Established as The Skamokawa Eagle in 1891
Established as The Skamokawa Eagle in 1891
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Wahkiakum County commissioners stepped back from selling a house in Cathlamet and explored issues regarding burgeoning technology costs when they met Tuesday. In a public hearing about the board's proposal to declare the Johnson House surplus and put it up for sale, commissioners heard comments that caused them to reconsider the sale. The house had been used by Health and Human Services until the county acquired the former United Church of Christ building, now called the Hope House. Commissioners had suggested the county would be better off to...
When representatives of local governmental and public service entities got together Tuesday, they covered a lot of ground ranging from economic development plans to the recall effort of members of the Cathlamet Town Council. The representatives get together every three months in forums sponsored by the Cowlitz/Wahkiakum Council of Governments (COG). While most speakers had positive news to share, Council Member Sue Cameron reported town government is under a lot of strain. The clerk/treasurer is ill and unable to work, so an interim...
A group of Cathlamet residents have filed petitions to hold recall elections for Mayor Dale Jacobson and Council Members Sue Cameron, Jean Burnham and Ryan Smith. Under Washington law, elected officials may be recalled for misfeasance or malfeasance in office. A recall petition is submitted to the county prosecuting attorney for drafting a ballot title and synopsis, which are delivered to the officers subject to recall and also to the superior court, where a judge will review the petitions to approve the synopsis and to determine the...
An equipment failure at a CenturyLink facility Thursday evening in Colorado caused local and nationwide outages to 9-1-1 dispatch centers, long distance telephone service and internet connections. CenturyLink reported the outage about 8:18 p.m. Thursday, and Beau Renfro, Wahkiakum County Emergency Services (EMS) soon joined a nationwide telephone conference call that continued none stop into Friday morning. When it became clear the outage would last some time, EMS personnel sent text and reverse 9-1-1 telephone messages to county residents to...
Wahkiakum County commissioners will hold a public hearing Jan. 8 to consider declaring the Johnson House surplus and putting it up for sale. The two-story building, at 80 Division Street, had been used as an extension of Health and Human Services programs. Those programs have moved to the Hope Center, leaving the house unused. Commissioners will decide whether to put the house to other use or to put it up for sale. The public is invited to comment at the hearing, scheduled to start at 10 a.m....
Eagle readers should be aware: This week's edition is unique in recent memory. Because the approaching Christmas and New Year holidays fall on Tuesdays, we've decided to publish an edition that combines this week's and next week's editions. This is the first time for a combined edition in decades. While no paper will be printed next week, we will be at work. Please submit news items and advertising insertions to our office by 12 noon on Dec. 28. Have a Merry Christmas!...
Wahkiakum County commissioners raised taxes and adopted the 2019 budget when they met this Tuesday. Commissioners also discussed county fair funding, information technology support, and a variety of Health and Human Services issues. While the board raised taxes, it wasn't a big enough increase that taxpayers are likely to notice. The increase was for the 1 percent allowed under state law without having to seek voter approval. The increase in the county General Fund, County Road, and Emergency Medical Services levies will generate about...
Members of the Cathlamet Town Council wrestled with a proposed code of conduct for meetings, approved their 2019 budget, gave town employees a raise and handled other items of business at their monthly meeting on Monday. Discussion of the resolution for the code of conduct came as item 10 on the agenda, just ahead of item 11, citizen participation. In previous meetings, citizen participation had come after item 6, the consent agenda, and before unfinished and new business. Council Member Sue Cameron had proposed the code of conduct at the...
It was almost a typical meeting of the Wahkiakum County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday. The board covered its usual variety of subjects----dredging, staffing, budgeting, bids, reports, and so on, but there was one difference. Commissioner Blair Brady, who has represented the Westend for three terms, acknowledged he had lost the election to retired Sheriff Gene Strong. Because the race had finished Nov. 27 with a two--vote difference in Strong's favor, it went to a recount by hand conducted last Wednesday. Election officials came out with...
Wahkiakum County commissioners held a public hearing on proposed 2019 budgets Monday and addressed other business at their regular weekly meeting on Tuesday. Commissioners will take final action on the budgets later this month. Revenue for 2019 will be tight, as it has been the past few years, commissioners said. “It’s in the tank,” Commissioner Dan Cothren said of predicted revenue during the Monday meeting. The Current Expense Fund, which finances most courthouse offices and expenditures, depends on revenue from the harvest of timber on state...
The Cathlamet Town Council took first steps toward adopTing 2019 budgets at a special meeting Monday afternoon. Budget preparation has been delayed by illness ot Clerk/Treasurer Kerrie McNally. Recently hired interim Clerk/Treasurer Sylvia Costich presented an updated version created since a workshop the previous week. She asked the mayor, council and public works director to email any further changes so a final budget would be ready for action at the council’s Dec. 17 meeting. Costich said the present figures showed a potential surplus of $...
The Wahkiakum County Planning Commission last Thursday accepted a recommendation for approval of a shoreline substantial development permit for Port District 2. The permit would cover a 20-year program for deposition of dredge spoils at Skamokawa Vista Park. The US Army Corps of Engineers uses the park’s waterfront as a dredge spoils site. Port 2 sells sand from the deposit, paying the state Department of Natural Resources a royalty, for the state claims ownership of the sand. Past shoreline permits have been for five years. Wahkiakum County P...
Incumbent Blair Brady outpolled challenger Gene Strong 6-2 when Wahkiakum County election officials tallied the final votes of the 2018 general election, but Strong led the final count by two votes, 1,189-1,187. With the margin that close, there will be a mandatory recount. That has been scheduled for 9 a.m. next Wednesday. Election officials will count the ballots by hand, said election supervisor Sue O’Connor. A representative of the Office of the Secretary of State will attend, and the two candidates and the parties they represent will be i...
Wahkiakum County may soon join other counties and municipalities across the state in codifying opposition to new law created by voter approved Initiative 1639. The initiative requires a variety of measures designed to increase firearm safety and training in their use. It passed overwhelmingly in urban areas but failed in rural areas such as Wahkiakum County where voters opposed it 1,581 to 862. On Tuesday, Commissioner Dan Cothen, a lifelong hunter and gun owner, proposed creation of an ordinance opposing provisions of the initiative....
Wahkiakum County commissioners voted Tuesday to support creation of a limited liability company to oversee mental health services in 2020. Currently, state and federal funds for mental health are managed by the Great Rivers Behavioral Health Organization, which covers Wahkiakum, Pacific, Cowlitz, Lewis and Grays Harbor counties. Representatives from each of the counties form a board of directors, with each county having one vote. The organization channels funds to the service providers in each county. Wahkiakum is the only county that provides...
With their clerk/treasurer out of commission, the Cathlamet town council is having to regroup and start anew in preparation of the town's 2019 budgets. Clerk/treasurer Kerrie McNally became ill in mid-October and a took a trip to a hospital for several medical problems, from which she is recovering at home. In the meantime, the town's budget preparation process came to a halt. The council normally meets with department heads and town staff to go over budget requests and anticipated revenues to prepare proposed budgets. That didn't happen with...
Challenger Gene Strong took a six-vote lead over incumbent county Commissioner Blair Brady in the latest count of Wahkiakum County general election votes. After the Thursday morning count, Strong, the former county sheriff, led Brady 1,188 to 1,182. The next count will be at 12 noon Nov. 27. There were three ballots left to count as of Thursday afternoon, and a few more continue to arrive, according to Auditor Nicci Bergseng. The race may go to recount, depending on the Nov. 27 count. Bergseng has queried the office of the Secretary Of State...
Wahkiakum County commissioners will have a choice on how to fund improvements to the water and electric systems at County Line Park. The county owns the park but contracts with Port District 2 to operate and manage the park. On Tuesday, port Commissioner Lori Scott and Manager Janet Bryan visited the county commissioner meeting to request an appropriation of $40,000 to make the improvements. Port officials suggested funding for the work could come from a portion of the excise tax dedicated to capital improvements. If the cost goes over the...
It wasn't easy, but the third ranked Tri-Cities Prep Jaguars managed to defeat the 14th ranked Wahkiakum Mules 35-28 in overtime in the opening round of the state Class 2B football playoffs on Saturday. The undefeated Jaguars may have taken the young, 5-5 Mules lightly, but they soon saw the mettle of a team that battles in the tough Central League. The Mules were the only one of the league's five entries in the playoffs to lose last weekend. The Mules struck first, with Braxton Johns scoring on...
The Wahkiakum Lady Mules and Naselle Comettes will play today for seventh and eighth places in the Class 2B and Class 1B volleyball tournaments. Both teams lost their initial matches but followed with two wins to reach the medal rounds. The Lady Mules lost 3-2 in the opening round of the Class 2B tournament to Tri-Cities Prep. They followed with a 3-2 win over Asotin and another 3-2 victory over Ocosta. They face NW Christian from Colbert in the medal match at 11:45 a.m. today (Friday). Naselle lost 3-0 to Selkirk in the opening round and...
Thursday update: Challenger Gene Strong took an six-vote lead over incumbent county Commissioner Blair Brady in the latest count of Wahkiakum County general election votes. After the Thursday morning count, Strong, the former county sheriff, led Brady 1,188 to 1,182. The next count will be at 12 noon Nov. 27. There were three ballots left to count as of Thursday afternoon. In the county's other close race, incumbent Bill Coons led challenger Brian McClain 1,239 to 1,131 in the election for county assessor. Also,incumbent Dist. 19 Rep. Jim...
Wahkiakum County commissioners by a 2-1 vote Tuesday approved an increase in the match they'll provide for a feasibility study of county wide broadband capacity. A community-wide group spearheaded by Wahkiakum PUD Commissioner Gene Healy has formed to seek broadband. Recently the group asked the PUD to apply for grant funding to undertake the feasibility study, and the group asked Wahkiakum County to guarantee the local match for the grant, which could total as much as $75,000, depending on the scope of work involved. Commissioners had...
Initiative 1631 concerning carbon tax for pollution reduction Wahkiakum County results: Yes 614, no 1,484, statewide yes 43.7 percent, no 56.3 percent. Pacific County results: Yes 2,463 no 4,892. Initiative 1634 concerning taxation of certain items for human consumption Wahkiakum: Yes 1,116, no 991; statewide yes 54.77 percent, no 45.23 percent. Pacific: Yes 4,408, no 2,923. Initiative 1639 concerning firearms Wahkiakum: Yes 767, no 1,360; statewide yes 60.38 percent, no 39.62 percent. Pacific: Yes 3,389, no 3,982. Initiative 940 concerning...
The Wahkiakum Mule football team is back in the state playoffs for the first time in five years. The young, 5-5 Mules controlled the ball to upset the 6-4 Raymond Seagulls 22-10 last Friday in Aberdeen. The Mules ran the ball 49 times for 253 yards and added 97 yards on six completed passes while holding the Gulls to 80 yards on 18 runs and 19 yards on one completed pass. "Our offense just controlled the ball," commented Mule Coach Eric Hansen. "Fifty-four of their 80 rushing yards came on one...
Wahkiakum county officials this week wrapped up initial steps in preparing their preliminary budgets for 2019. County commissioners met with department heads and others to go over requests line by line. Officials usually express concern that revenue for the Current Expense Fund, which finances most courthouse offices, will be insufficient, but this year they’re saying the picture looks promising. In the past couple years, the county commission has diverted funds from the County Road Levy to Current Expense to cover shortfalls, but that s...
