INSIDE
INSIDE
School bus driver cited after crash
Mooks drop heartbreaker 58-51 to the Dalles in the playoffs
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Headlight Herald
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2019
VOL. 132, NO. 49 • $1.00
TILLAMOOK, OREGON • WWW.TILLAMOOKHEADLIGHTHERALD.COM
Courthouse reopens after closure for odor, particulates Cody Mann headlightnews@ countrymedia.net County officials said Friday that the final stage of office space cleaning was underway at the Tillamook County Courthouse. The HVAC systems cleaning was concluded Wednesday. A statement from the Tillamook County Board of Commissioners said the need for the cleaning was precipitated by air testing results that documented levels of particulates in top floor courthouse office
spaces that are above the Environmental Protection Agency’s recommended levels. The statement said in collaboration with the Tillamook Fire District, Tillamook County Sheriff’s Office, and Alpha Environmental, the County is taking all necessary precautions and following the recommended steps to ensure the courthouse is safe before reopening. The courthouse reopened at 8 a.m. on Monday, Nov. 18. “We look forward to resuming full operations and serving the community,” the commissioners’
statement said, following with apologies for any inconvenience the closure of the courthouse this week may have caused. “The safety of the individuals who work at or have business at the courthouse is our main concern,” the statement said. Air testing results were released Wednesday, Nov. 13, after the courthouse was suddenly closed Nov. 8. The testing was done by Alpha Environmental Services, Inc. of Beaverton. The results showed levels of particulates in office spaces
located in the top floor of the courthouse that are above the Environmental Protection Agency’s recommended levels, according to a statement from the commissioners. Particulates can induce eye, nose and throat irritation and respiratory infections. The results do not show the origin, but county officials have reason to believe in the presence of the odor originated from recent roofing repairs. Fumes presumably entered the office spaces through an HVAC system on the roof that services those
spaces. The odor dissipated but the particulates remained, according to a previous statement from the commissioners. Property tax payments are due Nov. 15. Citizens are encouraged to mail payments, but for every business day the County courthouse is closed, the County will extend the payment deadline by one business day. The Tillamook County Assessor/Tax Collector issued a statement offering apologies for
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Driver injured after lumber truck flips Cody Mann headlightnews@countrymedia.net A crashed lumber truck caused several hours of traffic delays near the county border on Hwy. 6 and reportedly resulted in serious injuries for the driver. On the afternoon of Tuesday, Nov. 12, emergency crews and law enforcement responded to the crash at milepost 33 of Highway 6. The crashed semi and its scattered load were blocking traffic. The road was opened thanks to efforts of the Oregon Department of Forestry South Fork Forest Camp, composed of Oregon Department of Corrections inmates. “Without them, it would have delayed the opening of the highway by at least an hour,” Forest Grove Fire & Rescue posted on social media. The inmate crew quickly moved all of the large dimensional lumber out of the road by hand. Oregon State Police (OSP) said the truck was eastbound when for an unknown reason the driver left roadway to the right shoulder, overcorrecting back into the lane and causing the cab and trailer to overturn in the westbound lane, coming to rest up against a guardrail. OSP identified the driver as 56-yearold Satnam Singh Johal of Ferndale, Washington. Bystanders at the scene assisted Johal with getting out of the cab.
INDEX Classified Ads....................... B4-8 Crossword Puzzle.....................B3 Fenceposts...............................B3 Letters...................................... A5 Obituaries................................ A7 Opinions............................... A5-6 Sports................................ A10-11
The driver left roadway to the right shoulder, overcorrecting back into the lane and causing the cab and trailer to overturn. Katherine Mace/Headlight Herald After complaining of pain, he became unresponsive and was taken to an area hospital.
The highway was closed, then partially closed for several hours. Hillsboro Towing removed the vehicle. Oregon
Department of Transportation, Banks Fire, and Washington County Sheriff’s Office assisted at the scene.
Nestucca High School wins Pumpkin Chunkin Contest for seventh year in a row Hilary Dorsey headlightreporter@ countrymedia.net
American Society of Mechanical Engineers at Oregon State University (OSU) hosted their annual Pumpkin Chunkin contest on Nov. 2. The club invites high schools around the state to design and build pumpkin launching machines (such as a catapults, trebuchets and slingshots) to compete in this competition. The goal is to hit a target at a distance of 35 yards. This is an accuracy competition, not a distance competition. Nestucca High School has handily taken first place in the contest for seven consecutive years. Ron Smith, who teaches Engineering, AutoCAD and Ag Mechanics at the high school, has been taking his students to compete for nine years. Smith believes OSU has held the contest for 10 years. “It is really difficult to hit the target,” Smith said. Variations in a pumpkin’s symmetry, for example, play a big role in how well a pumpkin will fly through the air toward the target. If the pumpkin hits the target, 50 points is awarded. If your pumpkin lands within five feet, 35 points are awarded. 10 feet earns you 20 points, and 15 feet is worth 10 points. The capability of larger points come into play when tossing larger pumpkins; For example, a pumpkin weighing 2 lbs. or less is a 1 point multiplier, while a 10 lb. pumpkin brings a 2 point multiplier. Nestucca Bobcats do things in a big way, making a statement by throwing the larger more difficult pumpkins of 10
pounds or more and racking up the points. You can use any mechanical device to throw the pumpkins. Pneumatics, explosives or hydraulics may not be used. Many teams use sling-shots. All the pumpkin chunkin machines must be no taller than six feet high, no wider than six feet wide, and no longer than six feet long. “The contest is always very competitive,” Smith said.
Smith’s students need to be consistently accurate with their throws. Practice takes place before each annual contest on the Bobcat’s practice football field, after calculations are made in the classroom. Sophomores through seniors participated. This is Smith’s 27th year teaching students at Nestucca High School, and it is his last year. Smith will be retiring in June.
PSU study finds microplastics in oysters, clams on Oregon Coast Cristina Rojas Portland State University Tiny threads of plastics are showing up in Pacific oysters and razor clams along the Oregon Coast — and the yoga pants, fleece jackets and sweat-wicking clothing that Pacific Northwesterners love to wear are a source of that pollution, according to a new Portland State University study. Britta Baechler, a Ph.D. student in PSU’s Earth, Environment and Society program, and Elise Granek, a professor of environmental science and management, looked at what variables predict microplastic concentrations in Pacific oysters and razor clams — organisms that have commercial, recreational and cultural importance in Oregon. On average, the researchers found 11 microplastic pieces per oyster and nine per clam in the samples, and nearly all were microfibers, which can come from clothing made from synthetic or natural materials as well as
Submitted Photo
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