Established as The Skamokawa Eagle in 1891
Established as The Skamokawa Eagle in 1891
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Clear your schedule for Sunday, Dec. 7, because Rainier Winterfest and Santa are officially kicking off the holiday season. Starting at 10 a.m. and running until 12:30 p.m. is the annual “Brunch with Santa.” Benefiting the Amani Center, this event takes place at the Rainier Riverfront and Senior Center at 48 W. 7th Street. Admission is $8 in advance or $10 at the door and includes breakfast, a visit with Santa, and table stations for kids to decorate cookies, write letters to Santa, and create custom hot cocoas. The event also offers raf...
Keep It Local Columbia County’s (KILCC) annual Wonderland holiday campaign is back and in full swing with more than 100 businesses participating. The seasonal effort, which runs until Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026, is designed to encourage county residents to shop local and support small business during the holiday season. As in prior years, the “Wonderland Card” is a fun way to try to turn dollars into rewards. Every $10 spent at participating locations equals one card stamp and, once filled and turned in, is eligible via a drawing to win more than...
If you live in Columbia County, especially Rainier, you’ve heard about Sarah Zuber and the continued quest by family, friends, and community advocates to find justice for her untimely death in 2019, which still remains a mystery. Despite an initial multi-agency response, there are still more questions than answers. “Hush,” an “investigative podcast uncovering the buried truth about critical stories in the Pacific Northwest,” is produced by Oregon Public Broadcast (OPB) and led by two investiga...
Strong Family Dentistry on West B Street opened in March of this year and took over the residence of the former dental office of retired Dr. Evans. Giving back to the community has been a priority for new owner Brad Strong (DDS), who previously operated locations in Longview and Clatskanie. A service Strong has brought to the Rainier location is “Free Dental Day,” which takes place Friday, Nov. 21, at the West B street location. Doors open at 9 a.m. for the first appointment. Sign-ups are first-come-first-serve, with the option of one free fill...
Starting this week, community members of Clatskanie and Rainier will notice Salvation Army red kettles placed in more than 40 businesses throughout the two towns. This effort is part of a holiday campaign to support the local Salvation Army Voucher program, which provides emergency financial relief for Rainier and Clatskanie residents. As discussed in an August article titled "Bell ringing funds local emergency-relief programs," the funding of the Salvation Army Voucher program is solely...
Every fall for the past 18 years, Sloan and Jennifer Nelson, owners of Ol’ Pastime Tavern, have organized a chili cook-off to help those in need. The prior owners established the tradition but the Nelsons added a charitable component as a way to give back. “The previous owner did it but not the same way,” said Sloan. “We tweaked it to be our own and made it a fundraiser.” This year’s event takes place on Sunday, Nov. 9, starting at 2 p.m. The rules are simple: show up with a crockpot of chili. Then cooks and patrons enjoy a round of taste te...
A NXT Clean Fuels representative recently spoke at the Oct. 9 Rainier Chamber of Commerce monthly meeting and provided a range of updates regarding the Westport location project status, next steps, and what it means for the community. NXT is focused on producing renewable diesel which can be used by any vehicle or piece of equipment that requires diesel fuel. According to the organization’s website, renewable diesel is made from a variety of organic waste materials and has “up to 85 percent lower carbon emissions than traditional diesel and...
Columbia County’s first Domestic Violence Awareness March will take place Saturday, Oct. 18. The march starts at 10 a.m. at McCormick Park in St. Helens and ends at St. Helens Library. Speakers and information tables of local resources, such as SAFE (Stop Abuse For Everyone) of Columbia County and Amani Center, will be on site. Attendees are encouraged to wear purple, the color associated with DV awareness and is sometimes known to represent “courage, survival, and the fight against abuse.” One of the organizers said, “We hope this march w...
Domestic Violence (DV) Awareness Month was established in 1987 to connect advocates and communities across the nation. In 1989, Congress designated October to raise awareness and education on this issue which impacts millions every year, especially women and children. According to the Domestic Violence Awareness Project “Domestic violence is best understood as a pattern of abusive behaviors–including physical, sexual, and psychological attacks as well as economic coercion–used by one intimate partner against another (adult or adolescent) to gai...
Long-standing Rainier Mayor Jerry Cole has filed to run for a county commissioner seat. The primary election takes place May 19, 2026, with the top two vote receivers advancing to a vote in the general election next November. "I've served the community as mayor for the last 24 years and before that on other boards," said Cole. "I think I've gained the experience to take it to the next step, and I can make a difference at the county level using some of the same common-sense approaches I've used o...
The Rainier City Library is the most recent addition to The Columbia River Maritime Museum’s library network membership program. The Astoria-based museum provides each library with two free membership cards for check-out by library card carrying members. “We’re thrilled to welcome Rainier City Library as the newest partner in our growing network,” said Columbia River Maritime Museum Director of External Engagement Caroline Wuebben. “Each participating library receives two membership cards that patrons can check out just like a book. Each card...
The Clatskanie Health & Safety Fair occurs every other year and will be back on Saturday, Oct. 4 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Clatskanie Middle/High School (471 Bel Air Dr.). The free event is open to the public and features a range of hands-on activities, vendors, local resources, and safety demonstrations. This biennial event has taken place for more than 20 years and was started as a collaboration between Clatskanie PUD and Clatskanie Fire Department to promote wellness, safety, family fun, as w...
The Amani Center is Columbia County's nonprofit child abuse assessment and children's advocacy center that provides medical and forensic investigative services for kids suspected to be victims of abuse, neglect, witness to violence, and drug endangerment. The center provides critical extensive services and often works with law enforcement agencies to help bring justice and safety to children who are in harmful and dangerous environments and situations. The organization received its non-profit status in 2000 and began working with children in...
The Columbia County Rider ("CC Rider") is Columbia County's local transit service for residents and visitors with bus service between the communities of Rainier, St. Helens, Scappoose, and many others. This service also includes trips to Portland and Kelso/Longview in Washington. The organization is hosting an open house on Thursday, Sept. 18 from 11a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Rainier Transit Center to share information about the new route and other CC Rider services. CC Rider Line 1 to and from Raini...
Rainier residents and anglers got a good look at The Columbia Gorge Sternwheeler over the weekend. The vessel was docked in Longview Sunday night and then positioned mid-river Labor Day morning for a private charter event for the Oregon Auto Dealers Association (OADA). Rainier was designated as the official pick-up point to board The Sternwheeler, as approximately 100 OADA representatives made their way to Gearheart, via Rainier and Astoria, for a convention. According to General Manager Steve...
Cardinal Services is a workplace and employment services business based out of St. Helens. Recently, their Business Development Manager, Annie Hughes, spoke at the Rainier Chamber of Commerce monthly meeting to discuss current hiring and employment trends and offer best practices to employers. “What we've seen and what is kind of happening everywhere is the workforce is changing,” said Hughes. “They have coined that a lot; the great reset for it. It's a convergence of trends that really have reshaped what our workforces look like. The natio...
Starting Monday, August 25, the Rainier Senior Center is testing out selling “grab-n-go” breakfast items Monday thru Friday from 5:30 to 9:30 a.m. The breakfast options will be available this week and next through Labor Day and, depending on response, may continue further into the fall. “The proximity of the Senior Center to the boat ramp and the foot traffic there could create a new revenue opportunity for us by offering early-morning breakfasts for anglers as they head out on the water,” said Rainier Senior Center President Jan Rich. “Depend...
During the holidays, most of us have encountered a Salvation Army bell ringer at the entrance to stores. What many may not know is that the funds collected by those drives stay local. In addition to a wide range of services, the Salvation Army offers a voucher program to help community members weather emergency situations. That program is solely funded by donations collected from bell-ringing activities. "In addition to the bell ring and the thrift stores, the Salvation Army has a fairly large...
On Wasser Road and at the border of Rainier and Goble is a new farm stand. A little spot with a big vision by sisters Janea Herrmann and Melissa Upperman, The Big Little Farms is the beginning of a larger dream: a lifestyle of homesteading and sustainability. Herrmann and Upperman come from a large family and talked for years of owning land and working for themselves. Upperman moved to the Rainier area in 2023 with her husband, Andrew, who built the farm stand. Having grown up in Beaverton and...
Tucked away in the countryside of Rainier is Black Buggy Furniture. With a billboard on Highway 30 being its main form of advertisement, Black Buggy Furniture is a collection of handmade Amish furniture stretching across a 2,400 square-foot showroom. Having been on the same property for the last 64 years, the store was opened 19 years ago by Reo McBride, father of current owner Andy McBride. A Portland native, Reo spent time as a missionary during Andy’s youth before working for Reynolds A...
The much-anticipated grand opening of the Rainier Oregon Historical Museum (ROHM) will take place Saturday, Aug. 9 from 1-4 p.m. The event will feature programming starting at 1:15pm with special guest speakers: Oregon state representatives Rob Nosse and Darcie Edwards; Executive Director of the Oregon Historical Society Kerry Tymchuk; Rainier Mayor Jerry Cole; and ROHM president, Kay Heflin and vice-president Duane Bernard. The creation of ROHM has been ten years in the making. What started in...
For our final installment, we’re looking at support resources and tips and tools to help in the pursuit of justice against stalking perpetrators - be it individual, proxy-stalkers, or multi-perpetrator community-based stalking and harassment - all of which happen in Columbia County on a regular basis. Being informed and aware is a critical line of defense. Capturing and tracking evidence as it happens is one of the most important things you can do. Even if the detail seems “insignificant,” it’s crucial to document everything. Keep a Stalkin...
Phil Fake's art career started when he was eight years old. He'd gather leftover paint-by-numbers materials and paint houses from the sidewalk and sell his young masterpieces for $1. His talent was apparent as early as second grade when his crayon drawing wasn't accepted at the local fair because the judges did not believe the caliber of the artistry could have been created by someone so young. Fake grew up in Roseburg, Ore., and practiced art throughout his life, eventually earning a bachelor o...
In previous articles we examined characteristics of stalking, changes to Oregon’s HB 4156 law, and impact on victims. This week, we will discuss how to work with local law enforcement. Reporting stalking crimes can be a scary and intimidating process and estimates show stalking is severely underreported. A study, “Law Enforcement and Stalking: How Law Enforcement Identifies Stalking and Handles Complaints,” found only 30-50 percent of stalking victims contact the police and arrest rates remain low at 12-24 percent. The study also states arrests...
One could justifiably say Rainier resident Mike Scoggins is a kid at heart and his business venture, Heroes and Villains, is a perfect reflection. Mike didn’t set out to open a toy store and arcade when he began collecting Funko Pop vinyl collectible toys 10 years ago, but his self-proclaimed addiction to buying them ultimately resulted in a unique and nostalgia-filled store with something for kids of all ages. Scoggins grew up in Scappoose but relocated to Beaverton when his parents needed t...
