Claudia Goodman passed away at home in the loving arms of her husband and children on September 1, 2021.

Born in Glendale, California on January 17, 1943, the only child of Curtis and Shirley Bailey, she spent her school years in the Burbank and North Hollywood area, graduating from Van Nuys High School in 1960. 

In 1977, Claudia moved to Humboldt County with her two children from previous marriages: Jodie Byars and Kevin O’Neal. Prior to the move, she had established a career in the Assessor’s Office in Mono County as Office Manager, and continued in that role for the Humboldt County Assessor’s Office until her retirement in 2004. 

It was here that she met the love of her life, David Goodman, an appraiser for the county who worked in the office next door. On her birthday in 1981 they were married at the United Methodist Church with Jodie as bridesmaid and Kevin as ring-bearer. Together, they raised these children to adulthood, built a home in Bayside surrounded by a beautiful garden, and served their community through volunteering. Their love and devotion has withstood over 40 wonderful years.  

Claudia made many friends through her years as member of the Lioness Club, Trustee in the United Methodist Church of Arcata and in her later years volunteering at the Arcata Senior Center making quilts with Katie’s Crafters, which provided comfort and warmth to many in need. She was an active member of the Eureka Chapter of the National Fuchsia Society.  Exploring her family genealogy introduced her to the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) and the Native Daughters of the Golden West, Arcata Parlor.  

When her first grandson, Tim, was born, she flew all the way to Alaska to be there with Jodie. Tim’s daughter, Khloe, was her dearest joy, like they were one when together. This summer she was excited to learn she has a great-grandson due in November.  

She was preceded in death by her parents, Curtis and Shirley.  

She is survived by her husband, David Goodman; her daughter, Jodie Byars; son Kevin O’Neal and his wife Jennifer Komaromi; step-son Andrew Goodman and step-daughter Patty O’Neal; grandchildren Jack and Evie O’Neal, Timothy Byars and great-grand-daughter Khloe Hutchinson-Byars.  

Services will be held at Greenwood Cemetery, 1757 J Street, Arcata, CA 95521 at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, September 11, 2021.  The family would like to give special thanks to Hospice of Humboldt for their care and support. In lieu of flowers, donations can be sent to United Methodist Church of Arcata at 1761 11th St, Arcata, CA 95521 or her favorite cat rescue HART (Humboldt Animal Rescue Team) P.O. Box 253, Cutten, CA 95534.

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

(Vivian) Lucille Bennett Stephens died peacefully at 8:20 p.m. on August 7, 2021, at the age of 97, surrounded by loved ones. Sequoia Springs was her home for the last nine years. She created deep friendships and she enjoyed giving advice to the caregivers.

Lucille Bennett Stephens was born on October 9, 1923, in Beouf River, Louisiana. She was the oldest of three children born to Ida (Silvey) and Mose Oliveaux. Lucille had two younger brothers, Dick and Pete.

Lucille married A.J. Bennett in 1940, and they remained married, until his passing in 1990. They had two sons, Don and Bob. Lucille is survived by her eldest son Don, his sons, Brian and Jody, and his stepdaughters, Teresa and Tina. She is also survived by her youngest son, Bob, his wife Della, and their children Christina and Bruce. Lucille was a lion when it came to protecting her boys, even when they were wrong. She leaves a legacy of five grandchildren, five great grandchildren, and seven great-great grandchildren. Lucille found love again when she met Bob Stephens. They were married in 1998, for 13 years, until his passing.

Lucille worked hard while her children were growing up to obtain her GED. She then obtained her beautician license and had her own beauty shop for 17 years, which was a very proud accomplishment. She contributed to World War II by learning how to weld and then worked in the Eureka and San Diego shipyards. She had also worked at the Loleta Creamery.

Lucille loved gardening, and cooking. She loved to dance and enjoyed a hot toddy on cold winter nights. She was a historian – she cherished her family photographs and memories. She created a family history album including a family tree dating back as far as 1700,

Graveside service with be at the Sunrise Cemetery on Newburg Road in Fortuna, on September 25, 2021, at 11 a.m.

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

It is with great sadness the family of Richard Melvin Ashburn is sharing the news of his passing on September 5. Richard suffered a stroke in April and developed complications. He fought with all his strength, patience and dignity to overcome the medical issues.

Despite the pain, and regardless of his condition, he always had a smile for a caregiver, visitor or family members.

Richard was born in Scotia on October 28, 1936. He attended local schools and enjoyed the beauty of Humboldt.

Richard was a committed husband and father, spending countless hours with his family and friends, including hours at their summer place at Ruth Lake. He loved fishing from the pontoon boat – and hours on the water, which would including bass-catching contests and diving exhibitions. Richard was known for his love of sports, including the Giants and 49’s. Over the years he played on and coached, many local teams and leagues, including basketball, baseball, bowling, football, horseshoes, bocce (and pinocle).

His smile and gentle spirit will be dearly missed by his family and friends. His legacy is the example of his love, faithfulness, and commitment to his wife and family. Gwenda his wife, (daughter) Yvonne and Eric Fleet, (daughter) Rachele and Brent Gundlach, (granddaughter) Hannah and Collin McNamara.

A private memorial service will be held at a future date. In lieu of flowers please consider a donation in Richard’s honor to Hospice of Humboldt or the Fortuna Senior Center.

Press release from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office:

On Sept. 5, 2021, at about 6:45 p.m., Humboldt County Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to Black Sands Beach in Shelter Cove for the report of an overdue hiker.

The hiker, a 37-year-old male, was hiking the Lost Coast Trail with a group of friends when his dog reportedly suffered an injury. The hiker and his dog separated from the group on September 4 to return to the Mattole Trailhead. The hiker had made plans to meet the group at Black Sands Beach on September 5, but he never arrived.

Sheriff’s deputies and Bureau of Land Management rangers hiked the trail on foot from the Mattole Trailhead that evening in an attempt to locate the hiker. However, due to darkness and terrain, the officers had to suspend the ground search until the following morning. Meanwhile, a United States Coast Guard helicopter was deployed to search for the hiker via air but was also unable to locate the hiker that evening.

On the morning of September 6, Humboldt County Sheriff’s Special Services deputies, volunteers with the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue Posse, and Bureau of Land Management Rangers resumed their search of the Lost Coast Trail utilizing an All-Terrain Vehicle. At approximately 10 a.m., the hiker was located on the trail approximately two miles south of the Mattole Trailhead. The hiker was in good health but without drinking water. He told deputies that he had been slowed in his return to the trailhead due to carrying his injured dog. The hiker was provided transportation back to his vehicle and water.

The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office would like to thank the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue Posse, the Bureau of Land Management and the United States Coast Guard Sector Humboldt Bay for their cooperation and assistance in the search and successful resolution of this incident.  

The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office would like to remind the public to take caution and be prepared when hiking or accessing the beach.

Even if you are just planning a short day-hike, be sure to:

• If unfamiliar with the area, bring a map. If on the coast, consider bringing a tide chart. 
• Consider bringing a whistle to help emergency responders find your location in a search and rescue situation. Ensure that your cell phone is charged and consider bringing a small power bank should you need to charge your cell phone.
• If hiking with a partner or a group, never leave someone behind. 
• Carry a flashlight
• Bring extra water and high-energy foods 
• Pack a small first aid kit
• Dress properly for a hike and prepare for changes in the weather by bringing rain gear or a jacket. 
• Tell somewhere where you are going and when you plan to return. 
• Stay on an established trail and if in an unfamiliar area, bring a map. 
• Be sure to charge your cell phone prior to leaving home. 

If you do become lost while hiking and are unable to find your way out, the best thing to do is to stay where you are and call 9-1-1.

To learn how you can become a member of the Sheriff’s Search and Rescue Posse, visit humboldtsar.org. 

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Humboldt’s schools are open, and a lot of parents are afraid. They’re afraid that this school year’s loss of a minimum social distancing requirement — thus accommodating full classrooms — is dangerous. They’re afraid that this school year’s new “modified quarantine” protocol — which, under certain circumstances, allows exposed students to continue attending school in-person — is not proactive in mitigating in-school transmission. And they’re afraid that if student COVID cases do balloon into a situation that they themselves aren’t comfortable with — a situation that might lead some parents to pull their kids out of school — they won’t get to know about it. 

That’s because data about COVID cases in local schools aren’t public. Schools are required to notify public health of positive cases, but public health doesn’t publish them. 

And so community members are asking them to. On Monday, a parent launched a petition urging County Health Officer Ian Hoffman and public health to start publishing positive case numbers from local schools. 

Supporters of the petition would like to see two sections added to Humboldt County’s COVID dashboard: one reporting the number of in-person students and school staff that test positive, and another reporting how many people have been exposed to COVID in schools. The petition recommends publishing data by region rather than by specific school. 

“This current situation is so much bigger than individual schools or classrooms. Every school is required to be fully open right now. They don’t have a choice. Some schools have more resources than others (nothing new), but almost all schools are short staffed and overworked trying to keep kids safe. It’s an impossible feat to keep students and staff truly safe during in person learning given that COVID-19 is endemic (to use your word) in our county right now, but our schools are doing everything they can to mitigate risk,” the petition reads. 

“How dangerous is it to send a child to in-person school? We don’t know. We need data to assess that, data that is not currently being shared.”

The petition had 329 signatures as of this writing. 

Just a few days earlier, a different parent started a Facebook group meant to track COVID cases in local schools. The idea is that parents and teachers familiar with in-school cases will post what they know on the page, creating an informal database of which schools are getting positives. 

So far the group — which was created on September 4 and now has 248 members — has identified ten schools that allegedly have positive cases.

A lot of grief in the Facebook group comes down to positive case protocols. When a student tests positive, schools do their own contact tracing and are directed to follow a flowchart developed by the Humboldt County Office of Education in partnership with Humboldt County Public Health, which is in accordance with California Department for Public Health guidelines. 

The flowchart specifies that exposed unvaccinated students can undergo a “modified quarantine” if they and the COVID-positive person were both masked at the time of exposure. A modified quarantine allows the exposed student to stay in school if they get tested twice a week over the ten-day period following exposure, but the exposed student may not participate in sports or extracurriculars during that time. 

When a school has a positive case, exposed students and their families are notified. Schools are not required to notify the families of unexposed students of a positive case.

Press release from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office:

On Sept. 6, 2021, at about 7:51 p.m., Humboldt County Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to the area of School Road and Fischer Avenue in McKinleyville for the report of a possible road rage incident resulting in shots fired.

Through their investigation, deputies learned that at about 7:40 p.m. a female victim was attempting to turn her vehicle onto Fischer Avenue from School Road when a male suspect, later identified as 51-year-old Jason Alan Friedley, reportedly cut the victim off and then brake checked the victim. The victim avoided a collision and passed Friedley’s vehicle. The victim told deputies that Friedley followed the victim to a friend’s residence on the 1400 block of Fischer Avenue and began yelling at the victim, prior to fleeing.

The victim then left the residence, escorted by a male friend. While driving back to the Fischer Avenue residence, the victim’s friend was reportedly tailgated by Friedley. The male victim told deputies that he pulled over and a confrontation occurred between the male victim and Friedley. During the confrontation, Friedley reportedly threatened the male victim with a firearm, firing a shot toward the victim prior to fleeing the area. No one was injured during this incident.

Deputies located Friedley at his residence on the 1700 block of Fischer Avenue. Friedley was arrested and booked into the Humboldt County Correctional Facility on charges of assault with a firearm on a person (PC 245(a)(2)), discharge of a firearm in gross neglect (PC 246.3(a)) and discharge of a firearm from a vehicle (PC 26100(b)).

This case is still under investigation.

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.

U.S. Forest Service press release:

MONUMENT FIRE:

Resources: 2,466 personnel, 35 hand crews, 164 engines, 4 helicopters, 45 dozers, 36 water tenders, 15 masticators

Current Situation: The Monument Fire is approximately 185,505 acres and 41% contained. Within the fire perimeter, two areas remain the focus: the north side, which is primarily in the Trinity Alps Wilderness, and the southwest side, which is east of Hyampom and northwest of Hayfork. Suppression efforts are being implemented to protect the Trinity Alps Wilderness, the Trinity Wild and Scenic River, Inventoried Roadless Areas, and endangered species habitat.

Yesterday, the fire progressed downslope toward James Creek and Hyampom Road at a moderate pace. It reached Hyampom Road at a couple points east of Nine-Mile Bridge, where crews were positioned to hold the fire. However, weather conditions worsened and winds increased, causing the fire to spot in several locations south of Hyampom Road. Firefighters were able to suppress and contain most of the spot fires, but one became established south of Nine-Mile Bridge and is estimated to be around 300 acres.

Today, the highest priority will be to construct a containment line around the 300-acre spot fire south of Nine-Mile Bridge and to protect any structures south of Hyampom Road. Crews will also continue to work on Pattison Ridge securing containment lines and conducting firing operations toward Hayfork Creek.

A mobile fire-retardant base has been established and is available to help fire suppression efforts along the southwest fire perimeter. As the smoke lifts, helicopters will be utilized to drop retardant and water in active fire areas.

On the northern perimeter, gusty winds are predicted this afternoon which will increase fire activity in the area below Thurston Peak in the Trinity Alps Wilderness. Firefighters will continue to work on improving contingency lines along Backbone Ridge. The North Fork Trinity River is located in a deep drainage, sheltered from the wind, which has moderated fire activity. The fire had not crossed to the east side of the river. Containment line elsewhere around the fire perimeter continues to be monitored and patrolled.

KNOB FIRE: Resources: 229 personnel, 7 hand crews, 30 engines, 2 dozers, 2 water tenders

Current Situation: The Knob Fire is approximately 2,414 acres and 89% contained. Last night fire behavior was minimal, with no spotting outside of the fire perimeter. Today, crews will continue to work on the north side strengthening and improving containment lines and extinguishing any hotspots within 300 feet of the perimeter of the fire.

WEATHER AND FIRE BEHAVIOR: Poor overnight humidity recovery and extremely dry, hot weather will persist through today. These conditions, combined with today’s gusty winds, have led incident meteorologists to issue a local Red Flag Warning that is in effect from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Incident fire behavior analysts have cautioned fire managers and crews that they will see atmospheric instability; hot, dry weather; winds aligning with topography; and dry vegetation, which will result in moderate to extreme fire behavior. Firefighters have been cautioned to expect long-range spotting and crown fires, particularly on the fire’s north side.

MONUMENT FIRE ROAD CLOSURES AND RESTRICTIONS (Trinity County):

• East of Hyampom: Hyampom Road between Lucky Jeep Trail and Halfway Ridge
• Northeast of Hayfork: Big Creek Road, Barker Valley Road, Barker Creek Road, Carr Creek Road
• West of Junction City: Big French Creek Road, Big Mountain Road, Soldier Creek Road
• A segment of State Route 299 between mile post 7.4 (near Burnt Ranch at Berg Road) and mile post 36.3 (just west of Helena) is open to through traffic and residents on the following schedule: Monday through Sunday, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., an escort vehicle leads traffic through the closure every 1.5 hours. Overnight, from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m., the road is open only to residents with proof of address.

KNOB FIRE ROAD CLOSURES (Humboldt County):

• China Creek Road at Hodgson Road
• Friday Ridge Road
• Panther Road

MONUMENT FIRE EVACUATIONS (Trinity County): This information can change at any time, and residents are advised to monitor the Trinity County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page for the latest information at Trinity County Sheriff’s Office Facebook, or call 530-623-2611.

Issued September 6th at 8 p.m.

• Order: All areas along both sides of Hyampom Road between Lucky Jeep Trail and Drink Water Gulch, including Fox Lane, Drink Water Gulch, and Phares Lane
• Order: All areas along Hyampom Road between Lucky Jeep Trail and Halfway Ridge
• Order: Helena/East Fork Road, Hobo Gulch Road, Big Mountain Road, and Big French Creek Road. 

Issued September 6th at 8 p.m.

• Warning: All areas along Hyampom Road east of Drink Water Gulch to Digger Gulch and South to Tule Creek Road and Green Gate Road, including Turkey Track Road, Doctor Lane, Digger Gulch, Shangri La Lane, Green Gate Road, McAlexander Road
• Warning: Denny Road east from Ziegler Point Road through Denny to the Trinity Alps Wilderness Area boundary
• Warning: Section of Campbell Ridge Road and Woods Lane near the Trinity River along the Humboldt/Trinity County line
• Warning: Canyon Creek Road in Junction City KNOB FIRE EVACUATIONS (Humboldt County): This information can change at any time, and residents are advised to monitor the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office webpage for the latest information at humboldtsheriff.org, tinyurl.com/humcoevacmap, or call 707-268-2500.
• Order: Areas east of Brushy Mountain Lookout Road/FS Road 6N08A to State Route 299, south of Victor Creek to China Creek
• Order: Areas east of Brushy Mountain Lookout Road/FS Road 6N08A to the eastern perimeter of the Knob Fire south of China Creek to Friday Ridge Road
• Order: Areas east of Brushy Mountain Lookout Road/FS 6N08A to the South Fork Trinity River, south of Friday Ridge Road to the end of the FS Road 6N20
• Warning: Areas of Boise Creek to the Humboldt/Trinity County line, south of the Trinity River to Victor Creek 
• Warning: Areas east of State Route 299 to the Humboldt/Trinity County line, south of Victor Creek to China Creek
• Warning: Areas east of the Knob Fire perimeter to the Humboldt/Trinity County line, south of China Creek to Friday Ridge Road

EVACUATION CENTERS:

American Red Cross, California Northwest Chapter, 707-832-5480 

• McKinleyville Seventh Day Adventist, 1200 Central Avenue, McKinleyville
• Fireman’s Hall Pavilion, 9 Park Street, Fortuna

FOREST CLOSURE: The USDA Forest Service has temporarily closed all National Forests in California. Direct questions to 707-562-9113 or SM.FS.R5inquiries@usda.gov.