Press release from the Humboldt Journalism Project:

Ryan Burns of the Lost Coast Outpost has won the third annual “40th Award” for local journalism relevant to those who are sometimes left behind economically. Honorable mentions went to Thadeus Greenson of the North Coast Journal and Sage Alexander of the Eureka Times-Standard.

In his report “Inside Hoopa’s ‘Pill Mill’: State Medical Board, Former Employees Accuse Doctors of Over-Prescribing Opioids,” Burns digs deep into the practice of overprescribing opioids like morphine, oxycodone and diazepam at the only medical facility and pharmacy available in Hoopa. Interviews with insiders and whistle blowers reveal that doctors in Hoopa were responsible for prescribing what Burns describes as “breathtaking amounts of prescription opioids, indirectly supplying a thriving black market in diverted pills.”

“His in-depth report casts a beam of light on a long-term problem of opioid addiction in and around Hoopa,” said Deidre Pike, Humboldt Journalism Project judge. “His reporting is backed by rich, well-sourced data. His work gave me a crisper understanding of the complexity of a situation where doctors are influenced by pharmaceutical companies. He quotes sources who explain how poverty contributes to drug sales – with families who rely on the illegal sales of their prescription drugs to pay bills.”

Like Burns’ reporting, which relied in part on state government records, Greenson’s “The Soeth Files” was developed from a combination of interviews and public records. To tell the story of Humboldt County Sheriff’s Deputy Maxwell Soeth’s past, including shootings and legal settlements, Greenson turned to court records, internal affairs reports and video footage. The North Coast Journal needed public records requests and at least one lawsuit to pry loose the information.

“Studies suggest that lower-income people are both more likely to come into contact with police and more likely to experience police uses of force,” making the topic relevant for the 40th Award, Greenson wrote in his contest materials.

In the other award winning piece, the Times-Standard’s Alexander focused on the plight of mobile home residents north of Trinidad, who are struggling with repeated rent increases despite the county’ mobile home rent control law. In “To Measure V or not to Measure V,” Alexander talked with residents, advocates and county officials to probe conflicting interpretations of the rent control law, which at the time did not apply to the “Trinidad Extended Stay” park. Humboldt County is re-evaluating whether the law should apply, Alexander wrote.

The 40th Award is given annually by the Humboldt Journalism Project, a DreamMaker Project of the Ink People. The award’s name was chosen to put the focus on those living within the lower 40 percent of the income scale. The breadth of this year’s entries demonstrates again that a key motivation behind award-winning journalism is the refusal to look away from people’s struggles.

In addition to its annual award, the Humboldt Journalism Project also gives reporting grants to freelancers working on a wide range of topics, and it is exploring creating an informal coaching program.

Back in October, there was a widely reported confrontation in Arcata between the College of the Redwoods baseball team and an activist protesting the war in Gaza. (See here, here.) This confrontation took place around the Cal Poly Humboldt Campus Store — the old bank building at the corner of Eighth and G — after a game at the Arcata Ball Park.

This morning, Cal Poly Humboldt informs us that the University Police Department, which was the investigating agency, has completed its investigation, and has recommended charges against the activist — Gihane Hyden — for filing a false police report, vandalism and false imprisonment.

Cal Poly Humboldt sent us the following this morning:

Following a game at Arcata Ballpark in October, College of the Redwoods baseball players were getting into their cars that were parked at the Campus Store, Arcata parking lot.

Around that time, a Plaza demonstration on the Israeli-Hamas conflict on the Plaza had just ended and participants of the event passed by the Arcata Campus Store.

An argument occurred between the baseball players and two demonstrators, one of whom is identified as Gihane Hyden. CR players and coaches, and a third-party witness called 911 to report the argument. Those demonstrators left before Cal Poly Humboldt University Police Department officers arrived.

Hyden later alleged that members of the baseball team had assaulted her with a vehicle. She also reported that a coach had assaulted her by placing his arm around her neck.

According to UPD’s investigation, the evidence does not support Hyden’s allegations, and that Hyden vandalized a player’s windshield by breaking it with her fist and prevented that player from exiting the parking lot in his vehicle.

UPD has recommended charges of vandalism, false imprisonment, and making a false police report, and the case has been referred to the District Attorney.

When a new legislative leader takes charge, the biggest changes are usually to the internal power structure rather than to policymaking.

So today, state Senate President Pro Tem Mike McGuire, who was sworn in this week as head of the chamber, unveiled his reshuffling of the leadership team and committee assignments. The shakeup rewards key allies who helped the Healdsburg Democrat pull together the votes last summer to secure his office — but also several rivals he beat in the process.

That includes Sen. Lena Gonzalez, a progressive Long Beach Democrat, who will succeed McGuire as majority leader, his deputy in charge of wrangling the Senate’s ideologically diverse supermajority Democratic caucus. Gonzalez’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Sen. Monique Limón, a Santa Barbara Democrat whose name was also batted around last year as in the hunt to become pro tem, will continue as Democratic caucus chair.

Sen. Angelique Ashby, a Sacramento Democrat who was a major player in whipping support for McGuire, will be one of two assistant majority leaders and take over the business, professions and economic development committee. She said in a statement that receiving those appointments “in my second year is beyond humbling.”

Perhaps in recognition of the challenging optics of a straight, white man heading an increasingly diverse Legislature, five of the seven members of McGuire’s leadership team are women and five are people of color.

“We couldn’t be more excited to get to work for California, tackling the tough issues facing our communities,” McGuire said in a statement. “The members of the California State Senate — who are more representative of the Golden State than ever before — are ready to keep us moving forward, all of us, all together,”

McGuire appointed another close ally, Sen. Anna Caballero, a Merced Democrat, to chair the powerful appropriations committee, which determines the fate of every bill with a significant fiscal impact during the semiannual suspense file process.

Sen. Scott Wiener, a San Francisco Democrat, will now oversee the budget committee as California navigates a projected multibillion-dollar deficit. A major advocate for increasing housing construction and public transit, he could serve as a bulwark against significant funding cuts that have been proposed to those programs this year.

“Our state has made real progress on critical priorities in recent years, and it’s vital we protect that progress,” Wiener said in a statement.

Overall, McGuire kept more than half of the two dozen Senate committee chairpersons intact. Other changes include swapping Sen. Nancy Skinner, a Berkeley Democrat who led the budget committee for three years, to head the housing committee, replacing Wiener; elevating first-term Sen. Lola Smallwood-Cuevas, a Los Angeles Democrat, to lead the labor committee; and splitting the governance and finance committee into two separate committees on local government and on revenue and taxation.

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

Beloved and devoted husband, father and Papa Nolan Fritz, passed away Feb. 2, at 102 years young, surrounded by family at Timber Ridge in Eureka. He was born on August 27, 1921, to Jack and Olive Fritz in Eureka. He was a tribal elder of the Karuk Tribe.

Nolan was intelligent, kind, innovative, resilient, and a constant hard-working man with a great sense of humor. Nolan served in the Army Air Corps during WWII. He was with the 15th AF 463rd bomb group, 772nd squadron in Italy. He flew 50 missions, receiving the air medal with two oak leaf clusters and a campaign ribbon. He was the last surviving member of his crew.

When he returned from the war he married the love of his life, Marion Harrison, in December of 1952. They were married for 66 years until her passing in 2018. The two of them would be inseparable and a team throughout the adventures of their life together. They built their own home in Eureka with the help of Marion’s aunt. They had four children, Nolan II, Lynn, Kavan, and Cleone.

Nolan tried his hand in various occupations. He worked for Mercer-Fraser on the north and south jetties as a powder monkey, pulled green chain, worked the assembly line at Loleta Milk Co., laborerd with the Pierson Building Company, painted houses with his father and brother and fished commercially with his future father-in-law. After WWII he bought his own boat, and while crabbing along the south spit he capsized and was rescued after swimming for 25 minutes in the ocean.

He decided to move on and went to work for Caltrans, which led him to move to many places throughout the state. His favorite place was Forest Glen. There he enjoyed fishing, cutting wood, berry picking, deer hunting, riding quads and camping at Naufus spike camp with his family. He returned to his home in Eureka and retired from Caltrans as a supervisor after 20 years.

He enjoyed gardening, eating Marion’s delicious home-cooked meals, babysitting his grandkids, and returning to his beloved camping and hunting grounds in Forest Glen every year.

Nolan is survived by his son, Nolan II, daughters Lynn Fritz and Cleone Ehlers (Allen), and many dearly adored grandchildren and great grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his beloved wife Marion, son Kavan, great-grandson Kavan, brother Earl, father Jack , and mother Olive Brazil.

There will be no services, per his request. The family would like to thank Hospice of Humboldt, Larona Farnum, the caregivers and staff at Timber Ridge. Their support during this difficult time was greatly appreciated.

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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Nolan Fritz’s loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here.

Frank William Ames Jr. was born in Hoopa on March 13, 1957. Frank passed away peacefully in his daughter’s house, surrounded by family, on February 6, 2024, in Trinidad.

Frank was a Hoopa Tribal member with Yurok descent and lived all his life in his homelands on the Hoopa Valley Indian Reservation. Frank Ames enjoyed playing with trucks, bikes, and marbles as a child. He was the eldest son of Frank Ames Sr. and Ruth Ames and had seven siblings. He enjoyed being in Pecwan at his grandfather Jackson Ames’s home. He loved to fish and talk about the pigs his grandpa raised.

Frank picked up a love for music at a very young age. This passion remained with him his entire life. Frank was a talented musician and played in three different bands. Franks’s first band was Rainbow Hotel, formed in high school. The second band he played in with his brother-in-law, General Lee, was New Dawn Tribe, and they toured across Indian Country, opening for bands such as Red Bone. His final band he played with was Friends with a bunch of his local buddies. Frank enjoyed playing music; when he wasn’t playing music, he was listening to music. You could not go anywhere with Frank and not hear him playing music.

Frank married Linda Ames in 1980. Frank took in Linda’s three children as his own. Frank was a devoted father and helped his children Kori, April, and Raymond “Guy” in their passion for Karate, and they traveled up and down California in their Love Machine Van. Frank enjoyed children and doted on his kids. When his grandchildren were born, Frank helped raise them. He loved to watch cartoons and sit around and eat cereal with them. Frank raised his three children and his grandsons, Jakob Sanderson, David Sanderson, and Ricky Sanderson. His greatest joy was to be with these boys and all his grandkids.

Frank is preceded in death by his wife, Linda Ames; his parents, Frank and Ruth Ames; his brothers, David and Timothy Ames; his sisters Diana Pilgrim, Alberta Jackson, and Caroline Lowry, nephews Michael Ames, Robert Lee, and Wyatt Lowry; niece Arli Lowry and grandson Jakob Sanderson.

Frank is survived by his sisters Linda Lee and Debra (Rob) Ulibarri his children Kori Rakestraw, April Nix (Sonnie), Guy Baldy (Meagen), and grandchildren Gary Baldy (Tausha), Alberta Nix (Harley), Keesha Kress, Robert Baldy, Emily Baldy (Tommy), Antonio Correa, Raymond Baldy, Riley Baldy, Santiago Moon, Kateara Jarnaghan (Darin), David Sanderson (Courtney), Ricky Sanderson, Lori Ann Sanderson (Aaron), and Hunter Sanderson, his nieces Carolyn Lee, Stacy and Raven Ulibarri, Roberta Jackson, Jacklyn (KG), Pam (Lisa), Carrie “Shells,” Naomi, Autumn, and TekWes Ames, his nephews Robert Lee, Brandon Lara, Loren Colegrove, Robert and Jody Jackson, Jess and Chet Lowry, James Rickaby III, and his Godchildren Nena and Penny Hames Frank is survived by numerous cousins, great-nieces, nephews, and great-grandchildren.

Services for Frank will be held at the Hoopa Assembly of God at 11:00 am, with burial at Jackson Cemetery and reception at Hoopa Trading Post on Monday, February 12, 2024.

Pallbearers: David Sanderson, Ricky Sanderson, Hunter Sanderson, Gary Baldy, Sonnie Nix, Robert Baldy, Antonio Correa, Raymond Baldy, Riley Baldy, Santiago Moon, Robert Lee, Brandon Lara, Darin Jarnaghan Jr, Thomas Kelley, Aaron Mix-McKown, Harley Crum.

Honorary Pallbearers: David Breakman, Loren Colegrove, Robert Jackson, Jody Jackson, Robert Ulibarri, Jess Lowry, Chet Lowry, Allen Lowry, James Rickaby, Ryan Ames, Jessie Bain, Kaydon Matilton, Cam Matilton, Eugene Masten, Stanley Ferris Jr, Arden McCovey, Charles McCovey I, Gordon McCovey, Inker McCovey, Mike McCovey Mike Gabe, Dominic Obie, Richard Blake, Jack Jackson, Patrick Jackson,Chuck Hames, Pete White

Please forgive us if we forgot anyone. Frank loved so many of his friends and family.

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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Frank Ames Jr.’s loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here.

Kathryn “Sue” Blankinship (Holder) passed away peacefully surrounded by loving family at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Eureka at the age of 70 on Tuesday, February 6, 2024, after a long struggle with cancer.  

She was born on August 25, 1953 in Arcata and was a 1971 graduate of Arcata High School.  Sue was a devout Christian who loved Jesus with all her heart.  She also enjoyed her Starbucks frappuccino drinks, being involved with her church community, spending time with family, shopping and pedicures, trailer camping, and never met a stranger anywhere she went.

She is survived by her husband of 42 years, Wayne Blankinship; her daughter, Melissa “Missy” Mathews, (and Kurt); her son, Marcus “Bo” Blankinship, (and Lauren “Lola”), her son James “Yamie” Flanagan; grandsons, Luke Mathews, Karsen Mathews, and Roman Blankinship; brothers, Gary Holder (and Joeinne), Jerome Holder (and Daniel), and John Holder (and Danyell); and countless friends.

She is preceded in death by her parents, Vestal and Mardell Holder, and sister Peggy “Poopsie” Godfrey.

Sue’s family is respecting her wishes to not have a memorial service; however, anyone wanting to honor her life is encouraged to make a donation to their local Hospice in her name.

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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Sue Blankinship’s loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here.

Hundreds – perhaps thousands – of Humboldt County residents could lose access to landline services in the next year. 

AT&T California has applied to remove its designation as a “carrier of last resort,” which requires the telecommunications giant to provide traditional, analog telephone service via copper wires, also known as “plain old telephone service,” to residential and business customers throughout its service territory. If the application is approved by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) in the coming months, AT&T would no longer be required to provide basic landline services in certain areas, leaving only cellular and internet-based voice communication services that it and other companies provide.

AT&T contends that the “outdated” COLR obligation has forced it to “wastefully operate and maintain two duplicative networks: one, an antiquated, narrowband network with an ever-dwindling base of subscribers, and the other, a forward-looking, fiber and wireless broadband network,” as stated in the executive summary of the application. “The modest regulatory reforms sought in this application would boost investment in next-generation broadband services and networks, reduce waste, and ensure regulatory parity.”

The proposal would affect a large swath of Humboldt County, including much of Arcata, Eureka, Fortuna, McKinleyville, Rio Dell, Trinidad, and smaller communities along the local highways, as depicted in the map below.

Removal of the COLR designation does not necessarily mean landline service would become obsolete in communities AT&T currently serves, according to a fact sheet provided by the CPUC. Another carrier could volunteer to become the COLR in a given area, but they would not be required to do so. 

“If AT&T’s proposal were accepted as set forth in its application, then no COLR would be required to provide basic service in your area,” the fact sheet states. “This does not necessarily mean that no carriers would, in fact, provide service in your area — only that they would not be required to do so. Other outcomes are possible, such as another carrier besides AT&T volunteering to become the COLR in your area, or the CPUC denying AT&T’s proposal.”

(Click here to enlarge.) 

Frontier California, Inc. and Citizens Telecommunications Company of CA provide communications services in some parts of Humboldt County (as seen in the map to the right), but their reach is limited to their respective service territories. Since AT&T owns its network infrastructure, neither company can just jump in and assume services. 

AT&T has promised to maintain services “for the few customers” without access to alternative carriers. 

“None of our traditional copper landline customers in California will be left without service,” an AT&T spokesperson told the Outpost. “By our analysis, 99.7 percent of consumers within our service territory have at least three facilities-based alternative options for voice service. … Our commitment is that customers currently in our California service territory will retain access to a service connection, whether from us or another provider.”

Even so, the proposal has sparked significant concern among local and state officials who worry that the loss of landline service would hinder access to critical 9-1-1 services and emergency alerts, especially for rural residents. 

“This proposal leaves rural residents vulnerable and it’s dangerous,” Senate President Pro Tempore Mike McGuire wrote in an emailed statement to the Outpost. “AT&T’s idea to cast off their obligation as the [COLR] and stop maintaining their network will literally take people’s lifelines away. … Every resident in this state must have access to reliable phone service, no matter where you live. We’re going to fight this cockamamie proposal on behalf of the 600,000 folks who would be hung up on by AT&T.”

Assemblymember Jim Wood expressed similar concerns, adding that broadband service is notoriously unreliable on the North Coast, especially during storms, wildfires and earthquakes.

“Just with this recent storm, and the massive power outages, it is obvious that people absolutely need their landlines, not to mention the life-saving companies and organizations that are unable to serve the community during disasters without their landlines,” Wood told the Outpost. “I have not experienced [that] AT&T [is] willing to make the investments needed to extend broadband to these hard-to-reach areas. Do they not see how severe the digital divide is in rural areas? Until … reliable broadband covers all parts of this rural district, I don’t believe AT&T has any right to stop providing this most basic, and often, critical service.”

The Humboldt County Board of Supervisors sent a letter of opposition to the CPUC at the end of last month. The board’s letter notes that traditional landline phone service is “the most reliable communications tool in the [county’s] safety net arsenal,” adding that AT&T hasn’t been capable of meeting the county’s current obligations to provide reliable access to communications services.

“While AT&T will be able to pre-position its resources to withdraw its wireline infrastructure, customers will not be similarly situated to find a suitable alternative service to transition their households and/or businesses,” the letter states. “COLR relief should not be granted without securing widespread alternatives with uniform, technologically neutral minimum service quality standards of [plain old telephone service] alternatives.”

The promise of modern technology and enhanced broadband services is great, but the proposal comes with too many risks, said Humboldt County Office of Emergency Services (OES) program manager Ryan Derby.

“In many scenarios, landlines will still operate during a power outage, allowing emergency management and first responder agencies to send out life-saving communications through our alert and warning system,” Derby told the Outpost. “This proposal would require modern communications networks to be installed in areas that currently don’t have coverage, contributing to an increased strain on our already vulnerable energy grid, and posing scenarios where residents could lose access to 9-1-1 services and emergency alerts, particularly when power outages or other system disruptions occur.”

AT&T’s proposal has the potential to endanger communications between emergency responders and healthcare providers, said Kate Witthaus, CEO of the Northern California Community Blood Bank. 

“As the sole blood provider for Humboldt and Del Norte Counties, communication with our local hospital customers, particularly during emergency situations, can be a matter of life and death,” Witthaus said. “We know from direct experience that our internet and cellular-based phone services can and do fail. Imagine a hospital needing an urgent blood delivery and being unable to reach us.”

As of this writing, the CPUC has received over 2,600 virtually-submitted public comments from AT&T customers across the state. Online comments can be submitted at this link.

AT&T has also asked the CPUC to remove its designation as an Eligible Telecommunications Carrier (ETC). Doing so would allow AT&T to discontinue its federal Lifeline program (not the California LifeLine program) and other such programs designed to subsidize telecommunications support for low-income and rurally-located individuals. 

The CPUC will host a series of in-person and virtual public forums for AT&T customers to address questions regarding the two proposals. Humboldt County residents will want to attend one of the virtual forums on Tuesday, Mar. 19 at 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. 

More information can be found here.