Wayne Alan Johnson passed away December 3, 2023. He was born April 2, 1964 in Arcata to Ron and Ilene Johnson.

Wayne grew up with his three brothers in Blue Lake and attended Arcata High School graduating in 1982. He began his career as a truck driver working for Joe Costa Trucking. He later worked for Trumble Backhoe before landing his position at Morris Logging, where he worked the last 14 years.

He is survived by Kelle Tomlinson, Kalie(Jeff) Isaacs, Colten(Nicole) Pelzel, and Kelsey Vaughn. Grandchildren Chloe and Cooper Isaacs, Carter and Crew Trimm. He was preceded in death by his mother Ilene Johnson and survived by his father Ron Johnson and brothers David Johnson, Jeff(Leanne) Johnson, and Greg (Kristie) Johnson, Nephew Dane (Mary) and Niece Casey (Christian) as well as Aunts, Uncles and Cousins. A special thank you to the Morris family and the many friends he made as a lifelong resident of Humboldt County for all their prayers and support.

A celebration of life will be held March 9, 2024 at the Moose Lodge in Eureka starting at 12 p.m.

PREVIOUSLY:

• Presiding Judge Gregory Kreis Facing Formal Inquiry Into 19 Counts of Alleged Misconduct, Including Drug and Alcohol Use, Sexually Inappropriate Behavior and Antisemitic Remarks
• Judge Kreis Granted An Extra Week to Respond to Formal Misconduct Investigation

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Humboldt County Superior Court Judge Gregory Kreis, who is facing 19 counts of alleged misconduct as he seeks re-election to the bench, says he did nothing wrong. 

Earlier today, Kreis’s attorney, James Murphy, submitted an 18-page reply to the California Commission on Judicial Performance, an independent state agency that has launched an investigation into the charges against Kreis, which include antisemitic remarks, drug and alcohol use, inappropriate sexual behavior, prejudicial administration of justice and making false or misleading declarations in court proceedings.

Kreis denies all of those accusations and describes a number of them as false charges leveled by people with grudges, including his ex-wife and her friends and an angry former colleague who he refused to promote while he was serving as Public Defender.

The response from Kreis’s attorney addresses each of the 19 allegations in turn, starting with the events at an attorney-filled Memorial Day celebration on Shasta Lake in 2019. The related allegations mirror claims in a 2020 lawsuit brought by former Deputy Public Defender Rory Kalin, who accused Kreis of belittling him, calling him “Jew boy” and throwing him headlong into the lake, among other things. 

That case – and a related one against the county and employees of the Public Defender’s Office – has since been settled. In response to the current investigation, Kreis acknowledges consuming alcohol but denies being intoxicated, denies vaping cannabis and denies ridiculing Kalin or using the term “Jew boy.”

He also denies giving a lap dance to the wife of friend and current Humboldt County Public Defender Luke Brownfield, though he says he may have sat on her lap as they’ve been good friends for 20 years. 

Kreis admits to pushing Kalin into Shasta Lake but says there’s a tradition of such behavior, and he says Kalin initially laughed about it. Kreis’s reply says he later apologized to Kalin after finding out that Kalin was upset that his cell phone had been in his pocket when he went underwater.

As for the rest, Kreis’s response says, “It is believed that Mr. Kalin made up these allegations after he was fired from the public defender’s office in order to enhance his lawsuits against Humboldt County and Judge Kreis.” 

Elsewhere, Kreis suggests that Kalin himself was inebriated: “Perhaps this is an imagined statement since the witnesses all confirm that Mr. Kalin was into the heavy use of cannabis products during the event, and over-using prescribed medications.”

Later, Kreis admits to having a romantic relationship with a family law facilitator, beginning in July or August of 2021, but he denies allegations that the relationship began earlier and that he tried to cover it up by maneuvering to get a courtroom clerk fired for spreading false rumors about the affair.

Kreis, in his response, says the rumors were indeed false at the time they were spread, because the relationship hadn’t yet begun, and that those false allegations created a “hostile work environment.” And he says the courtroom clerk was justifiably fired for “many of her past actions.”

As for the allegation that Kreis slapped a woman’s butt after she specifically told him not to, Kreis describes the incident as a misunderstanding. Here’s that portion of his reply:

On November 9, 2018, Judge Kreis and his now ex-wife, while walking past the home of David and Meghan Nims, stopped to say hello. David and Meaghan Nims, along with Katelyn Woods and Ryan Woods, were present, had obviously been drinking and were drinking when the Kreises arrived. The Judge recalls staying at Mr. Nims’ house for maybe 5-10 minutes.

Upon leaving, David Nims gave Judge Kreis a “man hug” and lightly slapped his bottom, similar to a football player giving another player a “good game” tap, and said goodbye. Judge Kreis returned the slap. That then became a joke and Ryan Woods did the same as well as Meghan Nims. When it became Katelyn Woods’ turn, she had been laughing but said something like, “Not me” but was laughing so hard Judge Kreis thought she was joking. He then gave her a hug and the similar light slap.

When he turned to leave, the Judge saw that Ms. Woods’ face was now somewhat serious. He immediately apologized and told her that he thought she was kidding. Upon arrival at home, Judge Kreis texted the Nimes [sic] and told them that he was sorry for possibly offending Ms. Woods. The response was that Katelyn Woods was overreacting and that the Kreises should not worry about it. Obviously, Judge Kreis misread the situation and apologized for that.

Kreis also denies an allegation that, at another social gathering, he went into the bedroom of a woman while she was sleeping, pulled down his pants and held his penis near her face as he tried to wake her up. His response says this allegation is “offensive, false and therefore denied.”

Many of the other charges pertain to cases presided over by Judge Kreis, with allegations that he failed to make necessary disclosures about personal and professional relationships and failed to recuse himself when he should have. Kreis says he followed the law and that some allegedly close personal friends are really just professional acquaintances.

Kreis also stands accused of being impatient and undignified, losing his temper in the courtroom during child custody cases and other contentious hearings. His response says he was simply firm when necessary and never acted improperly.

“Judges need to be stern with parties who intentionally refuse to follow proper court orders,” the document reads. “When it is impossible to reason with a party, for whatever reason, direct, stern language is appropriate.”

As noted above, Kreis chalks up some of the allegations to baseless claims from his ex-wife or her friends. This includes the assertion that he drank alcohol while driving friends on a tour of historic homes in Eureka. Kreis says he believes he in fact made himself an iced tea and carried a thermos of coffee into the car.

Kreis also denies frequently using cocaine before being appointed to a judgeship in 2017. He also denies asking a former colleague to buy cocaine for him and denies pressuring another colleague to use some. These allegations, he says, were made by a former deputy public defender who was so mad about not being promoted by Kreis that she ended their friendship and “has been his antagonist ever since.”

You can read the full response document via the link below.

Now that Kreis has responded to the allegations against him, the Commission on Judicial Performance will schedule a hearing at which both parties can introduce evidence and examine and cross-examine witnesses.

Any charges that aren’t proven during the hearing will be dismissed, but if the commission decides that the charges have been proven by “clear and convincing evidence,” it can publicly admonish Kreis, privately discipline him or even remove him from the bench. 

Meanwhile, Kreis is facing an election challenge from two contenders – Conflict Counsel contract attorney April Van Dyke and Deputy District Attorney Jessica Watson, who is running as a write-in candidate. Election Day is March 5.

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DOCUMENT: Respondent’s Verified Answer to Notice of Formal Proceedings

We’ve posted about it before, but here’s a friendly reminder: From 8 p.m. tonight to about mid-day Sunday,  Fernbridge is going to be closed for repairs. Here’s Caltrans’ announcement:

This means that if you absolutely have to get to/fro the other side of the river, you’re probably going to want to get acquainted with Rio Dell’s Blue Slide Road. Here, for example, is an alternative route into Ferndale when coming from Eureka:

As you can see, this is probably going to cost you a little more time and effort than it normally would. But you do get to see some pretty country!

And the folks at Ferndale Rep feel your pain. There are still a few seats left for the final weekend of A Gentleman’s Guide to Murder, and if you use code DETOUR at checkout you’ll get $3 off your ticket purchase. Buy here. Act now! (UPDATE: Tonight’s performance, at least has been canceled! Apparently for non-bridge-closure reasons. See here. Thanks to the reader who called this in.) 

Arcata Fire District release:

On Thursday, February 22 at 2:45PM, the Arcata Fire District was dispatched to a residential structure fire on Charles Ave in Arcata.

Mutual reports came in that smoke was seen coming from the eaves of the home. Three engines and a Chief Officer from Arcata Fire District as well as one engine from Humboldt Bay Fire, Samoa Peninsula Fire District and Blue Lake Fire District each responded.

The first engine from Arcata Fire arrived on scene to find a two-story home with a small fire in the upstairs bedroom. Crews were able to quickly douse the small fire with an extinguisher and began removing smoke and burnt material from the home.

The fire was contained to personal items in the bedroom and was deemed accidental in nature.

Location of Charles Avenue

We would like to thank our mutual aid partners for their assistance. During the incident Samoa Peninsula Fire District was covering the response area for Arcata Fire.

The Arcata Fire District would like to take this opportunity to remind everyone to have functioning smoke alarms on each level of the home and in each bedroom at a minimum.

The system that California uses to screen neighborhoods at risk of environmental harm is highly subjective and flawed, resulting in communities potentially missing out on billions of dollars in funding, according to new research.

The study, by researchers who began the project at Stanford University, investigated a tool that the California Environmental Protection Agency developed in 2013 as the nation’s “first comprehensive statewide environmental health screening tool” to identify communities disproportionately burdened by pollution.

Communities that are designated “disadvantaged” by the system, called CalEnviroScreen, can qualify for significant government and private funding. The tool has been used to designate vast swaths of the Central Valley, communities around the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles, and neighborhoods in the Bay Area cities of Richmond and Oakland, among others.

The researchers found that the screening tool uses a small number of health problems that could bias which communities are designated. About 16% of Census tracts in the state could be ranked differently with alterations in EnviroScreen’s model, according to the study.

The system raises equity issues because it biases in favor of certain groups over others, and has the potential of pitting groups against each other for funding in what is essentially a winner-take-all, or loser-take-all, system, according to the research.

For instance, “we found the existing model to potentially underrepresent foreign-born populations,” the researchers wrote.

Community groups and environmental justice advocates have said for years that the tool overlooks communities that should be designated as disadvantaged.

At stake is a large amount of funding — about $2.08 billion over just a recent, four-year period, the researchers reported.

The findings come as scientists are increasingly demonstrating that algorithms can be as biased as the humans who create them, and that many disproportionately harm marginalized populations.

“The big takeaway is that if you asked ten different experts in California to come up with their own screening algorithm to determine which neighborhoods are ‘disadvantaged,’ you would probably get 10 very different algorithms,” said lead author Benjamin Q. Huynh, who was a doctoral student at Stanford and is now a researcher at Johns Hopkins University. “These things can come across as very technical, but when you look at the numbers and you see the billions of dollars flowing…these very seemingly technical details actually matter a lot.”

Amy Gilson, a spokesperson for CalEPA’s environmental health office, said the study’s recommendations are being reviewed. Any potential changes to CalEnviroScreen must “go through a robust scientific evaluation” as well as “extensive public process,” she said.

“CalEnviroScreen’s methods are transparent to allow for these types of outside evaluations, and we welcome discussion on the merits of different approaches,” Gilson said in an emailed statement to CalMatters.

CalEnviroScreen identifies neighborhoods by census tracts — localized regions that typically include between 1,000 and 8,000 residents, as defined by the U.S. Census Bureau. California released its fourth iteration of CalEnviroScreen in October 2021.

CalEnviroScreen evaluates 21 environmental, public health and demographic factors to identify which neighborhoods are most susceptible to environmental harm. Among the factors considered: air pollution and drinking water contaminants, pesticide usage, toxic releases, low birth weight infants, poverty and unemployment rates. The tool then ranks the 25% most disadvantaged communities in California — which determines which neighborhoods get billions of dollars in government and private funds.

Under state law, at least a quarter of funds from the California Climate Investments fund must be spent on these communities. That money comes from California’s Cap and Trade market program, which allows polluters to buy credits to offset their emissions.

In 2022, the fund paid for nearly 19,500 new projects with $1.3 billion, according to the state Air Resources Board. Of that, $933 million was directed to disadvantaged communities or low‑income communities, the air board said.

“When you look at the numbers and you see the billions of dollars flowing…these very seemingly technical details actually matter a lot.”
— Benjamin Q. Huynh, Johns Hopkins University

Huynh said he became interested in CalEnviroScreen’s classification of neighborhoods after reading a 2021 article in The San Francisco Chronicle that found some of San Francisco’s poorest neighborhoods were ineligible for funding, largely due to their ranking in CalEnviroScreen.

“Under such a model with high uncertainty, every subjective model decision is implicitly a value judgment,” the study authors wrote. “Any variation of a model could favor one subpopulation or disfavor another.”

The tool only includes three health factors — low birth weight babies, cardiovascular disease and emergency room visits for asthma. It leaves out other serious health conditions, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, which the authors said could mean that communities with many foreign-born residents are left out. Asthma may be less prevalent among immigrants or they may be less likely to seek emergency room care, but they still have other serious respiratory issues, the study said.

Also left out are other common health problems, such as cancer and kidney disease, which could skew which neighborhoods are designated as disadvantaged. The authors said changing the tool to include these diseases could mean fewer Black communities are designated as disadvantaged. That’s because it would dilute the importance of low birth weight babies, which disproportionately affects Black people.

Race is not a factor in the screening system. But the researchers found that tweaking the model could make big differences for communities of color: For instance, they found that changes in the metrics would mean more non-white communities with high poverty levels would be classified as disadvantaged.

The Chevron refinery in Richmond. Photo by Loren Elliott for CalMatters

The research team suggested some possible solutions “to reduce equity concerns,” such as using multiple models. Doing so would increase the number of designated communities by 10%.

“Because there is no singular ‘best’ model, we propose assessing robustness via sensitivity analysis and incorporating additional models accordingly,” the researchers wrote.

In addition, “a safeguard like an external advisory committee comprising domain experts and leaders of local community groups could also help reduce harm by identifying ethical concerns that may have been missed internally.”

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

Audrea Filbey (Hafner) was born on March 12, 1977, in Arcata, to Timothy Hafner and Sandra Andrews and passed away on February 2, 2024, in Eureka, two years and four months after being diagnosed with treatment-resistant Ewing cancer.

Growing up, Audrea loved painting rainbows, music (she played the clarinet and taught herself how to play the piano), playing with her Rainbow Brite and Strawberry Shortcake dolls, honing her skills on the monkey bars, riding her bike, and most of all, playing with her little sister, Allie. The day Allie was born, Audrea told her mother that she was actually her baby and that she would be the one to take care of Allie! The sisters developed a bond like no other and would often be found rolling around in fits of laughter, unable to breathe at times. They were inseparable from day one and had a lifelong, unbreakable bond.

During her first year at college, Audrea was introduced to her husband and the man of her dreams, Aaron Filbey. From the first day she met him, she knew, deep down in her bones, that Aaron was the only one for her. Theirs was a cherished and enduring love. A little more than a year later, they welcomed their first child, Miranda, and then three years after that, came their son Noah. Audrea adored being a mother and put all of herself into being the best mom she could be to her children. She was their number one cheerleader as well as their fiercest advocate. She never missed an opportunity to tell them how very proud she was of them for being true to themselves and for their continued growth and self-expression. She and Miranda would often spend weekends going out for coffee, trying new foods, and visiting different nurseries in the hopes of finding some new plant babies to take home with them! She found great joy in watching and listening to Aaron and Noah playing their guitars together at home. As a family, they enjoyed playing games around the kitchen table, going to the beach with their dog, Stella, and snuggling with their three cats Ninja, Honey, and Badger. They also hosted an annual Summer Solstice Party at their Old Harris property in Garberville, where Aaron was born. Family and friends would come from all over to attend this epic week-long event. It was truly one of their favorite traditions and something they spent the whole year looking forward to.

Audrea knew, since childhood, that she wanted to become an elementary school teacher. She never imagined she would be anything else. After graduating with her teaching credential from Humboldt State University in 2003, she was offered a position at Ridgewood Elementary School. She taught for a total of 21 years! When it came to teaching, Audrea was one of the best. She dedicated 100% of herself to her students and treasured each and every class she ever taught. She would be found tirelessly working well into the evenings and on weekends to make sure her students received the highest level of education possible, while at the same time giving them the love and care they needed to grow and flourish. At the end of every day, and in the special, individualized notes she would give her students at the end of the school year, she would always say “And don’t forget, Mrs. Filbey loves you!” Her former students would return to her classroom well into their teen years and early adulthood to let her know what an impact she had made on their lives, how much they appreciated her, and that she was their favorite teacher ever. She was an exemplary educator and received the utmost respect and admiration from her colleagues. Her school family’s love for her is immeasurable. Because of this, her presence on campus will never truly be gone. They will all carry a little bit of her in their hearts, which will create a ripple effect that will be felt by future generations of students.

Over her lifetime, Audrea amassed a countless number of friendships, all significant in their own way. Her three lifelong best friends, Meara Hattan, Heather Vasquez and Laura (Lou) Tinari, each played an important role in her life. All three brought meaning, comfort, humor, companionship and deep love to Audrea. She treasured each of them and the unique gifts their friendships brought into her world. When she wasn’t spending time with her family or working, Audrea had many hobbies and passions that kept her busy! She loved gardening, cooking (always with a kitchen towel draped over her left shoulder (just like her dad), music and dancing (she could turn any event into a dance party), traveling, and anything to do with making and appreciating art, a talent passed on to her from her mother, no doubt. Audrea also loved spending time with her 8-year-old nephew, Cylas. She cherished her role as Cy’s “TT”. She would often say how he would brighten her spirit on even the darkest of days. He meant the world to her.

Audrea was a friend to everyone and an emotional rock to many. She loved to laugh; it was one of her primary love languages! Anyone who ever met her was changed for the better. Her kindness, compassion, empathy, generosity, and unconditional love were felt by the entire community. Her light shined so brightly, that wherever she went, those lucky enough to be around her felt and cherished the warm glow of her presence. She will be deeply and forever missed. Her spirit will be carried on in the hearts of every life she touched. Honor and remember her by embodying the qualities that made her the inspirational and unforgettable human being that she was. And never forget: Mrs. Filbey loves you!

A special thank you to the following people:

Aaron, for being by her side, loving, and supporting her for over 27 years. Your love, dedication, and devotion to her was a sight to behold. You were with her through every one of life’s ups and downs and did so while always being able to make her laugh. Thank you for being a true partner to her in every way imaginable.

Lou Tinari and Dani Hinrichs for creating Audrea’s GoFundMe account which provided Audrea and her family with the financial support they needed over the last two years during her cancer treatment at UCSF. And, also to Lou, for walking by Audrea’s side throughout her entire experience with cancer and being there with her in San Fransisco during every single one of her 14 chemotherapy treatments as well as the many radiation treatments to follow. Your support and dedication will be forever appreciated. Mike Richards, Cylas’ teacher, as well as one of Audrea’s closest friends and a colleague at Ridgewood, for providing Cylas with such love and care during this extremely difficult time.

Both Danielle, Miranda’s partner, and Chi, Noah’s partner. Knowing her children were in loving and supportive relationships brought her a great deal of peace and comfort.

Shannon and Iris Filbey for being the little lights that they are.

Audrea is survived by her father, Timothy Hafner; mother Sandra Andrews; husband, Aaron Filbey; daughter, Miranda Filbey; son, Noah Filbey; sister, Allie Brown; nephew, Cylas Engel; grandmother, Jeanene Smith; aunt Cynthia Andrews; father-in-law Bob Filbey; sister-in-law, Iris Filbey; brother-in-law, Shannon Filbey and many other family and friends.

She is preceded in death by grandfather, Frank Hafner; grandfather, Earl Andrews; grandmother Mary Hafner; Aunt Judy Hafner, and Uncle Bill Hafner.A community celebration of life will be held on Saturday, March 9, at the Elks Club in Eureka, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Bring the love in your heart, a story to share, and your dancing shoes…

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

Denis Raymond Lewis passed away peacefully surrounded by loving family at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Eureka at the age of 71 on January 29, 2024, after a struggle with cancer.

He was born in Montana in 1952 to Richard and Roberta Lewis. He attended McKinleyville High School, where he was a part of the 1970 Championship football team, before he attended College of the Redwoods and was part of their 1970 State Championship football team.

Denis had a deep love for his family and never forgot to show Kathy, his wife of 38 years, and his daughter, Kailee, just how much he loved them. They were the light of his life, and he would do anything for their happiness. He would often be seen hitting the bike trails all around Humboldt with Kathy and he never missed a chance to go grocery shopping with Kailee on Sundays.

An avid athlete, he rode the 100 miles of the Tour of the Unknown Coast, played for the Humboldt Rugby Club for 12 years, and played softball with a soft spot in his heart for the Babe’s One for the Road over 50s league team.

At 6 ft. 4 in., Denis was known as the gentle giant of the kindergarten classroom where he was a teacher’s aide for Ms. Moriarty at Ridgewood Elementary until he retired in 2010. For his “retirement” job, Denis worked as a delivery driver for Babe’s Pizza and Pasta, where he became a pro at folding boxes, driving just a bit too fast and sneaking pepperoni into his pockets for a snack.

Denis will always be remembered for his kindness and his rare brand of friendliness. He will live in our hearts forever and we will treasure every moment that we got to spend with such a great man.

Denis was preceded in death by his father Richard, his mother Bobbi, his brother Ricky and his sister Diane.

He was survived by his wife, Kathy; his daughter, Kailee; his son-in-law, Mike; his brother, David; his sister-in-law, Sue; his brother, Donny; his sister-in-law, Karen; and many other friends and family members.

An informal celebration of life will be held at Babe’s Pizza and Pasta located at 4015 Walnut Dr, Eureka, CA, United States, California starting at 3 p.m. on Sunday February 25, 2024. Please stop by, hang out, and bring your favorite memories of Denis.