Established as The Skamokawa Eagle in 1891
Established as The Skamokawa Eagle in 1891
Sorted by date Results 1026 - 1050 of 2280
Wahkiakum County officials say an existing branch of local government will be able to handle the local share of projects to deposit dredged sand on eroding Puget Island shorelines. County officials formed the Puget Island Flood Control Zone District a decade ago to incorporate local residents into efforts to address river bank erosion. Once again, Island residents and county officials are working with the US Army Corps of Engineers to have sand dredged from the shipping channel placed along eroding shorelines. One of the points to address is...
Four Wahkiakum Mule wrestlers qualified for this year's state Mat Classic championship tournament this Friday and Saturday at the Tacoma Dome. Luke Stacey, 132 lbs., Alex Johnson, 138 lbs., and Trystan Mendez, 182 lbs., all won their weight classes, and Kody Vik, 160 lbs., placed second in his. As a team, they placed fifth overall. All four are seniors. The championship tournament starts with eight wrestlers in each class. Stacey will open against freshman Travis Knauff of Garfield/Palouse....
Medical examiners have identified the skeletal remains of a body found February 21, 2013, near Brookfield, Wahkiakum County Sheriff Mark Howie said this week. The deceased was Molly Waddington, a 44-year-old Kelso woman who had vanished the previous year, Howie said. Initial efforts using DNA were unsuccessful because the remains were just scattered bones, Howie said, but updated technology was able to match them to a family and lead to identification. The cause of death is still unknown, Howie...
The Wahkiakum Lady Mules will play Central League rival Adna Tuesday evening in a SW 2B Girls District Tournament semifinal game, 8 p.m., at Tumwater High School. The Mules beat the Onalaska Loggers 47-26 on Saturday to advance to the semifinals. In the other semifinal, Toutle Lake will take on Napavine, also at Tumwater, 6:30 p.m. The winners face off in the championship game February 21, 6 p.m., at WF West High School Chehalis. The Adna/Wahkiakum loser will play Thursday, 8 p.m., at Rochester. The Toutle/Napavine loser will play at 6:30 p.m....
Wahkiakum County commissioners and their counterparts from Port District No. 2 are far apart on a possible agreement to transfer management of the county fairgrounds from the county to the port district. Commissioners from Port 2 made the suggestion late last year, and the two boards began discussing the possibility in January. County commissioners asked port commissioners for a written proposal, and that came to the table Tuesday for a workshop discussion attended by over a dozen supporters of...
Voters in the Naselle/Grays River Valley School District on Tuesday approved a three-year, $715,000 special levy for maintenance and operations. Total vote in Wahkiakum and Pacific County precincts was 418 yes, 205 no, 67 percent in favor. In Wahkiakum precincts, the vote was 129-97, 57 percent in favor, and in Pacific County, the vote was 289-108, 72.8 percent in favor. Election officers will count more mail-in ballots later this week. The levy's assessment would be $3.05 per $1,000 of assessed property value, one cent higher than the levy it...
The Hungry Highway in western Wahkiakum County will be closed three days next week so the county road department can repair slide damage. The closure is set for Tuesday through Thursday. The slope below the road, which connects the Salmon Creek and Upper Naselle River roads, slid away in a heavy rain storm January 5, forcing closure of a lane of travel and leaving utility lines hanging in open air. Public Works Director Pete Ringen said Tuesday that representatives of state and federal transportation agencies said they believe the repair will...
It didn't take long for the Wahkiakum Lady Mules to pick up the pieces. Last Thursday, they entertained the Toutle Lake Ducks in the final regular season game, a game whose winner would claim the Central League Championship. After a slow start, the Mules turned on the defense and led 24-15 after at halftime. It was Toutle's turn in the second half, and they outscored the Mules 15-0 in the last four minutes to win 46-36. Baylee Olsen led the Mule scoring with 11 points. Kaylee Bryant and Tori...
The Toutle Lake Ducks on Thursday outscored the Wahkiakum Lady Mules 15-0 in the last four minutes to win a 46-36 ballgame and claim the Central League girls championship. Toutle Lake jumped to a 9-0 start, but the Mules came back with good defense and hot shooting to lead 24-15 at halftime. The Duck defense took control in the second half. See the February 12 edition of The Eagle for a full report....
The Wahkiakum Lady Mules rolled over South Bend for a 67-27 win in the opening round of the Southwest District 2B girls basketball tournament. South Bend couldn't handle the Mules' defense and ball handling. The Mules shot to a 25-9 first quarter lead. Action slowed in the second quarter as both coaches started substituting freely, and the Mules led 39-15 at halftime. With a 60-19 lead at the end of the third quarter, the running clock started to end the game quickly. The Mules will play the...
Work on the Steamboat Slough Road dike and wetland habitat construction should be completed this year, officials from the US Army Corps of Engineers and US Fish and Wildlife Service said Tuesday. Officials from the Corps and Fish and Wildlife Service requested a meeting with the Wahkiakum County Board of Commissioners to discuss the project's progress. Last year, a contractor accomplished the major parts of the job--building a new dike set back from the eroding Steamboat Slough Road dike and creating a new wetland connected to the Columbia by...
Travelers on SR 4 or wanting to use the Wahkiakum County ferry faced delays and closures this week. The Washington State Department of Transportation closed the eastbound lane of SR 4 near Stella to replace planks on a bridge supporting the traffic lane. The department said it has been monitoring the aging structure for several years, and analysis from a recent inspection shows significant acceleration of the deterioration of the timber bridge deck on a short section of this bridge. Meanwhile ferry service was halted Monday so that a...
Wahkiakum County commissioners will hold public hearings before updating the county's septic sewer and food safety ordinances on February 17. "The changes won't increase anything for anybody," Sue Cameron, director of the Department of Health and Human Services, said Tuesday in asking the board to hold the hearings. "It just puts in place what we're already doing." Administrative assistant Chris Weiler added that the proposed changes simply refer to changed numbers in the Washington Administrative Code. "Our current code refers to a portion of...
When Wahkiakum County's new ferry arrives for duty at the end of February, it will carry light loads for a while. For a variety of reasons, upgrades to the ramps at Puget Island and Westport, Ore., landings won't be completed, Wahkiakum County Public Works Director Pete Ringen said last week. And the ramps may not be completely ready until March, possibly April, he said. Clatsop County is rebuilding the Westport ramp to accommodate the new, larger ferry. Ringen said the contractor experienced delays in approval of permits needed for the work....
Wahkiakum County commissioners expressed differing ideas Tuesday on how to move forward with the suggestion that Port District 2 assume management of the Wahkiakum County Fairgrounds and Fairgrounds Park. Commissioner Dan Cothren recently visited the Port District 2 board of commissioners to discuss the idea, and news of the talks caused concern among personnel and volunteers involved with the Wahkiakum County Fair. Those concerns came to the surface last week. Both county and port commissioners have emphasized they don't want to interfere...
A conversation between commissioners of Wahkiakum County and Port District 2 about management of the Wahkiakum County Fairgrounds and Fairgrounds Park drew concern from county fair personnel and volunteers on Tuesday. A month ago, County Commissioner Dan Cothren visited the meeting of Port 2 Commissioners Lori Scott, Kayrene Gilbertsen and Brian O’Connor to talk about transferring management of the fair properties from the county to Port 2. Port commissioners said they would welcome the challenge of operating the properties in a revenue g...
Members of the Cathlamet Town Council considered business ranging from a contract for water sales to formation of a library district when it met Tuesday. Councilmember David Goodroe reported he and negotiators for Wahkiakum PUD had reached an agreement in principle to update their contract for water sales. The negotiations have been underway for 2.5 years. The town had achieved some of its goals, he said. The PUD agreed to include depreciation costs, including system improvements made in 1999, in the rates, and they agreed to increase rates...
Wahkiakum County officials are planning to work with other local agencies and the US Army Corps of Engineers to establish a continuing beach nourishment program for Puget Island. Erosion is again threatening waterfront homes on East Sunny Sands Road, and the Columbia continues to erode the North Welcome Slough Road dike and also along Ohrberg’s Beach. County Commissioner Dan Cothren on Monday described the process to include the areas in the dredged sand disposal sites at a meeting with Sunny Sands residents, and Tuesday, he reviewed the p...
Sunday night's rain storm dumped 2.5 inches or more on the Wahkiakum County and Naselle regions and caused a variety of flooding and slide problems. The Grays, Naselle and Elochoman RIvers all went over their banks and flooded low areas. Wahkiakum County Public Works Director Pete Ringen said there were small landslides on East Valley, Altoona/Pillar Rock, Oneida and Hungry Highway roads. Ringen said flood water would have to recede off Loop Road so that the road crew could see if it had been...
by Rick Nelson Wahkiakum County commissioners on Tuesday worked their way through a light agenda. Commissioners approved resolutions fixing the 2015 county budgets, setting taxes for 2015 (see related story in this issue), and working on other business, including: --Commissioners approved a contract extension for Wahkiakum on the Move's Medicaid Transportation Contract, which provides $55,000 to help fund the county's bus service. Commissioner Blair Brady suggested that transportation managers look for ways to connect better with transportation...
Wahkiakum County's new ferry, the "Oscar B," will be christened and launched this Saturday at the IceFloe/Nichols Brothers Boat Yard on Whidby Island. The county board of commissioners will be on hand for the ceremony and have issued a special meeting notice. The event will be at 12:30 p.m. at the boatyard, 5400 Cameron Road, Freeland. The "Oscar B." will replace the "Wahkiakum" which has been in service since 1962. The ferry was named after Oscar Bergseng, who owned and operated the ferry as a...
Wahkiakum County commissioners this year may turn the county fairgrounds over to Port District No. 2 which operates nearby Skamokawa Vista Park. County Commissioner Dan Cothren visited the Port 2 board of commissioners Tuesday to begin discussion of the idea. "We've heard a rumor that the port district would like to take over operation of the fairgrounds," Cothren said. "That could be a win-win for both of us." Port commissioners confirmed they were interested in the idea. "The facilities, okay," said port commission Chair Brian O'Connor, "but...
For the second time in two weeks, Wahkiakum County commissioners denied a request to the addition of a Christmas manger scene to the holiday display on the courthouse lawn. Commissioners also approved a bid to revamp the Puget Island ferry landing to accommodate a larger ferry whose construction is nearing completion; they approved a financial appropriation for the Grays River Valley Library, and they signed a letter to Governor Jay Inslee urging more support of the local commercial fishing industry. Commissioners start their meeting by...
by Rick Nelson I came to work full-time at The Eagle as a reporter in February, 1979. At some point I joined the Cathlamet Commercial Club, an organization of merchants, local elected officials and community minded citizens who wanted to promote fun and prosperity in Cathlamet. At one point in the early 1980's, we decided to hold a Christmas lighting festival and sought permission to use the courthouse lawn, the closest thing to a town square that we have around here. The festival included lighting a large tree and decorating the lawn. A...
Little notes: I've been in this business now for 40 years and have learned a few things. One is that it is tempting but ill advised for local elected officials, during their meetings, to toss "story requests" to members of the press. The reporters are there for purposes other than creating an announcement for the elected officials. For best results, officials should contact the news desk during regular business hours. I was on the receiving end of two such requests in meetings I covered Monday and Tuesday. I'll do the best I can with them. 1....
