Lions close out the dual season in third place after sweeping the Wilsonville Wildcats, Page A13 Project2:Layout 1
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The Chronicle
$1.00 Vol. 131, No. 19 16 Pages
www.thechronicleonline.com
Port candidates ready to face off BY SHARI PHIEL The Chronicle
The race for Port of St. Helens Commissioner is shaping up to be one of the more hotly contested races on the May 21 ballot. There are three Michael Clarke candidates running for two positions. Incumbent commissioner Terry Luttrell is running Terry Luttrell against Scappoose resident Michael Clarke for Position No. 4. Incumbent commissioner Chris Iverson is running unopposed but in the current political climate, that doesn’t necessarily guarantee a win, especially considering the focus that has been put on the port commission over the past two years in its dealings with proposed coal exporters Kinder Morgan and Ambre Energy. Along with a brief bio, we asked each of the candidates to answer three questions submitted by our readers. This week, we present answers from Luttrell and Clarke. See PORT, Page A4
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OSP trooper shoots, kills St. Helens man BY SHARI PHIEL The Chronicle
WARREN – Investigators say it could be several weeks before details behind the fatal shooting of a St. Helens man by Oregon State Police troopers is available. “When you have a shooting involving any police officer causing serious injury or death, you must investigate it using a certain protocol laid out by state statute,” said Columbia County District Attorney Steve Atchison, who is also a member of the Major Crimes Team leading the investigation. Details released by the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office indicate an Oregon State Police trooper reportedly attempted to pull Josiah M. Fischer, 27, over for speeding on U.S. Highway 30 at around 6:30 p.m. on May 3. Fischer allegedly fled from the trooper, leading OSP on a high-speed pursuit north on Highway 30 before turning west on Millard Road at 6:40 p.m. Columbia 9-1-1 dispatch records show Fischer then
SHARI PHIEL / The Chronicle
Josiah Fischer’s 1997 Mitsubishi is seen in the ditch near Stone and Hazen roads in Warren. Fischer was shot and killed by an Oregon State Police trooper following a high-speed chase on U.S. Highway 30 on May 3.
turned on to Bachelor Flat Road, turned south on Bennett Road, and then headed westbound on Bennett Road. Witnesses in the area
said an OSP trooper hit Fischer’s 1997 Mitsubishi 4-door sedan from behind causing him to crash into a ditch near the intersection
of Hazen and Stone roads in Warren, then several shots were heard. Dispatch was notified of shots fired at 6:44 p.m. Columbia County
Sheriff Jeff Dickerson confirmed a gun was recovered at the scene.
See SHOOTING, Page A4
Port zoning request draws heat from coal opponents BY SHARI PHIEL The Chronicle
ST. HELENS — A rezoning request submitted by the Port of St. Helens to the county’s planning commission drew criticism and more than 100 people to the commission’s May 6 public meeting. “The Port of St. Helens has applied to expand the zoning around Port Westward. The Thompson Family also owns some of this land,” said Planning Division Manager Glen Higgins. “The Thompsons own the waterfront property on the west side.” See ZONING, Page A4
SHARI PHIEL / The Chronicle
Opponents of proposed coal export terminals stand together in opposition of the Port of St. Helens rezoning application at the Columbia County Planning Commission’s May 6 meeting.
Heading down under for football and fun Drug house shut down following police raid
BY KYLE BOGGS The Chronicle
Spend some time on the river, head to the beach, go on a family trip — these are all good choices for summer vacations. But what about flying to Australia for four games of football? And then following that up with a three-day retreat in Hawaii? That’s what Joey Beggio has on his agenda. Beggio, who was a second-team All-Northwest Oregon Conference defensive lineman and honorable mention center for St. Helens last fall, will play on the West Central Conference Football Team in the Down Under Sports Tournament. Beggio will meet his teammates in Los Angeles, then fly to Australia and begin a whirlwind week of football and Aussy activities. They leave L.A. on July 7 for the 25th annual event on Australia’s Gold Coast. Once they arrive, they’ll have two full days of practices before going into the tournament.
File photo
St. Helens High School’s Joey Beggio was picked to play in the 2013 Down Under Sports Football Tournament.
Beggio was invited near the end of the football season and has been trying to raise funds
evern since. He said he’s within $1,000 of the
See BEGGIO, Page A3
multiple charges ST. HELENS — Residents in of manufacturing the area of 396 N. heroin, delivery of 10th St., can rest a heroin and poslittle more easily session of heroin. now that authorities Both individuals from the Columwere lodged at the bia Enforcement Columbia County Narcotics Team Jail pending further executed a narcotics disposition of their search warrant at charges. Their casBrian Allen the home. es will be referred Officials said to the Columbia the warrant was County District served suddenly and Attorney for review without warning at and grand jury about 9:30 p.m. on consideration. May 6. Over that same “Uniformed period of time, officers with the investigators sifted St. Helens Pothrough many comlice Department, plaints of drug sales Scappoose Police from the home and Department and in the vicinity surKathy Petersen Columbia County rounding it. Sheriff’s Office joined forces “I’m sure that that with CENT and converged neighborhood believed that on the home, bringing an their complaints fell on deaf end to an investigation that ears, but in reality those has spanned several years complaints gave us that little and has seen its share of extra we needed to make the setbacks,” said Sgt. Phil case,” said Edwards. Edwards, unit supervisor for As a result of the search CENT. warrant investigators seized a Brian Kenneth Allen, 33, commercial quantity of herand Kathy Fay Petersen, 54, oin, firearms, scales, pack both residents of the home were taken into custody on See RAID, Page A4