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Press release from Western Environmental Law Center, the Environmental Protection Information Center (EPIC), Klamath-Siskiyou Wildlands Center and Cascadia Wildlands:

Today, conservation groups and a fishing guide announced their intent to file suit in federal court in San Francisco to challenge the Trump administration’s new interpretation of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) that “harm” to species does not include destroying their habitat. The decision reverses 50 years of bipartisan agreement that protecting species’ habitat is at the heart of the ESA and, without it, many species will go extinct.

The conservationists assert that no matter how the administration contorts the legal term “harm,” its plain meaning, as confirmed by the Supreme Court in Babbitt v. Sweet Home, includes destroying species’ habitat. Indeed, the ESA itself states its first purpose is “to provide a means whereby the ecosystems upon which endangered species and threatened species depend may be conserved.”

“This is war on the forests and rivers of the West,” said Pete Frost, attorney at the Western Environmental Law Center in Eugene. “No longer protecting where grizzlies, salmon, and owls live will make them extinct. We’re hopeful the court will clarify what the ESA has always meant.”

Chris Daughters, a licensed fishing guide on the McKenzie River in Oregon, joined the lawsuit as a plaintiff, because “my business depends on cold clean water in which salmon thrive. Without good habitat, we won’t have salmon, and I won’t have customers.”

“Marbled murrelets depend on coastal old-growth forests,” said Tom Wheeler of EPIC. “The administration’s twisted interpretation of the ESA means ancient forests could be logged—and the murrelet doomed to extinction. Not only is that a wrongful interpretation of the law, it’s reprehensible position for the administration to forward.”

“Removing habitat protections for spotted owls would not only mean a death sentence for spotted owls, but a death sentence to old-growth forest ecosystems of the Pacific Northwest as we know them. What’s at stake isn’t just one species, but the entire web of life that countless other wildlife depend on,” says Sydney Wilkins, conservation attorney for KS Wild.

Lost habitat is the very reason most species are listed under the ESA. And habitat loss causes more species to go extinct than any other single factor. To illustrate, the Sierra Nevada yellow-legged frog, which is now 90% gone, is nearing extinction due to its alpine lake habitat being destroyed, not because people are stomping on frogs. 

Similarly, spotted owls and murrelets are not directly harmed by logging – these birds are not crushed by logging equipment. Rather, logging removes viable habitat for vital life activities such as nesting and foraging, leading to the slow unraveling of entire populations as breeding and nesting areas disappear, prey becomes scarce, and the ecosystem balance they depend on quietly collapses.

Likewise, the four recent dam removals in the Klamath River Basin are for the first time in decades allowing wild salmon to swim hundreds of miles upstream to reach historic habitat. But this may not have been possible without the prior longstanding, sensible interpretation of the ESA: habitat matters.

The conservationists will ask the court to set aside the administration’s new rule and require it to first evaluate what this radical change will mean for protected species analysis, which they illegally failed to do for this major change in interpreting and applying the ESA.

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North Coast Congressman Jared Huffman issued the following statement on the Trump administration’s changes to the Endangered Species Act:

Trump is doing everything in his power to let his billionaire, big industry buddies ravage and obliterate our country to turn a quick buck. This move would let special interests destroy an endangered animal’s home, its food, its clean water – the basic things it needs to survive and recover – with zero repercussions or accountability. He’s pushing species to the brink of extinction and hurting the surrounding communities that depend on thriving ecosystems for their businesses, healthy air and water, and way of life.

This is corrupt, illegal, and completely untethered from scientific reality. 

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Note: This post was updated to include a statement from Congressman Huffman.

At the corner of New Montgomery and Market streets in San Francisco sits a stately tower, neoclassical columns and an antique-looking clock at street level, long strips of windows rising up 20 stories, ending in tight arches just shy of the roof, where another clock — this one massive and spare — nests under a spire. Three hundred miles away, near the end of H Street in Arcata, are two apartment buildings, separated by a parking lot. They’re residential, not commercial, dirtier and about 18 floors shorter than the tower. But they’ve got something important in common: they’re owned by the same company.

The Arcata apartments — Woodridge Apartments, at 1895 and 1935 H Street — were purchased in May by a San Francisco investment company, Ridge Capital Investors, for $11.9 million from Strombeck Properties, a local property-management company. RCI claims to own somewhere around $1.3 billion in real estate, much of it located around the western U.S. They’ve developed and invested in roughly $5 billion in real estate since its founding in 2011. The company created a new entity to buy it — “RCI Woodridge LLC” — and founded it in Delaware, a state prized for its lax tax laws.

The company’s website highlights Arcata’s unstable rent situation — or, at least it did, until July 8 or 9, when RCI deleted its page on Woodridge shortly after we contacted them. (Fortunately, your Lost Coast Outpost took a screenshot.) Arcata, it said, is a fantastic place to invest in real estate. Cal Poly Humboldt only has space on campus for around half its students, RCI claimed, and housing is a “persistent issue” for the university. RCI will “transform” Woodridge, beautifying the exterior and upgrading the amenities in all 126 units, which will allow them to raise rents.

“Ridge will implement professional management and an institutional approach toward expense control and revenue management,” the page read. “In combination, this repositioning plan will increase rents, occupancy, and asset desirability.”

The “professional management” is a property management company called Asset Living, itself a behemoth. It operates in around 40 states, with 10 corporate offices scattered around the country. Asset Living was itself recently snapped up for $2 billion by another financial giant, a global private equity company called New Mountain. New Mountain manages around $60 billion in assets, spread around a wide variety of money-generating endeavors. Its portfolio lists a staggering number of companies it owns, everything from footwear to an “AI-powered healthcare intelligence platform” to a cleaning supplies firm. 

Asset Living also gussied up a website for Woodridge. To an unknowing eye — an incoming Cal Poly student, perhaps — the website makes the apartments appear aspirational. 

“Elevate your everyday at Woodridge,” reads the site’s copy. “Located moments from Cal Poly Humboldt, our…residences are designed for effortless living. Experience a perfect balance of natural charm and modern convenience, complete with private balconies and a serene community atmosphere. Welcome to simply better living in Arcata.”

“Elegance?” one gobsmacked tenant told the Outpost. “OK — I like my apartment plenty, but it is not elegant.”

The apartments definitely aren’t dumps, but they’re hardly “premium” like Asset Living claims. [Full disclosure: several years ago, I lived in a one-bedroom apartment in Woodridge Apartments for a bit over a year.] They’re decent for the price (around $1,350 per month for a one-bedroom apartment, $1,550 for a two-bedroom), though some of them only have a few windows and capture little sun. Some of them get moldy and the walls are thin, but those are hardly unique problems for Humboldt apartments.  

However, by and large, many tenants aren’t pleased with the results. The main impact of the upgrades have been fairly insignificant, several residents told the Outpost. Workers replaced the faux-wood linoleum flooring in several units, as well as several of the small, electric four-burner stoves common in dorms and cheap apartments. Some bushes outside got trimmed. They don’t outweigh Asset Living’s handling of the apartments, which has been “sloppy,” as one of them put it. (All of them requested anonymity for fear of retaliation.) 

The issues started immediately. Strombeck used a simple pay-online system that allowed for direct, free transfers from residents’ bank accounts. Asset Living switched to a new system that forces residents to pay online in two installments (one at the beginning of the month, the other in the middle) with around another $50 in added fees tacked on. The only other option is to pay with a cashier’s check, an annoying hassle for many of the complex’s residents, some of whom are students without a nearby bank. 

Paying via any of the approved methods is far from foolproof, one resident told the Outpost. In June, shortly after the sale, a representative he believes works for Asset Management had told him he could continue to pay through the old online system. He paid his $1,400 and forgot about it until Asset Living sent him an email informing him he’d failed to pay his rent. He didn’t get the money back. 

His troubles compounded. He attempted to pay with a cashier’s check, hand-delivering it to the on-site office. He got another email informing him his rent wasn’t paid. He asked, how was that possible? They’d lost the check. Fortunately, the bank had given him a receipt. He gave a copy of the check to the office. They managed to lose that as well. He never received any update on the situation, neither confirmation that they’d processed a payment nor asserting that he was still on the hook. 

“Fun!” he said. “I was pretty stressed the fuck out, like, ‘what the hell is happening?’ That’s where the whole they don’t know what the fuck they’re doing feeling comes from, because — how are you gonna mess this up?”

Another said that his lease was set to expire in June. He’d lived there for a couple years, and enjoyed it. The apartments were just fine for what he was paying, and Strombeck had been good at fixing broken appliances or clearing the drain when he asked them to. He shared the apartment with his new fiancee, and they were planning on living in Arcata for another year to save up some money. Woodridge acquiring new owners didn’t bother them. He went to the office twice to let them know he wanted to renew the lease. The managers told him they’d send him an email both times; he never got one, so he sent one, which went unanswered. 

One day, he came home to a note on the door: you are being evicted. California’s Just Housing laws protected that from happening, but they were forced to transition to a month-to-month lease that allows Asset Management to terminate their lease at will.

There are other miscellaneous complaints: loud construction noises in the morning, piles of trash spilling out of the compactor, odd landscaping choices. But an even larger kick in the teeth was in store for them and the other dozens of Woodridge’s residents: Asset Living posted a notice on every tenant’s door informing them that they were planning on charging residents for their utilities. Strombeck had included the price of utilities in their rent, which made paying the slightly inflated rents tolerable. (WiFi was excluded, but trash, electricity, water and sewage were all covered.) They’re unsure if it’s even possible to do it fairly. Asset Living said residents will pay a third party (Conservice) for their water, water heating, sewer, and trash, but electricity and gas bills go straight to PG&E. 

The apartments aren’t individually metered. Asset Living shared a formula for splitting up the building’s total usage per-person, but the tenants said they were concerned that one person’s excessive usage would end up costing everyone. And they were insulted by an attempt to greenwash the change — brand the move as being for the environment.

“When utility bills are paid 100 percent by owner, residents have no incentive to conserve,” the notice reads. “This results in a waste of our state’s natural resources and adds to the overhead of the property and that usually adds to higher rents. Utility billing saves money for residents because it encourages them to conserve.”

“They’re blaming us,” one tenant told the Outpost. “They’re blaming us, and justifying it to raise the fucking expense on utilities, because we aren’t fucking smart enough to turn off the goddamn water. I’m sure maybe somebody leaves their lights on, and shit, and that’s pretty dumb, but, like, you’re just gonna throw all of us under the bus? That’s ridiculous.”

They were willing to deal with the rest of it, but the switch to being charged for utilities — without the rent going down — was enough to convince them it wasn’t worth it. Their apartments simply aren’t worth that much. Everyone’s planning on moving, the engaged couple to Redding where the rent is cheaper, the other guy to a new spot, hopefully elsewhere in town. 

He’d like to find another Strombeck apartment. It was a shame they sold the complex, he said. They weren’t perfect landlords, but they often went above and beyond what he thought was necessary. He baked the maintenance guys treats and was looking forward to sticking around Arcata, an “ideal” town, he called it. He’s lived there for only a year, loves the walkability, the nature, the freewheeling youthful vibe. But staying there might not be feasible. 

“It’s all kind of shocking, I guess,” he said. “I know that this is a normal thing that happens to people that live in apartments, and it sucks, but — what the hell, man. It all felt very short notice, and moved quickly. And not in a good way. More of a stumble.”

“It’s just disorganized,” he continued. “I guess that’s what I would call it. Seems like we’ll just have to roll with the punches until we can either get the fuck out. Or keep your head down and just hope for the best.”

The Humboldt Tenants Union is attempting to rouse residents to form their own, building-specific union, and recently went door-to-door around the complex. A spokesperson for the union sent an email to the Outpost, declaring their opposition to the new property managers. “No one deserves to work hard, and pay their bills on-time, just to end up without a home,” they wrote. 

The entire country is submerged in a housing crisis, and Arcata’s is especially acute. In a recent city-sponsored survey, 77% of Arcata-based respondents said that housing there is unaffordable. The residents the Outpost spoke to can’t stomach the idea of big Bay Area finance firms swallowing up property in a bucolic college town and doing some haphazard renovations to justify raising prices. 

“This repositioning plan will increase rents,” RCI’s page on Woodridge once read (before it was deleted). The tenants feel like RCI is taking advantage of them, they said — $1,600 per month, plus utilities? 

“I just love when people like 200 miles away with no care for my situation decide they’re gonna, just, up the rent,” the recently engaged resident said. “It feels like a certain amount of autonomy has been taken away from me.” 

“I didn’t do anything wrong,” he continued. “I always pay my rent on time. We’re quiet people. We don’t have parties. We generally don’t even have people over. We’re quiet. We pay our rent on time. We don’t just randomly break shit, and we don’t break our lease. Like, we’re perfectly good tenants, and then we’re just being punished, because some other company came in and wants to charge us more. They’re just being greedy.”

Asset Living did not respond to a request for comment, nor did Ridge Capital Investors. Steve Strombeck, the owner of Strombeck Properties, was out of town and could not be reached, an office manager told the Outpost.

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Press release from the City of Eureka:

Eureka, CA - The City of Eureka invites community members to participate in a workshop on Tuesday, July 14 to kick off the Housing Element Update, and help shape the City’s housing policies and priorities through 2035. This interactive workshop is an opportunity to learn about the Housing Element process, discuss local housing challenges and trade-offs, and share ideas about Eureka’s housing future.

Date: Tuesday, July 14, 2026

Time: Arrive anytime between 5:30 and 7:30

Location: Wharfinger Building, 1 Marina Way, Eureka, CA 95501

This event is kid-friendly with an activity zone for all ages. Free refreshments, food, door prizes, and raffle!

More Ways to Participate

Community members can also participate online by visiting the City’s Housing Element engagement page at this link. The site includes project information, a community survey, quick poll, idea board, and interactive map where residents can share feedback and ideas. The survey is available now and takes about 5–10 minutes to complete.

What is the Housing Element?

The Housing Element is a state-required plan for addressing the City’s housing needs through 2035. It addresses housing affordability, homelessness, fair housing, preservation of existing homes, and housing opportunities for current and future residents of all income levels. It also identifies where Eureka can accommodate 1,740 new homes by 2035 to meet regional housing needs.

Why engage now?

Community input received now will help shape the policies, programs, and actions that will be included in the final plan. While this stage of the process can feel more abstract than a specific development proposal, it is when the community has the greatest opportunity to influence future housing decisions.

For more information, contact: Kelsey Fletterick, Senior Planner/ Development Services Department City of Eureka, 531 K Street, Eureka, CA 95501 707-441-4113 Kfletterick@eurekaca.gov

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Choices made today will affect housing in Eureka through 2035. Join the City of Eureka on Tuesday, July 14, anytime between 5:30 and 7:30 p.m. at the Wharfinger Building and help shape the future of housing in our community. Free food, refreshments, and prizes. Learn more and share your input at https://talk.eurekaca.gov/

Press release from the North Coast Interagency Type 3 Incident Management Team:

Size: 87 acres
Containment: 68%
Personel: 250
Cause: Under investigation

Current Fire Situation

The Mile Post Fire remains within its established operational footprint as firefighters continue making steady progress toward incident objectives. Crews remain focused on keeping the fire north of Mill Creek Road, south of Norton Creek, west of Norton Creek Road, and east of Highway 96 while strengthening containment lines and securing the fire’s perimeter.

On the north end of the fire, Division A continues burnout operations designed to remove unburned fuels between the fire’s edge and established control lines. These operations are expected to be completed by the end of the operational period.

On the south end, Division D is conducting extensive mop-up operations to a depth of approximately 20 feet while securing containment lines and continuing construction of the contingency line from Mill Creek Road to Highway 96. These efforts are focused on eliminating residual heat and strengthening control features should fire activity increase.

Along the Highway 96 corridor, Division Z continues utilizing helicopter bucket drops in coordination with roving patrols to cool hot spots, reinforce containment, and prevent fire spread near the roadway.

Night operations were successfully conducted last night to monitor fire activity, hold completed suppression work, and maintain the integrity of containment lines. Crews will continue to evaluate operational needs based on weather conditions and fire behavior, adjusting resources as necessary to maintain firefighter safety and meet incident objectives.

Road Closures & Evacuations

Highway 96 between Hoopa and Weitchpec will reopen to one-lane traffic beginning at 8:00 a.m. Travelers are encouraged to use caution, follow all traffic control directions, and be prepared for possible delays as crews continue working in the area and managing the flow of traffic. We appreciate your patience and cooperation as these efforts help ensure the safety of both the traveling public and roadway personnel.

To help protect the Hoopa Valley’s natural resources, fire personnel are also implementing Sudden Oak Death (SOD) prevention protocols. Equipment, vehicles, and personnel working in affected areas are following sanitation and decontamination procedures to reduce the potential spread of Phytophthora ramorum, the pathogen responsible for Sudden Oak Death, while continuing suppression operations. These measures help safeguard the Tribe’s forests and culturally significant natural resources as firefighting efforts continue.

Evacuation warnings are currently in effect. For more updated information visit http://humboldtgov.org/2383/Current-Emergencies

Weather

Sunny and warm with highs of 84-92°F in the valleys and 70-78°F on ridgetops. Relative humidity will drop to 35-45% with light northwest winds of 5-8 mph. Dry fuels will continue to support active afternoon fire behavior.

Public Information
North Coast Interagency Type 3 Incident Management Team
PIO - Roy Latham
707-684-9482

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The following guest opinion was submitted by Susan Seaman, former Eureka Mayor and program director at North Edge Business Financing and Community Development.

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Humboldt County, as a remote, rural community, struggles to find resources for many of our basic needs, from infrastructure to services. What we don’t lack is community engagement. Unlike many communities, we have residents who know their representatives, participate in public meetings, and rally around issues they care about.

Yet we’re facing a growing problem: not enough people are willing to run for office.

Eureka adopted ranked-choice voting years ago, but it has never been implemented. It hasn’t even been necessary to do so. Since 2018, only one council race had more than two candidates. That’s not much of a choice. 

Across Humboldt County, elected officials often stay in office longer than they intended simply because there isn’t a clear successor ready to step forward.

Over the past several years, politics have divided our community and our country. When I served as Mayor of Eureka from 2018 to 2022, I fear I served at the tail end of civility and respectful disagreement in public service.

When COVID happened, something shifted. Disruption not only became normalized; it became a strategy. Public meetings grew more hostile, and people increasingly supported or opposed decisions not because of the facts or the merits, but because of who was making them.

Humboldt County isn’t unique. Communities across the country are experiencing the same thing. In the four years since I left office, I’ve watched the job become even more difficult for council members and other public servants. Now that it’s time for people to step up and run for office, we’re paying the price because potential candidates aren’t blind to what they see.

Most people experience local government through angry social media posts, contentious council meetings, and the loudest voices in the room. If that’s all you see, why would anyone volunteer to put themselves and their family through it?

But here’s what those moments don’t show.

City Council meetings are only a small fraction of the job. By the time you’re sitting on the dais, you’ve spent hours reading reports, meeting with residents and staff, visiting businesses, and learning about the issues before you. More importantly, you meet extraordinary people.

You meet volunteers who clean up neighborhoods, mentor kids, feed families, plant trees, create public art, and prepare for disasters. You meet business owners who invest in the community because they believe in this place. You work alongside dedicated city employees who genuinely care about their community and the work they do.

Despite the criticism that often dominates public conversation, I believe most people who serve in local government come away loving their community more—not less.

The real danger is what happens when thoughtful, capable people decide public service simply isn’t worth it. They choose to protect their time, their families, and their peace of mind by not running. Every time another reasonable person steps aside, it becomes easier for louder, more ideological voices to fill the vacuum. Collaboration becomes harder. Staff spend more time managing conflict than solving problems. Everyone loses.

I treasured my years serving the City of Eureka. Were there difficult days? Absolutely. But when I look back, the positive memories far outweigh the negative ones. I had the privilege of working alongside remarkable people who cared deeply about their community, even when they disagreed with one another.

So, if you’ve ever considered running for office but decided the climate was simply too toxic, I’d ask you to think again. If you’ve already decided to run, thank you. Whether I agree or disagree with your vision, I appreciate your willingness to devote your time to serving our community.

Our communities don’t need perfect candidates. They need thoughtful people who are willing to listen, ask questions, work with others, and put the community ahead of political identity. We need real choices. Competitive elections force candidates to demonstrate their judgment, their understanding of the job, and their ability to lead.

The best way to improve local government isn’t to stand on the sidelines wishing for better leaders—or simply accepting the only person willing to run. We need good people willing to become them. Is that you?

It was difficult not to be joyful when you were with her.

Joan Dempsey Sanborn was born on October 2, 1927, on the Baie de Chaleurs, the north shore of New Brunswick, Canada, to Wilbur and Mildred Dempsey. As the middle child of thirteen, Joan attributed her small stature to being “squished from both sides.” She grew up on a subsistence farm — plow horses, milk cows, root cellar, and lots of chowder — and no electricity or cars. 

When she was 16, the priest was called to perform the last rites for Joan. Fortunately, her older sister Sarah, who lived in Maine, took her to a doctor in Portland — with a hefty dose of iron she was instantly alive and lively. Staying in Maine, Joan lived with her Aunt Mary, finished high school, then worked in a Blue Cross/Blue Shield office.

While in Portland High School, she met her future husband, Warren Sanborn. Many of their dates were trips on his Indian motorcycle. Unfortunately, he was Protestant. When her very Catholic aunt and mother asked her if she “had to get married,” Joan was quite aware of what that euphemism meant, and merely translated it to the language of her own heart. She answered, “Yes I do.”

Joan and Warren raised three wonderful boys (one of them is writing this, so take it with a grain of salt) — and, in case you are wondering, the first arrived 11 months after they were married. They moved to Norwalk, Calif., late in 1963 and later to Long Beach. Warren started his own dental lab, Joan was a housewife/child-raiser. Warren became a lawyer and Joan an antique shop owner, and then a front office worker for Long Beach City Schools.

She was a fun mother! Joan wrestled, she cuddled, she rode with her kids on sleds and bicycles, she got down on the floor with the kids and all of their friends to play games, she went skinny-dipping, she put on wool socks to slide across newly waxes floors.

One of her sisters told her, “Joan, whatever you put your hands to, you do well.” She often made clothes for her young children. She learned upholstery on her own by dismantling old furniture — and when she finally took a class she was asked to help teach it. She knitted, sewed and quilted. And when there was physical work to be done, she didn’t want to stop until it was all finished.

After Warren’s untimely death in 1997, Joan remade her life with a move to Arcata to be near her son Alan and his family. She took classes at HSU, joined a writing group and a quilting group. She spent summers at a house she bought back near her family home on the Baie de Chaleurs. With her buddy Paul Llewellyn, she took camping trips to Arizona, up the Pacific Coast and across the country to her Canadian home. At 85, for a month she hiked to the highest point in almost all of Maine’s counties and swam in two different lakes each day.

Joan could not sit still. She never met a stranger. She loved to be the center of attention and she had a shaky sense of boundaries. She approached everyone as if they couldn’t help but love her. As her very slow-moving dementia progressed, all of those attributes only got stronger — which wasn’t always helpful. But she was very graceful in accepting her declining capabilities.

And she drank tea — black tea, a little milk, no sugar — cup after cup every day. And she played cards — any game, any time. And she had a smile for you and a twinkle in her eye until her very last days.

Joan is survived by sons Alan (and Lisa), Neal (and Julie) and Scott (and Sue); grandchildren, Schuyler, Melanie, Philip, Andrew, Liam and Aoife; great-grandchildren Averhy and Eden. If anyone would want to make a donation in her name, please consider doing so to Frye’s Care Home or Hospice of Humboldt.

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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Joan Sanborn’s family. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here. Email news@lostcoastoutpost.com.

Connie Jane (Bugbee) Jones was born in Eureka, Calif., on December 20, 1954, and passed away in her hometown peacefully in the early morning hours of June 24, 2026, with her family by her side.

An earthquake struck Eureka the day Connie was born. Her mother, Kay, recalled lying in her hospital bed and watching a crack form across the wall. It seemed an early sign that a remarkable new energy had arrived in the world — a fitting beginning for someone that would spend her life bringing joy to others. 

If you knew Connie, you knew two things. First, she was going to make you feel like family. Second, she was going to make you laugh. Sometimes both happened before you even sat down. 

Connie was the oldest of Bob and Kay Bugbee’s four charismatic daughters. She grew up in a close-knit family that shaped her lifelong values of generosity, hospitality, humor, and love. Warm, funny, gracious, and genuinely kind, Connie had a remarkable gift for making people feel welcome. To know Connie was to adore her. 

Connie could spend one Saturday night dancing at the Mattole Valley Grange and the next at the Ingomar Club, and be perfectly at home in both places. She never felt the need to be anyone other than herself, and somehow everyone around her felt right at home too. She made friends with her parents’ friends, her children’s friends, and just about everyone in between. 

She attended Sacred Heart Elementary School and graduated from St. Bernard’s High School with the Class of 1973, where she was a cheerleader, Homecoming Queen, Miss Congeniality of the Rhododendron Parade, an accomplished baton twirler, and studied mime, proudly joking that her training traced back to the legendary Marcel Marceau. She later attended College of the Redwoods and remained close with many classmates throughout her life. 

Some of Connie’s happiest memories were made in Petrolia, where family gatherings were filled with talent shows, skits, costumes, and laughter. That playful spirit never left her. Whether it was an unforgettable Halloween costume, a themed party, or her alter ego, “C.Jo”, Connie loved making life more fun. She never watched life from the sidelines. She was right in the middle of it. 

As a young woman, Connie married Russ Killingsworth, and together they welcomed sons Ross and Riley. Years later she met Dave Jones after a chance encounter in Loleta. They married and spent the next 45 years building a beautiful life together while welcoming daughters Karlie and Hannah. Dave worked hard to provide for the family he loved, and Connie turned that foundation into a home filled with laughter, traditions, friendships, and memories. They were true partners. 

Dinner at Connie’s house wasn’t just a meal; it was a tradition. Before eating, the family gathered to sing grace together, often in rounds. Connie especially loved when the last person stretched out the final Amen. If you happened to stop by around dinner time, there was never a question about whether you were invited. Connie simply added another place setting to the table.

One unmistakable deep breath from Mom was all it took. We sat up straighter, brought our forks to our mouths, and remembered our manners. Looking back, it’s one of those little things that still makes us smile. 

Connie had a natural artistic eye. The yellow rose bush in the front yard was one of the first things family and friends noticed when they arrived, and she cared for it with patience, pride, and quiet consistency. Whether she was tending her flowers, decorating for a gathering, or writing a card in her beautiful penmanship, she made ordinary things feel special. She could take something right off the store rack and somehow make it look like it had been made just for her. Long before her children realized it, their mom was cool. 

Throughout her life Connie embraced many different careers, from camp counselor and operating an in-home daycare to bookkeeping at Texaco, Renner, HealthCare Medical Associates, and Winzler & Kelly. In her fifties she fulfilled a lifelong dream by attending beauty school and becoming a hairstylist, where she loved helping others look their best. Yet of all the titles she held, her favorites were Mom and, later, Grammie.

Known lovingly as Grammie, Connie got down on the floor to read books, use funny voices, and turn ordinary afternoons into adventures. 

Connie’s Catholic faith shaped the way she lived. Music filled the Jones home. She sang as she went about her day, treasured singing to the radio on cruises through Humboldt backroads, and later found great joy lending her beautiful soprano voice to the Arcata Interfaith Gospel Choir. 

Connie is survived by her husband of 45 years, Dave Jones; her children Ross (Kelly), Riley (Rhiana), Karlie, and Hannah (Jesse); her beloved grandchildren Beau, Danica, Brody, Shelby, Maci, Kash, Opal, and Ty; her sisters Barb Lucas, Peggy (Louie) Valadao, and Kristine (Steve) Neel; her beloved nephews and nieces Travis, Cassidy, Dane, Dustin, Margo, Erika, Nicolette, and Jillian; her cherished extended family, including Isabel Brown; and countless lifelong friends who became family. 

She was preceded in death by her parents Bob and Kay Bugbee; her infant brother Donald Bugbee; her mother-in-law Opal Jones; her brother-in-law Kim Lucas; and her grandparents Harry and Jane Anderson and Clark and Mae Bugbee. 

Celebration of Life: Viewing Friday, July 24, 5-7 p.m. at Sanders Funeral Home in Eureka. Funeral Mass Saturday, July 25, 9 a.m. at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, followed by a reception at Old Growth Cellars at noon. 

Connie taught us far more by the way she lived than by the words she spoke. She taught us to adapt when life didn’t go as planned, to be honest even when it was difficult, to stand up for ourselves and for others, and to always make time to gather around the dinner table. More than anything, Connie wanted to be remembered as someone who deeply loved her family and friends and who always stood up for what was right. 

She succeeded.