The Wahkiakum County Eagle - Established as The Skamokawa Eagle in 1891

At the regular Tuesday meeting of the Wahkiakum County Commissioners the board addressed a range of issues. Erica Zink from Health and Human Services introduced two members of the high school advocates program. These students get paid to be role models and mentors for their peers. Along with meeting students one on one, they also develop information to distribute to students. Recently the developed a bulletin board with information for students on healthy relationships and energy drinks. Adam Vogt, a GIS technician, for the county, presented options for developing a new logo for the county. The current logo, featuring a beaver was developed in 1995. The commissioners have the choice of designing a logo in house or hiring an outside graphic designer to complete the logo. Austin Smith from the county emergency services council told commissioners that they would be giving $350,000 that they do not plan to use to the emergency responder radio system upgrade project. The commissioners agreed and Sheriff Howie responded that he was “shocked and very grateful” for the assistance which will make the transition from the old system smoother. In another reversal of funds $17,753 from the consolidated homeless grant was given to Cowlitz county to help people awaiting Social Security disability awards. Because Wahkiakum County has a small caseload of these people $6000 of the money awarded from the Housing and Essential Needs program was retained and the rest was moved to Cowlitz county. If the funds are not used for their intended purpose they would have to be returned to the state.

Finally, representatives from the Department of Natural Resources presented projected income from timber sales on county land. Two sales could bring the county almost two million dollars by the end of the year. Commissioners discussed with them the state of the timber industry this year and how a fire at a lumber mill in Japan and new timber harvesting laws in Oregon might affect the lumber market.