren.

We would like to thank the caring staff at Timber Ridge Care in Eureka, where he lived his last years. Charlie will be fondly remembered for his kind, gentle nature, sense of humor, and positive outlook. He rarely complained and made the best of whatever came his way. A private memorial service is planned.

Kathy Dorene (Wells) Sutherland (June, 13 1946 - December 23, 2024), a longtime Humboldt County resident, passed away at the age of 78 at her daughter’s home in Hanford, California on December 23, 2024.

She was born on June 13, 1946, to parents Ike and Nancy Wells in Tillamook, Oregon. When she was three years old, the family moved to Whitethorn, where she attended several years of elementary school until her dad moved them to Mayfield, Idaho to try his hand at cattle ranching. Idaho is where she found her love of horses, which she never outgrew. She loved everything about helping her dad on the ranch. She often spoke of it as being some of her best childhood memories.

When she was 14, the family moved to Redway for her dad to return to the logging industry. Not long after her return to Humboldt County, she met the love of her life, William Sutherland, and on January 30, 1963 she was married at the young age of 16. At age 17 she became a mom for the first time with the birth of her only son, Tommis Sutherland, then just one year later her daughter Valerie Sutherland was born. In the early years of her marriage and motherhood she did her part to help her family financially. She took in other people’s laundry to wash and iron, she cleaned motel rooms for a few years, then worked at the Miranda Market as a meat cutter.

In 1978 she gave birth to her last daughter, Jenny Sutherland, and shortly after that she began her school bus driving career. She was an exceptional driver, receiving School Bus Driver of the Year one year and countless Safe Driving Awards. She is remembered fondly by many students that considered her as the best bus driver ever. She retired after 32 years with a zero accident clean record.

She was always a very active, hard-working person. Over the years she built fences, rebuilt barns, remodeled her kitchen, fixed the water pump, kept the yard up, grew vegetable gardens, canned tons of food, always had animals to care for and she loved to sew and crotchet. She was a strong, beautiful, kind person. After retirement one could often find her playing slots at the Bear River Casino until her life-crippling disease, rheumatoid arthritis, made it impossible for her to do much but crotchet, and crotchet she did, up until five days before her passing. She made countless baby blankets that she happily shared with neighbors and family members.

Kathy is survived by her husband of 61 years, 11 months William Sutherland; her children Tommis (Alita) Sutherland, Valerie (Dan) Welzbacker, Jenny Sutherland (Jason); her brother Bill (Judy) Wells; her sister Ellen Vaughn; brothers-in-law Daniel (Marlene), George (Teresa), Johnny (Lorna) Sutherland; sisters-in-law Dora Minikal, Mary Bigger; grandchildren Kyle, Travis Harrison, Larissa (Nick) Arbuthnot, Donavan Pogue, Amy (Justin), Molly (Frank), Jimmy Sutherland (Kayla); great-grandchildren Makala, Austin, Aubree Harrison, Lila, Camden Arbuthnot, Quinn Bramlett; step-grandchild Emily Welzbacker; as well as numerous nieces, nephews, friends and other family members.

Kathy was preceded in death by her parents, Ike and Nancy Wells; in-laws Daniel and Wilhemina Sutherland; brother Dale Wells; sister Laura Methin; sisters-in-law Peal Coffer, Dorothy Sutherland; brother-in-laws Clearance Sutherland, James Sutherland, Thomas Bigger, Robert Vaughn, Ken Methuin; as well as several nieces, nephews, friends and other family members.

A memorial will be held for Kathy at the Briceland Cemetery on May 10, 2025 at 2 p.m., with a get-together of food and refreshments after, at Beginnings in Briceland.

Kristi Lynn Parsells was born on July 19, a sunny day in 1976, amidst the towering redwoods of Humboldt County. She unexpectedly passed away on November 6, 2024, at the age of 48, due to her heart complications. Throughout her life, she called the cozy town of Rio Dell her home. Kristi was a force of nature with an infectious sense of humor and warmth that could light up even the gloomiest of days. She was the kind of person who made strangers feel like friends and friends feel like family. When Kristi was around, everyone would flock to her like the renown leader she was. She was truly inspiring and artistic in her own ways.

Kristi blossomed over the past few years into a true aficionado of plants and succulents, transforming her outdoor space into a vibrant oasis of natural beauty that attracted many. Her artistic talent shined through in the magnificent displays she created, where each succulent was thoughtfully placed to enhance the harmony of color and texture, while delicate waterfalls trickle nearby, adding a soothing soundtrack to her garden paradise. With each new arrangement, Kristi infused her love for nature into her work, turning her once simple garden into a breathtaking exhibition that not only reflects her passion but provided a serene sanctuary for herself, Kaleb, and all who happen upon it.

Kristi’s greatest accomplishments were her beloved sons, Dannon, born in 1999, and Klayton, who came into the world in 2001. The love she had for them was her life’s masterpiece. In the past six years, her joy further blossomed when she took on the cherished role of Meemaw to her grandson Kaleb. The bond they shared was a testament to the loving and nurturing heart she was known for.

Her family was her world, and she leaves behind a legacy of laughter and resilience.

Kristi is survived by her children, Dannon Parsells (Emylee Sutton) and Klayton Miller (Dylan Collins); her parents, Sherry Ridenour and Robert Parsells (Karen Hower); her siblings, Tina (Trevor) Burns, Heidi (Truman) Elick, Terra Town (Sean O’Neal), Colin Town (Leah Mandon), Houston Town, and Michael Ridenour; nieces and nephews Tristan Jeffers, Wyatt Burns, Forrest and Dakota James, Gabe, Shiloh, and Selah Town; aunts and uncles Larry (Kathy) Parrish, JayDean Parrish, and Connie Otis (Ed Hower); cousins Veronica, Austin, and Hailie Haselip, Kendra Walin, Candy Parrish, and Bobby Parrish; and of course, her grandchildren Kaleb, Michael, Anthony, and Leilani.

A celebration of Kristi’s extraordinary life will be held at Rio Dell Fireman’s Hall on Saturday, January 25, 2025 at 1 p.m.

As we gather to remember Kristi, we hold close these words: “Your life was a blessing, your memory a treasure. You are loved beyond words and missed beyond measure.”

Anthony Neil Carroll (Tony)
Sept. 3, 1963 - Dec. 24, 2024

Tony was born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. He is the son of Darrell and Wilda Carroll. Tony departed this life on Christmas Eve, December 24, 2024 at 3:15 a.m. in Eureka California. He suffered from congestive heart failure and various other ailments.

Tony is survived by his mother, Wilda Carroll; his sister Libby (Carroll) Walker; three daughters: Paris Cole, & Madison (Carroll) Martinez of California; five grandchildren, also from California, who he adored — Hunter, and Turner McHatton, Kinsley, Benny Jr. and Eveligh Uber; also a daughter, Sarah Kamp, of Iowa

Preceding Tony in death are his loving wife Pamela Carroll and his father Darrell Carroll.

Tony accepted Christ at an early age, and often spoke to others, of his Savior. When Tony was young he loved to fish and often caught the most fish of the day, when on camping trips with his parents and sister.

Tony enjoyed the simplest things in life. He has always had a love for animals, especially cats. He loved to sing old songs, and he loved to watch western shows and read Louis L’Amour books. He enjoyed football. He liked the Green Bay Packers and the Chiefs. Tony was full of life, very care-free, kind hearted and loving. Tony would give the shirt off of his back to help someone in need especially a friend. He loved to laugh and make those around him laugh as well. Tony will be missed by all who knew and loved him.

A celebration of life will be held at a later date.

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