TCC77

Rate payers may still face sewer plant cost

JEREMY C. RUARK Country Media, Inc.

The dust has settled at the Oregon Capital Building following the end of the state legislative session without approval of $6 million for the City of Clatskanie.

The money is necessary to complete needed work at the site of the current sewer plant on NW 4h Street where a new wastewater plant is to be build.

The Chief reached out to Clatskanie City Manager Greg Hinkelman for his reaction and what the next steps are in funding the facility.

The Chief: What is your reaction to not receiving the need funding from the state?

Greg Hinkelman: We are disappointed that we did not get the funding we had asked for ($6 million). It was a big ask, but that is why we went to the state. We had heard about greater than expected revenue and the possibility of a big kicker check to taxpayers. We were hoping that would translate into more funding opportunities for projects such as ours.

The Chief: Specifically, what would that money have been used for?

Hinkelman: The purpose for the money was to do the soil prep work for the new wastewater treatment plant. During the initial geotech evaluation, it was discovered that the soils where the new plant is to be built are “Liquefiable,” which means they will turn to mush during a seismic event.

The Chief: What are the city’s next steps in getting the needed funding?

Hinkelman: I am going to have conversations with the representatives of the State revolving fund to see what financing is available, I have not wanted to do this. Should we have to go the financing route, there will ultimately be a substantial increase in city customer sewer bills to pay off the loan over the course of 20 years. I have also been in contact with our federal representatives to see if there is a funding route through the Feds. I will continue those efforts.

The Chief: What is the status at this point of the design and permitting of the plant?

Hinkelman: We are almost concluded with the design. Once that is done, we then move to setting timetables for Request for Proposals (RFP) submissions. That timetable is also contingent upon getting the funding to do the soil work. We can’t build unless the soil is stable.

The Chief: What is the total estimated cost of this new plant and why is it needed?

Hinkelman: To build the plant structure itself is $10 million. We need the new plant because the existing plant is experiencing structural failure and we have had mechanical issues over the last couple of years. The biggest problem with the existing plant is there is no re-

dundancy which has proven to be a huge liability, especially during the last couple of mechanical failures.

Background

Hinkelman was successful work in gaining $10 million from the 2022 Oregon Legislature to build the wastewater treatment facility and a $720,000 community development block grant for the engineering and design of the new plant that will be built at the same location of the current facility at 100 NW 4th Street in Clatskanie.

Challenging history

The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality issued a $2,800 fine to the City of Clats-

kanie in Dec. 2022, following repeated sewer plant failures. The violations are of the DEQ’s National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NEPDES) permit that regulates the city’s wastewater treatment plant. This fine is a result of two incidents that happened within weeks of each other earlier this year, according to Hinkelman.

“The sewer plant experienced failure of a seal within the clarifier that resulted in high levels of E.coli that were discharged into the Clatskanie River in January and March of this year,” Hinkelman told The Chief in a published interview last February.

Following the discharge, the city closed the Clatskanie River and issued warnings to the public not to use the river on both occasions of the plant failure.

The failure of the seal also impacted other categories of reporting that showed elevated levels of Effluent limits; Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD’s) and Total Suspended Solids (TSS), according to the DEQ.

Hinkelman said the city conducted a thorough review of each failing and determined that excessive debris was getting into the treatment system, which was caused by issues with the debris removal system, also known as the headworks, that required adjustments to a screen-cleaning brush and the replacement of a gear box.

Part of the fix included hiring a diver to go into the wastewater area of the plant to remove the debris from the seal. See photos and read that coverage at thechiefnews.com.

Follow this developing story at thechiefnews.com and in the Friday print editions of The Chief.

Bridge closure could affect emergency services

WILL LOHRE Country Media, Inc.

The Lewis and Clark Bridge is slated to close for eight days on July 16, and local agencies are working to ensure efficient emergency services during the closure.

Columbia River Fire and Rescue EMS Division Chief Jerry Cole said that their number one concern with the bridge is being able to provide emergency transport to its citizens.

During the closure, there will be an estimated 10-hour full closure of the bridge that will halt efficient emergency transport.

“During that 10 hours, our options are going to be transport to Astoria or Portland, and or for critical patients; our option is probably going to be air transport via Life Flight,” Cole said. The closure is to allow crews to make repairs on the 93-year-old bridge across the Columbia River between Rainier and Longview, Washington, according to a release from the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) and the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT).

One of the issues for Cole and CRFR is that WSDOT does not

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1805 Columbia Blvd., St. Helens, OR 97051

want return trips after emergency transport to go over the bridge.

“Where we’re concerned is if our PAR levels are down in Rainier, we won’t have any coverage over here because they’ll be on transport,” Cole said. “What we’re trying to negotiate with WSDOT is allowing the ambulances to return back across via the Lewis and Clark Bridge.”

WSDOT wants emergency vehicles to return via the ferry in Cathlamet or drive down and around through Portland on Highway 30. Cole said that while they are glad they will be able to transport people over the bridge, the restriction on return trips could affect responses on subsequent calls.

The CRFR is negotiating with WSDOT and ODOT to find a solution to the issue and secure the ability to return via the bridge, and met Thursday, July 6. The result of the negotiation was unavailable at the time of print.

The Lewis and Clark Bridge is the only span across the Columbia River between the Astoria-Megler Bridge at the river’s mouth and the Interstate Bridge between Portland and Vancouver. The closure may create hardships for communi-

ties along the Columbia River in Clatsop and Columbia counties in Oregon and require residents to reschedule medical and other important appointments.

Securing additional units

In addition to its negotiation with WSDOT, CRFR is seeking funding from the State of Oregon to add additional ambulance units to each affected district.

CRFR presented a request to Governor Tina Kotek’s office, and the governor is working with the State Fire Marshal’s office on possibly funding an additional ambulance in each district they serve (CRFR, Clatskanie, and Mist). They initially presented their request to the Board of County Commissioners last week.

Director of Public Health for Columbia County Jaime Aanensen said the county did not have the funds to support the request, and the request was elevated to the state.

“The Department of Public Health and the County Emergency Manager, as soon as these concerns were brought to us, both departments took it to the Board

of Commissioners and elevated this concern pretty immediately,”

Aanensen said.

Rainier has two staffed ambulance units, two 24-hour-a-day units and a 12-hour-a-day unit in St. Helens, and a single unit at the Fairgrounds Station, according to Cole. The funding would go toward staffing three more.

“What we’re trying to get is one extra unit per district,” Cole said.

As of now, whether they will receive the funding is not guaranteed. The CRFR hopes the state will

ing on July 6.

“As soon as it became on our radar, we’ve been working really hard to get some more resources and to bring the visibility to the problems that our fire districts are going to encounter with the bridge closure,” Aanensen said.

The benefit of the extra units would be to increase transport capacity in case units could not return efficiently due to the bridge closure.

Columbia County DA Auxier leaving office

WILL LOHRE Country Media, Inc.

After six years serving Columbia County, District Attorney Jeff Auxier is stepping down from his elected position effective July 7.

Auxier has accepted a senior deputy district attorney staff position in the Multnomah County District Attorney’s office and he cited a number of reasons for stepping away prematurely before his team ended in Columbia County.

“This is really a family decision. Something that my wife and I think is best for our family and our two boys. And I feel really good about the office that I’m leaving in Columbia County,” Auxier said.

“I am someone who worked in Multnomah County for a little under ten years before coming out here, and I feel compelled to help with the

safety challenges that are happening in the city right now.”

in Auxier’s new position was also

factor. In his new position, Auxier is slated to

make $204,637 per year within the Multnomah County DA’s office.

As District Attorney in Columbia County, Auxier said he received about $131,000 from the state annually, and about $19,740 in additional compensation from the county

per year, totaling approximately $150,000. Auxier was originally elected in 2017, before being reelected in May of 2022. Auxier was slated to serve a second four-year term. While he said he loves Columbia

County and has enjoyed living here for the past ten years, Auxier added that he feels compelled to rejoin his colleagues in Multnomah County. Auxier and Multnomah County DA worked together in the misdemeanor

“[Schmidt] is someone that I care about; I know he cares about that office, and he’s someone I’d be proud to work for,” Auxier said. Auxier said he’s been considering the move for most of the spring. While he will be stepping down, Auxier said he doesn’t foresee his successor changing approaches to cases and investigations that Auxier

What’s next?

The next step will be a governorappointed interim DA who works in the criminal justice division of the Oregon Department of Justice. That person will serve as acting DA until the governor makes an official appointment, according to Auxier.

Jeremy C. Ruark / Country Media, Inc.

The new plant is slated to be built at the existing sewer plant site on NW 4th Street in Clatskanie.

Courtesy photo from ODOT

The Lewis and Clark Bridge will close at 8 p.m. Sunday, July 16 for up to eight days.

Parade to honor fallen hero, raise awareness

This year’s Rainier Days in the Park parade holds special significance and is in memory of Caleb Robert Hocking (Head) and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) awareness.

“This year, our parade is in memory of a gentleman named Caleb and PTSD awareness. We’re trying to send that message with our parade,” Rainier Mayor Jerry Cole said.

A veteran and Marine, Hocking (Head), tragically took his own life only two months ago after many years of battling PTSD following two tours in Iraq as a Scout with the 1st Tank Battalion based at Twentynine Palms.

Hocking (Head) received a commendation for his actions in Iraq for protecting and saving the lives of his fellow Marines. He served honorably, achieving the rank of Sergeant.

Cole had the idea of honoring Hocking (Head) as his family, who owns Luigi’s Pizza, has been a long-time sponsor of the parade. Cole approached the family with the idea, and they agreed.

“It’s one of those things that if it could just save one person, the effort we put

into that message was worth it,” Cole said.

A message about PTSD and loss

Meryl Head, who is one of the managing members of Luigi’s Pizza and Hocking (Head)’s mother, said she was honored on Caleb’s behalf but wanted the message surrounding PTSD awareness to be an important component.

wanted to do, really, towards PTSD and make people more aware, not just about Caleb, this is about PTSD and all the people that suffer in silence,” Head said.

Head said that one of the issues surrounding PTSD is the lack of understanding of what it is and how it affects those with it. Trauma can have lasting impacts

to not go through this. And I just feel bad for all the people that have PTSD because it’s very real and very difficult for them to get through it,” Head said.

According to data on the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs website, 15% of veterans who served in Operations Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Enduring Free-

enced PTSD in the past year, during their lives.

undertaken by the person affected, and seeking help is difficult for those suffer ing. Head said that Hocking (Head) sought help many times but dealt with many of his struggles without fully expressing himself.

form of anxiety. You can’t

function really when you’re anxious. You feel like you’re having heart attacks and all sorts of things,” Head said. “It’s in there always. They need understanding. They need everyone to educate themselves, and we need to encourage these people to go and get help, because there is help out there.”

The average number of Veteran suicides per day rose from 16.4 in 2001 to 16.8 in 2020, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. The unadjusted suicide rate for Veterans was 23.3 per 100,000 in 2001 and 31.7 per 100,000 in 2020. For non-Veteran U.S. adults, the suicide rate was 12.6 per 100,000 in 2001 and 16.1 per 100,000 in 2020. While the statistics give the context of this crisis, each number represents an individual story and family who has experienced tremendous loss.

rible thing. Just to watch my

All ODF districts following fire safety restrictions

STAFF REPORT Country Media, Inc.

All Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) districts are now in fire season.

The declaration that took effect July means that fire restrictions and danger levels may be in place where you live or at a destination you plan on recreating to reduce the risk of humancaused wildfires.

ODF protects over 16 million acres of private, county, state, and federal land from wildfire. Most districts start their fire season around May or June, and the season ends around the end of October. This

year, the Southwest Oregon district was the first to declare on June 1, and the North Cascade District was the last to declare on July 1.

“We are experiencing some active fire behavior for this early in the season,” Oregon Department of Forestry Fire Protection Division Chief Mike Shaw said. “Heading into late summer, which historically has higher fire activity, ODF is ready to protect Oregon lands. However, prevention is our number one tool to reduce property loss and firefighting costs. We need the cooperation of Oregonians to do that so we don’t strain our resources

on fires that could have been avoided.”

A large concern for the agency is travelers throughout the state looking to recreate in Oregon’s forests.

“We want to remind people to not park their car over dried grass, don’t drag your tow chains and make sure your car is recently serviced,” Shaw said.

“Ground fuels on the side of a road will catch fire easily and then burn and spread quickly. By actively practicing wildfire prevention, you could prevent a roadside or large wildfire.”

Other wildfire prevention tips include: Make sure your campfire

is cool to the touch before going to sleep or leaving your site. Don’t forget to Drown, Stir, Repeat. Go back and check on your debris burn site to make sure nothing reignites due to the heat. Don’t flick a cigarette onto the ground. It may be just enough to start a grass fire. Check local restrictions and fire danger levels.

For more information on how you can help prevent wildfires, visit keeporegongreen.org.

Jeremy Ruark / Country Media, Inc.

Volunteers carry flags as a previous Rainier Days parade.

Metro Creative Connection

Experts are forecasting a potentially dangerous wildfire season in Oregon.

State housing options include new RV legislation

STAFF REPORT

Country Media, Inc.

During the final days of the Oregon Legislature, the Oregon Senate approved Senate Bill 1013, a measure to allow siting of one recreational vehicle (RV) on a rural residential zoned property, increasing housing options in rural Oregon.

Current regulations limit rural residential properties to a single dwelling and define “rural use” as one dwelling per ten acres. Recreational vehicles (RVs) are defined in statute as vehicles with or without motive power that are designed for use as temporary living quarters.

Current law restricts local governments from prohibiting the placement or occupancy of an RV, or from imposing any limit on the length of occupancy of an RV as a residential dwelling, provided the rec-

reational vehicle is located in a manufactured dwelling park, mobile home park or recreational vehicle park, a release from the Oregon Senate Republican states.

Fast Fact

According to the Department of Land Conservation and Development Department, Oregon needs to develop more than 550,000 new housing units across income levels to accommodate 20 years of population growth and account for current underproduction.

and co-chief sponsored the bill.

“One of the greatest responsibilities the Legislature was tasked with this session was finding ways to increase

the supply of housing and stabilize Oregon’s workforce,” Hayden said. “We often struggle to find employees to fill essential jobs in rural communities in part because there is nowhere to rent.

Senate Bill 1013 is a low-cost opportunity to provide suitable housing options for people looking for employment while boosting Oregon’s rural workforce. I appreciate the efforts of Commissioner Tootie Smith who brought this concept to my office.”

Sen. David Brock Smith (R-Port Orford),is co-chief sponsor of the bill.

“We must remove barriers that keep family-wage jobs from being filled in my community and across the state. Senate Bill 1013 gives our counties an opportunity to do this without a significant price tag,” Smith said.

“We know workers turn

down jobs after facing the harsh reality that there are little to no adequate housing options for them. Senate Bill 1013 is a viable addition to the toolbox to relieve the pressure on Oregon’s hous ing and workforce short age,” Sen. Dennis Linthicum (R-Klamath Falls), co-chief sponsor of the bill, said.

“This bill is a result of a constituent concern – a woman could not park an RV on her sister’s prop erty for use as a residence following the death of her husband. Our current land use regulations were leading to unnecessary financial hardship and the potential to become homeless. For Clackamas County, this legislation offers a housing solution that extends into rural and unincorporated communities and will support families and people in need,” Clackamas County Commissioner Tootie Smith

Metro Creative Connection

Recreational vehicles (RVs) are defined in statute as vehicles with or without motive power that are designed for use as temporary living quarters.

said. According to the Department of Land Conservation and Development Department, Oregon needs to develop more than 550,000 new housing units across

income levels to accommodate 20 years of population growth and account for current underproduction.

As of July 5, the legislation was awaiting the governor’s signature.

Columbia River summer Chinook fishing closed

STAFF REPORT

Country Media, Inc.

With the summer Chinook run tracking significantly below pre-season expectations, retention of adult summer Chinook closed on the Columbia River mainstem downstream of Priest Rapids Dam (PRD) as of Saturday, July 1.

Fishery managers from Washington and Oregon made the decision during a Joint State Hearing June 28, according to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW).

Retention of sockeye salmon, hatchery steelhead and jack Chinook remains open from the AstoriaMegler Bridge upstream to the Highway 395 Bridge at Pasco, WA. The daily adult bag limit is two adult salmonids (only one may be a hatchery steelhead) and five hatchery jack salmon. All sockeye are considered adults.

Upper Columbia summer Chinook pass Bonneville Dam from June 16 through July 31 destined for areas in the Columbia River Basin upstream of PRD, and fishery management policy prioritizes summer Chinook fisheries in these areas by allocating them most of the harvestable surplus.

With summer Chinook abundance lower than expected, the number of fish

available to harvest in lower river recreational fisheries decreased by more than half, making a Chinook closure in areas downstream of PRD necessary.

Chinook fishing will reopen for fall seasons on Aug. 1, see the Recreation Report / Fishing Report for Columbia River Zone and click “Regulation Updates” for details about the fall season.

Forecast report

The following forecast report was issued by the ODFW in May of this year. Oregon and Washington fishery managers recently finalized seasons and regulations for 2023 Columbia River summer and fall recreational salmon and steelhead fisheries. Detailed regulations are available at https:// www.dfw.state.or.us/fish/ OSCRP/CRM/index.asp (see Summer and Fall Columbia River Recreational Fishery Regulations)

Forecasts for summer and fall Chinook, sockeye, and coho will allow opportunity for anglers to target these fish. However, added protections are necessary for ESA-listed Lower Columbia River (LCR) fall Chinook and summer steelhead.

The forecast for summer Chinook is 85,400 adult fish, which is larger than last year’s actual return, and the forecast for sockeye is

Mark Dale Sullivan

234,500 fish, which is higher than last year’s forecast but significantly less than last year’s record return. For the summer season, retention of adult hatchery Chinook, hatchery steelhead, and sockeye will open June 16 and is expected to continue through July 31 from the AstoriaMegler Bridge upstream to the Highway 395 Bridge in Pasco, WA. The bag limit is two adult salmonids, but only one may be a hatchery steelhead, and all sockeye are considered adults.

This year’s adult fall Chinook forecast of 554,000 fish is smaller than last year’s actual return. The 2023 Columbia River coho return is forecasted at 595,300 adults, which is similar to last year’s actual return. Chinook and coho retention seasons start Aug. 1 and vary by river section. This year’s regulations include additional measures, such as mark-selective (adipose finclipped only) retention rules for Chinook in the Buoy 10 fishery and salmonid angling closures upstream of west Puget Island when Chinook retention is prohibited. These are intended to help manage fishery impacts to ESAlisted stocks and to increase the stability of the planned season structure.

If accurate, the preseason forecast of 67,800 fish would be the lowest return for upriver summer steelhead

Jan. 22, 1981 ~ June 17, 2023

Mark Dale Sullivan, 42, of Rainier, Oregon, passed away as the result of a mo torcycle accident on June 17, 2023. He was born on Jan. 22, 1981, in Nowata, Okla homa, to LaRee Sullivan.

Mark was a talented mechanic, and his hunger for knowledge allowed him to be confident in almost any task. It was not uncommon to see him driving a semitruck in a three-piece suit and getting under the truck to fix any mechanical issue. He also enjoyed long- distance driving and construction. Mark was a former school bus driver for the Rainier School District. He

had a kind and witty personality and dressing for success and pride. Mark is survived by his

mother LaRee Sullivan, two daughters, Emily and Jade Sullivan; son Allan Sullivan; two brothers, Thomas and Jim; sister Celeste; and several aunts, uncles, and cousins.

He was preceded in death by his beloved wife Paige Sullivan; brother Dana Cooper III; father Tom Sullivan; and stepfathers, Mike Page and John Spangler.

Mark will be deeply missed by his family and friends. There will be a celebration of life at 2 p.m. on Sat., July 8, 2023 at Groulx Family Mortuary, 25381 Wonderly Road Rainier, OR 97048.

since counting started at Bonneville Dam in 1938. In recognition of the expected low abundance, anglers will see extremely conservative retention regulations again in 2023, similar to recent years.

Hatchery steelhead retention will be allowed June 16 to July 31 from the AstoriaMegler Bridge upstream to The Dalles Dam and June 16 through Aug. 31 from The Dalles Dam upstream to the Highway 395 Bridge in Pasco, WA with a reduced bag limit of one fish. After retention of summer steelhead closes in each area, it is expected to remain closed through at least the end of

the year.

“The summer steelhead forecast this year, especially for B-Index steelhead destined for the Clearwater and Salmon rivers in Idaho, is bleak and I’d encourage everyone to do what they can to avoid them once the areaspecific retention seasons close,” said Tucker Jones, ODFW Ocean Salmon and Columbia River Program Manager. (For more information on summer steelhead returns and management in the Columbia River Basin visit https://myodfw.com/articles/ steelhead-management-columbia-snake-river-basins )

Protective regulations

will also include Thermal Angling Sanctuaries in Eagle Creek, Herman Creek, and the Deschutes River as well as in the Columbia River near the mouths of these tributaries (see the website for maps and detailed descriptions of these sanctuary areas).

For more information about Columbia River fishing seasons, visit ODFW’s online fishing reports at https://myodfw.com/recreation-report/fishing-report/ columbia-zone Summer and fall season regulations will also be posted at this link before the season begins.

Sen. Cedric Hayden (RFall Creek) introduced

GOP staged historic walkout, but they didn’t get much

RANDY STAPILUS

Chief Guest Article

The 2023 Oregon legislative session was dominated by a six-week strike, the longest by legislators in the state’s history. Did it matter?

Yes, but not as much as many people would have expected, and we may need a while to figure out exactly how much.

The impact of the walkout and this year’s session fall into three categories.

The simplest is that the 10 Republican senators who exceeded the constitutional limits for unexcused absences cannot serve the next term after this one, disrupting their party’s ability to try to gain control of the chamber.

That’s a major price for a political party to pay, since open seats – as theirs will be next time – are easier targets for an opposition party. Because of local political conditions, most probably will remain Republican, but not all.

Yes, there’s a legal action seeking to overturn the limitation, and you can never predict what a court might do. But the rule is now in the Oregon constitution –after voters overwhelmingly

endorsed it last year. Since it clearly doesn’t conflict with anything in the federal Constitution, attorneys for the senators will have a hard time finding a lever to overturn it.

The second area of impact involves the Republican demands leading to the walkout. These mainly concerned legislation Democrats had proposed relating to guns, abortion and LGBTQ issues.

The Republican senators held off a proposed law change barring Oregonians under 21 from buying guns, and allowing local governments to ban guns from their buildings. (Expect those subjects to return next year.) But the final version of House Bill 2005 did include a ban on ghost guns – firearms created through 3D printing, for example, and lacking traceable numbers – and required that nearly all existing guns in the state carry a tracking number by September 2024. It also set up an investigation into the sources of gun violence, which may be useful.

Gun safety advocates didn’t get all they wanted, but they got at least half a loaf, maybe more.

The biggest focus of the Republican walkout, House Bill 2002, passed with most

of its major elements intact: liability protections for Oregon abortion providers following the U.S. Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade, and a requirement that insurance companies cover gender-affirming medical care. The main deletion from the package obtained by Republicans has to do with parental notification of an abortion for a child younger than 15. The bill, which hasn’t been signed by Gov. Tina Kotek yet, still would allow a provider who obtains a second opinion to bypass parental notification in cases of potential abuse. Abortion rights and transgender rights advocates in Oregon can take that result as a win.

The Republicans didn’t get much for the sacrifice their senators made, and neither did they, in the end, stop the flow of legislation.

Kotek appeared to score only one significant loss (and that at the hands of her fellow Democrats), relating to an adjustment of land-use law to expand housing stock. She got almost everything else she sought.

Attorney General Ellen Rosenbaum said in a press release, “I am thrilled that every major bill on my legislative agenda passed! From

banning unserialized ‘ghost guns’, to requiring transparency and limits on the use of our personal data, to moving forward our work preserving access to abortion, and fighting labor trafficking and bias crimes.”

Budgets were approved, as they must be each session, and so were scores of bills on all sorts of topics – including substantive measures on housing and homelessness, boosting support for public defenders and encouraging semiconductor development in the state. That means the walkout

had few legislative aftereffects, though we all may discover glitches in the flood of bills passed in a rush at the session’s end.

Consider this quote from Kotek, delivered shortly before the session’s end, about the supersonic speed at the Legislature: “Once the (walkout) deal was reached, everything went into overdrive, and I have not had a chance to look at all the bills. We will make sure we understand what I’m signing and there might be some things I don’t agree with, but right now I don’t know what

those are.”

We may see echoes of that for months as critics of many of the rapidlyprocessed bills examine them carefully for legal or other flaws – and we’ll probably find more than a few.

The Democrats who were mainly responsible for passing them all so quickly will, of course, have to answer for them.

But so will the Republican walkouts.

Randy Stapilus is a columnist for the Oregon Capital Chronicle.

State sets health insurance coverage hearings

The virtual public hearings for the 2024 requested rates for individual and small group health insurance plans has been rescheduled for August, the Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services announced today. The hearings are now set for Friday, Aug. 4, from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. and 1 to 4 p.m.

In the meantime, Oregon consumers can look at the requested rates for 2024 and proposed plan coverage by county at https://

July 12 In Harmony Ribbon

Cutting 1 p.m. New yoga studio ribbon cutting at 102 E. B Street, Suite A, Rainier, Oregon. Follow their Facebook page here to stay up to date https://www.facebook. com/InHarmonyRainier.

July 14 Birdies Devine Delights Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting 10 a.m. Grand opening and ribbon cutting for Birdies Devine Delights at 126 W. B Street, Rainier, Oregon.

July 19 to 23 County Fair

The Columbia County Fair is scheduled from July 19 through July 23 at the Columbia County Fairgrounds, 58892 Saulser Road in St Helens. See the schedule at https://www. columbiacountyfairgrounds. com/events.

Sept. 22 to 24 Wings Over Willapa Festival

The Friends of Willapa National Wildlife Refuge and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 5th annual Wings Over Willapa. This multi-day bird and art festival will be held at 7112 67th Place in Long Beach. For more details, call 360-642-3860.

Ongoing

Clatskanie Senior Center

lunches

Clatskanie Senior Center

dfr.oregon.gov/healthrates/ Documents/2024-rate-andcounty-coverage.pdf.

In the individual market, six companies submitted rate change requests ranging from an average 3.5 percent to 8.5 percent increase, for a weighted average increase of 6.2 percent. That average increase is slightly lower than last year’s requested weighted average increase of 6.7 percent.

In the small group market, eight companies submitted rate change requests ranging from an average 0.8

Lunches now served Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at noon at the Castle Cafe, 620 SW Tichenor. Call 503-728-3608 for reservations. Use ground floor entrance to the left of front stairs. Good parking in back off of SW Bryant Street. Castle Tours available by appointment, includes Clatskanie Historical Society museum. Call Debbie at 503338-8268.

Volunteers Needed

The City of St. Helens has partnered with Columbia County and is seeking volunteers to help with a 6-week Pickleball program at Campbell Park starting midJune on Sunday afternoons. If interested, please contact, Casey Garrett: casey. garrett@columbiacountyor. gov - or - Shanna Duggan at sduggan@sthelensoregon. gov.

Caples Evening Programs

The cost for this evening and all our Fireside Chats will be only $5. Caples will be offering a different program the third Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m. at 1925 First Street in Columbia City. For more information, call 503-3975390.

Lower Columbia River Watershed Council Lower Columbia Watershed

percent to 12.4 percent increase, for a weighted average increase of 8.1 percent, which is higher than last year’s requested 6.9 percent average increase.

The Oregon Reinsurance Program continues to help stabilize the market and lower rates. Reinsurance lowered rates by at least 6 percent for the sixth straight year. A web address to watch the public hearings will be posted at oregonhealthrates. org. At the hearings, each insurance company will

Council meets the second Monday of the month at 6:30 p.m. in the Clatskanie PUD building. Zoom links are also available. Visit the council’s website for agenda postings and Zoom at www.lowercolumbiariver.org/events-page.

The Rainier Oregon Historical Museum (ROHM) is open from noon - 4 p.m. Saturday (except major holidays weekends). ROHM is located inside Rainier City Hall at 106 W B Street. For more information, call 360751-7039.

The Rainier Public Library is open from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Fridays and 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Saturdays. It will be closed Sundays and Mondays. Avamere at St. Helens hosts a Virtual Dementia Support Group – third Wednesday of each month from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. For more details, contact Jenny Hicks/Avamere at St. Helens at 503-366-8070.

To list an event in the Community Calendar, email details with a phone number that may be published, to chronicleclassifieds@ countrymedia.net, or call 503-397-0116.

The Chief

provide a brief presentation about its rate increase requests, answer questions from Division of Financial Regulation (DFR) staff, and hear public comment from Oregonians. The public also has the opportunity to comment on the proposed rates through Aug. 3 at oregonhealthrates.org. The requested rates are for plans that comply with the Affordable Care Act for small businesses and individuals who buy their own coverage rather than getting it through an employer. For

the second year in a row, every county has at least four companies available for people to buy insurance on the individual market. Deschutes County, which has four companies in 2023, is proposed to have five in 2024.

The division is analyzing the requested rates to ensure they adequately cover Oregonians’ health care costs. DFR must review and approve rates before they are charged to policyholders.

Preliminary decisions are expected to be announced in

late July, and final decisions will be made in August after the public hearings and comment period ends. The hearings were previously scheduled for July 17-18.

About Oregon DFR

The Division of Financial Regulation is part of the Department of Consumer and Business Services, Oregon’s largest business regulatory and consumer protection agency. Visit dfr. oregon.gov and www.dcbs. oregon.gov.

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Public Notices

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE STATE OF OREGON FOR THE COUNTY OF COLUMBIA

Probate Department In the Matter of the Estate of ALBERT M. PARKER, Deceased. No. 23PB04950

NOTICE IS HEREBY

GIVEN that the undersigned has been appointed personal representative of this

estate. All persons having claims against the estate are required to present their claims, with vouchers attached, within four months after the date of first publication of this notice to the personal representative at

P. O. Box 459, Rainier, OR 97048, or the claims may be barred. All persons whose rights may be affected by the proceedings may obtain additional information from the records of the Court, the personal representative or

the attorney for the personal representative. Dated and first published July 7, 2023. Tina Marie Cramer, Personal Representative. STEPHEN D. PETERSEN, L.L.C. Attorney at Law, P.O. Box 459, Rainier, OR 97048.

CC23-1813

NOTICE OF PAVING

Paving will be taking place at 212 North 15th Ave, St. Helens, Oregon on July 11th, 2023. Please expect some delay as the asphalt

grinding and paving is completed. Please do not hesitate to call if you have any questions. Thank you for your patience. 503-704-1544.

The Public Notice deadline is Wednesdays by noon. Late submissions are not guaranteed to make it into the paper.

STATEPOINT CROSSWORD

THEME: MOVIE ANIMALS

Wheel on a spur

57. CISC alternative

58. Private theater box

59. Resembling wings

60. MacFarlane or Rogen

61. Go-____

62. *Bullseye, Hamm and Lotso Bear, e.g.

63. Lyric poem

64. Immediately, doctor’s jargon

1. Air quality concern

2. Fibber

3. Farm measure

4. Sushi condiment

5. Natural moth repellent

6. To change, as in the U.S. Constitution

7. Fork prong

8. *”Harry Potter” animal

(2 words)

9. Earthenware pot

10. *”Born Free” animal

11. I in T.G.I.F.

13. Administer diazepam

14. When Cinderella wins 19. Civil wrongs

22. “Some Nights” band

Solution

23. *”Life of Pi” animal 24. Close call 25. Bank job 26. Gossamer 27. Cry like #5 Across 28. Liquorice flavored herb

29. Hues

32. Backgammon predecessor

33. *”Babe” animal

36. *”Anchorman” and “The Wizard of Oz” animals

38. Kundera’s “Unbearable Lightness of ____”

40. “That feels good!” exclamation

41. Set in motion

44. Like a go-getter bird

46. Lies in ambush

48. Wept

49. It makes waste?

50. Singular of #17 Across

51. Home versus ____ game

52. Guesstimate phrase (2 words)

53. To perfection (3 words)

54. Taj Mahal city

55. As opposed to gross

56. *”Willard” animal

Rainier Trap Team competes at State

finished just off a medal spot.

The top five shooters for the team whose scores were used were Brighton Stout (96/100), Tristin Stout (92/100), James Watkins (90/100), Chandler Blaylock (90/100), and Levi Hall (90/100), according to parent Pam Stout.

The Stout siblings scored a perfect round during the competition, earning a 25-straight patch. It was Brighton Stout’s first perfect round of the season. Following the tournament, the team performed its ritual end to the season.

Tristin Stout and James

Watkins earned All-State honors by finishing in the top 50 shooters in the state.

At state, Samuel Monk and Faith Langhorne were the top male and female shooters for the Rainier Jr. Varsity program, scoring 74 and 75, respectively. For the Varsity team at state, Brighton Stout and Brook Collum were the top male and female shooters, scoring 96 and 88.

were awarded top male and female shooters on the team based on their regular season averages.

The Rainier Jr/Sr High School

AUXIER

From Page A1

Auxier noted that his two chief deputies would remain in the office. With them being involved in all of the major investigations and cases, Auxier assured that there would still be continuity.

Auxier said that whoever the governor appoints as district attorney will then be up for election in the May 2024 primary.

In his six years as Columbia County District Attorney, Auxier said his biggest accomplishment was the team that he has assembled.

placed 5th overall out of 33 programs that attended the Oregon State High School Clay Target League’s 2023 State Tournament.

“The biggest point of pride for me is the team of prosecutors who I have assembled in the office. I think we really have a great combination of experience that rivals any office in the state, including the major metropolitan offices,” Auxier said. “Simultaneously, having a lot of young lawyers who bring a lot of energy to the office, and are excited to work here and are moving their families here.”

Auxier said the office has a statewide reputation as an office that people want to come and work for. The people he is leaving the office to is the accomplishment he’s most proud of, Auxier said.

More than 300 kids competed in the tournament at Hillsboro June 24. The Rainier team competed well, scoring 498/500, and

Gov. Tina Kotek announced June 29 that she is seeking applications to fill Auxier’s post by appointment. Applications will be accepted through July 24.

In a release, the Governor’s Office said it welcomes applications from candidates with a diversity of backgrounds and experiences.

Applicants must submit a District Attorney Interest Form to the Governor’s Office. Please note that the District Attorney Interest Form is not the same form that is used for judicial vacancies.

The District Attorney Interest Form is available online: Interest Form.

Interested applicants

“The kids celebrated by destroying each of their hats in the traditional team hat shoot,” Pam Stout said.

In addition to the team’s success, some individuals garnered recognition through their performances.

should address their completed application forms to Richard A. Lane, General Counsel, Office of the Governor, and email (no mail or hand delivery) those completed forms to Shevaun Gutridge at shevaun.gutridge@oregon. gov. Forms must be received by 5:00 p.m. on Monday, July 24, 2023.

Oregon law requires that, at the time of appointment, the appointee must be admitted to practice in the Supreme Court of Oregon (ORS 8.630 and ORS 8.640).

Follow this developing story at thechiefnews.com and in the Friday print editions of The Chief.

In addition to the state performances, the team recognized individuals based on their regular season performances. Tristan Stout and Lilly Langhorne

The following shooters earned team varsity letters by averaging at least 18/25 per round: Chandler Blaylock, Justin Bozarth, Bree Cole, Brooke Collum, Levi Hall, Faith Langhorne, Lilly Langhorne, Sam Monk, Brighton Stout, Tristin Stout, and James Watkins. With so many talented shots in the program, Rainier promises to be a force on the range for years to come.

The annual Clatskanie Heritage Days returned with the traditional community parade and other events. The festival began June 24 and continued through Independence Day, July 4 with a parade. The festival is a celebra tion of Clatskanie honoring its rich history.

WILL LOHRE Country Media, Inc.

trap shooting team

Courtesy photo from Jeff Sorenson

The Rainier Trap Team, Brighton Stout (kneeling), Brooke Collum, Lilly Langhorne, Justin Bozarth, Bree Cole, Tristin Stout, Wade Widme, James Watkins, Sam Monk, Chandler Blaylock, Levi Hall, and Faith Langhorne.