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PREVIOUSLY

• Eureka’s Long-Awaited EaRTH Center Awarded $12 Million in Grant Funds; Construction Slated to Begin Spring 2026

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The City of Eureka has partnered with Humboldt Transit Authority to explore the prospects of a multi-story parking structure that would transform the city’s humble downtown skyline. 

As the start of construction approaches for the Eureka Regional Transit & Housing (EaRTH) Center — to be built on the city-owned parking lots behind the Lost Coast Brewery & Cafe — Eureka and HTA are studying a grant opportunity that could finance a multi-story parking facility and convention center across the street, on the corner of Third and G streets.

“A feasibility study is in the early stages to determine if it is a viable project for a grant application,” HTA Deputy General Manager Katie Collender told the Outpost in an email.

A consultant was hired to prepare some preliminary conceptual designs for a structure that meets the grant criteria. We’ll take a closer look at those designs below, but first, both Collender and Eureka City Manager Miles Slattery sought to make one thing clear: The primary purpose of this parking tower would not be added convenience for shoppers, tourists and car commuters.

Instead, the intent is a park & ride — a “first mile/last mile” facility that reduces overall vehicle miles traveled by encouraging people to park their cars so they can, say, ride a bike to Cal Poly Humboldt, take a ride share to work or catch a bus to the airport.

“That’s a big component of the grant that they’ll be going for,” Slattery said. The grant is funded by the California State Transportation Agency’s Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program (TIRCP), and Collender explained that the feasibility study currently under way will need to show that the structure would significantly reduce vehicle miles traveled; otherwise there’s no point in applying. It will also need to show that the building would be cost-neutral to operate.

“Other transit agencies own and operate park & rides to bolster ridership and diversify revenue,” Collender said. “This study will help us understand if one would make sense in Eureka.”

With all that said, let’s look at some more conceptual images of the very preliminary designs. In fact, Slattery said this particular design has already been modified to include even more parking spaces (this version has 216 stalls), increased bike storage and slightly decreased retail space.

The concept, here, is an eight-story parking structure with an 8,500-square-foot convention center on the top floor and, on the ground floor, bike storage and new retail space. The existing buildings along F Street (including a massage parlor and the former Mazzotti’s restaurant) would remain, with parking built atop them. [CORRECTION: The parking structure would not extend west as far as those buildings, according to Slattery.]

The structure would be built on the northeast corner of the city block between Third and Fourth and F and G streets. Here’s a Google Earth image to orient you:

And here are a few conceptual images from the same vantage:

At eight stories high, this would easily be the tallest building in Eureka. 

“I would say north of San Francisco, maybe. I don’t think Santa Rosa has anything that big,” Slattery said. (The boiler building at the former Samoa Pulp Mill would still be taller, at 200 feet, but it’s no longer in use.)

Below is a cutaway image showing the ground floor, the top floor and one in the middle:

Collender reiterated that this is still very early in the process. The state is looking to transit agencies to do more to generate revenue, and this parking structure with rentable event space could help HTA diversify its income. Grant applications are due May 18. 

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Press release from the California Department of Fish & Wildlife: 

Late spring and early summer are peak times for California’s deer herds to give birth to fawns, and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) is issuing a reminder to well-intentioned residents and visitors to not interact with the baby deer – even if they find one that appears to be abandoned or hungry.

Adult female deer regularly stash their fawns in tall grass or brush for as long as a day while they are out foraging for food.

“Every year we receive calls from concerned individuals and families about fawns and other young wildlife that appear to be abandoned or in distress,” said Jeff Stoddard, Wildlife Program Manager from CDFW’s Northern Region. “Our direction most often is to stay clear of the animal so the mother feels safe to return and so your presence does not attract unwanted attention to the fawn by people or other animals. In almost every case, the mother returns after dark or when it appears quiet and the mother feels safe to do so.”

Each year, CDFW and wildlife rehabilitation facilities are called to assist with fawns that have been removed from the wild by local residents and those recreating outdoors. The fawns lack the survival skills their mothers would have taught them and cannot be released back into the wild. Long-term captivity in zoos or other wildlife sanctuaries is unlikely due to limited space availability. Consequently, the fawns are often euthanized.

Only a limited number of wildlife rehabilitation facilities are permitted to accept fawns. Due to disease concerns, it is not recommended to move fawns outside of their home county. If a fawn is found on a road or another dangerous location, it is often better to use a towel or blanket and move the animal a short distance to suitable vegetation and allow it to reunite with its mother. A doe will not abandon her fawn merely because it has been touched by a person.

It is both illegal and unethical to feed deer and keep deer in your personal possession. Both crimes are misdemeanors, each subject to penalties of up to $1,000 and/or six months in jail.

Learn more about the dangers and consequences of feeding deer in the following video: CDFW Reminds Californians Why It’s Illegal to Feed Deer.

To report an injured, sick or suspected orphaned fawn, contact your local CDFW regional office directly.

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After an extremely dry March — one of the driest on record — the North Coast is getting some much-needed dose of rainfall, with showers expected to continue through the weekend. 

Hail! | Photo: Michael Stearns via NWS

“Thunderstorms are likely again across the area, though storms will likely be slightly weaker than Thursday,” according to a Facebook post from the National Weather Service (NWS) Office in Eureka. “Areas of Trinity, Humboldt, and Del Norte Counties could see some isolated near-severe storms. Frequent lightning, gusty winds, hail, and localized heavy rain are all possible today.”

Orleans residents reported “dime to quarter-sized” hail as storms swept across the region on Thursday afternoon, and more hail can be expected today. If you feel so inclined, you may share your hail reports with the NWS at this link. Be sure to include your location, time and the approximate size of the hail.

In keeping with typical local weather patterns, this weekend’s thunderstorms will be concentrated in inland areas of the county, with weaker storms along the coast. More information can be found here.

Stay dry out there, folks!

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From the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office:

On April 9, at approximately 4:09 p.m., Humboldt County Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to the 1600 block of Sutter Road in McKinleyville to investigate a domestic-related incident involving a report that a male subject had broken the windshield of a vehicle belonging to his girlfriend.

While deputies were en route, additional callers reported that a female subject had struck the male with the vehicle. Emergency medical services were requested and staged nearby.

Upon arrival, deputies contacted a 44-year-old female, who reported that her 50-year-old boyfriend, Robert Willis Slavens, had jumped onto the hood of her vehicle as she attempted to leave their residence and kicked the windshield. She stated that while she was trying to drive away, Slavens fell off the vehicle onto the ground.

Through statements and evidence gathered at the scene, deputies determined that an earlier incident had occurred in which the victim attempted to leave the residence, and Slavens followed her outside and forcibly brought her back into the home.

Slavens, who is on active CDC parole for prior domestic violence-related offenses, was taken into custody. He was evaluated by emergency medical personnel and transported to a local hospital for treatment. After being medically cleared, he was transported to the Humboldt County Correctional Facility, where he was booked on the following charges:

• PC 207(a): Kidnapping
• PC 3056: Violation of Parole

The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office urges anyone experiencing domestic violence to seek help. Victims are not alone, and support is available through local law enforcement, advocacy organizations, and confidential hotlines. If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, call 911. For ongoing support, contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or visit www.thehotline.org for confidential assistance.

Anyone with information about this case or related criminal activity is encouraged to call the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office at (707) 445-7251 or the Sheriff’s Office Crime Tip Line at (707) 268-2539.

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

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This weekend’s California Republican Party convention was poised to be a drama-filled event. The party held out a slim hope that its two gubernatorial candidates, if they played nicely enough, could lock Democrats out of the November election and reclaim statewide office for the first time in 20 years.

But then President Donald Trump weighed in, backing former Fox News host Steve Hilton over Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco.

Now, the state party’s endorsement is far less consequential.

“He screwed over California Republicans yet again,” said Rob Stutzman, a Republican political consultant, of Trump. “It’s just political malpractice to not have done a dual endorsement,” he added. “People were briefing the White House on the situation.”

The weekend’s festivities in San Diego mark the first gathering since the state GOP’s bruising loss last November on Proposition 50, the Democrats’ gerrymandering plan designed to oust five Republicans from Congress in the midterm election. That loss only magnified the state party’s growing irrelevance since the ouster and resignation of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, the Bakersfield congressmember who made sure the national GOP didn’t forget about its California members.

The gubernatorial contest, as well as legislative races, had become the new focal points for a party in search of a way out of the political wilderness. Trump’s endorsement probably dashed any hope of a Republican governor, leaving the Legislature as Republicans’ best chance for wins.

“He screwed over California Republicans yet again.”
— Republican consultant Rob Stutzman on President Donald Trump’s emdorsement in the governor’s race.

Bianco, who recently made headlines for seizing hundreds of thousands of ballots over claims of alleged voter fraud, is still expected to put up a fight for the 60% of delegate votes required to earn the party endorsement. Hilton will likely consolidate GOP support as loyal base voters fall in line behind Trump. Even without the party’s endorsement, Hilton is well positioned to finish in the top-two in June.

But the president’s nod is practically the kiss of death for a general election candidate in deep blue California, a state where even some Republicans tout bucking the president as a talking point on the campaign trail.

“The big fight if you’re trying to be elected governor is actually to have a broad-based appeal in California,” said Matt Rexroad, a Republican campaign consultant who used to work for Bianco. “President Trump doesn’t provide that.”

Republican candidates Chad Bianco and Steve Hilton participate in a gubernatorial candidate forum at Fresno State on April 1, 2026. Photo by Larry Valenzuela, CalMatters

Without the drama surrounding the gubernatorial endorsement, Rexroad decided the convention was no longer worth attending. He canceled his flight from Sacramento and his hotel reservation in San Diego, opting instead to send a proxy ballot with another delegate friend. Rexroad planned to back Bianco.

Trump’s popularity has fallen dramatically nationally since the war in Iran began and gas prices have skyrocketed, worsening his already poor standing among heavily Democratic California voters. Both Bianco and Hilton have sought to minimize their support for Trump, as nearly three-quarters of Californians disapprove of him, and many strategists believed the party’s best shot at the governorship was keeping the president out of it.

“The party is relevant in some localities of the state. But on a statewide basis, the Republican Party is like the Democratic Party in Utah,” said Mike Murphy, a former Republican consultant.

“You can’t think of a worse brand than Donald Trump in California,” Murphy said. “If they cancel the Republican state convention, as far as state politics are concerned, it’d make no difference to the outcome.”

Down the ticket, Republicans hope to hold and maybe even pick up additional seats in the state Legislature.

GOP looks down-ballot for an opening

With a brand irretrievably tied to Trump, one strategy for clawing back Republican losses is to focus on more conservative, inland parts of the state in local races. That includes pockets of Southern California, where Latino voters swung heavily in favor of Trump in 2024 and the party picked up three statehouse seats.

“What’s really going to be the difference-maker for Republicans in California is really focusing the ground game on districts that matter,” and raising money, said Jon Fleischman, a longtime Republican consultant. “If we can hold the seats we are capable of holding on a year that looks like a wave year for Democrats, then Republicans will do really well.”

First-time GOP Assemblymembers Jeff Gonzalez of Coachella and Leticia Castillo of Corona are examples. Each ran a successful campaign in their predominately Latino and slightly left-leaning districts in 2024.

Seeking vengeance, a handful of Democrats have lined up to unseat Gonzalez. Meanwhile, Castillo will face an old challenger. Both Republicans will be walking into this weekend with the party’s endorsement already in hand.

Castillo clinched her seat by fewer than 600 votes two years ago, defeating Riverside City Councilmember Clarissa Cervantes, who had more money and name recognition. But Cervantes, who sought to replace her sister, Riverside Democratic state Sen. Sabrina Cervantes, led a campaign that was muddied by revelations of Clarissa Cervantes’ two DUI convictions.

Assemblymember Leticia Castillo at her desk during a floor session at the state Capitol in Sacramento on Jan. 23, 2025. Photo by Fred Greaves for CalMatters

Gonzalez, a retired Marine, flipped his Coachella Valley district in 2024, which swung for Trump by fewer than two percentage points. He faces three other Democrats, including Indio City Councilmember Oscar Ortiz, and so far has amassed a bigger war chest than all of them.

Some Republicans also worry whether the party is headed in the right direction. In San Diego, local infighting over whether a moderate or far-right candidate would be best positioned to succeed term-limited Senate Minority Leader Brian Jones has stunted the party’s ability to back a single candidate.

Jones and the party establishment have backed Ed Musgrove, a San Marcos City Councilmember, while Assemblymember Carl DeMaio and his group Reform California are pushing for two-time unsuccessful candidate Kristie Bruce-Lane.

Republicans could also look to flip a newly competitive San Diego district represented by first-term Democratic lawmaker Catherine Blakespear. The district has been trending leftward since redistricting in 2020 pulled in more parts of liberal San Diego County and dropped portions of more conservative Orange County. Blakespear has significantly outraised her two GOP competitors, Laura Bassett and Armen Kurdian, one of whom could be endorsed this weekend.

Incumbent Republican Sen. Roger Niello of Roseville could also face a more difficult than usual path to reelection in a midterm where moderate Republicans in liberal areas will have to fight the anti-Trump momentum.

A challenging picture in the U.S. House

Post-Prop. 50, California’s five remaining incumbent Republican House members face a bleak road to reelection. The districts were redrawn so drastically that several members have chosen to vacate their original seats and seek reelection in different districts.

Rep. Kevin Kiley, a Roseville resident whose current district spans much of the California-Nevada border, left the GOP entirely and is running as an independent for a Sacramento-area seat that Prop. 50 made more conservative. Rather than risk his political future by challenging Rep. Tom McClintock, an influential party fixture, Kiley settled on the 6th Congressional District after months of deliberation.

“This is, I think, probably an attempt to salvage something of a career later down the road by putting in the old college try,” said Mike Madrid, an anti-Trump Republican strategist and co-founder of The Lincoln Project.

Longtime Rep. Darrell Issa, whose San Diego County district went from a Republican stronghold to a toss-up, announced his retirement barely before the deadline to file for the ballot. He reportedly explored moving to Texas to seek reelection there, but abandoned that plan when he failed to earn Trump’s approval.

And rather than retire as the longest-serving congressional Republican in California history, incumbent Rep. Ken Calvert is seeking to topple his colleague, Rep. Young Kim, in pursuit of an 18th term after his Inland Empire district was drastically reshaped into a liberal stronghold. Each has raised millions of dollars that they will undoubtedly deploy as they fight for one of the only remaining solidly Republican seats in California.

One bright spot for Republicans could be Rep. David Valadao’s campaign in the Central Valley. The six-term congressman has worked to distance himself from Trump over the years, voting in favor of the president’s second impeachment after the Jan. 6 insurrection attacks. He has only lost reelection once, in 2018 as part of an anti-Trump blue wave. He won back his seat in 2020 in the same election that former President Joe Biden won his district by double digits.

But Valadao faces one of his most difficult reelections yet as Democrats seek to saddle him with his vote for the GOP’s mega budget bill, which has stripped hundreds of thousands of his own constituents of their health insurance through Medi-Cal.

If California Republicans want to notch wins in races like Valadao’s, they know they need to motivate their voters to show up in November for what’s expected to be a bruising election for GOP candidates up and down the ticket.

The weekend’s gathering in San Diego should provide a good pulse check. Trump’s endorsement in the gubernatorial race could energize the base. Or, it might convince enough GOP voters that the result is a foregone conclusion.

PREVIOUSLY

• More Sales Taxes on the Way? Fortuna City Council Adds Measure to November Ballot

Though Fortuna’s money problems haven’t yet hit residents hard, the upcoming years could be tough on the city — and long-term solutions are still being worked out.

Fortuna’s city council decided earlier this week to add a measure to November’s ballot asking voters to add a 0.75% sales tax to transactions completed within city limits (specifics under discussion). It’s a necessary step, they argue, because Fortuna’s $1.8 million short of where they should be every year. Fortuna is earning about $500,000 less in sales tax and TOT revenue (the tax levied on travelers who stay in hotels or Airbnbs) every year than it was in 2020, and annual liability insurance is also $500,000 more. Charts shared by city staff at the council meeting earlier this week showcase a big ‘ol arrow pointing out the gap in between Fortuna’s projected revenue, and the amount it’s actually making. 

Why the decline? Reached by phone earlier today, city manager Amy Nilsen pointed the finger at the implosion of the cannabis industry, a familiar culprit behind many local economic woes. A hostile national economy and expensive gas are likely contributing, she said.

Fortuna’s feeling the strain. City hall implemented a hiring freeze in November of 2025 for all positions paid with general fund money, forcing two jobs (a River Lodge Conference Center coordinator and position in the police department) to remain unfilled. The city council made exceptions for two positions, allowing the appointment of a community development director and a public safety dispatcher in March. 

There will be more cuts. The city council will discuss the city budget and service reductions during their April 27 meeting; Nilsen wasn’t willing to comment about specifics until then. 

Nilsen said hiring the community development director would hopefully allow them to find some strategies that would pull Fortuna out of its rut, but they’re in the “infancy phase;” she said they were still figuring out what those were. 

Expanding Fortuna’s sales tax base will be crucial. If the sales tax measure fails in November, any number of important city departments — parks, community development, street maintenance, public works, the police department — could have its funding slashed. Any issues left unaddressed could compound over time. 

“The city may need to make a pretty intensive effort on economic development,” Nilsen told the Outpost. “…That’s really the long-term solution. That’s going to be pivotal in the future.”

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At a special meeting on Tuesday, the Eureka City Council gave staff the green light to move forward with a proposal that, if approved by voters, would double the monthly salary for elected officials who haven’t seen a pay raise for nearly 40 years. 

Since 1988, the council’s monthly stipend has remained at a static $500, with the mayor earning slightly more at $625 per month. While some municipalities give their elected officials periodic raises to keep up with inflation, Eureka is a charter city, meaning any pay increases for the mayor and council require an amendment to the city’s charter, and any changes to the charter must be approved by voters.

Speaking at Tuesday’s special meeting, City Attorney Robert Black described the council and mayor’s salaries as being “truly out of date.” The American Institute for Economic Research’s Cost of Living Calculator estimates that $500 in 1988 is equal to roughly $1,370 in today’s money, which represents a 174% increase in inflation.

City Attorney Black | Screenshot

“There are cities with a lesser population than you have that are significantly out ahead of the City of Eureka, as far as compensating elected officials,” Black continued. “One approach to a charter amendment would be to basically lift, in their entirety, the provisions of state law and simply incorporate those provisions … [which] would enable a fairly immediate upgrade from $500 a month to $950 a month. … And you could do an annual adjustment of up to 5% as the state law provides.”

The council could also opt to “simply change the numbers” and double its salary without including an annual adjustment. “The problem with that, of course, is 10 years from now, you [will] find yourself in the exact same situation [as today],” Black said.

Councilmember Kati Moulton spoke in favor of implementing a phased, inflation-based pay hike to avoid “some of the negative stigma that comes with voting for your own pay raise.” Still, she felt it was “fair to ask for reasonable compensation for your labor” and said a pay increase could “encourage working class people to participate in local politics.”

Going back to Black’s previous statement about Eureka’s city council making less than councils overseeing smaller cities, Moulton asked for a baseline of salaries. “The tiers are based on city population,” Black explained. “Every city that is below 35,000, which includes all the cities in Humboldt, is able to make $950. When you go above 35,000 [to 100,000], there’s a higher pay level. I’m not sure what it is, but it’s maybe in the $1,300 to $1,500 range.”

Councilmember Leslie Castellano, whose term ends in November, agreed that a wage increase could encourage more working-class people to run for city council. “This will not benefit me at all, but I’m really happy to support future council members,” she said. “I like the idea of the $950 and … I think that I would be fine with the 5% increase starting next year.”

Councilmember Renee Contreras-De Loach expressed concern that a 5% annual increase would push the council and mayor’s salaries “well over inflation within a couple of years.” Councilmember Scott Bauer, on the other hand, spoke in favor of the 5% increase, adding that “there’s a good chance inflation is going to be 8% this year.”

“Why not have the ability to at least get close to that?” Bauer asked. “Right now, it’s probably close to 5[%], and when fuel goes to $200 a barrel, which it’s probably going to do, I think it’s reasonable to have at least a ceiling.”

The council ultimately directed staff to draw up a proposal that would double the council and mayor’s monthly stipends — up to $1,000 and $1,250, respectively — with annual increases to be determined by the city’s Finance Advisory Committee and capped at 5%.

The city will hold two public hearings — tentatively scheduled for April 21 and May 21 — to refine the proposal and come up with a ballot question that will be presented to voters on the November 2026 ballot.