Week of March 5, 2026
Week of March 5, 2026
For the first time in over 60 years, your local newspaper has a new name. When new owner Brian Fleming took over The Wahkiakum County Eagle in mid-January, his first course of action in making the transition official was to change the paper’s name. Seeing everything his publication is covering not only in Washington’s Wahkiakum, Pacific, and Cowlitz counties but Oregon’s Columbia County as well, Fleming felt it would only be appropriate to “retire” the masthead and simply have it become “The Eagle.” “The Wahkiakum County Eagle...
In early 2022, Naselle resident Ken Johnson moved to the Pacific Northwest from Pahrump, Nev., and launched WWest Communications. Since then, the WWest CEO has found himself immersed in producing Columbia Coast TV and, most recently, writing and producing an upcoming feature horror film titled "Dark Redemption." Serving as one of the other three writers for the script, as well as director for the feature, is Ocean Park resident Jeremiah Rounds. The film won't be the first time Rounds and...
In late October of last year, Buddhist monks from the Huong Dao Vipassana Bhavana Center in Fort Worth, Texas, began a 2,300-mile "walk for peace" that concluded just over two weeks ago in Washington, D.C. Feeling inspired by the demonstration of peace, Cathlamet resident Collette McKnight said, "I saw the impact that these humble humans have had and I thought it was so remarkable. The world needs more of this." Despite her "longing inside to walk with them," Collette still looked for ways to...
The Wahkiakum PUD Commissioners met on Tuesday, March 3, for their regularly scheduled meeting. The group discussed the social media policy on which Director of Finance Shelby Garrett has been working. Commissioners and Garrett discussed whether to allow things such as messaging on the social media sites and opted to continue working on it, with Garrett instructed to take a look at how neighboring PUDs approach to social media. The commissioners were given an update on the 2026 Cathlamet Water System and Puget Island Water System Fluoride...
When we “spring forward” and set our clocks ahead one hour, it can feel like a small change, but for older adults, that lost hour of sleep can affect energy, mood, and daily routines for days or even weeks. The good news? A few simple steps can make the transition smoother and safer. Protect your sleep Sleep disruptions are one of the most common challenges after Daylight Saving Time. Shift gradually. A few days before the time change, try going to bed and waking up 10 - 15 minutes earlier each day. Keep a consistent routine. Go to bed...
Cowlitz County may fall under rural designation again under a proposed bill that changes the population thresholds. Since 1999, Washington has designated a county as “rural” if it has a population density of 100 people or less per square mile. In 2025, Cowlitz County surpassed that threshold, removing its rural designation. Just under 30 of Washington’s 39 counties are designated ”rural,’ allowing those counties to be eligible for certain economic grants and redevelopment grants. In these counties, the distance between homes and...
Lower Columbia College is pleased to announce that Washington State Poet Laureate Derek Sheffield will be featured at Longview's Northwest Voices event on March 19, 2026. A writing workshop will occur from 3-4:30 p.m. in the Main Building (MAIN 119) on the Lower Columbia College campus (1600 Maple St.). Following the workshop, a reading will begin at the Longview Public Library auditorium at 5:30 pm. All events are free and open to the public. Derek Sheffield is the 2025-2027 Washington State...
Because the dates line up, The Eagle has decided to reprint events from 1976. Thank you to volunteer Julie O’Neil and volunteer curator, genealogist, and board member Kari Kandoll. Puget Island News Visitor from Norway Loves Area and People Mrs. Gudrun Enge of Vik, Helgeland, Norway, arrived at Portland International airport on February 16. Here she visited relatives, made new friends and found a love for this area and its people probably brought on by the friendly atmosphere and peaceful surroundings reminding her of her home in Norway....
During the Wahkiakum County Commissioners meeting Tuesday, March 3, students representing the Youth Cannabis and Commercial Tobacco Prevention Program (YCCTPP) announced the group will be hosting a teen movie night Thursday, March 12 from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Hope Center (320 S Third Street). The event, titled “Find Your Good,” will feature a screening of the Disney film “Zootopia 2,” as well as a taco bar, desserts, interactive games, and activities. The objective of the event is to provide a “safe gathering place for teens.” Those...
Has it really been yet another week? It's said that 'time flies when you're having fun.' If that's the case, I'm having, unbeknownst to me, a hell of a lot of fun out here in the Elochoman Valley. It's a busy time of year, especially when we have blue skies and 62 degrees. There's grass to be mown and trees to be pruned. It's certainly not too early to be planting tiny tomato seeds and potatoes. The steelheaders are still working the Elochoman, and the marina is starting, albeit slowly, to get...
I recently interviewed Dan Bigelow for our 53rd installment of Reader's Fave, a casual interview with someone who shares their favorite book. Bigelow lives in the Elochoman Valley. We began our discussion with one of Bigelow's favorites, the classic fantasy novel "The Hobbit" by J.R.R. Tolkien. "I can't remember a time [when] I haven't read it," he said. "I maybe read it six to eight times in grade school. It's a much simpler book compared to the 'Lord of the Ring' series. 'The Hobbit' is an...
Per the request of the GRFCD directors board please note that the minutes that were used to write this report are “unapproved and remain in draft form”. During its monthly meeting on Thursday, Feb. 12, the Grays River Flood Control District (GRFCD) met, with Directors Stephanie Sotka and Judy Johnson present, as well as 10 other participants. Following the approval of the January meeting’s minutes, Wahkiakum Conservation District representative Brooke Bennett stated the Grange “has discussed the issue of DOE (Department of Ecology)...
On Feb. 26, Wahkiakum County Health and Human Services hosted a grand opening ceremony at Johnson Park Community Center, unveiling the West End Healthcare Kiosk. County Commissioner Mark Latham cut the blue ribbon to officially mark the occasion. Attendees were given a demonstration on how the kiosk works, along with free promotional items and cake to celebrate the launch. Sponsorship from CHOICE Regional Health Network provided $2,500 worth of products to stock the machine. The kiosks...
Workforce Southwest Washington (WSW), the region’s local workforce development board, is proud to partner with Wahkiakum School District, Naselle-Grays River Valley School District, Next Success, and Wahkiakum Health and Human Services to host a career fair serving students from two of the area’s most rural school communities. The event will take place at Wahkiakum High School (500 S Third St.) on Thursday, March 12, from 9 a.m. to noon. For years, WSW has worked alongside local educators, employers, and community organizations to...
Columbia County is estimated to house around 58,000 residents. Approximately 6,000 reside within the 97048 ZIP code boundaries, which is primarily Rainier with some outskirts of Goble included. HOPE of Rainier is the local food pantry, a non-profit that provides weekly food boxes, weekend food backpacks for students, and additional emergency financial and food-relief services. In 2025, HOPE of Rainier provided 1,769 monthly food boxes to local families, representing 4,567 individuals. This...
Sandy, known to most as "Jake" was born to Oscar & Ardette Jacobson who had lived their entire lives on Puget Island, March 30, 1940. Sandy was a true Norwegian and survived a couple of life altering events before succumbing on January 31, 2026. Sandy is survived by a sister Marilyn, of Washougl, a daughter, Julie of Longview and a son, Scott of Skamokawa. She had Three Grandchildren and seven Great-Grandchildren and was proceeded in death by the youngest Great-Grandchild, Otto. Sandy worked as...
To The Eagle, The current GRFCD Directors (volunteers) are aware of problems with district boundaries and assessments and began working to address the issues in 2024, with help from the Wahkiakum County GIS and Assessors Offices. The results include a corrected base map/parcel listing and assessment corrections. State law calls for annual review of flood control district assessments/parcels, a job which had not been done for many years. Our work first found procedural errors within the Assessors Office that needed correction. Following that,...
The Washington 1B State Basketball Championships are underway. While the Naselle girls basketball team has been eliminated following a tight loss in the first round, the Wahkiakum boys basketball team is pressing on, despite taking a loss to the #1 seed. Wahkiakum prepares for familiar foe Thanks to their District 4 champion status, the Mules got a bye into the second round of the state playoffs. As a result, they played #1-seeded Lummi Nation at Lynden High School on Saturday, Feb. 28. It...
February 23 1:48 a.m. A Cathlamet resident called to complain about excessive noise coming from a business they lived above that had become loud enough that a sound machine couldn’t cover the noise and was keeping them and their infant awake. The caller just wanted the incident documented. 8:58 a.m. A driver on Elochoman Valley Road reported a cow out in the roadway. 2:23 p.m. A Cathlamet resident was transported to the hospital for breathing difficulties. 3:33 p.m. A Skamokawa resident reported the theft of three firearms and other items....
