Patrick D. Bryant passed away on May 16, 2021 at the age of 88. Many years ago, Pat prepared his obituary and as such it follows:

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Pat was a descendant of early Humboldt County pioneers. His great-grandfather, James Bryant, came to Eureka in 1864 to pursue the timber industry. On his maternal side, his great-grandparents, William and Katherine Dillon, settled on Cock Robin Island at the mouth of the Eel River in 1873, where they had twelve children.

Pat and his twin brother Mike were born in Scotia on March 17, 1933. They attended Scotia Grammar school and graduated from Fortuna High School, where Pat was elected the junior class president. Pat was active in Scouting and received the rank of Eagle Scout. He graduated from Humboldt State College after serving in the U.S. Army during the Korean War.

During his college years Pat met his wife Jeanne Patenaude of Arcata. They were married in 1957 and had been married for 63 years.

Pat loved Humboldt County and spent over 48 years of service to the county on the many boards he served. A few to mention are the Humboldt County Housing Authority and the Humboldt Senior Resource Center. Pat was a former member of the Sheriff’s marine posse and for a period served as the Deputy Coroner.

Pat was a member of Ducks Unlimited, life member of the National Rifle Association and North American Hunting Club. Pat was a member of the Korean War Veterans Association and a charter member of the Greater Humboldt Bay Garden Railroad club. He was also a member of the Humboldt Historical Society and American Legion Post 274 of Arcata.

Pat and Jeanne enjoyed traveling and had the opportunity to visit over thirty-seven countries. Pat enjoyed hunting and especially trips to Wyoming and Montana for mule deer and antelope.

Pat had many careers during his lifetime, from working at Chapel of the Redwoods, to owning Arcata Ambulance, to being a stockbroker in San Francisco. Then back to Eureka to own two liquor stores and a commercial fishing boat. He finished up in accounting at Pierson’s Building Center before retiring early to travel.

Pat is preceded in death by his twin brother, Michael Bryant, his great grandson, Brayden Ford and Brayden’s father, Travis Ford.

Pat is survived by his wife Jeanne Bryant; children, Linda Sundquist and husband Fred, Mike Bryant and wife Nanci, grandchildren Renee Ford, Andrew Sundquist and wife Catherine, Zack Bryant and girlfriend Nikki Shaieb, great-grandchildren Jeran Ford, Chezney Sundquist, and Preslee Sundquist. As well he is survived by numerous nieces and nephews and extended family.

Pat and Jeanne moved to Timber Ridge Assisted Living in Eureka a year ago.

A private memorial was held with immediate family only.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Brayden Allen Ford Foundation, in care of Humboldt Area Foundation, 363 Bayside Rd, Bayside, CA 95524 or American Cancer Society.

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

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For Californians who are insufficiently compelled by civic duty and self-preservation to get vaccinated, Gov. Gavin Newsom is offering another reason to get the jab: Cold, hard cash.

This afternoon, Newsom announced a $116.5 million “Vax for the Win” program, the largest inoculation lottery program in the country. The money will be split up among dozens of lucky Californians: $1.5 million will go to each of 10 “grand cash prize” winners who will be picked by random draw on June 15 and another $50,000 will be awarded to 30 “Fridays for 30” winners — to be selected by random draw on June 4 and June 11.

The remaining $100 million will be divided up in $50 retail gift cards among the next 2 million Californians to complete their vaccine regime.

“These are real incentives,” the governor said at a press conference. “And these are an opportunity to say thank you to those not only seeking to get vaccinated, as we move forward, but also those that have been vaccinated.”

According to the most recent state vaccine data, a little more than half of all Californians over the age of 12 have been fully vaccinated. Another 13% have received one of two shots.

That still leaves more than 12 million Californians unvaccinated.

The percentage vaccinated varies wildly by race and income. Among Californians living in the top quarter of the healthiest ZIP codes, 76.6% have received at least one dose. In the least healthy quartile in the state’s “Healthy Places Index, the share is only 52.1%.

“Some Californians weren’t ready to get their COVID-19 vaccine on day one, and that’s okay. This program is designed to encourage those who need extra support to get vaccinated and help keep California safe,” said Dr. Tomás Aragón, director of the California Department of Public Health, in a statement.

H.D. Palmer, a spokesperson for the state Department of Finance, said the funding for the lottery will initially come out of the state’s emergency operations account, but that it will be repaid with the state’s multi-billion dollar allotment of federal relief funds.

“The cost of not getting vaccinated is exponentially, incalculably higher,” Newsom said, addressing the question of the program’s cost.

The governor noted that Californians who have already been inoculated will be entered into both the $1.5 million and $50,000 contests. When the state rolled out its MyTurn website as a one-stop-shop for vaccine appointments, most Californians turned elsewhere. But the state also maintains a confidential registry for all vaccine recipients. The names of winners will be kept confidential unless they volunteer to have it released, said Newsom.

“These are real incentives. And these are an opportunity to say thank you to those not only seeking to get vaccinated, as we move forward, but also those that have been vaccinated.”
— Gov. Gavin Newsom

Republican Gov. Mike DeWine of Ohio was the first to launch a statewide cash-for-vax lottery program in mid-May. Nearly 3 million Ohians entered and a 22-year-old recent college grad was the first winner on Wednesday. According to one analysis, vaccinations jumped by 40% in the week after DeWine’s announcement.

Since then other state governors have followed suit. Colorado is offering a total of $5 million to the newly inoculated. West Virginia has tempted vaccine-hesitant young residents with savings bonds and New York has dangled the possibility of a tuition-free public university education.

But California’s cash giveaway is the biggest yet.

For Newsom, the program represents a political win-win. The governor has vowed to ease most of California’s COVID restrictions by June 15. The more vaccinated Califronians, the more likely it is that the reopening process will go off without another surge in cases and hospitalizations. That, in turn, would be good news for the state, but also a governor who is hoping to survive an all-but-certain recall election later this year.

In a Public Policy of Institute of California poll released this week, 57% of likely voters said they oppose removing Newsom, while 40% said they supported the recall. In the survey, 61% approved Newsom’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic and 75% gave the state excellent or good marks for vaccine distribution.

Earlier this month, the governor went on a statewide tour announcing various goodies from his latest revenue-rich budget proposal — a convenient mix of policymaking and politics. Handing out even more cash to Californians in the name of public health can’t hurt the governor’s political image either.

Republican John Cox quickly accused Newsom of trying to “buy votes before the recall.”

Based on the nearly 20 million Californians who have received at least one dose now, the odds of winning the $1.5 million prize are 1 in 2 million — 100 times better than the chances of winning the Powerball or Mega Millions jackpots, but for far less money.

Newsom said the administration consulted with researchers at UCLA’s COVID-19 Health and Politics project in putting the program together.

According to research conducted by political scientist Lynn Vavreck, lead researcher at the project, about a third of survey respondents said they were “more likely” to get a COVID vaccine if offered a cash prize of $50 to $100. That’s compared to other tactics, including pro-vaccine public messaging from celebrities.

“Those types of message treatments did not work, but changing people’s material condition — giving them a little bit of money or telling them they don’t have to wear a mask anymore — made them more likely,” Vavreck told CalMatters.

But for a minority of survey respondents — about 15% — the offer of cash backfired. That’s consistent with some criticisms made of these lottery programs noting that some vaccine skeptics could falsely interpret a cash reward program as an indication that the vaccine presents a risk that has to be compensated.

Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious disease physician at the University of California San Francisco, said that different people remain unvaccinated for very different reasons — a lack of social pressure, inconvenience, concerns about common side effects, more unfounded and outlandish safety concerns — so a single policy isn’t likely to convince them all.

A possible cash payout incentive “will move the needle for the people on the fence,” he said. “The people who are watching and waiting, who are not necessarily opposed to the vaccine but waiting to see people they know get it…that group will probably be most moved.”

Earlier this month, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that fully vaccinated Americans can largely dispense with the habit mask-wearing and social distancing — providing a powerful incentive for many. Though California has been reluctant to adopt more coercive measures, such as a statewide vaccine passport requirement, the reopening rules allow fully vaccinated people to attend larger events. Also, state and local governments have imposed selective requirements on certain Californians — public university students are likely to require their shots, though prison guards are not.

But among the many carrots and sticks that state governments can offer to encourage people to get vaccinated, the prospect of cash is certainly among the most direct.

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

PREVIOUSLY:

• California AG Investigation Concludes With Agreement Requiring Sweeping Changes to Humboldt Child Welfare Services
• Flaws in County System for Reporting Child Abuse and Neglect Triggered a State Investigation. Here’s What’s Changing As a Result.
• Once Drowning in Unresolved Reports of Abuse and Neglect, Local Child Welfare Services Department Says It’s Clearing Out Backlogged Cases
• State Attorney General Pursuing a Court Order to Compel County’s Compliance With 2018 Child Welfare Judgment
• DHHS Calls Attorney General’s Pursuit of More Child Welfare Services Oversight a ‘Waste of Taxpayer Money’
• Coalition of Local Tribes Announce Support of State AG’s Move to Require More Oversight of County Child Welfare Services
• Sheriff’s Office Announces That It Has Been Released From Court Monitoring Over Child Welfare-Related Operations

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From the Humboldt County Department of Health and Human Services:

The California Attorney General (AG) and the Humboldt County Department of Health & Human Services (DHHS) jointly submitted a request Thursday to the Humboldt County Superior Court to enter into a proposed stipulated supplemental judgment that intends to fully resolve all outstanding compliance issues relating to the prior 2018 stipulated judgment over DHHS’s Child Welfare Services Division (CWS). 

The stipulated settlement acknowledges the work that CWS has accomplished since 2018 and extends the AG settlement for an additional year to finish the tasks that still need to be completed. 

The 2018 stipulated judgment followed an investigation into specific policies and practices related to CWS after concerns were raised in 2015 by local tribes and other community partners regarding inefficiencies and barriers to service primarily in CWS’s Emergency Response function. 

The requirements set forth in the 2018 stipulated judgment reflected collaborative efforts on the part of the AG, DHHS and the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) to improve outcomes for children and families in the county’s child welfare system of care.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta said, “This collaborative agreement with our partners in Humboldt County is a critical step forward to help protect all of our children. It provides for continued monitoring and will help ensure that these systemic improvements will be sustained into the future with the partnership of tribal governments and other members of the community. We look forward to continuing to work together in the days ahead.” 

CWS Division Director Amanda Winstead said while the majority of requirements were met in the three years, “We are committed to continuing to work closely with tribes and partners and to serving children and families in Humboldt County.”  

Since the 2018 stipulated judgment, CWS: 

• Entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between CWS and the HCSO and revised CWS’s Policies and Practices (P&Ps) to ensure cross-reporting of allegations of child abuse and neglect and to coordinate joint investigations
• Participated in the Child Abuse Services Team (CAST) Advisory Board and Protocol Subcommittee and assisted in finalizing the CAST protocol
• Entered into an interagency MOU with DHHS Behavioral Health to coordinate mental health referrals and assessments
• Revised CWS’s P&Ps to address and ensure the inclusion of tribal input and collaboration, to provide for additional supervisory oversight and to set forth specific expectations for the administration of CWS
• Implemented an automated call tree at the hotline which connects callers directly to social workers 24/7, as well as an electronic cross-reporting system 
• Developed and implemented training programs to provide ongoing support to staff 
• Developed an online Child Protection Reporting Guide
• Engaged and contracted with a tribal consultant to assist with tribal collaboration and the development of protocols with the local tribes, with the first protocol entered into in February 2019 with the Hoopa Valley Tribe 
• Created an Ombuds Office to investigate complaints
• Prepared and held Community Task Force meetings to engage community stakeholders and provide transparency
• Created a Continuous Quality Improvement Program to assess and improve CWS’s operations on an ongoing basis
• Created a specific program within CWS to address issues relating to tribal families and compliance with the Indian Child Welfare Act 
• Implemented social worker partnering to enhance the ability to provide continuity of services to families and to address backlog issues
• Improved investigation completion timeliness.

DHHS Director Connie Beck said the settlement has moved CWS to make system improvements and work more closely with tribes, the Sheriff’s Office, other law enforcement and community partners. “I am continuously impressed with the work our staff and partners do and am so grateful for their continued diligence and dedication to the children and families in our community.” 

Humboldt County Drug Task Force press release:

On Thursday May 27th, 2021, special agents with the Humboldt County Drug Task Force (HCDTF) served a search warrant on a residence in the 1900 block of Pine Creek Rd. in Hoopa. Agents had been investigating the homeowner, Samuel Edward Jones (42 years old) for distribution of methamphetamine and fentanyl pills in the Hoopa Valley. Agents contacted Jones inside his residence and detained him without incident.

Samuel Edward Jones.

Agents conducted a search of the residence and located the following evidence:

• 2 ounces of methamphetamine
• 4 “perc-30” fentanyl pills
• Digital scale and packaging
• Ammunition
• AR-15 style short-barreled rifle chambered in 300 blackout

Jones is a convicted felon and was currently out of jail on bail for charges of 245 PC (assault with a deadly weapon) and 11379 H&S (transportation of methamphetamine for sale). Jones was transported to the Humboldt County Jail where he was booked for the following charges:

• H&S 11370.1 Possession of controlled substances while armed
• H&S 11366 Maintaining or operating a drug house
• H&S 11378 Possession of methamphetamine for sale
• PC 33215 Possession of an assault rifle
• PC 29800 Felon in possession of a firearm
• PC 30305(a)(1) Felon in possession of ammunition
• PC 30600(a) Manufacturing an assault weapon
• PC 12022.1 Committing a felony while out on bail

Anyone with information related to this investigation or other narcotics related crimes are encouraged to call the Humboldt County Drug Task Force at 707-267-9976.

A 27-year-old McKinleyville woman will serve nine years in state prison for running over and killing a pedestrian while driving drunk and on drugs.

This morning Judge John Feeney accepted Shala Marie Bianco’s guilty plea to gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, along with the special allegation of hit-and-run.

Bianco.

Under her agreement with the District Attorney’s Office, Bianco will serve four years for the manslaughter and five years for fleeing the scene after her Toyota Rav 4 struck and killed Clifford Deckert, 47. The maximum penalty for gross vehicular manslaughter is 10 years.

In exchange for the plea, Deputy District Attorney Whitney Timm dismissed other charges, including felony drunken driving. Bianco is scheduled to be sentenced by Feeney on June 23.

Bianco, the single mother of a young son, was in a hurry to get to work the morning of May 18, 2019, when her car drifted off Central Avenue in McKinleyville and struck Deckert. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Bianco sped off, but she called the California Highway Patrol about 40 minutes later to report being the driver.

Her blood alcohol level was at about .15, or nearly twice the legal limit for driving, when a CHP officer went to her home after she placed the call. Bianco told the officer she had been up all night partying with friends and had ingested alcohol, marijuana, Ativan and cocaine.

Bianco was arrested the day of the incident and has spent more than two years in Humboldt County Correctional Facility. She was held to answer on all charges after a preliminary hearing earlier this month, and her jury trial was scheduled to begin on June 21.

Deckert lived in a homeless camp near Mad River Bridge and often walked up to McKinleyville in the morning to meet his work partner and discuss possible jobs for the day.

Bianco, who is represented by private attorney Manny Daskal, was in the courtroom in person today but was not shown on camera.

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PREVIOUSLY:

• McKinleyville Woman Arrested for Manslaughter After Allegedly Striking, Killing Pedestrian Saturday Morning
• CHP Names Victim in Saturday’s Fatal Hit-and-Run Crash
• Suspect in Fatal McKinleyville Hit-and-Run Appears in Court; Pleads Not Guilty to Vehicular Manslaughter, DUI
• DA: Suspect in Fatal McK Hit-and-Run Was On Multiple Drugs; Judge Denies Bail Due to ‘Severity’ of Crime
• McKinleyville Woman Held to Answer For 2019 Hit-and-Run That Left Pedestrian Dead

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From the Blue Lake Rancheria:

Low levels of toxins have been detected in algae mat samples from the Mad River, collected by the Blue Lake Rancheria Tribe‘s Environmental Department at two locations where potential algae blooms had been observed. The presence of these toxins, even at low levels, triggers a ‘CAUTION’ posting by Humboldt County Department of Health and Human Services for these locations in preparation for the Memorial Day holiday weekend.

A caution level posting means that toxins are present, but currently in low concentrations. Users of the Mad River are advised to avoid all visible algal blooms and scum, especially the mats at the margin of the river. It is advised to keep pets out of the water at these sites.

To help keep the community safe ahead of Memorial Day weekend, the Blue Lake Rancheria Tribe’s Environmental Department has partnered with the California Regional Water Quality Control Board to sample potential harmful algae blooms on the lower Mad River at popular recreational spots for fishing and swimming. Due to low and warm water conditions this year caused by lack of rainfall and warmer temperatures, algal blooms are appearing earlier in the year.

Samples for cyanobacteria were taken in two locations:

1) Mad River downstream of Lindsay Creek near HBMWD’s Pump Station #4 park

2) Mad River downstream of City of Blue Lake sewer ponds

The Tribe is partnering with the North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to sample Mad River for harmful algae blooms and associated toxins ahead of three holiday weekends: Memorial Day, July 4th, and Labor Day.

The Blue Lake Rancheria Tribe co-manages the Mad River and will share further test results with the public as they are received.

For more information about harmful algae blooms and these posting levels, please visit this link.

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

The first major heat wave of the season is expected to hit Humboldt this Memorial Day weekend.

Eureka’s National Weather Service office reports that temperatures in Willow Creek are forecast to reach 99 degrees on Monday, and surpass 100 degrees by Tuesday.

“Heads up Northwest California!” the National Weather Service shared on social media. “It’s looking like Memorial Day and at least the first half of next week will see some of the warmer interior valleys climb to around 100 degrees as high pressure dominates the Western U.S.”

Coastal areas are also forecast for sunny weather with temperatures in the low 60s to mid 70s.