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Wednesday, December 8, 2021
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Pop-up COVID-19 clinic draws a crowd ZOE GOTTLIEB chronicle2@countrymedia.net
Columbia County Public Health (CCPH) and the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) began hosting a pop-up drive-thru COVID-19 vaccination and booster event Monday, Dec. 6, at the Columbia County Fairgrounds in St. Helens. The pop-up clinic is one of several being conducted around Oregon to slow the pandemic and help prevent the spread of the Omicron variant. While the Omicron variant had not been reported in Oregon as of Monday, Dec. 6, health officials expect it will eventually spread to the state. Both California and Washington state have reported cases of the variant. Thirty-five health care staff members will be at the fairgrounds site to administer first doses, second doses, and boosters of all three FDA-approved pharmaceuticals, the Pfizer, Johnson and Johnson, and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines, to adults and the Pfizer vaccine to children ages 5 and up. Those who have waited at least six months after receiving the second shot are also eligible for the COVID-19 booster. The weeklong event will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Dec. 10 at Columbia County Fairgrounds, 58892 Saulser Road in St. Helens. Entire families will be able to drive up and get their shot without
Zoe Gottlieb / The Chronicle
A lineup of vehicles paraded through the Columbia County Fairgrounds during the pop-up vaccination and booster clinic Monday, Dec. 6.
needing to fill out any pre-registration forms, according to CCPH Director Michael Paul. “Supplies are not an issue,” Paul said. How it works OHA County Testing Coordinator Timothy Hall said the pop-up clinic is designed to reach many in a convenient drive-through format. “We basically give (drivers) their vaccination while they’re sit-
ting in the car and once everybody’s done, they pull forward to observation if they need it, where an EMT will observe them to make sure that they don’t have any reactions,” he said. “Then they go home.” OHA staff first tested the drivethru vaccination model at the Portland International Airport (PDX), which Hall said was successful and which led to the agency hosting similar pop-ups throughout various Oregon counties. The OHA allocates funding,
staff, and pharmaceuticals to the counties in Oregon identified as underesourced in the fight against COVID-19. “Counties will request assistance and vaccinations from the state, and then the state looks at all of them and decides based on the population and the accessibility,” Hall said. “Somebody who lives in Beaverton (may) have 50 different locations they can choose from to get a vaccination, but (those) living out here in the rural areas don’t.”
Along with providing extra funding, the OHA runs buses on three different routes, establishing pop-up events throughout the state as part of a large-scale initiative to vaccinate Oregonians. Bus pharmacies The OHA is also using buses in its effort to reach as many people See COVID-19 Page A7
Winter approaching fast, snow levels lowering
Jeremy C. Ruark / The Chronicle
Getting from here to there in the St. Helens snow last February required a bit of creativity. JEREMY C. RUARK jruark@countrymedia.net
Columbia County’s cold wet weather this week has resulted in plenty of rain, nearly a half inch in 24 hours from Sunday to Monday, Dec. 5 to 6, according to National Weather Service Meteorologist Tyler Kranz in Portland. That weather pattern will
Jeremy C. Ruark / The Chronicle
The February snow turned much of Columbia County and St. Helens into a winter wonderland.
change by Wednesday night. Temperatures will fall into the 40s during the day and the 30s at night. Kranz said there is a chance of a light dusting of snow by this coming weekend in the lower elevations of Columbia County. Snow levels are expected to drop by Wednesday night to 1,500 feet and lower by the weekend. Kranz urges travelers heading over the coast range and Cascade passes
to be prepared for winter driving conditions. “A cold front will bring in colder temperatures with the snow possibility more impactful at the higher elevations,” Kranz said. “We are under the influence of La Niña.” The La Niña is the result of ocean temperature variations that influence global weather. It creates colder temperatures and wetter
Jeremy C. Ruark / The Chronicle
Moving up snow- and ice-covered hills in St. Helens proved to be challenging during the February snowstorm.
conditions. That weather pattern brought several inches of snow to St. Helens and surrounding areas of Columbia County last February. Kranz said its challenging to predict if we’ll see such significant snowfall this winter at lower elevations in Columbia County, but he added that under the continuing La Niña pattern, we should be prepared for such conditions.
In mid-October, The Chronicle reported that the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) was gearing up for winter conditions. The ODOT focus in Columba County will be major highways, such as Highway 30. Follow the latest weather conditions at thechronicleonline.com. For road conditions, visit ODOT’s TripCheck.com.
Communities prepare to celebrate holiday ZOE GOTTLIEB chronicle2@countrymedia.net
The Spirit of Christmas Parade will make its second-ever appearance, after a successful debut last snow season in St. Helens. Angela Wayman, business owner and organizer of the Spirit of Garden Plots ........... A4 Holiday Events ........ A4 Community Events A6 Obituaries ................. A6 Crossword ............... A7 Classified Ads ......... A8 Legals ....................... A8 Police Reports ........ A9 Shop Local ....... A10-12
Christmas Parades in St. Helens and Scappoose, said both cities had a positive impact and response to the parades. “We hope to make it better each year,” she said. The Spirit of Christmas Parade starts at 4 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 11 in St. Helens and at 5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 18 in Scappoose. Wayman and her team of parade organizers are asking for nonperishable food donations to be brought curbside, which will benefit Columbia Pacific Food Bank. “Last year between Scappoose and St. Helens we picked up over 4000 pounds of food,” Wayman said. “Our hope is to double that this year.” The parade route through St. Helens has expanded this year, to include both sides of Highway 30 “with plenty of open space for
families to enjoy,” Wayman said. In putting together the parade, Wayman said she hopes spectators will feel a greater sense of community. “I hope that people walk away from our events knowing that community is core and that we are here for one another,” she said. For more information, visit the Spirit of Christmas Parade Scappoose and St. Helens Facebook pages. In addition to the parade, the City of St. Helens plans a whirlwind of events throughout the day Saturday, Dec. 11. Viewing for the highly-attended Christmas Ships Parade starts at 6 p.m. at St. Helens City Docks. A cherished annual tradition in Jeremy C. Ruark / The Chronicle
See HOLIDAY Page A9
Columbia River PUD Serviceman Chuck Long, in the bucket, installed the holiday decorations while meter relay lineman Jared Motherway watches from the ground on Nov. 30.
Vol. 139, No. 49
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