Tigers Basketball
Letters to Santa Week 2
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FRIDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2023
VOL. 132, NO. 33 Serving the Lower Columbia Region since 1891
Away from home for the holidays Away from home
WILL LOHRE Country Media, Inc.
C
olton Keck is your typical 9-year-old. He’s happy, rambunctious, and loves to tell jokes. Unfortunately, due to a case of viral meningitis, he will need to spend Christmas at the hospital this year. Colton’s mother and Clatskanie resident Nikki Cudaback said Colton began feeling sick on Dec. 6. “Colton started to not feel well. He just felt crappy, and started to run a fever. So I treated him with Tylenol and Ibuprofen, I took him to the doctor on Friday, and they said he had a virus and to keep hydrating him and sent us home,” Cudaback said. Cudaback did as she was told, but by Sunday, Dec. 10, Colton’s condition was worsening. Cudaback said Colton was still running a fever, his speech was slurred, and “he couldn’t walk.” Cudaback took him to the emergency room, where they diagnosed him with Influenza A and said he should recover with support and fluids. “So we took him home even though he couldn’t walk or talk. They said that the virus has really hit hard this year, and a lot of kids were struggling,” Cudaback said. Once again, she brought Colton home. The next day, Colton’s dad came into town from Wyoming for Colton’s brother’s birthday. With Colton’s condition still not improving, Colton’s parents decided to bring him back to the hospital; this
Courtesy photo from Nikki Cudaback
Colton Keck has been diagnosed with viral meningitis and must stay in the hospital for Christmas.
time, they went to Randall Children’s Hospital in Portland. “He was admitted that night, and they did an MRI and lumbar puncture on Wednesday, and Thursday, we got the results that he had viral meningitis,” Cudaback said. “The Influenza A had caused swelling in his brain, and there were spots on
the MRI, dark spots, basically from some brain damage from it.” Doctors began steroid treatment. Cudaback said the steroid treatment was really hard on Colton because they made him emotional, and they hurt through the IV. Cudaback said his condition has improved, and he can now say one-word answers but
noted that his coordination is still “bad.” “I’ve been told he’s going to improve with more treatment, but he’s being admitted for the next 4-6 weeks, if not longer, for physical and occupational therapy,” Cudaback said. “It’s been a wild 11 days.”
Colton’s health problems have brought a strain upon Cudaback and her family. Cudaback has four other children and has had recent health struggles of her own. Cudaback said her eldest 19-yearold son is “moving home” to help her. She also said her parents have been trying to help out. “It’s been a struggle. We have one car, and I’ve kind of had to put my job on the back burner,” Cudaback said. “We’re on Christmas break, so that alleviates some stress as far as transportation and school. But, now Christmas looks a lot different; he’ll be hospitalized for Christmas.” Colton’s dad was able to split time with Cudaback at the hospital but needed to return to Wyoming for work. Since then, Cudaback has been staying with Colton at the hospital. Cudaback’s parents have been helping her kids at home, but no one else has been able to stay with Colton at the hospital. Knowing what the family was going through, Cudaback’s friend Trinity Cassel started a GoFundMe to help them through this difficult time. The funds will help support Cudaback with transportation, food, his care, and wages lost as she’s not been able to work. Cudaback said they had been
See KECK Page A4
Columbia County’s Christmas Collection Drive WILL LOHRE Country Media, Inc.
Courtesy photo from Mark Pacheco
The Christmas tree located outside of the County Commissioners’ offices.
Sports ........................ A2 Police Blotter ........... A3 News and Views ...... A4 Community Events .. A4 Classified Ads ......... A5 Legals ....................... A5 Crossword ................ A5 Letters to Santa ... A6-10
Contact The Chief
Phone: 503-397-0116 Fax: 503-397-4093 chiefnews@countrymedia.net 1805 Columbia Blvd., St. Helens, OR 97051
Columbia County’s Christmas Collection Drive is back underway, continuing the county’s tradition of collecting donations for community youths during the holiday season. The Giving Tree drive is hosted by the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) and county staff. In years past, the drive has benefited Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS). County Public Information Officer Mark Pacheco said that the county was unable to partner with ODHS this year, so the county has partnered with a different organization this holiday season. The Juvenile Division of the county’s Department of Community Justice is this year’s Christmas Collection Drive beneficiary. “The county and local State Court staff have hosted prior drives to support the youth in the Juvenile Division’s programs (hygiene drive and hat/gloves/sock drive); however, this is the first year the BOCC has hosted a Christmas Collection Drive for the Juvenile Division of the Department of Community Justice,” Pacheco said. The Juvenile Division focuses on public safety, stability, and accountability, according to Pacheco. Juvenile Court Counselors (JCCs) work with youth aged 12 to 18, conduct intake interviews, collect background information, initiate the legal process, and supervise youth on
probation and in diversion programs. They work with youth and families to enable skill development and competencies in those they serve. Pacheco said the Juvenile Division works with approximately 100 community youths and their families at any given time, many of whom need basic, essential items. “Warm, clean, appropriately sized shoes and clothing significantly affect a person’s self-esteem, health, well-being, and ultimate success,” Pacheco said. “Also, when a young person leaves home for placement in a treatment program, it is better for them to arrive with their clothing, hygiene, and other personal items in a duffel bag or simple suitcase rather than a garbage bag, as many youths often do.” While toy donations are always welcome, the drive also seeks donations of more practical items. Some examples are craft and school supplies, winter and regular clothes, backpacks, duffel bags, personal hygiene items, and gift cards. The Juvenile Division has a “youth closet” where they will stock the collected donations, according to Pacheco. Juvenile Court Counselors see youth and families in county offices, at schools, in the community, and conduct home visits to assess individual youth and family needs. JCCs will gift donated items to young people they work with now and throughout the year as incentives for positive behavior and efforts shown working toward completing
their own goals, Pacheco said. Pacheco gave insight as to why supporting initiatives like the collection drive is important during the holiday season. “Charity is the ideal way to reconnect with the spirit of the holiday season – it helps spread joy and goodwill throughout our community. Donating is crucial because it brings happiness to people who may otherwise not have access to basic necessities or resources and need our support,” Pacheco said. “Giving during the holidays brings us closer together as a community. It reminds us that we are connected by more than just geography — we are united by humanity, compassion, and kindness.” Pacheco said the county is using the collection drive as a way to “shine a light on the good work that the Juvenile Division does in our community.” While the drive is a good way to give the Juvenile Division a boost this holiday season, it is important to remember that their work takes place all year long. “We encourage our community members to regularly support the Juvenile Division’s efforts by donating items to them throughout the year,” Pacheco said. To donate, drop off items at the Board of Commissioners’ Office on the third floor of the Annex located at 230 Strand Street in St. Helens. The office is open from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Clatskanie Little League receives grant WILL LOHRE Country Media, Inc.
What’s baseball without a backstop? Well, thanks to a grant from the Family Ford Foundation, that’s a question the Clatskanie Little League won’t have to answer this year. Recently, the Clatskanie Little League received a $16,000 grant to help support the purchase of necessary “portable backstops.” The backstops will particularly benefit the tee-ball and farm ball programs. Clatskanie Little League Board Member Andrea Berndt said the backstops are much needed after those programs lost access to the Jones Field last year. “Clatskanie Parks and Rec, who run the city park are amazing and gracious and have allowed us to use the city park, so we were still able to have a season last year,” Berndt said. “But unfortunately, our tee-ball and farm ball teams weren’t truly able to have a real field be-
Courtesy photo from Andrea Berndt
The grant will help get backstops to improve field conditions for the farm ball and tee-ball programs.
cause it was just something thrown together at the last second due to losing the Jones field that we had for years as our little league field.” Berndt said that the grant money would not be used to rent or buy land for fields. That’s where the backstops come in. The portable backstops will allow the tee-ball and farm ball programs to set up a
field “anywhere down at the city park.” “Those are our kiddos that are about 8-years-old and younger,” Berndt said. “They still need the space to know what it’s like to have a backstop and a field to really learn the rules and the sport of baseball.” Each backstop costs about $5,000-$8,000. One of the com-
ponents of getting the grant from the Ford Family Foundation was demonstrating that the community is “sponsoring and helping.” Berndt described the grant as a “community grant.” Organizations in the commu-
See GRANT Page A4