State representative to host two town hall meetings, Page 4
Loss's 5 TDs leads Scappoose to road win over Rainier, Page 12
TODAY’S WEATHER
The Chronicle
Wednesday September 19, 2012
Vernonia woman held in crash
Oregon State Police troopers are investigating a singlevehicle traffic crash along Highway 47 about seven miles south of Vernonia that reJohnson sulted in one person being seriously injured and the driver, Julie Anna Maria Johnson, 26, from Vernonia, in custody. According to Sgt. Luke Schwartz, at approximately 4:37 p.m. on Sept. 17, a car crash was reported on Highway 47 about two miles north of L. L. "Stub" Stewart Start Park. Upon arrival, police and fire personnel found a seriously injured passenger, later identified as Sarah E. Leloff, 32, of Vernonia. Authorities also discovered Johnson had fled the scene on foot. LifeFlight was called to the site of the accident and transported Leloff to Oregon Health and Science University where she is listed in serious condition. OSP troopers, with the assistance of officers from Washington County Sheriff's Office, Columbia County Sheriff's Office and Vernonia Police Department, investigated the crash and located Johnson about two hours later after local citizens called to report a suspicious person hiding in the area. Johnson was taken into custody and lodged in the Columbia County Jail on numerous charges, including DUII, felony hit and run, misdemeanor hit and run – property damage, reckless driving, recklessly endangering another person fourth-degree assault and second-degree criminal mischief. Neither the driver nor the passenger was using safety restraints.
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75¢ Vol. 130, No. 37 14 Pages
Scappoose fire emphasizes danger BY SHARI PHIEL The Chronicle
SCAPPOOSE — A small wildland fire broke out in a rural part of Scappoose late on Sept. 14, underscoring the tinder-dry conditions throughout the state. The area of the fire, located near 30869 Holaday Road, was initially reported as being between five and 10 acres, although Scappoose Rural Fire District Chief Mike Griesen said the fire was eventually found to be about two and a half acres in size. Firefighting crews were initially worried about the potential danger to two neighboring homes.
e
“The two homes have structural firefighters protecting them and they are approximately 1/4 mile from the fire line,” said Ronda Melton, spokesperson for Scappoose Rural Fire District. Griesen also said the fire was completely extinguished later that same night thanks to the efforts of the Oregon Department of Forestry and ODF inmate firefighting crews. A total of 30 personnel responded to the scene. The dry conditions combined with continuing warm weather prompted the Oregon Department of Forestry to increase fire safety restrictions on industrial activity on private and non-federal public
forestlands in a portion of northwestern Oregon. The restrictions went into effect at noon on Sept. 17. The restriction to work activities also affects recreational off-road vehicle users in portions of Clatsop and Tillamook State Forests. The step up from Industrial Fire Precaution Level 2 (IFPL) to Level 3 applies to zones NW-3 (Columbia, Washington and Yamhill counties, along with a portion of Tillamook County) and NW-2 (eastern Clatsop and northern Tillamook counties). These levels regulate work activity in forests, including timber harSee FIRE, Page A2
Courtesy photo
A small wildland fire in rural Scappoose on Sept. 14 was an example of the high fire danger conditions present across the state.
Bells are
ringing Students from Columbia County Christian School in Warren rang in Constitution Week at 1 p.m. Sept. 17, joining thousands of students across the country for the event celebrating the signing of the U.S. Constitution in 1787. The tradition of celebrating Constitution Week was begun by the Daughters of the American Revolution and was signed into public law by Pres. Dwight Eisenhower in 1956. SHARI PHIEL / The Chronicle
Abandoned trailer may be connected to burglary ST. HELENS — A small utility trailer found abandoned on a roadside may be a key piece of evidence in an attempted burglary at the St. Helens Les Schwab Tire Courtesy photo Center. A flat bed trailer was found near the scene At about of a burglary at Les Schwab Tire Center. 3:20 a.m. on Sept. 16, St. Helens Police Officers responded to an audible alarm at the Les Schwab Tire Center at 58405 Columbia River Hwy. This is the original Les Schwab location that was recently burned in a fire. When they arrived, officers found a rear door to a storage building had been tampered with and nearly forced open. According to police, it appeared to the officers that the burglars fled when then the alarm sounded. As the officers began to check the area for suspects, they came across a small utility trailer on the side of Division Road, just off U.S. Highway 30. The trailer has a flatbed that is approximately 4 feet wide by 8 feet in length. It is a faded red color and has a 2-inch ball style hitch. With the rear of the trailer sticking out into the roadway, police believe it was hastily dumped at that location. Officers also found drops of fresh motor oil at the scene, indicating the tow vehicle may have had some mechanical issues. SHPD would like to know if the two events are connected. Anyone with information about the trailer is encouraged to contact the St. Helens Police Department at (503) 397-1521.
Unemployment holds, jobs decline in latest report BY SHARI PHIEL The Chronicle
The Oregon Department of Labor released the latest unemployment numbers for both the state and all Oregon counties. Columbia County’s unemployment rate continues to remain higher than the statewide average, national average and average of neighboring Clatsop County, as it has done for the past
few years. Columbia County’s unemployment rate for July was 9.5 percent, up just three tenths of a percent
from June’s rate of 9.2 percent. See JOBS, Page A2
Cycling safety event rolls from Sauvie Island to Astoria BY FELICIA STRUVE The Chronicle
ASTORIA — Clatsop County will play host 120 to 150 cyclists on Sept. 23 as part of a new recreational bike ride to raise awareness about bike safety.
At Bing’s Restaurant
Bridges to Breakers is a 99-mile ride from Sauvie Island to Gearhart Golf Course. The tour will make its way up U.S. Highway 30 to Scappoose before turning west on Scappoose-Vernonia Highway, then following Highway 47 to Nehalem Highway (Highway 202)
then into Astoria. With about half of the ride on roads – along with the terminal point - in Clatsop County, the Clatsop County Board of Commissioners unanimously apSee CYCLING, Page A2
3 DAYS ONLY
Fri. Sept. 28th • 9am-7pm Sat. Sept. 29th • 9am-7pm Sun. Sept. 30th • 10am-5pm