From the Humboldt County Joint Information Center:

Local health officials see strong evidence that COVID-19 vaccines are effective against all four “variants of concern” that have been identified in Humboldt County since November 2020. Yet young adults, the group most affected by these variants, remain the least vaccinated group in the county. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) designate variants of concern, which have mutations in the genome that cause the virus to act differently — spreading more easily, causing more severe disease or requiring different treatments. 

Current data suggest that the vaccines used in the U.S. protect against all known variants spreading in the country. “Even if a virus has one or more mutations in the spike protein, vaccines and natural infection would still be expected to provide valuable protection,” according to the California Department of Public Health (CDPH).

Since January of this year, the number of new cases in Humboldt County has risen sharply among adults under the age of 40. Making up less than a third of the county population, young adults represent nearly half of the county’s total COVID-19 cases. At the same time, vaccination rates are lagging behind in that age group, especially in 20- to 29-year-olds, with fewer than 36% of them fully vaccinated.

“We are seeing cases in younger folks and sicker people hospitalized, even people in their teens,” noted Dr. Ian Hoffman, Humboldt County Public Health Officer. “Variants like Alpha appear to be more infectious, more contagious, to make people sicker, and hit younger folks harder than the previous versions of the virus. Until people are vaccinated, this virus will continue to circulate among unvaccinated folks, and the potential for serious illness is still very high even in the younger age group,” he warned. 

Local contact tracing and genome sequencing have tied recent Humboldt County outbreaks to two variants labelled Alpha and Gamma by the World Health Organization (WHO).

At present, Alpha and Gamma stand as the prevalent variants of concern in Humboldt County. Alpha, introduced to the county in late March, spread immediately through large gatherings to become the most common variant in Humboldt County. Less than a month later, the Gamma variant appeared and quickly caught up. The West Coast variant, now called Epsilon, has been circulating in Humboldt County since November 2020.

The Delta variant had been confined to a single local case in May, and county health officials are still only seeing “very few” instances of Delta but expecting it along with the other variants to increase in Humboldt as elsewhere. According to the CDC, Delta now represents 20% of new cases in the nation. In California, the CDPH notes that 14.5% of new cases have been identified as Delta, spurring some counties to reinstate indoor masking recommendations.

“Testing continues to be an important part of our local COVID response” says Dr. Jeremy Corrigan, Humboldt County Laboratory Manager. “Our laboratory began sequencing COVID-positive samples on-site late May 2021, which allows continued monitoring of new variants and case investigation support.”

Vaccines not only work better against variants, but also show signs of lasting longer, note local Public Health officials. “This immune response is strong, and it appears to be potentially much more long-lasting than we originally thought that it was going to be,” Hoffman said.

View the Humboldt County Data Dashboard online at humboldtgov.org/dashboard, or go to humboldtgov.org/DashboardArchives to download the most recent data.

For the most recent COVID-19 information, visit cdc.gov or cdph.ca.gov. Local information is available at humboldtgov.org or by contacting covidinfo@co.humboldt.ca.us or calling 707-441-5000.

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Press release from the Yurok Tribe:

On Tuesday, June 30, 2021, Yurok Chairman Joseph L. James and Vice Chairman Frankie Myers treated California Governor Gavin Newsom to a trip down the Klamath River in a traditional redwood canoe. The tribal and state leaders paddled down a singularly beautiful stretch of the Klamath on the Yurok Reservation. After the canoe trip, the Yurok leadership discussed several timely topics, including: the drought, juvenile fish kill, Yurok condor reintroduction initiative, traditional burning, environmental restoration, wildfire preparedness, Last Chance Grade, Chah-pekw O’ Ket’-toh “Stone Lagoon” Visitor Center and Klamath dam removal.

“We are working with the Governor Newsom on a number of issues related to natural resource management, environmentally sustainable economic development and cultural resource protection, all of which we discussed today,” said Chairman James. “We invited Governor Newsom up for a canoe tour because we have much to celebrate. I would like to thank the Governor for his continued support of our most important objectives.”

“The Yurok Tribe and Governor Newsom are redefining the relationship between the state and sovereign tribal nations. For the first time, the Yurok Tribe has an equitable, government-to-government partnership with the State of California,” added Yurok Vice Chairman Frankie Myers. “Through strong leadership and mutually beneficial partnerships with tribal, state and federal governments as well as private entities, we have significantly accelerated the growth of the Yurok nation.”

Starting shortly after Governor Newsom was sworn into office in 2019, the Yurok Tribe has maintained a close, working relationship with the state leader. As a result of this formal partnership, the Tribe has achieved much progress in several key areas. The Tribe invited Governor Newsom to Yurok Country for an in-person update on the advancements that have made as a result of the joint effort. The Tribe also wanted to personally thank the Governor for including tribal representatives in the state’s decision-making process.

The Yurok Tribe plays a significant role in shaping state policies that impact both tribal and non-tribal citizens. Yurok representatives serve on California’s historic Truth and Healing Council as well as the state Board of Education and Homeland Security Advisory Committee. Most recently, Chairman James was selected to serve on an advisory group that will establish guidelines for a new state program, which will annually invest $20 million in tribal projects.

The Tribe and the state collaborate on a number of important initiatives. For example, the state is a partner in the condor reintroduction and Klamath dam removal projects. Earlier this year, Governor Newsom resolved a longstanding impediment to the decommissioning of the fish-killing dams, which are slated for removal in 2023. Last year, the Yurok Tribe and California representatives signed the first-ever joint powers of authority agreement between a tribal government and the state. The historic accord transferred the operations of the Stone Lagoon Visitor Center (now called the Chah-pekw O’ Ket’-toh “Stone Lagoon” Visitor Center) to the Tribe. The Tribe also regularly coordinates with California agencies on river restoration projects between central and Northern California. Later this summer, the Tribe’s award-winning watershed restoration team will repair salmon habitat within a local state park. There are more examples of the coordination between the Yurok Tribe and the state, too.

The frequency and scale of these cooperative endeavors rapidly accelerated after Governor Newsom issued an apology, via the historic executive order N-15-19, for the state-sanctioned violence that was visited upon California’s indigenous population. Following the June 2019 order, Governor Newsom created the Truth and Healing Council and pledged to enhance the government-to-government relationship between the state and tribes. The Truth and Healing Council was established “to provide an avenue for California Native Americans to clarify the record – and provide their historical perspective – on the troubled relationship between tribes and the state.”

“Today, the relationship between the Yurok Tribe and the State of California is finally moving in a positive direction. I never thought I’d see the day when a sitting, California governor would accept an invitation to take a trip in a traditional canoe. There is more work to do, but we wouldn’t be in the positive position we find ourselves in today without the forward-looking leadership of Governor Newsom,” concluded Chairman James.

Yurok Tribal Council Representative Ryan Ray, Tribal Council Representative Sherri Provolt, California Governor Gavin Newsom, Chairman Joseph L. James, Vice Chairman Frankie Myers and Tribal Council Representative Lana McCovey.

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*Here is all you need to know about the Redwood Yurok Canoe Tours. The Yurok Tribe recently launched the Redwood Yurok Canoe Tour business, which received much positive praise from Governor Newsom.

Proposed and developed by Yurok Chairman Joseph L. James, the Yurok-owned enterprise was developed to diversify the Tribe’s earth-friendly economic portfolio. Redwood Yurok Canoe Tours offer a one-of-a-kind opportunity to travel in a traditional, hand-carved boat down the majestic Klamath River, through the tallest trees on the planet.

Guided by highly skilled Yurok captains, the trips include stops at important cultural and historic sites, where participants learn firsthand about the Tribe’s living culture, rich heritage and unique worldview.

The interactive tours are ideal for families and friend groups looking to experience a life-transforming trip. Participants also have a chance to paddle the masterfully built redwood canoes, which are identical to those the Yurok people have used since the beginning of time.

While traveling the perfectly balanced boats, riders often spot bald eagles, otters and osprey on the jaw-dropping journey down the Klamath River. For more info about Redwood Yurok Canoe Tours, please visit https://visityurokcountry.com/canoes/

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About 7,550 out of more than 19.5 million Californians who were fully vaccinated against COVID-19 have contracted the disease, a minuscule percentage that provides strong evidence of the vaccines’ effectiveness, according to state data.

The breakthrough infections through June 23 amount to 0.039% of vaccinated Californians — or one case out of every 2,583 vaccinated people.

Most of the infections were minor, but 62 vaccinated Californians died from COVID-19, according to California Department of Public Health data.

“The way we should think about these cases is that they’re very rare,” said Dr. George Rutherford, a University of California, San Francisco epidemiologist.

The risks of the disease far outweigh the chance of a breakthrough case: More COVID-19 deaths have been reported in the past four days than the total number of vaccinated people who died from it over the past six months.

On Wednesday, state health officials reported 2,013 new infections among all Californians, including 24 deaths. They did not respond to a request for comment.

Nationally, out of 154 million fully vaccinated Americans, 4,115 people have been hospitalized or died after contracting COVID-19. That’s a rate of 0.0027%. More than three-quarters were 65 or older. Federal officials do not track total breakthrough infections because many involve minor or no symptoms.

In California, health officials matched data from the state’s immunization registry to a registry of confirmed COVID-19 cases to identify breakthrough cases.

There are some caveats to the data. While California’s public health agency reported 584 people were hospitalized after a breakthrough COVID-19 infection, hospitalization status wasn’t available for 46% of the post-vaccination cases. State officials also noted that some of them may have been hospitalized for an unrelated condition and tested positive for COVID-19 after being admitted to the hospital.

The three vaccines authorized in the United States – Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson – are considered highly effective in preventing severe disease and death. They also protect against the coronavirus variants now circulating, including the Delta variant, Rutherford said. Yet a small number of breakthrough infections are to be expected, the CDC says. The agency’s surveillance hasn’t turned up any unusual patterns.

Dr. Eugene Choi, a Los Angeles radiologist, contracted COVID-19 in early June, nearly six months after his first dose of the Pfizer vaccine. Choi detailed his experience on his Instagram account, where the CrossFit enthusiast has nearly 40,000 followers.

He told CalMatters that his symptoms included fever, night sweats, chills and muscle pains.

At first, “I did not think of COVID,” said Choi, who as a physician was vaccinated earlier than many Californians. “I thought … okay, it must be that other flus and colds are coming out of the woodwork.” But as his fever continued, he decided to get a COVID-19 test.

Then his wife, also vaccinated, and their two-year-old son became infected, he said. Their cases were more mild.

“I’ve seen firsthand the devastation COVID causes,” he said.

“My experience should give people reason to go get vaccinated,” he said, recalling how cases at the hospital where he works plunged as more Californians were immunized.

Choi wonders if the vaccine protected him from serious, lingering symptoms that many people have experienced. He said he was miserable for days, but never sick enough to need hospital care. He has since resumed his intense workouts.

“It certainly could have been worse,” he said. “I’m still amazed at what the virus can do.”

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

Wilhelmina (“Willy”) H. Fogg passed away at her home in Fortuna on June 9, 2021 at the age of 80. Born in the Netherlands in 1940 to Wilhelminus and Theodora Van Arensbergen, Willy was the fifth of twelve children. She married and immigrated to the United States in 1962 where she worked as a nurse and had two children, Scott and Andrew. Unfortunately her first husband caused her to fear for her safety and she escaped with the boys back to Holland, where they were taken in by her loving parents and siblings. Her demonstration of courage in leaving and their tenderness in caring for her and the boys built in her a sense of strength and empathy that would serve her and so many others she came into contact with for the rest of her life.

She returned to the United States and met the love of her life, Robert Fogg, whose kindness, generosity and enthusiasm for life was a mirror to her own. They were married within three months of meeting and, together, raised the boys, eventually moving to Fortuna in 1975. In Fortuna they found a community they loved.

During those early years she worked nights at Redwood Memorial Hospital while going to school during the day, completing her bachelor’s degree in nursing at Humboldt State University. Her bright smile, short stature, thick accent, sharp wit, and complete lack of “filter” endeared her to friends, colleagues and strangers alike. She was a beloved member of the operating room staff, eventually becoming manager of surgical services for Redwood.

Willy had an indomitable spirit and ability to overcome adversity. Her history with aggressive breast cancer led her to work with “Reach to Recovery,” counseling women in the midst of their own battle. The tragedy of losing her eldest child to suicide pushed her to find new strength as she was called upon many times through the subsequent years to support other families grieving that same loss.

She loved adventure. Regardless of the length, destination, or plan, she’d happily jump into a car or board a plane to seek out new experience. She could throw herself into any situation and experienced life without any sense of shyness. Her joy in even the littlest things broadened her connection to those around her.

Willy was an avid gardener, inspirational quilter and dedicated community servant. All those actively involved in the Eel River Valley community knew Willy Fogg. She was a proud member of the Eel River Quilting Guild, Fortuna Garden Club, Soroptimists and volunteered at the hospital after her retirement, frequently acting as liaison between hospital staff and anxious family members waiting for news on loved ones. She passed suddenly and unexpectedly while preparing her beautiful home and gardens for a visit from the Fortuna Garden Club.

Willy Fogg was preceded in death by her love, Robert Fogg, her eldest son, Scott, her parents, Wim and Dora, and her siblings, Thea, Ton, & Wim.

She is survived by her youngest son, Drew, his wife Elizabeth, her cherished grandchildren, Rowan and Violet and her loving companion of the last two decades, Bill Laferrier. She is also survived by her wonderful siblings, their spouses, and her nieces and nephews residing in Holland whom she visited often. She will be missed by too many close friends to list here, but each of you know how much she truly loved you.

A memorial service will be held Sunday, August 1, at the River Lodge in Fortuna, from 1-4 p.m. In lieu of flowers she would have been so pleased if you donated to one of her favorite places, the Humboldt Botanical Garden. Donations can be made online at hbgf.org.

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Timothy Gray passed from this world on Aril 10, 2021. “Timmy” was an amazing musician, composer, sound designer, recording artist, photographer and friend. His life was full of great music, excellent adventures, and collaborations that lifted and brought together our community time and time again.

He was born on July 16, 1957 in Indianapolis, Indiana. He attended Catholic grade school in Indianapolis. By all accounts, he was terrified of the nuns. One day the head nun, called over the loudspeaker that “Timothy Gray was to report to the office immediately”. Fearing the worst he ran there only to find out that he had won the paper airplane contest sponsored by Scientific American for having the most aerodynamic paper plane. He then chose to go to Public High School. There he met good friend Bob Bullens, and together they got to be the “AV guys” for the school, which allowed them both to take a deep dive into emerging technology and left plenty of time to get a little high between deliveries. When he was young his parents gave him a guitar for Christmas. He went into his room with it and didn’t come out until he could play it…well.

His friend Bob headed to California after High School. And Bob gave Timmy his drum set, which launched Timmy’s love of percussion. In Indy, Timmy played in his first band, Pinky Lavenders Jazz Orchestra. Then tired of the “ice and snow of Indy”, Timmy ripped out the back seat of his Dodge Valiant (to fit the drum set) and followed Bob to California.. The gigs, and especially the money, were not forthcoming. Tim then joined the California Conservation Corps (CCC). Initially he was assigned to work in SoCal, but soon he managed to get transferred to the Klamath River CCC camp. He fell in love with the river and the Northcoast. He subsequently worked for the US Forest Service before moving to Portland, Oregon, where he was a school bus driver by day and drummer by night for Johnny Limpo and the Lug Nuts.

Timmy moved back to Humboldt in 1982. He was a caretaker for several ranches and then became the drummer for the Boggies, a local bar cover band. He became good friends with Jeff Landen, also in the Boggies, who remembers meeting Tim when the original drummer was fired. Jeff and Tim formed a recording studio called Vinyl Taco. It should be noted, that according to HSU legendary teacher Charlie Moon, Timmy had a “golden ear”. Timmy had an uncanny ability in ear training, where he can hear pitches of music accurately. Due to this skill he was a phenomenal recording engineer and producer. His roster of recording clients is a ‘who’s who’ of Humboldt County musicians as well as national and international artists. He was especially known for his congenial, inspiring, and positive “board side manner”. For many years he managed Big Bang Studios in Loleta before creating his own studio, Myrtletown Records in 1995.

In 1995 Timmy started his relationship with Dell’Arte. From JOURNEY OF THE TEN MOONS to MAD LOVE to STATE OF JEFFERSON to WILD CARD to PARADISE LOST AND CASANOVA, and BLUE LAKE: THE OPERA. Timmy was Dell’Arte’s principal composer and sound designer. He composed a new work that played the national theatre in Sweden and was the first national recipient in Sound Design of the prestigious TCG/Pew Trust Fellowship. He was a finalist in the Prague Quadrennial Design Competition in which he had a piece of sound design accepted and exhibited. His visit there was an epic journey. He was the drummer and sound effects creator in the Dell’Arte house band for many years until he took over the post of sound engineer for the Summer show at the Mad River Festival .

Timmy founded, Myrtletown Records, and worked with Sound Chaser, one of the first companies to explore digital audio on the Northcoast. The bands that Timmy played with were legion, but among the notable bands and artists he collaborated were Barking Dogma, The Joyce Hough Band, Home Cookin, Bayou Swami’s and the Road Masters.

Timmy also worked with the Arcata Playhouse, composed an audio installation in the Creamery District, FOOTFALL, created odd-metered complex music for CRAWDADDY”S ODDITORIUM and like so many of us here in this community, he graced us with his presence as a singer, drummer, soundperson and all round lovely man.

Tim was a computer geek and was always available to help others learn programs and become comfortable around the keyboard. He was a master at photoshop and could create scenarios that did not exist before the technology was developed. He was patient and kind.

Timmy was a true autodidact (gloriously self taught). And he said that his father was born in a barn in Scotland. Timmy passed of a rare brain disease. He was referred to the UCSF memory and aging center five years ago to be part of an ongoing study of rare brain diseases. He went down to the center three or four times and underwent extensive physiological and psychological/cognitive testing. On these occasions he was asked if he would donate his brain for further study. He did. An important thing in Timmy’s vision, was that if his own demise was studied and better understood, it could benefit others. It was another example of Timmy’s “spreading the love.

Timmy is survived by his sister Bonnie Odle, Marla Joy, his devoted partner and band mate, Margo Yon (his amazing care giver) and a bunch of us, so many folks, who knew Timmy as a dear friend and collaborator. His friend Jeff Landen wrote “And about death: I think you have lived a good life if you leave behind people who wish you were still here. We wish you were still here, Laddie (Timmy’s favorite greeting). “Laddie”, we raise a glass of the good stuff and light up a Cuban cigar (they’re legal now I think). You live on in our hearts and souls. “Flights of Angels”… dear friend.

Memorials are taking place 6-10pm, July 9 at the Arcata Playhouse, and July 17 at Dell’Arte where a marker for Timmy will be put in the Dell’Arte Memorial Garden.

Donations for the Timmy Gray Artist Fund can be made at this link or by mail to Arcata Playhouse 1251 9th Street, Arcata, CA 95521 ATTN: Timmy Gray.

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On Wednesday, May 19, 2021, at around midnight, Mary Floreeda Harper Rice, died peacefully after spending the day with her husband and daughters. She was 95 years old and lived in Arcata.

Mary was born on August 30, 1925 in Muskogee, Okla., to William Blaney Harper and Mattie B Harper. Her father died when she was two years old, so she and her three siblings were raised by her mother, Mattie. Mary suffered from pneumonia when she was young and spent nearly a year in bed. The damage caused by her illness made her lungs fragile throughout her life. Though Mary had a happy childhood, life was hard for the Harpers. Mattie worked as a hospital nurses aide, and a “home baker” to support her four children through the challenging years of the Great Depression.

Mary would probably tell you that one of the most important days of her life was during her senior year in high school on November 14, 1943. This was the day she met her handsome Air Force pilot, Raymond. The story goes; that on that significant Sunday morning, Mary and Ray spied each other in church. Ray and his fellow flyers knew that church services were the best place to meet “nice” girls. Ray would say that Mary had a ‘come hither’ look in her eyes, but their meeting would have to wait a little longer. It wasn’t until later that day that they actually met, when Mary and her girlfriend were heading to the USO where Ray and his buddy were “hanging out.” Mary and Ray were married nine months later, on August 8, 1944.

Mary was, first and foremost, a wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. However, during the early years of her life, she had jobs working for several phone companies, a newspaper, and at a studio colorizing photographs. When her girls were older she started her longest and most rewarding job as a kindergarten teacher-aide, working at the Jacoby Creek School for many years. She was a natural with children and threw herself into her career for 30 years.

Mary was active in Girl Scout leadership, PTA, and any booster clubs that supported her girls’ childhood endeavors. She continued to be an enthusiastic cheerleader of her daughters’ activities throughout her life. Likewise, she supported Ray, whether it was working with him on a remote fire lookout tower or consenting to join one of HIS many backpacking trips into the mountains of California. She became a reluctant traveler following Ray to foreign lands while he worked as a research hydrologist, and taking many trips to Austria to visit her daughter, Barbara (Rabia) and her grandchildren.

Her faith was important to her and she was an active member of the Arcata United Methodist Church. Mary enjoyed sewing, gardening, taking walks with her friends, and daily “Wine Time” with her friends, Debbie Clancy and Mary McNelis. She was a member of the “Crafty Ladies Group,” several Bridge groups, including the “Saturday Night Bridge Group” and a regular borrower at the Arcata Library.

The Rice’s moved to Arcata in 1973 and they built their ‘forever’ home at 44 Robert Court, East — “44” being the imperative part. Mary and Ray were romantic about the year they married from their first day until their last day together. They chose their address number when they built their home, they had license plates on their cars of “4T4” and “4D4” and they never missed an opportunity to celebrate their love for one another. Their 76+ years together was truly a great love story.

Mary is preceded in death by her siblings; Joe Harper, Don Harper and Alma Browning, and her grandson, Graham McCord. She is survived by her husband, Raymond, her three daughters; Marla Dickinson (Frank), Claudia Kostyshak (Geoff), and Barbara Rabia O’Loren. Also, her grandchildren; Benjamin Van Dale (Erin), Hans Van Dale (Kate) (and their father – Rob Van Dale), Matthaus Palzer (Annelies), Florian Palzer, Claire Palzer (and their father – Gerhard Palzer), Shayan Keshanrousta (Maia) and her six great grandchildren, Simon Palzer, Laura Palzer, Calvin Van Dale, Ivy Van Dale, Duke Van Dale, and Nico Van Dale. And lastly, her beloved cat, Beezee.

A celebration of life will be held at the Arcata United Methodist Church on July 17, 2021, at 1 p.m. Memorial donations can be made to Arcata Library, the Sequoia Humane Society, Jacoby Creek School, or the United Methodist Church.

Our special thanks to the staff of Timber Ridge and Timber Ridge- Renaissance in McKinleyville, as well as, Hospice of Humboldt for their compassionate care of Mary during her final months.

The Timber Heritage Association announced today that it will be offering rides on its new trolley car through Eureka’s Old Town on select days starting this weekend.

The trolley is part of the Timber Heritage Association’s ”speeder car” program and was purchased by the Eureka Logging Alliance from a Canadian rail group. Before that, THA said the car was used by Netflix for the show “A Series of Unfortunate Events.”

“THA volunteers picked it up in Canada during a major snowstorm, then trailered it to the Samoa Shops,” the THA stated in a press release. “Volunteers have spent the last two years rebuilding the trolley and engineering, building, and installing a hydraulic drive system while the shops were closed during the COVID-19 pandemic.”

The first rides along Eureka’s 1st Street will be offered on Saturday at Arts Alive. Trolley rides will continue to be offered from 5:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at future Arts Alive events, and at Friday Night Markets starting August 6.

The trolley rides will cost $5 per person and will be free for younger children sitting on adults’ laps. Per government restrictions, riders will be required to wear masks.

“Unlike the popular San Francisco cable cars, all riders must be seated,” the THA said. “THA looks forward to seeing you at the forthcoming trolley events as well as the speeder crew car runs.”