Established as The Skamokawa Eagle in 1891
Established as The Skamokawa Eagle in 1891
Sorted by date Results 1 - 25 of 62
Clatskanie City Council held its monthly meeting on Wednesday, April 1. The agenda focused on a multi-sport court refurbishment initiative led by Karen Marx. The council unanimously approved the resolution, a required qualification by the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department in pursuit of $225,000 in grant funding. The proposed project will convert two existing tennis courts and the “Kiwanis ‘kids’ slab into one tennis court, a basketball court, and two pickleball courts. The City also approved a motion to allocate $25,000 from the Scout...
The Columbia County Board of Commissioners held their weekly meeting Wednesday, April 1 at the John Gumm Building. Elected Commissioners Casey Garrett, Margaret McGruder and Kellie Jo Smith were in attendance. The meeting is open to the public and available online. During open comment, a resident questioned Commissioner Garret’s ongoing tenure as an acting commissioner given recent censures. Executive director of SAFE of Columbia County Nithish Thomas was the meeting’s first speaker, presenting April as National Sexual Assault Awareness Month a...
Dawnielle Neville comes from a line of Rainier locals. Her grandfather homesteaded a property off Avery, and their current home on Thistle Hill was inherited from her father who also worked the land. In 2020, Neville formulated Thistle Hill Farm as a business when she began experimenting with baking sourdough, an activity that skyrocketed during the pandemic. "It's my personality where if I get intrigued by something then I start researching it and ask, 'I can do this, right,'" said Neville....
Rainier City Council held its monthly public meeting on Monday, Mar. 2, with discussions about the forthcoming Columbia 911 Communications District tax levy dominating the session. The 911 Communications District has seen a shake-up and changes of guard the past 18 months. Scappoose City Council President and 911 Board Member Tyler Miller challenged the levy, citing available reserve funds, unresolved infrastructure issues, and, according to Miller, “very precise, documented incidents of [financial] waste that has occurred.” The levy is a for...
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 inclu...
Brandon Criss, the new owner of Rainier Grocery Outlet, is no stranger to the ins and outs of operating a Grocery Outlet franchise. His education started in 2018 working with his parents who took ownership of a Springfield, Ore., store. In 2019, the family expanded to a second store in Myrtle Creek, Ore., and Criss worked there full time, starting as a floor worker and, eventually, becoming store manager. In July 2025, he went into Grocery Outlet's Aspiring Operators Training Program with the...
Posh Resale opened in Rainier mid-2025, bringing quality merchandise and brand names at deeply discounted prices. The inventory includes lightly used or new-with-tag clothing at deeply discounted prices from well-known brands to high-end designers for both men and women. According to store Manager Britannia Jones, sales have been steady. Also, a recent opportunity to expand into the neighboring storefront - formerly Sabor Mixto - has allowed the store to double in size and increase inventory...
On Feb. 17, 2026 the Oregon Legislature unanimously passed HB 4045, also known as "Kristil's Law", that enhances safety for victims of stalking and domestic violence. In a published statement Representative Kevin L. Mannix, one of the bill's chief sponsors said, “I’m very pleased that the House unanimously passed this important bill, which corrects a dangerous gap in the current system. This bill recognizes a simple truth: In domestic violence and stalking cases, speed saves lives.” In Decem...
During the months of November and December, 50 businesses in Clatskanie and Rainier participated in a fundraising campaign to support the Salvation Army’s local voucher program. The program provides emergency financial relief for area residents. Each business hosted a counter kettle and encouraged donations throughout the holiday season. This effort was in addition to annual bell-ringing activities, which has typically been the sole source of donations to fund the program on a yearly basis. The Clatskanie and Rainier Chambers of Commerce led t...
Columbia River PUD has two open opportunities to support local non-profits: Vehicle Wash and Economic Development Grant programs. The Vehicle Wash program invites local non-profit groups to apply to wash approximately 10 Columbia River PUD vehicles that include bucket trucks, service trucks, passenger cars, and sport-utility vehicles in exchange for a $500 check made out to the non-profit. Non-profits submit through the CRPUD website under the “Our Community” section and can select preferred dates. If there are more groups interested than dat...
Columbia Economic Team (CET) abruptly announced the shuttering of its operations mid-December, laying off staff and closing its doors by mid-January. CET was a nonprofit organization focused on developing business and industry in Columbia County and featured membership and representation from leading businesses of industry and elected politicians. The organization was financially supported via paid membership and grants. In addition to focusing on economic impact, such as recruiting companies to the area, CET also housed other organizations...
The much anticipated opening of Wrae Collective in Rainier is happened Saturday, Jan. 17, with the doors opening at 11 a.m. The store follows a "refillery" model, offering items in bulk purchased by weight. Containers are available for purchase. Shoppers can also bring clean, dry containers from home, fill them with the products they need, and pay by the ounce. "You're not forced to buy another plastic bottle every time you need soap, or a whole spice jar when you only need half an ounce," said...
Two Rainier community members are celebrating the holiday season with newly published book titles. Sandi (S.K..) Mueller recently published her third children's book, "The Pinevale Kids: First day of school." The book is the first in a new series by Mueller. Also, City Administrator Scott Jorgensen recently published his fifth book, "She loves you stupid! (A Gen X love story)." The book is inspired by real-life events. Both authors have a lifetime love of crafting words in one way or another....
Charity Lickfold, owner of Clatskanie-based Fit and Phat Fitness brand, is an entrepreneur at heart and knows opportunity when she sees it. Her business ownership journey started at 13 years old, starting and running a score-keeping business for local sports with 45 employees on payroll. One could say she was born with it; her entrepreneurial parents set an example from a young age. Her mother, a national baton-twirling champion as a child, also taught baton to others at the age of 13. She...
Nestled among storefronts on A street along the waterfront in Rainier and two doors down from Hometown Pizza is Bridgeway Uniques and more. The store presents an 1800-square-foot showcase full of hidden treasures waiting to be discovered. When walking past or peeking in, one might think the front room is where everything ends. However, enter through a doorway connected to the main showroom, and you'll find two additional side rooms and one large room in the back. Opened in fall of 2023,...
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;...
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...
