The Chronicle Scappose vs. La Salle...
Sunday, March 10th
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Wednesday March 6, 2013
Scappoose UGB takes a step forward Land cmmission agrees with director’s ruling; opponents’ objections are once again denied BY SHARI PHIEL The Chronicle
Shari Phiel / The Chronicle
Officials from the Port of St. Helens and the City of Scappoose have said additional land is needed near the Scappoose Air Park to provide development opportunities for new businesses like Oregon Aero, which is well into construction of a third hangar at the air park.
The proposed Scappoose Urban Growth Boundary expansion has cleared another hurdle. The state’s Land Conservation and Development Commission recently issued a 24-page report in support of the department director’s approval on June 14, 2012. Scappoose has proposed to add 378 acres to the existing urban growth boundary to accommodate industrial and commercial growth over the next 20 years. But the proposal hasn’t been without its detractors. Scappoose residents Mike Sheehan and Pat Zimmer-
man have been at the forefront of a grassroots campaign to stop the expansion and have submitted several appeals along the way. The review process According to its report, the LCDC reviewed a number of items after an appeal to the director’s decision was filed. This included review of the proposed expansion to determine if: there is substantial evidence to support the local government’s decision; the local government failed to follow the applicable procedures; to ensure the local government’s decision complies with applicable statutes, See GROWTH, Page A4
Accused killer found incompetent, won’t stand trial BY SHARI PHIEL The Chronicle
ST. HELENS — Accused killer Daniel Butts won’t be going to trial, at least not anytime soon, in the death of Rainier Police Chief Ralph Painter. Following three days of testimony with conflicting evidence coming from the prosecution and the defense, Columbia County Circuit Court Judge Ted Grove ruled on Feb. 27 that Butts was not mentally competent and could not aid and assist in his own defense. “Given the unabated irrational behavior of the defendant, coupled with complete lack of cooperation with counsel or the assistance in his defense the court sees no option but to order that the defence is currently unable to assist in his defense.” said Grove. The judge went on to add
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that Butts’ inability to cooperate was a direct result of his current mental difficulties, which is possibly schizophrenia. Despite Grove’s previous ruling in February of 2012 that Butts was able to stand trial, Columbia County District Attorney Steve Atchison may have been disappointed in the ruling but he wasn’t necessarily surprised by the
“You’re never surprised ... It’s always a possibility,” Steve Atchison Columbia County DA outcome. “You’re never surprised by that, it’s always a possi-
bility,” said Atchison. Grove’s ruling cited specific behaviors seen during the two years Butts has been in custody at the Columbia County Jail and at Oregon State Hospital. “There’s no dispute that [the] defendant has engaged in little verbal communication for the bulk of his confinement. He employs single words or gestures to communicate, resorting to full sentences irregularly,” said Grove. “The bulk of his communication is directed toward obtaining his basic needs or desire for music, recreation or fast food.” The judge added that Butts’ singular focus on more “trivial” issues, especially when Butts is facing rather serious criminal charges, to be of particular concern. Psychiatrists testifying for the defense said See TRIAL, Page A4
$1 Vol. 131, No. 10 14 Pages
Arrest in St. Helens for 1982 Aloha murder BY SHARI PHIEL The Chronicle
Washington County Sheriff’s Detectives have arrested a St. Helens man in connection with the murder of a 17year-old Aloha girl more than 30 years ago. Kenneth Lee Hicks, 49, was arrested on Feb. 27 and charged with the 1982 homicide of Lori Billingsley. Billingsley’s body was discovered in a drainage ditch on SW Miller Hill Road south of SW Farmington Road in Aloha on Oct. 10, 1982. Authorities were able to determine that Billingsley had been sexually assaulted and then murdered. Washington County detectives worked the case for more than a year until all leads were exhausted. Hicks, who was 19 at the time, was identified as a potential suspect but officials said there was not enough evidence to charge him with the murder. Sheriff’s Detective Jim Welch was the lead investigator assigned to the case in 1982. Investigators said Welch (now deceased) com– See MURDER, Page A4
Shari Phiel
Accused killer Daniel Butts won’t be going to trial, at least not any time soon. Circuit Court Judge Ted Grove recently ruled Butts was not competent to stand trial.
Kenneth Lee Hicks
An ‘Icon’ in the making ‘Iconic’ young entrepreneur hits it big with homegrown clothing line BY KYLE BOGGS The Chronicle
Walking through the hallways at Scappoose High School these days, it’s hard for Ryan Henness not to smile. The creative high school senior is a walking testament to the power of imagination, dedication and social media. About a month ago, Henness launched a Facebook page showing some conceptual designs for T-shirts and sweatshirts. He labeled his page Iconic Source and has created three logos thus far for his Iconic brand. Since launching his page, Henness has distributed more than a shirt a day to folks in Scappoose, Banks, Washington and Colorado. And the popularity only continues to grow. “I’ll be walking down the hall and see three kids talking, and they’re all wearing them,” Henness said. His mother has been
asked about her son’s burgeoning industry while popping into a local salon. And he’s spotted them about town simply looking for a sandwich. “In Subway, a kid working there had one on. I walked in, the other lady working said ‘Look, he has the same sweatshirt as you,’” Henness said. Little did she know, that sweatshirt was printed in Henness’s kitchen. Because he has a busy schedule with school, homework and basketball, Henness does most of his Iconic Source work on the weekends. He says that with the help of a couple of others – either friends or family members – they can have 50 sweatshirts printed and dried in three or four hours. The process starts on the computer. That’s where Henness creates his designs using Adobe Illustrater and Photoshop. He then prints See ICON, Page A4
Kyle Bogg / The Chronicles
The clothing line Ryan Henness created in his own kitchen has grown tremendously in popularity in only a month.
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