Established as The Skamokawa Eagle in 1891
Established as The Skamokawa Eagle in 1891
Sorted by date Results 1376 - 1400 of 2280
While the national media are filled with coverage of the looming fiscal cliff, residents of communities and consumers of commercially caught fish of the lower Columbia River region are facing a cliff of another kind. The Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission voted last Friday to ban the use of gillnets on the main stem of the Columbia River, relegating them to side channels and tributaries. The move is part of a plan proposed by Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber that would also give allocation priority to recreational fishers and the professional...
Two new laws that reflect a change in values on the part of Washington voters take effect today (Thursday). First, same gender couples will be able to obtain a marriage license, with the first weddings coming Sunday after a mandatory three-day waiting period. Second, possession of small quantities of marijuana will be legal under state law. This change in law, officials say, leaves a lot of questions to answer. Adults 21 years of age and older will be able to possess an ounce of marijuana in plant form, 16 ounces infused, and 72 ounces cooked...
Wahkiakum County commissioners adopted their 2013 budgets and acted on other business at their Tuesday meeting. Commissioners held a public hearing on the budgets on Monday; new Treasurer Tammy Peterson was the only person to comment. Peterson asked that the board increase a part-time position from 88 to 89.5 hours per month, the standard for county part time positions. She also asked that a staff position paid partially out of the Current Expense Fund and partially out of the Treasurer's O&M Fund be paid completely by Current Expense. The O&M...
Wahkiakum County commissioners plan to hold a meeting next week in Rosburg to gather public input on the potential effects of Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber's plan to move gillnetting out of the main channels of the Columbia River. Kitzhaber's plan would move gilletting into side channels called select areas where hatchery fish are conditioned to return. The plan would give priority on allocations of salmon to recreational fishers, and it would allow commercial fishing with new methods such as beach and purse seines that provide better release...
Members of the Wahkiakum School District board of directors had a quick, light meeting on November 20. Superintendent Bob Garrett said there was no new or old business to consider, only staff reports and approval of meeting minutes, volunteers and supplemental contracts for coaches, and for two new policies. Wahkiakum High School Principal Stephanie Leitz reported that high school staff are using the free hour of the Thursday late start for collaboration. Teachers are working in two groups, math and English/language arts. Both are looking at...
Commissioners of Port District No. 2 last week approved a $227,300 budget for 2013. The budget includes funding for a new office for the port district. The port has used a building owned by the now-defunct Skamokawa Park and Recreation District as its office on the edge of the port's Skamokawa Vista Park. Port officials say the office is run down and inadequate for office needs. Commissioners agreed to proceed with purchase and installation of a park model building as the new office. The building would be located inside the park, and if the...
Wahkiakum County election officials wrapped up the 2012 General Election this week. Officials on Monday counted the nine ballots which had arrived since the previous count on November 6; on Tuesday, they reviewed results and certified the election. In the county's closest race, for the District 1 county commission seat, Mike Backman maintained his lead over Greg Prestegard. Backman led by 22 votes on December 6; he led 1,116-1,093 after votes were counted Monday, a 23-vote difference. In the county's other contested races, Dan Cothren defeated...
Wahkiakum County officials crunched numbers one more time Tuesday as they put finishing touches on their proposed budgets for 2013. The board went over requests for increased spending from department heads and wrestled with projecting how much, if any, deficit the Current Expense Budget will have next year. In the end, the board of commissioners decided to plan to divert $200,000 from the County Road Levy to cover a possible shortfall in the Current Expense Fund, which finances most county departments. It would be the third year for a diversion...
Wahkiakum County commissioners handled a variety of business at their Tuesday meeting. Emergency Management Director Beau Renfro reported he plans to evaluate possible new sites for the county's Emergency Operations Center (EOC). The center is activated in times of natural disasters or public health emergencies. Currently, the center is in the basement of the River Street Building. However, its quarters are temporarily filled with the Cathlamet municipal library while the old town hall building is remodeled. Renfro has designated the Cathlamet...
A winter storm that packed hurricane force winds and dumped five inches or more of rain hit the lower Columbia River region Sunday and Monday. The heavy rains brought flooding to the Grays River Valley on Monday and led to landslides that closed SR 4 in several places Monday afternoon between Cathlamet and Longview. The National Weather Service reported a gust of wind of 104 miles per hour was recorded on Naselle Ridge. Wind gusts tipped a semi trailer on the Astoria-Megler Bridge Monday morning, and the bridge was closed most of the day....
Members of the Helping Hand Food Bank have asked the Town of Cathlamet to consider leasing a parcel of land to become the site of a new food bank. Helping Hand representatives discussed the matter with members of the Cathlamet town council at the council's monthly meeting Tuesday. Craig Brown, architectural advisor for the group, said the site offers numerous advantages over the food bank's present site at the foot of Broadway Street. Among the advantages, he said, the new site would offer better access for the public and for deliveries of food...
Like the candidates, I breathe a sigh of relief when the election is over. But it's not over till it's over. Only 20 votes separated Greg Prestegard and Mike Backman. Another 300 or so votes will be counted today (Thursday) at 12 noon, and they may still not settle the race for the District 1 position on the county board of commissioners. Some of the statewide elections are close. The races for governor, secretary of state, and state auditor were very close when counting ended Tuesday evening. Initiative 1240, concerning charter schools, was...
The LaConner Braves put an end to the Wahkiakum Mule football season with a 41-20 decision last Saturday at Mount Vernon. LaConner advances to meet the Raymond Seagulls next Saturday, 3 p.m., also in Mount Vernon. The Mules finish the season with a 8-2 record. "They were a good football team," Mule Coach Eric Hansen said of LaConner. "They were bigger and faster." The Mules started the game with a bang, taking the opening kickoff and moving downfield through the passing of quarterback Lars Blix, who completed the drive with a two-yard plunge...
Wahkiakum High School observed Veterans Day last Friday by listening to speakers, enjoying music by the band, reading poems and essays, and thanking veterans for their sacrifices. Two veterans addressed the crowd, which included middle and high school students, staff and faculty, and veterans and their families. Lt. Commander Brent Freeman, a Cathlamet resident about to be deployed to the western Pacific, told the crowd that veterans "are special people who we hold dear to our hearts." "I ask you students to make a donation that won't cost you...
Wahkiakum County officials wrapped up work on their preliminary budgets for 2013 on Tuesday. Copies of the proposed 2013 budgets should be ready for public distribution next Monday, with a public hearing on the budgets set for December 3. However, officials said there are still big questions to answer: Will the state be able to pay another $100,000 in Criminal Justice Funding? What will be the result of contract negotiations between the county and the county employees' union? What will be the total cost of replacing courthouse computers? The Cu...
Seeking a more peaceful place to live, Mark and Deb Howie purchased property in Cathlamet in 2006. At that time, Mark Howie was a sergeant in the Tukwila Police Department, serving the small city of 19,100 people on the south side of Seattle, and Deb drove school buses. Early on, Howie met Jon Dearmore, undersheriff in the Wahkiakum County Sheriff's Department. The two struck up a friendship and found they had many common interests. The Howies had purchased a house on Columbia Street and a building on Cathlamet's Main Street. They opened an...
Wahkiakum County commissioners moved quickly through the business portion of their meeting Tuesday before adjourning for a budget workshop. Commissioners authorized Emergency Management Coordinator Beau Renfro to spend $810.76 on signs to notify residents of the location and use of sand and sandbags for flood control. Each winter, the county road department deposits sand at fire departments throughout the county, and Renfro leaves bags that can be filled with sand to combat flood threats. The sites are the Puget Island, Skamokawa, Grays River...
Independent candidate Mike Backman has overtaken Democrat Greg Prestegard to lead the election for Wahkiakum County commissioner by 20 votes. Prestegard led 966-946 in initial counting November 6, but after a batch of late arriving votes were counted November 8, Backman had moved ahead by a tally of 1,111 to 1,091. Elections officials will count the last of the late arriving vote by mail ballots and certify the election on November 27. An automatic recount would be in order if the margin is less than 1 percent, 22 votes at this point. Results...
The Wahkiakum Mule football team shut out the Pe Ell Trojans 32-0 last Friday in a battle for a state playoff berth. The 8-1 Mules will head to Mount Vernon for a 7 p.m. Friday game with the LaConner Braves. The Mules dominated the line of scrimmage against the Trojans, and that opened the way for a good offensive showing. The Mules opened the scoring when Lars Blix passed to Steven Doumit who broke a tackle and scored on a 36-yard run at 4:07 of the first quarter. Gunnar Blix kicked the conversion point for a 7-0 lead. L. Blix passed to...
Local groups are analyzing whether or not they can economically use the shuttered Columbia View Care Center. Eagle Health Care, Inc., closed the care center this summer, citing economic reasons. This fall, the building's owner offered the facility to the Town of Cathlamet for the price of $1, and now local groups are studying to see whether or not they can use the facility. Mayor George Wehrfritz said Friday he hadn't planned to have public discussion of the process, but word leaked out. He has formed two groups to investigate the feasibility...
Wahkiakum County commissioners appointed Acting Sheriff Mark Howie to the position of sheriff at their meeting Tuesday. Howie will fill the vacancy created by the death of Sheriff Jon Dearmore just over two weeks ago. Howie served as undersheriff under Dearmore and was appointed acting sheriff after Dearmore died. His appointment will continued through the election of a sheriff for a new term in 2013, according to the commissioners' resolution appointing Howie. Commissioners and others present Tuesday morning complimented Howie for his...
Here are unofficial Wahkiakum County votes from the first count of general election on Tuesday. Another count of approximately 300 late-arriving ballots is set for 12 noon today (Thursday). Percentages are state wide results. County Commissioner, District 1 Greg Prestegard D 966 Mike Backman I 946 County Commissioner, District 2 Joan Harvey Chester I 645 Dan L. Cothren I 1238 County Treasurer Tammy Peterson D 1065 Marlena G. Silva D 755 Commissioner, Wahkiakum PUD District 1 Lisa Marsyla NP 742 Gene Healy NP 1121 District 2 Robert L....
Wahkiakum County voters elected commissioners and gave their input on a variety of races when votes for the 2012 General Election were counted Tuesday. One race won't be settled until today (Thursday) at the earliest. In the race for the District 1 seat on the county board of commissioners, Democrat Greg Prestegard leads Independent Mike Backman by 20 votes, 966-946. Another count of approximately 300 late-arriving ballots is set for 12 noon today. Other races weren't as close. Commissioner Dan Cothren won re-election to a fourth term,...
The Wahkiakum Mule football team will host the Pe Ell Trojans in a state postseason playoff game this Friday, 7 p.m. The Mules, 7-1 overall, defeated the Trojans, 3-6 overall, 27-12 earlier this season. The Mules led 27-6 at halftime, but Pe Ell controlled the third quarter and gave the Mules a run for the money in the second half. "We can't look past them," Mule Coach Eric Hansen said Monday. "It's the playoffs. You have to win to stay in. We have to focus on this game." The Trojan offense relies on two workhorses, running backs Devin Topelt...
Wahkiakum High School is preparing for its annual Veterans Day Program which honors community members who have served in the United States military. The program will have a guest speaker, State Representative Bruce Dammeier, R-Puyallup. According to his resumé, Rep. Dammeier attended Curtis High School and went on to graduate with distinction from the U.S. Naval Academy and serve eight years as a Civil Engineer Corps Officer. He later earned a master's degree in engineering from the University of Washington. While on active duty, he was...
