It broke our hearts when you left us
But we couldn’t let you go alone
So a piece of our hearts went with you
The day God took you home

Donald James Thompson passed away in his sleep on June 13, 2022 at his home in Mckinleyville. Although he was born in Weaverville, he spent most of his life in Humboldt County. It was here in the beautiful forests that he fell in love with logging. He worked as an independent contractor and his ability to climb and fell trees was second to none. Because of his skill level and ability to deliver, he was sought out by big timber companies, private landowners and even homeowners who needed his expertise. Although his main job was always tree work, he was also a natural at mechanics and even briefly owned a motorcycle shop. More of a hobby shop than a moneymaker, he was able to combine his love for motorcycles and his ability to turn wrenches.

Besides the unmentionables, the only thing he loved more than climbing trees and bikes was his son, Kid. From the start those two were two peas in a pod. His absolute favorite time in his life was the years he spent with Kid on the race track. He was never happier or prouder than the time he spent out there on the dirt helping his son bring home the trophies.

Donald worked hard and played just as hard. He had a huge presence and never left a room without making at least one person smile. To know him was to love him, and pretty much everywhere he went he made friends. Before passing he told his family that he wanted a big party to celebrate the life he lived. So that is exactly what we plan to do! Please join us for a potluck at Pierson Park on September 11 at 3 p.m. Everyone is welcome and the family asks that everyone who attends brings a dish of food to share.

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Letter to the community from Dr. Rebecca Irelan of Eureka First United Methodist Church:

Are you concerned that so many of our fellow citizens are unhoused? What if there was something you as an individual could do about it? Would you?

I write to tell you about the 100-Day Challenge. No, it is not an exercise program or a diet plan. From the Governor’s office comes this description: “100-day challenges are part of a growing national movement to prevent and end homelessness, developed through the Rapid Results Institute in coordination with the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness. Through these efforts, communities have undertaken the challenge of working together across systems to collaborate, innovate, and execute to create a coordinated community response to end homelessness.”

Humboldt County received grant funding to train staff from local government and nonprofit agencies to work together. Good people from Uplift Eureka, Cooperation Humboldt, Nation’s Finest, the Humboldt County Office of Education, Jefferson Community Center, and the Salvation Army have been meeting since July, and we have set a goal to house 25 homeless families (parents or guardians and their children) in 100 days.

Our job is to work across bureaucratic boundaries to identify families in dire need of housing and to convince landlords to rent to them. While many others are also in need, we have chosen to focus on families with children, for whom the trauma of homelessness can have lifelong negative effects. Humboldt County is #2 in the state for childhood trauma, and that is a badge of shame none of us want to wear.

As a faith leader, I am attending these weekly meetings because I have seen the transformation that can take place when one of God’s children finally gets stable housing, especially housing that comes with on-going support from people who care. The families we are trying to house will have support from one of our social service agencies. The landlords who want to make a real difference in a child’s life will get support, too. And, in many cases, families will come with funding from various sources.

Over the last several years, we have learned that in working with unhoused people with a long list of problems and needs, housing must come first. When we add on the supportive services, there is a far better chance that improved physical and mental health, employment and financial stability will follow. Many formerly unhoused people go on to make positive contributions to our community.

If you are (or know of) a kind-hearted, community-minded landlord or the owner of an ADU (accessory dwelling unit), you might be the person who could help a child heal from the past, fully live in the present and prepare for a much brighter future. If you feel that you may be called to this rewarding work of personal and communal transformation and have questions or want more information, contact us at 100daychallengehumboldt@gmail.com or call 707-572-4669.

Rev. Dr. Rebecca Irelan
Eureka First United Methodist Church
520 Del Norte
707-442-3015

Press release from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office:

On Sept. 4, 2022, at about 8:20 a.m., Humboldt County Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to Luffenholtz Beach, near Trinidad, for the report of an attempted theft of a catalytic converter.

The male victim told deputies that he was on the beach when he heard the sound of a power tool coming from the beach parking area. When he went to check on his vehicle, the victim observed a male suspect attempting to remove the catalytic converter from the victim’s vehicle. Upon seeing the victim, the suspect fled. The victim was able to provide deputies with a description of the suspect and an associated vehicle.

Deputies located the vehicle traveling in the area of Edwards and Trinity Streets, and conducted a traffic stop. The driver of the vehicle, 26-year-old Michael Justin Launius was detained without incident. During their investigation, deputies confirmed Launius to be the suspect of the attempted theft.

Launius was arrested and booked into the Humboldt County Correctional Facility on charges of attempted grand theft (PC 664/487(a)), tampering with an automobile (VC 10852) and vandalism (PC 594(b)(2)(A)).

The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office has seen an 83% increase in catalytic converter theft reports received this year as compared to 2021. Like other vehicle burglaries, catalytic converter theft is a crime of opportunity that can occur quickly, leaving little evidence behind. Residents are encouraged to take proactive steps to protect your vehicle from theft, including:

• Park your vehicle in a well-lit area. If possible, try to park where you can keep your vehicle in view.
• At home, trim back trees and bushes that block the view of your vehicle from your house. Consider installing motion sensor security lights and surveillance cameras. 
• Always lock your vehicle and consider installing a more sensitive car alarm system.
• Install a catalytic converter anti-theft device.
• Ensure your car insurance covers catalytic converter theft.
• Call local law enforcement and your insurer should you become the victim of a catalytic converter theft.

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.

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Press release from the unified command of the Six Rivers Lightning Complex:

The Six Rivers Lightning Complex remains in unified command with California Interagency Incident Management Team 15, California Highway Patrol, Trinity County Sheriff, and Humboldt County Sheriff. The Six Rivers Lightning Complex is currently 41, 406 acres with 79% containment and 1,229 personnel assigned to the incident. (Ammon – 11,465 acres; Campbell – 29,941 acres)

CURRENT SITUATION

After five weeks of hard work, our night shift Firefighters worked their last night shift yesterday evening.

Record-breaking heat is possible today, as high temperatures soar into the 100’s at the lower elevations. At the higher elevations of the fire, the temperatures are expected to be well into the 90’s. Accompanying the hot temperatures is a very dry airmass and breezy northwesterly winds. Firefighters have been focusing on bolstering control lines and “mopping-up” identified areas of heat along the eastern portion of the Campbell Fire’s perimeter. In preparation for this critical weather, heavy equipment has been improving the contingency lines along the Lone Pine Ridge as a back-up control line if it was needed. The 2015 River Complex is directly east of the current control lines. There are reduced fuel loads in this relatively recent burned area, which increases the probability of success for suppressing any spot fires which may occur. Firefighters will continue to patrol and monitor the Ammon fire, while wildfire crews continue repair on roads and suppression lines utilizing heavy equipment.

The higher wind speeds will increase mixing of air today, causing more smoke to be transported from the area. Additionally, the morning inversion will lift early today and improve overall air quality throughout mid-day.

Check out the Six Rivers Smoke Outlook for more information.

Learn how you can help be fire safe at this link. .

ROAD CLOSURES

Due to a large presence of fire personnel and machinery working to build containment lines for the Ammon Fire, residents are asked to limit travel on Titlow Hill Road/Route 1 in zones HUM-E052 and HUM-E062 to essential traffic only. Residents may still use roads to travel out of evacuation order zones:

The following roads into evacuation zones have been closed.

• Forest Route 7n15 at Six Rivers Forest Boundary

The following roads are restricted to local traffic only:

• Horse Linto Creek Road at Saddle Lane (Open to residents only)
• 6N06 Sandy Bar (Route 6)
• Titlow Hill Road (Route 1) at Horse Mountain Botanical Area

State Route 299 remains open to through traffic. Residents are encouraged to visit Caltrans Quickmap to check for state highway closures.

FOREST CLOSURES

Forest order NO. 22-10-06 Six Rivers Lightning Complex is currently in place, which includes river access at Kimtu Park.

To view this closure and map, please visit this link.

EVACUATION UPDATES

For the latest evacuation information go to Humboldt County Office of Emergency Services  or Trinity County Office of Emergency Services. For an interactive map of evacuation zones visit: Zonehaven Aware To sign up for alerts visit this link.

LARGE ANIMAL EVACUATION CENTER

Hoopa Rodeo Grounds
1767 Pine Creek Rd.
 Hoopa, CA 95546
 Phone: (707) 492-2851

CLEAN AIR FACILITIES:

Clean Air Centers are open at locations in eastern Humboldt and western Trinity counties for residents seeking relief from the smoky conditions. Please see this link for times and locations.

When does a kid become an adult? It’s an elusive question that developmental psychologists, philosophers and parents might answer differently.

But lawmakers can’t work with ambiguity. So in the late 1990s, Congress decided that — at least when it comes to surfing the web — kids are people under 13.

Last week, California legislators said: Nope. Kids are people under 18. And if Gov. Gavin Newsom signs a bill they just passed, kids under 18 in California will get many more privacy rights online.

What young people encounter on apps and the web has become a source of mounting concern for parents, fed by alarming headlines and new research. So a bipartisan group of legislators pushed forward the California Age-Appropriate Design Code Act, also known as AB 2273. Passed unanimously out of the Legislature last week, the bill could become a model for other states — or provide a roadmap for Congress, which is considering its own privacy bill.

“Social media is something that was not designed with children in mind,” said Emily “Emi” Kim, an 18-year-old who lives in Porter Ranch, near Los Angeles.

Kim splits her time being legislative director for Log Off Movement, a youth-led organization that advocated for the bill, while also attending college classes and working at Chipotle.

Here’s what the bill would do

If it gets signed into law, California businesses that provide online services or products likely to be accessed by kids under 18 would have to provide greater privacy protections by default starting in July 2024. Specifically the bill would:

• Require companies to assess potential harm in how they use kids’ data in new services or features, and create a plan to reduce the risk before the feature is rolled out.
• Prohibit companies from using kids’ information in a way that the business knows (or has reason to know) is “materially detrimental” to their wellbeing — like pushing kids to photos of skinny supermodels after they search for weight loss information.
• Generally prohibit companies from collecting, selling, sharing or keeping any personal information on a kid, unless it’s necessary to provide the service the kid is directly using.
• Ban companies from collecting, selling, or sharing precise location data for kids by default, unless it’s strictly necessary for the feature, and only then for a limited time.
• Require the product to make it obvious to kids when they are being tracked, if the company allows parents or adults to track kids online.

If some of those requirements sound vague, the bill also creates a new working group — made up of experts in kids’ data privacy, computer science, mental health and more — to make recommendations to the Legislature.

The bill would be enforced by the state attorney general, who could bring civil lawsuits that could result in penalties of up to $7,500 per kid for intentional violations.

Karla Garcia, a parent of an 11-year-old in the west Los Angeles neighborhood of Palms, supports the bill because she hopes it will rein in the algorithms that suck her son, Alessandro Greco, into YouTube. “He knows it’s an addiction,” she said of her son’s America’s Got Talent binges, which keep him from doing his homework. “Honestly, I have this fight every night with my child.”

“I want him to have his independence, but this is stronger than him,” Garcia said.

How the law has worked elsewhere

The idea was borrowed from a U.K. law, which went into effect in September 2021. Since the law passed, tech companies have made changes, including the following:

• YouTube turned off autoplay — the feature that plays videos continuously — for users under 18.
• Google made SafeSearch the default for users under 18, and stopped tracking kids’ location data.
• TikTok stopped sending push notifications to teenagers late at night. Teens 13-15 don’t receive push notifications after 9 p.m., and 16- and 17-year-olds don’t receive push notifications after 10 p.m. The company also disabled direct messages for users under 16.

Who gets to be a kid?

The bill faced pushback from lobbying organizations representing tech companies and other businesses, including the California Chamber of Commerce, Entertainment Software Association and TechNet. TechNet counts Amazon, Google, Meta (formerly known as Facebook) and Uber among its members. The organizations argued that the bill would apply to more sites than necessary.

“It’s another example of why we need a federal privacy law that includes universal standards to protect kids online instead of a patchwork of state laws that creates confusion and compliance complications for businesses,” said Dylan Hoffman, TechNet’s executive director overseeing California and the Southwest, in a statement.

“He knows it’s an addiction. Honestly, I have this fight every night with my child.”
Karla Garcia, parent of an 11-year-old in Los Angeles

One of the main changes the groups pushed for was lowering the bill’s definition of a kid from 18 to 13, as in the federal law. Then they advocated for 16, which is a threshold in a California privacy law, said Hoffman. But the business groups weren’t successful in that push.

“Any parent, to be honest any grandparent, any sister, brother, would tell you that a 13-year-old is not an adult,” said Baroness Beeban Kidron, a member of the U.K.’s House of Lords, who spearheaded the effort to pass the U.K. law, and founded of 5Rights Foundation, which sponsored the California bill. “You can’t ask a 13-year-old to make adult decisions,” Kidron said.

What happens next?

First, Newsom will decide whether he wants to sign the bill into law, or veto it. If he signs it, most of the measure’s requirements won’t go into effect until 2024.

But companies would have to start identifying and mitigating risks to children immediately, said Nichole Rocha, head of U.S. affairs at 5Rights Foundation. In other words, if the bill is signed into law, companies might start rolling out changes well before 2024.

What if companies don’t want to comply? Would the threat of a potential lawsuit from California’s attorney general be enough to prod them into action?

“I will be following that very carefully,” said Buffy Wicks, a Democratic state assemblymember from Oakland and one of the bill’s authors. The legislature could pass another bill if the way the law is enforced needs to be refined, she said. “We can sit here and make policies all day long, but if they’re not being implemented, not being enforced, sort of, what’s the point?”

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

Press release from the Fortuna Police Department:

On Saturday September 3, 2022 at about 11:43 P.M. Fortuna Officers received multiple reports of an active shooter at an event taking place at the Fortuna Veterans Memorial building in the 1400 block of Main Street.

Officers arrived on scene and encountered several subjects outside the building, who related that the alleged suspect had fled the area on foot and was last seen headed westbound. Initial responding officers were able to determine that the suspect had fled and there were no injured persons on scene. While officers were canvasing the area officers received a report that subjects heard yelling for help in the area of 9th and O Street. In the area of 9th and O Street officers located two intoxicated 16 year old juveniles, one of which was stuck in heavy brush. The juveniles were arrested, found to be intoxicated with no injuries and they were not in possession of a firearm.

Further investigation revealed that the Fortuna Veterans Memorial Building had been rented out for a private event and the two intoxicated arrested juveniles had been at the event. Persons at the event told the intoxicated juveniles to leave the private event. One of the juveniles allegedly became upset that they were told to leave and they threatened to kill the person. As the juvenile was leaving the event after making the threat they claimed to be in possession of a firearm, which caused panic and multiple reports to law enforcement. No witnesses were located that allegedly observed a firearm and there were no signs of a firearm being discharged. Persons on scene identified one of the intoxicated juveniles officers had in custody as the juvenile who made the threat.

A 16-year-old juvenile was arrested for 647(f) PC, Public Intoxication and 422 PC, Threats. Officers attempted to gain clearance for booking the Juvenile into Juvenile Hall and they were refused by Juvenile Probation. The juvenile was cited and released to a guardian.

A 16-year-old juvenile was arrested for 647(f) PC, Public Intoxication, cited and released to a guardian. The Fortuna Police Department would like to thank our allied agencies, Rio Dell Police Department, Ferndale Police Department and The California Highway Patrol for their response and aid during this investigation.

The Fortuna Police Department remains committed to public safety and transparency.

PREVIOUSLY:

• Going Down, Sept. 4

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Press release from Humboldt Bay Fire:

On September 3rd at 1414 hrs, Humboldt Bay Fire was dispatched to a reported Structure Fire at the 5100 block of Woodland Way. Humboldt Bay Fire responded with 3 Engines, 1 Truck and 1 Battalion Chief.

Photo: Humboldt Bay Fire

The first arriving unit reported a single story residential structure fully involved with fire showing through the roof. A second alarm was requested and Humboldt Bay Fire units began to attack the fire. There was no threat to other structures or the wildland and the fire was knocked down in ½ hour. While extinguishing the fire, firefighters discovered a deceased adult male in a rear bedroom. The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office and Humboldt County Coroner were requested to the scene.

Humboldt Bay Fire units remained on scene for another 4 hours to completely extinguish the fire, conduct the fire investigation and assist the Humboldt County Coroner. There were no firefighter injuries and the structure sustained heavy fire damage with an estimated loss of $350,000. The fire investigation could not determine the exact cause of the fire but the fire was accidental in nature.

Humboldt Bay Fire would like to thank the following agencies for their assistance: Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office, Humboldt County Coroner, City Ambulance and PG&E. Arcata Fire District and Samoa Peninsula Fire District covered Humboldt Bay Fire’s jurisdiction during the incident.