Guest post by residents of the Petrolia area, John Williams and Kathy Radke who attended Wednesday’s meeting in Honeydew. LoCO thanks them for sharing their experiences.

Sheriff Mike Downey told a crowd at the Honeydew School this evening that the search for Shane Miller will soon wind down, although for another week or two, six or seven deputies will remain in the Mattole Valley to provide a rapid response if evidence emerges that Miller is still in the area. Lynda Roush of BLM announced that the King Range Conservation Area, including the Mattole Beach, will remain closed through May 30 unless Miller is found. 

Downey said that there have been no confirmed sightings of Miller since last Wednesday, and searches in the King Range have found no trace of him, although personnel from many agencies have been involved, and search tactics have ranged from stake-outs at the Smith-Etter and Big Flat cabins and other areas to which Miller might be attracted, to fine-scale searches in the area where Miller’s truck was found abandoned. Downey noted that Miller could be dead, could still be at large in the King Range, or could be elsewhere. Based on the negative results of the search, he thinks the second possibility is least likely. However, he noted that noted that area is large and rugged, that Miller is a skilled woodsman, and that he is good at avoiding arrest. Years ago he was charged with possessing a machine gun, and it took five years to bring him into custody. 

In response to questions, Downey reported that members of Miller’s family have been questioned, and there is no evidence that any are helping him. Many of his acquaintances have also been questioned, and have offered diverse opinions about where Miller might be or what he might do. His cell phone has not been detected since last Wednesday. Downey acknowledged that early in the search some searches of structures did not follow normal procedures, on account of the extraordinary circumstances. However, he emphasized that the search has been for Miller only; on several occasions deputies have turned their backs on evidence of non-violent felonies. 

In contrast to the Sunday meeting in Petrolia, the Honeydew meeting was relaxed and had somewhat the flavor of a political event. Besides Sheriff Downey, supervisors Rex Bohn and Estelle Fennell were present and spoke briefly, and thanks and praise were extended all around. 

PREVIOUSLY:

• Miller’s Dog Found—Law Enforcement Searches for Hikers Who Found Her
• Miller Told Ex ‘Everything Will Be Alright’
• ‘We Don’t Care If You Have a Meth Lab in Your Backyard, We Just Want to Find the Baby Killer!’
• Sheriff’s Office Manhunt Today: Checkpoints, Door-to-Door Searches, More Marshals Arriving
• ‘Defeated’ Suspect in Triple Homicide Left Note in His Abandoned Truck
• Law Enforcement Expands Manhunt to New Boundries
• Shelter in Place Request Lifted—Caution Still Advised as Authorities Search for Homicide Suspect, Shane Miller
• Dead Body Rumors Unfounded, Says Lt. Hanson
• More Officers Arrive to Search for Triple Homicide Suspect
• No News From the Shane Miller Manhunt in the Mattole Valley
• Photos of Petrolia as Hunt for Triple Homicide Suspect Continues
• Afternoon Manhunt Update: No Leads to Report, But Tour of the Unknown Coast Will Go Forward
• Sheriff Downey: Where We’re At in the Mattole Manhunt
• Mattole Schools Close as Manhunt Continues 
• Vehicle of Suspect in Shasta County Triple Slayings Found at Mouth of Mattole
• Humboldt Connection in Shasta Triple Murder

Eureka Police Dept. Press Release:

On 5-15-13, at about 2223 hours, The Eureka Police Department received several calls reporting approximately four gunshots in the vicinity of the 1900 block of J Street in the city of Eureka. Officers responded and attempted to locate evidence of a shooting. At about 2234 hours, while officers were still on scene, the Eureka Police Department was notified by the St Joseph Hospital Emergency room that they were giving care to a male with a gunshot wound. 

Eureka Police Officers were able to connect the “shots fired” call to the wounded male at the hospital. The Eureka Police Department’s Criminal Investigation Division responded to assume the investigation. The wounded man is a 24 years old Eureka native, who was in surgery at the time of this news release. He is expected to survive. 

This incident occurred across the street from the Eureka High School, however is not involved with the school and the scene is considered safe. No school shutdown is expected. 

EPD Detectives expect an update news release later in the afternoon. Anyone with information regarding this shooting should contact lead Detective Pete Cress or Senior Detective Ron Harpham. 

Detective Cress pcress@ci.eureka.ca.gov or 441-4390

 

 

Photo provided by Earth First!

Earth First! Humboldt Press Release:

Trinidad,CA: 9:00 am Earth First! Humboldt dropped a large banner 100 ft. up in trees that can be seen from Highway 101 just North of Trinidad, Ca. 

The banner reads in large print “Respect Strawberry Rock”, and below in smaller print, “Forest Stewardship Council and Sustainable Forestry Initiative Green-Wash Green Diamond’s Clear-Cuts.” 

Green Diamond is the first U. S. based company that has received FSC certification while still practicing clear cut forestry methods, something that FSC is selling to the public as sustainable. For the SFI, industry created label, clear-cutting is status quo. Green Diamond holds both FSC and SFI certifications. 

Despite much vocal opposition from the community, including the mayor of Trinidad, as well as a few dedicated tree-sitters maintaining tree-sits, Green Diamond Resource Company is continuing its clear-cutting, aka “even aged management” around Strawberry Rock. These plans include logging stands of residual old-growth and old second growth redwoods. Included in the forest is a rare and little understood species, Bishop Pine. 

Green Diamond has a 45 year clear-cut rotation plan, including all of the land around Strawberry Rock. 

Earth! First Humboldt is calling for Green Diamond Resource Company to create a special management zone of the Strawberry Rock area in which restoration forestry practices are followed include but are not limited to: not taking more than a third of the annual growth of the forest, protecting rare and endangerd species such as the Bishop Pine, Spotted Owl, and Marbled Murelet, and restoring mature forest habitat. The group plans on continuing to support as well as engage in the resistance to Green Diamond’s destructive forestry practices, and will be hosting a skill building camp beginning June 14th called Redwood Coast Rendezvous.

 

 

A video posted on the Save Little Lake Valley blog that discusses traffic projects from the anti-bypass point of view.

This is part three of the Lost Coast Outpost’s three-part series on the Willits Bypass. While every effort was made to ensure this story is unbiased (both sides had the opportunity to rebut the other side,) it should be noted that reporter Kym Kemp’s father and grandfather worked for Caltrans and she is married to a Caltrans project manager.

Today’s focus will be on the reason to put in the bypass. Gary Hughes of EPIC will rebut the agency’s position.

Link to Day 1 and also to Day 2

FOR: Point 1. The bypass will improve interregional traffic (Through traffic will move past the town without running into multiple stoplights, etc.)

The pros and cons on this issue are at the heart of the controversy over the bypass.

Caltrans’ main reason for building the Willits Bypass is to improve through traffic. Caltrans officials point out that Hwy 101 narrows as it approaches the intersection with Hwy 20. This, as well as local traffic, driveways, stoplights, etc., causes delays. The current average travel time through the project is 18.3 minutes, according to this document hosted by the Mendocino Council of Governments. The document says that projected times for the same trip without the bypass by 2028 is 32.3 minutes. However, the current project will allow the same trip to be made in 9.4 minutes. The agency believes this is a significant improvement for through traffic.

However, Gary Hughes of EPIC believes that Caltrans’ central goal is flawed. Speeding through an area in a shorter time is not a value he shares. He writes:

I think this gets to one of the fundamental issues of reform of the agency, and a reform of the concept of Level of Service. […] For Caltrans, destinations do not exist. It is only about how fast you can drive past a place, never about what it means to be there or arrive there. Willits is a destination, and is a part of our North Coast community. What is the justification for an unnecessary four-lane highway to bypass the town where we eat lunch, do shopping, go to the bank, get online to get work done, make phone calls, play in the park and give our kids a break from the trip?

There are two more major issues that Caltrans argues provides support for the desire to put in the bypass.

FOR:Point 2.The bypass will improve air quality in the valley.

According to Caltrans, one of the valued side effects of building the bypass is improving the air quality in the Little Lake Valley. The agency points out that

…diesel truck exhaust is known to have an effect on health, and diesel trucks produce even higher levels of emissions in stop and go traffic. Because children’s lungs are still developing, they are at a greater risk for developing health problems related to diesel exhaust than are adults.

The Mendocino Air Quality Management district supports the bypass because of air quality issues. Bob Scaglione, Senior Air Quality Specialist and Acting Air pollution Control Officer, wrote:

The Air District supports and encourages the Willits Bypass project, primarily because of the benefit of the significant reduction in air contaminants from idling vehicles and their impact on the local community.

Diesel particulate emissions have been identified by the Air Resources Board as a Toxic Air Contaminant, capable of increasing risks to human health. One of the factors of concern to the District is the affect [sic] of idling vehicles, especially heavy on-road trucks. The nature and constituents of diesel exhaust change during the idling process, producing greater levels of NOx, Particulate, and CO emissions at idle than an engine at full load. Research information at ARB’s web site indicate that particulate at idling is produced in greater quantities at much finer particle size per cylinder cycle than a normally operating engine. This allows for the particles to stay airborne longer and impact a larger portion of the surrounding community.

However, Gary Hughes of EPIC disagrees vehemently. He writes,

This is pure greenwash with no real factual basis. Caltrans has never done a real greenhouse gas emissions (GGE) study concerning this project. There is no body of data developed by the agency to back this claim up. Some folks from the Air Resources Control board made a statement to this effect, but they have NO STUDIES specific to Willits around this issue. This is an unfounded statement. It also ignores the thousands of dump truck loads that will be necessary for construction of this project—by some estimates, it could take decades of reduced traffic in Willits …. to compensate for the air quality impacts of the construction itself.

Furthermore Hughes believes that there won’t be much reduced traffic in Willits anyway. He once again argues that Caltrans’ fundamental picture of the world is off. He says,

Three+ years of construction with literally thousands of dumptruck loads of fill, not to mention the manufacturing of the concrete and other construction activities, these activities have real impacts on local and global air quality and emissions issues. We say again that this is another instance where Caltrans needs to do the math before making any statements about the supposed environmental benefits of this boondoggle project.

FOR:Point 3. The bypass is a model of environmentally sensitive construction.

Caltrans believes that the agency has done an outstanding job creating a project that is environmentally sensitive. Biologist Chris Collison says, “I’m quite proud of the work we’re doing for the salmon.” He says with satisfaction that the “wetlands are actually going to be improved.” Caltrans, he argues, is reducing invasive species, promoting the growth of native species, and helping sensitive species to survive in the area around the bypass.

“To offset impact,” he says, “we worked on ways to help species survive…. So that [this species] can’t wink out, [Caltrans] purchased from willing sellers eight acres of habitat [for the grass], which is a 25-to-1 mitigation. Forever, now, no one can use herbicide on that area. […] We now control how to use those lands for the health and well being of that species. Before we bought the land, people didn’t even know [the grasses] were there” Now he says the land around the bypass has a conservation easement.

Collison describes an attempt by the agency to protect the land around the bypass as if the area were a park. He says the agency is doing all this by “buying lands and controlling what is going on on them, like keeping cattle from depositing waste in streams”; restoring the natural gradients of streams so fish can access “miles” of former habitat; and providing a long term endowment of $5 million to “run the system” — management, policing, working with the ranchers, etc.

Hughes, however, has a simple response to the improvements Caltrans is claiming to be making. “This kind of habitat restoration can happen without building a giant freeway,” he says.

Hughes argues the fundamental basis for these kinds of projects are wrong. In fact, he argues, the whole agency has gone awry and is unable to grapple with the changing needs of our increasingly environmentally conscious society.

The whole picture includes the fact that there is a statewide coalition demanding reform of Caltrans. The real truth is that we do see the whole picture, from Hwy 197/199 to Lost Chance Grade to the Indianola Interchange to Richardson Grove to Willits and beyond, to the Bay Bridge even, we do see the whole picture including global environmental degradation, corruption and purposeful manipulation of the review process to reduce and eliminate public participation by an agency that refuses to innovate at a critical juncture in our existence.

It is time that the whole picture be taken into account. We demand a full legislative inquiry into Caltrans and the way they do business.

Follow the Willits Bypass Blog to get more from the Caltrans’ perspective.

Follow the Save the Little Lake Valley Blog to get more from the anti-Bypass perspective.

Conclusion:

At its core, the bypass is proving to be a battleground for two fundamentally different views of life. One side urges slowing down, being smaller and using less. The other side urges innovation and invention to deal with the side effects of going faster and doing more in a modern world.

The first side, the anti-bypass side, sees this fight as a battle for the soul of the country and for the health of the earth.

The second side, the pro-bypass side, sees this project more as a single task that needs to be accomplished—a problem that they have worked extremely hard to solve. They feel they have gone to extraordinary lengths to be be environmentally sensitive and they seem somewhat bewildered that their efforts have failed to garner praise from the other side.

However, the aim of the anti-bypass activist is less to kill the bypass then it is to fundamentally change the nature of Caltrans — which, of course, would eventually mean not only the end of the bypass but all projects like it.

The weekend of July 19th through the 21st a new festival rivaling Reggae on the River will be happening at the Cooks Valley Campground.  Some neighbors are less than thrilled and are asking for others with similar concerns to contact the Mencocino County Planning Dept. to protest the permit.

The event is being promoted as “a 3-day camping, music & arts festival + local craft beer & wine, visual experience on the Eel River”  though the lineup has yet to be announced. According to the public notice, 3500 people are projected to attend.

Neighbor Patrick Dowd says that the event came out of the Cooks Valley Campground after hours Reggae event. He describes prior events as being very loud and running over the permitted time into the early morning hours. He says that he and his partner live only two parcels away and find the noise extremely disturbing.

He says that he has been offered tickets motel rooms to leave but “We can’t leave; we’ve got pets and livestock.  When you’ve got 3500 people right next to you, you don’t want to leave.”  He describes a trespasser being arrested on his land during an earlier event and  says, [The event] is really loud and obnoxious.  It is non stop music for 72 hours.” The noise, he says is torture.  He likens the situation as to what law enforcement did to the David Carresch compound at Waco.  He says, “They used sonic torture devices which was basically a lot of Rave music.” 

He said he spoke to the owner of the land as was told to “get on board or get run over.” LoCO was unable to get hold of Keith Bowman in the short amount of time before publication.

He also says that he has tried to go through the Mendocino Planning Dept. to mitigate the issues. “Last year we had conditions that would have him turn off the music in time.”  But he says the production company did not comply. But instead of shutting down the event for this year, Dowd complains, that the production is going ahead under a different production company—Black Blap Productions. The Mendocino Planning Dept. official in charge of ther permit did not return LoCO’s email asking questions about the event.

Dowd says he’s not worried just for his own sake, he’s concerned for the community. “Anyplace you are going to have a 72 hour rave, you are going to have health and safety issues because, well, it is just not safe.”

He also expresses concern for the health of the Eel River to have two major events on it during this low rain year.

Written comments should be submitted duleyd@co.mendocino.ca.us no later than May 16, 2013. Oral comments may be presented to the Zoning Administrator during the public hearing which is on May 17th at 10 A.M. Friday, May 17, 2013, at 10:00 a.m., to be held in the Planning and Building Conference Room, 501 Low Gap Road, Ukiah.

[An early version of this story was inadvertently missing some information.  The last paragraph has been added and corrections made.]

Photo taken by Sandy Antonson while she was caring for Gigi. (Photo added 3:40 P.M.)

UPDATE 12:10 P.M.: When Sandy Antonson went to the beach Wednesday evening around 6:30 P.M. with a friend to walk their dogs, she was only vaguely aware of the manhunt for Shane Miller.   At the beach, they met a man with the “cutest, sweetest” little puppy. He told them that the dog had followed some hikers in from the Lost Coast Trail. Antonson offered to care for the dog because she was local and the man was not.  She could more easily find the owner, she thought.

The first night, Antonson said, “She instantly followed me around.”  But the dog seemed subdued.  The next day the dog, she said, seemed “very content” and  “lay in my lap a good part of the day.”  Later, Anotonson said, the puppy “pepped up.”  By the next day she was playful and energetic to the point of chewing up Antonson’s slipper.

Antonson said that though she noted the coincidence of the dog being found with Miller’s being in the area, she didn’t really think “someone like Shane Miller [would have] a little weiner dog puppy.”

Antonson searched for the owner, checking bulletin boards and the Humboldt CO. Paws Cause.  After awhile though, “We started calling her ‘Peanut,’” Antonson said.  She took the dog to the Ferndale vet where the attendent said the dog was only about 12 weeks old and still had her milk teeth.  Antonson got the tiny creature “her first vaccination.” She began to think to the dog as her own.  Then she got a call Monday to bring the dog down to command center.  

She says that right away she asked, “You are not going to take her away from me, are you?”  But, the officers verified that “she was the Miller dog and took her away…They said she was evidence….I was really distraught Monday night.”  

She says she fell in love with the puppy.  “I think she loved me, too.”

Original post below……………..

Humboldt CO. Sheriff Press Release:

The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office and Shasta County Sheriff’s Office is seeking assistance from the public with the identity of two hikers who were on the beach at the end of Lighthouse Road, Petrolia on Wednesday May 8, 2013 during the late evening hours.  

Investigators were aware on the night of the homicide that the Miller family pet “Gigi”, a tricolored Dachshund, was unaccounted for. On Monday May 13, 2013, Humboldt County Detectives learned that a woman from the Petrolia area was in possession of Gigi. This subject was contacted and it was confirmed the Dachshund she possessed was Gigi. The woman told detectives she was on the beach at the end of Lighthouse Road in Petrolia during the late evening hours of Wednesday May 8, 2013. Two hikers were walking off the beach and were carrying Gigi. The hikers said they found the dog and were not able to locate an owner. The woman offered to care for the dog and took possession of Gigi. Names were not exchanged with the hikers and their identity is not known. It would be greatly beneficial to this investigation and the search of Shane Miller, if the location Gigi was originally found was known. 

The Humboldt and Shasta County Detectives are asking the persons who located Gigi call the following numbers to provide that information. Shasta County (530-245-6025) or Humboldt County (707-445-7251). 

Gigi remains in the care of the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office and arrangements are being made for the safe return of Gigi to members of the Miller family. Gigi was in excellent health when she was found by the hikers and injury free. Attached are photographs of Gigi.

Update on Search for Miller 

The search for triple homicide suspect Shane Miller continues this morning. Efforts are a continuation of yesterday’s tactics, consisting of foot searches in the King Range trails and door to door searches of residences and cabins in the Petrolia, Honeydew and Shelter Cove communities. As a reminder there is a 5:00 PM community meeting scheduled at the Honeydew School. The King Range Conservation Area remains temporarily closed to all recreational activities. 

Agencies and Resources Assigned:

Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office, Shasta County Sheriff’s Office, Trinity County Sheriff’s Office, SWAT Teams from California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation at Pelican Bay and High Desert, Fortuna Police Department, Humboldt County Drug Task Force, California Highway Patrol, Humboldt State University, Eureka Police Department, helicopters from the California Highway Patrol and Homeland Security.

PREVIOUSLY:

• Miller Told Ex ‘Everything Will Be Alright’
• ‘We Don’t Care If You Have a Meth Lab in Your Backyard, We Just Want to Find the Baby Killer!’
• Sheriff’s Office Manhunt Today: Checkpoints, Door-to-Door Searches, More Marshals Arriving
• ‘Defeated’ Suspect in Triple Homicide Left Note in His Abandoned Truck
• Law Enforcement Expands Manhunt to New Boundries
• Shelter in Place Request Lifted—Caution Still Advised as Authorities Search for Homicide Suspect, Shane Miller
• Dead Body Rumors Unfounded, Says Lt. Hanson
• More Officers Arrive to Search for Triple Homicide Suspect
• No News From the Shane Miller Manhunt in the Mattole Valley
• Photos of Petrolia as Hunt for Triple Homicide Suspect Continues
• Photos of Petrolia as Hunt for Triple Homicide Suspect Continues
• Afternoon Manhunt Update: No Leads to Report, But Tour of the Unknown Coast Will Go Forward

• Sheriff Downey: Where We’re At in the Mattole Manhunt
• Mattole Schools Close as Manhunt Continues 
• Vehicle of Suspect in Shasta County Triple Slayings Found at Mouth of Mattole
• Humboldt Connection in Shasta Triple Murder

 

Shane Miller is the cheery looking redheaded boy who has the friendly hands of a schoolmate on his shoulders He’s right in the center of this 1980-81 cropped school picture for the Mattole Union. His younger brother is right below him. (Photo courtesy of the Mattole Valley Historical Society.)

According to Lt. Knight of the Humboldt Co. Sheriff’s office, on the day after Sandy Miller and her two daughters, Shelby (age 8) and Shasta (age 4) were found dead of multiple gunshots, the suspect in their killings, Shane Miller spoke to a woman with whom he had once had a relationship.

Miller’s vehicle had been spotted at the mouth of the Mattole River and reported to 911. (see map below) Sometime later, (the exact 911 call times have been requested from the Humboldt Co. Sheriff’s office) Miller drove his Gold Dodge 2010 pickup truck into the town of Petrolia.  According to Lt. Knight, he pulled up side by side with a woman he had a relationship with.  He looked at her and said something to the effect of “Everything will be alright.”  When questioned later, the woman said, he seemed defeated not angry. (See earlier story about this here.)

Knight described a dramatic scene where the local Volunteer Fire Dept. activated NES, Neighborhood Emergency Services, a kind of neighborhood watch.  As law enforcement converged on the remote area from agencies across Humboldt, dispatch kept receiving multiple calls from the Petrolia Fire crew telling them when Miller’s car had passed the individual’s driveways. With sirens and flashing lights, the officers raced down the winding roads following the information sent to them. (See earlier story here.) From the 911 calls, they could tell Miller was on the Mattole Rd. headed towards Honeydew. They knew when he passed one driveway but not the next.  

Eventually, they found the truck abandoned. According to a press release, officers

…secured the truck, but waited until reinforcements and daylight arrived to begin searching. The initial search included scent-trained dogs, but no sign of Miller has been found. The search now includes dogs trained to find cadavers, in case Miller has killed himself. 

Knight said, the NES was invaluable. “We wouldn’t have found the truck if we hadn’t had their help.”

Knight told the LoCO yesterday, “We don’t know if [Miller’s] deceased.  Friends and family strongly believe he’s in the vicinity.” Searches expanded yesterday though Honeydew into Ettersburg and into the King Range as the manhunt reached its one week anniversary.

Circled area represents a very rough approximation of what is considered the mouth of the Mattole River. 

PREVIOUSLY:

• ‘We Don’t Care If You Have a Meth Lab in Your Backyard, We Just Want to Find the Baby Killer!’
• Sheriff’s Office Manhunt Today: Checkpoints, Door-to-Door Searches, More Marshals Arriving
• ‘Defeated’ Suspect in Triple Homicide Left Note in His Abandoned Truck
• Law Enforcement Expands Manhunt to New Boundries
• Shelter in Place Request Lifted—Caution Still Advised as Authorities Search for Homicide Suspect, Shane Miller
• Dead Body Rumors Unfounded, Says Lt. Hanson
• More Officers Arrive to Search for Triple Homicide Suspect
• No News From the Shane Miller Manhunt in the Mattole Valley
• Photos of Petrolia as Hunt for Triple Homicide Suspect Continues
• Photos of Petrolia as Hunt for Triple Homicide Suspect Continues
• Afternoon Manhunt Update: No Leads to Report, But Tour of the Unknown Coast Will Go Forward

• Sheriff Downey: Where We’re At in the Mattole Manhunt
• Mattole Schools Close as Manhunt Continues 
• Vehicle of Suspect in Shasta County Triple Slayings Found at Mouth of Mattole
• Humboldt Connection in Shasta Triple Murder