Week of December 11, 2025
Week of December 11, 2025
Over the past few days, Wahkiakum County has experienced what Sheriff John Mason has described as "record-breaking flooding." Last Friday, Dec. 5, the Wahkiakum County Department of Emergency Management posted a "heavy rain potential" warning for Monday, Dec. 8 - Wednesday, Dec. 10. The warning stated, "an atmospheric river will bring substantial rainfall to the Pacific Northwest next week" and "the heaviest rain is likely Monday through Wednesday." The projection was a 72-hour probability of...
Last Saturday's Shop with a Cop event had a solid turnout, with plenty of help being offered across the board. Among those supporting the event were the Wahkiakum County Sheriff's Department, Grays River Fire Department, Washington State Patrol, Washington State Department of Corrections, Wahkiakum Co Emergency Management, NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) Officer Young, Clatsop County Sheriff's Office, The Families of Wahkiakum County Sheriff's Office. Staff from Bank of...
By Kirk McKnight During Tuesday’s Wahkiakum County Commissioners’ meeting, VFW (Veterans of Foreign Wars) Post 5297 Commander Bill Tawater presented before the commissioners a request to have more adequate lighting before the Veteran’s Memorial in front of the county courthouse. With the cost being approximately $1,400, Tawater requested the county, town, Wahkiakum West, American Legion Post 0111 and Wahkiakum VFW Post 5297 share the cost at $280.06 per participant. The commissioners unanimously approved Tawater’s request. Wahkiakum...
Today is Thursday, Dec. 11, the 345th day of 2025. There are 20 days left in the year. Today in history: On Dec. 11, 1936, Britain’s King Edward VIII abdicated the throne so he could marry American divorcee Wallis Warfield Simpson; his brother, Prince Albert, became King George VI. Also on this date: In 1816, Indiana was admitted to the Union as the 19th U.S. state. In 1946, the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) was established. In 1972, Apollo 17 commander Gene Cernan guided lander Challenger to a touchdown...
The holidays are one of the few times many adult children see their parents in person all year. If you went home feeling uneasy and noticing your dad’s driving isn’t what it used to be, or your mom seems more forgetful, that’s valuable information. Now’s the time to turn those observations into action. Here’s a simple guide to help you sort through what you noticed and plan next steps without getting overwhelmed. Step one is to write down what you observed. Before the details fade, jot down notes about physical changes like weight...
Cathlamet Library now has a free membership pass for you to enjoy at the Rice Museum of Rocks & Minerals. This museum houses a world-class collection recognized as the finest in the Pacific Northwest and one of the best in the nation. Nestled on 23 acres in a mid-century home and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, there's always something new to discover either inside the various galleries or outside on the grounds, all while learning about the original Rice family who founded...
The Wahkiakum County Fair will be having a Christmas lighting event for kids (and adults with Christmas spirit) this Sat from 5-8 p.m. They will have Santa, goats, marshmallow roasting, cookies, hot chocolate and if course lots of Christmas blow ups, and hay...
The weather forecast definitely wasn’t exaggerated this week. It poured heavily, straight through Sunday and into Monday and, by late Monday night, the Grays River had had enough. It jumped its banks and spread across the valley, swallowing fields, creeping into barns, and shutting down roads all over the West End. SR4 went under in Grays River and Seal River, and parts of Naselle weren’t any better. The Grays River Grange Christmas party was canceled, and Naselle Schools called off school for the day on Tuesday. Mark and I slogged out...
It should come as no surprise to those of you who have followed my ramblings here in The Eagle that I question many things. For instance, where does time go? I mean, where exactly is noon yesterday? Did it simply get lumped into the past, or is it actually somewhere where, if given an adventurous Uber driver, one could travel to? I asked my father that same question years ago and, if memory serves, he gave me his regular deadpan look, mumbled something akin to 'Uh...huh,' and went back to...
The following is a guest editorial written by a student of Clatskanie Middle High School. The views presented do not necessarily reflect those of The Wahkiakum County Eagle. AI (Artificial intelligence)isn't real. We may have songs that top the charts made by AI. We may have essays written by AI. We are starting to get photos that don't look like they are made from AI. We have chatbots, either for romantic reasons, to make friends, for therapy, or to cheat. AI is quite literally taking over the world. Every time you search on Google, you get...
The Beaver Homes Grange is hosting its annual “Santa’s Workshop” this Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 13-14, and the following Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 20-21, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. All ages are welcome and cost is $4 for those 13 and older and free for those 12 and under. The Beaver Homes Grange has held the holiday event the past six years. The original inspiration was offering a local family event that didn’t break the bank for entertainment or Santa photo opportunities. The upstairs of the building is a maze decorated throughout with...
Columbia Health Services (CHS) is a local non-profit organization providing health and medical care throughout Columbia County. This includes prevention services, mental health, clinical care, and nutrition education through the WIC program. The Rainier Health Center opened in 2009 and began as a student-focused service but expanded services in 2013 to include the broader community from its location on the Rainier High School Campus. CHS is funded through a variety of channels, including funding for being a school-based health center;...
It’s easy to believe that our nation is more divided than it’s ever been. Anyone who spends enough time on social media can see how quickly posts and threads can devolve into extended arguments between strangers. Headlines in legacy media outlets highlight conflicts among people and groups of differing political ideologies. Neighbors, friends, and family members are now routinely cut off from each other based on these perceived divisions. The simple fact is that none of us are better off because of it. The good news is it doesn’t have...
What do you do for December gardens? The following is a list of actions that apply to gardeners this time of year: apply lime. Take a soil test if you haven’t had one recently. If you have questions, call the Extension office for details. Stay off your lawn while it is so soggy. Wet soils compact with weight on them, and the pore spaces that allow drainage and air around the roots get squished. Cover your compost pile to speed up the composting process. Cover edible herbaceous perennials like rhubarb and asparagus with compost or...
I recently interviewed Abigail Tsybikova for our 41st installment of Reader’s Fave, a casual interview with someone who shares their favorite book. Abigail is a resident of Skamokawa and works in Cathlamet. Abigail shared how she came down to two books to choose from, leaving the other book in her car, she chose to share about “The Bible,” where she uses the King James Version but usually reads it in the Russian language. “The Bible is my favorite because it’s the only book that I believe to be completely true,” said Abigail....
The Wahkiakum High School cheer team hit the mats on Saturday, Dec. 6, at the "Comp in the Swamp" cheer competition hosted by Decatur High School. The Mules brought a small but mighty squad: five cheerleaders in uniform and their spirited mascot, Rowdy the Mule. Competing in the Small Game Day Division, the Mules faced an uphill battle against eight teams representing 1A, 2A, 3A and 4A schools across Washington. Team sizes ranged from five to 15 athletes, making Wahkiakum the smallest squad in...
The library recently had 17 people drop in on a Wednesday night to visit, read alone, play some music, or work at the craft table. The overhead lights are turned-off during this time, which allows 10 table lamps to provide a warm and welcoming environment in which everyone can relax. There were home-made cookies and chocolates, along with other yummy holiday delights from various homes for folks to enjoy. A fort with pillows and a blanket was even made by one of the kids in the Children's...
To The Eagle, Wow...we just had Thanksgiving and, soon, it will be Christmas and the New Year. While watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade and cooking, I was so thankful that they didn't politicize it. Feeling thankful, with the endorphins from gratitude and thankfulness, I realized there was no stress, no anxiety, no feelings of sadness of not being with my family. I was happy. It made me think about our fast-paced existence and what gratitude does to our minds and bodies. Having feelings of gratitude and thankfulness improves our...
To The Eagle, For decades, the debate over salmon recovery in the Columbia River Basin has centered on dams, fish ladders, and hatchery reforms. Yet the most important battleground in this struggle lies far downstream, in the places we seldom measure and rarely manage: the confluence zones where tributaries like the Cowlitz, Kalama, Lewis, Willamette, and Sandy meet the Columbia. These are the frontlines of the river, and we are ignoring them at our peril. Historically, these junctions served as natural rest stops for migrating salmon—safe...
To The Eagle, Trojan Park stores 450 tons of highly-radioactive nuclear waste inside 34 dry casks just 196.94 feet from the Columbia River. Inside each of the 34 dry casks, stored out in the open, are 781 highly-radioactive, spent fuel rods that once powered Trojan’s nuclear reactor. Inside these spent fuel rods are pellets with ionizing radiation a.k.a. radioactive isotopes: uranium-238 (half-life 4.5 billion years) and plutonium-23, (half-life 24,100 years). Medical reports – from over the decades and abroad – state any exposure to...
To The Eagle, I would like to thank the Cathlamet Market staff for keeping the market open during all our holidays this season. What a great addition to our community. Julie O’Neil Puget...
To The Eagle, The Cathlamet Public Library Wishes to thank Paul Kwitek. You recently built a wood book rack and mounted it to the wall for our Children’s Book Corner, offering easy access for children to these particular books. We appreciate you volunteering your time and skills to this wonderful addition in our library. Thank you, Paul! Cathlamet Public...
The Clatskanie girls varsity basketball team began its 2025-2026 season with a 38-23 home win over Warrenton last Wednesday. With the score tied 8-8 going into the second quarter, Clatskanie was able to capture a lead and stretch it out the remainder of the game. Ther Tigers had a 39.1 field-goal percentage, including 25 percent from beyond the three-point line. The turnover battle between Clatskanie and Warrenton was pretty even, but the Tigers were able to score 19 points off of Warrenton's...
The Clatskanie Tigers varsity boys basketball team opened its 2025-2026 season last week by defeating both Warrenton and Central Linn. Outscoring the Warriors in every quarter but one, Clatskanie defeated Warrenton 56-45 last Wednesday in the season opener. Junior Michael Simpson led the team in points with 33, rebounds with 11, and blocks with two. Junior Gunner Engen led the Tigers in assists with eight, while sophomore Will Van Voorst had six steals to lead the team. Dominating in nearly...
It's basketball season for the Mules boys and the Comets girls and, before either program gets into the jam-packed December schedule, let's hear from the teams' head coaches about what they hope this season has in store and what they expect from their teams. Wahkiakum boys basketball After making the playoffs last season and graduating just one senior, the Mules boys basketball team holds plenty of promise for this season. Head Coach Rob Garrett and the Mules have high hopes, and the focus is...
Cathlamet resident reported that an elderly person had knocked on her door and was lost. Deputies contacted the elderly person’s spouse and they were able to go home safely. 11:41 a.m. A Cathlamet resident reported that their vehicle was side-swiped at their residence. 12:43 p.m. A Cathlamet business owner reported that they believed they were being scammed by a vendor and wanted to speak with a deputy. 1:18 p.m. A driver on SR 4 called to complain about an erratic driver. December 2 3:22 a.m. A Grays River resident reported a suspicious...
