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What’s next in Oregon’s 3-way governor’s race? ELECTION 2022

JEREMY C. RUARK jruark@countrymedia.net

President Joe Biden is sched uled to be in Portland Friday, Oct. 14, to participate in a Demo cratic function and on Saturday, Oct. 15, to attend a fundraising event for gubernatorial candidate Tina Kotek, according to the White House.

In July, The Chief discussed the three-way Oregon gubernatorial race with Jim Moore, Pacific University Associate Professor and Director of Political Outreach at the Tom McCall

Center for Civic Engagement. In that published interview, we looked for insight about the three candidates, Democrat Tina Kotek, Republican Christine Drazan and Independent candidate Betsy Johnson.

In this update, Moore provides additional insight into the race for Oregon Governor.

The Chief: From your insight, how will President Biden’s visit to Oregon and campaigning for Tina Kotek help her and other Democrats running for office in Oregon. Will he

sway voters?

Jim Moore: President Biden’s visit will excite Democrats and antagonize Republicans. It is a classic get-out-the-vote move to bring in a national figure to energize voters. In Oregon, with Democrats outnumber ing Republicans by about 300,000, this is a pretty good strategy. Kotek’s team probably made the same analy sis that John Kitzhaber’s election team made in 2010 when President Barack Obama visited in a very close race for governor.

A presidential visit will be more helpful than hurtful, and any voters who are motivated to vote by the visit will outweigh those who are antago nized. The wild card: Oregon’s 1 million+ unaffiliated voters. Kotek’s team might have evidence that more of them will respond positively to a Biden visit as well.

Will it help other Democrats in Oregon? They will all have to make their own calculations. In some districts, Biden will be so unpopular that being associated with him during the visit would be bad for Democratic

chances in the election. In others, the opposite. I would bet we will see sev eral Democratic congressional candi dates with the president. My guesses (aside from the uncompetitive races in CD1 and CD3) would be Andrea Salinas in CD6 and Jamie McLeod Skinner in CD5. Val Hoyle in CD4 might come up as well. An endorse ment by Biden of McLeod Skinner would be significant since Biden endorsed her defeated opponent, Kurt

Law enforcement, citizen receive plaques for deadly shooting heroics

HERB SWETT chronicle1@countrymedia.net

JEREMY C. RUARK jruark@countrymedia.net

Five law officers in Columbia County were honored Oct. 12 at a Columbia County Board of Com missioners meeting for their in volvement in a March 31 incident at a Scappoose towing company.

Receiving plaques were Sheriff Brian Pixley and Oregon State Police (OSP) Sgt. Chad Drew with the Medal of Valor; and OSP Troopers Chris Cowen and Grace Davey with the Medal of Meritorious Service. Jay White, an employee of Grumpy’s Towing received the Distinguished Citizen Award.

Pixley, after receiving his

award from the commissioners, presented the other four plaques.

The March 31 incident in volved a disturbance at Grumpy’s Towing. The suspect, identified as 39-year-old Michael Stock ton, fired several shots at Pixley and Drew, and both returned fire without being injured themselves, according to investigators. Stock ton suffered fatal wounds during the incident.

Other law officers arrived at the scene. Officers administered cardiopulmonary resuscitation and rescue breathing to Stockton until medical personnel took over, until Stockton died. The Washington County Sheriff’s Office investigat ed the shootings and returned its findings to the Columbia County

object of October focus

October,

“Domestic violence is a perva sive, often life-threatening crime affecting millions of individuals across our nation,” according to a proclamation issued by the Colum bia County Board of Commission ers. “Nationally, an average of three women are killed daily by a former or current intimate partner. In addi tion, children exposed to violence are more likely to attempt suicide, abuse drugs and alcohol, run away from home, become victims of hu man trafficking, and commit sexual assault crimes.”

In Columbia County and elsewhere in the United States, organizations are getting the word out about violence prevention and protection of victims.

SAFE (Support Advocacy Freedom Empowerment) is col laborating with community partners and others to increase awareness of domestic violence in the com munity.

The Chief asked Ellyn Bell, executive director of SAFE in Co lumbia County, whether domestic violence in Columbia County is in creasing or decreasing. She replied that it seemed to be “maybe a little less than last year,” but she added that her organization does not keep records.

SAFE Office Manager Susan Barrientos-Byrd said domestic violence is not limited to beatings. SAFE often deals with emotional and financial harassment, she said.

Barrientos-Byrd said women of ten struggle with leaving and return to their abusers.

“We offer them support, encour age healthier relationships, and help our clients move forward,” she said.

Domestic violence records from the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office were not immediately avail able. The records are kept year by year.

Bell said anybody, male or female, at any age, can be a victim of domestic violence.

Intimate partners, she added, are more likely than others to commit violence, and they include adults living with parents.

“Anybody could be violent,” she said. “It’s a choice.”

There is a SAFE house in Co lumbia County. Bell said it is at an undisclosed location. Besides send ing a victim to a SAFE house for a

short stay, the shelter could obtain a restraining order to best protect the victim. There is a restraining order office at the South Columbia County Chamber of Commerce, she noted.

Bell added that SAFE has a 24hour bilingual (English and Span ish) hotline, 503-397-6161, and has put people up in hotels as well.

Nearly every county in Oregon has at least one domestic violence

program, and there is a national hotline that “sends people back to us,” Bell said.

Local expert produces novel concerning domestic violence

Rainier resident Erin Hass is a victim advocate with the Columbia County District Attorney’s Office in St. Helens, working with victims of crime, helping them navigate the court process. She coordinates meetings with the district attor ney and deputy district attorneys, referring them to other community partners for resources, and being an overall support person.

Hass has written a novel about domestic violence.

“I wrote this book (“The Ones Left Behind: Behind the Scenes of Domestic Violence”) because I wanted to shed some light on a growing issue,” Hass said. “Many people are not familiar with what contributes to domestic violence. Most think it is just physical abuse, which is false. Also, the other forms of abuse can be just as damaging to a person.”

Hass said she also wanted to answer frequently asked questions such as “Why doesn’t a person just leave?” and “Why would they go back to that relationship?”

The book takes the reader on

Courtesy photo from the Oregon Newspapers Publishers Association

The three gubernatorial candidates, from left, Republican Christine Drazan, Democrat Tina Kotek, and Independent Betsy Johnson during a previous televised debate.

Herb Swett / The Chief

Displaying the awards are, from left, Columbia County Commissioner Casey Garrett, Grumpy’s Towing employee Jay White, OSP Trooper Chris Cowen, Trooper Grace Davey, Sheriff Brian Pixley, Columbia County Commissioner Margaret Magruder, OSP Sgt. Chad Drew, OSP Superintendent Terri Davie, Columbia County Commissioner Henry Heimuller.

Courtesy photo Rainier resident and local victim advo cate Erin Hass holds the novel she has written about domestic violence.

BBB reports online scams up 87% since 2015

Chances are that you, a family member, or a friend, have been the victim of an online scam.

The Better Business Bureau (BBB) reports online scams have risen 87% since 2015.

Tactics used by scammers have shifted drastically dur ing the past several years, ac cording to a new report pub lished by the Better Business Bureau. During the same period, scams perpetrated via phone dropped 42%.

The Start With Trust® Online: BBB Online Scams Report, is based on two sets of data. The BBB analyzed data of more than 300,000 reports submitted to BBB Scam TrackerSM between 2015 and 2022 and con ducted survey research in July 2022.

“The methods scammers use to target consumers have shifted significantly since BBB began collecting scam reports from the public in 2015,” BBB Institute for Marketplace Trust Executive Director Melissa Lanning Trumpower said.

Leading into the holiday season, this report is de signed to bring awareness to consumers about the preva lence of scams in today’s digital world, according to the BBB.

All scam types perpetrated online

So far in 2022, scams perpetrated online are more prevalent (55%) than other delivery methods, with a higher percentage of people losing money when targeted (75%).

When breaking out scams perpetrated via phone with a monetary loss, scams perpe

trated via text message rose from 11% in 2015 to 30% in 2022. Scams perpetrated via text had a median dollar loss of $800 in 2022, higher than other reported means of con tact. Text message was the most reported offline method used to push people online.

The scam type, with a monetary loss most often reported was online purchase scams (89%), while the num ber one place people reported being targeted by a scam was while browsing social media (25%).

Impersonation scams

54% of survey respon dents said the scammer claimed to be from a legiti mate organization. Of those who reported being targeted by an impersonation scam, 50% said the scammer pretended to be a business. When targeted by an imper sonation scam, 68% of sur

Cost of living increases for SNAP clients

Columbia County residents and those across the state who use Oregon Supplemental Nutrition As sistance Program (SNAP) food benefits will receive a permanent cost-of-living in crease of approximately 12 percent starting this month.

This means people who use the SNAP program will start receiving more food benefits when they receive their October benefits.

Every October the federal government makes cost-of-living adjustments to SNAP maximum allot ments. These adjustments are based on changes to the amount of money needed to support a basic standard of living. Maximum SNAP al lotments are the maximum amount of food benefits that a household may receive based off its size.

“As communities in Ore gon continue to be impacted by COVID-19 and the ris ing cost of food, we know that many individuals and families are experiencing hardship and rely on SNAP food benefits to get enough healthy food for themselves and their families,” Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS) Self-Suf ficiency Programs Interim Director Jana McLellan said. “We are glad that our federal partners have made this cost-of-living increase to help people get enough healthy food. We also know that many people in Oregon are still struggling to meet their basic needs, and we

encourage them to contact our partners at 211, the Or egon Food Bank and their local Community Action Agency for support during this difficult time.”

SNAP recipients do not have to take any action to receive the increased benefit amounts.

More information about SNAP is available at https:// www.oregon.gov/dhs/AS SISTANCE/FOOD-BENE FITS/pages/index.aspx.

If you receive SNAP, questions about your SNAP benefits should be directed to the ONE Customer Ser vice 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 household in many ways:

• Online at: ONE.Or egon.gov

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

• By fax at: 503-3785628

• By phone at: 1-800699-9075 or TTY 711

Resources to help meet basic needs

• Find a food pantry: foodfinder.oregonfood

b ank.org.

• Learn about govern ment programs and com munity resources for older adults and people with dis abilities: Aging and Disabil ity Resource Connection of Oregon at 1-855-673-2372 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 Ac tion Agency: www.capore gon.org/find-services.

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

Learn more at https:// www.oregon.gov/dhs/ben efits/Pages/index.aspx 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 1-855-673-2372.

Fast facts

• Oregonians who re ceive SNAP food benefits will see their food benefits increase approximately 12 percent starting in October

• The maximum food benefit for a household of two has increased from $459 to $516

• The maximum food benefit for a household of four has increased from $835 to $939

vey respondents said they did not ask the person to provide verification.

Online purchase (shopping) scams

Online purchase scams continued to be the most reported scam type to BBB Scam Tracker in 2022, mak ing up 30% of all scams re ported, with 71.6% reporting a monetary loss. The reported median dollar loss for this type of scam rose from $101 in 2021 to $114 in 2022.

When looking at the ages of 18-24, the reported median dollar loss for this scam type increased 25.8% from $124 in 2021 to $156 in 2022.

When compared to other demographics, this age group reported the highest median dollar loss.

search, research, and conduct transactions may impact your susceptibility to online scams, according to the BBB.

Tips for avoiding losing money to online scams

• If the deal looks too good to be true, it probably is. Price was the top motivat ing factor for people who made a purchase and then lost money. Scammers offer hard-to-find items and highly sought-after products at great prices.

• Before you buy, do your research with a trustworthy source. One of the best ways to avoid scams is to verify the offer and avoid making

transactions. Avoid paying by wire transfer, prepaid money card, gift card, or other nontraditional payment methods.

• Don’t believe every thing you see. Scammers are great at mimicking official seals, fonts, and other details.

Just because a website or email looks official does not mean it is. For example, if a business displays a BBB Ac credited Business seal, you can verify its legitimacy by going to BBB.org and look ing up the company.

• Be skeptical about anyone who reaches out to you unsolicited. Survey respondents told us scam mers produced fake business cards, websites, credentials, ratings and more to con

Tracker to report a scam and

Drugs, cash seized during traffic stop

STAFF REPORT chiefnews@countrymedia.net

Information is now emerging after Oregon State Police (OSP) seized drugs and cash during a traffic stop along Highway 30.

A Hammond, Oregon, man faces multiple charges following the traffic story shortly after 2:30 p.m. Oct. 6 conducted by an OSP trooper assigned to the Astoria Area Command.

The trooper stopped a black van for several traffic violations on Highway 30 westbound near milepost 89.

During the traffic stop, the trooper noted the driver displayed several signs of impairment and was subse quently arrested for DUII, ac cording to OSP. The involved vehicle was searched, and the following items were seized:

• 89.4 grams of Cocaine

• 507.1 grams of pills containing Fentanyl

• 108.3 grams of Heroin

• 60.5 grams of Psilocy bin

• 9mm pistol

• $1,314.12 in US cur rency

• Digital scale, drug paraphernalia, and drug packaging

The driver, identified as 47-year-old Jamie Redman Brown, from Hammond, was lodged in the Clatsop County Jail on the following charges:

• Driving Under the Influence of IntoxicantsControlled Substances

• Reckless Driving

• Unlawful Possession of Fentanyl- Substantial Quan tity (5 grams or more)

• Unlawful Possession of Heroin- Substantial Quantity

(5 grams or more)

• Unlawful Possession of Cocaine- Substantial Quan tity (5 grams or more)

• Unlawful Possession of a Firearm by a Felon

Detectives from the OSP-Criminal Investigations Division-Drug Enforcement Section (Domestic Highway Enforcement Initiative) as sisted OSP Troopers during the traffic stop.

The OSP-Domestic High way Enforcement Initiative is supported by the Oregon-Ida ho High-Intensity Drug Traf ficking Area (HIDTA), which is an Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) sponsored counterdrug grant program coordinating with and providing funding resources to multi-agency drug enforcement initiatives, including the OSP-DHE Initiative.

Schrader, in the primary.

The Chief: At least one poll showed Republican Dra zan leading in the three-way race over the past week. How has she been able to advance, and what is she offering that voters appear to appreciate?

Moore: Drazan has two things going for her right now. The first is that Betsy John son has changed the dynamic of the race. This gives any Republican candidate a better shot at winning. The second, though, is that Drazan’s mes sage that Democrats have been in power too long, and that has led to Oregon declining, is resonating with about a third of voters (oddly, she empha sizes the past decade, not the past 36 years—this is because Kotek was speaker for that de cade). This same message has been tried by every statewide Republican candidate since about 2000, but it is working better in 2022.

This may be because of the message itself; it may be because Johnson’s candidacy is moving enough voters that Drazan just has to convince a smaller percentage of the electorate than past candidates have had to.

The Chief: From your insight, what impact do the $2 million to Betsy Johnson and the $1 million to Drazen from Phil Knight have on this race? Does it matter to voters?

Moore: Given the amount of money that both Johnson and Drazan have raised, Knight’s large contributions are interesting but not game changers. At this point, another

$1 million is helpful, but there probably aren’t that many ad vertising opportunities left out there to buy. Both campaigns need to shift to get-out-thevote efforts—that is where the money will come in handy.

Does Knight’s contribution matter to voters? It may. But Knight has given big money to campaigns in the past, and there is no evidence it has moved voters to support those candidates.

Once again, the dynamics of a three-candidate race are different than past statewide races, so if Knight’s support can move a small number of voters, that may be enough to push a candidate to a win.

The Chief: Going forward to Nov. 8, what can we expect from the three candidates? Any surprises?

Moore: What surprises me a bit is that the three candidates have had the same campaign themes and strate gies since the night of the May primary. It has resulted in a tie between Drazan and Kotek, and Johnson is not far behind. That tie has persisted for months. I would suggest that a change in strategy would be useful. For instance, instead of pummeling each other over stances on issues (all very pre dictable), talking about actual leadership qualifications to be governor. What hard decisions have each made in govern ment? When do they stand on principle, no matter what? How do they work with people with whom they disagree and actually dislike? All these are situations in which governors find themselves many times.

The Chief: Overall, do you see heavy voter participa tion in this election, and if so, why. If not, why not?

Moore: I expect a normal turnout for this off-year elec tion. In Oregon, that means about 70% voter participation.

Four years ago we had 67.8% turnout (a bit low) but almost 2.8 million voters (a record by about 600,000). This is because our automatic voter registration system brings a lot more voters into the system; this lowers our percent age turnout a bit but greatly increases the overall number of voters. The general pattern is that registered Republicans and Democrats vote at very

high rates (e.g., 90%+ in presi dential year 2020) and unaffili ated voters turnout at a much lower rate (65% in 2020).

Given the record spend ing on this election, I fully expect the normal strong turnout across the state. I will be looking carefully to see if unaffiliated voters turn out in higher rates than they have in the past. Unaffiliated voters are now the largest single group (surpassing Democrats by a few thousand)—if they vote at higher rates, they will sway election results.

The Chief: Feel free to add any other comments you might have.

Moore: This is still a three-candidate race. Any one of them can win. The time for voters to cast their ballots, to change roles from consumers of cam paign information to deci sion, makers determining the leadership of our state, is approaching quickly. Let’s do our homework and play our role in the election.

Follow this developing story here online and in the Friday print editions of The Chief. View the candidates televised debates and read more background stories at thechiefnews.com.

Clatskanie PUD Public Notice

Pole Test and Treat September 20th – October 31st

To help extend the life of Clatskanie PUD power poles, Davey Resource Group has been contracted to conduct our pole test and treat program for 2021. They will be working on our poles on the following roads and the surrounding areas: Swedetown Rd, Olson Rd, Alder Grove Rd, Lindberg Rd, Cedar Grove Rd, & Lost Creek. For questions or concerns, please call 503 728 2163.

To help extend the life of our power poles, Davey Resource Group has been contracted to conduct our pole test and treat program for 2022. They will be working on our poles in the following areas: Quincy, Port Westward, Mayger, and Beaver Dike.

They will conduct their work Monday – Friday 7:00 am to 5:30 pm. If you have any questions please contact the Clatskanie PUD office at 503-728-2163.

Courtesy photo from OSP

Trade mission could benefit Columbia County

tice.”

Gov. Kate Brown has released details of Oregon’s upcoming trade mission to South Korea and Japan. It will be the first such mission since 2019.

The mission will focus on promoting foreign invest ment and business expansion in Oregon as the two coun tries reopen fully to tourism, trade, and business travel.

Brown will lead the mis sion from October 14 to 26 and will be joined by Oregon leaders representing the agriculture, tourism, higher education, apparel, technol ogy, and manufacturing industries. Brown will also be visiting Oregon’s sister state in Japan, the Toyama Prefecture.

“While many states are seeking to expand trade opportunities as Asia begins to fully reopen, we know that Oregon’s businesses, products, and tourism oppor tunities are second to none,” Brown states in a release.

“Oregon has strong relation ships in South Korea and Japan that have been built on decades of trade and the shared values of economic growth, environmental stewardship, and a desire for a better tomorrow. As we celebrate these partnerships and the successes they’ve brought in growing Oregon’s exports and expanding busi ness development in our state, we are planting the seeds of the future for the next chapter in our econo my’s growth.”

Asian trade and tour

ism are critical drivers of Oregon’s economy and job growth. South Korea is a key and expanding export market for Oregon, and Japan is one of Oregon’s largest foreign investors. South Korea and Japan are Oregon’s fourth and sixth largest markets, re spectively, for export goods overall, and two of the top markets for the state’s agri cultural exports. Together, they represent 11% of Or egon’s $29.9 billion global export market, according to the release.

Over the past five years, Oregon ranks seventh in the U.S. for largest export growth, growing significant ly at 37%. During the pan demic, Oregon was one of only six states in the country to see positive export growth between 2019 and 2020.

Nearly 6,000 Oregon com panies export internationally, and 83,000 Oregon jobs are supported by exports. Travel and tourism in Oregon is a $10.9 billion industry that directly employs 100,000 Oregonians and generates $1.2 billion in state and local tax revenue.

Columbia County view

The Chief contacted Columbia Economic Team Executive Director Paul Vo gel for his take on the trade mission.

“I’ve had the good for tune to participate in prior Governor’s Trade Missions to Asia,” Vogel said. “That experience taught me that there’s a distinct difference between these missions’ value in theory and in prac

Vogel added that after a couple of consecutive years of global isolation, it’s important, at least symboli cally, to renew these rela tionships in person.

“There is value simply in restoring the personal connections in these long standing trade and economic relationships,” he said. “Face to face means something, particularly in other cultures.

Half of the value is in just showing up. I tend to want to rely more on businesses and the private sector to make these relationships work and flourish, but the reality is that governmental leadership engagement and partner ship counts for a lot, and perhaps more, in many other countries. Asian countries personify that.”

Vogel said this trade mission “seems quickly put together.”

“Once you’re there, be ing explicitly prepared is critical.,” he said. “Our hope would be that the businesses participating have had time to fully prepare, because while half of it is just show ing up, the other half is truly having your act together and being fully prepared to do business their way, on their patch. “

According to Vogel, no Columbia County businesses were invited to participate, although there are a number, he said, that would be wellpositioned to do so.

Benefits for Columbia County

In the case of a trade mis

sion such as this one, Vogel said the hope is to benefit in the most general of terms: reinforcement that “Oregon is open for business”; elected and administrative gov ernment leaders equipped and knowledgeable about advanced manufacturing (OMIC and PCC/OMIC), and even clean, sustainable fuel production Vogel ex pects that would be establish through the proposed NEXT Renewables facility.

“And, also as a tour ism partner in the Portland region and with Travel Oregon, restoring air travel levels – especially from traditional high-visitor countries like Japan will be welcome.,” he said. “Visi tors to the Portland area, like Portlanders, are discover

ing outdoor recreation in Columbia County and love the existence of the CrownZ Trail and the fact we have 62 mils of Columbia River shoreline and are focused on destination development providing river access.”

Vogel said that overall, the county should benefit from increased visibility as an entire state; awareness and attraction that comes from outreach.

“The current position of the yen versus the dollar will likely not result in the type of Japanese reverse investment we’ve enjoyed in the past, but being open for business, sustaining cur rent trade relationships that keep agricultural and other commodities moving on the Columbia River – we benefit

as a county from the pros perity of the entire state,” Vogel said.

As a new governor takes office in January, Vogel said he is hopeful for an even more robust understanding of business and economic development in a new ad ministration.

“And one which doesn’t rely on trade missions more than it does making it simpler, easier, and more positive for existing lo cal businesses to operate successfully – and costeffectively, hire locally – and contribute to a balanced economy and traded sector that includes countries like Japan and South Korea, but doesn’t overly rely upon them,” he said.

Warning issued following deadly retirement center fire

ers, and sent a police officer and firefighter to the hospital with minor injuries.

Fire officials in Columbia County are warning anyone who uses oxygen to be cau tious of the containers and the storage of the oxygen.

The warning follows a deadly fire early Wednes day morning, Oct. 5, at the Columbia Hills Retirement Center on Pittsburg Road in St. Helens. The fire killed one resident, injured several oth

Investigators determined that the fire was accidental and human-caused, according to Columbia River Fire and Rescue (CRFR).

“That is the best informa tion that we can release,” CRFR’s Jennifer Motherway told The Chief. “Ultimately this ruled out that it wasn’t arson, and it wasn’t any fault of the facility – not electric/ etc.”

An explosion that occurred during the fire was caused by oxygen cylinders stored in the

apartment of origin, accord ing to fire investigators, who stress that the use of oxygen in homes has an increased risk of catastrophic fire.

Three St. Helens Police (SHP) officers were the first to arrive on the scene of the fire and immediately began assist ing the tenants. They helped pull victims through win dows of the center and began running down the halls and knocking on doors to ensure the tenants were evacuating the building.

See the rescue efforts from one of the police officers’ body cameras attached to this

story at thechiefnews.com.

CRFR firefighters arrived on scene and began attack ing the fire and assisting with evacuating residents from the building.

Firefighters found one resident unconscious in the hallway in the building where the fire began. The victim was carried out of the building. St. Helens police officers, along with a Columbia County sheriff’s deputy and a Scap poose police officer, provided CPR and resuscitation efforts, but unfortunately the woman died at the scene, according to investigators.

“The facility did have working smoke detectors and the system was very loud and more than capable of alerting the tenants inside,” CRFR officials said. “The facility did not have a sprinkler system, as sprinklers were not a code requirement at the time the facility was built.”

Following the blaze, CRFR continued to provide support to the management team at Columbia Hills Retirement Center and all the tenants that were moved to the Best Western Hotel during the fire emergency.

The Red Cross and many

generous community mem bers are also supporting the tenants, according to CRFR. Additional donations may be made to the Red Cross by following this online link: https://www.redcross.org/ donate/donation.html. Local Scouts had scheduled a dona tion drive on Saturday, Oct. 8, at the St. Helens Ace Hard ware Store to also support the tenants.

CRFR officials urge anyone using oxygen at home to take precautions. To learn more, visit https://www.cganet. com/home-oxygen-safety.

Great Oregon ShakeOut, earthquake preparedness

“Drop, cover and hold on.”

It is a phrase used over and over again to prepare us for an earthquake.

The phase will be primary during the Great Oregon ShakeOut, scheduled for 10:20 a.m. Oct. 20.

This means that wherever you are at that moment—at home, at work, at school, anywhere—you should Drop, Cover, and Hold On as if there were a major earth quake occurring at that very moment, and stay in this position for at least 60 sec onds, according to the Great Oregon ShakeOut website.

“There will not be any freeway closures, power outages, or other simulated effects of the hypotheti cal earthquake, unless your local government or utility company specifically noti

fies you about something of this nature,” the website states. “The ShakeOut is not something you need to leave work to participate in—in fact, participating at work is encouraged! Businesses, organizations, schools, and government agencies can register and have their em ployees practice Drop, Cover, and Hold On or have a more extensive emergency drill.”

The main goal of the ShakeOut is to help best prepare Oregonians for major earthquakes.

“The ShakeOut should be used as an opportunity to learn what to do before, dur ing, and after an earthquake,” the website advises.

The ShakeOut event carries a unique meaning be cause the region is preparing for the Cascadia earthquake.

The Cascadia subduction zone is a 620-mile-long fault, between the Juan de Fuca plate and the North American plate, extending from Cape

Mendocino, California, to Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. On Jan. 26, 1700, this fault ruptured, generating a 9.0 magnitude earthquake, subsequently forcing a tsunami onto the coastline.

It is estimated that this can occur every 220 to 505 years, making the

ber that during an earth quake, you should not exit the building or move until the shaking has stopped, according to emergency pre paredness experts. Once an earthquake begins, you may

practice now to know how to respond later. Please register at ShakeOut.org/oregon/ register to be counted and to receive updates.

In addition to knowing how to drop, cover and hold

on during an earthquake, it is important to take the steps to prepare before an earthquake.

• Walk through your space to identify potential hazards and secure movable items like heavy furniture, televisions, or bookshelves.

• Create a disaster plan that includes where you will evacuate to and how you will communicate.

• Be sure to keep emer gency supplies in multiple locations and have a go-kit in case you need to evacuate quickly.

• Gather copies of your important documents (iden tification, insurance cards, family/friend contacts) for easy access later. By prepar ing now and learning how to react, you will be able to recover more quickly after.

on how to prepare, protect, and recover.

Courtesy photo

Gov. Brown meets with Asian officials during a 2017 trade mission to Japan.

The Chief

Students conduct an earthquake drill during a previous Oregon ShakeOut.

Kelli Nicholson / The Chief

Fire hoses and the extensive damage to the retirement center could be seen Wednesday morning, Oct. 5, just hours after the deadly fire. See more photos and police body cam video of the fire with this story at thechiefnews.com.

JEREMY

Kelli Nicholson / The Chief

Fire investigators at the site of the deadly fire Wednesday morning, Oct. 5. See more photos and police body cam video of the fire with this story at thechiefnews.com.

Grant victory will reduce crime in Columbia County

JEFF AUXIER Chief Guest Column

This summer Sheriff Brian Pixley was awarded over $940,000 in grant money from the Oregon Criminal Justice Commis sion, which will pay for two additional Sheriff’s Office detectives who will focus their investigations on the illegal production of marijuana.

As your District Attor ney in Columbia County, but also as a Commissioner on the Oregon Criminal Justice Commission, I can tell you that Sheriff Pixley’s decision to seek this grant was a victory for our county because it will

reduce all types of crime in our community.

In 2018, the Oregon Legislature created the Illegal Marijuana Market Enforcement Grant to assist local law enforcement try ing to stop the lawlessness surrounding illegal mari juana. This law could not care less about the legal, private use of marijuana among adults but seeks to prevent the risks that come from having organized crime and human traffick ers in our community.

This is a real issue in rural Oregon. Horror sto ries detail the use of forced labor to operate these illegal grows, which are often overseen by foreign

criminal organizations.

According to the Oregon Commission on Hispanic Affairs, survivors of illegal marijuana human traffick ing have been treated in a manner that is “so barbaric that it is hard to believe they are taking place in the United States.”

Elderly landowners have been conned into rent ing portions of their land to these groups, only to realize too late that they have a mess on their hands with neighbors engaging in criminal activity. Of course, illegal marijuana is just the tip of the iceberg. It’s not uncommon for police to find methamphetamine, sto len property, and unlawful

Karen Mysinger

ommunity e V ents

October 18 Caples Evening Programs

Caples is starting a new series of evening programs. Choo Choo - Climb Aboard into the inaugural Caples Fireside Chat at 7 p.m. as Bob Wilson and Ken Huisman talk about model trains. The cost for this evening and all our Fireside Chats will be only $5. Caples will be offering a different program the third Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m. Don’t be late to the station. 1925 First Street in Columbia City. For more information, call 503-3975390.

October 26, 27, 28

The Columbia County Public Health Department will host free vaccination and booster clinics from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m. Oct. 26, 27, and 28 at the Columbia County Fairgrounds 4-H Building, 58892 Saulser Road in St. Helens. Walkins welcome. No appoint ment necessary. COVID-19 vaccinations include initial doses and boosters of Pfizer, Moderna, and Novavax brands available for ages 6 months and up. Monkeypox vaccinations will be available for ages 18 and up. For more

details, call 503-397-7247 or email health@columbia countyor.gov. See vaccine and testing opportunities at getvaccinated.oregon.gov.

Ongoing Events

Vaccine Clinics

Columbia County Public Health is providing primary and booster COVID-19 vac cinations from Moderna, Pfizer, and Novavax, as well as monkeypox. Vaccines also will be available at times to be determined Oct. 13, 18. 19, 20, and 27; Nov. 10; and Dec. 1 and 15. Vaccines are available from noon to 7 p.m. today through Friday at the Columbia County Fairgrounds 4-H Building, 58892 Saulser Road, St. Helens. People needing transportation may call 503-366-0159 or email CCRiderinfo@columbiacoun tyor.gov.

Lower Columbia River Watershed Council Meets at 7 p.m. every other second Tuesday. Meetings are currently held elec tronically by Zoom. For more information, contact Council Coordinator Allan Whiting at E-mail: allan@whitingenv.

about the overall experiences people I’ve encountered have endured.”

com, or call 503-789-9240. Visit the council’s website for agenda postings and Zoom at www.lowercolumbiariver.org/ events-page.

The Rainier Oregon Histori cal Museum (ROHM) is open from noon - 4 p.m. Satur day (except major holidays weekends). ROHM is located inside Rainier City Hall at 106 W B Street. For more infor mation, call 360-751-7039.

The Rainier Public Library is open from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Fridays and 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Saturdays. It will be closed Sundays and Mondays.

Avamere at St. Helens hosts a Virtual Dementia Support Group – 3rd Wednesday of each month from 2 to 3 p.m. For more details, contact Jenny Hicks/Avamere at St. Helens at 503-366-8070.

To list an event in the Com munity Calendar, email details with a phone number that may be published, to chroni cleclassifieds@countrymedia. net, or call 503-397-0116.

weapons within the walls of these compounds too.

This issue seriously affects Columbia County.

Recently Sheriff Pixley, the Oregon State Police, and the United States Drug Enforcement Administra tion (DEA) conducted a joint operation in north Columbia County seeking to stop a large-scale illegal marijuana enterprise.

Evidence of forced labor and organized crime, as well as 23 firearms and $353,000 in cash, were found just a few short miles from Clatskanie and Rainier. At this very mo ment, similar investigations into similar enterprises in this county are underway. If

OFFICERS

district attorney.

In late August, Columbia County District Attorney Jeff Auxier ruled that the shooting was justified. Fol lowing the investigation, The Chief conducted an ex clusive interview with Pix ley about the deadly event. He told The Chief that it was the first time in his 20 years of law enforcement that he had shot a person.

Here is a portion of Pixley’s description of the shooting as it happened.

“I immediately drew my firearm and called ‘Shots fired!’ over the radio. I fol lowed the suspect outside. Once outside, I turned to my right and saw the suspect standing about 10 feet away from me with two guns pointed at me. He started shooting and my body camera fell to the ground. I ordered him to drop his gun,

we stop this criminal activ ity it will be in part due to the leadership of Sheriff Pixley.

Lastly, the grant-funded detectives who will do this important work are also free to investigate other types of cases. To do their job right, these detectives will need to act like any other narcotics detective, cultivating informants in the drug community, map ping out criminal organiza tions, and executing search warrants. As they do so, they will also be taking meth, heroin, fentanyl, and guns off the streets, and providing intelligence from the field to officers investi gating all types of crime in

but he didn’t, so I fired my gun. He turned to run away but continued firing at me, so I continued to fire back, striking him.

The suspect fell to the ground on the opposite side of a car in the lot but continued firing at me. I radioed to dispatch that the suspect was down but still shooting. While on the ground, he continued firing.

I moved to get into a better position to engage him but couldn’t locate a direct line of fire and realized that any further shots from me would be fired towards the high way, so I chose not to shoot. Instead, I continued to yell “Drop the gun!” and “Put your hands up!”

Over two minutes later, OSP troopers arrived. The suspect continued to fire so one of the troopers raised his rifle and fired several shots at the suspect. At that point, the suspect dropped his guns. The troopers and I approached the suspect to take him into custody and

our community.

As a member of the Oregon Criminal Justice Commission myself who is charged with overseeing the proper use of these funds, I can say with confidence that there is nothing pre venting these detectives from doing general police work too.

Regardless of who you vote for in November, we should be applauding Sher iff Pixley for winning this grant and finding creative ways to make our county safer.

Jeff Auxier is the Co lumbia County District At torney. He may be reached at 503-397-0300.

render aid.”

Read the full interview with this story at thechief news.com. In remarks following the award pre sentation at the county com missioners meeting Oct. 12, Pixley told The Chief:

“Today I was honored to recognize these heroes in our community with special awards for their bravery,” Pixley said. “They ran to wards danger when the bul lets were flying and put their lives on the line to protect the citizens of Columbia County. I am honored to be able to call them my friends and to work alongside such amazing people.”

Drew also commented to The Chief following the ceremony.

“I would like to extend a thank-you for all the sup port from the community, my family and friends,” Drew said. “I know that my Columbia County law enforcement partners would have done the same had our situations been reversed.”

a journey through the main character, who undergoes a domestic violence relation ship.

“It touches on the differ ent forms of abuse, answers questions why she would go back, and touches a little on what happens when a person is finally able to leave,” Hass said. “It’s not based on one particular person but more

Hass self-published the book Sept. 15. It is available from Amazon, Kindle, and Kindle Unlimited. She is working on a second book, which will be about a charac ter mentioned in her first one. She will be a co-worker who told Hass about an abusive relationship with a person with whom she has children.

“Everyone deserves relationships free from do mestic violence,” Columbia

County Commissioner Henry Heimuller said. “We are asking everyone to join us in speaking out against abuse and taking a stand against domestic violence.”

SAFE of Columbia County was scheduled to make a presentation during the South Columbia County Chamber of Commerce Oc tober Coffee and Commerce Networking event from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. Friday, Oct. 14. The chamber office is on Columbia Boulevard in St. Helens.

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containing details presented as facts rather than opinions must include their sources. Writers are limited to one published letter per month. All submissions must include the author’s

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Marketplace

Landowners

buy branches of red cedar, Port Orford-cedar, and noble; we will be paying per pound.

will be buying from September to November. For more information, contact us. Cell: 360-560-8488 or 360-703-2736

ATTENTION LAND OWNERS

buy CEDAR and

boughs. What we pay depends on the quality of your

the

Adult Division Supervisor Columbia County, OR EOE Deadline 11/3/2022 Apply at ColumbiaCounty OR.gov.

CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

Antiques, tools and furniture.

do

and

more information

751-7723

Camp Host and/or Hosts wanted at the BRAND NEW Rivers Edge RV Resort in Clats kanie. Tasks would include greeting new registered guests as they ar rive, up keep of restrooms, check ing/cleaning the site once regis tered guests have left, if interested please email rivers edgervresortore gon@gmail.com or call 503-957-5005.

Columbia 9-1-1 Communications District (C911CD) is conducting a hir ing process for a Chief Financial Of ficer. Apply online

Public

& 16 Hours

Ford runs. 56 Ford body parts.

of stuff,

much to mention.

790

Misc Wanted

ATTENTION LAND OWNERS!

Wanted cedar boughs and noble fir. Willing to pay for branches only.

not damage trees.

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or 360-425-0738 Kelso.

CLATSKANIE Mini Storage

6

30.

CLATSKANIE PEOPLE’S

The Clatskanie People’s Utility District Board of Directors has scheduled the next regular Board meet ing for Wednesday, October 19, 2022 at 6:00 pm in the community room of the District’s administration building located at 495 E Columbia River Highway, Clatskanie. A Board Work shop will be held at 5:30 pm. An executive session may be

called at the workshop and/ or meeting, pursuant to: ORS 192.660 (2) (f) information or records that are exempt by law from public inspection.

AGENDA CLATSKANIE PEOPLE’S UTILITY DISTRICT BOARD WORK SHOP Wednesday, October 19, 2022 at 5:30 P.M. I. WESTERN POWERPOOL WRAP PRESENTATION: Sarah Edmonds & Re-becca

Sexton II. STAFF REPORTS UPDATE. CLATSKANIE PEOPLE’S UTILITY DIS TRICT REGULAR BOARD MEETING Wednesday, October 19, 2022 on 6:00 P.M. I. AMI PROJECT STATEMENT: Marc Farmer, General Manager II. PUBLIC COMMENTS III. CONSENT AGENDA · Minutes of Board Workshop, August 17, 2022 · Minutes

of Regular Board Meeting, August 17, 2022 · Review payment of bills for Au gust & September 2022 IV. ACTION ITEMS · Policy Review: #316 Power Theft V. DISCUSSION / INFOR MATIONAL ITEMS · 2023

Draft Budget Presentation: Arin Guillory, Controller · Board Comments & Calendar VI. EXECUTIVE SESSION VII. ADJOURNMENT

Abandoned property of Tammy Bryson and All Others. For Sale, a 1987 NASHUA, Serial #ZIDBNX770142BR228068, Home ID #255002. The mobile home is located at 75566 Homeaway Rd #1, Rainier, OR 97048, in Deer View Cooperative. This will

be a private sale with a min imum bid of $10,400.00. Bids accepted until October 21, 2022. Send/submit bids to 18150 SW Boones Ferry Road, Portland, OR

2022 River City Speedway season wraps up

to hold them off.”

River City Speedway concluded its 38th year of stock car racing Sept. 24 and area drivers Bob Berg, Lanette Phillips and Kasey Lee won Columbia County Racing Association division championships.

Berg, 58, won the Sept. 24 Four Cylinder Division main event while driving his Cozy Lawn Maintenance/ Butler Appraisal sponsored 1998 Dodge Neon. It was the fourth main event win this year for Berg, and it helped him finish atop the point standings to capture the fourth CCRA title of his 30-year motorsports career.

Berg, the defending series champion (2021), won the title for a second year in a row. He took first place with 614 points, just ahead of runner-up father/son duo of Sam and Sande Simmet of Vancouver at 586.

“I had a good season and I’m very happy to win anoth er championship,” said Berg, who also won the 2016 Four Cylinder championship and the 2018 Tuner Division title. “When I made it to the front and into the lead in the final race (Sept. 24), I knew that I would win the title. Sam Simmet was only 28 points behind me in the standings and he followed me pretty much for the entire race and I had to win the race in order to win the championship. It was the closest finish in the point standings of my four championships. Those guys (Sam and Sande) did pretty good all year and they almost won the title, but I was able

Berg’s Eaton’s Tire and Service Center sponsored race team also includes pit crew members Jay Berg and Travis Zimmerly.

Local drivers who finished in the top-10 of the Four Cylinder standings included Berg’s wife, Tif fany, who took seventh place, which was a career best season for her on the quartermile clay oval track. Ryan Potter (513) of Vernonia was third, Anthony Brinster (498) of St. Helens took fifth and Jared VanOrtwick of Scap poose was 10th at 219.

Phillips of St. Helens, drove her Ross Diesel & Auto sponsored 1979 Buick Regal to a fourth-place finish in the Pure Stock main event, which helped propel her to first place in the standings and win her first ever CCRA championship. Phillips, 48, won the title with 721 points, while second place driver and defending series champi on Tom Zywicki of Portland, was runnerup at 692.

Lee, of St. Helens, won the Tracer Division champi onship in his Grumpy’s Tow ing sponsored Dodge Neon. Lee, 12, took first place in the division for youths age 12-16 and totaled 874 points to take first place in the standings. Lee’s dad, Christo pher, competes in the Tuner Division, and he finished sixth place at 632.

The West Linn duo of brothers Myke and TJ Landis and Dustin Wilkinson combined to win the Tuner Division title for a second straight year with their TriPod Development sponsored 2003 Ford Focus. Wilkinson, of Milwaukie, also won the

Street Stock Division title.

The trio totaled 870 points, to win over runner-up Dan Be audoin at 759.

The father/son co-driver duo of Austin Fox and dad Sean Fox of Rainier took third at 693.

Vancouver’s Don Jen ner was a two-time series champion as he won both the Sportsman Division title and the Modified Division title.

CCRA President Dar rin Rye of Warren, said the speedway had an increase in attendance from the 2021 season, which was some thing that’s very encouraging for the success of the track, which is located at the Co lumbia County Fairgrounds. He’s also planning on mak ing some improvements at facility, such as adding new restrooms, but he says it could be delayed until 2024.

“We had a great season with lots of (CCRA) mem bers and we had lots of good racing with many people coming from out of town and out of state to race,” said Rye. “We had a big Modified Division race on Sept. 10 that included a $2,000 purse for the main event winner, and it was a huge event for us. We’re going to do a little bit of track preparation during the offseason to help improve the track surface too. We’re focusing right now on getting everything organized for our upcoming Awards Banquet.”

The Speedway will have its postseason awards banquet at 2 p.m. Nov. 6 at the Columbia County Fair grounds Pavillion. Admission is $15 and kids age 10 and under are admitted free. The banquet includes a meal, a raffle and an awards presen tation ceremony for drivers.

Animation to be used to reach voters

ese, Vietnamese and Somali. The first ads launched on Monday, October 10.

A new statewide public service campaign is being launched designed to “prebunk” false election informa tion by proactively reaching voters with accurate informa tion from an official, trusted source.

The campaign announced Oct. 12, by Oregon Secretary of State Shemia Fagan, is being called Voting in Oregon Feels Good.

“I want the characters in these videos to be to Oregon elections what Smokey the Bear is to wildfire preven tion,” Fagan said. “This campaign is as fun as it is informative, with Oregonfocused animations that stand out from other government messages. When you see the videos and social media posts, I hope you’ll take a moment to remember why Oregonians are very proud of vote-bymail.”

The target of the campaign is low-turnout voters with ad buys on social media, CTV, broadcast TV and podcast platforms. The ads will be produced in English, Spanish, Russian, Mandarin, Canton

The campaign is animated in a 1970’s style, featuring dozens of Oregon landmarks, characters and scenes from across the State.

The first spot, Journey of a Ballot, explains the features of vote-by-mail that protect the integrity of our elections. Subsequent spots will focus on increasing voter turnout and educating voters about the new postmark rule.

“Research shows that once a person forms a belief about elections it’s very hard to change their mind,” Fagan said. “That’s why it’s critical for elections officials to get ahead of false information by sharing the fact that Oregon has had free and fair elections through vote-by-mail for over 20 years. When Oregonians know all the steps elections workers take to protect the integrity of our elections, it completely undercuts the conspiracy theories from pro ponents of the Big Lie.”

To produce Voting in Or egon Feels Good, the Oregon Elections Division used a competitive bidding process to hire Oregon-based creative agency Happylucky.

The budget for the project is $350,000 — allocated from one-time funding approved during the 2022 short session by the Oregon Legislature.

Oregon voters will use a vote by mail system to cast ballots in the Nov. 8 General Election. The deadline for voter registration is Oct. 18.

Courtesy from Mike Weber

Bob Berg of St. Helens and his green 1997 Dodge Neon.

Courtesy from Mike Weber St. Helens driver Bob Berg leads the pack during the final race competition at River City Speedway.

MIKE

Courtesy from the Oregon Secretary Of State’s Office

The campaign is animated in a 1970s style, featuring dozens of Oregon landmarks, characters and scenes from across the State.