Week of February 12, 2026
Week of February 12, 2026
During their meeting Tuesday, Feb. 10, the Wahkiakum County commissioners approved a VLAN (Virtual Local Area Network) project with More Power in the amount of $16,655.10. According to Tuesday’s agenda, the project is broken up into four milestones that are to be paid out of the Electronic Cumulative reserve fund. The four amounts are $2,102.10 and three separate installments of $4,851.00. Emergency Management Coordinator Austin Smith then presented before the commissioners a request to approve the $7,500 quote submitted by Incident...
Eager crab and oyster eaters packed the barn at Columbia River Ranch Retreats on Saturday, Feb. 7, for the 40th Annual Wahkiakum Chamber of Commerce "Crabby in Cathlamet" Crab and Oyster Feed. Along with being a significant fundraiser for Bald Eagle Days, the sold-out event was an opportunity for friends near and far to gather. Aside from the crab and all-you-can-eat oysters, attendees were able to make purchases of drinks, desserts, and raffle tickets. Up for raffle was a mix of donated items,...
With the NBA considering a possible expansion, Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson met Thursday with the league’s commissioner to offer assistance in returning the SuperSonics to Seattle. Ferguson had reached out to set what his spokesperson called an introductory meeting with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver. The two didn’t meet in person. Late last year, Silver indicated the league would decide in 2026 whether to pursue expansion, while floating Seattle and Las Vegas as two likely destinations. Seattle has been awaiting news of a return of its...
Last month near Clatskanie, the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) investigated a report of "strong fuel-like odors emitted from Columbia County's rock quarry due to a suspected release of gasoline or diesel to the ground," according to DEQ Northwest Region Public Affairs Specialist Michael Loch. "We discovered that soil contaminated with diesel was placed at the rock quarry," said Loch. "The contamination originated from a diesel leak caused by an equipment failure at the...
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. Cathlamet News Recovering Mrs. Ada Spears is recovering from Surgery in Swedish hospital in Seattle. She is reported to be doing well. Celebrate Birthday Friends and neighbors helped Grace Kesterson celebrate her 90th birthday on Feb. 5. Present were Hildegarde Anderson, Emma Swanback, Nena Bozanich, Alma Petersen, Bella Iverson, Ann Pedersen, Louise Lawrence and...
Wednesday, Feb. 4, marked the day that non-fiscal bills either stayed afloat or died. Among them were out-of-state demands on Washington hospitals, declawing cats, microchipping employees, and other issues. After being introduced, bills are assigned to a committee staffed with legislators who have an interest in their topic. They are then workshopped, receive public testimony and, eventually, are voted on in an executive session. Bills must get passed out of at least one committee by the cutoff day (which, for non-fiscal bills, was Feb. 4),...
Mylinh Schell of Rosburg was among those who earned dean's list recognition at George Fox University for the fall 2025 semester. Traditional undergraduate students must earn a 3.5 grade point average or above on 12 or more hours of graded work to earn a spot on the dean's list. Schell is a junior majoring in nursing. George Fox University is a Christian college classified by U.S. News & World Report as a “Best National University." More than 4,000 students attend classes on the university’s campus in Newberg, Ore., and at teaching centers...
I recently interviewed Cathlamet resident Stefi Hallstrom for our 50th installment of Reader's Fave, a casual interview with someone who shares their favorite book. Opening our conversation, Stefi said, "At the start of first grade, I was behind in reading. By the end, I was at a first-grade level; but, by the end of third grade, I was tested to be at college-level reading. Later, in fifth grade, I really began to read for pleasure. Also, there was a lot of trauma in our family, so I'd go and...
More Random (Outdoor) Thoughts To be honest, I never much liked March. It's an in-between month, for the most part, for the outdoors enthusiast in the Pacific Northwest (PNW). Waterfowl season, all 107 days of it, is over. Turkey season is still six weeks away. It's a little bit too early to be thinking seriously about crappie and bluegill, which will happen about the same time turkey season kicks off mid-April. Smelt, you ask? The WDFW has given "we wielders of the long-handled nets" tentative...
Planting asparagus Asparagus is a great vegetable that grows well here. The newer “male” varieties like Jersey Giant produce large numbers of stalks once the plants are fully established. The trick with asparagus, if you have heavy, clay soils, is not to plant the crowns in a trench like many books recommend. If you, like many of us, have clay soils, you are condemning these plants to waterlogging for six to eight months out of the year. They don’t like that and usually die. Put the crowns in at soil level, or a couple of inches below...
You may have noticed my column hasn’t appeared as frequently in the paper recently. As my life has shifted, so has the time I’m able to devote to regularly covering the West End. That said, I don’t want to see that coverage fade. It matters. The West End of Wahkiakum County is filled with community gatherings, school events, quiet acts of kindness, and the everyday moments that don’t make headlines but define who we are. It’s a place rich in history and shaped by hardworking people whose stories deserve to be told and remembered....
On Friday, Feb. 6, Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (WA-03), announced that she secured more than $10.5 million for eight local projects in communities across Southwest Washington through the Community Project Funding (CPF) program. Perez has now brought home more than $16.8 million in CPF funding during the FY2026 appropriations process. The representative requested this funding, and it was included in the 2026 funding bills that were recently signed into law. The remaining CPF request that Perez submitted will be under consideration as Congress...
On Saturday, Feb. 21, from 2 to 5 p.m., Clatskanie businesses will be hosting “The Chocolate Crawl.” This is a unique opportunity to visit our local businesses and share in some community fun. Participating businesses will have a variety of chocolate themed goodies, from truffles to wine-paired treats. Punch cards can be purchased for $12 from Flowers N Fluff (45 E Columbia River Hwy.) and NW Connection Trading Post (275 E Columbia River Hwy). Call 503-728-4222 (Flowers N Fluff) or 503-728-5054 (NW Connection Trading Post) for more...
Prior to my current career as a local government administrator, I spent years working as a reporter, covering city council, county commissioner and school board meetings for various media outlets. Most of those local government entities were in small Oregon towns, but that wasn’t all that they had in common. Every single one of them - and the rural communities they serve - were struggling in some way or another. As I sat through more and more meetings in more and more towns, I couldn’t help but notice that those struggles were often the...
The Columbia County Clerk’s Office has launched a new free service to help property owners monitor land records and protect against potential fraud. The Property Recording Alert Service (PRAS) notifies subscribers by email whenever a document is recorded and indexed under a monitored name. Property fraud such as recording a deed or other legal document without the property owner’s knowledge is rare but can be costly and time-consuming to resolve. PRAS serves as an early warning tool, allowing property owners to quickly identify and...
On Jan. 1, 2026, all schools in Oregon were ordered by Executive Order 25-09 to have a policy banning phone and personal electronic usage during the school day. This ban was not brought on by the school district, but by the state and signed by Governor Tina Kotek. The executive order makes a standard for the state, but allows districts to have some leeway with the policy in certain situations. For medical reasons, or for disabilities that rely on a device, you could be permitted to use your cellphone or personal electronic devices during...
Columbia County’s Solid Waste Division of the Public Works Department has announced its 2026 schedule of free Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) collection events, continuing an annual program that provides residents with a safe way to dispose of hazardous materials that do not belong in regular trash or recycling. HHW events are held each year to support environmental protection efforts and reduce risks to public health and safety. The 2026 schedule includes multiple collection opportunities in St. Helens, along with remote events in other...
When the federal government stopped making pennies, it left it up to states to decide how retailers deal with the change. In Washington, lawmakers are trying to come up with a uniform approach for merchants that is easy to understand for consumers. Legislation making its way through the House and Senate would direct retailers to round cash transactions up or down to the nearest 5 cents when they make change. Payments with credit or debit cards would not be affected. “This was not something that I wanted to do or write or have to deal with...
If you are interested in creating your own garden journal, or need a way to plan and keep track of your garden’s growth and successes for 2026, the Cathlamet Public Library (115 Columbia St.) will be offering a “Garden Journal Crafting and Planning” workshop. The event will take place Saturday, Feb. 28 from 2:30-4:30 p.m. inside the library. There will be local master gardeners there to guide and assist you. All materials and supplies will be provided for you to build, personalize, and craft your own garden journal for this coming...
John C Thomas Middle has announced the grade point averages recently earned by grades 6-8 The following students earned at 4.0 GPA: 8th grade: Olivia Gill, Alyssa McKay-Beach, Jaxson McPherson, Ava Mendez, Sawyer Peek. 7th grade:Aspen Cothren, Jeremiah Garrett, Emily Sutton. 6th grade: Jarrett Aegerter, Axton Mendez, Naveah Mendez. Students earning 3.2-3.9 GPA: 8th grade: Evan Bryant, Carter Carvalho, Autumn Cochran, Devlynn Ferguson, Jace Gibson, Leah Gonzales, Macie Helms-Masterson, Asher Jaksha, Aliya Mace, Max Ohrberg, Eloise Plank,...
Richard Joseph Casapulla, age 60, was born Nov. 18, 1965 in Paterson, New Jersey to Richard and Sharon Casapulla. The family relocated to Oregon in 1967 and settled in the Chapman area of Scappoose. Rich attended school in Scappoose, participating in football and wrestling. He enjoyed shop, auto repair and welding. Rich graduated from Scappoose High School in 1984. Rich enlisted in the US Navy in 1985 and worked in the engine room on the U.S.S. Belleau Wood. Upon his discharge in 1988, he relocated to North Bend, Wash. He attended Renton...
The Grays River Grange #124 would like to express its sincere gratitude to everyone who attended Darbary Novoselic's recent Textile and Tapestry Show. The event was a wonderful opportunity to bring together both visitors and residents. It was especially meaningful to welcome a couple of commissioners among the attendees. Your presence and support helped make the show a memorable occasion for all involved. We are truly thankful for your participation, which contributes greatly to the vibrancy of our community. Unfortunately, Darbary Novoselic...
The Clatskanie Tigers boys basketball team has shown a trend of either rebounding from a loss with a win or following up a drought with a winning streak and vice versa. Last Tuesday, Feb. 3, Clatskanie saw its two-game win streak snapped at Nestucca. The Bobcats jumped out to a 15-7 lead to end the first quarter and extended the lead a point by halftime. Nestucca outscored Clatskanie 17-14 in the third to extend the lead to double digits. Though the Tigers outscored the Bobcats by six in the...
Last Saturday at the WIAA State Cheerleading Championships at Battle Ground High School, Wahkiakum High School's cheer team took second overall in 1A competition. Being the only 1B school at the event, Wahkiakum competed in both the 2B and 1A Small Gameday division against six other schools. The only team to emerge from the competition higher than Wahkiakum was 1A State Champion Cascade Christian. In order to qualify, Wahkiakum needed to achieve minimum scores at WSCCA (Washington State Cheer...
February 2 7:54 a.m. A welfare check was requested of a Grays River resident. 4:48 p.m. The Cathlamet ambulance assisted an elderly person who was having trouble walking. The person declined transportation to the hospital 4:51 p.m. A driver on SR 4 reported a milk crate in the westbound lane at Cougar Ridge rd. 4:54 p.m. 7:05 p.m. An erratic driver was reported on SR4 in Cathlamet. February 3 9:53 a.m. Dispatch received a call from a vessel on its way to the Elochoman marina with a person experiencing chest pains. The Cathlamet ambulance...
Public Lien Sale Ron’s Self Mini Storage LLC, 323 W. B St. Rainier, OR. #127 Lacey Harlin, #118 Kari Hollander, #120 Deborah Sears 1pm on 02/20/26 @ Ron’s Self Mini Storage LLC on-site public auction, cash in hand...
