Press release from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office:

The Humboldt County Animal Shelter is offering reduced-rate adoptions for dogs through May 26, 2023.

Due to the shelter’s dog kennels being over capacity, adoption fees for dogs are temporarily being reduced to $50 for adult dogs, $80 for puppies six-months-old or younger, and $35 for senior dogs seven-years-old or older. Cats remain at their regular adoption price.

Adoptable dogs are neutered or spayed, microchipped, up to date on shots and temperament tested.

The animal shelter’s currently available, adoptable pets are listed online and updated daily at 24petconnect.com. To view adoptable pets at the shelter, use the website’s filter with the shelter’s zip code, 95519. Adoptions are appointment-only, and you must have an approved application on file. Download and complete an adoption application at: HumboldtSheriff.org/Adopt.

The Humboldt County Animal Shelter is located at 980 Lycoming Ave in McKinleyville. To learn more about the Humboldt County Animal Shelter and the adoption process, visit HumboldtSheriff.org/Adopt or call (707) 840-9132.

Press release from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office:

On May 19, 2023, at about 12:35 a.m., Humboldt County Sheriff’s deputies on patrol in the Cutten area conducted a traffic stop for a vehicle code violation near the intersection of Walnut Drive and Christopher Drive.

Deputies contacted the driver, 53-year-old Christopher Robert Wixson. During their investigation, deputies learned that the vehicle had been reported stolen. Deputies then searched the vehicle and located psilocybin mushrooms.

Wixson was arrested and booked into the Humboldt County Correctional Facility on charges of possession of a stolen vehicle (PC 496d(a)) and possession of a controlled substance (HS 11350).

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.

Press release from the Yurok Tribe:

The Yurok Tribal Council issued an emergency declaration in response to the fentanyl and xylazine crisis unfolding on and near the Yurok Reservation.

“The Yurok Tribal Council is sounding the alarm and taking action to address this exigent risk to our community,” said Joseph, L. James, the Chairman of the Yurok Tribe. “Too many of our families have lost loved ones to fentanyl. Now, we are seeing fentanyl mixed with xylazine, which is even more dangerous.”

In the last 12 months, the lives of multiple Yurok citizens have been cut short due to fentanyl poisoning. Passed via a resolution, the State of Emergency declaration directs the Yurok Tribal Court and Yurok Public Health Department to oversee the Tribe’s response to the crisis.

The Yurok Tribal Council also made it mandatory for all tribal government staff to be trained in the administration of naloxone (Narcan), a medication that can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose. The Yurok Tribal Court has provided Narcan nasal spray kits and training to 266 tribal staff and community members in Humboldt and Del Norte Counties over the last two years.

The Yurok Tribal Police Department is performing drug interdiction work to prevent the spread of opioids. Similar to other local law enforcement agencies, the Yurok Police Department’s patrol officers are encountering fentanyl on a regular basis. Yurok Police officers have also saved lives via the administration of Narcan.

Fentanyl is an extremely potent synthetic opioid that is 50 times stronger than heroin. Xylazine is a sedative that is approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for veterinary use. In 2021, the most recent year for which data is available, tribal citizens in Del Norte County required emergency services for fentanyl overdoses at a rate of 54.49 per 100,000 residents compared to 5.87 per 100,000 white residents. In Humboldt County, the fentanyl-related overdose death rate for Native people was 114.99 per 100,000. For white residents, the rate was 23.80 per 100,000.

The Yurok Reservation is in one of the most remote and underserved parts of California. Assuming there are no road construction closures, the nearest ambulance services are one to three hours away from the most populated parts of the reservation. A person suffering an overdose from a combination of fentanyl and xylazine can pass away well before emergency services arrive.

“The lack of emergency medical services capacity for basic and advanced life-saving measures within the Yurok Tribe and geographic remoteness of the Yurok Reservation have and continue to present a major barrier to mobilizing adequate opioid overdose emergency responses,” according to the resolution.

The US Food and Drug Administration approved fentanyl for the management of acute pain. However, much of the fentanyl on the street is illegally imported through the US/Mexico border in powder or pill form. The powder is regularly pressed into pills that resemble prescription opioids such as Vicodin and Percocet.

In the US, many people have died from taking one fentanyl-laced pill that was made to look like a prescription painkiller. Fentanyl is also mixed with other illicit drugs, such as cocaine.

In addition to being a potent narcotic, fentanyl specifically and opioids in general are extraordinarily addictive. Those dependent on fentanyl experience severe withdrawal symptoms if they stop taking the drug. The withdrawal symptoms may include: body pain, depression, sleeplessness, anxiety, fever, diarrhea and other stomach-related issues.

Medically assisted treatment for opioid withdrawal and addiction counseling are available in Del Norte and Humboldt Counties. Health professionals manage the treatment to reduce the risks associated with fentanyl withdrawal.

Fentanyl is dangerous on its own, but it is even more deadly when mixed with xylazine. Drug users often blend fentanyl and xylazine, known as Tranq, to lengthen the effect of the short-acting opioid. The combination further increases the risk of a fatal overdose.

Last month, the Biden-Harris Administration officially designated fentanyl adulterated with xylazine as “an emerging threat the United States.” Narcan does not counter the effect of xylazine because it is not an opioid. However, administering Narcan is still recommended if drug poisoning is suspected. Community members are urged to participate in Narcan trainings in the region. All training participants receive free Narcan kits.

How to spot an opioid overdose and save a life

According to UC Davis, the most common signs of an overdose include:

• Small, constricted “pinpoint” pupils
• Falling asleep or losing consciousness
• Slow, weak, or not breathing
• Choking or gurgling sounds
• Limp body
• Cold and/or clammy skin
• Discolored skin (especially in lips and nails)

Here is what to do if you see someone overdosing from fentanyl or other opioids.

• Call 911 immediately. (Police will not arrest a person who is overdosing or the person who called for help.)
• Administer the life-saving medication naloxone if you have it.
• Try to keep the person awake and breathing.
• Turn the person on their side to prevent choking.
• Stay with the person until paramedics arrive.

For more information about treatment in Humboldt County - https://opendoorhealth.com/services/substance-use-services/

For more information about opioid treatment in Del Norte County - https://opendoorhealth.com/locations/del-norte-community-health-center/

Press release from Humboldt County Superior Court:

In accordance with recently enacted Senate Bill 538 legislation, the Superior Court of California, County of Humboldt, is pleased to announce the launch of an online filing service for domestic violence and gun violence restraining orders via the Court’s website at https://www.humboldt.courts.ca.gov.

This new service aims to provide a convenient and efficient means for individuals to seek legal protection against domestic violence and gun violence.

The implementation of this online filing service reflects the Court’s commitment to enhancing accessibility and ensuring equitable justice for all community members. By implementing this service and embracing technological advances, the Court’s goal is to remove potential barriers associated with traditional filing methods and simplify the process for individuals seeking domestic violence and gun violence restraining orders.

Through the user-friendly interface found on the Court’s website, applicants may conveniently complete and submit necessary documentation from any location where there is access to the internet. Such a streamlined approach allows victims to take control of their legal affairs concerning domestic violence and gun violence while ensuring their comfort and privacy.

To access the online filing service for domestic violence and gun violence restraining orders, users may visit https://www.humboldt.courts.ca.gov and follow the provided instructions.

###

California is grappling with a $31.5 billion budget deficit. Gov. Gavin Newsom denied public transit agencies a lifeline in his latest spending plan, and time is running out.

But transit officials and their supporters in the Legislature aren’t giving up hope yet that the state will offer at least some aid. And Friday, the California Transit Association delivered a plan for how individual agencies should ask for money — and how they would be held accountable for how they spend it.

Transit agencies are seeking $5.15 billion in operating funds over the next five years — warning that without substantial cash, they’ll fall deep into a financial pit caused by a continued decline in ridership since the pandemic and the drying up of federal funds.

Without some kind of financial infusion, Muni — San Francisco’s bus system — may have to start cutting bus lines this summer. Other transit systems are issuing similar dire forecasts.

If services are cut, commuters will be impacted, as will working people who can’t afford their own cars — and certainly not electric vehicles. Increased use of public transit is key to reducing carbon emissions and reaching the state’s climate goals championed by Newsom and Democratic leaders.

But in his updated budget plan unveiled this month, the governor committed only to working with the Legislature to find a solution.

“You can’t do everything,” he said at his May 12 budget briefing. “It’s about balancing other priorities.”

The state Senate wants to make public transit a priority. In its spending proposal, it included the $5.15 billion as “bridge funding.” Supporters say the money can come from a mix of sources that already support transit and would reduce general fund revenue by only $213 million.

TransForm, an advocacy group focused on transit and housing inequities, said it was disappointed in Newsom’s decision.

“The $2.5 billion needed to save Bay Area transit is less costly, in terms of dollars, people, and the planet than the $5 billion in additional transportation costs that will be paid by the people who can least afford it,” said Zack Deutsch-Gross, TransForm policy director.

The budget negotiations are well underway, with a June 15 deadline for the Legislature to pass a budget to keep collecting pay.

Call for help too late?

At a town hall on May 12, Assemblymember Phil Ting, a Democrat from San Francisco and chairperson of the Assembly budget committee, said transit agencies should have been better prepared, and should have “sounded the alarm earlier.”

“Having said that, we are where we are. We can’t change the past,” Ting said.

He said that legislators in the Bay Area Caucus that he leads are focused on the issue and are committed to making sure agencies don’t go over the “fiscal cliff.”

“We know that once these agencies have to stop service, it’s very difficult to turn it back on,” he said.

Ting said that given the budget shortfall, the goal is to help get agencies to solid enough ground to pursue a local ballot measure for long-term financial sustainability.

But he also said that for the state to help, transit representatives needed to present a spending plan and demonstrate accountability.

On Friday, the California Transit Association, which represents agencies throughout the state, responded with its proposal, which includes an 18-month deadline to report how funds are spent. Sent to Newsom and legislative leaders, the blueprint is based on recovery plans previously created by the Bay Area’s regional transportation commission and the Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority, as well as a bill this session from Burbank-area Democratic Assemblymember Laura Friedman on transit oversight.

The association also noted that its proposal won’t solve all of the underlying issues.

“As we advance this accountability and reform framework, we continue to elevate that significant external challenges will continue to impact agencies’ budgets, operating environments, and ridership levels, including, the hollowing out of downtown cores, the housing crisis, and rise in violent crime,” it said in a statement.

The proposal, however, doesn’t satisfy concerns from some lawmakers, including state Sen. Steve Glazer, who has been vocal in his criticism of BART oversight. BART officials previously responded to some of those concerns, saying the “fiscal cliff” has more to do with the agency’s financial model rather than specific expenses and missteps.

“I thought it was an April Fool’s joke delivered in May,” Glazer told CalMatters of the association’s proposal. “Self-policing is not accountability.” Meanwhile, agencies have already begun to make some changes to boost ridership, including BART ramping up service on its most popular line between Antioch and San Francisco, and L.A. Metro ramping up both homelessness services and microtransit.

But those changes aren’t cheap.

Bevan Dufty, a member of the BART board of directors, said in April: “We really can’t cut our way out of this.”

###

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

It is with a profound sense of loss that we announce the passing of Mike on March 8, 2023. As a lifelong Christian Scientist, we do take comfort in knowing he has now reached his ultimate, spiritual perfection and his eternal home in Heaven, no longer bound by his material body.

Michael was born in Missoula, Montana on December 5, 1954, to William Wayne and Imogene Lee Dunkelberger. He was soon followed by two brothers, Paul and Robert. Upon his father’s graduation from Montana State University, the family moved to California where his sister, Wendy, was born. The family finally ended up in Humboldt County after his father took a position with PG&E. Michael lost his father at an early age and after his mother remarried, his youngest brother, Guy, was born.

Michael attended local schools, Elk River School, a one room schoolhouse, South Bay Elementary, Winship Junior High, Eureka High School, graduating in 1973, followed by College of the Redwoods and Humboldt State University.

One thing we can say about Mike is he was always his own man, never a follower. He marched to the beat of his own drum.

Mike was a man of many interests. From an early age he was fascinated by the sciences. Biology and geology were his were his main interests, with Herpetology, the study of reptiles and amphibians, being at the top of the list. While the neighborhood kids were off climbing trees, playing sports or other childhood pursuits, not Mike, he would be found catching frogs and salamanders or digging fossils. Somehow, along the way, we were roped into joining him, wading in swamps, lifting downed trees, seeing what we could find. As an adult, he had a diverse collection of reptiles, large and small.

This love of biology was a lifelong passion for Michael and eventually his career. This led him to continue his study of reptiles and amphibians throughout his life, acquiring a vast knowledge of the subject. Even though biology and herpetology were his passion, he chose to follow in his father’s footsteps and major in geology at HSU. During his time at HSU, Mike worked at Pacific Lumber Company as a millworker, and he would continue this employment after he left HSU. During a conversation with the then-President of Pacific Lumber Company at the annual logging conference, he discussed what he found in the field during his own personal studies. This led to an interview with their biology department, the President telling them they “needed to talk to this guy.” He was hired on the spot. He continued as a wildlife biologist until his retirement in 2018. He loved his job, and we were so proud of him!

Along with herpetology, geology was a huge part of his life. He amassed a large collection of rocks and fossils. Collecting Jade from the local river-bars was a frequent pursuit. He loved the annual gem and mineral show and if you were lucky enough to attend with him, you would inevitably come home with more knowledge about geology and a fossil or two.

Other interests for Michael were airplanes and volcanos. He was an avid photographer with some photographs published in herpetology magazines and books. He was also a member of the American Fuchsia Society for over 25 years.

Michael took immense joy in imparting his knowledge to others. He took any opportunity he could to mentor others about the world and the creatures that live in it. We all learned a lot from Michael. When you needed an answer to anything, you could just ask Mike. The world lost a great mind on March 8th.

Michael’s greatest love was his family. His family meant the world to him, he loved them to “pieces,” and they loved him. Family gatherings were the absolute best. He would bring his special, homemade pies and he always mashed the potatoes! As much as he could, he stayed in touch with his extended family, far and wide.

Michael is survived by his mother, Lee Bravo, and Stepfather, Larry Bravo. Brothers Paul and his children Cliff (Alexis) and Cidnee (Brett), Robert and his children Aaron, Jason, and Serena, Guy Bravo, his wife Tina, and their children Jonathan (Karen), Daniel, David, and Justin. Wendy Heard, her husband Bart and their children, Dylan (Erica), and Sophia. Great niece and nephew Wolf Dunkelberger and Brooklyn Heard, and his beloved cousin, who was like a brother to Mike, Jon Bristow, plus a large, extended family and dear friends.

Michael was predeceased by his father, William Wayne Dunkelberger, his Grandparents, Harold and Luella Dunkelberger, Dwight, and Vesta Claire Bristow. His aunts and uncles, Beverly Lovejoy, Anita Sanders, Dwight and Gary Bristow, Harold (Ben), Chris, and Mason Dunkelberger.

A celebration of life will be on Sunday, June 4, 2023, at the River Lodge, 1800 Riverwalk Dr., Fortuna, CA, beginning at 1 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, if you wish, memorial contributions may be made to the Humboldt Area Foundation, Michael W. Dunkelberger Science Scholarship, to support students pursuing a degree in the sciences or to the charity of your choice.

###

Robert Vincent Syverson
November 12, 1966 – March 27, 2023

Born in Endicott, New York, Robert was the youngest of four boys. His parents, Marsh and Dian, moved the family to San Jose, when Robert was a young boy, and that’s where he spent the majority of his youth. Robert and his brothers (Mark, Paul and Joe) were blessed to make many lifelong friends on Culver Drive (Traci, Laurie, John, Dave, Wayne, Todd…). Even as the years passed, when they came together, it was just like yesterday. And, thankfully, Robert’s parents sent him to JOY (Jesus Over You) so he could meet his best friend, Derrick and also Randy. Oh, the stories they could tell…years of skiing, lake trips, barbecues, and car shows made memories with lots of laughs and selfies before that was even a thing.

In part due to his rambunctious nature, in his late teens, Robert moved to live with his uncle George in Columbus, Mississippi for a couple years. During that time, they lived on Columbus Air Force Base with George’s family. He quit school and successfully completed his GED. He worked at the base service station. As a young man on the base, he had a dream of being a helicopter pilot, it was then he learned of his glaucoma that caused difficulty over the years. Traveling back to CA to attend his grandfather’s service, Robert took the opportunity to move back to San Jose. He moved in with his parents, and as he told it, his dad told him he had 3 days to get a job and pay rent. And, so he did! Robert worked various jobs from Home Depot to construction project management.

It was at the young age of 21, Robert became the father to Brittany. He was a very caring, giving soul who loved to teach others. He greatly enjoyed and loved raising his daughter. Full of energy as he was, he took her skiing, water skiing, hiking, camping, and to worksites! Robert aligned with the penguin as a way of parenting (the males take care of the young)

A victim of a vehicle accident in his mid-twenties that left him with a serious back injury, Robert had the opportunity to re-evaluate life. He was strong enough to work through the pain from getting off pharmaceuticals with water aerobics and light stretching to eventually mountain biking and jumping the wake, wakeboarding! When Brittany went to live with her mother, Robert hit the reset button. He earned his Associate degree from Evergreen College in San Jose. In 1996 he moved to Arcata to attend Humboldt State University. He graduated with a BS in Natural Resource Planning and maintained a lifelong friendship with roommate Jerry “Bones” Snow.

After graduation, Robert held jobs as a PGE consultant and for the City of Arcata. In 2001 he started his 22-year career with Caltrans, first in planning, then as a field maintenance biologist. He worked all over the district with the Caltrans maintenance crews to protect and enhance the environment when completing maintenance projects, and for storm response. Robert worked in rivers and streams improving fish passage and overall watershed health. Many a tree he planted and saved with creative multidisciplinary solutions. Wildflower surveys made some of his favorite days at work and he took beautiful wildflower photos. A local artist at one time bought his photos to recreate as paintings. As a bicyclist and advocate, he encouraged safe riding on the highways, from contributing to the bicycle touring guides to riding to set timing for bike loops on bridges. Robert’s outgoing personality netted him many colleagues as friends. Most of all, he enjoyed sharing the beauty of protecting the natural world with anyone who would listen. As he called it teaching folks to “pet frogs.”

In 1999, as neighbors at the laundromat, Robert met his future wife, Brenda. She moved to Arizona, where two years later for their birthdays, they took their first of many trips to Sedona, Arizona. Shortly thereafter, Brenda moved back to Humboldt where she and Robert joined their cat families (Weather, Sprocket, and KBear) along with tortoise Kokopelli. Robert was a very kind, supportive, and chivalrous partner, which garnered him many compliments from strangers over the years. They took pleasure in an active lifestyle, from: mountain biking, hiking, house boating, wakeboarding, to gardening, evening walks, and plant identification. They loved to travel, stay in swanky places and eat fancy food. Some of their favorite trips included Utah (Gooseberry, LaVerkin, Zion), Arizona (Grand Canyon, Sedona!). Mt. Hood, Yosemite, New York, Southern Oregon coast, Fort Bragg and various hot springs! They resided in Fortuna for 15 years and found the most amazing, supportive neighbor friends (Brandon and Lluvia, Noah, Eli, Jim and Terry, Aaron, Mark, Debi and Mike, Penny, Mr. McKnight and others). Robert and Brenda’s union of marriage ended in 2019, however the love remained.

Robert loved life, and all living things. An energetic, talkative, friendly, outgoing personality, Robert touched the lives of many (human, plant, animal…). And, if I were to be reincarnated, I would want to be Robert’s cat! In honor of Robert: ride your bike, stop and smell the flowers, watch the sunset, talk to strangers, pet a frog, smile, laugh, hug trees and those you love, be your own fearless medical advocate, practice self-care.

Robert is survived by mother Dian Syverson; brothers Mark Syverson (Mary Jean) and Joe Syverson (Anafe); uncles George Refeedie and Marlo Syverson; cousins Ali Colton Syverson, Shannon Primasing (David); daughter Brittany Loofbourrow; niece Danielle; nephews Joey, Tommy, Matthew; and many other cousins and second cousins.

Robert was proceeded in death by father Marschelle Syverson and brother Paul Syverson.

###