Sorted by date Results 2162 - 2186 of 9889
Advocates hope mandatory conservation of key habitat areas will help salmon runs recover, but opponents worry farmers will pay a price. House Bill 1838, to be known as the Lorraine Loomis Act in honor of the late Northwest Indian Fisheries Commissioner, will reserve land on public and private property near salmon bearing waterways. Prime sponsor of the bill, Rep. Debra Lekanoff, D-Anacortes, said salmon play a vital cultural and economic role in Washington. The potential loss of the species will affect all Washingtonians, she said. “Salmon a...
The following is a summary of the 2020 census of Wahkiakum County, completed by the United Census Bureau. The total population on April 1, 2020 was 4,422 compared to 3,978 a decade earlier, an increase of 444 people. Females make up 50.1 percent of the population. While 33 percent of the population is 65 and older, 17.1 percent of the population is under the age of 18, and 3.5 percent are under the age of 5. According to race, 91.2 percent of Wahkiakum County is white, 0.7 percent is black or Af...
Residents of Skamokawa's East and Middle valleys on Tuesday asked Wahkiakum County officials to take steps to end threats to their properties resulting from flooding earlier this month. Marshall and Martina Snow said an emergency culvert repair redirected the course of a Middle Valley creek toward their house, which is now threatened by erosion. "It is a very severe situation," Marshall Snow said. They asked that the road department address the situation and return the creek to its previous...
Advocates hope mandatory conservation of key habitat areas will help salmon runs recover, but opponents worry farmers will pay a price. House Bill 1838, to be known as the Lorraine Loomis Act in honor of the late Northwest Indian Fisheries Commissioner, will reserve land on public and private property near salmon bearing waterways. Prime sponsor of the bill, Rep. Debra Lekanoff, D-Anacortes, said salmon play a vital cultural and economic role in Washington. The potential loss of the species will affect all Washingtonians, she said. “Salmon a...
Members of the Cathlamet Town Council on Tuesday approved the expense of extra engineering services for two construction projects and took care of some housekeeping business. The council approved contract amendments with the firm Gray & Osborne to include project management services for the projects--constructing sidewalks along South Third Street and the Butler Street Parking Lot upgrade. Clerk/Treasurer Sarah Clark said because of the complex reporting for the projects funding grants, it is essential for the town to have project management....
The Wahkiakum County PUD Board of Commissioners learned there would be a second round of disconnects this week, listened to reports, and approved a cost of living increase for their new general manager on Tuesday. General Manager Dan Kay spoke about how the recent weather had affected the PUD. “Mother Nature has really been directing our attention,” he said, “from snow, wind, rains, floods, landslides.” Kay said that there had been challenges in East Valley and along Altoona/Pillar Rock Road br...
The Wahkiakum County Port 1 Board of Commissioners met briefly last Thursday to do a little housekeeping and talk about potential business. Commissioners authorized Port Manager Jackie Lea to sign paperwork to resolve a boundary issue with the Town of Cathlamet pending a final survey of the former sewer pond property, of which both entities have a share. They also waived their compensation for any special meetings and authorized a resolution to adopt one change to Port 1 commissioner district...
The Wahkiakum School District Board of Directors covered a lot of ground Tuesday, talking about transportation, the coming levy, the lawsuit, transportation, and more. Superintendent Brent Freeman was most animated when he began to talk about witnessing the school’s robotics team participation in a regional competition, which pitted Wahkiakum against some students from bigger school districts. “It was an absolutely wonderful experience,” Freeman said. “It was amazing to see the kids come to...
At the last Grays River Diking and Enhancement District’s meeting on January 12, the board of commissioners had a quorum with two members present: Poul Toftemark and Steve Blaine. The third member, Brian Livingston, is not available for meetings because he teaches evening classes and does not have the time to serve on the board. Also present at the meeting were county Commissioner Gene Strong, a landowner in the district. Others attending were Susan Amala, a landowner, Laura Brown from the Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), and Ian S...
Election officials will get more protection from harassment if SB 5148 becomes law. The bill was approved in the Senate Jan. 12 with 48 yeas and 0 nays. It will be up to the House to approve or amend it. In debate on the Senate floor, Sen. David Frockt, D-Seattle, said the bill will address a “grievous threat” to our democratic system. “Here in our own state, in Washington State, which inspired this legislation last year, the top elections official, a deputy to our former Secretary of State...
Harborview medical center is currently the only hospital in Washington State that provides training for nurses to become sexual assault nurse examiners, also known as SANE. A bill in this year’s state Legislature is aimed at taking down barriers to training, especially for those coming from rural and underserved areas. The House Health Care & Wellness Committee held a virtual session on Jan. 10 to discuss HB 1621, that would establish a stipend program for nurses for them to complete a training course designed by the international a...
For a large portion of Washingtonians, the use of cosmetic products is a part of their everyday routine, but some of those same household products often contain harmful chemicals that cause a variety of health risks. A bill now making its way through the Legislature will require manufacturers to adhere to more transparent label requirements. Similar bills that monitor and prevent the distribution of cosmetic products have already passed in California and Maryland. “It’s a simple bill that will have a huge impact on the health and well bei...
Sam Martinez, a freshman at Washington State University, was found dead from alcohol poisoning at his fraternity house just weeks into the 2019 school year. He was the victim of a hazing tradition at his fraternity. Now his mother is pressing for rules that would prevent future tragedies. Jolayne Houtz said her goal since her son’s death has been to “try and save a life for the one that was taken from us two years ago.” According to Rep. Mari Leavitt, D-Pierce County, approximately 100 deaths associated with hazing have occurred in the U.S s...
Homeless students at community and technical colleges across the state will get the help they need if HB 1601 becomes law. If passed, the bill would provide homeless students and students who age out of the foster care system help with access to laundry storage, shower facilities, locker rooms, food banks, technology, reduced-price meals or meal plans, case management services and short-term housing/housing assistance. “This results in people not being able to graduate or go onto a career. It hurts our students, our institutions and our local c...
March 23, 2021 was a sunny day in Lewis County. Zachary Lee Rager, an 18-year-old Centralia teen wanting to take advantage of the pleasant weather, headed to a familiar hang out with some friends, a bridge connecting the banks of Chehalis River. When Zachary jumped, he did not know how cold the water would be. He did not know the temperature would read only 42 degrees Fahrenheit. “He jumped off this bridge so many times, he’d done this time and time again with all his friends,” Lee Hines, Zachary’s stepfather said. “But the differenc...
College students struggling to balance the cost of higher education with everyday expenses will have the burden slightly alleviated if lawmakers pass a bill increasing access to funds through the Washington College Grant program. The House College & Workforce Development Committee held a hearing for HB 1659 on Jan. 12 which aims to modify the WCG program by increasing award eligibility and providing an annual stipend for expenses beyond tuition and fees. The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Vandana Slatter, D-Bellevue, said, “You should not have to be ext...
THURSDAY Walking Group, Community Center, Cathlamet, 9 a.m. Senior Citizen Luncheon, Rosburg Hall, Noon. Fire Protection District No. 1 Commissioners, Fire Hall, 5:30 p.m. Fire District No. 4, 7 p.m. Cathlamet First Aid Division, Fire Hall, 7 p.m. Skamokawa Fire Department, First Aid Division, 7 p.m. Grays River Fire Department, ambulance training, 7 p.m. Food Addicts Meeting, The Hope Center, 3rd & Maple, Cathlamet, 6-7 p.m. Rosburg Community Club, 7 p.m. Eastside Play & Learn Group, St. James Family Center, 10-11:30 a.m. Community Library &...
Young adults will be able to access a fund years from now to give them a boost if lawmakers pass a bill aimed at narrowing the gap between the rich and poor. Rep. Monica Stonier, D-Vancouver, sponsor of HB 1861, said the Washington Future Fund Trust would act as a savings and investment account for babies born under the state’s Medicaid program, Apple Health. Beginning in 2024, a minimum of $3,200 will be set aside for each eligible child to access between their 18th and 31st birthdays. “I think it’s an exciting way to deal with a lot of the c...
A day of heavy rainfall last week has left Wahkiakum County residents dealing with flooding and other storm related incidents. Heavy rain arrived last Wednesday and kept coming into Thursday, melting the previous snowfall to send streams out of their banks and hillsides sliding down onto roads. Wahkiakum County Public Works Director Chuck Beyer submitted this report on Tuesday: "Wahkiakum County Roads had significant snow damage from trees and limbs falling. Elochoman Valley Road is still not...
Wahkiakum County commissioners approved a short plat for a 33-residential lot development outside Cathlamet and heard a variety of concerns about a proposal to hire an epidemiologist when they met Tuesday. The development will lie on pasture land along Greenwood Road, just outside the Cathlamet town limits. It will include 27 single family lots and six duplex lots, with a planned density of 39 homes. Four streets will serve the area and meet standards to be county roads; a fifth will be a gravel, private road reaching some of the residences....
Friday update: On Thursday, Wahkiakum County Health and Human Services reported four more case for county residents, bringing the total to 280. Fifteen are considered active. ----------- Six more cases of covid-19 were reported this week, with five on Monday and one on Tuesday, bringing the cumulative total in Wahkiakum County to 276, with 11 cases considered potentially active. The six cases are not really related to each other, Wahkiakum Health and Human Resources Director Chris Bischoff...
Homeless students at community and technical colleges across the state will get the help they need if HB 1601 becomes law. If passed, the bill would provide homeless students and students who age out of the foster care system help with access to laundry storage, shower facilities, locker rooms, food banks, technology, reduced-price meals or meal plans, case management services and short-term housing/housing assistance. “This results in people not being able to graduate or go onto a career. It hurts our students, our institutions and our local c...
Immediate action must be taken to address climate change, the housing crisis, transportation, and education, Gov. Jay Inslee said in his annual State of the State address Jan. 11. “We face a variety and dimension of demands greater than ever as we enter 2022,” he said. “We must take action this day to keep and strengthen our commitments to those in need right now and in the future.” With a 2021-23 budget supplemented with leftover COVID relief funds and new federal revenue sources, Inslee said Legislators must act quickly to address big ticket...
Women fought a decades-long battle for the right to vote, and now lawmakers want to memorialize the crusade by designating March 22 Women’s Suffrage Day. The 19th Amendment, prohibiting voting discrimination on the basis of sex, was passed over a century ago, with Washington becoming the 35th of 36 states to ratify on March 22, 1920. The House Committee on State Government & Tribal Relations received notes and commentary from the public regarding the proposed bill during a remote hearing Jan. 10. Janie White, representing the Washington E...
THURSDAY Walking Group, Community Center, Cathlamet, 9 a.m. Food Addicts, Hope Center, 3rd & Maple, Cathlamet, 6-7 p.m. Cathlamet Fire Department, 7 p.m. Senior Citizen Luncheon, Rosburg Hall, Noon. Puget Island Fire Department, drill night, 7 p.m. Port District No. 1, 500 2nd St., 5 p.m. District No. 4 Fire Department, 7 p.m. Grays River Fire District No. 3 Commissioners, 7:30 p.m. Grays River Fire Department, fire training, 7 p.m. Skamokawa Fire Department, 7 p.m. Westside Play & Learn Group, Valley Bible Church, 9-11:30 a.m. Eastside Play &...