Betty Rose Sporrer, at age 98, passed peacefully in her sleep at home with family by her side on May 28, 2023. The Hospice of Humboldt provided exceptional care during her last days.

Betty is survived by her brother Clarence; her children: Renee, Kathy, and Dan; her six grandchildren: Daniel, Emma, Katie, Christopher, Bret, and Kinsey; her great grandchildren: Jaxon and Eli. She was preceded in death by her loving husband, Dean (Buck) Sporrer; children: Dephane and Rodney, and eleven siblings.

Betty was born on November 29, 1924, in Wisconsin to Albert and Mildred Turenne. At the age of 15, Betty ventured to the big city of Chicago, Illinois, where she worked in the factories supporting the war effort. Shortly thereafter, she began her 10-year career as a switchboard operator for Bell Telephone. She transferred to Portland as a supervisor where she met Buck. Their 59-year marriage began on April 13, 1954, and continued until Buck’s passing in 2013.

Betty had an active retirement in Bend, Oregon. She was surrounded by family and a diverse tribe of friends, including various clubs and her beloved Catholic Daughters. Betty lived independently in Bend to age 93; at which time she moved to Northern California to live with her daughter Kathy and her husband Cecil.

She was loved, adored, and respected by all who knew her and is missed. She left this world a better place with her wit, her smile and encouraging words to all.

Our wish is to honor Betty with contributions to the Dephane Marie Sporrer scholarship foundation managed by St. Mary’s Academy. The address is 1615 SW 5 th Portland OR 97021. The phone number for the foundation is (503) 228-8306.

The family invites you to a celebration of Betty’s life at the Stock Pot Broiler from noon to 3 p.m. on Saturday, July 15, 2023. The address is 8200 SW Scholls Ferry Road, Beaverton, OR 97008.

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From the Hoopa Fire Department and Office of Emergency Services:

Hoopa, CA - As of Wednesday afternoon, August 16, the Lone Pine Fire had grown to approximately 400 acres with 0 percent containment. Of the 23 confirmed fires burning within the Six Rivers National Forest following recent lightning activity, the Lone Pine Fire is one of several top priority fires.

The fire is burning between the Horse Linto Creek and Tish Tang Creek drainages and east of the Trinity River. The fire is currently being managed by the North Coast Incident Management Team 3 (IMT3) and the Six Rivers National Forest (SRNF). The fire is under a full suppression tactic. Firefighters are creating a handline and heavy equipment are creating dozer lines near Tish Tang Ridge. A firing operation is expected to strengthen lines on the west side of the fire within the next 48 hours.

Because the fire has burned over the Hoopa Valley Indian Reservation’s southern border, the North Coast Incident Management Team 3 and SRNF is working in close coordination with the Hoopa Valley Tribal Council and Hoopa Fire Department to prioritize protection of tribal resources and cultural sites.

There are currently no evacuation advisories, warnings, or orders associated with the Lone Pine Fire, however, Hoopa Fire Department Chief Greg Moon said that the necessary tools are in place should an evacuation be necessary.

“Even though the fire has burned onto the reservation, there are currently no structures threatened,” Moon said. “Our teams are meeting regularly and have plans in place to protect the community.” There are currently 150 fire personnel assigned to the fire; 3 handcrews, 5 engines, 1 dozer, 2 water tenders and 55 overhead staff. Additional resources have been ordered and are in route.

The Hoopa Fire Department is also expecting additional resources from the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Tule River Fire, Chumash Fire, Quartz Valley Fire and the Nature Conservancy, to help with initial attack of this fire and any additional potential fires.

A red flag warning due to excessive heat and northwest winds remains in effect through 9 p.m. tonight. There is currently a forest closure on the Hoopa Valley Indian Reservation at Tish Tang Road and Sign Board Gap. No additional road or forest closures are in effect at this time.

Official information regarding the Lone Pine Fire will be provided by the Hoopa Fire Department and Office of Emergency Services and Six Rivers National Forest. In addition, KIDE 91.3 FM will broadcast updates daily. Maps and updates will also be posted at https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident-information/casrf-lone-pine-fire

Residents are encouraged to download the “Genasys” application on their smartphones, or visit https://app.zone-haven.com to stay informed about potential threats, advisories, warnings and orders.

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A proposed ballot initiative aimed at protecting downtown parking lots while purporting to address the housing crisis has caused a considerable amount of confusion among community members in recent weeks. 

The “City of Eureka Housing for All and Downtown Vitality Initiative” seeks to amend the City of Eureka’s 2040 General Plan and, per the campaign’s website, rezone “a number of pieces of property throughout the city” – and specifically the former Jacobs Campus – to accommodate the city’s affordable housing needs. Proponents of the initiative have criticized the city’s efforts to convert city-owned downtown parking lots into housing. They say the parking lots are critical for downtown businesses.

Others have called the initiative misleading. An open letter to Eureka voters, signed by more than 100 residents, local leaders and elected officials, argues that the initiative would actually prevent the development of affordable housing and could “put the city in legal jeopardy, risking millions of dollars of state grant funding.”

During the public comment portion of Tuesday’s Eureka City Council meeting, a Eureka resident, who chose not to identify herself, asked the council who was behind the petition and asserted that the people gathering signatures “don’t even know anything about [housing].”

“They said the Jacobs [campus] is owned by the City of Eureka, which it isn’t. It’s owned by Eureka City Schools,” she said. “I’ve spoken with them and I’ve also spoken with the captain of the [California Highway Patrol]. I want to know who started these petitions. Can you tell me?”

Prior to the meeting, Councilmember Leslie Castellano had asked city staff to provide a report on the proposed initiative to help clear up “a lot of the confusion in the community.”

City Attorney Autumn Luna noted that the city council has the opportunity to request informational reports during the signature-gathering process for an initiative proposal but asked the council to “keep in mind that staff does have some limitations on what it can report on.”

The attached staff report includes seven topics relating to the proposed initiative, including its effect on land use, the availability and location of housing and the ability of the city to meet its regional housing needs. 

One member of the public, Althea Christensen, spoke in favor of the informational report. “It might be good for you guys to explain what parts [of the initiative] the staff is not allowed or able to comment on or report on,” she said. “So, just to kind of explain that to us. And I would hope that the report would include, you know, if this does pass, whether agencies like the CHP would be subject to that rezoning.” 

The council gave staff a thumbs up to move ahead with the report, which should return to the council sometime in October.

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The council also received a report from staff about privacy concerns surrounding Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs), an issue that has apparently burbled up in Eureka’s neighborhoods in recent months. 

First off, to qualify as an ADU, the residence must have independent living facilities, said Principal Planner Cristin Kenyon. “It can’t just be a detached bedroom; it has to have a bathroom and a kitchen,” she said. “And in the City of Eureka, any ADU that we legally authorized after Jan. 1, 2020, can’t be used as a short-term vacation rental. It has to be rented out long term.”

ADUs can be permitted anywhere residences are allowed but only five percent of Eureka’s single-family residential parcels contain ADUs. The city’s goal is to create 20 new ADUs per year but there hasn’t been a lot of interest. “We think it’s because of financing and education and things like that,” Kenyon said.

State laws limit the city’s ability to impose additional regulations on ADUs. City staff took a look around and found other California cities, including Palo Alto, Fort Bragg, Antioch, Temple and San Bernardino, were able to adopt objective standards to create more privacy between ADUs and residential lots.

“They’re mostly about preventing line of sight into adjacent properties through landscaping, fencing, glazed windows, windows placed above eye level, or not allowing windows and doors facing adjacent properties,” Kenyon said. “However, there’s this override provision of the state ADU law that … trumps everything else and you can’t impose objective design standards.”

For example, an ADU in an existing space of an accessory structure, like a garage or a detached shed, would not be subject to any of the aforementioned design standards.

As such, Kenyon recommended that the city council provide guidance rather than add more rules. “Neighbor disputes are a miserable thing for everybody involved,” she said. “I think if we help people realize little things they could do to avoid those neighbor disputes, they would hopefully want to implement them when they’re designing their ADU. And there’s always the ability for people to add fencing or landscaping if they’re concerned about privacy from a neighbor constructing a second floor or an ADU that overlooks their property.”

Moulton asked if primary residences were subject to similar privacy restrictions. Kenyon said, “Basically, you can construct a three-story house within five feet of your neighbor’s property.”

Castellano spoke in favor of creating privacy considerations for residents to look into. She also suggested staff look into micro-loan opportunities to incentivize the construction of ADUs.

The council agreed to accept staff’s report but did not take any action on the item.

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Before closing out the meeting, City Manager Miles Slattery offered a brief update on a few of the city’s housing projects, two of which will welcome residents in the coming months.

The 34-unit low-income development for seniors, located at Seventh Street and Myrtle Avenue, is “well on its way,” Slattery said. “There have been a few issues with PG&E but we’re working with our Chief Building Official Reilly [Brendan] to get around those. But we should be up and running by October.”

The four-story mixed-use development at Second and E Streets in Old Town is expected to open in the next couple of months. The new building will host retail storefronts and office space on the ground floor, one- and two-bedroom apartments on the second and third floors, and a restaurant and bar on the rooftop.

“Both of the projects, in my opinion, have turned out exactly how they were proposed in the design review process,” Slattery said. “I think they’re going to be a great addition to the city.”

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Press release from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office:

Manning

On August 16th, 2023, Humboldt County Drug Task Force Agents served a search warrant at the residence of Daniel Langevin, Cara Chmielewski, and Jennifer Manning, located in the 500 block of Herrick Avenue in Eureka. HCDTF Agents received information that drug activity was occurring at the residence.

Upon arrival at the residence, Agents located and detained Daniel Langevin, Cara Chmielewski, and Jennifer Mannine without incident. Once the scene was secure, Agents searched the residence and located one firearm, 10 grams of fentanyl, 6 grams of methamphetamine, 5 Suboxone strips, 18 Perc-30 pills, a small amount of unknown pills, scales, packaging materials, and indicia of drug sales.

Jennifer Manning was transported to the Humboldt County Correctional Facility where she was booked on the following charges:

• HS11351- Possession of Controlled Substance for Sales 
• HS11378- Possession of Controlled Substance for Sales (Methamphetamine)
• HS11370.1(A)- Possession of Controlled Substances while Armed

Daniel Langvin and Cara Chmielewski were released on scene. Agents will request the following charges for Langevin and Chmielewski:

• HS11366.5- Operating/Maintaining a Drug House
• HS11378- Possession of Controlled Substance for Sales (Methamphetamine) 

Anyone with information related to this investigation or other narcotics related crimes is encouraged to call the Humboldt County Drug Task Force at 707-267-9976.

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Press release from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office:

Coons

On August 15th, 2023, Humboldt County Drug Task Force (HCDTF) Agents with assistance from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) and the Eureka Police Department (EPD), served a search warrant on Ryan John Coons (29 years old from Eureka).

HCDTF Agents observed Coons travel from Humboldt County to Oakland, California. Upon Coons’s return to Humboldt County, Agents conducted a traffic stop on his vehicle. HCSO Deputy Esget and his K9 partner Yahtzee conducted an open-air sniff on the vehicle. K9 Yahtzee alerted to the vehicle indicating drugs were present.

Inside the vehicle, Agents located Ryan Coons and Shawn Clinton Bartley (52 years old from McKinleyville). Agents also located 1.8 pounds of fentanyl, 1 kilo of methamphetamine, over 100 Alprazolam pills, approximately $4,000 in U.S. Currency, digital scales, and packaging materials. 

After the traffic stop, HCDTF Agents and EPD Officers responded to Coons’s residence in Arcata and located more scales and packaging materials. 

Ryan John Coons was transported to the Humboldt County Correctional Facility where he was booked on the following charges:

• PC182(A)(1)- Conspiracy to commit a crime
• HS11351- Possession of controlled substance for sales
• HS11352(A)- Transportation of a controlled substance 
• HS11378- Possession of a Controlled Substance
• HS11379(B)- Transportation of a controlled substance through noncontiguous counties

Shawn Clinton Bartley was denied by correctional staff at the Humboldt County Correctional Facility. HCDTF will request the following charges be filed on Bartley:

• PC182(A)(1)- Conspiracy to commit a crime 
• HS11351- Possession of controlled substance for sales
  
• HS11352(A)- Transportation of a controlled substance 
  
• HS11378- Possession of a Controlled Substance
  
• HS11379(B)- Transportation of a controlled substance through noncontiguous counties

Anyone with information related to this investigation or other narcotics related crimes is encouraged to call the Humboldt County Drug Task Force at 707-267-9976.

From Caltrans:

TRAFFIC ADVISORY: Due to approaching wildfire, U.S. 199 will be fully closed at 2 p.m. from Pioneer Road near Gasquet to Oregon Mountain Road (PM 16 to 31).

Please check https://quickmap.dot.ca.gov/ or the QuickMap app for the latest road conditions.

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Growing up in little ol’ Arcata, cyclist Hannah Chadwick never dreamed that she would one day be competing in the UCI Para-Cycling World Championships, let alone that she and her cycling partner would bring home a bronze medal. 

“Honestly, I’m feeling a lot of emotions,” Chadwick told the Outpost, after placing third in the women’s sprint at the championships in Glasgow, Scotland last week. “I’m feeling incredibly proud of our performance. … We were able to hit several personal bests, and the bronze medal was the cherry on top!”

In case you’re not familiar with para-cycling, it’s a sport adapted for cyclists with various disabilities. As a blind rider, Chadwick races on the rear seat of a tandem bicycle, with her sighted pilot, Skylar Espinoza, seated at the front. Chadwick and Espinoza’s medal is especially impressive, considering that the two have only been training together for a few months, it was their first time at the world championships and it was their very first sprint race together. 

Blind since birth, Chadwick was adopted from an orphanage in China at the age of 12 by her parents, Patricia Chadwick and Stephen Dias, who lived in Arcata at the time. Patricia told the Outpost that Hannah had not received any formal education before she was adopted, and after coming to Arcata Chadwick entered her first school, Bloomfield Elementary.  

“She started out at Bloomfield and spent most of the time catching up and learning braille with an aid,” Patricia told the Outpost in a recent interview. “She’s very smart, so she caught up quickly and then went to Sunny Brae [Middle School] for sixth grade.” 

After Sunny Brae, Chadwick changed over to Coastal Grove Charter School and then attended Arcata High School, where she graduated in 2011. After taking a year off to travel and do some volunteer work in China, she attended UC Davis and graduated in 2016 with a double major in international relations and Chinese. Chadwick said she was always interested in sports and fitness but spent most of her younger years in Humboldt focusing on school, trying to get good grades and get into a good college. After graduating from Davis, Chadwick was looking for a new challenge. 

“I actually found tandem racing by accident,” Chadwick said. “One day I was sitting on the couch working … and I saw this ‘learning to race camp’ at the Olympic & Paralympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. I was so excited that I didn’t even read the flier, I just applied … I think I was the last person to get in before applications closed.” 

After completing the camp in May of 2019, Chadwick was invited to attend another camp focused specifically on track racing in late 2019. She started working with a coach at the beginning of 2020 and when the pandemic hit, Chadwick said, she took lockdown as an opportunity to focus even more on her fitness and training and has been racing ever since. 

Chadwick had previously been working with a different pilot, who decided to pursue other opportunities at the beginning of this year. So Chadwick had to find another pilot if she was going to continue competing at the elite level. Chadwick knew of Espinoza through one of her coaches and asked about her, and the two were connected in early February. In late February, Espinoza came to Colorado Springs, where Chadwick now lives, for a trial and the two hit it off.

They went to a training camp together for one week in March, another training for three weeks in May, and another three weeks leading up to the world championships. 

Most of Chadwick and Espinoza’s training was done separately though, Chadwick said, and when she is training without a pilot she does most of her training indoors and does have to “get creative with certain exercises,” because of being blind. But mostly Chadwick doesn’t do anything different for training because of her disability, she said, adding that she goes to the gym at least three times per week and is on her bike almost every day. In addition to her training, she also works on her recovery, including sleeping, eating and soft tissue work, which is “just as important” as training, she said. 

After coming home from Scotland last week, Chadwick took a few days to rest, but then got right back to her training, she said. If all goes well, Chadwick and Espinoza hope to go to the Parapan American Games in Santiago, Chile this November, and to next year’s World Championships, which will be held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in March. The team’s ultimate goal, of course, is to go to the Paralympics and Chadwick said she is hopeful that they will qualify for the summer games in 2024. But if not, she feels confident that they could train hard enough to qualify for the next Summer Paralympics in 2028. 

Though Chadwick no longer resides in Humboldt, she wanted to say how grateful she is for the time she spent here and wanted to thank all of the family, friends and educators that helped encourage her to pursue anything she set her mind to. 

“Growing up in Humboldt County taught me the importance of how to create and maintain a support network,” she said. “I’m so grateful to everyone that encouraged me along the way. I was given many opportunities, and I’m so thankful to be a part of the community.”