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Wednesday, January 20, 2021
thechronicleonline.com
Serving Columbia County since 1881
Local teen arrested
Vaccine priorities shifted
STAFF REPORT chroniclenews@countrymedia.net
A Columbia County teenager has been charged with burglary, rioting and criminal mischief —accused of causing over $46,000 in damages— at a downtown Portland demonstration on New Year’s Eve, according to Portland police. The 15-year-old Vernonia boy was booked into a county juvenile detention center two weeks ago on the charges, in addition to having a warrant for sexual assault, police said. Portland police declared the New Year’s Eve gathering of between 80100 demonstrators a riot after some people in the crowd became violent. Fireworks were launched at the Federal Courthouse and the Justice Center, and at least two Molotov cocktail-style firebombs were thrown, police said. Area businesses were damaged and burglarized, including two Starbucks and jewelry stores, according to Portland police. Police said surveillance footage from several locations showed the Vernonia boy committing crimes, and police have identified him as being responsible for over $46,000 in damages at multiple locations in downtown Portland. It is not specified the exact damage the boy is accused of causing. Authorities served a search warrant Jan. 12 to search for the clothes the boy wore on the night of the incident, police said.
Stolen goods investigation STAFF REPORT chroniclenews@countrymedia.net
Two people face numerous criminal charges following a St. Helens Police investigation linked to stolen property from Yamhill County. The following details are from St. Helens Police. On Wednesday, Jan. 13, at approximately 9 a.m., St. Helens officers responded to the 300 block of South 9th Street regarding an alleged assault. During the course of the investigation, officers discovered a stolen vehicle, three stolen motorcycles, and a stolen dirt bike at the location. Joseph Jacobs, 27, of St. Helens was arrested on scene for aggravated theft I and five counts of theft by receiving. Two of the recovered motorcycles were part of a burglary that took place in Yamhill County. St. Helens officers returned to the residence at approximately 2 p.m. on the same day and executed a search warrant. Several additional stolen items were identified and recovered, including motorcycle parts, a license plate, and snowboard. St. Helens investigators also received information regarding a tan Nissan Pathfinder associated with the ongoing investigation. At approximately 9:30 p.m. that evening, a St. Helens officer located the Nissan in the Safeway parking lot at 795 S. Columbia River Highway. Officers attempted to stop the vehicle; however, the driver fled the scene at a
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MONIQUE MERRILL chronicle2@countrymedia.net
Jeremy C. Ruark / The Chronicle
Clyde Barlow, on roof, views the large limb that smashed into his St. Helens house early Wednesday, morning, Jan. 13, following a wind and rain storm.
Winter storms create challenges JEREMY C. RUARK jruark@countrymedia.net
Winter storms moving through Columbia County continue to challenge local residents now and into the future. Clyde Barlow has lived at his home on North Vernonia Road in St. Helens for 40 years and on Jan. 13, he experienced his second serious encounter with a wind and rain storm in the past five years. “At about midnight last night
we heard this tremendous loud bang and then the lights when out,” he said, the day after the storm hit. At first, Barlow said he thought it was something happening down the street, but his wife went to the front door and looked outside and told him there was a tree on the house. Barlow said the crash knocked items off the shelves in his home and broke portions of the porch and the front of the home. Barlow said, fortunately, no one was hurt during the crash.
The house had been built before 1900 and Barlow estimated the nearby tree where the branch was ripped off by the wind was about 100 years old. Barlow estimated the branch that struck his house early Jan. 13 is about 20-feet long and about 18-inches thick. “It weights several thousand pounds,” he said. On the side of the house, the
See STORM Page A9
Fire district announces new chief STAFF REPORT chroniclenews@countrymedia.net
Joel Medina is the new fire chief of Columbia River Fire & Rescue (CRFR) following a nationwide search. Medina started with the district Dec. 21 and is filling a gap the district has had since the dissolution of the intergovernmental agreement with Scappoose Fire District in July. Eric Smythe has served as interim fire chief for the last six months while the selection process was underway. Medina has 15 years of experience as a chief officer and brings over 26 years of experience and leadership in the fire profession overall, according to a release from CRFR. Medina served as fire chief for the Tuequesta Fire and Rescue in Florisa for two years, and was with the city of Hollywood Fire Rescue & Beach Safety Department in Florida for 12 years. Medina began his career as a firefighter/paramedic and worked his way up the ranks, becoming division chief. His master’s degree in executive management and bachelor’s degree in organizational leadership were both obtained from St. Thomas University. Medina also has an associate degree in emergency medical services from Broward College. Medina was sworn in at the CRFR board meeting Jan. 12.
Courtesy photo from CRFR
Columbia River Fire & Rescue Board President Hans Feige swearing in Chief Joel Medina.
On the heels of learning that Oregon will not be receiving the shipment of vaccines from the federal reserve it had expected, state plans to vaccinate school staff and seniors ages 65 and older have changed. Instead of opening vaccination eligibility to those groups on Jan. 23, school staff will be eligible for vaccination starting Jan. 25 and only seniors over age 80 on Feb. 8. On Jan. 12, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azal announced the full reserve of vaccines would be released to states and encouraged state leaders to expand vaccine eligibility. Brown and other state officials learned Jan. 14 that Oregon and other states will not receive increased shipments of vaccine, “because there is no federal reserve of doses,” she said. In a press conference on Jan. 15, Gov. Kate Brown said the discovery that Oregon would not be receiving the expected shipment of vaccine doses from the federal government was shocking and called it “deception on a national scale.” “I am shocked and appalled that the federal government would set an expectation with the American people on which they knew they could not deliver — with such grave consequences,” Brown said. “While the Trump Administration pulled the rug out from under us like a cruel joke, let me assure you that Oregon’s priorities, my priorities, have not changed.” Instead of opening vaccination eligibility up to all residents over the age of 65, the eligibility criteria for seniors will be divided into four waves. The first wave will open up to seniors ages 80 and older starting Feb. 8.; the second wave opens up to people over 75; the third to people over 70; and the fourth phase to people over 65. Specific dates on when the second, third and fourth phases may begin was not specified. Part of the reasoning behind prioritizing teachers and school staff before seniors is due to the size of the two groups and the ongoing push by Brown to resume in-person classes. “I made the decision to prioritize our educator personnel because I am absolutely committed to getting our children our students back into the classroom as quickly as possible,” Brown said. Pat Allen, director of the Oregon Health Authority (OHA), estimated there are approximately 100,000 people in Oregon who work in school settings, and an estimated 800,000 people in the state age 65 or older. “While we want to vaccinate seniors as soon as we can, our ability to immunize this vulnerable population depends on getting enough doses from the federal government,” Allen said. “We must have the supplies we’ve been promised.” Brown said vaccinating school staff is expected to take around two weeks, and Allen said original plans estimated it would take around 12 weeks to vaccinate seniors ages 65 and older with the expected vaccine
See VACCINE Page A8
Truckload Meat Sale will be back! March 11th and 12th. Also, check your mailbox for valuable coupons for the month of January.
Vol. 139, No. 3
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