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COLUMBIA COUNTY FALL SPORTS PREVIEW 2016

TODAY’S WEATHER Chance of Rain Highs to 70 Page A11 Lows to 55

THIS ISSUE!

Classified Ads A9-10 • Legal Notices A10 • Obituaries A6 • Opinions A4 • Calendar A7 • TV Guide A8 • Sports A13-14 • Weather A11

Wednesday, August 31, 2016

The Chronicle

$1 Vol. 134, No. 35 46 Pages

www.thechronicleonline.com

Marijuana operation appeal hearing Aug. 31

CODY MANN/The Chronicle

RAD Nursery Products LLC plans to use a 24,000 square foot building at this site to house the indoor marijuana farm. The building is located across the street from Hudson Parcher Park and close to Rainier’s school sports field. BY JEREMY C. RUARK AND CODY MANN jruark@countrymedia.net | cmann@country.net

Courtesy photo

Israeli dogs arrive in St. Helens looking for a home BY DON PATTERSON dpatterson@countrymedia.net

Four dogs traveled from Israel to St. Helens in hopes of being adopted by local families. The dogs are part of an effort by Columbia Humane Society and an Israeli-based charity, Canaan Dog Project, to rescue an ancient Middle Eastern breed used for thousands of years as herding dogs. Many times, these dogs are left to fend on their own by the Bedouin tribes, and will wander into cities, looking for food, where they are captured and put into the overcrowded Israeli shelters. As Canaan dogs are a medium to large-size breed, they are at a high risk for wide-scale euthanasia in a small country where many families live in apartments. According to Program Manager Lisa Beggio, the four dogs are part of a trial program CHS is conducting. A total of 18 animals made the flight from Israel. “This is the first time we’ve been picked to join the program,” she told The Chronicle. The other animals will go to shelters in Washington. Beggio said she believes CHS is the first shelter in Oregon to participate in the rescue. “The Canaan Dogs are an independent, self-reliant breed, requiring exercise and mental stimulation,” Beggio said. “They

need ample opportunities to vent their energy and to use their intellects, by way of extensive exposure to people and novelty. They are very versatile working dogs, capable of learning a great deal, and excelling at the highest levels of competition. Consistency is key to teaching them.” Another charity, Wings of Rescue, transported the dogs to Hillsboro Airport on Tuesday. Wings of Rescue specializes in transporting healthy at-risk pets long distances from high-intake shelters to smaller no-kill shelters, like CHS. “We don’t have enough dogs to fill the needs of the adopters,” Beggio said. The four pets will be available for adoption this week, according to Beggio. Prospective adopters are required to submit to the normal screening process. Canaan dogs are an independent, self-reliant breed that requires exercise and mental stimulation. They are versatile working dogs, capable of learning a great deal and excel at the highest level of competition, according to Beggio. Community members needing information about CHS or wanting to adopt a Canaan dog can call the shelter at 503-397-4353 or email info@columbiahumane. org. For an opposing view, see the open letter to CHS on page 4.

The Columbia County Commissioners will hold a public hearing at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 31 to review an appeal of an application to grow marijuana at a facility near schools in Rainier. The hearing will take place during the regular commissioner’s board meeting at the Columbia County Courthouse in St. Helens. RAD Nursery Products LLC plans to use a 24,000 square foot building to house the indoor marijuana farm. The building is located across the street from Hudson Parcher Park and close to Rainier’s school sports field.

Following a public hearing on July 11, the Columbia County Planning Commission approval RAD Nursery’s application for the marijuana operation. A number of area church representatives and other individuals, including Rainier School Superintendent Michael Carter, spoke out against the grow operation during the July public hearing. At the Rainier School Board meeting Monday night, Aug. 8, Carter outlined his plans for appeal of the decision to allow the marijuana operation. “We believe there is a federal mandate that keeps such operations 1,000 feet from schools,” ­­­­

See MARIJUANA, Page A6

A way out: Crossroads of mental health, criminal justice Crisis Intervention Training, a mobile crisis response unit and a jail diversion program are among the mental health solutions implemented to aid Columbia County law enforcement agencies as the number of mental health related calls continues to grow. BY CODY MANN cmann@countrymedia.net

Law enforcement officers face a complex, fast-paced decision making process when they make contact with a person. From the moment they arrive on a scene, they evaluate behavior and other character aspects to determine whether the situation includes a mental health aspect. With the number of mental health related calls to law enforcement increasing, many agencies are looking for a different approach. According to Chief of Police Terry Moss, St. Helens Police Department had some catching up to do in the past few years regarding the approach to calls that might be influenced by mental health issues. Lacking a local program, in the past the department sent an officer at a time to nearby agencies to attend a weeklong, 40-hour Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) training. “There was some value to that,

CODY MANN/The Chronicle

but when you understand what CIT is all about, the real value comes from training and teaching and working in your own community, rather than going off to Portland or Clackamas County,” Moss said. Discussions with the sheriff and other chiefs led to a CIT steering committee that devised a plan to address gaps in law enforcement service as it pertains to mental health issues, such as the need for a local CIT training

WEDNESDAY NIGHT BBQ

AUG. 31st |

Carter told The Chronicle following the school board meeting. “Just because it might be legal doesn’t mean it is the right thing to do for our kids.” Carter also pointed out that the mandates do not allow firearms to be used in such a marijuana grow operation. “They have already said they are going to have armed vehicles to take out the marijuana and that violates the thing and that’s the out, in my opinion, for the commissioners,” Carter said. Carter said the county commissioners can take up to 30 days following the appeal hearing to

Crisis Intervention Team Training Based on a national model that was designed to give first respond­­­­

See MENTAL HEALTH, Page A12

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Deadline to advertise: Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2016 Contact Amy for more details at 503-397-0116 or ajohnson@countrymedia.net

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