Herman Jackson Grooms passed away peacefully on March 7, 2021, at his home in McKinleyville after a long battle with cancer with his loving wife Verna by his side. Herman had a deep abiding faith in Jesus throughout his life. Herman was also known to his family and friends as “Buddy.”

Herman was born on December 16, 1929, to Floyd and Annie Belle Grooms in Bulloch County, Georgia, and remained in Bulloch County until graduating from Stilson High School in 1946.

After graduation Herman, so proud to serve his country, served two tours in the armed forces. Stationed in Astoria, Oregon, he met and fell in love with his dear wife of 70 years, Verna Byers Grooms. Herman and Verna were married on June 9, 1951, and were blessed with four children, three boys, and a girl.

Herman came west from Georgia in the early 1950s and became a logging contractor. He logged with his family until venturing out on his own and started Grooms Logging. His work ranged from Garberville, Klamath River, and Willowcreek.

Herman was preceded in death by his parents, brother Waldo Grooms, Sister Mattie “Mickie” Grooms Masopust, and his son Roger Herman Grooms.

He is survived by and will be greatly missed by his wife Verna Byers Grooms, sons Jack Grooms (Cheryl), Paul Grooms (Debbie), daughter Carol Grooms Eastman (Mike). His sisters of Stilson, Georgia Mollie Bryant and Annette Stokes (Bruce). Fourteen grandchildren and 30 great-grandchildren, and one great-great-granddaughter.

A graveside service will be held Saturday, March 13, and a private celebration of his life will follow.

The family would like to thank the many caregivers at Granada who took wonderful care of Herman and were so kind to him. We would also like to thank the caregivers, chaplains, social workers, RN’s who also gave excellent care and direction to our family from Hospice. Special thanks to George, Stephanie, and Deanna from the Humboldt Caregivers.

On Thursday March 12​, 2020, Justin Tyler Fontaine — loving fiancé, son, brother, uncle, nephew and friend — passed away at the age of 34 from a short but aggressive bout with cancer. He passed at St. Joseph Hospital in Eureka with family by his side and friends on the way.

Justin was born in Sacramento on August 19​, 1985 to Wendell Fontaine and Nancy (Radford) Fontaine. He attended Grant Elementary School, Winship Jr. High, and Eureka High School. Justin lived in Eureka but spent some time in New Mexico and Yreka with his father and brother Brian.

One of his proudest accomplishments was opening a business with Brian, called “Fontaine’s Lube n’ Shine” though soon after they opened they had to close up shop and Justin returned to Eureka, where he then met the love of his life Amanda Hurley.

In addition to Justin’s Grandparents, he was preceded in death by his Mother Nancy Fontaine, Aunt Laura Nessler, Uncle Gerry Radford, and Uncle George Fontaine. He is survived by his Fiancé Amanda Hurley, Father Wendell Fontaine, Brother Steven Fontaine, Brother Brian Fontaine, Sister Lisa Fontaine, Nephews Trystan and Ayden Fontaine.

In high school Justin enjoyed lifting weights with friends. He was a big guy but an even bigger man. His friends would say it was a privilege to know him and to call him theirs. He was the joker that made you laugh, the ear that would hear you when the world wouldn’t listen, the person you could count on to give you the motivation you needed to pull yourself together. He could bring joy to any room and loved seeing people pee themselves with laughter or spit out whatever drink was in their solo cup. His close friends were privy to witnessing his custom dance moves. He had some of his best times camping with friends at Ruth Lake or on the river bar. He had many nicknames such as USS J-Rock, J-Taine and he was named the “CEO” of what had come to be known as the BUFF Co. The crew of three big guys — Steve Kamberg, Shyler Quinton and Justin — with one smaller member who had a dream and a big appetite, Ryan Stockhoff.

Justin would often bring his friends and spend many days and nights with his big brother Steve, playing games and swapping stories. He was his Father’s hunting partner and affectionately referred to as “Bear Bait” (another fun story). He was his baby sister Lisa’s antagonist and protector. His step Mom Tori was host to his army of friends, that he would often bring over to eat all of her cooking back when he lived on Albee Street. This was usually during fun nights in the garage fixing old cars with his Dad and friends. His Mother Nancy would be proud of the man he became, though she passed away suddenly 12 years earlier. He loved her very much.

Justin met his fiance Amanda Hurley through mutual friends and the connection was instant. They soon became inseparable and moved in together. Justin and Amanda were in their seventh year together at the time of his passing. They were engaged on Dec. 25, 2017 and had begun to make wedding plans, which were put off once Justin had become ill. He and Amanda had an enviable bond that would only grow stronger and more filled with love. She was by his side the entire journey and he was so thankful to have her, as was his entire family.

Justin will be missed at the family’s Easter Brunches, put on by AK (Aunt Kathy Radford) and cousin Stephanie Radford. He LOVED biscuits and gravy and would often give you a hard time if there wasn’t enough to go back for more. Family gatherings, especially Thanksgiving will not be the same without his enthusiasm and bright spirit.

Thank you everyone for all the support Justin and our family received during his final months. It was hard for him to come up with the words of thanks for the many who reached out, but please know it meant so much to him. His oldest Nephew Trystan was a big help and support at home with Justin’s care and he loved having him around. Justin loved his nephews very much. Justin loved Aydens nickname of “uncle Big Mac”, and knows his “little mac” will make him proud.

Steve K, thank you for the late night trips and the belly laughs. Ryan, you were the best friend Justin could ever ask for and I know he’s super proud of all you’ve achieved in the last year. Shyler, Justin couldn’t wait to see you and I’m so sorry you missed him. He knew how much you wanted to see him. Thanks everyone for patience with our family during this trying time. We absolutely have plans for a large celebration of life, full of family and friends when it is safe to do so. (Justin, being the germaphobe he was would not want to put loved ones at risk). We will keep you posted.

You have more vaccine questions, and Lindsey Mendez — member of the county’s Vaccine Task Force — has more vaccine answers. Addressed: State equity efforts and how they’re being implemented here, Pfizer/Moderna versus J&J, the coming contract with Blue Shield to serve as statewide vaccine administrator and more.

Video above, rough transcript below.

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Thank you for joining us for the March 11th media availability with Family Nurse Practitioner and member of the Humboldt County Vaccine Task Force, Lindsey Mendez. Lindsey would like to begin with a brief message about the Janssen or Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

Hi Humboldt County. This is Lindsey Mendez again, the Family Nurse Practitioner in Communicable Disease at Public Health. Today I’m going to come and talk about vaccine and I wanted to give a little bit of an intro again about the efforts that the public health department is doing right now with the Janssen vaccine. I would like the community to understand that at this time the Janssen vaccine being a single shot dose is going to be very helpful when we’re looking at rural populations who are having trouble coming into clinics and also with persons experiencing homelessness in shelters. We are currently partnering with our other health care providers in the area to get these vaccines out into arms this week and next week. So we’re very excited. 

From North Coast News: The health officer said earlier this week that some zip codes that fall in the lowest percentage of the CA healthy places index are in Humboldt and will be prioritized by the state in terms of vaccine allocation. Where are these zip codes located? How is this impacting our weekly vaccine allocation from the state?

Yes. At this time the state is using allocation tools to look at how we can have better equity in areas of certain zip codes. In this equity mapping, they are recommending that we use 20% of our doses in certain regions of Humboldt County. With that said, the regions are very broad. Around the county it is in areas where we are already vaccinating mostly. We are trying to get more into the Southern Humboldt and eastern regions, but overall the zip codes do include Eureka, Arcata and then parts of SoHum like Petrolia and Blocksburg and then in the northern regions like Klamath. So we will be working on that, just as we’ve been doing with our clinics.

From North Coast News: A new Israeli study shows that it appears Pfizer is more effective than first thought. Might this be the case for the Moderna and Johnson and Johnson? How was J&J able to get the level of efficacy in one shot?

The way that the Janssen vaccine is created with a DNA vaccine which is an adenovirus vector vaccine and the way that the spike proteins are introduced into the body, makes it a one-shot vaccine in that it builds over time and at this time it is not necessary to have a booster dose. And I will say this again: the Johnson Johnson builds slowly over weeks when you have it, which is a little different than the mRNA vaccine, but it still is a hundred percent reducing the severe death and hospitalization from COVID-19. With the Pfizer vaccine and the Israeli research that’s been occurring, because they have been studying transmission, really what we’re talking about with the Pfizer is that they are reporting how they are comparing the cases between the fully vaccinated and those who hadn’t been vaccinated at all and looking at how effective it was for preventing the transmission of COVID-19. This study was showing 90% at that time. So with that, you must understand that the research is still occurring with Moderna and Janssen and we will be getting more information as we move forward.

From North Coast News: Alaska has now become the first state to open vaccine eligibility to 16 years old. Do you think the criteria for getting the shot will change soon in California? How big of a benefit is it to expand eligibility to a younger age?

I understand that Alaska at this time has expanded their population and the state of California is looking at April 1st as a date that we will be expanding the population and who can be vaccinated in what tier. With that said I should remind the public that the Pfizer vaccine can be given to 16 year-olds, but no other vaccine such as Moderna or Janssen is approved for this at this time. With that said we will also remind the public that even if it does open up for a greater range of ages and occupations, we will be looking at risk factors and age as people are waiting to be vaccinated in California.

From North Coast Journal: Has the county received any more clarity from Blue Shield or the state regarding how vaccine allocation and distribution are likely to change once Blue Shield takes over as the third party administrator next month?

The public health department is currently doing meetings with Blue Shield and we are talking to our allocations managers and account managers who will be helping us with the allocation process in Humboldt County specifically for the providers in this area who will be giving vaccine. That allocation process will be going through Blue Shield to each provider who is able to give vaccine in Humboldt County - I should specifically say the COVID-19 vaccine in Humboldt County - and we will also be contracting in the public health department with Blue Shield so that we can be distributing vaccine through them. With that said, we do not know exactly how they are going to be breaking down their allocation process with the local health jurisdictions and also with providers and we will be knowing more in the next couple weeks.

From North Coast Journal: How does the state putting a focus on vaccinating residents in the lowest quartile of Healthy Places Index zip codes change Humboldt County’s vaccination strategy? How is the county working to identify and prioritize residents in these zip codes who qualify for the vaccine?

This is a great question and happily we have been working on these equity plans since the beginning of the vaccination task force when COVID-19 vaccine was arriving in Humboldt County. So, for the past few months we have been opening clinics in areas to ensure equity. We’ve been giving vaccine to clinics in Willow Creek and Garberville and in Redway. We’ve been doing mass vaxes in Arcata and in Eureka to ensure that we can reach populations that we wouldn’t usually get. We are anxious to expand our clinics in the southern and eastern regions and even in the northern regions to get populations who may have transportation issues. So we’re excited to see as we partner with Blue Shield how this will move forward with their performance equity measures.

From the North Coast Journal: Public Health reported this week that a quarter of those currently eligible have now been fully vaccinated locally. At the same time, the county announced a new class of eligible people — those 65 and older — with food and agricultural workers and people with co-morbidities expected to be eligible in the coming weeks. Are there logistic and equity concerns with making so many people eligible for vaccinations when supply remains so limited? If so, what are they and how is the county working to navigate those challenges?

This is a very important topic that we discuss daily on our vaccination committees. As we open up the populations who are able to get vaccinated, as wonderful as that is because our goal is to have herd immunity and end the pandemic, we are also very aware that there are specific people in our population who are the most vulnerable the most fragile and we must pay attention to that as the public health department and be good stewards of our vaccine. We are actively working on getting vaccinations to people who may not be able to leave the house very well or people who are experiencing homelessness and we’re also looking at how we can best vaccinate people who work in things like agricultural or factory settings. So this is something that we are going to continue to have active conversations about.

From North Coast Journal: If the county were to magically receive enough vaccine doses tomorrow to vaccinate every adult Humboldt County resident, what’s Public Health’s best estimate as to how long it would take to get all those shots in arms? Currently, what’s the county’s top vaccinations-per-day capacity?

Right now it is very difficult to give an exact number of what the top amount of vaccination per day would be because of the amount of providers who are helping us vaccinate in various locations ranging from pharmacies to hospitals. What we have seen is that when we do mass vaxes - mass vaccination clinics - around the county whether it be a public health department or other providers, we have noticed that our max capacity is a little over a thousand at this time for a mass vax clinic. With that said, other people usually daily are vaccinating in other areas at a smaller scale.

From KMUD: Can you speak to the different efficacy rates of all 3 approved vaccines?

Yes. At this time the CDC is telling us that the Pfizer vaccine is at 95% effective, the Moderna is at 94% effective and the Janssen is at 67%.

From KMUD: What is currently being done to ensure our Latinx community is receiving vaccinations?

The Humboldt County Public Health Department finds the Latinx community to be of the highest priority at this time. As I said last week we are actively recruiting people to work at our clinic who can speak Spanish and be interpreters and they can be vaccinators or admin or other staff that is necessary to run a vaccination clinic. I would like to reassure the community that public health is having many meetings at this time with community stakeholders to help us vaccinate everybody equally in Humboldt County.

From KMUD: Who are the preferred recipients of the single-shot Johnson and Johnson vaccine?

Because of the recommendations by the CDC for how we might use a single-dose vaccine the best, at this time we have decided to utilize the vaccine with persons who may have transportation issues, they may not be able to see a doctor readily, or persons who work in certain facilities like agricultural centers and factories.

From Red Headed Blackbelt: Can you give us an update on how the vaccinations are being distributed in reference to the local survey that many people have returned, is the survey proving useful in helping to coordinate vaccine appointments?

Yes absolutely. From the information that I have been receiving from the Joint Information Center, the interest forms and surveys that have been filled out have been helping them fill clinics and getting people on wait lists. It’s also helped close the divide between those who may not have devices and need some assistance with scheduling. The Joint Information Center would like to remind you that you can go on their website at any time to look for the interest form in both English and Spanish at humboldtgov.org and again if you are having trouble you can call them.

From Red Headed Blackbelt: Has the public health department been receiving feedback from community members related to the recently announced planned closure of Redwood Memorial labor and delivery unit?

Thank you Kym, but no, that is not a vaccine question and I’m unable to answer that today.

An early sign of life?

Baby steps, Humboldt. If you’ve driven through downtown Arcata in recent days you may have noticed the Arcata Theatre Lounge’s marquee apparently heralding the return of Arts! Arcata this coming weekend, which comes almost exactly a year to the day after Humboldt’s initial shelter in place orders went into effect. Can this be? The momentous claim is further supported by a post on the venue’s Facebook page.

“We are so excited for our first event back! We are hosting various local artists in our space to showcase their art along with a pop-up pizza event,” ATL’s post reads, in part. “We look forward to seeing you guys!”

Well, OK then! And while the Outpost did receive an email from Arcata Main Street, the organization that coordinates Arts! Arcata, that the monthly community arts night would be returning, you probably shouldn’t worry that an artsy super-spreader event is nigh. Very few locations are participating in the relaunch. Instead, Shoshanna Rose, who helps out with Arcata Main Street, told the the Outpost that this softest of openings is an attempt to first “bring back the spirit” of the gathering while still taking into consideration all the necessary COVID precautions. 

“We’re so excited to bring back some element of Arts! Arcata even if it’s not fully gathering,” Shoshanna said. “A lot of the venues where artists have previously been able to show their work haven’t really changed their art for the last year.”

While the ATL will allow a limited number of people into its space to peruse works by local artists, most of the venues hosting art and performances this weekend will continue to operate in the virtual realm, including the Arcata Playhouse, which is in the middle of its annual Zero to Fierce Festival.

“We’re just trying to find those ways to remind people of some of the art that is still coming out of the downtown area even if it is online,” Shoshanna said. “It just feels good to keep the arts visible.”

Take a gander at some of the ways you can experience Arcata art, be it in person or online, in the Arcata Main Street release below:

Arts! Arcata is Arcata Main Street’s monthly celebration of visual and performing arts, held at locations in downtown Arcata Friday to Sunday of the second weekend of the month for 2021. Due to COVID-19, there is no gathering, keep safe distances, wear facial coverings, and observe guidelines in each location. There are no extended hours. We are delighted to bring back this tradition in modified form to support our local businesses and celebrate the arts. Several events are offered online!

Visit www.arcatamainstreet.com, check out the Arts! Arcata event on Facebook and Instagram, or call 707-822-4500 for more information.

ARCATA ARTISANS COOPERATIVE GALLERY 883 H St. Vaughn Hutchins: photography, Carolyn Jones: fiber arts

ARCATA PLAYHOUSE www.zerotofierce.org. “Zero to Fierce” One Minute Dances Fri 7pm ($5), Lucy and the Bear children’s book by local author Ali Freelund and illustrator Becky Grant Sat 11am, Allison Russell singer songwriter from Nashville TN, Sat 7pm. 

ARCATA THEATRE LOUNGE 1036 G St. Special pop-up art gallery and food from local chefs

GARDEN GATE 905 H St. Lisa Landis, pastels

INFUZIONS 868 H St. “Step Into Sacred Space” Monica Star: visionary oil painter, Berry Love: mixed media and photography, Joe Mallory: psychedelic abstracts and surreal landscape paintings, Howling Lily: handmade gemstone jewelry 

OUTER SPACE ARCATA www.facebook.com/outerspacearcata.  Weekly variety show / open mic Sun 7pm. Also pop up gallery space across Arcata, including at 837 H St.

THE SANCTUARY www.SanctuaryArcata.org. Live music streaming at Mon-Fri 7-8pm

UPDATE: In Email, Public Health Director Tells Presiding Judge She’s Disappointed Court Circumvented the Vaccine Process

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Last month, roughly 50 to 55 employees of Humboldt County Superior Court managed to get COVID-19 vaccinations at a clinic in Scotia despite the fact that, per state guidelines, it was not yet their turn.

The state is currently in the midst of Phase 1B of its vaccine distribution plan. This phase includes people age 65 and older as well as employees in education and childcare, agriculture/food and emergency services.

Judges and other court workers across the state have been jostling for higher priority since early December, before the vaccine rollout began. In late January, Humboldt County Superior Court Presiding Judge Joyce Hinrichs sent a letter to Public Health Director Michele Stephens asking that court staff, judicial officers and employees of the District Attorneys Office and the Public Defenders Office all be moved up into Phase 1B, which would have made them eligible for the shots.

However, in a statement sent to the Outpost, Stephens said the state has been clear in its guidance.

“We reached out to the state officials multiple times over the last few months, and each time they confirmed that the state’s vaccination plan does not include court staff in Phase 1A or Phase 1B,” she said. “They remain listed under the sector Government Operations, which were in Phase C before the state moved to age-based prioritization.”

And yet more than four dozen Humboldt County court employees were able to get vaccinated last month at the Southern Trinity Health Services clinic in Scotia. 

In an email to the Outpost, Court Executive Officer Kim Bartleson said she disagrees with Stephens’s stance and last month directed her staff to “explore all options” in an effort to avoid a COVID outbreak among court employees. 

“A catastrophic event such as that could have created an additional public safety threat for the community,” Bartleson said in her email. “I directed the Court HR department to make contact with various clinics and pharmacies in the area to inquire about the possibility of extra doses being available so we could get placed on a notification list to be called last minute for COVID shots.”

Some court staffers who are patients of Southern Trinity Health Services heard about a vaccination clinic being held in Scotia early last month and, per Bartleson’s directive, they reached out to see if “higher risk” court workers could get their shots. “Fortunately, they said yes,” Bartleson told the Outpost.

The clinic proved to be a good hookup. “A couple of weeks later we were able to send additional staff down to the same clinic,” Bartleson continued. “Approximately 50 – 55 individuals employed by the court were vaccinated.”

This line-jumping has caused frustration at the county’s Public Health Branch and also among attorneys in the Public Defender’s Office and District Attorney’s Office.

Last week a local resident wrote to several county supervisors asking why public defenders and district attorneys aren’t allowed to get their vaccines when court staff, judges “and judges’ family members” have already received theirs. First District Supervisor Rex Bohn forwarded the email to Stephens, who wrote back, saying the court employees received their vaccines “in error and not with Public Health’s approval.”

The Public Health branch has some flexibility in determining whom to vaccinate, but it must focus on the groups specified in the state’s multi-phase rollout, Stephens wrote. 

“[W]e can’t go so rogue we start doing groups like all county staff, like DA and PD staff that are not in these early phase priorities the state has outlined,” she continued. “It has to be based on equity in terms of who’s the most impacted by covid-19, the most at risk. And without much vaccine supply, those decisions are really hard to make.”

Reached by phone on Monday, Tracy Wade, an administrative assistant with the Southern Trinity Health clinic in Scotia, said a few county court staffers who were allegedly in high-risk health categories showed up to a February clinic and received their vaccines. Their colleagues weren’t far behind.

“What had happened was [the court] ended up sending us another group that did not have high risk,” Wade said. How did those workers manage to make appointments if they weren’t officially eligible yet? “There’s all kinds of ways,” Wade said.

While her clinic generally fills its slots based on a mass registration list provided by the county, patients who receive email notifications about eligibility or an upcoming appointment sometimes share the link with friends and family members, despite an explicit request not to do so.

The link takes people to a website where they’re asked a series of screening questions. We asked Wade if it’s possible to game that system by providing false answers.

“I’d say the possibilities are endless,” she replied. “It depends on how honest you are.”

Clinic staffers check people’s identification when they show up for an appointment, but Wade said it’s just not feasible to investigate the eligibility of each and every one. 

“If somebody shares a link, there’s not much we can do,” she said. “We’re just trying to vaccinate as many people as we can.”

Fourth District Supervisor Virginia Bass told the Outpost on Thursday that she has heard about court staff skipping ahead in line and also heard they managed to get family members vaccinated as well. And while she believes that Bartleson was “trying to do the right thing” for her staffers in the context of a potentially confusing and frequently shifting system, she still found the move frustrating.

“It’s frustrating because we [the county] are responsible to vaccinate the most vulnerable, and we haven’t been able to even get the food and ag workers fully vaccinated,” Bass said. She pointed out that migrant workers, farmers and grocery store clerks have been on the front lines since the pandemic began while much of the court’s business is being conducted via Zoom.

“This whole thing has not brought out the best in people,” Bass added.

Bartleson told the Outpost that court staff, judges and justice partners have been granted higher priority in other counties, including Los Angeles County, though that county’s guidelines say eligibility is limited to those “who are required to be in-person at court routinely and interact with clients in correctional facilities.”

Still, Bartleson argued that the state’s guidance to local public health directors has not been clear or consistent, and she said, “our Public Health Director has taken a very restrictive position that has not been shared by other counties.”

She added that not all court staff have received their vaccinations, and until they do she’ll continue pushing for them to be moved up in line.

“The Court still advocates for the Tier 1B designation for Court staff … and would encourage our Public Health to do so,” she said.

Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office press release: 

On March 10, 2021, at about 6:40 p.m., Humboldt County Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to King Salmon for a search and rescue of a possible drowning victim.

Deputies arrived and began searching the shoreline for the victim while a United States Coast Guard helicopter searched from the air.

At about 6:52 p.m., deputies located the 21-year-old male victim alive but in distress, stuck in the rocks along the shore. Deputies scaled down the rocks to the victim’s location and were able to free him, keeping him safe until medical rescue teams arrived.

The victim was extricated from the rocks and taken to a local hospital for treatment of injuries.

The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office would like to thank all responding agencies for their assistance with this water rescue.

Eureka Police Department press release:

On March 11, 2021, at about 10:00 a.m., Detectives with the Eureka Police Department’s Problem Oriented Policing Team (POP) responded to a motel on the 1500 block of McCullens Avenue in Eureka to serve a search warrant after receiving information that 33-year-old Joshua Bennett of Eureka was selling narcotics from his room.

Bennett and two other occupants were detained inside of the motel room. During the search, detectives located approximately 3 1⁄2 ounces of heroin and a digital scale. Three ounces of the heroin was located hidden inside a cocoa powder container. $1,580 in cash was also located and seized as evidence of drug sales.

Bennett was arrested and booked into the Humboldt County Correctional Facility for possession of heroin for sales. Anyone with information on ongoing drug or nuisance problems in the city limits of Eureka is asked to contact the POP team at (707) 441- 4373.