Video of today’s press conference at McKinleyville High today.
The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office and allied agencies believe they are “extremely” close to identifying suspects in the rash of threats leveled at McKinleyville High School over the last two weeks.
That’s according to Lt. Kyle Holt, the head of the Sheriff’s Office’s Major Crimes Division, who spoke at a press conference at the entrance to McKinleyville High a few moments ago.
Though Holt said he could not give many specifics about the nature of the investigation, he did say that search warrants are being filed in conjunction with their “exhaustive” investigation, which is being conducted with the help of the FBI.
“What I can tell you is that all of the threats that we’ve received in the last two weeks were received via telephone,” Holt said. “The source of those telephone calls are using sophisticated technology to try to conceal their identity and their location.”
Parents at the press conference expressed their frustration to Holt and Northern Humboldt Union High School District Superintendent Roger Macdonald. Some, after two stressful weeks, broke out in tears as they spoke.
One father bemoaned the lack of specific details about the nature of the threats, saying that it made it impossible for him to decide whether he should allow his child to come to school or not. He added that he’s keeping his daughter home for the time being. And though Holt promised to continue to swiftly respond to all future threats, one mother wondered why there wasn’t an officer assigned to be physically on campus, instead of just patrolling the perimeter in their vehicle.
Though he said he didn’t have any figures at hand, Macdonald said that there has been a decline in attendance over the last couple of weeks, though he said only a couple of families have questioned whether or not their child could continue at McKinleyville High.
“I think most people recognize this is a short-term situation,” he said.
The full press conference can be viewed in the video above.
Superintendent Roger Macdonald. Photos: Andrew Goff.
Release from the Office of California State Senator Mike McGuire:
McGuire’s Holiday Food Drive Smashes All Records, Collects A Staggering 14 Tons of Food and $52,000 (and Still Counting)
Partnering with Six Local High Schools, KHUM and Food For People, Community Rallies For Those in Need
In an overwhelming show of generosity, the community dug deep yesterday to help thousands of neighbors in need at the 8th annual Humboldt Holiday Food Drive, collecting a staggering 30,000 pounds of food and more than $52,000—all in support of the life-changing work of Food for People, Humboldt’s Food Bank.
Senate President Designee Mike McGuire has teamed up with Food For People, KHUM radio and six local high schools for the annual Humboldt Holiday Food Drive for eight years in a row.
With $52,000 going to Food for People—and donations still coming in—this year’s Food Drive raised 50% more than last year, alongside a whopping 29,650 pounds of food to keep Food for People’s pantry stocked through May. This is an amazing feat and it’s become the largest Food Drive in Humboldt County.
“Just Wow! You are amazing, Humboldt! In a year where Food for People is seeing record demand, neighbors stepped up like never before to help the hungriest,” said Senator McGuire. “We owe huge gratitude to the hard-working high school students of Humboldt County and generous Humboldt neighbors who delivered the biggest haul we’ve ever seen in the history of the Food Drive. Words can’t describe our gratitude. We are sincerely grateful for this outpouring of support and generosity.”
Last year, Food for People distributed over 2 million pounds of food to low-income households in every corner of Humboldt. The need is especially great for thousands of kids. A quarter of those served by Food for People are children who depend on others to have enough to eat.
In addition to the community donations, majority of the non-perishable food was collected by thousands of dedicated high school students from six local high schools: Ferndale, Fortuna, St. Bernard’s, Eureka, McKinleyville and Arcata.
St. Bernard’s collected the most food this year with an eye-popping 12,683 pounds for Food For People. They will receive the coveted Golden Can Award and a $750 check from Senator McGuire for their efforts to be used towards their next school dance.
McKinleyville High School worked harder than ever to raise $3,060, the most of any school, and will also take home the Golden Can Award and a $750 check from Senator McGuire.
“We have never seen anything like the Humboldt Holiday Food Drive. The outpouring of support is truly amazing and we are so grateful! The food and funds collected during this event will make a tremendous impact on our friends and neighbors experiencing food insecurity and hunger this winter. We are exceptionally grateful to Senator McGuire, his incredible team, our amazing student leaders for their creative, compassionate, and thoughtful leadership to help people in our community experiencing hunger,” said Carly Robbins, Executive Director of Food for People.
Lost Coast Communications General Manager Nicole Bondurant, Senator Mike McGuire, Food for People Executive Director Carly Robbins, and KHUM DJ Greta Stockwell
The Eureka Police Department today released the names of the two officers involved in the shooting death of 31-year-old Cutten man Matthew Williams, an incident that followed a pursuit and altercation in Old Town on Nov. 26.
The pair are K9 officers, Jeremy Sollom and Nick Jones. According to EPD, Sollom has over seven years of law enforcement experience while Jones has over four years.
“This is an active and ongoing investigation and additional information will be released in
accordance with state law,” EPD said in a brief release announcing the involved officers.
Read previous coverage of the incident at the links below.
Press release from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife:
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) is continuing the temporary recreational crab trap restriction from the Sonoma/Mendocino county line to Lopez Point, Monterey County, (Fishing Zones 3 and 4) due to the presence of humpback whales and the potential for entanglement of humpback whales and leatherback sea turtles with trap gear. The recreational trap restriction will be in effect until at least the next risk assessment. The temporary trap restriction currently in effect in Fishing Zone 1 (Cape Mendocino to the Oregon state line) will be lifted at 8 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 16, 2023, at which time the use of recreational crab traps in Fishing Zones 1, 2, 5 and 6 will be allowed. A Fleet Advisory remains in effect for the recreational fishery for all Fishing Zones (1-6). CDFW reminds recreational crabbers that take of Dungeness crab by other methods, including hoop nets and crab snares, is allowed during a temporary trap restriction. CDFW also encourages recreational crabbers to implement best practices, as described in the Best Practices Guide.
The commercial Dungeness crab fishery in all Fishing Zones (1-6) will remain delayed due to high numbers of humpback whales and a recent confirmed entanglement of a leatherback sea turtle in commercial Dungeness crab fishing gear lost in a previous season.
CDFW anticipates the next risk assessment will take place on or around Dec. 21, 2023, at which time Director Charlton H. Bonham will re-evaluate available data to inform the potential for a commercial fishery opener and modification of the recreational trap restriction. For more information related to the risk assessment process, please visit CDFW’s Whale Safe Fisheries page. For more information on the Dungeness crab fishery, please visit www.wildlife.ca.gov/crab.
Norma Lee Nored (Alcorn) was born on November 5, 1934, and left this world surrounded by
love on December 4, 2023. She is now reunited with her beloved husband, Gene Nored, who
preceded her in death in 2012, and her siblings Clyde, Kenneth, and Virgil.
As a teenager, Norma’s family, including her father Granville Alcorn, and Mother Alice Alcorn
(Kennetz), embarked on a journey from Sanger, Calif. to Arcata, seeking opportunities in the
lumber mills. The love of her life, Gene Nored, also followed to Arcata and they were
married as high school seniors! Together, they shared the joy of raising three children: Sharon
Nored, Glenda Nored (Gabel), and Bryan Nored.
Norma dedicated many years of her life to her work at Food Mart until the well-deserved day of
her retirement. Norma and Gene found joy in the simple pleasures, such as deer hunting and
sharing the fruits of their labor with family and friends.
One of Norma’s cherished pastimes was spending evenings on the phone, connecting with her
extensive network of friends and family. Norma had an appreciation for keeping connected to
everyone. A glass of wine (with two ice cubes) in hand while catching up with her twin sister
Donna was a common sight!
Family held a special place in Norma’s heart, and her love extended to her surviving twin sister,
Donna Goddard, her children Bryan (wife Kathy) and Glenda (husband Kyle), as well as her
grandchildren Michael Poer (wife Amy), Steven Poer, Daniel Nored (wife Kyla), Lindsey Esh
(husband Patric), and Kristy Gabell.
Norma faced the pain of losing her daughter Sharon in 2020, but her memory lives on in the
hearts of those who loved her. She is also survived by her great-grandchildren Allen, Matthew,
Jackson, Bo, Lacey, Jeremey, Adeline, Eleanor, and Tenzlee.
Raise a glass of wine (with two ice cubes) as we bid farewell to Norma Lee Nored. May she rest
in peace with all of her loved ones who passed before her.
Funeral services will held December 11 at 11 a.m. at Greenview Cemetery.
###
The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Norma Nored’s loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here.
Outpost file photo of a PG&E chopper. | Luke Patterson
###
Press release from PG&E:
EUREKA, Calif. — As part of its ongoing efforts to keep customers safe, Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) will use helicopters to conduct maintenance work on a transmission line in Humboldt County. The company will use helicopters to conduct work on the overhead transmission line, including pole replacements and line repairs; customers may see a line hanging from the bottom of the helicopter which is normal practice for this type of work.
From Monday, December 4 to Saturday, December 9, PG&E helicopters will be visible along the transmission line located in the vicinity of Bridgeville and Garberville, including near Eel Rock Road. From Sunday, December 10 through Thursday, December 14, PG&E will use helicopters to conduct similar maintenance work in the Swains Flat area.
“Using helicopters to maintain our overhead transmission lines is the safest and most efficient way for PG&E to upgrade equipment and make repairs and is less intrusive to the community than using machinery to complete repairs from the ground. We know that PG&E customers in the Humboldt area value their privacy and we want the public to know that this maintenance work conducted by PG&E coworkers is focused only on PG&E transmission lines and equipment,” said Dave Canny, Vice President of PG&E’s North Coast Region.
Flights will begin around 0800 each day and last until sunset and are expected to conclude on December 14; however, weather delays may push to flights to additional days.
The city-owned parking lot at Third and G Streets could become a parking garage. | File photo: Andrew Goff
###
Good news for people who fear the City of Eureka values people over parking! What if the city built you a building for parking?
Eureka City Manager Miles Slattery says the city is working with the Humboldt County Association of Governments (HCAOG) and the Humboldt Transit Authority (HTA) to track down funding sources and determine the feasibility of building a parking garage somewhere in Old Town Eureka.
“We are looking at different locations,” Slattery told the Outpost in a phone interview this morning. “To build these things there has to be a certain ingress and egress, stuff like that. Ideally, it would be located at the Third and G parking lot – where the old City Hall used to be – because it would be right next to the EaRTH Center, the city’s [future] multimodal transit center. If that doesn’t work there are a few other locations, like the lot at Second and H [Streets].”
The size and capacity of the parking garage have yet to be determined, Slattery said. Ideally, the garage would be able to accommodate the number of parking spaces that will be lost when the city moves ahead with its plans to develop several city-owned lots in Old Town and downtown, which adds up to around 200 spots. The height of the structure would be determined by the size of the lot, but Slattery said the structure would probably be two or three stories tall.
“It’s all very preliminary but it’s something we’re looking into,” Slattery said. “We should have some more information around the beginning of the year.”
