Press release from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office:
On Feb. 6, 2023, at about 7:23 p.m., Humboldt County Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to Clam Beach to conduct a search and rescue for a lost woman.
According to the reporting party, the 71-year-old missing woman was reportedly hiking on the beach with a small group of people when she decided to stay behind and rest while the group continued. The group reported the woman missing when she failed to return to the vehicle.
The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Special Services Division and officers with the Bureau of Land Management conducted a search of the area. Deputies located the woman unharmed in the dunes at approximately 8:38 p.m. The woman told deputies that she had gotten lost in the dunes while attempting to return to the vehicle. Due to nightfall, she decided to stay put and wait for help.
The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office would like to thank the Bureau of Land Management, the United States Coast Guard - Sector Humboldt Bay and the Sheriff’s Search and Rescue Team for their coordination and assistance with this response.
The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office urges the community to take extra precautions when hiking or recreating outdoors. Follow these tips to stay safe:
Always hike with a group, or at least one other person, and stay together.
Check the weather forecast before heading out to hike or camp and plan your trip accordingly.
Know your skill level and physical capabilities- choose trails within your or your group’s ability.
If doing a day hike, know what time the sun begins to set. Research the trail ahead of time and anticipate how long it will take to hike. Begin hiking early so that you will have plenty of daylight to get back.
Inform someone of your travel plans- let them know where you are going, your planned route, when you plan to return and emergency numbers to call if you do not return at the scheduled time.
Bring a charged cell phone with you in case of emergencies, but do not rely on cell service in all areas. For remote hikes where cell service is not available, consider bringing a Personal Locator Beacon or GPS phone.
Bring a flashlight, warm clothes, high energy snacks and water in case your hike goes longer than expected.
If you get lost, stop where you are and assess the situation. Try to determine your location. If you are sure you can get yourself out using a map and compass, do so- otherwise stay put.
If you or a member of your hiking/recreating party becomes lost, call law enforcement for help right away (as service allows). There is no required wait time to report a missing person.
If you are interested in assisting with future search and rescue operations, consider joining the Sheriff’s Search and Rescue Team. Learn more and apply at: humboldtsar.org
On Monday February 6, 2023 HCDTF served a search warrant at two locations which yielded a large amount of fentanyl. HCDTF agents obtained information that Joshua Scott VanDyke, 47 year old from Eureka, was selling large amounts of fentanyl from Loleta and Eureka. Agents obtained a search warrant for a trailer located near the intersection of Church Street and Montgomery Street in Loleta and a residence on the 4000 Block of Meyers Ave in Eureka.
During the service of the search warrant at the Loleta residence, Joshua VanDyke and 44 year old Anne Walton were detained on scene. During a search of the property, agents located approximately one pound of suspected fentanyl, two pistols, digital scale, and approximately 14 grams of methamphetamine. VanDyke was subsequently taken into custody on the following charges:
H&S 11351(a)- Possession of controlled substances for sale
H&S 11370.1- Possession of controlled substances while armed
PC 29800(a)(1)- Felon in possession of a firearm
During a search of the Meyers Ave residence, agents located suspected methamphetamine, numerous unidentified pills, digital scale, and packaging materials. Two subjects were located on scene and subsequently released.
Anyone with information regarding this case is encouraged to contact the Humboldt County Drug Task Force at 707-267-9976.
UPDATE: The Sheriff’s Office told the Times-Standard it believes the incident to be a murder-suicide situation.
More in the press release from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office below:
On Feb. 6, 2023, at about 1:05 p.m., Humboldt County Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to a residence on the 1600 block of Kristin Way in McKinleyville for a welfare check.
Deputies responded and made entry into the residence. Upon making entry, deputies located two deceased individuals, a 63-year-old man and a 54-year-old woman. The Sheriff’s Major Crimes Division responded and assumed responsibility of the investigation.
Based upon evidence collected on scene, at this point in the investigation it appears that this was a domestic violence incident between the two residents which resulted in their deaths. Investigators do not believe there are any outstanding involved persons at this time and there is no perceived elevated risk to the community.
The identities of the decedents are known but being withheld pending next-of-kin notifications. Autopsies for both decedents have been scheduled for this week. Cause of death information will be available following the autopsies.
If you or someone you know is experiencing abuse, harassment or harm from your partner, or think that you might be, help is available. To speak with someone immediately and find resources for help, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233 or text “START” to “88788”. For local assistance, contact the Humboldt Domestic Violence Services 24-hour support line at (707) 443-6042, toll free at (866) 668-6543, or visit hdvs.org.
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.
A real estate sign in front of a home in the Tower District in central Fresno on June 28, 2022. Photo by Larry Valenzuela, CalMatters/CatchLight Local
Angela Morrow was only eight months into a new career as a flight attendant when she was laid off from her job due to the COVID-19 pandemic, putting her at risk of losing her three-bedroom, two-bathroom home in San Bernardino County.
Morrow, 63, said she was able to save her home in Bloomington through the $1 billion California Mortgage Relief Program, which enabled her to pay off more than $54,000 worth of mortgage debt — relief that lowered her monthly payments for the long-term.
“Receiving that grant has been a monumental blessing for me,” Morrow said. “It created a solid foundation for my kids, and their future, after I’m gone.”
Today, state officials will announce they are expanding who is eligible for the program, including some who took second mortgages.
With $300 million already given out to 10,000 homeowners, as much as $700 million worth of aid remains available for borrowers who qualify for the program, which was created in December 2021 using federal dollars from the American Rescue Act.
The expansion comes as state officials say the pandemic era housing market — characterized by an uncertain economy, high home prices and now higher mortgage interest rates — could still imperil homeownership in the Golden State, particularly for lower- and middle- income families.
Fewer than 56% of Californians live in homes they or their families own, the second lowest rate of any state and just slightly higher than New York.
“People shouldn’t be penalized, and lose something that they’ve worked so hard to obtain, and lose that opportunity for generational wealth, due to circumstances outside of their control,” said Rebecca Franklin, president of the California Housing Finance Agency’s Homeowner Relief Corp., which is administering the mortgage relief program. “That’s what this program is about: To catch people up, to erase that long-term financial impact that the pandemic maybe had on them.”
California foreclosures remain at one of their lowest rates over the last two decades, with only 0.12% of homes in foreclosure as of last November, the most recent monthly data available, according to housing data firm CoreLogic. That compares to a high of 3.21% of homes in November 2010, during the last housing bust. Nevertheless, California families did face financial hardship during the pandemic, the CoreLogic data shows, with 3.72% of all homes in serious delinquency in August 2022, a recent high.
The difference in the pandemic economic downturn, state officials and experts said, is that mortgage companies and banks were willing to work with borrowers to defer payments and create additional home loans. High home prices can also help prevent foreclosure as homeowners can often sell their properties. But with high rents, selling is often not a good option for families, said Lisa Sitkin, a senior staff attorney with the National Housing Law Project, a nonprofit that advocates for tenants and low-income households.
Under the expansion of California’s mortgage relief program being unveiled today at a Sacramento nonprofit:
Eligible homeowners who have already used the program and are in need of additional assistance can reapply, for as much as $80,000 in total grants.
Homeowners can use the program to pay off second home loans, or loan deferrals, that they negotiated in the midst of the pandemic.
The program will also be available to homeowners who have properties of up to four units, as long as those small landlords live on those properties.
While the program was previously only available for people who had missed at least two mortgage payments and at least one property tax payment before last summer, it will now be available to those homeowners until March 1.
“People shouldn’t be penalized, and lose something that they’ve worked so hard to obtain, and lose that opportunity for generational wealth, due to circumstances outside of their control.” — Rebecca Franklin, president of the California Housing Finance Agency’s Homeowner Relief Corp.
The program includes income and wealth restrictions. People can only receive assistance if their combined household income is not more than 150% of their region’s median income. Households that have cash or other assets worth $20,000 more than the total funds they are requesting are disqualified. (For more information, there’s a help page.)
The relief program is administered nationally by the U.S. Treasury Department, which relies heavily on individual states to distribute the money. As far as California’s track record getting its funds to borrowers, the state has been “nimble,” and “responsive,” said Sitkin, of the National Housing Law Project, which is monitoring all of the states’ programs.
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CalMatters.org is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media venture explaining California policies and politics.
Dewey Davis was born on May 25, 1939, in Vian, Oklahoma. He passed away at the age of 83 on January 31 at 10:20 a.m. at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Eureka. He leaves behind his beautiful wife of 53 wonderful years, Meta Davis, his two sons Jon Davis and Paul and his wife Melissa Davis, and his sister Pat Willey. Both Jonathan and Pat are residents of Idaho, Jonathan currently resides in Caldwell, and Pat in Nampa. Paul Davis lives here in Eureka. Dewey Davis is also survived by numerous nieces, nephews and cousins. Dewey Davis is now in heaven with his father Arthur Davis, his mother Jewell Davis, his brother Doyle Davis, and his sister Hazel Reneau.
Dewey Davis was known locally as pastor Dewey; he was in the ministry locally for over 50 years primarily preaching and teaching from the pulpit of Redwood Christian Center. He Joined his brother-in-law Richard Reneau’s church at the bottom of Humboldt Hill in 1970. He started his ministry as the assistant pastor and eventually became the full-time minister of the congregation, he also had a full-time job at a local optical lab where he worked until 1994. In 1994 he devoted 100% of his time to the church and its congregation. The Redwood Christian Center would eventually purchase the Stafford campground just south of Rio Dell. At the campground on behalf of Redwood Christian Center, Pastor Dewey and his wife hosted and ministered to many family camps, youth services, and old-fashioned tent revivals. Dewey and Meta were involved in the lives of many travelers, campers, and wanderers that they met at the campground.
Dewey Davis graduated from Fortuna High in 1958. He was involved in multiple sports, primarily football. He then worked at the Pacific Lumber Company as a machinist. He was also involved with local car clubs, where he was one of the founding members of Kingsmen. He was also one of the founding members and the president of Straight-A-Ways. It was his love of cars and driving fast that would ultimately lead him to God. He often preached about the moment when he found God and God’s mercy during a car accident with one of his closest friends.
He then moved to San Antonio, Texas to attend IBC, International Bible College. At IBC he would meet his beautiful bride Meta Miess, and they would marry before he graduated in 1970 with a bachelor’s degree in theology. He then received his offer to minister in Eureka with his brother-in-law Richard Reneau. Upon starting his new ministry, he then found out that his first child Jonathan Davis was on the way. Upon getting to Eureka, starting his family, and joining the Redwood Christian Center, he built his home at the top of Humboldt Hill. The home would be his residence until the day he crossed the finish line of his life. The house was finished just in time for the arrival of their second son Paul Davis.
Throughout his ministry Dewey Davis touched many people’s lives. His ministry was not only as a pastor of a church or shepherd of the flock, he also was a teacher and a friend, and he always had a joke to share. He had many friendships which he cherished and sought guidance from, some of those friendships were not always related to his ministry. Pastor Dewey Davis’s ministry served so many roles while representing God’s love. He was there at the beginning dedicating a young life to Christ. He was there in the middle of their lives conducting the matrimony service for many new couples, and helping guide them while they started their families. He was also there at the end of their lives holding their hands singing and praying with them as they were reaching for the hand of Christ who would guide them to heaven above.
Recently Dewey mentioned that he wished he had more time to spend with his friends and family, and in his words, he felt he had so much more to give, he had sermons that he still wanted to preach, there were people in his life he still wanted to see saved, and in his ministry, he felt he still had more to give.
Dewey retired from Redwood Christian Center on December 31 and was able to look upon God’s face one month later.
A memorial service will be held at Redwood Christian Center, 6000 Humboldt Hill Rd, Eureka on Saturday, February 25 at 2 p.m. A potluck reception will follow. Please bring a dish and a memory to share.
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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Dewey Davis’s loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here. Email news@lostcoastoutpost.com.
Virginia Ann Ciszek Felter December 1946 to January 2023
Ginny
was born at Camp Pendleton Naval Hospital and grew up in a Marine
family. Most of her youth was in southern California during the surf
and car culture days, but horses were always her love. She got her
first horse as young teen and she and a friend would pack lunches and
ride way out into the hills. Occasionally her horse would open the
gate latch to visit the horses at the ranch down the lane. She’d
hear the latch click so would have to walk down in her nightgown to
bring him home.
She
always loved animals and started working for a veterinarian. That led
to getting her license as a Registered Veterinary Technician. Horses
became a secondary career, both in raising and jumping. Heaps of
prize ribbons remain, along with plates and bowls around the house
commemorating Hunter and Jumper events that she was in across the
region. In the 1990s she became the head of the Equine Division of
the Helen Woodward Animal Hospital.
Her
dad was a Marine WWII war hero and a tough father to grow up under.
Her older brother never satisfied dad’s expectations so Ginny would
step in and try to fill her brother’s shoes. An example is when
brother Bob had no interest in the family airplane, Ginny took up
flying and soloed. She paid attention to her dad’s business savvy
and began a portfolio at a young age.
Bob
met Ginny when she asked him to do some remodeling on her condo. She
had a wonderful location with a great view to the beach and down onto
the Del Mar Racetrack. Only you could hardly see the view since she’d
coerce the tree trimmers to skip past the fast-growing Coral trees in
front. Instead of a view she had a grove full of life with chirping
birds right out her windows. Bob did the work for her and one thing
led to another. Our first camping trip together sometime in 1997
would be easy to date because that weekend we could see the Hale Bopp
comet as the sun came on the desert horizon both in the morning and
evening.
Anxious
to leave rapidly growing San Diego, we took a trip for a week or two
each Christmas. After a number of adventures, we came through Arcata
and liked it. We put a realtor on task to find a home or property and
we bought an empty field with full sun and a view to the horizon. We
built a house together and have been involved with Humboldt’s
community since. Ginny helped at Planned Parenthood, loved the
Humboldt Crabs, and was always in the midst of house plants, the
orchard and garden, parakeets and our Corgi.
In
about 2014 Ginny started making occasional bonehead decisions. When
we went to her physician, she said “I have to report her to DMV.”
Ginny passed her driving test but DMV doesn’t forget and the next
year she got a notice to come in for the written test. No matter how
many times we took the online tests, she just couldn’t do it, so in
2016 DMV tested her and took her license. It’s been a gradual
process but in time the diagnosis was Alzheimer’s and she slowly
lost her interests and abilities. It’s been a long sad journey, not
without good times, but the disease won. If inclined. please send
monetary donations to either the Alzheimer’s fund or to Hospice of
Humboldt.
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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Virginia Felter’s loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here. Email news@lostcoastoutpost.com.
HUMBOLDT TODAY: The search for an elderly mushroom hunter continues, Rob Arkley is “furious,” Cal Poly Humboldt students may soon be looking for new places to live, plus what does Broadway need? Those stories and more in today’s newscast with John Kennedy O’Connor.
