Press release from the McKinleyville Community Services District:

The McKinleyville Community Services District (MCSD) today announced it has been awarded $1 million in Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS), secured through the strong advocacy of U.S. Congressman Jared Huffman (CA-02), to implement its comprehensive Forest Management Plan for the McKinleyville Community Forest.

This critical federal funding will be directed toward executing the core priorities of the newly established community forest, including habitat restoration, wildfire risk reduction, and the development of sustainable, accessible public recreation infrastructure.

The 599-acre Community Forest is managed by the MCSD for multiple objectives, including public recreation, timber production, fish and wildlife habitat, and carbon sequestration. The federal funding will specifically enable the district to purchase specialized equipment, fund restoration work along sensitive stream corridors, and begin initial phases of planned trail construction to ensure safe and managed public access.

Congressman Huffman, a steadfast champion of North Coast natural resources, emphasized the strategic importance of the funding. “The McKinleyville Community Forest is a gem for local residents of this growing community,” said Rep. Jared Huffman. “I’m glad I could get these funds to help the McKinleyville Community Services District put its broadly supported plans for recreation, fire protection, and restoration into place to the benefit of the people and wildlife of the North Coast.”

The McKinleyville Community Services District is grateful for Congressman Huffman’s invaluable support and looks forward to the immediate positive impacts this funding will have on the health and accessibility of the Community Forest.

Press release from the Humboldt County Office of Education:

On November 8, 2025, the Humboldt County Office of Education (HCOE) hosted Carrying Our Stories Forward: Celebrating the Launch of the Native American Studies Model Curriculum (NASMC), a landmark event honoring California’s first state-sponsored curriculum designed to center and uplift Native American voices, histories, and perspectives in public education. The event brought together Tribal leaders, educators, youth, and community members for a day of celebration, dialogue, traditional foods, and professional learning — made possible by $30,000 in community donations supporting this historic milestone.

The event’s keynote speaker, Dr. Cutcha Risling Baldy (Hupa, Yurok, Karuk), a Guiding Leader of the NASMC development, spoke from the heart, encouraging educators to embrace the curriculum even when the content feels new or challenging. She reminded participants that learning Native American Studies is an ongoing process and that the NASMC was intentionally designed to support that journey. “You don’t have to redesign your entire curriculum overnight,” she shared. “Start small by integrating one lesson, one unit, or one Indigenous author—and build over time. Use this curriculum as an opportunity to model what learning looks like for students: enthusiasm, reflection, and growth.”

“The NASMC represents far more than a new curriculum, it’s a movement toward truth, healing, and educational justice,” said Michael Davies-Hughes, Superintendent of the Humboldt County Office of Education. “We are honored to stand with California’s Tribes, educators, and students to ensure Native voices are not only represented but centered in our classrooms.”

Developed by the Humboldt County Office of Education in partnership with the San Diego County Office of Education and California Tribal partners, the NASMC is one of four new Model Curricula funded by the state under Education Code §51226.9 and available on the We Are California website hosted by UC Davis. The NASMC includes hundreds of standards-aligned lesson plans and primary source materials, commissioned and licensed Native art, poetry, and oral histories, as well as planning guides and culturally grounded professional development resources.

Created by and with Native educators, youth-serving organizations, and cultural knowledge keepers, the NASMC ensures accuracy, respect, and authenticity. By reflecting Native students’ cultures and worldviews in the classroom, the curriculum supports positive identity development, mental health, and belonging and guides all students to build empathy, awareness, and a deeper understanding of our shared environment.

Humboldt County’s participation in the project reflects its deep commitment to educational equity and community partnership. With 8.8% of Humboldt County students identifying as Native American or Alaska Native and with chronic absenteeism among Native students more than double the countywide rate, HCOE recognized an urgent need to create learning environments that affirm Native identity and strengthen school engagement.

HCOE’s Native American Studies Model Curriculum Learning Specialist, Maggie Peters, continues to expand this work by leading monthly professional development sessions for educators across the state. These sessions offer lesson deep dives, collaborative learning spaces, and Cal Poly Humboldt course credit to deepen teacher capacity in implementing the NASMC.

“This moment is an affirmation of truth, resilience, and shared commitment to the future,” said Peters. “The NASMC shows what’s possible when Tribes, educators, and communities work together to restore balance through education.”

“I was astounded at the breadth of the NASMC project,” shared educator and curriculum writer Cheryl Tuttle (Yurok/Karuk), who was honored for her contributions to the NASMC at the event. “It really hit me at the event—the variety, the age differences, the different mediums, and the complexity involved!”

As the NASMC takes root statewide, organizers invite the public to carry this work forward by honoring Indigenous communities and strengthening relationships with Tribes and Indigenous-led networks to uphold culture, tradition, and sovereignty. Supporting the First Peoples of Humboldt County and California means affirming Native identities through accountability, curiosity, and respect for community and place.

This effort also calls for integrating Native perspectives into education and policy by moving from consultation to true collaboration with Tribes and Indigenous-led networks to ensure accurate representation and co-created approaches. Most importantly, advocates are encouraged to ensure this first step becomes a foundation, not a finish line, by supporting continued funding so that the NASMC grows into a comprehensive curriculum representing all Tribes and reaching every school in California.

We all share the responsibility and have the opportunity to grow, unlearn, and reimagine how we understand history, place, and belonging. This event marked not only a celebration of what has been achieved, but also a call to sustain and expand this work. Together, we can ensure that Native American Studies remains a living, evolving part of California’s classrooms for generations to come.

For more information, please visit this link or contact HCOE’s Native American Learning Specialist, Maggie Peters mpeters@hcoe.org or 707-441-4503.

###

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

###

Bone-colored bluffs and jagged cliffs line the Monterey shoreline where chalky sand meets redwoods.

Its rugged coastline, including beloved destinations such as Big Sur, is well-known California iconography protected by the California Coastal Act for nearly 50 years.

In a push to address the state’s gripping housing crisis, the California Coastal Commission last week approved a rule change to make it easier to build affordable housing in Monterey and elsewhere along the hundreds of miles of the Pacific coast.

It was the latest effort by the powerful state agency to combat its poor reputation among housing advocates and Democratic leaders who see it as an obstacle to drastic housing reform in California’s coveted coastal regions. While minor and uncontroversial, the amendment was one of a few shifts the commission has made in recent months in an effort to be viewed as playing a part in addressing the state’s crippling housing crisis.

It released a report for the first time in 2024 that showed local governments were responsible for approving the vast majority of permits in coastal regions, and this year the agency worked with housing activists to make it easier to build student housing in coastal cities. Nor did the coastal commission oppose the landmark housing reform law that excludes most new developments from environmental review.

“I think it’s going to have a real-life change,” Susan Jordan, a longtime conservation activist and founder of the California Coastal Protection Network, said of the regulatory amendment at the meeting.

Reputation rehab: Steps toward more housing

Twelve people — six local elected officials and six members of the public — vote on the independent, quasi-judicial state agency tasked with conserving more than 800 miles of the California coast and keeping it open to the public. Its authority spans about 1,000 yards inland from where the land meets the water at high tide.

The commission has faced relentless scrutiny in recent years for not permitting enough affordable housing in coastal cities, or doing so too slowly, as state lawmakers have stripped numerous housing regulations to make it easier to build more apartments.

Gov. Gavin Newsom, a critic of the commission, and other Democratic leaders have appointed three pro-development local officials this year to help get more housing and other developments approved along the Pacific coast.

In October, Newsom appointed wealthy real estate developer Jaime Lee to replace Effie Turnbull Sanders. An attorney appointed by former Gov. Jerry Brown, Sanders was lauded by environmentalists for heralding environmental justice policies to the agency.

Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas, a Salinas Democrat, named two pro-development appointees to the commission in May: Chris Lopez, a Monterey County supervisor, and Chula Vista councilmember Jose Preciado.

Ray Jackson, a Hermosa Beach councilmember, was appointed earlier this year by Democratic Senate President Pro Tem Mike McGuire of Santa Rosa, and is largely a skeptic of big developers.

In a unanimous vote last week, Peciado, Lopez and Jackson each approved changing the commission’s rules to give affordable housing projects in coastal areas more time to be built, from two to five years after permits are issued. Lee was not at the Nov. 6 meeting.

Staff and commissioners hailed the change as a step in the right direction for affordable housing developments that cannot be financed quickly enough under the previous two-year deadline.

“I think next year would be a good opportunity to roll out an education campaign in the Legislature to highlight some of the movements we made toward this,” Commissioner Linda Escalante said. “I don’t know if we can have a white paper that we can walk around with and figure out some of the reputation issues that we have.”

A history of protecting the coastline

Critics of the commission point to the exorbitant coastal housing prices, some of the highest in the country, and the disproportionate number of white residents, as exacerbating the housing shortage. To some, the commission’s priorities have not matched the urgency of lawmakers and local officials to help solve the cost problem.

Two-thirds of coastal residents are white, about twice as many as in the state as a whole, according to an analysis by Nicholas Depsky at the United Nations Development Programme.

Fewer than 2.5% of California residents live in coastal cities, or “coastal zones,” which comprise less than 1% of land in the state but are home to some of the most valuable real estate in the world, from Malibu to Marin.

The Coastal Commission began as a 1972 ballot initiative in the shadow of the 1969 Santa Barbara oil spill, one of the worst environmental disasters in the country at the time. Amid a broader national environmental movement, there was greater concern about how to protect California’s coveted shoreline in the midst of unregulated offshore drilling and fears of relentless development that would mirror Miami’s coastline.

Four years later, the state Legislature made the commission permanent with the Coastal Act to protect its natural habitats and keep beaches open to the public.

Early tensions between then-Gov. Jerry Brown and the commission brewed when he slammed its members as “bureaucratic thugs” in 1978, just years after championing its creation. Brown would spend his final years in office, nearly 40 years later, roiled by criticism from environmentalists who accused him of appointing commissioners who were too pro-development. Those fears were heightened with the ousting of executive director Charles Lester in 2016, a strong advocate for coastal protection.

Scrutiny of the commission has accelerated in the Newsom administration, as the governor has publicly chided the agency for its broad powers. After the Los Angeles fires, he swiftly moved to suspend all of its authority over rebuilding efforts in the Pacific Palisades, which abut the coastline.

Last year, the commission rejected billionaire Elon Musk’s proposal to increase the number of SpaceX rocket launches off the Santa Barbara coast while criticizing his support of President Donald Trump. Newsom said he was “with Elon” after the company filed a lawsuit for political discrimination. The case is still pending.

Lee, the newest commissioner, hails from Los Angeles and has built a reputation as a prolific builder known for revitalizing Koreatown. Her real estate company, Jamison properties, has built 6,600 multifamily units and is one of the largest private landowners in Los Angeles, according to its website.

Lee did not return emails and phone calls seeking comment from CalMatters.

The new appointments have made many pro-housing advocates hopeful. “We now have three out of 12 voting members who are appointed to the commission in this period when many legislators and the governor want reform at the commission to design more affordable housing,” said Louis Mirante, a lobbyist with the business coalition Bay Area Council. “That tells me that these members will probably move that vision forward.”

Lopez, who has emphasized his support for affordable housing on the coast since joining the commission, said the optimism is warranted.

“I think that that excitement is well placed given where we’re sitting at right now and given the voice that the speaker and the governor are giving at this issue and wanting to see a remedy to it,” Lopez said. “And I do feel it’s the reason I was put here was to have that conversation at the forefront.”

Environmental advocates watch

Environmentalists have mostly been quiet about the new appointments. Instead, they are waiting to see how they vote before raising the alarm.

“While there have been concerns expressed within the environmental movement, at this point we have no idea how this commissioner (Lee) will be,” said Jennifer Savage, associate director of Surfrider Foundation, a coastal protection advocacy group. Lee was not an obvious choice for many, but Savage is optimistic that she’ll support coastal protection.

“It’s actually not that surprising that the governor would appoint someone with housing expertise,” given the political climate, she continued.

A longtime local water authority official and current administrator at San Diego State University, Preciado said part of his pitch for the role to top Democratic leaders was that he wanted to see more of the coast developed to help create jobs and homes for working-class families.

“We have a keen interest in developing the California coast in such a way where underrepresented communities that live on the coast have more access,” Preciado said of himself and Lopez.

Wealthy coastal residents have long sparred with the commission over violations for blocking public access, such as Silicon Valley billionaire Vinod Khosla, who has been entangled in a slew of legal fights with regulators and coastal groups for years over access to Martins Beach near Half Moon Bay.

Many commissioners and staff view protecting public access and conservation as their primary purpose rather than housing policy.

Conservationism is out of style, even among Democrats, which has led support for the commission to dramatically shift in recent years, according to legislative director Sarah Christie.

To some commissioners, lawmakers’ push to rip away more and more of its housing authority is a misguided attempt to simplify a complex issue. They point out that 80% of coastal cities and counties have their own coastal laws and are not subject to the commission.

“It’s creating a lot of chaos and dysfunction at the local level and is making it harder,” Christie said of the movement toward slashing housing regulations. “In the Legislature’s enthusiasm and zeal in order to effectuate housing more quickly, they’re kind of stepping on themselves.”

Jackson, a commissioner who represents the South Bay, said lawmakers need to focus more on affordable housing rather than increasing supply more broadly.

Special environmental considerations and its highly sought after nature are what make the coastal zone uniquely expensive, Preciado said. “I think that a broader view, a more objective view, is that developing on the coast is different than developing in urban areas.”

###

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

###

Every day, Californians struggle to afford medications or wait weeks or months for mental health appointments. Thousands in the “sandwich generation” juggle caring for elderly parents with raising children.

Those are top health care issues Californians want to see the next governor address, according to a recent poll. The candidates vying to succeed Gov. Gavin Newsom offered views on them – and addressed the Trump administration’s coming cuts to safety net programs – at a recent forum at UC Riverside organized by philanthropic foundations.

“The reality is too many Californians face barriers to health and wellness in our state,” said Richard Tate, president and CEO of the California Wellness Foundation, one of the organizations sponsoring the event. He said the forum was planned to take place in the Inland Empire, where residents experience some of the largest disparities in health outcomes.

Four candidates, all Democrats, took part in the forum. Former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and former State Controller Betty Yee all agreed that state response to federal cuts will require them to push for efficiency in the health care system – and look for new sources of revenue. They disagreed on how to fund the state’s response.

To better understand the health care issues in the nascent gubernatorial race, CalMatters also reached out to frontrunners not in attendance: former Congresswoman Katie Porter, Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco and former Fox News Host Steve Hilton. All three polled well in a recent California Wellness Foundation survey. None of them returned interview requests or answered questions about their health policy priorities or vision by the deadline.

Becerra touts experience standing up to Trump

If elected, Becerra pledges to be the state’s “health care governor” — a title that Gov. Gavin Newsom also often embraced.

Becerra, 67, touted his experience responding to a public health emergency and negotiating lower drug prices in President Biden’s cabinet. He did so for medications such as blood thinners, diabetes drugs and others as part of a Medicare drug negotiation program. And as a former state Attorney General, he sued the previous Trump administration 123 times. He positioned himself as a strong opponent to federal cutbacks to health.

“We will not take a knee to what Donald Trump has done to health care,” Becerra said. “We will not go backwards.”

An estimated 3.4 million Californians will lose coverage as a result of the Trump administration’s cuts to the Medicaid program as approved in this year’s federal spending plan. And if Congress does not renew the enhanced premium subsidies for the Affordable Care Act by the end of year, another 400,000 who buy health plans through Covered California could be priced out.

Filling those gaps is a tall order for the state, but he said it is worth reviewing the tax code to make sure billionaires are paying their fair share to help fund the safety net.

“We can be rational when it comes to our tax book. But then let’s put the money where it should be on health care,” Becerra said. “I can tell you right now, there is too much money being misspent.”

That’s because spending should be prioritized on preventive care and on keeping people well in the first place, he said.

“We need to provide for (people) at the front door, not in the emergency room.”

Thurmond floats single-payer system for California

Among Thurmond’s boldest visions is that of creating a state-run single-payer system, where a public entity handles health care financing – acting as insurer, paying providers, and covering medical costs for all. That’s an idea once floated by Newsom, but abandoned because of its expense and complexity.

Thurmond, 57, says his support of a single payer system stems from watching his brother die from a rare liver disease. His brother couldn’t afford health insurance, he said, and stopped going to the doctor even though he was sick.

But a system like that would take years to set up, hundreds of billions of dollars and would also require federal approval.

More immediately Thurmond said he’d seek legislation to expand requirements for employers to provide quality health care to their workers. “We have many employers in this state who require their employees to get health care through public assistance. And if you do that as an employer you’re going to be held to account,” Thurmond said. “On the flipside…If you’re doing the right thing we’ll reward you with tax credits.”

Like Becerra, Thurmond also supports the idea of taxing the wealthy to increase funding for health care.

If elected, Thurmond pledged to work with Congress to restore the cuts to Medicaid and other safety net programs that the Trump administration made in its most recent federal spending plan.

Villaraigosa: ‘Focus on the basics’

Villaraigosa, 72, says he wants to go back to basics. In a state budget, that means prioritizing public safety, health care and education, in that order, he said.

Villaraigosa pitches himself as more pragmatic than his opponents. He doesn’t support a single-payer system; he argues that it’s unrealistic because the state can’t afford the upfront costs and because the Trump administration, which would need to approve such plans, would reject it.

From left, former Mayor of Los Angeles Antonio Villaraigosa, and former Speaker of the California State Assembly and former California State Controller Betty T. Yee speak during the “Health Matters: A Conversation With Our Next Governor” debate at UC Riverside on Nov. 7, 2025. Photo by Leroy Hamilton

State response to a federal administration that is gutting the safety net, he said, will require innovative solutions and a health care system that is more efficient — what exactly that would look like is to be determined.

“I’m not going to sell you snake oil. It is going to be tough to provide that care, but I’m absolutely committed to it,” Villaraigosa said.

Alone among forum participants, Villaraigosa was less interested in increasing taxes to create more revenue, sidestepping the question and only saying that he’d like to look for ways to “grow the pie.”

“We already have the highest taxes in the United States of America and the highest cost of living,” he said.

But like his opponents, Villaraigosa said he wants to grow the mental health workforce — to do so, you have to incentivize people with adequate pay, he said. “The issue is access because people can’t get a doctor to give them care when they get seven bucks for that visit,” he said.

Yee wants strict accountability

Betty Yee, a 68-year-old former State Controller, wants to be an accountability governor.

Like her opponents, Yee listed improving mental health access as a high priority. Part of the reason Californians struggle to find appropriate care, she said, is because regulatory agencies aren’t robustly enforcing the state’s mental health parity law, which requires insurers to cover physical and mental health conditions equally.

“We are not looking at our health systems in terms of whether they are continuing to build a robust provider network to deal with mental health for our diverse populations,” Yee said. “So we actually need some better oversight with respect to what is currently the law here in California.”

Yee is an advocate for growing what’s working. Anti-poverty programs, such as the earned income tax credit and the young child tax credit, have been successful in putting extra dollars in the pockets of low-income Californians, Yee says. She says she’d like to be “bolder” with these refundable tax credit programs and expand them to help alleviate some of the financial burden for caregivers, especially those in the sandwich generation.

Yee said California cannot replace federal cuts with borrowing alone; she supports raising taxes for the highest earners to fund the safety net.

“But before we do that,” Yee said, “I want to be sure we’re making the case that we’re making our health care system much more efficient, and that we really are going to have a much better shot at increasing access and affordability for Californians.”

###

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.

In loving memory of Camille Jeanette Mead-Rossen.

Camille Jeanette Mead-Rossen, 65, of Mad River, passed away unexpectedly on September 26, 2025, at her ranch in Bridgeville.

Born February 5, 1960, in Modesto, Camille grew up in Ceres and attended Sacred Heart Catholic School in Turlock before graduating from Turlock High School in 1978. Her love of learning and curiosity shaped her early years, and the friendships she formed during that time remained a cherished part of her life.

A devoted 4-H member, Camille spent many years raising and showing rabbits. After high school, her love for the mountains led her to Mad River, where she built a home and farm among the towering redwoods. She found joy in her vegetable garden and was known for her deep affection for animals.

Camille gave generously to her community, volunteering as a 911 operator and serving as treasurer for the Southern Trinity Volunteer Fire Department. Her kindness, warmth, and selflessness touched everyone she met. Friends and family remember her laughter, her welcoming spirit, and her unwavering willingness to help others.

She is survived by her long-time partner and friend, Cody Downing of Mad River; her mother, Yvonne Marie Mead of Ceres; sisters Cecile Mead of Eureka and Corinne Mead of Roseburg, Oregon; and brother Mark (Tammy) Mead of Ceres. Camille also leaves behind nieces and nephews: Andrea (Scott) Qualle of Turlock, Brittani (Rory) Marckese of Vancouver, Washington, Nick (Kaci) Mead of Hughson, Melaine Walker of Modesto, and William (Karrie) Pruett of Vernal, Utah, along with five great-nieces and four great-nephews.

Her absence is deeply felt, her memory cherished, and her love will never be forgotten. Let the memory of Camille live on in our hearts forever. Memorial services will be announced at a later date.

“I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live.” – John 11:25

###

Today we say goodbye to our wonderful mother, Rosemary Moore (September 11, 1947-November 9, 2025).

Rosemary was a very strong woman with a heart of gold. She was a mother, wife, partner, grandmother, great grandmother, sister, cousin, aunt. She was the world to many people. She took care of so many.

Rosemary moved to Humboldt County in the 1970s. She spent the majority of that time on Tompkins Hill Road, running a small ranch, managing a home and taking care of family. Holidays were always her thing — tons of homemade food, family and friends. She was a wonderful cook and baker, was always canning foods and taking wonderful care of her family. Nothing was too difficult for her. She also enjoyed gambling at the casinos, a favorite pastime as she got older.

Rosemary is preceded by her longtime life partner John Freson, and leaves behind her children Peggy Sue (Joe) and Christine McKenna; her bonus children Sandra (Norman) Dupret, Johni B Atterberry, Lori Borges and Mark (Verlenea) Freson; her sister Judie (Jim) O’Neil; brother Don Sims; her longtime friend Laurie and Mike Haskins and Alice Pace; many fabulous grandchildren, great-grandchildren, cousins and special friends.

We would like to give special thanks to the fabulous folks at Hospice of Humboldt. Their hardworking staff always brought a smile to Rosemary’s face. And special thanks to her favorite doctor, Andrew Johnston at the Fortuna Open Door.

Services will be determined at a later date.

Don’t cry for me by Deborah Garcia Gaitan

Don’t cry for me.
I will be okay.
Heaven is my home now,
and this is where I’ll stay.
Don’t cry for me.
I’m where I belong.
I want you to be happy
and try to stay strong.
Don’t cry for me.
It was just my time,
but I will see you someday
on the other side.
Don’t cry for me.
I am not alone.
The angels are with me
to welcome me home.
Don’t cry for me,
for I have no fear.
All my pain is gone,
and Jesus took my tears.
Don’t cry for me.
This is not the end.
I’ll be waiting here for you
when we meet again

Press release from the Humboldt County Drug Task Force:

On November 13th, 2025, the Humboldt County Drug Task Force (HCDTF) served a search warrant for Dana Jensen (64 years old from Blue Lake) and his associated residence located near the 1200 block of Blue Lake Boulevard in Blue Lake. During the months of October and November 2025, HCDTF investigated the residence for selling large quantities of methamphetamine in Humboldt County. 

Upon service of the search warrant, Agents located 14 ounces of methamphetamine, 17 firearms and $141,885.47 in US currency. 

At the conclusion of the investigation, HCDTF Agents booked Jensen into the Humboldt County Correctional Facility for the following charges:

• HS 11378– Possession of a controlled substance for the purpose of sales
• HS 11379(a) – Transportation of a controlled substance for the purpose of sales
• HS 11370.1 – Possession of a controlled substance while armed

Anyone with information related to this investigation or other narcotics related crimes is encouraged to call the Humboldt County Drug Task Force at 707-267-9976.