Travis Michael Jones was born May 23, 1983, at General Hospital in Eureka as the eldest son of three boys to Michael and Nanette Jones. Travis passed away at Enloe Medical Center in Chico on June 26, 2023, with his mother and two younger brothers by his side. A lifelong Humboldt County resident, growing up in Arcata and living in McKinleyville for the last two decades, Travis loved nothing more than spending time with his family and playing or watching sports. As a youth, Travis fell in love with sports. He had a competitive spirit that drove him to spend countless hours on the baseball field or more likely, shooting buckets on the basketball hoop in the driveway until the sun went down. Travis’ favorite teams were the Minnesota Vikings and San Francisco Giants. He relished in the torture of watching the Vikings each and every Sunday alongside his father, grandfather, uncle and brothers.

Beyond sports, Travis loved the outdoors. When he was 8 years old, his parents bought a boat and began spending every weekend of every summer camping at Wyntoon Resort at Trinity Lake. He and his brothers spent many hours riding bikes, listening to their parents’ stories around the campfire and fostering a love for the lake that would last their entire lives. Whether it was early morning fishing with his Dad, backpacking trips into the Trinity Alps or snow skiing trips to Mt. Shasta and Mt. Bachelor, Travis was happiest when spending time outdoors with the ones he loved.

Travis went to Pacific Union Elementary from Kindergarten through eighth grade and graduated from Arcata High School in 2001. During high school he started a job where many Humboldt County residents would come to know and love Travis. He began working at Murphy’s Westwood Market. At 17, he started at the grocery store part time to help fund the sound system in his Nissan and his desire to upgrade to a Ford Mustang ASAP. Little did he know he’d spend the next 23 years developing friendships and making memories at the five different Murphy’s locations across the northern county. If you’ve shopped at any of the Murphy’s locations in the last two decades, chances are you’ve seen or met Travis hustling around the store. Whether a customer, a fellow employee or a distributor, Travis had a knack for making friends and earning people’s respect. People truly loved working with Travis and shopping at his stores. As a store manager, he took pride in his work and his ability to be a man of the people. He will be missed greatly by those that worked alongside him.

Along the way, Travis started a family of his own, having a daughter, Harper and son Wyatt. Both Harper and Wyatt were the apples of his eye, and he loved nothing more than spending time with them. Travis and their mother passed along their love for camping and the outdoors to the kids and have continued the tradition of camping at Trinity Lake every summer. Travis also enjoyed taking the kids and their yellow lab, Ace to the beach on sunny afternoons. Mostly, he loved cheering Harper and Wyatt on from the sidelines of their many soccer, baseball, softball and basketball games as well as dance recitals and countless school activities. He was a proud father who loved his children very much.

Travis was proceeded in death by his father, Michael Jones, his grandfather Clarence “Bud” Jones, his grandparents Mark and Elaine Nelson and his Aunt Nikki Moxon. He is survived by his two children, Harper Jones and Wyatt Jones, their mother, Erin McCann, his mother, Nanette Jones, his brothers and sister’s in-law Tyler and Angela Jones as well as Jordan and Jessica Jones. He is also survived by his nieces and nephews Sophia and Michael Jones and Madison, Jackson and Bailey Kelly as well as his Grandmother Leota “Tokie” Jones and many Aunts, Uncles, Cousins and family friends that loved him dearly.

Travis, you are loved and will be missed by us all. May you enjoy watching the Vikings and Giants kick butt forever more.

Services will be planned for and communicated out at a later date.

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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Travis Jones’ loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here. Email news@lostcoastoutpost.com.

Press release from the office of Gov. Gavin Newsom:

Governor Gavin Newsom today proclaimed a state of emergency in Del Norte County due to the Smith River Complex fires and in Siskiyou County due to the Happy Camp Complex fires. The proclamations support the ongoing emergency response to the fires, which have destroyed homes, caused power outages, and driven the evacuation of residents.

Among other provisions, the proclamations waive certain licensing requirements and fees for out-of-state contractors and others working with California utilities to restore electricity. The proclamations also support impacted residents by easing access to unemployment benefits and waiving fees to replace driver’s licenses and records such as marriage and birth certificates.

The text of the Del Norte County emergency proclamation can be found here and the text of the Siskiyou County emergency proclamation can be found here.

Press release from the Arcata Police Department:

On August 29, 2023, at 6 a.m., Arcata Police Detectives, with the assistance of the Humboldt and Mendocino County Sheriff’s Department SWAT teams, served an arrest and search warrant for Arcata homicide suspect Gregory Nelson Mattox, in the 13000 block of Bald Hills Road Orick, CA.

Mattox was wanted for the July 2, 2023, killing of 36-year-old Joshua Gephart, in the 5000 block of Boyd Road in Arcata. Mattox was taken into custody without incident and was booked at the Humboldt County Correctional Facility on the following violations of the California Penal Code:

• 187(a)-Murder
• 29800(a)(1)-Felon in Possession of a Firearm
• 1203.2-Violation of Probation
• 148.9-Providing False Identity to a Peace Officer.

The Arcata Police Department would like to thank the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Department SWAT, Major Crimes Division, and Crisis Negotiation Team, as well as the Mendocino County Sherrif’s Departments SWAT, Arcata Mad River Ambulance, and Cal-Fire for their assistance.

Anyone with information about this investigation is encouraged to contact the APD Investigations Unit at 707-822-2424, or the anonymous tip line at 707-825-2588.  

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PREVIOUSLY:

• Arcata Police Name 24-Year-Old McK Man as Suspect in July 2 Valley West Homicide
• ARCATA HOMICIDE: 36-Year-Old Fortuna Man Shot and Killed; APD Seeking Suspect

This afternoon, a flurry of activity on the 3-9 Fire prompted the Humboldt County Office of Emergency Services to issue an “evacuation warning” for the areas surrounding that blaze, which has been burning north of Dinsmore and just west over the ridge from Hyampom.

The “warning” — the lowest level of alert published by the Office of Emergency Services — was published to the Office of Emergency Services social media channels at around 3:20 p.m. It asks residents to be ready to evacuate, and advises people who need extra time to leave to do so now.

Due to #fire activity on the #SouthForkComplex, an 𝗘𝗩𝗔𝗖𝗨𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡 𝗪𝗔𝗥𝗡𝗜𝗡𝗚 has been issued for Zones:
▪️ 𝗭𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗛𝗨𝗠-E114-A (N of Henry Ridge, E of the Mad River)
▪️ 𝗭𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗛𝗨𝗠-E114-B (S of Henry Ridge, N & E of the Mad River)
𝗠𝗔𝗣: https://t.co/ar7VCNusGU pic.twitter.com/ecyNrhU767

— Humboldt Co OES (@HumCoOES) August 29, 2023

Fortunately, the warning doesn’t appear to affect many people, if anyone at all. Though the OES has split up the “E114” zone into three for purposes of this fire, then issued a warning for two of those three subzones, records from last year show that the OES estimates that only one person actually lives in any of the three subzones.

This afternoon, fire managers on the South Fork Complex wrote on their own Facebook page that it’s been busy today.

“Spot fires occurred in the southern flank of the 3-9 fire area, which were spread by northwest winds with gusts up to 30 mph,” they wrote. “Fire behavior is showing a rapid rate of spread to the south, close to Henry Ridge.”

Elsewhere in the county: The town of Orleans and surrounding areas remain under a similar evacuation warning due to the nearby Pearch Fire, which stands at about 2,700 acres.

Press release from Mad River Community Hospital:

Early yesterday morning, 8/28/23, Mad River Community Hospital experienced a close call when a blue mustang was reported to be speeding on Janes Road.  The vehicle subsequently lost control, jumped the curb and sidewalk, and landed on the hospital’s front lawn.  The car slid over 75 feet, hitting the PG&E transformer box and electrical box for the medical suites in front of the hospital.  Fortunately, the hospital never lost power, but some ancillary buildings behind the hospital were without power for the day.  

We would like to extend our gratitude to the first responders who quickly arrived on the scene, including the Arcata Fire District and Arcata Police Department.  Additionally, we would like to thank Colburn Electric and Buddy’s towing for their prompt response and assistance and PG&E working late into the night to restore power to the affected buildings.

We are relieved that no hospital patients, employees, or visitors were injured during this incident.  As always, the safety and well-being of those in our care remain our top priority.

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Anyone who read about it surely remembers the story of Hunter Lewis, a local 21-year-old who tragically died at sea in December 2021 while planting the final piece of an epic treasure hunt he planned for his friends and family. It was a story so unusual and touching that it’s difficult to forget. 

Now Brianna Chapman, a 22-year-old film student who was friends with Lewis, is writing and directing a short film about his story and will soon be traveling to Humboldt with her film crew to shoot the movie. 

Chapman is from Eureka but now lives in L.A., where she’s in her final year at Chapman University (no relation, although Chapman did say that the name is part of what made her interested in the school.) Chapman is completing her double major in business and film, and has written and directed many short films already, which you can check out on her website. Now Chapman is making the film about Lewis as her senior thesis project. 

“[It’s] such a great way to be able to do something for Hunter and to honor him,” Chapman said in a recent phone interview with the Outpost. “And I think for me, the best way that I can do that and express who he was is through film, because that’s what I’m passionate about.”

Chapman and Lewis met just after their freshman year of high school, when they were both attending a summer film camp in Humboldt. The two bonded over a mutual passion for film and stayed friends throughout high school and into college. Lewis went to school in Long Beach, pretty close to Chapman’s school, so they were able to visit each other easily. Chapman is also good friends with Kinsley, Lewis’s girlfriend, who also attends Chapman University, and said she was there when the couple met for the first time. “They instantly fell in love,” she said. 

Chapman was also a part of the days-long treasure hunt that ultimately led to Lewis’s death. The hunt took place when Lewis and his friends were back in Humboldt for winter break. Chapman, her brother and another longtime friend of Lewis’s, Michael, were on one of the treasure-hunting teams. Starting on Christmas Day and continuing for the next several days, Lewis’s friends and family solved cryptic riddles he created and searched for clues he had hidden in different locations throughout the area.

But the treasure hunt took a tragic turn on Dec. 30, when Hunter paddled a canoe off the coast of Trinidad and never returned. 

For days following his disappearance, hundreds of people coordinated online to search for Lewis. People would meet in Trinidad at 7 a.m., Chapman said, to be assigned different areas to comb for signs of Lewis or his boat. The whole effort was coordinated largely by Kinsley and Lewis’s father, Corey. 

“It was really amazing, to be honest, how much Hunter’s father, Corey, and his girlfriend, Kinsley, were managing everyone,” Chapman said. “It was just amazing how much they were able to step up and manage a huge search party in the midst of such a traumatic incident.” 

Chapman near Hunter’s memorial bench in Trinidad, wearing a “Lost Lewis Treasure” sweatshirt made by Hunter’s father

Chapman said she was also inspired by how much the community rallied together to search for Lewis and to support his family during such a difficult time. She saw how hard the experience was for Lewis’s family, and since she is good friends with Kinsley, she especially knows how hard it was for her. Many people would bring Kinsley gifts and offer her support during her grief.

As a close friend of Hunter’s and Kinsley’s, Chapman also experienced first-hand the intense love the two shared, and that is something she really wants to focus on with the film. The movie, entitled “Where the Heart Lies” is a narrative that will tell the story of Hunter’s disappearance, but will also focus on the relationship between Hunter and Kinsley, Chapman said. 

Since the story takes place on the beautiful Humboldt coastline, Chapman thought it would be best to shoot the film on location in Humboldt. In June, Chapman and her cinematographer came out to scout filming locations and will be shooting some of the film at Hunter’s childhood home, which Chapman is very excited about. The crew is also hoping to shoot at the Coast Guard station in Samoa, Chapman said, and part of the next steps will be acquiring permits for the shooting locations and getting approval from the Coast Guard. Chapman is also currently in the process of casting actors to play Hunter, Kinsley and Corey and has a “few contenders” in mind.

Chapman and her crew will travel to Humboldt to film in March 2024 and will also be hiring some local people for the film crew. In particular, Chapman is searching for a local artistic director, a sound mixer and potentially some production assistants and said she will likely try to recruit some students from Cal Poly Humboldt. Since travel expenses will be one of Chapman’s biggest costs, she’s trying to only bring a “skeleton crew” with her from L.A. 

Of course, like with all projects, one of Chapman’s biggest challenges is finding funding. Chapman University is providing $6,000 for the project, she said, but she is hoping to raise an additional $20,000 for the filming expenses and has launched a Kickstarter campaign, which has so far raised nearly $10,000. 

Chapman also mentioned that a major motion picture based on the Rolling Stone article about Hunter is currently in the works. Though she didn’t know many details about the production or when the film is planned to be released, she did say that the film will be written by one of the writers for the Netflix series “13 Reasons Why,” though the Outpost was unable to confirm this. But Chapman said that she expected other films to be made about the story and knowing one is in process doesn’t deter her from pursuing her project. 

“I wanted to continue to make my thesis even though that [movie] is separately being made,” Chapman said. “I really want to retain the personal authenticity of who Hunter was, because he was such a unique spirit and such a beautiful person and he has such a unique love with Kinsley that I really want to capture that.” 

The process of creating a film that is so personal to her has been difficult at times and it will be an emotional experience for her to return work on this project back in her homeland of Humboldt, Chapman said, but it has also been a good way for her to process her own grief for the loss of her friend. 

“I think it’s a very cathartic process,” Chapman said. “As artists, that is how we process and how we heal. And I think through this process of writing the script, writing all these conversations that Hunter is having with Kinsley, I feel like I’m almost getting to know him even more and feeling him with me.”

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Back in 2021, California passed a new law — AB 481 — that requires local police agencies to have a written policy in place for their acquisition and use of military equipment. The law also requires local agencies to hold a public meeting on that policy.

Tonight, at Arcata City Hall — 736 F Street — the Arcata City Council will have that meeting. The public is, of course, invited. According to the agenda, there’ll be a presentation on the law, an explanation of the police department’s published policy, and a Q&A session.

The law requires that police agencies disclose all military-grade equipment it possesses. (“Military equipment” is defined in the text of the law; it may or may not be actual military surplus.) As of now, according to the department, Arcata currently has:

• One “command vehicle,” suitable for use in crisis situations.
• 13 patrol rifles.
• 12 less-than-lethal shotguns modified to fire bean bags, marked by an orange stock.
• 4 pepper-spray ball launchers.

So if you’d like to talk about that, or anything else in the department’s policy, tonight’s the night. The meeting will be held at Arcata City Hall tonight — Tuesday, Aug. 29 — at 5 p.m.

DOCUMENTS:

• Arcata Police Department Policy 710 — Military Equipment
• Agenda for the Military Equipment Policy Meeting — Aug. 29, 5 p.m.