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Wednesday, January 16, 2013

2/21/12

SHS grad Ellie Mullen wins postseason awards for College of Saint Benedict, Page A12 3:24 PM

TODAY’S WEATHER Mostly sunny Highs to 44 Page A13 Lows to 27

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The Chronicle

13 Nights gets new director ST. HELENS – Following the resignation of the 13 Nights on the River board in December, the St. Helens Community Foundation has hired a new managing director to take the helm of the troubled summer series. Christina Sullivan has been named as the new managing director for 13 Nights. She is a resident of St. Helens and has a university-level degree in business and public relations. “Christina has a track record of positive, effective volunteering in our community,” said SHCF President Bob Salisbury. “Our entire Board was impressed with Christina’s experience and positive, upbeat attitude.” According to the Community Foundation, Sullivan is already hard at work on getting the 2013 concert series up and running and is now in the process of assembling her volunteer management team. Nikki Tetz, assistant branch manager at Chase Bank in St. Helens, has accepted the role of treasurer. Sullivan is also busy lining up sponsors and bands for the season. “I’m so excited for this opportunity to help organize an event that the families of our community can continue to enjoy for many years to come,” said Sullivan. Anyone interested in volunteering for the 13 Night concert series should submit a letter of interest to Sullivan via email at christina.13nights@gmail. com. According to Salisbury, the St. Helens Community Foundation is dedicated to building a dynamic community by nurturing groups and events which make our community a better place. SHCF is a nonprofit entity ­­­­ See 13 NIGHTS, Page A3

75¢ Vol. 131, No. 3 14 Pages

Wage theft subject of next town hall BY SHARI PHIEL The Chronicle

Wage theft; it’s a crime many of its victims aren’t even aware of. Oregon State representatives Brad Witt (District 31), Joe Gallegos (District 30) and Ben Unger (District 29) are hoping to change that. The three legislators will host a town hall meeting to discuss the problem of wage theft and also present possible solutions on Jan. 19 at Portland Community College’s Rock Creek Campus. The town hall meeting begins at 10 a.m. and is ex-

pected to run until noon. The public is encouraged to attend and participate. “Brad Brad Witt Witt has been one of the major supporters of legislation we’ve been trying to put through,” said Amanda Aguilar Shank of Scappoose-based Rural Organizing Project. “I think because he has such a strong labor background, he’s been

Courtesy Progressive States Network

one of the main champions. He’s one of our strongest allies.”

What is wage theft? Put simply, it is the failure of an employer to pay its work-

ers. Wage theft occurs when an employer pays workers less than agreed or less than minimum wage, does not pay workers overtime, fails to pay workers for all their hours, forces workers to work off the clock or under the table, denies and fails to pay legally required meal and rest breaks, steals tips, or does not pay workers at all. Unfortunately, it’s also a widespread problem across Oregon, especially among low-wage workers. According to the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Indus-

­­­­ See WAGES, Page A3

Bomb scare closes Scappoose City Hall SHARI PHIEL / The Chronicle

Local police and fire personell were deployed to close off a 300-foot radius around Scappoose City Hall after a man brought in what he thought was a disarmed bomb.

SCAPPOOSE — Scappoose City Hall was shut down, along with several businesses in the area, after a man walked into the police department on the afternoon of Jan. 8 and told police officers he had what he believed

was a bomb in a small plastic cooler. The man said he had disarmed the bomb and wanted to turn it in. “This gentleman reasonably believed he had found a bomb,” said Scappoose Police Chief Doug Griesen. “And he did disarm it. He cut the wires.” Police officers then took the device and the cooler

outside, evacuated the building and closed off all areas within a 300-foot radius of the building, including Columbia Avenue from U.S. Highway 30 to Second Street. The Oregon State Police bomb squad was called to the scene from Salem to dispose of the bomb. After the OSP bomb squad determined the

cooler did contain items that could have been part of a bomb, the decision was made to detonate the cooler at the scene. “They took every precaution possible, which I commend them for 100 percent. They put a barrier around it, they used sand bags, then blew it up,” said Griesen. “Once they blew it

up, they determined it wasn’t a bomb.” The man who brought in the cooler was questioned and released. Griesen said no arrests will be made. The Scappoose Police chief also said people would likely be surprised to learn how often explosive devices

Mayor Scott Burge

Councilor Jeff Erickson

Councilor Donna Gedlich

Councilor Barb Hayden

Councilor Jason Meshell

BY SHARI PHIEL The Chronicle

­­­­ See THREAT, Page A3

INSIDE Classified Ads . . . . . . A8-9 Legal Notices . . . . . . . . A9 Obituaries . . . . . . . . . . A4 Opinions . . . . . . . . . . . . A5 Out & About . . . . . . . . A6 Records . . . . . . . . . . . . . A2 Sports . . . . . . . . . . A11-14 TV Guide . . . . . . . . . . . A7 Weather . . . . . . . . . . . A13

Council sworn in, new member named

BY SHARI PHIEL The Chronicle

SCAPPOOSE — After a bomb scare forced the clos-

ing of Scappoose City Hall on Jan. 8, and the first city council meeting of the year to be rescheduled, Scappoose Mayor Scott Burge and councilors Donna Gedlich and Jeff Erick-

son, along with newly-elected Councilor Jason Meshell were all sworn in during the council’s Jan. 14 meeting. ­­­­ See COUNCIL, Page A3

Icy roads likely cause of Highway 30 crash BY SHARI PHIEL The Chronicle

Courtesy photo

A two-car crash on Highway 30 was just one of 50 accidents that occurred the morning of Jan. 11. Icy conditions on the roadways was a major factor in many of those accidents.

DEER ISLAND — Icy roadways were the cause of dozens of accidents throughout Oregon on Friday, Jan. 11, including an early morning collision between a Ford F-250 and a Ford Mustang on Highway 30 near Deer Island. One person was injured the crash. Oregon State Police were as-

sisted by numerous local police and fire departments as it responded to approximately 50 traffic crashes, most non-injury, during a four hour period between 5–9 a.m. on Jan. 11 in the mid to north Willamette Valley. OSP said icy conditions were a contributing factor in a majority of the crashes. According to OSP, speed and icy road conditions were also believed to have been contributing factors and is continuing its investigation

into the accident, which blocked the highway for about an hour. Senior Trooper Robin May reported that at approximately 7:28 a.m., a 2003 Ford F250 pickup driven by Matthew Anderson, 16, from Deer Island, was eastbound on Highway 30 near milepost 30 in the right hand lane. Anderson accelerated to pass another eastbound vehicle then lost control on the icy roadway. ­­­­ See CRASH, Page A3

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