Imagine a flame that burns brightly every minute of every day for 66 years. A flame that warmed a home, a sparkle of creativity, a torch held high against injustice, a hearthfire baking bread and cakes to nourish family and friends.

Such was the light of Angie Depew. And that light left this world on September 26, 2025.

Angie (Jimi A Greene) Depew was born on January 10, 1959, in Los Angeles. Her parents were James and Lillian Greene, and her younger sister, Mary. She lived her early life in Southern California and various towns in Colorado. But Humboldt captured her heart and was where she and Mike made a home.

Angie held the hand of the love of her life, Mike Depew, as he passed away in 2012. She kept a candle burning for him in her home around the clock for a full year after, and a flame in her heart ever since.

Angie was absolutely dedicated to her children: Taylor Depew, Mason Depew and Klark Depew Swan. These are some of the words her children use to describe their mom: Independent. Leader. Strong. Confident. Magical. Educator. Caring. Protester. Protector. Caregiver. Inspirational. Giving. Kind. Selfless.

Taylor noted that her mom’s kitchen was always full of people, bread, kids, animals and food. Their father was an artist, and Taylor noted that “to love an artist is a lifetime of work,” and that her mom was devoted to her dad.

Mason, who is also a talented artist, treasured the fact that his incredible mom became his best friend in his adult life.

Klark loved the way her mom leaned all the way into a theme - themed parties, themed costumes, themed gifts. Gift-giving and service to others was important to Angie, and she instilled that into her kids. As Klark said, “Being of service doesn’t just feel good, it feels right.”

Angie’s grandchildren, Charlie and Lincoln Swan, held a special place in her heart. She delighted in them, and did her best to pass the torch on to them by modeling acts of kindness, service, creativity, fun, and generosity.

Angie had a lifelong friend in Cathy DeLaurentis. For 60 years they shared their lives and love. Life without Angie’s warmth and sparkle will be profoundly dimmer.

Angie was a friend to many, even to people she didn’t know. She kept bags in her car full of snacks, coins, socks, and personal care items that she gave to people she saw on the street who were in need. She took freshly baked bread to neighbors and friends daily. She baked and decorated cakes for anyone who had an occasion.

It has been said that “A candle loses nothing by lighting another candle.” Angie was that sort of flame who gave of herself to warm and illuminate others. So when you see the spark of a match, the flicker of a candle, or feel the warmth of a wood stove, think of Angie.

A Celebration of Life will be held on Sunday, November 2, 2025, at Humboldt Cider Company, 2901 Hubbard Lane, Eureka, from 1 to 4 p.m.

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PREVIOUSLY:

• Big Police Presence on Broadway as First Responders Deal With Person Apparently Barricaded Inside the Flamingo Motel

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Press release from the Eureka Police Department:

On October 9, 2025, at approximately 10:55 a.m., a Eureka Police Department Community Safety Engagement Team (CSET) Officer responded to the Flamingo Motel, located in the 4200 block of Broadway, for an Agency Assist. The report indicated that a male subject was in an altered state and actively damaging property. A Patrol Officer also responded to assist.

Upon arrival, officers observed the male—later identified as 52-year-old Christopher Slocum of Eureka—actively setting fire to items inside his apartment. During the encounter, Slocum threw an object at officers, striking one. He retreated into the apartment, shut the door, and attempted to ignite additional items. Due to the dangerous and escalating nature of the situation, additional resources were requested, including additional Patrol and CSET Officers, the Crisis Alternative Response of Eureka (CARE), Humboldt Bay Fire (HBF), and City Ambulance.

Upon their arrival, Slocum barricaded himself inside the bathroom. Although the fire appeared to have been extinguished, smoke and powder from a deployed fire extinguisher remained present. To aid visibility and facilitate potential entry, windows were opened and HBF personnel deployed water into the room. Officers, including members of the county-wide Crisis Negotiations Team (CNT), made multiple attempts to communicate with Slocum and gain his voluntary compliance. Despite ongoing negotiation efforts, Slocum refused to cooperate and remained barricaded.

After more than two hours of failed negotiations, officers deployed a chemical agent into the bathroom. The agent was ineffective, and Slocum continued to resist surrender. Officers ultimately made entry into the bathroom and took Slocum into custody. Following his arrest, Slocum was transported to a local hospital for medical clearance. While at the hospital, he assaulted medical personnel by spitting on staff.

Slocum was subsequently booked into the Humboldt County Correctional Facility for arson, felony resisting a peace officer, and violation of probation.

Additional charges are being requested for assault on medical staff. No other victims were involved in this incident aside from the officer who was struck during the initial response and the medical staff who were assaulted.

The Eureka Police Department thanks all partner agencies for their support in resolving this incident safely and professionally.

Humboldt County has an infamously long missing persons list. Vast uninhabited swaths of forest, unpredictable frigid oceans and swift rivers are oft-cited sources for the backlog. Less frequently noted are beams of light that make people vanish. But it’ll soon be a factor for a few unlucky people in Ferndale — or, at least, for a few characters in the film Dark Light, set to start filming there next week. 

Details are scant, but if IMDb is to be believed, the basic premise is as outlined above: a mysterious beam of light starts making small-town locals disappear, and “a defiant teen must lead the frantic survivors through a collapsing world where the slightest misstep could mean disappearing forever.”

Scenes will be shot outdoors on the 300 block of Main Street in front of the Valley Grocery store from Oct. 14-17 and again on Oct. 20, and inside of it from Oct. 21-Nov. 7. Another day of shooting will happen at the Charpentier House. Most of the outdoor scenes will be shot late at night and into the morning.

On Sept. 23, the Ferndale City Council approved an application from Tabooma, the independent film studio behind the production, granting them permission to close a block on Main Street to traffic and parking for the sequences set outdoors. Pedestrians will be allowed access in between takes. 

This is Tabooma’s second film. The first, another sci-fi film called Xeno, about a girl who befriends an alien, premiered three weeks ago and has an 86% on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes. Both Dark Light and Xeno were directed and written by Matthew Loren Oates. 

Reactions to the news have been mixed. Some residents and business owners are concerned about the noise the production will make while shooting at night and what economic damages frequent closures of an entire city might wreak on local businesses. 

Owner of the Ferndale Enterprise and the Humboldt’s Hometown Store Melissa Sanderson wrote in a letter to the production team and the city council that she thinks the altered traffic patterns and potentially limited access to her store would impact profits and employee hours. Sanderson thinks businesses should be compensated for any impact. 

“We are proud to be part of a community that attracts attention for its charm and character,” Sanderson wrote, “but that community must be respected and protected first.”

The planned shooting schedule and Humboldt’s Hometown’s business hours overlap for four and a half hours on Oct. 14.

Humboldt County Film Commissioner Cassandra Hesseltine was more optimistic, focusing in a letter to the city council on the money the eight cast and 45 crew members will spend in Ferndale (the film has a $180,000 lodging budget, $30,000 for locally-based catering, and another $100,000 for location and labor fees).

“Humboldt is facing financial challenges, and productions like Dark Light bring outside dollars to our communities,” Hesseltine said. “With thoughtful planning, the city can minimize disruption while benefiting economically. If the film succeeds, it could also bring long-term value through film tourism, as we’ve seen with other productions in the region.”

As of publication, Dark Light producers Matthew Hsu and Ken Farrington have not responded to requests for comment; production coordinator Kev Magee is responding to an email from the Outpost. We’ll update this article when it’s received. 

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PREVIOUSLY

• As of Today, the Klamath River is Flowing Free for the First Time in More Than a Century
• A Century Later, Salmon Again Spawning in Upper Klamath River After Dams Removed
• Indigenous Kids Are Kayaking the Entire Length of the Klamath River For the First Time Ever

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A year after the Klamath River was returned to its free-flowing state by way of the world’s largest-ever dam removal project, scientists say nature has rebounded in astounding ways.

In an online press conference this afternoon, a group of scientists from regional tribes, environmental nonprofits and the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife reported observations and data from a year’s worth of fish monitoring, spawning habitat surveys, water quality testing and more. 

The consensus was that things have gone better than anyone could have anticipated, particularly when it comes to fall-run Chinook salmon.

“What the fish have shown us is something extraordinary,” said Damon Goodman, Mount Shasta-Klamath regional director for California Trout. “The river seemed to come alive almost instantly after removal, and the fish returned in greater numbers than I expected, and maybe anyone expected.” 

Scientists from a broad array of organizations have united under the common goal of learning how salmon, other anadromous fish and an entire ecosystem recover. The removal of four hydroelectric dams on the lower Klamath has allowed for the restoration of more than 400 miles of habitat.

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Yurok Tribal Fisheries Department Director Barry McCovey Jr. said the Klamath’s improved water quality, including a dramatic decline in suspended algae, has been a game changer for the tribal fishermen who have fed their people through gillnet fishing since time immemorial. 

Fall-run Chinook are entering the river earlier than they used to and traveling further upriver than they’ve been in a century. The ones that returned to the Klamath in August were so robust and chubby “we call them footballs,” McCovey said.

In talking with tribal fishermen, sport fishermen and the community at large, he said, “There’s this feeling that the river just feels different. It feels stronger. It feels cleaner.”

The Klamath is still healing from a century of blockage behind a series of hydroelectric dams, “and the scars are still fresh,” McCovey said. “But the progress that we’ve made in just one year is pretty incredible, and it provides us with a lot of hope for the future.” (To hear more from McCovey, check out the latest episode of the WNYC podcast “Science Friday,” which just came out today.)

While fall Chinook have been an immediate success story, the spring-run Chinook population has a longer road to recovery. It was decimated by a century of blockage. The Klamath’s population of wild spring-run Chinook is down to just a few hundred, Goodman said, adding that the nearby Salmon River hosts one of the last viable populations of spring-run Chinook, and there’s a hatchery population on the Trinity River. 

The Klamath’s population of these fish is “on the verge of extinction,” Goodman said, though there is now optimism about its recovery.

“We have a lot of work to do to get spring Chinook back in this river system, but we have an opportunity to do that now with dam removal,” he said.

There were major concerns ahead of dam removal about the release of accumulated sediment behind the dams and the resulting effects on dissolved oxygen levels in the river. 

Toz Soto, senior policy and research advisor for the Karuk Tribe, said the drawdown was scheduled for last winter to minimize impacts, and while there was a spike in turbidity immediately after the last cofferdam was removed, the water quality quickly recovered.

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“Thankfully, it all worked out in a positive way,” Soto said, noting that there was no large-scale fish kill and the Klamath’s dissolved oxygen levels never rarely fell below the California water quality standard. 

Meanwhile, water temperatures in the Klamath have dropped, which is also a positive for fish health. The reservoirs acted as “heat batteries” keeping the water unseasonably warm into the fall migration season, Soto said. The lower temps since dam removal give fish an earlier opportunity to migrate while also improving their health, he explained. The cooler water has reduced the prevalence of toxic chemicals called microcystins, which are produced by algae.

Sami Jo Difuntorum, cultural Preservation officer with the Shasta Indian Nation, focused her comments largely on the impacts to the surrounding landscape.

“We’ve been called the tribe the dams were built on and it is literally true,” Difuntorum said. “The dams were built on our villages.”

When she looked at the landscape immediately after the reservoirs were drained, “It was really stark, really barren,” she said. “Nothing had grown there for, what, 100 years.” While most everyone involved was ecstatic, Difuntorum didn’t immediately share their sentiment. “It didn’t really feel joyous to me,” she said.

It wasn’t until she heard the river rushing through the canyon, hearing rocks popping as water hit them for the first time in 100 years, that she felt happy.

“What it said to me was … the earth and the rocks were welcoming the water back, and so that meant healing,” she said.

Later in the press conference, during a Q&A period with journalists, Goodman said that the Klamath River monitoring work has been impacted by recent federal funding cuts, including the Department of the Interior’s decision to terminate CalTrout’s funding from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

“This loss in funding was a setback for our scientific data collection on the world’s biggest restoration project, but our team is finding other ways to make it work … ,” he said. “While we’re already seeing that the Klamath dam removal is a success, we need consistent and accurate data to understand how much of a success this project was, and we’re currently fundraising to fill the gap for that lost funding.”

Below is a press release with more information:

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KLAMATH RIVER, Calif. – This October marks the first anniversary since the removal of the four lower Klamath dams, and scientists, advocates and Tribes are celebrating dramatic ecological improvements for the Klamath River. Ongoing scientific monitoring, which started years prior to dam removal, has enabled the documentation of significant advances in water quality, water temperatures, and the rapid return of native salmon populations to previously blocked habitats.

“The Klamath is showing us the way. The speed and scale of the river’s recovery has exceeded our expectations and even the most optimistic scientific modeling, proving that when the barriers fall, nature has an incredible power to heal itself,” said Barry McCovey Jr., Director of the Yurok Tribal Fisheries Department.

News of fish passing the former dam sites came the same week as the project’s completion in early October 2024. While scientists were actively monitoring fish movements and spawning activity in the weeks and months following the restoration of natural flows to the river, it took several months of analysis to finalize specific data related to fish activity above the former dam sites. We now know that more than 7,700 Chinook Salmon swam upriver of the former Iron Gate dam site (the lowermost dam in the system) last fall to access habitat previously blocked by the dams. This number comes from a combination of monitoring techniques, including the use of SONAR, spawner surveys, and redd counts. This year the monitoring continues, and salmon have made it over the Link River Dam into Upper Klamath Lake.

“This is one of the most collaborative and comprehensive restoration studies ever undertaken with agencies, Tribes, and NGOs all coming together to monitor the recovery of the Klamath River salmon post-dam removal,” said Damon Goodman, Shasta-Klamath Director for California Trout. “What we witnessed was extraordinary—the river came back to life almost instantly, and fish returned in greater numbers than anyone imagined.”

Perhaps the most immediate and vital sign of the river’s healing is the dramatic improvement in water temperature—a crucial factor for the Klamath’s ecosystem. The dams and their reservoirs created artificially warm water temperatures in late summer and fall, when fish were returning to the system to spawn, and excessively cold water in the spring, when juvenile salmon out-migrate to the ocean. Ongoing monitoring of water temperatures both pre- and post-dam removal shows that temperatures have returned to a more natural regime that provides improved conditions for salmon during adult spawning migration and juvenile outmigration.

Hand-in-hand with this temperature recovery is a demonstrated monumental improvement in water quality, especially the precipitous decline of harmful algal blooms (HABs) and their associated microcystin toxins. Data collected by the Karuk Tribe since 2006 shows a powerful recovery: while 58% of samples below the former dam once exceeded public health limits, post-dam removal, 100% of water samples have tested within safe limits for people and wildlife. This combination of cooler, cleaner water is creating a resilient, thriving future for both fish and people.

“Since the dams were removed, temperature, algae, and dissolved oxygen levels have all dramatically improved,” said Toz Soto, Senior Policy and Research Advisor for the Karuk Tribe’s Department of Natural Resources. “The process of removing the dams created temporary water quality impacts as sediments impounded by the dams were mobilized through the system. When we look back at the data over the last year, we see that those short-term impacts were worth it, and the immediate improvements to the system are clearly documented in the data collected by the Karuk Tribe and others.”

The first year of a dam-free Klamath River demonstrates a powerful trajectory towards salmon recovery and an ecosystem with significantly improved health with significant cultural and community benefits for Tribes and others in the region.

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PREVIOUSLY:

• Sonoma County Supervisor James Gore Gets in There Early, Announces That He Would Like to be Your State Senator in 2026
• Santa Rosa City Councilmember Joins Race to Replace Sen. Mike McGuire in 2026
• Marin County Assemblymember Damon Connolly Officially Joins Race to Succeed the Termed-Out Mike McGuire in the State Senate

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Public statement from the James Gore for State Senate campaign:

My friends,

I love this country, I love California, and I especially love the people and communities of Northern California. For the past 25 years, it has been the honor of my life to lead as a public servant through these chaotic times.  

Leadership comes in many forms, and it asks us to be honest with ourselves and with those we serve. After much reflection, I have decided that the State Senate is not the right path for me or my family at this time. I have worked relentlessly to embrace this campaign, but cannot commit to be everywhere all the time at the expense of my life as a father and husband. Therefore, today, I am stepping away from the campaign we have all worked so hard to build together.

I want you to know how deeply I value the trust you’ve placed in me and in this process. That trust is sacred. While I will not continue this campaign, I am not stepping away from service. I believe my greatest impact right now is to finish my full term as Supervisor of Sonoma County and to focus my energy on forging a new path to build a vibrant and resilient future for our community, our California, and our country. 

I will not seek reelection as County Supervisor. A new path awaits, but I will relentlessly pursue ways to bring people together, to solve problems with integrity, and to push forward the vision of a sustainable, prosperous future.

Thank you for walking beside me on this journey. Thank you for your belief in our shared work. Though this chapter closes, the story of service continues, and I look forward to all we will build together in the years ahead.

Bit of a scene on Broadway at the moment, as a very large contingency of police and fire personnel deal with a person holed up in one the rooms of the Flamingo Motel.

Officers are currently negotiating with the person, trying to get them to come out of the room. They are apparently familiar with the person, addressing him by name.

All lanes of Broadway are open, despite the huge number of first responders in the area.

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Press release from the Humboldt County Department of Health and Human Services:

As we move into the fall and winter months, the Humboldt County Department of Health & Human Services, Division of Environmental Health (DEH) is providing an end of season recap of harmful algal bloom (HAB) activity locally noting that the instance of additional blooms for the year is low. 

According to data provided largely from the North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board (RWQCB), recreation waters in Humboldt County were impacted by eight individual reported HAB incidents between late July and mid-September. 

HABs were identified through a combination of routine sampling of Big Lagoon by the Big Lagoon Rancheria, local agency response to reports from the community and sampling conducted by the RWQCB. Harmful algal species were identified in Big Lagoon, the South Fork of the Eel River and the Mad River. Active blooms that trigger posting of signage and public advisories are identified through a combination of visual indicators and direct testing for the presence of algal toxins. 

Harmful algal blooms can occur in any freshwater body. Caused by multiple species of what are called cyanobacteria, they can look like dark green, bluegreen, black, orange or brown scum, foam or mats on the riverbed or floating on the water. Warm water and abundant nutrients can cause cyanobacteria to grow more rapidly than usual causing “blooms.” Most cyanobacteria do not affect animals or people, however, a small number of cyanobacteria species are capable of producing toxins that can be harmful to animals and humans. Dogs and children are most likely to be affected because of their smaller body size and tendency to stay in the water for longer periods of time.

This season the South Fork of the Eel River experienced blooms at six different locations—Richardson’s Grove, Redway Beach, Cooks Valley, Avenue of the Giants, Redwood Campground and one near Miranda. Of those, there was one confirmed report of a dog death likely attributed to exposure to algal toxins. One algal bloom was reported for Mad River, at a river access point in Blue Lake, with an unconfirmed report of human illness. 

Sampling at Big Lagoon, the only recreational water body in the county that is afforded routine monitoring thanks to a federal grant awarded to the Big Lagoon Rancheria, detected concentrations of HAB toxins exceeding state safety standards. Harmful toxins were identified in samples collected on July 22 at three separate locations—exceeding the threshold for a public advisory warning against swimming and water contact by pets. The following sampling event on July 31 showed two locations having concentrations reduced from the “Warning” threshold to “Caution,” but one had elevated concentrations to nearly 10 times the “Danger” threshold—prompting a public advisory to avoid all water contact activities on the water body. Subsequent testing events showed toxin concentrations below actionable thresholds. 

Moving into fall and winter, the likelihood of additional blooms this year is low—but never zero. Be observant when recreating and report areas experiencing large concentrations of algae to HAB experts at: CyanoHAB.Reports@waterboards.ca.gov or 844-729-6466 (toll free). Blooms can also be reported via the “bloomWatch” app available for free download on iTunes or Google play.

To learn more about cyanobacteria and harmful algal blooms, visit the state of California’s website at mywaterquality.ca.gov/habs/index.html. 

To learn more about cyanobacteria and algae on the South Fork Eel River, visit eelriverrecovery.org/algae.

For information on conditions occurring within Humboldt County, contact DEH at 707-445-6215 or 800-963-9241. Photos of suspected blooms can also be emailed to envhealth@co.humboldt.ca.us.