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Press release from PG&E:

Today, March 31, Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) will be doing post-storm aerial inspections of its power lines in the Swains Flat area (Bridgeville/Carlotta) of Humboldt County off Highway 36 from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m., barring unforeseen schedule changes due to weather or visibility.   

The surveys are to collect more data on trees near the Van Duzen River in the wake of recent storms that caused many trees to topple, and determining our options for mitigation to ensure the overhead electric facilities remain safe.

The inspections will be conducted using a helicopter, an A-Star 350 B-3, that could fly low, from 200 – 500 feet if needed.

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Eureka City Manager Miles Slattery recently gave the Outpost’s John Kennedy O’Connor a status update on various city projects — among them, downtown and waterfront development, the teardown of the Lloyd Building and, of course, the city’s efforts to park a floating dorm in Humboldt Bay.

Video above, transcript below.

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JOHN KENNEDY O’CONNOR:

Well, welcome to another Humboldt Conversation. I’m here today with Miles Slattery, who is of course the city manager for the city of Eureka. Miles, welcome to Humboldt Today.

MILES SLATTERY:

Thank you for having me.

O’CONNOR:

Well, it’s a real pleasure. Now, tell us the history of this painting.

SLATTERY:

You’re going to heckle me, huh?

O’CONNOR:

Yeah, absolutely.

SLATTERY:

Yeah, I don’t have any clue. I told you if Pam was here, we’d let you know.

O’CONNOR:

I love the fact that there’s a guardrail.

SLATTERY:

I know that it has some historical significance, and I’m told that it’s very valuable.

O’CONNOR:

The area was built on the back of the redwood industry, but actually downtown right now, the Lloyd Building is coming down. It’s coming down very, very slowly. Why is the demolition taking quite so long?

SLATTERY:

So the initial part of it was just to deal with asbestos and some issues that needed to be abated prior to taking it down. So we had to hire, we had Mercer Fraser as a general contractor, they had to hire an asbestos, certified asbestos contractor to come in and remove the asbestos. And then now just because of concerns about safety and stuff like that, you know, the demolition ball probably didn’t, wasn’t the best mode.

O’CONNOR:

No wrecking ball.

SLATTERY:

No wrecking ball. Well, see they’re taking the bricks out. Well, I don’t know if the costs keep going up, we may just do the wrecking ball. 

O’CONNOR:

Okay. And has the city taken possession of the land?

SLATTERY:

No, no, no, no, no. It’s still owned by the private property owner. We need to abate the safety issue.

O’CONNOR:

So what’s going to happen there? What’s the plan for that area? I mean, there are a number of empty lots now in the city, either the buildings that came down through fire or whatever. Is this just going to be another empty lot?

SLATTERY:

So it, you know, as of right now, you know, we don’t own it. And so depending on what happens with that, there’s going to be obviously a big abatement lien on it because of this. And so what happens after that is, you know, I can’t really say — it’s private property right now. There’s not going to be any more need to abate the property, obviously, because it’s going to be gone. But as far as what happens to it will be up to the property owner for now.

O’CONNOR:

Now the waterfront is another area that’s been undeveloped for such a long time. There’s just those sort of gravel pits that stand there. But there has been some movement recently. And there are some plans, I believe, to really bring that area back to life.

SLATTERY:

Yeah, so that’s a part of we added those properties to our housing element. We included that as well as the property adjacent to the Lloyd Building, 5th and D parking lot. They’re incorporated into our housing element and they are slated for development for housing. At that particular location it’s in a zoning designation where you have to have a mixed use. So the first floor of that development will have to have some visitor serving aspect whether it’s retail, a convention center, whatever it may be. And then housing on the upper stories, it could even be a hotel with housing combined with it. That’ll be up to the people that respond to the RFP. And so those two properties are gonna be going to council on Tuesday for requests for proposals for developers to come and develop them. We’ve included in that RFP some of the designs that were came up by the community in 2017, I believe it was. We did a bunch of design charrettes. And so we’ve incorporated those designs into the RFP as a kind of suggested type of development that we’d like to see there.

O’CONNOR:

So it’s moving forward, but any sort of timeline when you think we might, you might see some development on that side.

SLATTERY:

So, you know, it’s been through many iterations. There’s been two different RFPs that went out previously. They both, unfortunately, ended up in lawsuits. And so because of the urgency of the state and some of the regulations that have passed recently and some of the stuff that we’ve adopted, we think that housing being there will make it a much more likely candidate for development, especially with the mixed use that’s available there. So we’re hoping that this will do that. There will be some interim. There’s been a lot of concern from the business community about the condition of that lot. Because of the heavy rains that we’ve had, we haven’t been able to address that. But come the dry moments, which hopefully happen soon, we’re hoping by May that that’ll be all regraded and we’re going to do more substantial regrading of it so that those potholes and stuff like that aren’t there. We also have some kind of interim potential uses, but that’ll be determined on who responds to the RFP and who gets awarded the RFP as to how much time we’ll have to do something different there.

O’CONNOR:

Now one big change to the city that might be coming, might not, it’s been a big story recently, is the possibility of a floating student accommodation with a very large ship being berthed to accommodate the capital of the city.

SLATTERY:

Would you not want to be my roomie? I mean, come on, that would be insane, wouldn’t it?

O’CONNOR:

It could be fun actually, it did draw very mixed reactions, students were very unhappy, what’s the possibility?

SLATTERY:

No, some of them actually received an email from an incoming student who said they would be stoked. Well yeah, it’s still being considered. We’ve hit some hiccups with the State Lands Commission about public trust property and being able to put housing there. So we’re trying to work around that. It’s definitely been delayed. It was intended to go as soon as August and that’s definitely not going to meet that time frame. But we definitely intend on continuing to pursue that because of the housing crisis that we’re in right now. I think there needs to be a temporary suspension of the prohibition of housing on state lands. It’s very odd to me and talking to state lands, you know, they allow for liveaboards at marinas and those type of things and it’s justified by the sense of something to do with security measures. And so I would say that a lot of the waterfronts up and down the coast of California have those same security issues and that allowing this temporary removal of prohibition I think is totally justifiable. And so we’re trying to get to that point and hopefully we can. We’re also looking at other alternatives for that now but it’s not dead in the water yet.

O’CONNOR:

Literally. Now if it does go ahead though, it’s going to be a massive structure. I mean one of the largest structures actually that will be in Eureka.

SLATTERY:

really over inflating this thing. I’ve seen the pictures. It’s 300 feet by 900. It’s smaller than a block. And so it’s 300 feet by 90 feet. The one that was being pursued originally, it’s a little bit different. It’s now five stories. It’d be four. What we were looking at was potentially 150 rooms that could house three students per room. So it wasn’t quite the same size it was before. But we’ll still continue to pursue that. I see it as a huge opportunity not only for interim housing for students to deal with the shortage that we have now up until we can get more permanent housing, but I also see it as a huge benefit for the big projects that we see on the horizon here. You have wind energy coming in here. You’re going to have a lot of people from out of the area that are going to need to do that work. And it’s going to impact our housing stock here. Having something like this and the availability for that would be a huge benefit for Eureka and future development when you’re having these huge projects come in here that are going to have hundreds of workers that have the place to go.

O’CONNOR:

The ship that was being proposed, that is actually one of the things it was used for originally, was docking in Singapore, I believe.

SLATTERY:

Uh… Alaska, Singapore, all over the world

O’CONNOR:

Now you’ve touched on housing as being one of the biggest issues that faces the city and it’s something that a lot of people talk about. What are the plans to develop more affordable housing for Eureka?

SLATTERY:

So I talked about that the RFP is going out and that’s going to be Going to council on Tuesday and then that gets approved It’ll go out for a solicitation probably a four to six week period and then once those responses come in staff will review them and make Recommendations it’s very similar to what we’ve done with the link projects we put out an initial RFP for three of the properties — on Eighth and G, Sunny and Myrtle, and Sixth and M — and those are going through the funding phase right now, and once those get funded they’ll put in I think 97 units That’ll be built We’re hoping that this a six grant that they just went for which is affordable housing sustainable communities grant for 35 million dollars would be a big step in the direction of getting all the funding for that and then they’ll get that for their tax credits and then that should be up and running. That’ll be 97, but then we have close to 210. Ten more that are being put out in this RFP and then we’re also looking at some agreements for the sunset properties on Fairhaven between Harrison and Henderson as well as the Earth Center project that’s going to be going in behind the Lost Coast Brewery Cafe. So all told there’ll be 309 total units. We have a lot of private development that’s doing housing right now. We have the property on Second and E that’s going to have 12 units going in there of market rate housing. We also have another development by the same developer going on in at Third and G, kind of by the Earth Center. That’s going to have another 11 units. And then we have the Lundbar Hills Subdivision that just got approved by council — that would be 66 single-family residential units, so we’re definitely have a big emphasis on on getting our housing crisis at least alleviated for the time being. Well, that’s all I have to say

O’CONNOR:

There is definitely momentum happening and there are as many projects happening as you just said. Miles, thank you so much for joining us for a Humboldt Conversation. A real pleasure to meet you. Good to see you. You too. Thank you.

Jeffery Wayne Chandler, 30, was born April 8, 1992 to Michelle Lawhon in Arcata. Jeffery lost his life to addiction way too soon on March 26, 2023.

Jeffery will always be remembered as the sweet little redhead who would always bring a gift home from school that he made for his mom. He attended East High.

Everyone who knew him knew how sweet and caring he was. He was a loving son, brother, uncle and father. He will be missed by everyone but is now longer in pain.

There has to be a life after death because he deserves a second chance at it.

Psalms 34:18:

The LORD is close to the broken-hearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit

Jeffery is survived by his mother Michelle Lawhon, siblings John Lawhon, Chrissy Lawhon, Janice Chandler, and Chad Markussen. By his grandfather Dwayne Owsley, uncle Shawn Owsley, aunt Rebecca Thurman, many nephews, nieces and cousins, and by his one and only daughter, Mollee, who no matter what always held a special place in his heart.

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PREVIOUSLY:

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Press release from the Humboldt County District Attorney’s Office:

On March 30, 2023, Jared Eli Aubrey, age 32, pled guilty to two counts of attempted murder of a police officer and two counts of shooting at an occupied motor vehicle. Mr. Aubrey also admitted that he discharged a firearm related to the attempted murder charges.

Aubrey.

On July 20, 2022, Humboldt County Sheriff’s Deputies J. Walstrom and Z. Dickson tried to stop a car for a traffic violation. Mr. Aubrey, a passenger in the fleeing car, leaned out the window and began firing at the deputies. The first shots were fired in the vicinity of Pine Hill School. The high speed pursuit continued throughout Eureka streets, and Mr. Aubrey again leaned out and fired a second set of shots near the intersection of Utah Street and Highland Avenue. Mr. Aubrey fired a total of four to six shots at the deputies.

During the pursuit, Deputy Walstrom, while he was driving, fired one round from his patrol rifle through the windshield. The pursuit ended when Mr. Aubrey’s car crashed into another car at the intersection of Buhne Street and Harrison Avenue.

Deputy District Attorney Roger Rees prosecuted the case and negotiated the disposition with input from the involved deputies. The District Attorney’s Investigative Bureau assisted in the prosecution, with primary support from Investigator B. Brawner. Mr. Aubrey was represented throughout the criminal proceedings by local attorney RJ Leohner.

District Attorney Stacey Eads would like to thank all of the involved law enforcement agencies for their responses, including the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office, Eureka Police Department, Arcata Police Department, Fortuna Police Department, and all of the officers and other personnel that assisted in the investigation and prosecution of this case. District Attorney Eads would also like to thank all of the citizens that contacted law enforcement to provide statements that enable the officers to collect all the available evidence.

Mr. Aubrey will be sentenced on April 25, 2023, to an agreed-upon prison sentence of 43 years 8 months to life in prison.

HUMBOLDT TODAY: Humboldt correctional facility deputies go to great lengths to retrieve fentanyl from an inmate; Eureka’s getting a roundabout; plus, the Smith River is full of yucky stuff. Details on those stories and more in today’s newscast with John Kennedy O’Connor.

FURTHER READING:

• Bay to Zoo Trail Project to Include Eureka’s Very First Roundabout; Construction Slated for Spring 2026
• Correctional Deputies Allegedly Find 17 Grams of Fentanyl On Inmate Being Booked Into County Jail
• CONVERSATIONS: Jeff Davis on Growing the City of Eureka’s Economy From the Ground Up

HUMBOLDT TODAY can be viewed on LoCO’s homepage each night starting at 6 p.m.

Want to LISTEN to HUMBOLDT TODAY? Subscribe to the podcast version here.

Press release from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office:

A Briceland man has been taken into custody following a year-long investigation into child sexual abuse and internet crimes against children.

Over the course of this investigation, deputies identified 28-year-old Sebastion Hockett as being engaged in, manufacturing and possessing online child pornography involving at least two minor victims.

On March 30, 2023, Humboldt County Sheriff’s deputies and detectives conducted a search of Hockett’s Briceland residence. Hockett was located at the residence and taken into custody without incident. During a search of the residence, deputies located and seized additional evidence related to this investigation.

Hockett was booked into the Humboldt County Correctional Facility on charges of sexual assault of a minor under 10 years old (PC 288.7(b)), sexual assault of an unconscious victim (PC 289(d)(1)) and sexual exploitation of a child (PC 311.3(a)).

Additional charges are expected to be requested as a result of today’s search warrant.  

Detectives believe there may be additional victims that have not yet been identified. Anyone with information regarding potential additional victims or related criminal activity is urged to contact HCSO Detective Danielle Vickman at dvickman@co.humboldt.ca.us or call (707) 445-7251, reference case number 202201804.

There are many groups working to remove Child Sexual Assault Material (CSAM) from the internet and many others providing support and resources to affected children and families. By reporting these incidents, you can help many children and families. If you or your child are exposed to CSAM online immediately report this to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) at www.cybertipline.org or call 1-800-843-5678. Your report will be forwarded to a law enforcement agency for investigation and action. Reports may be made 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. If you have an emergency that requires an immediate law enforcement response, please call 911.

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In retrospect, the Eureka City Schools Board’s decision last school year to ban new murals on the district’s campuses may have been exactly the motivation needed to inspire members of Eureka High’s various minority clubs. Well, that and the community’s response.

As you may recall, the mural project was the brainchild of student Naomi Doherty, who received a $2,500 grant from the Humboldt Area Foundation and recruited help from clubs representing Eureka High’s BIPOC students, including the Black Student Union, the Native American Club, the Asian and Pacific Islander Club and the Latinx Club.

With guidance from the Ink People Center for the Arts, the EHS students launched an initiative to produce culturally relevant murals, but they encountered some unexpected roadblocks. First, the project was delayed by the COVID pandemic. Then, Doherty was asked to develop official mural-approval procedures for the district, something that had never been required previously. Finally came the school board’s decision to simply scrap mural projects altogether, allegedly in an attempt to avoid controversy.

But the community rallied to the students’ defense, pressuring the school board to reconsider and ultimately overturn its mural ban, which cleared the way for four new murals created by Eureka High’s minority student clubs. The artwork was unveiled last June.

“We couldn’t have had the murals without the community backing us up,” said Jenica Huddleston, a Eureka High junior and co-president of the school’s Asian and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Club. “Having something for the cultural clubs and the minority clubs in Eureka High is so important to us.”

Huddleston and her fellow co-president, Sidney Caampued (also a junior), spoke to the Outpost by phone yesterday afternoon. Caampued agreed that the community’s support was inspiring, and she said another member of their club came up with an idea to build on the momentum. The idea was to have “a gala, like a cultural ball as part of the mural project — like an after-party,” Caampued said.

Alas, there wasn’t enough time to organize the event before the mural unveiling, but this year’s AAPI co-presidents held onto the idea, Huddleston said.

“And so me and Sidney were like, ‘We should do something bigger, like a multicultural night market that we hosted so it’s at our high school. And we can invite other clubs and organizations not just from Eureka High.’”

That’s exactly what they’ve organized. The Asian and Pacific Islanders Club will host Eureka High School’s inaugural Multicultural Night Market on Sunday evening in the Jay Willard Gymnasium from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., and Caampued and Huddleston couldn’t be more excited.

“I feel like it’s just so empowering to see all of the different and diverse communities coming together … and to be able to appreciate and acknowledge the cultural traditions that we have,” Huddleston said.

In addition to performances from Eureka High student clubs, including the K-Pop/Hip Hop Club, the LatinX Club (who will perform baile folklórico) and the YEAH (Youth Educating Against Homophobia) Club, the event will feature demonstrations from Humboldt Taiko, Capoeira Azania and other outside organizations. Plus, there will be close to a dozen food vendors offering everything from homemade egg rolls to esquites, gumbo and more.

The mission of the event, according to a press release written by Caampued and Huddleston, is to do something for underrepresented groups while inviting the community “to experience this event filled with cultural and traditional foods, try new things and watch eye-opening performances.” 

The performances will include a drag show from the YEAH Club, and given the recent political freakouts about drag, both nationally and locally, Caampued said the performance ties into the themes of diversity and inclusivity.

”I really feel like we should start acknowledging that this is something in our culture, this is something in our community, and we need to stand up for it,” she said. “We need to make sure that people know we are with this; we’re not against it. We’re not going to try to hide it anymore. I think that we need to really make more of a stand for our Youth Educating Against Homophobia group because they are part of a community for the new generation.”

Huddleston believes it’s important for the local community to be introduced to new experiences, “which is why I feel like multicultural night is a really big step towards that,” she said. “It’s truly empowering.”

Caampued chimed in: “It’s the first one that we’ve ever done at Eureka High School, so it’s kind of a historical moment.”

And yet she’s already looking to the future. 

“Maybe next year could be even bigger,” she said. “We could invite even more people.”