Press release from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office:
On March 13, 2022, at about 6:23 a.m., a Humboldt County Sheriff’s deputy on patrol in the Freshwater area observed a truck matching the description of a vehicle that had been reported stolen in the county last week.
The deputy conducted a vehicle investigation and confirmed the truck to be stolen. Inside the vehicle, the deputy observed a female, later identified as 29-year-old Rosamarie Ellen Louise Tello, asleep in the driver’s seat. Deputies awoke Tello and she was taken into custody without incident. During a search of the vehicle, deputies located drug paraphernalia, burglary tools and an unconfirmed controlled substance containing narcotics. While booking Tello into the Humboldt County Correctional Facility, deputies also located over 5 grams of methamphetamine on her person.
Tello was booked on charges of possession of a stolen vehicle (PC496d(a)), possession of burglary tools (PC 466) and possession of a narcotic controlled substance (HS 11350(a)).
Additional charges may be requested as a result of this investigation.
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.
Press release from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office:
On March 13, 2022, at about 12:27 a.m., Humboldt County Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to the 700 block of Casino Way in Blue Lake for the report of an assault.
Deputies arrived in the area and located a 41-year-old male victim with serious stabbing-related injuries. The victim was transported to a local hospital for medical treatment.
During their investigation, deputies learned that the victim was leaving a business in the area when he was reportedly approached by 33-year-old Jesse Christopher McHenry. An argument occurred between the two men and at some point, McHenry reportedly stabbed the victim multiple times. McHenry fled the area prior to law enforcement arrival and was believed to be heading east on Highway 299. Through their investigation, deputies were able to obtain a vehicle description associated with McHenry, in addition to a possible destination of where he was going. Area law enforcement were advised of this information.
At approximately 1:32 a.m., Sheriff’s deputies monitoring traffic in the Willow Creek area, observed McHenry’s vehicle traveling on Highway 299. Deputies conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle and McHenry was taken into custody without incident.
McHenry was booked into the Humboldt County Correctional Facility on charges of attempted murder (PC 664/187(a)), assault with a deadly weapon other than a firearm (PC 245(a)(1)) and battery with serious bodily injury (PC 243(d)).
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.
Earlier this year, with other candidates already publicly confirming their intent to pursue her seat in 2022, Fourth District Humboldt County Supervisor Virginia Bass made a consequential announcement. The longest-serving member of the board made it known that she would not put herself up for reelection, putting an end date on this chapter of her career in local politics, a journey that has also included stints as Eureka’s mayor and as a member of the Eureka City Council.
On this edition of Humboldt Holding Up — the Lost Coast Outpost’s Zoom-era podcast — we speak with Bass about her long tenure in Humboldt government and how she’s feeling about our current political moment. Topics this week include:
What factored into her decision not to seek a fourth term in the 2022 election cycle
Memories of coming up working in her family’s restaurant OH’s Town House, a beloved old Eureka institution
Her thoughts on supervisorial candidates Natalie Arroyo, Kim Bergel and Mike Newman who are eyeing her soon to be vacant job
Why she decided to endorse challenger Larry Doss over her fellow supervisor Steve Madrone
Reflections on who might be hiring come next year
More!
Click the audio player above to hear Bass’s chat with LoCO’s Andrew Goff and Stephanie McGeary. And also be sure to scroll our aural rolodex of past HHU guests below.
“Your
readers, who with me have never seen any sign of sunshine before
noon…will be as much astonished as I was… that he gives light as
soon as he rises.” (Benjamin Franklin, Journal de Paris,
1784)
###
Ben
Franklin’s satire knew no bounds. Written during his sojourn as
American Minister to Paris, his essay went on to suggest that rising
Parisians could save money by rising at dawn: “An immense sum! That
the city of Paris might save every year, by the economy of using
sunshine instead of candles.”
It’s
a fun essay, worth quoting a bit more. He goes on to propose
regulations to get folks out of bed at sunrise. “Every morning, as
soon as the sun rises, let all the bells in every church be set
ringing; and if that is not sufficient? Let cannon be fired in every
street, to wake the sluggards effectually, and make them open their
eyes to see their true interest.”
But
that’s about as far as he went. Contrary to folklore, Franklin
didn’t actually invent Daylight Saving Time. That had to wait until
1916, when it was first instituted by Germany during the first World
War. Two years later, March 1918, the first DST law in the U.S. went
into effect, the official reason being to save fuel. And the U.S.
Chamber of Commerce backed it because business: “Americans getting
off work while it was still light out meant they would be more likely
to go out shopping in the evening.” In the intervening 104 years,
DST has come, gone, and come, both here and in many—by no means
all—countries the world over. Confusingly (as if we’re not
confused enough), countries aren’t uniform in the dates when DST is
in operation; this year, for instance, DST starts on March 27 in the
UK. And then there’s “double summer time.” Google will take you
down a deep rabbit hole, if you care.
Library of Congress, Public Domain.
Personally,
I hate the whole idea of changing clocks twice a year, with its many
opportunities for screwing up: arriving an hour early or late for a
meeting; Amtrak trains sitting idly on their tracks for an hour early
Sunday morning, since clocks read times from 1 to 2 am twice (that’s
in Fall; in Spring, Amtrak tries to make up the lost hour);
forgetting to change your watch. You did, right? And those messy time
zones! Hawaii, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam,
and the Northern Marianas Islands don’t observe daylight saving;
neither does Arizona…except on native reservations.
Then
there are the health aspects. According
to Martin Young (University of Alabama at Birmingham
Division of Cardiovascular Disease), “Moving the clocks ahead one
hour in March is associated with a 10-24 percent increase in the risk
of having a heart attack the following Monday and to some degree
Tuesday.” And even for those who aren’t at risk from a heart
attack, the twice-a-year time shift messes up our circadian rhythms
for weeks.
There’s
hope on the horizon, in what seems to be a bipartisan push to put the
whole country on permanent DST. As reported in The Washington Post
two
weeks ago, “19 states have passed bills to switch to
year-round daylight saving time, should Congress allow it…Another
22 are considering it this year.”
I
could go on (and on) but I’m still recovering from jet lag. Time
change, you know.
Plans for affordable housing development on Eighth and G Streets in Eureka. File photo.
###
Ask anyone who has tried to look for rental housing lately and they’ll tell you that housing in Humboldt is expensive. Humboldt, like California generally, suffers from a housing affordability crisis brought on chiefly by failing to build enough housing. Our housing crisis is an environmental issue and local green groups are working to support new infill housing development.
On this week’s episode, Gang Green talks to housing policy experts Lulu Michelson and Brian Heaton about why California has failed to build enough housing and what policy changes can be made to support housing creation.
It’s
time for Humboldt to come together, to support one another more than
ever.
Troubled
economic times are brewing. Gas and food prices have reached
dizzying levels, as have the prices of many other goods and services
we rely on in our daily lives. The current trajectory is
unsustainable and promises to collapse the state’s economy.
Inflation, or the rise in average prices for goods and services, is
at its highest level in approximately forty years. Historically,
inflation peaks into recessions, and the last time we had a nasty
spike in inflation the economy cratered, and stocks lost nearly half
of their value.
While
the Federal Reserve promises that inflation will be transitory, or
temporary in nature, I think that’s optimistic and misguided. An
economic storm is coming and Humboldt’s best chance of weathering
it is to come together, support one another in business, and attract
tourism and capital investment dollars.
While
a statewide or national recession will hamper consumption, tourism,
and investment, we need to aggressively pursue capital inputs so our
area can maintain a comfortable existence. As you might expect,
troubles within the local cannabis industry only exacerbate the
sobering reality of a hard economic downturn.
Shop
Local
The
first thing we can focus on is shopping local. I fully understand
that some goods and services aren’t readily available in our area,
so shopping out of town or online is a forced necessity. For many
goods, though, local shops are convenient, well-stocked, and a
pleasure to work with. Local restaurants, hair salons, barbershops,
furniture stores, auto dealers, service providers, banks, credit
unions, fishing and hunting suppliers, art dealers, massage
therapists, and craft vendors to name a few are able to happily meet
your needs.
We
also have a fair amount of locally owned cannabis dispensaries
offering a wide variety of products. When you shop for cannabis or
any other goods and services ask two simple questions: is this
business locally owned and do you sell any locally produced products?
All
the time really, but especially during challenging economic times,
supporting one another in business can truly make or break our
region. Local dollars are the backbone of our economy and the money
circulating through Humboldt versus being remitted to other areas
benefits us all.
Tourism
Tourism
is critically important to California and to Humboldt County.
According to Visit California, direct travel-related spending was
estimated at $65 billion in 2020, down significantly from the prior
year. With Covid restrictions, fear, and likely due to increasing
inflationary pressures and mounting economic uncertainty, people are
staying home and fewer are venturing to our Golden State.
We
need to reverse this trend, now.
California
more broadly, but Humboldt specifically needs to attract tourist
dollars to support the lodging, dining, shopping, and entertainment
venues our area needs to thrive economically. We know that Humboldt
is a treasured destination for many reasons. The natural beauty of
this place is spectacular, as are our rural, artistic, humanitarian,
and environmental values. Additionally, we have a world-renowned
reputation for cannabis production.
We
need to unify, both cannabis and non-cannabis operators and tell the
Humboldt story proudly, and in unison. Quibbling over the allocation
of marketing dollars and the direction of a county-wide,
all-inclusive marketing program is easy – and offers no lasting
solutions. It is a function of egos, a lack of critical thinking,
and a limited understanding of urgency.
The
time is now.
We
need a global marketing campaign, highlighting our region’s
cannabis and non-cannabis attractions. Humboldt should be and need
be our state’s premier travel destination. On the cannabis side,
we need to boldly offer farm tours, cannabis consumption lounges,
direct-to-consumer cannabis sales, and a Humboldt County Cannabis Cup
that dwarfs the Emerald Cup (thanks for the idea Tree Frog
Botanicals.)
As
mentioned, we have a host of natural and cultural attractions for
non-cannabis lovers that we also need to market boldly and creatively
to the world – especially emerging regions of affluence in Europe,
South America, Asia, and the Middle East.
Capital
Investment
While
I am, and will always be an advocate for shopping local, we must also
attract capital investment to thrive. With a highly uncertain future
for Humboldt’s largest industry – cannabis – the county needs
to be open to further economic developments. Sustainable industrial
developments, technology, aquaculture, agriculture, R&D,
commercial shipping, and other large-scale projects are needed here.
While
many love and cherish our rural vibe and advocate for a semi-closed
economy, such ideals are not sustainable in an economic sense –
especially in light of the declining cannabis revenues that have
paved the way for such comfortable lifestyles for so many residents.
We need to put people to work – in high-paying jobs for the 21st
century.
The
county is facing the imminent loss of several billion in economic
activity with the current trajectory in the cannabis space, so it’s
time we act. We need to think outside the box and open ourselves to
new ideas and new developments. We need to aggressively market our
area as a destination hub for recreational outlets and thriving
businesses. It’s time to implement policies that foster growth and
development – tax incentives, more favorable zoning, streamlined
environmental compliance processes, and sensible cannabis regulations
namely.
Our
livelihoods are at risk. Recession looms, asset prices are in
serious jeopardy, business and governmental receipts are tanking, and
we need change. In the words of my dear friend Natalynne DeLapp from
HCGA, united we stand, divided we fall. Now more than ever, we need
to stand together – one voice, one community!
In
conclusion, I’d like to inform you that I will now be publishing on
a bi-weekly basis. Farm season is in full swing and between working
long shifts and spending my limited free time with the family, I
simply don’t have as much time to write. I plan on carrying the
column throughout the remainder of the year and would like your
participation. If anyone has a cannabis-related topic they are
dying to learn about, DM me on Instagram and I’ll consider it.
All
my love to Humboldt and Beyond!
Your
Friend,
Jesse
###
Jesse Duncan is a lifelong Humboldt County resident, a father of six, a retired financial advisor, and a full-time commercial cannabis grower. He is also the creator of NorCal Financial and Cannabis Consulting, a no-cost platform that helps small farmers improve their cultivation, business, and financial skills. Please check out his blog at, his Instagram at jesse_duncann, and connect with him on Linkedin.
Teresa
Danielle LaPietra September 23, 1985 - December 14, 2021
Teresa Danielle LaPietra came into this world on the evening of
September 23, 1985, in Orange, California. She left our world
suddenly and unexpectedly on the morning of December 14, 2021.
Teresa lived her
first 4 ½ years in Orange and in 1990 she and her family moved
to Humboldt County. Teresa attended St. Mary’s Elementary in
Arcata and St. Bernard’s Elementary and High School in Eureka, CA.
When Teresa turned 16, she moved to southern California to live with
her father and stepmother. She finished high school at Temescal
Canyon in Lake Elsinore.
Teresa moved to
Long Beach, where she lived some of the happiest years of her life.
She attended Long Beach Junior College and Long Beach State
University. Teresa loved living so close to the ocean and beach.
She became an avid bicycle rider often riding with a bike group on
several mile long rides. She worked as a barista at Berlin Bistro in
Long Beach where she loved her job and enjoyed making artistic coffee
creations.
In 2016 Teresa rejoined her mother in Eureka. She
worked at Eureka Natural Foods at the beverage bar and finally at the
North Coast Co-op in Arcata.
Teresa was an
artistic and creative spirit. She enjoyed fashion design and
decorating. Teresa was a sensitive, loving and caring individual.
She loved life and lived her life to the fullest and always on her
own terms! A few nights before Teresa left us, she and her mother
enjoyed seeing the movie Encanto and going out to eat Mexican food
together.
Teresa leaves
behind her mother Jean, father John/Wilma her siblings Vince/Sara,
John/Tanya, Robert/Sonia, Mando/Trish and Brenda. She also leaves
behind several nieces and nephews her boyfriend Tim, her Aunt Patty
and her many friends of Long Beach and Lake Elsinore, California and
Cholula, Puebla, Mexico. Teresa was predeceased by her grandmother
and grandfather Frank and Wanda LaPietra and her great grandmother
Vera Barrile.
A celebration of
Teresa’s life will be held Sunday May 1,2022 from 1-3 p.m. at Harbour
Coffee and Wine 1651 Myrtle Ave. Suite B, Eureka. All who knew
Teresa and her family are invited to stop by and share some time
together. Teresa would want us all to always remember to be kind and
loving to one another.
###
The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Teresa LaPietra’s loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here.
