PREVIOUSLY: 

• Eureka Woman Found Dead in Mendocino County; Cause of Death Under Investigation
• Eureka Police Department Asks for Public’s Help in Locating Missing 53-Year-Old Woman

Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office press release: 

On 10-08-2023 at approximately 3:00 PM the California Highway Patrol was notified of a reported traffic collision in the area of Sherwood Road and Birch Terrace in Willits, California (Brooktrails Subdivision).

After the collision, the driver of one of the vehicles, a Toyota Sienna van fled the traffic collision scene.

The reported traffic collision prompted the response of CHP officers and Mendocino County Sheriff’s Deputies to assist as needed.
Upon arrival, CHP officers interviewed the one motorist at the traffic collision scene and also located the Toyota Sienna van unoccupied a distance away from the collision scene.

The motorist provided a physical description of the driver of the Toyota Sienna van which was subsequently given to the Sheriff’s Deputies who thereafter located the driver walking on Birch Street.
A CHP officer responded to Birch Street and contacted the driver in connection with the traffic collision investigation.

This resulted in the CHP officer placing the driver, Root Harvest Birimisa (26-year-old male from Eureka, CA), under arrest for DUI and hit and run resulting in property damage.

Birimisa was subsequently booked into the Mendocino County Jail.
As a result of the arrest, the CHP officer had the Toyota Sienna van towed and stored by a Willits area towing company.

On 10-09-2023 the Eureka Police Department initiated a missing persons investigation into the reported disappearance of Christine Ann Randolph (53-year-old female from Eureka, CA).

During the investigation Officers and Detectives in Humboldt County began to follow up on several leads in an effort to locate Randolph.
A multijurisdictional response was launched by the Eureka Police Department with the assistance of the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office, Fortuna Police Department, California Highway Patrol, California State Parks, Humboldt County District Attorney’s Office and the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office.

Investigators learned Randolph’s family had become concerned for her safety after learning of Birimisa’s 10-08-2023 arrest. Birimisa was identified as being Randolph’s son and that the pair were known to be traveling together.

On 10-11-2023 Mendocino County Sheriff’s Detectives assisted Investigators from the Eureka Police Department who had obtained a search warrant authorizing a search of the Toyota Sienna van in connection with the missing persons investigation.

The interior of the Toyota Sienna van was packed with a significant number of belongings to include clothing, luggage and living supplies.
Investigators began removing the belongings and subsequently located a deceased female adult who was located in a section of concaved flooring which was concealed by the large number of belongings.

The female adult was identified as being Randolph and the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office assumed investigative lead into the circumstances of her death.

At this time there is an active coroner’s investigation in an attempt to determine the classification and cause of Randolph’s death.
A forensic autopsy has been scheduled for 10-14-2023 to include blood alcohol and toxicology analysis.

Anyone who might have information which could assist Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office Detectives is urged to contact the Sheriff’s Office Tip-Line at 707-234-2100 or the WeTip anonymous crime reporting hotline at 800-782-7463.

UPDATE, 1:54 p.m.: EPD says:

James “Jim” Russell was located safe and in good health by the Arcata Police Department. Thank you for sharing the information. The Eureka Police Department would also like to thank the agencies and businesses that assisted in the search.

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Eureka Police Department press release:

The Eureka Police Department is asking for the public’s assistance in locating 73- year-old, James “Jim” Russell. Today, Russell walked away from support staff in Eureka sometime after 11:00am. Russell has a cognitive impairment and conditions that require medication and assistance from others.

Russell is a white male, 73-years-old, 5’9”, 150-160 pounds, hazel eyes, and bald with white hair. He was last seen wearing a blue/white flannel shirt and dark grey pants.

Anyone with information regarding Russell’s possible whereabouts is asked to contact the Eureka Police Department at (707) 441-4044.

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People have many different ways of celebrating during the month of October, aka “spooky season.” [Stop it. —Ed.] For some people, this time of year is all about watching their favorite scary movies, while others like to pour all their energy into their costumes. And some people don’t really care about Halloween, and October is just like any other month. Nick and Anna Smithler of Eureka are not those people. 

For the Smithlers, the month of October means getting up at about 6 a.m. each day to do important work – placing skeletons into different comedic scenes on their lawn.  For the last three years the couple, sometimes with help from their two kids, have created a new skeleton scene every day between Oct. 1 and Nov. 1.  

“It’s a fun little outlet for us,” Nick Smithler told the Outpost on Thursday afternoon, outside of this skeleton-adorned home. “We love to entertain the neighborhood.”

Nick and Anna and their two kids have lived in their current home for about five and a half years and started their skeleton tradition in 2020, when they had to be home all the time due to COVID. Nick said that the couple had seen some other skeleton scenes in people’s yards and online and thought that it would be a fun way to keep themselves busy during the pandemic, while also spreading some cheer to their neighbors. 

To give their skeleton installations a special twist, the Smithlers decided to do a new, unique scene every day of October. Smithler said this was both to keep things fresh and fun, but also because the family takes the skeletons into the house every night to prevent theft or vandalism. Since they have to set them back up each morning, they decided they might as well set them up differently each day. 

The yard displays vary in theme each day, depicting skeleton construction workers, skeletons playing a yard game, or sometimes a recognizable scene from a television show or movie. This year the family has been doing a lot more movie references, Smithler said, and have recreated famous scenes from E.T., Pulp Fiction and Flashdance, among others. They also did a recreation of the popular Spider-Man meme. 

For the last couple of years, the Smithlers used four different plastic skeletons to create their yard scenes and this year they welcomed a new member to the skeleton family – a massive, 12-foot-tall skeleton, which Smithler said he has been dreaming of adding to the decor since the family first took up the hobby. After socking away money for a while, Smithler finally felt like it was time to fork out the $300 for the 12-foot skelly, which he purchased from Home Depot.

This skeleton decor obsession is not unique to the Smithlers. They have have found many others like themselves and belong to several Facebook groups, including the Home Depot Halloween Haunters Club, where people post pics and information about extravagant decorations they got at Home Depot, and the 12 Foot Skelly Club, which is for people who have super tall skeletons like the Smithlers’. The 12 foot skelly craze has grown enough that people even custom make and sell clothing and accessories for the massive bone creations. 

It can get a little pricey collecting large-scale Halloween decor, Smithler said, but he and his wife  spread out the costs by purchasing the big items gradually and purchasing the smaller accessories from the dollar store. The biggest expense was the security system that Smithler installed this year to deter theft or vandalism of his beloved skeletons. The yard is equipped with three different security cameras and the 12-foot skeleton, which is too big to bring in the house each night, is tightly secured to the ground. Smithler, understandably, wanted to make sure things were extra secure before putting his house on blast on LoCO. 

Now that he’s got everything ready, Smithler is happy to invite the public to come visit their Halloween home, which is located at 3412 G Street in Eureka. The skeleton scenes are usually ready at about 7 a.m. each day and are brought back inside around 7 p.m. Closer to Halloween and on actual Halloween night, the Smithler house transforms into an intricate, spooky light show set to music. It probably goes without saying, but if you go to check out the displays, don’t steal or break anything! And if you’re thinking about it, just remember that you will be caught on camera!

Smithler said that he just wants to let people know about their fun creations and to help bring some Halloween fun to the area. 

“We want to be that house that people are like ‘have you seen that house?’,” Smithler said. I don’t really care about the recognition for myself, but knowing that it’s here for people to enjoy is really what we wanted to do.” 

And if you don’t make it out or just want to scroll through some of the Smithlers’ past creations, you can check out videos of all the skeleton fun on Nick’s TikTok channel and scroll down for more pics of Thursday’s scene. 

UPDATE: 

• Mendocino Law Enforcement Share Grisly Details of Discovery of Missing Eureka Woman’s Body; Son of Deceased in Custody

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Eureka Police Department press release: 

On October 9, 2023, the Eureka Police Department initiated a missing person investigation into the disappearance of Christine “Clover” Randolph, 53 years old from Eureka. During the investigation Officers and Detectives began to follow up on several leads in an effort to locate Randolph. A multijurisdictional response was launched with the assistance of the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office, Fortuna Police Department, California Highway Patrol, California Parks, Humboldt County District Attorney’s Office and the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office.

On October 11, 2023, Randolph was located deceased in Mendocino County. The circumstances surrounding her death are currently under investigation by the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office. This remains an active investigation and there is no additional information to be released at this time.

Further inquiries regarding this investigation should be directed to the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office at 707-463-4083.

The Eureka Police Department would like to thank the numerous community members who provided information to us during this investigation. Additionally, we would like to thank our Law Enforcement partners for their assistance with this investigation. We would like to extend our deepest condolences to Randolph’s family and friends.

PREVIOUSLY: 

• Eureka Police Department Asks for Public’s Help in Locating Missing 53-Year-Old Woman

Two of Johanna Wonderly’s four children depend on hearing aids, and the other two will probably need them in the future. At roughly $6,000 per child, the cost adds up quickly.

But the Roseville family can only afford them when Wonderly’s husband, Paul, is called to active duty for the California Army National Guard, because that’s when federal coverage kicks in. The family’s standard insurance does not cover hearing aids.

Her second oldest daughter, Cara, was born while Paul was working at his then-private-sector job as a bartender. His insurance denied their claim for a hearing aid. A state-run program for children with disabilities or chronic medical conditions said the family made too much money to qualify for help. The Wonderlys applied for assistance through a national non-profit and crossed their fingers.

“We were living paycheck-to-paycheck back then. We didn’t have savings if my husband lost his job, let alone pay for an unexpected $6,000 expense,” Johanna Wonderly said. “We were going to have to say ‘Sorry, Cara. You don’t get hearing aids.’”

The Legislature this year unanimously passed a measure that would have helped families like hers by requiring health insurers to cover hearing aids for anyone under 21. Most private health insurance in California designates children’s hearing aids as cosmetic or elective devices.

But over the weekend Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed the bill, citing improvements made to an existing state program established in 2021 to help families afford hearing aids. It’s the second time Newsom has effectively blocked this legislation and pointed to the state’s Hearing Aid Coverage for Children Program as an alternative. Advocates and some legislators say that program has failed.

In his veto message, Newsom cites concern about creating a costly precedent by adding benefits to the state’s Affordable Care Act insurance exchange, known as Covered California. A legislative analysis estimates the added cost at about $11 million.

Newsom also said improving access to children’s hearing aids remained a priority for his administration.

“We can, and we must, do better for these children and their families as we implement” the Hearing Aid Coverage for Children Program, the message said.

Children’s advocates say the program will never work.

“There’s been two years of oversight hearings on this program. It’s not working, so to double down on a failing program it’s not only harmful to children, it’s wasting, you know, millions of taxpayers dollars,” said Michelle Marciniak, co-founder of Let California Kids Hear, a parent advocacy group that sponsored the legislation. Marciniak’s daughter lost partial hearing after a viral infection.

Lifelong impact of hearing loss

Research shows infants and children who cannot hear can develop permanent speech, language, and cognitive deficits. They quickly fall behind in school, suffering delayed reading comprehension and social and emotional problems. Those who get an assistive device like a hearing aid within the first six months of life have much better outcomes.

“If you have a child that’s born with hearing loss and doesn’t get hearing aids until the age of 3 or 4, this kid is going to be delayed for the rest of their life,” said Dr. Daniela Carvalho, director of Rady Children’s Hospital-San Diego’s hearing program, who testified in support of the measure.

Cassie, 9, works on her homework on Oct. 11, 2023. Photo by Jyotsana Bhamidipati for CalMatters

Dr. Dylan Chan, director of the Children’s Communication Center at UC San Francisco, said the impact on a child’s life is so profound that hospitals are required by state and federal law to test every newborn for hearing problems.

“But identifying kids with hearing loss does no good if we don’t have the ability to provide the appropriate interventions,” Chan said. “It would be like being able to diagnose a child with asthma but not giving them an inhaler.”

Carvalho said several of her patients’ families were waiting for the legislation to pass to be able to afford hearing aids.

“They have their hands tied. I mean it literally is a choice that the family needs to make. It’s a huge financial decision,” Carvalho said.

Support for hearing aid bill

Marciniak, the advocate who has helped lead the fight for coverage since 2019, said lawmakers brought the bill back this year because the Hearing Aid Coverage for Children Program has been ineffective since it launched in 2021.

“This is definitely a broken promise,” Marciniak said. “And it’s disappointing because they haven’t been willing to come to the table to solve this with us in a meaningful way.”

Most states already include hearing aid coverage in their insurance exchanges. Thirty-two states require private insurance to offer some level of coverage for kids’ hearing aids, including 27 that mandate it as a benefit under the Affordable Care Act. California only offers coverage to very low-income families through public insurance like Medi-Cal or the program for kids with disabilities, setting the income cap for a family of four around $40,000.

“It would be like being able to diagnose a child with asthma but not giving them an inhaler.”
— Dr. Dylan Chan, director of the Children’s Communication Center at UC San Francisco

The state’s coverage gap leaves 20,000 kids and young adults whose families don’t qualify for low-income assistance, according to a California Health Benefits Review Program analysis for the Legislature. That represents nearly half of all hearing aid users between the ages of 0 and 20.

In 2019 a similar bill passed unanimously and was sent to Newsom. At the time, former Santa Monica Democratic Assemblymember Richard Bloom, the bill author, told CalMatters that Newsom asked him to rescind the bill with a promise to create a budget fix.

That “fix” came in the form of the Hearing Aid Coverage for Children Program. The program, which received $16 million its first year, distributed hearing aids to 39 children and has been harshly criticized by legislators demanding accountability. Last year another budget allocation expanded eligibility to about 7,000 kids and doubled the budget. Currently, 255 children — roughly half of all applicants — have gotten hearing aids, according to state data.

Parents say they can’t find providers who participate, the application process is lengthy and confusing, and resources are unavailable for people who don’t speak English.

From left Caitlyn, Cassie, Carter and Cara in Roseville on Oct. 11, 2023. Photo by Jyotsana Bhamidipati for CalMatters

Kasey Cain, a mom from Lincoln and board president of California Hands and Voices, said she spent nine months fighting red tape. She sent required paperwork to the program in a pre-addressed envelope from the state. It was returned as undeliverable.

“It was a nightmare. I started to receive calls that they were going to close my account because they never received the documents,” Cain said. “I don’t know why your self-addressed envelope doesn’t work.”

Eventually, she and her husband gave up and put the $2,500 charge on a credit card. They couldn’t wait any longer to update their 7-year-old son’s hearing aid. Later, when one of his hearing aids was replaced by a cochlear implant, insurance considered it a necessary medical device and covered it. The family was responsible for a $15 copay.

Newsom’s veto message said the Department of Health Care Services, which manages the hearing aid program, has developed an improvement plan that will be implemented over the next six months.

A representative from the Department of Health Care Services in a written statement said the department has moved its application process online and translated materials into 19 languages. Information about the program is also mailed to all parents’ whose children are identified with hearing loss at birth.

California Democrats want to try again

Sen. Caroline Menjivar, a Democrat from Burbank, co-authored this year’s measure with Democratic Sen. Anthony Portantino from Glendale.

“I’m not sure why we haven’t been able to pass it,” Menjivar said during the bill’s final floor vote. “We are behind close to 30 states that have already implemented this. Let’s be the next one.”

In a statement following the veto, Menjivar pledged to hold the administration accountable.

Wonderly, the mom of four, said it took 14 months for her eldest daughter Cassie’s hearing loss to get diagnosed. She worried that Cassie, who didn’t respond to sound and who had the limited eyesight normal for newborns, wouldn’t know who her parents were.

“Every night I fell asleep with my hand on my baby because I wanted her to know that she was secure, she was safe. That she knew that we were there for her,” Wonderly said.

Wonderly said eventually the national grant program paid for her second daughter’s hearing aids. But soon Cassie, now 9, will need an updated pair, and Wonderly’s two other children, ages 7 and 1, who also have hearing loss, will likely need hearing aids in the future.

The closest provider that participates in the Hearing Aid Coverage for Children Program is more than 100 miles away, Wonderly said.

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Supported by the California Health Care Foundation (CHCF), which works to ensure that people have access to the care they need, when they need it, at a price they can afford. Visit www.chcf.org to learn more.

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

Mary Rosa passed away on Oct. 2, 2023 at home peacefully and was called home to her father, sister, and brothers in heaven.

Mary was born May 21, 1967, to Jose (Joe) Furtado Rosa and Maria Albertina Rosa on the Island of Faial, Aźores - Portugal. At the age of 3, she migrated to the United States with her parents and her two brothers. All that they had with them was four suitcases. After staying with family for a short amount of time, they relocated to Ferndale, where they lived with a local family and Mary’s father worked on a dairy farm milking cows. Her mother also helped on the farm but later began working with many local families cleaning their homes, as well as cleaning the Ferndale Police Station, City Hall, and Ferndale Library for 30-plus years. They dedicated themselves to the Portuguese Community in Ferndale and volunteered at the Ferndale Portuguese Holy Ghost Festa for many years. Mary was Little Queen in 1972 and Big Queen in 1984.

Mary attended Ferndale Elementary School and Ferndale High School where she made so many lifelong friends. She graduated from Ferndale High School in 1986, and even after she graduated from school and well into her adult life, she always reached out to her schoolmates to say hello and to keep in contact. At the age of 25, she gave birth to her first child, Ashley, and three years later gave birth to her son Andrew. Mary was a single mother to both Ashley and Andrew and raised them in Ferndale with the help of her parents Joe and Maria. Mary moved to Fortuna in 2008 and moved back to Ferndale to live with her mother in 2020.

Mary loved being a grandmother more than anything, her grandbabies were the light of her life. She enjoyed the small things in life. She loved the beach and watching the king tide waves as they hit the jetty. She had an impressive penguin collection as they were her favorite animal. She loved to go on daily walks with her mother around town in Ferndale. Most of all she loved to talk to everyone, she was great at memorizing every one’s phone number. If we needed someone’s number all we had to do was ask her.

The Rosa family has experienced many losses over the years. Before moving to the United States, Mary lost a sister who was 9 months old due to health complications. In 1977, she lost her brother to a heart attack when he was 11 years old from a hereditary heart condition. In 1987, her second brother passed away at the age of 16 from the same heart condition during a Ferndale High School football game, and in 2009 she lost her father Joe at the age of 72. We know that her sister, brothers, and father were waiting for her with open arms and we are at peace knowing she is now with them.

Throughout her life, Mary struggled with her health. In 2020 she moved back to Ferndale to live with her mother Maria. During that time, she suffered from diabetic cirrhosis of the liver. In September 2023, it progressed to liver failure, and she also suffered from other health complications. After three weeks at the hospital, she came home on Hospice and in the care of her daughter Ashley. Four days after coming home, she passed away peacefully surrounded by her loved ones.

“My mom was resilient, she was always happy and greeted everyone with a smile. Even when her body started to fail her, she would never let it show on her face. Her kindness to others is what people will remember the most. Not only am I heartbroken to lose my mom at such a young age, but I am deeply saddened for my four children. They loved her so much, and she loved being their grandma. I know that she is with my Papa and her three siblings now watching over us. Until we meet again my beautiful Mama.” - Ashley

We’d like to give a thank you to Dr. Douglas at Ferndale Community Health Center, Ferndale Fire Department, and all of her friends who cared for her so much. Another special thank you to those who have helped donate to her funeral and memorial fund.

Mary is survived by her mother Maria Rosa, her two children Ashley Rosa-Shute and Andrew Rosa, and four grandchildren: Greydon, Delilah, Jackson, and Braylon Shute.

Mary was preceded in death by her father Jose Furtado Rosa, her baby sister Fatima Lucia Rosa, her brothers Jose Silva Rosa and Jose Maria Rosa, her uncle Jose Felisberto Vargas and her cousin Carlos Felisberto Vargas.

A memorial service and mass will be held at the Ferndale Church of Assumption - 546 Berding Street, Ferndale, CA 95536. November 18th, 2023, at 1 p.m. Any donations to help with putting Mary to rest can be made through GoFundMe — https://gofund.me/6f573867 — or mailed to Ashley Rosa, P.O Box 61, Ferndale, CA 95536.

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The Humboldt Bay Harbor, Recreation and Conservation District Board of Commissioners will receive a status update on the Humboldt Bay Offshore Wind Heavy Lift Marine Terminal Project during tonight’s regular meeting. Tonight’s report will largely focus on the project timeline and budget.

“Basically, we’re going to go over the entire project schedule,” Harbor District Executive Director Larry Oetker told the Outpost in a phone interview this afternoon. “That includes, you know, grant funding applications, when we think we’re going to have environmental documents ready for the public to review and when we plan to submit permit applications.”

The Harbor District has spent the last year working with Crowley Wind Services, a private marine and logistics company, to design a state-of-the-art marine terminal, to be located at the old pulp mill Redwood Marine Terminal 1 on the Samoa Peninsula, that would support offshore wind development up and down the West Coast. Once it’s fully built out, the facility will have the potential to produce and ship the gigantic components needed for floating offshore wind turbines, everything from the blades and nacelles (the generator house) to mooring lines, towers and transmission cables.

The project will be completed in several phases over the next decade. If everything goes according to plan, construction will begin in 2028.

Each phase of the project will rely heavily on grant funding. To date, the Harbor District has secured $60,000 from the Headwaters Fund, $576,191 from the State Lands Commission and $10.45 million from the California Energy Commission (CEC) to support the project.

The Harbor District has applied for numerous state and federal grants, including a $8,672,986 grant and a massive $426,719,810 Multimodal Project Discretionary Grant, or “MEGA grant,” through the Maritime Administration of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Port Infrastructure Development Program. 

“We’re expecting to hear back about the MEGA grant in February or March of next year,” Oetker said. 

The port development project has sparked controversy among some local stakeholders and tribal leaders who have asked the Harbor District to reconsider its partnership agreement with Crowley following allegations of sexual misconduct among some company higher-ups. Others, including the Humboldt Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation, have questioned the legality of signing a lease agreement prior to environmental review.

When asked whether the Harbor District planned to execute a lease agreement by the end of the year as previously planned, Oetker said the district and Crowley had agreed to wait.

“The Harbor District and Crowley continue to work on the lease agreement and we’re committed to drafting a lease agreement but … we agree that there’s still a lot more work that has to be done to overcome the serious allegations that were presented by the community and just general issues of trust,” he said. “That can’t be resolved in just a meeting or two. We’ll prepare a draft lease agreement, but we’re likely not going to request that the board adopt or approve the agreement until Crowley has had time to do additional outreach and the Harbor District has had a chance to go through its process as well.”

The Board of Commissioners will not make any important decisions on the port development project during tonight’s meeting. The report is purely information.

“This is a big project and we’re going to have these updates every couple of months moving forward,” Oetker said. “This is going to be a long process.”

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The Harbor District Board of Commissioners will meet tonight at 6 p.m. in the Woodley Island Marina Meeting Room – 601 Startare Drive, Eureka. Remote viewing instructions and the agenda can be found here.

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PREVIOUSLY:

• Harbor District Announces Massive Offshore Wind Partnership; Project Would Lead to an 86-Acre Redevelopment of Old Pulp Mill Site
• ‘Together We Can Shape Offshore Wind for the West Coast’: Local Officials, Huffman and Others Join Harbor District Officials in Celebrating Partnership Agreement With Crowley Wind Services
• Crowley – the Company That Wants to Build a Big Wind Energy Facility on the Penninsula – Will Be Opening Offices in Eureka
• Harbor District Officials Talk Port Development as Offshore Wind Efforts Ramp Up
• Harbor District Officials Extend Comment Period for Environmental Review of Humboldt Bay Port Development Project
• LoCO Interview: The Outpost Talks to Crowley Executives About Recent Allegations of Misconduct, Port Development on the Samoa Peninsula and the Company’s Future in Humboldt