Week of April 9, 2026
Week of April 9, 2026
Opening the Wahkiakum County Commissioners meeting on Tuesday, April 7, Commissioner and Chair Dan Cothren read a proclamation recognizing Public Safety Telecommunicators Week Sunday, April 12 through Saturday, April 18. Cothren recognized Wahkiakum County Sheriff’s Office Telecommunicators Vernon Barton, Jo Ann Barton, Aric Cothren, Dave Davis, Asia Robbins, Emily Davenport, Charli Dursteler, and Sophia Searles, as well as Raedyn Grasseth, Beau Renffro, Austin Smith, and Adam Vogt with the County’s 911 system. The board then approved...
During the Monday, March 16 session of Cathlamet Town Council, Councilmember Crystal Baker brought two new items to the agenda regarding both the pool and the library. Addressing the pool first, Crystal Baker said, "Looking at our current situation with the pool, we have two totally different things. We have the condition of the pool and the repairs that need to be made. We don't necessarily have the luxury of just hiring a contractor to come in and do this, but we do have an amazing support...
In a recent interview with The Eagle, Cowlitz-Wahkiakum Council of Governments (CWCOG) Executive Director Bill Fashing distinguished between the monthly board meeting of CWCOG, held on the fourth Thursday of every month in Cowlitz County, and the regional information forum meeting that takes place at the Wahkiakum County Courthouse. Fashing noted the informational forum is “a chance for various agencies to get together around a table, no formal agenda and just talk about the issues that are out there, and not necessarily fix anything but...
The Eagle is proud to partner with the WCSO to bring you this monthly message from your local Sheriff. Hello from your Sheriff! It has been a busy spring for the Sheriff’s Office so far! I still have two Deputies in training and an open Deputy position that I am currently taking both new hire and lateral applications for. Despite being as shorthanded as we are, Undersheriff Gary Howell and I were able to complete our third and final week of Public Safety Leadership: The West Point Way. This was by far the best leadership training I have...
The Wahkiakum Chamber of Commerce is currently seeking submissions for the 45th Annual Bald Eagle Days theme. Submissions should be something to invoke community spirit and cultural connection to Wahkiakum County. Past selections have been “Rooted and Rising” and “Wings Over Wahkiakum.” In addition to a festival theme, the parade through Main Street is in need of a Grand Marshal. Submit your nomination of a community standout today! To submit your nomination, please email info@wahkiakum.us or contact the Wahkiakum Chamber of Commerce...
I recently interviewed Cathlamet resident Ross Lofstrom for our 58th installment of Reader's Fave, a casual interview with someone who shares their favorite book. "I'd say I have a current list of top-five favorite books," Ross said. "Two of the books I've read just in this past year. One was 'Stoner' by John Williams and 'East of Eden' by John Steinbeck. Other favorites would be 'The Count of Monte Cristo,' along with 'Lonesome Dove' by Larry McMurtry and '11/22/63' by Stephen King. 'Stoner'...
Driving or walking by the white house beside the Wahkiakum County Courthouse, one may see workers and vehicles crowding around. It is okay, as they are upgrading the building and equipment while maintaining the historic nature of the house. In 2025, the non-profit Friends of Julia Butler Hansen (FJBH) was awarded a capital improvements grant from the Washington State Legislature for $115,000 to improve the shell of the Julia Butler Hansen house. FJBH is modernizing the HVAC system and upgrading it to include humidity control. They are also...
Spring garden topics Don’t plant more garden than you can take care for. A 1,000 square foot garden, after initial tillage and planting, will require at least two hours of care of each week. Early weeding is especially important. This does not count harvesting and replanting. Start small and grow as your skills grow. Chard is a beautiful and very productive garden vegetable. The “Rainbow” chard seed mix will give you stems of yellow, orange, red, and green to complement the deep green of the foliage. Chard is very tasty. Leaf miners are...
Spring has a way of nudging us toward fresh starts. We clear out closets, sort paperwork, and open the windows after a long winter. It’s also a natural time to gently open another important door: conversations about future care. Spring is the perfect time because families often reconnect during holidays and visits. Also, energy and moods tend to improve with longer daylight. For many family caregivers, talking about long-term plans can feel uncomfortable. It may stir up fear, resistance, or the quiet hope that “we’ll deal with that...
During the meeting Tuesday, March 31, the Cowlitz County Board of Commissioners opened with a call for bids for a landfill flare replacement at the Tenant Way landfill. The project is scheduled for Monday, April 20. This replacement is needed due to aging and inadequate equipment dating back to the 1990s. The newer system is smaller and more efficient, making the process of collecting methane gas and burning it off more cost and time effective. The board approved the purchase of a new Public Works truck. According to officials, the department...
On Sunday, April 26 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., the Cowlitz Coin Club of Longview-Kelso is celebrating its 56th coin show at the AWPPW Hall (724 15th Ave., Longview). Admission to the event, parking, and dealer appraisals are all free. Those in attendance can buy, sell and trade coins, currency, tokens and medals from numerous Pacific Northwest dealers. There will be drawings, along with a raffle for a half-ounce American Gold Eagle coin and five one-ounce American Silver Eagle coins. One does not need to be present to win the raffle coins. The...
The City of Longview and the Longview Public Library will host a free, all-ages maker event at the library on Saturday, April 11 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event invites STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) students, hobbyists, and makers of all skill levels to bring their projects, collaborate, and get hands-on help with coding, PCB design, and CAD work. Attendees will have access to 3D printers, a soldering station and parts, and computers loaded with CAD, CNC, and PCB design software. "This is about giving people in our...
I had to chuckle. I got a note and a photograph from an editor of mine who had come up from Oregon City on Saturday to chase spring chinook out of the Cathlamet morning. "This is what I'm doing this morning," he wrote. His words were accompanied by what I must say was a beautiful photo of an equally beautiful sunrise. In return, I sent him a photograph of my own of a house fully engulfed in flames and the conflagration surrounded by firefighters, EMTs, and fire apparatus. "This is what I'm...
The Puget Island Fire Department is welcoming a new addition to its fire station on SR409. The volunteer crew on Puget Island has been operating two older vehicles on their fire calls, one of them more than 40 years old. This 2009 pumper, driven in from Kelso and already with a few years of service under its belt, represents a monumental leap forward. If you’re from the East Coast, you might call a water-carrying fire truck a tanker. However, here on the West Coast, a vehicle that carries...
Clatskanie City Council held its monthly meeting on Wednesday, April 1. The agenda focused on a multi-sport court refurbishment initiative led by Karen Marx. The council unanimously approved the resolution, a required qualification by the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department in pursuit of $225,000 in grant funding. The proposed project will convert two existing tennis courts and the “Kiwanis ‘kids’ slab into one tennis court, a basketball court, and two pickleball courts. The City also approved a motion to allocate $25,000 from the...
The Clatskanie Cultural Center (75 S. Nehalem Street) will celebrate its centennial Saturday and Sunday, April 18-19, with a weekend full of activities. Constructed in 1926 by the local chapter of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows (IOOF), the Clatskanie IOOF Hall was a vital meeting place for residents with dances, exercise classes, meetings, movies, live performances, and much more. Following its restoration and reopening in 2015 by the Clatskanie Foundation, the Clatskanie Cultural Center has once again become the vibrant meeting place...
Columbia County and the Oregon Public Works Department began its annual roadside herbicide spray program on Tuesday, March 31 in Scappoose. On Thursday, April 2, spraying continued in both Scappoose and Warren. Counties and cities apply various herbicide mixtures to county road shoulders and right-of-ways to control vegetation. Residents may request a “No Spray Option” and agree to maintain their own roadside frontage or property. Contact each county or city, as they may use different herbicides or pesticides, and application schedules...
On Wednesday and Thursday, April 1-2, the Army Corps of Engineers held a two-day online meeting for oral comments to be heard. Local communities were encouraged to voice their opinion either for or against the "NEXT Renewables SAF and Renewable Refinery" proposed for a site at Port Westward near Clatskanie. Multiple people, including state and county officials, had an opportunity to speak. Both sides were represented, from jobs and economic growth to land incompatibility, local health risk and damage to air, water, and soil. Written comments...
Free employment and training services are available to Oregonians receiving food assistance and needing to meet new work requirements imposed by the Trump administration. The Oregon Department of Human Services and the Oregon Employment Department, both WorkSource Oregon partners, are encouraging Oregonians receiving benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, to seek free help at 37 Worksource Oregon centers across the state. "Through case management and employment...
The Columbia County Board of Commissioners held their weekly meeting Wednesday, April 1 at the John Gumm Building. Elected Commissioners Casey Garrett, Margaret McGruder and Kellie Jo Smith were in attendance. The meeting is open to the public and available online. During open comment, a resident questioned Commissioner Garret’s ongoing tenure as an acting commissioner given recent censures. Executive director of SAFE of Columbia County Nithish Thomas was the meeting’s first speaker, presenting April as National Sexual Assault Awareness...
The Rainier Spring Bazaar is returning for its second year and takes place at the Rainier Riverfront Center (48 W. 7th St.) on Saturday, April 18 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Rainier Spring Bazaar brings together Rainier-based small business owners and the community to encourage shopping local and discovery of unique businesses and products made in the area. There are currently 20 confirmed vendors offering a range of items for the home, garden, holiday, kitchen, toys, and gifts for Mother’s and Father’s Day. Two vendors in particular,...
On Saturday, April 11 from 1 to 3 p.m., the Rainier Oregon Historical Museum (ROHM) will celebrate the grand opening of the Memorial Brick Garden, a place designed to honor and remember loved ones. The museum began fundraising for this effort in 2025, selling brick memorial pavers for family members, other loved ones, and even pets. Each price cost $150 and was customizable by layout, images, and other options. The funds support the museum’s general operations. This event will take place at ROHM, located at 700 W A St. in Rainier. The...
Daniel's life journey began and ended in Altoona, Washington on the banks of the lower Columbia River. He was born at home, the 3rd child of Edson Stephan Jr. and Martha Ero Stephan, on May 4, 1936. He passed away March 16, 2026, with his wife of 72 years, Clair, by his side. DanielJoseph Stephan, known fondly by many as "Danny," attended Grays River Valley Elementary School and Naselle High School, graduating in1954. He was a gifted athlete, lettering all four years in football, basketball,...
To The Eagle, I’m not a dentist. I look at the water fluoridation issue from a chemical perspective. My research at University of Calif & Stanford opened my doors to the world of agrichemicals. Fluoride based chemicals are the waste products of phosphate, aluminum and steel industries. As a highly toxic byproduct, there are large disposal costs. To curb costs, fluoride was marketed to the dental industry as a safe treatment to prevent cavities. Industrial attorneys and marketing programs were highly successful (E. Bernays, R. Kehoe, H....
To The Eagle, I love the Grays River Valley and all the beauty here. Our farms and our timber, now, are almost totally inaccessible. And who is causing that? Money from across the world buying up our timber and cutting off our access so we don’t mess with their investment. This area is ready at any time for tourist investors. But I have my own ideas of how it could be developed. First, I’d like Port Two to invest in the Rosburg store property so a small store with coffee and local information could be present for those visitors wanting to...
Naselle and Wahkiakum battled it out for the KM Trophy on Tuesday, March 31. It was the Comets' day, as they won in both baseball and softball in their first season matchup against the Mules. On the baseball diamond, Naselle was down early before surging ahead in the final three innings. For the softball squad, the script was the opposite, with the Comets streaming out ahead but hanging on to the lead down the stretch as the Mules kept kicking. Baseball Wahkiakum shot out to an early lead,...
Wahkiakum High School's track and field team had two more meets before their spring break. The first of the two meets took place Thursday, March 26 in Toutle. For the boys, Jayden Stoddard came in second in the 100m with a time of 11.6. Stoddard is currently 12th in state in 1B competition for the event. Stoddard took third in the 200m with a time of 24.3, earning him the fourth spot in state in the event. Cody Vicars took third in the 800m with a time of 2:26.0, landing him at 20th in the...
March 30 9:56 a.m. A Cathlamet resident called to report a suspicious vehicle parked on the street for a few days. 10:09 a.m. Deputies performed a vehicle unlock for a Puget Island resident. 8:34 p.m. A Cathlamet resident reported that several unknown persons had been on their property earlier, shining bright lights and beating on the door, but had left. March 31 10:37 a.m. A vehicle was stopped in the eastbound lane of SR4, with its flashers on, near Little Cape Horn Road. 2:12 p.m. A driver on SR4 reported a vehicle driving erratically and...
