Law & Order:
Beginning next week, The Chronicle will begin its multiple part series on the criminal justice system in Columbia County. Over the next several weeks, we will look at all parts of the system – from law enforcement and the district attorney’s office, to the county jail and probation. We will look at how each part of the system operates, what challenges its faces and what the future holds. Part I begins with the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office.
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Wednesday, April 17, 2013
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TODAY’S WEATHER Mostly cloudy Highs to 57 Page A14 Lows to 38
The Chronicle
County updates waste management ordinance for landlords BY SHARI PHIEL The Chronicle
Following up on discussions begun in late February, the Columbia County Board of Commissioners is revising sections of the county’s solid waste ordinance relating to individuals who self haul. At the heart of the issue is the regulation of landlords who collect and dispose of trash from their tenants. County Commissioner Henry Heimuller said the ordinance is actually just one of 10 to 12 solid waste ordinance sections needing revision. The county’s solid waste plan was originally adopted in 1977 and last updated in 2010. The board received both written and oral testimony at its Feb. 20 and March 3 regular meetings, and then left the record open for written testimony until its April 3 meeting. Those submitting testimony (written or oral) included local landlord Will Kessi Jr. and the Oregon Refuse and Recycling Association. Todd Dugdale, director of Land Development Services, was directed to review similar solid waste ordinances from other counties. See WASTE, Page A3 Correction Oops, we goofed. In the April 10 issue of The Chronicle, the story about Houlton Bakery’s reopening incorrectly listed the business owner as Max Huck, which should have been Matt Huck. Our sincere apologies for any inconvenience or confusion this may have caused.
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$1.00 Vol. 131, No. 16 16 Pages
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Muchas Gracias restaurant robbed at gunpoint BY SHARI PHIEL The Chronicle
ST. HELENS — For one clerk at the Muchas Gracias restaurant at 155 N. Columbia River Hwy. in St. Helens, April 13 is a day that won’t soon be forgotten. Just before 2 a.m., three men wearing hoods and bandanas walked into the restaurant, pulled out two handguns and aimed them at the clerk. The men demanded money from the cash register and then fled the restaurant with an undisclosed sum of money. The armed robbery only took seconds but was captured in its entirely by the restaurant’s video security system. St. Helens Police said the events captured on surveillance video may
This had to have been terrifying for the staff. The first time I saw [the video] my heart started thumping and I wasn’t even there. Terry Moss St. Helens Police Chief
be the key to identifying the suspects and solving this case. The video can be viewed online at TheChronicleOnline.com. All three suspects are white males and appear to be in their 20s. See ROBBERY, Page A3
SHARI PHIEL / The Chronicle
The Muchas Gracias restaurant on Highway 30 was robbed at gunpoint in the early morning hours of April 13.
Flames gut St. Helens home ST. HELENS — An early morning fire left one home destroyed and a neighboring home with heat damage. Columbia River Fire & Rescue received a call just after 6 a.m. on April 12 reporting a residential fire at 455 S. Fourth St., in St. Helens. When crews arrived, they found the older splitlevel home fully engulfed in flames, which reached as high as 30 feet. Crews immediately set to work fighting the fire. While firefighters were able to keep the home’s adjacent garage and neighboring homes from catching fire, those structures did experience heat damage. According to Fire Chief Jay Tappan, the adjacent home in particular incurred significant radiant heat damage to the vinyl siding and exposed wood structure, but remained habitable by the residents. The fire was declared under control after about 45 minutes and no injuries were reported. Tappan said the home was not occupied at the time of the fire; however,
Courtesy photo
Firefighters from Columbia River Fire & Rescue work to put out a fire that destroyed a St. Helens home on April 12.
there are normally two or three residents occupying the home, which he categorized as a family rental. The cause of the fire is under investigation with assistance from the State Fire Marshal’s Office. “We really don’t know what the cause of the fire was yet. We’re meeting on [April 16] with the fire investigator to review the findings we’ve got,” said Tappan. “This is one of those fires where you’ve got a
house that’s really burned out and there isn’t any evidence of accelerants or hinky activity.” Tappan said it would likely be through a process of elimination that the cause of the fire is ultimately determined. “When you look at the type of construction and the contents of the home, it’s doable,” he added. The home is owned by Jean and Marvin King, of Rainier, and is currently rent-
ed to their daughter, Debra King, and another renter, Matthew Myers. Debra’s 17-year-old son, Marvin, is also a resident on weekends. Disaster action team volunteers from the American Red Cross assisted two adults, one child and one pet affected by the fire. Red Cross provided food, clothing, medication and information about disaster mental health and disaster health services support. Fire personnel worked for
about three hours to ensure all the hot spots were extinguished. Preliminary damage estimates are estimated to be about $100,000 for the home and contents. “They were adequately insured, so at least that’s good,” said Tappan. CRF&R responded with two fire engines, a rescue unit, an ambulance, and several support vehicles. A total of 14 fire personnel were on scene with no reported injuries.
Highway 30 accident leaves one dead, two others in critical condition Oregon State Police is continuing its investigation into the cause of fatal accident on Highway 30 just west of Clatskanie. The two-vehicle crash happened shortly after 5:30 p.m., on Sunday, April 14, at Bradley Hill, which is about 13 miles to the west of Clatskanie. The accident sent seven individuals, including four juveniles, to several nearby hospitals. One person died that same night after arriving at a Portland-area hospital, at least two others are in critical condition and closed the highway for more than three hours. According to OSP Lt. Duane Stanton, Lucas William Brown, 36, of Longview, Wash., was driving a 1998 Volkswagen Jetta eastbound on Highway 30 near milepost 75. While
negotiating a curve, Brown reportedly traveled across the double solid centerline and collided head-on with a 2003 Mini Cooper driven by Kimberly Anne Sultan, 42, of Astoria. Sultan was traveling in the left westbound lane. After the impact, the Volkswagen came to rest on its top off the highway and the Mini Cooper came to rest along the right shoulder and fog line. Vehicle debris was scattered across the highway. Brown was transported by LifeFlight helicopter to Legacy Emanuel Hospital but was pronounced dead upon arrival. Firefighters extricated the occupants from the Mini Cooper. Sultan was transported by ambulance to St. John Medical Center in Longview. She was
Courtesy Photo
A head-on collision between a 1998 Volkswagen Jetta and this 2003 Mini Cooper on Highway 30 resulted in one fatality.
later transferred to Legacy Emanuel Medical Center and is in critical condition. Passengers in the Jetta included Brown’s two children, identified as Noah Waite-Brown, age 8, and Kane G. Brown, age 7. The older child was transported by LifeFlight to Legacy
Emanuel Center. Noah Waite-Brown was listed in critical condition at Randall Children’s Hospital at Legacy Emanuel. Kane Brown was transported by Medix Ambulance to Columbia Memorial Hospital in Astoria. He was transferred later to Oregon Health & Science
University in Portland. His injuries were non-lifethreatening. Passengers in the Mini Cooper were transported to Columbia Memorial Hospital with minor injuries. They are identified as right front passenger Ivan Sultan, 44; and rear seat passengers Keanu Sultan, 16, and Emily R. Lloyd, 22 months. All occupants in the Mini Cooper were using safety restraints. Safety restraint use by the occupants in the Volkswagen is pending confirmation. OSP troopers from the Astoria and St. Helens offices responded and are involved with the ongoing investigation. Trooper Jessica Spurlock is the lead investigator. Knappa Fire District, Medix Ambulance, and ODOT assisted.
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