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[DISCLOSURE: The Blue Lake Rancheria is a minority owner of the Outpost’s parent company, Lost Coast Communications, Inc.]

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Press release from the Yurok Tribe:

As part of a new agreement between the two Northern California tribes, the Yurok Fire Department recently started overseeing Blue Lake Rancheria’s fire management operations as well as providing expertise and assistance for cultural burning initiatives.

Signed by the Yurok Chairman Joseph L. James and Blue Lake Chairman Jason Ramos, the memorandum of understanding will improve the Rancheria’s capacity to prepare for, respond to and recover from wild land fires.

“The Yurok Tribe has been a valued partner and brings significant expertise in wildland fire management,” said Jason Ramos, the Blue Lake Rancheria Tribal Chairman. We are pleased to see tribes collaborating in this critically important area, an effort that will benefit our local communities.”

“We are always happy to share our knowledge and expertise with fellow tribes,” said Joseph L. James, the Yurok Tribal Chairman. “I’d like to sincerely thank the Blue Lake Rancheria for selecting the Yurok Fire Department. This partnership will strengthen tribal sovereignty, self-determination and safety within our respective communities.”

“We are grateful for the opportunity to provide these services and help out a neighboring tribal fire department,” added Yurok Fire Chief Rod Mendes. “This agreement represents a win/win for the tribes and surrounding communities.”

Per the agreement, the Yurok Fire Department will provide oversight and operational management of Blue Lake Rancheria’s fire personnel and equipment, utilize the Blue Lake Rancheria’s fire department as a satellite facility, and provide administrative assistance as needed. The agreement also funds a new battalion chief position for Yurok Fire, who will be stationed in the Blue Lake Rancheria facility.

The Yurok Tribe will also assist with cultural fire practices, including help and training from Yurok Prescribed Fire Burn Bosses and other fire practitioners. Blue Lake Rancheria will designate its own team of cultural fire practitioners and develop cultural fire objects and operations.

Cultural burning is a practice that leads to a healthier ecosystem for all plants and animals, long term fire protection for residents, and supports the traditional hunting and gathering activities of Native people.

The tribes have held successful collaborative burn demonstrations in the last three years on Blue Lake Rancheria property as part of the annual Cultural Burn Seminar.

The Yurok Fire Department is an all risk, all hazard organization that focuses on fire detection, prevention and suppression in conjunction with traditional and conventional fuels management. The chartered tribal agency fights wildfires in the local area and across the US as a national resource. In addition to extinguishing fires, the Yurok crew conducts cultural burns to moderate forest fuel loads, improve wildlife habitat and increase access to traditional basket weaving materials and indigenous foods on tribal lands. When they are not contending with fires or performing controlled burns, the Yurok crew works on projects that reduce fire risk on the reservation.

Chief Mendes has more than 35 years of fire officer leadership experience, including lengthy terms as a District Fire Management Officer for the Klamath National Forest and as the Chief of Fire and Office of Emergency Services for the Hoopa Valley Tribe, and over 20 years with Inter agency Incident Management teams. He is also a governor appointed member of California’s Homeland Security Advisory Committee.

PREVIOUSLY:

• Fortuna Mobile Home Rent Moratorium Passes
• Owners of the Royal Crest Mobile Estates Ask Fortuna’s City Council to Kill the Proposed Rent Stabilization Ordinance
• Faced with Losing Their Homes, Some Fortuna Mobile Home Owners will Petition the City Council for a Rent Stabilization Ordinance

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After almost a year of advocacy and tinkering, Fortuna’s city council decided last night to adopt a rent stabilization ordinance for the 283 mobile homes within its city limits. 

Last summer, residents of the Royal Crest mobile home park, many of them on fixed incomes and threatened by the possibility of becoming homeless, began clamoring for rules that would govern how much the owners of the park could increase their rents. The back-and-forth negotiations between the residents, the city, and the owners has taken up much of the last nine months. 

Even in its completed form, none of the representatives from the park’s advocacy organization Save Our Seniors (SOS) were content with the RSO, though most of them thanked the city council for hearing their complaints and working with them. 

The ordinance went into effect immediately. It ties the amount rent can be raised on all mobile homes to the Consumer Price Index in the Western U.S. up to an annual maximum of 5%, though there are so-called “pass-through” exceptions for infrastructure work. Members of the SOS railed against those exemptions; SOS advocate Ricardo Tallamente said they were “too broad and too loose.” 

The ordinance also charges an appointee of Fortuna’s city manager to decide if the rent increases are necessary. Worried about potential bias and excessive waste of staff time, members of the SOS also disagreed with that provision of the ordinance; mobile home advocate Hilary Mosher said she “begged” them to reconsider.  

Rent increases upon the sale of a mobile home are also banned.

Only a few people were against the whole idea of an RSO. One person, “Saul,” who claimed to represent a group of Fortuna’s mobile home park owners, said they wanted an MOU with the city and park residents instead, as did Fortuna city councilmember Abe Stevens. Stevens, who also had some ideological “free market considerations,” ended up being the lone vote against the ordinance. Saul called the RSO “absurd” and “counterproductive.” 

Amy Nilsen, Fortuna’s city manager, defended the RSO, as did the city’s hired attorney Michael Colantuono. Property owners have to go through the city before they make any capital improvements that would require raising the rent. The RSO is based on an RSO passed by Carson, California, in 2018. Colantuono said that ordinance was “battle-hardened,” shaped by multiple lawsuits into stronger law that would prevent Fortuna from fighting a succession of legal battles defending their citizens. 

The council will review the necessity and effectiveness of the ordinance in 18 months.

The ordinance passed 4-1; Mayor Mike Johnson shut down the applause. 

Mosher told the Outpost during a phone interview today that Colantuono’s arguments impressed her, and she was willing to wait and see how well Fortuna’s RSO worked. She commended the city council for their speed, hard work, and compassion, and the residents at Royal Crest for their energy.

“It’s not perfect, but it’s good,” she said. “…Fortuna — they’ve done a really good thing. They’re preserving an important source of affordable housing, and a significant source of affordable housing in that community. We do feel confident that the city council is in it for the long haul, should any problems arise. We applaud them.”

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Attorneys for St. Joseph Health Northern California, LLC, (SJH) are attempting to settle a 2024 lawsuit in which the State of California accuses St. Joseph Hospital in Eureka of refusing to provide emergency abortion care to people experiencing obstetric emergencies.

Humboldt County Superior Court Judge Timothy Canning was scheduled to issue a decision by early last month on the state’s motion for a preliminary injunction. But on February 20, the two parties notified the court that they had begun “substantive settlement discussions” that could take a while. They asked the court to hold off on issuing a ruling until the two sides could determine whether a settlement is possible.

Late last month, attorneys for both parties reported that they’re still negotiating.

The state’s lawsuit, which has garnered nationwide media attention, alleges that SJH violated California’s Emergency Services Law, the Unruh Civil Rights Act and the Unfair Competition Law through its religion-based policy of prohibiting doctors from providing life-saving or stabilizing emergency treatment when doing so would terminate a pregnancy, even if that pregnancy is not viable. 

California Attorney General Rob Bonta’s office has been seeking a preliminary injunction that would compel SJH to comply with California’s Emergency Services Law (ESL) by providing legally mandated emergency medical care. 

When the two parties last appeared in court, on Dec. 10, attorneys for SJH reiterated their main argument, which is that this injunction, if granted, would go too far by improperly forcing the hospital to perform elective abortions, which are forbidden by the Catholic religion. (SJH is owned by the Catholic not-for-profit Providence Health & Services.)

At that hearing, one of SJH’s defense attorneys further alleged that the two women at the center of the case — Eureka chiropractor Anna Nusslock and another patient identified only as “Jane Roe” — never actually experienced medical emergencies while in the hospital’s care. And he accused the state of making false statements in presenting its case.

The deputy attorney general arguing on behalf of the state emphatically denied those allegations and accused SJH of placing religious dogma ahead of women’s health.

In October 2024, the state reached a stipulated agreement with SJH whereby Providence promised to follow California’s Emergency Services Law for the duration of the lawsuit, and both parties said they’d seek to ensure “that pregnant patients receive adequate treatment for emergency medical conditions, based on the professional judgment of the treating physician.”

However, after receiving a letter from Bishop Robert F. Vasa, who oversees the Catholic Diocese of Santa Rosa, attorneys for SJH asked Judge Canning to release them from that agreement. In his letter, Bishop Vasa stated that the agreement would violate the Ethical and Religious Directives that govern care at Catholic medical institutions. Vasa’s letter said a Catholic hospital may only terminate a pre-viable pregnancy when the only alternative is certain death of both mother and child.

But the court kept the stipulated agreement in place, and the latest status report from the two parties says SJH will continue to abide by the terms of that accord.

When reached for comment, both the Attorney General’s Office and Providence Health & Services declined to offer more details about the ongoing negotiations. Providence’s local communication manager, Shannon Garcia, sent the Outpost a prepared statement, which reads, in part, “Providence St. Joseph Hospital Eureka continues delivering the emergency care patients need in full compliance with state and federal law and the Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care.”

Meanwhile, a second lawsuit against SJH, filed by the National Women’s Law Center on behalf of Nusslock, is proceeding. K.M. Bell, a senior attorney with the nonprofit law center, told the Outpost via email, “We are currently in discovery, the exchange of documents and information, which I’m afraid is probably not terribly exciting to the public, but our work to hold Providence accountable continues.”

The next status hearing in the state’s lawsuit is scheduled for May 18 at 8:30 a.m.

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PREVIOUSLY

• Attorney General Sues St. Joseph Hospital for Denying a Woman Emergency Abortion Care
• Providence Offers ‘Profound Apologies’ to Woman Denied Emergency Abortion Care at St. Joseph Hospital
• A Local Doctor Urged St. Joseph Hospital to Change Its Anti-Abortion Policies Long Before State Lawsuit, According to Court Declaration
• BREAKING: St. Joseph Hospital Denies Allegations in State Abortion Care Lawsuit But Agrees to Follow State Health Care Laws as the Case Proceeds
• Judge Signs Order Committing St. Joseph Hospital to Providing Emergency Abortions, At Least For the Duration of AG Lawsuit
• Citing Religious Freedom and Catholic Doctrine, St. Joseph Health Challenges State’s Emergency Abortion Care Lawsuit on a Variety of Legal Grounds
• State Responds to St. Joseph Health’s Attempt to Get Emergency Abortion Lawsuit Dismissed
• ‘Providence Must Follow the Law’: At the Humboldt Reproductive Health Care Rally Before the Latest California vs. St. Joseph Hospital Hearing
• St. Joe’s Abortion Care Lawsuit: In a Packed Courtroom, Hospital’s Attorneys Ask Judge to Dismiss the Case
• Judge Denies St. Joseph Health’s Motion to Dismiss State Lawsuit Over Emergency Abortion Care
• Attorney General Says Providence is Trying to ‘Shirk Its Duty’ to Follow the Law In Emergency Abortion Care Suit
• Providence’s Effort to Back Out of Emergency Abortion Care Agreement Would Put Humboldt Women ‘Back in Harms’ Way,’ AG’s Office Argues in Latest Court Filing
• Judge Holds Providence St. Joseph to Prior Agreement as Emergency Abortion Care Lawsuit Proceeds
• Attorney General’s Office Files New Motion for Preliminary Injunction in St. Joseph Emergency Abortion Care Case
• In the State’s Emergency Abortion Care Lawsuit Against St. Joseph Hospital, Attorneys Recount Graphic Details and Dispute the Facts

Update, 2:20 p.m.:

Matt Morgan, Eureka’s Code Enforcement Manager, tells the Outpost the property owner aims to remove the debris by the end of April. Morgan said the volume of rubble is a logistical challenge to dispose of, but the owner is in communication with city officials and has taken steps like adding straw wattles and caution tape to the site.

Plus, according to Morgan, “his plan is to build back on the spot.” 

PREVIOUSLY:

• (PHOTOS) Late-Night Fire Puts Beleaguered Eureka Apartment Building Out of Its Misery

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A fire that took out an apartment building under renovation in January has been determined to be human-caused. But key details remain unknown on what happened before the raging blaze consumed the structure.

Humboldt Bay Fire forwarded the report to the Eureka Police Department as possible arson after wrapping up the investigation on 833 H Street about two weeks ago.

“We have confirmed that the fire was human-caused. We don’t know if it was accidental or if it was intentional,” said HBF Battalion Chief Johnathan Chambers.

He said the investigation found there were otherwise no competent ignition sources; utilities were not connected to the site.

The building was under construction, which lead to the exposed framing to burn rapidly at an intensity Chambers said he’s only seen a handful of times in his career.

The Jan. 31 fire was so rapid and strong — flames were bursting from windows on the second floor when firefighters arrived at 1:21 a.m. — determining a fire pattern or finding physical evidence to shed more light on the fire from the wreckage was impossible, he said.

But firefighters and police are seeking more information to find out what exactly happened. “It is still open, from our perspective,” he added.

Humboldt Bay Fire heard some unsubstantiated reports of people hearing noises or seeing people in the building before the fire; Chambers urged residents “if you observe suspicious activity, and buildings are under construction, call law enforcement right away.” Fires in construction sites are not entirely uncommon, he said.

The fire caused an estimated $350,000 in damages; efforts of firefighters limited the damage to the one structure. HBF has yet to be contacted by insurance agents for the property, which Chambers said typically happens following a fire.

Eureka Police Department spokesperson Rachel Sollom encouraged anyone with information related to this incident to contact EPD’s Criminal Investigations Unit at 707-441-4300.

Press release from the Central Labor Council:

The Central Labor Council of Humboldt & Del Norte Counties issues this letter first and foremost in support of workers.  Standing with workers should never be controversial. Yet, we recognize that we are living through a moment of heightened fear and uncertainty regarding workplace safety and basic dignity. The labor movement is guided by many principles, but a simple truth: solidarity forever. Solidarity means we do not abandon one another. Period. Solidarity does not depend on immigration status. Solidarity means defending the rights of all workers.

The Central Labor Council applauds Centro del Pueblo and their their leadership in coordinating the Rapid Response Network to ensure timely, organized support when immigration enforcement activity impacts our community. Centro del Pueblo is a leader in ensuring that immigrant workers and families in Humboldt County know their rights. Their Rapid Response Network provides coordinated, community-based support when immigration enforcement activity occurs. This infrastructure strengthens not only immigrant families but the broader labor movement. 

As the Central Labor Council, we affirm:

• We stand in solidarity with all workers, regardless of immigration status, and reject attempts that aim to divid the working class.
• We stand firmly against fascism and authoritarianism in all forms, recognizing that these forces seek to silence workers, erode rights, and dismantle collective power.
• We support educating supervisors, staff, and workers about their rights in the workplace.
• We commit to including the Rapid Response Network as part of our organizational plan.

On May Day, Friday, May 1st, 2026, the Central Labor Council in partnership with Centro del Pueblo will hold a solidarity rally. This is a call to action for our entire labor community to assemble at the Eureka Courthouse at 5:00 pm. In the current climate, solidarity must be more than a sentiment; it must be a visible, active practice. 

Lisa Jouaneh

President,
Central Labor Council of Humboldt & Del Norte Counties

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References and Resources 

• May Day Event Mobilize 
• Centro del Pueblo- Rapid Response Hotline 707-200-8091 cdpueblo.com
• National Immigration Law Center - A Guide for Employers: What to Do if Immigration Comes to Your Workplace 
• California Labor Federation - Standing with Immigrant Workers 

Sure, you know all about the Eureka Theater. 

Or do you?

If you’re only a kid, maybe you don’t!

So here comes Emmett, a student in Eureka High’s media production program, to school you youngsters on why the Eureka Theater is one of the town’s most overlooked assets. Press play on the video above for Emmett’s report.

You over-18 oldsters are invited to watch, too! For you, Emmett’s got some drone footage of the theater that’ll give you some angles on the building that you’ve likely never seen before.

While we have you here: Why don’t you head on over to the EHS YouTube channel and smash that like on the Redwood Bark, the periodic video magazine produced by the media production kids under the tutelage of Mr. Brooks? The latest episode has features on the school’s K-Pop Hip Hop Club, the Homecoming Parade, LatinX events and more, and it even includes a full student-produced horror film in the middle. It’s really well done!

Gabriela “Gabby” Murphy passed away peacefully at home on April 1, 2026 — a life filled with love, service, and gratitude.

Gabriela was the second of twelve children born to Amelia and Jose Homem on October 25, 1927, in Terceira, Açores. As one of the eldest children, she was tasked with caring for her younger siblings. They spent their days playing along the rock wall that bordered their property, often speaking a version of “English” they created themselves, dreaming of one day living in the United States. Gabriela valued education deeply, though she had to cut her own schooling short to help support her family.

At just eight years old, she began working as a nanny, caring for infants through the night and assisting working mothers during the day, including families connected to the American base. While nannying for her cousin Irma Azevedo, who worked as a chief telephone operator at the American Army base, Gabriela met the love of her life, Robert “Bob” Murphy — a handsome 6’2” military police officer with the U.S. Army. It was love at first sight. Gabriela spoke no English, and Bob spoke no Portuguese, but they shared a language beyond words. With Irma serving as both translator and chaperone, their bond grew quickly.

Bob knew he did not want to lose this irreplaceable Portuguese girl with an unforgettable hour glass figure and soon asked for her hand in marriage. On March 31, 1947, they were married at nineteen, in a civil ceremony and began their journey to the United States aboard an Army cargo plane. They first lived in Louisiana, Bob’s home state, before settling in Arcata, to be closer to her aunt, Jesuina.

It was in Arcata that Gabriela began the work that would define her life and change the course of generations. After becoming a United States citizen in 1952, she took on the immense responsibility of navigating the sponsorship process to bring her family to America.

Through her work as a nanny for local business owners and physicians, Gabriela built lasting relationships that would prove instrumental. These families became sponsors, offering employment opportunities for her siblings upon their arrival. Gabriela and Bob also ensured that each family had a place to live, often sharing homes until they were able to stand on their own. Over the next 15 years, she successfully helped bring her parents and all of her siblings to the United States — turning childhood dreams into reality.

Once her family was settled in Arcata, Gabriela naturally stepped into the role of guide, advisor, and caregiver. She helped with everything — renting homes, setting up utilities, finding doctors, and accompanying family members to appointments. She was, in every sense, an angel on earth.

Her home became the center of family life. Holidays were always celebrated there, with Thanksgiving being especially memorable. Tables filled the kitchen and living rooms, and the house overflowed with food, laughter, conversation, and love. Many of the family’s most cherished memories were made under her roof. She was also the first to bathe many of the babies born into the family — a quiet but meaningful role she carried with pride.

Though she once believed she would not have children of her own after helping raise so many others, she and Bob were ultimately blessed with seven: Bobby, Billy, Rita, Dreena, Linda, Larry, and Christina. Her children were her world, and she raised them with the same devotion, strength, and sense of responsibility that defined her life.

Later, Gabriela worked at Mad River Hospital in the kitchen and as a custodian at Humboldt State University, where she developed a special connection with colleagues and students. She loved being around young people and often shared wisdom drawn from her remarkable life experiences.

Gabriela worked tirelessly well into her 70s as a housekeeper for the families who had helped sponsor her siblings. She never forgot their kindness and felt a deep sense of gratitude and responsibility to give back.

Her home was always open. Guests came and stayed — for a day, a week, or even a year. She believed in helping anyone in need, just as others had once helped her family.

When Bob could convince her to step away from work, they enjoyed traveling to Louisiana and Hilmar to visit family. She loved trips to Reno with her mother and sisters and especially cherished attending the Our Lady of Miracles Celebration in Hilmar, where she would stay up through the night in prayer, giving thanks for the many blessings in her life. One of our favorite memories was at 78, while on cruise to the Caribbean she kicked her leg as high as a rockette on a dare. She continued these high kicks till she was 98. For the last 25 years she looked forward to yearly family trips with her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren spending quality time together watching movies, building puzzles, singing songs and dancing. She enjoyed every minute with a smile on her face and joy in her heart.

Gabriela and Bob dedicated countless hours volunteering at St. Mary’s Church, helping with bonanzas, securing donations from local businesses, and raising funds for the construction of the church. Their faith and service were central to their lives.

For their 50th anniversary, Gabriela and Bob were married in the very church they helped build — a moment filled with love, pride, and the presence of family and friends.

Gabriela approached life with unwavering gratitude, even in difficult times. She often reminded others, “You have to take the good with the bad,” and would point to the sky and say, “Only God knows” and “A lingua diz tudo”

It is impossible to fully capture who she was to her family. How do you honor someone who dedicated her life to making others’ lives better? You live as she did- with an open heart and home, filling others with care and love, never forgetting where you came from, and believing in where you can go with “GRIT” and a dream. She will be heavily missed by everyone who was blessed with her presence and her signature pinky swear.

She was immensely proud of her grandchildren — Nick, Neil, CJ, Alex, Nick, Bella and Rae — her great-grandchildren, Aliyah, Giana, Alyus, and Zora. She encouraged them to pursue education, follow their dreams, and believe that anything was possible. She was especially proud of her granddaughter Alex, who graduated from medical school and starts residency in June — a full-circle moment for a woman who held deep respect for the physicians who helped her family.

She is survived by her children Rita -Steve, Dreena, Larry, and Christina-Michael; her grandchildren and great-grandchildren; her brother Jose-Gloria and sister Durvalina; and many beloved nieces, nephews, and extended family members.

She was preceded in death by her husband Robert; children Bobby, Bill, and Linda; her parents Amelia and Jose; and her siblings Maria dos Santos, Fernando, Maria Jose, Antonio, Natalia, Albino, David, and Avelino.

Gabriela’s casket bearers will be her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

The service will be held on Thursday, April 9, 2026, at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Arcata, with the Rosary at 10:30 a.m. and the Funeral Mass at 11 a.m. with a reception to follow in the narthex and Interment will be at St. Mary’s Catholic Cemetery.

Memorial contributions may be made in Gabriela’s honor to Hospice of Humboldt, 3327 Timber Fall Court, Eureka, CA 95503. A special thank you to Hospice care; Lisa, Melissa, Rose, Samantha, Deane and deeply grateful to her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren for their tireless love and care during this difficult time.

Arrangements under the direction of Sanders Funeral Home, Eureka.

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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Gabby Murphy’s family. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here. Email news@lostcoastoutpost.com.