It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Lavern “Gary” Juchtzer. Gary was born on July 28, 1948, in Crescent City, California, to parents Fritz and Ruth Juchtzer. He passed away on June 19, 2025, at the age of 76, after a long battle with emphysema.

Gary’s childhood was filled with family camping trips and time spent with friends. He had a deep love for the outdoors and enjoyed being outside as much as possible. During his youth, the family moved from Crescent City to Eureka, where Gary grew up alongside his brother, Rick, and his sisters, Diane, Vivian, and Carolyn. After graduating from high school, Gary served in the Marines. Upon returning home, he became a carpenter, a profession he pursued for most of his life. He also worked alongside his brother Rick, cherishing the moments they spent together.

In 2005, Gary retired and moved to Mad River, where he embraced a mountain man lifestyle. Although he often preferred solitude, Gary easily made friends whom he considered part of his extended family. When surrounded by family, he opened up and enjoyed great times together. Friends often referred to him as “Firewalker” due to his inclination to try to walk into the fire during camping trips after enjoying a bit too much to drink.

Gary is survived by his sons, Rick Juchtzer (wife Stacy) and Garrett Juchtzer; his grandson, Logan Juchtzer; and his granddaughters, Halie Juchtzer and Naomi Juchtzer. He is also survived by his sisters, Vivian Juchtzer and Carolyn Garcia (husband Harry), along with many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, Fritz and Ruth Juchtzer; his brother, Rick Juchtzer; and his eldest sister, Diane Smith.

The family would like to extend their gratitude to Ayers Cremation, Humboldt Bay Fire, Bill Long, and Rene Maveety for their support during this journey. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the Cancer Society in memory of Gary Juchtzer.

A celebration of life will be held on Saturday, July 26, 2025, at the Jed Smith Campground off Highway 199 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. This will be a casual gathering, as Gary would have wanted nothing more than a good day at the river with family and friends.

Press release from the Arcata Police Department:

On July 15th, 2025, at about 6:45 PM, the Arcata Police Department investigated a commercial burglary at a business located in the 400 block of South G Street in Arcata.  During the burglary, a large amount of currency was taken.

Arcata Police Department Detectives identified the suspect as an employee of the business, 46-year-old Eureka resident Christopher Michael German. 

On July 17th, 2025, at about 7:20 PM the Arcata Police Department served a search warrant at a residence in the 3400 block of F Street in Eureka, where Christopher German was taken into custody without incident.

German was booked and lodged into the Humboldt County Correctional Facility on burglary and grand theft charges.

This investigation is ongoing, and anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Arcata Police Department’s Investigations Unit at 707-822-2424 or the anonymous crime tip line at 707-825-2588.

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Press release from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office:

On July 17, 2025, at approximately 10:31 a.m., Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) responded to a report of a vehicle burglary and suspect cashing a stolen check from that burglary in the Redway area.    

The investigation revealed that Charles Warren, 30, of Garberville broke into a vehicle, disabled a game camera, and stole a checkbook. Warren then attempted to cash a $2,000 fraudulent check at Vocality Community Credit Union in Garberville.

The bank teller asked Warren for an ID, which he presented to bank staff while attempting the transaction. The bank declined the request and contacted the account holder. The victim then reported the vehicle burglary and attempted check fraud to the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office. 

Deputies responded to the area to investigate the vehicle burglary and locate the suspect. Deputies located Warren at Eel Valley Towing in Redway and subsequently placed him under arrest for theft and for attempting to cash a stolen check. During a search incident to arrest, they found a loaded Glock 10mm handgun in his backpack, which was later confirmed to be stolen. 

Warren was booked on the following charges:

• PC470(d) – Forgery: Intent to Defraud
• PC29800(a)(1) – Felon in Possession of a Firearm
• PC484(a) – Theft of Property
• PC594(a)(2)(A) – Vandalism Under $400
• PC1203.2(a) – Violation of Probation

Anyone with additional information about this case is asked to contact the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office at (707) 445-7251 or the Sheriff’s Crime Tip Line at (707) 268-2539.

Update, July 22 at 3:31 p.m.: Read the response from the owners of the Royal Crest Mobile Estates, which isn’t Storz Management Company as was reported in a previous version of this article.

Lana Craig is 80 years old. Her house, a coral-green mobile home in Fortuna with a view of the Ferndale Bluffs, is stuffed with colorful books, plants and religious ephemera she’s had so long she can’t remember where it all came from. She fell in love with that house the first time she saw it; she told her realtor she wanted it without even going inside it first. It reminds her of the home in Hayfork she lived in for 20 years after she retired with her brother before he died. She thought her new home would be an excellent place to live out her last years; it was beautiful, but also affordable on her fixed income. 

Then the rent went up shortly, from $745 every month to $914. Utilities are another $200. She earns $1,900 a month from Social Security. 

The math is relentless, the subtraction endless. She estimates she can afford it for another three years until her savings have totally evaporated. 

Craig is looking for a job. She’s applied for work at the Dollar General and the Walgreens in Fortuna. She wouldn’t have to leave town to get there, and she’s sure she’d do a good job.

“As you can see, I’m pretty adequate,” Craig said. “I’ve done everything from cleaning toilets, I’ve owned businesses, and I’ve managed businesses, so I’d be a good employee…I’m hoping that I’ll get a chance for a one-on-one interview with someone. If they see me, and see that I can work, and that I can talk with people, and I’m customer oriented — that’s what I’ve had to do. So…”

She trailed off.

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Craig lives at Royal Crest Mobile Estates, a 205-unit seniors-only mobile home park in a little corner of Fortuna. There, the rent has gone up over and over again in the last few years, up over 21% from what it was four years ago, higher than the 15% increase in the Consumer Price Index. (Although the residents own the homes they live in, they have to pay rent on the land the houses sit on.) 

It’s ran by the Storz Management Company, a real-estate management firm in Orangevale that specializes in mobile home parks. They own 25 of them and claim over $200 million has been invested with their company. A California Limited Partnership named Royal Crest Investors LP owns the park.

Craig believes herself to be blessed with impressive mental alacrity and physical strength for a woman her age, but not everyone at Royal Crest is that lucky. Many are too old to work, or rely on a working partner that’s likely nearing retirement themselves. 

Layne Moon, 59, another resident of Royal Crest, said she’s seen three or four people move out in the last year alone because they couldn’t afford to pay the rent, and another five moved out because they were about to reach that point. Moon has a neighbor in her late 70s who walks four miles round-trip to get to her part-time job because she can’t both pay the rent and get her car fixed. Some bundle up in sweaters because they can’t afford to turn on the heat. Others have had to get rid of their pets.

On Monday, July 21, a number of them will petition the Fortuna City Council to add an item to a future agenda (they’d like it to be sometime in August) that they hope would alleviate things somewhat: a Rent Stabilization Ordinance (RSO) that will limit how much mobile home owners in Fortuna are legally able to raise the rent on their tenants. Three councilmembers will have to approve of the idea to put it on an agenda. 

Save Our Seniors (SOS), the group that Moon and Craig are in that is responsible for the petition, hope a future RSO passed in August would tie the rent to the Consumer Price Index. Landlords wouldn’t be able to raise the rent more than 50% of the CPI annually. It’s currently legal in California to increase rent on mobile homes every 90 days. It would also have measures to prevent landowners from letting the grounds and public spaces rot. 

If the city council ends up passing the RSO, it won’t be the first in Humboldt County. Voters passed Measure V by 5,000 votes in 2016, an RSO battled by almost $150,000 in out-of-town donations from real estate millionaires, and Arcata’s city council passed one of its own in 2017.

Reached by phone, Fortuna mayor Mike Johnson said he didn’t know enough about the proposed ordinance to comment on it. 

Some Royal Crest residents feel exploited by Storz, who advertise that they can help investors purchase and maintain mobile home parks for consistent profit. Other communities have complained in the past about Storz and their rent hikes, as well as out-of-the-blue eviction notices that Storz later walked back. 

“Mobile home communities offer a combination of steady cash flow, long-term appreciation, and relatively low volatility,” reads their website under the headline “A Hidden Gem in the World of Investing.” “With a growing demand for affordable housing and a fragmented market ripe for consolidation, the potential for returns is significant.”

Moon claimed that just about every time Storz fixed something on the property, her rent would go up. When she moved in four years ago, her total rent with utilities was around $740 every month; it’s now over $1,300. 

Moon and Craig had expected their rents to go up year-over-year when they moved in, but not to the degree that they did. In 2015, the average rent in the park was around $440 (about $600 when adjusted for inflation). 

Leaving isn’t really an option. The phrase “mobile home” is a misnomer except to a privileged few. It would be almost impossible for a financially besieged senior to pick the house up and move somewhere else. It usually costs around $30,000 to move the house, and another $20,000 to hook it up to utilities. 

SOS members say that an RSO won’t have negative effects on the community. The owners of Storz don’t live in the area, the thinking goes, and don’t really invest their profits back into Fortuna. With lower rents, SOS says the Royal Crest dwellers will have more money to spend in Fortuna. 

“[City council’s] job is to protect these 300 seniors, not to protect this one millionaire who’s taking money out of your community and paying [investors] and himself,” said Hilary Mosher, a volunteer with SOS who helped lead the push behind Measure V in 2016. “Your movie theater shuts down, your restaurants are shut down. Nobody has discretionary spending money anymore when their rent is going up.”

Mobile homes are also worth less when the rent is higher. The Mobile Home Park Home Owners Allegiance estimates that for every $10 lot rent goes up, the equity of the house drops $1,000.

Moon and Craig admit they didn’t necessarily ask the right questions or read through all of the fine print when they moved in, a decision they regret but cannot change. 

Many elderly people don’t have the strength to combat practices they see as predatory. 

“As you get older, it’s harder to process things,” Moon said. “There’s more fear and vulnerability. You’re more easily intimidated or taken advantage of. And that’s what it feels like this whole thing is about. I’m still somewhat young. My husband’s 12 years older than me, and we were looking for a place — it’s your last home. It’s where you want to be. It’s just the end of it, right? It’s easy, it’s safe, and then it’s not, after so many years.”

Members of SOS and Mosher said they aren’t trying to totally throttle Storz’s profits. They’re not asking for them to make nothing, they say, but simply a healthy return that doesn’t force people out of their homes. 

“We’re in favor of a fair return,” Mosher said. “We’re just not in favor of an egregious return.”

If Craig can’t afford to stay at Royal Crest, she said she has no idea what she’d do.

“This keeps me up at night,” Craig said. “This keeps me up sleepless at night, thinking about that, wondering about it, but I don’t want to go there and make it real.”

We’re waiting on comment from Storz. This article will be updated when it is received.

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PREVIOUSLY: Humboldt Sheriff, District Attorney Commit to Uphold Local, State Sanctuary Policies That Protect Undocumented Residents From ICE

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In its latest effort to ramp up deportation arrests in California, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) sent letters to multiple county sheriffs on Thursday requesting the names of inmates in state and county jails who are not U.S. citizens, along with information on the crimes they committed and their scheduled release dates. If sheriffs do not comply within 30 days, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said, the federal government will “pursue all available means of obtaining the data.”

Honsal

Humboldt County Sheriff William Honsal told the Outpost in an interview this morning that his office wasn’t included in Bondi’s mailing list, noting that the request appears to be directed at major California counties.

“In communicating with other sheriffs around the state, it looks like Los Angeles, Riverside, San Diego and San Francisco [counties] were served with these letters,” Honsal said, adding that one of the sheriffs sent him a copy of the letter, which can be read in full here. “I have not been served with a letter, and I don’t think we will be [because] we don’t get a whole lot of people in our custody that [were] previously contacted by immigration [authorities] as many of those other counties do.”

While Bondi’s letter threatens “subpoenas or other compulsory process” for sheriffs who refuse to comply with the DOJ’s request, Honsal dismissed it as “posturing” and criticized the federal government for using law enforcement officials as “pawns” in a political game.

“This is posturing, is what this is,” he said. “Most sheriffs are nonpartisan, and we don’t adhere to politics or someone’s view or interpretation — the law is the law. … And this letter was produced in the news media first. A phone call should have been made by the Attorney General or someone from the DOJ to each of these sheriffs individually to let them know that they’re going to receive a letter. … We just believe we’re being played [as] pawns in this whole thing.”

In the months following President Donald J. Trump’s return to office, Honsal and Humboldt County District Attorney Stacey Eads have vowed to uphold local and state sanctuary policies that prohibit local enforcement agencies from asking someone about their immigration status or sharing personal information with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). However, there are exceptions for certain offenders.

“The law allows us, if [immigration authorities] call, to coordinate the release of someone who is in the country illegally, who’s been previously convicted of a serious or violent felony,” Honsal explained. “Also, if there’s a federal immigration warrant that’s signed by a judge. Those are [instances] where we can help out and facilitate a release to the U.S. Marshals or ICE.”

In years past, HCSO’s interactions with ICE have been triggered by a fresh arrest. When a person is booked and fingerprinted at the local jail, their information is transmitted to federal law enforcement and immigration authorities. If the person in custody is wanted for an immigration violation, the feds will ask for them to be held on a detainer. 

The sheriff’s office “will not hold an individual beyond their release time,” Honsal said, but if immigration authorities arrive before they’re let go, they could be taken into custody.

“[ICE] will get the same notice we do and say, ‘Hey, Humboldt County just got John Smith, who’s in the country illegally, in their jail’ and they have the opportunity to call us up and say, ‘Hey, is John Smith still in your jail? What’s his release date?’” he continued. “We will provide them with that information — just like we would provide anyone with that information, because it’s public information — and if they happen to be here at the moment of their release, they can take them into custody. That has happened, but we do not facilitate it.”

Honsal reiterated several times during our conversation that the information sought by the DOJ is already publicly accessible.

“Everything they’re asking for is public; they don’t have to grandstand for it,” he continued. “We’re just tired of being in the middle of this. … If people want to change the law, the federal government has the opportunity to change immigration law. But in the meantime, we’re just caught in the middle here.”

While federal immigration raids are currently focused in Southern California, Honsal said it’s only a matter of time until ICE starts working its way up north. In the meantime, he emphasized that the sheriff’s office will not ask people for their immigration status and encouraged residents to contact law enforcement if they need help.

“I just want to assure everyone that [ICE] is a separate entity,” he said. “[Immigration] is the federal government’s responsibility, not [the] local sheriff’s, not local law enforcement. We’re just enforcing the law and keeping the peace — that’s our goal.”

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KEET-TV is in serious trouble, as are many other PBS member stations across the country, especially those in tribal and rural communities, following last night’s Congressional approval of a White House request to strip $1.1 billion in funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB). 

“It’s just gone,” KEET General Manager David Gordon said in a phone interview this morning. CPB funds represent about 45 percent of the station’s operating budget, and those funds typically get distributed twice per year — the first round arriving in April and the second coming in late October or early November. Not this year, though. And likely never again. “It’s just gone,” he repeated. “It’s not there.”

A side note: KEET-TV has been off the air for the past week and a half or so due to equipment issues, which staff are working to repair.

Gordon said he hopes to get a better understanding of how these drastic funding cuts will impact KEET next Wednesday when he meets with other PBS station managers. They’re hoping to hear from executives of the 56-year-old public broadcaster about the network’s plans moving forward, including its expectations for membership dues from local stations. 

KEET received $862,900 from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting in Fiscal Year 2024, the most recent data available. 

Regardless of the details, though, with nearly half of KEET’s funding now eliminated, Gordon expects the impacts to permeate throughout the station’s operations, possibly even jeopardizing its existence in any recognizable form.

“Bottom line: if the dues structure is to stay the same … it’s doubtful that there will be much if any PBS programming on our air,” Gordon said. 

How much of the station’s current programming comes from PBS?

“Almost all of it,” he replied. That includes landmark children’s programming such as “Sesame Street” as well as news, educational and entertainment shows such as “PBS NewsHour,” “Frontline,” “NOVA,” “Antiques Roadshow” and “American Experience.” 

“There are some local programs we do, and we do have some programs from other sources. But it’s a small portion of our weekly and yearly schedule,” Gordon said. The station’s PBS-sourced programming spans across several channels, including KEET Kids, a Create channel, a World channel and FNX — First Nations Experience, which is devoted exclusively to Native American and World Indigenous content. 

In an interview with the Washington Post earlier this week, PBS President Paula Kerger said she expects rural stations to get hit the hardest by the elimination of funding. 

“[I]t’s hard for me to imagine that there’s a long-term path there,” Kerger said. While PBS will survive in some form, she expects this move by Congress and the White House to simply eliminate a lot of PBS stations across the country.

“If you lose a local newspaper in a small community, someone can come in at another point and start up another local newspaper,” Kerger said. “But once broadcast licenses are gone, they’re gone. I can imagine they would be auctioned off for whatever purpose and you won’t have a local [PBS] television station again in a community.”

Gordon said KEET could well be one of the stations lost.

“I think there absolutely is an existential threat, because although there are alternative programing sources [from which] we could potentially put a non-commercial education schedule together and air it, it’s not going to be PBS,” he said. A financial cut this deep will impact not only programming but also day-to-day operations. Expenses include payroll for the station’s seven employees and bills necessary to keep the transmitters running and the power on. 

Gordon reiterated that he needs to consult with PBS executives and other station managers to get a better idea of what’s next, but he thinks those with the most at stake in the community are the local kids who have no other options for quality early education programs, shows that help teach children how to read and write, practice good manners — “all these things that PBS programming has taught generations of kids,” Gordon said. “That’s the biggest impact. It would not be here.”

The funding cuts will also impact public radio stations. The Outpost left voicemails and sent emails seeking comment from both KMUD and KHSU but did not hear back before publication time. Nearly 25 percent of KMUD’s operating budget comes from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the station’s manager told reporter Daniel Mintz earlier this year. 

KHSU is currently managed by CSU Sacramento NPR affiliate CapRadio, though operations are scheduled to return to Cal Poly Humboldt by the end of this year. A spokesperson for the university directed questions about the impact of funding cuts on KHSU to CapRadio’s chief marketing and revenue officer, who has not yet responded to an emailed list of questions.

[UPDATE, 3:13 p.m.: That executive, Chris Bruno, tells the Outpost via phone that the CPB funding cuts will not have a direct impact on KHSU. The station, under CapRadio’s management, has been operating independent of CPB funding for the past two fiscal years. While the station runs programming from National Public Radio, the bulk of funding for NPR comes from business and corporate sponsors, Bruno said.]

Earlier today, Gordon posted the following statement on KEET-TV’s Facebook page earlier today:

Dear Friends,

I’m writing to you today not just as KEET’s Executive Director, but as your neighbor on the Redwood Coast.

Congress has now passed a bill eliminating all federal funding for public broadcasting—threatening the foundation on which stations like KEET depend. At this moment, we are in urgent discussions with PBS and our national partners, working to understand whether they will help us continue to bring vital content to our community. Until we know more, we cannot say exactly what programming will be affected.

What we do know is this:

We will be forced to make painful cuts to both staff and programming in the days ahead. These decisions are heartbreaking, but our goal is to do everything possible to keep KEET serving the Redwood Coast.
Your support—now and in the future—will make all the difference as we fight for the station’s survival.

We promise to keep you informed as the picture becomes clearer. In the meantime, please know how deeply grateful we are for your belief in local public media.

With resolve and appreciation,

David Gordon
Executive Director

NOTE: This story has been updated to include a response from Chris Bruno and to add financial information about CPB grants.

Above: This morning’s video briefing on the Orleans Complex fire, with a particular focus on the spot fire on the east side of the river that prompted an evacuation of Forks of Salmon.

Below: Press release from National Forest Service Orleans Complex firefighting management:

Butler Fire: 10,833 acres; 2% containment

Red Fire: 116 acres; 95% containment

• Fire Information: 707-532-5747
• Online Fire Information: www.linktr.ee/srffirepio
• Email:mailto:2025.OrleansComplex@firenet.gov

Operational Updates:

Butler Fire: The Butler Fire spotted over the Salmon River July 17 into the Boyd Gulch area. Additional aircraft were brought in to drop water and retardant, while a surge order of firefighters and equipment arrived early in the evening to provide additional protection for structures in the vicinity, including Forks of Salmon two miles upstream of the fire. Among responding crews were those from the Six Rivers National Forest, Klamath National Forest, and CAL FIRE’s Siskiyou and Humboldt-Del Norte units. A night-flying helicopter was also supplied by CAL FIRE, which dropped water up until 1 a.m. as crews aggressively worked to suppress the fire.

A contingency line completed the previous day off Yellow Jacket Ridge initially held the spot’s progression south toward Forks of Salmon. However, the fire grew to more than 700 acres overnight, spilling over the ridgeline.

Crews continued to strengthen reopened containment lines from previous wildfires around Horn Creek and McNeal Creek ahead of the main fire’s southern edge.

The western fingers of the fire began to naturally converge on one another as fire moved slowly downslope into the Hammel Creek drainage around Orleans Mountain. Butler Creek remained effective in holding the fire’s westerly growth, with scars from the 2024 Boise Fire and 2023 Pearch Fires serving as backstops.

Firefighter priorities today are gaining control of the Boyd Gulch spot fire, protecting structures around Forks of Salmon, Sawyers Bar and Godfrey Ranch, and preparing control lines south of the main fire west of the Salmon River.

Evacuations:

Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office has issued additional evacuation orders July 17 to include SIS-1710 and SIS-1808. They join existing evacuation orders for FRK-1709 (Forks of Salmon), SIS-1703, SIS-1704 (Butler Creek, Lewis Creek, Bloomer Mine residents and Nordheimer Campground), SIS-1707-A, SIS-1707-B, SIS-1708, SIS-1803-A, SIS-1804 and SIS-1805.

The Siskiyou Office of Emergency Services has established a dedicated phone number to assist people with their evacuation needs: 530-340-3539.

Zones SAW-1713, SIS-1705, SIS-1712, SIS-1802, SIS-1811 and SIS-1906 are under an evacuation warning, where residents are advised to be prepared to evacuate if conditions become more threatening. The latest evacuation information can be found at https://protect.genasys.com.

Closures:

• Butler Fire: The road between Butler Flat and Nordheimer Campground remains closed as rocks and burning debris continued to fall into the roadway.

• National Forests: The Six Rivers and Klamath National Forests issued a joint closure order July 16 within the vicinity of the Butler Fire. The closure includes Nordheimer and Oak Bottom campgrounds.

Weather and Fire Behavior:

• While slightly cooler, temperatures will stay in the low 90s and winds are expected to come mostly come out of the west with occasional gusts up to 20 miles an hour for another active day on the fire line.

Fire Safety and Prevention:

• Persistently high temperatures will keep fuels dry and increase potential fire danger. Forest users are reminded to prevent wildfires: Make sure your campfire is DEAD OUT before leaving it, don’t park on dry grass, and be careful with anything else that can start a wildfire.

The Butler Fire perimeter as of last night, with heat spots on east side of the Salmon River in the south.