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Wednesday, January 22, 2014
BOYS BASKETBALL: Winning two of three, Scappoose carries momentum into league season, page 13 2/21/12
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The Chronicle
$1.00 Vol. 132, No. 4 16 Pages
www.thechronicleonline.com
Methanol plant could be in the works for Port Westward BY SHARI PHIEL news@thechronicleonline.com
Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber’s trade mission to China last year could mean a new tenant for Port Westward. According to company officials, Northwest Innovation Works is looking to bring a methanol manufacturing facility to the Clatskanie facility within the next one to two years. “This is a valued added manufacturing facility,” said Greg Peden of Gallatin Public Affairs, a Portland-based firm
More options on the table for jail closing
hired to help represent the company. “I didn’t have much background on what methanol is or does, and I suspect that’s typical of your average citizen or voter in Oregon because we don’t have any methanol facilities here.” While there are some 30 methanol refineries around the country, the Port Westward facility could be the first for the Pacific Northwest. “Methanol can be converted from coal, oil or natural gas. It can be used as a fuel, but that’s not what our product would be used for. Our product would be converted here
– manufactured here – and shipped by Panamax vessels over to China, where it would be converted to olefins,” said Peden. Olefins are in turn used in thousands of different plastic products including apparel, home furnishings, automotive parts and products and for industrial uses. Northwest Innovation representatives noted that while methanol can be produced using coal that is not how their product will be produced. Instead, they said, the Port Westward facility would use natural gas piped in through
the existing Mist pipeline. “We don’t need any rail cars, we’re pipeline in and we’re ship out,” said Northwest Innovation President Murray “Vee” Godley III. “This represents a major investment. We’re looking at an initial investment of around $1 billion per phase and we are targeting two phases.” If all goes according to plan, the first phase would be built on 84 acres leased from Port Westward’s existing land inventory and would include administration buildings, a cooling tower, storage facilities to hold 8 million metric tons of
methanol and to accommodate shipping two Panamax vessels per week. Company officials also said the first phase of the $1 billion project would equate to roughly 1,000 construction jobs paying union wages for two to three years, 120 full time family-wage jobs once the project was complete and 300–350 ancillary jobs in the neighboring communities. The plant would produce 5,000 metric tons of methanol per day. Northwest Innovation Works is a subsidiary of Chinese Academy of Sciences, the
Puppy ...
‘Felony Lane Gang’ members arrested in Rainier following pursuit
BY SHARI PHIEL news@thechronicleonline.com
The closing of the Columbia County Jail could come sooner than the end of the current fiscal year says Sheriff Jeff Dickerson. The state of the jail and its future was the subject of a second “stakeholder” meeting held on Jan. 14 in St. Helens. According to the sheriff, the looming closure has current employees looking for other work now rather than waiting for the axe to fall on June 30. So far, two staff members have already left. Dickerson said it would only take a couple more to leave before closing the jail would become a necessity. “It wouldn’t happen right away. We would have to pull patrol off the road to fill those positions while we started the process to shut down the jail,” he added. “That could take anywhere from one to two months.” Even without the loss of existing staff, the jail is facing budget shortfalls that will mean closing the jail by June 30. The jail’s budget crisis stems primarily from declining revenues from the county and federal bed rentals, combined with in See JAIL, Page A4
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... Love SHARI PHIEL / The Chronicle Lori Farner (left) and Lisa Beggio bring five one-week old puppies into Columbia Humane Society. The puppies were from one of two litters of puppies, along with several other adult dogs brought to the local shelter from a California animal shelter last week. Most of the dogs will be ready for adoption by Jan. 22.
New events, reception center offers elegance and affordability BY SHARI PHIEL news@thechronicleonline.com
ST. HELENS — Two years ago, Harvey and Vicki Bilton found themselves with an opportunity they just couldn’t pass up. The couple purchased the former Assembly of God church at the corner of Columbia Boulevard and 12th Street with an eye towards creating a place to host weddings, meetings, high school reunions and family
get-togethers. From that idea was born Columbia River Receptions and Events. ‘I loved the look of the building. It was deteriorating but I loved the shape. So when the opportunity came to purchase it, we did,” said Vicki. After the purchase came the renovation. Although the building was structurally sound, the Biltons had a lot of changes they wanted to make to turn the facility into an events center.
national academy for natural sciences for the Republic of China. CAS functions as the national scientific think tank and academic governing body, as well as forming hundreds of commercial enterprises. Northwest Innovation Works representatives will present the methanol project to the Port of St. Helens board of commissioners during the Jan. 23 meeting, which begins at 5 p.m. and will be held at the Clatksanie PUD offices, 495 E. Columbia River Hwy., in Clatskanie. For more on this story, go to TheChronicleOnline.com.
Along with adding two restrooms – one for women and one for men – the renovations also included creating a large dressing area for brides, adding new custommade art installations and much more. The building has been given a new name as well – Meriwether Place – to go along with its new life. “It was basically a full cosmetic remodel,” said Harvey, “from carpet to paint, we re-did the stage, a power projector and screen,
Columbia River Receptions and Events co-owner Harvey Bilton (along with his wife, Vicki) used creativity, and hard work, to transform the former church into an elegant events center. SHARI PHIEL / The Chronicle
lights, and a sound system.” Along with the main area of the building where larger events are held, there is also a downstairs area with conference table that can be used for group meetings. The end result was an elegant and affordable location with plenty of amenities. The Biltons didn’t even have their doors officially open for business before they started getting calls See EVENTS, Page A4
RAINIER — Two men suspected of being connected to the Florida-based “Felony Lane Gang” were arrested following a high-speed pursuit that took sheriff’s deputies, local police officers and state troopers from St. Helens to Rainier. The two men arrested were identified as Marcus Emmanuel Thomas, 27, and Jonathan Walker, 23. Walker also goes by the alias Dwayne Andre Dixon. Both men are from Florida. Thomas is believed to have been the passenger in the suspect vehicle and Walker is believed to have been the driver. According to the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office, both men have an “extensive history” with the law. While Thomas has previous weapons convictions out of Florida, Walker has a past arrest record for domestic assault, battery, burglary, missile into dwelling vehicle building or aircraft, disturbing the peace, larceny, theft, robbery, strong arm robbery, marijuana possession, loitering, and prowling, all related to Florida arrests. Walker was booked in the Columbia County Jail and is being held on more than $120,000 bond. Marcus remains in the hospital due to injuries related to the crash that ended the high-speed chase. Authorities said the pursuit began after a Toyota Highlander was spotted driving recklessly and passing other cars in the center turn lane while driving northbound on U.S. Highway 30 in St. Helens. “A sheriff’s deputy on patrol found the vehicle after it made a U-turn and changed directions,” said the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office. “After the deputy spotted the suspect, the driver once again changed directions and headed north on Highway 30.” A sheriff’s deputy attempted to stop the car but the male driver allegedly refused. Officers from the St. Helens Police Department joined the pursuit and also attempted to stop the car by using spike strips across the roadway. However, the suspect avoided the spike strips by swerving around them and continued driving down the highway. Citing concerns for public safety, sheriff’s deputies and St. Helen Police called off the pursuit. “The suspect recklessly drove through St. Helens at around 100 mph,” reported CCSO. See GANG, Page A4