Buddy Bennett, 73, of McKinleyville, passed away on September 29 from cancer.

Buddy was born on June 22, 1950, in Longview, Washington. He graduated from McKinleyville High School in 1969 and joined the U.S. Army. He served in the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment in Vietnam. He was wounded in action and was honorably discharged at the rank of corporal in 1971.

After coming home from the war he worked for a time at LP Lumber Mill, eventually getting a job at Simpson Timber Mill in Korbel, where he worked as a forklift driver for about 34 years.

Buddy loved sunshine and the outdoors — especially fishing, swimming, riding his Harley and spending time with his daughter.

Buddy was preceded in death by his parents, Willis and Winifred Bennett, and his brothers Gordon and David Bennett. He was survived by his daughter Adrienne Livingston and son-in-law John Livingston Jr of Loleta; his sister Lola Bennett; his sisters-in-law Anita Bennett and Beverly Bennett; and numerous nieces and nephews all who are from Washington. Also survived his best friends Vern and Linda Broyles and their children, of Rio Dell; Loretto Gandolfo of McKinlyville; along with many others.

He will be greatly missed.

There will be a celebration of life at a later date.

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Anyone who’s used the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Supplemental Nutrition Program – a state program designed to help pay for groceries for low-income families – has experienced the distress that comes with getting your food at the grocery store and standing in line at the check-out, only to realize that some of the items you picked aren’t covered by your benefits. So you ask to exchange the items, feeling a wave of embarrassment as you hold up the line of people impatiently waiting behind you. 

That’s where Jessica Conde Rebholtz, owner of Parent’s Nutrition Center, comes in. Her business, located 1125 Summer Street in Eureka, takes the guesswork out of shopping on WIC by stocking only items that are covered by the program. 

Rebholtz, a mother of three, came up with the idea to start a WIC store in Eureka about six years ago, after having her own humiliating experience. She was in line at Winco using her WIC checks to purchase her food and the woman behind her said something like, “Ugh. I hate being in line behind these people.” Though it certainly wasn’t the first time Rebholtz had experienced judgment in the check-out line, this time she didn’t want to let it go. She responded to the woman, “What do you mean ‘these people’?” And the situation dissolved into an embarrassing confrontation that stuck with Rebholtz. 

“It just left a sour taste in my mouth,” Rebholtz told the Outpost during an interview at her shop on Tuesday. “I started being more self-conscious and wouldn’t shop at times I knew there would be a long line…I would literally get butterflies standing in line. I was embarrassed and didn’t want to be humiliated again.” 

Following her confrontation, Rebholtz called her mother in tears to tell her about the experience. Her mom, who lives in Los Angeles, responded, “Why don’t you just shop at the WIC store?” WIC-only stores are fairly common in LA, but none existed here. The next time Rebholtz was visiting LA, she asked her mom to take her to one of the WIC stores. She absolutely loved it and knew she needed to open her own store here in Humboldt. 

Rebholtz contemplated her dream over the next several years, while continuing to work at her longtime teaching job with the University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE). When COVID hit, Rebholtz was pregnant with her third child and she was having a hard time finding childcare for her two kids, while she continued to teach over Zoom. She felt like it might be the right time to focus on opening the store and, with her husband’s support, Rebholtz left her teaching position. 

First she needed to find a space, and after some searching, the couple landed on a small space at the Bayshore Mall. Then they had to get the licensing to be able to accept WIC and EBT (food stamps), a process that usually takes up to six months. Of course, in COVID times this process took even longer, and after signing a lease on the Bayshore Mall space in July 2021, Rebholtz officially opened her doors in April, 2022. 

After just a few months in the food court section of the mall, the lease was already up and Rebholtz felt that it would be better to move into a larger space where she could stock more inventory. She did get pretty good business at the mall, but said that the biggest feedback she got from her customers was that they wished the shop wasn’t so “out in the open” and Rebholtz felt that a more private location would also be beneficial. After again searching for a space for a while, Rebholtz reopened Parent’s Nutrition Center on Summer Street in February of this year. 

In case you are not one of the nearly 2,600 residents of Humboldt County who receive WIC benefits, let this reporter/mama explain how it works. WIC provides benefits for income-eligible pregnant women, new parents, babies and children up to age five, which comes in the form of a monthly credit for staple food items that you can purchase from certain grocers using your WIC-issued card. The amount and types of items covered varies depending on a family’s size/needs, but generally you can purchase things like eggs, cheese, bread, cereal, juice, milk and baby formula. Aside from the fruits and vegetables credit, which is issued as a dollar amount, the credit covers a set size or weight of food items. For example, for my four-year-old daughter, we receive $26 worth of produce, 16 ounces of cheese, two and a half gallons of milk and one dozen eggs, among other items, each month. 

Now here is where things get tricky! Not every type, size or brand of these items are WIC-eligible. For example, if you get 32 ounces of “whole grains” per month — which can be used for things like whole wheat bread, brown rice or corn tortillas — you can only buy these things in 16-ounce packages. At least locally, there is only one kind of whole wheat bread that’s available in 16 ounces and it is often sold out at local grocery stores. Eggs are also complicated. They can only be cage-free, white, large eggs (not extra large or jumbo, they MUST be large.) Most grocers only carry one type of large, white, cage-free eggs and they are also often sold out.

And although many stores label their WIC items, things are often mislabeled or out-of-date. So you might grab something that has a WIC label on the shelf underneath it, only to get to the register and learn that it is not actually covered. WIC used to issue paper checks and you had to pay separately for your WIC items and non-WIC items, making the check-out process longer and more frustrating. With the newer WIC card, the process is simpler, but you often don’t realize that some items weren’t covered until after you pay and get your receipt. There is also a handy WIC app for your phone that tells you what items you still have available and what types/ brands are covered, but it isn’t always accurate. There is even an option to scan items using the app, to see if they are WIC-approved, but it does not always work. 

A screenshot from this reporter’s WIC app, showing an unusable balance of 5 oz. of breakfast cereal

At Parent’s Nutrition Center, Rebholtz helps ease the frustration by guiding customers through the entire process. After being greeted by Rebholtz, she’ll first swipe your WIC card and print out a receipt showing exactly what items you have available. She then goes through each shelf, asking which items you would like and bagging them up for you. After you’ve gotten everything you need, Rebholtz swipes your card again to pay and you are on your merry way, without any growing line of impatient customers behind you. 

Providing this level of attention and service has been especially helpful for certain customers, Rebholtz said, including folks who are new to WIC, people with disabilities or people who don’t speak English as their first language. Rebholtz and her one other employee are both Spanish-speaking, and if someone doesn’t speak English or Spanish, she can communicate with them using hand motions. 

“I have a non-hearing, non verbal customer who comes in and her daughter said, ‘We can’t do this at a bigger store because she can’t communicate,’” Rebholtz said. 

Rebholtz also prides herself in helping customers “get the most out of their benefits,” by guiding them to the items and combinations of items that will use up their entire allotted amount and not end up with some funky WIC balance that won’t cover anything. She also makes sure to carry as many options as she can. Most stores only have two or three juice flavors that are covered, but Rebholtz carries 10! She also makes sure to stock less common items like canned hominy, something that many people don’t realize is covered by WIC, and is also very popular with her Latino customers  “I can’t keep it on the shelves,” she said. 

Another way Rebholtz helps her customers is by writing down recipes for cooking some of the items that people might not know how to cook, while also helping them find different, delicious ways to use their free groceries. She is currently working to establish the store’s Youtube channel, where she plans to share cooking tips and recipes and important WIC information. 

As her business grows, Rebholtz hopes to open more locations throughout Humboldt to help people shop with WIC in our rural area. But for now, she just really wants people to know that her store is here and open. (Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.)

To be clear, you don’t have to use WIC to shop at Parent’s Nutrition Center and the store also accepts EBT, cash and credit. But the point of the store is to ease the shopping process for those using WIC benefits. 

“We’re here to provide extra help,” Rebholtz said. “I just want to provide a safe space where [people] don’t have to feel like a nuisance.”

Your 2023 Humboldt County Teacher of the Year is also one of the state’s teachers of the year.

PREVIOUSLY:

• TEACHER of the YEAR! Arcata High Ag Teacher Named Top Local Educator of 2023, Will Now Compete for State Title

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Press release from the Northern Humboldt Union High School District:

We would like to congratulate our very own teacher, Kelly Miller, for being selected by State Superintendent Tony Thurmond as one of the 2024 California Teacher of the Year finalists! In 2015, Kelly Miller came to Northern Humboldt to work as an agriculture teacher and FFA advisor at both Arcata High School and McKinleyville High School. She brought with her years of experience at the elementary school level. Currently, Kelly is a full-time agriculture teacher and FFA advisor at Arcata High School. Her work with the District’s Agriculture/FFA program has been unequivocally worthy of admiration. Mrs. Miller’s students appreciate and applaud her efforts. In her nomination for the HCOE Excellence in Teaching Award, her FFA students wrote:

“In the classroom, she provides fun and engaging activities for all of her students that make learning about agriculture even more exciting than it already is. She gives us hands-on learning opportunities that we might not have had without her. Outside of the classroom, you will always find Mrs. Miller out in the community striving to make it a better place. She gets her students out to volunteer at events through FFA so we can be active community members.”

Mrs. Miller repeatedly prioritizes students as individual learners who deserve the best she can offer them. Her classroom is a thriving, engaging environment where students are productively and eagerly learning, sharing, and growing academically and emotionally. She is supportive of students in all ways that are critical to their success. She clearly recognizes the importance of a synergistic approach in an educational setting and is always willing to revise curriculum to ensure access and inclusion for every student. Equally important is her understanding of student interests and potential for exploring new avenues for career opportunities.

Mrs. Miller has dedicated herself to our students and the District and has improved the educational landscape for all. Her generosity, knowledge, and kindness are a hallmark of her approach. She has demonstrated the aptitude and expertise to generate lasting benefits for all students. She is, in a word, exceptional.

Kelly Miller truly represents Northern Humboldt as a model for Excellence in Teaching and is very deserving of being recognized as a finalist for California State Teacher of the Year.

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The Eureka City Council last night voted unanimously to decriminalize the personal use, possession and cultivation of entheogenic plants and fungi, such as psychedelic mushrooms, for people over the age of 21. 

The vote comes two years after the City of Arcata made the same move, following the lead of a handful of other cities across the county, including Denver, where, in 2019, voters narrowly approved a ballot initiative that prevented the city from spending resources to prosecute people for use or possession of “magic” shrooms. 

Not all government bodies are jumping aboard this trippy bandwagon, though. Eleven days ago, Governor Gavin Newsom vetoed a bill that would have decriminalized adult use and possession of small amounts of mescaline, DMT and psilocybin statewide, starting in 2025. In doing so, Newsom called for more research to develop treatment guidelines prior to decriminalization.

Psilocybin capsules.

More than two dozen public commenters spoke at last night’s meeting, with every last one of them advocating approval of the resolution. They included educators, health care professionals, students and other residents, many of whom shared deeply personal stories about the transformative power of entheogenic plants in treating depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress and other conditions.

The discussion began with some words of caution, though. Jacob Rosen, a mental health clinician and director of the city’s Crisis Alternative Response Eureka (CARE) program, argued that the resolution, which was prepared by the activist group Decriminalize Nature Humboldt, goes too far in endorsing psychoactive plants as consistently safe and healing.

That’s an example of “hyper-claiming” or making blanket assertions based on correlation rather than causation, Rosen said. He argued that while scientific research shows promise in entheogenic plants’ ability to prove useful in mental health treatment, the science is far from settled. More research is needed to determine which compounds act on the brain to cause healing effects and to identify contra-indications. And he said therapy is typically a necessary component of the plants’ efficacy.

“For many people with existing mental health conditions, including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and depression, these substances can actually trigger psychotic episodes that last longer than the intoxication of the substance,” Rosen said. “So there’s a lot of concern having the city rubber-stamp that … .”

Rosen also referred to research on MDMA, commonly called ecstasy or molly, though that synthetic drug was not among the entheogens considered in the resolution, as several public speakers subsequently pointed out.

Eureka Police Commander Lenny La France, who leads the department’s Community Safety Engagement Team, said he and the chief agreed with Gov. Newsom’s decision to veto Senate Bill 58 due to concerns about “unintended consequences.”

However, City Manager Miles Slattery said he had consulted with members of the Arcata Police Department, who reported no significant issues since the city decriminalized entheogenic plants, and he said the City of Eureka only saw five cases last year involving criminal charges related to entheogens — shrooms, primarily — and all five involved more serious charges, such as domestic violence.

The enthusiasm among public commenters was resounding. Roy King, an emeritus associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral science at Stanford, pushed back on Rosen’s words of caution, saying that randomized, controlled studies have shown entheogenic plants’ effectiveness in treating depression and anxiety disorder.

“They work specifically on serotonin receptors,” King said. “They increase neurogenesis … and allow people to get out of their loopy thoughts and negative thinking.”

Rachael Riggs, a local educator, noted the county’s elevated rate of Adverse Childhood Experiences, or ACEs, which are linked to chronic health problems and substance abuse later in life, and she said these plants can help. 

“Entheogens are anti-addictive [and are] among the safest substances being studied in the treatment of addiction and mental health problems,” Riggs said. “There are very few side effects, especially when under the guidance of a therapist or with proper education.” She argued that the positive “trickle down effect” on the community’s children could be huge.

Dr. Carrie Griffin, who specializes in family and addiction medicine, said there have been three scientific studies looking for evidence that entheogenic plant use leads to greater rates of persistent depressive disorder or substance abuse, and the answer was an unequivocal “no.”

Griffen cofounded Eureka’s Center for New Growth, which offers ketamine-assisted therapy, with Randee Litten, a registered nurse who worked for years in the emergency room at St. Joseph Hospital. Litten said that she kind of lost her mind during the COVID pandemic and has seen a dramatic rise in psychosis locally. 

But working at the Center for New Growth has been life-altering, she said.

“What we genuinely need as human beings in this chaotic world is a helping hand, and psychedelics — from a nurse perspective, from a humanistic perspective, from my own perspective — psychedelics lend a hand that can hold you and guide you into a good direction, as long as you have the foundation built,” Litten said. “I know that’s the concern, but I can tell you that we’ve been doing it for a year and a half, and I can’t even tell you how many community members we have helped. And it’s the reason that I’m still here, because I love this community and I have never in my entire career felt like I am doing so much good for this community until we discovered how well psychedelics can help human beings. … I finally feel alive again, like we’re doing something good for our community.”

When the matter came back to the council for deliberation, Councilmember Renee Contreras-DeLoach said she’d spent a lot of time researching the issue and reading the hundreds of letters that were submitted in support of the resolution, and while she had some concerns with specific wording — especially endorsements of the plants’ ability to spur personal and spiritual growth — she concluded that it’s not the proper role of government to arrest and prosecute people over a plant.

Fellow Councilmember G. Mario Fernandez noted that the council had already approved a letter supporting the intent of Senate Bill 58, and he said the resolution would help to de-stigmatize the use of entheogenic plants for healing purposes.

“This isn’t a call to ‘turn on, tune in and drop out,’” Fernandez said, quoting 1960s countercultural icon Timothy Leary. “Instead it would be to allow for folks who do take these substances for healing to reach out to medical and mental health professionals — or law enforcement, if things go towards a more negative experience — without any fear of reprisal.”

Councilmember Kati Moulton said she shared some of Contreras-DeLoach’s concerns about certain phrases in the resolution that endorse the efficacy of entheogenic plants but supported it nonetheless.

With further input from Councilmember Leslie Castellano, the council agreed to remove a phrase endorsing such plants’ ‘capacity to “catalyze profound experiences of personal and spiritual growth.”

Councilmember Scott Bauer said he believes the potential for negative experiences is real, noting that he’s had friends who are “gone” from bad LSD trips. He also expressed concerns for use by kids, whose brains aren’t fully developed. But ultimately, he said, “I support something that’s been used for thousands of years to bring about personal growth.” 

Though she didn’t have a vote, Mayor Kim Bergel said that many local residents are suffering, and these plants represent “another tool for people to use to get the support that they need.”

The vote to approve the resolution — minus that one phrase — was unanimous, and according to Slattery its instructions went into effect immediately upon passage. You can read the full resolution via the link below.

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DOCUMENT: City of Eureka Resolution re: Entheogenic Plants and Fungi

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During Tuesday’s meeting, the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors approved a somewhat controversial request from staff to redraft the Humboldt Region Climate Action Plan (CAP) to ensure the environmental document complies with state requirements. 

Rincon Associates, the consulting firm hired to complete the environmental review of the document, has encountered numerous issues with the draft CAP in recent months and has found the plan to be “overly ambitious” with goals that “cannot be achieved” in the next seven years.

The CAP must set realistic goals to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2030, in accordance with California’s ambitious climate action policy, and outline how the county and its partner jurisdictions will achieve those goals, otherwise, the document will not “qualify” with the state.

Rincon drew up a proposal with several proposed modifications that would qualify the document. The proposed changes would, in part, update the county’s GHG inventory and target analysis. “Rincon will work with the jurisdictions to identify targets that are practical, defensible, and consistent with current state legislation, including SB 32 and the newly signed AB 1279,” the proposal states. “Rincon will produce both per capita and mass emission-based targets for the review.” 

The proposal also seeks to revise the county’s GHG reduction measure and actions for “successful implementation.”

Some environmental advocacy groups feel the proposed changes would weaken the document have called on the county to do more to ensure accountability. 

At the end of last month, a coalition of environmental advocacy groups issued a press release accusing city and county planners of employing a harmful and dishonest “accounting trick” in the process of developing the regional CAP. The coalition argued that proposed changes to the draft document would sidestep meaningful action to reduce GHG emissions by taking credit for reduction targets it has already met.

Speaking during Tuesday’s meeting, Planning and Building Director John Ford acknowledged that there has been “some opposition” to staff’s approach, but said, “It is vitally important to adopt an adequate [CAP] that is qualified and can be defended.”

Ford | Screenshot

“We’re not undertaking this approach to achieve something that is unnecessary but rather to put all the jurisdictions in the county in a place to have a plan that allows us to effectively adapt to climate change,” Ford said. “Looking ahead, the CAP alone is not sufficient. … I just would point out that the county is currently looking at developing a Climate Resiliency Officer [position] as a step to accomplish this important implementation.”

The proposed changes will take four to six months to complete, according to Rincon’s proposal. The problem is, the grant funding the county has obtained to pay for the draft CAP is only available til March of 2024, Ford said.

To accommodate the tight timeframe, Ford requested that the board allow staff to utilize grant funding through the Humboldt County Association of Governments (HCOAG) for the revision of the CAP, rather than preparation of the Environmental Impact Report (EIR) as previously intended.

“Revisions to the draft [and] all the work contained within the Rincon proposal would need to be accomplished by that date,” he said. “Coming right on the heels of that, we would begin preparation of the [EIR]. The preparation of the document should be complete by September of 2024. Public review would occur in October of 2024. The final EIR would be complete by the end of the year, with public hearings on the CAP beginning in January 2025.”

Ford added that staff would try to expedite the process when appropriate.

Speaking during public comment, Luis Neuner, an advocate with the Environmental Protection Information Center (EPIC), emphasized the importance of having an environmental document “with some degree of teeth in it” to ensure we meet our GHG reduction goals.

“It would be irresponsible for us not to just pass something soon,” he said. “Implementation will be hard. It will be harder than getting this thing approved, and that means that we can’t wait much longer. A hard date by which we can get things rolling needs to be a serious part of the conversation if we are real about meeting our 2030 goals.”

Caroline Griffith, executive director of the North Coast Environmental Center agreed, emphasizing the importance of having “actionable items … that will actually reduce our emissions.”

“We know that there’s a deadline for this reworking but we also have to go to the EIR process,” Griffith said. “It would be great to have an adoption deadline. Also … as technology changes, as methodology changes, as funding sources change, it will be really important to have staff who are actually working solely on this to make sure that we can implement it and that there is coordination happening between municipalities and that there are funding sources for all of this.”

Arcata resident John Schafer said the problem with the county’s draft CAP is not that it’s too ambitious, but rather that it does not include “specifics for carrying out any of the necessary policies.”

“We shouldn’t be shy about demanding more ambitious climate policies,” he said. “It’s not just sea level rise or our grandchildren that we should do this for, but because it’ll lead to a healthier economy. We need a sensible business plan if we’re going to prosper in Humboldt County. … The existing plan is indeed inadequate because it doesn’t have suitable policies. It needs to be stronger.”

Going back to the board for discussion, Third District Supervisor Mike Wilson expressed his support for staff’s recommendation to modify the CAP, adding that the proposed plan “is only one piece” of the local effort to combat climate change.

“I also want to remind ourselves that … Humboldt County was the vanguard of the development of solar power,” Wilson said. “In the 1980s, the second largest consumer of solar panels in the United States – next to the U.S. military – was Southern Humboldt and Northern Mendocino counties. … I think, in general, we actually have a populace that may help us in moving forward [on our climate goals]. That doesn’t mean that we don’t put things in writing … but I think we’re gonna see some opportunities around that.”

Wilson made a motion to approve staff’s recommendation, which was seconded by Fourth District Supervisor Natalie Arroyo.

Before voting on the matter, Arroyo suggested the board create a climate action ad hoc committee. County Counsel Scott Miles said the action should be brought forth at a future date rather than being wrapped into the motion. 

The board passed the motion in a 5-0 vote.

Earthquake Recovery Efforts in Rio Dell

It’s been ten months since a magnitude 6.4 earthquake hit Humboldt County. In that time, communities throughout the Eel River Valley, namely Rio Dell, have struggled to obtain disaster relief funding needed to get low-income residents back into their homes, largely due to the tedious application process.

Second District Supervisor Michelle Bushnell requested a status update on earthquake recovery efforts from Habitat for Humanity, the entity leading disaster recovery assistance, to get a better idea of when funding would be dispersed. 

“There hasn’t been any money that’s gone out to constituents for repairs and we’re coming up on a year … [since] the earthquake happened,” Bushnell said. “[I]t’s very frustrating for people that aren’t in their homes and are struggling through the process. … I know the application process is difficult, but the message I’m getting from constituents is ‘I’m done. I can’t do this anymore. I’m gonna do this myself.’ They feel left behind.”

Back in January, the Board of Supervisors authorized staff to create a locally funded Earthquake Recovery & Assistance Program with $1 million from the county’s allocation from the federal Local Assistance and Tribal Consistency Fund (LATCF). The board awarded $250,000 of those funds to Habitat for Humanity to provide support and disaster recovery assistance to the county and its partners. 

Camille Benner, administrative officer for Habitat for Humanity Yuba/Sutter, acknowledged that the application process is “very, very difficult” but said her team is doing its best to guide people through the process.

Benner | Screenshot

“We don’t make those rules and regulations,” she said, noting that the applications are subject to rules outlined by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). “We’re following the same process even with your funding because it protects us, it protects you and it protects the homeowners. … [The] initial disaster response is handling those initial needs, getting food, getting people placed into hotels if they’ve lost shelter, supplies, etc. Long-term recovery is, on average, two to five years, sometimes significantly longer.”

Because the earthquake was not declared a federal disaster, there are “significant limitations” on what disaster case managers can provide, Rio Dell City Manager Kyle Knopp added. 

“Most of the other funding streams are really designed for other purposes, [such as] anti-poverty program funding,” Knopp said. “We have a lot of different programs that we need to make sure that all the T’s are crossed, all the I’s are dotted before individual applicants move forward in the process. I understand the frustration. It’s extremely frustrating to go through these long processes to access resources … .”

Bushnell said she was trying to be understanding of the process but reiterated that “no money has gone out the door and no repairs have been made.’

“I have constituents calling me upset and they’re crying,” she said. “That’s hard for me. And I’m not trying to be critical of you folks … [but] I haven’t gotten any updates.”

John Nicoletti, deputy director of Habitat for Humanity Yuba/Sutter, noted that Habitat for Humanity changed its approach in an attempt to expedite the application process. Originally, their team was working with low-income renters affected by the disaster. They pivoted to work directly with property owners.

“We’re asking that they honor the agreement for affordable housing … to ensure that if public funds are being expended, they are meant to benefit the tenant in the end,” Nicoletti said. “Where it begins to concern someone like me is when we’re moving from a $16,000 repair or a $40,000 repair and all of a sudden … the estimates that we have from contractors exceed the value of the house. … Should we spend $200,000 on a house, basically replacing it, or can we take that $200,000 and move it into five different properties?”

Fifth District Supervisor and Board Chair Steve Madrone and Wilson both spoke in favor of using the funds to house as many people as possible “rather than to large projects that might eat up a whole lot of money,” Madrone said.

Following public comment and a bit of additional discussion from the board, Arroyo made a motion to accept and file the report. Bohn seconded the action. The motion passed in a 3-0 vote, with Bushnell and Wilson absent due to a previously scheduled meeting with state Sen. Mike McGuire.

Relief for Fuel Costs

The board also considered a request, brought forth by Bushnell, to send a letter to California Attorney General Rob Bonta seeking financial relief from inflated fuel costs which, according to county staff, average about $6.49 per gallon locally.

Bushnell | Screenshot

“I get a lot of calls from constituents about the price of gas in Humboldt County compared to other counties in California,” Bushnell explained. “Additionally, I have gotten some calls from some distributors that pick up in Oakland and bring [fuel] into Humboldt County and I was struggling to figure out how to address [the issue] or how or who to address that with.  … So, I’m just wanting to have the discussion and see where possibly we could go with this.”

Earlier this year, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed legislation to combat gas price gouging in California by increasing oversight. The first-in-the-nation law, enacted in June, established the Division of Petroleum Market Oversight, a division within the California Energy Commission to monitor the industry. The new law requires oil companies to submit daily reports on the market and imports, as well as monthly reports on refiners’ profit margins.

Wilson acknowledged that the law’s intent was focused on price gouging that occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic rather than stabilization of current fuel prices but suggested that it could address Bushnell’s constituents’ concerns.

“I think for me, the focus really is about the exploitation of our population, of our working folks and everybody else who’s not, as I would say, on the upper echelons of society,” Wilson said. “We need more equalization and stabilization of pricing and across the board. This is just this one finite element.”

After a bit of discussion among board members, Bushnell said she’d be fine with holding off on the letter for the time being. “I’m happy to not send the letter,” she said. “However, I do want to address my constituents, and it is a big concern.”

Bushnell made a motion to table the discussion, which was seconded by Wilson. The motion passed 5-0.

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Other notable bits from the meeting:

• The board also reviewed revised implementation guidelines for Measure V, an action approved by Humboldt County voters in 2016 to regulate rent increases in mobile home parks in unincorporated areas of the county. The proposed implementation guidelines sought to clarify the original guidelines how the ordinance would be enforced and answer questions that have arisen in the last six years. During Tuesday’s discussion, supporters of Measure V said county staff had not given them proper notice of the discussion and urged the board to oppose staff’s recommendation. Staff maintained that the county had properly noticed the public and stood behind the proposed guidelines. After quite a bit of discussion and a confusing motion, the board decided not to change adopt the guidelines and directed staff to come back with a progress report in one year.
• The board also received a presentation on the audit for Fiscal Year 2020-21. Rich Gonzalez, a representative of CliftoLarsonAllen LLP, detailed the findings of the audit. All told, “the county is moving in the right direction,” Gonzalez said. The board unanimously agreed to receive and file the report.

Press release from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office:

On Oct. 18, 2023, at about 1:41 a.m., Humboldt County Sheriff’s deputies on patrol in Garberville conducted a traffic stop for a vehicle code violation in the 1300 block of Redwood Drive.

Deputies contacted the driver and single-occupant of the vehicle, 34-year-old Jason Jerome Armstrong of San Rafael, CA. During their investigation, deputies learned that the vehicle had been reported stolen out of Rohnert Park, CA, with Armstrong as the primary suspect.

Armstrong was taken into custody without incident and was booked into the Humboldt County Correctional Facility on charges of vehicle theft (VC 10851(a)), possession of a stolen vehicle (PC 496d(a)), driving with a suspended license (VC 14601.1(a)) and violation of probation (PC 1203.2(a)(2)).  

At the Correctional Facility later that morning, Armstrong reportedly physically assaulted another inmate unprovoked. He was booked on additional charges of assault (PC 240) and battery (PC 242).

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.

Arcata Police Department press release:

Richard Lawrence McCovey II

On 10/16/2023 at approximately 9:21 PM, the Arcata Police Department received a report that a person had been shot in the area of 27th Street and Alliance Rd.

Officers responded to the area and located an 18 year old Arcata man with a gunshot wound to the leg. The man reported he had been sitting in a vehicle along 27th Street, when a man approached the car on foot and fired multiple rounds into the vehicle, before fleeing.

Further investigation revealed the suspected shooter was know to the victim.

On 10/17/2023, officers from the Fortuna Police Department located and arrested the suspected shooter, Richard Lawrence McCovey II, 20 of Fortuna, at a business on Fortuna Blvd.

McCovey was booked into the Humboldt County Correctional Facility on suspected violations of 664/187 PC, Attempted Murder and 246 PC, Shooting at an Inhabited Dwelling/Vehicle.

Anyone with additional information related to this investigation is encouraged to call the lead detective Sgt. Luke Scown.