TCC16

Clatskanie, Rainier set 2023 priorities

2022 has ended, and it’s time to reflect on the highs and lows of the past year and what 2023 may bring. has been challenging but also very productive. To better understand how this year went, Rainier City Adminis trator Scott Jorgensen and Clatskanie City Manager Greg Hinkelman offered insight into the successes and setbacks of 2022.

described 2022 as a “productive year.” Among some of their accomplishments, they implemented a better system for code enforcement, passed an ordinance to address “derelict

citizens here in town, and some people even come from out of town to do that.”

Jorgensen also noted that Rainier will be adding a new member to the

with issues regarding stormwater and In Clatskanie, they have addressed

have made significant strides towards

breaking ground on the new sewer plant, for which the state legislature allotted $10 million to build. Currently, the Department of Environmental Quality is reviewing the plans.

While the city’s progress on the sewer plant is a significant accomplishment, Hinkelman also said it is one of the city’s most substantial challenges.

“There are two things. One: inflation has really put a big pressure on the cost of the plant. And the other thing that’s happening is when we did the geotechnical stuff, we found out the soils where we want to build the

plant are what they call ‘liquefiable,’” Hinkelman said. “We have to do some shoring up of that soil, so that’s going to cost several million dollars that we didn’t budget for. So my big challenge in 2023 is I have to go back to the legislature. And I’ve already let our legislative partners know, our representative and our state senator, that we need more money in order for this to happen. And I’m going to be a real pest about that.”

Highway 30 landslide site still under repair

The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) continues to develop a permanent solution to stabilize the hillside along Highway 30 north of Clatskanie, the site of a massive landslide that occurred Nov. 29.

In late December, another landslide occurred along Highway 18 at Otis, blocking much of the busy route to the central Oregon Coast for a time. The Highway 18 slide has been cleared and the hillside stabilized.

Both slides illustrate the continuing landslide danger along the two highways.

ODOT’s David House said for now, travel is limited at the scene of the Highway 30 landside. In the following conversation, House describes the process following the slide and what is being done to prevent further slides.

The Chief: What specifically was done to help prevent another slide at the Highway 30 site?

David House: We have a scaling contractor removing loose debris. We are closing one travel lane permanently to create catchment for falling debris. We may never be able to prevent another slide in

the same area. We are planning a project to remove additional debris from the hill and create more room for debris to be caught at the base, off of the road. That has not been scheduled yet.

The Chief: How much debris was taken away during the cleanup at the site and where was that debris deposited?

House: About 2,000 cubic yards and counting. The contractor disposed of the debris.

The Chief: What specifically was done at the Highway 18 slide site (Otis) to help prevent another incident?

House: Scaling was completed to remove the remained loose material from the slope to prevent additional debris falling onto the roadway.

The Chief: How much debris was taken away during the Highway 18 slide cleanup and where was the debris deposited?

House: We removed about 800 cubic yards. Any rocks larger than 2 feet were hauled to an ODOT stockpile for future use. The remainder

Elected county officials take Oath of Office

The four Columbia County officials who were elected in the November General Election are now officially in office.

Columbia County Judge Michael Clarke swore in the four officials Tuesday, Jan. 3 during a ceremony in St. Helens.

Columbia County Commissioner Kellie Jo Smith was elected for her first term to Position 1. A third generation resident of Columbia County, she has more than a decade of public service experience.

Smith is a business owner, school board member, and a previous reserve deputy sheriff. Smith said as a county commissioner, her focus will be connecting communities, economic growth, public safety, creating opportunities for youth, and protecting civil rights

STAFF REPORT Country Media, Inc.

Courtesy photo

Pictured left to right, Columbia County

Judge Michael Clarke, Commissioner Kellie

Jo Smith, County Clerk Debbie Klug, Sheriff

Brian Pixley, and County Assessor

Andrea Jurkiewicz.

Jeremy C. Ruark / Country Media, Inc.

This bridge is part of the Rainier Riverfront Trail project.

WILL LOHRE Country Media, Inc.

Jeremy C. Ruark / Country Media, Inc.

Clatskanie is working to replace the aging city sewer plant at 100 NW 4th Street.

Courtesy photo from ODOT

Traffic is limited through the Highway 30 landslide site until a more permanent prevention is in place.

Courtesy photo from ODOT

This photo shows the Highway 18 landslide at Otis that has since been cleared.

JEREMY C. RUARK Country Media, Inc.

FBI issues national financial sextortion scheme alert

and continued harassment.

The FBI, in partnership with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, is issuing a national public safety alert regarding an explosion in incidents of children and teens being coerced into sending explicit images online and extorted for money—a crime known as financial sextortion.

Background

Over the past year, law enforcement has received over 7,000 reports related to the online financial sextortion of minors, resulting in at least 3,000 victims, primarily boys, and more than a dozen suicides. A large percentage of these sextortion schemes originate outside of the United States, and primarily in West African countries such as Nigeria and Ivory Coast.

As many children enter winter break this holiday season, the FBI said the agency and its partners implore parents and caregivers to engage with their kids about financial sextortion

schemes so the schemes can be prevented.

“The FBI has seen a horrific increase in reports of financial sextortion schemes targeting minor boys—and the fact is that the many victims who are afraid to come forward are not even included in those numbers,” FBI Director Christopher Wray said. “The FBI is here for victims, but we also need parents and caregivers to work with us to prevent this crime before it happens and help children come forward if it does. Victims may feel like there is no way out—it is up to all of us to reassure them that they are not in trouble, there is hope, and they are not alone.”

Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the U.S. Justice Department’s Criminal Division said the protection of children is a society’s most sacred duty.

“It calls on each of us to do everything we can to keep kids from harm, including ensuring the threats they face are brought into the light and confronted,” he said. “Armed with the information in this alert message, parents, caregivers, and children themselves should feel empowered to detect fake

identities, take steps to reject any attempt to obtain private material, and if targeted, have a plan to seek help from a trusted adult.”

Financial sextortion schemes occur in online environments where young people feel most

internet are not as anonymous as they think. HSI will continue to leverage cuttingedge technology to end these heinous acts.”

Deception

Through decep-

children and families,” National Center for Missing & Exploited Children CEO Michelle DeLaune said. “As the leading nonprofit focused on child protection, we’ve seen first-hand the rise in these cases worldwide. The best defense against this crime is to talk to your children about what to do if they’re targeted online. We want everyone to know help is out there and they’re not alone.”

What if you or your child is a victim?

• Report the predator’s account via the platform’s safety feature.

• Block the predator and Do Not Delete the profile or messages because that can be helpful to law enforcement in identifying and stopping them.

• Let NCMEC help get explicit images of you off the internet.

online predators often use fake female accounts and target minor males, between 14 to 17 years old but the FBI has interviewed victims as young as 10 years old.

“The sexual exploitation of children is a deplorable crime. HSI special agents will continue to exhaust every resource to identify, locate, and apprehend predators to ensure they face justice,” HSI Acting Executive Associate Director Steve K. Francis said. “Criminals who lurk in platforms on the

material unless the victim sends money or gift cards. Often the predators demand payment through a variety of peer-topeer payment applications. In many cases, however, predators release the images even if payments are made. The shame, fear, and confusion that victims feel when they are caught in this cycle often prevents them from asking for help or reporting the abuse.

“This is a growing crisis and we’ve seen sextortion completely devastate

State parks cleanup following wind, rainstorms

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Cleanup at Oregon Parks and Recreation Department (OPRD) sites continues this week following a major windstorm.

Crews worked hard to clear hazard trees and downed trees from park entrances and trails after the late December windstorm delivered gusts of up to 75 miles per hour.

The cleanup work is ongoing and could impact access to trails and facilities. Park staff encourage visitors to be cautious and follow these safety tips:

• Stay clear of downed trees. They can be under tension and spring up unexpectedly to cause injury or death.

• Do not climb on downed trees. Sometimes they are held in place by only a strand of bark or a few fibers.

• Trees and debris may be unexpectedly blocking access to recreational features, trails or facilities. Please be patient, follow all posted signs and make safe choices.

• If it continues to rain, more damage could occur including fallen trees on trails.

• Service levels in restroom facilities, garbage collection and beach access obstruction removal can be reduced during cleanup. Please be patient.

High wind and rain resulted in power outages and flooding at parks across the

state earlier during the storms. At least nine parks closed or partially closed, 10 lost power and at least 17 experienced weather-related damage. Power was restored to all parks by Thursday afternoon, Dec. 29.

• Four parks remained closed or partially closed Friday, Dec. 30 due to weatherrelated clean up or flooding:

• Devil’s Lake State Recreation Area campground is closed until Jan. 5 due to flooding.

• Sarah Helmick State Recreation Site is closed due to flooding.

• Willamette Mission State Park is partially closed due to flooding. Access to the lower park from the main entrance and by the trail from Matheny Road is closed.

• Nehalem Bay State Park has several campsites that are closed due to downed trees.

At Cape Meares and Cape

Lookout, crews cleared more than a dozen trees, including a hemlock that was nearly four feet in diameter and leaning at a 45-degree angle across the road. It was one of the hazards that closed Cape Meares until Thursday.

“The staff did a great job triaging what needed to be taken care of and working hard to get it completed,” OPRD Park Manager Jason Elkins said. “Visitors may encounter debris when they are visiting our parks as we dig out from the storm. Please report any trees that are blocking trails to park staff.”

Downed trees also destroyed the pedestrian bridge across Necarney Creek at Oswald West State Park, which connects visitors to the south side of the beach. The primary beach access point is still accessible. There will likely be more closures and impacts reported as staff assess the rest of the trails. Hazardous waves also closed the south jetty at

South Beach State Park.

The Willamette Valley and Southern Oregon also experienced high winds. Silver Falls State Park lost power Tuesday and had to close its trails due to high winds and hazard trees. Crews cleared five trees that blocked Highway 214 and about 10 from park trails. The trails are now open, but crews are still working to clear the debris in some sections.

At Valley of the Rogue in Southern Oregon, nearly 15 trees came down in the windstorm Monday night. A downed tree smashed two vehicles and a privacy fence at the campground.

OPRD surveys its trees for potential hazards. But heavy rain and wind is a tough combination even for healthy trees, according to Park Manager Nathan Seable. The soil can get saturated, and trees blow over with the roots and all.

He recommends not visiting forested areas during high wind events. And if you’re in a campground alert a ranger immediately if you see a tree that looks unstable or a tree limb that is broken off and hanging.

Park staff also encourage visitors to use caution when visiting after a storm and to be patient with crews as they work to restore services and access as soon and as safely as possible.

Visitors can also check the status of parks before visiting at stateparks.oregon.gov. Click on the alerts on the right-hand side of the page.

Oregon issues $71M in emergency SNAP benefits

household in many ways:

• Online at: ONE.Oregon. gov.

If young people are being exploited, they are victims of a crime and should report it. Contact the FBI Portland Field Office, call 1-800-CALL-FBI, or report it online at tips.fbi.gov.

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) has outlined steps parents and young people can take if they or their child are a victim of sextortion, including:

• Remember, the predator is to blame, not your child or you.

• Get help before deciding whether to pay money or otherwise comply with the predator. Cooperating or paying rarely stops the blackmail

Visit missingkids.org/ IsYourExplicitContentOutThere to learn how to notify companies yourself or visit cybertipline.org to report to us for help with the process.

Ask for help. This can be a very complex problem and may require help from adults or law enforcement.

If you don’t feel that you have adults in your corner, you can reach out to NCMEC for support at gethelp@ncmec.org or call NCMEC at 1-800-THELOST.

These federal agencies are encouraging parents and caregivers to take a moment to learn how sextortion works and how to talk to your children about it. Information, resources, and conversation guides are available at fbi.gov/StopSextortion.

Phone and Internet Discounts Available to CenturyLink Customers

The Oregon Public Utility Commission designated CenturyLink as an Eligible Telecommunications Carrier within its service area for universal service purposes.

CenturyLink’s basic local service rates for residential voice lines are $25.80 27.00 per month and business services are $42.00 per month. Specific rates will be provided upon request.

Most residents in Columbia County and across Oregonians who receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits will receive emergency allotments in January.

Approximately 421,000 SNAP households will receive approximately $71 million in extra food benefits in addition to their regular SNAP benefits next month.

The federal government has approved emergency allotments every month since March 2020. This gives SNAP recipients additional support during the COVID-19 pandemic. These emergency benefits are a temporary support that Oregon can provide because of the federal COVID-19 public health emergency.

Because the federal government approved these emergency benefits for January, Oregon will also be able to issue them in February 2023. However, the emergency benefits are expected to end when the federal public health emergency ends.

“We know that many rely on these additional emergency food benefits to get enough healthy food for themselves and their families,” Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS), Self-Sufficien-

cy Programs Interim Director Jana McLellan said. “The holiday season can also bring additional stress and worry for many Oregonians who are still struggling to meet their basic needs and we encourage them to contact our partners at 211, the Oregon Food Bank and their local Community Action Agency for support during this difficult time.”

Current SNAP households will receive emergency allotments on Jan. 11, 2023.

Emergency allotments will be issued Jan. 31, 2023 or Feb. 2, 2023 for households who did not receive benefits in the first monthly issuance.

SNAP recipients do not have to take any action to receive these supplemental

benefits as they will be issued directly on their EBT cards.

More information about emergency allotments is available at https://www.oregon. gov/dhs/ASSISTANCE/ FOOD-BENEFITS/Pages/ Emergency-Allotments.aspx.

Questions about your SNAP benefits should be directed to the ONE Customer Service Center at 1-800-6999075.

If your household receives SNAP and your income or the number of people in your household has changed, it could impact your benefits. It is important to make sure ODHS has the most up-todate information.

You can report any changes to your income or

• By mail at: ONE Customer Service Center, PO Box 14015, Salem, OR 97309.

• By fax at: 503-378-5628.

• By phone at: 1-800-6999075 or TTY 711.

Resources to help meet basic needs

• Find a food pantry: foodfinder.oregonfoodbank.org.

• Learn about government programs and community resources for older adults and people with disabilities: Aging and Disability Resource Connection of Oregon at 1-855673-2372 or www.adrcoforegon.org.

• Dial 2-1-1, or text your zip code to 898-211, www.211info.org.

• Find local resources and support by contacting your local Community Action Agency: www.caporegon.org/ find-services/.

• Oregon Department of Human Services COVID-19 help center.

For local resources in your area, such as food or shelter, please call 2-1-1 or reach out to the state’s Aging and Disability Resource Connection (ADRC) at 1-855-ORE-ADRC or 1-855673-2372.

CenturyLink participates in the Lifeline program, which makes residential telephone or qualifying broadband service more affordable to eligible lowincome individuals and families. Eligible customers may qualify for Lifeline discounts of $5.25/month for voice or bundled voice service or $9.25/month for qualifying broadband or broadband bundles. Residents who live on federally recognized Tribal Lands may qualify for additional Tribal benefits if they participate in certain additional federal eligibility programs. The Lifeline discount is available for only one telephone or qualifying broadband service per household, which can be either a wireline or wireless service. Broadband speeds must be at least 25 Mbps download and 3 Mbps upload to qualify.

CenturyLink also participates in the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), which provides eligible households with a discount on broadband service. The ACP provides a discount of up to $30 per month toward broadband service for eligible households and up to $75 per month for households on qualifying Tribal lands.

For both programs, a household is defined as any individual or group of individuals who live together at the same address and share income and expenses. Services are not transferable, and only eligible consumers may enroll in these programs. Consumers who willfully make false statements to obtain these discounts can be punished by fine or imprisonment and can be barred from these programs.

If you live in a CenturyLink service area, visit https://www.centurylink.com/aboutus/community/ community-development/lifeline.html for additional information about applying for these programs or call 1-800-201-4099 with questions.

North Columbia County’s trusted local news source

Solution for the Dec. 29, 2022 crossword puzzle

• •C rossword s olutions • •

Courtesy from OPRD

An OPRD crew member clears a fallen tree at Cape Meares.

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Metro Creative Connection

SNAP is a federal program that provides food assistance to approximately 1 million eligible, low-income families and individuals in Oregon, including many older adults and people with disabilities.

Oregon construction employment at record highs

DAVID COOKE Chief Guest Article

Oregon’s construction industry reached another record high number of jobs in recent months, employing 121,200 on a seasonally adjusted basis in November.

The industry bounced back quickly from the COVID recession in which it dropped to about 100,000 jobs in April 2020. It has risen rapidly in 2022, as one of Oregon’s strongest industries this year. Prior to that, the industry added jobs steadily and rapidly during 2013 through 2019, following a prolonged slump in 2009 through 2012, when employment remained near 70,000 for several years after the 2008-09 recession.

Looking back more than 30 years, clearly the industry has been highly cyclical – experiencing booms and busts over the course of multi-year expansions that were followed by briefer, but potentially precipitous contractions.

In the late 1990s the industry hovered close to 80,000 jobs for several years, dropped some jobs in a mild recession and then resumed its climb. Just before the 2008 recession, Oregon’s construction industry was slightly below today’s employment total, at about 104,000 jobs.

Oregon’s economy and population have been on a generally expansionary trend since the late 1980s. Population typically grew

about 1% per year, primarily due to net in-migration – more people moving into Oregon compared with the number moving out. Because the population has been steadily expanding, it can be helpful to look at the construction industry’s total jobs relative to overall employment.

Over the past 30 years, construction has employed between 4% and 6% of Oregon’s total nonfarm payroll employment. The lowest share during this period occurred in 1992, when 4% were employed in construction. Not far behind was the period from 2010

through 2012 when about 4.2% of payroll jobs were found in construction.

The housing-price boom leading up to the 2008-09 recession coincided with one of the largest shares of construction jobs, as construction employed 6% of all nonfarm payroll jobs during much of 2006 and 2007. Currently, Oregon’s construction industry is once again as concentrated as that period, with an average of 6% of nonfarm jobs in the industry during the most recent 36 months.

Leading up to the past two national recessions, Oregon’s construction

employment has either flat lined, as was the case in 1997 through 2000, or abruptly tanked, as occurred just prior to, and certainly during, the 2008-09 recession. The good news is that construction employment in Oregon bounced back quickly following the COVID recession and is now charting new record highs.

One of the reasons that

the economic expansion between 2013 and 2019 – both in Oregon and at the national level – was so long and persistent was due to the pattern of housing starts. In the several years immediately following the 2008-09 recession, building permits and housing starts were very low by historic standards. The low level of residential construction activity and spending was a limiting factor for economic growth, given that new-home building is a major component of change in the overall dollar value of economic activity for a region. In Oregon, residential building permits (single-family and multi-family combined) stagnated near an average monthly rate of 600 during 2009 through 2011, but have since climbed to the current rate averaging close to 1,600 per month over the past six plus years. Despite the near-tripling of monthly housing permits in the timespan, we’re still well below peak levels seen during several periods during the 1990s and mid2000s, not to mention the house-building boom in the late 1970s, when building permit activity was double the current level.

Construction activity in -

cludes more than just building homes and apartments. There is road construction and commercial construction, as well as remodeling and other forms of construction employment. This brief article looked at the trends over time in residential building permits, as they are a key measurement that is readily available to assess Oregon’s construction industry.

Overall, Oregon’s construction employment trends indicate that over the past two years we have been experiencing high-demand times in the industry. Oregon has gone through several cycles in the construction industry over the past several decades. Currently, the sector is at a record high in terms of overall construction jobs. And, at 6% of total nonfarm payroll jobs, is essentially tied with the record highs in 2006 and 2007 as a share of total jobs when measured relative to the state’s evergrowing population.

David Cooke is the Oregon Employment Department Current Employment Statistics Coordinator. He may be reached at david.c.cooke@employ. oregon.gov or at 971-3755288.

North Columbia County’s trusted local news source

Metro Creative Connection

Construction employment in Oregon bounced back quickly following the COVID recession and is now charting new record highs.

Courtesy from the Oregon Employment Department

Courtesy from the Oregon Employment Department

Courtesy from the Oregon Employment Department

cybersecurity

Oregon State University (OSU) has received $4.8 million from the National Science Foundation to help the United States close a big gap between the number of cybersecurity job openings and the number of qualified applicants for those positions.

The mission is important because without a strong workforce and a healthy pool of job candidates, government agencies, including tribal governments, as well as private sector organizations, are at increased risk of cyberattacks that threaten the safety of everything from the power grid to defense systems to individuals’ personal information, said the project’s leader Rakesh Bobba.

“We’re facing a massive shortage of qualified cybersecurity professionals across the nation,” said Bobba, associate professor of computer science in the

OSU College of Engineering. “With over 750,000 cybersecurity job openings in the U.S., including 7,500 in Oregon, this program is great for organizations who struggle to fill their positions and is a tremendous way to attract students into a highly desirable field that provides well-paying and satisfying careers.”

The grant, part of the NSF’s CyberCorps: Scholarship for Service program, will fund scholarships to cybersecurity students and also support CyberClinic, a new College of Engineering program that involves students providing cybersecurity services to organizations across the Pacific Northwest.

Students accepted for the Scholarship for Service program agree to work for the U.S. government for the number of years they receive the scholarship – i.e., a student on scholarship for two years would then spend two years following graduation working in a cybersecurity role for a federal agency.

The scholarship includes

a stipend for living expenses and is good for up to three academic years.

The grant will cover scholarships for up to 29 total students, both graduate and undergraduate. The program emphasizes the recruitment, retention and placement of underrepresented and underserved groups in cybersecurity including women, first-generation college students and lowincome students.

Through CyberClinic, directed by assistant professor of practice Dave Nevin, students will assist underserved agencies throughout the Pacific Northwest through professionally guided clinical rotations.

The rotations, which are modeled after the clinical rotations used in OSU’s Carlson College of Veterinary Medicine, provide students the opportunity to apply knowledge gained in the classroom in real-world environments.

Scott Ashford, OSU’s Kearney Dean of Engineering, says CyberClinic is a “great example of the hands-

Oregon Veterans Home Loan Program increasing

The Oregon Department of Veterans’ Affairs (ODVA) will increase the maximum loan limit for the Oregon Veteran Home Loan for 2023, conforming to loan limits for mortgages set by the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA). ODVA will now accept loans up to the new maximum loan amount of $726,200, an increase of $79,000 from $647,200 in 2022, for funding on or after January 1, 2023.

The Oregon Veteran Home Loan Program offers eligible veterans fixed-rate

financing for owner-occupied, single-family residences in Oregon. The veteran home loan product is a nonexpiring, lifetime benefit for any eligible Oregon veteran and may be used up to four times. The program provides financing for purchases only and cannot be used for refinancing.

This state benefit is separate and distinct from the federal VA Home Loan Guarantee and has lent nearly $9 billion in lowinterest home loans to more than 336,000 veterans since

1945.

To be eligible, a veteran must have served on active duty with the U.S. Armed Forces, as documented on their DD-214, and must meet one of the service criteria outlined on ODVA’s website.

For more information about the Oregon Department of Veterans’ Affairs Veteran Home Loan, and program eligibility, visit www.orvethomeloans.com or call 800-633-6826 to speak with an ODVA home loan specialist.

o bituaries

Betschart

on learning Oregon State is known for.”

“It’s been a wonderful experience so far,” Nevin said. “The clinical rotations model used in veterinary education adapts well to cybersecurity education.

“Our students are incred-

ible and very knowledgeable in the field, but most cybersecurity job openings require experience and this is a way for them to get that experience in a structured environment,” he added. “And it feels good to help organizations that would otherwise

not be able to have their own cybersecurity program.”

Steve Lundeberg is a researcher and writer for Oregon State University Relations and Marketing. He may be reached at steve. lundeberg@oregonstate.edu

Douglas Wayne Betschart passed away suddenly from a heart attack on Dec. 8, 2022 at his home in Goble. Doug was born on June 12, 1943 in Toppenish Washington to Robert and Pauline Betschart. He was a member of the 1962 graduating class at Toppenish High School. He moved to the Longview/Rainier area in the late 1980’s when he went to work at Reynolds Metal. After 34 years, he retired as a crane operator.

When Doug retired from Reynolds, he took up farming full time. Over the years he raised cows, horses, sheep, goats, rabbits, chickens, exotic pheasants, homing pigeons and dogs. His happy place was on a tractor working up the ground, mowing hay or putting hay in the barn for the winter. After haying season, he loved to go camping or hunting, specifically pheasant hunting or larger game such as deer and elk especially if hunting involved his brothers, sons, grandkids or anyone else he could visit with while sitting by the campfire!

He leaves behind Tunie, his wife of 40 years, five

children, Stephanie Weldon, Robert Betschart, Kye Taylor, Troy KonigWilcox, and Loyal Betschart; 14 grandchildren; 13 great-grandchildren; brothers, Buddy (Melborne, Florida), Jess (Monteagle, Tennessee), Gary (Toppenish, Washington) and Roger (Kila, Montana); along with numerous nieces and nephews.

Preceding him in death were his parents; grandson Robert Quinton Betschart; brother David Betschart; and three sisters, Roberta Hecker, Harriet Wolf, and Nellie McCoy.

Doug was a greeter at the Columbia River Foursquare Church in St. Helens. He took the duties as a greeter

very seriously, because he took his relationship with Jesus very seriously and wanted others to get to know his Savior. He treated all people with love and respect and felt that everyone needed to hear the good news of salvation through believing in the Lord Jesus and giving Him their heart.

Doug was a people person. His little visits and huge bear hugs will be deeply missed on Sunday mornings.

A celebration of life will be held at 11 a.m. on Jan. 7, 2023 at the Columbia River Foursquare Church, 555 Commons Drive in St. Helens Oregon.

Please join family and friends for a potluck lunch, following the Celebration of Life. (For more information see Tunie McAtee Betschart’s post on Facebook)

In lieu of flowers, please consider supporting the Rainier High School Wrestling Program in Memory of Doug Betschart. Your donations are deeply appreciated and can be sent to Rainier High School, 28170 Old Rainier Rd., Rainier, OR 97048.

May 27, 1993 ~ Nov. 28, 2022

Courtesy photo from OSU

The grant will fund scholarships to cybersecurity students and also support a program that involves students providing cybersecurity services to organizations across the Pacific Northwest.

Douglas Wayne

June 12, 1943 ~ Dec. 8, 2022

Weekly Online Poll

Clarification

In the Dec. 27 Chief’s story about Karol Lee’s Beauty Shop, we want to clarify that Karol Lee Brynes is still the owner of the building. The new business going into her shop location will be renting the space from Karol. We are happy to set the record straight.

Joe Warren

Jon Campbell

James Yang

PippinDoc, Clatskanie’s Hometown Veterinarian, will host its next Dog & Cat Vaccination Clinic on Thursday, January 12, from 9:00-11:00 AM and 1:30- 3:30 PM at the Johnson Feed Store, 905 NE Van St. in Clatskanie. See www.pippindoc. com for more details.

CC22-1710

COLUMBIA

Probate Department In the Matter of the Estate of NADINE SHEPHERD, Deceased. No. 22PB10286

NOTICE TO INTERESTED PERSONS NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the undersigned has been appointed personal representative of this estate. All persons having

claims against the estate are required to present their claims, with vouchers attached, within four months after the date of first publication of this notice to the personal representative at P. O. Box 459, Rainier, OR 97048, or the claims may be barred. All persons whose rights may be affected by the proceedings may

obtain additional information from the records of the Court, the personal representative or the attorney for the personal representative. Dated and first published December 3, 2022. Mary Wise, Personal Representative. STEPHEN D. PETERSEN, L.L.C., Attorney at Law, P.O. Box 459, Rainier, OR 97048.

CC23-1716

NOTICE OF BOARD MEETING

The Board of Directors for Clatskanie School District 6J will hold a Work Session/Board meeting on Monday, January 9th, 2023. The Work Session will begin at 5:30 PM at the Clats-

kanie Elementary Library (in person only), followed by the regular Board Meeting at 6:30 p.m. @ Clatskanie Elementary Library and via Zoom. Both meetings are open to the public. Please see

our website at www. csd.k12.or.us on the main page for directions to join the regular meeting via zoom meeting. Please see our website for an official agenda. The public is encouraged to attend.

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE STATE OF OREGON FOR THE COUNTY OF

Oregon to see $557,600 for butterfly habitats

Department of the Interior this past June.

Award recipients

Oregon will receive $557,600 in federal funding from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF)’s Monarch and Pollinator Fund.

The funding is designed to increase and improve western monarch butterfly and pollinator habitats in Oregon and California.

Overall, monarch populations in the United States have plummeted more than 80% in the past two decades.

Without emergency help, it’s almost certain that the western population of monarchs will disappear within 50 years, researchers said.

The grants will come from a new pool of funding that was announced at Oregon U.S. Senator Senator Merkley’s summit on preserving the monarch butterfly, which he co-hosted in collaboration with the

Monarch Joint Venture: $207,700 to help expand the California Working Lands Free Seed Program to include Oregon and provide technical assistance, seed mixes, and milkweed seed lings to public lands, private working lands, and private non-working lands includ ing businesses, corporate campuses, school campuses, community sites, and solar energy sites in California and Oregon.

The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation: $175,000 to help increase habitat by expanding the Monarch and Pollinator Habitat Kit Program and provide technical assistance to 40 land managers on public and private lands in California and the Willamette Valley region of Oregon.

Pollinator Partnership:

$174,900 to help improve habitat for monarch butterflies by providing technical support to agricultural producers on private working lands in Oregon’s Willa-

mette Valley, Columbia Pla teau, and Southern Oregon regions as well as regions in California.

terflies is an urgent issue that

requires sustainable solutions,” Merkley said.

The senator secured additional western monarch conservation funding as Chairman of the Interior, Environment and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee in the fiscal year 2022 appropriations

“If we let the western monarch butterfly go extinct, we’ll lose an iconic, beautiful species – and an important pollinator – forever,” Merkley said. “I am happy to see more projects come to fruition that will help ensure future generations are able to enjoy the monarch butterfly.”

At the conclusion of the

Wildlife Service (FWS). The Monarch and Pollinator Fund funded a total of 16 projects, three of which are in Oregon and California and total $557,600.

The three projects, funded by the NFWF Monarch Butterfly and Pollinators Conservation Fund, will focus on preserving the western monarch butterfly by improving the availability of high-quality habitat; increasing the capacity needed to expand conservation efforts into the future; and supporting the implementation of technical assistance to engage private landowners with pollinator conservation practices on working lands.

Pikeminnow fisherman save salmon, earn $70K

STAFF REPORT Country Media, Inc.

In 2022, anglers caught and removed more than 140,000 northern pikeminnow from the Columbia and Snake rivers, protecting hundreds of thousands of young salmon and steelhead from predation.

The latest report from the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) said early 1,200 people registered to be part of the Northern Pikeminnow Sport Reward Program that ran from May 1 through Sept. 30. In total, anglers removed 140,121 of the salmon-eating predators from the two rivers, earning $1,367,398 for their efforts.

The program, funded by

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With inflation squeezing costs around the country, managing the city’s budget across the town’s various necessities has been a significant challenge for Hinkelman and the Clatskanie city council. Hinkelman noted that with inflation, it’s been hard to forecast which projects will fit in the budget going into 2023.

In Rainier, circumstances have presented a variety of challenges. Jorgensen said that the city council was in flux in the past two years as multiple long-time councilors vacated their positions. Their departure marked the loss of decades of institutional knowledge, but Jorgensen also said that the new council members will offer stability for the next few years.

“Almost our whole council

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of the debris became property of the contractor.

The Chief: We have reported before about the landslide dangers along Oregon’s hillside roadways.

Given these latest landslides (Highway 30 and Highway 18) over the past two months, what specifically is ODOT doing to check the landslide dangers and, more importantly, what projects are planned and where in Columbia and Lincoln Counties to prevent the slides?

House: Oregon, especially the Coast Range, is geologically active. The land is always on the move through

OFFICE

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and liberties.

“I am grateful to the citizens of Columbia County for giving me this opportunity,” Smith said. “I will maintain open lines of communication and continue to foster, support, and advocate for our community and its residents.”

Debbie Klug was elected for her first full term as Columbia County Clerk. Appointed as the County Clerk

the Bonneville Power Administration, pays registered anglers $6 to $10 per fish, nine inches or longer. The more fish an angler catches, the more each pikeminnow they reel-in is worth. Each year, state fish and wildlife biologists also release hundreds of specially tagged northern pikeminnow each worth $200 – $500. This year, the top angler registered with the Northern Pikeminnow Sport Reward Program earned $69,230, catching almost 7,000 fish in just five months.

Northern pikeminnow are significant predators, consuming millions of young salmon and steelhead every year. Since 1991, anglers paid through the program

turned over in the last couple of years. But, you know, some of them got appointed, and they ran for reelection, and they were unopposed, so we’re going to have a nice stable setup for at least the next couple of years,” Jorgensen said. “I’m really proud of the fact that we were able to get through those processes.”

Additionally, Jorgensen is hopeful that the legislature won’t pass anything that could cause issues for Rainier. Something that Jorgensen sees as a concern would be solutions to issues surrounding homelessness.

“It’s a statewide problem, and it’s not going away, and it’s not getting better, so I think it’s incumbent upon our new governor and our legislative leadership to come up with something that works for everybody,” Jorgensen said.

Looking ahead to 2023, Jorgensen is excited about some projects Rainier hopes to

erosion and the long-term impacts of tectonic uplift – as in millions of years. Both these events occurred under high-wind conditions. Severe weather – especially last week with heavy rainfall saturating the ground followed by high winds – can cause even the strongest trees to come down, and trees on slopes above highways can bring down material with their roots.

No repair is permanent –it’s an ongoing maintenance job to scale rock, adjust “catchment” basins to catch small slides, and deal with extreme weather impacts.

The Chief: Again, what are ODOT’s recommendations to drivers about the landslide potential this winter and into spring?

in July 2021, following the passing of longtime clerk Betty Huser, Klug has been a part of the Columbia County Clerk’s Office for more than 16 years.

Andrea Jurkiewicz was elected for her first full term as Columbia County Assessor. She originally joined the County Assessor’s Office in 2005 and was appointed to the County Assessor’s role in July 2021.

Brian Pixley retained his position as Columbia County Sheriff, now servig his second term.

He began his career with

have removed approximately 5.4 million pikeminnow from the Columbia and Snake rivers. The program has reduced predation on young salmon and steelhead by up to 40 percent since it began removing 10 – 20% of the estimated Northern Pikeminnow population.

The Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife collaboratively manage the Northern Pikeminnow Sport Reward Program.

For more information about the program, call 800-858-9015 or visit www. pikeminnow.org.

complete. Rainier will make improvements to City Hall and negotiate a new contract with the police department. The city is also excited about new businesses downtown. Additionally, the city is working on securing more properties outside of its urban growth boundary for more development.

A downtown beautification initiative is one of the projects Jorgensen is most excited about going into the new year. The city ordered banners of some historical images throughout the town, and they will hang them up around March this year.

“The idea is that they have these images, and we’re going to put them up close to the original locations throughout town,” Jorgensen said. “So, it will almost be like a walk-through time, so really excited about that. And we should have some murals being painted on businesses, so I would expect, you know, by

House: Avoid distractions while driving and drive according to weather conditions. ODOT posts warning signs in areas where slides are common and often publicizes alerts when severe weather is on the way, but it is up to drivers to take extra care when driving in anything other than bright sunny days with dry pavement and no wind. Even in the best weather, drivers need to slow down for wet weather and poor visibility in winter, and avoid distractions especially phones while driving.

Go to TripCheck.com for road and weather information and follow developments of the local landslides at thechiefnews.com and in the Friday print version of The Chief.

the sheriff’s office in 2003 and has amassed nearly 20 years of local law enforcement experience. Pixley said he is committed to protecting, serving, and strengthening the community.

“It is truly an honor to serve as Columbia County’s Sheriff,” Pixley said. “I will continue identifying ways to increase public trust, build goodwill, and ensure that your property and rights are protected.”

For more information, contact Columbia County at 503-397-7210.

summer that there’s going to be some big improvements to downtown.”

For Hinkelman, getting the sewer plant project underway is the primary concern now and going into the new year.

“Our big project is the

sewer plant, and that’s going to dominate us for the next couple of years until that thing is actually built. And it will really dominate a lot of time once we start putting a shovel in the ground,” Hinkelman said.

With 2022 in the rearview mirror, Hinkelman and Jorgensen agree that 2023 will present Rainier and Clatskanie with more opportunities to deal with challenges and keep progressing, one project at a time.

To your health?

At this time of year, in many different cultures, we toast to our health. Yet, heavy drinking raises our risk for liver disease, breast cancer and depression. This holiday season, give some thought to how much you drink and consider drinking less. It could make a big difference…to your health.

North Columbia County’s trusted local news source

Courtesy from the USFWS Pacific Southwest region

The monarch population is found primarily in Arizona, California, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Utah and Washington, and overwinters on the coast of California.

Courtesy photo from the BPA

Northern pikeminnow are significant predators, consuming millions of young salmon and steelhead every year, according to the BPA.