Sheriff's Corner

The Eagle is proud to partner with the WCSO to bring you this monthly message from your local Sheriff.

Hello from your Sheriff! I hope everyone has a safe and fulfilling Thanksgiving this year. The Wednesday before and Sunday after Thanksgiving are some of the most congested travel days of the year with the Wednesday before having a higher rate of impaired driving. The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) is expecting I-5 from Lacey to Tacoma to be one of the most congested areas. For traffic updates and advisories please visit wsdot.wa.gov.

If you are driving over Thanksgiving, please remember to pay extra attention during peak congestion hours. With the potential of longer traffic delays make sure to pack extra provisions such as food, water, warm clothing/blankets, and first aid. If you are consuming alcohol over the Holiday, please be sure to have a designated driver.

One of my favorite aspects of Thanksgiving is engaging in gratitude and recognizing what we can be grateful for. This year I am grateful for the generosity of our community! We had our annual “Shop With a Cop” fundraiser dinner so graciously hosted by the Duck Inn on November 1st. There was a great turnout with many donors and auction goers. I appreciate everyone’s participation in raising the funds for such an important program for our families in need.

The Wahkiakum County Sheriff’s Office annual “Shop With a Cop” event is hosted by Walmart and involves first responders from many different agencies who take local children shopping for Christmas presents. Through our community’s great generosity, the children are able to not only shop for themselves, but for their family members as well. It is so heartwarming to see children realize the gift of giving when they have the opportunity to pick out presents for their families, and I am looking forward to the shopping day in December!

It has also been awesome to see our residents create new pop-up Food Pantries and ramp up participation in our local volunteer Food Banks. So many individuals and families are in need of food, and I am so proud of what our community provides through volunteer services and donations! For more information on local food assistance/services, please visit https://www.co.wahkiakum.wa.us/532/Food-Assistance, or call 360-431-4720 for the Elochoman Food Pantry, 360-957-5676 for the St. Catherine Columbia Street Food Bank, and 360-465-2344 for the Rosburg Westend Food Pantry.

Stay safe Wahkiakum County!